Chapter 2: Once upon a time...
NM 3102 June 10th 11:49 PM
Excerpt from the Diary of Ja'Ren
"Everywhere I look I see nothing but reminders of death and sorrow. Ruined cities, a ghostly silence, not even a bird in the air. This place wearies my soul."
NM 3102 June 11th 6:03 PM
Ja'Ren couldn't help but grimace as he took a bite out of a ration. Damn! This tastes like a leftover from the Amaris coup! For two weeks now, he had been personally scouting the area and observing the two 'survivors' as he had taken to calling the two children. Survivors of what, he couldn't even begin to imagine. Looking through his binoculars he saw observed the children heading towards the ruins of city. They were heading along the coastline, faces solemn, seeming to hardly utter a word. The sun was already setting in the east and the effect of them silhouetted against the ocean reminded him of some cheesy western. Except that they are the only survivors of what until recently had been a planet of 3 to 4 billion, judging from the size of the cities. The chill wind rippled through him, causing him to draw his coat tighter around him. He turned away from the sight at the thought of what the sea was made of. Shortly after their arrival, he'd noticed Wign walking around with a very satisfied grin on her elfin features. A couple of days later, he realized why. He had been walking along the beach near the landing zone trying to identify the faint smell of iron in the air when, stopping to wash the sand off his boots in the surf, he'd realized why. When Cassandra had gotten off duty two hours later, she'd found a trail of bloody footprints leading to the bathroom and Ja'Ren hunched over the toilet retching. A literal 'sea of blood'. Now I know why Wign was so happy, that little Dhamp he thought. Something sick and terrible had happened to this world. A place where all that was left alive were two children and the remains of a great civilization everywhere. Not to meantion that the worlds oceans were made of blood. And despite the incomprehensible nature of this world, he had the sick feeling in his gut that it was the work of one man alone. Only time would tell how right he was in that thought. With that final thought, he put down his binoculars and headed towards the city. He should be able to get a closer and more comfortable vantage point from there.
"Asuka, Do you ever get the feeling that we're being watched?" Asuka turned her head around to look at her brother, a worry evident in her eyes. This is the second time this week that he's asked me that. Why? He knows just as well as I do that we're the only ones left. "Shinji… I'm sorry but you know just as well as I do that we are last people on earth." He looked at her with despaire in his eyes, prompting her to pull him in a tight embrace, lending him what emotional support she could, while at the same time letting some of her own exhaustion go. The simple act of touching lending them the strength to go on. They walked like this for some time, neither wanting to let go. But finally, they reached the remains of the supermarket and the neccessity of survival took over. Moving rocks and rubble with only the most primitive of tools and focused so intently on finding the base necessities of survival, they failed to realize the danger they were in until it was too late. For while the world was dead, the laws of nature still applied and especially the law of gravity was no exception. Instead Shinji's eye was caught by movement in the distance and Asuka's own gaze was drawn in the same direction. By the time they noticed the shadow looming over them, there was no escape.
Shit! I've got to get them out of there! Without hesitation he rushed out from behind his cover to try to reached the two kids. It seemed like time was almost at a standstill as he sprinted towards them. He could see their eyes widen with shock and amazement, then switch to horror and realization as the first pebbles began to fall and the shadow loomed over them. His legs were burning from the sprinting and still he kept moving faster. The creak of the steel girders seemed to last an eternity as the building slowly started to bend over like the jaws of some monster closing in for the kill. Reaching into a pocked and almost losing his balance as a result he grabbed a stim shot and stuck it into his leg. His whole being felt like it was on fire while his movements gained an almost inhumane speed.
For both children it was more the shock of seeing another human being than anything else that caused them to lose those few key seconds to paralysis. They could here him shouting something in some foreign language, reach into a pocket and stick himself with something once, then twice, and then a third time, before the realization of the danger they were in to spur them into action.
Screw the side effects!!! If I don't reach them then they won't make it! Pulling out another one, he felt a new surge of pain in his body from the effects of the second stim pack and an almost unbearable pain from the third. Yet his movements and reflexes increased in direct proportion to the pain. Even in this compressed time environment his legs were a blur. He reached them just as the stones were starting to fall down on their heads and extending his arms he knocked both of them out of the way and into some steel girders before he himself got out of the way.
What the?!!! Shiji's last consious expression was of pain and shock as he felt an impact like a pile driver slam him face first into a crumbling wall and see Asuka fly head first into a pile of steel girders.
"THIS IS A CODE DELTA ECHO SIGMA!!!!! NEED EMEDIATE MEDICAL TRANSPORT FOR THER-ER-REE CANCEL THAT I MEAN THRREEE PATIENTS!!!.. THIIIIIISSSS ISSSS YOUOUOUOR CaPERTtaIN SSsssPPPPPEaaakING…
Chief emergency ward communications (CHEWCOM) duty officer Clarissa Sanders almost had her ears blasted off at the sound of the captains shouting. As his voice and speach slurred she immediately recognized the nature of the emergency. Motherfucking asshole! He must have used two or three stim packs! The asshole!!! "Beverly, Thompson, Nakamura, Bonzai, Get moving to the commanders last known position while we trace his call. Beverly, contact the Flying Circus and have them load up on supplies. If they don't have room, have them dump the ammunition into the ocean. I don't care if their on patrol just get it moving!" Tearing off her headset she rushed to the triad. "Kris, Get Schiechl and Zink on over to the other operating rooms we are going to have three patients coming in here, in a bad way. You will set up a fourth one for dealing with any injuries our good captain inflicts on the medical staff while under the influence. Nichols, I want you to follow Kristof and provide assistance for him as needed. Is that clear? Then lets move it peoples!
Chapter 4 Renaissance (rebirth)