The ark, p.1
The Ark, page 1
Copyright © 2014 J Swift
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof in any form.
No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored, in any form or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover designed by MiblArt
ISBN: 978-1-7398018-0-9
For Ken
Thanks for all the coffee
PROLOGUE
NEW AMERLAND WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT BY survivors of the Incident.
Those were the people who by some miracle managed to get underground before the bombs fell; managed to lock away themselves and their families, and to survive the worst nuclear attack in history.
Underground bunkers holding thousands were spread across the country. Some people were rich enough to have their own. Designed by the host cities, they were not glamorous – but they did the job they were designed to do and protected their residents from a brutish existence and early death.
For a decade the people were trapped. Unable to go topside and with no way of communicating with others, it was easy to understand why some of them lost their senses, and their sense of morality. There were horror stories of the inhabitants of little communal bunkers going deranged and turning cannibal. Tunnelling their way into other communities and decimating the survivors there. There was no way to warn others, and the groups moved undetected from place to place.
Eventually people started carving their way out of their bunkers. One shelter met with another and became stronger by numbers. Then they moved on and found others. Over the years huge facilities were designed and created, reinforced against attack. In time they moved upwards, back to the surface of the planet – and with that move came over-ground accommodation. Each city had a Complex. Some were designed with beauty and aesthetics in mind, intricate and rich, with indoor parks, academies and art galleries.
Silver City was planned by some of the greatest artists of the day. They filled it with bubble parks and exquisite buildings. It was the city for the rich. New Amerland was smaller, filthier and much less well endowed. While Silver City rose from what used to be open fields, when the residents of New Amerland broke through they were faced with the difficult task of building a complex within the confines of what used to be a city filled with skyscrapers and apartment buildings – towering blocks of brick and mortar, the skeletons of which survived the attack and imposed upon the builders the constraints of their existence.
Nevertheless, a complex was created and a board of governors was elected. In time, the scientists announced the inauguration of Project Ark, charged with saving humanity from a burning and wasted planet.
It had seemed that the inevitable fate of humankind was that those who survived one thing would be challenged by another. But the human race was strong: the battle for survival would be fought and won.
A site was required for development and manufacturing operations, and New Amerland was selected. The Arks would be monstrous, shapeless entities that would be capable of carrying fifty thousand crew and passengers. One would be launched every two years, reaching into the galaxy to colonise the fabled New World.
The rich would buy their tickets and travel as cosseted and privileged passengers. Those who did were afforded a luxurious experience, with first class rooms and facilities that put even Silver City to shame.
A lucky few would be selected by lottery and handed a ticket for free – but the chances were slim. Most people worked towards the aptitude test, for which every citizen was eligible at twenty-five. If they passed with a high score they were automatically given a place. With a low score their credentials were considered. Failure meant remaining on Earth for life. As sad as it was, at least fifty percent failed the test, and were fated to die on their desolate and degraded planet…
LAUNCH MINUS FOURTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
THE SUNLIGHT GAVE HIS SANDY HAIR A GOLDEN halo. Sitting on the short grass beside his father, Louis Andover sighed deeply and looked up at the synthetic sky. The colour was a beautiful deep blue, gently dotted with little puffs of white. He might have called the scene poetic. Instead, it was just peaceful. It was their little hideaway. A place they could go to get away from the realities of life. They were surrounded by daisies and cowslips. Louis always wanted to make little chains but at the back of his mind was the thought that it seemed like a girly thing to do. They did love the outdoors though. Even if it wasn’t real, the holograms were so amazingly detailed you’d never know. You could even smell the flowers. It wasn’t cheap of course. A day in the HoloChambers could cost up to a thousand credits. But to father and son sitting together it was priceless. They could afford it, of course – as a captain, Clarke Andover was a rich man. But should it cost a million credits they would still pay it. Just to enjoy the silence.
‘TIME'S UP FOLKS! MOVE ON OUT!’ The voice was deep and rough and cut through their quiet like a knife. Every time, it ended this way and every time it caught them off-guard. As they got to their feet Louis looked at his father.
‘Dad?’
‘Yes Louis?’ His father’s voice was almost a deeper version of his own. They both had the hint of a southern accent.
‘We’re not gonna be coming here for much longer, are we.’ Louis looked at his feet. It was more of a statement than a question.
‘No son, we’re not. But we will find a place like this; one that we can stay in for days if we want. One that’s really outside. We can go camping!’
Louis chuckled at the thought of his father sleeping in a tent. Clarke looked down at his son and grinned. ‘What’s so funny about that, huh?’ He laughed along with his son.
They made their way through the trees and foliage. It really was a beautiful garden; whoever designed it was truly a poet. They moved between purple ferns and tall red trees. The flowers came in fantastic shades of pink and blue. Bright yellow and orange butterflies floated through the air around them, making the garden come alive. They walked alongside a little river that rushed down a gentle slope. There were beautiful birds in iridescent colours poking their beaks into the water. Louis watched as he walked; his father’s hand was on his shoulder, guiding him in the right direction.
They reached the door and looked at the burly doorman. His shirt had ridden up his stomach revealing a pasty white, hairy belly. The smell was awful. He was wearing navy overalls with patches of sweat under his arms. He looked bored and sounded it too.
‘Thank you for choosing Smithson’s Holo-Chambers for all your holographic needs. Would you like to book your next visit now?’
‘No thank you my friend. Have a good today.’
‘You too Sir.’ He turned to the control panel and hit a few buttons. The garden melted away and was replaced with a green room.
Louis walked down the metallic hall with his father without
speaking. The only sound was the clang of their shoes on the floor. He looked up at his father. His wavy blond hair almost tickled at his ears. Tall and muscular. The female cadets were always fawning over him. Not that he would ever be interested; he had been alone since Louis’ mother passed away.
Louis was absorbed in thought when he heard a voice from behind, shouting for his father.
‘Captain Andover! A moment!’
They stopped and turned. A small, thin man came scurrying towards them. He was wearing a grey suit that was slightly too big and his greasy hair was slicked back. Captain Andover rolled his eyes as the weasel-faced little man approached. Louis looked at both men, then took his games device out of his pocket.
‘Captain Andover, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.’ His voice
was squeaky. The captain looked him up and down.
‘You’re Vincent Stadler aren’t you?’
‘Yes Captain!’
‘Listen Mr Stadler, when my ship leaves this planet I don’t want you on it.’
Vincent flinched at the harshness in the Captain’s voice. He continued regardless. ‘But Captain, my boss has signed my travel docket. He wants me on your Ark and I have every intention of being on it.’
Captain Andover looked Vincent directly in the eye. Stadler had
tried to stand a little taller, but now he cowered beneath the Captain’s gaze.
‘Look, Mr Stadler, I don’t care who signed your docket. If I ever
catch you on my ship, trying to sell life insurance to my crew, I will bounce you out the nearest airlock!’
‘Look, I don't see the problem; I just try to offer peace of mind!’
‘I’m going to explain this to you as simply as I can. In two weeks from now my crew and I will be on a ship that will be travelling through space at speeds which half the scientists on the planet still insist are impossible. So I don’t need you selling contracts to my crew that remind them that they might die on this mission.’ He was looking angrier with every word and the increase in volume caught his son’s attention. The boy stuffed his game back in his pocket, looked at Vincent Stadler and thought, this guy doesn’t stand a chance!
‘I’m just trying to present an organised face on all of this!’ Vincent was sounding quite desperate. ‘I want to make myself useful!’
‘Mr Stadler, in the New World a man like you will n
The captain looked at his son who smiled in return. They continued along the corridor, leaving Vincent looking somewhat forlorn.
They continued in silence along the drab, grey corridor, heading slowly towards the observation room which had been lovingly nicknamed Obs by the teenagers who met up there at night. The silence was thick as they walked, and neither wanted to be the first to break it.
They reached the door to the observation room and walked inside. The room was nice enough considering it was on the north side of the complex. The cleaners never really made it this far and most of the public rooms were covered in graffiti and broken furniture as a result.
The local kids had scribbled their offensive slogans across the walls and had left their rubbish on the floor. The problem was, this room offered the best view, so people would regularly hold their noses and come in to look over the old city below them.
The far wall was made entirely from glass and you could see the whole of New Amerland City. It was spectacular. You could see the old buildings that people had used before the Incident and the roads that they drove along. Everything was grey with dust and the air toxic was so that if you dared to venture outside, you had to make use of the space suits and airlocks that were placed along the wall. The bigger city complexes were connected by tunnels and subways; smaller towns were more dangerous. They weren’t as well equipped and people were poisoned by the air every day. They were filled with the Unpleasant Ones, creatures that were once human. Now they were murderous, cannibalistic fiends who prey on those who were forced to use the tunnels.
Louis and his father crossed the room to the window and looked outside. It was dark and dusty out there.
Across the murky cityscape you could just make out the outline of a giant transport, an indefinable shape that towered over the city. It cast its huge shadow over the bleak and empty shells below. The Ark was suspended by scaffolding, and occasionally it swayed precariously in the wind. The finishing touches were being added and it was due to leave Earth in two weeks. Only the richest could afford the outrageous price of a ticket to safety. Those who couldn’t afford their place on the Ark had to earn it – a difficult merit that was decided by the aptitude test. Those who failed could only dream of winning the lottery.
The lottery took place every two years, offering out-tickets to those who would otherwise be left to die on the rock they called home. It was a huge affair filled with ceremonies and parties and good spirits. It was televised for those who couldn’t afford to go, and tickets were checked against the winning numbers. If you won you were flown over to the biggest city complex in the country, aptly named Utopia. It was clean there, and the pollution level in the air was lower. That usually meant that the dust didn’t get into the systems and cause mass shutdowns of things like lighting and atmospheric controls – at New Amerland Complex, they once spent a week in their dark, snowy apartments.
At Utopia they would shower you with gifts and treat you well; you would spend two weeks living in luxury before you were whisked off in the Ark.
‘Dad.’ Louis barely spoke the word; he was staring intently out the window at the huge ship. ‘Is that where we’re gonna live now?’
‘Yes son. That’s the Ark. It’s like Earth away from Earth.’ It was the Captain’s turn to chuckle. ‘You’ll love it up there. You’ll have all the computers and science you can handle.’ He smiled at his son.
‘What happens to the people that don’t get on?’
‘Another will be built in two years and they might get on that one.’
‘But what if the Earth burns before then?’
The captain took a deep breath and looked at his son. ‘Who told you the Earth would burn?’
‘Come on Dad, I’m not a baby. I looked it up. The sun is readying itself to go supernova and part of that is an increase in size. As the sun gets bigger its gravity gets stronger. That means that we get pulled closer. Every year, Dad, the Earth gets closer to the sun. How much longer can humans survive on this planet?’ Louis looked at his feet.
Clarke stared at his son and wondered when he had become so intelligent and so astute. Something had changed in the boy since his mother’s accident and he had become a darker shade of himself. Louis had seen his mother die that day and no child should go through that.
Louis had started walking towards the door. For his age he was a small child, even puny. All the other children were bigger than him but that’s probably because he used his pocket money on little bits of computer parts. He enjoyed building miniature robots. He could really see how all things electrical were supposed to work and he used that knowledge to build all sorts of toys. The other boys thought he was weird; they spent all their money on food.
CHAPTER TWO
THE FEET THAT WERE ATTACHED TO THE CEILING were clad in big anti-gravity boots. The legs that were attached to the feet were covered by thick overalls and the rest of the body was hidden behind a great chunk of machinery. Wires kept flying from behind it and bits of steel fell noisily to the metal grid that was the flooring. There was much clanging, and the occasional grunt came from the body that the legs belonged to. There was a definite frustration in the air.
Two young men walked into the room. One was shorter and considerably fatter than the other. His face was slightly pink and he had a thick mass of brown curls tumbling down past his ears and almost touching his neck. He was dressed in the same coloured overalls as the legs above him. The taller of the two looked around the large room with hazel eyes. He had dirty blond hair that was styled neatly in a side parting. His clothes consisted of a shirt and combat pants; the uniform of a navigation officer. He glanced at the floor beneath where the legs were working and frowned. He was a computer man and ships’ engines and mechanical bits and pieces didn’t really compute. He spotted the boots before his rotund friend.
‘Alissa, Is that you up there?’
‘Yeah it’s me.’
‘Will you come down here?’
‘I’m a little busy right now Shem. Can it wait?’
‘The test starts in an hour!’
There was silence for a few moments, followed by an audible sigh, and then the loud and unmistakable sound of A-G boots clanging down the metal wall. The boots landed on the ground and Alissa bent down to unbuckle them. She stepped out of the boots and stood up straight. Her hair was mousy brown and tied in a knot on the top of her head. Her face was smudged with oil and her overalls were filthy. She wasn’t completely unfortunate looking but her chubby physique and grubby appearance meant she wasn’t the most sought-after girl around. She grabbed her everyday boots and slipped her feet into them. They clicked themselves into place around her ankles and she jogged over to the guys. ‘Okay, let’s go.’
‘You’re not going to get changed? Maybe splash some water on
your face?’
Alissa wiped at her face with her hands, smearing more dirt across her forehead. ‘Better?’
‘Uhh … sure, you look great.’ Shem smiled a little to himself as she walked past him to the door.
‘Are you guys nervous?’ She pushed a few buttons to open the door. ‘I’m scared.’ Ham looked sheepishly at his two friends.
‘Aw Ham, you don’t have to worry. You’re gonna do fine. We’re all gonna get off this rock.’
Alissa put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as they walked down the hallway.
‘What if we don’t? What are we going to do if one of us doesn’t
make it?’
Alissa looked angrily at Shem. ‘We’ll play the lottery. And if we still don’t get on we try again in two years. I guarantee you guys we will all make it off Earth before it burns. Ok?’
She looked at Ham. He seemed less worried already.
***
Four men sat at a table in a darkened room. A spotlight above the table only made everything else appear darker. They all wore black suits and they each wore their hair the same way. There were few distinguishing features between them. One had a small scar underneath his bottom lip, another had a tattoo behind his ear, the third had crystal blue eyes and the fourth wore a silver glove. They sat in silence, staring at each other. Eventually the one with the scar spoke.
