Xn

by Clint Townsend

  The awestruck couple was mesmerized by the images that flashed across the panel of tablets.

  With all ten Clouds tethered together and secured to the frame of Halo One, the rapidly ascending orbital stations easily ripped the metal grid from the moorings of its four carbon braids.

  In thankful shock and disbelief, they observed the quartet of nine-mile long cables slowly begin to collapse in on themselves.

  Armada firmly embraced his wife and stroked her hair as she buried her face in his shoulder.

  They silently swayed from side to side until Armada felt something grazing the top of his bare feet. He backed away from Chloe and looked down just in time to watch a torrent of clear fluid gush from her shorts, drip down her leg, and begin forming a small puddle between her feet.

  CHAPTER 43

  EXODUS

  “How about this one?” Armada asked and held up his tablet for Chloe to see. “I like it.”

  “Mm-hmm,” she hummed and nodded in approval.

  “We gotta make up our minds on the pictures we want to upload for the passports.”

  “Okay, I don’t care, just pick one,” she hissed and pulled Abdiel close as she breast-fed him, “Keep your voice down.”

  When Cain Wyczthack officially introduced the world to the SUBOS some twelve years earlier, the United States was still experiencing an influx of illegal immigrants, particularly in the southwest. The State Department, in conjunction with the Departments of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration, Citizenship and Naturalization, opened offices in the tower to facilitate the vetting of the incoming throng. In addition, the federal government thought it best to offer passport services to accommodate the growing number of foreign contractors whose involvement with Engenechem and the SUBOS required them to travel to the US.

  Moreover, the relocation of the United Nations to the Nevada desert sparked a sudden need to increase the efficiency of the approval and authorization processes of foreign dignitaries wishing to enter the country.

  “And you’re positive this will work?” Chloe whispered while nursing her son. “You can create new passport identification credentials? No one will know it’s us?”

  “No, baby, I told you,” Armada softly said and sat on the bed next to her. “We—you and I—don’t officially exist. Nobody’s looking for us. There won’t be any Nursery attendants monitoring the entrances or visitors center. We’ll go down the elevator to passport services, swipe our cards, and boom … Chloe Holbrook and Evan Cierly will pop up.”

  “You can put everything on our cards? You’re sure?”

  “They’ve already got our pictures on ‘em, so when we walk in we’ll simply hold up our lanyards and swipe the reader. If we behave as if we know what we’re doing, nobody will pay attention to us. Someone will look at our faces and compare us with the pictures I’m entering in their system, print a new passport right then and there, and stamp it. All we gotta do is act like normal, happy parents who’ve gone to Vegas to see the planet’s largest man-made structure.”

  “And then we go to the airport. Right?”

  “Right-O. We check in at a terminal, show ‘em our passports … and we never … come … back.”

  Armada pulled Chloe’s hand to his lips and kissed her skin.

  “Don’t worry. This is what He told us to do. We’ll be all right.”

  “And everything is already taken care of with the money. Right?” she asked as he stepped back to the table.

  “Oh, yeah! Dr. White’s accounts were pretty easy to get into. We’ll have a sizeable cash advancement waiting for us when we land at JFK, courtesy of Engenechem and Dr. White.”

  “How much did you take?” Chloe inquired, giggling.

  Armada didn’t respond.

  “Armada. How much did….”

  “Ah-ah-ah … Evan,” he interrupted, raising his finger. “Can’t call me Armada anymore. You gotta call me Evan, or Mr. Cierly, or Mr. Genius, or….”

  “Or pathetic idiot.”

  “Well, now let’s….”

  “Augh! EEVVAANN! How much did you get?”

  “Enough,” he stated loftily.

  “Just say it, baby.”

  Evan twisted to face Chloe, grinned, and said, “In New York … twenty-five thousand.”

  “What do you mean ‘in New York’? Is there more waiting for us after the second landing?”

  “Maybe,” he commented and resumed his work.

  Chloe gingerly lay her infant son on the upper left side of her chest and began gently patting his back.

  “Ah, good boy,” she cooed, bouncing him slightly. “You were hungry! Yes, you were!”

  “All right, he’s done,” Chloe then announced.

  “And … so am I,” Evan triumphantly declared, tapping on his tablet.

  “What about the elevators?” she asked, inching to the mattress edge. “Did you reinstall the program coding?”

  “Not entirely,” Evan replied, rising from his chair. “I’ll initiate a full download in just a minute.”

  After standing and raising his arms over his head, Evan stretched, grunted, and leaned from side to side.

  “Are you ready?” he asked his wife.

  “Well…,” Chloe started to say as she began gazing about the room, “I think so.”

  “Passport photos and identification?” she called out as she stood.

  “Done,” Evan replied.

  “Elevators?”

  “As soon as we call Him, they’re ready to go.”

  “Airline tickets?”

  “Yep, yep.”

  The couple stepped through the room while Chloe ran down their ‘to do list.’

  “Hotel reservations?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Maps, directions, contacts, phone numbers….”

  “Got it all right here,” Evan announced, holding up his tablet.

  “Money?”

  “We got cash waiting, and I set up a couple of overseas accounts for when we find out where we’re supposed to live. There won’t be any worries when it comes to money … ever. Trust me when I say … we’re set.”

  “Transportation?”

  “A shuttle leaves for Las Vegas every half hour,” Evan informed her, taking a sip of his coffee. “We won’t need anything in New York ‘cause we’ll be boarding a connecting flight.”

  “What about when we arrive? How are….”

  “Baby, we’ll be fine.”

  He reached out and tenderly stroked his son’s back.

  “Everything’s going to be okay. After what all you and I have gone through, this will be a breeze.”

  Chloe leaned into her husband and wrapped her free arm around his waist. Evan firmly squeezed his wife, sandwiching their baby boy.

  “I still don’t understand why we can’t just make arrangements to fly out from here.”

  “I explained that already. We can’t take any chances with the SUBOS, Engenechem, the air base … there’s too many opportunities for somebody to recognize us. The sooner we get out into the public and blend in, the sooner we ensure our safety and survival.”

  Evan and Chloe stood at the foot of their bed and took one last, long, good look at their domain.

  “I still can’t believe what we’ve accomplished … all from this room,” she admitted.

  “I know. It’s amazing what can happen in just five months. If you told me three years ago what I … we … were going to do, I would have laughed in your face.”

  “I’m married, I gave birth to a son … we stopped a launch of nuclear missiles … we….”

  Chloe choked on her words and took several breaths in an attempt to control her emotions. Evan rubbed her arms as he, too, tried to stifle his feelings.

  “Is this it? Are we done?” Chloe asked and looked at her husband.

  “Yeah,” he answered, kissing her head, “I think so.”

  Evan peered up at the ceiling and proudly said, “Okay, we’re ready to go now.�
��

  ***

  “I feel like everyone is staring at me,” Chloe whispered in Evan’s ear. “It’s as if someone from Engenechem is watching and following us.”

  “Nah,” he replied and glanced back over his left shoulder. “Cain still probably assumes we’re hiding in the SUBOS.”

  As they neared the passenger drop-off zone, Chloe sat up straight and tilted her head to get a better view through the shuttle’s front windshield.

  “Why are there armed military at the airport?” she nervously questioned as the bus started slowing down.

  “Well,” Evan began, gazing out the windows, “I imagine they’re here to guard against someone doing to the planes and terminals what we just did to Cain and the Clouds.”

  As soon as the bus came to a halt, the two side doors opened and four men equipped with automatic weapons quickly boarded. Dressed all in black with helmets, sunglasses, gloves, and bulletproof vests, the quartet of security personnel spread themselves out in the center aisle. The four men had lanyards with badges that hung around their necks, along with multiple patches and insignia representing various divisions of law enforcement.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please have all of your identification credentials open and ready for inspection,” the officer at the front of the bus shouted. “If you will please keep your speaking to a minimum and cooperate with us, we can conduct our screenings much more effectively and efficiently, which means you make it to your gates on time. Let’s go.”

  Abdiel made a faint whimper as Evan, Chloe, and forty passengers stood and rifled through their belongings in search of driver’s licenses, travel visas, and passports.

  “Just remain calm,” Evan cautiously muttered. “Don’t look at any of ‘em ‘til we’re off the shuttle.”

  The line of jittery and agitated travelers slowly advanced to the exits and, one by one, had their identification documents scrutinized. Chloe’s mind was set awhirl when her thoughts suddenly turned to the years of Gestapo-style interrogations and evaluations she and her sisters endured at the hands of Cain and Dr. White. Her heart started racing as she shuffled closer and closer to the open bus door and the waiting officers.

  “C’mon, folks,” she heard one of the armed agents call out. “Let’s step it up a bit. Move, move!”

  Looking down from the bus, Evan saw hundreds upon hundreds of people standing in lines awaiting verification of their identification and validation of airline ticket purchases.

  “They don’t have time to mess around,” Evan mumbled in her ear from behind. “If they get suspicious, we’ll be flagged and pulled out of line. So if he asks you anything, just answer the question as quickly as you can with the least amount of words.”

  Chloe nodded silently, draped the blanket over Abdiel’s face, and reached behind her for Evan’s hand. He discreetly pressed up against Chloe’s backside and laced his fingers with hers.

  “All right, next,” the grim-faced officer stated and glanced up at Chloe. “Identification, tickets, and destination.”

  Chloe clutched at her baby boy and stepped off the shuttle stairs. She quietly handed the security agent her passport and the ticket Evan printed just a few hours earlier.

  “Destination?” he gruffly inquired and shone a fluorescent flashlight at the passport.

  “New York,” she meekly replied, looking down and away from him.

  The second armed officer took a step toward Chloe and gave her a slow going over.

  “Ma’am?” he said. “Are you okay? I mean is everything all right with you?”

  Taken aback, she stammered and didn’t know how to respond.

  “What? Am I okay? Am I … yes, yes. Everything is fine. Yes, yes … whu, whu, why? Why do you…?”

  “Well, I’m standing here lookin’ at you and all these other folks in front of the Las Vegas International Airport…,” the man started to say and moved closer to Chloe. “And I got to thinkin’ ‘cause I couldn’t help but notice that you appear to have no luggage, no purse, no handbag, no backpack … not even a diaper bag or bottle for your kid … but you’re about to get on a jet to whisk you off to … New York City?”

  “That is a bit odd,” the first agent declared with a nod, folding his arms.

  He and his partner stared at Chloe and her stained, tattered, and discolored one-piece jumper.

  “The ensemble you’ve elected to wear today … uh…,” the first officer commented sarcastically, shaking his head. “Would you mind explaining….”

  “Our hotel room was broken into yesterday afternoon,” Evan sharply interjected, stepping off the bus.

  Chloe immediately clammed up and started bouncing Abdiel in her arms as her husband assumed control of the situation.

  After handing off his passport to the officer on his right and his ticket to the agent on the left, Evan calmly elaborated on his impromptu alibi.

  “We came to participate in the Spartan Run this weekend,” he declared, pointing to a large banner advertising the cross-country race and obstacle course. “While we were gone, somebody stole everything. All we have left are our suits.”

  “You wore matching outfits for a thirteen-mile, high-endurance competition in the Nevada desert?” the first officer snarkily asked with a chuckle and handed Evan his passport.

  “Yeah, well, you know … gotta do the whole husband-and-wife team thing.”

  “My wife wouldn’t wear identical clothes to save her life,” the other man commented and gave Evan and Chloe their tickets.

  “How’d y’all do?” he then inquired.

  Evan looked at Chloe and replied, “All I know is … we survived and made it out alive.”

  “I recommend you stop off at one of the gift shops once you’ve reached the concourse,” the agent on his right suggested with a smile. “They got all kinds of shorts and shirts for sale. It’s always more expensive in an airport, but at least you can get some decent clothes to wear.”

  “So we can go now?” Chloe sweetly asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, you’re free to go.”

  “Thank you,” Evan offered, wrapping his arm around Chloe’s waist.

  The tiny family gently pushed their way through the congestion to the airport entrance.

  “That was close!” Chloe confessed and forced herself to smile. “A cross-country race? Really?”

  “It was the only thing I could think of that would account for our appearance,” Evan countered as they briskly walked past the airline ticket counters. “Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”

  ***

  “Okay, we made it through the body scanners and inspections,” Evan mumbled as they entered the terminal. “All that’s left to do is present our passports and tickets to an attendant at the gate … and walk on the plane.”

  “We’re not buying clothes before we board?”

  “No way!” he whispered. “It’s a perfect excuse! Staying in these suits and explaining our situation … it’ll be a sympathy story … a couple with a newborn baby gets robbed … trust me, this is ideal. Nobody will question us, watch and see.”

  “Augh!” she growled lowly and pinched his hip.

  Evan and Chloe walked through the terminal’s main corridor, taking in the new environment and the ocean of people. Finally, as they approached their designated gate, Chloe felt a bit elated; in less than an hour the trio would be airborne.

  Evan placed his wife in front of him at the end of the line to check in and firmly grasped her hips.

  “We’re gonna be just fine,” he confidently stated and placed his chin on her shoulder. “He’s delivered us, just like He promised. This is the start of a whole new life for you, me … Abdiel….”

  Chloe closed her eyes, leaned back, and reveled in the warmth and comfort of his words and the sound of his voice. Her chin started quivering as memories of her life in the SUBOS flooded her heart and brain.

  “Just a few minutes more, baby.”

  “I can help who’s next,” Chloe heard a woman cheerfully call
out and opened her eyes.

  She saw three beautiful young women standing behind the gate service counter, and all were wearing similar uniforms.

  “That door to your right is the one we’ll use to get on the plane,” Evan commented as Chloe wiped away some tears.

  As their line grew shorter, Chloe had a better field of vision and watched the girls as they performed their duties.

  Look at how happy they are, she thought to herself as the ladies smiled, laughed, and engaged in conversation while they worked. She gently bounced her son from side to side while trying to read the girls’ name tags: Vicki, Tori, and April.

  “Next!” Vicki politely hollered.

  “C’mon,” Evan said and nudged Chloe on her bottom, “that’s us.”

  “Hi! How are you today?” Vicki asked, smiling broadly.

  “Hi,” Chloe sheepishly answered as she and Evan nervously approached the counter and quietly presented their passports and tickets.

  “Flying to New York today?” Vicki jovially inquired.

  “Yes,” said Evan.

  Abdiel suddenly stirred and grunted a few times.

  “How old is your baby?” Tori asked while handing a customer their boarding passes.

  “He’s ten days old,” Chloe answered and turned toward her.

  “Oh, I love baby boys!” April chimed in with a chuckle. “Actually, I just love babies, period.”

  “What happened to y’all’s clothes?” Tori asked, and stepped next to Vicki as she pecked away at her keyboard.

  “We…,” Evan started to say.

  “Our hotel room was broken into yesterday afternoon while we were out,” Chloe interrupted.

  “No!” the women exclaimed, along with, “Oh, my gosh!” and “I don’t believe it!”

  The three ladies converged on Chloe as she gave them the rundown on what happened and the seriousness of their plight.

  “We have nothing ‘til we get to New York,” Chloe complained and laid it on thick with the woe and misery. “No luggage, no purse, no handbag, no backpack, no diaper bag … I don’t even have a bottle for my son.”

  Evan puckered his lips and focused on a television screen in order to not laugh out loud.

  “Well, we’ll fix you up good, starting right now!” Vicki angrily declared as Tori and April came out from behind the service counter and began hugging and consoling Chloe and Evan.