A/N: I don't own anyone but Alex…..The rest belong to Eric Kripke & Co. (Lucky bastards)
15 Years before the Outage…..Saint Louis
"Yes I am aware the National Weather Service is putting the area under alert. Well that's why you hired me Jon remember? If I wasn't monitoring it I wouldn't be the Emergency Response Planner now would I?"
Alex sighed as her supervisor continued about the concerns over the impending arrival of the cold front over the area. Sometimes she wondered where he would be without her. A late strong late season cold front was approaching from the Northwest, ready to crash into the humid unstable air of the Midwest. It was nothing new as it had happened before. But she was praying it wouldn't happen before she flew out to South Carolina tomorrow morning. She was taking a much overdue vacation to see Miles and Nature was not going to get between her and getting laid; preferably on the beach.
"Well I'll need you to be on alert vacation or not. Miles may have to wait."
"Jon, if I miss out on this I will personally drive to your house and kick your ass all the way to Parris Island!"
"No need to make empty threats Alex."
Alex wouldn't harm Jon as he had been an awesome supervisor. Her work in preparing Douglas County for any emergency had caught the attention of a few notable figures earning her a prestigious reputation amongst the emergency management community. When the surrounding counties in the Saint Louis area were devastated with influenza two years prior, her county proudly reported lower infection rates and deaths.
"You know I wouldn't really hurt you…." She added a light chuckle at the end.
"Let's hope this blows over."
"You don't know the half of it."
Alex pressed the end button on her cell and resumed packing her bag for the upcoming trip. Clothing was looking to be optional though she wanted to see a few of the historic sites around the town. And there there was Bass. Sebastian "Bass" Monroe was a fellow sergeant in the Corps and he and Miles were thick as thieves. Hopefully Bass kept Miles from getting into any trouble which seemed to find him no matter what. She promised Bass they would catch up when she was out there and have a few rounds with him. He was like a brother to her, keeping an eye out for her when she was around. All three were very close.
As if on cue her cell went off and vibrated on the top of her suitcase. As she plucked the device up her eyes rested on the set of numbers that made up Miles's cell.
"Speak of the Devil," her finger pushed the talk button as she pressed the phone to her cheek. "Well hello there."
"And hello to you too good lookin."
"I take it you're out with Bass?" Alex continued dropping items ranging from skimpy thongs to full tank tops and shorts pausing to give a short glance at slate colored two piece. She shrugged and dropped it in.
"We're having a few drinks at the Roadhouse then heading back to base."
"So you will be at the airport tomorrow and not hugging the toilet right?" She lightly teased him.
"You're kidding right?"
"Well maybe Bass is going to get you good and drunk so he can have his way with me." Alex heard him choking back the drink he appeared to have been attempting to drink in the middle of her personal amusement.
"Snowball's chance in Hell of that happening! The second that door closes at the barracks…."
"Easy there Don Juan! Just be sure to leave a tie on the door!"
Alex laughed at Bass chiming in in the background. Oh yes, it was going to be a very fun two weeks. Between being pinned under Miles and trading barbs with Bass, two weeks would literally fly for her.
"Well you two have a beer each for me and my flight is due to arrive in Charleston at 11:00. Don't be late Matheson!"
"Sweetheart I wouldn't miss it! You have no idea….."
"Okay well I'm out; gotta finish packing and all that. See you two geniuses tomorrow."
"Absolutely! Night Alex….Love ya."
"Goodnight Miles….Love you too."
Alex hung up and zipped the bag closed. She wasn't about to pay a damned baggage fee and everything went in one carryon. As she turned and started for the bathroom, the power flickered. Odd but not uncommon. Before she could grab the hair dryer on the stand her pone went off again.
"Alex it's Ben. Look there's no time to talk you need to listen to me right now!"
"And hi to you too Ben."
"It's starting Alex. You need to get out of Saint Louis now!"
"Okay you need to slow it down Ben. How can you be so sure about it?"
"Look there's no time to argue! I can't reach Miles!"
"Alright, alright," she dropped on the edge of the bed. "I'm listening."
"It's starting Alex...Y….sup…..city….."
"Hey Ben you're breaking up! Ben!" She hollered at the phone. The reception garbled and muffled Ben's voice. She couldn't hear him or what he was relaying.
A sharp pop broke her hearing as the ceiling fan flickered and rattled overhead.
"Maybe one of the computer nerds upstairs is hogging the grid again," she didn't laugh at her own joke. It was just a way to soften the blow that was erupting around her like a volcano.
"Damn it," she felt her stomach drop. Alex hoped Ben was wrong and that it was just some a random transformer that shorted in the middle of nowhere. Tomorrow the power would be back and she would be on her way to South Carolina. Life was going to go on as it always had!
Beaufort, South Carolina….
The sleek red Charger with black siding roared down the highway back towards the confines of Parris Island. The air carried a thick swath about it, a typical South Carolina night. Miles had the windows down allowing the air to streamline around him and Bass, offering some means of comfort and reprieve from the oppressive Southern atmosphere.
"So what's the plan?" Bass added a knowing smirk to his question.
"Head to Charleston and pick up a certain brunette."
"That's not what I meant smartass!"
"I don't know yet," Miles's tone dropped.
"You are not going to back out on this! This was all you had talked about! No way!"
"This coming from the guy who won't call a girl but has no difficulty in sending her short coded texts. Bass why don't you just call her?"
"Nobody calls anybody anymore. Hey she's 22 and she doesn't even talk on the phone!" Bass was slightly defensive in his actions where dating was concerned. His fingers glided over the touch screen of the Smartphone.
"Wow," Miles was amazed at his friend's lack of social skills.
"Are you going to offer me tech advice? What, you with your big old fat Casio block phone?"
"What does that make Alex and me? Ancient?" He offered a thin smile just to appease the blonde man in the passenger seat. It would get Bass off his case for a few minutes.
Miles drummed his fingers in procession across the top arch of the wheel. Back in the barracks was a small silver band crowned with not a diamond but a clear deep blue sapphire that could put the very sky to shame. It wasn't that Alex would say no but it was hesitation on Miles's part. Would she truly be happy as a Marine's wife? The constant tours overseas had shattered many couples and families as the stress of being apart frayed family bonds. He didn't want that to happen to them. Miles wished he could see into the future.
At that exact moment his phone rang and he saw it was his brother, Ben.
"It's my brother," he flipped the older phone open with ease. "Benjamin what's going on?"
"Where have you been?" Ben's voice was frantic on the other end.
"Why? What's going on?"
"I've been calling!"
"She's sending photos!" Bass was giddy as the device started to accept the first image.
"We went out for a few drinks and we're headed back to base now. Did something happen to Alex?" The twinge started out in his chest.
"No, she's fine and knows what's going on. But you need to listen very very carefully to me!"
"Wait what's going on? What do you mean she knows what's going on?"
"It's going to turn off and never turn back on!"
"What's going to turn off? What are you talking about?" Miles was genuinely confused at this point. Bass traded an equally perplexed expression as the second image downloaded.
"Holy…." He let out a low whistle. "Now that is true beauty right there!"
Miles ignored his comrade as he strained to listen to his brother.
"Every…..turn….of…..Al…."
"Ben are you there? What's going to turn off?" The signal rattled and hissed as it began to break. "Ben?"
"No…." Bass whined as his phone went fuzzy and contorted the nude image. A pale circle of blush was the last thing to grace his eyes. Miles felt the engine lurch and choke as the electrical components that illuminated the dashboard, radio and headlights systematically went out. The car rolled to a soft stop as others behind, ahead, and on the opposite two lanes got out in bewilderment. The vehicles that trained behind them went silent one by one.
"What the Hell is going on?" Miles wondered aloud.
Overhead the blinking strobes of airliners dropped across the horizon, dipping below the tree line with a thunderous boom to announce its final destination.
Alex rushed out to the balcony as the apartment shook with a violent tremor that nearly robbed her of her balance as she flung the doors open. Her mouth went to her hand as her eyes went wide open with horror. The jetliner cartwheel across the horizon where the skyline of Saint Louis went dark but was temporarily brightened by the flames of the fireball that broke the horizon. Planes didn't fall out of the sky like that! Planes didn't fall out of the sky!
"Oh my god," Alex felt her knees buckling against the wrought iron supports. It was happening. Deep down she knew Ben was right only Alex didn't want to believe it.
"Miles…." She breathed her lover's name with a light fleeting tone.
Miles was relieved to see the front gates of the base. He and Bass had hiked five miles back from where the Charger had died on the road. Everyone had started to abandon their vehicles creating a graveyard along the highway. The skies had turned unnaturally silent as for the first time since the advent of electricity the stars broke out overhead. Miles found it ironic how beautiful the natural world was as the one resource that fueled civilization had been silenced. He thought about Alex, hoping she was alright.
"She'll be fine," Bass clapped a hand over his shoulder. "Alex is a tough girl."
He didn't respond as they approached the guard on duty. The Marine stood with feet hips' width apart as his hands rested within one another behind his back.
"Halt," he ordered the two men to stop. Like a pair of obedient dogs they halted their movement as Miles fished out his wallet.
"Sergeant Miles Matheson," he produced the id card. The Marine peered in the reddish glow of the road flares used to create light and nodded at him. Bass had forgotten his card.
"You know me," the blonde rolled up his sleeve exposing the underside of his left forearm. "Sergeant Sebastian 'Bass' Monroe." The black lines creating his last initial jumped off the pale canvas as the Marine acknowledged familiarity.
Alex flipped the lantern on and hung it in the closet. She searched the top shelves searching for the hiker's pack she refused to part with.
"There it is," she tugged on the handle with a solid jerk clutching it to her chest.
She dropped the larger bag beside the smaller one she had intended to take to South Carolina the following day. With a heavy heart she grabbed the essential items leaving behind the swimsuit, thongs and other luxury items.
"Damn it," she cursed at the top of her lungs and slapped her hand against the wall. Why did it have to happen? Why didn't Miles listen to Ben? She could only hope Miles had the sense to start for Chicago.
Alex continued packing the bag, but with slower regrettable movements. Her heart dropped as she stopped and stared at the two different bags resting side by side. It was as though she was experiencing a transition; an unwelcome one. Jeans, shirts, button up shirts, boots, socks, and toiletries took top priority. Food would have to be light but sustaining. Alex wasn't comfortable with leaving the place she had called home for nearly 10 years but the lights were gone and probably not going to come back. Life as humanity knew was extinct.
