by Isaiah Lee
Jason led Karen by the hand to the fourth floor voting area. They waited quietly in line for what seemed an eternity before they were finally allowed back to a table where an elderly man asked for their names to be scrawled on a scrap of paper. They also filled in age, race, sex, place of birth, and whether they volunteered to fight. Jason sniggered at sex, considering filling it in with ‘great’ or ‘leaves you panting’ but resisted the temptation.
They stepped back to the row of computers together and stood side by side. There weren’t but two options on the ballot, but it still comforted both to know they had someone by their side as they voted to send humanity’s last to war.
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They heard others later that day while eating at the cafeteria about wanting to go fight themselves. They were extremely determined to go kill “some o’ them fuckin’ freaks”, as they’d put it.
Jason and Karen sat next to the group, the only two vacant seats in sight.
“What do you think, man?” a burly man asked before Jason could even sit down properly. “Wanna kill some aliens?”
Jason nodded, his face twisting into a sickening expression. “Sure do.”
“My brother done got ‘imself killed,” another man said. “He ran out and pointed ‘is shotgun into the sky and screamed something insulting. Then one o’ them green blasts took ‘im right on up to Jesus.”
“I guess every person I’ve ever known is dead,” Karen said as she stirred what resembled mashed potatoes. Given the texture, she wasn’t totally sure that she even wanted to know. “I’m ready to kill some fucking aliens!” She looked around then and realized she had the attention of everyone relatively close to their table. She thought about cowering and hiding her face in embarrassment. Life was too short – especially now in the face of the apocalypse – to wimp out now.
“Yeah, that’s right,” she said louder. Others began putting down their utensils and quietening conversations around them. “I’m tired of sitting back and watching innocent people die. I’m sick of waking up every night from nightmares of screaming and death all around me.”
People all around the cafeteria had stopped conversing to listen to the badass chick across the room. Several on the perimeter had to stand to see the speaker. “It’s time to fight back. It’s time to take America back!”
Jason gazed up at the now-standing Karen. She might be the one after all. She was hardcore enough to kill their attackers at Young & Buck’s back in Ithaca. He had no doubt that she would absolutely fight to the death, given the opportunity. She was amazing.
Others around the hall began to cheer and chant. Of course, there were some nay-sayers who remained seated or shot eat-shit looks toward Karen and those surrounding her. They knew to keep quiet, lest the majority jump them.
Finally, one man on the far side of the cafeteria stood. People around him who hadn’t noticed his presence before fell silent in respect or fear. President James Neil walked toward the young woman who had now fallen silent upon seeing his face.
“Mr. President…” Karen said as she flushed. “I’m so sorry…”
“No need to be sorry,” the president assured her. “I’m glad to hear so much support.” He continued wading through the crowd until he stood beside Karen. She nearly shook from nervousness. “May I?”
Karen nodded and James Neil took her hand in his. He raised it high above their heads and shouted. “Together, we can save humanity! Together, we will survive!”
Cheers and clapping went up all around the massive room. Before long the crowd was chanting “kill them all!” and fists pumping into the air.
“Miss, we need to talk,” James said quietly into Karen’s ear. He told her a room number and time before heading back to his table and ramping up the crowd further.
Chapter 30
“What did he say?” Jason asked as the president walked away.
“He said we needed to talk,” Karen squeaked. She was visibly shaking now. “What do you think he’s going to do to me?”
“I… I don’t know,” Jason admitted. He sat back down at his seat and scrambled his “cube steak” around on his plate.
“Dude, that was the fuckin’ president!” the burly man said after the commotion had calmed. “That was awesome!”
The other men around the table high-fived each other and began talking amongst themselves, obviously star-struck at meeting the president. Karen heard a few comments about that “fuckin’ hot chick” and “I’d let her…” before she stood and excused herself. Jason stood and followed her out of the cafeteria. There was no doubt about it: men were pigs. He was massively outnumbered and knew that starting a fight would get him killed.
He followed her, without speaking, to their room on the fourth floor and locked the door behind them. “Are you alright?” he asked finally. He didn’t expect her to have an answer; it was an attempt to end the deafening silence.
“No, I am not alright! I spoke out of turn and now the president is pissed.”
Jason sat on the bunk beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her in tight. “I think you’ve misread the situation. He didn’t look mad. There was a glint of pride in his eyes.”
Karen looked up at this. “Really? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I’ll go with you in a few minutes and be right by your side, if you would have me.”
“Of course!” Karen’s wet eyes trained on Jason’s face. She realized it might be now or never, depending on what President Neil had to say. She leaned in and kissed him hard. He embraced her and kissed her passionately. Finally, Karen pulled away. “Jason, I love you. I love you so much and I always want you by my side.”
Jason kissed her again. “I love you, too. I want you in my life for as long as that may be.” He regretted that it had to be this way, without a ring, but there may never be another chance. He got onto one knee and held Karen’s hands in his. “I have been waiting my entire life for a woman like you. I love you, Karen Pierce. Will you marry me?” Normally he’d have thought he was rushing. He’d have never considered marrying someone after such a short time. Karen was… well, she was different. Jason had never met anyone like her. Was this what they called love at first sight?
“Yes, of course!” She jumped into Jason’s arms as he stood and kissed him deeply.
A single chime sounded from outside in the hallway indicating it was 1:00pm. “Shit…” Karen sighed. “I’m supposed to be meeting him in his room now.”
“Then let’s go.” Jason pulled Karen by the hand and led her into the hallway. “Which room?”
“563”
Jason led Karen to the elevator and pressed the down button. “It chimed once and opened immediately. They rode down one floor and read the placard indicating that room 563 was to the left. They silently made their way to room 563 and stopped. Jason rapped on the door with conviction. No reason to be scared. It was only the most powerful man in what remained of the free world. Zero pressure.
The door opened and a man in a black suit stepped into the hallway. His left hand grasped his belt, holding his jacket back so that his handgun was exposed. The right hand hovered eerily close to the automatic pistol.
“I’m… I’m here to see President Neil.” Karen’s voice wavered slightly, but Jason was proud of the confidence it held.
“Move, Gerald. Let them in.”
The guard – apparently Gerald, who was a monster of amongst men at nearly seven feet tall – stepped to the left two steps and nodded entrance into the room. Jason recognized him as a man who stepped through the crowd with the president in the cafeteria.
They had expected a room of such grandeur for the president. The White House was elegant, with no expense spared. This room, room 563, was exactly like Karen and Jason’s room. Two sets of bunkbeds on opposite sides of the room. The only noticeable difference was the two armed guards, Gerald and one thus far unnamed, who stood in wait for a psychopath with a death wish.
Jason and Karen
stepped in to find President Neil sitting on the bottom bunk, his back propped against the concrete block wall. “Sit down, make yourselves at home.” He pointed to the bunk bed on the opposite side of the room.
They acquiesced and sat opposite the powerful man. It was incredibly hard to make themselves at home on the rock-hard mattress. They both squirmed uncomfortably for a moment before giving up on the endeavor to find comfort.
“I guess you’re wondering why I called you here,” he began. “Let’s just cut to the chase.”
Karen cringed slightly. Here it came. Surely he was about to reprimand her for speaking out of turn.
“I was impressed to hear your devotion back there at lunch. You are exactly the kind of person I need at the helm of the resistance.”
Karen’s heart nearly stopped. “You want me?” At the helm of the resistance army? What good would I be in battle?
“Absolutely. I saw the way you riled up the cafeteria. You are a natural-born leader.”
Jason squeezed her hand. Being wanted by the president for a resistance army was all swell and good. But where would that leave him? Panic shot through his body in waves at the possibility of losing Karen now.
Karen voiced the concern as it crossed Jason’s mind. “What about Jason?”
“Jason.” The president thought for a moment as he appraised the young man. “I’m guessing you can hold your own or you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Jason explained their encounter at Young & Buck’s. James Neil seemed impressed. “See, that’s exactly what I mean about you holding your own. And you,” he turned his attention back to Karen. “Would you be willing to lead the resistance on the ground with me?”
Karen was speechless. She thought for a while before answering. “I have no military training. Mr. President…”
President Neil cut her off with the wave of a hand. “You can both refer to me as James.”
“Ok. James.” It seemed so unnatural, so rude, to address a man in his position in such an informal manner. “Why would you want me?”
“It’s obvious that the resistance will listen to you. You are passionate and persuading. Whether you’d admit it or not, you can hold your own in battle.” He turned his attention back to Jason. “You would be an asset to the cause as well.
“Let’s be honest. Most of the people in this bunker are civilians with no sort of training. They won’t have a clue as to how to work together to overcome the enemy. Who better to lead the resistance than the two of you? You are both more than capable of kicking some serious ass, but at the same time the civilian army will be able to relate with you. They need someone who they can relate with and feel like is on the same level as they are. In their eyes, the military has let them down already. Trust would be hard to come by from somebody who they feel they can’t trust.”
Jason had to admit it. It made perfect sense to him. If given the choice, at this point the military probably wouldn’t be his first choice to protect him from the invading alien forces. He nodded his head and looked to Karen who said, “It’s the fate of humanity at stake. I agree. They do need someone who they can trust or they will never properly band together and conquer.”
James stood. “It’s settled, then. As long as the war gets the vote, you two will head up the army of the resistance.” He extended a hand. Jason shook it, followed by Karen.
“The vote… When you called us in here and explained why, I assumed the vote was just to make the people feel like they had a choice for going to war and not like it was forced upon them,” Jason admitted. He hoped he hadn’t just spoken out of place. Last thing he wanted was to insult or otherwise piss off the leader of the country.
“I understand why you would think that way. But the vote is real. I can’t singlehandedly be responsible for sending all able-bodied soldiers at my disposal to war. A vote is the only honest way I know to put the decision back into the hands of the people. That’s what it’s all about, in the end. By the people, for the people.”
“What about other countries?” Karen asked.
“Good question. As I said before, ninety-five percent of the human population has been annihilated. Some leaders have gathered their forces, but they are scattered and weak. Others have followed my lead and are holding a vote to allow survivors the opportunity to decide their fate. Survival bunkers have been built almost worldwide to provide a second chance in case of an apocalypse, whether human-induced or otherwise. We will see in less than a day now what is going to happen.”
“What kind of firepower are we looking at?” Jason wanted to know. “I’m sure there are guns. But soldiers with handguns don’t hardly stand a chance against the kinds of ships I’ve seen.” He wasn’t sure what would stand a chance.
“See, that’s why I’ve picked the two of you. You are civilians, but you have already laid a plan and are figuring a way to make it work. Yes, we have guns. We also have a huge store of military vehicles that haven’t been destroyed, at least not to my knowledge. There are several bunkers hidden in the Appalachian Mountains in which attack choppers, fighter jets, and even tanks have been stored. These are the closest such bunkers to our location. Thus far, none have been found or destroyed by enemy forces.”
Jason smiled. “I call a tank.”
James explained that it was over a seven hour drive by car to the bunkers in the Appalachian Mountains. Luckily, there was a small army of attack and rescue choppers right now in WDC2, which was part of the reason that the sixth floor was off limits to civilians. Jason thought about Todd Baker who had helped them onto the extraction chopper. “There isn’t enough room in the choppers for all of the soldiers in WDC2, are there?”
“Not quite. Everyone who volunteers for the mission will take priority in the choppers. There is room for some, but not all. I’m not sure exactly how many off the top of my head. Those who can’t fit will stay here and serve as protection for now. So far, the alien forces don’t seem to have found a way into the bunker. There is no guarantee this will last.”
“Makes sense,” Karen admitted. “Nothing to do now but wait and count the tallies, huh?”
“Hurry up and wait,” James said and laughed. His brilliantly white teeth were nearly blinding in the fluorescent light found throughout the bunker.
Chapter 31
“It’s official,” the voice sounded over the bunker-wide intercom – via satellite connectivity – to every disaster survival bunker in the United States. “Today is the 3rd of February, 2019, the start of World War Three. In a resounding eighty-five percent for the war, America will join its brothers tomorrow in the war against the Qspolians. Those of you who have volunteered to fight the good fight, go and receive what provisions you will need for the upcoming battle. Take the rest of the day to rest, drink, fuck… whatever you need to do. Tomorrow, we ship out. We will need every soldier in tip-top shape for the upcoming war.”
President James Neil signed off and stepped away from the microphone. The broadcast, which was being cast to every bunker in the United States, ended in static. His wife stood by his side with her hands on her hips. “Fuck, huh?”
“Yes,” he said without missing a beat. “Let them have their fun today. There will be an unimaginable number of deaths in the upcoming days or weeks, I’m afraid. This will be the last time for most of these brave souls.”
“Ok, I understand that. But you’re still the president. Do you think that kind of vulgar language is appropriate for a man of your status?”
“I think it’s exactly fitting for a man in my position. Their leader just told them to go out and have a good time. It will do nothing but help comfort those who need it most. Anyway, the best we could hope for would be new pregnancies that will help to repopulate this fucked up world we now live in.” He smiled that cunning smile that always made Susan’s heart melt a little. “One more step toward rebuilding, right?”
He walked beside his wife to the end of the hallway and turned toward the elevator. He stepped on first and pres
sed the button for floor five, then floor six. “Go back to our room, Baby. I’m going to make sure everyone has what they need. Then I’ll be back up.”
Susan nodded and fought every urge within her to cry and lose her composure. “I love you. See you soon, James.”
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When their leader took his place on the podium, the rowdy group of volunteers on floor six slowly quieted and stood at attention. “Gentlemen,” he began, “today is a pivotal point in history for mankind. The entire globe is working together as one to unite against a common enemy.”
Jason and Karen stood in their places beside James on the podium. Jason held Karen’s hand in his, behind their backs where nobody else could see. Still, it offered a small comfort to the pair who were on the verge of breaking down. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would go to war; the two of them were now expected to play a major role.
James continued his uplifting speech, promising to fight to the absolute end of humanity if that was what it took. Unlike other leaders, he planned on joining the resistance. He would take his place on the front line. This brought forth a wave of praise unlike any other.
It also brought forth a wave of panic and anxiety in Jason and Karen. They had been hand chosen by President Neil to help lead his army into battle. If he was fighting on the front lines, they would be expected to as well.
The president’s ending statement declared that at precisely 0600 tomorrow morning, more than two thousand men and women – the number who signed up to fight – would load up and fly out for the bunkers scattered throughout the Appalachian Mountains. There, they would rally with thousands more troops from dozens of other bunkers in the region. The fleet of airships and transport helicopters would refuel and reload ammunition – if needed – and from there, World War Three would be under way.
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