Eximus

by Marcus Wearmouth

  “We don’t know what happened on the surface, the best thing to do is stay safe.”

  “There are eight pregnant women now. There may be more and I’ve issued my entire supply of condoms. I’m not sure how often they engage in coitus, but down here, I imagine there’s not much else to do. Do you want these children born into darkness?”

  “Be patient.”

  Sarin slumped in the chair and rested his face in his hands. “You know, I hadn’t been a real Doctor for years before we came here. I was almost too afraid to see patients.”

  “We should put the past behind us.”

  “I know,” he replied, as if to himself.

  Logan pulled out a chair from the nurse’s workstation and sat opposite his old friend. “I’m looking forward to your play at the party.”

  He squinted up at Logan and sniffed. “The play. It should’ve been King Lear, my range has increased to madness.”

  “It’s Macbeth isn’t it?”

  Sarin snorted. “Don’t say it aloud.”

  Logan hadn’t seen him genuinely smile since the night he arrived with Caspar to discuss the mine. He remembered how they used to be, and by the glaze in Sarin’s eyes, he remembered too.

  “You’ve done a good job down here,” Sarin said.

  “Beers on me when we get out.”

  Logan held out his hand and Sarin took it in a firm grip.

  The door slammed shut behind him and Logan breathed in the salty air. This was turning into a good day.

  In the school, Adam and Gregor watched Heather with smiling faces. Adam’s hand shot up and he answered the question. His face beaming as she gave him a gold star.

  When Heather spotted him at the door, Logan put a finger to his lips. She took the cue and continued with the lesson. The children could be in a regular school, they adapted better than any of the adults. Heather gave each child paper and pens for sketching then began to describe an object. She left them with her teaching assistants and approached Logan.

  “You have a magic spell over them,” he said, stepping out into the tunnel.

  “They were used to much more interactive learning with VR. We’re a bit more basic here, no field trips to Mars or voyages through the bloodstream. But they’re all coping.”

  “How about the meditation groups?”

  “Any scientist would envy this opportunity to study human behavior. The children are getting on with their new lives. Adults cope in different ways. Some mourn past lives, some embrace the present.”

  “Not sure which camp I’m in.”

  “Do you know what Sean told me last week?”

  Logan grimaced and shook his head.

  Heather began to laugh before she spoke, covering her mouth and holding up a hand to stall. “He’s a bulimic amnesiac. He eats too much then forgets to be sick.”

  Her grin was infectious and Logan sniggered like a schoolboy. “I couldn’t stand to be in the same room as him before the mine.”

  “How’s your stronghold?”

  “It’s the only thing that keeps me sane.”

  She nodded. “Why don’t you come and see Adam and Gregor?”

  “I can’t, still a thousand other jobs to do.”

  “Don’t think you can fool me,” Heather said. She closed the distance between them until she was close enough to whisper. “They need you. You’re a hero to them.”

  “Every time I see them,” he said, pausing and searching for the right words. “They remind me of everything we’ve lost. I want them to remain innocent.”

  “They aren’t strongholds. You can’t just imagine they’re alright without you.”

  #

  The entire mine population gathered in the central cavern a week later. Jarod and his team installed conveyor belt seating to form rows, facing a small stage. Logan took a seat reserved for him in the front row after wishing Adam and Gregor good luck.

  Dimmer switches had been installed to turn down the main lighting. Candles fixed around the stage made it stand out like a floating platform. Behind it, the rock wall fracture struck a diagonal shadow. If they ever created a badge for the mine it would be this cracked wall.

  There had never been an atmosphere like it, in all the time they had been down there. Surrounded by friends and in candlelight, the mine was a home.

  Heather walked onto the stage to cheers and applause. “Good evening everybody. The children will now sing O Holy Night for you and hand out presents they’ve made over the last few weeks. Please give them your applause.”

  The kids filed onto the stage and took their places, lined up in two rows. Logan searched for Adam and Gregor but couldn’t see them in the choir.

  Organ music flowed out of multiple speakers creating surround sound. The crowd hushed. High pitched voices echoed and words swirled in the air. Goosebumps rose on Logan’s arms and legs.

  Other children streamed out in two lines from behind the stage. They walked along the seating rows handing out presents wrapped in green paper. Adam and Gregor approached Logan and each handed him a bundle.

  He opened the first and unrolled a roughly carved figure of pink rocksalt. The second was a plastic lid, divided into colored sectors. Logan stared at the beautiful simplicity of the gifts. He blinked hard to prevent tears from overcoming him.

  The choir repeated the song as the present giving children joined them on the stage. They began to sing silent night and the whole crowd joined in. After that was Rudolph the red nose reindeer then Good King Wenceslas. Clearly not many of the adults knew the verses to this as the voices died down until only the children were singing. The finished with an encore of Frosty the snowman.

  The next act began fixing their ramps and installing a microphone. A thin soldier, no more than a teenager, approached the microphone. Logan recognised him as Private Rodgers.

  “How do you follow that?” Rodgers asked.

  A skateboarder ran onto the stage, jumped on his board and rolled up a ramp. At the top, he stopped, spun around then rolled back down.

  “Heaven is a halfpipe.”

  A song bellowed through the speakers as a soldier walked onto the stage. He carried written words on large sheets of paper. Behind him, skateboarders began performing dangerous jumps and twists, rolling down the ramp at an alarming speed.

  As the chorus began, the audience sang along with the words. Logan joined in, though unfamiliar, the song was catchy. The performers were energized by the noise of the singing crowd, throwing themselves into the air. As the song reached its final chorus, the skaters held their boards walking towards the audience. They pumped fists and urged everyone to sing louder. It built to a crescendo then finished with screaming thunderous applause.

  “Thank you for your appreciation,” Heather said, appearing back on the stage. “The two acts have worked extremely hard to bring you their performances. There will be a short intermission then you’ll be treated to a performance of Macbeth.”

  Logan pocketed his presents and went to find Adam and Gregor. They were with Heather, flushed and excited by their performance.

  He picked up Gregor and kissed Adam on the head. “You two were great.”

  “Thanks dad,” Adam said.

  “Did you like my present?” Gregor asked.

  “I’m going to keep it forever,” Logan replied.

  They joined the food queue, impersonating the skateboarders as they waited. Sean turned up the lighting and Logan breathed in the good mood.

  They ate meat and potatoes from plastic plates balanced on their knees. The beef steak was softened by meaty gravy that also moistened the potatoes and peas. It tasted like a real meal with flavors that unlocked memories of his life before the mine.

  Gregor hoped onto Logan lap and laid his head on Logan’s shoulder. “I wish mom was here,” he whispered.

  Logan squeezed his eyes shut and pulled Gregor close to him. “So do I buddy.”

  The main Lights dimmed and a spot light illuminated the stage. It was bare except for
a single chair. Sarin overacted in the role of Macbeth, but Heather and the teaching assistants were marvelous as the witches. At one point, Sarin broke character due to heckling and asked a man to leave. He was met with a volley of abuse but to his credit continued. At the end they received a warm applause.

  Logan slipped the sleeping Gregor onto his seat, approaching the stage at the end of the play. Heather handed him the microphone.

  “What a night everyone. Let’s thank all the performers.”

  The audience clapped, some whistling and shouting their thanks.

  “Before Sean’s disco,” he said, with an elaborate wink. “I want to say a few words. We’ve come through so much and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for what you’ve done. Now we move into a new phase of our time here. We prepare to go above ground. It will take some time for us to make this a reality and there will be challenges ahead. But I wouldn’t want to face them or be here with anyone else but you. We’re a family. Our shared experience is a bond that can never be broken. Let’s tackle the next stage with the same commitment we’ve all shown so far. Thank you all.”

  Logan received a loud applause, patted on the back by standing rows of people as he collected Adam and Gregor. He carried Gregor with Adam following behind, leaving the cavern full of music and laughter.

  Chapter 19

  Avery ate breakfast in silence with her shadow, at an otherwise empty table. He offered her no anchor for conversation, replying to questions with either yes, no or I don’t know. She watched him spooning milk and cereal into his mouth. His greasy hand clutched the spoon like a bird claw. If he was under nano influence then it proved they don’t make everyone super human.

  He rose as she rose and followed behind out onto the staircase and up to her office. Avery closed the door and shivered. His presence made her feel more alone than lying in her quarters.

  She scrolled through weather data, memorized over the last week. At the moment, readings were typical for May in upstate New York. It was the six months post lockdown that scrambled the data. Temperatures had gone down to minus fifteen slowly rising through April and May. Three hundred inches of snow had fallen in just two months.

  June through July showed rainfall of eighty inches. Then in August wind speeds of three hundred miles per hour. She clicked on an icon next to the number and an explanation of multiple vortex tornadoes appeared.

  The peaks and troughs of data gradually returned to more normal patterns. It was like looking at a Richter scale earthquake reading. This past winter was milder, but still one you wouldn’t want experience without heating and a large stash of food.

  There was no global weather data on the app, but it was likely much worse in other areas. Flooding, tsunamis and hurricanes, there may not be much left above ground to save.

  She closed the weather programme and sat back to consider the implications. Burns mentioned Haarp controlled the weather and this was something she needed to discuss with him. Post nuclear engagement, extreme weather would be useful in cleansing the environment. Depending on type of bomb, location and so on. It would also be useful in removing survivors. She shuddered and rolled her shoulders.

  Without any acknowledgement to Ringo, Avery left her office and headed for the canteen. After ordering chicken soup and green tea, she stared at the external plasma screens. They showed a summer day of blue sky with puffy white clouds. Green leaves filled out the tree canopies and multicolored wildflowers dotted the meadow.

  It was all a lie.

  She rose to leave and Ringo mirrored her movement. Following her down to lecture room four and standing outside. The soldiers inside sat in neat rows of four and stared at her in absolute attention. She paused to watch their faces and body language, hoping to see an anomaly. Fifteen sets of eyes gazed back patiently.

  She cleared her throat then started a lecture on riot control.

  Once she left the training room, Ringo detached from the wall and followed. They walked to her office where she left him outside and closed the door. Exhausted with the strain of interacting, she flopped into her chair, spinning it round to stare out of the artificial window. On its screen, a wind blew dust up into the air, spinning for a moment before flying away into the distance.

  Dinner with Ringo was taken in silence until Cain sat down noisily in the seat opposite. She slugged a glass of water then slammed it down onto the table. Kaya joined the table, grinning as he placed down a plate of creamy pasta.

  “I must report an unfortunate incident,” Cain said. An upwards twitch to her lips made it appear she was about to tell a joke.

  Avery concentrated on her salad, picking out tomatoes to fork into her mouth. “Fire away.”

  “Doctor Burns hung himself this afternoon. I’m afraid he passed.”

  Nodding slowly, Avery chewed on the sweet tomatoes, struggling to swallow. Cain made a half smile, small wrinkles appearing around her mouth. Her eyes didn’t share the smile, they stared in challenge.

  Avery swallowed and took a breath. “I’m very sorry, he was a good man.”

  “I’ve already burnt the body. To avoid contamination.”

  Avery nodded at the woman, resisting an impulse to punch her in the throat. “Thank you, Major Kaya will arrange a service.”

  “Sorry to intrude on your evening meal,” Cain said. She drained her water and placed the glass gently on the table.

  Avery watched her go, bile rising in her throat. She trotted to the toilet and locked herself into a cubicle. Once inside, she bit her fist and kicked the door. Her body shuddered and she wretched into the open pan. Mushy red tomatoes and chewed green leaves splattered into the water. She washed her face in the basin mirror and stared at her own reflection.

  When she returned, Kaya was still sat at the canteen table. He chewed on a mouthful of pasta, swallowed loudly then slurped a gulp of milk, smacking his lips before spooning in another mouthful.

  “We’ll need another scientist in neuro to assist Doctor Cain,” he said, flecks of food dusting the table.

  She couldn’t look at him eating in case she vomited again. “Do you have someone in mind?”

  “I know just the woman,” Kaya said, pushing away his plate and nodding a farewell.

  Avery pushed the salad around her plate until, her stomach demanded food. She picked up a forkful of ham and began chewing. Ringo picked at a plate of fries, staring off into the distance. He snapped back to attention when she stood. Trailing her back to her quarters then standing outside her door.

  Letting out her frustration on the spinning bike, she pushed herself hard in a standing position. Ringo was waiting patiently outside to deter any visitors and trail her if she left. Now Burns was gone she had to get out of the bunker. Her ally had a plan even if it was vague and unlikely to succeed. If only her old unit could appear from somewhere, like a cavalry riding to her rescue.

  Eventually, she swung down from the bike onto trembling legs. Stepping gingerly into the kitchen, she poured a large glass of water, draining it as she walked to the sofa. She flopped down and sat staring at a wall painting of a valley cut through by a river.

  The door alarm woke her, still lying on the couch. She straightened her tracksuit, slapped her face a few times and ran fingers through her hair before answering. It could be Burns, his death a ruse or mistake. But the face of Kaya appeared on her door control pad.

  “What is it?” Avery asked.

  “You’re needed in the Command Centre. There’s been a communication from headquarters.”

  With a surge of adrenaline, she hit the door release.

  Kaya burst through the opening, fists swinging and striking her on the face and shoulder. She rocked backwards, tripping and falling to the ground. Kaya and Ringo were on top of her before she could counter the attack. Another two men gripped her tightly on each leg and she was dragged out onto the corridor.

  Screaming for attention, Avery thrust her body up and down. She aimed a head butt at Ringo and caught him on
his cheek. He staggered back with a snort. Her body dropped to the floor, head smacking the concrete.

  “Kaya,” she shouted.

  A boot connected with her kidney and she gasped for breath. Punches rained down on her as she lay in a foetal position protecting her head.

  The men lifted her again and carried her down the stairs. Avery gathered her strength and touched her dead zone. She didn’t have to look up to know they were heading for the neuro lab. Its doors were opened by Cain who shook her head at Avery.

  She was forced down onto an examination chair, arms and legs secured with clasps.

  “You’ve overstepped the mark, Cain.”

  “When you leave this room you will do your job.”

  “Eximus,” Avery spat. “There won’t be just me. Others will come.”

  Cain produced a syringe full of yellow liquid. “There’s no escape. You’d have to be buried underground for a long time to resist Haarp.”

  Avery twisted her left arm and bent her back but her movement was stopped by the restraints. “Let me carry on like this, I want to be clear when I command the bunker.”

  “I cannot allow you to disrupt our operation. Sector twenty two must act as a single entity.”

  Pushing fluid up through the needle, Cain smiled and leant downwards. Avery screamed, fighting with every ounce of her strength. Two stinging slaps hit her face. A hand pushed her head to the right, stretching her neck. She waited for the needle puncture, eyes closed, remembering the dreamy woodland clearing and her swimming self.

  An explosion burst into in the room, shattering windows and belching in thick grey smoke. The blast wave threw Kaya back against Cain.

  Ears ringing, Avery gasped for breath. She spat and shook her head. Fire licked towards her from Cain’s workstation. The prone figure of Ringo lay below mangled wooden doors. A soldier clung to her chair, shaking a blood stained head.

  In the swirling grey of the door opening, a figure leapt through the smoke, landing in a crouch on the floor. It was Matos, dressed in a black combat suit and holding a pistol in his right hand. His eyes flicked around the room then landed on Avery.