Lazarus Book 4: Poison (#16-21)

"I have seen the wrath of God in a Lazarus... and I had to look away" - Sister Bernhard

Time for the another look at the dystopic future world of Greg Rucka and Michael Lark's series Lazarus.  The titular Lazarus is a woman called Forever "Eve" Carlyle, the youngest of the five Carlyle children, genetically modified to have superhuman strength and speed as well as being able to recover from lethal injuries just short of decapitation.  The world she lives in sees every country ruled over by either a single family or split amongst a couple, this providing the main conflict of the series as the former USA and Canada are divided between the Carlyles who own most of the west and their bitter enemies the Hock family who run the eastern side.  In the last volume we find out that apart from Eve the rest of the Carlyles are very long lived and Jakob Hock had taken the errant Carlyle, Jonah, prisoner in an attempt to unlock the secret of their long lives.  A Conclave was called in book 3 and Eve defied orders from her father to assassinate Jonah and let him escape. After a duel with Sonia Bittner, Lazarus for Hock's allies the Bittner family which Eve won, Jakob was ordered to give up all the research he got from Jonah.  Instead he spat some kind of poison at Malcolm Carlyle and declared war on his family, which, thanks to various treaties and alliances would drag several other families into the conflict as well and it is some weeks later with war in progress and Malcolm still incapacitated that we begin Book 4.

This book also reintroduces us to the two characters Michael and Casey who first appeared in book 2.  Formerly of the social class "Waste", they were elevated into "Serfs" during the annual Lift; Michael on merit due to his extreme intelligence and Casey on Eve's recommendation after she bravely took down a suicide bomber.  Michael is now studying medicine at Stamford university and Casey is in the army.

Before the "Poison" arc starts proper, we have another interlude, this one called "Mercy". It follows the group of nuns who travel around the former US giving medical aid to those who can't otherwise access it.  The story is told via one of the nun's journals as well as computer readouts and online conversations. They are travelling into Hock territory, which is the most hostile of the three that control various parts of the US and Mexico.

The mysterious virus is delivered

The story deals with one of the nuns having a crisis of faith and getting involved with a plan to release a modified virus.  When she meets the person who is to give it to her, they are ambushed and the doctor with the virus kills every one of the soldiers and before dying, injects the virus into the nun.  With no options left to her the nun having fully lost her faith leaves the mission, which appears to be in a warzone now, but ends up being caught by Hock soldiers (it's possible she meant this to happen) and as she is being beaten, a masked Lazarus appears on the scene and destroys her assailants then reveals himself to be Joachim, Morray's Lazarus and that she is "safe now", she tentatively reaches for his hand and her cross swings off it.  Which ends the interlude on a note that will surely be picked up in later issues.

The Poison arc then starts in a place called "Duluth".  Carlye and Hock forces have engaged each other there, Carlyle hold the city and have to stop it falling to Hock or the whole tide of the battle will turn.  Casey's unit is fighting there and pitched combat takes place in the snowy town.

Fighting in Duluth.

Eve is at Carlyle's base in the Southern Sierra Nevada watching her father on a hospital bed the Hock poison that incapacitated him keeps mutating everytime the find a way to stop it. Bethany, Eve's sister, says "he's going to stay like that forever.  Until we either find a cure.. or lose the battle." Eve goes into his room and holds his hand:

Eve: "The war... it isn't going well. You planned for this.. I know you did...you had a plan. What do I do daddy.  Tell me what I should do..."

We then cut to Lazarus Sonia Bittner, her family having come over to Carlyle's side.  She is being purged of all Hock's chemical treatments which is somewhat unpleasant for her.

Eve looks in on Sonia.

Eve comes to check on her, and Sonia says she doesn't like being seen like this.  But Eve reassures her they have both seen each other at their worst.  Sonia thanks her for evacuating her sister and mother and she is grateful.  Eve is then called away to a briefing.

The war briefing mainly focuses on Duluth and how losing it would be "catastrophic".  They'd lose a supply line and Hock would have a foothold in their territory they could resupply from and begin a full blown invasion.  The tactic now is to clear Hocks air defence their so they can safely resupply and reinforce the troops there.  The decision is made to send Eve to Duluth.

Eve leaves and bumps into her sister Johanna who is a little annoyed she wasn't invited to the briefing, Eve brushes her off.  She goes into to see her brother Stephen who as the eldest is running the family now.  Stephen is being reassured by his male lover Rihan that he is a better man than his father.

Johanna, Stephen and Rihan.

Johanna tells Rihan to "fuck yourself off" and he leaves.  Stephen says she's a "full bitch" today. She tells him Rihan needs to know his place, "he's a jumped up serf who landed in your bed.  Not a member of the family".

Irritated, Stephen asks what she wants. She says she wants to help, but he and Eve won't let her and Eve just blew her off. "She not supposed to be able to do that" she says.  Stephen says she should concentrate on keeping her domain secure and leave running the war to him.  She says she gets the feeling that since the Conclave, Eve has been telling him Johanna's help isn't wanted.  But "she's not in charge of the family right now.. you are."

We then find out what Michael has been up to, he's been attending Stamford University. As he walks chatting with a friend, the principal brings Bethany to meet him.  He's been doing some theoretical work on "rapid in vivo predication and response in the HLA-complex".  She tells him to pack a bag and come with her.

Stephen is recruited by Bethany.

Then we hook up with his friend Casey in the barrack at Duluth.  She gets a promotion from Lance Corporal to Coporal for her general badassery.  A new guy joins them and they get "special assignment".  They sit down and are introduced to Eve, who says "you are mine now".

Eve: "Together we are going to secure Duluth and kill every last Hock son of a bitch we can find".

We then jump forwards to Eve taking out a squad of Hock soldiers.  She returns and the whole squad move out on patrol.

A Lazarus in action.

Michael meanwhile has been taken to the Carlyle compound where Malcolm lies in the grip of the Hock poison.  Michael is advised by James that this place holds a lot of top secret work and there are restricted areas he'll be shot if he enters.  He is taken into see Malcolm, and Bethany is there as well.

He examines him and says it's a systemic attack and is it adapting on the genetic level?  Bethany says it is hence their interest in his work. She tells him this is the probably the best equipped research laboratory in the world, he will have anything he needs to cure Malcolm.

Back in Duluth, Eve and the squad hunker down in a wrecked building until nightfall.  Casey asks if Eve remembers her.  Eve gives a potted account of Casey's experiences at the Lift and says, "we both know what it means to fight despite the pain".  Casey smiles to herself.

Then we cut to Johanna meeting up with her brother Jonah's ex-bodyguard. He says she betrayed him, he turned on her brother for her and now he's mopping floors.  She says he can have it all back if he does one little thing for her...

Stephen is talking with a man called Edgar (Morray) about the war situation. Bittner has collapsed in western Europe and D'Souza has been able to focus their attention to his forces in the south.  They need reiforcements.  Stephen isn't sure they can spare anyone.  Edgar says Malcolm had a plan for this, and Stephen says well he didn't share it with him. The conversation ends, and Rihan comes in and comforts Stephen.

Stephen feels the pressure.

At the medical compound, Marisol (Eve's trainer) is helping Sonia Bittner recover from purging all the Hock crap out of her system and getting her back in shape.  Michael is in the room studying and Marisol teases him saying she doesn't know who he is.   But puts him at ease and leaves with Sonia saying it was a pleasure to meet him.

In Duluth, Eve and her squad take down another Hock one.  Eve then says their intel is soft but the first air defence emplacement is about a klick and a half away. Suddenly one of the not quite dead Hock soldiers puts a bullet right through Eve's brain.  The others shoot him then go to their fallen commander who shows no signs of life.

Uh-oh...

The alarms back at the Carlyle medical facility go off to let them know Eve has "died".  There's something wrong.  The unit start squabbling about who's fault it is, turns out it was the new guy.  They anxiously wonder if she'll come around.  Those monitoring her say her core temperature is plummeting, "I think we've lost her."

When the unit realise she might actually be really dead, they decide to carry on their mission.  Casey takes control.  There are protests:

Casey: "We have our mission and we are going to complete it.  So grab your straws and suck it the fuck up."

They move out and leave Eve's body behind taking her sword with them.  Bethany contacts Stephen and tells him that they have lost Eve.  She wants to know if they should activate the "termination protocols."

The first protocol is to recover the body, which Stephen points out is in the middle of a warzone.  Stressed he says he'll inform Johanna who is having dinner with Jonah's former bodyguard Mason.  She authorises him to do something nefarious saying she update his chipset, he's to tell anyone who stops him that he's to escort "her" to Johanna.   He'll then bring her to Vancouver where she'll be waiting to "auction her off to the highest bidder."  Mason reluctantly agrees.

Johanna plots away.

Marisol is supervising Sonia Bittner, who is still weak after her system was purged fully of Hocks chemical enhancements.  Marisol says she is pushing herself too hard, Sonia says "every minute I am not ready is a minute I am not helping". James and Bethany have provided Sonia with new enhancements, which are bought in to her.  Sonia asks if Eve takes these and Marisol says, "since she was very young".

Casey's team creep through he snow in Duluth and make it to the first air battery, "now what?" one of them asks.  Then we cut to a Hock unit finding Eve's body.  Back at the medical facility James realises what happened, Eve stopped taking her treatment regime,  She's still going to recover it's just the process has been "retarded."

And Eve comes to and attacks the soldiers who found her.  She is feral to start with, but as James and Michael monitor her, her memories and personality come back online as well and James sends Michael to fetch Bethany.  He leaves and bumps into Mason who is sneaking about the facility.  Eve takes out the whole unit with ease and stands recovered, thinking about what to do next before walking out into the streets of Duluth.

Lazarus arises.

We then cut to Johanna meeting with family friend Arthur. He tells her Eve was almost lost but they have got her back.  Johanna says Eve might be the "only thing keeping this family standing".  He tells her representatives of the Moray and Carragher family are arrving tommorrow, they are coming to see if Carlyle can still head this alliance.

She says Stephen will reassure them, Arthur says "we both know he won't."  He suggest Bethany would make a better family leader in these circumstances.  She says Stephen won't voluntarily step down, and they'd never convince him.  Arthur shows her something on a computer pad and tells her to talk to him and do it soon.

In Duluth Casey's team move ever closer to their target.   They discuss their plan, and the new guy admits he really doesn't want to be here.  "Join the fucking club" says Casey. At Carlyle headquarters  Johanna finds Stephen's lover Rihan.  She says to him "I know why you haven't told him".  She says she knows he didn't tell Stephen because he might do something rash and send him to James for treatment:

Johanna: "And because you love him as much as he loves you...you don't want to get him into trouble."

Rihan takes the data pad.  He says he and Stephen have been together for twenty years.  Malcolm allows it but they are forbidden to marry. "I'm a serf.  That's all your family will let me be".

He says the tremors are getting worse and he's having a hard time maintaining his balance. Stephen hasn't noticed yet because he's been so overwhelmed with the war. He asks if Johanna is going to tell him.  She say no, she is offering a deal.  We don't find out what it is, because we see Rihan leave.

Johanna plans...

Then Johanna phones the people in charge of the security in the place to tell them she needs an alert putting out for an "illegal chipset". "I need all permission revoked immediately" she says.

Elsewhere, Sonia, Marisol and Michael are relaxing and chatting. Sonia says she has two sisters, Michael says he has none now.  Marisol is an only child.  Sonia says she and her sisters have never met their father, her mother says there would be "no point".  Marisol picks up a message and leaves saying she forgot to take care of something.

Mason is in a restricted area.  Suddenly Marisol attacks him and disarms him when she tells him he doesn't have the priviledges to be there.  He tries to tell her Johanna sent him, but she shoots him in the face.

One loose end dealt with.

Back with Sonia and Michael he asks her about the regime she is on, and that it's the same as Eve's.  He starts thinking because Malcolm would be on a similar treatment regime.  Marisol returns saying Eve is Sonia's favourite subject, when asked if everything is all right, she say "right as rain".

In Duluth, Casey's team finally engage the enemy. Under supressing fire "new guy" sneaks in and attaches an explosive to the air battery.  He slips away and there is a big explosion.  The team pull back and meet up again with New Guy.  Then their escape route is cut off by a tank.  It fires but not at them, at the Hock troops coming up behind them.  When they are all dead, Eve stands up in it and politely asks Casey for her sword back.

Eve sits on the tank and gobble some rations.  Casey tells her they really thought she was dead, she asks what happened "I made a mistake" says Eve (in the previous book Jonah planted the seeds of doubt over just what the treatments she takes are actually for).  They are going to attack another battery tommorrow and she orders them all to get some sleep while she is look-out.

Eve back in control.

The next day, Moray and Carragher arrive with their Lazari  which panics Stephen.  Johanna says to Johanna that they don't trust him with their father at death's door.  He sighs that he thought he'd do better than this.  He says Rihan won't tell him what she promised but she should "do right by him".  Then he goes to the meeting.

Michael goes to see Bethany who is by her father's bedside. He asks for some of her DNA.  She says DNA comparison has been tried and didn't work.  He knows that but because the toxin is so adaptable Hock must have used DNA from a member of the family to create it.   Bethany realises, "he fucking mapped Jonah".  They rush out of the room.

In Duluth Eve and her team use the tank to advance on the next air battery.  It comes under heavy fire and they move on to take a bunker in a strategic position.  The tank is taken out but not before they've blown a hole in the bunker. Then they rush with Eve in the lead and finish the rest off.  Eve tells them to fall back to this position, she's going to take out the fire team.

At the meeting, Carragher points out that their coalition is under fire across the world and it looks like Carlyle territory is about to be overrun and it looks like they are losing the war.  Johanna says "looks can be deceiving".  And things are about to change,

In the Hock control room.

Eve breaches the air support control room and kills everyone inside.  She then broadcasts on the Carlyle frequency that she is in control of target "Greyhound" and that their forces can advance.   The meeting back in headquarters are aso watching as Eve uses that air battery to destroy the final one.  The uplink of it's position has to be done manually and Carragher says she won't have time. "You underestimate my sister" says Johanna.

Casey's team are under heavy fire, and one of the is killed so they fall right back into the bunker.  Another is taken out, now only Casey and one more is left.  Eve takes out the final gun and the air is clear for Carlyle forces to move back into action she orders an air strike on the position she in to take out that gun now it's served it's purpose.

She goes and finds where Casey and the other soldier are holding the line from Hock attack. They move further into the bunker although Eve is hit a few times.  Johanna tells the watching people, "the tide just turned".  And would they like to stay for dinner to dicuss what to do next?

Things look grim for Eve.

After the airstrike Casey and the other one look for Eve.  She's been crushed under some masonry and lost a leg.  She looks quite dead and her sword has been broken.  "She'll come back" says Casey.

Back at the medical facility Michael's idea is working, it seems Malcolm might get better. Marisol appears and says "she's gone walkabout".  When James asks how, Marisol says:

Marisol: "She's a fucking Lazarus.. it was only a matter of time before she slipped the leash".

As they order a lockdown and James goes to track "her", we cut to Sonia Bittner praticing with her sword and suddenly a young girl with a sword walks in and introduces herself, "my name's Forever by the way.  Nice to finally meet you".

A new Eve appears...

And THAT is a cliffhanger!  I'd always been curious as to why Eve was so much younger than the rest of the family but I hadn't realised there would be a Eve production line in operation even though in retrospect it makes perfect sense.  It also makes the lack of love shown to Eve by the rest of her siblings understandable if she's just part of a long line of engineered killers abandoned and replaced when they finally get killed, the bodies used to udpate the next one.  Overall the book is tremendously exciting and great to see humble serfs Michael and Casey continuing to prove their worth to the "masters."  Michael Lark's artwork continues to impress, especially the snowy landscape of Duluth where visibility is almost zero sometimes but you can still tell what's going on.  And he continues to be master of depictions of hand-to-hand combat.  Greg Rucka builds a real web of intrigue with Johanna's machinations at the centre of it, and to be fair she does show more confidence and strength when dealing with the other families than "nice" Stephen does even if Bethany is the one being lined up to take his place.  Using Stephen's partner against him is a low blow, but perhaps neccesary if the war is to be won, and with the prospect of Malcolm recovering, thinks don't look as bleak for Carlyle at the end of the book than at the start.  We have as well as what's going on with the infected nun and the her being rescued up by Morray at the start of the book to be unravelled as well.  Look out for volume five coming soon to this blog.

Lazarus Book 3: Conclave (#10-15)

"We're Lazari. And that makes us different from everyone else in ways they will never understand" - Sir Thomas Huston

Greg Rucka and Michael Lark's series Lazarus has been structured in an interesting way.  The first book introduced us to "Forever Carlyle" or "Eve" as she is also know, a genetically engineered young woman designed to be able to recover from almost any injury bar head removal including briefly dying.  She is the youngest of six children of family partiarch Malcolm Carlyle and in the first book we were told they rule a certain amount of the ex-USA (the western parts and western Canada it seems), where the population are either "Serfs" in the family's direct employ who enjoy benefits and a higher standard of living or "Waste" who are given a subsistence life and exploited for what little the have.  The second book pulled out a little further showing what it meant to be considered Waste and what lengths Waste will go to for elevation to Serfdom in an annual testing program called The Lift.  In both books we're given glimpses of other families, such as Morray to the south and Bittner-Hock to the north who rule Mexico and Eastern Canada/ex-USA respectively. The beginning of Book 3 pulls right out and gives us the world.  And in fact it is not just the ex-USA being ruled by powerful families, every continent has been split amongst powerful monarchal style regimes, we don't yet know why or how this came about apart from a brief mention of "The Disolution Wars" in Book 2, but this Book is devoted to the new politics of this very different world and the important part Eve has to play in it as her role of the family enforcer is severely tested.

Before the Conclave arc starts proper, we get and Intermission which tells of what happened to Jonah, one of Eve's older brothers four months ago, when he and Johanna's (his twin sister) plan to kill Eve and sabotage a deal between Carlyle and Morray  backfired and Johanna framed him as the sole instigator of the plot.  He escaped in a plane and made it as far as the border between Carlyle and Hock before crashing on his side.  He wades over to the Hock territory and the soldiers there ignore his calls for asylum and knock him out. Stripped down to his underwear, Jonah wakes up to find out Jakob Hock is sending a team out to get him so the soldiers return his clothes.  His pleas to speak to Jakob are ignored and he is shackled and flown to the capital of Hock territory, New York.

He is stripped completely naked, beaten and locked in a cell, he can only curl up and whimper that he seeks asylum from his family.  Later he is taken out, hosed down and dressed in prison scrubs and taken to see Jakob Hock.  On the way he hears propaganda about the evils of Carlyle who have apparently have slaves and force women to breed in rape camps, "it's not true" whispers Jonah to himself.  It also appears that the population is controlled via distribution of drugs.

Jonah doesn't get the reception he hoped for.

Jonah finally gets to sit down with Jakob at a meal.  Jakob says it is forty years since he last saw Jonah and he hasn't aged a day.  This is the first reveal that the Carlyle family are very long lived and that nineteen year old Eve is very young in comparison to her siblings.  Johan wants to bargain with Jakob.  But Jakob says he has nothing to bargain with, what he wants from Jonah he can take by force.  Some guards come in and force a sedative down Jonah's throat. 

Later, after Jakob has talked to one of his allied families about ransoming Jonah and forcing Carlyle to call a "Conclave" he orders Jonah's finger cut-off and the Intermission ends with Jonah going under the knife as Jakob's doctors and scientists look for how the Carlyle longevity is acheived and how it can make Jakob young and no longer in need of leg braces again.

The Conclave arc starts proper with a visit to the border of Carlyle and Bittner-Hock's territory.  A woman armed with a sword approaches from the Bittner-Hock side.  The Carlyle soldiers realise she is a "fucking Lazarus", a genetically engineered enforcer like Eve.

Sonia: "My name is Sonia Bittner.  I am sent by my mother with a gift for Carlyle".

She repeats this as the Carlyle soldiers somewhat foolisly challenge her and she kills several. "Tell them I am here" she then says, pointing her sword at them.

Sonia Bittner.

We then join Eve, going through the physical assessments that are part and parcel of life as a genetically engineered superhuman.  She is subdued and when the tests are over she asks James if she is actually a Carlyle, does she have Carlyle blood?  James pauses then laughs and asks if she wants to know if she was adopted, actually he was there at her birth, she is fully Carlyle.  As she leaves though, James looks pensive.

On her way out Eve bumps into Marisol her trainer and surrogate mother figure when she was a child. Marisol is there for a "treatment" to keep her young. "For a human being coming up on ninety, you have to admit I look damn good" she says.  Eve confides in her about the message she got telling her she was not a real Carlyle at the end of book one.  Marisol asks if she traced it.  Eve said she couldn't find a source, but it was obviously from Jonah, fucking with her head as part of his revenge.

Eve is then called and informed about Sonia Bittner's arrival and protocol says Eve should be dealing with this. So she flys up to the border and greets Sonia formally.  Sonia hands over the "gift", it is one of Jonah's fingers. "I am to await your reply" says Sonia.  Eve tells the soldiers to give Sonia all "comfort and courtesies" while she confers with her father Malcolm.

Malcolm reveals that he wanted Jonah to be captured, which is why he didn't send Eve after him, he has a plan he isn't sharing just yet.   Hock has left them with three options, pay the ransom, bring in the other families or fall into open conflict.  The best option is to call all the families together in a Conclave with a neutral family as arbiters. 

The terms of the Conclave are agreed to.

We then get a page where we see Eve and Sonia talking, but hear Malcolm narrating how negotiations will go.  As predicted Sonia agrees to their terms and returns to her territory while Eve comes back to see Malcolm in person. His other children are gathered there as well.  He tells them that Eve and Bethany are going to accompany him to the Conclave while his other children manage the territory while he is gone, Johanna is pissed about this but Bethany says she has to go to keep Eve "maintained".

All the children leave bar Bethany who says that while Eve's growth continues to outpace projections, she is asking questions about who she is and who her family are.  Malcolm muses:

Malcolm: "Someone put that question in her head, Beth.  Someone is making trouble."

As Eve goes to get ready to leave, Johanna catches up with her and says to be careful with Jonah, who lied to them, used them and beat her when he was discovered. As we see Jonah and Jakob disembark from the plane they have travelled in to the location picked to host the Conclave, an oil rig in the North Sea because the Armitage family who run Britain and United Ireland (hah!) are in charge.  Jonah is drugged and shackled and over this image are Johanna's words, "don't forget what he did to both of us... he's not our brother anymore".

Later, Eve is attending to her father while he discusses the situation with a man called Arthur Cohn.  The coversation covers who is opposing and allied with who, the major players being Carlyle's coalition versus Hock's.  Malcolm then asks Eve what she thinks.  A bit taken aback she says she thinks Morray might go over to Hock and that having Jonah for four months means they might have cracked the "longevity code".   Arthur says that if that's the case, despite the food supply Carlyle controls, everyone will go over to Hock if he can give them immortality.  Thoughtfully, Malcolm tells Eve to go and relax before the gala that evening.

Sonia and Eve hang out.

So Eve goes down to the training room and works out on a bag.  Then Sonia, Bittner's Lazarus appears.  They have a pleasant conversation while they spar together. Then a handsome black man appears, he is Xolani, the Nikosi family Lazarus.  He says the others are scared of the Lazari and have supplied them with facilities to keep them out of the way.  Sonia is a bit uncomfortable because Bittner is in oposition to Nikosi.  "It's not the race thing?" he teases.  Then they all spar together.  Xolani ends up in a clinch with Sonia and she stammers that she should be leaving to get ready. Eve smiles and says they should.

Jonah is standing looking miserable.  He is given some food.  He asks what's in it but eats it anyway when told it doesn't matter. Jakob Hock is having his leg braces put on ready for the gala.  Back with the Carlyle's they are all in evenng dress except Eve who feels uncomfortable with wearing a gown, "I'm going to look stupid.  I won't be able to wear my sword."  Malcolm sends her off with Bethany to get her ready, "you can survive knives, guns, poisons.  But you can't manage an evening gown" she says exasperatedly.

Later at the gala, Eve catches the eye of Joachim, the Morray family Lazarus she has a crush on.  Sir Thomas Huston, the Armitage family Lazarus, introduces himself to her and asks if she'll come to the Lazari poker game tonight.  She says if her father allows it. He points out the Rausling family's new Lazarus, a severe looking blonde man called Cristoff Mueller.  Thomas says he needs to be told how things work.

Joachim and Eve dance.

Then Joachim comes up and asks for Eve's hand for a dance.  Shyly she says there is no one on the dance floor.  He just smiles and leads her on there, when she says she doesn't know how to dance, he replies "of course you do".  And under various watchful eyes they twirl together, until others join in and the dancefloor is full of people. Severa Bittner, the head of the family says she wants to talk to Malcolm about changing her alleigance.  He says they'll talk later and leaves the gala with a glass Jakob Hock had drunk out of.

Joachin and Eve make plans to meet later when Jakob Hock interrupts and says he would like the pleasure of a dance with Eve.   She says she doesn't mean to be rude, but will his feet be able to keep up? Jakob says he appreciates her concern, but... and he releases the braces and stands unaided.

Jakob Hock: "As you can see, I'm feeling better than I have in years.  Shall we dance Miss Carlyle?"

We then jump forwards to Eve leaving the gala.  Joachim catches up with her, she says her father needs to know about this turn of events.   Joachim strokes her face and says he'll wait for her at the poker game.

The rest of the Carlyle family figure out their next move.

The rest of the Carlyle family are in conference.  The DNA of Jakob Hock, taken from the glass, is being tested to see if he has used the longevity treatment.  It'll either confirm Jakob has created his own treatment or that he has ripped off theirs, "I've been waiting for this for years.. believe me.  I've accounted for everything" says Malcolm.

Eve bursts in and tells them what happened at the gala.  No one is surprised.  Eve realises this was supposed to happen, "you let him humiliate me" she says.  Malcolm says that wasn't his intent.  Bethany is angry though, "big fucking deal" she says.  She goes on to accuse Eve of "practically riding" Joachim on the dancefloor. Malcolm tells her to apologise to Eve.  Bethany gives an insincere "sorry."

Malcolm then faces Eve and says he should have warned her that Jakob would go for a grand gesture and that he is "very sorry".  Eve says it's OK.  Then Malcolm tells her to go to the Lazari poker game and gives her a kiss on the cheek saying not to stay out too late.

We then cut to the poker game, several of the Lazari are playing.  The game is being hosted by Li Jiaolong of the Li family who run China, Hong Kong, Kazahkstan and Mongolia.  He is an interesting Lazarus because he is physically infirm but appears to have superhuman senses and implied superhuman intelligence and the others seem a bit afraid of him.  The other Lazari, including Eve, Joachim and Alimah - a young Muslim woman who is a bit of an Eve fangirl - watch from the sidelines.

The Lazari poker game.

There is a disagreement during the game from the Rausling family Lazarus, Mueller.  He accuses Li of cheating.   Li gives an analysis of the game and how everyone has played to prove he doesn't need to cheat.  He then implies Mueller has taken virility drugs and he can smell the perfume of a particular woman on him and would he like everyone to know who that is?

Chastened Mueller sits back down. Thomas then says that although their families may be in conflict, they have one thing that unites them, that they are Lazari.  They will do as their families order them to do but it "doesn't mean we'll have to like it".  And the game continues.

Joachim asks Eve to accompany him on a walk.  She says she is worried his family will go back to Hock.  Joachim says that will never happen.  Then he says he would very much like to kiss her.  And they snog.  They part and Eve asks anxiously if she did it right.  He says very much so.  She says he is her first kiss.  And then he becomes her second and third one.

Eve and Joachim share an intimate moment.

Next day the families are all in conference so their Lazari are hanging around waiting.  Sonia comes and sits next to Eve.  She notes that Eve left with Joachim and asks if she and Joachim are...?   And Eve says  "I think so.  I hope so".  Sonia says she hopes Jonah will be returned to her and no escalation will occur.  Eve asks her what she means?  And she says she overheard that if Hock has what the Carlyle's have, Morray will return to them.  Eve looks upset.  The families adjourn for now.

Back in the Carlyle quarters, they have the DNA analysis and it definitely has some of their work in it.  But it'll be difficult to prove what is proprietry and what isn't.  Hock was part of the Longevity Project at its start and will argue he has made the discoveries on his own.   Malcolm pinches his brow and says "not ideal, but expected". 
Then he goes to speak with Eve privately. He says he needs her to do something only she can do. It'll be difficult and dangerous.

Malcolm: "There is no room for error or hesitation. Believe me when I say either will bring ruin to our family".

Eve then makes like James Bond and moving round the outside of the rig and finds Jonah alone in his room.  Mumbling to himself he says he doesn't want to be hurt anymore.  "It's funny" says Eve as she comes up behind him, "I've thought the same thing more times than I can count."  Jonah hugs her, practically weeping that he is so sorry about everything. "So am I" says Eve to him and injects him with a sedative in his back.

Eve drugs Jonah.

Eve drags him into a secluded area zipped up in a bag.  She opens it and he gets out, now wide awake.  She forces him to his knees and gets out her gun and he realises what she is going to do. "Father sent you to kill me" he says sadly.  He begs her that he doesn't want to die and she gets mad and punches him.

She says he's only still alive because he has something she wants, when the alarm is sounded that he is gone, he gets a bullet to the brain and dumped on the seafloor.  She tells him he tried to kill her and her father and betrayed the family as well as badly beating Johanna.  Jonah pleads guilty to everything except beating Johanna, he says he loves her and everything he did was for her.

She shows him the email saying she is not part of the family she has been brooding over since Book 1.  She asks if Jo could have sent it.  Jonah doesn't know.  Then Eve demands to know if it is true?

Jonah: "You were grown in a fucking lab.  Bethany and James made you to father's order.  You're not his daughter.  You're his tool.!"

He immediately regrets saying that, noting that their father probably loves her most of his children. She thanks him for telling the truth then points her gun at him again.  Jonah says she doesn't have to do this.  Eve says she does, "It... hurts when I don't Jonah".  He says it's the drugs, she is medicated into loving them.  She is still going to kill him and he says if she lets him live she'll never have cause to regret he was her brother.  Then the alarm sounds.

Eve: "I have to make it look like Hock did it you understand?  It's what father told me to do".
Jonah: "And we must always do as we are told".

We then cut to Armitage's security forces sweeping the place for signs of Jonah.   When we return to Jonah and Eve she's put him in some sort of inflatable suit.  She says the storm should hide him and if he can get to a current he can let that carry him along.  She says it may not work.  Jonah asks if it is scary to die? "Only the first time" she responds.  They embrace and he thanks her.  Then he drops off the rig and into the sea.

Eve decides to spare Jonah.

Eve makes it back unseen to the Carlyle quarters. Lockdown is lifted and everyone is being summoned to the main hall.  When James asks how she feels, Eve says she "feels fine".  But in the shower she punches a wall hard enough to crack the tiles and numbly regards her wounds which are immediately healing.

Everyone bar Malcolm has gone to the main hall when she comes out of the shower in her official uniform.  Malcolm says he wanted a word in private with her.  He says stealing the evacuation suit was "inspired".  Now it looks like Hock is trying to cover up Jonah's murder by implying he disappeared.  He says it must have been hard killing Jonah, he has also lost a son now as well.  By his calculations there is one thing left to do that he knows Eve won't let him down doing.

In the main hall are all the families and their Lazari.  Armitage says the preliminary investigation has found that Johan is no longer aboard the rig. Because the Conclave was called to deal with his safe return, Hock must now answer for his loss of Jonah.  Angrily Hock says it's all Carlyle plot to discredit him.

He knows Hock has cracked the longevity code and is scared because his power over the other families is lost.   He asks the other families to stand with him and end the Carlyle "scientific tyranny". Malcolm says Hock had Jonah murdered to cover up the fact Hock stole the longevity code from his body.  This is serious stuff as theft of a family's source of wealth is "grounds for war."

Jakob tries to deflect blame onto Carlyle.

Hock refuses to hand over a sample of his blood for testing, and says he wants to resolve things another way. A trial by combat.  Malcolm says Hock has no Lazarus to fight with.  Hock asks of the other families who will fight on his behalf.  No one steps forward.  So Hock picks Sonia Bittner, even though it looks like Bittner is going over to Carlyle after the Conclave he can still use her Lazarus now.

Malcolm gives Eve a pep talk saying Sonia will not let their friendship get in the way of defeating Eve, especially given that Hock is threatening her mother.  The terms are set, if Carlyle wins, Hock will surrender all the research and technology related to the longevity code.  Hock in return demands Eve as his prize alive or dead, she'll be useful either way.  And with that, Sonia and Eve both armed with swords, reluctantly begin to fight.

We then get a multiple page, beautifully choreographed, completely dialogue free fight scene showing how the precise movements of the blades to start with, degenerate into grapples and punches as they get bloodier and more desperate as the fight wears on.  Sonia manages to wrestle Eve's sword out of her hands, but Eve gets it back and ends the fight by spearing it through Sonia's torso.  Eve goes to finish her off with her knife when Sonia's mother yells to stop and that the fight is clearly over.

Sonia and Eve fight.

Malcolm stops Eve and immediately she goes to help Sonia, pulling the sword out of her and congratulating her performance.  Sonia says Eve's sword is so light, she did not know what to do with it. "You knew enough to make me pay to get it back" says Eve.  Malcolm says Hock must yield.  But Hock says "Never!" He wants the combat to end in death, Armitage says the terms said nothing about the death of the combatants and that Hock must hand over all that they have stolen or "face the consequences".

Hock spits something green in Malcolm's face saying that's all he gets from him. "I defy this Conclave.  This charade.  If this is grounds for war, so be it".  And he leaves saying he'd see the world burn before having it fall to Carlyle.  Then Malcolm collapses, frothing at the mouth.   Eve holds him and says "Father? Please father... say something. Please daddy.  Please..."

Jakob Hock:  A total dick.

And that brings this exciting volume to an end.  What I like so much about this series is it always throws up new and exciting plot points that you hope will be addressed in the futre, such as what catastrophe befell the world that it's population now seems to number in the millions rather than billions, and how one family can run so much physical landmass effectively.  How did the world get divided into the relative well off under the families and the rest become little more than slaves.  It's all fascinating food for thought.  This volume is pacy and exciting and it's cool meeting all the different Lazari and the bond they share.  Eve's shy courtship with Joachim is charming and shows a completely different side to her than the all business enforcer who will carry out assassinations and fight a friend to the death if ordered too, also Joachim's gentle manner with her and checking her consent at every stage is very sexy. I'm not into guys myself, but he's attractive to me now thanks to how he treats her here.  Also we do get to see her just-following-orders side as well, in a fantastic fight scene by Michael Lark the series artist who has an amazing sense of visual pacing and Greg Rucka writes very much to his strengths.  I'm glad Sonia was allowed to live, Eve needs good friends badly.  Of course Eve sparing Jonah is going to have repercussions for her, but will he stay true to his word and never let her regret saving him?  We shall see I am sure.  With Jakob we finally get a shade of black in a world that is most definitely shaded different types of grey, a truly nasty piece of work and quickly becomes a formidable baddie.  In the meantime I hope you'll join me for volume four in a couple of months when we find the world at war and Malcolm still incapacitated by the poison Jakob spat at him and more revelations on just what it means to be the Carlyle family Lazarus.

Lazarus Book 2: Lift (#5-9)

"This is how you represent my family?  I should take your heads and see each of your families sent down" - Eve Carlyle

This is the second volume of writer Greg Rucka and artist Michael Lark's series about a dystopian future where the USA is carved up between financially powerful families who currently have an uneasy truce between them.  The population is either lucky enough to be in their direct employ and called "Serfs" who have a higher standard of living. Otherwise they are regarded as "Waste" who are given a subsistence level of life, heavily exploited and pretty much left to rot.  The main character is Forever "Eve" Carlyle, the nineteen year old titular "Lazarus", a genetically engineered human able to recover quickly from horrendous injury and even death and acts as head enforcer for the Carlyle family.  She is the youngest of the five children of family head Malcolm Carlyle, at the end of book one she received a mysterious email saying "He is not your father.  They are not your family".  In book one, one of her brothers, Jonah and her sister Johanna tried to provoke a war with a rival family and attempted to kill Eve in the process.  They failed, Johanna managed to frame Jonah and he fled, as she was successful in deflecting suspicion from herself onto him. In this volume we learn a little about Eve's childhood and upbringing as well as what it is like to be considered Waste and the desperation that drives them to try and become Serfs as Rucka and Lark start filling in more of the background to their story.

Each chapter starts with a flashback to Eve's childhood.  On this occasion her father has come to see her.  She runs up excitedly to him, but he scolds her saying that is no way to greet him.  She becomes more formal, "Yes sir. Sorry sir." He shows her the family sword and says she needs to prove herself worthy of carrying it by beating her tutor Marisol in a duel with wooden swords.  They fight and Eve loses.  Malcolm says to her that if she doesn't prove herself worthy next time he visist, "you'll no longer be permitted to call yourself my daughter."

Young Eve, her dad and Marisol.

In the present, Eve is apologising to the daughter of the man she executed in book one, who admitted to spying even though he was innocent to protect his family.  The woman thanks Eve saying it means a lot to her that she said sorry. 

Eve then travels out to the wreckage of a helicopter/plane hybrid called a "Dragon" which Jonah had used to escape in.  He'd ditched it on their side of the river bordering the territory of Bittner-Hock.  Some soldiers have gathered on the opposite banks and are cat calling them.

One of them shoots Eve in the back.  Unruffled, she says that if the person who did that did it under orders then "that means the armistice is broken and we are now at war."  If however the rogue soldier acted alone, and is punished, honour would be satisfied.  The soldiers turn on their comrade and despite his protestations kill him to avoid sparking a war.

War is averted

Elsewhere in the Carlyle territory a flood is on its way.  A husband, wife and two adult kids - Waste - are trying to call for help in protecting their home, but the service they require is unavaliable and they realise they are going to lose everything when the river breaks its banks.

In South Central LA, Johanna is overseeing the construction of a temporary facility to test Waste to see who has potential to become Serfs, or "The Lift" as it is known.  The line waiting to be seen is already about a mile long.  Eve reports in about Jonah, Johanna thinks he hasn't gone over to Bittner-Hock.  "It's how it looks" responds Eve thoughtfully.

Johanna says that Eve is there at the behest of their father, babysitting her because he doesn't trust her over the Jonah plot and subsequent fleeing.  Eve mutters darkly, "Father doesn't tell me his thoughts, Jo."  Later that night she restlessly broods over the mystery email.

But what does it mean?

Back with the Waste family, the flood has levelled their entire house.  Everything is gone, just a mound of rubble left and a communications terminal informing the item they needed to save the house is now availiable to them.

Another flashback.  We see Eve exercising, training and being checked over as Marisol and James talk in voiceover.  Marisol says Eve really believes her father would disown her, "that's never going to happen" she insists.  James says Malcolm is just pushing Eve's buttons.  "It's no way to raise a child" says Marisol before retiring to bed. 

James is left contemplating a room with the light still on opposite.  He goes and finds Eve doing press-ups while conjugating Latin verbs.  Jason puts her to bed, and Eve asks why she can't remember her mother and why do her siblings, bar Bethany, never visit.  James says managing the territory is a huge responsibility, one that she'll be shouldering to when she is older.

In the present, Eve takes her daily dose of tablets and looks at the mysterious email again.  At the headquarters of The Lift a news crew is covering the setup.  The reporter asks if Eve will appear as well, but Johanna says their father doesn't allow Eve to appear on TV or in pictures.  Eve goes for a check round the perimeter and once outside her brow furrows in deep thought.

Joe and Bobbie, left homeless.

The Waste families left with nothing after the flood are trying to figure out what to do.  They can be given the materials to rebuild but at enormous cost, their children would still be paying the debt years in the future.  The Waste family who we shall be following is made up of parents Joe and Bobbie, daughter Leigh and son Mike. 

The grandaughter of another Waste called Casey flirts with Mike and Leigh has to encourage him to go talk to her in private.  As the adults discuss the terms they have been offered, Leigh notices the message on the terminal about The Lift and calls their attention to it.

Night time at The Lift headquarters, a pretty woman offers herself up to two guards.  While she keeps them distracted, three miscreants sneak past and steal some supplies.  Watching all this from above is Eve.  She lets the theives get away for now and goes and breaks up the sexual congress going on.

She tells the guards they are already facing charges of dereliction of duty, so they shouldn't make things worse with excuses.  Eve tells the woman she knows who stole the stuff and what they stole, but she is "going to tell me where they took it and what they plan to do with it".
The Waste family have come to a decision.  They are going to travel the five hundred miles to try for The Lift in the nearest city.  Casey's grandfather rides up and says he wants Casey to go with them, that way maybe "she's got a future."  They are on foot and on horseback, it is projected to take them fifteen days.  "Time to get started" says Joe, and they all set off.

Travelling to The Lift.

Back in Eve's past Marisol tells her about the "Dissolution War" she fought in.  When Eve asks if she was scared, Marisol says:

Marisol: "Before the fighting I was scared.  Always.  And maybe surprisingly sometimes after. But never during."

They meditate and Eve says she is scared.  But Marisol says she is a warrior for her family, "pain will always be part of your life."  Overcoming that pain will make her great. Then Marisol beats her with a cane. Eve then asks if she should kill Marisol if her father orders it, Marisol says, "you do as your father orders."  Would Marisol kill Eve if ordered?  She says yes.  "Don't tell him I cried" says Eve, tears running down her cheeks.  Marisol comforts her saying she won't.

In the present, the woman who was using sex as a lure, named Emma, is in a holding cell in the Twin Palisades residence.  She has no chip in her, so no identity.  Eve goes in to talk to her and says the lack of chip means she is either an illega; immigrant or she had her chip wiped deliberately.  Which means she is a spy and/or a terrorist.

Emma is unhelpful.

Emma snarls that she did nothing wrong, but Eve says the material stolen during her extraction is part of the components to build a powerful IED (bomb).  Emma shuts down saying she has nothing to lose, Eve's family has already taken everything from her.

The Waste family make camp one night.  Joe tells Casey she can call him "father" if she wants, he promised her grandfather he'd treat her like one of the family.  Then he sends her off to help Mike.  Bobbie laughs at his match-making.  Later Casey, Mike and Leigh are sat in a tent together.  Sick of the lovey dovey talk, Leigh goes to check on the horses.  Unfortunately at the same time bandits attack and she is shot in the back, dying in her fathers arms after they repel the attackers.

Leigh is killed by bandits.

Eve promotes the commander of Harvest One to head of security at the L.A. garrison.  She wants him to do two things, first root out corruption in the ranks and secondly find the terrorist cell.  Johanna thinks she might be able to reach Emma and goes in to see her.  She flatters her, and calls her beautiful and maybe she could be an actress.  Of course she'd have to be lifted to Serfdom as well as her family.  So, does she have anything to trade for this new life?

The Waste family trudge on in the rain, towards their goal in Denver.  They crest a hill and bear witness to a huge long line of Waste all making their way to the same place, all hoping to be elevated to Serf class.

Another flashback to Eve's tenth birthday.  She is running a simulation where she chops her way through a gauntlet of enemies.  Watching her is Marisol and her father.  He wants to know if Eve can beat Marisol in a fight yet.  Marisol says no.  Malcolm then departs saying he was never here but leaves a gift for Eve.

Malcolm: "I'll be back in thirty days.  She that she's ready by then."

Eve enjoys her birthday cake and unwraps her gift from her dad, it is a copy of "The Once And Future King".

Storming the terror cell.

In the present, Emma gave up the cell's location.  However Angel isn't there nor is the bomb as the soldiers discover when they storm the place and immobilise the terrorists.  Eve comes in and tells them Emma talked, now it's their turn.

Four days from The Lift, Mike's first aid skills are bringing him some attention.  As well as tending to his father's shotgun wound, he has been dealing with cuts and bruises and even resetting bones.  Casey is running messages up and down the line in return for fresh water.

Mike's talents bring him to the attention of the convoy's official healers, the nuns.  They offer Mike a place with them and will allow his family to ride with them where it is safe.  Mike agrees on one condition - he gets a decent pair of spectacles.

Mike and the high tech nuns.

That night Eve is standing by the pool holding her sword, deep in thought.  Johanna comes up and asks her what's on her mind.  Eve is concerned the IED and Angel are still out there.  They interrogated the two terrorists, one didn't speak, the other broke hard and that has thrown Eve a bit off balance. 

She has discovered that the target is The Lift in Denver.  She wants the lift called off, as over one hundred thousand people will be there.  She tries to reason with her father who refuses to cancel.  She's the head of security so it's her job to sort it out with minimum fuss.

Malcolm: "This sounds remarkably like excuses for failure.  Are you now telling me you intend to fail?"

He sends her off to Denver to check things out and not to contact him until the terrorist is dead.  Mike has settled into his new role with the nuns quickly.  Casey is still running messages up and down the line, occasionally getting into a shouting match with the driver of the pimp mobile.  She bumps into a man and knocks his briefcase to the floor. She apologises profusely and picks up the case which the man snatches back.  She introduces herself to him as Casey.  He tells her his name is Angel.

Young Eve defeats Marisol.

One last trip to the past.  Malcolm arrives at the bunker and orders Eve and Marisol to fight.  With real swords this time as well.  They clash with Marisol saying encouraging things to her as they fight.  Finally Eve dodges a swing and slashes Marisol across the back of her leg disabling her.  "Why didn't you kill her?" asks Malcolm.  Eve says she did as she was told and defeated Marisol. She wasn't told to kill her.  Malcolm accepts this and presents her with the family sword.

In the present day, Eve oversees the surveillance cameras trying to identify Angel via facial recognition, though he has most likely used mud or paint to disguise himself.  At the Denver family home, two aides are trying to convince Stephen not to attend The Lift, but he is determined.  He says "you and Forever overstate my importance".  This is his domain and he ha a job to do.  Eve assigns a Dagger team to protect him which he agrees to.

At the camp in Denver things are very chaotic.  The nuns take Mike and Casey and his mum to priority selection, his dad stays with the horses and their things.  They get to jump to the front of the queue and through a door marked "A".  The nuns admit they work as talent spotters for Carlyle although they can't influence if they pass the tests or not.

Casey and Mike step closer to Serfdom.

Selection involves a physical exam screening out potential for disease later in life.  Some with "bad genes" are still allowed through if they have a greater potential to be useful.  Then the candidates brains are tested, although promising candidates who are illiterate aren't automatically kicked out either.

They run a battery of tests against the clock, after these many people are dismissed from the process as not up to scratch.  The remaining ones get examined some more, with dismissal hanging over them for any reason at any time.  Stephen meanwhile, gives his speech to the gathered masses while Eve prowls the crowds. Casey runs into her absolutely furious that she has been rejected from The Lift for having the potential to develop breast cancer later in life.

After giving Eve an earful she stomps off and into a side alley where she bumps into Angel. She sees the bomb round his body but before she can warn anyone he stabs her and leaves her for dead.  Mike finishes another round of tests and goes through a door into a room with "Congratulations" written on the wall.  He has done it, he is now a Serf in the service of the Carlyle family.  Talking with Stephen he says he is hoping to go into something in the medical field.  They send people out to find his family who can join him.

When Angel appears in the middle of the crowd he starts stuttering out a speech, but Eve jumps on him and they tussle with Eve trying not to set the bomb off.  Then a badly injured Casey comes up behind him and stabs him before collapsing herself.  She wakes up in hospital to the news that her heroism has seen her elevated to Serfdom on merit.  Mike is sat with her and tells her, "we work for the family now."  End book two.

Casey saves the day.

Another winner from Rucka and Lark.  By expanding the view of the world from the haves of the Carlyle family to the have nots of the Waste trying for one desperate shot at a better standard of living, the world in which they live is painted in greater detail.  Eve's childhood under the care of Marisol and her desperate need to feel love from a father who seems to have a hard time expressing it are fascinating glimpses into what has made her the efficient and loyal soldier she is for the family now.  Some tantalising hints are dropped as to what caused this world to become the way it is now that I would like to see elaborated upon in books to come and the new characters introduced in this book - bookish Mike and firey Casey look like they'll drive some interesting stories in the future.  The existence of a resistance movement dedicated to protesting the status quo is an inevitable side effect of such an unequal society and Eve is ruthless in dealing with them which almost makes you feel you're identifying with the bad guys.  It goes without saying that it looks fantastic, Lark's moody and gritty art complements the dystopian feel beautifully.  If you're interested in sci-fi with a more realistic bent than that of say Saga, this is definitely worth checking out.