Hello World

Chapter 30 2215

I could hear the guards approaching as I reached the building. It had large wooden doors that were latched shut and secured by a rusty padlock. I pulled on it several times to no avail. My mind raced. I was so close to freedom. Think, I told myself. Think. I pulled the flashlight from my pocket, and swung. To my relief, the lock sprang open instantly. 

My mind raced as I removed the busted lock, my sweaty fingers wrestled with it until it came off.  I pried open the latch and began to pull on the doors. They were heavy, but swung open after only a couple of tugs. 

I could hear the guards. They were fast approaching on their quads and by foot. I could hear the engines becoming louder and louder as they came. They were shouting. The siren still rang out definingly over everything else.

I walked inside, to where the helicopter towered over me. Suddenly, another alarm sounded, this time from within the shed. I glanced behind me, towards the door. I could see the lights and silhouettes of the guards. They appeared to be only meters from the entrance. Quickly, I climbed into the helicopter and turned on the flashlight. 

My mind raced as I locked the doors. We had been given brief instruction on helicopter piloting though I only flown one a handful of times under Director supervision. I could hear the guards crowding around and I could not bring myself to look outside. I felt under the seat for the key, which I knew would be hidden there.

I stuck the key in the ignition, and turned it to power it on. Nothing. My heart sinking, I turned it again. This time, I could hear the engine fire up. From outside, I could hear cursing and yelling as I lifted the collective switch and began to rise. The ceiling was fast approaching and I put the cyclic control into forward before I could hit it. I watched the guards scattered away as I headed for the door. 

I must have gone too high, for I could hear the blades grind against the top of the door frame. I held my breath. For a moment I was positive that I would be going down. Then at last I was outside, and on my way.

                                                                                                  ***

 The helicopters engine hummed loudly, and the propellers cut noisily through the air. I looked down over the water where a few icebergs floated aimlessly. The water rippled softly around them, but was fairly calm. It reflected a piercing bright blue, a few shades darker than that of the sky.

 In the distance, I could see the silhouette of land. I piloted the helicopter in the general direction of the land, though it often strayed from a direct path and I needed to correct it on several occasions. The land came closer and closer until I was directly above it. It was flat, rocky and barren. I looked for signs of the resistance camp. There appeared to be none.

The hours stretched on, and I began to feel hunger set in. Aside from the chocolate, I had not managed to bring food. The chocolate... Darwin... I shook my head, trying to relieve myself of the images that were flashing through my mind. But as I pulled out one of the sweet half melted squares and placed it on my tongue, the image of Darwin's lifeless body stayed in my mind. It was my fault...

"Stop it," I told myself. It would do no good to dwell on it. There was no time to do so. I had to get as far away from the base as I could. I had to find the resistance camp that 3818 had risked and lost his life to go to find. What if it did not exist... 

I pulled 3818's diary out of the parka which now lay bunched up on the other seat. I opened it and flipped the pages until I found one of the crudely drawn maps. I looked at it, trying to match it to my surroundings. But nothing on the drawing was like anything I had so far passed. There was nothing in my surroundings to indicate the existence of the resistance camp. There was nothing that even hinted at human activity. Perhaps, I had not gone far enough yet.

Suddenly, a high beeping sound rang out from the dash, startling me at first. I noticed a flashing light on the dash. Next to it, the gas gage indicated that the tank was a notch from empty. I would need to land soon, I thought, looking down at the barren landscape. I was not sure what I would do once I had landed. There was nothing but ice and tundra for miles.