Worlds Collide: Sunset Rising, Book Two

by McEachern, S. M.

We heard a cawing noise in the distance. Naoki and Jin perked up, listening for the direction of the sound. It came again, and Naoki cupped his hands around his mouth and cawed back.

  “Do you always communicate like that?” asked Jack.

  “It’s effective,” Jin said. “You two never caught on, and we were watching you for days.”

  Jack gave me a questioning look. He hadn’t even been conscious, so it was just me who had never caught on—until right before they captured us.

  A bright flash of light caught our attention. Half a kilometer away, a jeep came into view and the sun glinted off the windshield. It disappeared behind some rocks. Staying low, we all climbed down.

  Jack looked worried. “They’re close, and who knows how many more vehicles are combing for us out here?”

  “We should go underground again. I can probably find my way east,” I said.

  “Probably?” Jack raised his eyebrows and looked at me. “I’m not going back into the big, dark, scary cave, Sunny.”

  “Neither am I,” Naoki said. “Our barangay is south, not east.”

  “I think you two should come back with us,” Jin said.

  “Why? So we can give the senior citizens another crack at us? I don’t think so,” Jack said.

  It wasn’t really a noise that caught our attention, more like awareness that another presence had joined us. We all looked in the same direction at the same time. Two Protectors stood, and then Dena emerged from behind some boulders. A few more Protectors came behind her.

  “Dena!” Jin exclaimed.

  Chesa ran and threw her arms around the woman’s waist.

  Jack sidled closer to me, sliding his hand around mine.

  Dena wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her close. She surveyed us with concern.

  Naoki stood taller and squared his shoulders. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. “I take full responsibility for my actions, Elder.”

  Dena gave the young girl a final squeeze and set her aside. She walked toward Naoki and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I decided to oversee this mission myself, so I witnessed the entire exchange. I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have reacted the same way in your place.” She cast a thoughtful look at Jack and me as she said it, then turned her attention back to Naoki and Jin. “We’ve been looking for you. You had us all very concerned. Where did you disappear to?”

  “Sunny led us through the caverns,” Jin said.

  Dena raised her eyebrows. “Indeed?”

  “And we were just on our way back down,” Jack said. He gave my hand a tug.

  “I owe you two an apology,” Dena said. “You were right about the bourge. They behaved exactly as you predicted.” Jack gave a curt nod. “I also owe you for helping get these two out safely.” Dena motioned toward Chesa and Jae-Son. “Please consider coming back to my barangay. There’s a storm building, and we can offer you food and a dry bed.”

  I looked in the direction of her nod and saw dark clouds in the distance. I had never experienced a storm before and I felt the nervous flutter of anticipation.

  “How many guards will be assigned to watch us this time?” asked Jack sarcastically.

  She shook her head. “No guards. I’m asking you to come as our guests and, hopefully, allies.”

  “Allies?” asked Jack. “That’s an interesting word to use.”

  “I don’t always agree with Amini.”

  “So you’re saying that if you were calling the shots, you would’ve done things differently?”

  “No. I still would’ve attempted the trade. It’s the after-effects I take issue with. You see, Amini has swayed a majority of Elders in favor of moving our nation to safer territory if peace with the bourge couldn’t be reached. I think it’s safe to say we didn’t achieve peace. However, unlike Amini I prefer to stand my ground. Our people have done enough running.”

  I understood what Dena was suggesting. Hadn’t I asked the same of Jack myself? He had inside knowledge of how the bourge worked. He would be an asset if the bourge moved against Dena’s people—and maybe we could bargain for their help in freeing the Pit.

  “It’s a good partnership,” I said to Jack.

  “It’s only good if they agree to help us too.”

  I was relieved to hear we were thinking the same thing.

  Dena nodded. “Jin told me about your mission to free the slaves. I think we can be of assistance.”

  I was surprised by her easy acceptance. By the look on Jack’s face, so was he.

  “Sunny and I would like a moment to discuss it.”

  Dena nodded.

  We moved as far as we could away from the group while still remaining hidden behind the outcrop.

  “What do you think?” he whispered.

  “I think we should trust them.”

  “Why?”

  I had to stop and work through that for a moment. “I kind of got to know Jin and a couple of others during my captivity. I trust them.”

  Jack’s expression remained impassive. “You trusted Leisel too.”

  I rolled my eyes. “So did you.”

  He grinned. “Touché.”

  “They can’t trade us again—that door is closed. Other than helping them figure out the bourge, we’re of no use to them.”

  Jack was quiet for a moment. “True,” he said. “But they were quick to take Powell up on his offer of a trade.”

  “If someone kidnapped your loved ones—a son, a daughter…a wife—wouldn’t you trade two strangers to save them?”

  He rubbed a hand across his eyes. “Is that my only option in your scenario?”

  “Look, all I’m saying is that I understand why they attempted to make the trade. But when it was obvious we were being double-crossed, they didn’t abandon us. They fought to save us, too. Now they’re offering us a trade—information on the bourge in exchange for helping to free the slaves. My mom’s there, penned in an urchin corral. So yeah, I’m willing to make the trade.”

  He sighed heavily.

  “And even if it turns out they can’t help us, we can at least help them. They don’t know what they’re up against.”

  He bit his lower lip and studied me for a moment. “And she did say food and a bed.”

  I smiled. “She did.”

  “Okay.”

  We returned to the group and Dena broke away from the hostages to come and meet us. “Have you decided?”

  “Like Sunny said—it’s a good partnership.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The trip to the barangay was made in silence, save for the occasional cawing of the Protectors. Dena, Jin, Naoki, Jack, the hostages and I all stayed together in one group, while the others fanned out on either side of us. I was beginning to notice a pattern to their caws, although I still didn’t know what they meant.

  I tried to move as they did—walking from rock to tree root without leaving a trace. It took a lot of focus to constantly search the ground for a place to step that wouldn’t leave a mark, yet they made it look effortless.

  “Don’t worry too much about leaving a trail,” Jin-Sook whispered from behind me. “The storm will be here in a few hours and will wash away any footprints.”

  It was a relief to hear. Instead of worrying about leaving a trail, I concentrated on keeping up and staying quiet.

  After a few hours of trekking through the woods, we started our ascent up the mountain. It looked like we were climbing a concrete staircase that had fallen into disrepair. The angled blocks were distinctly manmade. And as we neared the top, the stairs disintegrated completely, requiring us to climb the last few feet. I glimpsed archers from time to time, peering down at
us from above. The height of their village gave them an excellent defensive advantage. I understood why they made their home there.

  I wasn’t worried about Jack’s injury anymore. If it hadn’t reopened when he jumped into the river and went over a waterfall, it wouldn’t reopen on this short climb. I pulled myself up over the edge with Jack right behind me. Dena was next and Jack held out a hand to help her up. She waved it away and stood up on her own.

  Wiping the sweat away from her forehead with the back of her hand, she smiled slyly. “Not bad for a senior citizen, eh Jack?”

  Pink stained his cheeks, but he managed a smile. “Not bad at all.”

  As soon as we reached the top, people came running toward us. Someone scooped up Chesa and hugged Jae-Son close. More came and gathered around the young people. It was a bittersweet homecoming, since instead of four there were only two.

  I noticed this barangay was different from the last one. The entire courtyard floor was tiled in stone, although the tiles were crumbling and heaved in some areas. An arched entranceway surrounded a door that led into the mountain. It reminded me of the pictures of ancient ruins I had often seen in books.

  “What is this place?” I asked.

  “An old hotel. It was a popular tourist destination before the war. It started out as simple tours of the caverns, but after a geothermal plant was built here, they invested in a hotel that would draw more tourists and money to the area. We’ve reclaimed it and expanded the living space by building dwellings inside the caverns. All the infrastructure was already here—an energy source, heat, staircases to navigate the uneven caverns—everything.”

  People were emerging from seemingly nowhere to watch our arrival. Oddly, they looked to be mostly older people and children. Their attention made me uncomfortable. I edged closer to Jack and slipped my hand into his.

  He squeezed my hand. “How do you know such detailed history about this place?” he asked.

  Dena shrugged. “Hotel flyers and information booklets mostly. We’ve found old pocket computers too. Most of them are beyond repair, but we can get the odd one working again.”

  Jack’s interest was captured. “Really? You have that kind of historical documentation? I’d love to see them—especially the old computers.”

  “Some of us collect them,” Naoki said. “Whenever I have the chance, I go to the old city and look for them.”

  “This place is a lot bigger than Amini’s barangay,” I said.

  “It is,” Dena said. “This is where our ancestors originally settled, because of the old hotel. But as our population grew and the threat of recruiters became more persistent, we broke up into smaller groups. This way if one barangay is attacked, the others can come to their assistance.”

  A gray-haired person emerged from the throng, walked up to Dena, and kissed her. “I’m glad you’re home safe and sound. I missed you.”

  If I wasn’t mistaken, she was a woman. I was still finding it difficult to differentiate gender.

  “This is Sunny and Jack,” Dena said to the newcomer. “This is my wife, Yean-Kuan.” She settled an arm around Yean-Kuan’s shoulders and squeezed her close.

  Did she say wife? My brows knitted together in confusion. Maybe she meant sister, because that kind of marriage was against the law. Or at least it was against the law in the Dome. Then again, my marriage was against the law, too.

  Jack was staring at them with a weird smile on his face and confusion in his eyes. I nudged him with my elbow.

  “Pleased to meet to you,” I said, extending my hand. Jack followed my lead.

  Dena turned her attention to Jin, Naoki and the rest of our group and instructed them to join the others for meditation.

  Yean-Kuan’s eyes were bright with excitement. “The entire barangay is talking about it. You’ve been living inside that mountain?”

  I smiled and nodded.

  She gawked with the kind of keen interest of one seeing a freak for the first time. I looked down. After a few seconds, I peeked back up at her. She was still looking at us. It was getting awkward.

  When the Protectors had left, Dena returned her attention to us. She gave her wife’s shoulder a tap. “Honey, you’re making them feel uncomfortable. Stop staring.”

  Yean-Kuan put a hand to her cheek. “Oh, I’m sorry! It’s just…they’re pale, aren’t they?” I wondered if she was aware that we could hear her.

  Dena laughed. “I apologize for my wife,” she said. “When your people first made camp in our valley, we assumed they arrived through a hidden passage in the mountain. We all wondered how they came through unscathed by Yugo. But it quickly became obvious Yugo wasn’t something they would fear considering the technology they possessed. It still didn’t dawn on us that you came out of the mountain.”

  “Yugo,” I repeated. “He’s a monster from the scorched lands.” Jack cocked an eyebrow at me. “Jin told me about him.”

  “What are the scorched lands?” Jack asked.

  “An area that was hit directly by a bomb,” Dena said. She turned toward the center of the courtyard and gestured for us to follow her. “Those sites are high in radiation.”

  “Why would anyone want to live on a bombed site?” I asked.

  Dena shrugged. “Some say they’re descendants of survivors who never left the area, and others say people ran to the scorched lands to escape a world gone lawless. Whichever is right, and maybe they both are, the scorched lands aren’t for the weak. The people who live there have evolved to tolerate the radiation and—if the rumors are true—most don’t even look human anymore.”

  We entered the middle of the courtyard, and children ran toward us. With our arrival, excited chatter erupted. Jack seemed oblivious to the commotion we were creating.

  “And Yugo is a mutant from the scorched lands?” he asked.

  Dena nodded. “A lot of different stories surround your mountain, but the most believable is Yugo. The story goes that he loved to eat all day and night and was so well nourished on radioactive plants and animals that he grew into a giant. His village could no longer support his huge appetite, so they sent him away.” Dena grinned. “Hence the name You-Go.” She snickered. “For years, rumors circulated of a mountain with an old military base hidden inside. Yugo went in search of the old base to make it his new home. He found it in that mountain.” She pointed toward the Dome. “But the winter here is long and food is scarce, so Yugo began to eat humans to satisfy his enormous appetite, casting their bones into a pile. Anyone who strays too close to the mountain never returns.”

  Jack shot a wide-eyed look at me. The myth of Yugo was riddled with truth. How could anyone have possibly known about a military base inside the mountain? And people going missing if they came too close to the mountain tied in with Powell’s claim that a number of heathens had been captured for interrogation. How would these people react when they learned the real story? Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  We came to a wooden table and Dena motioned toward a bench, inviting us to sit. Yean-Kuan muttered something about getting food and excused herself. Several children and a few adults approached the table to join us, but Dena waved them away.

  “It seemed believable enough since there’s a big pile of bones up on the mountain,” she said once we were seated. She leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. “Until a few years ago, when one of our people saw the mountain giving birth to the dead. He said a hole suddenly appeared in the side of the mountain, dead bodies were spit out, and the hole disappeared again. That made me question the existence of Yugo, because I don’t think he would waste perfectly good food.”

  She raised her eyebrows in question, obviously expecting a response to her story, but I was too focused on trying to rid my mind of the image of the mountain giving birt
h to the dead. Gaia’s description of the Cull and the pile of human remains she saw was still vivid enough without hearing Dena’s version. I had personal experience with the way the garbage chute worked, so it was easy enough for me to work through the mechanics of it all. Victims of the Cull would be herded into a garbage room and the big, heavy steel door would seal them in. I didn’t know how long it took for gas to kill, but I knew that the garbage ventilation system worked on a twelve-hour cycle, so if garbage had been dumped right before the Cull, there would be plenty of time to make sure everyone was good and dead. At the end of the twelve-hour cycle, the doors to the outer chamber would open and the conveyer belt would transport the pile of lifeless bodies into the next room. Another set of steel doors would close behind them before the doors to the outside world opened up. The high-powered ventilator would come on to expunge the stench of death from the Dome, and the conveyer belt would advance to dump the dead unceremoniously into the outside world.

  Bile rose in my throat. An image of my people—my mother—being herded into a garbage chute that doubled as a gas chamber played out like a horror movie in my head.

  “Sunny?” Dena said.

  I hadn’t realized that I was actually gagging. Choking back the bile, I faked a cough to conceal my nausea. Jack’s hand sought mine under the table and I reached for him, finding strength in the contact.

  I’m not sure why I felt a twinge of shame. It’s not as if the Cull was my fault. My people were the victims of an unjust treaty. But still, I didn’t know how to explain that to Dena. I didn’t know how to tell her that we were consenting participants.

  Jack gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I can see how a pile of bones gives credibility to the legend of Yugo, the giant cannibal.”

  “Only now we know it’s not a giant cannibal from the scorched lands living in the mountain.”

  “No, it isn’t.” The corners of Jack’s mouth turned down for an instant. “The real monster living inside that mountain is a whole lot scarier.”

  “How scary?”

  Jack looked down at our clasped hands and bit his lower lip. “Nuclear-weapons kind of scary.”