12 THE PARTY
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David stood on lookout duty while Alexis worked a computer console between the stasis pod and the entrance to Mechanical. She finished up with the console, collected her tools, and ran across the main hall to the break room. David followed close behind.
"All set."
She looked over at David, who appeared to have something on his mind, like he had something he wanted to say but wasn't really sure if it was the right time. Alexis had seen this look many times in the last few years as David pressed, or tried not to press, the issue of their relationship.
"Hey," she said, tapping him on the shoulder, "what ya thinking?"
"This morning," he answered. "One of the last things I remember before the explosion was realizing you told me you loved me."
"I do love you."
"And I never doubted it, but that was the first time I had heard you say it since school." His eyes moved up to meet hers. "With everything that's happened, and with what we’re about to do, I just want us both to remember how this day started."
Reaching up to touch the side of David's face, she gently kissed his lips. "Soon this will all seem like a bad dream," she said as she pulled away. "Something that we will remember less and less as the days go by."
He took a deep breath and nodded. Refreshed, he flashed his signature grin.
"How’s your chest, by the way?" she asked.
"I'll live," he said as Levi and Douglas entered the room.
Alexis walked over to Douglas. "Everything ready?"
"Yep. All exits in and out of Agriculture are locked down except for the crawl leading to Mechanical and the stairway from Q3."
"Good," she replied. "And the new exit?"
"Good to go." Douglas had spent much of the last hour welding all of the grates and doors leading to the deck where Salazar would be meeting with Palmer, as well as cutting a new connection through the service crawls near where David had made his escape from O-Deck, leading directly to Stasis. "The only way in or out of this deck is through Q3 or Mechanical."
"Okay." Alexis had her tablet in one hand, her communicator in the other, and sent a ping to Salazar.
"Salazar."
"Are you almost there?" she asked.
Alexis turned to David as Douglas and Levi exited the room. "Douglas is on his way."
"We’re outside the stairwell now," said Salazar.
"Good." Alexis set a timer on her tablet. "I'll move into Mechanical in ten minutes and then I’ll need another twenty to get everything ready."
"I’ll keep him talking as long as I can."
"Good luck, Salazar. See you soon."
Alexis reached down and helped David to his feet. The two stood together for a moment, appreciating the brief time they had before all hell broke loose. If everything didn’t go exactly right for the next twenty minutes, there was a chance that this would be the last good moment they would be able to share with each other.
David leaned down and kissed Alexis one last time before they got started. "Just testing," he said with a wink. He grabbed her hand and walked her out the door.
When they reached the door leading to Mechanical, Levi ran back in from the entrance that Douglas had created.
Alexis looked down to her tablet. "Ninety seconds," she said. "Are you ready, Levi?"
"As ready as I’ll ever be."
She placed one hand on the handle of the door and watched as the timer counted down to zero.
"Let's go."
She opened the door, and Alexis and Levi quietly entered the tunnel, with David staying behind to keep watch.
* * * *
Outside the door to the stairwell to Agriculture, Douglas, Jennifer, Salazar, and the survivors waited. Douglas opened the door and motioned for Salazar to enter.
"Be careful, ma'am."
Salazar stopped in the doorway and snapped her head toward Douglas. "I told you not to call me ma'am." She smiled and descended the stairs as the heavy door shut behind her.
Nervous and a little shaky, she entered the agriculture deck. She knew there was a good chance that Palmer had no intention of allowing her to leave once she arrived.
A small price to pay, she reminded herself as she fumbled her way through the darkened corridor.
When she passed over the spot where Douglas and David had fought for Levi's freedom, she noticed the blood-stained floor and walls. They had told her some of what had happened but it looked so much worse than she imagined.
"Right there is fine," a voice called out from in front of her.
She stopped, straining to see who was in front of her. "Who are you? Where’s Palmer?" she demanded.
The lights in the hall flashed on and the illumination revealed a hallway crammed with people, most of whom were armed with shards of metal or small blades. Leading the group was a man she did not recognize.
"Mr. Palmer will be here shortly,” he said. “Where are the survivors?"
"I need to make sure this isn't a trap before I bring them in."
Why isn't Palmer here? she wondered, concerned for Alexis and her team.
"Can we expect him anytime soon?" she asked.
"I don't really think you need to be worried about Mr. Palmer. We want the survivors. Now!"
"I won't lead innocent people into a slaughter." Her fists clenched at her sides as she mentally prepared for whatever was about to happen.
"Calm down, people."
The group quieted as Palmer pressed through them, leaving only the clang of the metal tip of his walking cane to fill the air. He motioned for his group to lower their weapons and relax. He handed his cane to the man in front and held his arms out, palms up.
"I didn't ask you down here to hurt you,” he said.
"Why am I here, Palmer?" Her fists relaxed slightly as she began her questioning. "No. Actually, what the hell are you doing?" She moved in closer to Palmer.
Her sudden movement agitated the crowd behind him, but Palmer calmly stepped in closer to Salazar.
"I have no desire to see you harmed, Olivia."
She retreated a step, not used to hearing her first name spoken.
"We," he said, gesturing behind him, "and the people we represent, will not allow the status quo to flourish on our new home." He reached out to grasp her hand but she recoiled.
"Your new home? Your people fought against us coming here in the first place."
"And your people are the reason that we had to leave our home in the first place." For a moment, Palmer allowed his anger to get the better of him but quickly reclaimed his pseudo-benevolent calm. "Just like you, we want to survive, but unlike the people you represent, we know that we cannot allow the sins of our fathers to follow us."
"We never intended to make the same mistakes," she insisted. "Plans are in place to make sure that we don’t."
"A plan I am all too familiar with, more than you know. A plan that is destined to fail."
"What are you talking about? What do you want from me?"
"I want you to join us. Help us build this new life for our people without the interference of the same policies and politics that ate away at our planet until there was nothing left."
"You are a lunatic!" She took few more steps back as her fists began to clench again. She scanned the crowd behind him. "You are all murderers. You think you’ll be remembered as a liberator? What about the ones who come after us?" she asked. “You will be remembered as a traitor and a genocidal maniac."
With that final statement, a tablet attached to her belt began to beep. Palmer looked down and backed up, perplexed. Salazar smiled, spun around, and bolted down the corridor, running as fast as she could back to where she’d entered the deck.
Palmer calmly turned, grabbed his cane, and walked back through the crowd.
"Get her." He sighed with disappointment. "Kill anyone who resists, but not her."
