Reconciled in the End

Chapter 26: Somber Exploration

Both woke the next morning to see their chilled breaths. One would cherish every amenity now, especially after losing so many. Beforehand, they hadn’t thought they were wealthy, but now, without power, heat, air conditioning, hot water, and flushing toilets, they realized they had lived like royalty. The well stocked and climate controlled apartment had been their castle! They at least knew they had a food source. They wouldn’t begrudge what they did have!

After the two prepared for the day privately in the office, the pair stepped out to find several others rising as well. This community of friends had to lean on each other now. They gave a friendly wave and head bob to greet everyone, neither had gathered who everyone was yet.

“Morning!” the jovial voice of Yuri beamed as he latched onto Thomas’s shoulder.

Another two guys came around as Pierre trailed behind. Thomas had forgotten their names sadly, as he innocently acknowledged them silently, hoping someone else would shout their names. He had this trouble with the officers at work too, but cheated as he looked at their credentials while on the network.

“Hello newcomers,” a greying man approached them pleasantly.

“That’s our supervisor, Collins,” Yuri shot out, giving a mock salute.

Collins snorted, putting his hands in his pocket. He seemed a sheepish, awkward man, but hidden good intentions for all underneath his watch. Thomas commended him for taking a stand and playing Siren’s warnings in his office while at work. His bold urgency had saved these people's souls here for their heavenly eternity. Had he hidden his conviction to himself, these souls would have blindly fallen into unrepentance and hell like the others that nightshift whom chose their path adamantly.

“We welcome you here, and I hear tell one of you was Fox. I really thank you for telling us a hope we never had before. I thank you from my heart,” the soft-spoken supervisor curtly responded. Though he didn’t show much, Thomas knew he was very grateful.

“My wife was Fox,” Thomas confirmed.

“You were the medical masked avatar in an officer uniform then,” Collins assessed, “Fox would stop the transmissions, but she looked happy for a short break, then back. It wasn’t because you were forcing her to stop her warnings.”

“Yes,” Thomas answered.

“You were a real Officer. Must have been busy with the way things were before it all, eh? Must have sucked. Had a time with the night shift workers, can only imagine a lawless city…” Collins interjected bluntly.

Thomas cringed upon recalling those thoughts, then shifted to a more relieved face. That was then, and he was in the now. He then thought to shift the subject. After his little ‘fun’ with Siren last night, he cuddled close to her while drifting his thoughts to the airport communication tower. It was bound to have transmission capabilities. After a lack of news and isolation, he was dying to know what happened and the extent. Was anyone out there sending messages?

“I saw that the control towers aren’t black on top. Thinking of breaking in and seeing what’s there. I bet the smoke suffocated anyone inside beforehand however…” Thomas reported with a salute.

Collins thought hard on it, then shook his head modestly, “I honestly don’t know much about that type of thing, but it’d be great to hear any news of the World out there…”

The way Thomas and Collins conferred, it was like two old men, both had been used to management and responsibilities. It certainly matured them to think circumspectly. Unlike the rest, they knew their decisions affected the safety and well-being of those around them.

Yuri then interjected in haste, “I’ll go check it out!”

A couple of others chimed in eagerly, too. Siren offered, “I could go check out the wiring. We might sever the malfunctioning bits and try your generator in the bunker for a power source.”

Thomas lit up as he agreed while a group formed to head that way. The trail to the tower was a good half an hour walk in the smokey, dim world. The absence of noise was so surreal like a dream. With charred death all around, even the birds had shied away to find food sources in the city. Thomas assumed the mortality there immeasurable. What a haunting and alien place the world was now! A breeze pushed ash around in the void land, and the group covered their faces with masks to help from breathing in too much.

The tower pierced the lonely sky like a thorn, the blackened airport like a clotted scab, nothing was appealing at all. Wired fencing drooped on the ground as they stepped over the barbed wire carefully. It was sobering traveling through such a strange environment until Yuri dashed to the door to give a jingle. Up above, mirrored windows slanted down on them, dark and void. One had the feeling they were in prison being monitored tightly by guards, but had there been a soul at all up there, they would've needed food and resources.

Nothing had stirred since their first wanderings around the airport. The lower control tower was burnt to a skeletal husk. It hadn’t survived. The door access obviously had been melted by the raging fires, the concrete building looked torched but a survivor.

Thomas, along with a few of the other guys, brought several pry bars and hammers. The others stood back as several hours passed, hammering the door enough to yank it out. All that participated looked exhausted, but Yuri gave a final pull at the hinges. The group could now pass through and explore.

The elevator was obviously not functioning, but a spiral stairway led them higher and higher into darkness. At the top, the putrid smell of corpses and smoke filled the upper tower room. Rather good sized, it hosted numerous desks and a full three-sixty view of the charred airport. The skeletons of planes littered the place below. It was a somber and haunting view.

Siren looked down at a rotting body crumpled up under a desk as she inferred, “They had nowhere to go as the fire progressed. They couldn’t run for it outside, and as they coward in here, the smoke rose to suffocated them. I hope they had repented before they…”

She sighed very forlornly as Thomas rubbed her back. “Let’s get these bodies out and buried, then address what survived up here.”

Being a man of action and military-minded, he couldn’t dither. He’d guide everyone along that stared at the poor dead souls before them. Yuri nodded as Tianna covered her mouth. Death bothered her, but Thomas was right to keep moving. They then spent the rest of the afternoon caring for the bodies. It would be a day of respectful mourning.

Thomas spoke some final words in prayer, “Though seeing this loss of life is sorrowful, please take care my friends and find comfort in our hope as repentant saved ones of God. In Romans chapter eight, we are given comfort in death. In fact, death hardly can sting us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Siren added, “And in Bible, it tells us that we will see fellow believers in heaven again after this life is over. We won’t say goodbye indefinitely, only for a short time. If I may quote first Thessalonians four, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Thomas nodded, “We have hope in death, take cheer we’ll be reunited!”

The rest agreed as they soon knew to go back to the factory for the night. Tomorrow’s day looked more hopeful, the anxious word of any news encouraging. Some of the factory survivors were worried for their partners that hadn’t been at the factory when all struck hard, but were sleeping in homes. Word of anything seemed welcome.