The Deathless Trilogy

3.24. Family

My name suddenly sounds foreign to me. I don't know how to respond.

Jacob stops my thoughts with his story, "After that, I dedicated myself to Hellhole. We built up these caves, and I used my passion and knowledge of scripture to become the people's pastor. Teresa came from Indiana, and we fell in love. A few years ago, I was appointed the new leader after our previous one passed on. By then, I had resigned myself to the idea that you all had passed on or were lost, and I finally allowed myself to make this my home. I never knew anything about your group. What is it called? The Deathless? That's sort of morbid, isn't it?"

Mom smirks. "Not any more than Hellhole." She dabs the moisture from the corners of her eyes, and smiles, regaining her composure. "I can't believe you've been down here all this time. What about Todd's family? Did they come here or—"

"—Todd's mother went south, and his father passed away during that winter of traveling," he says. A dark thought creeps into my brain, this time coming from only me: What if my grandma's group was the one that killed Terran and left Nina alone? It would make sense. They traveled south, toward where Nina was from, and they would have known and used the term "nomad" like my family did. I feel sick.

"Is Todd still alive?" Jacob asks. "And Drew? What about your parents and Eleanor's father?"

"Todd is still alive," Mom says with a smile, but then it fades. "My parents and Mr. Timmons all passed away. Radiation led to cancer. Even I got it."

"Cancer? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. The Deathless doctors found it early, and I'm being treated. I'm in remission now."

"Thank God."

"Drew, though... Have you seen machines above ground? The giant transformer-looking things without heads?"

"Yes, we have. We lost one of our own to a machine once," Jacob says.

"Drew and his family were also taken by them. Collector droids, they're called. Drew and Harriet, his wife, both died inside, but their son Ian survived. His whereabouts are unknown at this point."

Jacob shakes his head. "So much tragedy. I wish I had tried harder to find you. We could all still be alive here. Reunited again, one big family."

"Yeah," Mom says.

"You know what this place reminded me of when we first arrived?" Jacob asks her. She shakes her head. "Your family's safe room. I will never forget the kindness and generosity you and your family showed me and Ben. When we began developing the Hellhole community, I decided that generosity would be a community value. Anyone is welcome as long as they abide by the rules. Your parents were good people. I'm sorry to hear they're gone."

"Thanks," she replies.

Jacob shifts nervously. "I'd like to meet my nephew and see Eleanor."

"Of course," Mom says. "But there's something you should know. Eleanor is pregnant. It's not Ben's, it's... well, it's complicated," she says, glancing over at me. "Eleanor was basically a surrogate for the government. It's all a long story. We'll fill you in, but please don't mention it. She's just now starting to feel okay being pregnant without Ben."

I didn't know that either, I think. There is so much my parents hide from me. All their pain, all their sadness, all their worries.

"I won't draw attention to it," Jacob agrees.

***

Once back above ground, Mom uses her walkie to alert General Kazemi that it is safe to disembark the Immortal as Jacob makes his rounds to greet the rubble sweepers who accompanied us here.