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

  Lena swallowed, reaching for the holster on her side. She’d never used a weapon outside of training before. Thankfully, the AX pistols were non-lethal, filled with the same compound they’d used on the surface only a few moments ago. “Maybe we should use the drone,” she blurted out.

  “We could,” said Titus. “However, the ship only has one, and the drone is currently monitoring several targets in the nearby woods. If we take the drone further in, the others could regain mobility and attack the ship.”

  Lena frowned. “I understand.”

  “Stay close to each other and use your sensors. Remember, your suit has level-three plating on it. Even if they attack and manage to hit one of us, the damage should be minimal. You won’t be in any real danger.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Lena. “You’re right, of course.” She knew full well about the armor in her suit, but it didn’t bring much comfort. A person could spend all the time in the world preparing for something, spend every moment calculating, looking at all the possible angles, but at the end of the day there could never be any true certainty. No definitive solution. For the world was complex, filled with too many variables. At the end of the day, nothing was ever one hundred percent.

  “We’ll go to the control room first, but let’s see if we can activate the lighting system in here,” said Titus.

  Lena gave a swift nod, then activated her display. A series of holographic images appeared before her, representing menus. Before the mission, Master Gel had given her access to the system directory of this facility. Unfortunately, this required her to be present in order to actually do anything, including something as simple as turning on the lights.

  Lena found the directory soon, then motioned with her hand to activate the file. She found the switch and grasped her fingers, and suddenly the lights came on, filling the hall.

  “Much better,” said Titus, with a smile. “Good work, Analyst.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said Lena.

  Emile stared distantly for a moment, reading her map. “It appears the four I mentioned earlier are moving now. The lights must have frightened them.”

  “Keep your maps active and watch them,” ordered Titus. “Let’s get going.”

  ******

  John ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The ship—if that’s what it truly was—had flown directly toward his team’s camp. Because of their malfunctioning radios, John had no way of finding out just what the hell was going on. To make matters worse, the forest was too dense to see through, even with his enhanced eyes.

  “John, wait,” said Mei, trailing behind him. The words were hardly a whisper, but he heard them clearly. He stopped, letting her catch up to him. They were both fast sprinters, but Mei was small and her short legs worked against her.

  John didn’t mind the delay. No matter the situation, it was better to stay together.

  Before long, they came to the edge of the forest, the field finally in view. John stood next to one of the trees, holding tight against the bark so as not to be seen. In the distance, a short walk from the cave, the flying vessel stood unmoving and alone.

  John stared at the machine. Mei touched his shoulder, startling him. “Look,” she whispered, motioning to the field. John’s eyes followed her finger, quickly discovering the bodies. None of them were moving.

  His eyes widened at the sight of them, and his heart raced. He started to go, but Mei’s hand held him back. “John, wait,” she pleaded. “You don’t know what that thing is. You’ll be hurt, too.”

  He was breathing heavy now, his eyes dashing between the nearest body and the ship. Which of his friends was it? Judging by the size, it could be Brooks. Maybe Hughes. He couldn’t see their face from this angle, so it was hard to say. What was he supposed to do?

  “Look,” said Mei, pointing to the other end of the field.

  Several leaves fluttered through one of the distant trees, and suddenly a small metallic object appeared, speeding and whirling between the branches. “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Some kind of drone, maybe,” said Mei.

  “Must be looking for more of us,” muttered John.

  “What do we do?” she asked.

  He scanned the field again, looking for any signs of movement. Something to point a weapon at besides a giant hulking piece of metal. Had there been any passengers aboard this thing, or was it simply another, albeit much larger, drone? “We need to get inside the cave,” he said.

  “But John, we’ve got no idea what we’re even dealing with. We could be walking right into—”

  A soft hum filled the space above them. Their eyes slowly rose toward the tree tops. The little drone was now hovering several feet in the air between the branches. John remained perfectly still. “Get to the tunnel,” he whispered.

  “It’s just sitting there,” said Mei, swallowing. “Maybe we can—”

  The drone tilted toward her.

  “Get ready,” said John, raising his rifle to get its attention.

  The drone retargeted, focusing on John, but before it could react a second time, he squeezed the trigger tight. John unleashed a barrage of rounds from the barrel, battering the floating machine’s tiny body, forcing it to fall to the ground and disabling it. The sound of them hitting the little machine filled the area. Whatever secrecy they’d hoped to keep was now entirely lost.

  “Okay, then,” said Mei, looking at him. “Caves?”

  “Caves,” he repeated.

  Together, they burst through the tree line and into the field. John leapt over one of the fallen bodies, which he recognized as Short. Her eyes were open, but she was completely still. He felt the sudden urge to stop, but shook it off.

  A loud snap echoed from behind them, in the direction of the giant machine. John glanced back right as he entered the stairwell, managing a glimpse of the craft’s hull as it cracked open. Before he could see anything else, he was inside, leaping down the stairs several at a time.

  Mei followed with shorter strides. “The lights are on,” she observed, still running.

  John reached the bottom first, then scanned the area. “No one’s here,” he said before turning his weapon toward the cave entrance at the head of the stairs. He kept the target reticle on the opening in case anyone decided to follow them, letting Mei descend the rest of the way. When she finally caught up to him, he backed away. Together, they proceeded into the largest of the tunnels, toward the final room—the only one worth visiting in this barren, empty place.

  ******

  Lena watched as Titus incapacitated the two natives in the control room. It only took two shots from the AX pistol, which used a lock-on targeting program to ensure complete accuracy, and then it was done. Two soft thuds as they collapsed onto the floor.

  “I suppose we should get to work,” said Emile, taking a seat at one of the nearby consoles. “Analyst, would you mind?”

  “One moment, please,” said Lena. She activated her neural link and called the interface to life, quickly locating the necessary sub-directory. Several of the computer terminals blinked to life, including the one Emile occupied. A hard-light display now sat atop each of the desks.

  Hard-light, unlike neural holograms, did not require an implant to use. Hard-light was an outdated technology by today’s standards, used primarily in construction projects. Its implementation in computer systems was simply too cumbersome to be useful anymore. Not to mention the lack of security and personal accountability. The modern neural interface was far more convenient and had since become the primary choice for computer interaction in Everlasting, though hard-light certainly had a nostalgic charm to it.

  “Excellent,” said Emile. She proceeded to type in a command, activating a screen. Lena and Titus watched as she navigated through a complex directory system. It took longer than Lena expected. “Ah, here we are. It seems the experiment was activated recently.” She paused, brow furrowed in curiosity. “Today, in fact.”

  “What?” asked Titus. “Are you sure y
ou’re not mistaken?”

  “If these logs are to be believed, then I’m afraid not,” she said.

  Titus looked back at the two men in the corner of the room. “Could these people have accidentally—”

  “Activated the ring?” finished Emile. “I don’t see how. They would need access to the network, and the logs show no authorized users in…it looks like two centuries.”

  “Then how?”

  “They may have used an exterior device,” said Lena.

  “Are you suggesting they bypassed our systems?” asked Emile. “I don’t know of anyone capable of such a thing outside of Everlasting.”

  A lull of silence filled the room.

  “Maybe the system is mistaken,” said Titus. “I know the logs say otherwise, but computers aren’t perfect, and two centuries is a long time.”

  Emile nodded slowly. “Yes, perhaps you’re right.”

  Lena said nothing. She’d spent the last decade observing this region of the continent. It was the whole reason she was here. In all that time, however, she’d never observed any tribe developing or using anything close to modern technology. For the most part, their methods were primitive and simple. Wooden ships and caravans, swords and short-range guns, outdated forms of medicine. In all the great, wide world, Everlasting stood alone, unrivaled in its social and technological achievements. Nothing even came close.

  “Still, we have orders to download the logs and copy the database,” said Emile.

  “How long do you need?” asked Titus.

  “It shouldn’t take much time,” she answered.

  Titus turned to Lena. “As soon as she’s done, we’re heading to the power station. After we shut the systems down, our mission will be concluded. However, I’d like to take some screens of the facility, as well as our guests.”

  “Do you believe they’re involved with the ring’s activation?” asked Lena.

  “We can’t rule out the possibility, no matter how unlikely we might believe it to be.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said. “At the very least, I do not believe them to be indigenous to this area. Master Gel will find this most interesting.”

  “Perhaps you’ll receive a commendation, then, Analyst,” said Titus.

  Lena feigned a smile. She had little interest in commendations or rewards. She only wanted to return to her desk back in Everlasting. The information she collected on this new tribe could help secure Master Gel’s admiration, which could only help her.

  An icon blinked in the corner of her implant display, indicating movement. There was someone nearby. Could it be the other two natives from before? Lena zoomed out on the map, searching. She quickly found the others, still on the other side of the facility. They hadn’t moved at all. Lena turned to the entrance, not sure of what to do.

  “What is it, Analyst?” asked Titus.

  Lena kept her eyes on the doorway. “There are two lifeforms moving in this direction. They are different from the two we observed earlier.”

  “Where did they come from?” asked Emile.

  “I don’t know,” said Lena.

  Titus raised his pistol. “We’ll handle them the same as the rest. There’s no need for concern.”

  Lena thumbed the side of her suit. The dots were moving on her display, drawing closer by the moment. She took a step back, toward Emile. It will be okay, she quietly assured herself, reaching for her gun. Only a little longer and then I can go back home.

  Back to Everlasting.

  ******

  John and Mei stopped a short way from the gate room, slipping into a nearby hall. They had no idea what was ahead, so they would do well to be prepared.

  “Why are we stopping?” asked Mei.

  John leaned next to the edge of the doorway, peering into the hall. Despite the control room being fifty yards from his position, he managed to spot a few individuals inside. Each of them seemed to be holding a weapon of some kind. A gun, by the look of it. They were also wearing some sort of full-body suit. Armor, perhaps.

  “John, answer me,” insisted Mei, gripping his wrist.

  “Sorry,” he said, sliding back into the corridor. “I need you to do me a favor.”

  “Huh? What are you talking about?”

  He held her by the shoulder. “Stay here for a minute. I’ll be back in a few.”

  She scoffed. “If you think I’m letting you go in there without me, you must be out of your—”

  “Where’s your weapon, Mei?” he asked, motioning to her side. “You don’t have one. You’re not wearing any gear. Even with your reflexes, you could still get injured. I can’t risk worrying about that. I can’t risk letting you get hurt.”

  “But what if something happens to you?” she asked, desperately.

  “Hey, come on. I’ve done this a hundred times now,” he said with a grin. “I’ll be in and out in no time.”

  “But what if—”

  He leaned in and kissed her, then beamed a playful smile.

  Without another word, he backed away from her, then turned into the hall and sprinted through the corridor. She’d be angry with him later, but at least this way she was safe.

  As he reached the control room, he saw the figures on the other side of the archway, their weapons in hand, moving toward him, staring. The nearest one—taller than the others—seemed to take aim at him.

  John rushed forward, keeping to the side of the hall, and unlatched one of his flash grenades. With a quick flick of his wrist, he tossed it ahead of him. The grenade bounced through the doorway, landing beneath the first alien, who only stood there.

  John collided with the side wall, falling into the left corner near the gate room’s entryway. As he did, he shielded his eyes and ears with his arms, and a bright light erupted from within the control room, followed by several screams.

  “Bfoc bor shoc!” cried one of the aliens.

  John took a deep breath, raising his gun to his chest. He closed his eyes and focused. “Okay,” he whispered, and a sudden calmness fell over him, and the air grew still and quiet. “Time to get to work.”

  He twisted around the edge of the wall, exploding into the room like thunder. The foremost stranger stood there, gawking, with his gun still in his hand. John slid beneath the alien’s line of sight and took aim. With a single squeeze of his trigger, he fired his rifle, hitting the alien’s pistol and knocking it away. He continued to slide, then pressed his hand into the floor, pushing up and springing into the disarmed enemy.

  They collided, falling backward, and John wrapped his arms around the stranger’s body to keep him from moving. As they tumbled, John caught a glimpse of the eyes inside the visor. The eyes of a man, he realized.

  “Bfoc qa bi qa!” shouted one of the others.

  “Thaac ec! Thaac ec!” cried the second.

  John tossed the man to his side, then readied his weapon, taking aim at the others.

  Seeing this, they dropped their handheld guns and raised their arms. “Boec! Boec!”

  John got to his feet, rushing to the weapons on the floor, and kicked them into the corner of the room. “Step back!” he ordered, but neither moved. Clearly, they didn’t seem to understand. “Over there,” he said, motioning with his rifle, pointing to the wall.

  The two suited aliens shuffled clumsily to the edge of the room, keeping their hands up.

  John turned to the third one, who was now on his knees several feet away. “You too.”

  The man seemed to understand, and proceeded to join the others. The three of them waited together, mumbling amongst themselves.

  “Mei! Can you come in here for a second?” yelled John. He kept his rifle aimed at the invaders.

  A few seconds later, Mei jogged into the room, pausing to gawk at the strange people in the funny suits now huddled in the corner. “Oh, good,” she said upon seeing them. “They look nice and scared. How hard did you hit them?”

  “Not hard enough,” said John. “But the day’s not over yet.”

  *
*****

  Lena Sol was terrified. Standing between Emile and Titus, she had been disarmed and subdued, and now stood helplessly at the mercy of these wild people. To make matters worse, they appeared to speak a foreign language which Lena didn’t recognize—surprising, given her background. Wherever these people were from, it was far removed from Everlasting’s observable reach. If only she could concentrate and listen—pay attention to the way they spoke—she might be able to piece together meanings, but it was no use. She couldn’t stop shaking. She couldn’t let go of her fear.

  Tears began to fill her eyes, and suddenly her lips were trembling. There was a lump in her throat, almost choking her, and a warm flush in her cheeks. She felt like a cornered animal. Maybe the pilot will come and find us soon, she thought, trying to reassure herself. Maybe he will send the drone.

  The smaller of the two wild people said something that sounded like a question, then stared at Lena.

  “I don’t understand,” said Lena, shaking her head.

  “You’re supposed to be an expert with languages,” snapped Emile. “Talk to them!”

  “I can’t,” returned Lena, frantically. She tried to breathe, but was finding it difficult.

  “Use the software, then,” said Titus, who kept his eyes on the larger of the two.

  The translation program. Of course. Lena had forgotten all about it. The software had been developed in order to decode almost any language on the planet, though there were certainly exceptions, depending on the complexity. Most of the time, the translator simply pulled from a digital dictionary, which stored and catalogued over ten thousand languages and dialects, streamlining the process. However, when a completely new language was encountered and required translation, the program would extrapolate based on sentence structure and phonetics, constructing the most likely translation it could with the data available. This did not always provide the best results, but the basic meaning was usually understood. In time, as more information was provided, the software would adapt and extrapolate further until the bulk of the language was deciphered. It wasn’t perfect, but it helped.