“Those are all yours. They don’t seem to have helped Max,” Alistair shrugged. “Should we go check on your brother?”
“Eh, I guess. But you gotta go see your family after. Don’t blow this off.”
“Fine…I will,” Alistair said through his teeth.
Smiling, Daniel walked to the door. Together he and Alistair left the utility room and headed down the hall. The long, drab corridor was a desolate path, like most other places down in the Egg. People didn’t tend to linger in open spaces, there wasn’t much joy to be found in a bunker. And seeing the same faces everyday had turned everyone into hermits on some level.
That type of seclusion did things to the mind and could turn the most outgoing person into a recluse. No one could prepare for the effects of a life spent underground. But the somberness they were feeling now was for entirely different reasons.
“You awake in here?” Daniel asked as he pushed the door open and leaned inside.
“Go away,” Trevor snapped.
“I brought Alistair with me.”
“I don’t care. Go away.”
Daniel glanced over his shoulder and motioned for Alistair to follow. Alistair groaned then shrugged and fell in line. He had his own family drama to deal with but he tried to be understanding.
Moving further into the darkness, Daniel felt his way along the wall until he found the light switch. He flipped it on, throwing rays all across the room.
“I told you to go away!” Trevor roared and threw a pillow in their general direction.
He was sitting on the couch with a vacant stare cast toward the blank wall across from him. His head was slumped forward and lines of tears were dried across his cheeks. Raising his hand, he drew back from the light and grumbled.
“We’re not leaving you to sit around in the dark. You gotta get out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Just leave me alone.”
“This isn’t healthy Trevor,” Daniel said with a sight. “And it’s not gonna bring anyone back.”
“I don’t care. I wanna be alone.”
Trevor stood up and headed into the backroom. Daniel followed, still badgering him along the way. Trevor walked into his bedroom and tried to close the door, but Daniel stuck his foot into the crack.
“Where’s Chloe?” Daniel asked.
“With Ashley. Go bug her.”
“We’ve all got shit to deal with Trevor,” Daniel said then pulled his foot back and let the door slam. “Get your head out of your ass!”
“Fuck you, Daniel!”
“Dude, I’m not trying to fight with you. I’m worried about you.”
“Worry about yourself!”
Daniel shook his head then banged his fists on the door. He swallowed back tears and squeezed his hands together. Fuming, he made his way back to the living room where Alistair was waiting by the door.
“I’m gonna go,” Alistair mumbled.
“You coming back tonight?”
“I think I’m gonna just stay with my mom.”
“I’m sure she’ll like that.”
Alistair smiled then turned and left the room. He hurried across the facility and stopped outside of the apartment he’d called home for years. As he stared at the door, he wondered how different things would be if his dad was still around. He thought about how many more smiles his mom would have and how many less lines of worry would meander across her face. It was a constant thought as he watched more strands of gray fall from his mother’s head every time he saw her.
But he couldn’t change the past. His dad had been gone for five years and Alistair still felt a twist in his stomach as he opened the door, hoping to find him sitting on the couch in the living room.
“You came!” Melinda gasped as her tired face stretched into a brimming smile.
Alistair smiled back then stepped inside and gave his mom a hug. She squeezed him tightly, like she thought he might try and run.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too.”
“Alistair!” David and Charlie screamed in unison as they rushed into the room.
Alistair gave them a big hug and smiled. “You didn’t eat all the cake yet, did you?”
“Not yet,” Charlie laughed. “You’re just in time.”
“Told you he wasn’t dead,” David said and nudged Charlie on the arm.
“What?”
“He thought you were dead like dad. He said that’s the only reason you wouldn’t come and see us.”
Alistair lowered his head as a mountain of guilt tried to hammer him into the ground. He glanced at his mother then quickly looked away as her eyes welled with the agony she’d been trying to hide. He’d been so concerned with running from the pain of his father’s death that he hadn’t realized he’d left his family alone when they needed him the most.
You’re the man of the house when I’m gone. His father’s words echoed in his head. You keep your brother’s safe and always look out for your mom.
“I’m sorry,” sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”
He collapsed to his knees as his mom shrouded him in her arms.
“It’s okay, baby,” she whispered in his ear.
Alistair wiped his face and sniffled, “I’ll do better. I’ll keep us safe.”
CHAPTER 2
THE CATALYST
Max cleared his throat and looked up at Craig. “I think it’s time,” he said in a firm voice.
“It’s not safe. You said it yourself, we’ll be sending them on a suicide mission.”
“Staying in here is a suicide mission. The scrubbers are done. We can’t vent this place fast enough without the scrubbers and the oxygen farm is dying. We take our chances out there or we’re all gonna die in here.”
“How long do we have?” MJ asked.
Max lowered his head and looked away. “Two weeks.”
“What!” Alistair blared from the door. He barged inside and stopped beside the table. “I knew the food rations were running low…but you’re saying we have two weeks until we all suffocate?”
“Come in, have a seat,” MJ replied.
Alistair lowered his head as he felt her eyes casting disappointment. “Sorry,” he mumbled and sat down at the aging, wooden table.
Nearly every day, MJ stressed to him how important it was that he learned to control his temper. He needed to act more like an adult if he ever wanted anyone to take him seriously. Never mind that he’d become the most familiar with all of the systems besides Max. Never mind that when something needed to be fixed, he was the person they called on. None of that mattered, everyone still saw him as the same clunky sixteen-year-old whose father died and needed to be coddled.
“I…I couldn’t sleep,” Alistair said in a near whisper. “Sorry for interrupting.”
MJ frowned then turned back to Max. “So, our options are die, or send a team topside where they’ll probably die?”
“Those aren’t choices at all,” Craig added.
“Are we gonna just pretend like we didn’t plan for this?” Max asked defensively. “We knew at some point we’d have to go out, we’d have to see what’s left of the world. This, this just makes our decision easy.”
Craig laughed. “Easy? Nothing about this is easy. This place is falling apart, and we’re stuck down here like rats.”
“We just fixed the scrubber,” Alistair said. “And we told you that thing was busted months ago. Why’d you let it get this bad?”
Max cast a dirty look at Alistair then turned back to the table. He leaned his head forward and grumbled loudly. “We’ve been down here longer than I thought we ever could,” he barked. “I gave you five years back…five years. This isn’t the way it was supposed to go. I made the best out of a horrible situation and now what…you want me to fix the impossible? Well I can’t! I can’t do everything!”
“Geez. Sorry, okay?”
“It’s not okay. Everything is always my fault. Something’s broke…go ask Max. Somebody dies, Max shoul
d’ve done something. I never asked for any of this!”
“Max!” Craig snapped and slammed his fist onto the table.
Max shot straight up. He wiped a tear from his cheek and looked at Craig with wild eyes. His face was red and his hands shook as he clapped them together and wedged them between his legs.
“We don’t have time for this shit!” Craig continued. “What’s your plan?”
With a deep breath, Max straightened up and turned to face Craig. “Sorry, I…I’ve just been really stressed lately.”
“It’s fine. Tell us what you had in mind.”
“There’s only one thing we can do. We have to send a team out.”
“I’m going!” Alistair demanded.
MJ gave him a sideways glance and huffed. “Go out and do what? We’re not gonna find supplies out there, we’re not gonna find help.”
“Go and check it out for the rest of us,” Max replied.
“And?”
“And hope that the air is breathable, hope that there’s something up there for us. You may not want to hear this, but we’ve outstayed our welcome down here,” Max said grimly then turned to Alistair. “And yeah, I know you told me all about the broken equipment. Everything down here is on year five of a three-year lifespan. It’s time to go.”
Craig stared across the table with a vacant face. He’d known this day was coming for a while. They’d been testing air samples and sending unmanned drones above ground, but none had returned. Now it seemed time itself was against them and no matter what reservations he had, he knew outside had to be better than the fate that lay ahead if they did nothing.
The scrubbers weren’t the only thing failing. Food was running out, the water tanks were nearly dry, particle and substrate filters were working at 20% effectiveness, tensions were at the breaking point and people were ready to kill each other.
Nothing had gone the way they thought it would. They should’ve been back to the top once the dust settled, but the world had other plans. From what Max could tell there’d been a nuclear meltdown somewhere in East Asia. The fallout swept across North America, polluting the air. That was three years ago and they’d seen no sign suggesting things had improved.
“Will the suits hold?” MJ asked after a long silence.
“There’s no reason they shouldn’t. They were designed for use on Mars. But I have to be honest, if we still need those damn things it won’t matter how good they work.”
“Should we take this to the council?” MJ turned to Craig and asked.
“Why?” Max growled. “This isn’t up for debate. We have to head out, at least right now we can control the terms.”
Craig shook his head and grunted. “No, no. The council should meet on this. You’re right, it won’t inform our decision, but they have a right to know before we start sending people topside.”
“And when they complain and tell us to find another way, what then? You know this whole council thing was your idea in the first place. I’ve always hated the idea of needing permission to keep everyone alive.”
“We inform the council,” Craig said with a deadening certainty in his voice. “Plan this out, Max, make sure you don’t miss anything.” With that, he stood up and walked out of the room.
“I’m going,” Alistair repeated as if he could speak it into existence.
“Give it a break, kid,” Max replied.
“I’m going.”
Max ignored him and turned to face MJ. “What’s your boyfriend’s problem?”
“Don’t put me in the middle of your shit. Figure out what the hell we’re doing. Put your little nerdy brain to some use because a lot of people’s lives, including my son’s, are riding on this. And I’m taking the kid, Max.”
“It’s not a field trip, MJ.”
“Are you kidding me? You stay behind your desk with your computer and your charts. Did you forget this kid was already in the field?”
“I’m not a kid, damn it!” Alistair groaned.
MJ cut her eyes at him then turned back to Max. “Not only has he proven himself, but if you’re not joining us, who else knows the ins and outs of this place?”
“Maybe I will join you.”
MJ laughed. “Yeah, cause that’s what you do. I’ll see you at the council meeting, Max.”
CHAPTER 3
THE COUNCIL
Melinda leaned her head back against the sofa and took a deep breath. She swept her brown locks from her face as the lonely strands of silver hung over her eyes. She’d earned them, not through age, but worry and fatigue. Her life was hard and the hole Randall’s death had carved in her heart only grew as time passed.
Yawning, she stretched her arms into the air. Somewhere above her, she envisioned the sun shining, birds flying from tree to tree as the wind pushed the leaves around like a baby rattle, and the smell of salt-licked air. Somewhere above her, she envisioned a life where her kids could grow and see more than just four walls, somewhere there was a life waiting to start.
“Mom!” David called, snapping her out of her daydream. “Mom, someone’s at the door.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know…Hank, Hugo, one of those military guys.”
Melinda took a calming breath then pushed herself to a stand. She kissed David on the forehead as he passed then pulled open the door.
“Ma’am,” the narrow-faced soldier said lowly.
“How can I help you tonight, Hugo?”
“They’re convening the council ma’am.”
“The council? Tonight? And for what?”
“I don’t know. They’re meeting in the war room now.”
“It’s ten o’clock,” Melinda grumbled. “What’s that important?”
Hugo shrugged.
“Thanks Hugo. I’ll…I’ll be there.”
Melinda closed the door and walked back toward the living room. David and Charlie were standing at the edge of the carpet with confused looks.
“Is it Alistair?” David asked.
“What?”
“Is that why they were here?”
“No. I’ve got to go to a meeting. I’ll be back in a little and you two need to get to bed.”
They simultaneously moaned and threw their arms in the air, but turned around and headed to their room. “You never tell us anything,” David said under his breath as he vanished around the corner.
Fighting nerves, Melinda left her apartment and headed for the war room. It was a small meeting room in the center of the facility. A few years ago, they started using it to hold discussions that impacted the group, that’s when the council was formed.
Ten members strong, the council was supposed to have final say on everything that went on. It wasn’t as formal as it sounded, since nearly every action taken was either life or death, but it made people feel like they had a voice in their own destiny. In reality, whatever Craig, MJ and Max said was the way it went.
“Melinda,” Craig said with a smile and extended his arm.
She shook his hand firmly and looked away. He frowned then stepped to the side so she could enter the room. Some scars never fully healed and the vast gap between them seemed impossible to cross.
“How’ve you been?” Cynthia asked as Melinda took a seat a next to her.
“Hanging in,” she replied.
“Oh,” Cynthia said in a low voice with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry…I forgot it was that time again.”
“Don’t worry about it. So, what’s this all about?”
Cynthia shrugged. “You know Craig makes everything dramatic. He’s probably gonna tell us they plan to use new lightbulbs.”
Chuckling, Melinda rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I’d actually be in favor of that.”
Max walked into the room followed by MJ and Alistair. Melinda sat up and stared across the table at her son, but didn’t say anything. He took a seat and trained his eyes toward the back of the room.
“This couldn’t wait until the morning?” Thomas asked as h
e entered the room, his eyes searching for an empty chair.
“Sorry to disturb you, old man,” Craig replied.
“At least we’ve got some good company,” Thomas said with a nonchalant shrug.
He pulled a chair out beside Melinda and took a seat. Melinda glanced at him and smiled. Alistair cringed, but made sure to avoid eye contact.
“Haven’t seen you since…” Thomas’ voice trailed off.
Melinda blushed and tried to hide her embarrassment. “I’ve just been busy…I’ve been meaning to come see you.”
“Well, I haven’t moved or left the state, yet.”
Melinda grinned then turned away. Sighing, Thomas leaned back in his chair and stared toward the front of the room as Craig closed the door and cleared his throat.
Cynthia leaned into Melinda’s ear and whispered, “It’s normal…nothing to be ashamed of. This is a small place, but it’s lonely. There’s nothing wrong with wanting company.”
“Okay, okay. I’m sure you’re all wondering why we’re here so late,” Craig said before Melinda could reply. “I’ll try to make this quick. We are taking a team topside.”
The room erupted in a chorus of gasps. Chatter broke out and some immediately objected. Craig let them complain for a few moments then raised his hand to silence the room.
“I know this is alarming, especially after what happened last year, but its necessary. I promise you that, or we wouldn’t even consider it.”
“How’s it necessary?” Cindy asked and cast a glance at Max.
“This facility is nearing end of life,” Craig replied.
“What!”
Max stood up and raised his arms. “We always knew this wasn’t forever, and thank God it’s not. We’ve already seen what living like this does to the mind.”
“So, now we’re just gonna send more people up there?” Cindy asked.
“We didn’t SEND the first group. They weren’t prepared, they weren’t trained, and they didn’t have the right equipment.”
“So what? What could’ve possibly changed in a year?”
“Are we really doing this again? We’ve covered what happened with those kids over and over. Sooner or later we have to move on.”
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