Immortal

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Immortal Page 48

by Kelvin Kelley

Rebecca had finally managed to get the bottle open, and wash down her mouthful of the luscious sweet bread. The sparkle water tickled her nose, and she sneezed. She laughed, then took another drink, grabbed another bottle and opened it as well. She jammed another sweet bun in her mouth, and as she chewed, jammed another in her pocket. She grabbed both bottles and stepped out of the kitchen. As she crossed the large room, she glanced around at the sparse furnishings in the large room. She made her way across the living area to the glass wall, and accidentally bumped the adjacent wall with her elbow. The video wall lit up, and she jumped. It was all red, with some figures running across the screen. She did not know what they said, as she had never been taught to read. No longer startled, she stepped closer to the glass wall, but when the glass slid open, she jumped back. She felt a slight draft of wind on her face, took a sip, and stepped outside onto the patio. Outside was a single chair alone in the vast expanse. She walked around it, pushed it little, and satisfied, sat down and took another drink. Suddenly, she heard a yell from below. She jumped up and rushed to the railing. Below her in the street, a man backed towards the wall of the building beneath her. His hands were up, as he pleaded with the Guardians that approached him. She stared in horror as she realized they were about to control him.

  “Hey!” She yelled, and waved her hands. “Up here!” She yelled. The man looked up at her.

  “Help!” He yelled, as the two Guardians still approached. She threw her bottle with amazing accuracy. It shattered against the head of the Guardian in the rear. It looked up and froze.

  “Hey, up here!” She yelled again. The other Guardian still approached. “Hey!” She yelled again, and threw the full bottle. It barely missed the Guardian and it shattered on the street. She banged her hand on the rail. The other Guardian froze, and looked up at her as well. They both stepped back from the man, who turned and ran down the street. They turned, and entered the building beneath her. “Oh, shit!” She said, as she watched them disappear. “Oh, shit.” She said again, and pulled back from the railing. “Oh, shit, oh, shit.” She said as she ran back inside and to the door. It slid open, and she ran though. She breathed hard as she rounded the corner and ran to the elevator. The door slid open, and both Guardians stood inside. “Oh, Shit!” She yelled, as she desperately tried to stop her forward momentum. In sheer terror she felt herself began to fall forward even as the lead Guardian raised its control stick. As she fell she closed her eyes, unable to control her movement. The Guardian dropped the control stick and caught her by her shirt. For a second she was held there. She no longer fell, but just swung by the cloth of her shirt. The Guardian’s other hand came up and gently helped ease her to her feet.

  “You are in no danger.” The flat metallic voice said. “You are free to go.” She stood there, mouth open, unable to move. She felt as if her feet were frozen to the ground. She finally managed to step back and the door slid shut. The Guardians were gone. They stood motionless in the elevator as it descended. The door opened at street level and they exited in tandem. Rebecca still stood in the hallway in shock, when the door to the elevator reopened. She peered inside to make sure the Guardian’s were gone, and then slipped inside. The door slid shut as she noticed the control stick that lay on the floor. She tapped a button on the control panel, as she selected the floor where Charles had first boarded this elevator with her. She bent down and carefully picked up the control stick and examined it. She had only been controlled just earlier today, but she could tell there was something different about this control stick. The end where the Guardian held it was painted red. All of the others she had ever seen were completely colorless metal. The door slid open. The suddenness surprised her, and caused her to jump back and instinctively raise the stick in front of her. The hallway was clear as she peered out. She stepped out and the door slid shut behind her, and caused her to jump once again. Cautiously she made her way down the hallway, and headed back for the room where the awful man had hurt her. She heard a door slide open ahead of her, and jumped to hide behind an ornate vase. She crouched down the best she could. She heard footsteps approach her hiding place. She tried to be invisible, as she saw a foot step in front of her. She raised the control stick. A hand grabbed it in the middle, and tore it from her hand. She gasped and turned to run. Another hand grabbed her collar and held it tight. She struggled.

  “Shh. It’s me.” It was Charles, she realized, and relaxed her struggle. He released her, and she stepped back from him. He held up the control stick. “Where did you get this?” He asked, as he examined it and made note of the red handle. He knew this was the control stick of one of the Guardian Defense Squad Guardians. And that it was designed not to disable, but to kill.

  “The elevator.” She said as she pointed back towards the way she had come. “The Guardian dropped it.”

  “Dropped it?” Charles asked in disbelief. “And what are you doing out here? I told you to stay put.”

  “Charles!” Roger yelled from the other room. “They’ve launched! Get in here!”

  “Where are the Guardians” He asked he quietly.

  “They left in the elevator.” She whispered back.

  “They just left you alone?” He asked. He could not believe what he heard. She nodded. “Where did they go?” She shrugged.

  “I don’t know. Just away. That’s all I cared about.”

  “Charles?” Roger yelled again. “Where the hell are you?” Charles heard Roger’s chair push back from his desk. Then footsteps as they came across the floor.

  “Stay here.” Charles said to her emphatically, as he stepped back towards the doorway. “Yes, sir.” He called inside. He brought his finger to his lips, signaled to Rebecca to remain quiet, and leaned the control stick against the outside wall as he re-entered the office.

  “There.” Roger said, as the video wall projected two lines as they traveled across the screen. “It will not be long yet.” He said excitedly. “That bastard deserves it.”

  “Yes, sir.” Charles said as the door slid shut behind him. His comm unit vibrated and he checked the screen. It was an incoming message. A message from his wife, Jillian. His breath caught is his throat. Jillian. Alive. After all these years. His hand shook as he read the message. I love you. I will always love you, my dearest, Charles. He blinked back tears, as he stared unbelieving at the message. She was alive, he thought and hope sprang within him. He was too stunned by the message to respond immediately, but another message came through. He read it quickly. Goodbye, my love, the display read. Confused he went to reply, but the connection was lost.

  “They are almost there!” Roger exclaimed excitedly. Charles looked up from his device, numb from the emotions that he felt. “What?” Roger asked. “You look like you have seen a ghost.”

  “Where is she?” Charles asked.

  “Who” Roger replied, confused.

  “Jillian? Where is she?”

  “Jillian? What the hell has that got to do with anything.” Roger replied, as he turned away from him to watch the screen.

  “I asked you a question. Where is she? Where did you send her?” Charles said, and approached him. As he realized there was a change in Charles’ demeanor, Roger came to his feet, and turned to him.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Roger said with defiance. Charles reached out and grabbed him by the throat.

  “Where is she?” He asked. He squeezed his throat tightly. Roger choked and spat, as his eyes began to bulge. He pointed towards the screen, the fear now evident in his eyes. Charles’ expression changed from anger to horror.

  “There? You sent her there? What have you done?” He asked, as he released his hold, and turned to the screen. “Oh, Jillian.” He said quietly, as he stared in disbelief. He knew that his beloved wife was there. In the path of the incoming missiles. Discreetly, Roger picked up the black revolver from the corner of his desk and raised it. “Jillian.” Charles said again quietly, as Roger s
hot him in the back. Charles slumped to the floor motionless.

  “Useless.” Roger said, as he stepped back from the fallen man. Suddenly the image on screen changed, and a loud siren blared.

  “Citizens of New Sebastian.” A loud voice sounded. A voice that Roger thought he should know. “A great wrong has been committed in our society. And today that will change.” Roger stared at the screen as the image of his father appeared. He blinked in disbelief. “I come to you today to announce to you, my failure. For my entire life I did whatever I could to make sure that you had everything that you needed for survival. To make sure that you were provided for and could live long and happy lives as the last human beings on earths. But at what price? What price have we paid to ensure our long lives. For hundreds of years we have indiscriminately slaughtered innocent humans, just to make us look and feel young. We have raised them, grown them to adulthood, and then harvested them like crops just to give you a few extra years of life. As of this day, Rejuvenation is a thing of the past. As I speak, all equipment and processes related to this most horrible of crimes against nature, has been destroyed. This part of the history of humans has ended today.” He paused. His expression was grave as he continued.

  “I have failed you. In the last few minutes, a sequence of events referred to as Failsafe has been activated. As I speak to you now, missiles have been launched that will soon arrive at my location. The Failsafe activation has also initiated a countdown sequence which will result in a massive explosion and in the complete destruction of New Sebastian. In a matter of moments, New Sebastian will cease to exist. I implore you to take these last few minutes that you have left, and consider your salvation and the final disposition of your immortal soul.” Daniel looked down. Roger stood motionless in absolute shock as the video returned to the beginning and started again, and the message began to repeat. He ran to the door of his office, not waiting for it to slide open, and almost crashed into it, as it just barely opened in time. He banged off the edge of the doorway, and almost lost his balance, before he turned and headed for the elevator. He came to an abrupt stop as he saw the specimen as she stood in the hallway in front of him.

  “You were disposed of!” He said in disbelief. Rebecca stood still, eyes wide with fear, unable to move. He rushed her and slapped her across the face. She fell to the floor from the blow. He swung at her again, and missed. He kicked at her, and she moved just in time to partially deflect the glancing blow. He raised his arm to swing again, when he felt a hand grab his wrist. He spun around and swung his injured arm at his assailant. The bandaged hand glanced harmlessly off of Charles shoulder. Blood ran from the exit wound in Charles’ chest. “Let go of me!” Roger yelled, as he fought to get free of his grasp. Charles slapped him across the face, and busted his lip and drew blood. “Let me go!” He kicked Charles in the shin, and his hand released. Roger swung wildly, and made contact with the side of his head. Charles fell to the floor next to the wall. Roger rushed him, and kicked viscously at the fallen man. “You son of a bitch! How dare you touch me? I’ll kill you myself!” He yelled, as kick after kick landed into Charles’ motionless body.

  Suddenly a weight dropped down on him from behind, as Rebecca leapt on his back and pounded at his head. He grabbed a handful of her hair, and flipped her over him. She hurtled down the hallway as she screamed. She landed hard, as the wind was knocked out of her. He turned back to Charles, and froze as he saw the control stick that pointed up at him. Suddenly, Charles jabbed the control stick forward, and Roger could feel it touch his tunic, and continue forward. He felt the fabric compress against his skin, as the cold steel of the control stick continued its movement. Then he felt the arc of electricity fire through his skin, as it connected every neuron in his body, as each muscle uncontrollably contracted. He felt his heart contract, and cease to pulse. His eyes ceased to see. He fell to the ground. Dead. Rebecca ran to Charles’ side as he lay on the floor.

  “Are you okay?” She asked, as her tears began to flow. He smiled up at her, and shook his head.

  “You must get back to the village.” He said in great pain.

  “But how?” She asked.

  “Take the elevator…” He began, and coughed up blood. “Push the red button.” He coughed again and grimaced in pain. “Go the end of the hallway…” He pulled his comm unit from his bloody tunic, and shakily keyed a series of commands into it. He coughed again as a spasm ran through him. He handed her the device. “Follow it.” He said.

  “But what about you?” She asked.

  “Go!” He yelled at her, and pointed down the hall towards the elevator.

  “But-“ She began.

  “Go!” He yelled again.

  Chapter 49

 

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