by Richard Dusk
"You must try another way. Greenland is-"
"Jill, there is no other way," he butted in. "Not for me, not anymore. Look, a lot already happened, and more will come. We'll chat in the morning. You've got one last hour to sleep, and then Lizzie will come to do a check-up. Take a nap, you need it," Garrett grabbed all the papers and left the room.
Jillian lay speechless on the bed. She couldn't absorb the spoken words. He really meant it. They plan to go thousands of miles across the ocean with no guarantee of success or return. It's just a shot, nothing more. A single chance to save the rest of the humankind. Garrett wants to fight an enemy he knows only from papers and schemes. His hands are tied, and he is blind, with no time to lose.
What's he thinking? He wants to use something he just built?
A sudden angry voice coming from outside of the room interrupted her thoughts. It neared and sounded like it argued with no response. Doors swung open, Sarah stalked in with Lizzie close to her heels, and their lab coats waved behind them.
"Good morning," said Sarah merrily with no sign of anger in her voice. She looked delighted, but Lizzie the exact opposite. "It's great to see you're finally awake, Jillian. I was beginning to worry about you," she sat on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," Jillian turned to Lizzie standing at the bedhead. "Lizzie, I don't know how to thank you. I would do anything just to repay it somehow."
"I'm good," she rasped and waved with hand, showing a trace of a smile on her face.
"Can I at least hug you?" she stretched out an arm, and Lizzie came closer.
Sarah appeared nervous and found this little bonding as a time-wasting, but acted smile immediately after Lizzie released her.
"Sweet," she said happily. "Can we please check her?"
"Yep," said Lizzie, fed up. "If anything hurts, tell me," she sat at her back.
Sarah turned to Jillian, intertwined fingers, and sighed.
"Jillian, you're so young, and I'd love to relieve your shoulders of all burdens that are coming at us, but we have to put another one on you."
"I have to," whispered Lizzie to change Sarah's words and leaned to Jillian's neck.
"Since you lie here, many things happened. Some of them are good, and some are bad. We've just met Garrett, and he said that you two had a short chat. I know he told you what Whitkis caused, but did he mention something else?"
"No, he wanted to talk in the morning," she lied right into Sarah's face.
"Garrett will have to sail away," she said without further ado. "He worked on the issues we had before and truly couldn't resolve without him. He rebuilt a weapon to save us. There left some minor improvements to be done, but when it's finished, it will possess the power to terminate all the torment we are challenged with on our blue planet," she said while Lizzie lightly tapped the filling on Jillian's back and watched her face for any signs of pain. "What we need from you is to sail with others. You are a strong girl, and you know the world outside. You lived there the whole time, and I believe you won't buckle when it goes from bad to worse, but the most important is the fact that Garrett trusts you. I do believe it will be a nerve-wracking journey, and as you two went through some dangers together, it will be priceless for him to have you there. We've lost most of our good men, and we are in dearth of people suitable for this task. You've already met Kaiden and Pace outside, and there will be three others. They are skilled soldiers, good under pressure with a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude. They are the only ones we have and who I'm confident about that are capable of finishing this off," she silenced and waited for Jillian's answer.
"Okay, I'll go."
Sarah looked at Lizzie with a stone face, but eyes glinted with a victory.
"That's honorable," said Sarah and leaned to hug her too.
"I need to put her in the tube again," said Lizzie to stop her, for which Jillian was grateful.
Noticeably, Sarah didn't have a good feeling about Lizzie's request.
"Okay, I'll let you work, and we'll see soon," Sarah stood up and walked away.
"What was that?" said Jillian.
Lizzie silently unbuckled her legs and corset on the torso and then carefully removed the cannula.
"Sit up, I'll support you," she helped her on feet.
"Wow," Jillian exclaimed because her legs didn't hold her properly, and she almost fell. "I've forgotten how to walk," she trod lightly.
"You lay with stretched legs for days. Your muscles relaxed, and we have to work a little with them. I gave you some stimulants in the drip bag, so it will be back to normal shortly," she walked with Jillian out of the room and headed back to the scanning tube.
The moment they entered, Lizzie closed and locked the door behind them.
"Jillian, what do you know about Garrett?"
"Well, not much. I know he taught at university and designed some molecule for which he traveled a long time to get here and meet some doctor named Hikls. He also lost his wife and daughter, and he mentioned his home and father. Otherwise, we talked about the common stuff about the world out there. He's fine but has very cynical and pragmatic, for me depressing, perspective about life," she thought about his morning words. "Oh, and he carried a jotter, but it burnt in flames."
"Hikls? Are you sure?" said Lizzie surprised and sat on the bench next to her.
"Yeah, he mentioned him several times," she nodded.
"Hmm," Lizzie paused in thought for a second. "As I see, you don't know Garrett at all. I remember everything about him since the first moment we met," she sighed. "He was an amazing man. Clever, funny, well-mannered, and probably with the best charisma I've ever had a chance to meet. I believe that any woman would give anything for a man like him. To wake up next to him and watch him play with your children every morning and see him coming home every evening. He had a perfect life in every aspect until the highest heads of defense decided to invite him here to work on that cursed molecule he created," she said. Jillian noticed a sign of anger in her voice. "Just a few weeks passed after they offered him another project, and he disappeared. There left no trace after him. Anything and nobody who could tell us more. He seemed to be all right. Even I couldn't recognize any sign on him. Nothing. The next days, when he didn't show up, didn't answer the phone nor opened the doors, they looked for him everywhere. They even came to his house to knock on the doors, but he just disappeared with his whole family."
"What happened to them?"
"I don't know about his wife but heard that he ran away with his little girl. I spoke to him a few times since you two came, but he doesn't speak about it, and I didn't dare to ask. But as you're not she, then their ways had to separate somewhere. I couldn't believe it when they said he's back. And even more, I couldn't believe that he is not alone. I thought you were his daughter, injured but alive, and for a second I was convinced that it's a miracle they both survived. But I found out later that it's not true, and this is not Garrett I knew."
"You know him? How?"
"We've met a few times here, but he doesn't remember. I noticed, and I think you won't be surprised, he grew very fond of you. He spent all his spare time sitting in that armchair, watching if all numbers monitoring you are green. We can't afford to lose him again. He has to go, and you'll have to go with him. There might happen anything, but it's apparent that you're the only one he trusts. It's selfish to say, but it seems that this is Garrett's and your destiny. Sarah is sure you can walk, and your back is healthy enough, but I told her that you need to be here at least for next month. The filling inside you must decompose the fragmented bone. If you'll fall or carry something heavy, it may break apart and damage you even more, but time is luxury we can't afford right now," said Lizzie, and Jillian compassionately stroke her hand.
She didn't know what to say. She looked at her feet, thinking about all odds of returning. They may come back and continue with their lives, or they will pay the highest price. All the time she tried to hide somewhere far away from the danger, and now
she's going voluntarily back in there to sail on the open ocean.
"I'll go. I won't leave him."
"I knew he was right about you. You are an amazing girl, and the best thing that could happen to him," Lizzie hugged her.
Jillian barely knew the feeling of heartfelt praise, and it felt strange every time. Lizzie released her and stroked her scarred cheek.
"I'm afraid that this world already took you more than it gave," she said with pity.
"We'll live this through, don't worry."
"Right," Lizzie nodded. "I'm not going to scan you. I just wanted to talk about him without Rosefield behind my back. Your bruises are gone, and your back is as it is. Anything hurts you?"
"No," Jillian finally stretched her body.
"All right," Lizzie helped Jillian to stand up. "Then I suppose we can dress and feed you with something proper."
Chapter 14 Wheels In Motion
As Jillian made the first steps to stretch her legs, she realized that Lizzie is a far better doctor than she imagined. If her muscles weren't so stiff, she would be walking with no help now. She touched each of her ribs and felt they are all unharmed with no trace of pain she came with. When they entered the canteen, the smell of tasty fresh food made Jillian's stomach rumble.
"Jillian, I didn't expect you so soon," said Garrett when Lizzie helped her to sit at the table with piled-up papers surrounding him.
Jillian looked around, feeling the bleak mood spreading through the place. Most of the people silently ate, and once a while, somebody said something over the clinking and scraping of silverware.
"I'll get you something," Lizzie went to the counter.
"I see a glorious morning here," Jillian glanced at the people eating their breakfast and propping up their heads.
Garrett nodded in agreement and offered her half of peeled pear.
"It's impossible to speak to them. They act like deaf and mute and just go through the days. Apparently, they realize now that the world is over when their shelter is falling apart beneath their feet. I make no great illusions about their minor ideas on how to survive in a world they're about to enter. Their feeling of safety is crushed, and they finally began to understand that they may die here inside or out there within any next minute. Nest became fragile, and every quake raises the chance of breakdown. Whitkis destroyed more than just one wall. He weakened the structure, and now they are supposed to wait until their fate is decided. Sarah said they plan to move to another base and abandon this one. By the way, she said you're going with us. Are you crazy?" he lowered his voice. "Why would you put your life at such risk again? We won't come back. It's impossible. We may be exposed to forces that will tear us apart. You should stay here and hope for less violent death," Garrett strived to conceal anger.
"Why ever not? I wasn't born yesterday. I lived in the same world as you. Nothing good is waiting out there for anyone. We didn't begin this thing together, but we will finish it together. I know you won't come back, but you didn't leave me before although you could find many reasons to do, so I won't leave you now. It's not only about you and me but others as well. You've said that these people will die here or outside. Tell me then what is the difference in a group I'll choose to go with?" she paused for a second and stared at him with determination. "There is none. You know I'm right."
"It matters," he said resolutely. "It's two thousand miles, speeding twenty-four hours on a ship. Travel takes time to reach the shores. There may happen anything on the ocean, and we can't be prepared for every crisis that will arise. Even if we survive this, then we will have to drive across the land to enter the caves below Sigma station. Nobody knows what's the weather there now. There may be strong winds up to a hundred miles per hour and tens of degrees below freeze point."
"Sarah said you need people, and I agreed. I don't think it's up to you," she opposed.
Garrett opened his mouth to convince her about the exact opposite but calmed down because Lizzie came back with food and laid two plates on the table.
"Waffles with strawberry jam, whipped cream, and fruit. We need to stuff some calories in you," she said with an effort, but spasm hit her chest. She began painfully cough and grabbed the table to avoid falling.
A trickle of blood ran out of her mouth over the lip and continued to the chin.
"For heaven's sake, are you all right?" Garrett almost jumped from the chair.
"I'm fine, just my vocal cords. They've started to bleed again," she breathed in from inhaler she kept in a pocket.
"Sit down," Garrett helped her with a chair.
"Thank you, Garrett," she wiped blood smudge off her chin. "So, how's work going?"
"No echo, so I believe Arthur and Vivian are completing the instructions I gave them with no problems. They should be finishing the outer parts and testing sequence. I don't suppose it will take longer than till twelve. Then we'll revise, and if everything is okay, we'll proceed to final testing."
"What is it we're going to do?" Jillian scooped the cream.
Garrett sighed about her 'we' but decided to continue without arguments and put his laptop aside.
"I'll just briefly recap the words that Sarah told me, as I somehow remember nothing of this. A few years ago, Diamond reopened a project to build a device named X-RON, which they used to increase the ability of weather control. The primary focus was to restore the balance of natural cycles we severely disrupted, to help us continue happily with our lives. This device did its job precisely as Diamond planned until it got damaged and began destroying this planet. I've told you about Ocrosir already, and this substance is a core part of X-RON. Therefore I'm going to sail to Greenland's caves with a few soldiers. I've rebuilt Hikls's weapon – CHED. It's a bit stronger than the previous one, and it may destroy X-RON, but there's nothing for certain. It's an untested prototype," he spread some papers around.
Jillian looked at furrowing Lizzie.
"Garrett, who is Hikls?" Lizzie said with concern.
"My former colleague. We did some projects together. He took part in building the X-RON. You've probably never met him," he said unconcerned and wrote something on his laptop.
Lizzie rose her eyebrows and sighed. She leaned back in the chair and sipped her coffee, almost unnoticeably shaking her head.
"Nevertheless, none of the conditions are standard; therefore, we can't expect anything for sure."
"You don't remember anything? Why?" said Jillian, but Garrett shrugged and looked at Lizzie.
"I'm not a psychiatrist, but this sounds like dissociative amnesia."
"Yes, it may be. It would explain a lot of stuff I don't remember," Garrett wrote a short note on the paper with a sketch of CHED.
"This is it?" Jillian took the same paper in hands. She read the diagnosis Garrett wrote in the top right corner and studied the sketch. "What if it fails?"
"Don't even say it. Everything's being prepared for the least delayed course of departure. Kaiden's guys modified vehicles to protect and transport CHED, and others drove already to New York Bight to prepare Manta for sailing. They rely on us the same as we rely on them. Everything is tightly scheduled, and we're counting on departure tomorrow morning. It's crazy to meet the deadline. We have a long night full of testing ahead of us, but I believe it will work," he said and turned head to Lizzie. "That leads me to you. I've had a short conversation with our nearby-sitting miss. Are you telling me she'll make it? We can't afford to lose any time taking care of her."
"She will. I checked her. All the damage is gone. She only has to take care of the composite. Otherwise, I'm okay with it," Garrett looked into her determined eyes and lowered the voice leaning to Jillian.
"You've got to keep this in your mind all the time. This is the single one chance we've got, and we can't afford to screw it up. We are going to fight against something we've never faced before with a ghost of a chance of coming back. It's not dust, snow, hunger, or anything like that. You may freeze there, be torn to pieces, drown in the ocean, or whatever
ways of dying exist. I want you to keep this in your mind before you leave with us, and then act like a grown-up if you do. You can't change your mind after you step out of here. Understand?"
"Yes, I do," she said resolutely.
"Well, then I believe you'll be a valuable element of the team," he snapped the notebook shut and left with a few papers he grabbed.
"What's wrong with him?" said Jillian. For the first time, she felt rejected by Garrett.
"He's scared."
"Who isn't?" Jillian exclaimed. "Look around. People here are just sitting and waiting. Everyone joining is embracing death, and he thinks I don't know? I know too well what's going to happen. I can't even imagine how we reach the bay. And then withstand a sail on the open ocean? I know that every one of them sees it the same."
"He's scared for you. You've got to understand him, Jillian. Everything runs faster in Garrett's head. He knows you before you tell him your name. Even by the tone and first word you speak to him. He sees and studies you, listens, and combines. Every feature you possess, every move you make, he analyzes and gets to know you faster before you realize it. If you didn't fit into his world, he would be still keeping a distance. I doubt he would care about taking you in here if you weren't worth it," she tried to cheer her up. "There is just something you can't see, but it strikes his eyes."
"Tell me about it. Like Whitkis, he-," she fell silent. Lizzie's lips pressed into a thin line and fixed the scarf to cover her neck. "I'm sorry, Garrett told me. Is it better now?"
"I'm sorry, Jillian, but Garrett told you everything you need to know," she pushed the plate away. "See you later," she said with tremulous voice and left.
The last steps to the elevator she almost ran. Jillian sat at the table full of sketches and papers with the half-eaten meal.
"The joy of being me," she praised herself and took eighty papers thick file to read it.