The Dawn: Omnibus edition (box set books 1-5)

by Michelle Muckley

  “Morning,” he said, surprised at how nice it felt at her side. He glanced at the clock. It was approaching 10:30 in the morning. “We slept in.”

  “I guess we did. We must have been tired.” An embarrassed yet cheeky grin quivered across her lips. That initial sense of formality had been lost. It was always like that, even in the old world, Zack thought. Once you've seen somebody naked, things change.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. She pursed her lips as if she was giving his question serious thought.

  “Maybe. Definitely thirsty.” She pushed back the sheets and clambered over his naked body. She walked over towards the small kitchen, her bare body cast in the soft light of the morning. She didn’t have a care in the world. She reached up and ruffled up her hair as she took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. She began to walk back towards the bed, sipping from the glass as she approached. Zack pulled the covers up over himself, feeling exposed and vulnerable. She smiled as she sat back down on the edge of the bed, laughing to herself. Maybe she took him for a prude. She handed him the glass and he drank the water.

  “Thanks,” he said as he placed it on the bedside table. She reached over and wiped a drip from his lip with her thumb.

  “You're shy, right?” She brushed her hand across his forehead and tried to slick down his short stubby hair into some sort of a side parting. “It's natural to feel like that if it's been a long time since you woke up with somebody like this.” She picked up the glass and took another sip of water. She fingered at her hair so that it began to sit in the style as it was intended. “When was the last time? I mean before me.”

  Zack felt another familiar feeling from the past. He was reluctant to be honest for the fear of her judgement. But what was it that he had to hide? There hadn't been a single girl inside Delta that he had even looked twice at, not above ground or below ground. At least not until Emily turned up. “It was Samantha. She was my girlfriend.”

  “In Delta Tower?”

  “No,” he said shaking his head, edging himself upright in the bed. He pulled the sheets with him, covering his soft abdomen. “Samantha was my girlfriend in the old world. Before the war.”

  This information seemed to throw Sarah off-balance, and it took a moment of silence before she found the words that she was looking for. She slid back onto the bed and draped herself across him, her head propped up on her elbow. “So you mean for ten years there hasn’t been a single woman.” Zack nodded his head to agree, and Sarah raised her eyebrows. That same cheeky grin inched back onto her face. “Well, you didn't forget what to do, that’s for sure.”

  Her joke seemed to do the trick and they both laughed.

  “Well I suppose that's good,” he said, his cheeks flushing. He cast his eyes down at the white sheets and his gaze followed the embroidered lettering which read Shangri-La Hotel.

  “If you’re hungry we should get moving. We will have to eat breakfast before the announcement at midday.”

  “What announcement?” Zack was confused. He hadn't heard about any announcement. “What do you mean?”

  “Didn't you go to the library yesterday? You know you are supposed to go once a day, right?”

  Zack shook his head. “Simon didn’t tell me that.”

  Sarah jumped down off the bed and walked over to the bathroom. She switched on the light and turned on the tap, splashing her face with water. “Well, you should complain to him about that. They might let you off for a while, but soon enough you going to have to make sure you go once a day as is required. That way they can be certain that you have read the manifesto like you're supposed to.”

  After he had performed his Renunciation Pledge he had swallowed his fear and hung around outside the health centre trying to catch Serena. He sat in the Refreshments Cafe sipping from a glass of honey water, his eyes trained on the comings and goings of the entrance doors. He didn’t see Serena, but he did see another person pick up a copy of the Omega Manifesto and show it to one of the nurses. The nurse was wearing a mask, and so he wasn’t sure if it was the same nurse that had seen him. But whatever it was in the manifesto had caused the nurse a great deal of distress. She called one of the doctors from his office to come and take a look. It wasn't Dr. Watson, but whoever it was had looked upon the copy of the Omega Manifesto and clutched his head in shock. Zack couldn’t help but smile in the hope that it was the copy that he had written in. Somebody had seen that act of defiance that he had searched for. He thought about telling Sarah what he had done, but instead kept his mouth shut.

  “I'll make sure I go today,” he said. “I might even go twice.” He sniggered at his own joke but she didn't seem to find it funny.

  “Make sure you do, otherwise you and I will both end up in trouble.”

  He didn't feel the need to ask how she might end up in trouble if he didn't go to the library to read his copy of the Omega Manifesto. He understood that she was already connected to him and therefore concerned about his actions and how they might reflect on her. There was even a chance that she was already pregnant. If he messed up, it wasn't just his life and position in Omega that was at stake. She had plans for him, and she was giving him a gentle reminder not to forget that fact.

  “Anyway,” she said as she walked out of the bathroom to pluck a fresh towel from the cupboard. Such luxuries still baffled Zack as he watched her do it. Something so simple that had eluded him for so long. “There is an announcement at midday in the lobby. Everybody has to attend. I'm going to take a shower, and I suggest you do the same so we can get breakfast together beforehand.” She turned as if she was going to walk back into the bathroom but just before she passed the door she turned back to Zack. “And one other thing, Simon was looking for you yesterday. He asked me if I knew where you were and I said that I didn't. I didn't think it would look very good to tell him that you were outside with Serena.” She headed back to the kitchen and pulled open a drawer. “I didn't think it would look very good for either of us now that we have proven a level of commitment to each other. I could already be pregnant, Zack. Just to remind you, I'm not asking you to love me. But if this is going to work you really need to consider how your spending time with another woman reflects on me. It doesn’t make you look very committed, Zack. And neither does leaving these behind.”

  She pulled a small silver pot from the drawer and threw it towards Zack and instinctively he reached up to catch it. Before he even opened it he could hear something rattling around inside and he knew what it was. He twisted off the lid and just as he suspected there were five red tablets inside. The same tablets that he had left in the doctor’s office the day before.

  “Start feeling like your Omega-self, Zack. And do us both a favour.”

  Chapter Thirty One

  There were a few rows of white plastic chairs, most of which were reserved for those of importance. Doctors. Relocation Therapy Psychologists. Adjustment Coordinators. Simon was sitting in the row nearest to The Conservators who were on the stage. The last available chairs had been taken up by the eager types who had arrived early. Zack and Sarah arrived just before midday. They positioned themselves in a spot near the edge of the crowd with a good view to the stage. As soon as they were in position Simon was on his feet wading along the edge of the crowd towards Zack. Simon must have been waiting for him.

  In front of the people on the chairs there were rows of children dressed in their everyday primary colour outfits. They were silent, as were the adults behind them. The only sound that could be heard was the bustling of bodies and a few whispers as people tried desperately to find out what was going to happen. Was it a surprise lottery? Was it a Denunciation Ceremony? There was a mixture of fear and excitement with everybody on tenterhooks as to the course the announcement would take.

  “Our good President, I hope it's not a Denunciation Ceremony,” whispered the man next to Zack. He was short and had one hand on Zack's shoulder. Zack had never seen him before. “I couldn't take another one, not in such quick
succession to the last.” Zack was about to ask what a Denunciation Ceremony entailed when the man made a motion with his eyes to cause Zack to look the other way. Simon was only a couple of metres away. Everybody had quietened down, staring at the stage. Zack turned back to the man at his side and saw that his gaze was also fixed dead ahead. He was staring at The Conservators, who were all on their feet.

  “Our good President, where have you been?” Simon brought his hand up to his forehead and pressed gently just above his eye as if he had the most subtle of headaches. “After your physician’s visit yesterday I was looking all over the place for you. I asked Sarah where you were, but not even she knew where to find you.”

  “I spent some time outside. I needed to get some fresh air.” There was no need to elaborate. There was every reason not to elaborate.

  “Hmm,” Simon muttered, seemingly satisfied about something. “Settling into life, I see. Very good, very good, Zack.” He regarded Zack with the eyes of a craftsman, standing back to admire an excellent piece of work that he was midway through to completion. The simple act of going outside had pleased Simon a great deal. Simon opened his mouth to speak, but as he did so an exciting piece of music began to play which sounded a lot like Pomp and Circumstance. They both looked around to see Daley Cartwell walking onto the stage. He was dressed in an orange suit, under which he wore a bright red shirt and a lime green tie. He appeared tanned, and his hair was somehow blacker than it had been before. In spite of his clothes there was something subdued about his demeanour. There was something different about his manner from how Zack remembered him during all of the other ceremonies. Instead of appearing vibrant and loud, he was calm. Simon turned back to Zack. He reached forwards and brushed something from Zack’s shoulder, before offering a quick, affirmative nod of his head.

  “He is simply marvellous. I'll catch you at the end of the ceremony, Zack.” Simon almost walked away before turning to follow up with a breathy, “Our good President.” He scurried his way back through the crowd, the people parting like the Red Sea to allow his passage. Zack watched as Simon slipped back into position next to the woman who Zack presumed was his wife. They didn’t speak. But Simon's departure had reanimated the man at Zack's side, and he leaned in close to Zack again.

  “I've got a bad feeling about this one, our good President.” The man didn't look at Zack. Instead his eyes remained trained on the stage. But for a moment he closed them, and Zack watched as the man muttered something under his breath. If Zack wasn't mistaken, he would have sworn that the man was praying.

  “Residents of Omega Tower,” Daley Cartwell began. “We have called you here today to make an announcement. It is essential within our society that we celebrate the positive and rewarding occurrences that grace our good selves.” Many in the crowd began nodding. Zack remained quiet, still. “And that, fellow citizens is what we are here to do today.”

  There was an audible wave of relief that spread through the crowd. Zack noticed how shoulders dropped and chests deflated. Held breaths were released from captivity, and some allowed their heads to drop left and right as if letting go of tension. The man at Zack's side was smiling, looking upwards with his eyes closed. He was definitely praying.

  “We celebrated only weeks ago with the arrival of a new resident.” Zack sensed a rustle through the crowd like a breeze through a pile of autumn leaves as eyes flickered in his direction. “And before that we commiserated when we lost one of our own. That resident did not value our society. They did not want to become their Omega-self. Instead they abandoned us.” The crowd was uncomfortable, and a few people shifted on their feet, cautiously pulling at their clothes. Zack glanced at Sarah, who was motionless at his side. She was like a book without words; impossible to read.

  “Such a public renunciation of the life that had been provided should not be repeated, Omega Tower. Such an event brings with it great sadness. The Denunciation Ceremony is the only weapon we have against such a cancer such as this. Good citizens of the Republic, we must fight against it.” Some were nodding and celebrating, looking to their nearest neighbour for reassurance and agreement. Sarah was one of them nodding her head like the member of a church congregation who had put all of her faith in the Pastor who promised their salvation. He remembered late night channel hopping on his old television in his old apartment. The religious channels never failed to amuse him. It was a combination of the absolute certainty of the preacher and the crowd's faith in his connection to a higher power. He found it all ridiculous back then. But he had been nothing more than a casual observer from a safe distance. Now he was here, right in the thick of it. He felt like he had agreed to sign up to a team-building exercise and had instead been roped into some sort of cult.

  “But like I said, fellow citizens. Today is one of celebration. We are here to celebrate life.”

  The crowd fell silent. If somebody had scratched their skin with their fingernails, everybody would have heard it. Daley Cartwell was standing still. The Conservators sat with their legs crossed and their hands in their laps. Surely they must know what was coming.

  “That's right, my fellow citizens. We are here to celebrate the Adoration of Life.”

  Zack became aware of different background music. It was music that would have once been played in a spa, inoffensive and bland, suitable for all. From the side of the stage arrived a couple. The music faded as Daley Cartwell returned to the microphone.

  “Please show your appreciation to our good and righteous citizens, Joshua Franklin and Martha Deason.”

  The excitement in the crowd was at fever pitch, rippling through busy fingers and excited bodies. Zack could see it in their legs, feet tapping and twitching. Everybody was fighting the urge to let their excitement spill over. Zack heard Daley Cartwell announce that there would be a union, but the details that followed were lost on him as his mind wandered far away.

  The idea of the Adoration of Life, whatever that was, caused him to think back to that day when Samantha had told him he was about to become a father. He had thrown that gift back at her by claiming he wasn't ready. He had treated it like a business decision, one that could be disregarded without any care or attention. He had spent the last ten years paying for that mistake only to find himself encouraged to become a father before he had even found the woman with whom he was supposed to do it. He didn't know whether the future could undo his mistakes of the past. He didn’t even know whether he was the same person now as he was when he had failed to make the right decisions. But maybe this was why he yielded so easily to the plans that Omega Tower had for him. Maybe he was scared to make a decision for himself. Omega Tower was like his safety net. When you always do as you are told it becomes impossible to be wrong. But after a while it also becomes impossible to be yourself, because there comes a point when you don’t know what that is anymore.

  “Are you paying attention, Zack?”

  Sarah was nudging him in the side and motioning for him to look towards the stage. He glanced forwards to see the couple kneeling, their eyes cast to the marble floor. Daley Cartwell stood at their side, his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes bowed deferentially. One by one each of the eight male Conservators stood behind the couple. They placed one hand on the head of the man called Joshua, and another hand on the head of Martha. As they did this, each wife stood to the side of her husband, but with her eyes cast to the floor as if she were not supposed to look.

  “With your bodies you honour us,” said the first Conservator.

  As the Conservator spoke the crowd bowed their heads. Sarah nudged Zack, prompting him to follow her lead. He raised and lowered his head in time with the crowd as each Conservator finished his part in the ceremony.

  “With your union you strengthen us,” continued the next. Head up. The next Conservator took his position. Head down.

  “With your dedication you empower us.” This continued until the last Conservator assumed his position. He was a short, red-faced man whose wife towered above
him and who Zack remembered from the dinner held in his honour.

  “With your unborn child you serve us.”

  Just as Zack looked up he spotted President Grayson standing at the side of the stage next to a white plinth with a glass top. Emily was standing at his side.

  “The president is here,” Zack whispered to Sarah. She didn't answer but she looked at him as if he was crazy. Zack bustled his way forwards through the crowd, arriving just behind the plastic seats. Sarah followed and he could hear her hissing at him as if what he was doing was an act of complete insanity. But he wanted to see the president, and even more so, Emily who was right beside him. He wanted Emily to notice him and remember that he was here. He wasn't sure what he hoped that might achieve. The crowd was silent as President Grayson took a sip of water. He cleared his throat before beginning to speak. He had a way of making everybody believe he was making eye contact with them, and yet he wasn't really looking at anybody.

  “Citizens of New Omega, we have gathered here as one today to celebrate the promise of a new life. It is a miracle that we can celebrate, and a true demonstration of the commitment that you, the people of the Republic of New Omega, have made towards the success and triumph of our society over the adversity in our history.” He took another sip of water and cleared his throat. “I have watched our society grow in strength from the early days. Those days are forever remembered. Not fondly, but rather as a necessary means to an end. An end that may finally be in sight. We remember those days before darkness fell when the world was trapped in a web of fallacy and lies. There was fear and tension about what may have come. Now we, as we stand together in the Republic of New Omega on this glorious day, we breathe not only for ourselves, but for the magnificence of a future blessed with equality where none are left to want.”

  A nervous applause rippled through the crowd.

  “We remember our past mistakes, and remember those before us that allowed those mistakes to infiltrate our way of life. We remember when we look back on that dark time that we did not invite the war, but rather it invited us, and we laid ourselves down to fight. We gave ourselves, and this very act invited us to reflect. We have been successful, citizens of New Omega, and we have all grown in strength.”