Dusk of Humanity

by M. K. Dawn

  ***

  The execs meeting would be held on fourteen—the restricted floor—on which only the VIPs, execs, and a privileged few were allowed.

  Though he had been granted access to this floor months ago, Archer rarely ventured down here. There was something unsettling about the floor which housed all those who had deceived them into believing The Bunker’s retreat was nothing more than a weekend tour.

  The meeting room was guarded by the same two soldiers—Russo being one of them; the other’s name he hadn’t bothered learning. It took a while for him to unearth the truth about these men who were brought in specifically to carry out orders from the execs—only the execs. As head of security, that did not sit well with Archer. Nor did the fact they had not trusted him with the truth, locking him out of operations when he was needed the most. But this was not the time to reopen that old wound.

  “Major,” Russo addressed him as they both saluted. “The portion of the meeting you have been summoned to will start momentarily.” He held his hand out to the chair across the hall. “If you will please take a seat.”

  The moment Archer’s butt hit the chair, the door opened. “Major.” General Davis stepped out in his Army green service uniform. “Please join us.”

  Archer entered the room and quickly saluted. At the head of the table sat President Edward Patterson. The gray suit he wore looked as if it had seen better days. Dark blacks bags sat under his bloodshot eyes. Did the man every sleep? “At ease, soldier,” the youngest president ever to be elected into office said. “Have a seat.”

  He joined the rest of the execs—the highest-ranking military officers in the country—at the table.

  Once everyone was settled, President Patterson nodded to Davis.

  The General stood and made his way to the head of the room. “Thank you, sir. We are here today for two reasons. The first is the promotion of Lee Archer from Major to Colonel.”

  Archer leaned back in his chair. There must be a mistake. That would mean skipping a rank. “Sorry to interrupt, General, but don’t you mean Lieutenant Colonel?”

  “No. With the fall of our military, we are in desperate need of higher ranking officers. People we can trust to lead what’s left of our army. A position you’ve already held this past year. The men and women who serve under your leadership speak highly of you. We would know, as we spoke to most of them when determining who we’d like to bring within our fold.”

  This was news to Archer. He had not been made aware of these interviews—though he wasn’t surprised; the execs had always been a secretive bunch. What did surprise him was that he hadn’t heard any gossip about it. Over the past year, most of his charges looked at him not as a superior officer but more as a mentor or even friend. He had men and women come to him on a daily basis searching for advice or a sympathetic ear. It was a far cry from the leader he’d been before.

  “Those we spoke to were sworn to secrecy,” Davis said. “Is that what you’re wondering: how all of this could have gone on without your knowledge? President Patterson himself asked for their cooperation in this matter so when we spoke with you, it would be a…surprise.”

  “Well, I am surprised.”

  “With your promotion you will be granted top secret clearance, which you will need to be a part of our upcoming mission.”

  Mission? What the hell kind of mission would require a top-secret clearance?

  “Which brings us to the second reason why we are here. General Tao, if you would please.”

  General Cheng Tao was a high-ranking General in the Marine Corps and a no-nonsense son-of-a-bitch. Archer liked him from the first time they’d met. When he spoke—he rarely did—it was straight to the point without any bullshit. It was a trait Archer admired.

  “The surface reconnaissance will take place in two days’ time. The objective of this mission is to obtain information on the state of the world.”

  Archer glanced around the room. He was the only non-exec present, which meant he was the only one who didn’t know what the hell was going on.

  “A group of three men have already been chosen for this mission. Colonel Archer will be their commanding officer,” Tao continued. “With any luck, you’ll return with some definitive answers on what we are dealing with on the outside.”

  “Apologies, General Tao,” Archer said. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly. Am I to lead this mission from within The Bunker or with the men?”

  “You will be joining the men on the surface.”

  A flush of adrenaline tingled through his body. He was going to leave The Bunker? “How—” He paused, trying to pick the right question in the sea of them flooding his mind.

  It was a pause Tao didn’t take for granted. “You want to know what the fuck is going on?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Sorry, son. That is—to quote the media—SCI, Sensitive Compartmented Information. Provided on a need to know basis.”

  “As I am to lead the mission, shouldn’t I know the purpose?”

  General Davis rose from his seat. “We are looking at the habitability of the planet’s surface.”

  “Again, excuse my ignorance, but didn’t we just get hit by an extinction-level asteroid not one year ago? It’s been a while since I’ve learned about the dinosaurs, but with an asteroid like this, doesn’t it take the planet hundreds if not billions of years to recover?”

  The men glanced from one another before Davis spoke again. “Fortunately for us, the asteroid that struck the earth was not to the scale of that which killed the dinosaurs. There have also been a lot of technological advances since then. Ones which we believed have helped…rehabilitate the world. But the only way we know for certain is if we send a team to the surface.”

  Archer was in no way a scientist, but still something about his mission didn’t sit right with him. “Have the men been briefed yet?”

  “No. We were waiting till after your promotion.”

  “Good. I would like to appoint my own men.”

  Davis frowned. “That’s not up for negotiation.”

  “I go outside with my own men or I don’t go at all. God only knows what hell awaits us out there. I need men I can trust. Who I’ve worked with. People who know the ins and outs of how I work and I them.”

  “Major—” Davis argued.

  “Colonel Archer can choose his own men Davis,” President Patterson injected.

  “Yes, sir.” He stiffened then took his seat.

  “The next few days, familiarize yourself and your men with the search area,” Tao said. “Each of you will be equipped with a live-feed video camera which will send back data to The Bunker. You will also take soil and water samples from various locations.”

  “And how are we to leave The Bunker without putting the entire place in jeopardy? From what I know of the air circulation system, there is a delicate line between life and death in this place.”

  Again, the execs glanced between each other. These were questions they had not expected. Which was stupid, considering how well General Davis knew him.

  “There is a decompression hatch,” Davis said.

  Archer slid his chair closer to the table. “A hatch?”

  “Yes. The same kind NASA uses when astronauts leave their space shuttle to venture out into space.”

  “A second way out of The Bunker?” Archer asked.

  “One that is top-secret,” President Patterson added. “As you may have noticed, we’ve doubled up on everything here from the scientists to the cleaning crew. The hatch is no different. If there was a malfunction with the main door, we would still need a way out. Now, Colonel, do you feel confident in your abilities to lead this mission and report back to us your findings?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “As a reminder, you will not share with anyone the things you’ve heard today.”

  Maybe he had asked too many questions if the President found it necessary to reiterate the meaning of top secret. “No, sir.”

  “Good.
Assemble your team and get started. You’re dismissed.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “I’m going to go as well,” Rebecca said not two minutes after Archer left the room. She bent down and planted a quick kiss on Travis’ cheek. “See you at lunch, babe. And I’ll see the rest of you tonight. I’m so excited!”

  Sloan forced a smile. There was something about the bubbly blond she didn’t care for which was exaggerated by Rebecca’s constant need to pretend they were the best of friends.

  Travis watched his girlfriend leave with a yearning expression. “She’s great, isn’t she? So fun and full of life. Even in these bleak times we live in she can always find a silver lining.”

  “Probably because she’s not smart enough to know better,” Sloan mumbled under her breath.

  “What was that?” a distracted Travis asked.

  “Nothing,” Evelyn replied. “Sloan, were you planning on going back to your room? To shower and change, maybe?”

  “Um. Yes,” she said in an uncertain tone.

  Evelyn rounded the table and picked up Sloan’s tray. “Great. I’ll head down with you. I need to grab something from my room as well.”

  Sloan rose from her seat as Evelyn disposed of their leftovers and rushed back.

  “Don’t want to be late.” Evelyn hooked her arm through Sloan’s. “Hurry now.”

  “What are you doing, Evelyn?” Sloan said in a hushed voice as to not draw additional attention their way.

  “We need to talk.”

  Sloan frowned. “About?”

  “Not here. Too many nosy busy-bodies. In your room.” She scanned her wrist and they took the elevator down in silence.

  When they reached Sloan’s empty hall, Evelyn dragged her towards the direction of her room. “This is ridiculous. Can you just tell me what’s going on?”

  “Open your door, please.”

  Sloan huffed but complied.

  Once inside, Evelyn searched around the suite. “All clear. Didn’t want Archer to hear what I’m about to say.”

  “Why?”

  “Take a seat, sweetie.” Evelyn sat and patted the couch beside her. “You and I need to talk.”

  Sloan hesitated before sinking into the cushion. “Should I be worried?”

  “Actually, I’m the one that’s worried.”

  “About?” Sloan pressed.

  “You, my dear.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I heard what you said about Rebecca. If Travis had been paying attention, your comment would have really hurt his feelings.”

  “This whole dramatic display is about Rebecca?” Her jaw clenched. Here she thought Evelyn wanted to talk to her about something serious.

  “No. Not really. More like your sudden dislike of her.”

  “I don’t dislike her.”

  Evelyn squeezed Sloan’s hand. “Travis told me about his little slip the other week.”

  Sloan crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know what you’re referring to,” she lied. It was the last thing she wanted to talk about. Archer had tried to bring it up a couple of dozen times and Sloan had assured him it wasn’t that big of a deal. Why would Evelyn even think she needed to have a conversation about this?

  “Travis didn’t know Archer hadn’t told you about him and Rebecca.”

  “Oh. That. Like I told Archer, what he does on his own time doesn’t concern me.”

  Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Really? Then why do you hate Rebecca?”

  “I have no ill will towards her. I hardly know the woman.”

  “Every time she comes around, you stiffen—even at breakfast this morning when she sat beside you. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who noticed your sudden shift towards Archer.”

  “I was being polite. Making sure she had enough room.”

  “Sloan, you and I have grown close over this past year. At least as close as you’ve allowed me to get.”

  That last statement stung more than Sloan wanted to admit.

  “I don’t know how to put this or even go about discussing this with you.”

  “Discuss what?”

  “Your feelings for Archer.”

  Sloan rubbed her fingers across her brow. “Oh, Evelyn. Not this again.”

  “Everyone has coupled up with their matches and have found some kind of happiness in this God-forsaken place. Everyone but you, and subsequently, Archer.”

  “I don’t have any romantic feelings towards Archer. Nor does he have any for me.”

  Evelyn laughed. “I know you have some difficulty with social cues, but you’re not blind. You must see the way Archer looks at you. Cares for you.”

  “We’re friends, nothing more.”

  “Is this about Fletcher?”

  Sloan’s face flushed. “I…how?”

  “How did I know you were sleeping with him? Maybe still are? It’s obvious. The way you look at him.”

  How could she possibly know? They were so careful, only seeing each other a few nights a week when it was her turn to take the late shift.

  “He didn’t choose you, Sloan. The VIPs had an opportunity to be matched with someone and he chose not to be included. He’s using you—excuse my bluntness—to get laid.”

  “That’s absurd. He didn’t want to be included because he doesn’t want children. Plus, he was afraid of whom he’d be matched with.”

  Evelyn shook her head. “What is it about him that makes you so…stupid? For lack of a better word. Do you love him?”

  That same question had been milling around Sloan’s head for a while now. She cared for the man a great deal, but love was such a strong word.

  “For future reference, when you truly love someone, you don’t have to give it a second thought.”

  “Love is not always cut and dry.”

  “Do you love Archer?”

  Sloan’s heart fluttered at the thought she’d never entertained.

  “Interesting,” Evelyn said.

  “What?”

  “Your lips parted when I said that.”

  Sloan brought her fingers to her mouth. “I don’t understand what that means.”

  Evelyn stood and made her way to the door. “You will.”

  ***

  Sloan showered and dressed in a daze, Evelyn’s words still ringing in her ears. It took a while for her to comprehend what her friend had been implying not because she was daft when it came to relationships, but more so because she was shocked by the insinuation. She and Archer could barely go a day with a heated argument. Sure, she considered him a friend, but to have an intimate relationship with him? That seemed far-fetched.

  After the shock wore off, anger hit. However, she couldn’t quite figure out what the anger stemmed from: Evelyn calling her stupid when it came to her relationship with Fletcher or the fact that she was right. He’d done nothing to indicate what they had was anything other than a fling—one that stemmed more from convenience than anything else. Most days she wasn’t even sure she liked the man much anymore. The spark, the love of all things medical, had been what drew her to him in the first place. These days, he was little more than a shell of the man he’d been before.

  Sloan swiped into the medical ward at ten past nine—only an hour late; not that it mattered. In the year they’d been underground, only two surgeries had found their way through the doors. One was a welding accident: severe burns to the side of the face. Travis had taken that one, as he was the head of plastics.

  The second was the removal of a gallbladder which Vicky handled because she was next on the list.

  When it became apparent surgeries would be few and far between, they had drawn numbers out of a bag so there would be no arguments as to whose would turn it was to operate. Evelyn was next in line, followed by Sloan.

  That was a very long six months ago.

  “Well, look who finally decided to show up,” Vicky teased as Sloan entered the recovery room they had turned into the doctor’s lounge. It was a request they’d fought the execs over for more than a mon
th. When the execs finally gave in, they were allowed to move the bed to the corner and bring in a couch, table, and chairs. “We’ve been slammed.”

  Sloan eyed the playing cards dealt for what she suspected was Texas Hold’em. “I can tell. What’s the wager?”

  “Rounds of drinks tonight,” Vicky said. “So far Travis is in the hole for two. Evelyn one. And I’m riding sky high at zero.”

  Travis sunk down in his chair. “It’s not fair that out of the four couples going tonight, only three are represented. Care to get in on this action, Sloan?”

  “Sure, deal me in. Where’s Evelyn?”

  Vicky pointed towards the door. “Commotion down the hall about an hour ago. Guy complaining of a headache. The general doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with the guy so they ordered some tests. More than likely it’s nothing.”

  “Or,” Evelyn burst into the room, “a brain aneurysm.”

  The cards dropped from Vicky’s hands. “No!”

  “Just confirmed. The nurses are prepping the OR as we speak. I can’t wait to get my hands on a scalpel.”

  “God, you’re lucky,” Travis sulked. “I would kill for a surgery right now.”

  “Well, I’ve gotta go scrub in. Just wanted—I’ll be honest, I just wanted to gloat for a minute.”

  “Oh my God.” Vicky threw her hands in the air. “Get out of here already before someone tries to steal the damn thing from you.”

  “I’m going.” Evelyn turned to Sloan. “We good?”

  The anger Sloan felt earlier had all but disappeared. “Yes.”

  “Good. I’ll be in surgery for a while so I probably won’t make it to the gym this afternoon.”

  “That’s fine. I think I’m going to take the remainder of the day off and head to the library.”

  Evelyn smiled. “But I’ll see you tonight?”

  Inwardly, she groaned. The bar was the last place she wanted to be, but if her friends wanted her to go, then she would make an effort. “I’ll be there.”

  “Great! See you all tonight.” She bounded out happier than Sloan had ever seen her.

  “What was that all about?” Vicky asked. “You two had a fight?”

  Sloan shook her head. “Just a small disagreement. If you need me for anything give me a call. I’m next on the list. Though I doubt a second surgery will be strolling in today.”