by J. G. Martin
The prop wash spread the smoke out creating a thin haze. This provided perfect cover for Derek when he rushed the helicopter as soon as it landed. The chopper was a UH-60 similar to the ones the Outfit used. A gunner sat behind a mini-gun in the open door but started to get up to help retrieve the wounded. Derek shot him in the face as he jumped into the chopper. He rushed into the cockpit and shot the co-pilot in the back of the head and turned the gun on the pilot before they could react.
“Turn it off and get out.” Derek ordered the pilot.
The man froze in confusion and terror. Derek pulled down the face mask and repeated the demand. When the man saw Derek’s face and realized he wasn’t wearing the full uniform his face went completely white. He quickly scrambled to comply.
“Please don’t kill me.” He begged. “I’m just a pilot for these guys. I have nothing to do with their orders.”
The fact that the man was wearing a tan flight suit and helmet instead of the black flight suit a Federal Police pilot would have worn did seem to make that true. The commandos had probably commandeered the vehicle at Eglin when they realized they had to get ahead of Derek and Rora. Not that the pilot was innocent. Anyone working for the U.S.T.G. had some blood on their hands.
“Out.” Derek ordered coldly.
He disarmed the pilot and followed him out of the plane. Derek pushed the pilot over to where Rora was. The man flinched when he saw the dead commando with his leg blown off and throat slit. He started shaking when he realized the man was tied up. Derek forced the terrified pilot to his knees and secured him with the zip ties.
“You can’t kill me. You need me to fly the helicopter.” The man whined.
“I used to be rated on everything that drove or flew, I might be rusty but I think I can still handle it. So don’t do anything stupid.” Derek informed him. “Just sit here and be quiet.”
Turning to Rora. “I’m going to go check out the airfield and see what happened to the contact. Then we can take a quick flight to NASA. You just sit here and rest a minute. Ok?”
She grimaced but nodded in agreement. “OK.”
With the helicopter secured and all the commandos dealt with Derek had a little time to go examine the plane and hangar that the contact had used. The plane was a total wreck. Little remained from the blast and pieces were scattered all over the tarmac. It didn’t look like there had been a body inside so he went inside the hangar. There were no lights but the sun shone through all the bullet holes in the walls causing a surreal effect.
In the back of the hangar he found the bound body of the contact. The man appeared to have been tortured before they shot him. He was dressed in basic wasteland attire, a pair of brown cargo pants tucked into work boots and a gray parka over a white shirt. There was nothing remarkable about him and he was of middle age. He carried nothing in his pockets and had no tags in his clothes. The only belongings he must have had were laid on the floor next to him. They were the keys to the plane and a phone similar to Derek’s. The phone had been completely taken apart.
As he searched the bodies of the dead commandos, Derek dialed the Voice. The phone popped to life in his ear.
“Major, I show you are at the drop point. Have you met the contact?”
“I met him, but he isn’t going to be bringing you the device.” Derek informed him.
“What? Why not? I’m paying you good money and giving you a pardon…”
“Because he’s dead and his plane is blown up.” Derek answered. “And before you blame me, I didn’t do it. There was a squad of commandos that ambushed me when we got here. They killed your man and tortured him first.”
There was a brief pause. “That is unfortunate…but that would explain why his phone stopped transmitting. I assume you killed the commandos or we wouldn’t be talking?”
“You are correct.”
“OK, I will find another place for you to deliver the device to.”
“I don’t think so. If they knew about this drop, they will find out about the next. And next time they will bring so much force I won’t survive. Besides, I am doubting your ability to come through on my pardon or payment since the U.S.T.G. is actively trying to stop me. Who are you really working for?”
“That is not important. We can still pay you and provide the pardon. I’ll double the payment. Bring me the device.” The Voice pleaded.
Derek considered his options. He wanted the payoff but he had a duty to Rora to get her to NASA in one piece. He wasn’t sure he could trust the Voice. At the very least the Voice was somehow compromised. But they could be at NASA in minutes on the chopper so it probably didn’t matter.
“I’m taking the device and the girl to NASA and we can figure it out from there.”
“NO! You cannot trust them. Who knows what they might do with the device.” The Voice replied angrily and almost desperately. “You get nothing if I don’t get the device first.”
“You know, right now I’m more worried about me and the girl surviving. It seems like everyone in North America is trying to kill me and take the device. What does it do?”
“I don’t know. I was contracted to get it and that’s what I am doing.”
“Who is your employer?” Derek pressed.
“There are many factions at play here Derek. Some of them are very, very powerful. Powerful enough to find out exactly where a small plane would be at a given time even though no one except you, myself, and the contact knew. These are old factions with many assets and resources. You shouldn’t mess with these factions. Bring me the device and we both survive this.” The Voice replied cryptically.
Derek wasn’t having any of it. “I’m taking the girl to NASA and that’s that. I’ll call you when I get there.”
He shut off the phone and removed the earpiece. He wrapped it in cloth and placed it in his pack just in case it might be booby-trapped. Collecting the commandos’ weapons and ammo, he headed back to the chopper. Rora and the pilot were still where he had left them. He loaded all the weapons and ammo onto the chopper and then helped Rora get on. He cut the pilot free and led him back to the chopper.
“You’re going to fly us to Cape Canaveral. If you try anything, I will splatter your brains all over the cockpit. Got it?”
“I got it. I’m just the pilot. I’ll take you wherever you want.” The pilot assured him.
Chapter 40
June 16, 2029
Cecil Field near Jacksonville, Florida
Derek had removed the co-pilot’s body already and took his seat next to the pilot. Putting on the headset he strapped in. Rora was secured in the seat in the cargo compartment with all of the gear. Derek had shut both side doors since they didn’t have a gunner and he didn’t want to chance her falling out.
The helicopter whirred to life and they took off, leaving the smoking airfield behind. As they pulled away Derek could see the control tower still smoking and the ruins of the plane and their SUV. He was disappointed they had lost all the weapons and gear in the SUV, especially the machine gun. But, he had collected a SAW and an automatic grenade launcher. And now he had a chopper armed with min-guns at his disposal so it probably came out even in the end. Although at the rate they were going, he would only have the chopper for a day or so before it was destroyed.
The flight was short, within minutes they were approaching the NASA compound at Cape Canaveral. This was where all of the shuttle missions had launched from before the program was scrapped by idiotic bureaucrats. Instead of funding the space program and appreciating all the technological advances it had brought, they had increasingly funded social programs that contributed to the Collapse. This had allowed private enterprise and hostile nations, like China, to gain a strong foothold in space. That mistake was probably what allowed the Collective to seize control of the satellites.
As they got closer, they could see clouds of smoke rising up from their location. Derek frowned. It had been a long shot that NASA had survived, but Rora had seemed sure they were there and th
e voice had seemed like he believed it as well. So he wasn’t sure what the smoke actually meant. Maybe the U.S.T.G. or Collective had attacked before they could get there? But when they got close enough to see what was causing the smoke, it was even worse than he had thought.
The complex was surrounded by Reapers, thousands of them. The smoke was coming from the massive bonfires they used to cook their “dinners”. He gestured for the pilot to swing around the edge of the gathering so he could see the true numbers. The encampments stretched around the entire facility. There were tens of thousands of them, more, maybe all of them. He saw at least forty tribal banners. They blocked all ground access to the grounds and were only held back by a series of fences.
There were dead bodies draped over parts of the fences, and their positions indicated the fences must be electrified. As they took a closer look Derek could see a wide cleared stretch around the outer fence with tank obstacles along the inner edge. Within the cleared area were a few burned out vehicles at various points. Looks like the fences had a minefield around them as well. The complex was pretty well defended from the ground so it was likely the people inside were still okay.
NASA was surrounded by a horde of angry cannibals all eager to get in and rip the inhabitants apart, but at least they could fly over them. Derek gestured for the pilot to head into the facility. As they turned he could see people running around on the ground. Then he heard the sound of small arms fire hitting the chopper. The pilot responded by taking the helicopter higher, but then he started yelling and pointing.
“Holy crap! They have anti-aircraft guns.”
Derek looked down to see several large vehicles turning guns their way. He realized with great alarm they were indeed ZSU-23-4 anti-aircraft guns. Light armored vehicles that carried four 23mm cannons slaved to a radar system. As if on cue he heard the warble of radar systems trying to lock on to them. Glowing lines of tracer roundss began to reach up from the ground towards them. He had forgotten they might still have armor and equipment from the original invasion. The chopper shook as the first shells found them. Lights flashed in the cockpit and alarms sounded as the cannon fire damaged the chopper. They couldn’t withstand the fire. They would have to find another way in.
To be continued in Book #2 Wasteland Rules: Born to Fight
Coming Spring 2014
The Rules
1. Kill or Be Killed
2. There are only Friends or Enemies
3. Don’t leave an Enemy at your back
4. A gun is the great equalizer
5. Don’t Waste Ammo
6. Mind your Own business
7. Always Pay Attention
8. Water is Life
9. Take everything you can carry, you never know what you might need
10. Always watch your back
11. If you can’t fight, run; if you can’t run, hide; if you can’t hide, fight
12. The safest looking place is always a trap
13. The weak serve the strong
14. Never sleep in the open
15. Always be prepared
18. You can never have enough ammo
Wasteland Rules Glossary
The Aftermath – The chain of events following the Collapse that led to the virtual destruction of the planet as we know it. It started with an exchange of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; and ended with violent storms and climate change.
Bikers – Gangs of traditional one-percenters (outlaw bikers) that ride the highways looking for victims.
Burners – Small gangs of young men on performance bikes. They are multicultural in make-up.
C.C.A. – Confederated Cities of America – Sometimes referred to as the Second Confederacy. It is a loosely affiliated group of southern cities. They share economic and military ties. It was formed after the U.S.T.G. conquest of Cincinnati. They are loosely allied with the New Republic of Texas.
The Collapse – The collapse of society and civilization brought on by a crop virus that wiped out most of the world’s food supplies. Wars and rioting resulting from the famine caused the collapse of all the world’s governments. It was followed the Aftermath.
The Collective – They are an insular group of technologists that control part of the West Coast. They make heavy use of cloning and cybernetics. They are very advanced technologically and not altogether human. They are connected into a semi-hive mind by the LINC. It is controlled by former software billionaire Stefan Doors.
Drinker – Large mutants that appeared in the Aftermath. They get their name from the fact that they drink human blood for sustenance and their mouths are often stained red.
Drone – A human being implanted with a computer chip in their brain that makes them little more than a robot. Often they are clones. They were created by the Collective. Used for labor and as soldiers.
Express Station – A fortified gas station and convenience store. One chain is run by Texas.
FedPol – Federal Police – The national police force of the U.S.T.G. They are the only law enforcement in the U.S.T.G and are a combination of the FBI and local law enforcement.
Freehold – A free town located in the wasteland.
Hauler’s Guild – Formed from the remnants of the Teamsters Union, almost all long haul truckers belong. They provide protection for their armored trucks and are a powerful political force. The threat of cutting off shipping to any faction usually wins concessions for the Guild. Based in Indianapolis under the “protection” of the U.S.T.G., they are still generally politically neutral.
Humek – A human being who underwent radical surgery to have cybernetics implanted in them. They are the most loyal followers of the Collective. They do have some free will.
LINC – Layered Integrated Neural Connection – A wireless network that connects the members of the Collective into a semi-hive mind. Users with total access can see anything any connected member sees or access any connected members sensory memories.
Merks – A generic term for mercenaries. They are general considered unreliable but willing to do anything for money. They have no overall organization.
New Republic of Texas – N.R.T. – Often just referred to as Texas or the New Republic. New Republic dollar or NRD is their currency.
Night Children – Also called Children of the Night – They are families of cannibals that existed underground before the Collapse. They now operate more openly, trapping and eating travelers in their booby-trapped lairs.
The Order – A well organized group of Neo-Nazis that have taken control of large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.
The Outfit – A large and well organized group of merks. They have their origins in the private military companies that were prevalent before the Collapse. They are well equipped and only take on large well-paying jobs. Their biggest customer is rumored to be the U.S.T.G.
Raiders – They are gangs of criminals that attack travelers and settlements. They are organized into a clan structure and mark themselves with tattoos on their foreheads.
Reapers – The remains of a European Union invasion force. Infamous for their cannibalism, they ravaged the remains of the East Coast.
Regulators – A slang term for the Brotherhood of Justice – It was formed by former law enforcement officers to protect their communities. Later multiple smaller groups merged into the larger organization that is spread across the wasteland. It is headquartered in Texas and receives some financial assistance from them. They pay bounties for criminals and often perform basic law enforcement duties in unaligned towns.
Roadhouse – A fortified compound housing at least a hotel and restaurant. They are usually built up around hotels at key road junctions like interstate exchanges. They are well fortified and well-guarded.
Technical – A pickup or SUV armored and armed with a heavy weapon like a machine gun.
U.S.T.G. – United States Territorial Government – The remnants of the old United States of America It is a single party state run by the former Vice Presid
ent Rickard Channing and the Neo-Conservative Party. It is a very structured and controlled economy and culture. Very expansionist, they lay claim to the entire continent of North America. It is a repressive police state. The U.S.T.G. dollar is their form of currency.
Wrecker’s Guild – This is a loose organization of tow truck drivers and wreckers. They retrieve broken down vehicles and scavenge damaged or abandoned ones. They drive armored tow trucks and are generally unmolested.
