by J P Whitney
Chapter 36
Knocking On Heaven’s Door
“All right boys, change of plans. We’re going to escort Mr. Eli here back to ED3N. He has a date with Ruth, and it would be a damn shame if he died of starvation along the way. Mitch, radio the convoy leads and tell them to continue on to San Francisco and start working on the base. We shouldn’t be more than 1 -2 days behind,” Terry said issuing the new orders.
“Yes sir,” Mitch replied already starting to key the mic built into his tactical communications helmet.
Terry was looking forward to the challenges of converting the old Presidio Army Base into a place of new beginnings. One based on agriculture and manpower instead of high tech wizardry, but Terry couldn’t help himself. He had to see how Ruth responded to the message Eli was about to deliver. Though the bearded-wonder seemed reluctant to share his words of wisdom with just anyone, if Terry played his cards right, he’d be there when he spilled the beans to Ruth. And strategically speaking, doing this good deed might be reciprocated at some later time if ED3N was going to be a long-term ally.
“Charlie, we’re going to need extra fuel. I have a feeling we’re going to be driving with a lead foot for the next few days. Also, have some rations and extra ammo brought forward. It will only be the three of us on the way back to ED3N and I want to make sure we can shoot our way out of any potential encounters.”
“I’m on it, Captain.”
“And Mr. Eli, make yourself comfortable. We should have you at the main gate of ED3N within two hours. Just do me a favor and take it nice and slow with the food rations back there. Vomiting is not allowed at any time within this vehicle. And I’d appreciate it if we don’t have to pull over on the way so you can blow chunks either,” he said with a smile.
Hitching a ride with army personnel sure beat pounding the pavement on an empty stomach, and thankfully the crew wasn’t much on small talk. Unfortunately, the silence provided him with more time to think about what he was going to share with Ruth. He was still drawing a blank. But it wasn’t long before his attention was diverted to the scene unfolding outside his window as the Humvee dropped out of the hills in Elsmere Canyon on the north end of Los Angeles.
The city sprawled for as far as the eye could see, but there was none of the signature smog associated with the metro area that 20 million people used to call home. What they encountered instead was far worse and made him gag involuntarily.
“I warned you Mr. Eli, no vomiting in the hummer. And believe me, this is the last place you want to pull over. Put a mask on and even then I’d try breathing through your mouth,” Terry offered helpfully.
Eli didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this. LA had become the world’s largest ghost town. He scanned the horizon for signs of human activity but came up empty. Prior to this trek, working the Olsen’s land had felt secluded, but it was also a productive and social activity as he shared the fruits of their labor with the family and even answered the curious questions the boys asked about the experience of being homeless. And walking alone on I-5, the little he remembered of it at least, had been a peaceful experience as he hiked the mountains of the coast range and passed through the fields of the Great Valley. But here, the solitude of their lone vehicle traveling among the urban wasteland only accentuated how alone they were. Los Angeles had become a valley of death. To Eli, the endless string of stoplights was a series of dark eyes searching for more souls the city could consume. The palm trees stood sentinel on the side of the road to make sure they didn’t stray from the path and funneled them to the impending doom that awaited them at the end of the journey. No other cars moved on the roads. Relentless blocks of now empty convenience stores, adult bookstores, coffee shops, strip malls, and fast food joints had all been smashed, gutted, and many burned to the ground. But it was as though they had been struck by lightning because not a single person moved about. Apartment buildings and square one-story houses passed by mile after mile. But the one constant was the horrific smell of decay that clung to everything. In some areas, bodies were laid out in neat rows like a cemetery whose corpses were waiting for the graves to be opened so they could continue the journey to six feet under. Scavenger birds were everywhere and dogs roamed streets gnawing on anything that still had scraps of meat on it.
At some point, the dark macabre scene overloaded his visual and olfactory senses. He couldn’t process any more loss. Seeing it all laid out like this, on such a huge scale, made it incomprehensible. Life as we knew it was completely and irreversibly gone. The few remaining survivors were inheriting an empty, alien world. No, that wasn’t it at all.
The gates of hell had opened. The survivors … have been damned.
The drive through that metropolis of carnage and desolation had taken less than an hour but it felt indefinite as it sucked the life out of Eli.
The further west they drove, the houses and buildings became fewer and farther apart and the body count declined. Slowly, the humidity notched up and the air began to smell and taste slightly salty. A sharp curve turned them south as they entered San Clemente. Every once in awhile Eli caught glimpses of blue between the strip malls and hotels that lined the coast as the Humvee sped by. But the brick and concrete barriers that separated the interstate from the neighborhoods below made it difficult to get a clear view. Then crossing a line that only existed on a map, the barriers dropped away and the developed footprint of humanity disappeared being replaced with green scrub brush on the right and rolling hills crowded in on the left. Half a mile later I5 nearly merged with the coastline and like magic, the vast Pacific Ocean appeared along with a constant breeze from the west which created an invisible barrier that left the stench of decay behind them. Deep blue waves transformed into white foam as they crashed onto golden sands that stretched for miles.
And with the ocean came a feeling of hope. Here, the seagulls soared and dove and took turns stealing food from one another. Alive. The world felt alive again. Here, near the water.
They passed a nuclear generating station and Eli wondered if this was where the city of ED3N got its power. He couldn’t believe they were in such close proximity to two major cities. There was nothing by blacktop, undulating hills, green vegetation, campsites, and beach. How was this area still so natural and untouched when a population of roughly 22 million used to live within 20 miles of their current location?
As the soldiers started calling out points of interest such as the naval base for aquatic assault craft and the Marine’s center for Tactical Systems Support the picture became much clearer. The US military-controlled most of the land in this area. They were entering the region once known as Camp Pendleton South.
∆∆∆
I-5 came to an abrupt halt at a concrete and steel barrier. A 20-foot tall gate was flanked enormous towers that housed machine gun turrets. An imposing wall of impossibly precise construction ran all the way from the ocean, past the gate, and disappeared into the eastern hills effectively sealing off the world they had just traveled from. Whatever lay beyond seemed unreachable.
“Welcome to the Great Wall of ED3N,” Terry called over his shoulder. He pulled on a headset and adjusted the microphone. “ED3N North Gate, this is Captain Terry Kendall.”
Over the Humvee’s speaker, the rest of the occupants could hear the other side of the conversation.
“Hey Captain, this is Corporal Martinez. That was a quick trip. Decide the grass wasn’t greener on that side of the fence after all?”
“No, I just realized we’re going to need more women on this side and wanted to see if you’d join us,” Terry bantered. His crew couldn’t help themselves and burst out laughing.
“Very funny, Terry. But if I’m going to switch teams it’s going to be for a real man that can still get it up,” Martinez said throwing a jab of her own. “What really brings you back?”
Chuckling Terry cleared throat and said, “We have a present for Ruth. Ran into someone she’s been dying to meet.”
�
�Copy that. I’ll let her know,” Martinez replied and went silent being replaced by a soft, slightly electronic voice.
“Welcome back Captain Kendall. Have you had a change of heart?”
“Nothing of the sort ED3N. Just have a special delivery for Ruth … as I’m sure you’ve already heard,” Terry replied.
“Yes, but why would the newly self-appointed leader of the free world bother to run this errand? One of 4000 other people could have just as easily made the trip,” ED3N prodded.
“Maybe I thought it was important to make a gesture of goodwill. A peace offering for what I hope will be a longstanding partnership,” Terry countered.
“I too hope we will be allies. So, who have you escorted all this way? Must be important.”
“Unh uh, no peeking. This present is for Ruth,” Terry said signaling an end to their conversation.
∆∆∆
“Captain Kendall, Ruth is on her way to the north gate. Would you like to wait in one of the screening rooms until she arrives? No one is allowed into the city without testing first. You know the protocol,” Corporal Martinez radioed out to the waiting vehicle.
“No thanks. We’ll wait for Ruth. The less time sitting in the interrogation room the better,” Terry replied.
“Copy that. By the way. I hope there are no hard feelings. It was a very difficult decision to not leave with the rest of the security team but … I don’t know. I guess I just like it here. We haven’t even seen it in full operation yet, but it’s pretty amazing. With the world gone to hell in a hand-basket, ED3N seems like our best bet for long term survival,” Martinez explained.
“No need to justify your decisions to me, corporal. It wasn’t easy for me either. Maybe I’m just too stubborn and old-fashioned to completely be spellbound by all that technology. And no hard feelings,” Terry said amicably.
A heavily armored door opened at the side of the main gate and an identical steel door could be seen at the back of a small room. It reminded him of an airlock from a submarine or spacecraft except these doors look impenetrable. Then, in a flash, two bright white robots of some sort exited the doorway and approached the Humvee.
“What the hell are those?” Eli blurted out. He’d seen videos of robots used to weld cars and even attempts by companies in Japan to create machines that looked, moved, and acted human, but they always turned out looking like toys rather than useful machines. But in comparison, these looked as though they walked straight out of a Terminator movie.
“Those, Mr. Eli, are security bots. And yes, they are as lethal as they look. If you want to see just how dangerous they can be you could always act like you are reaching for a weapon,” Terry teased sarcastically. But he also meant it as a clear warning. Eli was the first outsider to approach the city and he honestly wasn’t sure how the security measures would respond.
“Captain Kendall,” ED3N called out to the vehicle.
“Yes, ED3N,” Terry responded.
“Ms. Atkins is waiting for you. We just need to test for the virus before you are permitted to see her. Will you be joining us or just the visitor?”
“I’ll be accompanying our guest if you don’t mind,” Terry said.
“Very well. If you’d be so kind as to follow the bots to screening room 1, we’ll make this as quick and painless as possible,” ED3N replied.
“Hold tight men. I’ll try to make sure ED3N doesn’t kill Eli before he can speak with Ruth. If you don’t hear from me within 30 minutes hightail it out of here and catch up with the convoy. That’s an order,” Terry said looking first at Mitch, and then Charlie, to make sure they knew he was serious.
“Yes sir,” both men echoed.
Charlie asked one more question before they could exit the vehicle, “Sir, do you really think it will come to that?”
“No, I don’t think ED3N will do anything to me. But better safe than sorry. 30 minutes,” he said. Terry’s polished boots touched down on the hot blacktop. He turned and waited for the visitor to join him.
Eli had never been more frightened, not even when held at gunpoint. What the hell was he about to walk into? An enormous wall fell right on top of Interstate 5 complete with gates and doors that looked as though they could deflect missiles and was protected by machine-gun turrets. Futuristic security robots. Veteran soldiers that were nervous to return to the city they helped build. And the almost casual mention ED3N might kill him. It was all he could do to will his body to follow in the Captain’s wake. Fear, anxiety, and all the unknown elements of this brand new world had his central nervous system on lockdown.
While still starving on the interstate and fearing an earthquake was going to swallow him whole, Eli briefly welcomed the idea of death. Now that he’d been fed and with people again, he had a completely different plan. Every cell in his body was telling him to run. Forget this whole nonsense about talking to the woman he’d mysteriously written and dreamed about. He was overwhelmed by the ominous feeling of walking into a trap.
But the soldier had warned the security bots were not to be messed with. Even if he ran, and wasn’t killed on the spot, where would he go? It was futile. He had to follow through on his mission to reach this place and meet her.
Summoning every ounce of courage that remained in his confused body, Eli stepped out of the Humvee and fell in behind Terry on unsteady legs.
The security bots moved into position on their flanks and ushered them into the open door. It closed automatically, nearly silent, behind them. How could that much steel move without sound? A bot took the lead and entered a concrete hallway that opened before them. It stopped at the far side of a stark white door … adorned with nothing more than a large number “1” which looked to be laser cut from a thick sheet of aluminum. Its style was strangely artistic as it hovered approximately a quarter of an inch off the surface of the door.
Terry entered the room and stopped abruptly, Eli bumped into him. “Sorry,” he muttered.
But Terry acted as though he hadn’t heard him. Looking around his shoulder, Eli’s gaze fixed on the stainless steel table that looked like it had grown out of the concrete rather than sitting on the surface. Maybe the precise lines just made it appear that way.
On the table, were two high-tech devices Eli couldn’t identify.
“Please be seated and place an Armilla Tactical Unit on your arm,” ED3N stated from unknown speakers. The voice seemed to come from the four walls and ceiling simultaneously. As if ED3N were in the air itself.
“Here, let me help you with that,” Terry said grabbing one of the devices and lining it up with Eli’s left forearm. Two straps automatically clicked into place and he felt a quick pinch.
“You as well Captain Terry,” the smooth electronic voice said.
“I don’t plan on staying long, is that really necessary,” Terry asked.
“You’ve been traveling through a contaminated area. We need to ensure you’re not carrying the virus if you’re going to meet Ruth in person,” ED3N explained.
Reluctantly, Terry placed his arm onto the contraption and felt its familiar kiss as it locked into place. He watched the digital readout as the device once again synced with his DNA. The database was linked to identified him within seconds and began feeding him statistics about the city and listed tasks related to the security forces. As if he’d never left.
“You are both virus free. Unfortunately, our guest is deficient in nearly every vital nutrient, hormone, and bordering on hypoglycemia. Your blood pressure and heart rate are alarmingly low. If you would have continued in this state … you likely would have died within days,” ED3N stated clinically.
A door set in the back wall opened and a smaller robot entered the room and approached Eli.
“In your current condition, ingesting food to replenish the nutrients you’ve lost will be very difficult. With your permission, I’d like to administer an IV to speed up the process and address your low blood sugar levels,” the medical bot explained in a mechanical voice.
/> “Um, OK. You have my permission,” he half confirmed, half asked as the IV bag was attached to a port on the Armilla. Confused, he was just about to ask why a needle wasn’t being stuck into his arm when he felt a jab from under the device.
Sensing the internal dialogue the man was wrestling with, ED3N interjected, “Yes, the ATU is equipped with a small hypodermic needle for use in such emergencies. Not only is it more efficient but it also facilitates constant monitoring of blood chemistry and adjustment of medication levels.”
The feeling Eli had just been transported onto the Starship Enterprise left him in stunned silence. For the briefest of moments, he felt a rush of panic as he considered the last conversation in the Humvee and wondered if he was about to be poisoned, but just as soon as the thought entered his mind, it vanished. He felt amazingly good. Eli wasn’t sure what was in the cocktail being dripped into his arm, but his heart rate stabilized, his labored breathing eased, and a feeling of calmness flooded his body.
It was at this very moment that a tall, striking woman with beautiful green eyes and long dark hair walked into the room. She glanced at both men but fixed her gaze on Terry.
“So what brings you back to ED3N so soon,” the woman asked.
“I found a long lost friend of yours, but he wasn’t in the best of shape. I thought the humane course of action was to either put him out of his misery or hand deliver him to you. It was a coin toss. In the end, I opted for the latter,” Terry said with a slight smirk.
The haggard man sitting before her looked as though he’d barely survived being smuggled in a freight container all the way across the Pacific Ocean. Physically he looked like he might collapse at any moment but the steady gaze of his light brown eyes was full of energy and locked onto hers like a tractor beam.
“Eli, allow me to introduce you to Ruth Atkins, ex-associate director of the CDC, Rear Admiral, and leader of this city. Ruth, this is Eli … the homeless prophet of Portland and forty-day wanderer of I-5.”