“Yes. And we had run into Anthony. We have his…” Levi grunted. “What do you call them back in this day? Tandy. Yes. His Tandy.”
I couldn’t help it, I burst into laughter. “Tandy? Just say tablet or computer. Tandy is really ancient.”
Levi held up his hand. “I apologize. Anyhow, we worked this. Found a few messages that claim they were from us. They weren’t. I don’t know this man who was speaking as if he were from Project Savior.”
My head itched; it always did when I got anxious. With a slight growl, I scratched my head frantically. “I hate time travel shit. I can’t keep track. It makes my head spin.”
“Nothing really to keep track of,” Levi said. “We’re here.”
Mera, who really hadn’t said much, asked, “Why are you hiding?”
Michael added. “Yeah, really. Why the cryptic, hidden code?”
Levi replied simply, “The children. We needed them to hear. Our group was separated. We knew most were under the age of twenty-five, and they knew the code. We also knew many from the Project wouldn’t know the language. So we targeted the children.”
I asked. “So why the announcement, the recording?”
“For everyone else,” Levi answered. “I think I put too much faith in your technology. I thought you could track the signal to us. Plus, we didn’t know the language well enough to make sure we were saying the right thing, so we just played a recording. We retrieved the recording from the…. computer we got. It was actually made by the original New Jerusalem. Someone here today or maybe someone who will arrive will make that same announcement.”
We all must have been thinking the same thing, because Michael asked, “So Javier came with you? That’s why you’re looking for him?”
Sonny added. “Yeah, he wants to be informed if this place is real.”
Levi clapped his hands together once and sighed in relief. “It would be beneficial to have him here. If he has the child that is the hive like the ARC said, then he can cure this thing for generations. Javier is the creator of the virus. But he…” Levi shifted his eyes around to look at each of us. “He wasn’t in our group. He didn’t come with us. He’s from your time.”
My confusion caused me to get more frustrated, and I stood. “I am so freaking lost right now. You used a virus created in this time? I thought you guys created a virus to enhance the DNA? I thought that’s what you released. Twenty-seven scientists.”
All color left Levi’s face. “Mr. Sans, you truly are confused. We didn’t come here to release a virus. We came here to live. Not twenty-seven scientists – twenty-seven groups. We are all that remain of the human race in the future. We are overrun by creatures that are genetic descendants of this plague. Your Sleepers. We came back in time to try to save our children, to give them a longer life to live beyond forty years. Elements and nature makes it impossible to live long. History books told a different story. The history we knew told us that seventy-five percent of the world was wiped out by a virus. We came to wait it out, to start over. So our children could play without fear, feel the sun without hiding. That’s all.”
At that second, my thoughts raced to the Black Plague, how that occurred one thousand years before my time, and I wondered if historians had skewed that story.
Project Savior was only a project to save what was left of the human race. They came back in time to live. They thought they’d blend into an empty world. They were ill prepared for what they found.
Randy thought Project Savior had released the virus. He followed the Doctrines, that obviously had been tweaked over time. The story in the Doctrines wasn’t one hundred percent correct.
Levi continued. “We thought that seventy-five percent died of the virus, not turned into those things out there. We thought the creatures of our time didn’t arrive for centuries. Evolution from your plague. Because your plague, or virus, was made by Javier to manipulate the DNA and, sadly, control population. But it killed more than it helped. It transformed anyone who was not immune.”
Mera said. “So it was an accidental release?”
Levi shook his head. “No. I’m sorry. It was released a year before it reached its peak. It worked its way through the population for thirteen months, and then it exploded and became deadly. Your people did this to themselves with all good intentions.” He paused. “And it backfired.”
A silence swept through us all in the aftermath of his words.
Through all the surviving, the running, the hiding, I had an unsettling feeling about everything Randy told me. Not that I didn’t believe Randy; it just didn’t feel right to me.
At that moment, after hearing Levi, as much as I hated what he said, it sank into me, it felt … right.
We did it to ourselves.
There were no mysterious men from the future trying to kill us in a freak science fiction twist of nature.
We did it.
The future didn’t create us; we created a future, one that wasn’t very good.
One thing was true; the future was no longer set in stone. We could indeed change it. We had Javier and Phoenix. We had knowledge.
Despite it all, the world as we knew it was over. It truly was time to start anew. We as a human race had screwed things up altogether, and it was up to the few of us who remained to make it right.
I vowed to do what I could.
In the words of Ronald Wilson Reagan, ‘Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.’
I would.
44. MERA STEVENS
EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER
A small section of the 1700-acre property was dedicated as the ‘In Memory’ section, or, as some called it, the Reflection Area. It was outside the safety walls. Only two areas were actually protected by walls, I guess the two areas that were most crucial, the sectors where we all lived and spent most of our time.
Although the bodies of those we loved were not in the ground, we placed white crosses as markers for them. It looked like Arlington Cemetery.
I was visiting my family. I did every day. I spoke to Daniel, Beck, Jeremy, Randy and Bill. They were whom I chose to mark in memory.
Even though I was outside the protected perimeter, I felt safe. Sleepers could be seen long before they entered. They came alone or with only a few. Twice we had been hit by a wave of them, but we prevailed.
They never made it to the wall, and of course, they’d never make it in.
Saying my daily farewells to those I lost, I spotted two Sleepers on the edge of the wooded area.
They stared with that slanted stand they had. Watching. Waiting.
I’d report them, and they’d be dealt with. I didn’t worry.
The population in New Jerusalem had grown. At last count, population was 514.
We had nine births since we arrived. Four of them were stillborn. The virus was still prevalent everywhere.
I attributed the rise in population to Alex; he was diligent about trying to reach someone every day on the radio. For a while that first winter, people came daily, and then they trickled off until spring.
Everyone had a job. My job was the social, functioning coordinator of the kids, or rather the community mom. I was happy with that. Even though others offered to take the children from Project Savior under their wings, nine of them opted to stay with me. It wasn’t a difficult task. I had help.
Bonnie tended to the animals, mainly the horses, and we had a lot. For several months after we arrived, she was always going out and scouting for horses. Sonny loved that because he loved horses.
But that wasn’t his job. He was called the Tech Man, because he got technology up and running again, mainly power. Sonny kept the lights on.
I passed the stables on my way through the main gate. Bonnie was out front with Jessie giving her a riding lesson.
Jessie was doing wonderfully. She spoke more and even was self-sufficient with h
er bathroom needs. I figured she was nineteen years behind the curve and would get there eventually.
“Look, Mama, look. I ride,” Jessie boasted proudly, led by Bonnie.
“I see that,” I smiled.
Bonnie said, “I’ll bring her back when we’re done. She was distracted earlier. Coming back from the Reflection Area?”
“Yeah, it’s peaceful. Saw two Sleepers out near the woods.”
“Better report them.”
“Headed there now. Thanks.” I moved on with my hands in my jacket pockets. Bonnie was the most indifferent person I had ever met. She never was happy or sad, she was just Bonnie. Occasionally she hung around with a new man in the community, an older guy in his seventies. But that was it. She rarely socialized with any of us.
Well, except for Jessie. She taught Jessie a lot.
The security office wasn’t far from the barn, and I made it a point to stop there on my way home. A man named John ran our security force and was inside with Danny doing a weapons check. I knocked once and stepped inside.
“Hey, there,” John smiled. He was former military. In fact, he came from the ARC, he and about nine others. They came on their own and were phenomenal at helping us keep the Sleepers at bay.
I was stunned at how many Sleepers there were. I guess over a hundred million people turned, and that was a lot of Sleepers.
“Hey, John,” I said. “Just wanted to let you know I saw two Sleepers.”
“Thanks, our gate guard spotted them beyond the Reflection Area.”
“That’s where I saw them.”
“We’re on it.”
I cleared my throat. “Hello, Danny.”
“Oh, hey, Mom.” Danny nodded at me.
“When did you get back?” I asked.
“This morning.”
“Can you let me know when you get back? I’m still your mom.”
Danny cringed. “Sorry. But hey, I found three people near Hays, Kansas. One is a nurse.”
“Oh, that’s awesome. I’m gonna head home. School is out soon, and the kids get hungry.”
I started to leave.
“Mom, is it true?” Danny asked.
I stopped in the doorway. “Is what true?”
“I saw Michael. He said Phoenix is coming here soon.”
I laughed out an airy chuckle. “Phoenix has been coming here for six months. I’ll believe it when he and Javier arrive.”
Danny tilted his head. “I think tomorrow. That’s what Michael said. Final tests were done.”
John looked up at me. “I heard the same from Alex an hour ago.”
“What the hell? No one tells me?” I hurried from the office. I had been out and about and back to the house. I don’t think I saw Alex once since all of us had breakfast.
Leaving the main compound, I went to the second gate and rushed inside. Our home was there, or rather our massive living complex. It was designed so multiple families could live under one roof, and in a sense, we were all family. Our original group, with the exception of Bonnie, all lived together. We stuck together.
I was going to stop at the school and ask Michael, but I heard the music and knew he was teaching and busy with the kids. So I went straight to the source.
Getting my hopes up was something I rarely did. Over the last year and a half Phoenix had gotten better; Javier reported that he had made progress with the cure, but the numerous blood transfusions Phoenix received to save him tainted his blood, making him less and less of a hive.
Javier said he was walking and talking some. Not much.
Miles, who we had all met at a prison with survivors in Washington, the place where we found Jessie, was Phoenix’s caretaker.
That made me happy.
I thought of that baby every single day and hoped he would welcome me into his life, when and if he ever arrived.
As soon as I walked into the house, I saw Sonny kicked back on the sofa with a pad and pen.
That surprised me.
“You aren’t working?” I asked him.
He lowered the notebook. “I work every day. I got done early. I wanted to write. Try to make some progress before the troops arrive after school.”
“Which is soon. I better start lunch. Is Alex still here with Keller?”
“Yep,” Sonny said. “Did you hear? Javier is leaving the ARC tomorrow, heading here. Levi is running around telling everyone. I’m happy for you.”
“Is it true?” I asked. “Really true this time? You know how many times he said it.”
“Sounds it,” Sonny shrugged. “You know Danny said last time his crew swung by the ARC it was nearly empty.”
“Thanks, I’m gonna talk to Alex.”
“Oh, hey,” Sonny called out stopping me, “what was the name of Michael’s church where you met him?”
“I don’t remember. Jeez, ask Michael.”
“Eh, I’ll make it up. No one will know.”
He returned his pen to his paper, and I darted from the room. A short hall led past the kitchen. Next to that was the radio room. Alex was in there. Keller was on the floor, his hands moving about the blocks, feeling them, lifting them, bringing them to his face before setting them back down.
“I’m here,” I announced, and then bent down by Keller. Alex had this thing about putting a beanie cap on him to cover where his eyes should be. It unnerved me, but I stopped fighting about it. I touched Keller’s hand so as not to startle him, ran my fingers up his arm, and kissed him. I brought my fingers to his palm, traced a circle, and then brought this hand to my chest. “Mommy’s here.” I ran his hand down my face. “I’ll feed you in a minute.” I moved his hand from his stomach to his lips.
“How was your… whatever it is you do?” Alex asked from in front of the radio where he sat.
“Is it true?”
“Hello to you, too.” He turned around and faced me. “I think it is this time.”
I wanted to shriek, scream, but I contained myself. I wasn’t going to face another disappointment when Phoenix didn’t show. Too many times, I waited at that gate. I exhaled loudly. “Let’s hope. How was Keller today?”
“Quiet. Very quiet.”
“Oh my God,” I whined. “Let that joke go.”
“Sorry, can’t resist. Are you making lunch? I didn’t eat.”
“Yes, I am.” I bent down, grabbed Keller’s hand, and led him to stand. “Give me half an hour.”
“Thanks.”
Holding Keller’s hand, I started to walk with him. He did soon his own; the children had taught him. He felt outward as he moved and was quite skilled at it. I wanted to pick him up and carry him, but he wasn’t going to be self-sufficient if I kept doing that.
I told Alex, “I’ll leave you to do whatever it is you do.”
He laughed. I knew what he did.
Within a few months, Alex had moved straight into a leadership position in the New Jerusalem. He was our official leader. A good one, too. Kept everything in check, everyone fed, and stocked our supply room. He spent hours each day on that radio, calling out. I never met another human being so determined to make the world better than it was.
Alex was on that mission.
I heard him start transmission again as I walked out. It was the same message. He said it so often, he sounded robotic.
“Hey there, world. Calling out for survivors. If anyone is out there, we’re in Eldorado. This is the New Jerusalem. We are with people from Project Savior. We are a second facility. We seek others and believe with the right elements we can create a strong future.”
His voice carried as I walked into the kitchen with Keller.
I had prepared the soup earlier in the day and had to pull it from the fridge and heat it. I set Keller on a chair, guided his hand to the crackers, and then gave my signal to him to stay put. He was a smart baby, and I was proud of how well he was doing, despite his disabilities. I attributed that to all the kids around him and to Alex being relentless.
Opening the fridge,
I pulled out the pot. Soup and buttered bread would work just fine. As I carried the huge pot to the stove, I laughed again at Alex and then I heard a little voice.
“Mama.”
My head cocked.
“Mama? Milk?”
The voice was young. Very young. I set down the pot and slowly turned around. I gasped, and my heart thumped hard in my chest. Stunned, I jumped back, hitting the stove.
“Mama.” Keller stood before me; he walked to me holding up a baby bottle.
My eyes widened. I heard his little voice. I heard him clear as day and loudly, too.
“Mama? Milk?” he requested again, holding that bottle to me. I watched him speak. I watched and heard him speak his request.
Yet… his lips did not move.
* * *
Coming Soon – Sleepers 3: The Rise of Keller
If this book had end credits like a movie, the song, Love Will Hold Us Together, by Matt Maher, would be playing. Amazing tune.
It sums up the determination of survival and living.
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
Introduction – Randy Briggs
1. Alex Sans
2. Alex Sans
3. Alex Sans
4. Alex Sans
5. Mera Stevens
6. Mera Stevens
7. Alex Sans
8. Randy Briggs
9. Mera Stevens
10. Alex Sans
11. Alex Sans
12. Mera Stevens
13. Mera Stevens
14. Mera Stevens
15. Randy Briggs
16. Alex Sans
17. Mera Stevens
18. Mera Stevens
19. Alex Sans
20. Mera Stevens
21. Mera Stevens
22. Alex Sans
23. Randy Briggs
24. Alex Sans
25. Mera Stevens
26. Alex Sans
27. Mera Stevens
28. Alex Sans
29. Alex Sans
30. Mera Stevens
31. Alex Sans
32. Alex Sans
33. Mera Stevens
34. Randy Briggs
35. Alex Sans
Sleepers 2 Page 23