Грань будущего
Chapter 2
Shecouldn’tfoolhermother,whoseeagleeyessawthroughhereveryruse,butwithanyoneelseshe’dhavethemeatingoutofherhandafterafewsecondsofwaterworks.Rita’sonlyotherdistinguishingfeaturewastheredhairshe’dinheritedfromhergrandmother.EverythingelseaboutherwasexactlylikeanyotherofoverthreehundredmillionAmericans.
HerfamilylivedinPittsfield,asmalltownjusteastoftheMississippiRiver.NotthePittsfieldinFlorida,notthePittsfieldinMassachusetts,butthePittsfieldinIllinois.Herfatherwastheyoungestchildinafamilyofmartialartists-mostlyjujutsu.ButRitadidn’twanttogotoamilitaryacademyorplaysports.Shewantedtostayathomeandraisepigs.
WiththeexceptionoftheyoungmenwhosignedupwiththeUDF,lifeforthepeopleofPittsfieldwaspeaceful.Itwasaneasyplacetoforgetthathumanitywasinthemiddleofawaragainstastrangeandterriblefoe.
Ritadidn’tmindlivinginasmalltownandneverseeinganyonebutthesamefourthousandpeopleorso.Listeningtothesquealsofthepigsdayinanddayoutcouldgetalittletiresome,buttheairwascleanandtheskywide.Shealwayshadasecretspotwhereshecouldgotodaydreamandlookforfour-leafclovers.
Anoldretiredtraderhadasmallgeneralstoreintown.HesoldeverythingfromfoodstuffsandhardwaretolittlesilvercrossesthatweresupposedtokeeptheMimicsaway.Hecarriedall-naturalcoffeebeansyoucouldn’tfindanyplaceelse.
