by Kip Nelson
“The only hope we have is that we can work together and not kill each other off, even though that seems to be what humanity has been trying to do since its inception. The only law that matters now is the law of the jungle. You'd better get going before it gets busy out here,” Tillman warned him again. With a quick motion he instructed Greg and Penelope to come with him. They looked warily at the man as they left him standing in the middle of the abandoned freeway, looking completely alone.
“How long were you going to keep that a secret?” Greg asked, looking toward where Tillman was keeping the gun.
“It's a last resort. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use it this soon,” Tillman said.
“What else are we going to see?” Penelope asked.
“I hope nothing. I don't have any more tricks. I just have my wits,” Tillman said.
“Let's hope that's enough,” Greg said.
There was a slight hint of animosity in Greg's voice. Tillman hoped that Greg wasn't going to hold onto his grudge for too long. It only would cause tension if the two of them couldn't work together. Tillman knew Greg well enough to know that he was ashamed of how he had reacted, not that Tillman thought he had anything to be ashamed of. After all, what else was an unarmed man supposed to do when faced with a gun?
But Greg always had been the type of person to be influenced by the role models in games and movies. When he played as a hero in a game he wanted to be that hero, and then held himself up to that standard. This was the type of situation in which heroes made themselves, and Greg evidently felt he wasn't living up to his idealized version of himself.
Tillman assumed he would have to have another word with Greg at some point, but right now he was just too tired.
Tillman threw a glance behind him at the man they had encountered. He was nowhere to be seen. There was also no sign of the little girl. Every time Tillman thought of her his heart broke all over again, for he was sure that nothing good was waiting for her. There was a hope, of course, that she would find someone somewhere who would care for her, but in this world, hope seemed scarce.
The freeway stretched out in front of them. The number of cars dwindled. The night was quiet. Penelope commented on how quiet it was. They looked around. There were no lights. Nothing. At least there were no more planes falling from the sky.
Tillman knew that something was going to be next.
“How far do we have to go?” Greg asked.
“Not too far. As long as we keep a good pace we should be alright. Hopefully, we'll get there around sunrise and we'll forego most of the chaos that's going to reign tomorrow.”
But it was not going to wait until tomorrow. As they walked Tillman and others noticed there was more noise in the air. They looked across at buildings and noticed shadows moving. Looking more closely, they saw that they weren’t shadows at all, but people. Crowds were coming out from buildings, looking around confused, trying to figure out what was happening.
All was quiet. Tillman actually thought about going to them and explaining what had happened. He even harbored dreams of them all coming together as one big group, uniting to form a formidable union that could intimidate those who would seek to take advantage of the lawlessness. For a moment, Tillman gave up on seeing his family again, putting the needs of the many above those of his own. They needed a cool head to keep things under control, and he could do that, being a natural born leader.
Then there was a scream. It pierced the air. It was quickly followed by another. Then another.
Then, another.
If there had been any chance for the people around him to unite, it had been brief. They were giving into fear. Already Tillman could hear them pleading to God for salvation.
It would not come.
He heard others run away. They started spilling onto the freeway. Some ran, some walked, some shuffled, with their heads bent, as though they knew the only thing they had to walk forward to, was death.
These people had homes no longer. They were nomads, forced to wander the world. Tillman had no doubt that many of them would stay in their homes in the hope that they would stay safe, but eventually they would run out of food. The more people who poured out of their homes and into the city, the greater the chance they would encounter someone dangerous.
“Let's keep going. Try not to talk to anyone, but if they need help we won't hesitate. I think the worst of it is over for the time being. But it’s going to get worse when everyone realizes nobody is coming to help them,” Tillman said.
Penelope and Greg moved closer to Tillman, looking to him for safety. He had been their boss, now he was their leader, and their well-being rested on his shoulders. All the courses he had taken, all games he had played, and all the books he'd read had led him to this moment. It was time to put the skills he had developed into action.
As he walked the painkillers began to wear off. Every step was laborious, but he didn't let his suffering show. He thought of his sister and his niece, and vowed he would get to them as quickly as possible.
Chapter Eleven
Tillman, Greg, and Penelope had been walking along the freeway, away from the city.
The night was dark, and so, so quiet. Each of them was scared in their own way. Each of them had been used to a bustling city, one filled with life, but now it was still and silent. The stars twinkled above. The Moon hung in the sky, the only witness to the terror that had gripped the Earth.
The EMP that had been caused by the solar flare had rendered all electronic devices useless. Everything that modern society relied upon had been rendered impotent. All the expensive electronics now were just hunks of useless metal.
Tillman marched inexorably, determined to get to his family. The panic he predicted hadn't yet set in, but he was sure it was only a matter of time. Soon enough the stillness they were enjoying would be torn apart by the manic fever of a dying race, one who could see their own extinction rising over the horizon. With nothing to hold them together people were going to lose their minds, and the longer they stayed in the city, the more danger they were in.
People were beginning to emerge from their homes, looking around in wonder and fear. There were screams and shouts of panic and terror. There were those who had no idea what had happened and still were clinging to a vain hope that everything would work out for the best. That is what usually happened in a crisis. Things went wrong, but somebody else took care of it. Whether it was the military or the emergency services, things always worked out for the best.
Not this time.
Society’s safety net had been ripped apart. There was no infrastructure any longer. Nobody could rely upon anyone else to fix things for them. They had been plunged into an existential nightmare. Everyone bore the responsibility for their own lives, their own destiny. There was no hiding behind a nine-to-five job, no mind-numbing movies or TV shows. There was only life in its purest form. The only purpose now was survival. Not accumulating wealth. Not falling in love. Not anything else other than staying alive, and only a small percentage of the population would be able to do so.
So many already had died.
Planes had fallen from the sky. Tillman had witnessed people kill themselves rather than continue on in this world. Perhaps they were the smart ones, saving themselves from the anguish of this Hell on Earth. The murders hadn't begun yet, but Tillman knew it was only a matter of time. The more people got scared the more they would lash out in fear, and without anyone around to punish them they might find that they liked the thought of inflicting pain. It would at least give them a measure of control, and control was something that everyone was going to lack.
Tillman had considered becoming something of a vigilante, punishing those who broke the law in the absence of the police. He had the skills and the composure. Unlike most other people he wasn't going to fall apart in the face of such devastation. He wasn't going to lose himself.
It was too easy for him to take the weight of the world upon his shoulders. It was what he always
had done. In his previous life, for that is how he had to think of it now, he had been an entrepreneur and a minor celebrity in the gaming world. He also had honed his survival skills in training camps, wanting to make sure he wasn't useful only in the virtual world.
He was glad he had done so now, but even then, he wasn't sure how useful those skills would become. The world was so unpredictable now that anything could happen to take his life. Hell, if he had been closer to the airport he would have been killed by a falling plane. He'd already been lucky enough that he had been in a car crash and only came out with a twisted ankle, which still throbbed with pain now. Hopefully his luck hadn't run out just yet. It only took one mad, random act of violence to end his life, and they all were on borrowed time.
But before that happened, Tillman wanted to get back home, to see his family, because that seemed like the only thing to do, even though he hadn't been on good terms with his parents for a number of years now. He tried to think how old his niece would be and was saddened when he realized he did not know.
Greg and Penelope flanked him. They hadn't said anything for a little while now. Both of them were processing the new circumstances in which they found themselves. Tillman hoped they would be able to adjust. He had hopes for Penelope, who seemed like a survivor. Greg was another matter entirely. Tillman wasn't sure if he had come to terms with what he had lost yet.
“How far away are they exactly?” Greg asked, putting his hand on his side. He was looking haggard and breathing heavily.
“Just shy of thirty miles from here,” Tillman said.
“Oh man,” Greg panted, shaking his head.
“We can make it,” Tillman said.
“I think I'm going to need another rest soon. I'm not used to all this walking,” Greg said.
Tillman didn't want to rest. The longer they took to get out of the central part of the city, the more danger they'd find themselves in. Tillman didn't respond to Greg's plea. He merely kept walking, knowing that Greg's body was more capable of enduring fatigue than Greg believed. All they had to do was keep going for as long as possible. There would be plenty of time to rest later.
He ignored Greg's grunts and moans and didn't slow his pace even when he noticed that Greg was falling behind.
“Tillman,” Penelope said in a soft voice. He ignored her too. She ran up to him, her feet pattering against the road, and tugged at his arm. He finally stopped.
“I think we need to stop,” she said, jerking her head toward Greg, who was looking spent. Tillman looked around him, disappointed that they hadn't made it farther, but he saw that Greg wasn't able to cope with the rigors. Too many people wouldn't be able to do so either. Modern society had made everyone fat and lazy. Why should anyone bother to improve when everything was available at the press of a button?
“Okay,” Tillman said, and led them to an area away from the cars, on the side of the freeway.
There were people walking about like zombies nearby, but nobody had approached them yet. It was easy to cloak themselves in darkness and avoid the nomadic wanderers. So far there hadn't been any crowds approaching them, and Tillman hoped it would stay that way for a long while.
“We can't stay here for long,” Tillman said.
“I think I need a nap,” Greg said, groaning as he sat down. “There are muscles aching that I didn't even know I had.”
Tillman took the weight off his feet and scanned the area. His gun rested against the small of his back. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it again. In the distance he could hear the murmur of people who were trying to make sense of everything they were seeing. Part of Tillman wanted to stand up and shout the truth to them, to let them know what had happened, but he was not a prophet, and it was safer to stay in the shadows.
“It's so cold,” Penelope said, curling her arms around herself, shivering. Tillman had noticed the drop in temperature. It wasn't enough to be debilitating, but it only was going to get worse.
“We'll have to get used to building fires if we stay outdoors overnight. It's going to be worse in winter,” Tillman said.
“Just another thing to worry about,” Penelope said dryly.
“It's not just that, we have to think about food as well. There's probably enough to last people over this winter, but we'll have to think about planting crops for the following winter, if we make it that long.”
“Winter is coming,” Greg said dryly. “To be honest, though, I probably could sleep here,” he added, looking around him. The cars provided a sort of barrier around them.
“We need to keep moving,” Tillman said, and went to rise.
“Not yet. At least a few more minutes,” Greg pleaded.
Tillman stared at him. “Greg, the longer we stay here the more danger we're in.”
“I know all that, but I'm exhausted. I don't think my body can take much more,” Greg said.
“It won't hurt to have a few more minutes. I'm kinda feeling the ache as well. I guess I should have hit the gym more,” Penelope said.
“I never liked gyms. Always hated exercise. It makes me sweat,” Greg said, then laughed at his own comment. Tillman glared at him and pressed his lips together.
“This isn't a laughing matter, Greg. We're talking about our lives here. If you think about all the people we've known over the years, how many of them do you think are going to cope with the rigors of this life? It always saddened me how so many people in our hobby were happy to let their bodies expand.”
Tillman himself was quite trim, and always made sure to keep himself fit as he was aware that a fit body was synonymous with a fit mind. Few of his peers followed the same philosophy, and he was sure it was one of the reasons he was so dominant in the field of competitive gaming. When it came to stamina and focus he often could outlast anyone competing against him. While they snacked on nachos and chocolate he ate carrot sticks and fruit. While they guzzled down soda he hydrated himself with water, and this often gave him the edge.
The difference between Tillman and Greg was stark. Both men were tall, but Tillman was slender, while Greg was husky. Greg wheezed when he breathed. Tillman knew hundreds of people like him, and they all would be casualties of this world. The physical exertion needed to survive was unlike anything they had been through before, and it would be more difficult for them to adapt than it would be for the average person.
“It's not like I chose this,” Greg said, taking offense at Tillman's words.
“Yes, you did,” Tillman said, gazing off into the distance. “You chose it over and over again. Every time you decided to sit in your chair and watch a movie instead of going to the gym. Every time you decided to bloat your stomach with deep fried food. All these little choices brought you to this point, and now you're unprepared for this life.”
“I never asked for this, though. Did I? It's not like I was the only one doing it. Sorry for living my life the way I wanted it. At least I enjoyed myself. At least I didn't have to starve myself on rabbit food,” he said.
Tillman shook his head and smiled in disbelief. Sometimes he and Greg argued so much that he couldn't remember why the two of them had been friends in the first place.
“There's a balance, Greg. Wouldn't you rather be able to walk more without feeling exhausted? What if we have to run? It's only a matter of being healthy. Everyone is going to pay for their laziness.”
“Great, so it's all our fault. Well, sorry for not being as enlightened as you, Tillman. I guess you had all the answers. It doesn't make a blind bit of difference anyway. The fact is that I'm not fit, so we're just going to have to deal with that, and that means we're going to need to take breaks. I'm sorry for being such a burden on you.”
“You're not a burden, Greg, but you don't have to give into your exhaustion. It's all in the mind,” Tillman said.
“Right now, I feel like it's all over my body,” Greg replied dryly.
“I'm serious. I read about this woman who was having really bad seizures, so she had a lobotomy to combat the
m. Afterward she didn't get fatigued. She could run for hours on end without feeling any ill effects,” Tillman said.
“Like Forrest Gump,” Penelope said.
“I trust you with many things, Tillman, but I'm not going to let you take a chunk out of my brain,” Greg said.
He didn't make any motion to move. Tillman knew that Greg wouldn't be ready to leave just yet, and he only would start moaning anyway, so Tillman decided to let them stay there for a little while longer. It still was night at least, and for the time being they were cloaked under darkness.
Soon though light would spill over the world and reveal its ugliness. People would emerge from their hiding places in search of food. When they realized that no help was coming they would be stricken with terror. Then the danger would begin, and there was nothing Tillman could do to stop it. Unlike a video game he wasn't in control. He only could react to what the world gave him.
As he looked up and down the freeway, shadowy forms moved around in the darkness, people searching for solace and some sign of hope. They all were united together, united by this disaster, and yet they still were so separate. No longer were they defined by their country or their state. They only had their families and friends. That would dictate the tribe. Everybody was alone, even if they didn't know it yet.
“Come on, Greg, we need to keep moving,” Tillman said. This time Greg stood up, even though he muttered while doing so. They trudged on. Tillman put off taking painkillers as much as he could. He couldn't afford to be weak in this world and had to withstand the pain to keep moving.
Greg continued muttering his distaste of the current situation as they walked along the freeway. Tillman continually glanced around, trying to make sure nobody was going to attack them. The three of them were close together, and to other people they would have looked like one large body.
Suddenly they were startled by a loud noise. Tillman's hand reached toward his back, ready to pull out his gun. Someone was banging on the window in the car beside them.