Dead Exodus

Chapter One: Ashes

"How the hell did it ever get this bad?", I mumble to myself. I sat in front of my campfire and tinkered with my bionic arm. I was working on installing an extendable and retractable blade on the wrist. I've been at it for almost two months now, but I was only just completing it because of the lack of spare parts laying around the apocalypse. My nailed bat was resting at my side in case any zombies tried to sneak up on me. My current camp was located on the outskirts of a big city called Restlin. I'd spent the last month here scavenging the outskirts for supplies and parts for my arm. The outskirts didn't fair too bad, and as a result were almost completely picked over when I got here. I glance over at central Restlin. I knew there had to be a veritable bounty of supplies in there, but it was just too damn infested for me to take even a few steps in. I take a deep breath through my nose. I can still smell the ashes from when part of the city was on fire a few weeks ago. I still had no idea what had caused the massive blaze. I grumbled to myself and reached for a small screw in my pocket. I carefully inserted the screw into a hole on the makeshift mount I was attaching. I tighten this last screw on my arm and flex its fingers. The blade pops out of its mount. I grin and relax my fingers and watch the blade slide back into its mount. "Sweet", I murmured. I looked over to the horizon and could see the sun beginning to rise. I stood up and kicked some dirt over my campfire. I sighed. "Time to head out, I guess", I mumbled to myself. I had picked this area over two times now, so there was nothing left. I had to find a new place to get some food and water. I grabbed my backpack and opened it. I peered inside. I had exactly half a bottle of water left, two cans of beans, and a first-aid kit. It wouldn't last me much longer. I paced over to my sedan and opened the door. I got into the driver's seat and started the engine. I checked the fuel gauge. I had just under a quarter of a tank of gas left, which would hopefully be enough to get me to the next small town or highway gas station. I drove my car carefully out from behind the brush and onto the main road.

. . .

I was beginning to grow tired. I had been driving on this highway for almost three hours now, zipping past the occasional zombie on the road. I had yet to see any evidence of buildings that hadn't already been looted, or buildings at all. Just as I was about to give it up and park to eat the last of my beans, I saw the sun glint off a road sign. It read "Truck Stop 2 miles - LAST STOP FOR GAS". I smiled and pressed down a little harder on the accelerator. Maybe I could scrounge up some gas there, at least. I continued driving for a few moments before coming across the truck stop. I gawked at it and pressed on the brakes, bringing my car to a stop. The big neon signs out front were lit up and there were two cars parked in the lot. I thought about what that could mean. The cars could have been abandoned, I thought, but they looked too clean and taken care of. Likely, they had owners nearby. If I went inside the stop, the owners of the cars might be inside, and they might not be friendly. Then again, it'd be nice to talk to some actual people. I eventually ruled out driving past, as I needed food and gas anyways, and on the off chance that anyone was inside, a good conversation. Besides, I had my arm blade now, and it was concealed. I could use it if I had to. I pulled into the parking lot and parked my car. I got out and shut the door, locking it behind me. I slowly paced up to the front door and pushed it open. I walked through the door and stopped. There was a person standing behind a bar and two people sitting on bar stools, one of them passed out. The person behind the bar hefted a large shotgun out from under the bar and pointed it at me. "You gonna be trouble, stranger?", he spoke in a gruff, tired voice. Panic shot through me. I held my hands up to my chest. "No. I'm just stopping to see about getting some food and drink", I replied, careful not to provoke the man in some way. The man looked me up and down for a moment. He put the shotgun back under the bar. "Take a seat, stranger. I'll see about gettin' ya a drink", he said. I paced over to the bar slowly, looking around as I went. I chose a stool next to the one conscious person and sat down. She looked up from a book she was leafing through and stared at me. I stared back. One of the first human interactions I'd had in years, and it was already awkward as hell. "Uhhh... hello", I finally stammered out. I looked at her for a reaction and couldn't help but notice how pretty this woman was. "Are you holding your breath or something?", she finally spoke. I looked back at her, confused. "Um, no. Why do you ask?", I questioned. "Because your face is redder than a tomato", she stated, matter-of-factly. Before I can stammer out a response, she speaks again. "So I figure you're either holding your breath, or you want to fuck me. Which is it?", she demanded, looking at me angrily square in the eyes. I hold my hands up to my chest. "Th-that's um... not what... dammit. Look, I've been alone for almost three years and you just happen to be the prettiest person I've seen in a long time", I finally responded. She scowled at me and then busted out laughing. "Damn man, I was only fucking with you! Thanks for the compliment though", she smiled at me, chuckling at my expense. I breathed a sigh of relief. She turned towards me again and looked at me. "So, what's your story dude? Why are you stuck in this wasteland with the rest of us?", she asked. "Well, ah, it's not that interesting. I didn't make it to the launch pads four years ago, and now I'm stuck in this hellscape", I replied. She seemed to consider this for a moment. "Well, what about that fancy arm?", she nodded towards my bionic arm, "Gotta be a good story about that". "Oh, my arm? Yeah, I lost it while I was working on a commercial fusion reactor for the Nova corporation. I was installing the fuel agitator when a shutter malfunctioned and clamped down on my arm. Took it clean off. Nova was afraid I'd sue them, so they paid for this high-quality bionic replacement. It works better than my old arm", I explained, chuckling. The woman looked me up and down for a moment, considering my story. "Bet it hurt", she finally said. "Oh yeah, it hurt like hell. I kept working for them afterwards though. The pay was pretty good", I explained. The bartender came back around with a bottle of water and a shot of whiskey. He set them in front of me. "Here ya go, man. Cheers", he said. I nodded thanks and downed the whiskey and the water. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was. "Damn dude. You must be thirsty", comments the woman. "You have NO idea", I replied, grinning. "So... you got a name?", asked the girl. "Ace", I replied, reminiscing about how I'd earned the nickname. "Ace, huh? Isn't that a little... I don't know... Tacky?", she questioned. "Well, I like it. There's a story about how I got it too, but I don't have time to tell it. It's long", I explained. "Okay, sure", she said. "Fine then, what's your name?", I questioned. "Red", she replied. "That's a color, not a name", I teased. She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, funny man. Sorry, I mean 'Ace'", she said, teasingly. I waved over the bartender. "Hey, think I could get some supplies for the road?", I asked. "Yeah, I can get you a week of rations and some ammo", he replied. "Oh, I don't have a gun", I replied. He stared at me, incredulous. "How have you survived this long without a weapon?", he questioned. I held up my bionic arm and flexed my fingers. The sharp, serrated blade popped out. The bartender stared at it, and then whistled. "That's pretty damn impressive", he replied. He paced off, I assumed to retrieve the rations he spoke of. I relaxed my fingers and let the blade slide back into its mount. "Wow" said Red, staring at the mount. "Yeah. It took me forever to get the right parts for the blade mount, but it was worth it", I replied. "I bet. You ever used it?", asked Red. "Nah, not yet. I just finished it this morning. I've just been using an old baseball bat with a bunch of nails stuck in it", I reply. Red chuckles. "I'm partial to my revolver, but I do have an old machete", she motions to the holster on her hip. The machete is strapped to her back in a sheath. I nod my head, eying the .357 Magnum situated in her holster. The bartender comes back with a small duffel bag. He passes it over to me. "Here ya go, stranger. Good luck, wherever you're headed", he says with a tired smile. "Oh, um, one more thing", I say. The bartender looks back over his shoulder at me. "Do those fuel pumps outside still work?", I ask. "Yeah, I'll turn on the generator for you. Make it quick though, the thing is loud. Honk twice when you're done refueling so I know when to turn it off", explains the bartender. I nod and thank him. I stand and begin pacing over to the door. "Hey, wait!", says Red. I turn around and look at her. "What is it?", I ask. "What do you need the gas for?", she questions, narrowing her eyes. "My car. I have it under good authority that the damn thing won't start without gas", I reply, chucking at my stupid joke. She whoops and pumps her fist in the air. "Oh, come on, I know my joke wasn't THAT good", I say. "What? No, about the car! I've been trying to reach somewhere for a while, but I can't do it without a car", explains Red. "Oh, really?", I question. "You think I could catch a ride?", questions Red. I think for a second, weighing the pros and cons, but then I ultimately decided that my need for human interaction outweighed any cons, and that having someone to watch my back might not be such a bad idea. "I don't see why not. I could honestly use a travelling buddy", I reply, trying not to sound desperate for social interaction. Red grins and grabs a backpack sitting next to her barstool. "Sweet, let's go!", says Red. Her grins is infectious, and I can't help but grin myself. I head out the door with Red following behind me. I pace over to my car and open the fuel lid. I can hear the telltale noise of a generator churning to life. I grab a nozzle and begin pumping fuel into my vehicle. Before I finish, I deposit the duffel bag of rations into the trunk and grab a jerry can out of the trunk and fill that too. I open the driver door and honk the horn twice. As I hang the nozzle back up, I hear the generator slow down and finally go silent. Red slides over the hood and gets into the passenger seat. I slide into the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition. I click my seatbelt into place and turn the ignition. I drive out of the lot and back onto the main road. "So, anywhere in particular you're headed?", I ask. "Yep. It's a place called The Hub", replies Red. I look over at her. "No offense, it sounds like you kind of pulled that out of your ass", I say. "None taken, I know it does. But it's real", answers Red. "Well, okay then. What is it?", I ask. "Some survivors say it's just a pipe dream, but I swear to you I heard one of their radio broadcasts the other night", explains Red. "Wait, radio broadcast?", I question. Red puts a finger over my lips in a shushing motion. "Shut up, I'm not finished yet", she says. "Apparently, it's a giant walled city about 800 miles up the road. The broadcast I heard says it's made of what was left behind by all the big corporations like Nova and Prescott Industries", she continues. I look over at her again, impressed. "Well, if it's true, then it's gotta be defended pretty well! Nova and Prescott Industries were the top of the leaderboard when it came to high-tech stuff", I reply. "You should know, huh corporate man? Anyway, and you wanna know the best part? Apparently, there's a fleet of rockets being serviced there!", she says excitedly. "No fucking way", I reply. "Way. Allegedly, there's a damaged fleet of ten T-3 Cruisers being serviced in an old launch bay. If the rumors are true, they mean to take on 8,000 survivors once the ships are finished", she answers. "Ho-lee-shit. Well, we have to get there then!", I exclaim excitedly. "So, you'll take me there?", question Red. "For sure! Do you think they'll let us in, though?", I answer. "Well, from what I heard on the broadcast, it's first come first serve. The first 8,000 people to make it to the city will be guaranteed spots. After 8,000 people get there, the city's gates will be closed", says Red, explaining the alleged city's plans. "We have to get there then! I'll take any chance to get off this godforsaken planet", I exclaim. "So, it's settled then?", asks Red. "It's settled", I reply. "We're going to The Hub!".