by J. G. Martin
They found the highway easily, even though the signs had long ago been knocked down. The concrete barriers and other solid obstacles still remained and it was easy to follow the roadways within the airport. Actually it was very easy considering there were no children running into the road, people triple parked, or crazy taxi drivers to worry about. The ride was bouncy in the airport because many of the roads had buckled during the quakes caused by the Aftermath.
The highway was a smoother ride and relatively free of debris. They had to avoid a few abandoned cars, but they stuck to the side of the road heading in to the city. Most of the cars had been fleeing the city when the warheads had struck. For some reason no one ever used the other side even though it was empty. A couple of abandoned limos and scattered police cars further in answered that question. They had kept this side open for VIPs to escape without getting stuck in traffic. Well, the nukes hadn’t cared about wealth. They had killed everyone and everything in their path.
The devastation became worse the closer they got to the city forcing them to slow down and drive more carefully. They found that the bridges were knocked out and they were forced to detour onto Georgetown Pike. When they turned on to Georgetown Pike, there were no buildings standing. Everything was reduced to rubble and ash. Steel support frames and the remains of concrete foundations jutted up randomly. Debris was strewn everywhere. There was nothing but ruined landscape as far as the eye could see. The few cars that had still been here when it hit had been flipped and thrown and lay lodged in buildings or upside down on the sidewalks. Rora was forced to weave in and around all the obstacles, slowing them down considerably.
“How could this happen?” Rora asked, almost in awe.
“People got scared when the satellites went dead.” Derek explained. “We had been living in such an unstable world at that point that everyone was at each other’s throats. The world’s governments were blaming each other for the virus and ensuing Collapse. The U.N. had broken apart months earlier amidst actual fights on the council floor. Alliances had disintegrated and each government was just trying to hang on to power.”
“Why didn’t anyone work together to stop it?” She inquired naively.
“A few tried, but they were swept aside by the mass of angry people wanting to save themselves.” Derek told her. “Every major city in the world was suffering from food riots and many of the police and military assigned to keep order had joined them or gone home to protect their own families. Rumors of food stockpiles in the U.S. turned even our allies against us when we refused to give up what we didn’t have. It turned out that many of our so called friends in the world were only friendly because we supplied money, food, and weapons to them. They had only pretended to like us to keep all that flowing. With that gone, their true colors showed and they came out against us.”
“Nobody worked together? Weren’t we all in it together?” Rora asked skeptically.
“In the old world, there was a lot of hatred and distrust along ethnic and socioeconomic lines. People were very divided, even within their own countries. They were becoming increasingly selfish and narcissistic. There was constant warfare and unrest all over the world. Battle lines were already being drawn; the Collapse only provided the catalyst for it all to explode.” Derek said sadly. “Just prior to the Aftermath, things had gotten especially desperate and several full scale wars had already started. The U.S. had remained out of the fighting, but we had a situation at home rapidly spiraling out of control. Armed gangs and militia groups were battling in the streets with the remaining police and each other. Martial law was declared and troops, many of them recalled from around the world, flooded into the streets. The government was determined to gain control of D.C. and then the rest of the country. But then the satellites went dead. Afraid that they were the only ones blinded and that it was a prelude to a strike, all the warring countries launched whatever weapons they had been stockpiling for decades.”
“But they didn’t know that for sure.” Rora pointed out.
“That was the problem with the concept of nuclear deterrence through mutually assured destruction.” Derek explained sadly. “It only worked if all sides were too afraid of retaliation to launch their weapons first. But, it also meant you had to be ready to retaliate if attacked. No one really wanted to be second in a nuke throwing contest so they panicked and launched first. Many of the weapons were aimed at the U.S. because of old hatreds and because we had the most weapons.”
“I thought we had built a missile shield?” Rora interrupted.
“We had, and that had incited many of our former allies and old enemies against us. They saw that as bypassing the mutually assured destruction and that we could launch with impunity. So they had concentrated their warheads on fewer targets in an attempt to overwhelm the shield.” Derek answered.
“That obviously worked here, the nukes got through.” Rora stated.
“The shield worked.” Derek told her. “Many of our allies, like the Europeans, didn’t get hit by any missiles; nor did much of North America. But the shield didn’t shoot any missiles that targeted the Northeast. Every single one came through and delivered its deadly payload.”
“Do you really think the general was right when he said it was deliberate sabotage?” Rora asked.
“I do. I find it impossible to believe that it was coincidence that the only missiles that didn’t get shot down all hit in the same place.” Derek said flatly. “The Northeast would have presented the most resistance to the U.S.T.G. and their takeover, and the strikes eliminated many of the bureaucrats and lobbyists that really ran the country. I wouldn’t put anything past President Channing and his cronies. I’m also convinced the ‘terrorist’ attack on the Cheyenne Mountain command that wiped out the top military leaders was their doing as well. It was never explained how terrorists smuggled a small nuke into one of the most secure and heavily guarded facilities in the world.”
“Is he really that diabolical that he would condemn millions to death just to further his own goals?” Rora asked.
“The craving for power knows no limits” Derek told her. “The government had already been taking over more and more control of people’s daily lives. Telling them what they could and couldn’t eat, what healthcare they had to buy, and even what light bulbs to use. Both parties had stopped worrying about their political views and were merely fighting over who controlled the government and the power it increasingly wielded. That desire for more power led neglect of the people’s needs and the country became more and more unstable as the masses got poorer and more desperate and the elites got richer and more spoiled. The infrastructure itself began to crumble and people began to really suffer.”
“Why didn’t they do something about it?” Rora wondered.
“Because they had become so self-absorbed and divided they couldn’t work together to solve the problem.” Derek said disappointedly. “They thought the answer was more government control and the media participated in that charade. People had become sheep and they were ultimately led to the slaughter. Now they have the worst of it in the U.S.T.G. with the small elite ruling over masses of downtrodden workers who live barely better than slaves.”
“At least they have food, water, and shelter.” Rora pointed out.
“But at what price?” Derek asked passionately. “They have no freedom. They work and work for the system, but get nowhere and then they die.”
“That seems very fatalistic.” Rora replied. “Not everyone can survive in the wastelands like you. You have special training and genetic enhancements and even you barely survive. They would all die in minutes.”
“I’d rather die free in the wasteland than live like a slave in the U.S.T.G.” He said with finality.
A few seconds passed before Rora began to reply. “Easy for you to say…”
“Stop.” He interrupted.
“What? I’m not allowed to disagree?” She snapped.
“No. Stop the vehicle. Stop the vehicle!” He orde
red. “Something isn’t right here.”
“What are you talking about?” Rora asked frustrated.
“These piles of rubble don’t look random. They look like they were dragged here to create a channel leading people in one direction, very probably leading into a trap.” Derek explained.
“It looks like rubble to me.” Rora complained. “There’s no one here. Let’s go.”
Derek looked around and tightened his grip on the machine gun. It looked like random piles of rubbles, but it was just a little too neat. The rubble was in a straight orderly line instead of a slight curve or random displacement it would have had if created by the blast wave or a building collapse. The piles of rubble blocked every direction but the one, cutting off every avenue of escape. This wasn’t new so it wasn’t created just for them, but who would have been here to build it. Was it possible people who survived the initial blasts built them and are now dead, the trap being their legacy?
It was completely quiet and nothing moved. It was like the place was frozen in time. Then he saw the movement. It was slight, but a pebble rolled down a pile of rubble. There was no breeze and no animals here, so there was only one way it could have moved.
“Back!” He yelled at Rora, startling her.
She recovered quickly and reversed the LTATV. She spun the vehicle around as figures poured out of hiding all around them. Rora screamed as rocks and makeshift spears rattled of the armored panels and roof. A spear passed right by Derek’s head and he could see it was a butcher knife duct taped to a broom handle. Very primitive, but effective if it hit. And there were a lot of them. Their armor should protect them, but you never knew where there was a weak spot.
Derek squeezed the trigger on the machine gun as a wave of screaming black clad figures crested a pile of rubble. It chattered to life and cut down the attackers, the heavy rounds scything through them like stalks of wheat. Another wave of screaming attackers took their place as Rora frantically tried to get them out of the ambush. He kept the trigger down and sprayed bullets as they swerved back through the rubble. A steady stream of lead mowed down the enemy as Rora wove wildly back through the piles of rubble. The machine gun rounds sent their enemies flying when they struck.
Derek grunted as a thrown chunk of concrete struck his right arm, numbing it briefly and ruining his aim. He glanced over and could see Rora’s eyes were wide and she was clenching the steering wheel tightly. She was scared but she wasn’t panicking. He was impressed as she continued to handle the vehicle and do her best to get them free. He was amazed at the number of attackers; there shouldn’t have been anyone here at all. Yet they were being swarmed by a horde of attackers.
He finally got a good look at one as they whizzed by. It was human, or had once been. It had pale skin, to the point of being bone white, and no sign of hair. The white of the eyes were completely blood red and rimmed with what looked like black ash. The creature wore all black scraps of filthy clothing and carried a baseball bat with nails hammered into it. It looked like a crazed refugee from a goth concert. He fired a short burst into the thing and watched it fall as the heavy rounds tore through it.
Rora yelled in frustration as an old bus suddenly rolled into view and blocked their exit from the rubble. It was rusted and all the windows were gone, but it was still a solid wall of metal. Derek could see an old faded advertisement with the ubiquitous gecko on the side of the bus. She wheeled the LTATV around in a circle as they approached the blockade. Derek fired as they swung around and cut down more of the screaming creatures, the ammo box ran dry as they skidded to halt in a spray of dirt facing the bus. He grabbed another box from the back and worked quickly to reload.
An odd silence fell as the attackers held back. He could see them behind the rubble all around them but the creatures were scared enough by the machine gun to stay in cover. Whatever these things were they had some level of intelligence and had constructed an excellent kill zone. It was only a matter of time before the things resumed their barrage of projectiles. One of those spears or rocks would eventually strike Rora hard enough to disable or kill her and they would be sitting ducks. They had to get out of the kill zone. Derek looked around and could only see one way out.
Turning to Rora he said. “You wanted to fly didn’t you?”
“Are you serious?” She yelled.
Derek smiled and pointed to a pile of rubble in front of them. “There’s your ramp.”
Rora laughed and jammed her foot down on the accelerator. The vehicles lurched forward spraying dirt and debris behind them as the wheels grabbed the ground. As if the LTATV moving was a signal, the creatures rose up screaming from behind their shelter and unleashed a barrage of spears and rocks. Derek grabbed hold of the frame as they raced through the hail of projectiles towards the improvised ramp. He took a spear to the side, but ignored the pain to keep holding on. A rock grazed Rora’s forehead and ricocheting off her helmet, but she remained focused on their impending jump.
The vehicle struck the rubble and bounced upwards as they climbed the pile. The small vehicle was at full speed as they launched off of the makeshift ramp. They flew through the air, almost defying gravity as they soared over the bus. Rora had a wild look in her eyes and was screaming at the top of her lungs. Derek could see the amazed faces of the creatures beneath them as they passed over. The wheels grazed the top of the bus and they began a rapid descent towards the ground.
The LTATV landed with a loud crash, the suspension overwhelmed by the weight of the landing. Sparks flew as the bottom of the vehicle struck the roadway and then bounced. Derek grabbed hold of the frame to prevent himself from being thrown free. They swerved wildly as Rora tried to maintain control of the bouncing LTATV. It nearly rolled before she regained control and brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop. They both looked back at the trap they had just escaped.
The black clad creatures were nowhere in sight. Once their prey had escaped they had disappeared back into whatever holes they had come from. The scene was quiet and clear, almost like it the things had never existed. Derek and Rora looked at each other, and he could hear her breathing heavily.
“What were those things?” She asked loudly.
“I don’t know.” Derek replied. “I had heard rumors that people had survived the strikes and lived in the ruins, but I always thought it was an urban legend.”
“Obviously not a legend!” She huffed.
Derek laughed and replied. “True. But the scientist in you must be excited about seeing something no one else has seen?”
“They were interesting.” Rora agreed. “The white skin and lack of hair must be due to the radiation, but it should have killed them off after a few weeks. Not only did they live, but to have those numbers they must have bred and the radiation should have made them sterile. It doesn’t seem possible. I mean what are they even eating?”
“I don’t even want to think about that. It’s a mystery we may never know the answer to.” Derek replied. “Let’s get back on track and complete this mission before any more of those things show up. Check your suit.”
He checked his suit. It still showed 100% integrity, meaning none of the projectiles had penetrated or otherwise compromised the suit. According to the readout he had not been exposed to any radiation or toxins. So far the suits were working as well as promised. He looked over at Rora and she gave him a thumbs up that her suit was good as well. They had survived that little surprise, time to finish the mission and get out of here before anything else happened.
Chapter 32
June 24, 2029
Langley Park, McLean, VA
They took a circuitous route to the ruins of the CIA headquarters avoiding the narrow confines of the rubble strewn streets. They saw several more channels that probably led to traps similar to the one they escaped. Rora made sure to steer clear of traps, and maneuvered them through parking lots and blown out buildings. It took longer, but they arrived at the entrance to the building without seeing any more of the pale creatur
es.
The headquarters was in complete ruins, the above ground floors having been blown clear off by the successive blasts. The park and grounds were completely dead and the complex was surrounded by dirt and ash. The river that had run near the building was gone, flash boiled away by the heat of the nuclear blasts. Rora parked the LTATV on the tarmac in front of the building and they got out to investigate.
A quick search revealed a collapsed section of the ground floor leading into the basement of the building. Old power cables fell limply into the gaping hole and into the darkness beyond. Derek triggered the night vision and then the thermal settings on the helmet but he still couldn’t see into the gloom. There were no sources of heat for the thermal and night vision still required some ambient light to work. They would have to do this the old fashioned way and use their headlamps.
“Are we just jumping in?” Rora asked him as she came up next to him to look in.
“I brought climbing gear just in case.” Derek told her. “We can secure it to one of the steel support beams and rappel in.”
“What about the LTATV?” She questioned.
“I don’t think we have much choice except to leave it up here. We can pull some debris around and over it to provide some concealment, but we will just have to assume it will still be here when we come back out. I don’t think that whatever those things were, that they are capable of hotwiring it.” Derek said.
“What if they just carry it off? It’s not that big.” Rora pointed out.
He hadn’t considered that possibility, but he replied. “We’ll have to take our chances. But I’ll tell you what; I’ll set up a little surprise for anyone who tries to take it.”
“What kind of surprise?” She asked curiously.
Derek smiled and fished a claymore mine out of the storage bin on back of the LTATV. “It’s an area effect mine that sprays steel bearings, very deadly.” He told her with a grin. “I borrowed it from the armory at NASA. I’ll rig it to blow if anyone tries to move the vehicle.”
