Julia went straight to Josiah. Josiah and Edward were the ones who found Julia on the beach along with Omar. She was certain they would remember.
“Josiah, you remember when I found Omar on the beach?” Josiah nodded.
“Of course, I do. What about it?”
“Do you remember there was a large white canister tied to Omar's leg?” Josiah looked surprised for a moment. It had been a rather sudden turn of questioning.
“Yes, that's right. About this size?” Josiah used his hands to indicate dimensions.
“That's it. What did you do with it? Did you bring it inside?”
“No, God no. It was far too heavy. We were busy trying to get you back inside and … well Omar. We cut the rope before we picked him up. I think Edward rolled it a little farther up the beach but soon gave up. I guess we didn't think it was important. Is it important?”
“I don't know,” said Julia slowly. “Could you help me retrieve it?” Josiah shook his head.
“I'm afraid not. I don't get recreational time topside – I already have exposure levels several times what's allowed for everyone else. It goes with the job.” Josiah gave a sanguine smile.
“Can you let me out the airlock near the beach – the one you use?”
“I might be able to do that – but I'm not supposed to. You don't fancy a seven mile hike across the scrub again?” Julia smiled widely.
“How about now?”
Josiah groaned but acquiesced. Twenty minutes later, Julia had donned a radiation protection suit and was waiting for Josiah. Finally, he appeared.
“I had to pull a favour for this. Fortunately, you have a friend in the section administration and she'll cover for me.” Julia was pleased. He was referring to Sarah, Julia's only true friend in the Ark.
Josiah led the way into an unfamiliar part of the Ark. No one except the engineering crew came this way. There was pipework and all manner of cables adorning the walls and ceiling. Large pumps and who knows what else populated the floor space. Josiah dodged between them with practised ease; Julia followed with much greater caution. They arrived at the entrance to a long tunnel that disappeared into the distance. Josiah smiled.
“Seven miles on the surface. Seven miles underground also. But at least the walk is flat.”
Julia and Josiah set off. They spoke little. As time passed, Julia felt fatigued yet the end of the tunnel seemed just the same featureless termination in shadow. Josiah walked strongly. He was used to the exertion. From time to time they passed open chambers that extended upwards. A ladder led to a platform and hatchway above. These must be the access portals she remembered from doing this walk on the surface. She counted five before she saw a change at the end of the tunnel. Steadily, step-by-step, they approached the destination. In the final stretch Julia began to feel awkward. She had not thanked Josiah for coming to her help that day. She owed him her life.
“Josiah, do you go outside a lot?”
“As little as possible. The radiation levels are high and one day it will kill me. We take precautions. We try to limit the work we do outside but, compared to everyone else, me and Edward go out a lot. About once a month. Actually, I haven't been outside since I dragged you across the beach.”
“Do you watch the surface, the sky, the ocean?”
“There isn't much time for that but, yes, we do.”
“I think about it almost every day. The few hours I took to walk to the beach are pressed into my memory. I hear the wind and waves in my dreams. I didn't have that before. I'm scared this time won't be … as good.” Julia trailed off.
“Julia, every time is worth it.”
They reached the end of the tunnel and the airlock portal. Julia rested for a few moments, ate and sipped water. She was too nervous to eat properly. At last, the moment arrived. She stepped into the airlock and waited while the inner door closed behind her. The locking mechanism snapped shut and the sound reverberated inside Julia's head. Here goes. There was a hiss and the outer door slid open. Julia stood immersed as blinding light flooded the airlock compartment. Julia braced herself. She focussed her mind by thinking of Omar. She had an objective. She needed to get the white canister. Omar needed it but she had no idea why or what was in it. Her eyes adjusted slowly. The warmth of the sun began to penetrate her suit. Her sight was transfixed on the bright azure sky with puffed white clouds. Her eyes watered at the intensity. She looked down blinking rapidly. She stepped out of the airlock on to a metal grating. Julia was on a raised platform that gave a wide view over the flat expanse of the beach running into the ocean. Julia gripped the hand rail to steady herself – it was a long drop to the ground below. To her right was a complex clutter of low structures that held the thermal exhaust port where waste heat from the Ark was dumped into the cold waters of the Atlantic. Ahead and to the left she saw the camera mast she walked so far to reach the day she found Omar. The mast marked the beginning of rounded, rolling sand dunes which stretched inland. Julia could make out a faded black strip that bordered the dunes. That must be the road which she had crossed. Her eyes followed the road and, in the distance, she saw an assortment of broken shapes that were too regular. They stood at odds to the surrounding nature. They had to be houses. People had once lived in such places. Julia had read that each family: father, mother – perhaps two or three children lived by themselves in a house. That was when everyone lived on the surface and no one lived underground. That was before the Nakba.
Julia took hold of the rails that led down a metal ladder fastened to the side of the portal. Josiah had explained about this but she was disorientated and struggled. The ground seemed to spin as she looked down. Tightly gripping the rail, Julia placed one foot on the rung below, then another. She stared through the rungs at the dull, metal-clad block building; she dared not look round at the open horizon. Slowly, she progressed downwards, rung-by-rung her hands painfully clamped much too tightly to the ladder rails. She reached the ground traumatised by the effort. She stood, still clutching the ladder with both hands, her feet firmly planted and her forehead resting on a hard, unforgiving rung. Julia thought of Omar. In her mind she pictured the white canister and the orange rope. She must find it. She turned and faced the open landscape.
The top of the camera mast was visible and Julia headed toward it. Her muscles ached but her will was dominant. She gained the low rise with the camera mast quickly. She looked up. Reassuringly, the camera was turned to face inland. Her approach was unobserved. Sarah had done as Josiah had said she would. Julia looked around. Her memory of the beach was in perfect clarity from the day she found Omar but, somehow, everything had changed. The sky was now ardent blue. The sun shone strongly and ignited the colours; the ocean was calm and glistened. There was no wind and only the gentle lapping of the waves could be heard. Everything was new.
Julia tried to recall in which direction she had found Omar but the confusion of absorbing each and every sensation was intoxicating. At last, she perceived the unnaturally smooth, white outline of the canister against the golden sands. She struck across the leading edge of the dunes to the top of the beach. The sand had partially swallowed the canister. Julia tried to roll it out but it was stuck fast. The top of the canister came up to Julia's knee and it was just a little longer. She walked around it looking from every angle. On the top next to the eyelet where the rope was tied, there was a circular plug with a handle. Julia tried pulling but it would not budge. She forced it anticlockwise and it gave and began to turn and twist out. With renewed enthusiasm, she worked the plug until it came free. She looked inside. There were sealed, silvery packets, a long metal tube with a handle and plastic packs that seemed filled with liquid – possibly water. Julia carefully extracted each item and placed them into a large backpack. Altogether it was quite heavy but manageable. At least she hoped that she could climb back up the ladder to the airlock. With one final check of the canister, inside and out, she hoisted the backpack. Whatever was in the canister was clearly important to Omar. Pe
rhaps it would make him better, though it looked no more than emergency rations – what good would they be?
Julia fixed her eyes on the portal and started back. She skirted the dunes and walked unsteadily along the beach beginning to enjoy the sand beneath her feet. The suit sealed in the heat and suffocated. It guarded against radiation but also numbed the sensation of texture and form. What would it be like to run bare foot and splash in the water?
Julia reached the bottom of the ladder. The metal rails and rungs were fixed grimly to the building but seemed to warp and sway dizzily as she looked up. Julia started climbing. She thought of Omar. The weight of the pack pulled her down; gravity invited her to let go. Still she climbed.
Pausing several times for breath and to calm her nerves, Julia reached the top. She crawled on to the platform relieved and crawled over to the airlock. The effort had drained her physically and mentally. She had made it back in one piece. Julia reached up to the call button and waited. No answer. She waited. Josiah should be just inside ready to open the door. Julia looked at her watch. She had brought one this time! She had been outside for just over an hour. She pressed the call button again then banged futilely on the door. Perhaps something was wrong? She removed the backpack and laid it beside the door. Julia, herself, slumped with her back against the door, sitting uncomfortably on the grating. The sun remained high, warm and exceedingly pleasant. Time was ticking. Julia could feel the radiation eating her, gnawing with patient tenacity. Julia lapsed into a foul despairing darkness. She morbidly considered her options. She was torn between doggedly waiting for Josiah to let her in or going back to the main airlock and begging entrance there. What was Josiah doing? Where could he be? He seemed so accommodating – was there something unrealised and evil in him? Why would he abandon her out here? The questions entered her mind repeatedly but remained unanswered. She grew desperate. She contemplated returning to the Ark across the fields to the main portal. It was a journey fraught with risk. It was seven miles and would take hours. It was getting late and would soon be dark. Julia certainly did not want to be caught out, alone in the dark. That was too much to contemplate. Even if she ran – which was beyond her strength – she would exceed her eight-hour quota. That would be fatal. The rules were clear and rigid. She would be shut out. The Ark had no place for those whose DNA was damaged by radiation – except for Josiah for some reason. He had exceeded his quota may times over – or so it seemed from what he said.
The only option was to stick fast and wait. Something must have happened – some urgent problem – but he would not leave her outside. To preserve her sanity, Julia made herself believe that. And there was Sarah. She knew she was outside. Julia trusted Sarah – but it was Josiah who mentioned Sarah's cooperation in this scheme. What if she did not know after all? Julia became agitated. She pressed the call button repeatedly. Nothing. No answer. Her hope of life ebbed away just as the water receded down the beach.
There might be another way in. The access portals along the pipeline route should be accessible. She had no idea how to open them – or even it was possible – it was a desperate measure. Julia rechecked her watch. The sky was beautiful. The sun had slid west. Two hours had elapsed during which she had regained some strength and more importantly courage. Julia felt sudden apprehension. She had exceeded her eight-hour quota. From now on, she was all but a corpse but still she possessed the will to fight and survive. The quota was a psychological barrier. Breaking it precipitated her plan of action. Julia stood, faced the door and pounded her fists one last time. The metal sheet was unyielding. Julia abandoned the backpack – if she made it back in, she could easily retrieve it later. There was no point in carrying it now.
Julia resolved to find her way back inside. She faced the ladder again, gripped the rail and swung her foot down, feeling for the rung below. She progressed downward. Was it easier because she had done this before or because she was saving her own life and necessity took over? She was back on solid ground soon enough.
Julia looked around and tried to get a bearing to the access portal along the pipeline. The light was failing. It would soon be dark. Fortunately, the pipeline was demarcated by a raised embankment as it ran across the beach before burrowing deeper further up toward to Ark. Julia hurried.
While crossing the field and tracing the route of the pipeline Julia thought of her mother. She could only just form a mental picture conjured from early childhood memories. She had been told that her mother got sick and died. Julia later found out that her mother had come topside and simply walked away. She never returned to the Ark – no one ever said why. Julia always got the feeling that her mother had been desperately unhappy. No one said anything but the vagueness and evasiveness hinted at shame. Julia had so many questions she wished she could ask. She had no one to tell her about her father. It seemed she would suffer the same fate. She cursed Josiah. Where was he? How could he leave her here … to die?
Walking on this section near the beach was relatively easy. Her eyes were kept focussed on the ground in front and occasionally she glanced up to check she was still on course. She heard nothing but her own laboured breathing inside the radiation suit. The air was drawn through a micro-filter to remove any dust – radioactive dust. Each breath was viscous and desperate. Julia sweated and gasped and quickly became light-headed. The access portal loomed nearer.
Julia reached out and touched the dull grey block building. She rested. For the first time she looked up. The black sheet of night was descending. Tiny, wonderful stabs of light perforated the deepening sky. Julia sank to her knees. With her own eyes she saw the stars. Her gaze flicked from star to star and found yet more hidden in the void between. Julia felt tears forming. She had never imagined they were so beautiful. She had once read that the people of the Earth were as numerous as the stars. She was staggered by the sensation of thick humanity pressing around. There had once been so many; Julia was overcome by the oppressing burden. The purpose of the Ark was to wait and start again when life could emerge – would there be so many people ever again? Julia remembered Omar. Life had already emerged and persisted. How was this possible? Julia could not answer. Omar's arrival had prompted so many questions, stirred hopes and provoked fears. Julia felt her destiny was tied to his. Here she was risking her life to save his – again.
Julia felt the building with her finger tips, searching for the entrance. At last she found a stone plinth and an oval shaped hatch just large enough to admit her. The electronic door lock had been disconnected – at least it was hanging loose and wires were showing. Julia held the large wheel in the centre of the door and with all her remaining strength, turned it anticlockwise. The wheel slid and the hatch cracked open. Julia tugged and did not hesitate to step inside. There was some light coming through a thick glass observation panel set into an inner door. Julia closed the outer hatch and activated the airlock cleaning. She stripped off the radiation suit and stepped through the inner door. She felt the sanctuary of the Ark, the familiar and the monotonous. She peered over a handrail and saw the long corridor she had walked with Josiah earlier that day. She descended. On reaching the corridor she heard footsteps approaching. She should not be found here. She was not permitted here and there would be suspicions. She had exceeded her eight hour quota and no one must ever know. Julia placed her back against the wall and willed that she would not be noticed. Julia listened. Whoever was coming was running and breathed laboriously. Josiah burst into the portal chamber. He was running but looked exhausted. He was sweating and almost staggering.
“Josiah!” He seemed to hesitate and look round in distraction but kept running. Julia had to chase after him.
“Julia, you're safe. Thank goodness.” This was all Josiah could utter. He clasped his chest and leaned, bent double, against the wall. He was entirely out of breath. He must have ran the full length of the corridor – nearly seven miles.
“Yes, I managed to get in the access portal. The lock was broken.” Josiah could only nod in resp
onse. “Why did you leave me outside?” Julia demanded. The sight of Josiah panting, hungry for oxygen took the edge off her anger and sense of outrage. After several minutes, Josiah was able to rasp in reply.
“I had to go back. Patriarch Ryan suddenly called a meeting and heaped work on us. I could hardly refuse and explain where you were. The first chance I could to get away, I took it and ran all the way.” Josiah coughed and, it appeared to Julia, emphasised that he had earnestly exerted himself on account of her.
“You left me out there!” Julia pummelled her fist against his chest in anger. Josiah straightened and his eyes appealed to her.
“Julia, I would never do anything to cause you harm or allow harm to come to you by my inaction. You must believe me.” Julia listened, carefully discerning his tone. He sounded truly sorry. Julia was inclined to trust him. His words, though, were strange in a way. They did not seem appropriate as Josiah and Julia were only vaguely acquainted. He was considerably older than she was and they worked in different work sections within the Ark. The connection was Sarah. It mattered little: she was still alive and there were pressing matters to be dealt with.
The Nephilim Protocol Page 15
