The World After (6 page)

“You're forgetting that the basis of the entire surveillance system was designed and created by the same masterminds that are now leading the rebels. If there is a weakness, they will know about it.”

“What else?” Shimi Levy asked.

“Really, I don't know more. That's all I'm familiar with.”

“Then let's discuss my second request.”

“What are you interested in?”

“I want the Archangels,” Shimi Levy said slowly.

Yao nearly collapsed to the floor hearing these last words. The snake-like eyes of the Chinaman defied all laws and became round, the horror in them genuine.

* * *

Ian MacGeady sat half-up on the bed he was cuffed to. Fabiana was next to him and, for the past fifteen minutes, she was changing his bandages in perfect silence. Only the humming noise from the engines of the plane in whose cargo hold they were disturbed the tension between them. She tried everything to avoid eye contact with him, while the hurt agent was annoyingly squeezing the metal bars of his bed-prison.

It was MacGeady that broke the silence, “At least the fucking was great.” The chocolate beauty didn't react, continuing to gently clean his fresh wounds and re-bandage them. “Don't you think that even just for that you owe me an explanation?” MacGeady continued.

“What do you want to know?” She lifted her eyes, meeting his.

“Why me? What makes me so special?”

“It's your brain implant that is special. You have the latest model and our scientists needed it to run some vital tests.”

“The fact that I was shagging with you just made me an easy target, eh?” He spat through gritted teeth.

“If we wanted you dead, you would have been by now. All we did was capture you and remove your brain implant before it fried you. It was a risk worth taking, and for your information, I had to beg my friends to pick you. Now you're free to make the choice of how to continue with your life.” Fabiana finished with the bandages. “You told me that all those years ago your father forced you to sign for the training program of the Agency and you never thought of working for them yourself.”

“But I liked my job. Now what, against my will you turned me into a main target for every operative agent who sees me. What kind of life is that?” Fabiana didn't reply, MacGeady continued, “If the world is one fucking smelly cesspool, I prefer to be a frog not a fly, and what did you do? You didn't give me a choice and decided to turn me into a fly that every frog will try and hunt down. Fuckin' great.”

“The world you know is about to change drastically very soon. It's only a matter of days now. What we gave you is the golden opportunity to rethink your life and decide how you want to live it.”

“Oh please, cut this crap about free will, no more control and all such bullshit,” he said, irritated. “How can you lot be so blind? No matter what changes, just one selected group that oppresses the masses will replace another. Look at history. In the thousands of years since man started walking this earth, it has been a chosen few that ruled and controlled the crowds. Even your organization can't change human nature. As I see it, all you want is to become the ones who dictate to everyone how they should live.”

Fabiana was walking towards the far door of the cargo hold. She stopped on hearing the last words said by the handcuffed agent, her lover. She turned her long neck to face him and, in an emotionless voice, said, “You're a fool. I don't want to change humanity; all I want is to be able to live my own life how I want, not to be forced to be accountable to anyone.” Her hand held the handle of the door. Before leaving the room, she added, “What if I tell you that I'm dreaming of you and me living in a secluded house in the middle of nowhere. Our kids playing hide and seek in the flower beds while we sit tucked in the hammock on the porch watching them, sipping hot coffee while the setting sun shines on our faces.” She paused to take a deep breath. “Nobody except us will know the location of this house. It will be our sanctuary, our paradise. That's what I'm dreaming of.”

Her beautiful figure disappeared through the door with the last words, leaving Ian MacGeady all alone in the cargo hold of the plane. His mouth was wide open, his expression puzzled.

The first rays of the waking sun spread their warmth over the flat valley of short grass and countless mole hills. Taylor and Jinhun were sipping with supreme delight from their steaming metal mugs, the dark coffee inside filling their nostrils with a tempting aroma. After a fourteen-hour, bumpy ride through tough terrain in the futuristic all-terrain-vehicles, they had finally stopped for a break around midnight. Both didn't mind sleeping on the hard ground, just tucked inside their sleeping bags. The one luxury Jinhun used was the gas oven that quickly prepared them a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon before they retreated to rest.

The two of them had woken up almost simultaneously when the sun touched their faces. While busying with the morning coffee, they were able to enjoy the miracle of a new day starting, the sunrise as magical as always. They had stopped right on top of a small hill, which was pretty much the only uneven piece of land in this part of the vast Chinese steppe, and the slightly higher vantage point allowed them to see surprisingly far.

Taylor closed his eyes and simply listened to the gentle whisper of the wind moving the grass all around him. His sharp senses were also able to detect the almost elusive flapping of the butterflies mixing wonderfully with the joyous songs of the birds that were nowhere to be seen but everywhere to be heard.

“Not a trace of human presence. Heaven,” Jinhun said, his eyes busy watching two little rabbits that were poking their shy heads from a burrow close to their camp.

“Sometimes I have a dream I lie down in the middle of a plain pretty much like this, and my body simply dissolves into thin air atom by atom.” Taylor opened his eyes and added, “Tell me more about your organization and the plan.”

“As I already told you in our hidden city, we have permanently living just short of forty thousand people that never had a brain implant or had it removed. We have people from all over the world, at least eighty nationalities as far as I know. However, the plan
Apocalypse
is known only to a chosen few who actually founded the Yuyuan all those years ago.”

“And what exactly is the meaning of the name of your organization?” Taylor asked, sipping from his coffee.

“Yuyuan in China is a big garden or small park in which everything lives in perfect harmony with one another. Our most famous yuyuans were built by some the most intelligent and capable men we had the pleasure to have – the true spiritual leaders of our nations that are known as Jians. These men were social figures, philosophers, musicians, poets and healers. In our tradition, we have the belief that, in order to create the perfect combination and positioning of flowers, trees, paths, water and bridges, one needs to be in almost perfect harmony with nature.”

“So this is pretty much your equivalent of Eden, just built by human hands,” Taylor summarized.

“Pretty much so.”

“I like it.” Taylor topped up their mugs to finish the coffee that was left in the small kettle.

“The values and ideas behind our organization very quickly attracted some of the brightest minds, and this helped to build the Yuyuan into what it is today,” Jinhun continued. “Amongst us are some of the best specialists in pretty much every major sphere of science you can think of. Even the father of the Noetic Science joined us not long after the movement was created.”

“And what exactly is this base in Itanagar we're heading for, the underground city?”

“This is probably the crowning glory of our community of which everyone is extremely proud. To show you my trust, I'm ready now to share with you the exact location of our base. It's about twenty miles north of Itanagar and about fifty away from the Chinese border. Its location is in the middle of hardly accessible swamps and marshes for which the region is famous. Added to that the fact that one of the last virgin forests left in India creates a belt around us, we're living in a pleasantly secluded region.”

“What is the city like?”

“It's located right under the surface of a beautiful mountain lake; it's basically a unique system of interconnected skyscrapers in a massive underground hole, or cave if you like. Under the edge of the water's surface, we have built a roof of solar panels that provides a lot of our energy. From a plane, you wouldn't be able to tell that there was something under the smooth water's surface. The first level of our city is right under the panels, this is where we grow all kinds of fruits and veggies, and also we have several herds of livestock. On the second level are apartments, and even several small houses with gardens, that serve as homes for everyone. The third and fourth levels are for offices, labs and areas for services and entertainment. The last underground floor is reserved for a generator that collects geothermal energy directly from the core of the planet.”

“It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie.” Taylor was impressed. “And is the energy from this generator enough to provide everyone sufficiently?”

“Easily. According to our latest estimates, our city can maintain a healthy and completely self-sufficient population of up to two hundred thousand people, if required.”

“What about fresh air? I assume quality so deep underground is not great.” Taylor continued with his questions.

“For that, we're using an enormous Viennese Wheel that has been turned into a greenhouse. It's built almost entirely from old cars and is a constantly whirling hothouse which purifies the air. We also grow thousands of trees and other plants on the wheel itself; this is producing bio-energy for many of the machines we're using.”

“I have to see this place.” Taylor sighed.

“You will my friend. We'll make it there safe and soon.”

After finishing their coffee, Jinhun made another quick meal of scrambled eggs and bacon to give them energy. After they finished eating, Taylor continued with his questions, “What more can you tell me about the plan
Apocalypse
?”

“The idea was born about six years ago, and immodestly I can say that a lot of it was my idea.”

“Yeah, but from what you've revealed to me so far I have some concerns. Isn't it a bit cruel? I imagine all the innocent people around the planet that will inevitably suffer and even die. At the end of the day, who can predict what the number of the casualties will be.”

“I understand very well what you're trying to say. I also spent many nights thinking what will it be like after we accomplish our goals. Every time, I convince myself that the ignorance of the masses makes them a deathly tool in the hands of our enemies; they're almost as guilty as the ones craving power and wealth. For decades now, the economic interests and the thirst for wealth and power have been the gods not only to those in control of society but also to the masses. You know better than I that, a long time ago, ordinary people lost their identity by giving away more and more of their private and sacred rights. In fact, the masses feel much safer and comfortable when it's under almost total control by big brother.” Jinhun spat on the ground, a gesture meaning contempt amongst the Chinese. “Don't tell me that you haven't faced greater malice amongst ordinary people compared to officials. All for what? For the fact that you still have some of your freedom intact, while their lives have been engulfed by the system for years.”

“Everything you're saying is true, but you know as well as I that most of these people have good souls. They're simply blinded or brainwashed; they're innocent sheep. What is the use of a shepherd without sheep?”

“Here I disagree with you, my friend. Most of these people willingly chose this way of life.”

“That's true, but how many of them had a chance to see the alternative?”

“Well, very soon, we'll show them the alternative with a spectacular spectacle that will wow the whole planet. Now we really have to move on.” Jinhun put an end to their conversation. After getting up, he started packing.

Taylor was still not convinced about the whole concept of the plan
Apocalypse
, but there was plenty of time for all the fors and againsts to be weighed.

Five minutes later, two clouds of dust indicated in which direction the two vehicles and their riders were heading.

* * *

Carolina and her father, Minister Gamejro, were running bent behind a row of parked cars. They were trying to seek cover. Just as they quickly ran through a small gap between two cars, a rain of bullets penetrated the metal of the vehicle behind which they were just a second ago. The pedestrians nearby started screaming and running in all directions. Some fled inside shops; others fell to the ground seeking cover; but whoever was firing didn't stop. A line of bullets followed the movements of the two running figures – the target and his daughter.

Everything started earlier when Carolina left her father's house to give him some time to prepare himself for the unexpected disappearing act she convinced him to do.

The beautiful Brazilian walked twenty yards to the wide main street of the rich Athens' neighborhood. Traffic here was light, but she knew that just a two-minute walk north took her to one of the busiest main streets of the city and her favorite kebab stall. As she headed there, she noticed an indigo car parked in the shade of the trees. Two men were sitting inside. She didn't pay much attention, busy with her own thoughts.

Later, when she walked back with two steaming kebabs, she was on the side where the indigo car was parked. The men were not there. A flicker from something reflecting on the back seat attracted her attention. The moment her eyes rested on the object, she knew what it was. Just before her trip to Greece, Fabio had given an open lecture for members of their organization about the newest technologies used by the ATU. The internet router 'Logit LAN-AC 950B' was able to reach computer speeds of nine hundred fifty megabytes per second, and as she remembered well, only one organization in the world had access to such technology at present.

Carolina threw the kebabs on the street and raced back towards her father's house with her heart pounding. Just past the wide open gates, she noticed legs poking out of the nearby bushes. She knew without stopping to check that an unfortunate gardener or other servant had stumbled on the agents. By the time she reached the main door, she'd ran past two more dead bodies. Even before entering the wide open house doors, she was screaming her father's name. The winding marble staircase up to his quarters was narrow and long. Carolina was only halfway up when she collided with her father.

They hugged; but, with no time to spare, Ademar Gamejro pushed her back down as heavy steps from above them echoed on the marble. A shot echoed behind them followed by a shattering of glass. They raced outside. Without panicking, the Minister grabbed his daughter's hand and dragged her left towards a few tall trees and small pond. Running down the open driveway towards the gate would have been suicidal. At least one of the agents would have been waiting in the perfect position by the big window on the staircase. They quickly slid under the low branches of a willow and stood motionless, hoping to deceive the agents.

“How did you escape?” Carolina whispered as they were trying to catch their breath.

“After you left, I quickly wrote a few memos and stood by the window to look down the road for you. That's when I saw them. They walked through the gate, shooting Georgis.” Ademar Gamejro referred to his gardener. “I rushed to the emergency stairs but was apprehensive about using them as my two bodyguards were still by the main entrance. However, two shots and a quick exchange between voices I haven't heard before proved to me that they were dead. Fortunately, I didn't go down the emergency escape; they knew about it.”

“How do you know?”

“I heard somebody climbing the metal staircase on the inside wall, so I fled to my quarters. I guessed correctly that the two would split, so I hid behind the door. A bit desperate but it worked. The moment the man from the main staircase barged into the room scanning it for me, I sneaked behind him and ran. Then I collided with you.”

They fell silent as the two agents walked out of the house. They didn't hesitate and, after a short consultation, split. The taller one headed left, away from where they were; but the heavier built one came towards the pond. The two were able to see him right until he disappeared down the winding forest path that was simply circling the grounds.

Ademar Gamejro whispered in his daughter's ear, “In a minute, he will reach a part of the path where his view towards the pond is blocked by a big rock. This will be our only chance.”

Carolina nodded. She knew that they must move soon. Even if they were not spotted, the two agents would receive the exact location of the Minister shortly. His implants made him very easily traceable. When the time was right, they dashed from their hiding place and ran as fast as they could towards the gates. Voices behind alerted them they had been spotted. Despite that, they made it out to the street. Carolina grabbed her father's hand, pulling him towards the busy main road further down. They rushed towards it as fast as they could.

They actually made it unnoticed for quite a distance before shots rang out behind them, triggering a wave of panic. Almost simultaneously came the noise of sirens that increased by the second. That was probably one of the reasons the two shooters put their automatic pistols back in the holsters.

Carolina was brave enough to lift her head above the boot of the car they were huddled behind. She was just in time to see the two agents running back towards their vehicle, still sitting in the shades on the quiet side street. Obviously they didn't want to bother with the local authorities, at least not for now.

They waited motionless for another minute. The moment the first police car flew around the corner, Carolina pushed her father into a narrow side street between two tall buildings. She followed him. “In less than ten minutes, the police will locate you with your implants, we'll be trapped, and the whole city will start looking for you.” She added, “If we surrender to the local authorities, we'll be signing our own death warrants.”