End World (Book 2): Ultimate Corruption

by David Peters

  “Why does it look like he stopped? None of the numbers are really changing,” Dylan said with a concerned voice.

  “I don’t know Dylan. It can’t be too much further in than when we were there, that isn’t remotely deep enough. Not even close. We may not be safe here if we have to detonate it that shallow.”

  “What does that light mean?” Dylan pointed at a yellow blinking indicator.

  “It means they are messing with the zippers on the panel. If it goes red it means they have opened the access panel. If they were rough with the pack the Velcro could come loose, so it may be a false indicator.” Cap-Cap sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was Dylan.

  Dylan thought back to when they strapped the pack on the Hunter. It was tight. It wasn’t coming off without them tearing the hunter apart. They continued to watch for another fifteen minutes without any of the numbers changing. He began to wonder if that was all they were going to get and looked around at the trees for any sign of prevailing winds.

  “It’s moving again. Look at that! It just took a really steep tunnel. Oh ya! Look at those numbers climb.”

  The temperature continued to increase as the pack went deeper into the hive.

  “They must have dropped the body into a shaft or something. It looks like it just fell several stories based on the indicators. Look at that, it’s nearly a hundred and twenty degrees in there! Pressure is still rising slowly but looks like it’s starting to level off. Our signal is down by fifty percent too. Getting too deep for a solid signal.” Cap-Cap had a look of concern cross his face as he started tapping out key codes. He entered one particularly long string of characters and the bottom light went from green to blinking red. “Ok, if the signal drops all together the pack will detonate on its own in ten minutes from the time it loses the signal.” With a slightly evil smile he added, “Let’s hope they don’t rush it to the surface.”

  They watched as the temperature climbed to one hundred and twenty-three degrees and the barometric pressure remained stable. The pack sat motionless for several minutes with most of the numbers remaining where they were. Signal was hanging at a dangerous twenty-nine percent.

  “I think that’s it Cap-Cap.”

  Cap-Cap nodded and punched several of the buttons on the user interface, “Ok Dylan, I entered the final code. Honor is all yours. Hit this button, then hit the confirmation box that pops on the screen here.”

  Dylan looked at the captain nervously. Part of him didn’t believe the bomb would even work while another part of him was terrified it would. He looked at Cap-Cap one more time then tapped the buttons on the tablet. His finger hovered over the confirmation box for a second. Some small part of him laughed that something so powerful was about to be executed by clicking an ‘ok’ button. His smile faded the instant he thought about Daniel. He suddenly saw his brothers’ face as the wounded man looked up to him in the parking lot on that day so many months ago. He could clearly see the tears that were forming at the corners of his brothers’ eyes as the brothers exchanged that knowing look. They could both see what was the inevitable. “This is for you, Daniel,” he pushed the button.

  Time seemed to slow down as the ground around the hive blurred at the sudden and massive vibrations. Shock waves rippled through the ground and radiated up into the hills knocking the two men onto the ground. The sound hit them mere milliseconds behind the shock wave. The deep underground thunder was easily the most ominous sound Dylan had ever heard or felt. The entire hive seemed to lift several stories into the air as the bomb expanded. The energy released by the weapon had become a small sun radiating heat and raw power centered nearly five hundred feet under the lumber mill. As it expanded, it vaporized everything in its path and created a void several hundred feet wide underground. The massive release pushed out in all directions but the rock absorbed the energy quickly.

  From the bluff the men watched the entire hive rise a hundred feet into the air on what looked like a massive bubble of earth. For what felt like minutes but last mere seconds the bubble rose to its peak and held steady before crashing far out of site into the chasm created below it. What was a hive seconds before was now a deep and dark crater. With nothing left to support the weight, the sides nearest the river collapsed under rushing water. Massive torrents of steam blew out of the hole as the cold river rushed to fill the super-heated chasm below. Dylan watched the scene with wide eyes. Just minutes ago they were looking at the Sumter hive towering over the burned out city below them. The hive and a very large part of the blocks of buildings around it was now a rapidly filling man-made lake nearly a quarter mile wide and perfectly circular. The clouds of steam climbed several thousands of feet into the morning sky before cooling and dissipating in the mild northeasterly wind. It would be several days before the lake finally stopped steaming as it filled in the last superheated tunnel and cooled the molten rock deep below the surface.

  The edge of the crater continued to widen as the water level rose. Slowly but surely the foundations of several of the buildings, or the wrecks of buildings in some cases, would get enough of their foundation undermined and crash into the water that was still several dozen feet below the edge. The downriver portion of Snow River was nearly dry as the entire river supply was currently being diverted to the new lake. That would change in a few days when it was finally full and overflowed into its normal course.

  Dylan sat watching for quite some time after the final shockwave of energy passed over and through them and the ground ceased to shake. He watched as buildings crashed into the water and streets were swallowed by the expanding lake below. He turned to Cap-Cap and flashed a smile the likes of which hadn’t graced his face in almost a year. Standing on the bluff he confidently slung his rifle over his shoulder and offered his hand to his friend as he too stood up.

  Dylan looked at the surrounding mountains as the sun completely broke over the far hills and pushed the final morning shadows away. He took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair then looked at Cap-Cap, “Looks like we are in for some good weather today Captain.”

  Cap-Cap absently tossed the weapon console to the ground as he looked down onto the rapidly forming lake, “You know my friend, I think you are correct.”

  Chapter 6

  Nearly the entire town was gathered in the small central square. The tent city that used to exist in it had either been taken down as people found friendly homes or moved over to the far side of the town where it had slightly less traffic and made things more livable for the occupants of the heavy tents. The sun was moving through the sky as the afternoon gave way to the early evening shadows. Already the mid-day heat was fading into a pleasant mid-summers evening. The air was thick with the sounds of crickets on the hillside and birds at the forests edge.

  Everyone in attendance wore boutonnieres made from the wild daisies covering the hillsides around the town. They had come to represent their defiance against the Corrupted and too many of the people that lived in Paradise Falls, their eventual victory. But those days were far away and most where centered on the here and now.

  Dylan stood self-consciously at the center of the small stage. With the podium pulled off to the side the usual sense of protection it provided was gone and left him feeling naked in front of the town. He was wearing the cleanest clothes he had worn since before they left Colfax and a rare white cowboy hat. He held his hand behind his back while he rocked back and forth, nervously waiting for the go ahead from the cabin window. He had struggled with the words he would say for this occasion long and hard. The previous night he had tried several versions out on Niccole but they always seemed to feel hollow and contrived. That wasn’t him. The words he had finally chosen still left him feeling flat but he was out of time and he had to say something. Seeing the thumbs up through the window from Niccole sent forth a burst of butterflies in his stomach. He cleared his throat and motioned for everyone to settle down.

  Dylan nodded to Travis. Unbeknownst to everyone, Trav
is could play the violin. Not only could he play it, he could play it quite well. He had recommended a piece by someone named Johann Pachelbel. No one had heard of him before but fell in love with the melody as soon as he began playing it. With the music started the audience turned towards the cabin. Niccole walked out first holding a bouquet of the white flowers and was proudly wearing her new red dress.

  There were very few chairs for occasions like this so most people stood or simply sat on the grass leaving a center isle clear for the bride and groom to approach the stage. Niccole walked elegantly down the aisle never once breaking eye contact with Dylan. She didn’t wear makeup often, Dylan didn’t feel she needed it, but when she did he found her to be more stunning, if that was even possible.

  “You look spectacular Coco.” Dylan said as he winked at Niccole as she took her place and turned to face the cabin.

  She blushed at his honesty and turned her head to wink back, “Means a lot coming from the most handsome cowboy in the world. You should probably stop staring at me and get the show on the road. Don’t want to keep the bride and groom waiting too long.”

  Dylan smiled at his wife and raised his arms to tell the crowd that all should rise. The lucky few that had chairs or a comfortable place in the grass stood and turned to face the cabin. Cap-Cap stepped out wearing what appeared to be white formal military attire along with a very colorful array of medals and ribbons. He looked like one proud groom-to-be with a smile that went from ear to ear. He walked slowly towards the stage and up the short stairs. Once at the stop he gave a snap solute to Dylan and knelt to kiss Niccole’s hand. He then performed a military turn and bowed to the crowd.

  The cabin door opened again and Jen stepped onto the porch. She wore a dress that was the culmination of many days of sewing together every piece of white lace in the town. Her dress glowed in the late-day sun. Sewn into the hem was a wreath of the White Flowers. The same flowers were weaved into her long hair and throughout her veil and train. She walked down the aisle looking to be the happiest bride ever to make the walk. Several towns’ people were already fighting back tears of joy.

  Jen gracefully stepped up the stairs to the stage and looked deep into Cap-Cap’s eyes. They both smiled lovingly and a small tear rolled down Jen’s face. The two turned to face Dylan.

  Dylan smiled at his wife and raised his arms to get the crowd’s attention, “I’d like to thank everyone here, our friends, our family, for taking the time out of your busy days to share this special occasion with us. I haven’t ever done anything like this before so I hope you will bear with me; I will do the best I can.” He smiled back at the beaming faces.

  “Dearly beloved…” He paused and looked out into the crowd and back down at his carefully scrawled notes. “You know, I agonized over what to say and how to say it and now that I am actually standing here I realize what I planned to say and what I wanted to say aren’t the same thing. So…” He threw the notes over his shoulder and smiled at Cap-Cap and Jen.

  “Sorry about that. Let me start over. I would like to welcome all of you, our family, here today on this momentous occasion. This recent year has been a long one. We have all lost many friends along the way. None will be forgotten. But on this day we don’t look back, we look forward. We look forward to the better days ahead. I can think of no more fitting of a way to share this hope then to celebrate the joining of my friends and family, Chris ‘Cap-Cap’ Caperson and Jen ‘Whiskey’ Valder. What better way to pay homage to those that have fallen than to say ‘there is still hope, we will continue on’.

  “We as a people have always accepted that it takes a village to raise a child. Every relationship, every friendship, is in itself a child. It must be nurtured, fed, and treated like the precious gift it is before it can grow and blossom into what it always could have been.” Dylan felt a brief panic as he saw all the eyes on him. As he looked at the individuals in the crowd and not the crowd itself he found friends and loved ones. Travis smiled as he met his eyes and gave him a ‘thumbs up’. Jonathan sat wrapped in a green blanket. His friend nodded his head as if to say ‘I’m with you’. Every face he found held nothing but love and caring. Every face held a smile and thoughts of the future.

  “Hope has been a powerful word around here as of late. I remember quite well what ‘hope’ used to mean to me, but it has taken on an entirely new and powerful meaning for me now.” Dylan had Jen and Cap-Cap face each other, “While we all know the standard words of every wedding we sat through in the Old World, I think they may have lost some relevance nowadays. With that said, Cap-Cap.” Dylan met the captains’ eyes.

  Cap-Cap nodded to Dylan

  He turned to face Jen and spoke to her as if no one else was around, “Jen. It has been a long journey to arrive where we stand today. There was love and loss, but through it all, I always felt I had you to turn to. You were my pillar when I felt weak and you helped to bring out the man I truly wanted to be. As we continue down this path I wish for us to join together as one. I will be there for you, always, and in all ways. You are the reason I have hope.” He looked into Jen’s eyes for a few more moments then nodded to Dylan.

  Dylan turned to Jen and nodded.

  Jen wiped a tear as it formed in the corner of her eye, “Chris. There were times I could have given up and walked away from this world. But through it all there was always the shining light from you. You gave me hope where I could find none and lifted me up when I could no longer walk. I welcome our future together, come the goods times and the bad. I will be there for you, always, and in all ways. You are the reason I have hope.”

  Jen nodded to Dylan.

  Dylan turned slightly to address the party before them, “Together but apart, you two have walked the long road of life to reach this crossroads. A point where two paths combine into a single road. A single road that going forward will never diverge. There is still a long journey ahead of you and on this day you are swearing before this town that you will continue that journey together. As you stand before us, a town, a family, you two are becoming one. Going forward do you two promise to face each challenge together? Promise never to give up on one another, promise that regardless of all signs pointing to no hope, that you will never lose hope? Cap-Cap, do you promise that you will be there for Jen when she needs you the most?”

  “I do.”

  “Jen, do you promise to be there for Cap-Cap when he needs you the most?”

  “I do.”

  “I have absolutely no power vested in me by anyone, but before the town of Paradise Falls I now introduce you as Cap-Cap and Jen Caperson. You may kiss the bride.”

  Cap-Cap leaned Jen over in a passionate embrace and long, deep kiss. After the long kiss was over Dylan shook Cap-Caps hand and hugged the burly man while Jen and Niccole wiped the tears out of their eyes and hugged one another. A massive cheer swelled through the crowd and Travis began a classic waltz. The newlyweds moved out to the middle of the square for their first dance

  Dylan walked over to his wife. Holding his hand out to Niccole and bowing slightly he said, “Ma’am?”

  Niccole smiled at him, “Ok, you have earned the right to call me that Cowboy.” She crashed into him as they danced the rest of the day and well into the night.

  It was nearly two in the morning when they finally found their way to the cabin. Both had drunk a little more than they should have but for the first time in over a year they felt some semblance of safety. Dylan rolled onto his pillow and wasn’t wondering if he would be woken by the alarm bell or the sound of heavy shooting on the wall. He was smiling as he snuggled up beside his wife. She was already fast asleep and shortly after kissing her softly he too was out.

  --1--

  Dylan walked out of the cabin door and slapped his favorite ball cap on his head. He debated zipping up his fishing vest but the cool morning air was already being pushed back by the warm sun on the distant horizon. With a final adjustment of his flannel shirt he bent and picked up his old rod and the ancient tackle
box that should have been collecting dust back at his home in Colfax. He saw something shining on the porch and tuned to see his rifle leaned against the wall near the swinging bench. The thought of bringing it along didn’t even occur to him. It was a short walk across the town square to the river bank. He remembered the river being fairly small and moving far too quickly to catch anything, but today it was nearly a hundred yards wide and lazily drifting by. The smell of the late summer wheat filled the air and the warm Palouse sun warmed his face as he walked over to the two large rocks on the shore.

  “Good morning to my little brother! How are you on this fine day?” Daniel was sitting reclined on one of the rocks. With a flick of his wrist sent his spinner far out into the river with a plop and a small splash. He reeled the lure in using short quick twists.

  “And a good morning to you my big brother. I slept like a log. I don’t recall sleeping that sound in quite some time. How are they bitin’?” Dylan sent his spinner far out into the slow river currents and leaned back into the natural chair shape of the rock. He would give the rod a little pull then the small reel two or three rapid turns.