“Rex, we have gone over this before. We are the leftovers … the scraps … struggling for existence after civilization’s collapse. To be honest, I have taken little interest in the details of the past. I started to explore it. Dream has some memories of things, but it is all so vast, and I needed to balance my thirst for knowledge of the past with the demands of today.
“Your grandfather knew much more than I do. He was a brilliant man. I have done my best. I hope you can do better.
Better than me. Even better than your Grandpa,” RJ explained.
“It has become merely a burden, without a reason for why it’s important to carry such a burden. But I blame myself, because I didn’t advance the understanding. He left me a mission, your Grandpa, to figure out how the past can help us without destroying us. I have never figured it out. I always felt that revealing the past would mean the end of us all. We would just imitate the past, repeat it, and suffer the same fate.
“I now realize that I should have brought you in twenty years ago. Together, maybe we could have made progress.
Alone, I don’t feel that I did anything, except sacrifice the here and now because of the past. I didn’t want you to carry this weight until it was necessary. You will come to understand my choice.”
Rex listened intently and calmly. He partially understood and felt the gravity of his partial understanding. He was already fifty-six and realized that this new learning curve would accompany his physical decline. How much time and effort would it require for him to do better? He felt overwhelmed but, at the same time, inspired.
Rex wanted to break new ground, find useful purpose in the cave and its secrets, and go beyond what his father had done . After all, he had already wondered endlessly about life’s purpose, opened up to himself, acknowledged his true desires, and tried to accept who he really was.
It pained him to think of Utah, the one element of pure excitement in his life. They had discovered each other and themselves all at once. It was like a miracle. But the day that his father took him into the study and then into the shelter, everything changed.
The immediate impact on his life and his understanding of the world had been too much. He had cast Utah aside; it had not been deliberate, but the decision had been outside of his control. He felt powerless, given the gravity of what he now knew. Rex’s wife and daughter had also sensed a change. So, on top of the confusion that he had felt as he’d learned about the world, he’d also become riddled with guilt.
Rex set these thoughts aside, as he and RJ went through all the weapons and their capabilities. RJ gave Rex a hands-on demonstration. Later, Rex was alone in the command center, VR headset on, learning, from what limited information was there, about the world’s past. He felt the desire to go on and on, but then he cursed the empty room, knowing that he needed to set it aside or be considered missing for so much time, whereabouts unknown.
In time, RJ would not need to accompany Rex below.
Rex was now capable of self-learning and spent endless hours studying and learning as much as he could. Utah and the other guard stood watch, sometimes for twelve hours straight. They wondered what Rex was doing in the study alone for so many hours. Only RJ would visit occasionally—no one else. It was strange, and Utah could sense that something was afoot.
“Pa, please come today. I need to ask you some things.
It is very lonely without you there to discuss the next steps that could be taken. I have some ideas,” Rex went on, but RJ looked detached and appeared to have little energy.
“Son, there is something not right with me. I hardly have the energy lately to get up. It’s been rather sudden, so I’m fearing the worst.”
“Let’s try to get Dream to help. Maybe there are answers. Did you study about medicine in the old world? It was fantastic the things they could do.”
“Rex, these were the collective works of an entire civilization. Even with every bit of knowledge laid out before us, we are still mere spectators. Besides, I am very old. I have done what I could. You will carry on for me. Your daughter is married off and happy. The one thing left that will give me real joy is to see Marina married to that wonderful young man.”
Rex was also fond of Marina, the one great accomplishment by his difficult half-brother, Christopher.
“Yes, I should like to see that as well. Young Moey is really the perfect match for her,” agreed Rex. “I wanted to ask you something about the tunnel network and the other bases.”
“Oh? I’m not sure what you mean,” replied a puzzled RJ.
“There is an entire underground network. Weren’t you aware?”
“No. Your grandpa never mentioned it. Perhaps you have found something new already.” Rex didn’t find it plausible that neither his father nor grandfather knew of the network, but apparently, his father was far less engaged with the secrets of the past than he wanted to share. He decided not to push the matter.
Christopher was sweating profusely and breathing hard as they ran along at a respectable pace. The others knew that running with Christopher was a relaxed affair. They were all still in their early thirties, while he was in his late forties. Utah in particular, who never drank, rarely spent a late night out, and trained heavily every day, didn’t even count this as physical activity. Jacob and Perry, despite their hard living, were still good athletes and trained regularly. Perry made sure to always stay close to Christopher’s right side, leaving Jacob and Utah to work out who would flank him on the left.
“We have the plan. But what will we get out of this? I mean if we go through with it,” asked Perry as they coasted along.
“Don’t worry. You all are my only true friends. We will all rule together. You will all have important positions, of course, and will be well compensated.” Christopher talked as best he could between heavy breaths. “Now, what is the plan?
How do I get in that chair?”
“Utah suggests that we not discuss it ever. I agree with him. Jacob is also out of this discussion. It is for your own protection,” said Perry.
“I take it you mean that something is going to happen.
May I at least know when this something will occur?” Chris asked.
“By the end of this week,” said Utah.
This left only a few days. As Christopher felt the excitement building in his bones, he smiled and picked up some speed. Suddenly, he was gliding along, feeling twenty again.
Rex sat eating his breakfast with some urgency and thinking ahead to some important things that he wanted answers to today. His wife, Lisa, came in, still in her nightgown and barely awake.
“Rex, it’s so early. Where are you going? Off to see your father again?” It had been a daily ritual for the past six months or so; he would disappear all day, and sometimes for most of the night, working on who knows what.
“Yes, darling. A lot to do today. My father’s condition is worsening. I fear that he has a terminal illness, and I need to be ready.”
“Of course, Rex. But you can’t forget that today is Marina’s wedding. Please don’t be late. And look nice. I need to help out with very many things today, so I can’t get you ready.
You need to be dressed and come on your own. The horns will sound just before the ceremony. Okay, darling?”
“Yes, yes. Of course. I would never miss it,” Rex declared convincingly.
Minutes later, he entered the study, passing the two guards who stood watch as always. One of them was Utah.
Unlike in the past months, when Rex would pass by in haste, this time was different. The unexpected happened: he locked eyes with Utah as he passed.
There was no mistake. Utah was suddenly shocked and confused, his hatred melting into uncertainty. This was to be the day. There had been no doubt, but Utah now had plenty. After all, the only thing that mattered was whether he could be at the right hand of the Chair. He didn’t particularly care who the Chair was. But in all honesty, he was certainly fonder of Rex than of Christopher. Yes, this was a confusing predicament.
Later, when there was a break period, two other guards arrived to relieve those that had been on duty. Utah walked away as the replacements took their positions, but his partner, Butch, paused.
“Hey, I don’t know you guys,” Butch said.
“Hey, Utah! What’s with him?” one of the guards said. Utah then looked at Butch and smiled.
“It’s okay,” Utah reassured them. He then reassured Butch. “I know these guys. They are new in the house but are longtime army. This is Jacob, and the wise guy there is Perry.”
“Oh. That’s cool. Nice to meet you guys.”
Utah and Butch walked off. Utah was still reeling, confused. But he quickly converged on a thought. Whatever was the case with Rex, he couldn’t be sure. It might be nothing. But Chris, Perry, and Jacob … that was a real opportunity. Utah quickly reconciled that if they proceeded, he would get what he wanted. If he hesitated, he would lose their trust. In the end, Chris might take over anyway, or Rex would take over but had no intentions of being with him. It was clear. He would support Christopher. The plan would go forward.
Normally, when on their breaks, the two men would first relieve themselves in the latrine near the side exit of the house. Then, they would go out and stop at a nearby market, where they would get drinks and food from the street merchants, who were plentiful within the market area. Today was no different.
“Spicy?” Utah asked Butch, knowing how much he loved spicy food.
“Absolutely!” he answered right on cue.
They both knew where to go. They had nicknamed the vendor “the Murderer” because the level of spice in the food he sold was sometimes unbearable. It was a joke, but today, it was closer to the truth.
At the back of the open market, they saw the Murderer.
He had some victims already seated. They were flushing their mouths with water as they ate rice and spicy dishes of beans with meat. There was an open table.
“The usual,” Utah said.
“Me too.”
The Murderer nodded and disappeared into the back.
He gave Utah a long look as he left, and Utah returned a nearly imperceptible nod. The steaming plates came swiftly, and the men started to dig in, joking and laughing about the food and the people nearby.
“Wow. Extra spicy today. Man!” Butch said. His face was red, and sweat was starting to bead on his forehead. Moments later, he made a choking sound, and his eyes opened wide, reflecting his terror as he looked to Utah for help. Utah got up and tried to assist his companion.
“Hey!” He looked at the Murderer. “How hot did you make it?” But it was all an act, and they were both playing a role. Butch collapsed; whether he was unconscious or dead, Utah wasn’t sure.
“Let’s get him in the back and give him some cold water,” Utah instructed.
None of the onlookers jumped in to help, as Utah and the owner seemed to have the situation under control. They laid Butch on the floor in the back of the kitchen.
“I hope he doesn’t die,” Utah said.
“He’ll be fine. But he will be out for an hour at least.”
With that, the Murderer handed Utah a small bottle. Utah then exited through the back door, went through an alley, and circled back to the house. He went back down to the study entrance, where Jacob and Perry were waiting impatiently.
“That took you long enough!” said Perry in a loud whisper.
Utah didn’t respond; he went straight into the study.
The complex comprised numerous rooms, including a main office area, various storage closets, and a small dining room. As Utah went through each room, he suddenly became very puzzled. Where was Rex? Utah went through the entire area again, searching frantically. Still nothing. He began to panic. He sat down on a table and took a deep breath. There was no scenario in which this plan failed—no backup plan. He kept looking down, breathing, and thinking. He was not ready to declare to Perry that there was a problem—not yet. It was already early afternoon, and the wedding was approaching. He wondered whether there was a secret exit that Rex and the Chair used that allowed them to leave the complex unnoticed.
He looked again. Nothing.
Rex was below at the console, reviewing the tunnel configuration and trying to understand how far away the main cave was from their location. Under Dream’s guidance, Ramius had set up cameras to enable him to see inside the study area in the event that someone entered while he was below. He never wanted to reveal the whereabouts of the entrance by coming up while someone was there.
There was a warning from Dream the moment Utah entered, and Rex watched him as he searched, obviously looking for him. But why? Rex surmised that only a serious situation would cause Utah to breach such a firm protocol. Something must be terribly wrong, he thought. He saw Utah looking frustrated, and he knew that he must be confused. Poor dear Utah. Rex knew the risk, but even if Utah remained there, he could get back to the study undetected. He didn’t know how to explain how he got in and out, but he would worry about that later. Better go now, he thought. He bolted for the door, went through the entryway, and strode out into the cave area.
“Dream, as soon as I go through the door, you must close it immediately.”
“Understood,” she responded.
Rex ran up the stairs and put his hand to the pad. The secret entrance was in the small dining room, and it was decorated with wooden panels in such a way that it blended perfectly with the room. The door did make some noise, and he thought that Utah would definitely hear it, but he went anyway.
As Rex entered the dining room, the door opened. Utah was alerted by the sound and walked toward it quickly. Just as he entered, the door finished closing, and there stood Rex, looking winded and concerned.
“Utah, what is it? What’s wrong?
“It’s your father! There’s been an accident,” he lied.
“Oh no!”
Rex walked out into the study and toward the door hastily with Utah right behind him. Just then, using his tremendous strength, Utah locked his arm around Rex’s neck and immediately yanked him off his feet. Rex was in shock as Utah let himself fall back to the floor in a controlled way, still holding Rex, who was breathless and flailing as the two men went down. Utah could now use his legs to contain Rex as he tightened his chokehold even more. Within a minute, the struggle was over, and Rex went limp.
Utah knew that Rex had merely been choked out and would soon regain consciousness. He let Rex go, got up, and took the small bottle from his pouch. He opened Rex’s mouth wide and poured in several drops. He then took a flask of water from the desk and poured in a small amount to evoke a swallowing reflex. Rex gagged, choked, and swallowed involuntarily, still unconscious. It was done. There would be no more surprises.
Utah dragged Rex over to the desk, sat him in the chair, and leaned him over the table to make it look as if he were sleeping. Utah then walked out of the study without a word.
Perry grabbed Utah’s arm as he walked past, demanding some affirmation. But Utah tore himself free and kept walking.
“Stay here!” Utah commanded Perry and Jacob.
He walked back over to the market to find his partner.
When the Murderer saw him, he immediately slipped back into the back room. Utah followed.
“How do we wake him up?”
The Murderer didn’t answer but got a bowl of cool water and threw it in the Butch’s face. No response. He then slapped the guard’s face hard. Again, nothing. “Come on!” This time, the Murderer poured some of the water into the Butch’s mouth and held his nose. The guard choked, sputtered, and came back to life. “Oh, man! I was so worried about you. Was it that spicy?”
Butch struggled to sit up. “Oh shit. What happened?
Man, I am never eating in this shithole again. You trying to kill me, you bastard?” The guard glared at the Murderer.
“C’mon! Let’s get out of here. Can you stand post? Or should I get someone to fill in?” Utah questioned.
“Man, I don’t know. I have a terrible headache. I’m good, I think. Let’s just get outta here. Help me up.”
Butch put his arm over Utah’s shoulder, and they walked out slowly. By the time they were back at the side door to the house, the guard had regained his composure and was walking by himself. The guard at the side door gave him a long look.
“You aren’t drinking on duty, I hope.”
“Piss off,” the Butch replied, as he and Utah made their way back down to the study.
When Perry and Jacob saw the two men coming, there was a collective sigh of relief. They were so ready to get out of there.
“Whoa! What the hell happened to you?” Perry asked the Butch.
“You guys are back early,” commented Jacob.
“That’s okay, guys. We’ll take it from here,” said Utah.
“Alright. Take it easy,” Jacob said.
With that, Jacob and Perry walked down the hall and rounded the corner. They ducked into a small room at the end of the hall, where Utah had originally left the uniforms for them.
They stripped, put their normal clothes back on, and climbed the stairs, feeling jubilant and triumphant. Two hours later, the new guards came to relieve Utah and his partner.
“Anybody in there?” the first one asked.
“Rex is in there. He’s been in there since early this morning. Hasn’t come out at all, and no one else has entered,” responded Utah, Butch silent and still greenish.
“Mother, hurry up! I don’t want to be late.”
Marina was made up to perfection and was wearing her special dress, which had been made for her by the groom. It was a perfect day. Grandpa RJ and his people had arranged everything, and the ceremony would be on the giant terrace over the pool that looked out over the lake. All she needed to do was show up and look perfect. After the ceremony and party, Moey would be taking her across the lake by rowing barge—also compliments of RJ—where they would stay at a nearby luxury cottage with its own private beach.
Moey was in a similar state of panic, despite his similarly light duties with respect to preparations. But in Eden, men had to have a home prepared before the wedding so that after the honeymoon, the couple would come back to their new place and live together. In anticipation of this, Moey had worked on such a place for nearly a year, and it had nearly cost him many friendships as he’d drive his friends insane trying to construct not only a home for him and his bride but also a compound like no other in Eden. It had spaces that he envisioned would be used for various experimental purposes, including agriculture, textiles, metallurgy, and fabrication. But his current state of panic was with respect to what he would wear.
He had made himself a special shirt and trousers from the same flax fiber that he’d used to make Marina’s dress. But he’d wanted the colors to be darker. Unfortunately, the coloring of his garments had gone terribly wrong and were very inconsistent. He had attempted to recolor them yesterday, but now, he was looking at the results in horror, wondering how he had left it to chance.
“I am an idiot,” Moey mumbled to himself as he held up the garments to inspect them.
Parker walked in with a big smile. “Are you ready, big man?”
“Parker, look at this. Is it terrible?” Moey held up the shirt.
“Yes. It is terrible. You sound like my sister worrying about her dress. Forget about it. Let’s go have a great wedding,” Parker encouraged. Moey smiled broadly, feeling some relief.
Parker continued, “I can’t wait to chat with Marina’s friends, especially Lucy.”
“Okay, then. Let’s go. We need to walk. I don’t want to get sweaty. It’s time.” Moey gathered up his wedding clothes, and they headed out.
The sun was getting low, hanging just above the mountains that towered over Eden. The late-afternoon sunlight illuminated the lake and distant mountains in a magical way.
The glow made the greenery look greener, and everything else was slightly golden.
The guests were gathered and were starting to sit.
Moey, Mani, and Parker were up in the front, milling about and joking nervously. Mani had already married his dream girl a year earlier, and at that time, the three of them had stood together waiting, just as they were doing now. But today’s wedding was clearly a grand affair compared to Mani’s.
“Parker, you better get busy,” Mani teased. “Angel’s friend asked if you were gay.” Angel was Mani’s wife.
“Oh no. That’s crap, Mani. She didn’t say that,” protested Parker.
“I swear! Ask her.”
“I definitely will not ask her.”
Parker was a tall, handsome young doctor with a promising future. There were girls after him, but he was very picky. Now, he was feeling some pressure to “get busy.”
The guests were seated, and the Chair made a joyous entrance with Christopher by his side. Christopher held Marina’s hand as they entered, and all the guests clapped in unison.
Absent from public display and trying to remain discreet were Christopher’s mother, Nella, and Marina’s mother, who chose out of compassion to accompany Nella. They were seated near the middle of audience so as not to draw any attention. Despite their discomfort, they were both very happy and emotional.
They knew that their closeness with Marina and Moey was special and was precious. It was more than the Chair and his people would ever have.
Seated at the front with her daughter was Rex’s wife, Lisa, who was starting to fear that he had forgotten about the wedding. What’s wrong with him lately? she thought to herself, getting furious as she continued to monitor the doors through which she expected him to come.
Marina was delivered to Moey, who stood tall and proud with Mani and Parker by his side. RJ and Christopher sat near Rex’s wife, who was ashamed at this point and feeling abandoned. She voiced her concerns to RJ and Christopher, who listened but took no action. Rex was a big boy and was responsible for himself. It would be his loss if he were to miss such an event. Lisa continued to watch the door as her tears began to well up.
The ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt. The Chair himself addressed the attendees, praising Marina and Moey and speaking of their promising future together, after which the ceremony was concluded. All the guests moved to the other side of the grand terrace, where there was a magnificent sunset buffet. The music consisted of various drums, bells, and flutes, and there were dancers performing and encouraging guests to dance with them and with each other. The festivities grew as the wine flowed and the darkness settled in.
There was a full moon, which was always favored when having evening events outdoors. The moonlight, the torches that had been placed about the terrace, and the gentle summer breeze coming off the Great Lake created a wonderful effect as the guests talked, laughed, and danced. But the party was over, as far as Lisa was concerned, and she was headed toward the study, fuming.
Moey and Marina made an early exit, as was customary, leaving the guests to enjoy their fun, knowing that the newly wedded couple was off enjoying their first night together as a husband and wife. It was the first night that Marina would spend in the house that Moey had worked so hard to prepare for her.
“Moey!” His father rapped on the front door of the new house. “Moey!”
After some moments, a sleepy Moey opened the door.
It was hardly past dawn.
“Moey, I have bad news. Rex has died.”
The funeral was a somber affair. It was large and stately, yet the mood was dark and sad. Rex, who was in his prime and destined to lead, had been snatched from Eden.
The barge plied toward the burial site on a calm afternoon just two days after Rex’s death. In Eden, there was no time for planning and waiting. The dead needed to be dealt with immediately as a practical matter. Given the tragedy, Moey and Marina, of course, had delayed their honeymoon by a month.
With deliberate precision and power, the oarsmen pulled to the beat and commands. The barge was filled to capacity and included the council, close friends, and all family members. Given the concentration of military and civil leaders on board, there were three smaller barges flanking the sides and rear, moving along in step with the large vessel as they acted as a military escort. Ramius Jr. had words to share about his son Rex, his life, and the great loss.
Christopher managed a tear or two, especially in the presence of RJ and his wife and daughter. There were hugs, kisses, and kind words. Christopher hoped and even expected that during the eulogy, RJ would mention his plans for the transition to new leadership. He didn’t grasp that this would be inappropriate. He felt only impatience, frustration, and a little fear under his tightly managed façade. Following the kind words of the Chair, his wife, and Rex’s close friend, the commander of the army, the crew enacted the ritual of burial and Rex’s body slid into the water, guided by a large stone, heading to join the growing ranks of Edenites lurking below.
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