Lestrade had seen many things in the five years since the plague. He had seen former human beings become monsters whose only hungers were for killing and human flesh and blood. He had witnessed friends and colleagues fall victim to both the plague and the monsters. The latter's capacity for brutality was something he had seen numerous times, but still could not truly comprehend. The worst thing he had seen was the aftermath of the final stand made by a group of orphaned children. He would never forget the sight of their torn carcasses lying amidst the monsters they had killed before being slaughtered themselves.

There was one thing, though, he had never seen before. The heavens offered faint comfort to the remaining humans of world. The daytime skies seemed sorrowful at the world's troubles. Heavy clouds blanketed the heavens, shifting from silver to coal. Only on rare occasions did the clouds break and refreshing sun warmed the cold world. The nighttime skies seemed eager to offer some comfort. When darkness fell, it became a tapestry of lights, illuminating the shadowy wrecks of cities and towns. Lestrade often found himself glimpsing the nighttime heavens. The steady stars reminded him of what his life had been before the plague hit. On this night, however, the skies did not reveal the stars or moon. This was due to the fact that the heavens were drowned out by a golden light.

Standing in the middle of a street, Lestrade marveled at the sight. The golden light had a hazy, milky quality. It swirled throughout the sky as far as he could see. It did not affect the natural light. Nothing around Lestrade was illuminated by this new light.

"Sir?"

Lestrade spun around, heart racing as he was brought out of his reverie. Though they were hidden in the shadows, he could make out the outlines of the two women he had brought with him on tonight's food finding mission.

"Christ, Molly, don't scare me like that," he said sharply.

The smaller of the two outlines raised her hand in apology. "Sorry. We were wondering where you were. We wanted to tell you we need to move on."

"There's nothing here, sir," said the second outline. "Someone snagged that store of fresh water from that house we went into last week."

Lestrade sighed. "Of course they did. That was probably the only store around here." He sighed again, glancing at the weird sky. "All right, let's move on and see if we can find that store of fruit. Sally, you go ahead since you're the one who found it."

The trio commenced walking down the empty street. They presented an odd sight to any of the hidden humans who peeked out of their spots and saw them. Molly and Sally wore what looked like hooded black coveralls. Both wore what looked like thick gauntlets on both arms. Their boots were worn and patched up. Lestrade wore similar coveralls in grey. His hands were covered by mesh-like gloves that hinted to what lay beneath his coveralls. Unlike the women, he left his hood down, finding the heavy material itchy against his scalp. He also wore a billowy coat he had stolen off a dead man's corpse. All three carried large, patched-up knapsacks.

The walk down the street was silence. They paid no heed to the ruined buildings or piles of rubble that lined both sides of the street. It was a familiar sight to them and one repeated throughout the remains of London and every city in the world. Some buildings were nests for the monsters and havens for humans. The three only scanned them for signs of the creeping shadows that spelled doom. Their ears analyzed every unusual noise that made them pause. If it was nothing, they kept moving. The golden sky overhead kept swirling about peacefully.

The journey to the store of fruit led them through an open side street and down on another street. Upon hearing what sounded like slimy squelching, they quickened their pace. Running was only used when hell broke loose. After a few minutes, Sally came to a halt. Molly nearly ran into her, but Lestrade seized her arm to stop her.

"We're here," said Sally, pointing to a vacant lot between the ruins of two brick buildings.

Lestrade was not pleased at the fact the store of fruit was in too vulnerable a spot. There was nothing in the lot to hide behind if they encountered trouble. The two neighboring buildings were too intact for his liking. There were enough walls on one for the monsters to hide behind and the other was still relatively upright despite its battered condition. That said, the need for food overpowered the need for safety.

"All right," he said after a moment, "come on. Molly and I will keep lookout."

The trio strode into the lot. The dirt beneath them was dark and gooey from something none of them wanted to imagine. When they reached the center of the lot, Sally suddenly knelt down and began scooping away the goop. Molly and Lestrade took spots near the neighboring buildings, keeping their eyes and ears alert for trouble. Sally worked quickly to move the gelatinous dirt away. When her gauntlet gently tapped against something metallic, she heaved the dirt away faster. Slowly but surely, what looked like a sheet of dirty metal with a handle attached to it. Another few minutes revealed the edges of the sheet. Huffing happily, Sally seized the handle and gingerly stood up to pull out a square metal locker that reached up to her shoulder. Her smile grew when she laid out down. It was heavy and heaviness usually indicated a full store of food or water. (At other times, it meant a decomposing body.)

Each locker had to be opened to a different way. It was a precaution to ensure no one hoarded, but people often worked around this. Upon closer inspection, Sally found that the locker was in good shape. It was not battered or broken, signs of someone's attempts to hoard the contents. As she had found it earlier, Sally knew exactly what to look for to open it. She removed her gauntlets and ran her fingers just below the edge of the lid. She found the familiar grooves and began to press her fingers into them. All Lestrade and Molly heard was the familiar hiss of air that always heralded the opening of a locker.

"Please tell me there's food inside," said Molly, her eagerness for fresh food evident in her words.

"Hold on," replied Sally, "let me have a proper look." She fell silent for a minute before they heard her squeak, "Yes. We have food and water."

Lestrade and Molly carefully stepped towards Sally, still keeping alert for danger. When they were near her, they turned to look into the locker. At one end of it lay three large, square jugs filled with pristine water. The next two rectangular containers had contents that surprised them. One held what looked like a loaf of lumpy bread and the other mandarins. The rest of the contents were the expected fare. There were two multi-gallon containers of water and several small green containers that contained dried fruit, vegetables, and other foods that were becoming scarce. These were stacked one atop another. Despite complaints that bags were easier to carry, it was an unspoken rule to use containers. Bags were not effective in keeping out bugs, rot, and contaminated gore that dripped down from the surface.

All three basked in the sight of food and water, but quickly brushed aside their delight to get down to business. Although there were three of them, Lestrade had made it clear from past missions that they only took enough food and water to sustain them. Hoarding food was not an option unless things became dire and he did not have a high opinion of hoarders who grabbed when it was not necessary. They grabbed enough of the dried fruits and vegetables, pulses, and some form of oats to sustain them. Sally placed the bread and mandarins in one of her knapsacks. Hesitation reappeared when it came time to decide how much water to take.

"I think we should take all of it," said Sally. "We might as well. We don't know how long it'll be before we find water again and no one has found fresh water in a while."

Lestrade rubbed his weary face with his hand. "I know, I know. If we don't find uncontaminated water soon, we're going to be suffering even more. That said, you know where I stand an-"

A loud squeak from Molly brought both Lestrade and Sally to their feet. They spun around, looking for trouble, but saw nothing. They rounded on Molly, who was busy gaping at the sky.

"Dammit, woman" hissed Sally, "what the hell?"

Molly said nothing. She simply stared at the sky in silence. Though her hood was still up, Lestrade could make out an expression of shock.

"Well," said Sally angrily, "what's wrong?"

Molly remained silent, but lifted her arm and pointed at the sky. Lestrade and Sally followed her finger to the sky. At this point, Sally gasped at the golden sky that she had been ignoring for the past few hours. Lestrade, however, was too busy wondering if he was going to die in the next few minutes.

The golden haze overheard no longer swirled about in a lazy fashion. It now moved in steady current to one fixed point that was several blocks away. This point was a brilliant disc that hovered proudly in the sky, reminding anything below of clear summer days. From what Lestrade could see, the disc seemed to be consuming the golden light, making itself grow bigger. Unlike the golden light, the disc actually illuminated its surroundings. A crystalline glow descended onto the streets below. As the trio stood watching, they could hear the faint sounds of hysterical shrieking. What brought them out of their reverie was a loud human scream that died out immediately.

"What do we do?" squeaked Molly.

"Get out of here,' said Sally. She was hoisting her sacks onto her shoulders. "If the monsters are awake, we need to get out of here now."

"There's not going to be time for that," said Lestrade as he shut the locker and furiously worked back into the ground. He and Molly began kicking the dirt back over it until it was concealed once more.

"Why not," demanded Sally.

Lestrade gestured frantically at the sky. The golden haze had disappeared, consumed by the disc. The disc had grown in size until the carcass of the city beneath it disappeared amid blinding light. The shrieking had grown in volume to a bestial pitch. The trio's hearts froze when they heard human screams among the shrieks.

"We need to hide," stated Lestrade.

"Where exactly?" squeaked Molly.

Lestrade looked around. Loathe as he was to admit it, the two brick buildings offered the best concealment. After a second's decision, he marched off the one that was still upright. Sally and Molly scrambled after him. Under normal circumstances, they would have studied the building before entering. The chances of finding a nest of monsters was always high. Precautions had to be taken. Yet with the shrieking growing louder and the disc (as Molly saw) growing larger, immediate action had to be taken. Lestrade kicked what was left of the rotting door away. He let Sally and Molly enter before following.

Darkness greeted them upon entry. They scrambled against one of the walls. The sacks were set at their feet. They stood still, waiting for a monster to come. After a few minutes, they released a sigh of relief.

"Anyone got those glow sticks?" whispered Sally.

There were shuffling noises on either side of her, followed by two sharp cracks, and the sudden appearance of two floating beams of white.

"You really need to carry some these," said Lestrade as he held up his stick.

The light of his and Molly's glow sticks was dim at best, but it was enough to illuminate their sanctuary. The building was nothing more than a shell. In its old life, it was a low, one-story building. It may have been a business or a private residence. There was nothing inside to reveal its old life. All that was left was a tiled floor covered by a thick layer of dirt and dried blood.

"So how long do we wait?" asked Molly.

"Until whatever is going on passes us by," said Lestrade. The shrieking was grating his ears. "We keep hidden until it's safe."

"And if trouble find us?" The nervousness in Molly's query was evident.

Lestrade sighed. "If trouble finds us, then we deal with it."

No one of them knew how long they hid in the building. After awhile, they sat on the floor, listening to the sounds outside. The shrieking had become a wave of monstrous sounds that flayed their ears. They could hear human screams that were cut off too soon and triumphant roars. The shrieking brought with it what sounded like a herd of buffalo stampeding wildly through the streets.

Sally kept her mind clear of any useless thoughts. She wanted to be ready when the monsters came. There was no room for mercy in the remains of the world. Molly silently hummed her favorite hymn. Remembering her favorite things was her way of calming down before a coming bloodbath. Lestrade did what he usually did before facing disaster. He reminded himself that the monsters were no longer rational, thinking human beings. Be they child or adult, they were now ruthless creatures that gloried in death. They were to be killed before they attacked.

Had they not been busy with their thoughts, they would have noticed the disc morphing. Shortly after they took refuge in the building, the disc floated silently for several minutes. Everything below had been consumed by light. It then began to expand again. This time, it twisted and writhed itself into a perfect sphere. The sphere did not remain idle for it slowly expanded downwards. Everything hidden in its light received another dose. Once it passed the illuminated section of the city, the light crept into everything. Beams of light bathed every inch of rubble and standing building in its path. The monsters roused by the light scrambled for safety. The humans who heard the terrified shrieks of the monsters scrambled to get away from them. The screams the trio heard were from the humans who crossed paths with the fleeing monsters and had been killed.

Lestrade, Sally, and Molly did not notice until Lestrade looked up and saw a thin ribbon of gold growing larger in the darkness. He stood up and strode to the open doorway, only to shrink back when his eyes were assaulted by blinding light. Sally and Molly stood up, now noticing more ribbons of light entering the building. The light did not pass straight through, but grew until every inch of the building was filled with it. Its radiance was such that the trip shut their eyes against it.

"What now!" wailed Molly. She could feel the light creeping beneath her eyelids.

"Quiet!" barked Lestrade. Despite the headache that was beginning to form, he kept his ears open for the shrieking. He could still hear it, but now it had lessened. The shrieking still audible now carried a note of fear. Whatever was going on outside had stricken the monsters with terror.

None of them knew how long they kept their eyes shut against the light. They simply waited for it to vanish. Sally kept her hands on her sacks, ready to run if necessary. Molly had resumed humming her favorite hymn. Lestrade was listening to the monsters' terrified shrieks slowly become silent. He wondered over what could be causing bloodthirsty beasts to become frightened puppies.

The light withdrew as slowly as it appeared. Its retreat was felt as the light beneath their eyelids slid out. All three waited a few minutes before slowly opening them. They found darkness around them once again. From where he still stood, Lestrade could see a wall of light retreating until he lost of it.

"I think we need to get out of here," said Sally as she stood and made for the door.

"Fine with me,' said Molly as she dusted off her shoulders. "That was the-"

She fell silent, her eyes seeking Sally. In the darkness, she saw Sally standing perfectly still. Sally's eyes were on Lestrade, who was motionless. No one said anything for they knew the others felt the ground beneath them begin to vibrate. It was not from a renewed stampede. Sally placed her hand on the wall. Even through her heavy gauntlet she could feel the building shake. The ground vibrations increased steadily.

Lestrade never knew what tipped him off first: the shaking, the churning feeling in his stomach or the gentle breeze that danced through the door. He figured it was the breeze for it smelled fresh instead of bloody. Whatever it was, he dove to the ground, extending an arm and knocking Sally flat. Molly followed suit and her timing was excellent for the world erupted around them.

The breeze transformed suddenly into a howling gale that ripped the roof of their shelter. The shaking became a violent undulating. They could themselves bob up and down as the ground writhed and swayed. The terrified howling of the monsters resumed, but it remained stationary. They were apparently waiting for things to become normal again. The gale became a diving tempest that made short work of everything in its path. The trio could hear heavy things being tossed about outside. Their own shelter was being taken apart brick by brick. With surprising speed, the tempest and shaking ceased. The trio had no time to breathe when the tempest resumed and something very large exploded nearby. The ground bucked and sent the trio and their sacks airborne. The tempest and shaking ceased again before they landed.

The building Lestrade, Sally, and Molly were in had been reduced to a few piles of brick that indicated where the walls once were. The roof was scattered amidst a wide field of debris. The buildings that had remained intact after the plague were now rubble. Molly was helping Sally up. Their sacks were still intact save for small gashes in the fabric. Lestrade eased himself off his back and into a sitting position. He stared at the destruction around him.

"What the bloody hell just happened?" demanded Sally.

"Do you think that light had something to do with it," whispered Molly.

"It did."

The women looked at Lestrade. He was standing up, looking out at the street. "Bring the sacks, you two and follow me." He gingerly made his way out of their ruined shelter.

Though confused, the women grabbed their sacks and his and followed him. Lestrade was standing by the street, looking down at something. They peered over his shoulders to see the jagged hunks of what used to be the street. Despite the damage, they could smell the heavy odor of gasoline and tar. Tendrils of grey smoke wafted above the street. The trio cast their heads up the street and saw that the damage and smoke extended as far as they could see. They shifted their gaze down the street and saw a thick cloud of smoke hovering over something a few blocks away.

Without a word, Lestrade strode off, leaving Sally and Molly to scramble after him. He navigated his way through the debris and rubble. The more difficult portions required climbing or crawling through rubble to pass. It took a few minutes to reach the cloud. As they had no idea what Lestrade was doing, Sally and Molly could only mimic his actions. When he finally stopped, they stopped on both sides of him. Had they looked at each other, they would have seen three pairs of wide eyes staring at the scene below them.

Whatever had exploded had left a shallow, but wide crater in the street. The impact had tossed everything around it into the air. There were small hills of debris on both sides of the street. Large hunks of street stood up in a conga line along the perimeter of the crater. The cloud of smoke hung low over the crater. The smell of gas and tar was thick enough to make the trio wish they had brought their oxygen masks with them. Despite the damage, they could all see that something was lying in the middle of the crater. Yet the cloud and rising smoke made it difficult to see what it was.

Lestrade looked around him and spotted a grapefruit-sized piece of concrete by Molly's foot. He bent down, picked it up, and tossed it into the crater. Despite its depth, he wondered if it was stable to walk on. When the concrete landed in the crater, he waited to hear the familiar sounds of collapsing road. Surprisingly, the crater did not buckle or collapse. Seeing that it held firm, Lestrade gingerly stepped into the crater. Sally and Molly, wondering if their fearless leader had finally lost his mind, exchanged looks before following. Sally had to hunch a bit for her head would have passed through the cloud.

Once they were inside the crater, they could see that its surface was covered by a fine silver ash. Walking through it was the equivalent of walking atop compacted snow. What worried Molly was the crunching noise it made. It was loud enough to alert anything nearby of their presence. She glanced at Sally, but Sally's attention was on Lestrade. He had reached the middle of the crater. He hovered over the object that lay motionless on the ground. When they finally reached the middle, Sally and Molly were stunned. The object was not a meteor, meteorite, or any sort of space debris. What lay sprawled at their feet was a man.