The Buried Ark

by James Bradley

  ‘What?’ I asked. ‘Is there something else?’

  ‘Usually the Changed ignore patrols or stay out of our way. But we’ve been picking up unusual levels of activity.’

  ‘You think the Change might try to stop you leaving?’

  Ben glanced at the commander, who indicated it was okay to answer. ‘We have no way of knowing but it’s possible.’

  ‘I think the civ is wishing we’d just executed her when we found her,’ said Mandel. For a moment there was silence, then they all laughed.

  ‘We may all end up wishing the same thing if we’re not careful,’ said Truong.

  I didn’t say much over the next couple of hours. After what I had seen in the city, the commander’s story made a horrible sort of sense, yet the thought that the Change might be about to spread further made me sick.

  Eventually the commander, Mandel and Truong laid their heads down on their packs and went to sleep, leaving Mahid on watch. Doing my best to ignore the hard ground I did the same, but it was difficult to fall asleep. Despite its eerie beauty the forest was oddly menacing by night, its silence broken by the cries of Changed bats and the weird sounds of other creatures in the distance.

  Sometime later, Ben sat up and handed me a bottle of water. I lifted my mask and drank from it gratefully. Nearby something made a sound like a hissing rattle; a moment later something else shrieked in the distance.

  ‘Does it frighten you?’ he asked.

  I shrugged. ‘At first it did, now it just seems weirdly normal. Does it frighten you?’

  He looked out into the trees. ‘No. I know it should but most often I find it beautiful.’

  ‘And the others?’

  ‘The commander wouldn’t let on if it did. Mahid and Mandel are careful but know the risks. Truong is terrified.’

  ‘Is that what you call it?’ I said.

  Ben laughed. ‘She’s not as bad as she seems. And we need people like her if we’re going to beat this thing.’

  ‘Do you think that’s going to happen?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Us beating it?’

  He looked thoughtful. ‘I don’t know. But I know we can’t give up.’

  11

  Despite their banter the night before, it was obvious as we broke camp the next morning the squad was on edge. During the night I had woken, nerves singing, certain the Change was out there, in the dark, watching for me. For a long while I lay awake, wondering if I should attempt to escape, or even tell them some version of the truth. If the Change was still determined to capture me, it was possible I was putting all of them in danger just by being with them.

  If their manner last night had allowed me to forget I was a prisoner, those illusions were shattered once we were moving. Placed on point again, Mandel and Mahid reverted to yesterday’s clipped efficiency, while the commander and Truong largely ignored me. Only Ben showed any interest in me, and even that was largely because he had been assigned to keep watch over me.

  From what Ben had told me we had three days march ahead of us before we reached the edge of the Zone: not long, but the commander’s manner made it clear that was longer than she was comfortable with.

  Although it had clouded over, it was still suffocatingly hot and humid, and before long I was dripping with sweat. I was also convinced the Change was not just aware of us but actively searching for me, a feeling that only grew more intense as the morning wore on, worming its way into my skull so that I started at every sudden noise or movement. Eventually it grew so obvious that Ben noticed and asked me if I was okay.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ I said. Ben looked unconvinced but didn’t argue.

  I managed to persuade myself all was okay until after midday, when Mandel, who was bringing up the rear, gave a low whistle. The commander lifted a hand and brought the rest of us to a halt.

  Mandel pointed behind us, raising two fingers and then gesturing first left and then right. Next to me Ben stood very still.

  ‘What’s happening?’ I asked quietly.

  ‘Changed,’ he said, not taking his eyes off Mandel.

  The commander shot me a look to keep silent. Then, nodding at Ben, she pointed upward. With practised ease Ben unclipped his pack, knelt down and released the cover that protected the drone. Clipping on his goggles, he engaged the telepresence rig and drew one hand toward him. There was a whirr of tiny turbines and the drone rose into the air.

  ‘What have you got?’ the commander asked.

  Behind his goggles Ben’s face was a mask of concentration. ‘Two, no, four Changed, two hundred metres behind us.’

  ‘Moving?’

  ‘I don’t think so. Hang on . . .’

  ‘What?’

  ‘They’re not alone. There are others.’

  ‘How many?’

  ‘I’m not sure. A dozen, maybe more.’

  ‘Are we near a town? Anything that might explain them being here?’

  Truong shook her head. ‘Not that I know of.’

  The commander looked past me toward Mandel.

  ‘I don’t like this,’ she said. ‘We need to keep moving.’

  ‘Keep an eye on them,’ she said to Ben, then motioned to the others to get going.

  ‘They’re moving again,’ Ben said once we were underway.

  The commander nodded. ‘Following us then.’

  ‘Perhaps that’s all they’ll do,’ Ben said, but the commander shook her head.

  ‘Unless there are more of them up ahead,’ she said.

  Everyone was nervous. Leaning close to Ben, I asked him what was going on and he told me he didn’t know.

  ‘Unless we interrupt them or bother them in some way, the Changed usually leave patrols alone. And even if they do offer resistance they usually lose interest as soon as we break contact and move away. This kind of thing – following us – is new.’

  ‘Do you think it has something to do with the buds?’

  He glanced back at the towering shape of the trees. ‘Perhaps. Still, it seems weird: we don’t pose any risk to the Change, so why follow us?’

  I remembered the look on the faces of Matt and the girl, their too-white teeth and murderous speed. Despite the heat I shivered.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Ben asked.

  I didn’t answer, just looked away.

  By nightfall, when we made camp, the entire squad was exhausted and obviously unsettled by the idea that the Changed were out there, watching us. Unlike the night before there was little chat or banter; instead we ate quickly and quietly and, leaving Mahid on guard, bedded down.

  Although I was exhausted sleep did not come easily. All day the sensation I was being followed had grown more intense, and now, in the heat and dark of the night, I could not shake the feeling danger was close. When I closed my eyes I could hear the whispering, curling itself around the edges of my consciousness. It was after me, I was sure of it, but I didn’t know what that meant. Could it tell where I was? Or did it need to see me to know for sure? I tried to blot it out, to sleep, and eventually I did, only to jolt awake some time later from a deep, dreamless slumber. For one horrible moment I had no idea where I was. Mandel and Mahid were crouched behind trees, faces obscured by night-vision goggles, rifles trained on the forest. Behind them the commander and Truong were pressed against a glowtree, a pistol in the commander’s hand. Beside the tree next to me Ben had already engaged his telepresence rig.

  ‘What’s going on?’ I asked, but he didn’t reply.

  ‘What have you got?’ the commander asked. Although her voice was calm I could hear she was tense.

  ‘Give me a moment,’ Ben said. He was silent, then I heard him inhale sharply.

  ‘What is it?’ the commander asked.

  ‘I’m getting multiple readings on the perimeter.’

  ‘Multiple?’

 
‘I’m seeing ten, twenty, twenty-five . . .’ Ben paused, then, flicking up his visor, looked across at the commander. ‘We need to get out of here.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘There are too many of them.’

  The commander paused. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Check ahead, see if you can find a way through. Mahid and Mandel, keep watch in case they move any closer. If you see anything, shoot.’

  I didn’t move. Next to me Ben was absorbed in the telepresence, his face behind the mask and goggles pale in the light of the glowtrees. He swore under his breath.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked.

  He shook his head. ‘This is wrong,’ he said. ‘They don’t normally behave like this.’

  I hesitated, remembering the behaviour of the Changed in the nest. Before I could speak I heard a shout, then a crack of gunfire, so loud I flinched. I looked around in time to see Mandel’s rifle flash and a figure crash backward somewhere out in the trees.

  ‘Contact!’ she shouted. Almost at once there was another burst of gunfire, then another.

  ‘Multiple hostiles,’ Mahid shouted.

  ‘When you’re ready, Mr Miller,’ said the commander.

  ‘I think there’s a clear path to the west.’

  ‘Think?’

  ‘It’s the best I’ve got.’

  The commander rose to her feet. ‘Okay,’ she shouted. ‘You three go. I’ll be right behind you.’

  Ben, Truong and I darted off through the trees, followed a moment later by the commander and then Mahid and Mandel, the sound of their rifles deafening.

  ‘Are they following us?’ I asked Ben. For a brief moment he paused and then nodded.

  ‘They are. And we have more coming in from the other sides.’

  Ahead of us Truong came to a stop and looked back the way we had come.

  ‘This is too easy,’ she said as we drew level with her.

  ‘What do you mean?’ I asked.

  ‘We’ve got hostiles on three sides, but a clear path to the west. What if it’s a trap and they’re herding us?’

  I stared at her, suddenly aware she might be right. Next to me Ben came to a halt as well. ‘Toward what?’

  Truong stared past him. ‘I don’t know. Somewhere they can contain us.’

  Ben tightened his hand, pulling the drone around somewhere overhead. ‘I don’t see any . . . Wait. Up ahead. There’s some kind of rock formation. If we keep moving they’ll trap us against it.’

  He looked alarmed. ‘I think she’s right.’ He turned toward the commander as she drew level with us. ‘Ma’am?’

  ‘What is it, Miller?’ asked the commander.

  ‘Dr Truong thinks this is a trap, that they’re herding us.’

  ‘And you think she’s right?’

  ‘I do.’

  The commander looked back at Mahid and Mandel, who had taken up positions behind us. In the flash of their rifles shapes were visible, moving from tree to tree. Not close but close enough. I recalled the speed with which Matt and the girl had moved in the city and my stomach lurched.

  ‘Is there some other route we can take?’ the commander asked.

  Ben shook his head. ‘Not that I can see.’

  ‘Then we’ll make one,’ said the commander. ‘Mahid, Mandel. Clear a path to the south.’

  Mandel glanced at Mahid and for a moment a look of unease passed between the two of them.

  ‘Is there a problem?’ asked the commander.

  Mahid shook his head. ‘No, Ma’am.’

  ‘Then get to work.’ She turned to us. ‘Miller. Take Truong and Callie and follow the other two. I’ll make sure they don’t get us from behind.’

  ‘This isn’t right,’ Ben said as we stumbled after Mahid and Mandel. ‘I’ve never seen them behave like this.’

  There was a burst of gunfire up ahead, a shriek as one of the Changed crashed to the ground, then another, and another. The cries were sickening, and I had to fight not to block my ears or bolt. Reaching a decision, I stopped.

  Ben turned and stared at me through his goggles. ‘What are you doing? Come on!’

  I shook my head. ‘It’s not you they’re after,’ I said. ‘It’s me.’

  He looked confused. ‘What?’

  ‘They’re not after all of you, they’re after me. They have been since I left Brisbane.’

  ‘What are you taking about? Why would they be after you?’

  There was more gunfire. I flinched. ‘It’s complicated.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘Before, when you found me, I didn’t tell you the whole truth,’ I said. ‘I came here with my sister but after I lost her I wasn’t alone.’

  ‘Who were you with?’

  I hesitated. I knew there was no going back once I told them the full story. ‘My father.’

  ‘What do you mean? Did he come with you? Or is he a stalker or something?’

  I swallowed. ‘He’s one of the Changed, or sort of.’

  Ben’s expression hardened.

  ‘Wait,’ I said. ‘It’s not what it sounds like. He is – he was – a scientist, and he was working on a vaccine. When he began to Change he used it on himself and it did something to the process. He’s still him, or sort of.’

  Ben was still staring at me. ‘Nobody is still who they were, even if they seem to be.’

  ‘I know,’ I said. ‘But he’s not like the other Changed either. He has his own memories and he’s not part of the collective or whatever it is.’

  ‘And you talked to him?’

  ‘I stayed with him.’

  There was another round of gunfire ahead. ‘Miller, Callie!’ shouted the commander from behind us. ‘Keep moving!’

  Ben stared after Truong, who was several metres ahead of us now. ‘How long for?’

  ‘Two weeks.’

  He nodded, his expression sceptical. ‘But you didn’t get infected?’

  I hesitated. ‘That’s the thing,’ I said. ‘The vaccine. He gave it to me as well.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I didn’t know until he told me. I was only a kid, I’m not even sure I remember it. But I’ve been in the Zone for more than a fortnight and I haven’t got infected.’

  ‘And that’s why they’re after you?’

  ‘My father said I seemed to be causing some kind of disruption, that the Change had noticed it.’

  ‘And you believe him?’

  I hesitated. ‘I don’t know. I think so. They’ve already tried to capture me once. They wanted to know what I was, why I was different.’

  Ben stared at me. ‘They spoke to you?’

  I nodded. I could see him trying to decide whether or not to believe me.

  ‘There’s something else,’ I said.

  ‘Something else?’

  ‘The vaccine in my system. My father thinks it can be replicated. Maybe even used to create a cure.’

  He stared at me. ‘We have to tell the commander.’

  ‘Move!’ shouted the commander as she drew level with us. Together the three of us caught up to Truong, who was crouched against one of the glowtrees. We dropped down next to her. Ahead of us Mahid and Mandel were laying down gunfire, the shrieks of the Changed piercing the air each time they found a target. Ben gestured to the commander.

  ‘Tell her,’ he said.

  The commander didn’t interrupt as I spoke, ignoring the gunfire around us.

  ‘Truong?’ she asked. ‘What do you think?’

  Truong looked at me coldly. ‘If it’s true, then it means that as long as she’s with us we’re in danger.’

  ‘Miller? Do you believe her?’

  ‘I don’t know. But the behaviour we’re seeing here isn’t normal. Something’s going on.’

  In front of us Mandel glanced back.
‘We can’t keep this up much longer.’

  The commander looked at me. ‘You mean it? About it being a cure?’

  I nodded.

  The commander looked around. Then she grabbed Ben’s arm and pulled him toward her. ‘I want you to take her and head south toward the Wall. We’ll do our best to deal with the situation here, but if what she’s telling us is true, it’s imperative you get her back alive.’ Pausing, she looked at me. ‘But I need you to understand you’re escorting her as a prisoner. We both know she hasn’t told us everything.’

  As she spoke there was more fire, followed by an unearthly shriek and the sound of Mahid crying out.

  His face pale, Ben nodded. ‘Yes, Ma’am,’ he said.

  ‘Then what are you waiting for?’ she asked as shots exploded nearby. ‘Get out of here.’

  Ben grabbed my arm and dragged me away. As we ran I tried to ignore the shouting and crack of the guns behind me, but as we skidded over the trunk of a fallen glowtree I glanced back to see a figure step into the half-light. He had his back to me, but even so I knew it was the creature with Matt’s face. I froze, staring, but then Ben pulled me after him and on, into the trees.

  12

  I don’t know how long we ran. Long enough for the sound of gunfire to fade and the forest to fall silent. Long enough for the trees to give way to open hillside where the grass swayed silver beneath a vast white moon, and then trees once more. Long enough for my breath to burn in my chest and my legs to be weak beneath me.

  In the end it was Ben who stopped first, coming to a halt beneath a glowtree and slumping forward, his hands on his knees.

  ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘We have to keep going.’ But he only shook his head.

  ‘In a minute,’ he said. ‘I have to rest.’

  I slumped to the ground and leaned back against a tree.

  ‘Is there anyone behind us?’ Ben asked.

  I shrugged. As long as we were in the forest it didn’t matter if they were following us: the Change was all around us, its awareness spread through the trees and animals.

  ‘Truong, Mahid, Mandel, the commander. Do you think they’re . . .’ His voice trailed off.