by Kyle West
“Tell me, Makara,” Char said. “What became of you since last you left Raider Bluff?”
Makara told him everything that happened — her escape from Brux and the raid group, meeting me, and finding Samuel. She also told him about our mission — to head to Bunker One to discover the origins of the xenovirus, and how we hoped to find a cure for it. It took almost an hour of continuous talking. Char ate and drank, nodding from time to time, and only interrupted with a few questions. Finally, Char was up to speed as much as any of us were.
“We have noticed the Blights,” Char said. “There are several growing near here. Last you were here, Makara, there were none. But we have lost some men to attacks. Monsters that look like lizards, with sharp teeth, that can run as fast as a vehicle.” Char sighed. “The men have taken to calling them ‘crawlers.’ There are much worse that have no name. And there are also the Howlers. They are the human kind, and are the newest addition to Ragnarok’s bestiary, named for the awful howling sound they make upon attacking. We don’t send patrols that way anymore. In the east is death. And the farther east you go, the worse it gets. The monsters only get bigger.”
Makara did not say anything. “We have to go there.”
“Say you do find the answer — the cure to the xenovirus,” Char said. “What then?”
Makara shook her head. “I don’t know. But we have to try something. Samuel will not stop until he has answers. This is his mission, really. Alex and I are just along for the ride.”
Char looked at me, his eyes weighing us. “If that is true, there’s more to you than meets the eye, Alex. I could use someone like you around here.”
I accepted the compliment, but didn’t show any outward sign of appreciation. “We have to leave as soon as we are able. Winter will be coming on soon, and if what you say about the Blights is true, we will have to be even faster.”
“When you leave these walls,” Char said, “you both know you probably will not be coming back, right?”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Even if you make it that far, against all odds, what are the chances you can make it back?”
“Yes,” Makara said. “We know.”
I gave no reaction, but it was not something I had given much thought. It made sense, though. We would not be coming back. It seemed strange to think that. We might not even make it in the first place.
“The only reason I say that is because of the Great Blight — the one that starts, and doesn’t end.”
I frowned. “What is the Great Blight?”
“Just like it sounds,” Char said. “It starts at Ragnarok Crater — or at least I assume it does — and spreads hundreds and hundreds miles outward in each direction. It grows every year — our last patrol reported it starting somewhere a little ways into what used to be New Mexico. It’s probably farther by now; that was last year.”
“If we don’t do anything,” I said, “one day everything will be the Great Blight…Raider Bluff included.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Char said.
He sat quietly for a few minutes, thoughtful. It was hard to read what was going on inside his head.
“I hate to see you go, so soon after getting back,” Char said to Makara. “It’s good, what you did to Brux. No one liked him, anyway. He had it coming, although you should probably keep what really happened between us. Mutiny is mutiny, and someone who has it out for you could make trouble if they found out.”
“Humph,” Makara said. “You think I don’t already know that?”
Char rose from the table. “Thank you for your information; it was most useful. I’ll go check on Samuel.”
Before Makara could answer, Anna rushed in, her eyes wide.
“What is it?” Char asked.
“Trouble, at the Bounty,” she said.
Makara stood. “Why? What happened?
“Some men loyal to the Empire heard about Rex,” Anna said. “They’re holding Lisa hostage. They’re hoping to use her to get out of Bluff somehow.”
“I have to get down there,” Makara said.
“Makara, wait!” I said.
But my words went unheeded. Makara took off for the doors.
“Anna, go with them,” Char said. “I will join you soon.”
Anna turned to me, drawing her sword. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 5
Anna and I ran into the courtyard, chasing after Makara. We rushed out the compound gates. The Bounty wasn’t far — maybe half a mile down the winding dirt road.
A few minutes later, we were there. The crooked frame of the building looked as it were barely holding together. White paint peeled from years of the relentless wind. The front door was wide open in front of us, revealing several upturned barstools and glittering broken glass. No sound came from within. It might as well have been abandoned.
Makara pushed her way through a small crowd that had gathered outside the Bounty. She stopped before the front door.
We caught up to her.
“Makara…” I said.
“Look out!”
Someone had yelled from behind. A man appeared in the top window, aiming a rifle down at Makara. But instantly every Raider in the area aimed his gun at the man and shot, the gunfire shocking my senses. The man screamed, slumped from the window, and crashed into the dirt below.
“Well, there’s one less now,” Makara said. “We can’t hope any of the others are that dumb.”
“What do they even want?” I asked.
“I don’t know the whole situation,” Anna said, “but somehow Lisa found out that these guys are traitors working with Rex. She raised the alarm, so they ended up taking her hostage. They want out of the town in exchange for her life.”
“Char won’t let that happen,” Makara said. “He doesn’t want a single one returning to Colossus to tell the Empire.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Anna said.
As if mentioning Char were a summons, I spotted him walking down the road from the direction of the compound, surrounded by a contingent of Raiders. He appeared calm, in control — Makara and I were anything but.
Char approached us. “What’s the situation?”
“They’re still holed up in there,” Anna said. “Two, maybe a few more, are on the top floor. They want out of Bluff in exchange for Lisa’s life.”
Char faced upward. “Alright,” he yelled, “I’m here. What do you want?”
Everyone quieted. Only the wind blew through the dust-strewn street. The people in front of the Bounty began to murmur.
A full minute passed with no response from the bar.
“I demand an answer!” Char bellowed.
“Let us out of here,” a voice said. “You know what happens if you don’t.”
“You kill her, then what?” Char asked. “You die.”
“We’ll do it if you leave us no choice.”
“There is no need for that,” Char said. “I am glad to let you scum out of my town if it means saving Lisa.”
It was quiet. I could imagine the men in that upstairs bedroom, debating quietly what they should do.
“How can you guarantee our safety?” the same one said.
“I promise, none of my men will lay a finger on you. I’ll have them set down their guns when you come out. We can escort you by Recon on your way out, which should protect you if anyone decides to go commando on your sorry asses.”
“I never agreed to that,” Makara said.
Char held a hand up, silencing her. “Work with me, Makara.”
The men on the second floor were quiet.
Then: “Have everyone drop their weapons,” the man said. “We agree.”
Char scowled, and waited a long moment. I didn’t see why he hesitated — this seemed like the best deal he could get. Finally, he answered.
“Alright. In another minute, everyone outside will have dropped their weapons. All of them.”
“How can we be guaranteed of that?” the man
asked.
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me on that one, aren’t you?”
Char waved for everyone to set their guns down. Grumbling, the men did as they were told. Makara seemed least happy of all to do it.
Nothing happened for a long while. It was hard to tell whether they had accepted or not.
“Are the weapons on the ground?” the man asked.
Char grunted. “Yeah.”
The shutters of the window upstairs slammed open. Inside was a man with a rifle, aiming right for Char.
“Get down!” Makara yelled.
But no shot came. Instead, the man screamed. Inside the window stood Anna, her blade slicing toward the man’s neck. It cut through, severing the man’s head from his body. The head flew out the window, landing at Char’s feet.
Anna turned quickly, slashing her sword. Another man cried out. She raised the blade above her head, and stabbed downward.
Anna sighed, wiped off her blade, and sheathed it. She came to the window and looked down. “They’re all dead.”
Makara stood silent. It was hard to tell if she was relieved, or angry. Maybe she was both.
“I didn’t even see her leave!” I said.
“That was the point,” Char said. “Neither did those scumbags up there.”
Makara went into the building. I followed her in. The wooden interior was dark, and crowded with round circular tables. The room was narrow, but long. The bar itself sat on the right-hand side.
Two pairs of feet pounded down the steps. Anna was the first to appear. She passed us and walked outside. The second was Lisa. She was tall, slender, and had long wavy brown hair and blue eyes. Her skin was tan and slightly freckled.
Makara ran forward and embraced her. “Lisa, it’s so good to see you.”
Lisa smiled. “Why did it take a hostage situation for you to come down and visit me?”
Makara pulled back. “I’m sorry. It’s been so busy, with my brother’s condition. I guess you’ve heard about that.”
Lisa nodded. “Yeah. Bad luck. But it’s good you found him.” Lisa’s eyes turned on me. “Who’s this?”
“This is Alex,” Makara said. “He’s from Bunker 108, out San Bernardino way.”
“Long way,” Lisa said. “You’ve been taking care of Makara?”
“More the opposite.”
Lisa eyed me up and down. “I believe it.”
“Hey,” Makara said. “He’s come a long way in the week he’s been out. Holding up better than I expected him to.”
Lisa didn’t say anything: instead she stepped behind the bar. She picked up a dirty mug and began to wipe it clean.
“Lisa, stop working,” Makara said. “You were just now being held hostage.”
“This place isn’t going to clean itself. You can talk while I put this place back together.”
Makara turned to me. “I want to catch up with Lisa. Go check on Samuel?”
I knew I was getting kicked out, but I nodded. “Sure. He’ll want to know what happened here, anyway.”
I walked out of the Bounty. I found Anna standing outside.
“Heading back?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all. That was pretty cool, what you did. How did you sneak in there?”
Anna shrugged. “I have my ways.”
“Are you a ninja?”
“Are you just asking that because I have a katana?”
“Pretty much.”
“If there is a way to describe me, it’s ‘adaptable and fluid.’ It’s how I’ve survived this long. It’s how I’ll continue to survive.”
We were approaching the compound gates.
“So, where did you learn how to handle a sword like that?” I asked.
“It’s a long story, so I’ll keep it short. My mom taught me to read. And there are still real-life books out there, if you can find them. Wherever we holed up, my mother would read to me. When she came across a book she liked, she stored it in her pack for later. One day, when I was a kid, my mom came across a book about a samurai named Hideyoshi. He was a real person who lived in Japan, born to peasants, who was not strong but was able to outsmart and outmaneuver his opponents with only his mind. He became one of the best samurai in history, not only on the field, but in politics.
“More than anything that story gave me hope. If Hideyoshi could rise above his circumstances, so could I.
“I kept that book and read it so much that it became a part of me. Later on, I found this blade and some books on swordplay. I don’t use just samurai forms. Sort of a mix and match of things that fit my style.” She paused. We were in the courtyard. “But fancy swordwork is only ten percent of being a samurai. The rest is honor, manners, principle, and heart.”
“So how did you, a person of honor, end up in Raider Bluff?”
“Well…anyone who wants to live needs to go where the people are. Where the money is.” She stared ahead. “I know this place is not perfect. Far from it, actually. But it’s better than working for the Vegas Gangs or one of the settlements that could be wiped out at any point. Besides, for a Raider and an Alpha, Char is good enough. With him in charge here, this place is much better off than it would be.”
“I guess that’s true.”
“Look, I have to get going. Take it easy, Alex.”
She turned and walked toward the front doors. I supposed she was a samurai, for what a samurai was worth in twenty-first century post-apocalyptic America. I just wished I could use a sword like that.
I turned from the courtyard and made my way to the clinic. It was time to report to Samuel.
Chapter 6
Samuel looked even better than he had a few hours ago. He sat up in bed and fed himself some more of the leftover stew.
“Good to see you up,” I said.
Samuel smiled. “If Makara feeds me one more bite, I’ll scream.” He paused. “One of the Raiders came in and told me what happened. Is everyone alright?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Anna saved the day. She snuck into the building and assassinated the two guys holding Lisa hostage.”
Samuel smiled and shook his head. “You need to watch out for that one, Alex.”
I frowned. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”
Samuel ignored my question. “And Lisa?”
“She’s fine,” I said. “She seems a bit quiet, though. Pretty much your type all around.”
Samuel chuckled. “I guess we’ll see about that later. And Makara?”
“She’s fine, too. She didn’t look happy about Anna getting all the glory.”
Samuel shrugged and took another bite of stew.
“Char mentioned something about a Great Blight,” I said. “What is that?”
“Yeah,” he said. “It’s the biggest obstacle we face reaching Bunker One. Hundreds of miles of old-growth Blight. I bet the monsters in the Great Blight will make Kari look like someone’s lost pet.”
It was hard to imagine any monster getting bigger than Kari. That giant had been at least three times the size of a normal human, but at least we had escaped her.
“Great,” I said. “Tell me, why are we going through that? Char mentioned something called crawlers, and from the way he described them, I’m thinking we need to come up with an alternate route.”
“That’s the way we have to go,” Samuel said. “Nothing we can do about that. We’ll just have to hope the Recon is faster. We have the turret and thousands of rounds of ammunition if things get dicey.”
“Hopefully, that’s enough,” I said. “How’s the shoulder?”
“Feels like hell,” Samuel said. “But I’ll manage. I’ve been doing some prelim scouting.”
Samuel reached for his bedside table and picked up a tattered, folded piece of paper. He unfolded it, revealing a map of the United States, along with its cities and highways. Several points on the map had been marked already — mostly in the Mojave area. In thick, red mar
ker, a line had been drawn from Raider Bluff to Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado.
“I’ve been considering the most efficient route to Bunker One,” Samuel said. “We’ll be taking I-40 east most of the way. As we travel further east, it will get drier and drier. Our first obstacle will be a giant desert called the Boundless. Most who try to traverse it aren’t heard from again. Then again, most don’t have a Recon at their disposal. There will be a lot of empty, uninhabited land. And mountains. Lots and lots of mountains. But as long as we stick to the line of the old highway, getting there shouldn’t be an issue. We’ll take plenty of food and water; water both for drinking and to recharge the hydrogen cells. My main worry is the Great Blight — which starts somewhere in New Mexico.”
“How do we get through that?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know what to expect. It’s not as if we have satellite imagery of the Great Blight, so everything is up in the air once we make the border. No one even knows where it begins, exactly. All the same, we have to go through it, all the way to Cheyenne.”
I thought of the Blight that Makara and I went through while trying to find the entrance to Bunker 114. It was hard to imagine hundreds of miles of it at a stretch. The xenovirus would have had a chance to evolve a lot of deadly monsters in an ecosystem like that.
“Somewhere in there is the city of Albuquerque,” Samuel said. “There, the road turns north. We’ll be taking I-25 almost all the rest of the way to Cheyenne. After that, it gets a bit trickier. We’ll have to find the right roads to make it to Bunker One. If we’re lucky, we’ll find some signs pointing the way. If not, we always have a compass and landmarks to go by.”
“How long should all that take?”
Samuel shrugged. “In the Old World, two days at most. Now, who knows? It could take anywhere from a week to a month.”
Anna charged into the room, out of breath.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“You won’t believe this, but it isn’t over.”
“What isn’t?” Samuel asked.
“There were a group of Imperials camped out to the south. They’re torching the farms. Without that harvest, the city might starve come winter.”
