The Lost City: The Palumbra Chronicles: Book Two Read online

  THE LOST CITY

  Copyright © 2021 by L.D. Fairchild.

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For information contact :

  https://booksbyfairchild.wixsite.com/ldfairchild

  Book and Cover design by MiblArt

  ISBN: 978-1-7347172-3-5

  To Dave.

  Dystopian fiction may not be your thing,

  but loving and supporting me is.

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Maeve toyed with her food unable to appreciate the fresh fruit and gruel on her plate. She should be ecstatic to be eating something other than protein paste. Six months after the overthrow of the World Government, life in Palumbra was slowly improving. Cleo, the former Resistance leader, had been elected as the new president, and Maeve and Gray had returned to their jobs -- her as a nurse and him as a soldier.

  "You look awful," Gray said. He plopped a juicy orange slice into his mouth.

  "More nightmares," Maeve mumbled.

  "Again?"

  Maeve nodded, feeling miserable. "Do you think they'll ever stop?"

  Gray's gaze swept over her face. She was sure the dark circles under her eyes made her look as if she had been in a fight. He smiled at her. "I'm sure they will. It's only been a few months. Your brain is still trying to process everything."

  "I just live the moment when I thought you were going to die over and over. Then I see the soldier I shot over and over. I don't know which tortures me more, the thought that you would die or the fact that I killed someone. How is my brain ever going to process that?"

  "Time." Emma emerged from her bedroom and slowly made her way to the table. Maeve jumped up to make a plate for Emma, and Emma lowered her 86-year-old body slowly into the seat Maeve had just vacated. "It just takes time, honey."

  After the WG fell, Emma left behind her life in the caves west of Palumbra to move in with Maeve. For the first time in 70 years, she lived in as much comfort as Palumbra could offer. It was Emma's help that had allowed The Resistance to uncover Arabella Laughlin's plan to use children and teenagers to power a weapon of mass destruction. With help from Maeve and some others, The Resistance had overpowered the WG and ousted Arabella from power.

  "How much time? It's been six months."

  Emma took a bite of her gruel. "It might take a lifetime. You need to understand that you sacrificed something, a piece of who you thought you were. You have to figure out who you are now."

  Maeve let out a huff of frustration. "How do I do that?"

  Gray pushed back from the table and gathered their plates and utensils. "I don't have Emma's years of experience, but I think you have to keep pushing forward. Don't stay stuck in the past and work to make a difference."

  He placed the dishes in the sink and wiped the table with a wet cloth while Maeve ran a hand through her hair and grabbed her backpack.

  "Are we making a difference? I feel like I'm spinning my wheels, that my life isn't that different than it was before we found out what the WG was up to."

  "How can you say that?" Gray nearly shouted. "We're working with the younger kids to make sure they understand the gift and responsibility of freedom. You help people every day at the hospital. Of course you're making a difference."

  "I don't know," Maeve said as she twisted the strap on her backpack. "I just wish there was something more, something bigger. Am I going to go to the hospital every day for the rest of my life? Do I even like being a nurse?"

  Emma studied Maeve silently. "Going back to a 'normal' life after a life-changing event is hard." She laughed. "Believe me, after 70 years in the wilderness, 'normal' seems weird. You have to figure out who you want to be now instead of yearning after who you were before." Emma's eyes took on a wistful look. "You have to let go of what you can't change."

  Maeve gave Emma a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, Emma. I know this has been difficult for you, too, but I'm so glad you're here with me."

  Emma smiled and patted Maeve's arm. "Now, you two get out of here. You're going to be late."

  As soon as the door closed behind them, Gray took Maeve's hand and walked with her toward the hospital. "Do you really feel like you're not making a difference?"

  Maeve shrugged. "Kind of. Since we helped Cleo and The Resistance get rid of the WG, no one seems to need us anymore. When was the last time we even heard from Cleo? We helped save Palumbra, but now we don't get much say in running it."

  "Do you want to be in charge of those decisions? Is there something wrong with just living a normal life where we're not constantly worried about being caught or dying?" Gray gestured at the stores on the street. "Look around, Maeve. All of this is because we helped remove the WG."

  Maeve took in the activity on the street and thought about how much had changed since she and her friends had raced through these streets being chased by the WG. While change came slowly, the new government had loosened restrictions on who could own a business, and new enterprises were opening almost daily. They walked past a new clothing store, a shop selling flowers and gifts and a market where those with extra food could sell their excess.

  Maeve sighed. "I know. It just seems like there's so much more to be done. Is it wrong to want to be a part of it? Don't you ever worry about Arabella being out there somewhere? And why haven't we found any sign of the city on the map? The Hub? I know they send out patrols every week. I just want to do something big
ger than just go to work every day."

  Before Gray could answer, Ginger ran up to them.

  "Hey, Ginger," Gray said.

  "Hey, guys. I'm late, but you two need to come by government headquarters after you get off work." Ginger worked at government headquarters in the computing department. She was brilliant with computers and was currently working to create a network for the remaining computers in Palumbra. The equipment was ancient, though, and as soon as Ginger fixed one problem, it seemed another popped up in its place. "Cleo called a meeting."

  "Why?" Maeve asked.

  Ginger shrugged. "I don't know. She asked me to tell you two and Tristan." She looked at the sun. "I really gotta go. See you tonight."

  Maeve watched Ginger jog down the street. "What do you think that was about?"

  Gray shook his head. "No idea. She could just want to know about our work with the kids."

  It seemed like the most logical answer, but Maeve couldn't help hoping Cleo needed them for something more.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Maeve entered the tall, glass-walled building that served as government headquarters. It was the same building the WG had occupied when they were in power and the only building in Palumbra with consistent electricity and plenty of technology. After much discussion, the new government had decided it was the only logical place from which to run the government, although there was still some grumbling in Palumbra that not much had changed since the government took the best building. Maeve could see both sides, but she agreed with Cleo that for conditions in Palumbra to improve, someone had to be in charge and have access to the tools to make progress happen.

  Maeve met Ginger inside the entrance and together they submitted to the security protocols. The security office searched Maeve's bag and checked them both for weapons, then quickly sent them on their way to Cleo's office. Despite much nicer spaces on the upper floors, Cleo had chosen an office on the main floor, saying she wanted to be as accessible to the people of Palumbra as possible.

  "Why are we here?" Maeve asked.

  "I don't really know. There was some commotion yesterday about one of the patrols that went out in the direction of where we think The Hub is. Maybe it has something to do with that?"

  "But why are we involved?" Maeve asked as she quickened her steps to match Ginger's. "The New Government hasn't asked us to do anything since we defeated the WG."

  They reached Cleo's office before Ginger could reply.

  "No one's here. Where are they meeting?" Maeve asked.

  Ginger shrugged. "No idea. I was told to come here."

  "Finally," said a voice from behind them.

  "Tristan!" Maeve whirled around in surprise. "You scared me. Are you here for the meeting, too?"

  "Yep, I'm supposed to bring you guys to the conference room. We decided there were too many of us to meet in Cleo's office."

  "Do you have any idea what this is about?" Maeve asked.

  "Nope, but the sooner we get up there, the sooner we'll know. Let's go. Everyone is waiting."

  "Glad you could join us," Cleo said as Maeve, Tristan and Ginger took their places around a rough, round wooden table. The government building looked shiny and new from the outside, but despite the technology around them, many of the furnishings were no better than what you could find in homes around Palumbra.

  "But why are we here?" Maeve asked.

  Gray winked at her as she took a seat next to him, and she took note of the rest of the meeting's participants. Cleo stood at the front with a young soldier dressed in a contamination suit that Maeve didn't recognize. Besides Maeve, Ginger, Tristan and Gray, the other seats were filled with high government officials, including John Shield, who had been something of a mentor to Gray and had helped them decipher the clues to The Lost Years that led to the downfall of the WG. A military general sat next to John.

  "No one has more experience outside the borders of Palumbra than you four. I wanted you here in case you could offer some insight," Cleo explained. "Now, I want to introduce you to Corporal Shamus." She motioned to the young soldier standing next to her. "He has some interesting information to share with us." Cleo nodded at the soldier who looked down at his hands and began to speak.

  "I was sent out on an extended patrol with five other soldiers three weeks ago. Our job was to patrol the area between here and the supposed city we've been referring to as The Hub."

  "Wait, I thought we were staying away from The Hub," Gray interrupted.

  Cleo smiled, her teeth gleaming white next to her coffee-colored skin. "We are. We have no idea what's there, but we decided there was no reason not to get close enough to take a look. We do need to know if it's even a city. All we have is the map you guys found, and it's 80 years old. For all we know, The Hub could have been destroyed a long time ago." Cleo motioned for the soldier to continue speaking.

  "We never got close enough to see much, but from a distance, there's no sign of a city. We were setting up to snap some pictures and return to Palumbra when we were discovered."

  "Discovered?" Maeve asked. "Discovered by who? We've been sending patrols out for months, and other than Emma, they've seen no signs of anyone. I was beginning to think the WG was right when they said we were the only ones left."

  "Well, there are at least a few people left," Corporal Shamus replied. "Because they found us."

  "Who was it?" Tristan asked.

  Cleo stood and said, "Can we save the questions for the end, please? This will go much faster if we just let Corporal Shamus tell us what happened."

  Cleo sat and Corporal Shamus began speaking again. "It was just a handful of people, only six -- a couple of teenagers and four adults. The teenagers were brother and sister, but the adults didn't seem to be related. They said they were the only survivors of an epidemic that wiped out civilization in The Hub."

  No one interrupted, but a low murmuring began around the table.

  Once again, Cleo stood. "Corporal Shamus has been decontaminated and tested for all known viruses. Doctors have assured me that he's not carrying anything that can contaminate Palumbra, but we're keeping him in the suit just in case. He will be quarantined for at least two weeks to be sure."

  The murmuring quieted, and Corporal Shamus continued. "The survivors have been living in the desert outside where we think The Hub is for weeks. They asked for our help. Our team decided that one of us should head back here and let you decide what to do. The others stayed to help the survivors."

  "Thank you, Corporal Shamus," Cleo said as she rose once again. Corporal Shamus moved to the empty seat next to General Crail, the leader of Palumbra's military. General Crail shifted his chair slightly away from the corporal.

  "Now, we have some decisions to make," Cleo said from the head of the table.

  "You're not actually thinking about bringing those people here, are you?" General Crail all but shouted at Cleo. "You could contaminate the entire population of Palumbra."

  Cleo ignored his outburst and turned back to the rest of the group. "This is all the information we have. I don't think we have enough information to think about bringing the refugees into Palumbra." She crossed her arms over her chest. "But we can't just leave these people out in the desert to die, either."

  "You're sure these people were from The Hub?" Tristan asked Corporal Shamus. The corporal nodded, and his contamination suit crinkled with the movement.

  "Everything we know points to them being from The Hub," Cleo said. "Our most pressing issue is figuring out what to do with them. I think we're all agreed that leaving them out there to die isn't an option."

  "I say we take them in," John said as he stroked his beard. "What choice do we have? It's the right thing to do."

  General Crail stood. "Are you crazy? We have no idea what those people have been exposed to. We can't bring them into our city. If this thing wiped out whatever was left of civilization in The Hub, then it could do the same here in Palumbra."

  Cleo turned from studying the map of Palumbra t
hat hung on the wall. "What do you think?" she asked Tristan.

  "I don't know," Tristan said. He sat up straight in his chair and lifted his hands helplessly. "Neither of those options is acceptable. We can't endanger everyone in Palumbra, but we can't leave those people to die either."

  Gray got up from the table and walked over to the map Cleo had been studying. "What about the caves?" He pointed to a spot on the map. "They could live in the caves until we're sure they don't have some crazy disease. Our doctors could test them, and they'd be quarantined from the rest of us. We could patrol the area with troops to make sure no one got out."

  "I think that's a great idea," Maeve chimed in, getting up to stand next to Gray. "Emma lived out there for years. We know we can make those caves fairly comfortable."

  Cleo looked around the table. "It's a good idea. Anyone have any other thoughts?"

  "I still think it's too close to Palumbra," General Crail said. "But it's probably our best option."

  "Anyone else?" Cleo asked.

  Silence reigned as everyone looked around the table. "OK, then." Cleo clapped her hands once. "Let's figure out what to do next."

  CHAPTER THREE

  "Hi guys. Come on in," Emery said as she opened the door to Maeve and Gray. "Tristan is already here."

  Maeve handed Emery the freshly baked loaf of bread she carried and turned to hang up her coat. After the meeting, they had all agreed to meet for dinner, something they did at least once a week.

  "Hey, Emery," Gray said. "How's school?"

  "Boring, as usual," Emery said with a grimace. "I'm not sure why I even go. I already know more than my teachers."

  Gray grinned and patted her on the shoulder. "I'm pretty sure that's true. Maybe you can teach them something."

  Emery was a slim, blond 12-year-old with a genius IQ. She had helped The Resistance defeat the WG, so it was sometimes easy to forget she was also a kid who had lost her mom and was adjusting to life with just her sister. It was one of the reasons Ginger insisted Emery continue to go to school even though she probably did know more than the teachers. They were doing everything they could to create a normal life.