Sleepers 4

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Is Michael ‘The Preacher’ in The Doctrines?”

  I nodded.

  Randy exhaled. “I should have been more humbled. Anyhow…” he pulled out his tablet, “there is no mention of my previous death.”

  “I erased it this morning.”

  Levi huffed out “Ha!”

  “Did I die an honorable death?” Randy asked.

  “Very. You sacrificed yourself saving the children. Sleepers tore you apart.”

  “That’s good to know.” Randy pulled out his computer. “Shall I read the passage that caused me to come now?”

  “Please,” I said.

  Randy cleared his throat. “And the traveler from the future, the biggest of the three, with locks of wavy brown hair, knew he was destined to be important in the Paler Wars, so he arrived one year, three hundred and forty days, after the plague. He waited without water and food at the edge of the Great Divide, where he met with the Pilgrimage headed for the new haven East of the Divide.”

  Levi smacked my arm. “Vague? You think big with brown wavy hair is vague?”

  I shrugged.

  “I don’t know how I am to help,” Randy said.

  “That.” I pointed to his computer. “And it isn’t working out. Nothing is working. You told us once that East of the Great Divide was a free zone.”

  “Sonny!” Levi snapped. “That is cheating.”

  “How is it cheating?” I asked. “Randy, is it a free zone in your time?”

  “Yes. But it wasn’t for a long time.”

  “Then it’s not cheating,” I stated. “We find out where we went wrong and fix it. I know they change a lot in translation, but it will give us a clue to what went wrong, how we lost control and eventually they evolved. Levi, you are a strong believer in God. God gave man free will. Only, really, He is giving us an advantage.”

  “How?” Levi asked.

  “Technology. We have, we use it, everyone comes back. Everyone returns because we have the ability to bring them back and not lose the key players that could make a difference in this war.”

  “What do you mean they return?” Levi asked.

  “Michael,” I said. “He returned.”

  “He never died,” Levi countered.

  “He’s blessed,” Randy added.

  “Still, he returned. Randy came back.”

  “He was never born,” Levi argued.

  “Beck came back.”

  “He was in Colorado, that doesn’t even remotely count,” Levi sneered. “Where are you going with this?”

  “Use the machine. Bring back Alex,” I said with passion.

  Levi gasped.

  “People loved him, Levi. He was a leader. You have an entire community here mourning a man that could make a difference.”

  “No.”

  “Levi, he just died, it won’t ripple a thing, except maybe attitudes toward this place. Maybe fill people with hope.”

  “No, the machine was not designed to stop a person’s death or to change things. How is that fair to those who have lost? Is it fair to the men and women who arrived that lost friends during the Fall of Grace?”

  “Alex Sans is more than that. They won’t know.”

  Levi laughed sarcastically. “I lost people close to me, too. Jillian, for instance. Are you going to tell me Alex Sans’ life meant more than hers?”

  “Well, yes. She put her kid out as Sleeper bait.”

  “I’m through with this. The answer is no. You have messed with time enough and I’m sure with both copies of The Doctrines, you will change it even more.”

  “Doesn’t count.”

  Levi stopped short. “What?”

  “It’s the past to you. It’s the future to me. It hasn’t happened yet. I can do what I want to change the future.”

  “Yes, I suppose you are right,” Levi said, grasping the doorknob, “but saving Alex is not. That is the past. Alex Sans is in the past.” He opened the door. “See yourselves out and don’t touch anything.” He looked back once more at me, snorted “Delinquent,” and walked out.

  I lowered my head. “I’m sorry you had to see this, Randy.”

  “It’s fine. I’m here to help, Sonny.” Randy stepped over to me. “Is it not my future as well? What is the name of the man you want to save?”

  “Alex. Alex Sans.”

  I noticed the odd look on his face, and then Randy frantically thumbed through his computer.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Something’s not right.” Randy looked at me. “All of this, you wrote after and later. Let me read it to you: ‘Lexsan was the leader of the fertile land. He named it Grace. Lexsan had dark hair and dark eyes. He favored the celebration water and consumed it daily.’”

  “Oh my God. Dark hair, dark eyes. Loved to drink...”

  “Lexsan,” Randy stated.

  “Alex Sans.”

  “The translation. And he is pivotal to the war. He is all through The Doctrines, way past the arrival here. So you see, Sonny, something is not right. Because according to this—”

  I finished his sentence. “Alex never died.”

  14. SONNY

  I caught a flash of a Sleeper moving on the edge of the woods, just beyond the Northern Perimeter fence, in a wooded area that reminded me of back at Grace. A long hillside lined with trees.

  I lifted my radio. “Danny, did you catch it?”

  “I see him,” Danny replied. “Beck said no shooting.”

  I grumbled, and while I knew that a gunshot from the distance sounded more like someone hitting a baseball against a brick, it was still sound that traveled.

  The direction of that Sleeper was not from the Walmart direction. We were going to need more men on a perimeter.

  “Get Beck out there then,” I radioed. “Have him play Sleeper Mercenary.”

  “Roger that.”

  I really wanted to go and see Michael, but I knew he was already at work on the chapel and a bunch of men were working on the main building. We had a community to house and no time to waste.

  I had walked from Levi’s office, leaving Randy. He wanted to help out and I told him we’d speak later. That’s when I saw the Sleeper.

  The Mega Bus had been moved to the front gate as a blockade, not that it needed it, and the tractor trailer was moved to the side. Seeing anything coming up the front road would be impossible except from the security tower.

  “Sonny,” Danny called, “Beck said for you to lock a position and he’s sending one of his soldiers out there.”

  “Got it.”

  I watched the Sleeper, and saw that he had stopped moving. He faced us, almost as if he watched and studied. What was he looking at?

  The soldier came out from the door, armed and ready. I showed him where the Sleeper was positioned, and then walked him to the gate. He slipped though and as I secured it, I saw another Sleeper emerge. “Hold it,” I told him. “There’s more than one.”

  “I can handle two,” the soldier said.

  “I’m sure you can, but let me just get a look.” I lifted my radio as I moved to the side of the building for a better view. “Danny, you seeing any more than two right now?’

  “Three. No make that four.”

  “Shit.” I looked out, walked more to the fence and around the northern side. The Sleepers weren’t attacking, they were just watching.

  I had seen it before. They always watched before storming in and there were always more behind them. I was not really in the mood to go chasing Sleepers. I wasn’t a pro at it, and often I was more of a hinder. But it had to be done.

  Radioing Danny, I told him, “We need a couple more men. Have them meet me at the gate.”

  “Roger that, Sonny.”

  I stood there for a few moments just analyzing the Sleepers. They were still at a distance, still mere shadows, but there nonetheless.

  I was confused by what they were doing. They looked as if they were staring at something. Me, maybe? As I turned to go to the gate, a b
one tingling chill went up my spine when I saw Keller and Phoenix at the window that faced that wooded area.

  I looked to the babies, then to the Sleepers.

  It was kind of creepy the way Keller and Phoenix just stood there with their heads tilted the same way, hands pressed against the glass.

  Before I went to the meet the others at the gate, I walked to the window and smacked it once. “Away from the window. Now.”

  Phoenix looked at me and smiled. He then took hold of Keller’s arm and led him away from the pane of glass. I exhaled, shook my head again, and turned.

  When I did, I peered up to the wooded area. The Sleepers were retreating.

  15. MERA

  My comment to Michael, “They think we’re stupid,” made him laugh.

  “It’s not meant to be a joke. They honestly think we’re dumb,” I said. “They’ve been gone for hours. They’re out there looking for Sleepers under the guise that Sonny is getting the power back up.”

  “Sonny said he could.”

  “Yes, however, Beck went along. And Sonny also forgets he keeps using the open radio channel. We’re not dumb or deaf.”

  “I don’t think they’re deceiving you.”

  Michael was helping to sweep the floor in the section that would belong to me, Beck and everyone we considered related, which was a lot of people, mainly children.

  “Then what is it?” I asked.

  “Protection. They don’t want anyone being scared, so they are quiet about things that’s all. Alex started that in Grace.”

  “I didn’t buy it then either. Then again, when I would see a Sleeper, Alex never believed me.” I paused and took a breath, looking around. “This isn’t going to be too bad.”

  “Yeah, well, I think it’s funny each section holds thirty people. And we have just about that.”

  “With a nice community table set up. Did you ever wonder what crime Sonny committed?”

  “Nope,” Michael replied. “Sonny would never hurt anyone, so I’m figuring it was a survival crime of his youth or a bad prank. And you shouldn’t wonder either.”

  “Just curious. I wouldn’t judge.”

  “You’re judging those out there now searching for Sleepers,” Michael kind of scolded. “You’re judging Sonny, when he said he was at the power station.”

  “I guess you’re right. Just that you know, nine men to go out to turn on lights...”

  “Mera.”

  “Sorry. Let’s take a break.” I walked to a bench connected to a table and sat down.

  “We just started,” Michael said, sitting next to me. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “Not really. My chin is sore and emotionally, I’m a mess.”

  “I understand that.” Michael rested his hand on my arm. “It’s only been two days, Mera. Alex’s death will be with us for a while. It is a great loss.”

  “Yeah, it is.” I took a deep breath, trying to stay in check with my emotions. “What happened, Michael? What happened out there? There was a plan.”

  “There was,” Michael said softly. “Alex took it upon himself to go early. It didn’t make a difference, because he was waiting when I arrived. Everything was good… I don’t know what happened.”

  “Why would they attack him? He was infected with the virus.”

  “I don’t know.” He lifted his hands. “It’s killing me, though. I could have gotten Jessie and gotten out of there before the Sleeper attack.”

  “Do you think the attack would still have happened?”

  “Yes, I do, without a doubt. They were there waiting and gathering for that very reason. We were destined to begin again.”

  “You read The Doctri—”

  “I’m willing to bet The Doctrines Randy brought with him this time are completely different.”

  My hands gripped the edge of the bench. “I want so badly just to talk to him and hang out with him, but he doesn’t know us.”

  “He will.”

  “What was your reaction when you saw him?”

  “It was the oddest thing, Mera. He was just waiting at the Great Divide, like someone waiting on a Greyhound bus. Just odd. I was overjoyed and ran to him, but I knew… he didn’t know me. He may have died in our time, but he was still born in the future and able to make a trip back.”

  “I’m glad he’s here. He’ll get to know us again. It’s good to have a gain in this loss.”

  “Amen to that,’ said Michael. “And we gained a couple new people. One guy, Ed, a young man, was actually on his way to Grace with a group of people. Got hit by those Sleepers, and he was the only one that survived.”

  I gasped. “That’s horrible. I didn’t get to meet him.”

  “He’s very nice. He was a teacher, so I plan on putting him to work with me.”

  “Javier will be very happy to hear that.”

  At a double knock on the door, Javier looked in the open entranceway to the unit. “I heard my name.”

  I sat up and tilted my head. “That was odd.”

  “No, actually, I was on my way here. It appears in my enthusiasm I have the lab set up and ready to go already, so as soon as Sonny gets the power on I’m functional. Stop by tomorrow so I can draw your blood before you eat.”

  “I will.”

  “Thanks.” Javier turned to leave.

  ‘Don’t hold your breath!” I called out. “Sonny’s not…” I sighed. “He left.”

  “Have faith, Mera,” Michael said. “Believe in people.”

  “I do. I’m not in a good state. It wasn’t a great day. Not that you returning wasn’t great, but Keller—”

  “Mera, Beck spoke to me about that.”

  “What do you think?” I asked. “You read The Doctrines.”

  “The Doctrines are man’s words from man's mind and experience. We know this. They are not God’s words given to man.”

  “Does the Bible say anything?’

  “About what?”

  “Good. Evil.”

  With a defeated tone, Michael said my name. “Mera, this is insane. He’s a child.”

  “But there are things—”

  “There is nothing.”

  “Doesn’t the Bible say something? Doesn’t God say something?”

  At that second there was a loud buzz, the lights flickered fast a few times and then they came on. The room filled with the lights and the sounds of static from running radios and televisions.

  Michael smiled. “God said, ‘let there be light.’”

  “Ha, ha, ha.”

  “That is a sign, Mera.” Michael stood. “Out of the dark will come light, in all forms. And proof your thinking is wrong. You were wrong about Sonny and the electricity. You are wrong about the baby.” He extended his hand to me. “Let’s get back to work.”

  Michael was right and the lights were my sign. I was cleaning my new home for my family. A fresh start, and I promised myself right there I would banish those ridiculous thoughts from my mind.

  16. SONNY

  “Scolded,” I told Beck as we made our way back to the facility.

  “Levi is an eccentric little man,” Beck said. “I think he forgets he’s not going back to the future. This is his now, tomorrow is his future.”

  “Yeah, he worries too much.”

  “Weird about Randy, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did you do it?” Beck asked.

  “Beck, please, I’m not magical or a magician.”

  “You did, didn’t you?”

  I merely gave a tilt of my head in response.

  “Why?”

  “A few reasons, one of which was me wanting to know if I really wrote The Doctrines.”

  “I didn’t think you took it all that seriously.”

  “I didn’t. I do now.”

  “Like the fence business?”

  I exhaled. “I thought the fences would hold them, then after hearing how they got over the wall, I had to come up with this. It’ll work and be the ultimate defense. Better than gu
ns. Seriously.”

  “Can you do it?”

  I laughed. “Electrify the fence? Yeah. Why do you think I was in places like Indian River? I wasn’t a thief, I never hurt anyone, I was just infatuated with electricity. First couple stints in places were because I used to make these little shock boxes. Remember the handshake buzzers?”

  Beck nodded.

  “I did one better.” I winked. “But my biggest got me three years, right here. It took me three days to set up, but I rigged the entire high school circuit boxes so when the principal turned on his private bathroom light, the entire building went dark.”

  At first Beck was quiet, then his lips fluttered as a laugh broke through. “You did that?”

  “Yeah, it was genius.”

  “You got three years for that?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I replied. “He kept turning the switch off and on, blew the entire breaker system. I offered to fix it, they wouldn’t let me. So I was sent to Indian River. They got me on the right path, helped me discover my true passion.”

  “Electricity.”

  “Hence the job at the power company after trade school. I didn’t have the schooling initiative to be an electrical engineer, but the power company called me to figure out shit no one could.”

  “So you are gonna charge the fences.”

  “Yep, and it will be deadly. They won’t be on except in the case of invasion. Then we hit the switch. I’ll make three trigger boxes, and you and I will have them. Sort of like the president having nuclear codes. But, Beck, I want no one to know. Nobody, okay? No one is to know those fences would kill an elephant.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s a defense, and a good one. Just humor me on this. If you and I have the only means to control it, no one can turn it on accidently, or have a smart Sleeper screw with it.”

  Beck nodded. “Absolutely. Just us two. Why the third box then? In case one breaks?”

  I laughed. “They won’t break. The third one’s for Alex.”

  “Sans?”

  “Yep.”

  “Sonny… he’s dead.”

  “Nah, we just think he’s dead.”

  “Sonny, listen to me. You and I… we buried him. If there is anyone on this Earth aside from Mera that knows he died, it’s you.”