by Geo Dell
“What?” Bear asked.
“Cameras,” Beth told him. She stepped back away from the duct work. “Two that I can see and both have power... Saw a flash from each... Doesn't mean they're working, but it does mean they have power.”
“Could be bad if they see us,” Bear said.”
“If they're working they probably already have... If they're working... If they're being monitored,” Beth said. She looked up at Bear. “In for a penny,” she said.
Bear nodded. “Might as well, if they know we're here then they know. They'll know eventually anyway. This looks old though. This looks like maybe some of them left... A long time back too. Maybe the cameras are on and there's no one home to watch them. This place has its own power supply.” He hesitated briefly. “Go?”
“Go,” Beth agreed. Bear stepped past her, flicked his flashlight on, and stepped into the tunnel. She smiled, but let it go. Bear was as bad as Billy when it came to protecting her, and sometimes it was nice to be protected. She followed Bear into the tunnel and they made their way through the stagnant water heading for the hidden base that lay somewhere ahead.
East of Watertown
Billy and Pearl
A pile of old moving pads sat in one corner, and Billy had made a bed out of them on top of two desks he had pushed together in the office area. A pallet of warm sodas sat next to a beverage machine, a large plastic container of jerky mixed with beef sticks sat on the counter. A quick look through the drawers had produced a pint of whiskey: Half full, but half full would probably be enough to kill him if he drank it. He had no intentions of drinking it, but it should disinfect Pearl's wounds. He soaked a torn piece of a uniform shirt with the whiskey and took his time cleaning the dried blood from her face. The cut was scabbed over, a long cut just above her right eye. The other cut from earlier, the one just inside her hairline, had also opened up, probably when the truck clipped the side of the house and she was catapulted forward into the steering wheel. The gash on her leg was closing over, but the leg was swollen and an angry red on the borders of the cut.
They had lost their first aid kit somewhere back in the field. It had been in Pearl's backpack, and Pearl's backpack was gone. He checked the truck twice to no avail. He tore the shirt in to long strips and wound them around her head, tying them off. He did the same for her leg after cutting that leg of her jeans away. It would have to be good enough, at least until they found a place where they could get real first aid supplies. He stripped her ruined shirt from her and dressed her in one of his own from his backpack. Far too big, but clean She never moved, and worry sat deeply in his soul as he redressed her and covered her with another of the quilts. He opened one of the warm sodas, smelled it first, and then took an experimental sip. It was fine, or as fine as warm soda could be. He walked to the windows set into the sides of the office and waited for the sunrise to come.
Bluechip
Bear and Beth
The remains were skeletal. The flesh had long ago been stripped away. Bits and pieces of a military uniform still clung to the bones in places. Bear reached it and stared down at the jumble of bones.
They had left the water that covered the bottom behind them. Here the tunnel floor was dry and coated with dust. They had found possessions, a few rifles, handguns, backpacks abandoned along the way, but this was the first evidence of a body... Or what was left of a body, Bear corrected himself. The skull bore a large hole in one side, and two of the ribs where shattered, the pieces resting inside what was left of the rib cage. Neither spoke, and a few moments later they moved on.
They found a pile of jumbled bones a few minutes later as they rounded a curve in the ducting and began to feel the slope of the floor more fully as it fell away down into the rock: They struggled to stay upright.
There were more than a dozen skulls here, all of them with holes. The rest of the bones were a jumble. It looked as though there had been a mass execution. Tattered remains of uniforms were evidenced as there had been with the last skeleton they had found. They both trudged quietly past, barely pausing, unsure of what lay ahead, but sure that many of those who had tried to leave had apparently been stopped.
Pearl had told them there had been opposition to the leaving. In effect those soldiers that had left had deserted.
They rounded the rest of the curve, but before they reached the next straight section Bear could see a light source spilling into the tunnel. He slowed, turned off his flashlight to be sure of what he had seen, and then turned to Beth and motioned for her to douse her own light. He waited for her to step forward and see what he had seen. She nodded and they took different sides of the tunnel before they moved slowly forward.
The tunnel curve began to flatten and then straightened out. A hundred feet ahead on the left side, bright light spilled through a ragged hole out into the tunnel. They stopped and looked over the tunnel in silence.
The Nation
Tom stepped out onto the ledge and caught his breath. Snow fell silently, coating the valley in a thin layer of white. Mike and Ronnie stood looking out over the valley. They turned as he came out.
“A boy,” Tom said. “And I did good. I watched him being born! It was the coolest thing I have ever seen.”
“Really?” Mike asked. “It didn't make you woozy?”
“Quit making up words,” Ronnie said now.
“No,” Tom said. “Most of the time my mouth was hanging open, drawing flies. I remembered to tell her to breathe, to push. I did well. Steve said so.”
“See,” Ronnie said to Mike. “There's hope for you yet.”
“Maybe,” Mike agreed. “So, what did you guys name him?”
Tom's face went blank. “Well. I don't know, they kicked me out.”
“The door opened and Candace and Amy walked out, carefully carrying cups of coffee. They both caught their breath.
“The first snow,” Amy said.
“And the first baby,” Candace added.
~
“Eight,” Josh said.
“That's a lot of babies,” Alicia said.
“It is,” Josh agreed. He held her on one knee as she looked down on the puppies squirming around their mothers belly, or sleeping, or nursing.
Shar walked back from the tunnel, hung her radio on a peg mounted on the wall, and walked over to Josh and Alicia. She ruffled Alicia's hair and kissed her on the forehead. She reached up and kissed Josh on one cheek. “How many,” she asked Alicia.
“This many,” she answered holding up eight fingers.
“Wow. That's a lot of puppies,” Shar said.
“You know, mom, I just said that to dad too,” Alicia said and smiled. “Told him it was a lot.”
Shar smiled and kissed her again. “Well, I got baby news too. You know aunt Lilly?”
“She's my teacher,” Alicia said and nodded her head. “She's going to have a baby too like Queenie.”
“Yep. Well, she did. She had a little boy today. Just a little while ago, in fact,” she said.
“Oh, she must be pretty happy... Tom too,” Josh said.
“Oh yeah, they both are,” Shar agreed.
“Only one though?” Alicia asked. “Queenie had eight.”
Shar pulled Alicia onto her lap. “Yep, only one, and have you looked outside lately, girly?”
“Nope, been watching puppies... Me and dad,” Alicia said.
Richard came running in from outside all out of breath. “Holy cow, Josh, do you know how to make a sled?” He asked.
His eyes were bright, cheeks flushed and pink, and a huge smile rode on his face. “Leesha, it snowed. It's still snowing,” Josh told Alicia excitedly.
She got up and ran to her brother.
“Hey,” Shar called out. “Coats and gloves.” She looked back at Josh.
Josh chuckled. “Guess I better figure out how to make a sled,” Josh told her. “Really coming down?”
She pulled him to his feet, wrapped one of her own arms around one of his and pulled him toward
the door. “Come see, come see,” she said excitedly.
~
Candace's Journal
Number one! The Mother ship has landed! Lil and I have been kidding around calling each other that, Aim too, because we are so big. Now it's just Aim and me because Mother Ship number one has landed. He's big. He has blonde hair and gray blue eyes and he looks exactly like Lilly.
Amy's Journal
The first baby and the first snow! We have both. Lil popped! A beautiful little boy. Now it's me or Candace next, maybe two months. It seems like the time just flew by and here we are. Candace is the Mother Ship now, ha ha, a nick name we've been calling each other. I think she's next, it will be close between her and me. She's as big as Lilly! How can she get any bigger?
The baby is beautiful. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and he looks like her too. The snow is pretty too. The entire valley is white and it keeps falling. Candace and I made tracks on the way home.
~
Late Afternoon
“Okay,” Ronnie spoke into the radio,” We're set.”
He, Mike, Bob and David looked up at the light fixtures mounted on the ceiling. They buzzed once, flashed, and then came on. They were spaced evenly every fifteen feet down through the tunnel. The gray-black of the rock sprang to life as they came on and pushed the shadows away.
“That did her,” Ronnie said into the radio.
“Yahoo,” came Tim's voice through the tiny, scratchy speaker.
~
Jessie's Journal
It's late and believe it or not I am writing by electric light. It is almost magical. The lights in the cave are on, and that means they are also on in the main cave, the tunnels and the clinic. Down here, up top and at the entrances. Not dozens and dozens of lights, but enough to push back the dark. They won't stay on all night, they'll have to be shut down until we get the power plant up and working. But it is so nice, and I hope an omen of the good to come.
I got to deliver the first baby today: Steve, Sandy and I. It was really special and it all went well, no problems at all.
We also had the seasons first snow fall. All the kids were out playing all afternoon. Arlene was covering school for Lilly, so she let them all out to celebrate the snow and the birth of Lilly's baby.
And last, but not least, I tested myself tonight and I'm pregnant. Incredible. Brad is ecstatic and I am as well.
I was gone for a few moments there, of course you wouldn't have known if I hadn't told you, but the lights went out, so I'll finish this by candle light. That is only to say it has been a pretty great day all around.
Bluechip
Bear and Beth
The hallway was brightly lit with buzzing florescent lights. Not all of them were lit, but there were enough to light the hallway up. Bear slowed and waited for Beth to come up beside him.
“This is too easy,” Bear said tightly. “I just... I just don't like it at all.”
Beth nodded and then quickly slammed her rifle into her shoulder. Bear was only a second behind her. The hallway took a turn in the distance and a dozen soldiers dressed in full combat gear had just stepped around the corner. Slowly. Purposely. Their actions said they knew they were there. The speakers that were embedded somewhere above them in the ceiling crackled to life.
“This is Major Richard Weston. First, I want to welcome you to this... Sanctuary, I guess is the best word. I would like to encourage you to lay down your weapons. You have my word that you will not be shot, forced to stay here or in any way molested.” The voice stopped but a low hum still came over the circuit. “Of course you could choose not to do that and then I would be forced to have my men shoot you, and don't think any of us want that.”
Bear and Beth stood a moment longer, looked at each other, but didn't speak. After a few seconds Beth bent and laid her rifle on the white tiles of the floor. A second later Bear followed suit.
The soldiers took their time coming down the hallway, weapons in their hands but pointed at the floor. The lead soldier, a young woman with a slash of green in her black hair behind her face shield, bent and picked up the weapons. “Smart decision,” She told them. She straightened and motioned with her rifle back in the direction the soldiers had come from.
Bear sighed, but got his feet moving, Beth at his side.
Pearl after the attack
Billy and Pearl
She awoke with a gasp and sat upright. The movement caused pain to flare inside her head and her hands flew to either side of it as if to hold the pain inside.
“Here,” Billy said from beside her. “Drink this... Cola.” He handed her a warm can he had just pulled the top on.
“Oh my God... Billy, my head is killing me,” Pearl moaned. She sat carefully for a few seconds longer, holding her head steady, before edging open one eye and looking around her. The blanket that had been covering her slipped down and she reached for it unconsciously, catching it before it could slip off and onto the floor.
She was laying on a table, soft blankets beneath her, her own top was missing. A large shapeless t-shirt had been slipped over her head. Her hair was caught inside of it. She lifted it away. “Jesus,” she said softly.
“Come on, Pearl. Drink the soda,” He held out his other hand. “Maybe three shots left in this... Maybe it will help that headache.” He sloshed the whiskey inside the nearly empty pint bottle.
Pearl tried a small smile on her face, took the whiskey and sipped experimentally. She closed her eyes as the fire burned down into her stomach. It did seem to help. She handed the bottle back to Billy and took the soda. She upended the can and drained it. It was like heaven and did more to clear her head and knock the headache back than the whiskey had. Still, the whiskey had its attraction. She motioned with her fingers and Billy gave the bottle back to her.
“I take it that I am not bitten anywhere?” She asked after another small sip.
“Bruises on your throat. No bites though,” Billy told her.
She sipped again and relished the feel of the fire slipping down her throat. Billy handed her another soda and she upended that one to. He handed her one more and a couple of small bags of trail mix from his own backpack, and a few of the beef sticks from the counter. All of them had found their way into his backpack. Food was food, you took it where you found it.
“You should eat, Pearl,” he said.
She nodded carefully. Killed the small bottle and handed it back to Billy before she took a sip of the warm soda and then tore open the top of a bag of trail mix. It seemed that the food and soda refueled her body and knocked the headache far back in just a few minutes.
“How long,” she asked after a few moments.
“A couple of hours... Had me scared,” Billy admitted. “Sun's been up about three hours.”
She finished the trail mix and tossed the bag aside as she carefully swung her legs to the floor and stood. “Goddammit that hurts,” she sat back down and held her head. “Feels like my brain is sloshing around in there... Probably is.” She stopped talking as a wave of nausea rode over her: After it passed she felt a little better: She examined her leg. “Probably going to be the worst of it. It's infected, Billy. We need to get somewhere to get some disinfectant... Cut it open and disinfect it.” She sighed. She could feel heat baking into the palm of her hand where it rested on her thigh. “Soon,” she added. She grimaced. “I think I might live, Love.” She rose to her feet once more. “No radio? No word from Beth or Bear?”
Billy shook his head. “Lost the radios back by the wreck. Lost your knapsack back in that field... My fault, didn't think to make sure we had it... We have to go back that way though, so we can get it”
“And we can serve ourselves as lunch to the dead too. No thank you, we'll take a different route back in. Radios are everywhere, we'll get one: We'll re-supply ourselves too.” She looked down at the shirt. She looked off into the garage and spied the truck. I need some aspirin... Maybe a vitamin drink, something like that. We'll have to pick up whatever else we need as
we go. Re-establish communications with Beth and Bear... They will expect it.” She flexed her neck, and then massaged one shoulder as she limped off toward the truck. She stopped and turned back. “William?” Her face wore a look of concern.
“Yeah... I thought maybe you needed some rest, Pearl. You're banged up pretty bad.”
She nodded carefully. “I'll live. Aspirin, a few bandages to replace this headscarf,” she smiled, “I'll be fine.”
Billy nodded and followed her. A few moments later they were winding through the trees on the road he had followed in.
The Nation
The fires burned low in the main meeting area of the cave: A few people stood talking as Jessie walked past them and she nodded and smiled when they looked her way.
The Community was growing fast. There were people coming in regularly now, sometimes fairly large parties, this was a good place to live, a safe place, as long as what had to be done was done. She was on her way now to do one of those things that had to be done now.
She stepped out into the cold night and shrugged more completely into her heavy coat as she headed down the trail that lead into the valley. She heard footsteps behind her before her name was called.
Brad rushed up slightly out of breath and laughing. “I'll walk you down, Jess,” he said seriously.
“You can't come into the barn... We have a bad one. I have to call it. A young woman that came in with a group. Bitten, they think,” her eyes narrowed and she looked away. “Still working on wiring?”
“All of us,” Brad allowed. “We will need miles of wire for all the projects Tim has planned.”
“Brad,” she turned to him and held his eyes. “I was thinking... Why leave here. Why should we leave this place? It could be a good home for us, you and me, the baby.” She watched his face as a smile began to spread across it.