Evolution

should never, for one second, take that for granted.”

The odds of all of that happening — that my grandfather’s refusal to be put in Bunker One led to Makara and Samuel’s father being saved. It made me feel like there was a plan, that we had been preserved for a reason. Even more, the fact that Santos did not get the berth led to the creation of the Empire itself. So many things, including my very existence, hinged on the single event of my grandfather’s refusal to go into Bunker One while my grandmother and dad were stuck overseas. It made me proud for a moment. Awed, in a way.

“Let’s get back to Santos,” Ashton said. “He was refused entry to Bunker One, and his public embarrassment made me his enemy.” Ashton smirked. “I didn’t think it mattered at the time. I thought I would never see him again. Santos left the summit, enraged. He declared war on the United States upon returning his villa in Mexico. Not that it mattered, anyway. There was but two weeks left until Ragnarok’s impact. Despite his money and connections, it seemed that Santos was doomed to die like the rest.”

“Only he didn’t die,” Anna said.

“No,” Ashton said. “That he did not. Mexico was not as hard hit by Ragnarok as the United States. Mexico is more southerly, making it warmer. There is evidence to suggest that global wind currents keep its southern portions fallout free, though I’ve never visited the Empire, so I cannot confirm this. Satellite imagery shows many settlements are scattered throughout Mexico, their density intensifying in regions that was once controlled by the Legion. Post-Ragnarok, the Legion transformed from gang to government. Santos, a longtime fanatic of Roman history, had the opportunity to incorporate its values and ideals into his own country. He branded himself Emperor Augustus, and renamed his territory Nova Roma — or New Rome. Nova is not a direct translation of new, but the image of a nova — which is by definition, a new star, lends insight into Augustus’s mindset. He sees his Empire as an incarnation of light in the darkness, something that shines brightly in a new world. He created a capital, also called Nova Roma, from the ground up — where he found the labor for such a feat, I do not know, but satellite images show large building projects all throughout the Empire.”

“They must be using slaves,” Makara said. “Imperials would sometimes come into the Wasteland, from the south. They never attacked us raiders, but when the raiders found people, they often brought them back to Raider Bluff to be sold to the Southerners — which is what we called the Imperials. We never knew where they went — but they paid in batts, and that was all that mattered.”

Ashton nodded. “I don’t know what awaits you all in the Empire. Even though the Blights have yet to infect it, it is still a very dangerous place. After all, Augustus is a dangerous man.”

“He wants to acquire Raider Bluff,” Samuel said. “That much was made clear by his emissary, Rex, who spoke to Char while we were there. They are officially at war with Bluff, and if it isn’t already, the Empire will be sending an army there soon.”

“That must be stopped,” Ashton said. “Augustus cannot be allowed to conquer Raider Bluff, or any other city in the Wasteland, for that matter. This is a critical time in which all people must band together against the Xenos, even former enemies.”

“Yes, but how do we convince Augustus of that?” I asked.

“Augustus is surely aware of the Blights,” Ashton said. “You’ve said it yourself, Samuel — you met a patrol sent by the Empire, who was also after the Black Files in Bunker One. I don’t know their motive for wanting the Black Files, or how they even knew about them. The only way they could know is if someone in Bunker One is in Augustus’s circle. Such a person might be dead now. It has been twelve years since that attack, after all. Regardless, that might be our way in.”

It made sense. But if someone from Bunker One was in Augustus’s circle, then they would obviously also know Ashton, and maybe even be interested in stopping the spread of Blights.

“Likely, it’s not someone who is acting against us on purpose,” Ashton said. “If they are in the Empire, they may have been there for a while. They may believe the Empire is the only thing standing between the Blights and total annihilation. As such, they may have told Augustus about the Black Files, hoping that Augustus would want to find and use them. If all that is true, then it is very likely that Augustus is taking the threat of the xenovirus seriously, and is interested in stopping it.”

“I hope all of that is the case,” Makara said. “If not, it makes our job that much harder.”

“And that is why you must hurry,” Ashton said. “You must make Augustus change his mind about invading Raider Bluff before he has the chance. And I think if you can make it to Nova Roma and find him, he may yet be convinced.”

“But he is dangerous,” I said. “And unpredictable. This is a man who has murdered hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. He is probably a complete tyrant. How do you expect us to do this?”

Ashton sighed, as if expecting that protest. But I needed to know an answer. I needed one that didn’t involve us running into our own deaths.

“I’ve thought this over for the last two months,” Ashton said. “I can see no other way. It will be dangerous, but you are the only ones I know who have survived dangerous situations like this. The Empire will see through its promise to conquer Raider Bluff, if what you told me is true. How else are they to be stopped, unless Augustus is given all the facts?”

I didn’t have an answer for that. I wished I did, but I didn’t. We were going to have to risk it all again.

* * *

Samuel looked at me, not saying anything. I couldn’t tell what was going through his mind, but it felt like he was trying to communicate something.

“Tomorrow, you will start,” Ashton said. “Get all the rest you can tonight. I want Odin out of the bay by 0900. Remember…Augustus will be forced to take you seriously when you drop my name.”

We all turned to leave, but Ashton stopped me.

“Alex, Samuel…stay behind a moment. Makara, Anna, wait outside. I’ll go over the landing procedure with you both one last time.”

The women nodded, leaving Samuel and me with Ashton.

“Anna is training as Makara’s copilot,” Ashton said. “She’ll need a backup.”

Anna hadn’t told me a thing about that. People keeping things from me was starting to become more than a little annoying. I had to talk to her about that.

“What did you need me for?” I asked.

Ashton nodded, urging Samuel to continue.

“Alex,” Samuel said, “in case anything happens to me down there, I need to know you have my back.”

“What do you mean? I got your back already.”

“I know that. Sometimes, everything goes to hell and there is nothing you can do about it. That shot with Brux…we were lucky it was just my shoulder. Just a few inches and it would been my chest.”

“What are you saying?”

“I could die out there. Any of us could. If it’s me, I need to know…are you good to lead the crew?”

Me, lead the crew? I had expected it to be someone like Makara, or even Anna, to be a better first choice. They were both better fighters than me. I can tell Samuel saw this question in my eyes, unasked.

“We’re all here because of the xenovirus,” Samuel said. “Out of the crew, I think it’s me and you who understand the heart of this mission the most. It’s more than just survival. It’s saving the world, nothing less. We’ve both seen firsthand what the xenovirus can do. Not that Anna and Makara haven’t. They’re both great fighters. But I want you to run things if I die down there.”

“You’re not going to die.”

“I hope I don’t. But it’s a possibility we must be prepared for.”

“Why me?”

“You have a level head. You are in it for the mission. You want to avenge your father, and to do that, you must stop the xenovirus. That’s all true, isn’t it?”

It was true. But the mission had grown into more than that. I was fighting for my friends. And yes, I was fighting for the memory of my father and Khloe, who both died because of the xenovirus.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of responsibility,” I said.

“The xenovirus didn’t ask if we were ready,” Ashton said.

“I hope you never have to do it, Alex,” Samuel said. “But you don’t have the luxury to be yourself anymore.