Sole Chaos

by William Oday

  How fragile a human could be.

  How perfectly suited to us our environment had to be.

  She gritted her teeth and got to work.

  The flesh was weak, but the mind was strong.

  The will to survive had been honed to a razor edge over tens of thousands of years. The last few hundred years had placed a thin layer of cotton over the top, but nothing more. Below the soft exterior, there remained abundant steel.

  Beyond the comfort and convenience that most people considered a birth right in the modern day, there lived a hard reality.

  One that didn’t care about expectations of privilege or health. That was the stone upon which humanity failed or flourished.

  And though many bled and died on that stone, many more survived long enough for the species to evolve.

  To adapt.

  To fight.

  To never quit, even in the face of impossible odds.

  Emily heaved up one of the poles and planted it in the sand pit she’d dug. Only a few feet away from the fire and already her fingers were getting numb.

  She settled the vertical pole into place and kicked sand around the base to anchor it. After working until her fingers, hands, and limbs were definitely numb, she finally had a basic structure built. Two vertical poles with branch points so even a carpenter could’ve set a level on it and been impressed.

  Okay, maybe not.

  But they were close enough to the keep the larger ridge pole straddling them more or less parallel to the ground. With the ridgepole no more than three feet off the ground, it wasn’t going to win any comfort awards. But it would keep the small pocket of air warm, and that would keep her alive.

  Next was the insulation. The smaller branches hadn’t been stripped and so were large fans of twigs ending in a thick layer of pine needles.

  She hefted one up and got the end hooked over the ridgepole. With enough of these, she’d have a proper shelter with a warm fire on the doorstep.

  The fire crackled in response like a living being.

  She glanced over and started when she saw the dying flames. She’d been so focused on the shelter, the fire had burned down and was almost out.

  After a few frantic minutes of feeding smaller kindling in and then raising the ante as the flames grew stronger, she again had a bright beast burning.

  And it was a beast.

  As alive as any animal that walked the earth.

  As nurturing as any mother.

  As firm as any father.

  As temperamental as any heart.

  As calculating as any mind.

  Emily tried to swallow but the attempt didn’t make it past her tongue. A wave of dizziness swept over her and she plopped down to avoid falling over like a felled tree.

  She hugged her knees and focused on slowing her racing heartbeat.

  A glare in the dark distance out over the ocean caught her attention.

  A column of fire climbed into the sky. The hot yellow glow burned into the surrounding black. The light leaked to the far corners of the horizon. It reached higher and higher and then burned itself out.

  It vanished as quickly as it had appeared and the shadows reclaimed the night.

  Emily stared into the black with the image of the fire still ghosting in her vision.

  What was that?

  Obviously an explosion of some kind.

  Nuclear?

  No. It didn’t look that big.

  What would cause an explosion like that?

  Maybe if an oil tanker or refinery or something like that blew up.

  Whatever it was, it meant there were people in that direction. Assuming somebody was still alive.

  She grabbed a nearby stick and laid it in the sand pointing in the direction where the fire had been. She grabbed a few more and pounded in stakes on each side to ensure the bearing wouldn’t be lost by an accidental kick.

  An icy wind gusted through, stinging her cheeks.

  She had to finish this shelter and tuck in for the night. That would keep her alive until morning.

  After that, it was all about finding some water.

  And if she somehow miraculously figured out a way to make it off this island, the stick pointed in the direction she’d be heading.

  24

  BOB grabbed his knees and took a deep breath. The walk to downtown that morning had really taken it out of his already pathetically weak limbs.

  “You okay?” Rome said from a few feet ahead. The simple sentiment of the words and the tone in which they were expressed couldn’t have been further apart. He scanned the road in both directions for oncoming traffic.

  If anyone was out driving at this late hour, they were up to no good. That much was certain

  “Come on. It’s another block up around the bend on Monashka.”

  Between heaving breaths, Bob answered. “You do remember that I, one, am old? And, two, almost died recently?”

  Even in the dark of night with no moon and few stars bright enough to penetrate the haze, Bob saw the flash of anger streak through the kid’s eyes. “You do remember that I, one, don’t care? And, two, don’t need to be reminded by you of all people about recent events?”

  Bob raised a hand in surrender, even as the other clamped harder onto his knee to shoulder the added weight. “I’m sorry.”

  “We’re already late,” Rome said as he spun around and continued forward along the road.

  There was zero chance Bob was going to hang out alone in the pitch black in an area he’d never been. And that was before considering the possibility of running into one of CB’s gang members. They’d gotten wildly lucky to escape one encounter.

  They weren’t going to get that lucky again.

  Bob pushed upright and started off, doing his best to keep pace with a kid that was a quarter of his age. If he hadn’t been so overweight, it would’ve been an impossible task. But as it was, he managed to keep up.

  They made it around the bend in the road and their destination came into view.

  The Gas & Go on the less frequented north end of town.

  They’d run into a man named Henry on their way back to the apartment after escaping the gang members. He’d told them about the meeting tonight and explained that it was a good spot being so far from where CB’s gang was holed up at the Kodiak Brewery downtown.

  As Rome drew near to the service station, a voice called out in the night. “Identify yourself!”

  Bob looked around but didn’t see where the speaker was.

  “It’s me!” Rome said in a whisper shout.

  “Who’s me?”

  “Rome Bickle. Is that you, Henry?”

  “Who’s that coming up behind you?”

  “Bob. The old guy I was with when we ran into you.”

  “Alright, they’re good,” Henry said as he emerged from the pitch black shadows in the thicket of towering spruce to their right. A man Bob didn’t recognize stepped out behind him.

  Notably, both men held high-powered rifles that were casually held at their sides and aimed at the ground.

  Guns not pointing in theirs faces was a big improvement considering the events of the day.

  Henry clapped Rome on the back. “Glad you could make it, son. We’re gonna need every able body we can get.” He glanced past Rome and tossed a curt nod to Bob.

  “Hello again,” Bob said. “Thanks for inviting us.”

  Henry spat a glob of dark juice on the pavement before turning to Rome. “Anyway, follow me inside.”

  They headed toward the small store up front when a faint glow swept across the ground. “Someone’s coming,” Henry shouted. “Get inside! Hurry!” He yanked the door open and ushered them through as a vehicle came around the bend and headlights flooded the area with light.

  Bob had to pinch his eyes shut at the sting of the adjustment.

  “Get behind the counter,” Henry said as he herded them both forward.

  The vehicle outside squealed to a stop with the lights pointed at t
he store and pouring light through the large glass windows. “Hello?” a voice outside shouted.

  Henry eased his rifle over the counter, making sure to stay in the shadow behind the cash register.

  “Is anyone there?”

  Another voice joined the first. “Are you sure this is the place? How do you know? Isn’t there another one of these somewhere? Maybe it’s the other one.”

  “Doctor, let me do my job and you do yours. Now, please get back into the vehicle. Doctor! What are you—”

  The bells tied to the front door tinkled as it swept open. “It’s unlocked.”

  The sound of pounding boots approached and the first voice replied. “Get behind me. I didn’t agree to this operation with you in the lead.”

  Henry shifted the rifle over to aim down the aisle where the two men would soon be. He moved his foot as he did and his cowboy boot landed on Bob’s pinkie.

  A stabbing pain shot up Bob’s arm and he grunted before he could stop himself.

  The sound of quick shuffling movement. “Who’s there?” the first voice shouted as a bright beam of light swept back and forth through the air above them.

  “Drop your weapon!” Henry replied. “I’ve got you dead to rights!”

  “Stop!” the second voice said. “We don’t have time for this! I am Dr. Yong from Project Hermes. Police Chief Stuckey and I have an arrangement for me to be here tonight.”

  “Oh, why didn’t you say so?” Henry said as he stood up and nodded for Bob and Rome to do the same. “He told me to expect you. Now why don’t you do something smart for a change and go turn off your headlights! And park your Rover around the side. You’re literally spotlighting our secret meeting, for Chrissakes!”

  “Sorry,” Dr. Yong replied. “Sergeant Moretti?”

  “On it,” the large man in a dark blue uniform said as he jogged outside. The headlights shut off and the vehicle creeped out of sight.

  The door to the back room flew open and Stuckey barreled through with a shotgun raised and ready. He glanced a few times between the two groups before lowering his voice. “You must be Dr. Yong.”

  “That is correct.”

  Stuckey marched over and shook his hand. “Thanks for coming.”

  “It was the least I could do.”

  Sergeant Moretti entered and took up a position beside the frail-looking doctor.

  Who was this guy?

  What was Project Hermes?

  Your typical family physician didn’t merit the need for a bodyguard.

  Stuckey gestured toward the door at the back by the soda machine. “Everyone’s here. I need you to tell them what you told me.”

  Dr. Yong nodded. “That’s one of the reasons I’m here.”

  25

  The utility room at the back of the service station couldn’t have been more than twenty feet by fifteen feet. And nearly every square foot was packed with people. Shoulder to shoulder where a movement in one place caused a chain reaction of movements that echoed through the space like a ripple across a pond.

  It reminded Bob of the dance clubs he used to take his ex-wife to. She’d loved getting high on coke and then grinding on him all night long.

  Not being opposed to either past time, he’d enjoyed every minute of it.

  The problem arose when he’d discovered her fascination was more about the drugs and the screwing than it was about him.

  When the nukes dropped, Bob had initially hoped his cheating ex-wife and ex-best friend had died in the onslaught. But after surviving six days now after the end of the world, he realized that the worse fate was to continue living.

  Dying was easy.

  Living was hell.

  And it was only going to get worse.

  So now, whenever either of their wretched, lying faces bounced across the surface of his mind, he wished them long and miserable lives.

  “Scoot over,” Rome said as he elbowed Bob to the side. “Not enough room in here for big people.”

  The stink of unwashed bodies permeated the air, but the acrid scent of cigarette smoke cut through it.

  The group filed inside with Chief Stuckey bringing up the rear. He closed the door behind him and frowned when he turned back around. “Who the hell is smoking?”

  The two dozen or so people assembled murmured a second before a small voice spoke up.

  “Me. Sorry, my vape doesn’t work anymore.”

  Stuckey bulldozed through the crowd until he arrived to face the culprit.

  The crowd shrank away from the confrontation and Bob nearly spat venom when he saw the smoker.

  The long-haired greasy scumbag who owned The Weary Traveler. The same one that had stolen the pistol. Yes, the pistol that he too had admittedly stolen. But that didn’t make the guy blameless. He’d stolen the gun and then threatened to kick Bob out on the street!

  Chief Stuckey grabbed the burning cigarette out of the guy’s hand. “Ronnie, this is a gas station! No open flames near gas!” He threw it on the floor and ground it out with his boot. “Go out front and help Henry fill up every gas can that needs it.”

  “What?’ Ronnie said as he ran his fingers through hair that hadn’t been regularly washed long before the end of the world made it harder to do so. “I wanna know what’s happening in this town, just like everyone else here.”

  “One of us will catch you up, later. Your idiocy has nominated you to be Henry’s helper. Go help him.”

  Ronnie stood motionless, a snarl on his face.

  “Now!” Stuckey thundered so loud Ronnie flinched like he’d been hit by lightning.

  The coward bolted out of the room.

  “Everyone, thanks for coming,” Stuckey said as he edged toward the less crowded side where Dr. Yong and his bodyguard stood. “I originally called this meeting to organize a resistance.”

  “That gang is tearing this town apart! I say we kill ‘em all!”

  “I heard some fella named CB is the leader. Let’s find him and string him up!”

  There were shouts of approval and other suggestions of the best way to deal with the gang leader.

  Stuckey waved everyone to silence. “That’s not why we’re here anymore. Bennett, raise your hand.”

  A man near the back raised his hand.

  “I went by Bennett’s place this afternoon to recruit him to the meeting. Turned out he had a working HAM radio.”

  “That’s right,” the man said. “Had all my gear in a Faraday Cage. Folks called me crazy. They don’t anymore.”

  “Yes, well, he had me listen to a transmission that’s changed the course of this meeting.” Chief Stuckey turned to Dr. Yong. “Doctor, can you tell everybody what we’re facing?”

  “Of course,” Dr. Yong said with a subtle bow. He turned to face the crowd and scanned their faces.

  Bob did the same.

  There was a strange concoction of anticipation and mistrust painted on most faces.

  “My name is Dr. Zhang Yong. I am the assis… I am the Director of Project Hermes.”

  “I knew it!” someone called out. “I knew that place was real.”

  Bennett shrugged. “I knew it was real the whole time.”

  Dr. Yong adjusted his glasses while the bodyguard scanned the crowd for threats. The doctor continued. “I assure you. Project Hermes is quite real. We are located in an underground complex at the interior of the island. The project has been running for over ten years.”

  “Yep,” Bennett said with a self-satisfied grin. “Knew it. You folks found aliens. Been experimenting on ‘em the whole time.”

  “They found aliens?” another voice said.

  “Course they did,” Bennett assured him.

  “I can’t tell you anything specific about our work at the moment,” Dr. Yong continued. “What I can tell you is that the facility has hardened electrical infrastructure and, for the most part, our equipment survived the closest EMP released in space six days ago.”

  “Closest?” someone said. “How many were there?”


  “Quiet down, everyone!” Stuckey bellowed. “This is important.”

  “Thank you, chief,” Dr. Yong said with a nod. “The crucial thing is that we have working meteorological equipment and that gear has spotted a problem. Due to the prevailing wind patterns and dominant cold fronts, there is a massive amount of radioactive fallout headed this way.”

  A chorus of voices broke out.

  Bob’s wasn’t one of them.

  He closed his eyes. Of course, there was. No matter how bad you thought it was, it could always get worse. His ex-wife had taught him that valuable lesson. She was like Buddha dishing out all the life lessons, only sexier and perverted and with no moral compass.

  “Quiet down, folks!” Stuckey shouted until the assembled mass complied.

  “From what we’ve gathered, a large number of nuclear warheads hit Tokyo, Japan. Likely fired from China and possibly Russia as well. Tokyo is gone. Wiped from the map. And all the radioactive particles that got sucked up into the atmosphere from that catastrophe will arrive here in approximately thirty six hours.”

  More shouting ensued, until Stuckey again got them all to quiet down.

  “So you’re saying it’s going to rain poison or something on us?”

  Dr. Yong nodded. “Yes. It will be a black rain. The soot of a vaporized Tokyo charged with radioactive particles that will destroy any organic matter they come into contact with. Within days of exposure, people will begin getting sick. Radiation sickness is like cancer on overdrive. It will poison your bodies. It will poison your air, your water, your food, everything. Depending on how concentrated it turns out to be, people could begin to die in days or maybe weeks. It’s impossible to know for certain. But the danger is real. And it is coming.”

  Absolute pandemonium broke out. People pushing to get out and go home to protect their families. Others cursing everything under the blanketed sun. Dr. Yong’s bodyguard shoved away those that got too close.

  So this was how it was going to end.

  Bob shook his head. As much as he regretted trying to kill himself, that was probably a better way to go than what was in store.

  Stuckey blocked the door while shouting for everyone to shut up and listen. Eventually, everyone did. “Listen, everyone! Dr. Yong has an offer to make.”