Doomsday Hunter

by Eric Vall

  Here goes nothing…

  I tapped the wires together, and sparks flew as the dune buggy’s engine turned over.

  But it only turned over once.

  “It didn’t work!” I hissed.

  Try it again.

  “Hunter… ” There was now a twinge of fear in Natalie’s voice.

  I slapped the wires together once more.

  More sparks, but no engine.

  “Still nothing!” I gasped.

  Keep trying until you get it! Karla ordered.

  The next time I touched the wires, the engine roared to life, and for a brief second, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Then the engine died, and my relief turned to despair.

  “I’m gonna have to fight them off,” Natalie gulped as she cocked her rifle and aimed toward the beach. “They’re almost here.”

  “Come on, you little bitch… ” I grumbled. “Work!”

  This time, I slammed the two slivers of copper together so hard I worried they’d break, and sparks flew out of the wires as the engine turned over and then roared to life.

  This time, it stayed alive.

  “Yes!” I fist-pumped into the air.

  “Celebrate later,” Natalie commanded as she pushed me out of the way.

  The blonde woman threw the rifle back over her shoulder, jumped up into the driver’s seat, and then positioned herself firmly behind the wheel.

  Meanwhile, I dashed over to the other side, hopped into the second chair, and fastened my seatbelt.

  Did it work? Karla asked.

  “It worked,” I confirmed, “but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

  And that was the truth. Off in the distance, I could see the outlines of a large group of Scavengers making their way to the pier.

  “Don’t be intimidated by their gunshots,” Natalie warned. “They’ll be shooting to injure, not to kill.”

  As if that made it any better.

  Natalie slammed her foot down on the gas pedal, and the dune buggy’s wheels screeched against the deck of the ship. The next thing I knew, the vehicle launched forward like a bat out of hell.

  That’s when the gunshots started.

  All throughout the shore, muzzle flares flashed throughout the darkness, accompanied by thunderous booms.

  I could hear the bullets whistling past our position as we shot forward, but Natalie held her ground.

  Sand sprayed into the air as we hit the beach, and Natalie whipped the vehicle to the right and sent us drifting straight toward the rest of the Scavengers.

  “Return fire!” she ordered. “But try not to hit anyone.”

  “That doesn’t make any s--”

  “Just do it!” the driver repeated.

  So, I hoisted up the shotgun, aimed it at the feet of the nearest Scavenger, and squeezed the trigger.

  The ground cratered in the spot where I’d fired, and the man fell back onto his ass.

  “They’re really pissed!” he cried out.

  I fired off the gun again and saw my shot splash into the water of the lake.

  Just then, there was a quick buzzing sound as another bullet zipped past my head. It struck the pole above me and sent sparks flying in every direction.

  “Careful, you idiot!” I heard Marcus’ voice scream. “That’s our only functional land vehicle!”

  The bullets hissed past us as we shot down the shore of Lake Michigan. Within a few seconds, we passed through the camp, past the roaring inferno and what remained of the celebration. Finally, we got far enough away that the gunshots stopped, and there was nothing in front of us but darkness.

  Our headlines illuminated the area before us, but not much else.

  “Home free,” I sighed as I leaned back and lowered the gun to my side. “That was too close for comfort.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” Natalie warned. “I fear what lies ahead more than anything Marcus and the Scavengers could do to us.”

  Great.

  It sounded like the danger was just getting started.

  Chapter 10

  Natalie and I drove in silence for the next hour of our journey. Or, at least, as silent as it could be when adrenaline had my heart hammering through my eardrums.

  We stayed along the beach the entire time, since we knew the nuclear plant was located somewhere along the coast. Abandoned, rotting beach houses that were further up on the shore passed by as we drove, and every now and again, we’d drive by a spot with beach showers or single-building restrooms. A few times, I swore I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t dare take a second look.

  “You know,” I spoke up as we drove through an area that obviously used to be a commercial beach, “in my dimension, spots like this were the place to be.”

  “Really?” Natalie asked with a raised eyebrow. “Your people enjoyed coming out to this desolate area, where no crops can grow and the sun makes the ground turn to fire on a daily basis?”

  “We didn’t live here,” I chuckled. “We came to the beach for fun. You know… an escape from everyday life.”

  “Was your life really so bad?” the Scavenger questioned. “I live on the beach and, let me tell you… it’s awful.”

  “See, people back from where I’m from would kill to live on the beach,” I admitted. “In fact, the property values were so ridiculously high around here that you basically had to be independently wealthy to own a place right on the lake. That, or you had to settle for like, a five-hundred square foot shack.”

  “Your society sounds so strange,” Natalie admitted as she glanced over at me. “I’m not sure if I’m intrigued by it, or appalled.”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong.” I raised my hands. “I’m pretty appalled by a lot of what goes on in my society. But at least we don’t have nuclear fallout and crazy mutant humans trying to kill us all of the time.”

  “My father and mother told me about the olden days,” Natalie mused as she drove. “About how you could have any profession you wanted… How you could go anywhere in the world without fear of death or survival… About all the things they used to take for granted… Did we really used to have sanitary water systems and electricity in every house?”

  “If your pre-Doomsday world is anything like mine, you did.” I nodded. “It’s definitely something I’m starting to take for granted, being out here with you and the Scavengers. There’s something just so… simple about the way you live.”

  “Simple?” Natalie scoffed as she clenched the steering wheel tightly. “Hunter, we send out parties on life-or-death excursions every single day, to hunt for things that will allow us to live another day. You heard Marcus. He doesn’t believe humanity ever stands a chance of getting back to its pre-Doomsday state. From here on out, it’s all about ensuring the human race outlives the Rubberfaces.”

  “That seems needlessly bleak,” I admitted. “Dr. Nash claims if we pull this off and kill the Rubberfaces in the Fallen Lands, your timeline will be saved. Don’t you believe me?”

  “I want to,” Natalie sighed. “If I didn’t think there was something to your theory, I wouldn’t have agreed to come along on this mission. Or cut ties with my people. But there’s a little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me it’s hopeless.”

  “At least you’re one step up on me,” I chuckled. “The little voice in my head just calls me names and points out how incompetent I am at this stuff.”

  Natalie’s face twisted into a smile momentarily, and then she started to laugh heartily.

  You know I can hear you, right? Karla’s voice grumbled.

  “Oh, I know,” I retorted, “I meant for you to hear that one.”

  “How does it work?” Natalie asked as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “How do you talk to somebody across the dimensions without a walkie talkie or any sort of communicator.”

  “Microchip in the brain,” I explained as I pointed to my left temple and tapped on it three times. “She’s the one who put it in me. It’
s what allows me to hop through the dimensions while also keeping me connected to home base.”

  “So, this Karla and her father are tracking our every move?” Natalie asked. “Do you trust them?”

  “Well, I’ve made it this far by trusting them.” I shrugged. “And even if I didn’t… they’re paying me a lot of money to do this.”

  Natalie didn’t seem to understand.

  “Explain,” she demanded. “My parents tried to explain this concept of ‘money’ to me when I was younger, but I never quite understood.”

  “Uh, well… ” I racked my brain as I tried to think of a good analogy. “Let’s say somebody has a patch you really want for your jacket, but the other person doesn’t want to just give it away for nothing. Now, normally you could just trade for it, provided you have something she wants. But what if you don’t?”

  “Then I kick the shit out of her and take it anyway,” Natalie suggested.

  “No, no,” I sighed. “In my world, that’d get you thrown into prison. Instead of your transaction coming to a total standstill, you’d both have something universally valuable. In my world, that’s called ‘money.’ It’s a thing anyone can use to trade for anything they could possibly want, and its value is accepted as the same by everyone.”

  “If it’s value is the same to everyone, doesn’t that make it worthless?” Natalie still wasn’t getting it.

  “Dang.” I whistled. “You’d make a great anarchist. I guess you’re right… But in my dimension, this universally accepted currency is demanded to pay all of your bills. You know, payment to keep a roof over your head and to buy food and to keep the electricity going.”

  “I’m still confused,” the blonde woman sighed. “Why don’t you just do all of that stuff yourself? Can’t you hunt your own food and build your own dwellings? It’s what we do.”

  “Not if you want a ‘good’ one,” I explained. “Most of us humans back on Dimension One don’t have the skills to build our own house or hunt our own food. That’s why we pay other people to do it for us.”

  “Sounds like your world is full of soft pansies,” Natalie chuckled. “I’ll take a Scavenger over any of those lot.”

  “It’s a different world, that’s for sure.” I shrugged. “Anyways, that’s the main reason I’m doing this. Because the Nashes are going to pay me way more money than I could possibly make on my own.”

  “I briefly remember my parents explaining that, in the previous world, you performed tasks for this money?” Natalie asked as she continued to try and understand. “Is that what you’re doing for Mister and Missus Nash?”

  “Miss Nash,” I corrected. “And yeah, that’s what I’m doing. Normally, though, I’m a Pest Control Technician.”

  “So, what?” the blonde woman pondered aloud. “You tried to control pests like wild dogs and Atomooses?”

  “Not quite,” I chuckled. “Think smaller. Like… cockroaches, beetles, mice, and rats.”

  “Those are hardly what I’d call ‘pests,’” Natalie snorted. “Those are just an everyday part of life around here. Now, the wild dogs? Those things will completely fuck up your day if they think your camp has food.”

  “In our world, dogs are pets,” I explained, “but nobody likes when bugs or stray rodents get into your dwelling.”

  “Wow… ” Natalie shook her head. “The people of your dimension sound spoiled beyond belief.”

  “We are,” I agreed. “Especially when I come to a place like this and see just how bad it can be.”

  “So, tell me, Hunter,” the blonde woman continued. “Is money your only motivator on this mission?”

  Yikes. She really was trying to put me on the spot here.

  “It was,” I admitted as I glanced out the window and watched the coastline cruise by. “‘Was’ being the keyword there. Now that I’ve been here and have met you and the Scavengers? Well… as sappy as it sounds, I kinda want to see you guys rebuild humanity. I mean, come on. William as a political leader? How could anyone say no to that?”

  “Like I said.” Natalie rolled her eyes. “Your people are sappy beyond belief.”

  “Hey, you tagged along for the ride,” I reminded her. “You must feel the same way.”

  “It’s different for me,” she argued with a sly smile. “These are my people, so I’m allowed to feel sentimental about them. But you’re right… The thought of William as a politician is motivation enough to keep me going. He’d be terrible at it.”

  “So terrible,” I snickered.

  The grin suddenly faded from Natalie’s face, and her eyes were filled with sadness.

  “If they even take me back after this,” the blonde woman groaned. “Causing mischief and general noncompliance is one thing. But stealing the group’s only working land vehicle, after defying a direct order from our leader? I’m not sure that’s something you can come back from… if I even want to go back. Marcus is going to be beyond pissed.”

  “Speaking of tall, dark, and punky,” I began, “why were those guards so afraid when we started telling them Marcus would be angry? Is he really so ruthless?”

  “I don’t know if ‘ruthless’ is the right term,” Natalie explained. “I think maybe ‘principled’ or ‘stubborn,’ maybe? Marcus won’t necessarily torture or maim, especially when it’s one of his own. But he doesn’t hesitate to punish anybody he feels crosses the line, even if it’s for just reasons. I’ve seen Scavengers exiled for much less than what I just did back there.”

  “That’s what scared those guys?” I mused. “They’re afraid of a slap on the wrist and being sent away like a misbehaving toddler.”

  “I don’t think you understand our way of life, Hunter,” Natalie mumbled. “Nor would I expect you to. The Scavengers are a big family. It’s not just a simple ‘slap on the wrist’ to be sent away… It’s the equivalent of being disowned by your parents and stripped of all your honor. Not to mention, people tend to not survive very long out here when they’re on their own. There’s way too many things that want to kill you.”

  Wow. Natalie really was risking it all. Even if she pretended to be a skeptic, she must have believed in Dr. Nash’s plan. Either that, or she was truly desperate for anything that could potentially change her way of living.

  “Do you think that’s what will happen to you?” I questioned as I shifted to look at the blonde more fully. “Even if we somehow pull this off?”

  Natalie pursed her lips together, and I saw the very corner of her eye twitch as she tried to hold back her tears.

  “I’m afraid it won’t matter,” she sighed. “Even if this works, even if we somehow kill all the Rubberfaces and save the human race… I’m not sure Marcus will let me come back. I still betrayed him and put the entire group at risk by taking their vehicle. He certainly won’t just let that slide.”

  “All the more reason to come back with me, then,” I offered with a smile. “Anyone would be a fool to not want you in their lives.”

  A faint blush crept up Natalie’s cheeks, and I realized I probably could have worded that better. Then the Scavenger forced herself into a scowl and stared off into the distance through the windshield.

  “We need to focus on the mission at hand,” she said. “Our odds of success are not great, and our odds of survival are even lower. If we somehow come out the other side of this unscathed, then we can worry about all that stuff.”

  Even though she was trying to play it cool, I could tell Natalie was worried.

  I couldn’t say I blamed her. She didn’t seem to want to come with me, and her chances of being exiled from the Scavengers were ridiculously high.

  To her, this was a suicide mission, all for the greater good.

  And it was my job to make sure it didn’t turn out that way.

  “Let’s go over the plan one more time,” I said. “We follow the coastline until we get to the Forest of Fallout, and then we go by foot from there?”

  “Mhmm.” Natalie nodded. “Hopefully, we can push through there
quickly and then make it to the powerplant by morning.”

  “I also brought along stuff so we could set up camp,” I interjected, “if we need to, of course.”

  “I’m going to hope we don’t,” the blonde woman admitted. “Many things await us in the Forest of Fallout, Hunter. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer not to sleep in a place full of unknown creatures.”

  “And I’d prefer not to try and operate a complicated nuclear device without any sleep.” I shrugged. “It’s kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation.”

  “Either way, we will cross that bridge when we come to it,” she explained. “Then, once we get to the nuclear plant, we’ll go inside and reactivate its core. The voice in your head can help you do that, correct?”

  “I’m sure she can.” I nodded. “We’ll set the computer to keep operations going for a few weeks, and then completely go off the rails afterwards. That should give everyone time to escape the area.”

  “And then, a few weeks later?” Natalie continued. “The Rubberfaces will be gone and humanity saved. If Dr. Nash’s plan is right, and he’s not just pulling your chain.”

  “What do you mean ‘if he’s pulling my chain?’” I asked as I turned my head to the side curiously. “They already paid me half up front, so as long as I come out of this alive, I’ll be set for the next few years.”

  “You want my honest opinion?” Natalie offered as she glanced over at me with a troubled expression. “Now, this may just be because I’m in a terrible place right now, but I figure I’ll tell you anyways. I think you might just be a guinea pig.”

  No… that definitely wasn’t the case. Dr. Nash and his daughter may have been a little crazy, but they seemed one-hundred percent genuine when they tried to talk me into this whole endeavor.

  “They’re putting a lot of time and effort into me if I’m just a guinea pig,” I argued. “Why would they offer me all this money and go through with helping me learn how to shoot and hotwire vehicles if they didn’t plan on keeping me around?”

  “It’s just an observation,” the woman admitted. “To me, this sounds like the perfect opportunity to test out all their technology so there are no kinks in the system. Then, once it’s perfected, that badass woman who’s always talking to you can swoop in and find her father. If you die along the way, so be it.”