Metal and Ash (Apex Trilogy)

by Jake Bible

  “I don’t see what this has to do with the Canadians,” June said as she monitored Rachel’s levels on her tablet looking for any spike or anomaly. “The ocean is a legend, sure, but how does that affect aircraft and why we didn’t know there was a whole civilization above us?”

  “Because there is a massive shield surrounding our part of the continent,” Themopolous replied. “And the Canadians have been maintaining it for centuries, making sure our infected couldn’t get out into the world.”

  Jay sat up and really wished he had more shine on him. “Wait, are you saying that we were the only country to be destroyed?”

  “By the virus, yes,” Themopolous nodded. “War nearly wiped out the rest of the world.”

  “Jeezus,” Mathew whispered.

  “You know any of this, Commander?” Jay asked Capreze.

  “Not until yesterday,” Capreze said. “That’s when I found out about the shield and Themopolous. I’m waiting on word from Colonel Masterson as to the plan of action the Canadians have for shutting down the shield.”

  “Shutting down the shield?” Mathew, June, and Jay said at the same time.

  “That’ll release the virus,” Jay said.

  “No, it won’t,” Themopolous said. “The virus isn’t airborne. Hasn’t been since everyone went underground.”

  “But...but...,” June started and went silent, echoing the sentiments of the room.

  “Okay, nice talk,” Rachel said. “But would anyone like to say what the hell is wrong with me?”

  “Nothing,” Themopolous said. “You’re the picture of health.”

  “Which isn’t good,” June added.

  “Why is that?” Capreze asked.

  “Because she shouldn’t be the picture of health,” Themopolous stated. “She should be weak, disoriented, sickly.”

  “Not seeing the down side here,” Mathew said as he smiled at Rachel. She beamed back at him.

  “I’m worried the other shoe will drop,” Themopolous said. “And as everyone in this room knows, it always does.”

  “Got that fucking right,” Jay nodded.

  ***

  “You still there, James?” Blue asked over the com.

  “You have to stop asking that, Blue, when you drop shit like this on me,” Capreze replied. “I’m still here, just processing this fucking nightmare.”

  “I know what you mean,” Blue responded. “My apologies.”

  Capreze took a deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly before continuing. “So the only way to get the shield up is to get a team to Monterey and deal with tech that no one has dealt with in hundreds of years, is that it? Oh, and the people that could help us are now our enemies? Brilliant.”

  “That’s it,” Blue said. “You can see the dilemma.”

  “Cluster fuck, Blue,” Capreze said. “We’re both professionals, let’s call it what it is.”

  “I think you’re being generous,” Blue laughed.

  “Me too.” Capreze thought for a moment. “So how do we get into Canada?”

  It was Blue’s turn to be silent. “Uh, what?”

  “How do we, more specifically me, get a team into Canada?” Capreze repeated. “They need to be taken down. So I need to have two teams.”

  “James, I don’t think you get what the issue is,” Blue said. “We have to get the shield down, not send a suicide mission to Canada.”

  “The Canadians have techs that can help, right?”

  “Yes, but-.”

  “Jethro? You know how to get the shield down?”

  “No, Commander,” Jethro replied. “But Colonel Masterson probably has more detailed records than I do. He sends them my way and I’ll figure something out.”

  Blue could be heard barking orders. “Done.”

  “I’ll see what I can figure out,” Jethro said as soon as the files were downloaded from the satellite link.

  “In the meantime I’ll be sending a team to Monterey,” Capreze said. “And then hoping I can get another team to Canada. It’s worth a shot and the only plan we have right now.”

  “Hoping to get a team?” Blue asked.

  “I’m a little short handed right now,” Capreze said. “Most of my pilots are already on missions in the wasteland. And all of them have been out of communication for a day.”

  “At least all of my folks are right where I can see them,” Blue said. “I don’t envy you.”

  “That makes two of us,” Capreze said. “I’ll keep you posted, Blue.”

  “Please do.”

  Capreze severed the com connection and leaned back in his chair. “Jethro? Any word from Murphy and her team?”

  “Not yet, sir,” Jethro replied. “And Stomper says no one has come out of the crevice he’s been watching.”

  “Great. What about the Rookie?”

  “Not a word there, sir. But we lost com with the train days ago. They are in deep, deep wasteland. I don’t think the Railer train has ever been that deep. I’d be surprised if they weren’t having to build tracks as they go.”

  “Get on com with Murphy. I want a report ASAP.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And the second you hear from the Rookie tell him I need his ass back here pronto!”

  Sixteen

  The headache wasn’t the issue; the Rookie had had a million of those. Nor was it the gag or the fact his hands were bound behind his back.

  It was that he was stark naked and had about ten young women staring at him, their eyes all watching what was between his legs.

  One of the women saw that he was awake and hurried from the concrete room. The others turned their attention to his face. Most of them did, at least.

  “Thirsty?” one of them asked. “We can get you some water once the Mayor says we can remove your love ball.” The woman saw the confusion on the Rookie’s face. “The ball gag in your mouth. It’s what the men use to keep the slits from biting them after they are broken and taken as wives. Love and marriage are a trial that must be fought for and won not just in the heart, but in the conquering of the body as well.”

  All of the women nodded.

  The Rookie had heard of the philosophy; had heard tales of how his village was before it came to the surface of the wasteland. How his people chose who lived, who survived, and who died.

  Marriage. By combat.

  “There he is!” a voice boomed making all of the women jump. They scrambled to their feet and then bowed low so that their faces nearly touched their knees. The man came in and touched each of them in the small of the back. “You can leave now, wives.”

  The women did as they were told and hurried from the cold room. The Rookie watched as a tall, thin man, eyes of ice blue, hair pulled back into a long, white ponytail that reached his ass, strode towards him.

  “Do you recognize me, nephew Dog?” the man smiled as he knelt next to the Rookie and carefully removed the gag. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Uncle Young?” the Rookie asked, searching the man’s face and finding a resemblance to a man that was banished years and years ago. “How...?”

  “Oh, it wasn’t easy,” Uncle Young said. “And call me Mayor, please. Family does not mean familiarity. We all have our place.”

  The Mayor put a small cup to the Rookie’s lips and let him drink the cool, clear water slowly.

  “I have been looking for you for a very long time,” the Mayor said. “When I learned you had been cast out by your father I knew I had to bring you into the fold.” The Mayor’s face became pained and he looked away briefly. “Especially since my blood can only produce slits and not husbands.”

  “Slits?” the Rookie asked then understood. “Girls? That’s what you call them?”

  “That’s what they are,” the Mayor said seriously. “Wild things that tempt our boys. The slits must be separated until they are of age and ready for marriage. Then our boys must brave the Maze and bring back a wife. She must be broken and then taught her place, but eventually all slits become good w
ives. That is the way. That has always been the way.”

  “Okay,” the Rookie nodded. “I never believed it, but the Boss was right. You’re crazier than he ever could be.”

  “Crazy?” the Mayor smiled as he stood up and towered over the Rookie. “Could be. But the Boss -your father, my brother- was a true devil. His cruelty could never sustain the village. He was doomed to fail.”

  “You got that right,” the Rookie said. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course, my boy,” the Mayor smiled.

  “Any chance you can untie me and get me my clothes?” the Rookie smiled. “Please?”

  “Yes, yes, of course,” the Mayor smiled. “I just had to let the wives approve of your anatomy. We can’t have deformities here like back in your village. Our genes are clean. Inbreeding is not allowed. It weakens us.”

  “You sent them in here to check out my dick?”

  “And you testicles,” the Mayor said. “You ejaculate normally, which is good.”

  The Rookie wanted to throw up. Had he been molested while unconscious? Had those women, uh, done something to him, with him?

  “You look scared,” the Mayor said. “Don’t be. You have been given the approval and are ready to go pick from the slits. You must have a robust family before you can take my place.”

  “Take your place?”

  “Of course,” the Mayor said. “I do not have an heir and all power must be given to blood. Finding you has kept Eden from falling into civil war. You have no idea how close this situation has come to going bad.”

  “Oh, I have an idea of the bad,” the Rookie said. “So you will untie me?”

  “I will get you your clothes,” the Mayor said. “But you will remain tied. I’m not stupid, Dog. I know what a killer you are. Convince me you are on board with this and your bonds will be cut.”

  “And If I don’t convince you?” the Rookie said. “Or don’t get on board?”

  “Then I have a bit of an overpopulation problem in the Maze,” the Mayor smiled. “I could use a killer like you to thin out the slits. That is until they rip you apart. Which they will. Eventually.”

  ***

  Eden was as close to its name as anything the Rookie had seen in the wasteland. It wasn’t quite up to par with the city/states like Windy City and Foggy Bottom (before they were destroyed), but it was an architectural marvel compared to the Boiler village he grew up in.

  “Twelve levels of wonder,” the Mayor said. “Built around an abandoned settlement that had been overrun by deaders. The undead are plentiful out here in the deep.” The Mayor glanced towards the massive wall that surrounded Eden. “A threat that we have used to our advantage.”

  “To your advantage?” the Rookie asked.

  “Follow me,” the Mayor said as they walked through the crowds that were busy cleaning the stoops in front of their buildings -buildings that were several stories high- or talking to neighbors, bartering for goods, chasing small children down so they could get shoes on them, all the normal signs of a decent civilization.

  The Rookie caught sight of a vid screen in one of the apartments, but the tenant quickly saw him watching and shut the door.

  “That was pretty good tech,” the Rookie commented.

  “We salvage what we can,” the Mayor shrugged, hurrying the Rookie forward. “Not much of it works as it should, though.”

  The Mayor led the Rookie to a guarded gate. He nodded at the men armed with carbines and they stepped aside, allowing the Mayor and the Rookie to enter a cage.

  “Not liking what I’m seeing so far,” the Rookie said. “Have a little history with cages.”

  “Yes, well this one isn’t designed for killing,” the Mayor said as he pulled a gate closed and pushed a lever. The cage lurched then began to rise.

  “An elevator?” the Rookie said, surprised. “How can you afford the power? I can understand geothermal for the city, maybe solar and wind arrays, but you can’t possibly have the storage capacity to run a luxury like this?”

  “No need for storage when you have a never ending, perpetual source of power just dying to work for you,” the Mayor smiled. “You’ll see.”

  And he did.

  “No. Fucking. Way,” the Rookie said as he carefully leaned over the side of the wall to see below. The Mayor held him by the shoulders since his hands were still bound behind his back.

  “I am sure that when you first saw the outside of Eden you figured all those corpses were there as a punishment, right? To prove my power, to show the population that criminals and perverts would be dealt with harshly and those that opposed me would be dealt with even harsher?”

  “It was my first guess,” the Rookie nodded.

  “Well, it is a good guess,” the Mayor grinned. “No space or resources for a jail here. Minor issues are dealt with quickly and everyone moves on. More than minor? You get to be bait. If you survive your sentence then you are brought in and never stray again.” The Mayor pulled the Rookie back and locked eyes. “And believe me, after a day and night on the wall, no one ever strays again.”

  “And the major crimes? They get to stay there until they die?”

  “Some do,” the Mayor shrugged as he leaned the Rookie back over and they both watched the masses of undead below continuously stumble and trudge along. “If it is warranted. We aren’t evil here, Dog. If a person truly repents and has the courage to stay alive for several days, then they may be given a second chance. There is never a third chance.”

  “So what are the mechanics like? What makes it go?” the Rookie asked thinking Jay would have been in mechanic heaven to see what was under the deaders.

  “Simple treadmills, hooked up to hundreds of generators spaced throughout Eden’s walls,” the Mayor smiled. “Day or night the deaders never stop moving. The bait is just out of reach, keeping them in a perpetual chase for food.”

  The Rookie watched the thousands of undead far below. “Where do they all come from? I haven’t seen that many since the city/states fell.”

  “I do have to say that their numbers have been increasing lately,” the Mayor frowned. “It has put some stress on the treadmills. My repair crews have been working hard to keep up.”

  “They go out there?” the Rookie asked. “Into that hell?”

  “We have ways of isolating the treadmills when needed,” the Mayor said, but didn’t elaborate.

  “Okay, I have to say that is something to see down there,” the Rookie said. “But it doesn’t justify what’s in here?”

  “And what is that, Dog?”

  “Rookie,” the Rookie said. “Dog isn’t my name anymore.”

  “We don’t choose our names, boy,” the Mayor said. “They are chosen for us.”

  “Exactly,” the Rookie smirked. “And the Rookie was chosen for me. No more Dog. He died in a cage.”

  “I believe the Razor died in a cage,” the Mayor said, but gave a slight bow. “Of course...Rookie. Would you like to meet some of the people? Maybe your opinion of me and Eden will change.”

  “Always worth a shot,” the Rookie said.

  ***

  Jenny awoke to nothing but aches and pains and sighed with exhaustion. She’d dug the mech into the earth, trying to give herself a little cover while she figured out how to get through the wall to the Rookie. The night wasn’t filled with sleep and relaxation; just nervous tension and fear as groups of deaders lumbered past her location on their way to the dangling food that lined the wall of Eden.

  “Pain in my ass literally,” she said as she stretched in the cramped mech cockpit. “I’m going to beat the shit out of that boy when I see him.” Her heart stung and she knew she’d more than likely kiss the Rookie to death when she saw him again. She barely had made it through the loss of her father and she couldn’t imagine losing the Rookie too.

  She powered up her systems and did a quick run through. Everything was operational and good to go.

  Not that she was.

  She still hadn’t come up
with a plan other than rushing the wall. And as she studied the firepower that guarded the wall, she doubted she’d get within a hundred yards before being torn to pieces.

  And she couldn’t just walk in. Even if she did make it past the never ending pilgrimage of deaders, she would need to deal with the thousands already at the wall. She was a tiny morsel of food on the dinner plate that was the wasteland.

  The thought of food made her stomach growl and she checked the bins in the cockpit. Reality slapped her in her face and she quickly realized that the luxury of waiting around wasn’t there. She had maybe a day’s worth of food and water. Somebody on her train was going to get their ass kicked for not keeping the mech stocked as ordered.

  So a day, she thought. Great. Just great.

  ***

  “Is it now?” the Mayor mused as he listened to the words that were whispered in his ear. “But still in its previous position? Good. Alert me if it decides to make a move.”

  The man nodded and scurried away from the Mayor, leaving him to his lunch with the Rookie and his dozen or so wives.

  “Trouble in paradise?” the Rookie asked.

  “Not for me, no,” the Mayor said. “But possibly for you. Just getting an update on the mech that followed you here from the Railer train.”

  “Mech?” the Rookie asked, nearly choking on the food that was being fed to him by one of the wives. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I am sure technically you don’t,” the Mayor said. “After all you were being held captive and transported across the wasteland. I am sure you did not know you were being pursued.” The Mayor waved the wife away and the woman stopped feeding the Rookie. He smiled broadly, but the grin didn’t meet his eyes. “But you do know what that mech is and I am sure you know the man piloting it.”