Occupation

by Dave Lacey

  “That, I don’t know. And we have no way of knowing how advanced our friends on the Moon really are. We have no idea what they’ve achieved over the last fifty or sixty years that they’ve been up there.”

  Jack nodded. “You heard that too, huh? I think they went up their around ’67 or ’68,” he said.

  “Yes, and for the last fifty or sixty years, before all this happened, we’ve been drip fed breakthroughs. You can’t tell me that we haven’t come up with anything to replace the internal combustion engine. Or a central heating system. Or plastic for that matter.”

  Jack’s frown deepened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about now, Bill.”

  “Most people who come up with great leaps in invention are paid off. I once worked with a guy who’d worked for a paint company in the fifties. They’d created a paint that you could plug into the wall and heat a house with.”

  Jack’s eyes widened. “Bollocks,” he said, almost laughing out loud.

  “Is that really so hard to believe when we were on the cusp of having an army of nanobots patrolling our bodies to attack cancer or other deadly diseases when they showed their first signs of growth?” Bill said, his face a mask of patience.

  “That sounds a little far-fetched, Bill. And I’m not sure what it has to do with anything,” Jack said, shrugging the straps of his backpack to make it more comfortable.

  “Well that’s where we were, before all this started. Nanotechnology was coming to the fore. And I used it as an example to make a point. If we can do that, and in smaller ways we did use nanotechnology, why couldn’t we invent that paint?”

  “So what happened to the paint?” Jack asked.

  “The company was paid to bury the patent,” Bill said.

  Jack’s face twisted in disbelief. “Why?” He laughed impatiently. “Why would somebody do that?”

  “Because it would effectively have closed down the heating and plumbing industry like that.” Bill clicked his fingers. “Think about it. It would maybe have cost you a thousand pounds to paint your house. How much did it cost for a heating system? Three, four, five times as much. Then there were the repairs, the replacement boilers. It’s a whole industry, and a big one.” He paused for effect. “All wiped out, because somebody invented heated paint.”

  Jack’s mouth hung open, his eyes seeing something other than what lay before him. Finally he managed to find some words. “That’s ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head.

  “And don’t even get me started on the internal combustion engine,” Bill replied with a shake of his head.

  As they walked, the rain grew heavier. It changed from a fine mist to heavy drops that soaked them all through. The rain seemed to agitate different smells as it fell – leaf mould, tree bark, fresh air, wood smoke all combined to make a heady scent. It was intoxicating for Jack, who closed his eyes as he took a deep sniff. Bill didn’t seem to notice, as they continued in step. Jack was about to strike up conversation again when his mind snagged on something. He rewound, trying to figure out what it was, when it came to him. Wood smoke. Where the hell was the wood smoke coming from?

  “Bill, do you smell that?” Jack asked, putting a restraining hand on Bill’s shoulder.

  Bill turned to him and pulled a face. “Is it Mark again?” he asked.

  Jack frowned and shook his head. “No, the wood smoke, can’t you smell it?”

  They had stopped, and Bill tilted back his head and took in a deep sniff of the air. His eyes opened immediately. “Yes, I can now. It just never sank in before.” His head moved as his eyes sought the source of the smell.

  Jack nodded as he took in the scent once more. “We’re not alone,” he said.

  Chapter 24

  By the time Jack had established what they thought was happening, the rest of the team had caught them up. Moving through open land, rather than through twisted and broken cities, made it far easier to move at pace.

  About half an hour on from where they had picked up the scent of wood smoke, Jack and Bill stopped the group to get a better sense of their surroundings and check for any sounds that might alert them of another presence. As they looked around, they were shocked as they noticed movement amongst the trees. Figures began to appear on the periphery, and both men tensed before realizing that what they were looking at was nothing more sinister than a large group of people.

  As Bill and Jack and the other members of their team continued to move through the trees, they noticed more and more bodies drifting eerily in and out of sight. Soon, they began to catch them up. The whole group tensed up, not knowing whether this was good or bad. Jack marvelled at the sensation; there must have been hundreds of people, all moving at a sedate pace through the dark landscape.

  There was no noise other than the sound of hundreds of feet traipsing over the ground. After five or so minutes, Bill’s group began to slow, matching the pace of those around them. Jack wondered where they were going, this large group of surviving humanity. They wouldn’t surely be together for very long, but there was a strange comfort that came from this chance coming together. It was easily the largest group of people he had been above ground with since the invasion. There was a feeling of power in these numbers. A false feeling for sure, but it lingered nonetheless.

  There were a few sideways glances from the members of the larger group, but the looks didn’t linger. To them, Bill’s group was just another bunch of people all headed in the same direction. Some of the looks strayed to the weapons that Bill’s group carried, a flicker of surprise here and there. But they must have been used to seeing them, because nothing further came of it.

  Then, as if the mass of humanity that had suddenly materialized out of the gloom were not strange enough, something even more unexpected happened. It must have started at the front, and, like a relay, made its way backward, until it felt like it came from everywhere. The people began to sing. They started with the hymn Jerusalem, and as that soared and then drifted to the end so they continued with Abide With Me.

  It was haunting; beautiful yet surreal. It reminded Jack of the social occasions they had below ground sometimes, but it was also significantly different. There was an unshackled, forbidden feel to this sound. As though humanity could rise above its own pettiness, uniting to produce something untainted. Jack could feel a wetness on his cheeks. He sniffed and ignored it. But as he strolled on, he could feel emotion welling in his chest.

  The impromptu choir continued for another fifteen minutes or so, then stopped in ones and twos until the silence spread as though they were all under a spell. Bill’s team quickly reached the head of the migration. Bill jerked his head to the right, directing his guys away from any possible contact with the larger group’s leaders.

  Jack gave him a searching look, but Bill just shook his head and bade him follow. As their small party began to break away, there were a few shouts, as the self-proclaimed leaders of the larger group began to take notice of them. Bill dropped back, chivvying his men and women along, forcing them to ignore the shouts. After five minutes more, they were free again, and moving with purpose.

  “What happened there?” Jack asked Bill as he drew level once more.

  Bill waited until the two of them had opened up a smallish gap. He leaned his head towards Jack and spoke quietly. “I didn’t want to get caught up with anything that would drag us off the reservation.” Jack nodded, looking at the ground as he considered it. “You know how these things work, Jack. You get caught up in something, and before you know it you’ve lost troops and time. We can’t afford for that to happen.” Bill stopped, then went on, his voice sounding tired. “Even when it affects you the way that did.”

  Jack nodded again, then said, “You’re right. It was beautiful though.”

  After another hour’s walking through dawn and into the early morning, they reached a river, where they decided to make camp. They spread out, though not too much. Proximity brought warmth, and, although it was early spring, there w
as still a frost on the ground. They sat in companionable silence as the food was broken out. It was tinned, but warming it through made all the difference. Somehow, rather than just the clichéd beans or sardines, someone somewhere had managed to snaffle some ‘breakfasts in a tin’. Before the invasion, that might not have achieved a Michelin star. But, after spending ninety per cent of the last eight years underground, and having walked all night through the wet and cold, there was nothing Jack would rather have eaten.

  He savoured every warming mouthful. Ten minutes later, he was asleep. And just two hours after that, he was awake again. Something had woken him. He didn’t move straight away, opening his eyes just enough to make out shapes. There was a periodical rustling sound, accompanied by furtive movements. Bags were being opened, but so softly that you could barely hear it. There, a flicker of movement, low to the ground and to his left. Jack opened his eyes a little further and saw a scruffy, dishevelled man rifling through the contents of one of the bags.

  Jack watched as the man emptied the bag of food, creating a small stockpile next to him. He had a knife clenched between his teeth, and he looked desperate. Jack slowly took out the pistol from his hip pocket, and as the man moved closer, about to examine the next pack in line, Jack brought the gun up and levelled it at his chest. He snicked back the hammer, which stopped the man in his ferreting. Jack looked at him down the barrel. The two men stared at each other for long seconds. The gun barrel never wavered, and neither did the man it was aimed at.

  Jack could feel his resolve wavering. The intruder really was just a hungry man looking for food. But it was their food. And they needed it. The man licked his lips. Jack guessed he was a scout from the large group they had left behind in the forested area, sent to find out who they were and what they had that was worth stealing. As Jack’s attention drifted, the man reached into his own pocket and brought out a small revolver. It would not be terribly accurate, and wouldn’t pack much of a punch.

  But then again it wouldn’t need to if it caught you in the right place. The man leapt forward, hoping to catch Jack off guard. But Jack’s attention hadn’t drifted that far. As the stranger landed, six feet from him, Jack fired his larger, more destructive pistol. The bullet caught the invader in the chest, just where Jack had been aiming, and threw him backwards through the air. He was dead before he hit the ground and, as he rolled backwards on landing, his gun catapulted out of his hand and into the air.

  The rest of the group exploded into action as the gunshot rang round the camp, waking and getting to their feet in one ragged burst of energy. There were shouts and confused mutterings as people scrambled for weapons. Jack quelled the riot. “It’s okay people, it’s okay. We had a visitor.” He got to his feet and walked across to where the man lay. His chest was a mess, and blood had bloomed through his clothing, spreading like deadly flowers. A few others walked across to stand beside the stricken man. Jack happened to look up as a head dropped below the skyline. A lookout. Jack thought about following, but decided it was best to cut and run. “We need to move on, now,” Jack said without turning, his voice urgent and remorseful. He had put the group at risk.

  “You think?” Bill asked.

  Jack looked at him, searching for sarcasm. There was none. “Yeah. The watcher is going to run right back to that camp and tell them what happened.” Jack paused. “I can’t believe we didn’t post a watch,” he said, slapping his hip hard.

  “That’s my fault,” Bill said, with no embarrassment.

  “It doesn’t matter now. If they come looking for revenge, we have no idea how many fighting men and women they have, or how many weapons.”

  “Then we should move now,” said Millie.

  Jack nodded, continuing to stare into the darkness after the lookout.

  They packed quickly. Jack cursed himself while he did so. They had escaped with no casualties, and no loss to supplies. But he had put the whole group in a difficult predicament by killing a member of a different community. Worse still, there was a witness. Right now, he was probably relaying the tale to his superiors. If they were lucky, they had maybe a four hour head start. But the chasing party would be quick. They would want vengeance. They would want justice.

  Jack cursed himself too for the lack of a guard. He figured they had been so lulled by those moments in the forest that they had felt no need to secure the site. That was naive. But it wouldn’t happen again. If they survived that is.

  They broke camp and continued in a forced march. No one spoke. They knew they would need all of their energy for the flight or fight that was to come. Jack didn’t make his way to the front this time. He was annoyed with Bill. It was his team, and he had fucked up. He knew his anger would pass, but at present it was bubbling.

  Smithy walked on one side of Jack, Millie on the other. “If this kicks off, you two make sure to look after each other.” He grinned. “More so you, Smithy, Millie’s pretty capable.”

  “How did this happen?” Millie asked, her voice terse. They were crossing a river. It was low and not too wide, and didn’t present much of a problem. But it did mean they would be wet and cold for a few hours.

  “Look, it just did. I’m angry too, but these things happen. No point dwelling on it,” Jack said.

  “If you’d been in charge–,” Smithy began, but Jack cut him off.

  “But I’m not, am I?” Jack’s voice was harsh.

  “Look, I was just saying… Oh, I don’t know. But this could get messy,” said Smithy.

  Jack didn’t reply. He stared at the ground as he stomped along, thoughts of what to do next overwhelming him. Smithy, sensing Jack’s unease, walked alongside his friend in silence. Millie looked at them both and shook her head, knowing there was nothing she could say.

  “I think we should fall back,” Jack announced. “Set an ambush.”

  Millie frowned, and Smithy shook his head angrily and said, “No, that’s a really bad idea. Because I know exactly who you have in mind to do it. And part of me wonders whether you’d be doing it for the right reasons.”

  “Is he right?” Millie asked. “You think we should stay back?”

  “Not we. Me,” Jack said, his tone hard and final.

  Smithy snorted next to him. “Get fucked.” Smithy laughed, grabbing hold of Jack’s arm to turn him so they were standing face to face.

  Jack shrugged his hand off and kept walking. “I’m not asking for permission. It’s what I’m doing. I just need for you to say nothing about it,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “And why would we do that, Jack?” Millie asked him, moving to stop him by standing in front. All three of them came to a halt.

  “Because it’s the only way we can get through this without getting into a fire fight. Which will undoubtedly lose us troops and time. We can’t afford either at this point,” Jack said, looking from his friend to his sister and back again. His eyes had taken on a slightly manic aspect, and the veins stood proud in his neck.

  “No, it really isn’t,” Smithy said, laughing with frustration. “It’s more likely you have a hero complex, and you want to put things right because, for some bizarre reason, you think you should have sorted things earlier.”

  “Jack, he’s right.” Millie put a hand on his arm. “This isn’t your responsibility. And I’m not going to walk off into the horizon, knowing you’re waiting back here, probably to die.” Her voice rose in passion as she finished speaking. Darren could hear the raised voices, and looked back at them, a frown on his face.

  Jack raised a lazy hand at Darren, then closed his eyes and tilted his head back. His companions watched his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he fought for control. As he caught hold of his emotions, he folded his bottom lip over the top lip and breathed out through his nose.

  “It’s not about being a hero,” Jack said, his body relaxing. “This is the most important thing we will ever do. Ever. Simple logic tells me, the bigger the gap, the greater the chance we’ll get out of this without losing anyone
. I have no intention of sacrificing myself by staying here and dying.” Jack looked from one to the other, then went on. “I don’t think they’ll be as well armed as we are. I think they may have a number of weapons, but I also don’t think anybody they have will be as battle hardened as we are.” “Still a shitty idea, Jack,” said Smithy. “All they need is a lucky break and you’re dead.”

  “I know, but I’m better than they are. I’ll be just fine.”

  “This is stupid, and you know it,” Millie said, little emotion in her voice. Jack swallowed again, and blinked. A fly landed on his face, but he made no move to displace it. Both Millie’s hands were now hanging limp by her sides, her body sagging a little. “Please yourself. But don’t think for a minute I’m going to keep this to myself.” Jack flinched, his eyes moving down to look at Millie, but still he didn’t speak. Jack’s eyes moved up to the rapidly disappearing group ahead of him. His eyes narrowed, and Millie turned to see Bill walking towards them.

  “What’s going on guys?” he said. “You know we have to keep moving.”

  Millie made as if to answer, but Jack got in first. “I’m staying,” he said, as he folded his arms across his chest and shifted so most of his weight rested on his right leg.

  Bill frowned. Nobody spoke for thirty seconds, then Bill broke the silence. “Okay,” he said with a huff. “I’ll bite. Why?”

  Jack made eye contact, and his right hand moved to grip the rifle sling which ran across his chest. “Because we need to slow them down, or stop them from following altogether. We can’t afford for the whole group to get caught in a fire fight, or, worse, lose half of them trying to get out of one. I’m staying. I just need some spare clips. Chances are, they’ll give up and we’ll never see them again.”

  Bill grinned. “You don’t believe that any more than I do.”