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Max Guevara looked over at the Transgenic on the motorcycle next to her. Alec McDowell caught the look but said nothing. Now wasn’t the time. They were racing down the former I-5 freeway toward a meeting in Olympia. Even if he wanted to say something the wind of their speed would have carried his voice away so that even Max’s Transgenic hearing wouldn’t be able to hear. Later, after their meeting with the Governor, would be the time to ask.
The sixty miles flew by in less than an hour. They pulled up to the Capitol Building and parked their motorcycles together in a single visitor space. They stowed their helmets and climbed the steps. They were ushered in right away to the Governor’s office, past the giant Christmas tree and other festive decorations. Max noted them but said nothing of a plan she began to form.
The Meeting with the Governor made slow progress and it was clear that Max and Alec would need to return after the Holidays. They left for Terminal City and Home.
“The Holidays?” Alec said as they reached their parking space. “What Holidays?”
“I presume she meant Christmas and New Year’s considering the way the Capitol was decorated,” Max answered.
“I didn’t know that was still celebrated,” Alec said.
“I think people like her and others who survived the Pulse with their wealth still intact always have celebrated it,” Max answered. “Logan said his family always did.”
“Figures Roller Boy would,” Alec said.
“And Original Cindy tried a couple of times,” Max said. “But post Pulse there is not a lot of Christmas decor that could be afforded on Jam Pony pay.”
“Yeah,” Alec agreed.
They got on their motorcycles and started off for home. Each of them had much to think about on the sixty mile ride.
Alec thought about how he had found a home in Terminal City. He’d been prepared to leave as soon as the blockade around Terminal City was lifted. But as days stretched in to weeks and weeks into months, he had gotten more entangled in the lives of his fellow Transgenics. Somehow he’d become like the Vice President to Max’s President. He figured out the practicalities of day to day running while she tried to make them a family. If the Transgenics of Terminal City were family, then maybe it was time to create some family celebrations. Alec couldn’t see Mole or some of the others wanting to celebrate Christmas like the Ordinaries but maybe a new holiday could be made up. Perhaps the anniversary of the fall of Manticore? Or the day they first flew the Freak Nation flag? Perhaps both?
Max ruminated on the meaning of home. She had a couple but none as hers as Terminal City. If talks with the Governor continued as well as they had today, there might be a permanent accord to let the Transgenics have Terminal City as their home. A concept that many didn’t completely trust but hopefully there will be time for the trust to be built.
They cruised down the freeway, weaving through the traffic. The traffic was no where near the pre Pulse levels but there were still trucks delivering goods and people needing to go to the Capitol or even points south like Portland. Soon though the Tacoma Dome came into view and not long after Max’s beloved Space Needle. They left the former freeway and wove through the various sectors, using the diplomatic sector passes the Governor had given them. Those were handy. Max vowed to herself that she’d use it soon to visit the Space Needle. Alec wanted to use his to have an easier time ‘liberating’ some supplies. Max thought that when they had their official status, supplies wouldn’t have to be liberated though how the Freak Nation could earn money to buy them legally would be another problem. But with official status jobs could be had.
They approached the entrance to Terminal City and were waved through by the X-5s on duty. They parked their motorcycles in the underground parking garage that served as the motor pool before heading to the command center.
They briefed Mole and the others on their progress with the Governor. Mole snorted his disblief while the others shared Max’s cautious optimism that soon the Freak Nation would be recognized. They were no longer living under siege but in a weird limbo. No longer villianized on the news but not reported favorably on either. Transgenics had just sort of faded out of the news cycle. Every week or so there were still some protest of the Freaks but not in the large numbers that made the news. Peace was seemingly on the horizon.
Max went up to the office she and Alec shared. She wanted to get her notes ready for the next meeting whenever it got scheduled. Alec followed her. He had the watch reports to go over.
“So Maxie, I was thinking,” Alec started after he shut the door.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Max returned, slightly irritated. She hated being called Maxie, though Alec could get away with it and not face a foot to the chest.
“Very funny,” Alec returned. “I was actually being quite serious.”
“Ok, let’s hear your idea,” Max invited.
“So the Normals have holidays, like Christmas, New Year’s, Halloween, and the Fourth of July,” Alec started to explain. “What do we have?”
“You want to start celebrating Christmas?” Max asked.
“No, I don’t think that would be a holiday for us,” Alec said. “But if we become a recognized nation, maybe we should have a couple holidays to celebrate.”
“That would be good,” Max said. “All work and no play does get old fast. Any holidays you have in mind?”
“Maybe we should celebrate the anniversary of the day Manticore burned,” Alec suggested.
“Not everyone would find that day worthy of celebration,” Max said as she remembered some of the anger she had faced for burning Manticore. Sure she stopped the torture but that was all many Transgenics knew. They found freedom frightening.
“Maybe if we celebrated it, those who protest will start to see the liberation and not the loss of home,” Alec suggested. “Especially now we have a new home.”
“We could also celebrate the day we first flew the Freak Nation flag,” Max suggested.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Alec said with his charming grin. Max noticed and looked at him, really looked, for the second time that day. Gone was the cocky, arrogant annoyance. Well not completely gone but it was buried under a man she could and did trust with her life and the lives of everyone of her family. She was struck at what a difference a year could make.
“We missed the Manticore anniversary this year,” Max said to distract from her thoughts.
“We did, but we can celebrate it next year,” Alec said.
“How would you celebrate it?” Max asked.
“I don’t know but we have nine months to figure it out,” Alec said.
In the end, the celebrated the second anniversary of the Manticore escape by signing the official paperwork making Freak Nation a nation within the United States and granting citizenship to all Transgenics. It became Transgenic Freedom Day in more than one way.