by Tom Cain
A loud roar is heard which echoes through Little London. Marko stops sharpening.
Ron is making his way to the medical section to meet the nurse and get a report on Burkes progress. His mind is all over the place, he is having to think about the outcome of the upcoming rebellion and the losses of his people, and now a new mutant.
Ron is greeted by the doctor who is outside the med bay.
"Woah, hi Clara, I didn't expect, my mind was on other things" Ron said with a frown having nearly run into her.
"Yes, well…" she began adjusting her bloody apron as another big roar came from inside the medical room.
"Oh, that's where the noise is coming from" Ron said now very anxious to get inside and see what they are dealing with.
"Ron, it doesn't look good, his convulsions are getting stronger, his heart rate is well above normal, he will develop his strain soon. I'm not sure if it's physical or mental at this stage, he could just be having bad reaction to the antigen" Clara said.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Ron asks still not relieving his frown.
"We got this one too late Ron, sorry" she replied down heartedly.
"That's ok, lets get on inside and see where we are" Ron said as he pressed forward through the double doors in the the greeting area which had several benches thrown around the place and flickering xenon lights, the nurse lead him through the next set of double doors into the operating room, where Burke lays on a cold steel table writhing in pain. He lets out another terrifying roar.
"Wow this doesn't sound like a good one Clara" Ron shouted over the noise.
Burke was covered in sweat, and had been coughing blood on himself. Clara had done her best to swab the mess up but couldn't get close enough without being overpowered and thrown away.
"My best guess Ron" Clara asserted "would be this one is physical, but I would think he would turn tonight or tomorrow, without the surgeon here I cannot be completely sure".
"Well the surgeon ain't here so you are our best hope and saving people. How long do you think we have?" Ron asks grabbing an arm and staring at Burkes distressed face.
"I would say a few hours at least, a day at best" Clara replied.
Burke let out another big scream.
"Get it out! Get it out! It's going to hurt! Get it out!" shouted Burke through the pain.
"We are going to get you through this buddy, don't worry, we…" said Ron as Burke interrupted.
"If you have to, ah, you know what to do" Burke screamed again, a deeper voice took over this time and the scream turned back to a roar.
Ron tapped a button on the med bay wall which starts to flash red while still holding Ron's arm. Clara grabs the other arm after noticing that Ron had pushed the button. After three or four minutes, three armed men and a woman come rushing in the room.
"Guys, we need to get this one down to the bunker so he can turn safely, I think he's going to be a problem" Ron ordered.
"I'm going to be a what? Oh god, I'm going to be a problem? What does…ah" Burke shouted.
"Ok guys grab an arm and a leg" Ron shouted.
All five of them pick Burke up with him struggling and move him out of the medical centre leaving Clara to look onto a half destroyed operating room. Luckily the bunker was not too far away so the journey was short.
The bunker was a fallout shelter before the green flash and was supposed to be used to prevent bomb damage and sustain a blast. Whomever made it was obviously pretty paranoid that something was going to happen; Ron and his group dug it up when expanding the city underground. They carried Burke to the front entrance, which was a two foot thick solid steel an iron safe like four hinged door with magnetic locks. Two of the men broke away from Burke and opened the door with a giant thud. Creaking, the huge weighty door swung open and the team moved Burke inside.
Inside the bunker was a mess, obviously several other mutants had turned in here, burn marks on the walls, dry blood on the floor, scratch marks and what looked to be skin. They dropped Burke in the middle of the room and retreated leaving Ron standing over him.
"ok buddy, you are on your own until you can think straight again" Ron said while leaving the room and moving behind the door.
"I got this, I got this, I got this" Burke repeated to himself wriggling on the cold concrete floor in pain. Ron slowly closed the door and the team locked it. Burkes screams echoed down the empty corridors.
Valeria is packing in her quarters getting ready for the tough road ahead. She opens a camo green duffle bag and grabs a belt from her shelf. She stares at the belt for a few moments thinking about previous adventures. Valeria's mind was tortured by distance memories of life before the flash and of life in the years after.
Valeria was undergoing treatment for serious epilepsy in a local hospital when the flash happened; it wiped out everyone in the area surrounding the hospital leaving her lying in a hospital bed. The procedure required the nurses to use four point restraints on her arms and legs securing her. After the flash she was alone, they had connected an intravenous feeding tube to her arm so she would be kept alive for days and days.
Valeria closed her eyes and tightened her grip on her belt as she remembered the aftermath of the flash. Lying on that hospital bed all alone was terrifying for a young woman, not understanding what had happened after a huge green flash took everyone away. After eight days of lying in the bed alone suddenly she heard a noise, a lot of male voices poured through the hospital corridors. Valeria felt relief and fear. The men were a gang of Greeners. A gang of hungry Greeners, recently turned and new to the thirst.
"Oh, oh oh oh, what do we have here? She looks tasty…look it's a tasty one and she's tied up" one of the gang said.
The phrase repeats in Valeria's mind over and over hearing her own screams, she grinds her teeth. Burkes scream and roar from the Little London medical centre snaps her out of it. She opens her eyes now glowing purple. She stares at the mirror which cracks instantly with a glance. She doesn't speak, she rarely strains her face with emotion unless needs must, nothing scares Valeria anymore; she has been through too much. Her power developed through sheer strength of will, the flash just released an already brewing desire to break free, break free from restraints, from the clutches of illness, from the responsibility of friends and family. Her naturally greenish blue eyes were opened to the cruelty of the new world in that hospital, but she survived. And she never takes that survival for granted; Valeria feels she owes a debt to the world. Grabbing some clothes from a draw and throwing them into her strapped duffle bag she feels excited about the chance to rid this already ruined state of some horrible people. To this day Valeria has always preferred her own company to that of others. She grabs two black semi-automatic pistols from a shelf in her room, and stares for a moment at a steel grated locker with a padlock sitting in the corner. A small smirk comes across her face as she reaches into her pocket to place between her fingers on a small key. Clutching the key she grabs the padlock and clicks it open. Throwing the lock to one side and slowly opening the door with a creak turns the smirk into a full on smile as she gazes upon a halberd she found in a museum many years ago, and many years ago she used to kill many Greener gangs. The weapon still had dried blood on it, she wanted to remember the pain she had caused. Although inside Valeria there is a good person, at least she was before everything happened, she could not show the world that. Never show weakness, never show remorse, never show mercy, not on the outside, she thought. Another roar echoes down the Little London hallways.
John and Marko sleep after having a drink, both surprisingly calm given the task they must undertake. Mia rests in her quarters having prepared for the adventure and after a passionate last few hours, something of which Marko was particularly proud of.
Ron sits awake at his wooden desk, hidden behind a large mostly finished bottle of vodka, nervously tapping a bullet on the surface, thinking deeply about what could happen tomorrow.
"Ah, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow." Ron now drun
k says to himself.
"The sun will come out tomorrow" he sings marginally in tune.
"Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow" he takes another big swig from his bottle.
"There’ll be sun".
Ron's forehead hits the desk and he groans.
"Definitely going to be something, the sun I dunno" he said mumbling and slowly falling to sleep.
Burke struggles with his transformation deep inside the bunker. His mind a blur with pain and fear, two parts of him seem to be forming. A mind where anger and pain and confusion are dominant, but strength and power lie, and a mind where fear and clarity reside, but weakness. Burke toils with the possibility of ending it all, slamming his head into one of the walls, if he could only get up and stop convulsing.
The floor was damp, above him sitting on the ceiling was a large water sprinkler used to put out fires, it had been fitted by Ron to help any flame based mutations. As thoughts of suicide and the unknown ran through his mind the sound of the huge metal door unbolting sounded, the door opened slowly and the sound of man struggling hit Burkes ears. A tall, thin lipped, bald man wearing a white jacket and came in followed by Clara.
"Mr Burke, no need to worry, I am the surgeon here. My name is…" The surgeon said interrupted.
"Argghh, doc it's good to see you but…I can't control my body…and the pain" Burke said in extreme discomfort.
"I can't stop the mutation now Mr Burke, I can however ease your pain, you look like you are already starting stage three" The doctor stretched his arm out towards Clara, who clamoured in her pockets for an injection syringe.
"Here doctor" Clara said handing him the needle she removed from a sealed plastic container.
"Thank you Clara, here you go" the doctor said sticking the preloaded needle into Burke’s arm. The drugs slowly working its way into Burkes system slowed down his convulsions and his body finally relaxed from its tensed up state.
"What was that?" Burke asks his voice now much more calm, "That was morphine and phenobarbital, it will stop the pain and help you sleep" the surgeon said authoritatively. With that Burke slowly drifted off to sleep his body still occasionally twitching.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE STOCK ROLLER
Markos eyes were twitching, while he lies in his bed, he was clearly dreaming.
Marko is in Fort Benning again having been put through another terrorist training scenario with nine other guys and having failed the test.
"Gibbs!" Drill instructor Dewight shouted as the soldiers all lined up.
"How the shit did you last so long in the third division if that's all you got?".
"Hard work sir!" Marko said tired from the session.
"Hard work? I would hate to see you on a lazy day then Gibbs" Dewight shouted back.
"That's never going to happen sir" Marko answered quick fire.
"That's the right answer, now had that been a real life exercise then you would have just gotten you and all your boys killed, you wouldn't be able to give me those smart arsed answers if you were dead now would you?" Dewight said strolling along the line.
"Sir, I…" Marko was interrupted by Dewight.
"That was a rhetorical question Gibbs, don't suppose any of you know what rhetorical means do you?” one of the other soldier steps forward and speaks up.
"Sir a rhetor…" Dewight interrupts again.
"That was another rhetorical question Private Hands!" the private steps back into line.
"Right! I have had enough of the flirting with you failures, we are going to do this exercise again and again until we get it one hundred percent" Dewight shouts in the face of the soldiers.
"Ok Gibbs, get your men up, geared and ready to move out in thirty seconds" he ordered.
"Absolutely sir! Ok men you heard him let's do this right this time" Marko said to the squad as the all reloaded and fastened there gear.
After the drills Marko and his team head back into the barracks. Private Hudson approaches Marko.
"Sergeant Gibbs sir?".
"Yes private?" Marko replies.
"The Colonel wants to see you in his office right away" Private Hudson asks with a partially whimpering voice.
"Alright, thanks. I will get over there soon" Marko says.
"I’m afraid it's rather important, you must come with me right now, please, sir". The private asserted.
Marko put his helmet down and grabbed his army jacket.
"Ok, lead on private". The dream shifts.
Marko is standing in front of the Colonel.
"Please Gibbs stand at ease. I have some rather bad news". Marko puts his hands behind his back and looks concerned.
"What's going on sir?" Marko asks.
"It's your father Gibbs, I just got off the phone with the doctor and he's not doing well, his condition has worsened and he doesn't have long. I think you need to go back to him and be there with your family. You are granted special leave until you feel fit to return and continue your duty" said the Colonel.
"Sir, thank you, but I couldn’t leave the men". Marko is interrupted.
“Gibbs, I insist. Enough said”
Marko salutes and leaves the office. The dream shifts again. Marko pulls up to his mother's house, parks and gets out of the car to see his father. Nurse Chloe was rocking back and forth on a porch chair swing. Chloe was a close member of Markos family and been a friend for many years.
"I'm so happy to see you back Marko. It's been too long" Chloe says slowly getting up from the chair.
"What is it Chloe what's happening? How's dad?" Marko asks walking up the porch stairs.
"It's your father Mark, he's gone. He passed on this morning, a few hours before you arrived" She said sadly.
"Really? Ah…I never got to say goodbye" Marko said saddened as he pulled off his army hat and twisted it in his hands.
"Your father was a tough man for a son to love, we all knew that Marko" Chloe said.
"Yeah, I know, it's just I left for the rangers without his consent and I know he didn't want me to go" Marko says trying to keep the emotion back. The dream continues.
Marko is talking to his father, who is lying in an open coffin in the funeral house.
"Dad, I never wanted to go without your blessing but, it felt right to me, it felt as though it was what I was supposed to do. I'm 24 years old dad, I was 17 then and I didn't understand that you only wanted the best for me. To run the family business." Marko touches his father's hand.
"But I will now. I will run the business the best I can. I know that's what you would have wanted and Mom". Marko lets go of his hand with a tear in his eye.
Again the dream changes. Marko and a small group of people are standing around the hole in the ground that Markos father is being lowered into. The priest says a final few words.
"Benjamin was a good man, and a good friend to all he met. He will be missed not only by family but by the community, may he rest in peace".
"Goodbye Dad" says Marko staring at the now resting coffin.
As Marko says goodbye a dull thud is heard from the horizon and the whole group looks across to be met with a huge gust of wind washing across them all, screams are heard, green light pours over the graveyard and smashes into the guests, disintegrating everyone except Marko.
Marko jolts awake suddenly, sweating.
"You having bad dreams there Marko?" says John putting on his boots.
"Shit" Marko says wiping his eyes and realizing where he is.
"Yeah, well it was about the flash again and my pap. They have been getting stronger" Marko Said.
"Yeah that's tough, I have dreamt about it every night since it took my family. But now it's time to gear up and get moving. So get your head on straight and let's get this show on the road. It's all kinds of messed up out there, and the people are relying on us to get this shit done" replied John.
Ron and Mia are waiting outside up on Harman Main Street, orange sand and building dust cover the floor, wind blowing the filth around t
he fifteen strong fire squad. The sun new in the sky, blinding yellows and oranges rush over and through the buildings. The men and women of the group were restless, they knew what lays ahead, and that most of them wouldn't see Little London again, some more nervous than others.
“So which one are we doing then? The towers or zone five?" said Grip, one of the more sturdy fighters asked another.
"Well yesterday Ron said we were going to be attacking the towers, not sure if we are going with Test and the team or not" the soldier replied.
"Well I am not too bothered but as long as we take a few of those BCC bastards down I'm all for it" another fighter said as she fastened her ammo belt around her brown leather jacket.
"Haha, yeah I feel you Chrissie" Grip replied and continued
"I wouldn't wanna to fight Three if I'm honest, I’ve heard nasty things about that guy".
"We have all heard nasty things about Three, that guy burns children. If there's one person John and Marko need to rid this shitty world of, it's him". Said Chrissie.
"Hey, so you and Marko huh?" Ron asked Mia while adjusting the magazine on his rifle.
"Yeah, I guess so, we dated before" Mia replied checking the horizons.
"Well good on you two, just don't let it get in the way of what we are doing here, Swiss Towers is a bitch to get to…" said Ron.
Just as Ron finishes his sentence a manhole cover under one of the feet of the men starts to move. The fighter stands away. Out climbs John, Marko and Valeria taking in the bright sun as it hits their eyes for the first time in a few days making them squint. John, Marko and Valeria head off to join Ron and Mia standing to the side of the main group. Mia winks at Marko and he smiles in return. The group converse.
"So how's is everybody this morning?" Ron asks.
"We are all good, we want to get things on the road, I know we have a long way to go" replies John firmly.
"John I have some other news, your friend Burke is missing. Clara found the safe door had a massive dent from the inside in it. I could have only come from some kind of homemade battering ram, not sure how he did it, but he aint there". Ron said more concerned about his broken door.