All Light Will Fall (29 page)

Ellis sighed. He reached up and caressed my cheek. And
seeing his expression made me want to rip the pity from his eyes. “I can’t,” he
whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not,” I growled.

I hadn’t the time to finish what I had planned to say.
Because he had kissed me. And it was nothing shy.

He gripped me in the burning heat of his arms, his lips
hot and forceful. And I didn’t know what to do. He was killing me, suffocating
me, and there was nothing I could do.

He drew back, his eyes flashing, his chest swelling as if
it would burst. “Just in case,” he said. Then he was gone, disappearing down
the stairs and into the fog.

I stood there, wanting to reach out to him, but not
having the mind to move. I closed the door, touching the warmth of my lips. I
felt the sadness on them. Ellis’s longing. And it pained me. But still, I was
glad for it. Because he had showed me the beauty of that simple and fragile
touch, warm and innocent in his passion.

“Just in case what?” I whispered.

The night I learned of Gwen’s sin seemed so far away now. But
it was Ellis and his touch that was the element of my grief. When I had killed
that girl, I took more than a life. I took her pain, her emotion, her pride,
and her desire. I defiled it all, that tender kiss of life, and there was no
mercy for it. Could mercy forgive? Could mercy trade one fate for another? I
didn’t think so, and that was the truth I had to suffer.

New Eden was only a day’s hike to the west. I had to hurry.
Niaysia’s hibernation was already a day passed, which meant the MW’s would be
returning to the skies. I would be sure not to miss their departure.

I would be home soon; back beneath an eternal night sky,
back to the land of woe, and death, and ruin. Back to Earth.

The sun rode high over the treetops, Cerniphilus shining in
the rosy glow. For a planet so distant, it felt near enough to touch. It would
be the last time perhaps that I would look upon it. And I wondered what it
would have to say to me, a giant red mass in the sky that had witnessed every
sight and sound of my suffering.

I paused among the pathless woodland, not having rested
since the previous night. I heard the gentle whisk of water and knew that the
ruvi
were near.

As I remembered, it was Styler who had told us of the
ruvi
.
They were distinct to the Ohaw (the baptizing pools of the Meridian).

“
At first we believed the small pools were nothing but
surfaced ground water
,” Styler had said, “
but soon enough, we stumbled
across something astounding
.”

I pushed back the trees blocking my view of the valley. A
great fall of water emptied into the streams below, weaving between the
ruvi
.
The shimmering puddles were bright as blue, blooming about one another in
perfect conformity.

I hiked down to the river’s edge, coming close to the Ohaw
caverns. These were sacred labyrinths. They were said to be connected deep to
the core of the planet, to Kurios. Even among the Meridian, it was forbidden to
explore. Only a select assembly of holy beings could enter such sanctified
grounds. And that was how the Meridian would never discover our New Eden. They
feared Kurios too much to even question our existence there.

My presence seemed to agitate the surrounding vegetation.
Flower, tree, and shrub, each life form bent its head in the opposing
direction, silently shunning my existence.

I approached the
ruvi
and crouched down to dip my
hands in the golden lagoon. The liquid was heavy in my palms, just as Styler
promised.

“Can you imagine it... liquid riches? Recruits, we have
discovered a land more abundant than we might have ever dreamed. We were fated
to possess such wealth. Why else would such a door open for us, and us alone?
Why else would the dawning of rebirth shine so gracefully upon us? Well, I’ll
say it, it is our destiny, I tell you.”

“Hands in the air!”

Arsenals. They made such a reckless approach. Even if they
had advanced from a mile off, I still would have heard them stomping through the
trees.

“Stand up slowly with your hands in sight!”

Twenty... thirty-six... forty-nine... I counted sixty men on
all sides, more than half of the unit concealed far in the underbrush. I let
the gold escape between my fingers. The blue droplets sunk soundlessly, slowly
ebbing away.

“Final warning! Put your hands in the air and...”

I did as told, standing slowly. I turned to face the central
squad. A dozen weapons stared me in the face. Each soldier was armed and fully
alert.

“I surrender,” I said.

“It’s 2102,” one uttered. “We’ve been trying to bring her in
for months.”

“I thought she was terminated.”

“Apparently not.”

Their intermingling voices were strangely similar, like they
had been robotically programed, void of character, empty of emotion, and I
wondered if mine was once like theirs.

“Well we have her... what are the orders?”

“Bring her in of course.”

“The question is how. She’s dangerous.”

“Sedate her. Arsenal Kal, bring me an es kit pronto and send
for the straight-stretcher.”

When the sergeant returned, the leading captain strutted
forward. “Make any sudden movements and we’ll gun you down,” he warned.

The captain moved behind me. I could smell the perspiration
on his skin, hear the gentle motion of his lips. “You should have stayed
hidden, you know. By the time they’re finished, they’ll be scraping the last of
you into some glass tube, start all over again, nothing left to save.” He
snagged my forearms, clasping the steel restraints tight around my wrists.

Two more arsenals came and assisted the captain, carrying
the stretcher he had requested. I felt the sudden prick of a needle slip
through my skin. The captain pressed me down into the straight-stretcher where
I was bound again for precautionary measures. They were wise in utilizing
additional constraints. The sedative was ineffective. Rather than coax my mind
to sleep, it simply shot through my system, running through it like a rush of
water.

No one seemed to notice my act of unconsciousness.

“Alright, let’s move out,” the captain ordered. I listened
to the echoes of their footsteps as they trekked the hollow archways.

There was no explanation why, but somehow I felt connected
to the Ohaw. Its subterranean breeze was not a mere wind. It was the breath of
Niaysia, the essence of life and spiritual clarity.

Perhaps someday I could return, and as Uway had said, be
cleansed of my faults. It was Meridian belief that the Ohaw withheld the power
to purify the soul.

One must first confess his transgressions. The transgressor
would then shed an ounce of his blood, indicating spiritual surrender.
Afterwards, three
Taiya
would venture deep into the Ohaw with him for
three days. On the third day, his spirit is momentarily coupled with Kurios.
What happens then, remains untold.

Upon return, the renewed spirit is baptized in the
ruvi
.
When he resurfaces, his memory is cleared, for no being shall live to recall
his sacred encounter with Kurios. The Meridian is then blessed with the title “
Taiva
”,
child of Kurios. He is freed the afternoon on the third night after hours of
intense meditation.

The remainder of his life, he walks the land enchanted by a
presence he simply cannot remember. I wondered what that was like; to know of
total surrender, to be so naked in the eyes of God that His light shined
through to the soul. It was a frightening desire, but still I wanted it. I
needed it. Only then could I break the chains of fate and lay rest to the tombs
of my heart.

“Lieutenant Farway, open the doors!” the captain shouted. I
heard the rumbling gates separate, the hum of machinery buzzing against the
cavern walls.

“I see you caught yourself a fish, captain. What have you
got there?” the voice echoed.

“Something worth a lifetime of wealth,” was the reply.
“Rogue, Celeste 2102.” Forty or so sergeants crowded around the straight-stretcher.

“How in the hell did you manage that miracle?” the
lieutenant asked. I could tell by the vibrations of sound that he had neared.
Six paces forward to be exact.

“She just gave herself up, like a gift from above,” the
captain boasted. “Oh, it was pretty.”

The crowd parted, making way for the lieutenant. “Is she
sedated? We wouldn’t want her to awaken all of a sudden. Wait a minute...
that’s interesting. She’s wearing native clothing.”

“Found that as a shock myself. Of course, we won’t know the
whole story until they interrogate her back on Earth.” His fingers pinched my
neck. “It’s no wonder we thought her dead. Her id marker is fried. How the hell
did that happen?”

“Beats me,” the captain snorted. “I just want to know what’s
going on in that mind of hers. She must be thinking a million miles a minute.
Look at those eyes move.”

The lieutenant chuckled. “Alright captain, let’s get this
traitor on board. The sooner they have her, the sooner Colonel Conley will get
off our asses.”

The captain clapped his hands. “You heard the lieutenant.
Move it arsenals.” They obeyed, carrying the stretcher into the underground
hangar. “This recruit needs immediate teleportation back to Helix City,” the
captain ordered. The mechanics responded with silence. No one moved. “Let’s get
a move on! asap! Let’s go!” he snapped.

There was a bustling of hurried movements and computerized
sound waves. The disarray disrupted the peace of the sanctuary. The Ohaw was in
pain. I could somehow sense its distress.

“Release the restraints please.”

“It is secure correct?”

“I guarantee you,” the captain assured, “that dosage should
have her out for at least fourteen hours if not more. You’re clear to proceed.”

The assistant fiddled with the clasps, nervously unlocking
each of the latches. The steel bars sprung free.

“Lift 2102 into the capsule please.”

Several hands lifted my arms and legs then slid me head
first into the pod. I was bound again. Then the door clamped shut.

I felt the container coast forward then make several smooth
right turns.

“It’s hard to believe that one arsenal caused so much
trouble.”

“She’s not just any arsenal. She’s
the
arsenal. She’s
the only recruit out of five hundred that survived Gene-Nome 1.”

The capsule shook as the arsenals rolled me aboard one of
the ships. I was strapped in again, the flight ready lights flashing with a
buzz. There was movement all around the pod, followed by footsteps and the hum
of the spacecrafts.

“Recruit 2102 is ready for departure. At your word,
lieutenant.”

I heard someone shouting then felt the sway of the craft.

“You are clear for takeoff.”

The door lift sealed shut with a click. The craft rocked,
the engine rumbled, and then we were off.

The MW’S peered over the glass, and I continued to feign sleep.
I could sense them. They were close, their shadows swaying back and forth
before a beam of synthetic light.

“Is that Celeste 2102?”

“It is. We received notice from Lieutenant Rite of her
capture.”

“I’m sure Dr. Gerald will be pleased to proceed with his
work. I heard he nearly drove himself mad trying to get 2102 back in the labs.”

“It’s amazing. Out of all those tested, 2102 was the only
subject to withstand Gene-Nome 1.”

“Truly remarkable.”

“We’d better get her to the humanization facility on the
double. Wouldn’t want any further delays.”

“I’m on it. Make sure to administer a sedative as soon as we
open the chamber.”

“Of course.”

The attendants shifted throughout the room. Their steps were
quick and heavy.

“Chamber opening. Take caution. Chamber opening. Take
caution.”

I readied myself, tensing my arms to break from the
restraints. I waited. My breath still. My body focused. Suddenly, the latch
sprung open, and the glass slid back.

“The sedative. Quick.”

I was out of the chamber in seconds. I gripped the woman’s
forearm. She jumped back, pale as white, her eyes split in horror. I ripped her
arm back and squeezed, shattering the bend of her wrist. She screamed.

The others were paralyzed with fear. Then they were running,
cowering behind walls and under tables. A sudden movement caught my eye. One of
the MW’S was racing towards the emergency siren.

I threw the woman aside and launched after him. He was
close. He stretched out a desperate hand towards the keypad. I slid beneath the
lab station, my knees grazing the floor. Then I lurched forward, folding into a
hard tumble. The glass cover lashed open. A frantic palm drove towards the
hand-press. I snagged the bend of his arm and shattered the joints with a
vicious squeeze.