Deadland Rising (part 3 of the Deadland Saga)

Hope (Chapter 26)

I woke up with a searing headache in pitch darkness. Even blinking my eyes hurt. I groaned and sat up.

"I apologize for the headache. The tranquilizer is a bit strong, but its effects will wear off soon enough."

I recognized Mike's voice, but could only make out a male silhouette in the darkness. Surprisingly, my hands weren't tied.

"Where are my friends?" I asked.

"We thought it best to talk with each of you separately."

"You drugged us?"

"It minimized the risk of an altercation. You must understand. We preferred not to go this route, but when you and your friends showed animosity, you forced our hand. We need you each to be reasonable. Every survivor has a role in the new country."

I guffawed. "What makes you think I want to be a part of this new country?"

"We're not perfect, but we're trying to make things work. We're trying to save as many as we can."

"Killing survivors is not a good place to start," I said.

"Aline isn't afraid to make the hard choices. She must go certain lengths to ensure the new country succeeds."

"She's not a leader," I said. "She's a bully."

Mike sighed. "The human race is on a precipice of survival. We can't afford provinces to operate separately from us. If we don't work together, we'll all die."

He walked closer and flipped a switch. Light flooded the small room, and I shaded my eyes. The room looked to be a small apartment of some kind.

"We need everyone's help to eliminate the zed threat. We need capable pilots more than anything. Our air force has taken a beating, and we need to replenish. Pilots, no matter how little experience, are needed."

"So I'm being conscripted, is that it?"

"Everyone has a choice."

"And what's mine?"

"You can choose to fly missions, or you can choose to return to New Eden."

"What's the catch?"

"Nothing for you."

I let the words sink in. "And my friends?"

"If you choose to stay and fly missions, they'll stay here, safe. If you choose to return to New Eden, they'll be sent to join the squadrons in the south."

"So you'll send them to their deaths if I refuse."

"They could survive." He paced back and forth.

"Why are you doing this? You can train more pilots. You can find more loyal survivors. Why go to all this effort?"

"Because every survivor is crucial," Mike said before taking a long pause. "And the government is still in its infancy. We can't afford the toxicity of negative opinion to taint it. You would bring toxicity back with you to New Eden, and it would spread, just like the zed virus."

Ah, the truth finally comes out. I nodded as he spoke. "The jobs are to keep us busy. But, you wouldn't let us go home regardless of what my decision is."

"You have a decision," Mike said. "Be a crucial part of our new country."

"This 'new country' has already dropped nukes in the U.S. Now, you're talking about poisoning the rest of the country. What's going to be left for the survivors, if there even are any?"

"Idealism must be a nice trait to have. I haven't had that luxury for some time." He walked to the doorway and dropped a hotel keycard on the table. "You have until morning to make your decision."