The Renewal

by Joseph Ferguson

  Chapter 19

  They watched as Treyson entered the building alone knowing that he had told them to stay put and that he would be right back. He said he had nothing to worry about here he just wanted the photograph of his wife that sat on his desk, in and out that’s what he said. Still they were on edge as they sat there watching him disappear through the doors, not knowing what he might face when the back door opened and Ye Min jumped out and ran after him. Shaun yelled for her to come back but it was too late as she also vanished behind the doors.

  Treyson entered the sunlit foyer with large overhead glass panels where Miss Jeannie the receptionist would normally greet you with a loud, but pleasant “good morning”. The place seemed hollow without people as no-one would have come to work that fateful day not even those Treyson considered company drones. He walked to the stairway after absentmindedly pushing the up button on the elevator and calling himself a “dummy.” After opening the stairwell door he heard “Treyson wait for me”, turning he saw Ye Min walking towards him, he waited till she got close then spoke, “I thought I said for you guys to stay in the van.”

  Ye Min looked up at him bashfully and spoke, “I’m sorry; I just couldn’t allow you to go alone, you are my new friend.”

  “That’s ok I guess, just stay close so I can protect you, just in case,” Treyson stated.

  Darkness enveloped the stairway, though Treyson had enough forethought to bring a flashlight, he didn’t have time to get it out before Ye Min had a bright light shine forth from a mirror like object in her palm.

  “It’s a reflector that my dad developed; he says it gives the right amount of light to dispel the darkness,”

  “How come I’ve never seen one on the market before?”

  “Dad says the flashlight technology hadn’t finished its course yet and it would have been out in a couple of years.”

  “What kind of batteries does it take?”

  “None, it’s kind of mini fuel cell that’s recharged by vitamin D from the sun.”

  “Ingenious, your dad must have been smart.”

  “He is, ere was. At his office they called him the father of technology.” Treyson laughs. She continued, “My father called me his daughter of technology.”

  “Why,” Treyson stopped and looked at her seemingly puzzled.

  “I don’t know for sure, maybe because I catch on easily to what my dad teaches me.”

  “You must have made him proud,” Treyson said as they continued walking.

  “Yea I think so; the only time he was ever mad at me that I can remember was when I said that new technology reminds me of magic.”

  “Magic,” Treyson asked?

  “Yea it’s becoming smaller and more instant.”

  “I see what you mean.”

  Treyson slowly opened the door to sales floor feeling a little anxious with a touch of sadness for it was once the busiest area in the building. It felt weird not hearing the constant tapping of keyboards being punched underscored by the voices of many making sales calls. Now there was just silence besides the echoing of their shoes slapping the tiled floor as they walked across the room to Treyson’s workstation. He thought his cubicle to be empty but instead found a mostly dissolved body sitting in his chair and slumped over his desk. From the green pinstriped dress shirt and brown beltless corduroys he knew it to be his friend Pete. Why was he here, he was no company drone, Treyson thought as he looked for the photo. It was hard to tell for sure but with both hands on his electronic tablet, it looked as if Pete was typing something. “I wish I could read his last note,” Treyson said as he took the tablet from him, but it was dead.

  “I can recharge it for you,” Ye Min said smiling.

  “Really… how,” Treyson asked?

  “Just lay it in the light it can act as a charger,” she said as she held her palm out.

  “It doesn’t need to be plugged in,” Treyson asked as he laid it on the light panel?

  “No,” she said, “it’s truly wireless technology.”

  They watched as the tablet started to charge causing the display panel to light up making the writing to become visible. Treyson started to pick it up, but Ye Min told him to wait a few more seconds and it will be enough charge to read it. After waiting the time she allotted he retrieved it from the lighted glass and read the note, “Treyson hope you are well, trying to send from work, no power at home. Sara was taken, sent me video that you must see. Watch as soon as you get it.” He clicked the icon tagged Sara on the screen starting the video; he watched as someone filmed a large white military style helicopter land in the street in front of their house. Four men in gray jumpsuits exit and walk towards their house as the camera turns and is panned across the room; he sees a crowd has gathered in his living room. He hears someone say, “We should be praying” and his wife say, “I better see what they want” as she hands the camera to another lady who continues to film. He watched as Sara opened the door and one of the men step in saying,” Sara McAlister you are to come with us.”

  “I can’t,” was her response, “I have too many people to take care of.”

  “Ma’am, you don’t have a choice,” Treyson saw the stern look on his face.

  “Why do you want from me,” she asked?

  “That’s confidential. All I can say is it has something to do with your husband,” he replied.

  “In that case let me get my medicine from the kitchen and I will be right with you,” she said while reaching for and taking the camera.

  “We don’t have long ma’am you better hurry,” he said.

  She took the camera into the kitchen and looked directly in it before speaking, “Treyson I am sending this to you, and to Pete informing him to forward it to you just in case you don’t receive it. I’m not sure what they want from me, because I think they are lying, anyways, I will always love you”.

  “Your wife sure is pretty, Treyson,” Ye Min said with a grin as she picked Sara’s photo up and looked at it.

  “That she is Ye Min, that she is,” he said with a sigh noticing she was looking at the photo.

  “Is she normally dark complected or does she tan,” she asked while handing him the picture?

  “I asked her that once which she replied that it was genetic and that her great grandmother was of the same complexion,” he answered after putting the framed picture of his wife and Pete’s electronic tablet in his pocket. He explained to her as they walked back to the stairway that someone in his wife’s linage was of a darker race and sometimes that inherited gene becomes evident as it did with Sara. He also told her as they neared the van that he was glad she decided to follow him and that he would tell the others it was ok that she did.

  The others said nothing when they saw Treyson and Ye Min talking and smiling when they came out of the building. Treyson allowed them to watch the video on Pete’s electronic tablet and see the photo that he had come here to retrieve, getting a she’s beautiful comment almost simultaneously from the twins. Shaun too had a question about her dark skin, but he sort of answered it himself with his own explanation of genetics.

  Driving up to the American Fuels Technologies, Treyson saw that the guard house was empty but the gate was closed. He was tempted to just drive the van through the gate like he has seen in the movies until he read the big sign on the guard shack “BEWARE! Fence is electrified” and he wasn’t taking any chances even though the America’s electrical grid has been down awhile. He realized he made the right choice when he saw there were lights on in the guard house. Ye Min spoke answering Treysons thoughts, “There is an underground power source. Dad once told me that this place will have electricity for a very long time even if there is nobody here to run it.”

  “Maybe they have showers,” Elisabeth said.

  “Wow, wouldn’t that be great,” Esther added.

  Shaun laughed heartily, “We should move in here.

  “Let’s first get through these gates before we start making plans,” Treyson said with a la
ugh as he opened his door.

  “You are not recognized. You do not belong here. Turn around and go back,” came the robotic male voice loudly from the large speakers mounted on top of the guard house.

  They paid no mind to it as they exited the van; Shaun commented that the company must have an AI guard system that takes over in the event of a catastrophe. The guard house doors were closed with two guards who were slumped over their desks and one guard lay at the door; all pretty much dissolved. Treyson tried the door finding it locked, bringing again the voice on the speaker, “you are not authorized entrance to this building. Please return to your vehicle and leave, the police have been advised and are on their way.”

  Shaun snickered and said with an Irish accent, “The coppers, they would be lucky to have two left in the city,” causing everyone to chuckle.

  Ye Min spoke up, “There’s an ID terminal and I have my dad’s company ID maybe that will work.” She slipped it out of her back pocket and slid it through the ID slot, after hearing a click she opened the door. The voice on the speaker said, “Welcome Mr. Geon, it’s good to see you today.”

  Both Esther and Elisabeth spoke at the same time, “good job Ye Min,” as they followed her in.

  Shaun looked weirdly at the speakers, “not very smart for artificial Intelligence.”

  “Just a machine, Shaun it’s just a machine. What do you expect,” Treyson said?

  “I think I found the controls for the gates,” Elisabeth said as she pushed and held a red button then tapped a green one labeled front gate. Esther slapped Elisabeth on the back, “way to go sis” as they watched the gate open. Walking in after the girls came out Shaun bent down stating, “we might need these,” as he took the keys from the belt of the guard lying on the floor jiggling his loosely fit clothes releasing a plume of ashes into the air. Shaun sneezed causing more dust to blow into the air from the body, “eww” he said as he headed for the open door.

  Shaun got a laugh from the girls as he climbed into the van for his freckled face and red hair was dusted white from the ash cloud he had caused disturbing the guards body. Treyson smiled and handed him a couple paper napkins he had found in a console compartment without saying anything knowing the others had already kidded him. Shaun mumbled something about can’t wait till all those who have died from the plague are completely gone then things might not seem so bad.

  With the gate now open Treyson drove through and up to the large two story windowless building. There wasn’t any elaborate landscaping or decor as if they were not concerned with public opinion. One small steel door was set into the front giving it a plain and abandoned look with a large sign just above it. Pulling up front they read the sign above the door “Research Facility” in large letters and “BEWARE! Intruders will be shot on sight” in smaller red print. An ID terminal was mounted by the door prompting Treyson to ask Ye Min for her father’s Identification card. She handed it to him after they exited the van into the warm afternoon sunlight; he then slid it through the slot after buckling his sword on. The same male voice came across the now noticed imbedded speaker, “Welcome Mr. Geon,” as the door swished open.