Chapter Twenty-Four

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Alex woke up in an unfamiliar setting. She looked around in confusion as she tried to piece together where she was. Around her was a number of smiling faces.

“What happened?” she asked scratching her head.

“Sorry, Alex, you were taking too long,” Milo said.

“Milo, how could you? My life is ruined now!” she screamed in a panic. The outcome of her life flashed before her eyes.

“Alex, before you go analyzing this to death, which I know you’ll do, just remember that we took you against your will. That way, if you ever get caught, you will not be held accountable.”

“You realize they can track us, right? Guardians could be here any minute to take me in.”

“I wouldn’t count on that, look around at where we are,” he said with a smile.

Alex looked around, but did not recognize the décor. “What is this place? Where have you taken me?” she asked.

“Alex, welcome to Incarus,” Mara said.

Incarus was an underground village formed amid a repurposed subway system. The village was comprised of a network of people who coexisted among an extensive labyrinth of tunnels and makeshift dwellings. The poor ventilation and moisture caused the entire place to reek of a foul stench.

“It stinks down here,” Alex said.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t find that comforting.”

“Come on, let me show you guys around.”

They left the small room and descended down a dark tunnel in the abandoned subway system. As they were completely engulfed in darkness, Milo gave a voice command to his access pod and instantly a bright light lit the way for them.

“Afraid of the dark?” Mara teased.

“I have technology to solve this problem, why not use it?”

“What if one day you can’t rely on your technology, then what do you do?”

Milo didn't have an answer.

The beam of light shone outward from the access pod attached to Milo’s arm, enabling them to see their footing. Milo raised his arm, shining the circle of light onto the graffiti-laden tiled walls.

“The graffiti is a nice touch, did you guys do that yourselves?” Milo remarked.

“No, it was here long before we arrived and I suspect it will be here long after we’re gone.”

“You know, when we all become extinct and some new civilization discovers this place a few thousand years from now, they’ll probably draw the erroneous conclusion that we’re all a bunch of taggers.”

Alex and Milo admired the site as if they had discovered a time capsule from the past. The old subway system showed its age at every turn. The century old bricks were cracked and crumbling, and the furnishings were far from modern.

Their footsteps echoed off the walls, drowning out the other noises that lingered in the distance – dripping water, creaking pipes, and squeaking rodents.

“How many people live down here?” Alex asked.

“Exactly 150. Once we have more than 150, we divide into two separate colonies.”

“Where does the new group relocate to?”

“There are many abandoned places all over the city. In fact, there are entire cities of yore that have been discarded like trash.”

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