“Climb in,” the red haired guy replied, with the air of a car salesman trying to bait his client.
Danny hopped eagerly into the cab and slid into the seat, which was soft and plush, but stiff enough to keep you awake.
“Do you see the five labeled buttons?”
There were five push buttons on a panel to the left of the steering wheel, one for the lights, one for the fog lights, one for the guns, one for starting the vehicle, and one that said lift.
“Yes,” Danny replied, eyeballing the buttons.
“Those buttons are the most important things in this vehicle. They control all of your major functions.”
“Lift?”
“We’ll get to that in a moment.”
“Guns?”
“It’s more of a precaution than anything else. You’ll probably never use them, but they are there if you need them.” Danny shut up and let the man continue. “You’ll work the gears like you would in any car that drives on the road. I think you know well enough how to climb up to speed using a gear shift and an RPM gauge.” Danny nodded, the man continued. “Sixth gear is cruising speed. There is a cruise button on the right side of the gear shift. Hit it once to turn it on, tap the break once to turn it off. I would advise using it only when you are at a good cruising altitude.”
An engine fired up, and Danny turned around to see what one of these machines looked like turned on. The light green car idled for a moment, rumbled like an angry electric car, as its boat-like belly sat flat on the ground. While Danny watched, it slowly lifted up into the air about twelve inches, and hovered. After a couple of seconds of idling, it sat back down on the ground, and turned off.
“When you push the start button, this car will raise up just like that one. Then you will tap the lift button slowly, until you are firmly off the ground. I would advise at least eight to twelve feet maybe a little more. Once at that height, you can start driving. The vehicle will move forward just like an ordinary six-speed car. When you start running through the gears, pull down on the steering wheel so the car can rise. When you think you are at a good cruising altitude, you will probably be in sixth gear. You can then lock the wheel in place with the red button underneath it. Make sure though, before you lock the wheel that you have the car level. You can do that by pushing the steering wheel back to its neutral position, which is the position it will be in when you start the vehicle. When you want to descend, push the red button again to unlock it, and raise the steering wheel up. You will need to use your best judgment when it comes to landing. Another thing to remember, when you come to a complete stop, or this car sits idle for more than a couple of seconds. The car will automatically place itself back on the ground, just like the green car did, and turn off. That is a gas saving feature we have installed on all of the vehicles.” The red haired guy paused. “Any questions so far?”
Danny nodded there wasn’t. The red haired continued.
“The most important thing to remember is the big button in the center of the steering wheel.” Danny looked at it. “Grab the head seat on the dash and put it on.” Danny did as requested, sliding the speakers over his ears and the mouth piece over his mouth. “Now plug it into that hole.” There was a small silver opening just beside the big button on the steering wheel. Danny plugged the head set in, but heard nothing but static. “When you are out there this will be your only line of communication. You will need to touch the button on the center of the wheel to talk to the dispatchers. This will be your life line. Always, and this is important, make sure it’s working before you leave.” The red hair guy pointed Danny to the back wall of the cab. Two more buttons were there. “This one lowers the window between the cab and bed area. It’s sealed at the gap between the cab and bed, so you don’t have to worry about getting contaminated if you’re opening it while you’re traveling. This other one opens the cargo doors.” The red haired guy lowered the window and then opened the doors. “Simple enough, right?”
“Will I have a suit to wear?”
“We have a protective suit that you will need to have on when you leave, but the windows will allow you to travel without a helmet or air hose. These windows work like the ones in your home, taking in bad air, making it breathable inside the cab and bed area. There is a place just under the dash where you will attach an air hose, if there is an emergency, and a helmet to go with it; but you shouldn’t have to use them. If you do, they are both located behind the seat. There are also two air tanks, which will allow you to breathe clean air in case the car has some kind of trouble, or you have to go outside for some reason. Both tanks hold about four hours of air, and it should allow us enough time to get to you or for you to do whatever it is you need to do outside the vehicle. Those tanks will attach to the helmet, and they can be hooked onto your body so you don’t have to carry them. We will also give you gloves that will fit snuggly over your sleeves, and the helmet will have a neck guard. This guard will be tucked into the suit so if you are outside everything will be covered.” The red haired guy paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and then continued. “Behind this seat there’s also a tool kit for simple repairs, and when you leave we will put extra ammunition back there.” The red haired guy showed Danny where all of this stuff was, and then leaned out of the car. “I’ll be right back,” the red haired guy replied. He walked off, leaving Danny alone.
While he sat there, he took a moment to look around. The place was a busy bee hive of activity with the trainees doing all sorts of activity with their cars. When the red hair guy returned with the suit, Danny had a few questions lined up for him.
“What’s up with the office building?” One corner of this gigantic hanger was filled with a three story building that had white exterior walls, two black glass double entrance doors, a flat roof, and lots and lots of windows, most of them looking out on the area where the vehicles sat.
“That’s where we will monitor the drivers, and keep you guys safe as you travel from here to D.C.”
“D.C.?”
“Washington is our hub for things we need. If they can’t fill the order of whatever it is we need, then you will be sent to Atlanta or to New York.”
“And if any of those hubs can’t fill it?”
“Let’s just say that’s not an option. We’re hoping one of them will be able to. Those places are big enough to hold small factories where we can manufacture the basic necessities, things that will help us not live like animals.”
“You guys really did think of everything, didn’t you?” Danny paused, and pointed towards two large shiny double doors, sealed tight, with a dark rubber substance in the middle of them. “I assume that’s the way we leave.”
“Yes. Do you want to try the suit?” The red haired guy held it up.
It was a blue convict suit with extra insulation. Danny slipped out of the car, and put it on. It covered everything, but his hands, neck, and head.
“If you look down, the open hole is for a hose that will allow cool or warm air to flow into and out of your suit. You can access that dial here,” the red haired guy replied, pointing to a place on the dash that showed cold on one side, hot on the other. A dial rested between those words allowing for the temperature of your choosing. “That open hole is sealed at the base and will only open when the hose is attached. That hose will connect under your steering wheel, and lay in your lap when it is attached to the suit.”
Danny looked down at his navel and checked it out. He then looked up at the red haired guy. “How will I know I’m heading towards D.C., once I’m out there?’
“You will follow the GPS in the car.” The red haired guy showed him where it was located, just below the emergency button. “You punch in D.C. on the key pad, and it will help guide you in that direction via the small screen. It won’t fly the car; you’ll still be in charge, but it will help you get there safely,” the red haired guy replied, as he closed all of the doors.
“This is a lot to take in.”
“I know, but n
ow is the fun part. It’s time to drive. Follow me.”
“Should I stay in the suit?”
“Yes, so you can get use to it.”
Danny followed the red haired guy over to another part of the warehouse. There were four cars sitting there along with a track to test them on. This track was maybe a half mile in length, oval, with obstacles spread out on it, such as hovering orange cones, a wall, cars, buildings, cardboard people on stands, and other things like that.
“I scheduled you for one of the first runs this morning.”
“Any reason?”
“I know you’re an early riser, and you’re best at that time. Plus I have a full day ahead of me, with many more trainees. The earlier I start the better.”
“What’s with the extra padding?” Danny asked, pointing to the rubber halo that circled each test car.
“Well, we can never be too safe,” the red hair guy replied, as he opened the driver’s door and then the rear cargo area. “Climb on in.”
Danny did as he was asked, as the red haired guy went around to the back and climbed inside that way. He crawled to the end of the cargo area and knocked on the glass window that separated the cab and bed. Danny lowered it, as the red haired guy pulled a handle that was attached to one side of the bed. A seat popped out with a seat belt attached to it. The red haired guy strapped himself in. “This jump seat is for emergencies only. If we have a driver stranded, we may send you or anyone of our drivers out to retrieve them. It shouldn’t be used to just let someone ride around back here for fun, only for emergencies. This round box beside me, with the closed lid, is for waste disposal, in case you have to go while you’re on the road. It empties into a septic tank, underneath the car. This tank can be cleaned or emptied by pushing this button.” The red haired guy pointed to a button at the bottom of the box, far enough down so that it wouldn’t be hit by a simple accident. Finished with his explanation, he pointed to a button on the left side of the driver’s seat. “That button closes the doors once you are inside. Go ahead and push it.”
Danny pushed the button, and the door to the cab slowly came down then locked into airtight place with a whoosh. The cargo doors also closed at the same time with that safety sounding whoosh.
“Now what?”
“Start it up.”
Danny pushed the ignition button and didn’t hear anything, but he felt his body rise as the vehicle came to a hovering position.
“Now it’s just like driving a car.”
Danny locked the belts in place, nice and secure, and put on a helmet that fit his head. This helmet was sitting on the floor of the car next to other helmets of various shapes and sizes. All of them were strapped down, so if the car was to wreck, they wouldn’t fly around inside the vehicle and harm the driver. Safe and secure, Danny found the reverse and backed the car out of its spot. It was a little weird at first because of the levitation. It was kind of like driving a boat in the air.
When Danny had the car out of its spot he pushed the levitate button a couple of times, and the car responded by rising. Comfortably off the ground, he put the car into first gear, and aimed it towards the track.
“We need to line up behind the red car that’s waiting. We get six laps, and then we need to exit off so others can practice.”
Danny lined his car up behind the red car, but it wasn’t smooth. When he pushed in the clutch and hit the brake, the car didn’t just stop instantly. It drifted forward a bit, banging, ever so gently, into the waiting car.
“Easy Danny, you need to approach objects with a little more stopping distance. It doesn’t brake like a normal car even thought it drives like one.”
“Got it,” Danny replied, feeling like he was back in Driver’s Ed. He had passed that class with no problems, so he knew he would have no trouble now.
The red car made its way onto the track, and started circling.
“Can I go now?”
“Yes, just be mindful of the other car. We only allow two on the track at a time, for safety reasons,” the red haired guy replied. “Today we just want you to know how to operate the car, get use to it, get your feet wet so to speak. We will work on honing your driving skills as we move forward with each lesson.”
Danny held the gear shift in first gear, steadied his nerves, and then let out on the clutch as he pushed on the gas. The car moved forward, and onto the track. He ran the gears up to third on the first half of it, which was free of obstacles, going faster than he should have. When he saw the wall, he yanked the steering wheel down too quick, and the car shot straight up. Danny didn’t panic. He was able to correct this mistake and bring the car back down to the right level. He made his way into the swerving part, flying in a zig zag between hovering cones, dodging all obstacles with ease.
The rest of the laps got better; and by the sixth lap he was able to go to fifth gear on the obstacle free part, down to fourth as he easily cleared the wall, and at fourth he stayed as he whipped into and out of the zig zag course, dodging obstacles without blinking an eye. When he was done, he swung the car off the track and back into its parking spot. After a few seconds of idling, the car set itself back on the ground, and turned off.
Danny turned around, smiling. “How was I?”
“You did great, a real natural. Now let’s let someone else use the car.”
The two men filed out, Danny unsuited, and the two of them made their way back to the common area. Once there, Danny saw his boys at the school orientation sitting together. He looked from his sons to the red haired guy. “So, same time tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Danny started to walk off and stopped. He turned back to the red haired guy. “You never said anything about me leaving?”
“It’ll be a while. We’re well stocked. What we need now is preparation; so, when the day comes, you will be ready to go on a moments notice.”
“Okay, well I’m going to get my kids.”
“See you in the morning.”
“See you then.”
The red haired guy made his exit, and Danny went over to the small gathering of children. The four big screens, which had once shown graphic violent images, were now filled with a smiling older bald man with a horseshoe pattern. The name on the bottom of the screen said Principal Johnson; he was at least 60 years of age, maybe more. Mr. Johnson was currently going over the packet that the kids were looking through. This packet explained to them how school would work, how they would be graded, hours they had to be on the computer, and things like that.
The class let out a short time later, as Danny stood there and waited. While he stood there, more parents gathered around him, waiting for their children.
Johnny walked over to his dad with the packet in his hand and a big smile on his face when the class finally ended. He was already saying good bye to a couple of kids close to his age. Michael had the same slouch he always had, but he had started a slow change that only a father could notice. Both boys had taken to this end of the world scenario better than Danny could have ever expected. If there were issues, they were deep, deep down inside where he couldn’t see them.
“How was it guys?” Danny asked.
“Not bad.” It looked like Johnny was going to do the talking for both of them. “We have to been online for two hours each day. We have our weekends off, and it doesn’t matter when we fill those two hours.”
“I know, I heard.”
“I also met some guys my age. They live close to us.”
“Great. Michael, how was it for you?”
They had started to walk when they started to talk. They reached the hotel lobby and then the elevators.
“It’s okay, better than regular school,” Michael grumbled under his breath.
“I can see how that would be better, less hours, class when you want to go, no teachers,” Danny replied, as they climbed onto an elevator, and rode it up to their floor.
They arrived at the apartment door.
They went inside, and the door cl
osed.
The day drifted into the night.
Time passed.
*
Danny trained each and every day except for Saturday and Sunday, learning new tricks and techniques all the time. He picked up on this new job faster than anyone else. He excelled at the indoor course, and breezed through the outdoor course. The kids settled into their school activities. Johnny made new friends, and was showing no signs of depression from the life he left behind. Michael had started to improve, but he was struggling more than his brother. He was getting up to the age where he would be driving soon, going on dates, getting laid, and gaining his independence. He would be robbed of all that because of this current situation. Barbara found ways to occupy her time by teaching exercise classes, making new friends, reading, and running. She also came to terms with Danny, and the truth he had kept from her, not only about the end of the world, but his new occupation.
Just after their 4 month anniversary of living underground, Danny was up late one night because he couldn’t sleep. He was nursing a drink, reading a book by Stephen King, and relaxing. He heard a rustling at the door, and if he hadn’t been up he would have never heard it. He got up from his chair, and walked over to investigate.
He opened the door, and found the red haired guy standing there, looking at him surprised. Danny turned around to look at the window, which was dark, signifying night time, odd hour for a visit. Something was certainly up.
They walked out into the hallway, so they could talk and not wake his family.
“I’m surprised you were up. I was going to leave this on your door for you.”
“I couldn’t sleep, had a lot of trouble since we moved down here,” Danny replied, looking at the brown envelope in the red haired guy’s hand. “What’s that?”
AWOL: A Character Lost Page 26