The Dead Planet Series: Exodus (Book 1)

by Drew Avera

  Chapter 5

  I was walking through the city square on my way back to Thom's apartment when my communicator buzzed in my left breast pocket. I retrieved it half expecting a new assignment. It was Thom's number. It was very rare that anyone other than a dispatcher called a policeman on his communicator. I assumed that it was urgent so I answered quickly.

  "Serus," I answered.

  "Serus, its Thom. I don't know why, but when I woke from a nap and went to check on Kara she was gone. I searched my apartment and the surrounding area. There was no sign of another person entering my apartment so I think that she must have left on her own accord."

  I felt sick at his words. Kara had no business going out on her own. The potential of running into another policeman was too high for her to be that reckless. "I'm on my way. I'll swing by my apartment and will try to contact her communicator. Just keep an eye out," I said.

  "Will do. I'll contact you if she comes back," he replied.

  "Alright, Thom. Thank you," I said before closing the communicator and sliding it back into my breast pocket. My apartment was two miles in the opposite direction and I didn't have time for tracking down my sister. As scared as I was, I was also pissed by her decision to leave Thom's house unprotected. I swore under my breath and continued the walk to my apartment.

  I arrived about thirty minutes later and performed a quick survey of the area. If Pontiff White knew the connection between Kara and me then I was sure the Agency would know as well. You never can be too careful. Satisfied that no threat was imminent I entered my apartment and shuffled through my contacts list to retrieve Kara's communicator information. I pulled out my communicator, dialed the link and waited for her to answer. Several buzzes later it was left unanswered. My nerves were beginning to get the best of me. I tried three more times before giving it a rest. I left a message on the last call hoping that she would get the hint.

  "Kara, it's Serus, I'm not home right now because I went fishing. I hope to see you soon," hopefully she would understand the message and return to Thom's apartment unscathed. I moved about my apartment and gathered some supplies that I thought would be useful later, extra money, a secondary battery and charger for my gauntlet, and a small bag of clothes including a fresh uniform. I didn't know how long it would be before things returned to normal, or if they ever would. I was hopeful though as I locked up my apartment and stepped out into a mid morning sun that beat down a little warmer than usual this time of year. I decided that the best chance to find Kara was to head back to Thom's.

  The walk was long and my heart was full of dread. The programming I had endured during Agency training was driving me nuts. It was as if my mind was tearing down the walls of my humanity brick by brick and it was giving me a headache. I did my best to control my breathing and ease the anxiety that I was feeling. On the outside everything seemed normal, but inside I was full of turmoil.

  As I past Pontiff White's palace I could see businessmen dressed in expensive suits entering in groups of three. I recognized some of the men as retired policemen and assumed that they were attached to a security detail as members of the Syndicate grouped together for a meeting, one that was sure to be about the information Kara shared with me. I continued past the palace on towards Thom's apartment. I still had another hour of walking before I would arrive and I spent that time routinely checking my communicator for a call from either Thom or Kara. The holographic display was blank each time I checked it.

  I found Thom standing next to the water behind his apartment when I arrived. He was still dressed in his uniform despite having the day off. It was typical of us policemen not to have a wardrobe exceeding what was issued to us, plus maybe a business suit for formal affairs. I let out a slight whistle as I walked up behind him and he turned to look at me. He was holding a small screen in his hand and had a look of concern drawn across his face.

  "Serus, there is something that you need to see here," he said. I could hear the concern carried in his voice as he swept out his hand and the holographic image spread out over the still water. It was a news program with a headline dictating the failure of our artificial electro-magnetic field. I had wondered why so many in the Syndicate were in Archea, this news must be why.

  Thom increased the volume so that I could hear the report. Kara's name was not used, but I knew that the information had to have come from her. The report gave the exact time line of one to one and half years before the magnetic field collapsed. Those words had been used by my sister the night before. My headache increased as my programming battled the next onslaught of fear and dread over my sister’s safety.

  I pulled out my communicator and dialed her again, several buzzes went unanswered. Frustrated I closed the communicator and shoved it back into my pocket. I felt like hurling it into the water, skipping it like a stone, but I knew that was unwise. I looked up to Thom and saw that he was staring at me.

  "It will be fine, Serus," he said as comforting as he could manage. I noticed the attempt, but ignored it. I knew the truth. Even if I could save Kara, time was still running out for the rest of humanity. I felt powerless to do anything to stop it.

  The image over the water changed to show an uproar of citizens in the square. They had accumulated in less than an hour and it looked like a growing mob. They were chanting their calls for the Syndicate to do something to save them. I imagined White starring out of his window with disdain covering his pale face while puffing his cigar through clenched teeth. He would be their symbol of hope, but he would sit back to watch all of them die, I was sure of it.

  I reached for my communicator again knowing it had not gone off, but compulsion made me look anyway, the screen was still blank. I let out a frustrated sigh when I jammed it back into my pocket. Thom looked at me with the worried look still painted on his face.

  "I'm sure that she is alright," he stated.

  "Yeah me too, but for how long? Did you know that a large number of board members of the Syndicate have convened at the palace? Surely it has something to do with the failing magnetic field that is all over the news now!" I could feel myself growing more anxious by the second.

  "Yeah, I saw the report scrolling at the bottom of the image. It's the largest meeting in fifteen years," Thom said. He looked back down on the image of Archean citizens standing outside the palace crying for their savior, whoever that could be. "Let's go inside and wait for Kara," Thom finished.

  I followed him back into his apartment and collapsed onto his couch. I rubbed my eyes and realized just how tired I was. I hadn't slept in more than a day and it was beginning to wear on me. I grabbed a small vial of Serum from my belt and dripped it onto my tongue. It dulled my weariness to the point that I no longer noticed, but it left my mind able to function normally. At one point I had survived over a month without sleep while on Serum, but it can make you go mad if you continue much longer than that.

  Thom brought me a drink and sat down across from me. He stayed silent, probably worried about his own family and how they were dealing with the news about the impending doom befalling all of us. It was fine though, the silence helped keep my headache at bay. I closed my eyes for a moment, but they jerked wide open at the knocking sound at Thom's front door. I jumped up and ran over to peer at the security screen to see Kara standing there alone. I jerked the door open and looked into her eyes. It was a moment I had been afraid I would not experience again.

  "Kara!" I said as Thom walked up behind me.

  "Serus, I think I made a mistake," she said as tears ran from her green eyes. I took her hand and she fell into my arms, worn out from the stress of what she had just been through. I had an uneasy feeling swarm over me; suddenly I noticed a laser sight moving up her back towards my hand.
My eyes followed it straight to the gauntlet of another policeman standing across the street. I let out a breath and tensed as I spun around and flung Kara into Thom's arms as I slammed the door shut and locked it. Kara must have been followed and now we were no longer safe here. There would be only one way out now. We would have to fight our way out.