by Drew Avera
Anger and confusion erupted from me as I lunged toward him and slammed his head against the window. It was thick enough not to break from the force, but I could see that it had hurt the older man in more ways than just his pride.
"Wait!" He choked out as my hand pressed against his throat. "Wait, I have something to tell you." I looked around before easing up off of him. "Please take a seat and listen to what it is that I have to say."
We moved over to the couch and chairs next to his large desk and sat opposite of one another. He was still rubbing at his neck trying to calm down. "What is it?" I asked, irritated at the reprieve I had just given him. I felt nauseous as the programming battled with my emotions yet again.
He held up his hand and gestured for me to wait a moment. He walked over to a book shelf and grabbed a small box that was adorned in gold and silver and sat it on the table next to the couch. He pushed the box across the table towards me, willing me to open it. I grabbed the box and felt the weight in my hand before I opened it. It contained a single photograph of a young woman and was accompanied by a few documents regarding an assassination. I scanned over it quickly and stopped at the name ‘White‘.
"That was my wife, Ambrees. She was pregnant when the Syndicate had her killed," White's face was worn with emotion as he said those words. "She was killed because my father was a wealthy board member of the Syndicate who decided to make some unwise financial decisions that didn't reflect well with the views of the Syndicate. He owed them a debt that he could not afford so he decided to jump from a building to his death. The Syndicate then passed that debt down to me. I'm sure that my father knew that our family would be ripped off financially, but that was only the first installment of what my father owed. The next installment would be my service.
"I’m sure you know that the position as Pontiff is not an elected position. We are recruited much like the Agency recruited you. We have the same limited freedoms that you do. No family and no possessions. When they told me that they wanted me as Pontiff I explained that I was already married and my wife was expecting. I thought that all of the money that was taken from us would have appeased their lust for power. They instead informed me that it had been taken care of. I naively thought that they were going to allow me to have my family here in the palace. I was a fool, the hit had already been carried out. I was powerless then, much as I am now. Just a puppet commanded by the hands of others."
White sat there with his head in his hands. I could tell that he was crying by the slight shake in his shoulders. "Who was the policeman that carried out the hit?" I asked.
"Gentry," he replied.
"I don't recognize the name," I said.
"I'm surprised," he said. "He was the same policeman who executed your father."
I was shocked. I could see the policeman's face all these years, but never knew his name. I didn’t know if it had been programmed out of my mind or if I never knew his name to begin with, but hearing it now made me feel sick. Not just because of my father, but for White's wife and unborn child.
"What is it you want me to do with this information?" I asked.
He looked at me with red, tear streaked eyes and said, "I want you to shut down the Syndicate."
"It's impossible," I said. "They control everything. There is no way to get into a position to bring them down."
"No?" He asked. "Do you know what their plan is for the dying magnetic field?"
"No."
"I do. They plan on doing the same thing that brought humanity to Mars in the first place. Do you know how we came to be here?"
"No."
"Of course not, no one does when they are not in a position like mine or part of the Syndicate. Over two thousand years ago Earth was running out of the resources that allowed our ancestors to live the kind of lives that they wanted. One country feared the next country because of their nuclear power capabilities. The same power sources could also be used to create bombs that held the potential to destroy entire populations.
"Wars broke out as the next country started a nuclear program. Each war was followed with another and yet another causing the oil deposits to dry up and the economies collapsed. The wealthiest men on Earth came together to make a plan to start over. They pulled their resources together and funded what became know as the Mars Exodus.
"It took them half a century to build the technology to turn this once dead planet into something inhabitable. They used the same nuclear power to create our artificial electro-magnetic field so that they could harness an oxygen rich atmosphere. Vegetation was planted to allow renewable oxygen generation and that vegetation was followed by animals. Finally after many years and many dollars spent, Mars was ready to sustain human life. Those wealthy men set up a lottery system to bring a small percentage of humans to Mars to create a new civilization. The winners of the lottery received a new chance at life, but waived their ability to live life their own way with liberty and freedom that they had enjoyed on Earth. This started the culture that we know now, where the Syndicate controls the people through population control. The Syndicate has no remorse in killing for their own personal gain. So here we are."
"Wait a minute, so the Syndicate plans to return to Earth?" I asked.
"Yes, it has been several centuries since anyone has returned to see how Earth has held up, but based on the previous report it is still inhabitable. They also want to use the lottery system to take some of us back with them."
"How does the lottery work?" I asked.
"It doesn't work. They pick and choose who goes and give them the ticket to board the transport. They will restart everything on Earth the way they did here, by using population control."
"What can we do?" I asked.
"That is the billion dollar question isn't it?" White said. "If we make people aware of what is going on then it will cause more trouble. I suggest we let the lottery go as planned, but assassinate the winners."
"What?" I asked. "That's about as improbable as taking down the Syndicate!"
"You do realize that common people such as yourself will be left on Mars to die if you do not do this don't you?" He asked. "At least this way you can give you and your sister an opportunity at a life that otherwise might not exist."
He had a point. What else could I do? Sit back and watch the world end while the privileged continue to run people's lives? Something had to be done and it seemed that I was the only one in a position to make that something happen. Me and my unlikely new ally.
"I'm in." I said, and shook Pontiff White's hand. The puppet has seemed to have cut his own strings, I thought to myself. We will see how this goes.
Chapter 8
As I was settling into the idea of an alliance with Pontiff White I could feel an awkward situation about to present itself. How was I going to know if I could trust him? He held all of the power in this relationship. The answer came just as I was about to leave.
"Serus," White said. "Before you walk out of that door, there is something that you need to know. The Syndicate programmed an alert to be initiated the next time you walked through that hallway. There was nothing that I could do to stop them. I'm sure you understand."
I guess I could have felt betrayed, but if he wanted me dead then why would he have alerted me to the danger that I was about to walk into? He moved over to his desk and brought up the security images of the square. It illuminated into a large holographic display.
"There are three policemen posted outside. They are at the northern, southern, and western exits. The eastern exit into the square is surrounded by water and would be nearly impossible for you to escape detection. My suggestion is the southern exit. There are five streets easily accessible for escape, provided that you can take out the policeman waiting for you. Considering the fact you've recently dispatched seven policemen I would say that you are more than capable of escaping." He turned the holographic image to face me and highlighted the policemen posted at the exits with red circles. I went over the escape route that he ha
d mentioned and could see that he was indeed presenting me with my best option.
"Thank you for this information," I said as I turned to leave.
"Serus, one more thing," he stopped me. I turned back to him. "The Syndicate will be looking for you. My suggestion is to either avoid them completely or confront them head on. If you want my help then you can earn it by helping me to destroy them. Also, don't pay any attention to any of the words that I will be saying to the media. I will need to continue this faithful puppet act in order to prolong our chances of succeeding." White stood at his desk and smiled at me, it was the look of an old man who was holding onto the last bit of youth that he could muster. The final act of defiance by a caged beast.
"Understood," I replied and walked back out of the office. The lights illuminated under each step that I made, sending a signal to dispatch to alert the policemen below that I was leaving the palace. It was information that I would not have had without my new alliance with White. Just when I thought things could not get more strange I go and form an allegiance with someone whom I thought was my enemy.
The elevator descended down to the ground floor and I walked through the lobby towards the southern exit. I had to go down several long hallways to make it to the exit, once I was close enough I slowed down and tried to sense movement on the other side of the door. I could see a policeman standing outside about fifty yards from the exit door. He had his back to me, but kept his head moving from side to side. I could tell that he was on full alert and any sound from the door would caution him to my presence. I adjusted the laser on my gauntlet and fired. The glass made a loud popping sound that resonated through the hallway. It did not shatter, but I had succeeded in blasting a hole through it leaving it spider webbed around the hole.
I was cautious before I went outside. I was afraid that the sound would alert the other policemen to my position. Once outside though, I realized that the sound of the water outside would have deadened the sound of the glass fragmenting. I maintained my position for several moments before jutting out of the square and crossing into an alley. I ran for at least a mile before I slowed to a walk. The area I was in was not exactly bustling with activity so any sudden movements from the shadows could be a policeman waiting for me.
It took me a little over an hour to return to my fathers old apartment. Kara had been sleeping and Thom was standing watch outside of the room that she was in. I knocked before entering so that Thom would know it was me and not attack me.
"How did it go with White," he asked in a whisper.
"It went alright. I know what the Syndicate is up to now. White told me everything," I replied.
"Did you kill him?" He asked.
"No. Believe it or not I think he is a friend." Even I had to question my judgment as I heard those words escape my lips.
Thom laughed, "are you kidding me? He tried to have you and your sister killed!" He was almost shouting.
"Look," I said while trying to keep him quiet. "He is a puppet of the Syndicate and does as he is told. We both know that. I came across some new information that makes me believe that I can trust him. He told me that they killed his wife to force him into being the Pontiff."
"He was married?" Thom asked.
"Yeah, and she was with child when she was executed. It was a way for the Syndicate to get revenge for what his father did," I said.
"Which was what?" Thom asked.
"I don't know exactly, but whatever it was it cost White his riches and his family," I said.
"Damn, tough break losing his wife and child," Thom replied.
"No kidding. How's Kara?" I asked.
"Sleeping in the next room. She's been quiet," Thom answered. He fumbled around with his jacket and pulled out his media device and switched it on. The holographic image appeared on the wall in front of us. The report showed images of the protests from earlier today and announced an impending speech from Pontiff White that would be aired in a few hours. "You should get some sleep," Thom said. He gave me a look that made me feel as if he was giving me an order.
"Yeah. Are you alert enough to stay up?" I asked hoping that he would say yes.
"I've got Serum to keep me awake," he said. "Besides, I can sleep when you get up."
"Do me a favor and wake me up when White goes to give his speech. Something tells me that it may be something of interest to us," I said.
"Will do. Just get some sleep," he said.
I walked into the next room and laid out on the floor. As soon as my head touched the floor I was out cold, it was a wonder I hadn't passed out before. I guessed that my body just had enough. The stress of our situation had compounded itself and finally I would receive the rest that I so desperately needed.
Chapter 9
I was trapped in complete darkness as a resounding roar emoted all around me. My hands and feet were bound together tightly as I tried to call out for help. It was impossible for my throat to make a sound, or at least it was impossible to hear over the roaring sound surrounding me. The noise was haunting and sent chills down my spine. I struggled against my restraints uselessly as I opened my throat for another scream. I felt a tearing sensation in my vocal cords, but still I made no sound.
I felt hopeless in the darkness, then all of a sudden a bright light like the sun illuminated all around me. I strained to make out the image of a vast arena surrounding me. It was an enormous rust colored bowl where people were shouting and cheering by the thousands, their faces were hidden by identical white masks. Fire erupted on the platform that I was restrained to and I could feel the heat burning my skin. I attempted another blood curdling scream that escaped my lips without making a sound. I was weak and encapsulated by fear and misery.
I squinted from the blinding light that was causing my eyes to burn, everything became a blur with floating bubbles running from side to side. I widened my eyes despite the pain and made out the form of another platform with someone else trapped on it. It too was blazing in a devilish inferno, it was hell before my eyes. Long black hair blew in the wind that whipped like the flames into giant pillars, the hair parted to reveal a familiar face that was frozen in the same terror that I felt. Kara! She was held to the platform by the same mechanisms that held me. I could see her mouth moving, but I could not hear her screams because of the roaring crowd, instead I felt them like a knife that penetrated my heart with every single beat.
I tore at my restraints with every ounce of strength that I could muster. I screamed and frantically writhed trying to break myself free. It was useless, I was useless. I sat there as a guilty spectator and watched as my sister burned for her crimes against the Syndicate. She burned to the cheers and resounding applauds that were emanating from the faceless cowards in the arena. Her screams were welcomed with fiendish lust by those who controlled the lives of others. The flames died down and she was gone. The last member of my family evaporated before my eyes, now only ashes floated away and settled into the rust colored dirt of the arena. The final resting place for those deemed to be wicked.
The flames swelled closer and closer to me. The fire burned over my skin but the only pain that I felt was in my heart. My longing for my family would forever go unsatisfied. I was left alone to face the flames, alone to taste of death, alone with the bitter hatred that I felt for myself. I should have done something to save Kara. But what could I do? I was trapped on this burning platform! I was a useless, pitiful fool, but it will all be over soon.
Every thought, every burden, every regret was facing me. Looking me in the eye just one last time before the bitterness of hate consumed my final breath. It was better like this I thought. I was only half a man stolen from his life. I remembered love before the end came swooping down at me through the flames. Thank God I knew love in those last moments. The alternative was for me to die hollow, void of any emotion, void of any reason to live. Just a hollowed soul, much like those who survived the Agency into retirement. They had nothing left in life. At least this way I had my sister. At leas
t this way I didn’t have to die with the regret of surviving.
My body convulsed from the flames that were overtaking me. A shaking emanated from deep down in my chest. It was my heart breaking. No amount of programming from the Agency would allow you to ignore this kind of pain. I felt everything in that final moment. Another shake.
"Wake up!" Another shake was felt by my burning nerves.
"Serus!" I can hear her voice. Maybe there is life after death, but I was hoping for nothingness.
"Serus!" My eyes opened and I saw Kara kneeling over me. Her face and body were unmarked by the flames. She was crying and had her warm hands laid upon my shoulders smothering the flames. I could feel that the heat was dying down. That must have been my nerves dying because I could see the flames were still there.
"Serus!" Her lips were moving as she said my name. She wiped another tear from her eye and I could see Thom walk up behind her. Had he been burned too? I hadn’t seen him on a platform. I didn’t see anything anymore except for Kara, and Thom, and a stained wall.
Where was the arena that had been set ablaze? Where were the thousands of people wearing the white masks? Where was the sound of the roaring that I had heard earlier.
My reflexes jumped and I sat up quickly. My body was warm but not on fire. I looked around confused and saw Kara looking at me, fear had consumed her. Thom stood behind her with concern marked across his face.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"It was a dream," Kara said. "We've been trying to wake you for fifteen minutes," she finished. She was obviously shaken by the whole ordeal.
"Oh God," I said. "It was horrible! Everything was on fire. I watched you burn!" I shouted. I could see the terror on her face. Kara had believed that dreams were pathways that our lives could take in reality.
"It was only a dream, a nightmare," she said. "I'm still here and I'm fine," she hugged me and I could feel her heavy breathing on my neck. She was trying to cover up her own fear to settle my own. I had never had a dream like that before. It was so real. I could feel the flames lapping up my body. It was too realistic.