“Stay here and be quiet. I need to find Reb and the others. Everything is going to be all right, but I need you to stay calm,” Giles said in a strict tone.
Parker huddled next to a suitcase while he sat on the floor. “I’m not going to panic. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Giles patted the boy’s shoulder. “That’s the right attitude. If you’re going to be my son, I expect to see some bravery.”
Back on the prairieland, Beauregard dodged more enemies.
A Jeep with two bandits followed the Steampunks. “Those mutated freaks might be tough, but they won’t survive an explosion from this grenade!” a thug declared, as he armed a grenade in the passenger seat.
He fumbled the explosive and dropped it inside their Jeep.
The driver was horrified and screamed, “Pick it up! Hurry!”
“I’m trying!” the other bandit protested while he struggled to pick up the grenade.
The explosive detonated and blew up the Jeep. It flew up in the air and much of the vehicle landed on the railroad tracks. The train immediately ran over the burning shrapnel. Unfortunately, large pieces of debris got caught underneath the train’s wheels and caused friction. Sparks flew from the railroad until two of the main wheels rattled and broke off the train. The locomotive slumped to one side and jostled the passengers.
Malcolm looked at the problem. “That’s not good! We need to do something!”
“How? We can’t fix the train!” Beauregard yelled.
The ruckus caused Reb, Savannah, and Gable to fall down.
“Something’s wrong! The train shouldn’t be rattling and tilting so much!” Gable hollered.
Reb used her baton to stand up. “I’ll check out the controls! There might be a way to solve this problem!”
The bandit who was stationed in the conductor’s car panicked from the train’s instability.
“Forget it! I’m not waiting around for this train to crash!” he declared.
The terrorist jumped out of the train, but his action was fatal. The train’s speed caused him to tumble across the ground and break numerous bones in his body.
Reb hurried into the conductor’s car and examined the controls. She noticed a lever that she assumed functioned as an emergency brake. “I never wanted to live forever anyway.”
The attorney grabbed the lever and pulled on it with all of her might. The iron lever shook but she maintained a firm grip. Everyone inside the train felt strong resistance from the railway tracks. Iron wheels ground against the rails, sending sparks through the air. Reb continued to pull on the brake while the train teetered.
Savannah and Gable were roughly jostled inside the passenger car.
“I don’t think this is going to end well!” Gable admitted.
Savannah grabbed his arm. “You’re probably right, but our grafted bones will protect us from the crash!”
In the caboose, Giles and Parker felt the train losing its balance.
“I don’t want to scare you, but the train seems to be derailing! Come with me! We need to jump off the train!” Giles commanded.
Parker was frozen with fear. “Are you crazy? We’ll die!”
Giles picked up the boy. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have a choice! Your body isn’t grafted yet and nothing will protect you when the train flips over!”
He kicked the backdoor open and then they looked down at the ground. Without saying another word, Giles leaped off the train with Parker in his arms. They landed roughly on the ground and tumbled across the terrain. Giles did his best to protect Parker from the violent tumbling and scraping.
Dusty noticed the train’s instability from his seat in the pickup truck. “What’s going on? Some of my men are still onboard the train!”
His driver responded, “I think the train lost a couple of its wheels! We need to get away from it! The train is probably going to derail!”
Reb’s situation in the conductor’s car also worsened, but she clung to the brake. Sparks flew from the control panel and forced the attorney to shield her face. “Screw this train ride!”
The engine exploded and burned Reb.
In the first passenger car, Gable grabbed his mother and leaped behind one of the seats to avoid flames that quickly burst through the passenger car.
“Reb!” Savannah shouted, as she tried to run forward to help her daughter.
Gable kept his mother behind the seat. “Wait a minute! I don’t think it’s safe for us to move yet! The train is going to flip over!”
Most of the passenger cars disconnected from each other and tumbled across the barren landscape. The Steampunks and bandits screamed during the violent accident. One of the bandits slammed against the ceiling and broke his neck. Another bandit was crushed when a pile of luggage landed on top of him.
The rest of Dusty’s gang scattered from the destruction. A stray passenger car tumbled across the prairie and flattened one of the pickup trucks with a horrible crushing sound.
“No! My family is inside that train!” Percy bellowed.
Dusty snapped at the computer tycoon. “Quit complaining! Your family has enhanced clothes and bones for impact! My men are the ones who are completely unprotected!”
Priscilla looked away from the devastation. “I can’t watch!”
Nicklaus gloated. “Nobody can rescue you now! That should give you plenty of motivation to cooperate!”
Beauregard sped ahead of the crash. “I knew it! The train went completely off the tracks!”
“We have to turn back and check for survivors! Let’s wait for those bandits to get out of here!” Malcolm insisted.
Eventually, all of the passenger cars stopped tumbling across the ground. They were strewn across the prairie in a mess of twisted smoking metal.
Nicklaus contacted Dusty through his earpiece. “Forget about them, boss! There’s no way any of our team members survived the crash!”
Dusty angrily growled, “I know that! It makes me very angry that we lost so many men today! Move out! We need to disappear before the police arrive!”
The bandits promptly turned in a different direction and sped away from the wreckage.
Far away from the crash site, Giles lie motionless on the dirt. Parker sat up and tried to revive him.
“Dad! Wake up! I need you to get up! Please, wake up!” Parker yelled, as he shook Giles.
Chapter 16
Beauregard turned off the turbo-charged engine. He turned the Jeep around and used its traditional steam power to putter toward the crash site. After they reached the train wreckage, Malcolm and Beauregard left their vehicle and searched for survivors.
Malcolm peered inside a passenger car that was split open. “Are you guys okay? I’m searching for the Nelson family.”
The Steampunks appeared disheveled and covered in dirt, but they were otherwise unharmed.
A male passenger coughed. “You must be talking about that family of celebrities. None of them are inside this passenger car. I think we’re okay. The same can’t be said about the bandits. We have two dead ones in this compartment.”
“That doesn’t break my heart. Just hang on for a while. I’m sure the authorities will be here soon,” Malcolm said, before he searched a different passenger car.
Beauregard pushed several sheets of metal aside. He also threw a few gears and rods out of the way. Soon he found Savannah and Gable in one of the passenger cars. “You guys made it! Wait a minute. What happened to everyone else?”
Gable waved the smoke away from his face. “It’s a long story. The remaining bandits kidnapped Dad and Priscilla. Reb was in the conductor’s car when the train derailed.”
Savannah brushed the soot off her expensive dress. “My outfit is completely ruined! That makes me so angry! Beau, how did you get here?”
“I drove Reb’s Jeep and Malcolm rode shotgun. The Jeep has a turbo-charged engine. I can’t believe how fast it sailed across the prairie. It was really scary,” Beauregard replied.
Savannah tried to fix her hair. “There was a huge explosion in the conductor’s car. I hope Reb is okay.”
“She’s a strong and stubborn woman. Nobody has survival instincts like her. Let me go find Malcolm. He can help us look for Reb,” Beauregard commented.
In the burned conductor’s car, an automated system activated fire extinguishers that extinguished the fire on Reb’s clothes. She uncovered her face while the cool mist streamed onto her body.
“I’m getting used to being blown up,” Reb feebly muttered.
Meanwhile, Dusty and his gang of bandits drove to an abandoned ghost town. Percy and Priscilla looked at their surroundings. The town was full of old buildings that had probably not been modified since the Wild West period. They noticed a series of wooden buildings, including a saloon, general store, armory, brothel, feed store, and more. Aside from the terrorists, the ghost town was entirely devoid of life. It appeared to be Dusty’s hideout from civilization. The bandits had vehicles, weapons, fuel, and other supplies at their disposal. A couple of thugs took the hostages off the pickup trucks.
Percy looked at the southern belle. “Priscilla, are you hanging in there?”
“It’s not one of my better days, but I’m doing all right so far,” Priscilla said bravely.
Two of the bandits forced Percy and Priscilla to enter Dusty’s headquarters. It appeared to be a rundown inn that was still fully furnished.
Dusty slowly walked up in front of them. “Welcome to my humble household. I’m sure it’s not fancy enough for your taste, but it keeps me away from the police. So far, nobody knows my gang and I are living here.”
“I’m sick of you games! Tell me why you kidnapped us!” Percy demanded.
Dusty remained cryptic. “I suppose Nicklaus wanted this little lady. Percy, you’re the one who’s useful for me. Come inside the storage room and you’ll understand my problem.”
The bandit leader grabbed Percy’s arm and led him into the adjacent room. Dusty turned on the light, revealing several wooden boxes that were full of cargo.
“I still don’t understand the point,” Percy admitted.
Dusty pulled the lids off numerous boxes. “Check it out. I want you to take a good look at my merchandise.”
Percy gingerly walked to the boxes and examined their contents. He saw a variety of gold bars, jewelry, and other items.
“Everything in these boxes is made out of gold. You have a lot of merchandise. I assume all of it was stolen,” Percy muttered.
“Of course it’s stolen, but don’t worry about that part. I started collecting gold after the Apocalypse decimated America. I knew the nation would be thrown into economic instability, so I took advantage of the nation’s vulnerability and stole gold at every opportunity. I thought gold would be a valuable bartering tool in a Post-Apocalyptic world. Imagine my disappointment when people stopped caring about gold. Monetary value changed when the Steampunks took over the world. Today it is iron, bronze, brass, and other muted metals that are considered valuable. Your species treat gold as piles of rocks. I have millions of dollars in gold, but nobody cares,” Dusty bitterly explained.
Percy scratched his head. “What role do I play in your twisted scheme?”
Dusty picked up a gold bar. “You’re one of the most brilliant men in the nation. The value of gold will shoot through the sky if people graft it inside their bodies and clothing. I need you to modify gold for human and metal splicing.”
Percy thought the idea was absurd. “You’ve got to be kidding me! I’m a computer manufacturer. You need a genetics expert or some other type of scientist. Grafted metals are altered on a molecular level. Think of it like genetic engineering for metal.”
“I don’t have a lot of options! It’s not like an outlaw like me can post an advertisement online or walk into a grafting clinic! For months I’ve been watching the train stations and airports for someone who can help me! You’re the best solution I’ve seen for months!” Dusty ranted.
Percy sighed in frustration. “Look, I can’t help you! This is above my knowledge and capabilities!”
Dusty grabbed Percy’s shirt collar. “Your life depends on it. Otherwise, I’ll dispose of you. I have an office you can use. Come with me.”
The bandit roughly hauled Percy upstairs.
Nicklaus took the opportunity to pester Priscilla as she stood in the lobby. “I haven’t seen a woman with your beauty for a long time. We don’t see a lot of women in this ghost town.”
Priscilla cringed as Nicklaus groped her waist and backside. “You’re such a filthy little rat! My family survived the Apocalypse, terrorists, and all kinds of adversity. Why do you think a train wreck will be any different?”
“Even if your family survives, none of them know where this hideout is located. Now, I have a date planned for us,” Nicklaus said, as he led her out of the inn.
Much further away, Parker tried to revive Giles. “I need you to get up! Don’t leave me out here by myself!”
The boy finally shook Giles awake. “I’m okay! What happened?”
“We jumped off the train. It seemed like it was going to crash. You were knocked out for a while,” Parker mentioned.
Giles felt sore when he stood up. “It looks like the train kept going a long distance after we jumped. I don’t see it anywhere.”
“Where are we? I’m really scared,” Parker admitted.
Giles patted his satchel. “We’re going to survive. I still have my handy bag of goodies.”
Parker curiously asked, “What type of stuff did you bring?”
Giles pulled out his navigational tablet. “For starters, I have a digital map and it appears to be intact. We should be able to find the next town with this tablet. I also have a canteen with water. That’s going to be very important in this heat. I’ll let you carry the canteen, but drink sparingly. We need the water to last. I’m warning you that we might have a long journey.”
Parker took the canteen from Giles. “This sucks. I just want to go home.”
“Me too, little buddy. However, we could be in a much worse situation. I could have lost my satchel when we tumbled across the terrain. Our navigational tablet could have been damaged. Thank goodness for grafted merchandise,” Giles said optimistically.
Parker took Giles’ hand and they walked across the prairie. “Do you think everyone else is okay?”
Giles didn’t feel very confident. “I’m going to honest with you, Parker. It’s hard to tell. Steampunks are tough people because our bones and clothing protect us from disasters. I’m going to pray that Reb and everyone else are safe.”
Parker kicked a rock across the dirt. “She was supposed to be my mom.”
“I’m sure we’re going to see her soon. First, let’s focus on finding shelter. We don’t want to be stuck in the middle of a barren landscape for very long,” Giles said, as they trekked forward.
Chapter 17
Reb picked up her baton and crawled out from the conductor car’s remains. She lie on the ground and tried to catch her breath. Reb’s friends and family quickly found her.
Savannah stroked her daughter’s hair. “That was a pretty bad accident. How are you feeling?”
“Blown up, literally. You’ve never been blown up before and hopefully it stays that way. Normally, I don’t like it when people touch my hair, but it’s futile at this point,” Reb remarked.
Gable helped her to stand up. “We’re glad that you’re alive. I don’t mean to add more stress to your situation, but we still need to find the others. Giles and Parker are missing. I have no idea where those bandits took Dad and Priscilla.”
Reb firmly clutched her baton. “We need to search the train for Giles and Parker first. I’m pretty sure they’ll be located near the wreckage. Afterward, we can hunt for Dad and Priscilla. I still have my baton.”
“We can narrow down the search. I told Parker to hide in the caboose,” Savannah recommended.
“That doesn’t explain what happened to Giles,�
�� Malcolm replied.
Gable glanced at the massive wreckage. “I think we need to be thorough. Let’s split up and check the various passenger cars. It’s our best chance to find them.”
“Works for me. I hope we find a happy ending among this disaster,” Beauregard commented.
The entire group searched through each train car. They pushed aside luggage and debris, but they did not find Giles or Parker. The group also communicated with the stranded Steampunks. Likewise, the passengers did not know their whereabouts. The Nelsons and their companions recounted the disappointing results to one another when they regrouped.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re here. Do you think they might be buried underneath something?” Savannah asked in a worried tone.
Reb shook her head. “They’re gone. Giles must have jumped off the train before it crashed. Otherwise, they would be here among the wreckage.”
“That means they could be anywhere. How are we going to find them?” Beauregard wondered out loud.
Gable wanted to shift their attention. “If they’re stranded on the prairie, we’ll need professional help. The police would need to assist us. In the meantime, we can search for Dad and Priscilla.”
Malcolm disagreed with him, “I think it will be easier to find Giles and Parker. They’re probably not very far away.”
“I can’t leave my wife at the mercy of those psychopaths! They might kill Dad and Priscilla!” Gable argued.
Savannah halted the discussion. “We’re not going to choose who lives or dies. At the moment, we need to pick the most logical decision.”
Reb reluctantly said, “Truthfully, we need to find the bandits first. I don’t know where Giles and Parker are located. However, Giles and I lived in Oklahoma since the Apocalypse happened. The two of us lived on the prairieland for months before we ventured back into the ruins of Oklahoma City. He’s incredibly resourceful. Parker is in good hands if he’s with Giles. I also have an idea where those goons might be hiding.”
“How? They didn’t tell you anything,” Beauregard remarked.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution Page 31