Under the Mountain Read online

  Isabella checked the news on the computer and read an interesting editorial from an unidentified woman who claimed that there were forces Outside who were conspiring to attack Mt. Weather. Her grandfather had taught her about conspiracy theories when she was much younger, and she had laughed at them at the time. Nothing had changed – the woman writing this article was just as ridiculous, but something in the article caught her attention. “The barbaric forces attempting to break into Mt. Weather to take over are worse than the inhuman mutants Outside, but are much more dangerous because, as humans, they have intelligence guiding them, but apparently not enough smarts to overcome their animalistic competitive natures. They want Mt. Weather for themselves.”

  The editorial was a load of garbage, but it made her think about animal instinct versus intelligence, and Isabella started looking up information about the subject. She had always been interested in evolution and how humanity had grown into a thinking, conscious species. Evolution created animals whose basic wiring told them that for survival of the fittest, you had to outcompete those who were not like you. That behavior had been at the root of conflict since cave man days.

  Natural selection commands that species prefer their closest genetic relatives – their own selfish genes – to reproduce, survive, and thrive. However, once a species becomes self-aware, and more so, becomes a machine building society, they use their intelligence to outcompete all others, rather than brute strength. Predatory animals can easily hunt down and kill a human, but one gun changes the equation of survival of the fittest. It becomes survival of the smartest. Intelligence became an evolutionary advantage for homo sapiens.

  As humans became smarter, their technology advanced, and they began using that technology on each other to wipe out large numbers of their competitors. Every time they made war, others retaliated, until humanity was always armed to the teeth. They had to be, or the “other guy,” would come after them. Making sure your group was the strongest was an evolutionary advantage. If the “other guy” could not hurt you, you and your group were safe, so the weak would never attack the strong, because they could not win.

  By the 21st century humanity finally realized it was possible to override their own genes and give those outside of their own group – family, tribe, country – a chance to thrive too. By making the world better for everyone, it was possible to make the whole species safer. Intelligence let humanity finally grow up – that is, until one group destroyed it all.

  She looked up from the computer, pulled from her reading as the front door opened. She expected it to be Luke. When he was not hanging out with Teagan, he was off playing drums with the band. She was glad Luke had found a girlfriend but at the same time was somewhat jealous that she was not getting to be with Malcolm; which she acknowledged was a ridiculous emotion Luke did not deserve directed at him. She worried about Malcolm and the rest of her new family every moment of every day. Jealousy of her sib’s new friends would not solve anything, and Isabella consciously wiped the sour expression from her face.

  “That you, Luke?” she called from the kitchen, but it was Dr. Rosario who came into the room a moment later. “Hey, doctor.”

  He smiled and produced a small box from his pocket and set it down on the counter before grabbing a notepad and pen. They had gotten used to writing private notes to each other, knowing the government monitored their conversations. He wrote:

  There are 6 inoculations in here, for you and your family. I hope your soldier friend can get these to them in the cells below us. Your brother tested the same formula. I don’t know how effective it will be to protect them, but I recommend it as a precaution.

  She nodded her thanks, and with a smile that reached all the way to her eyes, stood to give the old man a big hug.

  Dr. Rosario flipped the paper over and wrote more.

  When I found out Daphne was going to arrange to get your family included in the next Hot Zone cleanup crew, I surreptitiously removed extra batches of vaccine.

  The scientist now took one of the small tubes from the box and injected Isabella with it. She anticipated a painful pinprick, but it was not traumatic. Once her family was safe Outside, she would leave Mt. Weather and find them again.

  Safe Outside…. How things had changed. Being Outside had never been safe in her lifetime, but compared to what her government intended for the new humans inside the underground city, Outside was the safest place in the universe.

  She rubbed her arm where he had injected her and asked, “How goes the experiment with your vaccine?”

  The scientist sighed heavily. “Not well. All 20 test subjects are showing signs of sickening under the heavy bombardment of radiation and chemical toxins. I cannot understand the urgency to test the inoculation this way! It is not a true representation of the Outside by any stretch of the imagination. Flooding a body with that much toxin at once may not have any bearing on whether my vaccine would be effective under normal circumstances. At current average toxicity rates, I believe my inoculation will be effective, and if we are to test it to see if it will allow the people in the shelters to live safely Outside, it needs to be tested under typical environmental conditions. Not this ridiculous manufactured unreality!”

  The scientist leaned against the kitchen wall and massaged his temples. After decades of research had finally turned into something viable, and finally having the means to test it, to be forced to do so in such an unethical way – not to mention unscientific – was distressingly stressful on the man.

  “That makes sense. Is there any plan to inoculate some new people and release them back to normal circumstances and then test them later to see if there has been any change? I would think that would be a more accurate test. Plus, you wouldn’t even need to force them; many would volunteer for it, especially if it meant their freedom.”

  The scientist nodded his head and let out an exasperated groan. “Exactly what I have been trying to convince Dr. Serra of since I got here.”

  “Personally, if I were a shelter person and the government gave me a shot, then said ‘go Outside – you’ll be safe’ … oh yeah, right.” She narrowed her eyes and crinkled her nose. “It’s a huge understatement to say that’s something I would have a hard time believing. However, if I knew they had tested it on people that lived Outside and those people remained safe for years – a prolonged number of years at that – then I would believe them. I’d want it tested on new people like that.”

  “As would I, young lady. As would I,” said Dr. Rosario, nodding in agreement.

  Isabella picked up the box with the vaccine vials in it and said to Dr. Rosario, “I think I’ll call Daphne and see if she wants to get together tonight. She mentioned a girl’s night out and I haven’t taken her up on that offer yet.” She winked at the scientist and he smiled back.

  “Sounds like a fun time. Don’t worry about me for dinner. I think I will explore some of the restaurants here. It has been decades since I ate out.” Literally five decades. Isabella wondered how it had taken the scientist this long to figure out that they had been given monetary credits when they entered Mt. Weather. She knew her cousin-brother had been busily spending his free “cash” with his new friends, and she had spent some money on a few bits of clothing of admittedly questionable fashion choices, a hairbrush, and even a bit of makeup. So far, it seemed Dr. Rosario had been so busy with his work that he had not even realized he had money to spend.

  Isabella dialed Daphne’s contact number from the terminal in the kitchen but got a recording that she was unavailable, so she left a message. Fifteen minutes later, the terminal pinged with an icon stating, “Incoming call from Daphne Noble.” Isabella put her index finger on the icon and Daphne’s image filled the screen.

  “Hi Isabella. I’m glad you finally agreed to my invitation. I just got off duty, and I’m starved. Let me run back to my domi and change into civvies, and I’ll come to your place and get you. Give me half an hour?”

  “Perfect!” said Isabella. “I’m
famished. Maybe you can introduce me to more foods besides Mexican. I’ve always wanted to try Italian. My aunt Mari had cookbooks from all over the world in our shelter and she tried to cook from those, but our ingredients were incomplete. I’d like to know what it’s really supposed to taste like!” And I have something for you, but that will have to wait ’til you get here, thought Isabella. The video call would probably be monitored.

  Precisely 30 minutes later, Daphne arrived and the two young women set off in search of dinner and a safe place to talk. Isabella wished Daphne had one of those scrambler boxes that Teagan had and then wondered where Teagan had obtained such an item. “Hey, do you mind if we ask Teagan to join us for food? I’m pretty sure my sib is with her, so it might not wind up a true ‘Girl’s Night Out.’ That okay?”

  Daphne did not hesitate before replying. “That sounds like fun. I don’t get to socialize much with anyone outside of my unit. Your brother and Teagan seem interesting.”

  Entering the lift, Isabella pressed the button for level five, remembering Teagan’s address. When they arrived on her level, they walked without a word until they reached Teagan’s apartment and she answered the door.

  When Teagan saw Isabella and Daphne in her doorway, she tilted her head and said, “Can’t say I’m surprised to see you Isabella, but I admit to being confused to see you.” With a point of her chin, she directed that last at Daphne. “Somehow I never figured on having a soldier for a friend. Well, don’t just stand there, come in.”

  Since Daphne had agreed to help them, Isabella knew Teagan’s feigned surprise at Daphne being there was simply an act for the listeners, but perhaps it was based on reality. Under normal circumstances, Teagan-the-revolutionary never would be friends with Daphne-the-soldier.

  Luke was indeed waiting inside, but otherwise the apartment was empty.

  “My parents are down at the beach. Getting this domi to myself is rather rare, so do you want to make it quick? We were busy.” Teagan gave us the evil eye.

  Isabella replied, “Obviously we’ve interrupted something, but I think this will make up for it.” She pulled Dr. Rosario’s box from her pants pocket and held it in the palm of her hand. Putting her index finger to her lips to signal them all to be quiet; she then removed the lid, revealing five small plastic vials with tiny needle plungers on each one.

  Daphne broke into a broad grin. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Teagan reached for her scrambler and turned it on, asking, “What are those?” She motioned for them to all sit down in the living room, where she placed the scrambler on the center of the coffee table.

  Daphne and Teagan took a seat on the couch, and Isabella choose to stand but Luke plopped himself into one of the beanbag chairs, grinning like an idiot. The room was an odd assortment of furniture and vivid colors, and Luke liked odd. Luke was odd. He fit in perfectly in a purple and green room.

  Isabella waited for the white noise and inane chatter to begin broadcasting from the scrambler before answering. “It’s Dr. Rosario’s inoculation. He made extra for my family.”

  Luke pumped his fist in the air and said, entirely too loudly for the scrambler to handle, “Way to go, doc!”

  “Yes, he did a great job. It’s the same formula you tested, Luke, and while he isn’t entirely certain how effective it will be in such a heavily irradiated area, it will give them a shot at least.” Isabella’s heart galloped wildly now that she was finally in a position to help her family escape. “But Daphne, we need you to get into the cells on level ten and get these to my husband and friends. They are separated in three cells. Can your friends do this?”

  Daphne nodded vigorously. “Yes, I think so. No, I’ll make sure.” Daphne stood straight, every bit the military figure even when dressed in civilian clothes.

  Isabella closed the box and gave it to Daphne with only a small amount of hesitation.

  Luke propelled himself from the beanbag chair and jerked his head in Daphne’s direction. “Izzy doesn’t trust easily. Do not let her down.”

  The young soldier-turned-revolutionary nodded solemnly. “So, can we get dinner? I really am starved.”

  Isabella replied, “Yes. Italian please?”

  The four of them left Teagan’s domicile for what Daphne promised was the best Italian restaurant in the country, the bistro on level nine where her brother worked. It’s likely the only Italian restaurant in the country, thought Isabella. She had grown up in a world with limited population centers; the places where people lived were widely scattered and small. Being at Mt. Weather had been a dream of hers and every other shelter kid in what was left of their devastated country. She planned to enjoy the experience while she had the chance and get her family out to safety.

  Isabella had always known she had a talent for growing plants, and at Telemark she had discovered that she enjoyed the village leader’s wife’s herb garden, but at Mt. Weather she was finally getting the chance to sample flavors she had never even imagined. Flipping through the cookbook collection in her shelter always meant substituting one unavailable ingredient with whatever they had at hand. To Isabella, growing plants and cooking meals went hand in hand. They had no meat in their shelter, so to her, gardening, cooking, and eating were all part of the same cycle. As she savored the Italian herbs in the meal she now ate, she could not help but wonder what the flavors were. She could taste basil and oregano, but the others were a mystery.

  Over the meal, she asked what she knew was an interminable number of questions about the herbs, the flavors, and how and where everything was grown at Mt. Weather. Teagan and Daphne happily filled her in on the farms and greenhouses located inside the underground city. Teagan’s father worked in the greenhouses so she had a lot of firsthand knowledge of them. She and Hayden had gotten the chance to spend time in the greenhouses on a regular basis, while they were growing up. Isabella enjoyed not only the education, but also the growing friendship with both the young soldier and her sib’s new girlfriend. Sadly, it made her miss her only female sib, Abby, whom she had grown up with, even if Abby was bossy to a fault. She also missed her grandmother, who had been her best friend all her life, even if separated by two generations. Isabella had met and befriended many of the new humans, but had not gotten truly close to any of them, not even Kalla who had traveled with them, and who was now languishing in a prison cell a level below them.

  It was wonderful to have friends in her life again, but it made her miss all the people missing from her life now, especially Malcolm.

  August 19, 2101

  Chapter Fourteen

  Isabella

  The door chimed before Isabella had finished opening her eyes. She rolled off the bed and turned the overhead lights knob to a minimal brightness, stumbling to the door and opening it to find Daphne, in full uniform.

  “Didn’t we just leave the restaurant?” asked Isabella. The light switch next to the front door was on a dimmer switch just like the one in her bedroom. She turned it to low and glanced into the kitchen to the clock on the wall. It was not even five a.m. Sheesh!

  “Sorry to wake you…” began Daphne.

  “No, you aren’t, you sadistic soldier,” replied Isabella, but smiled at her new friend. Daphne knew she was kidding.

  “I didn’t want to message you. You know.” Her eyes darted up to the ceiling, indicating that there were listeners everywhere in the underground city. Daphne reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to Isabella. “So, hey, I just wanted to say that I had fun last night. I’m glad you and your brother came to Mt. Weather. It’s fun having both of you as friends.”

  Isabella was not sure if Daphne really meant that, or if her words were just a small-talk smoke screen for their listeners. She wanted to believe it though, and nodded at the other girl. “Likewise.”

  Daphne smiled what seemed, for the first time, a true and genuine smile. “I’ve got to run. Duty calls. But maybe I can stop back after my shift? I get off at 1500 hours.”
r />   Isabella clutched the note in her fist and ached to read it. She mentally translated military time to civilian and said, “Okay. I’ll make sure to be here at three o’clock. See you then.” The young soldier spun on her heels and walked off without another word.

  Closing the door, Isabella went into the kitchen and turned the light up enough to read. She sat down at the kitchen table. Her hands were clammy with sweat as she unfolded the note.

  I found out the names of the soldiers taking out the next cleanup crew and I know all of them. Six are on our side. My friend Sergeant Kirby Miller will be leading the mission. I am taking the box of vaccines to him today with instructions to make sure that your family and friends are all selected. Getting your little girls on that crew is going to take some doing— they don’t usually include kids under five, but I’ll figure out a way. I’ll find out when they are leaving too.

  — Daphne

  She had not felt this nervous since the military boat had stopped them on the Hudson. She was putting all her trust in Daphne to get another soldier – no, half a dozen soldiers – to betray their people and get Malcolm on the next mission. Plus, she was asking them to inoculate them. This could go all kinds of wrong. Isabella chewed her lip as she turned off the light and went back to bed.

  * * *

  Luke

  Luke rolled off his cot in the bedroom he shared with Dr. Rosario and pulled the rubber plugs from his ears. It was Roan’s brilliant solution so Luke to get a good night’s sleep in the room with the Incredible Snoring Scientist. The band manager had hidden talents, for which Luke was grateful. He could not sleep on the couch forever.