Cy was kneeling to rest the old man on the ground as Clio walked closer holding a shovel by her side. “Found this.”
“Thank you,” Cy gently responded as she handed it to him. He began to dig near the edge of the woods. Watching him dig, Clio had a thousand questions racing through her mind. Lady sniffed Russ and barked. She whined making his lifeless body move, nosing against him.
“Why did you say you’re not human?” Clio asked.
“Not fully human,” Cy answered as he used his uninjured foot to strike the shovel.
“What does that mean?”
“I’m a cyborg.”
“A cyborg?” Clio asked, scrunching her face.
“Yes Clio. I’m part human and part machine.”
“Um… ok.”
“I’m a man though,” Cy said in a fake voice, smiling.
His joke was a bit off but Clio understood he was making one. “I’m just a regular girl.”
“I guessed that,” Cy answered, looking at Clio who appeared embarrassed from the comment. The obvious girl remark just came out of her mouth without thinking. But then again, if this cyborg was telling the truth, maybe regular people weren’t so obvious anymore.
“Are there more like you?” Clio asked, accepting the conversation as well as whom… or what he said he was.
“No. Dr. Marcus has only made me… so far anyway.”
“Who’s Dr. Marcus?”
“He’s the man that created me. I think you’ll get to meet him soon.” Cy realized that he wasn’t going to make it home on time. He knew that this lone little girl was too important to be left by herself, stranded.
“Where did you come from?” Clio asked.
“Charlotte North Carolina. DARPA office.”
“What’s that?”
“Dr. Marcus and I traveled there from our home in Alexandria Virginia yesterday. The facility is most excellent. Dr. Marcus will be able to build more like me there.”
“Oh…”
“Where are you from?” Cy asked.
“RMB Jackson.”
“How interesting. That’s where I was heading when I found you here,” Cy announced.
“Why were you going there?”
“To check for survivors.”
“Don’t bother…” Clio said, kicking some of the dirt back in the hole being dug.
Cy stopped digging and looked at Clio. “Please forgive me for asking this Clio, but why?”
“Gone… there’s nothing there… Everyone’s gone or dead.”
“There are no survivors?” Cy gently asked.
“Just me… and maybe some others.”
“Others?” Cy asked as he began digging again.
“Russ and I went there and… this old woman told us they took people.”
“The Ker took people?” Cy asked.
“Yes.”
“Dr. Pavlov,” Cy stated, digging harder.
“Who’s that?” Clio asked.
“The man who started all this,” Cy answered as he looked around at the world.
“You know him?” Clio asked. “Where is he?”
“My master knew him. They worked together before the war started.”
“Where does he… I mean… do you know where he took my mother?”
“Was your mother one of the one’s that were taken from the RMB?”
“I don’t know,” Clio responded. “I think so… I know she’s alive though… I can feel it.”
“He’s in the state of Georgia somewhere… I believe.”
“How do you know that?” Clio asked.
“It’s where he’s lived all his life. His factory in Savannah was destroyed but he’s there in Atlanta somewhere. Dr. Marcus thinks the same thing…”
CHAPTER 50 - MY OLD FRIEND
“I told God to protect me from my enemies
and I started losing friends.”
-Unknown
Atlanta:
Dr. Pressfield was nauseous when the vehicle finally stopped. He’d been bounced around for the last several hours without a break. Waiting, the back door suddenly flung open and Marcus tensed, anticipating the bots would appear at any second and drag him out.
“Marcus, my old friend,” Dr. Pavlov greeted after popping his head inside the back of the Hum-Z.
“Dr. Pavlov,” Marcus stated calmly.
Dr. Pavlov’s head disappeared as one of the Sentinel bots leaned inside the back, waving like a traffic cop, ordering him out with a hand gesture. Grabbing Marcus by the arm, it launched him out, hitting the ground hard and rolling. Disoriented, Marcus was grabbed again and being dragged by two Sentinels as they followed behind Dr. Pavlov.
Seth Pavlov turned around and looked at Marcus. “The old CDC,” he said as Marcus raised his head. “My new home… Come on in and I’ll show you around.”
Dr. Pressfield knew this was probably going to be his last stop. Pavlov always seemed a bit off, but now, now he had a deranged look in his eyes. The bots drug him inside the building as he noticed the makeshift factory.
“Seat him over there,” Dr. Pavlov ordered.
After forcing Marcus down on a chair, the two Sentinels stood guard over him. Dr. Pressfield watched the mad scientist enter a room past another Sentinel standing outside its doorway. After doing an about face, the Sentinel entered inside the office behind Dr. Pavlov.
Jesus Christ, Marcus thought at the sight of the man they drug out by his arms. The Sentinels slid his limp body closer and stopped in front of Dr. Pressfield.
“What do you think, old friend? I present to you the President of the United States of America.”
The President looked up at Marcus. Both men recognized each other. They’d met before at a Joint Chief’s Senate hearing. Dr. Pressfield was on the panel that briefed the President about growing concern of genetics being used to create super soldiers by our enemies.
“Watch this my old friend,” Dr. Pavlov stated.
Dr. Pavlov gave the nod to his Sentinels. Pulling on the President’s arms, both Sentinels ripped the extremities from his body as he screamed for a brief second. Marcus heard the body hit the ground after looking away. The President mumbled in shock, bleeding out on the floor, dying.
“Now I’m the President,” Dr. Pavlov stated. “What do you think about that, my old friend?”
Marcus looked at the President. Gurgling and clinging to life, the Commander in Chief looked toward a door as if he wanted to escape through its opening. “You’re a sick bastard,” Marcus said. “Sick…”
Pavlov jumped close to Marcus and gripped his throat. “I’ll show you sick my old friend. You wait… you’ll get your chance soon enough.”
Marcus breathed heavy after Pavlov released his grip.
“You killed everyone you crazy… sick fuck…. you killed my wife…”
“Not everyone… not yet. Soon though…” Dr. Pavlov nodded to his Sentinels and they grabbed Marcus by his arms, dragging him away.
Dr. Pressfield was delivered inside a secured room where a few other people were being held. Praying it wasn’t their time to be executed, they jumped to their feet when the Sentinels opened the door. After dropping Marcus to the floor, the bots did an about face, and exited the room. The door slammed behind them as two people ran over to help Dr. Pressfield to his feet.
CHAPTER 51 - CREEPY SHIT
“I like being scared, so I've always liked fairy tales because they're kind of creepy.”
- - Lana Parrilla
South Carolina:
Petty Officer Deines and Lance Cpl. Woolridge continued leading the two pilots on foot. “You know where we’re going?” the copilot asked. The question meant: do you know how to get to RMB Jackson. Deines looked back at the two pilots, annoyed.
“Yeah, I know where we’re going.” Will we make it? That’s the question, he wanted to know.
To the pilot’s delight, the sun was rising overhead. It was burning in a hot rage already but to them, light was better than the dark any damn day
. The pilots were carrying photon pistols but not much else. Low on ammo, Deines and Woolridge had their assault rifles.
Something howled from inside the woods. “What the hell was that?” Woolridge asked.
“Beats the shit out of me,” Deines responded.
“Yeah… what the hell was that?” the copilot asked.
The SEAL and Marine scanned the tree line, pointing their riffles as if something were about to jump out at them.
“Hey look. It’s a road,” Woolridge announced, squinting and pointing his finger.
“Let’s get the hell out of these woods,” the Captain pleaded.
“Ditto,” the copilot said. “Di-toe.”
“Make sure you’re covering our six,” Deines ordered as he turned back to face the pilots.
Deines and Woolridge took a knee on the edge of the road. Making sure it was safe to enter; both men looked up and down highway. Both pilots were antsy to get on something man-made as they fidgeted, looking around the woods.
“You two need to relax,” Deines ordered. “Going to get us killed.”
Woolridge eyed the pilots and pointed behind them, reminding them to cover their ass end.
“Let’s go,” Deines ordered.
“Finally,” one of the pilots mumbled.
“RMB Jackson is only a few miles down this road,” Deines confirmed, pointing.
“Hope it’s still there,” Woolridge professed.
The SEAL nodded his head. “Me too,” he said quietly.
Another howl came out of the woods, sounding closer this time.
“That’s giving me the creeps,” Woolridge whispered in Deines’s ear. “Yeah, no shit,” he whispered back. “That ain’t right.”
Deines and Woolridge entered a maze of vehicles as the two pilots lagged behind, exhausted.
“Ahhh!” Deines and Woolridge swung around after they heard the men scream behind them. Both pilots disappeared, but one of them could be heard, squealing in a blood-curdling cry.
“What the fuck?” Deines asked as goose bumps covered his skin.
The SEAL jumped onto the hood of a vehicle and the Marine followed suit on the adjacent line of cars, both working their way back. Pounding across the rooftops and glass, they ran over the cars, bounding. Deines smashed through a back windshield as he planted his foot down, going through, bashing his face on the trunk and losing his rifle.
Woolridge halted a car up and turned back to see the fallen SEAL “You ok?”
Woozy, Deines shook his head. “Yeah…”
He turned away from Deines and looked down. Holy mother of God! The pilots were below the Marine’s elevated position.
He froze at the sight on the road beneath him. A massive bull humanoid was holding both pilots down…Eating the intestines of the copilot while he was still alive. The Captain struggled to break free of the creature’s claws that wrapped around his neck.
Wanting to fire, Lance Cpl. Woolridge didn’t have a clear shot and lowered his riffle. Gripped in fear, the Marine looked down at the surreal scene on the highway of death. Realizing it was being watched, it snapped toward Woolridge, peering out with sharp eyes. “Sssshhhhaaaa!” After letting go of the pilots, it stood and faced the Marine. Crawling with a broken neck, the Captain tried to get away from his copilot and the beast.
Staring at Jimmy as if it knew him, the creature coiled down. Woolridge froze, holding his rifle at his side. Smelling the Marine’s fear, the beast became excited and launched forward. “Crack! Crack! Crack!”
As Woolridge reeled in reverse, Deines shot from between the cars, hitting the creature three times. The Marine lost balance and knocked his skull on the back windshield, finally pulling his head out of his ass. The creature slammed into the rear of the vehicle that Woolridge was now lying on top of. Injured, the flesh eater stretched its arms across the trunk still trying to grab the Marine.
Still clawing and looking up at Woolridge with its chest on the trunk, the monster was slumped over the metal lid as it slid to its knees. Deines crisply walked to the creature and placed his barrel a few inches from its head. “Crack!” shooting a round through its skull and blowing half its brains out the other side. The monster fell over, twitching, its nervous system still moving it on the ground. Deines circled behind the creature. “Crack! Crack!” placing two more bullets into its body.
“Dead now you son of a bitch?” Deines asked as he stared at the thing. What the fuck is that?
Woolridge stood up and looked down at the beast. “Thanks.”
“Welcome.”
“I fucked up… I froze… I…”
“Don’t worry about it Marine… happens,” Deines said.
After jumping off the vehicle, Woolridge ran toward the struggling Captain. The helo jockey was turning pasty white as blood drained out of his mouth. Broken neck and crushed windpipe, he wasn’t going to make it. Woolridge squatted over the pilot to assist him, but there was nothing he could do. Within seconds the flyer was gone.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Deines said.
“Let’s,” Woolridge responded. “Fucking thing stinks.”
Both warriors continued down the desolate road heading for RMB Jackson.
“Hope we don’t run into any more of those fuckers,” Woolridge announced.
“No shit,” Deines responded looking back. “What the hell was that thing?”
“Beats the shit out me?”
Forty-one minutes later:
“Should be right through here,” Deines announced, pointing through the woods.
“Yeah… I can smell it,” Woolridge affirmed.
“Doesn’t smell good either… does it?” Deines asked.
“Not good at all. Smells burnt to shit,” Woolridge announced as both men cleared the woods at the edge of the tree line.
RMB Jackson was in view. A pile of rocks and rubble littered over the open field. Confirmed - both RMB’s were smoked.
“What now?” Woolridge asked.
“I don’t know… I just don’t know…” The SEAL said softly.
“Let’s check it out at least,” Woolridge stated as he walked forward.
“Roger that,” Deines said hinting at sarcasm. “For what?”
CHAPTER 52 - THREE AND ½
“On a hard jungle journey nothing is so important as having a team you can trust.”
― Tahir Shah
“What do we do now?” Clio asked.
“Well you can’t stay here. I’m going to take you to Charlotte, back with me to DARPA.”
“Can Lady come?”
“I don’t see why not,” Cy responded.
“Good. I’m not going anywhere without her.” Lady jumped on the couch and placed her head in Clio’s lap and seemed sad, as if she somehow sensed the old man was gone forever.
“Are we leaving now?” Clio asked, petting the top of the dog’s head.
Cy shook his head no as he looked out a window. “No, it’s getting dark soon. We better wait till morning.”
“Ok.” Clio felt strange about it but needed to ask. “Cy?”
“Yes Miss Clio?”
“Will you sleep next to me?” the girl asked.
Cy glanced at the girl as if he were thinking what to say. “Afraid of the dark Miss Clio?”
Clio became afraid and didn’t answer, worried that the cyborg would say no.
“It’s ok Miss Clio. I won’t let anything hurt you. I promise.”
Clio nodded yes. “Ok,” she said softly.
“Of course I’ll stay next to you while you sleep. I’ll stand guard all night. Lady too,” Cy promised.
Showing teeth, a wide smile stretched the girl’s lips. “Thank you Cy.”
“I like that Miss Clio,” Cy announced, pointing at her face.
“What?”
“You’re smile is beautiful Miss Clio and it warms my heart to see.”
Clio turned a darker shade and tucked he chin into her chest, looking away sheepishly.
&nbs
p; Cy sensed the young girl was flustered… then excited… then afraid… then elated… then panicked… “Are you ok Miss Clio?”
Clio seemed to change emotions several more times before she answered. “Yes.”
What a strange and complex creature this girl is, Cy thought.
Clio breathed and appeared to go back to baseline. “I’m good,” she confirmed, wiggling her fingers.
“Would it be ok if we sleep in the living room Miss Clio?”
“Sounds good to me.” Lady barked as Clio answered. “You too girl,” Clio said. “You can sleep out here with us too.”
Clio fell asleep on the couch and rested more soundly and peacefully than she had since before the war started. No bad dreams invaded her mind, only R.E.M.
She woke to the sight of Cy looking through one of the boarded windows in the living room. “Everything ok Cy?” Clio asked, rubbing her eyes.
Signaling that she be quiet, the cyborg pointed his hand back. Not again, Clio thought. What the crap is it this time?
“I’m detecting movement coming our way,” Cy confirmed.
Looking at the rifle rack, Clio swung her legs off the couch and stood up. “What is it?” she asked.
Cy shook his head. “Hard to tell yet... Two of them whatever they are,” he said.
Clio walked over and leaned in. “Two of what… what are they?” she whispered in the cyborg’s ear.
Detecting Clio’s heart rate increase, Cy noticed emotions were emanating from the girl in multitude combinations. “I think we’re ok,” Cy suggested.
“What does that mean?” Clio asked, wanting a solid answer wrapped around a detailed description of what was coming.
Cy walked for the front door and began to unlock it.
“What are you doing?” Clio yelled in a whisper.
Cy spoke at a normal level. “It’s ok Miss Clio. Don’t be afraid. I told you I’d protect you,” he promised while walking out onto the front porch. Staying tucked behind him, Clio followed the cyborg outside. “Pst, Cy… What do you see?”
Clio and Cy: The Apocalypse Page 23
