Wasteland

by Ann Bakshis

  “Why would you help someone like Parson Mathan?”

  “Why? Because I’m a Nuceiran.” He rolls up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing the light tattoo of the city’s emblem that all Nuceirans have. “Why wouldn’t I help him?”

  “Did Lehen ever recognize you?”

  “No, I kept my face out of his view.”

  “What about Quin?”

  “Quintus and I were saved together. He came back to Nuceira with me.”

  “Where you twisted his mind?”

  “If you think that. But we just opened him up to the concept of redemption. That if he served Parson Mathan he could be forgiven for the sins of his makers.”

  “You tortured him?” Braxton asks, moving closer to the table with the vials. “He was only a child.”

  “He had to be cleansed, cleansed of the evil within him.”

  “And that’s when the Parson discovered the Antaeans’ healing ability?” I ask, as I place my gun back into its holster.

  “Yes.”

  “So you had kept that part secret from the Parson after his Morrigan rescued you?”

  “I never believed it would actually work, so I was just as shocked as he was when Quintus healed from his wounds.”

  “Where is Quin now?”

  “He’s probably in his room at the estate.”

  Braxton takes the vials and their matching syringes from the table, and pockets them. I remove my knife and approach Dr. Baccus, who pales as I draw near.

  “You kill me and you’ll never know the truth about the Antaeans,” he stutters.

  “Sorry, Dr. Baccus, I’ve had all the truth I can handle.”

  I grab him by the shoulders, spin him around, and slice his throat.

  Chapter 23

  Jagger is barely breathing when we return. Rey fits a vial into one of the syringes and injects the fluid into Jagger’s bicep. His respirations stop immediately. His body goes into one final seizure before relaxing. I look over at Lehen, but he tells me to wait. Minutes seem to pass slowly, but Jagger remains still, no rising in his chest. As I continue to wait for him to start breathing again, I notice the deep gash above his right eye begin to heal.

  “Look,” I say, pointing to his face.

  Jagger gasps once. His injuries heal as his breathing begins again, shallow at first then much stronger. After a few minutes, his eyes flutter open.

  “What happened?” he asks, voice cracking slightly.

  “You got a little banged up, but you’re fine now,” Rey says from the corner of the room, returning the used vial and syringe to Braxton.

  “What did you do to me?”

  “Nothing,” I say, cautiously approaching his bed, noticing the anger in his eyes, which fades upon seeing me. “We just took care of your wounds. You’ll be fine now.”

  “Meg,” he begins, but I place my finger on his lips quieting him.

  “Get some rest.”

  We all leave the room except for Rey, who wants to monitor him.

  “He’s going to be different now,” Lehen announces, once we are back in the front room.

  “Different how?” Tobin asks, as he removes the sack from the chair so he can sit down.

  “His strength will be intensified, and he will be quick to anger. These are the side effects of the Quarum.”

  “Will he self-heal like we do?” I inquire, sitting back on the couch.

  “Not for much longer, this is only a temporary fix. He will need to be given another injection if he gets severely injured again. How many vials were you able to collect?”

  “Five total,” Braxton states, as he begins to empty out the contents of the sack.

  “As long as he doesn’t sustain any critical injury, he should be fine for about a year. He’ll need another injection at that time as he’s now dependent upon the Quarum to survive. With only five vials, Jagger will only live for five years, and if he does get badly hurt the more Quarum we put into his system before the year us up, the harsher the effects. He could lose himself in a fit of rage, for example.”

  “So, in saving him, we may have just woken a dangerous monster?” Keller asks, pounding his fist on the small kitchen table.

  “He’ll be fine,” I stammer, hoping I’m correct in my belief.

  “He’ll be your problem if you are wrong, Trea,” Braxton says.

  I know he’s right.

  Why did I do it? Why did I act so rashly? I’ve condemned Jagger to death. Maybe not now, but definitely in five years.

  “Well,” Braxton begins, tossing the now-empty sack into the corner of the room, “how do you want to do this?”

  “Did you grab a master control for the detonators?”

  He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, thin black device, handing it to me. I touch the darkened screen, which lights up, activating all the detonators.

  “Just program in the time you want them to explode, or manually select them to detonate.”

  I smile at the pile of red flickering lights as they dance before my eyes. A vision of Nuceira imploding tantalizes my brain.

  Braxton locates some parchment and starts to outline the tunnel system from memory.

  “Hang on,” Tobin starts, “I’ve got something better to use.” He disappears for a moment then reemerges with the map from the hidden room, spreading it out on the table. “This whole place is filled with secret passageways and rooms.” He points to broken black lines that run the length of the city, including several that lead out beyond the borders.

  “Why would someone have something like this?” Gage asks.

  “To keep secrets,” Lehen answers. “And the Parson has many.”

  We all huddle around the kitchen table, including Jagger who looks fully rejuvenated. Since it’s my plan, I will carry the master control. Every person will be in charge of placing ten detonators in the tunnels, and on any buildings on the surface they can get to. Morrigan are to be shot on sight.

  “The Parson is mine,” I state, cleaning my knife of dried blood.

  “Fine,” Braxton agrees, as he flattens the map at the corners. “We’ll meet by the front gate. Rey and Tobin will secure our transportation once their detonators are set. Try and get two of their vehicles,” he tells them. They nod in compliance. “Once we have set off the detonators, we will make our way back to Acheron.”

  We decide to wait until nightfall to breach Nuceira. I remove the uniform I’m wearing and hand it to Keller. I keep my Levin gun secured to my belt, along with my nicely polished blade.

  As the sun begins to set, we each take our allotment of detonators, making sure they are synched with the master control. Jagger and I enter the tunnel through the mausoleum, the others break off into groups of two, and Braxton is alone. Tobin and Gage enter using the tunnel hidden in the farm fields to our north; Keller and Rey are using the tunnel on the other side of the cemetery that leads straight to the housing units. Braxton will be sweeping the grounds for Morrigan. Jagger opens the tunnel door after a group of Morrigan march past. We decide to secure the detonators to the ceiling of the tunnels. That way they won’t be noticeable. Jagger and I are tasked with placing our detonators in the tunnels under the Parson’s estate.

  We begin moving north, placing the devices every twenty feet. We duck into a small alcove as a group of Morrigan go by. In the alcove is a small staircase leading up to a place near the Parson’s compound. I give my remaining detonators to Jagger.

  “I’m going to look for Quin.”

  “Meg, he’s not worth saving.”

  “He’s done bad things, but I think that somewhere inside is someone worth saving.”

  I head up the stairs while Jagger continues on as planned.

  The treads lead up to the main entryway of the Parson’s home. Tall columns line the interior walls, soaring skyward into the story above. White marble with flecks of gold cover the floor. Paintings depicting antiquated stories line the walls, some displaying naked beings floating on white fluffy clouds. I q
uietly cross towards the far end, making for the grand staircase.

  The carpeting on the second floor landing is plush, concealing my footsteps as I slowly creep down the hall looking for Quin’s room. I try several of the doors, but all of them are locked. I hear whimpering coming from the other side of the next door I try. The knob gives easily in my hand.

  The interior is cast in shadows, lights flickering in each corner throwing shadows at odd angles. I hesitate, cautious about stepping inside, so I decide against it and close the door.

  The ground beneath my feet starts to shake as the columns begin to crumble. I haven’t activated the detonators, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m thrown off my feet, the floor tilting towards the opening that’s been created by the collapse of the pillars. I slide across the carpet, trying desperately to grasp at anything to arrest my fall.

  Someone grabs my wrist, pulling me up. Above my head I see Quin standing in the doorway I’d just opened.

  “Give me your other hand,” he screams at me, as the building collapses around us.

  I throw my arm up. He catches hold of my fingers, gets a better grip, and pulls me up to him, holding me tight against his chest. Then, off-balance, we begin to fall into the abyss.

  I close my eyes, not wanting to see the upcoming impact, but it doesn’t come. Instead, I feel a jerk, and heat hits my face. I open my eyes to find the room around us engulfed in flames. Quin is keeping us alive by holding onto a cable that must have come loose.

  He has his legs wrapped around me to secure me in place while his one hand is coiled around my shoulders, the other attached to our lifeline. I look down and watch as the main floor collapses into the tunnels. Smoke and dust shoot heavenward as the debris hits an air pocket below. I can hear screams shattering the night air, but I can’t tell from which direction they’re coming from.

  “Hang on,” someone from above shouts to us.

  Jagger and Braxton take hold of the cable and begin to pull us up. It’s at this point I realize we have fallen below ground level. Quin has me climb up him and into Braxton’s arms. Jagger grabs Quin by the collar, extracting him from the inferno that now rages beneath.

  “What happened?” I shout to be heard over the roar of destruction.

  “I don’t know. Jagger caught up with me by the prison and said you had gone looking for Quin. Then all hell broke loose.”

  “Where are the others?”

  “Following orders. Do you still have the master control?”

  I pull it out of my pocket. The screen is badly scratched, but it still turns on.

  “Check to see how many detonators are still on-line.”

  I tap the screen, sliding my finger over the corner to pull up the information.

  “Sixty still haven’t ignited.”

  “Let’s head up to the gate. Jagger, take Quin.”

  “I still have to deal with Parson Mathan.”

  “Trea, it’s over. Let’s get out while we still can.”

  “Here,” I say to Braxton, handing the master control to him, “I’m not leaving till I’m certain the Parson is dead. Do what you have to.”

  I run in the direction of the chapel as Braxton calls after me, but I have a mission and I’m determined to see it finished.

  The distance between the estate and the chapel is approximately a mile. Smoke chases after me, the smell of burning wood floating along the air. Nuceirans slowly begin to emerge from their homes to see what’s happened. I pull out my Levin gun as I approach the prison. Two guards come around the corner, their weapons drawn. I fire, dropping them. I climb up the back steps of the chapel, lights ablaze inside.

  Quietly I enter, shutting the door slowly behind me, hearing voices radiating in song from the main room. I step through the entryway behind the altar, gun raised. The singing continues as I come out from behind the altar, gun aimed at Parson Mathan. A woman finally looks up from her songbook. She doesn’t scream, but instead goes silent and nudges the man next to her. This causes a ripple effect through the small audience. The Parson lifts his head to see why everyone has ceased. He turns around and flinches at the sight of me.

  “Trea,” he stammers, “welcome to the house of forgiveness. We’re all just praying for your soul.”

  “Are you now?” My right arm begins to tingle, warmth growing from my shoulder down to the port in my hand. “Who’s going to pray for yours?”

  I fire one shot, hitting him just below his left knee. The congregation begins to scatter, running towards the front entrance.

  Parson Mathan falls to the ground, his frail body quickly weakening. Taking him by the collar, I drag him down the aisle. The world outside erupts. The ground rumbles below my feet. As we step down the last stair the chapel implodes. Parson Mathan writhes in my grasp like a snake, hissing as we move towards a large group of people, many of them his followers. Morrigan lie dead nearby; the survivors are restrained by Lehen, Braxton, and his men. Jagger has Quin secured tightly in his grasp.

  The group opens up, allowing me to drag the Parson into the center of the crowd.

  “Was it worth it?” I scream so everyone can hear. “Was your life worth all those who perished in the Dormitories?”

  A laugh catches in his throat. His breathing becomes labored, but has enough breath left to chuckle.

  I place the nozzle of the gun against his forehead.

  “Answer me!” I shout.

  “You will only bring destruction, not redemption. Look around at what you have done to Nuceira. You did this, not I.”

  “It began with you, it will end with you.”

  “That’s what you think.” He smiles wide as his skin grows paler from the blood loss. “Your creators were wrong to believe you would defend the cities from our enemies. You bring the enemies with you. You will fail.”

  “I don’t believe in failure.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “You first.”

  The flash is bright.

  I turn and watch as the city burns around me. Chaos now reigns.

  Trea smiles as homes go up in flames, and people scream from either terror or pain. This is her world, the place she feels most at home.

  Families flee past us, escaping the carnage and out the open gates as others wail and moan for those that have already perished before their eyes. Explosions continue to fill the night sky as the once bright stars become invisible from the smoke.

  Keller hands me two Pugio blades as I step over the Parson’s body. Rabaan is made to sit on his knees in front of me while the remaining fifteen or so of his men await their fate. I look down at him, crossing the two weapons before his throat. He understands that with one motion from my wrists he’ll be no more.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”

  “I know the truth about the Dormitories.”

  “You lie,” I spit at him. “You murdered my family. You traveled into the Wasteland to destroy everything I held dear to me.”

  “Not true. Devlan’s death was an accident. We were supposed to bring him back with us. And I’m telling you the truth when I say it wasn’t the Morrigan who attacked the Dormitories.”

  “Keep talking. You’ll live until I hear something I don’t like.”

  Sweat begins to cascade down his brow. “One of our spies got word to us that plans were being made to annihilate the Dormitories, as a way to destroy the cities. Since Nuceira helped build the facility, I felt a need to protect it. It was the one and only time I went against the Parson. The sun hadn’t yet risen when we arrived, but we could see our way in the dark from the flames. We searched for survivors, but only found Dr. Baccus and Quintus.” He gestures towards Quin, a look of defeat upon his face. “They were sitting in one of the pools in the center of the complex.”

  I look over at Quin, his body sagging in Jagger’s arms. He lifts his head and nods at me. I turn my attention back to Rabaan.

  “If the Morrigan didn’t attack us, who did?”

  “The same consortiu
m that developed the Levin gun: the Hostem. And I hear they’re mobilizing again, preparing to strike the cities, and anything affiliated to them.”

  “Like a hatchery?” Braxton asks in an alarmed voice.

  “Yes. The Hostem camps were destroyed after the destruction of the Dormitories. It’s believed many went into hiding in the Wasteland.”

  “Where’s the closest hatchery?” I ask Braxton.

  “Acheron Hatchery Nine. It’s the one we were planning to go to before your plan.”

  “What’s there?” Lehen asks.

  “Children.”

  I cautiously ponder what Rabaan is telling me. I don’t want to believe him, but I feel somewhere inside he’s telling the truth. And Quin did confirm his story about the Dormitories.

  “How many men will you need to defeat this horde?”

  “If we can get to the resources the cities have off site, no more than ten.”

  “Then you have determined your own punishment.” I look over at Braxton and Lehen, and nod to them.

  Within moments, only ten Morrigan remain.

  “What about the Nuceirans?” Lehen asks me as he wipes his blade clean.

  “They embraced the poison that Parson Mathan spewed. They’re on their own.”

  Chapter 24

  We grab as many supplies from the Morrigan quarters as we can move, loading three armored vehicles with both weapons and food. Keller, Gage and four Morrigan take the first vehicle; Rey, Tobin, and another four Morrigan are in the second; the rest of us ride in the third.

  People are still pouring out of the gates as we make our way forward, Braxton driving. We make our way around the crowds, ignoring those who try to flag us down for help.

  The hatchery is fifteen hundred miles north of Nuceira and since there aren’t any direct routes or roads, it’ll take us several days. No time to help the refugees, even if I had the inclination.