Chapter 2
Zoe
"Can't she go any faster?"
The stocky officer's rifle butt found its mark between the small shoulder blades, causing its victim to stumble forward unsteadily. The scientist ahead of him immediately halted the little procession.
"A question I ask in reference to your mental processes on a regular basis." Kensinge put an arm out to help Zoe regain her balance, eyeing him coolly over her shoulder. "Touch her again and you'll be volunteering your services to my employers."
The guard frowned as she patted the girl's head lightly and set off once more.
"I already .. work for your employers." He cast a look at his fellow officer. A look that clearly said "this woman is out of her tree". Kensinge continued staring straight ahead, her voice as flat and lifeless as a rubber mat.
"Not those employers. The scientific division. They're always looking for physical donations. Who knows, you might even become the newest prototype in super soldier .. you just won't remember it."
The two men at the back threw another look at each other. Was she joking? Was she really crazy? Eight months in her service, and they still hadn't found a definitive answer to either question.
They were making their way through one of the dimly-lit and abandoned subway tunnels beneath the city of Chicago. Green moss littered the tracks and climbed up the ancient brick walls - a strange flash of colour in a city that had been awash in a pallet of greys and browns for the better part of a century. This moss, however, appeared to be flourishing down here, left to exist as it wished in the deserted and twisted maze of corridors that spread out below the dying heart of the city. Kensinge had already stopped Zoe from touching it once.
"It's probably poisonous." She'd said, guiding the small outstretched hand away from the wall. "Even if it is pretty. Only parasites and bottom-feeding opportunists survive here."
It was unclear whether the 'here' in question had been the tunnel or the future in general, but Zoe's mind was investigating another avenue. She had stared up at her blonde captor curiously.
"Does that include you?"
Kensinge had smiled to herself, but made no attempt at a reply.
As they'd walked the long and winding labyrinth in search of their destinations, they had passed several masses of concrete that appeared to be newer than the rest of the tunnels. Upon Zoe's questioning, Kensinge had begun to retell their history. The tunnels were from a curious mix of time periods - the oldest versions being the chiseled out freight passages, built hundreds of years ago, back in a historical era when they'd been needed for ventilation and construction. Then there had been the layers created for the actual subway, with certain areas being built up and improved over the years while others fell into disuse, causing a strange staggering of antique to modern design.
As the 22nd century had dawned, the monorail had become the superior means of transport - it was faster, safer, and altogether more convenient than the tunnels, which had a nasty habit of cracking during the increasingly more frequent earthquakes the city was experiencing at the time. Oh, the chance of the reinforced concrete tunnels actually caving in on themselves was very slim; the rare occasions where it did happen were usually due to a combination of other factors, but the public grew wary. Subway use grew less and less popular in favour of the above-ground monorail. In time, the earthquakes became more infrequent and the earth ceased its angry shuddering, but the damage had been done. The subway never reopened. The tunnels had eventually been shut off and abandoned completely, until the powers-that-be had discovered another purpose for them a few decades ago.
Once upon a time, there had been a lot more of them accessible, miles and miles of abandoned underground mazes that weaved back and forth and crossed over each other like the inside of an upscaled termite mound. Now, as they passed another slab of concrete fused to the wall, Kensinge pointed out what lay behind it - miles and miles of water. The ancient tunnels had been converted into a waterway with the advent of the rising sea levels. Behind each new piece of concrete was the entrance to an underground river system. Existing side by side, the two sets of tunnels - air and water - were completely separate, each accessible only through their own ground-level entrances.
Zoe stared wide-eyed at a few drops of brown precipitation that leaked down the edge of one such slab, her eyes crawling up to the ceiling above her, which looked just as damp.
"Does it go over us?" She whispered reverently. Kensinge smiled a little from the side, but nodded.
"Over, under, the tunnels snake in and around each other like intestines."
"Have they ever cracked open and flooded?"
Kensinge was silent a moment, following Zoe's gaze over the tiny stress lines in the concrete, as though she was trying to calculate just how one would go about causing such a disaster.
"The pressure would have to be astronomical." The scientist responded finally, turning back to her. "I'm not saying it's impossible - nothing's impossible - but you don't need to worry. It'll never happen without a trigger, and I haven't heard any whisperings in the underworld .."
Zoe cast a strange look at her companion, but said nothing, instead succumbing to another jolt as the man behind her grew tired of the sightseeing tour.
They wandered deeper and deeper into the tunnels for what seemed like an eternity. If one managed to quiet one's own thoughts long enough to listen, the faint rushing sound of water could be heard beyond the walls. The underground river still seemed to be moving at quite a pace despite its containment in the old passages. As they passed a very familiar sealed-off entrance - the one next to the old well with the rusted-over rail cart leaning against it - for what she was sure was the fourth time, Zoe sighed noisily.
"Are we lost?"
"Why, is your sense of direction playing tricks on you?"
The girl glanced up at her captor doubtfully. Kensinge only seemed to be half engaged in the conversation.
".. I don't .. think so."
When she received no acknowledgment whatsoever, Zoe changed the subject, staring stubbornly up at Kensinge until the scientist finally relented and met her accusatory glare.
".. what?"
"Why did you kidnap me?"
Now it was Kensinge's turn to sigh, shaking her blonde mop abruptly as a large drop of green water splatted against the top of her head.
"Your dad needed the motivation to do the right thing." She muttered, throwing an offended glance at the moss-stained ceiling. "He can't see the big picture; he's more of a little-picture guy. Don't get me wrong - for the most part, it works - but in this case, he needs a bit of a push."
Zoe was silent for a few moments as Kensinge watched her thoughtfully.
"So .. it's like when a Gallimimus herd is cornered by some slashers, and chooses to run instead of fight, because fighting would get them all killed cause they're not strong enough to win .."
"Right!"
".. but my dad's too stubborn to see he's the Gallimimus."
Kensinge shouted with laughter, but nodded her approval.
"Right. You've got it. That's why your dad needs his attention redirected to you instead. That's why you're here." She smiled affectionately down at the younger girl. "Look, you're obviously a smart kid, and your intuition is sharp for a seven-year-old-"
"I turned 8 in August."
"Just making sure you remembered. Trauma and all that, it's .. anyway." Kensinge hurriedly picked up the dissolving threads of her train of thought. "The point is, in order to save more people and Terra Nova, some people have to be .. displaced. We can try our best, but we can't save everyone. That's the way the world works. You understand, right?"
"Yeah .." Zoe shrugged. "But I wish I didn't have to be your bargaining ship."
".. I think you mean 'chip'." Kensinge grinned briefly. "And you and me both, kiddo. But it is what it is."
"And why am I being moved again?" Zoe demanded in the next breath, her incessant barrage of questions pounding against the scientist's already-crowded mind like a spray of shotgun pellets. "Why couldn't we stay at the other base?"
"Because things are about to happen at the other base that I don't want you to be a part of." The voice returned, a little sharper than before. "Base Zero is about to get very dangerous, and I need you safe. You're my insurance policy."
"You mean your hostage."
"Sticks and stones." Kensinge flashed her another quick grin, but found she no longer had the girl's attention. Zoe was staring around in wonder as the seemingly endless tunnel suddenly opened up and they found themselves in a massive cavern of some sort, probably man-made. It was full of rusted and abandoned junk, both new and old, as though it had been used as a dumping ground for decades .. a dumping ground for objects that didn't seem to fit into any other existing category. A warehouse full of everything and nothing. There were things here she couldn't have put a name to if she'd tried. Zoe's eyes fell upon a neat line of strange mechanical equipment. It looked brand new. The pristine order seemed weirdly out-of-place amongst the chaos.
"Hey. Why do you call it Base Zero anyway?"
"Hm?" Kensinge paused her own analysis of their surroundings to look back down at Zoe, her mind working to catch back up to the conversation. "Oh. That was my idea. It's a simple enough name, really, but I always had a certain affection for the concept. It's not so different from "Terra Nova" as it happens. You know what "Terra Nova" means, right?"
"Sure," Zoe responded. "New Earth."
"Right. And you know what zero is?"
Zoe stared blankly.
"A number."
Kensinge released a sharp laugh.
"An answer correct in its simplicity. But that's not all it is .." As she explained, her eyes began to shine with a wild fire, accompanied by an expression that made Zoe's insides shudder until she wished she could take back her question.
"Zero's a special number." The scientist spoke softly, her own voice quivering a little. "Zero is beginning of all things. The base before anything else is added. The purest form of an equation. The numerical representation of unlimited possibilities and new hope. The untainted, uncomplicated starting point. Kind of like Terra Nova, y'see?"
Zoe scrunched up her face for a moment and then shook her head slowly.
"I don't .. think I get it."
"Look." The blonde woman raised her hands impatiently as though she was about to begin some in-depth explanation but then seemed to give up, dropping them again. "Ah, maybe you have to be a physicist."
Zoe snorted and tilted her head to the side.
"Maybe you just have to be crazy."
Kensinge shook her own head at the muttered statement and slung an arm unexpectedly around the younger girl.
"Ah, I had a little sister, you know. Younger than you, but .. you remind me of her."
Zoe looked up into the wistful face.
"She died, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did." A shadow fell over Kensinge's eyes as she seemed to retreat into her own thoughts. "They all did. Superflu. It wasn't uncommon, especially that year."
Zoe frowned.
"Superflu? I've never heard of it."
"That's because it doesn't exist where you're from."
"You make it sound like I live on an alien planet." Zoe grinned. "But I haven't been in Terra Nova long. Not really."
Kensinge smiled back and shook her head, moving to put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders and gently guiding her towards the centre of the cavern.
"I know, but how much do you remember of 2149 really?"
Zoe looked to her left, but Kensinge was no longer in the same spot. She glanced around, tilting her head back until she could see the scientist's face.
"How do you know I was from 2149?"
"Because I work for the people that helped you escape."
"Then why did you bring me back here? .. to the future, I mean."
Kensinge looked into the girl's upturned face and stopped walking, pulling Zoe up with her.
"Because your Dad didn't keep his part of the deal."
"Which was?"
"I'll tell you later." She raised her eyes to look beyond their little party, indicating something with her head. "We're here."
Zoe followed her gaze, her stomach lurching as she found herself being guided into a large shipping container. It was dim except for the gentle light being emitted by a lamp in the corner. It seemed clean and comfortable enough .. but it was a cage, a prison, and Zoe hated being locked up. She turned to glare accusingly back at Kensinge only to find the scientist was already watching her curiously.
"This'll be your home for a while."
"You're locking me in here." The younger girl's voice faltered a little as her small hands balled into fists by her sides. Kensinge's expression grew solemn.
"It's for your own protection as much as anyone's. There's a lot of stuff round here that could be dangerous if-"
"I hate you." Zoe interrupted furiously, her glistening eyes staring daggers into her captors. "I hope they do come and kill you all."
Kensinge studied the outraged child in silence for a moment, then responded, her monotone voice suddenly drained of all trace of life.
"I suppose we'll see."
"That's why you're like this, isn't it?" Zoe demanded, racking her mind for something, anything that might prevent the door's inevitable closing for just another few seconds. "It's because your family died."
"Yes and no. Look .." Kensinge leaned on the container and met Zoe's eyes honestly. "I don't expect you to understand, though I'm sure you could if you really wanted to .. but I'm living for them now. I'm the only one left. They'd want me to get out of here."
"But you're selfish." Zoe looked as though she wanted to run for the door and throw herself upon the woman, but a faint flickering of common sense still lingered, holding her back. She forced the surging hysterics down with a shove. When she continued, her voice was noticeably calmer. "You only want it all for yourself and no one else. You're ready to destroy us for it."
"These humans are a disease." Kensinge explained patiently, her eyes expressing a hint of approval at the younger girl's efforts. "They'll destroy the new world as efficiently as they destroyed this one. Superflu didn't always exist. Do you know who created it?"
Zoe folded her arms.
".. let me guess, humans?"
"Bingo." The grey eyes were grave and cold once again, seeming to stare through Zoe like she was made of cobwebs. Kensinge's voice sounded strange and echoey inside the container.
"They cooked it up in one of their labs and let it get out to the public. Humans like that killed myfamily, and if they're not stopped, they'll kill everyone else. So let them." She spat vehemently. "They can stay here and annihilate themselves."
Zoe made no attempt at a response. In the few moments of silence that followed, Kensinge studied the younger girl's wary face.
"Zoe, I don't want to hurt anyone if I can help it. But for the greater good of all humans, I have to do what's necessary. You understand?"
"I understand you're crazy as bats." Zoe returned, glancing hesitantly at the two soldiers that still hovered behind Kensinge. "But I have one more question."
The scientist's mouth twitched, a flicker of life returning to her face.
"What's that?"
"If you love Terra Nova so much, why are you letting them mine it? I heard you and that man talking. He's gonna sink a bunch of holes and dig up the ore. Won't that destroy it?"
"To a certain extent." Kensinge's lip curled a little in distaste. "But I have a give-take relationship with my employers. I can't do anything to stop them mining, I can only design ways of making it the least damaging it can be. If I had my way, though, they'd never be allowed near it."
Zoe's eyes flicked to the men again and she leaned forward a little, lowering her voice.
"Aren't you afraid they'll hear you?"
Kensinge laughed.
"They know my feelings on the matter very well. But unfortunately for them, they need me, so they have to put up with it. Now go on. Get comfortable. There's a Plex in there if you get bored. I presume you're not some kind of genius hacker kid .. ?"
She nodded as the girl stared back at her blankly.
"Good."
"One more question."
Kensinge paused, her hand on the container door.
"You sure ask a lot of questions, don't you?"
It wasn't exactly a green light, but Zoe seized the opportunity anyway.
"You .. You're taking away the hope of a lot of other people by what you're doing. Innocent people." She eyed the three at the door rebukingly. "I mean don't you even care? You're condemning them to death here. People who've lost family too. People just like you!"
Kensinge watched her calmly.
"Let me ask you a question. How do you think those same people felt when your dad blew up Hope Plaza?"
As Zoe remained quiet, a crestfallen mix of horror and disgust weaving its way into her features, the scientist smiled a little.
"Don't worry about it, kid. Everyone wants to protect what they consider their own. After all, life in itself is a game of survival, right? A lot of people would see what your colony did back then as selfish - actually, I know for a fact that the world hated you for it." The last remaining traces of humour melted away from her face as she met the girl's eyes sincerely. "But not me. I understood it perfectly. I probably would've done the same thing in your position. We all do what we have to do to try and keep ourselves alive. You see that now, don't you?"
Zoe nodded in silence, a worried frown creasing her forehead.
"Alright then .." Kensinge started to close the door and turned to leave, then seemed to change her mind and opened it back up, peering in again.
"Let me put something to you real quick. Do you know how many people have tried to sneak loved ones into Terra Nova over the years?"
Zoe stared at her lifelessly.
"No."
"Well .. me neither." She continued, ignoring the resulting snort. "Not the exact number anyway, but there's been a lot. And do you know how many have succeeded?"
"No."
"One." Kensinge's eyes gleamed as she held up her pointer finger, the light seeming to reflect off it like a candle in the darkness. "Your Dad."
Zoe eyed her warily.
"Isn't that because you helped him?"
"Some, yes, but we've helped others. No one has managed to actually get through."
"I didn't know that."
"It's true." Kensinge fiddled thoughtfully with one of the air holes punched into the metal crate. "Your Dad wasn't our first try, but he was our only success. You were our only success."
She looked up at Zoe quickly, her eyes flickering with the same curious madness as earlier.
"Did you ever wonder why?"
Her eyes seemed to be staring into Zoe's very soul, so much so that she took an involuntary step back, retreating farther into the container.
"No."
"Me neither .." The blonde woman hovered at the door, a hand poised in midair near her chin, her head tilted as though she was lost in thought. She almost seemed to have forgotten to include the subject of her musings in the conversation.
"But maybe.. maybe it was destiny that you made it through the Portal that day. Maybe you were meant to make it. Maybe you're more important in the grand scheme of things than you know."
Zoe took a hesitant step closer, her voice sounding small and weak even to her own ears.
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe you got through so that you could come here again .." Kensinge was saying, whether in response to the girl's question or simply in continuation of her own rambling thoughts, Zoe didn't know.
".. maybe you made it so that you can single-handedly save Terra Nova now. Maybe you're the only one who can stop the fighting and death to come, by influencing your dad. Ever think of that?" Her eyes snapped urgently back to Zoe, who had crept forward again and was now quite close by. "You're not just a plot device, Zoe. Maybe you're the key to the success of the story."
Zoe exchanged a glance with the soldiers behind Kensinge.
"Maybe you've been underground too long."
"Maybe. But think about it."
"I don't need to think about it." Zoe retorted, much to the delight of the men in waiting. "I know you need some sun and fresh air."
"Not that." Kensinge replied dryly. "Think about your purpose here, your purpose in the grand scheme of things. You might be more important than you know."
She hesitated for a minute, staring into space and finally nodding to herself as though she'd stumbled upon the answer to some mysterious puzzle. As Kensinge turned to go a second time, Zoe looked her in the eye, holding her gaze stubbornly.
"He'll come for me."
"I have no doubt." The scientist replied. "But it won't make any difference to us. He surrenders the colony to us to save you, or he comes after you and leaves the colony to face us alone. They're much weaker without him. Either way, we take control, hopefully with as little bloodshed as possible."
As the small girl glared at her stonily, Kensinge sighed again and reached up to lean her arm on the roof of the container, peering patiently into the little makeshift room.
"Look, believe it or not, we are not the bad guys here. Not even close. We just sit on opposite sides of the same carpet. Just be glad you fell into our hands rather than the alternative."
"Which is?"
Kensinge's lips formed a thin line, the only outward evidence of the ripple of anger that coursed through her, though Zoe immediately sensed her tension from across the room and wondered at the source.
"Let's just say, one day you'll be happy we saved you when we did."
"Saved me? By kidnapping me."
"You really think we were the only ones sent after you?" Kensinge's eyes studied her pointedly. Zoe didn't seem at all sure how to take this new piece of information. After a few seconds of silence, the scientist sighed and tapped the roof of the container. "You've had a long day. Make yourself comfortable. If we leave the decision-making up to your dad, you'll probably be here a while."
"Wait!" Zoe cried, as Kensinge signalled for the men to close and lock the container. "What if I could get him to do what you want?"
The scientist paused, smiling sadly back at her.
"Sorry, kid. I'm sure your dad loves you, but in this situation, he wouldn't listen to a word you said." She closed the door firmly, her voice fading as she retreated.
"Sweet dreams, Zoe."
The walls of the container shuddered violently as the heavy bolt slid home.