February 8, 2138 (Evening)
It was odd and funny at the same time, trying to find other things to talk about over the meal than how good it tasted. I wanted to find things that would allow Rachel to talk, not things that would separate us again. Another explosion could be heard from the direction of the city and it seemed to distract us both for a second or two. But we tried to block out the noises and keep talking. I focused more on letting her talk because I wanted to know more about her. Most of what she had to say involved Cadet Bricker, or Brett as she called him. I kept calling him Brett myself, too. Not just because she had made that name familiar to me now, but to see if she would keep calling him by his first name rather than reverting back to referring to him as the Dread Youth would have. Adding the rank before his name still. She didn't revert like I thought she might, and it made Rachel seem more human than she ever had before. It made it seem like she really cared for him, and it made him seem more human, too. Even though I didn't know him at all.
After a while of eating, something unexpected occurred. Dad came out from Sarah's building carrying her long laser rifle. The blade had been attached to the barrel of it by now, and I realized that Tommy hadn't put it on because he had been in the tree stand and hadn't gotten to it yet. Rachel looked on with me and asked me, "Do you think this means what I think it does?"
I waited to answer because I wasn't sure. He looked so intimidating with the way he was walking, and with his longer hair and unshaven, uncivilized look. He looked like some kind of angry animal walking to the lounge and I didn't want to see him and Sarah fight again. I stood up from the ground where Rachel and I were sitting and wanted to intercept him before he reached the door, but I realized that it was my duty to stay at the gate. As the feeling of wanting to go to him was almost overwhelming, Rachel grabbed my hand and spoke.
"Go to him if you need to. I won't run," Rachel said.
I hesitated for another few seconds and Rachel yelled out," Tommy, you're needed at the gate."
Tommy looked around from the tree stand to see what she was talking about as Dad climbed the steps to the lounge without slowing down. Before any of us could react further we could see Dad stop in the doorway and say to the people inside, "We have a job to do. You have thirty minutes to get your gear on. Finish up and move it."
Sarah must have gotten up from the table because Dad tossed her rifle inside and turned back down the steps. As he reached the bottom of the steps Sarah was coming out of the door already. Dad looked to us and said, "Get ready. I'll watch the gate. And Rachel? You don't have to be a part of this if you don't want to. I won't think anything less of you if you don't. It's up to you, but thanks for what you've done for us. If I don't see you again, I hope that you have a good life. Just remember something for me. Your body and brain is a machine, too. It's made of flesh, not metal. But it can think for itself. Keep using it, because that's what it was given to you for."
Rachel heard him out and remained silent while he spoke to her. Sarah had started for her building by now when Dad turned to her and said, "Your things are already ready to go. Take Tommy's place and let him get his things after you grab them. And don't forget the machete."
"I won't. I love you, Dad," Sarah said as she ran off to get her things and a gust of wind blew in and threw Sarah's hair back as she ran.
After a short time we were all geared up and ready to go. It felt kind of empowering to be wearing a sheath with such a large blade in it, although it was a bit strange at the same time. Maybe the empowered feeling I was getting was from seeing that Dad was going to help us now. I didn't dwell on it long as I wanted to get with Kim and Carrie before we left. I needed to tell Kim about what Rachel had told me, and try to get her to protect the boy if we ran into him in the future. Then there were those things that I needed to tell Carrie about Alan. If something went wrong, I needed to know that they would both be all right with each other.
Kim agreed to what I had said to Rachel, and then handed me a machete for her. But not without a condition.
"If she turns on any of us, she'll try to keep you and your sister alive to turn you in. If you give this to her, you're agreeing to kill her if she turns against us. No matter what happens, to me or anyone else. You make sure that she doesn't live to hurt anyone else," Kim said as she stared me in the eyes.
"I hope that it doesn't ever come to that," I said.
"Me, too. But this is the time that will make or break all of us," Kim said.
Her words reminded me of what Sarah had told Dad about Kim, and I felt like I should tell her. But I couldn't be sure if telling her would make things happen any differently. For the better or the worse. Without knowing, I had to say something.
"Kim? I'm scared that things are going to go wrong," I said.
"They can, but they won't if we don't let them," Kim said.
"Why do people have to have so much time to get things done in life," I asked without thinking about what I was saying and just putting what I was thinking into words.
"What? Because we're all too slow at everything, I guess. Why would you ask that," Kim asked.
I didn't have a real answer to give to her and could tell that she was thinking that I was being weird. So I started saying the things that I would have wanted her to know if she weren't here tomorrow.
"I would have accepted you. And him. You know? Sarah would have, too," I said.
Kim stopped packing her equipment and looked at me directly. She said, "I've heard this kind of talk before. From Karen. Why are you talking like her? Like you have to push time ahead of itself," Kim asked.
"Because there isn't enough of it anymore," I answered.
"There isn't enough of it for who," Kim asked.
"I want you to know how important you are to us. To me," I said not knowing whether to say anything more about it or not.
Kim looked at me for a second longer without speaking. Then she reached into her pocket and handed me one of her rank pins that she had offered to us before if we could earn them.
"Look, it's not a pretty ring like that one that Tommy gave to you. But it's what I have and it means a lot to me. I want you to have it," Kim said as I started crying. Hugging me, Kim went on saying, "God, girl. Did you cry this much when Tommy gave you that ring?"
I wasn't able to stop for the longest time, and watching her pack the rest of her gear and walk out of the room was like seeing Mom do it all over again.
February 9, 2138 (Morning)
It was one of the longest nights of my life. It hurt. It still hurts. It won't ever stop hurting. I don't know what to believe in anymore. Was that why Kim said that she only believed in her friends and herself? Because the loss was too much for her to take anymore? That nobody was watching over when she needed them to be?
The trip started almost like any other. This time Rachel was with us, but she opted to wear her Dread Youth uniform. Sarah and Tad said nothing about it, but it was obvious that they didn't like it. But knowing that we would be encountering the enemy no matter what once we reached the power plant, it seemed like it could be useful and for the best. Rachel did say to me that she was sorry if her wearing it hurt me in any way. She was capable of thinking about someone else besides herself once in a while. And the farther we moved on down the path away from the zoo, the more it ended up showing.
I walked to the rear so that I could keep an eye on Kim. I didn't want her to know that I was watching her, and Sarah seemed to be doing the same. Although in front of me, she kept focused on everything that Kim was doing. Up until there was a noise from just off of the trail that came from the trees. Something rustled the leaves and sticks around and Sarah froze. When she stopped moving, everyone else did along with her. After a moment of looking around, Sarah raised the long rifle she had from the mall and aimed it in the direction that she thought the noise was coming from. I could see the fear in her eyes again, just like the last time. Looking for a ghost again that wouldn't seem to ever leave her. Her hands started shaking as she kept fanning the rifle around in the direction of the noises. As she continued to do this, Rachel stepped back towards Sarah and stopped next to her and her left eye lit up again. After a moment of this her eye dimmed back to the yellow color that it normally was. Rachel looked over at Sarah, still waving the rifle around, and she reached out and put her hand on Sarah's shoulder.
"It's a raccoon. He's not there, Sarah," Rachel said as she kept looking at Sarah for a reaction.
Sarah looked at Rachel for a second, and I thought that she would pull away in anger at Rachel's touch. But she didn't. She just stared back at Rachel and I watched the look of fear fade away as though she understood what Rachel was trying to do for her. Even Tad allowed it to go on without interfering with their moment.
"Are you ready to move on? It's just fear, and fear is just another emotion that can be tamed," Rachel asked.
"Yeah. I'm all right. Let's just go," Sarah replied as I felt the irony of Sarah being helped by the teachings of the machines. Still, Rachel cared enough to help. Even if it had to be in her way.
As we approached the bridge we knew it was time to split one of us off. This time Rachel stepped up. She felt that the risk to her would be a lot less than to any of us. If she were to be caught crossing the bridge by the enemy, they would look at her as one of them. Rather than to move on to the fields on her own, she would simply cross the bridge with the machete in her hand as though she had escaped and was armed. It seemed convincing enough and would protect her from them not believing her. After all, why would we arm her? Unlike us, Rachel crossed the bridge with a walk of confidence and without trying to hide herself completely. Nothing occurred as she crossed and she stopped about fifty yards from the far end of it to wait for us. We waited for a minute, just in case she was being observed and not approached by our enemies. Or anyone else for that matter, but it remained quiet except for the wind blowing even harder than before. After the minute had passed we crossed the bridge without incident and joined back up with Rachel. Seeing the plant from the bridge, all lit up and exhibiting it's power, was a sight that I won't forget. It was so intimidating that I just wanted us all to be able to turn back.
Sheathing her machete, Rachel went on with us as we turned towards the power plant. Eventually we reached a field. At some point in the past it must have been for corn, but it was overgrown with a little bit of everything that a person could possibly imagine now. As we neared the field I could smell the plants in the air. I remember wishing that there was time to enjoy the smell, but Dad and Kim started moving towards the edge of the field and it woke me from my thoughts. As Kim started moving one of the overgrown plants away from in front of her to walk in, I had failed to notice that Rachel's eye was glowing again and she spoke once more.
"Stop. Everyone. And get down," Rachel said as she knelt down herself, too. Kim glanced back and did what Rachel said for us to do.
"What is it? What are you seeing," Dad asked Rachel.
"Something is in the field. There are heat signatures that I can see," Rachel replied.
"Where are they? And what are they," Kim asked.
"I need a moment," Rachel replied and kept looking into the field.
After about five seconds Rachel spoke again saying, "Humans. Armored humans. Four of them. Grouped close to each other about fifty meters from here."
Tommy broke his silence saying, "How can we get past them."
"I don't know, son. Let me think," Dad replied.
"They're humans. Maybe they're resistance," Sarah said with a hopeful look on her face.
Rachel was continuing to look through the field when she spoke again saying, "No. They have a cart cannon with them. That's not a resistance weapon, it's a biodread weapon. And their armor isn't normal."
"What do you mean, Rachel," Kim asked.
"I think that it's ablative, but I don't know for sure. I can see tubes on each of them. They're probably enhanced," Rachel replied.
"The adrenal forces you referred to before," Dad asked.
"I don't know what else they could be," Rachel replied.
Running into a group of them was not expected at all. We thought that they were limited in numbers, and that they were being used inside of the city. Not out in some field in the middle of nowhere. I never knew if the thought came to the others like it had me, but why they were there was just as much on my mind as how we might get around them. As everyone else kept thinking on it, nothing reasonable came to mind. None of us wanted to accept what it would take to get through them. We knew that we couldn't use our laser weapons and just eliminate them from where we were. They probably wouldn't affect them anyway, where their lasers could affect us. We couldn't go around them and have to deal with them on the way back, and they were too close to the zoo to just leave them there. They were going to have to be removed. The only way to do that was to get in close to them and be able to outfight them. We weren't going to shoot our way out of this one.
"I'll go to them," Rachel said.
"No, Rachel. You can't," Kim said.
"Why not? I'm one of them. Remember," Rachel replied.
"Even if you go and they're convinced by you, how can you make them leave," Kim asked.
"I'm not sure, but maybe I can get a few of them to take me to the power plant. That would mean that there would be less of them in your way," Rachel replied.
As their conversation continued without a resolution, Tommy looked over at me with a strange look on his face. Not completely understanding what he meant by it, he pointed to his backpack and I suddenly knew what he was trying to say to me. We might be able to get through the field and get close enough to deal with the armored humans if we gave up our own plans and used the mannequin as a distraction. I knew that we would never get another one and we would lose our chance to do what we had planned, but we couldn't risk anyone to act as a decoy when we had something else that would work. I nodded to him in agreement and really wanted to cry at our loss, but it had to be done.
"Dave. I have a way to get us closer to them," Tommy said.
"What are you talking about," Dad asked.
As if on cue, Tommy and I both started removing the mannequin parts and the remote from our packs. Once we started, Tad followed suite and Tommy started assembling it. All of the rest of them looked on in amazement at what we were doing. All of them speechless as we assembled the mannequin as quickly as we could, we finished it quickly and turned it in a diagonal direction to walk it across the field. Tommy activated it with the remote and Kim shook her head as she put her jacket on the machine. At any other time than then the whole thing would have been comical. It was hard to believe that this was a life and death situation we were using it for.
Dad wanted Sarah to use the remote to guide the machine along while he, Kim, Karl, and Rachel moved in and dealt with the humans in our way. Sarah didn't like this idea, but had to agree anyway. I didn't like it either because I was afraid for Kim and what would happen to her. She told Dad that she saw Kim laying in the dirt. Why would the plant have dirt that it was setting on? Unlike this field, I felt that it wouldn't have and I had to know.
"Kim, wait," I said.
"What? We have to get this done," Kim replied.
"I need you to tell me if the power plant is sitting on the ground with pavement, or is it surrounded by soil," I said.
"First it's your sister, then it's this doll you guys are carrying around, and then this? What the hell is wrong with you kids," Kim replied in disbelief of what was happening with all of us and she started moving off.
"Kim, please. I need to know. It's important," I said as seriously as I could as I grabbed her arm to keep her there with me.
"Pavement. Now let me go," Kim said and turned back to crawl forward.
Whatever was going to happen, it was going to be here. I knew it, but I didn't know how to stop it. And they wanted me to stay behind. Sarah looked on with a worried look as she made the mannequin move forward through the field. At the same time the group moved forward as fast as they could as they were staying low. I waited for them to move in for a short time because I didn't want them to hear me, and then I started into the field behind them as Tommy grabbed my arm and said, "Where are you going? We're supposed to stay here."
"I can't. I need you to trust me on this. I have to go with them," I said as Tommy looked at me in confusion.
Sarah looked at me like I was crazy, and I looked at her and said, "I'll take care of her. Tell him."
Her look changed almost immediately and she knew what I was saying.
"Let her go, Tommy. She knows what she's doing," Sarah said.
He did as Sarah asked and I tried to move fast to catch up with them. I could hear the mannequin shuffling through the plants as it moved through the field. All of us kept moving and I picked up my pace enough to get behind Rachel when I could hear one of the armored humans start to speak.
"You. Stop moving. What's your designation," a male voice yelled.
We stopped in case they had seen one of us, and the voice spoke up again saying, "Designation. Now."
We could still hear the mannequin walking through the plants and the plants in front of us started shuffling around as some of the troopers moved off towards the walking machine. I couldn't see through at first because of the others being in front of me, but the yelling stopped within seconds and the shooting started. Whichever troopers moved off towards the mannequin had started firing on it by now. As the shooting began, so did our attack. Surprisingly, Rachel jumped at the chance first as she moved past Kim and got behind a male trooper looking in the direction of where the others were firing from. She wrapped her arms around his head and I could hear a cracking sound. He went limp and she lowered down with him and started dragging him back away from the shooters.
The shooting continued as Dad moved forward and did the same to another male trooper that was closest to us. As he dragged that one back, Kim moved forward. A female trooper was next, but the shooting had stopped and I couldn't hear the mannequin moving any longer. I could hear her tell the other trooper to check out what they were firing at, and he could be heard moving forward through the overgrown plants as Kim had almost reached her. Before Kim could get to her, a stick crunched beneath her foot and the female trooper heard it. She turned and could see Kim, and she started shooting at her. Kim jumped out of the way, and Karl started firing back at her to keep us safe. One laser hit her in the abdomen, but the energy dispersed across the armor like little bolts of electricity. She turned her laser at Karl and fired. Karl fell back towards me and I could tell that he had been hit. I could hear Kim scream Karl's name and she ran past me to get to him. Not noticing me, the female trooper aimed at Kim again and was about to fire when I ran in at her and jumped on her.
By now the other trooper could be heard calling back to the female to find out what was going on, but I covered up her face with my hand to try to keep her from responding to him. She gripped my arm like a vice and started forcing my hand off of her face with a strength that I couldn't resist for long. I could hear the other trooper moving in closer, but Kim started shooting in his direction to try to scare him away from us. She fired twice and he stopped moving in, but the female had forced my hand off and yelled to him to kill us. Before she could speak again I punched her in the face, but she acted like she wasn't very affected by this and threw me off to the side. She got to her feet and looked in my direction. I tried to crawl backwards and get away from her, but she moved with me enough to grab my leg and pull me back towards her. As she did this she aimed her laser at me as though she would fire, but before she could shoot me she suddenly stopped moving and made a grunting sound. Her eyes opened wide and her mouth opened a little as she fell forward on top of me.
At first I couldn't see or tell what had happened, but I moved my head a little to look around the woman laying on top of me and I could see Rachel standing there with a bloody knife in her hand, looking down on me. Before I could speak, the other trooper suddenly appeared behind Rachel and hit her with his laser rifle. Rachel fell to the side and wasn't moving any longer, and the trooper turned his attention in Kim's direction. Kim fired on him once more and the energy arced across his chest plate like before with the female. Before she could shoot again he raised the rifle at Kim and started taking aim. I tried as hard as I could to throw the female trooper off of me so that I could stop him from hurting Kim, but I wasn't fast enough. As I was screaming Kim's name in hopes that a miracle would happen and she would be spared, I could hear a shuffling in the overgrowth and I heard the wind being cut in two by something being swung in the air. Dad was there, and the trooper's head fell off of his shoulders and hit the ground with a sickening thud.
It was at that moment that I understood that icy look that came over Kim when the worst needed to be done. Dad was wearing it now, too. As I looked into his empty, cold stare I knew that it came from all of the lost loved ones, and remembering them all as another loss was close to happening again.