Beyond the Crystal City

by Logan Brookfield

  ‘I see you’ve been trying to pull your drip out again. You won’t have a healthy baby unless you relax and let us do our job.’

  ‘What job?’ Amy said. ‘Keeping me prisoner and stopping me from seeing anyone from the outside, you mean? You seem to get some sick pleasure out of it as well, which makes it worse.’

  ‘Look, hon, I’ll warn you once more, watch that smart mouth of yours. I’m doing this because I’ve been told to. I’ve no desire to keep wasting my precious time on spoilt children. If you keep your nose clean then the powers that be will take you with us. Do you want your baby to grow up in a brave new world or the garbage dump you were born in? Now, come on and do as you’re told. I’ve got to get you ready for your trip.’

  Amy’s heart sank. She’d never felt so alone and isolated. The daily tests and questions were now getting her down and she was plunging into a deep depression. Her right wrist was still free. The nurse had forgotten to buckle it back up after the blood test. She reached under the covers and slowly undid the left wrist buckle.

  ‘Take these, here, you need to swallow them. Have some water too,’ the nurse said holding out a small plastic cup of pills and some water.

  Amy ignored her and faced the other way.

  ‘The problem with you, young lady, is that you were born ungrateful. Edmond has great plans for us all. He’s not only our leader but our saviour too and he’ll deliver us to Eden and we’ll live in harmony and peace once again,’ the nurse said wide-eyed her eyebrows raised. ‘If you make me go to the trouble of grinding these up again, I’m going to make sure you’re held still by a Black Hat while I force it down you. So either way you’re going to take them, so which will it be, the easy way or the hard way?’

  ‘I’ve always had it the harder way,’ Amy mumbled.

  ‘What did you say?’ the nurse said leaning closer.

  ‘You’re an evil bitch,’ Amy said yanking back the bedclothes and grabbing the nurse’s hair.

  ‘What are you doing? Let me go… guards!’ the nurse shouted.

  Amy slammed her fist into the nurse’s face while pushing her with her other hand. She reeled backwards and hit a trolley, turning it over and spilling its contents all over the floor. The nurse slammed her head on the floor as she fell, rendering her unconscious.

  Amy quickly undid the straps binding her ankles as the nurse began to come round. Once free she leapt out of the bed and looked around. The room went black and she fell back onto the bed. Her head was spinning as it was the first time she had stood up in days plus the constant intake of drugs was affecting her. Shaking her head to try to clear her senses, she got back up, grabbed the blood pressure monitor and ran over to the nurse, leaping on top of her. They both now struggled on the floor sending surgical instruments and medicine spinning off in all directions. As the nurse tried to stand up, still dazed from the punch and fall, Amy managed to get on her back and wrap the tube from the monitor around her neck. The rubber hose stretched so she pulled it tighter, as hard as she could, trying to tie it in a knot. The nurse gasped for air and pulled and scratched at Amy’s hands.

  ‘I’m not going to any Eden, bitch,’ Amy said as she gripped the nurse’s waist with her legs and pulled the hose tighter. The medic’s body stopped struggling and she went limp, falling to the floor.

  Amy dragged her to the opposite side of the bed and used bandages and medical tape to bind her to the leg of a heavy metal cabinet. She felt the nurse’s pulse. She was still alive but her breathing was very shallow. She looked in a nearby cupboard and found some medical wadding and stuffed that into her mouth and wrapped more medical tape around her head to hold the wadding in. She didn’t want to kill her, just keep her quiet long enough to escape.

  She removed the nurse’s uniform and pulled off her own hospital gown. The uniform was a little on the big side but would hopefully buy her some time.

  The red and orange lights flashed in the ceiling and the sirens wailed as Amy looked out of the door and down the hall; it was all clear. She worked her way slowly down the corridor. The nurse’s uniform and security badge might fool the drone sentries but once her absence was noticed, every guard left in the city would be searching for her.

  She peered round a corner and two Black Hats stood chit-chatting. There didn’t seem any way out if she went back so she had to get past them somehow. She straightened her uniform, cleared her throat and walked round the corner.

  One guard looked up. ‘Excuse me, miss.’

  Amy sped up and her walk turned into a jog.

  ‘Hey you, stop,’ the guard shouted.

  Amy could hear the thud of army issue boots behind her as the heavy leather-gloved hand grabbed her shoulder. She stopped dead in her tracks, and her heart thudded in her chest as she turned round and looked at the floor. She could feel the sweat beading on her top lip and temples.

  ‘I’m sorry, miss, but you dropped this,’ the guard said handing her the security pass. ‘Oh, and one more thing, do you really want to travel through space wearing your fluffy slippers?’

  Amy looked down and sighed in relief. ‘Thank you, it’s been such a rush to get ready. I’ll change them before boarding,’ she said.

  ‘No problem, miss. Security is heightened right now as you’ll appreciate and you need to get on the next shuttle, you don’t have long,’ he said looking at his watch. ‘The last non-military shuttle leaves in under one hour so please don’t miss it.’

  ‘Oh, OK I thought there was one after that. I’ll make sure I catch it. I’ll pack these away and ensure I’m ready on time,’ she said lifting one foot up and waggling it about.

  ‘I bet they’re more comfy than these damn boots.’ The guard smiled before turning around and walking back to his post.

  Amy sighed heavily and wiped the sweat from her lip. She hurried along the corridor and glanced back a few times to make sure she wasn’t being followed. She needed to try to find Carl and get out of the city and as far away as possible.

  She tried the door handle of the first room she came across but it was locked. The next door was heavier, made of metal but opened easily. Inside the floors and walls were tiled white and on one wall were diagrams of the human body, and on the next were several cold storage drawers. In the middle of the room was a metal trolley with what appeared to be a body on it, covered in a white sheet. This looked and felt like a mortuary and the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up.

  She slowly walked towards the trolley and gripped the corner of the sheet between her thumb and forefinger. Peeling it back she could see the top of the head of an adult male of similar age to herself. She looked closer and saw marking and bruising around the forehead and temples then she dropped the sheet, reeling back in horror. She backed into a trolley of surgical instruments, pushing it over as she fell onto the floor, scattering them everywhere. It was Pete and he was barely recognisable through the swelling and bruising.

  ‘Oh Pete,’ she said as she got back to her feet.

  The sound of heavy boots drew nearer. Amy opened the door just a crack and peered out. Six heavily armed guards jogged past. When the sound of their boots faded she stepped out into the corridor, looking left and right to check it was all clear.

  The city loudspeaker system now started its countdown announcements. ‘All civilian personnel should report to their designated shuttle bay. The last civilian shuttle will leave in forty minutes.’

  Amy heard more footsteps and ducked inside another room, peering out through a tiny window. Carl appeared from around the corner frantically checking each door. ‘Carl!’ she shouted running out of the room. ‘I can’t believe it’s you.’

  ‘Amy!’ Carl ran towards her and hugged her as tight as he could, then stepped away and put a hand on her tummy. ‘Are you OK? Have they looked after you? Where’s Pete?’

  ‘Oh Carl, it’s terrible, Pete’s dead. He’s on the mortuary trolley back there. They didn’t even bother to bury him.’

  Carl’s heart sank and
he looked at the floor. ‘I feared the worst. Poor Pete, it’s my fault, I should never have brought you both here.’

  Amy shook her head. ‘It’s not your fault, Carl, once we learnt about this place there was no way we wouldn’t come. Pete must have died shortly after we were captured. I hope he didn’t suffer, he didn’t deserve that.’

  Carl walked down the corridor and slowly pushed open the door to the mortuary. Amy followed behind. He walked over to the trolley and carefully lifted the sheet back. ‘Oh no, poor Pete,’ he said gently stroking Pete’s hair.

  Peter’s face and upper body were covered in cuts and bruises. His nose had been broken and many of his teeth were missing. His hands had also been heavily damaged. ‘My God, I think they tortured him,’ Carl said shaking his head.

  Amy covered her mouth with her hands. ‘We need to tell his mum that he’s gone.’

  ‘We don’t have time now,’ he said covering Pete’s body with the sheet. ‘I’ve got to get to the lower levels. The Cloud people want to destroy the city and everyone in it, that’s why they’re evacuating. If I can get access to the weapon I might be able to disable it.’

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Edmond sat in his quarters aboard the Lasell, staring at his computer. The room was a good size and comfortable. It contained a foldaway bed, study desk, seating area and a dining table for informal dinners and meetings. A large rectangular window looked out onto the black void of space. He scanned the various communication messages for any major issues and compared the plan for the day with how things were happening in real time. All the provisions were on board and most of the citizens. The plan that had taken many months of development was working as intended.

  The radio burst into life. ‘Edmond, are you there, please?’

  ‘Yes, I am, go ahead.’

  ‘This is Doctor Russell, Consultant Physician in the medical lab. We have a situation with our subjects.’

  ‘I’ll be right there,’ Edmond replied.

  The medical level was on a lower deck and was easily reached using one of several elevators placed around the craft.

  Edmond used his pass to open the outer door, then the inner door of the airlock leading into the lab. ‘Status report,’ he said.

  Doctor Russell was slim and in her early thirties with red hair tied back into a ponytail. She adjusted her glasses as she leaned over the first anthropoid container, where the lid was now open. ‘We’ve lost one, Edmond; it died about fifteen minutes ago.’

  Edmond removed his glasses and looked into the pod. The former crew member lay there with its head tilted to one side. The colour of the skin had turned grey and the various monitors attached to its body showed no sign of a heartbeat or brain activity.

  ‘How did this happen?’ Edmond asked.

  ‘It showed signs of illness as soon as we boarded the ship,’ the doctor said. ‘We tried to keep it stable and attempted to introduce fluids intravenously. It started crashing rapidly, but it was no good. We tried everything but we’re not sure what we’re dealing with here.’

  Edmond sighed. ‘Right, looks like you did everything you could. They shouldn’t be alive anyway considering the things they’ve experienced. It was fascinating watching them heal and develop, and I’ve noticed that they’ve changed more since I saw them last.’

  ‘There is something else,’ the doctor said pointing. ‘The other subjects are beginning to wake up.’

  ‘How is this possible?’ he said looking into the containers of the others.

  The doctor looked at the clipboard she was carrying. ‘We’ve noticed a rapid increase in brain activity since that one died, plus some subtle body movements. If you look at number three, it’s opening and closing its hand to make a fist. It does this several times each minute.’

  ‘Why would it do that?’

  Doctor Russell shook her head. ‘We don’t know. It could be a sign of aggression, some kind of self-defence mechanism kicking in, or maybe it’s trying to communicate.’

  Edmond folded his arms and stroked his chin. ‘Whatever’s happening we have to put the security of this ship first. Arrange disposal of the dead one. Don’t incinerate it; jettison it from the ship in a regulation coffin. Get the pastor to say a few words too, out of respect for the person it once was, and the sacrifice they made.’

  ‘Yes, Edmond I’ll get right on it.’

  ‘Don’t be in here alone either. I want two guards posted inside this room and two outside. Whenever you enter the lab, do so with another physician.’

  ‘Even if they do become conscious they won’t get out of those metal boxes. They’re armour plated with quarter-inch-thick glass,’ the doctor said.

  ‘I’m aware of how strong the boxes are, Doctor, but imagine waking up after this mission in a coffin with doctors looking in at you. I’m sure you’d be pretty upset if you couldn’t get out. The last thing we need is naked ape-like creatures with the strength of ten men running around the ship creating havoc.’

  ‘Agreed. I’m sure we can handle whatever they bring our way,’ the doctor said.

  Edmond nodded. ‘I’m sure we can but I don’t want to take any risks. If we have to lose them then so be it. I won’t jeopardise the ship and everyone on it for the sake of our curiosity,’ he said pointing to a large door at the far end of the lab. ‘That’s the door for the airlock leading to the loading bay, isn’t it?’

  The physician nodded. ‘It is, we can load and unload from that point without subjecting the rest of the ship to any potential toxins or bacteria.’

  ‘Right, good,’ Edmond said walking over and placing a hand on the airlock door. ‘If they do wake up and we can’t contain them then this is your last resort. Clear the lab and lock the other doors leading to the rest of the ship, then remotely open their container doors, if needed. At the same time open both of these airlock doors and vent them into space, understand?’

  The doctor walked over to the doors. ‘Will that work? Aren’t they designed to open one at a time?’

  ‘Quite right they are, but if the doors leading to the ship are sealed, they can be opened for maintenance reasons, I believe. I’ll have to double-check with Captain O’Connor but I’m sure it can be done. It may mean overriding the door security from the bridge.’

  Captain O’Connor entered the lab. ‘What’s going on? I heard your call to Edmond, Doctor.’

  ‘Good timing, Captain,’ Edmond said. ‘There appears to be some development with our anthropoids. We’ve lost one for reasons yet to be established, but the others may be waking up.’

  O’Connor walked over to the oblong boxes. ‘I don’t understand. Their development can’t be complete yet; they still don’t have fully formed eyes or any obvious ways to breathe.’

  ‘Whatever’s happening, it’s greatly accelerated their brain activity and caused them to become aware,’ the doctor said. ‘It seems to be linked to their arrival on the ship and your recent engine tests.’

  O’Connor frowned. ‘You think the gravity drive is waking them up?’

  The doctor checked the charts attached to her clipboard. ‘We can’t be sure but it’s possible. We still don’t fully understand what effects the gravity drive has on humans. It may have a subtle effect on us but a more dramatic one on them. Either way they’re showing signs that they’re aware of their surroundings.’

  The captain shook his head. ‘Edmond, I’m sorry but I think it’s a mistake having these on board. I know you’re keen to see how they develop and I have to agree it’s a fascinating thing to watch, however the risk is too great to the ship. I can’t allow them to stay on board if there is even a slight chance that our safety will be compromised.’

  Edmond held a hand up. ‘I totally agree, safety and security have to be our main priority. I was going to speak to you about a new security protocol, Captain. I’ve asked the doctor to take emergency measures if there is any sign that our friends here could escape. Is it possible to seal the main doors of the lab and open both airlocks, vent
ing them to the outside?’

  ‘It’s possible yes,’ O’Connor said walking around the lab. ‘It requires the authorisation from us both to counter a bunch of security protocols, and we could only do it from the bridge. But opening both airlocks while the ship is travelling close to the speed of light is not only reckless, it’s downright dangerous. This lab is on the starboard side of the ship, facing forward. Opening the doors will suck anything out that isn’t nailed down. Once the pressure of this room is removed then anything on the outside could be forced in and the walls of the lab don’t have the shielding of the outer hull. The internal structure could be compromised and I won’t allow it.’

  ‘And that’s why we have a knowledgeable captain,’ Edmond said rubbing his eyes. ‘But what do you suggest?’

  O’Connor folded his arms. ‘There’s really no choice but to get rid of them before we start our journey. The doctor should put them to sleep humanely and painlessly and we should give them a burial in space. We’ll also give them the proper ceremony, of course, in recognition of their great sacrifice.’

  Edmond looked at the floor. ‘No I can’t order that, any more than I could do it to you or any of our crew. It goes against everything we work for. They took a huge risk and I want to give them a fighting chance.’

  The captain nodded. ‘OK, Edmond, have it your way, but all I ask is that you double the guards and terminate them by any available means if they start to pose a risk.’

  ‘Agreed,’ Edmond said looking at the doctor.

  ‘I’ll make sure we post a security team outside at all times and we’ll terminate them humanely if possible,’ Doctor Russell said.

  ‘Thank you, Doctor, and thank you Captain, now if you’ll excuse me I have many things to attend to as I’m sure both of you do too,’ Edmond said.

  Chapter Thirty-Three