by J. G. Martin
“What did you do?”
“The Reapers are the remnants of a European Union force that invaded the U.S. in the Aftermath. They landed at Savannah and took control of the port and the city. The U.S.T.G. couldn’t allow them to maintain a foothold or they would appear weak, so we sent troops to drive them out. Unfortunately the E.U. forces were too well entrenched and the U.S.T.G. couldn’t afford to lose the troops and equipment to dislodge them in a siege. So they sent me in with a nuke to destroy their command center and damage the port.” Derek explained. “It was successful and the invaders were forced to leave Savannah. They were without supplies, leadership, or a way home. Desperate and starving they turned to cannibalism to survive. The remainder of the East Coast was still in anarchy after the Collapse and had no central government or organized defense forces. The invaders still had heavy weapons and the ability to use them. So they started raiding for food and supplies. Their main food source being the people living along the coast.”
Derek paused to let that sink in. “The invaders split into two groups. One headed north and the other headed south. They moved city to city killing everyone who resisted and taking the rest prisoner, and ultimately eating them. That earned them the nickname the Reapers and made them the most feared threat to the Southeast. Tallahassee in particular fought numerous vicious battles with them before ultimately driving them off. While it isn’t my fault that the invaders became the Reapers, my actions did lead directly to it happening. It is one of my greatest regrets.”
From the look on his face and the sound of his voice, Rora could tell it was something that haunted him. Now she understood why he had said that sometimes unintended consequences resulted from actions in reference to her father inadvertently creating the Drinkers.
Chapter 3
June 16, 2029
South of Tallahassee, FL
Stranded in the wasteland without too many options, Derek turned to his only possible solution. Maybe the Voice could magically send him a vehicle. Rora certainly wouldn’t survive a long hike to civilization. Pulling the phone out, he tapped the icon for the Voice.
It only rang once before the silky voice answered. “Major. Why didn’t you land at NASA?”
“They shot down the chopper; we barely escaped with our lives. We’re fine. Thanks for asking.” He replied curtly.
“That is unfortunate. This does seem to be a pattern with you. How many vehicles have you lost in the last two weeks?”
“Very funny. We need another ride. Any help you can provide there?”
“Let me see if there is anything nearby that could provide you with a ride. Just a minute.”
The phone went silent in Derek’s ear. He glanced over at Rora and could see she was hiding a slight smirk. She must have heard the crack about the vehicles. It wasn’t his fault people were trying to kill him. Although thinking back on it, he couldn’t remember any vehicle he had ever owned or used lasting more than a few weeks. Huh.
The phone sprang back to life. “You are in luck. There is a FEMA cache about two miles from you in an abandoned state highway maintenance yard. According to its beacon it hasn’t been opened. The file shows that there is a truck inside.”
“A FEMA cache? I thought that was a myth?”
“No, they are very real. FEMA prepositioned equipment and supplies around the country in anticipation of a coming nationwide catastrophe. But the Collapse happened so quickly FEMA never even got deployed. Most of the caches have been looted, but since this one is in Reaper territory no one has probably even tried to get to it. I’m sending the location to your GPS now. Good luck. See if you can keep this one intact for a few days.”
The phone went dead before Derek could give a snappy response. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Slinging his gear onto his back he waved for Rora to follow him. They would have to hike to the cache and hope the vehicle was still there and in drivable condition. Then they could work on getting rid of the Reapers so they could enter NASA and complete this crazy quest.
“Where are we going?” Rora asked as she fell in beside him.
“An old state highway maintenance yard nearby. There is supposedly a vehicle there we can take.”
“And after that?”
“We head to the nearest roadhouse and hope those refrigerated trucks we saw in Alabama are still there.”
“What good will that do?”
“Those trucks are supplying meat to the Reapers which is allowing them to stay in one place versus hunting for victims. Because they are all fed they aren’t fighting with each other either. If we remove the food source we can trigger a fight and they will hopefully leave to go find more food.”
“So we prevent the trucks from getting to the Reapers?”
“Not exactly. We sabotage some of the trucks so the meat spoils. When they deliver only a little good meat the Reapers ought to fight over who gets it.”
“How do we sabotage the trucks?”
“I have an idea, but let’s wait until we make sure the trucks are there before I tell you.”
Rora frowned at that, but didn’t ask any more questions. They hiked in silence the rest of the way across the desolate flatlands of North Florida. This had once been a lush paradise with warm weather year round, but the Collapse and the Aftermath had killed most of the vegetation and the global cooling had done the rest. Now weeds and dust dominated the landscape.
They arrived at the abandoned FDOT yard which sat just off of what was once a state road. It was small and consisted only of a trailer used as an office and a storage building. The storage building was made of concrete with a steel rolling door in the front. It was in the common arched bunker style used by most road maintenance facilities. The whole yard was surrounded by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. The gate was still chained shut which was a good sign.
Derek shot off the lock and unchained the gate. The gate swung open with a loud creak and they slipped inside. He approached the trailer with his shotgun drawn and ready. Rora stayed behind him but she had her pistol out and was ready to shoot as well. It looked abandoned but you could never be too careful. Rule #7, always pay attention.
The windows of the trailer were broken and filled with cobwebs. Derek carefully kicked open the door and rushed inside. The cloud of dust he created as he entered swirled about him and threatened to choke him. It was almost completely empty. There was nothing inside but debris and trash. He exited the empty trailer fighting back a sneeze.
“It’s empty. Picked clean long before the Collapse.” He informed Rora. “Let’s check out the garage.”
They walked over to the garage door and inspected it. Derek groaned aloud. The door was made of solid steel plates and it was padlocked shut with a giant steel padlock. It was a complicated lock and hardened against being cut with a hacksaw. The vehicle had to still be there if the lock was still on the door; but only the key, a blowtorch, or explosives was going to remove that lock. None of which they had on hand. Frustrated he kicked the door.
“Maybe there is another way in?” Rora asked him optimistically.
Derek circled the building and noticed that it didn’t even have an exhaust vent. The building was made of reinforced concrete and the shape was designed to withstand earthquakes and explosions. They had certainly not wanted anyone getting inside. Which, short of a miracle, they weren’t going to be able to do themselves. When he returned to the door to tell Rora, he found her playing with the lock.
“I think I can get it open.” She told him without looking up.
He stared in disbelief as the lock suddenly popped open and she slid it off. “Since when can you pick locks?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I saw you do it at the prison and it just felt right when I started fiddling with the lock. Why? Is picking locks hard?”
He stared at her for a minute trying to determine if she was playing dumb or genuinely didn’t realize what she had done. “It can take years of practice and training to pick locks even wit
h the right tools. You used a piece of scrap metal.” He replied incredulously.
When she didn’t reply, Derek shook his head and reached for the door. He slid it up to reveal an F-350 extended cab work truck with tool boxes and a rack on the back carrying ladders and other gear. It looked to be in mint condition and loaded with supplies and tools. The truck was painted flat blue and had the FEMA logo on the doors and hood.
The garage itself was filled with jugs of water and MREs, as well as medical supplies. He smiled. Jackpot! This stuff was worth a small fortune. Things were finally looking up. He threw their gear into the truck and loaded up all the supplies it could carry. Always follow Rule # 9, take everything you can carry. Then he spent a few minutes denting and scratching the truck, as well as scraping off the FEMA logo.
“What are you doing?” Rora asked him.
“Camouflage. We want to attract as little attention as possible and a brand new truck will surely attract attention. So I’m making it look worn and used. Rule #19. Don’t draw any attention to yourself.”
They had a ride and supplies. Now all they had to do was go sabotage the refrigerated trucks delivering meat to the Reapers. That would trigger a battle amongst the Reapers and they could sneak into NASA, turn over Rora, and then Derek could go get paid. Simple.
Chapter 4
June 16, 2029
FDOT Yard South of Tallahassee
They headed out towards Tallahassee from the abandoned garage. Derek made sure to lock it back up since there were still supplies in there and he might be back this way again. The keys had been in the truck and it was in perfect condition. A quick look under the hood had revealed it had the most powerful engine available for this model. A great find. A bonus he would have to thank the Voice for.
They made it about twenty minutes before Rora’s curiosity got the better of her. “So what’s the plan?”
“We should get there near nightfall. Assuming the trucks are still there you will create a distraction and I will sabotage the trucks.” He explained.
“Then what?”
“We head back to the drop off point and watch the ensuing fireworks. Once the Reapers are fighting each other we should be able to enter NASA.”
“You really think they will get that worked up over losing the meat?”
“Reapers aren’t exactly known for their patience and calm demeanor. They usually fight with each other over the slightest provocation so this is pretty unusual for them to stay in one place and not fight with each other. Once they realize there is only enough meat for one or two tribes they will start fighting over it like rabid dogs.”
“Why do you think the trucks will even be there?”
“Because it’s the last stop before NASA. Everything after is Reaper territory. They wouldn’t want to be there after dark so they will leave first thing in the morning and return in the afternoon.”
“Okay…how are we creating the distraction?”
“Easy. You are going to bump into one of the truckers and then start screaming how he assaulted you. Make a big scene and everyone should come to watch. While you are doing that I’ll use the spider suit to sneak onto the trucks and disable the air conditioning units.”
“Seriously? I’m the distraction again?”
“No one’s going to believe the trucker assaulted me…” Derek replied with a grin.
“Fine.” Rora agreed reluctantly.
She rode the rest of the way to the roadhouse with a frown on her face. He did feel bad about exploiting her again, but they didn’t have much choice. They had to get the Reapers out of the way to get into NASA and this was the only way. A woman crying rape didn’t mean much in the wasteland; but in civilized places it was a serious crime, usually punished by hanging. Even the suggestion of a man acting inappropriately towards a woman in a place like a roadhouse could have serious consequences.
They arrived at dusk and Derek was grateful that the guards let them in. They did eye the truck suspiciously. Despite the damage he had done and the dirt from the road it was still in remarkable condition for a truck coming in from the wasteland. Normally he would never have brought it into the compound, but he didn’t see any other way.
The roadhouse was built around an old Best Western and a Country Inn & Suites with a restaurant and general store in between. It was just off the main highway and slightly east of the city. The lots were pretty empty. It was technically in Reaper territory and there were few places to travel to beyond Tallahassee heading east or south. Thankfully the six refrigerated tractor trailers were parked in neat row in front of the old Country Inn and Suites. He pulled in front of the Best Western and parked the truck as far from the trailers as he could. He didn’t want his vehicle associated in any way with the trouble they were about to cause.
He exited the truck and climbed into the back of the work truck to change into the stealth suit previously worn by the Outfit assassin. Rora watched while he changed to make sure no one saw them. Once he was changed he signaled her to go create the distraction. She banged on the truck twice to acknowledge and then he waited.
It wasn’t long before he heard the screaming. He quietly exited the bed of the truck and made his way along the wall that surrounded the compound. The suit blended perfectly into the shadows and he quickly traversed the distance between the truck and the parked trailers. As he passed by the restaurant he looked over and saw Rora creating the distraction. She was waving her arms wildly and poking at one of the truckers. He could hear her screaming all the way over where he was.
The trucker had a confused look on his face and he was surrounded by the other truckers. Most of who had amused looks on their faces. The few other travelers had gathered behind Rora and looked upset or amused. But the guards who had come over to try to calm the disturbance look angry. They were trying to sort out the commotion and keep the peace. Everyone was totally distracted. She was doing a great job keeping them distracted and he should be able to work undisturbed.
The trailers were all parked neatly and were completely unguarded. He assumed they thought the roadhouse lot was safe. And it probably was every other time. No one messed with the Hauler’s Guild. They had connections across the entire country, money for merks and bounty hunters; and no city, town, or faction wanted to get cut off from their goods. The lot was also fairly well lit and would normally have had a guard patrolling. But the guards were distracted and the suit kept him virtually invisible.
Derek used the spider function of the suit to easily climb on top of the first trailer. The generator powering the refrigeration unit was humming along. He carefully sabotaged the generator so it would fail in a few hours. That way it would fail after the truckers had made their final inspection for the night and gone to bed. Before he moved to the second truck his curiosity got the better of him. He had to know what they were shipping to the Reapers. He had his suspicions, but he needed to be sure.
The trailer was locked, but it was a fairly simple lock and he picked it with ease. He slid the door open slightly and peered in. As he suspected it was full of human corpses. It was pretty disgusting that someone was providing dead bodies to feed the Reapers, and even worse was the thought of where they would be getting so many from. Then he realized that all of the bodies looked the same, and it hit him. They were clones; the Collective was growing bodies just to kill them and send to the Reapers to keep them around NASA. The Collective was trying keep NASA contained and to keep people and probably the device out.
What exactly did this thing do that they were so worried about? What did NASA know or have that was so important? The complex was pretty well defended for a program that was facing obsolescence and had its funding cut dramatically year over year. The Collective rarely interacted outside their territory in the Pacific Northwest. To expend so many resources outside that sphere of influence meant that the device was more powerful than he had been led to believe.
Derek realized his theorizing was wasting valuable time and jumped back into a
ction. He locked the trailer back up and quickly sabotaged three of the remaining five generators. The truckers returned as he was working on the final truck. He scrambled onto the roof of the trailer and lay perfectly still. He went unnoticed as they did their inspections and then went into the hotel.
As soon as they had their backs turned Derek dropped off the roof of the trucks and scuttled into the shadows. He was pressed up against the side of the hotel when the guards strolled by on their regular patrol. He held his breath and remained perfectly still as they walked within a few feet of him. He could smell the cigarette smoke and sweat they were so close. But neither man seemed to notice his presence and continued on with their patrol. This suit was amazing; if they had had these in China they never would have gotten caught.
He returned to the truck and found Rora standing patiently at the back. He watched for a minute before revealing his presence. She appeared to be casually standing around, but her eyes were continuously sweeping the area and she had her hand on her pistol. She even hesitated a minute when she passed over him and looked directly at him. He could tell she sensed something was off, but couldn’t tell what. Impressive. She was learning quickly and demonstrating amazing abilities. Some she didn’t even know she had apparently. There was definitely more to her than he had seen at first in that scared, naïve girl he had rescued from the slavers.
He slowly approached and made his presence known so she didn’t shoot him accidentally. She started, but quickly recovered. He climbed into the back before anyone could see him in the suit and started to change. As he stripped out of the suit she whispered. “Did you do it?”
“I did, but it was close. They came back as I was finishing. What happened?”
“I bumped one of them like you said and then accused him of groping me. I made a big scene and everyone came over to see what was going on.”
“I could see that from a distance…” Derek interrupted. “What happened after that?”
