Chapter 11
October 2084 ~ Somewhere in Arizona
The days seemed endless, and most days were the same. There were no assignments, nothing to do, and nothing to help pass the time. Most importantly, there was to be no contact with the outside world. John Rawlins had no idea how many there were, as they were divided into barracks, and there was no way to tell how many barracks there were. The guards kept a close eye on them, and John had seen what would happen if they suspected someone to be a troublemaker. There were a few guards who were obviously uncomfortable in their guard roles, and they would at times be all right, even sympathetic, but most had adapted to the role disturbingly well. As a former soldier, John felt ashamed at what these young troops could make themselves do. He had never thought he’d see young American men and women turn into something like this. He knew all too well that murder had become commonplace, and even lesser offenses would bring harsh punishment. Trying to escape was punishable by death. That had been mistaken for a bad joke at first, he’d heard from some who had been here longer than he. But, it soon became apparent, it was definitely no joke, and he’d seen a few of the executions himself. And then it was the mass punishments. If one person did something the guards deemed wrong, like trying to steal food or trying to get information from the guards, the entire barracks would be punished. The punishments would range from denial of food or having to stand in line out in the sun all day, to corporal punishment and executing such punishment on each other. In a few cases, the guards had chosen an entire barracks and made them march until one succumbed to fatigue. The poor fellow was then clubbed to death by other prisoners held at gunpoint. In all, detention had turned out to be a nightmare.
He had withdrawn from Selection when he’d learned the truth about Devastator to be with his family, who hadn’t been lucky enough to be picked. He had said good-bye to Maria, Jeremiah, and the rest of his team, before taking his belongings with him and entering the bus leaving the compound. The bus was a regular shuttle that almost every day took those who were kicked out or voluntarily chose to throw in the towel, and he was told it would take him to the nearest town, which had a bus station. After twenty minutes, the bus had been stopped by a patrol of soldiers, and the driver had stepped out. It all seemed routine to him, but when the soldiers had ordered them to be quiet and sit still, as one of the soldiers took the wheel, he had felt a knot in his stomach. They had driven for three hours, when they saw the camp. There was barbed wire, a sign that read “minefield,” and armed troops everywhere. They had driven through the gate, and were brusquely gathered in a group by soldiers. One guy had spoken up against their captors, and had been slammed to the ground with rifle butts, so the rest of them had meekly continued through the processing area. The soldiers had taken all personal belongings, and outfitted them with some sort of pajamas. Their shoes had been taken from them, to make escape more difficult, he suspected.
“What’s for dinner tonight?” Johanna Peters asked. She was the one in his barracks who’d been here the longest, more than ten years now, having failed one of the first tests, back in ‘74. John admired her. She always had a comment that would bring a smile, and she seemed determined not to be taken by despair.
“Stew and stale bread, always stew and stale bread,” a sullen voice said from the shadows. It was Derek Hewitt, once a renowned heart surgeon, now a depressed and broken man, who would go catatonic for days. John worried that he would either starve himself to death or make a desperate run for it, despite the consequences.
They were sitting outside the barracks, with nothing to do, and nothing to talk about, when John noticed that the guard that usually brought them food and water was running late. The soldiers were never late, at least he couldn’t remember that ever happening, so he got up on his feet, and looked around the corner. It wasn’t just that they were hungry, although that played a part, as food was always scarce. It was more the fact that they had become so used to the routine, that anything out of the ordinary immediately got their attention.
“Hmm, that’s weird,” he said. “I can’t see any guards up in the tower.” He shaded his eyes with his hand, squinting against the harsh sunlight. Then he noticed one of the other detainees running across the open courtyard, shouting something he couldn’t make out. Johanna came over to him, and even Derek decided to get up.
“What the hell is going on?” Johanna said.
“I have no idea,” John answered absently. “Where are the guards?” They looked at each other, puzzlement plain on their faces, and slowly walked over to where the man had run. All they could see was other detainees, but no guards. Now that John thought about it, there had been a lot of noise about an hour ago, maybe less, engines, shouted commands, and the like. Then the camp had gone mostly quiet. The detainees had for the most part stayed indoors, because the sun was too baking hot to be outdoors, but someone would have noticed what had happened.
“It seems they have all left,” he said quietly. He didn’t want to think about what that meant, but he knew he had to.
“That can only mean one thing: it’s happening.” As far as John could tell, the Exodus had left Earth orbit years ago. They had received no information while in detention, and could only guess at what was happening on the outside, but there were always rumors, and sometimes the guards would let something slip.
“Devastator is coming,” Derek said, his face contorting into a grimace, a change from his usual blank expression which normally would be a welcome one. John eyed him sideways, then walked over to one of the other detainees to ask if they knew anything. A minute later, he came back to the others, and confirmed what they had just discussed.
“Eric from F Barracks says that the guards left a while ago, and left the gate open. He says he talked to a friendly guard who told him they were ordered up north in a hurry.”
“Is it the rebellion they were talking about?” Johanna asked.
“No, this is something else. He said the guard told him that last rebellion fizzled out as soon as the launches were complete, back in ‘79, but now there seems to be a new war going on up in Idaho and Montana. It’s supposed to have gone nuclear, and it’s spreading fast.”
“Oh shit, that’s all we need now,” Johanna said. Derek, a few steps off, cringed at the news. He had family in Spokane, Washington, not far from the Idaho border. For a short while, they didn’t speak, until John decided to take charge.
“Well, this changes things,” he finally said.
“First of all, we need to get out of here. The stores won’t last the day, when the word gets out. We’re talking minutes before people will be pouring out of their barracks, and they will take everything they can get a hold of. It will be chaotic, to say the least.
“Second, we need to decide where to go. We don’t know how destructive Devastator will be, but we know it will be bad. Where do we want to be when it comes?” He seemed to draw inward for a moment, then spoke again.
“I left Selection to be with my family. For me the choice is simple, I’m going north. Boulder, Colorado is where I’ll be heading. You’re welcome to tag along if you want, as long as you remember that reaching them is my priority.”
“I’m with you, John,” Derek said. He smiled, a sad smile that somehow seemed to convey acceptance or maybe it was resignation. “My wife lives in LA, but we were separated just before I left for Selection. She’s better off without me. I have no kids, and there’s no way I’ll be able to get all the way to my relatives up in Spokane before Devastator gets here. It’s not like getting a plane ticket these days, you know.” He shuffled his feet, looking down, then spread his hands and peered out toward the gate.
“Like I said, I’m with you, John. I’ll help you find your family. Too many bad things have happened here, and I for one would like to see something good happen for a change.”
“Amen to that,” Johanna followed. “I have no family left here. My sister Tori came with me to Selection, and I haven’t seen her since. S
he’s probably somewhere in space now. She was always the serious one, while I was the goofball that managed to be kicked out after the first test.” She laughed softly, while nodding to herself. “So I’m with you as well.” John smiled at the two of them, his closest friends since he’d been detained, with whom he’d shared so much.
“All right. Then let’s hurry up, and get moving. We need to get some provisions, then get out of here as soon as possible.”
They hurried over to the guards’ quarters, where a few other detainees had already turned up and started looting. Then they spent a few minutes filling a couple of bags with canned and dried food, some clothes, a wristwatch, a map and compass, and some other supplies they figured would be handy. All the while, more people came in, as the news spread, and as soon as their bags were filled, they hurried out through the gate.
They followed the road north the rest of the day, and when night fell, they camped near a small brook, just a trickle really, although normally it should be a wide river this time of year. The night was cooler than expected, but they had brought blankets, and they had a fire going, and all in all it felt good to be out here in the open. The feeling of freedom was something John had learned to appreciate early in life, and this reminded him of some of his hiking trips during his youth. He had always been an outdoorsman, which had been an asset when he joined the army straight out of high school. Then, after six years, he’d traded his army fatigues for a civilian life, and gone to college to study engineering. That’s when he’d met Melissa. She’d been a bright young engineering student, and although she was several years younger than he, they’d hit it off at once, and when they both graduated, they got married in her local church in Charlottesville, Virginia. Melissa had stayed at home with the kids for a few years, and the job market had been tough when she decided to start working again. So they had moved to Boulder five years ago, when she got a job there. John had it a little easier, with more experience and several projects on his résumé, so he landed the first job he applied for. Now, as the last of the fire gradually died out, he looked up at the stars, and he felt a yearning to be with his family that felt like it would tear him apart.
Whatever it takes, he thought to himself, as he vowed to be strong. He would take whatever came, and no matter what distance he had to walk, no matter the obstacles he would meet, he would never ever give up.
“I’ll be with you again,” he whispered softly to avoid being overheard by the others. “Whatever it takes.”
November 2084 ~ Close to Cheyenne, Wyoming
Trevor Hayes sat in his holding cell in the FBI’s High Security facility in Wyoming, waiting for his interrogators to show up. They should have been here by now, he thought. How long had it been since he came here, he thought, confused after weeks of hard interrogation. While still in his White House office, he had seen every person he knew to be involved in the conspiracy arrested and taken away, except the senator of course, who had disappeared before the Exodus left Earth orbit four years ago. They had never caught him, and Trevor wondered whether he was still alive, out there somewhere, hunted by every agency in the country. Then one day, as he was taking his daily morning run, he had received a phone call from President Andrews, still in office, in his fourth term. The president had simply told him he was disappointed, before he hung up. Moments later, several FBI agents had appeared and brusquely handcuffed him, before shoving him into a black van. He had been sedated, and when he came to he was here in this building. The interrogators had made his location no secret, and he knew it didn’t matter. He knew of the place, and no one had ever escaped it. He also knew what the interrogators wanted, but they would never get what they sought, as he was unable to give them that information. Of course, telling them that didn’t help. The interrogation sessions had been worse than he expected. Obviously, all pretense of being a democracy had vanished over the last couple of years, and although interrogation had always been a tough experience, especially when things like national security were said to be on the line, there had always been a distinction between interrogation and flat out torture. Not anymore though. Well, it didn’t matter either. The interrogators had been clear that they wanted names. They had gotten the names of the conspirators on Earth a long time ago, it seemed, at least most of them. But the ones on the Exodus had, as far as he knew, never been exposed. And now they seemed desperate. That told him that it couldn’t be long before impact.
The cell had no windows, so there was no way to know whether it was day or night, but he had the feeling it might be night, since the corridors seemed too quiet. There should have been sounds of footsteps, doors opening and closing, keys rattling. Unlike the interrogation cells, the holding cells weren’t soundproof, so there was always some kind of noise. Now there was nothing. Since no interrogators seemed to show up, that gave Trevor the chance to think. Earth was apparently doomed, they knew that Devastator was coming, and soon. They didn’t know where it would hit, and that was just as well. The effects would be global, and those who didn’t die from the impact would most certainly die in the aftermath. Well, Trevor thought, at least those on the Exodus have a chance now. They will make a better world. Earth was a wreck anyhow, he thought. The slow transition into tyranny that had taken place in America was by no means unique. And the way things had been for the last fifty years, it was unlikely that Earth would have been able to cope much longer. Overpopulation, global warming, pollution. We destroyed what we were given, he thought. In the end, nature struck back. Of course, it wasn’t that simple, but Trevor didn’t care anymore. He needed simple. That was how he still held on to his sanity these days.
As he sat there, alone with his thoughts, he could suddenly feel deep tremors, and as the shaking intensified he was thrown to the floor. After a few seconds of dizziness, he got his wits back, and though he stayed on the floor, he looked around. The door had been twisted out of its frame, and as he crawled toward it, he saw that it was only connected to the frame by its hinges. The lock had been twisted open, and the door looked like it could actually be pushed out by force. He sat up, adrenaline surging through his body, and with his back against the door, he pushed as hard as he could with his feet. The door moved a bit, and he was able to crawl out. There was no one outside, and then he saw that the roof had collapsed at one end of the corridor. The other end looked unharmed, and Trevor got to his feet and went that way. Maybe, if he could just get out of the building … There was no telling how things looked on the outside, maybe it was as deserted as it was inside. Maybe he could actually escape? He continued a few steps before he was thrown to the floor by a second wave of tremors. The whole building shook, and there was a deep rumble that felt like it came closer. As he lay there, he realized the futility of what he was doing. There would be no escape from Devastator. Then the entire building started shaking, and parts of the roof fell down around him. The lights went out, and he called for help. He knew no one would hear him, but it still felt better doing something, rather than nothing. That was his last thought as the building collapsed on top of him.
November 2084 ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado
They had been walking for weeks, and by now they had reached the northern outskirts of Colorado Springs. It wouldn’t be long until they reached Denver, and they had to decide whether to risk going through the city or take a detour around it. As far as anyone knew, they were still escaped detainees, and based on what little they’d been able to learn since they’d left the camp, there was very little left of the country they had once known and loved. There were police shooting people on mild suspicion of minor offenses, army personnel looting and taking whatever they could get their hands on, and the war raging on in the north had brought an endless stream of refugees southward. And Devastator was coming. The last few days and nights had been cloudy, so they hadn’t seen it, but apparently they should’ve been able to if the weather had been clear. John Rawlins had begun to worry that they wouldn’t make it to Boulder in time to be reunited with his fa
mily, but they were by no means on the verge of giving up.
Derek Hewitt had shown himself to be a resource, despite John’s doubts when they set out on foot. It was remarkable what he knew, and he seemed to be able to scrounge together resources however sparse and turn them into something useful. Like the radio they now had, that allowed them to catch up on what was going on in the world. That was something Derek had fiddled with night after night by their camp fire, and within a week, they were able to listen to the news, some kind of music, and the occasional report from the starship Exodus, which by now had left the solar system altogether.
Johanna Peters on the other hand, had come down with a bad case of pneumonia, and Rawlins didn’t know what to do for her. They couldn’t see a doctor or get her to a hospital, and she seemed to weaken a little more every day. Without antibiotics, John worried that she might not survive their trek. Now, as they were preparing their camp for the night, John heard her coughing until she vomited. She had gone off behind some bushes for some private business, as she called it, but he suspected she also tried to hide how bad a condition she was actually in.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the horizon to the west. At first it was bright white and lit up the twilight sky, then it slowly turned yellow, and after about a minute it became a deep orange glow, which didn’t go away. A few minutes later the ground shook, and they were tossed around by tremors too violent to remain standing or even sitting. All the while there was a rumbling sound like thunder.
“Oh shit,” Derek said, as the tremors slowly subsided. “Was that …” John nodded while gritting his teeth. It couldn’t have been anything else. And soon they would feel the aftershocks and the other effects, whatever they might be. They had very little time, and if they were to survive, they would have to move quickly. They both looked around, and saw Johanna slowly come creeping out from the bushes. Her expression was twisted, and there was sweat in between the dirt on her face. Her face looked pale, and her eyes were half closed. She coughed and spat, and she moved slowly, crawling over the ground, every movement seemed to take an eternity. John immediately saw that there was something else, not just the pneumonia, although that was already bad enough. Then, as he ran over to her, he became aware of her left leg, and the way it twisted in an odd angle at her knee. There was blood pouring in regular spouts out of her broken knee, and now they could see the bone sticking out. Not a word came out of her mouth; she only coughed and gasped for air. Then their eyes met, and she slowly shook her head. He instantly knew that she wouldn’t live long, and it seemed she understood as well. For a split second, he considered making a travois, an old Indian method for transportation, and dragging her along, but he knew there was no time. Johanna looked him in the eyes for a few seconds before she smiled faintly and closed her eyes.
Moments later, it seemed like an eternity to John, Derek came over. He touched John on the shoulder and whispered, as if afraid that someone might hear his words.
“We need to get going. She would have wanted us to.”
She’s not dead, John wanted to call out, a sudden flash of anger at them both, but his words caught in his throat. He knew Derek was right, and that Johanna would have wanted them to carry on. She still breathed, although wheezing and laboriously, but he knew it wouldn’t be long until she stopped breathing altogether. They slowly stood up beside their dying companion. Neither of them said anything as they looked toward the light on the western horizon. Finally Derek went over to where their bags and equipment lay scattered on the ground and started filling the bags with whatever he deemed worth carrying. They knew the aftershocks were probably just minutes away, but they couldn’t sit still anymore. John walked over and started helping out. They carelessly stuffed their bags until they couldn’t fit anything more. As soon as they had packed as much as they could carry, they looked at each other, then cast a final look at Johanna, who still seemed to breathe faintly, and started walking. John realized they would probably be dead soon. But better to die walking toward something, than while hiding out in a hole somewhere. Devastator had finally struck, and there was nowhere to hide from that.