The Forever Ones (The Iduna Project)

by DeLuca, Marjorie

  Now I’m beginning to understand the size of this operation and it suddenly makes me so crazy I turn on Junius. “So we get them out of there. Where are we gonna take them?” I say. “And what about all the other pods? We don’t even know how many there are. And the compound? Still pumping out more new forevers every day. We have to get up that hill to the CEO. Someone has to stop whoever’s running this.”

  By now the explosions are getting more and more frequent and with each one the ground vibrates. “I know what you’re saying, Paige, but we can’t do it all at once. If we start with this pod then we can move to the others next and work our way upwards. Iduna’s been around for decades. We’re not going to break it in a weekend.”

  I’m about to reply when a light flashes on Junius’s phone. “Toby’s calling,” he says and puts it to his ear. We’re all straining to hear what’s happening but there’s so much battle noise we can barely hear each other speak. Finally Junius clicks the phone off. “We’re meeting at the Shoshu. He’s got Kumaresh and eight other forevers with him.”

  “Only eight?” I say, unable to hide my disappointment.

  “That’s the most they can safely transport without causing a massive security crackdown in the compound. Edelia’s signed for them. Said they need more because of the Crime Lords so there’s no problem.”

  “It’s better than nothing,” says Chale. “We’ll make the best of it.”

  I feel suddenly guilty. “I feel like it’s my fault that Sileas is dead. I should’ve made a dash straight into the bushes instead of standing there like an idiot.”

  “You’ve been so brave,” says Junius. “There’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

  “Okay then,” I say. “Let’s get back to the Shoshu before they find that guard.”

  “Where’s the weapon case?” asks Junius, his eyes darting around the area in panic.

  I remember suddenly I’ve left it in front of the weapons storage building. In all the confusion I dropped it on the ground.

  “I’ll get it,” I say. “You guys stay here in the bushes.”

  “Be careful,” says Chale. “We’ve already lost one friend.”

  My heart is thudding as I step out into the open. Over by headquarters I see Cal’s body and I swear I can hear him moaning like some wounded animal. I feel icy cold as I realize he might still be alive. I tiptoe over to the weapons case, open it and take one out, slotting it into my pocket. I need to be prepared for anything. Then I snap the case shut, run over to the bush and throw it along the ground. Junius darts out and grabs it then beckons me back. I shake my head. “The guard might still be alive,” I whisper. “I can’t leave him like that.”

  “Don’t be crazy,” says Junius. “It’s too big a risk.”

  I’m standing in the middle of the roadway fighting with my conscience when the sky suddenly lights up with red and yellow flashes but this time the explosion is so close a cloud of dust falls from the sky scattering pellets of gravel all over me. The battle is getting closer. And before I can take a lunge into the cover of the bushes a silver transport vehicle speeds round the side of headquarters, its wheels screeching across the ground. I freeze. If I run I’ll put Junius and the others in danger. I have no choice but to face whatever’s coming my way.

  The transporter grinds to a halt right beside me and shaved head clambers out accompanied by red hair.

  “Identify yourself,” he says. Behind him Red hair has his laser pointed right at me. I can see the alarm on Chale and Junius’s face through the tree branches and I realize I just have to bluff my way out. Gathering all my courage I shout, “What the hell are you waiting for? Can’t you see Cal’s injured. And where were you when we came under attack? Messing around at the pool? Wait till Central Command hears about this.”

  Red hair lowers his weapon as shaved head backs off holding both hands in front of him. “Okay, okay. So Wade and I had a bit of fun. Nobody needs to know about it,” he says, winking at me. “We were only gone for half an hour.”

  “Yeah and look what happened,” I say pointing over at the body under the flagpole. “I think he’s still alive.”

  “C’mon Dag,” says Wade. “Cal’s in a real bad way.”

  I follow them over to the flagpole, praying that Cal isn’t going to blow my cover. The two girls, Lara and probably Gina, get out of the transporter. “I’ve got a medical kit,” says Lara, running over.

  “We were coming out of the storage building and they just took us by surprise,” I say.

  “Who was it?” says Dag.

  “Probably the same guys who got Bren last night. They sent me over from Central to help out,” I say, hoping they’ll believe me but they’re so wrapped up in the crisis they barely hear.

  Wade bends over the mess of Cal’s skull. His eyelids are dark blue and flickering with half life. A gurgling, choking sound comes out of his mouth.

  “He’s drowning in his own blood,” I say, my stomach turning somersaults at the sight.

  “Poor sap,” says Dag.

  “Can’t we move the pole,” says Lara. “I mean get him out of there.”

  “It’s gonna take one of our gun carriers to move that and they’re all out in the field,” says Wade.

  “Then we gotta put him out of his misery,” says Dag, taking out his laser.

  “No,” says Gina. “There has to be something else we can do.”

  Cal’s eyes open and seem to roll back into his head so only the whites are visible. “Do it now,” says Wade and with one blast of laser fire the body is still. The whimpering stops.

  “Poor shit,” says Dag, wiping a tattooed arm over his sweating face. Lara hand covers her mouth while Gina looks away. “But we got work to do. We have orders to report to Central. The battle’s getting too close. We’ll give you a ride with us – er?” He looks at me, waiting.

  “Lynette,” I say. “But I have orders to stay here.” Now my hands are sweaty and I start to chew my lip again.

  “There ain’t gonna be no here soon if this fighting gets closer so you’d better come with us. And after what happened to Bren and Cal you should be scared. We don’t know who’s gonna be attacked next.”

  My legs feel as if I can’t move them. I have no choice but to go. If I try to make a run for it then it’ll put the others in danger. So as I get inside the transporter I catch a glimpse of three sets of terrified eyes watching from the bushes. Then the transporter rolls away and I realize now I’m totally alone and heading god knows where.

  29

  “She don’t say much,” says Wade, nudging Lara. We’re driving down a hill which is a surprise to me. I thought Central Control was at the highest point of the mountains. I’m looking out the window trying hard to memorize the route we’re taking in case I can find a way to escape. All I know is I’d have to get back to Realtown – to the Shoshu where everyone’s meeting up with Kumaresh.

  “Yeah, she’s not very friendly,” says Lara.

  I look away from the window. I can’t raise any suspicion. “Listen - I’m feeling really bad about Cal. We’d just made plans to join you at the pool. I mean – he was a really fun guy…” and then I break off, shaking my head in a show of grief but it’s actually Sileas I’m thinking of so tears actually do start to roll down my cheeks.

  “Leave her alone,” says Gina. “See how upset she is. Her sweetie was just murdered in cold blood. What do you expect?”

  Dag is up front driving. Gina’s beside him. “Funny,” he says, “I don’t remember Cal talking about a girlfriend.”

  “We kept it quiet,” I say. “He didn’t want it to get around at work.”

  Dag shrugs and gives Gina a long look and she dissolves into giggles.

  “What’s up? Did I make a joke or something?” I say but before they can answer me we’ve reached the bottom of the hill and there spread out like rippling blue silk is the ocean. Ornate, sprawling mansions cling to the waterfront strip, their windows glittering gold in the sun and their driveways bor
dered by lush gardens and palm tree groves. Every now and then a turquoise square of swimming pool glistens behind a wrought iron fence and the red eyes of security cameras blink from the gilded gateways. “Latest bulletin says the Crime Lords are getting closer to this area,” says Dag, his head glancing nervously from one side to the other. “Trying to capture some of the beachfront estates.” And just as he turns the corner a long, dark streak of something flies across the sky up ahead and lands in the ocean sending a blast of water and rock into the air.

  “Better put your foot down,” says Wade. “Action’s getting closer and those Crime Lords would slit your throat before you can blink.”

  “I wouldn’t mind getting a look into one of those beauties,” says Gina gazing at a gleaming cream and white palace that seems to be carved out of the sandstone cliff around it. “Doesn’t seem fair one person owning a mansion like that.”

  “Better not let them hear you talk like that at Central,” says Wade. “You’ll end up selling bananas in Realtown with no hope of getting your hands on any serum.”

  When I hear that my mind starts to work overtime. Maybe I have a way to manipulate them. “Gina’s right,” I say. “We put our lives on the line for those ARP’s and they hog all the serum. I mean why do we have to wait to get it? A friend of mine told me a place you could get your hands on it for next to nothing.”

  I can see Dag’s eyes glaring at me in the rearview mirror. “You’d better keep your trap shut,” he says. “I don’t know what kind of rules they have at Central but we don’t talk like traitors at the feeder pods.”

  I bite my lip and keep quiet. It’s enough to just plant the idea in their minds. Let them mull it over a bit. Right now I’ve enough to worry about. We’re going further and further away from Realtown and I don’t know how I’m going to catch up with Junius and the others.

  Then the vehicle jolts as we screech to a complete stop. Right in front of us is a gaping crack in the road. If we’d gone any further the transporter would’ve plunged down into a massive hole.

  “Sheeet,” says Dag, throwing the door open so he can investigate. He stands at the edge of a smoking crevasse and beckons Wade to join him.

  “Looks like some kind of explosive landed,” he yells as they both look down, heads shaking at the wrecked road. Instinctively my hand goes to the laser in my pocket. There’s some movement in the clump of trees at the roadside. I can hear the slightest creak and right now the branches are rustling as if someone’s moving them. An invisible alarm is going off in my head and my whole body’s at the ready. Nothing happens for a few minutes then just as Dag turns to walk back to the transporter a dark mass of bodies looms out from behind the trees. I can see at least six hulking men, all with shaved, tattooed heads and sunglasses. The sun glances off their silvery chain vests and the broad blades of the massive machetes they’re all brandishing.

  Gina lunges towards the door. “Crime Lords,” she screeches to Dag and Wade who, caught unawares, reach for their lasers just as two glinting knives slice through the air and slam into their chests. They topple backwards lost in the gaping mouth of the road. That’s when I snap into action. “Get into the driver’s seat and turn this thing around,” I scream to Gina who obeys without question because the Crime Lords are heading our way, fists gripping their curved machetes. As she’s struggling with the wheel they start to run so I stick the laser out of a crack in the window and fire, aiming for the head of the big guy in front. I hit dead centre and he falls to the ground screaming and grabbing what’s left of his face. I catch my breath and try to keep control. I can’t believe I’ve killed someone but my blood’s rushing like fire through my body. Now the other guys go crazy. They start yelling and waving their machetes and just as we’ve turned ourselves around I hear a massive thunk when something heavy and metallic hits our wheels.

  “Just drive,” I scream as Gina finally puts her foot to the floor and we screech away. Lara hasn’t said a thing. She just sits there like a frozen doll. “We have to get to Central. Is there another way?” I gasp.

  “Maybe,” says Gina breathing really hard now, her eyes wide open in shock. “I can’t believe what just happened to Dag and Wade,” she says talking and crying at the same time. “Crime Lords have never come this far.”

  “I can’t take it,” says Lara, head bowed. “Those Foot Soldiers cut my brother’s throat in the last war. If they’re already this far that means the big weapons are close behind.”

  We can all hear the rear left transporter wheel clunking as we speed away. “I think they burst the tire,” Gina says. “I don’t know how far this thing’s gonna take us.”

  “Is there a spare?” I say, feeling the vehicle begin to slow down

  Lara turns to look back as well.

  “They know we’re in trouble,” she screams. “And they’re getting onto their motor bikes.”

  “You’ve gotta go faster,” I say. “Just try.”

  Gina presses her foot down hard and the transporter lurches forward but it’s lost some of its traction. When I hear the roar of engines I look behind and see they’re gaining on us. “Where are the rest of the ARP forces?” I say, glancing behind as the sky lights up with orange flame.

  “Trying to hold the Crime Lords back,” Gina says, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. “I can’t believe there’s nobody here to help us.”

  By now Lara’s curled up on the back seat whimpering, her hands over her ears. My heart feels like it’s going to leap out of my throat just as one of the Crime Lords pulls alongside the transporter. He’s so close I can see the beads of sweat on his polished scalp. I know these guys are lightning quick with the daggers and machetes but I also know I can beat them when it comes to reaction time. Again I open the window a crack and in a millisecond I draw the laser and take aim. The blast of green fire shoots past a shimmering knife blade aimed right for my skull, but just as it clatters onto the transporter roof the guy falls back screaming and clawing his face. The bike swerves off the road and spins over and over until it crashes into the cliffside taking a couple of the other bikes with it. We’ve stopped them for now so we’re safe for a while.

  Gina’s eyes are wide with fear, her hair damp and matted with sweat. She turns to me in disbelief. “Who the hell are you?” she says. “You saved us from those monsters.” Lara sits up, her face red from crying and her hair tangled like a bird’s nest.

  “That’s what we’re trained for at Central,” I say, my head in a daze as I try to take in the reality of what I’ve just done. In the space of two minutes I’ve killed two people and caused the deaths of a few others. I’m trying so hard to hold myself together I fumble in my pocket in the hopes of finding something that reminds me of my friends. Something familiar because right now I feel like I’m in the middle of a terrible nightmare. My hands grasps onto the cool surface of a phone. I can talk to Toby or Junius. My heart beating fast, I try to reach Toby’s number but there’s no connection. Then, after touching a few more sensors on it, the screen lights up and a map appears with a small, blinking indicator on it. It must be some kind of locator. When I look more closely it’s showing that Toby’s heading towards Realtown. It’s possible then that he can locate me. So I leave the activator on and shove it back in my pocket.

  “What’s that?” asks Gina, glancing at my phone. “Never seen one of those.”

  “Just a special communicator,” I say. “We all have them at Central. I’m trying to locate some backup.”

  “No need,” screams Lara. “They’re here.”

  I look behind to see a line of silver transporters thundering along, stopping right where the motorbikes crashed. After three blasts of green fire the transporters move on. The Foot Soldiers have been vaporized. Lara falls back against the seat panting. “Just in time,” she says.

  “Yeah thanks to you, Lynette,” says Gina looking at me, her eyes brimming. “You’re amazing. No wonder Cal liked you.”

  I just shrug and turn my attention to the
road ahead. We’re back to the endless beachside mansions. Untouched thanks to the carnage going on in and around the city.

  “I wonder what these people are doing behind their security gates,” I say. “While we’re risking our lives.”

  “Oh – probably having pool parties and tennis tournaments,” says Lara. “Life’s just one big party for those ARP’s.”

  I feel a twinge of guilt at my life in the compound. Just one big party. Except it never ended. Maybe it was better than this?

  “What about the wheel?” I say.

  “No problem,” says Gina. “I remember how this works.” She pulls over to the roadside and presses a sensor. I can hear a whirring sound and another thump as the transporter settles evenly on the ground. “Automatic replacement,” she says turning back onto the road and soon we’re skimming along at a high speed.

  After we pass the beachside mansions we enter a more deserted area with high grassy slopes on either side of the road. Soon I’m aware of a huge white cube of a building sprawling across the summit of a rocky cliff top that towers over the roadway just ahead of us. Its square white walls, bleached white by the sun, glow against the blue sky. As we get closer I see that one side of the cube has curved white walls dotted with windows and balconies along its entire length. For a moment I can barely breathe because I’ve finally reached the place I’ve feared and hated for so long. The place that has controlled every aspect of my life from my creation to my existence underground and to my ultimate destruction. It’s all been planned right here on this rocky pinnacle.

  My mind suddenly goes blank. What am I doing here? What can I, one small person do against an entire organization with its own powerful army? I begin to wonder whether it’s just curiosity that brought me here and now I’m getting closer I realize I don’t have a clear plan. I can’t expect to walk right in and assassinate the CEO. I have to think of something really quick because Gina’s pulling up to the base of the cliff. We’re there already.