The New Humans

Chapter 17

Owen helped him toward the road and then along the sidewalk. More than one person turned to watch them. They came to a wall surrounding a public garden where five teens were sitting, all more or less the same age as Ash. On the ground in front of them was a tin bucket full of water with cans floating in it.

"We have a guest," Owen said. "This is Ash."

They greeted him. One of them, sitting comfortably holding a can, said, "Nice suit. Where'd you find this guy, Owen?"

"I just saved his life," said Owen. "Two guys wanted to smash his head in, and I helped him to escape."

"Right," said another. "And then Martians arrived, and you defeated them with plasma weapons."

The group sitting on the wall burst into laughter and Owen with them.

"How come you're wearing an enhancer suit?" the first boy asked.

"It belongs to a colleague of my father's. I wanted to try it. I did some jumps but fell and broke my knee."

"You did jumps wearing an enhancer suit? No offense, my friend, but you must be crazy."

They all laughed, and Ash wanted to die from embarrassment.

"Don't be a smart-ass, Anthony," Owen said, "and give me some ice so he can put it on his legs."

"All the ice has melted," Anthony said.

"Then pass me a cold can."

Anthony took one from the bucket and passed it to Owen.

"You have to take the suit off," Owen said to Ash.

"I'm not sure I can."

"I know it's going to hurt, but there's no other way," said Owen.

As soon as Ash took off the helmet, the suit opened at the back like a window. Helped by Owen, he managed to lift both legs out. It didn't hurt as much as he had expected; the pain was already subsiding.

He then sat on the wall with the others. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, he had received two calls from his sister and a text saying Where are you? Ash checked where he was on the G.P.S. and sent her the directions, then placed a cold can on his knee.

"You should go to the hospital, there is one nearby," said Owen.

"No, I can't," Ash said.

"Why?" asked Owen.

Numas didn't have an organism and an immune system like other people, they had to go to special doctors and hospitals. They were all looking at him, waiting for a response.

"It's because . . . well . . . I'm a Numa."

Ash saw something change in their eyes. I shouldn't have told them. Now they'll kick me out.

"A Numa? Wow! How cool," said Owen.

"I've never met a Numa up close," said one of them.

They began to pepper him with questions.

"Is it true that you can go a year without eating?"

"Is it true that you don't feel heat or cold?"

Ash replied to everything with a smile. It was mostly stereotypes and urban legends, but in the fourteen years he'd been in Finnis, nobody had ever said that being a Numa was cool.

An Asian girl walked over to Ash. She was dressed in sportswear, with straight black hair and a gorgeous little nose. She smiled at him and bent down to look at his legs.