ONE NATION: A Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian Saga

by Michael W. Huard

  “I'll have someone take you over there now,” Jerry mentioned, calling on a walkie talkie for assistance. “Did you know that very plantation out there was once built by, if I recall right, Washington's nephew, or wait, I think maybe it was his adopted grandson? Don't quote me on that. It’s roughly over 600 acres. A place that once was where the Union Army stationed themselves. It’s rather crazy, but it's still standing as a military cemetery in Virginia, although it's not as pretty as it once was. Anyway, your ride is coming soon.”

  “We would like to go there before we return home. Thank you,” Raegan replied, placing her hand on Jerry’s shoulder.

  Jansa was not so quick to want to leave.

  “I guess then, before we go, it's time for us to discuss what your plans are so we kind of know them firsthand. It’s not so easy trying to cryptically figure out stuff online and over the radios. We cannot leave here until we go over everything.”

  Jerry gave her a wink.

  “Tell you the truth, I'm old. I'm getting older by the day. My circle of life has made its run, my dear. So, plans for me … there really aren’t any. I'd be lying if I told you different. The real question is: what will the elite Mystical Slayers be doing next? You guys have the youth on your side.”

  Raegan suddenly did not feel like leaving just yet. She had never heard Jerry talk like this. Raegan wanted more time with her.

  “Well since we're here, let’s take you out for a little walk as we push you along so we can actually see this place now that you've fixed it up and dealt with all the rubble and redone some of the rooms? You up for a tour?”

  The Governor laughed some.

  “That's fine with me,” she replied. “Push away and I'll give you a look about, before you leave.”

  The women walked about the massive place. It certainly was a piece of architecture for the ages built so long ago, but still so very impressive. Jansa did the honor of pushing the wheel chair as they went on and on.

  They discussed what they saw but never really got around to talking about a plan for the future like Jansa had hoped for just yet.

  Never one to hold back, Jerry finally asked, as they were heading outside the building after two floors of sightseeing, “Don't you have a plan, Raegan?”

  Raegan shook her head nope.

  Jansa shook hers as well. The Mystical Slayer doctor then added, “We can just see ourselves helping people whenever possible, but I think it's come to a point where we don't expect to take down the Corporation anymore. That’s going to be a hard pill for everyone to swallow.”

  “There's nothing wrong with that,” the Governor declared. “You guys have done so much already. The Alliance has worked really hard to get to this point, but sometime it has to end. I think people need to find their own peace. I know whatever you two decide, it will be good. I'm sure you'll still make a difference in this land. You can't change the world in one big action, but every little thing the two of you do with your sisterhood moving forward will make a difference. Don’t you ever doubt that.”

  “But what about you?” Raegan asked as they strolled along outside the Capitol grounds.

  Jerry smiled. “I'm going to fly off into the sunset and you two won't even miss me.”

  “That's not true,” both women answered almost at the same time. “Without your great leadership, we would have never come to this point all,” Raegan explained with respect to the woman with them. She was a great leader, one Raegan admired deeply.

  Jerry Bends then explained, “I don’t know how much you realize this, but you have done a lot. Things have changed. People believe in democracy; they're flying the old American flag again. Think about it, the changing wars, whether nuclear, holy, biological, or the more recent ‘Great Hunt,’ have altered reality for future generations. These happenings altered reality for future generations. Freedom had been lost. Yet now, as my final days approach, there still is light at the end of the tunnel. You two just need to use that light to brighten the world more.”

  The women stopped moving for a moment.

  “You’ve been a big part of that,” Jansa told Jerry. “You should be proud.”

  “I suppose I was,” the Governor said, making the ladies look up at the massive Capitol building above them as they now were at a lower level out below in the lawn section.

  “I want you to promise me that you'll never give up. That you will persevere through everything. Again, even the small things that you can accomplish in the future will mean a lot. So, with that said, it's probably safe to say that it's time for you and your sisterhood to be on the move again. Two years in the same place is, as you say, too dangerous. It could be any time that the Corporation locates all of you. I'm sure it won't be a friendly encounter if that ever happens.”

  “Yeah, you're right,” Reagan said. “That's kind of why we came out here. We wanted to get a feel for the timing of us moving again. Now I know it should be soon.”

  “I don't think the Corporation is going to make that many changes here,” the Governor went on to explain. “I'll be fine. They will eventually take the region back over. But for now, we'll do the best we can. You get out there and gather up your crew and live a good life.”

  Both Raegan and Jansa hated how she was talking about her not being part of the future. It was so sad.

  When their walk was complete, both the Mystical Slayer sisters gave Jerry a hug, bending down and holding her close. It was a weird moment for the two of them, almost like saying goodbye to someone they admired so much for the very last time. Jansa could sense it clearly and Raegan had seen it in a vision, one she had never spoken about.

  It was after, that the Governor told them to get a move on and go to the cemetery to see some of their fallen comrades.

  Captain Hully was happy to take the two women there. On the flight, he saw that both women were deep in thought, and he sort of knew why.

  “No one lives forever, you guys,” he said such somewhat crudely, and neither woman had an answer to his statement. “Sometimes the world steps forward and it can be harsh and overwhelming.”

  When they finally reached their destination, Raegan added one more thought to the Captain as he dropped them off. “Keep her comfortable, okay? She’s earned her peace.”

  President Berlin Purcell, who had taken over for former dictator Arn Marcou, had finally settled back into his position as the Corporation's kingpin. His wild and wacky trip to recover the black super robot had nearly cost him his life.

  The central location for the Corporation was the Empire State Building in New York, and even though it had suffered a pretty good hit at the top of its infrastructure, he had already had it rebuilt and it was looking good now.

  They trip, which was still on his mind, had taken a toll on him. But now he was back in business.

  He was a different type of president than his predecessor. Marcou had taken over for his father and continued on with some of the same goals, yet he had been manipulated by a central computer system. One that had taken on an intelligence of her own. Her goal of tricking the former president into having the male species run extinct was somewhat his downfall. Marcou’s defenses had been weak. He was too focused on the “Great Hunt” and it had allowed the sisterhood to hit him hard.

  She, the computer, had been in the process of having Marcou kill off the human race so she could be the so-called world leader. Machines were to become the gods of the world. His father had always told him to respect the bot!

  President Berlin had been, at that time, the general in the Y-Wood army. He had learned quite a bit about the robotic soldiers in the Corporation and when the death of the former president came about, he took over immediately, but with much different goals and an entirely new outlook on the future.

  A future, oddly enough, he once thought would be with Jerry Bends, his former girlfriend.

  Today, a few years after his return from finding the crystal spider robot, he sat in council discussing what was next on his multi-leveled a
genda.

  “While I do appreciate you, Chancellor Tessa Zune, taking the mantle as the president while I was gone, today marks a rebirth in the goals of the Y-Wood Corporation, and simply put, your services are no longer needed.”

  The people or things in the room all were taken aback at his harsh words to her. She, after all, had done well holding the shit together here.

  Chancellor Tessa had devoted her life to the Corporation and was stunned at this sudden announcement. She stuttered, trying to get the words out to explain how she had put her full being into everything that it represented, and had done so much. To her, she was Y-Wood!

  In the conference room with the two of them was the crystal black, spider-veined super-robot, as well as the blue-and-silver companion bot of the president, Galax. He, too, was a very powerful Corporation robot.

  These multibillion-dollar robots listened on as she pleaded for some sort of better resolution.

  “I know this company inside and out. I can still be of a lot of help. You, for one, are not someone that likes to take notes and keep track of things, Berlin. So please consider having me still in the fold.”

  The stern one-time General, a square-jawed man, ran a hand through his spiky, tightly cropped silver-gray hair which had just had cut an hour earlier.

  “Well.” He debated her words for a few moments. “I suppose if you are willing to take a lower station, I could keep you on.”

  Tessa was not pleased with the way she was suddenly being treated. Y-Wood had always been a boy’s club, but she had just finally reached the top echelon, and as acting president she really thought the future was hers. Yes, she would take anything at this moment, but as she settled for such a lowly position, deep inside she thought not. She would not be happy at all.

  Revenge came to mind.

  “I don't see a problem with returning to my former position,” she lied. “I've done it before and I’ve done it well. So, by all means, keep me in the mix. I am here to serve you, President Purcell.”

  The Chancellor was a very tall woman. She had changed the color of her hair so many times, no one truly knew what color it was. The president himself knew she was around 60 years of age and to be honest, the thickness and length of her hair was definitely not of her age. It was like the other things artificial about her face and body these days. Today, her hair was a shade of auburn red. She had always carried herself with dignity and wore the most expensive, finely-tailored pants suits.

  Today was no exception. She had on an orange pantsuit made of the finest material. Her real pearl necklace around her neck was gleaming.

  Everything about her was refined. The robots here knew every detail and were able to sense her changes. She may have been sixty but with the technology of the Y-Wood Corporation at her fingertips, she looked 40. Her face had been reconstructed, as had her chest, her arms, her eyes, and who knew what else?

  President Purcell couldn’t care less.

  “Okay, so it's settled. You'll be back to your normal position as secretary, and yes, you can keep your company-paid apartment and expenses, as usual, will be covered by us. I expect you to not complain,” he added, moving on.

  She hardly felt that this rough and crude man was sincere. Dropping down from the acting president title was not something she hoped for. He knew it too and would have to keep a close eye on her.

  Before anyone could say more at the meeting, there was an interruption on one of the flat screen televisions on the wall. A drone had tuned in, showcasing the appearance of two blonde women in Washington, DC. Both Chancellor Zune and President Purcell, as well as the two super robots, turned their full attention now to the announcement.

  An electronic voice came on. “We have detected these two on the grounds of the Capitol building. We have been watching the main ship of the alliance and it is now bringing them to Arlington Cemetery.”

  As the ship landed and the women came out, the drone then focused down closer to both for facial recognition. Both soon had bright red circles appear around their images.

  The label of Q-Jin then came up on the screen next to each.

  In robotic language, these were freedom-fighting woman, those known as the Mystical Slayers. A group of highly-sought-after women wanted for treason, disruption, and crimes against the Y-Wood Corporation.

  President Purcell’s eyes lit up as he looked to the two super robots beside him.

  Galax said nothing, but the black robot, who had been rightfully named BSR1, a way better short name for a black super robot, had his eyes lit up, knowing very well that the program he installed to detect these women had been successful. Finally, two of them had been discovered.

  His voice was a deep tone, sounding quite bold, as he explained the next step needed.

  “Project Elimination is in full order, sir.”

  The black robot quickly completed an analysis of what he saw on the screen and immediately he told the president that they had hit the jackpot.

  “These are two of the leaders of the Q-Jin. One is called Raegan James. She is a former reporter that actually worked for the Corporation until her husband was killed by us and her son was taken prisoner.”

  President Purcell listened closely to such interesting news.

  “The other woman,” BSR1 relayed, “is Jansa Davon. She is a well-known doctor. She was also part of the cure for cancer team. Both are considered leaders of their sisterhood. If we were to capture them, we would draw the rest out and the full project could come to completion. The Q-Jin would be no more.”

  President Purcell was pleased at the news and of this new program put together by BSR1.

  “It's about time,” he called out. “I've been waiting for this to take shape. Let us send our best out and take these women as prisoners.”

  The president stood up as he announced this plan and that that the rest of the meeting could now wait. It was then that his silver and shiny blue seven-foot companion robot asked that he take the lead in heading to Virginia.

  “I, sir, will take to the sky and get these women into our fold right way.”

  The president nodded. “I think that is a good idea, Galax. Take a squadron of Ruthys with you and several drone sky sailors as well. I also think it's time we unleashed the cyborg Aliah into action.”

  Galax nodded.

  “It would probably be wise to have her accompany me,” he answered. “I have detected in these two target subjects an elite skill of physical combat of prowess. They have significant knowledge of martial arts, use of deadly force, and weapons.”

  BSR1's eyes lit up red.

  “I would advise that I accompany Galax and the cyborg as well sir. These women are leaders of the rebel rebellion. The apprehension of them is crucial to our advancement. They will put up a good fight. It shouldn't take me long to have them here in a cell before you. So just say the word and I will get the job done. Project Elimination, after all, is my creation.”

  Purcell thought it over some. “I do not prefer to send both of my super robots out on the same mission.” He scratched his head at such a dilemma.

  It was then, from the doorway, a young woman asked to enter. She was Della Winstrip, who two years back had won a contest to actually work for the Corporation. Little did anyone know, she was a spy for the Mystical Slayers.

  She was there to simply announce that the new showerhead, and spitter bots’ upgrades, were finished and he was wanted to oversee the final specimens right away before they were unleashed.

  Yet, her words were cut short when the president told her that there were more pressing matters at hand. She glanced up at the television screen. It was locked in pause mode and much to her surprise the faces of Raegan and Jansa were there circled in red. This could mean only one thing, and it was not good news for the sisterhood.

  She would need to relay this message and news immediately to them.

  Her attention was kind of locked on the screen when the president said to her, “Do you see something that interests you
, Della?”

  His words snapped her out of her thoughts. “No, sir. I was just wondering what’s going on?”

  The president gave her a small grin. “This is of no concern to you. Get back to work and I'll check in later on those creepy-crawly metal monsters when time permits.”

  “Yes, sir,” Della replied, nodding her head as she left the meeting room, spinning about. She hated the cobra-like spitters and was no fan of the nasty showerhead spider snakes either, yet those were suddenly the furthest thing from her mind.

  “Go ahead then,” the president said to both robots in front of him. “The two of you capture me the Mystical Slayer leaders. I want them before me. I want them to know what they’re facing now for all that they have done. As you have said before,” he continued and looked over to the black robot in front of him, “we’re now on the hunt, and one by one, they will be taken down. It begins today!”

  Della Winstrip went into action now. She quickly contacted the first woman of the sisterhood she could reach on their secret on air channel. It was a young woman named Brin.

  Della relayed the information that the two sisterhood leaders had been spotted at Arlington Cemetery, and that it was crucial that they be notified that they were under scrutiny and soon-to-be apprehended and attacked by Y-Wood Corporation mega robots.

  The problem was, Brin, who had joined the sisterhood three years or so back, was alone at this very moment. She debated in her head if time spent tracking others down would be helpful, or if she should make her own move and prove her worth to the team.

  This was, in truth, her big chance. She grabbed her dog, Bud, and the closest sky rider, and immediately flew away from the diplomatic houses in Washington to Virginia. She would get there fast, and rescue Raegan and Jansa immediately. Time was of the essence.

  Meanwhile, the sisterhood’s two leaders had reached Virginia and the cemetery.

  The place was overgrown and unkept for hundreds of years. However, it still held great honor in the eyes of citizens and the people of the nation. It was there that Alliance members who had fallen in the war to take back Washington, D.C. two years ago had been placed to rest. One in particular was very special to both Reagan and Jansa: Zaey.