Govern

by Heather Heckadon

  Sierra spoke up. “We need to find a way to separate them. Or just communicate with them. That’s going to be difficult.”

  “Not really,” Ronald Walsey said. Ronald had been the head architect and was in charge of room assignments when they showed up. “Every single one of them has their own room. I can tell you which buildings, which apartments, and which beds belong to who. Basically, though, they all have houses, and the crew members have huts. It’d be pretty simple to just slip a note onto everyone’s beds if you could get in.”

  “How would we get in?” I asked.

  “Do you seriously have to ask that, or are you just trying to be nice?” Smith asked. His voice was crisp and clear with a bit of sarcasm sprinkled in. “Look, I knew what I was getting into when I did this. You guys were my friends, and I want to help. Let me do it. I’ll tell Leslie I need to do room inspections. No big deal.”

  My heart fluttered a bit at the thought of him getting caught with a threatening note like the one we would need to send. “What happens when one of them decides to tell Leslie? You’ll be the first to know about it, because you’ll be the first on the list of suspicious people, right?”

  “Not if I tell him one of the crew members has been sneaking off into the woods at night. I’ll take that person with me to do the room inspections, too,” he said. “I’ll pick someone good, I promise.”

  I sighed. Framing someone wasn’t really on my to do list, but if they deserved it, was it wrong? We were already crossing so many boundaries between right and wrong, it was too late to turn back now. We needed Smith in the camp for as long as possible.

  “Okay,” I said. I turned to address the entire group. “Someone, please find a way to write the notes. I doubt if anyone has pencil and paper on them, but if you can get something, that would be great.”

  “I had a notebook in my pocket when we left,” Ronald said. “I can let someone with better handwriting write out the notes.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Okay, while we are doing that, Smith will be in his camp replicating the virus and preparing it for contagion. We will have to be patient during this period. We aren’t sure how long it will take. We can get the creek prepared and obtain the wiring needed for the electrocution at this time. Any other preparation can be done during this time. After Smith has prepared the virus, we will deliver the warning notes and wait a week. After the week is up, anyone still in the camp is fair game. Fair?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “It takes a little while for the virus to incubate. We will also wait for that. Once the virus is in full swing, we initiate all other plans. We begin drawing them out of camp while they’re sick and weak. This is when we’ll beat them. We’ll have to be careful to keep our distance, of course, but we’ll catch them while they’re vulnerable, which is what we need,” I said. “We’ll discuss the details of the other plans as we set them up and prepare. Until then, we have a general idea.”

  “What about backup?” Jane asked.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “We have the softphone. I know there’s a reason we got it. What’s the plan there?” she asked.

  Chapter Seven

  “Well, we tried calling. For what, I’m not exactly sure," Garrett said in frustration. "We thought we could get backup, but the assholes back on Earth are supporting Leslie. The government down there says there is no government on Circadia, so they have no jurisdiction to help. They basically told us to fend for ourselves. We even sent the video sequence of Leslie shooting people and you confronting him. There was no answer—no one seemed to care. It let us know, though, that whatever we do up here, there won’t be consequences for us on Earth. Same as Leslie. We have it on record, so they can’t touch us if we ever need to go back.”

  “Go back?” Jane asked. “Is that what you guys are thinking?”

  “No!” Spencer said. “Not at all, but it’s always an option.”

  “Is it?” I asked. “How would we get back there? I mean, when did you guys talk about this? Are there people who want to go back home? Do you?”

  Garrett calmed me by putting a hand on my shoulder. “No one’s going anywhere,” he said. “It’s just a contingency plan if something goes wrong. If we can’t win, or we need to get away, we just wanted to know if it was going to be an option. That’s all.”

  “So, now that they said we wouldn’t be breaking any laws and we know we would be allowed back, how would we even get there?” I asked. “I don’t know if you remember very well, but when we came here, our ship broke into a bunch of little pods, so we aren’t going anywhere. They were supposed to send a ship for our return, but it doesn’t appear that’s going to happen anymore. Right?”

  “Well,” Garrett said, “when the planet went dark before, I got worried. I was working with the space team pretty closely, and they let me in on a few concerns of theirs at the time. Seems they had a contingency plan of their own if things went south.”

  “How so?” I asked.

  Four men approached us and held out their hands for a shake and introduction. The men all wore glasses and held notebooks. A couple of them had their notebooks tucked under their arms. Perspiration dripped from their foreheads as they nervously twisted their fingers together.

  “This is the space team, or what’s left of it anyway,” Garrett said. “Like I was saying, they told me about their contingency plan. At the time, it would’ve made people nervous, but now, we’re glad they did what they did. They stole parts off our old pods and created a ship.”

  “What?” I asked. I looked at the men, who all looked as though they expected a scolding. “I’m not mad, that’s awesome! When did you find time to do that?”

  Each of the men looked at each other quietly until one of them spoke. “We started as soon as we landed. We gathered parts off the pods and started building in the woods. We figured no harm, no foul. As long as no one knew about it, it wouldn’t create panic or worry. Plus, we used parts no one needed. It was just backup, in case something happened. It’s done, though. It’s launchable, if we need it.”

  “Well, I hope we don’t need it,” I said. “But it’s always nice to have options.” I shook their hands as they sighed in relief. “Do you guys know how to fly the thing?” My curiosity was killing me.

  “Well, we think so,” one of them said. “To be honest, though, we won’t know until we give it a try.” He shrugged. I thought about the circumstances under which we would have to use the ship—it would be a last-ditch effort. They would be our only shot, so I didn’t mind if they weren’t exactly sure.

  “How many people will fit in the ship?” I asked.

  They all looked down at the ground simultaneously. The bravest spoke quietly. “It will hold about eight people. Tightly.”

  Garrett cut in. “I don’t plan on going back to Earth, ever. This is my home now. I won’t get on that ship, even if it’s only a contingency plan. We’ll either win this war, or I’ll die trying. I can’t go back to Earth.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Tired of the corruption. The greed. All of it. I need a different life, and if I can’t have it here, I would rather die than go back there. I was so upset when they drafted me, but now there’s no way I’d go back. After I saw what we accomplished here, and contrasted it against what our planet did and now refuses to do, I’m convinced that this is the better place. This is my home.” His words rang with conviction. I knew I would never be able to convince him to leave, even if we needed to. It broke my heart a little but ignited a fire. A fire only extinguishable by having Leslie Marshall’s head.

  We turned our attention back to the camp. Handshakes and small talk filled the cave. Everyone seemed pleased with our plans and how they fit together. Smith stayed to the side, and leaned against the cavern wall. I approached him.

  “When do you have to go back?” I asked as I leaned against the wall next to him.

  “Pretty soon. Leslie will eventually notice I’m gone.”

&nb
sp; “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure,” he said. “What is it?”

  “When you first caught me in the woods, what did you mean?”

  “What did I say that you’re confused about?”

  “You said that maybe you and I would have a chance since Garrett was out of the picture. What did you mean by that?” I asked. “Why would you say it?”

  “Aella,” he said as he pushed off the rock wall and looked straight at me, “I said it so that you’d hate me even more. I did a terrible thing, but I figured you’d see right through me. I needed you to hate me so that you didn’t question anything around camp. My story had to be believable, and I knew that was one of the easiest ways to piss you off.” He stepped closer to me and leaned back against the wall. “Was I right?”

  “No, not at all actually,” I said. “I still saw right through you. The night the woman died in our apartment, I watched you walk around in the dark. Heard you bury her, and cry...”

  He looked down at the ground and pursed his lips.

  I continued, “I saw right through you, but even then, I still hated you. I still kind of do, but I also know what you did for us—and that what you’re gonna do for us isn’t going to be easy. Not in the slightest. Even if you survive what you’ve offered to do, you’re still gonna have to live with everything you’ve done, whether it be right or wrong, and that’s not gonna be easy, either.”

  Smith sighed. “I can’t take back what I’ve done. It’s too late for that. But, I can try to make up for it. Even if everything has been to protect us, to protect you, I’ll still never be able to repay anyone for the lives lost. I’ll work every day until I die to make it right. Or try.”

  We locked eyes. Knowing that I might never see Smith again was disheartening. No matter how much I’d hated him, I’d also grown to respect him. When he stabbed Idris, I had never hated anyone more. When I found out why he did it, though, my heart ached for him. He loved Idris just like we did, but he still did it. For us.

  I extended my arms, and he returned the hug, holding on for quite a while. I rested my head on his shoulder and exhaled. “I need you to make it out, okay?”

  He squeezed tighter. “I’m gonna try,” he said. “No promises. Remember that.”

  I closed my eyes and one silent tear fell down my cheek. I wiped it with the back of my hand before I pulled away so he didn’t see. “Don’t do anything stupid,” I said.

  “Are you serious, right now?” he asked. “After all this, that’s what you have to say?”

  “...yeah, pretty sure. Now, you’d better leave before it’s too late. Don’t get in any more trouble with Leslie than you already are,” I said.

  He bumped into my shoulder as he walked past. I watched as he talked with Garrett and Spencer for a moment, then sought out the doctor. Dr. Mayhew was the only one who could give him detailed instructions about where to find the vial of the virus and how to get into it, so I assumed that’s what they discussed before Smith left.

  The people closest to Smith from before, like Garrett, Spencer, Jane and I, watched him go. It felt like watching a storm roll in. I knew it would be a disaster, and things would be crazy, but I was still excited.

  Once Smith was out of sight, Garrett looked at me then walked over to where I leaned against the fire-lit cave wall. I waited. He circled close until he finally leaned against the wall, facing me, after he looked around to be sure no one would hear him. “Did he tell you?”

  “Tell me what?” I asked.

  “Dr. Mayhew is going into camp with him. Apparently, the lock code for the virus is Dr. Mayhew’s fingerprint,” he said.

  “What?” I asked. I was immediately furious. Why hadn’t he told me that when he was standing here? Why hadn’t anyone else told me?

  “Dr. Mayhew is supposed to be back by the end of the night. In and out kinda thing, but I’m worried.”

  “We shouldn’t have let him go. Whose order let him go?” I asked.

  “No one’s. Dr. Mayhew insisted, saying it was the only possible way we could win. We all told him no, and that we needed to talk to both you and the group. He didn’t listen, and said he would go with or without help. He left very strict instructions that we not tell you,” he said. “I wanted to tell you Aella, but I also didn’t want Dr. Mayhew going in without any plan or help, which is what he would’ve done.” Garrett shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” I said. “I mean, what were you supposed to do? You did the right thing. He didn’t give you much of a choice, and it was his choice to make. He’s right, the only way we are going to win this war is with that virus. Without the virus, we don’t have a chance.”

  “I just hope it works,” he said. “The ‘what ifs’ are killing me. What if it doesn’t work? What if Smith can’t replicate it? What if he replicates it and it works great, and then infects us, too? It’s all so unknown and scary. It’s not like I’m used to playing with this kind of stuff at home, you know? I feel blind, going in.”

  “We all do. That’s part of it, though, I think,” I said. “Everything is unknown, but everyone is ready to dive in head first. I think that’s the only part that makes me okay with any of this.”

  He nodded, and there was a moment of silence between us. When I looked up, his brown eyes gazed down at me. “Are you sure you’re ready for all of this?” he asked.

  “No...not at all, really. But I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

  “We all have a choice, Aella,” he answered.

  “When your only choice is run or fight, there’s no choice. Not for me, anyway,” I said. “There is no choice. We fight. That’s it. That’s all there is for me. And you can bet on me being ready to see the life drain from Leslie Marshall’s eyes when this is all over with. This was our planet. Ours.”

  “I agree.”

  We both glanced down at the ground again, quiet. The fire-filled air hung silent for only a few seconds.

  “I’m ready for some sleep. Are you coming with?” I asked.

  “Yeah, let me go grab my things. I don’t know how well you’re gonna sleep with all these people around. It’s been pretty hard for me, but I’ll sleep easier tonight knowing you’re okay,” he said.

  I turned to look around the cave. It was large, but with sixty people crowded in with fires and supplies, it was tight. We would all feel closer afterward, I was sure. Walking away from the wall to find a spot amongst them, I realized I had nothing to take with me.

  As if it wasn’t hard enough coming to Circadia with my entire life packed into a tiny rubber box, I now had nothing but the clothes on my back. It was scary and infuriating. I couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out crying. A wave of emotion came over me and it felt like I was suddenly drowning. My heart pounded and I went down. The ground caught me hard, and people rushed to me.

  “What’s wrong?” they all asked, but I couldn’t breathe. Everything was blurry from the tears in my eyes. I was gasping for air when something hit me in the chest. My breath caught, and I was able to calm down. I glanced up and saw Sierra looking down at me, her hand still in a fist.

  “Sorry, sometimes it’s the only way to catch your breath again. That happened to me a lot when my husband first disappeared,” she said. She unclenched her fist and gazed at me with sad eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know what happened,” I said as I put my hand on my chest. I felt the beating start to slow.

  “Looks like you had a panic attack.”

  Everyone stepped back to give me room. I decided I would sleep where I was for the night. Just like that, I had lost everything all at once—or so it felt. I’m not sure why it hit me at that moment. Maybe it was the lack of a home to go to, or the realization of what I’d lost many days ago. Whatever it was, it hit me hard. As I settled down, Sierra brought me a blanket then left as Garrett came to lie next to me. I didn’t know how well I’d sleep, but at least he was here.

  Chapter Eight

&n
bsp; Peering out into the fields, I could see they were flourishing, much to my dismay. I had taught them well. It still galled me when I thought about it. Sneaking around camp that morning was nerve-wracking. Every footstep was agonizing. We had to be quiet and fast at the same time, which was not easy. The dead flower weed under us crunched with each touchdown of a shoe, and seemed to echo across the empty fields.

  We stayed hidden in the trees, just out of sight in the darkness that the canopy created. Watching from the shroud, we were able to see the crew and Leslie live out their lives as if we weren’t there. At first, it felt wrong to watch, but the more we watched, the more we learned. Everyone had cliques they hung out in, routines they followed, and each part of the camp had a flaw.

  I caught a glimpse of Smith walking to a building that surely had all of his testing supplies, and panicked. Where was Dr. Mayhew? Surely, I assured myself, nothing had happened. He was probably just resting. We watched as Smith entered the building and shut the door behind himself. I strained to hear the conversation of a group of men walking through the field, checking the crops.

  The first man sounded gruff and strong. “You really think he just caught him out there in the woods like that?” he asked the other men.

  Most of them grumbled back something that I couldn’t understand.

  “That Smith sure does have Leslie wrapped around his finger, doesn’t he? I don’t think he found him out there in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know what happened, but I think he’s hiding something.”

  Another man answered him back, “Does it matter? We have a doctor now, that’s a huge deal!”

  “How helpful do you think a doctor is going to be to us if we have him locked up?” the man replied. “He’s not gonna wanna help us, might even refuse. The only good he’s doing us is not being with them. That’s it.”