The Final Revolution

by Anthony Thackston

  Alan puts his hand on the knob, first. “No. You’ll use that setting.” He points to the cold knob.

  “Well that hardly seems…” Jada stops speaking when she sees Takeda’s very stern glance. “Very well. Just the thing I need for a refreshing pick me up, yes?”

  “Yes,” Alan tells her, turning on the cold water.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The sound of feet stepping across the floor at different speeds, echoes through the space. The floor of the museum deck isn’t the same cold steel of the stasis deck or the lower deck. The polished marble surface is dark, creating a combination of light absorption and reflection. Soft recessed lights run along a steel beam attached to panoramic windows in the ceiling. Only a few stars are visible as the light, though dim, drowns out what would be a starlit ceiling.

  Display cases full of ship parts rest against the wall. Some cases hold items from the Earth. Recreational items and old advertisements that push foods, beverages and even some small model cars.

  Two life-size, still-life dioramas of Earth life sit in the middle of the deck. One shows what looks like a family all sitting around in a living room, their faces locked onto their own individual devices of entertainment. The other appears to be people in an office, all going about their work day.

  Alan tries to keep his sword hidden, the blade at her back as he pushes Jada through the deck. A large group of kids runs by them. One of them accidentally kicks Takeda’s cane, sending it to the floor.

  “Oops,” the little girl says as she continues to run.

  “That was not very nice,” the words come from a young teacher, appearing to be herding the kids. She looks to be only a few years younger than Aja. “What do we say?”

  The same little girl walks back to Takeda. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Accidents happen.” Takeda leans down to pick up his cane.

  “That’s right, children. Accidents do happen. We must make sure to keep our manners about us at all times,” the teacher says. “Can anyone tell me why?”

  “So we don’t end up like the dirty lower deckers who are no different than wild animals,” a chubby little boy says. “Polite manners ensure that we…” He looks up at nothing in particular, trying to remember the right words. “That we…”

  “Stay in the place…” Jada chimes in.

  “The place to…That we stay in the place to be,” the chubby boy finishes the sentence.

  “Very good, Aldo,” the teacher tells him. She looks at Jada. “Good morning Minister Jada. You’re looking particularly refreshed.”

  “Yes, well, a…” She pauses to find the right word. “Brisk shower will do that. Very eye opening.”

  “I do enjoy a hot shower,” the teacher says. She barely even registers the lower deckers amongst them. “Now, who can tell me how it is that we are able to enjoy all of the wonderful amenities aboard the Grand Marshall?”

  “Hallet’s law,” the little girl who knocked down Takeda’s cane calls out.

  “That’s right. And how did Hallet’s law come about?”

  “The vote,” another kid answers.

  “Correct again. The vote. Never forget that it could be you who is down there with those wild lower deckers. It was the vote that allowed you to stay up here. We must always remember to be thankful to Captain Hallet for having the vote.”

  “Let’s have the cheer,” Aldo yells.

  “What a fantastic idea. Minister Jada would you like to lead us in the cheer?”

  Jada looks at Alan who only furrows his brow. “It would be my pleasure.” She steps to the side of Alan forcing him to hid the sword behind his back. “What is the place to be?”

  “Halletses, Halletses, Halletses!” All of the children say in unison.

  “Very good kids. And now we should thank Minister Jada for participating and for being the voice of the wonderful Captain Hallet,” the teacher says.

  “Thank you Minister Jada,” the kids say.

  “You are all very welcome.”

  “Now we must get back to class, children. I’m going to tell you all about where the dirty, used water used to go until Captain Hallet changed all of that, providing clean water for all of us.”

  Jada takes a quick glance at Alan. “I wonder…”

  “Yes Minister Jada?” The teacher replies with an eager smile.

  “Have you begun your studies on the topic of abhorrents?”

  “That’s in next years plan. That topic is a little too scary for the kids,” the teacher does her best serious baby voice.

  “Perhaps I could start them early with the most important part of the lesson?”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea. We’ll just keep it our little secret.” The teacher smiles mischievously.

  “We don’t have time for this,” Alan says.

  “Nonsense. This won’t take long.”

  “What are you playing at Minister?” Takeda asks.

  Jada walks away from Alan, closer to the teacher.

  “Listen to the Minister, students,” the teacher says.

  Jada adjusts her glasses. “An abhorrent is a crude creatures. You see they aren’t born like you and I. No, indeed. They are created in a laboratory. The one’s that do as they are supposed to get to become passengers like us. But the others. The naughty ones,” She looks at Alan, a scheming smile crossing her face. “The naughty ones are jettisoned from the ship before they have a chance to cause more trouble.”

  The teacher’s smile fades as she notices Jada staring at Alan.

  “If you ever see an abhorrent, it is your civic duty to either report it or execute it. Remember that in next years plan, children,” Jada says, her eyes still on Alan.

  “Yes Minister Jada,” the kids say.

  “Back to class, now, kids. I’m right behind you.” The teacher motions for the kids to run along. Once they’re far enough away, she pulls something out from under her dress. “Filthy abhorrent!” She spins around with a small flame thrower, pulling the trigger and sending a fiery spray at Alan. His arm, instinctively covers his head, halting the flame from getting closer. The burning liquid bounces off of the invisible force like water hitting a wall and splashing all over. “Your filth doesn’t belong on this ship, polluting young minds.” She keeps the spray going while moving closer, hopeful of breaking through Alan’s defense.

  Takeda moves quickly toward the teacher, raising his cane to strike her. But she moves too fast, redirecting the flame at him instead of Alan. Takeda’s clothes are drenched in the burning fuel. He cries out in pain as the fire engulfs him.

  “Captain!” Alan starts to move toward his mentor.

  “Bridge!” Takeda yells as he dives for the teacher. The flames catch on her dress and the two crash to the floor, as fire envelopes both of them. The miniature flame thrower falls from her hands and a pillar of white smoke blasts from the floor, dousing the flames. Jada spots the flame thrower and runs for it. Alan extends his hand and pulls the weapon toward him, catching it in mid-air. He aims it at Jada who drops to her knees, right next to the burned bodies of Takeda and the young woman.

  As Alan looks at the charred remains, his face takes on an expression of disgust. Not at the burned bodies but at the twisted nature of the people from the upper decks. “No one on the lower deck is like you,” he says to Jada, his voice trembling. “You claim you’re better than us but look at what you do.”

  “Alan, please. It wasn’t my idea. It was that teacher. I didn’t tell her to—”

  “Get up,” Alan orders. Jada does as instructed. Alan doesn’t take his eyes off of her. “Where’s the nearest airlock?” he asks Aja. The rad addict begins walking away from them with Sahel right beside her. “Follow her.”

  “Alan, I didn’t know—”

  “You didn’t care. And I don’t need you.”

  “I can be extremely helpful to…I know things. You could—”

  “Shut up.”


  A steel wall with the words [CAUTION] etched into it, stands closed. Alan shoves Jada against the wall.

  “Please, Alan, have mercy,” Jada pleads.

  “This is mercy. You should burn.” Alan presses a button, opening the door. A single light flickers on revealing a small room. Alan presses another button causing a heavy glass door to slide, sideways, into the wall. “Get in.”

  “None of this is necessary. I apologize for—”

  “It’s too late for that. All we wanted was a re-vote. A chance, just as before. But you couldn’t handle it. So now, this is what you get.” He aims the flame thrower at her. Jada slowly steps inside. Alan presses the button again, closing the glass door. “This is the place to be,” he says just as the door seals shut.

  He lowers the flame thrower and nods to Aja. She pulls a lever and the doors behind Jada begin to open. Jada turns and sees the doors as she’s slowly pulled toward them. She looks to Alan one more time, her hands in a pleading position. Alan only shakes his head.

  In the next moment Jada is sucked out of the airlock, disappearing out of the light and into the cold vacuum of space.

  Alan lowers his head. “It shouldn’t have…It wasn’t supposed to come to this. I only wanted Hallet. No one else.”

  Aja pushes the lever back up, closing the outer doors. Alan looks over his shoulder. The museum is empty. Only he, Aja and Sahel remain. They’ve lost so many. “We can still get the others up here.” He nods his head, agreeing with himself. “Open the door to the next section,” he tells Aja. “We’re going to the bridge.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Aja falls back against a clear, acrylic window. On the other side of the window are blinking lights and control knobs. Computer monitors await commands. Alan looks at the white screens full of text. None of the words make any sense to him. They are just a jumble of symbols.

  Aja laughs, her mouth slack open, staring at the ceiling. Alan notices her putting the depleted power cell in her pocket. “Does she think she can keep using them?” he asks.

  “Mata says they’re unstable when they’re low,” Sahel says.

  “Unstable? You mean they sometimes don’t work?”

  “They have other effects,” a raspy voice says.

  Alan turns around to see the axe-woman standing in their path. She swings the axe from her shoulder to the floor and leans on it like a cane. “End of the line for you.”

  “You were on a lower deck. How did you get in front of us?” Alan steps in front of Sahel, shielding him.

  “You think you’re the only one who’s used utility vents?” She lifts the axe, giving it just enough room to swing above the floor. The top edge of the blade strikes the metal floor, creating small sparks. “Do you want to join your friend quickly?” She raises the axe and swings it into one of the windows, cracking it all the way to the ceiling. “Or slow like he did?” She lets the axe head drop and scrapes it along the floor, walking toward Alan.

  Alan looks back at Aja, still in her hallucinating state. He turns back to the axe-woman, now walking toward them, slowly. “You killed Danny.”

  “Mmmhmm,” she says. “If you look close, there might still be traces of his blood on my blade.”

  Alan looks down at the silver axe head, dragging across the floor, still too far to notice any blood. It doesn’t matter if there is, anyway. She killed Danny and the smile on her face suggests she’s glad it happened. And even more glad that she plans on doing the same to them. Alan clenches his fist.

  “I hope you put up more of a struggle than he did,” she says, still walking toward them.

  Alan stretches his arm toward her hand that is dragging the axe.

  “Starting with the hand? Slow it is.” the axe-woman says. A sudden jerk on the handle halts her advance. She looks down at her weapon and notices it, lightly, vibrating. She looks back at Alan. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

  Alan swings his arm down causing the axe handle to tear from her grasp. The wooden handle makes a thud on the metal floor. The woman bends down to retrieve it but before she can get a firm grip on her weapon, Alan slams into her, taking them both to the floor.

  Straddling the woman, pinning her underneath him, Alan swings his fists at her head. One, two, three punches, the last one busting her lip.

  As if the strikes meant nothing, the woman licks the blood from her lip and smiles at Alan, the red already flowing between her teeth, giving her a sickening smile. She sits up, driving her head into Alan’s. The hit knocks him back but not off. It does, however, give her enough room to reach for her axe. Alan recovers from the strike and reaches for the axe as well.

  Sahel watches the two grapple for the weapon. “Mata. Mata,” the boy says as he tugs on his mother’s shirt.

  Aja looks down at him. “Yes? Yes, I’m here. What is is?”

  Sahel points at Alan and the axe-woman fighting over the axe. The woman releases the handle with one hand and scratches Alan right across the eye. Through the pain, Alan’s hands go straight for his eye. His screw driver falls out of his pocket as he rolls off of the woman. With nothing stopping her, the axe-woman grabs her weapon and stands over Alan. His blood on her finger tips trails along the handle.

  “This is the place to be.” She raises the axe over her head, ready to bring it down on Alan.

  Aja runs for the screwdriver. She picks it up and jams it into the axe-woman’s side. The axe falls down behind the woman. With free hands she clasps her fingers around Aja’s throat but can’t grip tight enough as the rad addict pulls out the screw driver and plunges it back in, repeatedly until the axe woman falls backwards to the floor.

  Aja turns to Alan who sits up, one hand still covering his wounded eye. Blood shines from the open scratches down his face. “Let me see it,” Aja says.

  Alan winces as he uncovers his eye. It’s bad.

  “Your cornea is torn,” Aja tells him.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Without disinfectant or proper treatment you could lose partial vision in your eye. Maybe even total sight.”

  “I just need to cover it,” Alan places his hand back over his injury and stands up.

  “Mata? Mommy? What happened to her?” Sahel points at the lifeless axe woman.

  Aja glances at Sahel then at the screw driver still stuck in the woman. “She’s just sleeping like we were, my son.” She walks to the woman and grabs the handle of the axe, pulling it out from under the unmoving form.

  “What are you doing?” Sahel asks.

  “Just making her more comfortable.” Aja holds the axe up, ready to give it to Alan.

  Alan rips the bottom of his shirt till he pulls off a strip of the cloth. He wraps it around his injured eye and ties it off at the back of his head. If Aja hadn’t gone through the same things as him, she’d certainly think he’d gone through them, now. The dirty clothes. The blood stained finger tips and now the eye bandage all make Alan look like he’s seen a lot of fighting.

  “You hold onto it.” Alan pushes the axe back toward Aja. “I don’t know what’s past this point.”

  “We’re close to the bridge, now,” she tells him. “Only one more deck to go through, I think.”

  “Good. I’m tired. I want this over with. The power cells. Your son says they’re unstable. That’s why you keep them?”

  “They are unstable when they are depleted.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means they could explode.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Aja pulls out the depleted power cell and starts moving it toward her head.

  Alan grabs her arm. “Hold it.”

  “But I—”

  “If this is really the last deck before the bridge, you’ll need to keep a clear head. Just in case. You get the door to the bridge open and you can hallucinate all you want. Just save it while we go through this deck.”

  Aja looks in Alan’s one good eye. There’s a pleading
behind the anger. She nods her head and places the power cell in her pocket with the others as she inputs commands to open the door.

  Before the door is even halfway up, a heavy drum sound barrels from the other side. Alan takes a deep breath as the door slides into the ceiling. The next section is packed with people laughing and shouting. Like those in the resort deck, these people are moving around, dancing and enjoying themselves without a care in the entire ship. Alan steps inside the deck and sees a band on a stage. Drums, a piano and a few horns all blare music like it’s New Year’s Eve. Alan swallows back his disgust. They don’t even know what’s happening in the rest of the ship.

  Sahel pulls closer to Aja, the loud noise and random movements of the revelers frightening him. Like the section with the masked men, this one has large widows facing the earth. Alan powers through with Aja and Sahel close behind. A woman in a red dress, come from nowhere and hugs Alan as if he were a friend. Alan pushes her off of him. She doesn’t even notice. Aja watches the woman walk away, a power cell in her hand. Aja looks all around the section. Some people are completely spaced out. Some with power cells at their eyes, in the first throws of the radiation. Others just coming off of it. Everyone on this deck seems to be under the control of some kind of substance. Some liquid, some solid. Careful not to hit anyone with the axe, Aja rushes to a few of the people lowering their power cells and grabs them, stuffing them into her pockets. She hands a few to Sahel for carrying as well.

  Alan looks back at the two weaving through the crowd of partiers. His concern for them lessens. As long as she doesn’t join the other rad addicts before opening the door, he really doesn’t care what she does. Some of the revelers protest, still too far under the effects of the radiation to move fast enough to stop her. One of the revelers blocks Alan, trying to put a power cell in his face. Alan glances at it and the cell flies out of the man’s hand, over the heads of dancers.

  “Hey, what?” the man says as he turns round to look for his drug.