ACTIVATION

by M. G. GILIBERT

  The man comes to Jack’s car and tells him this wall is actually a door. They will park their cars behind it and then they’ll continue by foot.

  Jack agrees. He doesn’t really have any other choice.

  The man disappears into a small recess hidden in the side wall and the door slowly opens a few seconds later.

  Despite its size and apparent weight, the door opens without making a sound to an incredibly large room. Probably the largest room anyone in the group has ever seen. It is empty for the most part except for a few military vehicles that unsuccessfully attempt to fill up the space. Once again, the group cannot see where the room ends, but based on what they’ve seen until now, they expect it to go very far.

  “Come on,” the man says, “Hurry up. You will have plenty of time to visit the place later.”

  “Where are we going now?” Henry asks.

  “A little deeper,” the man answers. “But this time, we are taking the elevator.”

  As he closes the heavy garage door behind, he opens another smaller door a little further.

  “Get in,” the man says. “This is the elevator.”

  It is not the usual elevator one could find in a building. It is a lot larger. The man presses one of the few buttons on the side panel and the door closes.

  “The elevator is powered by a hydraulic system inspired by the one on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Only bigger, faster and better,” the man explains. “It requires heavy maintenance, though. That’s why we are only using it on special occasions. Like today. Otherwise, we more often than not use the stairs. It’s a pretty good exercise.”

  By the time their discussion is over and without even noticing they were moving, the man tells the group they have arrived.

  The door opens to a long hallway. The group members suddenly find themselves in front of what they could qualify as ‘civilization’. The walls are white, the floor is covered with large white tiles, and they notice doors on each side of the hallway. As they walk down the hallway, all of the soldiers, with the exception of the ‘chief’, turn right into another hallway without saying a word.

  The group is left alone with him.

  “They are going to their private quarters,” he says. “Their families are expecting them.”

  “Families?” Henry asks. “There are families here?”

  “The ones we managed to find. I’ll explain later,” the man replies.

  “Is your family here?” Pam asks.

  “I said I’ll explain later,” the man answers. And as he realizes he was probably rude to her, he decides to introduce himself to appear more civilized and hopefully soften Pam’s sudden hard frown.

  “By the way, I’m Don. Donald’s the name, but I prefer Don. I guess it’s easy to understand why.”

  “Nice to meet you, Don,” Pam replies.

  “Hey Don,” the rest of the group says in concert.

  As they continue down the hallway, they eventually find themselves in front of a glass door behind which a handful of people are busy working on computers.

  Don explains this is the base’s center of command. This is the place where military operations would be run in case of a global conflict. Even though the command center is a very vast room, the group is no longer surprised by its size. They’ve seen enough amazing things to know that everything they are going to experience here will be widely disproportionate relative to what they are used to.

  The only one who still seems surprised, and potentially worried, is Henry. Indeed, as all computers seem to be running he tells Don that they shouldn’t use them as it would be easy for GAIA to identify and spot them. He reminds Don that GAIA is connected to each and every device on the planet and manages and monitors all networks. There isn’t a single bit of information that travels that is not filtered by GAIA. And therefore, using computers could definitely put the entire base at risk.

  Don agrees with Henry. But he explains that this is not a problem. The group needs to remember that this base is secret. Everything runs on a separate network. It is a closed environment that cannot be penetrated by anyone or anything outside of it. It is not linked to any of GAIA’s networks.

  Seeing that Henry is now reassured, Don tells him this is where his new office is going to be. Don thinks that if anyone has the slightest technical advantage over GAIA, it is definitely Henry. And this is where Henry is going to work from now on. The rest of the group’s skills will be assessed later in order to assign resources where they can add the most value.

  Through his observation of the group, although limited, Don can already tell that Jack will probably work with the engineers, while John will most likely join the soldiers’ ranks.

  He doesn’t know about Pam yet as he has some trouble putting her in a category. She definitely does not appear as a woman who would be settling for ‘household’ tasks. But at the same time, Don does not feel good about giving her a gun and having her patrol the area with his men.

  As for the kids, Don thinks they are to stay who they are. In other words, kids.

  “Alright. Enough for today. I’ll brief you more tomorrow,” Don says. “For now, I will show you to your rooms. Don’t expect much. Remember, it is a military base. Dinner is served at 6 pm sharp. That leaves you about three hours to freshen up, change and get familiar with your new room. The showers are ‘public’. Same for the restrooms. They are signaled in the hallway, you will find them easily. I will show you where we eat on our way to the rooms. Don’t expect much from food either. You will meet the rest of the community during dinner and I’ll introduce you.”

  On the way to their rooms, Don recalls that John is injured. He takes John to the infirmary for a quick check-up after he is shown his room. It is in everyone’s interest that the community members stay healthy and in good physical condition. John nods. He understands. And he is happy on the inside to have a real doctor look at his wound. Not that Pam and Kelly did a poor job, but it will reassure him to have a professional opinion.

  Henry enters his room. It is very small. Just enough space for a small bed, a table, a chair, and a cabinet. Henry already feels suffocating inside after just one minute.

  He leaves the door open hoping it will help him adjust to his new environment.

  He is right. He feels better after a few minutes. His reason also eventually takes his emotions over. He recognizes they are at war and that he should feel grateful to be in such a safe place.

  He sits on the edge of his bed and mechanically tests the firmness of the mattress by pressing his hands on it. It looks and feels comfortable enough.

  From where he sits, the room feels a little bigger. He actually sees it from the height of a kid for whom everything looks bigger than it really is.

  His thoughts digress from his room for a minute. He thinks about kids.

  He thought about having kids many times in his life. Unfortunately, he never met the right person for that. But today, in the current situation, he is wondering if he still regrets being alone. He confesses to himself that he wouldn’t want to raise a kid in such a world. A world in which there is nothing more uncertain than the future. Where danger looms almost everywhere. But above everything else, what would scare him the most would be to look at his kid’s eyes and realize that he knows his father is at the origin of everything bad that is happening. He just couldn’t stand the idea. Henry shakes his head slowly. He still feels bad and guilty about what he has done.

  But he decides to think about something else before he starts flirting with a nervous breakdown from having such thoughts.

  This is when he hears a soft knock on his door. It’s Jack.

  He’s just passing by and making sure everyone is fine.

  Henry invites him to come in and join him for a moment. He feels like he needs to talk to someone. Jack feels the same. It’s been hectic for everyone lately and it would make Jack happy just to sit down and have a casual conversation with a friend.

  They don’t really know where to start. ‘Cas
ual’ has indeed become a foreign aspect of their lives lately. After a few seconds contemplating the wall in front of them, Jack eventually starts the conversation.

  “What do you think of the place?” he asks.

  “Interesting. Impressive even. I would never have imagined such a place existed. It is far beyond my expectations,” Henry answers.

  “Yeah, same here. I’m glad we ran into John, otherwise, we would still be at the house, and who knows what we’d be doing now.”

  “I have a feeling we are in a better position to fight back, now. Have you seen the computers?” Henry asks.

  “I have. I think Don has great expectations for you. What do you think about him by the way?”

  “Still early to tell, but he seems to be the one in charge here. He didn’t shoot us, so I guess that makes him a ‘friendly’. He seems focused on his mission, whatever it is,” Henry replies.

  “Did you notice his reaction when Pam asked him about his family?” Jack asks.

  “Yes … Something must have happened to them. I guess it’s better for everyone not to touch on the subject. He will tell us when he feels like it. How about Kelly and Dave? How are they holding up?” Henry asks.

  “They are fine. They just told me they feel safe here. They are also happy there are other families here. I think they need kids their age to talk to. It has not been easy for them lately” Jack says.

  “Yes, they’ve been great. Never complained once. I think they understand the situation very well,” Henry says. After a short pause, he adds in a more solemn tone, “They really got scared when you and John attacked the convoy. They thought they’d lost you.”

  “I realize that now. I noticed how they stayed close to me after the attack. They were taking care of me. You know what? It really made me sad inside. Such young kids, looking after their dad. It should be the other way around,” Jack says.

  “Well, it is the other way around, actually. You are the one who went out there and faced the mercenaries. You did that to protect them because you care about them. How do you feel by the way?” Henry asks.

  “Honestly, up until a few days ago, our little adventure looked like a summer camp to me. It really started to change when we shot the robots in the village. And things took another dramatic turn yesterday. I did not really think about what I was doing at the time. It’s only now in retrospect that I realize the risks John and I took. You know, I’ve killed men yesterday. I mean, me, your neighbor. It’s not common, right?” Jack says.

  “Well, I don’t see what these savages have in common with men anymore. Pam told me she saw a dead body attached to one of the cars’ hoods,” Henry says.

  “Really? I didn’t know,” Jack says. After pausing a few seconds, he moves on to a lighter subject. He is still not comfortable talking too much about the attack.

  “I think I’m going to hit the shower. You should do the same. I’m sure we will all feel better after that. The kids already went there. I think they are impatient to meet new people and they want to make a good first impression,” Jack says.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Henry says while Jack leaves his room.

  The group gathers in the hallway shortly before 6 pm. John is back from the infirmary. He is fine and boasts about his new bandage and crutches. Everyone is in a good mood and looks forward to a decent meal and some company.

  Don meets them before they reach what seems to be a refectory. Most tables are joined together to form two very large ones. Jack counts roughly fifty seats around those tables. Some of them are already occupied by people who don’t seem to have noticed the presence of the small group.

  According to the clock on the wall, it is now almost 6 pm.

  A minute later, as if by magic, and coming out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time, people enter the room and sit down around the tables. The group hears voices and laughter from younger people. The sound of it is familiar, yet it has been quite long time since they last experienced it. It feels like life has suddenly invaded the large and silent base.

  The group smiles without even noticing it.

  “Everyone, everyone! I need your attention here!” Don says to the small crowd. “I would like to introduce you to new members of our community.”

  The voices stop at once and all heads turn to Don’s direction.

  “Thank you. This morning, during our patrol, the boys and I stumbled across the people behind me. They are here for the same reason we are. Just like us, they are looking for shelter and protection. They also want to fight GAIA. I’m asking you to welcome them properly, the way you were all welcome when you arrived. I’m going to introduce them briefly and then they will tell you a little more about themselves,” Don says.

  After a few minutes during which Don brings each of the group members in front of him and gives their names to the audience, the group says a few words about themselves. When Henry’s turn comes, the crowd cannot help but break the silence previously punctuated by applause after each of the group members’ introductions. It seems that his presence is triggering reactions.

  Not all positive.

  Some say it’s Henry’s fault if they are here now. But Don intervenes to restore discipline and is helped by a soldier who stands up and says that no matter how they got here, what matters is how they are going to get out. He adds that as far as he is concerned, Henry is an asset for them all.

  Between Don and this man, the few unhappy ones don’t have much choice but to stop complaining. They are told their behavior is not constructive, and whatever grudge they hold against Henry, it is not going to change their situation.

  Henry learns from Don that the gentleman who took his defense is one of the programmers he will be working with. Don feels optimistic about the IT team growing and that they see in Henry an opportunity to be more efficient in their fight against GAIA. He believes his presence will help them make great strides.

  A group of three teenagers gets up and goes straight to Kelly and Dave. They pull them to their table a make room around so they can sit with them. Pam and Jack witness the scene and feel happy their kids are already making new friends and have a chance to live a more normal life. A couple of much younger children, probably around four years old, also run to the new kids. They, too, seem happy to have new playing partners.

  After a longer than usual dinner spent going from one person to another and having conversations with everyone, Don announces that they should all go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day for the new members.

  Before the small group goes back to their rooms, they thank everyone for welcoming them and spends a few minutes struggling to extract the kids from their apparently important discussions about singers and school.

  As Don walks the group back to their rooms, he tells them not to get fooled by tonight’s apparent happy atmosphere.

  He confirms that they are not just a community, but first and foremost and as far as he knows, the first line of defense against GAIA.

  Don then tells everyone to get some rest as days start early here and tomorrow’s program will be intense.

  Pam and Jack finally go to bed. They look at each other, smile, and kiss.

  They seem to have found a good place for their kids to be safe and hopefully happy.

  CHAPTER 16

  Don was not joking. It is not even 6 in the morning when he and a few other men are already banging on doors telling everyone to get up.

  Everyone has difficulties waking up. Last night was the first time in a while since they had a chance to really enjoy a good night sleep. Even though the house in the woods was extremely comfortable, they always had to take turns to stand guard in case someone or something would come nearby. And for that reason, they never had an opportunity to sleep through an entire night.

  After a few minutes spent stretching, rubbing their eyes, and going to the bathrooms to wash their sleepiness away, the group is finally up and ready to start the day.

  To everyone’s surprise, the almost forgotten
smell of morning coffee floats in the cafeteria like a warm welcome to a new day full of promises. They didn’t have coffee at the house, and that caused major problems for everyone. The group planned several times to go back to the village to find coffee, but they always thought it was taking unnecessary risks and gave up on that idea.

  Don tells them that coffee is not something they will need to worry about here. In the past, roughly one hundred people were working at the base. It seems like a small number for such a facility, but Don explains that the secrecy of the project did not allow for many more people to come here.

  There were only two rotating groups of soldiers, hand-picked and specifically trained for this mission. They were sent here on a six-month assignment. Not long enough to lose their minds in such a closed environment, but at the same time long enough so there wasn’t too much movement around the base. This was a necessary precaution in order not to raise suspicion from the populations around. At the end of each assignment, the first group was going back to their ‘official’ activities, while the second group was moving to the base for six months.

  In terms of food, there is nothing to worry about either. At least in terms of quantity. Quality is a different story.

  As the group enjoys a breakfast made of coffee, cereals, powder milk and dehydrated orange juice mixed with water, Don gives them some background information about the base.

  As they already know, the base is secret. It was built during the second half of the previous century, at a time when the cold war was making headlines. An administration, which, for confidentiality reasons, reported to the Department of Energy, was being allocated a large annual budget to develop a secret base. It always communicated about a nuclear power plant or nuclear research when questions were asked by nosy journalists.

  Only a handful of highly ranked officials were aware of the entire project. Most people involved in the construction only saw a very small part of the plan before they were replaced by another crew.