Damnation

by Ken Barrett

  “Not really, and there are other things to consider,” he responded. “First, quite a few in our shelter are injured and can’t travel, so they’ll have to be left behind along with others to protect and care for them. And second, the larger the group we take, the slower we’ll travel, and speed is crucial to our success.”

  “It sounds like you want to split our forces,” Tiger stated.

  “Yeah, and those that stay behind have to be ready to move out if we’re defeated, that way some of you will survive,” Liam said.

  “Move out of our shelter?” Kelly asked. “Where will we go?”

  “Granby at first, but you’ll need to keep moving after that,” Rose answered with a nod. “You’ll take all the food you can carry, along with seeds and other supplies from hydroponics. The goal is to settle somewhere that’s so far away that the cult won’t find you.”

  “That’s right Sis,” he said. “The radio we brought with us can be used to keep in touch with those that stay behind. They’ll hear about it if things go bad for us on the road, and will have time to evacuate before the Scarred Faithful returns, and if we win, the shelter can prepare to care for our injured.”

  “A lot of us old farmers are gonna be ok with that plan,” Patrick said. “We’ve all been itching to get our hands dirty again. It’ll be good to return to the land.”

  “How many should we send after the Scarred Faithful?” Tiger asked.

  “A hundred at most,” Liam replied.

  “You got no chance against their army,” Patrick said. “There’s just too many of ‘em.”

  “Speed and trickery will work to our advantage.” At the corner of his vision, Liam saw Rose glance at him and knew by the look in her eyes that she understood his plan.

  She nodded slightly. “Liam’s right. We’ll leave here with the hundred, but will go ahead of them to meet the enemy on our own. We can run all day and all night, so we’ll get to Glenwood before Adar expects us.”

  “Glenwood? That’s 150 kilometers away, can you really go all that way with no rest?” Kelly asked.

  “We’ll be tired when we get there, but yes, we can run the entire way,” Rose replied.

  “Wait.” Tiger raised his hands in disbelief. “You’re goin’ by yourselves? A hundred attacking several thousand is bad enough, but just two of you facing them is even worse, it’s just crazy.”

  “We’ll get there before the trials start,” Rose said. “If we wait, a lot of our people will be murdered before the hundred catches up with us. And there’s also the children that were taken, not just Keith and Denise’s baby boy. My brother and I won’t stand for children being brutalized.”

  “We’ll approach Glenwood from the east, following the Colorado River, and use the geography to our advantage,” Liam said. “The river runs through an extremely narrow and deep canyon just east of their camp, that’s the choke point where Rose and I will make our stand. Only a few of their soldiers can come at us at a time, and we can handle that.”

  “What if they circle around and attack from behind?” Tiger asked.

  “That’s what the hundred that’s following us are there to prevent.”

  “I’ll go with you guys,” Janus stated. “Three of us stand a better chance than two.”

  “I’d like to take you up on that because we could really use your help,” Liam said.

  “There’s a ‘but’ coming, I can just feel it,” Janus replied glumly.

  “Yeah, there is,” he replied. “We need you to stay behind and guard the shelter because you’re so strong and brave. In the worst case, Rose and I, and the hundred with us will all be killed. We need you to protect the farmers and young families when they’re on the road. They’ll be under your care; do you think you can handle that Janus?”

  “Yes, I can, and will do as you ask,” she answered.

  “The ones that stay behind will need you,” Rose said. “It’s a big responsibility.”

  “And we’re happy that you’ll be with us, not just for your strength and courage, but for what you know.” Kelly patted the back of Janus’s hand. “We’ll need that if we have to start over somewhere else, and even if we stay here, you’re the only one that understands all the technical stuff that keeps our shelter running.”

  Janus sighed. “Alright, yes, ok.” She looked directly at Liam. “But, when you get back, I want to hear about everything that happens, especially to Adar and his nut-job partner Todecca. I also hope you make Oxana pay for what she did to my other self.”

  Rose frowned. “Do you feel some of Roxi’s attachment to the man that was her partner?”

  “Not really; not like you’d think I would at least.” Janus shifted in her seat. “It’s weird because I remember Roxi’s life and how happy she was with Sam, but I don’t get any of the feelings that go along with it. I think some part of her would like to confront Adar, and slap the shit out of Todecca.”

  Rose smiled. “Yes, that sounds like something Roxi would do. I miss her, but am glad you’re with us now.”

  “She loved you, just as she loved her own daughter Denise,” Janus whispered.

  “You know, you’re really not Roxi at all, you’re more like her daughter. It’s as if she’s told you all her stories and shared all she knows with you, just as any parent would teach her child,” Rose said.

  “That’s nice.” Janus smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Everyone here likes you, Janus,” Kelly said. “They trust you with their lives and want you to help lead them.”

  “I guess their view of technology has changed,” Liam observed. “No one seems to hate our kind anymore.”

  “A lot of them never did,” Kelly stated. “At the time it was just easier and safer for them to go with the trend. As they’ve gotten to know Janus, a lot of their fears have been proved false. Most folks here are ashamed of what they said and did, but are too embarrassed to apologize.”

  “Well, I still think all three of you are of the Fairy Folk,” Alice stated. “The legends of the Sidhe are ancient, and back then there was no one that knew the difference between magic and technology.”

  “That’s a nice thought dear.” Rose smiled. “And we’ll take that as the sincerest of compliments.”

  *****

  Liam and Rose spent the entire day in the level twelve cafeteria chatting with everyone that came by. Neither wanted to return to their old quarters; there were too many painful memories within those walls. And yet, they both worried about their former partners and hoped they could be rescued before it was too late.

  What would happen when they met Keith and Denise again? Just thinking about it tightened his chest with anxiety. On one hand, he was happy for them; they had a baby and a life together, and that was a good and necessary thing if the human species was going to survive. But on the other hand, he felt betrayed and resentful because of what they had done. Could a truce be found between his emotions? He wished he could just shut the darned things off sometimes, but they were built into his core program, and therefore unassailable.

  He still cared deeply for Denise and knew that Rose felt the same way about Keith. Together they would sacrifice everything, including their lives, to ensure their former partner’s safety. Their chances of surviving the conflict were dim, but if they did, he hoped the tension between them might be resolved. At worst he and Rose could move away, maybe back to Granby where he would finish the home he was building by the lake. Yes, that would work. Everyone would be happy then; Denise, Keith, and their baby would be safe and could live long fruitful lives in Steamboat, and he and his sister would be far enough away to not resent their happiness.

  Many people passed through the cafeteria that day, they talked and laughed loudly as they came together in small groups; their good cheer resonated and filled the room. He watched them objectively; humans were amazing creatures that were capable of creating so much beauty, and yet they were often terribly destructive.

  The evolution of their soul intrigued him. Lucy Gale
n had developed the method that allowed him and his sister, and now Janus, to become self-aware. It was an algorithm that subjected a budding consciousness to the knowledge gained by living thousands of simulated lifetimes, with each experience building on what was previously gained, thereby constructing their minds piece by piece. Had humans traveled a similar road? Without an external framework to store what was gained with each lifetime, it didn’t seem possible, but perhaps there was more to the human soul than he understood.

  He looked around at the human assembly and hoped they weren’t the last of their kind. Although they were frequently cruel, intolerant, and destructive, the universe would be an empty place without them. The most dangerous things are often the most beautiful.

  “Liam!” Rose was shaking his shoulder. “Come back to us.”

  Janus chuckled. “Roxi remembers that when Liam first woke up, she thought his brain was broken.”

  “Not broken, just tangled and overworked,” Rose replied. “My brother spends way too much time in his head, but it’s usually for the good because he figures stuff out that everyone else can’t.”

  “Did he really send the Socialists to the other side of the universe with no way back?” Janus asked.

  “Hey, I’m right here, so quit talking about me.” He turned to Janus. “Have you heard anything from the shelters in Salida and Buena Vista?”

  “Yeah,” Janus replied. “I don’t remember much of it directly because it was before I woke up, but Roxi talked to them over the radio right before your trial.”

  “What did she learn?” he asked.

  “She told them what Adar’s people were doing here at Steamboat, and that scared the crap out of them, so they decided to not let the missionaries in when they got there. In Salida, the priests tried to break in, but the shelter commander sent people outside to kill them. I guess the ones that were on their way to Buena Vista heard what happened, and they all turned tail and ran back to Glenwood.

  “That’s what I remember from Roxi, but after I woke up, I’ve learned that Adar got really pissed off about his priests being murdered, and is building up his Scarred Faithful Army to send against them after he finishes with us. Their orders will be to get through their doors and kill everyone inside.”

  “Such a compassionate cult,” he grumbled.

  “If they have their way, human civilization will return to the Dark Ages,” Rose stated. “We can’t let that happen.”

  “I know Sis, and we won’t.”

  Janus leaned forward to whisper, “Do you really think you can save everyone that’s been taken?”

  “No,” Liam replied. “The ones that willingly joined the cult can die along with Adar and his priests. As for the rest, we’ll do the best we can to save them.”

  “You’ll not be able to just walk in there and get them; they’re surrounded by an army,” Janus stated.

  “Adar knows we’re coming, so he’ll hold off on the trials until he knows we’re there, and he’ll make a spectacle of it to draw us in,” he replied. “What he doesn’t know is that it will be just Rose and me, and we’ll be there sooner than he expects. With that advantage, we’ll be able to get in close without being seen.”

  “And you’ll start moving people out before the trials actually start,” Janus stated.

  “That’s the plan,” he replied.

  “I don’t see the endgame,” Janus said. “You can only get by their guards so many times before you’re caught.”

  “We know,” Rose said.

  “There isn’t a way out for you guys, is there?” Janus shook her head.

  “Maybe not,” Liam replied. “But we’ll kill Adar and as many of his priests as we can before we’re taken.”

  “Without their leaders, the cult will die on its own,” Rose added.

  “That sucks for you guys though.” Janus looked over her shoulder at the scattered groups of humans around the room. “Are you sure they’re worth it?”

  “No,” Rose answered. “But we won’t lower ourselves to their level. We’re not saving them for their sake, we’re doing it because all life is sacred, and preserving it is the right thing to do.”

  *****

  “Ok, everyone that’s with the hundred going to Glenwood, move in close so you can hear!” Tiger shouted.

  Liam smiled as he watched the confident young man that stood on a tabletop alongside his partner. They both had changed and grown, becoming leaders of their community. Together they would co-command the force of one hundred that would rescue those taken by the cult.

  “We’ll be leaving before sunrise tomorrow morning and have a four-day walk ahead of us over rough terrain,” Tiger said. “So hit your racks early, I want everyone rested and ready to go. Weapons and supplies will be waiting for us on level two. Don’t be late, because we will leave without you.”

  “Remember, we’re on a rescue mission,” Alice added. “The lives of our neighbors, friends, and families depend on us. You all represent the best and strongest among our population, and I’m sure that everyone here is ready for the job ahead.” She looked over the crowd, then nodded toward a young man with his hand raised. “Yes Roger?”

  “What about those that stay behind?” the thin blond man asked. “How’re they gonna be safe if we take all the guns?”

  Tiger stepped forward to answer the question. “We’re only bringing half of our lasers and railguns with us, so those that stay here can still fight if it comes to that, but we don’t think it will. Janus will be running things while we’re gone, and she’ll keep in contact with us by radio the whole way. If things go bad on the road, she’ll evacuate everyone to a town southeast of here.”

  As the crowd murmured in agreement, Rose leaned close to whisper in Liam’s ear. “No one seems to mind that an android will be in charge.”

  He nodded. “Surprising, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe not,” she answered. “They saw how the priests used their superstitions against them, a rebound from that experience is natural.”

  A dark-skinned woman raised her hand. “The Scarred Faithful left weeks ago, and now you’re adding four more days. How can we get to Glenwood in time to save our people?”

  “Their large force can’t move as fast as our smaller one, so what we can travel in four days will probably take them several weeks,” Alice stated. “Also, Liam and Rose will go ahead of the rest of us because they can run the whole way.”

  “They’ll still be too late to save anyone,” the woman insisted.

  “We hope not,” Alice said. “But this is the best we can do, so it has to be enough.”

  Liam raised his hand and waited to be called on. “Yes Liam?” Tiger asked.

  “Adar knows that Rose and I will try to rescue those he’s taken, and he’ll have soldiers watching for us and will use our people as bait once we arrive.”

  The young man nodded. “And if our people were already dead, Adar wouldn’t have any bait. So, they’re probably being held out in the open where they can be seen.”

  “What Adar doesn’t know is that we’re splitting our force, with the larger part trailing behind at a slower pace,” Liam continued. “His scouts will only see your progress, so his army won’t be ready when my sister and I arrive much earlier than expected.”

  “How fast can you get there?” the woman asked.

  “Running all day and into the night over rough terrain, it should take us about fifteen hours; it’ll be difficult, but we can do it.”

  “We’ll start sneaking into their camp and getting our people out as soon as we arrive,” Rose added.

  “Thank you.” The woman smiled. “We’re lucky to have you on our side.”

  Chapter 24: Stealth

  The weather patterns from before the solar storm were reasserting themselves, reminding everyone that winter’s season would soon be upon them. A damp chilling wind blew in from the north, bending the brittle branches of the scorched forest and filling the air with their creaking complaints. High above, the
ebony sky was speckled with stars and held up by the great arch of the Milky Way Galaxy.

  Liam and Rose waited outside with the hundred volunteers that would follow them to Glenwood. The humans shivered in the cold as they lifted heavy backpacks onto their shoulders then covered themselves with ponchos and wide-brimmed hats. At first, they seemed excessively burdened, but, considering that they had to carry camping gear, their food, extra clothing, and spare batteries for their unaltered L80 laser rifles, their cargo was necessary after all.

  He and his sister were not so constrained; while they also wore hats and ponchos, they only carried modified L80’s that were strapped across their backs. Their weapons were among the few that had been altered to use infinite diamond batteries, similar to the ones Roxi had placed in their chest cavities. The rifles were another key advantage they had over the Scarred Faithful, whose guns would run out of energy while theirs wouldn’t. Whether that would be enough to save their lives remained questionable though.

  Beside him, Rose turned back toward the outer hatch and smiled. “Here comes Janus.”

  “I just wanted to wish you guys good luck,” the young android said.

  “Luck?” Liam scoffed.

  “Yeah, I know.” Janus shook her head and gazed down at her feet. “I just really want you guys to come back safe; because if you don’t, I’ll be all alone.”

  “What my brother and I are doing is a risk,” Rose stated. “But believe me, we don’t have a death wish, so we’ll all be back together soon.”

  “Your new power supplies should help, right?” Janus asked.

  “They should,” Rose replied. “I’ve sped up our autonomic repair routines as well, so we’ll be awfully hard to kill.”

  “Humans can be persistent though,” Janus replied. “So, be careful.”

  “We will,” Rose answered as she stepped forward to give the young woman a lingering hug.

  Janus wiped her eyes as she stepped away. “And don’t you worry about a thing on this end. I’ll have both inner and outer hatches repaired and secured before the day is over.”