by J. M. Clark
“We thought to ourselves that we could try something that allowed the planet to stay as it was, but also leave some of you alive, meaning we would not have to fully start mankind over again for the fourth time.” Sirus began to calm down. “Pressing the reset button comes with a price to our planet.”
“So…you all created the sickness to get rid of us?”
Sirus stared at Jacob. “I’ve overestimated you, Jacob. I thought you more intelligent than this. Maybe she is the smart one. You are an old man with a failing body and high blood pressure. That is all.”
“I’m not an o—"
“Shut up, I’m speaking! I’ll tell you when it’s okay for you to speak again. I’ll take a phrase from your book. I won’t tell you that again. This is no longer a conversation; I’ll finish what I have to say and then allow you both to leave.” Sirus wiped his brow and slowed his breathing.
“We allowed some of you—people from the outside—to live and come into this amazing experiment we built. We wanted you here so that the Palace-born humans could learn some things from you all; a certain amount of you were allowed to survive for this reason. We wanted the Palace humans to be born of man and woman, not a test tube, as you all were so many millions of years ago.”
“And this is why my children were taken away from me?” Mary said. Even though she spoke in a voice as small as a mouse, her words surprised Jacob. Staring down at her feet, Jacob could see she was afraid to look at Sirus, or whatever this man was.
Sirus smiled and applauded loudly. “Look at you, Mary. Your children, huh? Now where did you learn something like that? Jacob, have you been manipulating our subjects?” Mary didn’t speak again, just continued staring at the ground.
Sirus focused his attention back on Jacob. “We knew that you would eventually die off from old age, or from your own meddlesome ways. Behave and live in the Palace until you die of old age, or become bothersome and get into the Greater Understanding Program, which of course was a bullet to the back of the head. In hindsight, be happy that you never ascended.” Sirus chuckled. “It was not quite the golden ticket you all thought it to be.”
“What’s the point though? In all of this, why are you, whatever you are, going to such extremes to make us behave the way you want us to?” Jacob said as he rose to his feet. “If you have such power to do all the things you say you have in this world, the universe, and so forth, why not just force us to behave the way you want?”
“Does a father walk away from his children just because they keep making mistakes? Of course not. You teach them, you nurture them, you show them different ways. Would your father, Mathew, have left you? For any reason at all?”
Jacob shook his head no. A single tear formed and fell into his beard as he backed up to where Mary was. He retrieved her shaking hand.
“You humans are the only species that we cannot seem to get right. No matter how much gene splicing we do, no matter how many safeguards we put into place…you end up being dumb killing machines, and any intelligence you do have is used to persecute your fellow humans and create different religions, which you all use to kill even more.
“So, tell you what. If you both want to go out into the world, be my guest. But it’s not what you think it is. You were smart enough to figure out that the sickness is no longer a threat, but other threats have surfaced. You won’t last longer than twenty-four hours outside of our protection here, but I know that doesn’t matter to you, so I’ll allow you to leave. Teacher Simon is outside that door waiting to take you to a secret exit where you can leave this place forever. So go…you will wish you hadn’t though.” Sirus got up from his chair and walked over to the window that overlooked the courtyard. He opened the curtain, allowing sunlight to fill the room. He kept his back to the scared and confused couple.
“Jacob, Mary, before you leave, I want you to know something. Here, you must deal with rules, morning enrichments, the watchers, security, and our other staff. Out there though?” Sirus pointed out past the forest area. “Beyond those trees there, lies something worse, something we are struggling to get ahold of. You were warned. Goodbye, my children,” Sirus said in a calm voice, never turning around to regard them or watch them exit.
Chapter Forty-Five
Jacob
Teacher Simon let them out on the eastern side by the courtyard area. No one was there, which felt weird to Jacob, but the excitement and fear took over, and he barely noticed.
He and Mary took off running. He felt her fingers touch his as they made their way beyond the cluster of trees, and he grasped on to her hand. There were no guards patrolling the area, just as Sirus had promised. They ran faster than they had ever run, faster than the wind would allow.
They crossed the red flags in the grass, legs pumping, running hand in hand. The forest was just ahead. Mary tripped while running, but Jacob pulled her up by the arm. They continued on, Jacob looking back to make sure no one was following them. The Palace stood behind them, as defiant and sturdy as ever. Watching them…
“Not much longer to go, honey. Keep running, we’re almost there,” Jacob said between heavy breaths.
Nothing stood between them and freedom but the forest ahead. They were free, and whatever was out there waiting for them could not be worse than the Palace. “We did it…we did it,” Mary was saying through tired breaths as she struggled to keep up with him. He wouldn’t let her fall behind though; he would pick her up if need be.
The world felt huge to Jacob now, bigger than it had ever felt before. The air smelled sweet; it burned his lungs because he was so tired, but he loved every moment. They were not far from the forest.
And so they continued to run.
Chapter Forty-Six
Sirus
“Are they watching?” Sirus said with a phone to his ear, speaking to someone in the Palace. He paused while the person on the other end spoke. “Okay, good. Make sure they have a good look at this. It will serve as the new standard for those who do not understand that what we have here is no longer on an at-will basis. Do it.”
Sirus hung up and slid the phone into his pocket. He turned away from the window, walked over to his desk, and grabbed every folder there. He dumped them all in a large wastebasket near his desk. At that moment, a roaring sound filled the Palace. It could be heard everywhere—the courtyard, the child center, the space between the red flags and the forest…
Chapter Forty-Seven
Mary
And he let go of her hand…
She ran a few more steps before turning around to see why he slowed up. Mary was running so fast, and the wind was flashing by her face at such high speeds—she never even heard the shot go off.
What she saw when she turned around was enough to drive anyone mad. Her life, her future, her love, lay there in the grass with a small hole in his back. Blood spurted from the hole like a weak sprinkler. Jacob tried to crawl, but he was barely able to move his limbs. He reminded her of a dying bug, slowly moving its legs, trying to fight the inevitable.
She ran over and grabbed his hand. She pulled with all her might to turn him around. When she finally got him to turn over, he was looking up at her. Their eyes met, and she could see nothing but those eyes. She dropped down to her knees and began kissing his face, asking him to get up. They were so close to the forest. It was only fifty yards away. Their new life was just fifty yards away.
He pushed her face away while she was trying to kiss him and encourage him to get up. He turned his head and threw up an ungodly amount of blood and what looked to her like organs. After that, he was able to get out one word: “Go.”
Jacob’s eyes met Mary’s one last time right before his pupils made a beeline to the clouds above. He was no longer breathing.
She began to hug and kiss him, trying to get him to wake up. Mary touched him below his neck, and her hand fell into the messy gulf that was once Jacob’s chest. She didn’t even notice it before. The hole in front was ten times the size of the one in his back. She
hadn’t seen death like this in all her twenty years of life, but she knew enough to know that he was gone.
Mary kissed his forehead one last time and screamed to him that she loved him and always would. Then she dragged herself away and disappeared into the trees, leaving his body behind forever. Leaving everyone behind.
No one came after her.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Sirus
To: NCP Group
From: O’Sullivan, Sirus
Date: May 14, 2040 08:14:48 EST
Subject: Experiment 48, Phase 2 Initiation
I contact you with excitement today. Experiment 48 has advanced to phase 2. We have made great leaps with the Palace-born adults. Today, Palace member Mary, acting on her own accord, planned to leave the Palace with the help of a human from the outside world. Mary showed decision-making skills, and most importantly a desire to live. She was allowed to live and escaped into a nearby forest area. She will exit in the 23rd sector of this area, very close to experiment or Palace 114. Please contact the staff there to be on the lookout for her. She is not to be hurt or stopped. Let’s allow this to play out.
I’ve copied statistics from the Palace Experiments. Updated last night.
218 of 919 Palaces: Offline.
345 of 919 Palaces: Online in Phase 1.
187 of 919 Palaces: Online in Phase 2.
169 of 919 Palaces: Taken over by rebel forces.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Sirus
Chapter Forty-Nine
Mary
Mary slept in the forest that night. There was an endless number of trees and no path to take. After stumbling and falling for hours, she finally gave up and decided to sleep. She found a small cave area that she could use for shelter. The night was beautiful though, and she laid there all night and cried for Jacob. She stared up at the stars through the cave’s opening and realized it was the first time in her entire life that she’d ever done that—stared at the stars.
The next morning, she woke up nauseous, feeling like she had to vomit. She did not move though. She did not get up and rush off because there was nowhere to rush off to. She lay there on her side, listening to the birds sing their songs while thinking of the man who had bought her freedom with his own life, rubbing her belly the whole time.
About the Author
A self-professed outgoing pessimist, J.M. Clark is a word enthusiast, and an up-and-coming science fiction author in southern Ohio. J.M. studied English literature and writing at Northern Kentucky University. Now, a member of Cincinnati Fantasy-writers and Sci-fi and Fantasy-writers of America, J. M. indulges in his passion for writing and critiquing work in the realm of fantasy fiction. An avid reader, and transitional professional from lyricist to author, J.M. loves interacting with friends and other writers. He continues to deliver hesitantly optimistic advice, and produce work that keeps fans constantly wanting more.
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Excerpt from Tomorrow’s Wrath
LONNIE
This made the 4th day in a row. In the beginning, it was hard for him to deal with. No, maybe that’s the wrong word, it was sad for him, he felt empathy for them. From what Lonnie could see, it was hard for all of them. They had never seen anything like that. Not even close. Rules were rules though, and the balance of the very planet hung in the balance. Sirus said so.
It all happened so fast. One day everything was business as usual. Same old Palace schedules that had long become repetitious to everyone there, then it all changed with a boom and a body lying motionless in the field.
The last of the Palace-born individuals were trickling into the auditorium and taking their seats. Everyone was dressed in the white uniforms they had been given a few days ago. All of the women had their hair pulled into tight ponytails, the men were sporting short buzz cuts. Lonnie didn’t understand why the change in hair and clothing, but he was sure The Order had their reasons.
He sat there, daydreaming about the events that had transpired after they all watched that old guy, Jacob, get shot down outside of the Palace. Everyone was made to come to the central Plaza and watch through the glass as Jacob and one of the Palace-born women made a run for the forest. She made it, but he didn’t. Her name was Mary, she was probably dead by now…or taken and enslaved by the others out there.
Lonnie still remembered the screams of everyone in that moment. In unison, there were rounds of panicked gasps, hands covering mouths and eyes, outright blood-curdling screams. He noticed that the teachers and security didn’t budge, they didn’t seem to be surprised at all. Like they expected it… he supposed they did. Especially considering what happened next.
He sat in his seat and stared up at the stage, as he watched the Old-World individuals on their knees, hands tied behind their backs, with white blindfolds over their faces. It made him feel…indifferent. On the first day he was empathetic, now he felt as though it was simply another session. A lesson to be learned about how things worked. Sirus and The Order were calling “this” the beginning steps of Phase 2.
Lonnie looked away from the stage and noticed the person to his right. Melinda was a few years younger than him, maybe 15 years old. Her hands were placed on her knees, visibly unsettled. He saw she was trembling in fear of what was to come. Her right hand shot up to her face to wipe away a tear, then back down to her right knee.
He leaned in close to her so not to be loud as he spoke. “You have to relax, they won’t like to see you crying. Calm down.”
Melinda straightened up in her seat, sniffled and looked straight ahead to see more Old-World palace members being lined up in rows on their knees. There were three rows of them at this point, and more were being brought in from behind a theater curtain from the stage area—all of them blindfolded. There was no sound but that of their cries, mumbling pleas for mercy, and negotiations to be banished from the Palace. Speaking to no one, because no one was listening. They were the enemy.
“You remember the video they showed us. They are not good people and must be eliminated if we are to go back into the world and start anew. We all saw the video.” Lonnie whispered to her, being quiet enough to not be noticed by anyone.
“I know… I know, it’s just so sad. I know those people up there.” Melinda held her eyes open as wide as possible, Lonnie believed she did that to keep the tears from dropping. Knowing that if she were to only blink, the tears would come streaming down once more. Maybe someone would notice and believe she felt bad for the criminals up there… then maybe she’d end up on the stage next?
“You saw how they were all trying to corrupt us. They showed us on the television. You even saw that guy Jacob confuse the Palace-born woman and use her to leave this place. We watched it. Those people up on that stage are not the people you thought they were.” Lonnie said as he sharply moved away from her, returning to a straight position. The last of the Palace members were in their seats, and the Old-World members were in four rows on the stage now. It was time for another cleansing.
“I know” is the last thing he heard from Melinda before the lights in the auditorium went dark.
Security came in through the back exit, in a single file line. They walked up to the first row of seats of Palace-born members in their white uniforms. They hadn’t had a chance to cleanse a group yet. Lonnie did though, on day two. The security team placed a gun into each of their hands. Same as yesterday, and the day before that.
The security team split into two groups and made their way to opposite sides of the auditorium. They placed their hands behind their backs and stood, staring up at the stage of crying, blindfolded Old-World members.
Just then Lonnie felt Melinda’s hand graze his. She seemed to be trying to hold onto him, to brace for what was to come. Even though he felt annoyed with her and the crying, he allowed this kindness and took her hand.
<
br /> The first row of Palace-born members got up from their seats, guns in hand, and walked up to the stage, also in a single file line. They made a circle around their blindfolded friends of the past. People who were once seen as loved ones and comrades were now targets to be shot down.
Lonnie could hear the guns being cocked back, a bullet moving into the chamber ready to be disengaged. Melinda’s small hand squeezed his, and he felt his own hand give a firm grip in return.
He and hundreds of others were sitting in their seats, eyes fixed upon the dark stage as if they were watching a Broadway musical from the Old-World. They watched, half in amusement and half in eagerness, to see problems from that past be extinguished. Some faces were smiling, some looked distraught, much like Melinda next to him. He felt nothing and that bothered him. He wanted to feel something.
It didn’t matter either way. He and Melinda held hands tightly as the stage lit up with gun-fire. A strobe light show of sparks, smoke, blood, and smiles from the shooters. They were smiling… And still, he watched…and felt nothing.
You can read the rest of the story in Tomorrow’s Wrath by J.M. Clark
Also by J.M. Clark
