Saving Eden

by K R S McEntire

  After she was done, she wrapped a blue cotton towel around her body, stepped out of the tub and walked over to the clothes left out for her.

  The clothes belonged to Rain, who was five foot eight and had longer legs than Angela. Angela hadn’t worn pants since she was a toddler. Dresses were more comfortable and easier to make. Rain’s pants bunched up at the bottom and were baggy on Angela’s slim hips. The shirt, a blue cotton tank top, left her arms and shoulders exposed. She frowned at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she slid red flip-flop sandals onto her sore feet.

  Angela walked out of the bathroom and went back to the surveillance room. Everyone stopped their conversations when she entered. Rain stared at her critically. Zinc’s head peered over his computer screen to look her over, and a small, amused smile crept across his face. Emi looked sympathetic.

  “Aw, you poor girl. We have to go get you some clothes,” Emi said.

  “You can’t go anywhere with her right now. She’s not even carded, yet,” Jesse interjected.

  “Do I really need to be carded?” Angela spoke up. “Didn’t you say that was a bad thing?”

  “Not all laws are good things, we still gotta follow them,” Jesse answered. “Don’t worry, we have come up with a way for you to be safely carded without the Watch actually knowing your every move. Think of it as your first fake ID, only you still can’t get into any bars.”

  Angela did not know what a bar was, but figured this was supposed to be a joke because everyone around her giggled. She forced a small laugh that lasted a little too long.

  After a moment of silence, she spoke up again, “How do you make this fake ID?”

  “All of our equipment is below,” said Jesse. Angela wondered it he were attempting another joke.

  “But…we are below,” Angela said, remembering that the elevator had descended below ground level. “Aren't we?”

  Jesse walked to the corner of the room and got onto his knees. He pulled back the edge of the large rug that covered most of the floor, revealing what looked like the faint outline of a square door built into the ground. Jesse pushed it down. Dust flew into the room as it swung open, revealing a small crawl space, hardly big enough for two people in width, but deeper than it was wide. Inside this space was another door. Jesse got inside and unlocked it to reveal a dark tunnel.

  “Of the building, yes; of the settlement? No.” Jesse said.

  “And you thought my garden was interesting,” Angela said. “You literally have a basement under your basement!”

  “It’s a little bit more involved than that. You’ll have to follow me to find out,” Jesse said, pulling a flashlight out of his pocket and leading the way.

  Angela jumped into the tiny space and walked into the smelly tunnel. The odor was even worse than outside. Even with the flashlight on, she could hardly see anything other than the tunnel’s dark walls. She could not make out how long the tunnel was or what they were approaching.

  “Welcome to The City Below,” said Jesse.

  He explained that under Chicago, there were the remnants of tunnels used in a large train system that was once called “the L.” Most of the entrances to the train system had been locked down. In addition to the subway train systems, there were networks of other tunnels that ran underground. There were pathways once used by old abandoned freight trains and cable cars, and new tunnels created by citizens during the Bio Wars to hide mutants. Some spaces were smaller than a hallway, and meant to hide people underneath a house; others were huge and interconnected. Those who were in the know enough to find an entrance, collectively knew all of these tunnel systems as The City Below.

  Jesse told Angela that some people spent their entire life underground, while many people who live above ground thought The City Below was a myth. It was still mostly mutants who used The City Below, but it also housed bandits and outlaws who wanted to trade, kill, or simply live in private. It was a safe haven for people who didn’t have any options above ground.

  “That makes me feel so safe,” Angela said sarcastically. “I saw firsthand how dangerous the mutants can be on our way to the city.”

  “Some are dangerous. Some are not. But most of the murders that happen in Chicago are due to the Watch, not mutants,” Jesse explained.

  “Are they down here?” Angela asked. “The Watch?”

  “During the war, the authorities used to raid The City Below to kill off mutants who took refuge. They also hunted and killed runaway mutants in the forest. These days, the Watch seems to be focusing their efforts on the settlement above ground. I think they figure once you are living off the grid in a world like this, you are as good as dead.”

  Jesse said she had little cause to worry about the Watch or mutants, as the tunnel they had entered was separated from the remainder of The City Below and had been securely blocked off. The only way in was through The Resistance headquarters. There was a door inside this tunnel that lead to the larger City Below, and he had the key. He kept it in case they ever needed to go through The City Below to exit Chicago. The larger tunnel housed many mutants and outlaws, but the area they were in was safe. The only entrance to this section of it was at The Resistance.

  She followed Jesse to a door and watched as he opened the room with a key. He said that the room was once used as a large storage unit.

  This room had light even though the rest of the tunnel was in complete darkness. Jesse told Angela that The Resistance used something called a power generator to create light underground. She could hear the hum of the machine powering the room.

  As she looked around the room, the first thing that caught her eye was a tiny greenhouse growing a small amount of food under a bright light. It looked pitiful compared to the plentiful food available in her garden back home, but it was still nice to see green in such a gray, concrete city.

  There were black, metal objects hanging from the walls that were so foreign to Angela she almost dismissed them as decorative. It took Angela a moment to realize they were guns, having never seen such weapons before. They were bigger than her father’s or Jesse’s pistol, rivaling the rifle’s on the cover of her father's Wild West books. In addition to the guns, there were large swords and knives from the worst parts of her favorite fairy tales. Angela examined them, imagining one was Excalibur and she would soon be preparing for a dangerous quest.

  Cabinets lined the walls, and two large desks with machines on them took up a considerable portion of the room’s space. Jesse told her that these machines and the machines she saw upstairs were called computers. Next to one computer was a desk with camera on it.

  In the corner, so still and silent that Angela hadn't noticed them right away, four people sat in the room. They watched Angela intently. Angela was shocked to see that one of the people, a man who looked like he couldn't be older than 30, was locked inside of a cage. He appeared a bit delirious, yet he smiled at Angela.

  “Why is that man locked up?” Angela whispered, feeling uneasy again. Jesse shut the door behind Angela, locking it with his key. There was little she could do to stop Jesse from putting her in a cage if he so desired. Following him down here may have not been her brightest moment.

  “Jesse,” she repeated, “what’s going on down here?”

  “Better locked away than dead,” said Jesse. “He looks like you and I, but he has mutated. It’s a simple mutation: That man's blood and sweat have become extremely acidic; touching his blood could burn our skin. To the Watch, that's reason enough to kill him. His family came to us for help, yet his condition has proven very difficult to cure. He is also a bit delirious, and becomes violent sometimes. As we work to find a cure, we can’t let him touch our other guests, lest he harm his children.”

  The other “guests” included a woman with a young girl, about five, and a slightly older boy, about seven. Jesse told her the woman’s was named Becca, the caged father was Julian, and the young boy and girl were Lucas and Maria. Becca looked weary, but the children smiled at Angela and J
esse.

  “Hello,” Angela said to the family. After a long pause, Lucas spoke up.

  “Are you . . . like daddy?” he asked.

  Angela looked at Becca for answers, not understanding the question.

  “She can’t speak English,” Jesse explained, “but the little ones can.”

  “What does he mean by ‘like daddy?’” Angela asked.

  “He wants to know if you will be staying here, if you have mutations in your blood that we need to treat as well,” Jesse said, before turning to the boy.

  “No, I’m afraid the pretty girl will be staying upstairs with me,” Jesse winked at the child before turning back to Angela. “This family . . . none of them are carded. We provide a safe space for them, food and shelter. But no one wants to live in a cage their whole life. One day, we hope to be part of the cause that allows men like Julian to see the light of day again without being killed for it. To hold his children again without causing them harm. If you wanted to know what The Resistance is all about, take a look around you.”

  Angela frowned. Despite his seemingly noble reasoning, she could not wrap her head around the fact the Jesse felt it was okay to keep a family locked up in this room.

  “If you can make fake CitCard for me, why can’t you make fake cards for all of the mutants?” Angela asked.

  “If too many people have fake cards the Watch will become aware and crack down on it. The cards will be useless,” Jesse said. “Besides, we cannot give someone who has obvious mutations a fake card. It won't do them any good as it will just get revoked and they will still be killed.”

  “But can’t they stay upstairs, at least the mom and kids?” Angela asked, her eyes focusing on the weapons again.

  “They are a family,” said Jesse. “They want to stick together. Sometimes being separated from those you love is more of a cage than any room can be.”

  Suddenly Angela felt guilty for leaving her father. At least her cage was much nicer than this.

  Angela nodded in agreement, but she was still unsure how she felt about the whole thing. This room, with the huge guns and sharp swords hanging from the walls, was no place for children to grow up. He did say The Resistance was the “anti-Watch,” but she didn’t know how literal they took their role. Jesse said that the Watch were killers, but with so many weapons, were The Resistance killers too?

  “What are the guns for?” Angela asked.

  “Mostly just protection,” Jesse said. “Just practicing our Second Amendment rights that the Watch seems to think is only for them.”

  “Mostly?” Angela questioned. “Have you . . . used a gun?”

  “Many times,” said Jesse.

  “Have you ever killed anyone?” Angela asked.

  Angela’s heart sank when Jesse didn’t answer right away.

  “I would never kill in cold blood, like the Wardens do,” he finally said, “I have only killed once. I received an assignment to kill a Warden after he murdered a member of The Resistance.”

  “Then you’re just as bad as them,” Angela said.

  “Easy to say when it’s not your family being murdered,” Jesse said. “The people of The Resistance, they are my family. If someone ever harmed your father, what would you do?”

  Angela ignored his question.

  “Was that why you ran away to the forest?” Angela asked, “ Because you killed a Warden?”

  “Yes. But that Warden had killed thirty-nine innocents, including my best friend, and was on his way to publicly execute three more. When Freedom offered me the assignment, I saw it as a way to prevent more deaths. Three people lived because of my choice. Having to lay low afterward turned into a good thing, because I got to meet you.”

  Angela said nothing. If Freedom ever asked her to kill someone, no matter who they were or whatever reason she gave, Angela knew she couldn’t. It wasn't in her to take the life of another.

  “Don’t worry, Angela,” Jesse said. “I did not bring you here to turn you into a killer. Other than Freedom, Emi, and I, no one else here has ever touched a gun. You will not have to use one. I said I would protect you and you are safe with me.”

  They walked over to an area of the room with a green screen. He told her to stand in front of the screen and smile. Angela beamed at the camera, and he told her that smiling was only allowed if she did not show her teeth. Her toothless smile felt fake. The camera flashed, which startled Angela. Jesse uploaded the picture onto one of the computers.

  “Now remember, the credits on this card are fraudulent and should only be used in an emergency or to buy needed items,” Jesse said. “We want to stay under the radar.”

  The counterfeit CitCard emerged from a nearby printer, and Angela looked the card over before putting it in her pocket. She could not read the name on the card, so she turned to Jesse.

  “What’s my alias?” Angela asked.

  To her surprise, he had used her real first name. Angela’s new last name was Woods, which Jesse said he selected due to her former residence. Angela realized she didn’t know her father’s last name and had never thought to ask. Even though the guns and cage disturbed Angela, she smiled at the fact that she now had a last name.

  “The Watch aren't very good at distinguishing real CitCard’s from fake cards. Still, Kane has given them permission to kill un-carded individuals with no trial, so it’s best to avoid situations where you have to actually show them the card.”

  “Trust me. I have no desire to get anywhere near the Watch,” Angela said.

  Angela said goodbye to the children and waved at the mother and father before she and Jesse made their way back to the abandoned building, where Emi was waiting patiently.

  “I want to take you shopping with me, Angela!” Emi gushed excitedly as soon as Angela made it back.

  Angela was nervous about going outside and blending into this new world. Still, she knew she needed some clothes and shoes if she wanted to avoid being spotted as an obvious outsider.

  “That would be great,” Angela said. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Eight

  The market was located inside of a large mall once known as Water Tower Place. Despite the dreary ambiance that shrouded the rest of the settlement, this location was busy and bright. All of the mall’s official storefronts were vacant, but various vendors lined the halls, selling their wares to make a buck and playing music from radios or their own instruments to pass the time. Others gathered around an old fountain that no longer worked, trading personal items and food with other visitors.

  A Warden manned the most frequented stand. He didn’t look like the ruthless killers Jesse had made the Watch out to be. He was a short, round, middle-aged man who reminded Angela of her father. He wore black pants and a shirt with red, white, and blue stripes, reminiscent of the American flag that her father had at home, only with one large copper star on his chest instead of stars representing each state. Emi said the star was something that Kane added to his version of the American flag, symbolizing the rebirth of America. He was drawing the biggest crowd of customers, selling the most food and supplies to the shoppers. Two other Wardens guarded the entrance of the mall, but these were slim and fit.

  “I have a question to ask, Angela,” Emi said as they explored the market, looking for a vendor selling clothing.

  “What's that?” Angela was only half paying attention. There was so much to see. The architecture alone made Angela less impressed by her father’s ability to build their cabin.

  Emi slowed her walking pace down a little bit. An embarrassed smile spread across her face.

  “I’m nosy,” Emi admitted. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but do you like Jesse?”

  “Of course I like him.” Angela didn’t understand the implications of her question. “He’s been very kind to me.”

  “Yes, yes, Jesse is very kind. But do you like him, like him. I hope so, maybe he’ll get over his little crush on Freedom. That would be so fire!” Emi jumped up and down with e
xcitement. “And it's so obvious he likes you. You two would make such a cute couple.”

  Angela realized that Emi was talking about “liking” in a romantic way. The way she had heard about in stories. The way her father once loved her mother.

  “Oh, well, I don’t really know if I like him in that way. Maybe I do, I don’t know yet,” she clarified. A few weeks ago, she didn’t know any other humans existed. It was too much of a mental leap to contemplate romance with one of them so soon. Especially one who had just confessed that he had killed a man.

  “Well, if you figure it out, let me know. I love to play Cupid,” Emi said, before latching on to Angela’s arm and guiding her to a vendor.

  “You’ll be the first to know,” Angela promised, wondering who Cupid was.

  It was easy being around Emi. She was energetic and positive, yet patient with Angela, understanding that everything about the settlement was new to her. For the first time since arriving in Chicago, Angela started to relax.

  The clothing that the vendor was selling was made in a variety of bold colors instead of the bland, repurposed fabrics she used to sew with back home. Most of the clothes were used, but the vendor said that some items were hand made and brand new.

  They purchased three shirts, two pairs of pants, and two dresses. Though Angela was happy to find clothing that fit, she was more interested in the electronic items she had seen another woman selling in the mall. After they made their purchases, she dragged Emi to a vendor that had a cardboard sign with the word, “Unplugged” written on it in blue stylized print. Four cell phones sat on a threadbare blanket in front of the woman.

  The vendor, a pretty twenty-something with dozens of braids atop her head, had a nametag on her red shirt that said her name was Stella and that she was a “Sales Manager.” Emi snorted at the formal title.

  “Pretentious much?” Emi mumbled to herself.

  Emi seemed unenthused as the woman showed her wares, but Angela was awestruck. The phones all had unique abilities. It seemed that at the end of the world, people were willing to invest in staying connected.