The Vordox

Chapter 7

Next morning, I woke up at 7. I took a shower, brushed my teeth and went to the kitchen. I saw her there she was already up. I asked her, "how long have you been up" she said, "I've been up since 5." I thought that I saw her up at 4 yesterday peeking through the window. I didn't say anything. Anyway, we packed I said, "great now let's grab breakfast and leave" she cooked us food and we ate some. She packed the rest. We took our luggage, loading our weapons and left the house saying bye to Maxie. Walking away from the house on our hover boots to the stairs. I turned around to check I looked back at the same window where I saw her standing yesterday at night. I saw no one over there, maybe she doesn't have a hologram there nor has she attached a sticker maybe it was her but I can't be sure. I didn't say or even talk about that, and we left. As we were coming up from the stairs, we heard a loud band it came from the top. We slowly climbed the stairs, and saw 3 infected people right outside the entrance. She said, "follow my lead" she opened the rock entrance and shot all three without them noticing. Three bullets in one breath. Which went straight through their legs. She had used tranquilizer bullets. She picked up one. I helped her with the others and sent them to the zoo with the other infected through the suction tunnels next to the entrance which was like a slide which opens to the zoo. The same way she put other infected in there. We were done with that I was impressed on how she managed to do that. She said, "ohh wait you need to get vaccinated" I said, "yes!" and right outside the subway base with a long needle I was vaccinated. At least they don't work like the vaccines they had long back around the late two thousand. These vaccines work in moments after they are injected. my vaccination was complete for 4 months so was hers.

We started walking west wards towards Hungary and decided to take the over bridge that joint Hungary and Moldova which went over Romania. The first 2 hours passes. Now that the hours have been extended and the days are longer and with these hover boots you can really travel long distances faster and in less time. In one day, you can travel from Africa to Asia via road in less than so called 24 hours. Isabel was on watch duty. She was armed all the time. I did have the gun but not in my hands. I took out the notepad Alison gave me asked "what's this?" she asked looking into my journal, "my mentor Alison gave me this to write about the journey to the Chinese base" I started writing specifically mentioned about the split path incident and that Isabel told me not to bother about. We were halfway in Hungary. We were using the hover boots which was one of the most expensive invention of 2050 where humans developed the hovering monogram. We were fast we had only encountered about 5 people till now. I had completed writing in my journal 10 minutes ago. Isabel and I were talking about our family. I told her that I was divorced and I have a daughter who turned 20 yesterday. She told me that her family was small like mine. She used to live with her fiancé. Who is still up in mars she had no children and was planning to get married to her fiancé soon, but after Vordox showed up her fiancé was forced to leave and she faked her death. I asked her why did she fake her own death? She replied she wanted to explore more on earth before she left it and then she wanted to be found by us and taken to mars and live with her family there. She said she loved adventure. Her views were enlightening but there was one thing clear that whatever she did, she lived for her own satisfaction and really didn't care about what others would think. She took self-responsibility quite seriously and used to love exploring the new. Earth was the only thing that changed her thoughts about it. I had one thing in common with her, that I too loved exploring the new. "times up! Now it's your time to keep watch" I took out a gun wore its strap around my shoulder and loaded it. She lowered her weapon, she asked me why was I down here on earth when my daughter was up on mars. I replied, "it was not my choice she was taken from me and I was left here on earth for others" "why didn't you do something about it?" I said, "I tried everything but It was hopeless" "do you still miss her?" I looked into her curious eyes. I replied, "I miss her more than reality" she asked me what I meant by reality is it some kind of metaphor or something? I replied, "no it's not a metaphor it's just my thoughts on what life really is. It's all about reality and existence" "what about family? Doesn't that bother you; you did have a choice didn't you?" I replied, "what are you trying to say?" she said, "I know you're either lying or not telling me the truth. Everyone who was left on earth were given a choice; and you chose to stay! Why?" she hovered In front of me blocking my way. We stopped and stood there in the middle of the forest. I said, "what do you mean? I don't understand" without making eye contact. She replied holding my weapon firmly "you know what I mean don't you, you just don't want to tell me because you don't trust me" "what! I do trust you; I trust you a lot" "then tell me why did you chose to stay on Earth rather than going to mars with your daughter" "I said, "okay, see Emily was only 1 years old. I worked as a federal air marshal. Most of the times I was out of the country. I wasn't a good father. She used to stay with her mother Holly. Emily never really knew who her father was because I never had the time to spend with her. We only used to talk once in a month or even once in 2 months. Holly was taking care of her nicely. Until one day I came back home. without informing Holly to give her and Emily a surprise but when I entered, I saw another man with Holly.I didn't know Holly was cheating on me and then we got divorced. Holly declined to raise Emily as her child and to keep Emily with herself. She started avoiding her own daughter. Since then I had to quit my job and I started looking after Emily. She was just a baby and she needed a lot of care. Somedays I left her at my parents or sometimes at the baby care centers. It was tough for us; I didn't have a stagnant job. I was unemployed most of the time. I worked at a restaurant as a cashier for about 3 months. I was given very little money. I was almost jobless and about to be homeless in a few more weeks until Vordox showed up. Being an ex-federal air marshal. I was asked to be a part of WWO's survival agent. We were called to a huge building. At first, I declined the offer then as we were about to leave the building, they called me back inside and offered to me that they'll take care of my daughter nicely, give her shelter, food, warmth only if I stay on earth and work for them. They gave me time to think on it for about a week I decided that I had to let go of Emily and stay on earth and let her be taken care of by the WWO's. and I knew they would take good care of her so I left her with them. Because I knew if I hadn't said yes me and Emily would probably be homeless on mars right now. Because everything over there must cost a fortune and knowing I made soo little on Earth what would I have done on Mars" "ohh.... I'm sorry I didn't know this. So you'redoing this for your daughter. That's wonderful you're a great father" "I wish I was...... thank you" we almost reached the edge of Hungary and were about to take the over bridge to Moldova crossing Romania but the bridge was soo high that it was covered with clouds and we couldn't see most part of the bridge because of the mist.