Children of Wrath

by Ryan King

  "We need to talk," she said, stepping in front of him. Seeing a dangerous look in David's dark eyes she nearly faltered, before she squared and lifted her chin at him.

  He smirked as he looked her up and down. "Oh, now you decide to talk to me? You've made it pretty plain you want nothing to do with me."

  "I don't want anything to do with you," she answered. "But I have to know about Joshua."

  "Joshua?" David said. "What's my brother to you?"

  Alexandra narrowed her eyes at him. "He hasn't come back and no one is talking. Does this have anything to do with your father's exile?"

  "So you and David, huh?"

  She thought for a moment she actually saw a look of hurt in his eyes, but that wasn't possible. Not from this young man. "Yes, not that it's any of your business. If you talked to your brother more, maybe it wouldn't be a surprise."

  "Not that that's any of your business," answered David.

  Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Alexandra tried to calm her nerves. This isn't going well, she thought. "Look, I'm worried about Joshua, and no one will tell me anything. Can you...is he all right? Tell me something, please?" She took the chance and placed her hand on his arm.

  David stared into her eyes for a long moment before nodding slightly. "He was on a patrol."

  "To the west," Alexandra said. "He mentioned that before he left."

  "Not just to the west, into Missouri. He was supposed to find out more about this Missouri Alliance we've been hearing about."

  "Missouri Alliance?" she asked. She didn't like the sound of it.

  David hesitated and then continued, "A big armed group to the west. We don't know much about them. Joshua went to find out more."

  "But he hasn't come back? None of his men have come back?" Alexandra tried to keep her voice level and was disconcerted by the compassion in David's expression.

  "Some did," David said. "A few of our men were captured and Joshua caught a few of their men in return. He sent his wounded back with the prisoners and took off to rescue the rest of his men."

  Alexandra swore. "Typical Joshua."

  David smiled. "Yes, typical Joshua. Anyway, it's been almost a week. We've got recon patrols out trying to find him, but nothing yet and nothing on the radio."

  She looked at him pointedly and said "We?" and regretted it immediately. His familiar anger and air of menace returned.

  "I asked to go after him," he growled at her. "I was ordered not to and asked to stay here by..."

  "Asked to stay here by whom?"

  "Never mind," he answered. "Just know I would go after him if I could. Besides, if anyone can find Joshua, it will be Father."

  "Nathan Taylor?" she asked. "He's probably got his own problems. Exiles don't live long from what I hear."

  David's eyes narrowed at her. "Father will be fine."

  "You didn't say Joshua would be fine."

  Shaking his head sadly, he said, "I won't lie to you. If the Missouri Alliance has him, he's in a tough spot."

  "What's that even mean?" she asked, getting angry again. "We've all been in tough spots and made it here. Joshua will make it back."

  "I hope you're right," he said.

  "Do you?" she asked with an arch of her eyebrow.

  "What do you think I am?" David asked. "You honestly think I want something bad to happen to my own brother? That I don't love him?" His raised voice was drawing looks that he could have cared less about. "You don't know anything about me."

  "I know enough," she nearly whispered.

  His lips tightened, and he wrestled with his conflicted insides. He wanted to say something reassuring, make her understand. His frustration wouldn't allow it. "Will there ever be a time when you don't look at me and see that poor woman?"

  "I hope so." Alexandra turned to stride away from him.

  "She had a goddamn rusty screwdriver to my mother's goddamn neck!" he hollered after her. "Can't you understand that?"

  Alexandra didn't answer, just kept walking. The problem wasn't that she couldn't understand. She did really—she knew what David had done and why—and still, she could not let go of the vision of him blowing that woman's head off. The other part of the problem, which she refused to face, was that she understood all too well.

  Chapter 6 - Bylaws

  When Joshua next awoke, he was no longer in a medical setting. He looked around and saw a long room with rows of bunks on both sides. He lay on one a few feet off the ground with two beds above him. Rubbing gunk from around his eyes, he sat up and walked to a bathroom he could see at the end of the room.

  He passed numerous sleeping cubicles that were occupied with snoring individuals with masks over their eyes to block out the light. Each unoccupied bunk was neatly made with a clean blue blanket and white pillow. Joshua used the toilet and then splashed water on his face from the sink. When he returned to his bed, one of the sleeping men had pulled down his eye mask to gaze at him sleepily.

  "How you feel?" asked Aaron.

  Joshua was grateful to see a familiar face. "Not too bad. How long was I out this time?"

  "Just a day. We spoke yesterday afternoon. If you hurry, you can make lunch."

  Looking around at the men on the beds, Joshua asked, "Why are people sleeping?"

  "Shift work," answered Aaron. "I have the midnight to morning shift myself. I work in the biofarms. I also get fertilizer duty as the junior member here. You'll probably pull it too unless you can trade out."

  Joshua looked back toward his bunk and the exit.

  "If you go through that door," explained Aaron, "and hang a right, that hallway will lead to the central area. From there, you can ask someone or just follow your nose."

  "Thanks," said Joshua. "You want to go?"

  "Nope," said Aaron. "Got a few more hours of sleep."

  "Okay," said Joshua, preparing to walk out the door.

  "Hey," said Aaron, "better make your bed, or you'll get a fine. They really like their rules around here."

  "A fine," asked Joshua. "What's a fine?"

  Aaron laughed and pulled the mask back down over his eyes. "Don't worry, you'll find out. Enjoy lunch. I'll catch up with you later."

  Joshua carefully made his bed and then stepped out onto the smooth floor of the hallway and realized he was barefoot. He looked left down the hallway, which continued on with doors on either side until it forked and went in two opposite directions out of sight. The right showed a well-lit hallway with bright blue walls ending in a large wide-open space. Blue seemed to be the color of choice. Joshua could see several blue-and-white clad individuals strolling barefoot in the open area from his vantage point. Joshua walked slowly toward the right and noticed the floor felt comfortably warm. Pictures of beautiful landscapes seemed to adorn every available wall space and even light soothing music filled the background almost too low to even detect.

  Stepping into the open area, Joshua had the sense he was in a vast cathedral. He gazed up into a giant domed structure that was easily a hundred feet over his head. Disorientation threatened to overwhelm him until he realized he was looking up through glass floors. Above him, people walked along, and above them was another surface where they did the same. Joshua looked down and saw at least three more floors below him. The central dome radiated hallways like spokes on a wheel. It took a few moments to realize that he was gawking at it all and the people walking by were gawking at him.

  "Don't point, honey," said a woman to her son who was doing just that at Joshua.

  "That's the outlander," said a voice nearby, and Joshua looked to see two men staring at him curiously.

  He was considering going back to his room and making Aaron go with him when a short pudgy man stepped in front of him.

  "You must be Joshua," he said cheerfully, clapping Joshua on the shoulder. "So very glad to have you here. I've heard you've been a bit under the weather..." he paused, a bit uncomfortable as he looked up at Joshua's head. "Right...anyway, I'm sure you will love it here."
/>   "I'm sorry," said Joshua, "who are you?"

  "Oh, how rude of me," said the man, slapping his forehead with the heel of his hand. "I'm Simon, your entertainment and social director."

  "Social director?" asked Joshua.

  "But of course," said Simon. "Only the very best at Genesis. Today is Tuesday, and that means bingo and cards in the game room after lunch; karaoke and trivia tonight in the lounge. You just must be there. I want to welcome you properly. There's a lot of curiosity about what it's like outside."

  "You haven't been outside?"

  The man's mouth dropped. "Oh, heavens no. Who would want to go out there even if it were allowed? I hear it's positively dreadful."

  "It can get interesting," Joshua said.

  Simon laughed and patted Joshua on the arm. "Oh, aren't you just the funniest thing?"

  "Can you tell me where I can get some food around here?" Joshua asked. "I'm fairly hungry."

  "Oh, forgive me," said Simon. "I should have thought about that. Everyone here has been with us since the beginning so we don't even think about someone not knowing these things. Come with me and I'll lead you there. I hear its fish and rice today with tomato soup. Quite good."

  Joshua followed the man, who didn't seem to notice all the stares they were getting. Simon continued to chatter on about how wonderful things were and to let him know if there was anything Joshua needed.

  Simon pointed at a line of trays. "You start there and go through the line. I apologize for leaving you"—he looked at his watch and then got a frantic look on his face—"but I just must go set up for bingo or I'm going to have some very unhappy campers. I'll see you around, Joshua." Simon spun on a heel and strolled off, waving and nodding at nearly everyone he met.

  Joshua picked up a tray and walked down the line. Although there was only the food that Simon had already indicated, it appeared as if the cafeteria-style food area was set up to offer dozens of options. Nearly all of the sections sat covered and unused. A man wordlessly handed him a plate of rice mixed with what might be tuna and then a bowl with red soup. Joshua was turning to go sit when he heard someone clearing their voice in his direction.

  "Over here, dear."

  Joshua turned to what looked like a small compact cash register. Behind this sat a small elderly woman with her hair pulled back in a bun. He walked toward her.

  "You're one of the new ones, aren't you?" she asked.

  "I reckon I am," he answered.

  She nodded sympathetically. "It's all a bit overwhelming, I bet, but you'll get used to it." She pointed at his wrist where there was a silver bracelet. "You pass that under the reader, and it deducts credits from your account," she explained while he lifted his arm to do just that.

  "Credits?"

  "Yes," she said, "you get so many per week for working. There's plenty to do whatever you want, and you have a little extra to get candy or a beer or two."

  Joshua nodded, not exactly sure what to say. He had gone on a cruise with his parents years ago, and this felt more and more like that experience.

  "Enjoy your lunch," she said, placing a plastic cup on his tray.

  "Thanks," answered Joshua. He walked past tables where others sat. Most looked at him briefly and then back to what they had been doing. Joshua chose to ignore those who were staring at him more pointedly. He walked over to what was obviously a drink station. There were a number of different drink options, but all of them were marked 'temporarily out of order' except for water, iced tea, and lemonade. Joshua chose lemonade and found an empty table in the corner.

  The rice and tuna wasn't bad, and as he was eating, he realized this was probably the first solid food he'd eaten since escaping the MA camp. It was definitely the first meal he remembered eating since the morning of his capture. As he shoved the nourishment in, he realized how hungry he was. If the rice dish was okay, the soup was delicious. He spooned it in as fast as he could and then tilted the bowl up to drink every last bit. When he finally set the bowl down, Meryl was sitting across from him.

  "Soup's pretty good, isn't it?" she asked.

  Joshua nodded and took a sip of his lemonade.

  "The rice and fish are from the warehouse stocks, but we grow the tomatoes ourselves," she explained. "As good or better than any you could have bought in a store."

  Joshua nodded, not sure what to say.

  Meryl smiled nervously. "I asked Aaron to bring you to me when you awoke, but I see he didn't do that."

  "He was sleeping," answered Joshua. "I decided not to wake him."

  Nodding, she continued, "I wanted to give you a Genesis Orientation Brief. Technically you're supposed to receive it before signing your contract, but in this unique situation..." she trailed off as if expecting him to say something. When he sat silently, she stood and held a hand out toward the cafeteria exit. "Shall we?"

  "Sure," said Joshua, picking up his tray.

  "I got it, dear," said the woman who had checked him out. "You have a good day."

  "You too," said Joshua. He walked beside Meryl for several seconds, taking in all the sights. "Everyone seems so nice and polite here."

  "I'm glad to hear it," she answered. "That's one of the Genesis Pillars you'll learn about. Civility at all times. Makes it easier to live together in tight quarters over long periods of time."

  A man staring at Joshua so hard he walked into a wall caused Joshua to smile. "They do seem curious though."

  "Of course," she said, leading them into Level 5 Hallway F. "You and your two friends are the first outsiders we've had here since we locked down over a year ago. Although we have a good idea of the situation up top, people want to talk to you about what's out there. I'll ask you not to do that."

  "Why not?" asked Joshua.

  "I'll talk about that in the orientation brief," she said, opening the door to a room labeled Oregon Conference Room. She flipped a switch, and bright fluorescent lights came on to reveal a room with a polished wooden table and about a dozen swivel chairs around it. "Please have a seat while I set up the brief," she said.

  Joshua pulled out a rolling chair and sat as Meryl typed on a laptop connected to a projector. She then flipped on the projector, which cast a light on the screen at the opposite wall. Turning back to him she put on a forced smile. "Okay, I'm going to show you the orientation video and then give you a quick briefing and then offer you an opportunity to ask questions."

  "Sure..." said Joshua, looking around nervously.

  Meryl turned off the lights as thick dramatic music filled the room. The screen went black and then filled with stars. The viewer was quickly zoomed forward to what was a rendering of earth. "We live in an uncertain world today," said the deep voiced narrator. "One filled with danger and potential threats too numerous to count." The screen zoomed in on Iran and showed a scene of SCUD missiles, then to North Korea and scientists in a lab, then to Algeria where there was rioting in the streets.

  "It's a little dated now given what's happened," said Meryl apologetically.

  The screen now filled with a bright and happy-looking family with two children, one boy and one girl. Even the yellow lab at the bottom looked happy. "In such uncertain times, it is only prudent to want a measure of security and peace of mind." The family picture disappeared to be replaced by a map of North America. Small flashes of light winked on and then off of what Joshua presumed were the locations of the Genesis Condos. "The Genesis Project offers affordable and reliable security for our clients and two weeks a year of fun-filled time away from the daily grind." This narrative was interspersed with pictures of happy children and families playing games, dancing, relaxing in inviting-looking rooms, and generally having a wonderful time.

  Joshua glanced at Meryl, but she was engrossed in the video.

  "Genesis Condominiums are secure facilities designed to withstand a multitude of serious threats to our way of life. From nuclear war to catastrophic plague to socioeconomic collapse, Genesis will provide you and your family a safe haven to ride
out those uncertain times." The screen showed a schematic of what looked like a giant wheel. Joshua realized the hub of the wheel was the vast open space he had seen earlier. "Consisting of state-of-the-art living, working, and recreational areas"—each of these statements were highlighted by a picture from those facilities—"that make any stay in Genesis a comfortable one. Designed with numerous threats and contingencies in mind, Genesis Condos have their own power, water, and food sources. Best of all, they are self-contained, and the air filtration systems can filter out any biological or chemical hazard, whereas the metal and concrete structure shields those inside from harmful radiation. A completely self-contained and secure facility, Genesis Condos protect our guests from outside instability such as riots or armed conflict."

  Meryl looked at Joshua and smiled, nodding as if to let him know she agreed.

  The picture now came back to the family. "In such a world, don't you want the peace and security of Genesis? If not for you, then for your family? Contact a Genesis consultant today and prepare for tomorrow's uncertain future." The picture zoomed out to show earth and zoomed out further to show a meteor on a collision course with the planet before the video ended.

  Turning on the lights, Meryl asked, "What do you think?"

  "Is this all for real?" Joshua asked.

  "Of course it's for real," she answered. "How else would we be here?"

  "But why are you still down here now?" Joshua asked. "The nuclear bombs fell over a year ago; there's no radiation threat outside."

  "Didn't you watch the video?" she asked. "There are other threats besides just bombs." She pointed at his head as if to emphasis her point. "Your friends told us what happened to you and them. We have a madman with a homicidal army not too far away from us. I think we'll stay in here, thank you very much."

  Joshua had to admit this made some sense. "Okay, maybe you have a point, but you go outside sometimes, right? That's how we found you."

  Meryl looked very uncomfortable. "Technically, it's against the bylaws, but we voted for exemptions to make topside repairs and hunt for meat."