Hope Everlasting: A Dystopian Sci-fi Novel (The Variant Saga Book 3) Read online

  They would have to leave here soon, in any case. Ysa needed help at the border, and as long as they lingered in Capeside, she would still be in danger.

  ******

  Ludo listened with attentiveness as Terry told him the details of his encounter with the strange man known as Hux. Once he had concluded, Ludo sat in silence for a moment, appearing to contemplate the words.

  “We should leave,” said Terry. “Don’t you think?”

  Ludo bowed his head, tilting it slightly, the way he did when he was thinking. “We could go,” he started. “But it would be without a plan of action.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Terry.

  “Everlasting is far to the north, sitting high atop the mountains. The border waits below, running from the sea to the Temple of the Eye. It would take weeks to walk there. I had hoped to secure passage with one of the caravans as they passed through here.”

  “A caravan?”

  “A group of traveling merchants who carry supplies from one village to the next. The temple is on their route.”

  “So, let’s do that,” said Terry.

  Ludo shook his head. “They have only just arrived here and will not leave again for several days.”

  “There’s no way to encourage them to leave early?”

  “I have tried, but it is no use. Either we wait for them…or we walk.”

  “Then we have no choice,” said Terry. “We have to wait. If this is the only way, we have to take it.”

  “Yes, but I do not want to cause this place trouble. Grandmother and Talo must be kept safe,” Ludo insisted.

  Terry placed his hand on Ludo’s shoulder. “They will. I’ll stay inside while you take care of things around town. We won’t take any more chances. I never should have left in the first place.”

  “You would do this?” asked his friend.

  “I’ve gone longer than a few days without the outdoors. Believe me, I can handle it.”

  ******

  Bravo Gate Point

  February 7, 2351

  John watched as Mei poked and prodded the dead animal he’d killed a few hours ago. “I know you’re probably mad about this, but would it help if I said I was sorry?”

  She bent down next to the creature’s head and tilted it to get a better look inside the mouth. “I’m not mad,” she said, turning to look at him. “Just disappointed.”

  He frowned. “I know you’re joking, but it still hurts.”

  She smirked and continued examining the animal, poking one of the teeth. “Considering how scary this thing is, I can’t blame you for killing it. These teeth are big enough to skewer a grown man. I’ll take some samples and head home, same as before.”

  “Brooks says the sensors are moved, so hopefully we won’t piss off any more of them,” said John.

  “I’m sure you’ll find a way,” said Mei, giving him a look.

  When Mei had enough samples from the animal, John escorted her to the CHUs. The day was nearly done, so she would have to leave soon. Her people needed her on the other side of the gate, which meant he wouldn’t see her again for several days.

  John told his team to stay topside while he and Mei went to the portal room alone. It was a long walk and she’d need help carrying the supplies, even though a flippy could’ve easily done the job. Truth be told, John simply wanted the time.

  “Any updates from Central?” he asked, once they were in the main tunnel.

  “About what?” she asked.

  “What we’re doing here,” he said. “The portal. This planet. The aliens.”

  “I haven’t told them about the animals you killed yet, but I will when I get there,” she said, winking. “Everything else has been in my reports. They haven’t said anything, though.”

  “Not even that Tremaine woman?”

  Mei shook her head. “Not a peep. Not since the last call when she told Sophie she’d have me shut down.”

  “Isn’t that a little weird?” asked John.

  She considered this a moment. “It could be the board,” she said. “They might be getting pressure from Ross and Echols. I’ll have to make some calls.” She leaned in and hugged his arm, sliding her fingers along his wrist and into his hand.

  He smiled at her. They walked through the dark halls with only the occasional artificial light to guide their way. They strode quietly together for a while, until they reached the final door—the one leading to the portal room. He stopped her there and waited.

  She glanced up at him, staring into him, her eyes reflecting the light from the lamps.

  He kissed her, deep, and for a while, and when it was over he felt warm.

  “What was that for?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle, as though she were suddenly tired.

  “I figured we wouldn’t see each other for a few days. Wanted to make it count.”

  “Are you sure it’s not because you wanted to be the first person to kiss someone on another planet?” she asked, laughing.

  “You got me,” he said. “I’m in it for the history books.”

  The light on the wall flickered suddenly, and they both glanced at it. John opened his mouth to ask if she thought there was an electrical problem, when the lamp went out, leaving them in darkness.

  The tunnel wasn’t entirely void of light, but he could barely see her face. Before he could say anything or move, he felt her put more weight against his chest, and he froze.

  Mei got on her toes, raised her hand to his cheek, and brushed his ear, cupping the back of his head. In a gentle, easy moment, she pulled him down toward her, embracing him again.

  They stood there together, deep in the tunnels of a forgotten civilization, holding one another in the dark.

  CHAPTER 4

  Ortego Outpost File Logs

  Play Audio File 845

  Recorded: February 9, 2351

  HARPER: Doctor Curie, I hope you’ll pardon me if I’m a little surprised to hear from you. I don’t usually talk with people in the field.

  CURIE: I’m sorry to contact you directly, but no one else is picking up the com. Whenever they do, it’s only a clueless intern. My team is supposed to file weekly reports, and as far as I can tell, no one is receiving them.

  HARPER: Doctor, I assure you we’re seeing your reports. I read one just the other day, actually.

  CURIE: Then why hasn’t anyone answered my calls?

  HARPER: I answered, didn’t I?

  CURIE: After six other board members refused to. Is there something going on that I’m not aware of?

  HARPER: They might feel a little uneasy about speaking with you after that business with Tremaine.

  CURIE: What about it?

  HARPER: Haven’t you heard? Oh no, I suppose that’s the whole reason you’re calling, isn’t it? Not knowing what’s going on. Well, because of the friction she was causing between the three divisions, Tremaine has been relocated to a more appropriate position.

  CURIE: You mean she was fired?

  HARPER: Exactly so. Yes. I’m afraid the board decided it would be best to side with the Motherhood and the Military in order to avoid conflict. Tremaine provided too much resistance, which we believed to be driven by an emotional investment in the project thereby preventing her from maintaining true objectivity. As you well know, the rules are clear on this sort of behavior.

  CURIE: So you’re saying she was fired because of how she treated me?

  HARPER: Not exactly. Had it only been an issue with your team, we might have ignored it, but once the other branches got involved…well, you know how politics can be.

  CURIE: I see, but this still doesn’t explain why no one is responding to my team’s reports.

  HARPER: There’s a lot of chaos right now. Papers are getting shuffled. It shouldn’t take long. Once the board figures out who to fill Tremaine’s seat with, everything will go back to normal.

  CURIE: What happens in the meantime? If my people need supplies or have to make some sort of request, what do we do? Who do
I report to?

  HARPER: I couldn’t say. Like I told you, people don’t know what to do with you, Doctor. Your project has become something we didn’t intend. No one’s ever opened a hole to another world, and now we’re sending people through it. Imagine if something goes wrong. I’ve read Tremaine’s notes on all of it. So has the rest of the board. Her reservations were well placed, though I can’t say I agree with her methodology. Nonetheless, before Tremaine was demoted, you worked in conjunction with Doctor Prescott, didn’t you?

  CURIE: That’s right.

  HARPER: As I understand it, he was also relocated. You have a history of losing other people’s jobs, Doctor Curie. When someone talks to you, their career takes a nosedive. You can’t blame people for recognizing a pattern when they see one.

  CURIE: If that’s true, why did you answer the phone?

  HARPER: I guess you’d call it curiosity. A chance to see what new horizons might be waiting for us. A chance to see the future.

  CURIE: I didn’t think the board cared about that sort of thing anymore.

  HARPER: Give me a little credit, would you? I didn’t always live behind this desk. In fact, I used to be a scientist.

  End Audio File

  Bravo Gate Point

  February 9, 2351

  John’s team had mapped a great deal of the forest in mere days. More than a few kilometers’ worth. Various members of his group had come across a variety of animals during that time, most of which had to be killed, due to their seemingly carnivorous nature. Brooks did actually manage to capture one, however—a small creature which seemed to live in the nearby trees, displaying little aggression. These animals had pale, white eyes and yellow fur, their teeth extending well beyond their bottom jaw. Mostly harmless, as far as anyone could tell, but John’s experience had taught him to be cautious of wild animals, especially the little ones.

  Years ago, when the Variant children had arrived on the surface of the Earth, they’d found a new world unlike anything imaginable. For a long time, John believed his life would be spent exploring it, scouting and hunting, trying to rebuild. In all that time, he never dreamed his work would take him anywhere beyond it. Yet here he stood, the same as he had all those years ago, ready to venture across the foreign landscape, no knowledge with which to guide him, no compass at his side. He was a stranger in a strange land, and so he had always been, from the day of his birth until this moment. He had been built for this.

  A hard breeze blew against his cheek as he leaned against a massive tree. Built, he thought as he stared into the woods. He used to wonder what it meant to be constructed—an experiment in a lab, put together by a scientist and injected into a womb—but what was the point in dwelling on the beginning? There was so much more to life than that. Better to live for today, and be hopeful for the future. Build a life he could be proud of, and fill it with the people he loved.

  “Hey Sarge,” said a voice from behind.

  John swung around to see Brooks approaching him.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “I would’ve used the radio, but it’s not working. That’s actually why I came to get you.”

  John leaned his back on the nearby tree, facing her. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “I’m not sure. One minute, it’s working fine. The next, I’m picking up some strange kind of static.”

  “You think something is interfering?” asked John.

  “At first I did, but I’ve checked everything I can think of.” She pulled out her pad. “Here, turn yours on and try calling me.”

  He did as she asked, pulling up the com. “Testing, testing,” he said, only to be met with feedback so loud it hurt, causing him to recoil. He turned it off. “The hell was that?”

  “It’s like this for everyone,” Brooks explained.

  “What’s causing it?”

  “I’m not sure. I can’t find any damage on our end, so my only guess is that it’s coming from something on the planet. It could be a certain kind of metal in the ground, maybe some old machine inside the caves.” She shook her head and shrugged. “Who the hell even knows?”

  “Can we switch to another kind of signal?” asked John.

  “Possibly, but until we know what’s causing it, I can’t promise anything. It’s almost like there’s another signal overlapping ours, jumbling it.”

  John scratched his ear. “You mentioned the caves. Think you can run some signal tests down there? Maybe see if the old tech near the portal room is doing it.”

  “Sure,” she said. “I’m no expert on alien tech, though.”

  “Get in touch with Mei’s team and ask Bart and Zoe to help out.”

  “You got it, Sarge,” said Brooks. She turned to leave, but paused. “Are you coming back to camp soon?”

  “Yeah, I’ve had enough solitude for the day.” His stomach suddenly growled.

  “Sounds like you could use some dinner, too,” she said, chuckling. “I’ll have Short put on some grub.”

  John grinned. “Now you’re speaking my language, Brooks.”

  ******

  Capeside

  February 10, 2351

  Terry awoke in the middle of the night, a shadow looming above him. His eyes adjusted quickly, allowing him to see the entirety of the room, including the person squatting over him. “Ludo, what’s going on?” he asked, smacking his lips.

  Ludo touched Terry on the shoulder. “Soldiers are here,” he whispered. “They are going door to door, searching every home.”

  “Soldiers?” muttered Terry, still dazed, but growing more awake.

  “They came from Three Waters. I recognize the uniforms.”

  Were they looking for them? Of course. What other reason would they have for raiding houses in the middle of the night? Terry and Ludo had killed Gast Maldeen, the Lord of Three Waters and one of the sacred high priests. There was no way they’d let a couple of murderers go free. Not if they could help it. “What do we do?” asked Terry.

  Ludo helped him to his feet. “We must leave,” he whispered. “We’ll climb the western wall and hide for a few days, then return once the soldiers have moved on.”

  “What about the caravan?” asked Terry.

  “They leave in two days. We will return before that.”

  Terry got to his feet, gathering his blanket. He couldn’t leave it here for the soldiers to find. A used but empty bed could spell disaster for Grandmother and Talo. Ludo seemed to understand, and quickly helped. Together, they stuffed the sheets and pillows into an old chest, locking it.

  Grandmother shuffled into the room with a small bag in her hand. “I packed you some food,” she told them, and handed the sack to Terry. “There’s bread, cheese, and some meat.”

  Terry accepted the gift. “Thank you.”

  She smiled, then turned to Ludo. “You stay safe out there, Grandson.”

  “I will, Grandmother,” he said, and hugged her.

  Three loud knocks erupted from the front door, echoing through the house. “Oh, my,” said Grandmother.

  “There is a window in the rear alley,” whispered Ludo.

  Terry nodded. “Following you.”

  The curtain to one of the side bedrooms opened, revealing Talo. He rubbed his eyes, yawning. “Father? What’s going on?”

  Ludo paused at the sound of his son’s voice, as though he hadn’t expected to see him. Was he hoping to leave without saying goodbye to him?

  “Who’s at the door?” asked the boy.

  “Soldiers doing their job,” said Ludo. He bent down so their eyes were level. “No need to worry.”

  “Are you leaving?”

  Ludo frowned, but forced a partial smile. “Terry and I must go and find Ysa. We will bring her back soon. Grandmother is going to look after you now.”

  Talo’s eyes sank. “Will it be long before I see you again, Father?”

  Ludo hugged him. “Not if I can help it.”

  Another knock at the door, followed shortly by an order to open it. “We
had better go,” said Terry.

  Ludo got to his feet. “Very well.”

  As the farmer made his way to the adjacent room, Grandmother caught Terry by the wrist. “Hold on a moment,” she said, quietly.

  Terry paused, a little surprised. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  She leaned in. “You are a part of this family now, yes?”

  He took her hand, placing it between his own. “Of course.”

  “Then look after your chakka-kin,” she told him. “Protect your family.”

  “I will,” he promised her.

  She smiled and turned toward the front door. Another knock came. “One moment, please!” she yelled.

  Terry disappeared into the back of the house. Ludo already had the window pried open, with his legs hanging out the other side. When he was finally through, Terry handed him the supplies. With Ludo’s help, he hoisted himself to the window, sliding easily through the opening and landing outside.

  The alley had little light to speak of, but Terry didn’t mind it. He focused his thoughts, allowing him to see the world as clearly as if the suns were out. He could also hear the guards as they questioned Grandmother, asking if she knew of any questionable individuals.

  “I couldn’t say on that,” said Grandmother, sounding very clueless. “I never leave my little house these days. Too much hustle in the city for my old legs. You understand, don’t you? Oh, it’s all so much…and the noise from the streets is so loud. Do you think you could tell the neighbors to keep it down out here? I can barely sleep at night with so much chattering going on.”

  “Yes, thank you,” interrupted one of the soldiers before much longer. “We only need to search your house and we’ll be on our way.”

  “Search my house?” asked Grandmother. “Oh, by the Eye, is that truly necessary, sir? I’m so embarrassed by the mess. It’s so much trouble to clean at my age. You understand, don’t you?”

  “We apologize, but it must be done,” he said.

  “Oh, alright, sir. Can I fix you some drink? How about a nice mondew? I get them from the finest vendor, and he gives me a good deal. You’ll like them, I’m sure.”