The Secret Bunker Trilogy

by Paul Teague

  Magnus makes his choice – we’re going for defence. But he instructs the security teams to wire the lifts. If they have to be destroyed, they can be, at the press of a button. But for the meantime, they’re our portals to the remaining Quadrants, and they need to be preserved and defended.

  The Control Room remains tense and busy. Magnus gives instructions to get the lifts wired with explosives and deploys additional security, effectively creating levels of deterrence three lines deep along each stretch of corridor opening to the lifts. I get a beep on my Comms-Tab. It’s Nat – at last. One look at her face tells me that I need to take this message on my own.

  I slink off into one of the smaller meeting rooms and start to chat. ‘Where are you?’ I ask, desperate to learn what she’s up to.

  The video feed from Nat’s tab blurs momentarily, then adjusts on her view. It takes my eyes a short time to refocus – surely I’m not really seeing what I think that is? Another blur as Nat repositions the Comms-Tab so that I can see her face again.

  ‘I’m in space,’ she says. ‘It’s amazing!’

  ‘How the heck did you get there?’ I ask, incredulous. This started out as a family day trip, nobody mentioned space.

  ‘Dan, there’s a new button on the Transporters, it seems to have appeared after the Quadrants separated.

  ‘I pressed it by accident, but we’ve surfaced somewhere in space, we’re on some kind of space station.

  ‘You need to join us,’ she continues, ‘but keep this quiet for now, I don’t know how this fits in with things yet.’

  I’m desperate to join Nat. Surely this must be the hub for what’s going on, it would make perfect sense bearing in mind how the Quadrants just separated and started moving above the surface of the planet.

  Nat and I have the run of this place. Nobody is challenging us or treating us like kids – there’s a general understanding among everybody that we’re key to everything that’s going on here.

  I think it’s finally sunk in for me now too. At first it seemed unbelievable that any of this could be connected with me. But seeing what I’ve seen in these bunkers over the past forty-eight hours, being reunited with a twin who I thought was dead, finding out that my mum and dad have lived hidden lives which they didn’t care to share with us. It’s just incredible.

  I’m getting the hang of this now, and I like it. When I was in that bunker entrance after the darkness fell, I was scared, fearful and a victim. Not any more. I’m energized, motivated and angry. I want to fix this thing, and I can see where Nat’s anger comes from now.

  I’m not going to be a victim here. I’m getting off my butt and going to sort this. Or I’ll die trying – or whatever it is that is going to happen to us when our time is finally up.

  So I check out with Nat and tell her to wait. I’m on my way … to space!

  A New Ally

  As Nat switched off her Comms-Tab, she turned away from the window looking out onto the stars and registered for the first time who her second companion had been.

  ‘Hell, Kate!’ she shouted, launching at her with hate and velocity. Simon was fast to interject. It was a good job too – Nat hit him with quite some force.

  ‘Hold on, Nat!’ he said, struggling to restrain her. Nat could see that Kate was taken aback by her attack, and she was giving Simon about thirty seconds to come up with a good reason why she shouldn’t continue. As it was, Kate started to explain.

  She hadn’t met Nat yet, but she could tell that her reputation preceded her.

  ‘Nat,’ she began, following Simon’s lead, ‘you’re fine, I’m not a threat to you.’

  Nat smouldered and didn’t look convinced. Kate picked up quickly; she liked this young woman and could see something of her own fire in her. Simon felt the tenseness in Nat’s arms ease slightly, so he offered some reassurance.

  ‘It’s okay Nat, Kate and I know each other from way back.’

  Nat showed that she was ready to listen, but only for a short time.

  ‘I can’t explain what happened to me in the bunker,’ Kate continued. ‘I knew what I was doing, but somehow it didn’t concern me, I seemed to have lost my free will.

  ‘I can only describe it like someone was controlling me, but my conscience had disappeared, it didn’t seem to matter.

  ‘When the explosion went off on the surface, something happened – it was like I got my senses back.

  ‘I knew that what I’d done wasn’t good. I took one look around the Control Room and the Troopers and I got out of there fast.’

  Nat was interested now. Simon gave Kate a bit more help.

  ‘It’s these devices in their necks Nat, the same as your mum and James have ...’

  He paused momentarily at the mention of James. ‘Kate was being controlled for most of the time she was in Quadrant 1.’

  ‘We need to find out who’s doing this Nat,’ continued Kate, ‘and I’ll bet any amount of money the answer lies right here!’

  They’d all come to the same conclusion at the same time. You didn’t need to be a detective to figure it out. Whatever answers they were after would be found here. And all three wanted to speak to one man in particular. Doctor Pierce was the key to this.

  As they stood there in that corridor in space, a new alliance formed in an instant and became glued by mutual contempt for the same man.

  The lights went out momentarily. The entire structure powered down then rebooted again. It took less than a minute, but it was obvious that something important had just happened.

  Then a voice, cold, without emotion, almost robotic came through the speakers which lined the corridor.

  It was a female voice, but one which sounded detached, as if all humanity had been washed away and discarded.

  ‘Your Queen has taken control of The Nexus,’ it began.

  ‘The final assault on Earth can now begin.’

  Chapter Six

  Emissary From Helyios 4

  On 10 July 1999 a 32-year-old mineralogist from the planet Zatheon began a unique placement on Earth. This was only the second time that one of her species had been to the planet, and she was privileged and honoured to have been chosen for the task.

  Even at such a young age, Davran Saloor was highly proficient in her field. She was the leading expert in mineralogy on her home planet, surpassing the skills of her own mentor and teacher and making ground-breaking discoveries about mineral composition that revolutionized all thinking and learning on the topic.

  So, when The Off-World Federation finally heard the pleas from Helyios 4 to assist with the mineral depletions that would eventually kill their own planet, the Elders on Zatheon thought it only fit to send Davran to Earth.

  That planet had a very similar mineral composition to Helyios 4, so Davran’s task was to apply the knowledge and principles developed on her own planet to study the mineral composition of the planet Earth.

  Davran was also crucial to Earth’s own terraforming proposals. They would use technology and processes from her own planet to facilitate this process and deploy lessons learned in the resurrection of Helyios 4 when their turn came.

  Accompanying her would be the abrupt and rude Zadra Nurmeen, who had himself been dispatched from his own planet to work alongside two prominent scientists from Earth, both of them at the forefront of Earth’s Genesis 2 project.

  These unprecedented steps for off-world species to interact with each other were subject to draconian controls. Under no circumstances would The Off-World Federation permit contact with other humans not directly engaged in the respective projects of Earth and Helyios 4.

  Although Davran was humanoid in appearance, her biological makeup was very different to that of the humans

  Her skin was light, her hair dark and her eyes a piercing grey, but there was nothing about her – other than her manner, habits and slight difficulty making the ‘th’ sound in human words that would have given her away on Earth.

  Zadra was also predominantly humanoid in form, but it w
as absolutely imperative that he was not seen, as his eyes, nose shape and skin texture would have made him stand out immediately among human beings. His own species was well adapted to hard, physical work so they tended to be quite short, small, and with seven fingers on each hand, for more effective use of tools in tight, underground locations.

  Zadra and Davran, along with the twin scientists from Earth, were very well aware of the consequences of breaching the code of engagement agreed by all members of The Off-World Federation.

  No contact with humans unless they’d been given full Genesis 2 clearance.

  No tests, experiments or processes to be carried out unless within the agreed remits and specifications.

  A complete and total confidentiality clause on all off-planet experiences. These clauses were crucial to the integrity and peaceful co-existence of the twelve planets which formed The Off-World Federation.

  Which is why, when she breached the code, Davran was subjected to such severe and terrible consequences.

  Supremacy

  For a sociopath like Henry Pierce, throwing his own brother violently from his chair at the helm of the control console was a spiteful and long overdue victory. One which he had imagined now for many years, and one which he knew that he would savour when it finally came.

  The Off-World Federation could come up with as many rules and codes as it liked. But when Doctor Henry Pierce and Zadra Nurmeen had met, there had been an instant ignition of friendship, one which would have no respect for those rules.

  As Henry learned more about Helyios 4, he began to feel that he’d been born on the wrong planet and at the wrong time, he had much more in common with the values of his new friend.

  So when Henry and Zadra narrowly escaped Ostracism after their own debacles, the bond had already been forged. Two hate-filled men with a mission for revenge against a perceived enemy which had been merciful in its treatment of these offenders.

  But they had knowledge, they’d been exposed to the far-reaching plans which affected both of their planets.

  And the woman from Zatheon had been the one to give them the key.

  Helyios 4 needed minerals. Minerals which were in plentiful supply on Earth.

  Henry Pierce hated Earth – they’d rejected him and failed to appreciate his skills and intelligence.

  Earth was dying and Genesis 2 was going to save it. But using the knowledge and expertise of the mineralogist from Zatheon, as well as the privileged access that Pierce and Nurmeen had had before being taken off the project, it was possible to sabotage Genesis 2.

  Henry Pierce’s aims were very simple. They didn’t take any account of interplanetary codes or off-world covenants. Henry Pierce cared only about himself.

  With his friend Zadra Nurmeen he would destroy his brother’s work. He would then sabotage the Genesis 2 project. The Earth would be destroyed – a failed mission, an Off-World Federation project gone sadly wrong.

  Under Federation laws, if Earth died of its own accord, its mineral deposits were fair game, where no sentient or intelligent life existed – or was capable of existing. They’d make sure of that of course; the Shards were already injecting the poisons that would kill this planet, Earth had begun to burn.

  Henry and Zadra would become vastly rich and powerful selling the mineral supplies back to Helyios 4. Henry would return to that planet, powerful, influential – its saviour. This dream was within his grasp.

  As his brother fell to the floor, he kicked him with the contempt that he thought he deserved. Blood began to trickle from his brother’s mouth and head, and he was reminded of the delightful time he had enjoyed when he’d poured scalding hot water over Harold as they bathed as children.

  He sneered as he keyed in some codes on the control panel before him. The power went off momentarily, then resumed. It was not unlike what had happened in the bunkers hours earlier, only without the twenty-four-hour delay that had been necessary to infiltrate The Global Consortium mainframe. That was when they were most vulnerable, at the precise point at which power was handed over from world governments to his brother.

  Then a cold, female voice came over the speaker system in the Ops Area. The Queen was connected to The Nexus. Harold Pierce would be eliminated and the final processes to kill off the Earth could at last be put in place. With The Queen now online, the Troopers would quickly overcome and destroy the final bunker.

  Having recovered slightly from the violence of Henry’s last attack, Harold Pierce began to pick himself off the floor. He should have stayed where he was. Henry kicked him once again, hard and ruthlessly in the head. Harold dropped, unconscious, bruised and bloody.

  Henry sneered once again. The brothers looked so alike he could be watching himself lying there, pathetic, on the floor. Only he would never let anybody do that to him. Life to him was about supremacy, dominance, victory and winning. Right now, in this moment, he felt indestructible.

  With his friend Zadra Nurmeen at his side, he would destroy this cursed planet thousands of kilometres below them, and live a new life on Helyios 4 where he would be rich, adored and powerful. And he would do it using another person who’d been cast aside, just like he was, all those years ago.

  It was good to hear her voice in the Ops Area at last – the final part of this plan was coming together, after so many years.

  She would be his secret weapon, it would be her power that would allow him to make the final twist of the knife and kill the planet which he hated so much.

  Breakthrough

  Amy sidled up to Mike, who was working furiously at his console. Both knew how important these events were – they had just over two hours to do something to save Nat and Dan.

  Amy felt helpless – she didn’t have Mike’s ability with the tech, there was nothing special about her DNA, she hadn’t been gifted with Xiang’s expertise or skills, or Viktor’s military prowess.

  She’d seen Harriet and David. They were having a great time in the RecRoom – the bunker staff were taking excellent care of them. She felt redundant. None of the kids seemed to need her.

  And then there was Nat, who had come back from the dead. Amy just wanted to hold her once again, but even Nat’s thoughts were elsewhere, just like Dan’s. She had to accept that the twins were both adults now.

  She and Mike had been so proud when the adoption had been given the go ahead, when the beautiful twins had been handed over to them at the age of three years old.

  Now they were on their way in the world; she was immensely impressed by what they’d done over the past forty-eight hours, but she was also filled with sadness. Amy knew that after this, she’d never have her two, tiny kids back again – they were grown up now.

  Even Mike was distracted. She knew why – he was busy – busy trying to save their children.

  Then she got it. There was still somebody who needed her. James had been all but abandoned. Sure, they were trying to figure out what had happened to him. But what if he was wounded, or needed some help? Amy wasn’t going to sit around doing nothing. Somebody needed her still, it was her friend Roachie, he would be glad to see her.

  So she kissed Mike and headed back out to the Control Room, where Dan had just left one of the meeting rooms. Okay, he might have been growing up, but she could still see it all over his face. He was up to something. And she was coming too.

  Separate Missions

  I run into Mum as I’m making my exit from the Control Room. Her timing could have been better.

  ‘Where are you going Dan?’

  ‘Er, space Mum.’

  ‘Remember to phone me when you’re there.’

  As if that’s how it’s going to work out.

  ‘Where are you going Dan, you look like you’re up to something?’

  Darn, she knows everything. Still, there’s no way I’m telling her about where I’m heading.

  She puts her arm around me. My instinct is to pull away, but I let her have this one. Me and Nat could be dead in a couple of hours, of course sh
e’s worried.

  I think that she’s going to push me for more information, but then I get a surprise. She tells me what she’s planning and I end up telling her to be careful. She’s heading for the lift, same as me. But she’s going to Quadrant 1 – she has her SymNode activated and a weapon in her hand.

  I can’t really get all protective about Mum saving James, when I’m about to join Nat in space to save my own skin. It’s almost laughable talking about going to space, it seems so ridiculous and unreal. We’re just going to have to press pause on normal life until this is over. It makes me laugh to myself just thinking about how preposterous it sounds. Dan Tracy, spaceman. This whole thing is crazy.

  Nobody challenges us when we head for the lift, except we have to wait for the man wiring the explosives all around the door. We open the lift door, and there are explosives in there too.

  ‘Are we okay to use this?’ I ask, it looks a bit serious to me.

  ‘You’re good to go,’ replies the explosives guy. ‘We’ll only blow this if they send Troopers over.’

  ‘When you come back, try to alert us via your Comms-Tabs – you’ve got about two seconds after those doors open. If we think you’re Troopers or if we get a glimpse of Troopers, we blow it.’

  Nice to know. I’ll try not to look like a Trooper when I come back.

  Nobody even challenges us about where we’re going or why. Magnus is just giving us the run of this place. I guess with just over two hours to live and the destruction of the planet already in motion, there’s only so much damage a sixteen-year-old kid can do.

  Nat’s right about the lift too. There’s a new button appeared, right above the weird symbols that we used to get to the other bunkers. I call it a button, but it’s not really, it’s an illuminated panel. It must have been there all the time I suppose, just not visible to us.