Surviving Eve: Eve 1.0 Sequence

By Chloelia Salome

It is the year 2078, and this wondrous nation is under the control of a domineering Chancellor, who seeks the creation of an ideal human being. When his plans come into fruition and he finds just the answer with the help of a team of secret scientists, the world Evadene has grown up in is about to crumble. The destruction of mankind is but one thing on the Chancellor’s list, and nothing is going to obstruct his path. One girl named Evadene will fight for everything she has, and the survival of her dying, younger brother, Micah. The clock is ticking, and she has to make some of the biggest decisions in her life—from leaving the comfort of her farming village, fighting government officials who have put a price on her head, and joining a secret underground society wrought on the principles of uprooting the current government and its Chancellor. The survival of mankind depends on one girl: Evadene. And time is almost up to save humanity from itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365433672

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Surviving Eve: Eve 1.0 Sequence

Surviving EVE: EVE 1.0 Sequence by Chloelia Salome

Copyright © 2016

Chloelia Salome

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without permission in writing from the author/ publisher.

ISBN 978-1-365-43367-2

This is a work of fiction. Characters, corporations, institutions, and organizations in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously without any intent to describe their actual conduct.

Front & Back Cover & Text by Martin Grohs

Published in the US by Lulu.com

The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.

-         H.G. Wells

Surviving EVE

Book 2 in the EVE 1.0 Sequence

By Chloelia Salome

Prologue

—EVE 1.0 SUPPLEMENT REPORT—

**Confidential Digipad government file pending approval from our Chancellor of this wondrous nation. Report and daily scientific findings were completed by the Mendes doctors over the duration of the project. Report below is a follow-up, concluding on the success and/or failure of the intended project, EVE 1.0. **

The EVE 1.0 supplement began in the development phases of the project eighteen years to date, dating to the rise of our Chancellor in 2060. Since then, development progress has been consistent, making its completion in this year, 2078, surpass the expected date of completion and delivery.

The supplement’s intended purpose is to cleanse the human population of this wondrous nation. The scientists on board have achieved just that, with only a 0.004% error rate in the experimental phases of the project. This accuracy on the part of government scientists is exemplary of their hard and diligent work, especially for a project yielding such a large scope.

The EVE 1.0 supplement works rather simply. Its components have the capability to interact directly with the chemicals in the human body intended for the reproductive cycle. This interaction occurs on the cellular level. As a result, the EVE 1.0 supplement accelerates the multiplication of individual cells, tenfold. The chemical reactions are so robust that the cells will develop an outer protective shell, making them essentially immortal.

Finally, these cells have the new ability to deter any possible destruction, including traditional, historic practices of radiation. The cells will develop their own blood supply to fuel growth and continuous replication. Thus, these cancerous cells have all the stamina to overtake the rest of the body, leading to the ultimate demise of its carrier.

The EVE 1.0 supplement will be distributed to all villages, save the Capital. Our Chancellor of this wondrous nation has ordered this dispatch to be effective immediately. Distribution will be an easy and fast process, facilitated by the appointment of protectorates to each village. They will be in charge of overseeing the distribution of the supplements, as well as ensuring every member of this nation takes the supplements they are assigned. Members of this nation will be advised to consume the supplement, until, according to our estimations, these members are either fatally ill or deceased.

The 0.004% that do survive the supplements will be rounded up and disposed of in concentration camps, where they will undergo further testing and reach eventual extermination. Enough EVE 1.0 supplements have been produced to eradicate the current human population in just one wave. However,, extra supplements were made and stored in a confidential location known solely to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State Affairs, Sir Kael. This batch is to only be used if absolutely necessary, and if the Chancellor deems a second wave is obligatory.

Research for EVE 1.0 is now terminated, as positive results from the supplement release have been seen across the board and will continue to be seen. There is no continued research to reverse the consequences of the EVE 1.0 supplement. It is a terminal project. Additionally, further details of continued research at the concentration camps for HUMAQ supplement will not be released in this report. Those reports will be issued separately by the assigned doctors in the camps.

Until further notice from our Chancellor, EVE 1.0 research is suspended, and the case is not to be opened again. Full efforts, resources, and time will be allocated to the progress of HUMAQ, as per the request of our Chancellor.

The case of the EVE 1.0 supplement is now officially closed.

Concluding remarks: There is no cure to EVE 1.0.

REPORT HAS BEEN INTERCETPED BY MEMBERS OF A POTENTIAL RESISTANCE FORCE TO THIS NATION’S WONDROUS GOVERNMENT ON AUGUST 18, 2078, 0946 HOURS. INTERCEPTION HAS BEEN NOTED BY GENERAL LARS OF OUR NATONS ARMY.

** Our Chancellor awaits further news of the EVE 1.0 Supplement progress, and the capture of these assailants. **

CHAPTER 1

T

he truck came to a stop. Where? She did not know. For how long? She could only assume it had been days since this journey began. They were not offered the opportunity to stretch their legs the rare times the trucks did stop. Only the soldiers were privy to such a privilege. For the most part, they were subject to a bumpy route, occupied by isolation and fear.

They were offered no food, no water, and no fresh air to breathe. For the duration of the trip, they were confined to this small compartment in the truck that reeked of human waste and sweat.  The most disarming fact was that there would be no physical escape from the fowl smells that clung to these hopeless, scared human beings.

The longer their journey dragged on, the more hopeless Evadene became. The prospects of escape were fading from her mind with every lurch of the truck. The nausea and dread that accompanied this journey made her feel more emotionless and less human. She tried to make herself appear calm and collected as she sat crouched in the corner. Deep down, she yearned for the scent of fresh air and for the taste of water on her dried tongue. More than anything else, she craved for the huge of her little brother Micah and the feeling of joy when she trained with Soren. Now, she prayed for so many things that she had taken for granted when she was free. Because she was a prisoner, these activities were no impossible to attain.

Nothing could penetrate the hard shell she created to hide, and protect, her emotions and thoughts. The more she caved in on herself, the less she even paid attention to the surrounding people and odors. The women sitting on both sides of Evadene did not cease their bouts of tears. Their moans and hiccups disappeared in the ragged clothes Evadene held up to cover her face.

Those women hacked on their scant breaths. Evadene was irritated that they could be so stupid. Didn’t they realize that they couldn’t breathe or calm down because they were crying so damn much? After a while, Evadene wondered how the human body could produce so many tears. How were the women not dehydrated and shriveled up like dried fruit by now? No matter the annoyance these women created, Evadene hastily discovered the only off switch was to ignore them. It immediately reminded her of that radio back home, which never worked properly.

Just thinking of the radio brought Evadene back on a path of utter nostalgia. That radio found its place in her childhood home. And the way it trickled into all her family memories made it an inescapable reminder of the past. Despite all these wonderful blasts of the past, Evadene could not escape the heartbreak, abandonment, and ultimately, the loss she endured in her home. Agonizing threads of sorrow tainted all her remembrances of childhood, even the happy ones. Just as Evadene could not escape the truck, she could not escape the loss plaguing her past. Even as she sat squeezed between desperate and heartbroken women, she had no strength to muster a happy memory from her past to ebb the pain and misery.

It was hard for Evadene to sleep for the duration of this trip. If ever questioned, she knew she would not be able to admit that she was afraid of what would happen if she closed her eyes. Just the prospect of cutting off her vision for mere seconds instilled a new fear of vulnerability. She could not gauge how the other prisoners in the truck would act, and she did not want to be put in a situation she could not, ironically, control or engage in.

Evadene had herself convinced that the biggest threat now were the soldiers. She also concluded that no one else could be trusted. The prisoners might appear pathetic, displaying obvious emotional distress, but that didn’t necessarily translate to irrational impotence. She knew all too well that trust danced on a very fine line, of which she was not willing to share with anyone in the truck.  Sometimes sharing a bond through harsh emotions and experiences was not enough to make trust everlasting.

The road was rough, to say the least. Every time a tire hit an abraded patch in the ground, the prisoners jostled around, carelessly jerking into each other. At first, the shoving of pointed elbows into sunken-ribs perturbed Evadene. After a few hours of this, she became used to it, so much that it was a comfort and a sense of comradery. Isolation from this human interaction only made Evadene feel lonelier.

Evadene passed her time battling the fears that triggered havoc in her mind and made her stomach knot up. She feared for her dying brother and for her parents. No matter the betrayal she felt from her parents’ actions, her unconditional love for them made it impossible to be angry. They were liars who blanketed themselves in a mirage to appear like obedient citizens. The reality was very different—trading produce throughout the nation was merely a cover for their government work. What pained Evadene the most was uncovering this truth from government files. Her parents would go to their grave hiding their true identities from the children.

The horrible, inescapable veracity was that her parents were part of the Chancellor’s master plan. They were two of the most influential and powerful scientists who developed the supplement intended to exterminate the human race. The biggest deception against humanity was that the scientists were never racing against the clock to find a cure to cancer. They were doing just the opposite. And they made the poor, loyal people of this wondrous nation believe otherwise.

It was Evadene’s parents that betrayed the human race. Where had all their research gotten them? Aside from remaining on the better side of the Chancellor, where were the benefits? They lost their family, their children, and their home. Because of their devotion to the project, the nation’s entire population was suffering the major consequences.

Although it pained Evadene to think like this, a part of her hoped her parents would pay for their sins. Every bone in her body wanted to believe it was all a lie. The government reports, however, would not lie. Her parents’ names were printed in bold, stocky letters. It was crystal clear, no matter how much Evadene wished the letters comprised different names. In her mind, her parents were as much criminals as the Chancellor.

This harsh reality seemed to put a damper on the good memories Evadene had with her parents. How could they have changed so much from the mam and pap who coddled her in her childhood.

She ran in circles, staring up at the blue, blue sky as if it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She became so dizzy that she fell backwards on her bum. Her skirt spread out around her like petals gracefully opening up on a flower, and she burst into laughter.

Eve! mam called out in her usual singsong voice. The food is out!

Eve shot up, her head still slightly woozy. She was so excited to eat that she was determined nothing would get in her way. Even as she bounded to her feet, her stomach grumbled as if to affirm her thoughts on the impending meal. She skipped over to her family, braids bouncing off her shoulders as if they were urging her to pick up her speed and gallop.

They were sitting together, atop a colorful blanket. The prickly, dried grass was hidden from sight. Eve was ecstatic that she would not be covered in rashes by the end of the day. The blanket was such a privilege, she almost felt like a princess.

Next to them a carton for transporting goods to the market was parked. And most wonderful of all sights, it was overflowing with all types of goodies for a nibbler like Eve.

Her mouth watered just looking at all that food! Her little brain could not wrap itself around the last time they had this much. 

Come on, sit! pap exclaimed, motioning for her to take a seat on the blanket. She plopped her bum between Abraham and mam. She made sure she was closest to the food. Pap chuckled, shaking his head with a hint of amusement.

Firsts on everything? he asked, eyeing Eve mischievously. She giggled, hiding her blushing face behind her hand.

Abraham’s head was deeply immersed in a book. He did not flinch or utter a word as Eve leaned comfortably against him. She put all her weight into his side, nestling her cheek in the hollow beneath his arm.

Okay, green beans first! mam hollered. Abraham, put that book down already. She chided her eldest son.

He sighed and snapped the book shut with a hint of annoyance. He tossed it lightly over his shoulder as if it were nothing valuable. There was a crackling sound as the book collided with the sickly grass. Is that better? he asked, holding his hands up in surrender before his lean frame.

Mam and pap gave him the same ‘Don’t be sarcastic with us’ look before returning their attention to the food. Mam had so artfully placed it in the center of the blanket. The whole family would be fools if they didn’t drool over the presentation and the delicacies.

Abraham nudged Eve in the shoulder. Did you enjoy running around alone?

I always do! Eve retorted. She huffed and threw her hands out before mam. With palms wide open to the blue, blue sky, she waited patiently for those beautiful green beans to fall into her possession.

Mam smiled as she dropped a few beans into Eve’s hands. She cradled them like they were valuable jewels. She raised her palms to her mouth and was just about to stuff her face with the beans when pap cleared his throat.

Manners, Eve. Wait for us.

Eve rolled her eyes but smiled at her pap. She could only fight the temptation a little while longer.

Mam finished divvying up the beans, then looked at Eve and nodded her head in approval.

Eve plopped one in her mouth, chewing it between her front teeth and her back teeth. She looked up at the blue, blue sky and tried to pinpoint the different tastes exploding in her little mouth. She was not the only one who savored those green beans. Abraham, for one, appeared lost in contemplation as he plucked one bean at a time into his mouth.

Mhm, I think this little buddy in my tummy likes the food too, mam said as she gently massaged her round stomach. Pap smiled at her with so much affection—it was almost more beautiful to watch than the sky. This look of utter and raw joy on her pap’s face was something Eve had never seen before.

Is it a girl or a boy? Eve blurted out.

Mam looked at her with a warm gaze. We’re not sure. But whichever it is, we will love him or her just as much as we love each other. Mam exchanged a warm smile with each of her children and finally her husband.

I hope it’s a girl. I want a sis. Eve looked down at her skirt and she played with the rough ends. As much as she loved running around in the fields and chasing James, her friend from down the road, she often daydreamed of having a sister. They could braid each other’s hair, play with dolls made of straw, and share secrets late at night under the blankets.

It will be what it will be. Now, let’s get on with this delicious feast! pap said, clapping his hands together and bringing them back to the food piled in the center.

Eve did not object. Her hunger for a sister was replaced with an appetite of a growing child. Abraham remarked that she ate more than him and she did not argue—she was in bliss right now.

The enjoyment of the meal was seen around the blanket, from mam and the baby growing within her to pap. By the time the blanket was cleaned of every crumb, Eve’s tummy was round as her mam’s. Pap joked about her food baby, arguing that it was larger than the real baby inside mam. Eve only proved his point as she struggled to stand on her two feet. The food weighed her down, wobbled her legs, and made her crave sitting more than running through the fields.

The family laughed and joked. They hugged each other and told stories. They were one happy family, with more members to come and share their glee. This was a ‘picnic,’ a new word her pap shared with her that day, that Eve never wanted to end.

The truck came to a full stop, jarring Evadene from her memories. She could barely make out the commotion emanating from beyond the truck walls. From the cushioned sound of slamming doors, barking foreign tongues, and gun barrels rapping against the truck walls, she had a feeling they reached their destination.

The others truck inhabitants were disgruntled by the stop in their journey. Like anxious puppies, they cried and shifting uncomfortably. Some muttered nonsense aloud to no one in particular. The cries grew louder. Some women clawed the walls of the truck, begging for a way out. They were not like puppies—they were like savage animals.

Evadene did not respond to this sudden commotion. Her breathing was steady as she pushed her back up into the corner. Some of the women clambered to their feet on legs so wobbly that they looked like they would break in two. In a way, it reminded Evadene of the time Micah learned to walk.

Several women collapsed like helpless babies because their legs could not support their weight. Although weakened from lack of food and water, Evadene knew she would not be as immobilized when the time came for her to stand. She was thankful for her training with the resistance, which helped her build a strength and tolerance for pain and hunger. This new leg of her life as prisoner would put to test the values she learned from the warriors. And since she had been sitting idle for days in this truck, she was very antsy. That familiar feeling of impatience would no doubt translate to an energized urge to fight back when the time was right.

Suddenly, the truck doors swung wide open. Bright rays of light leaked into the dark interior, setting many of the prisoners off kilter. Evadene was momentarily blinded, her eyes tearing up. She shielded her eyes from the harsh rays of sunlight with the back of her hand. Her skin had become almost translucent, in so much that the sun danced through her fingers and palms in rays of fiery red and orange.

Although the sun made her feel transitorily vulnerable, it also made her happy. This was the first time she saw natural light in a while, and it was the most beautiful and comforting thing to witness.

Caught off guard by this forceful flow of light, Evadene remained seated in the corner of the truck. She would survey the scene unfold before her with blurry eyes. She would rather be a witness of what was going to happen than to jump headfirst, unseeing and distressed, into the unknown.

Those that stood up when the truck came to a stop collapsed to their knees when bombarded with the sunlight. They were sobbing, perhaps from shock, perhaps from the excitement of finally seeing light. Several of them crawled towards the light. As they reached the edge of the truck, someone from the exterior pulled them down by the collars, shoving them into the dirt like they were nothing more than potato sacks.

Evadene winced when the soldiers brought down their weapons on the backs of the poor people who tried to get out of the truck. In seconds, they were degraded to muddied and destitute beings that resorted to the fetal position for comfort. They sobbed, arching their backs in protest to the uncanny strikes of the cold, steel weapons.

Evadene forced her eyes to focus on the suffering people. She could have been one of them if she decided to act rash and follow an uncanny instinct. She had the resistance training to thank for holding herself back. It taught her to think logically, and not to fall into the trap of instinctual behavior in tempestuous times. Because Evadene realized there was no logical way to live and escape this situation, it was best to sit in the corner and watch.

Two more soldiers approached the back of the truck and peered inside. Their eyes had to adjust to the sudden difference in light as well. They were only human.

Everyone out! one yelled. Single file!

Evadene did not move. Several people wobbled to their feet, complying with the orders as they climbed out of the truck. By now, their whimpering ceased. They were mute, possibly as a result of being scared out of their brains for what would come next. Although most left the truck when ordered, some women seemed to give up entirely. They lay in the disgusting and soiled truck bed, absolutely motionless. If they weren’t already dead, there was no doubt that they would be in any moment.

"Everyone!" the second soldier screamed, pointing his gun directly at Evadene’s heart. He found her in the corner, hidden in the only shadows left. Some of the prisoners outside looked back in, but their eyes did not adjust in time. They could not make out Evadene perched in the corner.

Both soldiers pulled the safeties off their guns and aimed directly at Evadene. "Get out or we shoot."

Evadene bowed her head in submission, crawling stealthily towards the front of the truck. The guns were still trained on her, but she made sure to hold eye contact with both soldiers. She had no intentions of defying them right now, but she wanted them aware of her fearlessness.

One of the soldier’s lower lip trembled as his gun steadied itself on Evadene. She leapt out of the truck, landing on both feet like a feline. Slowly, she rose to her full height while challenging the soldiers with a steady gaze. She joined the other prisoners in single file, clasping her hands behind her back as if she was waiting to get cuffs put on.

The two soldiers kept their eye on her. They did not put the safeties back on the guns. Those who were beaten to the ground looked destroyed and hopeless, their backs hunched over and clothing ripped into tatters. Evadene did not bother to look if there was blood—she could smell it.

The soldiers talking amongst themselves brought Evadene back to focus on the scene before her. They were barking in a foreign tongue. She assumed it resembled some of the writing she and Soren found in the government papers.

Walk! A soldier in front of the line ordered, jutting his chin towards Evadene at the back of the line. Turn around! he screamed.

The prisoners obeyed, turning their backs on him and facing Evadene. When she didn’t turn immediately, the two soldiers lifted their guns so both barrels were aligned with the opposite sides of her temples. She slowly closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she shifted her footing until she was facing the ordered direction. The soldiers lowered their guns and marched on. If she hadn’t obeyed, they would have blown her head off.

The other prisoners followed close behind. A soldier took up the rear, and two others took their designated places on the sides of the prisoner line. Although there were fifteen prisoners to five soldiers, Evadene knew there would be no opportunity for escape. Any prisoner who tried to run would be shot down within seconds of attempting an escape. She couldn’t help but ponder how the beaten prisoners were able to keep up at the back of the line. When would they break?

The landscape was barren save for what looked like a barbed wire fence several hundred feet ahead of them. Evadene squinted, trying to differentiate the murky grey landscape from the equally grey tones of the compound ahead.

The prisoners marched at a fast pace for what felt like an hour before they finally reached the front of the compound. The thick barbed wire fences crawled well over twenty feet into the sky. The barbs looked like they were ready to puncture the heavy overcast and release a hopefully refreshing rain on the landscape. How anything survived out here, Evadene could only imagine. As much as she could dream of the sky falling to watery, crystal-like pieces, there was no way this sky would break. It maintained this disconsolate overcast façade for years, and would no doubt continue to do so. The clouds would not surrender their well-kept storage of water over this godforsaken and sinful land.

The prisoners halted in unison in front of what appeared to be the entrance to the compound. The barbed wire doors began to open, pushed from the inside by more soldiers. Evadene thought to herself that in this day and age, they should have doors that could open and close without the physical force of humans.

When the doors were wide open, the soldiers on the other side beckoned for them to enter. Evadene followed the soldiers beckoning; she could feel the prisoners follow heavily in her footsteps. She tilted her chin up to survey her surroundings through hooded eyes.

The compound was massive. It stretched beyond what her naked eye could see. All she knew was the barbed wire walls encompassed the entire space. Several buildings were organized in what looked like the formation of rows of barracks. They were set in straight lines down the middle of the compound. In a haunting way, they resembled the white tents Evadene saw in the government camp.

By the entrance was a large expanse of grey dirt, trampled by what looked like millions of footprints. Evadene searched the area for any sign of other humans. She could not find them. For a compound this big, there ought to be a lot of people. The question was, where were they hiding? What she did notice, however, were the smoke stacks in the distance. Thick, dark