by RM Hamrick
“Vesna, Audra is a part of your group now - do you at least see her concerns?” asked Dwyn.
“I do, but having her sister roaming around my store and Lysent chasing after her isn’t going to help our replication process!”
The outburst relayed to Audra that Vesna would not see it her way. Audra sighed.
“OK, let me run the antidotes by myself. I’ll get them there in record time. Then will I have permission to come back here and figure out my sister?”
Vesna sighed and closed her eyes to think. Something had to give.
“You can run one antidote. Dwyn will take the other and the scientists behind you. When you both come back, we can TALK about what to do with your sister. Your sister’s life isn’t the only one at stake here.”
Audra left in a huff. She would grab a few drinks while the crew got the antidotes ready for transport. At least she had control of that, despite what Dwyn and Vesna thought.
Audra returned a little less argumentative. She examined the new addition to her pack that Ryder had built. It was a small engineered cooler that used refrigerant from an old appliance and a small solar panel that attached to the top of Audra’s pack. Dwyn thought it was the coolest thing. Ziv suggested that she run in sunny areas. Audra winced at the idea. The sun was rough on her fair skin, and being out in the open was less than ideal. He showed her how to read the efficiency of the small panel and the meter of the battery. She would only have to change course if the battery got too low. Audra hoped for a few well-timed sunny hours that would keep the battery full. Barring battery issues, it would only take a day and a half to get to the lab.
Audra set out on her run. Her head felt warm with her buzz. Only three miles in and the only thing she could think about was the antidote nestled in her bag. She could break out her sister and cure her. She had never had an opportunity like this. And now it was within her grasp. The scientists did not even have a plan for her sister. They wanted to wake up everyone that was roaming free, not just the ones with known loved ones on the other side. To appease her, they suggested the stored infected would be released when the corporation became disorganized and when villagers took over, but they did not know for sure. They did not know that at all. All the zoms in Lysent’s possession could be destroyed as punishment. Enacting the six-month probation was a demonstration of that power.
Lysent’s plaza and her sister were in the other direction, but she was now far enough away that she could turn around and sidestep the township which contained Vesna and the others. Audra would wake up her sister and they would run off together. Dwyn would understand. They had the backup sample, anyway. She had trained Dwyn well. He would provide the backup and make sure that the group’s efforts were not in vain. She would not be hurting anyone, just slowing them down for a few days while they waited for Audra’s return. It was their fault, anyway. Why would they entrust Audra with the antidote when she was the only one with a sick loved one? Or, was she? Did the others have loved ones they cared about in waiting? Audra had never thought to ask. Their common goal was the dismantling of the corporation. Audra had not looked further than that.
No, it didn’t matter. She did not care if Lysent stood or fell, if the scientists had people they cared for or not, she needed to make things right.
Audra turned around and went southwest. She would run far around the township and then make a beeline to the corporation. Audra would have plenty of time to consider a plan. She had hoped breaking out her sister would be a two-person job, but she couldn’t trust Dwyn to understand her subterfuge. He would try to change her mind. Her duty was to her sister, not to him or any others.
Her footsteps matched her heartbeat in both cadence and determination. Each was a march, not just a step away from the laboratory and all it meant, but a step forward to her sister.
CHAPTER TEN
The mugginess of the morning amplified the sun’s heat and made Audra stir. Without opening her eyes, she could tell she was alone in the tent. Belinda’s presence was a strong force. You always knew when she was near.
With Belinda starting a fire and gathering breakfast, Audra rested her aching bones in the still quiet. Quiet was something missing from Audra’s life, even in the woods when most of the population had been rendered speechless. Audra spent most of her days comforting and loving on her sister, encouraging her, and listening to her problems. She had to be there for her, and the sun-speckled morning before Belinda woke was sometimes the only peaceful moment Audra experienced during the day. Audra decided to laze for a few moments more.
They were seven days into their journey. In just a few more, Audra expected to hear the sound of rushing water. They could camp near the bridge closest to the edge. Audra wished the falls would conjure to life something in Belinda she had not seen in a while - hope.
As the warmth filtered onto her face, a shuffling threatened to upend her peace. Soon it was closer. A figure leaned up against the tent, clawing haphazardly at the canvas, trying to get inside. Audra sighed. So much for a quiet morning. Belinda must be out gathering wood or water, for she had not screamed out. A zom was out there, threatening to damage their hard-won tent. Audra slipped on a long shirt and hat and pulled out her dagger. With the zom still focused on one of the side walls, Audra unzipped the front of the tent and stepped out.
The zom was much taller than her, but with a quick jump, she sliced into his softened temple. His curly red hair tinged with darkness as he crumpled onto the tent, much to Audra’s dismay. She pushed him off. She knew she should drag his stench away from the campsite, but it was just so early in the morning. They would leave soon, anyway. She compromised by pulling him behind the tent and let him be, with his arms above his head and his legs dragged straight. While this was not how she had wanted to start her morning, she imagined this was not how he had wanted to spend his, either.
The humidity found in the tent was not present outside, and the warmth gave way to the still chilly morning. Knowing Belinda would have veered off if she spotted the zombie, Audra readied herself to go seek her out. Entering the tent to add another layer of clothes, she noticed Belinda’s pack, neatly disassembled as if she was taking inventory. Audra wondered why she had not woken up for that activity. She glanced over the items. Belinda had left anything needed to carry water, and her usual bundling material to gather sticks also remained inside the tent. Where had Belinda gone? Audra pushed back the disturbed feeling settling in her heart as she stepped out to decipher her sister’s last movements in the campsite.
She did not have to look far to find the note sitting by the remains of last night’s fire. The little bird statue Audra had received at Christmas weighed down the small paper. At once, her mother’s voice sprung forward and echoed in her head.
“Take care of your sister. You are all she has left.”
Audra rushed in the direction of the falls without even thinking to grab her own pack. She ran, realizing that all she had left was her sister.
* * *
Audra ran, lost in the nuances of stealing a person from a corporation’s prison. Thoughts in stationary positions seemed just that, stationary. With motion, she encouraged and pushed her thoughts forward. Each step gave a new view, a new perspective, both physically and mentally. Audra focused on the problem at hand as she worked through the brush. The leaves crunched underneath her. She stayed off the path. She wanted no one to know where she was going and at what time.
Audra needed supplies - something to cut the clear acrylic that kept her from her sister, a suction cup to pull the plastic toward her so she could lower it to the ground, and perhaps a firearm to make their escape. Could she fight her way out? Would she?
She could inject her sister through one of the air holes. How long would the wake-up process take? Besides the bite on her forearm, she was a perfect specimen. Would Belinda be able to recognize her after the injection? Would she be able to help in her escape? Audra realized that Lysent had kept the whole process hidden for a reason.
It was doubtful that the antidote was fast-acting. But what if she took the escape out of the equation? She could administer the cure using the air holes near the floor. Belinda would wake up, eventually.
Lysent would know who stole their antidote, but she would be long gone. She would never show her face in the townships again. She would lose Belinda. Belinda would curse her name, saying she abandoned her, but she would be safe and healthy. She would find friends and a life in the township. And as much as Audra longed to see her smile of recognition, she also knew it would be OK to just make things right.
It was settled. She would visit Belinda, give her the antidote, and then run far from here.
Audra ran past the township where Vesna and the others waited for word that the cure had made it to the laboratory. Instead, she arrived on the outskirts of the township housing Lysent and her beloved Belinda. She slowed to a walk to gather herself and automatically pulled out a snack. If it all worked out, she would soon run again, faster than ever for a long time. Audra considered camping and resting for the night. Rest could do good before Lysent’s goons were on her tail. But, a glance at the battery meter shaded her with doubt, and the scientists would grow nervous concerning Audra’s absence. No, she would have to summon the strength to save herself when the time came.
With the corporation in her sights, it was time to prepare. What would she need for her long journey into the wilderness? How light would she need to keep her pack to outrun Lysent’s horses? How long would they chase her? What else was out there? Audra didn’t know, and she didn’t care. She only hoped they would release her sister when she rose.
Audra set aside the solar panel. An indentured tagger would not have such high technology and gear. Her fingers gently pulled the antidote out of the cooler. As she knelt to hide the panel and cooler in the brush, she heard a crunch, crunch, crunch.
THUMP!
With a well-placed tackle, Audra found herself on her side on the ground. It was not long before she found out who was on top of her.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, AUDRA?!” yelled out Dwyn, his face in hers.
Despite his anger and her surprise, her body involuntarily responded to his warm frame on top of hers. The reaction confused her, and she did not respond. Dwyn also looked uncomfortable. He pulled off of her but did not help her up.
“You’re taking the antidote to your sister, aren’t you?” he said in a calmer voice.
Audra stayed silent, sitting on her rear. She pulled her knees close and brushed leaves off of her pants and arms. She couldn’t be angry about the tackle. She had deceived him. Dwyn paced in front of her, panting from the chase and jump. He was also covered in debris, but that did not concern him.
“That isn’t yours. You’re stealing it,” he tried to explain.
Audra bit her tongue. It was not his either. And she had already stolen it once. But she understood.
He crouched down close to her.
“Audra, I thought we were… friends. Why would you go behind my back?”
She looked down at the ground between her knees. She could not look at him. Audra could convince herself that she couldn’t care less about the scientists, but Dwyn was another story. Dwyn’s trust and camaraderie meant something to her. She wasn’t sure what though. Sometimes it reminded her of her sister, but she dared to consider in a more complete or equal way. There was more give and take. And, she had just dared to take a lot.
“I had to, Dwyn, I’m sorry. I owe it to my sister. This is my best bet to make it right.”
He grabbed her by the arms and gently shook until she met his gaze. He did not understand.
“Make what right?”
The gravity of leaving everything behind and embarking into the western wilderness away from not just Lysent, but Dwyn and Belinda, sank in. Her face did not change shape, but still, tears came steady, tracing the edges of her cheekbones and falling onto her collar.
A simple and convicted, “It’s my fault,” fell from her mouth.
It answered no questions, but he motioned to bring her closer and she fell into him, knocking him off balance and sending the pair backward. Pinning him underneath her, Audra cried until there were no more tears, which took much longer than either expected.
When the tears stopped, Audra found herself still buried in Dwyn’s chest. He was warm and heavy. Audra rolled off of him and onto the ground next to him. They lay side by side with no words. Dwyn did not push her to explain. He was content for a moment to know Audra did not take pleasure in abandoning him or the others. They stared into the tree branches and the sky in between the leaves until Audra found her voice. She was surprised how composed and calm it was.
“It’s my fault Belinda was bitten. I’m the only one looking out for her now. Sending the world into chaos by waking up everyone outside does not help her chances. She’s inside.”
“OK.”
“OK? Okay - what?”
“We will get your sister out before we release the antidote. I’ll convince Vesna. But let us work on the replication first, so we’re ready. You can have the second dose if we accidentally destroy the first. You risked the most to get them. It should be your payment.
“You’ve waited three years. Can you wait another couple of months?”
Audra attempted to wipe her face, but she felt the wetness smear. She pushed it around as her thoughts cleared. Waiting on people and being part of a group was not her specialty. She would rather depend on herself and get things done. This required trust and patience. But, it also afforded an alternative to waking up her sister and disappearing off the face of the earth. In a perfect world, she could wake up her sister right before Lysent came tumbling down. Then things would be made right on all levels, and they would be together.
“Give us a chance, Audra. Don’t run from us.”
He sent his request into the sky but did not want to miss her response. He rolled onto his side, his elbow on the ground and his face on his hand. Dwyn took his flannel sleeve and wiped at her face. There was no helping it though.
Maybe she would give this a try if just for a while.
“I shouldn’t have run…” she admitted.
Dwyn said nothing, but continued to touch her face with the cuff of his sleeve, then moved to his hand. Her skin felt cool with the tears evaporating from the surface. His hand felt rough and strong. Audra closed her eyes to the touch and was jolted ever so slightly when she felt his lips touch hers. She leaned forward and felt his hand in her hair. He guided her back down with a hand at her hip.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“It is good you are here this time,” said Satomi in her genuine way.
It was not meant as a jab, but it reminded Audra that she had been missing during the last two human trials to replicate the antidote. While she had consigned herself as part of the group now, she still felt out of her element in the confines of the laboratory. She spent days, near weeks, at a time occupying herself by tagging in the woods as the scientists worked.
Vesna had not been surprised when Dwyn told her of Audra’s transgression. There was a reason Audra had only been given one vial. Vesna had expected Audra would act out of dire need, but hoped she would also figure out she needed the group, and the group needed her. Vesna stated she would not tell the others of Audra’s excursion. They could all work together a while longer, even if their goals were different.
The first two attempts to replicate the antiviral had failed and killed its subjects. Ryder understood there would be failures before success, and tolerated the deaths. Satomi, more in the medical field where it was “first do no harm,” had the most trouble accepting that harm was inevitable. After many weeks, the group was ready to test their new version of the reproduced antidote.
Satomi, Ryder, and Ziv hung back as Audra and Dwyn looked in the front window of the building that served as their miniature corral. It was rumored among the taggers that Lysent regularly rounded up the unwanted zoms with yellow tags. Lysent kept high-traffic a
reas like the townships and the railway clear, by creating large outdoor corrals to keep the sick out of sight. But unlike a Lysent corral, Ziv knew many of the people in his place of work. Satomi pleaded with him not to share any information, but just let them pick one at random. It felt unethical to make an informed choice on whom to wake up. It felt even more unethical this early in the trials when it was more likely to kill the subject than cure her.
“We’ve just been opening the door and letting one slip out,” said Satomi.
“Well, that’s not going to work this time,” Audra replied.
Zombies swarmed the front door and window, drawn by the previous activity. Scientists peeking into the windows during the day had not helped either. The windows needed to be covered before the zombies tore each other apart. Audra sent Dwyn for a window cover as she circled the building. The next window showed a separate room, closed off, and empty. They would use Satomi’s strategy, but with another door. Audra finagled the lock on the window and slipped inside. The room seemed to serve as a second office and storage area; a desk sat in the center, but cleaning and extra office supplies also shared the space. Audra hid behind the interior door to the zoms as she opened it halfway. She resisted the urge to show her face to the zoms and instead allowed Ryder and Satomi to relay the information to her.
“Three maybe,” shouted Ryder.
“Oh, there are more!” called out Satomi.
She was not surprised to hear others were coming. They may not have seen the door, but they saw their comrades change directions and followed their lead. Just as Audra was growing impatient, one cleared the doorway. It met Audra’s boot at once then hit the floor. She shut the door on the others.
The door did not close but bounced off more flesh.
A forearm poked through.
The floored zombie spiked with energy, feeding off the smell of life coexisting in the room. It both tried to pivot on the ground to eye its prey and stand up to charge, resulting in a half-crouched spin. Audra still had a few moments while it gained control of its stubborn body. She returned her focus to the door through which it had come. Audra held pressure on it with her body as she tried to return the arm to its owner on the other side. She had to avoid its claw while being careful not to slip her arm into its face.