Chapter Thirty One: A Destination Reached

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September 5th 2025

The Phoenix Convoy was driving through the roads of California. There were just over eighty Phoenixes and they were all headed for the once great city of San Francisco. There they would find the Antivirus to the St Peters Virus, a horrible disease that had ravaged the Earth resulting in the deaths of millions, perhaps BILLIONS, of people all across the world. Two days prior the Phoenixes had discovered that the Virus was created by the Unity Order, a secret cabal of the Global Elite who used Their power and influence to shape world events in Their favour. The Unity Order sought to give Humanity a "clean slate", as They called it, by using the Virus to kill everyone on Earth except themselves. Dedicated to stopping the genocide, the Phoenixes had travelled far and wide, battling escaped convicts in New York, helping a Christian Cult defeat genocidal white supremacists, meeting an ultra nationalist military remnant and even fighting against Unity Order soldiers in Area 51. The two leaders of the Phoenixes, Bridge and Anna, had done a mind meld with the dead Alien found inside the base and learned that the genocide would cause a bioweapon that acted as Humanity's only defence against an Alien Parasite intent on forcibly infecting every Alien race in the Universe. The leaders of the Phoenixes kept this a secret however, as They felt that Humanity had enough to worry about. Now the Phoenixes mission was almost complete, for They had finally arrived at San Francisco.

As the convoy exited the tunnel outside the city and went onto the Golden Gate Bridge, the Phoenixes could see the once glorious city of San Francisco. Many of Them had seen San Francisco in tourist guides or on the Internet, but They had not seen the City in such a decrepit state. There were abandoned cars all across the Golden Gate Bridge, whole buildings had huge quarantine signs and several sinking ships were in the Bay. Bridge looked out the bus window with Anna, Phinehas, Michelle and Sebastian to get a good look at the once proud city and with a look of shock on His face, Sebastian said aloud "It's in ruins!" Bridge agreed with a face of equal shock and said "Yeah, Me, Phinehas and His parents came here for a vacation a few years before the Fall. I knew it would look different, but this!" That was when Phinehas saw Alcatraz and said "Hey, I think there are some people on Alcatraz!" Phinehas was right about there being people on the famous prison island. Even though it was far away, the Phoenixes could easily see that a thriving community had been established on the island. There had to be at least two hundred or so survivors and there were fishermen collecting tuna for the survivors to eat. Even though it was difficult to see, it was evident that there was a communal garden where the survivors grew food crops and shared Them among themselves. A few survivors saw the convoy in the distance and looked at it in awe and wonder. No one had ever expected to see a working bus again, so this came as quite the shock to Them.

Bridge got out His walkie talkie and said through it "All Phoenixes, We head into the city at steady speed. Keep weapons at the ready and be prepared for anything". The Phoenixes all quickly obliged and got Their weapons ready. Michelle, Eleanor and the children were quickly surrounded by armed men who had strict orders to protect Them at any cost. As the Convoy drove across the Bridge, The Phoenixes could see an abandoned APC at the end of the bridge and a rotting skeleton of a soldier by the machine gun on top. As the vehicles drove around the APC, The Phoenixes could easily see the piles of long dead innocent people across the road and the sidewalk. The convoy came to a stop and Bridge said "Oh God, there was a massacre here". It was a terrible sight indeed, all of the bodies had bullet holes and had rotted away into skeletons. There was a gap between the two large piles, likely put there by another survivor group. The Convoy made it's way through the gap and as They went through, The Phoenixes could get an up close view of the corpses. The bodies went all the way up to the windows and Louise retreated into the loving embrace of Her sister Michelle at the very sight of the corpses. A wave of relief swept over the Phoenixes as the Convoy made it's way past the sight of the massacre and They continued onto San Francisco.

Beyond the Golden Gate Bridge was the Welcoming Centre, where tourists would be given pamphlets and books about San Francisco and tourist maps about interesting places to visit. The convoy stopped by the building and several Phoenixes exited Their vehicles to get a good look at it. The Welcome Centre was a brownish reddish building with a glass door and windows at the front. Bridge looked at His people and said "Me and Anna will head in and look for a map of the City. Hopefully We'll find a place to settle soon and then We'll find that Antivirus". Bridge and Anna then headed towards the Welcome Centre to find a map. It was evident that the Centre had been abandoned for months and that no one was inside. The glass door was broken and glass was all over the floor, likely the work of scavengers or rioters. Bridge and Anna made Their way through the broken door, Their feet making the glass crack as They stepped and looking around for a map. The reception area was decrepit and abandoned, not a single living soul within. There was a stand next to the reception desk, filled with tourist maps that could help The Phoenixes find Their way around San Francisco. Bridge walked forward and grabbed one of the maps, knowing that it was Their best chance at finding a new home for Themselves. He then turned to His left and saw something in another room that made Him freeze in shock. Anna saw it to and was lucky to stop Herself from screaming. It was the body of a long dead man, wearing an orange prisoner uniform and police armour strapped onto Him. Bridge then saw some graffiti on the wall that said "Cons rule!" in red and began to realise something. The word "Con" was slang for a "Convict". As in, a convicted criminal. Bridge then remembered the prison uniform with the police gear and the graffiti that glorified Cons as rulers. Anna remembered it to and They both realised something terrible: San Francisco had it's own Rikers.

Bridge looked at the body in horror, then over at Anna and said "Let's get back to the convoy". Anna obliged and the two exited the Welcome Centre. They walked back over to Phoenix Home, where Phinehas was sitting at the bus's stairs with Sebastian and Michelle. Sebastian and Michelle were standing up and Sebastian was saying to Her "It think We should give Them similar names. Ya know? Considering that They're twins?" Michelle thought for a moment and said "Yeah I guess. Maybe Ethan and Eden?" Sebastian then saw Bridge and Anna return and said "Hey, Bridge and Anna are back". The Phoenixes all looked at Bridge and Anna and were all quick to notice the look of worry on Their faces. Concerned about Bridge and Anna's apparent worry, John asked "You two alright?" Bridge answered with just one word "Rikers". The Phoenixes who were from New York all gasped in shock. Solomon and Sarah were still in the bus and Solomon looked down at Bridge and asked "How is that possible?" A few other Phoenixes were confused. One of the Phoenixes from Denver looked at Bridge and asked "What the heck is a Riker?" Bridge then explained "Back in New York, the prisoners from Rikers Island escaped and formed into gangs and started fighting each other for control of the City. It was a bloodbath, one gang against another and a whole city at war with itself. Some Rikers also spread further out, going as far as Pittsburgh and leaving nothing but destruction in Their wake". Joe was helping John check the Bus tire and asked with a look of confusion on His face "Just how are there criminals from the East Coast here in San Francisco of all places?" Anna's face went from fearful to certain as She explained in Her Russian accent "There was a dead man inside of the Welcome Centre and He was wearing a prison uniform with police gear. The Rikers had gear like that as well, I think it was meant to symbolise the de-establishment of former authorities". Sebastian was fearful as He said "We met a guy in Chicago once who told Us all about the Rikers. But He also told Us about other groups like the Rikers who thought each other like it was World War Three or something. Ya don't think that a Riker gang formed here do You?" Bridge had a look of disappointment on His face as He said "There might be, We need to proceed with extreme caution".

So the Phoenixes had finally arrived in San Francisco, at long last They had made it to the once proud City and would soon find the Antivirus that would stop the St Peters Virus from returning. But They had to be careful, for San Francisco had it's own Rikers....with the only difference being the name. But little did They know that the "Cons" had been gone a long time and that was thanks to two other groups that the Phoenixes were yet to learn of and would soon become allies with.

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