Gone Missing

Ch. 1

The sky exploded. Shrapnel and molten metal flew past me, burning my skin and near blinding me. The view in front of me was so mesmerizing I almost couldn't tear my eyes away. Several people couldn't.

Imagine strobing lights, in colors you didn't know existed.

Imagine those lights reflecting off of building sides and glass.

Imagine those lights tearing apart the glass and metal as if it was paper in a fire.

"Run!!" I yelled, finding my breath just as the strobing intensified. "To the Tunnels!! In, in, in!" I pushed people along, jostled those who were still in a trance, and best as I could, guided the general population into the bomb protection tunnels. 

 On the off chance that the world ended, the government wanted someone to govern. Meaning that people actually had to survive. The Government built the Tunnels as a labyrinth  of underground hallways and rooms designed for protections, and most for luxury. There was entire hangers full of food supplies and clothing. Entire square miles of gardens and self-sustaining food sources.  Everyone knew about the Tunnels, since it was taught in schools the procedures to enter them. There were Disaster Drills, which often had serious non-drill like consequences, and Expenses such as me had to regulate them. We were called Expenses because we were taught and bred to protect at all cost, at any expense. At anyones expense.

Snap out of it. Focus.

The citizens were rushing into the Tunnels, entering the Welcoming Bay. Children coming from the school entrances ran over to the Main entrance, calling for their parents, who received them with hugs and shush's. 

After an excruciating wait, the message came. The drill was over, and there was the mess on the streets to clean up. Most of the buildings were regrowing beautifully, but assistance was needed on Krater Street, and some citizen had not made it into the Tunnels in time. Grimacing, I made my way towards Krater Street. I may be bred for disaster, but I was still human, and a death was a death no matter what the Government thought. 

"I'm going to check on the buildings," I say detachedly. "I'll make sure everyone got out of there o.k. " 

I flew along the road slowly, scanning the sky for loose R.A.Y.s that hadn't been shut off. The Government knew how to wreck havoc. By the time I reached Krater Street, I had already fixed two minor building circuits and healed three citizens. 

Krater Street was worse. Five buildings were toppled. Five. Two were major work buildings, and three were hosts of tele-commune centers. All were beyond repair. The street was torn up, and I counted six bodies with possible heat signatures.  Twelve without. 

"What happened?" I asked the Lieutenant, who was watching over the scene. 

"The Government didn't do this one. One of the R.A.Y.s got out of control." 

"I'll say, It looks like it tried to take down the city!"

"You should get to work." He gave a grim smile, "We won't want the citizens getting worried."

I nodded and flew to a better vantage point on top of one of the shorter, intact buildings. As I observed the rubble, I saw a girl run to a fallen building.

"You, girl! Get away from there!"

She looked up at me, a stubborn frown forming on her face. "No."

"What did you say young girl? You had better move, its not safe over here!"

"I said ‘No’. And you can't call me a young girl. I'm probably older than you!" This was going to be difficult. She had adopted a mocking smile and flashed it my way. "Just you try and stop me!"