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Creators (A Contributor Trilogy prequel novella)

Page 6

by Nicole Ciacchella


  "What do you mean?" he asked, his anger melting away, replaced by a cold that seemed to seep into his bones. He turned back toward her, but was afraid to look her in the eye.

  "You know what some of them will do, Li. They'll make those same arguments you made and, in time, the agony will lose its edge. They'll come to believe in their own justifications for their actions. Hell, they'll probably even give themselves a pat on the back, congratulate themselves for their heroism."

  "Mei, you can't…" But deep down, he knew what she was saying was the truth. Sure, they all felt the hideousness of what they were doing now, but time would soften the edges of those memories. People like Ishani and Myles very likely would come to see themselves as saviors.

  "You know I'm right," she said softly, watching his face.

  "I just…I just don't know how to do this, otherwise," he said helplessly, finally meeting her gaze. Pleadingly, he stared at her, willing her to understand, to believe him. "I don't know how else to make these choices."

  "I know." She stepped closer to him and took his hand. "Let's promise one another right now that, no matter what, we won't forget. We won't be like our father."

  He flinched, though he knew she hadn't meant the words as an attack. Yet it disturbed him profoundly to realize that there was truth to what she was saying. Hadn't their father concealed the truth from everyone else because of his rationalizations? Hadn't he decided that his own survival mattered more than anyone else's?

  "I promise," Liang whispered.

  Mei nodded. "We're in this together."

  "You and me against the world." He wasn't able to prevent his voice from cracking. Mei's face softened and she hugged him, long and hard.

  "You and me against the world," she agreed.

  Strategy

  So many numbers and names. They floated through Liang's mind as he tried to snatch some sleep; when he woke, only half-conscious; as he spoke with the other Creators and ate his dinner and tried his best to keep it together. He wondered if it would always be like this, if, years from now, he'd still see the numbers and names sliding through his mind, like the never-ending ticker flowing at the bottom of the news broadcasts.

  "Sir, we've extracted the last of the staff," Matthews announced. This time, the man did salute, clicking his heels together lightly. When globalization had continued to rise, cementing loyalties along Creator lines rather than country borders, the need for a military had shrunk. The general attitude had been that the end of violence was near, that the Creators had ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity.

  Right. Look at how prosperous we all are. And the peace is written all over the rubble, evident in the ashes.

  Liang's thoughts were growing increasingly acid like this, and he had reached the point where he didn't bother trying to temper them with some positivity. There was no longer anything at all about which to be positive. Instead, the easiest way to cope was to spin out increasingly disastrous scenarios in his head and congratulate himself when none of them came to pass.

  "Very good," Liang said, shaking himself out of his reverie. He hoped that Matthews hadn't noticed his distraction, but there was a flicker in the security chief's eyes, and he realized Matthews missed nothing.

  "We will begin withdrawal from the residential zones." Matthews indicated that Liang should follow him and Liang obliged, stepping into his study.

  The room was no longer his own; instead, Liang had offered its use to the security team, and it had morphed into a war room. Though Keiko's head of security, Flores, had ultimately been chosen as the head of Alliance Security, Matthews had been the second most experienced candidate, and Flores had wasted no time in choosing him as her second in command. Flores was a woman of action who preferred to be out in the field and, as Matthews was a gifted tactician, she relied on him to supervise overall operations.

  "We've already set up secure outposts here and here," Matthews said, pointing to a map displayed on the screen hanging across from Liang's desk. It had once been the only screen in the room, but Alliance Security had brought in several more, sprinkling them throughout the room. The map was a permanent fixture, constantly updated with new tactical information, while the other screens displayed a variety of news feeds and video conferencing from the forces in the field.

  "What about here?" Liang asked, pointing to another road that led out of the city and toward the remote zone, where the domes were located.

  "Demolitions has already destroyed the bridge and most of the roads. The way is now impassable on vehicle and arduous on foot."

  Liang swallowed. He knew it had been a smart tactical move, but the destruction was still hard to stomach. Rationally, he knew the world was falling down around his ears, he just didn't enjoy directly contributing to the destruction. "Very good." He tried hard to conceal the catch in his voice.

  "We'll set up extra checkpoints along the route, here and here." Matthews pointed to key locations. "When the compound evacuation begins, the route will be absolutely airtight. We've had patrols along the routes for days, looking for IEDs and keeping an eye out for stragglers. There haven't been many, but the numbers have picked up slightly."

  This wasn't surprising, and Liang nodded. Listening to the news stations' nightly rundown of casualties was numbing. Though security had attempted to use non-lethal suppression as much as possible, there had been occasions when they'd had no choice but to use lethal force. Still, this wasn't the biggest source of casualties. Those who kept their heads down around the security forces and managed to scavenge enough food often found their efforts rewarded by death at the hands of violent protesters.

  If Liang hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed humanity was capable of such atrocities. He hadn't thought people would just give up, but nor had he imagined he'd witness human beings using their bare hands to tear one another apart.

  "As we evacuate each sector of the residential zone, the security forces that were assigned there will ride along with the convoy, so as to protect the civilians if necessary," Matthews was saying, eyeing Liang.

  Liang stiffened his spine and forced himself to focus. "And the compound?"

  "Half of the forces that were assigned to the residential zones will be redeployed here, once the civilians have been safely delivered. The other half will remain at the domes to help secure them and patrol the perimeters."

  "Will it be enough?" Liang asked. "Once the mobs see the residential zone evacuations, they'll know what's happening. The domes are far enough away that it may serve as a deterrent to them, but what's to stop them from swarming over the compound?"

  "Nothing. That's why we built the extra guard towers. It's also why we've recommended that those at the outer edges of the compound retreat further into the interior. It will make it easier for us to secure the gates."

  "And position snipers on the roofs of the abandoned houses," Liang murmured.

  "Yes, sir." Matthews nodded.

  "Very well." Liang massaged his neck. The muscles were like rocks. "What's the plan for the compound evacuation?"

  "It will be crucial to evacuate the residential zone as swiftly as possible. We'll begin tonight in the dead of night, and will finish the operation by noon tomorrow. We'll need to allow time for the additional forces to regroup here, so we will begin evacuation of the compound tomorrow night at twenty hundred, beginning in the interior of the compound and working toward the outer edges."

  "Wouldn't it make more sense to start with the outer parts of the compound?"

  "No, sir. Because those on the outer edges have less ground to cover, it's imperative that we evacuate the interior first."

  Shivering, Liang nodded. He glanced around, ensuring his sister wasn't lurking anywhere nearby. "Matthews, I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but if anything should happen to me…"

  "I'll see to your sister's safety myself, sir," Matthews assured him. Liang's throat closed, rendering him incapable of speech, so he merely nodded his than
ks. "If that's all, sir…"

  "Dismissed," Liang managed to say. Matthews saluted him once more and then strode off, barking orders at the men and women scrambling about the room.

  Closing the doors behind him gently as he left, Liang allowed himself a moment to collapse against them. His heart was pounding, but it was bearable. What he couldn't stand was the constant stream of adrenaline flowing through his veins, making him jittery and irritable. He'd never liked the sensation, but had come to hate it with an all-consuming passion over the last couple of days.

  "There you are," a weary voice said. Liang jerked his head up to see Anya approaching, and he pushed off the doors, walking over to meet her.

  "What is it?"

  "We're still running the numbers, but we keep coming up over capacity. I started out trimming, but now I'm slashing, and I still can't manage to get the numbers within parameters. Without the security forces…"

  Liang glanced at the door behind him, fairly confident no one within could have heard. Still, he took Anya by the arm and guided her to another wing of the mansion, waiting until they were safely installed in the library before continuing the conversation.

  "We're not leaving the security forces behind," Liang said, his voice coming out harsher than he'd intended. Anya flinched. "After all they've done for us, they've earned a place. Besides, don't forget that a lot of them are reserves, so they'll settle into their usual roles once the domes have been secured."

  "I know," Anya said, her face crumpling. "It's just…I don't know what to do. I've gone over this list so many times and…"

  He took in the sight of Anya's disheveled hair and red-rimmed eyes and worried she was on the verge of collapse. "Here," he said, lowering his voice and speaking in a gentle tone. "I'll do it."

  "I'm not trying to pass the buck to you," she said, clasping the reader to her chest, as if she was afraid he might snatch it away from her.

  "I know you aren't. But you've been at this for days while I've been occupied with the security forces. Let me do my share."

  She still looked reluctant, but she handed him the reader. His eyes ran down the list of names. So many names and, yet, not enough. If he continued to look at the names, he'd never come to a decision, so he allowed his eyes to go unfocused as he chose at random. After ten minutes, he had the list pared down to acceptable parameters.

  As he handed the reader back over to Anya, it was obvious she knew what he'd done. Her mouth turned down in distaste, as if she'd just bitten into something rancid, but then her face sagged, her eyes apologetic. He waved a hand, indicating it was okay.

  "Are you sure you want me to go tonight? I could stay and—"

  "No," he said, cutting her off. "You need to go tonight. If something happens to me, I'll need someone to look out for Mei, help her learn the ropes, and you're the only one I trust to do that."

  Anya's eyes filled with tears, and she lowered her head. "Please. It's bad enough without…without you saying things like that."

  "I know. But I said it anyway."

  She took in a long, shuddering breath and nodded. Wiping at her eyes, she raised her head and attempted to give him a smile, but it died quickly. "See you on the other side, then, I guess."

  "See you there," he said, not even bothering to attempt a smile.

  Her strides swift, Anya headed for the door, but she paused before opening it. "Liang, I just want you to know that you've shown remarkable leadership in these last few weeks. To tell you the truth, I don't think Bao could have done any better."

  This time he did smile, and it was genuine. "Thank you, Anya."

  Evacuation

  Under cover of darkness, the first of those living in the residential zones crept out of their houses and scrambled into vehicles. Liang could hardly breathe as he watched the night vision camera footage, and he paced restlessly in front of the screens, his hands clasped in a death grip behind his back. The shots from the other side of the zone showed a deceptively peaceful sight. Were it not for the fact that every last window was dark and security forces patrolled the streets, Liang might have been able to deceive himself into thinking he was looking at just another ordinary night in the city.

  He barely noticed the presence of Keiko, Sylvie, and the handful of other Creators who'd remained at the compound. Myles, Ishani, and the rest had already left for the domes, and Liang felt nothing but contempt for them. Though it hardly surprised him that they were more concerned with saving their own hides than overseeing the safe removal of their staff, he kept his thoughts to himself. There was no telling how the others felt about their actions, and he wouldn't give anyone fodder for future ammunition.

  As the first vehicles slid off into the night, he stopped pacing and kept his eyes trained on the screen that showed the footage streaming from the camera mounted on the rear vehicle. The constant jerking of the images increased his nausea, and he picked at his cuticles, trying to hold onto some semblance of calm. It took the convoy an hour to reach the domes, but Liang didn't tear his eyes from the screen until he saw the families tumbling out into the loading bay. He expelled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, the sound so loud that several other people in the room started.

  The calm, however, lasted just a few hours. In fits and starts, single people and then small groups began gathering at the south side of the residential zone, which had yet to be evacuated. The camera feeds from the north zone showed a similar group.

  "Sir, there's a crowd gathering," a voice said over the communications link.

  "I'm well aware of that," Flores responded, her voice taut with tension. "It's time to step up the process. I want two convoys going out this time, one from each extraction point."

  "Understood."

  Tall fencing with razor wire had been erected around the exits, and guard towers stood at the corners, several security forces standing in each, their weapons trained on the crowds. As the vehicles roared past, the crowds began shouting and waving their arms in the air, but they didn't approach the gates.

  "Things could go south very quickly, sir," Matthews told Flores.

  "Agreed." She activated the comm link. "All remaining units, prepare for evacuation."

  "Understood, sir."

  Sylvie let out a quiet sound of distress as the screens filled with images of forces hurriedly ushering the remaining staff out of their homes. Liang found himself looking at their torsos so he wouldn't have to look at their faces, wouldn't risk accidentally seeing someone he knew. A small hand slid into his and he started. He'd forgotten Mei was in the room. Though he hadn't wanted her there, no threat or plea had succeeded in keeping her out. But now he was grateful for her presence, and he squeezed her hand in return. She maintained her grip on him as they continued watching the scene playing out before them.

  Though the crowd was too far away to see what was going on in the homes, it was obvious they could hear the commotion. They began to mill about, some of them even daring to take a few steps toward the fences, others bold enough to scream up at the security forces in the towers.

  "Do not stop under any circumstances. Repeat, do not stop under any circumstances," Flores commanded. Liang swallowed hard as several voices responded in acknowledgment of her orders.

  The vehicles began pouring through the gates, and the crowd became increasingly agitated. A few people flung themselves at the fences, and Liang saw at least one person go down, victim of a well-placed shot from a tower. There were several short flashes from the surrounding buildings, and he realized that snipers were stationed throughout the residential zone. A few seconds later, clouds went up at the rear of the crowds, and some of the mob doubled over, clawing at their eyes.

  Mei let out a short cry and buried her face against Liang's shoulder. He placed a limp hand on her head, but he was too riveted, too horrified by what he was witnessing to exert himself to comfort her.

  "Oh no! No!" Keiko wailed, her voice trailing off to a groan. At the edge of his vision, Liang saw her crumple
to the ground, but he was too held in thrall by what he was seeing on the screen to go over and help her.

  A few civilians managed to breach the gates, and they staggered forward, rubbing their eyes, their mouths open wide. One man attempted to fling himself at a vehicle racing by, and he bounced off the side of it, rolling through the dusty, dirty streets in a blur of crimson and a jumble of limbs. A woman fell to her knees before pushing herself up and staggering into the roadway. She stumbled and fell again, right in the path of an oncoming vehicle, and his stomach heaved as she looked up, her expression dull as the vehicle rolled straight over her.

  Though Mei's back was still turned to the screens, Keiko's cry and the tension in Liang's body must have alerted her that something horrible was happening, and she tightened her grip on him until it was as if a vise was clamped around his waist. Someone was heaving violently, and he was finally able to look away from the screen and see Sylvie, her face tinted a strange grayish shade, on her knees and leaning over a basin on the floor, Keiko's arms around her.

  "What have we done?" Sylvie gasped, her voice ragged, as she looked up imploringly at Liang.

  It was all too much for him, and he simply broke down. Sobs heaved through his entire body, feeling more like convulsions and, somehow, Mei was now supporting him instead of the other way around. He collapsed in a heap on the floor, Mei on her knees beside him. She hauled his head onto her shoulder and he soaked her shirt with his tears while her tears soaked his hair.

  When his tears had slowed enough that he regained some of his vision, he looked up to see Matthews and Flores staring at the screens with steely expressions, and he wondered at their composure. Some less seasoned officers looked horrified, but were still intent on their tasks.

  "How many are left?" Liang asked Flores, his voice hoarse.

  "The last transport departed the gates five minutes ago," she answered tersely. "It won't be long before the crowds make their way here. I suggest you all take care of whatever last minute business you have so you'll be prepared for your own extractions."

 

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