by Aaron Denius
The air outside feels thicker than at the compound. It’s as though it's traveling through my lungs at a much slower pace. The first few breaths burn. I don't remember feeling this when we landed yesterday. I must have been too preoccupied with my surroundings to notice.
When I turn back, I see that we are actually on the outside of the stadium. The exterior walls rise hundreds of feet. It's not as large as the pyramid that Atom and I saw, but it is in better shape and as impressive. The outside walls are adorned with various patterns and a few concrete statues of men and women.
“Move!” 99 shouts at me as he pushes me forward. I didn't realize that I had stopped walking.
I follow them along the outside of the stadium, stealing glances whenever I can. We walk a few hundred feet to the other side of the structure.
Ahead of us, there are hundreds of people moving in a single-file line. As my eyes adjust, I realize that they are all outsiders from the city. Spread out to either side of the line are dozens of drones, each holding a gun I don't recognize.
We approach a small, tented camp with multiple drones guarding it. I follow 210 and 99 into the tent. It appears larger inside than it did outside. There are numerous racks of what look like guns with two small barrels prodding out at the end. Those must be what the drones were holding. In the middle sits a table with two people behind it. One has a body built like a drone, but he has a bald head and a scar running from his left temple to the back of his head. The other is more put together. I am assuming she is a scientist. The scientists here don't seem to adhere to the same dress code as at the compound. She wears a light shirt and pants similar to mine. She's young and is too well-nourished to be an outsider.
99 and 210 grab guns and head back out of the tent, leaving me alone in a space that now feels even larger.
“You 80?” The man behind the table speaks without looking up. The two are looking at something laid out over the table that I can't make out.
“Yes,” I respond, fighting the shakiness in my voice.
The man walks around the table, grabs one of the weird guns, and stands right up to me. He looks me in the eye. His face is without a doubt that of a drone, but it's more weathered than the typical drone’s. He's older.
“I'm 13,” he says, his eyes burrowing into mine.
I take a step back and stare at him with deep curiosity. He's an Alpha from the first batch of twenty drones. The scientists never repeated their numbers. I was under the impression that most, if not all, Alphas were dead. It explains his weathered look and why he was not killed after whatever accident gave him the scar. He has been around for decades upon decades. The bodies don't age, but the face tells a different story.
He smiles at me, enjoying the momentary fame. I search deeper in his eyes, looking for any hint of compassion for the world. I would think that he'd been touched by some of the beauty that exists the many years he's lived here. All I see, though, is the indoctrination that all drones possess.
“What happened to your eye?” He stares me down.
I'm flustered by his question, but I give a direct answer. “I was shot.”
“They didn't kill you?” He asks the expected follow-up question.
“They wanted to run tests on me.” I look right back into his eyes, and I notice a slight flinch. He stands taller, as if to regain his superiority, and seems satisfied to end the conversation there.
13 pushes the weird gun to my chest, and I take it in my arms. He exits the tent, and I follow close behind.
“Job is simple,” he begins as we walk toward the long line. “The outsiders bring stones and water to the entrance of the bunker over there and go back to fetch more. You stand along the outside and make sure that they don't act up. If any of them seem to be lagging, use the electric prod to push them along.”
“Yes, sir,” I mutter.
As we get closer, I see that the line leads to a giant hole in the ground right next to the adorned exterior wall. The bunker must be under the stadium.
“Take a spot on the opposite side of the line. Tell that drone to move down to the reservoir.” 13 peels off and heads back to the tent.
I walk to the procession of outsiders and squeeze through a break in the line to the other side. I choose the drone closest to me and step up to him. “13 said that he wants you to go to the reservoir.”
The drone looks at me with disdain and walks off.
As I settle myself into position, I see that all the drones in my vicinity are looking at me. That same disdain colors their eyes. I try to ignore it by focusing on the outsiders who file past me, carrying buckets of water or stones to the bunker.
The want of proper nourishment is evident in most outsiders. Many lack sufficient muscle mass They struggle with the buckets, and their bodies only hold up through the will of their bones. Some have sores on their skin. Others still have teeth or patches of hair missing. A lot of the outsiders here appear worse off than those that Atom and I saw near the pyramid.
“Move it!” I hear one of the drones yell, a bit further down the line. I look as the drone shocks the older outsider with the split end of his gun. The outsider's body shakes, and he takes a few steps before falling to the ground, clutching his chest. The line of outsiders continues around the fallen man without breaking their stride.
The drone taps the outsider's body with his foot and gets no reaction. “Dead!”
Two drones standing off to the side run over and drag the limp body away. My eyes follow as long as they can. The drones take the body to a ditch and dump it in. My stomach turns at the lack of humanity, and I do my best to avert my thoughts and emotions by focusing on the continuous stream of people.
After watching hundreds of outsiders pass by, one holds my attention a little longer. She's young and looks healthy enough to be a scientist. Her hair is long and blonde, and she stands taller than those in line around her. Her strength also exceeds the others, as she isn’t struggling with her buckets.
She must have felt my eyes on her, because she looks at me and sends me a smile. Forgetting where I am for a moment, I smile back, feeling the skin in my cheeks warm up. I watch her until the trail of people obscures my view. The second she’s gone, I want nothing more than to see her again.
Minutes later, my wish is granted as she appears in the line returning to the reservoir. Again our eyes meet, and we exchange smiles. She continues, and I find myself searching for her in every outsider that walks by me.
Hours seem to pass, and in the brief moments the sun steals through the clouds, I can tell that our shadows have moved. Finally, I see her walking toward me again. My heartbeat speeds up, and my cheeks feel warm also. She must have been looking for me as well because she begins smiling steps before she gets to me.
As our eyes lock, her feet get tangled into each other, and she falls, dropping her bucket of stones. Her face looks up to me in horror, anticipating an electric shock from my gun. Without thinking, I bend down and help her collect the stones into her buckets and get back up to her feet.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
When I stand, fear fills my chest. Everyone has stopped, and they have all turned to watch me. The drones and the outsiders are all in shock. If I am supposed to fit in, that didn't help.
I fight to regain my composure. Taking a quick deep breath, I yell, “Back to work!”
The outsiders jump right back into their never-ending march, including the girl. Most of the drones resume their tasks, though some continue to stare in my direction.
I’m watching the girl walk away in my peripheral when a drone steps in and shocks her in the back with his prod gun. My head whips around, and I see the drone sneering back at me. Immediately, I know that it's 99. It's getting harder for me to tell the drones apart from one another, but my instincts tell me that I'm right. As bad as I want to run over and rip the sneer from his face, my mind and body contest. I stand my ground.
A lump rises in my throat when I realize that it's my fault
he shocked her. I want to apologize to her and ask her if she's alright.
She passes me a few more times before the end of the day, and I suppress my apology every time. The last thing I want to do is cause her any more harm. We share a few hidden smiles as she walks by, and I'm sure she understands that I am remorseful.
When the night begins intruding on the day, 13 steps out of his tent. “Close it down!”
The drones closer to the bunker usher the outsiders away as a new drone shift replaces them to stand guard at the entrance. The outsiders drop their buckets where they stand and rush past me. I turn and see dozens of drones handing out protein pouches to the mass of people. Things begin to make a little more sense.
I turn back and join the drones as they return the weapons to the tent. After placing mine on a rack, I exit the tent. A hand pulls me aside. It belongs to 13.
“What happened out there does not happen again. Understood?” He grips my arm tighter.
“Understood.” I pull my arm away. I didn't know that he had been watching. I have to be more careful if I am to do what Farouk said.
“See you tomorrow.” 13 heads back into the tent.
I walk off in the direction I came from this morning. My thoughts replay everything from the day, especially the girl. I hope to see her again tomorrow.
It isn't until the tent is no longer in view that I realize I am the only one walking this way. Instead of turning back, I continue, knowing it will lead me back to my room at some point. The decorations along the exterior wall look different as the last of the day leaves the sky. The lack of light makes them appear evil and uninviting.
When the statues of the people begin looking more familiar, I know that I am closer to where I need to enter the stadium. A few feet away is the entrance to the first corridor in the maze that will lead me back to my room. The irony is not lost on me, because I feel more trapped here than I did in the dungeon at the compound. I stand outside, staring at the black hole, not wanting to go in.
“You alright there, kid?” a voice echoes out from the corridor. I have only ever heard Farouk refer to me as a kid, so I know it's him. His large frame steps out of the darkness and joins me outside.
“Why am I here?” I get right to the point. I'm tired of not knowing, and if he wants me to cooperate, he needs to tell me why.
He smiles at me. Without a doubt, the biggest smile I have seen on his face. Farouk puts his hand on my shoulder. “I want you to build an army.”
CHAPTER IV
We sit down outside the stadium. The air has gotten colder, causing me to shiver every time a breeze blows by. Those small moments of wind also carry with them the stench of fires from the city.
My mind is still processing what Farouk said. He wants me to build an army. What kind of army? For what?
These questions aren't getting the proper answers stuck in my head, so I ask, “What do you mean?”
“I know you would like to stop the Ragnarok,” he starts.
“No, I…” I struggle to find words. I know that thinking that way makes me a traitor, and it feels like I am already hanging by a thread.
“Relax. I want to stop it too.” He laughs.
His admission surprises me, though I guess a small part of me knew. He seems way too comfortable saying that, not bothering to lower his voice at all.
“There are many more scientists who feel like I do too,” he continues, shifting his lumbering body around in an attempt to find a comfortable position.
“If you don't want it to happen, why do you keep helping?” It's an obvious question.
He lets out a sigh. “I wish it were that easy, kid. But if we stopped working, they would still keep pushing forward. The number of scientists who believe the Ragnarok needs to happen outnumbers those who don't, by about a dozen to one. The cogs are already in place, and the wheels are in motion. Our only real chance to stop it is an all-out attack.”
“On this bunker?” I interrupt.
“No.” He pauses as his mind goes elsewhere for a moment. “We have to attack the main compound in Egypt.”
My thoughts drift back to Atom and all the Genesys. Does he intend to kill them?
“What about the Genesys?” I pry.
Farouk's eyes dart back and forth, and I can tell that he is playing the anticipated attack in his head, reviewing his plan. His eyes finally settle on me. “I don't know yet. Killing them would stop any Ragnarok attempt, because they are the pillars of Dr. Anfang's entire plan. But it would have to be all or nothing. Killing a couple of them won't stop anything. And if, for some reason, we don't succeed at stopping them, we do have to give humanity its best chance. That's why we can't do anything to this bunker or any of the others. If we fail at stopping them, the Genesys must succeed.”
He seems to be convincing himself as much as he is convincing me. I take in what he said. It's a bit overwhelming, but I understand his logic. If Dr. Anfang is successful in setting off the Ragnarok, humanity does need to survive. Atom and the Genesys are the best option if that happens.
“So, what do you want me to do?” I ask, eager for his response. He has things planned out, and I'm beginning to trust his judgment.
“You need to get as many drones as you can to fight with us. Build an army,” he replies.
I chuckle at his request, “They hate me.”
“Never said it would be easy.” He smiles at me. “But if you were able to change how you think, I'm sure you can change how any of the other drones think.”
“How do I do that?” My mind is still processing. “What do I need to do to change them?”
His smile fades. “I have no idea. I know that your changes began after you were shot.”
“So I'm supposed to shoot them?” I snap.
“No. At least, I don't think so.” His voice is calm. “But when you were shot and close to death, you changed. It triggered something inside you. I watched you back at the compound, and you had a new sense of wonder and curiosity. You were appreciative of life.”
Farouk stands, leaving me on the ground with my thoughts. A part of me is excited about what he’s asking me to do, but a larger portion is scared out of my mind.
He turns back to me before he enters the stadium. “Two lefts, a right, left, right. Third door on the right. That's your room. Oh, and kid, however you do it, it has to be covert. No one can know what we are doing.”
I fall onto my back before he disappears into the stadium. How am I supposed to do all this? I’m secluded from all the other drones, and even if I wasn't, none of them are talking to me. The only one that’s paid any attention to me is 13, and I'm pretty sure he hates me.
The sky above me blankets the ground with the ashy brown clouds that I am sure have the city's fires as their source. It's a far cry from what I saw on the roof of the compound with Atom. Thousands and thousands of stars. The stark difference is disappointing. Do the outsiders, the humans, not see the beauty that exists around them? Are they so content with destroying the world around them that they leave these scientists with no other choice than to eliminate them?
Before my mind decides to side with the scientists, I think back to the older man and the girl in the field. I'm reminded of the large gathering of people back in Egypt when Atom and I ran to the pyramid. They were dancing, singing, and eating that delicious chicken. I still can't believe we managed to escape that situation.
Farouk's plan hangs over me. It's impossible.
I look around and realize that I am outside the stadium, and there is no one around, no one to stop me. If I wanted to run now, I could. I get to my feet and look up at the towering wall. Then I peer over my shoulder in the direction of the city.
Before my mind can process what’s happening, I'm running. My legs are carrying me farther and farther away from the stadium.
The air filling my lungs is sharp and painful to my nostrils, but I push forward, I push harder. My feet propel my body faster and faster. Soon my mind has cleared of any though
ts. The plan, Atom, the Ragnarok—all but shadows in my mind right now. I only care about the physical release, the pain that my muscles fight off to push me harder.
I catch glimpses of various things in my peripherals as I run. Piles of trash, standing and fallen structures, outsiders. None of them much clearer than a blur. As I run, I turn whenever it feels right. I don't know where I'm headed, but I know that I am doing my best to get lost. The city grows denser around me with every new step I take.
After a few more minutes, I stop and look around. Goal achieved. I have no idea where I am. Buildings rise on every side of me, at least what's left of them. Piles of rubble from their structures on the ground. I turn to see everything around me. There is no visible life, yet I sense eyes watching my every move. The longer I stay standing still, the more exposed I feel.
I start walking in the direction from which I came, and the smell of this particular area catches up to me. It's burning and rotting flesh.
A loud crash causes me to stop in my tracks. My heart beats faster, and I can feel the adrenaline rushing to every part of my body. I focus my eyes on the sound's direction, where I can see a couple of figures hiding behind a pile of trash and rubble. If I'm not mistaken, there are even some human or animal remains in the pile as well.
My mind flashes for a moment to when I was above the city in the Fly, and I saw an outsider eating another one. It makes my stomach drop, and now I hate myself for running away from the stadium. Especially alone.
I walk with caution toward the two figures behind the pile, doing my best to keep my senses keen on everything else around me. I see a small slab of concrete with a thick wire running through it by my right foot. Without missing a step, I pick it up and ensure the slab is secured to the wire. The concrete slab is about the size of my forearm and has an excellent weight to it. The wire is pretty thick, so there isn't much bend to it. I hold it by my side, ready to use it if I need to.