by Wesley Chu
“Emily and Chris are fighting in the rec room.”
Cameron sighed. “Oh man.”
He and Seth hurried back into the building. They could hear Emily and Chris’s voice all the way down the hallway.
Chris looked over at Cameron when he walked into the rec room. “Hey Sun, what crazy crap are you feeding my girlfriend? She says the world is ending or something, and you’re making her leave.” Sun was Cameron’s assumed surname at the university.
Girlfriend? They have been dating for two days.
They were attracting more curious eyes by the second, which was the last thing Cameron wanted. Pretty soon, they had everyone in the room’s attention.
“Where are you three going?” Annelie asked. “What about our project, Cameron?”
“Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” Negin said, seemingly a little hurt.
Cameron felt flush. He looked over at Seth and Emily. “Can I talk to you guys for a second?” He pulled them outside the rec room. “What did you tell Chris?” he hissed. “Why?”
Emily looked on the brink of tears. “I…I told him we had to leave because you said something bad was happening. I’m sorry. I had to say goodbye.”
“Well, we made a commotion and now people are asking questions. We can’t just leave them hanging,” said Seth. “We have to tell them something or they’ll probably run to Eliades or maybe even the police if we just disappear on them.”
“Just tell them the truth,” Emily said.
“Might as well warn them now that they know something is up,” Seth added.
“Fine, I’ll keep it vague,” Cameron said, exasperated. “I’ll say I came across some bad news and thought it was a good idea to head home early.” He wouldn’t admit it but a small part of him was relieved he was forced to warn the other students. It felt like the right thing to do. Maybe it’ll save lives.
At the very least do not reveal the source of the conflict. These people do not need to know who and what you are. Promise me that.
“Hold up,” he said, tugging on Emily’s arm. “Tao wants to make sure we don’t reveal that we’re Prophus.”
Her mouth dropped. “Oh god no, were you actually going to tell them? I thought you were just going to lie and say something like a terrorist threat or Mt. Vesuvius erupting.”
Mt. Vesuvius is in Italy.
Cameron corrected her.
She shot him a glare. “You hush, smartass.”
“I agree with Emily,” Seth frowned. “Admitting you’re inhabited by an alien to our fellow students is a nutty idea.”
Cameron felt a little foolish. Apparently, he trusted these people more than his friends did, which disturbed him, because he was the one who’s supposed to be the future secret agent. They returned to the rec room. The crowd had grown and Cameron was now very conscious of everyone waiting for him to say something.
He cleared his throat. “Um…”
“Tao, what should I say?”
How about “Come with me if you want to live.”
“Now you’re just making fun of me.”
I am, because you are wasting time. Speed this up. Time is of the essence.
“Hey guys.” He drew a blank. “I, um, I came across some news. Something bad is about to happen. Seth, Emily, and I are leaving the country before it’s too late…”
Clever. Original. Cryptic. Well done.
He was met with silence, some confused looks, and a couple chuckles. Everyone seemed to be waiting for him to say something else.
“…and I think you should all get out of here too.”
Chris snorted. “Come on, Sun, where did you get the drugs and why aren’t you sharing?”
His snicker was soon joined by Chris’s best friend Nick, a Canadian who often bragged about being some expert computer hacker. Cameron didn’t know much about the guy. The two had hardly exchanged more than ten words since they arrived. Half of the students began to titter while the other half turned back to whatever tasks he interrupted them from. It was obvious no one took him seriously.
He was almost thankful when Marilyn Ndunguru, a Tanzanian student, began to grill him. “What do you think is going to happen, Mr. Sun? How did you come by this information?” Marilyn had this charming way of addressing everyone as Mr. and Ms. that Cameron found adorable.
Cameron stuttered a few lame responses, none of which were remotely believable. For a second, Emily’s Mt. Vesuvius alibi sounded awfully tempting, but these guys weren’t dummies. He wouldn’t fool anyone. Besides, he was an awful liar. Tao often lamented how bad he was at it, citing it as an Achilles heel in his future career as a secret agent.
It’s true. Lying, charm, and a well-fitting suit are the traits that distinguish James Bond from every other asshole with a gun.
“I don’t think I even own a suit.”
You do not own the other two either.
In the end, he just accidentally spit out the truth. “I think the Genjix bloc countries are going to attack the Prophus ones any day now.”
Damn it! I thought you would have learned by now. This is such a tactical error it makes me question why I wasted sixteen years training you. Can you even grasp what a colossal mistake this is?
Surrett Kapoor perked up and looked over from in front of the television. “Those alien factions have been on the edge of war for years. What makes you think anything is going to happen now?”
“I…I just do,” Cameron replied lamely.
Surrett was actually good friends with Cameron. Like Chris, he was the son of a semi-celebrity, a Bollywood actress. Unlike Chris, who told everyone on the first day about his golfer father, no one knew about Surrett’s mother for weeks until it accidentally slipped out one day. Other than that, he was just a nice guy to hang out with.
Chris’s father is ranked just outside the PGA top one hundred. He is as much a celebrity as the punter on a football team. Second of all, if you want everyone to drop everything and follow you purely on your words, those words better be convincing.
Cameron coughed and tried to muster the right words. Coming up blank, he resorted to pleading. “I’m sorry but I can’t get into details but you have to believe me. It’s for your own safety.”
That was not convincing at all. In fact, you are making it worse. By now, he had reached the limit of most of his friends’ short attention spans and had lost the crowd. Some looked at him with concern, others just shrugged and found something better to do. Eyes that were focused on him moments before were now wandering back to the television, or the people next to them, or wherever they were focused previously.
Cameron heard words like ‘crazy’ and ‘high’ and ‘weird’ tossed around. These were insults and descriptions hurled at him all his life. Different. Off. Not normal. He was all these things to the rest of the world. Even the people in the study abroad program, students whom he considered friends, thought he was something other than one of them. His ears burned and he turned to leave.
You did all you could. It is time to go.
A few people pushed past him into the room. A few seconds later, others followed, rushing past him. The rec room all of a sudden filled up.
Emily tapped Cameron’s shoulder and pointed at the growing crowd gathered in front of the television. Curious, the three moved closer to get a better view. Nick grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
A news anchor had interrupted the regularly scheduled broadcast and was giving a special report. Several of the students turned to Cameron. He and Seth were the only ones who spoke a little Greek. Cameron had told his class he had learned the language, but it was actually all Tao. Seth actually studied Greek for three months before coming here. Usually, his classmates leaned on them for help ordering food.
Negin nudged him. “What are they saying, Cameron?”
Translating through Tao, Cameron repeated what the anchor said. “…is being enacted at 2200 hours. All citizens are ordered to stay in their homes. General Topopulus, chief of the Helleni
c National Defense General Staff, has declared martial law. Anyone caught outside after curfew will be harshly dealt with. A travel ban is imposed on the following countries.” Cameron stopped. The next words came out a near whisper. “The Greek government has declared its allegiance with the Genjix bloc.”
It is too late. We are now in enemy territory.
None Left Behind
It was dead quiet in the rec room. Some students huddled together, others stared out the window, most talked uncertainly amongst themselves. Still others were glued to the television, their laptops and phones, hungry for more news about the events unfolding.
The news websites and social networks were ablaze. Some called it a Greek alliance with the Genjix countries, others a coup. Where was Prime Minister Tsikiras? Where were members of the ministry? What did this mean for the country and its people?
More unconfirmed reports began to filter in through various channels. Large ships were spotted by the Hellenic Coast Guard moving into the Aegean Sea. Tanagra Air Base reported a series of loud explosions. The Koufovouno Army Base on the far eastern edge of the country had gone completely dark. The entire power grid for the city of Komotini had gone down.
Together, the individual pieces of news began to paint an unsettling picture. This was a planned and coordinated coup. It wasn’t long before the words ‘under attack’ and ‘civil war’ began to leak into the conversations.
Then someone said the magic words. “The Internet is down!”
“I can’t call home!” someone wailed.
All hell broke loose. Everyone began frantically checking text messages and typing on their laptops. People were running around, praying and hugging each other as if it was the end of the world.
Cameron sat in a chair off to the side, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. Athens was on lockdown. If he had just listened to Nazar, they may have gotten out into the countryside in time. Now it was too late to escape.
“I really messed up, Tao. I’m sorry.”
Worry about that later. Right now, we need to plan our next move. “I should have listened to you. I just…”
Stop apologizing and stop being so hard on yourself. That is my job.
Focus on the situation. I will scold you later after we are safe. Right now, the priority is to smuggle Nazar out of the country. The longer he remains in Greece, the more likely the Genjix will find him.
A large group of students was huddled together whispering loudly. Several looked his way. Chris broke off from them and approached him. “You knew all about this, didn’t you, Sun?” His tone was more accusatory than a question.
You cannot trust anyone. Tread carefully. You think you know these people after spending a summer with them but you do not.
“I knew something was happening, but not what exactly,” he replied.
Surrett, who was looking back and forth between the television and Cameron, frowned. “Are you one of the Genjix, Cameron?”
He shook his head.
“A Prophus then?”
Cameron hesitated, just for a split second, but that pause was enough to give him away. He grudgingly nodded. “I have contacts within the Prophus.”
“But you’re still leaving, aren’t you?” said Negin, her face painted with worry. “You have a way out of this country?” Cameron nodded.
“You have contacts within the Prophus, and they’re going to evacuate you out of Greece?” Surrett sounded incredulous.
“Can you take us with you?” Negin asked.
Absolutely not.
The room filled with bickering about what to do next. Most seemed intent on staying and waiting out the crisis. A few were clamoring to join him, while an equal number, if not more, were calling him heartless for abandoning them here.
Negin and Surrett were to his right, begging him to take them. Chris and Nick were to his left, demanding him to do the same. All of them were basically declaring that their lives were in his hands, and that he was sentencing them to death otherwise.
“Both Canada and United States are on the travel ban list,” Nick said. “We’re trapped here. If you have a way out, take us with you. Otherwise, our death will be on your hands.”
“The United Kingdom is on the list too,” Negin pleaded. “I have to get back to Cambridge. I am the first person in my village to attend university.”
“You’re all crazy,” Marilyn said. “This will blow over soon. I’m staying right here.”
The chatter grew louder and the students became more aggressive until, slowly, Cameron found himself backed into a corner.
I am not opposed to you just fighting your way past them and making a break for the door.
“I can’t beat them up!”
You cannot possibly bring your entire class out of the country.
“I’m sorry, I can’t help,” Cameron said, miserably, shaking his head over and over again. However, slowly, the crowd wore him down. It was too difficult for him to look them in the eye and repeatedly tell them no when they thought he was their only chance of survival. The guilt was overwhelming. He felt as if he was personally sentencing all of them to die. Eventually, their looks of hope and fear broke his resolve.
Do not cave in to them, Cameron.
“Fine,” He said, raising his hands. “I can take a few. Just a couple though.” By this time, it was so loud in here no one heard him. He reached out and pulled Seth and Emily closer. “Seth, go to Eliades’s office and get the van keys. Emily, you talk louder. Help me corral these guys.”
Seth nodded and ran off. Emily looked as if she might punch him.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said hastily.
She threw him a scowl and then climbed on top of a chair. She projected over the noise. “All right, shut up. If you want to come with us, be ready in ten minutes. Otherwise, you’re on your own.”
That got through to a few students. Several rushed out of the rec room, presumably to pack, or hide under their beds, or whatever. At this point, Cameron had reached the limits of his patience. He was getting out of here, with or without them.
Emily checked her watch and tapped it. “Ten minutes starting now.”
Seth returned a few seconds later. “Professor Eliades’s office door is locked. I don’t know where she is.”
“So break the window then,” Cameron said.
Seth blanched. “I can’t break a window.”
Remember, they are civilians.
Cameron tried really hard not to roll his eyes. “Just throw something at it. It’s fun. Go, hurry.”
At the ten-minute mark, only a few students who said they were coming had returned to the rec room. Annelie and Yang ran up to them. “Hey, Cameron,” Yang said. “We’re going to get our stuff. Don’t leave without us, okay?”
Cameron exchanged glances with Emily. “Uh, sure.” He watched them walk away casually and turned to her. “What were they doing all this time?”
Emily shrugged. “Probably deciding if they wanted to join us. In any case, they better get their asses moving.”
Cameron decided to give his classmates a few more minutes. At the fifteen-minute mark, he gave them another extension. Twenty minutes later, they were still waiting. By now, Tao was yelling in his head to leave. Emily had also lost her patience and was doing so in his ear. Seth, thankfully, had volunteered to fetch the stragglers. Finally, after thirty minutes, Chris, the last person, strolled into the rec room.
Cameron stared at the full-sized hard-shell luggage the American rolled into the room. Then he noticed Yang’s viola case, Negin’s backpack full of books, Annelie’s telescope, and the fullsized desktop strapped to Nick’s back. Cameron felt a vein pop in his neck.
Like I said, civilians.
He pointed at Surrett’s three carry-ons. “What do you have in there?”
“Clothes. I sweat a lot.”
Cameron felt his hands contort into claws. He held up two fingers. “Two bags. That’s it.” He pointed at Nick’s desktop. “That is no
t coming with us.” He glared at Yang. “Neither is the viola.”
Yang crossed his arms. “This is a Bartolomeo. I’d rather die than part with it.”
“That can be easily arranged,” Cameron snapped.
Easy there.
“Everyone’s pissing me off, Tao!”
Like herding pubescent cats.
Emily got in between them. “Guys, we’re not going on vacation. Pack light and make sure it’s something you can run in.”
Everyone grumbled, but most began to shed stuff. All except for Chris. He flatly refused to unpack his gigantic luggage case. “I need everything inside.” He made a flexing motion. “Besides, I’m strong like bull. I may end up needing to help some of you weaklings along.”
Once they were all ready to go, Cameron surveyed the ragtag group. The final tally was ten classmates joining him. He prayed he wasn’t leading them to their deaths.
Maybe Tao was right.
Is there ever any doubt? Add you and Nazar makes twelve. How the hell will you shepherd twelve people all the way across a country under martial law? This is a complete disaster.
Cameron sighed. He was risking his and Nazar’s life, not to mention the critical data in the air drive to try to bring these people to safety. It was a stupid move, but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself otherwise. This was the risk he had to assume to avoid a guilty conscience.
“Let’s go.” He opened the door and waved this sad-looking bunch out of the building.
Ira’s Hearth
“What are you doing?” Annelie gasped as he unlocked the school van’s door. “You’re stealing school property.”
“They have bigger things to worry about than missing this jalopy.” Cameron slid into the driver’s seat and started the ignition.
“Come on.”
Everyone else climbed in, but the Swede hesitated. “This feels like a mistake. Stealing is a crime.”
“It’s not too late to change your mind,” he said. “But we have to go now.”
In the distance, plumes of smoke were rising from downtown Athens. The light from scattered red glows of fire merged with the rust of the setting sun. The unmistakable sound of gunfire, pops and cracks, intermittently punctured the air.