by Ken Barrett
Tiger refused to give up though. He wrapped his good arm around the girl’s waist and they stood up together. “I’ve got her,” he said, obviously determined to not leave her side.
Once everyone was on their feet, they turned the corner and walked down the ramp toward level four, which was the first housing level. At the bottom, he paused and looked around. Scant light emanated from a few flickering LED bulbs, giving the place a disturbing chaotic feel. Using his enhanced vision, he saw markedly less damage than there was on the floors above. The walls of several apartments had crumbled and fallen, and the ceiling was cracked, but boulders didn’t litter the floor. What he saw brought hope that everything below might still be intact. He paused and called, “Is anyone here?” Only silence returned.
“This is where me and my parents live,” Tiger said. “But they’d already gone to work before the quake hit.”
“What do they do?” Liam asked.
“They work way down on the hydroponic levels,” the young man answered.
“That’s good, they should be safe down there,” Rose replied. “I’m sure we’ll meet up with them later.”
They followed the ramp lower, toward level five, where he and Denise, as well as Rose and Keith, had made their homes. Unexpectedly, the damage was worse than it had been on the floor above. Many of the apartments between the west and eastern ramps were a ruin, and the air was coarse and dusty with grit. A meandering crack stretched across the floor, but the ceiling seemed intact. Liam again called out, but no one answered.
“Everyone’s probably down below,” Rose said.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he answered, and their group resumed their descent toward level six. The ramp seemed unusually gritty at first, and then larger rocks joined the debris. Near the bottom of the ramp, their descent slowed as they had to climb over several large boulders.
Someone groaned nearby, and Liam ran ahead to investigate. He located the source of the sound and quickly began to excavate. Rose and Patrick joined him a moment later; even Tiger helped, using his uninjured arm to toss the debris aside. A man was pinned against the side of the ramp and was struggling to breathe. The irregularly shaped rock that pressed against him was massive; twice the size of the boulder he had lifted off of Alice. They needed to get him out or he would slowly and painfully suffocate.
“Patrick and Tiger, see if you can find something we can use as a lever.” Liam knew time was short but needed to get people away so they wouldn’t see what he was about to do.
“Please help me,” the man whispered.
“We’ll get you out, don’t worry,” Liam replied, and then turned to the others. “Go find a lever, and hurry.”
Patrick and Kelly ran back up the ramp, probably hoping to find some sort of a tool where there was less wreckage, while Tiger continued down toward level six.
“What can we do?” Rose whispered once the others were out of earshot.
“The impossible I guess,” he replied. “I’ll need your help.”
She cautiously looked over her shoulder. “Do you think we can lift it?”
“No, but we might be able to roll it a little.”
Rose squeezed in beside him, and they both found handholds. “He won’t be able to move on his own, one of us will have to pull him out,” Rose said.
“I know,” he replied. “We’ll lift this side together, and then I’ll hold it while you grab him.”
They strained against the huge jagged stone, pushing their manufactured bodies to the limit, and after a moment the rock shifted slightly. “Pull him out,” Liam whispered.
“You won’t be able to hold it if I let go,” she uttered in return.
Suddenly a small shape appeared beside Rose. Alice grunted painfully as she crawled on her hands and knees beneath the stone, then grabbed the man’s outstretched legs and pulled him out. A moment later Liam and Rose released their grip and the boulder crashed loudly back onto the floor.
“You’re magic, aren’t you,” Alice whispered; it was a statement of fact, not a question.
“Please don’t tell,” Rose said breathlessly.
“Oh, I won’t,” Alice replied. “Magic must always stay secret, otherwise it stops working.”
They heard footsteps and a moment later Tiger arrived. “How’d you get him outta there?”
“We cleared away a bunch of the smaller rocks, and pulled him out,” Liam answered.
“I saw,” Alice added.
“Well, I guess,” Patrick said, just as he arrived with a long metal bar. “It’s never a good idea to question good luck, so we’re all thankful.”
Rose sat beside the rescued man, who was dirty, bleeding, and had passed into unconsciousness. “He may have internal injuries, so we shouldn’t move him without a stretcher.”
Patrick shrugged. “What will we do then? We can’t just leave him here.”
“There are medical supplies in the Command Center on level seven,” Rose stated.
“You and your brother go ahead,” Patrick said. “The rest of us will stay here with him.”
“Ok, we’ll be back as soon as we can,” Liam replied.
*****
Once they were beyond the view of the others, Liam and Rose picked up their pace, moving through the murky darkness and over the rocky ground at a speed only possible for an artificial being. In just moments they arrived on level seven, where the overhead lights flickered and shadows danced eerily.
Two people sat before a row of tables that held a variety of computers and communication equipment. Liam and Rose slowed, wondering if the two unmoving figures were alive or dead. “Hello?” Rose said.
Slumbering heads lifted and turned. “Rose?” A lady with dusty auburn hair wearing a blue uniform stood up.
“Roxi!” His sister ran to embrace the elderly woman. “I’m so glad you’re ok.”
“Oh, me too.” Roxi rested her cheek on Rose’s forehead. “And your brother’s here too I see.”
“Hi Roxi,” he said. “Did you warn the other shelters in time?”
“Yes, barely,” she replied. “But we lost contact right as the storm hit.”
“We found someone injured a couple of floors up. He needs help, but can’t walk.” Rose said.
“There are a lot of people hurt, and probably dead too,” Roxi stated. “We sent everyone down to the lower levels, including the medical staff.”
A tall man with gray hair stood up from the other chair. Commander Davis held himself stiffly erect and frowned. “Liam, how did your rescue efforts go outside, and what’s the state of the vestibule and upper floors?”
“We got twelve people inside,” Liam said. “But a few didn’t make it.”
“Regrettable, but probably inevitable.” The shelter commander clasped his hands behind his back and stepped forward. “Some of those you rescued passed by here a little while ago, so we knew you were coming. How bad is the damage? Is our shelter secure?”
“There’s some structural damage to the upper floors, with levels five and six being the worst we’ve seen so far.”
“Hmm. What about the vestibule and the blast doors?”
“Part of the ceiling collapsed, but the walls are still intact. The hatches are shut and the last I saw of them they were glowing red,” Liam replied. “It looks like the solar flare is worse than was expected.”
“Hmm, indeed it is; so much for the value and accuracy of science.” The commander looked down and shook his head. “Well, our communication systems aren’t working and lighting and ventilation are spotty, but the lower levels are safe for the time being. You should get your people down there as soon as possible.”
“We’ll need a stretcher,” Liam said.
The older man pointed to a utility area on the opposite side of the Command Center. “That closet contains emergency first aid supplies, so you should be able to find what you need there. The medical staff has set up a hospital on level twelve. You should get moving.”
*****
“Did he wake up while we were gone?” Rose bent over the injured man, examining a deep cut on the side of his head. “His skull feels intact, but he could have a concussion.” She slid her arms under him and easily lifted his limp body onto the stretcher.
“He’s been out the whole time.” Tiger frowned. “You guys are really strong.”
“It runs in the family,” Liam replied.
Alice touched Tiger’s shoulder to get his attention, then held her finger against her lips, indicating silence.
“There’s a hospital set up on level twelve.” Rose glanced at the teenaged boy. “Tiger, are you ok to travel?”
“Heck yeah, I’ve made it this far,” he responded.
“Alright, let’s get going,” Liam said.
He and his sister carried the unconscious man down the ramps and through the wreckage. Occasional earthquakes shook the shelter, collapsing already weakened walls and dislodging rocks and dust from the ceiling. They passed the command center without pausing. There were many bodies among the rubble, and although they frequently stopped to check on them, no survivors were found.
A sharp jolt struck just after they descended the ramp to level nine, it felt as if the entire structure had been hit with a giant hammer, and those around them stumbled and collapsed. Alice cried out as she fell and Tiger leaped to catch her, then grunted as his broken arm hit the floor.
A large granite block broke from the ceiling right above the two young people. Liam dropped his end of the stretcher and raced with supernatural speed to intercept the boulder on its descent. He diverted it away from the teenagers but fell with the rock on top of his right forearm. Rose, Tiger, and Alice ran to his side.
“Oh no!” Tiger screamed.
Liam glanced back and saw that Alice’s parents were occupied with caring for the injured man. “Tiger, this will be our secret, ok?”
“What, the rock hitting you?”
“No, this.” Liam rolled to his side and reached out with his left hand and lifted the boulder a few centimeters, then slid his injured arm from beneath it. His skin and muscle were torn away, revealing the pale-yellow support structure which mimicked the radial and ulna bones in a human. As the two young people watched, his arm mended itself, in seconds it was completely healed.
“Oh,” Tiger said breathlessly.
“It’s magic,” Alice whispered. “Just like the legends say. You’re of the Fairy Folk, aren’t you?”
“No,” Rose answered. “We’re something new. But don’t worry, we’ll never cause any trouble, we’re here to help you, that’s all.”
Alice gazed sternly into Tiger’s eyes. “Magic must be kept secret or it loses its power.” She soberly nodded to Liam. “We will honor this accord and keep your secret safe.”
“From everyone,” Rose added.
“Yes, from everyone,” Alice repeated.
Chapter 3: Refuge
Their feet slipped and skittered beneath them as they made the final descent to level twelve. Although the lower floors were in better shape than those above, grit and small stones still littered the ramp. At last, they carried the injured man out into the expansive cafeteria.
Everyone sat in tight groups throughout the dining hall, which was situated between the eastern and western ramps. The assembly overflowed into the hallways between apartments; a population that once occupied ten stories of the fifteen-story shelter now huddled together on the two bottom habitation floors. Only the agricultural levels were below them, but they were unpleasant due to the excessive heat and humidity of the hot springs.
People moved aside as they carried the stretcher through the crowd. When they neared the makeshift hospital, orderlies took charge and brought the injured man to a cordoned off area crowded with rows of narrow beds, most of which were occupied. “Will he be ok?” Kelly asked as the men moved away, but they didn’t answer.
“Let’s get you two taken care of,” Rose said as she led Tiger and Alice toward a nurse carrying a clipboard, and the rest of their group followed behind.
“Has anyone seen my parents?” the young man asked the nurse. “Their names are Dale and Elaine Cho.”
“No,” the woman answered without looking up from jotting notes. She then glanced at Tiger and shook her head. “Sorry, but there aren’t many Asians in our population, so I’d remember them.”
“Maybe that’s good,” Alice said. “I mean, at least you know they’re not hurt and in the hospital.”
Tiger smiled slightly and nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”
“You said your parents are hydroponic workers, when did they leave this morning?” Liam asked.
“Just a few minutes before I met you,” Tiger responded.
“We’ll check the agricultural levels down on fourteen and fifteen, but let’s ask around here first,” Liam said. “If they’re looking for you, this is where they’d be.”
“You’ll stay with us lad, ‘til your parents are found,” Patrick said.
The nurse hurried Tiger and Alice away for treatment, and the girl’s family followed, leaving Liam and Rose alone in the crowd.
*****
An abrupt jolt shot through the shelter and the walls around them creaked and popped. Silence descended as everyone waited anxiously to see if the quake would worsen. A torpid sway took over a moment later; it felt as if he were standing on a small boat in the middle of a lake. Liam pulled his sister close, and they held each other until the wave-like rocking ceased.
With the danger past, he and Rose walked through the tightly packed throng, asking again and again if anyone knew Dale and Elaine Cho. Some people listened then shook their heads, but most simply ignored them; they had their own worries and tragedies to grieve.
While they were still working their way through the crowd, another jolt shot through the shelter, knocking many people off their feet. The walls groaned and snapped as cracks appeared in the ceiling and a cascade of small stones rained down on everyone. Men and women screamed in terror, and small children cried as their parents lay over them, shielding their tiny bodies with their own.
As the shaking lessened, the lights abruptly went out. Screams and shouts of panic echoed through the open spaces and hallways. Liam’s enhanced vision allowed him to see an older man lying curled on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest. “This will never end,” the man whispered. “May the Stickman save us, otherwise we’ll all die down here.”
“You’re wrong,” Liam countered as he squatted down to help the man to his feet. “Nothing lasts forever, the earthquakes will end once the solar flare is over.”
“When will that be?” A woman stood nearby, staring blindly into the darkness. “Who am I talkin’ to?”
“I’m Liam Collins, and my sister Rose is with me,” he responded. “Do you know Dale or Elaine Cho? Their son Tommy is looking for them.”
“Those names ain’t familiar,” the older man stated. “Sorry.”
“How about Keith Johnson or Denise Beckman?” Rose asked.
“Ah, Keith and Denise, yes, I know them,” the woman replied. “Last I saw, they was camped out near the western ramp.”
“Oh good,” Rose said with a relieved sigh.
“Thank you.” Liam smiled. “Rose, we should get over there and make sure they’re ok.”
“You’ll never find them in the dark,” the woman said. “We all may as well be blind down here.”
“We’ll be fine,” Rose answered. “My brother and I have memorized the floorplan.”
*****
They found their partners in a lightless hallway between rows of apartments. Keith sat with his legs stretched out across the aisle, staring sightlessly up at the ceiling with his curly blond locks falling to his shoulders. Denise’s arms were wrapped around him and her head lay on his chest.
“We’re glad to see you’re both safe,” Rose said.
The two were startled and sat up abruptly, quickly ending their embrace. “Oh!” Denise’s soft brown eyes stared blindly into th
e darkness. “You about gave me a heart attack Rose. Is Liam with you?” She blindly reached out toward them.
“Yeah, I’m here. It’s been a rough day, hasn’t it?” He took her hands and helped her stand up, and she immediately fell into his arms.
“Oh, I was so scared; where were you?” she asked.
“Just before the flare hit, we saw that there were people outside.”
“Yes, we know. Rose stopped by while you were on your way up to bring them in,” Denise said. “We didn’t hear from you for such a long time and thought that you might have… well, we were terrified that something had gone wrong.”
“We’re fine, and we got most of them back inside before it was too late.” He sighed. “We couldn’t save everyone though.”
Denise gently patted his chest. “Some is better than none.”
“How’re things on the upper floors?” Keith asked.
Liam turned and saw that Rose had glued herself to her boyfriend, and smiled. “Bad, but we’ll get by. It’s nothing we can’t fix after the flare ends.”
“When will that be?” A disheveled man sitting nearby had obviously been listening to their conversation.
“There’s no way to know,” Liam answered. “It shouldn’t have lasted this long.”
“Fuckin’ science crap,” the man said sharply. “It’s useless, but it was the religion of the old world. It’s a heartless thing though, ‘cause it can’t be bargained with or appeased, and it’s all gobbledygook anyway since it’s wrong most of the time. We may as well bow down and burn incense to some old forgotten god for all the good it does us.”
“Yeah,” Keith responded. “I guess life’s just a crapshoot.”
The man sighed. “Science was a snooty thing too. The very idea that we can understand the universe; it’s cocky. Who are we to believe such a thing?”
“Understand doesn’t mean control,” Liam said.
“Then what’s the point of it? Trash it, I say. We should return to the old ways. The old gods could be bartered with; bending a knee to them made us part of the deal, closer to nature and the universe.” He chuckled. “And either way you go, the results are about the same. The old gods and science are both right and wrong in equal measure.”