The Seeds are rotting.
She reread the sentence, her hand idly reaching for a spot on the back of her head. The video she’d recorded in the diner had resonated with the conspiracy nuts, but this message from Hypnos had felt different.
Do you have proof these events are connected to Steele Industries in some way? Do you work for them? Is there anything you can tell me specifically that might help? I would love to arrange a conversation. If you’re in the city, we could meet in person. I could keep everything off the books.
I’m not willing to reveal my identity, but I know someone who could vouch for me, if that would be sufficient. I trust them to speak for me. With your approval, I’ll send over your contact information before we can proceed.
Hypnos had sent this last message a few days before. She’d sat on it, not knowing how to proceed. It was so casual she could’ve ignored it, letting it float away to be forgotten. No commitment. No time wasted. No false lead giving her the runaround. It was to this message she typed a hurried reply. She wanted to get it out before Christopher came home.
I’m in. I’m fully in. Send them my details. Tell them I’ll meet them wherever. If you can genuinely help me break this story wide open before more people die, then I’m 100% in.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Near Poughkeepsie, NY
July 3rd
NEIL LUGGED the supplies to the front of the store. Ian followed close behind, emptying his full arms on the counter as well.
“You boys gonna buy me out?” the cashier joked. The old man had become a familiar face over the past few days. The vast array of dirty baseball caps scattered around the store were the most interesting thing in thirty miles. He called it a collection and claimed people came from all over just to see them.
“Maybe,” Ian laughed. “You get those chips I’ve been craving, and I’ll be in here every day.”
Neil was constantly surprised by Ian. He wouldn’t exactly call them friends yet, but the dislike for the guy had definitely thawed. Not only was he a good shoulder to help carry the burden of their situation, he had an uncanny ability to appear at ease in any circumstance. Neil was so nervous all the time, he couldn’t make small talk with anyone new. Especially now. Everyone was suspect.
“Crazy stuff going on, eh?” the old man said, his bushy eyebrow raised, gaze on Neil.
“Heh,” Neil managed, looking to Ian for help.
“Hard to believe,” he jumped in.
So much had been happening while they’d been away, Neil knew he deliberately kept it vague. For all they knew, the Empire State Building had turned into a robot and walked into the Hudson. His capacity for surprise was growing weaker every day.
“Glad I’m out here, that’s all I can say.” The way the man moved his mouth reminded Neil of a cow chewing cud.
They bundled their supplies into reusable bags, ready for the half mile trek back to the campsite.
“You have a good one,” Ian called out as they left, the old-fashioned bell jingling above the door.
Ian chuckled lowly as they set off.
“What?” Neil frowned.
“You’re afraid of Pete.”
“I’m not afraid of him. I’m cautious. I don’t know him, if he has a Seed. He could be scanning our faces and sending data back to—”
“Alright, alright,” Ian waved.
“I’m just sayin’, it’s a different world now. It’s what I was always afraid of,” he said, enjoying the indignation.
Walking along the road would’ve been easier, but they’d gotten used to hiking through the forest directly back to the campsite. Not only was it faster but they didn’t run the risk of being spotted. It took more concentration and forced them into a single line.
“I’m not sure how much money I have in my account,” Neil said, desperate to change the subject. Even though they usually used their supply runs as a chance to talk about the others, he wasn’t much in the mood.
“Yeah, I’m running pretty low too.”
“I think my parents might cut me off if I keep dodging their questions. We’ve been out here for nearly two weeks.”
Ian grunted in agreement. The others had mentioned transferring money over to help pay for everything. Turns out, running away to the middle of nowhere with little preparation or funds wasn’t the smartest idea in the world.
It was early afternoon and Neil half expected the others to be snoozing as they usually were about this time, but the camp was buzzing when they returned.
“Back from the hunt,” Maggie fake swooned, clutching at Ian’s arm.
“It wasn’t funny the first time. It’s still not funny the fifth,” Neil said with a shake of his head. He hefted the bags onto the wooden table and sorted through the contents.
Rachel was at his side in a flash. She’d pulled her long hair into an intricate braid, changing her whole look. “We’re going on a hike. Do you want to come with us?”
“A hike, huh?” Ian grinned.
“Maggie remembered there were waterfalls not too far away. It’s not like we have anything better to do,” she replied.
Wills emerged from the tent, toweling off his damp hair. “I’m bored to death of sitting around here. Even I want to go.”
Neil wasn’t exactly excited about the idea but not enough to stop them. “You’re right. I’m getting tired of staring at these trees and rocks. Let’s go look at other trees and rocks.” It came out far more sarcastic than he wanted, so he quickly added, “Really, it sounds good.”
“I have where I think it is plugged into my phone. Shouldn’t be more than an hour or two to get there, then we turn back and have a big dinner,” Maggie gushed with genuine excitement. “I loved it when I was a kid. Might as well make the most of this shitty trip, right?”
The hike was exactly what he needed to clear his head. Of all the worries and things going on around them, one thing weighed heaviest on his mind. All his life, he’d battled being dependent on technology. He hated the way society wrapped itself around gadgets and devices, as if there was a hole some new thing could fill. Among his friends, he was known for being so anti-technology, it was a running joke.
It was difficult enough to admit he had a Seed. The pressure of the situation had saved him from a lot of well-deserved ridicule. People were dying. Society was being stretched thin, possibly to the breaking point. They continued to hide in this forest while their friends and families battled out in the real world. All that was horrible, but it wasn’t what bothered him the most.
The truth he didn’t want to admit even to himself was how much he hated being disconnected. Though he’d spent most of his life rejecting technology and striving to live a life without it, he loathed not having his Seed. He wanted his tablet, an internet connection, his music, videos, websites, news, entertainment. The simple phone he’d used as a symbol of his austerity had become a useless brick in his pocket.
On the outside, he crowed about how happy he was to be in nature, away from screens and buzzing electricity. But deep inside… that was a story he didn’t want to examine.
But it was a beautiful day, warm, sunny. Getting his heart pumping and sweat flowing relieved the crippling identity crisis. The whole group was buoyed by the excursion, even Wills who always found something to complain about. They trudged through the forest in single file, singing songs, laughing. It didn’t take too far of a stretch to imagine they really were just camping out in the forest, a bunch of friends having fun, not hiding from some all-knowing force that had planted eyes in their heads.
By the second hour, their good temperaments began to fade. Maggie and Wills consulted her map when they stopped for lunch.
“Are you sure that’s where it is? We’ve been heading in that direction for miles.”
“Look. There’s a stream there, a lake there. That’s where the waterfall is,” she grumbled around a mouthful of food.
With deliberate patience, Wills tried another angle. “Okay… then are you sur
e this is where we are?”
“I’m not a fucking boy scout,” she said, a piece of food flying from her mouth. “I know I’m the dot, the arrow points this way, I head where the arrow points.
Rachel cleared her throat. “Are we lost?”
“We’re not lost!” Maggie huffed.
Neil gestured for the phone. “I vote we stop listening to Maggie’s ideas until we’re sure she’s planned the whole thing out.”
A delicious flood of relief spread through him as he scrolled through the settings on her device. It felt good to have it in his hands. Ignoring the sensation, he took a big bite of a stale bread roll and turned in a circle. The arrow moved, but not at the same speed. He tested it a few times, glancing up into the dense forest as if the answer lurked out there.
“That’s weird,” he mumbled.
“What did you do?” Maggie demanded, reaching out for her phone.
Ian was at his side, voice low. “What is it?”
Neil replied to him, knowing Maggie was a hair away from throwing a full-fledged fit. “It’s like there’s something there it won’t point to,” he said, indicating a spot on the map. “Watch.”
He kept the phone pinned to his stomach and turned in a small arc. The arrow lingered, lingered, and then swung wildly past a good quarter of the map before settling in the right direction again.
“That is weird,” Ian mumbled.
Ever the worrier, Wills jumped to his feet and tried to pull the phone away. Maggie was too quick, swiftly pocketing her device before he had a chance to look.
“Maybe the GPS is messed up, but the map is accurate, right? We can still navigate the old-fashioned way.”
Neil gritted his teeth at her smug tone. “Nothing says the map is right too. It’s not like we have anything to compare it to. You know, like a paper map.”
“Right, cause I’m gonna carry one of those around with me wherever we go,” she scoffed.
Wills stuffed the rest of his lunch in his mouth and started packing up his things. “I’m going back to camp. This is ridiculous.”
“We’re right here! I swear, it’s just over that ridge,” Maggie insisted. “It looks familiar.”
Neil grabbed Wills by the arm as he threaded it through the bag strap. “It isn’t a smart idea to split up.”
“Then get her to change her mind, cause I’m leaving.”
The group splintered into heated discussions. Ian pulled Wills to the side, their voices low but body language easy to read. Ian continued to gesture toward Maggie and the general direction of the falls while Wills pointed in the opposite direction, wrongly assuming that was the way back to camp.
Neil took the chance to talk sense into Maggie. “We really should turn back. You know that right?”
She glared at him as if it were his fault, as if he were the one canceling the trip. “Sorry for wanting everyone to have a good day for once.”
“What did I do?” he snapped.
She rounded on him, ready to unleash a holy tirade but Ian stepped in. “Wills said he’s happy to walk for another half an hour. If we don’t see anything by then, we’ll turn around.” Ian glanced back and forth between him and Maggie, making him feel like a pair of siblings caught fighting by their father.
Neil raised a questioning eyebrow to Maggie who huffed a petulant response. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.”
“And I want to be the navigator,” Wills chimed in.
“No, no fucking way.”
“Mags,” Neil started, stepping in her way.
“He just wants my phone so he can call his boyfriend!”
“I do not, and so what if I did? Is that so bad to let him know I’m okay?”
The two of them fell into squabbling while Ian and Neil attempted to keep them separated. It was only a shout that ended the argument for good.
“Guys!” Rachel yelled. They all stopped, shocked to hear such a loud sound come from her. She instantly blushed at their attention but squared her shoulders. “Whatever we decide to do, we better do it fast. It’s gonna get dark in here pretty soon.”
Ian met his eye. “She’s right. We should…”
But before he could finish, Maggie had swung her pack back on and was already charging down the path, phone in hand. “This way to the falls,” she declared.
They exchanged exasperated looks, but she’d left them no choice. They could either wander around absolutely lost in the forest or follow her. At least then they’d be lost with purpose.
Wills was the first one to follow. “Motherfuck,” he grumbled as he slung his bag on. “I’ll kill her. I swear I will.”
Ian made a funny face behind his back. “You know what? I believe you would, man. I really do.”
As annoying as he was, Neil was glad he was with them. He was so centered and laid back. Without his presence, Neil was sure they all would’ve ripped each other to shreds by now.
Before they reached the designated half hour mark, they ran into yet another obstacle. At least this is one Maggie can’t talk her way out of, Neil thought.
“Who the hell puts a fence like this out in the middle of nowhere?” she cried, flapping her hands in frustration. “I’m telling you, it’s just over there.”
“You’ve been saying that for hours now,” Rachel sighed. Maggie glared at the accusation but didn’t reply.
The fence was easily fifteen feet tall and topped with three rows of razor wire. It stretched right and left as far as he could see. Another shorter fence lay just beyond the first, twenty yards away. He had no way of knowing without testing first, but Neil suspected the fences were dug deep into the ground. He couldn’t decide if they were meant to keep people out or in…
“Whoever put these up definitely doesn’t want anyone getting through,” he mumbled.
“Right?” Ian replied in awe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
London, UK
Are you questioning my judgement?
No, it’s not that. It’s just…
JULIAN SCRATCHED the short hair on his head, tugging at the root until a sharp pain radiated through his scalp. It was like he was being deliberately obtuse, purposely misunderstanding what he was trying to say. With his fingers poised above the keyboard, he attempted to come up with right way to phrase his thoughts.
All I’m saying is, we’ve proven the concept. We know the new controls work, we’re understanding the limits with every passing day. But I feel as though we’ve lost sight of the ultimate purpose.
And what do you believe the ultimate purpose is?
Julian screamed, careless given he wasn’t in his soundproof room, but he couldn’t stop himself.
“What the fuck is going on with him today?” he muttered to the open room.
A strange thought popped into his head, one he nearly dismissed before thinking it through. It was as if his father was afraid. Now that they were standing on the absolute brink, was he chickening out? He didn’t dare ask the question outright, but he couldn’t deny his actions all pointed in that direction.
Like a good parrot, Julian typed out the canned response to that question.
The purpose is to cleanse the world of the unworthy.
Very good.
Julian sneered at the childish praise and hated himself for liking it just a little. The Gardener continued.
If our ultimate purpose is to cleanse the world of the unworthy, then doesn’t it make sense to stop the unworthy from being born in the first place?
I just don’t see the point.
Is hunting cruel?
No.
Right. We do it for the benefit of the species. If left to their own devices, many animals would breed and consume until they’d used up every last ounce of land and resource. Thinning their numbers isn’t cruel. It’s a kindness.
I know.
Will a deer choose not to mate one year because food supplies are low? No. It’s up to man to cull the herd so those that are already alive can live a better, more prosperous life. Be
cause man is smarter, we are responsible for making that tough choice.
Julian allowed his gaze to soften, the text on the screen blurring. He had a brief daydream about just getting up from the computer, making his way to his father’s house in the countryside, and putting a bullet in his smug little head.
But even in the daydream, he knew he couldn’t go through with it. As much as he loathed to admit it, he needed his father… and not just because of the security codes he possessed. He refocused on the screen and groaned at the wall of text waiting for him.
Because we are superior beings, it’s our duty and responsibility to make sure the future of humanity is secure. The best and easiest way to make sure that happens is to control the population, right? To best stop a flood in your house, the most obvious first step is turning off the water. Only then does it make sense to tackle the small lake that’s formed in your basement.
Julian shook his head, imagining his father pontificating a hundred miles away. He could see he was writing more, but he jumped in before he could fully go off on a rant.
Okay, but then why everything up until now? Why all the testing if this was the plan all along? Seems a little misguided.
It was the closest he’d ever come to questioning his father’s judgement directly. His heart thumped against his ribs as he waited for the response. A flicker of concern tickled the back of his mind. What if his dad was fantasizing about killing him as he just had?
I’ve indulged your violence. Now you must indulge mine. Authenticate the order.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Near Poughkeepsie, NY
WILLS COLLAPSED AGAINST A TREE. He wiped the sweat from his face with the neck of his filthy shirt. “Well, I guess that’s that. Can we go back now?”
Maggie stared at the fence, hands on her hips, chest quickly rising and falling as if she were challenging a great foe. Even from a few feet away, Neil could see the muscles in her jaw working. She took one step forward and he cried out at the movement.
Stasis (Part 2): Iterate Page 18