The World After (18 page)

Five minutes later, two black and smelly demons were making their way amongst the rocks. The night that had fallen in the meantime made them practically invisible. The temperature had dropped well below freezing with the coming of darkness, and they knew that soon it would be unfit to be outside without extra clothes which they didn't have.

A few times they had to seek cover when bright floodlight beams searching the area came from the sky, but they were not detected. Their unbreakable will was what kept pushing them forward despite near total exhaustion.

Taylor had to evoke his will every time he had to lift one leg and put it in front of the other. He was on the brink of collapsing. He felt that the day back in Hong Kong when he first met Jinhun was decades ago and it was actually less than a week ago, and yet they had endured together more than others do in a lifetime. Just as Taylor was about to announce that he couldn't go on anymore, Jinhun pulled his hand to follow him and, stepping in front of one rock identical to many others around, he said, “We're here.”

About six hours later, Taylor slowly opened his eyes. They caught the dance of a burning open fire. They had gathered sticks and some moss before entering the cave system. After going a few hundred yards into the darkness, they stopped and started a fire to warm their frozen and totally exhausted bodies. Obviously the warmth had acted. Taylor didn't remember when he had fallen asleep, but with his eyes now open, he was able to see a blissfully snoring Jinhun on the other side of the nearly dead flames.

He got up to stretch and look around, but the flames were breaking the darkness only in a small circle and he couldn't see anything. They were surrounded by impenetrable darkness, pretty much the condition of the world they were living in.

He sat back as Jinhun also moved and slowly woke up.

“We slept a lot longer than we should,” the Chinaman said.

“We needed to recover. Hopefully we'll be able to compensate for the lost time. Is the terrain we have to cross hard?”

“I'd say no, and the distance from here is not far as I know all the shortcuts. We should be there in three to four hours at a steady pace.”

“Let's go then.” Taylor got up, stamping on the remnants of their small fire to put it out.

Half an hour later, soldiers from the Indian army found the long cold fire around which the two men rested, but they were much further inside the labyrinth of underground tunnels.

Jinhun had found four torches on the boat they stole earlier, and now they were using them to light their way. Taylor was comfortable following his experienced companion, who never stopped to think or decide which way to go every time they reached a crossroad; it was obvious that Jinhun knew where they were going.

When they reached one bigger cavern, they decided to take a short rest. To save the batteries of their torches, they switched them off and stood with their backs leaned on the cold walls in complete darkness and silence.

“You seem to know much about me. What is your story?” Taylor's eerie voice sounded strange in the cave.

A minute of silence followed, and only then Jinhun answered. “I grew up amongst crazy ideologies of all sorts. Brainwashing and manipulation were things I faced from a very young age. I was eleven when I first saw what happens when a small group of people are given limitless power and resources.”

“I know what you're saying. Power has changed pretty much everyone that it touched if you carefully look at human history.”

“That's true,” Jinhun continued, “and in my family it was a right of existence. My grandfather, Lin Chou, was one of the founders of the Communist Party in China; he was very close to our 'beloved' dictator Mao. For almost ten years, he was chief secretary of security, and after he retired my father, Shao Pin, inherited his position and character.”

“So you witnessed injustice inflicted by the government first hand?”

“Not just injustice, I'd say more despicable things than one can imagine. We were four brothers and two sisters. I was the second-born, which meant that either I or my older brother would inherit the responsibility for our family. For that reason my father started taking me on his travels from a very young age. I became witness to all sorts of awful things and secret meetings in dark alleys. Human life back then was cheaper than a bowl of rice.”

“Maybe, it's more valuable nowadays,” Taylor said.

“Anyway, as it was planned, when I became eighteen I went to Beijing University to prepare myself for my role in the Party, but there I met this girl. I had experience only in rough sex–by then I had already raped three village girls while helping my dad to suffocate local rebellions–but when I was with her for the first time, it was all different. She was lovely. After our first night, I didn't know where I was. I still remember clearly I was feeling as if somebody was blowing horns inside me.”

“So did she change you?”

Jinhun paused before continuing with his life story. “As it turned out, I was deeply in love with a passionate communist woman whose mind was almost entirely occupied by a sick ambition to make her way up the inner ranks of the Party. I'd like to think that she still had a small part in her heart that was reserved for me. Despite finding out about her sick ambition, I must say that for two years we were happy together, or at least I was. But then, one autumn day, I arrived back to our rented flat earlier than I was supposed to, and in our bed, I witnessed a scene that changed my life.”

“Your father and the love of your life?” Taylor guessed.

“Worse: she, my father, one general from the army and the parliament speaker.” It was dark but Taylor could hear the trembling in his friend's voice. “She faced me naked, holding in her left hand my father's dick, and smiled before cheerfully saying that, as of tomorrow, she starts work as an assistant of the speaker.”

“What did you do?”

“Just ran on the street. Didn't know where to go, so I just went to the airport and took the first plane to Hong Kong. There I lived for almost seven years with the old lady that helped us when me and you were running out of the city last week. She is special to me, because she changed me. With time, she extinguished the flames of anger and hatred in my soul.”

“What happened with your girlfriend and your father?”

“I didn't see them anymore. My father, mother, as well as all my brothers and sisters, were shot on the square during one of the many inner fights amongst the Party members. As for her, she kept sleeping with whoever she had to, and this secured her the career she craved so much. Her biography is filled with rivers of blood and sperm. These days, she's in charge of the Science Ministry's genetic experiments department.”

Taylor left the last piece of information without comment but asked, “And when was the idea about the creation of the Yuyuan born?”

“Pretty much the day it was officially announced that all cash payments were becoming illegal and that everyone was urged to put in their child voluntary brain implants. I've already seen what happens when too much power ends up in the hands of too few people. It wasn't hard, I already knew the brilliant scientists you'll meet soon, so we got together and worked on a plan that years later led to the creation of our organization. Now I think it will be best if we keep moving.”

The two got up and, without further discussion or comment, they switched on their torches and moved on.

The survivors from the underground city walked for nearly twelve hours with only two short breaks, but Grossmayer and Fukuzawa led their group confidently, and everyone leaped with joy when they reached the underground temple complex.

Built by unknown masons obviously possessing amazing skill and craftsmanship, the fascinating creation was well hidden in the middle of the labyrinth of caves. It was situated in arguably the biggest cavern there was in amongst the caves, and it needed to be there as its magnitude was amazing. Every single detail of the construction was enormous; it wasn't hard to see why the locals believed that it was built by an extinct race of the giants.

The temple had numerous entrances, and with their size, they resembled more the fortified gates of an ancient city. The cylindrical central tower was obviously the focal point of the building, its pointy top nearly touched the top of the cavern a good five hundred feet from the floor. On the outside of this tall tower was a staircase, but the size of the steps was enormous. In order to walk up them, a man would have to be at least ten feet tall. The whole temple was built using big stones, the smallest of them easily weighing two or even three tons. There was no stone carving anywhere, the walls were smooth, and one couldn't figure out what was worshipped in this place as there were no statues of any kind. It was just an impressive entrance and three pointy towers. Inside the space was separated in small spiral-like rooms that eventually led to the outside staircases of each of the towers.

A few hundred of the survivors from the attack of the underground city had arrived nearly an hour ago and now Carolina, Fukuzawa and everyone else were starting to worry about the other thousand or so people which Apalikov was supposed to bring through the other tunnel.

After they had arrived, Fukuzawa had told the other group that they made it safely. At first Carolina, was relieved to hear that her father and the others they had left behind had joined somewhere along the way with the group led by Masterson and Apalikov. However, her short relief soon became panic as she realized the lagers, which included her father, had not yet arrived.

To avoid being spotted by accidental passersby, the tired survivors retreated to the base of the central tower. With the help of old wood gathered here by members of the organization for such purposes, they were able to start three big fires that at least warmed them a bit.

The leaders of the Yuyuan were gathered to one side where the light from the fires barely reached them; they were discussing possibilities and their next actions.

“If Jinhun and his companion are not here in the next twelve hours, we won't have any choice,” Grossmayer said.

“I agree we can't wait. The initial plan is no longer valid, so we'll have to improvise. We'll have to do that quickly, because soon all the resources of the Agency will be thrown at us,” Fukuzawa agreed. “In order to activate the virus, I'll need better lab conditions and a coded connection. I'll have to make it to Itanagar. The equipment we have stored there in the emergency bunker should be enough.”

“Yeah, but how easy will it be to make it to the city unnoticed. The whole area will be swarmed by military forces and ATU agents by now,” Fabiana objected, throwing a worried look at the very quiet Carolina.

The blond woman just stared hard at the stone floor and was hardly listening to their conversation. “He will be fine.” Fabiana squeezed her hand in support. She knew that her friend was worried sick about her father, who was with the other group that hadn't arrived yet.

“The other thing we have to decide is if we'll go with the other part of the plan, to broadcast worldwide the 118 MHz signal,” Grossmayer said. “With all that happened, I'm not sure it is such a good idea to take this risk, because if whoever carries the laptop with everything needed is caught, the whole plan can be ruined. From the software in it, even someone with basic computer skills can deactivate Fukuzawa's virus with the access available.”

“No, we must do everything possible to broadcast this signal and put the planet to sleep.” Carolina got up. “This part is non-negotiable if we'll be doing that. Do you know how many lives will be lost if we don't broadcast this signal.”

“You know that in order for it to connect to all distributing servers and be sent all around the globe, this thing has to happen from the top of the highest peak around where the local communication mast is,” Fukuzawa said. “It's guarded by the Indian Army by the way, and all our climbing equipment stayed back in the Base.”

“I'll go.” Carolina's eyes looked as if they were burning from inside with the nearby flames reflecting in them.

“Cari, that's crazy. You'll die,” Fabiana said.

“I'll go, but you'll have to fill me in on what exactly must be done. If I don't make it, the plan can still go ahead, so all we're risking here is my life, and I'd gladly give it for the chance to save millions.”

“But if they catch you with the computer…” Grossmayer objected.

“I'm sure we can put a small bomb in it, and if something like that is likely to happen, I'll simply blow it up. I don't mind if this means me dying as well. It's a good cause and a decent way to end it all.”

“Cari, please, your father is not dead.” Fabiana tried to reason with her friend. “They're just late.”

Carolina's turquoise eyes looked at her friend and, with a sad voice, she said, “They should have been here by now. Plus the fact your beloved MacGeady is walking towards us looking grim, it can't be good news.”

Half an hour after they'd arrived, a search party of a dozen fit men was sent to see where the other survivors were. Ian MacGeady was leading them with his skills learned during his time in the Agency.

He walked to the middle of the group and simply said, “They are all dead or captured. The militaries somehow caught up with them. We saw the dead bodies and traces of others being dragged back.”

Silence and hard looks at each other followed, but MacGeady continued true to his professional manner. “We couldn't see any signs of enemies coming this way, at least. I think after they caught them, they got a bit lost in the labyrinth of caves, and at least for the time being, we're safe. I don't know who survived, but we identified the bodies of Apalikov and Masterson. They were shot between the eyes with at least fifty others. It looked like execution.”

After bringing this distressing news, MacGeady only shook his head looking at Carolina to show her that they didn't find her father's body and, without waiting for an invitation, went to the fire to warm himself.

Fukuzawa's cheek was wet as tears of sorrow rolled from his dark eyes. Everyone was quiet, staring hard at the stone floor. Fabiana hugged Carolina to give her some comfort.

They were dragged back from their dark thoughts rudely when one of the watch-guards left back near the tunnel leading to the temple shouted to alert them. Everyone jumped and gathered closer together.

* * *

At the same time, Shimi Levy was flying back towards New Delhi where he had already assembled all available agents and directors. His thoughts were dark; he was still furious after what had happened with his archangels and, with that, the plans for the future for which he was going to be held personally responsible as he knew very well. However, a more pressing and larger problem had emerged once half of the survivors from the attack were tracked and attacked successfully. Now Shimi Levy knew what his enemies were plotting, and he was even more furious after learning the details of the plan
Apocalypse
.

The time for decisive action had come; he knew there was no room for any more errors. All of the Agency's resources would be needed to prevent the disaster and Shimi Levy knew that. He was already informed that checking of the old NASA software would take weeks, and he knew that he had less than twenty-four hours to stop the activation of the virus. If that was to take place, it would have been the end of it all.

The tired director of the ATU leaned back in his chair. His eyes drifted away, looking at the fast-passing, fluffy clouds below the plane. His mind took him back in time, to be precise forty-seven years back. This was when he lost the one person he truly loved – his wife. Even to this day he sometimes had dreams of her fiery-red hair with which he liked to play in their bed while she was sleeping. He remembered the great excitement when he found out they would have a child, and the even greater pride when it was confirmed that it would be a boy. But then, somehow, everything went wrong. His ears still filled sometimes with her angry and harsh words when she found out that he had tried to put a chip in their son without her knowledge. He tried to reason with her. She wasn't listening and left him for good without a note or anything. He spent decades searching for her. By the time he got close, he found out she was already dead and only his son lived. He still couldn't forgive the fact that this little bundle of a boy was the reason for him losing his beloved Gill Swansea!

Shimi Levy returned to the present. The clouds kept racing each other below the plane. Yes, he was going to stop the apocalypse and to destroy everyone involved in it. But even if he was to fail, he was going to make sure that the reason why his life was ruined all those years ago, his own flesh and blood, would die in agony and alone. Taylor Swansea's time had come!

* * *

Everyone gathered near two of the entrances of the temple when the watchman shouted. The few that had weapons in their hands stepped forward, determined to protect the others with their own lives.

The man that had alerted everyone ran to the group and, with a shaky voice, said, “I saw torchlights and I swear two figures from out of this world are approaching us.”

“What do you mean?” Grossmayer asked.

“I don't know what they are. In the light they look like demons, all black, and the smell–I could smell it fifty feet away.”

At this moment from the tunnel walked two figures, all black and smelling. Their teeth shone in the light of their torches and the much stronger torchlights which the survivors shone on them. Guns were readied.

“So there's no room for two more friends in the temple then?” the shorter of the two spoke.

“Jinhun?” Fukuzawa, Fabiana and Grossmayer said in unison.

Jinhun burst out laughing, followed by his companion.

“In the flesh, plus a decent amount of healthy mud cover,” he said and greeted his friends.

Unfortunately, the reunion was hardly happy as the next hour saw everyone telling bad news. The mood quickly lightened again. In the end, all that was left for their group was to hear the amazing way Taylor and Jinhun had managed to get from Hong Kong to here. After that the tired fugitives withdrew for an uneasy, cold rest in the darkness of the stone temple; the woods had run out.

Despite his exhaustion, Taylor was unable to sleep for long and he ventured into the temple to examine it. He walked to the base of the left tower and, using his hands, pulled himself up onto the first step. To his surprise, there he found company.

“I'm sorry, do you want to be alone?” he said, his face and clothes visible now as they were given small wet cloths with which they rubbed as much mud off as they could.

“It's okay.” Carolina switched on the torch she held in her hand so he could see and sit safely next to her. “I just needed some alone time.”

“I know the feeling.” They were in the dark again and she couldn't see his smile. “I've spent years mastering the skill of being alone. I'm sorry about your fiancé and father.”

“What's your story?”

“I lost my way in life after I lost my family, and to be honest with you, I'm still lost. I really wish to find new meaning, because at the end of the day, that's what we're here for, to be of use and help to the ones around us.”

“So, you're saying you like to be alone but that you want to be amongst others at the same time.”

“I think you know what I'm trying to say. You feel the same way right now. As I said, I've been there and I figured it out the hard way, so to save you years of torment take this advice: hold on to somebody you care for and that cares for you and together you'll suffer through the hard times in life easier, and also the few joys will taste sweeter if they are shared.”

They stood in silence for several minutes before a cry from below came. “Cari-i-i!” Fabiana's voice sounded distressed.

“They're looking for us. We best go back,” Carolina said. The two of them switched on the torches and made their way back down to the others.

Their small group went through the emergency plan once more. When things got to the point where Carolina volunteered to take the risky climb up the mountain so the signal that was supposed to save many lives could be broadcasted, Taylor broke his silence and, with conviction, announced that he would join her. Nobody complained as the initial role of the red-haired man to ease the chaos in the big northern cities of India was impossible now. They simply had to act and hope that over five hundred other members of their organization spread around the planet would be ready to do their duties.

Once everything was arranged, the course of action for the main group heading to Itanagar was changed significantly. After useful advice from MacGeady, they started preparing for one final rest before the tense and hard hours ahead of them. Everybody knew that in less than a day, they would either succeed or fail.

“I really want to come with you,” Fabiana said to her best friend as they were jumping in their sleeping bags.

“It's pointless for a big group to go up the mountain. A smaller group will be harder to detect, plus MacGeady's invaluable knowledge of the Agency's protocols and tactics will be much more important in Itanagar, and he functions much better when you're around. At the end of the day, if you fail down in the city, whatever we do up there will be pointless.”

Six hours later, the ones for which the execution of their daring plan depended made their way out of the caves. A new day had just started, and after short goodbyes, Fukuzawa, Jinhun and their group of a dozen skillful companions turned left towards Itanagar. After waving them goodbye until they disappeared into the woods, Carolina and Taylor put rucksacks on their backs and, with a spring in their steps, headed towards the nearby peak, hidden somewhere above the clouds.