The Hallucigenia Project

by Darren Kasenkow

  “You can’t smell it or taste it,” Rebecca confirmed, “but considering how toxic it is the city could probably reach critical saturation in less than a day.”

  “Surviving the end of the world is one thing,” Klementina sighed with frustration, “but we also have to survive the government. A shipment of gas masks from China arrived yesterday but so far we’ve got no idea when they’re going to execute plan. All we know is that it’s going to happen.”

  John sat forward with a start. “Are you seriously fucking suggesting that the government is going to kill everyone in the city? I mean Jesus Christ, it makes no sense in so many ways and comes across as even more paranoid than you already were.”

  “Actually,” Klementina replied with conviction, “it does make sense as far as they’re concerned. There’s more than five and a half million people across this city, a city, by the way, that could potentially end up under water in a matter of minutes, and before that happens there’s every chance a good number of the buildings will be destroyed with the kind of shockwaves that would make a nuclear warhead blush. Now if we’ve overestimated the level of destruction heading our way, well, that’s going to leave a whole lot of people in a real bad way.”

  “At least they’ll be alive,” John said with a lack of confidence.

  “For how long?” Rebecca wondered. “This isn’t the kind of natural disaster that pops up somewhere every couple of years. As far as the survivors go, help isn’t going to be an option. Chaos and violence will reign.”

  “That’s not to say there’s any justification in mass genocide,” Klementina added, “because there isn’t. But if we want to make it through to the other side and complete the mission we can’t look at the forces against us as insane. They’re very much calculated and, I can assure you, are right now preparing to shut our project down.”

  “I don’t suppose you want to let me know what this project or mission that you’re hinting at is?” John asked.

  “When the time is right, I promise you’ll know. More important for the moment is your expertise to help move a package across the city without detection.”

  Rebecca hopped down from the desk and stepped up to John, dropping a hand onto his shoulder. “We’re lucky to have a lot of skilful family members but when it comes to this assignment you’re the one we need. You’ve proved that you’re willing to put your life on the line to protect children and you have an idea of the kind of resources cops have at their disposal. You know how to find innocent victims that have been snatched away, now we need you to help hide one.”

  “One of the reasons I was able to locate a lot of those kids was because I knew the city inside out,” John explained. “I don’t have that sort of advantage here.”

  “To be honest,” Klementina steered, “that isn’t much of a concern. More important is the experience you have with protecting children in times of high stress and violence, and from this point forward things are going to be every bit stressful and, almost certainly, violent.” She gestured towards the hallway with a sweep of her hand. “The Hallucigenia Project isn’t just about survival, it’s about doing all we can to make sure destiny has the best possible chance of becoming a reality. There’s a lot of moving parts to the machine and they’re all in motion as we speak, and tomorrow we need to move a vital piece of that machine to a safe house at the edge of the city. The idea is to be close enough to keep options open, and distant enough to spot incoming threats.”

  “The plan is to use a convoy,” Rebecca said. “A lead vehicle in the front and two at the rear. We considered air travel but it’s way too risky.”

  “What sort of weapons are you transporting?” John asked with concern.

  “No weapons,” Klementina replied.

  “A girl,” Rebecca added. “Twelve years old.”

  Sensing his shock, Rebecca squeezed John’s shoulder and returned to her place on the desk where Klementina was carefully watching his reaction. He could almost smell the nervous expectation in the room and knew the sudden silence was waiting for his next move.

  “This girl, does she have a name?”

  “Talitha,” Klementina revealed, “her name is Talitha, and come sunrise tomorrow there’s going to be a whole lot of people trying to find her. Regardless of the cost, we can’t let that happen.”

  Rebecca nodded her head in agreement. “That being the case, we should also point out that crossing the city tomorrow shouldn’t throw us too much concern considering they’ll still be trying to work out who she is while we’re on the move. As a precaution in the event something does happen though, we feel you bring a lot of value.”

  John’s head was swimming with questions but knew any answers would only add to even more confusion. Whoever this girl was and whatever role she might be playing in the madness infused drama, it was no doubt evident that she was important.

  “If Talitha is involved with any part of this against her will our conversation is over. End of the world or not, I’m not gonna be a part of anything that’s going to hurt kids.” He could feel a familiar anger beginning to stir. “I really hope you can put my mind at ease.”

  “I’ll do one better,” Klementina stated, “I’ll introduce you to her so there’s not an ounce of doubt in your mind. The only thing is, meeting her comes with a bit of a catch.”

  “A catch?”

  “Maybe character is a better choice of word. Talitha is currently in the company of a very eccentric man who also happens to be the mind behind all of this, and you could say he’s a little protective.”

  “He can be a lot to take in,” Rebecca offered, “but all things considered it’s an honour to be left confused by him. Believe it or not, you’re lucky.”

  “That’s not a word that belongs in any of this,” John said with exasperation. “You know what brought me over here and it has nothing to do with luck, and there’s sure as hell nothing you can call lucky about a city about to be slaughtered from two sides. But if this guy is the brains behind the family, sure, I’d love to meet him.”

  Rebecca looked as though she had something to add but was silenced by the sudden electronic squalls that instigated the opening of the steel door. Like a bull finally let out of the gates, Aaron stormed his way up to the desk with a manner that left no room for second guessing. He was pissed off, no doubt about.

  “You wouldn’t fucking believe it,” he barked.

  “This definitely doesn’t sound good,” Klementina responded.

  “Ding ding we have a winner.” He noticed John sitting quietly and patted him on the back like a coach happy with performance before continuing. “It happened just over an hour ago. Cops raided our garage on the east side with guns loaded and trigger fingers itchy. They’re confiscating four of our vehicles as we speak and to put the boot in arrested six of my men, and might I add those six men were some of the best drivers we had.”

  “You’re right,” Klementina spat, “I don’t fucking believe it. That location doesn’t have anything but cars and generators so I don’t understand how they can go in and arrest anyone.”

  “They used some bullshit about the engines being stolen but even the cop with paperwork knew he was lying.”

  Rebecca became visibly agitated. “We’re supposed to be moving her tomorrow so what the hell are we supposed to do now? I mean, we’ve got some more drivers on standby but if they’ve already been identified we’ll be running the risk of getting taken out before we travel a block or two.”

  “Exactly,” Aaron agreed. “We have to assume they’ll be watching like hawks, and we’re going to need the drivers once the shit hits the fan. Losing them tomorrow would be real bad in every way.”

  “Then maybe we have to rethink the move,” Klementina suggested. “The clock’s ticking though, and if we leave it much later there might not be another chance to get her out of the city.”

  “The only way I can see this working is by using new members,” Aaron offered. “We’d be going in blind as far as their
driving skills go, but their faces wouldn’t have been established yet and I’ll ride one of the support vehicles to dig us out of any trouble we might come across. There should be a couple that are up for the job.”

  “Actually,” John piped up, “I know a driver.”

  All eyes were quick to shoot his way, causing him to straighten his back and grip the edges of the chair. Did he really just say that?

  “I don’t doubt you at all,” Aaron said, “but this isn’t exactly going to be a slow cruise along the water. Things could turn pear shaped at any moment and a driver’s license isn’t exactly going to cut it.”

  John took a moment to consider what he was about to say. After all, it wasn’t as if he was nominating someone to help with party preparations, and experience had taught him that assuming someone else’s complicity almost always turned sour. Then again, he found himself unable to shake the idea that she would want to kick his butt if she knew the option had been on the table only to be taken away.

  “I’m deadly serious,” he eventually announced. “Her name’s Vanessa and I can assure you she knows how to control an engine.”

  “We appreciate the offer John but things aren’t that simple.” Klementina was polite but firm none the less. “Surely you can understand we have to keep things in the family.”

  “To be honest I’m sitting here with a different spin on things,” he replied.

  “I’m listening.”

  “Okay, keeping it in the family is fair enough but all of us that stepped off that bus are hardly long time members. The world as we know it might be ending in just a couple of weeks, you suddenly need driver’s that can handle pressure and I’ve just let you transfer a couple of million reasons why you should consider my offer. Now the person I’m talking about is rock solid, perfect for the job, and the more I think about it the more I’m leaning towards not doing it without her.”

  “Looks like this party is starting to liven up,” Rebecca joked.

  Aaron scratched the side of his head as though it might trigger a better solution to his problem. “Listen man,” he said, “new members or not, we have to be careful about who we bring in. Sure, it might not matter so much in a week or so, but as far as right now’s concerned we can’t be taking avoidable risks cause fuck knows there’s enough of them on our plate already.”

  “He’s right,” Klementina confirmed. “We’re on a leaking boat with nothing but spoons to bail us out and it wouldn’t make sense to punch another hole in the hull. If we had more time up our sleeves…”

  “But you don’t have time,” John said with urgency. “If you want me to be a part of this mission of yours tomorrow then I want Vanessa behind the wheel.”

  “You’re not going to budge are you?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “I’ve been pulled in just about every direction since landing in this country so it’s about time I had a little control of the situation. In answer to your question no, I won’t budge.”

  Klementina released a long, slow breath as John’s want filtered through the room. Her fingers drummed against the surface of the desk. The cool processed air began to grow thick with anticipation. If she had made any kind of decision, her face wasn’t giving anything away.

  “The concern I have is that this friend of yours might get cold feet at the last second, and if that were to happen the mission could be compromised.” She looked at Aaron and then returned her attention to John. “Then again we should also assume that the mission has already been compromised, which just makes things harder again. The reality is we’ve chosen to trust you and welcome you into our family, and it’s important that you trust us with equal measurement.” Her fingers fell still. “If you really believe this friend of yours can bring what we need, then I guess we can try to work something out.”

  For John the idea that his request might be granted came as a bit of shock, mainly because he didn’t think Klementina would call his bluff. But for all intents and purposes, she had. Instead of feeling like he had exercised some sort of control he quickly realised he might have just increased the speed of the directionless rollercoaster.

  It must have been a shock for Rebecca too, judging by the look on her face and the way she squeezed the edge of the desk, though not so much for Aaron who simply crossed his arms and nodded. Perhaps it was because he didn’t care, or perhaps he cared too much to let anything get in the way of getting done what needed to be done.

  “If we’re going to do this,” Rebecca stated, “it’s important we meet with her before the wheels are in motion. Early tomorrow morning is our only window.”

  “First thing first I should run through the route and how it’s going to be done,” Aaron said.

  “Actually,” Klementina injected, “the first thing on the agenda is for John to meet with Talitha and her carer.”

  “Holy shit!” Now it was Aaron’s turn to be somewhat shocked. “He’s gonna see the big man?”

  “He is,” Klementina nodded.

  Aaron turned to John with another slap on the back. “Damn dude, you’re one lucky son of a bitch. I can count on one hand how many of us have had the chance to hang out with him. You’re in for a fucking treat, I can promise you that.”

  Chapter 26

  Candice could almost taste the panic in the air, but then it could have been the fusion of stale water and rust that clung to her still damp clothes. It wasn’t that she liked the feeling of stinking wet fabric clinging to her skin, but she had no choice in the matter. An emergency meeting had quickly been called and had left her with barely enough time to realize the scope of the nightmare pulling at her heels.

  She had walked past this room before plenty of times but the doors had always been closed. Now, as she struggled to get comfortable in a hard wooden chair, she glanced across the surroundings for the first time and felt underwhelmed. It looked like a tiny cinema that was still under construction. The concrete floor angled down towards a small stage area and a plain, white backdrop that promised nothing to draw the eye. The surrounding walls were balanced on the edge of black and grey with hastily printed evacuation guides slapped here and there, with red lights along the skirting offering little in the way of illumination.

  She guessed there were around thirty of the hard wooden seats but only a little more than half were occupied. Most she recognized as team members from the upper floors where the devices were being built and the code analysed, and sitting close to the stage area she spotted two of the doctors that had worked under Hendrix. They couldn’t see her though, mainly due to the fact she knew how bad she smelled and so had decided to sit against the back wall.

  It wasn’t just the stink of foul water either. No, she was sure that death’s pungent stench surrounded her like a blanket of rotting skin and bones, and even if she tore off her clothes and stood there stark naked it would probably still be there. After all, it seemed, she had somehow become a beacon for death.

  Her thoughts jumped back into the moment when Rodney shuffled his way to the front of the room and peered at the darkened audience with a reserved but dominating presence. She tried one more time to get comfortable and could still taste the panic.

  “As you all know there was a second breach,” he began, his words echoing along the concrete walls. “I can tell you that we’re now on a forty eight hour clock and there’s no slowing it down. Once the window closes, so does this facility.”

  “Are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?” a voice in one of the front rows asked.

  “No,” Rodney responded, “I can’t tell you because right now we don’t know, but I can show you this.”

  The wall behind him came alive with thick black text and a dead silence infiltrated the moment the words reached out to the audience in the shadows.

  We know what you are planning. The new dawn will grow red with the flames of cleansing judgement, and your desires must not come to pass. This is my warning. I am Talitha. You will know my name.

  At the back
of the room Candice bit down against her lip as echoes of the blood stained lab came rushing back. Talitha. Her subject had spoken of an angel, and now this angel’s name was nestled in the eye of a storm. Now more than ever she wished the bullet hadn’t silenced the message.

  “Every computer in the building displayed the same message,” Rodney continued. “We had to reboot the whole system and at this stage we’re still not sure of the extent of damage. This time the breach was a blue shift and was incoming rather than outgoing, so we have to entertain the idea this time it wasn’t the code. It could be a group or individual trying to shut us down, or it could be a smash and grab for information.”

  “Or it could be the code again,” the voice by the front stated. “If it found a way to get out of the building, it can sure as shit get back in.”

  “Either way we need to determine who or what’s behind our strange little greeting card,” Rodney barked back, “and that includes trying to put together some sort of honey trap in the event it happens again. We’ll have to be careful though. I want each and every one of you to make hard backups of all vital data, triplicates if you can, and then erase everything you have on the network with level five protocol. And I mean everything. A team will sweep in the building in ninety minutes to collect your drives and hand out further instructions.” He paused to wipe a single bead of sweat from his cheek. “This is it people. This is the point of no return. The work we’ve done is like nothing that’s been done before and, even though we haven’t quite understood what the device does or what happened with the code, we’ve discovered a new way to look at life on this planet. None of us know what happens from here, but we step into the unknown knowing we achieved all we could.”

  The meeting was over almost as soon as it had started and for that Candice was grateful. The wood of the chair felt as though it were rubbing against her cold bones and the red tinged darkness gave her mind room to conjure the faces of the deceased subjects, whispering with contorted pain and fear from the edge of nowhere. If the project was coming to a close there was little chance for sadness or disappointment. Instead, she figured while slinking her way between the seats, there was bitter regret for the blood that had been spilled for nothing but burned out computers.