“The Agent?”
“Yes John. He is our biggest problem.”
“The authorities cannot match him and are only holding on.”
“He represents the worst in all and it is human nature to see such things. They have explored this a lot of times John. And you might soon to start working John, on something, anything to do against him. The time is coming…”
“Yeah, I know…”
“Hey you two. We have a special night going on here. Come and join us.”
“What do you mean a ‘special night’?”
“It’s party night. We have it once per month. It gets dreary these days, so we do this to keep our spirits up. Come and join us.”
They had been offered to stay as long as they wanted with the riders and their families and friends at the former equestrian centre where they lived. It had been four days now – the weather was clear and the snow had receded to the snowline they had made for days earlier.
“Is there music? I love music.”
“And dancing. Come on.”
Carmel dragged John up from his seat by the hand and followed the man outside and then to a shed where she could music coming from inside. She had never approached anything like this before. The closest she had come was when she met John at the warehouse with the ‘scene’ groups, but it had been behind a closed soundproof door. It was alluring as the harmonies and melodies floated outside to her – she could not resist, picking up her pace. John followed almost at a run so as to not let go of her hand. As they entered, she was again surprised and enchanted. The music was live and being played by a few of the riders who had first met them, along with the woman was singing. “Oh my…let’s dance.”
When they finally took to seats to rest, the man who had invited them in came over with drinks on a tray. “We do things well around here. Drink madam, drink sir?” They laughed at his play on formality and took their respective drinks. “Watch out, it has a kick.”
“What is it?”
“Tennessee whiskey…care of another one of our little stores of things we have here.”
“You are prepared for a lot of things.”
“We felt we should. It looked bad enough six years ago to make the move here. I’m not from around here myself. I just found this place after I got back…early?”
“Yeah?”
“I was on an assignment that ended when the Agent started appearing in strength. I only just arrived back in time. I have no family so I set out to find something, anything or place where I could live. It was bad near the coast, so I went east and here I am. They let me stay…maybe because I’m Ok…well they thought so. I do help them a lot and earn my place here. They don’t like people who just hang on and do nothing. Most here are pretty smart on what to do to survive.”
“That sounds great. Where did you come from?” Carmel asked him.
“Mars. Yeah, I was on Mars when the big trouble started, so I came back here on the first flight. We were supposed to take two weeks, but he interfered with the ship and we became stuck at Luna One Moon base for a week. It went into a state of disarray up there on Mars and the Moon too. They still have trouble getting mining materials back from the asteroids but the Moon is not so bad though. The Agent – he sends them viruses.”
“Sounds like quite an adventure.”
“Um, you could say that. Pretty nerve wracking at times, and here I used to be a commander in the military – they have to be hard.”
“I was once hard too,” Carmel said offering out her hand to shake, “I’m Carmel and this is John.”
“Hi Carmel. Hi John,” he shook their hands each in turn. “I’m Steve. Steve McCray.”
“Oh…Carmel Madeline, nice to meet you Steve.”
“John Matheson. Nice to meet you too.”
“So you were a commander. Didn’t they give all in the military ID chips? I was once in the services, but left before all that went down – I still had a chip though...”
“They did, but I had mine removed.”
“Yeah me too. How?”
“I searched for ages, almost a year. I tried the city and all along the coast up into Canada. It wasn’t until I was in Seattle that I found someone who then directed me onto Vancouver.”
“What about viruses in that time?” Carmel asked.
“No problem for me since I never had the nano tech implants. Yeah…so I found this guy in Vancouver – he was pretty nervous about it. He didn’t live there himself, he was like me and a bit of a wanderer at that time. He took it out – bloody hurt though. Yeah, so now no chip, no nothing.”
“Did you get his name?” Carmel was interested and John was thinking the same.
“Yeah. The Fixer I think.”
“The Fixture!” they replied in unison.
“Yeah, that’s it The Fixture. A good bloke, even if a bit nervous. Do you know of him?”
“We both know him.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
“No, he didn’t have much of an idea on that when I asked him. He said he was going to find a valley to hide and he said conditions under the Agent were going to be a lot worse than under the authorities, and he was right. Up there, especially in Seattle, the Agent has taken a lot of strange people under his wing. You know the freakish ones who did weird stuff. They seemed to fit right in with his plans.”
“Yeah we know a lot of what he does. They told us about the groups seen near here.”
“About twenty five, maybe thirty miles away is the closest of them. I haven’t seen any of the real bad ones…fortunately. From what I have been told, they are not something you ever want to see.”
“Did he say anything else, The Fixture I mean?”
“Not really. He did say he was looking for some people he knew and then lost contact with them not long after the Agent arrived. I guess he is still looking for them…”
“And us, for him.”
“Huh?”
“The Fixture is a good friend of mine, and Carmel…well they were lovers pretty well up until the time you saw him.”
“Yeah, he did mention that he had to leave down here and go back to Vancouver in a hurry. Didn’t say what for though.”
“Probably the flux mechanics. It is very sought after. I worked on it with him for a time before we were separated.”
“Is that how you know him, with those mechanics?”
“Well yes, and more.”
“So you are looking for him. Where will you go?”
“East, but we need to go south first and take the lower pass through the mountains to Mojave.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be doing that. From what I was told by someone who recently returned from that area, it is not worth going any further south than Fresno – after that it gets real bad. I mean bad, hell bad, from what he said.”
“Hell bad. We’ve heard that before.”
“Well, it’s right. I suggest you wait here for a few months until the worst of winter is over. Maybe then you can take a mountain pass closer by. There is no way you can get through sooner either. It is still a mess around Tahoe after that detonation eight years ago. There isn’t even any of those people there I believe, nothing. I suggest you try the river though to Yosemite, but you have to wait for winter to finish.”
“And you Steve? Are you going to stay here?”
“Me? No, I could be coming with you…in a way.”
“What?”
“Well, if you wait until winter is over, you can travel with us. All of us here…at this centre, are all going through the mountains in spring. Less population on the other side and that means less trouble. It is going to get worse around here as soon as the weather lifts. We are too close to Oakland and San Francisco. The cities will drive them out here, as their conditions get worse, and people will want to survive, um, those who are able to and don’t have those holes in them. This is where they will come. You wait and see…no, actually don’t. You are best to leave as soon as spring thaw allows it or m
aybe sooner.”
“How sooner?”
“I forgot to mention. There are people attached to this centre who are out looking for any machines we can get running…”
“So you can plough your way through the snow?”
“That’s it. Let’s hope they find one, or more, and fuel as they are bound to be old. Getting a few weeks ahead of the pack, so to speak, will only increase our chances too.”
“Do you think it will get that bad Steve?”
“Sure do Carmel.” They fell silent for a moment. “How about another drink? Let your hair down for a bit. I bet it has been ages since you did it last.”
“Sure has Steve, sure has.”
As Steve went to get three more drinks, Carmel asked John, “How come it is taking so long for the people to get to these ‘bad’ conditions? The Agent has been at work for years now.”
“I suppose it is the unstable vortexes. They are only small fluctuations so maybe they take a long time to manifest to a size where they increase and grow faster and faster. Plus, the viruses he has unleashed in the past few years, are much worse than when he started.”
“I do wonder John, how he became so good at making viruses. He seemed such a bland person when I knew him – only capable of hate I thought. He was not a good operative.”
“There have likely been others around him to teach him. I suppose he had nowhere to go once he arrived back on Earth and so he joined them, and it looks like he was smart enough to overtake whoever it was in charge at the time. Once yet get a feeling for making viruses, it is not too difficult after that to make more…new ones.”
“Here we go. I’m just going over there for a bit. We’ll talk later no doubt.”
“Yes Steve…and thanks.”
“No problem.” He left them to sit by themselves but it was not long before they were up dancing again – perhaps it was the alcohol, but regardless, Carmel loved to dance.
By around two in the morning, all had gone quiet at the centre – their party for the month was over. Carmel and John had decided to see how Frieda was doing before they went to bed. As they walked along the path in shadows beneath the large Oaks, Carmel felt a sudden chill. She didn’t say anything to John – she knew it was not the air. It was a different kind of chill.
“Oh there you are Frieda,” she said when they arrived at the stable, keen to change her thoughts and feelings. “Nice and warm girl?”
Chapter 11
Winter conditions began to ease back to the normal climatic fluctuations of the season, now the Agent had destroyed the array in Alaska. The snow line had receded up into the hills in only a few days, making conditions warmer for Frieda and the others. Whilst in a way this was welcomed, with it came the risk of the Agent’s minions being able to continue with more of their destruction, and make incursions into areas previously impassable due to snow.
From further north in Washington State, that is precisely what he instructed them to do. The Agent was determined to destroy as much of the west coast as possible this time, and then…amongst the rubble he would make it take shape in his way. Nothing as simple as black paint on buildings the authorities had constructed – he was about erecting monuments in reflection of his own ways, his own hatred, and his own vision for humanity ahead, and it was macabre. He was tired with attending to their needs on the high-rise and across the outer buildings in the cities. He had grown impatient with their fumbling and pathetic struggles. He would not kill them all for then he would lose, but he would ensure they were entirely his – in service to his desires and his sick taste for suffering.
Without warning, he suddenly made for his spaceship and took off. Some hours later, he had arrived back in Australia and then set about dismantling the beast of three torus – the vortex amplifier. They had made a special box for him to place it in with soft linings and a secure lid. And when he had done all he wanted, with the amplifier stowed inside his ship, he departed for his new headquarters back in Seattle at the HyperJet factory, along with a small group of passengers.
Immediately when he returned, he barked instructions to those who were present. He ordered them around almost as if he was a commander in the services, yet he was really the superior of none – it was just those minions who aligned themselves with his ways, simply reacted to each command in servitude… mostly from fear. By the time he had made it back inside of the control room, he had decided to build another arsenal of nano robots for a destructive attack on San Francisco.
“Get me all the information on whatever remains of the authorities in this area,” he said to one of them as he swept his hand over a holographic map of the entire west coast. “I want numbers and installations from here to San Diego. Don’t overlook anything.” There was no verbal response – they barely ever gave him one. Rather, they simply followed his commands with only a nod in acknowledgement of them. Some would take to giving a slight bow, and although he hated them and saw them as pathetic. Some part of his megalomania had begun to depend on this, and soon, they would all have to bow.
As Steve walked up the main entrance to the equestrian centre, he was suddenly confronted with Carmel riding Frieda. Such was their bond, the horse had taken to the saddle without an issue and now Carmel was out exploring the place after the snows had all melted.
“Hi Carmel. Nice ride?”
“Oh yes. A lovely ride thanks Steve. Say Steve?”
“Yes?”
“It was nice speaking with you the other night.”
“And you.”
“I am wondering what plans the group here has once they make it through the mountains?”
“I’m not entirely sure – it is a lot of wait and see what conditions are like. There is no news of anything further east, except the divide between the authorities and the Agent.”
“I feel there is a lot more trouble in those parts than most of us think. I have been riding and thinking there will be a mix of those who are supporting the Agent, and those who wander aimlessly, looking for something…anything. They will bring out the worst in our group Steve.”
“How do you mean Carmel?”
“People who get desperate, either in looking for something, or protecting something, and can lose sight of why they are doing it. Rage takes over. It is a primordial thing Steve. We need to be careful of this and be able to see it coming.”
“Oh I see,” Steve was a little baffled by Carmel’s words, but he did get the gist of what she was saying. “Um, where’s John?”
“John is in the main shed, working on his own little bits and pieces now, after he finished repairs to the snow-damaged roof. Go and see him if you like. He would surely love to chat.”
“Ok. I might do that. I’ll see you later Carmel when we all have dinner together.”
“Ok Steve, see you then. Bye” Carmel rode on, but only at a walking pace as she continued to carefully consider whatever thoughts and feelings came to her. She stopped a short while later remaining astride of Frieda, to gaze out across the valley from a small hill. It seemed still and quiet with only the odd faint birdcall to be heard. She felt all was not what it appeared to be, and could sense a growing tension in the valley although they were the only group for miles. Then, in the furthest distance about eight miles away, she noticed a flock of birds rise from behind a hill and fly east towards her, and a minute later, a thin wisp of black smoke appeared from where the birds must have taken off.
Over dinner two hours later, there was a general meeting for all people who lived at the equestrian centre. Others had seen the same black smoke as Carmel, and this was the topic for discussion.
“We don’t have anything to plough snow with, it will be too tough in the mountains.”
“But the smoke. It is a bad sign, we should leave now.”
“It might just be something small. There’s no telling from this distance what it could have been. From what I saw, it could have been at the old produce distribution depot. Maybe something there just went bad and caught on
fire.”
“But there was a disturbance,” Carmel said. “The birds did suddenly take to flight as if they had been spooked.”
“An explosion?”
“I didn’t hear one.”
“Me neither.”
“Perhaps something fell and knocked something else starting the fire, and this scared them off?”
“We cannot be sure, but either way, we do need to respond to this. We cannot just sit here and wait for them to arrive, whoever it might be.”
“I think we should go. It is obvious we are not going to find any machines nearby to help us, but we might if we leave now and go through places we have not searched as we go higher into the mountains.”
“We could organise a scout party to go ahead of us,” Steve McCray said.
“A good idea Steve. That way, we can get advice of any machines they find and if there are any of those people about.”
“What about sending some riders out to look around just before first light tomorrow?”
The entire group was silent for a minute or so whilst they considered this option. It would mean staying a little longer to check the scene of the fire, or leave as an entire group at first light and not look back.
“I say we send them out, but also prepare to leave. When they report back, we will at least have a clearer idea on what or who it is.”
They all took a vote and decided to go with the idea of sending riders out – just three, and preparing to leave upon their return.
“One thing though. I suggest the riders leave in the middle of the dark morning hours. If it was at the old depot, then it is at least a sixteen-mile return trip from here. They can ride by kerosene lantern light until daylight.” Everyone agreed this was a better plan.
Around three in the morning, each of the three riders were fixing lantern holders on the saddles of their horses so the light would shine over the horse’s head creating a small glow of about ten feet in front of them. Then, as they rode out, everyone else was busy packing belongings and essentials into their own carts, and those without a cart put theirs into packs for their horses to carry. There were seven wagons and five riders, who each had an extra horse now saddled with two large packs hanging either side of its back. Unknowing to the all present as they saw the three disappear into the darkness, their only guide to seeing them for a time being the lanterns. was that they would never see the riders again.
Höllenbadt: Book two of the Torus Saga Page 7
