He nodded. “I understand.”
“When you arrive in New Tranquility, make your way to the bottom of Zone Seven, and look for a company called Lunar Exploration. A lone hovercraft will be left unlocked along the far right side of their hangar. Talk to no one. Once you’ve secured the craft make your way out onto the lunar surface. I’m sending you the coordinates for your destination now. Contact me when you’ve arrived and I’ll provide you with more instructions. No matter what, never let that package out of your sight.”
“I promise to guard it with my life and I will not allow dishonor to come to us. Nothing will stop me from delivering this reactor for safekeeping.”
“I’m glad to hear. Consider anyone from your former life a threat. Trust no one and do not allow yourself to be captured. Under no circumstances should there be any evidence of your mission, including witnesses. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Arakiel nodded.
“Do not disappoint me.”
The holographic image disappeared and the room fell back into darkness once more. Arakiel reached into his shirt and pulled out a small chain with a little locket at the end. Clasping it in his hands, he pressed it to his lips and shut his eyes. He would not let her or the Guardian down.
***
Alden studied the map on his wrist deck. The surrounding terrain was as volatile and barren as any on Earth. Three massive mountain ranges and a number of rivers, lakes and small oceans lay in his way. It would take months to cover the distance to Munich on foot, not to mention the perils of being seen or captured. The Sino-Russian Federation was not an easy place to get around in. They struggled immensely under their burgeoning populations and declining resources. He’d be sold out to the government by anyone looking for a good meal.
Although several members from the Federation sat on the board of the Council, they were none too kind and often felt slighted by the Alliance’s close ties to the organization. Not to mention, it probably wouldn’t help his situation to be handed over to the Council. He was truly alone. Travel by foot definitely wasn’t an option. Leaning out from the side of the tree, he looked off in the distance. He was in the middle of a jagged mountain range.
The pieces from his jet littered the mountainside and would be of no use to him. He could attempt to hijack an airplane, but it would undoubtedly draw too much attention and it would be nearly impossible to avoid radar detection. That left high-speed ground transport. Glancing at his map once more, he surveyed the terrain and roads that ran along its border. Although several routes traversed the distance, little security dots highlighted the roads. He’d be stopped every few miles. Lacking identification and the ability to blend in as a local, it would be just as challenging as flight.
As Alden reviewed the map, a solitary red line cut through the mountains on a rather straight path and appeared to avoid the checkpoints. To his astonishment, he realized it was an old rail line. It departed from the city of Kunming and traveled directly to Bangladesh and then north into the Alliance territory of Europe. It would be difficult to make it through unnoticed. Scanners, checkpoints and military patrols would be relentless. But he could easily slip aboard in the smaller town of Chuxiong.
Alden grasped one of the prickly branches and lifted himself to a standing position. He allowed weight on his leg and bounced a little when there was no pain. It felt as sturdy as ever. If he could keep a steady pace, he’d be in Chuxiong by nightfall. That would give him just enough time to slip aboard unnoticed and catch the last train out. It would take some guile to cross the border from Federation territory to Alliance, but he could do it. Pushing off the tree, Alden began walking away from the crash site, descending towards his destination below.
The leaves and snow crunched under his shoes as he moved, and the tree branches barely missed his face as he weaved between them. They looked like frozen corpses, reaching out to him for help. A cold chill ran up his back. This was such a quiet and desolate place; the complete opposite of the Island which had lush jungle, thick trees and foliage. It was also far warmer and more inviting. He remembered the excitement that surged through his body when he sprinted between their sturdy trunks.
He saw himself as a kid again; he vividly remembered being yanked from his bunk and sent skidding across the floor by a screaming drill instructor. Kids were being chased out of the barracks all around him. Drill instructors were yelling, and scared kids were fleeing in every direction.
It was nighttime and he could barely comprehend his surroundings as he raced out of the building. Run! They’d been yelling at him from the moment they woke him up, run. So that’s what he did. He was halfway into the jungle when he remembered that it was selection day. Sprint to the top of the Island mountain, first one there wins. Teams would be assigned based on their ability to reach the summit.
He had to be first. Alden had to be first at everything. The warm leaves whizzed past his face as he ran deeper and deeper. Suddenly a stray branch that had been hidden behind one of the leaves nicked his face. A drip of warm blood ran down his cheek. He heard a sound behind him. Spinning, he looked for the source of his pursuer.
He wanted to yell out to the other kids, “strength in numbers.” But his voice still hadn’t dropped and he’d never live it down if he yelled like a girl. Not now, not when they were being judged and graded by unseen eyes. Soldiers would be hidden throughout the jungle to slow their progress. Were they armed?
Another limb cracked. He dropped into a low crouch, alert. Stop. Look. Listen.
Snap. Needles surged through Alden’s veins; the sound was right behind him. He whirled around ready to strike.
“Whoa!” Gabriel ducked as Alden’s fist sailed over his head. “It’s me, it’s me!”
“Oops.” Alden gave him a half smile and shrugged. “Could you have been any louder? The whole jungle probably knows where we are now.”
“Quiet enough to sneak up on you, wasn’t I?” he responded with a sarcastic tone of certainty.
“Shut up.” Alden gave him a little shove. “Have you seen anyone else?”
“No, I’ve been running since they pulled me out of my bunk. I think I heard people fighting though.” Gabriel looked off in the direction they had to travel. “They’ve positioned guards out here to stop us. And they’re probably armed. We should be armed too.”
“No, weapons are strictly forbidden.”
“So? I’m not going to wait for some two-hundred pound masked guerrilla to attack me unarmed. I want to be able to defend myself.”
“You know how important this morning is. It will dictate everything going forward. Do you really want to go through all this only to get disqualified?” Alden responded.
“Guess not.”
“We’re going to win this, we don’t need weapons.”
Alden turned away. “The ground sloped uphill pretty quickly in that direction. I think that’s our best bet for making it up the mountain. Just follow the incline.”
“Sounds good. God knows we can’t see anything in this mess,” Gabriel said, insinuating towards the dense jungle that surrounded them on all sides.
They ran once more, leaping over fallen trees, ducking between branches and wading through the occasional creek. It had been over an hour and there still wasn’t an ounce of light in the sky. If it hadn’t been for the moon they never would have found their way. The jungle was so dark at night.
It had scared him as a kid, but he was older now, expected to survive in places like this with only his wits and the environment for support. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance. It was impossible to tell what was out here.
Alden held up his hand indicating that they should stop. Both he and Gabriel lowered themselves into a crouch. Alden eased forward. One of the branches in front of them had been broken. Moving a few meters further, he found the slightest thread of cloth draped over the branch. Someone had come through here. Well, at least that meant they were on the right path. They’d have to pick up their pace if the
y were going to get there first.
Three guards jumped out of the jungle from multiple locations. Alden and Gabriel were surrounded. They leaped to their feet. Each deflected rapid blows from the soldiers. One of them pounced on Gabriel. The other two came after him. Alden ducked behind a tree then slowly backed away from the group.
The soldiers moved in closer, they pulled out night-clubs. The clubs were made of solid steel and could break a bone in a single blow. Guess that answered the question about the weapons.
One of the guards swung the club in Alden’s direction. He ducked, but just barely. He had to use his advantages. Think—what do I have that they don’t? They were much larger, but that meant he was a smaller target, more nimble and could move quicker. Another swing, Alden ducked again. He scrambled underneath a broken tree and attempted to reach higher ground. Then he tripped over a root.
He fell back hard and hit his head on a rock. The lead guard jumped over the fallen tree and landed just above Alden. He raised his club, ready to strike.
Gabriel grabbed his wrist, stopped the blow and then used all his energy to kick the soldier in the stomach, sending him back into the other guard. He reached down and grabbed Alden’s hand, pulling him to his feet.
Escape wasn’t an option. All three soldiers converged on them, they were pushed back to back as they deflected blows and attempted to disarm the attacking soldiers.
A figure sailed out of the tree above them and slammed into the guard Alden was fighting. The soldier flew backwards, crashed into a tree stump, and dropped to the ground unconscious. The remaining soldier was momentarily caught off guard. That gave Gabriel just enough time to wind up and put every ounce of energy he had into a roundhouse kick. The guard tumbled back down the hill.
Alden turned toward the mysterious figure standing next to him. Before he could say anything, Gabriel cut in. “Wow, thanks.”
The girl smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Alden had never talked to her before, but recognized her bright red hair from class. She must have lived in one of the other barracks.
“Hi, I’m Alden.”
She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“And I’m Gabriel.” She shook his hand as well. “Nice to meet you, I’m Mary.”
“That was amazing,” Gabriel said. “How’d you get into that tree?”
She shrugged. “I found it easier to move about if I was off the ground. The jungle canopy is so thick it’s easy to move from tree to tree, and no one looks for you up there.”
“You really rocked that soldier,” Alden added.
“They’re pigs. If we hurry we can still make it to the top. I haven’t seen anyone else this far up yet.”
“Let’s do it!”
They raced up the hill. It grew steeper as they moved. It didn’t take long before they were scrambling up bare rock on their hands and feet. As they moved beyond the tree line they got their first glimpse of the school below and the ocean in the distance. The horizon was beginning to glow; daybreak was close.
The path seemed undisturbed. Alden could barely contain his excitement. They were going to be the first to reach the summit!
As they climbed over the last sets of rock he couldn’t believe what he saw. One of the younger kids from another barracks was sitting alone, quietly atop the mountain by himself.
“How did you get up here so fast?” Alden stammered.
The kid smiled back. Daniel, his name was Daniel. He was far skinnier than he or Gabriel and much smaller.
“Nicely done.” Gabriel walked over to him and gave the kid a high five.
“I knew…I knew that I wasn’t as big as the other kids and no one wanted to pair up with me. So the only way I was going to make it up here in one piece was if I planned for it.”
“How did you do that?” Mary asked. “They didn’t tell us what was going to be involved in the selection process.”
“They didn’t have to. I cracked their security code. I read the general’s emails leading up to tonight. I never went to bed, and instead waited for everyone else to fall asleep. Once the Island was quiet they started sending the soldiers out into the jungle. I followed one of the larger and dumber ones. He was easy enough to track and I’m small so I don’t make much noise. Once he stopped to rest at his assigned place, I moved past and started hiking up here.”
“That’s cheating,” Gabriel said.
Alden shrugged. “The fact he was able to hack the general’s personal account is impressive. I’d say that earns you the right to be the first one up here.”
The three of them dropped to the ground and sat beside Daniel watching the sun crest the horizon and cover them in its warm glow. Each of them had rotated amongst different groups in the past, but this would be the last and most important group any of them would be a part of.
Suddenly, the cold mountain wind whipped up against Alden’s face bringing him out of his comfortable memory. He was back on the hillside and making his way towards the train depot at Chuxiong. The bitter forest stood around him once more and the sky was growing dark. Light flakes of snow fell around him. He shivered and rubbed his hands together for warmth. Alden had never felt so alone in his entire life.
Chapter 3
Alden leaned against the side of the train car as its momentum slowed. It had taken nearly ten hours to make it off the mountain and into Chuxiong. There had been a few close calls slipping through security, but once he managed to board the train no one had bothered him. The occasional security camera scanned the train as it passed by to search for intruders. The only way he had been able to foil the system was by remaining amongst the livestock. The aura from Munich was becoming more prominent and brief strokes of light occasionally flooded the compartment.
He pulled himself off the ground and elbowedthrough the livestock. The animals parted to either side as he moved. He’d almost gotten used to the smell when everyone was calm, but now that he was disturbing them, the smell of feces grew in intensity. Near the exit he shed the coat he’d picked up on the train and attempted to push the handle open but it didn’t budge. The door was locked.
Small slits in the metal showed the city lights coming into view. In the distance, hundreds of towers looked as if they were stretching for the skies attempting to break the bonds of gravity. The train traveled hundreds of kilometers per hour but they were rapidly decelerating. There was a giant whoosh and all the lights disappeared. Alden leaned in close and saw glints of lights from the train illuminating a rigid tunnel surface centimeters from his face. Would they emerge above ground once more? It would be impossible to slip out of the train unnoticed down here. He still hadn’t obtained the proper verification. On top of that he reeked of livestock, something that would make it hard for him to blend in.
Jiggling the door handle several times, he realized there was no control panel. The older trains still ran off the antiquated pneumatic handles. He searched the doorframe, but was unable to find any wires or loose metal sheeting. There wasn’t much time left. Out of habit Alden made sure no one was looking before he twisted the metal handle with all his might. There was a loud crack as it sheared in half. They’d be arriving at the terminal any minute now. Once the passengers had disembarked, the train would be flooded with guards searching for contraband.
He threw the metal handle aside and gave the door a good tug. It pulled free and he was able to move into the next car. He was in the luggage compartment. There were large piles of gear everywhere, suitcases, boxes and cargo containers. Identifying a stack of black suitcases he lifted the top one off the stack and unsealed the flap.
Finally some luck. It contained a random assortment of men’s clothing. Alden stripped down and dressed in the new outfit: a pair of slacks and a black shirt. He pressed the open seam in the front of the shirt together. The nano-fibers merged and hid the appearance of a seam. Alden picked up his old gear and chucked it into the open suitcase. The longer his presence went unnoticed the more time he had to disa
ppear.
The train came to an abrupt and lurching stop. Alden shot his hands out and braced his body against the pile of luggage to keep from falling to the floor. They were still below ground. He needed to hurry to avoid detection. Thankfully the back door was more modern than the first. He tapped on his deck until he was able to hack the security controls and override the locking mechanism.
He emerged in a bright compartment filled with people getting out of their seats and pulling their luggage off the top racks. He stepped in and shut the door. Everyone seemed exhausted from the long trip and far more interested in their destination than the stranger who had just emerged behind them. It was oddly unsettling to be around people once more. It had been nearly thirty hours since he’d spoken to another soul, and that person had died in his arms.
Alden casually slipped in between a group of passengers so he wouldn’t be the last to exit the train. He noticed a stray hat underneath one of the seats. He gave it a casual kick to knock it up a few rows before bending down to retrieve it. A large soldier in riot gear had already entered the train. There would be security cameras everywhere and he needed the hat to obscure his face. He allowed himself to get absorbed in the mass exodus and slip pass the soldier without incident.
A cool blast of air greeted his arrival on the platform. It carried with it a stink of stale air and mildew. The movement of the crowd had slowed. Up ahead, a dozen armed soldiers like the one on the train, watched the passengers disembark. He could see them scanning the crowd looking for anything that was out of the ordinary. One of the guards on the end broke off from the group and grabbed someone from the crowd.
“You don’t look like you belong here.” He raised the man up slightly and pushed him up against the tiled wall. “Where are your papers?”
One of the other guards took notice, and walked over to assist.
The man was in his early sixties and appeared to be of Asian descent. “Here…here are my papers, please don’t hurt me.”
The Last Revolution Page 8
