Immortal (8 page)

It seemed to take forever, but it was finally
over. The last stroke had been thrown, and for the final time
Donovan had passed out, and hung limply from his chains. In all, it
had been fifteen strokes from the whip, each delivered with
emotionless precision by the Guardian. Donovan had needed to be
revived six times before it was over. In the end, Jericho had
managed to not throw up, but several of those around him were not
so lucky. As soon as it was obvious that the final crack of the
whip was the last, Jericho headed back towards the girls, but he
took one last look at Donovan’s limp body, just as the Guardian
approached to release him. Good, bad or indifferent, Jericho
thought that he had done what he had to do. He had seen it through
to the end. Poor Donovan, he thought. No one should have to go
through what had just happened. Broken, he thought, as remembered
back to his own interrogation. Remembered back to when he awoke and
the Guardian was gone, and when he had begun to think that maybe he
had admitted disobedience. He thanked whatever powers that looked
over them that he had not done so. Sure, he thought, he would have
survived, just as he hoped Donovan would. But being broken so
completely, and so unmercifully, was something that he could
understand. No one could truly recover from that. No one, not even
himself. He looked up and saw that the girls were just ahead.

“It’s over.” He said solemnly.

“You okay?” Asked Gabrielle.

“No.” He said, “But I will be.” He gave her a
slight smile that he did not really feel. Her face lit up.

“Let’s get out of here.” She said.

“I’m heading home.” Rebecca said, as she
hugged Jericho briefly, and then one by one, the others.

“Me too,” Said Sarah, as she hugged everyone
as well.

“Looks like it’s just you and me girl.”
Jericho said to Gabrielle.

“Fine by me.” She answered.

“Walk you home?” He asked.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She said,
as she wrapped her arm around his. They left the square which was
quickly emptied. A glance back confirmed what Jericho already
thought. Donovan was gone.

Mostly in silence, they made their way back
towards Gabrielle’s building. The talk was quiet, and definitely
not about what they had just witnessed. Suddenly Gabrielle
stopped.

“Let’s link.” She said as she grasped both of
his hands. He looked at her, silent.

“Link?” he asked.

“Yeah, link.” She exclaimed. “Why not. I love
you. You love me. We love each other, then why-”

“Okay,” he said.

“-not link. You know we have to make up our
minds some time, we can’t just-”

“Okay.” He said again.

“Keep on waiting around until-” She paused.
“What did you say?”

“I said…” He paused and drew her close to
him, “Would you link with me?” She was silent. The emotions that
ran through her face elated him. She was absolutely right. They
should be linked, and it should happen right away. There was no
reason to wait. No reason to consider. They should be linked, and
they should do so right now.

“Gabrielle, my dearest beloved, would you
please do me the honor of-”

“No!” She exclaimed. “Not here! Not now!” She
said. Then suddenly she smiled. “Tomorrow.” She said. “Tomorrow!”
And she knew just where it should happen. He should ask her to link
at one place, and one place only. It should happen at their special
place. The place where they had truly become one. The beach.

Both Jericho and Gabrielle were at the meal
building before first light, and had quickly eaten. They wanted to
get the beach before the sun came up, and Jericho had practiced all
night exactly what he wanted to say to Gabrielle when he asked her
to link with him. As they entered the road to the factory, they
hadn’t yet spoken of their purpose, just that they wanted to get to
the beach as soon as they could. They had even tossed the idea
around that they not eat at all, but Jericho had awoken famished,
as he still tried to get his nourishment level back up after the
ordeal he had endured the day before. He felt fine, and he didn’t
think there would be any long term physical affect from the
interrogation. But he had awoken in a cold sweat twice during the
last night, as he thought that the Guardian still stood in front of
him. And each time he had difficulty as he tried to go back to
sleep. It was those times that the images of Donovan’s punishment
would not fade from his memory.

Even on their way to the meal building, he
had crossed the street without a thought to avoid a Guardian that
stood stoically on the corner. And even though they had crossed the
street, he felt as if the Guardian had watched them. That it had
moved every so slightly as they walked past. Again he wondered if
the Guardians had always been that sensitive to the movements of
the people in the village, or if he just noticed it more now since
his up close and personal experience with them.

As they walked along the road, which was well
lit from the spotlights attached atop each stone pillar, Gabrielle
marveled. She held his hand, as they walked quietly, and she looked
up into the night sky. She noticed that she could see not one star.
How could there be so many spots of light at the beach, but none
here, she wondered.

“Jericho?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“Why aren’t there any stars here?” She said,
as she stopped and pointed up. He stopped as well, and turned
towards her, but never let go of her hand. He looked up.

“My Dad says that it’s the lights.” He
said.

“The lights?” She asked.

“Yeah. Something about how light from the
stars is too faint, and the lights from the village, and even here
from the road are brighter.” He gestured towards the nearest
pillar, clearly six feet taller than they were, and its bright
spotlight that shone down upon them. “The light, it kind of drowns
out the stars.”

“That’s sad.” She said, and looked back into
his eyes.

“I guess, in a way it is.” He said as they
turned and started to walk again. “To still be up there. Shining.
Waiting for someone to see them. And all the while-”

“They’re hidden.” She cut in. He smiled.

“Yeah. Hidden. Like that.” He squeezed her
hand. She squeezed back. They walked.

“It’s not much further is it?” Gabrielle
asked, as she walked beside him on the deserted road. There was
still no hint of first light, and so far no one else had begun
their walk to the factory.

“It’s just up ahead.” Jericho said. “Race
you!” He said as he released her hand and ran ahead.

“Wait!” She responded, as she giggled under
her breath, and then took off after him. She watched as he slowed,
and neared the side of the wall. She playfully tagged him as she
ran by. “I win!” She yelled.

“Okay. You win.” He said and smiled, as she
stopped and turned back to him. He approached the bottom corner of
the wall, and looked for the gap in the section of the wall that he
knew was loose.

“Did you find it?” She asked.

“This is it.” He said, “But it’s not giving
way.” He grunted as he tried to push the bottom of the wall section
back. Gabrielle, came up beside him, and leaned back against the
wall. She looked up into the darkened sky and tried to make out the
stars that she now knew were still there, but she could not see
them. Jericho grunted again, and banged his fist against the wall.
The loud sound startled Gabrielle.

“Hey. You scared me.” She exclaimed.

“Sorry.” He said. “I can’t seem to get it
open.” He said as he stood up.

“Are you sure we’re at the right spot?” She
asked. “Maybe it’s further up the road.”

“No this is it.” He pointed at the pillar
beside the wall. “See I marked it when I found it.” He said and
pointed to a faint x shape that was marked at waist height. She
pushed off of the wall from her position to look, and noticed
something odd.

“Jericho.” She said. “What’s that?” She
asked, as she pointed at a tiny line of light that seem to come
from the bottom side of the wall panel, adjacent to the stone
pillar. Jericho bent and looked closer. The light disappeared as he
moved in closer. He ran his fingers along the rusted panel, where
the shimmer had been just moments ago.

“That’s strange.” He said. “It’s smooth.” His
fingers traced the line.

“Smooth?” she asked.

“Yeah, smooth. It doesn’t feel rusted.” He
said in disbelief. “Like it has been melted.”

“Melted?” she asked, as she tried to move in
for a closer look.

“Melted. Like it was melted back together.”
He stood up and shook his head, “I can’t get it back open.” He
said, clearly dismayed by the fact. And not simply dismayed that he
couldn’t open the break in the fence anymore, but by what it really
meant to them. Their secret place, he thought, was now closed off.
He longed to bring her there since the very first time he had found
it. And it had all seemed so magical, the first time she had seen,
truly seen the amazing star lights. The feel of the sand, the smell
of the ocean, and the soft breeze as it blew through her hair. The
warmth of her body against his. Her touch. The burst of warmth as
the sun began to climb. The light as it shone across the water. And
of course, the very purpose of why they were here now. The question
he had come to ask her. This was to be the moment of their new
beginning. Suddenly it seemed to him, that not being able to open
the panel was more than a minor thing. It suddenly seemed that it
was a big thing, and that maybe it was everything. He turned back
toward the corner, and kicked the bottom of the panel with all his
might. A loud boom echoed along the roadway. Gabrielle jumped and
drew in a breath.

“Ow!” He said, as he hopped on his other foot
and the pain vibrated through his foot.

“What are you doing?” Gabrielle asked, as she
caught her breath. Her heart beat rapidly, and she placed a hand
over her chest to calm herself.

“I was trying to get it open.” He said
exasperated.

“How’s your foot?” She asked, seeing that he
had stopped hopping, and walked slowly around in a circle, as he
attempted to tame the sensations that ran through his foot.

“It’ll be okay.” He said. He stopped and
flexed his foot. “But there’s no way we are getting through there.”
He said, dejectedly. A sadness showed on his face that he could not
hide from her. She smiled slightly, even as a tear formed at the
corner of her eye. She stepped to him, took his face into her
hands, and cradled it as she looked up into his eyes.

“Oh Jericho.” She began, and regained
composure. “It’s okay. Maybe we can find another place to go
through.” He shook his head.

“I’ve looked. Ever since I found this spot,
I’ve looked. Wondering what might lie on the other side of the
walls.” He gestured back the way they had come, and then towards
the factory. He blinked slowly, and took in a breath. “But this was
the only place that I’ve found.” He leaned back against the wall
that no longer opened towards the beach. “I’m sorry.” He said, and
let his head hang down.

“Sorry?” She asked. “What are you sorry
about?” Her tone betrayed her flustered emotion. “Sorry about
something you had no control over?” She asked, mystified. “Sorry
about having shown this to me to begin with?” He began to shake his
head. “Sorry about sharing the most beautiful thing I have ever
seen in my entire life?” He reached out and grabbed her arms
gently, as he still shook his head.

“Gabrielle.” He said softly, as she
continued.

“Sorry about-”

“Shh.” He said. Cut off in mid sentence, eyes
wide, and mouth open, she said nothing. He pulled her closer, and
continued. “For as long as I have known you, I have always felt
inside, that this day would come. I’ve always hoped that one day I
would hold you as I am now, feeling your warmth against me, looking
into your eyes, and asking you this question. Gabrielle, as I
behold your beauty, and breathe in your love, I ask you, will you
join with me?” Her eyes teared as he continued to speak, even as
his own eyes sparkled with the reflection of the road’s lights.
“Will you become my one? My other? Will you join me in perpetuity,
until the end of all things?” He paused, his own tears matched the
flow of hers. He looked into her eyes and held her close.
“Gabrielle. Will you link with me?”

She took a deep breath, and said quietly. “I
will, Jericho. I will.” She hugged him closer, with her face now up
against his neck. She felt his skin against her face, and his scent
filling her lungs. She breathed him in as she softly cried. Beach
or no beach, this was the first step of the rest of their lives,
and she was happy. After minutes had passed and they had each
composed themselves, they realized that they were no longer alone.
Daylight had begun to break, and the road had begun to fill. The
morning shift was now on the way to the factory. Hand in hand they
turned, smiled, and joined the passing flow of bodies. Today was a
new day, they each thought. A new beginning.

As Gabrielle and Jericho approached the
entrance to the factory, those ahead of them, one by one, placed
their hands into the scanners, and continued forward. Above them on
the catwalk, the Guardians stood silent and motionless, seemingly
unconcerned with the tide of humans that passed beneath them into
the building. If Jericho had not been so engrossed with the
feelings he experienced, the warmth in his heart, the tingle in his
hand that held tightly to Gabrielle, he might have noticed the
slight almost indistinct movement of one of the Guardian’s heads,
as he continued to move with the sea of people. He possibly would
have seen the slight tilt of the head, but he would not have known
that the Guardian was in fact focused on him and him alone. He
could not have known that behind the dark eyes set into the
metallic face, that the optical circuits of the Guardian had zoomed
in and focused on him. Nor could he have known that the images were
being digitized into a constant flow of data, which was modulated
and broadcast to an unknown receiver, where it was then instantly
demodulated and recompiled, producing a stream of recognizable
images. Images of him. Even as he placed his own hand into the
scanner, he barely noticed that the green light remained lit as he
did so. He was still in conversation with Gabrielle, and oblivious
to the discreet observation that occurred. And neither could he
realize, as he passed through the factory doors, said goodbye to
Gabrielle, and began to make his way to his station, that each
Guardian he passed in route, also focused their vision on him, and
also silently beamed their data stream out to be collected and
recompiled as well.