SHATTERED

by S. C. Deutsch

  “Then I will accept your help. I will tell you everything I know, and you will do the same. Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  Ana hugged Jan. She was still afraid of what this might cost, but it felt good to have someone help her. She just hoped it would all be worth it in the end.

  Chapter 19

  Month 6

  Week 3

  The wind moaned through the trees, an eerie, otherworldly sound. The night sky, heavy with snow-laden clouds, glowed a soft orange. The temperature was well below freezing and the figures silently crossing the campus tied dark scarves across their mouths to hide their frosty breath. Dressed totally in black, they flitted from tree to tree, soft shoes making barely a sound. Ana watched and waited, hoping the storm held off for a little while longer.

  The past month had passed in a blur. Ana only remembered sleeping the two nights she went home for break. When Jan had left campus to work on the rescue mission, Ana had wanted go with him but he told her it wasn’t safe. Ana spent the time home sleeping, eating, and worrying about Jan. Her father had greeted her enthusiastically but seemed preoccupied, not arguing when she said she just wanted to rest.

  When she returned to the Academy, Jan hadn’t arrived yet. She spent the next two hours pacing and when she finally heard him in the hall, rushed to meet him. He stopped her, motioning her back inside with a whispered request she wait until the following day. Ana was so worked up she couldn’t concentrate. The only place she felt calm was in the sim, losing herself in the flight program.

  Ana loved flying. She loved to soar above the clouds, twisting and turning to avoid the enemies. The sim was the only place she felt truly free, her cares left behind the minute she lifted off. She couldn’t wait to pilot a real heli-craft, fantasizing about taking the machine and fleeing after the rescue mission. Commander Impera told her he was impressed with how quickly she mastered the lessons.

  Jan told her what he had done over the weekend the following night, Ana signing the plans to Jax. She had wrestled with including Jax but had been struck with an idea one night, asking Jax a specific question. Jax had nodded, signing the words Ana interpreted to mean her companion thought it was possible. She told Jan and he reluctantly agreed. Ana and Jan now included Jax in their nightly discussions, often checking to make sure the animal understood. Jax listened, offering a few contributions that didn’t occur to the humans. Ana was no longer surprised but Jan still found himself amazed. He had pictured Jax like a young teen but the way the creature involved herself proved her much more mature than that.

  Jan had been able to get into the dome but said it no longer mattered. His associates had several people inside and would get word to them. The plan they had come up with was bold and extremely dangerous. While it might not destroy the island, it would both halt the experiments and keep more children from being sent, at least for a while.

  Jan warned Ana the mission would most likely start the war that was already coming. Ana said she understood, only asking that her family and Rosita be taken to safety once she was in the air. Jan passed the request along, telling Ana his associates would do everything possible to make sure her family was taken someplace safe.

  Ana saw the last figures melt into the trees and turned, signing to Jax it was time. Jax was bundled in her warmest hooded shirt and pants. Jan told Ana their destination, should the mission succeed, would be as cold as Virmar, so Ana had worn her heaviest clothing, layering so she could strip later. She stuffed an extra set of clothes for Jax as well as some fruit in her pack. The new carved knife she had obtained on her last visit home was tucked inside her sleeve and Jan’s bracelet was around her braid once more. The papers from her father’s journal were folded and tucked into the waistband of her pants and her school tab was stuffed in a coat pocket. Taking a last look around, Ana turned off her light and slipped out the door, heading in the direction of the garden first.

  Ana had found that despite the Vice Premier’s warning, she was able to get back into the office outside the scheduled time. She had tried about a week and a half ago, telling the guard she remembered something on one of the vids and wanted to verify it. The guard left her standing at the door, saying he needed to get permission, then returned and passed her through. Because it was evening, the place was dark and almost empty. The guard walked her to the room but had not stayed outside, coming back to check every half hour or so. Ana had snuck out after his second visit. Darting down the hall, she passed the ladies room and slowed, carefully noting everything as she surveilled the hallway. The loading bay, directly across from the elevator, was a large, cavernous area, completely empty except for the remote transport. A ramp led down from the bay and Ana was delighted to see the transport’s controller sitting on top of the vehicle. She quickly scanned the walls, finally locating the control pad at the end of the bay. Ana had been disappointed to see it was a tab, telling Jan she wasn’t sure she could operate it. Jan told her not to worry but she would have to move quickly.

  Ana tried hard to appear casual. The first flakes had started drifting down and she looked at the sky, suddenly worried. The forecast was for heavy snow and wind, but it wasn’t supposed to start for a while yet. It meant they would be able to get a good head start, provided the weather cooperated. But it also meant they would be flying in hazardous conditions and Ana wasn’t sure how much the heavy wind would affect maneuverability. The heli-craft was equipped with the same sort of programming the sims were, meaning she didn’t need to see where she was going, just watch the heads-up display. But the winds and possible icing could be a real problem. Huddling against the cold, Ana hurried to the garden.

  Jan was waiting for her, also hunched over due to the freezing temperatures. Ana gave him a big hug and quick kiss, then whispered she felt a renewed sense of urgency. Jan nodded but told her most of the plan was on a specific timetable and there was no way to move the schedule up. Ana nodded, kissed Jan again and turned, Jan settling the coat Ana bought him over her shoulders. Melting into the trees, he blew Ana a kiss as he disappeared. Ana left the garden, quickly making her way across the campus. Reaching the glass door, she knocked briskly, stamping her feet to ward off the cold.

  “Can I help you?” the guard asked, surprised to see a student standing outside.

  “My name is Ana Swift,” Ana replied, grateful for the freezing weather that hid her nervous trembling. “I come every Saturday morning to prepare a report for the Premier and Vice Premier. The one I submitted this weekend was really complicated and I realized I missed something important. I’m under strict instructions from the Vice Premier to make sure the reports are detailed, so I need to watch the vid again. If I don’t, well, you, know. It’s the Vice Premier. It probably won’t go well for me.”

  “One moment. I need to check.”

  “Okay, but please hurry. It’s freezing out here and I just want to get this done so I can get back to my room before the storm hits.”

  Ana stood outside the door, watching the guard nervously. If she was refused entry, she was prepared to take him out, but it would seriously mess up the plan. Relief flooded through her when the guard returned and motioned her through.

  “You’ve been given permission for one hour, Miss Swift. Follow me.”

  Ana fretted, hoping the hour would be enough. She had counted on the usual two, although the plan called for everything to be completed within forty-five minutes. She hoped everyone else was in place and ready to go.

  “I’m trusting you to stay here, Miss Swift. Two of the security personnel didn’t show tonight and their replacements haven’t arrived yet. With the storm coming, it could be a while, so I have to undertake two additional patrols. I’ll be back in an hour to escort you out.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be fine.”

  The guard withdrew, Ana closing the door behind him. Opening the large wall mounted tab, she bought up the vid from the past weekend, letting it play. She laid the special tab on the table, bringing up the report she had
submitted. The tab would be coming with her as Jan had specifically asked for it, but she had to make the act look convincing. She gave the guard five minutes, then picked up the tab, leaving the report open, and slipped out the door. Running down the hall, Ana made a left into the bay and waited, picking up the remote for the transport.

  Everything suddenly went dark, and Ana sprang into action. Tapping the remote, she started the transport. Stepping to the pad on the wall, she held up the pad, closing the report and tapping the power button several times. The pad lit up and Ana placed her palm on it, hoping it would work. The garage door rumbled behind her and Ana saw a transport backing into the bay. The rear opened and a dozen men poured out, grabbing several large crates and dropping them next to the small transport. Ana heard the elevator doors swoosh open and turned, seeing two men dressed as scientists wheeling a crate across the hall. The elevator closed, the scientists attached the trolley to the transport, and the men removed the large crate, replacing it with the ones stacked on the floor. Ana dropped the tarp over it, handed the remote to one of the scientists, and ran to the other side of the trolley. The scientists sent the trolley down the ramp, Ana cowering behind as it moved across the lot. The snow was getting heavier, and she worried about her footprints showing up, but when she glanced behind her, they had already disappeared.

  Ana looked to her right and saw the roofs opening. The scientists were guiding the trolley to the closest one. The garage door opened, and an armed guard stepped out, ignoring the steady snow as he confronted the scientist.

  “I don’t have any departures noted for tonight, Rory,” the guard said to the scientist holding the remote. Ana stayed where she was, clenching her teeth to keep them from chattering.

  “Last minute orders from the top,” Rory responded. “The storm is worrying them, and they decided they wanted this one delivered as soon as possible.”

  “You know I have to verify this, right?” the guard said, turning to re-enter the building. Ana didn’t see what happened next but peeking under the trolley, she saw the guard hit the ground. The trolley started moving again and they entered the building without further interruption.

  The lights on the bottom of the heli-craft had come on, the vehicle warming up. Ana stood and trotted to the main door, removing her pack and the two coats before slipping inside. Jax popped out and sat in the co-pilot’s chair. The snow was starting to accumulate, and Ana hurriedly strapped herself in. Swiping the main panel, she pulled the helmet on and initiated the heads-up display. The men from the transport loaded the crates then climbed aboard. Once they secured themselves, she closed the doors and started to lift off.

  As the heli-craft rose above the top of the building, it started buffeting in the wind. Ana’s hands danced over the main tab, making slight corrections to compensate. The other three heli-crafts were also rising, although Ana couldn’t see them. Jan’s voice sounded inside her ear, making her smile.

  “Welcome aboard,” he intoned. “It’s my pleasure to have you join our little expedition. I hope you enjoy the change of scenery.”

  Ana giggled. Leave it to Jan to lighten the moment. She lifted the transport a little more, then turned it, facing southeast, and waited for the signal.

  When all the transports had turned, the lights suddenly came back on and cracks began to appear in the panels on the dome. Ana took the lead, Jan flanking her on the right and the other two transports following close behind. The four shot off into the night, quickly disappearing in the snow.

  Once the heli-crafts were gone, the scientists closed the roofs, securing each building with the knocked-out guards locked inside. Running back to the transport, Rory sped up the ramp and palmed the pad, causing the bay door to start dropping. Rolling under it, he jumped in the transport, the other scientist rapidly swiping the control tab. The transport rumpled out of the bay and sped across the lot towards gate, barely making it through before it closed. Heading away from the dome, the truck soon disappeared into the snow. The panels continued to crack, and screams could now be heard coming from inside the building.

  Ana and Jan couldn’t see what was happening but had a good idea. In order to create a diversion, there had been an intentional power outage across the campus. The creatures had escaped from the labs and the ones in the dome had found their way out via the elevator doors, which had been left open on both sides. The animals were now loose in the building, creating chaos. Somehow, Jan’s associates had managed to send an extremely high volt of electricity through the panels, causing them to fracture in the extreme cold. The dome was in danger of collapsing and government officials were now scrambling to destroy the creatures before they escaped. When the power came back on, the building was placed on immediate lockdown, and all the occupants were now trapped with the nightmarish creations. A desperate call went out to the military, but the storm was making travel difficult, and no one knew how long it would take for them to arrive. The people inside were now in a desperate fight for survival and most would not live to see another day.

  The four heli-crafts flew on, making straight for the coordinates Jan programmed in. He claimed he knew exactly where the island was and the batteries would last long enough to get them there safely. Ana wanted to destroy the yacht and detention center, but Jan had told her the batteries didn’t have enough of a charge for any side trips. The flight would take about six hours and once they were out of the storm, Ana could place the craft on auto until they were ready to land. Only she didn’t, much preferring to fly the craft herself. Jax had shed the knit clothing and sat perched on the seat next to her, watching Ana’s hands move over the console. The men in the back sat silently and a few appeared to doze. Jan and Ana kept in constant contact, trying to keep it impersonal as there were two other people also on the audio.

  “You ready for this?” Jan asked, concerned. “That was the easy part. At some point, we’ll have company. I just hope we’re back over the mainland by then.”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Ana replied. She was worried the government would reach them while they were still trying to round up the children and the Ra-murs. Jan had said someone had been dropped off already who would take care of the camp leader and gather the children before the heli-crafts arrived. Ana had voiced concern over those like Mikal and Jan said they would do what they could but finding and restraining all of them might prove impossible. He was also concerned with the shape they might be in, not wanting to have to worry about being attacked while trying to fly them out.

  Jax was critical to finding the Ra-murs. Ana had asked if there was a way to get them all to the camp at one time. When Jax nodded, she asked her companion if she could do it. Jax again nodded, signing the words for talk, run, and fast. Ana wanted to ask how long it would take but Jax didn’t understand the concept of time, only knowing the difference between slow and fast. She hoped Jax could find them quickly since they were limited to how long it took to charge the batteries, meaning no more than an hour. Whoever, or whatever, was not aboard by then would be left behind.

  By the time the island came into view, Ana’s nervousness had been replaced by relief and happiness. All those months of planning and sacrifice had come down to this. She was going to fulfill the vow, freeing her to work on how to kill the Premier and Vice Premier next. Slowing the heli-craft to landing speed, the four vehicles descended, hovering over the beach as she removed her helmet and opened her door. She wanted to make sure the crabs were still quiet. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and Ana could see the blood trees starting to turn red. They had a few hours before the crabs woke, but she still wanted to have the heli-crafts land as far from the crab’s home as possible. The four vehicles landed on the far side, lining up on the sand neatly. All the doors opened, men poured out of each one, and Jan, Ana and Jax took off for the camp. When they reached the clearing, Ana signed to Jax to retrieve the Ra-murs and the spiders, watching her friend gallop off into the jungle. Turning, she was shocked to see Jan greeting Ansil, t
hen smiled as she flew across the sand and into his arms.

  “So you were not swept away in the changing winds, I see,” Ansil said, laughing as he hugged her.

  “I told you I was going to learn to fly,” Ana replied, tears of happiness in her eyes. “Oh, Ansil, I’m so glad to see you.”

  “And I’m just as glad to see you,” he replied, his smile creating huge creases in his face. “No threats this time, right?”

  “Not from me,” Ana said. “Maybe from Jan. He kind of took over when he realized I wasn’t backing down.”

  Ansil turned serious. Holding Ana at arm’s length, he looked her in the eyes.

  “This is going to the start the war, Ana. It’s too late to ask if you’re prepared for that, but you need to know things are going to change. The life you knew is over.”

  “The life I knew was over the minute you tossed me over the side of the raft. And Ansil, it’s time. The things I’ve seen, been made to do, they need to stop. Forever.”

  “Then let’s get this done, shall we?”

  Ana smiled and took Ansil’s hand when he offered it. They led the children to the heli-crafts, comforting the younger ones when needed. The two spiders came when she whistled, no longer acting like overgrown puppies but still happy to see her. The men gave them a wide berth, some reacting in horror when Ana led them to her heli-craft, but she assured them they were friendly and wouldn’t be a problem.

  Jax soon returned, followed by more than two dozen Ra-murs. Ana signed they should be split between the four heli-crafts, wanting them to comfort the children while in flight. Jax led a group to each vehicle, jumping up to show it was safe. When all the children were settled, Jan told her it was time but insisted on making one more sweep. Ana and the other two pilots climbed in and started the heli-crafts. Ana climbed back out, standing alongside as she called impatiently to Jan. When she saw him leading an older boy, she took a step forward. What happened next would haunt her for a long time to come.