Before the Nothingness

by Kevin George

  He expected other villagers to flee to their ISUs but was shocked to watch them surge forward instead of back. Several guards fired their weapons—dropping a few villagers in the process—but the villagers inundated them within seconds, fighting them and grabbing the syringes, injecting themselves despite having witnessed what happened to Carla.

  How desperate are they that becoming beasts is better than their situations before? Samuel thought, fully understanding how badly they’d failed the villagers.

  Body after body dropped, falling as humans but rising—reborn—from the snow. At first, the guards tried to fight back, but the battle soon turned one-sided. The guards tried to flee but quickly realized they’d hesitated too long. Chaos reigned and the snowy white world became splattered with swaths of red. Samuel was glad Weller kept the sound turned off so he couldn’t hear the cries of fear, pain and death. As if the scene couldn’t get uglier, the newly-formed beasts eventually grew bored with attacking and turned to eating instead, several of them snapping when others tried to intrude on their fresh kills.

  Only Moretti and his driver remained close enough to their snow truck to attempt escape. Although Samuel already knew the outcome for both men, his breath still caught in his throat as he watched them scramble toward the open passenger door. The guard actually reached it first but hesitated to enter when Moretti waved his arms. A beast—Samuel couldn’t tell for certain, but he thought it may have been Carla—was right on Moretti’s heels, close to running him down. But Moretti reached the truck first, diving in through the open door, at which point Samuel lost sight of him.

  He didn’t lose sight of the other guard, who tried to scramble in behind his leader but didn’t quite make it before being grabbed by the beast. The guard threw his head back. Even from a view so high and without sound, Samuel imagined the man’s cries of agony. Just when it looked like the guard might be yanked out, his body tensed and he started being pulled back in. Through the truck’s window, Samuel saw the shadow of movement. He silently commended Moretti’s attempt to save the guard, but the beast now had an exposed target at which to claw and snap and bite.

  The guard quickly turned into a red mess and his body went limp. Samuel couldn’t tell if the beast grew bored or knew it had caused enough damage, but it eventually let go and leapt atop the truck, digging its claws into the roof. The truck accelerated seconds later, skidding uncontrollably as it turned in a wide circle, smashing into beasts and other guards alike. The beast atop the roof eventually lost its balance and tumbled off, but it pursued the truck into the White Nothingness. Several other beasts joined the chase, all of them disappearing from the drone’s coverage.

  “I can’t believe you allowed this to happen,” Samuel said.

  Weller turned sharply, his brow furrowed. “I may have gone too aggressive with the 2.0, but I was only following The Board’s orders.”

  “You shouldn’t have listened to them,” Samuel said.

  “Do I need to remind you who supported me throughout the entire Blast project?” Weller asked.

  Samuel frowned. “We should’ve listened to my father.”

  “You may be right, but we need to make sure to keep all power over The Board,” Weller said. He stood from the workstation, swiping his hand to shut down the hologram. “Security will never be this lax again. Let’s get to the upper level and then the lab.”

  Samuel followed Weller toward the exit when his father’s final plans in life popped into his mind. Samuel hadn’t thought of those plans in months—hadn’t thought of the way he’d sabotaged those plans soon after his father’s death—but it suddenly felt important to honor Charles Jonas by giving his plans a chance—albeit a distant chance—to one day come to fruition. Samuel hurried to a workstation and accessed the security mainframe, relieved to find that his clearance hadn’t been revoked. Once upon a time, he’d spent countless hours studying all aspects of Mountain security and he quickly located the one system he needed.

  “What are you doing?” Weller asked.

  Samuel swiped his hand through a red ‘X,’ which immediately faded and was replaced by a green holographic image of a satellite. The word ‘connecting’ soon changed to the word ‘online’ before Samuel hurried to shut down the system.

  “If this is the last time I’m in The Mountain, I’m turning on the GPS beacon for other arks out there,” he said. “Of course its signal would need to be transmitted by the Comm Center far from here, but maybe those controls will be turned on one day and the other arks will be able to find us.”

  Weller shrugged, obviously uninterested. They rushed back toward the stairwell, but Weller bypassed the exit and headed for the elevator, whispering that they didn’t have time to climb all the steps. Samuel saw no indication in the security level that anyone was paying attention to anything happening inside of The Mountain. Neither man spoke as they sped to the top of The Mountain. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they were nervous about potential guards awaiting them; Samuel had left two guards unconscious a few hours earlier. But those men were gone now. Samuel thought the hallway felt darker than before, quieter, the only noise being the distant whistle of swirling outside winds.

  Samuel should’ve been in a rush but now felt hesitant to leave the elevator. Part of him wanted to stay aboard and push the button for the hangar bay, to get back to his son and get the hell out of The Mountain. He’d messed things up with Horace for so long and had only begun to make things right, but he still had a long way to go.

  And how do you expect to do that unless you destroy the Blasts first? How can you tell him that the love of his life was turned into a beast and not do everything you can to ensure that fate doesn’t happen to anyone else?

  “I had a feeling The Board would try to force us out soon,” Dr. Weller said as Samuel caught up. “So I eliminated all Aviary research from the network and put the information onto a micro-drive. I also put the only batch of Aviary Blast into a sealed vial and hid everything in a small hole I carved into the wall up here, where nobody would ever think to look.”

  “We have to destroy it: the vial, the research, everything,” Samuel said. Weller slowed down and frowned, looking at the ground before eventually nodding. “The Board will still have your test subjects to study and try to recreate the Aviary.”

  Weller snorted. “Which won’t work because you and your son—especially your family’s blood—will be long gone.”

  They passed door after door, window after window of female prisoners looking out at them. They’d screamed for help and pounded on the doors the last time Samuel walked past, but one look at Dr. Weller sent the women scattering away. Samuel looked at Weller, who kept his eyes forward the entire time. Samuel wanted to ask why the prisoners were so skittish, but he was afraid to learn the answer. Instead, he tried some of the door handles but found them all locked.

  “Don’t bother,” Weller said. “Only guards with the highest security access can let them out.”

  “I didn’t realize you knew so much about the inner workings of Mountain security,” Samuel said.

  “Where do you think my test subjects come from?” Weller said. “Have I not put myself at enough risk for you to trust me?”

  “You’re right,” Samuel said. “I just wish we could do more to help others before we leave.”

  Weller nodded. Up ahead, the hallway became brighter and colder as they neared the opening at the top of The Mountain. Samuel kept expecting to stop for Weller’s secret hiding place, but the doctor headed straight for the end. Samuel stopped a few feet short of the edge, watching Weller fiddle with a section of hallway wall less than a foot from the precipice. Samuel chuckled.

  “Wish I’d known this was your hiding spot,” Samuel said. “I was just up here with Horace. The Board tried to imprison me up here.”

  Weller snorted, his fingers still clawing at the wall. “The Board appreciates me less than the Jonas family ever did.”

  Samuel shook his head. “That’
s not true. You and I have been in this—”

  “I don’t mean you,” Weller said, clawing harder at the rock. “Your father never appreciated my research. I’m the most brilliant man in The Mountain, but I’ve never been treated as such, even by the fools on The Board. We’ll see who gets the last laugh.”

  With an angry grunt, he smacked at the wall, his frustration mounting. “There’s only one small rock left but I can’t get a grip to pull it out of the way.”

  “My fingers are smaller,” Samuel said. “Let me try.”

  What Samuel didn’t say was his intention to retrieve the micro-drive and the vial of Aviary so he could personally toss them over the edge. He wanted to have complete trust in Weller, but something about the scientist still seemed off. Besides, Samuel knew how hard Weller had worked on the Aviary project. It almost seemed cruel to force him to destroy his own creation. Weller sighed and stepped aside, pointing to a crack in the wall just beyond the edge.

  “Just be careful,” Weller said. “It’s a long way down if you slip.”

  Samuel couldn’t help but glance over the edge, the sight of which sent his stomach swirling. He hugged the wall a bit more tightly and took a deep breath to steady himself. He turned his concentration to the crack in the wall and saw the small rock that Weller had been trying to pry out. His finger barely fit into the crack and felt clumsy trying to get a grip on the rock.

  “How could you fit the vial and micro-drive in here?” he asked.

  “Didn’t need much space,” Weller said.

  “I. . . almost. . . have it,” Samuel said.

  Weller tiptoed forward but stopped when the echo of pounding footsteps approached. Samuel turned to see a guard rushing toward them. Rather than stepping away from the edge, Samuel dug his finger in deeper and popped the rock out with a final knuckle-cracking yank.

  “Stop right there!” the guard yelled, his cheeks glowing red, his brow covered with a sheen of sweat. “The Board wants to see both of you!”

  Samuel peered into the hole, determined to destroy the final remnants of the Aviary project, even if it cost him his life. But when he swept his finger inside the crack, he touched only rock wall.

  “It’s empty,” he whispered, the two words like a punch to his gut.

  Weller turned to him, his eyes going wide. “The Board discovered our secret.”

  “They must’ve been watching you,” Samuel said.

  “Not up here they haven’t,” the guard said, stepping closer. “But it wasn’t so hard to find the note you left in your lab.” The guard touched the side of his ear. “I’ve found the doctor and Samuel Jonas. . . no, near the cells in the upper level. . . copy that, I’ll make sure nothing happens to Jonas. . . yes, I understand he’s needed alive.”

  Samuel turned slowly to Weller. A thousand questions ran through his mind, but only one made its way to his lips.

  “You told them. . . everything?”

  “Copy that,” the guard said. “Bringing them to the boardroom now.”

  Dr. Weller remained staring forward, seemingly paying no attention to Samuel’s question or the guard’s order to follow him.

  “What else did you do?” Samuel yelled. When Weller still ignored him, Samuel reached out and grabbed his arm. “What else did… you… do?”

  Weller ripped his arm free. “I left The Board all of my research and a batch of Aviary Blast, just enough so they realize how badly they underestimated me. They need to know how much smarter I am than all of them; they need to know that humankind would be doomed without me. Maybe they’ll appreciate me one day.”

  “Or maybe you’ve just doomed all of us to—”

  Without warning, Weller’s arms shot out and grabbed Samuel by the shirt. Samuel’s eyes barely had time to widen when Dr. Weller gave him a jolting shove. The darkness of the hallway disappeared in a rush, the sound of rushing wind filling his ears. Samuel dropped, his mind registering his imminent death—and the thought that he’d never see his son again—a split second before his head smashed against a rocky outcropping, thrusting him into forever blackness before his body splattered down against the White Nothingness. . .

  On the ledge, Weller didn’t hear Samuel utter a single cry as his body disappeared over the side. The guard rushed forward in shock but wasn’t ready for Weller’s attack. Weller smashed the man’s head against the nearby wall and deposited his body over the side as well, leaving him an empty hallway to stroll down all by himself. . .

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “Please, I know you won’t shoot me,” Horace said. “I can tell you’re a good man, an honest man. Do you really want my blood on your hands?”

  The guard frowned, obviously in agreement. Horace didn’t know how much time had passed since his father and Dr. Weller left, but it felt like hours, enough time for the clanging at the hangar door to stop, enough time for most of the guards to head back into the elevator and up the stairwell. Horace and the guard remained in the shadows near the back of the hangar, unseen by the others, but the time for hiding was over. Horace sensed that something was wrong and he wasn’t about to stand around and do nothing.

  The guard had other ideas. When Horace tried to step around him, the guard raised his gun and leveled it at Horace’s head.

  “You’re right, I don’t want to hurt you,” the guard said, his eyes creased with conflict. “But if you think I’ll let you walk away so my wife and kids can be punished, then that’ll be the last thought you ever have. I have a little girl, you know. Who’ll protect her if I’m. . .” The guard shook his head, clenching his jaw. “Step back, stand still and remain quiet.”

  The gun shook in the guard’s hand, but Horace knew what it was like to commit unspeakable acts in the name of those he loved. He no longer doubted the guard would pull his trigger. The guard lowered his gun, but his brow stayed furrowed.

  “You don’t know the trouble I’ll be in if The Board finds out I held you here instead of bringing you straight to them,” the guard said. “Please don’t make this situation harder than it already is.”

  “You don’t need to be so afraid of them,” Horace said. “I’m a Jonas, like my father and his father before him. We built One Corp. and The Mountain and ISU-Ville and everything that’s kept us alive. We’ll vanquish The Board one day and return to our glory. When that happens, I’ll make sure you and your family will always have a place here. I’m not asking you to do anything but pretend like you never saw me.”

  The guard frowned and turned his head like he might let Horace simply walk away. But before Horace took a single step, the guard aimed his gun at him again and shook his head. Horace sighed and crossed his arms. His eyes wandered around his surroundings. Had the grate not been covering the tunnel entrance, he may have made a break for it and hoped the guard had bad aim. As it was, both men suffered through the seemingly endless wait, Horace standing completely still while the guard paced back and forth. When footsteps finally approached, Horace and the guard both tensed.

  Dr. Weller emerged from the shadows, but seeing him—especially alone—filled Horace with a greater sense of dread.

  “Where’s my father?”

  Before Horace had a chance to answer, the guard rushed toward Weller.

  “I can’t keep his whereabouts a secret any longer,” the guard said.

  “I understand,” Weller said. “You can take us both to The Board now. I’ll tell them we were hiding when you found us. Keep quiet about where I just went and I’m sure you’ll receive a commendation for capturing us. Martin LeRoque takes care of those that do his bidding.”

  The guard frowned but nodded, waving them toward the elevator. Horace didn’t budge, shaking his head as he looked toward the tunnel.

  “But we can’t—”

  “We must,” Weller said, his eyes widening. “It’s what your father wants.”

  “Where is my—”

  “Come with us now and all of your questions will be answered,” Weller said.

  Ho
ping Weller had a plan, Horace nodded begrudgingly and followed the two men. The guard breathed a sigh of relief and turned his back for a split second, just enough time for Weller to spring forward and shove a syringe into his neck. The guard cried out in pain and dropped to the floor.

  “Are you crazy?” Horace asked. “Is that the—”

  “2.0? No way,” Weller said. “Don’t worry, he won’t be changing into anything but a corpse.”

  “He’s. . .”

  “Dead?” Weller asked without a hint of remorse. “Yes, that’s what the toxin is supposed to do. Now he won’t tell anyone about where we went. Let’s go.”

  Horace stared down at the guard’s body. “But his family. . .”

  “His family isn’t important. The Jonas family is. . . your family is,” Dr. Weller said. “We need to go now. Security is already on high alert and it won’t be long until they find his body. We need to break through the grate and get into the tunnel. We might not have much of a head start to get safely away from here.”

  Horace finally looked away and stumbled after Weller, shaking away the growing numbness from his mind.

  “Wait. . . my father?” he asked, looking back toward the stairs.

  “The Board discovered what we were trying to do,” Weller said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to destroy all of the Aviary Blast and my research. Your father killed himself rather than let them take him alive.”

  Horace stopped, nearly collapsing from a sudden lack of feeling in his legs. He shook his head and turned back, stumbling for several steps in the direction of the stairwell. Weller hurried to catch up and grab his arm.

  “I have to see him,” Horace said.

  Weller shook his head. “If The Board gets its hands on you, you’ll become Martin LeRoque’s test subject for the rest of your life. I promised your father I’d get you out of here and that’s what I plan to do.”

  Horace allowed himself to be pulled toward the back of the hangar. He felt so empty and numb that it wasn’t until they reached the covered tunnel entrance that he noticed the backpack slung over Weller’s shoulders. The scientist released him and unzipped the bag, removing a pair of wire cutters he used to clip away at the grate, not stopping even as the opening grew big enough for two people to walk through. He retrieved a flashlight and shoved it into Horace’s hand, instructing him to hold it steady. Horace clicked it on and aimed the beam into the darkness of the tunnel.