unmoving. Cecil and the others storm in and relieve them of their guns. She’s the one in command. What?
She turns to me. “If you don’t want to end up like them, go to the front of the boat and fire up the engines.”
“Once all the people of Serenity are on board, I’ll do as you ask,” I say. Leaving has always been a goal of mine. Why does she feel she needs to tell me what I already know?
Asorra grins again. “Saved you are not in a position to take command. We go now before another quake buries us all.” This is odd I haven’t felt a single shudder. “Don’t look so confused, no one feels them, that is the way I like to keep it.” She walks over to Purity. “If you want your friend to remain breathing you will start the boat.” She clicks the screen in her palm. It shows whole sections of the complex crumbling under falling rocks and dirt. Garden Home! Horizon! We need to go, now, but I will not sacrifice these people.
There is something that snaps inside of me, something that I didn’t even know is there. It roars and before I know it, I’m vaulting over tables locking my legs around her neck flipping back until Asorra is on her back. I pound one quick fist over her heart and watch pain course through her eyes. Asorra’s breathing shallows. Her eyes, and for a moment, I see an innocence that wasn’t there before.
I almost remove my weight when four guns surround me. My hands instinctly snake around Asorra’s neck. “Kill me if you wish, but she goes with,” I say. I don’t fear death, if anything I’ll welcome it, so I won’t have to stare at the false kindness around me.
“Stop!” Assora shouts. I loosen my hold.
The men move away and I drop her head. I look up at Asorra. “Direct everyone into the boat.” Asorra twists my legs, slips out, knocks me over and jambs her knee into my throat. I try to dislodge her, but she knows how to use her weight. “Nice try, but I downloaded your life. There isn’t a skill that I don’t have a counter to.” My body freezes again. This time my head ignites in fiery agony. I gasp a scream and close my eyes hoping for relief. “Let’s try this again. Go to the front of the boat, sit in the chair that is specific to your genetic code and turn the wheel every twenty seconds.”
Asorra guides me to my feet. I immediately exit the door to do her bidding. She knows what is right. She knows the way to the island. I am only a tool, an instrument for her survival. I will do as she asks, down to the letter.
Chapter 14
There is no need for thought. Everything is so much easier now, I think, as my hands run over the large turquoise granite chair. Slowly I lower myself. It warms to the rightful pressure. My entire body ignites in electrical energy. My cells live in this chair; I can feel it calling to me. This is the rightful moment.
After a few minutes of recognition the floor between my legs open; a golden wheel painted with purple triangles appears. My fingers reach, my wrist turns, and the ship comes alive. It purrs with impatience. I silently apologize to the groaning vessel for making her wait so very long to fulfill her purpose.
The groaning gets louder. The ship violently trembles, increasing in treacherous horizontal movements. The water rises, the sounds deafen. I look up to see large rocks crash into the water. I’m thrown from the chair and smashed face first against the side of the boat. Hanging over I watch as half of the ceiling breaks apart splitting the second boat straight down the middle. More rocks fall, until the boat fully submerges underground.
Pain bursts through my head. I fall back and writhe in agony. Clutching my head so tight, trying to staunch it for a moment. It doesn’t stop it keeps going. The back of my head feels as if it’s slicing itself open. Someone, anyone, make it stop.
It stops. God has heard me. My breathing comes fast and shallow, but it’s life. I’ll take it. The back of my head is slowly losing its tearing pain. I draw my hand away to see the blood dripping off of my tips.
Another shake of the ship, reminds me that I’m still in danger. I get to my feet, to see a small pill like device lying in a pool of blood. I crack my neck and square my shoulders. It’s time I get these people out of here.
Inside of the control room, Asorra and the others are picking themselves up off of the floor. Pools of blood remain on the floor. There is no time for explanations. Rocks are still falling from the cave. The land doesn’t seem to want to stay above water.
I hurry over to Cecil and grab him by his shirt. If there is a way to get them to help without hurting them, I would gladly use that method, but they don’t seem to want people to live.
“Get the people from the city on this ship, now!” I bark.
“Right away,” Cecil says. “I’m sorry Saved, it wasn’t us.” I let him go and watch him race to one of the screens and press a button that is next to a microphone. “People of Serenity, the bunker is compromised. Please make your way to the boat docks as quickly as possible.” Cecil looks at me. “It was the program Saved, we lost control of the program.”
Cecil stops talking when I walk out of the control room and head for the side of the ship. Footsteps sound behind me, but I don’t turn around. I know the sound of her indentation. There are no words we need to say to one another. Nothing will change the fact that she used me.
The doors to the docks open. People begin spilling out. Asorra passes me and lowers the ramp. I stare into her eyes. She stares into mine. We don’t need to speak.
“I was eight years old when my father killed my mother because she destroyed the chips inside people’s heads. My father then put one inside of my head, and made me the new writer. He didn’t realize that the chips that my mother created had a mind of their own. A mind, my mother programmed and knew their danger. The chips were designed to create a perfect society. No hate, no crime, no desire, only controlled love.” I listen intently while watching the confused people of Serenity file on the boat. “The strong survive, the weak fall that is the way of Serenity.” Asorra looks away. “I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t. Sometimes, I would break free for a moment and try to detour you, but it always took over. Always.” Asorra steps closer to me. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t allow the chips to reach the island.” Asorra turns her attention to the receding boat. “The program’s brain was in that ship, maybe you’re God does exist.”
The last of the people enter the boat. I take Asorra’s hand and redirect her to the control room. The past is now gone. The future is happening every second. That is where we will begin. That is the only thing that is important. That is what God is saying by destroying that ship.
So I say nothing as we enter the control room and place her in the large chair. She has to finish her task as well. I walk over to Cecil. “Pull up the map of this world.” Cecil clicks something and one piece of land remains on the screen. One small patch. Cecil clicks something else and red dots in clusters are separated by a few hundred miles. We were all living on the same land. “Put those coordinates in. We have two other societies to pick up.”
“Now wait a minute,” the High Councilor says. I punch him in the face and walk out. He falls into his guards. It looks like he didn’t even need a chip. The guy is like that all the time.
I hastily make my way to the deck shaking my head. The Universe sure knows how to make them. I rub my temple, I hope the island is big enough for me to walk away from the ego’s I’m sure will clash. Oh Universe, what exactly are you up too?
Chapter 15
Mama runs into my arms and I don’t let her go. Tears spill from my eyes and I let her drain them away. She looks at me so long. “I thought you would be happy by now.”
“I am Mama, I am happy to see you,” I say. “I’m happy that you’re okay.” She pats my face. “I know what your Father did Saved. We are no more.”
“Mama?” I say. She puts a finger to my lips. “He’s a cruel man, Saved. I should have seen that a long time ago. I should have never forced you to choose. You are not a sin, my child.” I hug Mama as tight as I can, then draw away. The masks won’t last for too much longer, so I rub her arms and help her along with all the other
