OBLIVION FAN FICTION PART 1
The remaining radiation had not cleared. The stagnant water of the Thames Delta trickled back into the main river.
The main sound in the city was the wind sweeping around the skyscrapers and through the iconic streets of this once great city.
The old ones had gripped this city, and they started to use this as their Europe base. Fire riders and shape changers patrolled the streets, killing those who had survived the blast. And flies hung in the sky like huge black blimps, keeping watch over the dead metropolis.
Every now and then a scream was heard, or the spluttering of a person dying from one of the illnesses that gripped London.
Only one tiny clan of fifteen people had managed to forge a living here. They called themselves the survivors.
The survivors had almost escaped London. The group were making their way to Dover. Away from the ruined city and to a place, were it was believed some sain humanity still existed.
They were lead by Saskia Cunningham. A tall fifteen year old with long dark hair, a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken several times and intelligent, iridescent green eyes. She was often compared to a Gatekeeper even though she was not one of the five.
She had been trapped in the destroyed city on the ninth of May on a school trip to the Churchill Bunkers. She had stayed in the bunker to take extra notes on the strategic boards when the bomb hit.
Despite the fact that the defences had been deemed useless years before her visit,
Everyone in the bunker survived unchanged. The rest of her class who left the bunker were struck down like targets in a shooting rally, but those in her company were not even struck down by the super virus that followed.
It took them until December to escape London. By this time, the population of the survivors had decreased from nine adults and six adolescents to nine adults and three teenagers. Women fared better than the men in these statistics.
They had spent the past few months on the run, knowing they had to get to Antarctica. Life had been hard but they had survived, fuelled by the knowledge that outside of London there was a better Britain.
They now sat around a small fire, begging it to give up the heat it held. Each one of them was shivering violently. Still in the clothes they were wearing on the day of the blast.
Three of the survivors wore the uniform for the Churchill Bunkers tours, the three adults and teen wore midsummer casual, whist Saskia was still in the tracksuit she wore on the ill fated trip.
"I'm sleepin'" one of the group moaned lying down by the fire.
"G'night Mytch" The rest of the group whispered before they all joined him.
Saskia did not though. She sat there staring into the flames and thinking.
She was from Thirsk in North Yorkshire. She had attended a private school near Topcliffe and spent her weekends fencing, shooting, hunting and doing extreme sports. Her exam results were good, she was in several sports teams and she got on well with the rest of the school. Form a young age she had been getting along with the older girls, when she was extremely young they were just taking her under their wing. Comforting her as she had never known her parents. She was on e-mail terms with her uncle in York (who had disappeared when she was five) but she boarded at school, and in the holidays she lived with her outdoor education teacher and fencing coach.
As she grew older, she had always known she was different. At first the powers just flickered about once a week. To start with the teachers had little patience, and Saskia constantly found herself in detention for a whole manner of trivial accidents such as someone's exam paper setting on fire. Roars of "CUNNINGHAM!" could often be heard around the school.
When she was thirteen, she learnt how to control her abilities. She used them mainly to entertain the younger girls but occasionally she had to use it for more serious things.
She realised she could move objects with her mind, see the future, read other people's minds and control their actions. The whole school knew about her and kept it a secret, as either the circus of government would want to exploit her.
Her class had gone down to London to take part in a hockey tournament. A couple of the teachers had decided to come to use the tourist attractions of the city to aid the class in their upcoming GCSE exams. They had gon to the science, natural history and British museums. The Olympic park (as the majority of the class aspired to represent their nation in future games), and the Churchill Bunkers below parliament.
When the teacher decided that they should go. Saskia asked to finish notes on the bunkers. The last girl to leave closed the door and then – the bomb was detonated.
Saskia did not know if any of her class survived the radiation. But all she knew that it was her fault they were dead. If she had not only thought about getting ten A*s she could have saved all of them. She knew the bomb would fall; she had a chance to save them. But she let them die.
Saskia slapped herself hard in the face. Trying to eliminate the memories. She opened out her rucksack and took out one of the sleeping pills she had for the match. She snapped it in half and swallowed each half of the tablet. Allowing the chemicals to take her consciousness and send her to join the others.
The pills did not stop the dreams. First came the dream of the tournament. The look on her team's faces when she (the captain) was given the shield. Then that faded into them at the Olympic park. Nostalgically staring at the buildings that were the shadows of a past year. Then the science and natural history museum, marvelling at preserved organs and animals. Next came seeing turquoise sacrifice masks and the Rosetta stone.
And finally, the bunkers. That image quickly faded and was replaced with the mushroom cloud. Then the cloud solidified and became a pillar of rock, jutting out of a turbulent ocean. Saskia performed a panoramic inspection of the area. At first she saw nothing. Then she noticed five other pillars, each with a figure standing on it.
Then it dawned on her. Those were the five.
Each of the pillars started to glide to each other. The pillars slowly becoming made of ice not stone, each at a different pace.
Then it hit her. The pillars were travelling south, to Antarctica and the central hub of what had gone wrong with the world.
Unknown to Saskia. She must have been yelling in her sleep as she found herself being roughly shaken awake by Sandra and Joseph.
"Wha' do you thin' you were doin'?" Sandra hissed spitting at Saskia who had just clocked that she was awake.
"The five" Saskia stammered. All composure lost "Antarctica, BOMB!"
Everyone stared around camp, baffled.
Saskia did have one friend who had survived. Her social worker, psychologist, sports psychologist and lifelong companion. Marthe Shutt, who was shuffling towards her at this moment.
Marthe appointed herself as the hockey team's sports psychologist when she heard that Saskia knew that the group would die and Saskia was considering running away over the matter.
"Saxa" She began cautiously, knowing at the state Saskia was in she would probably lash out with her six inch long machete that she always kept at her waist for emergencies. All knife laws had been dropped as the majority of the population kept them for self defence. And Saskia's foster mother had taught her self-defence so Saskia was a bit slash happy.
Marthe heard a whisper from the other side of camp.
"Reasoning'll never work" It came. "Electroshock therapy and a straightjacket is what that freak of nature needs."
Marthe recognised the voice of Mytchell Collins. A rude cockney that disliked Saskia's regime fully.
She paced over to Mytchell, pulled him up to face her and swore hard at him.
"Look Mytch" She spat at him "Have you spent eight years studying the brain and law?" She smirked.
Mytchell pulled back his lips in a jeering grin. "Have you ever thought of being quiet Miss Shut up?" He retorted.
Marthe's instincts sere all screaming at her to shoot Mytchell. But she left her gun at her waist.
She could hear Saskia's breathing becoming rasping and raw. She managed to slip some words out.
"The match, pickled human tonsils. BOMB! Five pillars, moving together. Turning white" Saskia stammered.
"Yes" Marthe urged "Was anything on the pillars?"
Saskia started to nod so frantically that Marthe had to stop her damaging her brain. "The five" Saskia breathed.
The last sentence echoed around camp. Almost as if someone had said the word "Terrorist!" on a New York subway the day after 9/11.
The last teenage member of the survivors stumbled up "You saw the five?" She stammered.
"I doubt Saxa would be lying in this situation Kylie!" Marthe snapped.
Kylie flinched and moved away.
"Try and get some rest" Marthe ordered "It's three hours until sunrise and we all need as much rest as we can."
The dreams returned for Saskia. Only this time she could see their faces.
A tall dark haired European, an Asian, two twins that looked like something from an old western film. And a small South American.
Four boys and a girl, the legends (if you can call them that) were true.
The image of one of the twins invaded Saskia's mind. She tried to shake it out of her head, but failed.
"Come to the centre of the city Saskia." He said. "There is a door in a church that'll take you directly to Antarctica."
Saskia sent an image of herself. "You can't get there. It's a trap."
"How do you know?" Came the reply.
"Let's just say you brother is not so good at blocking people out of his head as he thinks he is." Saskia sent.
The boy turned and thought hard. Could he trust this girl? If she could reach his brother could he.
"He's with them isn't he?" He said. "Scott has gon over to the old ones."
Saskia nodded "Anyway. We only have enough food to last us 'till Dover. We'll not be able to make it."
The two of them stared each other in the face, trying to see if one or the other was lying.
"WAKE UP SASKIA, they need you!" The boy shouted before he and the rest of the five faded.
Saskia scanned the horizons for the five before she found herself being lifted form unconsciousness into reality.
The relative calm of camp was transformed into a raging hell in a few short moments.
Unknown to the group. They had been followed by a small band of three mutants. All firing wildly around them.
Saskia leapt up and ran behind billboard advertising puma sports equipment. Not that anyone would have purchased it, or they had any money left.
"I thought you would never wake up" Marthe panted before taking a shot at the mutants. She hit the adult male in the leg causing him to fire wildly around.
Saskia grabbed Marthe by the sleeve and dragged her down.
"I've got an idea!" Saskia panted.
"Well spit it out then" Marthe hissed as she took another shot.
"No. It's too risky!" Saskia sighed undoing the safety catch on the gun.
"More risky than runnin' through a radioactive city" Sandra butted in. Before the explosion. Sandra had been the biggest gossip in the East end.
Saskia gave herself a nervous grin and turned to Marthe.
"You run and distract them. I'll shoot!" Saskia ordered and Marthe gave a small salute before dashing across the ruined street and letting out a bird call.
The teenage mutant turned its head towards Marthe and fired.
Nothing came out. Confused, the mutant retried with the gun. Still nothing.
Behind the billboard, Saskia was readying herself for what she was about to do.
She told herself repeatedly that the mutant was as good as dead already. And that she was doing it a favour.
Then, Saskia closed her eyes, inhaled, stood up and fired.
The bullet hit the mutant in the back of the head, killing it instantly.
This was the last straw for the mutants. They fired around at anything that moved in a vain attempt to kill.
A bullet ripped through the billboard close to Saskia's head. Desperate to avoid being hit, she scrambled lower. Eventually flattening herself out below the curb.
Then, as if she meant to commit suicide. Saskia leapt up and yelled a single word. "Stop!"
The mutants stopped and turned. Gaping mouths drooling a strange amber liquid, unable to move.
Sandra glanced up at Saskia. "Wha' you doin'?! She roared.
"Taking control" Saskia replied. Tightening her hand in a fist. At the same time, the head of the taller mutant crumpled up. Shards of bone punched through its head, showering the road with discoloured blood.
The mutant fell onto the cracked tarmac. The other mutant turned to run but was shot down by Marthe.
"They're dead!" called Kylie. After that the rest of the group stood up and surveyed the street.
"All here?" Joseph asked.
"Nah, Mytch got shot" Said Marthe pointing behind a fallen telegram pole. The survivors padded over and stared at Mytchell, who was lying there with a bullet wound through his neck.
He spluttered some blood and shook his head violently. Staring at the survivors with sightless eyes.
"You" He gasped raising a shaking finger to point at Saskia who flinched.
"Mind we take your rations?" Sneered Jason fingering his gun, he then winced as Saskia kicked him between the legs
Before Mytchell could refuse Jason lifted his gun, aimed it at Mytchell's head and fired.
After Mytchell slumped down, dead. The survivors fell onto Mytchell ripping into his bag, grabbing strips of dried beef or tins of dried fruit. And (all though they would not be able to use it) his last pounds.
When they had finished they grinned at each other, secretly glad he was dead.
"Saxa" Jason said.
Saskia twitched acknowledging Jason.
"Why did you kick me?"
Saskia chuckled quietly.
"You deserved it!"
"WHAT THE!"
Saskia let go of her sanity and laughed like a banshee.
"Guys!" Murmured Kylie surveying the horizons then glaring daggers at Saskia. "I think they might have brought some friends with them!"
Saskia whipped round to see a large black cloud, bobbing up and down like a Bessemer.
The blood drained from her face and she gulped hard. Saskia had heard about these swarms. They could form solid structures that could kill. As soon as you would shoot them they would space out and dodge the bullet before reforming and killing you.
Kylie suppressed a squeak and Joseph swore hard.
All reason and calmness gon. The survivors turned and fled.
The hot sharp wind stung their faces and mouths. Beams of steel acted as death traps littering the streets. Electricity pylons threatened to decapitate you as you sprinted through the city. Then the air turned cold and they let out a shriek of delight. They had exited ground zero.
"GET IN!" Marthe yelled pointing to a large glass and concrete airport building. At first the survivors thought she was just happy but then they followed her finger and ran inside.
The air smelled of disinfectant and sweat mixed together to create an overpowering stench.
"Nice place" Marthe chuckled signalling to Sandra who whipped out her gun and surveyed the room.
"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" Came a voice from a room labelled BAGGAGE CONTROL.
The group instead of raising their hands grabbed their guns and pointed them at the door. Where a band of ten people in military uniform were standing, revolvers in hand.
"Who are you?!"
"Why should we say!"
"Because we are the Nexus!"
"YEAH RIGHT!" Saskia shrieked letting out a hyena laugh.
"Why so funny?"
Saskia calmed down and looked puzzled. "You work for that Google-box thingy."
"No we do not!"
"I used to sell stuff for them!"
The woman pulled the arm of the man talking. "You're not helping!"
"BUT I DID!"
"You're fired"
"W-H-AT?!"
"You heard me!"
The man lowered his gun sadly and turned his head down.
"Saskia-"
"How do you know my name?!"
"We know lots about you, and the five."
Marthe pulled back Saskia and barged in front of her. "Hang on. What does Saxa have to do with the five?"
"Everything Miss Shutt. Yours, hers and their futures are tied together, these cannot be separated, or the world shall die."
"How?"
"Saskia. Or Theia as her true name is according to the diary of Joseph Corboda-"
"Two things. A-Isn't he mad? And, B- True name?"
"Shut up Missy!"
Marthe scowled. She had often considered changing her surname because it was cause for many "Shut" puns.
"Unknown to many so called experts on the gatekeepers. There are two, who can stand in if the past and present forms of the gatekeepers were dead. Completing the circle. This was unknown to the Old ones."
Saskia gulped. How could this be her. She had known she was different and she had wanted to save the world. But that could not be her she was hearing about. She kept listening, but wished that she had not.
"She has a world of pain coming her way Miss Shutt. One of the downsides is that the "Reserves" can feel the pain of the gatekeeper they can stand in for. And unluckily for her, one of them has more pain coming their way than even you or I can describe."
Marthe looked around to see if Saskia was listening.
"Can we go somewhere else?" She said. "I need to know more."
The woman nodded and lead Marthe through to the room labelled BAGGAGE CONTROL.
Saskia leaped up and scampered after them. Sandra made an attempt to grab her but Saskia shook her off and crouched down to listen at the door.
"Who are you?"
"Hannah Litherland."
"Can I call you Lizard-foot?"
"No!"
Marthe sighed. She had a very stiff tongue and as a child had had difficulty saying certain words.
"Tell me about the gatekeepers."
Hannah placed her hands in her pockets and looked down.
"Ten thousand years ago. A race of demons called the old ones came to Earth. They began to suck the life out of the world, which was how they fed."
Marthe gulped.
"Five children could stop them. Four boys and a girl. They each had a strange paranormal ability. They are now known of by the majority of the population of Earth. Yet very few people know of the two reserves. Both female. They each could stand in if one of the gatekeepers they shared an ability with could not be there. Miss Cunningham is the last of the reserves. The other one was killed last year by agents of Nightrise."
Marthe nodded her head. Both her parents had worked for Nightrise. They had been killed when they were no longer needed. They sold oil they obtained by fracking to The Nail in Hong-Kong.
"That was how the old ones found out about the reserves. You saw the flies outside? They were sent here to kill your friend."
"Query."
"What?"
"What do I have to do with this?"
"Some of the five have companions Miss Shutt."
"Call me Marthe."
"Marthe."
"Go on!"
"Well. Part of the present five's mind is still stuck ten thousand years ago. Even though they do not realise it, they find the companionship of a modern human helpful in breaching the gaps between their primeval minds and modern intellect."
Marthe cocked her head.
"Have you ever seen any primitive behaviour from Saskia?" Hannah asked.
Marthe nodded. "Now you come to think of it yes. Sometimes, I watch her go hunting or shooting with her foster mother. When hunting she seems to have aim to rival the great Olympic shooters, and hunting. Well she often suddenly stands still and sniffs the air like a wolf or bloodhound."
Hannah nodded and took a small book out of her pocket. "They tales always say that Theia was an excellent hunter, who could talk wild beasts into doing her will."
"Ok."
"And The World Army needs recruits, and Miss Cunningham's uncle has been sighted in Antarctica."
They heard a rustling from outside the door. Then it burst open and Saskia fell through it, hitting her head hard on the floor.
"What are you DOING Cunningham?!" Shrieked Hannah leaping up from the tabled, knocking over an empty cup of coffee that landed on Saskia.
"You, didn't think I'd let you and Marthe talk about me on your own?"
"Young these days. No manners!"
"Your hardly any older!"
"Ladies, calm down please!" Marthe yelled jack-knifing herself between Hannah and Saskia.
"Let me at her!" Saskia growled pulling her gun from her waist and aiming at Hannah. Marthe struck the gun from Saskia's hand and kicked it to the side of the room.
Saskia let out an avian shriek and kicked at Marthe who let go. Saskia fell to the floor and scrambled around the floor for her gun. Then bolted out of the room.
"Sorry about that!"
"No worries. The lege-"
"Stuff the legends, this is reality! And anyways, we're going. Or the Old Ones will get us."
"Miss Shutt!" Hannah jeered.
"What?"
"They, or should I say we? Already have got you!"
Marthe stared at Hannah who gave her a sickly grin. Then her head split and a grotesque beast punched through the thin membrane of the skin.
Marthe yelled out and ran for the door. She tried to open it but the bolt was drawn. She cried out and struck at the door. She tried to calm down but panicked when she felt Hannah's sticky breath down her neck.
Marthe was about to shoot the Shape changer when the door burst open. Saskia was standing there, gun in hand. She had shot the bolt.
"RUN!" She yelled and turned tail.
Saskia had always been a fast runner. It had always confused her but now she realised why. She glanced behind her to see where Marthe was. She stopped and sniffed the air. Among the overpowering scent of chlorine she could pick out the musty smell of Marthe.
Saskia continued running. She could see the terminal door and made a beeline for it. She burst through the glass as if it was made of paper and limped towards the aircraft the rest of the survivors were in.
When inside she butted Jason off one of the seats in the cockpit and stared out of the front window. Saskia searched the vicinity for the door but could not find it. She checked again but wished she had not. The door was blocked by rubble, trapping Marthe and the Old One inside.
Saskia felt a lump rise in her chest. She fought to keep in her emotions but was struggling. Sandra was also close to Marthe and said nothing.
"We're going!" Joseph snapped from the captain's seat. "No time for full checks!"
Kylie glanced at him doubtfully. "Isn't that unsafe?"
Joseph nodded and turned the plane south. Towards Antarctica, and the World army.