Thursday Midnight

by Zachry Wheeler

  * * *

  Mount Rainier dominated the southern sky of Seattle. It towered over the landscape during the day, but lingered as a moonlit shadow during the night. Numerous antennae with pulsing beacons cluttered the snowy summit, providing a visual bearing within the city.

  The Rainier Vault was an apocalyptic haven constructed by NExUS, one of several facilities around the globe. They contained seeds, embryos, and vast amounts of server cache, everything an empire needed in order to restore a collapsed planet. A laudable precaution, but the vaults also housed a dark secret.

  The Raven ship approached from the western side, using cloaking tech and the mountain itself to conceal its presence. It hovered along a steep slope, churning clouds of snow in its wake. Inside the cockpit, Agent Korovin stood over the pilot’s shoulder as she steered the vessel towards the vault. A hologram grid along the viewport aligned itself with the topography. An icon blinked in the distance, signaling the facility behind a large outcrop. The nav computer outlined the main access road leading up to the entrance.

  “Get us within a mile and choke the roadway,” he said through his headset.

  “Yes sir,” the pilot said.

  “Maintain pre-prep while on the ground. We may need an immediate evac.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Spasibo, Lauren.”

  She glanced back to the agent. “Good luck, sir.”

  Korovin gripped her shoulder before turning away and heading back to the holding bay. Jonas, Jemison, and the two guards remained strapped into their seats. A palpable dread had poisoned the air. They all stared into bleak unknowns, detached from the world around them.

  The Raven lowered to the access road and came to a rest on its landing gear. A gentle thump concluded their arrival. The engines faded to black, leaving the ship under cover of night. Jonas, Jemison, and the guards unbuckled from their seats and joined Korovin near the bay exit. He had opened an arms panel filled with shock rifles, the assault equivalent of stun batons. Each weapon carried enough charge to fry a hundred nervous systems. He plucked the rifles from their docks and handed them to Jemison and the guards. Jonas eyed the weapons through a doleful sneer, wondering how many humans they had murdered.

  “This isn’t exactly structured,” Korovin said as he tossed his gaze around the group. “Our goal is to neutralize at any and all cost. We will approach from vantage as best we can, but other than that, weapons free.”

  The guards nodded.

  “We could really use an AG unit,” Jemison said.

  “We don’t know who else is compromised.”

  “I know. Just thinking out loud.”

  “What am I supposed to do?” Jonas said.

  Korovin shrugged. “He’s your comrade, maybe you can talk some sense into him.”

  “He’s not my—” Jonas cut himself short and huffed.

  Korovin gripped the door handle, then exhaled a heavy sigh. “You know, we could really use an AG unit,” he said, then yanked it open.

  Moonlight poured into the vessel, followed by the rustle of aspen trees as they swayed in the wind. They dropped to the pavement and started up the roadway with rifles at the ready. Crickets and owls added to the evening chorus as they hurried towards the vault entrance. A band of purple light stretched across the sky, a rare view of the Milky Way outside the city. Jonas lagged behind to marvel at the sight, wondering if he would see it again. A sudden gust of frigid wind yanked his mind back into play. He dropped his gaze to the road and jogged to catch up.

  The group rounded a bend to bring the vault into view. The structure was as simple as it was secure, just a concrete box plunged into the rock face with a landing pad out front. The entry led to an open hangar large enough for transport ships. An open port flooded the platform with bright light. The wing of a Raven ship was visible from afar, prompting Korovin to pause for a regroup. He motioned into the forest line, opting to approach from the opposite side where cover was thickest. The group followed into the brush, where they crept through a maze of trees and shrubs.

  They halted behind a large boulder near the port, using it as cover for a quick survey. A handful of soldiers guarded the entry. Korovin recognized them as members of the AG4 unit that had accompanied him to the Yukon. He turned to the group and relayed the info through hand signals.

  Jemison nodded and tightened her grip on the rifle.

  The guards nodded and inched forward with weapons raised and ready.

  Jonas exhaled a laden breath.

  Korovin tucked his rifle and motioned to proceed, but a sudden whir from behind stole their attention. They spun to engage, only to stare into the blast of a UV flare.

  CHAPTER 19

  Jonas blinked through a needling haze as his eyes recovered from the blast. He stumbled against the boulder, pawing for balance as a char infected the air around him. Soon after, a silhouette revealed itself inside the purple glow of an armed UV flare. A man in military garb stood before him. His head was exposed.

  Another human.

  A mane of shaggy blonde hair framed a prominent brow and sharp jaw. The man smirked and dropped the weapon to his side. “Been a while, Jonas,” he said.

  Jonas narrowed his eyes as a familiar voice conjured an image from childhood. “Luke?”

  “In the flesh,” he said with a cocky tone. “Can’t say the same for your friends, though.”

  Jonas lowered his gaze to the ground where the empty duds of Korovin, Jemison, and the guards rested in the dirt. Strips of fabric fluttered in the breeze as motes of ash drifted through the forest. Jonas eyed one of the shock rifles leaning against the boulder.

  “And you can leave that right where it is,” Luke said, raising a pistol of his own.

  Jonas returned a hesitant gaze to Luke. He looked more like Hector than Tobias ever did, a fact that drew a healthy amount of hatred. Maintain image.

  Luke nodded towards the facility. “Let’s go.”

  Jonas exhaled a heavy sigh as he rose from the boulder. He tossed a glare at Luke, then stepped around the rock face and began a short trek up to the landing pad. They climbed onto the concrete platform and passed into the harsh light pouring from the bay door. A pair of AG4 soldiers in black uniforms hardened their stances. The bright glare reflected off their polished helmets. Luke nodded at them as he and Jonas moseyed through the entry port.

  They stepped into a large hangar with tall ceilings and minimal fixtures. Glossy domes dotted the space, shielding a network of cameras and sensors. A pane of bulletproof glass housed a security station along the rear wall. Corridors to either side led to vault chambers deep inside the mountain. Piles of ash and empty gear littered the facility, the remnants of an overwhelmed security force. The AG4 unit had raided the vault with relative ease.

  A pair of Raven ships rested inside the hangar, filling the space with an idle hum. The remaining soldiers carted black crates of SFBs up from the depths. Pilots inspected the units before loading them into bombing chutes. Agent Razin stood between the ships with her back to the entrance, managing the process.

  “Looky what I found,” Luke said with an uptick.

  Razin turned to the pair, then raised an eyebrow.

  The soldiers glanced at the intruder, but continued their tasks undeterred.

  “Found him outside with some agents,” Luke said as he and Jonas strolled to a stop.

  “Who?” Razin said.

  “Some older dude and the chick from the news. Couple of redshirts, too. Popped ‘em all with a flare.” Luke flipped the baton in the air and winked when he caught it.

  Jonas eyed the cylindrical device, the weapon of choice for any transient who entered the field. He hadn’t held one in years, but could sense the contour. Eight-inch wand, clear plastic, rubber grip, about a pound in weight.

  Razin sneered. “What of the remains?”

  “Just some threads out in the bushes,” Luke said. “Ain’t no harm.”

  “Any others?”

  “Got a bird on t
he strip with naught but a pilot. No other incomings.”

  Jonas cringed and bowed his head.

  Luke chuckled. “You should know better than anyone, brother. In a world of tech dependence, a functional eyeball is your best defense.”

  Razin studied Jonas with a vexed expression, as if stifled by his presence. She returned her gaze to Luke. “Destroy the mobile devices and kill the pilot.”

  “Why? We’re rolling and she’s all by her lonesome.”

  “We can’t take the risk.”

  Luke hardened his gaze and took a heavy step forward. “We’re not sucking the NExUS tit anymore. And you don’t give the orders around here.”

  Razin maintained a cold stare, but did not respond.

  “Just do it,” Tobias said as he strolled up to the group.

  Jonas lifted his gaze to the Axeman, who had traded his orange jumpsuit for some basic military garb. His hair and beard remained an unkempt mess.

  “Ain’t no point,” Luke said to his brother.

  “Just a precaution,” Tobias said with the cold demeanor of his father. “We’re not in the air yet.”

  Luke sneered at Razin like a petulant child, wearing his derision for all to see. He backed away with flare in hand, then spun into a jog and left the hangar. Tobias nodded at Razin, who heeded his command and returned to her tasks. Jonas studied the exchange with a tight lip, sensing the pull of the Axeman’s wake.

  Tobias turned to Jonas, then scoffed and shook his head. “The balls on you. Desk agents and lobby guards? What the fuck did you think would happen?”

  “Didn’t have much choice,” Jonas said.

  Tobias filled his lungs, then released a cache of quandary through his nose. “So here we are.”

  Jonas glanced around the chamber. “What do you want me to say? That you don’t have to do this? That Hector was wrong? That the divine mission is a lie?”

  Tobias barked with laughter.

  The reaction caught Jonas off-guard. He stammered for a moment, then fell silent.

  Tobias slowed to a grumble. “The divine mission. What a stupid fucking notion that was. Father had a unique talent for stirring the masses, but even Luke and I saw his beliefs as the worst kind of extreme.”

  Jonas eyed the crates of SFBs. “But you said this was all about restoring purpose.”

  “Yes, but not to humanity. Or to any form thereof.”

  Jonas could sense his knees weaken as a cold realization dawned upon him.

  “It’s about ending the rot of self,” Tobias said. “You’re somebody, I’m somebody, they’re somebody, which means we’re a plague of narcissistic nobodies. We produce nothing that isn’t self-absorbed. We’re destroyers. And the world is better off without us.”

  Jonas eyed the soldiers as they prepped the Raven ships for departure. “And you think they’re going to die for you? For this? You think they’re going to watch the world end for everyone they have ever known and loved?”

  Tobias chuckled as a devious smirk stretched across his face. “Yulia,” he said with a haunting gravitas.

  Razin hurried to his side. “Yes sir?”

  “Where are we?”

  “Load complete, awaiting your command.”

  Jonas ruffled his brow with confusion.

  “Good,” Tobias said, then grasped her shoulder with a gentle hand. “I think it’s time.”

  Her lips quivered as a rush of elation flooded her body. Tears welled in her eyes. She folded her hands atop her chest and took a few steps back.

  “Attention, brothers and sisters,” Tobias said, his voice booming inside the chamber. “If you would be so kind as to join us here in the center.”

  The soldiers heeded the call and formed a circle around the two humans.

  Tobias locked his hands behind his back and wandered around the group. “Your dedication to this cause has been a shining beacon in an ocean of darkness. I cannot thank you enough for your bravery and devotion. We sought to right a pivotal wrong, and you have given us the strength to fulfill that promise. This moment has loomed for a very long time, and it is with a heavy heart that I must bring our accord to its grand conclusion. The time has come to end the suffering that your parents wrought upon you.”

  The soldiers removed their helmets and dropped them to the ground. The hollow clunks of plastic on concrete echoed around the room. Every face wore an expression of joy and relief. They smiled and nodded as Tobias gripped hands and patted shoulders. He stopped at Agent Razin and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Rest well,” he said with a soft whisper.

  She smiled wide and cupped his cheek.

  Tobias returned to the center of the circle and withdrew a UV flare from his pocket. He armed the device with a few taps, resulting in a purple glow. His posture stiffened as he made one final spin around the group, eyeing each member before coming to a stop. “I bid you all a very fond farewell.” He raised the flare overhead and pressed the trigger.

  Jonas shielded his eyes as a burst of blinding light filled the chamber, reducing the assembly to ash. Empty uniforms fell into lopsided piles. A bracelet clanked and clattered to a rest. Jonas lowered his trembling arm as a terrifying stillness blanketed the hangar. Tobias returned the flare to his pocket and glanced around the circle of death.

  “That’s the problem with utopias,” he said. “Once your needs are met, you no longer need anything.”

  Jonas dropped to his knees as the unbearable weight of annihilation crushed his mind. He stared into the void, lost inside a prison of nothing, compelled to abandon reason for desperation. “You won’t kill them all,” he said, then raised a defiant gaze to Tobias. “You can bomb every town and city, but you won’t kill them all.”

  Tobias grinned, then stepped forward and dropped to a knee, bringing them face-to-face. He reached into his other pocket and withdrew a small white canister. A steady hand lifted it between their gazes. “Did you think your little coup had washed this away?”

  Jonas closed his eyes, hoping that his mind was playing a cruel trick. King Street Station flashed into his conscience, surrounding him with the patter of commuters, the blares of horns, the addled look in Korovin’s eyes as he accepted the plague to end all plagues.

  “You didn’t stop anything,” Tobias said. “You handed a doomsday weapon to a power-hungry empire. There are no good regimes, brother. Only pompous crooks who have yet to slaughter the dregs.”

  Jonas doubled over and whimpered.

  Tobias rose to his feet and pocketed the canister. “So the plan is simple. Flash the cities and spray the towns. Kill the horde and leave the rest to die. Before long, the Eternal Age will perish with a cough and whimper.” He paused to savor the sorrow, then smirked at a stricken Jonas. “And then you and your Mortal Vestige can limp into extinction.”

  Jonas flinched and lifted a stunned gaze to Tobias, who met it with the full weight of his disdain.

  “I was waiting for you to rear your head. And I knew it was you the second I saw it. You have a weakness for unity that’s hard to mask.” Tobias huffed and glanced around the vault. “And to think that all this started with a forum post calling for peace.” He strolled over to an empty helmet and nudged it with his boot, shedding a thin film of ash. “Have you ever stopped to consider what peace implies? We need a word to explain the periods of time between murders. What does that say about the value of our species?”

  Jonas clenched his lips and bowed his head.

  Luke jogged into the hanger and slowed to an amble. He groaned when he saw the circle of carnage. “Aw, I wanted to see that.”

  Tobias grinned. “Sorry, brother.”

  Luke shrugged. “S’okay. Better show is on the way.”

  “Do me a favor, would you? Shutter the vaults and lock down the bay. I want him to have a good view.”

  “Can do.” Luke proceeded to the security office.

  Tobias eyed Jonas with a callous glare. “I almost forgot. I have a prese
nt for you.” He turned away and strolled to one of the Ravens.

  Jonas remained crippled inside the ashen circle as Tobias disappeared into the ship. Moments later, he emerged with a familiar face. Her hands were bound. A cloth gag stretched across her cheeks and mouth. Floor grime sullied her yellow pajamas. Her reddened eyes pleaded for mercy, then cried out when they found Jonas.

  Tobias shoved Anna out of the ship.

  She plummeted to the pavement and landed on her side, drawing a pained yelp. Jonas shot to his feet and sprinted to her aid. He cradled her in his arms as wails of anguish and elation fled his chest.

  Tobias scoffed at the tearful reunion, then refocused his attention on launch prep.

  Luke secured the hangar and leapt into the other ship to begin his own prep.

  Anna whimpered as Jonas yanked on the restraints. The gag fell away, unleashing a torrent of coughs and gasps. He untied her hands and she immediately threw them around his neck. She squeezed him tight and howled with crippling regret. “I’m sorry,” she said repeatedly as they rocked back and forth in each other’s arms. Jonas clutched her back and buried his face into the nape of her neck. He wept with the same remorse.

  Pillars of blue flame spilled from the Raven hulls as their engines ignited, turning piles of ash into swirling clouds. A deafening roar consumed the hangar as the ships rose into a hover. Jonas and Anna scrambled into action as the ground rumbled underfoot. They ran to the nearest wall and ducked to the floor for cover.

  Tobias steered his vessel through the entrance port and floated over the landing pad. Treetops swayed beneath the powerful exhaust as the ship rose into the night and surged towards Seattle with a burst of flame. Citizens continued to rage in the streets, oblivious to the impending doom.

  The other Raven drifted out of the vault with Luke at the helm. The vessel climbed into the darkness and departed for an unknown city.

  Silence returned to the hangar.

  Jonas and Anna climbed to their feet and stepped to the center of the chamber. A cloud of ash swirled around them as it floated down to the floor. Jonas spun around the space with a mounting panic, as the lockdown left them exposed. Anna read the heartache in his eyes and reflected it back to him. Such a short time to say so much, but not much needed saying. She cupped his cheeks and pressed her head to his, bringing him back to the moment they shared. With a single touch, her unwavering devotion became the foundation on which her memory would survive.