Eden Box Set

by G. C. Julien

  I recognize that woman, Yael, but I don’t know her very well. I had no idea she knew how to fight. She’s always seemed so quiet and reserved.

  Freyda looks out across the courtyard toward Elysium. “Where the hell is he?” she breathes.

  She’s referring to Gabriel—the man who jumped on those women when we first got to Elysium. Apparently, he’s all better now, and he and Freyda are friends. I wonder if Nola had anything to do with helping him get better. I barely see her these days. She’s been so busy working in the Medical Unit that I’ve seen her maybe a handful of times. And every time I run into her, she says she’s too busy to talk and is only out to get supplies.

  I hope the virus will stabilize soon so I can spend time with Nola again. The last time we spoke, it was rushed and in the middle of a hallway. She said they had most of it under control and that so far, there were no casualties. I bet Eve isn’t taking that too well—had she stayed in power and had we stayed in Eden, dozens of women would have died.

  She must feel pretty stupid.

  “He should be here—” but she stops talking and instead, glares with a hand over her eyes to block out the sun. “What’s going on over there?”

  I turn toward where she’s looking. More and more people are coming out of Elysium and into the courtyard. Something’s up; I’ve never seen the courtyard this full of people before. Why are they leaving Elysium to come outside? And why aren’t the doors closing? Two men stand on either side like they’ve manually pried them apart.

  “Miller,” Freyda shouts.

  A tall woman with shaggy brown hair over her eyebrows and a scrawny build turns around.

  “What’s going on?” Freyda asks.

  The woman, Miller, shrugs and says, “Something about a system outage. A bunch of people are locked in their rooms, and us, well, we can’t go anywhere.”

  Scoffing, Freyda picks up a bag of sand and repositions it in the grass. “Looks like we’re gonna be out here awhile. Come on, let’s keep going.”

  CHAPTER 31 – EVE

  What the hell is he doing here? And why is it so quiet in the hallway?

  I clench my fists as I watch Gabriel leave Vrin’s office. He makes his way down the vacant hall, looking pressed for time. I know this is Vrin’s office because of the blueprints I have access to. I made a promise to the women of Elysium; I promised them that I would discuss their concerns with Vrin.

  And now Gabriel is in Vrin’s office? What on Earth could he possibly have to talk about with her? I despise that man. He’s always getting in the way of everything. I’ve seen the way he and Freyda have been looking at each other. Last week, I overheard Freyda asking the women of Elysium if they knew where Gabriel’s room was located.

  Why would she want to know where his room is?

  I bite down and my jaw pops. The idea of Freyda and Gabriel together makes me sick to my stomach. Freyda is mine—she should be by my side, not with some man.

  Stay focused, Eve.

  I inhale a deep breath and slowly let it out, feeling my lungs deflate.

  With my initial goal in mind, I approach Vrin’s door and knock against the wood.

  “Not now,” she says, her voice stern.

  I part my lips, taken aback by her rude response. No one’s ever spoken to me this way—not since I became ruler of Eden.

  You aren’t ruler anymore, Eve.

  Vrin’s in charge.

  You’re nothing.

  Shut the fuck up.

  I knock again, this time, fist blasting on the door.

  “What?” she snaps.

  Without saying a word, I open the door and step inside. The moment she sees me, she sighs, rubs her forehead, and starts pacing back and forth in front of her oversized desk.

  “Eve, this isn’t the time. APHRODITE’s down.”

  Does she not care about her women? Does she not care why I’m here? A true leader would care about their people the way I do.

  You’re the true leader of Elysium, Eve.

  “I don’t mean to walk in on you,” I say. “I realize something’s going on… The hallways are empty, and no one is taking the elevators.”

  “Yes, Eve, something’s going on and I’m trying to deal with it.”

  “Well, there’s something I need to discuss with you,” I say.

  She slaps two hands on her desks and leans forward. “What is it?”

  “It’s the women of Elysium,” I say.

  Before I have the time to say anything else, she scoffs and throws her head back. “Don’t you dare talk to me about the women of Elysium.”

  “Excuse me?” I ask.

  I understand she’s stressed out, but she’s being a complete bitch.

  “Eve, ruler of Eden,” she says mockingly. “That’s all you are. A ruler. You want power. I see it in your eyes. So don’t you fucking come in here and tell me what’s best for my people.”

  “Your people?” I say slowly. “Your people wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for me.”

  She jabs a finger in the air so aggressively I expect it to make a sound. “We wouldn’t be in this entire mess if it weren’t for you! The whole EMP bullshit! What the fuck were you thinking going through with that?”

  I stare at her in awe. “What was I thinking? The EMP wasn’t my idea. Zoey’s the one who built it. Hundreds of women are the ones who pushed for it.”

  “No, you pushed for it!”

  “And you were part of it,” I say calmly. If I allow myself to get as worked up as she is, I’m afraid of what I might do.

  She scoffs again and slaps her forehead as if I were some dumb kid. At once, I feel like I’ve traveled back in time during one of my mother’s angry outbursts. “I didn’t think it would actually work. At least not nation fucking wide!”

  “You know damn well that a single EMP didn’t cause this. Women were angry, Vrin. Women all over America. I didn’t do this. You can’t put this all on me. You can’t even put it on Zoey. Thousands of women were involved.”

  “Maybe,” she growls. “But you’d just killed the President of the United States.”

  Where is all of this anger coming from? I had every right to do what I did. That piece of shit didn’t deserve to live.

  I saved them.

  All of them.

  Who the fuck does she think she is putting me down like this?

  I inhale a breath so deep it hurts my lungs.

  Calm down, Eve.

  “I’m not here to fight with you, Vrin. I’m here to ask you to stop arming men. The women aren’t comfortable—”

  “Don’t you fucking tell me what to do!” she yells and saliva splashes out of her mouth. She points that same finger in my face. “Get the hell out of my office. If I ever see your face again, I’ll have you banished. You hear me? Stay in your room and stop trying to brainwash my women.”

  An indescribable rage overwhelms me. How dare she speak to me that way? Threaten me that way? I’m the reason she’s alive and yet she treats me like an animal. Had I not killed the president… Had I not pushed for women to attack when they did, we’d all be dead.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I say, my voice trembling.

  The next thing I know, I’m lying flat on my back atop her office table and her hot breath slips into my nostrils. She grips and regrips my white coat’s collar, and if she weren’t so angry, I’d think she was trying to kiss me. “Let me make myself perfectly clear,” she breathes, and I stare back at her, my heart beating against her forearm. “I’m in charge here. Not you. You’re a fucking poison, Eve. You intoxicate the minds of women with your hatred. You were never supposed to survive. Why do you think I went my own way? You’re unstable—”

  I gasp, realizing something.

  “You have the Binaries…” I breathe. “That’s why this place is so goddamn advanced. You never wanted me to survive. You sent me on a wild goose chase.”

  For a moment, it looks like she’s about to start laughing. She doesn’t—instead,
she lowers her head and her brow bones appear to double in size. “You seriously think I’d have let you have power over the greatest minds? You killed your best friend, Eve. You’re fucking sick in the head.”

  “That was an accident!” I snap. I suck in a long breath. I need to calm down. “Why convince me to lead surviving women? You did that, not me. You encouraged hundreds of women to follow me!”

  She regrips her hold around my collar, her hot breath now slipping into my mouth.

  “I had no choice. Countless women would have died if I didn’t give them someone to follow. They weren’t willing to come with me because of the men. I had to give them someone as angry as you to get them out of the city.”

  She breathes out again, her warm body pressing hard against mine. “The difference between you and me, Eve, is that I’m a good person with a solid head on my shoulders. I still let you all inside of Elysium because I wanted to save your women. They aren’t at fault in this. They’re sheep, and all they need is a good shepherd. Not you. They deserve long, happy lives. You’re not fit to lead—”

  I can’t take it anymore. I’m shaking so hard my teeth are clattering.

  In one rough movement, I shove her off me and she stumbles backward. I slap my hand on her desk, searching for something I can use to defend myself, and papers fly up into the air. Eventually, something cool touches my fingertips and I snatch it. It feels like a letter opener, but I don’t waste any time trying to figure out what it is.

  The moment Vrin comes charging back toward me, I swing my arm as hard as I can, aiming the object at her neck, under her jawline.

  The first attempt felt like trying to push a pin through a thick piece of rubber—nothing penetrated, but Vrin is so confused by the blow that she reaches for her neck while stumbling backward. She pulls her fingers away from her neck, no doubt expecting to find blood.

  With clean fingers, she glowers at me and clenches her jaw.

  I can’t give her the opportunity to strike. This time, I run toward her with the object held in both of my hands in front of me. She swings a fist but misses and I thrust my two-handed fist up underneath her jaw as hard as I can.

  We both grunt at the same time, though Vrin’s sound is followed by choking and gargling. Blood splatters across my face—it’s warm, silky, even. A few droplets enter my mouth but I don’t mind; in fact, something about it satisfies me.

  Only moments ago, Vrin thought herself to be in control over me. But now, her life is in my hands and the sensation of power is far greater than anything I’ve ever felt before.

  The moment I pull out the object, blood comes spraying out into a straight line. I must have hit an artery.

  She stumbles backward until she hits the back wall of her office, leaving a blood stain that resembles one stroke of a paintbrush. With bloody teeth, she smiles at me. “Even… Even dead… I’m twice the leader… y-y-you’ll ever be…”

  Shouting as loud as I can, I pull the metal object out of her throat and stab it right back in. Her eyes bulge out before she collapses to the ground. As she falls, I follow her to the ground and force my way on top of her, taking several light punches to the face. But she’s so weak that it feels like I’m being hit by a child.

  Finally, I manage to slip my arms through her swings, straddling over her stomach. I tear the metal letter opener out of her neck, and blood spews out. It stains my white overcoat and sprinkles across my cheek. She stares up at me, life slowly fading from her eyes. But it isn’t enough—I need to hurt her more.

  I raise the weapon above my head, and then, fueled by pent-up rage, stab the sharp point straight into her chest.

  She kicks the air and I bounce up, but I don’t lose my grip. She has a lot of fight, but it won’t last long. Blood pools out of her mouth, and she takes another swing at my face. This time, I hear a crack, but I don’t feel anything.

  “Die,” I hiss. “Fucking die.”

  Her punches have transformed into gentle taps. Her face is now white and she wraps her hands around her neck in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding.

  But it’s useless.

  Vibrant red spills through the cracks of her fingers. Pushing the entire weight of my body into my hands, I crush her throat.

  She gargles with wide, terrified eyes, and taps my hands as if begging for mercy.

  “What’s wrong, Vrin? Cat got your tongue?” I can’t help but laugh. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? No one will know what happened to their precious little leader. If APHRODITE’s down, cameras aren’t working.”

  I hate her.

  I fucking hate her.

  She finally stops slapping my arms but I don’t let go—I’m in control and she’s helpless and that’s precisely what I want.

  “Stupid bitch,” I mutter. “How dare you—”

  In an instant, a faint humming sound fills the room and the sound of doors unlatching echoes in the distance. I pull away and stare at what can only be described as a bloodbath. She’s so still, her blue eyes empty and her lips parted slightly as if all she wanted was to release a few final words.

  Multiple stab wounds make her neck look like a minefield. Her chest, too, is covered in puncture marks.

  How many times did I strike?

  Why can’t I remember?

  Staring at her, reality begins to set in.

  What the fuck have you done, Eve? No one will follow you now.

  I jump up and begin pacing back and forth in her office.

  She deserved it.

  But no one can know about this.

  No one.

  I catch a glimpse of my reflection in her office window—a crooked posture I’ve come to recognize as someone other than myself—and I step toward it.

  “Everyone will follow me,” I say aloud. “Without Vrin, they’ll turn to me.”

  You fool. You’ll pay for what you’ve done. There are cameras everywhere.

  Fuck.

  The cameras. They’re back on. Shit. My heart skips a beat and I swallow hard. Although I should be petrified to be caught and trialed for what I’ve done, legal consequences are the last thing on my mind. What I fear more than anything is being viewed in a certain light. The women won’t follow me if they know what I’ve done.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  I search the room and then the ceiling to ensure no cameras are installed inside her office. In that regard, I’m safe. Still, the moment I step outside, I’ll be caught leaving the scene of the crime.

  How am I supposed to get out of this?

  As I stare at my hunched figure with messy hair, everything comes into place; I know exactly who to pin this on.

  CHAPTER 32 – GABRIEL

  Freyda’s probably getting pretty pissed by now.

  I told her I’d meet her in the courtyard at three. It’s almost four. But I had to get a change of clothes for the training and I couldn’t even get into my room. I rush down my corridor and make my way to the elevators. They weren’t working earlier, either, but they seem to be fine now.

  After our time together, the last thing I want to do is upset Freyda.

  We’re doing good. Really good.

  The moment the elevator reaches the Hub, I run toward the courtyard. Women stare and point—they must not be used to seeing someone run in Elysium. Then, men in black BIO-8 Skins and large guns across their chests glare at me. One of them points a finger and shouts, “No running!”

  What the fuck is this? Church?

  The last thing I need is to get arrested, so I do what I’m told.

  I walk fast instead, fantasizing about punching one of them in the face. After everything that’s happened, I guess I’m pretty fed up with authority figures. I’m especially fed up with military men.

  The moment I step outside, Freyda throws two arms into the air and runs toward me.

  Shit. I pissed her off.

  “Where were you?” she shouts. She runs closer and wipes a line of sweat from her eyebrow. “Jesus, Gabriel, you had me
worried. The training’s over. Lucy and Emily already went back inside.”

  Worried? So, she isn’t upset with me? I feel like an ass for missing out on training with those kids. Freyda told me she knows them and that it would mean a lot if I helped her train them.

  “Sorry,” I say. “I had to get a quick word in with Vrin, and then I went—”

  But I stop talking when screams start echoing behind me from inside the hallway. The doors open with a swoosh and out come the same two guys with guns who told me to stop running.

  What the hell do they want? They’re searching everywhere with scowls on their faces. Like they’re pissed off about something. Either that or something’s wrong.

  Behind them, the screaming gets louder. Something’s definitely wrong.

  Without thinking, I run toward them. I can’t let all my years of service go to waste. I may not be a guard here in Elysium, but I can help fight if that’s what they need.

  “What’s going on?” I ask. “Let me help.”

  The guy on the right, a young blond man with a nasty scar cutting through part of his nostril, looks at me, wide-eyed. It’s like he wasn’t expecting me to appear in front of him. The surprise doesn’t last long. Maybe a second. Now, he’s glaring at me with so much hatred that I take a step back.

  “It’s him!” growls the other one.

  He loads his gun and aims it at my face. “On your fucking knees!”

  I raise both hands and slowly kneel. What the fuck is this about? What did I do now? Did I have another episode that I can’t remember?

  “What is this?” Freyda asks, running toward me.

  The blond guard aims the gun at her. “Step back!”

  “Hey!” I shout, wanting to protect Freyda, but all this does is piss him off more.

  He kicks me in the chest and I fall to my side.

  Suddenly, another dozen guards come running outside and women scatter in every direction.

  “That’s him!”

  “Son of a bitch!”

  Two solid hands yank at my wrists and I find myself eating grass. I turn my head from side to side to try to see what’s going on. To my left, the guards are circling me while one of them ties my wrists together with handcuffs.