"Certainly not me, General. We were just trying to get the CDC package to someone that could do some good with it. There were times when I didn't think we'd make it. It's good to see things finally working out."
They both watched the monitors for a while. While there wasn't much going on at the vault door, the same couldn't be said for the outside activity. Cameras pointed in all directions showed a never ending parade of freaks moving towards the fort. It would be a matter of days before the entire yard would be standing room only.
"How goes the research down below, General?"
"Good, from what they tell me, Colonel. They still seem convinced that the girl is the answer to everything."
"And you still believe them?"
"I believe based on what I see and what I hear. That bunch down below would make lousy poker players."
"Poker players?"
"I don't just believe what they tell me, Colonel, I believe what they show me. Some people are great poker players. They have fantastic poker faces, and you never know what's going on underneath. Those geeks down below have no poker faces whatsoever. They have so many tells it's hard not to be distracted by them. You play poker, Colonel?"
"No, sir, never found the time for it. Don't like the idea of losing money in a game."
"Life's just one big game, Colonel. I'm surprised you haven't learned that by now. Maybe you should have played poker. Might have taught you a few things. Right now, I can tell you that the science teams down below are buzzing like bees. I've never seen them so excited. They're working nonstop. When I was down there this morning, I caught a few sleeping at their desks. By the time I finished talking with Dr. Montgomery, they were back on their feet and working again. They've got to be close to a breakthrough."
"And Christa, did you see her? When will we be able to see her? It's been days."
"Be patient, Colonel. I haven't actually seen her, but from what Dr. Montgomery tells me, she's been very helpful. The key to everything ... of course, you already knew that. Dr. Montgomery believes that her mutation has matured. She was just waiting for blood-test results. From there, synthesis of the cure is relatively simple."
"So, then we'll get to see her again, once they have the cure?"
The general paused and walked around the room, closer to Chaz. He took a few moments to collect his thoughts.
"You realize, Colonel, that she's the enemy, don't you?"
Chaz remained silent, and looked across the room.
"Colonel, I know you've spent a lot of time with her. And I know you wouldn't be alive without her help. But it's her kind that are the reason we're in this big mess to start with. We can't let these wars continue. Our entire race is on the verge of extinction. You, and I, and everyone we've ever known or loved are at risk here. That's what we're fighting for. She's just a freak. Remember that."
The colonel remained silent, staring at the general. The general looked away before continuing.
"Colonel, you need to know, she's changed. She's not the same as when you brought her here. I'm not so sure you really want to see her now. It might be better if you just forgot about her and moved on. We have a lot of work for you here. Why don't we just focus on that?"
A Time For Action
Chaz sat down in the cafeteria with Alex. "Things aren't getting any better out there, Colonel. The number of zombies coming onto the property just keeps increasing. We can't wait much longer. We need to get Christa, and get the hell out of here."
"Yes, I know. I've seen them. I've seen a few other things as well. I went to the security room the other day, when the general was inside. He was just working at the table, and had the security screens on. I noticed one of the monitors was displaying an area I hadn't seen before. It looked like the medical level, but not the one you were on."
"You think it was the second, lower medical level?"
"I'm pretty sure it was."
"I thought only the science staff had access to that area."
"Yeah, me too. But it appears the general likes to keep an eye on everything going on around here. Even the things he's not supposed to. He flipped the monitor off just after I arrived, so I didn't get a good look. But I thought I saw someone small being pushed in a wheelchair."
"Christa! Was it her?"
"Keep your voice down, son. Who knows where else he's got cameras. I can't be sure, it was only for a few seconds, and the camera angle didn't show her face. It was someone her size, and it looked like her hair. We're going to have to get down there to find out for sure."
"We need to move soon, Colonel. We can't wait much longer with the mob growing outside these walls. Have they told you anything about her?"
"Some, but not much. The general said her mutation has matured, and she's changed."
"Changed? Changed how?"
"He didn't go into a lot of detail. He thinks she's just one of those damn freaks, but his perspective is twisted. He's been locked inside this place for far too long. I think all of them have been. I do agree that we need to move quickly. I'd like to go tonight."
"OK, I'm ready. But we're getting Christa first, right? There's no way I'm leaving here without her."
"I'm with you on that, son. Don't worry. We need more information first. The general will be out on rounds this afternoon. He likes to check everything, and end with some time up on the roof surveying the entire area. While he's doing that, I'm breaking into his office. We need to have a better understanding of that second medical level. At least an idea of how to get to where Christa is. Montgomery is our key to getting down there. She doesn't know it yet, but she's getting us into that lower level."
"OK, what do you need me to do?"
"Two things. First of all, I need you to keep an eye on the general while I'm rifling through his office. It could take me a while to find what I'm looking for, and I don't need him surprising me. If he breaks his routine at all, or looks like he's heading to his office, you need to divert him. Come up with some sort of distraction."
"No problem, I can do that. I don't have a shift till tomorrow, so I'll discreetly follow him around."
"Alright, secondly, I'm gonna need you to grab Dr. Montgomery. She usually comes up from the labs early evening to grab some food from the cafeteria. When she comes up that elevator, you need to detain her. Do whatever you have to. Don't hurt her though. We'll need her to get to Christa."
"Sure thing. I'll check out that hallway to the elevator for storage closets. How long till we go down below?"
"Radio me as soon as you have her. Nothing too obvious, those channels are monitored. I'll get to you as soon as possible. Don't want anyone to be missing the doctor for too long. I suspect we'll create enough of a commotion once we get down there."
"That should work. Not too tough when you consider what we've gone through before."
"Sure." The colonel managed a smile. "Just another damn mess to get out of."
"So, once we get out of here, then what? Your family is still out there somewhere. What about them? Maybe Christa would like to have a little sister and brother to spend time with."
"I don't know. My family is an even bigger question mark than this. At least this I have a plan for. I can see a way around things."
They were both quiet for a while, finishing their meals. The cafeteria was starting to empty out.
"And son, Christa is another unknown right now. They said she's changed, and I don't know what that means. The general thinks she's just a freak. I know we both have some history with her, but maybe that's gone."
"I can't believe that, sir. People don't change all that much. It's only been a few days. I don't know what's gone through her head since we've been here, but after everything we went through, I'm sure she remembers us. I haven't said this to anyone before, but she did something out there. I mean a few days ago, after we took out the tank. When that mob started swarming us. She did something to keep me alive. I don't know what. I passed out at some point. Have you ever seen someone come out of a swarm of zombies l
ike I did? I was down and out, bleeding on the ground. They surrounded me. There's no way we should even be having this conversation. She'll remember that. She'll remember everything we went through. I know she will."
"Well, I hope you're right. I'm just saying, be prepared for things to be different. They've had her down there for two days, and who knows what they've done."
"Yes, sir, I understand that. I'll keep things in check."
"Alright, we need to move. The general will start on his rounds in the next hour or so, and you need to get on that."
They both got up, and deposited their trays on the dirty pile. Heading down the hall, they were both quiet. Chaz went towards the officers' quarters, and Alex in search of the general.
Spy Games
Chaz made his way from the cafeteria to the officers' section of the military level, where he had been assigned quarters. No one would be suspicious of him in these corridors, and most of the rooms were unoccupied. While Fort Knox was one of the most secure facilities in the country, living under siege for extended periods can take its toll. Spending most of your time in subterranean living quarters was difficult enough. To compensate, duty rotations always called for time outside. Everyone did time on the roof as snipers or lookouts as well as time in the yard.
Chaz's radio clicked three short beeps. He had it tuned to an unused channel, the same as Alex's radio. At the moment, Alex was trailing the general on his afternoon patrol. Chaz didn't want any surprises. Every fifteen minutes Alex would send three short beeps over his radio, indicating the general was sticking to his regular routine. One long beep would let Chaz know that something had gone wrong, and he needed to get out of the general’s quarters pronto.
Chaz wasn't exactly a world-class cat burglar, but he did know how to get past a few locked doors. All the doors in the facility were card coded, and some had biometric scanning. The personal quarters only had card codes. Biometrics were reserved for the more sensitive science facilities, where Christa was. During their talk this morning in the security room, Chaz had managed to switch his security card with the general's. It meant he couldn't get into his quarters for the day, but he had no intention of returning there. The general shouldn't be back to his room till after the evening meal. Chaz slipped the card through the reader, and the door popped open.
Inside, the room was larger than his, but not excessively so. There wasn't a lot of space in the underground complex, and it wasn't wasted on officers' quarters. Chaz was looking for anything that could help them get to Christa. A map or blueprint of the lower science section would have been ideal, but Chaz wasn't sure what he would find. Rummaging around the general's desk didn't reveal much, and his small bookshelf didn't offer any clues. The locked filing cabinet looked promising. Chaz used the small screwdriver from his borrowed tool bag to pry open the cabinet. He found personnel files on everyone at the fort. Some were official military files, but others appeared to be the general's own personnel notes. Chaz flipped through most of them quickly, but paused when he found Dr. Montgomery's. It had the usual academic and work history, plus some other interesting tidbits. Apparently Judith had had a few problems with ethics review boards over the years. Most of it had to do with mistreatment of animals. Handwritten job-recruiter notes indicated that a researcher willing to take risks and break a few rules would be a good thing. Chaz closed the file. Interesting, but not exactly what he was looking for.
The last drawer in the cabinet had no files, but did have a laptop. Chaz opened the laptop, and it prompted him for a security card. Chaz used the general's card, and a welcome screen popped up. Chaz clicked on the desktop icon marked surveillance, and found what he was looking for. It was a feed from the general's own hidden security cameras. Chaz selected 'lower medical level' from the options, and for the first time got a good view of where they were keeping Christa. There were rooms similar to the one Alex had recovered in. These however were filled with freaks in various stages of decay. Some were restrained to beds, while others had the freedom to roam around. From what Chaz could make out, the lower level was laid out in a similar pattern to the upper medical level, the exception being the central lab. Instead of multiple small labs, there was one large lab, and that's where he saw Christa. She wasn't strapped down, but she definitely looked different. She looked older, more grown up. While not restrained, she was confined to a windowed room in the center of the lab. It looked like living quarters, with separate sleeping and living areas. It had a small couch, a television and a coffee table. Outside Christa's room were banks of display screens, desks, and technicians. Christa seemed unaware of the presence of the technicians as she lay on the couch watching television. Either she didn't care to acknowledge their existence, or the glass was one-way. Chaz couldn't get over how much older she looked.
He closed the laptop, and began putting everything back the way he had found it. Exiting the room, he heard three more beeps on the radio. All they needed now was a tour guide to get them into the lower level. Chaz transmitted four beeps to Alex, signaling he was finished. Alex in turn left the rooftop and found his way back to the military level.
What Chaz didn’t realize, was that just as he was about to leave the Colonels quarters, someone else was knocking on the door of his own quarters just around the corner.
Forgotten Passengers
Exiting the Colonels room, Chaz hears a knocking coming from around the corner. He stops for a moment to listen, then walks quicker, to put some distance between himself and the Colonels room. Turning the corner, he sees the Sergeant knocking on the door to his quarters. Damn, what does he want with me. Apparently keeping on eye on the General isn’t enough. I need to keep tabs on all his lackeys as well.
Before Chaz can duck back around the corner, the Sergeant sees him, and calls out.
“Colonel, you look lost there? That’s the hall to the Generals quarters. Your room is down here.”
Walking towards the Sergeant, “Yea, I must have walked right past my own door. All these quarters look the same, and I was distracted. Got quite a bit on my mind these days.”
“Yes, I’m sure you do.” The Sergeant now walking briskly towards Chaz. “The General sent me. He’d like to have a word with you and Alex right away.”
“Oh, OK. What about exactly? I’ve got a few things I wanted to take care of, but I could come find him later today.”
“Actually, the General was thinking now would be a good time. He didn’t give me many details, but I sensed it was something he didn’t want to be kept waiting on. He can be very impatient at times. I’m sure you know what that can be like.”
“All right then. Just give me a second to grab a few things from my room, and I’ll be right with you.”
Standing between Chaz and the door to his quarters, the Sergeant said, “The General was quite insistent. He wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
Stepping forward and brushing the Sergeant aside Chaz responded, “He can wait another minute or two. Anything he has to show me will keep.”
Before the Sergeant could follow him inside, Chaz closed and locked the door from inside. What the hell could this be about now. There were a lot of loose ends during my little foray to the lower levels. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of secret sharing between the personnel around here, but who knows what he’s up to. Everyone seems to be running their own game around here, including myself. I’ll just need to make sure this doesn’t take too much time. The quicker I can have this little conversation with the General the better.
Chaz opened the top drawer to the stand beside his bed, and retrieved the extra ammo he had placed there. Never hurts to be prepared for anything. Reaching behind the headboard, he pulled out the extra handgun he had taped to the back. Before opening the door to join the Sergeant, he surveyed the room to see if there was anything else he needed. Time to move on to better surroundings it would seem.
The Sergeant smiled as Chaz opened the door. “Right this way Colonel,” as he motioned down the hall.
“I know the General will be happy to see you.”
***
The Sergeant escorted Chaz to the main level of the fort, down an older hallway to one of the vault rooms. The halls were lined with old desks, chairs, and filing cabinets. Most of the lights were burnt out, but there was still enough lighting to navigate their way through the clutter. Chaz followed behind the Sergeant at a safe distance.
“You sure, the General knows we're meeting him here? We seem a little off the beaten path.”
“Yes sir Colonel. I’m just following orders. If the General says to take you here, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
At the hallways end was a big vault door. It was solid steel, with a round spinning handles and a combination. The Sergeant grabbed an iron pipe off an old desk, and wrapped on the door several times. He managed a smile for Chaz, as he dropped the pipe back on the desk, and waited with his hands behind his back. After a few seconds the wheeled handle spun and the door creaked open on it’s hinges just enough to let someone enter. The General appeared in the opening.
The Sergeant saluted, “I’ve brought the Colonel along as you requested Sir.”
“Thank you Sergeant,” the General responded. “Colonel, nice of you to join us. Why don’t you come inside so we can talk a little.” As he stepped back to give Chaz room to enter, he faced the Sergeant, “That will be all Sergeant. You can resume your regular rounds. I’ll let you know if I need anything later.
“Yes sir,” the Sergeant replied before turning and walking back down the hall.
Chaz hesitated, surveying his surroundings and his options. The General smiled, and stepped further back.
“C’mon in Colonel. No need to worry, you're in good hands.”
Mutation: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction Page 7