“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. There. Behind those dangling wires. Do you see it? The round wheel?”
“Yes. I see the wheel.”
“You need to spin it counterclockwise.”
“I do not understand.”
Dr. Randall huffed from the exertion of holding her up. He gently placed her back on the ground. “Of course you don’t. No clocks.” He used his finger to point to the air. “Turn it this way.” He motioned to his left.
“You will take me away from Tro? You will take me with you?”
“I promise. If we get out, you’re coming with us,” Erika said.
Xenos stood motionless as though contemplating what to do. Finally she nodded and closed her eyes. Erika couldn’t tell if Xenos was concentrating or taking a nap. She remained motionless and utterly silent for several minutes.
Finally, there was a small but noticeable squeaking sound.
“You’re doing it,” Dr. Randall said. His voice was a whisper.
Xenos didn’t open her eyes. She remained fixed to the ground, her face toward the wall, her body still.
There was another squeak then a loud groan. It sounded like the loud echos of a whale song. It was as though the entire room where they stood moaned.
Xenos shrank back from the wall and covered her ears with her hands.
“Are you okay?” Erika asked.
“I have angered it. It is forbidden. I will be punished,” she said. Her face was writ with terror.
Erika took her again by the shoulders but more gently this time. “It’s okay. I’ll protect you. I promise.” Erika hoped that she could make good on the promise. “Do you think it worked?” she asked Dr. Randall.
“I don’t know. Something’s happening.”
Just as Dr. Randall finished his thought, there was a distinct gurgling sound.
“Water,” Erika said. The mere thought of water brightened her mood. It had been so long since she’d felt rain on her face or the gentle spray of a shower on her body. She longed to fling herself into a pool or stand under a showerhead for hours, allowing herself to prune up.
“Yes,” Dr. Randall said. “It appears that it worked. At least water is flowing. Now whether it will get to the rest of A.H.D.N.A. I cannot say. But we’ve done what we can here.”
“Not quite. We should try to break off the valve if we can. That way they can’t undo our work,” Erika said.
Dr. Randall nodded. “If only we had a hammer or …” He searched the ground with his eyes.
“Can you lift me?” Erika asked.
Dr. Randall shrugged, took a deep breath and hoisted Erika into the air beside the wall of ancient waterworks.
She searched with her fingers and found the valve. “I hope it’s as rusty as the rest of this place.” She yanked as hard as she could. “I’ve got hold of it. Pull me.”
Dr. Randall grunted under her weight but kept hold of her as he pulled. Erika summoned all the strength she had and kept a tight grip on the valve. It squeaked beneath her fingers and she pulled harder. The ancient metal gave way, and she and Dr. Randall both fell to the ground. Water trickled from the hole where the valve used to be.
“We need to get out of here before it floods,” Erika said. She helped Dr. Randall up and grabbed Xenos’ hand. “Hurry, before you get wet.”
The water had started as a trickle but was already a stream pouring from the broken valve. They ran back down the hall. Dr. Randall tripped again on the pile of rubble in the doorway.
“We need to find the antiviral now,” Erika called over her shoulder.
“We have a stop to make first.”
Erika could see where this was going. Dr. Randall would, of course, want to rescue Tex. He was, after all, like a son to him. But Erika would be damned if she would try to rescue Tex before she helped Ian.
She stopped and caught her breath, her hands on her knees. “No. I’m not going to help you get Tex. He betrayed us, Dr. Randall.”
Dr. Randall’s eyes watered. “I know. I was not suggesting that. I – well, since it appears that we are indeed at A.H.D.N.A., a future version of it anyway, I know where we can get weapons.”
He had Erika’s attention now. Even with the waterworks flowing, there was no guarantee that the ancient conduits would work to bring increased moisture to the rest of A.H.D.N.A. And with weapons they might be able to fight off any Conexus that stood between them and the antiviral.
“If the weapons haven’t been removed, that is. And if they’re still operational. Come. We’ll go to Commander Sturgis’ weapons cache.”
Dr. Randall didn’t wait for an answer or argument. Now away from the gushing water, he slowed to a walk. Xenos hurried after him without so much as a look in Erika’s direction.
Erika briefly considered going after the antiviral on her own but decided to stick with Dr. Randall instead. They had a better chance of survival if they stuck together and stayed with Xenos. She hoped that they didn’t encounter any Conexus before she could get a rifle in her hands.
21
TEX
Tex followed behind the Regina as she left the room filled with Conexus in interface with the manufacturing machines. Tex was unsure if his feet were on the ground. It was as though he was pulled like a balloon on a string, his movements effortless.
They passed doors behind which he sensed Conexus, but also many doors that were empty on the other side.
“It seems like you have a lot of empty space here.”
“We are a closed system. The biological nature of our existence is – problematic. We require additional genetic diversity. You, 9, will provide it. Come. Meet your newest cousins.”
Doors slid open and a soft violet glow spilled into the hallway. They moved through the purple haze into a dimly lit room filled with row after row of large glass cylinders. The cylinders were lit from below and filled with a viscous, purple-tinged liquid. The light moving through the liquid created the soft, violet glow.
And in each cylinder was a body.
Tex moved about the room freely, inspecting each container. Some were small, no more than a foot tall, while others were nearly four feet. All the faces were identical. All the bodies were covered in wrinkly, grey skin. All the heads were bulbous, the eyes overly large.
All were Conexus.
“Clones,” Tex said aloud.
The Regina sidled up next to him and whispered in his ear, “My children.” She lightly touched her finger to the glass of the cylinder that Tex stared into. She touched another finger and then a third and finally splayed her entire hand against the glass. The Conexus inside the container moved.
The unexpected movement from the creature that had previously been still startled Tex. He stepped back from the glass.
The Regina ignored his apparent fright. “We were once many thousands more in number than we are today. But our genetic material is old, oft used and has degraded. We have attempted to bolster our numbers through the gathering of genetic material from humans. But our attempts to create hybrids has not been as successful as we had hoped.” Her lips were once again close to his ear. “None of them turned out like you.” Her breath was warm and stirring. “Your genetic material will reenergize the gene pool. I will once again be able to create many healthy clones.”
Tex had never been with a woman. Though he had read about reproduction, it had been academic. In practice, he was entirely naïve about such things. “Are you asking me to couple with you?”
The Regina moved away from him. “Of course not.”
He was instantly colder without her near.
“Barbaric and primitive.” She moved to the back of the room filled with clones floating silently in life-sustaining liquid and disappeared through a small doorway.
Tex followed and found her in a tiny, cave-like room. In the center of the room was a smooth stone table. An apparatus of metal arms hung over the table.
“What is this place?” Tex asked.
“It is a sacred space.
” She had been across from him, but in an instant she was behind him, her hands caressing his face, her arms around his waist. “I have allowed none to enter this place.” Her lips grazed his cheek. “It is the place of harvesting.”
Tex’s mind was filled with a mental image that was more than a snapshot. It was a memory complete with understanding of all that he saw in his mind’s eye. It was the Regina’s memory imparted to him. And in the memory, she was reclined on the table, her abdomen exposed. The metal arms were busy about her, performing a procedure.
“It harvests your eggs.”
“And it will harvest from you too. It will be a sacred union, and the new clones will be stronger than any I have made before.”
Tex had never considered having children let alone a small army of clones that were at least partial replicas of him. The thought was at once unsettling but also appealed to him. Commander Sturgis had told him that he would never reproduce. He’d been required to read literature about hybridization and had learned that most hybrids were infertile.
“You are capable of offspring.”
Tex’s heart beat rapidly. His palms sweat. “And you’re sure of this?”
“Quite certain. But do not worry yourself over these matters at this time. Come. There is much more to see. I will show you Tro.”
22
ERIKA
Dr. Randall now walked through the halls of the former A.H.D.N.A. like a man with a purpose. His shoulders no longer drooped. He knew this place like the back of his hand.
He moved swiftly through the maze of corridors. Loud groans echoed in the walls from the water long held at bay. It now infiltrated the ancient structure, winding through cracks and seeking a path. One corridor was filled with a high-pitched noise that sounded like a squealing baby. Water dripped on them from the ceiling.
“We need to hurry,” Dr. Randall called back. “The pipes, or what’s left of them, are likely bursting. I’m afraid these ancient walls will begin to crumble.”
Erika hadn’t needed more incentive to move quickly. All she could think about was getting the antiviral for Ian before the Conexus figured out what they’d done and found them. She was nearly at a jog to keep up with Dr. Randall and Xenos.
It seemed like Dr. Randall was leading them to the furthest corner away from where Ian still lay battling the virus. “Where are we going, Dr. Randall? It feels like you’re walking to Phoenix. Or at least what used to be Phoenix.”
Dr. Randall let out a soft chuckle. “Yes, it is far. But the weapons were stored in the military section of A.H.D.N.A., near the high-speed train tunnel. It was at the farthest end of A.H.D.N.A. away from the H.A.L.F. program. That is, if it’s still there.”
“It seems unlikely that they wouldn’t have used the weapons a long time ago or moved them, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe. If they knew where they were hidden.”
Dr. Randall took one last turn and they were at a dead end. Or at least what appeared to be a dead end. The lights that ran along the floor of the hallways were flickering. Maybe the water’s messing with the electrical wiring.
In the dim light, Dr. Randall frantically combed the wall with shaky hands. “Come on. I know you’re here somewhere.”
“What’re you looking for?” Erika asked.
“A hidden locking mechanism. It will make the wall open to reveal the cache.”
Erika ran her hands along the wall too. The concrete was chalky and crumbly from age and cool to the touch. “What, exactly, am I feeling for?”
“A bump. You press your fingers along the bottom of it and it will reveal a keypad.”
Erika figured all the wiring was probably long ago corroded and there was little hope that it would work. But she kept searching the wall anyway.
“Found it!” Dr. Randall yelled. “I’m pressing it …”
If Erika had known how difficult it would be to access the weapons, she would have opted to forego the excursion. It had cost them valuable time that they didn’t have only to end in disappointment.
“Is there any other way?” Erika asked.
“No.”
“Of course not. That would have been the smart thing to do. Because, you know, in a mega-disaster-emergency – the type where you need weapons – the electricity in an underground facility would never go off or anything.”
“You’re right, of course, but there’s nothing I can do now about the mistake we made thousands of years ago.” Dr. Randall’s voice sounded as tired and hopeless as it had been before they’d found the ancient A.H.D.N.A. waterworks.
“I’m sorry. Look, the water’s flowing. It will amp up the humidity, at least a little. It may give us the advantage we need. Maybe we don’t need the weapons.”
Dr. Randall didn’t answer. In near total darkness, Erika couldn’t see his expression either.
“They … Well, I’m not looking forward to more ‘meetings’ with them.” His voice was quiet and trembly.
“Here. Let me try.” Erika moved to where Dr. Randall stood. “Place my hand on the place.”
“If it won’t work for me, it won’t work for you.”
“Probably not. But I have to do it anyway, like a scratch I have to itch.”
Dr. Randall took her hand and moved it to the spot. There was a distinct bump in the wall, and Erika moved her hands around it. There was an indentation at the bottom, so slight that you definitely had to know it was there to find it. And beneath, nearly imperceptible, an elongated, narrow button. She said, “Please work,” under her breath and pressed.
Nothing.
“Hey, Dr. Randall, is this rock real or fake?”
“It’s a composite material made of –”
Erika banged against it with her fist as hard as she could. The material shattered and pieces plinked to the ground.
Dr. Randall began to speak about the code to enter on the keypad, but Erika had already decided it was futile to try to enter the code. Whatever code Dr. Randall had back in their time, he’d been locked out of A.H.D.N.A. when he’d been put into house arrest. And since the button mechanism didn’t work, Erika doubted the keypad would be any different.
She banged against the keypad with her left fist with all the force she had. A few of the plastic buttons popped off, but the door didn’t open. Xenos let out a soft, startled cry, which Erika ignored. Erika banged again, sending more buttons flying. The door remained closed to them.
“Allow me,” Dr. Randall said.
Erika moved aside to allow Dr. Randall a try. She was happy to let him give it a go. Her left hand throbbed.
Dr. Randall drew his arm up and smashed down on the ancient locking mechanism. It sounded as though he’d shattered it to bits. But the door didn’t open.
“No luck, huh?” Erika asked. She’d perked up at the thought of having a gun in her hand, some semblance of hope in warding off a Conexus attack. Any hope she’d gained evaporated into the eerie blue dark hallway.
“Well, no – wait, maybe … Ah, there it is.”
Erika didn’t know what Dr. Randall had done, but the wall began to shift in front of them. It was slow and only opened a small bit, but it was enough of an opening for Dr. Randall to slide himself sideways and push the fake rock wall open far enough for them to enter.
Red light emanated from the room that was no more than a large, man-made cave. It was like walking into hell. Erika took a deep breath of the dank air and stepped inside. She looked behind her to Xenos. “You coming?”
Xenos whispered, “No. I will stay and wait for you.”
Erika couldn’t blame her. “Wait right here, then. You’ll wait for me, won’t you?”
“Yes.” Xenos twisted her fingers in the hem of her silver tunic. Her eyes darted and cast glances behind her.
The ancient pipes gurgled and clanged as water tried to find its way through the conduits. Xenos looked up, her eyes wide with fright as though water would gush down on her at any minute.
Erika tried to reassure her. “We�
�ll just be a few minutes.”
The room was fairly small, probably no more than twenty feet in any direction. Erika’s eyes adjusted to the red glow. The walls were filled with lockers. I hope they’re not locked.
At least that prayer was answered. Dr. Randall pulled on a door to open it, and the door came off in his hand. He dropped it to the ground and searched the contents with his hands.
“Any luck?” Erika asked as she approached him.
“I think so. I hope so, anyway.” He pulled a rifle out of the small closet and handed it to her. “I recall you had one of these in your hands before.”
It seemed like a lifetime ago that she, Ian and Jack had taken weapons from the sleeping mercenaries. The gun felt familiar. In an odd way, it lifted her spirits. She wasn’t sure if it was because it was something from her own world – own time – or if it was the feeling that she now had a way to equalize the playing field with the Conexus. That was, so long as the humidity amped up enough to dull their senses like it had done to Tex.
“I wonder if it works?”
“I don’t know. And before you get any ideas, don’t test it here. Far too many explosive things in here. Let’s gather as much as we can and be on our way.”
Dr. Randall searched each locker. He seemed to know what he was looking for. He shoved guns and grenades at Erika. She flung a gun over each shoulder and strapped an ammo belt around her waist and slung another across her body. She gingerly attached grenades to the ammo belts and put a few in her pockets as well, hoping the old things wouldn’t randomly decide to explode.
Dr. Randall did the same, and soon they were weighed down with as much weaponry as each could carry. “There’s one more thing I want to find,” Dr. Randall said.
“What’s that?” Erika secretly wished it was a stash of beef jerky, which, even though she was a vegetarian, she would have gladly devoured without hesitation.
“A special tool for door-cutting. It looks like … Well, it looks like a light saber.”
H.A.L.F.: The Makers Page 14