A/N.
1. I realize that I promised that this chapter would deal with the development of Allison's attitude toward John Connor and how she ended up falling in with a Death Valley warlord. It still does to a degree (attitude toward Connor), but not totally, nor does it start into her Death Valley days. The reason being is that this chapter is getting quite longish and I decided to break it up into two chapters and present the first part now, as it has been a while since the last update. The second part, which was intended to be included in this chapter as well, is about half completed. Hopefully it wont be as long to get it out.
2. Blooper: … Derek's age
In this chapter, Derek Reese is portrayed as a high school senior (17-18 years old) and it has come to my attention that, after reviewing some TSCC episodes, that he was actually 15 years old at the time of J-Day. To correct this oversight would require making changes in many previous chapters as well, so I decided to leave it as is. After reviewing both S1 and S2 of TSCC, I have concluded that this 2 year difference in age will not cause any problems, as his age is rarely mentioned. Kyle and Allison's ages are correct however.
3. Thermonuclear Detonation
There may be some confusion when reading about my account of the initial thermonuclear attack during J-Day. To clear this up, I have decided to include this to explain, as simply as I can, on how a thermonuclear device works and the initial effects after the detonation. I grew up during the 50s and 60s (era of fallout shelters and total nuclear paranoia) and I have noticed that most writers have omitted an effect of such a blast, i.e. Winds blowing in TOWARD ground zero.
First a summery on how a thermonuclear device ( H-bomb) works, for those who may not actually know.
An H-bomb uses a small atomic bomb (nuclear fission reaction) to generate heat and pressure to create a nuclear fusion reaction by "fusing" the molecules of lithium deuteride gas together to form tritium (a hydrogen isotope). This fusion reaction is what creates the fireball associated with a hydrogen bomb, with temperatures approaching that of the sun's surface. It is basically the same reaction that powers the stars.
This is approximately what would happen at the time of a thermonuclear attack. First there would be a blinding flash of light from the initial fission reaction. The heat and pressure starts the fusion reaction and about a second later, the super heated fireball expands consuming everything, including atmospheric gasses, in it's place and very quickly rises due to the extreme temperatures, leaving a vacuum in its wake, immediately pulling everything inward. A few seconds later, the main pressure wave/blast wave, of much higher intensity would hit along with the heat. The last thing you would experience would be the sound of the blast.
I'll admit that I have taken "literary license" in my description of John, Derek, Kyle and Allison's experience at the time of the attack, concerning the timing of the blast effects and even that they survived, for dramatic effect. That's quite common in Hollywood, like the very common occurrence in movies and TV where someone dives through a plate glass window and gets up running, with a few little cuts. In the real world, I'll guarantee you that that wouldn't happen.
4. Dirty Bombs….. There is a misconception, by some, that a "dirty bomb" is an actual nuclear device and while they use nuclear/radioactive material in their construction, they are simply a conventional high explosive device. They are relatively simple to produce and a person with an eight grade education could make one, provided he had access to the materials and a means to handle radioactive material, without poisoning himself.
It's basically a bomb consisting of plastic explosives, dynamite or perhaps even good old fashioned black powder. Radioactive materials, typically waste from nuclear power plants, are incorporated within it to act as "radioactive shrapnel," to spread contamination over a given area.
5. ATB… All terrain bicycle
6. CBRN …. …..Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
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Disclaimer: I do not own any characters related to TSCC or are they my creation. This work is strictly amateur (obviously) and I receive no compensation of any kind. The character of "Freyja Björnsdóttir", however is of my creation totally.
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The Story of a Life
Chapter 9: The Day the Sky Fell
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March 1, 2014
Los Angeles, Ca.
1630 Hrs.
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She sat huddled up and shivering against a cold slimy wall, somewhere in the old storm drain system. With her head resting on her knees, buried in her arms, she sobbed as an occasional rat would scurry by and curiously inspect her, before resuming its never ending quest for sustenance. Scared, lost, hungry and cold, her little six year old mind was trying desperately to make sense out of all that had happened, in the last three years and mostly the incident last night.
Why had he lied to her? Why had he chased her away? Why did he want to kill her?
That nice older boy, the one who always protected her, her best friend that was like her personal King Arthur, would she ever see him again? Had that awful man killed him too, maybe just because he was her friend?… her only friend?
Had he been lying to everyone in their group? If he had lied to her, it seemed to make sense that he would have had lied to the rest as well. She had told him that she wanted to go back home, to Palmdale and find her Mom. He had told her that she couldn't, that she had to stay inside, because there were monsters outside and everything was poison. Had he been lying about that too?
She remembered it like it was yesterday, when she had first met John. It had started out as the happiest day of her life, but quickly turned into the most terrifying, when everything went crazy.
It had been about three months shy of her fourth birthday, when her Dad let her go with him to his office. She always loved going there, as everyone made such a fuss over her when she showed them how well she could draw. She was always the center of attention. As exciting as the prospect of being able to accompany her Father to his workplace was, it paled by comparison of what he had in store for her that day. He had taken off early and on the way home made a special stop in downtown L.A.
On her previous birthday, they had taken her to the zoo at Griffith Park followed by a picnic lunch, when she saw an older boy on a mountain bike. "That's what I want!" she exclaimed excitedly, as he rode past. Her father explained to her that she was not yet big enough and that her feet would not even reach the pedals. If she were good, however, and promised to mind her Mother and eat all her vegetables, without a lot of fuss, that by her next birthday she might be and he would consider it.
Aulay Young had been a brilliant if not somewhat avant-garde architect and commercial artist, of Norwegian/Scottish descent. He always managed to keep himself employed, in well paying positions, but his rebellious and artistic nature generally kept him hopping from job to job. He refused to work on the ordinary mundane projects, that a lot of his employers would put before him.
His daughter Allison, much to his wife Clair's chagrin, seemed to be following precisely in her father's footsteps, in regards to rebelliousness and flaunting of authority, even at her very young age. During the year following her third birthday, however, she had made an almost miraculous personality change. All she could think of was that shiny new bicycle, that her Dad had all but promised her. She would obediently "clean her plate" at mealtimes and even ask for seconds of Asparagus and Brussels sprouts. One wall in her room had become totally marred up, by little pencil marks, as she would check her growth on an almost daily basis.
As they left her Dad's office, at the California Plaza and headed up Broadway toward the 101, she was about to ask him if they could continue on to Chinatown, for a Chinese lunch. Just before they made it to the freeway, however, he made a right turn onto Temple St. "Where are we going daddy?… this isn't the way home," she asked. He just looked over to her and said, "I have a little surprise for you." A perplexed look came over her, but before she could inquire further, he crossed Spring St, pulling up in front of a little bicycle shop.
Allison couldn't read the sign that said "Sid's Cycle Shoppe," but as the sight of all the bicycles parked out front, under strings of multi colored little flags, fluttering in the breeze, came in to view, her eyes popped wide open and she let out an excited squeal.
Before her Dad had even shut the engine off, she was frantically struggling with the door handle, popped it open and scampered over to a twenty six inch silver "Santa Cruz" ATB, just like the one she had seen the boy riding, on her last birthday.
"This is it!… just like the one I saw!"…. she exclaimed happily while hopping up and down and skipping around in little circles.
Aulay caught up to her, shaking his head slightly with a grin and said while chuckling…
…. "Yes I'm sure it is, but I think this one's still a little too big for you now"….
A look of disappointment came over Allison momentarily, but before she could speak he went on to say….
… "But I'm sure if we go inside we can find one that's right for you"…..
The excited smile returned to her, as she grabbed his hand to lead him in toward the shop. A grimace came to his face as he glanced at the price tag, followed by a sigh of relief, as he let her guide him away from the "Santa Cruz," in search of a more appropriate model.
Upon entering the store, Sid was relaxing on an old lawn chair, watching a sporting event on TV, while sipping from a bottle of water.
…. "So how can I help you today?"… He inquired, without looking up from the soccer game…. "Something for you or the young lady?"…
As Allison excitedly dashed through the rows of bicycles he added, while giving her Dad a quick grin…..
…. "Well I guess that answers that question"…
He directed her to the rear of the shop and said….
…. "The little kids models are in the back. We have all kinds. I'm sure you'll find one you like"…. and added reassuringly, while glancing back up to her Dad and adding…. "In all price ranges"….
"Her first one?"…. Sid asked, with his eyes glued to the TV set..
"Ya, she's been begging me since her last birthday and I think she's big enough now"…. Aulay replied, while watching his daughter clamber happily around on to different models, to find "just the right one."
"Well then this must be a big day for your little girl"…. Sid commented with a slight grin… "Just let me know when you two find one that's agreeable with her taste and your pocketbook…. Ah!.. I remember my first one"… Sid commented with a wistful look….
….."I was about her age when my Dad…. Oh Shit!"…he exclaimed while bounding up from his chair, as the opposing team was closing in on the goal net. His team's goalkeeper made a desperate dive toward the incoming ball, just as the game was cut off by a special news broadcast.
….. "Aww! Now what the fuck!"…. He cried out in a very annoyed tone…
An announcer came on, giving an update on the "Caspian Sea Crisis."
The fighting in Turkmenistan had just escalated and spilled over into neighboring Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The Russian Federation had issued a stiff warning, against further aggression, had demanded an immediate US withdrawal from bordering Kazakhstan and was prepared to enter into the conflict with "Tactical Nukes," if their demands were not met.
The Peoples Republic of China, that had already issued economic sanctions against the US, had also made a military stand, in regards to possible Russian and US involvement in neighboring Kazakhstan. They had amassed over half a million troops, just over the border in Xinjiang province, ready to enter the fray against both, should the US and Russia become involved.
The US had activated its new, controversial "Sky Net" missile defense system two days earlier, in anticipation of the latest developments. They had also deployed the new T-1 automated combat units, along with the extremely controversial T-70 "Robotic Infantrymen," in response to the Chinese and Russian "Saber Rattling." All US reserve and National Guard units had also been activated.
Allison went on oblivious to the developing world situation, gleefully ringing little bells and honking little horns, in an attempt to decide from the myriad of bicycles, which one she wanted. Her Father and the proprietor of the shop, however, were totally oblivious to her delight, as they listened to the news man on the "tube."
….. "Whew! Looks they got us into a fine mess this time"…. Aulay commented… "Those morons on Capitol Hill won't be happy till the whole world hates us and I don't care if we are the only actual "Superpower" left, we can't go up against everybody. I think they might be biting off a little more than they can chew this time."
….. "Can't say that I disagree with you on the wisdom of making enemies all over the place"…. Sid replied, while glaring disdainfully at the TV set, waiting for the game to come back on…..
…"But as far as what they can handle nowadays…well I don't know,…. it's scary"… he added while shaking his head slightly.
…. "Have you heard about those T-1's and T-70's?….. the Sky-Net system there talking about?"….. Sid further inquired with a concerned look….
…. "Na.. not much, just what I've heard on the news and read in the paper. A multi trillion dollar money sink, that my daughters great grandchildren will be lucky to see paid off"…. Aulay replied contemptuously, then inquired offhandedly….
….. "Buy the way, aren't those T-1's, some sort of remote controlled tank or something?"…..
….. "Not even close"…Sid replied with a slight chuckle…. "The T-1 combat unit runs on tank treads, but that's the only resemblance to a tank there is. It's small, quick and deadly with dual mini guns, or whatever they want to equip it with. It's virtually unstoppable, with anything short of several fuckin Bazookas. It's not remote controlled and this is the scariest part."….
…"Once you activate them, supposedly, you don't have to guide them. They just go about killing and destroying shit on their own. They seek out and destroy enemies without any sort of human intervention. The 'T' stands for 'Terminator' and that they do very well. They terminate shit, with extreme prejudice I might add. They're fuckin killing machines. The T-70's, however, were actually first developed years ago, by the old Cyberdyne Corp."…
….. "Cyberdyne… didn't they go belly up, after some crazy woman blew it all to hell?"…. Aulay inquired….
…. "Ya that's the one"… Sid affirmed and continued on…. "After Sarah Connor, I believe her name was, escaped from the 'booby hatch' and blew the place to kingdom come, they were forced to sell all their remaining assets and patents to pay off their debts, one of which was the T-70 'Robotic Infantryman.' Cyberdyne produced the first prototypes, but another company bought the rights to it and got a huge military contract, to improve and start producing them.
It's basically an eight foot tall mechanical soldier, with the strength of a tank. They're impervious to gas, radiation, napalm or whatever. With small arms fire, even though it's possible to stop one, unless you can hit it in the exact right spot and are very lucky, it takes several men concentrating their fire on it for an extended time, while it's 'mechanical buddies' are out flanking you….. and if you think that's something"…. he went on to say….
…"like the T-1's, they also operate without human guidance, but unlike them, they claim that they have an actual rudimentary thought process. They can actually learn from mistakes, to a limited degree and make elementary field decisions in combat. Some critics of the program fear that once activated, for an extended period of time, that they may actually develop a basic survival instinct and not allow you to turn them off.
If we have this kind of shit, you know damn well that it's just a matter of time before others do too, if they don't already. If there's another real war….well I can guarantee you that it will be like nothing you've ever seen and simple 'nukes' will be the least of our problems."…. Sid concluded, with a grave look.
…. "Well, I don't mean to doubt you, but it sounds to me like you've been reading a lot of sci-fi books. I don't really think that these new 'wonder weapons' are really all they say they are. I did some time in the military and we had so called 'Smart Bombs.' They really weren't all that smart, more like low grade morons."… Aulay commented with a chuckle…
…. "Ya, ya… I know what you're thinking"…. Sid interjected while waving his hands out in front of him….. "but I had a good friend that worked at Cyberdyne, back before Connor blew it all to hell. He told me that they were working on stuff that was beyond imagination…. way back then. My brother was and still is stationed at Edwards AFB. He told me about these things, that they were testing out there. There not even in the same league, or universe for that matter, as the so called 'Smart Bombs' you're talking about."
"Also, I was going out with this feisty little Mexican gal a while back. Whew!"…he paused, took a deep breath then continued….. "great piece of ass, but smart as a whip."
….. "She was working up at Cal-Tech with some special research team. Didn't say much about it, but that it was something that she claimed if she did tell me, I would think she was totally out of her tree. You said it sounds like sci-fi, well you're right, only it's not sci-fi, it's sci-fact now. Zella wouldn't say exactly what it was they were working on, but that it was like something right out of a Ray Bradbury book and these robotic combat units they have now, could just be the 'tip of the iceberg,' in regards to what they might soon be capable of."…..
… " At first I figured she was just 'pulling my chain.' After we broke up, however, we remained friends and she fixed me up one time with this friend of hers, her lab partner. Some super foxy looking Scandinavian chick. She invited me back to her apartment, but unfortunately got 'cold feet' and nothing happened. We did have a very interesting conversation though"…..
…. "Oh ya, what exactly did she tell ya"…..Aulay inquired, skeptically ….
…."Actually nothing"…. Sid replied with a shrug of his shoulders, then continued on… "but it's the way she said it, or didn't say it I suppose you could say. When it was becoming obvious that I wasn't going to get laid, I decided to just talk with her, as she was a very interesting and intriguing person. We talked about everything from rock climbing to Einstein's theories."…..
…. "While I personally never even went to college, that high tech scientific stuff has always intrigued me. I decided to see if I could find out from her, what exactly was going on up at Cal-Tech. When I tried to steer the conversation around to what her and Zella were involved in, however, she immediately froze up. Just the mention, that I even knew that they were working on some major deal up there, seemed to produce a look of terror in her eyes. It was like she was scared shitless that I even knew about it, much less wanted to talk about it. At that point, she very pointedly dismissed me from her place and added emphatically that I should never try to see her again."….
…. "By her reaction, it was obvious to me that Zella wasn't bullshiting. Whatever it was, or is, that they got going on, it's way out there and very secretive. I never did try to get back in touch with Freyja and the funny thing is, I haven't heard from Zella for some time now either. I sometimes wonder, if maybe she was talking a little too much for somebody's liking and they decided to silence her….. If you know what I mean"….He concluded while giving Aulay a very pointed look.
…. "Well I suppose you could be right"…. Aulay conceded, while thoughtfully scratching his head… "but even if what you say is true, I doubt very seriously that any world leader, regardless of where he comes from, would be insane enough to unleash such things on the world. Sure, there's nut job terrorist groups around that would have no qualms about it, but this is super high tech stuff were talking about here. They don't have the facilities or materials to produce them. Even a suitcase nuclear device, that people are so terrified of, would be beyond their capability. Granted, a college student has access to the knowledge, but getting the materials and access to the facilities to produce one is next to impossible. A small 'dirty bomb' I suppose could be possible, but an actual nuclear device, let alone the high tech stuff you're talking about, is not going to be produced by a bunch of rag-head fanatics, in some desert training camp. We've been hearing about this nuclear terrorism paranoia now for over a decade. Even if they managed to purchase these things on some nuclear black market then why the hell haven't they used them?"…. He concluded with a chuckle….
….."Well I guess you didn't listen to the newsman there"…. Sid corrected him while pointing to the TV…. "It isn't a question of 'would they.' The point is that they already have unleashed these things. That goddamn megalomaniac Mitchell, that they got running the show over there, wants a war. He's been begging for the chance, to show off to the world his new toys and now he's got it, while he sits his fat ass safely behind a desk here in the states, I might add."… he conclude, while shaking his head in disgust.
…. "Ya, the situation's a real mess. Can't argue with that"….. Aulay agreed… then continued….
….. "But there's not much that people like us can do about it, so why worry?…. Just get on with life…survive and make the best of things is all we can do"….. he concluded
….. "That's what I say"…Sid agreed, as he switched off the TV, on which two newscasters were now discussing the currant US foreign policy and involvement in the Central Asian conflicts.
Their attention was diverted from their discussion of currant events, by the sound of little feet and bicycle tires, coming their way from the rear of the store. Allison had found the one she wanted and was walking it, with a proud beaming smile on her little face, up to the counter. It was a virtual scaled down clone of the one she had first seen, upon their arrival, outside of the shop.
…. "Well I see your little girl has good taste for bicycles"…. Sid commented with a smile… "That's one of our best models. She'll out grow it, long before the warranty runs out and when she does, I can accept it as a trade-in toward the full size version for her."….
Aulay let out a slight gasp, as he examined the price tag dangling from the handlebar. He knelt down to his daughter and asked somewhat timidly…..
….. "Uh.. are you sure this is the one you want?"….
…. "Oh yes Daddy!, it's just like the one I saw in the park!"… She stated emphatically, in her excited "little girl voice."…..
….. "Only a little smaller. It's just my size"…. she went on to explain, with a more serious look on her face
…. "Well Ok,… if you're sure now"…. Her Father conceded, still a bit meekly…
Sid tapped him on the shoulder and motioned him over, with a slight nod of his head, then said quietly…..
…. "Hey look, I know that's one of the most expensive brands. I have others back there that are less than half the price and look almost identical. The only real difference is the name and they don't have the same warranty. I have to take it back in my shop and partially disassemble it anyway, so it will fit in your car. If it's too much for you at this time, I understand. I could swap it out with a lesser brand and I doubt she would know the difference."…..
Aulay thought for a moment, then slowly started shaking his head, as he explained in a serious tone…..
…. "Na, I can't do that, I've never deceived her and always stressed the importance of keeping your word to someone. She made a promise to me last year and kept it faithfully, so I need to do the same. It's the one she picked out, so it's the one she gets."…. he let out a sigh and added….. "and besides, take it from me.. she would know the difference."
He looked down at Allison, who was staring back up to him with an excited expectant smile, awaiting his decision. He straightened up and simply said…
…. "We'll take it, do you accept Visa or Discover?"….
Allison buried her head in his stomach, as she attempted to wrap her short little arms around his waist, while exclaiming….
…. "Oh Daddy I love you so much!…you're the best Dad in the whole wide world!"…
Sid commented, as he watched the tender hearted Father daughter embrace…..
…. "You're a good man sir and an exemplary parent, others would do well to follow your example"…..
After Sid had removed the front wheel and loaded Allison's new bike into the back seat of their car, the returned and stated…
….. "In case you don't know, the state of California requires that all bicyclists under the age of eighteen must wear a helmet. You made quite a purchase today, so I'll go ahead and throw one in with the deal. They're in the next room, if she'd like to go pick one out."….
She gaily dashed off, through the rows of bicycles and disappeared into the adjoining room. While Allison was busy, excitedly trying of various brightly colored helmets, in the next room, her Dad and Sid closed the deal and began filling out the required paperwork for the warranty.
…. "Hey I'm sorry they're so expensive anymore, that's quite a chunk out of your pocketbook for a kids bicycle."….. Sid commented, sympathetically….
… "Aw, that's alright"…. Aulay responded, with a shrug of his shoulders… "It's not that I can't afford it, it's just that I was a little shocked at first. The last time I priced them was when I was a little kid myself, but the way prices are going crazy anymore, I suppose I shouldn't have been all that surprised."…..
…. "Ya, I hear ya on that pal… It wont be long before a bushel of apples costs a bushel of dollar bills, the way things are going"…. Sid commented with a slight chuckle and added in an exasperated tone….
….. "and you can thank our government for that. Anytime some fat ass politician or the military needs more money, for some insane project, it's fire up the press and run off another trillion dollars or so, of worthless money."…. He shook his head in dismay and added….
…. "As much as I hate that insane, power hungry Gen. Mitchell, that's one point I have to agree with him on. I'm sure he has his own interest at heart, but he's hell on wheels about getting this country back on the gold standard. If he were to run for president and rumor has it that he's thinking about it, as much as I hate to admit it, he might have my vote on that point alone"….
Aulay was but half listening to Sid's new political tirade, as his attention was drawn to the sound of a commotion coming from outside.
…. "What the hell's going on out there"…He inquired, mostly to himself, as he craned his neck around to get a better view of the street.
…. "Beats the shit out of me"…. Sid replied absently, as he continued filling out the warranty paperwork… "but if you'd lived in this crazy LA rat race as long as I have, nothing would surprise you"….
"Hmm,… I don't know, something's sure as hell happening out there. I think I'll go check it out"….Aulay replied, as he plunked his Visa card down on the counter and headed for the door.
"Suit yourself pal"…. Sid responded disinterestedly, with a shrug of his shoulders.
Upon reaching the doorway, Aulay did a quick little dance, with a young man who was attempting to enter at the exact same moment. After he managed to sidestep him successfully, he stepped out onto the sidewalk and glanced around in astonishment at the throngs of people, rushing around, some in a state of total panic. A middle aged man, in the garb of a construction worker, came tearing through the crowd. After knocking and stumbling over several bicycles, in his mad dash for whenever he was headed for, he shoved Aulay aside and continued his panicky flight down the street.
….. "Hey you!"…. Aulay called out, as he chased after him…
….. "Hang on a minuet!"….he cried out, as he caught up, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to look into a wide eyed, terrified face….
The construction worker just stuttered and stammered, with the look of a mad man, between gasps for breath. Aulay shook him by his shoulders, while hollering above the din of the terrified crowd….
…. "Who there buddy!.. Calm down Ok!…What the hell's going on here!"….
The other man just stared back for a moment, with a trembling jaw and wild eyed expression, before weakly gasping out between heavy breaths…
…. "Th.. they shot them all off!….n… n… not much t.. t.. time!… incoming soon!"…
He pointed up to the sky, while crying out in a trembling voice…
…. "L.. lo.. look.. up there!"… Aulay looked up as his jaw fell agape, at what he beheld and the construction worker broke away, disappearing into the lemming like stampede of humanity.
Allison had tried on about every helmet in her size. This decision was tougher than deciding on the right bicycle, as they were all so cool looking. With their bright colors and little sparkles, imbedded deep into the glossy paint, she wished she could have them all, but knew she could only have one. Putting one on, in front of the mirror, she would adjust it to different angles, while turning from side to side and making different facial expressions. When she was done with one, she would repeat the process with another.
Finally she had it narrowed down to three, that she kept trying on and comparing, a little red one, a shiny black one with little gold sparkles and a solid gold one. Literally bursting with excitement, over the prospect of getting back home and learning to ride her new bike, she knew that the sooner she chose her helmet, the sooner she could do just that.
Back at Palmdale in her neighborhood, there were a few kids her age that had tricycles. There was another little boy, that was about a year older than her. He had a fancy chain driven one with long multi colored streamers hanging down from the handle grips, numerous red reflectors and was the fastest thing on her block. He was the envy of every kid in her neighborhood, as he went zooming up and down the sidewalk, in front of her house. Nobody but nobody, that was even close to her age, however, had a for real two wheeled bicycle, let alone a fancy little ten speed mountain bike, like she now had. She'd be the talk of the neighborhood and wanted to look just right, so she continued to patiently take her time, in deciding which helmet would look perfect on her.
There was a time when she wanted a trike like her friends had, but that all changed that day in Griffith Park. The thing she had noticed about the other kids on their tricycles was that they always seemed to stay on the sidewalk on their block. The big kids and teenagers with their real bicycles, on the other hand, actually got to go places, get out and explore the world, beyond their immediate neighborhood.
As thrilled as she was over the possibility of becoming the envy of every kid on Carolside Ave and perhaps all of Palmdale or the entire Antelope Valley, as far as she knew, there was more.
A few blocks to the west and south west from her home were huge vacant desert areas, with endless little trails meandering up and down little hills and gullies, to be explored. Farther to the north was Desert Sands Park where the big kids went to play baseball or tennis and shoot of fireworks on the fourth of July. As she thought of it, she swore she could hear the firecrackers going off, at that very moment.
Her early birthday present was more than just a status symbol and a means to gain popularity among her peers. Although she liked that idea as well, it was her ticket to adventure and independence. Mostly however, it was a token of love and trust from her Father. Even at her very young age, she realized it was a huge responsibility. He no longer looked at her as a little toddler. She had proven to him that she could be trusted and would keep her word. She was growing up, earning her freedom and it was like a whole new exciting world was coming into view.
She finally decided on the solid gold helmet, as it looked to her as if it were a gold crown sitting on her head, fitting for Queen Guinevere. Her shiny silver bicycle would be her glistering silvery white stallion, as she went off on her new adventures of exploration. Visions of zooming up and down up and down little hills, dotted with cacti and scrub brush, with the warm desert air blowing through her hair, filled her mind. She dreamed of resting in the endless yellow poppy fields, watching the clouds lazily float by in the bright blue sky.
If she was going to be off discovering new and exciting places, she suddenly realized that she would probably be needing a back pack and water bottle as well. The helmet had been a freebee from the store owner, so she figured her Dad wouldn't mind getting her a few extras to complete the package. In a corner was a tree with various back packs and other accessories hanging from it. As she selected a bright red water bottle, a deep purple back pack caught her eye. It was just her size and had a cartoon picture of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming sewn onto it. They looked just like what she imagined King Arthur and Guinevere to look like. Plopping her new helmet on, she grabbed the water bottle and back pack, then scurried happily back out into the main store, where her Father was waiting.
Sid swiped Aulay's Visa and began inputting the required information into his card reader. As the shouting and screaming from out side increased, he thought to himself…
… "Great!, sounds like another big war protest converging on city hall….. lets just hope it doesn't turn ugly and explode into another full blown fuckin riot"…..
He never noticed the young man enter the store behind his back….. never heard the little "pop" from the .25 auto….. never felt the bullet pierce the back of his head and ricochet around inside his skull. It was if someone had simply "thrown a switch," as the world disappeared and he was swept away into eternity.
The gunman calmly stuffed the pistol into his jacket pocket, slid Sid's slumped over body away from the cash register and onto the floor. After rifling through the cash box and behind the counter, for anything else he might find useful, he looked down at the lifeless heap sprawled out upon the floor…..
….. "Sorry about that"…. he apologized dispassionately, with a shrug of his shoulders….
…"but you probably would have died horribly, in another twenty minuets or so anyway…. I did you a big fat fuckin favor friend….. as for me,….well I don't plan on going down with the ship, like the rest of you chumps…I got a plan and seeing as how you won't be needing this stuff anymore"…. he stated coolly, while searching Sid's corpse for any other valuables…
…... "I'll just help myself…. a man's gotta look out for himself… ya know?… nothing personal you understand"…..
Aulay gazed up in shocked disbelief, at the myriad of contrails crisscrossing the sky. They were moving way too fast to be jets and as much as he still couldn't believe it was actually happening, it was all too clear now, what all the panic and commotion was about.
… "They did it!…they actually did it!…some crazy son of a bitch finally pushed the fuckin button!"….. he thought to himself in total astonishment….
His first thoughts were of Clair back at Palmdale. Was she even aware of what was developing? If she was, would she know what to do? Was there anything she could do?
There was an Air Force presence at Palmdale Regional Airport, but he doubted that it was significant enough to make Palmdale a primary target. He was confident that the San Gabriel Mtns would provide enough protection that she could survive the initial blast effects, from a strike on the Los Angeles area, in the root cellar, but what about Edwards AFB? It was only thirty miles north of there, if that, across flat desert. Would it be included in a first strike? Would their half completed shelter be adequate in that event?
Every since the US invasion of Turkmenistan and the rapidly deteriorating world political situation, he had planed to deepen and reinforce their root cellar, with sandbagged concrete walls and iron blast doors, "just in case." As he had just recently started work at a new job and funds had been somewhat short, not to mention that he never really took the threat all that seriously, the project had been placed on the "back burner." He had, however, managed to deepen it, sandbag the roof and walls, stock it up with a sizable amount of drinking water, canned foods and a twelve gauge shotgun for defense, if it came down to that. Still, no concrete had been poured and the door was only the original wooden one.
He wished that he and Allison were there with her, but knew that there was simply not enough time. With all the panicked motorists clogging up the highways, he doubted that they would even get clear of the downtown area, before retaliatory missiles arrived. He nervously fumbled for his cell phone, to give her last minuet instructions, assure her not to worry about them and just "hunker down" and take care of herself.
The phone rang and rang and rang, as he paced around in a little circle. After a few minuets that seemed like years, he realized that she was not going to answer. He hoped she was already in the shelter and had forgot her cell phone, for as sickening as the thought was, he knew that there was absolutely nothing he could do for her. The only thing he could do, was to grab Allison and head for cover in the bomb shelter under city hall, that was fortunately only a block away, or in the basement of some large office building. He had no idea of how much time they had left. Perhaps twenty, thirty minuets, or maybe just a moment or two. All he knew was, that the longer he stayed on the phone, in a desperate attempt to get a hold of his wife, the less of a chance he had to get Allison to safety. He snapped it shut and sprinted back toward the bicycle shop.
He bounded thought the door and was about to call out her name, when he noticed the man that he had passed while leaving, a few moments earlier, was now hovering over Sid's apparently lifeless body, striping him of rings and whatever else he could find on him.
…. "Holy shit!"…. He exclaimed to himself…. "The bombs haven't even fallen yet and already we have looters?"….
He became terrified, that Sid's assailant could have already have found Allison and did God only knows what to her. He was clearly an insane animal, without the slightest regard for anyone but himself. Despite his fears, he had to assume that she had, in fact, gone undetected so far and was still safe, for the moment anyway, in the other room trying on different helmets. It was also very clear that if he were to get his daughter to a safe location, that this "cretin" would have to be dealt with, without alerting him of her presence, in the most timely fashion as possible. He was sure that time was a precious commodity that was quickly running out. Any sort of verbal exchange and /or long drawn out session of fisticuffs, would simply not be in the best interest of getting Allison to safety.
Quickly glancing around, he noticed an old antique bubble gum dispenser, just outside the door, that was fortunately not chained down. He stepped back, grabbed it by its stand and charged back in, toward the "mad dog," that was just finishing up his twisted occupation. As Aulay raised the improvised weapon up over his head and swung it down toward his intended target, the rouge turned around just in time, to duck out of the way of the incoming bludgeon. Little multi colored gum balls went bouncing and rolling around behind the counter, as the glass container shattered onto the floor. Before Aulay could raise his weapon for a second swing, his opponent rolled out of the way, produced his pistol and rapidly popped off six rounds into his stomach.
Aulay staggered back a few paces and stood there for a moment, as his face became white. His arms went limp and the bubble gum stand went clanging onto the floor, as he sunk down on to his knees. A second latter he toppled over backwards, with a leg tucked under him and a dark crimson stain spreading over the front of his shirt, while emitting little gasping choking sounds from his throat.
The gunman sauntered over with a sneer on his face, looked down at him for a moment, then said with a slight chuckle….
…. "Well now, I'll bet ya that sure smarts!"….
He knelt down beside his latest victim, liberating him of his wallet, rings, the gold necklace Clair had given him on their last wedding anniversary and whatever else he had of any value, while continuing on with his one sided conversation. He let out a little sigh and said…..
….. "You just had to come back now…didn't you?…try to save the fuckin day…. Ya know…you hero types really crack me up….. Don't you guys listen to the police?…. You're not suppose to take the law into your own hands….. It's dangerous! …. You don't know what the fuck you're doin for Christ sakes…
He rose back up to his feet, gave Aulay a final glace and said in parting….
…. "As much as I'd like to stick around and listen to you gag out your last breaths, I have this funny feeling that 'the mushrooms will be sprouting' before too much longer and I really should be getting along….. so sleep tight, hero…don't let the bed bugs bite"…. he concluded with a smirk and a chuckle, before slipping on out the door.
Allison was beside herself with joy and exhilaration, as she came bouncing through the rows of bicycles. With her golden helmet on her head, she threw her arms up in the air, with the back pack in one hand and the water bottle in the other. She cried out exuberantly….
….. "Dad! Dad!…look what I found!…Is it Ok?…It's perfect!.. Look!.. it even has a picture of"….
She froze in her tracks, as the sight of her Father sprawled out on the floor came into view. Her arms dropped back down to her sides and she called out again, in a weaker bewildered voice….
…."Dad?"… Dad?…what's wrong?"..
Dashing over to him, she let the back pack and water bottle drop from her hands, as she knelt down at his side. The room went deathly silent, as she notice him staring up into nothingness, with glassy eyes and blood soaked shirt. Her little hands shot up and crisscrossed over her mouth, as she stared at him momentarily in shock. A weak little voice exclaimed from under her hands…
…. "Oh no!…oh no!"….
She reached out and grabbed his shoulders and started shaking them, while crying out…
…. "Dad!…Dad!…wake up!…please!.. wake up!"…..
Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she continued to cry out to him, while desperately shaking his shoulders. Finally she said….
…. "I'll get help!…you'll be Ok!… I'll get a doctor.. Ok?"…
She glanced around the room in a panic, looking for the store owner, who was laying behind the counter. Not sure as to what had become of him, she stood up and ran out the door, while crying …..
….. "My Dad!.. my Dad!… he's hurt!… help him please!… call a doctor!.. he's hurt!"…
As she dashed out onto the sidewalk, her tear soaked panicky little face took on a look of total bewilderment, as she glanced around at a scene of total chaos.
People were running about hollering and shouting. They would shove her aside as they hurried past. Cars were racing down the street and two drivers were out in front of a steaming wreckage, having a fistfight.
She looked up at an approaching passerby, with a scared, desperate look on her tear streaked face and cried out in a frantic pleading voice, while attempting to grab onto his leg and pointing into the store…
… "Please!… my Dad!… help him!"….
Without even breaking his stride, he shoved her out of his way knocking her to the ground, as he shot past in a total panic. Getting back up, she continued pointing toward the store and screaming at the top of her lungs, in a distraught voice, to anybody she could for help, as they ran past without so much as a glance.
Suddenly, to add to the confusion and panic, a loud ear piercing howl started echoing across the city, driving the terrified masses into a total frenzy. Shouting became horrified screaming, as they pushed, shoved and trampled over one another.
A big black SUV came careening down the street. It smacked a pedestrian, launching him into the air as the driver lost control, sideswiping several parked cars. Allison stood in total lost confusion, with her hands clasped tightly over her ears, as the sirens continued on with their shrieking song.
Her head snapped in the direction of still yet another sound and she froze in wide eyed horror, as the SUV bounced up over the curb, plowed through the bicycle display, sending them flying in all directions and bore down on her, like some big black snarling beast.
Someone grabbed her arm and deftly yanked her back from it's path, as it ground into several storefronts, ricocheted down the walkway, mowing people over like so many bowling pins, before coming to rest with it's horn blaring, after smashing into a fire hydrant, sending a twenty foot high geyser shooting into the air.
A teenage boy knelt down in front of her, flanked by an older man and another young boy, that looked like about a third or forth grader, then inquired with a concerned look….
….. "Are you Ok?….are you all alone?….where's your Mom and Dad?"…
She was still trembling, as she tried to rub the tears from her eyes with her fists. Looking back at the teenager, then up to the older man with her pleading eyes, she simply pointed and said in a weak pitiful voice….between sobs..
….. "My Dad's in there….. he's hurt….. can you call a doctor?"….
The older man just nodded his head, then said to the teenager….
…. "I'll check it out, you and your brother stay here with her" …..
The teenager protested, somewhat nervously, by saying …
….. "Hey look John, we don't have a lot of time left"….
….. "I'm well aware of that, but were not going to leave her here all alone"… John replied authoritatively …
The teenager thought for a moment, then just nodded in agreement, with a solemn look on his face.
John glanced around the bicycle shop and saw Sid laying behind the counter, with blood trickling out of the back of his head and Aulay laying in the middle of the room in a pool of blood. From the cash box hanging open empty, the smashed bubblegum machine and floor littered with gumballs, it didn't take a Sherlock Holmes to picture what had happened. Whatever one had been the little girl's Dad wasn't all that clear, but it really didn't matter, as they were obviously both quite dead. He did a quick search of the helmet room, rest room and Sid's office, just to make sure there wasn't another, that could have been the Father and perhaps still alive.
Satisfied that one of the deceased was in fact her late father, he wondered for a moment exactly how much of the action see had witnessed. As time was getting extremely short, he decided that wasn't all that important either. They were dead. He and his companions were alive and if they expected to stay that way, they needed to get moving…. pronto.
The little girl seemed to be under the impression the he was still alive, so he had one more task to perform.
… "Ok Johnny, how do you go about telling a terrified, three or four year girl, on the brink of Armageddon, that her Dad is dead?…. that she might be an orphan now?"…
He thought for a moment, then mentally concluded…..
….. "You don't….you think up a quick lie"…
The older of the two brothers was still kneeling down wiping her tears away. The younger one came over and inquired…..
….. "What's your name?"….
She just stared at him, unable to speak and the older boy chided his little brother slightly, by saying…..
….. "Just let her be Kyle, she's really scared. She doesn't have to say anything if she doesn't want to"…..
Kyle looked back at Allison and reassured her…
….. "It's Ok…. We won't hurt you…I'll be your friend if you want"… He noticed her golden helmet, with the price tag still hanging from it and said….
….. "That's a real neat helmet you have, did your Dad just get that for you?"…
She just nodded her head slightly, while remembering the last time she saw her Dad. She wasn't even four years old yet, but she had seen a few movies and TV shows. She didn't want to accept it, or admit it to herself, but deep inside she knew….. He was dead. She was just hoping against hope that it wasn't so. She reflected back on when he had bought her the bicycle and she had hugged him, when she went happily back to that other room to pick out her helmet and her lip started trembling, as tears again started flowing from her eyes.
The teenager quickly pulled her back into a hug and gently rocked her, as she silently sobbed.
… "See Kyle?…what did I just tell you?"….. he again reprimanded his little brother…
….. "I'm sorry Derek" …. Kyle apologized…."I just want to help her"…. he explained in a slightly downcast voice.
… "That's Ok… I know you mean well, but she's really upset, so just give her some time Ok?"….. Derek assured him…
About that time, John emerged from the cycle shop. Allison had her face buried in Derek's chest, as he looked up to him curiously. John just shook his head slightly with a solemn look.
…. "Damn!"….Derek thought to himself…. "poor thing, this is really going to be tough on her"…..
John knelt down next to Derek and Allison, as he motioned for him to let him talk to her. As he took over comforting her, he wiped a few tears from her face then said…..
….. "Hey come on, you shouldn't be crying like this. Your Dad told me what a big brave little girl you are"…..
Allison's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the news…
… "You talked to him?…. He's Ok?"… She inquired hopefully, wiping a few more tears from her face.
… "Yes, I talked to him. I called a doctor and an ambulance is on it's way"…
….. "Oh thank you!" …she exclaimed in a relieved little voice, as she hugged him…. "You're such a nice man"….
She broke away and started for the shop entrance, but John restrained her saying….
… "Who!…wait a minuet, you can't go in there right now"….
….. "Why not?… why can't I see my Dad?"….. she queried, giving John a suspicious look..
…. "Uh well …because the doctor said he needs to rest, he's very sick, but he'll be good as new if he gets lots of rest" …He explained nervously… "You want him to get well don't you?"… he inquired with a serious look….
… "Oh yes!"…she exclaimed emphatically …
…. "Ok then, it's all settled…. so come on, we need to get going"… he concluded in a serious tone…..
….. "Why do I have to go with you, why can't I just wait here?"….. she again inquired with more suspicion creeping into her voice….
… "Well.. uh.. because your Dad told me he wanted me to take care of you, until he gets better. There's a lot of people out here today and their real mad about the war. Remember that car that almost ran over you? It's too dangerous for you to be out here by yourself"…
She vividly remembered the indecent he was referring to and how the teenager had saved her life just a few minuets ago, but she was still a bit suspicious. Her Dad had always told her to never trust or talk to strangers and even in her three year old mind, a lot of this guys story didn't seem to make sense. Why couldn't she go in and see her Dad, if she promised to just sit with him and be quiet? Why couldn't he call her Mom to come down and pick her up, so she could just go home? He didn't seem to know her name. If her Dad had asked him to watch her, wouldn't he have told him her name? Her parents had always told her babysitters her name.
She was about to fire another volley of questions, when the youngest one came over to her and said…..
….. "Come on it will be fun, my big brother said we we're going to go exploring some old caves under the buildings. I'd like to be your friend.. I promise I wont let anyone hurt you. Ok?"…
While she still wasn't sure if she trusted the others or not, there was something about the youngest one that she really liked, that made her feel secure. She had to admit, that even if she didn't fully trust the others, they had been awfully nice to her and the teenager had saved her live. While she was becoming somewhat relieved about her Dad's condition, she was still very worried about him. If the oldest one was telling the truth, about how he needed to be alone in order to get better then that was fine with her, because nothing was more important to her than her Dad.
She kept looking at the young one and his kind looking eyes. She just knew, for some reason she couldn't explain, she would always be able to trust him. She answered him back, albeit a little timidly….
….. "Well …Ok I'll go with you …. I'll be your friend"…..
Before Kyle could respond, John and Derek said anxiously, almost in unison….
…. "Ok.. great!.. Lest get moving!"…..
John picked Allison up and the four of them took off down the street, Derek almost dragging Kyle by the arm, toward the city hall building.
As they approached the front entrance, the mass of frenzied humanity, fighting, pushing and shoving, punctuated by an occasional gunshot, made it clear that seeking refuge there would be but an exercise in futility. John turned to Derek with a slight look of concern, but before he cold comment, Derek spoke up with….
….. "Don't worry, we don't have to go in that way"… he assured him… "I did an extensive study on the civil defense system, for one of my classes during my freshman year in high school. This whole area's honeycombed with underground tunnels, that were built back in the 50's and 60's and there's other ways in, that most people don't know about."….He hurriedly glance around until he spotted an abandoned city maintenance truck by an open manhole…
….. "Hurry, follow me!"…he cried out….
They peered into the manhole, only to find that it was flooded with water.
….. "Damn!" … Derek muttered ….
John again looked at him, with an increasing look of concern and inquired…
…. "Ok…now what?"….
…. "We got one more shot"…. Derek stated, as he pointed to a small three story building…..
….. "Are you sure you know what you're doing! I happen to know, that that building doesn't even have a basement." …. John commented, with a very pronounced look of concern….
….. "No, but nobody's there and it has an elevator. That's what we need"….Derek explained while rummaging around it the truck, producing a tool satchel, several flashlights and extra batteries.
….. "An elevator!"…. John exclaimed incredulously…
Derek grabbed the satchel and hastily commented….
"Look… I never was that great in school, but this stuff always fascinated me and it was one of the few thing I knew something about, other than baseball. We don't have enough time left for me to explain, so please just trust me on this, Ok?"… He concluded, as he rapidly took off toward the small building, with Kyle in tow.
Upon entering the building, it was pretty much vacant, as most had already fled for the large bomb shelter under city hall. The elevator was standing open, on the ground floor and Derek hopped in while instructing the others to remain outside. He punched the button to the third floor and jumped back out, as the doors closed behind him and waited. He watched the indicator lights and when the elevator had docked at the top floor, he pulled a large crowbar from the tool satchel….
….. " Quick, give me a hand!, we need to get this open!"… Derek barked out…
John set Allison down smartly and jumped in to help Derek, who was feverishly prying at the sliding doors….
… "Holy shit!… I sure hope this kid knows what he's doing!"… He thought to himself, as the blaring sirens reverberated through his aching head.
It had been a bad day from the get go and was rapidly getting worse. He had been awakened that morning, with a splitting hangover, by the sound of the landlord pounding on his door and shrieking about when he was going to "cough up" the last three months rent. After managing to halfway quell his irate landlord, with promises that he wasn't all that sure he would be able to keep, he had drug himself off to work, only to be immediately canned, for his habitual half drunken tardiness. It had been the third job he had gone through, that month alone. He cursed himself for getting totally snokkered the previous night, on cheep beer and mescal, or for even returning to the L.A. area from Mexico, after his Mother's passing six years ago, in the first place.
When the news came out that congress had passed funding for the Sky-Net defense bill, two years ago, he should have taken the hint then, to "get out of Dodge." It had become pretty obvious, that his Mother's act of "terminating" the Cyberdyne Corp, had been in vain and that this day was most likely to occur regardless.
The only good thing, that he could see so far, was the ironic chance of coming upon Derek, who's old "clunker" had broken down on the I-5. It had been him, who had first pointed out the outgoing missiles in the sky and the need to take cover, after John had pulled over to see if they need a lift. Upon learning that the kid's little brother's name was Kyle, he had nervously inquired as to their last name. When he heard the name "Reese" it was like all that his Mother had told him, that he had actually been trying to forget, came back with a vengeance.
Had it not been for Uncle Bob's intervention into his life, he would have dismissed his late Mother as a total nut job, with all her rantings about robots, time travel and a dead father that in fact hadn't even been born yet, at the time of his death. He still had a hard time dealing with the distinct possibility, that this eight year old kid could be his deceased Father, that he would eventually have to send back in time, to protect his Mother and ensure his own birth.
Maybe it was just an extremely rare coincidence. Maybe there were several Kyle Reese's around. His Mother never did mention his Father having a brother, that would in essence be his future Uncle. If this was in fact the one, what would happen if he didn't send him back someday? What would have happened if he hadn't found them, broke down where they would have been vaporized in the forthcoming holocaust? He was actually here. He had in fact already been born. Would he just disappear and everyone that had known him just forget they ever saw him?
If this was the beginning, of what he feared it was and he was in fact destined to become some great leader in a dismal post apocalyptic word, he had a sickening thought. After the deaths of untold billions of people, for him personally, it would probably be the best thing to ever happen. Other than making the FBI's ten most wanted list, by the age of eleven, it sure didn't seem as if he would amount to a "hill of beans" in the present world.
Although the sirens were still screaming all across the city, the crowd of crazed people had more or less dispersed, from where they were at the present time. For the first time since this whole horrific ordeal had begun, Allison started to feel a slight calming sensation, as she stood next to her new friend and watched his older brother and the one they called John, prying the elevator doors apart. She had a slight concern about what they were doing, then turned to Kyle and asked…
…. "Are we going to get in trouble for this?"….
Kyle turned to her and replied with a serious look…..
…. "Na… Derek's a good boy and he knows what he's doing"…. he put his hand on her shoulder and added…..
….. "Don't worry"….
He stared at her for a moment, then inquired again….
….. "What's your name?"….
She now felt totally comfortable with him and was about to comply with his request, when she remembered something. She wasn't sure if John was being all that truthful with her concerning her Dad and wanted to know if he knew her name or not. That way she would know. She couldn't give out her name, for if she did, she would never know if he was telling the truth. She didn't like the idea of lying to Kyle, but figured she could tell him her real name, explain why she had lied to him later and he would understand.
She thought for a moment and said….
…. "Guinevere"….
After they had successfully opened the doors, Derek let out a sigh of relief, as he spotted a light green metal trap door, on the floor of the elevator shaft. He fumbled through their tools, as John held the doors open and quickly pulled out a pair of bolt cutters. Snapping the padlock, he flung the trap door open, clicked on a flashlight, peered into the dark hole and noticed the metal climbing rungs were intact.
….. "Ok come on! let's go!"….. he shouted out, while donning a head lamp and tossing one to John. Grabbing Kyle, he helped him down the rungs, while John did the same with Allison. When they safely reached the bottom, he issued the two kids flashlights, as the headlamp bands were too big for them.
….. "Ooo! this is fun!" …Allison squealed…
….. "See, I told ya"…. Kyle replied, as he shined his flashlight up from his chin, while making grotesque faces. Allison giggled and started doing the same in return, as John inquired of Derek…
…. "So, you know where we are?"….
…. "Well, I'm not sure exactly"….. Derek replied, but before John could reply he held up his hand and added…
…. "But…. this will buy us some time"… He looked sadly down at the two youngsters, clowning around with each other, oblivious to the impending disaster and pulled John off to the side, while continuing to explain in a hushed voice…
…. "This tunnel system connects with the subways, most of the basements of the larger buildings and all the bomb shelters in the downtown area, where there should be medical supplies, safe food and drinking water. It was built during the last "cold war" and can withstand an up to twenty, possibly thirty megaton thermal nuclear airburst, from the type of weapons they had back then. Nowadays, they use multiple warheads, up to twelve, on a single missile, which can cover a much larger area, produce a much larger and widespread yield of radiation, but their generally much smaller per warhead. One megaton or less. So we should have ample protection from the initial blast down here. After that we can explore and find a shelter to obtain food and water. Not a lot of people still know about these tunnels, but I'm sure we may run into others and"…
He sighed and shook his head slightly, then continued on solemnly….
….. "from what I witnessed today about human nature, we may need weapons. You stay here and watch the kids and I'll see if I can't run back up topside to get the crowbars. There not much, but better than nothing I guess."….
John pulled a Glock 9mm out from under his jacket saying…..
… "Don't worry, I got us covered on that"….. and added…. "Never go anywhere without it"…
Derek gave him a shocked look. John, sensing his apprehension, explained reassuringly…
…. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not a gangbanger, hit man or anything like that"…. He paused for a second then continued…
…. "It's a long, long story"…..
Derek shook his head and replied…..
….. "That's Ok, even if you were, I don't suppose it makes much difference now. After what I've seen of you today, the way you've looked after her"…. as he nodded his head toward Allison….. "and the way you saved our asses, you're Ok in my book. I'll be in debt to you for a long time"….. he concluded sincerely….
John shrugged his shoulders and said….
….. "Ah… don't worry about it, if it weren't for you I'd still be out there running around wondering where to go"….
….. "Ya, Ok.. whatever, but I should still run up there and grab the tools. Ya never know; we may need them and the extra lights and batteries. Their's no telling how long it will be before can go back outside"… Derek responded….
….. "Well ya better hurry, all hell could break loose up there, any second now."… John cautioned him…
…. "Don't worry, I was a pitcher, but one hell of a base runner too."…. Derek explained confidently…. "You get my little brother and his friend there, as far away from this shaft as you can and I'll catch up with ya"….
No sooner had the words left his mouth, when a blinding white beam of light flashed down the access shaft, piercing the darkness of the tunnel….
….. "RUN!"…. Derek shouted, as he grabbed Kyle and took off in the opposite direction.
Allison screamed, as John scooped her up and shot into the darkness, hot on Derek's heels.
….. "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three"….Derek mentally counted, as beads of sweat rolled off his forehead…..
…. "GET DOWN!..HANG ON!"…. He cried out, as they hit the floor…
John and Derek lay on the floor for a second, their arms wrapped tightly around each other, with Kyle and Allison sandwiched between them, screaming in terror. Derek's head lamp ripped off his head, flew through the air and went clattering back up the access shaft, as they found themselves sliding across the concrete, being sucked back the way from which they had just run, accompanied by a shrieking whooshing sound.
A second later they felt a hot blast of air, as if from an open blast furnace, come thundering down the open shaft, sending them tumbling back in the opposite direction. John's headlamp tore off his head as the two terrified kids lost their grip on the flashlights, which went flipping and flopping ahead of them, into the darkness, followed by a dull rumbling sound that shook the earth to it's core, as tons of broken concrete and other debris came crashing down the shaft behind them, spilling out onto the floor.
Then it was over, ….as they lay in deathly silent darkness, punctuated only by Allison's weak little sobs.
After they had collected their wits, John went on ahead and found the one remaining flash light that was still working, while Derek stayed behind and attempted to consol the two youngest ones as best he could. He realized that the time was soon coming that the truth would have to be made known to them and was desperately trying to figure out what he could say, that they could possibly understand.
….. "How do you tell an eight year old kid that the world had just ended"… He mused grimly to himself…
With some light to guide him now, John manager to locate the rest of the lights. They had been rendered inoperable, as they bounced across the concrete, but he salvaged the batteries and stuffed them into his jacket pockets.
When he returned to the rest of the group, he explained to the children that there had been an earthquake and while it might be a few days before they reached them, rescue workers were at that very moment attempting to dig them out. Kyle seemed to be taking it all in stride.
John had learned from Derek, that their Dad had gone on a business trip to New York City and had taken their Mother with him, leaving him in charge of his younger brother.
While Derek was certain, that if this had been an all out nuclear exchange, New York most likely had been hit and the chances that their parents had survived would be marginal at best. Still, the "earthquake story" would serve to assure Kyle that his Mom and Dad were Ok, so he at least wouldn't have to worry about them, for the time being anyway.
Allison, however, seemed beside herself on the verge of hysteria, worrying about her parents, especially her Dad, as she was certain that the bicycle shop had most likely collapsed on him.
John explained to her, that he had been taken to a hospital, long before the earthquake struck and that hospitals were all "earthquake proof," so she had no need to worry and that things would be just fine. He also learned from her that she was from Palmdale and further explained that it was too far away to have been effected, so the her Mom should also be just fine.
Allison still wasn't sure if she believed him or not, but his explanation seemed as reasonable as anything she could think of. She also remembered her Dad talking to her Mom one time about a hospital he was designing and how it had to be able to survive earthquakes. Maybe he was telling her the truth after all, besides, her Dad couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. She refused to believe that.
John still hadn't referred to her by her real name, however. Kyle had even addressed her by the name of "Guenn" and John hadn't corrected him. That troubled her.
While he himself, couldn't think of anything better to tell them at the time, Derek pulled John off to the side and whispered…..
…. "How much longer can we keep lying to them?… Kyle's my brother and I know him. I think I can explain things, when the time's right and he'll be able to handle it, but what about her? She's gonna find out sooner or later and I think she'll take it pretty hard."….
…. "Ya I know"….John replied, while sadly shaking his head…. "but just look at her, that hope is all she's got left. You and Kyle at least have each other, you still have family. I don't think she's aware of it, but her Dad was murdered. How can I tell her that? Edwards is just north of Palmdale and you know they got plastered. Her Mom is probably just ashes and if she had any brothers or sisters, you know damn well the same happened to them. Would you want to tell her that? We need to find food and water, if not for ourselves, for them. We could run into some very ugly people before we do and things could get worse before they get better. She's going to need all the strength she has, just to survive. Sooner or latter, yes… she'll know we were lying to her and she'll be totally devastated, but for now she just needs to survive. If that hope, even if it's a lie, is all she has left…. if it's all that's keeping her going, …. well could you take that away from her?"…..
Derek tightened his lips as he nodded his head. As much as he hated to have to lie to them, to give her false hopes, he knew John was right. There would be enough harsh realities as it was, in the next few days that they would have to face, without voluntarily adding more.
John gave him a light slap on the back and said…
….. "You're a good young man. Come on we need to get moving…. Ok?"….
The rest of the day went fairly smooth, relatively speaking, as they groped through the darkness exploring, what could be for some time to come, their new home. They came upon a few others along the way, that had found their way into the old tunnel system and those encounters also went, much to John and Derek's relief, without incident for the most part. They all seemed to realize the wisdom of banding together as opposed to "going it alone." John, much to his own surprise, when reflecting on the disaster that the first twenty eight years of his life had been, seemed to be totally in command of the situation.
There was one individual, however, that most took an immediate dislike to. He just went by the name of "Jasper" and had a particularly self centered, smart ass, surly attitude that tended to "turn people off." John had never made any sort of claim to authority, nor did he really think he cared to. The people just seemed to look to him for leadership and he accepted the responsibility.
In a few short hours there was a "showdown." Jasper, after continually challenging the authority that John had never even made claim to, contended that the only reason everyone seemed to think that he was such a big goddamned "hero" was because he had a gun. He then produced his own pistol, a cheap Saturday night special, brazenly showing it off to the group and stated that he didn't have to take anymore of John's crap.
John simply explained to him that he had no desire for any type of leadership role and that if he wanted to assume that spot, it was fine with him. However, if he wanted to "jump bad," he was also most welcome to give it "his best shot." He then handed his Glock over to Derek, narrowed his eyes and said…..
…. "Any time you're ready…. cabrón"….
As Allison watched the two alpha males "squaring off," she wasn't sure what to think. Deep inside, she wanted to trust John and believe in him, but she also still had a dread that he was lying to her about her Dad. It had crossed her mind that when he went into the store, he may have never even spoken to him, much less called a doctor, that he simple didn't want to bother with him, like everyone else that day and had left him there to face his fate all alone. In spite of her slight misgivings of him, however, she had started to feel somewhat secure in his presence, as she noticed he had a way of keeping people from acting so crazy.
There was something about Jasper, however, that gave her the creeps, every since he first joined their group. Still, John had seemed to be getting, as Jasper had maintained, "a little big for his britches" and the way he had confronted him about it filled her with a slight sense of admiration.
After a minuet or two of tenseness, Jasper backed off. John told him if he was going to insist on acting like an ass and continue to create discord among the group, that it would be best for all concerned if he were to hand over his weapon. If not, he was more than welcome to leave and go fend for himself. He further cautioned him, that if he chose the second option that it could be a rather small world anymore and his reputation would most likely follow him.
About ten minuets after relinquishing his pistol, Jasper came back up to John and offered a very humble apology for his previous behavior, a little too humble, John thought to himself. He explained that he had lost both of his brothers, along with his Mother in the attack and hadn't been in his right mind. The chastisement he had received from John, he claimed, had made him "stop and think" and he was ready to straighten up, assume some responsibility and do his part for the "common cause." He further maintained that in "the interest of the safety of the group," naturally, that two armed men would be far more effective than one man with two guns, if they should happen to run into trouble. He also pointed out, that as he didn't think that anyone else in their group even knew how to handle a weapon that he would be the best choice, to act as a second armed guard.
John was pretty much convince that the guy was totally "full of shit" and thought of himself as a real "slick talker." He figured that before the bombs dropped he was most likely nothing more than some common "street punk," that had probably sustained himself by mugging old men and raping old women in dark allies. When he felt exceptionally brave, possibly even a convenience store or two had fallen to him on occasion. Still, he had made a valid point.
He glanced around at their little group, that now numbered seven people other than Jasper and himself. It consisted of two children, a somewhat over weight older man, that had had a bit of difficulty even keeping up with the group at the original pace, two young women that had been nurse's aids and a rather meek middle aged man that had been a shoe salesman, none of which he was sure if they would even know what end of a gun to point at an enemy. Derek, while seeming to posses a high degree of courage, had admitted to him that he had never even been in a fist fight and seemed quite nervous about even holding John's weapon, while he was facing off with Jasper.
With more than a bit of reluctance, he returned his pistol, but not without a few very stern warnings. John also, in order to keep an eye on him, insisted that he take the point position. Jasper, with his already over inflated self absorbed ego, took it as an honor, as he advanced to the front with a sly smirk on his face.
They now possessed four working flashlights, between them, which made the going considerably smoother and seemed to raise everyone's spirits in like degree. As John was unsure as to how long it would be, before they would find the main shelter area, he suggested, however, that they should only burn two at a time to conserve the precious batteries, one at the front and one at the rear. In order to keep spirits up, one of the young ladies suggested that they should all sing songs together. After a few minuets of trying to decide on one that everyone would be familiar with, Kyle suggested one hundred bottles of beer on the wall.
Allison had no trouble counting to one hundred and beyond, but counting backwards was something that she had never quite seemed to master. With a little help from Kyle, however, whose side she never strayed from, she quickly and proudly overcame her deficiency and It wasn't long before she too was effortlessly singing along. Her concerns and worries seemed to melt away, as she marched alongside, chanting in perfect harmony, with her new best friend…..
…. "…..Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall…. Ninety nine bottles of beer… take one down, pass it around… ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall…."…..
Despite Jasper's rather obvious character defects, he seemed to have a fair knowledge of the old tunnel system. Within a few hours, they had found their way, without further incident, to the large crowded shelter that had been under the city hall building.
Much of the surviving populace, while still bickering amongst themselves in a state of mass confusion, had made tremendous progress, relatively speaking, toward regaining some common sense, now that the initial attack had passed. They had set up a couple of large battery powered lamps, for lighting and were attempting to inventory the food and water stores. While there were a few who protested the admission of any more refugees, John and his group were, for the most part, readily accepted.
Derek had mentioned that there were several other shelter areas scattered throughout the downtown area, possible with other survivors and supplies, that the tunnel system from which they had emerged connected with. He further maintained that as so few people were aware of their existence, that it was highly possible that the ratio of supplies to the surviving population might be well in their favor.
John immediately suggested that search and rescue teams should be formed, while Jasper vehemently countered the proposal. He contended, that while there were indeed other shelters, they had been long forgotten about by civil defense authorities and would be devoid of any useful supplies. The entire venture would serve only to waste time and expose people to unnecessary risk. He further maintained that any more "waifs," as he put it, should be barred entry to the shelter, as they barely had enough food and water for themselves.
….. "It's nothing personal against them, you understand, but it's a harsh world now and we need to look out for ourselves."…..he concluded…
It took about five minuets of discussion for John's plan to be agreed upon nearly unanimously. The following morning, three groups of six able bodied men, preferably armed, were to begin a search and rescue operation. John was to lead one, an LAPD inspector had volunteered to head up another while Jasper, much to John and most everybody else's surprise, had offered to take charge of the third. When John queried him as to his sudden "change of heart," he explained, with a somewhat dubious smile, that he wasn't a "sore looser." his concern, he claimed, had been for the good of the whole, but if this was the "will of the people" then he would gladly do his part, as he had no intention to be a source of unrest.
While John was not all that convinced with his explanation, he had become aware that among the nearly three hundred survivors, that there was an extreme shortage of armed personnel. Also, because Jasper had proven to have a fair knowledge of the tunnels, he quite reluctantly conceded, but made sure there were at least two other armed men in his party, that he could trust. There were a couple of Navy SEAL's and while they were unarmed, he made sure they went along as well.
The police inspector had informed him, that in the basement of the LAPD building, there was a sizable armory of weapons and ammunition, that might be able to be reached via the tunnel system as well. John decided that that should be prioritized also, not so much as to arm themselves, but to keep it from falling into the hands of others, that might have a slightly more nefarious intent, like Mr. Jasper.
Derek had volunteered to go along, on one of the search parties, but John had told him that watching over Guenn (as they were now referring to Allison) and his younger brother was of a much higher priority and that there would be much work to be done, inside the main camp.
There were cots, hammocks and a first aid station to be set up. Lights needed to be strung out. Emergency generators to power them, along with a short wave radio would have to be fired up and a way to vent the exhaust fumes to the outside, would have to be devised. Among their supplies, were a couple of CBRN suits and there would need to be a volunteer, to venture outside to set up the antenna for the short wave and sensors for the rad meter, to aid in locating other possible survivors and monitor the fallout's rate of decay.
Derek again volunteered for the more hazardous duty outside. John Reminded him that, due to Kyle, he shouldn't be taking undue risks with himself. Despite the fact that Derek was barely eighteen years old, he seemed to possess a level headedness lacking in most others. John announced that he would be placing him in charge, during his forthcoming absence and while there was a bit of murmuring at first, on account of his young age, John quelled it buy asking if they had a better candidate for the job. After about thirty minuets of bickering among themselves, as no two people could agree upon the same person, they accepted Derek as John's temporary second in command.
Early the next day, the three groups set out in search of other possible survivors and supplies, while Allison and Kyle pitched in with the other children, doing what ever they could to assist with various projects in the shelter area, under Derek's watchful eye.
Jasper and his group returned, in just over an hour. He claimed that, as he warned everyone earlier, that there was simply nothing to be found, while the other members of his party grumbled that it had seemed as if he had been doing nothing but leading them around in circles. Immediately, upon his return, he started "bucking horns" with Derek, stating that there was no way he would take orders from a "snot nosed" teenage punk and if they had any sense, they would appoint him as their leader. In a mere thirty minuets or less, instead of garnering support, he had managed to alienate nearly the entire population against him, with his rants. The two SEAL's, finally having a belly full of his crap, threatened to bodily toss him out the front door, into the radioactive rubble, if he didn't "put a sock in it." Glaring at everyone, he retreated to a corner while muttering that they were nothing but a bunch of "chumps," that John was using for his own personal gratification. He sat there and sulked, ignored by most everyone.
Allison was the youngest and smallest out of about thirty other children, in the city hall bomb shelter. Aside from Kyle, who was her best friend and rarely left her side, they would have little to do with her and while she really didn't mind so much, she was pretty much an outcast. She noticed Jasper sitting by himself in a dark corner and wondered why he was not working or talking to anyone.
If not for Kyle befriending her, this whole experience would have been absolutely more have she could have possibly endured and she knew that. Jasper had always giver her a creepy feeling, but as she looked over to him, she imagined him being as herself, had it not been for Kyle and she felt a slight twinge of sympathy.
… "Don't you have any friends?"….. she inquired, after walking over to him…..
He regarded her for a moment, with a scowl, then snapped back….
….. "I got plenty of friends kid"….. and continued on muttering…
….. "as soon as I can figure out how to get out of this zoo and get to them"…..
Allison stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out why he had called this place a zoo, as she hadn't seen any animals at all, not even a dog or a cat. Finally ignoring the "zoo" remark, as she couldn't imagine why he had said it, she decided to cheer him up a bit, by assuring him he would soon be out and be seeing his friends again….
….. "Don't be sad, John said that there are people out there digging us out, so you can see your friends again"… She explained innocently ….
…. "Digging us out?… people out there?"…. He exclaimed uproariously…. "Johnny boy's been lying to you, kid. There ain't nobody out there, cause there all dead!"…
She stood in shock for a moment, in the wake of Jasper's outburst. She felt her deepest fears rising, but desperately grabbed hold of her hope. John had assured her that her Dad was Ok and things would be fine. He had done so much to help everyone. He couldn't be lying to her, he just couldn't, besides Jasper had thought he was at the zoo. He must surely have been mistaken,…. she hoped,….as she regained her confidence and stated….
…. "Oh no!… there's lots of people out there. My Dad's in the hospital and it's earthquake proof. There's doctors and nurses and lots of people there with him"…. she concluded athorityivly…..
… "Hospital?….earthquake?…. what the hell they been telling you anyway?"….. He queried with a snicker and an amused look….. "There weren't no earthqake, there's no hospitals and there's no people out there. Everything got blown to hell. If your Dad was out there, then he's dead as a doornail kid….or he soon will be."… he concluded with a chuckle….
She now knew, he was wrong. There had been an earthquake. She felt it….what else could make everything shake like that. As she was about to confidently correct him, he reached out and fondled the hair sticking out from her helmet. With a sly, creepy smile forming on his face, he commented….
….. "Ya know, you got real pretty hair…. Would you like to be my friend?…. I won't lie to you like everybody else does."…
Allison had remembered her parents warning her, about talking to strange grown-ups' and wished she had heeded their advice, as she recoiled from his touch. In a nervous voice she said, while backing away from him…..
…. "Uh.. I think I need to go help my friend"….
She turned and quickly scampered back over to Kyle, who was helping to set up cots.
…. "I don't think I like that guy"… She declared, while glancing back in Jasper's direction and grabbing hold of Kyle's arm….
…. "Ya he's a creep, nobody likes him"…. Kyle agreed, while glancing toward him momentary and hugging her with his left arm slightly…
…. "Derek told me to stay away from him and you should too"…He advised her, as he went back to spreading an army blanket over a cot…
…. "Oh I will!"….. Allison exclaimed, while assisting Kyle with his duties…..
After a few minuets, Allison stopped, looked a Kyle curiously and queried….
… "Do you think that was an earthquake yesterday?…. You think my Dad's Ok?"
… "John says so"…. He replied confidently….
That wasn't the answer she was looking for, but as Kyle seemed to trust what John had said, it was good enough. After a little more thought, Allison further inquired….
….. "Do you like John?"….
Kyle had never really thought about it, but at the question he stopped working for a moment in contemplation. He realized that from the first time he had met him, when John had picked him and Derek up on the freeway, that he felt almost like another brother to him, like he was part of his family. He replied thoughtfully…..
….. "Oh I don't know, he's Ok. He made everyone here stop acting so crazy and helps us a lot….so ya…. I like him"…. He concluded with conviction.
Allison, with her hope and confidence restored by Kyle's faith in John's word, went back to working at his side, helping with whatever little tasks Derek assigned to him. Time flew by for her. She was confident that she would soon be seeing her Dad again, as the two of them happily sang chorus after chorus of "Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall," while going about their labors. The only thing that realy worried her was if she would ever see Kyle again, after they got rescued and she went back to Palmdale.
The next morning, inspector Davis and his group returned. They had found an additional fifty three survivors, but the shelter they had found them in had been designed and equipped for one hundred and fifty persons, giving them that much extra in the way of provisions. Davis and Derek decided, that a detail of men would start transferring the new found supplies back to the main shelter area in the morning, to prevent "hoarding" and ensure proper rationing. By way of the short wave radio set, they had managed to make contact with an Army officer, that had been stationed out at Ft. Irwin, Major Justin Perry.
Perry had reported that the brunt of the radioactive cloud, from the L A area, had passed by further to the south of them and that they were able to move about on the surface, with a minimum of protective gear. The Sky Net missile defense system, while failing miserably in defending the heavily populate areas of L. A. and San Diego, had appeared to have functioned flawlessly in defending neighboring China Lake and Edwards AFB. They had received no direct hits and all facilities, including Armitage air field up at Ridgecrest and the power generating stations at the Coso geothermal field, were one hundred percent intact and functional.
All news was not good however. While Edwards and China Lake had been spared any incoming missile attacks, there was something very strange going on out there. The T-70 Robotic Infantrymen, which they had been testing at Edwards; had, directly after the attack, proceeded to go around activating all other T-70's and T-1's in their stockpile, without any sort of programming to do so. The resulting robotic army had begun running amok, attacking all personnel stationed there, totally out of control. The same situation existed at China Lake, with the inclusion of several prototype unmanned aerial drones joining in on the carnage.
Perry and his men had been called to aid in containing the situation, just before they had contacted him. They would not be able to come to the L. A. area, to help with search and rescue operations at the present time. Even if the China Lake and Edwards situation had not existed, they still would not be able to come to their aid. The rad meter, that had been placed out side the day before, had shown the radiation level in L A to be much higher than anyone could have ever thought possible. Even with a full CBRN suit, it was determined that exposure to the outside would have to be limited to no more then fifteen minuets. The volunteer, that had set up the sensors and radio antenna, had been outside for over forty five minuets and was already showing signs of radiation poisoning.
Midway through the following day, an increasing amount of squabbles broke out. In light of the China Lake situation and radiation levels, it was becoming increasingly clear that they might have to stay underground for quite some time. Tension filled the air over concerns for their food and water supply. John and his men had not yet returned and Derek, inspector Davis, along with the two SEAL's were finding it increasingly difficult to maintain order.
Allison and Kyle, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, in their childlike innocence, had taken advantage of the lull in activity, caused by the food and water supply fears and were playing a game of "hop-scotch." Kyle had protested at first, saying it was a girls game. He had offered to teach Allison to play baseball, but after an unfruitful search to find something that would pass for a ball and bat, he conceded to her wishes. It was Allison that had first heard the sound. It was a banging on the doors leading to the outside and one thought came to her mind. She excitedly ran toward Derek, who was attempting to calm a group of people, while exclaiming….
….. "They're here!…they're here!"…..
She ran and squirmed through the legs of the disorderly mob to Derek, tugged on his pant leg while pointing back toward the blast doors, repeating….
….. "They're here!…. We can go home!… I can see my Dad!"…. She concluded while happily hopping up and down….
…. "Wait, calm down Guenn, who's here?"…. Derek inquired with a curious look, as he knelt down and held her by her shoulders….
….. "The rescue workers!… just like John said!…they're knocking on the door!"….. She exclaimed impatiently…
Derek furrowed his brow at her statement and thought….
…. "Rescue workers, what's she talking about?"….. He then remembered the earth quake story, John had told her and he had backed up. With a sigh, he shook his head slightly as he thought sadly….
…. "Oh Hell…their going to have to be told the truth soon"…
Derek decided, that as John told the story originally, it should be him to break the news, but went on to correct her as gently as he could….
…. "No, no Guenn…I don't think there's anyone out there yet"…..
…. "But there is so Derek.. I heard them… you need to answer the door!"…. she insisted..
Derek thought again, did Perry somehow manage to send some of his men down after all?…. Even if he did, with radiation levels what they were, they'd already be dead men, regardless of what kind of protective gear they might be wearing. Then again, perhaps the Army had developed some new type of protective suit, they hadn't told the public about. He let go of Allison while saying…
…. "Ok, ok… hang on a minuet"….. stood up briskly, while yelling out to the bickering crowd…
….. "Hey! hey!. .everybody!… just shut the fuck up for a minuet, Ok!…..
In shock, the crowd complied. It was not due so much to his sudden unexpected assertiveness, but rather the use of profanity by the normally soft spoken adolescent, that had stunned them into submission.
He listened, as the crowed looked at him in silent amazement. Sure enough, there was a slight but definite pounding coming from the opposite side of the heavy doors. It wasn't the sound of a company of soldiers beating with their rifle butts; it was too weak, but there none the less.
….. "Oh my God!…. She's right, there's actually somebody out there!"…. He thought to himself in disbelief. …Without a word, Derek shot his arms out in front of him, parting the mob and briskly jogged toward the metal doors, with Allison trailing along behind him.
…. "Hey!…what do ya think you're doin kid!"…. someone hollered out to Derek, as he fumbled with the door latches….
….. "Someone's out there!"….Derek yelled back, as he slid the last latch open…
….. "Help is here!…we can go home now!"… Allison piped up gleefully…
….. "Are you crazy!.. you can't go out there without a suit!"…. someone else frantically yelled out, ignoring Allison's comment…
….. "I'm not going out!.. I'm just gonna take a look!"… Derek explained while tugging on the heavy, lead lined door….
…. "Don't open the fuckin door!… that shit will get in here!"…another cried out frantically, while backing away….
…. "Then stay back!"….. Derek snapped back, as he grunted and pulled the door open a few feet…..
As the door parted, Allison shrieked in horror and covering her eyes. She peeked through her fingers, to glance again upon the form on the ground and the utter destruction, beyond in the distance.
She froze momentarily, while looking down at the creature sprawled out on the rubble. It was naked with black burned patterns all over what use to be skin, half of which was hanging off of white baked flesh, falling off the bones. There were no lips; they had been burned away, exposing its broken teeth and there was a portion of it's charred skull exposed, with a few long strands of scorched white gray hair hanging down from a burned and blistered bald head, coated in mud and grime. Where a nose should have been was just an open hole, between two milky white eyes staring up at Derek. It was reaching up to him with one weak, trembling, almost skeletal looking arm with bare blackened bone, extending from some of the finger tips and in a faint wheezy voice was calling out….
….. "Hjálpaðu mér … Hjálpaðu mér ... vinsamlegast hjálpa mér"… (Help me…. Help me… Please help me)…..
A sudden look of shocked recognition came over Derek's horrified face. Allison turned and ran off screaming toward the dark tunnel entrance, with tears pouring from her eyes, as Kyle chased after her.
Derek grimaced, while kneeling down to help the living corpse up and into the shelter. Just as he was about to grab hold of it, the crowd caught up to him. Three men shouldered the heavy doors shut, after a fourth kicked the wretched soul clear and deftly yanked Derek back inside by his collar.
It took four full grown men to restrain the adolescent as he struggled to break free while shouting….
…. "What the fuck's wrong with you people!…we can't leave her out there like that…let me go damn it!"….. he shrieked while struggling with his captors.
Inspector Davis made his way through the crowd to him, gripped him firmly by the shoulders and shouted out….
….. "Derek!…Derek!.. Snap out of it!… Get ahold of your self!… think for a minuet!… The rad meter's pegged!…It's over a thousand REM per hour out there!….
As badly disfigured and burned as the poor thing was, it had been almost impossible to even decipher it's gender. Derek had referred to it as a "she," however, so Davis continued on….
….. "She's already dead, ….or soon will be"…..
The police inspector paused for a moment, as he made out the faint pitiful screams and weak desperate banging, coming from beyond the door. He looked down to the floor and added a quiet solemn note…..
….. "Fortunately for her"….
….. "But she's alive now!"…. Derek countered, in a frantic voice…. "She's in terror, pain and all alone!…. How can you people be so cold? … Nobody deserves to die like that!"…. He implored, with a pleading look…
…. "Derek….Derek!, look"…. Davis went on sympathetically, while shaking his head and tightening the grip on his shoulder….
…. "You're right, she doesn't deserve what happened to her, nobody out there did, but there's absolutely nothing we can do for her…nothing"…..
…. "We have morphine. We can make her comfortable. She can at least die with somebody at her side… with some dignity…not all alone like that"…. Derek cut in and argued, while pointing back to the doors the SEAL's were now guarding.
Davis went on compassionately …. "Connor put you in charge and I respect that. You've been doing a good job here, but you're not thinking now. She's covered in mud and dirt, that's glowing with deadly radiation. If we were to bring her in, we could be condemning others to death by doing so and she'll be lucky to survive a day or two anyway..… maybe just hours"….
…. "Ya, while she drinks our water and eats our food in the meantime, I might add."…. a voice from the crowd curtly interjected….
Davis shot him a scathing glance, communicating non verbally to "shut the fuck up," while Derek piped up with….
… "She can have my food, drink my water"…. he stated, while jabbing his thumb into his chest, then continued on in a pleading tone….
…. "Just give me a suit. I'll go out there. I'll scrub her up clean, wrap her in a sheet and carry her in."…. He hurriedly glanced around the room, saw an empty corner and continued on frantically…
…. "Over there!…I'll make her up a bed, she can have my cot. I'll take care of her. Nobody else has to even come close to her"….. He concluded, while giving the crowd an imploring look…
Davis just continued slowly shaking his head with a sad look and stated…..
…. "Derek, you don't know how much I wish I could help you…. help her, but we just can't take the chance. If there was even the slightest possibility she might survive, then it would be different, but we simply can't take the risk on someone who's, for all practical purposes, already dead. It's a real shitty deal… I know, but there's nothing I or you can do about it"….
…. "But nobody but me will be taking a chance!, I already said I'll go out there…. I'll tend to her!"….. Derek emphatically explained….
… "Derek. Look, what about your kid brother and his little friend?… Their going to be needing you. You don't have the luxury to put your self at risk like that. What would become of them, if something were to happen to you?… Ever think of that?"….
Derek sighed in resignation. He new the inspector was right and by the look of the two SEAL's standing guard at the door, with their arms crossed, it didn't look like anyone was going out there. He was about to make another plea, when Davis continued on with….
…. "I know it's hard kid and for what it's worth, we'll talk about this some more when John gets back. I'll go along with whatever he decides and I know they will too"…. He concluded while motioning toward the SEAL's with his head.
Before another word could be said by either, Jasper made his appearance and spouted off with a smirk…..
….. "Hey kid… she an old flame of your's or something?" … He slapped Derek on the back and continued on with a chuckle….
…. "Hell, there's pussy around here, don't worry about her. She might have been a hot piece of ass at one time, but she's a crispy critter now. That momma's boom boom days are over!"….
Derek had never been in a fight in his life; while he was never considered a "pansy" and had been an outstanding athlete, he had always tried to avoid such confrontations. He had always preferred to try and talk sense, rather than resort to physical violence. Jasper's comment, however, was a bit more than he could bear, especially under the existing circumstances.
An emotionally charged ball of anger and despair welled up in his throat, as he threw himself at Jasper and nobody made so much as an attempt to restrain him, this time.
With tears in his eyes, he wildly swung both fists around in circles, while Jasper easily parried his attack and muttered teasingly….
….. "Well, another fuckin hero, I see"…..
He simultaneously produced his pistol and slapped it into Derek's temple, sending him half stunned to his knees. Before inspector Davis, or any of the surrounding crowd, could intervene on his behalf, however, a rifle butt cracked into the back of Jasper's skull. He flew face first, down onto the floor. In a daze he rolled over, bringing his gun to bear and attempted to stumble to his feet, when the muzzle of an M-16A4 jammed into his teeth, knocking his head back down onto the concrete.
….. "Please!.. don't drop that gun!… please!.. point that fuckin thing at me!"…. A voice snarled out, between clenched teeth, as the M-16's compensator liberated him of several teeth, while forcing it's way into his mouth, with a finger tightening up on the trigger.
.