The Amber Project: A Dystopian Sci-fi Novel (The Variant Saga Book 1)

by JN Chaney

  “It looks like blood,” said John.

  “Oh, God,” said Mei, grabbing Terry’s hand. “Where did you cut yourself? Quick, we have to patch it. There’s too much blood on you!”

  He pulled away from her. “I didn’t cut myself,” he said.

  “Well, it had to come from somewhere,” she snapped.

  “It’s the ladder,” he said in a hurry. “It came from there! I could feel it going down there.”

  “But why would there be blood…” Mei’s voice trailed off and then stopped completely as her face went long and her eyes grew big with sheer realization. “Someone was down there.”

  “No way,” said John.

  “Yes, that’s the only answer. If Terry’s fine, then either someone else was down there, or it was an animal.” She grabbed Terry’s wrist and stared at him. “Was there a dead animal?”

  He shook his head.

  At the same time, John was reaching down into the hole. When he pulled his hand back out, his fingertips had blood on them. “Gross,” he said.

  “See?” asked Terry.

  “Thick, too,” said John, rubbing his fingers together.

  “If this is really blood, then they can’t be far,” said Terry. “It’s not dry, and it’s thick enough that the last rain hasn’t washed it away yet.”

  “So it happened after the last storm,” said Mei. “When did it rain last?”

  “A few hours, maybe,” said John.

  “Right, which means they have to be nearby,” said Terry.

  “There,” suggested Mei, pointing to a building across the field. It lay in the opposite side from where they had entered. “What do you think?”

  “Good place to start,” said Terry.

  They moved through the grass a little faster than they’d arrived, though there was no need to rush. Anyone injured enough to bleed out so much couldn’t have made it very far.

  The building was small, its ceiling collapsed, and its stone walls overwrought with weeds. As they neared its isolated corner of the long forgotten field, Terry tripped over a tall bundle of blue grass. He stumbled at first, but caught himself before he hit the ground. He paused, hovering inches above the weeds, his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he stared blankly into a pool of the same crimson blood he’d seen moments ago. As he looked back toward the shelter, he could see a trail of other drops.

  It led him forward in the direction of the building, confirming Mei’s prediction. There was no question about it now. Whatever crawled out of that hole in the ground had also struggled defiantly into this corner of the field.

  Suddenly, right as Terry was about to tell the others about the blood in the grass, he heard a loud, piercing scream, coming from nearby. He froze, then looked at John and Mei. None of them moved. The voice, while obviously in pain, was definitely human, but who could it be?

  Everyone readied their weapons at once, their bodies suddenly tense. Terry gripped the butt of his rifle harder than he ever had in the training room, and for a moment he could hardly feel it in his hands, his fingers were so numb.

  John motioned silently to flank the building. Terry nodded and moved to the other side, taking wide steps. He reached the side wall, pressing his back against it and trying to stay as quiet as possible. He moved gently around the corner, his weapon at the ready. Below him trailed a thin line of blood, and he followed it around the corner. As his eyes rose to meet the source, Terry cringed at the deadly sight—a boy, lying broken and exhausted, nestled against the wall, clutching his wound as though it were a prize. Slowly, the boy’s head rose, his familiar grey eyes catching the light of the day in a brief, yet distilled moment. As he stared at Terry, the boy smiled. “Hey,” he whispered. “You missed all the fun already.”

  “Dammit,” said Terry, dropping his gun.

  It was Alex…and he was dying.

  Chapter 16

  Amber Project File Logs

  Play Audio File 172

  January 2, 2347

  ROSS: If he were human, he’d be dead.

  BISHOP: So he’ll live?

  ROSS: Archer seems to think so, though he did complain about the quality of the scans.

  BISHOP: Good enough for me. Now, what are we doing about the second one?

  ROSS: According to the report, he was dragged away by the animals.

  BISHOP: So he’s probably dead.

  ROSS: Probably.

  BISHOP: But we don’t know.

  ROSS: No, sir, and there’s something else.

  BISHOP: What is it?

  ROSS: It might be nothing, sir. I mean, he could be dead. He probably is dead.

  BISHOP: Spit it out, Captain.

  ROSS: Right after the team made contact with Alex, his chip’s signal popped back up on our feed. It happened shortly after the storm dissipated, of course, so it makes sense. No more interference.

  BISHOP: What’s your point?

  ROSS: It’s not only his chip, sir. There’s a second signal coming from the north. We think it might be Cole.

  BISHOP: Or his chip, at least.

  ROSS: Yes, sir, but it’s coming and going. We aren’t sure.

  BISHOP: Ah, decisions.

  ROSS: As I said, there’s a good chance the other one’s dead already. Despite their weapons and training, there’s the risk that more of them might die up there.

  BISHOP: Still…it could be worth a look.

  ROSS: Archer keeps remarking on the data he’s receiving from the chips. He wouldn’t object to further exposure. The real question is whether or not we want to risk their lives to satisfy the old man’s curiosity.

  BISHOP: Yet that same curiosity has brought us this far.

  ROSS: How far are we willing to go, sir? I can’t help but think there has to be a line somewhere.

  BISHOP: There is a line, Avery, but we left it behind some time ago. All we have left is the goal.

  ROSS: What difference could a few more days make?

  BISHOP: Maybe none.

  ROSS: Then, why risk it, sir?

  BISHOP: Because, Captain, the opposite could just as well be true.

  End Audio File

  January 03, 2347

  The Surface

  Terry sat several feet away from Alex. A day after they found him, he still hadn’t woken up. Terry couldn’t help but watch as Mei gathered the bloodied bandages to burn them. Sarah was the one to suggest it. After all, carnivores lusted after injured things, so why leave evidence around for them to find? Burn it all, they’d agreed. If everyone died in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t be because of bandages.

  The fire wheezed and danced as Mei dropped the bloody rags into its flames. Terry had only seen a few fires in his life, each of them controlled and handled with care, but never one so wild. Despite the tools doing most of the work, the fire cracked and whirled chaotically and naturally. It was its own animal, dancing here in the open world under the moonlit sky.

  At first, Roland had been against it. “It’ll attract something,” he said, but Mei and Terry argued.

  “It’s freezing here,” Mei said. “Plus, they say it keeps the animals away.”

  “These aren’t normal animals,” said Roland.

  “Two guards, then,” suggested Terry. “We’ll work in shifts. Two guards at a time instead of one. With our rifles, we should be fine.”

  Roland agreed, reluctantly, and so the fire was allowed to burn.

  It was a good thing, too, because Alex was barely moving. What happened to him out here in the wild? Wondered Terry. And what would happen to him when they returned? Maybe they’ll look at his stomach and say he suffered enough, thought Terry, but he doubted it.

  “Hey,” said John. He scooted to Terry’s side. “What’s up?”

  “Watching the fire,” said Terry.

  John hesitated. “I was wondering if you were okay. You know, after your…” he looked around, lowering his voice. “After what happened wi
th you.”

  “You mean when I blacked out?” said Terry.

  “Well, yeah,” he said. “Anything else happen?”

  “Not yet,” said Terry.

  “Good. Maybe your body’s getting used to it.”

  “Maybe,” said Terry.

  Sarah approached the fire. She’d been talking with Roland for a few minutes, trying to figure out the safest path home. “Who’s taking first watch with me?” she asked, glancing around the camp. “Don’t everyone volunteer at once.”

  “I’ll do it,” said Terry. He wasn’t tired anyway.

  “Good,” she smiled. “Second watch will be Mei and John, then.”

  John cracked his knuckles. “Don’t worry, Mei. I’ll protect you.”

  Mei placed her hand over her mouth, like she was about to gasp. “Oh, sir, you’re so kind to me. I’m such a helpless, tiny thing. Thank you so much for your chivalry.”

  John put his arm on her shoulder. “You all heard it, right? She needs me.”

  Mei elbowed him in the stomach. “It’s the other way around, and you know it.”

  “Okay, okay,” said Sarah. “You two go to sleep. Terry and I will wake you in three hours for your shift.”

  John and Mei agreed and did as they were told. Roland soon followed their example, briefly checking on Alex, who slept near the fire, before going off to bed. Within half an hour, they were all asleep, except for Sarah and Terry.

  The two of them took up places on opposite sides of the camp. Sarah instructed Terry to wear his goggles and to occasionally cycle through the different sights. “Leave it on night vision for the most part, though,” she said. “Infrared is nice, but with all these plants around here, it’s just not very reliable.”

  Terry sat on a large rock with his back to the camp. He palmed the side of the goggles until he could see the field in front of him and then held his rifle tight against his chest. The field was vast and largely empty, save a few patches of grass. If anything was out there, it wouldn’t be able to sneak up on them.

  An hour ached by with the speed of a mathematics lecture. Terry stood and stretched, cracking the small of his back as well as his shoulders. He removed his goggles and let his eyes air out, wiping the sweat from his nose and brow. He took a deep breath, and the cold Variant air filled his lungs and he smiled.

  He turned toward the camp and stared at the fire, which blocked him from seeing Alex.

  Terry shook his head. It was a pity about Alex. All he wanted was to live free. He did all the work of escaping the city, risking life and limb in the process, only to discover an empty, soulless world. Along the way, he’d lost his only friend, and now he had nothing but the wounds in his belly and the smell of death on his breath to show for it. Did he even understand what was happening now? Was he aware enough to know he was going home?

  I better check on him, thought Terry, grabbing his gear. It would be a shame if Alex died now that they’d gone to the trouble of finding him.

  As Terry walked, he kept expecting to see Alex on the other side of the fire. But the closer he approached, the more concerned he became. After a few more steps, he began to fear the worst. Where were Alex’s legs? Could he really have left the camp? How could he do anything with wounds like his?

  As he drew close to the fire, it became clear Alex had vanished. At some point after Terry and Sarah had taken to guard duty, a wounded Alex had somehow managed to stand and walk away, all without anyone noticing.

  Terry reached for his pad and pulled up the communicator. “Sarah! You there?”

  “What is it, Terry?”

  “It’s Alex,” he said, putting his goggles on. “He’s not at the fire. I think he ran off.”

  There was a pause. “What?” she said. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m standing right next to where he was, and I don’t see him, so yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Terry flipped over to night vision and scanned the area. There was nothing.

  “I’m coming back. Hold on,” said Sarah.

  “Sure thing.” He hit the switch again and brought up the infrared. There were the plants, of course, and even the fire behind him heating the nearby earth, but out there in the distant field, taller than all the other little warm dots, stood one light that was taller than the rest.

  The more he stared at it, the more he was convinced it was alive.

  *******

  Terry clasped his rifle at the ready and ran briskly toward the pillar of warm light he saw in his infrared. Part of him expected to find a razorback or some other wild animal. Thankfully, it was nothing so dangerous.

  Alex stood in silence, staring at nothing, saying nothing. He didn’t bother looking at Terry.

  Terry kept his distance. “Hey, Alex. It’s Terry. You okay?”

  Alex didn’t answer.

  Terry took a step closer. “I was worried about you. Hey, why don’t we go back to the fire? It’s really cold out here.”

  “I’m fine where I am,” said Alex, finally.

  “Terry?” Sarah’s voice erupted from the pad. “I’m at the fire. Where are you?”

  Alex finally turned to look at Terry.

  “I found him,” said Terry. “He wanted to go take a piss in the field. We’re coming back in a minute.”

  “Oh, thank God,” she said. “Bring him here right now, Terry. It’s dangerous out here, and he’s injured.”

  “Sure thing,” he said.

  “Thanks,” said Alex.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  Alex turned back to the same position he’d been in when Terry arrived. “Give me a minute.”

  “What’s the real reason you left camp?” asked Terry.

  “The fire’s too hot. I wanted to feel the cold for a minute.”

  “Oh.”

  “Also I was tired of lying down,” he said. “Being there like that, I couldn’t stop thinking about certain things, you know? Like there’s a vid in my head, and it keeps replaying over and over again.”

  “What keeps replaying?” asked Terry. He stepped closer.

  “When I got this,” he said, motioning to his stomach. “And those animals. Huge things with massive teeth and claws, silver-gray hair and black eyes, like something out of a story. You wouldn’t believe they existed unless you saw them for yourself. I still can’t believe it.”

  “Yeah,” said Terry. “Nuber told us about them after you left. He said they were pretty scary.”

  Alex scoffed. “Scary? I’ve never seen something so beautiful.”

  “Beautiful? They almost killed you, Alex.”

  “And that’s why they’re beautiful. Terry, look around you, look where we are. Don’t you see what’s going on here?”

  “All I see is a desert full of nothing.”

  “The sky is purple. The grass is blue. The animals here are vicious and wild, like monsters from a fairy tale. This isn’t Earth, anymore. It’s something new. Look what you’re breathing. It’s Variant…and it’s everywhere. You’re breathing a toxic gas which is supposed to kill whatever it touches, whatever’s too weak, and all it does is make you stronger. You know what that is?”

  “Genetic engineering?”

  “Evolution!” he snapped. “That’s why we were made—to do what they can only dream of. We belong up here…don’t you get it?” He kicked the ground. “I don’t want to go back.”

  And there it was. Alex wanted to stay. Despite everything, despite all the pain he’d already endured, he still didn’t want to leave this place.

  Except he had to go. It was the mission. Terry couldn’t leave Alex here to die, no matter how stubborn he was or how much he argued about it. One way or another, they were taking him home. First, though, they needed to go back to the camp.

  “Maybe you’re right,” said Terry after a moment. “About all that stuff, maybe you have a point. It all makes sense.” He let the words settle before he went on. “But right now you’re only telling me, and we’r
e all the way out here by ourselves where no one else can hear it. Don’t you want to tell the others, too?”

  “Of course I do,” said Alex.

  “Then, let’s go back to camp,” he said. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. You can tell the others what you think. They’ll listen, I promise.” They wouldn’t listen, not really. Alex was acting crazy, talking about running wild in the desert, like they were animals or something. But Terry needed to play along with it, let Alex think he was on his side. It was the easiest way to get him to go back.

  “And if they don’t?” he snapped. “I’m not going back there. I’m not!” He kicked the ground again and dust spewed high into the air. Before Terry could speak, Alex kicked the ground again. And then again. And then again.

  When he was finally done, Alex collapsed, out of breath and clutching his side.

  Terry didn’t know what to say. This entire situation was out of his depth. Then again, so was everything else here in this place, this shattered wasteland of a world. How could Alex truly believe he belonged here? How could anyone?

  When the dust finally settled, it brought the smell of the wild earth with it. Terry coughed, covering his face with the neck of his shirt. Alex on the other hand, didn’t move at all. He kept staring into the wild, beyond the light of the moon.

  When Alex finally stood again, he was completely calm. Looking at Terry, his eyes reflected the moon light, turning them ghost white. “Okay,” he said at last. “I think I’m ready to go back now.”

  Together they returned to the camp. Terry followed closely behind Alex, his finger covering the rifle’s trigger guard, prepared for action. Alex appeared to be calm, but how long could it last? Better to be ready in case he decided to run, or worse.

  Sarah waited for them at the fire pit when they arrived. She was holding her pad in one hand and her gun in the other. She had a troubled look on her face. “Everything’s fine,” said Terry. “We’re back now.”

  “We’ve got another problem,” she said, darting her eyes toward the other tents.

  Roland stood over Mei’s tent, calling for her. He shook the side of it. In a moment, Mei opened the zipper and stepped out. After a brief exchange, Roland moved on to John.