This Is Not the End

Chapter 5: Discovery and Knowledge

"That's enough," Xyli called from where she had been trying to open the door, "It opens enough to get us through."

"What if we need to carry large objects through?" Zoltan questioned reasonably.

"The gap's big enough for that too... come on!"

Xyli disappeared on the other side of the door, and Zoltan moved instinctually to follow her. He paused, however, at the door to look back at me.

"I'll be right behind you," I smiled at him, "Go ahead."

It was only after Zoltan had disappeared behind the door that I turned quickly and hurried back to the computer.

I shook the mouse a few times to wake the computer up from its screensaver, and the file was already pulled up and ready for me.

Scrolling and scanning the document, I searched for something I had noticed, some memory I had nearly forgotten.

List of Participants in ASHES Experiment.

Yacob Dixens

Freiz Qaroll

Suzane Drean

Pavel Montcou

Georgie Pirisone

Xenex Pirisone

I stopped, staring blankly at the screen. The sound of my breathing was nearly deafening, and almost without thinking I reached out and pressed the button to shut off the computer. I sunk weakly into an ancient desk chair, and forced myself to breath.

So, that's the experiment that killed them. My grandmother had said it before she died. That they had died trying to help.

Georgie and Xenex Pirisone. If only they had waited until I was old enough, I would have joined them. If only they had waited, I could have died with them. I wouldn't be trapped in a hopeless world all alone.

If only they had waited. Georgie, Xenex, and Kora Pirisone, died together as experiments, trying to save the world.

"Kora, you coming?"

I could hear Zoltan's faint and muffled voice from behind the door.

"Yeah," I returned, forcing my voice not to crack.

I stared again at the dark screen, ignoring the tear that ran down my cheek, and walked over to the door.

@ @ @

"This place is huge!"

"You're telling me!"

The door led to a platform overlooking a maze of shelves. I stood on the edge of the platform, my hand grasping the railing, wide-eyed in wonder.

Zoltan and Xyli were already wandering around, their flashlights dancing in the darkness, showing me new rows of shelves.

"Are there supplies?" I yelled, breathless with hope.

"Yeah! More than we could ever possibly use or imagine!"

Xyli waved to me with her flashlight, and I was clamoring down the metal stairs in a moment.

The shelves were stocked with boxes, some full of chemicals, some full of provisions. It was a useful hoard of canned foods, medical supplies and gas mask filters.

"Wow," I murmured to myself.

"Seriously! Check this out."

I hurried over to where Zoltan had appeared in the isle next to me.

"Computer parts?"

"Computers, generators, weapons, you name it. This is perfect!"

"STUFFED ANIMALS!"

I exploded with laugher as Xyli immerged dragging a giant box of colorful teddy bears.

"Why on earth did they have a supply of bears?"

Zoltan held one of the smiling teddies up in confusion.

"Who cares?" Xyli responded, hugged a few pink bears to her chest, "I'm adopting them all."

"We can't bring them, the fabric could have absorbed the chemical gases..." Zoltan started, but I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Let her have her fun. Come on, we need to see how much of this we can carry back to the Ostrich."

"Alright. I think I saw a cart around here somewhere; we could load boxes on that."

"I saw a dolly by the staircase. But how are we going to get these up to the door?"

We stared at the platform above us and the thin metal stairs leading up to it. It looked small and far away from where we were standing.

"Why don't we use that?"

We looked to where Xyli was pointing.

"An elevator?"

"It goes up to the other side of the platform. Maybe it was used for handicapped people."
"It probably doesn't work," Zoltan speculated, walking over to the elevator's control panel.

"You could try." Xyli crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"It won't- "

Flashing lights and loud beeping drowned out Zoltan's arguments as the elevator responded to his button-pressing and lowered gently to the ground.

"See?" Xyli swung a teddy bear by one arm joyfully.

"Come on, guys," I giggled, "Let's load this elevator up. We could probably carry six boxes from the platform to the Ostrich if we make two trips."

"Right. Grab the boxes with the freshest food first. We'll take two of those. The dates are on the sides," Zoltan instructed, "Then take the box of technological supplies and generators for power, two boxes of gas mask filters, and one of medical equipment."

"Sounds good to me," Xyli stated, running back into the labyrinth of shelves to find the tastiest food.

"We should also get small things we can put in our backpacks, at least for the last trip," I added, and Zoltan agreed.

"I'll take gas mask filters."

"Try to keep Xyli from smuggling a teddy bear with us? The last thing we need is someone dying from a poisoned bear," I reminded.

"Yeah," Zoltan guffawed, turning to follow Xyli, but he stopped.

"Kora?"

"Yeah?"

"I think... I think we're going to do this. And... get out ok."

I smiled.

"Yeah. It looks like it."

We exchanged a smile, before going back to pick boxes of precious supplies.