Do No Evil (Aeon Trilogy Book 2)

Chapter 22

As he began to scan Laura's firewall for weaknesses, Nick suddenly felt piercing pain as his body was battered and torn. He knew instinctively that Laura's attack had arrived. His MindWave told him his injuries would cause death in a matter of minutes.

As darkness closed around him, Nick saw his parents standing together, arm-in-arm with the youth he had killed in New York, the boy that he should have been. His parents were horribly burned, and the youth's throat was leaking blood from a gaping wound. The trio looked at him with mocking smiles, their teeth standing out in relief against their dark complexions.

No! None of them could blame him for what he'd done, for who he was.

They disappeared and in their place he saw a vision of Sarah's smiling face. He remembered her giving him her treasured silver necklace, not once but twice, as a sign of her undying love. No matter what lies she had been forced to tell, no matter what terrible acts she had been forced to commit, he knew that she loved him. He knew that Sarah would come for him.

She would come for him.

She had to.

***

"That's quite a story, Sarah," said the Korean woman.

"Jerry's dad said you can't make sparks with silver. He said the fire was a miracle."

The Korean woman brushed back her straight black hair, and the movement of her head let a bright light behind her shine right into Sarah's eyes. "Sarah, I used to be a chemistry teacher, and I can assure you it was no miracle. The sulfur in the air, that's the gas that made you smell rotten eggs, and the humidity. In those conditions, it is possible for silver to make a spark."

"Jerry's dad said it was a miracle." Sarah was looking away from the bright light, down at the glinting silver cross, almost expecting the figure of the Christ to spring to life and speak in her defense.

"Jerry's dad doesn't know chemistry. But you're lucky, because here at the Lal Orphanage, you'll get the opportunity to learn chemistry and all kinds of other things that will give you a head start in the new world."

Sarah let the crucifix fall softly against her chest and squinted up into the light. "What new world?"

The Korean woman leaned down and put her hand on Sarah's shoulder. "The world we're rebuilding after the great famines. Your generation will be the first to rebuild civilization into what it used to be. Into something greater, even. And it all starts by setting aside old superstitions and pursuing knowledge."

"My mom says I should listen to you."

The Korean woman recoiled, allowing even more light to shine on Sarah's eyes. "Maybe you don't understand. Your mother's-"

"She's dead. I know. But she still watches me. As long as I wear the necklace she gave me, she'll be with me."

"Sarah, I know these beliefs give you a sense of comfort after all that's happened. But over time, you need to set them aside and learn what science can teach you."

"If science can't explain why my mother still talks to me, then maybe there's something wrong with science."

The Korean woman sighed and seemed to shrug her shoulders. "All right Sarah. Here's a bag of bedding and clothes. Ada here will take you to your room."

Sarah reached up to take the bag from the Korean lady, but no matter how hard she pulled she couldn't seem to pull it down to herself.

She let out a shriek of frustration, and all of a sudden she felt a sharp pain in her leg.

She raised her head from the orange, dusty ground of the ranch and remembered what had happened. She knew she had to get out from under the intense midday sun and into the infirmary of the ranch.

Her right leg was useless, lying limply on the ground as she used her arms and left leg to drag herself forward. She was breathing in short shallow breaths through her mouth, and coughing from all the dust she inhaled.

The distance from the fence to the buildings was a little over half a mile. She had learned the distance four years ago during the footrace on the first day of Willy's competition. She remembered that day well, how she had noticed just before the race that her right shoelace was untied, but been too self-conscious to bend down and retie it in front of the other orphans. How her sneaker had been sucked off in the mud of the stream, and then she had cut her foot badly on a submerged rock. How she had dragged herself to the banks of the stream, intending to give up. Intending to quit.

And then seeing Willy watching her with that sad expression and becoming so angry at herself that she had gotten back up and finished the race in third place.

But her pride at the memory was cut away by the memories of those who had finished ahead of her. Now only she was left. Bob Eckers had been second, and he had died just a few nights ago.

And Michael, poor Michael, had come in first. She brushed a hand against the pouch on her belt that held the datacrystal with Michael's virus. It was still safely inside, so at least she still had a part of Michael with her.

Like that morning four years ago, this morning she was injured. But last time her injury had been relatively light, and her leg had been able to bear weight. Running had just been a matter of coping with the pain. This time, white splinters of bone pierced the fabric of her camouflage pants. It was all she could do to crawl, and even that was excruciatingly painful.

Like that morning four years ago, this morning she was in a race. But last time, the race had just measured her speed against that of other orphans. There was nothing more at stake than a pat on the back from Willy. This time, she was in a race to get to the clinic on the other side of the river before she passed out from blood loss.

Like that morning four years ago, this morning she saw a figure waiting for her beyond the stream. Last time the figure had been Willy. But now Willy was gone. Everyone she'd cared about during her life was gone.

Everyone except for Nick.

And yet there Nick was, waiting just across the stream smiling and beckoning to her. She felt herself smiling, felt his name forming on her lips. If she could just make it across the stream, she could be together with him again.

Like that morning four years ago, this morning she would finish the course.

She had to.