Killswitch Chronicles- The Complete Anthology

by G. R. Carter

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she spat out.

  “That means I offer you life. I offer your people life.”

  “We already have that. Unless you’re threatening us?”

  “No, Ms. Kingsley, please don’t misunderstand. I am here as a peacemaker. I want to build bridges between our people.”

  “Then what life do you propose to offer?”

  “Life eternal. The chance to exist forever with those who reach enlightenment,” Demetrius said.

  Kathy shot a murderous glare at Maxwell, who sat with what could only be described as a glow while staring at Demetrius. “I warned you to keep that Continuity crap away from me.”

  “I love you, Kathy. I want you to live forever with me. Here’s our chance to be together for all eternity,” he replied earnestly.

  “Your faith is dead. It died with the Reset. Without Grapevine your heaven is gone.”

  “Grapevine lives, Kathy,” Maxwell said. “You know that, I showed you the system is back and alive.”

  “It came on for just a little while, and all it said was to start a migration. We don’t know what that means.”

  Demetrius laughed out loud. “I am the one who comes before the one who comes last! Kathy, my brothers and sisters are coming. They will be here soon! A great roiling flood of the faithful washing over anyone and anything in its path.” He calmed and lowered his voice. “My dear Ms. Kingsley, I offer you not only eternal life, but the chance to survive in this life also.”

  “So you are threatening me. Threatening ARK?”

  “Not a threat, a warning. Advance notice,” he said in a little thicker accent now. “A chance for you to survive the violent haboob on the horizon.

  “What’s a haboob?” she scoffed. “It doesn’t sound so threatening.”

  “A haboob is a violent storm. It comes suddenly, and with overwhelming force. It chokes the life out of everything it envelopes. But you, Ms. Kingsley, you could survive the haboob. And through you, ARK will survive.”

  “Why do you offer me such a thing? What makes me so worthy?”

  Demetrius laughed again, this time slapping Maxwell on the shoulder. “You told me she was a tough one! I didn’t believe you, but you were right!” He turned back on the warm smile. “Ms. Kingsley, my brothers and sisters will overwhelm your city. Nothing will be left if that happens. Do you understand? Like grasshoppers chewing through a field, they will strip it all.”

  Kathy gasped. The White City was impenetrable. The Diamante family had worked since before the Reset to make their beloved home a fortress. “Even the Red Hawk Republic couldn’t take our city, what force could you possibly have stronger than them?”

  “We have the power of faith, an irresistible force of men willing and anxious to martyr themselves for our cause. You cannot stop those who have such motivation.”

  “I wasn’t aware your Continuity cult made martyrdom a priority,” she replied.

  “Our faith takes many forms. Even many names. The entire expanse of the Northern Caliphate responds to our call for Jihad. Our Mahdi is the ultimate source of Continuity. Continuity is the ultimate conduit to Paradise. You will soon see the black flags outside your city walls. What then will you do?”

  Kathy felt an immediate surge of patriotism at the threat. “We’ll fight!”

  Demetrius grinned dismissively. “And even if each one of your Peacekeepers kills five of our holy Saracen, we have ten more to take their place.”

  “We’ll ask for help from the Red Hawks,” she countered. She immediately regretted the statement; anyone with a single shred of intel on ARK knew her feelings toward the Republic.

  “No, you won’t. Besides, they’ll be busy with problems of their own,” he said mysteriously. She wanted to ask what that meant. Before the question was asked he continued. “No, Ms. Kingsley, ARK is now alone in the world. Betrayed by friends, and betrayed by its leader.”

  “Now wait a minute,” Kathy seethed. “You can’t insult Tony that way. We built ARK from nothing.”

  “Who runs it now?” Demetrius asked.

  “Tony does…I mean, we do. The Diamante family does,” she stammered.

  Demetrius shook his head. “Really. Come now, Ms. Kingsley, who is really in charge at ARK right now?”

  Kathy didn’t answer. She refused to say the name out loud, to admit that Nicole Diamante wasn’t just the power behind the throne anymore. She had become front and center, and Tony was giving in.

  “Come on, Kathy,” Maxwell broke in. “You know what Nicole has become. She built that RenOne sacrilege to shut you and the rest of the family out. She controls all of ARK with that computer, even I can’t hack into it.

  “She’s keeping that Hamilton witch safe, too. I told Tony he should have executed her to avenge all our men she killed. I mean, seriously! She’s a religious fanatic, a terrorist, and he let Nicole talk him out of what needed doing!” Kathy steamed.

  Maxwell nodded and continued. “She’s convinced Tony to neglect the White City and pour all of your resources into their secret base. You should have every single detail about it, but you’re completely in the dark. She’s not even family!”

  “Neither are you,” she shot back. For a moment she regretted the slight, but then let it go; he had been with her long enough to know when not to push.

  “So, Demetrius,” she continued, “you mentioned a mutual understanding. Sounds to me like you’re holding all the cards. If you’re so confident we don’t stand a chance, why bother warning me?”

  “Ahhhh, here is the heart of the matter, yes?” Demetrius replied. “The truth is that my Caliphate has no interest in destroying your city. We are on a journey south, we just want to pass by, without being harassed.”

  “I thought you said you’d just overwhelm us with your martyrs.”

  “It’s true. We will fight without hesitation. But our goal is to reach our destination with as many brothers and sisters as possible. We know our losses would be great in destroying ARK, and that is not our desire.”

  “Fine, so tell Tony you’ll just be passing by. Just stay on the Red Hawk side of the river. In fact, why don’t you do that grasshopper trick on them, that would make my day.”

  “Tony may agree to our proposal,” Demetrius replied. “But this Nicole woman never will. She would never trust us to pass quietly by…”

  “I don’t either,” Kathy interrupted.

  Demetrius nodded deeply, acknowledging her concern. “But Mr. Maxwell does. And you know he would never do anything to harm you. Let him show you the path, give you a glimpse of what Continuity has to offer. The one who comes last will make you the eternal ruler of all ARK territory. The real Diamante family will continue to thrive, and thus will ARK.”

  Kathy considered the idea. None of the alternatives were good, she would have to figure out the lesser of many evils. At the moment she was totally shut off from Tony and Bobby; they hadn’t allowed her inside Renaissance Place since their big argument. “The Republic has a Senate meeting coming up soon. They’ll be discussing what to do about us, about ARK. Since they’ve eliminated Vincennes, we’re probably next. No matter what we decide, both ARK and the Caliphate have an interest in knowing what happens there.”

  Maxwell answered the challenge first. “We have people attending the Senate meeting. Not only will we have all the details, but some Believers are positioned to influence the outcome.”

  “Why haven’t you told me that?” Kathy said angrily. “You’d better make sure no one finds out!”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll tie up loose ends,” Demetrius said coldly.

  She sighed, thinking through her options. She wanted to speak with somebody, talk this through. If only Uncle Jack were here to guide me. Maxwell had become her sounding board for many things, but he was obviously too biased in this situation. Finally, she made up her mind. “What are you suggesting we do? How can we make sure that this happens just the way you say it will?”

  Demetrius
smiled ear to ear. He nodded his head and grabbed both Kathy and Maxwell’s hand in his. “Ah, very good, my friends. I know it all sounds a bit radical, but it will be the best way to ensure as few are hurt as possible. Yes?

  “I’m going to leave you now. I have many miles to travel, many places to visit to make sure the timing of our plan works perfectly. We cannot afford any mishaps; our enemies must have no idea. It is critical you follow the schedule to the letter. Here is what I need you and Mr. Maxwell to do before the Diamantes get back to the White City…”

  ARK’s Independence Beta Site

  (Formerly SubTropolis Industrial Park)

  Near the Ruins of Kansas City

  Massive metal gates swung open in front of the armored truck Tony rode in. Even through reinforced metal plates he could hear the hydraulic motors strain to push the weight, giving an opening just wide enough to roll through. A scant thirty feet and they faced an identical barrier. They stopped while the first gate shut. When he felt the thud of thousands of pounds of metal colliding, the next set began to slide sideways. Just past that, a well-lit tunnel appeared, marking the entrance of a project years in the making.

  He felt out of place. The truck had ARK’s lambda symbol, and so did the gates and the Peacekeepers who escorted him. That was his symbol, ARK was his organization, his nation.

  But somehow, someway, these weren’t his people and this wasn’t his nation. He had been separated from Independence, ARK’s western headquarters built in what had once been known as SubTropolis industrial park outside Kansas City. The light illuminated a smooth as silk road slightly sloped as it curved out of sight. Even inside the armored vehicle, he could feel the temperature moderate. Nicole said it was always between 65-70 degrees here, never changing no matter what was happening on the surface. Down and down they traveled, passing wide-open caverns lit up bright as day, filled with vehicles and pallets of supplies.

  Tony’s discomfort at the unfamiliarity gradually changed to pride. ARK owned all of this. Not in the way it owned material before the Reset; these weren’t just worldly possessions or assets on a balance sheet. This beta site was survival itself. A way for ARK to exist in perpetuity, and thus a way for the Diamante family to exist into perpetuity. Or at least part of the family, he thought to himself bitterly.

  The scale of the facility still took his breath away. Fifty-five million square feet of level space, seven miles of paved roads, railroad tracks throughout; the place could withstand a direct hit from a nuke and still be functional.

  Uncle Jack had suggested ARK look to Kansas City for allies immediately after the Reset. Connected families and allies from past Mafia wars gave them a natural place to start. Nicole had found the SubTropolis facility on a map by accident. A little research and a visit via airship confirmed her hopes. This was a perfect beta site. A place to replicate ARK City, except 250 miles away and underground.

  Their suspicion that there was something larger and more sinister behind the Reset had been confirmed, leading to a renewed resolve to complete Independence. Exactly who or what was behind the plot was still a mystery. There was speculation and suspicion, but the real culprits remained hidden. Strange messages and sightings increased the urgency to spread out ARK’s leadership, to make it more difficult to decapitate in one stroke. Nicole’s motherly instinct, that sixth sense so rare in leaders, urged her forward. Something was coming, a gathering storm, Alex Hamilton always called it—he had the same instincts as Nicole. SubTropolis, though she only called it Independence, had to be completed.

  As his vehicle pulled up to a glassed-in office area, Tony could see a large golden lambda, underlying the script “Independence” hung on the back wall. Peacekeepers lined up at attention, while men and women in lab coats continued to work inside.

  There she stood, the love of his life and the mother of his children. Her looks hadn’t been diminished a bit by the pressures of running a growing empire balanced with three children. He knew he wasn’t the best husband; he was the product of a hard-driving playboy father and the stereotypical Mafia wife. Uncle Jack had been his main father figure, and Uncle Jack worried only about moving their firm from one crisis to the next. That’s what Tony knew: to manage by crisis and to work 24/7 trying to create a bigger and better ARK. Nicole had come right along on Tony’s journey, until the children changed her perspective. He began to realize, too late he supposed, that while he talked of building an ARK his children could inherit, it was really just about him.

  The irony that played out was that Nicole was the perfect leader to create the ARK he claimed to covet. She truly built a self-sustaining nation, here on a clean slate, hidden away 160 feet underground. Away from the baggage of a hundred years of scheming and backstabbing, away from the prying eyes of those who claimed to be family but acted like rivals. Independence was her creation, formed through force of will and tireless effort.

  He didn’t wait for his door to be opened, but he did accept a Peacekeeper’s hand to assist his climb out of the vehicle. Tony couldn’t miss the look on his wife’s face. He had always been a vigorous man. Not particularly large or muscular, but there was never any missing the testosterone that surged through his veins.

  His current form was significantly less than that. Nicole wasn’t just an educated woman, she was innately intelligent, and one who had something more than a passing interest in medicine.

  Her hard outer shell dropped, and she stepped towards him. They hadn’t seen in each other in…he couldn’t remember the last time they had met face-to-face. They spoke occasionally via cable line, but mostly matters of business. Even before the attack on Mt. Horab they’d been strained, and since then they’d been frigid.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she said as she wrapped him in her arms.

  He stood as tall as he could and took it in, feeling the best he had in recent memory. Her hair smelled perfect and he could feel her heart beating through his chest.

  “I didn’t want to bother you. But it’s gotten a lot worse recently, so I thought we better get some things in order,” he said with a weak smile.

  “Okay, let’s get inside. We can talk about it there,” she said with sincere reassurance. Then she slipped her arm into his and they made their way to the glass doors. Even now, she knows how to make me look stronger than I really am he marveled.

  Nicole gave a hearty wave at the assembled group. “Hey folks, listen. The Premier and I have some things to talk about before our tour. We’ll catch up in a while, until then carry on with your projects. Thanks for your patience.”

  They walked past computer workstations that looked like they were straight out of a Hollywood movie from his youth. She sensed his question by the way he stared. “RenTwo is fully functioning. It’s completely cut off from RenOne, but with all the previous information. We’re using it to regulate the natural gas pipelines, air exchangers, fresh water treatment, sewers, grow lights for the vegetables…well, we’re using it for everything.”

  “Do you have enough staff?” he asked. He had seen her plans, but their scope was much more impressive in person.

  “I was surprised by how many people we could utilize who were living here in the facility after the Reset. Lots of the employees sheltered here right after it happened. There were no gates yet, so they just came on in. The lights were even still on when we first got here.”

  “How do you keep enough electricity flowing? The demands must be immense.”

  Nicole nodded. “It’s a load, for sure. But not having to heat or cool anything helps a great deal. The natural gas supply is steady, and that keeps the generators running non-stop.”

  “What would happen if—” he started, but she stopped him with an upright hand.

  “We don’t talk about that. The batteries we have wired in for emergency backup would last for a while,” she explained.

  “Okay. I get it. At least it wouldn’t get too hot.”

  She gave him a smile, and they entered a brightly lit office with
a large desk. Toys of all shapes and sizes were piled in the corner. Nicole caught Tony’s desperate look at the sight and squeezed his arm. “We’ll see them in a little bit,” she said. “I thought it would be better if you and I spoke first. Made sure we were on the same page before our family reunion.”

  “Smart,” he said simply as he lowered his head. Tears were working their way down his cheeks as they sat in comfortable rocking chairs arranged near the toy area.

  “Tony, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were ill. I’m your wife, regardless of anything else, and your partner. I have to know these things. I about fainted out there in front of our people. What in the world is going on?” she said earnestly.

  “Not a hundred percent sure. The docs are thinking heart disease. They did a scan, looks like some serious blockages. After the fiasco with the Buckles, I guess the old ticker just gave out. That’s why I had to see you face-to-face: we’ve got to set things straight, make some plans.”

  “Tony, what are you saying?” she asked warily. He could see the concern washing over her as her face flushed.

  He tried to be brave, but his voice shook. “I’m on borrowed time. The next episode will probably finish me. I didn’t know it until the docs looked up my dad’s records. This is how he went, but he didn’t survive the first attack. Of course, his cocaine and late-night lifestyle didn’t help him.”

  “And your pressure of trying to keep your nation alive in a post-apocalyptic world hasn’t helped you,” she said.

  “I guess I didn’t think of it that way. I suppose not many people have faced what you and I have.”

  “I can’t believe there’s no treatment. What about surgery to clear the blockages?”

  “They say cracking me open is almost a certain death sentence. We just don’t have the technology to do what they did before the Reset. All the drugs are gone, and we can’t remanufacture them, not yet. All our medical production has gone to drugs to treat mosquito-borne diseases or battle wounds. I guess having a powerful position doesn’t save us from the ultimate fate.”