Emergence Day
By tri8force
Planet Sera was always a safe haven for us human beings. We have lived in peace, except for when countries like mine were at war with another country so we still had militaries. But nothing would have shocked us for the day when an enemy from underground gave a surprise attack from under our noses. This day came to be known as "Emergence Day."
It was a perfect day in the District of Jefferson, the city where I grew up. The city was bustling with many people as usual. The electric billboards were lit in broad daylight, which I never understood since I've lived here all of my life. I was at my favorite café with my girlfriend Kristine that beautiful afternoon. She had short pink hair, a red dress, and eyes that looked like the color of the blue ocean. She loved that dress so much that I could swear that she kept a closet full of those in her apartment. But that didn't matter for I was madly in love with her.
"So Zeke, when are we going in an apartment together," she asked with her hands under her chin with her elbows on the table. "When I first persuade Mr. Shelbok to give me a raise for my hard work," I said. "You've been driving that taxi for him now for two years and you're the best driver in the city. Why won't he give you a raise," Kristine asked with interest. "Shelbok is a very stubborn person who cannot be convinced very easily," I responded to her. She looked at me deeply and put her hand on my right hand. "Don't worry sweetie," she assured, "I'll wait until we have the money to buy that apartment we were looking at a while back."
As soon as she was able to kiss me, a huge rumble shook the entire city. Citizens were falling down while fire hydrants began to explode. Cracks were forming on the pavement in the streets and cars turned off and crashed into different parts of the city. An eruption came from up the street of the café where we were and out of the ground came these creatures with muscular, pale skin bodies. Some had masks on their faces, like what soldiers in the trenches used during the Great War. They possessed guns like what the COG used in the war.
One by one, these creatures climbed out of the holes at great speeds. They spoke a very strange form of English, but it almost sounded like, "Die homosapiens!" I figured that was right because they started shooting at the nearest human beings in sight. Like redcoats in a straight line, people started falling down to the ground, dead. I grabbed Kristine's arm and ran into the café. We hid behind the wall that led to the restrooms to avoid eye contact as they walked by the café, shooting at everything and at everything that moved and breathed. Kristine started to cry and asked me, "What's happening?" "I don't know honey," was all I had to say before the café owner came from behind the counter with an assault rifle and began shooting at the creatures that walked past the café.
One by one, these creatures began to fall down dead. Sadly, one of those creatures shot the owner of the café in the head before it fell down dead. I was shocked to see that someone who had worked so hard during his lifetime, only to be killed by some damn creature in the one place he loved. Kristine started to cry on the left arm of my orange jacket. I took off my orange hat and wiped my forehead and started to rub my eyes. I wasn't going to cry since I've seen thousands of deaths when I was in the Air Force after high school. "Zeke," Kristine asked, "I don't want to die." I stroked her head and said, "You won't die honey. I'll guarantee that."
As soon was it safe, Kristine and I climbed behind the counter after grabbing the owner's rifle. We fled back to the owner's office where the radio was still on. We stood by the still-on radio, which was tuned into a station that played classical music from composers like Bachmacht and Mozartica. Then a flash bulletin came on from the COG headquarters. "Attention all survivors," the announcer said, "Creatures known as the Locusts have attacked every major city on planet Sera. There is a haven known as the Jacinto Plateau, located outside of the District of Jefferson where all survivors can come for sanctuary. Otherwise, those who cannot make it, your sacrifices are appreciated." The bulletin ended like that.
Kristine and I looked at each other for a minute, and then I said, "It said Jacinto Plateau is outside of the city. If we abduct a car without being seen, we should be able to escape from the city." "But Zeke," Kristine said, "what about those creatures, the Locust?" "It's either we flee at this time or the kyrll will get us at nighttime," I said. She hugged me and pressed against my chest and I hugged her back. "I'm scared Zeke," she said as she pressed against me. "I'm scared too," I replied to her.
Minutes later, I has hanging onto the rifle on my arm as Kristine and I hid outside from creatures within the city. We eventually found an Excursion that was open with the keys still in the ignition. "This baby should get us out of here," I said as I started up the huge suburban. It started to move and I was driving at top speeds through the city streets. Eventually, I caught the intentions of two Locust Drones as I was speeding away. They started shooting at us and almost hit Kristine in the head. "Duck down," I screamed as I pulled out the rifle. I stuck the rifle out the window while using the rearview window as my eyes. I shot at the two drones, killing the first one and missing the second one. The second one started shooting at me, but kept missing. Suddenly, a chimp-like locust was on top of the roof in the Excursion, trying to break into the vehicle. I shot at the roof and watch the chimp-like creature fall off of the Excursion and into the street.
We took the exit outside of the city to a plateau structure that had a staircase ascending it. Kristine and I ran out of the Excursion. With me in the lead, we ran while holding hands up the staircase. And from that day, I realized that we were only a small fraction of the remaining population of the human race. We thought of all those who lost their lives and prayed for them that night when we got to Jacinto Plateau. It's pretty much short after that day. Kristine and I married and had three children together. I joined the COG, defending the plateau against invading armies of locusts and even celebrated with my family when I heard of how Marcus Fenix had destroyed the general of the locust army and the majority of the locust army. But in my mind, I knew that the locusts would never die, but yet they could never win.
