by John Davis
Standing to his feet, Jackson did his best to wipe tears away from his face. Walking to Gretchen for a moment to retrieve a necklace which lay across her neck.
“Are you alright?” Alicia questioned, easing Jackson's .45 pistol out to him.
“It'll take time.” he replied.
“I know,” she said, completely understanding his pain. “But I need you. The people in the vault, they need you.”
“I know.” Jackson replied.
Goodbye my dear Katie. You'll always be with me.
As Alicia helped Jackson away, slowly making their way back to the vault beneath the barber shop; a letter poked out from Gretchen's pocket. A letter of broken love – never to be delivered.
-
It was a scene of total chaos as the few Ancient who remained, fought back with everything they had – while humanity's last remaining soldiers fired at will.
Citizens scattered with panic. Some ran from the city, though not under order to do so by their military commander. They had simply seen enough, opting to try survival beyond the walls of the once proud city.
Alicia and Jackson could even see it in the distant. A mob of panic so intense that humans began firing on humans in order to gain the needed supplies for survival beyond the city walls.
Alicia knew in her heart the end was drawing near. For so long, survivors had taken others in and provided them with safety. A sense of purpose. Now, even the soldiers who taken on the prison-yard mentality of survival of the fittest. Taking what they could, and knowing damn well things were about to change.
Win or lose, there was no more Rise of Allies. No more structured government. There was only the will to survive. Gone were the days of the Washington City as humanity knew it.
Several minutes of quiet settled in between gunshots, which led the survivors to believe the battle for Washington City was nearing an end.
As Perk glanced up a bit, he was perhaps the first human to see the coming fleet. Black speckles scattered throughout the canvas of blue, which seemed to grow by the second. Minutes later, the blue was dwarfed by the large black of Ancient ships. Squashing any sunlight and giving the appearance of nightfall.
Knowing damn good and well that the fleet had arrived, Perk hurried the other soldiers inside of the vault, watching patiently for Alicia, Jackson and news of Gretchen and Katie.
The Rise of Allies soldiers that remained, also knew their leader had made a huge tactical error. He'd went against Alicia's wishes, choosing to entrench his warriors into the city for another battle of survival.
But as the sky above darkened with a thickness of ships, it became apparent that death was the verdict for any and all who remained inside of Washington City.
“Run,” one of the lieutenants cried out, ushering his soldiers into panic. “Get your asses to the hills outside of Washington as fast as possible – and my God be with you all!”
Retreat had not been ordered by the general, an act punishable by death. Though he did nothing to stop it. He too understood his gross underestimation of the fleet's size, simply throwing his own weapon to the ground and staring to the sky.
Cracks of sunlight bled through a barrage of Ancient ships – each of them flat but thick, bearing several hundred large makings of their race's language on the underbelly.
The general understood that even though death was swiftly approaching, he was living through history. If a single human survived to speak of this day, it would forever be studied by future generations. An alien fleet arriving in force. Bastards of brutality, yet their spacecraft seemed elegant and mysterious. Enough so that the general stood in place. Admiring the sight above as his own soldiers fled in scrambling fashion.
Jackson and Alicia rounded the final corner of a building which sat across the street from their barber shop turned safe-haven. Perk waved them in, keeping his own rifle up and at the ready. As they pushed inside, Alicia stopped for a moment to admire the beauty of the mighty fleet. An alien race living aboard such masterfully-crafted ships. Though its inhabitants brought only death and destruction.
“Gretchen?” Perk asked.
Jackson simply handed him the necklace, shaking his head in grief.
“Ah shit,” Perk said, disgusted by the outcome. “I don't understand, they had plenty of time to get here before the gunfire began.”
Jackson acknowledged the statement, though he did so with teary eyes.
“Man I'm sorry. I would have left with them and allowed the queen to live. I didn't know. I was starting to fall for that damn girl.” Perk admitted.
Jackson tilted his head down for a moment, finally reaching out to hug Perk with extreme grief.
“Get him into the vault, he needs to rest,” Alicia said, ordering Perk take care of an ailing Jackson. “I'll stage everything here, just prepare to lock us down.”
“You got it.” Perk replied, helping Jackson to the narrow ladder which channeled into the floor – leading to the vault.
As Alicia tossed the interior of the building, making it appear as though it were simply one of thousands of looted buildings, she felt strange. Hairs standing up on her neck a bit, forcing her into the arms of uneasy.
Easing to one of the corner windows of the shop, Alicia did her best to scan the surrounding area. It looked deserted enough. No movement, no gunfire close. Other than a wind blowing fiercely outside of the shop and very little sunlight peeking through the fleet overhead, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Still, her body seemed to be reacting strangely. As if electricity ran through her veins a bit.
She could only remember having such a feeling once before, as a child. Alicia used to think of the boogieman late night, laying in her bed and remaining terrified.
Obviously, the circumstances were a bit different. There was an alien race preparing to murder what remained of humanity – while Alicia was no longer a child. She no longer feared a boogeyman, and clinched her rifle tight. Daring anything outside of the shop to give her an opening.
Several minutes passed as she quietly peeked through the windows of the barber shop, finally squashing her suspicions and using a box to scrape away the footprints which had easily led from the shop door to the barber's chair. Meticulously covering their tracks.
Then, as Alicia began down the ladder a bit, she stopped to glance one last time at a city which remained proud. Even in the face of total destruction, Washington City remained beautiful in her eyes.
Pulling the barber chair upright once more, Alicia climbed down the ladder, closing a thick blast door behind her. Securing four bolts as insurance of their survival.
-
As Alicia began to settle in, speaking to everyone briefly of the days, possibly weeks to come, the brunette soldier tried to show them a face of calm.
It quickly became useless, however, as the entire vault shook slightly. Then again, the second time a bit more fiercely. Bombs obviously, raining from the fleet above.
“Please everyone, remain calm,” Alicia pleaded. “I understand how it must sound, but this location was selected because it will hold up. It's a former bunker from the World War 2 era...”
Her words were cut short as a barrage of thunderous explosions hammered down onto Washington City.
“Alicia, those are big shots.” Perk commented quietly, speaking directly into her ear.
“The bunker will hold.” she insisted, doing so for everyone inside to see.
Perk listened to her and did his best to believe it. Still, the firepower slamming to the surface above was enough to make him second guess. Even scaring the tough soldier a bit.
“Jackson,” Alicia said, knowing he needed a list of tasks to pull his mind away from troubles. The true mark of a soldier. “Please let everyone know what happens from this point forward.”
Jackson looked to her for a moment. Part of him upset with her, the other half of him thankful that she cared.
It felt silly to think of love at such a moment. His wife had perished and humanity was in th
e process of being extinguished. For so long our race had tried to predict the end of times – now he was living through them.
Still, he looked at her for several long moments. Never thinking of kissing her. Never thinking of how beautiful Alicia was in his eyes. Jackson only realized that what he had for the woman was real.
“The plan is to wait it out,” he stated, using a loud voice to push through the growing noise of explosions above. “We sit tight and allow the war above to take place. A war that we'd have no effect on either way. We sit tight until we know it's over.”
“What of the soldiers up there fighting? What about them?” one of the civilian women inside of the vault asked.
“Alicia instructed them to fight the Ancients and then run before the fleet arrived. They were told it was the only way they'd survive, but that's a choice they ultimately have to make. Not us. We sit tight and when this thing finally blows over, we plan to exit the vault and form back up with what remains of the Rise of Allies.” Jackson said.
“And if nobody up there survives?” the woman asked.
“Well, in that case,” Jackson replied, glancing to both Perk and Alicia for a moment. “We're it.”
The survivors inside of the vault seemed to immediately fall into panic with his statement.
“Look,” Alicia said. “The vault will hold against this, I'm sure of it. Once things blow over, we have what we need to survive up there. Soldiers, children, supplies,” she added. “We have the knowledge and foundation to begin our own society, if it were to come to that. We can protect you. Each one of these soldiers has been hand-selected because they care.”
The steel walls which housed them began to shake with ferocity, nearly jarring teeth from the children inside.
It was enough to make Alicia question her own declaration of safety. The bunker was solid enough, but she'd not expected firepower like this. Not even close.
On the surface, mankind's last great city was being leveled into piles of rubble. The elders having grown tired of humanity's will to survive.
As the huge resource ships began landing near the larger bodies of water, filling their tanks with the precious drinking water, human prisoners which had been taken during the years of war began to be escorted from the grounded mothership. Flown by shuttles to the resource ships to be stocked as cattle. Skinned and frozen for nourishment by Ancient soldiers in the real war to come, though the human prisoners were none the wiser.
Meanwhile, several of the large Ancient warships thumped what little remained of Washington City non-stop. The tail end of each blast followed by another.
Bombs they had reserved for the Sirens, now being gifted to humanity in an attempt to quickly decimate it.
In fact, Berlin, Tokyo, Moscow and London were all being hammered with the same Star-Zen bombs, which momentarily rearranged the molecular composition of affected areas, forcing them to burst apart.
Decent weaponry against the Sirens, but outright devastating against humanity. Our concrete walls were no match for such mighty power.
The Ancient fleet had arrived, not to be hindered any further by our petty race, but to strong-arm what they needed and be on their way. No further interruptions.
-
Day 14
The attacks seem to have fallen off a bit. We still hear lots of movement on the surface, but it feels as though the Ancients are fighting less and reorganizing themselves more. Needless to say, humanity has lost.
We continue to survive down below, though after two weeks of being cramped inside of this dimly-lit vault, I would almost welcome death if it also meant a bit of free roaming and fresh air hitting my lungs.
Jackson remains very unstable. I try to understand his loss – his situation, but it's very hard for me. My spouse sits before me, reeling with agony, while his own lies above ground. Having already been sent to the afterlife.
I've tried several times to approach Jackson in an effort to console him. Because I love him; also because I care for him deeply. I'm truly concerned. Though he has not been bitter towards me, Jackson has been unwilling so speak of the personal issues haunting him. It's as if he too died on the surface above. The soldier in him remains with us, but the man I know and love seems lost.
Those few we managed to save, remain hopeful. The children among us have found ways to amuse themselves, going so far as to create games that engage themselves while passing time. The women who entered the vault remain a mixed-result.
Some of them grieve for spouses, perhaps even entire families that this damned war has claimed. Others seem to be over what has taken place up to this point, and more concerned about where we go from here. The truth is, I don't know. I've no idea what remains on the surface above us?
I do know that there is no conceivable way that Washington City withstood the bombing we heard. Nearly a solid week of nothing but explosions above us. Not small, contained explosions, but the kind that shook our planet as if a reset button were being pressed. Earthquake variety.
I'm not exactly sure where I stand. In the middle of both extremes, I suppose. I can never forget the horrors of the Great War, nor will I ever lose friends who have fallen. They will forever be with me. Still, I try to push forward. I begin to wonder exactly what life will remain when this is over.
The Ancients are simply passing through, that much remains clear to me. What isn't as clear, is what type of world the survivors within this vault will now inherit?
As the day to exit this underground vault slowly approaches, I begin to wonder about things most others wouldn't. Our structure of government moving forward. Our ability to find supplies. Living conditions. All of these things I am concerned with, especially when it involves so many young children.
Those of us who remain, be it inside of this vault or scattered across the lands of ruin above, we'll have our day.
-
Day 37
“Alicia,” Perk said, nudging her slightly. “Wake up.”
Immediately, the soldier-trained woman sat up with pistol in hand, skimming the interior of the vault.
“What?” she asked.
“Well, I'm not sure,” Perk replied. “It sounds like they are pulling out.”
“What?” Alicia asked, rubbing her eyes and readying herself for the news all over again.
“I think the Ancients may be leaving,” Perk stated once more. “I'm hearing a lot our ship thrusting and explosions, just not the kind that blow shit up.”
“Nice.”
“So what's the plan on going back up?” Perk asked.
“There isn't one, actually,” Alicia replied. “We need to group up and figure something out. All of the military-trained.”
“You got it boss.”
Several minutes later, the soldiers within the vault, including Alicia, Jackson, Perk and nearly two-dozen others, met to plan. Their exit strategy now in question.
“We need to wait it out a little longer.” Alicia stated.
“I disagree,” Jackson replied. “These people are cramped, they're tired of being here and, quite frankly, so am I.”
“We don't even know what's up there?” Alicia lashed out in response. “We're not even sure the Ancients are leaving?”
“They are leaving,” Jackson replied. “I know enough about their technology to know that the sounds of thunder you hear, are resource ships pulling up into our atmosphere. Soon enough, their war ships will follow.”
“How Jackson,” she asked at the other soldiers looked on. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Because Alicia, it's common sense,” he replied, eyes tearing up a bit. “You don't let someone who can't protect themselves out of your sight. You just don't. Go with them and make sure they are safe at all times.”
With his sharp words, Jackson turned to walk back to his spot in the vault. A sleeping bag with a small pile of belongings nearby.
“You need to let that shit go,” Alicia said loudly. “Your wife is dead, and you know what? I'm sorry. B
ut it's time for you to cowboy the fuck up, because everyone inside of the vault has lost. Not just you. Just let it go.”
“You let it go,” Jackson fired back. “If you would have been here, instead of with me in an attempt to convince me to love you – my wife might still be here.”
“So now you blame me for her death?” Alicia asked.
“I blame everyone that wasn't there to protect her the moment she died. Everyone, myself included. You can't protect these people once we get up there.” Jackson replied.
“We wait it out. When it's a given that the Ancients have left, we'll go topside and I promise you, we can protect these people from whatever horrors remain.” Alicia said.
“Yea,” Jackson commented. “But who's going to protect them from you?”
His words stung. Alicia had loved Jackson – she would have even followed him to the ends of the planet. She understood his grief, but a personal attack of words was crossing the line.
“Hey, hey,” Perk said, grabbing Alicia in a bit to prevent her from following Jackson back to his spot. “We don't need this right now. Not here. These people don't need to see it,” he added. “When we get topside, fight it out, I don't give a damn. Just not here.”
Alicia accepted his pleas with a nod of her head, though her eyes never broke away from Jackson.
It took her nearly an hour to approach Jackson's spot. She finally did so after calming her to normal.
“Can I sit?”
“Be my guest.” Jackson replied.
“What is going on with you?” Alicia asked.
“I'm just done with all of this hiding like a rat in a hole.”
“We have to be down here in order to survive, you know that,” Alicia replied. “Once we get back to the surface we'll begin rebuilding.”
