Famine

by R A Doty

  Cain eased off Colton’s arm, which was not only a relief to Colton, who had all he could do to hold Cain back, but for the man as well, who looked like he knew he was about to be torn to shreds. He saw what Cain was capable of many times in the past, and the expression on Cain’s face brought it all back.

  “David said for you to bring the boat back when you’re done with it, if that’s possible. It might come in handy again someday.”

  “We will,” Colton said.

  The one man nodded to the other, who cleared the way to the boat. As Janette walked past, she and the man exchanged a stare. When Cain walked past, the man backed up. He nearly fell backwards when Cain stamped his foot in his direction.

  The men took off to go back to the church when Colton started the boat. As it crept ever so slowly toward the ocean, Colton fixed his eyes on the brightened sky above Ancada. Never in a million years did he believe he would someday be going back.

  “So, this is it,” Dan said, walking up to stand beside Colton. “Do you think we’ll pull it off?”

  “All I can say is, I hope so, Dan.”

  “You don’t sound too confident, Cole.” Dan tapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve gotta have a positive attitude, my friend.”

  Colton smiled. “You’re one of a kind, Dan.”

  “That’s what the ladies say.” Dan admired all of the controls. “Can I give her a try?” It looked like a spaceship that flew over water instead of the sky.

  “Why not?” Colton said, moving to the right. “Just hold the wheel on course and place the other hand on the throttle.”

  Dan gripped the wheel with one hand and the lever Colton was holding with the other. “Like this?”

  “You got it.”

  “This is great!” Dan steered to the left and then the right. Everyone lost their balance for a moment. He then pushed the lever forward and the boat sped up.

  “Not too fast,” Colton said. “We won’t be able to stop in time when we near the island.”

  Dan pulled the lever back again and the boat slowed. It was by far one of the most exciting things he had ever done in life. He wished the island wasn’t approaching so fast and he could keep going. Forever. It was great.

  Janette walked over to Calla, who was gripping the rails running along the side of the boat and looking toward Ancada. She placed her hand on Calla’s shoulder. “Are you gonna be okay?”

  Calla nodded with a half-smile. It was easy to suggest she’d be okay, but inside her heart wanted to burst from her chest it was pounding so fast. She took a deep breath.

  “We’ll be by your side the whole time,” Janette reassured her.

  “I know. Thank you. I mean for everything. You guys didn’t have to come, and I just want you to know that I really appreciate it.”

  Janette gave her a hug. “We’ll get her back. Don’t worry.”

  The two girls stood side-by-side staring across the ocean as the city in the distance illuminated the entire sky above it. It was as if it were wearing a giant halo. The boat hummed and the waves splashed against its sides. The air was crisp and smelled like salt. It reminded Calla of when it was just her and April on the boat headed to the mainland. It was so terrifying, yet so exciting. And now April’s gone. Right back where she started.

  After having a little fun with the boat, and quickly approaching their destination, Dan decided it was best to hand the controls back to Colton.

  “Tell the girls to come here,” Colton said. “I want to go over the plan with them.”

  “You got it, skipper,” Dan replied.

  Dan walked over to the girls. “Cole wants us all in the cabin. Wants to go over what we’re gonna do when we dock.”

  Calla and Janette followed him to the cabin, where Cain and Colton were waiting.

  “I’m not sure how this is going to play out,” Colton said, “but if we’re lucky we’ll be able to dock undetected. I don’t see any reason whey they’d be expecting us, so it may go smoothly. If not, we’ll go to plan B.”

  “Which is?” Janette asked.

  “We’d have no choice but to retreat.”

  “We can’t give up that easy.”

  “You’ve never been to Ancada, Janette. If they detect us before we enter the city we’ll be sitting ducks on the outskirts of the wall.”

  “What’s the wall?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “How are we going to get past the wall?” Calla asked. “I know the code to the door near my house, but what if they changed it? And even if we did get past the wall, how will we enter the kennels? They must have changed that code.”

  They drew closer to the island and the only movement near the beach was the gentle bobbing of the other boats that were docked at the piers. Standing in front of the wall, as if guarding the entire city, stood the statue of the Power Select. Her arms extended forward with the palms of her hands facing up. Calla thought it looked as though she was asking: Why have you left?

  “You have got to be kiddin’,” Janette said, eyeing the wall. “What are they keeping in there? King Kong?”

  “Who’s that?” Calla asked.

  “I’ll tell you when we get back.”

  Colton steered toward the statue, hoping all along it would still be there. He turned to Calla. “In response to your previous question about getting past the wall, she’s going to let us in.”

  “Who?” Janette asked.

  “That beautiful bronze lady standing before us.”

  “I don’t understand,” Calla said. “The statue?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Colton killed the motor and skillfully coasted the boat right between two piers as if he had never left Ancada and had been doing it for the last twenty years. He cautiously scanned along the top of the wall and the perimeter of the beach, but it looked as though they hadn’t been detected. So far, so good, he thought. After tying off the boat, he led the others to the statue. Not a word was spoken.

  “Now what?” Janette asked, as they stopped in front of the God-like woman.

  The woman stood on a pedestal that was ornately embossed with roses around its perimeter. Colton walked behind the statue and pressed one of the roses just below the woman’s sandaled foot. The entire rear wall of the pedestal dropped into the sand, exposing a set of stairs.

  Calla’s mouth dropped open, looking at the stairs. “I never knew it did that.”

  “Not many people do,” Colton replied. “It was installed as a fail-safe in case the city was overthrown or needed to be secretly evacuated.” He turned to Calla. “Now comes the fun part. Which of the kennels were you responsible for?”

  “The one closest to the end.”

  “North end or south?”

  Calla tried to figure out which way was north and which was south. She gave up and waved her hand. “The one on the far end, furthest from us.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Colton said, descending the steps. “No talking until we enter the kennel. Voices have a way of traveling down here.”

  The stairs led to an endless-looking hallway with red lights mounted to the ceiling every ten feet. A door appeared periodically, leading to a selected few buildings around the city that only the powers-that-be knew of. After walking silently for five minutes, a row of spiral staircases stood in the center of the hallway, thirty feet apart. Colton walked past all of them except for the last, which is where he stopped.

  “Are you ready to go to work?” he said to Calla.

  Calla was amazed at everything she was seeing. The secret door in the statue, the hallway she never knew existed, the mysterious doors that she could only wonder where they led to, and now these funny, round stairs that looked like they stopped at the ceiling. What could possibly happen next?

  “I guess so,” she said.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  ONE would think that Manolin would be too distraught to sleep, having realized he would never escape the confines of the kennel, but to think that would be wrong.
In fact, he slept better than he had ever slept before. His imagination had never before had so much to think about after speaking with April about the pond on the mainland. The images were so vivid in his mind it was as if he was actually there, smelling the wildflowers and hearing the frogs. But dreams can’t last forever. His eyes popped open, a machine powering-up.

  He sat up on his bunk and collected his thoughts for a moment, his head still dizzy with sleep. He rubbed his eyes and then rose to his feet. Moonlight shined through the chain-link fence into the yard. He could see it through the window of his door as he walked toward it. As he stared out the window, it looked as though the concrete cube in the middle of the yard moved. Was his mind playing tricks on him? And then it started to rise in the air and flopped over onto its side. Voices could be heard from the dark hole in the floor where it had initially sat. A head appeared, rising out of the darkness, and soon the body of an entire man stood in the yard. Another head appeared, quickly transforming into another person. From the shadows of his pen, Manolin watched as three more bodies appeared from the floor under the cube. He recognized one of them: Calla.

  “I never would have guessed in a million years that the cube could move,” Calla said. “Isn’t it made of concrete?”

  “Just a very thin layer on the exterior to create the illusion of solid concrete,” Colton replied. “The framework itself is made from a composite material, somewhat like a combination of wood and plastic.”

  “But why weren’t the nutrimen able to move it?”

  “It was secured to the floor by the lever underneath that I unlatched.”

  Calla studied the cube, a long hinge still holding it to the floor along one edge. “That’s amazing.” She thought of all the times she had cleaned the yard without knowing the secret of the cube.

  “I don’t mean to rush you,” Colton said, “but it’s time to punch in the code to the door so we can find April.”

  Calla immediately dismissed the wonders of the cube after being reminded of April. She rushed to the door and punched in the code she had used so many times in the past.

  Nothing happened.

  “Try to relax,” Colton said. “You’re just nervous. Give it another try.”

  Dan glanced at Janette and Cain, who, in turn, concentrated on Calla. If she couldn’t remember the code, the mission was over. There was no other way out of the kennel except to cut through the fence, which was impossible without the proper tools. And even if they could cut the fence, it still wouldn’t give them access to the other parts of the kennel where they’re keeping April.

  Calla rested her chin in her hand, trying to remember the code. She couldn’t have gotten it wrong. Yes, she was nervous, but not enough to lose her memory. She reached out again and slowly pushed each number, absolutely positive she had it right. The door didn’t open. She raised her hands in the air. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sure that’s it.”

  And then it opened. But not because of the code she punched in. William Weston entered with Chief Officer Brodie and three armed officers behind him. Calla quickly backed away from the door.

  “You couldn’t have thought it would be that easy, Colton,” Weston said with a smile. “Although you must be so proud to have remembered how to bypass the wall through the statue of our wonderful leader. And yet you must think us so foolish to have left the doorway to our city unguarded, for anyone to enter at will.” Weston walked past Colton and the others and stopped at the overturned cube, lying on its side. He bent down and turned the cube upright to its original position. He then turned back to Colton.

  “But there was one detail you didn’t consider. A tiny little detail that was added after you left. You see, Colton, it would be foolish to eliminate the door in the statue, after all, how would we regain control of the city after a siege? But it would be even more foolish to leave that door without a way of knowing if and when it was ever opened. I’m surprised you didn’t notice the sensors. We knew of your entry within seconds.”

  “Then why did you wait so long to capture us?” Janette said.

  Weston glanced at her. At first, he considered ignoring this strange girl he didn’t recognize and returning to Colton, but the answer she sought would explain why he wanted them right where they were. He walked up to the young woman who showed no sign of fear. “I waited because you did exactly what I thought you would do. And now here we are, right where I wanted you. Enclosed in a cell with no means to escape.”

  Cain stepped toward the officers, who immediately raised their weapons.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Weston said, predicting his intentions.

  Brodie smiled, welcoming the challenge. He and Cain locked eyes until Janette grabbed Cain’s arm, pulling him back.

  Dan contemplated pulling out his handgun, but he knew it would be pointless against the other men’s weapons. He might be able to shoot one of them, but then where would they be? He’d probably end up dead, and the others would be one man short. It was best to wait, to keep the gun concealed.

  Weston approached Calla. “And here you are, Callarina. Right back in this very kennel where it all started. You must be so disappointed to have exerted so much effort to such an admirable cause for nothing. Was it really worth it?”

  Calla lowered her head.

  Colton stepped forward. “Of course, it was. She has more common sense than this entire city. Hell, more than all the members of the Power Elite combined.” He stepped closer to Weston and the officers followed. Weston nodded, and they relaxed. “And after everything that transpired,” Colton continued, “you still don’t get it. Are you really that naïve?”

  “Enlighten me,” Weston said.

  “All right I will. The reason Calla did what she did was because it came naturally to her. She immediately noticed what April was, and she couldn’t ignore it like the rest of you somehow managed to. What you have here Bill isn’t a newly created food source. You’re on the brink of creating the perfect human being. One that has the ability to use every ounce of their brain tissue. Don’t you have any idea how beneficial that would be to the human race? They would be able to cure any disease or solve any problem that might arise. If allowed, they may even be able to understand why the human body deteriorates with the passing of time and figure out a way to extend our longevity.” Colton stepped even closer to Weston, his voice considerably lower. “This is exactly what we started out to accomplish.”

  Weston considered Colton’s argument, but only briefly. He had another agenda and it would take a hell of a lot more convincing for him to abort it than a speech from a man who had abandoned Ancada years ago. “Given the state the human race is in, I hardly see how extending the life span of every human being on the planet will solve the problem of mass starvation. It seems counterintuitive to me. If anything, it will prolong the problem and we will inevitably be right back where we are now. What the Power Elite and myself are trying to accomplish, which I believe I have, is to create a lasting food source that is replenishable and will never become extinct. Its intelligence level is insignificant to our cause.” Weston locked eyes with Colton. “Have you ever once considered what would become of the human race if we stopped dying? You can’t just wish for something like that without understanding the repercussions. It’s an impractical fantasy.”

  Weston walked toward the only empty pen. “As much as I love our little debates, Colton, we really have to get back to the matter at hand.” He opened the door and sent the officers into action with a nod of his head. They herded Colton, Dan, Janette, Cain, and Calla through the open door Weston was standing beside.

  “You do understand, Colton, that there’s no other way,” Weston said, now standing in the doorway, facing Colton and the others. I know why you came and I can’t just release you.”

  Colton stepped forward. “Tell me then, Bill, why did I come?”

  “You obviously came for the female nutrimen.”

  “That’s who I came for. But tell me why I c
ame?”

  The smallest of smiles appeared on Weston’s face as he studied Colton. “You know, don’t you?” The smile grew wider. “Of course, you do. Why else would you risk your life to save a common nutrimen?”

  “She’s not common, you twit,” Janette said. “Haven’t you heard anything Colton’s been saying? April’s smarter than all of you pretentious assholes put together.”

  Weston looked at the annoying girl, standing behind Colton. “And who exactly are you again?”

  Janette stepped forward. “I’m someone that’s gonna try my damnedest to bring this place down.”

  “Is she another one of your daughter’s as well, Colton?”

  “Unfortunately, she’s not. But I’d be proud if she were.”

  She didn’t exactly know why, but for some reason Janette was moved by Colton’s response. Maybe it was because it’s been a very long time since anyone even hinted that they were proud of her for something. She almost felt as though she was once again a part of a family. A very dysfunctional family, but if she had to choose, that’s the way she would want it. Normality is boring. Colton gave her a nod, which she returned with a modest grin.

  “I am sorry that I can’t provide more suitable accommodations,” Weston said. “Unfortunately, this is all I can come up with on such short notice. I should be able to find a separate cell for each of you in the morning, but for now this will have to do. I hope you understand.” He looked at Calla. “And your dorm is waiting just as you left it. You can have until morning to say your goodbyes.”

  Weston closed the door. As he and the officers were leaving the kennel he exchanged a glance with the male nutrimen he had brought to April earlier. Manolin, he remembered. For a brief moment, after Weston and his men had left, all was quiet. Calla’s voice broke the silence. Manolin turned his head sideways to his door to hear her better.

  “I can’t go back to that room,” Calla said, staring down at the floor. She couldn’t imagine herself being caged like an animal whose entire existence was for one sole purpose. And yet that’s exactly what she and everyone else in Ancada expected of April and the other nutrimen. She wondered how she could have been so blind and heartless.