by J. G. Martin
Then he had activated the LINC. The unbelievable flow of data had almost overwhelmed Maximillian. Images from satellites, security cameras, and cell phones flashed before his eyes in a dizzying blur. Account information, train schedules, and even Wikipedia had crammed themselves into his mind all at once. Even the nurses in the room seemed to be connected to the LINC and he could see himself through their eyes kneeling on the ground clutching his head.
It had taken several years but he had learned to control the flow of information and use the LINC to multi-task mentally. Father had taught him how to control his emotions and rely on the logic of the LINC. He had learned to command the drones and control the UAVs and UGVs of the Collective. He had helped create more Humeks and brought more people into the Collective. As the First, he had served his creator faithfully and brought his vision to the world, whether they wanted it or not. He had never failed until now.
He reviewed the satellite imagery again and he realized that the lost signal wasn’t a glitch. It was the device preventing him from “seeing” the Major. There was another loss of signal about forty five minutes before he arrived. It lasted just long enough for someone to come out of the prison take a vehicle and leave. Before the signal was lost there were six vehicles and the gates were still standing. After the signal returned there were five vehicles and the gates were wrecked. The effect must have ended when Storm entered the prison since he could no longer be seen and then then restarted when he was briefly in range outside again.
In anger, another emotion he had thought long gone, Maximillian brought his fist down on one of the steel tables in the visitor’s lounge. The table bent in the middle at the force of the blow and his fist and arm left an imprint in the solid steel. This was unacceptable, the entire vision he had been working towards was in jeopardy. He could not fail.
As if reading his thoughts, he heard Father’s voice in his head. “You haven’t failed yet, my son. The device may be blocking our attempts to stop them, but we have other assets we can use. They cannot get to NASA, we have seen to that. The rabble and scum you already used were expendable anyway. We would have eliminated them at some point anyway.”
“Yes Father.” Maximillian agreed, somewhat mollified.
“There is only one way for the device to reach me, go and make sure that can’t happen. Go and collect the asset in the West. He will bring too much force for one man to defeat. His righteous fury should prove too much for Derek Storm.”
Chapter 35
June 15, 2029
Near Memphis, Tennessee
The bleak countryside flew by as Derek and Rora headed southeast towards Birmingham, Alabama. She stayed on main roads but had detoured around Memphis after remembering Derek’s comment about the Drinker swarm attacking there. She also avoided stopping at any freeholds or Express Stations and detoured several times to bypass roadblocks or manned checkpoints after they entered Alabama. The checkpoints had started at the Alabama-Mississippi border and she had stopped to check the first one out through the scope of Derek’s M-14.
It had consisted of concrete barriers blocking the road and for several thousand feet on either side. Gray uniformed men carrying M-16s had manned the blockade. They had an armored vehicle parked to the side its guns facing Mississippi. She saw a flag painted on the side of the armored car. It had three stripes; two red ones, one on either side of a central white one. In the upper left corner was a blue square with twenty white stars in a circle. A small line of cars waiting to enter Alabama led up to the blockade. The soldiers were inspecting each car and sometimes forcing people to empty out the vehicle.
She didn’t know who the soldiers worked for or who the flag belonged to, but Rora figured they probably wouldn’t like the small arsenal she and Derek had acquired. Unsure on where to go she had looked at the phone’s satellite map. Without knowing how many more checkpoints there were and what other capabilities they had she was at a loss. Maybe this “voice” that Derek had been talking to could help her. She scrolled to the call log and selected the entry that simply said Voice. Pushing the call button she waited as it rang for a second.
“Major, where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.” The Voice came on the line, almost sounding frantic.
“He is unconscious…” She explained.
There was a pause and the Voice resumed in a much colder manner. “Who is this?”
“Rora, I’m Dr. Carter’s daughter.”
“Prove it to me. Push the icon of the face in the corner of the screen.” He demanded.
“What will that do?” She asked.
“It will let me see through the camera so I know you are who you say you are. Do it.”
Reluctantly she pushed the icon. A box popped up in the corner of the screen showing the live feed from the phone’s camera. She could see her face and some of the truck’s cab.
“Ok, now turn it so I can see Major Storm.”
She complied and turned the camera so the Voice could see Derek slumped over and breathing slowly but steadily. “Do you believe me now?”
“Yes, what happened?”
“A group of bounty hunters ambushed us and captured us, but we managed to escape. During the escape he was wounded pretty badly. He has been unconscious for the last few hours.”
“And the device?”
“We still have it.”
“Good. Bring it to Jacksonville. I have set the route in the phone.”
“I know. I was following it, but there is a barricade manned by soldiers blocking the road at the Alabama border. I need help to get past it.”
“Probably Confederated Cities troops out of Birmingham. They probably would let you through, but why take a chance. I’m sending you an alternate route to follow. Don’t waste any time and when the Major wakes up have him call me.”
“What about Derek?” Rora asked, but there was no response as the line clicked closed.
She tried to remember what the Confederated Cities were and it came to her in a flash, maybe a history lesson her father had given her. The Confederated Cities of America were a loose confederation of independent cities, mostly in the Southeast, formed for the common defense following the betrayal and annihilation of Atlanta and the use of chemical weapons on Cincinnati by the U.S.T.G.. It had grown to include trade and economic cooperation and had formed a loose alliance with the New Republic of Texas. Each City maintained their own army and air force and had their own government and set of laws. She was unaware of them having a flag though.
With no real choice, she started following the alternate route. Along the way she had to avoid a few smaller checkpoints but had made it almost to Birmingham when a tone sounded. She noticed a red light was now lit on the dashboard. It was some sort of rectangular icon but she couldn’t figure out what it was. But anything red couldn’t be good. She slowed the truck and shook Derek vigorously. He slowly came awake with a groan.
“What?” He asked grumpily.
“What does this red light mean?” She asked pointing to the dashboard.
He looked at her a little suspiciously before answering. “It means we are almost out of gas. How long have I been asleep?”
“Almost five hours.” She replied. “I couldn’t wake you up earlier so I just let you sleep.”
“Where are we?”
“We are getting close to Birmingham.”
“Hold on. How did you know where to go?”
“I used your phone for the directions.” She answered slowly.
Sensing there was more; Derek turned and looked her in the eyes. “How did you get past the check point at the Alabama border?”
She hesitated. “I called the Voice.” She offered quietly.
“WHAT?” Derek’s angry response was very loud in the enclosed space of the SUV.
Rora shrank back a little at his anger. “I couldn’t wake you up and I didn’t know what to do so I called him.”
“That is my phone. You don’t use it. What did he tell yo
u?” Derek demanded.
“He just gave me directions on how to avoid the checkpoints. That’s all. He isn’t much for conversation.”
That seemed to placate Derek a little bit. He snatched up the phone and fiddled with it for a little while before staring out the window in silence.
“I’m sorry I broke rule #6.” She offered.
“What?”
“Rule #6, mind your own business. I’m sorry I broke it.”
He laughed, breaking the tension. “Fortunately for you I’m not going to shoot you for breaking it.” He joked. “But next time…”
He smiled to show he was kidding and Rora was greatly relieved. She hadn’t meant to betray him in any way. The only reason she had used his phone was because the situation had necessitated it. It seemed like he understood and forgiven her so she moved on.
“So what do we do about running out of gas?” She asked.
“The light means we have about seventy miles before we run out. Based on the route map, we are about fifty miles from Pelham, Alabama. There is a large road house there right off the old interstate with gas and lodgings. We can get gas and spend the night there before heading to Tallahassee, Florida. It will be nice to spend the night in an actual bed for once.”
That sounded good to her too. The prospect of sleeping in a bed raised her spirits as well. The next forty five minutes passed quickly. They were on old Interstate 65 which was still in good shape. She could see where the road was being maintained. There were fresh patches of blacktop and brush had been cleared back on the sides. There were a few other cars, and it was the first time Rora had seen other vehicles on the road with them that weren’t trying to kill or capture them. This must have been more what it was like before the Collapse.
As they got close to where Derek said there was a roadhouse, it became very obvious. There were massive signs indicating the exit and advertising hot food and cool sheets. They signs also had the Hauler’s Guild logo on the sign. When she asked Derek about it he explained that this was a major truck route. Almost all goods moved from the Midwest and West to Florida and the Gulf Coast came through Birmingham. After the Collapse air travel had become very dangerous due to the violent storms, so rail and truck traffic had increased.
The city of Birmingham and the surrounding area had been hit hard by rioting during the Collapse and more had died during the Aftermath when from storms and the occasional heatwave. Without the early warning radar to warn of tornadoes and power for air conditioning, many people had died. The population was one fifth of what it had been prior to the Collapse.
The local economy had come back with the influx of rail traffic and the population had started to recover. Birmingham was a major railroad hub before the war and that was still the case. It connected the West, North, and what was left of the Southeast. Trucks picked up cargo here and distributed it south and east where no railroads reached. That meant a lot of the traffic and travelers were truck drivers working for the Hauler’s Guild. The logo on the sign let them know this was an approved stop. The roadhouse probably paid a lot of money for that stamp of approval, but it was worth it to get the business.
When they got there, she realized how true that was. The parking lot of the roadhouse was filled with big rigs. There were only a few other vehicles parked there. The road house was very large and actually encompassed multiple buildings. A high concrete wall about ten feet high and topped with barbed wire surrounded two hotels and what looked like an old Mexican restaurant. The area between them was completely cleared for vehicles to park. Rora could make out Fairfield on the faded marquee of the hotel on the right. A large gate provided the only access.
The gate was swarming with armed guards in butternut gray uniforms and body armor who waved them to a stop at gunpoint a good distance from the entrance. All of the guards kept their rifles, a mix of M-16s and AK-74s, trained on Rora and Derek as they approached slowly. The guards ordered them out of the vehicle and disarmed them before searching the vehicle. Derek’s heavily bandaged appearance drew a lot of interest from the guards as he slowly climbed out of the SUV.
Derek and Rora sat for a few minutes until another guard, a little older than the others and with a flag patch on his shoulder like the one she saw at the checkpoint, came out from the road house. The man was in his early fifties and sporting a neatly trimmed gray beard. He inspected them for a few minutes, walking around them and the truck. He looked in the truck and sorted through their belongings. Then he began to interrogate them.
“Where did you get the truck?” He inquired.
Derek gave her a look telling her to be quiet, and then he answered. “We took it from some raiders who were trying to kill us.”
“Really, where did that happen?” The man asked, obviously doubting the story.
“Near Jonesboro. They attacked and disabled our vehicle so we took theirs.” Derek answered matter of factly. He wasn’t exactly lying, but it was a modified version of the truth.
“Uh huh.” The guard said doubtfully. “Is that where you got those wounds?”
“Yeah, it was quite a battle. We barely got away alive.”
The guard took a closer look at Derek’s wounds before straightening up and stepping back.
“You’re ex-Special Forces?” He asked pointing to the tattoos on Derek’s arm.
“Yes, so?”
“Me too.” The guard replied, showing a similar tattoo on his arm. “Did you stay in with the U.S.T.G.?”
“I did. But they discharged me by throwing me out of a helicopter at one thousand feet over the wasteland.”
The guard laughed. “Hell of a parting gift.”
Derek smiled. “Hey, what’s with all the questions? Last time I was here no one interrogated me.”
“We have had problems with U.S.T.G. infiltrators lately, so we are checking everyone.”
“Is that really much of an issue this far south?”
“The U.S.T.G. has been moving troops and armor close to the border. As I’m sure you know Birmingham is a major supply and transportation hub for the CCA. So if the U.S.T.G. were to invade, most of the reinforcements and supplies from the other cities would come through here. But if the rail hub was sabotaged…”
“The U.S.T.G. could overrun the border cities before reinforcements could arrive.” Derek said nodding.
‘That’s right. So we have to be careful. That’s why we have the checkpoints at the border that you managed to avoid.” The guard said while looking Derek directly in the eyes.
Derek actually managed to look sheepish. “Yeah, my experience with soldiers hasn’t been good of late. I thought it was a shakedown so we went around it.”
“Where are you going?” The guard pressed.
“I’m taking the girl to NASA. I promised her father right before he was killed by slavers.”
The guard seemed intrigued. “Seriously? You know everything east of Tallahassee is Reaper territory right?”
“I know. But a promise is a promise.” Derek answered. “You aren’t just a guard are you?”
The man smiled. “No, I’m an officer in the new CCA Military Intelligence unit. What gave me away?”
“The patch for one thing. But the questions were more than a guard would ask, and you knew way too much about the broader situation to be a guard.” Derek explained.
The man leaned close to them and said in a lower voice. “Well you aren’t the average traveler either, are you Derek Storm?”
Rora’s eyes widened as the man revealed he knew who they were. Was everybody in the wasteland trying to get them? Even a soldier at a random roadhouse knew who they were. She felt Derek tense next to her as he prepared to take action.
“Relax Major; I’m not your enemy. I just want to know what you are doing here. We have intercepted a lot of radio chatter about you and your supposed exploits, which is all the more amazing since you are supposed to be dead. We have a BOLO out on you, and lucky me, you fell into my lap. So why are the U.S.T.G., the Out
fit, the Collective, bounty hunters, and even for 24 hours the Regulators, after you? What makes you so important?”
Derek paused for just a second. “The girl, they want the girl. Her father was once a member of the Collective and they think she knows something. I came upon their village being attacked by slavers, who turned out to be working for the Collective, and rescued them. Her father sacrificed himself so we could escape. Before he died, I promised him I would take her to NASA. So, I’m trying to do that.”
The man looked at Rora. “Is that true?”
Fortunately Derek had told enough of the truth she didn’t need to lie, because she was a very bad liar. “That is true. Derek rescued me and he did promise my father to take me to NASA.”
The man considered their story for a few minutes, looking back and forth between the two of them seeking some response or action that might give away a lie. Rora started to sweat a little. If the man didn’t believe them he might have them locked up, and the device would be lost. She had to get the device to NASA, everything depended on it.
Finally, the man relaxed a little. “Ok, you probably aren’t telling me the entire truth but I have no reason to hold you. But, you need to leave CCA territory as quickly as possible. We don’t want any excuse or pretense for the U.S.T.G. to declare war on us. You can spend the night but you leave first thing in the morning. We’ll give you some gas so you don’t have to stop until you pass Tallahassee. Deal?”
“Deal.” Derek agreed. “But just out of curiosity, why are you so worried about the U.S.T.G. attacking you? What changed?”
The officer looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Where have you been for the last few months? The CCA held a formal Constitutional Congress three months ago forming a more centralized government and creating a unified army. Birmingham was declared the capital and elections are underway for the new Congress and the Presidency. Texas is considering a formal alliance and is likely to accept. This puts the outpost of Huntsville and the enclave of Pensacola inside the expanded CCA territory.”