Lionel ran down the corridor again. “That’s true, but you’re too slow to catch me!”
Reb grumbled while she hobbled down the corridor in his direction. “Things would be so easy if I could run! Now everything has to be done the hardest and slowest way possible!”
*****
Giles hurried down the left corridor, in the direction of a loud industrial noise. Eventually, he reached a large room that housed a massive production line. It included a conveyor belt, various types of equipment, and missiles that had been created by the cannibals. Giles watched the conveyor belt as the missiles were carried across the room. He assumed Lionel had activated the machine before they entered the power plant. Giles wanted to stop the conveyor belt to prevent a nuclear explosion. The attorney hurried to a keypad and punched random numbers into the system. None of his codes stopped the production line.
Come on! There must be a way to stop this machine! If those missiles fall on the ground, they’ll detonate and then we’re all dead meat! Giles thought, panic taking over his mind.
He gave up and approached a moving conveyor belt. Giles climbed on top of the production line and carefully trotted across the machine. He picked up one the missiles and moved further down the production line to grab a second missile. He jumped down to the floor and propped the two missiles against a wall. The Steampunk hurried to the production line again to snatch two more missiles. He jumped down again and carefully rested them on the floor as well. Giles turned around and noticed that the final missile was dangerously close to falling onto the ground. He rushed to the conveyor belt, slid across the floor, and reached the end of the production line right as the missile toppled over the edge. It landed in his arms and he sighed with relief. Giles placed the undetonated missile into a wooden crate.
*****
Reb followed the pathway until she finally found Lionel in the reactor room. He stood at the control panel watching the control panel as nuclear energy violently surged through the reactor. It seemed like the reactor was becoming increasingly unstable. Reb hobbled toward Lionel, wielding her crowbar.
“What are you doing? This is madness!” Reb hollered.
Lionel continued to work at the control panel. “It’s too late! Nobody can stop the reactor’s instability now! I activated the reactor long before your little troop reached the power plant! This is the endgame for your culture!”
Reb didn’t know how to stop the reactor. “You’ll kill non-grafted humans too! I learned from experience that Steampunks turn into violent mutations that will attack anything that moves!”
“Mankind can rebuild after the Steampunks kill each other! We live in fear of your culture! You use weapons, enhanced strength, and violence to scare normal humans into the shadows! After you’re gone, regular humans can reclaim the world and live in peace!” Lionel shouted.
“So you’re going to create peace with a nuclear explosion? That makes perfect sense! Every non-grafted human will die in West Virginia! Are you willing to sacrifice your own people?” Reb retaliated.
They felt the ground shake as the reactor became more instable.
“The answer to your question is yes! I’m willing to be a martyr for my cause! Innocent people will die, but it’s for the greater good! The moment I want is almost here! Welcome to the world that you created!” Lionel declared.
A wave of radiation emitted from the reactor and blasted through the room. It vaporized Lionel and broke the windows. The wave knocked Reb to the floor, but she quickly got up and searched the controls.
“I don’t know anything about nuclear reactors! How am I going to stop this catastrophe? I need to find a solution fast because we’re running out of time!” Reb yelled in a panicked voice.
Chapter 22
Giles ran through the corridor until a wave of radiation knocked him onto the floor. It triggered an immediate transformation. He writhed on the floor while his ribcage cracked and changed. Giles quickly pulled out a syringe and injected the serum into his wrist. He immediately stood up and said, “That wasn’t a good sign! The reactor is probably going to explode or have a meltdown! I need to find Reb!”
The attorney hurried down the corridor as the power plant shook all around him.
Malcolm and Beauregard watched the power plant rattle and shake. A small portion of the structure crumbled and fell to the ground. The two men barely avoided the debris when it landed in front of them.
“This means we’re in a lot of trouble! Beau, run!” Malcolm hollered.
They fled from the nuclear plant and Beauregard shouted, “We have to warn everyone else!”
“It won’t make a difference! The radioactivity will mutate us!” Malcolm shouted back.
In the distance, Percy, Savannah, Gable, and Priscilla saw the smoke billow from the power plant.
“Something is wrong over there. Is that the power plant?” Priscilla inquired.
Percy as apprehensive from the distant sight. “Yes, and it’s going through some type of instability. If the power plant has a meltdown, radiation will cover at least the next several miles. It might even reach some other states.”
Savannah grabbed Percy’s hand. “Can we stop it?”
“I doubt it. We just need to brace ourselves for the aftermath,” Gable suggested.
“At least we won’t be alone. If this is the end, we’re going to share our final moments together,” Percy admitted.
The foursome stood on a pathway and watched the power plant shake uncontrollably.
Reb remained in the reactor room searching for a solution. She pulled out her crowbar and chose to improvise. Reb smashed the controls, causing the reactor’s danger level to drop somewhat. Reb noticed the change on a monitor, and then she pulled out her grafted baton. She destroyed more components of the controls, and the danger level lowered again. Reb repeated the process until she became exhausted. The attorney dropped her baton and yanked off the gas mask.
She approached the unstable reactor and said, “At the least the explosion will be a lot smaller. Unfortunately, Lionel was right about one thing. I have to think about the greater good.”
The reactor finally exploded as Reb jumped on top of it. She absorbed most of the radiation while the remaining nuclear energy destroyed the reactor room. The explosion caused radioactive smoke to swarm through part of the nuclear plant.
Further away, Percy, Savannah, Gable, and Priscilla watched the power plant as it became idle. The smoke dissipated and the tremors stopped.
Gable said in a hushed voice, “It seems quiet now. What does that mean?”
“I certainly hope it means the power plant won’t meltdown any further,” Savannah replied.
Priscilla looked at the power plant along with them, hoping for the best. “Do you think Reb and Giles are okay? We haven’t seen them all day long.”
“It’s impossible not to feel worried, but they’re perfectly capable of overcoming any obstacle. I just hope they’re not inside that power plant,” Percy admitted.
*****
Giles hurried to the demolished reactor room. It was in shambles with wires, debris, and metal strewn across the room. The reactor was completely gone and pieces of the equipment were scattered across the floor.
The attorney threw large pieces of equipment aside. “Reb, where are you? Answer me! You can’t be gone! I’m not ready to be alone!”
“Stop being a crybaby! You’re supposed to be a tough guy!” a voice threatened from the rubble.
“Reb, is that you?” Giles asked, astonished, as he struggled through the debris.
He found Reb. She was sitting behind a metal panel. She clutched four empty syringes in her hands.
She breathed heavily and looked at him. “I’m alive, for now.”
Giles looked at the four injection sites on her wrists. “Check out those puncture marks. It looks like a vampire chewed you up.”
“I absorbed a nuclear explosion. Extra doses of the antidote seemed like a good idea,” Reb weakly respon
ded.
He took the syringes from her. “You always have the right answers. What happened to Lionel?”
“Vaporized. That’s another psycho killer who won’t bother us anymore,” Reb commented.
Giles sat next to her and they rested. “Good. The reactor is gone now. What do you think will happen to the town?”
Reb held his hand. “I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait and see.”
The couple sat in the mangled room while they recovered from the traumatic experience.
Chapter 23
Ultimately, the Steampunks regrouped and planned an escape. Reb and Giles hot-wired a public transit bus and the entire group drove to the forest at the edge of town. There, they escaped on foot through the woods, cautiously trekking through the trees and underbrush until they reached the nearest city. It was a long and arduous journey, but they survived.
Due to Parker’s determination, the authorities in Dallas contacted the biohazard unit in West Virginia. A team wearing specialized hazmat suits that protected the workers from atomic power was sent to the nuclear zone. They examined the town and found several dead cannibals who had apparently died from radiation poisoning. Evidence of cannibalism was confirmed when the team found the remains of Steampunks in mass graves and food lockers. The unit investigated the power plant and realized the reactor was completely destroyed. They knew the radioactivity would eventually dissipate.
Percy and Savannah returned to San Francisco, but soon wanted another excuse to avoid the office. They were glad everyone was safe, and the couple found plenty of time to spend together. Due to the traumatic nature of their experience, Savannah chose not to design a line of clothing with an atomic theme.
Gable and Priscilla also returned to work. Unfortunately, the children were still sick when they returned home. Gable and Priscilla decided to be honest with their kids about the nuclear zone. They told Oliver and Maggie about the limo accident, abandoned town, cannibals, radiation, and the other problems they had encountered. Oliver and Maggie promptly threw up. Fortunately, the kids felt much better a couple days later. A local news station interviewed Gable about his survival. Naturally, Gable was thrilled to receive more publicity.
Reb and Giles gladly returned to their ranch. They used work as an excuse to forget about the atomic disaster. Reb noticed that her Jeep was becoming a public icon. She looked at the Jeep’s fan website. The couple kept in frequent contact with Parker via social networking and phone calls. Reb sterilized her crowbar and mounted it with the rest of her trophies.
Malcolm flew to Chicago and buried himself in work. He also dabbled in the dating scene again, hoping to meet suitable women. Beauregard took a break from his paintings and taught art classes at a university in New York. However, his new schedule did not stop Beauregard from spending time with his former models.
Time passed and the radioactivity dissipated from the abandoned West Virginia town. Construction crews tore down the useless power plant, and a large modernization project began to take shape. The suburbs and business centers were adapted into the Steampunk image. Eventually, houses and office buildings became available though real estate listings. Soon, the town became a normal part of Steampunk civilization.
One evening, Gable and Giles were relaxing in their respective households while they played a popular video game together.
“I wanted to see why the kids love this game so much. Truthfully, I see why they’re addicted to it. This game is a lot of fun and the environment is huge. We could spend months exploring the entire game,” Gable explained over his headpiece.
Giles used his character to kill several enemies. “Reb and I like this game too. Maybe we can relate to the Post-Apocalyptic setting.”
“Would you say this game is loosely based on reality?” Gable asked, as he broke into an abandoned building.
“Absolutely. This game isn’t much worse than quite a few of our experiences,” Giles replied.
Gable’s character used an axe to kill a few zombies. “I don’t remember running into brain eating zombies during our adventures.”
“I suppose brain eating cannibals are completely different?” Giles remarked, picking up ammunition.
Gable couldn’t argue with his friend. “That’s a good point.”
Their conversation was interrupted when two characters ambushed them and opened machine gun fire. The television screens immediately told Gable and Giles they were dead.
Giles tossed his controller aside. “So much for that walkthrough. We’re both dead.”
The casino owner also felt disappointed. “I thought we would last much longer. Well, it was a good effort. I’ll talk to you next time, Giles. Have a good night.”
“Same to you, buddy,” Giles said, then he turned off the video game system.
Meanwhile, the surviving characters exited the building.
“Amateurs. I told you the boys would be easy to kill,” Reb gloated.
Priscilla maneuvered one of the characters and said, “The element of surprise helps. By the way, I don’t understand why you always use a male character. It’s kind of weird.”
Reb used her character to kill the other competitors. “I don’t want anyone to recognize me. It’s my alter ego.”
“Yeah, but you always use a guy who looks like a bodybuilder,” Priscilla commented, as she tried to find supplies in an abandoned vehicle.
“Guys like this character look intimidating. It’s effective in a Post-Apocalyptic environment,” Reb replied.
Priscilla rolled her eyes. “You’re so competitive with these games.”
Their characters didn’t survive very long because someone used a tank to blow up the area.
Reb became frustrated. “Are you kidding me? That tank came out of nowhere! Tanks are supposed to be slow!”
Priscilla shook her head. “Admit it, Reb. There are players who are better than you.”
“Whatever. It’s getting late. I should go to bed,” Reb grumbled.
“Me too. I’m sure you’ll have better luck next time. Bye, Reb,” Priscilla said, then she ended their conversation.
Parker moved the tank through the Post-Apocalyptic landscape. “That was too easy. Adults are terrible gamers.”
Maggie’s character was also inside the tank. “Everybody in my family is predictable. My aunt always picks the biggest and buffest dude. She’s such a weirdo.”
“Yeah, but your family is still cool. I really like them,” Parker mentioned.
“That’s what I think too, but don’t tell them anything. It would be embarrassing,” Maggie said, as the tank blew up parts of the landscape.
“Deal,” Parked replied.
Peril in the Stratosphere
Prologue
In the aftermath of an apocalyptic event, the 21st Century ended and a new era began. It marked the decline of contemporary human beings and the rise of a new species called Steampunks. During their reign, the Steampunks brought back Victorian aesthetics in fashion, culture, politics, art, religion, and other elements. Some of their ideals included Victorian morality, political reform, economic growth, and industrialization. They also adopted many elements from 19th Century Romanticism, such as the ideas of individuality, spirituality, imagination, democracy, a middle class of leisure, personal expression, archetypes, nostalgia, honor, and much more. Overall, the Steampunks built their future from components of the past while mixing it with technology of the present. They did not want to live through another Apocalypse, so human beings changed their identities, values, culture, and lifestyles.
The Steampunks adapted steam power to many components of their lives, such as automobiles, buildings, nautical transportation, locomotives, and aviation. Zeppelins and other aerial vessels became popular methods of travel. Such methods of aviation dwarfed airplanes and helicopters from the 21st Century. Unfortunately, terrorists also turned their attention to aviation. Sky pirates were bands of thieves and murderers who used the Steampunk’s technology against them and terrorize
d civilians. They were unruly bands of non-grafted humans who pillaged towns and offered stolen goods on the black market. However, the Steampunks did not feel intimidated by the new threat. After all, their culture was created to face animosity and violence in a dystopian world.
Chapter 1
Giles Hyde jogged across his property in rural Oklahoma. The weather was somewhat humid, but he tolerated it. Giles was the type of man who took care of his physical and mental health.
Eventually, he reached the section of the ranch where Reb was working. She tossed bales of hay into piles for their various ponies. Despite her feminine body structure, the grafting in Reb’s body gave her the ability to toss the heavy bales without problems. Even though she was a career driven woman and successful attorney, Reb’s ultimate pride and joy was her ranch and ponies. They were a symbol of tranquil life and her close relationship with nature. Reb’s mechanical prairie dog, Bubba, accompanied her around the property.
Giles sipped on a bottle of water as he approached Reb. “You’ve done a lot of work over here. How long did it take you to organize the horse feed?”
“Not that long. This enhanced strength makes the job easier,” Reb said, while she wiped the sweat off her forehead.
Giles looked at the small robot. “How do you like this little guy?”
“I think Bubba makes a good pet and companion. He was a nice gift from my father. However, the cats are having trouble adjusting to him. They still hiss at him all the time,” Reb replied.
“Your dad is making a lot of progress with artificial intelligence. I imagine he’ll be able to sell much bigger robots in the near future. We should get one to take care of the heavy work, like these bales of hay,” Giles commented.
Reb glanced at the pile of hay. “That’s probably a good idea, but I don’t want us to become lazy. How was your run?”
“Good. It always makes me feel alive. I know your leg hurts, but it would be good for you to exercise a little more often,” Giles suggested.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 12