“Do you think it’s true?” Scarlett wondered. “Are we safe?”
“The person responsible is in custody, so yeah,” Jack answered, pushing away from the wall just as the control room doors slid open and Silos emerged, alone.
He looked them over and beamed. “I have to say, I am very impressed,” he said. “Out of an entire ship of seven thousand people, you five were the only ones who actually fought, who made it this far. You faced those creatures and helped get this ship back under control. When this is over, I would really like to thank you properly.”
Giving none of them the chance to respond, he stalked past them towards the transporter.
“Coming?” he said when no one moved.
Sharing quick glances, they followed and were the first to arrive at the theater room. Scarlett wondered if the others were just too afraid to leave their hiding places, or if there just weren’t that many survivors left. Her insides twisted as she watched the doors, waiting for someone to walk through.
“What if there’s no one left?” she whispered, mostly to herself.
“There are.” Silos touched her shoulder, which was a very odd gesture in her opinion. “We, as humans, are built to survive. It’s encoded into our DNA. We are fighters and those strongest, always survive.”
Scarlett didn’t know what to say. So much had happened that she wasn’t sure she had any optimism left.
Then the doors opened and people began pouring in. The sight of them shot her through with relief and joy. Silos gave her a smile and a pat on the shoulder before moving to take the stage. Scarlett and Rolf remained at the back, leaning against the wall, watching the crowd file in as Jack, Mac and Kiera hurried to get seats.
The majority of the survivors were kids. Some had their parents still. Some were alone. But very few were older than twenty-five. They must have been hiding, waiting for the threat to end.
Maybe Silos was right, she thought, maybe humans were built to survive.
“Please, everyone, take a seat,” Silos instructed. “I’m sure you must all be exhausted and hungry. We will make sure everyone is fed and tended to in just a moment.”
“What happened?” someone in the crowd called out over the din.
“Where’s Captain Isabella?” another demanded.
“What happened to those creatures?” said another.
Silos put his hands up. “I will answer all your questions the best I can.” He waited until the last person was seated before he began. His voice was heavy with regret. His shoulders were slumped with grief. He reminded Scarlett of Marcus. “The creatures are contained in the boiler room. The marshals are looking into ways of removing them from our ship even as we speak—”
“So there’s no way to save them?” a woman cried, her voice shrill with fear.
Silos looked down. “Unfortunately, there isn’t. We lost a very large portion of our numbers. Those who are remaining are not nearly qualified to try and duplicate the serum, never mind try and extract a cure.”
“What’s going to happen…?”
Silos raised his hands. “At this time, we have not yet decided what should be done with the infected, but rest assured that they will be taken care of.”
“Are we safe here?”
“Yes!” Silos had to shout to be heard over the murmur that had begun to rise. “I promise you, you are safe. The door to the boiler room has been sealed and guards have been posted to make sure it stays that way.”
“How did this happen?” a man asked.
Silos hesitated. He looked down to the ground. Scarlett was sure for a moment that he wouldn’t say. Then he raised his head.
“It was Captain Isabella—”
“That’s a lie!” someone instantly shouted.
“She herself confessed to the senseless murder of over three thousand souls,” Silos said gently.
“Why would the captain do this to us?”
Silos paced the length of the stage, seemingly bracing himself for what he was about to reveal. Then he stopped at the center, clasped his hands behind him, raised his chin and spoke.
“Captain Isabella Poehler, previously known as Danilova Kozlov, was a Russian heiress to a multibillion dollar weapons industry. Her company had been building and creating nuclear bombs since the First World War. She is the one responsible for the annihilation of earth.”
Scarlett’s gasp was swallowed by the surge of outrage. People were out of their chairs. Their voices were a single cacophony, demanding answers. Demanding blood. It took Silos nearly fifteen minutes to calm them down.
“It seems as though we never really knew the captain,” he said. “She fooled all of us, but mostly, she fooled Marcus. This ship was built by Kozlov Industries, by Isabella’s company. She selected seven thousand souls and set sail into space, knowing we would never return. When Marcus found out, she had him killed.”
“She killed the captain?” a woman croaked.
“I’m afraid so,” Silos murmured.
“So what Marcus told us about those nukes … they were true?”
Silos nodded. “Kinetic bombs,” he said. “Her company had been secretly building launch platforms around earth for years. The purpose of these platforms was to release eight simultaneous projectiles that would burrow into the earth’s crust and detonate simultaneously. They were undetectable until it was too late.”
“Why would she do that?” a woman demanded, sounding close to tears.
“For the same reason she infected this ship,” Silos said. “It was her goal to create a new world, a world where she would be hailed as a god and people would worship her. But her utopia came with a price. Only those who were young, strong, and easily manipulated were granted access. The old and sick were discarded and what better way than to claim a ship wide infestation? She has been monitoring everyone from the Control Room this whole time, watching as we fought for our lives. But no more. Her reign of terror has come to an end. We are once more in control of our ship.”
“And she just told you all of this?” a leery voice asked.
“Yes,” Silos said simply. “Isabella is a smart woman. She knows that cooperating is the only thing that will save her.”
“Save her?” an angry voice snarled. “She’s a monster!”
“Where is she now?” someone else asked.
“She is being detained by the marshals,” Silos said.
“What will become of her?”
“She will be given a trial, but right now, that is not important—”
“She killed our families!” someone exclaimed, outraged. “How is that not important?”
Silos raised his hands. “Forgive me. You are right. It is important, but right now, there are those of us who have injuries that require attention. We have children who are no doubt starving and we are all exhausted. What we need to do at this moment is prioritize. Captain Isabella will be dealt with after we have made our home safe once more.”
“With Captain Isabella arrested who is in command?” a man in front asked.
Silos straightened his shoulders. “I am currently. That is another matter we will deal with when the time comes. First, all those who require medical attention, please move to this side of the room. Officials will come around to assist you. I also require a small group of volunteers to join me for a trip to the refectory to bring back food and water.”
As the room rose to follow orders, Scarlett turned to Rolf.
“It doesn’t feel over.”
He touched her face, smoothing away what was probably dirt with the pad of his thumb. “It’s over. Isabella has been captured. The infected are contained and everyone is here, safe, and I…” He smiled. The first real smile she’d seen from him in three years. “I got the girl.”
She chuckled weakly. “Something doesn’t feel right. I’m still afraid.”
His hands took her shoulders and she was drawn into his chest. His lips found her brow, just between her eyes. “You never have to be afraid.” He pulled back
to search her face. “I will always be there to protect you.”
Epilogue
The new world rose around them, bright blue and brimming with possibility. Endless miles of water yawned endlessly over the horizon like a carpet, broken occasionally by patches of green. Jericho Kozlov had never seen anything so beautiful.
This was their new home, a place humanity could start over, start fresh. All the imperfections and flaws of the old world would not touch this place. He would not allow it. He had come too far, had done too much to allow that to happen.
Small, pale hands slipped beneath his arms and crossed over his bare chest. Soft lips pressed between his shoulder blades.
“We will be landing within the hour, Silos,” Eira whispered into his ear. “Is it everything you dreamed it would be?”
Silos sighed. “Yes, and if not,” he turned and took her into his arms. “We will make it so.”
Eira smiled up at him. She was beautiful, as the wife of the captain should be. The passengers of the Dawn Light had accepted him without question, as he knew they would because of her, because they trusted her. The daughter of a beloved, former captain. She was sweet and kind and gentle. She would never do anything to risk their lives and was in fact a hero. She had singlehandedly attempted to save them from Isabella at a great personal risk to her own safety. Of course they would blindly follow her lead, and thus put him in the place of power to command their lives and show them what needed to be done. He hadn’t expected anything less.
“Is everything ready?” he asked.
Eira nodded. “The last of the rooms were cleared this morning. There isn’t a single creature left on the ship. The passengers have moved back into their quarters.”
“And what of our cargo?”
Annoyance flickered across her blue eyes. “It took some convincing to shut those stupid children up, but they have agreed it would be best for all involved if no one mentioned the weapons room or the docking bay. I told them I had no idea why we had weapons, but it’s a good thing we did, considering. I also assured them that nothing in those rooms will be used, unless absolutely necessary. The boy, Rolf, seemed to accept this. He understands that we’re going to an alien planet and will need all the protection we can get. His little friend … she wasn’t as easily convinced. But they won’t give us any trouble. I made sure of it.”
Silos nodded. “And our supplies?”
“Vegetation, livestock, and grain were well monitored through the cleansing.” She smiled wickedly at him. “It was a clever idea, blocking the way after level seven. No one ever suspected that all productions were still underway despite the outbreak.”
He flicked her nose playfully. “That was the whole idea. The last thing we needed was for the livestock or vegetation to die while we weeded out all the undesirable weight.” He turned away from her to watch his new world unfold before him. “This is the very beginning of mankind. This is our chance to build a utopian paradise, the way earth should have been, and not everyone can be part of that.”
He didn’t need to look to know Eira was nodding. Of course, she would agree with him. This had been their brainchild. Years of plotting and planning finally realized. It hadn’t been easy, but he was a patient man.
The doors to his chambers slid open and Rager marched in.
“Sir!” He saluted. “Everything is going as planned.”
Silos studied the man before him. There were those who were loyal to him and had proven it during the infestation, but there had been the few, like Isabella, who had needed a reminder just who was in charge. Isabella hadn’t liked taking orders and Silos didn’t care for people who thought they could outsmart him. She didn’t realize she was no more a pawn in a much bigger game. It was no surprise when no one had so much as blinked at the mention of her execution. She, unlike him, had spent her captaincy making people hate her, while he had spent the last three years making the people believe he was one of them, gaining their trust. Of course, had they known that in the end, she had been trying to save them and it was in fact Eira in the control room, determining their fates, he was sure they wouldn’t have been so eager to be rid of her. But he had made certain no one would ever know the truth, except those within his tightly knit circle.
“Good job, Rager. You have been faithful through all of this and I appreciate that.”
Rager straightened his shoulders. “Thank you, sir. I would not be here had it not been for your vision. It’s my honor to serve the leader of the new world.”
Only two of the people who knew he was responsible for the destruction of earth had been allowed to live thus far. Rager was one of them. Eira was the other. Even Marcus had been clueless of his true role. The fool had actually believed the trip would only be six months. But he had served his purpose. He had done his job, had calmed the masses while Silos bided his time. But then he, like Isabella, had gotten too curious, asked too many questions and had become too much of a risk. It had taken years and billions to achieve what he had. Building a ship that could reach space and filling it with just the right number of people, each one brilliant in their own fields, had not been an overnight thought. Every moment had been planned to the last detail. He had made certain it was filled with everything they would need to restart life, and the people to make it happen. It was regretful so many had to die. Every death was a wasted life, but weakness would not be permitted in his world. Only the strong survived and strength was what he required. The infected helped weed one from the other. The last thing he needed was knots in his perfectly weaved web.
Silos moved across the room and took the other man by the shoulders. “Get the crew and passengers ready for landing. Then I want you to take a few men and scout the area, establish a perimeter.”
Rager inclined his head. “Yes, sir.”
Silos watched him leave, waited until the doors had slid shut behind him before saying, “Arrange for Mr. Rager’s unemployment.” He turned to his wife. “He’s too ambitious and a risk. I can’t have him telling anyone our secret.”
Eira gave a slight nod. “I’ll make it happen.” She took his shirt off the back of a chair and went to him. “And who will you enlist as head of your security?”
He thought about it a moment, even though he already knew. “Rolf Gray. He has proven himself quite valuable and resilient. He will make a great leader. Plus, the others respect him and will listen to him.”
“It shall be done.” She handed him his shirt. “You’d better get dressed. Your loyal followers are waiting for you to show them the new world.” She gave him a sly grin. “Have you chosen a name for it yet?”
Dragging his shirt down over his head, he studied his wife. Beautiful, cunning, and as lethal as he was, she was perfect, or had been when things had been desperate. But he knew he would need to dispose of her. A woman like Eira wouldn’t be placated for very long. She would eventually get bored and become tiresome. She would eventually become a liability. For now, he would indulge her and use her for the next step in his plan.
Giving her his best smile, he took her face into his hands. “Thalassa.”
To Be Continued…
About Airicka Phoenix
International Best-Selling author Airicka Phoenix lives in a world where unicorns, fairies and mermaids run amok through her home on a daily basis. When she’s not chasing after pixies and rounding up imps, also known as her four children, she can be found conjuring up evil villains, bad-ass heroines and swoon-worthy heroes to play with.
Airicka is singlehandedly responsible for her greatly anticipated collections, the Touch Saga, the Sons of Judgment Saga, The Lost Girl Duology, The Regeneration Series, Games of Fire, Betraying Innocence & My Soul For You. She also writes adult paranormal & contemporary romance under the dark guise of Morgana Phoenix.
For more about Airicka and the realm she rules with an iron fist—and tons of chocolate—visit her at: Website
Enjoy The Aqua Secret
By L.L. Hunter
Prolog
ue
“Get to the boats!” someone yelled.
A siren sounded so loud it pierced my eardrums. I could hardly hear what anyone was saying it was so loud. My father scooped me up in his arms and began running.
“Dad, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know. The General has sounded the disaster alarm. Something’s happening, so we must go to the boats for safety. It’ll be okay, Rick.”
“Where’s Peter? I haven’t seen Peter!” I was only ten, and Peter Maddox was my only friend. Our fathers worked together in the Navy.
“I don’t know, Rick. But I’m sure he’s safe. He’s probably with his father, The General.”
I adjusted my grip on my father by putting my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, so that I could see behind us.
It was utter mayhem as everyone, all the families of the navy officers, ran toward the vessels. My father and I walked across the plank into the navy vessel. The higher we climbed the more people I could see. At the height of a few stories above the dock, I could see everyone’s heads, and not one of them was Peter. My father seemed to sense what I was thinking and put me on his back.
“It’ll be okay, Rick. I think the General and his family are already on board.” I nodded, but not that my father could tell what I was doing.
When we were aboard the vessel, my father walked down a few hallways, down a flight of stairs, and down two more corridors, before stopping at a door. He knocked, the door opened, and I heard a familiar voice.
“There you are. I was beginning to get worried.” My father handed me over to my mother, and I hugged her tight.
During dinner that night, I finally found Peter and sat beside him. Our families were friends, so we all sat together. Another friend of ours, Clinton, sat opposite us with his family. I had a feeling General Maddox hated Clinton’s father, though. I think it’s because Clinton’s father once stole the General’s exam answers in chemistry, and he’d never really forgiven him.
When Night Falls (Regeneration Series Book 1) Page 21