Through the Never

by J. A. Culican

  “All the power is isolated for the embryos,” Reynolds said. “Torches all round for me.”

  “Will you be okay?” Dr Jenkins asked.

  “Yeah, no problem. Who cares about a little power? I got a torch and a book. That’ll do me.”

  Reynolds was a dick most of the time, a guy not too hard to figure out—until he pulled out this side of him. Staying behind in the ship for the greater good upped his respect points, which were once in the minuses.

  “I’m staying too,” Sarah said.

  “What?” Becca said. That was a bolt out of nowhere.

  “You can’t,” Reynolds said. “I don’t need—”

  “You’re tech,” Sarah said. “I’m the daughter of a brilliant geneticist. You need me to stay. Until that person can come help, I’m the best we have to take care of them.”

  “I should stay,” Dr Jenkins said.

  “Why?” Sarah asked. “Look, this is the field I study, following in my father’s footsteps. It has to be me.”

  “Make sense,” Reynolds said, folding his arms across his chest.

  Sarah turned to Becca. “Get it done, get us help.”

  “I will scan the terrain as we go,” BEK said.

  “You’re not staying with the ship?” Father Darwin asked.

  “I am needed in the travelling party.”

  “But you have Dr Lloyd’s mind map,” Dr Jenkins said. “You need to stay.”

  “No,” Sarah said. “You can’t go without BEK. As he said, he can scan the terrain, keep you safe.”

  “And what if we lose him?”

  “You won’t.”

  “We can’t take that risk,” Father Darwin said.

  “You need him,” Reynolds said. “All he can do here is done. If you go out there alone without him to watch your step, then everything will be over. Get to the city, get back here with help. Maybe the other ship will land in the meantime.”

  “The city lies to the east. Six miles,” BEK said.

  The forest. Becca didn’t like the look of the forest, the way it swallowed the sunlight.

  “For them,” Sarah said.

  Becca stopped staring at the dark trees. “For them.” She took her friend’s hands. “I love you.”

  “You too,” Sarah said. “Be safe.”

  She set off with BEK, Dr Jenkins, Father Darwin and Travis, heading for hope.

  Chapter 5

  There was a strange silver light in the forest, a spooky glow that lit the dirt path. A filtration of the sunlight through the leaves, or so BEK said.

  “You okay?” Travis asked as they walked together. “Stupid question. Sorry.”

  “No, it’s not stupid. I’m not okay, but I’m walking, so that’s all better than nothing. Thank you for caring.”

  “You don’t need to thank me for that.”

  He put an arm around her. “I hope Sarah will be all right with Reynolds.”

  “You mean you hope he’ll be okay. She’ll kick his arse back to Earth 1 and back if he pisses her off too much.”

  Travis chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

  He was solid, his grip helping to keep her from falling apart. Travis and the determination to do her mum proud, to save her people and make some sort of future of Earth 2, were her driving forces. That was scary, the whole idea of a future. It would all be new and fresh, minus her mum. She didn’t want to think about that. Not now. A mental slap and she took some deep breaths. Travis squeezed her shoulder. They made a good team in keeping her sane.

  BEK was busy scanning everything, reporting on all he found.

  “A robin’s nest,” he said this time, looking up into the canopy of leaves. “Two heads.”

  “Two heads?” Dr Jenkins said.

  “Yes. I am picking up two heads and one heart.”

  “So a variation of Siamese twins for birds?”

  BEK cocked his head left, then right. “No such trace.”

  “So a common species, then?” Dr Jenkins said.

  “It appears to be,” BEK replied.

  Hopefully it was a case of different planet, different rules, and not some contamination. “No chemical traces,” BEK said, as if reading Becca’s thoughts. “Therefore it is an indigenous bird to this forest.”

  The way the android could simply look up and down, left and right, and gather all that information was creepy, and kind of cool.

  Becca left Travis’s side, moving up beside BEK.

  “Hello, Becca,” he said.

  “Hi. Erm, I have something to ask you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Can you be—” Her mum. She wanted him to be her mum, to use that downloaded mind map and let her have her mum. Just for a little while, just to hear her voice and talk about warm memories, laugh about the funny things. She had to stop herself. It wouldn’t be right. Not now.

  Not now.

  BEK looked away. “Squirrel,” he said. “Pink. There. Can you see it?”

  She did. Up the tree it went, pausing to look with a nut in its mouth, then darting up the chunky trunk out of sight.

  “Wow,” Travis said behind her.

  “Yeah,” she said. “A pink squirrel.” She’d never seen a red one back home, having died out years ago, so this made up for it.

  A rustling came from the left.

  “Child,” BEK said. “Human child.”

  “You sure?” Becca said.

  “Yes. Male.”

  Becca couldn’t see anything, couldn’t even hear the rustling anymore.

  “Gone,” BEK said.

  “Weird.”

  “Get it off! Get it off!” Father Darwin screamed.

  “Dad?”

  Becca spun round too see Darwin hopping around on one foot.

  “It’s just a slug,” Dr Jenkins said.

  “Get it off!”

  “Calm down. Hold still.” The doctor crouched down to Darwin’s trembling shoe.

  “Please do not touch that slug,” BEK said.

  “I wasn’t going to. I’m not stupid.”

  “The slug’s slime contains something.” BEK walked over, crouching beside the doctor. “Interesting.”

  “What is it?”

  “Norovirus.”

  Dr Jenkins leapt to her feet. “The winter vomiting bug?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my god!” She stepped well away from the Father, as did Becca.

  “It is not airborne,” BEK said. “But I would advise not touching this creature.”

  “Please get it off,” Father Darwin said.

  “Here.” Travis pulled out a bottle of water and poured it from as high as he could. It splashed the slimy brown thing until it rolled off. He continued to wash his father’s foot as the slug slivered away as quick as a snake.

  “That was one quick slug,” Becca said.

  “Let’s just get out of here,” Father Darwin said.

  Just over two hours of walking, with no more slugs in sight, brought them to the forest edge. The light was blinding as the forest gave way to more meadow on the other side. A breeze had picked up, providing relief from the heat of the afternoon.

  “The city,” BEK said.

  “Oh my,” Dr Jenkins added.

  There it was, across the meadow, surrounded by a ring of water, a vast mass in the sea of grass. The city was a mish-mash of architecture from Earth 1. There were glass towers, like the Shard in London, a structure just like Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and even an Eifel Tower. Buildings went from gothic, to modern, to brutalism, to legendary icons, all packed in together to make one odd, yet amazing skyline.

  “Wow,” Travis said. “They’ve sure been busy these past sixty odd years.”

  “I’ll say,” Becca said.

  The water glistened in the sunlight. God, it looked so fresh, so drinkable and swimmable. Her body cried out for it, cells longing to get drenched and clean. But she wasn’t stupid enough to give in to temptation. Anything could be in there, hungry as hell and just waiting fo
r some brainless fool to take the plunge.

  BEK took point and headed for the water’s edge, the grass giving way to sand. Gentle waves lapped lazily at the shore, and the air had the tang of brine on it.

  “Aquatic life,” BEK said. “Waters are tidal, it seems, flowing east. Several species of trout, salmon, tuna and pike, even oysters. Their genetics differ greatly from Earth 1, but remain similar. An octopus, larger than any recorded in history.”

  “Really?” Travis said. “That’s amazing.”

  BEK tilted his head. “Two brains. Something else, no match to previous discoveries found. I would highly recommend staying out of the water.”

  “No problem there,” Travis said. “Me and water only go together when a shower’s involved.”

  “Look,” Becca said, “there’s a bridge up ahead.”

  BEK took point and she followed close behind, Travis keeping up with her.

  “This place,” Travis said, “is like a best of Earth 1.”

  “Pretty cool. Can’t wait to get inside and see what else is in there.”

  “I guess so.”

  “What is it?”

  She caught him watching the city as he walked. He didn’t look at her when he spoke. “Something not quite right.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I just have a feeling.”

  She mirrored him and took it all in. It didn’t give her a feeling of dread. All she wanted to do was get in and get help. She wanted out of the sun. She needed action so the pain wouldn’t take over.

  But Travis’s reaction sent a shiver down her spine. Was he a little paler? Were his shoulders slumped? This wasn’t him. He bit his lower lip over and over, eyes never leaving the city.

  “Travis?”

  He didn’t seem to hear her.

  “Why was there a child playing in the forest all alone?”

  “Probably just a city kid playing. Who knows what the rules are here.” Although the whole child in the forest had creeper her out too.

  BEK came to a halt at the bridge.

  A man was waiting there, dressed all in black, his hair long and silver.

  Becca stepped around BEK to get a closer look.

  “Hello?” the man called and hurried down the bridge.

  “Human,” BEK said.

  “I gathered that.”

  The man got closer and stopped a few feet away. “You’re here. You’re finally here.” His smile was nothing short of beaming. “You bring the new hope.”

  “We do,” Dr Jenkins said. “But our ship crashed. We need help. We need Dr Vine.”

  “Oh no. Did the cargo survive?”

  “Some loss,” Jenkins replied. “We need to get the survivors into the city, into a more sustainable environment.”

  “Of course. Please follow me. I am James Green, mayor of the city. I will get people on to this straight away. We have salvage vehicles for such incidents.”

  Becca looked at Travis. He looked like he was going to throw up.

  “Thank you,” Father Darwin said. Becca saw him look up to the sky as he said it.

  BEK was scanning everything, but remaining silent. Becca stayed close to Travis as the doctor and Father Darwin walked with the mayor.

  “You okay?” Becca said.

  “No.”

  “He’s helping us. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  They passed through iron gates, leading into a wide street which was a cross between Piccadilly Circus and the canalled streets of Amsterdam. There was even a windmill tucked in between two large stone buildings. She passed a closed bakery, wishing it was open. It looked so quaint and lovely. She imagined the smell of fresh bread, the iced buns all lined up and ready for her to devour. That was always a Saturday morning treat for her and her mum—iced buns and coffee with fresh cream for breakfast to kick off the weekend.

  “Jesus,” Becca said. “This is something else.”

  “Where are the people?” Travis said. “This is a city. Cities are busy.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Open your damn eyes.”

  She froze. Eyes well and truly open. There was no one in sight, not a soul. She hadn’t noticed.

  “What the hell?”

  Father Darwin and Dr Jenkins were up ahead, quite a bit further ahead, with the mayor, huddled with him over by a canal boat.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Human child,” BEK said.

  She turned to him. “What? Where?”

  A boy ran out of the bakery. His face was filthy and he was dressed in rags. A stale sweat smell wafted off him. He was joined by a girl. They both looked to be about twelve.

  “You have to run,” the boy said.

  “Who are you?”

  “Travis?” Father Darwin called. “Becca?”

  “Hello,” a new voice said.

  Becca jumped at the woman who came from nowhere. The woman focused on the children for a second. “Inhospitable,” she said, before turning her attention back to Becca and Travis.

  “Travis?” Darwin called again.

  But Travis ignored him, his attention split between the newcomer and the children. The boy and the girl backed away.

  “I’m Dr Green,” the woman said. “Welcome to the city.”

  “Run,” the girl whispered from behind her.

  “What’s your name?” Dr Green asked.

  “B-Becca.”

  “There’s no need to be so alarmed. This is your home now. I know it will take some getting used to, but your life can begin again, right here with us.”

  Her eyes weren’t right, they were off. Becca was locked into them. Tiny things moved in them, grey pixels spreading across the green irises, seeping out and flooding the whole cornea.

  “What the—”

  “Not hospitable yet,” she said. “But if you stay a while, you will soon see.” She smiled, the action forced and jerky. “We are so glad you came. You left us, but now you have returned.”

  “What was she talking about?

  Becca blinked and stepped back suddenly, released from the spell.

  “Do not be alarmed. We are already inside you, and soon you will be inside the hive.”

  Her tone was hypnotic and terror flooded through Becca.

  “Becca?” Dr Jenkins called.

  “Foreign entity,” BEK said.

  “Becca!” Travis’s voice.

  “The hive welcomes you.” The woman reached for her.

  Something slammed into Becca, but didn’t knock her down. Breath caught in her throat and she was running, part-dragged by Travis.

  “Running is a very good idea,” BEK said.

  The boy and the girl led the way back out of the city.

  “So much foreign entity,” BEK said. “Life form is unknown.”

  “Come on!” the boy cried, speeding up.

  Becca did the same, pushing herself through the iron gates. Seconds later, they slammed shut behind her. She yelped.

  “Dad!” Travis called.

  “We have to go,” the girl said.

  “I can’t leave him there.” He grabbed Becca’s shoulders. “We left them! We left them!”

  Footsteps. Father Darwin and Doctor Jenkins appeared at the gates with Dr Vine and Mayor Green close behind them.

  “Do not run,” Darwin said.

  “Dad?”

  Darwin’s voice didn’t sound right.

  “They’re taken,” the boy said. “Too old.”

  Becca’s veins filled with ice. “What did you just say?”

  “We have to go. They’re opening the gates!”

  “There is no need to fear the hive,” Darwin said. “Son, come home. Join me.”

  “Join us,” Jenkins added.

  “The hive,” all four said as one.

  It was Becca’s turn to grab Travis. “Come on!”

  “To the forest,” the boy cried. “Now!”r />
  The gates were grinding open. Becca didn’t need telling twice. She ran, her mind screaming a million things. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Maybe she was still unconscious on the ship. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening.

  Travis tripped and fell, crashing into grass. She dug in her heels, coming to a stop to help him up. Engines roared behind her, churning the air with movement and sound.

  “They’re coming!”

  Travis was back on his feet, back at her side. They sprinted across the ground until the forest swallowed them up once more.

  “This way,” the girl said, leading them off the dirt path.

  Through bracken and over fallen logs, the children led them to a thicket of brambles, with just enough room to crawl inside. BEK struggled, but Travis dragged him through just in time for a motorbike to come down the dirt path.

  “Stay still and silent,” the boy said.

  Through the foliage they watched Father Darwin sitting on the bike, engine idling. Travis’s breath trembled, but he didn’t say a word. Darwin scanned the landscape as BEK would, but slower. Another bike joined Darwin—Dr Jenkins clinging to Dr Vine. They scanned too. Agonising moments passed before the bikes turned and went back they way they’d come.

  It took some minutes before Becca felt brave enough to speak. “What’s going on?”

  “Hosts,” BEK said before the children could say anything. “They are hosts to an alien life form.”

  Becca’s head was spinning.

  “This whole planet is infected,” the boy said. “It gets the adults. All of them.”

  “Not safe,” the girl added.

  “It lives in the soil, activating in the grownups and taking them into the hive.” The boy continued. “We’re all infected just by being on this planet. They leave us alone, knowing it’s only a matter of time until we join them. But you brought fresh cargo. Embryos that are sealed and uninfected. They’ll want the cargo to swell their numbers.”

  “How old before the parasite activates?” Travis said.

  “Not sure, but it’s got some twenty-ish year olds. Got my brother—he’s twenty-two.”

  “We have to stop them,” Becca said. “There must be a cure or something.”

  “There is no stopping it,” the boy said. “This planet is doomed. We’re all doomed. You should’ve stayed away.”