“That’s terrible. Have you…” She paused for a moment. “Have you lost any of your family to the disasters?”
“We are all family, so yes, we have all lost someone.” He pressed his powerful hand against an outcropping of ice. “I’ve never been off this continent, but from what the science council talks about, the risk to your species is as great as it is to ours.”
“God help us.”
“God?” Addie asked.
“Yes, God,” Noila answered.
“I’m not familiar with that word.”
“Creator of the universe, ruler, the grand spirit who controls everything and lives in Heaven? Do you have a different name for that?”
“No, no name. We have Amun, but it doesn’t sound like the same idea. Look, look!” He pointed behind her.
The tower of ice began to crumble; huge chunks of ice imploded, breaking away and colliding with the ice below them. The rivers around them began to rise; the edges of the island were being overtaken by the water.
“Time to go.” Addie pulled Noila back onto the disk. They descended into the tunnel and sped faster than their journey here, away from the waterfall at the end of the tunnel. “That wasn’t in our models,” Addie said. The tunnels around them were rumbling, deep cracks forming and shattering the serenity that usually cloaked the walls of the underground tunnels.
“Are we going to make it?” Noila was becoming panicked.
“I don’t know…I wasn’t expecting this to happen, but I think we’ll be fine.” He tapped the disk with his foot and activated a control panel. Typing in a code with his foot, his other foot firmly planted on the disk for stability, he activated an emergency alert. As the disk turned from green to flashing blue, the whirling sound of the Ptahs stirred from all around them. The tunnel walls began to move, and Ptahs burst out, writhing in every direction, eventually turning and focusing on the end of the tunnel and racing to the small point of light.
When the disk emerged from the tunnel in the transfer hub, the Antarcticans were crowding into queues, trying to make their way through the connection point as quickly as possible. Directions to the safest destinations and emergency posts were being announced in Antarctican. Translations swirled around the main column in text so quickly that Noila couldn’t decipher the loosely translated words. The queues for each of the transport disks were long, and the disks sagged under the heavy weight of each overcrowded load. The Antarcticans clung to one another as they boarded. Addie and Noila got in line; Addie was nervous, his eyes darting to the walls and ceiling, looking for movement or fissures. He pushed Noila to the center of the disk they got on and put his arms around her to protect her from the other pushy Antarcticans, who were scared and much larger than her. Noila’s panic dissipated as the crowd surrounded her, giving her an island of safety to cling to in a world that was falling apart. The disks were moving quickly; the tube entrance to the chamber where Amun was located was blocked by Ptahs spinning in a configuration that reminded Noila of the huge drill bits that dug out subway tunnels beneath large cities.
When Addie and Noila arrived at the tunnel station to Chimeruth village, the ground was trembling just slightly, and the dome was fully intact. Vinettea was welcoming a new group of humans. The orientation was much more rushed, and she wasn’t showing the video of the origin of the Antarcticans. Noila heard a loud crack overhead, and then the ground sunk a foot or two beneath them; a collective scream came from the new group of ten scientists. Vinettea pushed her hands up in the air as if she were waiting for something to fall on her head. She quickly regained her composure and ushered everyone into the glass staircase that led into the ground. Noila looked at Addie for direction, but he merely shrugged. Noila’s heart raced; something felt wrong. The ice beneath her suddenly felt thin, like she might break through and be lost in the endless tunnels. She ran for her cottage through the village which was a blur of fear and adrenaline.
Prayers for Salvation
Gavin woke up before his eyes opened; he intentionally stayed in the darkness for fear of what he might see. If his encounter with Arkita had been a dream, it was terribly vivid, something he hadn’t experienced in decades. The room was silent and dark, and he was naked. Not a good sign.
When he finally opened his eyes, he couldn’t see much. He fumbled with the nightstand to activate the lights. He was alone in the room; his clothes were in a pile next to the bed; his body felt sticky; and his mouth tasted unfamiliar. After getting up from bed and walking to the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked younger. Was his waist trimmer, his chest tauter and fuller, his hair lusher, his stubble darker? He felt amazing. He aimed his penis at the toilet and took a pee. He was fully hydrated. He ruled out his reflection being the result of too much Scotch. Walking back into the main room of his cabin, he looked at the table near the door. The blue-velvet case wasn’t there. He sighed; it had been a dream. He sat back down on the bed, wondering why that dream had come. He missed Noila, Joshua, and his church. It seemed like the world had been upside down for so long. The first bit of light had come during his conversation with Dr. Cristofari. Her demeanor seemed to have changed a bit; he hoped she would be a friend he could count on for the rest of his time here. After showering and dressing, he was ready to walk out the door to return to the medical unit. He wanted to check on Dr. Sagona as well.
The projection system in his room activated, and Arkita stood in front of him, wavering in the air. His heart stopped, and his mouth went dry.
“Leaving so soon?” she asked.
He was embarrassed by the dream, so fresh in his mind, but she didn’t know about it. He stood up straighter. “I’m going to see my son. Nice to see you.” He walked around the image and waved his hand over the panel to open the door. He looked back and saw a second person enter the projection. He recognized himself in the clothes that were crumpled on the floor. He was holding a blue-velvet case. The image skipped; he and Arkita were naked in bed. Gavin couldn’t stop watching. The mental calmness that had arrived minutes ago when he had convinced himself that it was only a dream instantly faded. Sweat popped out of his forehead and under his arms. His stomach was on a quickly descending elevator, his mind racing through all the scenarios of how this would turn out. His carnal self turned eyes on him. He saw the lust burning in them; a strange force had overtaken them.
“Why? Why would I do that?”
“Do you regret it?” She pouted; her feelings appeared to be hurt.
“I shouldn’t have done it. It was wrong,” he said.
“But you did, and it was everything.” Arkita licked her lips. “It was amazing, and you know it.” Her laughter boomed through his cabin.
Gavin’s phone vibrated; he glanced at it. It was a heart emoticon from Noila.
“She’s such a doll, isn’t she? Well, don’t worry, stud—I won’t say a word. Let’s keep this between you and me. That way, if we ever want to do it again, well, there won’t be any suspicion, will there?”
Gavin shook his head. “Listen, I made a mistake. I’ll repent for it and ask forgiveness, but I won’t do that to my wife. She doesn’t deserve this.”
“Oh, don’t be so naïve.” Arkita’s image disappeared, and a close-up of Noila and Addie huddled against each other in a small cavern appeared.
“Who—or what—is that?” Gavin was taken by Addie’s strange catlike face and white mane.
“Just someone who’s taken a liking to Noila.” Her laughter trailed off, and the image went dark.
Gavin grabbed his Bible from his nightstand and read a Psalm out loud.
Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.
He sat at the edge of the bed and read it over and over, praying for forgiveness and that
this wouldn’t impact their marriage. He sought guidance from the lord. Finally he stood up and made his way to the door, ignoring Arkita, who was still standing there.
“No good-bye kiss?” She stuck out her lips and puckered them.
Gavin chucked his Bible at her and stormed out of the room.
When he arrived at the medical unit, Dr. Cristofari was standing at the door, waiting for him. She thrust a cup of coffee into his hand and put her arm around him. “We have enough of our systems back up online. The patient load is under control, and some of the staff has time to get you in there. We’re going to try the treatment. I need you completely on board with this. You’re the key to making it work.” She sounded enthusiastic.
“Right now?” he asked.
“We can have you suited up in less than an hour, but I need to brief you first so you’ll know what to do once you get in there. This won’t be easy. We’ve tried our best external applications, but Joshua won’t let go of the personalities in his head.” She was looking over her glasses at him; her forehead was wrinkled. “You okay? You look very worried about something. Did you get some news about your wife or…?”
“No, not really.” Gavin looked at the floor. He wasn’t about to spill the gory details to her.
“Well, whatever it is, you need to have a clear mind. You can’t be battling your own demons when you go in to battle your son’s.”
“Demons?”
“It’s a figure of speech.” She rolled her eyes. “I forget you’re a priest.”
“Pastor!” he corrected her.
Joshua was in the room alone. There was an additional empty bed next to him. His eyes had been unwrapped, and Gavin saw the smile in them when he walked into the room.
“Dad?” a voice came through the suit, muffled and excited.
“I’m coming to help you, bud.” He beat his chest like a gorilla.
Joshua laughed. Gavin used to imitate King Kong when Joshua was small; he had watched the movie and was obsessed with it.
“Joshua, I need to talk to your dad about a few things before we start the procedure,” Dr. Cristofari said. “It’ll increase your chance of success if you don’t hear what I’m going to tell him.” She patted him on the leg.
“Yeah, okay. See you guys kinda soon.” He picked up the control pad for the video game he was playing.
Gavin followed Dr. Cristofari into her office. She sat down in a white leather chair behind her matching composite desk. Gavin followed her lead and sat across from her. The office was small, and there were stacks of papers and pictures on every available surface. The walls were lined with framed electronic pictures that changed in unison every couple of seconds, which gave the feeling that the whole wall was being swept away and replaced by something new. It made Gavin nauseous.
“Sorry for the mess. Things have been insane with the catastrophe and its aftermath.” She waved her hand in the air.
The separate photos on her wall merged together into a large display. Gavin saw a three-dimensional image of a brain assembled with a spectrum of primary colors. The bottom of the display read, “Patient: Joshua Pennings.”
“This is Joshua’s brain,” Dr. Cristofari explained. “You see the area that’s highlighted in green? That’s what we’re trying to alter. Today’s procedure is divided into two separate stages. First we’ll need to pinpoint the exact area where the manifestations are arising from so we can stop new personalities from being created. Then we’ll need to emotionally detach Joshua from the current personalities that have manifested. That’s where I could use your help. The last part, which will be a much longer process, is to destroy the individual personalities one by one. We’re trying to get Joshua to a state of quiet, one where the only voice he hears in his head is his own.”
Gavin nodded as she went through the image and explained what she hoped would happen in the procedure as well as his role in it. “Have you ever done this before?” he asked.
“Once,” she said.
“What happened?”
“It’s not a good comparison.” She looked away from him.
“What happened?” Gavin said more insistently.
“The parent acquired the personalities of the child.”
“Well, how the heck is that not a comparison? Aren’t we doing the same thing here?”
“The parent had her own history of mental illness. I shouldn’t have attempted it.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “So it’s never been successful.”
“In medicine we don’t always succeed on the first try. But we learn from our mistakes. From my standpoint, there’s nothing else I can do for your son, except medicate him into a stupor so that the rest of his life the hallucinations aren’t so extreme that he wants to injure himself.” Her voice was soft but sure.
Gavin shook his head. “God, I wish Noila was here.” He let his body sag against the back of the chair.
“You don’t look so good. You feeling okay?” Dr. Cristofari got up from her desk.
“Just a lot going on.” He straightened up and pushed his hands through his hair.
“We can wait until tomorrow to start this. I don’t want you going in without a strong mind.”
“No, no, we can do it today.” He stood up, clapped his hands together, and looked at the door. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Dr. Cristofari eyed him suspiciously but then stood up as well. She took off her white coat and led Gavin to a small room with a blacked-out glass door across the hall from Joshua’s room.
“This is our prep room. I’ll get us ready in here, and then we’ll go in.”
The room was small, and built into the wall were bays large enough for a person to stand in. Each one had a clear outline of a human body, ranging in size from a child to an adult.
“You have to take your clothes off then step in here,” Dr. Cristofari said. “Then I’ll close the cover, and the process will start. You won’t be able to see anything for a few minutes, and you’ll feel a strange sensation, but it won’t hurt. You’ll be able to hear me throughout the process.” She stood there and looked at him expectantly.
He stared back at her awkwardly.
“You need to undress,” she said.
“Well, can I have some privacy?”
She shook her head. “No, I need to situate you in the machine, and then, like I said, I have to be here throughout the process. I’m a doctor—I’ve seen thousands of naked men.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Gavin gave a little laugh then unbuttoned his pants.
When he was fully undressed, he stepped in backward and leaned up against what felt like glass on a winter day. The shape of the body imprint didn’t fit him well, and as he leaned back, he was misaligned with the imprint on the door. A shiver ran through him.
Dr. Cristofari went to the wall and pushed a few buttons on the control panel. Gavin felt what he was leaning against conform to his body. A sheet of the same material came down from the top of the machine and fit tightly against the front of him, forming a tight seal. He couldn’t move, but he was perfectly comfortable. Something bubbled above his head, and the scent of salty marine air and classroom chalk filled the small spaces in the mold.
“Keep your mouth closed,” Dr. Cristofari instructed. It sounded as if she were whispering in his ear.
Room-temperature liquid dribbled down Gavin’s head and over his body then pooled at his feet. Two tubes emerged from the glass and gently inserted themselves in his nose. He felt them brush past his nose hairs, but neither of them touched the sides of his nostrils. The thick liquid covered his face and filled his ears then ran down and coated his whole body. The sound of his breathing through the two tubes was the only thing that filled his head. Then came heat, a bright light, and the smell of blistering asphalt. His whole body felt so warm. He relaxed and wondered whether this was what a spa heat treatment felt like. Small drilling sounds came closer to his ears, and then he felt whatever the salty, chalky liquid was,
being suctioned out of his ears.
“Make sure you’re supporting your own weight,” Dr. Cristofari softly told him.
Gavin stood up straighter. He felt a light suction inside the mold, and then the panel in front of him moved back from his body. He stood still; although he couldn’t see anything, he heard the familiar sounds of the room and the ship and could tell the door was open.
“You can talk, but you’re not going to be able to see for a while, so let me help you down.” Dr. Cristofari took his hand, and he stepped out of the machine. She led him into Joshua’s room and helped him get into the second bed that had been placed in the room.
“You’re in a temporary suit that does the same thing as Joshua’s wrap. Joshua’s is made to withstand weeks of lying in bed, with some other additions to make that tolerable for him. Your’s will be partially rubbed off when you’re done with this session. But don’t worry—it works the same way.”
“Is that you, Dad?” Joshua asked.
“Yeah, Josh. I think I’ve been mummified,” he said jokingly.
Joshua laughed at his dad’s corny humor.
“Everyone ready?” Dr. Cristofari asked.
They both mumbled, “Yes.”
“Just relax and accept what’s happening. I’ll be running the program from my office.”
Joshua settled in to the bed. “It’s not so bad, Dad. After a while, you think the simulations you’re seeing are real. It’s kinda cool.”
Gavin reached out to give him a reassuring pat, but he couldn’t find him, and he didn’t want to risk falling off the bed. Dr. Cristofari’s voice came into his head: “Put your arms down at your side and close your eyes. If you leave them open, you’ll try to see through your eyes, which will end up straining them and give you a headache.”
The Antarcticans Page 19