by David Moody
As if the other had been reading Maddie’s thoughts, Thistle said, shrewdly, “They are going to be at each other’s throats soon. I’ve seen what blind panic can do to good people. We need to restore order.”
Sam picked up the thread. “She’s right. Give them a common goal.”
“That’s great and everything, but what is that common goal?” Maddie asked. “Shelter? Because there’s not so much as an axe down there to do any building with. Hunt for food? Same problem. I’d even say train to fight for when the enemy comes, but fists aren’t going to work.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Thistle was looking at the god-tech rings.
“I’m listening…maybe,” Maddie replied.
“We’ve all come from somewhere different, even some time different. You and Jenny took these people away from Earth. Why can’t we use the god-tech to supply food, tools, we could get everything we need.”
“This machine isn’t some giant celestial superstore. And you saw what happened when we opened it up. That killing virus out there can sense when it’s being used. We risk the chance of being discovered.”
“I get that, Maddie,” Sam said. “But you’ve already listed the reason why we can’t stay like this. Just hiding, I mean. What’s the point? I don’t want to wait around to die.”
“But forcing the issue might not be the best choice, Sam. You didn’t see what I saw; I’m not so sure those poor bastards actually died. I get the sad impression that they are imprisoned within that aberration, unable to do anything about it but bear witness to countless atrocities. A death borne by inaction might be preferable.”
“No.” Thistle had stood tall. “We fight. My mother fought, my father fought at the end, and I’m sure Arridon is fighting, wherever he is.” She had to take a moment to make sure she didn’t break down, thinking about her sibling. “We have to do the same.”
Maddie wanted to tell Thistle, yeah but look what fighting got them, dead and with nothing accomplished, but that was hurtful and mean spirited. She knew her reluctance stemmed from fear; how could it not? She and Jenny had arguably the most powerful machine known to humankind, and it had been little more than a speed bump in the highway for the Bleed. They would fight. They had to fight, and if all looked as if it might be lost, she swore to herself that she would take her own life before she would be added to the deadly maelstrom. Maddie did not reply as Sam went and hugged Thistle, who was obviously struggling to keep her composure as she thought on all she’d lost. Both of the young women had endured so much, yet they still wanted to fight, or had to, to justify the losses. Maddie, as of yet, hadn’t lost much more than her idyllic isolation.
“I would like to get some rest. And then, if we all agree, I propose we look for ways to get supplies and weapons to fight back.” Thistle was looking at Maddie as she said this; she didn’t need an answer from Sam, who was holding her hand.
“Get some rest,” Maddie told her without committing to anything. She needed to think about it. Not that it ultimately mattered; Sam and Thistle were going to do whatever the hell they wanted to. They were both teenagers, and Maddie wasn’t their custodian. It was true she had a basic understanding of the machine and could partially operate it, demigod or not. If she participated, it would make Thistle’s job more manageable, but not impossible, if she didn’t help. “I’m going down to the surface.”
“You want me to come with you?” Sam asked.
“I don’t think it’s safe. This room is tucked away from the madness going on, and anyway, someone should be here for when your mother comes through.”
“Sounds like I got the dangerous end of that stick,” Sam said.
“You really kind of did. I’ll be back,” Maddie assured them.
“Be safe,” Sam told her. Thistle was quiet.
Maddie walked out of the room and took a large breath as she stood in the hallway. She wasn’t sure if it was in preparation to deal with the people outside or the ones inside. She looked down both ends of the hallway; it was empty and as nondescript as any hotel. A wave of doubt passed over her as she thought about what she was about to do, and she turned back to the door. She gasped; there was nothing there except uninterrupted wall. She ran the gamut from thinking the entire thing was some strange dream, to she had travelled through a portal and been transported away, or possibly Thistle, realizing Maddie was going to push back on the idea to fight, had locked out her voice of reason.
“Am I going insane? Is this all early-onset dementia? Why couldn’t I get lost in a world of rainbows and unicorns instead of this nightmare.” She reached out with her right hand. As soon as she touched the wall, the door returned. She was torn between relief and depression at the discovery she was not losing her mind. She travelled toward the elevators and debated taking them down, then decided she wasn’t going to take the chance. How the building had power was a mystery beyond her capabilities of understanding. Whether it was god-tech or some fucking sort of magic, she was not going to be stuck in the box when it took that opportune moment to cease functioning. Alone, in the dark, stuck between worlds was no way to die.
“Fucking stairs, so sick of them.” This was her mantra the entire way down, knowing that each one she took now with relative ease, was going to be murderous as she climbed back up. She had not one doubt that it would not be a leisurely stroll but rather one where she was running for her life with no ability to stop and catch her breath at any point. “Well, if you’re so sure of that, why the hell are you doing it?” she asked. “Because I’m just that damn smart,” she replied. She slowly opened the door to the lobby and was surprised to see that no one was there. In an extremely unfamiliar place, it only made sense that some would seek out the familiar. She could see the crowds of people through the large glass windows in front, but it was like the door to the clockwork room; it did not appear that they could see the hotel.
“Yeah, this is weird,” she said as the motion detector opened the front doors for her.
“Whoa, where did you come from? Are you one of them?” It was a young man, mid-twenties, dressed in board shorts and a button-down shirt.
“One of them?”
“One of the gods.”
“I’m not a god.”
“Yo, that’s exactly what a god would say.”
“Been around a lot of gods?” Maddie asked.
“You can’t fool me, god lady. You just materialized out of thin air.”
“Thin air?” Can you not see the giant hotel behind me?” Maddie looked just to make sure it was indeed there.
“Giant hotel. Ha. Wouldn’t that be nice? I could go for some room service right now, a frosty mug and a bed. Do you know where we’re at? Do you think anyone from the states survived? I came here on vacation with a few of my friends; my fiancée is back in California. She was going to come, but she’s pregnant.”
Maddie knew by the vacant expression as he talked about his fiancée, that, on some level, he knew the truth, yet was not quite ready to acknowledge it, and for that, she felt terrible for him. She stepped away and into a large gathering of people who were all sitting, their heads down; they were in prayer.
“Join us, sister, won’t you?” A woman in the middle of the circle, wearing a floral dress and a heavy-looking set of wooden beads, had waved Maddie over.
“Thank you,” Maddie mumbled but kept on going.
“The gods will hear you better if you but join your voice with ours!” the woman shouted.
“They can’t hear you either way. Cause the two upstairs aren’t listening,” Maddie said softly as she continued on her way. Every few steps, she would turn to make sure the hotel was still visible. A lot of the people were in groups of twos and threes, talking animatedly about what was going on and what they could do, but even more were alone, depressed, in despair. Maddie could not blame them for that. Nothing was ever going to be the same. What was lost was gone for good, and instead of time healing all wounds, it was now their active enemy. With each ticking of the gr
eat timepiece, they were brought closer to the very thing that could extinguish all life.
Some were foraging for food; they had a large pile of strange-looking tuber roots, berries, and what could possibly be considered fruit, though none had tried any of it. No one wanted to be the toxicity tester. Eventually, hunger would win out and someone would eat, but until then, it was merely a growing pile. She knew that early people had watched birds; if they ate something, then it was generally considered safe for human consumption. Unfortunately, birds, animals, even insects were noticeably absent from here. It made sense to a point—if this was a manmade ecosystem. No reason to bring mosquitoes to the party; bees, though, she thought they would be essential in this environment. And whereas maybe you didn’t want a Bengal tiger wandering around in your Eden, some cattle, sheep or even chickens would very much be welcome. She didn’t think there was much of a chance that whoever had created this place were all vegetarians, was there? If that was the case, she was sourly wondering if maybe the Bleed had it right. “Bad joke, Maddie.” She had her hands tucked inside her overalls, and her propensity was to keep her head down and mind her own business. Too bad the whole reason she was out here was to do just the opposite.
It was mostly peaceful; yes, a few fights had broken out, as some dipshits had decided to assert their dominance and prove their right to lead, though nothing substantial had been decided. The victorious were preaching to a mostly empty pulpit, as the crowd that would invariably gather to watch, would disperse upon the conclusion, and an army of one was not going to accomplish much. The relative peace would devolve soon enough. This much stress, it would eventually break them unless…
“Unless they have something to focus on. A common enemy,” she snarled as she said that, thinking upon all the politicians she’d ever known that would jump headfirst into a war if only to keep their populace distracted from the corruption within their administrations. It seemed as old a trick as ever, probably started with Urk throwing rocks at Umgur so he wouldn’t notice the missing firewood. But with results that continued to produce, why would they ever change up the playbook? “Fuck, Maddie, when did you become such a know-it-all cynic? And also, when did you start talking to yourself in the third person?”
“If you want, I’ll talk to you, then it won’t seem so bad.”
“Hey, surf guy.”
“Rolden. Rolden Manchester.”
“Seriously?”
“I didn’t name myself. You can call me Rollo, my friends do.”
“And what do you prefer?”
“Huh. Never had anyone ask that. Yeah, Rollo is fine.”
“Are you following me?” She expected him to deflect, lie or deny; she’d not been expecting the truth.
“Um yeah, I am. You literally appeared in front of me. Say what you will, maybe you aren’t a god, but you have your finger in the works, of that I’m sure. If anyone knows anything or is able to do anything about our current situation, it’s you.”
She thought about telling him not to waste his time, but it wasn’t the worst thing, having company as she walked about. “Where you from, Rollo?”
“Indiana, small town south of…” The rest of his response was drowned out by the screams of a multitude of people to their left.
“Shit.” Maddie pulled Rollo behind a large tree; it looked to be within the pine family, but she’d never seen needles quite so long or broad, a change perhaps brought on by the climate or some hybridization. A crowd of people were stampeding past their location. Those that fell immediately found themselves being trampled underfoot. Maddie had held Rollo back when he’d made as if to go and help. “Nothing you can do but become a casualty.”
“Why are they running?”
There were the panicked cries of the scared, but above that were the screams of those in pain. And, from the sound of it, Maddie thought they were being torn limb from limb while very much alive. She was surprised that the bleed had found them so quickly. The hotel looked so far away; she didn’t like her odds of making it back before it got to them. She’d not that long ago promised she would kill herself before she allowed herself to be incorporated into the virus, and here she was, without so much as a pocketknife. She wondered briefly if Rollo would try and stop her if she kept smashing her head into the rough bark of the tree. She might have tried it if she wasn’t more worried she would only cause herself to pass out and then upon awakening find that she was now part of the death machine. As the crowd rushing past began to thin, she looked around the trunk.
“Fuck.”
“Whoa, even Australia doesn’t have anything like that.” Rollo was looking over Maddie’s shoulder; he was close enough that, with a little Tequila, it was likely they could have got to know each other in the Biblical sense.
“Do you mind?” Maddie looked back.
“What? Right, sorry.” Rollo backed up. “What is that thing?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, but I’ve seen one before. We should go.”
“Yeah, I don’t have a problem with that.”
The giant tick had ruined three people and was entirely too busy sucking all of their blood from their bodies to take much notice of the ten people who had turned to face it.
“What are those idiots doing?”
“Giving us time to run,” Rollo said.
Maddie involuntarily ducked down when she heard the report of a gun being fired. The tick barely acknowledged the impact that slammed into its side.
“The eyes! Aim for the eyes!” Maddie found herself running toward the conflict.
The man shot again; his grouping was tight, if ineffective. This time an eyeball sitting high atop an antenna swiveled toward the man.
“The eyes! It can jump!” Before she could get the words out, the tick had launched and landed, crushing the man under its weight, the snapping of multiple bones louder than the gun had been. Another nearby swung a tree branch; this one had heeded Maddie’s advice, aiming straight for an eyeball. A hissing shriek erupted from the beast as the antenna wrapped around the branch. The man was lifted from his feet as the monster shook its head. Two jumped to grab his legs while a third man hurled a rock. The massive stone smashed into the other antenna before landing on the creature’s head. It appeared dazed, allowing the rest to kick, punch and stab until they’d downed the beast. It was a victory of sorts, as the thing’s bleats silenced and its body stilled, yet four people had been killed and another injured. Maddie was sickened watching the gathered men rolled the dead creature off of the man that had been crushed; the misshapen lump of flesh looked nothing like the human it had once been. He was folded in on himself as if a giant had begun to make origami from a person but had been interrupted halfway through the process.
Maddie bent down and pulled the pistol free from his warm, crushed flesh. It was a six-shot revolver that currently had three bullets left. She debated feeling around his person for any spare rounds but couldn’t muster the nerve to stick her hand anywhere into the human goulash he’d become. She stood and backed up when an untethered eyeball rolled down the lump of detritus. She had to pull her gaze away and look elsewhere pronto.
“Run!” The word was out of her mouth before she was entirely even sure what she was looking at. A herd of the monsters were thundering toward them, toward the entire population. They were leap-frogging each other in a bid to get at the food source first. Great clods of debris were being kicked up behind them as they tore the ground away in their haste. The panic moved through the people like a wave, starting with those closest, as they sought to put distance between themselves and certain death. It was a chaotic mass evacuation. People were being trampled; some tried to help the fallen but were swept along in the tide, pulled away as if by an unstoppable current. Most of the crowd was running in the opposite direction of the oncoming bugs. The hotel was at an angle to the exodus, so Maddie and Rollo were desperately trying to fight their way through diagonally across the panicked human stampede. Maddie was appreciative of her
traveling companion’s efforts as he muscled through the crowd, keeping them from being bowled over.
“Where are you going?” He had to yell to be heard.
“The hotel—we’re almost there!”
“Maddie…” he grunted as he planted his feet and took a direct hit to his shoulder. He was pushed back as the man who’d run into him was deflected and kept going without so much as a mumble of apology. “…what hotel?” He wrapped his hand around another’s head and pushed him to the side. “They’re getting close.” Rollo did not like that they were running parallel to the tick-monsters. The only defense the people had was the size of the herd they were hunting, guaranteeing some humans would survive, for now. It was a tactic that had worked on earth for years untold. The weak and the old would be dragged down first, as they lacked the ability to escape. Lions only killed enough to eat, and the herd was made stronger by the culling. But this model was perverse; humans were generally the predator and there was no telling how many of them it would take to sate the beasts chasing them. Maddie grunted and spun down as she took a direct hit to her side. The addling contact had her seeing stars, dazed, and very much in danger of being crushed by the multitude of fleeing feet. It was Rollo that hefted her up effortlessly, threw her over his shoulder, his left arm wrapped around her legs to hold her in tight. With his right, he pushed, pulled and punched people out of their way.
