“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” -Pslam 146: 3-4
Kiku would find herself woken up in the middle of the night by a pair of Old Guard veterans. They give her a few minutes to prepare, then take her from her home to see what she has been asking for. They blindfold her as they approach Carolyn’s workshop. It seemed that they made some attempt at using a particular type of fabric to stop her vision, but it didn’t work—with concentrated effort, though she couldn’t make out specific details, she could still see where she was going. They walk with her toward Carolyn’s workshop, then make a sharp turn and move a couple blocks closer to the wall.
They reach a single floor structure, which looked like a restaurant, and stepped inside. Once inside, they move into the staff area, move a fridge unit aside, and reveal a trap door. They descend some stairs into a basement. The stairs creak underneath their feet, then, the sound of metal underneath her feet with each footstep. The basement is a small room, with two doors—they take the door on the left. Moving inside, they take off her blindfold.
Around her, the room was small, and had a one-way piece of glass. They could see into the other room, but the other room could not see them—it just looked like a piece of reflective glass. The room that Kiku was in was dark, barely lit at all by a single candle burning on a table in the middle of the room. Marie was there, as were a couple of older Old Guard merchants who ran the other major machine shops. Among the veteran observers, Kiku would recognize the grizzled Jean-Christophe Desrochers, father of Gabriel Desroachers. Their child had sided with The Coalition, though they themselves have not gone so far as to label him a traitor, it was almost expected to happen sooner as opposed to later.
As Kiku looks out the glass, she would see Ezekiel there. He sat alone, with a single lightbulb over his head, illuminating where he was for everyone to see. The moment she entered the room on the left, he stared straight at her. Marie glances at Kiku with concern, though Ezekiel said nothing—verbally, or telepathically—as his eyes fall toward the floor. His hands were locked behind his back with handcuffs, and they appeared wired to a small battery. Marie speaks, with a cold and professional tone of voice that Kiku rarely heard before. “You may observe. Nothing more. The fact that you are even here shows a great level of trust on our part... Do not betray it.”
She looked around the room and observed her company. She saw figures of great importance and trust to the Old Guard, and suddenly felt very out of place. Clearling her throat, she thought her answer at the same time as she said it out loud. “Just... Don't hurt him. He's not our real enemy.”
Marie glances back at Kiku, and raises an eyebrow. Before she can inquire further, the door to the interrogation room opens. Carolyn enters, followed by four guards—fully armed and armoured. Carolyn closes the door behind herself, and approaches Ezekiel. Slowly, Ezekiel looks up from the floor, and stares coldly at Carolyn. “I was wondering when you would get here... You must be... Carolyn. Eve told me about you.” Carolyn pauses about five feet away from Ezekiel, and rests her hand on the revolver at her waist.
“Who is Eve?”
“You know who she is. She is my leader, you need know nothing more, unless you wish to be awakened.”
“Not a chance.”
“I thought that would be your answer, Carolyn.”
“... Carolyn... Why did you call me Carolyn? Why not Child?”
“I am not like most of the others.”
“Why is that?”
Ezekiel stares at her in the eyes, the orange in his eyes seems to momentarily shimmer—like water—before a look of confusion and surprise enters his eyes... Followed by a frown on his lips.
“Take off the battery, Carolyn, and I will tell you.”
“How can I trust that you won’t kill me if I do so?”
“Because I see it in your eyes. You don’t want to be like your father, you don’t want to make his mistakes... Trust me, and I can help you.”
“You know nothing of my father.”
“I know that he tried to play U-ARM against The Coalition to buy you power, and time. I know that he hated our kind, he feared what we could be... We have been here for far longer than you can imagine, Carolyn. Now trust me, or, live in fear like your father did. The choice is yours.”
Marie curses under her breath as Carolyn walks behind Ezekiel’s chair. She unlocks his restraints, and he silently rises to his feet. The four guards standing by the door grip their weapons with a tighter grip, as Carolyn steps away from Ezekiel. “There, now will you answer my questions?” Ezekiel glances toward Kiku, through the wall. He looked somewhat pleased with her presence, and then turns to face Carolyn.
“I will answer them insofar as it is safe to do so, and insofar as I believe you will understand, Carolyn.”
“Who is Eve?”
“Eve is the woman who created me, as well as my brother, and my sister.”
“Only three of you? There are far more of you, are there not?”
“They were not created. They are Eve’s last attempt at unlocking the true potential in mankind... I was created. Lillian was created. Michael was created. You may not be familiar with those last two names, but you will be, soon. The three of us were molded by her hand, from nothing. We did not have lives prior to her. We are... I suppose, real children. There were other attempts, most of them... Most of them did not survive.”
“So what are you doing with listeners here?”
“Eve discovered that creating us as pure as we are, has a downside. We are less stable, or, we are less capable of certain, more human concepts. I do not understand fear, or anger. I possess the capacity for these things, but I do not understand them... Which can be quite dangerous. Compare to an unawakened person, who lived with real limitations. Limitations that taught them how to control or at least suppress their emotions... They learn control, then gain power, and as a result, are more stable.”
“So you need people who have lived with limitations, to control the powers you have?”
“Properly, yes.”
“So why all of this cloak and dagger, in the shadows kind of behaviour?”
“The Coalition has tried to destroy us before. So has U-ARM… So have you.”
He says his last three words with a murderous look, though his eyes were focused on one of the guards behind Carolyn. The guard hesitates, then sighs and takes off his helmet. Kiku recognized him instantly—it was Morai. Carolyn looks at him with confusion. “What? How did you know who that was? What does he have to do with any of this?” Ezekiel continues to glare, and continues speaking.
“Red Star... We’ve met before. On the West Coast... You attacked us, without warning, and without mercy. I believe your name is... Morai, isn’t it?”
“It is. You killed my sister.”
“We killed her to save Michael.”
“You attacked us first. You lashed out at a group of civilians who were scavenging forward for supplies!”
“Michael misidentified you as a threat.”
“His mistake cost my sister her life, and cost Red Star some of its best men! I don’t care what his name was—you struck first! We just made sure to win the fight that you started!”
“You really think you won? We could have fought you for weeks. We could have simply encircled your encampment and left you to starve to death… Eve, spared you. When she learned of the mistake that Michael made, we left you, and moved on somewhere else.”
Carolyn steps between them as Morai takes a step forward, his hands gripping his rifle tight enough to turn white. Carolyn glares at Ezekiel, right in his eyes. “So you came here, watched us, and waited for the opportune moment to appear. Is that about right?” The awakened listener nods. Carolyn continues with her questioning, as Morai returns to stand back by the door—looking rather disgruntled.
“At least I know why you are here now. Bunker Chicago has a higher number of listeners than is normal for most bunker colonies, if The Coalition is to be believed.”
“It’s true.”
“Any idea why?”
“Simple happenstance. Have you not wondered why this area has recovered faster than any others? Unique people, unique talents... Most through genetic engineering, rather than experience. You were better able to find and extinguish your raider threats because you had more people with the genetic predisposition to finding and eliminating them.”
“I’d prefer to believe in something other than genetic determinism. We worked hard.”
“Is that why you do not wish to be awakened? How curious. You cling to the thin fable of free will...”
“Enough philosophy! I have two more questions, then, this interrogation is over.”
“Will I be free if I answer them?”
“You may be.”
“Ask your questions, Carolyn.”
“How do I kill you?”
“I will not answer that question.”
“Fine. What happened to Mouse?”
Ezekiel blinks, and tilts his head.
“What?”
“Ezekiel... What happened to Mouse?”
“What do you mean, Carolyn?”
“Mouse has gone missing. The Coalition couldn’t have taken him, and U-ARM wouldn’t dare do it. I know Red Star hasn’t done it, so that just leaves the Children of Eve... What do you want with him?”
“We did not take him. Eve would have told me. She... Must not know, yet.”
“How would she not know?”
“I... Michael. Michael must have taken Mouse. From what I understand, Mouse is a computer expert?”
“He is. This is why it’s so distressing—he has secrets about us, and The Coalition, and U-ARM, that will go live if we don’t get him--”
“Carolyn, I left the fog to tell Eve that Michael went against her orders. Her orders were to stay put and keep safe. Instead of doing that, he disobeyed, and used Graveyard to dig into the ground—to the laboratory there. He said he was looking for the truth, and that he wanted to help Eve. I think he’s consumed with guilt, and anger, and it’s driving him mad... Perhaps even mad enough to kidnap Mouse. I was keeping this information to myself until I could escape to tell Eve, so that you would not interfere with our internal politics... However, if he is acting against your kind, then I have no choice but to tell you the truth.”
“...”
“Promise me you will not attack the rest of my kind as retribution, and I will help you to recover Mouse. Then, let me go free—so that I might return to Eve, before it’s too late. Only she can help Michael.”
Carolyn pulls out her revolver, and looks it over. On the grip, her father’s initials were carved into it. For a moment, she stares at it with contemplative silence. Finally, she responds.
“Tell me how to kill your kind, and I will think about it.”
Ezekiel, too, stands in contemplative silence. Kiku would be able to discern that he was consumed with inner conflict, though to everyone else, he had a flat expression. He replies, calmly.
“Deplete our energy reserves, and like any other biological creature, we die. Attacking us with sustained fire from multiple directions, and overwhelming our minds will harm us. Electrical attacks can momentarily lock us down, as they overwhelm our nervous system. Nanomachines can cause severe physical damage to us, weakening us, though they rarely destroy us in a single dose. Explosives can cause serious damage to us as well—less due to the flames and shrapnel, and more due to the shockwaves produced. We are weaker outside of the fog, and many of our kind are poor at using firearms—though not all of us. Some of us perform well with firearms. Myself and Eve are among those few who can wield them with some measure of success. Finally, high calibre weapons can do serious harm to us, as the large puncture wounds they create cause a notable loss of material. We will not die in a single shot, but we will be harmed in a noticeable way.”
He offers a handshake to Carolyn. “I have done as you have asked. Now, will you do as I ask?” Carolyn glances at his hand, then up into his eyes. She nods, but doesn’t shake his hand. “You will stay here until tomorrow afternoon. We will get you some food, so you can be fully refreshed and ready for combat.”
Ezekiel’s expression turns dark as he looks at the ground. Kiku could once again discern emotion on his otherwise blank expression—this time, a defeated, regretful look. Almost pained, outright. As Carolyn walks for the door to leave, he speaks, without much in the way of tone. “I hope I did not make a mistake in trusting you.” Carolyn stops at the door, and looks back at him. “I hope I can save my home. From you, The Coalition, and U-ARM. If I can do that without having to kill you... I will. I already have enough sleepless nights, Ezekiel. Do you mind if I ask you one more question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you named Ezekiel?”
“Because I am the only one to look upon the naked face of God.”
“What did you see?”
“... Frailty.”
“I’ll have to think about that answer, for a while. You take care, Ezekiel. We may yet avoid disaster.”
“I’m not sure about that. It may be unavoidable.”
“Maybe so... But I have to try.”
Carolyn leaves the room, followed quickly by Morai and the three guards that entered with him. Marie looks at Kiku, then glances up at the two veterans who took her in. “Take her back to her apartment. Kiku, for all tense and purposes, this did not happen.” Kiku finds the blindfold tied around her eyes once again, and she’s brought out of the room.
Marie takes one last look at Ezekiel through the one-way mirror. Her hands ball up into angry fists, before she too, leaves the room.
T-1 Day: Scars and Truths
Kiku would find herself woken up in the middle of the night by a pair of Old Guard veterans. They give her a few minutes to prepare, then take her from her home to see what she has been asking for. They blindfold her as they approach Carolyn’s workshop. It seemed that they made some attempt at using a particular type of fabric to stop her vision, but it didn’t work—with concentrated effort, though she couldn’t make out specific details, she could still see where she was going. They walk with her toward Carolyn’s workshop, then make a sharp turn and move a couple blocks closer to the wall.
They reach a single floor structure, which looked like a restaurant, and stepped inside. Once inside, they move into the staff area, move a fridge unit aside, and reveal a trap door. They descend some stairs into a basement. The stairs creak underneath their feet, then, the sound of metal underneath her feet with each footstep. The basement is a small room, with two doors—they take the door on the left. Moving inside, they take off her blindfold.
Around her, the room was small, and had a one-way piece of glass. They could see into the other room, but the other room could not see them—it just looked like a piece of reflective glass. The room that Kiku was in was dark, barely lit at all by a single candle burning on a table in the middle of the room. Marie was there, as were a couple of older Old Guard merchants who ran the other major machine shops. Among the veteran observers, Kiku would recognize the grizzled Jean-Christophe Desrochers, father of Gabriel Desroachers. Their child had sided with The Coalition, though they themselves have not gone so far as to label him a traitor, it was almost expected to happen sooner as opposed to later.
As Kiku looks out the glass, she would see Ezekiel there. He sat alone, with a single lightbulb over his head, illuminating where he was for everyone to see. The moment she entered the room on the left, he stared straight at her. Marie glances at Kiku with concern, though Ezekiel said nothing—verbally, or telepathically—as his eyes fall toward the floor. His hands were locked behind his back with handcuffs, and they appeared wired to a small battery. Marie speaks, with a cold and professional tone of voice that Kiku rarely heard before. “You may observe. Nothing more. The fact that you are even here shows a great level of trust on our part... Do not betray it.”
She looked around the room and observed her company. She saw figures of great importance and trust to the Old Guard, and suddenly felt very out of place. Clearling her throat, she thought her answer at the same time as she said it out loud. “Just... Don't hurt him. He's not our real enemy.”
Marie glances back at Kiku, and raises an eyebrow. Before she can inquire further, the door to the interrogation room opens. Carolyn enters, followed by four guards—fully armed and armoured. Carolyn closes the door behind herself, and approaches Ezekiel. Slowly, Ezekiel looks up from the floor, and stares coldly at Carolyn. “I was wondering when you would get here... You must be... Carolyn. Eve told me about you.” Carolyn pauses about five feet away from Ezekiel, and rests her hand on the revolver at her waist.
“Who is Eve?”
“You know who she is. She is my leader, you need know nothing more, unless you wish to be awakened.”
“Not a chance.”
“I thought that would be your answer, Carolyn.”
“... Carolyn... Why did you call me Carolyn? Why not Child?”
“I am not like most of the others.”
“Why is that?”
Ezekiel stares at her in the eyes, the orange in his eyes seems to momentarily shimmer—like water—before a look of confusion and surprise enters his eyes... Followed by a frown on his lips.
“Take off the battery, Carolyn, and I will tell you.”
“How can I trust that you won’t kill me if I do so?”
“Because I see it in your eyes. You don’t want to be like your father, you don’t want to make his mistakes... Trust me, and I can help you.”
“You know nothing of my father.”
“I know that he tried to play U-ARM against The Coalition to buy you power, and time. I know that he hated our kind, he feared what we could be... We have been here for far longer than you can imagine, Carolyn. Now trust me, or, live in fear like your father did. The choice is yours.”
Marie curses under her breath as Carolyn walks behind Ezekiel’s chair. She unlocks his restraints, and he silently rises to his feet. The four guards standing by the door grip their weapons with a tighter grip, as Carolyn steps away from Ezekiel. “There, now will you answer my questions?” Ezekiel glances toward Kiku, through the wall. He looked somewhat pleased with her presence, and then turns to face Carolyn.
“I will answer them insofar as it is safe to do so, and insofar as I believe you will understand, Carolyn.”
“Who is Eve?”
“Eve is the woman who created me, as well as my brother, and my sister.”
“Only three of you? There are far more of you, are there not?”
“They were not created. They are Eve’s last attempt at unlocking the true potential in mankind... I was created. Lillian was created. Michael was created. You may not be familiar with those last two names, but you will be, soon. The three of us were molded by her hand, from nothing. We did not have lives prior to her. We are... I suppose, real children. There were other attempts, most of them... Most of them did not survive.”
“So what are you doing with listeners here?”
“Eve discovered that creating us as pure as we are, has a downside. We are less stable, or, we are less capable of certain, more human concepts. I do not understand fear, or anger. I possess the capacity for these things, but I do not understand them... Which can be quite dangerous. Compare to an unawakened person, who lived with real limitations. Limitations that taught them how to control or at least suppress their emotions... They learn control, then gain power, and as a result, are more stable.”
“So you need people who have lived with limitations, to control the powers you have?”
“Properly, yes.”
“So why all of this cloak and dagger, in the shadows kind of behaviour?”
“The Coalition has tried to destroy us before. So has U-ARM… So have you.”
He says his last three words with a murderous look, though his eyes were focused on one of the guards behind Carolyn. The guard hesitates, then sighs and takes off his helmet. Kiku recognized him instantly—it was Morai. Carolyn looks at him with confusion. “What? How did you know who that was? What does he have to do with any of this?” Ezekiel continues to glare, and continues speaking.
“Red Star... We’ve met before. On the West Coast... You attacked us, without warning, and without mercy. I believe your name is... Morai, isn’t it?”
“It is. You killed my sister.”
“We killed her to save Michael.”
“You attacked us first. You lashed out at a group of civilians who were scavenging forward for supplies!”
“Michael misidentified you as a threat.”
“His mistake cost my sister her life, and cost Red Star some of its best men! I don’t care what his name was—you struck first! We just made sure to win the fight that you started!”
“You really think you won? We could have fought you for weeks. We could have simply encircled your encampment and left you to starve to death… Eve, spared you. When she learned of the mistake that Michael made, we left you, and moved on somewhere else.”
Carolyn steps between them as Morai takes a step forward, his hands gripping his rifle tight enough to turn white. Carolyn glares at Ezekiel, right in his eyes. “So you came here, watched us, and waited for the opportune moment to appear. Is that about right?” The awakened listener nods. Carolyn continues with her questioning, as Morai returns to stand back by the door—looking rather disgruntled.
“At least I know why you are here now. Bunker Chicago has a higher number of listeners than is normal for most bunker colonies, if The Coalition is to be believed.”
“It’s true.”
“Any idea why?”
“Simple happenstance. Have you not wondered why this area has recovered faster than any others? Unique people, unique talents... Most through genetic engineering, rather than experience. You were better able to find and extinguish your raider threats because you had more people with the genetic predisposition to finding and eliminating them.”
“I’d prefer to believe in something other than genetic determinism. We worked hard.”
“Is that why you do not wish to be awakened? How curious. You cling to the thin fable of free will...”
“Enough philosophy! I have two more questions, then, this interrogation is over.”
“Will I be free if I answer them?”
“You may be.”
“Ask your questions, Carolyn.”
“How do I kill you?”
“I will not answer that question.”
“Fine. What happened to Mouse?”
Ezekiel blinks, and tilts his head.
“What?”
“Ezekiel... What happened to Mouse?”
“What do you mean, Carolyn?”
“Mouse has gone missing. The Coalition couldn’t have taken him, and U-ARM wouldn’t dare do it. I know Red Star hasn’t done it, so that just leaves the Children of Eve... What do you want with him?”
“We did not take him. Eve would have told me. She... Must not know, yet.”
“How would she not know?”
“I... Michael. Michael must have taken Mouse. From what I understand, Mouse is a computer expert?”
“He is. This is why it’s so distressing—he has secrets about us, and The Coalition, and U-ARM, that will go live if we don’t get him--”
“Carolyn, I left the fog to tell Eve that Michael went against her orders. Her orders were to stay put and keep safe. Instead of doing that, he disobeyed, and used Graveyard to dig into the ground—to the laboratory there. He said he was looking for the truth, and that he wanted to help Eve. I think he’s consumed with guilt, and anger, and it’s driving him mad... Perhaps even mad enough to kidnap Mouse. I was keeping this information to myself until I could escape to tell Eve, so that you would not interfere with our internal politics... However, if he is acting against your kind, then I have no choice but to tell you the truth.”
“...”
“Promise me you will not attack the rest of my kind as retribution, and I will help you to recover Mouse. Then, let me go free—so that I might return to Eve, before it’s too late. Only she can help Michael.”
Carolyn pulls out her revolver, and looks it over. On the grip, her father’s initials were carved into it. For a moment, she stares at it with contemplative silence. Finally, she responds.
“Tell me how to kill your kind, and I will think about it.”
Ezekiel, too, stands in contemplative silence. Kiku would be able to discern that he was consumed with inner conflict, though to everyone else, he had a flat expression. He replies, calmly.
“Deplete our energy reserves, and like any other biological creature, we die. Attacking us with sustained fire from multiple directions, and overwhelming our minds will harm us. Electrical attacks can momentarily lock us down, as they overwhelm our nervous system. Nanomachines can cause severe physical damage to us, weakening us, though they rarely destroy us in a single dose. Explosives can cause serious damage to us as well—less due to the flames and shrapnel, and more due to the shockwaves produced. We are weaker outside of the fog, and many of our kind are poor at using firearms—though not all of us. Some of us perform well with firearms. Myself and Eve are among those few who can wield them with some measure of success. Finally, high calibre weapons can do serious harm to us, as the large puncture wounds they create cause a notable loss of material. We will not die in a single shot, but we will be harmed in a noticeable way.”
He offers a handshake to Carolyn. “I have done as you have asked. Now, will you do as I ask?” Carolyn glances at his hand, then up into his eyes. She nods, but doesn’t shake his hand. “You will stay here until tomorrow afternoon. We will get you some food, so you can be fully refreshed and ready for combat.”
Ezekiel’s expression turns dark as he looks at the ground. Kiku could once again discern emotion on his otherwise blank expression—this time, a defeated, regretful look. Almost pained, outright. As Carolyn walks for the door to leave, he speaks, without much in the way of tone. “I hope I did not make a mistake in trusting you.” Carolyn stops at the door, and looks back at him. “I hope I can save my home. From you, The Coalition, and U-ARM. If I can do that without having to kill you... I will. I already have enough sleepless nights, Ezekiel. Do you mind if I ask you one more question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you named Ezekiel?”
“Because I am the only one to look upon the naked face of God.”
“What did you see?”
“... Frailty.”
“I’ll have to think about that answer, for a while. You take care, Ezekiel. We may yet avoid disaster.”
“I’m not sure about that. It may be unavoidable.”
“Maybe so... But I have to try.”
Carolyn leaves the room, followed quickly by Morai and the three guards that entered with him. Marie looks at Kiku, then glances up at the two veterans who took her in. “Take her back to her apartment. Kiku, for all tense and purposes, this did not happen.” Kiku finds the blindfold tied around her eyes once again, and she’s brought out of the room.
Marie takes one last look at Ezekiel through the one-way mirror. Her hands ball up into angry fists, before she too, leaves the room.