Wasteland Rules: Born to Fight (The World After Book 2)

by J. G. Martin

  Fields of crops and fruit orchards popped up along the way. Long constructions of pipes transported water for irrigation and ended in what looked like automated sprinklers. Neat rows of grain and fruit trees stood in stark contrast to the wasteland beyond the fence. A few people drove around in similar vehicles to the ones they were riding in and looked like they were checking the crops and the irrigation. There were enough crops to feed a substantial population and definitely warranted the heavy security the complex now had. But again, nothing like this was ever in NASA’s purview or mission.

  The sergeant must have noticed the surprise on Derek’s face in the rear view mirror because he addressed it. “Pretty sweet huh? We have enough food to feed our people and even sell some of the surplus, at least before the Reapers trapped us.”

  “How are you growing all this? I’ve never seen anything like this, even in the U.S.T.G.” Derek asked.

  “I guess it’s not a secret. We are using everything NASA learned from their experiments in growing plants in space and in preparation for terraforming Mars.”

  “Seriously?” Derek asked in disbelief.

  “Seriously. Just because everyone else thought it was science fiction didn’t mean that the eggheads here thought so. And there is no reason that what is being done here cannot be done everywhere else. The U.S.T.G. doesn’t want it because it would up end the new social order they have built.” Augie replied.

  “That I can believe.” Derek agreed.

  By the end of the conversation they had gotten much closer to the complex and the fields gave way to houses and storage buildings. There were many more people here including children. The houses looked pre-fabricated but were solid and painted bright colors to compensate. The children were playing and everyone looked happy. Again, it was a jarring contrast to the wasteland outside their fence.

  “Who are all these people?” Derek asked, curious.

  “Families of the scientists and the troops protecting the facility.” The sergeant answered vaguely.

  “How did all of this get here?” Derek pressed.

  “All your questions will be answered when we get to HQ.” The sergeant answered cryptically.

  Rora shot Derek a dirty look that told him to be quiet. Normally he would have kept quiet and tried to follow Rule #6, mind your own business, but this was just too crazy. Outside the fence of this complex it was a dog eat dog world painted in shades of brown and covered by weeds. Almost everyone lived hand to mouth and no one was safe or happy. But here, there seemed to be plenty of food and shelter and everyone seemed happy. What made it even weirder is that he hadn’t even heard a rumor about this utopia. There should have been a line of people at the gate trying to get in, but the only ones apparently interested were the Collective and the Reapers. Although, every utopia had a dark side; he just hadn’t seen it yet.

  More compelling was where it all had come from and who had organized it. The fields and housing showed a level of organization and funding that NASA had not had prior to the Collapse. They had become a second tier organization after more and more money had shifted to social programs. Space exploration had become an afterthought as more focus was placed on earthly needs. Derek had believed that to be a mistake since history had proven that the space race had resulted in miracle technologies that had impacted everyday life. The least of which was the microwave. But the government and the people had short memories and were looking for instant gratification. So funding to NASA had dried up considerably in the run up to the Collapse.

  They finally arrived at the front of the large glass and steel building that was the Operations Headquarters for the NASA complex. All of the signage had been removed and there were no indications that they still considered themselves NASA. Armed guards dressed identically to their driver patrolled around the building and two sandbagged machine gun nests protected the front door. All of the soldiers kept a wary eye on the newcomers and instinctively swiveled their guns to keep them covered.

  The sergeant killed the engine and hopped out. “Okay, we’re here. Follow me inside.”

  Derek suddenly got a bad feeling but he didn’t have much choice except to follow Rora as she went inside after the soldier. They passed by the armed guards who maintained a lock on them at all times. Then they went through a glass atrium and stood in front of a giant airlock that had been recently installed in the entrance. It was definitely not part of the original construction and looked capable of withstanding even a large explosion.

  The sergeant stood to the side and waved Derek forward. “After you.”

  Chapter 7

  June 17, 2029

  NASA HQ Cape Canaveral, FL

  Despite his misgivings Derek entered the airlock and the door hissed shut behind him. He found himself in a small circular room completely devoid of any furniture or decoration. On the ceiling he could see cameras and other devices that he couldn’t identify behind plastic shells. There were no buttons or anything to push to open the airlock door on the other side. No way out and the walls and door were too thick to shoot his way out. As he considered his situation a deep drawer slid out from the wall.

  A voice issued from a hidden speaker. “Put all your belongings in the drawer. Even your clothes.”

  “Is this necessary?” Derek asked caustically.

  “Put everything in the drawer and wait for further instructions.” The disembodied voice replied clinically, almost bored.

  “And if I don’t?”

  “We will disperse toxic gas into the room and kill you.” The voice replied, again dispassionately.

  “What is the purpose of this?” Derek asked with some curiosity.

  The voice sighed. “Fine. We need to scan you to make sure you are not carrying any hidden devices or the bearer of any viruses or diseases. Standard procedure for new arrivals. Okay?”

  “Since I have no choice…”

  “You don’t. Please place your belongings in the drawer.”

  Derek shook his head and did as asked. He really didn’t have a choice. Hopefully the payoff at the end of this would be worth it, and he had to admit that his curiosity about what was going on here was outweighing his caution. He stripped off his weapons, gear, and clothes and placed everything in the drawer including the earpiece. He couldn’t resist and flexed a little for the cameras.

  “Like what you see?” He asked sarcastically. “Keep in mind it’s cold in here.”

  “Stand in the middle of the room with your legs slightly spread and hold your arms up in the air.” The voice replied emotionlessly.

  He shrugged and did as asked. Red laser lights came on from a device above and scanned his entire body. Likely to create a 3D image of him. Then he heard whirring from the sides of the room as a full body scanner activated. Finally, jets of air blew up from the floor carrying any particles on his body up to an awaiting collection device.

  After the air finished blowing, a device dropped from the ceiling with goggles on it. He was instructed to put the goggles over his eyes and keep them open until the scan finished. Blue lights came on and he could see them doing a retinal scan. These guys were pretty thorough, which meant they must have some database to compare it to. The device retracted and another device with what looked like an arm cuff came out of the wall.

  “Last test. Put your arm in. You will feel a slight pinch. Wait until we tell you to remove your arm.”

  “Oh good, I was afraid you might do a cavity search.” He replied sarcastically.

  So they wanted a blood test. That made sense; they needed to check for any contagions or blood diseases. They obviously took security very seriously and wouldn’t want to risk exposing their people to any outbreaks. But they hadn’t had to do this to get to the building meaning they could have exposed the people outside, and he couldn’t imagine them doing this every time someone entered the building. But again, he didn’t have any choice. So he went over and stuck his arm in the device. He felt the pinch as they drew blood.

  “Remo
ve your arm and stand in the center of the room. Wait as we check the results.”

  A few minutes passed as Derek waited patiently. He felt a little silly standing their naked, but he wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of making him uncomfortable enough to cover himself. As more time passed he became worried that there was a problem. The last time he had subjected himself to an automated check he had ended up fighting a giant ex-pro wrestler in an underground prison. The slight hissing alerted him that he may be in grave danger, but with nowhere to go there was nothing he could do. He had ignored Rule #12, the safest looking place is always a trap, again! Something he obviously needed to work on. He slid into darkness as the gas overcame him.

  He awoke to find himself strapped to a metal chair. At least they had given him some clothes. He could feel fabric covering his body arms and legs, so probably a jumpsuit. He could feel leads attached to his chest and head and there was something on his fingers. Probably a heart rate monitor. His training prevented him from immediately opening his eyes and he remained perfectly still. He would pretend to still be unconscious and maybe he could learn some valuable intelligence.

  “Nice try Major.” A cultured voice informed him. “We are monitoring your brain wave functions and we know you are awake.”

  Derek smiled and opened his eyes. “It was worth a try.”

  Looking around he could see that he was in an office that had been converted into an interrogation room. He was secured by vinyl straps to a metal chair bolted to the floor in the center of the room. In front of him was a mirror that was obviously one-way, allowing the people watching to maintain their anonymity. A bright light glared at him from above, almost blinding him with its intensity. Video cameras in plastic bubbles were in either corner of the ceiling. A large black man with his head shaved and no insignia of any kind on his BDUs stood directly in front of him.

  “I’m trained to resist torture and as you can see by the scars on my body, there is nothing you can do that will make me talk. So you might as well just let me go.” Derek argued.

  “What makes you think this is an interrogation?” The man asked wryly.

  “Oh, I don’t know. The lights, cameras, and the chair I’m strapped to. Although this could be a movie audition, all we need is some action.”

  This man laughed. “The chair is for your own protection. People have a tendency to injure themselves under the effects of the serum.”

  “Truth serum isn’t going to work on me. I’m conditioned to give babble in response under the effect of any drug.” Derek informed him.

  The man paused. “I’m not sure I believe you…”

  “Look. Just tell me what you want and why I’m strapped to the chair and we can get this over with. The longer you have me strapped down, the angrier I’m going to get. The angrier I get the more likely I am to snap your neck.” Derek informed him with a dangerous look on his face.

  The man hesitated and involuntarily took a step back. Derek smiled nastily at the response. The man stood there looking at him for a minute before he responded. “Who are you and why are you here?”

  “You already know who I am. You scanned me quite thoroughly. I’m here to drop off the girl as a favor to her father.”

  Again there was a pause before responding. “You are supposed to be dead, how do we know you are not a clone?

  They were worried he was a clone. Interesting. There was definitely something going on between NASA and the Collective. “I’m not dead. They threw me out of a helicopter but I survived. They recorded me as dead because otherwise they would have to explain why I wasn’t executed… Why are you so worried about the Collective?”

  There was a much longer pause this time. He had hit a nerve. “Where is the device?”

  Unreal. These guys wanted it too? But more importantly, the question meant Rora hadn’t told them they had it. So she hadn’t betrayed him. Where was she and what had they done to her? It was time to stop playing games.

  He addressed the man in the room. “Let me talk to your boss, the one actually asking the questions.”

  “What makes you think I am not in charge?” The man asked quietly.

  “You keep pausing after I answer. Someone is feeding you questions through an earpiece. Also, you just glanced back towards the mirror when I asked the last question. Who is behind the mirror? Let me talk to them directly.” Derek demanded.

  The mirror suddenly cleared revealing a good looking older man in a white lab coat standing there. He was tall and thin with piercing blue eyes that sparkled with intelligence. He was older, maybe in his fifties, but had thick blond hair. He had a sharp patrician nose and regal features that just screamed Ivy League yuppie from the Northeast. He smiled at Derek like an adult might smile at a child.

  “Very well Major. I am Dr. Dirk Banek. I am in charge here. Tell me where the device is and we will let you go.” He said with a slight New England accent.

  “What about Rora?” Derek countered.

  “She is right here. Nothing has happened to her.” The scientist replied smoothly.

  He gestured slightly to someone off to his side and the sergeant from earlier dragged Rora into view. She looked unharmed and was unrestrained. She tried to speak, but the sergeant silenced her and dragged her back out of sight.

  “Happy? Now where is the device?” The man asked a little more forcefully.

  “Why am I strapped down? If this was standard procedure you would have gassed me first and done the tests second.”

  “You are very difficult aren’t you Major?” The scientist asked; his veneer of niceness slipping.

  “My parents used to say it was my middle name.” Derek joked.

  “Fine. You are strapped to that chair because your blood test revealed that you have non-human DNA and that you are not in fact Derek Storm.”

  Derek was caught completely off guard. That was just about the last thing he had expected the scientist to say.

  “I thought that might get your attention.” The scientist continued with a smirk.

  “What are you talking about? I’m not a clone, I don’t have the markers.”

  “That is true, but your DNA has been fundamentally altered to the point where you are not the man you were. Your bone density and muscle density are ten times that of a normal man’s. You heal a hundred times quicker than a normal human and you can reportedly see in the dark. Perhaps most disturbing is that your adrenal glands are three times the size of a normal human’s. At a cellular level you have cat, gorilla, eagle, and lizard DNA spliced into yours. Are you saying you don’t remember having that done?” The scientist asked, curious.

  “You are lying.” Derek replied angrily.

  “I assure you we are not lying. At some point someone altered your DNA completely. The work resembles an early project of the Collective. Are you sure you are not working for them? Maybe unwittingly?” The scientist questioned patronizingly.

  “I wouldn’t work for those freaks.” Derek replied forcefully. “They were feeding cloned bodies to the Reapers. Plus they and practically everyone else have been trying to kill us. The Collective, the U.S.T.G., Raiders, Burners, and even the Outfit are after us for the device. Now you too. What is so important about the device?”

  “The device has the power to change the world. We want to use it for the betterment of mankind. But others seek to use it to increase their power and control. We are the good guys Major.”

  “Do the good guys strap people to chairs and interrogate them?”

  “The paradigm has shifted; even the good guys have to take extreme measures now. This is too important to take any risks.”

  “Do the good guys still value their team members enough to negotiate for them?” Derek asked coyly.

  “What?” The scientist replied in a confused voice.

  While they had been talking, Derek had slowly been stretching the straps that held his hands to the chair. He only needed a tiny bit of slack. The soldier in the room had glanced back at the mi
rror every time the scientist spoke and when he glanced back after the last question, Derek struck. He folded his thumbs under his palms and yanked his hands free. A strap across his chest would have interfered with the leads so they hadn’t secured him that way. He levered himself to standing position. His feet were still secured, but the soldier was within reach.

  Derek grabbed the man by the shoulders of his uniform jacket and dragged him close. He spun the startled man around and placed him in a rear naked choke hold. The soldier struggled, grasping desperately at Derek’s arms; but Derek’s grip was too tight and he couldn’t get free. Derek squeezed tighter and tighter until the man passed out. Derek stood there holding the man’s limp body and stared at the scientist behind the glass.

  “I will snap his neck right now, if you don’t bring Rora back and let me talk to her.” He calmly informed the shocked scientist.

  The man stood speechless for a minute as he tried to process the situation. Derek knew he would cave. The man was a scientist, an administrator, making cold blooded decisions to allow an employee to die in front of him was beyond his capability. Allowing the unseen people outside the complex to die a horrible fate, the man could stomach; but in person and someone he knew? There was no way.

  “Okay, okay!” The scientist capitulated.

  He gestured to someone out of view and they brought Rora back in. The sergeant’s eyes practically bugged out of his head in disbelief when he saw Derek holding the soldier. He turned and stared at the scientist angrily. Rora looked relieved when she saw that Derek had taken control of the situation.

  “Let go of her.” Derek ordered.

  The sergeant let go of her and stepped back. “If you hurt my man Storm, you are dead.” He furiously informed Derek.

  “You aren’t a sergeant are you? Head of Security maybe? Is Augie even your name?” Derek replied.

  The man nodded slowly. “You’re skills were not exaggerated, that’s for sure. Augie is my real name, but you are correct I am the Head of Security for the base. I am in fact a general in the United States Air Force. I pretended to be just the driver so I could measure your reactions for myself. I didn’t initially think you were a threat, but the blood test results were impossible to ignore.”