Darkness

by Kyle West

  “And two thousand of your men died doing this?” I asked.

  “Regrettably, yes. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it worth the price. And it has been. Because now I have three key members of the Wasteland Resistance in my hands.”

  “Is that what you’re calling us?” Anna asked. “The Wasteland Resistance?”

  I wasn’t focusing on that, though. Augustus mentioned that he had three members in his possession. That meant that Makara and the others had gotten away.

  “It was a pity your friends crashed as well,” Augustus said. “You were the lucky ones.”

  Augustus watched us, his expression inscrutable. I was unable to believe it. If I understood correctly, then Augustus was saying...

  “...Wait,” I said. “You’re saying they’re gone.”

  Augustus nodded gravely. “Yes. Gilgamesh was a mass of flames when we found it in the valley below.”

  “He’s lying,” Anna said.

  “Why should I lie?” Augustus asked. “Surely you saw the ship crashing down yourself. You were so near to each other at the time. My own data shows both ships going offline within seconds of each other.”

  Gilgamesh offline. We had gone through so much that it seemed impossible for Makara, Samuel, Michael, and Julian to be dead. There was no way.

  “Unless I see it with my own eyes, I won’t believe it,” I said.

  Augustus turned to Jonas. “Captain Sparks. If you would.”

  Jonas nodded, angling the ship back in the direction we had just come from.

  “No...” Anna said. “It can’t be.”

  “There was no escape pod used, as was the case with Aeneas,” Augustus said. “The only logical conclusion is...”

  I tried to think of another possibility. But nothing came to mind. Was it really unbelievable that Makara and the others had died? It made all the sense in the world.

  I simply couldn’t believe it.

  “I want that ship scoured on foot,” Ashton said, his voice firm. “I refuse to believe they are dead until I see evidence to support it.”

  Augustus smiled, shaking his head. “We are nearly there. You will have your evidence soon enough.”

  ***

  Orion touched down five minutes later. The dragons that had attacked not a few hours ago were completely gone, probably well on their way to Bunker 84. There was nothing we could do about that.

  The way the ship was oriented, I couldn’t see the crash. Both Augustus and Jonas unstrapped themselves from their seats.

  “Find warm clothing for them,” Augustus said to Maxillo. “It will be warmer in the valley, but they suffered a lot outside. Take no chances.”

  Maxillo nodded, barking a few orders to some of his Praetorians. Within minutes, we were dressed in the same white parkas that all Praetorians were.

  Prepared and waiting in the wardroom, Augustus ordered the blast door opened, letting in a rush of cold air. The temperature was at least fifty degrees warmer than it had been in the mountains. That seemed a sharp increase, but when I saw the valley floor it began to make sense.

  The ground was coated in pink xenofungus.

  The fungus naturally radiated heat, which, when coupled with the lower elevation, accounted for the much warmer temperature. Even so, it was still quite cold.

  I raised my eyes to see everything Augustus described. Gilgamesh lay twisted, yet mostly intact. A deep scar in the fungus revealed where the ship had slid upon impact. The fungus might have broken Gilgamesh’s fall a bit. Hope swelled in my chest as I tried to force it down. A fierce fire burned within the ship, smoke pouring from every orifice, especially the open cargo bay aft. Somehow, that had been forced open in the crash.

  We approached the ship. As we drew closer, the outlook grew bleaker. I saw just how thick the smoke was. The twisted hull crushed my hope.

  There was no way anyone was getting in there to recon. The fire and smoke were too thick, and if there were bodies, we’d have to wait until the fire petered out. There would only be ashes and bone remaining.

  “I hope this is enough to persuade you,” Augustus said. “I am truly sorry your friends died. I came here first, but the fires were already raging. There is no evidence suggesting anyone escaped.”

  Anna watched the fire, frozen. Ashton’s face remained impassive. Neither said anything at all.

  “We must now return to Los Angeles,” Augustus said. “It is time to gather what forces we can – including everyone from Las Vegas, the Raiders, and others – to plan an attack. The time for petty differences is over.” Augustus gestured toward the downed ship. “That is all of our fates should we not band together.”

  Anna made a fist as Ashton looked at Augustus with loathing.

  “Why the anger? Have I said anything that’s not true? Come; the world needs us. We must work together. I need your advice on how to carry out the upcoming battle. Obviously, I must bow to your expertise in many areas...”

  “Do you mind?” Anna asked. “We just lost our friends here and you’re giving us a sales pitch.”

  Augustus lifted his hands, backing away. “You are right. Take your time.”

  As Augustus and his Praetorians retreated, the three of us walked closer to the ship. We could only trust ourselves to investigate this closely, and none of us would be satisfied until we had a final answer. It wasn’t likely, but if there was any chance they were alive, we had to make absolutely sure. Losing those four would be the biggest blow imaginable. Such a loss was incomprehensible.

  I stared into the yawning entrance of the cargo bay, out of which black smoke belched. It was impossible to see within. As smoke poured out, I felt a sense of defeat.

  They couldn’t be alive. It was just what I wanted to believe.

  “Maybe,” Ashton said. “Maybe it’s time we faced facts.”

  Anna grabbed my hand. With her other, she grabbed Ashton’s. We continued to look into the ship, as if Makara, Samuel, Michael, and Julian would walk out unscathed.

  I felt my heart sink further.

  “They’re...really dead.”

  My words faded as we just stared, unwilling to yield our hope. I thought about how ridiculous we must look to the others doing this, but I didn’t care. I just wanted Makara back. Samuel. All of them.

  We stood there for fifteen minutes. Augustus did nothing to interrupt us from our stance, giving us the time we needed. The smoke thinned, but it was still hard to see inside. There was nothing we could do.

  “There might be tracks or something,” Anna said.

  “On this fungus?” I asked.

  “It’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

  We left our spot, scanning the ground for tracks. The problem was that the fungus already had so many natural imprints that nothing stuck out. We went along the whole length of the ship – the other side leaned against a mountain, making it impossible to look over there.

  We found ourselves once again in front of the cargo bay, maybe fifty feet distant.

  Augustus and his Praetorians came over to get us.

  “We must leave,” Augustus said. “There is nothing else to be done here.”

  A single tear coursed down my face. I felt it should have been more given the circumstances, but I had reached my end. Without Makara or Samuel, I didn’t know what I would do. I had been through so much with both. It was bound to happen, sooner or later – if not here, it would have happened at Ragnarok. At least Anna was alive. I squeezed her hand. She didn’t respond.

  Ashton was the first to start heading back for the ship. Anna remained beside me. I stood rooted, staring into the cargo bay.

  “Come on,” she said, her voice thick.

  The smoke was all but gone. Gazing into the shadow of the bay, I noticed something that set my heart racing.

  “Wait.”

  Anna paused, recognizing hope in my voice.

  “The bay is empty,” I said.

  I looked at Anna, trying to communicate the importance of this news with
only my eyes. Augustus couldn’t know. He needed to think...

  “...the Recon,” Anna said. She faced away from Augustus, smiling. “They’re alive!”

  After Gilgamesh had landed, they must have hurried to the cargo bay to drive the Recon off the ship. It was the only thing they could have done. The first order Samuel would have given. I knew the Recon was on there when they had taken off from Bunker 84.

  But where were they headed?

  Ashton came back to join us. Instantly, he saw the empty bay’s significance.

  He tried to hide his smile. He looked from one of us, to the other. “You can’t let him know. When you walk back onto that ship, you are in mourning. You understand?”

  With that, the three of us turned back to Orion.

  I tried to suppress the thrill of knowing that, somewhere out there, they were alive. That even now, they might be watching us.

  If so...

  No. They wouldn’t attempt a rescue with such poor odds. They’d be against a spaceship and at least fifteen armed guards.

  Besides, they were probably on their way back...

  ...back to where? The Wasteland? Bunker 84? I had no idea.

  I saw the fate of the Exodus laid out. Without any spaceship, they were stranded in Bunker 84. They would all starve unless Orion or Perseus rescued them. Augustus probably knew 84’s location because he had been watching Gilgamesh. It would be easy to figure out that there was something important in Northern California from the way we kept visiting it.

  Anna and I walked up the boarding ramp and into Orion. As the door shut behind, even if we were hopelessly outgunned, hope was alive. We knew we could still succeed in our mission.

  All because of an empty cargo bay.

  About the Author

  Kyle West is a science fiction author living in Oklahoma City. He is currently working on The Wasteland Chronicles series, of which there will be seven installments. Find out immediately when his next book is released by signing up for The Wasteland Chronicles Mailing List. The sixth book, Extinction, will be released Spring 2014. After that is Xenofall, the conclusion of the saga.

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  kylewestwriter[at]gmail[dot]com

  Glossary

  10,000, The: This refers to the 10,000 citizens who were selected in 2029 to enter Bunker One. This group included the best America had to offer, people who were masters in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, and security. President Garland and all the U.S. Congress, as well as essential staff and their families, were chosen.

  Alpha: “Alpha” is the title given to the recognized head of the Raiders. In the beginning, it was merely a titular role that only had as much power as the Alpha was able to enforce. But as Raider Bluff grew in size and complexity, the Alpha took on a more meaningful role. Typically, Alphas do not remain so for long – they are assassinated by rivals who rise to take their place. In some years, there can be as many as four Alphas – though powerful Alphas, like Char, can reign for many years.

  Askala: Askala has two meanings – one is the name of the Radaskim Xenomind dwelling in Ragnarok Crater, while the other form refers to the dragons the xenovirus spawns. While Askala and xenodragon (or just dragon) are interchangeable, the Askala themselves (at least the Elekai Askala) refer to themselves as Askala.

  Batts: Batts, or batteries, are the currency of the Wasteland and the Empire. They are accepted anywhere that the Empire’s caravans reach. It is unknown how batteries were first seen as currency, but it is rumored that Augustus himself instigated the policy. Using them as currency makes sense: batteries are small, portable, and durable, and have the intrinsic quality of being useful. Rechargeable batteries (called “chargers”) are even more prized, and solar batteries (called “solars,” or “sols”) are the most useful and prized of all.

  Behemoth: The Behemoth is a great monstrosity in the Wasteland – a giant creature, either humanoid or reptilian, or sometimes a mixture of the two, that can reach heights of ten feet or greater. They are bipedal, powerful, and can keep pace with a moving vehicle. All but the most powerful of guns are useless against the Behemoth’s armored hide.

  Black Reapers, The: The Black Reapers are a powerful, violent gang, based in Los Angeles. They are led by Warlord Carin Black. They keep thousands of slaves, using them to serve their post-apocalyptic empire. They usurped the Lost Angels in 2055, and have been ruling there ever since.

  Black Files, The: The Black Files are the mysterious collected research on the xenovirus, located in Bunker One. They were authored principally by Dr. Cornelius Ashton, Chief Scientist of Bunker One.

  Blights: Blights are infestations of xenofungus and the xenolife they support. They are typically small, but the bigger ones can cover large tracts of land. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the Blight, the more complicated and dangerous the ecosystem it maintains. The largest known Blight is the Great Blight – which covers a large portion of the central United States. Its center is Ragnarok Crater.

  Boundless, The: The Boundless is an incredibly dry part of the Wasteland, ravaged by canyons and dust storms, situated in what used to be Arizona and New Mexico. Very little can survive in the Boundless, and no one is known to have ever crossed it.

  Bunker 40: Bunker 40 is located on the outer fringes of the Great Blight in Arizona. It is hidden beneath a top secret research facility, a vestige of the Old World. Many aircraft were stationed at Bunker 40 before it fell, sometime in the late 2050s.

  Bunker 108: Bunker 108 is located in the San Bernardino Mountains about one hundred miles east of Los Angeles. It is the birthplace of Alex Keener.

  Bunker 114: Bunker 114 is a medical research installation built about fifty miles northwest of Bunker 108. Built beneath Cold Mountain, Bunker 114 is small. After the fall of Bunker One, Bunker 114, like Bunker 108 to the southeast, became a main center of xenoviral research. An outbreak of the human strain of the xenovirus caused the Bunker to fall in 2060. Bunker 108’s fall followed soon thereafter.

  Bunker One: Bunker One was the main headquarters of the Post-Ragnarok United States government. It fell in 2048 to a swarm of crawlers that overran its defenses. Bunker One had berths for ten thousand people, making it many times over the most populous Bunker. Its inhabitants included President Garland, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, essential government staff, and security forces, along with the skilled people needed to maintain it. Also, dozens of brilliant scientists and specialists lived and worked there, including engineers, doctors, and technicians. The very wealthy were also allowed berths for helping to finance the Bunker Program. Bunker One is the location of the Black Files, authored by Dr. Cornelius Ashton.

  Bunker Six: Bunker Six is a large installation located north of Bunker One, within driving distance. It houses the S-Class spaceships constructed during the Dark Decade – including Gilgamesh, the capital ship, and three smaller cruisers – Odin, Perseus, and Orion. While Gilgamesh and Odin are under Cornelius Ashton’s care, Perseus and Orion are still locked inside the fallen Bunker.

  Bunker Program, The: The United States and Canadian governments pooled resources to establish 144 Bunkers in Twelve Sectors throughout their territory. The Bunkers were the backup in case the Guardian Missions failed. When the Guardian Missions did fail, the Bunker Program kicked into full gear. The Bunkers were designed to save all critical government personnel and citizenry, along with anyone who could provide the finances to construct them. The Bunkers were designed to last indefinitely, using hydroponics to grow food. The Bunkers ran on fusion power, which had been made efficient by the early 2020s. The plan was that, when the dust settled, Bunker residents could reemerge and rebuild. Most Bunkers fell, however, for various reasons – including critical systems failures, mutinies, and attacks by outsiders (see Wastelanders). By the year 2060, only four Bunkers were left.

  Chaos Years, The: The Chaos Years refer to the ten ye
ars following the impact of Ragnarok. These dark years signified the great die-off of most forms of life, including humans. Most deaths occurred due to starvation. With mass global cooling, crops could not grow in climates too far from the tropics. What crops would grow produced a yield far too paltry to feed the population that existed. This led to a period of violence unknown in all of human history. The Chaos Years signify the complete breakdown of the Old World’s remaining infrastructures – including food production, economies, power grids, and the industrial complex – all of which led to the deaths of billions of people.

  Coleseo Imperio: El Coleseo Imperio, translated as the Imperial Coliseum, is a circular, three-tiered stone arena rising from the center of the city of Nova Roma, the capital of the Nova Roman Empire. It is used to host gladiatorial games in the tradition of ancient Rome, and serves as the chief sport of the Empire. Slaves and convicts are forced to fight in death matches, which serves the dual purpose of entertaining the masses while getting rid of prisoners and slaves who would otherwise be, in the Empire’s eyes, liabilities. Many festivals, and even ritual sacrifices, take place on the arena floor.

  Crawlers: Crawlers are dangerous, highly mobile monsters spawned by Ragnarok. Their origin is unclear, but they share many characteristics of Earth animals – mostly those reptilian in nature. Crawlers are sleek and fast, and can leap through the air at very high speeds. Typically, crawlers attack in groups, and behave as if of one mind. One crawler will, without hesitation, sacrifice itself in order to reach its prey. Crawlers are especially dangerous when gathered in high numbers – at which point there is not much one can do but run. Crawlers can be killed, their weak points being their belly and their three eyes.