Kelli Kimble [Kimble - Repatriate Protocol Box Set 3

Evolution

Book Seven of the Repatriate Protocol Series

Kelli Kimble

Evolution

Copyright 2019 by Kelli Kimble

Cover design by Victoria Cooper of Victoria CooperArt

Editing by Abigail Stefaniak of AbbeyEdits

Reclamation

Copyright 2019 by Kelli Kimble

Cover design by Victoria Cooper of Victoria CooperArt

Editing by Abigail Stefaniak of AbbeyEdits

Redemption

Copyright 2019 by Kelli Kimble

Cover design by Victoria Cooper of Victoria CooperArt

Editing by Abigail Stefaniak of AbbeyEdits

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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For Bill, Brian, & Lydia

Read the entire Repatriate Protocol series:

Repatriate Protocol (Book One)

Expatriates (Book Two)

Volunteers (Book Three)

Choosing (Book Four)

Purging (Book Five)

Searching (Book Six)

Evolution (Book Seven)

Reclamation (Book Eight)

Redemption (Book Nine)

Chapter 1

The first time I noticed my ability, it was with the dog.

I was eating lunchsome weird stew my mother threw together from leftovers. It was okay, nothing special, but it would fill my stomach, and that was always a good thing. Wed gone without often enough that I would eat just about anything.

The dog was sitting next to me, looking up at me. I always gave her my bowl to lick, so I imagined she was waiting on that. But, I happened to look down at her, and she bobbed her head ever so slightly, while licking her lips, and in my head, I heard a very distinct: Please?

At first, I thought it mustve been someone else. I looked around and even went to the kitchen to see if anyone was in there. Nobody was around. It was just me, my bowl of stew, and our dog, Chia.

I sat back down and tried to finish my stew. I heard it again. This time, I looked down at Chia, and she seemed to nod.

Was that... you? I pointed at her. I mean, she was just a dog; maybe she didnt grasp pronouns.

She nodded again and licked her lips. She looked from me to the bowl. Food. Please .

The thing is, I didnt hear it. It was entirely in my headand I dont mean in my head, as in, I made it up. I could hear it only inside my head.

I went back to the kitchen with Chia at my heels. The pot Id taken the stew from was empty, except for the gravy-like liquid clinging to the sides and bottom. I set it on the floor in front of Chia.

She immediately began to lick it, even putting a paw inside it to hold it steady, while she maneuvered into every nook and cranny. I went back to eating from my own bowl. Soon, though, she was back at my side. Good. Food good .

Im glad you liked it, I said. I finished up the remains of the stew and let her lick that bowl, too.

You might be wondering why I wasnt shocked or scared by this sudden ability to hear the thoughts of a dog. Let me start from the beginning.

There was a time when the people in my city felt persecuted by the rest of the world. So, the leader devised a way to kill off as many people as he could. More or less, he wanted to bring the rest of the human race to the brink of extinction so that he could dictate the rules of all. Morbid, right? The science of it was a closely-guarded secret, but somehow, he brought on a long winter that killed off most everyone else. There were pockets of humans left here and there, but not many.

That was about 1,300 years ago. In that time, the city where I live had a major surge in technological advancement, and there was a time when every person born received an implant that would allow them to communicate telepathically with anyone else who also had the implant. Very few people didnt have the implant. Usually, some medical reasonor maybe a punishmentwould mean someone wouldnt get one.

But, in the last 20 years or so, the city fell on harder times. Even though the implants were recycled from person to person, there came a point of saturation, when they just didnt have enough to go around. It came time to start deciding who would get one, and who wouldnt. Naturally, people who had powerful jobs or influence would continue to get them for their families. So, people who worked menial jobslike janitors, housekeepers, and farmersdidnt give their children the implants when they were born.

I didnt think Id been suddenly given an implant while I was sleeping the night before. So, the only explanation was that it was a natural phenomenon. Generations and generations of peopleincluding my parentshad received implants. My mom and dad didnt learn to talk until after I was born. Since I didnt have an implant, both my parents had to learn to talk, so they could communicate with me. Some other people could talk, too: Politicians, cops, lawyers. But, they still had implants and mostly still communicated telepathically.

But, it follows that, after many generations of people who communicated telepathically, someone would come along whod created their own mechanism to carry out the same form of communication. Its just evolution, right? Thats how we got opposable thumbs, and why we no longer have wisdom teeth.

So, I was the first big step in the evolution of that feature, which was a really good thing. Without the implant, I was doomed to repeat the lives of my parents: In an unimportant job, doing menial things, and most likely, Id marry someone in similar circumstances, and wed have a child who wouldnt get an implant, either. The cycle would continue.

At first, I couldnt hear people. Only animals. Maybe their brain structure was simpler, or maybe I just didnt want to hear what adults had to say in their heads. But, if I stood near an animal, and it directed some thought at me, Id hear it. I imagine they said more than I could hear. Dont most people have a pretty constant dialogue running through their brains? I know I do. But, I heard a squirrel yell, No hurting! as it scurried away from me. I heard Chia ask for food, belly rubs, and bathroom breaks. I heard the neighbors cat tell me to screw off though not as politely as that.

I didnt tell anyone about it. It seemed silly, really. I mean, what use is it to hear animals talking? Especially if it was only when they were talking to you? Anyway, I knew everyone would think I was just fantasizing about getting my own implant. Id wanted one ever since I was old enough to realize Id missed that opportunity, thanks to my parents low-level employment.

If I started saying I could hear the dog talking, I was pretty sure it was only going to make my parents feel guilty, at bestand angry, at worst. So, I just didnt say anything.

Then, after a few weeks, I realized if I tried, I could talk back to the animals without moving my mouth. I practiced on Chiauntil she wouldnt come into a room while I was in it.

Whats wrong with the dog? my dad kept asking everyone in his rusty voice. As if we could all read the dogs mind. Well, I could, but I didnt want to say so.

I tried out my thoughts on other animals I saw. Most of them were startled by my intrusion and ran away. One cat allowed me to pet it, after I offered it a piece of moldy cheese Id fished out of the bottom of the refrigerator. It wouldnt talk back to me, though.