Immortal (20 page)

“Well. We’re already up here.” He said as he
leapt to the stack that she was on. He landed and waved his arms a
bit to steady himself. “Let’s go!” He said and leaped to the next
stack. She followed. One stack at a time they made their way closer
to the center. Shortly, Jericho came to a stop.

“Look.” He said, as he pointed to the long
series of large flat steel platforms in the center of the room. The
overhead machine deposited a last stack of boxes, which completely
filled one of the platforms, and as it rose back up, the platform
moved towards the far wall of the cavern. From their high position,
they watched as the box laden platform picked up speed, then
disappeared into the large hole bored into the cavern wall. “I
think that’s where we want to go.”

“Where exactly, Jericho?” She asked.

“Over there.” He pointed.

“Not there.” She said. “I mean where,
exactly.”

“Right over there!” He exclaimed.

“No. You’re not understanding me.” She
grabbed him by his shoulders and made him look at just her. “Where
exactly are we going? Not right now, not next, but where? Where are
we heading? Where is there to go?” Realization dawned on him. She
was right. Where was there to go? What were they looking for? Would
they even know when they got there? What if the only place to go
was back to the village? What if this was all there was. Had he
rescued her, just to lead her back to that? They couldn’t go back.
Even if they wanted to. Not after all that had happened. Not after
all that they had seen.

“I don’t know.” He said as he looked down,
and then he turned away from her. “I don’t know where we are going
Gabby. I don’t know if there is any place to go.” He looked back
into her eyes. “Any place at all.” He placed his hand softly
against her cheek. “But I know we are not going back. Not to the
village. Not after all we have seen. We can’t go back.”

“I don’t think they would let us go back.”
She said softly.

“Exactly.” He agreed. “Which is why we must
go on.”

“But Jericho? What about my Mom and Dad? And
Timothy? I can’t just leave them.”

“Gabby. It’s not like we have any choice
about this. We didn’t ask to be here. Not in this situation,
anyway. You scanned positive for the plague. They took you.”

“But what about Rebecca? And your Dad?” She
asked, the tears evident in her eyes, though she did not cry. “Can
you just leave them?” He looked at her for a moment, and then shook
his head.

“No. I can’t.”

“So what are we going to do?” She asked.

“Well we can’t go back. Not right now at
least.”

“Then what are we going to do?”

“We don’t have an option. We have to go
on.”

“But where?” She asked.

“I don’t know, Gabby. But we go on. And on.
And on. And on.”

“Until when?” She asked.

“Until we know.” He answered.

“Know what?” She asked again.

“That we are there.” He said.

“Where?” She asked, still completely puzzled
by his answers.

“There.” He said.

“But where?” She asked, exasperated now.

“There!” He said forcefully. “There, where we
can live. Where we can be linked. Where we can have children. Where
there is no plague. Where there are no Guardians. Where we can
bring our families and know they will be safe. Where we can control
our own lives. Where we can do what we want, when we want.” He
grabbed her and pulled her close. “Where we can love.” He said as
he kissed her. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. As he
pulled back, their embrace released. Her eyes suddenly showed
fear.

“Jericho!” She yelled, as she pointed up to
the large over head machine as it rapidly plunged down towards
them.

The video walls in the great hall showed
larger than life images of a man, aged beyond belief, balding with
wisps of scant hair, sunken eye sockets, yellowed teeth, and
wrinkled paper thin skin. His posture was hunched, and his
expression one of pain. The image spun in three dimensions on each
of the giant walls, as the crowd below moaned with horror at the
ghastly image. Then the image began to change as it continued to
spin. Gradually the posture began to correct itself, the wrinkles
began to smooth. The skin obtained a healthier color, and hair
began to grow. In moments, the image was of a well proportioned
young man in the peek of health. It smiled proudly down at the
audience. A spot light hit the balcony, and illuminated the man in
the image. Half of the walls switched to this live image, while the
others continued to show the three dimensional image as it
continued to spin.

“Presenting, Sir Roderick.” A voice boomed
throughout the great room. The man bowed graciously. His white
tunic caught the light and shimmered. As he straightened back to
his now perfect posture, the voice continued.

“After over one hundred years, by the grace
of his Lordship, our beloved Premier, Sir Roderick was granted
complete rejuvenation.” The crowd cheered. “Look upon the amazing
affects, and revel in his newfound youth. See how perfect his
beautiful skin has become. How young and healthy he is.” The
cheering continued. “And now, ladies and gentlemen.” The crowd went
silent, with only a few hushed murmurs that still echoed. “Just
watch this!” The voice boomed, as the video walls changed to
multiple close-up live images of Roderick as he stood on balcony.
Erotic music began to play, and he reached up, grabbed his tunic,
and in one swift motion, ripped it completely from his body, and
revealed himself to be only dressed in tightly fitted shorts. Just
then, from overhead a cable dropped down in front of him, and he
grabbed it, wrapped his wrist around the end, and then took two
steps and leapt over the edge of the balcony. He flew out and fell
towards the crowd. Some in the crowd screamed as he fell, and
others cheered as he reached the bottom of his arc, and swooped
across the top of the crowd’s heads merely feet above them. Lights
began to flash as beams of light shot randomly through the crowd.
The single spotlight still followed Roderick’s path as he now arced
around the edge of the crowd. He gripped the cable with both hands,
and thrust his feet out in front as he gained speed. As he
approached the balcony area, he began to rise at high speed, and
then released the cable, and spun into a backwards somersault, and
rose higher and higher, until he came to the perigee of his arc.
Suddenly he straightened, and landed firmly on his feet, on the
balcony railing where he had started. The crowd as one, roared
their approval, as he stood confidently on the railing. He took a
short bow, and then back flipped and landed on the balcony. The
spotlight went out, and the crowd went wild.

The next honoree walked out on the balcony as
they prepared for their reveal, just as Jonah came back through the
panel in the wall into the staging area.

“Jonah.” The man said as he approached him.
“There you are. You’re up next.”

“I’m suddenly not feeling so well.” Jonah
said, as he held his head, his gait suddenly unsteady.

“Come on, Jonah. It’s the Accession Ball.
It’s not like you have a choice.” The man said.

“I do have a choice.” Jonah said defiantly.
“And I said I am not feeling well.”

“Well what am I supposed to do? You’re up
next?” The man said obviously upset.

“Skip me, and go to the next.” He said
simply.

“Fine. Whatever. I am not taking
responsibility for this.” The man turned back to the others in the
staging area. “Arianna!” He called out. “Arianna! Where are you?”
He said as he walked away. “Arianna, my dear. Quickly now, you are
next up.”

Jonah walked briskly away from the staging
area, and headed back to where he knew Vanessa waited. As he
approached the rope line that separated the general crowd area from
the staging area, he leapt over the rope. Seconds later he had
found Vanessa.

“Nessa!” He called as he approached. She
looked up from her conversation with Lily in surprise.

“What are you doing here, Jonah? Aren’t you
up next?” She asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

“Come on.” He said, as he grabbed her hand.
“We’re leaving.” He said and started to pull her towards the
exit.

“Wait!” She exclaimed. “What’s going on?”

“Is everything okay?” Asked Alonzo. Even
Lily, at his side seemed upset. Jonah paused. Took a breath, and
then smiled slightly.

“Everything is okay.” He touched his stomach.
“I’m just feeling a little ill, that’s all.” He said sheepishly,
and relaxed his hold on his wife’s hand. Her expression did not
relax.

“Are you okay?” She asked, with her voice
full of concern.

“Just a little woozy is all. Will you see me
home?” He asked her.

“Of course, Jonah. Of course.” She nodded
back to Lily and Alonzo, and took his hand, as he led the way
towards the exit. “What’s going on, Jonah.”

“Not here.” He whispered quietly to her, as
he nodded at other attendees they passed. The lights in the great
hall went dark again, as a hush fell over the crowd. Jonah and
Vanessa reached the exit and left the building. Out on the street,
from within the great hall, they could faintly hear the announcer’s
voice say, “Ladies and gentlemen.” Jonah briskly began to walk
away.

“Hey.” Vanessa stopped. “Now tell me what’s
going on.” She said.

“Not here.” Answered Jonah, as he grabbed her
hand and started to walk away.

“Jonah. I am not going anywhere until you
tell me what’s going on.” She pulled his hand from hers, and
crossed her arms defiantly. He looked at her exasperated. Then took
a deep breath, walked back to her, and placed his hand on her
shoulder.

“Nessa. I need you to trust me.” He said
calmly.

“And I need to know what is going on.” She
said. She did not relax her stance. “This isn’t like you.” She
said. “It’s the Accession Ball. The, Accession Ball. And you’re an
honoree. You can’t just walk out without your reveal. It’s unheard
of.”

“Nessa, my love. There is something going
on.” He said.

“I know there is something going on, and I’m
trying to find out what it is!” She exclaimed.

“Not with me. Something bigger.” He turned
and started to walk. She stood her ground.

“What?” She called after him. He continued to
walk. She glanced back at the great hall, looked back after him,
then sighed, and ran to catch up with him. “Jonah!” She said as she
fell into step beside him.

“Keeping walking.” He said in a low voice.
“Nessa. I overheard Roger and Charles talking. Something about
intruders.”

“Intruders?” She asked with disbelief. “Like
intruders…here? Where?” She said, as she looked around. She moved
closer to him as they continued to walk.

“They said something about intruders…and
something they called guardians. They talked about a product
warehouse with body parts.” He said solemnly.

“It must have something to do with the
rejuvenation and enhancement procedures. That must be where they
keep the parts after they’re created in the labs. You know, like
for storage.” She explained. Suddenly he stopped, and grabbed her
by the arm.

“Nessa. They were talking about fetuses.” He
said as he looked into her eyes.

“Fetuses?” She asked blankly. “Fetuses.” She
said, and looked away from him for a moment. “Human fetuses?” She
asked, almost as if she was afraid to ask.

“I don’t know.” He said, and shook his head.
“They said something about a fetal prep area. And having to
reprogram the system to replace the damaged body parts…product they
called it.”

“This doesn’t make any sense, Jonah.” She
said, as she tried to catch his gaze.

“I know it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Did you ask Roger about it?” She asked.

“I couldn’t ask him about it, Nessa. I wasn’t
supposed to hear their conversation.” He said, angrily. “Nessa.
Roger threatened to kill Charles.”

“Kill?” She asked in disbelief. “Jonah. There
has to be some mistake. This can’t be happening.” He started to
walk again.

“There is no mistake about that.” He stopped
and turned back to her. “And it’s worse than that, Nessa.” He
stepped back to her. “He ordered Charles to find and kill the
intruders…personally.” Said Jonah.

“Wait a minute.” She said, as she suddenly
thought of a solution. “Maybe the intruders are from another city?
Maybe they’re just trying to protect New Sebastian. To protect us?”
She said.

“Another city? After two hundred years,
suddenly someone shows up from another city?” He turned and started
to walk again at a faster pace. She ran to catch up. “And even so.
Let’s say it is someone from another city. The first thing we are
going to do is kill them? That’s one hell of a welcome party, don’t
you think!”

“Jonah. There has to be a reasonable answer
for what you heard.”

“The only answer I’ve come up with so far, is
that Roger and Charles know something. A secret. A big secret.
Something we don’t know. Something no one knows. And whatever it
is…they want to make sure it stays a secret.” He said.

“Jonah.” Vanessa said. He stopped again.

“Nessa. Whatever it is, it’s big enough that
they will kill to protect it. Kill. Do you understand that? To kill
someone? When people live two hundred or more years now? They are
willing to kill someone to keep this secret.” He turned and started
to walk.

“But where are we going?” Vanessa asked as
she again followed him, and tried to keep pace. He stopped
again.

“Underground.” He said.

“Underground?” She asked. He nodded.

“Sector two.”

As Charles rode the elevator down, he thought
not of the task at hand. To find, locate and eliminate the
specimens. He did not think of the anger that Roger had displayed.
Nor did he think of any potential consequences that might befall
him if he were to fail. For the first time in years, he thought of
Jillian, his wife. They had been married for almost fifty years
when her sickness had begun. It revealed itself after her first
attempt at rejuvenation, he remembered. The new skin had not taken,
but had instead begun to age immediately. The organs that had been
replaced were rejected by her own immune system, and regardless of
the subsequent treatments that were tried, she quickly had begun to
die. Even with all of the amazing technologies at hand in New
Sebastian, no one could find a solution.