After The End

by Jamie Campbell

  By the time we finish and leave his office, my heart is soaring like a kite. Not only do we have a decent plan, but we might actually be able to pull it off too.

  Fort Indiantown Gap is more than we could have hoped for. I’m not going to lie, when we first arrived, I was very doubtful they could organize anything. I’m so glad they proved me wrong.

  Garlind is still not one hundred percent back to perfect health and looks more tired than he lets on. I insist he hang back at our cabin while I speak with one of the former soldiers on the base.

  He doesn’t like it, but he agrees.

  I find the cabin Colonel Hanson directed me to and knock on the door.

  “C’mon in,” the male voice replies.

  I twist the knob and step inside. Unlike the cabin Garlind and I share, this one actually feels clean and cozy. The beds have all been made neatly and photographs have been stuck on all the walls with sticky tape. It’s light, airy, and most importantly, dust free.

  Sergeant Adam Bendigo stands over a pile of laundry he’s neatly folding. He still has the physique of a soldier although he doesn’t wear a uniform. Grey sweatpants and a T-shirt cover his muscles. With his blond hair and blue eyes, I could definitely stare at him for a long while and not get bored.

  “You’re the girl, the one who barged into this camp and demanded an army,” he says, not in a mean way. More like he’s amused.

  “I wouldn’t say I barged in and I definitely didn’t demand an army. I just asked politely,” I reply, trying to match his friendly demeanor.

  “And what brings you to my door? I said I’d join you if you want me. No need for a personal interrogation.”

  “Colonel Hanson told me you used to specialize in communication skills. He said you were the best gadgets man in the whole country.”

  He finishes folding a shirt perfectly and places it on the top of the pile. “That was a long time ago, I can’t guarantee all the skills are still there. What do you need?”

  “I need to find a way to contact all the other bases in the US,” I explain. It sounds like a big ask. “I need to get word out of our plans so we can recruit others.”

  “You’re going to need a lot more people than who’s left in the other bases.”

  “I know, but it’s a start.”

  “We can begin with the basics.” He pauses, thinking. “Then we can put the word out to the general public. Anyone with a working radio will be able to pick up the signal.”

  It’s more than I could imagine.

  “You can do that?”

  “I worked on some of the most classified projects the US government could think of. Making an all-stations broadcast is nothing. It’s child’s play.”

  “When can we start?”

  He smiles and his grin is just as drool-worthy as the rest of him. “We can start right now, if you’re keen. I’ll need to test the equipment and see if it’s still working. If it is, we should have a signal out by the end of the day.”

  “That quickly, really?”

  “You better believe it.”

  And just like that, we’re heading off toward the main brick building in the camp. I trail after Adam like a puppy dog, desperate to see his skills put to work.

  The brick building is full of cobwebs. It’s clear nobody has come in here for a long time. I guess if they aren’t operating the army, there is no need for it. Feeding themselves and looking after their personal safety are the highest priorities now.

  Adam leads me through to a room that is locked. He has a key hanging around his neck with his dog tags. I wonder if he’s been wearing them for the last twenty years, just in the hopes of things returning to normal. I don’t know him well enough to ask.

  The room is full of control panels. They line each of the four walls with a few office chairs tucked into the desks. Spiders have made it their home and who knows how all this dust got in here, but it feels exciting.

  This room could have been used for some amazing army operations in the past. It could have been a control hub where tense soldiers directed those out in the field on their missions. It feels like history lives here, although it’s probably all classified.

  Adam gets straight to work as he dusts off one of the control panels. He pulls two seats over to it and gestures for me to sit down next to him.

  All the dust makes my nose twitch. I try really hard not to sneeze all over the place and interrupt his work. He’s focused on a plethora of dials and buttons.

  My hopes sink a little when I realize he’s going to need electricity to power all these panels. Probably a lot of it too. He may have amazing skills but nobody can make electricity out of nothing.

  “How are you going to power all this?” I ask and cross my fingers that he has a plan. I really pray I didn’t get my hopes up for nothing.

  “This building has a generator. We try not to run it too often, just enough to keep it functioning. Once I’ve cleaned up in here, I’ll go switch it on. Should be good for a few hours,” Adam explains.

  Of course, I should have trusted him.

  I sit back and watch so I don’t ask any more stupid questions. When Adam has everything looking pristine again, he gives me some instructions about what to turn on and then he leaves the room to switch the generator on.

  Just like he told me to, I listen for the whirling sound coming from the walls and then flick the three switches he’s entrusted to my care.

  Red and green lights power on. I doubt I’ve been so excited to see lights before. Just seeing all these contraptions and knowing this is how we really start to build the army makes my mind explode.

  We might actually pull this whole thing off.

  With a little help from the experts.

  Adam returns and sits down. His eyes graze over the panels as he adjusts dials and pulls the microphone closer to him. “Do you want to do the honors?”

  A rush of panic flows through me. I didn’t know I would be the one speaking with the other bases. I accept the microphone and swallow down my nerves. “Is there some kind of army code I have to use to speak with them?”

  He laughs a little. “No, they’ll understand English. Just be yourself and make sure you’re clear where you’re signaling from. We don’t want anyone getting lost.”

  “Okay. Got it.”

  He counts down with his fingers and then presses a button. We’re live on the air, speaking to all military bases in the US. No, that’s not scary at all.

  “Um, hello, from Fort Indiantown Gap. This is an all-base broadcast that is very important. We’re forming an army,” I begin.

  I’m not entirely sure what I say after the brief introduction. Words pour from my mouth without thinking. I know I recount what I told the people here last night and asked anyone capable of fighting to join us.

  At least, I think I did.

  Adam seems pleased when I finish. He gives me a thumbs-up signal and then switches the broadcast off. I take a breath for the first time in ages.

  “Did I sound terrible?” I ask.

  He nods his head with a smile. “You were inspiring. If there is anyone left out there, they’ll be packing their bags right now. We’ll have to get the rest of the empty cabins ready.”

  “You really think so?”

  “Let’s keep our hopes up.”

  I’m not sure what he really thinks and whether he’s just being nice or not. But at least we got the message out. If even one person heard it and decides to come fight with us, then it was worth it. We are in desperate need of people.

  Adam hurries off to close down the generator and I find my own way out. I’m tempted to snoop around a little, see what else is here, but maybe I’ll do that another day.

  For the first time in a very long while, I actually feel happy. I’m going to celebrate every little win we have and being able to communicate with all the US Army bases in the country is definitely something to be happy about.

  Maggie stops me as I walk through the camp. “Nice talk last night
.”

  She was one of those that stood up.

  “Thank you. I’m so happy we’re going to be getting somewhere. I’m glad you decided to join us,” I reply.

  “We’re going to win or go down fighting. That’s the best ending we can hope for these days. At least we’re doing something.”

  “We’ll definitely be doing something.”

  She claps me on the back, smiles, and walks away. I’m not sure what the whole encounter was about but it was nice to see her smiling. She didn’t seem very happy the other night when we spoke with her.

  I’m too wired to go straight back to the cabin so I take a walk around the base first. I count all the cabins that appear to be empty and how many look lived in. The empty ones seem to far outweigh those that are inhabited.

  If we do get lucky enough to have some visitors, at least there is plenty of room for them. I picture how this place would look completely full. It would come alive and breathe fresh air into the atmosphere. It’s something I would definitely like to see.

  When I return to the cabin, Garlind is awake and flipping through a book he must have found somewhere. We certainly didn’t come into the camp with anything as luxurious as a book.

  I sit next to him on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “My headache is gone. I’m all good now. How’d you go?”

  I’m so excited to share my news with him. “We sent a message out to all the US Army bases in the country. Adam thinks we can send another one out tomorrow that will be picked up by every single radio in the US.”

  His eyebrows raise with surprise. “Every single radio?”

  “All of them. He can somehow override all the stations with his equipment so it doesn’t matter what they are tuned to. I don’t know how many people will actually have a radio on, but if they do, they’ll hear the message.”

  “That sounds really promising.”

  “It’s exciting. He even said that it’s possible to set up the message so it plays in a loop continuously. So no matter when someone turns on the radio, it’s all they’ll hear. He just needs to make sure there is enough electricity to keep it going full time.”

  Garlind pulls me closer into a hug. He kisses my forehead. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “You’re just as important in this whole thing, Garlind. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you,” I reply, really meaning it. If he didn’t get me out of that bunker, I would have died there of loneliness and starvation. I’m not sure which one would have taken me first.

  “Well, I’m your biggest fan. So just remember me when we’ve taken back the planet and you’re declared president.”

  I bump my shoulder against his. “You’re going to be with me so of course I’m not going to forget you. I could never.”

  There is a moment where our eyes catch one another and something happens. It’s like electricity crackles in the air between us. Something changes and charges the spark connecting us like nothing ever has before.

  I love Garlind so much and am so grateful to have him with me. I could have lost him so many times, and yet here we are. Together. Unbreakable. Alive.

  He will never know exactly how special he is to me.

  Our lips gravitate slowly toward each other. It’s an irresistible force that neither of us are willing to stop. I need his kiss like the desert needs the rain. If I don’t get it, I’m going to explode.

  Then, just like that, our lips meet.

  It’s not sparks that fly, but starbursts. I’ve never seen fireworks with my own eyes but I know they would look exactly like this feels.

  My whole body craves him. I need him to be close to me and I have to be close to him. Our kiss never started sweetly. It was hot and it was urgent from the very first touch.

  Garlind’s hands pull me closer. My body goes willingly until I’m sitting on his lap. It’s still not close enough, though. He uses his beautiful hands to slide me closer still. Our chests connect, so near that I can feel his heart beating against mine. His is fast but mine is faster.

  Our hands fumble to touch one another. There is not enough air in the world, not enough of this handsome boy that I can get. I want to stay in this moment forever.

  He leans back and pulls me onto the bed with him. We never break contact and our kiss only breaks so we can catch our breath. It’s beautiful and romantic and so, so perfect.

  We don’t stop at kissing.

  Our clothes end up on the floor.

  It is truly the greatest night of my life. We take it slowly and savor each moment. We’ve got nothing but time and a hunger for each other that can never be sated.

  We’re both clumsy and sometimes it’s awkward but it is still so wonderful that I hope I can remember every moment for the rest of my life.

  We fall asleep in one another’s arms.

  I’ve never slept better.

  For the first time, I can truly appreciate what we’re fighting for.

  Love.

  Chapter 14

  The next day, I can scarcely believe the world is still the same one as it was when we went to sleep last night. Everything feels…different.

  Garlind kisses me good morning. I feel self-conscious for a moment. I’ve never been completely naked in front of anyone besides my parents before. In the harsh light of day, is he going to change his mind?

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispers.

  “Good morning to you too.”

  He nuzzles into the side of my neck and plants a row of soft kisses down to my jaw. I relax and giggle at the ticklish sensation he spreads along my skin.

  “I wish I could stay here all day,” I say.

  “Maybe we can.”

  “We have a meeting to get to.”

  Garlind groans for a moment before lying back on the pillow. “I guess we have to save the world first before sleeping in.”

  “Exactly the order in which it must be done.”

  We exchange smiles before reluctantly getting up. Our first stop is the shower but there is no time for funny business.

  My stomach grumbles from hunger but we don’t have anything to eat. We’re going to have to find some food today. I make a note to ask around and see what everyone else does for a meal around here. They might know of a good place to find berries and roots in the nearby forest.

  Colonel Hanson suggested we have regular meetings at the base. Even if there is nothing new to report, it’s important the troops constantly see their leaders to know that something is happening, even if they aren’t involved in it.

  The meeting is held in the mess hall picnic area like it was the last time. It’s the most central place on the base and somewhere everyone is familiar with.

  I see all the same faces as the last meeting. Except this time, there are at least double the amount of people. Most of them I’ve never seen before.

  Word must be spreading around the base.

  I’m heartened to see the numbers swell. Perhaps they’ve all had a think about the upcoming war and what it could mean for all our futures. If we can pull this off, we can rebuild our nation. Our planet.

  We have to win.

  Colonel Hanson addresses the crowd first. He thanks everyone for attending and gives a brief overview of our plan. I wanted him to go through these items first so the soldiers see him again as their leader. They need to believe in him just as much as me. We’re a team and we can only do this together as one.

  After he’s finished, he introduces me and I take center stage with Garlind right next to me—where he belongs.

  “Thank you, Colonel,” I begin. “And thank you all for coming this morning. We have so much to do and it’s amazing what we’ve already started to get done. As the Colonel mentioned, our main strategy is to attack the alien base in Charleston. Most of their numbers are centered there so we will be able to take out a larger mass with the element of surprise.”

  All the soldiers are listening intently. There is no fidgeting, no talking amongst thems
elves. I don’t know if they’ve realized it, but they’ve fallen back into their past training. They truly are soldiers once more today.

  I continue. “On one hand, we know it’s going to be difficult taking on such a big number of the aliens and on what they consider their turf. However, we also expect them not to have any idea that we could even attempt an attack such as this. We have run through many scenarios and this is the one where the pros outweigh the cons.”

  For the next hour, between Hanson, Garlind, and myself, we take the soldiers through our plans for the next few weeks. We all know we’re not ready for such a large-scale attack yet. We’d barely even make it to Charleston, let alone fight the aliens.

  Time is on our side, but also our enemy. Every day we delay is a day the aliens could find our base and attack us. If they were to waltz in here today, they wouldn’t face a formidable foe. We need to train and get stronger, tighter, work as a conducive team.

  But for now, at least the aliens don’t know what we’re planning. They have no idea what we are capable of because they haven’t faced us on a truly level playing field yet. That works to our advantage, but we can’t rest on our laurels and hope they stay away.

  Nobody walks out of the assembly and any questions that are posed are level and warranted. By the end of the meeting, there is no hostility toward us. There is nobody doubting our actions. By the end, we are a unit.

  The beginning of an army.

  We don’t let the day get away from us. We break into groups and start training immediately. I know my weakness is my physical strength. I want to learn how to fight so I can be a valuable member of my squad.

  I join in the physical training group and start to feel better about my fitness levels. As it turns out, most people here have let their fitness wane. It’s difficult to stay strong and healthy when food is scarce. Our bodies are thin and weakened.

  We run through a course led by the only person who still has muscles on his body. His name is Sergeant Fritz and I think he enjoys seeing people suffer.

  It’s not only me who is puffing and sweating by the end of the morning. We’ve all got a long way to go if we’re going to be fighting fit by the time we confront the aliens.