Forgotten Origins Trilogy - Box Set: Infected, Heritage, Descent
Page 44
“And?” he asks, prompting me to finish my story.
“How old are you?” he seems surprised by the change in subject, but his grin spreads wider as he misinterprets my interest in him.
“Nineteen,” he replies, running his fingers through his blonde hair. “Only a few years older than you, Alex.”
Rolling my eyes, I take a sip of my drink and realize how thirsty I am. I’m sure his wicked good looks have gotten him plenty of attention from the girls in his life, but his charms fall flat on me.
“Zane and the professor were the key figures involved in developing the new anti-virus,” I say, picking the story back up and ignoring his attempts at flirting with me. “I got the formula to Zane, and it’s already at another lab, being manufactured.”
“Well that’s good news, because they’re going to need it.” Helping himself to a drink also, Seth then walks through the kitchen and dining room, and into the large family room that’s visible beyond in the open floor plan. If he noticed my snub, he’s ignoring it. Or maybe it’s all just a part of his cat-and-mouse game. I think he enjoys that.
“Do you know what happened to the professor and his wife, Sarah?” I ask hesitantly. I’ve wanted to ask this question since the first time I saw Seth at the vortex, but I’m afraid of the answer.
Plopping down on one of the over-stuffed couches, he looks up at me and pats the cushion next to him. I sit instead in a chair across from it. Chuckling, he leans back and crosses his arms. The smile quickly leaves his face though, and he seems to be thinking about how he’s going to answer me.
“Alex, I wish I could tell you something good, because he seemed like an interesting guy. Crazy, but funny. I didn’t see him for long since they transferred him in less than a day to the main headquarters. He was very important.”
My stomach clenches at his words and I want to tell him to stop. I don’t want to hear it. But I owe it to the professor. If there’s anything I can do to help him and Sarah, I have to do it.
“They infected Sarah right away,” Seth says quietly. Closing my eyes, I take a breath, and steel myself for the rest of the story. “But the guy wouldn’t budge. He was stubborn. I’ll give him that. Last I heard, they were planning on just infecting him too, and getting what they wanted that way. I don’t know why they didn’t just do that in the first place. Maybe they didn’t want to take the chance of him dying, because it has such a high death rate. Oh! That reminds me…”
I’m still trying to accept what I’ve heard about Professor Hassan, so I don’t immediately recognize what Seth is pulling out of his back pocket. It’s growing dim in the room in the gathering dusk, so I lean forward to see it better.
Gasping, I reach out to take the wooden medallion he’s dangling in front of me. It’s my family seal, an ancient piece of ancestry that’s handed down through the generations. On it is a carved pyramid with a crystal skull in the center of it. Light radiates out from the skulls eyes and beyond the pyramid to the edge of the round crest. I found this shortly after the Holocene outbreak began, hidden by my father, and it was a key part to getting inside the pyramid to active the anti-virus. Seth took it after the Mudameere imprisoned and infected me. I thought I would never see it again.
My eyes welling with tears that refuse to spill, I clutch it to my chest and remember the promises I made to my dad and family over the past couple of months. No matter how desperate things become, I can never give up. Dad wouldn’t have. We’ll figure out a way to get to that base and our families. Together, we can overcome anything.
I look up sharply at the sound of several horses trampling through the gravel just outside the house. Before I can even get off the couch to go greet my friends, Chis is yelling my name urgently as he runs in through the backdoor, a few feet away. Seth’s face registers surprise as he finds himself looking down the barrel of the rifle that Chris points his way.
THREE
“Chris!” I yell in alarm, seeing the mask of rage on his face.
Startled, he finally notices me, having only seen Seth in his tunnel vision. Clearly confused, he hesitates, the rifle already lowering as it becomes evident that I’m safe. Looking back and forth between Seth and me, he takes the whole scene in and then holds his hand out to stop the others that are crowding into the room behind him.
“I think it’s okay,” he says with obvious relief, as everyone starts talking at once.
Missy runs around the couch and literally throws herself at me, wrapping me up in a big hug. I was worried about them too, but they’re acting as if they thought I was in immediate danger for some reason. I look up from Missy’s blonde hair that’s trying to suffocate me, and find Chris watching us closely.
“Okay, what gives?” I ask, pushing back from my best friend and turning to the four guys now lined up on the other side of the room. I can feel the tension radiating from Seth behind me.
“We found the bike dumped on the side of the road,” Chris explains. “Seth said there was plenty of gas in it to make it back here, so … ” he trails off, eyes narrowing.
“So you figured this was all a set-up and I delivered Alex to my buddies?” Seth finishes for him, not trying to hide his irritation at the accusation.
“That energy wave from the ship was an EMP,” I quickly intercede. “It wiped out everything electronic. That’s why we had to leave the bike. We don’t know how far reaching it was.” They wouldn’t have noticed its affects since they were on horses.
“I’ve heard of those before,” Kyle says, jumping over the back of the couch to sit down next to Missy. “But I didn’t think they were real.”
“Oh they’re real,” Nate answers, his red hair standing out in the dim light of the room. It’s only late afternoon, but already the shadows are gathering inside. We’ll have to find some candles.
“We know they can be created by an atomic explosion high up in the atmosphere, or a large coronal mass ejection from the sun. But those wouldn’t burn out everything. Whatever that was, it’s more powerful than anything hypothesized.” It doesn’t surprise me that Nate would know a lot about it. He’s like a walking encyclopedia and while it’s sometimes irritating, he’s proven a great asset in our plight. He and Kyle are classmates of Chris, and they all played football together. They would have been graduating next month. The thought that they should be planning prom and finalizing where they’d be going to college, saddens me. None of this is right.
“This technology is something RA has revived from our brothers of long ago,” Benuk states, his deep voice loud in the enclosed space. Looking at my Nephume cousin, I marvel at his size and presence. He has the typical blonde hair and blue eyes of the Nephilim, but at 6’5”, he’s much shorter than his father. He reminds me of drawings of the god, Thor. It’s too bad that society has pretty much collapsed; he could have made a killing in Hollywood.
“What do you mean?” I ask him, trying to stay focused. I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours and I think I’m starting to get a bit delirious.
“Nator kept a collection of ancient texts, depicting the history of the Nephilim, which I have read several times. Over ten-thousand years ago, a weapon similar to this was one of many used in their civil war. Afterwards, all records associated with the violent weaponry were destroyed. Since this particular technology was also used in other applications and was seen as a non-violent intervention, it was not outlawed.”
I recall a vivid genetic memory I had a couple of days ago that involved one of the other deadly weapons. It was a massive sound-cannon, for lack of a better comparison. Good to know that it’s unlikely they still have it. “So you don’t necessarily see this as an outright attack by RA?” I ask.
“No,” Benuk states. “RA will know by now that the human population is neither conquered nor cured. He is likely in an awkward position with his followers as to what it all means. I imagine he sees this as a way to assist the Mudameere to further their take-over, and prevent an uprising from those of us resisting.”
>
“Are you sure we should be discussing this in front of him?” Missy interrupts, nodding at Seth.
“She’s right,” Kyle quickly adds. “We can’t trust him.”
Seth heads for the chair in the farthest corner of the room and plops down in it, putting his feet up on the matching stool. “While I’m flattered you care so much about me, don’t you think our time would be better spent in figuring out what we should be doing now?” he says, directing the question to Chris.
“Oh, I completely agree,” Chris responds, a little too quickly. “That’s why I think we’d be much better off if you just went your way and we go ours.” He probably doesn’t even realize that he’s rubbing at the raw, colorful black eye still spreading out across his handsome face. Seth is responsible for it, as well as a rapidly healing stab wound in my own collarbone.
Even though I was thinking the same way only a short time ago, the weight of the medallion resting once more against my chest reminds me of something. “No,” I say to everyone. “While I like it less than anyone else here; we need him. He can give us information that nobody else can and if this really does come down to a war, then that’ll be even more important. You have to understand though,” I add, turning to Seth’s shadowy form in the corner, “that it’s going to take a lot to earn our trust.”
“I get that and all,” he says quietly. “However, as much as I’d love to make new friends, I care a whole hell of a lot more about preventing the genocide of this planet. But in a show of good faith, why don’t I start by telling you what the Mudameere are doing right now, while we sit here debating whether you want to induct me into your club?”
My face burning hot from his insults, I force myself not to come back at him with my own. He’s a complete hypocrite, but my pointing that out will get us nowhere. He is right about one thing. We need to plan our next move. Grabbing onto Chris’s arm, I pull him down next to me on the other couch across from Missy and Kyle. Best to keep him near me.
“Go ahead, Seth,” I say through clenched teeth. “Please enlighten us.”
Benuk and Nate follow my lead, finding a place to sit while Seth begins his explanation. “The only reason I was able to leave when I did, without drawing any suspicion, was because the place was in total chaos,” he says, placing his feet back on the floor and leaning towards us. “They had just discovered that RA was ahead of schedule. That, combined with your surprise visit last night, prompted them to move up the next phase of the Nephi2 infection.”
“The Shiners seen in town earlier today?” Nate asks, remembering the information Jim reported this morning, while we were having breakfast.
“Well, yeah. Those Shiners, plus several hundred others planned in strategic locations. You’re lucky though,” Seth continues, standing now and going to look out the window facing open pastures. “The Mudameere had much bigger plans originally. There were supposed to be thousands of Shiners in place all over the country by the end of this next week. As it is, it’ll take much longer for this to spread now. But it will spread,” he adds, turning back to face us. “There isn’t any way to stop it. Not unless this Senator guy makes good on his promises of developing the anti-virus.
“The key figures involved in the Mudameere will already be underground by now. That’s what they were doing this morning; bugging out. Like last time, with the Holocene virus, they’ll stay there until the threat of infection has passed. Then they’ll re-emerge to claim their prize from RA.”
“And what happens if we’re able to dispense enough of the anti-virus to fight back?” Chris asks.
“Well, I know that the Mudameere will have no problem with using the Shiners to wipe those of us left off the face of the earth, by any means possible. I really don’t know about RA though. Benuk?” Seth asks, turning to him.
“I don’t expect RA to communicate with those of us not associated with the Mudameere,” he answers. “He will view us humans and Nephume as a lower life form who’s not worthy of his attention. It would be like asking your President to hold counsel with an ant. It simply won’t happen. No, I imagine he will wait for the virus to become effective enough to achieve whatever his plans are. If there is a need for violent measures, he will leave it up to the Mudameere to carry it out. The Nephilim are very old, and therefore patient. Waiting in your orbit for a hundred years would not be beyond them.”
“Well, I sure hope this doesn’t take a hundred years to work out,” Kyle says with concern. “It’d be great if we can have a chance at a normal life again sometime during our generation.”
Barking at the back door interrupts our conversation, and I’m relieved to see my golden retriever, Baxter, standing there with his tongue lolling. I knew that he would be lagging behind the horses, but I was starting to get worried about him. He’s not your normal dog.
I rush to let him in, and kneel down to rub behind his ears. He quickly covers my face in dog slobber, and I laugh as he knocks me back off my heels and onto my bottom. “Come on buddy,” I say, getting to my feet and heading into the kitchen. “Let’s find you some water.” Barking once, he follows me and then helps nose through the fridge for some bottled water, since the tap water isn’t working.
Professor Hassan gave Baxter to us as a gift after my father’s death two years ago. I recently found out that he was part of something called the Genesis Project, and that his introduction to our family was part of a bigger plan. What it all means, I still haven’t figured out, other than the fact that he’s incredibly smart for a dog and an important part of our lives. He was especially critical in helping my younger brother Jake pull out of his depression after Dad died. This thought causes a pang of extra anxiety at being separated from my mom and brother, and makes me re-focus on the task at hand.
“So we have to get to the base as quickly as possible,” I say, stating the obvious. “The senator said he was going to be meeting with key personnel to organize the resistance. That’s where we need to be, and it’s also where our families are right now.” I finish pouring Baxter’s water and rejoin Chris on the couch.
“Jim managed to get the ham radio to work for a little while, and I talked to Senator Zane. Well, kind of. It was really garbled but I was able to figure out that he was telling us to come there, and that our families are with him.”
“Oh my gosh!” Missy gasps. “The plane would have crashed from the EMP! Are you sure they’re safe?” Her mom and younger sister are with my family, along with Chris’s Mom. They were in route to a lab, where the Khufu Bast is working furiously to produce antiviral meds, based on the formula I provided from Professor Hassan.
“Yes,” I reassure her. “I’m positive that he said they were with him. He also mentioned something about more Shiners, so Seth is right. The plan for spreading it is in full swing. I guess we need to figure out how to get to Helena. Isn’t that where he said he was going?”
“He never made it to Helena,” Jim says from behind us. We all turn to where he’s standing in the darkened hallway, which leads to the radio room. He has a bulging backpack resting at his feet and is obviously dressed for travel. “I got word from NORAD that the Nephilim ship was incoming, so I had the senator make an emergency diversion and land at Malmstrom Airforce base in Great Falls, MT. The EMP was less than half an hour later, so it’s a good thing they did it. That’s where we have to go.”
FOUR
“How far away is the base?” Nate asks, looking weary at the thought of having to travel again. We’re all sleep deprived and if they’re like me, incredibly sore from being on horseback for several hours. The thought of trekking out across the mountains is daunting.
“Just over two hundred miles,” Jim explains, as he bends over and starts going through the pockets on his bag. “Here!” he exclaims, holding up a worn map. “I’ve already figured out the best route. We’ll have to go by horse of course, but that may eventually give us an advantage. I think we can cut off some miles by taking a few trails here and there.”
I won
der how he was able to do all of this in the short amount of time since I got back. Or more likely, he started planning for it immediately after the EMP. I look closely at Jim for the first time. He’s a short, unimposing, middle-aged man with wire-rimmed glasses and a nervous gesture of rubbing his hands together. The more I concentrate on him, the greater sense of intelligence and confidence I get from him. I think that he and Nate could be great friends.
“Two hundred miles?” Kyle moans, leaning back further into the couch. “I don’t know if my butt can handle another hour in a saddle! How freaking long is that going to take?”
“Based on the average daily stride of a normal horse, with a typical mount, and taking some of the short-cuts, I believe we can cover the distance in about seven days,” Jim responds matter-of-factly. “Faster, if we push it.”
Amid all the groans and complaints, Chris points out a major issue. “We’ve only got the six horses that Senator Zane gave us. We need nine if you’re going. Are there that many here at the ranch that can make the trip?”
“This is a horse ranch. Yes, there are plenty of horses. We’ll actually need ten because we’ll want one for packing our gear. We’re going to need tents, bedding, food, and other supplies.”
“What do you know of this base?” Benuk asks Jim, his expression hard to read.
“Know of it? Well, it’s one of three US military bases that house Intercontinental missiles. It has NORAD, which is a special sort of radar, as well as numerous other special Air Force programs. It’s a huge base, at over five square miles. Most of its sensitive equipment is located underground with shielding. It’s basically its own, secure city. It would be the perfect headquarters to co-ordinate a resistance.”
Benuk seems to consider all of this and then turns to Seth, his demeanor still guarded. “And what do you know of this base?”