The Praegressus Project: Part One

by Aaron Hodges

  Now, on the roof with Chris, Liz could hardly believe she had returned. An awful loneliness rose within her, a desperate grief for her parents and the life she had once lived. Sobbing, she clung to Chris, lost in the terror of her past, in the madness that had swallowed her existence.

  CHAPTER 11

  Chris watched as the first light of the morning sun lit the distant horizon. It began as a soft glow far in the distance, still hidden by the curve of the earth, but quickly rising into view. Sunlight shone across the plains, turning the fields of grass to gold, and revealing the black and white dots of sheep and cattle. He closed his eyes as the first rays reached them on the rooftop, basking in their warmth.

  Turning his head, he watched Liz where she was curled up beside him. One of his wings lay draped across her like a blanket, and she clutched it in her fingers, a soft smile touching her lips. Her own wings had relaxed with sleep, and now hung limply behind her.

  His mind drifted, recalling again the story she had told him. He shivered, unable to comprehend the shock, the horror of witnessing her mother change. He bit back a sob as he thought of his own mother, and wondered at her fate.

  Where are you, mum?

  He still clung to the hope she was alive, that the government had spared her from execution, or delayed her sentence. He couldn’t bring himself to face the alternative, that she might be gone, that he might be alone.

  If she was gone, he didn’t know how he would go on.

  Grimacing, Chris forced his thoughts to more practical matters. They were a long way from safe yet. They had found a temporarily asylum on Liz’s ranch, but it was only a matter of time before the search reached the lonely mountain. Today, tomorrow maybe, but no longer than that. Once the helicopter found the dead soldiers, and realised the escapees had breached their cordon, the hunters would come for them. They had to be far away by then.

  But with the wide plains stretching out to the west, they would be spotted in minutes if they flew.

  Chris stifled a yawn and rose to his feet, struggling to free his wing from Liz’s unconscious grip before tucking them against his back. Liz stirred with the movement, her eyelids flickering briefly, before settling back into sleep. Crouching down, he gently lifted her into his arms.

  Letting her great black wings trail beneath her, he moved to the side of the roof and jumped. His own wings snapped out as they fell, catching him and slowing his descent. He landed with a soft thud of bare feet on dirt and retracted his wings. Idly, he wondered again at the strange new appendages, at how quickly they had all adapted to their presence. Though he still tripped over their bulk occasionally, each day they became more a part of him.

  He found Jasmine and Richard in the living area. Richard stood by the window, looking out over the plains. He glanced up as Chris entered, then resumed his silent vigil. Jasmine was in the adjoining kitchen, silently licking her fingers. A guilty look flashed across her face when she saw him, and she quickly looked away. Glancing at the countertop, Chris saw the remains of the turkey had been picked clean. His stomach gave a sharp rumble at the sight.

  Shaking his head, Chris crossed the room. The young girl lay asleep beside the long dead fireplace, her grey wings pulled tight around her. He lay Liz gently beside her. To his surprise, the young girl gave a soft murmur, and her arms stretched out to embrace Liz.

  Chris smiled at the sight, warmth spreading through his chest. Whatever pain Liz might be feeling, she had the rest of them now – even this strange little girl, it seemed.

  He looked back at Jasmine and Richard, feeling the heavy tension that hung over the room. Yesterday, little had been said of the ambush in the forest. They had all been too exhausted, still in shock after what had happened, what they’d witnessed. Jasmine hid it well, but he could see her fear, concealed behind the anger. The encounter with the soldiers had scared her to the core.

  “Good morning,” he offered softly.

  Richard turned away from the window. “You didn’t wake us, for the watch?”

  Chris let out a long breath and shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep anyway. I thought you could use the rest.”

  Jasmine snorted as she walked out of the kitchen. “Yeah, right. Not because you were worried he might fall asleep again.”

  Richard bowed his head and looked away, but she moved towards him, a fire burning in her eyes.

  Quickly stepping into her path, Chris raised his hands. “It’s not his fault, Jasmine.”

  “No?” her brown eyes glared at him, her emerald wings trembling on her back, “What about you and Liz then? Wandering off into the forest, leaving us to be caught. I guess we know how things stand between us, don’t we?”

  “How things stand?” Chris stepped forward, until only an inch separated them, “How things stand is the two of you have never been anything but antagonistic to us. And why? Because we were forced to fight your friends? Because we were jailed with Ashley and Sam?”

  Jasmine refused to back down. Her eyes were like daggers as she looked up at Chris. “They killed our friends,” she snapped.

  “And you didn’t?” Richard’s voice interrupted their exchange. He stepped forward, face hard now. “You made the same decision, Jasmine. Or else Chelsea would be here instead of you, wouldn’t she?”

  Air hissed between Jasmine’s teeth as her face paled. “Don’t you dare bring her into this!”

  “Stop!” Chris growled, cutting over the two of them. He glanced at Liz, and was relieved to see she still slept. He went on in a softer tone. “Stop this, both of you. We’ve all been forced to do things we regret. We went through that hell together, in case you’d forgotten. But we’re all that’s left now. We’re all any of us has. We have to find a way to work together.”

  Jasmine took a long breath as she looked at Chris. She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice cracked, and suddenly she seemed to shrink. Shaking her head, she turned away. “You don’t understand,” she shuddered. “When they caught us… when we were kneeling there on the ground. I’ve never been so afraid, knowing they were taking us back, that there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.”

  “Jasmine…” Richard’s voice was soft as he stepped towards her.

  “Don’t!” Jasmine shrank away. “Just… don’t, Richard.”

  “It wasn’t his fault, Jasmine,” Chris repeated his words. “You saw how many there were, the weapons they had. They would have shot us down if we’d tried to run. I don’t think it would have mattered in the end, whether Richard was awake or not.”

  A strained silence fell across the room then. Chris shivered as a cold breeze drifted in from the front door. He moved across to the kitchen and attempted to scavenge a scrap of meat from the turkey carcass.

  “What happened in the forest, Chris?” it was Richard who spoke, but when he looked up he saw Jasmine shifting closer too.

  Giving up on the turkey, he picked up a loose apple and took a bite. The image of the Chead falling from the trees flickered through his mind, punctuated by the screams of the soldiers. His stomach twisted and he tossed the apple back onto the bench.

  “The truth? I don’t know. We were watching you from the trees, talking about how to free you,” he eyed Jasmine pointedly at that. “But before we could act, the Chead appeared. I didn’t even hear them approach. One stepped between us and the soldiers, while the others melted into the trees. A few minutes later, the screaming started.”

  Jasmine shuddered as she wrapped her arms around her chest. “Why would they help us?”

  Chris shrugged. He had been asking himself the same question ever since their appearance. That, and where they had come from, what they had been doing in the forest in the first place. He started to speak, to voice his own questions, when a movement came from the doorway.

  As one, the three of them spun towards the doorway

  CHAPTER 12

  “Well... what do we have… here?”

  For a second, time seemed to slow. As Chris spun, he glimp
sed the figure in the doorway, heard the voice, but he was already moving. Stepping forward, he placed himself between the intruder and the sleeping girls, raising his fists in defiance. His lips drew back in a snarl, but inside a desperate fear wrapped around his chest, draining away his strength.

  The Chead reclined in the doorway, arms crossed, its features twisted with amusement. Long black hair hung around its face, but there was no missing the familiar grey eyes. The orange jumpsuit it wore was torn and stained, the sleeves ripped clean off at the shoulders. Sleek, powerful muscles rippled along its arms as it stepped into the room. It looked to be around Chris’s own eighteen years, though there was no telling with the Chead. Its sickly-sweet scent reached Chris’s nostrils as it looked around, its very presence a threat.

  Chris’s stomach lurched as he realised he knew the creature. It was the same Chead from the facility, the same one he and Liz had fought – and spared. He swallowed as its eyes fixed on him. He tensed, preparing himself.

  The Chead smiled. “Come now,” the words seemed almost hesitant, but there was no mistaking their strength, “if we wished you dead… we would have left you to… the soldiers.”

  “Stay where you are,” Chris bared his teeth, his wings snapping open, “Don’t come any closer.”

  The Chead’s grey eyes lingered on his wings as it took another step. “Curious…” its voice grated. Lifting a hand, it reached out to touch his wing. Chris took an involuntary step backwards, and the Chead laughed.

  Swallowing his fear, Chris growled. “Get out.”

  The Chead’s face went blank as its cold eyes drilled into him. Chris shuddered, but forced himself to stand strong. He could sense the others behind him, hovering close, and drew strength from their presence.

  “You’re outnumbered,” he breathed. “Leave, now!”

  A sly grin spread across the Chead’s lips as it began to cackle. Movement came from around them, as the other creatures Chris had glimpsed in the forest filed in from the hallway. Unable to control his fear, Chris retreated into the centre of the room, until he collided with Richard. The Chead spread out around the room, forcing the three of them back towards the fireplace. Looking around, Chris counted eight pairs of grey eyes watching them.

  The first Chead moved forward, until it stood face to face with Chris. He flinched as it reached out and stroked the feathers of his wings, but there was nowhere left to retreat now.

  “Curious,” it repeated, its words smoother now. It looked at him. “So… I was not wrong.”

  Chris took a long breath, struggling to control his panic. “What do you want, Chead?”

  “So… impatient,” a broad grin split its face as the grey eyes travelled past him, to where Liz still lay asleep. Absently, Chris wondered whether the girl would sleep through a hurricane. “We are not yet… all present.”

  It started to step past him, but Chris moved to intercept it, anger taking light in his chest. Whatever these creatures were here for, he wasn’t about to let them harm Liz. Not without a fight.

  Before he could take two steps, two Chead leapt forward from the circle and caught him by the arms. Grunting with effort, they hauled him back as he fought to break free. A soft smile on its lips, the first Chead strode past, moving across to where Liz and the young girl lay by the fireplace.

  “The other… one,” it turned and grinned at Chris, its stilted voice touched by humour, “my... champions.”

  Chris was about to reply when a movement came from the floor. Before anyone could react, Liz leapt from the ground and tackled the Chead from behind. Her weight sent it stumbling forward as she wrapped an arm tight around its throat.

  As the Chead fought to regain its balance, Liz spread her wings and beat them hard. Still off-balance, the Chead lost its footing and was dragged backwards, as Liz lifted its full weight off the ground. She landed in the corner, and turned to face the remaining Chead.

  “Back!” she snarled, teeth bared.

  The other Chead exchanged uneasy glances. Then the creature in Liz’s grip twisted, and its elbow flashed back into her face. A harsh crack echoed through the room as the blow staggered her. With a violent jerk, the Chead tore itself free and sprang free.

  Chris tensed against the Chead holding him, preparing to fight, to defend Liz against the creatures.

  But the first Chead only laughed. Shaking its head, it turned its back on Liz and stalked across to Chris.

  “The girl is… spirited,” its teeth showed as its lips curled back, “She is… yours?”

  Shrieking, Liz launched herself across the room. Quick as a minx, the Chead spun. Parrying a wild blow from Liz, its hand flashed out and caught her by the wrist. A low rumble sounded in Liz’s chest as she swung her other arm, but the Chead easily caught the blow. Grinning, it stared down at her. Liz looked back helplessly, both fists trapped in its iron grasp.

  Then her knee flashed up, straight into the Chead’s crotch. The thump as the blow landed made even Chris wince, and the Chead folded like grass before the wind.

  “My name is Liz,” she growled, staring down at the gasping figure, “and I belong to no one.”

  The Chead chuckled as it straightened. “Such fire…” it bowed its head, “my… apologies.”

  “Artemis!” Chris jumped as a new voice shrieked from the corner of the room.

  Every face in the room turned as a ball of grey hair and feathers barrelled past, and leapt at the first Chead. The Chead stumbled backwards, surprise showing on its face, but at the last second the young girl pulled up short. The wild grin fell from her face as her jaw fell open.

  “Oh…” she gulped, and retreated a step.

  The Chead stared at her, its brow creased in confusion. The girl took another step back, then turned and hurled herself at Jasmine. Jasmine staggered as the tiny girl wrapped her arms around her leg. Righting herself, Jasmine looked around the room, eyes wide with shock. Then she reached down and put her arms around the trembling girl.

  The first Chead had not moved during the exchange. It stood staring at the girl, its grey eyes suddenly hesitant, as though perplexed. Finally it looked back at Chris and raised an eyebrow. “Strange…” its nostrils flared, “strange… company, you keep.”

  Shaking his head, Chris moved between Jasmine and the Chead. A feral anger rose in his chest as his patience snapped, giving way to steely resolve. He took a step forward, until he stood face to face with the Chead, and stared into its icy eyes.

  “What are you doing here?” he growled. “Why did you save us from the soldiers?”

  He clenched his fists, bracing himself for a fight. He could guess now where these Chead had come from. They had to have been prisoners of the facility. They must have escaped at the same time as Chris and the others. But that still did not explain their appearance in the woods.

  The smile fell from the Chead’s lips at Chris’s words. The grey eyes stared back at him, unreadable.

  Then the Chead shrugged. “A debt…. was owed,” the creature shifted, licking its lips, “You spared… Hecate’s life. You suffered… for me.”

  Its grey eyes flickered towards Liz as it spoke, and Chris saw again the scene in the padded room, saw Liz writhing in agony, the shock collar flashing around her neck. He shuddered and his hand drifted unconsciously to his throat. But the steel chains were long gone, and angrily he pushed the memory away.

  “Your name is Hecate?” he asked, the angry words dying in his throat.

  The Chead smiled, a dull laughter rattling in its throat. “You thought... we would call each other… Chead?”

  The whisper of laughter came from the other Chead, reminding Chris of their presence. A shiver ran through him at the inhuman quality to the laughter. Though they looked like ordinary teenagers, there was no doubting the absence of humanity in their grey stares.

  He turned his eyes back to the first Chead. “Thank you, Hecate,” he paused, unsure how to continue. “How are you here? How did you escape the facility?”


  “The woman… released us,” its eyes flashed, the grin turning feral, “The fun we had… before we left.”

  Chris blanked. Finally, they knew how Angela Fallow had distracted the guards long enough to free them. She had unleashed the captive Chead on the facility. He shuddered at the slaughter they would have left behind them, and wondered how anyone had survived to come after them. But then, a well-placed bullet would still stop a Chead in its tracks, and in the long corridors of the facility, the guards would have eventually overwhelmed the creatures.

  “How did you find us?” Liz asked.

  “After… our brothers and sisters… began to fall, we left.” The Chead eyed them with a grin. “You fly slow… sleep too much. And your stench… was not hard to track.”

  Chris wrinkled his nose, trying to ignore the cloying sweetness the Chead carried with them. It filled the room, overpowering, though he had never heard it mentioned in the news reports about the Chead. He guessed an enhanced sense of smell was yet another alteration he could chalk up to Halt and Fallow’s meddling.

  But sense of smell aside, he knew there had to be more to Chead’s actions than Hecate was letting on. Folding his arms, he shook his head. “You did not follow us all this way, save us from those soldiers, just to say thank you.”

  The Chead smiled again. “You are… correct,” its teeth flashed as its grin widened, “We came to see… if you would join us.”

  “Join you in what?” Liz asked softly.

  Hecate turned to look at her. “In the war… to come.”

  Chris blinked. “The war to come?”

  “For all our existence… we have suffered,” the Chead’s eyes flashed. “Beaten. Tortured. Murdered. We were born into captivity... destined to die there. But now we are free… and we will make our tormentors pay.”

  “You want to fight the government?” Liz breathed.