Damnation

by Ken Barrett

  On level one, they silently placed their burdens in orderly rows beside the inner vestibule door, then stood a moment in quiet contemplation to wish the departed spirit well on whatever journey that lied ahead.

  “What are we gonna do with ‘em?” Jerry asked.

  “We’ll take them outside with us when we fix the vents,” Liam replied.

  “Are you really gonna do that?”

  “It’s not like we have a choice,” Rose said. “If the vents aren’t repaired the air will go bad and everyone will suffocate.”

  “Is it safe out there though?” Jerry asked.

  “Probably not, but these days, what is?” Liam gestured toward the massive inner vestibule door. “It’s better than it was though; the last time I was up here, that was glowing red.”

  Jerry reached out and cautiously touched the hatch. “It’s still warm,” he replied. And on the other side there’s the vestibule, and then the outer door, so it’s gotta be hotter than blue blazes outside.”

  “I know, but the fire has just ended, and we’ve got another three days before the commander sends us out,” Liam said. “And there’re asbestos blankets stored away on level two that we’ll use to cover ourselves, with that, I hope we’ll be ok.”

  Jerry shook his head sadly. “Well, I think it’ll be an accursed miracle if you make it, but we’ll all be pulling for you.”

  Chapter 5: Outside

  Liam stood in the crowded hallway outside his apartment on level five, waiting for Commander Davis’s speech to be broadcast. He glanced at Denise, then at Rose and Keith, and muttered, “You know, all the commander’s blathering is only about keeping the public happy.”

  Keith smirked. “Yeah, but nobody wants to take the old man’s job, so he’s wasting his time.”

  “Personal issues aside, he’s doing a good job though,” Rose said. “Repairs on the shelter are underway, we’re getting food brought up from hydroponics again, and the generators are running so we have light and power.”

  “Yeah, but the old man sure hates you and your brother,” Keith stated.

  Rose nodded. “That’s pretty obvious.”

  “Well, I’m happy to be home again,” Denise stated. “The air smells better, there’s less crowding, and I get to sleep in my own bed.”

  Liam smiled. “Yeah, you slept for twelve solid hours the first night we were back.” His partner was right, it was good to be in their apartment again, even though it was a windowless five-meter square box, the familiarity of the place gave him a feeling of stability and comfort. He sighed, knowing that their current happiness was just a temporary reprieve. “We still have to repair the ventilation system though, or none of this will last long.”

  “And we’re just expendable tools that will be sent out to fix it,” Rose uttered.

  An abrasive hiss sounded through the public address system. “Attention,” Commander Davis’s voice abruptly echoed throughout the shelter. “Repairs to our outside vents will commence in the predawn hours tomorrow morning. Once that task is complete, everyone can return to their original apartments, and life within our shelter will go back to normal at last.”

  Brenda, a blonde woman who lived with her partner and their child a few doors down the hall, touched Liam’s shoulder and frowned worriedly. “That’s gonna be your job, but what if you can’t fix the vents?”

  “That’s not an option,” he answered. “Some things just have to get done, no matter the danger or the cost.”

  “How long will we have to wait ‘til it’s safe enough for us to go back to our farms?” Brenda asked, as her young daughter hugged her leg and stared up at him with wide blue eyes.

  “There are too many unknowns,” Rose stated, answering for him. “The air could be toxic for all we know, or solar radiation could have completely fried the surface and boiled the oceans away; everything above us could be dead.”

  Liam loudly cleared his throat and glared at his sister. People often insist on knowing the truth, believing that it would set them free, but the person that speaks it is usually punished and what’s learned often becomes a prison. “Don’t listen to her.” He smiled down at the little girl, then looked into Brenda’s worried eyes. The woman needed hope, something to keep her from falling into despair. “Our planet is resilient, and so is everything that lives on it. Events like this have happened before, and life has always returned to flourish again.”

  “Are you sure?” Brenda asked.

  “Yeah, the fossil record is clear,” he replied. “And don’t worry about the repair of the outside air ducts, we’ll get it done because there isn’t any other choice.”

  Brenda smiled uncertainly. “I sure hope you’re right.”

  Commander Davis’s voice continued to bark from the speakers. “Once the repairs are complete, fresh air will be restored to all levels, and our shelter will be prepared to house us all for many generations to come.

  “I understand that remaining here, safely below ground, is not what most of you would prefer; I would like to go home too,” the commander’s speech continued. “For now though, this is our home, and unfortunately, I believe we must steel ourselves for the possibility that for the term of our lives at least we’ll have to live underground.

  “I understand the reluctance to accept this truth,” the commander said. “You are used to living outside under a limitless blue sky, but we can make a good life here. Space for us to expand is not as limited as it might appear. We dug this space out of the granite mountain that surrounds us, and we can enlarge it further. Working together, away from the adversity and corruption of the outside world, we can live in peace and flourish, bringing forth the best of ourselves and at last realize our true potential.”

  “I don’t wanna live in some feckin’ hole in the ground!” one of his neighbors protested, and several others in the hallway angrily agreed. The people around them mumbled uneasily. The old man’s speech certainly wasn’t winning over many of his subjects.

  *****

  It was shortly after midnight on the morning of their outside excursion. Apprehension tightened Liam’s chest, but he smiled, feigning confidence. He sat with his friends and acquaintances in the Command Center, where everyone was furiously cutting and sewing scavenged asbestos blankets into hats, ponchos, boot covers, and gloves. Even with these assets, the success of their mission to repair the outside ventilation registers was dubious, and their survival was even more unlikely.

  He was pleasantly surprised by the number of people that had shown up to help and wish them well. Tiger, Alice, and her family were there, as were Jackie and her foster family. Even Jerry and the maintenance crew had come by. Everyone was concerned about their safety, but that wasn’t his only concern.

  What would happen if he and Rose returned unscathed from conditions that would kill a normal human being? If their true nature was revealed, many of their friends could become enemies. He hoped that wouldn’t happen, but knew that fear frequently motivated hostile actions.

  Rose glanced at him as she sat cross-legged on the floor, sewing the insulating fabric into the shape of a conical hat. She was worried as well; he could see it in her eyes.

  “Ok, I have the pieces cut for another hat,” Alice said. Tiger sat close beside her, his left forearm was still in a cast, so he wasn’t much help. Nevertheless, the teenager pinned the tough fabric to the floor with his body and hacked at it relentlessly with a pair of shears.

  “Pass them over,” Denise said. “I’ll start sewing.”

  Nearby, Patrick and Kelly sorted through the heat insulating material, deciding which pieces were fit for use. “Some of these are so thin they won’t do much good,” Kelly said.

  “Anything is better than nothing.” Liam shook his head and smiled. “I’m amazed that you all came by to help us.”

  “But you’re not doing any work,” Rose teased. “So, they’re helping me, not you.”

  “When you’re right, you’re right Sis.” He scooted over beside her and Kei
th, then sorted through the fabric and thread in search of a needle.

  “Hold on Liam, you need to see this.” Roxi handed him a thickly laminated drawing.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a map of the vent locations,” she said. “There are two intakes on this side of the mountain and both exhaust vents are around back. Our communication antennas are at the peak, repairing or replacing them is obviously secondary, because without fresh air, talking to the other shelters would be pointless.”

  “Will this map hold up in the heat outside?” he asked.

  “I hope so, but you should memorize it just in case.”

  He had already done so but pretended to study the map anyway. If he and Rose survived, their future safety relied on blending in with everyone else. “Have you brought the replacement parts up to level one?”

  “Yeah. They’re right by the inner vestibule door.” Roxi closed her eyes and sighed. “I knew a lot of people had died, but seeing all the bodies up there really brought it home. It was so sad; it hurt my heart to see them lying there.”

  Tiger stopped sawing at the asbestos fabric and stared. “Are my parents up there too?” he whispered.

  “Yeah,” Liam replied. “They were with Jackie and her family; probably trying to protect them. They were very brave and must have been wonderful people.”

  “I guess,” Tiger responded. “I never really thought about it, you know? They were just my parents.” He sat despondently for a moment, then Alice scooted over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  Liam smiled sadly. Their capacity for love made human beings special and their lives precious. His sister caught his eye and nodded. They would do whatever was necessary to ensure their friend’s survival.

  “While you’re outside I’ll be on level three, checking the coolant radiators in the intake vents,” Roxi stated. “That shouldn’t take too long, so afterward, I’ll work on the power generator on level fifteen; it’s running at 60% capacity now, and I’d like to get it up where it belongs. Everything has to come online in conjunction with your work outside.”

  “I was wonderin’ about that,” Patrick said. “Since the air’s so hot outside, you’ll cool it down with radiators, like there used to be in old fashioned cars.”

  Roxi smiled. “I’m surprised you know about that.”

  “Oh sure,” Patrick replied. “We mountain folk ain’t as backward as you all like to think. I had an old diesel tractor that I used on my farm.”

  “Good to know,” she answered. “I know you don’t care much for technology, but if you’re willing, I could use some help on level three.”

  “Sure! I’ve been itchin’ to get my hands dirty again,” Patrick said with a wide grin.

  *****

  “You guys look kinda funny.” Alice smiled.

  “Well, you know, asbestos is what all the cool people are wearing this fashion season,” Rose replied.

  Liam, Denise, Rose, and Keith stood together, surrounded by their friends near the upward ramp on level seven. The women laughed a bit, turning and posing like old-world fashion models. All four of them were resplendent in their thick silver ponchos that looked more like tents than anything else, and shiny conical hats that covered most of their faces. They also wore asbestos gloves and covers over their boots.

  “You’re as ready as we can make you.” Roxi fidgeted nervously. “The tools and the replacement parts you’ll need are on level one.” She shook her head in frustration. “Look at me, I’m repeating myself.” The older woman pulled both Rose and Denise close. “Stay safe,” she uttered softly. “And come back to me.”

  “We will,” Rose answered.

  “We should get going,” Liam said. “Morning’s coming, and I’d like to get out and back before the sun gets too high in the sky.”

  “So! Let’s stop the lollygagging and get movin’,” Patrick said.

  “Ok,” Liam answered. “But the highest that any of you go is level three, and no arguing about it. We don’t know how hot it is inside the vestibule, so I want everyone to stay far out of range. The door will be closed behind us, but I still want everyone to stay down here just in case we have to open it again unexpectedly.”

  “Yeah, ok,” Patrick replied.

  The higher they climbed the quieter their group of friends became. Conversation slowed, and soon they all silently walked up the ramps with their heads down. Others they passed on their way stopped what they were doing and stood quietly to watch them go by.

  Everyone milled about awkwardly when they reached level three. After a long moment, Liam stepped away and turned to their group of friends. “This isn’t goodbye,” he said. “We’ll be back in just a little while.”

  “I still don’t get why you four were picked for this job,” Patrick said. “Our leader must have it out for you guys.”

  “Yeah, maybe so,” Liam responded.

  “Commander Davis selected them because of their backgrounds in engineering and ability to solve problems,” Roxi said.

  Rose wasn’t actually an engineer, but was a historian and sociologist instead; only their closest friends knew that though. Keith had once been aligned with the Tribal Armies, and Denise was a hydroponics engineer back when they had all lived in Flatiron City. Those times were just memories though, to survive in the new world everyone had to adapt.

  “And we’ll be fine,” Rose said. “We have the parts that we need, and will be protected from the heat by our fancy new clothes.”

  After several minutes of farewells, it was time for them to go, but Tiger ran forward and gave Liam a final hug. “Will your magic keep you safe?” he whispered.

  “It should,” Liam said quietly into the young man’s ear, then stepped away from the embrace. “We’ll be back in about an hour; the repairs shouldn’t take any longer than that.”

  “Be safe my friend,” Patrick said.

  With that, the four turned away and climbed the ramp toward the uppermost floors and whatever awaited them beyond the thick steel doors that led outside.

  *****

  “Ok, stand back,” Liam said. “I’m not sure what to expect inside the vestibule.” He gripped the locking wheel and pulled it counterclockwise. The mechanism groaned as the retaining pins scraped in their sockets. The wheel vibrated in his hands as he continued to push until at last the locks released with a sharp metallic bang.

  The others joined in to help pull open the massive door. The metal had been distorted by the heat and scraped over the rubble-strewn floor as it slowly swung toward them. Using an electric torch, Keith peeked around the edge into the vestibule. “It’s fuckin’ hot in there, but it could be worse,” he said. “Lots of big rocks, but there’s a way through.”

  “Alright, this is how it will go,” Rose stated. “Liam and I will move the boulders and clear a path through the vestibule, then you guys can help us get the tools, materials, and the bodies in there. After that, my brother and I will close the door from the other side.”

  Keith started to protest, but she raised her hand to silence him. “The air outside could be toxic, and the heat alone is probably more than either of you can tolerate.”

  “We need you to stay here and keep hidden,” Liam said. “Remember, you guys are giving us a cover story by appearing to go with us. Lots of people trust you, and that will keep us safe from anyone suspecting that we’re different. The real danger to us isn’t outside, it’s what people will think once we get back in.” He sighed, there wasn’t much more he could say. “We’ll bang on the door when we get back, and you can help us open it.”

  “Yeah, sure, I get it. I still wish I was goin’ out there with you,” Keith muttered.

  “I know,” Liam answered. “In this one case, maybe it’s better to think of us as machines.”

  “Nah,” Keith grunted. “But I’ll admit that even though you kinda look like a weakling, you’re way stronger and tougher than I am.”

  Liam chuckled as he went into the vestibule to move the bou
lders aside and clear a path to the outer door. Then together, they began moving the hardware. Afterward, they paused to stare at the bodies that lay next to the door. Finally, with a level of tenderness the dead wouldn’t appreciate, they all pitched in to carry the remains through the vestibule and placed them in rows beside the outer door.

  Denise stepped into his arms as she prepared to go. “Please come back to me.”

  “I love you,” Liam confessed while stroking her cheek. “Be safe. We’ll be back in just a little while.”

  *****

  After the inner door was closed and secured behind them, they turned their attention to the job ahead. The outside hatch was only warm to the touch, which seemed to be a good sign. As before, the firestorm had expanded and warped the metal locking mechanism, making it groan and whine as the pins pulled out of the sockets that ringed the entryway. Once free, Liam and Rose pushed it open, and then stood petrified by the spectacle before them.

  A huge blood-red sun peeked above scorched mountains that stood impossibly darker against an obsidian sky. The air smelled burnt and desiccated like death; its fetid breath spun ashes lazily around them. As they stepped out of the vestibule into a world of cinders, the heat hit them like a scorching wall and their asbestos garments began to smoke under its wrath.

  The once familiar forested valley, that had been speckled with verdant orchards and a meandering stream, was barely recognizable. Almost nothing of it remained, instead they were greeted by complete devastation. Of the forest and orchards, only charcoal stumps were left behind, and the creek was entirely gone. The topsoil was baked hard and covered with white ash, it collapsed and crunched under their feet and sent up faint dusty clouds with each step.

  “We can’t handle this heat for long,” Liam said. “Let’s get moving.”

  They carried their dead companions down the hill and placed them beside the charred stumps of the orchard. The bodies would probably bake and burn in the holocaust, by the time the surface was safe for humans to occupy again, nothing of them would remain.