Epic

by Alexander Strijewski

  “How is keeping me cooped up in a small apartment for the rest of my life saving me? If anything you’ve trapped me! If I hadn’t insisted that we leave, we would still be leading our empty lives in here going nowhere. Come next week, I’m going to visit Nor’Ander on the far continent. I’m going to meet some of my pen pals in person and put all this behind me.”

  “Brevin you CAN’T. There IS NO Nor’Ander! It doesn’t exist!”

  “It does, I can and I will.”

  “And just how do you propose to leave the city limits then?”

  “They are walls at the outskirts aren’t they? I climb them at a spot where there is the most access.”

  “They will have sensors for anyone leaving the city. If they pick up your heat signature or they see anyone leaving then they will immediately accost you and bring you in and that will be it.”

  “I’ll wear a heat resistant coat if that makes you happy, but in a week I am leaving and I am going whether you help me or not.”

  “Please Brevin, they are probably listening to everything you say right now.” He could tell he wasn’t reaching him anymore.

  “Then why haven’t they come already?”

  He let that hang in the air for a while.

  “Because they AREN’T listening!” With that Brevin turned away and covered himself up and went to sleep.

  Fearfully, Nym went through all search histories and info packets Brevin had been given recently. This wasn’t like him. Something was going on, and he only had a week to find out or he would lose him forever.

  * * *

  A week passed and Brevin had packed all his belongings. He had everything he needed and quietly sat and ate his breakfast as if it was just another day. Nym peered at him intently.

  “Brevin, did you actually take off your cap at some point, just to see what would happen? Is that what this is all about? Remember, the signal is designed to make you think everything is fine. That’s what one of those signals is constantly putting out into the air, ‘everything is fine. There is no need to panic.’ “

  Brevin just sat and continued eating his food. His head was in his pad.

  Nym couldn’t find any strange data packets that Brevin had received in his pad. But all of his pen pals were now asking for him to visit them in Nor’Ander. Interesting, he thought, that they would all want to see him at the same time and that they all happened to live on the same continent. They always follow similar patterns, that’s what gave them away. Somehow they must have bugged them and found out about them, all their running around finally raised enough suspicion and now they were onto them.

  “Can you at least acknowledge that we will quite possibly never see each other again after today? If I’m right then this is it, this is goodbye. Don’t you love me at all?” said Nym pleading.

  Brevin continued eating and after a pause said, “for all I know you took my parents away. How can I truly love you, if you took my parents? You could never replace them. I have real parents somewhere and I’m going to find them.”

  Nym said, “That’s it! You took off your cap. You’ve never behaved like this before. Dammit! That was stupid of you! I told you never to do that. How many times have I told you NEVER TO TAKE OFF YOUR CAP!”

  “It still doesn’t change things, I’m packed and ready and I’m not turning back.”

  “I’m coming with you at least. Do you have your rivet gun?”

  “Don’t need it.”

  “Why not, because ‘everything is fine and there’s no need to panic’?”

  Brevin didn’t answer. He picked up his knapsack and made for the door. Nym also had prepared and fighting back his tears went with him.

  It was 4:00pm when they made their way to the tram station. There were several people there commuting.

  “Where do you plan on scaling the wall and with what?” asked Nym.

  Brevin stolidly just continued to stare ahead. As if Nym wasn’t even there. That he had taken off his cap was the only explanation, because he was beginning to behave like the rest of the populace. He really only had a few minutes left to try to convince him, to try to win him back.

  “Well tell me how you’re going to escape and I can at least help you. Because you’re not going to be able to climb 20 feet using your bare hands and you’re definitely not going to be able to traverse miles and miles of desert land without food and water and a way to hunt.”

  Brevin still ignored him staring at the passing cityscapes.

  “Fine I guess. I’ll just have to keep this climbing gear to myself and these food packages and waterskin.”

  Brevin started to look over.

  “You have those things?”

  “Sure. But you won’t need it where you’re going of course.”

  Nym put a satchel over his back facing away from the boy.

  “Can I see?”

  “Well you can have them, but I just need to tell you one last thing, and you just need to listen to what I have to say and I will give them to you.”

  “Ok fine, I’m listening. What is it?”

  “We won’t be seeing each other again. I’m sorry I tried all I could to save you. I just wanted you to know that you’ve always been like a son to me. I will let you go on your way and let you do what you want. I just want to let you know that I love you and only wished the best for you. And whatever you do, don’t lose this.”

  He passed the satchel over to him with the gear. Brevin looked it over, there were shoes for climbing, a clamp, some food among other things.

  The tram started to slow down for its final stop. Nym knew where he would try to scale the wall. It was near a factory building and he would use the awning as a boost to help him over, dangerous but possible. Brevin stood up, he looked at Nym one last time and said, “Nothing will happen to me. Good bye.”

  He walked out and surveyed the scene. Nym was right behind him and sat on a bench, he was weary, but watched nonetheless. The boy put on the shoes and the claw grips and climbed around the side of a factory. Finding a handhold he deftly scampered up a piece of tubing and made his way up to the awning. He eyed the wall. Nym could tell he was having misgivings. But he still threw his satchel over to the outside, stepped back, went into a crouch and without even looking back, jumped over.

  The moment he had thrown the satchel over he would’ve tripped several silent alarms, thought Nym, but there was no talking to this boy anymore, he had tried all week. They would be here any minute. He looked down at his watch.

  There was no squealing or sounds from the other side, so he must’ve had a safe landing despite it being 20 feet up. Now was the moment he could make his escape. He had the burning desire to make his way up and see what was happening, but he would make himself look out of place. He was too scared, stayed where he was and continued to watch helplessly.

  After a few moments he heard Brevin’s footfalls as he made his way up the hilly countryside and away from the city. Nothing was happening. For a moment, Nym thought maybe he was wrong, maybe all of his years of being careful, cautious of his every move, looking over his shoulder was for nothing! Maybe the boy was right after all. No one was stopping him, he could see him as he made his way over a hillock leading to a stream. Maybe he was just old.

  However after about another minute, all that changed. The quiet sound of growing sirens in the distance made his soul cringe. A group of enforcers made their way to the barrier in their squad car and night sticks. He watched as they put out a ladder and ten or so strong men hurried their way over in chase of the boy. It wouldn’t be but another few minutes and they would have him.

  He just sat there staring. He withdrew to the shadows.

  He heard faint crying and the sound of a group of men chatting to each other. Nym knew that the boy may give him away, they may force him to talk. He had to continue to play his part, no matter much he wanted rip the hearts out the men who were taking his boy away from him right in front of him.

  With stark terror he saw them toss hi
m over the wall and down to the men as if he was a doll. The boy was wailing in tears. But all Nym could do was just watch. He tried as best he could to fight back his own tears, but this time he couldn’t. Maintaining his front of quiet aplomb, the only thing that belied his true emotions were the tears running down his cheeks while he stood in shadow. He would never be able to stop fifteen armed men, not with a rivet gun. They wrapped the boy in some sort of strait jacket and put him into the back for a van for transport. He was going to the armored building, but for what only God would know. They drove off.

  He had foreseen this. He only prayed that Brevin would be able to get to his satchel to see what he had really left for him. For the next little while he just stood there, numb.

  * * *

  In the week that Brevin had been preparing his escape, Nym had been doing his own preparations. He knew that once taken, they would probably question or investigate and trace the actions of an eleven year old back to an adult, back to him. Now the boy was gone. This was going to be the night, possibly the last night of his life. But he knew exactly what he had to do.

  He could try to muscle his way into the building where they would take him to be ‘conditioned’ or killed and try to force his escape, or he could try to end this nightmare at its source.

  He had brought a duffel bag of his own, and he was wearing a leaden jumpsuit underneath his coat. He took the tram leading to the central hub of the city, to the tower. He hadn’t had the time to test all his equipment, but he would find out now if it worked or it would be over quickly. He went over his plan and all contingencies in his mind several times. He hoped didn’t forget anything as he beheld the tower slowly blotting out the darkening sky in his approach, just as it had blotted out the entire city and everything he ever loved.

  When they came to a stop he saw the usual array of sentries surrounding the complex. There was no way around, a distraction would attract some of them, but not all of them. A frontal assault would be absolute suicide. His adrenaline started to kick in and he forgot his tiredness. He went to a nearby alcove and opened his bag. This time he didn’t particularly care whether anyone saw him or not, for the first time in his life. He ruffled through and found his emitter. He tested it. It worked, but now for a test subject..

  He made his way up to a nearby archway where some enforcers stood by chatting, inching closer bit by bit. From cover he pointed the emitter and tried to catch a glimpse of their reaction. They seemed to wince a little. That was fortuitous, it had an effect at least. He took out his wallet and got ready the emitter from behind his coat. This was the moment that would determine everything. He reflected on his life, on his years spent with Brevin and all the time he spent as a recluse. He was doing the right thing now whether he lived or died. It was that thought that gave him strength.

  Throwing a scarf over his shoulder which contained a hidden leaden gauze, and he made around the tower and to a spot where the least amount of enforcers stood. He approached confidently as if he had worked in the tower his whole life. The awesome grandeur of the structure made him hesitate for a moment. No! He couldn’t hesitate. He pushed on. He now had the attention of at least ten of the men guarding the rear. Imperceptibly from within the lining of his coat, he keyed the emitter and aimed it right at the nearest group and set it to maximum.

  They winced. One of them held the side of his head.

  “Excuse me gentlemen, I’m here for repairs,” he held up his ID badge, covering the part that would otherwise determine whether he actually worked for the government or not, “everything is fine, there is no need to panic.”

  What he didn’t mention is the overwhelming panic he felt welling up inside him. What would these next few moments bring?

  He walked right up close, “Everything is fine, there is no need to panic.” He repeated and… walked right by them. He passed as if they never would’ve been able to stop him had they tried. He was careful to reverse the direction of the emitter the instant they were behind him to keep the beam on them.

  He was making his way around the building now, through the courtyards of long dead bramblewood and other scrub brush. He realized his mistake, the emitter could only point in one direction and the ones he wasn’t hitting were approaching him now. Man, why did this tower have to be so big!? He aimed it towards the new ones coming on.

  They began wincing, “Everything is fine, there is no need to panic.” He wished he could believe it.

  The entrance was now about 100 years away and he ambled through the broken masonry. They sure didn’t maintain this place. He almost tripped on a broken manhole cover.

  He swept the muzzle of the emitter back to some new ones, “Don’t worry. Everything is fine, there is no need to panic.”

  It seemed like ages before he reached the front door. It was all dark inside. He hoped to God it wasn’t locked. He could see an army of enforcers fanning out behind him now in the reflection of the entrance. He pulled at the grip. It was stuck. They were converging on him.

  “Excuse me sir!”

  He tried the trick of lifting the door handle a bit and jiggling it like Brevin had taught him and it gave way! Quickly while entering he pointed the emitter to the gathering crowd, “Everything is fine.” He forced out with a panic stricken face.

  He was inside! But inside where? He looked around. There were no people in here. Amazing! It was very dark. He stepped away from the door and made his way to what looked like the nearest staircase. The emitter he had designed to re-scramble the one signal that the enforcers were immune to seemed to work. Adding the words of the impulse seemed to work beautifully.

  He tripped on something and fell back. He lost hold of the emitter in the process. Man don’t they have any lights in here? Something had sliced into his leg and he felt shooting pains as he got back up. He looked at the mob that was now at the front door. Unless he found the emitter again they would be on him in moments. He fished around for it while keeping an eye on them.

  But they appeared to just stand there. Wait a minute. They weren’t coming for him? And why wasn’t there anyone inside here? He paused. They must be under some sort of command not to enter. Wow. They were staring at him with that glazed look. After another several moments of just searching he found it and he turned his attention back to the atrium of the tower. He could just barely make out the ceiling and a nearby flight of stairs. It was extremely dusty inside. He coughed his way along, careful not to fall on anything else. It really looked like no one had been in here for ages. How is that possible, he thought. The most prominent and most significant building possibly on the whole planet was… uninhabited? There would be people up above for sure he thought. He had emitter and weapon at the ready. He kept one eye back on the enforcers just as he caught a glimpse of one of them raising a blaster at him! Looks like it wore off. It took all of his remaining strength for fight his way to the staircase groping through the dark. But they still did not penetrate the front gate! By the sound it seemed like the shots never penetrated the front door. Man, they must be like zombies, he didn’t anticipate his beam would be so effective.

  He fought his way up the first flight out of view and looked back. There was no one who could see him now, he was safe for the moment. He took this brief respite to catch his breath. After a short while he went into his duffel bag and got an extra wad of leaden gauze and put it around his torso and face. For his eyes he wore spectacles with a thin sprayed coat of lead, they made it hard to see, if he was going to go to the center of the pulse, he needed complete protection from all angles, not just from above like usual. He secured every last bit of clothing, took another deep breath, and began his ascent. His thoughts went back to Brevin, what would be in that building they took him to?

  * * *

  Reality had reared its ugly head. Brevin had tried his best to hide in the sage brush surrounding the valley of the ravine he had found in his escape. But they were somehow able to track him despite anything he did. They must have had some way to
find him besides visual ID. He thought about donning a heat resistant coat as he had suggested to his uncle, but somehow had just thought he wouldn’t need it, relying on pure speed and the foliage to conceal his location.

  The men were rough in handling him and he thought he may have a separated shoulder, the same shoulder he had separated when younger, which Nym had helped him with by popping it back into place. He was now in a great deal of pain and these men were very callous, not caring one bit to help him. They didn’t talk to him. Watching the city go by from the back seat of the van, he wondered why he hadn’t listened to his uncle.

  It all went back to the day he had removed his cap. They had spent a good week with nothing happening, they had wandered all over the city without incident and he was becoming more and more convinced that everything was truly safe. All the warnings and cautions had been for naught. Nothing could really happen to them. He was young after all and his entire life Nym had looked after him overly cautious.

  Upon removing his cap he immediately felt different, as if sort of tranquil and numb, as if everything would be ok, while at the same time feeling a wave of being subordinate and servile among other maniacal emotions. It was a bit overwhelming he remembered. Nym had told him one of the powerful signals was broadcasting continuously the idea that ‘everything is fine, there was no need to panic.’ That’s truly how he felt for that moment. But when he looked at the cap, he noticed that with all his adventuring and scampering around, there had been a small tear in it, a rip out from the brim of the cap. Not much but it was there. Even as he looked at it, he thought it shouldn’t matter. He had put it back on and didn’t think about it again.

  It wasn’t until the men had almost been upon him, that he realized he had made a huge mistake and that the signal had gotten through to his skull to make him careless enough to shuck the only thing that was protecting him. All because of that one small tear. The small fissure had ruptured and broke loose the dam until overrun by the torrent of the signal.