by J. G. Martin
“They did…and the module seemed to be fine then.” The commander answered guardedly.
“So how did it get damaged?” Derek asked. “Was it sabotaged by one of your people?”
“We cannot be sure of that. It is possible the techs just missed it.”
“I’ll go get the part, but you need to do something about your security here. I’m telling you that you have a mole problem, and I’m tired of that person interfering in my business.” Derek told him and then stormed out.
Chapter 30
June 23, 2029
NASA Complex at Cape Canaveral, FL
After he calmed down, Derek asked about the supposed protective suits and was escorted to yet another building in the complex. This one was smaller and had radiation and hazmat signs on the door. This had to be the place. He pushed the buzzer on the intercom and looked into the camera. The door buzzed and unlocked. He entered cautiously, but the two soldiers providing his escort declined to come inside.
Inside was totally unlike the organized and sterile environments of the other buildings. It was a riotous mess of equipment and gear scattered all around in a seemingly random way. Things hung from the ceiling and were piled haphazardly in the corners. Empty food containers lay open and filled with partially eaten food. Soda cans sat on almost every flat surface. Oh yes, Derek had found the geeks. If pizza still existed there would probably have been empty pizza boxes everywhere as well. Actually, he was impressed they had soda, which was fairly hard to come by. Although maybe not here.
“Back here…” A voice called from somewhere in the mess.
Derek followed the sound of the voice through a maze of tools and work areas until he came to an open area in the back. Two young men sat there with huge smiles on their faces. One was sandy haired with a heavy beard and glasses, and the other was Hispanic and had long, dark hair and a clean shaven face. Both were overweight and pale-looking. He suspected neither went outside much.
They sat in comfortable looking office task chairs next to large workstations with massive computer screens and large desktop computers. Each had various figurines and toys on display on their workstations. In between the two of them was a suit hanging suspended from the ceiling. It was all white, armored, and had an angular helmet that looked somewhat familiar.
“Welcome to the Geek Store.” The sandy haired scientist joked.
“I’m Antonio and he is Luke and we are your store geniuses, ready to provide any help you need.” The other chimed in.
They both laughed at their supposed wit and Derek just shook his head. Some things never changed. Likely they never had visitors and were just excited to have some company. Ignoring their banter he strolled over to examine the suit. It was heavy, but seemed more flexible than the standard radiation suit. There was also some sort of portable computer on the left forearm. A large backpack that appeared to be permanently attached to the suit completed it.
“So this is it, hunh?” Derek asked, unimpressed.
The two jumped up, excited to show off their creation. “This is just the prototype.” Antonio explained.
“The production version is even more durable and flexible.” Luke added.
“And the computer is more powerful!” Antonio gushed excitedly.
They broke down into techno babble at that point extolling the virtues of what turned out to be a micro tablet attached to the left forearm. Derek nodded and smiled as if he understood and continued to examine the suit. He detached the helmet and put it on. A heads up display, or HUD, activated giving him the readout on the suit, including the suit integrity. It was of course zero because the suit wasn’t connected, but that was a useful feature. He could hear them continuing to talk; the helmet must have some kind of audio receptors or microphones to pick up outside noise.
“So what do you think?” Luke asked as Derek removed the helmet.
“What level of protection does it offer?” Derek inquired of them.
“The base of the suit is made of Kevlar and Nomex, and the plates are armor composite of the same kind used on tanks. The suit is tear-proof and can stop up to a 7.62mm round, and the plates can stop up to a 20mm round.” Antonio informed him.
“When sealed the suit is one hundred percent self-contained and will protect you from any radiation, chemicals, or biological agents. A modified re-breather is contained in the backpack and provides constant operation for five days. It also has a built in water filtration system and reserve as well as a food dispenser.” Luke added. “You suck on tubes in the helmet to provide each.”
“It was originally being designed for space operations, but we decided to modify it during the Aftermath for use here on Earth.” Antonio finished.
It finally struck Derek what the helmet reminded him of and told them. “It looks like Stormtrooper armor from Star Wars.”
The two scientists looked at each other and smiled geekily before Luke replied. “Uh, that is what we patterned it after. Best movies ever!”
“It didn’t seem to help the Stormtroopers much in the movies.” Derek pointed out.
Both laughed nervously before Antonio replied. “Well I bet they didn’t have geniuses like us working on their armor.”
“Yea, this thing is nearly indestructible. We can’t wait to use the suits to go search through the hot zones.” Luke added.
“Well, not us exactly.” Antonio reminded Luke sheepishly.
“Why not you? Shouldn’t you test out your own inventions?” Derek asked.
“We, uh…” Luke started.
“We can’t fit in them okay?” Antonio snapped.
“Whoa!” Derek said raising his hands. “Easy there. I’m just a little nervous about trusting untested gear to protect me from a horrible death.”
“Oh, right.” Luke said. “Well, we tested it in the lab here on monkeys and they seem fine, so it should be safe for you.”
“That makes me feel sooo much better.” Derek told them sarcastically.
Both the scientists shrugged. “It is what it is dude.” Luke told him.
Derek groaned inwardly, this suit would probably be the death of him. But he had too much committed to this mission at this point, and they all knew it. He couldn’t blame the scientists; they were just excited for someone to put their pet project into use. Augie, Dr. Banek, and the commander however; he wasn’t completely sold on their interests being humanitarian. They were definitely using him to achieve their ends, and they didn’t seem too concerned about his well-being. After all he wasn’t one of them. He was a hired gun brought in to do the dirty work.
Derek only had one more question. “Do you have them in women’s sizes?”
Antonio and Luke looked at him in confusion and he chuckled. They hadn’t met Rora yet, so they didn’t know that there was no way she would miss an adventure like going into fabled hot zones of the Northeast. Derek had gotten used to her being along and she handled herself pretty well. She was also very useful when it came to computers or technology, and he figured the CIA base would be chock full of that. So she would be a valuable asset for this mission.
Derek allowed the two scientists to fit him with a production model that they retrieved from a nearby vault. Entry to the vault had required more security checks by armed guards which the two had pretty much ignored. They were too busy discussing animatedly all the real world tests that Derek could run on the suit. He tuned out their chatter and focused on how the suit felt and how much it would inhibit his movements. All of his gear would have to go outside the suit and the two scientists hadn’t accounted for that with holsters or clips.
It had taken some negotiating by Derek to get them to create a holster to hold his shotgun. His machete they said they just couldn’t do. A makeshift holster was attached on the right hand side of the backpack. A vest, pouches and clips from the MOLLE system were modified to work with the suit. Derek could now carry ammo clips, a knife, small tools, and grenades. Luke tried to point out that the area should be completely abandoned,
but Derek countered with Rules # 9, 15, and 18. Take everything you can carry, you never know what you might need; always be prepared, and you can never have enough ammo, respectively.
Then he had the two show him all the bells and whistles of the suit. They walked him through all the things the HUD could do including displaying maps and different imaging settings, like thermal view. Then they ran through everything the tablet did, which included hacking electronic devices. He had to admit, the suit was pretty cool. If it did everything they said it did, he would be able to swoop in and retrieve the part before anyone noticed.
Once they had him all set up, he had the two rig a smaller suit they had gotten for Rora as well. They griped a little about not being servants, but had done it after Derek stared them down. With the two suits rigged, he left and went back to the training facility to collect Rora. When he got there he found her in conversation with Anna. It might have been about him because they stopped immediately when he showed up and looked a little guilty.
It was an opportunity to work on charming Anna so he put on his biggest smile and went to greet them. But Anna got up and left as he got there. She gave him a small nod and a professional greeting as she slipped by him. She was still not falling for his roguish charm. Derek was surprised; women usually fell all over themselves to get with him. This was proving to be quite a challenge. Good thing he liked challenges.
“What was that about?” He asked Rora.
“Oh nothing.” She said and tried to change the subject. “What have you been up to?”
“Not so fast.” Derek told her. “I’m pretty sure you were talking about me. What’s her deal?”
“Narcissistic much?” Rora teased him. “Not everything is about you.”
“Come on. She ran off with a guilty look on her face when I showed up, but she won’t give me the time of day.” Derek pointed out.
“Okay fine.” Rora said with a huff. “She finds you attractive but she doesn’t like stupid men.”
“I’m not smart enough for her?” Derek asked in mock anger.
Rora laughed and replied. “Not even close.”
“I’m no dummy…” Derek said, now slightly offended.
“But you’re no rocket scientist either, big guy.” Rora informed him. “You might be the baddest man in the wasteland, but here you are just another grunt to the scientists. And here, brains rule.”
“No wonder I get a bad vibe about this place.” Derek joked. “It goes against the laws of nature.”
“At least you have a good sense of humor.” Rora told him. “She does like to laugh.”
“So I have a shot?” He asked.
“Not really. She doesn’t date anyone she works with, too many complications.” Rora let him know. “She has had to prove herself even more than everyone else since she is young and pretty, so she keeps it very professional.”
“Maybe after the mission is over then?” Derek mused.
“Good luck with that, Romeo.” Rora said with a smile. “So what have you been up to? The other crew members say there is a problem with the shuttle that YOU are going to fix.”
“It’s not a problem as much as the shuttle needs a new part. One WE are going to go get.” Derek told her.
“Another road trip huh? Where to this time?” Rora asked with curiosity.
“D.C.” Derek informed her simply.
“We’re going into the Nuke Zone?” Rora asked incredulously.
“You got it.” Derek told her. “The scientists have created a suit they claim will fully protect us. We go in, grab the part, and come back out. Just a casual stroll really.”
“I have always wanted to see the capital.” She replied jokingly. “The weather ought to be nice for it.”
Chapter 31
June 24, 2029
Dulles International Airport Washington, D.C.
The transport chopper dropped them off at what had once been Dulles International Airport. It took off seconds after they offloaded and rushed back out of the Nuke Zone. The chopper had been specially outfitted for the purpose of delivering Derek, Rora, and their ride into the Nuke Zone. The cabin had been sealed for Nuclear Biological and Chemical protection, commonly referred to as NBC, and provided with its own air supply so the pilots wouldn’t be contaminated. Unfortunately it hadn’t been able to get any closer because the radiation interfered with the choppers instruments. It would also prevent communications with the Voice even on the secured phone. They would truly be on their own.
So, they had been given a standard pattern camouflage Kawasaki Tyrex 760 Lightweight Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle to carry them the rest of the way. It was a side by side ATV with a roof and armored panels. An M-240 belt fed light machine gun was swivel mounted on the passenger side at the frame. The vehicle had a powerful motor and was capable of traversing even the most difficult terrain, making it an excellent choice to traverse the rubble strewn streets. The general hadn’t been too happy about risking one of his remaining choppers and the LTATV, but there hadn’t been much choice.
The flight over the ruins of Northern Virginia evoked more emotion than he had thought it would. The devastation of the Nuke Zone was a graphic representation of how far they had fallen and the awful things man was capable of. Millions had died in the strikes and millions more had died from the wind borne radiation in the weeks following. The government had been completely unprepared for the attack and the fallout, and the people had been helpless; conditioned to depend on the government for help.
The chopper had dropped them at the airport because it had the best open space for the landing and had a direct shot into Langley. They could take the 267 to I-495 and then the George Washington Parkway right to the front door of CIA headquarters. The building was located inside the Beltway but across the river from the Capitol and the White House. It hadn’t taken a direct hit; but the Pentagon, which was nearby, had. So the area would be pretty much leveled and very hot.
The airport was more intact than Derek had expected. He could see that the blast waves from the detonations had passed through the airport. All the light posts, signs, and virtually anything that had been upright had been knocked down or flattened. But the terminal was still standing and a few of the hangars. The windows had been blown in or out of the buildings, depending on which side they had taken the blast wave. Debris littered the ground, thrown by the blast waves. The buildings had probably been designed to withstand powerful storms and winds and that had aided them in remaining structurally intact.
There was some wreckage of planes and abandoned vehicles on the runways, but less than Derek expected. It made sense though, as the Collapse had gone on and the Aftermath had neared, there had been less and less air travel. Few wanted travel anywhere and even fewer could afford the exchange rates necessary for a flight. Most people had abandoned their jobs and were just trying to find food to survive at that point.
The hangars contained more ruined planes and damaged vehicles. Derek really wanted to stop and scavenge them; this place was barely picked over if at all. This place should be almost virgin territory when it came to scavenging. Except for a bold few in the beginning, no one had ventured into the Nuke Zone. The radiation killed those bold few in a few days and served as a stark reminder to the scavengers that this place was off limits.
The problem was that they had limited time. He wasn’t one hundred percent convinced that these suits would keep them safe, even though the HUD told him that his suit was at 100% integrity. It was also telling him that the radiation level outside the suit was deadly. He also wasn’t convinced that their mole hadn’t told someone about this mission and another ambush was just around the corner. Maybe on the way out he could grab a few things.
After a brief survey of the scene, they jumped into the LTATV. Derek had Rora drive so he could man the light machine gun. She had already proven to be good driver, and he had a lot more experience shooting on the move if it came to that. One of the soldiers at the complex had showed her how to
operate and drive the vehicle and she had done well in the test drive, so she took the wheel with confidence and fired it up.
The engine roared to life and they took off. Free to drive the dune buggy-like vehicle without an instructor grading her, Rora floored the gas and they were thrown back in their seats as it accelerated. She took the little vehicle to full speed immediately, almost seventy miles an hour, and Derek hung on for dear life since there weren’t any seatbelts. She took the vehicle for a little spin around the tarmac and then headed towards the highway. Derek couldn’t see the grin on her face, but he could hear her small sounds of excitement as she took the little joy ride.
Sometimes he forgot how young she was. The Collapse would have happened before she was born and the Aftermath when she was two or three. There were many things he took for granted that she had never experienced; learning to drive a car, going to school, dances, sports, just to name a few. The World After had robbed at least three generations of their childhood, and that was just sad. That was a precious time that no one should have stolen from them.
Derek was bumped from his musing as she launched the LTATV off of a broken piece of concrete roadway. The soared for several dozen feet until landing hard, the vehicle bouncing wildly as the suspension struggled to handle the impact. Rora screamed with excitement as they left the ground and laughed as they landed. She turned the wheel and headed for another makeshift ramp. Okay, that was enough, time to focus on the mission.
“Rora.” Derek snapped. “Enough joy riding, we can’t take a chance at damaging or wrecking our only ride. Do you want to walk to Langley?”
“Fine.” Rora sulked. “I’ll keep it on the road Major Buzzkill.”
She slowed the vehicle to a reasonable speed and kept it on the ground after that. Derek put his attention back on their surroundings and kept a watchful eye. He kept his hand on the machine gun grip and his finger near the trigger. The area was supposed to be devoid of life, but you never knew. Rules #10 and #12 applied here. Always watch your back, and the safest place is usually a trap.
