by Maxey, Phil
“Tyler?”
“Yes?”
“Look out the left side behind you, about a mile off in the distance, can you see those small dunes, or hills in the desert?” Tyler turned on his seat and strained his eyes.
“Yes, why?”
“Keep watching them.”
Raj then picked up his radio. “Zach, you there. Over.”
“I’m here, Raj. Over.”
“How long do you think it will be before we get moving again?”
“Not too long, maybe another ten minutes, why?”
“Because if we’re here any longer I think we’re going to have a problem. Look out the left side, would be about 9 o’clock for you. Over.”
“Hmm, I don’t remember seeing them when we were driving. Over.”
“I don’t think they’re part of the desert. Over.”
Basses voice then came through the radio. “Hey Captain, I don’t mean to sound crazy, but there’s these weird looking rocks about three hundred yards off our right, weird because…”
“Rob, what’s the status on the tire. Over.”
“More of a problem than we thought, the tire blew because the axel is not aligned properly, I’m putting a new tire on but it will probably b…”
“Rob, get the tire on as quickly as you can, we are soon going to have company, look out into the desert.”
Rob turned and looked. Ten or more large rock like things with sloped sides were about a hundred yards away from the RV’s. “What the fuck.” He then quickly turned and started putting the new tire on, placing and tightening the nuts as quickly as he could.
Raj held his binoculars as steady as he could, resting his shoulders on the top of the buses seats and focusing on one of the strange rock like forms.
“There!” Raj pointed at one of the things in the desert. “I saw it move forward…” He took the binoculars away from his face. They’re shells he thought.
“Raj, what are they? And Rob we need to be going! Over,” said Zach.
Before Raj could answer, a creature the size of a car leapt forward, slamming into the RV behind the RV Rob was working on and turning it on it’s side. The creature climbed on the side of the RV, revealing legs and tentacles more at home in a crab. Rob fell backwards from fitting the tire, dropping the wrench, just as he did another of the creatures darted forward hitting the back of the RV near Rob, pushing the back around towards him. He scrambled frantically backwards as the RV’s rear wheels hopped and bumped, finally the vehicle stopped just inches from him. Zach pulled the Humvee out to the other lane so it’s gun could get a clear line of sight on the two creatures attacking the RV’s, and Michael opened up with the 50. Cal.
“The 50. Cal isn’t doing anything to them, the bullets are just bouncing off!” shouted Michael.
Rob ran back to the bus and was about to jump into the drivers seat when he noticed Dr. Joshi and Tyler were not in the back.
“Where’s Tyler?”
“They went outside, I tried to stop them…”
As Rob stepped outside he looked out into the desert, there were now countless small hills peppering the desert all around them. There’s hundreds. “Tyler!” he shouted, his voice being lost amongst the noise from the gunfire that was streaming towards the creatures and out into the desert. He ran to the other side of the bus and saw Joshi and Tyler crouching against one of the coaches, just fifty yards away from one of the creatures that was tearing an RV apart. As he watched another four creatures flew forwards and tore into the another two RV’s. Glass, metal and seats disintegrated as the pincers snapped and scythed angrily. Bullets rained down on them but they continued attacking the RV’s oblivious to their attackers. Tyler stood up and started firing his rifle at the closest creature. Raj grabbed desperately at the young man as he walked forward.
“Tyler!” Rob shouted then ran along the coach past and caught up with his young brother just a short number of yards from the mayhem being caused by the creatures. Rob grabbed Tyler by his arm when out the corner of his left eye he saw pincers lunge in their direction. Rob pulled Tyler and himself to the ground as the hulking rock like form rose up above them. It was then that Rob realized they were leaning up against the wheel of the final RV and went to scramble away as they and the creature were plunged into darkness. A shrill screeching rang out from the sky, and a bird like creature as big as the RV they were next too swooped down, grabbing the rock creature in it’s claws and then with the trust of a helicopter lifted it off the ground and into the sky.
The patterns thought Raj. “It’s the patterns!” shouted Raj to Rob “Get away from the RV’s!”. As pieces of RV’s landed around them, Rob and Tyler ran past Raj, who joined them and they all jumped onto the bus.
“Hold on to something, we’re leaving!” shouted Rob revving the engine.
Raj clicked on his radio. “Zach, you need to stop firing, it’s the patterns on the RV’s, they are attracted to the patterns, we just need to leave.”
“You heard the man, everyone stop firing! Everyone jump in the closest vehicle, forget the RV’s they’re gone and so are we. Over,” shouted Zach into his radio. The firing stopped. Soldiers dived into the other coaches and buses, and Zach led the convoy away as more creatures descended on the RV’s. “How’s everyone looking? Any injuries? Over.”
“Miller and Clark got a few bumps, but everyone’s ok. Over.”
“When we’re out of the desert we’ll stop and assess the damage. Over.”
CHAPTER 18
Abbey pushed her head back in the Humvee’s seat. “Finally, hills, god I hate deserts.”
After the incident in the desert, they assessed the damage at a truck stop. They had lost all the RV’s and some of the propane, but apart from a minor injuries to a few soldiers, had gotten away unscathed. Now, as they approached the mountains outside Albuquerque the elevation started to rise and snow covered trees started to crowd the highway.
Zach’s eyes darted to the forests that were now on both sides. “Eyes open, there’s been sightings of a number of E.L.F’s in these hills. Over.” Raj’s voice then came on the radio.
“Particularly, a kind of giant tick like creature which live underground and attack as a pack and a fierce carnivore, similar to what used to be known as ‘bear dogs’. Over.”
As the convoy progressed the roads became covered in snow, and patches of ice. “We need to slow down Zach, or we’re going to lose someone off the side of the road,” said Abbey. With a frustrated expression Zach got on the radio, and told everyone to slow down. “Look at the tree’s.” Everyone in Abbey’s Humvee looked where Abbey was looking and saw a scene of destruction and decay.
“They look like they’re dying,” said Zach. “You seeing the tree’s, Raj. Over.”
“I am…Over.”
“Any idea what’s causing it? Over.”
“Could be any number of reasons, the whole ecosystem has been destroyed. It might have even been humans, a lot of weapons were used against E.L.F’s in this area and on Albuquerque. Over.”
As the convoy continued at a steady pace through the brown and white decaying landscape Jacob continued doing the math in his head. He loved puzzles. To him this rescue mission was a puzzle, one that they were losing. Just like the human race was losing against the E.L.F’s. In Nam he used to win all the games he used to play in the underground casinos, so much so that even they eventually banned him. He didn’t play for money. He played because it was a break from the other kinds of math’s he had play, calculations that cost people their lives. He looked down at himself and smiled, back in uniform again. Maybe this time it would be different. How can it be different when I have already taken a life? He had to go, the numbers didn’t add up any other way.
“Ever been to Albuquerque before?” said Fiona to Cal.
“Once, long time ago.”
“What did you think of it?”
“Can’t really remember much, was drunk.”
Fiona glanced across to Cal
. “Never took you as the drinking type.”
“Sometimes you need to forget,” said Cal looking out as rocky cliffs flashed by.
As they drove into Albuquerque, small-blackened walls partitioned the highway, and larger walls, some with potholes, boxed them in both sides. When they approached a few hundred yards from where the highway changed from four lanes to two, a wall of vehicles brought them to a halt.
“Doesn’t look good, all I see is cars and trucks in the lanes we want to go in. Our turn off is completely blocked, we’re not getting through that,” said Michael standing in the Humvee’s gun position.
Zach took his helmet off and ran his hand through his hair, then replaced it. “We’re going to have to turn back, get off the highway then find another way to leave the city by the north. Turn around and follow me. Over.”
“We’re going through the city? Over,” said Fiona.
“We got no choice. Over.”
One by one the vehicles turned around and followed Zach’s Humvee a mile back from where they came, eventually Zach found an exit and they all followed it down to a junction. Ahead of them the sandy colored remains of a hotel stood. The sign out front proudly promoting this ten story luxury home away from home that was now only two story’s. All around poles and lampposts lay on the ground like a box of matches had been tossed up and left where they landed. Car’s, trucks and bones sat blackened and melted by an intense heat and the road itself was a patchwork of black soot and winter frost. What foliage there might have been was now just ash that scattered as the convoy drove past.
“How many people lived in Albuquerque?” said Abbey, not really thinking anyone in the Humvee with her had an answer.
“Does it matter. They’re not here now,” said Jacob.
Single and double story buildings, were now piles of blackened masonry and bent pipes, and the roads carried craters and scars from lost battles.
Some of the convoy started to slow down, and Zach noticed he was pulling away from the vehicles behind.
“There’s nothing we can do here, we need to keep moving. This road seems to head north, we should rejoin the highway if we keep going. Over.”
After a few minutes they were at another junction with the way ahead completely blocked by a crater covering the entire road. They turned to the west and continued weaving around abandoned cars, until Rob’s voice came from the radio.
“I got a problem, the engine keeps cutting out on me, I’m going to have to stop. Over.”
The convoy stopped outside a white brick warehouse with two large double vehicle doors and a separate office door.
“How long do you need Rob? Over.”
“No idea until I take a look, which I’m doing now. Over.”
Zach jumped out of the Humvee and looked around, a chill winter breeze made him rub his hands together. Looking back down the convoy, Rob had his head in the engine and was talking to his brother Earl. Zach looked back at the near warehouse, the office door seemed to be slightly open.
“Spark plugs gone, and the air filter needs cleaning, it’s all the ash and dust we have driven through these old engines can’t handle it. Over.”
Various options raced through Zach’s mind, he didn’t want to leave the bus behind, but they were already behind schedule for the day. He looked back at the door, and realized that the sign above it mentioned auto-repair.
“Cal, how’s it looking here, see anything. Over.”
“No sign of anything. Over.”
“Rob, you think you can find what you need in that warehouse on the left? Over.” Looking down towards Rob, he saw him look up.
“I reckon I can. Over.”
“Right, everyone stay alert we’re going to be here for a bit. And if you see anything that looks suspicious, get on the radio. Over.” Zach ordered two soldiers to go with Rob into the auto-repair shop, even though he protested he didn’t need them.
“Fiona, want to stretch your legs? Over.”
“Sure do. Over.”
Abbey went to get out of the Humvee.
“No, you stay here, I’m just going to see if I can find a map,” said Zach. Abbey looked disappointed but sat back inside.
“We’re going to take this opportunity to do some refueling. Over,” said Bass.
“Sounds good. We should be back in thirty, just going to see if we can find a map to find a route out of here, I’ll also talk to Martinez when I’m back. Over.”
As Bass and other soldiers got out of their vehicles, Fiona jogged the length of the convoy to join Zach and they looked around them for somewhere that might contain a map.
“Rob, you see any maps in there? Over.” Rob replied in the negative. Zach and Fiona looked around them for vehicles that might contain a map, but all were almost completely destroyed, like partially constructed toy models.
“We passed a gas station back at the junction, let’s check that out,” said Zach as they both started jogging. Rob came out of the office door, with a small box full of parts and tools, the soldiers closely behind. Raj was busily making notes, looking up he saw Tyler was anxiously looking at the destruction around them.
“Is this your first time outside your home town since the Cascade?” said Raj.
“Hell it’s his first time out of Brownstone, period,” said Earl answering with a snigger.
“Hey, I’ve traveled to Austin as well.”
“When you were a smaller than a hog!”
“It still counts!” Tyler said loudly back to his brother. “But anyway yeah this is the first time I can remember going to a big city.”
“It’s no city anymore,” said Earl sarcastically but then realizing the sarcasm was misplaced.
“Are all the big cities like this?” said Tyler.
Raj felt sorry for the young man. “Yes, most are. When the animals evolved they had a thirst to eat and a heightened aggression, and the big cities were like magnets drawing them all in.”
“Why where they so angry?”
“We still don’t know, it had something to do with the mutation. Luckily for us it meant they attacked each other as well, if not I doubt if there would be any humans left alive anywhere.”
“So what’s your story? You were in that Cambridge place when the animals changed?” Said Earl.
“No, I was in Stanford University in southern California…” His voice tailed off for a few seconds. Earl and Tyler looked at each other, then he continued. “I was studying biophysics, specifically using computation models for the model and simulation of biomolecules and cells.”
“So you’re like a doctor?” said Tyler looking impressed.
Raj smiled. “Yes, something like that.”
“I don’t trust doctors,” said Earl getting up. “I’m going to see how Rob’s doing.”
Zach and Fiona ran across the forecourt, passed empty pumps and torn sodden adult magazines to the entrance of the gas stations shop. Through the glassless windows, they could see that the shelves were largely empty.
“I’ll check out back,” said Zach, walking inside and past the shelves to the back of the shop. A white door with a broken handle was only the exit. Raising his gun he pushed it open. The door swung back and hit the wall behind, causing a few screws to fall off a shelf that ran along the wall. The room was small, with a desk, shelves and another door opposite the first. Zach sighed. Who would think finding a map would be so difficult. He walked behind the desk and tried the first draw, which was empty. He then tried the second, which was also devoid of any maps, but did have a small key ring. Picking it up he turned it over in his fingers, then put it his pocket.
“Found something,” shouted Fiona. Zach left the small room. Fiona was holding two pocket sized road maps of Albuquerque and smiling.
Zach took one. “Good going.” Fiona went to offer the other. “No, you keep that,” he then clicked on his radio. “How’s everything looking Rob? Over.”
“Probably another twenty minutes. Over.”
A brisk wind
blew through the shop, causing Fiona and Zach to rub their hands and arms.
“You’ve been to Albuquerque before?” said Fiona.
Just as Zach was about to respond, a sound emanated from the small room that he had just left. Instantly they both raised their guns and spun around facing the door. The low rumbling noise continued. Zach indicated with his hand that he was going to look in the room and that Fiona should stay where she is.
Walking back to the room, the door was still against the wall, Zach looked into the office and nothing was any different. The rumbling happened again. He realized it was coming from beyond the opposite door. Slowly he walked through the office, trying not to crunch anything on the floor and listened up against the door. The sound seemed to be coming from far away but was carrying through the door. He laid down flat on the floor and looked best he could under the small gap to see if there was any movement on the other side and there was none. What he could see was a wall just a few feet away, a tiled floor and some toilet paper scrunched up. He stood up, stepped back, and then kicked at the door sending it flying open. Zach knelt, his gun pointing at this small space, but nothing appeared. A sound came from behind causing him to spin around quickly, Fiona stood with her hands up. Zach frowned then got to his feet. He looked into the small bathroom, but there was no sign of any life in there. The low rumbling noise continued though, and now also had a crackling noise combined with it.
“What the hell is that?” said Fiona looking into the bathroom as well.
“No, idea but it seems to be coming from the sewers. We’re hearing it from the toilet and the sink. Maybe it’s time we left.” As they left the bathroom the sink started shaking slightly. Running back across the forecourt they still heard the rumbling-crackling noise, but now it was coming from the manhole covers around them as well. “Bass, can you hear that noise? Over.”