The Silenced [Part 8 - Finale]

Science Fiction | Short Serial

Photo by Claus Grünstäudl on Unsplash

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven

25

I staggered slightly, my knees giving way. Two held me up. I searched her face and saw a scared child again.

“What do we do?” she asked, her voice barely concealing the fear.

I didn’t have an answer. I regained my balance. I scanned our surroundings, thinking. Desperate. Where is he?

Two looked around. “I don’t know. Do you think he saw what we found?”

I scanned our surroundings again and that’s when I saw him. I looked at the notebook in my hand, the hatch in the ground, the body of the Ancient sprawled on the floor next to it and at Two. A plan formed immediately. I pressed the notebook into Two’s hands. Get ready to move quickly. Get ready to run.

I could see her scan the pages quickly and nodded her understanding. I stepped forward, putting myself between her and whatever was coming our way. Two stepped behind the hatch and crouched low, hand gripping the handle.

Spark was walking away from us, toward the gate. What was he doing? Escaping? He wasn’t running. He was walking.

He was calm.

A wave of unfiltered rage crashed into me. My blood boiled as the torrent of anger rushed through me. I picked up a rock from the floor and threw it into the ground as hard as I could. It made a deafening thud.

Spark stopped walking just as he reached the gate. He turned slowly and smiled. He raised his hands in mock surrender then began to sign. Just so you know. I never lied. I always told you that whatever I know they know. And if they didn’t already they would soon. You just weren’t listening.

He turned back and pushed the gate open. The roars of a dozen engines cracked the air as an onslaught of Silencer-SUVs sped through the entrance, breaching the Quiet Zone. They broke into a formation that surrounded us, each one skidding to a halt and spilling out their soldiers. The Silencers raised their weapons and trained them on us. It was silent for a while. The dust settling. The soldiers getting comfortable. The clock ticking.

Spark stepped forward. I put one hand behind my back, holding three fingers out for Two, getting ready to start the countdown.

Spark continued towards us, signing as he went. Let’s keep this simple. I don’t want to hurt you. Either of you. Step aside. Let us take the girl and go back to your quiet life.

I looked back at Two then back to Spark. What will you do with her?

I don’t know. Keep her quiet. Keep things were they are. What do you think?

I shook my head. You know I’m not going to do that.

He sighed. I tried to read his face. Was he conflicted? He signed. I know.

The silence stretched between us like it was lining a path between two gunslingers getting ready to draw.

I held my hand behind my back steady, signing with the other. Why did you help us?

Spark shrugged. I was following orders.

I thought of all the time we had spent together over the years. I had thought him a friend. All this time?

He shifted uncomfortably. All this time.

I nodded. The past now looked like a broken jigsaw. If I were to put the pieces back together now it would paint a different picture. I wondered for a fleeting moment what image would be reflected back at me. But only for a moment. There was no time for that now.

I started the countdown.

3

I balled my signing hand into a fist and released it. Things could be better, Spark.

Spark continued walking forwards, his hand reaching for his weapon. Better for you. We like it the way it is. We like the quiet.

2

I shook my head. Do you really believe that? Keep us divided when we would be better together? Equal?

1

Spark paused. But the world has never been that way, has it? So why start now?

I pleaded. Because we can.

Spark shook his head. Not on our watch. Maybe the next generation will have a better chance. Spark drew his gun and trained it on me. Are you going to step aside?

I shook my head. No. I'm going to do what I need to do. And you’re going to do what you need to do.

Spark’s gun quivered for the briefest moment; a tremor of remorse. A twinge of regret. I don’t want to.

You're going to need to. I smiled then, despite the situation. I could think of only one sign that would fit the moment. One that Five would certainly approve of. Maybe this will make it easier for you.

I raised my hand in the air and extended my middle finger to Spark and the soldiers gathered. Fuck you.

Spark sighed. OK.

0

Spark squeezed the triggered at the same time I finished the countdown. I turned to see Two flip open the hatch and disappear into the earth as the first bullet clipped my ear. I staggered toward the open-hatch when the second bullet ripped through my skin. I jumped into the hatch, pulling it closed behind me and slid down the ladder with one hand. I held the other instinctively to my stomach. Adrenaline pushing me forward. I lost my footing at the bottom of the ladder, landing with a thud. There was a ringing in my ear and a warmth in my gut. I took my hand away from my stomach and it was slick with blood. Two was waiting for me and her eyes widened when she saw the blood.

“You’ve been hit. You’ve been hit!”

I shook my head. No time. We need to move quickly. Go.

“But…”

Go.

We moved through the tunnels as quick as we could. I fastened a makeshift bandage from my shirt, trying my best to seal the wound. I knew it was hopeless but I just wanted to buy enough time to make sure Two could reach the EBS bunker. The tunnels stretched ahead of us for what seemed like miles, long and winding like a song I’d once heard. There was door after door, bunker after bunker but not the one we were looking for. Two led the way, following the map in the notebook like an expert cartographer. Like an explorer from the forgotten age. I smiled then winced at the pain. Not the wound. The fact that I wouldn’t get the chance to see the next chapters of her story. But if I could make sure there were next chapters, that would be good enough for me.

I heard the creak of the hatch behind us and the footfall of Spark and his soldiers descending the ladder. They had joined us in the tunnels now. I could hear their boots crunching on the ground.

We moved quicker. It was a labyrinth, a maze. I thought it would go on forever. Then we saw it. Straight ahead. The EBS Bunker. There was a large metal door with a wheel handle. A red light above the door. It was exactly as the notebook described.

Sprinting forward, we reached it just as the footfall of soldiers grew closer. Two stopped at the entrance to the bunker and looked inside.

I didn’t really know what to expect. Perhaps a mass of cables and monitors and microphones and screens. But it was much simpler than that. There was one microphone and a radio. There was another notebook, larger which contained more radio frequencies than the smaller one. Some had been crossed off. There was a shelf with jugs of water, cans of tinned food and boxes of crackers. There was a button to lock the bunker and an second smaller hatch in the ceiling - the emergency exit. This was it. This was how the world restarted again. One person in a small room.

I hurried Two inside. There was no time for a long goodbye. I wish there was. She spun round to look at me. A scared child again. I smiled and signed. Go. You can do this. I believe in you.

I strained as I began to pull the door to the bunker closed. Two put her hand on it, stopped it from moving. The footsteps were getting much closer now. I looked at Two, signing frantically. There’s no time.

But she shook her head and placed her hand on mine.”Is this it?”

I stopped pulling the door and looked into her eyes. I nodded. Yes.

Her lips trembled. Her eyes began to fill with water. “What if I can’t do it? What if it doesn’t work and this was all for nothing?”

I shook my head. Spark and the march of soldiers was getting louder. We had a minute. Less than. Look at me. You can absolutely do this. I believe in you. I wouldn’t have gotten you this far if I didn’t.

She started to nod, slowly. “But what do I do? What do I say?”

I smiled then. Just use your voice. Even if there are others like you, others that can talk, nobody has your voice. There's nobody like you, kid. That’ll be enough.

A tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away. “I don’t want to do this alone.”

I smiled again. You’re not alone. Remember? Think of the moments and we’ll be right there with you, by your side. Always.

She smiled now. Then nodded. “OK. I…thank you. For everything.”

I wiped away a tear of my own. I would do it all over again if I needed to. You ready?

She nodded. Then threw her arms around me in a hug. I hugged her back. Then nudged her into the bunker. I strained to pull the door shut and took one final look at her. I gave her one final sign. Love you, kid. You’ve got this.

And with that I pulled the door shut and sealed her inside, ready to save the world.

26

The door clanged shut behind me. I lost my footing and slid down the door. I looked toward the end of the tunnel just as Spark appeared with his entourage. I could just make out a pained expression on his face. His sympathy was worse than any apathy he may have had. I forced myself to stand. I still had work to do.

I looked above me. I saw the lever from the notebook, exactly where it was supposed to be. I reached out and gripped it tight in my hand. I waited. I wanted to make sure they were all in the tunnel. Spark was getting closer. I could see him begin to sign something but my vision was blurring. I shook my head, regaining focus. Spark signed again.

I didn’t want it to end like this. I gave you a chance. But you did what you needed to. I’m doing what I need to.

I smiled, and weakly tried to sign. I…

Spark looked at my free hand. These are your last words, Story. What do you want them to be?

I smiled, holding my hand up. She’s safe.

I pulled the lever and the tunnel began to flood, washing away the bemused look on Spark’s face. Washing them all awayl. I closed my eyes as the water rushed to meet me and—

27

He was gone. They all were.

28

I could hear the rush of water outside the bunker. Story was gone, taking Spark and all the other Silencers with him. He had sacrificed himself to save me. I didn’t want to let him down but all I could think of now was how alone I was. But then I wasn't, was I? Just like Story said. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I called to mind the moments I shared with Story and with Mum. Just like he said. And in that moment I felt them in the room with me. And I remembered that I had a job to do. The least I could do was try.

I put my hand on the microphone and pushed the button.

A red light blinked. There was a crackle of static.

I drew a breath to say something, anything, that I hoped would change the world.

I wanted to live up to the belief Mum and Story had in me.

If I did, then maybe, just maybe, the world would find its voice again.

I cleared my throat and spoke.

---

And with that, The Silenced comes to an end. I want to thank every single one of you for reading this story and for the lovely things you’ve had to say about it. I originally set out to write a short story but it took on a life of its own, turning into a novella. I loved the story, the world and the characters even if it felt like the most challenging story I’ve written in a while. I’m most comfortable writing lots of dialogue and for this I had to purposefully pare that back. In the end, I hope you have found it to be an imaginative, thrilling and heartfelt story. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out and just want to thank you again.

With The Silenced now complete, I’ll be turning more attention back to Fifty Word Fiction before starting to write and release the next instalment of The SEARCH Files series, FOUND. There’s a lot of that written already but a lot more to write. I have a few other non-Substack projects I’m working on which need to move up the priority pile but you’ll still get a weekly Fifty Word Fiction from me in the meantime.

For now, it’s a fond farewell to The Silenced. Thank you for reading, sharing and supporting.

Cx