Jonah stood, with his back to the wall, as he activated his comm unit. The display read, connecting. Roger’s face appeared on screen.
“There you are, Jonah.” Roger said with a smile on his face. “So glad to see you again.” He scanned the background on his screen. “Looks like you are in the right place.” Jonah, opened the yellow box and revealed the red button inside.
“I hit this button, and you let her go.” Jonah said.
“Precisely, my dear friend. Now…just hit the button.” He said anxiously.
“I want see her again.” Jonah said, as his hand hovered over the button.
“Now Jonah, do you really want that?”
“I’m not hitting this button, unless I can see she is safe. Your choice, Roger.” Roger’s expression changed to that of frustration. He got up from his desk, grabbed the comm unit and pointed it across the room where Charles held Rebecca.
“Satisfied?” Roger asked.
“Yes.” Jonah said, and hit the button. The button lit up. A loud mechanical voice echoed throughout the control room.
“Override initiated. Return sequence activated.” An alarm chimed, the voice repeated the statement. “Override initiated. Return sequence activated.”
“Good job, Jonah!” Roger said overjoyed. “A very good job, indeed.”
“Let her go.” Jonah said.
“Right away, my friend. Right away. We’ll get her cleaned up. Maybe a little something for the pain, and she’ll be as good as new.” He laughed. “And she’ll be waiting for you at home when you get there. Good job, Jonah. You did the right thing.” His screen went blank. He shook his device. The screen remained blank. “What the hell?”
“I think he may have disconnected you, sir.” Charles said. Roger stared at the device, and then sat it down on the desk.
“So he has.” He said, and looked back up at Rebecca. “Now get it out of here. Its smelling up the room.” He waived his hand. “Go on. Dispose of it already.” Charles nodded, and helped Rebecca up to her feet, then directed her out of the room. The door slid shut just as Roger popped more pills into his mouth, and chased them down with sparkle water.
“Jericho.” Gabrielle said from where she stood in the control room. “That was Rebecca.” He looked puzzled. Jonah, spoke up.
“No. It was my wife, Vanessa.” He said as he shook his head.
“Jonah.” Gabrielle said. “I don’t know how to tell you this. But that wasn’t Vanessa.”
“She’s been my wife. For a hundred years. I think I know what she looks like.” He said, upset at the turn of the conversation.
“Jonah.” Gabrielle said as he looked up. “What are we wearing?” She asked. He looked at them, and then really looked them. They both wore grey tunics, but the garments were simpler than that. No decorations, no variations. Just cloth, cut, draped, and sewn where necessary. He noticed that Gabrielle’s was torn where she had ripped off makeshift bandages. They wore the same thing that Vanessa had just wore. He realized that Vanessa did not even own any clothing like that. His heart sunk.
“But how?” He asked, evident that he did not understand.
“We’re copies.” Jericho said. “Each of us is just like one of you.”
“And Rebecca, Jericho’s sister. She is just like your Vanessa.”
“That bastard!” Jericho said angrily. “He was hurting Rebecca?”
“But why use your sister?” Jonah asked Jericho. And then the logic dawned on him. The only possible conclusion he could reach was Roger could not locate Vanessa. But she was at home. She had to be at home because the comm unit had connected there. He quickly keyed the device to connect with her, as his hands shook. Again the image was of the interior of their apartment. He keyed a command to zoom out and it showed a wide screen view. He looked in horror as the screen revealed his wife as she lay on the floor. She was on her back, arms at awkward angles, with a dark red spot on her chest. He dropped the device. “No!” He yelled. Jericho stepped over to him and threw his arm around him to help console him. Jonah sobbed, as Gabrielle stepped past the Guardian, and placed her hand on his good shoulder. The Guardian reached out a massive metallic hand, and gently placed it on his shoulder as well.
“I am sorry, Jonah.” The metallic voice said softly. Jonah cried.
“What have I done?” He asked through his sobs. “What have I done.”
“Shh.” Gabrielle said calmly. Suddenly the ship shuddered, and they all, except for the Guardian, almost lost their balance.
“You have arrived.” Said the Guardian. “Follow me.” It said, turned and left the control room. Gabrielle and Jericho helped Jonah up, and they followed after the Guardian, back towards the hold they had first entered. Up above them was a huge gleaming metallic building, larger than any they had ever seen before. As they followed the Guardian back into the gloom of the hold, at first they followed blindly until their eyes adjusted. Gabrielle noticed the skid that contained the large crate, and walked over. She had to stand on her tip toes to peer over its edge and see inside.
“Jericho!” She yelled, as she backed away from the open crate. She had pulled her gun. Jericho stepped up beside her, and looked inside. Several Guardians lay inside in a tumbled mess. Burn and char marks were quite evident, even in the dim light of the room.
“They have been sent here for repairs.” The Guardian that led them explained, as the door they had first entered the ship through, slid open slowly, and sunlight streamed in. A wide walkway slid into place and provided a ramp to exit the ship. Immediately the machine in the middle of the room came to life. It lifted the skid loaded with the barrel, spun around, and zoomed out into the sunlight. It crossed the walkway, turned right and disappeared into the huge building.
“What is this place?” Asked Gabrielle.
“Come with me. I will explain it all.” The Guardian said, and walked out into the sunlight. They followed. As they crossed the walkway from the ship, they all blinked in bright the sunlight, and followed the Guardian to a small door. It slid open, and the Guardian stepped aside, and motioned for them to enter. Cautiously, they entered the small room. “I will join you shortly.” Said the Guardian as the door slid shut. Immediately, Gabrielle felt her weight shift, as the elevator flew upward, and again as it slowed. The door slid open, and revealed a huge room, brightly lit by the sunlight that streamed through the continuous wall of windows. They slowly stepped out of the elevator, and Jericho couldn’t help but flinch when the door suddenly slid shut. A man stepped away from the window wall, turned, and looked at them.
“Jonah.” He said. “It is good to see you, my friend.” He said as he walked towards them. “I am so sorry for your loss.” He said as he reached him, and wrapped his arm around him. Jonah looked at him with disbelief.
“I thought you were dead.” Jonah said.
“But, I am not.”
“Adam.” He said softly. “It is, you.”
Chapter 44
Immortal Page 43