The Pieces of My Self

60 - The Tunnel

ZEKE

The Dome, 22 June 2174, Wednesday

The hatch slammed shut. Zeke heard metal moving, twisting, screeching on the outside as Usher piled desks and equipment in front of the door. There were sounds of feet crunching on glass, scraping, and tinkling. Then, quiet.

His eyes adjusted. Dim light filtered through narrow gaps around the entrance barrier, illuminating a swirl of dust. He coughed, then sneezed. He could barely make out the forms of the children, so he reached out to touch them.

"Grady, I'm so glad you're here to help me. Can you hold Amara's hand and don't let go, even if she falls?"

"I won't fall!" Amara said. "I'm going to be a ballerina. They're good at balancing."

"You won't fall," Grady said, "but maybe I will. That's why you need to hold my hand."

"Oh, all right."

Zeke touched a finger to his lips, even though he knew the children probably couldn't see the gesture. "Hush! We must be quiet. There are soldiers who might hear us. Stay to one side, away from the wire racks. I'll lead with the flashlight." He flicked on the switch, probing the darkness with a pencil of light.

Beyond the barrier, Zeke could hear rail weapons punctuating the silence. Pop! Pop! Pop!

"I'm afraid," Amara whispered.

Zeke's voice was soft. "I know you are, honey, but your mother and I need you to be brave."

They marched forward, Zeke feeling his way with each step. The danger behind them seemed as palpable as the stench of mold. He held Grady's hand, making a chain with the two children, telling himself: Be careful. Don't stumble. Move quickly but deliberately.

A sharp cry from Grady: "Ow!"

The boy's hand tugged him unexpectedly, throwing Zeke off balance. As he fell, he let go of Grady and reached out, grabbing a conduit tray. The mounting gave way and pulled from the wall. He hit his leg against sharp metal before landing on the floor. Grady and Amara piled on top of him. He dropped the small flashlight and saw the light wink off, as a jumble of metal buried it.

His calf pulsed with pain. This wasn't supposed to happen.

The injury left him with a weak leg, a stumbling gait, and a shroud of complete darkness.

"Let's slow down," he said. "We'll have to feel our way. Be careful where you step."

The tunnel seemed to go on forever. He took small steps, herding the children around an angled corner, following the contours of the Dome. His left leg burned with pain. A warm dampness trickled down his calf. The wounded area seemed to be swelling.

He spoke in a whisper. "Let's all sit down for a moment while I make a bandage."

The floor seemed free of clutter where he sat. Thank goodness for small blessings.

Zeke rolled up his pant leg, stripped above the waist, and used an undershirt as a ligature.

"I didn't know you could make bandages," Amara said. "Mommy always bought the kind with smiley faces. I fell once, and I had to have two bandages, but the smiley faces always made me feel better. I could draw one for you if I had a GloPen. Those are the best. You can see the pictures in the dark."

"Hush," Grady said. "The soldiers will hear us."

As Zeke tightened the binding, he heard a loud clack! The overhead lights flickered on in a cascade leading from the entrance.

"Oh, oh," Amara said. "Sorry. Sorry."

He could now see his wound: a gaping, bloody slit down his calf. He didn't bother putting his shirt on and used both hands to raise himself to a standing position. "Keep moving. We're almost there."

They picked up the pace.

He heard a buzz, turned, and saw a flitting shadow.

That is when he thought about impossibilities—the impossibility of going any farther with his injured leg; the impossibility of outrunning the soldiers; and now, with the robee buzzing out of reach, painting the children and himself with the prick of death, he thought about the impossibility of life itself. He put one hand on his holster and clenched his teeth.

The worst-case scenario took an unexpected turn. Boots echoed on concrete as figures in battle dress emerged around an angled corner, weapons drawn. They stopped and made room for a soldier wearing the lightning bolt insignia of State Security. The soldier surveyed the situation, then stepped forward.

"Put down your weapon. Slowly, butt first. You need to come with us. Don't resist."