by Peter Hoole
“Okay. You first,” James said, not wanting to give something without receiving first.
“My name is Caleb. Captain Caleb Jackson, USMC.”
James was surprised. He’d assumed the man was military trained, but he had also assumed he worked for an agency. He didn’t ever consider the person capable of breaching his facility would be a mere soldier.
Caleb nodded towards the man, indicating it was his turn to speak.
“Very well. You want to know my name?” James asked.
“Yes. Yes, I do,” replied Caleb.
James paused, knowing that what he was about to reveal would provide more of a shock than anything they had heard for a while. As he was about to reveal his identity, he was struck with a plan. A plan to buy him some more time.
“My name,” James began, “will take some time to explain…”
Darcy and Casey had made their way through the colony. As they moved, Darcy found herself getting distracted. She couldn’t help but marvel at the design and innovation in the structure. There was elegance to the design, and she was nothing if not impressed.
Had she had more time, she would have ensured they stopped in each room, examining the similarities and differences. This would allow them, in her mind, to better understand their opponents. Unfortunately for Darcy’s ambitions, the time was not right for such thoughts.
They had left Caleb and the rest about ten minutes earlier. As they made their way through the facility, they’d tried various avenues to what they thought would be the colony main frame. Even if it wasn’t the source of all information, it would hopefully at least provide a guide as to where they could find it.
The room, identified as Communications, had a different basic design to the rest of the rooms. It had more Ethernet wiring, both flowing to and away from the room. Darcy only hoped they were walking in the right direction. After all, the rooms looked so similar, she could have sworn they were travelling in circles.
Fortunately, Casey didn’t share her trepidation. He moved forward with the same confidence Darcy had observed so many times in Caleb. It was a walk of confidence and consideration. Casey moved purposefully, as though prepared for anything that might be lurking around the corner.
Darcy did what she could to ensure their rear was protected. As such, she tried to mimic Casey’s movements. She wasn’t helped by the equipment she was wearing. The equipment was not cumbersome, but nor was it light. Just the weight of the various equipment, communicators, utility belts, knives and the rest was enough to remind Darcy that she really should have used the gym membership she had purchased months ago.
Her non-physical strength had always been one of her best qualities, and she would need to draw on all its power just to navigate the colony.
After a time, Casey stopped. He held up his fist, which signalled to Darcy to hold her position. Casey turned to Darcy, and whispered, “We have contact. I can see a line-up of people around the corner.”
“Line up?” asked Darcy. “What for?”
“Not sure. I don’t think they’re waiting for the communications room though.”
Darcy was compelled to agree. “We need to find out what’s in that room. Are they guarded?”
“Not that I can see, but I can only see about three people. Who knows how long this line extends for? Plus, I imagine the place is on some kind of lock-down. That would explain why we haven’t seen anyone yet.”
“Why’s that?”
“All non-essentials would have been sent to some kind of muster point. Only the people who need to be away from the main population would be wandering the base.” Casey looked up from the tablet, towards the line of people. “Which makes me think that, whatever they are lining up for has to be important.”
Darcy could only agree. There was no argument against it. “What’s the plan?” she asked.
Casey couldn’t answer, he did not have enough information. While there was no indication of guards, there was certainly the possibility they would be there. After all, the room was important enough that people were still using it during the lock-down, and therefore it was important enough to protect. “We’re going to have to get closer.” Casey said.
As he took his first step, an alarm began to sound in the colony. Similar to an air raid siren, the speakers whirred with the sound. The noise was so loud, and so unexpected that it caused Darcy and Casey to cover their ears. Casey, however, continued to observe the line. They too, it seemed, were surprised by the alarm. The people Casey could see also held their hands over their ears.
Several loud bursts emanated from the intercom. After the initial bursts, the noise was interrupted by a voice. It was a voice neither Casey nor Darcy had heard before, and yet it sounded eerily familiar.
“Attention, Haven Colonists. Due to an incursion by outsiders, the colony is now required to shut down. Haven will implode in thirty minutes. Please make your way to your emergency departure zones. Supervisors, make necessary preparations for departure. This is not a drill. Repeat. Please make your way to your emergency departure zones. More information will be provided upon your arrival.”
Darcy and Casey looked at each other.
“Murphy!” Darcy said with a smile.
Casey also smiled. “I knew she would come through. She always does.” Casey returned his attention to the people waiting in the line. Most of them had started to disperse. A few remained behind, and seemed to be remonstrating with a woman. The woman was dressed neatly, in a similar motif to the rest of the colonists. The main difference was her white coat.
Darcy crept closer to Casey, so she too, had a good view of the woman. The argument was turning aggressive, but from their vantage point, neither Darcy nor Casey could hear what was being said. Without formal acknowledgement, they moved closer to try and hear the discussion.
It was clear that the woman was being pressured by the remaining people. “It will only take a minute! Why will you not let us in, Helen?”
The woman, Helen, was trying to calm the people down. “Look. The alarm has sounded; we don’t have time for this,” she said. It was obvious she had had enough of the insubordination. “If you do not move to your departure zone now, I will make sure you are left behind.”
The remaining people looked at each other. Darcy could see the moment they resigned themselves to the situation. It was even more important they get in the room now. Whatever it was, must be important, and that was even clearer now.
The remaining people moved away, leaving only Helen and a guard in view. After a few seconds of quieter discussion, a conversation neither Casey nor Darcy could make out, they moved back into the room. Casey then used the moment to attack.
Moving swiftly, Casey launched himself towards the door. There was a heartbeat between Casey’s movement, and Darcy’s reaction. She followed as fast as she could. Casey moved to the door, and he quickly disappeared inside, weapon raised. Darcy did what she could to keep up, but by the time she entered the room, Casey had done his work.
The guard was slumped on the ground, having received three bullets to his chest from close proximity. Casey stood a few yards into the room, his weapon firmly fixed on the other woman.
Darcy entered the room, not surprised by the precision of Casey’s work. As she entered she looked around the room. The room was similar to the many rooms they’d passed on their way. The major difference being the medical stations that were set-up around the room. Each bed had a contraption adjacent - a contraption that had needles attached.
From as little information as Darcy had gathered on the Kite, she knew this was the room where the serum was administered, and it became apparent just who the woman in front of them was.
The woman had her arms raised.
“Now what?” she asked Casey.
Casey spoke to her, without taking his eyes off the woman. “Now… we get some information,” he said.
Chapter Fifty-Three
The sound of the alarm was almost predictable. William ha
d been outside the motel. The same motel Paul had hidden in, only a few days earlier. He’d been waiting patiently, hoping the rogue group of outsiders – Dunleavy and his people – would try to make their way through.
All throughout the small town, William had positioned his men. Some were hidden, like the dozen inside the convenience store, and others were hiding in plain sight. Most occupied the main street of the town, posing as outsiders. In actual fact, William had planned the situation very well. He had accounted for virtually every entry point into the town. He had planned the perfect strangle. He and his people would lie in wait, allowing the outsiders to enter the town. Once inside, they would be cut off from all angles, no escape possible. It was almost perfect.
Almost.
When the alarm had sounded, William realised just how imperfect his plan had been. At that stage, he didn’t know for certain who had set off the alarm.
Had James set it off? That was the only option as far as William could concede. The only person with access and the correct codes to set off the alarm was James. William had been briefed on the nature of the alarm, but the final input of the code had and always would fall to Haven’s leader.
All William knew for sure, was that whatever was happening inside the colony, it had caused the alarm to sound, and that he was not where he was most needed.
As the alarm continued to sound, William considered his options. He had a couple of hundred troops scattered throughout the town and its surrounds. While others would think the numbers overkill, William considered them essential. While Haven was by no means the largest Colony – designed specifically to be the most inconspicuous – the security detail was essential to protect its secrets.
The question he was asking himself now, was what to do with them all. If the alarm had been set off by James, then they all needed to get to their evacuation points. James would not have set the alarm if it were not the case.
However, if it had indeed been set off by the outsiders, and was a ruse to evacuate the building, then William would need to act to prevent the outsiders from continuing. It was not an easy set of circumstances, and it was not a situation William had ever contemplated, let alone planned for. He would need to call on his instincts, for those were all the training he had for this situation. After contemplation, he made his decision and lifted the communicator to his mouth. “Squad One,” he began, referring to his best team, “make your way to the Entry Point One.” William referred to the convenience store back room, “the rest of you, move to your evacuation areas.”
With those words, the town came to life. Hundreds of people emerged from the buildings, all moving towards their departure areas. As protocol dictated, the hangar bay was off-limits. This was largely due to safety. As the implosion would eminate from within, all colonists were to make their way to the surface, and make their way from the colony in ‘Bats, or via the nearby airfield.
Once at their designated evacuation points, the colonists would make their way across the country, their destinations varying. Some would head to the closeness of Sydney, no more than a few hours away. Others would face a long journey across the country, taking them to Perth, the Western Australian capital. That journey would take upwards of forty hours in the ‘Bats. Other destinations included Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Townsville and Darwin.
From there, each group would again have varying instructions. Some would fly out on commercial airlines, others on private planes. The lucky ones would be taken away from the country in Kites.
Some would leave immediately, whereas others would wait weeks. The very fact that there was so much time from that moment to all the Haven colonists being safe further alerted William to the seriousness of the situation. Such action would slow their plans, and Phase Three and beyond would be put on hold.
As the troops moved to their various locations, William waited at the entry for Squad One to arrive. He felt it his duty to return to the colony, to James’ side. Not only to ensure his leader’s safety, but also to ensure James knew he could be relied upon.
As the members of Squad One arrived, William motioned for them to follow him. They were, without a doubt, William’s best people. They had all been taken from their previous lives at the height of a conflict. They had all died fighting.
Fighting for a cause they believed in. Some were Nazis, some were Viet Cong, and some were Green Berets. And regardless of their ideology from their previous life, all of them had adopted Haven’s way of life, and Haven’s ideals.
William had promised them glory, and so far he had kept his promise. They followed him with the fervour of zealots, such was their devotion to the cause. “Follow me” William said, his tone implying a sense of urgency.
As he took a step toward the door, one of his men spoke. “Where are we going? Why do we not go to the ‘evac’?”
William paused at the entry of the petrol station, the façade that protected the surface entry of the colony. “We are going to James. I have a feeling he needs our help.”
As the words left his mouth, the Squad reached a new level of readiness. They had, after all, been lying in wait in the town, hoping the outsiders would arrive. Now, they were required to focus even more. They were being asked by their commander to potentially save the leader of the colony.
For many of them, it had been many years since they had seen any real combat. For the weeks after they were pulled out of their various conflicts, they were recovering. Recovering from their near-death experiences.
William found it was the most effective way of recruitment. Explore the world’s conflict zones and find the soldiers who were near to death. Such was the power of the Source. There was no ailment, short of complete bodily disfigurement, that it could not cure. Bullets to the body were not a problem, provided they were removed with speed and did not immediately shut down any vital organs.
The Source had worked miracles, sometimes right before William’s eyes.
And he used those miracles to recruit the people who were now following him. They were already trained killers, and bringing them all back from the brink of death always turned them into loyal followers. It was this loyalty that William used on this occasion. He knew they had all been trained well. Hell, he did it himself. One of the most important lessons that any of the Colonial’s learned was the alarm. Once heard, it meant immediate evacuation. The alarm would not be sounded unless absolutely critical.
William realised he was asking his team to go against their instincts, but he knew it was the right thing to do. As he saw the Squad tighten their focus, he moved into the convenience store.
He briskly rounded the aisles, ignoring any and all of the products on the shelves, and moved to the counter. As he approached, he activated a trapdoor. As it opened, it revealed a staircase that led down to the basement. He paused at the top of the revealed staircase. Drawing his weapon, William decided to take no chances. He slowly moved down the steps, and entered the colony.
Caleb was unnerved by what James had just told him. The story he’d recounted for the three of them had been, to say the least, unbelievable. Or at least it would have been, had Caleb not heard what he had over the past few days. In fact, his words did not shock him as much as he would have presumed.
James had begun by talking about the founding of the colony.
According to James it went right back to before the country they were in was founded. He told the story of how he brought his ship to the coast. The Dutch has been the first to step foot in Australia, though they landed on the West Coast. Fortunately the Dutch had left, abandoning the country for enough time that he and his men could claim the land.
When they arrived, there was little of anything around. That was for the first few days. After some further exploration, they met some of the natural inhabitants, the original occupiers of the nation. After befriending one of the members of the mob, as they called themselves, they were led to a cave.
And in that cave, James made a discovery.
“We knew when we arrived that we were bound to find something we’d never seen before. Little did I know just what that would be,” James said. “When we reached the centre of the caves, after what seemed like days of travel, we found it. We were shown what would change our world.”
“The Source?” asked Caleb.
“Yes,” James said.
“So wait a second,” Caleb interrupted. “You’re telling me that you were part of the crew that colonised this country. Wasn’t that two hundred years ago?” Caleb had very limited knowledge of Australian history, only what he’d partially learned from the Discovery Channel. For some reason, he remembered the name of the man who is generally credited with the founding of Australia. “Are you telling me you’re Captain Cook? James Cook?” he asked, once again taken aback by the inordinate amount of time the man in front of him claimed to have been alive.
James nodded smugly.
The revelation took a few moments to sink in
“Wait one goddamn minute,” Dunleavy interjected, “Didn’t you die? In Hawaii?”
James again nodded, but this time followed up his affirmation. “Indeed, that is what history has told you all.”
Caleb and Dunleavy stared at each other. Once again, what James was saying was hard to believe, but they couldn’t help themselves but think he was telling the truth.
James continued. “I knew that once we found the Source, we would need to control it. Knowing what I did, I knew that people would become suspicious of what we’d found, especially if I stopped growing older, let alone became younger. So, my men and I came up with a plan. We would live out our lives, and once our deaths could be seen as a natural end, we returned, and began the next part of our journey.”
“Some journey,” Caleb scoffed. “You’ve been responsible for so many deaths. So many people have died so you can complete your journey.” Caleb could feel his anger taking hold. While he appreciated the epic story he was being told, the result had been catastrophic so far.