Rebirth (The Praegressus Project Book 1)

by Aaron Hodges

  Standing beside them was a young girl of maybe thirteen years. Locks of grey hair tumbled around her face, where eyes wide with fear stared out at them. A button nose and freckled cheeks only served to make her look younger – how she had survived this far, Liz couldn’t begin to guess. Liz shivered as the girl’s eyes, one blue, the other green, found her from across the room.

  Looking away, Liz cast her gaze around the room one last time, searching for the others. There had still been dozens of candidates left the last time she had been there. Now there was only the seven of them, each sporting the plain grey uniforms they’d found at the ends of their beds.

  “Where are the others?” she whispered, turning to face Fallow.

  Fallow looked away, head bowing. When she did not respond, Chris repeated her question. “Doctor Fallow, where are the rest of them?”

  Fallow looked back, her eyes flashing. “Don’t call me that. I don’t deserve to be called ‘doctor’ after what I’ve done. My name is Angela.” She bowed her head. “And the others did not survive. The physiological changes… they were too much for their bodies to support. Even unconscious, the accelerated wing growth was too much. Their hearts gave out from the strain.”

  An awful anger spread through Liz as she stepped in close to the doctor. Fallow flinched, but this time she did not look away. “How many did you kill?” Liz hissed.

  Angela Fallow closed her eyes. “I’ve lost count,” her eyes snapped open again. “But it ends here. I won’t let them take you too.”

  Liz might have struck her if Chris had not placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking back at him, she saw the sadness in his eyes, the same sorrow from which her own rage spawned. Stepping away from Angela, she hugged Chris to her. A second later she smiled as Ashley joined them, then Sam.

  “Ahem.” Liz looked up at a new voice. Richard raised an eyebrow. Reaching up, he tapped his collar. “Someone care to share the key?”

  Chris nodded. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the little key Angela had given them and handed it over. The clink of the thick steel collars striking the concrete quickly followed as the five of them freed themselves.

  “Are you okay there, Sam?” Chris asked as Sam finally managed to unlock the clasp of his collar.

  Sam cursed beneath his breath and tossed the collar aside. “Almost,” he said as a shiver went through his copper feathers.

  Slowly his wings contracted. “Don’t know what the idiots were thinking, putting these clunky things on our backs,” he paused, eying Angela uncertainly. “Err, no offence, Doc– I mean, Angela?”

  Angela shook her head, a sad smile touching her lips. “And it’s alright. You have every right to complain. I would have… I would have stopped them before they gave you the injection, but I was unconscious. Then I had to wait… wait until you were conscious again.”

  “It’s okay.” Of all of them, Ashley seemed the best adapted to the new appendages. She looked over her shoulder, smiling. “I kind of like them.”

  “Yeah,” Sam’s voice was gruff, but he continued with his usual humour, “but yours are tiny. Did you have to make mine so big?”

  Angela raised a hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile. “It took some research of various avian species to get our specifications right. We looked at genome variations between species such as the Andean Condors and Wandering Albatross, then used them to identify genes relating to size in fragmented DNA from Argentavis magnificens.”

  “Argentavis what?” Richard growled from nearby.

  “The largest known bird to have flown,” Liz looked around as Jasmine spoke.

  Angela nodded. “It could weigh up to two-hundred-fifty pounds. Once we’d identified all the genes related to wing surface area, we linked them with those that controlled your own sizes and weights. Thus, why yours are so… big, Samuel.”

  Sam glanced at Liz. “I think she’s calling me fat…”

  Smiling, Liz looked around the little group, a strange elation rising within her. Even with the open animosity of Jasmine and Richard, there was a connection between the seven of them now, a shared experience which could not be denied. Of all the desperate souls who had passed through this place, they alone had survived.

  They alone had evolved.

  And now they needed to get out.

  As though reading Liz’s mind, Angela turned away from the group and started towards the door. The others paused a moment to collect themselves. Feathers rustled as wings were slowly furled, and then Chris started after her, Liz close behind.

  Ahead of them, Angela was stretching out a hand to open the door, when it suddenly swung inwards to meet her.

  And Halt stepped into the room.

  31

  Liz froze as Halt took a step into the room, the others following suit behind her. Her heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach as his eyes swept the room, his confusion turning quickly to rage. Before any of them could react, they settled on Angela. He clutched a handgun in one hand, and with a snarl, he sprang.

  Angela managed a scream before he was on her, his arm wrapping around her waist, spinning her against him. Pressing the gun to her head, he drew back his lips.

  “What do we have here, doctor?” he snarled. Angela flinched as he shifted the gun, jabbing it into her ribs. “Have you betrayed me? Have you betrayed us all?”

  Clenching her fists, Liz inhaled, tasting the scent of gunpowder on the air. Halt’s gun had already been fired recently; the man posed no idle threat. She froze as his eyes turned back to them. A cold grin twisted his lips as Angela struggled in his grasp.

  “That’s enough!” he snapped.

  Halt swung the gun, catching Angela in the forehead. She slumped in Halt’s hands as he turned back to them. “Don’t come any closer.”

  Liz suppressed a moan. Angela had gone limp now, her amber eyes wide and staring. Her hands swiped feebly at the arms holding her, but Halt was more than a match for the small woman. Biting her lip, Liz flashed a glance at the others. Her arms trembled, the sensation spreading through her body, down her spine, to the foreignness of her wings. A phantom ache started in her throat, the distant reminder of the collar pressing against her flesh.

  I won’t go back.

  She flinched as her fingernails bit the palms of her hands. Drawing in a deep breath, she unclenched her hands, trying to calm herself, to find a way out of the trap. Her eyes travelled across the space separating her from Halt and Angela.

  Too far.

  But Chris was closer, and from the corner of her eyes, she saw him slide another step towards the doctors. If he could reach her…

  No, it was still too far.

  Her eyes turned back to Angela. Emotion washed over the doctor’s face – fear, anger, regret. Her head sagged as her eyes closed, her whole body trembling. Then her head snapped up, and a new resolve now shone from her eyes. The fear had vanished, replaced by an implacable determination.

  Liz opened her mouth to shout, but she was too late. She wasn’t sure what she would have said anyway. Would she have begged Angela not to act? Or had she only wanted to thank her, for finally freeing them.

  Either way, Liz never got the chance. Still clutched in Halt’s arms, Angela jerked her arm and jumped, driving her weight backwards into Halt. Small as she was, the act was enough to throw Halt off balance, and cursing, he staggered backwards.

  In that instant, Chris leapt, charging across the ten feet still separating them. He closed the gap in a second, his wings cracking as they beat the air, driving him on. He raised a fist and snarled as he swung it at the doctor. Another second, and it would be over.

  The roar of the gun was so sudden, so deafening in the sealed room that Liz found herself stumbling backwards.

  Then Chris barrelled into Halt, his fist catching the man in the face. The blow sent Halt hurtling backwards through the air. He struck the concrete with a dull thud, bounced once then smashed hard against the wall. A low groan came from him as he slumped down and lay still. T
he gun slid across the floor, coming to rest in a nook between the floor and the wall.

  Chris landed lightly on his feet, wings still outstretched, eyes locked on the doctor. But Liz was already moving, running forward, falling to her knees beside Angela. A dark pool spread around her, the overhead lights glimmering on its scarlet surface. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, her mouth wide in a silent scream. One hand still clutched at her chest, where a small red mark stained her lab coat.

  Liz knelt over her, staring at the hole through blurry eyes. A low moan came from her throat as she reached out and shook the woman. She heard the soft pad of footsteps from behind her, but she took no notice.

  Disbelief threaded around her mind. Whatever her crimes, Angela Fallow had been the only one in this place to show any compassion for them. Twice she had stopped Halt’s torture, and in the end, she had followed her conscience, had freed them from the cells.

  And now she was dead.

  A terrible rage rose in Liz’s chest, driving her to her feet. Spinning, she leapt at Halt, crossing the room in a single bound. She reached down and grasped him by the front of his coat, hauling him to his feet. Without effort she lifted him into the air, held him aloft, and then slammed him into the wall.

  He groaned, his eyelids flickering, but did not wake. Gritting her teeth, Liz drew back a fist.

  Ashley’s hand caught her arm before the blow could fall. Liz half-turned, straining against the other girl, a snarl twisting her lips. Frustration built inside her and she spun, dropping Halt to the ground and swung at Ashley.

  Ashley leaned back and Liz’s blow found only open air. Her other hand shot out, catching Liz in the chest, pushing her back. Stumbling, Liz straightened and then leapt at her. Rage burned in her throat, filling her with a need to rend, to tear the flesh from her enemies.

  “Liz!” Ashley screamed, raising an arm to protect herself.

  The scream gave Liz pause, and she drew back. Blood pounded in her head, and a voice screamed for her to attack, but she sucked in a breath. Slowly she looked around, blinking back the red haze, and saw the fear dancing in the eyes of the others. She sucked in another mouthful of air, and faced Ashley.

  “Why?” she asked, her voice breaking. “Why did you stop me?”

  “He’s not worth it,” Ashley breathed. “He’s not worth it, Liz. Don’t let this place make you like them. Don’t let it corrupt you.”

  Liz clenched her fists, trembling with the effort to suppress her rage. Red flashed across her vision as she turned to look down at Halt, but she fought back the impulse to reach for him.

  She bowed her head. “He’ll come for us,” she whispered.

  “They’ll come for us anyway,” Chris replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Besides, I doubt he’ll be doing anything after this. They were always talking about needing results,” he waved a hand at the room, “and this seems about the opposite of that.”

  Slowly, Liz allowed her body to relax. She looked up at Chris and nodded.

  He stepped forward then, arms open, drawing her to him. They stood there in silence, holding each other, the others forgotten for a second, the nightmare around them a distant memory.

  When they finally parted, Liz and Chris turned to face the others. Ashley and Sam, Richard and Jasmine, and the strange little girl stared back. Their eyes shone with emotion: hope mixed with anger, love with hate. Shivering, Liz looked at Chris.

  “Let’s go.”

  32

  The tired hinges of the door screeched as Chris threw himself against it. His shoulder throbbed, and his wings gave a little flap, but on the next blow the door caved. He stumbled after it, his momentum carrying him outside, where a blast of icy air caught in his wings and hurled him backwards. Pain shot from his bare feet as they stumbled on stones. Dropping to his knees, he braced himself against the howling wind, and glanced back at the others.

  They filed out after him, one by one, their eyes alight with wonder. Turning, Chris looked out across a world blanketed in white. Flakes of snow swirled around them, drifting ever downwards, their intricate patterns catching in the light shining down from overhead. Clouds covered the sky, but after so long inside, it still seemed impossibly bright. Blinking back tears, Chris watched as the world opened around him.

  Rocky mountains stretched up above them, sprouting like enormous trees from the slope on which they stood. Sheer escarpments of rock raced upwards, disappearing into the clouds overhead. A sheen of white covered their frozen surface, but further down the valley the snow and ice gave way to barren rock.

  Around the facility there was no sign of trees or vegetation, only jagged gravel that promised to make walking difficult. They had not stopped to search for better clothing or boots, and now Chris shivered as the icy air tore through his thin clothes. A dull ache began at the back of his skull, though despite their now undoubted height above sea level, his breath came easily now.

  Turning, Chris stared up the valley, his eyes trailing over the snow-covered boulders, up to where the slope disappeared into a narrow gorge. Glancing back, he studied the valley as it fell away from the facility. There was not a sliver of cover in sight. Even so, down was tempting. Down would bring them to warmer air, out of the mountains, towards civilisation. Perhaps they could find someone to help them, to protect them from the monsters that would hunt them.

  But even as he considered the temptation, Chris dismissed it. They would not make it far in that direction. Lower down the clouds cleared, and their pursuers would expect them to take that route. The chase would be over before it began.

  No, they needed to do the unexpected. They needed to go higher.

  The others gathered behind him, huddling close, wings wrapped tight to fend off the frigid air. Turning to face them, Chris’s wings extended of their own accord, curving around to encase him. The relief was instant. The cold creeping through his chest vanished.

  The others watched him, wonder and fear mingling on their faces. They all knew the next few hours would decide whether they lived or died. Whatever Angela had done to distract the guards, it could not keep them busy forever. Before long, Halt would wake and the guards would come for them. Chris wanted to be far away by then.

  Quickly he explained his plan, watching as Liz, Sam and Ashley nodded. Richard and Jasmine only stood in sullen silence, their faces expressionless. Beside them, the young girl hovered on the edge of the circle. So far they hadn’t gotten a word from her. She huddled in close to Jasmine, a nameless, unknown quantity. Not for the first time, he wondered how she had survived.

  He’d thought the other two would argue, but they nodded when he finished. “Let’s go then,” Richard said abruptly.

  With a sigh of relief, Chris turned and began the long trek up towards the canyon. He moved as fast as the jagged gravel allowed him, wincing as each step sent a jagged bolt of pain through his feet. Silently he cursed their haste. Boots would have saved them time out in the mountains, but there was no going back now. Glancing around, he made sure the others were following and pressed on.

  Half an hour passed as they made their slow way up. The wind howled around them, threatening to hurl them from the rocky slope, but they continued, wings pulled tight against their backs. Briefly Chris considered whether they should attempt to use them, but quickly dropped the thought. Conditions were not ideal for a first attempt at flight.

  When they finally reached the canyon mouth, Chris paused, glancing back as the other filed up behind him. One by one they joined him in the shadow beneath the cliffs. Beyond, the canyon twisted deeper into the mountains. A river flowed along its far side, and the roaring of water echoed around them.

  The hairs on his neck tingled as Chris looked back down the valley, and saw the black-garbed figures of men spilling from the building below. They gathered near the high walls, concentrating around a man in white. Blinking, Chris watched the distant figures come suddenly into focus. It was as though a film had been removed from his eyes, revealing
the world around him in a detail he had never experienced. In that moment he saw them all in crystal clarity, saw the fear in their eyes as they looked at one another, the sleek black steel of their rifles, the blood and tears marking their clothes.

  Between them, Halt stood with shoulders hunched, gesturing weakly with his arms. The men did not appear to have seen their little group yet, but it would only take a glance to reveal their position. Silently Chris waved for the others to get into cover, not trusting his voice, in case it carried down to the men below. Turning, he scrambled up the last few feet of the gravel slope, and into the canyon.

  The others quickly joined him, scrambling over the lip one by one and dropping out of sight. They retreated behind the boulders lodged in the mouth of the pass, their eyes on Chris, waiting for him to speak.

  Heart pounding in his chest, Chris slipped out from behind the boulders. Dropping low, he half-scrambled back up to the gravel lip. At the entrance to the pass, he dropped to his stomach and crawled the last few inches. Then he slowly lifted his head and peered down at the facility.

  And immediately dropped back down.

  33

  Chris slammed a fist into the gravel, cursing their luck.

  Just a few more seconds, and we would have been clear.

  He slid back down the slope to the others. Biting back his frustration, he only shook his head at their questioning looks. Below, a line of black figures were streaming their way up towards the pass, waved on from behind the figure in white.

  They had been spotted. Now all they could do was flee, and hope to outrun their pursuers.

  “They’ve seen us,” he hissed. Moving quickly past them, he began to thread his way through boulders strewn across the floor of the canyon. “Halt’s with them. Let’s go.”

  He caught a glimpse of Liz, her eyes shimmering with anger, and looked away. He could not blame her for her rage. Maybe she’d been right – maybe they should not have spared the man’s life. But even with Angela lying dead at their feet, he could not bring himself to believe killing Halt in cold blood was the right thing to do.