Apotheosis: Stories of Human Survival After the Rise of the Elder Gods (12 page)

I had never seen a nightmare before. I had never expected to.

The din of the crowd rose to a roar as people sought answers, asked questions, laid blame. Some wept, certain that ruin would fall upon us, certain that the horrors would retaliate come nightfall. Some cheered, to see proof that the beasts that hunted us could die, just as we did. I had no answers.

So I searched for someone who did.

Tehillim was not at the wooden crate she'd made her home for the past two days. I searched the Market for her, oblivious to the folded white cloths that lay in mourning at a dozen or more places, but I searched in vain. She was not there, and neither were the children that had followed her so raptly whenever she spoke.

I knew where they had gone. I made my way to the northern pathway from the market, the one that wandered high into the sheer face of the mountains, where the snow never receded, even on the warmest days of summer. I saw their footprints in the snow, many sets of children's footprints, some with shoes, and some without. And I climbed.

I don't know how long I followed that ancient road before the chill and the thinness of the air began to slow me. Even then, I was old, and my body was not as strong as it had once been.

Behind me, the only world I had ever known still waited. I knew not how it would change, but I knew it would. I knew it
must
.

Before me, the strange girl with hope in her eyes, and the new world she promised. I wanted to follow her. I wanted, more than anything, to find her, and follow her to the valley where there is only peace. But I hadn't the strength, and I hadn't the breath, and I turned back.

I remember, now, that there were many sets of footprints on the trail when I left the Market. But at the foot of the Mountain, where I turned away, there were only three.

A barefoot child, taking hurried strides to keep pace with the others. An older child, with flat-bottomed shoes and a steady gait. And a great cat, trotting slowly at their side.

by Jeffrey Fowler

Ben threw the bolt behind him, locking the door securely before turning to Lexy. “Shhh, baby, it will be okay. We’re going to be fine. We just need to get to Aunt Trina’s house. Then everything will be okay. So be strong for me baby, and we’ll be just fine.” He struggled to get the words out, keeping his tone light and reassuring even as everything within him sobbed in terror and regret. As he leaned back against the wall, hugging tightly to his four-year-old little girl, he wished once again that he’d listened to his friends and colleagues and never published the article that got them into this mess in the first place. Even in the midst of the panic, his mind drifted back to the last road trip he’d taken, though the emotions running through him then had been much different.

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Though the reception had the slightest air of desperation, what with the occasion happening so soon after the government finally recovered and restructured from the horrors of the occupation event, there was still the air of joy and happiness that truly makes a wedding memorable.

“So, Mrs. Paxwell,” Ben said teasingly, “How does it feel to be off the market forever, bound to one man for as long as we both shall live?”

“In a word? Heavenly.”

Her voice still sent shivers rushing through his body. They’d both done their best to keep their heads down, even as resistance fighters solicited money, food, and bodies to continue their guerilla fighting against the Mi’go. The cultists and sympathizers had done their own brand of recruiting as well, although it had far more to do with threats and outright stealing due to their heavy control of the government and military positions infiltrated in the years leading up to the actually invasion start. In an attempt to remind themselves, as well as their families and friends, that joy and happiness could still be found under the rule of the Mi’go, Ben had popped the question to his high school sweetheart Catherine. She’d said yes, even though the majority of what he brought to their marriage was a shiny certificate and a mountain of student loans.

They’d rushed through the planning, assembling in a fraction of the normal time, a wedding. It was as much a celebration of continued life as an event joining the two together. As the two of them drove up to a little cabin on the lake for their honeymoon, it seemed surreal. That a research doctor, and a school teacher could continue their lives together as normally as possible, when the planet had been conquered by an insect-like race of aliens and their cult of sympathizers and fanatics; it was almost unbelievable.

“It was nice of the hospital to give me an extra week before starting to have time for the honeymoon, especially since we did all that dancing around to make sure that we had the wedding during your school’s break.” Ben remarked, his hands on the wheel guiding them deeper along the winding forest road that would lead them to their cabin.

“Oh, don’t remind me. I swear Principal Garrett almost had a coronary when he thought I was going to ask for time off. I think he was so relieved that we’d scheduled for break that he forgot I’d be missing those two days of Educator Instruction he’d scheduled.” Catherine laughed, her voice was rueful with the knowledge that she’d have to make those days up if she wanted to retain her teaching certificate. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and concentrated once more on the upcoming idyllic week they had planned together. As they drove she thought ahead on their life and plans for the future. They both wanted children, and Ben had been talking for days about the research he’d planned to start when they got back. With a small smile on her face, she whispered to herself. “Alexandra. For a girl, I think I’d like Alexandra for a name.”

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Ben shook his head, clearing the memory and once more concentrated on the present and all the tasks that needed to be accomplished before they could finally be safe. “Okay Lexy, it’s time to go. Take my hand, we’re going to be very quiet and get back in the truck, okay? You can watch your shows some more while Daddy drives.” Although the little girl was obviously frightened, she struggled to restrain her tears. She delicately slid her hand into his for safekeeping. Then they quietly snuck out of the house and back to the beaten up F-150 that was their lifeline. His daughter watched cartoons on her tablet, and his wife prayed in the passenger seat. Ben drove deeper into the dark night towards the hope that lay half a state away.

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Dr. Benjamin Paxwell popped the cork, sending champagne soaring like a fountain into the air. With a laugh, he filled the two glasses before handing one to his wife Catherine. “Cheers, love! With this paper finally published, I should be a shoo-in for that promotion at the hospital. I know things have been rough lately, but those times should be over.” He smiled at his wife, trying to use his own cheerfulness to wipe the worry from her eyes. Ever since Alexandra had been born, they’d been struggling to hold things together. Under the Mi’go, everyone worked unless at least one parent qualified for an exemption. Once they’d found out Catherine was pregnant, Ben sought out a promotion as chief researcher at the hospital in hopes of affording Catherine the chance to stay home with Lexy.

“What James and I have worked on could very well lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s. Just think of it, love, no more worries about tissue degradation in the brain. People will no longer have to worry about some disease stealing away the very things that make us alive; our thoughts and memories!” Ben’s excitement was contagious, and Catherine found herself smiling as well, though she couldn’t completely mask her fear. While Ben had only thought about the impact of his research in the terms of allowing Cat to stay home with Lexy, something she’d dreamed of doing since getting pregnant, her thoughts had meandered elsewhere. She found herself considering the other possibilities that may come from having her husband make a brilliant discovery in a world dominated by the Mi’go and their ever-present quest of hoarding knowledge and discovery. Her lack of response drew his attention. “Don’t you see? This is an opportunity for our family to live out our dreams, and maybe even add...” The sound of glass crashing against the floor broke Ben from his speech as he realized for the first time that his wife’s attention was no longer directed at him. Instead, she was looking at the door of their small two bedroom home. The delicate glass she once held between her fingers lay on the floor, shards glittering like diamonds in the pool of spilled champagne. With dawning horror he turned around, his eyes immediately fixed on the crimson envelope innocuously slid beneath the door. Mechanically he moved toward it, his eyes glued to it with a finality that bespoke its message: the end of his life as he knew it.

There was no misunderstanding its significance. No one could live under the occupation of the Mi’go and not hear about the crimson letters and their contents. Even as he grasped it from the floor and began to tear it open, accompanied by the wracking sobs of his wife who still hadn’t moved from where she stood, the thought wandered through his head: blood red is an appropriate color for a death sentence.

“Dr. Benjamin Paxwell, you have been selected to receive the Mi’go granted gift of Immortality. Your recent work in the field of medicine, specifically the strides you have made in the prevention of degenerative brain diseases, has been judged to be of significant enough merit to warrant the preservation of your mind. It is with our greatest congratulations that we inform you of this honor. You officially have forty-eight hours from the date of posting to put any outstanding affairs in order that require a physical body, and thereafter report immediately to the nearest Immortalization Center with this letter to begin the harvesting process.” He continued to read woodenly, emotionlessly reciting the words on the page even as his heart screamed in passionate denial.

“As you are registered as married to one Catherine Paxwell, she shall receive your severance package along with her certificate to allow her to legally remarry if she so desires. This package includes the generally established scholarship of education to be redeemed by your dependent Alexandra Paxwell upon her successful completion of the basic education program mandated for all who fall within allowable IQ range. Failure to respond is grounds for warrants for treason against the Mi’go to be issued against you, your spouse, and your dependents. Agents assigned to the execution of these warrants will be informed that you are to be taken without damage to the brain, but such restrictions apply only to yourself as the one chosen for Immortality.”

Ben took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment against the pain. After that moment he reached his desk, grabbing a pad of paper and pen to write as he spoke. “Cat. Here are the passwords for the bank sites. The safety deposit box key is still taped behind that picture of you and Lexy. I’ll ask Jim from next door to come over and check in on you both often.” He continued frantically scribbling, his mouth moving but his eyes avoiding the growing horror in his wife’s eyes as the reality of what was actually happening began to sink in. “I think you should sell my car. My insurance should pay for the house of course, and you won’t need both cars. Should give you a little extra cash.” He trailed off, finally looking up to see his wife violently shaking her head and with her arms wrapped around her torso in denial. He dropped the pen, moving to take her in his arms as he whispered nonsense sounds to give her any small measure of reassurance.

“Cat. Catherine. Sweetheart, we don’t have any choice. Yes, this is terrible, but at least you and Lexy will be okay. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but maybe they’ll still give me communication rights. I’ll be able to call and check in on you both. That is if you want me to. A clean break might be better.” His own voice choked on the last words, the despair of never being able to see or hear from his wife or daughter again almost breaking his resolve right there.

“Ben! Ben stop, you don’t understand.” Catherine finally managed to break in on his monologue, the grief still very apparent in her voice. “I was going to tell you tonight, right before….” She stopped to sob again as Ben held her closer.

“What is it Cat?”

“Ben, I’m. I’m pregnant again. I’m… We’re going to have another baby.”

The shock was almost audible in the room. Ben’s arms reflexively clenched around his wife, his joy violently clashing with the horror of the moment. Another child. A son or daughter that he would never hold in his arms or kiss gently in love and benediction. Where moments before his only thoughts had been on the inevitable harvest, now fear caused rebellion to bloom. Thoughts spun madly in his mind, his own safety a distant thought when compared to ensuring the survival and well-being of his daughter and his wife who was carrying their unborn child.

“Listen to me, Cat.” He shook her gently, bringing her focus back to him, instead of on the fear she was feeling. “We have to run. That’s our only choice. The minute we try we are marked for death, so we can’t make any mistakes. We have to get to my sister Trina. She knows some people who have been living off the grid, and should be able to help us get to them. Pack small things, things we can’t do without. Tomorrow night, we’ll wake Alexandra and put her in the car. She doesn’t need to know why yet. We can tell her what’s happening when we get to safety. We’ll just tell her we’re going to visit Aunt Trina.” His mind spun with plans considered and rejected. His talented mind, previously put to research and science now raced along a rhythm of escape.

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“We’re going to have to stop soon, love. If we fill up, we should make it the rest of the way. Once we talk to Trina, we’ll know where we can go to hide. Start over, far from the Mi’go and their harvests.” Ben knew he was trying to convince himself but still he said the words. The worry and fear was almost tangible inside the cab of the truck. Blissfully ignorant of the danger, Alexandra lay sleeping in the back seat her using her arm for a pillow. His mind continued to whirl through possible plans, categorizing each scenario and trying to find solutions. Escape, medical attention, and long-term safety. Every moment, the seconds became more and more vital, but never as important as escaping those hunting them already.

The truck stop was all but deserted, which suited them. They’d finally had to stop to refuel, but this would be the last time before they reached Trina’s home. From there, they’d learn the route to take and flee deep into the wilder places, where people could hide from the insectoid aliens known as the Mi’go and their Harvest. Catherine had used the restroom while Lexy continued to doze in the car. The slamming of the truck door drowned out the sound of the shot, but it could not disguise the shattering window glass. They hadn’t shot to kill. The sadistic bastards hunting them counted on a husband’s desire to save his wife to make him stop and find medical attention for her. It would have worked, had Catherine not choked back the scream of pain to yell for her husband to go. While she clutched her bleeding shoulder and sobbed in agony, Ben violently pressed the pedal to the floor. The tires screeched against the asphalt to the accompaniment of more shots as the bounty hunter that had tracked them this far realized they had no intention of stopping.