Escaping

by Sebastien Acacia

  Matilda stared at him while letting go a kind of “Uhh!” or maybe an interrogating “Ha?” quite confusing or even more confused.

  “Sorry, I’m missing my most basic duties. Let me introduce myself, my name is Phoebus!”

  “The founding father of the Kathar order,” Trancavel added.

  According to his age, there is no doubt about this!

  “Matilda, my name is Matilda. And this is Tao,” she added without being intimidated.

  "Oh, such a nice little animal. A pure Border Collie. I haven’t seen one since I was a child. Where did you get him?” Phoebus immediately asked her.

  “My partner gave him to me for my twentieth birthday,” she answered while stroking the small ball of fur who had sought refuge in her hand.

  “Your partner is benevolent. What’s his name?”

  Matilda felt her eyes filling with tears she wasn’t able to retain.

  “You don’t have to answer right now, kid!” Trancavel whispered in her ear.

  “It’s all right. It will be all right. His name was Paul! They killed him in front of us.”

  “They?” Phoebus asked surprised.

  “The Legatee. The Milicia Christi. We fought them during the extraction father,” Trancavel answered instead of Matilda who was unable to say anything.

  “What about Esclarmonde?” The old man insisted.

  Matilda burst into tears. She pressed Tao against her chest to comfort herself, remembering Paul and the good times with her mother.

  “God punished him! Her too. If she had denounced this Guilhabert, she would still be alive, I would be home, cooking some caramelised crickets...”

  “Guilhabert?” Phoebus abruptly interrupted, her while laying his hand on her forearm. “You’ve said Guilhabert?”

  “I don’t know anything!” I don’t remember!” Matilda yelled, infuriated by the event roughness.

  “This is of the highest importance kid!” He insisted.

  “I’m tired of being called kid, I’m tired of answering your questions. I just want to get my former life back. I just want to get my life back, do you hear me?” Matilda was mourning. “I was going to be chosen to have twins, to join Inosanto’s sacred order, provide a better life for my family. I was praying God every day so he would choose me. Me, do you understand? Me! And look at what you’ve done, all of you with your silly names, your misplaces manners, your blasphemous mantras, your science, your weapons, your violence.”

  Trancavel signalled his father to let it go. Phoebus didn’t insist more and hold back discreetly.

  “I haven’t asked for anything!” She added. “Absolutely nothing!”

  Blanche took over. Between women we should be able to get along, she motivated herself.

  “OK, OK, calm down, I guess you would like to take a bath, eat something and rest?”

  “Is it good? Can we go?” Trancavel yelled toward a few men standing near some old atomic off-road vehicles from the French military.

  One of them signalled everything was ready.

  “So, let’s go, let’s not waste any more time.”

  Blanche invited Matilda to follow them by gently pushing her in the back.

  “Where are we going this time?” She asked almost aggressively.

  “Home Matilda,” Phoebus answered quietly.

  “We aren’t going to get outside.” She declared seeing everybody climbing in the vehicles. “We will die outside!”

  “Don’t worry,” Blanche appeased her. “The passenger compartment of these vehicles is fully airtight and air-conditioned. There is no risk at all. This isn’t as terrible as you’re used to hear on the Church propaganda channel.”

  “Also, you’ve noticed we’re living a long life in this area,” Phoebus joked.

  “Yes, I guess it must be hard to conceive when God doesn’t really care about you!” Matilda replied bitterly.

  In your face!

  Phoebus didn’t even bother to answer. Only a small smirk was testifying of his nonchalance and of his amusement toward the youth fieriness.

  Aymeric and Gaucelin climbed into the first car with Jourdain. Trancavel invited Matilda to board the second vehicle with Blanche and Phoebus. He opened the driver’s door. Curious, Ermy got closer. He knew he wouldn’t be part of the convoy but he was secretly thinking nothing ventured, nothing gained.

  “You, where are you going? We got under the fire of a dozen drones, so make sure there are no major damages,” Trancavel interrupted him right before taking his seat in the vehicle.

  Embarrassed, Ermy glanced one last time with interest and kindness at Matilda, who gladly glanced back at him despite the adversity and the terrible loss that just affected her. What was telling her not to worry, this unusual hair the colour of the fire, these freckles harmoniously covering his face or the eyes green like emeralds. She had no idea. Whatever, Matilda was finding a bit of comfort when looking at the young man, probably just a bit older than her. The doors overly banged. Phoebus was sitting in the front, next to his son Trancavel. He took a micro fixed just under the rear-view mirror, placed it near his mouth and pressed a couple of times on the side.

  “We’re following you,” he communicated simply.

  “Well noted,” was Jourdain’s direct and short answer.

  The two atomic 4x4 turned back to move toward the closest tunnel in a confusing silent. When they passed over, all the men and women working around in the military complex, without a single exception, turned back and applied their hand on their chest while slightly bowing down their head. Matilda understood it was a sign of respect toward the old man.

  “They may not see him a lot to devote to such a ritual,” she thought.

  Therefore, she realised how important she was for Phoebus, and, moreover, the asset she had in her possession in the form of the container. Thinking of this, she gripped her backpack against her chest even more, and immediately started to stroke Tao to hide her gesture, which could have been misinterpreted and encourage suspicion.

  The Sanctuary

  They briefly stopped in a sluice without any light. The car headlights automatically lighted on. Matilda glanced behind. A huge metallic armour door was closing. Trancavel, looking in the rear-view mirror, let out a small explanation.

  “This is the procedure to avoid any contamination. Behind this door,” he said while pointing at vehicle front, “this is the mountain, the open air.”

  “What about the drones? How do you escape from them?” She worried.

  “Don’t worry, none of the flying Jesus is coming here. That’s why this place is the best existing hideout to escape from the Church scrutiny.”

  “The Church had only dispatched its death devices near the former nuclear plants to protect and manage the collectors’ organisation,” Blanche added.

  “Collectors?”

  “Four legs robots working on dismantling the former plants...”

  “There are thousands of them recovering the melting atomic combustible to transform it into piles,” Trancavel interrupted.

  “More skilled than dogs,” Blanche added.

  “No need to say it’s impossible to go in this area without a good jumpsuit and appropriate weapon,” Trancavel continued.

  “Look,” said Blanche while raising her shirt sleeve up to the elbow. “This was done by one of this damn mechanical dog.”

  Her forearm was literally severed from a dozen inches of muscles in the most fleshy part.

  “A few more inches and this crap would have cut me the whole arm,” she alleged proudly.

  “I don’t understand, are they coming here?”

  “No, we’re going to them! Where do you think we get the atomic piles we need to power our equipment.”

  Matilda made the relation with the special announcement the state television had been broadcasting for a few days about an attack against an atomic pile factory, but tired of their continuous manhood demonstration, she deemed better not to confront them about this topic. She had
enough for today.

  The door leading outside was now fully opened. Outside, it was already getting dark and the shadow of Montségur peak was almost covering the old medieval village completely whose walls and roofs were torn apart by the wild nature which took over a long time ago. Trancavel activated something looking quite like a radar on the 4X4 control panel. A few seconds later, after making sure it was working perfectly and that it detected no signal, he ordered Jourdain to start his way out.

  “I thought there was no risk,” Matilda said ironically.

  “Better safe than sorry! A single minute of inattention is enough to endanger our 3000 Kathar brothers and sisters.”

  “Three thousand?” Matilda asked surprised. I’ve barely seen two dozen inside.

  Phoebus bothered to turn back as much as his advanced age allowed him and answered her.

  “Montségur constitutes a military base. Our community is living a bit further East in some old caves dating back several millions of years.”

  “Millions of years? How can you believe such silly things?” Matilda angrily said.

  “So, you, people from the agricultural communities, are really as ignorant as the rumour says?” Trancavel answered curtly.

  Laying a soothing hand on his thigh, his father made him understood not to start this debate in such a frontal manner.

  “So, Esclarmonde hasn’t told you anything? She didn’t protect you from the obscurantist fairy tales of the Church.” The old man added quietly.

  I begrudge myself. I couldn’t dare teaching you the real history, science, philosophy. It was too dangerous. These last few words her mother shared with her a few hours before to die just invaded the young follower’s mind, like a bowling ball racing directly toward its target. It wasn’t really a strike, but Matilda was forced to note the link between what Phoebus just told her and Helena’s regrets.

  “According to you, when was Earth created?” Phoebus finally asked her.

  “Easy!” Matilda replied proudly, “exactly 6184 years ago.”

  Trancavel sighed outraged while slaloming between the huge holes doting the old road toward the Sanctuary.

  “And what if I tell you Earth has been existing for 4.6 billion of years?”

  “I would say you’re all insane!” Matilda replied straight forward.

  “So, according to you, Adam and Eve really existed?” Blanche, unbelieving, asked her .

  “Like the Godless Decade, like the birth miracle, yes! Like the immortal Inosanto who agreed to suffer for eternity to save us all! Are you willing to deny these facts?”

  “Deny these facts? I’m far from denying them!” Phoebus added. “But the Church explanations don’t suit us. We’re thinking science, and science only, can answer all these interrogations. In fact, that’s the Kathar purpose.”

  “Science has destroyed the world by manipulating the living, promoting assisting procreation rather than natural one, equipping soldiers all over the world, spreading nuclear plants everywhere, destroying nature. Science has led to war and to the humankind genetic degeneration. God gave us a second chance,” Matilda replied.

  “You aren’t wrong. I’ve to admit it. But science has nothing to do with this. Cupidity, corruption, greed have led humankind to its own destruction. Think about the discovery of the atom and of radioactivity, it allowed the creation of medical imaging devices to save lives, and also the creation of atomic bombs. Should we put the blame on science for what humankind did with this discovery? No, of course, no. Science is showing the genuine things, human being is giving it its meaning. Human being is corrupting.”

  “So, why should I believe you’re less corrupted than the others?”

  “You’re right,” Phoebus admitted, “but in this case, why believing Inosanto couldn’t be?”

  “Because he was granted with God’s immortality, because he is preaching knowledge, because he is ordering good and forbidding evil!”

  “No need to insist father, she has an answer ready for everything, you see!” Trancavel interrupted them.

  “After seeing the Sanctuary,” Blanche gently interfered, “you will change your mind.”

  “All I’m seeing for the moment is a group of old people who can’t procreate, struggling like worms on a hook to escape from their doomed fate.”

  Trancavel broke so hard the wheels locked and the three tons armour vehicle slid on a few yards despite the deep roughness of the asphalt. Or, on at least what was remaining of it.

  “What did you just say? Dare repeating it.”

  Matilda wasn’t proud any more and sought refuge against the door while Tao was barking and groaning to show himself, but too ridiculous to even be considered. Phoebus played the card of appeasement. Blanche, who seemed to know her boss like the back of her hand, didn’t dare intervening. Trancavel added.

  “You didn’t notice your damn Church killed your family in front of you and tried to shoot you in the head right afterwards. And who saved your ass? Come on! What’s wrong... You’re mute? We damn did! The old people as you say! So if you aren’t happy you can get off. You can face the real world to go meet your stupid Inosanto and give him beautiful twins. I’m not holding you!”

  A deadly silent dropped down in the car. Despite his authority, Phoebus didn’t add anything, neither comment nor argument in favour or against it. Blanche was passively looking through the windscreen, looking at the leading car stopping a hundred yards in front. Trancavel was looking down on Matilda in the rear-view mirror, his face close, his jaw clenched and breathing deeply. The young woman’s mind was filling with a myriad of thoughts more confusing and opposing the ones another, her convictions were shaken, her doubts were aggravated as they had never been.

  “Is there a problem chief?” Jourdain asked in the radio.

  Trancavel didn’t answer. Impassive, he was still staring at Matilda, apparently waiting for her reaction. On her side, she was looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, without turning her head, without daring withstanding him. Time was passing.

  “Chief?” Jourdain insisted, worried.

  Matilda surrendered. She had just found somebody more stubborn than her, and despite her inexperience, she knew she had to defuse the situation. After all, she was the one who started the hostility.

  “OK! It’s OK, I shouldn’t have. So... happy? So can we go now?”

  Her tone wasn’t really compliant but at least her intentions were real. Without further scene, Trancavel put the micro next to his mouth.

  “False alarm, you can go on, we follow you.”

  He laid the micro, put on the first gear and added one last warning before anybody had time to speak.

  “Not a single word about this before we arrive. Understood?”

  Phoebus smiled, amused by the youth fieriness, or maybe just seeing his own personality in his son’s. Blanche, as a sign of approval, blinked in amusement at Trancavel through the rear-view mirror. She was also thanking him for putting the shameless young girl in line. Even if her desire was strong, she wouldn’t have used the same way. On her side, Matilda just kept silence in sign of suffering and despair, adding a bit more to the tense atmosphere in the narrow passenger compartment of the vehicle.

  The journey almost took one hour. Intrigued, Matilda was looking at a huge metallic canalisation, several miles long coming down from the mountain on a steep slope, along the riverbed nearby some impressive limestone cliffs. Phoebus laid his hand on Trancavel’s forearm who was looking at him from the corner of his eyes. After an accomplice wink, the old patriarch started to speak with Matilda.

  “You see this beautiful valley Matilda, it was formed during an era called the Jurassic, approximately 150 million years ago. Our community sought refuge in huge chambers dug on each side of the valley, inside those limestone cliffs themselves. Like in Montségur, we’re protected from the radiation by the mountain acting as a natural shield. So there is no risk at all, feel reassured.”

  “What are those huge pipes?” Mat
ilda interrupted him.

  Phoebus looked at his son amused, happy he was able to initiate a peaceful connexion with the young woman.

  “Those are the water pipes from the former hydraulic plant in Tarascon. Nowadays, they’re empty, but they were so large we can wander inside without any problem.”

  “The plant has been out of order for a long time,” Blanche added, happy to be able to start the discussion again.

  Some old shattered buildings were punctuating the journey. The road was so abandoned the convoy wasn’t going much faster than twelve miles per hour. In some places, the vehicles were swaying so much that they had to go very slowly to spare their mechanical parts. Also, there were some almost fully preserved road segments, on which Trancavel and Jourdain were letting their ardour go free. Nothing to compare with the rice field quads limited to 12 miles per hour. Matilda was enjoying it quite a bit. She shuddered from a peak at 60 mi/hr to the point she was really feeling the unused potential wildness in her. Indeed, going that fast, just a yard from the gorge overlooking at the river, was exhilarating. The idea it was possible to tumble because of a small road rockfalls or a wrong move, was giving all its meaning to life. Between true fear and imagined exhilaration, Matilda was strangely satisfied. She couldn’t avoid thinking about the ten tests of Tibesti she had brilliantly won for the first time when she was just 16 years old. Maybe during those great excess, she finally truly realised her life would never be the same. No more routine in the rice fields, the natality worship would be forgotten, no more caramelised crickets. Now, the main goal would be to survive in the heart of these unknown lands.

  “Here, we’re arriving,” Phoebus stated.

  The two vehicles were branching on the left, taking a road looking quite well maintained going up along the cliffs. At the beginning of the road, some concrete studs and large metallic bars were delimiting the road, but soon the path was looking more threatening. Rockfalls had attacked the edges, so they sometimes had to brush the rock walls to go forward. Trancavel was completely focused. A few minutes later, they arrived in front of a huge cavity, almost sixty feet high, advancing deeply in the cliff. He looked at the electronic terminal on the control board, indicating a completely normal radioactive level. With a finger in front of his mouth, Phoebus gestured him to keep silent. Trancavel parked two dozen yards from the cave access chamber.