Thursday Midnight

by Zachry Wheeler

  “Hi Helen,” Anna said as she approached.

  “Oh, hi Janet,” Helen said with a perked expression. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”

  “I’m stealthy like that.”

  “Or maybe I’m just an old bat with bad hearing.”

  They shared a polite chuckle.

  “So what’s new with you and Kevin?” Helen said.

  “Not much. It’s been a quiet start to the winter.”

  “The best kind, really.”

  “Agreed. And how is Margaret doing?”

  “Quite well. She’s up in Whitehorse for a few days. Got a lead on some carving stumps, wanted to snatch ‘em while the roads were clear.”

  “She’s such a talent. I love watching her wood spinning clips online. There’s a Zen-like quality to her carvings, like watching old Bob Ross videos.”

  “Happy trees.”

  They shared another chuckle.

  “And what about Kevin? Still working hard?”

  “Yup, trying to meet those end-of-year deadlines. I don’t see how he does it, staring at computer screens all day. But he seems to enjoy it, so who am I to judge?”

  “To each their own, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I still think it was a good move for us. He can concentrate so much better out here.”

  “Y’know, I met another fella not long ago that was doing something similar. He works for a telecom out in Singapore. Got tired of the city life, opted for some peace and quiet.”

  Anna nodded. “Sounds familiar.”

  “He swings by every now and then for random goodies. I don’t think he quite has the hang of it, poor guy. He always picks up something that he should have had from day one.”

  “Ha, like us going the entire first winter without a snow shovel.”

  “And yet you persevered.”

  “And ruined a perfectly good baking sheet.”

  Helen snort-laughed. “Speaking of which, do you need anything from the back?”

  “No, we stocked up early, so we should be good through spring. Thank you, though. This is mostly a blood run. Plus, it’s nice to get some fresh air.”

  “I hear ya, gotta fill the lungs and stomach. We got a big shipment last week, so the fridges are all full up. You should have a wide selection to choose from.”

  “Ooo, did you get any turkey by chance?”

  Helen glanced away in thought. “Y’know, yeah, I think we did.”

  Anna gasped and clapped. “Yay!”

  “Let me double check, but I’m fairly confident.”

  Helen set a box of batteries on the counter, then moseyed to the rear refrigerators. Anna retrieved her cart and joined her along the way. Glass doors lined the rear wall, housing countless jugs of livestock blood. Helen narrowed her eyes and mumbled her thoughts as she pointed at each row and studied the labels. Near the end of the wall, she tapped the glass and grunted with victory.

  “Aha,” she said. “Actually got two types. Merriam and Rio Grande. Do you have a preference?”

  “Only on price.”

  “Rio Grande it is then.”

  Helen yanked the door open, releasing a rush of frosted air. She hooked the handle of the first jug and passed it to Anna, who began to fill the base of her shopping cart. They added more types based on Helen’s suggestions, mostly to maintain an image of scrutiny. The majority would go into deep freeze as an emergency supply. Jonas had more than enough jerky, veggies, and vitamins to last through the next several winters. The thought of blood rations sickened him, but only through a rearview of necessity. He had grown to appreciate some of the flavors, but the images they conjured soured any enjoyment.

  * * *

  Anna returned home, secured the car, and restocked a deep freeze unit before making her way back to the living room hatch. LEDs flickered on as she descended the spiral staircase. She cradled a small bag of mystery goods, which brought a smile to her face. A brief whistle with oscillating notes announced her arrival, the agreed upon tone for safe passage. She hooked the central pole and swung her body into the hallway. The computer den emitted its usual glow, bathing her in a wash of blue light. Jonas was staring at the primary monitor and had yet to acknowledge her arrival.

  “Look what I found,” Anna said with a playful uptick, then tossed a bag of wasabi peas onto the desk beside him.

  Jonas flinched and palmed his chest. “Fuckin’ hell.”

  “Oh, goodness, I’m sorry.” She leaned over his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  He exhaled a fluttering breath and cradled her arm for some needed comfort. “It’s okay. I was just, um ... you need to see this.”

  “What is it?” Anna settled in the chair beside him.

  Jonas minimized a jumble of forum windows, revealing the start of a video clip. He glanced at Anna with an obvious reluctance, then clicked the play icon. Grainy footage of the tunnel massacre began to stream, prompting Anna to cover her mouth with immediate shock. Moments later, a shadowy figure wandered into frame and cleaned the blood off a pair of axes. Jonas tapped the spacebar when the man turned to the camera, pausing the feed.

  “Bozhe moi,” Anna said. “Is this real?”

  Jonas nodded. “Happened hours ago.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Nobody knows. He livestreamed the aftermath, which has since gone viral.”

  “What is NExUS saying?”

  “Not a goddamn thing, which is even more alarming. If they don’t get a handle on this soon—” Jonas groaned with vexation and rubbed his face with both hands. “The public has already started to draw its own conclusions. Transient posts are flooding the forums.”

  “But he could be an eternal for all they know.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Default blame is still on us. This son of a bitch may have just unraveled years of effort.”

  Anna could sense his mounting chagrin, but resisted the urge to console. She knew that a critical question lingered in the ether, begging for an answer. Her gaze fell to the floor as she built the courage to ask. “Have we, um, considered the possibility that it might be one of ours?”

  Jonas closed his eyes and bowed his head, desperate to escape the moment.

  Anna reached over and took his trembling hand into her own, which he squeezed in response. His torment infected her with a sudden sorrow, as she could only guess the battle that raged inside his mind.

  After a long and pained silence, Jonas climbed to his feet and shuffled out of the room. Anna watched through tearing eyes as he melded with the darkness and disappeared. She turned back to the paused feed where death stared her down without pity or remorse.

  * * *

  NExUS agents swarmed inside the tunnel, filling it with a dull roar. Survey drones hovered around floodlight cages as they recorded every inch of the interior. The crime scene lingered behind a hologram barrier, restricted to a handful of agents with the necessary clearance. As one such agent, Korovin stood on a clean patch of concrete, surrounded by ash and empty suits. He donned a sullen expression while staring at the concave wall with hands at his waist. Painted along the surface were streaks of ash, the outlines of letters formerly drawn in blood ... Jonas.

  Jemison stepped around piles of ash and clothes to join him. She followed his gaze to the wall streaks, then emitted a stricken sigh. Korovin knew that sigh, so he cringed and bowed his head.

  “Just say it.”

  “The stream went viral. It’s on every forum, blog, and news feed.”

  Korovin coughed his disgust. “Suka blyat.”

  “We need to make an immediate statement.”

  “I suppose we do.”

  Korovin shook his head and started to wander around the crime scene, looking for anything to curb the resulting dread. Dress shoes and expensive heels rested beneath thin films of ash, as if dusted by time and neglect. Tailored garb curled into rumpled piles, the haunting remnants of power brokers and ambitious minds. A belt buckle caught the g
low of a floodlight, reflecting beams through the roaming haze. Korovin gazed up to a ceiling covered in gray splatters, then closed his eyes for a wanted reprieve.

  “Two blocks,” he said, then returned his gaze to Jemison. “This bastard hacked through seven people two goddamn blocks from a NExUS hub.”

  “And livestreamed it.”

  “The optics of this are abysmal.”

  “Should I update my resume?”

  Korovin replied with a tempered chuckle. “No, not yet. Someone is going to eat crow for this, and that someone is likely me.”

  “But you’re the one who pushed for rift revamps.”

  “And how many times have you seen NExUS willfully admit to incompetence?”

  Jemison cringed and nodded.

  “How are the news feeds looking?”

  “Well, at this point, the public seems more divided than panicked, which is much easier to contend with. On a more positive note, we do have one thing going for us.”

  “What’s that?”

  She pointed at the wall message. “That wasn’t captured by the stream.”

  Korovin studied it for a moment, then crossed his arms and grunted with the realization. “Which means it’s for us. He doesn’t want Jonas exposed. He wants us to find him.”

  “Should we, though? I mean, pardon my hesitation, but it doesn’t seem wise to take cues from a serial killer.”

  Korovin nodded slowly. “You’re not wrong.”

  Jemison sighed. “But.”

  “But even if he’s not involved, Jonas is officially part of the narrative. I hate to admit it, but we need to find him.”

  “Any thoughts on how to do that?”

  Korovin pondered the question while staring at the grim message, then met eyes with Jemison. “I know a guy.”

  CHAPTER 5

  [Invaders Forum / tMV - 8.7K replies, 1.3K followers]

  [Post: Anonymous, 10.03.2580 AD, 444 EA]

  It wasn’t us.

  [End Post]

  Jonas and Anna sat back-to-back inside the den, typing furiously at their respective terminals. Clacking keyboards filled the space with a hollow rain. Eyes remained glued to the monitors as they managed multiple chats with survivors around the world.

  Anna reached for her coffee mug and took a sip of air, drawing a groan of annoyance. “Brewing another pot,” she said, then leapt into a jog down the hallway.

  Jonas grunted in response, the most he could muster as his manic gaze darted between chat windows.

  [Undo84] Chipsets confirmed. Everyone accounted for.

  [Rauha] Is it possible that any of them are living a double?

  [Undo84] Given the timestamps and location signatures, the answer is a resounding no. I think we would know if someone was moonlighting as Batman.

  [Rauha] Who?

  [Undo84] I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.

  Jonas scrunched his brow and opened a new window. A quick search and scan resulted in a brief smile.

  [Rauha] That was a 20th century comic book. How could I have possibly known?

  [Undo84] You’re right. Timeless culture is irrelevant.

  Jonas chuckled in a much-needed moment of levity. His father always managed to find the humor in everything, no matter how dire the situation.

  [Rauha] So at this point, we are certain that it wasn’t us.

  [Undo84] Yes.

  [Rauha] Thank goodness. So what’s next?

  [Undo84] You will need to post another follow-up soon. It was smart to get ahead of the wave, but the public will want more of a statement. Whether you like it or not, you have officially stepped into the political ring.

  [Rauha] This escalated a lot quicker than I thought it would.

  [Undo84] You’re in the spotlight now, even if they can’t see your face. The indie feeds smell blood in the water, so choose your words very carefully. Don’t say anything that you wouldn’t want read to the world by a NExUS spokesperson.

  [Rauha] They can twist anyone to fit their narrative.

  [Undo84] Not Batman.

  Jonas smirked and rolled his eyes.

  [Rauha] Fair enough. I’ll make sure to post a follow-up.

  [Undo84] Excellent, keep me posted.

  [Rauha] Will do.

  [Undo84] You have done exceptional work. Mark my words, we will not let this schmuck take it away from you. Keep your head on straight and push forward. We are all very proud of you.

  [Rauha] Thanks.

  “Love you too, dad.” He flopped back in the chair and dangled his arms off to the side. The blank ceiling offered a welcome change of scenery.

  Anna returned soon after with a fresh pot of coffee. She refilled his mug and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

  “Thanks,” he said, reaching for the mug. He hooked the handle and swiveled to face her.

  “Welcome.” Anna refilled her own mug and settled back into her chair. “I heard some laughing. Has the apocalypse started?”

  Jonas grinned. “No, that was dad cracking a joke.”

  Anna tilted her mug in acknowledgement. “Must have been a good one to get a rise in this shit storm.”

  “He compared the Axeman to Batman.”

  Anna raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t he be more like the Joker?”

  Jonas opened his mouth to respond, but stammered into a mild grumble. He glanced away and shook his head. “I’m so uncultured.”

  “So what did he say?”

  “Everyone accounted for, as expected.”

  “So we’re basically dealing with a rogue or an eternal.”

  Jonas nodded. “My gut tells me it’s an eternal.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Just as a hypothetical, let’s say that Korovin somehow failed to wipe out the remnants. We can even consider the highly unlikely scenario where a rogue coalition has existed in secret. Somewhere, somehow, a human assassin came out of thin air to murder people in the city. Even then, we have to acknowledge the fact that a single individual managed to slaughter an entire group of eternals.”

  “With axes,” Anna said in retort.

  “What does that matter?”

  “You’re arguing strength versus tenacity, right?”

  Jonas crossed his arms. “Yeah.”

  “The flesh of eternals is remarkably dense, no question. Bullets break apart and fistfights are suicidal on a good day. We are stronger, faster, and far more durable. So if this was just about murder, then why not use a UV flare?”

  “Because he’s an eternal. It would kill him too.”

  Anna shrugged. “Or maybe he’s just a sportsman.”

  Jonas pondered the statement, then turned his gaze to a screenshot of the video stream. The Axeman stared back at him with a cold and mysterious intent.

  “You don’t hunt lions with a kitchen knife.”

  “You use the best tool for the job.”

  Anna tapped her temple, endorsing the inference.

  Jonas chewed on his lip before sighing with concession. He leaned forward to steal a kiss, then swiveled back to his workstation to continue the assessment. Anna replied with a guarded smile, then hooked her coffee mug and spun back to her own station. The clacks of keyboards resumed, filling the room with the clatter of investigation.

  * * *

  Murmurs of conversation floated inside a tense briefing room. Reporters filled every available seat and every inch of wall, a rare sight since the last known incident of transient infiltration. Bright lights and camera tripods lined the rear, primed and ready for an imminent statement. They focused on a dark wood podium resting atop an elevated platform, flanked by the four faction flags. The silver seal of NExUS adorned the front panel, infecting the space with an air of absolute authority.

  Agent Jemison emerged from a side entry and stepped onto the platform, prompting an immediate hush from the crowd. She lowered a tablet onto the podium and studied it for a moment before lifting her gaze to the assembly. A sea of worried eyes stared back at her. She offered a
brief smile, then commenced the arduous task of soothing the nerves of a worldwide population.

  “Thank you all for coming.

  “Before we proceed, I must request that you hold your questions until after the report. NExUS has crafted an official statement, which I shall deliver in its entirety before opening the floor to any further discussion.”

  Jemison glanced around the room, prepped to pounce on any dissenter. But for once, the crowd remained silent and attentive, which proved rather disarming.

  “With regard to the disturbing images circulating online, NExUS has concluded that the video is both authentic and unaltered.”

  The crowd grumbled, which Jemison extinguished with a hardened gaze.

  “In response, NExUS has launched a full-scale operation with the sole intent of apprehending the suspect. We have not identified the assailant, nor are we privy to any motive. Our current focus is on a swift and efficient capture.”

  Her eyes lowered to the tablet. A chill swept across her body as a single word devoured the page. The entire world knew what was coming, but the vocalization clung to her throat. With a mind towards duty, Jemison filled her lungs with courage and returned her gaze to the crowd.

  “In situations like these, we tend to abandon our reason for emotion. As speculations abound, let me make one thing abundantly clear. This is not a transient resurgence.”

  The crowd erupted into a frenzied roar. Arms flailed as they hurled fears and insults at the podium. Several leapt from their seats and shook fists at the rear cameras. Guards palmed their stun batons and positioned themselves around the stage. Agent Jemison spread her arms and motioned for restraint. The world watched as the panicked mass rejected her pleas for civility.

  * * *

  Agent Korovin sighed and shook his head as he watched the conference from his phone. He leaned against a bus stop bench on a downtown curb, enjoying a rainless evening as vehicles hummed down the street behind him. The patter of pedestrians sent muted rumbles through the sidewalk. Foot traffic flowed in each direction, many staring at the screens of mobile devices as the briefing continued. Several tripped over cracks and bumped shoulders, but the tense nature of the predicament quashed any confrontation.