Zeros and Ones: Zeros and Ones, #2

By J Batten

Book One

One world, many visitors inspired to build their empires through a common trading port.  From failing empires, grows desperation and from desperation sparks a grave idea to rule the world.  One scientist determined not to fail, changes the face of the world, spiraling a domino effect.

 

Book Two

The face of the world changes and now they want to take complete control, by any means necessary.  Fighting against science, while using it to survive, is their only means to live.  They learn their truth through the deception that was given to them and decides to accept it as their fate.  Some of them willing to live with the ones who came before them, and others waging war to their bitter end.  Madness consumes all with a new future that is set throughout the galaxy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J Batten
• Release date: Jul 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201353025

Book preview

Chapter 1

Defensive

Marissa , Marissa.   Angeline tossed in her sleep, whispering to herself.  Afraid of crying out and making an echo in a bellowing sound in a small refuge, she opened her eyes without getting up.  Instead she waited to hear if anyone was having the same tormenting thoughts.  Marissa was supposed to be among them, safe and secure.  Yet, the decision had been made to use her to carry out, what they believed at the time to be, a promising plan.  It was the only way they could inject themselves to the outside world and free themselves of being in the hidden shadows.  Marissa had taken Angeline’s new born baby to start a new life with Shine, one of the naturals.  It was deceptive but brilliant, pretending to have born a miracle child with Shine, but it didn’t go exactly as planned.  Angeline could hear Marissa calling out and speaking to her, the way they do.

They’ve taken her and I still haven’t seen yours.  Marissa spoke in such a screaming thought, that Angeline felt her pain.  It was not just her baby that was taken, but Marissa’s too.  Shine’s people were unable to have children of their own, here on this planet.  It wasn’t the right atmosphere for procreation.  Now that they were stuck on a foreign planet, they had to make do.  Marissa was going to be the make do and was going to be the beginning of survival for his people.

Angeline spoke softly back to her, in thought, we will find you.  We will come get you.  And the babies.  Her heart was broken with no real hope, but she had to give Marissa something.  She was alone and afraid, locked up by Shine as his pretend wife, making babies.

When?  Marissa thought was heard in an exasperating tone.  She had given up.  Angeline felt it.  She was ready to die. 

Soon.  I promise, soon.  Angeline responded mustering up some happy thoughts to send to her, but it was all a lie.  Marissa had been moved from Shine’s home to another place, somewhere unknown.  They moved her while she slept.  Awaken and afraid, she had ended up in some lab with a team of Shine’s people.  Her baby was nowhere in sight and neither was Angeline’s baby.  She regretted ever agreeing to take Angeline’s as her own.  She was powerless.

Now, Angeline remembers her screams of fighting off Shine’s people.  It was the last time she heard any communication from Marissa.  The only thing left for her to do and to keep her sanity, is to remember her strength and her will to fight, all while trying to block out the memories of her screams.

Please, please, please, be alright.  Angeline whispered to herself.  She desperately needed happy thoughts, happy memories.

Angeline remembered the day Marissa left.  Her little baby girl was a precious miracle.  She had hugged her little tiny image of herself and kissed her cheek, while staring into her eyes.  Her baby girl smiled back, satisfied she had pleased her mother.  The days of yesterday had come and past.  It was an abrupt reality check. 

At the time, she was a bit relieved, for food was scarce for all of them.  They saw the baby’s tiny image that barely ate, and she feared it was going to die.  In fact, she was scared they were all going to die.  Yet, they managed to carry out their plan.  Marissa had taken Angeline’s baby as her own, to masquerade as Shine’s miracle baby.

Taking a deep breath, Angeline sat up, giving up on sleep.  The plan had worked, but she fretted every day for Marissa and her baby.  Marissa had officially became Shine’s prisoner, whispering to the others of the conditions she had to endure.  Their ability to speak to one another using their minds was a special gift from God.  They were always told to keep the communication open and to keep one another alive.  More importantly, Marissa often spoke, to Angeline, of Shine wanting to bear another child, something she had never experienced.  Fear took over her so badly that her nerves had taken complete control, making her shake feverishly.  Shine, they had learned, had given her medicine to make her sleep.  Angeline and the others did not know what was truly happening, during Marissa’s silent sleep.  It was those medicines that kept Angeline in the dark, for Marissa couldn’t use her gift.  Angeline was left to increase her focus on survival and to get Marissa back to safety and away from Shine’s experiments.  The lab couldn’t be too far, she hoped.

Yet, nothing made her feel truly assured.  Survival had taken them to a temporary secure location with guidance from their God, Jug.  He had protected them in the time of need and had mapped out a plan for their future.  A simple map of survival, was to learn and train for their future.  They were hidden deep inside the caves, stealing moments into the night for food, hoping to see Marissa as an escaped refugee. 

God’s messages, though, had dwindled down into a few sporadic moments, for fear of his communications being interrupted and being caught by the military.  They had no other choice, but to take a leader amongst themselves and pursue on course with the faith of God in them.

❖

Angeline stared at her new leader.  He was laying amongst the others, still sleeping.  Dayle, had worked with their God.  Who else could lead, but God’s apprentice?  She laid down, closed her eyes and once again tried to sleep, hoping she could block out Marissa’s screams. 

When day broke, Dayle was taking another headcount. They had managed to escape their worst enemy, Trent.  Trent, a commander and leader of the world, was a good hunter. He had managed to reduce their numbers and they presumed he was still on the hunt.  They all saw Angeline as their first blessing.  She had their miracle offspring and now they needed to make more.  They were going to defeat Trent with their survival skills of making more.

Angeline moved methodically as she checked their garden.  There was a bit of water savored in a shallow part of the cave indention, where a stream managed to escape to.  They had gathered soil from outside and kept it in torn cloths.  It was the only way to build an indoor garden located near the mouth of the cave.  There's just enough air coming in and just enough reflected sunlight providing the energy needed for the seeds to grow.  With Marissa still on her mind, she dropped a tear on one of the plants, as if it was a wish of needing some change in their lives.

The headcount gave him a smile.  Dayle counted three more pregnancies and was hoping for girls.  But the rate of the pregnancies was disappointing.  He hated the slow process and wished he knew how to accelerate it, but God didn’t teach him that.

We need to begin a new strategy.  Dayle began his speech. They all turned to look and listen, some still very sleepy.

For what?  We haven’t heard from God.  He’s forgotten about us.  We can’t go out without worrying about getting caught.  We are all going to die.  He was a small man trying to be forgotten, as he sat scrunched in a corner in the dark.

No.  There is hope.  I’ve heard from God at another eye.  He speaks to us mysteriously.  If he isn’t mysterious, they will know.  They will find out and find him.  He tells me that he has another location for us.  Somewhere safe.  Somewhere where we can make more of ours.  More like us, so we don’t have to wait.  We can make ourselves better and cleaner.  We won’t be detected.  He says he has left instructions for us.  Rules that we can follow, to make more.  Dayle was confident with his words, but couldn’t speak with conviction for he felt it would cause his voice to raise and carry echo’s in the cave. 

More?  Of us?  We are doing that already.  Another said.

But not as fast.  We would be able to make more of us, faster.  Things will be different and we will have the control we need.  We must all trust in God.  Dayle walked around as he spoke, trying to reach them all to provide comfort.

We’ve all trusted in God and look at how he keeps us.  We are dying.  We have failed.  A young girl said, biting at her blistered lips.  Her clothes was filled with muddy fragments of the cave as she blended in with the wall.

No!  We are alive and well.  We are making more and we will make even more.  We just need to make it to the tunnel.  It connects to our safe house.  You will see.  Dayle continued.

What about the children?  They can’t walk fast like us and they might make noise.  What about the others who will have a baby?  They can’t move like the rest.  We won’t be able to make it.  We are just what they call us, Bones.  One of the female Bones said.

Yes, we will.  We will leave in small groups.  There is food there, so we don’t have to carry anything.  Two will come back to get another group.  Each group will leave the rest and two will return for a new group; until there is no more groups.  If we get caught, they will not catch us all.  We are not just Bones.  We have names now.  We will prevail.  Dayle insisted.

‘But the children, you haven’t answered that question.  They will make noise."  The female Bone fretted.

No, they won’t.  God says he has something for them, to make them rest their minds during the journey.  The two will bring it back and they will be quiet.  We will go in the night, in the fog.  There is fog for two days now and more days to come.  Now, is the time to go.  Eat enough, but not too much to slow us down.  And be ready.  Dayle spoke pointing to a group already standing, eager to leave.  Another safe place is all they needed to hear.  Anything is better than where they were.

Angeline listened in the background, still trying to tend to her garden.  She couldn’t bring it with her and was still scared.  She wished Marissa was with them.  She was worried that if Marissa managed to escape, she would not know of their new secret hiding place.  Marissa was going to be left behind to always be in Shine’s shadow, not quite a real wife; but an experiment to make more of his kind. 

She took another shirt to place a few plants in.  It’s worth a try to see if her garden can grow at their new hideout.  She glanced at Dayle.  He was hopeful.  It was where she wanted to be.  He was convinced that the plan was going well.  He had bragged that Marissa was a wife now and soon they will be acceptable to Shine’s people for making more.  Soon they will be able to walk out in the daylight and not hide in the shadows.  He had hope.  She knew it was just false hope, but it was hope.  The screams were still haunting.  There was something deep inside her that was unsettling.  It couldn’t be that easy, she thought.

❖

The night came quicker than they had expected.  There was nothing to prepare, but their extensive exhilaration.  Angeline wanted to be with the first group.  All day, she thought about Marissa.  She was certain that she was dead.  It was better than her being alive and returning to an empty cave, just to be hunted and caught again.  Death would end her misery.  Tonight, was the end of her misery. 

Angeline wasn’t the only one urging for change, but was scared.  The time was now and they were still uncertain.  God had promised them many things, but had left them to die.  They were alone with nothing from God, but a promise to safety.  With God unreachable, they had no other choice, but to trust in Dayle.

The first group ran as fast as they could, trying to keep up with him.  They had gotten used to the fog and kept low, watching one another’s feet.  Not speaking, they counted to themselves from the time they left the cave to the time they reached the tunnel.  They knew the exact number for the distance between the cave and the tunnel.  It was something they learned to do, to know distances and to map things in their minds.  When they reached the tunnel there was a sense of relief and a sense of fear.  The tunnel had an awful smell.  It didn’t feel safe, but they had trust in Dayle and that was enough.  Dayle told them not to touch the green vines.  It was their enemy and would make them sick.  He was their new protector.

Be careful.  The outside is not our friend, but our new home is.  You’ll see.  Dayle gave them a warm smile.  He loved the familiarity of their new home.  He remembered God teaching him and showing him where to go.  Dayle was on his ship then, and hoped God would one day take him home.

Deep in the tunnel, covered by moss was an old door.  Dayle pried it open, being careful not to damage the thick layer of moss.  Once they were all in, he would need to reseal the outside of the door to make sure it was kept hidden.  They rested as they slowly walked through the tunnel.  It’s what they called rest, slowing down, but not stopping until they had to.  They reached another door, after walking through the maze.  Dayle opened it.  They entered a large room with machines and beds.  They couldn’t be more glad to finally see comfort. 

We need two to go back with me.  Dayle opened another door where food was stored and distributed it.  If we make as much trips as we can before daylight, we can get half of our people here.  And then tomorrow we’ll do it again.  Then we can truly rest.  They all agreed, while some took refuge on the beds.

Anyone remaining, do not leave this room and conserve the food.  We need to discuss our plans.  We all must wait, so don’t spoil things.  Dayle drank a glass of water trying to catch his breath.  He saw Angeline falling asleep on one of the beds.  She was his hope and possible his wife.  She had the strength of a leader and could make more of him.  A new direction, with what the naturals call love.  The love that came from making more.

The unborn babies must eat.  They have to.  One of the male Bones said.

Of course, they can.  Dayle grinned as he looked back at Angeline, she was tired but was trying to comfort the children.

Dayle made four more trips before calling it quits, making sure he took as many females as possible.  They were lucky tonight and hoped the same for tomorrow night.  One thing he’s learned is to do things right away, before there was no more opportunity.  But he remembered what God had told him, that Trent expected that they had already moved to another location.  It was what saved them, staying in the cave; while Trent kept looking elsewhere.  God had his security watching over them, making Trent move elsewhere and confusing the military’s intelligence.  While the others, lost trust in God, Dayle kept his.  He kept up with studying and learning as much as he could.  He refused to give up.  He learned to map, learned to count, learned locations, learned where their enemies were and learned when to contact God.  God depended on him to lead and to teach and to survive. 

He glanced at Angeline, before laying down.  She was why they were going to survive.  She was going to make more, enough so they can one day return to their true home and to be with God.  Angeline and him with their offspring were going to one day start the ship and return to their home planet.

❖

Angeline laid still next to the children, wanting and missing her baby.  They were just as tired as she was.  Their eyes puzzled and with fear.  They were in a new place, closed in, with lots of lights.  Scared and tired, she watched their eyes close, taking them to another place.  A place where they go when they close their eyes, with many pictures and memories of the day that past.  God had taught them that they were dreams and dreams can be good or bad.  Angeline never