The Americans: Apex Trilogy, Book 2

by Jake Bible

  Beth knelt next to Melissa and put her arms around her. Melissa clutched at her desperately, her hot, wet tears soaking into Beth’s robe. “You’re not alone, Mel. You have me.” Beth suddenly pushed away and stood up, vaulting over the crates. She ducked around Heather’s immobile form and approached the corpses of Alex and Billy. “They’re dead. This is great!”

  Melissa stood also and wiped her nose with her robe sleeve. “Great? Are you fucking insane? Don’t make me hate you, freak!”

  Beth looked kindly at Melissa. “Let’s not go backwards, Mel. No, what I meant was I can save Heather. I can’t bring her back to life, but I can take the monster out. I can fix her, Mel. And when Alex and Billy reanimate, I can fix them too!”

  The BTT’s com buzzed to life. “Hey? Anyone there?” Styles asked. “Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”

  ***

  “Sorry Styles, but we are in the middle of something right now,” Beth called back over the com.

  “Yeah, well I’m in the middle of flying something right now and kinda need some info from Al,” Styles snapped back. “Either that or we can crash right into the Chinese shield and all die.”

  “I thought Alex said we could go over the shield?” Melissa asked.

  “We can, but I need to know where exactly,” Styles growled. “Al has the coordinates.”

  “Yeah, um, Alex is dead,” Beth admitted. “But, hopefully, he’ll be back soon and then I can fix him.”

  Styles sat there in the pilot’s seat, trying to process what he heard.

  “Mr. Styles? Are you still there?” Beth asked.

  “Did you say ‘dead’?” Styles cleared his throat. “Like dead dead?”

  “Bloody and gored,” Mel answered. “But freak Beth has a plan. How much time do we have?”

  “Fifteen minutes max.” Styles could hear the girls conversing quietly. “Hello? Can I speak to an adult? Get me Billy if he isn’t hurting too much from scab withdrawal by now.”

  “Billy’s dead, too,” Melissa replied.

  “Jesus fuck! What the hell happened down there?”

  “Heather killed them!” Beth shouted. “But I’m trying to fix that, so just be quiet for one goddamn minute!”

  “Um…sorry,” Styles said quietly. “You all do your resurrection thing and I’ll just fly the plane.”

  ***

  “God! I thought he’d never leave us alone!” Melissa said. “Hey…didn’t Alex say Heather had the code for the shield? Why not fix her first?”

  “Because once I start the process, I can’t stop,” Beth answered. “And if those two come back while I’m working on Heather then you will have to deal with them yourself.”

  “Point taken.”

  The two girls sat on the crates in their bathrobes, Melissa’s torn and bloody, and watched the corpses of Alex and Billy closely.

  “So…what happened in that brain of yours?” Melissa asked. “I mean, are you still you? You seem like you, but…who are you?”

  Beth thought for a moment. “Yes…I’m still me, but I’m also Dr. Brian Lisbon. And he’s a bit of a strange bird.” Melissa looked sideways at Beth. “Shut it.”

  “What?” Melissa joked. “I didn’t say anything. So…how is he strange?”

  “He, me, we, well, he’s an American, but he’s been living elsewhere for a couple decades now,” Beth began, but stopped quickly as she saw Billy’s head begin to twitch. “That will have to wait.”

  Beth got up and stood over Billy as the corpse’s eyes shot open. She put a palm to his chest, yanking it back before he could lift his head and bite her arm. In a second his whole body began to shiver and shake.

  Beth moved on to Alex and waited patiently. By the time Billy had stopped moving and his chest began to rise and fall with normal respiration, Alex’s eyes opened and Beth repeated the procedure.

  “They’ll be fine as soon as they wake up,” Beth told Melissa. “Well, I hope they’ll be fine. The nanotech should have preserved they’re brain functions, even with the viral modifications, but it’s hard to tell from individual to individual.”

  “I’ll have to take your word on that, Doc,” Melissa grinned. “Now what about the one person that deserves saving and isn’t a total fuck up?”

  Beth approached Heather and frowned. “She’s going to be hard. She was dead for a much longer period of time and the nanotech probably reconfigured her brain structure accordingly.” Beth looked at Melissa, her eyes grave. “She probably won’t be the same Heather you’ve always known. She could be, but…”

  “You don’t want me to get my hopes up, right?” Melissa asked.

  Beth nodded.

  Turning to Heather, Beth applied both hands to the sides of Heather’s head and closed her eyes. She stayed that way for several minutes.

  “Um, girls…” Styles interrupted.

  “Can it, cowboy!” Melissa shouted.

  “Five minutes before we go crunch,” Styles stated. “Just sayin’…”

  “Done,” Beth said.

  Heather began to shake and Melissa rushed over to help Beth get her to the ground.

  “Wha…” Billy mumbled from behind them. “Is this Heaven? If so then Heaven…sucks.”

  Melissa laughed and dove onto Billy, hugging him fiercely.

  “Can…I get…a little of that?” Alex whispered. “Just try…not to crush me.”

  Melissa reached over and took Alex’s hand in hers, refusing to let Billy go.

  “Hard…to…breathe,” Billy gasped.

  Mel pushed herself up and helped Billy then Alex to their feet. Alex opened his shirt and looked back at the place where bullet wounds should have been.

  “I feel good as new,” he said. “Whopper of a headache, but that’s about it.”

  “Not bad for being dead and resurrected,” Beth said. “Although technically you are still dead.”

  “What?” Melissa, Billy and Alex exclaimed.

  “Yeah, you’re not really human anymore, you’re more like the walking techno-dead. You’re being run and held together by the nanotech.”

  The three stared at her for a moment.

  “Techno-dead? You mean like we’re high tech versions of those old zombie tales?” Billy finally asked.

  “Zombies aren’t tales, Billy,” Beth said matter-of-factly. “They are quite real.”

  “Two minutes!” Styles yelled over the com. “Anything?”

  “Sorry, Styles! Alex is here now,” Beth replied. “Styles needs the coordinates for going over the Chinese wall.”

  “Fuck!” Alex shouted, running up the stairs to the cockpit.

  “Coordinates?” Billy asked. “Why do we need those?”

  “So we don’t crash into the fucking shield wall,” Melissa answered. “Style’s been freakin’ out like a little girl for a while now.”

  Billy crouched next to Heather. “How long until we know if Heather is, well, Heather?”

  “No way to say,” Beth replied. “What I just did has never been done before. It’s all new to me.”

  “Grab onto something, folks!” Styles yelled. “We are ascending quickly and it’s going to be rough!”

  Billy wrapped his arms around Heather, while Beth and Melissa braced themselves against the crates as the BTT angled sharply upward. They could all feel the push of the g forces, the pressure increasing greatly the further and faster they climbed.

  “This sucks!” Billy shouted.

  “You’ve made that clear, Billy!” Melissa shouted back. “Shut the fuck up!”

  “So much for the happy-you’re-alive-Billy love,” Billy sighed.

  Just as the force was becoming more than any of them could handle, the BTT leveled off and they all sighed with relief.

  “We have now reached 45,000 feet and weather looks smooth from here until Lhasa. Thank you for flying Styles Airways and have a wonderful day!”

  “What’s going on?” Heather asked from between Billy’s arms.

  “Heather!” Meli
ssa shouted, shoving Billy aside, her arms outstretched. But, before Melissa could embrace her aunt, Heather screeched and scrambled backwards.

  “Who the fuck are you?” she yelled, pushing herself to her feet, bringing her arms up in a defensive position, ready to fight. “Where the fuck am I?”

  Melissa looked back at Beth, pain overtaking her features. Beth nodded sadly.

  “Billy? Is that you?” Heather finally asked. “What the fuck happened to your face? You look like shit!”

  “You should see your face,” Billy mumbled.

  “What date do you think it is?” Beth asked Heather, slowly walking towards her.

  “Date? What the fuck kind of question is that?” Heather snarled. “I know who Billy is, but who the fuck are you two bitches?”

  Melissa couldn’t help but smile at that.

  “My name is Elizabeth Laughlin. Does that mean anything?” Heather shook her head. “She is Melissa Brenton. Do you know who that is?”

  The fight seemed to leave Heather instantly. She looked at Billy for confirmation and he nodded. Heather lowered her arms. “Mel? Little Mel? But, you…you’re a woman!”

  Melissa smiled weakly.

  “Heather, we need to get you cleaned up and then we’ll have a very nice, long talk,” Beth soothed. “There is a lot you need to know.”

  ***

  “I fucking what?!?” Heather shouted.

  “You died and came back as a techno-zombie,” Beth said. “That’s the simplest way to put it.”

  “There’s nothing simple about any of this bullshit!” Heather complained. “You act like you know so fucking much, but look at you! You’re what, seventeen?”

  “Technically I’m only four, but that’s another story,” Beth said.

  Everyone stared at her.

  “Um…what?” Melissa finally asked. “Four?”

  “Yes, but that’s not really important at the moment,” Beth said turning to Heather. “What is important is finding out what you last remember.”

  “Four?” Melissa asked again.

  “Drop it, Mel,” Beth insisted. “Heather?”

  Heather sat there for a moment looking stunned. “I…I remember being in Russia. With Al. And we had just gotten back…from our-.”

  “Our honeymoon,” Alex said coming back into the cabin. “That would be Spring of 2475.” Heather stared at Alexander, tears welling in her eyes. “Hey, sweetheart. Welcome back.”

  Heather leapt from her seat and grabbed Alex in a big hug, planting kisses all over his face and neck. He began to laugh and gently pushed her away.

  “Well, I can honestly say I was never expecting that reaction ever again,” Alex chuckled, taking Heather by the hand and sitting with her across from the others. “I have to say I like it.” He looked into Heather’s eyes. “Very much.”

  “Spring of 2475? Then that means…,” Billy mused.

  “She doesn’t know,” Melissa finished.

  “Doesn’t know what?” Heather asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “It’s not what we aren’t telling you, dear,” Alex began, taking both of Heather’s hands in his and squeezing them affectionately. “It’s what you have forgotten. Shall I do the honors?”

  Billy and Melissa nodded. “We’ll fill in what you don’t know,” Billy said.

  “While you all catch up I’m going to join Styles,” Beth said, getting up and moving to the cockpit. “We are probably in com range of the Lhasa outpost. I have to make a report.”

  ***

  “Roger,” Styles was saying as Beth shut the cockpit door. “ETA fifteen minutes…Yes, sir…I have the coordinates and weather looks clear…Yes, I’ve made night landings plenty of times…Roger…Styles out.”

  “They know we’re coming?” Beth asked, taking the co-pilot’s seat.

  “Yep. We’ll be there soon,” Styles said. “I don’t think the Chinese even know we’re over them.”

  “Oh, they know,” Beth laughed. “They saw us coming fifty miles before we hit their border. Trust me.”

  Styles eyed Beth cautiously. “So…who am I speaking to right now?”

  “Elizabeth Laughlin with a huge side of Dr. Brian Lisbon,” Beth laughed.

  “So are you a mister or a missus?” Styles asked.

  “I’m all lady parts. That makes me a missus.” Beth’s smile disappeared. “Brian Lisbon is dead. He died two weeks ago. I have his knowledge, his thoughts, even a few of his feelings, sorta, but I’m Beth Laughlin through and through.”

  Styles nodded knowingly then shook his head in confusion. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, but I trust you. I’m guessing you need a secure com?”

  “I do. Thanks.”

  “Need some privacy?”

  “No, what I have to report will be common knowledge soon. Plus, there’s too few of us left to be keeping secrets any longer. I don’t know how many Americans survived, but the old ways of doing things are over.”

  “Roger that.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  General Tyler L. Millman slammed the com down and looked at his commanders. “The LOMSD is moving a fuckload of troops into Russia! What have you got for me?”

  “We are no longer getting responses from the HRE, sir,” Colonel Smithfield responded. “Nor are we getting responses from France or Spain. The UK monarchy is still active, but to what extent we don’t know. It could just be a front since the troops are originating from that area.”

  “Africa has stated pure neutrality. They don’t want anything to do with the conflict,” Colonel Owens added. “They’ll supply food and resources to any country in need, but if they come under any aggression, or are asked to take sides, they’ll shut down supply lines until a resolution has been achieved.”

  “What about the Western hemisphere?” General Millman asked.

  “Brazilian and Mexican Empires are just waiting on word from us,” Colonel Smithfield said. “We have their full support and they are ready to back any move we make. A re-established America only strengthens their positions.”

  “Australia?”

  “Ready as always, sir,” Smithfield continued. “However, they want joint command when things get hot. They don’t plan on being our ‘girlfriend’ in this conflict is how they put it.”

  “I have no problem with that, as long as they stick to the plan,” the General nodded.

  “Canada is more of an issue, sir,” Colonel Owens added. “They’ve been babysitting North America for three hundred years and are a little hesitant to let us just move back in, sir. They want a joint alliance. A United North America, not just an America.”

  “Well, can’t say I’m surprised,” General MIllman laughed. “Their General Whitcomb has been saying as much for the past ten years. I don’t see a problem with it. They know the land better than we do.”

  “Which brings up some difficult news, sir,” Owens hesitated.

  “Spit it out, Owens.”

  “The UDC, sir. They aren’t responding to the LOMSD’s communications any longer.”

  “For how long?”

  “A couple weeks, sir.”

  “Have they fallen? It’s not another outbreak is it? I thought we had that taken care of.”

  “It is taken care of, sir. The airborne virus has been eradicated from the Earth. This is something different, sir.” Owens looked at Smithfield for help.

  “We’ve lost satellite surveillance, sir.” Smithfield took over. “We’re blind in the sky. All we’re getting is ground reports from the Canadians.”

  General Millman’s face took on a look of menace that both Colonels knew all too well. “Why is this the first I am hearing of this?”

  “Sorry, sir,” Smithfield continued. “We’ve had Techs on it and thought it was a glitch or we lost the satellite to orbital debris. There’s so much dead junk up there.”

  The General glared. “Your point is?”

  “The point is, sir, that we just received confirmation that it isn
’t tech related on our end…”

  “Keep talking, Colonel.”

  “Sir, the satellites are being jammed. By tech we assume is coming from the UDC.”

  “A coup?”

  “No way to know, sir, until we get in there. We’re blind for now.”

  “Excuse me, General?” a voice called over the com. “There is a secure com coming in from Prince Tartarov’s aircraft, sir. The security code matches that for Dr. Lisbon.”

  “Well, it’s about fucking time! Maybe I can get some answers from him, or whoever he is now,” the General grumbled. “Both of you stay here.”

  The Colonels nodded as Millman opened the com. “This is General Millman. That you, Lisbon?”

  “At one point, yes, General,” Beth’s voice said over the com. “I’m now the Vessel Elizabeth Laughlin.”

  “Laughlin? You’re the girl that the LOMSD has been shitting their pants about in the UK, right?” the General laughed. “Good to know even before activation you were making things difficult.”

  “Difficult is the word, sir,” Beth said, no trace of the General’s amusement in her voice. “Are we alone, sir?”

  “No we are not, Doctor-.”

  “Beth, sir. I integrated fully. Dr. Lisbon is dead and won’t be coming back,” Beth corrected.

  “Integrated fully?” The General raised his eyebrows, matching the surprised looks on both Colonel’s faces. “Is that possible?”

  “Yes, sir, it is now,” Beth insisted. “There was another personality component uploaded. That component was the missing link in full integration. My neural capacity has not been compromised, nor will it degrade over time like previous Vessels.”

  “Beth, this is Colonel Smithfield. What personality component are you talking about?”

  “Rachel Capreze, Colonel. The original genetic template that all Vessels are based on.”

  The three men sat upright suddenly.

  “Are you joking, Ms. Laughlin?” the General asked. “How was that achieved?”

  “That is what I need to report, sir. There has been a deep cover operative in place with Ms. Capreze for some time now. That operative was able to get a full neurological map of Ms. Capreze’s brain and integrate it with Dr. Lisbon’s neural upload. It took some massaging, but it kept me whole and has left all of Dr. Lisbon’s data intact.”