Solaris Mortem: The New Patriots

by Rusty Henrichsen

  “Terry!” Kat said. “What’s happening? What is that?”

  “Get in here now!” Terry said.

  His door burst open and Kat rushed in. “What is it?”

  “Have a look for yourself,” Terry said.

  Kat came to the window and peeked through the blinds. Her mouth dropped, tears formed and just a small squeaking sound escaped from her throat.

  “Do you see him, Kat?” She didn’t answer. She just stood there frozen, then started slowly shaking her head. “That’s Rick out there,” Terry said.

  Kat’s body began to tremble, then shake, then convulse with sobs from the pit of her soul.

  Terry tried to put his arm around her, to offer comfort, but she pushed it away and ran out. He should chase after but now was not the time. He knew Kat needed to process this on her own first. He also wanted to see what happened next, outside.

  Terry parted the blinds again and saw that the men were pouring gasoline on the cadavers. Oh my dear, God, Terry thought. The men stood well back, then Rick himself lit a torch and threw it into the pile of bodies to start the barbecue.

  The explosion shook the house and rattled the windows in their frames.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, the loudspeakers crackled to life once more. Bodies still burned, ash fell from the sky, and smoke hung in the air.

  “Attention citizens of New Seattle. By now you are probably aware of what happened this morning. A conspiracy against our government was uncovered amongst the growing refugee population. This is the sort of threat we take very seriously. As such, the threat has been eliminated.

  “We can rest easy knowing that the threat has been neutralized, but I remind you now, to be ever vigilant. I don’t expect this will be the last time we see such dangerous behavior against our government, against our way of life. If you see something or someone you suspect may be engaged in terrorist activities, report it to Command at once. Failure to do so will result in a swift and serious rebuke.

  “Let this serve as a warning to any other dissenters. Treason is a capital offense.”

  * * *

  After the smoke cleared and the burnt bones had cooled, Rick sent Bio-Sanitation out to clean up the mess. Terry didn’t think it was a coincidence that it was he and his crew cleaning up after the vulgar display. Terry and Vince shoveled the ashy remains into the back of the truck. It was dusty and disgusting work, made worse by Rick’s orders to dump the remains in the SIFF Theater. He intended to create a holocaust museum of sorts. A reminder for any would-be rebels.

  Alisia caught Terry by surprise when she snuck up behind him. “Terry, I need to talk to you.”

  “Sure, Alisia. What is it?” Terry said.

  “Can you come by the clinic later?” Alisia said. “I think I’m ready to take you up on that offer…to talk to my mom.”

  “Absolutely,” Terry said. “Give me about two hours.”

  Terry and Vince continued the clean up, all the while Terry’s mind spun about the ramifications of this horrible act.

  Later on at the clinic, Terry met up with Alisia. “Terry, thank you for coming. You were right. We’ve got to get out of here, but I can’t go without my mom. Would you still be willing to come and talk to her with me?”

  “Of course,” Terry said. “I’d be happy to. Are you all right?” Alisia looked shaken and why wouldn’t she be? This was some scary shit.

  “Yes,” she said. “It’s just a lot to take in all at once.”

  Terry nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you got that right. But I think we can do it, I think we can make it out there, if you’re willing to help us.

  “I’ll do whatever I can, Terry,” Alisia said. “Just help me convince my mom.”

  Terry ran into Otis on his way out.

  “Hey, Terry,” Otis said. “Things…got really interesting out there, today.”

  “If by interesting, you mean, fucked up, then, yeah,” Terry said.

  Otis nodded. He looked like he had more to say but didn’t.

  “So, we’ve missed you at the meetings lately,” Terry said. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” Otis said. “Everything’s fine but…I kind of decided to step back a little. Distance myself from the Anti-Movement.”

  “What are you talking about?” Terry said. Otis wants to get out…now?

  “I have a daughter, man. You know?”

  “No, I didn’t know that,” Terry said. “But…isn’t that a pretty good reason to get out of here?”

  “Maybe, but I’m getting freaked out,” Otis said, shuffling his feet. “Don’t be mad; I just can’t take the chance of ending up like those people out there today. It’s too risky. I’m sorry.”

  “Well—it’s hard to say what’s the safest course at this point. I guess if you’ve decided, then that’s it.”

  “Yeah,” Otis said.

  “Yeah… Okay. Well, you take care,” Terry said. “And Otis? If you change your mind…you’re always welcome.”

  * * *

  The knock at the door startled Alisia. She knew he was coming but she had been a bundle of nerves all day. “Mom, he’s here…the man I told you about. Just hear him out, okay?”

  Diane Duvall shifted in her chair, the fear was evident on her face but so was the resistance. She was not interested in hearing what was coming.

  Alisia opened the door and welcomed Terry in. “Thank you for coming,” Alisia said. “I think she’s as ready as she’ll ever be.”

  “You bet,” Terry said. “Let’s go.”

  Alisia and Terry walked to the sitting room where Diane waited for them.

  “Terry, this is my mom, Diane. Mom, this is Terry.”

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Terry said.

  “Yes, you too,” Diane said.

  An uncomfortable silence followed for a moment until Terry broke it. “Well, I’m guessing you know why I’m here.”

  Diane nodded her head. “I do.”

  “Alisia asked me to come over and help her talk with you about everything that’s been going on. And about the importance of leaving New Seattle before it’s too late.”

  “I understand all of that,” Diane said, “but what you don’t understand, is that I am sixty-seven years old. I just lost my husband. I’m not ready to lose my daughter too. She’s the only family I have left.

  “I don’t know what you two think is out there, but if I hit the road, on the run, in the middle of winter at my age, I’ll be dead for sure. I like my chances a lot better right here, in a house, in the city, in New Seattle.”

  “But, Mom,” Alisia stammered, “what about all those people that they just gunned down in Town Square?”

  “Yes,” Diane said, “that was just dreadful. But I don’t know what else they could have done. With too many people in the city and outsiders at that, none of us would have survived the winter.”

  “Diane, what we saw today,” Terry said, “is the true nature of the New Patriot Party. They tell us they’re about the betterment of mankind. They tell us they’re about a new beginning of peace, prosperity and order. I can’t reconcile what they did today with what they claim their mission statement to be. Can you?”

  “You watch your tone with me, young man. I won’t have some child talking down to me. I’m your elder and you’d best remember it,” Diane said.

  “I’m sorry,” Terry said. “Please believe me when I say, I meant no disrespect. I’m just asking you to think about it. My concern is that things are going to get worse. My concern is that the New Patriots aren’t who they say they are. They’re not about helping us. They’re about power and control and our submission. After what they’ve done, I think it’s safe to say, we can’t give it to them.”

  “Mom, think about it. They eliminated the refugees, a whole population of innocents. Why? Because they were inconvenient.”

  “It’s more than that,” Diane said. “They were a threat to our survival.”

  “Okay,” Alisia said. “I’ll give
you that, though I prefer the term, complication over threat. The point is, they didn’t hesitate. What happens when they decide another group is a threat to their survival?”

  “You’re being ridiculous, Alisia.”

  “Am I? Think about it, Mom. What happens when they decide that our senior citizens are a threat? That they’re consuming too much and not producing enough? What do you think happens then? Will they hesitate then? I can tell you—they won’t.”

  “Stop, stop!” Diane sobbed. “Why are you being so cruel? How can you talk to me like that when you know I just lost your stepfather?”

  Terry wasn’t sure what he could do right now, so he remained quiet.

  “Mom…I’m not trying to be cruel. I’m trying to save your life. I’m trying to save for all of our lives. If we stay here, it’s only a matter of time; we all die.”

  “I need to go lie down!” Diane said. “You are upsetting me!”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Austin’s nerves were frazzled as he sat in Rick’s office, tapping his foot and waiting for the man to appear. He wasn’t sure how long his charade would hold up. Rick was no dummy and sooner or later, Austin’s ruse would be called. He hoped today was not that day. If he had to die by Rick’s hand, then let it be in sacrifice for his friends to escape. That was his highest aspiration. To make up for the damage done. To be of use, to be of service to his friends.

  Finally, Rick walked in. “Hello, Austin. Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Austin only nodded. “When is the next meeting? What is the word on the street?”

  Terry had prepped Austin for this in advance, so he was sort of ready. He wasn’t much of a liar, or at least he wasn’t very good at it. “Well, honestly I don’t know. I don’t know if there’s even going to be any more meetings.”

  “Oh?” Rick said.

  “Yeah. I think they’re basically running scared now…after everything with the refugees.”

  This wasn’t entirely true. Formal meetings had been canceled, that much was true. Planning and preparing for escape was still very much in action.

  “That’s good,” Rick said, “if you’re telling me the truth.”

  Austin’s heart skipped, and he prayed his face would not hint at his inner panic. “You bet it’s true. I wouldn’t shit you, boss.”

  Rick studied Austin’s face momentarily before he said, “Okay. Any chance you’ve been made? That they might still be scheming behind your back?”

  “No. No, I don’t think so. I work with Terry and Vince every day. If they were still up to something, I’d know about it.”

  “All right. I hope you’re right,” Rick said. “You had better hope you’re right.”

  Austin wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say here, so he said, “Yes, Sir.”

  “If you see or hear anything, you make sure that I’m the first to know. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Dismissed.”

  Austin breathed a heavy sigh of relief once safely out of Rick’s office. He thought he did okay. Everything was going to be okay.

  * * *

  Bio-Sanitation work slowed down in the two weeks that followed. No one complained. Terry, Vince, and Austin spent most days doing salvage runs. They went out during the day and collected whatever could be useful and brought it back to Rick. Clothing, diapers, personal hygiene effects, food, weapons, ammunition, liquor, you name it. It all went back to Command. Well—maybe not everything, but Rick still believed he had Austin in his pocket so he never doubted it.

  The remaining Anti-Movement members collected food, medicine, and weapons. They had tarps, sleeping bags, and tools. A gas siphon and tire chains had been acquired. Finding a rig was the last, missing piece of the puzzle.

  Terry and Vince celebrated when they found it in a little tin garage. The kind of little garage kit you might buy from Costco. It was an old, early-eighties Suburban with decent tires, and four-wheel drive. With all of the members that had dropped away, the Suburban would have enough room for all of them, too.

  “You think it’ll start?” Terry said, grinning. “It’s about the right year.”

  “Nah,” Vince said. “Battery’s gonna be dead…fuel’s probably fouled.”

  “Let’s find out,” Terry said, hopping in. “Shit…keys….”

  Vince scowled. “We’ll check the house again.”

  Terry pulled down the visors, checked the console and glovebox, then under the floor mats. “Got it.” He held up the key. “We’re getting out of here, buddy.” He inserted the key and turned the ignition. Click—click—click.

  “Battery,” Vince said. “Pop the hood.”

  Vince checked the connections, and Terry tried it again. Click—click—click was all they got out of it. “Let’s pull the battery and get it charged,” Terry said. “We can try it again tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got a better idea,” Vince said. “Let’s pull the battery from the work truck and see if it even turns over first.”

  Terry pulled the battery from the work truck while Vince did a quick in-place carb clean on the Suburban.

  “What are you doing?” Austin asked.

  “We might've found our rig,” Terry said. “We’re gonna try this battery and see if it turns over or not….”

  It fired right up. All three men hooped and hollered and jumped in the air.

  “We need to figure out where we want to stash this and get it stocked,” Vince said. “Preferably, as close to our rendezvous point as possible.”

  “And do we know where that is yet?” Austin said.

  “No, not yet. Working on it,” Terry said. “For now, it’s probably as safe right here as anywhere.”

  * * *

  Terry got home later and hung up his coat. “Where’re the kids?”

  “They’re at the school,” Kat said. “Movie night.”

  “Ah, I see,” Terry said. “Kat, I’m just going to cut straight to the chase here. We found a car. It runs, I’m leaving. I want you and the kids to come with.”

  “I don’t know, Terry,” Kat said. “Leaving scares me.”

  “Leaving scares you? We have a chip in our heads that explodes if we wander off. How does that not scare you?”

  Kat first looked shocked, then let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s for our own protection, Terry. How else do we keep track of who’s been vaccinated and who hasn’t?”

  “Please tell me you don’t actually believe that….”

  “What else would it be?” Kat said.

  “Control, I guess. I don’t know for sure. I mean it’s not like I completely understand it or can relate to it, but I do know one thing. This is not how a free society operates. It’s just not. There’s some deep, dark shit going on here. I know you’ve thought about. How could you not?”

  “Yes,” Kat said, “of course I’ve thought about it. But have you? Have you considered, even for a minute, that maybe, just maybe, they’re not all out to get you? Maybe this isn’t some vast conspiracy. Maybe it’s just them doing the best they can for now. You know? Desperate times—desperate measures. That sort of thing. Things might look a whole lot different in a year from now.”

  “Now there’s something we do agree on,” Terry said. “Only, you think things might getter better around here. I’m convinced they will get a whole lot worse. I don’t want to be here when the other shoe drops, Kat. And I don’t want you and the kids here, either. God, no.”

  Kat considered Rick’s proposal to her: that she be a spy, that she spy on her own brother. She hadn’t told Terry about that, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. No—she was pretty sure she didn’t want to. Terry would have an absolute field day with that one. And she had to admit; Rick's directions didn’t quite sit right with her either.

  Maybe Rick did have a couple of skeletons in his closet. Lord knows every other man she had ever been romantically involved with had proven to be an epic disaster. She had a bad picker.

  “I’ll think about,” Kat said at last. The
next part was hard. “Some of what you’re saying kind of makes sense.”

  “Thank you, Kat.” Terry was pleased, hopeful even and decided, for now, to let the issue rest.

  Kat prepared supper, and as she did so, she thought about Terry’s words. She also thought about something else. Even if Terry was one-hundred percent right, that was no guarantee of safety. In fact, who’s to say that aligning with Rick, right or wrong, wouldn’t be the safer choice. Rick wouldn’t hurt her or the kids. Would he?

  Technically, she was guilty of treason, now.

  * * *

  The next morning, Rick came to visit with Kat again at work. Kat was tired as she’d been up half the night wresting the answers for these dark questions.

  Rick was all business. He seemed pre-occupied, too. He gave her a quick peck then asked, “So, what has your brother been up to?”

  No—how are you? Or, you look great, no nothing. Just, what do you have to report?

  “Nothing. What do you mean? Just work,” Kat said.

  “Kat. You know what I mean. And you and I both know that your brother has been involved with the Anti-Movement. I shouldn’t have to remind you, that is treason.”

  Kat decided right then and there that she would support her brother—at any cost. She couldn’t believe she had been so stupid as to not see what was right in front of her face. “Terry has made some mistakes,” Kat said, “but that’s all over now.” She stroked his chin gently, and he started to smile. “The Anti-Movement is dead. Forget about my brother, okay? I’ll tell you what: how about if I come over later tonight and help you forget all about it?”

  “Oh yeah?” Rick said.

  Kat nodded and looked up at him with her best sexy eyes.

  “Okay, then,” Rick said, smiling. “I’ll be seeing you later.”

  Rick left, Kat felt sick, but what else could she do? Gotta use what God gave you.

  She went to find Terry on her lunch break.