The Abduction Chronicles

by Thomas L. Hay

  When she got within a few feet, the loveable cute little creature suddenly turned into an unfriendly nasty little critter.

  It made a hissing sound as something sprang up around its neck. Its mouth opened wide, displaying a full set of shark teeth, stopping Caren in her tracks.

  “I think you best leave it alone,” I warned her.

  The little creature then sprang forward with lightening speed, biting Caren on her leg. It then spun around and disappeared into the darkness, as it made some funky noises.

  “Are you hurt,” I shouted, rushing toward her.

  I got to her just in time to catch her from falling as she passed out.

  The bite did not penetrate the jumpsuit. She must have fainted from the shock, Monroe said after he examined her leg.

  He retrieved something from a first aid kit and waved it under her nose.

  “The animals don’t seem to be very friendly here in the future,” Caren commented to Monroe after coming too.

  Survival instincts, was his reply.

  “Let that be a lesson when you get the urge to pet something cute again,” I warned.

  “But honey. Does that mean I can’t pet you anymore?”

  I had no comeback for that one.

  While we were waiting for the Warriors to return, I asked Monroe, “Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?”

  Of course not. We are family.

  I’m getting the impression he says that ‘family thing’ because he is trying to fit in.

  “Do you have a significant other?”

  I am not sure I understand your question, he replied.

  “A mate. Someone you share a relationship with, like Caren and I.”

  After there were no more children to be born, there was no further need for a family unit. Everyone became a separate unit.

  “But don’t you still have a desire for sex?” Caren got in on the conversation.

  Of course, even though we are sterile, we are still human. We established facilities to meet for those occasions.

  The Warriors returned, and that put an abrupt end to our little conversation.

  “They are not here,” one informed Monroe.

  “But there are signs indicating someone had been here,” he added, as he displayed a human skull.

  “Oh My!” Caren gasped.

  Monroe pulled out a funny looking gadget and waved it over the skull head.

  It is too ancient to be those we search for, he proclaimed.

  Caren and I both were relieved to hear the good news.

  “What was all the shooting and commotion about?” I asked one of the Warriors.

  “Do not concern yourself with such matters,” was his blunt answer.

  “Okay…What now, Monroe?” I asked, a bit irritated with the Warrior’s attitude.

  We shall continue searching the remaining caverns.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Caren responded.

  “But has anyone thought about how we are going to get out of here. Certainly not the same way we came in.” Caren pointed out to everyone, while raising an eyebrow.

  The words had just escaped her when a Warrior blasted an exit close by the entrance that had collapsed.

  “That should provide a way out,” was his boastful remark.

  “Great job,” I said, with no pun intended.

  “Who volunteers to go last?” I added, pun intended.

  We shall proceed in the same order, Monroe advised.

  This time through I made it a point to go a little faster, even though my implants were barking. Everyone made it through before the hole collapsed.

  Daylight was fading fast, casting deepening shadows over the area, leaving a cold dreary silence. The landscape began to melt into the darkness. A faint glow above the horizon heralded a rising full moon. Let’s hope there are no mutant werewolves stalking about tonight.

  We will set up camp here and continue our search in the morning, Monroe announced.

  “Why didn’t we stay in the cavern for the night?” I asked.

  Monroe rolled his eyes.

  “Just asking,” I added, shrugging my shoulders. I thought it was a reasonable question. He must be getting irritated with all the questions.

  Setting up camp was a breeze with all this modern day camping equipment. A one-foot square container became an eight-foot square shelter, erected by a push of a button on the side of the container. Caren was relieved to learn that it even had a means inside to relieve oneself, although it was a bit unorthodox.

  We didn’t have to search for firewood as there was no need for fire. Light and heat came from a small metal bottle with another push of a button.

  As we sat around our fake fireplace that night, no one was in the mood to tell a good ghost story. We had no hot dogs or marshmallow’s to roast, or hot chocolate to sip. Only a tasteless nutrition bar to satisfy our appetite. This was not your typical family weekend pleasure camping trip or family reunion.

  I don’t know about Monroe and the Warriors, but I can say that Caren and I was getting a bit antsy about what was going to happen tomorrow. Especially Caren, as she was being usually quiet.

  To get our minds off the subject and out of curiously, I asked Monroe, “Can I ask you another question?”

  He reluctantly nodded, If you must.

  “So what happened? How exactly did the Earth become such a wasteland?”

  The sad story he quoted that night was scarier than any ghost story you will ever hear.

  Humanities worst nightmare became a reality. A tragic constant throughout the ages. The greatest enemy of humanity became humanity itself.

  Whether it was by accident or planned, (history doesn’t know for sure), 90 per cent of the Earth’s population was wiped out in the Great World War of 2027. The 2015 Nuclear Arms agreement between Iran and several nations (including the United States) did nothing to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. Seems the non-binding treaty wasn’t really signed by anyone.

  On September 11, 2027, without warning, Tel Aviv was wiped off the map. Iran was determined to be the culprit. Their punishment started a chain reaction that became humanity’s worst nightmare.

  Most of the major cites of the world vanished in a cloud of radioactive wilderness. The numerous nuclear explosions caused most of the ice glaciers to melt, and many of the coastal cities that weren’t nuked were flooded. The nuclear explosions also activated many dormant volcanoes, spewing volcanic ash into Earth’s atmosphere. They also caused many earthquakes that added to the destruction of the world as we knew it.

  The ten per cent of humanity who survived were mostly huddled in bomb shelters, caves, and the mountain regions of the midlands of various countries. They were propelled back to dark age conditions.

  It took several decades for the radiation fallout and volcanic dust to dissipate and allow survivors to resurface and to reorganize.

  Anarchy and chaos spread amongst the survivors. The law of the land was each man for himself. This continued for several more decades, until finally groups of survivors started to unite. Much like the ancient clans of Scotland and the Indian tribes of North America. It started in the Midlands of the United States and eventually spread to survivors on other continents.

  Building the Domes was a necessity because of the harsh landscape, environment, and air quality. It took many more decades for Earth’s land, water, and air to return to livable conditions. The Domes enabled man to live above ground. He could again gaze at the sun and stars of the universe and dream of days of yesterday.

  By the turn of 22nd Century, mankind had embraced a new beginning. Technology advanced more in a decade than all previous years of human existence. Factories ran without being visited by a single human being, as robots performed the tasks of manufacturing.

  To avoid repeating history, it was determined that mankind must discard its habitual cultures and form a new, perfect society. Everyone needed to be on the same page. Only one government, one creed, and one race. Ev
eryone looking and dressing the same was determined to be the ultimate answer. In order to accomplish this, it would take a perfect human being.

  Since God had been unable to accomplish this, genetic engineering became the primary objective. A world without hatred, prejudice, disease, crime, or wars would enable humanity to live in peace and harmony. Gone were the crisis that had once produced banner headlines. There were no more murders and mass shootings to shock the public. No more radical terrorists proclaiming their God to be the greatest. All for one, one for all. At the time, it made perfect and common sense.

  By the end of the 22nd Century, humanity had had ample time in which to change its culture and physical appearance to almost beyond recognition. All that was required for the task was a sound knowledge of social and genetic engineering, a clear sight of intended goals, and the will to embrace it.

  Ignorance, poverty, and fear had virtually ceased to exist. The memory of wars faded into the past as a nightmare vanishes with the dawn, soon to live outside the experience of all living men. With the energies of mankind redirected into constructive channels, the face of humanity had been remade. Now that so many of its psychological problems had been removed, humanity was far saner and less irrational. It was literally a new world. Humanity had stumbled upon its utopia.

  “But why the need for the Warriors if people are no longer at war?” I asked.

  Enough questions. It is time to rest. Monroe quickly avoided the question.

  “Don’t let the bed bugs bite, Monroe,” I called out as Caren and I headed to our shelter.

  “I can’t imagine what a mutant bed bug bite would feel like,” Caren added with a quiver.

  “You remembered the sunscreen, so surely you thought of bug repellant,” I said, knowing she probably didn’t.

  By the look on her face, I realized I didn’t score any points with that statement.

  Mother nature must not have wanted us to sleep. We had no sooner tucked ourselves into our sleeping bags inside our shelter when the mutant bed bugs attacked. Just kidding...

  But seriously, as soon as we laid down, strange and creepy sounds penetrated the silent night.

  Then a wicked wind started to whisper and moan. It soon became a rip-roaring gale. Something slammed into the side of the shelter and we both about pissed in our pants. We figured the shelter would be blown away into the land of the Wizard of Oz any second.

  We laid cuddled together in one sleeping bag for the next few hours, praying the shelter would hold together. Thank God it did, and the wind eventually died down. It became quiet and peaceful again, and we were finally able to fall asleep.

  *****

  There are numerous man-made caves carved into the Missouri and Kansas landscape beginning as far back as the 1800’s.

  Over the next few days, we searched just about every conceivable cavern on Monroe’s GPS device to no avail. There were no signs of our originals. Like they had vanished from the face of the earth.

  “Where are they?” I overheard a vexed Warrior demand of Monroe. Monroe appeared shaken. I was beginning to have suspicions about who was actually in charge here.

  There is only one conceivable area left to search, Monroe said on our fourth day of searching.

  “And where might that be?” I asked.

  It was once called the Vivos Survival Shelter and Resort, located near what was once called Atchison, Kansas.

  Back in the early 2000’s the Vivos Survival Shelter and Resort was conceived and built in an old, man-made cave just south of what was then a town called Atchison. Atchison was known as the birthplace of Amelia Earhart, a famous female pilot who disappeared from the face of the earth while trying to establish a world record for circling the globe in an aircraft. Makes you wonder if perhaps she had been an abductee. Now that I think of it, I could have sworn I saw her statue in the Dome.

  Another network of hardened underground shelters was built and designed to withstand future national disasters and life-extinction catastrophes.

  The Kansas caverns were 100 feet to 150 feet below the surface and had a constant natural temperature of 70° F. Entrances to the shelters were nondescript concrete loading docks tucked discretely into the wooded hillside. They were easily defendable against potential intruders provided there’s not a full-scale military attack.

  Each cavern was equipped with enough food, clothing, medicine, fuel, water and survival gear to accommodate approximately 6,000 people for ten years.

  The trip there didn’t take long and was totally uneventful. But again, when we arrived, we couldn’t find an entrance to the cavern.

  “Are you sure we are in the right area?” I asked Monroe.

  As soon as I asked it, I knew it was another silly question. Of course, he would know.

  The entrance has had several decades of decay and will be difficult to locate, even with GPS. If someone has been here recently, perhaps we can find evidence of where they entered. If not, we may have to dig around to discover evidence of an entrance.

  The Warriors began probing the hillside with a strange looking gadget that resembled a metal detector. Only the gadget had a sharp probe that would penetrate into the ground a foot beneath the surface. One probe into some brush disturbed something mean and nasty, as I heard a strange high-pitched squeal. The brush under the probe came alive. Some horrendous looking, pissed off bear-like creature sprang up, throwing debris all around and screaming bloody murder. Now, I’ve seen some nasty looking creatures in various movies, but this thing topped them all. It was one ugly mother f*#ker.

  It stood about eight feet tall, with large mean eyes, a mouth full of sharp, rotten, yellow teeth, and it looked like its nose had been chopped off.

  The mutant bear-like creature grabbed the Warrior who probed it. The Warrior did a somersault, escaping the creature’s hold. In a motion that was hardly visible, the Warrior drew his laser sword, initiated the beam, and sliced one of the creature’s paws off. This just made it madder as it charged the Warrior on its three remaining paws, spitting saliva from its mouth and blood from its missing limb.

  The Warrior made a quick side step, swirled and sliced the creature in half with one swift motion of his laser sword. Blood and guts splattered all over the place.

  I had to jump out of its path as both parts of the mutant bear went tumbling down the hillside. All this happened in a blink of an eye.

  The Warrior had sliced and diced the creature like a true Jedi Warrior.

  “Holy Cow!” I shouted. “Did you see that?” I commented to Caren.

  But when I looked around, she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Before all the commotion, she had been standing right beside me.

  “Caren!” I shouted, about ready to have a heart attack. Where could she have gone?

  I observed Monroe standing a few feet from the Warrior that had slain the creature.

  “Monroe. Where’s Caren?”

  He looked and pointed down the hill.

  I turned around and saw her laying beneath the upper half of the slain creature. She was engaged in its unwelcomed embrace.

  “Crymeny! Get this thing off me,” she cried while pushing at the creature.

  In a rush, I stumbled down the hill to help her. But I lost my footing and tumbled down the hill, landing smack dab on top of the creature and her.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, as I quickly jumped up and pushed the creature off her.

  “Just got some bumps, a bruised ego, and some more smelly stuff splattered all over me.”

  “Jesus, my love, what’s this ‘thing’ you have with smelly, mutant creatures?” I joked, exhaling a long sigh of relief.

  “Ha! Ha! Must be my bubbling personality,” she replied with a bite of sarcasm.

  After the dust had settled and Caren got cleaned off, we thought to make ourselves useful. We found some tree limbs and cautiously started to probe around the hillside, searching for an entrance to the cavern.

  “Let’s hope the creature doesn’t have any kin folk
hanging around,” I said eyeing the undergrowth. Heaven forbid, we would arouse another one of those scary creatures.

  It wasn’t long before I heard a ‘clunk’ come from one of Caren’s probes.

  “I think I’ve found something,” she said in excitement.

  I rushed over to help her remove more debris from the spot. Sure enough, a large circular metal plate came into view. You could tell someone had tried to disguise the area with loose leaves and brush.

  It didn’t take long to expose a metal hatch with a circular handle. The hatch resembled a watertight damaged control door of a 20th Century battleship. We figured it was probably an emergency escape route or air shaft for the caverns beneath.

  I grabbed the handle and tried to turn it. It didn’t budge, so I tried again with all my might. It was being somewhat contrary.

  “Are you turning it the right way?” Caren asked, rolling her eyes.

  “Yes, dear! Usually counter clock wise is to open,” I said rolling my eyes back at her. Hey, I’m ex-Navy, I should know how to open a hatch.

  But to be sure, and to pacify her point of view, I tried it the opposite way. Not surprisingly, it still wouldn’t budge.

  By then, the Warriors and Monroe had arrived on the scene. One of the Warriors tried turning the handle. Ah ha. He couldn’t move it either. Of course, that boosted my ego. Maybe they weren’t so macho after all.

  “There must be something on the inside keeping it from opening,” the Warrior pronounced.

  That sounded like a logical explanation.

  “Everyone stand back,” he commanded, as he removed his laser pistol from its holster. The controlled beam cut a six-inch circular hole beside the handle. With a stiff kick, the cut piece of metal dropped out of sight, leaving an opening large enough to reach a hand inside. The Warrior reached in and pulled out a foot long, three-inch thick iron rod that had been placed inside the hatch to keep it from turning.

  “Ah ha. Someone didn’t want anyone opening the hatch. We should be able to turn the handle now,” I remarked. In my enthusiasm I reached down to give it shot. A Warrior grabbed my arm.