The Price of Life

by T. M. Nienaber

  Miriel shook her head and wondered how many times Emily had used that line when talking about her boyfriend.

  “Are you sure you won’t come with me? Elle, please. It really will be better.”

  “No, Emily. I won’t go. And you shouldn’t either.”

  “You won’t think less of me if I do, though?”

  “Of course not.” Miriel forced a smile. The day had taken a bizarre turn.

  “If you change your mind, come find me on the other side.” Emily squeezed Miriel’s hand and kissed her cheek, then ran out to the gates and slipped back into the real world.

  Miriel made sure everything was locked tightly after Emily had been gone an hour. She could see no other end to Emily’s story than a tragic one. She just hoped the girl made it back to the safety of the gates before it came to that.

  18. Kristopher and Lucian

  “Sometimes I just can’t believe how desperate these people are. It’s only been a month, can you believe it? A month and they’re already prepared to give up everything. I really shouldn’t complain. Their loss is my gain, but it’s all so simple.” Kristopher gave a small, maniacal laugh.

  “You’re in my basement.” Lucian looked up from his desk slightly annoyed. He did not like Kristopher or his people in the basement. They always touched things and then Lucian would inevitably have to reorganize when they left.

  “Do you think tomorrow is too soon to start announcing the changes? I guess it would be. It’s all so exciting. I never thought this would work.” Kristopher started pacing through the aisles of stone benches, touching every book he passed and knocking it just slightly off center.

  “And it all wouldn’t have worked without me. No, no, Kristopher, you don’t have to say it. I already know.” Lucian stood up and tried to think of a strategy to herd Kristopher upstairs. “I’m sure you have a tremendous pile of work waiting for you upstairs and I’d hate to keep you from it. After all, you have a country to restructure and people’s lives to regulate as heavily as you can. So enjoy, Big Brother.”

  “This isn’t 1984, Lucian. New century, different league.”

  “Fewer rats,” Lucian said with sarcastic optimism.

  “If I didn’t know better I’d say you didn’t have any faith in me.” Kristopher was starting to look upset but he did turn to leave, and as the door to upstairs closed Lucian let out a sigh of relief.

  It wasn’t just the fact Kristopher annoyed him that made Lucian want him gone, but he actually had work to do. The announcement that term limits had been ended and Kristopher’s reign could last indefinitely brought a drove of requests to join Lucian’s ‘Order of the Resurrected Life.’ Now Lucian was faced with the task of deciding who was worth training in earnest and who would be shoved off into the congregation classes. All the chapters were experiencing an influx, but none as strongly as Lucian’s own. He had hoped to force one of the elders to wade through the paperwork, but the sheer numbers made it necessary for him to help as well. He had also heard that when the term limit issue was announced Kristopher’s party had a major increase in registered members. Not all these people were idiots, some of them actually saw the inevitable and were starting to protect themselves. It would work too, Kristopher was too vain to think people were showing support for any other reason than they believed in him.

  “Lucian, someone’s here to see you for The Order.” Alexander appeared out of nowhere with a young girl a few feet behind him.

  “Ah, right on time.” Lucian stood up and walked over to shake the girl’s hand. He had no idea what time it was or whether the girl was expected or not, but it seemed to put her at ease. “Your name please?”

  “Emily.” The girl looked nervous and dressed like she was going to a job interview.

  “Well, Emily, come here and sit down.” He gestured to one of the stone benches. Alexander retreated to the first floor once he was sure everything was under control. “Now, you have nothing to be nervous about, we don’t reject people who want to be a part of what we do here. These initial interviews are just for us to get to know you and for you to get a basic understanding of what we do here.”

  “Oh, alright.” Emily nodded timidly and her eyes darted around the basement, taking everything in.

  “Emily, you look a little nervous, is there something you’d like to ask me? If you’ve changed your mind you can always leave. We won’t hold it against you, we know this is a very personal decision.” Lucian tried to give a reassuring smile but he was out of practice.

  “Oh, no! It’s not that at all. I love what you’re doing here. I think it’s really wonderful. You and Kristopher are really going to change the world, I just want to be a part of it while it’s all still new.” Emily was speaking extremely fast and her face was plastered with a smile. “I’m just not sure what I can really add to, well, I guess you could call it a revolution, as big as this!”

  Lucian immediately regretted coaxing her to talk. She’d be going down on the list of congregation members without a doubt. Now he just had to think of a way to get rid of her. “Tell me, Emily, would you be willing to work for this campaign? You seem to want to be involved, I’d like to find an inside job that would suit you.”

  “It depends on the kind of work. I know Kristopher must have had to do some unsavory things to get the position he has and in this case I’m sure the ends justify the means, but I’m only interested in helping people, being involved in the good.”

  “Of course.” Lucian was confused, it was like talking to a completely different person. The girl was rational and serious. He could even catch a glimpse of intelligence in her eyes. It was a shame the girl was such an idealist, if she could’ve separated the do-good attitude from the rest of her Lucian could’ve used her. “I think Kristopher’s been looking for people to help with food distribution and things like that if you’d be interested?”

  “It sounds perfect!”

  “Good!” Lucian tried not to feel guilty. After all, the girl would be doing good for about a week, and then they’d switch to the ration system. “One more question, Emily, where are you from?”

  “Well, from here originally, but most recently I’ve been living in the Victorian Compound. I only came out because of the changes Kristopher’s making. The system just didn’t seem to be broken anymore, this time things will be different, and I want to be a part of it.”

  “Victorian compound?” Lucian thought it was the most ridiculous thing he’d heard in quite some time. The 1800s were nothing he’d want to relive.

  “Yes.” Emily responded, confused by the look of detest on Lucian’s face. “Have you been there?”

  “Not exactly.” Lucian stood up. “Come with me, I’ll have Alexander take you to talk to Kristopher.” Lucian led her upstairs and handed her off to Alexander, the boy looked less than ecstatic he was forced to be the girl’s escort again.

  “So, you want to work for Kristopher?” Alexander asked while Lucian retreated to his basement.

  “I just want to be a part of it all, and right from the start too!”

  “Well, I’m really one of Lucian’s, we’re just along for the ride. Kristopher’s the real evil genius behind it all.” Alexander chuckled.

  “Evil genius? He’s a saint!”

  “Yeah, whatever you want to call it.” Alexander shrugged. He was in no mood to deal with Emily, and he was overjoyed to find Kristopher in his office so the girl could be pawned off on him.

  “Hello, Alex, who’s your friend?”

  “Kristopher, this is Emily. Lucian told me to send her up to you. He thinks she should be given a position working with your food distribution program. She’s very, uh,” Alexander coughed into his hand to cover a laugh. “Eager to start.”

  “Thank you, Alex.” Kristopher looked skeptical. “Well sit down, girl, we’ll have a chat and then I’ll get you to work.”

  “Enjoy.” Alexander sighed as he shut the door. As he walked away he could hear a shrill I just want to be a part of it from
the beginning. The girl didn’t know what she was getting in to, but neither did anyone else.

  Alexander walked to a small room on the first floor that was serving as his temporary office. Kristopher had given him the job of calling back every single member of the armed forces they had abroad. Their mission would now be to guard Kristopher and his interests. Kristopher knew he would become unpopular quickly after the official changes were announced, and he wanted the appropriate protection. Any military personnel who disagreed with his orders would no longer have the promise of Lucian’s protection and then would be shot. It was in everyone’s best interest to follow orders and keep their mouths shut. The military would be stationed all over the country and the moment the new order was announced martial law would go into effect. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people would be killed in the first few days. After that it would start to sink in that everything was real.

  Alexander also knew Lucian and the cult were creating and hiding a massive undead army. It would, in part, be used to enforce Kristopher’s state if that became necessary, but it was more for protection against him. Lucian was anticipating the worst, and if Kristopher ever decided to turn his armies against the cult Lucian would be prepared. Alexander found the idea of war somewhat intriguing and decided he wouldn’t try to stop it if he saw it coming. The thing he wasn’t sure of was which side to be on, but that could be decided later depending on who looked the most likely to win.

  Lucian, although prepared for war, wasn’t thinking about it. He and the rest of the elders were busy screening potential members, a task that seemed to keep growing.

  “Belle, how many more of these do we have to go through today?” Lucian had sent his last interviewee back upstairs and was trying desperately to find an excuse to sneak away.

  “You better settle in, dear.” Belle laughed, whatever force had caused her to start aging had relented and turned back the clock, causing her to be in a good mood regardless of what was going on around her. “You’ll be here for awhile. I see a long line of long days in your future. But I give you permission to track down the one who just left and kill him for the day.”

  Lucian chuckled. “He wasn’t worse than any of the rest of them.”

  “He had cross eyes. It’s hard enough to pretend to take these idiots seriously as it is. I’m not sure I could manage it with someone who looks like he’s a joke on top of it.”

  “That’s incredibly rude of you.”

  “It’s been such a long day I don’t even care.” Belle looked smug as she handed Lucian another stack of papers. “Now get back to work.”

  Lucian glared before turning back to his work. The line of applicants now stretched around the basement several times and they still had yet to find anyone actually worthy of becoming a part of their cult. It was disheartening. There were five elders running interviews alongside Lucian and all of them were having the same results. Things weren’t looking good and getting ready to look worse.

  “Kristopher’s holding another press conference.” Someone yelled from the back of the line. He’d apparently been watching TV on his phone when the interruption came.

  Belle looked at Lucian who shrugged to say he’d known nothing about it. The last he’d heard Kristopher was going to wait several weeks before making his bombshell announcement. Lucian ran upstairs but the office was empty. Kristopher had gone out to make his speech, which meant he didn’t want Lucian involved. Lucian turned on the TV, livid but curious.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. It’s a task no politician enjoys, but I have no choice. The lifestyle you’ve all been enjoying these past months is ending today. I am establishing martial law as of this announcement, but only because I feel it’s in the best interest of the people. We will also be issuing ration tickets for food to temper your greed as people have been taking food out of the mouths of fellow citizens in an attempt to have more than they need. We will also only be allowing travel on foot or via public transportation in an attempt to keep our public roads in good condition. All, of course, for your own good.

  The next change, and the one that will take the longest for you to understand, is all crimes will be punishable by death. You may think it harsh, but if you’re a law-abiding citizen you have nothing to fear. In an attempt to distinguish between law-abiding citizens and criminals we will be establishing a curfew. Everyone must be indoors by dark unless a member of the military law enforcement team. All criminals will be brought to me for a trial and I will decide their guilt or innocence. I assure you I will be a fair judge. In speaking of fairness, we will no longer be permitting resurrections of the dead unless they are members of both my political party and Lucian’s Order. If this is not the case at the time of death and the family wishes to obtain Lucian’s services he has established a fee, to be discussed at the necessary time.

  I know it may not seem like it, but I assure you all these changes are in your best interest. I have done nothing but good things for you since my election and I promise only good things in the future. All I ask in return is that you follow the letter of the law.”

  The announcement was cut off abruptly and pre-taped daytime television immediately followed. Lucian turned off the TV, a little stunned but not shocked, and retreated to his basement. The crowds there were huddled around cell phones in silence, scared to react and not sure if what they’d just witnessed had actually happened. Lucian gave a few seconds thought to Emily, the poor girl wouldn’t even have a day to do the good work she wanted so badly to be involved with. Instead she’d be involved from the beginning with the campaign of a dictator.

  “You’re all in, I’ll note that on your paper work.” Lucian slumped down onto a bench. He was going to have to think of a new screening process, the number of applicants would be multiplied by ten the next day.

  “Now get out!” Lucian yelled more loudly than he intended, but it had the effect of clearing out the room so he didn’t bother to apologize.

  As the room started to clear out Belle handed him all the paperwork she had. “What does this mean for us exactly.”

  “We’re being left out, it won’t be long now. Make sure we have undead guards doubled. And stop giving details to Alexander. We can’t trust him to keep his mouth shut.” Lucian sighed and bent over the stack of paperwork while Belle turned to leave.

  “Oh, and Kristopher is planning to stockpile bodies. Execute one criminal everyday and he’ll never have to go hunting again.”

  19. Miriel and William

  “Madame Perkins, would you mind awfully if I borrowed your ward for the day? I need help with some processing.”

  “Well of course. Medical processing I assume?”

  “No, citizen processing. We just received a notice from Kristopher’s administration that anyone living permanently in the commune must be documented due to rationing and whatever else he’s starting over there.”

  “I don’t remember hearing about any of this.” Madame Perkins’s eyes narrowed for just a second. “Of course, Elle will be more than happy to help you out. Is there anything I can be entrusted with?”

  Miriel walked into the front room after hearing her name being thrown around and was amazed to hear bitterness crop up in Madame’s voice. She had never seen the woman lose composure, but now little cracks were forming on the surface.

  “Actually, there is a favor I’d like to ask you.”

  “Yes?” This time Madame was unable to cover the bitter tone adequately and William raised an eyebrow.

  “If it’s any trouble I’ll find someone else.” William responded flatly.

  Miriel was surprised by the show of dominance. Madame Perkins was not supposed to be anything other than a trainer and William shouldn’t have seen her as competition. The whole standoff didn’t make sense. Unless Madame Perkins had another role in society they were keeping a secret. Miriel decided it would be worth keeping an eye on her just in case.

  “I’d be more than happy to help.” Madame Perk
ins gave a brilliant smile, but it seemed more sarcastic than obliging.

  If William noticed the sarcasm he chose to ignore it. “Wonderful. I’d like you to stay here and come up with a census list of everyone living here now, that way Elle and I can work on all the new people.”

  “Of course, I’d --” Madame paused. “What new people?”

  “They’re lining up outside the gates. It started shortly after Kristopher’s announcement yesterday. People are jumping ship before things get even worse. It’s only a matter of time before he keeps them shut in there, the smart ones are getting out while they still can.”

  Miriel thought about Emily and hoped she was one of the masses waiting in line. She’d left wanting to do good and just days later Kristopher had shown his true colors. Hopefully Emily would be smart enough to know when someone was being manipulative, but Miriel had her doubts. The girl wanted her life to work out so badly she’d stick it out until it killed her.

  “It’s strange you didn’t get the word out sooner. That many new people are going to require some serious changes. Not to mention we’ll have to change the way we train them. I really should have been informed.”

  “The people who needed to know first knew. Now, Elle, please. I could use your help.”

  Miriel nodded and walked out with William. Madame Perkins would be furious the whole day. “It looks like you won that one.”

  “Excuse me?” William pretended he had no idea what Miriel was referring to. He had his secrets and she had hers.

  “This new screening process will serve a dual purpose. The first to get the correct numbers to Kristopher’s people as I told Madame, the second to find new targets for our game. People with the fewest connections, the least likely to be missed.”

  “The ones with the fewest connections are the first to go because no one cares. I have done this before.” Miriel tried not to sound upset.