The Wastes
Mark walked down the corridor, still happy at his promotion. Captain! He kept glancing at the badge on his chest to make sure it was still there. Other people did double takes when they saw the badge on a NIE. Some did not look happy. Mark walked into the garage, and spotted Ironfield was by a brand new looking Turbo Bike, talking to an engineer. He called Mark over when he saw him. "Captain Vetenskap! Over here." Mark stopped in front of him and saluted. "Sir." Ironfield saluted back, and then guested at the bike. "This is the brand new T6 bike. What do you think of it?" "Well… looks no different really." "Ah, but this bike is faster, lighter and more energy efficient then the T6. And you are going to be behind the wheel." Mark grinned. "Awesome." Ironfield nodded. "Indeed. Now, when you get to New New Mistral, talk to Inspector Peva and inform him of our situation. Stay until the signal is sent to the other cities, and then come back. You got that?" "Yes, sir!" "Good, now get going. I have some people I need to meet." Ironfield walked out the garage, while Mark climbed into his new bike. He gave double thumbs up to the engineer, who flicked the inhibitor switch to "off." Mark shot out the garage, down the street, past civilian transports and was at Gate A before he said "HOLY NOTCH!" This bike was really fast.
Mark gazed up at the Gate with spinning eyes. It was huge, as big a warehouse but with smaller doors built in it. It was built into the wall around the city, and to keep out radiation a shield was activated on the outside of the gate, and when the gate had closed it was deactivated. Mark activated his com. "Open the gate!" he shouted for fun. Nothing but static. "Open the gate, please." "Much better," said a voice on the other end, and the gate began to open, making a hole big enough to get the bike through. Mark gazed out into the wastes. It was a desert, going on for ever, no plant life, or life of any sorts. Plenty of death though. Mark moved through the gate, and looked over his shoulder as the gate closed. Clang! Mark was cut off from civilization. The shield deactivated, and Mark had a moment of panic thinking about the deadly radiation entering his body. He dispelled those thoughts by bringing up his path on his visor. Simple, straight there across a nuclear waste land, filled with Notch knows… hopefully.
A few hours later, Mark had been speeding across the arid wasteland and had seen nothing, apart from a few cactus forests. No sign of magicians, or nomads or mad men or flesh eating zombies…. No sign. Mark glanced up at the sky, and noticed the sun was sinking fast. So what? Mark would be at New New Mistral in 2 hours, unless something happened. Mark suddenly found himself slowing down, until… he stopped. In the middle of a nuclear desert, a 9 by foot walk to the safest point, and it was quickly turning night. Great, just great.
As night fell, Mark tried unsuccessfully to get the Turbo bike running, and when the moon was fully above the distant mountains he had found three things; one the inhibitor had seeming activated fully randomly, two a survival kit was in the storage cabinet, and three, no flares or beacons were included with it. So, Mark was stuck until day. Sighing, he set up the warmer, and settled down for the night. He tried not to fall asleep, but eventually he did sitting against the bike. He woke to groaning. He stood shakily, looking across the waste land. Nothing. So where was it coming from. Mark heard the groan again, this time directly behind him. He spun round, drawing his Nano Saber. On top of the Bike, a man swayed. Part of his face was missing, the rest was green, his right arm was unusually large, and left had claws on the hand. A zombie. Mark activated his Nano Saber. The zombie groaned, and slipped off the bike towards Mark who jumped back. While it tried to get up, he cut off its right arm. It hit the floor with a thud, and oozed green blood. The zombie just looked at the space where its arm was, the groaned again and reached for Mark. He cut off its head, then stepped back as both body and head hit the floor. The groans continued though.
"Darn it," Mark muttered turning round to find a whole group of zombies stumbling towards him, all with various mutations. Mark sliced one's chest open, and then blocked a rock thrown by another. He spotted something running past the slower zombies, and readied his sabre. Then the figure jumped, and as it flew towards Mark it entered the light of the warmer. A girl, with green hair and empty sockets where her eyes should be. Mark was shocked, and only raised his too late. The zombie girl, landed on his Saber, and before he threw her off she raked her needle like claws across his shoulder. Mark gasped; the pain was bad enough, but Mark could feel poison seeping through his veins.
Mark dropped his Saber and put pressure on his bloody shoulder, but he knew it was hopeless. He would die in a few minutes. He stumbled away from the warmer, trying to escape the zombies, but he collapsed. Mark turned over to see a zombie reach for his throat… then a ball of fire struck it in the face, forcing it back. A figure stepped over Mark, and raised her hand. A wall of fire appeared in front of them, and the zombies groaned and retreated, apart from one that leapt over the fire. The figure drew a black sword, and with a single touch dissolved the zombie's head. The figure turned to look down at Mark, then he fainted.
Nearly my half-term, so I will be doing more storys.
