Escape from Harrizel

by C. G. Coppola

  “There was no war,” Sampson shakes his head again, repeating his essential message, “you were taken, all of you, from your lives. A few of you were lucky. A few Clarence took because you had no other way out. He came upon you dying, or very nearly dead and offered this,” Sampson gestures around, “as an alternate life. But that’s just a small few,” he takes another breath, still ashamed to admit it. “Most of you were indeed abducted.”

  We have them.

  The voice rings in my head, waking me to a frequency I wasn’t aware existed. It’s not the same voice from before, telling me to find Ellae, but a new one, female, both from inside me and out, like a low buzzing in my brain.

  Suddenly Sampson pulls me close to him, his mouth at my ear.

  “They’ve found the memories. I have to tend to something quickly so please tell them. I shouldn’t be more than a few seconds.” But before I have time to question, Sampson leaps off the trunk and over the crowd with ease. He disappears into the West Wall.

  Everyone turns to me, expecting the next part or at least, an explanation for Sampson’s abrupt departure.

  “I understand if you don’t believe me, believe us. Seems pretty far-fetched after hearing the same lie over and over. How can any other truth exist, right?” I start pacing. “Most of you seem smart, able to form your own opinions… We’ve told you our side, Beshib has told you his. Before we start asking you to choose,” I stop, offering a shrug, “maybe you can make a more informed decision… with your real memories?”

  In a room so silent a pin drop could be heard, whispers suddenly gush, a tidal wave breaking through a dam.

  “They’re here, on Harrizel. We’ve found them and we’re willing to give them back to you. We want to. But…” and now any fear of being up here has dissipated completely, this is the point of no return, when we either win this war or lose it. “We ask in return for finding them, for getting the truth and delivering it to you, here tonight, that you join us in taking back our lives. Our freedom. We can’t do this alone. We need your help. Now,” I take a step back, gulping in a new breath of air, “who wants to know what really happened?”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Memories

  Every hand springs in the air.

  Sampson is back on the trunk at my side, poised and calm as always, smiling out at the crowd.

  “Very good. This is very good,” he says. “A few points to address before we’ll be able to distribute the memories,” and now his voice grows less optimistic. The same despair has returned as he takes a heavy breath. It’s not defeated, just concerned.

  “Beshib will be out for nine more days, at which time he will return with more Vermix. If we are overrun, there will be no—I repeat no—chance of this ending in our favor. Currently, we have control of the Castle and we have to keep it that way. Tetlak, Norpe, Yerza, all the other guards and the scientists are contained but we still must act fast. Your memories will be returned and then groups can—if they choose—be lead out to view the lost, if further proof is required. We must use the remaining time to prepare for the Vermix return. If we succeed in this,” Sampson inhales, the anticipation of his next statement hanging, “we’ll be able to return you to your homes.”

  “To your lives,” Clarence adds, suddenly on my other side.

  I gasp, just like the rest of the room and nearly fall off the trunk at his appearance. He clutches my arm before I go over and Sampson, ever so gently, cups my arm below his, the two lowering me to the floor. Once the hard ground meets my feet, I stumble for a second but Reid keeps me steady.

  “I’m so, so terribly sorry,” Clarence shakes his head, “I’m so sorry to have brought you all here, to have done this to you but Sampson is right. If we win this thing, we’ll be able to take you home,” a hesitation, “…most of you. If you are one of the majority, which, ninety-five percent of you are, there will be no issue in returning you home, to the exact moment I left with you. The other five percent, however,” he clears his throat, “the ones I happened across in a most dire state—had you not returned with me, had I left you, your death would have been imminent.” He surveys the room with low-lidded eyes, “Your death will be imminent. It’s for this reason that we’re unable to return you to that life. For you—this is the only one you have left.” He waits a moment, turning to Sampson, “I thought a word of caution best before promises are made.”

  “I agree,” Sampson nods. “First things first—your memories. Let’s do this as quickly and orderly as possible.” He glances down at us, at Reid. “Let’s have them all move up to the Courtyard. File them down ten by ten.”

  Reid nods, weaving us back through the crowd and to the outside ring of Rogues still holding their place. He jumps to the nearest stairwell, leaping up a few steps.

  “You heard him,” Reid commands, “up to the Courtyard.”

  A rampant tidal wave of bodies move in his direction, but Reid holds his place, motioning everyone on as they funnel past. Still poised and searching for targets, the Rogues fall back just enough to allow passage of the herd. It moves along quickly, but it still takes a few minutes for the room to clear out. When it does, there are only a handful of us left, all the Rogues having already ascended to the Courtyard for security. Only the Rogue Commanders remain.

  Reid is glancing between Sampson and Clarence. “Ten at a time?”

  “We’ll take five down and have the other five waiting here,” Sampson shrugs, “best we can do.”

  Vix emerges into the Auditorium, trailing the first ten behind her. Stopping halfway into the room, she spins to the last five. “Stay here. You,” she glances to the first half, “come with me.”

  They follow her directions, Vix motioning for Clarence to follow her as she heads for one of the evibolas on the opposite wall.

  “I believe that’s my cue,” Clarence passes me, following Vix and the first five to the evibola. Sampson offers a departing nod as the others disappear.

  I guess he’ll be the one to administer the memories.

  “Quite right,” Sampson agrees as Reid, Tucker and the Rogue Commanders meander near the stairwell, losing themselves in discussion of how to keep the Courtyard secure. With a great sigh, Sampson speaks low, so only I can hear.

  “When Vix didn’t locate the memories in the first place she’d looked, Clarence sent word as to their location. You see, I’d made mention of this base originally being utilized as a prison. That is both the truth and a lie. We created this base as a front for what we knew we’d one day need—an escape for the crimes we were committing. Going against the prophecy and living with humans, some even mating with them—the Leaders would take it all away,” Sampson drifts into a distant thought, lost in some sweet dream, “this little paradise we’d created, this island for runaways, for those not wanting to be found… We figured if we built the place we knew we’d be imprisoned, we could create escapes to get back to our loved ones,” Sampson’s eyes wane for a minute, lost in the same sadness.

  “Clarence, however,” his face lights up, “found special joy in creating hidden compartments here. Secret vaults, closets—places he wouldn’t tell even me. I’d supposed Beshib, being proud, might display the memories in his quarters, a trophy to his life’s work. But… maybe he isn’t so proud after all. Maybe he is a little scared. Why else would he hide your memories beneath this very floor, in a vault that’s nearly undetectable?”

  Instinctively I glance down, in furious awe of how close I’ve been to my past this whole time. My heart starts drumming when I think of how far I’ve had to journey to find the clues to lead me right back here.

  “Clarence told Reuzkimpart of its whereabouts of course, when he returned from wherever he’d gone. Clarence didn’t tell him about any of the other passages or tunnels, just enough to keep Reuzkimpart happy—a secret.”

  Vix returns, ushering the other five into the evibola behind her. As they follow, Able, Jace and Harrison head upstairs and in a minute or so, return with ten more people for the next ro
und. They stand huddled together, talking anxiously, excitedly. I find myself smiling at their excitement, thinking about my own past and what it might have in store.

  “You should really get your memories first,” Sampson says, as if adding to the conversation in my head, “after all you’ve done. You’ve earned it.”

  “What have I done?”

  “You found the Lost. You rallied the others and helped plan our liberation.”

  “We all did that.”

  “You have a greater hand in this than you realize. You really should be getting your memories first,” he gestures to the three boys surrounding the line, “you and the Rogues.”

  “As long as I get them, I don’t care.” A moment goes by. “Sampson?”

  “Hmm?”

  I want to ask him. For some reason I don’t fully understand, I have to know what happened all those years ago. His face saddens as if somehow anticipating the question. This stops me for a second but I press on, driven by the need to know.

  “When you…”

  “Sampson?” Vix calls, stepping off the evibola and motioning him toward her. “I need you a moment.”

  “Excuse me, Fallon,” he excuses himself before heading over and after a second, disappears into the evibola with her.

  Maybe it’s best I don’t know. Not right now. Maybe it’s best to focus on my own memories, my own past—something I’ll get before the night is over.

  The next couple of hours pass the same way. Able, Jace and Harrison alternate with Kelly and Chief with heading upstairs every few minutes to secure ten more people. Five head down with Vix to the hidden cellar below while the second half wait in the auditorium until they’re called. The Rogues remain upstairs in the Courtyard, keeping a hold on the massive crowd, which I’ve been told, grows more and more anxious as the time dwindles by. I haven’t been up since earlier but Able keeps me updated every half hour.

  Reid’s been all over the place—down in the cellar with Clarence, up in the Courtyard for additional security and for a short time, up to the labs with Sampson to check on the Vermix. He’s finally back in the Auditorium and by the looks of it, exhausted. His face drained, he heads to the West Wall where I’ve been leaning for the last twenty minutes.

  “How’s everything look?”

  He rolls his eyes. “You’d think they’d be grateful. All they want to know is when it’ll be their turn,” he runs his hands down his face, leaving red streaks as he leans against the wall. Rolling his head toward mine, he offers a lethargic but sincere smile. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” I grin, heat blooming at his close proximity, “doing alright?”

  He nods. “You?”

  I shrug, “…Just ready.”

  “Yeah,” he laughs, “me too. It should be soon.”

  “How many more?”

  “Fifteen or so.”

  “Not bad.”

  “It can’t go by quick enough…” he exhales, running his fingers down his face again. “It been quiet down here?”

  “About the same. You look like you’re about to fall down dead.”

  “Feel like it.”

  “Have you seen anyone since…?”

  He shakes his head. “They go back to their rooms. Want to be alone, I guess.” He rolls his head closer so that his forehead touches mine. “You’ll come to my room after?”

  “Of course.”

  He smiles, rolling his head back into place and staring ahead.

  Able, Jace and Harrison bring another ten down just in time for Vix to step off the evibola. She motions them forward but Able stops the sixth person.

  “You’ll be next. Five at a time.”

  A few grunts from the second half and Reid clears his throat. “See what I mean?”

  “How long have they been here?”

  “Them?” he narrows his eyes, “specifically? Uh…” he’s quickly calculating. “Around a year for the first three. Last two a little longer.”

  “So they’re probably a little impatient by now.”

  “Yeah,” he laughs, rubbing his nose, “well so am I.”

  A thought settles on me. Turning, I look deep into Reid’s eyes. “How long have you been here?”

  “Awhile.”

  “How long?” I press.

  A hard sigh and then, “Three and a half years. Almost four.”

  In the back of my mind, I figured as much. He had to have time to be here, join the Kings, leave the Kings, start the Rogues and then leave them. And somewhere, in the middle of all that, become an Arizal solider. It’d be shocking if he said anything less.

  “So you must be dying to know.”

  “I was at first… kept thinking about all I was missing, all I couldn’t remember. After a while,” he shrugs again, “drove myself crazy and stopped.”

  “You let it go?”

  “Not go,” he shakes his head at the correction, “put it on pause. Wasn’t doing any good trying to keep a life I no longer belonged to,” he rolls his head, touching his forehead to mine again, “besides, I’m here now.”

  My stomach flutters, heating me to near melt-down. And the way he’s looking at me… how am I still standing? My heart is a weight in my chest, my pulse thumping in pleasurable panic. How am I still breathing under that look? Those eyes…

  Please let this last forever.

  “Alright, next five,” Tucker motions the lot to Vix as she appears on the open evibola. They follow while Able ascends the stairs to get the next ten.

  The next fifteen come and go, Reid and I leaning against the wall, watching, waiting. Finally, when the last from the Courtyard have gone, including all Scouts and Pratt, the Rogues start. It takes another twenty minutes before the Rogue Commanders go and then Vix comes for us.

  “You two ready?”

  Reid looks to me, his gaze piercing. Slipping his hand in mine, he turns to Vix. “Yep.”

  Crossing the room, my heart pounds. Reid tightens his grip on me, our fingers threaded together as we walk through the archway and into the darkness behind Vix, just as we’ve watched everyone else do. The floor hums but fades away again, Vix already walking back out.

  We’re here.

  She steps out off the evibola and we follow into a dimly lit space. Five babeebs light the whole room which is the same size of the Auditorium above. Clarence waits ahead, under the golden spheres, standing before a giant wall filled with tiny silver vials.

  “You first,” I turn to Reid.

  He starts to protest but I nod, motioning him toward Clarence. Sampson rests a hand on his shoulder, leading him over. “Alright, Reid. You first.”

  Resisting for a moment, Reid makes his way toward Clarence who holds out his open palm. “Your finger?”

  He presents his pointer as Clarence swipes a small, triangular device over the pad. The device, a whitish square object, floats over Reid’s finger as it begins to spin around, faster and faster. After a few seconds, it begins to change colors, turning to a deep forest green, finally stilling in mid air. Suddenly, a silver vial on the wall illuminates to the same forest green. Clarence walks over, retrieving the vial from the wall and returns, handing it to Reid. Swiping the suspended green device in his other hand, Clarence points to the vial Reid is holding.

  “Go up to your bunker, take a deep breath and drink that. It’ll come at you all at once so be prepared.”

  Reid nods, pinching the vial between his pointer and thumb, examining it. He glances back to me and offers a grin, the vial disappearing in his hand which falls to his side in a tightened fist. He moves for the evibola, pausing at my side and, without looking at me, whispers in my ear. “After?”

  I nod, watching him pass with Vix, waiting until footsteps are no longer audible. Once they’re not, I look to Clarence.

  There he is.

  Up close.

  The first person from this new life, the one who took me here, who started all of this. He’s grinning at me, a secret curving up his lips. Maybe it’s pride. That I made it thi
s far, that I stayed alive in a world of decreasing odds. For a reason I don’t understand, I feel we owe each other some important greeting.

  “I was wondering when I’d see you,” he breaks the ice, the corner of his mouth pinching high into his cheek.

  “Me too.”

  “And here we are…” he holds the strong eye contact before glancing over my shoulder at Sampson behind me. “I see you made some friends.”

  “Had to.”

  “Well, survival’s a game—no? You do what you must.”

  “Game?” I wince ready to tell him how unlike a game this whole experience has been.

  “Of course,” and now he starts to pace, “everything we do, every choice we make propels us further into the final outcome, of determining who shall come out on top and who… should have never played at all. Aligning yourself with Sampson and the Rogues was the smartest thing you could’ve done,” he smiles the same mischievous smirk again, “and you did. I am sorry I couldn’t tell you more… warn you—they would’ve known. But you made it here, this far. And finally,” he grows serious again, “it’s your turn.”

  I glance at the wall of vials behind him. Giant pockets of them are missing but many still remain. The memories of those already gone. Hinson. Raj. I gulp, reminding myself I’m lucky to have made it here. “Last but not least, I hope.”

  “Certainly not least,” Clarence shakes his head, stepping toward me. “You figured it out.”

  “Didn’t figure anything out. Just found out.”

  “Yes but you and no one else. That says something,” he waits a moment, trepidation in his voice. “Fallon…” he takes another step closer. “I’m not sure exactly how to say this…”

  But I already know what he’s going to say. It’s me. I’m the five percent, or one of them, at least. Clarence is going to tell me I can’t return, that the most he can give me are my memories but I’ll have to stay in this life. For me, there’s no going back.

  “I know.”