Eternal Darkness

By J. F.Johns

The world is divided between humans and cyborgs.
Scarlet Lock is neither.
She is a soldier created to kill on command. But her memory has been erased and when she awakens in a government facility, she soon discovers that this new world is a dangerous place, full of government secrets and cruel experiments performed in the name of progress.
With the help of a group of cyborgs, Scarlet will fight to uncover the truth and transform the future of the new world she now lives in.
Eternal Darkness is full of suspense, action and romance and will make readers question what it means to be human.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. F.Johns
• Release date: Apr 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9788460840442

J. F.Johns

J.F.Johns is 25 years old and was born and raised in Spain. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at ARU in Cambridge, UK.She's an animal lover, and spends her free time playing with her adopted dog, drinking too much coffee and posting book photos on her Instagram.She believes in the art of dramatic sighing and eye rolling. She works as a ninja, but has been told several times that she's not very good at her job.Eternal Darkness is her debut novel, and is the first book in the Eternal Darkness Trilogy.

Book preview

ETERNAL DARKNESS

J.F.Johns

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © J.F.Johns 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without permission in writing from the author.

To my mum.

Without her this book would still be in a cupboard.

Thank you for your eternal patience.

Also by J.F.Johns:

Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness Oblivion

Eternal Darkness Revelations

Cyborg Tales

After Darkness

‘We feel and know that we are eternal.’

Baruch Spinoza

TIMELINE

2025- The cyborg experiments start.

2030- New Era; the cyborgs are introduced to society.

2040- X-Prototype experiments start.

2045-Government scandal creates riots and protests on the streets. The X-Prototypes escape the facility where they’re being held.

2050- The New Government officially takes control.

2060- Present.

THE CAPITALS

Capital One

The epicentre of the capitals. It is where the New Government resides and most of the wealthiest humans. It is known for its outstanding futuristic designs, modern transportation and tight security.

Capital Two

This capital is located next to Capital One. It is the territory that produces everything for the capitals except food. Its sky is red from chemical pollution and the land is dry. It is where the Institute is located. The majority of the buildings are factories, but there are a few towns where workers reside close to the mines or factories.

Capital Three

Known as the agricultural capital. The centre of this capital is mainly composed of forests where the production of wood is high. On the outskirts, the land is used for agricultural purposes, and most of the food for the capitals is produced here. The land is green and fertile.

Capital Four

This capital is known for its commerce and temples. Nothing can be produced from the land as it has been over developed. The environment is densely populated and there is a lack of open spaces. It is the second richest capital after Capital One. It is famous for its silks, perfumes and the production of weaponry.

Capital Five

Also known as The Flatlands because of its terrain. It is one of the largest capitals, and one of the least populated. Many fields and pastures can be found in this territory, and it is mainly used for farming. It is the main manufacturer of meat and milk.

Capital Six

This capital is famous for its mountain ranges and the few towns that exist are built around them. Some of the smaller hamlets almost seem to be suspended from natural ledges in the sides of the mountains. The inhabitants are strong and tough. This is the poorest capital of the seven. The mines at the base of the mountains are famous for their gems and beautiful stones. Unfortunately, the New Government has power over these mines, and the profits are invested into Capital One.

Capital Seven

The jungle in this capital is used for the training of Watchers and is also where the Slaughterers have their headquarters. It has extreme and harsh weather conditions. There are only a few small towns by the edge of the capital at the very border of No Mans Land, territory that no longer belongs to any capital.

PROLOGUE

‘Wake up!’

Scarlet watched the bird that lay on the floor. It twitched uncontrollably. She wondered how long it would take for it to die and then realised what a cruel thought she had just had. It was pitch black in the room, but the bird was illuminated from above and below, an eerie light enveloping its body.

As she approached, the larger it grew and she froze, fascinated. How was this possible? Stepping forward silently in the darkness with only a single light bulb hanging from above to guide her way, she realised the bird was a crow. The animal continued to twitch, a faint light shimmering beneath, black feathers falling around its dying body, and she stood from afar, too scared now to get any closer.

‘Wake up!’

Maybe she could save it? Scarlet took a step closer and then another, holding her breath until she realised it was true. The crow grew in size with every step she took. She looked around but saw nothing except darkness. The light bulb had moved, as if following her to provide some light in the shadows.

‘You must wake up. Now!’

Scarlet observed the crow with fascination and moved towards it, watching as the bird grew larger and larger. A mirror emerged to her right and a girl inside the mirror waved back at Scarlet. She immediately recognised the person inside as herself. But there was something different about this other Scarlet. They looked exactly the same; long blonde wavy hair and big light blue eyes. But the way this other Scarlet was smiling haunted her. There was something wrong.

Shifting her attention back to the crow, she made her way to its side, but the bird lay still on the ground. Dropping to her knees, she wondered what it would feel like to touch its feathers.

‘Please, wake up!’

Scarlet’s hand reached out towards the crow, her fingers outstretched, her eyes widening at the strange beauty death could cause. She eagerly wanted to feel its softness and, in a strange way, become part of its beauty.

‘Wake up!’

Her fingertips brushed the soft wings, and then suddenly the crow began to move. Scarlet jumped back and watched the bird fly away into the mirror where the other Scarlet was.

‘Goddamn it, wake up!’

The mirror began to melt and the light bulb fell into the shadows. Scarlet stepped back and then felt the ground disappear as she dropped and continued to drop as she screamed.

Scarlet opened her eyes.

A boy was leaning over her, and she yelped. His hands fell over her mouth, his touch as soft as the crow’s feathers. The boy gestured for her to be quiet and she nodded. He was standing on the tip of his toes and his blonde silky hair fell in cascades over his face.

‘Where am I?’ Scarlet asked.

‘I don’t know,’ the boy said. ‘We have to go before they come back.’

‘Before who comes back?’

The room was empty except for three metal counters. She had seen counters like these before in the morgue. The walls were so white they radiated light making Scarlet wince.

‘Am I dead?’ she asked.

‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘I don’t feel dead.’

Scarlet jumped off the metal counter and looked down at the white clothes she wore. She noticed they were both dressed in the same outfits and her fingers ran down the soft sleeve before the boy grabbed her arm.

‘We have to go,’ he said.

‘I don’t understand…’ She frowned. ‘Do we know each other?’

The boy watched her in silence, his eyes pleading for her to understand his urgency. Scarlet guessed he was only twelve or thirteen years old as he tugged at her sleeve.

‘Do we know each other?’ she pressed. ‘You seem so familiar.’

‘My name is Vladimir,’ the boy said. ‘I woke up and was laying on one of those things.’ He pointed his finger at the counter. ‘I heard people talking about us and what they were going to do…’ His shoulders shook. ’They left, but I think they’re coming back. We have to go, please.’

‘Do to us?’ Scarlet asked. ‘What do you mean? I’m supposed to be in hospital. Is this a different department? My nurse Wendy never told me about-’

‘I don’t think this is a hospital.’

‘Are you a patient in my hospital? Your face is so familiar.’

‘I’m not a patient,’ he said. ‘Please, let’s go.’

Vladimir dragged Scarlet across the room towards the door. Outside lay a long wide hallway as brightly illuminated as the room they had just left. The smell of detergent spread through her nostrils. Vladimir took Scarlet’s hand and led her down the corridor, peering around the corners to check for their kidnappers. Scarlet stood as closely to him as possible, trying to keep her mind blank as she felt she would erupt with all the questions and fears forming inside her head.

‘What’s your name?’ Vladimir whispered.

’Scarlet Lock.’

Vladimir smiled, his hand still in hers making her feel safe. An alarm started ringing and Vladimir gasped, his grip on her tightening as they ran.

‘Attention, attention,’ the voice from the alarm droned. ‘X-Prototypes Two and Five have escaped. Please bring them back safely and unharmed. Attention, attention-’

‘Hey, you two!’ a voice cried out. They both turned, spotting a man in a white uniform pointing at them. Scarlet froze at the sight of the gun he held.

They rushed into another hallway and as they increased their speed Scarlet felt as though her surroundings were beginning to blur. She had long lost her sense of direction and had no idea where they were headed.

Vladimir came to a sudden halt, causing Scarlet to crash into him. She stood, splattered against his back, wondering what had happened. By then an entire group of guards were following them and she couldn’t understand why Vladimir had decided to stop at such a critical moment.

She soon realised why.

The hallway had no exit except for a glass wall. Scarlet could see trees on the other side and wished she could reach out to them. The group of guards had now cornered them and a woman made her way through the crowd. She studied them intently as if they were experimental specimens that had escaped their cages.

‘Get away from us,’ Vladimir said.

‘We won’t hurt you,’ she said in a soothing tone. ‘We only wish to help you.’

‘Like hell you do!’

‘We mean no harm.’ The woman lifted her hands up in surrender. Her mouth widened into a smile and suddenly Scarlet felt a shock wave reverberate through her body. There was something wrong with that smile.

‘We want to go,’ Scarlet said.

‘You will.’ The woman’s eyes darted from Vladimir to Scarlet. ‘But it isn’t safe for you outside. We will take care of you here.’

‘We don’t need taking care of,’ Vladimir said as they slowly began to retreat towards the glass wall.

‘Oh, but you do,’ the woman said. ‘You certainly do.’

Vladimir suddenly pushed Scarlet towards the wall. ‘Jump!’ he yelled as he spun around and lunged himself at the guards. Scarlet watched in horror, her feet unable to move.

The woman had fallen against a guard due to Vladimir’s sudden attack. ‘Capture the girl!’ she howled. Scarlet panicked and ran towards the wall, her chest contracting and stomach twisting at the sight of how high from the ground she was. She hesitated before breaking free. The glass cut through her skin as she jumped. For a moment she felt as though she could fly like the crow from her dream.

Then, everything went dark.

CHAPTER ONE

Sam Harris winced at the sight of so many weapons. Curtis was busy loading up the Opel with countless weaponry, making sure to keep them hidden from view. Sam rubbed the back of his head and watched as his friend headed towards him.

He stared at the gun he’d been handed. It was a standard Glock, semiautomatic, similar in size and weight to the other guns he had handled in the past. He grimaced and was glad the thing wasn’t loaded.

‘It is a necessary precaution,’ Curtis said after noticing Sam’s distaste. His voice was flat, lifeless. There was something eerie about Curtis, as if he wanted to melt into the shadows and disappear from view.

‘These precautions of yours,’ Sam said, ‘get us into more trouble than is necessary.’

Sam tucked the gun into the back of his jeans, then quickly removed it, as if realising it had been a bad idea. He finally hid the weapon beneath the driver’s seat, joyful he didn’t have to look at it anymore.

‘We should hurry,’ Sam said. ‘We have quite a drive ahead.’

He stared at the dent on the door of the car and leaned forward, pressing the palm of his hand against it. This was yet another thing he would have to add to his to-do list. Sam focused on his hand and observed the wires and small robotic mechanisms embedded into his skin that worked as muscles. He slid his hand across the dent and the mechanisms worked in complete synchronisation, responding to what the brain had ordered his hand to do.

His eyes focused on the reflection of his face in the wing mirror. Part of his jaw, collarbone and forehead had been replaced with wires and robotics, creating the sensation that two people were looking into that reflection; a human and robot. It was, in his opinion, a rather remarkable curse.

His ears, still with a human appearance but enhanced mechanically to hear better than any human, picked up on the scraping of Madeleine’s feet by the entrance. Sam gazed up towards the house and found her by the door, watching him, her robotic jaw tightly clenched and those silvery inhuman eyes so focused that he could feel them piercing through his skull.

‘You planning on leaving without a goodbye?’

‘I would never dream of-’

‘I’m not about to let you and that dimwit over there go climbing into that thing you dare call a car without saying goodbye,’ Madeleine said as she made her way towards him.

‘We’ll be back by tomorrow morning,’ Sam said. ‘We’ll be quick about it.’

‘You could be back in an hour for all I care. That isn’t a reason for you not to say goodbye. Can’t someone else do this job? Send Thorn to go and get the medical supplies. If he gets caught no one is going to miss him.’

‘Do you need a hug?’ Curtis muttered.

‘You better keep that mouth of yours shut,’ Madeleine spat. ‘Or I’ll shut it for you.’ Her attention returned to Sam. ‘One day that car is going to get you killed. You shouldn’t be risking your life going to get these supplies. If you die it’ll be me explaining why.’

‘Drama queen,’ Curtis coughed.

Sam watched as Madeleine shot Curtis a deadly stare, and he couldn’t help but smile at her. He gave her a long strong hug before she began complaining about personal space. Her silver eyes drifted to the ground.

‘Will you be okay?’ Sam asked.

Madeleine snorted. ‘Don’t worry about me.’

Sam nodded, not entirely convinced by her response. At some point he had realised -even though Madeleine would never recognise it- that she hated being left alone. He wanted to stay at home to avoid worrying her, but that wasn’t possible. They needed the medical supplies urgently as their own had run out.

‘Don’t you two idiots get caught, okay?’ Madeleine said. Sam nodded, knowing she truly meant it. If they were caught, Madeleine would be left alone. She could always go back to the Institute -where their boss and many cyborgs lived- but then again, she wasn’t the type that endured change very well.

Sam entered the car. The inside smelt of old leather, cigarettes and oil. Rolling down the window, he waved at the shrinking image of Madeleine as they made their way through the gates.

The task was to infiltrate an old warehouse that they had been told contained medical supplies. They’d break in and steal as much as possible. They had been obliged to do this on many occasions in the past year since a new law had been established prohibiting cyborgs the use of hospitals and medical help. Until now their efforts had been successful.

‘She’ll be fine,’ Curtis said. ‘You have that worried expression you always get when we leave her behind. She’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t burn down another room like last time.’

Sam chuckled softly, more from fear than amusement. He focused on their approach to the centre of town. There was little to no traffic at this hour but he drove slowly and cautiously, wary of the Watchers.

The few citizens making their way home turned to look at them and Sam kept his eyes on the road the entire time. The people of Mercy Cross didn’t tend to get into trouble unless they had to, and most of the time kept away from the likes of Curtis and Sam.

As soon as they left the town, Curtis turned the radio on and it immediately began to make strange buzzing sounds. His fingers thrashed against the buttons and Sam watched as the thin wires inserted into the skin of his fingers moved and squeaked as he jammed them against the radio. It wasn’t long before Curtis gave up, unfolding a newspaper called the Daily Watch, which he began reading with a grim expression. After a while he started to grunt disapprovingly and Sam glanced at him curiously.

‘What is it?’

‘Two cyborgs were sentenced today at Capital Two, convicted of attacking Watchers,’ Curtis said, shifting his attention from the paper to Sam.

‘Anyone we know?’ Sam asked.

‘No.’ Curtis folded the newspaper. The Daily Watch was a newspaper created by the New Government to announce the atrocities cyborgs had committed against humans. The back page contained a list of the convicted cyborg criminals and the dates and crimes they were being sentenced for.

‘What is it?’ Sam asked after Curtis began chuckling.

‘It makes you think,’ he said. ‘If Rupert Grayson was still alive and saw the world as it is today, he might’ve never created this mess.’

‘You don’t seriously believe this is all Grayson’s mess?’

‘No, of course not,’ Curtis said. ‘When the government’s involved, you know it’s not going to be the mess of just one guy.’

Sam stared at the empty road ahead. He’d had to switch the headlights on as the sun had begun to descend. He started to think about the past and how years ago the Old Government had arranged for some of the most brilliant doctors and scientists of their day to create a new super race. Rupert Grayson had been the head scientist who had discovered a way to enhance human abilities with mechanical and robotic parts, which were built into the body. The humans would become faster, stronger and would be able to sustain long periods of time with no food or water. A creation of half-humans and half-robots.

‘If that stupid new law hadn’t been approved we wouldn’t have to sneak around like criminals,’ Curtis muttered.

‘Well, fussing over it isn’t going to change anything,’ Sam said. ‘We need those medical supplies for our robotic parts. We don’t want to be in a position of having injuries we can’t repair.’

Twenty years after the experiments first began a scandal shook the Old Government. It showed evidence that the humans had been submitted to the experiments through force and lies. Citizens had been led to believe through propaganda and the media that the participation in the experiments would be to save their lives from fatal injuries. No one had told them that their bodies would be manipulated and modified.

Strikes and protests unfolded on the streets, but it soon became violent when the Old Government sent the police force into the crowds to stop the riots. The protests continued for months and hundreds of citizens and police died. Thousands of private and public properties were destroyed. The Old Government had fallen; the leaders were forced to resign. Many of them were imprisoned while others fled. Rupert Grayson was arrested along with other scientists.

The New Government was created, promising a brighter future for the humans, and making sure there would be justice for such crimes. New laws had been established to supposedly protect the humans from the cyborgs, who would become second-class citizens with less rights and freedom. The police force was abolished and a new organisation called the Watchers was established, their task merely to pay justice to the humans by controlling and terrorising the cyborg population. By then the citizens had grown weary of the cyborgs, a new race of stronger, faster and better humans. The New Government aimed a media campaign at the human population, portraying the cyborgs as these scary new robots that would destroy everything. They were a clear threat to the Nation and needed to be heavily controlled.

It didn’t take long for them to grow fearful of the thousands of cyborgs that walked the same streets as them. They posed a threat due to their inhuman strength, their modified eyesight, hearts that had been adjusted to never fail, and organs replaced and enhanced for their durability.

‘Take Melton Road,’ Curtis said. ‘It’ll be faster.’

‘Too many controls,’ Sam replied. ‘It’s a direct road to Capital Two.’

‘All the roads we need to take are direct to Capital Two. So we might as well take the fastest.’

After the riots and the fall of the Old Government, the new one had decided to create seven capitals in order to ‘protect the humans.’ Sam lived on the outskirts of Capital Three, a peaceful, rural capital that survived mainly on agriculture. Capital One was the most important of all, being the home of the New Government and some of the most prestigious businesses in the Nation. The larger capitals were the most dangerous places to live in due to their larger population. Sam preferred the tranquility of Mercy Cross on the outskirts of Capital Three with its fields and beautiful forests.

‘Sam,’ Curtis said, ‘you missed the turn-off for Melton Road.’

‘I told you we’re not taking that road. We’ll take Lawn Road.’

‘It’s longer.’

‘I know it is,’ Sam said. ‘But it’s safer.’

‘It’s not safer.’ Sam noticed Curtis adjusting the gun on his lap. ‘We’re the only car on the road. If Watchers appear they’ll spot us. It’d be better to find a busier road.’

‘Melton Road isn’t busier,’ Sam said. He peeped back down at the gun. ‘I’m taking Lawn Road. End of story.’

Curtis began muttering something under his breath. The branches of the trees overhung each other making the light dissipate, creating an eerie atmosphere. Sam concentrated on the radio. The buzzing sounds began to increase and he pushed his robotic fingers against the buttons frantically.

‘Sam.’

‘Not now,’ he said. ‘If I could just figure out what’s wrong with this-’

’Sam.’

‘I guess I’ll have to add this to the damn list.’

‘Sam!’

‘What?’ Sam turned towards Curtis and noticed the horrified expression plastered across the cyborg’s face. He followed his friend’s eyes to find what it was that had frightened him so much.

A young girl had run out into the middle of the road and their car was heading directly towards her. Sam slammed on the brakes as they approached her, but it was too late. The car swerved and yet it was useless, the vehicle crashed against the girl’s body.

She was thrown over the car and hit the ground while they drifted along the road until crashing into a tree. Sam opened his eyes and heard Curtis moaning. His friend was sitting with his head reclining against the seat, a wire on the side of his face out of place.

‘Are you okay?’ Sam asked.

‘Dammit, I just retouched this,’ Curtis said as he played around nervously with the wire. ‘What was that?’

They both made their way out of the car. It didn’t take Sam long to spot the body laying a few feet away. Curtis adjusted his gun and pointed at the motionless girl on the ground.

‘Dead?’ Curtis asked.

Sam kneeled beside the body and nodded. It was clear from the way it was positioned that the girl was dead. Her broken limbs were laying in an awkward and twisted position on the ground. Her neck was completely bent, broken.

‘What’s a human girl doing running around here?’ Sam questioned, leaning forward as he scrutinised the wounds on the body. He shifted his attention to Curtis and noticed his friend’s face blanche. Fear and recognition flashed in Curtis’s red crimson eyes.

Curtis noticed Sam staring and his agitation quickly vanished. He lowered the gun and marched closer to the body. ‘Don’t touch her. Mustn’t leave traces.’

‘We can’t just leave her here.’

‘What do you suppose we do?’ Curtis asked. ‘Should I take her to the Watchers? Shall I bring my own rope to hang myself with while I’m at it?’ There was something wrong, but whatever it was Sam knew not to ask. He focused on the wound on the girl’s leg. It was unusual. It looked like a very deep cut, but no blood came from it, instead the skin was clean.

‘She’s human,’ Curtis said. ‘She stays here.’

‘Sometimes, Curtis,’ Sam replied, ‘your lack of sympathy surprises me.’

‘It surprises many.’

Sam lifted his hand towards the girl’s chest and removed a strand of blonde hair.