by Mainak Dhar
‘We all know how you feel about it, and you also know that there have been some of us who disagree. Some of us who are tired of fighting to survive every day, or scavenging for food every day for our families. And now you conveniently have this fairy tale from your daughter where Zeus and their masters are some sort of super-villains who destroyed the world.’
As the meeting disbanded, Alice’s father took her aside.
‘I tried, sweetheart, but their minds are closed. The problem is that if this general is indeed going to strike, we are running out of time. We cannot just sit here and debate and hope we convince these people.’
‘Dad, what can we do?’
He hesitated, as if weighing whether to say what was on his mind.
‘We need to meet this Dr. Protima. She’s the only one who could convince them.’
Alice shuddered at the thought of going back to the Biters in their dank, dark underground world, and also of what they would do to her when they found her after her betrayal.
‘Dad, I don’t know if what they said is true or not, but that silly prophecy and that book she has freaks me out.’
‘Darling, that’s just an old fairy tale called Alice in Wonderland. I don’t blame her if she has lost her mind a bit down there and believes it to be some prophecy. I guess they heard your name and saw the way you met them, and wanted to believe it was this prophecy come true, that’s all. If that’s what it takes to save us all, then just play along for a little bit.’
Alice could see her father’s conflicted face, because he knew he was putting her in harm’s way. But the sheer fact that he was willing to even contemplate that told her just how desperate their situation was.
The next morning, Alice walked along the woods where she had followed Bunny Ears down the hole. They were a good five miles away from their settlement, and if there was trouble, they would not be able to make it back in time, and of course, there was no way they could expect help or reinforcements. Alice held a pistol in her right hand and a shotgun slung across her back, but she had already seen that up close, with the weight of numbers on their side, the firepower she carried would count for little if the Biters were intent on attacking her. Her father was sitting a hundred meters away, hidden in the trees, his face daubed with camouflage paint, his eyes glued to the scope of his rifle.
Alice had no idea if Bunny Ears or any other Biter would even show up again at this location, but as far as she knew, no other human had found this entrance, and now that she scanned the area, it was so well hidden that she could not spot it either. So if it had not been compromised, there was a chance that they would still be using it. Also, she reminded herself, they were probably looking for her. That thought made her grip the handgun in her hand even tighter as she waited.
They waited for what seemed to be an eternity, and as Alice was about to give up and go to her father and ask if they should just return to the settlement, she saw some movement in the bushes. She froze, both hands gripping the handgun, but she forced herself to not bring the gun up. If their plan was to work, she had to make sure that she was not seen as a threat. She held her breath as the bushes parted, reassured by the fact that at this very moment her father’s rifle would be trained on whatever was emerging. She saw two pointy ears emerge first, and then Bunny Ears was in front of her. He growled, spitting in her direction, and for a moment, Alice thought that he was about to attack. He pounded his feet on the ground and raised his head to the skies, howling, but as Alice watched she realized that his roar was not one of fury but more a plaintive wail.
She tucked her handgun into her belt and took a step closer. As she looked at Bunny Ears, she saw that he too was looking at her with his lifeless eyes. She had no idea if he would understand what she wanted, but she had no other choice. She spoke in a gentle voice.
‘I am so sorry. I did not know what Zeus and their masters were up to, and I did not believe the Queen. I know now, and I need your help. The only way we can survive is if we help each other. Please tell the Queen that I need her help. We’ve tried convincing others in the settlement but many of them don’t believe us.’
Bunny Ears just looked at her for a few seconds and then he disappeared back into the bushes. Alice wondered if he had understood a single word she had said.
***
Alice was sleeping with her shotgun near her head, and her parents had insisted that she and her sister sleep in the same room as them. It was hard to believe that things had got so bad so fast. It had begun with a fight between two young boys at lunch-time, one of them supporting her father and another insisting that they should just go the way of so many other settlements and do what Zeus wanted. When things had got more personal and some harsh words had been said about Alice, a couple of her friends had waded in. Soon words had given way to blows and before anyone could control it, the settlement had been neatly divided down the middle. What was apparent was that it had to do with more than whether they believed Alice’s story, or even what they thought about joining Zeus. It had become a battle for power. A battle between Alice’s father and some of the original founders of the settlement, and others who had joined them more recently and resented the authority the old-timers wielded.
Alice’s father would have normally waved it all off as yet another of the countless arguments that had been inevitable over the years when you put strangers together in such a high-stress situation. But now things were different. He knew the imminent danger of Zeus moving against them, and he had also now seen first-hand that what Alice had said had some truth to it. He had been tempted to pull the trigger the moment he saw the Biter emerge in front of his daughter, and he had to fight years of conditioning to not blow his head away. But then he had seen it stand there, apparently listening, apparently understanding, and then walking away. With all the devastation the world had endured, if there was even a small chance that things could be set right, then it was worth fighting for.
He had called a meeting just after breakfast and as the entire settlement gathered, he noticed that the lines were drawn. People were sitting in groups, and those he knew supported his views were sitting around him and his family. However, an even larger group was now sitting around Rajiv, who had somehow taken on leadership of the splinter group. Better him than one of the rabble-rousers, he thought, as he began his account of what he had seen.
He was less than a minute into it when he saw the dissenters stirring. Rajiv stood up.
‘Gladwell, we go way back, but you cannot seriously expect us to believe this. I understand you’re trying to help your daughter, but this is too incredible to be true. After all the Biters have done to us, why are you doing this?’
He heard a few catcalls and a man’s voice boomed out from the crowd. ‘He’s just scared of no longer being the head honcho if we join Zeus, that’s all. And if he hates Zeus so much, why did he strike a deal to save his daughter?’
Alice could see her father wither in the face of the criticism and he put his head down, defeated, knowing that nothing he could say was going to make a difference.
Just then one of the lookouts shouted, ‘There’s an intruder headed our way.’
Immediately, all differences were forgotten as guns were picked up, safeties switched off and men and women began taking their defensive positions. Those too young, old or sick to fight were herded to the middle of the village to shelter in the building that served as their communal dining hall. Everyone else was expected to fight. Alice was one of the first to reach the wall where the shout had come from, and she was on top of the boxes that served as the perch for snipers before many of the older and slower men had even reached the wall. She put her rifle to her shoulders and peered through the sniper scope. She could hear others take position around her and the nervous shuffling and swearing of those who had not seen combat before. As Alice waited, she found a clarity that had eluded her in the confusion of the last few days. This was what she had been trained to do since she could walk. This was when there
was no ambiguity to deal with – where it was simple: kill or be killed. A familiar adrenaline rush washed over her, and she welcomed it, waiting for a target to present itself.
‘Alice, got something on your scope?’
Alice grinned and asked the man to wait. It was one of the men who had been heckling her father just minutes ago. It was reassuring to know that they still realized and respected the fact that Alice was one of the best shots in the settlement.
‘Ram, did you actually see anything or were you drinking more of your hooch again last night?’
That question from Alice’s father brought laughter all around and helped to lessen some of the tension. Alice was still too young to fully grasp it, but she had an intuitive understanding of just why so many men and women had followed her father over the years. It was not because he was the strongest or even the bravest, but because he could keep people calm in a crisis; he could think when others were losing their heads. She peered through her scope once again and this time she saw someone emerging from the early morning mist. As the figure resolved itself, she saw someone covered in a full-length coat, one that seemed several sizes too big, and walking towards their settlement at a steady, almost leisurely pace. She moved the scope up and caught her breath as she realized who was approaching. It was Dr. Protima, or as she preferred to be called nowadays, the Queen of the Biters.
Alice heard one or two rifles being cocked so she called out, ‘Hold your fire. It’s just an old woman.’
Two men from the settlement unlocked the gate and went out, cautiously approaching the figure who was now just a hundred meters away. Alice watched them trade some words and then heaved a sigh of relief when they led her in.
When the Queen walked in through the gate, every man, woman and child in the settlement had gathered to see who this stranger was. In the early days they had often encountered solitary stragglers, but by now, people were either in groups, or dead. A single person, least of all an old woman, had virtually no chance of surviving on their own in the Deadland. Alice saw that the Queen had prepared well. The oversized coat covered her body and arms, and she wore long gloves to conceal her hands. She was wearing tinted glasses that obscured her eyes and as she came in, she glanced towards Alice once, but betrayed no hint of recognition.
As someone offered her a chair, she sat down and said that she had to talk to someone in charge. When Alice’s father and some of the other men sat around her, she looked around at the dozens of people gathered, perhaps waiting for them to leave. But there was no chance of that happening: the entire settlement wanted to know what this strange old woman had to say. And then she began her tale.
‘My name is Dr. Protima, and I was a Biologist of Indian origin who lived and worked in the United States for several years.’
Alice saw her father’s eyes widen as he realized who she was, and saw several of the men stir, but they all sat and listened. And the Queen had indeed come prepared to meet a skeptical audience. Under the coat, she had a small bag from which she produced old faded passports, identity cards, official documents bearing the seal of the US Government. Some of the younger folks would not know what many of those were, but were suitably impressed, but all the older ones, the ones who had known a life before The Rising, saw and understood. Alice saw some of the men who had been opposed to her father pass the documents among each other, and saw several of them glance at her.
Rajiv finally worked up the courage to speak when the Queen concluded her tale, ending with how Alice had landed in their midst.
‘Dr. Protima, we have heard some of this before from Alice, and it still seems incredible. How can we believe any of this?’
She did not say a single word in reply, but stood up and loosened the coat so it fell at her feet. Then she took off her gloves and glasses and looked straight at Rajiv. There were gasps all around her, and one or two women screamed. Rajiv stumbled back, holding onto another man for support as he looked into the decayed, lifeless eyes and the yellowing, bloodied arms of the Queen. No one said anything for a few seconds, and then Alice’s father spoke.
‘Dr. Protima, if this vaccine got into the right hands, could it save any more humans from being…’
As he fumbled with what to say, she answered, ‘Yes. It would ensure that no more humans have to worry about the virus being transmitted through a bite. Imagine what that would do to the chances of people finally coming to grips with the fact that we are not just dangerous animals and an existential threat to be wiped out. What would that do to Zeus’s fear-mongering, which they are using to wipe us out and bring all of you under their control?’
Alice heard many murmurs of approval in the crowd, as the Queen now looked straight at her.
‘But there’s more than that. Before it all went out of control, we were working on antidotes, not just vaccines. If I can get the vaccine to a good lab, we should be able to create a cure. It may take time, but I know it can be done. I don’t know how much brain damage has already happened to those infected, or whether it can be reversed, but there is at least hope. Alice, I told you my prophecy was what would lead us to a way out.’
Nobody else present understood what she meant by the last comment, but they were all looking at Alice with a mixture of shame and awe. They had doubted and rejected her, but now they had proof before their eyes that she had been right. Moreover, they suddenly found themselves the bearers of a terrible secret. Many people began speaking at once, everyone with their own idea on what to do, but everyone in agreement that they needed to help get the vaccine into the right hands.
Alice’s father spoke next, and what he said stunned everyone into silence.
‘The men who caused all this will not let us succeed so easily. We know they have been hunting Dr. Protima and now they will come for us.’
Nobody said anything for a few seconds. Alice was about to say something when the silence was shattered by the sound of an incoming helicopter.
***
SEVEN
Everyone at the settlement was watching, most down the sights of their guns as the black helicopter landed at the foot of the hill leading to their village. Alice had her sniper rifle at her shoulder and while many of the younger kids were babbling about this being an attack, she knew better. If Zeus had wanted to launch an attack, they would have come from the skies, raining rockets and bombs from high above, while Alice and the others at her settlement would have been impotent to do anything about it. By landing the helicopter in such a vulnerable position, whoever was coming was indicating that they came in peace, at least for now.
Alice put down her rifle to motion to some of the men behind her to not get trigger happy and wait for her signal before doing anything. When she looked back towards the helicopter, she did not need her sights to know who was coming. The imposing bulk and bald head of the uniformed man now making his way up the hill told her who it was.
Why would Appleseed be coming alone? Alice had spent the last few days in the fear that he would lash out with an unexpected attack, so why was he coming here like this?
When he reached the gates of the settlement, Alice’s father asked for the gates to be opened and Appleseed walked into the midst of two hundred armed, scared and jittery people.
‘Gladwell, tell your people I pose no threat. You can all see that I am unarmed.’
Appleseed held up his hands to reinforce the point, but even that did little to defuse the tension. Everyone at the settlement had heard about Alice’s adventures and the threats this general had made, and none of them was willing to take his words at face value. Appleseed looked around, and seeing Alice, he smiled and said through gritted teeth, ‘So, young Alice, we meet again.’
Alice spat in his direction, and several people jeered. Appleseed didn’t seem to be ruffled and addressed Alice’s father.
‘Gladwell, your daughter has grown up in the Deadland, so I don’t blame her, but you were a diplomat. Surely you can sit down and talk in a civilized manner with an unarmed
guest?’
Alice’s father lifted the shotgun he was carrying, casually aiming it at Appleseed’s ample gut.
‘Any bastard who threatens my daughter is no guest at my home.’
All trace of civility dissipated from Appleseed’s face as he pulled a chair and sat down, staring at Alice’s father with undisguised hatred.
‘Fine, let’s play it your way. Give me Dr. Protima and all of you can go on with your miserable lives.’
There was a stunned silence, and as Alice’s father started to say something, Appleseed cut him off. ‘Don’t waste my time. I’ve had unmanned drones watching your settlement ever since your darling daughter spilled the beans on her freak friend. So I know she’s here. I just want her handed over. Oh yes, as per the rules laid out by the Central Committee, all of you are guilty of treason for collaborating with the Biter enemy, and I could have all of you executed for it. Instead, I’ll settle for confiscating all your weapons and relocating you to one of our safe zones.’
There was a commotion among the group as Alice’s father roared in anger.
‘This Central Committee of yours, these rich men who hide in their bases together with the Chinese tyrants, do not rule us. They rule only their hired dogs like you, and what they say or want has no jurisdiction here. As for Dr. Protima, you have no authority here to take anyone away.’
Appleseed stayed calm, knowing that he held all the cards. ‘One air strike is all it would take to turn all of you into smoking carcasses. Tempting as that is, I need that witch alive. That is the only reason I am sitting here and not sifting through your corpses after an air strike. The Central Committee has to make sure that she is not capable of spreading her lies and that we know where her hidden bases are. This is your last chance before you officially commit an act of treason.’
Alice saw Rajiv look at her father, and she wondered if there would be those who would be willing to give into Appleseed’s demands. After all, how many of them would risk their lives and their families for an old lady with an incredible tale? Alice’s father was perhaps thinking the same thing and he spoke aloud, addressing all those in the settlement.
