Forever Winter Box Set (Books 1 - 4): A Future Dystopian Survival Series Adventure

by KM Fortune

  Raven stopped at the door and tried the handle again. The habit was becoming compulsive and she found the fact unsettling. It was still locked, as it had been the dozen times she tried it already today. Why am I locked in? Why am I a prisoner? she thought angrily. There was no obvious answer.

  IN THE LABORATORY, Matthew worked non-stop. It was his way of relaxing, to lose himself in a project. He had spent the last twenty-four hours working on some small and insignificant items as a way to avoid the real task at hand. The time had come to cut open the female. No, she is a woman, not just a female specimen. He truly did not want to do it. He did not want to kill her. Even though he knew it was wrong, in fact it was a grave sin, he had grown attached to the woman from the ice. The sound of her voice and the look of her face touched him emotionally in ways he did not know existed between a man and woman. Sighing, Matthew laid down the slide he was preparing and realized at that exact moment the thing he wanted to do more than anything else was go and see her. He feared it was the devil's power over him, this temptation, but it did not stop him as he headed for the room.

  RAVEN WAS STILL STANDING at the door when she heard footsteps approaching. It was not time for her meal to be delivered and she was caught off guard. What if it is not my keeper? she thought. Who is coming? In a panic, she ran for the bed, the blanket slipping and falling as she went. Before she had a chance to get back into the bed, the lock turned and the man opened the door. Standing beside the bed, nude, Raven watched him freeze at the sight of her body. She was no longer the skinny, weak looking invalid. Her body had changed and now was healthy with lean muscle and sensual curves. He stared for a moment, then his face flushed scarlet above his beard and he looked away, obviously upset and angry. Raven picked the blanket up from the floor and covered herself.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, still standing in the doorway, not looking at her.

  “I was tired of staying in the bed.”

  The man’s eyes moved to her exposed ankle and saw the loose shackle. Then he looked at the bed rail and saw how it had been dismantled.

  “I can't believe it,” he said with some curiosity in his voice. “How did you figure this out?”

  “It was pretty simple. What I don't understand is why I was chained up in the first place. I haven't done anything wrong.”

  MATTHEW WAS STUNNED. He knew she was stronger and he should have guessed she would try to free herself, but it never occurred to him she was intelligent enough to work her way out of the restraint. “A precaution,” Matthew said finally looking at her face and coming away from the door. “Please, get back into the bed again. You shouldn't be up.” The woman complied, but sat cross legged at the head of the bed. Matthew walked to the bed's end and looked at her, appreciating her beauty yet again. He was slowly realizing the woman was not a lesser being like The Creator described. She was very human and able to think and reason, same as he could. The Creator often stressed how the female was originally created from the male, to be his servant and bear the fruit of his seed. Once her womb and its function for reproduction was no longer necessary, the female had no value. Matthew had never doubted these statements. There were no females in his world other than occasional specimens and in those instances, the female was dead. Now he wasn't entirely convinced the female species was unnecessary. This woman spoke his language and there was intelligence in her green eyes. He suddenly realized a powerful thought. What if she could be my equal? The idea was both frightening and exciting.

  For the first time, Matthew realized there were many things he wanted to ask her. She wasn’t the only one with questions. Slowly, almost shyly, he sat on the end of her bed and let his curiosity take over. “Back at the beginning, when you first started to ask questions, you knew to ask me if I had a name. Did the women where you came from address their male masters by name?” He watched the woman hesitate and hoped he had not overwhelmed her.

  MALE MASTERS? Raven thought. A tight ball of fear curled in her stomach, but she tried to ignore it. This was the first time the man showed any real interest in having a conversation. She wasn't clear on what caused the change, but she knew better than to miss an opportunity to get more answers to her own questions. “Why wouldn’t I ask your name? It’s a common way to start a conversation,” she said.

  The man smiled. “Well,” he started slowly as if he was trying to find words he thought she would understand. Raven ignored the insult and waited. “Names and the understanding of associating a name with a particular entity displays a higher level of reasoning than I would have expected from a female human. My name is Matthew. Do you have a name?”

  Raven frowned. This was a tougher question than she thought it would be. She knew she had a name, but it was hard to recall. She closed her eyes and tried to pull the word from her subconscious. There were so many things she did not remember. Strangely, all she could conjure was the image of a black bird flapping its wings as it crossed the blue sky. Is it a crow? she thought. No, it is bigger somehow. It’s... The word popped into her head. “Raven!” she said, her voice filled with excitement. “I am sure of it. My name is Raven.”

  Matthew frowned. It was obvious he did not like her answer.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is Raven not my name?”

  Matthew shook his head. “I don’t know. I am surprised you would be named after a bird, but I suppose it is possible.”

  “Can’t you check? Don't I have medical records or something?” Raven asked.

  “Medical records?” Matthew said surprised. His brow furrowed while he thought for a moment. “Oh yes, I see,” he said with a nod. “You still think this is a hospital. No, there are no medical records. Just my research notes and weekly status reports. Maybe I better explain this. I believe you are ready.” He stopped for a moment and looked Raven in the eyes. She leaned back against the pillows and readied herself for the worst. “I found you,” he said. “Frozen in a glacier a few miles from here. A group of us brought you back on a sled.”

  Raven was silent for a moment, grasping what he said. “Frozen? But how... what are you talking about?”

  “Basically, cryogenics. Somehow, many years ago, you were frozen at an extremely fast rate. Your organic and chemical compounds were incredibly well preserved.” Matthew leaned closer. His face was filled with curiosity. “Do you remember the last thing you were doing before waking up here?”

  Raven was overwhelmed. The information was too much to imagine. It sounded so impossible. Frozen? she thought. She recalled reading somewhere of a baby being found technically frozen to death but then revived. Or of people being trapped in icy water for hours only to be okay once warmed again? Is that what happened to me? She knew it would help to puzzle out what she was doing before waking up here. She closed her eyes again and tried to relax.

  “Just take a deep breath,” Matthew said. “Don’t force it.” A picture of white popped into Raven's mind. White snow! A rocky cliff, ropes... rock climbing. Her eyes popped open. “I was rock climbing!” she paused as the memories came back in a rush. “I think I fell. Yes, I remember! There was an avalanche and it knocked me off the mountain.”

  Matthew was quiet. “I see,” he said with a nod. He looked skeptical. “That could explain it. Hard to believe though.”

  Raven nodded with him. It was all unbelievable. Another memory flashed into her mind. “But I wasn't alone. I remember being there with someone. I think it was a man, a friend of mine.”

  “Yes, that makes sense. We found a second corpse in the ice near where you were frozen.”

  “Did he make it? I mean, could you revive him like you did me?” she asked.

  Matthew stood and began to pace the small room for a moment. “No, I did not. I’m sorry.” Matthew answered. “Frankly, I didn't even ask for permission to try.”

  The information made no sense to Raven. “But why?” she asked.

  Matthew stopped and looked at her. “There was no reason to. You were the one we wanted.”

>   SUDDENLY UNCOMFORTABLE with where the conversation was leading, Matthew walked closer to the door. He kept his back to her while he tried to find a way to express himself clearly but gently. Finally he turned back toward her and took a firm approach. “It was apparent you were female so I only tried to save you. That’s all you need to concern yourself with,” he said.

  Raven simply looked at Matthew, obviously waiting for more. Matthew’s firm stance began to waver under her stare. He swallowed hard and then continued. “We only needed you. To test if you carried fertile ovum.”

  “Fertile ovum?” she asked sounding confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your eggs. I wanted to revive you to see if I could salvage your ovaries and test them. They could be precious to us if you carry any fertile quantities.”

  Matthew watched as the woman pulled the blanket up higher around her as if to cover a sudden chill. He could see she was quickly gathering something was very wrong here. Something she might not want to know. “Why wouldn’t I be fertile?” she asked.

  “It's a long story I'm afraid,” Matthew answered quietly. “I am hoping you lived in a time before the world became barren. Before women could no longer be relied upon to bear a man's fruit and give birth.”

  “A time before?” Raven was suddenly upset. “How long have I been asleep?” she demanded. A look of panic came to her face and Matthew instinctively went to her and sat down at the edge of the bed near her. He knew what he was going to tell her would be hard for her to hear.

  “The great plague started one hundred and twenty-seven years ago. I believe you were frozen before then. Or at least that is what I’m hoping.”

  The woman stared at him. He saw tears well up in her eyes. “No,” she said. “No, that can’t be right.”

  Matthew felt the strangest sensation seeing her grow upset. His heart actually seemed to hurt. He reached out and touched her hand where it grasped the blanket. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “But the world is nothing like you remember it. Nothing at all.”

  CHAPTER 7

  THE CREATOR LISTENED. He sat at the top of the dais, surrounded by the elaborate apparatus which kept him alive, and waited as Samuel described his fears. The female corpse, which was recovered by one of the scientists and being rehydrated in hopes of recovering her fertile matter, was suddenly a problem. The Creator was well aware of the project, having been the one to grant permission for the experiment to proceed, and he knew the scientist, Matthew. He was an upstanding member of His flock. The brother was never late to prayer and worked hard in his lab for the betterment of the colony. Regardless, Samuel was worried. He explained he was sensing a problem arising with the introduction of this female into Eden. A strange presence seemed to have invaded their sanctuary. The Creator listened, nodding his head, wrinkled and hairless from age, as Samuel continued.

  “I believe we must seize this creature at once,” Samuel finished, kneeling in a position of respect. “And destroy her before she has a chance to work her devilry.”

  The Creator pondered all Samuel told him. A female. Brought from the outside, but not like the others who were captured on the plains and brought in for harvest. This one was dead. No, he corrected himself, it was frozen. It was all very interesting. “And the scientist, Matthew, from the Seed of Ruth and the House of Levi, you fear for his soul, Samuel?”

  “I do, My Lord,” Samuel answered.

  “All right. I will leave it to you to watch over your brother and deliver him from sin. If he has not been able to reanimate the female, fine, dispose of the corpse and assign him a new task. If the female is alive, then send her to the depository where she can be examined and harvested like any other breeder.”

  Samuel bowed low to the floor in response to The Creator’s instructions. “Thank you. I will see it is taken care of immediately,” Samuel said as he stood and made to hurry from the room. The Creator frowned at Samuel's haste.

  “Samuel,” The Creator spoke firmly, causing his follower to halt in his steps. “I have been advised there is a rumor passing among the brethren. I expect it occasionally from the lower cast of our flock, but not from someone of your status. Tell me you do not believe the foolish prophecy which seeps in from the Waste People we harvest from the Outside.” Samuel stood silently, not replying. The Creator narrowed his eyes, the milky cataracts glistening as he squinted sternly at Samuel and continued. “I see,” he said.

  The Creator moved his shriveled right arm towards the controls on his elaborate hovering unit and descended down from the dais until he was face-to-face with Samuel. The man lowered his eyes. As he should, He thought. “Look at me, Samuel.” The man raised his gaze, a hint of fear in them. The Creator knew he was a frightening sight. Thin blue veins ran under the translucent skin over his face, looking like a spider’s web ready to ensnare the weak. The Creator stared into the lesser man’s eyes. “The musing of wretched animals should not disturb a blessed man as you,” The Creator said. “Their prophecy is nothing but fantasy, which they cling to for hope. But it is a false hope. Remember that.” There was a moment of silence and then Samuel nodded and bowed low to the ground.

  “Yes, My Lord. You are correct as always.”

  The Creator looked at the bowing figure before him and contemplated preaching more. Samuel seemed to need some guidance, but now was not the time. “Go,” The Creator commanded gently. “Dispose of the female.”

  “Thank you, My Lord,” Samuel said rising quickly and hurrying away.

  “BUT, HOW CAN THAT BE true?” Raven said at the incredulous news Matthew had given her. “How can I still be alive?” She was almost speechless as what he said sunk in. “One hundred and twenty-seven years?” No one I know will still be alive, she thought. My parents, my friends, my pupils, my entire life... gone! Raven grabbed Matthew’s hand and held it, fear beginning to churn in her stomach. “Matthew, I don't understand this. How can I possibly be alive after so much time?”

  Matthew looked into her eyes. “What is the last date you remember?” he asked. Raven shook her head, upset. The room was spinning. I am all alone, she thought, near panic. Matthew shook her hand gently. “Focus on me,” he instructed. “Tell me something, anything you remember.” Raven responded to the sound of his voice and met his gaze. She saw his concern and centered herself on his face. At the moment, this man was all she had.

  “I remember it was November,” she finally said, pulling the memory up in her mind as if it were yesterday. It feels so good to remember, she thought. “Only a few days after my birthday!” Raven’s eyes widened at the memory. “Yes, I definitely remember it. We were celebrating it in the mountains.” She stopped talking and looked into Matthew's expectant face. “And there was no plague. I would have known.”

  MATTHEW NODDED SLOWLY. A part of him, the scientist, was awed she had been frozen and yet preserved for so long. Not to mention the fact he had been able to revive her to a fully functional human being again. Still, he would not let the enthusiasm surface. This was no time for celebrating his achievements. “All right. Then let me start at the beginning.” He gently pulled his hand from her grasp and stood up to pace again, remember his history lessons from years ago. It was not his field, others in the colony were genetically engineered for that, but he did know some facts. Without realizing it, he took on a scholarly tone, sounding a bit like Samuel. “Sometime after the turn of the twenty-first century, no one is sure exactly, women began to have problems carrying babies to term. It rapidly became widespread. Scientists around the world were consulted regarding the epidemic but no obvious causes were determined.”

  “All women?” she interrupted, both fear and curiosity for the details in her voice. “Everywhere?”

  Matthew nodded. “All women, all over the world. I think it may have started in the United States but I'm not sure. I'm afraid I was made to be a scientist, not a historian so some of the details escape me. Still, I know it eventually became a global issue. As it went, fewer and fewer babies wer
e being born and the human population was actually facing possible extinction.” He watched as Raven closed her eyes, obviously stunned by the revelation, but she said nothing. After pausing to look at her to assure himself she was holding up under the news, he went on. “But science rallied and genetic engineers, who had been working on just such concepts for decades, came up with a more feasible way to reproduce. Since women could no longer be relied upon to bear children, doctors began to experiment with genetically modified human embryos in the lab. It did not take long before babies were brought to term in man-made incubators. It really was a perfect solution.” Matthew smiled. “Too perfect.”

  Raven opened her eyes and looked at him. “Why?”

  Matthew sighed. “I’ll get to that, but have you ever heard the old saying 'Don't fool with Mother Nature’?” he asked. Raven nodded. “Well, perhaps we shouldn’t have,” Matthew continued. “As time passed, women stopped having babies altogether. No one could ever actually pinpoint the cause, although personally, I think it was natural selection of sorts. Regardless, the day came when ninety-eight percent of all the females on the planet were considered sterile.”

  The woman gasped. Matthew nodded and continued. “Suddenly the search was on for women with ovaries which were fruitful. The price of a genuine female ovum became astronomical.”