Kyle West - Darkness

What had Elias been like before he had visited Ragnarok Crater on that fateful recon? He was as much a victim as everyone else. It was insane to think of the power this virus had. It was capable of things beyond what we could imagine.

We had to destroy Askala. This was but a taste of the pain she would unleash on our world.

But one question remained unanswered: why Elias? Why even bother taking control of Bunker 84?

“The virus and Askala probably caused Elias to rebel against Bunker authorities,” I said. “I want to know why.”

“It wasn’t about Elias,” Ashton said. “It was about the Bunker. What makes Bunker 84 different from every other Bunker?”

“Nukes,” Michael said. “Was the Voice after that?”

Ashton nodded. “I think so. The Voice is intelligent enough to go after key targets — such as Bunker One, back in 2048.”

“Elias told me that he went to Ragnarok Crater,” I said. Everyone now turned to look at me. “He was sent to reinforce a team on his first recon at nearby Bunker 83. They flew to the Crater. That was when he started to change.”

“When did he tell you this?” Ashton asked.

“When he took me out of my cell.”

“So what are you saying?” Makara asked Ashton. “Are these women infected with the virus? How did that happen?”

“Think about it,” Anna said. “Do we really have to use our imaginations for that one?”

“Well, it might have happened that way,” Deborah said. “Another reason why it was only women who were infected.”

“Actually,” I said, “he told me he tried to convert men as well.”

“Can we change the subject?” Makara asked.

“Sorry,” I said. “Just trying to provide useful info.”

“However it was accomplished is not the point,” Ashton said. “We don’t even know if the women are infected. I’d have to take blood samples to confirm it. With Elias gone, the virus shouldn’t have any power over them. As has already been established, he worked as an intermediary between Askala and the Community. Through him, she could control them.”

“If she was just after the nukes,” I said, “how come it took Askala so long to make Elias take off with the ship?”

“She would have sooner, surely,” Ashton said. “Only no one in the Community knew how to pilot Aeneas. She may have had Elias or Lyn try to learn, but maybe she was unwilling to risk the nukes if something went wrong. So she waited.”

“Waited…for what?” Makara asked.

“Perhaps until someone who did know how to fly came to the Bunker.”

“What are you saying?” I asked. “Did Askala force us to come here?”

“Maybe. By sending her swarm after us, she made Bunker 84 our only option. She probably couldn’t have predicted that we would choose to come here, but it ended up working out that way. It was a gamble, but now this ship is loose with three nukes left. Thankfully, we are in control of it, not the enemy.”

This was all conjecture, and maybe it was healthier that way. Some things were better left unturned and forgotten. These women would never forget what they had been through. It seemed unreal. Ever since coming upon the Community, I’d wondered why no one stood up to Elias with the obvious exception of Deborah and Ada. Only those who succumbed to Elias’s direct control were spared.

“We survived,” Michael said. “We even managed to kill Chaos. What’s next?”

It was a question I’d been pondering myself. The women were still quiet, not even talking amongst themselves. After fifteen years of being controlled by the virus, it wasn’t hard to see why.

“We need to find a place for these people,” Makara said. “It won’t be easy, but we can’t leave them behind. In the meantime, we can start filling the Bunker.”

“Filling the Bunker?” Lyn asked.

“It’s winter and we have fifteen hundred people above ground that need a warm place to stay,” Makara said. “Bunker 84 is the only place that fits the bill, even if it holds a lot of bad memories.”

“Fifteen hundred,” Lyn said. “That will never…”

“Is there space?”

“Yes,” Lyn said. “Of course, but there won’t be enough food.” She concentrated, as if trying to remember something. “I…I don’t know. I remember certain things. Just not everything.”

“Maybe your memory will return with time,” Ashton said. “I don’t know how this particular form of the xenovirus works, but you were conscious in the medical sense for fifteen years. I wouldn’t be surprised if…”

“…Yes,” Lyn said. “We only farmed enough to have a small surplus. We could never feed everyone.”

Makara nodded. “We understand that, but with food from 108 and 84 we should have enough for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we need to take over Los Angeles. They have food stored for the winter that can last us for a long time.”

“But…what will we do?” Lyn asked.

Makara sighed. “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. For now you can help us where you can. It’s all any of us can do.”

Catching these people up on what needed to be done was a tall order, especially when we didn’t know what needed to be done. We could at least be grateful that the hardest leg of this journey was over and that our original mission was accomplished. We had located Bunker 84 and it was now ready to be occupied. As soon as the Exodus was inside they’d be safe from the cold and have food to last a little while longer. Even if what was in Bunker 84 was far from expected, hopefully the Community would forget the past and find a place within the New Angels. Maybe some scars never healed, but at least now they had a chance to.

I thought of Samuel. He would be in Gilgamesh’s clinic at this very moment.

“How’s Samuel?” I asked.

Makara sighed. “Much the same. The only thing keeping him going is Lauren, and now Ruth. She’s sort of apprenticing for nursing duties.”

It was good to hear that Ruth was finding her place. At the mention of his wife’s name, Michael made a move for the door. Ever the soldier, he waited for Makara’s nod before striding out of Aeneas and into Gilgamesh.

“How much longer will Samuel…” I began.

Ashton put a hand on my arm. “There will be time for this later. We need to return to Pyrite and begin the evacuation. If the swarm is there and Askal and his friends are fighting for us, speed is of the essence.”

Ashton had a point. We once again had two spaceships at our disposal after losing Odin. Thankfully, the one replacing Odin was much larger. We could evacuate the town more quickly than we had planned.

“You’re right,” I said.

“I have something you can do,” Makara said, speaking to Lyn. “When the first wave of refugees reaches Bunker 84, I need you to prepare the way for the Exodus. Set up food. Clear up space for people to sleep. Get water ready.”

Lyn nodded. “It will be hard, but I’ll see what we can do. The entry tunnel should still be open. If I remember correctly, it’s programmed to recognize when Aeneas is close. Even if it’s closed it should open up.”

“I can set course for Pyrite,” Ashton said. “Anna?”

Anna hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. I’m coming.”

The two of them left the anteroom. I watched as Anna walked away. She seemed to still be shaken from the battle with Elias. It was hard to see her like that, hard to see her go through so much only to reach a breaking point now. All of us were dealing with the aftershocks of a very traumatic experience.

“I need to return to Gilgamesh,” Makara said. “The rest of you can remain here until we go to Pyrite and back to Bunker 84. It will be a few trips until everyone is safe underground, but at least we can begin the process.”