by Ann Bakshis
As if on cue, they both rise from their seats and leave.
Superior Hersher pages Ms. Eryn again, her tone bordering on hostile at having to repeat her demands. A few more minutes slowly tick by, agitation growing on the Superior’s face. Ms. Eryn practically falls into the room just as the Superior is about to call for her again.
“Sorry, Diana,” Eryn gasps, as she places herself gently down onto the couch. “Several of the young children were fighting after being sorted. Saree and I were trying to calm them down when you first called. I had to have several of the instructors assist so I could leave.” Eryn’s pale checks are flushed a bright pink, probably due to her rush when called. Even sitting on the couch, Eryn is tall in stature, lean build. She straightens out her khaki skirt, adjusts her blue dress shirt, and crosses her ankles.
“That’s quite alright, Eryn. I’d forgotten that you were sorting the children today for their final predestination coding tomorrow.” Superior Hersher relaxes, sitting down in her office chair, leaning back in comfort. “Those can be trying affairs.”
The Superior tells the same story to Eryn as she did the other staff.
“I’ll move the instructors’ belongings to some of the children’s rooms and recode the entrance to the Predestination Center to prevent any of the instructors from accidentally exiting our section of the complex. When the meals are ready for the children, I’ll open the doors for the kitchen staff.”
“Excellent,” the Superior says, beaming at Eryn.
“You’re going to imprison your staff? What if something happens and the children need to get out?” I protest.
Eryn turns her head, looking at me as if I’m something to be discarded, a blemish in the Superior’s room.
“This is a secure facility, Miss. Besides, there aren’t any threats to this hatchery. No one would purposefully harm children.”
I think back to the Dormitories…the pictures from my nightmares…my past.
“You’re wrong,” I reply, focusing my attention away from her and out towards the window as a light snow begins to fall quietly outside.
“That’ll be all, Eryn.” The young woman leaves the room, but not before taking a second glance at me, confusion in her eyes.
“Why do you lie to them?” I inquire, as soon as the door closes.
“Believe it or not, Trea, it’s to protect them.” Superior Hersher stands, walking up beside me as I continue to watch the snow fall out her window. “If these people knew about the true monsters that lurk outside the boundaries of Sirain, they’d be mortified.”
I notice fine gray hairs peeking out from the bright red of her mane, wrinkles beginning to form around her mouth and eyes. Perhaps there’s more to her than I first believed.
“My father was devastated by the attack on the Dormitories. He looked at all of you as his children, never realizing the evil intent the world held for them. He was never the same after that. He was a broken man…who sunk below human.”
Her voice quivers, choking back a wall of emotion that has probably been caged for years. We stand in silence for a little while, watching as the clouds grow thicker, the snow starting to stick to the pine trees below us.
“Let’s go check on Captain Braxton and get the rest of the group situated into their sleeping quarters.”
We go back down to the security and communication’s room, hoping that some progress has been made.
“Any luck?” Superior Hersher questions, as we enter.
“Unfortunately no. This room doesn’t have the proper equipment to access the satellite.” Braxton grumbles, pulling wires out of panels.
“Can you try to contact Tyre?”
“I’m trying, Superior, but they appear to be on permanent black out. With your permission, I’d like to use some of the equipment we have in our vehicles to try and get us back on-line with Acheron.”
“Do it. I’ll make sure your biometrics is upgraded to allow full access into the facility. I’ve made arrangements with my staff for your group to have full use of the living quarters. Meals will also be made available to you, but only after the facility has eaten. Is there anything else you may need?”
“Not at this time, Superior.”
“Very well. Trea will show you to the armory, where your men are currently located.” She smiles tentatively and then retreats up the stairwell.
The rest of the day is spent on moving equipment from two of the vehicles outside, mapping out a defensive strategy, and trying to establish a connection to the outside world.
Quin, Lehen, and I are sent to check around outside, looking for possible vulnerabilities of the complex from the cliff side. The Morrigan are tasked to hold our rappelling cords, making sure we don’t fall to our deaths as we survey the land.
The rocks are cold and slippery from the still falling snow, and make climbing treacherous.
The three of us are wearing only a few additional layers over our clothes to keep the plummeting temperatures at bay. The farthest we can climb down is about ten feet below the structures. I can’t see the ground beneath me due to the thick foliage. Many of the rocks are smooth, but a few jut out, creating a ledge for me to stand on. The supports holding up each building and connecting bridge are bolted into the side of the cliff face, but it’s hard to judge how deeply they are anchored.
Gage calls over the small listening device sitting uncomfortably inside my ear canal. “Have you placed your cameras yet?”
“I’m about to place the first one,” I respond into the tiny microphone attached to my jacket.
“Well, hurry up. Quin and Lehen are about done with theirs.”
I swing to my right and choose an edge to place my first camera on. The adhesive being used to secure the cameras doesn’t like the dampness, so I have to dry the spot before sticking it into position.
“How’s the view?”
“Tilt the lens a little farther down and it’ll be fine.”
I adjust the camera and then move on.
Quin and Lehen begin to ascend to the surface. I hesitate, enjoying the quiet of the landscape. The air feels calm and peaceful, cool and crisp. I close my eyes and just listen to the falling snow. But a few moments later my line is violently tugged, breaking the serenity of the moment, so I begin my climb back to the surface.
Chapter 25
We eat dinner after everyone else has gone to bed. The food is lukewarm and a little tough, but it’s better than what we’re used to, and we clean our plates. Some even go back for seconds. I retreat to my room for the rest of the evening while Rabaan and five of his men take the first patrol. Keller, Rey and Tobin will relieve them around two in the morning. Braxton and Jagger elect to forgo sleep and work in the security and communications room, allowing Duren and Hera to get some rest. Lehen, Quin, and the remaining five Morrigan will patrol the grounds during the day. I’m being made to stay inside, much to my unhappiness.
Since I’m the only female in our little entourage, I’m allotted an entire living quarter to myself. I have four bedrooms, a sitting area, and a large bathroom all to myself. The room I’m occupying belongs to Saree, who works with the newborns-to-six-year-old age group. Her room is small, one window just above her built-in bed. The bed linens and furniture are uniform, probably issued by Acheron to keep conformity. Shelves cascade down on the wall next to her closet, covered in hand-made art pieces obviously done by the children, unlike the Superior’s office, which contained no personal items or mementos.
I’m in desperate need of a shower, so I discard my filthy clothes and pull on a blue cotton robe. The bathroom is blue in color much like the bedroom and sitting area. Every fifth tile has the emblem of Acheron etched in the center. I find toiletry items in one of the shower stalls, as well as a freshly laundered towel. I take the center stall, and stay in the hot water for almost an hour, letting it rain down on me as I try to cleanse every cell of my being. After drying off, I wash my clothes in the sink and then return to my room, where I exchange the robe
for a pair of satin blue pajamas. I turn off the light and crawl under the soft gold blankets, burrowing myself as far down as possible.
My nightmare returns instantly.
Devlan hastily leaves, followed by Dr. Hersher. I walk over to Magda, take her hand, and stand to watch as the complex continues to implode. Another man approaches us from the inferno.
“Thatcher,” Magda calls out, “Did you find him?”
“No, the housing units are gone. I’m afraid these four are all that remain.”
A pounding outside my dream world rouses me back to reality.
I push the covers back, step out of bed, and grope my way in the dark as I haven’t turned the light back on. Shielding my eyes in preparation for blinding light from the sitting area, I open the door, but am met by a soft yellow glow instead, and Quin standing before me.
“Are you all right?” he asks, standing arm’s length away from the threshold.
“I’m fine,” I lie, “why?”
“I was coming to check on you when I heard you crying, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I want to turn him away, but loneliness and loss has crept inside, so I step aside leaving the door open. I walk back over to the bed while Quin flips on the lights and closes the door.
I sit at the head of the bed, pulling my knees up tight against my chest. “What do you remember from that night at the Dormitories?”
“I was sitting in the medical wing, being treated by one of the nurses. I’d been feeling ill all day, so they kept me separated from the other boys as a precaution. The nurse was running tests on me to see why I was feeling very ill, because Antaeans are not supposed to get sick.”
Quin sits down at the foot of my bed, feet resting on the floor.
“The perimeter alarms started to sound, so the nurse told me to stay where I was while she went to see what was going on.” His gaze is unfocused as he thinks back to that night.
“I heard screaming from down the hall, so I crawled off the work bench she had me propped on and wriggled under a set of cabinets against the far wall. The screams became louder when I saw bright blue flashes erupt beyond the window of the door to the room. The nurse came stumbling in, her right side badly singed, and bleeding at the shoulder. I was about to come out from my hiding place when a man in black clothing came in and shot her in the back with a Levin gun. I watched as she fell to the floor, eyes wide open, but lifeless. I couldn’t move from that spot until the fire was practically on top of me.”
“That’s why you weren’t with Lehen and Vier when they were saved,” I say.
I let the silence settle between us, turn my head, and look out into the darkness. The snow has stopped falling, but the clouds remain as the stars are blacked out.
“Is that what you were dreaming about?” Quin finally asks, breaking the quiet.
“Yes,” I say relaxing a bit, settling my legs down onto the bed. “I’ve no real recollection of that night except in the nightmares that come to me. I doubt I’ll ever be able to remember everything.”
“I think that’s a blessing.”
I smile at his remark as my eyes begin to grow heavy. Quin gives me a hug just as he gets up to leave. I hang onto him for longer than is required, but it’s nice to see the Quin I grew to love. I crawl under the covers as the light in the room is extinguished, but I don’t hear my door open, instead I feel Quin lie down next to me, wrapping his body around me as if encasing me in a cocoon to keep the nightmares at bay.
I sleep well past sunrise, but Quin doesn’t leave until I’m fully awake. He waits for me in the sitting room while I change from my pajamas into the damp clothes. We’ve missed breakfast, so all that’s left is some dry cereal. After we finish eating, Quin decides to go and check on the guards outside as he was supposed to relieve them this morning with Lehen. I go to see how Braxton is faring with the satellite.
All but one of the monitors is displaying a live feed from the cameras that we placed yesterday. Braxton is sitting at a control panel while Jagger is hunched down in the back connecting wires together, Duren kneeling by his side helping. Neither notices my appearance until I ask how they’re doing.
“We have intermittent control of one of Acheron’s satellites. This room isn’t meant to handle this function, so the link is spotty at times.” Braxton answers through gritted teeth, frustration weighing heavy in his voice. “We don’t have a…wait,” he shouts. “Hold it right there.”
The picture on the monitor is grainy, but outlines of the city are visible.
“It looks okay to me,” I comment, as I sit down next to him on one of the stools.
“No…it’s not.” Braxton tries to pan out further from the city. “See…there.” He points to a white line in the lower right section of the screen.
It takes me a moment to focus in on what he’s pointing to, so I take a step closer to the screen and see the shuttle rail. Whole sections are missing.
“What would’ve caused that?” I question, as I notice areas about a mile wide crumbling into the lake water below.
“It’s a failsafe for the city,” Braxton replies, as he continues to try and move the satellite view. “The shuttle rail is designed to break apart if the city is attacked. The only way to get close enough now would be by boat, but if you don’t know the correct paths through the water you’ll hit detonators just below the surface. They should’ve been released from the lake bed when the failsafe was put into action.”
He focuses briefly on a metal wreck in the water, just off shore. A small boat sits tangled in the shallows, with several bodies floating next to it. Other boats sit idle, waiting to be launched.
“What about the Laics in the Boroughs?” Jagger asks, as he crawls out from his spot, wires in both hands.
“There’s nothing that can be done.”
The image moves to the left; smoke and flames reaching high into the sky. Buildings have disintegrated into dust, a river of fire flowing into the lake.
“What about the defenses? The Regulators? Don’t they have anything that will help defend the Boroughs?”
“The Regulators aren’t trained for battle; they’re only a control force for the Laics. The cities dismantled all of their aircraft and defensive armory long ago.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because that was what the Antaeans were supposed to be for!” Braxton barks. “After the destruction of the Dormitories, Tyre and Acheron located the individual responsible and eliminated him, along with his faction. That was supposed to be the end of it.”
“It appears the High Rulers were wrong about that.”
Braxton scowls at Jagger’s comment before returning to the monitor.
“You can’t just leave them to die!” Jagger exclaims, coming around to our side of the room, knocking Duren down in the process. “They’re defenseless because of you and the city, so you’re just going to let them be slaughtered?”
“They can be replaced,” Braxton snaps back. “What do you think the Hatcheries are for? You were born in one. I was born in one.” He rises out of his seat, veins pulsing in his neck.
Jagger surprises everyone by gripping Braxton around the throat. Braxton tries to free himself from the vice-like grasp, and I stand and watch Braxton’s face turn purple from lack of oxygen. A smile grows on my face. Trea is enjoying the spectacle.
Rabaan steps into the room, pulling Jagger off Braxton, who’s gasping for air.
“How can you defend him?” Jagger shouts.
“Now is not the time.”
“He’s letting all those people die!”
“More will die if we don’t stop the Hostem.”
Jagger steps back, still enraged. He storms out of the room, hands balled into fists. I get down from the stool and chase after him. He’s in the process of going up the stairs when I stop him.
“We’ll get our chance, Jagger. Just give me time and we’ll take care of them all at once.”
He turns to look at me, r
age in his eyes.
“Them? You’re no different!”
He plants his fist into my chest, sending me sailing across the hall, landing hard against the far wall. I slide to the floor, stunned more by his remark than his blow. It takes me a few seconds to regain my composure…as well as my footing. I stand up, walk up one flight, and hide myself in my room for the remainder of the day.
Quin comes to check on me in the late afternoon, but I don’t answer his knocks. I miss lunch and dinner, so my stomach is growling from emptiness. Normally I’d do something physically challenging to drive off tension, but there’s nowhere to go in the hatchery, and venturing outside isn’t an option. A headache begins to grow behind my eyes from being inactive, so I turn off the lights and curl up under the covers, falling asleep.
Chapter 26
Shouting rouses me. As the voices grow in pitch and in number, I roll over onto my left side, opening my eyes just a little.
A large figure looms in the doorway; light from the hallway casts his shadow deep into the bedchamber. I see a woman in orange charging up behind him, but in one smooth motion he turns and snaps her neck.
The man steps back into the light, placing an object he has clutched in his hand onto the biometric pad outside the entrance. The door begins to slowly close, light from the hallway ebbing backwards out of the chamber. A series of explosions echo through the room. The face I see on the opposite side of the door is one I recognize…a face of kindness…the face of a friend.
I bolt upright in bed, screaming.
Quin is in my room in a matter of seconds. He must’ve been sleeping in the sitting area.