Blasted Research: A Post-Apocalyptic Polyamorous Romance

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my parents. They did so much more than promote reading habits and encourage language study, and I wouldn’t have become the person I am today if it weren’t for them. Thanks to my mother and father, Nancy and Joseph, I am who I am and proud of it. May the years be kind to you.

An extra thanks goes to the wonderful beans that hang out in my Twitch channel - I love seeing all your writing progress, too, and thanks for the encouragement!

This novel couldn’t have been written without 4thewords and coffee!

♡☢♡☢♡

Other Works

Spells, Snow, & Sky: a paranormal polyamorous romance

Description

Safety is better than happiness, right?

Dr. Jules considers xemself to be lucky. Even if there are venomous thoughts and stagnant governmental practices inside Dome, there are also warm beds, stable food supplies, and an interesting job studying radiation at the Science Center. Sure, xe might not be the happiest person there, but it's a good life. Better than the wasteland of poisoned trees and mutated creatures xe could have been born into. Then comes xyr newest assignment: go to the nearby Bells River, gather fresh samples, and bring them back to Dome for radiation testing. Looking on the bright side, at least this will excuse xem from yet another blind date xyr mother set xem up on. And when xe come back, xe'll receive a raise!

Wasteland adventure? Bring in the experts!

Kirk and Li are the wasteland guides hired to keep Dr. Jules safe as xe gets water and mud from Bells River. Unfortunately, when it comes to Domies and the outside world, it's easier said than done. Those inside people know nothing about spitting spiders, let alone how quickly the environment can turn against a person. And spotting thieves before supplies are stolen? Ha! For Li and Kirk, the payment is worth the aggravation. Educational and instructive books that'll help make life easier for their family and future generations.

There and back again, quick as can be.

But the wasteland loves its little surprises and it's going to take every ounce of determination, sacrifice, and friendship to stay alive. . .let alone find happiness.

A post-apocalyptic adventure leading to acceptance, hope, and romance, it's Station Eleven meets Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts!

Tags: neopronouns xe/xem/xyrs, nonbinary & asexual Jules, bisexual Li, gay Kirk, poly is the solution not the problem, found family, hurt/comfort, knife wounds, almost drowning, spiders, cursing Kirk, self-accepting Jules, Li gets to manage these two (good luck Li), all the gooey feelings, happy ending

☢ Chapter 1: A New Assignment ☢

S ir, please, can I just— a hand chop from Jules’ section head cut xem off. Xe bit xyr tongue and clenched xyr fists behind xyr back; thankfully xe wasn’t tasting blood and eventually the throbbing would die down. For now xe concentrated on keeping xyr mouth shut. Towering over the older, heavyset man scribbling at his battered desk didn’t help; it just made xem more aware of the power xe lacked.

There is nothing to beg, plead, ask, or even demand, replied Dr. Tesla, not looking up from whatever message he was writing on the trace paper. For a few seconds Jules craned xyr neck to try and see, but ultimately bad penmanship won out and xe gave up. Anyway, it was easier on the eyes to stare at faded pictures on the office wall, and there was always the fun game of guessing which half-covered cracks led where.

Dr. Tesla finished, cracked his knuckles, then sighed and shook his head. Did that stupid thing where he stroked his mustache and twisted the ends. He looked at Jules, and the younger scientist saw time’s touch on xyr mentor; watery eyes, thinning hair, and gray obscuring the previous sandy brown. His skin was still pale, but now there were many more liver spots to see.

You’re going. That’s final.

You can’t choose—

For others I can, I did, and I will continue to do so long after you’ve gone on your assignment and arrived back. You were chosen and I have to enforce it—you’re the only qualified one in our department who can collect the samples at the moment anyway. This request came from the council and I’m filling it the only way I can. Trust me.

There’s over thirty people working here, I can’t be your best choice. Who left for the last one? Why can’t they go again? Jules knew xe was scrabbling for a reason, any reason, but xe didn’t want to leave. Well, nobody wanted to leave Dome, which is why finding volunteers had become something of a problem in recent years.

It made sense that people would prefer clean water, breathable air, and the safety of being surrounded by those they’d grown up with. Much better than a radioactive wasteland with dirty water, poisoned air, and unknown strangers.

Dr. Kepler is dead.

Jules winced. Xe’d forgotten about that, but to be fair, Dr. Kepler had been floors away and in a different department. Weather, right? With a hobby of dabbling in the stars?

There was a wry twist to Dr. Tesla’s lips. Trust me, it was hard enough to make the man do anything while he was alive; him being deceased won’t help. Though it will cut down on the obscenity-laden screaming.

Jules didn’t know how to react to that. Was xe supposed to laugh? Launch a defense on behalf of currently decayed cells because they had formerly been a co-worker?

We need someone smart and unattached to go—willing doesn’t matter, as Dr. Kepler proved. Do you want to keep your job?

Ah. Threats. That was familiar ground.

Yes, sir, Jules said, xyr voice quiet.

Then prepare to leave. Try to come back in one piece. And without bringing in illnesses from the wasteland like Kepler did. Dr. Tesla beamed at Jules. It transformed him into the man who had consoled Dr. Watson when the young man had broken an irreplaceable piece of lab equipment. The leader of the lab they all looked up to. And certainly not the man Jules felt xe’d been dealing with for the last two hours. When are you leaving, Sanger?

Did xe hear a slight inflection?

I was thinking. . .next week?

That might be enough time to hunt up another Science Center volunteer, though Jules wasn’t sure who xe’d ask. Maybe an intern would be excited to go?

Hmm. . . Dr. Tesla hummed and drummed the paperwork with his pen. That seems unnecessarily late. Tomorrow.

Tomo— Jules stuttered. Sir, there’s no way I can leave then. I have an arranged date. My mother set it up.

Xyr mind weighed the two options. Making awkward small talk in a too-cozy room and choking on what passed as perfume won.

Ah. The one you’ve been complaining about for a solid two weeks, right? Dr. Tesla laughed, signed the bottom of the paperwork, and shoved the sheets to the left side of the desk. You should thank me. I’m getting you out of it.

Um, that’s not—

Thanking me, Jules. Yes, that was definite pressure on the action. Damned if xe would thank the old bastard for sending xem Outside.

Leave tomorrow, said Dr. Tesla, and I promise you’ll have something good to come back to.

The thought of a promotion, in xyr eagerness, slipped from being a thought and was spoken aloud. Dr. Tesla grimaced. After a few silent seconds, he retrieved a grubby tablet from his right side, turned it on, and tapped the screen several times.

Most likely, he finally said, breaking the quiet and not meeting Jules’ eyes. I will only say that there’s a possibility. If you come back with the samples we need.

Jules wanted to cheer, but xe knew better than to do that in Dr. Tesla’s sight. The man flipped between gentle mentor and sarcastic boss almost as often as he drank the muddy water Dome called coffee. A quick look at the desk showed that there were already five half-empty cups.

Tomorrow.

Yes, sir. Xe hesitated, but it slipped out anyway. Thank you, sir.

Dismissed. And you can leave early today.

Jules slipped away from the office and set off upwards on the spiraling solar-powered escalator, xyr mind going over the entire conversation and pointing out all xyr failures. Quivering like a newbie was bad enough, but thanking Dr. Tesla—actually thanking him!— for sending xem Outside was the top offending action, seconded by sounding over-eager for that raise.

The sign for Level 14 passed by, and xe looked up at the floor everyone called The Paper Maze. Previous scientists had stuffed this section with papers, filed into Before, During, and After. Even now, generations after the war, nobody needed to ask which event the labels referred to. Junior high interns Allis and Teddy were working today, too busy trying to find more room to notice Jules. Level 13 was empty and black, recently cleaned from experiments of making a more sustainable paper product to use in Dome, but Level 12 was the opposite, full of light and laughter. Jules watched closely as xe passed. Another Experience Science day, this time with elementary school kids and metal experiments.

Xe let out a sigh as Level 11 popped into sight. Radiation. Xyr floor, which had been home away from home ever since xe’d been eight and interested in the effects of the bombs. And had learned that interning at the Science Center had meant escaping family in a socially respectable way.

Jules! squealed Marie, jumping up and running to greet xem. Xe tugged on her brassy curls and she rolled her eyes, a tawny hand tucking a wayward lock behind her ear. So‽ What’s the deal? Are you going to stay?

Leaving tomorrow, xe said, smiling at the teenager. She was doing high school credits within Science Center and had a better head for math than several of xyr other colleagues, which of course meant that xe stole that brain for xyr department whenever xe could.

Marie groaned, and xe could see the light in her hazel eyes dim.

Hey, don’t be so down, xe said, punching her lightly on the shoulder. She gave xem a look of disbelief.

You’re kidding, right? You’re going Outside, probably never to return.

I was going to give you a promotion before I came back, said Jules, hearing her suck in a breath. Xe didn’t glance at her, instead pretending to examine the papers xe’d left behind before jumping to Dr. Tesla’s tune. The paper for the department meeting in two days didn’t need to be finished, so that was a slight blessing. Xe pulled the top drawer open and pushed it in; xe could recycle it for another meeting as long as xe remembered to change the numbers.

A promotion? Marie’s voice hit the squeaky high note it usually made when she was really excited. Jules hid a grin and fussed about with items on the desk, waiting until she looked ready to pop.

Exactly, xe said, shutting the drawer. Someone’s got to maintain my equipment until I get back and I’d feel better knowing it was you.

Jules peeked at Marie again and couldn’t hide xyr smile as her face went from incredulous to eager.

Yesyesyesyes!! she shouted, bouncing around the small room. Jules lunged forward to rescue the coat rack she knocked over, but was too far away to stop a few bulging binders as they thudded to the floor.

Doctor Jules! she said, stopping and snapping off a perfect salute. Jules noted that she needed to fill out a requisition form for new clothing soon, since the edge of her cable knit top was inching up toward her elbow and straining around the cuff. But xe wasn’t in charge of her, and maybe she liked that style. I promise I won’t let you down!

I know you’ll do an amazing job, xe said, returning the gesture. Go ahead and take the rest of today off after you talk with Dr. Light. She’ll be penciling you onto full shifts until I come back.

Marie tossed xem the peace sign and ran to the escalator, then stopped and looked back.

Thank you for the opportunity, she said, walking back to xem. Um. . . come back safely, ‘kay, Dr. Jules?

That’s the plan, kiddo. Out for only for a couple of days, hopefully.

Marie lunged forward and hugged xem, all skinny arms and bony knees. Jules held still, then patted her twice on the head.

I’ll tell you all about Outside when I return, xe promised.

Wicked! she crowed, pumping her fist again. I’m gonna go talk to Dr. Light right now, is that—

Yep. In fact, that’s exactly what I want you to do, said Jules, waving a hand at her. Otherwise, she’s going to track me down and threaten me with paperwork.

They laughed together at that. Dr. Light, as the joke went, was all light and goodness until someone didn’t follow her precise instructions, and then the light disappeared as quickly as a flicked switch interrupted a closed circuit. I’m going to check one last thing, then get ready to head out myself.

She nodded and jumped onto the escalator.

Jules watched as she disappeared from view, then sighed as xe sat in the chair and turned on xyr computer. There, blinking, was a notification for new messages. A small hope flickered that Dr. Tesla had changed his mind, but when xe clicked the flashing icon, the name which popped up was Braum.

The old lady with the scavenged toy shop? Why would she care? How did she know already? Jules tried to connect the dots. The only other person who knew was Dr. Tesla. . . Great. That means today’s meeting was a total waste of goodwill, he was never going to budge.

Jules ~ heard you’re heading Out. I’ve got supplies. Let’s chat. North Cafe. 1700. Braum.

It had to be Dr. Tesla that let her know. I mean, I found out yesterday and I sure as hell didn’t tell anybody, xe said to xemself, replying to the message with an affirmative. Including family.

That was something xe didn’t want to think about. How xyr over-the-top mother was going to react to the news of having to turn down yet another arranged date. And that xe was going Outside. Jules shoved those thoughts out of xyr mind and made sure the basic studies continued to run in the background. Marie could keep collecting radiation data from Dome’s roof to compare against the past days, weeks, and recent years.

And that was it. Funny, how the old books used to talk about scientists having messy desks with papers spilling everywhere, old coffee crusting in mugs, pens where you didn’t need them and no pens when you wanted one. Ten years working here and there was nothing. Then again, every desk was clean, and the scientists on this floor were the only ones to know which desk belonged to who.

It made a person feel like a replaceable cog, contradicting everything Dome said about each person being uniquely needed to keep the city running.

Xe put the computer into sleep mode, then made xyr way up to the bottom floor and waved goodbye to Dr. Light at the front desk. She was head of Human Resources. If Marie hadn’t told her why she needed longer shifts for the next few days, then Dr. Tesla would have had a quiet whisper in her ear. Either way, she didn’t stop xem, and the door swung open with its familiar creaking.

Jules breathed the air in, enjoying the knowledge xe gained as xyr brain separated each of the nearby scents that reaffirmed the place and hour: Right outside the Science Center, a little after four in the afternoon since the smell of roasted zucchini, provided by Miriam’s Roasted Veggies, was on the wind.

The amount of noise meant that most people were done with their shift for the day, but school was still in session since the pitch of voices was