Kings and Crowns: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 2)

by Chris Yee

  Charlotte looked up. “You know, you don’t have to whisper. Sure, there are cameras everywhere, but they can’t hear you.”

  “What?” Rupert asked.

  “They can’t hear you. There are no microphones. The cameras are for security, but microphones breach our privacy policy.”

  “You’re still here,” Alan said. “Not that we’re hiding anything from you. We were just talking as a group.”

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said. “Just thought you should know. Carry on.” She buried her face back in her journal.

  “What is that?” Saul said. He walked over to Charlotte.

  “What is what?” She said as she shuffled the journal behind her back.

  He grabbed it out of her hands and read the words on the cover. “Monitor Journal: Project Lazarus.” He flipped to a random page. “Barnabus has made first contact. It went poorly. He has injected Saul. Vince remains clean. Barnabus has sustained a stab wound to the eye. He is returning to the City. The boys are preparing for school. Will monitor Saul closely to see the effects of the formula.” He looked to the group, and then back to Charlotte. “This is the day we met Barnabus. Why is this in here? Why do you have this?”

  Vince stepped forward. “She’s our monitor agent.”

  She stared at the journal in Saul’s hands. “Yes, I am your monitor agent.”

  “That’s how you know so much about us,” Vince said.

  “Correct.”

  “You know everything about us,” Saul said. “You know why we’re really here.”

  Charlotte leaned in. “You have to keep this to yourself. If Greene finds out that you know, I’m in big trouble.” Her eyes wandered to the cameras scattered throughout the room. She panicked and plucked the journal right out of Saul’s hands. “They can’t hear us, but they can see us.” She tucked it behind her back. “I just hope he didn’t see you reading it.”

  “You seem scared of him,” Ella said.

  “Scared is the wrong word. I’m intimidated by him. He is a powerful man. Rarely does anyone get to meet him up close. Today was my first time. The one thing he asked of me was to keep what I know about you to myself. Only Greene and I know the truth. Everyone else in the Spire thinks you’re here to thank Greene, not kill him. I’m the one loose end in his plan to fool the City. That puts me under a lot of pressure.”

  Vince saw the genuine stress in her eyes. “I see. We have certainly put you in a tough position, and for that, I apologize. We still intend to stop Greene, but your secret is safe with us.”

  Her tense shoulders relaxed. “Thank you. You can trust me. I won’t report anything to Greene.”

  “What now?” Alan asked

  Vince shrugged. “What does Greene have planned for us? Do you know?”

  “I’ve told you as much as I know. He is planning a conference of some kind. I presume that’s when he will show you off to the Spire. He’s transforming the two of you into objects of pride. Something the Spire can look up to. As far as I know, that is ultimately his goal. He does not wish to kill you. He wants to recruit you to fight against the Crowns.”

  “Why would we help him?” Saul asked. “He’s given us nothing but heartache.”

  “He has put you through a lot, but you’ve seen the Crowns. You know how violent they can get.”

  “It’s because of Simon,” Ella said.

  “Exactly. They are led by a savage man. One who leads them only further into savagery. Greene may have done bad things to you, but Simon is much worse.”

  “Sure, he was a bit strange,” Alan said, “but he can’t be worse than Greene.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’s much worse. Let me show you.”

  THIRTEEN

  CHARLOTTE BROUGHT THEM to her own monitor room. The screens displayed images from Vince and Saul’s past. Their life in Rodin as children. Their trek through the flatlands. Their encounter with Barnabus. It was all there. The screen in the center showed the six of them standing in the monitor room. She chuckled and looked up at the camera above the door. “I guess I don’t need this anymore.” She flipped a switch, and the screen turned blue. She opened a drawer underneath the desk. “These are Simon’s records.” Hundreds of little cartridges were lined up in rows, each labeled with dates and times. She browsed through, running her fingers along the labels as she read them. “I believe this is the one.” She pulled out a single cartridge and pushed it into a slot below the screen.

  An image popped up. It was Simon. He was pacing back and forth in front of a group of Crowns, presumably giving a speech, but there was no sound to hear his word.

  “So what?” Alan said. “He’s just giving a speech. Getting them excited.”

  “Keep watching.”

  Another man walked into frame and tapped him on the shoulder. He leaned in and whispered something into his ear. Simon stopped, glared at the man, and then started to yell. He stomped the ground and threw his arms in a fit of rage. His entire face turned bright red. He drew his gun, pointed it at the man’s head, and fired. The other men did not react. They stood in formation and awaited orders. Simon swung the gun around at one of them and pulled the trigger. Moved to the next. Pulled the trigger. His men stood still as the gun moved down the line.”

  “What?” Ella said, confused. “Why is he killing his own people?”

  “He was throwing a fit, simple as that. It was the day we reclaimed one of our supply posts. He had captured it from us just days earlier. That man was giving him the bad news. He killed twelve of his men that day.”

  “He’s nuts.”

  “He has a temper for sure.” She popped the cartridge out. “I have more.” She picked out another one and slipped it in.

  Another image came up. This one was in some sort of store. It was a large warehouse with shelves full of products. People walked up and down the aisles, browsing through the selection. A group of armed men and women charged in, Simon leading in front. They yelled at customers and forced them to the ground. He said a few words and then signaled to his troops. They pointed their guns and fired. Simon left and returned with jugs of gasoline. They drenched the aisles until they were all out, and then lit the place on fire.

  “Jeez!” Alan said.

  “It’s savage, I know,” Charlotte said. “This was a store that Greene owned. There are many of them throughout the City. Lots of people shop there because it’s affordable. To Greene, it’s important that everyone has food and water, even those struggling with money, so he provides low-cost options. But to Simon, anyone who shops at these stores is a supporter of Greene. He kills them because he believes they’re against his cause. In reality, they are only trying to put food on their tables. Innocent people die every week because of this.”

  “He does this a lot?” Rupert asked.

  “All the time. This was just one instance, but he’s attacked a number of Greene’s stores throughout the City. He’s slaughtered peaceful supporters of Greene. Unarmed people who want to support what we do.”

  “I’m starting to get the picture,” Alan said. “This Simon guy is bad news.”

  Charlotte reached back into the drawer. “I have one more to show you.” She pushed in another cartridge.

  A little girl stood alone in an alley. Simon walked into frame holding a large gun. He handed it over to her and walked back out. When he returned, he was dragging a man. The man was tied up, gagged, and blindfolded. Simon dropped him in front of her and pointed at his head. The girl refused, shaking her head. Simon burst out yelling. She teared up, the gun trembling in her hand. She raised it up, closed her eyes, and shot. The man’s head exploded, and his body fell to the ground. She stared at the headless corpse in terror. Simon took the gun from her, patted her head, and walked out.

  “I think we’ve seen enough,” Ella said.

  Charlotte nodded. “I know it’s hard to watch. Simon recruits kids at a young age. Forces them to kill. Greene has a strict no-children policy. He doesn�
��t recruit children as soldiers, and they must give their consent to be test subjects.” She looked at Vince and Saul. “Of course, you two are the exception. Barnabus panicked and disobeyed orders. He was not meant to inject you against your will. He was punished for that.”

  They were all silent as they walked back to their bedroom. When they arrived, Rupert turned to Charlotte. “Do you mind if we talk amongst ourselves for a moment?”

  She nodded. “Of course. Take all the time you need.”

  They huddled in the corner. “What do you think?” Alan asked. “Simon seems like a pretty bad guy.”

  Rupert nodded. “I agree. Greene may be bad, but Simon is a cruel human being. Cruel and out of his mind. Those two things don’t go well together.”

  “I knew it from the moment we met him,” Ella said. “He’s no good. He needs to be stopped.”

  Rupert turned to Vince and Saul. “What do you two think?”

  Vince looked at Saul, and then back at the others. “It’s true, we came here to stop Greene and that has not changed. But he’s not going anywhere. I think we can all agree that Simon is far worse. Every day he’s out there, innocent people die. The Crowns have a noble cause, but they’re misguided. They need a good leader, and Simon is the opposite of that. He is a virus that has infected them and turned them into terrorists. Greene can wait. Simon needs to be stopped right away.”

  He glanced at Saul for approval. Saul nodded. “I’m right there with you, buddy.”

  “So we all agree,” Rupert said. “What is our next course of action?”

  “It sounds like Greene is welcoming us with open arms,” Alan said. “He’s making the two of you the Pride of the Spire. He’s already using us to hurt Simon. I say we play along. Team up with him. Once Simon’s out of the picture, we can turn on him and catch him by surprise.”

  “Do you think we can trust him? He knows so much about us. He knows why we’re really here.”

  “He can’t kill us,” Vince said. “He needs us. He needs our image. If he kills us, the people will be outraged.”

  “So we all agree,” Ella said. “We cooperate with Greene to take out Simon.”

  They all nodded and broke their huddle.

  Rupert walked over to Charlotte. “We’ll help stop Simon. We’ll do whatever Greene asks.”

  “Wonderful! Greene will be pleased to hear that. I will let you know when he is ready to see you. In the meantime, get some rest. I know you’ve all been through a lot.”

  Alan fell onto one of the beds. It was the most comfortable thing he had ever laid on. “Damn right. I’m beat.”

  Ella walked to the bed next to him. “Sleep sounds nice.” She looked up. “Are you going to watch us?”

  Charlotte nodded. “Sorry, I have to. It’s my job.”

  “You can take a break,” Alan said. “We won’t tell.”

  She looked at a camera in the corner. “They’re watching, remember? Rest well, We’re sure to be busy for the next few days.” She opened her journal and began a new entry. Vince and Saul arrive at the Spire.

  FOURTEEN

  VINCE WOKE UP to the sound of a blaring voice. It was coming from the loud speaker.

  “Charlotte Marble. Please escort our guests to the briefing room. Repeat. Charlotte Marble. Please escort our guests to the briefing room.”

  Charlotte stood up. “It’s time. I guess Greene is ready to see you.”

  “Finally,” Alan said as he got out of bed. “We’ve already been here a whole day.”

  “He must have something big planned for you. He was planning all day yesterday. Are you ready?” They nodded. “Okay, follow me.”

  They walked through the halls, past the rehabilitation labs again. This time, there were not only test subjects, but people in long white cloaks as well. Their uniforms bore the same City crest that was plastered on everything else. The camera. The boat. They had seen it everywhere.

  “Looks like the alert has been lifted. The labbies are back to work.” The workers in white observed their subjects, writing down notes in a journal similar to Charlotte’s. “Let’s go. We don’t want to keep Greene waiting.”

  They passed through the double doors and back towards the briefing room. Saul nudged Vince. “What do you think he’s like?” he whispered.

  “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”

  Charlotte looked back. “Relax. It’s true he’s a powerful man, but he likes you. You’ll be fine.”

  They turned the corner and entered the briefing room. A man sat at the head of the table. He stood up and opened his arms. “Welcome friends.” His voice was deep. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person. I am Victor Greene.” He stuck out his hand to shake theirs. His grip was firm. “Now I know you have a lot of questions, but that will have to wait just a little longer while I speak with Ms. Marble. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable.”

  He pulled Charlotte aside and lowered his voice. “Excellent work Ms. Marble. Showing them footage of Simon was a brilliant idea. Just what we needed to get them on our side. Did it work?”

  “I think so.”

  “Fantastic. You have done well. I’m going to keep you with them. There is no need to watch them on a screen when they’re here in person, right?”

  “I suppose that’s true, sir.”

  “From now on, you are their escort. You will show them around and bring them wherever they need to be. But secretly, you will continue to observe them. Note anything of interest in your journal. Do everything you do in the monitor room, but in person. And if they start to have doubts, you can nudge them in the right direction.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Very good.” He turned around to address the others. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I know you were eager to meet me. I have certainly been eager to meet you. People around here call me Mr. Greene, but let’s move past formalities. Please, call me Victor. Now let’s get to business. It appears that we have a common goal. You met Simon, correct?”

  “Yes,” Saul answered. “That’s correct. He seemed okay when we met him. We had no idea he was so…so…”

  “Vicious?” Victor said. “Cruel? Savage? Barbaric? There are many words to describe him, but none of them quite capture his essence. He’s an evil man guided by false justice. He disturbs the peace in the City that I work so hard to achieve. He’s killed countless numbers of innocent people in the name of his so-called justice. But how can that be justice? It can’t. I don’t have to convince you. You’ve already seen it. The Crowns don’t only follow him, they worship him. They believe he is the solution to all of their problems, and that if he takes down the Spire, pain and sorrow will disappear. But it won’t. It will only spread chaos. Pain and sorrow will always be present, but here in the Spire, we try to make life a little better for everyone.

  “Our tests help many people. Your very own vitality injection has led to some great breakthroughs in life expectancy. Simon looks past all of the good we do and focuses on false accusations. He antagonizes us. Turns the people against me when I’m only trying to help. He is a virus. An infection that grows in the form of the Crowns and attacks our peaceful society. He needs to be eliminated. Taken out. Exterminated.”

  He pointed to Vince and Saul. “That’s where you two come in. He was going to make you the face of the Crowns. I plan on doing the exact opposite. You will be a success story for the Spire. A triumph for the people of the City to look up to. A shining example of why we do these tests.”

  “And what do we do?” Alan asked.

  “Support them. They’ll need all the support they can get. There are going to be conferences and meet ups. We’ll get the two of you out into the public. Meet people face to face. Vince and Saul will be all-stars, and being all-stars is a lot of work. They’ll need good friends by their sides.”

  “That sounds like a lot of work,” Saul said.

  “It will most definitely be a lot of work, but I assure you it will not be in vain. Your hard work will bri
ng us closer to our goal. It will help tear Simon down from his throne. We will ease you in with the conference. You don’t have to say anything. Just show up, stand on stage, and let me do the talking. We’ll take it from there.”

  “When is the conference?”

  Victor looked at his watch. “In about twenty minutes. I spent all night planning it. I’ve opened it up to all Spire employees, as well as the media. Your story will be broadcast across the City.”

  “Isn’t this all a bit fast?” Ella asked. “We only just got here yesterday. Can’t we have some time to rest?”

  “There is no time to rest. Simon attacked us and he did a lot of damage. We managed to ward him off, but with our first wall down and our defenses scattered, he is bound to attack again, and soon. There’s no way he would give up this opportunity. We have to hurt him before he can hurt us. This conference will boost the morale of our people and hopefully convert some of the Crowns.”

  “And if it doesn’t?” Rupert asked.

  “Then it doesn’t. No harm done. It will still help my employees feel good about their work.” He looked at his watch again. “We should make our way to the auditorium. We don’t want to keep them waiting. Ms. Marble will show you the way. I need to make some last minute preparations, but I will see you up on stage.” He walked to the door and turned around. “You’ll all do great. I know it. Let’s hit Simon where it hurts.” He turned his back and left.

  Charlotte studied their faces. “What do you think? Is he what you expected?”

  Alan shook his head. “He was a lot nicer than I thought he would be.”

  “He was very enthusiastic about his plans for us,” Vince said. “Simon was the exact same way.”

  “Trust me,” Charlotte said. “Greene and Simon are not alike. They’re opposite ends of a spectrum, and it looks like you’re caught in the middle. You may have your doubts about Greene, but in this fight, you want him to win. Like he said, the City in Simon’s hands would be chaos. Many people question the tests we do here, but Simon is the wrong person to lead those people.”