Occidis

by Aisha Tritle

  “I’d like you to leave now, Davey,” said Kristin.

  “Listen, I—“

  “Just go.”

  Sophia didn’t think Davey would leave. But he did. As he walked past her, he gave her another hug.

  “Drop by my room later,” he whispered.

  Kristin stared into empty space as the elevator doors slid closed. Sophia stood still, not knowing how to approach her friend for the first time in eight years. “What’s going on, Kris?” she asked.

  Kristin said nothing.

  Sophia felt crushed by guilt. The last few days had turned the girl in front of her into a shell of her former self—and Sophia hadn’t been there for her.

  “You know what? It’s fine. We can just sit here and eat cookie dough and watch a movie or whatever you want. We don’t have to talk about you and Davey—“ Sophia stopped. Kristin was gaping at her, horrified.

  “What about me and Davey?”

  “What you guys were talking about…I mean, it sounded like…“ Sophia’s voice drifted off. It was obvious by her friend’s face that she was saying the wrong thing.

  “For shit’s sake, Sophia. I just got out of therapy and med, Simon’s just died, and you seriously assume that I’ve already started something with Davey?”

  Sophia was getting annoyed. Kristin was in a vulnerable state, yes. But it was obvious the vulnerability hadn’t affected her bitchy side.

  “Honestly, Kris, with your history, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  The redhead’s green eyes narrowed. “That’s low.”

  “Well, Davey said everything you do affects someone else now, too. So what am I supposed to think?”

  A pained look crossed Kristin’s face. “I’m pregnant, Soph.”

  17

  Sophia stared into the darkness. She’d pulled the sling off her arm—she didn’t really need it anyway. But the painkillers were starting to wear off. She wished Dr. Roth had given her something to knock her out; she could hear her thoughts too loudly in the quiet bedroom.

  Davey had already left when she’d stopped by his room. There had been something he needed to tell her…but Kristin had probably already said it.

  BASE was no place for a baby. Not that they’d let Kristin keep it…or would they? She hadn’t told Sophia who the father was. But Sophia knew it was probably Simon’s. Norbert would consider the baby a perfect specimen—the offspring of two members of his beloved Program Occidis. The child would grow up with the outside world completely unaware of its existence.

  Sophia covered her face with her hands and steadied her breathing.

  She had to get Kristin out. But she was stuck.

  She grabbed the pillow beneath her head and threw it across the room. It landed in her closet with a quiet thud.

  “How do I do this,” muttered Sophia, a tear rolling down her face.

  Suddenly, it was too silent. The air conditioning stopped, the computer in the corner powered down.

  Sophia rolled over and clicked the switch on her bedside lamp. It didn’t turn on; the power was out.

  Her breath paused. This was her chance. If the power was out, then surveillance was down. Except it was too dark. She couldn’t see anything.

  “Shit,” said Sophia, as her feet hit the floor.

  Her phone had been confiscated, so she couldn’t use the light from that. Her hand found its way to the drawer of her nightstand and pulled it open. She rummaged about for a few seconds until she found a small flashlight.

  “Perfect.”

  She flicked it on. The small circle of light fell on her door just as it swung open—and revealed a strange sight. Sophia gripped the flashlight above her head and prepared to bash in the head of the person at the door…until she realized who it was.

  “Sophia!” whispered Dr. Roth. “What are you doing? Turn that off.”

  He was wearing night vision goggles and handed her a pair as well. “Put these on,” he ordered.

  Sophia switched her flashlight off and strapped on the night vision goggles.

  “I don’t know how long we’ve got,” said Dr. Roth. “So we’ve got to hurry. There’s an ATV parked at the south exit. I’ll take you there, and you just drive for a mile straight, alright?”

  “I’ve got to get Kristin,” said Sophia.

  The doctor’s jaw dropped. “That’s ridiculous. You can’t—“

  “Is it a multi-seater ATV?”

  “Well, yes, but—“

  “I’ve got to get Kristin.”

  Sophia walked out the door, Dr. Roth in tow.

  “Sophia, you can’t do this,” he protested.

  But his words fell on deaf ears. Kristin’s bedroom was two doors down from Sophia’s. She burst in without knocking.

  Kristin was sound asleep. Sophia gently set a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

  “Kristin. Hey. Kristin.”

  Sophia deflected the sharp jab directed at her.

  “Calm down, Kris. It’s just me,” she said, pinning down her friend’s skeletal arms.

  Kristin blinked at her in the darkness. “Sophia? What’s going on?”

  A disgruntled sigh emanated from Dr. Roth. He stepped forward and knelt down next to the bed. “Kristin, my dear,” he said in a soothing tone. “It’s Dr. Roth. We’ve come to get you out of here.”

  Sophia shot him a grateful smile. Not that he saw. She grabbed Kristin’s hand.

  “Wait,” breathed Kristin. “What’s going on?”

  “Just hold onto me, alright?”

  Kristin yanked her hand out of Sophia’s. “No! Not until you explain to me what is going on.”

  Sophia grabbed her friend’s hand again. There was no time for an explanation. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

  A second of silence followed before Kristin answered, “Yes, I do.”

  “I promise I’ll explain later.”

  Sophia pulled her friend out of the room. Dr. Roth was two steps ahead.

  “This way,” he said, heading to the staircase at the end of the hall.

  Kristin’s nails dug into Sophia as they descended the stairs. “We’re being stupid,” she hissed. “And I don’t get it—what is Dr. Roth doing? Why did he say that he’s getting us out of here?”

  Why was Dr. Roth doing this? He didn’t mention leaving BASE with them. He was risking life and limb to get Sophia out. Why did saving her mean that much to him?

  “Just trust me,” whispered Sophia.

  It was a minimal answer, but she couldn’t give anything more at the moment. She half expected Kristin to leave. But the scrawny girl stayed.

  They scurried after the elderly man in front of them until they reached ground level.

  Sophia looked around at unfamiliar surroundings. She’d been on Ground level maybe twice in her life, and the night vision goggles were distorting the little of it she remembered.

  It was a strangely bare part of BASE. It was just an open space of polished cement leading to a narrow hallway. Moonlight filtered through the same windowed wall that all the floors had. There was no furniture here, and heavy-duty black boxes were stacked up against the walls—probably filled with weapons.

  Dr. Roth hurried down the hallway. “Come, come.”

  The two girls ran after him. Sophia glanced at her friend. Kristin was strangely calm. She wished she could borrow some of her friend’s composure.

  “Soph, your hand is shaking,” said Kristin. “Like, a lot.”

  Sophia gritted her teeth. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

  The words served more to calm herself than as an answer.

  “Here we are,” said Dr. Roth.

  They’d reached a heavy metal door at the end of the hallway.

  Kristin scoffed. “There’s no way that’s not locked.”

  She was right. But Dr. Roth was prepared. He pulled a compact laser cutter out of his coat pocket and began cutting around the lock.

  “Come on, come on,” he muttered.

  It was taking a long time. Sophia
nervously looked behind her. She couldn’t see or hear anybody. Where were the handlers?

  “We should just go back,” said Kristin. “They’re gonna come get us.”

  “Shut up,” snapped Sophia—then cringed. The stress was getting to her. She squeezed Kristin’s hand.

  “I’m sorry.”

  The doctor was almost done cutting the lock.

  A small clatter caused Sophia to turn her head.

  “I told you,” whispered Kristin.

  But there was nothing to be seen. Still, chills ran down Sophia’s spine. Dr. Roth slipped the laser cutter back into his pocket. He tapped Sophia’s good arm. “I’m going to need your help with this.”

  She nodded.

  “On the count of three,” said Dr. Roth. “One, two—“

  They rammed into the door. It budged a little.

  The doctor wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

  “Alright,” he said. “One more time. One, two—“

  They rammed. The door flung open. A thin cloud of sand swept into the hallway. It was colder than Sophia expected. She’d never been on the outside of BASE at night.

  Dr. Roth ran out the door, the back of his coat flying on the breeze. Sophia followed him.

  “Wait!” cried Kristin, standing just inside the broken door.

  Sophia hurried back to her. “What’s the matter?”

  Kristin bit her lip. “I…don’t know. I just—“

  The redheaded girl looked down at the stretch of sand before her as if it would burn her.

  “This is going to be better for us, Kris,” said Sophia. “I promise. Just trust me, okay?”

  A clicking sound behind Kristin caught Sophia’s attention. Seeing a shadowy figure out of the corner of her eye, she didn’t stay to find out who it was. Grabbing Kristin’s hand, she pulled her friend behind her and ran towards Dr. Roth.

  It wasn’t a moment too soon; a bullet ricocheted off the doorway.

  “Somebody’s here,” said Sophia.

  The doctor’s short legs carried his portly figure over the sand. “I thought this might happen,” he said, out of breath.

  The ATV was about 25 yards in front of them, sheltered under a tin roof. It was a two-seater.

  “You’re coming with us, right?” asked Sophia.

  The doctor stayed silent. Sophia shot him a glance. Beads of sweat were streaming down his round face. The physical exertion seemed too much for him. She repeated her question, “You’re coming with us, right?”

  He nodded, then fell and cried out in pain. “I’ve twisted something,” he said, defeat starting to creep into his voice.

  Another bullet hit the sand a few feet away from Sophia. Whoever had found them was having a tough time seeing in the dark. She pulled Dr. Roth up with her uninjured arm and had him lean on her.

  “We’ll be okay,” she said. They were only 20 feet away from their means of escape.

  “Sophia, you drive,” wheezed Dr. Roth as they reached the ATV. “Kristin and I will share the other seat.”

  Sophia climbed into the driver’s seat and powered up the ATV. Suddenly, a stream of light hit her. BASE’S power was back on.

  Sheer panic flew into Dr. Roth’s eyes. He pushed Kristin into the passenger seat. “Drive that way,” he said, pointing to Sophia’s left. “Once you hit a mile, stop. They should be there. But if not, you wait.”

  Sophia stared at him. “But you’re coming with us.”

  “I’ll only weigh you down—you need to leave!” exclaimed Dr. Roth. “Right now!”

  Sophia climbed over Kristin. “Let me help you,” she said. “Come on. Come with us. I can help you up.”

  She held out her hand. Just as her eyes met his, bullets started flying. Blood splattered all over her face and arm. Kristin shrieked.

  Dr. Roth crumpled to the ground, the life drained out of his eyes.

  A skeletal hand gripped Sophia’s shoulder and pulled her back into the driver’s seat.

  “Go!” commanded Kristin.

  Sophia stepped on the gas— only half aware of what she was doing. Bullets were crashing into the sand behind them.

  “Ugh, this was such a mistake,” said Kristin as she ducked down.

  Maybe it was a mistake. Sophia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles went white.

  Nobody was heading after them. But Sophia guessed the shots were coming from the roof of BASE—and she knew it would be a while before they were out of range. The only speck of comfort was that, besides Lund, the handlers were all low-level snipers, and Lund had left with Davey.

  “They’re going to kill us,” said Kristin, her voice flat.

  “No, they won’t,” snapped Sophia. “We’re too valuable.”

  Weren’t they? They’d invested too much in her and Kristin just to kill them. If anything, they’d aim for the wheels to try and stop them.

  A bullet hit the metal bar above Sophia’s head. “Shit, never mind.”

  “I told you,” grumbled Kristin.

  The wind was strong. A thin layer of sand was constantly hitting their faces. Sophia’s eyes were protected by the night vision goggles, but Kristin closed her eyes.

  “How close are we to a mile?”

  Sophia checked the odometer. “We’re just past half,” she said.

  Kristin sighed and brought her hands up to shield her face. “Great.”

  A bullet hit the back tire, and Kristin turned to assess the damage. “It didn’t blow out,” she said. “You’ll get a little more out of it.”

  Sophia clenched her jaw. There were three good tires left. They’d be fine. Dr. Roth’s blood dripped into her mouth, and her chest heaved as she spit it out.

  “You okay?” asked Kristin, over the roaring of the ATV.

  She wasn’t fine. But she had to pretend she was in order to get her and Kristin out. Sophia tried to push Dr. Roth out of her mind and stifled the urge to be sick.

  A flurry of bullets hit the sand on Sophia’s left. They were trying to get her to swerve. Trying to get her disoriented. She kept the wheel steady.

  They’d just passed the three-quarter mile mark. They were almost there. But the shot tire was slowing them down.

  “Come on, come on,” muttered Sophia, as she slammed on the gas again. She could see a helicopter in the near distance. A bullet hit the other back tire. “Crap.”

  The back of the ATV was starting to sink. At least it was four-wheel-drive. Another bullet hit the bar right above Kristin’s head. Sophia pushed her down.

  “Get as low as you can, and you’ll be fine,” she said.

  But the bullets had stopped. Sophia wondered if they’d passed the range limit of the handlers’ sniping skills.

  The wound on her arm from the day before was starting to bleed again. Blood had soaked through the bandage and was dripping all over the front seat.

  They were about twenty-five yards away now. The ATV’s engine was sputtering. Sophia looked at the hood in confusion.

  “Did they hit anywhere besides the tires?” she asked.

  “No, they didn’t,” replied Kristin.

  A flashing red light caught Sophia’s eye. They were out of gas. “Are you kidding me?”

  The moonlight was bright enough to enable her to see where she was going. She ripped off the night vision goggles and jumped out of the ATV. Kristin followed her.

  They linked hands and ran towards the helicopter. A tall figure was running towards them. The moonlight glinted off the figure’s golden head. It was Ilya.

  “Shit!” cried Kristin, as she stumbled. Sophia pulled her friend up and felt her heart drop. The redheaded girl’s shirt was soaked in blood.

  “I’m fine, I swear,” said Kristin faintly. “It’s just a graze.”

  Ilya swept in and picked the injured girl up. They ran towards the helicopter, which was just starting to power up. Sophia could barely see past the cloud of sand around it.

  The dusty air caused her and Kristin to erupt in fits of coughs. Ilya
set Kristin down in the helicopter and helped Sophia up. Jonathan was up front. He shot a quick glance at Sophia and Kristin before turning his attention to the controls.

  Both of the girls were bleeding profusely. Sophia examined her friend as they took off. Kristin’s temple and rib cage were grazed.

  “It’s not too bad,” winced Kristin. “The blood’s making it look worse than it is.”

  “We need to sterilize and put pressure on the wounds,” said Sophia, turning to Ilya.

  He’d already grabbed a first aid kit and pulled out cotton and gauze. “Sophia, you need to sit back. I can handle this.”

  His blue eyes studied her as he opened the bottle of alcohol. Sophia remembered the state her face was in. She touched her forehead and cheeks with the back of her hand. Dr. Roth’s blood had dried.

  “Sophia,” said Ilya. “Sit back.”

  Sophia grabbed the bottle from him and turned to Kristin. “You know this is going to sting,” she said.

  Kristin nodded.

  Sophia poured the alcohol on Kristin’s cuts. Her friend yelped in pain.

  “Cotton,” said Sophia, holding out her hand.

  Ilya shook his head and handed her a sheet of cotton. She pressed it against Kristin’s ribcage. “Give me a length of gauze.”

  Ilya ripped off a few feet of gauze. Sophia wrapped it tightly around the cotton.

  “Give me some more cotton,” said Sophia.

  But Ilya had already begun bandaging up Kristin’s head. “Sit back,” he commanded.

  Sophia watched him tend to her friend for a bit before reluctantly sitting back. Her arm was throbbing with pain. She ripped her sleeve off and poured alcohol on her arm. It stung so bad. She gritted her teeth and swallowed the pain.

  “Hey,” said Ilya. “Let me do that.”

  Sophia sat in silence as he wrapped her arm. For someone so tough, his touch was surprisingly gentle.

  Kristin was laying on her back, staring at the ceiling. She didn’t seem to be in too much pain. But her angular face was devoid of any expression. Sophia wondered if she’d done the right thing.

  Yes. She had. They were both dead if they stayed in Occidis. Maybe they’d survive physically, but their minds would have been ripped apart until there was nothing left.

  Sophia rubbed her forehead. Maybe she’d already lost hers.