Black Light: The Deplorable Savior

by Rich Richardson

  “What is this?”

  “This is the world, or at least, what’s left of it. Inside this small area are nine emergency survival facilities, just like the one under Jamestown. All were built by the Human Corps many years ago.”

  “So there are eight other cities out there?”

  “Not exactly.” His fingers pointed a spot on the map. “Only the Jamestown facility remains active. Through the years, all the others were closed off due to contamination, human stupidity or acts of revenge.”

  “Why haven’t they been reactivated?”

  “Because I’ve been reserving that job for you.” My eyes were drawn to the lever on the far side of the control board. “If you activate the other eight facilities, the world will industrialize. Populations will skyrocket and society will be reborn. Don’t activate them, and people will start over. A few very small facilities will help foster growth and prevent starvation, but the surviving humans will live meager existences. However, human society will never again wage full scale war, and be too focused on survival to develop ideas of racism and xenophobia. They’ll live more simple lives.” He adjusted his tie, and began to walk out the door.

  “You already know what I’m going to choose, don’t you?”

  “Does that matter?” He said, without any emotion, right before leaving.

  I thought about it for a second, and flipped the switch.

  A message appeared on the screen in flashing red letters, and the same message was repeated over the intercom by a robotic voice. “Commencing Emergency Hard Drive Dump”.

  A progress bar quickly filled to 100% and second message came out, “Facility Shutdown Initiated. 5...4…”

  The countdown continued far too fast for me to make it out, so I ran and crawled under the black table.

  “2… 1...”

  The lights went out. I sat there for several moment in total darkness, waiting for an explosion, implosion or something equally bad. Nothing happened, except for emergency lighting turning the whole facility red.

  I stepped out from under the table, and walked out to the hall. I grabbed my parka before exiting, and the device remained in my pocket.

  I looked out over the forest. In the distance I could see glowing blue lights, high in the sky, calling to people in need. I thought about what exactly I had done. I knew nothing about the people who would find these facilities. I didn’t know how they would react to finding advanced tools, medicine and guns.

  “Why did I have to pull the lever?”

  As the lights kept blinking, a thought crossed my mind. In order to prevent people from misusing this technology, they needed someone to teach them how.

  “Maybe that’s why,” I said to myself. “Maybe I can have the chance to redeem myself.”

  Fischer didn’t say anything. He hadn’t in a long time, and there was no sign of him coming back now. I soon realized why, as I took another look at the glowing blue lights and followed the map the device had displayed for me; because my mind and my heart finally wanted the same thing.

  Chapter 68 - Revy Micer

  I was surprised when we didn’t see activity within Soothouse. Everything was strangely quiet. The only sounds, aside from our breathing, was the crunching of fresh snow under our feet.

  “Team Three is inbound to Soothouse north square. We haven’t seen any movement so far.”

  “Team Two reporting the same.”

  “All of you, keep on your toes,” Scott told them.

  I was surprised at how calm his voice was. There were almost no fluctuations in vocal tone or speed. Even I was beginning to develop a sense of worry, as we made our way through the dead city. I had also contracted a slight sense of paranoia, due more to the unknown variables involved in this mission, rather than any actual danger. Rae told me that this was a phenomenon commonly known as “being given the creeps.”

  “You ok, Revy?”

  “I’m fine. Let’s keep going.”

  We walked for another few blocks, slowly making our way through Soothouse, until one of us heard a snap. One of the Black Jackets brushed away the snow beneath him, to see what it was he had broken. It was a human arm.

  “Holy shit.”

  We kept walking, and found more of the same. Only one block later, shrunken bodies covered the streets. Severe emaciation and signs of vitamin deficiency, including bloating, hair loss and bowing of the legs and arms due to bone softening. The cause of death was obvious for all of them, the men, women and the children; starvation.

  A couple of guys fell to their knees crying, but most just vomited.

  “Team One, have you arrived?”

  “We just made it to the square,” Scott told them. “Team Two and Three, do not come here. Return to the rest of the group.”

  “Why? What did you find in there?”

  “Just trash. Return and tell everyone else to pack their things. We’ll be moving back in by the end of the week.”

  “Understood. Team Two returning to base.

  “Team three, doing the same.”

  “Trash? Is that all they are?” The voice was from an officer; a survivor of the attack in Jamestown.

  “Just keep moving.”

  I was impressed by what the Black Jackets, both new and old, did next; they followed Scott and I deeper into the mass grave that was once a city.

  There was an enormous throne under the tree. It was covered in neon lights from top to bottom, and every corpse faced it. They had starved to death on their knees, worshiping their God in Lights.

  I went up to Scott, who was standing in front of the throne. There was no body on it, but there was a crown made of neon, with lights at the top forming a yellow mohawk. When Scott picked it up, he found something underneath, and, when I came closer, I saw that it was a pistol.

  “That little bastard,” I heard him whisper.

  “We can always use another weapon.”

  “This is mine.”

  “Did you lose it?”

  “I thought I did.”

  Slouching of the shoulders. Bags under the eyes, but no tears and only slight redness. Scott didn’t seem sad or miserable or guilty, he looked tired; and he looked as if he had been tired for far too long.

  I tried to think of something he would consider comforting, but was cut off when a soft blue light blanketed the city. It flashed from up on one of the towers, the highest point in Soothouse. We felt the earth shake and heard metal clanking beneath our feet.

  “What the hell was that?”

  One of the Black Jackets ran into a nearby building, and came out with big news, “Sir, the farming facility has been unlocked!”

  “Someone wanted us to be here now,” Scott mumbled.

  I didn’t ask him what he meant. It verged too much on the border of religion, and that was subject I refused to touch with a ten foot pole.

  “Hello, darling.” We froze at the sound of that voice. The recording was warped and mechanical, and sounded like needles being shot through our minds. Everyone but Scott ran from the throne, trying to get away from it. “I’m so glad that you came back to find me. It’s too bad about these people, isn’t it? Maybe if you hadn’t cut off the food supply, they wouldn’t have slowly starved to death, begging for sweet release.”

  “You did this?” asked the same officer. “You killed them?”

  Tears were running down Scott’s face, but his voice was smooth an unbroken.

  “We’ve all done bad things.”

  “But how can you justify this?”

  Scott came up to him. I expected him to shoot the officer for insubordination, but he still remained calm.

  “My friend, if you’d like to keep your conscience clean, you can feel free to leave, but there are much bigger monsters out there, and the worst one of all used to sit on that throne.”

  Torsos tilted forward, towards Scott. Eyes widened. Everyone was listening, and doing so very intently.

  “I didn’t expect this to happen, but I can’t change it n
ow. I just wanted the city back, and I didn’t want to risk the lives of my men to do it… so I made a judgment call. If you want to hate me for that, then feel free to leave.”

  Most of the officers took a half step away before deciding to stay, but the older Black Jackets never wavered, even for a second.

  “What should we do with the bodies, Mr. Vale?”

  He walked up to the throne. “The King in Lights will be back, so we’re going to put up a warning. For now, pile them outside the city.”

  The men got to work, but I walked up to Scott. He was whispering something, right in front of the neon throne, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

  “You proved it. You won.”

  Chapter 69 - Nearly

  It only took me an hour to get the machine up and running. It would have taken days if the blueprints weren't now embedded in my mind. A little information went a long way.

  I lost count of how many bodies I had to step over, during my walk home. Neither scavengers nor maggots had touched any of those affected by Byrd’s vapor. Of course, his was an altered form of what was already a compound of brilliant design.

  The bodies continued to litter the stairs, all the way back to my sanctuary, but I soon dragged the last of them outside. I entered the elevator and flew high up until I reached the top of the glass tower. Through these walls, I could see over the entire city. The Gray District was now almost inaccessible; the ramp leading up to it reduced to scrap. Large sections of the Presidential and Sunset Districts had been destroyed, and the Cages were an absolute mess; they were filled with the bodies of those who had either died of the injections, or been torn apart by their corrupted friends. Acting as salt on the wound, lost ferals and other wild animals roamed inside the walls. None of them were dangerous though; a small blessing.

  I held the trigger in my hand, and watched the shed while I pressed it. Multiple glass rockets shot from a hole in the roof, far up into the air. Animals retreated into buildings and other hiding places as the vapor started to block out the sun. The sky above changed from pure and blue, to cloudy violet. The ground below became so dense with the vapor that I could no longer see Jamestown below me.

  It seemed my human eye had reached its limit. My second eye activated a new protocol, and, suddenly, I was able to see through the fog and even the buildings. Every living thing was exposed to me. I watched as animals began convulsing violently before succumbing to death, and the corpses began to open their eyes. The humans who had once been addicts rose up once again. All bodies exposed to the vapor began to roam and wander, waiting to be given direction. Lykan's creatures, Sapiens and Omniscients walked side by side, their skins a new shade of dark violet; nearly black. Their bodily fluids turned neon colors that were brighter than before; colors that consumed their eyes until they no longer had pupils.

  The poor creatures needed to be given something to do. It just seemed cruel to allow them to wander aimlessly forever, so I put my hands on the two disks of the soundboard, and played a tune for them. Finally, I wouldn’t have to fill in the blanks. Every creature reacted, turning their attention to me. I played out a much longer series of tones. It was beautiful actually, and, once it was done, my people began to tear down the walls of Jamestown. I don’t know why, but I felt quite a bit of pleasure in bringing down the walls that had once made the people of Jamestown feel safe. They weren’t necessary anymore, because order had been established in my domain.

  I watched the creatures as they carried out my musical orders, some destroying the wall and others rebuilding the city, but was surprised by what else I saw. Several of the 80’s were among the corpses, still in full armor. I had assumed they left with Byrd, but, apparently, they were as disposable to him as any of the countless corpses that the psychopath had left in his wake.

  “Wow. He really is a bastard.”

  The elevator took me back down, and when I got there I pulled out my toolbox. The first thing I grabbed was a razor blade. I held it against my shoulder, and sliced down to the inside of my elbow. Neon liquid oozed out, different from what was inside the corpses. This substance changed colors just as my eye did, and was much more powerful. I reached into the cut and felt around under the skin, until I found a small metal box. I tore it off the bone and held it up to the light. It was covered in a thin layer of the neon fluid, which began to harden around it in moments. I dropped the transmitter and crushed it under my feet. I wouldn’t need it anymore. The last of the Human Corp’s information had been emptied into my mind, from their secret headquarters. Within seconds, the cut sealed back up, like it had never happened.

  There was an old mirror sitting on the table. When I looked into it, it reminded me of exactly why my place was here, away from the living. Everything about me was so poorly done; the pieces were grafted together without finesse or technique. Everything that was supposed to help me complete my directive, looked like it had been stapled on by a child.

  I grabbed my other tools and began scraping off the rust. I tightened joints. I cut my hair. I removed unnecessary plates and allowed the enhanced fluid to heal the wounds beneath. I changed my face. I moved the plates and pulled, tugged, and adjusted my skin and eye. I sliced off and rebuilt robotic sections of my body. I moved the tubes jutting from my back, making them protrude less.

  I don’t know exactly how long I spent putting myself through this technological evolution, since both night and day seemed to blend together under the vapor. I think it may have been years, or maybe it was hours? When it was done, I looked at myself. No more exposed wires or awkward construction. I was both the thing I was supposed to be, and what I wanted to be; an object crafted of metal, flesh and pain. I was a perfect construct.

  When I left the Gray District after Vera’s death, I only took one thing with me. I pulled out the picture I had taken of her. It was gray and distorted, stolen from the security cameras of the Temple, on the first night she came to visit me. I had carried it with me since the day I printed it out. She was so lovely, but now she was gone. She and her people, gunned down by the Black Jackets. Scott said he wanted to protect her, but he showed himself to be as self-centered as everyone else in Jamestown. He only cared about his people, but Jamestown was free of that now. There were be no more Sapiens or Omniscients; those distinctions were reserved for the living. I would honor my love by not allowing the dead to suffer under the weight of the racial divide.

  Chapter 70 - Rae Johnson

  After three months at the outpost, the apartment seemed so much larger; and after a lifetime in the Gray District, it seemed like a palace. I knew that it was fairly simple, with a small kitchenette, living room and single bedroom, but the beds here were much better than back home, and every apartment had indoor plumbing. We no longer had to go to the public toilets or carry water in jugs, and my mother had been ecstatic to learn she no longer had to buy new propane tanks for her stove.

  Even so, I wasn’t entirely happy. I still wondered exactly what had happened to my friends back in Jamestown; the ones who weren’t Black Jackets.

  The attack had started in the Cages, so we’d avoided that place when searching for survivors. I could only assume Sirius V had died there, either turned into a monster or mauled to death by one. It wasn’t a thought I liked to dwell on, but sometimes I would pray that he was in a better place.

  I still didn’t know what had become of Peter. Several times I looked around a corner or up from a desk and thought I saw him there, but it was never him. I thought about going through the rosters of all the Black Jackets and citizens to see if I could find him, but it didn’t seem right. If he had come here and he didn’t want to see me, then that was his decision. I just wanted him to be safe.

  Just then, I heard a knock at my front door. I approached and turned the handle, already knowing who was standing on the other side.

  “Here you go, Rae,” the delivery woman said, handing me a cardboard box filled with a week’s rations. The cart she was wheeling behind her carried doze
ns more just like it.

  “Thank you so much.”

  I would have stood and made small talk with her for longer, but, suddenly, something small and white dashed into my apartment, under the table, then under the couch and then finally came to a stop between my legs, shaking like a leaf.

  “Mouse?”

  “Where did that come from?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll see you next week.”

  “Do you want me to call someone to get that thing out of your house?”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  I shut the door and heard her pulling her cart away.

  I picked up Mouse, who seemed scared half to death, and placed him up on the kitchen table. I wondered if this meant Peter was somewhere in the city, possibly looking for me. The thought made my heart start to flutter.

  “Where is Peter? Can you lead me to him?”

  The rabbit didn’t move. It was still frightened.

  God, I hope he’s alright.”

  Chapter 71 - Ins Vera

  The hallway was cold and dark, and the concrete walls were the farthest thing from welcoming. I may not have known anything about the people who lived in Soothouse before us, but I knew that this place had been built in secret, and that those who were taken down here, were never meant to see the light of day again.

  Only a select few Black Jackets, some of the scientists who had joined us from the Presidential District and I knew about this place. There were no maps or records that could be traced to it. In fact, it had been discovered by accident, right under the palace.

  “You ready to see him?” Shoan asked me, as we walked past rows of empty cells.

  “I’ve been ready for a long time.”

  “We tried questioning him, but he stayed quiet. Are you sure he’s the one?”