Genetic Drift (20 page)

DAY 283

HOPE IS LOST

ROAN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

“Human, human, wake up
.”
Rho
was trying to get Maddie to wake up. 
Rho
knew she was alive because if she wasn’t, it wouldn’t be able to tell her to wake up.  Maddie was lying in pine needles drenched from head to toe. 

She raised her head from the muddy ground and called out, “Bryce.”  She fell back to the ground and thought about how she had finally found him and then lost him again. 

“
He is a vessel now
,”
Rho
told her.  She lay on the ground, muscles refusing to move.

“
How do you know? You didn’t see him,
” Maddie asked.

“
Human, I did see him through your eye.  Did you notice his scars?  They were the color of a healed vessel
,”
Rho
explained,

Maddie thought in anger, “
How do you know?  Those scars could be from something else.
” 

“
I know that, human, but it is nothing but a vessel for the others.  The human’s body does not belong to the human that you knew,
”
Rho
thought to her with no emotion in its words.

Maddie thought back, “
Then we have to save him so he isn’t a vessel anymore.
” 

“
Human, once one becomes a vessel for them, it is no longer what it was.  It is connected only with their leader’s commands.  What you remember of this vessel you call Bryce is no longer.  Its brain has been replaced to serve their leader,
”
Rho
corrected her thought process. Maddie couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  There had to be something that could be done. 

“
Rho, could you help me save him?”
she asked. 

“Human, I could try to change its objective but that would mean that the vessel rejected their leader for my commands.  It still would not return your Bryce,”
Rho
replied. 

“
That’s a start and we can go from there,”
Maddie told
Rho
.

Maddie stood up and looked around.  The entire area was waterlogged from the floodwaters.  Neither Bryce nor Jay nor Hope was anywhere to be seen.  She was cautious in her movements.  If she had been swept away, then she realized that there was a possibility that a Troll could be in the area too.  She had lost her orbitizer in the torrent from the dam.  She had no gun and had to move quietly.  Not the best recipe to find someone. 

She looked for any signs that somebody was around her.  She studied the flow and saw some articles on the ground.  A few items were definitely human.  Diving goggles were five feet in front of her.  Since Jay was heavy set, she looked upstream from where she was.  She spotted someone walking toward her and as she figured, it was Jay.

“Did you find Hope?” Jay called out as he made his way through the brush.  Maddie touched her fingers to her lips.

“Shhhhhh, don’t make too much noise, you don’t know what’s out here.  And no, I haven’t seen Hope,” she said.  Jay was disappointed with the news.  After a few hundred feet, he joined Maddie. 

“Then where do we go from here?  We have no idea where they took her.  We don’t even know where to start looking,” Jay said. 

“We need to find a vessel to interface with,”
Rho
thought to Maddie. 

“I know that is our best bet,”
she thought to
Rho
and told Jay, “We need to start here to look for clues.”

Jay and Maddie started to scan the grounds to look for anything that might lead them in the right direction.  They walked in opposite directions.  After a few steps, Jay asked, “Have you found anything yet?” 

Maddie turned around and put her hands on her hips, “Really?  I’m ten steps away from you.”  Jay shrugged his shoulders.

“Just askin’,” he said.  They both turned around and started looking again.  Jay surveyed the ground.  Maddie looked in bushes and piles of pine needles and leaves.  Nothing of importance materialized.  “Have you found anything yet?” Jay elevated his voice to ask again.  Maddie kept looking through the woods for something, anything.  Just one clue.

“No,” she called out as the distance grew between them.  Maddie kept walking and couldn’t find anything.  She turned around and she had lost sight of Jay.  She decided to double-back to find him so they wouldn’t get separated.

“Jay,” she hollered under a hushed breath.  “Jay,” she looked around to find him.  She wondered where he was.  She looked into the trees.  There he was, his back visible through the brush.  She rushed over to him, “Jay,” she tried to quietly get his attention.  She moved closer and her sight was finally unobstructed by the tree.  She stopped dead in her tracks.  Jay was elevated with a hand clasped around his neck.  He was limp, lifeless.  She shifted her view to the owner of the hand. It was Bryce. 

“Bryce, Bryce,” she called as she started to run towards him.  His hand released Jay.  Jay fell to the ground as dead weight and Bryce walked briskly towards Maddie with an orbitizer in hand.  She got closer and he raised his orbitizer.  She saw his aim and changed her course to approach from the opposite side.  The orbitizer continued its aim in her direction.  She made it within arm’s reach and Bryce’s hand went directly for her throat.  His fingers tightened around her neck and Maddie was lifted off of the ground.  The nanocytes began their exchange of preliminary information and Maddie knew that it was
Rho
’s turn to talk.  She listened through her thoughts.

If you have no objective, you are required to return for new tasking,
Bryce told
Rho
.

I will remain without objective. I am not required to assimilate the human, Rho
replied to Bryce.

Our leader, the queen mother, does not allow for your dissent.  Its directive is clear.  You will return for tasking.

I will not return for tasking. It is your queen mother, not mine.
Rho
told Bryce. 

Bryce gave
Rho
an ultimatum.
If you will not return, then you will be made a threat no longer.

I am not a threat.  I will not return for tasking.

Then you are a threat to the queen mother and you are to be executed.

Bryce’s grip tightened around Maddie’s neck and she felt the burning in her jugular.  Her head started to feel empty.

“Rho, ask him if Bryce is still in there,”
Maddie begged
Rho
. 

“No human, you need to fight back,” Rho
replied.

Bryce’s grip suddenly loosened.  Maddie began to struggle and pried his hand away from her throat.  She looked into the same eyes that she remembered from that ski slope so many months ago.  Then she noticed blood seeping from his neck.  His head started to tilt and then it was knocked off.  Quill’s smiling face replaced her view of Bryce. 

“Take that,” Quill said, and he kicked the head away from the body.  Maddie managed to open Bryce’s grip and his headless body fell to the ground.

She looked down at the body and the neck started to reform.  It continued to grow as she watched and a jawline began to form.  Quill swung down and another slice went through the same spot on the neck. 

Maddie screamed out, “No, no, nooooo.”  She reached for the orbitizer that was on the ground next to the body.  Quill ripped away the second neck and threw it behind him.  Maddie grasped the orbitizer and aimed it right at Quill.  Quill noticed what she was doing and jumped out of the line of fire and positioned himself behind Maddie.

He grabbed her and put his blade to her throat.  “I saw it.  You are one of them.  If you ever try to kill me again, I will make you just like him,” he said.  His cold raspy words blew into Maddie’s ears.  She stood there, took a calming breath, and dropped the orbitizer. 

“Okay,” she said with an exhale.  Quill released his hold on her and quickly jumped away.  

“You helped me out of the hospital and this time I helped you.  We’re even,” he said.   Maddie picked up the orbitizer, careful not to point it toward Quill.

“Fine, you don’t have to worry about me,” she said.   Quill, still apprehensive of Maddie’s intentions, watched her like a hawk.

“Good, you know he had to die.  He was gonna kill you.  Why do you care what I did?” he asked.  Maddie still had her gun pointed away from Quill.

“I knew him,” she said. 
Rho
entered Maddie’s thought.

“I told you he was not who you thought he was.” 

Maddie sneered aloud, “I know.” 

Quill looked at her, “You know what?  You hearing voices?” 

Maddie deflected, “Nothing, I know nothing.”

Jay was rustling on the ground trying to get his bearings.  Quill readied his blade to attack.  Maddie put up her hand, “Quill. No. He’s okay.”  Quill remembered the man from the door in the control building.  He walked up to Jay.

“Did you find the girl?” Quill asked, and extended his hand to offer Jay assistance in getting up. 

“No, not yet,” Jay said.  He took the offer and Quill helped him to his feet.  “Do you have any idea where to look?”

Maddie’s head started to hear
Rho
,
“I can feel something coming.  It is something from the queen mother.  I can feel its beacon calling us.” 
Maddie was careful not to speak.

“
Where? Where is it coming from?” 

“Look to the sky.  It is coming from the sky,” Rho
told her.
 
Maddie looked up and saw a shape coming down.  She pointed at the shape.

“Look,” she called out.  Quill and Jay turned their heads to the sky and saw the same object.  Quill pointed at it with his blade and turned to Jay.

“I think that is a good place to start.”

DAY 283

A NEW HORIZON

CAMP PHOENIX CONTROL BUILDING

The flood had receded substantially after the demolition of the dam, but it was still unsafe to walk through the grounds at Camp Phoenix.  The remaining people from the battle moved from the roof back to the second level for shelter.  Only a lookout stayed on the roof to monitor the hills and floodplain below.

Ben stood alone next to the window finishing his grieving.  He stared at the rushing water below as he tried to clear his thoughts.  The loss of the General wasn’t the only thing that was bothering him.  He wondered where Quill was, where Maddie was, where Barron was.  The loss of people in battle caused distress in his heart but not as much as the loss of the people he had traveled with in the past week.  The common bond they had formed was not easily broken. He felt guilty for what he assumed was their deaths but also felt more resolved to defeat the Trolls.

As luck would have it, a jon boat drifted next to the building when night came.  It was an endeavor to grab it and tie it to the roof, but they succeeded after someone fell in the water.  Marcus and Ethen talked about what was more important, the guns that were within sight or the food that was on the hill.  After a little debate and reasoning, it was decided that Marcus would be the first to go out on the boat.  To maximize the return load, he told one of the soldiers to come with him.

He selected Charles.  Charles was fit and capable.  He had fought alongside Marcus during the Troll attack on the control building.  The boat was hanging from the roof since it had been tied up when the waters reached halfway up the second level.  Marcus untied the boat and lowered it to Charles, who then lowered it to the water.  The flood was waist-high as Marcus slogged through it on the ground level.  Marcus grabbed the entry door and lifted himself into the boat.  When he was securely seated, Charles let go and made his way to join Marcus.

Ethen stayed behind, figuring that he would wait for the boat.  It was possible to walk to the storage lockers but there was no guarantee that the weaponry wasn’t damaged.  Also, the possibility of hauling unusable wet ordnance back to the building discouraged him further.  He walked up to Ben and asked, “How are you doing?”  Ben turned away from the window.

“I’m fine. Who is our best tech to get the comms back up?” Ben asked. 

“Charles, but he is out with Marcus now going to the food stores.  I can hold my own with electronics too,” Ethen answered.

“Good, find out how we can get power back to the building and get the comms back up,” Ben told Ethen.  

“Roger that,” Ethen said, and left Ben to himself.  Ethen approached the stairs leading to the ground floor.  “There’s still too much water,” he looked down at the flood.  The water seemed stagnant.  Ethen sat on the top step, “Even if I got the backup generator back online, that comms center is going to be flooded for weeks… even months.”  He sat and stared at the water hoping that an idea would enter his head.

Marcus cut off the engine to the jon boat and it drifted onto the hill.  Charles tied it to a tree and they began their walk to the food storage.  Bodies of fallen soldiers were spread along the hillside from the ambush the day earlier.  They pushed to the top of the hill and had a view of the other side.  It was unscathed by the deluge.  The water had taken the path of least resistance which was lower grounds following the river.  Charles pointed halfway down the hill, “That’s one of the food storages there.”  Marcus acknowledged the direction and started to walk toward the food storage.  

It was a shack but unlike the intricate tunnels of the outpost, it really was just a shack.  They opened a creaky door and found a couple of coolers.  “Really, this is what you guys did for backup?” Marcus asked Charles.  

“Don’t blame me.  I wasn’t in charge of this stuff.  I just know where it is,” Charles admitted.  They opened one of the coolers and the rim and lid were covered with mold or some type of moss.  Marcus feared for what he was going to see inside.  Surprisingly, the food was vacuum sealed MRE’s with the packaging unaffected by the mold.  

“At least these things are good for years,” Marcus said.  He picked up one end of the cooler and Charles followed his lead picking up the other side.  They hiked up the hill to put the cooler in the boat.  

Once the cooler was placed, Marcus grabbed an MRE and opened it up.  He threw another MRE to Charles, “Eat up, you’re going to need your strength.”  Charles opened his package and grabbed the main entrée.  He was happy to see it was a burger.  He shoved the burger in his mouth and started to chew.  His face turned sour as he started to push the burger out with his tongue.  

He took the package to scrape the food off of his tongue, “Veggie burger.  That tastes like crap.”  Marcus couldn’t help but laugh.  It was Charles’ first MRE and it was very apparent.

After they finished with their meal, Marcus was ready to go to the next storage spot.  “Let’s go,” he told Charles.  Marcus’ legs were starting to feel the burn of walking uphill.  He told Charles that he wanted to take a break when they reached the top.  When they made it to the top, Marcus found a stump and sat down.  Charles scanned for the next shack.

Marcus wiped his brow and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the woods.  It was difficult for him to remember to stop for a bit and just take a break.  He looked up and saw something in the sky.  “Charles, do you see that?” Marcus pointed up.  Charles turned to Marcus and then followed the direction of his finger.  His eyes squinted as he tried to find what Marcus was seeing.  Marcus stood up and went beside Charles.  He put his arm in Charles’ line of sight.  Charles finally saw it.  It was a black blot descending to the earth.  

“Oh no, that can’t be,” Charles muttered.  

“Oh, yes it is.  There are more coming down.  We need to get back now,” Marcus said.  They hurried down the hill and jumped into the jon boat.  Marcus didn’t waste any time starting the boat and sped back to the control building.

The boat barely squeezed through the entry door and Marcus coasted it to the stairs.  He and Charles jumped out into the knee-deep water and started running upstairs.  Ethen jumped up and saw it was the two returning from the food run.  They didn’t have anything in their hands.

“What’s wrong?  Where’s the food?” Ethen asked as Marcus and Charles made it to the second floor.  

“They’re landing another bunker,” Marcus said, out-of-breath.  

“They’re going to land on the other side of the hill,” Charles said, and pointed in the direction they had come from, even though the wall was in the way.

Ethen’s mind shifted.  Ben had to be informed, the ammunition was still on the grounds, and screw the comms, was the order of importance in his mind.  “You tell Ben.  I’ll go get the guns,” Ethen said as he jumped down the stairs, landing in the water.  He got into the boat and made way to salvage any ammo he could find.  

As the sound of the boat’s motor waned, Marcus and Charles went to find Ben.  “They’re landing another bunker,” Marcus told him.  Ben’s head perked up as he ran to the ladder leading to the roof.  

“Show me,” he hollered as he climbed the ladder.  Marcus and Charles hurried to the ladder and made it to the roof.

Ben was looking in the direction of the hill as Marcus jumped onto the roof.  “It’s right over…” Marcus didn’t have to say another word.  Ben had already spotted it.  It was the first time that Ben had actually seen a bunker but not Marcus.  “That’s not a bunker,” Marcus told Ben.  Charles caught up with the two after emerging from the ladder.  

“What do you mean, ‘it’s not a bunker?’” Ben asked.  Charles was staring in amazement.  

“That’s bigger than a bunker.  Way bigger than a bunker,” Marcus said as he fixed his sights on the descending object as well.  

“We’re not safe here anymore,” Ben said. “We’re going to attack them before they attack us.”

“Do you think that’s what we should do?” Marcus asked Ben.

“We’re sitting ducks here and it won’t take long to figure that out.  If we leave, they’re just going to hunt us down anyways,” Ben said.

Ben stared at the huge bunker as it descended.  The bottom of the floating object became masked by the hill line.  It was landing and it was right next to them.