Chapter 2
Nate sat beside Shatner on the Steps to the Lincoln Memorial. There was a little bit of meat next to some bread and vegetables that had been grown inside the botanical gardens. They began to eat, watching the sun begin to set through the clouds in the distance.
"This is a good set-up you got here," said Nate, "You should feel really lucky, really blessed."
"But for how much longer?" asked Shatner, shaking his head and taking a bite of the venison, "How much longer will it be till it all catches up with us? How much longer until the deer move away, or stop breathing all together?"
Nate nodded, allowing the statement to settle down, but Shatner kept shaking his head and thinking about it.
"How much longer until we no longer have clean water? Till our stores run out? Till the land stops producing crops?" asked Shatner, "Every week or so, we have people show up here. We're growing. At first, it was great; but now… It leaves our council wondering… the originals are afraid. It worries me."
"You shouldn't be, what you have here is amazing," said Nate, "It's… great."
"And that's what every newcomer says," said Shatner, "But… there's going to be a time when there's no one else showing up. There's going to be a time when we can no longer support ourselves. There's going to be a time… when we lose hope for GOOD!"
Shatner rubbed his forehead while Nate thought for a moment.
"It… doesn't have to be that way," said Nate.
"So what do you suggest?" said Shatner, playing with his food.
Nate hesitated at first, then he looked at Shatner, "I suggest we… we stay in tacked until the cavalry arrives."
"The What?" asked Shatner, his interest tugged a little.
"Well… I don't know for sure… it's just," Nate adjusted his position getting slightly more excited, "America…. Us… our Government… it's not gone."
Shatner paused for a second, before nodding slowly and continuing to eat.
"What?" asked Nate, "It's true! Do you really think they would've stayed here or CLOSE to here when things began to heat up?"
"No, not really," said Shatner, "There are multiple high-priority bunkers sprinkled across the US, so I don't imagine-"
"No, Shatner," said Nate, interrupting, "I meant here in General. Not the damn Bunkers! What if there were bunkers we've never heard of. FAR away?"
"Ok… you lost me," said Shatner.
"Listen… look around you. Washington wasn't nuked, yeah?" said Nate, "You want to know why? Because Washington is only a SYMBOL! Russian Targets, the Iranians, they knew this. Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, some places in California, they're all GONE! Even two targets in the middle of know-where, the wheat belt! You want to know why? Because they hurt us more non-morally then they did morally. They WANT us to feel strong, rebuild, collect in one place."
"Makes sense… but still stupid," said Shatner, "Our anti-Missile defenses stopped certain missiles from reaching their targets, which explains the random locations. Same thing in Russia and other countries."
"Listen," said Nate, "I… have sources. Ok? After nuclear fallout, any enemy of the United States left standing is going to make its move! They will come ehre, expecting ruins and terrified American people. They will occupy the US and claim it a VICTORY! But… they won't know our greatest tactic."
"And… that is…" said Shatner, trying to follow along.
"The United States… is not gone," said Nate, "In 1973 the United States purchased an OK amount of land in North Africa. Nobody could understand why. In 1987 'unofficial' documents surfaced describing troop placements in an 'African' US Outpost. The amounts were… alarming," said Nate, then seeing Shatner not putting it together, he rolled his eyes and continued, "Shatner, ugh! The United States major Fallout Bunker is NOT in the Untied States. When missiles started flying, they all headed to Africa. When the time comes again, the United States will rise from the ashes and they will return home, claiming the homeland once again from any invaders or enemies and liberating their surviving citizens!"
Shatner said nothing for a few seconds, and continued eating. After finishing his food, he laid down the pan he was using as a plate and starred at the setting sun. Nate's face slowly turned into a look of confusion before Shatner Spoke.
"That… is about the most, RETARDED, thing I have ever heard… in all my life," said Shatner, looking at Nate, "Like… seriously. I think that is probably the most… childish… crazy, Inhumane story I think anyone has ever come up with."
"What?" said Nate, "No, no! It's true. It all makes sense."
"Stupid… Stupid sense," said Shatner, "Who told you this?"
"It's a popular idea, the facts are there!" said Nate.
"There are no facts," said Shatner, "I cannot believe you are actually thinking about this is reality."
"I'll prove it," said Nate.
"How?" said Shatner.
A few minutes later Nate and Shatner sat back down at the same terminal Shatner was at before. They were online, and Zurom just entered the chat room they had set up.
"How's it goin'," said Zurom, nodding towards his webcam.
"Zurom, I need to settle something," said Shatner, "I need you to look up what you know on a rumor about the US Government hiding out in Africa."
"Ah, that old story," said Zurom.
"What? You've heard this before?" said Shatner, Nate smiling like an idiot behind him.
"Oh, yeah. And you haven't? I thought all Americans knew," said Zurom, "About the United states purchase of land in Africa, the leaked documents about troop movements, even collaboration with the Israelis. Nothing to confirm it now-a-days."
"Toldja," said Nate, "Ha, ha."
"Hmm… let me see what I can find on the ol' WWBC," said Zurom, he began typing, "A few threads on it… four a five replies… doesn't look big. Let's test it out."
Zurom went quiet as he looked it over. It was a few minutes before anyone did anything again. Shatner turned to Nate, shaking his head.
"Where did you hear this anyway?" said Shatner.
"Uh, Up North," said Nate, "You see… after the attack I wandered a bit. As I said, I wasn't looking for D.C. I just ended up finding it. Anyways… I met a few people beforehand, and… well. Besides their stories, they were planning to go there, looking for them."
"They were what?" said Shatner.
"Fly… to Africa," said Nate, "They had a plane, and maps, and a pilot, and everything. He even taught me to fly. I'm pretty much a damn pilot! Anyways… I was going to go with them, you know. To Africa… but I was looking for… uh… Some fuel! Yeah… some food and water and some Airplane fuel."
"Airplane fuel," asked Shatner, "And these morons are just gonna… fly to Africa in search of some random… stupid dream?"
Nate allowed a look of anger to cross his face, and his arms crossed with it.
"It's better then rotting in our Nations Capital, waiting for hunger, thirst, and civil war to set in!"
Shatner was almost taken aback by the comment, and a look of annoyance crossed his own face as well. They sat in silence until Zurom finally spoke.
"Sorry for the wait," said Zurom, "There was a bit of lag. New Server's kicking my ass. Anyway… I think this story is truer then we give it credit to be."
"What?" said Shatner, "But… it's so… retarded!"
"But the same stories with the same clues are used in all topics about it. Everyone has heard the same thing. If it was a legend, it would vary from teller to teller in certain ways. Then again, all stories vary slightly from person to person. Some of these could be copies."
"But they're still there," said Nate.
"Yes," answered Zurom, without any emotion or caring on the matter, "Why? You guys planning on traveling there?"
"NO!" said Shatner, cutting Nate off, "There is no way I'd go on some stupid trip to find something that wouldn't exist. It's impossible.
"Improbable," said Nate, "But… I think we could find a way."
"Yeah… with your crazy buddies over in the plane, right?" said Shatner, "Where are these crackpots anyway?"
Before Nate could retaliate, an alarm began to sound, and Shatner and Nate looked around anxiously.
"Uh… Shatner," said Nate.
"That's our emergency alarm," Said Shatner, rising from his seat, "It means something's wrong. Shots fired!"
Shatner and Nate burst from the elevator, in time to see people running around and men with guns heading towards the wall. Nate looked at many of the civilians who did nothing, just stood and looked around.
"Don't you have a plan for these things?" yelled Nate over the noise.
"Not really, no one has ever gotten over the wall. A few shots fired is it. Usually we just need a show of force to get them to surrender their arms long enough to talk with them."
A low buzzing could be heard, and it drove Nate mad after a few seconds. When Nate noticed it was getting louder, he was sure he was going insane.
They began running past the giant reflection pool, people diving in to get to tents and the like. The hum was much louder now, and Nate stopped Shatner to tell him.
"What?" said Shatner, as Nate grabbed his shoulder to slow down.
"Shatner, I-" started Nate, but he was cut off as a helicopter flew by, overhead, and began to circle at the end of the colony.
Shatner and Nate both looked on in awe, following it with their eyes.
"Shatner," started Nate, "I think if they don't come in peace… then they have a better show of force then you."
"Get off the wall!" yelled a voice, an older one.
Shatner and Nate looked towards the wall where Nate had entered. An explosion tore the gate from its hinges and many of the guards on the wall jumped from it, dodging the explosion. More gunfire could be heard, and Shatner and Nate ducked, and looked around in surprise. Screams and shouts came from many of the civilians, and soon, return fire came from the colonists.
"Oh, snap!" yelled Nate, get back, get DOWN!"
Nate grabbed Shatner, and brought him behind a pile of rubble that was close by. Peeking out, Nate and Shatner saw a couple of rusted trucks plow through where the gate has been, and men armed with a lot of guns began firing at whoever they could, many more running in on foot.
"Radiers," said Shatner, dazed and confused, then he shook out of it, getting angry, "Raiders! You, you lead them here. They followed you!"
"Impossible," said Nate, equally as dazed, "That's… impossible."
"No it's not! It makes sense. YOU did this!" said Shatner, getting his rifle and taking off the safety, "This is all YOUR fault."
"You don't get it," said Nate, "That's impossible… that's IMPOSSIBLE!"
"Well… now what?" said Shatner, aiming his rifle.
"Fight," said Nate, "We need to fight, we need to get them!"
Bullets slammed into the ground around them, and they ducked farther into the rubble. Nate looked up, and noticed a gunner on the helicopter raining down hell.
"I know what we got to do!" said Nate, "Those trucks… that chopper… they need to GO!"
"You have a plan to do that?" asked Shatner.
"Uh…" thought Nate for a second, looking around.
He stared around the ground, and saw a rope not too far off. He smiled, and grabbed it, then grabbed some old, twisted metal from the rubble pile they were at. After a few minutes, he had twisted them into a rough grappling hook. Smiling at his handiwork, he showed it to Shatner.
"And?" asked Shatner, eyeing the Raiders as they slaughtered there way through the camp, making their way towards them.
"And now… a grenade of some sort. Do you have one?" asked Nate.
"Not ON me," said Shatner, "We don't have time for this!"
"Damn… there goes that idea," said Nate to himself, ignoring Shatner's surprised look.
Nate looked around again, examining the trucks. On one, he noticed a stack of gasoline tanks. Nate smiled.
"Got it, cover me," yelled Nate, and he leapt from the rubble pile.
"What?" questioned Shatner, but he was too late.
Nate already was sprinting across the land, firing at whichever Raider was closest with his rifle. He hit one not far off, and he fell to the ground. Another turned and looked, but was hit in the shoulder. Before he had time to act, Nate was already looking down his barrel and pulling the trigger as many times as he could at the truck. Several Raiders close by opened fire at him, but fired from the hip, missing.
The bullets punched several holes into the gas tanks, and Nate dived to the ground, continuing to fire and empty his clip. He hit the ground and rolled, staying to the ground, listening to the bullet wiz passed him. What the hell? Thought Nate. He looked up, seeing no effect on the guys in the truck, and the one guy with a big machine gun in the truck laughed.
"Shit," said Nate, watching as they all stopped firing and actually took aim at him.
The big man with the machine gun continued to laugh, and he removed his cigarette from his mouth and dropped it to the floor of the truck bed. Aiming down his sight, he released the safety to the large machine gun he had.
Woosh!
The truck erupted into flames, and the last of the gas tanks ignited, exploding in a cloud of flame and smoke. The Raiders around the truck we hit with shrapnel, and thrown forward with the force of the blast.
Nate smiled, and raised his fist in the air, "Boo-Yeah!"
A few more bullets pelted the land in back of Nate, coming closer, and Nate had enough time to look back and gasp before trying to desperately crawl forward. Overhead, the helicopter streaked by, and a magazine fell from it as the gunner reloaded his rifle.
"One down," said Nate, grabbing the makeshift grappling hook, "One to go."
Nate got up, and slung his gun to his side. He took off after the Helicopter, and began swing it in his right hand. As he ran, he moved his path onto a pile of rubble, and jumped from it onto one of the built shack houses, and ran on the poorly built roofs, praying he wouldn't fall in.
He helicopter did as expected, and slowed down before it began to make its turn. Nate ran full speed ahead, swing the grappling hook faster and faster. Shanter stayed back, watching the whole thing through his scope.
Nate reached the end of the line of shacks, and jumped. Praying he was close enough, he chucked the grappling hook into the air, and watched it soar as he slowly fell toward the earth.
The grappling hook soared through the air, and went a little over the rotor of the helicopter. The spinning rotor latched onto the rope, and sucked the grappling hook inside. A large clang could be heard, and the helicopter jerked to the side in resistance. Then the spin of the rotor began pulling the rest of the rope inside.
Nate landed on the ground, and smiled. Holding onto the rope. He stood up, and looked back, waving to Shatner.
"You crazy fool," yelled Shatner, smiling, "Let go of the rope!"
Nate's face turned confused, and he held his hand up to his ear. Shit, thought Shatner, He truly doesn't get it.
"The rope," yelled Shatner, "Drop it!"
The rope tightened, and jerked Nate back up into the air. After a few second of flight up and towards the helicopter, Nate let go, allowing his body to fly through the air and land in a pile of rubble not far off. Shatner squinted in pain at the sight, but was immediately distracted by the helicopter.
The helicopter's rotor finally got clogged, and it stopped, suddenly, sending it into a dangerous tailspin around in an awkward oval. Smoke spat from it, and yells and shouts could be heard from Raiders and colonists alike. The helicopter fell from the Sky, slamming into one of the remnants of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum.
"Ha," said Shatner, "Right where you belong!"
Then, keeping low, Shatner made his way to where Nate had landed.
Nate lay, still, on a pile of rubble by one end of the wall that surrounded the colony. He was in some sort of daze, starring into the Sky. Shatner ran up, and spotted him before reaching him.
"Nate!" Shatner yelled, "Comedian! Nate! Are you ok? Nate!"
Shatner reached him, but Nate quickly snapped from his daze, jumping up and punching the sky.
"Did you see THAT!" he yelled, "Woo-hoo! Hot DAMN! Did you see that? I was like, 'aaahhh! Platoon!' And the jeep was like BOOM. And then I was all like, 'yippie-kay-yay' and the chopper was like, all German bad guy fallin TO THE GROUND! Yeah!"
"That was amazing!" said Shatner, "Crazy, but amazing. I mean… how did you know the machine-gunner would drop his cigarette? Or… how the rotor would freeze up like that?"
"Uh…" said Nate, getting an embarrassed face on, "I didn't. I was expecting the gasoline to explode… when I shot it… and I was gonna use the grappling hook to hoist myself up into the helicopter and take it over by force."
Shatner's smile slowly disappeared, and he cocked an eyebrow up, "Take it over? How were you going to land it when you did? IF you did?"
"I… don't know. Didn't have time to get that far," said Nate.
"What the hell," asked Shatner, "What… THAT was your plan? That's so… RETARDED. I mean this isn't some kind of action movie. You can't really so that in real life!"
"Uh-huh," said Nate, a smile spreading across his face, "Tell THAT… to the Raiders I JUST KILLED LIKE A BOSS BOO YEAH MOTHAH FRICKAH!"
Nate started up his dance again, hooping and hollering like a child at his win. Shatner stared on, now completely shocked.
"So," said Nate, finishing his dance, "Who's next? Who's up for round TWO?"
"It worked," said Shatner, turning around and heading back, "Just like you said. As soon as the chopper fell, and one of their trucks blew up, they began retreating, only taking some provisions and leaving with their last truck."
"And… everyone else?" asked Nate, a little disappointed at the news of everything.
"Maybe you should come and see for yourself," said Shatner, walking back towards the main colony.