The Mother of All

by Dana S Reiner

  We arrived at Chelene Cave rather quickly. I helped Donald set up the display monitors as my father quickly kissed my mother. Abdi and my father wasted no time entering the chambers of the cave.

  “Let me know immediately if you detect anything unusual,” said my father before disappearing into the deepest parts of Chelene Cave, Abdi by his side.

  Small digital waves were displayed on one screen, while the other screen displayed the point of view from my father’s helmet. As they both lowered themselves down the chambers, the visual of the recently discovered Casteel Cliff was breathtaking.

  The steep drops and cliffs stimulated a rising concern in my mother as she began to speak into her microphone. “Craigio, honey, please be careful down there. Those drops look terrifying.”

  My father responded rather quickly. “I will, Lina, Te amo. We will be up shortly,” said my father as he and Abdi began to lower their cables to reach the floor of the chamber.

  When they reached the floor of the cave, they raced toward the vicinity of the fossils.

  Donald rose to his feet as something on the monitors caught his attention. “Craigio, you two need to hurry the hell up! I just detected an increase in the seismic activity,” said Donald.

  Immediately after relaying the message, a small tremor shook the cave for a few seconds.

  “Abdi...papa…? Are you two okay down there?” I asked, concerned about their cables.

  “We are fine. Just trying to hurry,” said my father as he loaded a bag full of the fossils.

  I was glued to the monitor. I could see Abdi and my father working diligently, trying to be as careful as they could with each fossil.

  Another tremor shook the cave. My father placed the final fossils into his pack before racing back towards the entrance of the cave with Abdi.

  As my father and Abdi rose to the top of the cliff with their cables, another small tremor could be felt.

  The tone in my father's voice dripped of panic. The two of them hugged the side of the cliff trying to control the swaying of the cables. With the pack on his back, my father had to be at least an arm’s length away from Abdi.

  The cables seemed to be stuck. Abdi began to climb his cable to reach the top of the cliff. Once he reached the top, he began to assist my father, pulling up his cable. My father inched closer and closer to the top of the cave. Close enough for Abdi to grab his wrist.

  Abdi had to be exhausted. He adjusted his grip on my father’s wrist.

  The tremors slowly started to feel a lot more powerful.

  “Craigio! Let go of the backpack! We will never make it!” yelled Abdi.

  The display monitor showed Abdi struggling to pull up my father. My father didn’t want to get rid of the backpack. He reasoned with Abdi about the importance of these fossils. As the two of them worked diligently together to get my father to the top of the cliff, shaking could be felt in the caves. Debris and dirt began to fall on the display monitors.

  My father was finally talked into dropping the backpack.

  Abdi quickly pulled up my father. It sounded like my father was sniffling, perhaps crying, which I had never seen in my life. Empty handed, the two of them raced towards the entrance of the cave.

  Donald didn’t bother putting back the display monitors. He left them exposed, terrified by the shaking of the cave.

  As we raced back towards the chopper, thousands of birds could be seen flying, disturbed by the quakes. Their calls filled the air.

  The team quickly entered the Pachanga tower and raced up the spiral staircase to get to the chopper. Donald did a quick safety check and before we knew it, we were airborne.

  Once we were in the air, Donald made three attempts to radio back to headquarters and inform them of our departure. He received no response or confirmation.

  The cab was silent and filled with defeat. This entire trip felt pointless.

  “Those fossils will never be found again,” I thought to myself. But I was relieved that my family was safe.

  My father stared out into the jungle. He looked defeated. His left hand reached behind his seat and held hands with my mother.

  “I am deeply sorry, team. I never deliberately wanted to put anyone in danger. I should have had all of you wait at the tower,” said my father in a soft voice.

  “Don’t worry, Craigio. We are all safe. Let’s be thankful,” said my mother as she continued to hold my father’s hand.

  I began to wonder how often these tremors would occur. The thought alone was scary enough to turn my stomach.

  As the sun started to set, we inched closer to home, passing a few volcanoes that appeared to be activating.

  Once we landed, an eerie silence filled the cab as we arrived on campus. Lights that normally lit up different departments on campus had been turned off, leaving a haunted feeling in the air.

  There wasn’t a Latin Research Resurgence vehicle or aircraft in sight.

  Suddenly Abdi pointed towards something off into the distance. Hidden in the darkness was a C.O.C.A. aircraft, yet not a single C.O.C.A. official was in sight.

  “You don’t think everyone from the L.R.R. went to C.O.C.A. 's safety zone, do you?” asked Abdi.

  My father looked puzzled as he assessed the campus.

  “Everyone just be careful and stay on your guard. Let me know immediately if you find anything unusual. I am sure Olga has an explanation for this.”

  We immediately raced towards our homes, staying vigilant as we did.

  Àna’s whimpers could be heard as my father opened the door to our home. My parents immediately tried to contact Dr. Gruver. They received no answer.

  I tried to turn on the television but there wasn’t a signal. I then went to try and use our computer but again, there was no signal.

  I began to wonder if the recent tremors played a significant role with our communication devices. The doorbell rang and Àna began to bark. My father looked at my mother with a startled look on his face, as he signaled for her to remain quiet.

  My mother went to grab something in the kitchen as I raced to my bedroom and jumped onto my bed. I held down the intercom button to get an idea of who was at the door.

  My father answered the door and a familiar voice could be heard. It was President Olga Petrovich.

  My heart immediately sank into my stomach.

  Chapter 21

  Olga

  My heart began to race. The research suit I was still wearing immediately made adjustments to help monitor my breathing.

  I muted the intercom system in my bedroom, focusing on what was being said by Olga. Footsteps from her bodyguards immediately reminded me she was never alone.

  “Good evening, Craigio. How was the trip? Were you able to retrieve the fossils?” asked Olga, in an almost conniving manner.

  My mother began to explain how the small tremors were felt, recorded, and how the cable system they used was faulty. She then began to explain how the cave felt vulnerable to collapse.

  Olga scoffed and rudely interrupted my mother.

  “Thanks for your input, Lina. However, it was Craigio I was asking,” said Olga.

  My father quickly came to the defense of his wife. “Please watch your tone with her, Olga. She was only stating facts,” said my father.

  Something about Olga’s aura tonight was venomous. The way she kept making snarky remarks was borderline disrespectful. Every word angered me.

  “Craigio, I am evacuating the Latin Research Resurgence, effective immediately. It is my responsibility to keep everyone safe. These jungles are the future of the world, as are the brave people that help maintain it. You’re well aware that the L.R.R. lies above a handful of tectonic plates that are capable of damaging much of the campus. I am sure you’re aware of the three volcanoes that have been erupting just south of here; you would have flown right over them. These jungles are worthy of the greatest upkeep when considering the future of human civilization. Every bit of data is vital in order for C.O.C.A. to create the ideal wor
ld, which is why I have required every staff member of the Latin Research Resurgence to surgically implant our hand-chip device. This will be a mandatory requirement and will remain unchallenged for those who wish to come back to the L.R.R. Do you understand, Craigio?” said Olga.

  Silence filled the room. My mother remained quiet as well. I knew my father was contemplating the idea of having to submit to C.O.C.A. 's demands.

  “What happens if we refuse the hand chip? Are we forced to leave?” asked my father.

  “Craigio, humans are never forced to do anything. That’s the beauty of the human race. However, with the way the earth has been acting lately, everything and everyone must be held accountable regardless of their genetic makeup. I was well aware that I would receive some pushback with you and your team. I knew that you wouldn’t take this news lightly and that you wouldn’t act accordingly, which is why I purposely sent you and your team to go retrieve the fossils. The patterns that were being displayed by the seismic activity allowed us to come up with an algorithm that we believed would take care of some of the non-compliance,” said Olga.

  I processed Olga’s last statement numerous times in my head. What did she mean by non-compliance?

  “So, you mean to tell me retrieving the fossil remains was solely intended to be a suicide mission?” said my father. The anger in his voice began to elevate.

  Àna began growling; I could hear the movement of footsteps.

  Olga spoke again. “That’s precisely what I am saying, Craigio. Precisely. I couldn’t have you on campus trying to influence a rebellion.”

  Subtle movements allowed me to feel the discomfort that was taking place in the living room.

  “You’ll never get away with this!” yelled my mother.

  Sensing the discomfort in my mother’s voice made me want to rush to her aid. My eyes began to fill with tears; I felt helpless.

  On a campus that didn’t allow guns, we were at a disadvantage with all of C.O.C.A. 's officials. My Jiu jitsu would be no match. I remained in my bedroom and opened my window to catch some fresh air.

  Àna began to bark more aggressively, when suddenly I heard a gunshot, followed by a high-pitched yelp.

  There was no more barking.

  They had shot Àna. I could hear my mother crying.

  “I will ask you one last time, Craigio. Will you and your family have the hand chip inserted or not?” said Olga.

  My father could be heard sniffling, grieving the death of Àna, contemplating the decisions he needed to make. Finally, I heard my father speak. “Piss off, Olga! You’ll never get away with all of this!”

  The entourage of officials that were with Olga could all be heard chuckling. The chuckles were short-lived when Olga interrupted them.

  “Craigio, I make the rules. Science never lies. You’re one of the most brilliant minds I have ever encountered and since we have your DNA on file. I can always find a way to clone you and recreate a better version of yourself. Have a great night. Kill them both,” said Olga.

  In a last-ditch effort for survival I could hear my parents trying to reason.

  Then...

  “Layka, run!” screamed my father.

  As I began to slip through my window to escape this nightmare, a series of gunshots and cries could be heard, fueling me with rage.

  Chapter 22

  Where’s Abdi

  I rushed out of the window with the heaviest of hearts. My first instinct was to immediately run to Abdi’s house.

  This was the fastest I had run in years. I barged into the already partially open gym door.

  I didn’t turn on any of the lights, not wanting to draw any attention to myself. I circled the mats, rushing to the side door of Abdi’s home.

  As I opened the door, I suddenly couldn’t breathe. A gloved hand was covering both my nose and mouth. I was gently taken to the ground. It was Abdi. He told me to remain as quiet as possible. Tears immediately flowed from my eyes as I collapsed in Abdi’s arms.

  “They killed my parents, Abdi, all because they wouldn’t have the chip surgically implanted in them. Àna too!” I cried.

  Abdi immediately lifted me to my feet, continuing to hug me.

  “I am sorry, Layka. Your parents were great people. I’m not sure what Olga plans to do next. She is not a good person and we must act fast. C.O.C.A. will be here soon. Have you heard from Donald?” asked Abdi.

  I shook my head and mentally prepared to follow any of Abdi’s orders. We excited his gym door and ran quietly towards Donald’s house.

  Donald’s home looked empty. Not a device in his home appeared to be powered on. Abdi and I tiptoed as we approached the side door. The door was locked, and Donald was nowhere to be found.

  We hid in the darkness, waiting for the slightest sign of Donald when I remembered the hidden compartment of my father’s lab. I mentioned it to Abdi and how there were weapons down there we could use to protect ourselves.

  My father's lab was about a mile away. Abdi decided we would arm ourselves with weapons and then come back to search for Donald.

  We scanned the area for a few short seconds before sprinting the mile to the door of my father’s lab. As we ran toward the lab, Abdi pointed out that C.O.C.A.'s CMS Chopper had been started. The buzzing of the aircraft could be heard in the distance, igniting a sense of panic in us both.

  The CMS chopper was headed our way. I sprinted as quickly as I could, closing in on the front door of the lab.

  Upon arrival, the lab looked vacant. I walked up to the door ready to enter the password. I began to enter the first few digits when a device from inside the lab lit up. Somebody was already here.

  The front door opened and out walked one male C.O.C.A. official, who quickly placed an additional lock on to the door handle.

  I quickly ran behind Abdi for protection.

  “This doesn't have to get ugly,” said the officer as he waited for Abdi’s cooperation.

  Abdi was zoned in on the officer, like a shark that could smell blood.

  “The only thing that is ugly is your character,” said Abdi, sizing up the officer.

  The officer had quite the height and weight advantage on Abdi, but I knew Abdi’s black belt and past training in Brazilian Jiu jitsu wouldn't stop him from putting in his two cents.

  “Do you think you are tough, huh, little guy? Don’t move a damn muscle,” yelled the official.

  As the two of them exchanged words, I noticed that C.O.C.A.’s combat chopper was quickly approaching, the rumbling was slightly intimidating. I expected a half dozen armed officials to hop out and kill both Abdi and I.

  Instead, out hopped the shadow of a plump man. I couldn't quite see his face in the dark but the way the figure waddled; I knew it was Donald. He was immediately followed by one of C.O.C.A.’s female officials.

  I was at a loss for words. What was happening? Did Donald submit to Olga’s demands?

  “Abdi, Layka. Please just listen to what they have to say. They don’t want any trouble,” pleaded Donald.

  I stood stiff watching Abdi, waiting to hear how he would respond to Donald.

  “Donald, they intentionally killed Cragio and Lina. There is no good in any of their hearts,” said Abdi.

  Abdi’s soft voice sounded defeated.

  “They promised we could come back, Abdi. They really left me no choice. I don’t have any family or anywhere else to go. I need this place and Olga told me that I will always have a job as a chopper pilot here because I know the land so well. Olga can find you a position here as well, Abdi. There is nowhere else to go. They are going to burn all seven towers,” said Donald.

  Abdi shook his head, as the moonlight glistened off the tears on his face. I was convinced that Abdi was ready to die.

  “I am not going anywhere,” said Abdi.

  The official that stood behind us inched closer towards Abdi and aggressively pushed him in the back with his gun.

  “Just get in the chopper, you idiot,” said the officer.
/>   Abdi and the official exchanged a few words. Abdi immediately turned around and took the officer to the ground. I stood by feeling helpless, not knowing how or if I should help.

  While the two of them grappled, the officer that arrived with Donald quickly grabbed her gun and made her way towards the scuffle.

  Abdi mounted the officer and began punching him in the face.

  “Run, Layka!” yelled Abdi.

  The female official immediately stopped and began to program a small tracking drone.

  I sprinted toward the jungle, with nothing but the research suit I was wearing. I immediately began to cry. I wanted to run to the hidden door of my father’s lab but figured with the drone on my tail, I wouldn't want to lead C.O.C.A. to the only place I’d feel safe.

  I decided I would run to the Reina tower that was only a few miles away. I figured I would at least have enough time to grab some supplies while C.O.C.A. dealt with Abdi.

  I took cover, keeping my eyes peeled for any C.O.C.A. officials. I could still hear the tracking drone calculating my steps.

  I continued to sprint into the dark, humid jungle with only a small sense of direction, avoiding the rivers and streams. Olga would have boats and additional drones out as soon as she found out that I was missing.

  I wanted to get to the tower to try and contact Marina and gather as many supplies as I could. The tower was still at least one and a half miles into the jungle. I sprinted as fast as I could, running along a hiking trail that led to the tower, losing the drone. I knew this trail like the back of my hand. There was an abundance of coverage and hiding spots that I had grown familiar with over the years.

  My legs and abdomen ached. Step by step, I could feel my legs pulsing. I was still wearing a research suit, but they were never designed to assist with cramping.

  Through pieces of the jungle, I caught glimpses of the Reina tower. The red beam of light that shot out from the roof seemed like a finish line to me. Movement of nocturnal animals kept my senses sharp. The way my day was going, I was confident I would run into the mouth of an anaconda or jaguar.