Reset

Malcolm asked, “So the timer on the door, that is our release into the world?”

“Yes,” Will answered.

Amy asked. “How long have we been asleep? Weeks? Days? Months?”

“I don’t know.” Will shook his head.

“So let me get this straight,” Grant held up his hand. “That door opens and everything may be just fine, less a few people.”

“That’s the Genesis Project,” Will answered.

“And if it didn’t quite work out the way it was planned?” Grant asked. “Then what will we see?”

Jason stood, sadly shaking his head. “Our worst nightmare.”

FIFTEEN – Knowledge

The news seemed surreal at first. Jason took it in as if a story. It didn’t happen, there was a mistake. If some sort of virus had been released then what of his family? How did ‘whoever’ took him explain his disappearance.

That was his first reaction.

Sort of like the stages of grief. Shock and disbelief then anger.

Never one to lose his temper often, Jason was outraged. How dare someone take control of his life like that? How dare someone take it out of God’s hands?

He made the mistake of saying those exact words to John.

John tried to be philosophical. “Maybe it was God’s plan.”

“God’s plan to have someone release a virus and stick me in some sort of vat of fluid to freeze me?”

“Maybe. If God indeed gave man freewill, and if God indeed created man, then didn’t somehow by proxy, God did all this?”

John wasn’t the best person for Jason to talk to.

In fact, after a few days to stew about it and Jason was no better than when he initially heard the news. He just started at the clock on the door as it dwindled down.

Grant, like Jason felt betrayed. How dare they take him without his permission? He had no idea how long he was in that blue coffin of fluid. It could be years, decades, it was conceivable that even if the virus didn’t go awry, enough time could have passed and everyone he knew and loved was gone.

His room had a backpack, at first he thought it was for the items in the locker, until he opened the locker and found another backpack. No, the one in his room was for him to carry supplies.

In the locker were his clothes, wallet, money, identification and other items. Grant changed from the pajama clothes into his jeans and sat by that countdown door. The second it opened he was leaving.

He didn’t know if he was still in New York or not, but New York was his destination. That was where his family was, his girlfriend.

It was possible that the world outside was fine, normal and a team would be waiting for them the door opened. Just to be on the safe side, he made the second backpack a bug out bag. In case all was not glowing and good. If it was bad, then at least Grant would cross the barren world with supplies.

“I think everything is fine,” Amy stood, arms crossed in the storage room with Meredith and Nora. “Whoever did this was prepared. We are an assurance. That’s all. A plan B.”

Nora asked. “Is that why you aren’t packing a supply bag.”

“Yes, I am that certain. We’ve been frozen for about six months, that’s what I think. I think that door will open and a team of scientists will be there to debrief us back into the world. And if it isn’t, it’s not like this place will self-destruct and I can’t turn around and come back in.”

“You demeanor is commendable,” Nora said. “Wish I could have a better demeanor.”

“Don’t confuse my confidence with content,” Amy said. “I’m mad as hell. My poor children. What did they think? My God, I missed six months of their lives.”

“Me, too,” Nora said. “My youngest is three. Come on, you know how much they grow and change. Plus, it all better be good. The only items I have belong to Summer Rosewood.”

“You crashed the event,” Amy stated.

“Sounded like a brilliant prank at the time.”

“Nora?” Meredith called her name, “Was there anything in Summer’s belongings that could give us a clue?”

“She has a journal in there.”

“Did you read it?”

Nora shook her head. “No, just in case Summer is out there, arms folded with attitude waiting for me. I don’t want to emerge to confrontation. What about you, Meredith? What do you think?”

“I think we’ll know in about twenty minutes, now won’t we? No use guessing, right?”

“Guess,” Nora said. “That was your forte. You dealt with theories. I know you have one. I know you have thought it out.”

Meredith exhaled and paused in packing her supply bag. “I don’t think we’re in New York. Where would they build the facility? They wouldn’t take a chance on placing it anywhere that could be a ground zero. Ravishing diseases bring panic. Panic breeds war. We are somewhere close to an intellectual center point. MIT, NASA. And this place more than likely…” she shifted her eyes to Amy, “will seal up once we walk out. They’ll want this buried. This place is proof that the population control method was intentional. So pack your survival bag. And I think at the very least we’ve been in stasis long enough to be forgotten. My hair is white. I didn’t have gray hair. It didn’t grow, but it lost all color.”