Genesis Rising

by Eliza Green

  Anton ran off while the visiting Indigenes tried to fight off Margaux and Serena’s combined influence.

  ‘I have an idea,’ said Stephen. He nodded to the electrified wrecking ball. ‘Over there.’

  A panting Serena shifted the ones not being held by Stephen and Arianna over to the ball. The closer the Indigenes got to the electrified barrier, the more sluggish their movements became, until the energy grounded them in the same way a blast from a Buzz Gun would.

  Serena released her mind hold on the visitors with a loud, sharp exhale just as Anton returned with help.

  ‘What happened?’ said one of those brought to help.

  ‘They were attempting to take over the district,’ Stephen explained quickly. ‘We need to get everyone inside. The sun’s heating up. Lock them up for now. I’ll decide what to do with them later.’

  The volunteers dragged half the unwelcome visitors off. When Serena engaged her influence once more and shifted the remaining four away from the electricity, they were taken too.

  ‘Come on, let’s get inside,’ said Stephen.

  They entered the district through their only active entry and exit point.

  Safely inside, Stephen snatched at the cool air. He pulled the air-filtration device from his throat. It had been starting to pinch. The device had been in all night. The others removed theirs, looking equally relieved to do so.

  But this mess was far from over. More would surely come, and unless Stephen helped Bill to deal with Harvey once and for all, this would keep happening. They needed to show these rogue Indigenes and renegade humans that Harvey had no power.

  Serena slumped against the wall, exhausted.

  He supported her. ‘The Nexus, now.’ To Anton and Arianna, he said, ‘You too.’

  ‘I don’t need it,’ said Anton, watching the volunteers lead the prisoners away.

  ‘That’s an order.’

  ‘Neither do I,’ said Margaux, chuckling. ‘I quite enjoy being a nuisance.’

  Stephen shook his head and smiled. Margaux might be odd but her heart was in the right place.

  He waited until all three left for the nearest tranquillity cave, glad now they’d helped the Nexus to heal first.

  ‘What now?’ asked Margaux.

  ‘Now we fight back.’

  He took long strides to the Central Core. Along the way, he asked those whose paths he crossed to spread the word and meet him there.

  By the time he arrived, a sizeable group had already gathered. His charges looked stronger, healthier. The Nexus must be stronger too.

  Stephen forewent his usual platform and stood in the middle of the space alongside Margaux. Male and female Indigenes of all ages surrounded him.

  He filled them in on the activity of the last twelve hours. ‘We’ve just returned from New Tokyo, where we discovered a severely split population. One side is being led by Harvey Buchanan, the man who cured you, the other by Bill Taggart, the man who has protected you. I’m not telling you to join in the fight against Harvey, but asking you to follow your hearts. Serena and I are going back out there because the wrong man is trying to take over. Indigenes follow him, the same ones who walked out of here not that long ago. I fear the world that is being promised is not the world they’ll be delivered. And the world Harvey wants is not the world we want.’

  ‘The world we have does not serve us,’ one said.

  Stephen nodded. ‘Bill Taggart knows this and he wants change.’

  ‘But he hasn’t done anything about it.’

  ‘The existence of the Elite prevented him from doing anything. But now they’re gone, he is coming around to the idea of a new world, a better one where we may all live as we need to.’

  ‘What happened out there?’ another asked.

  ‘We successfully rescued a boy who has been a friend to me, to this district. But I fear something is coming, a bigger fight that will require a human-Indigene effort to push it back. We need to fight for this world—our world—and we must have faith that what emerges will be better for everyone.’

  Some Indigenes puffed out their chests, as if they believed Stephen. Others regarded him with scepticism.

  ‘I’m not asking that everyone join us, only those who were not affected by the virus. We need your skills. We need your strength. Some of you won’t come back from this, but I will fight by your side until the end. As will Serena. I don’t expect an answer now, but if you wish to help, meet us by the unfinished tunnels this evening. And if you don’t, all I ask is that you help to keep this district safe.’

  A chorus of mumbles rang out and the crowd dispersed. Stephen let out a sigh.

  ‘They’re thinking about it,’ said Margaux. ‘But you can count on me to help up there.’

  He couldn’t risk the life of an elder. He and Serena, elders in name only, had youth on their side.

  ‘No, this is not your district. It’s not your responsibility.’

  ‘I disagree.’ Margaux pursed her lips. ‘This has felt like home since Gabriel died. Gabriel loved it here, more than he did District Eight.’

  ‘You’ve done more than enough.’

  Margaux stomped her foot like a child. ‘I want to do more, to help you realise this vision. If I wish to go, you can’t stop me.’

  Vision. If only he still had his envisioning skill, he could see how this might play out.

  Margaux touched his arm. ‘It will come back, I promise.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  He walked away and pulled the communication stone out of a hidden pocket in his tunic. He sent a brief message to Bill. Help coming this evening. Stay put.

  ☼

  The time to leave had come. A nervous Stephen left Council Chambers and walked in the direction of the unfinished tunnels and Clement’s new entry and exit point. Serena had spent much of the day with him after using the Nexus. She’d reported a lively Nexus, not quite healed but getting there.

  ‘What if they don’t come?’

  ‘Then we will venture out alone.’

  His doubts crept into his mind once more as he navigated the uneven floor. ‘What if we can’t stop Harvey?’

  She linked her arm in his. ‘Then we will have fought for what we believe in.’

  They arrived at the start of the tunnels. A small group had gathered there, far fewer than he’d hoped.

  His hope sank. ‘Is this it?’

  He looked at the group. Only Anton, Arianna and Margaux had shown up. They had dressed in their black hunting gear.

  ‘Seems like it.’ Anton shrugged. ‘We don’t need them anyway.’

  Perhaps his speech had not resonated in the way Margaux had predicted—in the way he had hoped. When this was all done, he would call an election, vote in a new leader.

  ‘How much longer should we wait?’ asked Arianna.

  He didn’t see the point. His charges had made their feelings clear. ‘We should leave now.’

  Serena touched his arm and smiled. ‘Maybe just wait a little longer.’

  The sound of footsteps reached Stephen’s ears. They were coming from a nearby tunnel. Indigenes young and old—but mostly young—streamed out of the tunnel. He counted thirty. They were dressed in black and looked ready for a fight.

  He swallowed back his emotions, not quite believing they had come.

  ‘Are you sure?’ he asked them.

  One Indigene nodded. ‘If you fight, we fight. This is our world, our future.’

  It was. And Stephen would fight for it until the bitter end.

  His mouth curled up. ‘Let’s go.’

  31

  That evening, Bill sent a new message to Stephen over the communication stone.

  Safe in Conditioned’s caves, but need backup.

  The reply came fast. Already here. Harvey’s surveillance taken care of.

  Bill pocketed the stone and spoke to Seven. ‘The Indigenes are here.’

  ‘What’s the plan?’


  ‘To divide and conquer. We’ll do that by taking back Base Station One.’

  Marcus wore a faint smile that got Bill’s back up. He glared at the man, who looked far too casual for the prisoner he was. He worried the criminal was up to something. But right now, he didn’t have time to deal with him.

  To Ben, he said, ‘You need to stay here.’

  The teen’s eyes widened. ‘The hell I do. I’m coming with you.’

  ‘No, it’s too dangerous. Out there is no place for a kid right now.’

  ‘I’m not a kid. I know how to fight. Been fighting all my life, in case you forgot.’

  Marcus snorted, causing Ben to glare at him.

  Bill had had enough of this lowlife. ‘Shut your mouth, Murphy, unless I speak to you.’

  Marcus held his hands up. ‘I said nothing!’

  ‘Please,’ said Ben.

  But he couldn’t see how it would work. He shook his head. ‘I need you to keep an eye on Jameson.’

  He’d checked on him already. Seven had locked him in Tanya’s old room.

  ‘But—’

  ‘The rest of you come with me.’

  Seven nodded. ‘The others will hide Ben and Jameson deep in the tunnels if anyone comes.’

  Bill looked around at the volunteers—ten Conditioned and him, Gunnar and Marcus. It made his skin crawl that the latter was even here, but there was no way he was leaving him with Ben. Besides, if he needed to change plans quickly, he required the asshole’s knowledge to do it fast.

  ‘Come on, time to go.’

  Bill walked out of the caves and ventured into the night, trekking the few kilometres to the boundary line. At the boulders, a line of Indigenes had gathered. Unable to see much in the dark, their presence put Bill on edge. He scoured the faces, searching for ones that were familiar to him. Then Stephen and Serena came into view and released his fear. A nodding Serena was pointing at Bill and his group. He climbed up and out of the Conditioned’s territory and looked around for Laura. When he didn’t see her, a new panic tightened his chest.

  He marched up to Stephen. ‘Where’s Laura?’

  ‘We left her in the city.’

  ‘You did what?’

  ‘She’s with Clement and Hetty. She’s fine.’

  ‘I’ll be the judge of that...’ He looked around a second time and noticed several of Harvey’s men farther down, lined up against one rock. Their hands and feet had been tied and they were gagged. ‘Were they watching us?’

  Stephen nodded. ‘They didn’t see us coming. Laura will be fine, I promise. She knows how to take care of herself. And Clement cares too much about her to let anything happen.’

  Bill hid his jealousy behind a grunt. ‘What business did she have in the city?’

  ‘She wanted to see what Harvey was up to.’

  ‘What?’ His heart wasn’t able to take this shit.

  Stephen lifted his hands. ‘Calm down, Bill. The sooner we get going, the sooner this is over with. What’s your plan?’

  ‘To divide up. We need to take back Base Station One, bring it under our control again.’

  ‘The place is well guarded—and with Indigenes.’

  Bill nodded at Marcus. ‘He knows the guards’ schedule.’

  Marcus stepped forward. ‘The Indigenes have been keeping watch but I heard reports back to Harvey that they don’t always stick around.’

  ‘So the station might be unguarded at certain times?’

  Marcus nodded. ‘Around midnight it seems the freak—I mean Indigenes—have better things to do.’

  Bill wondered what, but Stephen knew.

  ‘Hunting. The new animal breeding farms aren’t far. The smell could be luring them away.’

  ‘Good for us.’ To Gunnar, Bill said, ‘Can you speak to Jeff at the ITF, ask him to get Susie ready to take back control of the base station?’ He pulled out his DPad and handed it to him. ‘Use my emergency line. Julie will pick up.’

  Gunnar nodded and walked over to the car that Bill had parked nearby. He rested the DPad on the bonnet and air-punched in a code.

  ‘Susie?’ Serena asked.

  ‘The sentient program at the ITF. My IT guy’s name for her. She controls the primary programs.’

  ‘When she takes over, what happens then?’

  Bill checked on Gunnar, who was talking to someone on the line. ‘Give me a minute.’

  He waited for Gunnar to return and give him the report.

  ‘Jeff says you need to reboot the system first,’ said Gunnar, handing the DPad back to him. ‘Susie will be able to see BS-1’s sentient AI program and take control of it.’

  Bill looked at Stephen. ‘Can you do that?’

  Anton waved his hand at him. ‘Piece of cake.’

  ‘Good, and please be careful. Just because the Indigenes don’t follow schedules doesn’t mean they aren’t close by.’

  Seven said, ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to take the base station? We, along with the Indigenes, can track this Harvey character.’

  Bill shook his head. ‘My team is no match for Indigenes. We need like to fight like.’

  ‘And you? Who do you fight?’ asked Seven.

  Bill heard a noise behind him. He looked back to see more Conditioned climbing over the boundary wall. ‘Harvey is interested in me so I’m going to coax him out into the open. I hope you’ll have my back?’

  Seven gave a tight nod.

  ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like us to stick around?’ asked Stephen. ‘We could deal with any threats faster than you.’

  ‘No, we need the element of surprise at the station. When you’ve rebooted, send me a message.’

  Stephen nodded and headed out. The group of Indigenes he’d brought with him vanished in a blurry haze beneath the double blue moons.

  Bill told his new team of Conditioned to head for New Tokyo.

  ‘Should we take the car?’ asked Gunnar.

  It would certainly get some of them there faster.

  Seven said, ‘You take it. We can move faster than your vehicles.’

  Bill nodded. ‘We should head closer to the city. Be ready to move inside when Stephen signals back.’

  Bill climbed into his vehicle, with Gunnar in the front and Marcus in the back, and ordered it to a safe distance outside New Tokyo. But he didn’t get far before he saw six four-wheeled patrols in the landscape between him and the city. The vehicles pitched suddenly and drove at him. Laser shots fired out from the side of the lead vehicle and punctured the bonnet of his car.

  ‘Shit.’

  He took command of the car and pitched it to the right, away from the line of cars. They followed, but in his rear mirror he saw a blur of movement and several of the vehicles slowing to a crawl. Wheels spun in the dirt. Then one of the cars broke free and skidded away. That’s when Bill saw one of the Conditioned slipping and hitting the ground. The car turned and headed for the fallen. A second Conditioned pulled the first to safety.

  Bill popped open the glove box and removed an Impulse Taser. He handed it to Marcus.

  The criminal sneered at it. ‘What the fuck’s this?’

  ‘Your weapon.’

  Bill pulled out his Buzz Gun. Gunnar did the same.

  ‘I want one of those.’ Marcus pointed. ‘I’m not going out there to get killed.’

  ‘I wasn’t planning on getting out.’

  Bill drove the car at the patrol and nodded to Gunnar, who responded, ‘I’m ready.’

  ‘Roll down your window,’ he ordered Marcus.

  Marcus grumbled, then yelped when a shot hit the glass. ‘Fuck that.’

  ‘Then you can get out because I’ve no use for you.’

  ‘My deal wasn’t with you; it was with the Conditioned.’

  Gunnar pointed his Buzz Gun at him. ‘I can be very persuasive.’

  Marcus cursed again and cracked the window open. He fired his taser at the car that was coming
up alongside them.

  Gunnar released a burst of electricity from his gun. Not all of it made it out the window. Some fed back inside the car and set Bill’s teeth on edge. He shook off the feeling and floored it, speeding past the cars. His hasty plan was rewarded with a few shots to the side of the car.

  ‘This isn’t going to work,’ he said, slowing. ‘We need to get out and use the car as a shield. Our shots aren’t accurate enough on the move.

  ‘I thought you said we weren’t going outside,’ said a wide-eyed Marcus.

  ‘I lied.’

  He drove the car for a bit and then turned it sharply, so its side was facing the oncoming cars. He scrambled out the door facing away from the trouble. Gunnar and Marcus did the same. The cars that were being held by the Conditioned broke free one by one as the occupants popped off shots at their captors. The Conditioned moved too fast to get hit. But the electricity lingering in the air appeared to be slowing them down, similar to how it affected the Indigenes.

  The cars headed for their new location. Bill popped off a few shots at them. In turn, a laser shot grazed the side of the car.

  ‘Shit, we’re sitting ducks out here.’

  ‘I could have told you that,’ said an angry Marcus.

  Bill popped his head up again, ready to fire. The Conditioned had caught up with the slowing vehicles and were pulling the men out of the cars. The cars, not on autopilot it seemed, came to a rolling stop without their drivers.

  A new, black vehicle drove through the gap. The Conditioned raced for it, but when Bill saw who was inside, he shouted, ‘Leave it!’

  The vehicle came to a stop and Harvey Buchanan got out.

  ‘Bill Taggart, let’s talk.’ The former geneticist snapped his fingers at him and pointed to a spot between their two cars.

  Bill stood up slowly as Harvey held his hands up and walked into the centre of the melee.

  Gunnar whispered, ‘I’ve got your back.’

  A fast-breathing Marcus made himself smaller.

  Bill rounded the bonnet of his car, pleased to see the Conditioned had control of Harvey’s men.

  ‘What do you want, Harvey?’

  ‘You know what I want. Jameson.’