Genesis Rising

by Eliza Green

  ‘And when it does?’

  ‘We should be able to turn everything back on.’

  Laura smiled grimly. ‘That’s what I’m worried about.’

  ‘Me too.’

  The comms device in his pocket shrilled. Bill pulled it out and stared at it.

  ‘Who is it?’ Laura asked.

  He shoved the piece into his ear and activated the connection to his private line, which had not been affected by the cyber attack.

  ‘Taggart,’ he barked.

  ‘Bill, it’s Gunnar.’

  ‘What’s the word? Have you found him?’

  ‘Bill, we’re at the clinic. I think you need to come and see this.’

  4

  Stephen woke up in his bed feeling groggy and irritated. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a good night’s sleep. A year ago, two? Eight?

  Had the last time been before he’d become elder? Or maybe it was before he’d seen his parents die while attempting to make Indigene life better, before the years he’d spent trying to achieve what they could not.

  He touched the empty space beside him. It was cold. These days, Serena was an earlier riser than him.

  It had been twenty-four hours since Stephen had laid down the new laws of District Three. A full day since half of his charges had walked out, calling him an unfit leader. It hadn’t surprised him that the instigators of this dissent—Emile and Marie—had gone with them. Trust between him and his charges had been broken. But who had broken it—him or the leaders of District One?

  Stephen had of course.

  He’d led the district into a serious epidemic that ended up with casualties. Pierre and Elise never would have allowed that to happen.

  He shook off his growing pessimism.

  Pierre’s voice popped into his head. You must own your decisions, Stephen. Not everyone will agree with your policies. But you must do what is right and stand by it.

  He’d been thinking a lot about his former elder, struck down by Deighton, who’d spent years hating him for what he’d become. For what he’d made him. Pierre and Elise’s deaths had turned Stephen into the leader he was. It was time to own his decisions, no matter the outcome.

  Someone knocked on his door. The senses-dulling omicron rock prevented him from determining who it was. Even if the rock had not interfered, it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. His abilities had yet to return since his infection.

  He got up and opened it, finding Anton on the other side. His friend was looking better, stronger than he had a day ago. The usual rush of Indigene emotions didn’t find him—a side effect of Harvey and Jameson’s treatment that might or might not be permanent.

  ‘Hello, old friend.’ Anton used the same greeting that Charles Deighton had when he’d first taken over his mind. But now, they had been through so much together it felt like they were indeed a couple of old men.

  Stephen lifted his chin, assuming his role of leader. ‘How are you feeling?’ His ability to use telepathy had also been affected.

  ‘Better. The cure worked fast. Makes me wonder if the doctors knew about the virus before it happened.’

  ‘The thought had occurred to me, but those who’d have designed such a thing are probably long dead.’

  ‘Except for Harvey and Jameson.’ Anton shivered. ‘I still don’t like that they were in this district, seeing our ways, our habits.’

  Neither did Stephen.

  ‘A necessary evil. Bill trusted them enough to ask for their help. And I trust Bill.’

  Anton leaned against the door frame. ‘Are you going to tell him about what’s happening here, that half of your district walked out?’

  He didn’t see the point. ‘It’s our problem. There’s nothing he can do.’

  Anton shrugged. ‘He could round them up, force them to come back?’

  ‘And prove to my charges that I cannot stand to lose?’

  ‘Who said that?’

  Stephen walked to the far wall of his private space, to where he’d daubed equations a long time ago. He couldn’t remember what had inspired their creation. The faded scrawls made little sense to him now.

  ‘I did.’ He faced the wall, hearing Anton enter the room behind him. ‘I’ve always been pushy. I’ve always demanded things go my way.’

  ‘I thought you were past feeling sorry for yourself.’

  Stephen turned and faced him. ‘I am. I’m only explaining what is inside me, what I will always be.’

  Anton smiled softly. ‘For what it’s worth, I think you’re brave and, yes, stubborn, but you care—and that makes you worth a thousand of Emile.’

  ‘Any word from him or Marie?’

  ‘No. Were you expecting to hear from them?’

  ‘Not really.’ He wasn’t sure what to expect any more. Stephen sighed. ‘I miss my newest skills, in particular my envisioning one. I might not have been able to predict the epidemic, but it would be nice to see how this might play out. See if I made the right call in laying down the law.’

  ‘Give it time, old friend. And for what it’s worth, you did make the right call. Someone had to.’

  Stephen blinked; he was forgetting his manners. ‘Was there a reason you dropped by?’

  ‘Just to check on you. I saw Serena out and about. I thought you might be in here feeling sorry for yourself. Or sleeping in.’

  Stephen barked a laugh. ‘If I could guarantee restful sleep, I would gladly sleep in.’ He added, ‘What’s Serena doing?’

  ‘She’s walking the tunnels, making her presence known, I think. This stupid vaccine means I can’t sense her thoughts, nor she mine. Your skills aren’t the only thing not to return. Without the use of telepathy, it’s noisier out there than I remember.’

  ‘Give it time, Anton.’ Stephen repeated his friend’s advice back to him. ‘Harvey said the skills might return or they might not. But we’re alive, and that’s all that matters.’

  Anton shivered. ‘I feel weird without my skills. Don’t you feel weird?’

  He did, but as leader he couldn’t let on.

  ‘No, I can manage, and so can you.’ He walked to the door. ‘Let’s get out there. I’m keen to show my charges it’s business as usual.’

  Stephen stepped outside to the sound of nothing. An empty void existed in his head, once filled by the emotions and voices of others. Anton kept up with him as he descended from the third tier to ground level. He entered the nearest tunnel in haste, wishing he could sense his mate. He brushed his fingers against the tunnel wall, hoping to sense the district’s mood from it. All he felt was the faintest of heartbeats. The spirit of the district was dying.

  Maybe it wasn’t. But it felt like it was.

  ‘Where would Serena be? I can’t sense her.’

  ‘You could try the Central Core,’ said Anton.

  They walked for a while, passing round-eyed Indigenes who nodded politely at them. Many had been struck down with the virus. Many had lost their skills, but the group who had shown the most dissent had not lost their ability to converse telepathically. He didn’t have exact numbers for how many had been infected, but he guessed the ones who’d left might have escaped catching the virus altogether.

  Stephen tried not to think about it. Few or no skills among his remaining charges weakened his position if the dissenters attempted an attack.

  He arrived at the Central Core to see groups of Indigenes standing around in small clusters of threes or fours. He didn’t need his skills to sense their worry. Bill had taught him that the whisper of words usually hinted at a troubled mind.

  Indigenes looked up at him. The whispering stopped. Sets of eyes watched him.

  ‘What are they doing?’ he whispered to Anton.

  ‘They’re watching their fearless leader.’

  ‘I can’t sense their moods.’

  ‘Neither can I, but we’ve both spent time among humans. We can figure this out.’

  The
Indigenes continued to watch him.

  ‘Hello,’ he croaked, then cleared his throat. ‘Hello all.’

  One Indigene stepped forward, a middle-aged male. ‘Stephen, we were just talking about you.’

  I bet you were.

  ‘About how brave you were to stand up to the dissenters.’

  Stephen flicked his gaze to Anton in surprise. ‘Thank you.’

  The Indigene chuckled. ‘Don’t be modest. We’ve all been struggling with the tension in this district for a long time. It feels good to be among those who wish to protect it, not destroy it.’

  He didn’t know what to say. ‘Why didn’t you speak up about it before?’

  ‘Well, the business with the virus for one, but also it wasn’t our place to dictate what should happen. But you should know we wanted them gone. We wanted to hit the reset button on this place.’

  Many had lost loved ones to the mass exodus. ‘And you’re okay with over one hundred Indigenes leaving like that?’

  The Indigene smiled. ‘It is only temporary. They need to leave to see how good they had it in the first place.’ He wagged his finger. ‘They’ll be back, you’ll see.’

  Stephen wished he knew for certain what the future held.

  He nodded at his charge. ‘Have you seen Serena?’

  ‘Yes, she passed through here an hour ago. Though, she could be anywhere at this stage.’

  ‘What was she doing?’

  The male shook his head. ‘Nothing. Just walking, possibly sensing.’

  Serena had not contracted the virus and still had her abilities.

  ‘Thank you.’

  Stephen walked on; Anton fell into step beside him.

  ‘Well, that was a surprise,’ his friend said. ‘I thought they were going to let you have it.’

  Stephen chuckled with relief. ‘So did I.’

  They passed through several tunnels. To find Serena, Stephen resorted to human tactics: He asked questions. The answers led him to the tranquillity cave in the western part of District Three. She was standing outside it, sizing it up.

  ‘I heard you were looking for me, literally,’ she said without turning. ‘Anton.’

  ‘Elder,’ he said.

  She turned and glared at him with her beautiful, blue eyes. ‘I should smite you for calling me that.’

  Anton flashed a cheesy grin at her and she laughed.

  But she returned to gazing at the walls.

  Stephen frowned at her. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘I’m sensing the mood in this place.’

  ‘It’s good. For once.’

  Serena turned sharply, her brows lifted in surprise. ‘You have your senses back?’

  ‘No,’ said Anton. ‘He asked questions. Or rather, someone just told him to his face.’

  ‘Ah.’ She turned back. ‘The Nexus is still weak. Why, I wonder?’

  ‘Because we’ve limited the users,’ said Stephen.

  He was wary about anyone except Serena using it. The Nexus was in shock. It needed time to recover, and a familiar energy to help it get there.

  ‘I think so too.’ Serena touched the walls. ‘I spent the last two hours walking the entire district. I wanted to see if we could use this space for other things. See if we can update the district to accommodate all ages.’

  It was a good idea. ‘Have you come up with anything?’

  ‘No.’ With a sigh, she faced them. ‘I’m uneasy about starting anything new when half the district left in such a hurry.’

  ‘You think we’ll have trouble?’ asked Anton.

  ‘If we didn’t, I’d be surprised.’ Her gaze grazed the ceiling. ‘Before we make improvements, we should think about defending this place.’

  ‘Any ideas?’ asked Stephen.

  ‘We must secure the entrance points—including the secret ones.’

  ‘That’s a given,’ said Anton.

  She continued. ‘We also need to round up those like me who weren’t infected, who can still speak telepathically and sense other Indigenes.’

  Stephen’s heartbeat pulsed loudly in his throat, the way it often did when his mate worried. ‘Why, what do you sense now?’

  She fixed her blue eyes on him. ‘Something’s not right’—she pointed—‘up there. Have you spoken to Bill?’

  ‘No, I didn’t see a need.’ He glanced at Anton. ‘I’m sure if there were anything wrong, he would have contacted me.’

  ‘I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. I sense disorder, chaos.’ She blinked and shook her head. ‘I could be wrong.’

  Stephen placated her with a smile. It was all he had to give. ‘Like I said, if there were something wrong, Bill would have gotten in touch by now.’

  5

  Bill’s hands shook as he walked to the car. He and Laura hopped in, and the car began the short journey to the clinic to meet Gunnar.

  Would he find the clinic he’d secured for Harvey, barely a week ago, under heavy guard? Or maybe a trail of dead bodies that Buchanan had left in his wake, to secure his protection?

  Laura frowned at her lap. Harvey had stolen a sample of her blood while she’d been helping him determine if the virus had spread to the human population. But it was Bill’s fault he’d stolen it, not hers. He’d sent her to the clinic to help out.

  He touched her leg; Laura startled like a deer.

  ‘Are you worried?’

  She blinked at him. ‘Of course. We don’t know what Harvey’s up to.’

  ‘I mean about the sample he took from you.’

  She shook her head. ‘I mean, yes, but that’s not our priority now. Finding Ben is.’

  The beige-bricked entrance to the warehouse Bill had gifted Harvey came into view. The car pulled up to the kerb outside it. Gunnar and two of his men were waiting for him. The steel door was wide open, the pavement clear and the entry plate positioned next to it black.

  At least there were no dead bodies scattered outside.

  Bill got out just as Gunnar moved to meet him.

  ‘What’s going on?’ he asked his new chief-in-command.

  Gunnar ushered him and Laura inside the building. The other two men stayed outside.

  The main room, which had once served as Harvey’s walk-in clinic, was an empty shell, stripped of all the equipment Bill had sent over to kit it out.

  ‘Where is everything?’ Laura said in surprise. ‘It was packed a few days ago.’

  Bill had been here only once. He’d seen the upper floor, where Harvey had been carrying out his real work.

  ‘What about upstairs?’

  Gunnar shook his head. ‘All cleared out.’

  Bill swore under his breath. ‘Since when?’

  ‘Since before the power went out. The backup system says this place has been inactive for a few days now.’

  ‘But I was only here a few days ago, helping out,’ said a shocked Laura. ‘Are you saying Harvey packed up soon after?’

  Gunnar nodded. ‘It seems so.’

  She turned to Bill. ‘This must have been planned while everyone was distracted with the virus.’

  ‘What the hell is he playing at?’ He strode towards the stairs, wanting to see the empty upstairs rooms for himself. He took the stairs two at a time. The first floor echoed with his footsteps. Before, the space had been separated into separate cubicles by glass partitions. Each cubicle had had a chair and equipment in it.

  Now, it was open and the separating walls were gone.

  Bill clenched his fists. He’d been a fool to believe Harvey had changed. Anyone who’d trained with Charles Deighton must have always had bigger ambitions beyond a few measly clinics.

  Why hadn’t he predicted this? The signs had all been there.

  Harvey’s unnatural interest in the Elite and Conditioned, and his insistence he take blood samples from the first, second and third-generation Indigenes. Not to mention the sample he stole from Laura.

  He returned to
the ground floor to a baffled-looking Gunnar. Laura was standing in the middle of the empty reception area, playing with what looked like a metal disc.

  ‘What’s that?’

  She looked up, startled. ‘Oh, it’s a neurosensor.’ She closed her hand over it. ‘I’ve been using it recently to hone one of my skills.’

  It was weird to hear his wife mention her Indigene skills. He wanted to ask her about it, but with Gunnar in the room staring at him, he decided not to.

  She pocketed the item. ‘What now? We can’t just sit here and wait for Harvey to unleash whatever plans he’s got.’

  No they couldn’t.

  ‘You want us to check out the construction site next?’ asked Gunnar.

  ‘No, Laura and I will do that. I have a feeling he won’t be there, either.’ He clapped the man on the arm. ‘Lie low, and keep your ear to the ground for any movement from Harvey or any of his associates.’

  ‘What about this place?’ he asked.

  Bill looked around. ‘Lock it up, but there’s nothing of value here anymore. He took every piece of equipment I sourced for him. He won’t return.’

  He and Laura said goodbye to Gunnar and returned to the car. The construction site wasn’t far, and without power he expected no resistance. But still...

  He opened the glove compartment and pulled out his Buzz Gun. He slid the weapon into his side holster and passed an Impulse Taser to Laura.

  ‘You think we’ll need these?’ She turned the weapon in her hands as the car headed for the site just beyond the city limits.

  ‘I hope not.’

  ‘Do you think Jameson was helping Harvey?’

  ‘I really fucking hope not.’

  Fifteen feet from the city limits the car rolled to a stop. A distracted Bill looked up to see the barricade he’d ordered to be put in place was operational. Men dressed in black ITF uniforms guarded the exit.

  Bill waited for them to recognise his car and open the barricades, but some of the men and women weren’t familiar to him.

  ‘I don’t know some of these recruits. Give me a minute to talk to them.’

  He hopped out and walked up to the six-feet-high barriers it would take a heavy battering ram to break through. A middle-aged man eyed him suspiciously and pointed his weapon at him.