by Jake Bible
“Really?” Val asks. “We’re staying then we’re leaving. Just go with it, Hame.”
***
The corridor is dark and cold, the walls slick with condensation as Commander Lee walks with a crank flashlight through the bottom level of the Stronghold. After a few turns, and several more wet-looking corridors, she comes to a plain door. She knocks lightly and waits.
The door opens, Sister looks her up and down, then steps aside so the Commander can enter. Commander Lee quickly moves inside and takes a seat in an old-looking swivel chair, one that could have been in any office in any city across the country. Former country. Former land. Now a land that’s nothing but radioactive slag. Most of it, at least.
Sister grabs her own seat in an identical swivel chair and points at one of the many video monitors that fill the wall in front of them.
“I just talked with some guy in Paris,” Sister says. “He was a dick. Didn’t want to give me an update on their containment measures. Stupid prick kept saying I didn’t have the authority. I rattled off some nuke codes and told him I could authorize his ass be vaporized. He says that the EU is safe and still Z free. Not a single case since this country closed its borders.”
“You should really let me do all the communicating,” Commander Le says. “Or maybe someone with a slightly more diplomatic way.”
“Right now, it’s just you and me, Maura baby,” Sister says.
“And the council,” Commander Lee says. “They had to know as well. What I do not understand is why you stopped me from telling everyone else in that meeting? It would have gone a long way towards them understanding the real reason we had to nuke everything.”
“Don’t tell them,” Sister says. “And make sure the council doesn’t tell them either. If they do, I’ll have to do something about it.”
“Like what? Kill everyone that knows?” Commander Lee asks. “Why?”
“Because if anyone in here knows that the rest of the world exists, and never was infected, then there will be hell,” Sister says. “Trust me. I’ve seen what the news can do to a person not prepared to hear it. It spells trouble for everyone. T-r-o-u-b-l-e. Trouble.”
“Then what are we going to tell them?” Commander Lee asks. “We have to say something. I wanted the residents to know there was hope for the future. Maybe not for this generation, or even the next couple of generations, but at some point everything we work for in here will mean something because there actually is a world outside and our descendants get to be a part of that.”
“I know what to tell them,” Sister says. “Leave it to me.”
“They don’t know you,” Commander Lee says.
Sister smiles, but it is sad and full of years of suppressed grief. “They know me. They won’t believe it, but they know me.”
There’s a bleep from one of the monitors and Commander Lee looks up. “That’s the EU defense council.”
“Then answer and let’s see how they plan on protecting the rest of the world from our fallout,” Sister says.
***
Sister turns as her name is called. She smiles as she sees Hamish and Val walking towards her.
“I brought it like you asked,” Val says, patting her blade on her hip. “Want to clue me in?”
“You’ll see,” Sister replies.
“Been a couple weeks since I’ve seen you,” Hamish says. “I need to look at the progress with your wound and I also want to do a full work up regarding your cancer. The supplies and facilities in this place are incredible. If we’re lucky, maybe I can find some sort of treatment to slow down the progress of the cancer.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Sister says and lifts her shirt. “My wound is just a scar now.”
“That can’t be,” Hamish says. “It’s much too soon for it to heal that fast.”
“I’ve been getting some sleep,” Sister says. “Sleep helps.”
“But it shouldn’t help like that,” Hamish says. He starts to say more, but Val puts a hand on his shoulder and he stops.
“Then at least let him treat the cancer,” Val says.
“This crap?” Sister laughs, pointing at the splotches on her skin. “I’ve been dealing with this for decades now. I have a long while before it takes me down.”
“Decades?” Hamish asks. “That’s not possible either.”
“I’m an impossible person,” Sister says and shrugs. “Best get used to it. We’re gonna be stuck in here together for a long, long time.” She gestures towards the wide open doors a few feet away where people are filtering through. “You two coming to the big announcement or what?”
“Yes, we’re coming,” Val says, yanking on Hamish. His mouth just opens and closes, opens and closes in a mix of confusion and frustration. Val places a finger under his chin and pushes it fully closed.
“Leave it alone,” Val says. “We’ll figure it all out later.”
“That’s my philosophy,” Sister says. “If I had one.”
The three follow the other residents through the doors and into the main entry area. The residents of the new Stronghold stand around chatting and greeting each other as the space quickly fills. But it doesn’t fill completely up; it can fit everyone with plenty of space leftover. That goes for the rest of the facility. Not even close to a half of the quarters are filled and there are more rooms, halls, and various training spaces throughout that it would take a person over a month of searching to find and see everyone.
Commander Lee steps onto a ladder set in the middle of the entry area and holds her hands up for it to be quiet. Sister stands near the ladder and nods as Val and Hamish find a place close by. Only a few feet from them are Stanford and Benji, with Cole, Diaz, and Tommy Bombs standing right behind them.
“Hello,” Commander Lee says. Voices are raised in acknowledgement. “Thank you for gathering here. I know we have had plenty of these things lately as we get oriented with our new home and also as we have paid tribute to the ones that fell getting us in here.”
“Everyone counts,” half the crowd says.
“We always remember,” the other half responds.
“As much as I would like to tell you all the hard part is done, I think you’d know I’m full of it,” Commander Lee says.
“No shit,” Stanford mumbles and few people give him harsh looks. He gives them right back.
“We will be in here for a long time,” Commander Lee says. “But, unfortunately, as some of you have guessed, it will be a lot longer than you were originally told. There is a failsafe protocol in place that will keep those giant doors behind you closed for a very, very long time.”
“Due to the radiation, right?” someone shouts.
“Due to that and other factors,” Commander Lee says. “Some of these factors are within our control, some are not. As we start to live and flourish in this new home, many of you will come to learn the importance of these factors. Many of you won’t and I count you the lucky ones. Just know that no matter what our fate is, we will always be the people of the Stronghold and we live by a code of honor and integrity that will outlive us all.”
“I’d like to say a few words,” Sister says.
Commander Lee looks down at her, hesitates, then nods.
“Most of you know that we have someone amongst us that has lived out in the wasteland for many years,” Commander Lee says. “Sister has been instrumental in gathering intel on other survivor areas, those both friendly and not so friendly. I can say with one hundred percent certainty that without her assistance, we would not be safe within this facility right now.”
“True dat!” Stanford exclaims.
“What does that mean?” Benji asks.
“Not a clue,” Stanford says. “Just something Sister says.”
“Thank you, Son, for your continued contributions to my speech,” Commander Lee says. More than a few people chuckle. “Sister? Your turn.”
Sister and Commander Lee swap places. The battle worn woman stares out at the many faces. She take
s a deep breath, climbs to the top of the ladder, and sits down.
“I am a lot older than you might think,” Sister says. “I am by far the oldest person in the Stronghold.”
There are some grumbles of disagreement from the elderly residents and Sister smiles.
“No, it’s true,” Sister insists. “I’ve been around since the very beginning of all of this mess. I have loved and lost more people than I even remember. But of those people, there were four that meant more than anything to me. They were my family. Not by blood, but by the heart. They taught me that if you are to survive in life you need your family with you. And when you have family with you, you can accomplish anything. I’m not shit fucking you here, people. With family you can accomplish anything.”
Commander Lee clears her throat at the use of profanity and Sister rolls her eyes.
“For as long as I am alive, I plan to treat every one of you like my family,” Sister continues. “I plan on passing down everything I have learned in my one hundred years plus on this stupid planet.” More grumbles of protests and even a few gasps of disbelief. “Yeah, yeah, you don’t believe me. I get that a lot. And I don’t really care. What I do care about is that you are all prepared. That future generations are prepared. That when those doors open, the people of the Stronghold will have the training and strength to take on whatever insanity is still out there. I want you to be the seeds that will eventually sow the residents of the new world.”
“How will you do that, old lady?” someone shouts. There’s nervous laughter.
“You aren’t part of the Teams,” someone else yells. “Have the Teams teach us.”
“They will,” Sister says. “We have just enough Mates left to help me with this crazy crap. I’ll pass on to them what I know and they will pass that on to those willing to learn. The knowledge will spread faster than a Z herd.”
No laughter on that one.
“But I can see the doubt out there,” Sister says, scanning the faces of the crowd. “I’ll prove to you all who I am and I can guarantee that before I kick the bloody bucket, there will no longer be a single bit of that doubt left in this Stronghold of my true identity.”
She motions to Val to come forward.
“Can I see that?” Sister asks, holding out her hand.
Val doesn’t hesitate and hands Sister her blade.
“Many of you know the legend of this blade,” Sister says, holding the weapon above her head for all to see. “I’m going to tell you now that the legend is true. I was there when this blade was handed over to Granny G. I was there because I handed it to her myself.”
Voices grow, there are shouts of protest and disbelief. Several people call for her to step down and quit the crap.
“HEY!” Sister bellows. “Don’t be rude!”
The crowd quiets down. Mostly.
“I was born Carly Michelle Thornberg pre-Z,” Sister says. “I have had a lot more names since then. But there is only one name that I call my own.”
She takes a deep breath and points the blade at the crowd. Every last mumble and mutter goes silent.
“My name is Elsbeth, but you know me as the Great El,” she says. “And when I am done with you, there won’t be a single person in this place that can’t kick some serious ass.”
She smiles wide and her face lights up enough to brighten the massive space.
“And I ain’t shit fucking you on that promise. Not at all.”
The place explodes into shouts of alarm, disbelief, and even some hope. Eyes stare at the woman and she stares back, that bright smile on her face.
They may be angry and confused, but they are now her family. Every one of them. Sister looks for Val and finds her. She gives a small wave. Val waves back, shaking her head then starts laughing. All of the Mates join in and the laughter soon becomes infectious.
Sister looks about and knows that no matter what, she will do everything she can to prepare these people, and their children, and children’s children, for that time far off in the future when the doors open and the people of the Stronghold venture out into the unknown of the wasteland.
The End
Read on for a free sample of Raptor Apocalypse
Author’s Note:
It has been a blast playing in the world of DTA. Which is, if you haven’t already noticed, the same world as my Z-Burbia series, just well after those events. If you haven’t read that series then go back and you’ll learn a lot of how the Stronghold came about and also who the crazy woman known as Sister/Elsbeth/Great El is.
Oh, and for those keeping score, yes, this Stronghold is the Stronghold which shows up in Dead Mech and the Apex Trilogy. Want to know what the future is like for the residents of the Stronghold when they finally open those doors? Check out the Apex Trilogy and you’ll see all!
Thanks, as always, for reading!
Cheers,
Jake
10/27/2015
Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award nominated-novelist, short story writer, independent screenwriter, podcaster, and inventor of the Drabble Novel, has entertained thousands with his horror and sci/fi tales. He reaches audiences of all ages with his uncanny ability to write a wide range of characters and genres.
Jake is the author of the bestselling Z-Burbia series set in Asheville, NC, the Apex Trilogy (DEAD MECH, The Americans, Metal and Ash) and the Mega series for Severed Press, as well as the YA zombie novel, Little Dead Man, the Bram Stoker Award nominated Teen horror novel, Intentional Haunting, the ScareScapes series, and the Reign of Four series for Permuted Press.
Find Jake at jakebible.com. Join him on Twitter @jakebible and find him on Facebook.
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UNREMARKABLE
A.J. “JESSE” PRIEO stared out the front windshield of his F-250 SuperCrew, watching as the truck ate up the empty two-lane highway. Fields of honey-colored grasses, marred by green splotches of mesquite, flew past to either side. His face was tense and jaw set rigid. Ever since leaving work, something deep inside his gut had been sending out warn-ing signals.
Signals he just couldn’t ignore.
He’d finished his shift at the sheriff’s office barely twen-ty minutes ago. It had been one long day of answering phones, drinking coffee, and riding a desk chair around the office. His replacement, Deputy Henderson, who worked the night shift, had arrived thirty minutes late but sober for a welcome change. So, while irritated with Henderson, it wasn’t that. The feeling was coming from somewhere deeper, more primal. Hoping to calm his nerves, he rolled down the side window, thinking the rushing air might help.
It didn't.
The only other notable event of the day had been when his father, the sheriff, whom everyone called Big John, had strolled into the office around lunchtime, picked up his messages, and headed out in search of a barstool and a bot-tle of Jim Beam. But as Jesse reviewed every gesture his father had made, every word they’d exchanged, he couldn't find the culprit there either. He sucked in his belly and dug in his pocket for his cellphone, meaning to call his wife and let her know he’d be home soon but was running late. As he fished around for the phone, his fingers came back with only spare change and lint. The cell also wasn’t on the seat beside him, or inside the console. Then he remembered leaving the damn thing plugged into the charger at work. Crap. Was that it? The phone? No, the feeling was coming from somewhere different, more intimate. More along the lines of the tingly feeling he often experienced in Iraq, right before some disaster hit.
He readjusted himself on the seat and tried to shift his thoughts onto tonight’s football game. The Cowboys were playing the Redskins, and he wanted to get home in time to watch the kickoff.
Ahead on the road, a stone-ringed sign marked the turnoff into Rancho Lobos, a small enclave of rural paradise he called home. He merged into the left-hand turn lane and slowed for the signal light. The tires groaned to silence as the truck came to a full stop. He glanced at the rearview mirror. No one was coming up behind him. No one was coming from the opposit
e direction either. There should have been others on the road at this hour, a few at least.
So, where were they?
Once the light released him, he made his way into the neatly laid out neighborhoods of stick and stucco homes, each with their own square patch of green lawn out front and new trees held rigid by brown wooden posts. Chil-dren’s bikes, scooters, and other ride-on toys rested against curbs and filled nearly identical concrete driveways, but there were no kids outside playing. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the dashboard clock. He’d made good time getting home, better than he’d expected. He now had an-other ten minutes until kickoff, which gave him plenty of time for a pre-game beer, maybe two, judging by how skit-tish he felt.
He pulled into his driveway and cut the ignition. The en-gine rumbled to a halt. “It’s nothing,” he said, shaking his head, and then repeated the words in his mind, trying to convince himself he had it all wrong. There had to be a simple explanation. Maybe it was just his weary mind play-ing tricks. Grunting, he snatched his notebook from the seat beside him and tucked it up under his arm, pulled the keys out of the ignition and climbed out of the truck. He hiked up the narrow pathway leading to his front door while glancing up the street. The yards were empty. Just empty. There should have been a few kids outside for God’s sake. Always were. A parent or two, maybe. But the only other person he saw was cranky old Robert Neville, his neighbor from across the street. The man had the hood up on his classic Willys Station Wagon. He was working on some-thing as he did most game nights. The guy just hated foot-ball. What sort of guy hates football? In Texas? The man wasn’t right in the head. Jesse waved and nodded to Robert as he did every game night. He received the same blank stare in response, so he turned and continued up the walkway to his front door. As he drew nearer, he heard sounds coming from inside, the TV, mumbled voices. At least something was working right.