Escaping

by Sebastien Acacia

  “Everybody gets off,” he said.

  “What? Without jumpsuit?” Matilda worried. “That’s not what was planned!”

  “Don’t worry, look, this is just a few yards. Come on, put this on.”

  Blanche gave her a small respiratory mask with connexion and thick filters on each side, and a plastic opening she had to put in her mouth like a snorkel.

  “This is to filter the outside air. Radioactivity is mainly harmful when we’re breathing it. It’s too low to have an impact on the skin. Don’t worry, we’re doing this every day,” Blanche informed her.

  Matilda was breathing faster just thinking about being in the open air in the heart of the contaminated regions. She grudgingly took the mask but not without complaining a bit before.

  “All this time, you knew it... You knew we will go outside and you haven’t told me anything.”

  “Consider yourself lucky kid,” Trancavel told her. “Normally we don’t come here by car. We take those zip lines from the cow cave on the other hillside of the valley,” he pointed with his finger. “There, we can hide the vehicles. Here we’re exposed.”

  “What about Tao? How does he do?”

  “Sorry, I’ve no solution for him,” Blanche mourned. “We will go inside as fast as possible so he won’t be exposed to much. Clog his nose as much as possible.”

  Annoyed, Matilda put on the respiratory mask, opened the door and got out of the car. She was holding tight her backpack and her small Tao, protecting his muzzle the best she could, then she started running toward the small iron door inlaid in the rock. Blanche and Phoebus got out with no mask and took time to walk and chat while the young country girl was staring at them, scared, and waiting for somebody to open the door. Concerning Trancavel, he was turning back toward the cow cave. While the Kathar patriarch and Blanche were getting closer, Matilda was looking at them, offended and angry. She removed her mask and freed Tao muzzle who was tired from struggling.

  “Everything all right Matilda?” Phoebus fooled.

  She didn’t even bother to reply. Blanche entered the access code on a small keypad and the door instantly unlocked. The old man entered first in a narrow damp corridor of approximately fifty yards long, sinking in the mountain bowels. Before closing behind them, Blanche briefly explained to Matilda.

  “There are three exits. This one is the only one accessible by car. But we don’t take it often. As you saw, the road may collapse at any time and is too narrow for most of our equipment. In due time, I will show you the exit we use the most. “

  Due to the place features, Matilda forgot her bitterness and just got snatched in the dark and deep tunnel.

  “I hope, at least you aren’t claustrophobic?” Blanche asked her .

  “Claustro what?”

  “Hmm! You aren’t scared of enclosed areas?”

  “I don’t think so... “

  “Good, we will know it fast enough,” Blanche interrupted her while closing the door behind them.

  The darkness was total during the few first seconds. Real deep darkness, where even the most trained eyes couldn’t see anything. Matilda felt her heart beating faster. For the first time in her life, she was experiencing the total lack of lights.

  “Are you all right?” Blanche asked her .

  The question was barely over while a thread of LED lighted up on the full length of the access chamber. Below, Phoebus, who didn’t seem to be disturbed at all, declared.

  “You’re really taking your time misses.”

  Blanche unexpectedly took Matilda’s hand and lead her to go down while paying attention to the slippery ground. Tao was struggling and barking, probably stressed because of the situation and the too narrow place.

  “Be quiet, everything is all right,” Matilda whispered to him.

  Phoebus was waiting below, the second door was now open. Matilda got quite surprised when she finally reached the end of the access chamber and entered in the cave. The entrance cavity wasn’t so impressive finally. Nevertheless, its arrangement was really surprising. Huge metallic structures built-in the rock were supporting some area apparently dedicated for weapon storage. Phoebus spoke to her.

  “Weapons are forbidden inside, so everybody is requested to drop them here.”

  Blanche unhooked a kind of gun she was wearing on her belt and gave it to an old woman standing behind a counter. In return, she gave her a badge.

  “Over here,” Blanche indicated her, after the transaction was over.

  The lighting was particularly well designed. It wasn’t some kind of too white and pulsating artificial lights, but instead thousands of little LED were dotting the iron beams which were shaping all the installations. In this way, the lighting was omnipresent and quite diffuse, sparing the inhabitants’ eyes. They got deeper in the cave maze, passing by dozen people.

  “I hope you’ve a great sense of direction Matilda because our installations are spreading over 8 miles of tunnels,” Blanche commented. “It’s a real maze and it’s quite easy to get lost. Nevertheless, you will see, there are signs at every intersection to ease the inhabitants’ coming and going.

  Blanche showed her one. Each destination had a specific colour.

  Military area, follow yellow;

  Engineering area, follow blue;

  University area, follow red;

  Government area, follow green;

  Housing area, follow white;

  Sanctuary, follow purple.”

  “Where are we going now?” Matilda asked worried.

  “In the housing neighbourhoods.”

  “You see, kid, we’ve amazingly succeeded in linking three huge caves historically known as Niaux, Lombrives and Labart,” Phoebus interrupted them. “20 years ago after the great purge, when we settled here, we never thought our movement would attract so many people. The bigger the community became, the more space we needed. So we dug the ground in many places, several yards deep, to get more space. Then, we reached a critical size so we had to take care of the neighbouring cave whose access was impossible because of some rockfalls. We drilled, and we got developed and took over the place step by step. You will see, there are some stunning internal lakes. We use them as water reserve. A very high quality water filtered by the mountain. But its consumption is highly regulated and each inhabitant has a couple gallons of water every day to meet their needs. It isn’t a lot but it’s enough to drink, get washed and clean the houses. Blanche will explain you the rules in detail. Nevertheless, just drink the tap water, it has been decontaminated.”

  Blanche laid a hand on Matilda’s shoulder and happily smiled at her. Apparently, the Kathars were proud of their organisation, she thought.

  “Look, here we’re training the newcomers who are joining our community.”

  “Newcomers?”

  A dozen young women and men, some not much older than her, looked at Matilda passing by with Phoebus and Blanche. Some looked baffled, others seemed to be satisfied to be here, while some also looked overwhelmed by doubts. Nevertheless, they were all giving the impression of hoping for a better life.

  “You said we’re old, that’s true for the founding chiefs and for most of the population, but many young people are running away from the Church persecution and request us to accept them among us during our raids. We accept them at the only condition they agree on following scientific studies to contribute to the community survival.”

  “Scientific studies?”

  “Yes, we’ve a research lab working on animal reproduction,” Phoebus interrupted them. “Because of the great purge, most of the world great scholars were killed. The Church has also burnt all the scientific books, encyclopaedic servers were destroyed and the little left we’re able to retrieve during our raids isn’t allowing us to recover the knowledge needed to solve the great mystery of human reproduction. So, we’re training scientists as much as we can, to undertake some medical researches.”

  “Our community is dying. Less than ten years ago we were still twi
ce more,” Blanche added. “As you will see, we’ve a lot of empty housing units.”

  “If we don’t find a solution quickly, the Kathars will disappear in less than a generation,” Phoebus mourned. “If only your mother had survived, she could have helped us. She was the best microbiologist and geneticist in the world. No doubt she would have found a solution. We would just have to focus on Inosanto’s fall.”

  “I still don’t understand what harm Inosanto has done!” Matilda declared as her convictions were battered.

  “Mind your head, we’re going to take a very narrow way,” Blanche said.

  A huge rock of several hundred tons was blocking the way. Behind, a cavity bigger than the other was filled with housing units on more than 60 feet high. Matilda was amazed by the stream of lights which reminded her about Christmas time in Kalia. Some inhabitants dressed in military clothes were doing different tasks here and there. The young farm girl couldn’t identify all of them.

  “Here we’re in the military area. It is the closest one from the exit we took. Those soldiers must be able to intervene in just a few minutes to defend the community,” Blanche explained her.

  “Why don’t they carry any weapon?”

  “The last alert due to a drone coming by was more than 10 years ago,” Phoebus remembered.

  “And it left as fast as it came without detecting any human activity. When I said we’re safe in these caves, it wasn’t just a mind-set,” Blanche affirmed with conviction.

  “Then, why is a full garrison ready to intervene?” Matilda asked surprised.

  “Si vis pacem, para bellum,” Phoebus quoted loudly.

  “What?”

  “It’s Phoebus’s favourite motto,” Blanche joked. “If you want peace, prepare for war. So the Church doesn’t teach you Latin?”

  “No! For what?” Matilda replied.

  “Maintaining people ignorant is the best strategy to ensure a submissive and easy obeying population,” Phoebus mourned

  “So, such as explaining to people Earth is 4.6 billion years old, right?” Matilda said ironically.

  Being at an intersection, Phoebus seized the opportunity.

  “Let’s go this way, I want to show you something,” he offered while going toward the Sanctuary.

  She saw no harm in that, and as she felt captive in this new world, she knew so little about, Matilda let herself be guided in a completely dark tunnel free of any human and technological presence.

  “Why there isn’t a single light here,” Matilda asked worried.

  “Once there, I will explain you,” Phoebus replied.

  The only light was coming from the old man’s flash light. Matilda and Blanche had no choice but to stay close so they could foresee the unevenness of the slippery and wet ground.

  “Mind your head,” Phoebus notified while pointing the light beam up, showing a very low rock, they had to squat down to sneak under it.

  On the other side, a few steps were leading to an elevated level. There, another narrower way was leading forwards. Nevertheless, this time, a glass door, with an automatic door opening mechanism was blocking the access. Phoebus put a badge on the electronic lock, then after the door opened, they entered in a huge cavity of more than 130 feet high. It was so deep, the light beam couldn’t even reveal its depth. Here, the ground was strangely even, so it was completely safe to move on.

  “It’s here. Just one second,” Phoebus declared.

  Then, he switched off the light.

  “Hey!” Matilda declared while Tao’s little barks were echoing on the cave’s invisible wall.

  “Come closer, follow the sound of my voice,” she heard. “Don’t worry, there is no obstacle,” Phoebus directed her.

  Very slowly and sometimes fumbling with the tip of her foot or trying to find a bit of comfort from her finger tips, Matilda moved on until she came up against the old man.

  “It’s me! Come here,” he guided her by grabbing her elbow.

  Blanche’s breath was the only audible point of reference allowing her to know they were still near each other.

  “Are you ready?” Phoebus asked her.

  ‘Yes, well, I think so,” she tried to answer.

  Then, decorative incandescent lights fired up, unveiling the cave’s walls where around sixty magnificent cave paintings took life representing some horses, ibexes and stags. The lighting was dancing like the flames of thousands candles, so the different prehistoric painting seemed to be dancing on the wall. Without knowing why, Matilda felt she was surrounded by sacred, almost religious pictures. This weird sensation was still hovering in her mind when Phoebus interrupted her.

  “Do you know why I had those moving lights installed?”

  “No, not really,” she humbly answered.

  “See, 14 000 years ago, when these artworks were drawn by our ancestors, they were using fire as a source of light. The first time I came here, I saw this with flash lights. My brother, with whom I founded the Kathars and who was still alive at this time, explained me the prehistoric men were probably thinking that by drawing these animals on the walls in the heart of the planet, they were giving them some kind of spiritual life - like a way to apologise for hunting them. I wasn’t seeing anything else than drawings, of course, some beautiful and old drawings, but I couldn’t see neither life nor soul. My brother asked me to switch off my flash light and ignited a lighter which flame was dancing following the cave’s air streams. Then, the drawings came back to life. The horses were vibrating and seemed to be running, the bisons were grazing, the ibexes were climbing again the stiff mountain wall of the Pyrenees, hesitating about jumping toward another edge. This day, I understood a new light on things could completely change our world perception. Sometimes, moving just a few inches on the left or on the right is enough to discover completely new perspectives, able to overturn our deepest beliefs.”

  Matilda was intently listening to Phoebus while anxiously looking at the drawn shapes of these former animals whose spirits were still occupying the premises.

  14 0000 years, 14 000 years! Such a nonsense!

  “How do you know they were drawn 14 000 years ago?” She humbly asked.

  Phoebus looked for Blanche to signal her with a blink of an eye that there was still hope for the kid. Blanche nodded, testifying of her complicity with the old man.

  “In fact, we just know it because of those two drawings here.”

  Phoebus was now closer to the left side of the wall and was pointing at two bisons with his finger. He added.

  “Do you know exactly why those two?” Blanche asked her .

  “I’ve no idea,” Matilda answered, embarrassed by her ignorance.

  “Those are the only ones the artist had drawn with wood charcoal mixed with a binder, probably an animal oil. The others there are made from mineral colours.”

  “I don’t see why this is a proof,” Matilda said incredulously.

  “Hmm! If your father was still alive, he would have explained you the principle of carbon-14 dating better than anybody else.”

  Blanche launched a disapproving stern look.

  “My father?” Matilda asked surprised. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know who he is! Even my mother was vaguely speaking about him,” she raged.

  “Phoebus, no!” Blanche interrupted in a low voice.

  “But I thought you met him recently,” he added.

  “Don’t you think I’m understanding your little tricks? Nice and considerate, trying to show off all your pseudo-knowledge, trying to appease me, and why? For a few information you desperately need. You really think I will really believe your tricks about the so-called prehistoric drawings?”

  Matilda came closer to the wall, intending to lay the palm of her hand on one of the bisons.

  ‘Don’t do this!” Phoebus yelled angrily.

  Blanche grabbed her by the arm to pull her further from the wall.

  “Hey!” Matilda was revolted.

  “Those drawings are of p
riceless values. Why do you think the access is closed by a glass door?” Blanche told her abruptly.

  “Guilhabert! “You did mention Guilhabert earlier in Montségur, right?” The old patriarch added.

  “What, Guilhabert? What’s more again?” The kid raged.

  “So, don’t you understand?” He said surprised.

  Matilda froze for a moment with panting breath and the eyes full of tear which weren’t willing to fall. She was opposing herself to the fact as much as she could.

  “Guilhabert is Victor Akamba’s Kathar name, one of the most talented quantum physicist of his time. And also one of my best friends. Esclarmonde and he were an inseparable couple. At this time, Terra Fecundis was redoubling its hostile announcement against the scientific world - it was holding it guilty of all the ecological disasters and of the loss of human natality. The more our researches improved, the more banning threats were made. A few of them sensed the change of pulse, and we were doing our best to collect identification chips on corpses escaping the Church’s vigilance. But we didn’t think Inosanto would start executing his evil plan so quickly. When the Church took over the last dissenting government in Europe and when the great inquisition purge was declared against the scientists all over the world, we didn’t have enough identification chips to protect our entire community. Guilhabert sacrificed himself for me and gave me the chip he was supposed to get. We had already planned to come settle right here in this cave in case our lives would be at risk. A few fellow travellers who weren’t accepting the Church’s grip on the world rallied us. Some high-ranking army officers, who couldn’t even think about swearing loyalty to a pseudo-prophet, some engineers, some physicians, some computer scientists, some horticulturists, some blacksmiths - people with various and complementary skills - strongly decided to fight against the inquisition and obscurantism. Then, the nuclear incidents happened in the last two plants still being dismantled. Some were pretending those events were consciously caused by Inosanto to completely demonise science and eradicate it from Earth.”