Paradeisia: The Complete Trilogy: Origin of Paradise, Violation of Paradise, Fall of Paradise

by B. C. CHASE

“Perhaps you should have chosen another cart.”

  Gonzales eyed him incredulously, “Didn’t you notice this was the only one?”

  “Was it really?” Henry said. He grinned, “If we are going to understand one another, you’ll have to learn to read between the lines of most anything I say.”

  They were standing near the motionless cart. Gonzales kicked the tire in frustration.

  “Now we walk?” Henry asked.

  “I would suggest run.”

  They began to jog down the tunnel, Henry saying, “I’ve done this before, you know.”

  “What?”

  “Run from a dead car.”

  “Really? When was that?”

  “I was once the proud owner of a Tesla.”

  It was not long before they were startled by the electronic whir of a cart approaching from behind. Gonzales took cover against the wall of the tunnel and lowered to one knee, aiming toward the sound. “Get over here, sir,” he whispered to Henry.

  A cart driven by a man in a blue cap approached. It had benches facing out from each side loaded with four passengers; two housekeepers, one gardener, and what appeared to be a maintenance worker. Gonzales hailed the driver, but he only smiled mechanically. “Must be some of your new Biobots,” Gonzales said. “Let’s hitch a ride.”

  They chased after the cart and jumped on the back, holding onto the rails that supported the flimsy roof before taking seats. The Biobots automatically lifted their heads to look at them and smile.

  "Hello, there!" Gonzales said, looking from face to face. "So, where are we headed?"

  The clones simply stared at him, smiling eerily. The cart bounced down the tunnel and rounded the bend, revealing a length of at least four hundred yards. The clones eventually stopped smiling and sat staring straight ahead in silence. Then, as they sped along, one of the housekeepers with a soft, beautiful face, turned her head to gaze at Henry, much as baby gazes at an unfamiliar face. Her irises were very dark brown or black, and she blinked every five seconds. She seemed, at first, expressionless and, to Henry, rather frightening. But she moved her head slowly, her neck craning like that of a curious, delicate bird. As her eyes stared into Henry’s, he saw the glint of a tear roll down her cheek. Henry pulled back, disbelieving. She began to move her hand from her lap and stretch trembling fingers toward him. Then her eyes, almost unnoticeably, squinted and she flinched, resuming her position.

  The cart neared a T junction. In the middle was a group of soldiers with U.S. insignia aiming weapons directly toward the cart.

  “Here’s our stop!” Gonzales said, and jumped off. Henry followed and they ran toward a door in the tunnel wall above which a small sign read

  Alexandria Hotel

  Gonzales pressed his finger to a reader by the door as the soldiers began to approach them. The door clicked and Gonzales pushed it open, ushering Henry inside before slamming it shut behind them. “They shouldn’t be able to get in.”

  They were in a lit hallway with several service elevators at the end. Gonzales rushed over and thumped the call button. One of the doors immediately opened and they entered, pressing the lobby button. The elevator dinged, and he found himself in a service area full of vacuum cleaners, supplies, wheelchairs, and cones. A hallway led to the left and a door to the right. Above the door a sign read:

  Wonders of the World Centre

  Gonzales shoved open the door. As they rushed out, Henry slowed in amazement. Opposite them was a three-hundred-foot tall series of terraced gardens with waterfalls surging down from level to level. Balconies with large stone balustrades were situated on the terraces. At the base was a large, curving pristine swimming pool that flowed between the feet of an enormous bronze statue of a nude male triumphantly holding a blazing bowl. Facing the statue was a seventy-foot Greek temple complete with white Corinthian columns and gold engravings. It reminded Henry of the White House in D.C. FlyRail tracks entered the temple on one side and exited on the other, running across the atrium to disappear into a Great Pyramid (which, like the gardens, had guest room balconies dotting each level of stone).

  When Henry looked up, he realized he was at the base of an ancient-looking lighthouse that cast a luring beacon over the entire plaza, which was currently populated with hundreds of people.

  Gonzales said, “To heck with it. They know where we are. Let’s ride the FlyRail.” They rushed toward the temple, but as they started up the white steps, they heard sounds of alarm from the populace.

  The squad of soldiers was running after them, fixing their weapons at them. Gonzales and Henry hurried to the top of the staircase, and Henry was suddenly stung by plaster that exploded from a temple column near his face. He ducked behind the column, bullets showering the area. There was no gondola at the platform, but a clock above was ticking away the seconds until one arrived:

  00:50

  Gonzales was already firing at the soldiers. Two of them had fallen. The soldiers rushed to take cover, and one of them threw a grenade, which landed near Gonzales. He swiftly picked it up and tossed it. It landed at the feet of the Colossus of Rhodes statue before exploding. The statue began to list, then became engulfed in flames from oil that was spilling out.

  Guests had emerged from their rooms and were staring down from the balconies of the hanging gardens and pyramid. The Colossus was careening dangerously as the soldiers fired, bullets whizzing by Henry and Gonzales and plaster exploding all around them. Gonzales fired back until each of the guns had clicked empty. “Out of ammo,” he said. He swore at Henry, “Shoot something!”

  00:13

  Henry raised his rifle and stared down the barrel. Sighting a soldier, he pulled the trigger. He was surprised by the hard kick of the stock against his shoulder. Pain. He chambered another round, aimed again, fired. Another miss. Loading the last bullet he had, he again aimed. This time he aimed high. The soldier’s chest burst with red as it recoiled backwards. Henry was surprised by how the sight made him feel. Some kind of unfamiliar, disconcerting pleasure. Blood spilled down the soldier’s fatigues as it steadied itself, then fell forward onto its face.

  The gigantic statue was listing sideways. The soldiers raised their arms above their heads, but were crushed as the weight of the sculpture collapsed on top of them. Oil spilt freely from the statue's shattered body and the flames spread across the floor and the pool.

  00:06

  The gondola was approaching, and Gonzales was about to step onto the platform when screaming stopped him. He paused to listen.

  “Let’s go!” Henry encouraged, but Gonzales was unmoved. The soldiers were crying out in anguished pain as the flames engulfed their bodies. From the mass of blazing debris, one of the flaming soldiers was struggling toward the pool.

  00:00

  The gondola arrived and the doors swung open. With one last glance at the soldier as he splashed into the water, Gonzales stepped on board the empty cabin. Henry followed him. Gonzales dropped the rifles and took a seat as the doors closed and the gondola began to move. His fists were clenched and his eyes stared vacantly as if he was in a different world.

  Jinkins’ familiar voice spoke over the speakers inside, "Please stand clear of the doors. Smoking is prohibited except in designated areas on Paradeisia." The doors closed, "Welcome to Elephant Express. Our next stop is The StarLine Paradeisia Hotel.” There was a pause. “The building ahead is The StarLine Paradeisia Hotel, Paradeisia’s flagship resort, rising to a height of 1,776 feet. The StarLine Paradeisia hotel boasts ...."

  Henry sat down across from Gonzales. “That was amazing. You saved our lives.”

  Gonzales’ fists were visibly trembling.

  “Marco,” Henry said.

  He blinked, returning to reality. He released a long breath. He closed his eyes, “I never wanted to go back.”

  Henry said, “I guess they say ‘once a Marine always a Marine.’”

  Opening his eyes, Gonzales fiercely swore, “You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about
!”

  Henry sat back.

  They continued the ride, Jinkins’ voice extolling the wonders of Paradeisia. Gonzales stared off into space as if he were in another world. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on something and he sat up. “Hang on!” he shouted, grabbing onto the seat supports.

  Henry spun to see what he was looking at. A black Apache drone was hovering a football field away, and it suddenly lit up, unleashing a hail of rockets. The gondola shook mercilessly and swung out away from the track, but the solid exterior surface withstood the onslaught, though severely damaged.

  There was a pause in the blitz and the gondola oscillated back in a pendulum arc. “Put on your seatbelt!” Gonzales shouted as he clicked his own. Henry complied just as a firebomb explosion erupted above their heads, rocking the cabin with an earsplitting crack. Henry heard only a high-pitched ring as they swung out again. There was a metallic rip and a moment of strange weightlessness as the gondola broke free from the track and glided through the air. Then it began to plummet toward the trees below, sending Henry’s stomach reeling. With a terrific crash, they hit the branches and the cabin catapulted over, jolting them in their seats like dolls. Leaves, shattered wood, and smoke spiraled around the exterior as they tumbled to the ground. When the FlyRail hit, it rolled once and finally came to rest, Henry and Gonzales dangling from their seatbelts. Gonzales had freed himself before Henry could blink and was busy collecting the rifles that had landed all over the place. Feeling like he was almost dead, Henry watched him in a daze until he stopped and said, “Hurry the heck up and get down from there!”

  They were half running, half stumbling down a steep, tropically forested slope. Henry said, “How are we going to get into the hotel? It’s probably guarded.”

  “We’ll come in through the service tunnel on the bottom.”

  “And how will we get to Lady Shrewsbury’s suite? It’s probably also guarded.”

  “I’m counting on the idea that they don’t know the Presidential suite has its own service entrance.”

  “She took the Presidential suite?”

  Gonzales shrugged, “She’s a duchess.”

  Henry paused to raise an objection, then grunted and ran after him.

  Towson

  Wesley finally reached Kelle, grabbed her hand. She tried to break free, but he held her tightly. She had run from the stadium through a soccer field of overgrown grass toward a forested ridge. “Lemme go!” Kelle screamed. “Lemme go!”

  “Where are you going?” Wesley exclaimed, struggling to impede her.

  “Just lemme go!” she railed, fighting him.

  He grappled his arms around her back and squeezed her tightly. “Stop it, just stop!”

  She started to wail, pounding her fists on his chest.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay, Kelle,” he comforted. “Just breathe.”

  Gradually, she calmed and began to weep. She said, “I had to get away. I had to get away from there.”

  “I know.”

  “I feel like there’s no one I can trust.”

  “What do you mean? You can trust me.”

  “No, I can’t. Revenge is more important to you than anything else!”

  Wesley loosened his hold on her arms.

  “You can’t deny it.”

  “You’re right!” Wesley shouted. “I don’t want to deny it! It was my wife, Kelle! And my unborn son!”

  “Why do you think you’re the only one in the world who has lost something!?”

  “I don’t! I’m just the only one who wants to do something about it,” Wesley said coldly.

  “Revenge is mine, says the Lord,” Kelle intoned.

  Wesley scoffed, “You’re not thinking about God. You’re thinking about how safe you feel. Your husband and sons were killed and all you can do is worry about yourself and your own protection! Well not me, Kelle! Not me! Abael took them from us, and I’m going to do something about it. I’m going to kill him.”

  “And what good will that do? Do you think they won’t catch you if you succeed? Do you think that will stop everything that is happening?”

  “I don’t care what happens!”

  “Don’t you care about me?”

  Wesley said nothing.

  “Because I care about you! I want what’s best for you, and this isn’t it!”

  “I’m going to kill him with or without your help.”

  Paradeisia Under the Earth

  Once running, Aubrey was so terrified that she couldn't stop. Leaves slapped her body as she blindly tore through a short distance of the jungle. The crack of gunfire sounded behind her, but she didn't slow as she heard the crashing of foliage close by. Suddenly, the ground disappeared beneath her and she felt herself falling. With a splash, she plunged into clear, cool water. Her pack dragged her down to a ledge, and she didn't struggle to stay afloat because she didn't know if the snake had followed her. Looking up at the rippling surface, she saw a large, black form hurtling through the air.

  There was a terrific splash as a giant, furry beast tumbled into the water. As the bubbles cleared, Aubrey recognized the sloth, thrashing its arms and legs as the weight of its long fur seemed to drag it down. Within seconds a four-foot long fish began assaulting it, darting in for lightning-fast attacks as it tore away hunks of flesh. A second fish came into view, two rows of menacing teeth showing prominently with cold, gaping eyes. Blood seeped into the water as other fish arrived. Within seconds, there was a feeding frenzy, with so many fish chomping off pieces of flesh that the sloth quickly became unrecognizable.

  She was desperate for oxygen, but Aubrey didn't want to draw attention to herself, so she slowly pushed herself back away. She felt relief when she backed into the rocks. Turning away from the frenzy so she could swim up to the surface, she was horror-stricken to see that she had backed into a human skeleton. In fact, three skeletons were upright in the water, their skulls seeming to stare at her with gaping eye sockets. The bones were bare of flesh, but the tatters of clothes and accessories clung to them, and draping from their necks were lanyards. At the end of each was a plastic card which read:

  PARADEISIA

  OFFICIAL VISITOR

  UNIVERSITY OF BASEL

  Terrified, she spun back around and was met with one of the large fish. Its eyes twitched in its head, assessing her with a chilling, instinctive detachment, and its tooth-lined mouth slowly opened as it advanced to strike.

  Remembering that she still had her pack, she rapidly slid it off her shoulders and shoved it toward the fish's face. Reactively, it chomped into the pack and she struck up toward the surface at the same moment. Bursting into the air, she was surprised to feel a strong hand grasp her arm and pull her up the bank. It was Adriaan.

  She grabbed his arm, “There are skeletons down there! Human skeletons!”

  “Shh!” he warned, putting a finger to his lips. “Not too loud,” he half-whispered. “Something isn’t right with Bridges. I snuck away. He lost it.”

  “Bridges?”

  “Yes. He …” Adriaan hesitated. “He killed Nimitz just because he had a broken ankle. A bloody broken ankle!”

  “Why would he do that?” Aubrey exclaimed in a whisper.

  “He’s obsessed with finding Andrews! Nobody else seems to matter anymore.”

  A voice spoke from nearby as Bridges stepped out of the jungle, accompanied by Doctor Kaufmann, Doctor Pearce, and the soldiers, “I didn’t tell you I am a bit of a tracker myself, did I Adriaan? Keep that in mind next time you think about sneaking off.” He marched up to them and looked down at Aubrey, “Now, how many skeletons did you see in the water?”

  She hesitated.

  He pointed his machine gun at her head, “How many?”

  “Three,” she obliged.

  “Thank you.” He shouted to his soldiers, “Fish the three skeletons out right now!”

  With the skeletons laying out on the ground before them, Bridges yanked the lanyard off one of the necks and held it up to Doctor Kaufmann.
“University of Basel. That’s where you said your three visiting scientists hailed from, didn’t you?”

  Doctor Kaufmann eyed the skeletons with wide eyes, shaking his head. “They shouldn’t be here. They can’t be here,” he breathed.

  “What happened to them, Kaufmann?”

  “I…” he swallowed. He held up his hands, which were shaking. “With my bare hands, I killed them.”

  “And you threw their bodies into this lake?”

  “No!” Doctor Kaufmann shook his head emphatically. “I didn’t!”

  “Well then?”

  Doctor Kaufmann’s stance firmed. “This is all I can tell you.”

  “I will do whatever it takes to make you talk.”

  Doctor Kaufmann replied, “Let me save you the trouble.” And, without warning, he grappled Bridges’s weapon, purposefully shooting himself in the head. His head ricocheted away from his hand as he toppled backwards.

  Bridges looked surprised. Then he eyed Doctor Pearce darkly, “Well I guess that leaves you.”

  Doctor Pearce said nothing as Bridges approached him. Two soldiers closed off Doctor Pearce’s escape from behind, and Bridges demanded, “What do you have to offer?”

  “I have no idea what it is you want,” Doctor Pearce stated in an even tone.

  “You and Kaufmann were here from the beginning, since it all went down. You were some of the first people Jinkins brought. So there’s no doubt: you know what I’m after. And I need you to tell me how to get it. Now.”

  Doctor Pearce tightened his lips.

  Bridges nodded to the soldiers, “Hold him.” Then he drew out a knife and tore a hole in Doctor Pearce’s shirt. Pressing the tip of the blade against Doctor Pearce’s abdomen, he said, “Make this easy on yourself.”

  Adriaan jumped to intervene, but was accosted by other soldiers. “You’re not marines. You’re bloody murderers!” he shouted.

  “That’s true. I was never a marine,” Bridges smiled. “Get the girl,” he said.