by Aaron Denius
I unravel my chain and tend to Fe. “Fe! Wake up. It’s me.”
Her eyes open slowly, and a glimmer shines in them when she recognizes me. She struggles to speak. “Atom.”
“I’m here.” I rip the tube and wires off of her body. “We have to go.”
She tries to get herself up from the chair but can’t. I’m going to have to carry her, so I wrap my chain around my shoulder and lift her from the chair. If we are attacked, I will have no way to defend us. All I have left now is speed.
I run into the hallway, hoping that it’s still empty. Luckily it is. I run down the hallway, every muscle in my body screaming with pain. When I get to the elevator shaft, I realize that the only option I have is the stairs.
I slowly push the door to the stairs open and look down. About three floors below me are maybe a half-dozen outsiders and drones waiting. I look up and see that there are about nine more floors to the top of the building. If they spot me, there is no way that I can outrun them while carrying Fe.
As quietly as I can, I step into the stairway. I begin my ascent, but the second I am free from the door, it slams behind me.
“Up there!” I hear an outsider scream. Shots fly by me.
“Damn it!” I run as fast as my legs will carry me. Fe moans at each hard step I take.
After about two floors, I look back down and see that my pursuers have gained on me. They have also doubled in number. There is no way I will make it to the top before they catch us. Regardless, I press on, even though my pace has slowed.
After another floor, I hear activity above me and see two drones making their way down toward me. They are only about a floor above. There is no way out.
I set Fe down on the stairs and unravel my chain. If we are going to die here, I will make sure that I do all I can to make it hell for them to kill us.
Fe looks at me. “I’m sorry, Atom.”
“What are you talking about?” I say as I ready myself.
“I was mad and hurt that you rejected me. I ran off. I wanted to see the pyramid up close because of how you described it.” Tears are streaking down her face. “I wanted to have that connection with you.”
“I didn’t reject you, Fe.” I look at her. “I had things I needed to deal with and focus on.”
“I know. I should have trusted you.” She wipes her eyes. “Instead, I got myself captured and dragged here. This is my fault.”
I want to respond, but I don’t have the time. The two drones from above are only a few steps away. I ready myself. Right before I can do anything, the two drones open fire, deliberately missing Fe and me. I look at their targets and see that they are shooting the outsiders and drones beneath us.
“Go! Get to the roof,” one of the drones yells.
It takes me a second, but then I realize that they are on our side. I throw the chain over my shoulder and pick Fe back up. With newfound energy, I run up the stairs.
“Thank you!” I yell back at the drones.
As I make my way up, I see that Fe has fallen unconscious. She must have lost a lot of blood. “Stay with me, Fe. We are almost there.”
When I’m a floor away from the top, I see the door being held open by a scientist. I slow down, unsure of who it is. Suddenly it clicks. It’s the scientist who was in the pilot seat of the Fly Ev and I were supposed to take.
“Hurry!” he yells down at me. “The Ragnarok has started, and nuclear weapons are detonating. We only have a few minutes before the one here goes off.”
Fear fills my heart. I get to the top, and the scientist helps me carry Fe to the Fly. When we get there, I see Rene sitting in the front passenger seat.
“Glad to see you,” he says with an immense sense of relief.
“How did you find us?” I ask as I strap Fe into her seat. The scientist climbs into the pilot’s seat and starts the engines.
“We flew into the city, saw the rollpods, and then saw a steady stream of outsiders running into this building. It made the most sense.” He turns his attention to the scientist. “Get us going, Jose!”
I buckle in as the Fly lifts off. A few bullets hit the side of the Fly, and I see that outsiders and drones have made it to the roof. They are shooting at us. After a couple of moments, the shooting stops.
I look out Fe’s side of the aircraft and see the pyramid as we rise higher.
“It’s beautiful,” Fe whispers.
“Yes, it is.” I take her hand. “Get some rest.”
Her grip tightens for a second and then loosens again when she falls back to sleep. I’m glad that she’s okay.
As we fly past the compound, I take one last look at where I came to be. Where I was created. It is the complete opposite of the peaceful place I once knew. Gunfire continues between the two sides in an area that is now more rubble than standing structures.
“Brace yourselves!” Jose shouts.
I look out the side and see a giant missile making its way toward the city we just left. A few seconds later, the sky around us gets brighter and is soon followed by an enormous boom. I try to look back, but the rear of the Fly blocks my view.
Without warning, the Fly tilts forward and shakes. I see a giant wave of energy race past us. As quick as these aircraft are, the wave was much faster. Luckily, Jose seems to be an expert pilot, and he maneuvers us through the turbulence. After a couple of shaky minutes, we are back on a smooth path.
“Where are we going?” I tap Rene on the shoulder.
“Johannesburg, South Africa,” he says without looking back at me. I remember reading about South Africa. It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It’s also on the opposite end of the continent from Egypt.
“We’ll be there in about an hour,” Jose adds.
“Get us there faster,” Rene demands.
I sit quietly and look out my window for the next forty-five minutes. My mind thinks about 80 and what he did. I also think about how I set 80’s actions in motion by showing him the value of life. I’m not sure if I regret telling him or not. I think about all the drones and scientists who gave their lives for us to succeed. I think about the other Genesys. Did they all reach their bunkers?
My stomach churns, and my heart aches as I remember what happened to Cal. Did he survive? I want to know, but I will have no way of finding out until after the two years we have to spend in the bunker.
Finally, I think about Ev. She must hate me. I betrayed her to go save Fe. She and I were in this from the beginning; we were the first created, and we were supposed to be in the same bunker. Instead, she will now have to spend the next two years in a bunker with Sil—if they even make it there safely. My heart yearns for her, and I find myself missing her.
“Go! Go! Go!” Rene yells, scaring me out of my thoughts.
“What is it?” I look around and see the cloud trail of a nuclear missile coming toward us. When I look down, I see a city with lush green foliage surrounding many glass and steel buildings. From up here, the city seems to be in great shape. A direct contrast to the city we just left.
“Get us down! Fast!” Rene shouts at Jose.
Jose changes the course of the Fly to the ground. He keeps the craft going at its top speed. “Buckle up and hold on tight. This will not be a smooth landing.”
The ground gets closer and closer. We are heading toward an open field that ends at a small mountain. I do my best to hold myself in my seat and use one of my hands to secure Fe even more.
My body gets thrown forward as the Fly hits the ground. The vessel bounces a few times and then begins to spin as we quickly approach the mountain. Parts of the Fly rip off, and a small fire starts on the control panel. A few moments later, it comes to a stop. We are a few hundred feet from the mountain, and I can see the outline of a steel door.
“Get out!” Rene yells back. His face is covered in blood.
I unbuckle Fe and do as he says. I pull Fe out and quickly check her vitals. She’s breathing, and her heart is still beating. Somehow, sh
e stayed unconscious throughout the crash.
“What about Jose?” I say as I pick Fe up in my arms.
Rene runs over to me. “He’s gone.”
We look back at the city and see that the nuclear missile is making its descent. Rene runs toward the steel door, and I run after him, carrying Fe.
“Hurry!” Rene shouts, encouraging himself more than me. He reaches the steel door, opens it, and runs in.
When I get to the door, he steps back out. I look at him. “What do I do?”
“Put her in her hyperbaric chamber. It will heal her as she sleeps.” He pushes me in.
I run in and lay Fe on the bed of the chamber and seal the top. Instantly the hyperbaric chamber jumps to life. Vitals and other information display on the glass of the lid.
I run back out to Rene just as the missile hits the city. A bright flash spreads out, and a giant cloud rises to the sky. The boom that follows shakes the ground I’m standing on.
“Come on.” I grab Rene’s arm.
“I love you, Atom. You are my legacy.” He brushes my hand away and pushes me into the bunker.
I run back toward him, but he slams the steel door in my face. I try the handle, but it won’t budge. Above it is a digital display, counting down from two years. I look out the small window in the door, and I see Rene standing a few feet away from the door.
“What are you doing?” I scream.
A few hundred feet in front of him, I see a giant wall of fire making its way toward us. It engulfs the Fly with ease.
“Get back here! Don’t!” I kick and punch the door, tears running down my face. “Dad!”
He looks back at me as the wall of fire takes him away from my life. A few seconds later, the wave of fire hits the door, and all I see is the yellow, orange, and red of the flames that are the end of the world. This is why I was created.
EPILOGUE
For two weeks, I mourn. I cry for my father. I cry for Ev and the other Genesys. I cry for 80 and Grant and anyone else who once was.
I check out the window in the door from time to time, but all I see is a darkness cast by the gray clouds that have not left since the explosion.
The only thing that seems to brighten the darkness is Fe. I check on her to make sure she is fine, and every time I do, I smile. She looks angelic as she sleeps. At the risk of the relationship I might have lost with Ev, I am glad I went back for Fe. The Genesys are my responsibility, and I need to lead them to E.D.E.N.
After doing one last check around the bunker, I climb into my hyperbaric chamber. I grab the lid and slide it over my body; it hisses and seals into place. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
*****
I dream of standing alone in a vast, white abyss. It’s cold, and the ground feels hard and slick like ice. The sky is also white, and the only reason I can tell there’s a difference between the floor and the sky is that I see a figure out in the distance. I run toward the figure, and as I get closer, I can tell that it’s a girl. Her hair reaches down to the middle of her back. She is thin and tall. She’s turned away from me, so I reach out to touch her. Right before I do, she turns. It’s Ev.
The “Gene. Sys.” story continues. Read the first chapter to the second book:
CHAPTER I
I don't want to die.
My shoulders sting from being pulled above my head. My shoes struggle to stay on my feet as the heels drag against the ground. The world around me moves slow, much as it does when I'm in a battle against the outsiders. This is different, though—a different struggle.
I don't want to die.
My heartbeat echoes through my ears. I focus on the thumps as they pound inside my head. The beats grow faster, and my breathing matches the tempo. I look around and see two drones pulling me down a hallway by my arms. We pass a few people, but I can't see clear enough to tell whether they are drones, Genesys, or scientists. I try to make sense of the hallway to get my bearings. None of it looks familiar. My muscles tighten as adrenaline engulfs my body. I'm scared.
This is new. I don't like it. Fear is not something with which I am familiar. We drones were designed not to have it. Death was not supposed to scare us. But I'm scared. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
“I don't want to die!” I scream out. I struggle to pull away, but before I get a chance to do anything, I’m thrown into a room. The door slams in my face.
I pound with my fists on the metal barrier, screaming until my throat feels like it's on fire. I know that it's all for nothing. They won't open the door until they are ready. Exhausted, I step back and take in my surroundings.
It's a small room—a bed in the center, little decor. One wall grabs my attention and holds it. It's covered in screens showing a live feed of different parts of the compound. The hallways, the medical ward, the bunkers that I call home, and many areas I’ve never seen before pollute my eyes. This compound must be enormous.
“Atom?” I step closer to the screens and see Atom pounding on the door of a tiny room, much smaller than the one I'm in. He's screaming, and even though I can't hear him, it's pretty evident that he's yelling, “Don't kill him.” I can only assume he's talking about me.
I pity Atom. If only he knew the burden he carries on his shoulders. He's powerful and courageous, but his empathy will make things difficult if he is to succeed at leading the Genesys after the Ragnarok and the end of the world.
The fear rises in me again. If Atom succeeds, I die. Everyone dies.
“Stop!” I push away from the wall, angry at myself. The bed hits me behind my knees, and I fall back. These aren't thoughts I should be having. If Dr. Anfang knew, he'd kill me immediately. I was created for one reason only: to protect Atom, Ev, and the other Genesys at all costs. To sacrifice myself to ensure they live. But why? Am I not as valuable? Is my life worth less than theirs? I deserve to live!
A small tickle on my cheek snaps me out of my head. My reflexes send my hand to my face, and my fingers wipe away the culprit. Tears. I'm crying. I'm not supposed to cry. I fight it, but the more I fight, the harder it fights back. My chest hurts. It feels like it's collapsing in on itself.
“80!” Grant opens the door, startling me.
I stand up and face him. “Yes, sir?”
“Sit down.” He points to the bed and pulls up a chair for himself. I sit back, wiping the remnants of the tears from my face. He stares at me for what feels like hours, not saying a word. I find it hard to keep eye contact, but I hold firm. It's unnerving.
“Please don't kill me.” The words escape my mouth before I can stifle them.
“We aren't going to kill you.” Grant states. “Atom cares a great deal about you. Killing you could have very dire consequences on his development.”
I'm relieved, even though I know that if it weren't for Atom, I'd already be dead. “So, what happens now?”
Grant is taken aback by my brash response. “That's what I'm trying to figure out. We can't keep you here and have you be more of a distraction. I have some ideas, but I need to run things by Dr. Anfang.”
I don't know how to respond. I can sense a hint of compassion in Grant's voice. I nod.
“You'll have to be placed in confinement. I'm not sure how long, but I'll try to make your stay there as brief as possible.” He stands and heads to the door.
As soon as Grant leaves, the two drones who dragged me here walk into the room. I recognize them now. 164 and 44. They are both excellent Breekbal players and have rooms in the same building as mine.
“Let's go,” 164 orders. I don't say a word as I follow them out of the room and down a series of hallways.
I can't believe I used to be one of them. If it weren't for the patch over my eye, all three of us would look identical: black hair, black eyes, pale skin. As much as we appear the same, they seem alien to me. I remember how I used to think before I met Atom. It was all so simple; there were no layers. I can't imagine there’s much going on in their heads. While I feel as though my brain won't s
hut off.
Atom opened my eyes to the world. Before, I was merely alive. Now, I am living, and I don't want to waste this new opportunity given to me.
44 turns to me when we get in. “Why haven't they killed you?”
His question throws me off. 164's look tells me he is just as surprised. I know that Atom is the reason, but I don't know what to say to them.
“I don't know,” is all I can muster. None of us seems satisfied with the answer.
We weave down a couple more hallways and reach a metal door. Standing in front of it is a man twice my size. He’s a scientist and looks familiar, but he turns before I get a good look at his face. He places his hand on the pad next to the door and speaks some words to get the panels to open. It’s an elevator, and if the man plans on joining us inside of it, we won’t have much room left to breathe.
The two drones walk me in, but the scientist stays behind. I get another look at him before the doors close, and flash to when I was taken to the medical ward to fix my eye. He was there.
The elevator hits its destination, and the doors open. The smell that greets me is stale, and it stings like I inhaled dust. The cold air causes my skin to bump up. As we walk down the corridor, I take in my surroundings. Cells are built into the rocks that form the foundation of the compound. Bars extend from the ground to the ceiling, separating what must be over one hundred cells. As far as I can tell, all the cells are empty.
164 and 44 lead me five cells down and open the cell door. I walk in, grateful to have this, especially knowing what the alternative could have been. The door slams hard behind me as I take inventory of my space. There is a stack of protein pouches in the back right corner. In the back left corner is a small toilet built into the wall. To my left is a mat that I can only assume is my bed. I turn and see the elevator doors close. I'm alone down here. The silence is so loud that it's haunting.
I grab a protein pouch and lie down on the mat. The taste is sweet, but my mouth yearns for more of the chicken I got myself and Atom from the outsiders. I take another mouthful of the protein pouch. My eyes feel heavy, and my body needs rest. I close my eyes, and the darkness comes.