After Impact: After Impact Trilogy, Book 1 (6 page)

Then someone else caught her eye. Someone who looked a lot like…

“I need to go now,” Avalon said.

“So soon?”

“Yeah. Sorry!” Avalon said hurrying for the door.

“Wait— are you just gonna let her skip out on us like that?” the Accipio Kael spoke to earlier asked as he blocked the door.

Kael stepped up towards his friend. Kael stood a full six inches taller than him.

“I said she is good,” Kael said without blinking.

His friend, Ed, flared his nostrils in frustration and reluctantly let Avalon slip past.

Once Avalon reached her dorm, she showered and shampooed her hair. Closing her eyes in the shower, she reflected upon how the Accipios had their own secret space where they could decompress away from the watchful eyes of the cameras. There really wasn’t much difference between them and the people in the Fulcio and Compatio sector. They weren’t as vapid as they appeared either. The fact the Compatios were becoming ill wasn’t lost to them. But the care, the concern, necessary to change things was missing. The curiosity which propelled her to seek answers. Of course, most people were like that. If it wasn’t something that affected them directly, it didn’t matter. Somehow she had to figure out a way to make it matter. To make it more than just the Compatios problem.

As she continued to scrub her scalp, thoughts of dancing with Kael flooded her mind. She remembered the feeling of electricity which raced through her veins, the feeling of warmth as she stood so close to him. And then her thoughts ran towards Ilium.
I’ve got to see how he is coming with everything. We have got to get together and compare notes.
Despite the awful situation of being without family in this concrete tomb, friends served as a vital palliative to the monotony and solemnity which surrounded each day.

Stepping out of the shower, Avalon yawned as she quickly towel-dried her hair just enough so it would not be damp as she slept. Reaching into her drawer, she pulled out her pajamas and socks.

She waved her wrist across her bed pod, tired, and ready to step inside and fall fast asleep. Instead, she stood dead in her tracks, paralyzed.

Someone was lying in her bed.

Every hair on Avalon’s body stood on end as she tried to stifle a scream by quickly wrapping her hands around her mouth. Her heart beat out of her chest as her pulse rung in her ears. Her sense of sight heightened as she watched for the slightest twitch of movement.
Should I pull back the sheet? But then whoever is in there may wake up. Who is in my bed? And why?

Avalon’s gaze fell on the dorm door status. Locked displayed on the glass surface. Avalon was in the deep end of the ocean, alone, scared, and about to be pulled under. After several minutes of hesitation and watching the stranger not move, she had to take action. Her gaze darted around the dorm room, desperately searching for anything that could be used as a weapon.
Maybe it’s just a sleepwalker. Maybe I am overthinking.
Finding nothing that could be used as protection, she took a deep breath, and lifted the sheet from the lying form.

All of the blood drained from her face. The Compatio she helped earlier in the cafeteria, was lying in her bed.

Except the girl no longer had a rosy glow behind her copper toned complexion. Her black spiral ringlets hung limp beside her more ashen face. Her chest did not rise and fall. She did not breathe. Avalon dared touch her to be sure. Cold. No mistake about it. She was
dead
.

Fear and adrenaline raced through Avalon’s veins.

The room began to spin as Avalon tried to grab a hold of the cold slippery metal walls for support.

Taking a big breath, Avalon struggled to get her thoughts together.
What should I do? Who should I tell? Kael…no….Skylar…no…Brody….no….Ilium…yes…Ilium.

Avalon swiped her wrist and ran all the way down to the boy’s dorm.

She scanned her face in front of the camera intercom and dialed Ilium.

Ilium came outside to meet her, wiping sleep from his eyes. His hair was disheveled.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with a yawn.

“Ilium…Ilium…”Avalon kept repeating, visibly shaking.

“Calm down. Take deep breaths,” Ilium said rubbing her back.

“That girl…that girl…”

“What about a girl?”

“She….She…she is in my bed!” Avalon screamed.
“What girl is in your bed?” Ilium asked.

“That Compatio girl from the cafeteria!”

“Oh. You mean Michelle. That is great. Leo, her friend, has been looking for her.”

Avalon shook her head. “No, you don’t understand…she is dead!”

Ilium stood still. “Dead?”

Avalon nodded. “Dead.”

Ilium’s eyes widened as he leaned in closer. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Avalon screamed as her face grew hot.

“Ok,” Ilium said as he ran his hand through his hair causing it to spike a little. “Calm down,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Take me to your dorm and I will see how to handle this.”

Avalon ran down the corridor with Ilium in tow.

Swiping her hand over her dorm room door, she yanked Ilium inside.

“See!” she pointed frantically to her bed capsule.

Ilium gazed at the girl whose chest did not rise. Whose eyes did not flutter. Who was pale blue, lying in Avalon’s pod.

He grabbed Michelle’s ice cold wrist. “Ok,” he said after letting it go. “She is dead.”

“I know that,” Avalon said with a hint of irritation in her voice. “Now what do we do about it?”

“Well,” Ilium said, scratching his hair. “I want to know how she died first.”

“That is a good question. But,
I
want to know how she got here so I want be next.”

Ilium stood in silence, trying to gather his thoughts.

“Ok. Here is what we are going to do,” he finally said. “We are going to tell the guards that somehow Michelle is in your bed, and she is dead.”

“Gee, that sounds well and all, but what if they think
I
killed her?”

“Nonsense!” Ilium replied.

“How did she even get here? I thought I was the only one who could open the door to my dorm?” Avalon said, slumping down onto the floor.

“You are supposed to be the only one. I don’t know how they did it, besides hacking,” Ilium answered as he slid down next to her.

Avalon searched her memories. Michelle had mentioned abductions earlier. Maybe someone had figured out a way to hack the doors in order to abduct people at night. And Michelle was the latest victim.

Ilium regarded Michelle’s body. “There’s no blood,” he said in a calm voice.

“Ok,” Avalon said. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Ilium said, “ That I don’t think she died violently.”

“Ok…” Avalon said stretching out the syllables.

Ilium stood up and pointed to some sores. “Look at these odd sores and marks on her body though.”

Avalon rose up to look and began to gag.

“I can’t look anymore. I
just
want her gone!”

“Ok. But let’s take a minute to think about this calmly. This girl does not appear to have died a violent death. She has sores on her body consistent with radiation exposure.”

“Radiation?”

“Yes.”

Avalon tried to hold it together.

“How would she get that much exposure?” Avalon asked.

“I don’t know, other than going outside.”

Avalon let that information sink in. She remembered the video she saw of Dexter leaving the habitat, and the President and Council not informing anyone of that.

“Someone probably forced her to go outside.”

“But who would do that? And why?” Ilium asked.

“They would do it to see if it is okay for us to go outside yet.”

“But the countdown clock clearly shows we are not ready.”

“Whoever did this didn’t care about a clock.”

“Do you think it was as a punishment? For her outburst in the cafeteria?” Ilium asked.

Avalon shook her head. “ I don’t know what to think. All I know is that I am freaking out because there is a dead body in my room, and I don’t know how she got here nor who put her here. How do I know I am not next?”

“Okay, you must not go down that lane. Just breathe.”

“You are always saying just breath and be calm, Ilium. But we can’t just breathe and be calm all of the time!” Avalon yelled.

“You are right,” Ilium said. “But I don’t know the answer to your questions. What I am worried about right now is how much radiation her body is currently giving off.”

Avalon made a beehive for the door when Ilium caught her by the arm.

“Let me go! We have got to get out of here!” she yelled.

Ilium held on tight. “Wait. I know I said I am worried, but we have already been exposed. I’m not letting you go until we think this through. Clearly, someone planted her body here. If you just go, who’s to say you didn’t kill her?”

Avalon’s eyes grew wide. She hadn’t thought of that.

“But you said it was radiation. I couldn’t kill her with radiation?”

“Yes, that is what
I
said. But what I say doesn’t matter. Haven’t you already seen that?”

It was true. Avalon remembered the Council and everything that had occurred in the habitat. The Council’s version of the truth was the version that mattered.

“So what do we do then?” Avalon said. “ I am not going to just sit here and meditate?”

“I am going to message for the guards. They will take care of everything.”

“But Ilium! What if the guards are part of it?”

Ilium shook his head. “I doubt that.”

“But what if they are?”

Ilium sat and thought for a minute.

“I can’t think of anything else to do right now. But the guards were not chosen for their intelligence. They were chosen for their brute strength. Whoever orchestrated this possessed intelligence.”

Avalon nodded and took a deep breath.

Tears rolled down her face. “What is going on Ilium?”

Ilium wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. He patted her hair as he whispered, “I don’t know. But we’re going to get through this ok?”

Is this the danger Father somehow tried to warn me about?

Ilium dialed the guards using videomessage on his smartwatch.

“Yes, guards? I need you to come to Avalon’s dorm, Room 58—”

The guard didn’t see the rest of the videomessage, because they were plunged into total darkness.

Avalon let out a bloodcurdling scream while Ilium rushed to cover her mouth in the darkness.

“Calm down! I am sure it is something electrical. The generator has to kick on in exactly sixty seconds. You know this.”

Avalon stopped screaming and became limp against Ilium’s body.

“It’s going to be ok. As soon as the lights return, I am going to finish the videomessage,” Ilium asked.

Avalon nodded her head.

Ilium continued to hold Avalon close to him in the dark. Ilium’s chest rose and fell against her skin, and as she listened to his heartbeat in the dark, it comforted her. A few seconds later the lights flickered back to life, just as Ilium said they would.

“Told you,” he said. Avalon looked into his empathetic eyes and tried to concentrate on his soothing voice.

“Call them now!” she yelled.

Ilium dialed them.

“Guards. Yes. There is a situation in room 589 and we need you to come right away.”

“What is it?” the guards asked.

“I am going to show you. Brace yourselves,” Ilium said as he moved towards Avalon’s pod.

Avalon gasped.

The sheets were perfectly folded and tucked under with no sign a human body ever touched it. For a second, Ilium and Avalon both stood frozen, too surprised to move or speak. Avalon’s body turned numb.

“I don’t see anything. Is this some kind of sick prank?” the guard said. “This is a waste of resources, which counts as two strikes.”

“No sir,” Ilium answered, an expression of shock and horror still etched across his face. “This was not a prank. We are very sorry. It may be a side effect of the sleeping pills I gave Avalon.”

Smooth move, Ilium.

“Don’t let it happen again or we will report it to the Council,” the guard said before signing off.

Avalon and Ilium sat and stared at each other in silence. Ilium’s face was a ghastly pale shade. Avalon’s skin felt cold and damp. Both of them were thinking the same thing.

“What the frack just happened?” Avalon whispered.

“I don’t know,” Ilium said as he chewed on his lower lip. She could see the cogs of the wheel turning in his mind.

“I mean we saw that right? That wasn’t just something we hallucinated together?”

“We definitely saw a dead girl’s body disappear,” Ilium answered.

Avalon and Ilium stood together in silence, taking in the sound of every breath between them. Then Ilium spoke. “Somebody took her when the lights were off.”

“But, I didn’t hear anyone enter the room. Did you?”

“No.”

“Is there a trapdoor here?” Avalon asked, feeling around the smooth surface of the ceiling and floor, not finding any hollow or uneven surface. Avalon’s mind continues to run wild, struggling to figure out how a body could just appear and then disappear, when Ilium grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him.

“I don’t feel safe sleeping here,” Avalon admitted struggling to hold tears in.

The truth was she never truly felt safe. While she enjoyed the peace and quiet of having her own space, it also got eerily quiet at night. The surroundings were all new and strange, and she didn’t really count any girl on board as a friend. The President’s threat didn’t help either. She was constantly under low grade stress, and her eyes were beginning to grow bags under them.

“I understand that. I am going to get Raleigh to sleep with you tonight.”

“But. What do I tell her?” Avalon asked, her voice faint.

“Nothing,” Ilium answered. “Let me handle it. Just make sure you call me first thing in the morning when you wake up, you understand?”

Avalon nodded.

Ilium locked eyes with Avalon and said, “I need you to say yes.”
Ilium is taking this whole dead girl in my bed thing way better than me. But then again, the dead girl is in my room and not his.

Avalon replied, “Yes, I understand.” Something fluttered in her stomach, but she could not discern what it was with all of the insanity of the night.

Fifteen minutes after Ilium left, Raleigh arrived.

“I am really glad you came,” Avalon said.

“It’s no problem. Ilium said you needed someone to stay with you to settle your nerves. I am glad to be of help.”

Avalon smiled.
She seems so sweet and genuine.

“This old place can start to wear on a girl. Especially with you being in this dorm alone.”

“Right,” Avalon answered.

“I mean there is nothing to do here. Sometimes I go for a run through the habitat, but it’s not the same as running outside.”

Avalon nodded. She missed the outside too. Even having a real window with fresh air circulating. The way the sun’s rays would hit her and warm her face. Birds chirping, nothing but clear skies above.

Raleigh glimpsing around the room. “You haven’t decorated your room much.”

“No, I haven’t. Do the other girls do that?”

“Yeah. We just you know. Take a few materials here and there and make do. Like my roommate, Gen, knows origami. So we have tons of swans and dolphins in all different colors hanging from the ceiling and on the dressers.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Yeah, she even made some storage boxes.”

Avalon wished she and Raleigh had gotten to know each other earlier. Under different circumstances Raleigh could have been a great friend. Someone that could offer a different perspective than Ilium.

“You think you guys could help decorate my room sometime?”

“Sure!”

“Ilium wouldn’t tell me exactly what happened or why you wanted me to come here. Can I ask is there anything in particular?”

Avalon wanted to trust Raleigh, but it was just too soon.

Be careful who you trust.

“All of the silence can get to you after a while. I mean besides the comforting and ever present background hum of electrical equipment.”

Raleigh chuckled at Avalon’s remark.

“So what made you willing to come here? Besides Ilium asking you to?” Avalon asked.

“He’s my friend. He’s a really good guy. Don’t tell anyone but sometimes he shares extra medicine with people who need it.”

Avalon nodded her head. Ilium was someone who would go the extra mile to help others. Most people in the habitat were more self-absorbed, but Ilium actually cared. The only one she trusted in the habitat.

Wait trusted? Dad said be careful who you trust. But…Ilium is different.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are really easy to talk to?” Raleigh asked.

Avalon shook her head and smiled weakly.

“Well, it is kind of getting late. If you don’t mind, I am going to close this lid and go to bed,” Raleigh said.

Avalon minced. She did not want Raleigh to stop jabbering. The jabbering filled the air with noise and kept her awake.

Closing the lid, Raleigh plopped some earbuds into her ears and it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep.

Avalon laid down wide awake in a different capsule, staring at the door and at Raleigh. Avalon envied how quickly sleep descended upon Raleigh, how oblivious she was to whatever had just occurred in this room. Perhaps, she looked
too
serene.
After all, I don’t even know this girl. But no, she is Ilium’s friend.

Several more suspects swirled around in Avalon’s mind as she struggled to stay awake and not succumb to the heavy fog of sleepiness pushing down on her eyelids. However, sleep won the battle and her eyelids shut.

Avalon dreamed she was back home in her bed with her dad making breakfast downstairs. How she missed the changing of the seasons, the feel of the warm sun on her skin, the whistle of wind through the trees. The smell of real food as it wafted through the house. Real buttermilk pancakes with sorghum syrup, poached eggs, and fresh orange juice. She looked out of the bay window on a crisp fall morning as the white wispy clouds rolled by the bright blue sky, her father sipping his piping hot coffee at the breakfast table while reading the latest news on his iPad.

Just as she reached out to turn her father around, she was knocked down as the whole Earth shook. A brilliant white light blinded her.

Avalon began screaming.

Raleigh shook her. “Avalon! Avalon!”

Avalon woke up to see Raleigh hovering near her face.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Avalon panted as sweat trickled from her face. “Yes. Just a nightmare.”

“It’s okay. We all have them. It was about the asteroid wasn’t it?”

Avalon nodded her head.

“We’re gonna make it,” Raleigh said.

Avalon wanted to believe Raleigh’s comforting words, but the fact that Raleigh was in her room meant that last night was real. That a dead girl’s body was in her room.

“Is it anything you want to share?” Raleigh asked.

“I am good, thanks,” Avalon answered.

Raleigh was not convinced.

“Thanks for keeping me company!” Avalon said.

“Sure. No problem. As soon as I remember who you remind me of, I will let you know also,” Raleigh said as she left to go grab breakfast.

Avalon took the quickest shower of her life and got dressed in a rush. A million questions bounced around in her head and were about to burst from the seams. Once dressed, she videomessaged Ilium.

“Hey, how did you sleep last night?” Ilium asked.

Avalon had bloodshot eyes but she answered, “As well as could be expected. Did last night really happen? Please tell me it was a nightmare.”

“I wish I could,” Ilium answered, running his hands through his hair.

“So… Michelle’s dead body was in my bed.”

Ilium nodded his head.

Avalon became queasy again. After taking a moment to calm her nerves, she said, “Something isn’t right here. Who would do such a thing! And why? Why was I singled out?”

“I don’t know. What I do know is, for now, we must play along and act normal like nothing happened. Whoever we are dealing with is obviously very shrewd, and very deadly. We don’t need to give them any reason to kill us. We can meet in the storage room to talk when we need to meet in privacy.”

Avalon nodded her head and logged off of her videomessage.

To her surprise, as she opened her door, Ilium stood there.

“What are you here for?” she smiled.

“What do you think? Someone has to make sure you make it to your workstation safely,” he said.

Avalon smirked to herself and enjoyed walking next to Ilium, despite the circumstances.

“Thank you, my gallant knight,” Avalon said as she entered her workstation.

“You are more than welcome, my fair lady,” Ilium said as he bowed and rolled his eyes.

“Some people just can’t help themselves, I guess,” Skylar commented to Xin as Avalon walked up to her blue circle.

Avalon ignored Skylar’s jealous comment and managed to keep calm, despite the hundreds of questions swarming like locusts within her.
Can I trust anyone besides Ilium?
Then she remembered the message her father left her.
No—I can’t tell anyone else.
Everyone else could still be a suspect, no matter how unlikely. Even if they weren’t directly responsible for Michelle’s death, the person responsible more than likely had to have an accomplice to help drag the body into the room.

She continued to mull over everything, including the strange markings on Michelle’s body. They looked like tally marks, or a bar code…
What could it be?

Avalon stopped in the middle of her work queue and grabbed her tablet.

“What are you doing?” Skylar asked as Xin continued to work.

“Just let me do this for a second!” Avalon yelled.

Skylar backed down but not before adding, “ This
will
count against your scheduled break time.”

Avalon continued to draw the marks down on paper.
These marks…they are a pattern.
Wait! It is so obvious. It is Morse code! She just drew it in a circle!