Descent: Into the Darkness (Forgotten Origins Trilogy)

by Tara Ellis

  TWENTY SEVEN

  The applause is slow to die down as Zane comes to the microphone to address the huge crowd that’s gathered in the courtyard. It’s the only space big enough. The base population has grown to over two-thousand as refugees continue to flow in. If you were to include the Shiners, and prisoners housed belowground, it’s closer to twenty-five-hundred.

  I was impressed today when I saw how much things have improved in just the past two months. The fact that Zane was a successful rancher and farmer is a huge part of that.

  There are three different working farms spread out inside the compound. One’s growing several crops while the other two house different animals. There are numerous gardens in addition to the farms, and they are all tended to by very willing volunteers. Everyone here is assigned a job that contributes to our society as a whole. They’ve even managed to set up some working electrical grids, powered mostly by solar and wind energy. It’s reserved for the most critical parts of the base, but it gives a sense of normalcy that is absent outside of these walls. The exception to this is movie night, which I heard happens every Friday. The local theatre is powered up for a couple of hours. A lottery system picks the lucky attendees. I know Zane is playing things smart, and the morale boost this brings is well worth the energy spent. But it rubs me the wrong way.

  I’ve seen a lot of horrible things lately, including starving children. There are groups of survivors scattered around in pockets and a lot of them won’t even accept our help. They don’t trust anyone associated with the government. A few of the camps are doing surprisingly well, but most are barely hanging on. I have a hard time accepting some of the extravagances in the face of those stark realities. It even made it hard for me to enjoy the large meal we just ate. A cow was butchered for the feast and while my mouth watered at the smell of it cooking, I struggled to get it down when it came to swallowing it.

  That’s not to say we haven’t seen huge improvements in our field conditions. We actually acquired a couple of working trucks and jeeps. It’s made getting from point A to point B much easier and faster. However, we’re still limited by the lack of fuel. It’s become the most valued commodity now and many people have died over it. Our engineers are working on making biodiesel. I don’t even pretend to understand it, but I guess the military trucks all use diesel and are pretty easy to convert. Making the fuel is something else, but the needed components are still out there or can be grown or rendered from fat. Nate is all excited about it and has been talking non-stop about it for days now.

  No one’s been either brave or stupid enough to put a plane in the air yet. A truck or two on the ground moving through the woods won’t stand out too much but anything in the sky will be a red flag. We don’t want to experience another EMP and lose everything we’ve accomplished in the past eight to nine months since the last one.

  “Thank you all for gathering here with us tonight, to celebrate a truly remarkable victory!” Another fresh round of applause erupts. Zane lets it go, allowing people to rejoice until it quiets down on its own.

  “You have all been very patient, and for that, I want to thank you. I know there have been rumors that I have neither confirmed nor denied, but ignored. Please understand that this was necessary, but that tonight, I want to put some of these questions to rest.

  “You are all aware of our unique soldier and friend, Alex Mubarak. What most of you don’t know is that Alex and Chris Edward were responsible for releasing the Holocene anti-virus.” More rumbling from the masses. Raising his hands, Zane effectively hushes them.

  “You are all likely aware of our adversaries, the Mudameere, and the ancient society that fought against them, the Khufu Bast. Only a few people know the complete story behind the Khufu Bast, however, because there are but a handful of their members left. Alex’s father was one of them. She is actually a descendant of an even more ancient race and is part of a program headed by the Khufu Bast. The intent has always been for Alex to lead the fight against RA and his Mudameere puppets,” the noise level is again rising, but Zane just speaks louder. “We weren’t able to share what Alex’s unique abilities are until we were sure that it worked, and also to protect her. But I am proud to tell you tonight, that we don’t need to hide her anymore, because we are taking the fight to RA. And we’re able to do that because Alex can control the Shiners!”

  The room explodes with excitement at this news. For some, it’s confirmation of what they already suspected, but for others, it comes as a complete surprise. Zane spreads his arms and bellows out above the noise. “I introduce to you, Alex Mubarak!”

  Somehow, the cheering gets even louder and I find myself at the center of it all. My face burning hot with both embarrassment and anger, I glare briefly at Zane as I pass him on my approach to the podium. He asked our group to sit up on the stage with him, and I figured he would introduce us, but I in no way expected to be put on the spot like this. What in the hell am I supposed to say? I’m not good at public speaking.

  “Umm,” I start awkwardly, bumping the microphone with my mouth. Looking back at my mom desperately, she makes a shooing gesture at me to continue. I turn back to the crowd and think this must be a mistake. There are so many people! And they are all looking at me to lead them. Oh my God.

  “Yeah, hello.” My voice sounds weak, so I clear it and swallow hard. “Hello!” I say with more conviction. Several people shout back at me, which gives me more confidence. “I … umm … hope I can live up to your expectations.” This creates another long round of applause, and I try to turn away. I really can’t think of anything else to tell them. But Zane isn’t about to let me get off that easily. Rising half-way from his seat, he stops me from reaching my chair and orders me to say something inspirational.

  Inspirational? I feel sick to my stomach now. I reluctantly return to the podium, but not before seeing the look of pure amusement on Seth’s face. Squaring my shoulders, I decide to tackle this with the same guts I do anything else that terrifies me.

  “I’m sorry,” I stutter, my voice echoing from the scattered speakers. “I’m really not all that great at talking in front of people.”

  “That’s okay!” someone hollers from below me.

  “We love you, Alex!” another stranger yells.

  Smiling now, I relax and pretend as if I’m speaking to my cross-country team, the way I did back when I was the team captain. “What I really meant to say, is that it’s an honor to be here tonight.” When that is received positively, I somehow find more words and it just starts coming out on its own.

  “You know, my dad died just over three years ago. He was a key member of the Khufu Bast, but I didn’t know that until after the first infection started.” The courtyard has become quiet as everyone strains to hear me. I speak louder into the microphone.

  “I didn’t find out about my ancient heritage until right before the EMP, when the second outbreak was just starting. I made my way here to the base, like so many of you did. I didn’t even realize I was part of an experiment until after I got here and Dr. Paul ran some tests.”

  I turn to smile at Dr. Paul, and he smiles back encouragingly at me. I have no idea where I’m going with this but decide to just keep rambling.

  “I guess, what I am trying to say, is that … well … this is all a surprise to me, too. I’m really no one special, but I do promise to do my best not to let you all down. Mostly, not to forget what it is we are actually fighting for or fighting against.

  “I promise you I won’t forget who the Shiners are.” I look at Missy when I say this, and see that her eyes have filled with tears. “To not only keep all of us from getting killed,” I continue, looking back at my captured audience, “but to keep us from having to kill them. Because we have to remember who the real enemy is. It’s not the Shiners. They’re still our family, our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. The real enemy here is RA and his Mudameere followers.

  “We can never forget who we are fighting against and why, or else we risk
losing the only thing that separates us from them: our humanity.” The silence following in the wake of my impromptu speech is complete. While my eyes remain dry due to my continued battle to reconnect with my sheltered emotions, almost everyone else gathered in the dirt of the courtyard is silently weeping.

  TWENTY EIGHT

  “Well, that was a stupid freaking move for Zane to make,” Seth states, plopping down in an over-stuffed chair.

  Regarding him with my cool, silver eyes, I then look around the room to try and gauge what the rest of my friends think. Mom left the dinner earlier with Zane. They seem to have grown very close while I was gone. Lisa was pre-occupied in the courtyard with a handsome lieutenant, last time I saw her. Missy’s mom, Cindy walked with the rest of us to our barracks but is now busy putting Natalie to bed. Jake insisted he was old enough now at eleven to stay up and visit. Although he’s curled up on the loveseat with Baxter, yawning, I’m glad I get to spend more time with him.

  “Why do you say that?” Missy asks, leaning back on the couch in between Kyle and Chris. Benuk and Nate take the two remaining recliners, while I prefer to stand and pace, as is my norm. I always have restless energy and have a hard time sitting still.

  “Because now,” I answer before Seth can, “not only have I been paraded as the leader of our cause, but I’ve also had a giant bulls-eye painted on my back.”

  “The Mudameere must already know what you’re capable of, Alex,” Missy counters. “They have the professor. He basically created you. As soon as he was made a Shiner, they would have known everything about the Genesis Project.”

  “Not where she was,” Seth argues. “Sure, they might have suspected, but now they know exactly where she’s at and how far she’s gotten in her abilities. I know how valuable Alex is to the Mudameere leaders, and they’ll probably do all they can to take her alive, but everyone else here is expendable. Especially if she’s being heralded as their leader.”

  “Let’s be honest here though,” Chris interrupts. “Alex is not a leader.”

  Confused, I look sharply at him, trying to determine what his tone means. He returns my stare and explains further.

  “Well, it’s true. You’re a figurehead. When it comes to taking orders, you do what you’re told just like everyone else.”

  “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, man,” Seth says quietly.

  “No. He’s right,” I interject. Everyone looks at me, surprised, including Chris. Seeing the contempt in his eyes though is enough to push me off the fine ledge I’ve been walking all night.

  “Don’t you think I know that already?” I demand, walking up to the couch and staring down at him. “You, of all people, should understand that being the one everyone is looking to is the last thing I want, or have ever wanted! Are you really so offended that you weren’t called up onto the stage tonight, Chris? Because, yes, you do deserve to be acknowledged for your role in this ‘victory,’ but that’s not why we’re here!” My voice has risen to the point where I’m screaming at him, but I can’t seem to stop myself. “This has always been about finding the professor, creating a cure, and defeating RA. That’s it. Because if we don’t, we can kiss this whole world goodbye!”

  “Uh-hum. Excuse me,” Zane’s voice breaks through my tirade, and I look over to find him and Mom watching me. Turning back to Chris, I see that his cheeks have grown red. I feel no sense of accomplishment in embarrassing him. Taking a deep breath, I step back and try to leave the room, but Zane puts an arm out to stop me.

  “Sit down, Alex,” he orders evenly, and I have no choice but to comply. Jake scoots over on the couch so that I can sit next to him, and I suddenly feel horrible for berating Chris in front of my little brother. As I pull Baxter onto my lap, I catch Seth’s expression and I’m surprised to see that rather than being amused, he appears troubled.

  “First of all, I’m sorry for putting you on the spot like that tonight, Alex, but you handled it brilliantly. Chris,” he continues, turning to the group on the other couch. “We all know that, without your leadership, this would have never been successful. That certainly won’t go overlooked. But often times in military operations, the acknowledgment comes by way of rank and respect, rather than public awareness.”

  “Understood. Thank you, sir,” Chris replies evenly. “I think we’re all just confused as to why you would expose Alex the way you did tonight. Won’t that now compromise our future missions?”

  “We received word early this evening that the story of what happened with the Shiners has already leaked out. Whether it’s from our own ranks, or those passing by that saw you marching them, it doesn’t matter. But the cat is clearly out of the bag, so to speak, and we decided to capitalize on it.”

  “At whose expense?” Seth asks, earning him a hard look from Zane. “Sir.”

  “It’s a calculated risk,” the senator agrees. “But one that was deemed necessary. We’re losing this fight, you guys. We all know it. The only way we stand any chance is by uniting the resistance. Honestly, as much as we’d like to think we’re a threat, the Mudameere don’t see us that way. We’re like one of a hundred ticks on a hound dog. They just don’t care, and the Shiners will continue to pick off the easiest targets. This was all smoke-and-mirrors.”

  Curious now, I scoot forward on the cushion. Baxter has become more interested too, disengaging himself from my lap and sitting up on his haunches.

  “How so?” Kyle asks the question for me.

  “While the initial leak of information is likely just reaching Mudameere headquarters, by the time they receive confirmation and a report of your ‘speech,’ you’ll already be in place.”

  My excitement growing, I stand now and start pacing again. “What about the professor?” I ask.

  “You leave at 0300 hours,” Zane gives as an answer. “We’ve scraped together enough fuel for one transport to get you there and back. This will be a small extraction team consisting of your squad and only four other men for armed support.”

  “Seems risky,” Nate says. “Won’t there be a lot of resistance?”

  “No. Turns out we already have a man on the inside at the facility where they are housing the professor. It’s nearly seven hundred miles from here, near Winnipeg, BC. You could drive it in around thirteen hours, but you will take a less obvious route toward the end and cover the last few miles on foot. They’ll have no idea what’s coming.”

  “Who’s your contact there?” Seth asks.

  “Low-level intelligence. Part of a group we worked early on. This was a potential lab that we already had on our short-list, but his job is in maintenance, so we haven’t been able to get any confirmation as to the true nature of the place. What we do know, however, because of intelligence he sent to us a month ago, is the layout and number of armed guards, which is very few. That’s what kept them from drawing much attention, and it almost worked. We’ve got you a way in and out, with a route to the restricted access location. You’ll be on your own after that point.”

  “This sounds extremely dangerous,” Mom says, unhappy with the situation.

  “Mom, everything we’ve done the past six months has been dangerous,” I tell her, feeling bad for not being able to spend more time with her before leaving again. “At least on this mission, we actually have a chance of accomplishing something that will make a difference.”

  “You’ve got less than four hours before you pull out,” Zane tells us. “I’ll brief you more on the specifics at 0230, so try to get some sleep.”

  As I ponder the unlikeliness of any of us getting sleep tonight, a warm hand latches onto my arm and I turn to find Jacob staring at me, his eyes brimming with tears. Pulling him close, I breathe in the familiar smell of my little brother, not caring at the moment if I embarrass him in front of the guys.

  “I’m coming back, bud. I promise you,” I whisper into his hair. As he nods his head in agreement inside my tight embrace, my fingers happen to rub against the small leather necklace around his neck. I know tha
t, attached to it, is the family seal that used to be Grandpa Mubarak’s, and it matches the one that always rests under my own shirt. I keep it there as a constant reminder of my destiny so that I never forget who I am…or who we are.

  TWENTY NINE

  “Over here, Alex!” Seth whispers, and it’s only because of my heightened senses that I can hear him.

  We arrived here earlier this evening, after a long fifteen-hour drive. Crossing into Canada was uneventful, as there are no longer any borders. Once we got into the last leg of the trip though, we stayed off any main roads to avoid the risk of detection. After parking in an old, deserted campground, we hiked in the last several miles. It was agreed that waiting until dark was the best move, but it wasn’t long before night fell since it’s still early Spring.

  Seth, Missy, and Benuk are searching the south wall with night-vision binoculars for the side entrance reported to be there. I look at where Seth’s pointing and confirm that there is, in fact, a door. That’s promising. All his friend knew was that the professor was supposed to be here, so we’re relying on our guy on the inside for the details. We have no way of knowing how accurate our Intel is. It’s over a month old and vague at best. But the building is here, and it fits the description we were given. We’ll know when we get inside.

  I sense some Shiners on the other side of the property near the main entrance but resist the urge to take control of them. It’s too risky. There must be some in the lab, but I’m not close enough yet to detect them. If I act too soon and give us up, then we’re screwed.

  Motioning first to Baxter to stay, I move with speed and stealth back to where Chris is positioned and report the finding to him. We’re on radio silence. We don’t want to take any chance of being heard. There is way too much at stake.

  Raising a hand, he holds up two fingers and waves them forward, prompting both Nate and Kyle to respond without question. We went over and over the attack plan on the way here, so much so that it was all I dreamed about during the few hours of sleep that I managed to get.