2041 Sanctuary (Dark Descent)

by Robert Storey

  ‘So what makes this base so special? Let me show you,’ he said, with a twinkle in his eye and a boyish grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Facing the screen next to him he brought up a complex blue and green, three dimensional diagram. With a flick of his hand, this image moved from the screen and into the air next to him by means of a holographic projector.

  ‘This is a detailed schematic of USSB Sanctuary,’ the professor said, indicating the image with a small gesture of one hand. ‘Like all our underground bases, this USSB operates on multiple levels. However, Sanctuary stands apart from the rest due to its sheer scale. Currently the USSB in which you now stand is home to twenty million people and a capacity for half as many again will be reached by 2055.

  ‘Sanctuary also contains the world’s largest man-made PSSBO, or partial self-sustaining biological organism, boasting forests, fields, rivers, lakes and even weather systems. The main dome which you can see in this projection encloses the top level of the base, and is crucial to maintaining the PSSBO. The dome is by far the largest suspended structure in existence and spans an incredible twenty miles in diameter. Not only can the dome produce weather events such as rainfall and wind, it also replicates the sun using sunlight wave technology similar to that found in some other bases.’

  Sarah, transfixed by the video, shifted in her seat to make herself more comfortable.

  ‘Now,’ the professor continued on the screen, sounding quite excited, ‘here comes the good bit.’ With a flick of his hand he shrank down the image next to him and then using an expansion gesture he introduced an irregular-shaped transparent red graphic around the now much smaller depiction of the USSB. ‘This—’ he said, opening his arms wide in an expansive attempt to indicate the larger holographic area, ‘is what is known as Sanctuary Proper. You see,’ he continued as he looked back into the camera, ‘USSB Sanctuary is actually contained within a much larger structure, Sanctuary Proper, or – confusingly – simply Sanctuary, from which the USSB takes its name.

  ‘This massive structure, and it is indeed massive, runs for more than two hundred miles in length, one hundred miles in width and twenty miles in depth, although latest surveys are beginning to reveal that the depth may in fact be closer to thirty miles in most places. To give you a true idea of its size, the USSB can fit into Sanctuary Proper over one hundred and eighty-eight times. Or, to put it another way, it is estimated the surface area of Sanctuary Proper, due to its many, many levels, is anywhere from ten to thirty million square miles, or roughly as much as half the surface area of all the land mass on Earth.’ Professor Steiner paused at this point to let that amazing information sink into his audience.

  ‘So – I hear you ask – how did we construct something so vast, so quickly? The simple answer?’

  ‘You didn’t,’ Sarah whispered.

  ‘We didn’t.’ His expression turned mischievous. ‘Whoa! Calm down now everyone,’ he said to his invisible viewers. ‘I know, I know. It poses the most tantalising of questions, does it not? If we didn’t build it, then who did? Well,’ he said, obviously enjoying his role of storyteller, ‘let’s go back in time a little – or a lot, depending on your point of view.’

  Turning around he did away with the image of Sanctuary and with an upward lifting motion of his right hand he drew up a new graphic, seemingly from the floor. This one was a plain two dimensional affair with a single axis at the bottom entitled Millions of years before present-day.

  The main heading of the simple graph read Hominid Evolutionary Timeline. Above the axis were multi-coloured blocks placed at different levels and intervals. Each block had the same height, but varying lengths, and each had its own unique text identifier next to it. ‘So,’ the professor continued as he looked at the graph and then back to the camera once more, ‘here we have a Hominid evolutionary graph. For those of you who don’t know what a Hominid is, take a quick look in the mirror. Humans,’ he said, pointing to the last block on the far right, which expanded forwards from the image at his mere reference to its name, ‘are the only living member of the Hominidae family. As you can see there are many extinct relatives of Homo sapiens, dating back almost seven million years. One of these extinct human cousins is well known, of course; the Neanderthal, also referred to as Homo neanderthalensis. Two more celebrity species, if you will, include Homo erectus and Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the Hobbit. Some, or maybe all, of you will be asking where I’m going with this,’ the professor said with a small smile. ‘Well, the graph you see before you is in fact incomplete. There is one member missing.’

  Sarah watched, her heartbeat quickening, as, turning back to the image, the professor pointed to the hologram and another block materialised from the ether.

  ‘Behold, Homo giganthropsis,’ he said dramatically. ‘Humanity’s long-lost relative and one, as the name suggests, substantially larger than ourselves.’

  The graph faded from view and a revolving anatomical image appeared, portraying a large man alongside a much smaller one. Sarah instantly recognised that the bigger figure was, in fact, what she knew as Homo gigantis, its facial structure matching the skull she and her team had unearthed on the Turkish plains. Next to this the smaller image was of a human, almost two thirds the height of its giant kin.

  ‘Current projections,’ the professor said, ‘estimate giganthropsis lived between one point three million and as recently as twenty thousand years ago. Why they died out is still a mystery, as is much of their history. However, they left behind a legacy like no other, Sanctuary; built over nine hundred thousand years ago and left deserted for countless centuries, this immense structure was rediscovered by a special team formed by the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, in 1826.

  ‘So, unlike our other long-dead ancestors, Homo giganthropsis was able to evolve into a species capable of advanced thought, a species with creativity and a thirst for knowledge that rivals our own. In many ways sapiens and giganthropsis are very alike. We both learned to shape our environment around us, we both created tools and technology, but perhaps most significantly, we both created civilisations. The fact that their civilisations lasted for hundreds of thousands of years is also why some of their technology and capabilities far exceeded that of our own. How they managed to build such a large and deep underground expanse containing chambers of phenomenal dimensions is still something we are yet to answer.

  ‘So,’ Professor Steiner said in an amused conversational tone, ‘hands up those of you who thought aliens must have built Sanctuary. Don’t worry,’ he said as if he could see people putting their hands up, ‘a surprising number of people jump to that conclusion. Unfortunately the answer is much more terrestrial, but I think you’ll agree the reality is still out of this world.’

  He paused and looked down as if gathering his thoughts. When his head came back up, his expression grew serious. ‘That these two monumental discoveries, Sanctuary and giganthropsis, have been kept hidden from the rest of the world is highly controversial. Needless to say, the U.S. Government deemed the existence of Sanctuary to be of significant national importance, despite it being located beneath Mexican soil.’

  Sarah listened as the professor went on to explain how Sanctuary was claimed by the United States. Apparently the U.S. purchased the site from the Mexican Government in the latter stages of the twentieth century for the purposes of building a subterranean base. The Mexicans, believing it to be just a large naturally occurring cave system, were willing to let the Americans build their base there under certain conditions; and to this day were none the wiser as to what lay beneath their feet.

  The director general of the GMRC Subterranean Programme also explained how the existence of Homo giganthropsis was known to various factions in Europe perhaps as early as the eleventh century; although it was mainly the Vatican that erased any evidence of their existence in order to preserve the doctrine of the day.

  ‘I knew it!’ Sarah said out loud, unable to contain herself as her own theories were confir
med. This all but guaranteed that the Catholic Church had been behind the seizure of her gigantis finds back in Turkey and stolen artefacts in Oxford. It also meant that her theory on the circumstances of her mother’s death became distressingly more concrete. A set of ancient maps Sarah had found many years earlier in Iran’s Zagros Mountains had been destroyed in the same fire that ended her mum’s life and Sarah knew in her heart that the fire had been deliberately started by those also responsible for taking her other evidence which exposed the existence of Homo gigantis; it fitted too perfectly to be coincidence. Those people would stop at nothing to protect their faith and if that included murder, so be it. History was testament to this disturbing reality and Sarah was, first and foremost, a student of the past.

  As her hate for the Vatican churned within her mind like a dark, simmering volcano, the professor continued. ‘The main reason giganthropsis left relatively little trace of their habitation on Earth was that they lived mostly underground. Their reasons for this have been speculated on for many years, but basically they are just that, speculative, and we may never know the real reason they chose to exist as they did.

  ‘One thing is a certainty, however; due to Sanctuary’s web of interlocking levels, chambers, near infinite tunnel system and various areas of structural instability, the majority – currently ninety-eight per cent – of the construct is still uncharted. The fantasists among you, and I count myself as one, will wonder what fabulous treasures may rest tantalisingly close to hand. But before you pick up a shovel and head for the nearest tunnel in a gold rush-like fervour, be aware that exploring outside the USSB’s boundaries is strictly forbidden. This is not only for your own safety, but also to preserve the fragility and integrity of virgin archaeological ground which is of significant scientific importance.

  ‘So there it is,’ Steiner said, pacing across the studio floor, each hand thought provokingly poised against the other like a priest in a ceremonial procession, while behind him the previously shown holograms in his presentation flowed past. ‘The truth, one you didn’t even know existed, is now yours to digest, reflect on and discuss to your heart’s content. As you will be well aware, when you severed all ties to the surface, signed the relevant documents and committed to living out the rest of your days here in Sanctuary, the knowledge you now hold cannot be disclosed to anyone outside of this facility for national security reasons. In time, the communication isolation for residents will be lifted in a carefully staged progression when it is seen fit to reveal to the world Sanctuary’s existence and true nature. Perhaps in the far future, passage into and out of Sanctuary will be granted to other USSBs, and then beyond. Until that time your sacrifice and commitment to this long-term programme is appreciated beyond measure. Without you, Sanctuary could not succeed in its purpose to create a fully functioning self-sustaining subterranean ecosystem and civilisation; completely independent from the surface above.

  ‘Your dedication to the cause will not go unrewarded, however,’ Steiner said, as the lights in the studio brightened with natural light and the screens behind him lifted up into the ceiling. ‘All residents are provided with accommodation, a career, and perhaps most crucially, a privileged purpose – to ensure the long term existence of our species.’

  The professor was now walking alongside the camera as he headed to a large open balcony filled with clear blue skies and punctuated by small wisps of cloud. ‘You are now living in what is effectively the 51st, and largest, state of the U.S. of A.’ As he emerged from the building, the camera moved past him revealing a dazzling, beautiful city laid out below like a paradise on Earth, the edges of the great dome barely visible against the power of the artificial sunlight it generated above. Professor Steiner came back into shot. ‘Welcome,’ he said with a broad smile and a sweep of his arm, ‘to Sanctuary. You are now, and forever will be, a Sancturian.’

  Chapter Seven

  Sarah’s head swam with all the information that had just been rammed into it, along with the many implications it held; getting out of this place and back to the surface was going to be far harder than she’d imagined. Uncurling her tall frame from the cramped sofa, she paused the induction video and refreshed herself with a cup of coffee and a sumptuous chocolate-coated biscuit; the kitchen had been well stocked for her arrival, as the Civilian Affairs officer had promised her the day before.

  Sitting back down, the packet of biscuits in tow, she hoped the wallscreen had voice command as she couldn’t be bothered getting up again. ‘Play,’ she said. The pause icon disappeared and the film resumed. Feeling pleased with herself, she took out another Hobnob delight, enjoying its oaty taste while the woman who had begun the presentation came back on screen.

  ‘Thank you, Professor Steiner,’ she said with genuine warmth as she looked off to one side before turning back to the camera to continue the induction. ‘For much more information about Sanctuary and Homo giganthropsis please visit the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Sanctuary located on the Dome level in the New Park district. A USSB Sanctuary rules, regulations and information handbook can be found in your residency, all of which is also available on the USSB’s cloud system, accessible via your wallscreen’s navigation panel.’

  An image resembling Sarah’s wallscreen displayed next to the woman. ‘Now that you are up to speed on the main aspects of Sanctuary I can introduce you to the main areas of the base and advise you as to how to make the most of your experience here. This menu,’ she said, indicating a navigation panel identical to one Sarah had used on her own wallscreen, ‘will be key to you navigating the base, contacting friends, relatives and colleagues, and pretty much everything else you may want to do in your life as a Sancturian.’

  Sarah watched the presenter outline the options on the screen one by one. Some of those she listed were only available to military personnel and the video skipped these sections automatically due to Sarah’s clearance level and civilian status. From what Sarah could gather, Sancturians earned United States Credits by working, in her case, at the Smithsonian Institution. Each USC was equivalent to one U.S. dollar, which was simple enough to remember. Not that she had any plans to stick around long enough to bother with it all, but if she wanted to escape she first needed to know what was what.

  The credits, as Andrew had indicated in his letter, would be held on her multifunction card, which would also be used to access public transport systems and confirm her identity to military personnel and civilian authorities throughout the base. The card could also be used to purchase goods and services. It all seemed a very comprehensive system and Sarah couldn’t help but be impressed by the magnitude of it all, despite the surreality of her situation seeking to blur her perception like a hallucinatory drug.

  The film eventually came to a close and a final message appeared on screen, accompanied by a female computer generated voice, which said: ‘Multifunction card: restrictions lifted. USSB cloud access now fully activated.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Sarah said to it and moved to swipe her card across the induction panel, instantly bringing up a new extended navigation menu, as per the video. The available options were:

  MAP SIMULATOR >

  RESIDENT DATABASE >

  SOCIAL DATABASE >

  APPLICATIONS >

  TV >

  RETAIL >

  SERVICES >

  INFORMATION >

  EMERGENCY >

  Selecting Resident Database she typed in her friend’s name, Trish Brook, and pressed enter. ‘Trish Brook,’ the computer confirmed, ‘Sector eighteen residential district, level twenty-five, chamber five, route twenty, domicile one hundred and ninety two.’

  Trish’s photograph appeared on the main screen and Sarah felt tears welling at seeing her friend’s face again. A code displayed below her image, S18 L25 C5 R20 D192, and then both shrank to the left hand side and a large three dimensional graphic of the base displayed with a red pulsating dot on it. Assuming this must be Trish’s location, Sarah tapped the dot on the big screen and
the view zoomed in, rotating in an anti-clockwise spiral as it did so. Sector eighteen appeared, highlighted in orange against the surrounding USSB, which was now greyed out. Another box sprang up next to the red dot detailing a suggested route to Trish’s apartment from Sarah’s own, but a warning message at the bottom of the information flashed on and off:

  WARNING!

  Travel to this sector is only available at weekends. To unlock restrictions a higher clearance level is required.

  To view your restrictions please visit the INFORMATION portal.

  Sarah cursed under her breath and looked at the navigation screen to see the bold letters MONDAY written large; five days to wait until she could travel to Trish’s sector. A telephone icon also rested within the graphical box. She pressed it. This time an error message appeared:

  ERROR!

  No suitable credits available.

  Letting out a growl of frustration, Sarah flicked through to the information section. After a few minutes she’d worked out she had credits for necessities only; once she’d been to work she’d have what they called Active Credits. The information portal also revealed a whole raft of restrictions on her movements: too many to remember, so many, in fact, that the list of what she could do would have been more helpful – and a lot shorter, too, she guessed. Knowing the outcome already, Sarah entered Jason’s details. The same problems arose, although thankfully Jason’s home looked to be only one sector over from Trish’s.

  Giving up on seeing or speaking to her friends that day, she decided to get outside and explore as far as she was able. A cleverly concealed wardrobe in her bedroom contained a smart grey uniform, like those worn by the two people in the induction video. Deciding this must be for special occasions, she plumped for the only other available garment, a black hooded sweater. Dragging it on, she arranged her long tresses inside it and then collected her multifunction card.