Eximus

by Marcus Wearmouth

  “Engineer, what can I do for you?” Jarod asked, as he swiped away the call.

  “Problems?” Logan asked.

  “There’s no appetite for work anymore. In the middle of a staff shortage he wants a holiday.”

  “I’ve got more bad news on headcount.”

  Jarod cocked his head. “Ah come on. How am I supposed to keep this place operational?”

  “We’re losing another two men. Before you explode, I’m bringing in temps to cover the gaps.”

  “Temps. I don’t need temps, I need trained techs,” Jarod said. He sprang out of his chair and strode to the window. They don’t care, do they? The plant keeps going so they cut the labor. Are they waiting for a break point?”

  Logan remained seated, letting his friend vent his anger by pacing across the room. “What have you got on this afternoon?”

  “Shift manager meeting, they’re going to love you. I’m in the turbine room later on an emergency procedure drill.”

  “I want you to come for lunch with me.”

  He stopped pacing and stared at Logan. Eye brows raised and hand on his head. “Are you serious? I can’t take off. It’s okay for you guys in the shiny building.”

  “Put them back till tomorrow, I need to talk something through with you. If you think I’m wrong, then I promise to sit in on the shift manager meeting.”

  “I’ll hold you to that. I want to see your face when they hear the latest news. More temps.”

  “You know I would take off this suit and get stuck in if the plant was in trouble.”

  “That’s why I put up with you. Where are we going?”

  Logan cleared his throat then sniffed. “The Himrod salt mine.”

  Chapter 5

  Find the light.

  Avery awoke in complete darkness. She lay on cold, hard, wet ground, the sound of flowing water in the distance. Pushing herself up to a standing position, she waved a hand in front of her face, craning her head forward to see the movement.

  ‘Find the light?’

  Moving away from the water sounds, she shuffled slowly across uneven stone ground. Sliding her feet, arms outstretched and flapping to feel her way. She stumbled on a rock and fell forwards, striking the ground painfully with a knee and elbow.

  Cursing and rubbing, she began to detect a different sound. It merged with the noise of rushing water. Slowly moving her head from side to side, she listened. It sounded alive.

  Her hand instinctively slid down wet material, as she reached to her side. There was no weapon or any other equipment on the skin tight wetsuit.

  A throaty growl rumbled behind her.

  She concentrated on the sound, rising slowly to turn. An attack could come from anywhere. She moved forward again, arms outstretched, feeling for a rock to lean against or hide behind. Stumbling forward she fell again onto the rocky ground.

  Avery kicked out at the stony outcrop. There was probably a good reason for this test that would become clear in debrief. Dreamt up by a pen pushing psychologist who wanted to see ‘emotional responses’.

  The last time in a holo suite, she commanded a specialist team on three different missions. It was an enjoyable experience and one she excelled at, leading to promotion. Now alone in the dark with a vague undefined goal, she lay bruised and annoyed, waiting to be attacked by a wild animal.

  Where would light be in this darkness?

  It would be too philosophical to be within her. Even divisional wouldn’t make up a test like that.

  But it’s impossible to walk or crawl in the right direction without luck. There could be no way to determine the right direction. Similarly it was too dangerous to swim.

  Perhaps it was a test of patience.

  The only controllable variable was the animal. It could be a guide or an enemy. The assessment could end early if it was the latter. She remembered the pain of a bullet wound in the last test. It was a realistic feeling injury and only relieved once she awoke. Even then a lingering ache had stayed with her for days.

  “Where are you?” she called, into the darkness.

  The growling grew louder and water spilled over her foot, soaking into her shoe. Panicking, she reached for her left finger to massage it.

  Avery could smell the animal now. The rancid sweetness mingling with salty sea air.

  Its powerful body bumped into her legs and she twisted towards it. Grasping at a fur covered body that pushed her roughly backwards. She fell and hit the ground with a damp slap. Tufts of thick fur were stuck on her fingers.

  The animal was a large cat.

  She scrambled up and stumbled away. Her back connected with a large rock and momentum smacked her head against its rough surface.

  The cat roared close to where she stood. Blood trickled down her neck and she wiped it away. A vague idea crossed her mind that it might entice the animal for the kill. Sensing its approach, she crouched and hunched her shoulders, raising fists to fend off an attack.

  She waited, straining to hear sounds of the cats footfall above the splashing water.

  “Come on,” she whispered. “Let me see the whites of your eyes.”

  She froze with a sudden realization.

  As she sensed the animal move closer, Avery lowered her arms and looked up. Warm sour breath drifted towards her, the cat’s life force cleaving the air between them.

  A roar of uncontrollable fury erupted close to her face. Straining to keep her head up, she opened her eyes. The cat’s eyes lit up and for a moment she knew mind numbing fear.

  “The light,” she screamed.

  Its eyes sparkled, growing brighter, until she unconsciously covered her face.

  #

  When Avery opened her eyes it was dark but not pitch-black. Lights twinkled in the distance, illuminating a snow filled sky. She was on top of a building and wearing a black combat suit. In her hands was an M60 rifle.

  She walked forward in a crouch towards a parapet wall, surrounding the rooftop. Over the edge was Niagara Square, teeming with rioters and soldiers. The collective sounds of so many people hummed like an engine.

  Using the M60 optical sight, she made out figures behind the APVs. Captain Jason Skillet stood in front of riot gear clad soldiers.

  A Starburst rocket launch caught her attention and she watched it explode in the air. Teardrop shaped white bomblets fell onto the screaming crowd.

  She was on an eastern building rooftop. At the north access, crowd control barriers were still in position. Charlie section before the explosion. The subsequent double Starburst launch confirmed her suspicions that she was replaying last night’s events.

  APVs in the square rolled apart and Delta began to move forward. Avery grasped at her uniform where a radio transmit button should have been. She couldn’t warn them, but couldn’t bear to watch what was about to happen.

  Instead, she scanned the rooftop for muzzle flashes. An array of obstacles and shadows covered the area below a snow filled black sky. Ghosts could be hiding anywhere.

  Crawling forward, she reached a curved steel ventilation hood and peered around it. She listened and tasted the air. Lying below the parapet wall, ambient light was limited but there was no sign of anyone else. Looking backwards, a shadow of compressed snow followed her like a snail trail.

  The whole rooftop lit with a sudden explosion and stationary shapes in front of her became visible. Their outlines distorted by layers of snow. There was an uneven white shape next to the parapet wall. It appeared vaguely human then lit up with a brief flash.

  Without waiting for further confirmation, Avery fired a burst from her M60. The form crumpled and splayed out onto the ground. A second explosion lit the sky as she moved towards the figure. Kicking away snow and pulling back a cloak to reveal a head covered with a black balaclava.

  The figure groaned as she ripped off the balaclava. He was semi-conscious, head lolling as Avery lifted it up by the scruff of his neck. The Ghost was of average appearance, early thirties, short brown hair and stubble
across his chin. A Ghost is not a ghost when you can see their sweating face.

  Another shape, further along the parapet wall gave away a muzzle flash. She crept forwards, M60 aimed at the body. As if warned, the figure stood and its dark cowl turned in her direction. She fired, but with an impossible speed, the Ghost turned and ran.

  Avery slipped on the slush then sprinted after the figure.

  The Ghost leapt through an open doorway, pulling it closed and disappearing from view. Avery pulled open the door and jumped inside as a starburst explosion illuminated the sky.

  She clattered down the stairs, green emergency lighting guiding her steps. The Ghost was two flights down from her then disappeared with the sound of a closing door.

  Homing in on the door, she kicked it open and stepped back. She counted four beats and then swung in low through the opening, her head connecting with a body. They both stumbled towards the floor, Avery using her momentum to drive forward. Her hands found a torso then neck and she squeezed hard. Her opponent bucked and brought up a knee into Avery’s groin, rabbit punching her head. Avery kept squeezing, oblivious to further blows reigning onto her head.

  “Stop, please,” a rasping female voice said.

  Avery kept up the pressure until the woman stopped struggling. Turning her over, she knelt one leg on the Ghost’s spine and kept the woman in place by twisting back her right arm. With her left hand she pulled off the Ghost’s hood.

  “Puppet,” the woman screamed.

  Avery increased pressure on the woman’s spine and pulled back her arm. Stretching out sinews and ligaments until it was ready to pop out of its socket. “You killed twenty four of my unit.”

  “Listen to Kadigan, before it’s too late.”

  A stabbing pain exploded in her leg and she instinctively rolled away. The Ghost jumped to her feet and ran between rows of workstations. Avery rose to her knee and fired in a fluid motion, hitting the Ghost three times in the back. The figure crashed into a partition and stayed down, unmoving on the floor.

  She hobbled forward then turned the body over. The woman was familiar. Short, black hair and an attractive face. As she leaned closer, the woman opened her eyes.

  “Only Kadigan can stop it,” she croaked.

  Avery twisted away from the thrust of a weapon. The knife missed her chest and sliced across her left arm. On instinct she shouldered her weapon and fired a burst down into the Ghost’s exposed chest.

  The Ghosts body bucked at the force of the impacts then lay still. Avery stared at the lifeless body, wondering where she had seen the face before. As the scene around her faded into darkness, an unseen force lifted her into the air. Closing her eyes, her body drifted down until supported by a soft chair.

  Avery opened her eyes, squinting at bright sunlight. Ahead of her, a blue ocean lapped onto a golden sandy beach. She sat at a table, on a raised stone terrace. Warm, salty air blew onto her face. Now clad in blue shorts and a white T shirt, the sun’s heat warmed her chilled body.

  At the other side of the table, sat a man dressed in simple orange T shirt, blue shorts and a straw hat. Aviator sunglasses covered his eyes and he was smiling towards her.

  Avery gathered herself breathing in the salty ocean air to clear her head.

  “Major Avery, welcome,” he said.

  Avery nodded a reply, allowing her further moments to assess the situation. They were alone on the terrace, a white two storey house behind them. Its closed windows and doors reflecting the sun. In the distance, neighbouring buildings were visible but too far for an immediate threat.

  “Relax please. We’re safe.”

  “May I have your name?”

  “You can call me Max.”

  Although he had an American accent, he pronounced the name with a German inflection.

  “Where are we?”

  “I was impressed by how you handled the tests.”

  Avery gave no reply. Her immediate conclusion was the Ghost test had been a failure. Two dead bodies, no information and twenty four still dead. But others might run from the black cat, trying to find some form of physical light or trick to create it. Here on the terrace with Max, there was plenty of light but a threat was still present.

  “Answer my questions honestly and I promise to reveal all at the end. Sound fair?”

  Avery nodded agreement.

  “You’ve done well in your career. Are you satisfied with your achievements?”

  “Achievement opens doors but there are always more doors behind them.”

  Max paused, seeming to weigh her answer. “What if you get to the last door?”

  “No one gets to the last door.”

  Avery surprised herself with the statement. She had thought about this, but never verbalized it. Biometrics were monitored in the holo suite. Whatever she said or did was analyzed, even feelings could be identified. There was no hiding place from truth in a holo suite.

  “Tell me about your religion.”

  “It’s the unknown truth that haunts us. The void it leaves inside us is filled by religion, as justification for its presence.”

  “Isn’t it easier to say nothing exists than to have faith?”

  “Religion is used as a shield to protect people from the meaninglessness of life.”

  “Do you believe that?

  Avery considered for a moment before replying, “Yes.”

  “So what do you enjoy about life?”

  “Other than my career, I prefer the notion of things rather than the actual physical experience. I call it ‘New York Shopping’.”

  “Explain.”

  “If you have never been there, you imagine leaving Macys, arms full of shopping into the crisp night air. Then ice skating or drinking a frothy hot chocolate looking at the giant Christmas tree. In reality, you’re shouted at by locals, jostled and harassed by the press of people. Your legs and arms ache. It’s freezing cold and finally you either sit in traffic for hours or walk miles to an over-priced hotel.”

  “Interesting. Do you experience these situations with friends and family?”

  “My parents are both dead, as is my husband. They all died in the east coast earthquake. No brothers or sisters.”

  “I detect this still gives you pain?”

  “I have a dead zone.”

  Max stared back without replying, her face visible in his mirrored sunglasses. “It’s a place inside that I can touch and all my emotion disappears.”

  “You bottle it up.”

  “No, I can feel it whenever I want but once the pain is too much or overwhelms me. I touch the dead zone.”

  “You’re an impressive individual, the exact officer I’m looking for. We need a safe pair of hands for a special project. Someone grounded who follows the chain of command and won’t take risks.”

  Pausing, Max’s expression changed to a smile. “You disagree?”

  Max must be monitoring her biometrics and seen her internal protest. “As a leader, risk is inevitable.”

  “Quite right. We’re taking risks to ensure the survival of our race, should the worst happen. I’m offering you a position, as Commander of a military bunker on a two year lockdown.”

  The enormity overwhelmed her confused senses. She was unaware any programme like this existed. There was always talk of bunkers and she had been to NORAD, but to command one. She tried to picture an image of a bunker, safe from riots and war.

  “What about my unit?”

  “You’re no longer part of peacekeeping operations. That’s not your problem anymore. Pretty soon you'll be caught up in training and developing your new staff. Your only concern will be the operational command of your soldiers and scientists.”

  “But-” Avery began to speak but couldn’t find words to combat the shock. This was a significant promotion. Commander of a bunker on a two year lockdown. Free from riots and Ghosts, endless patrols and briefings. It was too good to be true.

  “Why me?” she asked.

  “We’re looking for the b
rightest and the best. You fill both categories.”

  “This is the promotion I’ve been working for. If you feel I’m the right person for the role then I accept.”

  Max smiled in reply. Avery stared out towards the blue water and horizon beyond. In a place like this to get everything you have worked towards was like a dream.

  “You have been injected with fourth gen nanos. These are essential for the operational requirements of your post. A Neurogenic lab in the bunker will liaise with you on nano technology.”

  Avery barely registered the nano information. Focusing on her command team and whether she could influence selection.

  “Can I pick my own team?”

  “The bunker staff are handpicked elite soldiers. The civilians are scientific experts in their fields. Several are already in place, the rest will report to you next week.”

  “Next week. When do I report?”

  “You’ll start immediately after this interview with a virtual tour of the facility. When you wake from holo sleep, your orders will be waiting for you. Every aspect of your new post is embedded in the software.”

  Avery watched a boat rocking on the horizon. Her mind racing to catch up with developments.

  “Congratulations Colonel Avery, you will be a great asset to us.”

  She turned the word over in her mind and couldn’t help a smile. Colonel Avery. Years and years of hard work rewarded in an instant. A sweep of Max’s hand and she had exactly what she wanted.

  “Now sit here and enjoy the sunshine before the hard work begins,” Max said, vanishing before Avery could respond.

  The ocean rolled forwards and backwards in front of her. She leant back and tilted her face to the sun, feeling its warmth. She inhaled the beachy aroma, breathing in and out. Contemplating the chaos she would leave behind. These were her new orders. The burden of maintaining civil order would fall on someone else’s shoulders.