Final Days: Escape

by Jasper T. Scott

  “You have me all wrong, Carrie. I didn’t kill anyone. I understand you think there’s some circumstantial evidence to the contrary, but I assure you, my hands are clean.” He held them up, palms raised, and smiled. “Are you afraid that I might kill you?”

  Carrie went very still. “That’s not...”

  “Because I don’t kill my friends, Carrie. My enemies, of course, are another matter, but let’s not dwell on negative things. Where we are is not as important as why. We’re here to ensure that the human race continues. That’s the whole truth of the matter. It’s been my driving motive from the start, and that continues to be the case now. Talk to your friends. Make them understand that I’m on their side.”

  Carrie nodded and swallowed visibly. “I’ll try.”

  “Good.” Lewis spun his chair away from her, and contemplated the viewscreen behind his desk. He set it to display a view from an external camera and watched as the reverend’s people prowled the perimeter of the colony like hungry lions. Won’t they be surprised when they learn who the lions really are, he thought, with a wry smile slowly curving his lips.

  * * *

  Val

  Val was at her desk in the classroom in Eden Four. Tony sat beside her, along with the other kids—all of varying ages. There weren’t a lot of kids in the colony yet, so they went to school together, but ever since Reverend Morris had taken over, “school” had consisted of a twisted syllabus of the Saints’ made-up religion. It was basically Sunday school in crazy town.

  Morris smiled as she and Hound strode in and stopped at the front of the class, having displaced the ‘teacher,’ Eve Woods, who was one of Mary’s faithful subjects. No, not Mary. Morris. Shelley Morris, Val reminded herself. She refused to give this woman more credence than she deserved.

  Morris shrugged out of a pack she wore and set it on the teacher’s desk. She leaned against the desk and folded her hands in front of her. “How is everyone doing today?”

  “Good!” Diane piped up from the front of the class.

  Val frowned, watching as Morris favored the girl with a fond look. “I’m so happy to hear that, dear. And the rest of you?” The reverend’s gaze tracked up and swept over the others.

  Silence rang, clear as any bell.

  Val still couldn’t believe that Diane was sold on this. The Saints had shot her caregiver, Jennifer. It didn’t make any sense.

  “I realize that things have been... tense around camp lately,” Morris said. “But does a woman not scream and cry before she gives birth? Does her pain make the joy of motherhood any less?” Morris shook her head. “No. It doesn’t. That’s how things are now. We are like a woman in labor and this colony is her child. Does that make sense?”

  Diane nodded, along with a few of the other kids at the front of the class.

  “So pain can bring about great joy,” Morris said. “What we need to do to hasten that outcome is to unite and recognize that we are all on the same side.”

  “But we’re not,” Val said quietly.

  Morris cupped a hand to her ear. “What was that, dear?”

  Lewis Hound’s gaze shifted imperceptibly to Val. His eyes blazed a warning, but she didn’t care. She’d had enough of this. She glanced at Tony, who was shaking his head.

  “I said, we’re not on the same side,” Val replied.

  Morris held her gaze for a long, painfully silent moment. “No, I suppose we aren’t, are we? But I have an idea to change that. It’s something we Saints do every day. We call it the Chalice of Unity. Together we drink the water of life from it, and thus, we ensure that none of us will ever die. It’s a ritual that helps us to recognize how interconnected we all are, and how precious life is. Perhaps you would like to be the first to partake of it, Valeria?”

  Val shook her head, and Morris turned to reach for something in the pack that she’d brought in with her. She withdrew a golden cup that looked like it had once been part of someone’s sports trophy before being repurposed. She set the cup on the desk and withdrew another article—an elaborate bottle with silver embellishments that might have held wine at one point. She uncorked it and poured water into the cup.

  Val frowned, watching her with a rising swell of apprehension. “What are you going to do, poison me?”

  “No, dear. I’m going to enlighten you.”

  Val’s gaze darted to the door. She could make a run for it, but the door was closer to Hound and the reverend than it was to her.

  “Eve, would you please assist me with the ritual?”

  “Yes, Mother,” Eve replied, and began striding through the aisle between desks with her hand on her gun.

  Tony rose from his chair and moved to block the aisle. “Hang on a second, Miss Woods. What if—”

  Eve pushed him aside, and Tony went sprawling.

  “Tony!” Val cried.

  Eve drew her gun and pointed it at him as he struggled to get up. “Don’t,” she warned him.

  “It’s okay,” Diane said. “They’re going to make the pain disappear.”

  Morris smiled at her as she strode by with the chalice. “That’s right, sweetheart. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

  Val jumped out of her seat, backing up fast. She stumbled into the desk behind her and then darted around it, searching for some way out. Morris just kept coming. “Don’t fight it, dear,” she said.

  “Screw you,” Val replied.

  Some of the other kids were becoming restless, their eyes wide and mouths open, but none of them tried to intervene.

  Tony climbed slowly to his feet. “I’ll drink it,” he said. “Let me go first.”

  Val’s heart warmed to hear him trying to protect her.

  “That’s very noble of you, Anthony. You can go second,” Morris declared.

  Val saw her opening. Morris was too far from the door now. Hound was still there by the teacher’s desk, but he hadn’t moved since he’d come in. She wasn’t going to get another chance. Giving the nearest desk a shove, she ran as fast as she could for the door.

  BANG.

  The gunshot was deafening in the confined space. The other kids screamed, even Diane.

  Val froze, her gaze dipping to her chest, expecting to see a spreading crimson stain.

  “Stop,” Eve said through the ringing in Val’s ears.

  Val blinked a few times, checking to make sure she wasn’t hit. Morris caught up to her and Eve grabbed her by the shoulders. The reverend smiled as she held the cup to Val’s lips and tilted her head back, squeezing her cheeks to force her mouth open. “Don’t fight it, dear.”

  A sip of water slipped past Val’s lips, and the reverend clamped her mouth shut and held her nose. Water dribbled down Val’s chin as she tried to spit it out, but it was too late. Already her tongue was growing numb with whatever she’d just been given. She felt her mind succumbing, her thoughts slowing and slipping into a dreamy haze. She was aware of Morris speaking to her, her words a calm and pleasant cadence.

  “You’re one of us now, Valeria. You won’t resist us anymore. You are a Saint and a beloved member of our family. We are one.”

  “We are one...” Val mumbled, and as she did so, her entire being felt lighter.

  “Say it again,” Morris suggested.

  “We are one,” Val said.

  “Yes. One more time.”

  “We are one!” And this time, Val believed it. She could feel it in every fiber of her being. A lightness and warmth. A feeling of love and acceptance washing over her. It was like nothing else she’d ever experienced, and suddenly every worry and fear that had ever existed felt so far removed from her that it was like they belonged to someone else. She was a new person. Reborn.

  Val looked to Mary with a smile. “Thank you.” Her gaze found Tony next. He was staring at her, open-mouthed with shock. He would understand soon. “It’s your turn, Tony,” she said, reaching for the chalice in Mary’s hands.

  “Yes, we are one,” she crooned through a smile.

 
Some of the other kids jumped from their seats, making a run for the exit. Eve’s aim tracked the leader, but Mary pushed her arms down.

  “Let them go. Two new recruits is enough for one day.”

  Eve nodded slowly and turned her sights on Tony. He shook his head, backing away from Val as she advanced. “This isn’t you,” he said.

  “It’s a better me,” Val replied as he reached the wall and could run no further. She grabbed his cheeks as Mary had done to her, forcing his mouth open. He struggled, but both Mary and Eve swept in to help her hold him still. She poured the water of life into his mouth, and the fight left him.

  “You are one of us now, Anthony,” Val said. “You don’t want to fight us anymore. You are a Saint.”

  “I am a Saint,” he replied slowly, his eyes taking on a sharp gleam as a crooked smile creased his lips.

  SIX

  Andrew

  Andrew dropped into a chair at his usual table in the mess hall. Roland was already there, but Val and Tony hadn’t arrived yet. Andrew stared miserably at his tray. More oatmeal.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Roland said.

  Andrew looked up, his eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “That we should defect.”

  “That’s not what I was thinking,” Andrew replied grumpily.

  “Be reasonable,” Roland said. “We don’t have to actually be on their side. We could pretend.”

  “No.”

  “Just for the day. Come on, man. They have steak! And fries. And pizza. I heard them talking about pizza.”

  “You want to wear that oatmeal for a hat?” Andrew countered.

  Roland smiled and held up his hands in surrender. “I give up.”

  Kendra came over and sat down with a heavy sigh, her tray and cutlery rattling as it hit the table. “I’m going to look like a lizard if I have to work out in that sun for another week.”

  Andrew favored her with a tight smile. She returned it and then spooned out a mouthful of oats. Her smile faded to a grimace as she chewed. “They’re not even cooked.”

  “They’re trying to gas us out,” Roland suggested. “Feed us raw oats and then make us all sleep in the same room.”

  Andrew barked a laugh as he stirred watery oats around with his spoon. “You may be right about that, kid.”

  “Where’s Val?” Kendra asked, nodding to him.

  Andrew frowned and checked the open entrance of the mess hall. “She should be here soon, I guess.”

  “Tony didn’t show up for his shift at the treatment plant,” Roland put in. “Maybe classes ran late.”

  “Maybe,” Andrew replied, his gaze still on the door.

  “Hey.” Kendra leaned close to Roland. “Does it work?”

  Roland seemed suddenly nervous. He nodded slowly.

  “So she did it?” Andrew asked. “What have you seen so far?”

  Roland’s voice dropped to a faint whisper: “Not much. He spends most of his time staring out the window behind his desk. Or standing on the charging pad in the corner.”

  Andrew snorted and shook his head. “Sounds like he’s hiding.”

  “Maybe he is,” Kendra agreed.

  Another familiar person came striding over, and pulled out a chair at their table. It was Carrie. She appeared exhausted, her eyes downcast as she sat and stirred her oats.

  “Looks like you did it,” Andrew said. “Good job. Welcome back to the good guys’ team.”

  Carrie met his gaze with a tight smile. “He’s not against you, you know. He told me that. He doesn’t want this to go on any more than we do. As soon as you’re ready to support him again, he’ll take care of the rest.”

  Andrew felt his eyes hardening. “Oh yeah? He told you that, did he?”

  Carrie nodded. “Andrew, there’s something else. Val—”

  Andrew’s entire body began sparking with adrenaline, and he sat up straighter in his seat. “What about her?” he said in a cold whisper.

  “I saw her going into the Saints’ residences with Tony.”

  Andrew shot out of his seat.

  “Sit down,” Carrie urged, her gaze darting around as his sudden movement drew stares toward their table.

  “Tell me what happened,” Andrew said. “Are they okay?”

  “They’re fine. Sit.”

  He dropped into his chair. “Spill it. Are they hostages?”

  “No, I don’t think so. They were going willingly. And... they were wearing white jumpsuits with those Saints’ badges on them.”

  “What the hell?”

  “Man, I knew it!” Roland dropped his spoon with disgust. “Those smarty-pants kids stole my idea, and I’m the idiot sitting here eating oats! Where do I sign up?” He nodded to Carrie.

  “Shut up, Roland,” Andrew snapped. “Go on,” he said to Carrie.

  She took a sip of water first. “They were smiling and laughing as they went, Andrew. They weren’t subdued or showing any signs of coercion.”

  “What did their eyes look like?” Roland asked.

  “Who the hell cares?” Andrew roared, again drawing eyes to their table.

  “I saw it with the guards. Dilated pupils. They’re on something,” Roland added, nodding quickly.

  Kendra’s mouth popped open in a silent O, as if this explained everything.

  “You’re saying the reverend drugged my girl?” Andrew growled.

  “Think about it, man. Why else would everyone be acting so crazy?”

  Kendra looked to Carrie. “Was there anything aboard Eden that could do something like that?”

  Carrie was shaking her head. “Nothing I know of. Mind control, or whatever you’re suggesting, is far beyond the capabilities of any drug that I’ve ever even heard of.”

  “Yeah, so is a rocket that can fly us to another planet,” Andrew pointed out. “I bet Hound has all kinds of concealed goodies.”

  “And he decided to share something that dangerous with Morris?” Kendra whispered.

  “He said he was trying to teach us a lesson,” Carrie mumbled.

  Andrew chuckled darkly and slapped the table. “Well, now, that’s a good one. Lesson learned. He’s a dead man.”

  “He’s not a man,” Carrie reminded him.

  Andrew ignored that objection, continuing his discussion with Kendra. “This is it. We’re not waiting any longer.”

  “We don’t have enough data,” Roland protested. “We don’t know if—”

  “Watch him tonight,” Andrew said, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. “See what you can learn.” As he watched Kendra and Carrie, he hesitated, wondering if he should wait until Carrie left to discuss what they were planning.

  “What’s the move?” Carrie asked in a barely audible whisper, obviously aware of the other people at the tables around theirs. None of them were friends of the Saints, but still. She was wise to be careful, and it made him trust Carrie a little more.

  He nodded to Kendra and jerked his chin to where Thomas Hartford was sitting with a group of his colleagues. “You need to go talk to the doctor. I’m going to fake that I’m sick tonight. Really ham it up. He needs to react to that by having me isolated from everyone. Have him put me in quarantine in that new med bay of his over in Eden Six.”

  “And then what?” Kendra asked, slowly shaking her head. “Nothing else is in place yet. And what if Hound does leave tonight? We won’t have a chance to warn you while you’re in quarantine.” She was whispering, allowing the noise from nearby conversations and utensils scraping oats from trays to drown out her words.

  “I’ll bide my time until tomorrow night,” Andrew replied, speaking as quietly as he could. “You get that gun of yours and hide it under the ramp.”

  “What about the perimeter sensors?” Roland asked, leaning in to make sure his voice didn’t carry.

  Carrie shook her head. “They’ve been giving false alarms since you set them up. Wind in the grass, little squirrel creatures, you name it. We stopped paying attention to them long before
Morris took over. I doubt her followers are checking every alert.”

  Andrew nodded once, decisively. “Good, because tomorrow night I’m busting out of here.”

  * * *

  Kendra

  The weather hadn’t improved, but they’d managed to avoid any real rainfall. A few drops fell from the dark clouds above, but nothing more than that, as she walked from the mess hall toward Eden Six. She hadn’t spoken to Thomas for weeks. Sure, she’d managed to catch a nod from him occasionally, or a quick remark about some banal topic during breakfast, but they’d had nothing more than surface conversations since their date.

  Kendra thought Tom might be angry with her. Maybe he’d expected a real love connection… as if dating was something normal on an alien planet in the middle of a crisis. Not that it had ever been in her normal life, but at least she had an excuse these days.

  She and Andrew hadn’t kissed since their climb to the ridges, but she could still see his affection each time their gazes met, in every offhand comment he made, and in the furrowing of his brow as they talked in hushed tones about their plans to escape. He was a difficult man, but she was drawn to him nonetheless.

  The ground was hard here, the grass worn in a pathway leading between the large Eden stations. The lack of moisture and the blazing sun had all but burnt the vegetation, reminding her of the dry valleys behind San Diego back home. She chided herself for thinking of it like that. Earth was gone, and that was what made this colony so critical.

  There had been much speculation as to whether they could trust Hartford or not, but in the end, they’d decided there was no real choice. Andrew wouldn’t be able to escape camp during the day, not with the trigger-happy guards around watching the borders. At night, with the others detained, she estimated the security was nearly non-existent.

  Kendra cringed to think what the one hundred or so Saints were doing in the finished residence block in the middle of camp each night. Now that Val and Tony had been dragged into the fold, she was doubly worried. Her footsteps picked up speed as she neared the medical station, and she peered at the sky, hoping to get a read on the amount of daylight remaining. She didn’t want to be caught outside after curfew.