Hope Everlasting: A Dystopian Sci-fi Novel (The Variant Saga Book 3)

by JN Chaney

  The hours stretched on as she worked, pouring over scans and data, waiting for reports to come in. At various intervals, her team of twenty-six analysts came and went, replacing one another throughout the day and night.

  But Lena Sol continued on, unhindered. She had been given a task and would see it done to the best of her abilities. All was for the good of Everlasting.

  Halfway through the night, an alert blinked on her display, indicating another report had been filed. She opened it, expecting the same results.

  Grid 1121-87. Four humanoids. One match.

  She blinked, wiping her eyes. She took a quick breath and read it once more.

  Grid 1121-87. Four humanoids. One match.

  One match.

  Could this be accurate? She motioned to bring up the full report. Grid 1121-87 was adjacent to the southern wall, near the ocean. It was far removed from any settlements and seemed an unlikely location for someone to go, especially considering how far it was from the portal site. Had Terry truly traversed such a distance on foot? If he was anything like the other humans, particularly the Blacks, then perhaps. They had revealed themselves to be quite adept at survival.

  Lena brought up a live feed of the grid in question, magnifying several times until she had the exact location of the match. In an open field on a hill, sitting between a beach and the forest, she found a single building. Outside of it, two figures walked together through the nearby field, while two others waited inside. With a single command, the satellite pinpointed the specific individual and magnified.

  A young male with long dark hair walked in the direction of a couple of large animals. He held a thick bag on his shoulder, but dropped it to his side and tore the top open. Petting one of the beasts on its forehead, he proceeded to pour the contents of the bag into a trough. He waited for the animals to begin eating, then rolled the top of the bag and lifted it to leave.

  Lena watched him for several minutes, unable to see his face, but nonetheless remained intrigued. The man’s ears were short and curved, the same as the other humans she’d met before. The same as Johnathan Finn. Of all the people across the globe, none had ears like them. She leaned in, waiting for a glimpse of the stranger’s face, determined not to move until she had it.

  At one point, the man tilted his head and she got a brief look at his nose, which extended a short distance, similarly to the other humans. He soon went back inside the house, blocking the satellite from getting a clear view of his face. She could still track his movements, but the details of his appearance would elude the scans. Still, she had enough evidence to take this to the Leadership. The man matched Terry’s height, hair color, and general body type, including the ears and nose, making for a remarkable find. While not definitive, it was enough to justify further investigation.

  Lena ordered a quarter of her team to focus their efforts specifically on grid 1121-87 and its surrounding areas. The rest of them would continue to search according to established protocol, scanning multiple grids in an effort to discover other matches, should the current findings prove false.

  Lena Sol was confident, however, that this would not be the case.

  She filed a report directly to Master Gel, stating her hypothesis that the individual in question was indeed the one for whom they’d been searching. Whether or not the master analyst would agree with her findings, of course, remained to be seen.

  ******

  The Border

  February 25, 2351

  “Priestesses? They are near? Are you certain?” asked Ludo. His voice was frantic. “We must get Ysa out of here at once! They will show her no mercy.”

  “We have nowhere to go,” said Plead.

  “We will take the cart and head south,” said Ludo, sounding confident.

  “There are checkpoints between here and Capeside. We could go to Edgewater, but it’s so close that they could track us there with ease,” explained Plead.

  “There has to be somewhere,” said Terry.

  “We can only head south,” said Ludo.

  Terry thought for a moment. What were they going to do? Plead was probably right about not being able to hide out in Edgewater, and the checkpoints between here and Capeside might be a problem. At the very least, they’d report about suspicious travelers when the priestesses or the temple guards came looking. “There has to be another option.”

  Plead put his knuckles to his lips, pausing to think. “How far were they, these priestesses?”

  “Not very. A few hours, at best. One of them mentioned a merchant giving them directions, but I don’t think they knew the whole way.”

  “I see. It must have been the caravan.” Plead cursed under his breath. “The butcher, if I had to guess.”

  “I thought you were friends,” said Terry.

  “For a few days, perhaps. Hardly enough to risk one’s life. I doubt he would have told just anyone, but a priestess can make a strong case. Thankfully, he didn’t know our destination. Only the direction.”

  Terry knew full well the power a priestess wielded. He’d seen Ysa’s strength when she battled Gast on the farm. “What should we do?”

  “Whatever is safer for Ysa,” said Ludo.

  “In that case, I don’t think running is in our best interest. The only solution is to hide.”

  “Okay, I’m listening,” said Terry.

  “There is a place not far from here, but the location is…problematic,” said Plead.

  “What sort of place?” asked Ludo.

  “This house used to belong to a group of smugglers and poachers. They specialized in exotic goods.” Plead looked out the nearby window. “From the other side of the wall.”

  “The wall? They went to the other side?”

  “Right you are, my boy,” said Plead. “Dangerous business, but highly profitable. You’d be amazed at the sort of furs—”

  “Okay, so that’s what we have to do, then,” interrupted Terry.

  “But we have been to the edge of the wall already,” Ludo reminded him. “I never saw a gate or broken section to pass through.”

  “That’s because it’s hidden. The smugglers used a tunnel they built themselves.”

  “I take it you know where it is,” said Terry.

  “Of course,” said Plead, rather proudly.

  “Then let’s go. We need to move before it’s too late.”

  ******

  Between the four of them, they managed to load most of the supplies back into the cart before leaving. Ysa and Ludo once again sat in the back, while Terry and Plead took to the front. There was still no sign of the priestesses, no matter how hard Terry tried to listen. With any luck, they’d veered off in another direction.

  Plead brought the cart to the northern wall, but stayed with it until it ran into a cliff near the sea. “Everyone out,” he told them.

  “Is the passage inside?” asked Ludo, helping Ysa off the back of the cart.

  “No, not quite,” explained the merchant. He motioned toward a set of bushes in the opposite direction. “This way.”

  With everyone behind him, Plead dug his hands in the ground, searching and flinging up dirt. Plead let out a happy “Aha!” and yanked on a piece of rope, pulling a hidden tarp free.

  Dirt scattered into the air, hitting Terry in the face and covering his feet. He wiped his cheeks and spit.

  Beneath the cloth and rope, there was a large slab of wood. A hatch of sorts. Plead gripped the handle and, with a quick tug, managed to lift it.

  The tunnel inside went straight down, with only a single rope ladder to hold them. Plead took a couple of torches from the rear of his cart, giving them to Terry and Ludo. He also unloaded a few packs filled with supplies, including some dry food, water, and rope. “Here you go,” he said, helping Ludo put it on. “Mind your head when you’re down there.”

  Ysa and Ludo went in first, descending slowly into the dark. The light of Ludo’s torch showed the way, revealing the rest of the pit, which curved after about fifteen yar
ds.

  “You’ll be next, my young friend,” said Plead, preparing to give Terry his own pack.

  “What are we going to do with the cart and the haddins? Leave them here?”

  “There’s a cave in the cliff nearby. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

  “Wait, what? You mean you aren’t coming with us?” asked Terry.

  “Someone has to stay behind to cover the hatch. Otherwise, what’s the point?” asked Plead.

  “You can’t just go running off on your own. Those people are crazy. They’ll kill you!”

  “Don’t fret about me. I’m just a merchant spending some time at the beach.” He grinned. “I’ll tell them I dropped you off in Edgewater before coming here. They’ll believe it. I have a trusting face.”

  “But—”

  “When you get through the tunnel, close the other hatch, then head left and follow the wall. You’ll eventually find a little shed. It’s not far. That one is far less dirty inside.” He grabbed Terry by the shoulder. “And remember not to make any noise if you can help it. Don’t leave that building until it’s time to return. Do you understand?”

  “Why? What’s out there?”

  “Monsters, maybe. Demons. Guardians. Whatever they are, avoid them. If you see one, you run. You understand me?” His face was very serious. “You run.”

  Terry stepped into the pit, gripping the rope. “How will we know when to come back?” he asked, beginning his descent.

  “Three days,” said Plead, getting ready to lower the hatch. “Return here at that time. I’ll be waiting for you. Good luck, my boy. Look out for your friends.”

  “I will,” said Terry.

  The hatch slammed shut, blocking out the two suns, enveloping him in darkness.

  ******

  The tunnel wasn’t bad. A few of the walls had caved in a bit, but not enough to bar their progress by more than a few minutes. The walk was slow, but mostly steady. Terry, Ludo, and Ysa made their way to the other side, locating the second hatch in under a few hours.

  This side didn’t end with a rope ladder or a pit. Instead, the hatch was within arm’s reach. With Ludo’s help, Terry managed to crack it open, pushing a pile of scattered dirt and grass to the side.

  As Plead had instructed, they hiked west along the wall, looking for signs of another hatch. After nearly two hours, they found it. A pile of unusually shaped stones marked the spot. They looked like the kind Terry had seen on the beach near the cabin, smooth and ovular. Nothing like the jagged rocks found in the woods.

  To his surprise, the walls inside the little building were metallic, with a set of stairs leading further in.

  “There’s no way a group of smugglers built this,” Terry said.

  The door, metal like the rest, stood next to a device on the wall, which had been bludgeoned at some point and now had guts of wires hanging from within. Beyond the door, which opened with ease, they found a single room, filled with dusty furniture—the same sort Terry had discovered in the underground city, back before he ever met Ludo. The same design and everything.

  He didn’t know what to say.

  ******

  Ludo spent the first few hours finding a bed for Ysa to rest in. There was hardly any dust or grime, though some weeds had broken through the cracks near the door. Plead had said the poachers came here once a year to work, but he’d expected something far less sophisticated. Whatever this was, it wasn’t built by the hunters.

  Not by a long shot. Everlasting had made it, probably while building their wall. Had it been an outpost of sorts, long ago? He wished he could ask someone.

  There didn’t seem to be any working electricity inside, not that he could find. The overhead light was there, but it didn’t come on, nor did anything else in the room. Aside from being in far better condition than the underground facility he’d discovered, there simply wasn’t much here that they could use. A few furs, disregarded in the corner by the previous tenants, but nothing else. What had this facility looked like before the poachers started using it as a storage locker?

  Good thing Plead had given them some supplies. Three days in unfamiliar terrain might have spelled disaster.

  Once they had explored the tiny domicile, there was little to do but wait. Ludo had cautioned against going outdoors unless absolutely necessary, so they could only sit and wait out the three days.

  Terry kept himself occupied by practicing his form with his sword. Ludo occasionally observed, giving rare advice, but for the most part he left him alone. Terry had come a long way in a short amount of time. Hopefully, his progress would only continue.

  As night came, the disturbing sounds of the Guardians returned. They were louder now, and clearer, coming and going until morning. As Terry lay in the corner, still awake, he felt a rumbling beneath him, matching the cries of the monsters outside. They were like footsteps, terrible and furious, shaking the world from far away. Terry imagined a great beast, covered in quills, breathing heavily and watching him. An image of a razorback flashed through his mind—the same one he had fought in the tunnels on Earth, years ago—and he remembered what it had done to Roland, there in that awful place.

  Then, for the first time in several months, Terry thought about his home, his friends. He remembered their faces, and he imagined their voices calling to him.

  The trembling stopped soon enough, along with the strange noises. Terry let himself relax, closing his eyes, and he drifted. Sleep quickly took him, and with it came the dreaming.

  A great light filled him, fading into an image of a field. Green grass waving in the breeze, cerulean skies moving puffy, white clouds.

  Near him, a woman stood, clad in a blue dress, and smiling. It was his mother, younger than he remembered, and happier than she had ever been.

  She took his hand, tugging him along, leading him to a wide and never-ending sea. They found a dock with a boat tied to it. A little one with oars. His mother smiled at him and kissed his forehead, then pointed to the little craft, nudging him into it. He climbed inside without question, then watched as she untied and kicked it free.

  His mother waved and blew a kiss as the boat began to float away. She twirled in her sparkling blue dress, laughing happily.

  Terry grabbed the oars and tried to go back, but they slipped into the water below, disappearing. The boat continued to float with the current, moving further away from the beach until nothing was visible. Until the woman in the blue dress had disappeared.

  Until the little boy was all alone.

  ******

  “Ask him again, Tia,” said Zika. “Don’t be afraid to cut him some more.”

  “Sorry, little man,” said Tia, dangling a small dagger near Plead’s cheek.

  “I-I already told you, I don’t know anything about a missing priestess,” he said, sitting with his arms bound and his back against the cave wall. The smell of haggin blood filled his senses. It was so thick he could taste it. The poor animals were still in the corner, their innards strewn mercilessly on the ground.

  “We know you smuggled her out. The other merchants described your cart with great detail,” said Zika. She took the edge of the knife and ran it along his cheek, breaking the skin. A line of blood formed, dripping from his chin.

  Plead had known the risks of staying behind, but now he was having regrets. What was he thinking? He should have either gone with the others or headed south. Tried to outrun these people. Tried to get away. He hadn’t expected them to track him all the way to this cave. “Please, I don’t know. I swear it.”

  “He swears it,” mocked Zika. “Tia, did you hear?”

  “I heard,” she laughed.

  Zika twirled the knife in her fingers. “Shall I cut him again?”

  “No, wait!” begged Plead.

  “She likes to cut things,” said Tia.

  “I do,” admitted Zika, smiling at the bloody haggin meat pooling blood against the wall. She touched the edge of her blade against his cheek. “It’s such fun, you know.”


  “Alright! Okay! A man and his wife paid me to take them nearby. I don’t know who they were. I’m telling you the truth,” said Plead.

  She smiled. “Now we’re getting somewhere. What else did they tell you? Did they say where they were going?”

  “No, no,” he insisted. “All I heard was they had a ship coming to pick them up. Somewhere on the beach. I don’t know. I think there’s a dock nearby.”

  Zika stared at him curiously. “You expect us to believe a ship came all the way out here for that garbage traitor?” She laughed like it was a joke. “You take us for fools, little man.”

  “It’s true!” insisted Plead. “Her husband is in league with a wavemaster. I heard him say he knew one. I don’t know the name, but they’re probably halfway to Capeside by now.”

  “A wavemaster?” asked Zika.

  “A tamer of the sea,” said Plead.

  “I know what they are!” she snapped, gripping his throat. Her hands were stronger than he expected. “I just find it hard to believe that one would come here for a traitor. Do you understand?”

  Plead tried to speak, but couldn’t get the words out. He nodded his agreement.

  “I heard wavemasters are mostly in Tharosa,” said Tia.

  “Is that true? Tell us!” ordered Zika, loosening her grip enough for him to answer.

  “It’s true!” he gasped. “Edgewater gets ships from Tharosa and Lexine all the time. A few are wavemasters. They sail along the coast. It brings them close to here. I don’t know where they were picked up, though, or what ship it was. I don’t know anything, really!”

  “Where did the ship take them?” asked Tia.

  “I have no idea! I didn’t even see it.”

  Zika stared at him. “How do we know if you’re speaking the truth?”

  Plead could feel his hand shaking. He gripped his pocket, trying to calm himself. If only he’d taken the time to study meditation in his youth. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so panicked. He’d been lying to her through his teeth, hoping she’d believe it, but the whole thing could come tumbling down at any moment. “I wouldn’t lie to you. I’m a follower of the Eye. I’m devout!”