“It’s not gonna be that easy. You’ll live and you’ll watch them die.”
MJ smiled. “You don’t listen, do you? I told you, I’m gonna fucking kill you.”
With every ounce of strength she had left, MJ leapt forward and slammed into Moses. Her head cracked into his chin and they both fell in a twisted heap of limbs. Splashing into a puddle, MJ landed on top of him and lunged.
“You piece of shit!” she spat with her hands wrapped around his throat.
As soon as MJ moved, Craig rushed Teddy. He tackled him just as Teddy let off a single shot that went wide.
Teddy was old but he was wiry. He stumbled back then kicked his foot out into Craig’s knee. Craig collapsed forward and Teddy shot his forehead into Craig’s nose. A blinding pain erupted and Craig fell to the ground.
Teddy turned and whacked MJ in the back of the head with his pistol. She dropped into the mud beside Moses and rolled onto her back. Teddy was staring down at her with a vicious look on his face and the gun pointed directly at her head.
“Fuck you!” he snarled.
With his finger on the trigger, he squeezed. MJ closed her eyes and braced herself. She’d done all she could but instead of a gunshot she heard a muffled thud and a splash.
“Help!” Teddy cried out then hurled a string of muffled screams.
MJ opened her eyes and found a wraith on top of Teddy, tearing into his face. She gasped but quickly turned her attention back to Moses. He’d rolled onto all fours and was scampering away. MJ grabbed Teddy’s gun from the ground and ran after him.
She didn’t care about the wraiths or the rain or anything else. She was going to kill Moses and nothing was going to stop her.
“Hey!” she shouted over the rolling thunder.
Moses tried to crawl faster but MJ pulled the trigger and shot him in the leg. He cried out and turned back to face her. Before he could say a word, MJ fired again, sending around through his chest. Moses fell back and bubbles of air and blood gurgled from his mouth. A crimson trail ran down his side and swirled into the mud.
MJ took a knee next to him. She leaned close and stared him in the eyes as he took his last few breaths. The rain peppered her face and she blinked through the burn and watched his life fade away. “That’s right…that’s death right there. Can you feel her?” MJ whispered. “Go ahead, try to fight it. Maybe those wraiths will get here and finish you off.”
Moses took a long, ragged breath and his eyes grew wide momentarily. He wanted to speak but choked on his words. MJ revealed a satisfied grin as she slowly lifted her fist and flipped up her middle finger. “Fuck you.”
“MJ!” Craig shouted.
MJ looked up at the sound of his voice. Craig was hobbling toward her being supported by Alistair and Daniel. One of his eyes was swollen shut and dried blood was caked around his crooked nose. He was pretty banged up but they were moving as fast as they could, looking over their shoulders with terrified gazes.
In the distance, MJ could see a wave of darkness, sweeping toward them. It was an avalanche of fur and claws, and gnashing teeth. It was death personified, charging through the rain, obliterating everything in its path.
“MJ! We’ve gotta go!” Alistair screamed.
The wraith that attacked Teddy was finished with him. His bloody carcass was little more than bones. The wraith licked its gums and raised its snout into the air, sucking in the scent of fresh blood. Two more wraiths had run ahead of the pack and joined it. Snarling, they turned their attention toward MJ and the group.
“Stay close,” Craig warned in a shaky voice as MJ joined them.
The wraith’s closed in. They cackled and howled, snapping their jaws in agitation. Alistair grabbed a rock from the ground as MJ tightened her grip on the rifle. But the creatures didn’t attack. Instead, they circled around the group, keeping them corralled until the rest of the pack arrived.
“What do we do?” Daniel asked. “We should—we should make a run for it.” He took a step to the side.
A wraith lunged forward and clapped its teeth nearly taking off Daniel’s hand. Alistair cracked it in the head with a rock and it stumbled backward. With a snarl, the other two moved in just as the rest of the pack galloped onto the field.
Suddenly the roar of an engine rumbled through the darkness. Headlights appeared out of nowhere, and an armored truck slid to a stop, crushing several of the beasts beneath the massive tires. With a thud, the closest two went sailing across the field and the others growled in pain.
Smoke billowed from the tailpipe and the door swung open. An older man with silver hair and a face riddled with scars leaned out and barked, “Get in!”
CHAPTER 35
PROJECT EPSILON
“Project Epsilon?” MJ repeated then grabbed the overhead handle as the truck rumbled from side to side.
“Did you think you were the only ones?” Ethan, the driver, asked.
“I—I thought we were the only ones that made it. The only project that was ready to go when the shit hit the fan.”
“Well, you’re right about that. We weren’t ready to leave but we were definitely prepared to stay.” He frowned as he looked at their blistering skin and war wounds. “You guys took quite a beating. There’s some cream in the glove compartment. Seems to do the trick on those acid burns.”
MJ smiled as she pulled out the cream and passed it around. It smelled like fish oil and had the texture of oatmeal but as soon as it touched her skin, she knew it was working. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“No problem.” Ethan was in his sixties but looked much older. His face was riddled with lines of worry and scars from fights he could no longer remember. He was the leader of another group, another band of survivors that had battled against the odds to make it in a world that no longer wanted them.
Project Epsilon was one of many longshots like the Mayflower Project. A hope that mankind had a future, even if it was no longer on Earth. As the government always did, it’d kept each project secret from the others. Even at MJ’s level she only knew that other projects existed but had no detail.
The Mayflower had survived, and so did Epsilon. That meant there could be more but it also meant there could be more enemies. And while Ethan had saved their lives, MJ wasn’t sure if he was friend or foe.
“How long have you been here?” MJ asked as she stowed stealthily stowed the cream in her waistband.
Ethan laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s yours to keep. We broke through nearly a year ago. Took some time to adjust, to figure out the new laws of the land. I wouldn’t trust me either, we found out the hard way that not everything up here died. But me and the boys have done well. We watch out for each other. Back there on the main gun is, Robbie,” Ethan said with a slight head nod. “And that’s Keith, our comms guy. We’re the scout team for Epsilon.”
Craig cleared his throat and repeated, “Scout team?”
“Yeah, still trying to figure this place out…look for survivors or enemies. What were you guys doing out there?”
“It’s a long story,” MJ replied.
“Well, I look forward to hearing it. We’ve got nothing but time.”
“Just how many of YOU are there?” Craig asked in a skeptical voice.
Ethan smiled. “One hundred brave souls ready to take back this world.”
“One hundred! Where?”
“Fifty miles north of here. That’s where we call home.” Ethan pressed hard on the brakes and the truck groaned to a stop. “Looks like we’ve made it to your home.
It was nearly pitch-black outside except for a few lights on the perimeter of the egg. The rain stopped and they hadn’t seen a wraith since they’d left the field. Everything was quiet, a complete contradiction to the chaos behind them.
MJ and the others sat in silence for a few minutes. There was something cathartic about being home. They’d been at the edge of death and ready to surrender to the cold hands of the Grim Reaper half an hour earlier. Now it was like nothing had ever happ
ened, except everything had changed.
“Well, thanks for everything,” MJ said in a low voice.
“Don’t mention it. I’m sure you’ll get the chance to return the favor. This place is pretty unforgiving.”
“Who’s the leader, over at Epsilon?” Craig asked with an all-business like tone to his voice.
“Guess that’d be me at this point. We had some form of government hierarchy in the beginning. But I’m sure you’ve found out that bureaucrats don’t tend to do well when there are no laws. We met a group of survivors…cannibals. Wilson, our old leader, he found that out the hard way.”
“Look,” Daniel said and pointed outside.
The door to the egg slowly opened and shadows danced just out of sight. MJ sat up and stared out of the window as she grabbed the door handle. Someone moved into the entryway and stood there, blocking the headlights with their hand.
MJ strained to see then suddenly gasped, “Grayson! It’s Grayson!”
CHAPTER 36
NEVER TOMORROW
Two weeks later…
Daniel stood outside of the infirmary, staring through the window with a long face. His eyes were fixed on an empty table, a table that had once held Max’s body. He’d fought long and hard but, in the end, Max had lost too much blood. In the end, he slipped into the dark and didn’t return.
He’d been buried a week earlier. So many things had gone on during that time, Daniel could hardly remember a single detail about the funeral. But the way he felt had followed him from the burial site like a ghost, lingering in every quiet moment he had. Daniel felt responsible for it all, like he could’ve done more, like he should’ve done more. But he was starting to learn that loss and regret was all that he’d ever know.
“He loved you guys, you know that?” a voice called out.
Daniel turned and found Cindy standing behind him. He wiped his face and straightened up then swallowed. “I’m sorry…I’m so, so, sorry.”
“Don’t be. You did all you could. Max—Max died the way he always wanted, protecting his friends. He died a hero.”
Daniel tightened his jaw and fought back tears. Max had been more than a friend, he’d been a mentor and the closest thing to a dad that he knew. He took a deep breath then spoke with a trembling voice, “He’s still dead and it’s my fault. I should’ve helped more. I should’ve been faster.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
Cindy smiled. “Don’t steal this from him. You and Alistair, you, you kept him sane. You were his friends…his family when I couldn’t be. He died for you.”
“That’s not true,” Daniel replied. “He died for you. He would’ve done anything for you, he told me himself. He always loved you. Whenever he was showing us things, teaching us how this place worked he’d tell us stories about the two of you. He was always happy then, like—like it wasn’t the end of the world anymore. Like someday everything might go back to how it was. He never stopped loving you.”
Cindy gasped and covered her face as tears flowed down her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Daniel hugged her then turned and started down the hall. He walked in silence for a while until he ran into Trevor lingering just inside of a doorway.
“She gonna be okay?” Trevor asked as he stepped out from the shadows.
“Are you?”
“I’m getting there. There’s a guy, an um, therapist or something like that over at Epsilon. I—I guess I’m gonna talk with him.” Trevor chuckled. “Apparently I have some things I need to work out.”
Daniel grinned. “That’s good. I’ll go with you. I’ve got some demons of my own.”
Trevor nodded. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, swinging his arms back and forth. Biting his lip, he stared at the ground then looked up to face Daniel. “Thank you for what you did out there. And you know, saving me before you left.”
“Yeah, well just don’t do anything stupid again,” Daniel said in a low, quivering voice. “I can’t really do this without you.”
“Chloe’s already threatened me,” Trevor replied and took a deep breath. “I can’t let her down.”
“No, you can’t. Where is everyone?”
“Did you forget the big speech? Everyone’s meeting in the atrium, the Epsilon people are here. I’m heading that way now.”
“Guess we should get Cindy then,” Daniel shrugged.
Trevor held is hand out. “Lead the way.”
Together they headed back to the infirmary where Cindy was still standing at the door. She turned at the sound of their arrival and flashed a weak smile. “The assembly or whatever they’re calling it, huh?” she asked.
“It’s starting now,” Trevor replied.
Daniel smiled and extended his arm. “I’m here to escort you.”
Cindy nodded and grabbed Daniel’s arm. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and followed him to the atrium.
The area had been set up like a town hall. Rows of chairs lined the once empty space and nearly every one of them was occupied. They left Cindy with Thomas and Melinda then headed to the back where Alistair, Ashley and Amber were waiting. Chloe and Grayson were in the back as well but kept their distance.
“Where have you guys been?” Alistair asked.
“Daniel forgot,” Trevor replied. “What did we miss?”
“A lot of bla bla bla and Craig yapping about security and law and order. MJ is up next.”
Daniel laughed. “So, we didn’t miss anything.”
“Guess not because here she comes.”
Everyone from the Mayflower stood up and started clapping. The Epsilon people followed their lead and did the same. MJ paused and her eyes found Grayson as she blushed and covered her heart with her hand.
Smiling, Craig hugged her then turned to face the crowd. “This woman,” Craig started but paused as he found himself choking up. “This woman is the only reason why I’m standing here right now. The only reason why any of us are standing here right now.” There was another wave of applause then he continued. “MJ represents the best in us and it’s only right that as we move forward into the next step for humanity, it is her that leads the way.”
MJ wiped a stream of tears from her face and as her eyes welled behind a modest smile. The room erupted in cheers then as they calmed again MJ stepped behind the podium to address them.
“I’m honored…honored to be chosen by all of you,” she started. “There are really no words to express how grateful I am.” Sniffling, MJ paused and wiped her face. She scanned the crowd slowly, soaking in the sea of new faces. “So much has changed…um, none of us were supposed to be here. We defied fate to survive, but—but we’ve all lost. Some of us have lost what seems like everything. But we’ve gained a family, a family worth fighting for.”
The crowd applauded and Melinda wrapped her arm around Cindy as she began to cry. “It’s okay sweetie,” she whispered.
“I want to thank Ethan and all of the Epsilon folk for coming here today,” MJ continued. “Also, for saving our asses.” She laughed briefly then her smile faded and she took on a more serious face. “We are what’s left of our kind. The um, you know…the human condition, it’s fragile. To have compassion, to have courage, to stare our extinction in the eyes and scream, fuck you!”
Everyone jumped to their feet and roared with applause. Craig beamed at MJ with pride and she winked back at him. She held her hands up and slowly everyone took their seats again.
Swallowing, MJ continued. “That’s what makes us special. We should all be dead but we’re not. And that’s because when this world threw everything it had at us, we did the only thing we know how to do, we fought. And you know what? We’re stronger for it. We’re the orphans of humanity. But here we are, in the face of everything we’re still standing. We’ll keep fighting, we’ll keep surviving because that’s what makes us human. So, here’s to our future, here’s to being human, here’s to you.”
The applause at the e
nd of her speech lasted longer than she could’ve imagined. It was her proudest moment. For the first time in her life she was part of something she truly believed in. There was no cynicism or hidden agendas, just a pure desire to make a future. She’d laid her life in the hands of every person there and they did the same. As she looked toward the back of the room where Grayson stood next to Chloe, smiling from ear to ear, she knew everything was going to be fine. Against all odds, humanity was clawing its way back into the world.
~~***~~
“This is really happening,” Alistair said as he tossed another shirt into the duffle bag.
Ashley smiled and handed him a pair of jeans. “I’m gonna miss it.”
“I’m not,” Alistair replied. “Maybe a little bit…I don’t really care for life on the surface.”
“Why not? I can’t wait to get back up there. This place gives you cabin fever.”
“Well, it’s only for a week this time so look at it like a vacation.”
Ashley slung the bag over her shoulder and walked to the door. “You ready? Daniel and Amber have been waiting.”
Alistair nodded and they headed down the hallway. Five minutes later they walked out of the egg to the dim glow of the sun. At the door, Daniel, Trevor, Chloe and Amber were waiting.
“Chloe is coming?” Alistair asked.
“No…she’s just here to see us off,” Daniel replied. “I’m surprised she’s not huddled in a corner somewhere with Grayson.”
“What about Grayson?” MJ asked as her and Craig walked outside.
“Nothing, MJ.”
“Uh huh,” she replied. For the first time MJ and Craig weren’t dressed for the field. MJ was wearing sandals of all things and Craig was leaning on a crutch with an unlit cigar hanging from his mouth.
“You guys are making vacation look bad,” Trevor said and started laughing.
“We just have that much faith in you,” MJ responded.
Craig nudged her. “She’s lying. We’ve got bags ready to go.”
“Don’t worry we got this,” Daniel interrupted. “Colony One is almost complete, we just want to do our part. We’ll help with finishing the buildout, Epsilon guys get a break, and you two can pretend like you’re in Hawaii.”
Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set Page 102
