Chapter Twenty Two
Since its destruction during the Drellic War, St. Basil’s Cathedral, in the shadow of the reconstructed Kremlin, was rebuilt and converted into a complex of small studio apartments. It was intended by Severov, to be a waiting area for aspiring colonists, waiting to be interviewed.
It had been two weeks since Simone and Marco had arrived in Moscow, and their interview had been scheduled for that afternoon. Over the previous two weeks, Winston had made several unannounced visits to St. Basil’s. Over 5,000 people had gathered there, knowing that only 2,000 would be selected. Winston’s people who supervised the St. Basil’s facility, were responsible for administering daily multi-purpose vaccinations to the colonists, in order to keep them as healthy as possible, during their stay.
Simone and Marco were leery of the idea of accepting the shots, to say the least, but after receiving a bio scan from Winston’s men at the beginning of their stay, their incredible health statuses made them ineligible to receive the vaccinations. The chemical that Dr. Feldman had administered to them, gave them the means to pass any physical examination they would be subjected to, while in Moscow.
Unfortunately for them, this meant that Severov would most likely identify them, as having served with Drellic, giving him even more of a reason to talk to them. Winston had already made it a point to pull them aside and exchange pleasantries, each time he visited. This made Simone and Marco increasingly nervous and the other aspiring colonists, jealous.
Unlike the others waiting to be interviewed, Simone and Marco knew that the Mars mission did not have any special requirements, other than a clean bill of health. Yet, Winston never missed an opportunity to bombard them with questions, about their falsified careers in Geology and the time they supposedly spent serving Drellic.
Each time Winston spoke to them, his familiar sinister grin, never left his face. It had been the almost, daily routine since their arrival, and Marco was beginning to have doubts. Simone was always there to discourage his paranoia, and would repeatedly instruct him not to give Severov a reason to be suspicious. But the truth was that Simone was feeling just as paranoid about Winston, as Marco was. But Simone had always been something of an alpha, during their chaotic ten year friendship, and wasn’t about to have a nervous breakdown, so close to their mission objective.
Simone and Marco were sitting in their studio apartment, staring at the round analog clock on the wall, counting the seconds. Their interview was a mere hour away. A small black box was sitting on the round wooden nightstand, beside their bed. It had a single, round red LED on top of it. Once the light began to blink and the box vibrated, it meant it was time for them to take a walk downstairs to the foyer, where a shuttle to the Kremlin would be waiting for them. Upon arriving at the Kremlin, they would find themselves alone in a room with Severov and a science officer of Severov’s choosing.
“What if they aren’t even really interviewing people?” Marco asked nervously, as he sat on the bed. “I mean think about it,” he continued. “They’d have no reason to. They’re probably just knocking people out and storing them until the launch. Have you ever seen anyone that’s gone for the interview, come back?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Simone snapped. “The whole world knows about this. And it’s Winston Severov. He’s going to make a show of it on Launch Day. Once he has his 2,000 people, he’s probably going to have a press party, to further assure the public that it’s all on the up and up.”
Marco nodded nervously. Simone then rolled her eyes and said, “Besides, you’re the one who told me about the pills we needed to take before the launch. You know what’s coming and when.”
“That doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed his plans since,” Marco snapped. Simone smiled, sat beside him and whispered, “We can do this. Remember what you said in the beginning? You said we’d see it done, because we have no choice. You brought me in, remember?”
“I know,” said Marco. “I just can’t believe it’s finally here.”
50 minutes later, the box on the nightstand began to flash and vibrate. Simone and Marco left their apartment and darted down the stairs to the foyer. Along the way, they were met with dirty looks from those who were offended by Winston’s show of favoritism for them. Once they got outside, they noticed a line of marked cars leaving the Kremlin area that were taking several interviewees back to the airport. It seemed as though Winston had turned some people away.
Simone and Marco approached the white shuttle parked in front of St. Basil’s marked, “Kremlin”. The driver opened the folding door on the side of the shuttle, allowing them to climb inside.
They nervously climbed up a few small steps and made their way to the back of the shuttle. There, they found an empty, leather double seat and sat down together. A younger man wearing a long tan coat and clutching a black briefcase, repeatedly glanced back in their direction, giving them a look of disgust every time. Simone and Marco did their best to ignore him on the short trip to Severov’s offices, until the man finally broke the awkward silence between them and said, “Must be nice.” Marco gave a confused look and asked, “What must be nice?”
“I hope it feels good, knowing that the decision’s already been made, and that everyone else on this bus is just going back home in fifteen minutes,” the man said.
Simone and Marco exchanged awkward glances. Simone then asked the man what he meant by his comment. The man replied, “You’ve been his pets, ever since you got here. The word just came down. You two have already been selected.”
Evidently that secret was no longer a secret. “And wouldn’t you know it?” the man continued, in a harsh tone. “There are only two spots left and they’re going to you.”
They had no idea that it had already come down to the last two spots, out of just a little more than 2,000 people. This meant that Simone and Marco’s interview would be the last interview before launch, making the mood even tenser. Simone wondered if there was a reason Severov had waited until the very end to see them, but dared not display her growing concern to Marco. “Must be nice to have luck on your side,” the man scoffed, before turning around in his seat to face the front of the shuttle.
“Don’t feel so bad,” Marco said to him. “After all, you might turn out to be the lucky one.”
The shuttle arrived at the Kremlin’s main entrance and the passengers were led to a hallway, just outside Severov’s office, where they were told to wait. Marco and Simone were the last scheduled to be seen, out of the group from the last shuttle. One by one, they watched the people they had arrived with, be turned away. The people were so angry and bitter over being denied a seat on one of the rockets, but Simone breathed a sigh of relief, each time she saw a person being sent home, knowing that they were being spared from the horrors, she would soon have to face.
Finally, Simone and Marco were called into Severov’s office. Winston stood up from behind his oversized wooden desk and greeted them with a warm smile. He then told his science officer to leave the room. They were alone and behind closed doors with Severov for the first time, since they had been his prisoners, ten years earlier.
Winston reached across his desk and gave them each a firm handshake, before having them sit down before him. Winston then returned to his seat, smiled and said, “First, let me tell you how truly honored and deeply humbled I am, by your presence. Your decision to stay on has meant the world to me. Knowing that two people of your caliber are going to be leading the charge to explore this new world, has made me overjoyed.” He then opened a thick binder on his desk and opened up to his files for “Timothy and Tara Burrows”. “Now let’s get down to business,” he continued. “The reason I decided not to proceed with your vaccinations, was because your bio scans revealed trace elements of a compound used by Drellic, during the war. As far as I know, the only way you could’ve acquired this compound, was if you had been aligned with Drellic himself, during the war. So, I ask you, did the two of you truly serve under Dre
llic, ten and a half years ago?”
Both Marco and Simone were wearing dark suit jackets over tightly fit buttoned dress shirts, and were sweating profusely beneath them. Simone had done a lot of playacting, while trying to keep her nerves at bay over the last ten years, but despite her best efforts to keep her composure, she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking, as she prepared to speak.
“We did,” Simone stuttered, knowing that it was the answer Winston wanted to hear. “We served under him,” she continued. “We served as science officers out of fear for our lives, and in return he gave us the comforts that so few were afforded. It’s like we told you before. We did it out of fear. But then realized it was the best decision we ever made. Drellic was a hero.”
“Of course,” Winston answered, sympathetically. “It was a difficult transition for us all, and decisions had to be made not only for us, but our families as well. I too served with Drellic, as you know. That’s why I had to be sure. And please keep this between us, but I was one of his top lieutenants while he was here. Those who know, simply know and there’s nothing I can do about it. But now that I’m the President of the most powerful nation in the world, it’s not something I want getting out to the general public. Rumors are bad enough. I’m sure you understand.”
“Yes, sir. We understand,” Marco replied, nervously.
Winston then suspiciously looked them over for a moment and added, “Like I just said in so many words, you are both among friends here. There’s no reason to be so nervous. My only regret is that in my three years serving beside him, I never had the pleasure of meeting either of you. Curious, don’t you think? Our paths should’ve crossed once or twice, no?”
There was an awkward silence in the room. Simone and Marco stared at him blankly for a moment and were about to respond at the same time, when Winston suddenly burst out laughing and said, “Forgive me. I meant no disrespect. I just thought it was curious, is all. As I said, there’s no reason to be nervous here. Your fate has already been sealed. The two of you, two great scientific minds that understand the importance of survival above all else, are going to help me complete this task.”
Simone and Marco were beginning to get the sneaking suspicion that things were about to take a turn for the worse. “The three of us have a great deal to discuss. There’s so much you need to know before we begin. But first, I’d like you both to come with me! Up! Up!” Winston shouted, as he clapped his hands and got back on his feet.
He quickly walked to the other side of the room and held the door open for them, like an eager child. Grinning once again from ear to ear, he led them down a hallway and into an elevator. The elevator went down several floors until it reached the first sub level, beneath the basement. Once the elevator doors parted ways, a brightly lit, underground hangar deck was revealed. Sitting on the opposite end of the deck, was a Drellic recon ship. Simone recognized it immediately. It was the same ship that she had taken to Mars ten years earlier, with Callum and Maryann.
Winston walked over to the ship and leaned against it, then looking like a proud parent. “This was the first of Drellic’s ships that came into my possession, after he was killed!” he exclaimed. “And it will be our chariot, my friends!”
Marco and Simone then became more confused than ever. “What do you mean, our chariot, sir?” Marco asked.
“I thought we were traveling with the other colonists,” Simone added.
“Nonsense!” Winston shouted. “A cramped titanium tube, is hardly a fitting place for my new friends, Timothy and Tara Burrows!” Winston then pointed to the recon ship and exclaimed, “As I said, we have a lot to discuss! This will be your ticket to Mars. And I’m coming with you!”
The Drellic Saga: Books One, Two and Three Page 45