Tent City

Chapter 26 - Andy

I took in a deep breath before I entered the sick bay. Tonight was the night that I learnt my fate. I crossed my fingers by my side, hoping that Commander Lee had managed to convince Marcie that her punishment options were too extreme for the crime I supposedly committed.

I found Commander Lee sitting in a wheelchair, with Dr Su standing behind him, reading the words he was typing on his tablet. Dr Su acknowledged my presence, I was slightly surprised to find that Marcie wasn't in the sick bay.

"So, what has been decided on our fate tonight, Sir?"

I could tell that it wasn't good, the atmosphere in the sick bay wasn't a positive one. Dr Su's eyes were red like she had been crying. I now knew that my fate had definitely been decided, and Commander Lee couldn't save us. Dr Su came out from behind the wheelchair and ran over and hugged me, which wasn't the reaction I was expecting, so she hugged my frozen body until I managed to hug her back slowly.

"I'm sorry, Andy...I'll let Commander Lee explain the situation as that's his right." She motioned for me to follow her. I joined her beside Commander Lee and his wheelchair, where he was already typing madly on the tablet.

"I talked to Marcie. She is enraged. I tried my best to get her to reconsider the punishment she had given you. She refused. I pulled rank, I did everything I could...but I failed. Marcie said the decision had been voted on by other soldiers and members of our bunker community. As I'd like to think I run a democratic troop, I have to respect their decisions. I'm sorry, Andy."

I had expected that this would be the outcome, but I did hold a slight sliver of hope. However, even expecting the outcome, I was still shocked, left speechless, and frozen in place, beside Commander Lee's wheelchair.

" I know that this was not what you'd hoped would happen, but I have made a plan, which Marcie does not know. You will still be exiled, I can't change that, but I plan to make it easier for you." He wrote on the tablet.

"How? Will you give us two weeks of supplies instead of one?" I answered, defeated and angry.

"Ahhh! You're a funny one!" He wrote.

"But no, I'm allocating you, Kelsie and Ben, 3 months of supplies plus the Tortise MK III transporter."

"What! Why?" I almost yelled out in astonishment. "Do you think Marcie won't notice a missing transporter with superior defence capabilities and 3 months' supply of food for 3 people? C'mon, sir."

"Yes, of course. She'll notice, but she won't notice until you've left, and I have a cover story to relieve her suspicion."

I felt guilty all of a sudden. The Tortise MK III was not only a transporter, but it also functioned as an amphibious tank.

It performed better on land, hence being called a tortise, not turtle. It was lead lined, with a bulletproof shell, ran on solar power, and if the solar power failed, it had an atomic battery.

"But it's one of the best defence vehicles we have. If I take it, you'd have one less vehicle to protect you if you're attacked." I said, flabbergasted by Commander Lee's questionable decision.

"Andy, we still have the 3 Armadillos, 2 Rhino's, 1 working echidna, the second one is being repaired, as you know. Once that's repaired, we'll have another defensive vehicle. Plus, we also have a Tortise MRK II.

Not to mention, we have plenty assault vehicles, which include 4 tigers , 3 sharks, 4 vipers, 3 wolves, and a dingo MRK I. The wolf assault vehicles are well equipped, and they also have pretty good defence capabilities too. So we will be okay if an attack happens."

" You're seriously trusting me, with one the best defence transporters ever made?" I asked. I was still in a bit of shock.

"Yes, I believe you are more than capable. Plus, there's things out there that the capabilities of other defence vehicles won't be enough to protect you. Luckily, those things are not interested in raiding bunkers. If they did, we'd all be doomed." He typed.

"So, speaking of things. What thing attacked you? I can't make sense of it. If it was bandits,you'd be dead, your clothes and weapons stolen. We'd be down a transporter and have no medical supplies.

However, the transporter only received some damage, and the medical supplies remained untouched, but your injuries are severe. What the hell happened out there, Commander Lee?" I asked.

Commander Lee paused. I think he was trying to decide if he should tell me the truth or make up something.

"I was being attacked by a Necro, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a silver blur pushed the necro away from me, and lifted me up like a feather, shoved me in the echidna and set it on autotransport to home. All within seconds. All I remember is a blur, I still can not comprehend what or who saved me." He typed.

" So that explains why you left the safety of the transporter. It's a mystery how you even come across a Necro. They're so rare now." I answered. The room was shrouded in silence until Dr. Su interrupted it

"Andy, what's a Necro?"  She asked curiousity etched her voice.

"Oh! You don't know what a Necro is?" I asked, surprised. Dr. Su shook her head.

" Okay, well.. A Necro can only be described as a failed super soldier experiment.

Certain Bunker dwellers feed off violence and destruction. Simply creating smaller and more powerful weapons did not satiate their hunger, so they experimented on soldiers.

The soldiers are mostly surface dwellers they recruited into their bunkers, pretending to care about them. They train them,clothe,feed, and recognise them as soldiers, just as promised.

However, the strongest and best performers are "recruited" to a special force, where they are given "supplements" or placed in an "enhancement" machine.

The supplements and machines are actually experimental drugs and technology that messes with their brain, cells, and sometimes even their DNA to create soldiers that can perform beyond human capabilities.

The ideal super soldier is one that is easily controlled, possesses superhuman strength, accelerated healing, immunity to radiation sickness, and poisoning.

The soldiers that don't die from these experiments become known as Necros, as they tend to wear capes that cover their faces and hide their body due to being disfigured from the experiments performed on them. Exactly like Necromancers in books and comics of old. That's how they got the name Necro.

Some Necros no longer possess human features, others have burns or rotting skin, and others gain superhuman abilities. Some Necros even went insane as the experiments performed on them messed with their brains too much.

Most Necros are abandoned due to being seen as failed weapons, unstable, uncontrollable, and no longer serving a purpose to the bunker dwellers, so they are set loose on the surface.

Leaving innocent people like Commander Lee to fight them. If it wasn't for the silver blur, Commander Lee would be dead, a human is no match for a Necro." I answered her question, probably too far in depth, but at least she now knows what a Necro is and how dangerous they can be.

Commander Lee motioned for Dr Su to give me the Tortise transporter key.

"The transporter is already packed, inspected, charged, and ready for deployment. Dr. Su has even added some basic medical supplies to your load. Now go and gather Kelsie and Ben. Make sure you all pack a variety of clothes. Dr Su and I will meet you back here in the sick bay, and we'll accompany you to the Transporter garage. Okay?" He typed.

"Yes, sir, I'll gather them now." I said before turning to leave. I didn't know how I managed to not have a total breakdown in that room. I was grateful for Commander Lee and Dr Su.

I touched the access key in my pocket before I ran to the Dkning hall to tell Kelsie and Ben what was happening.

My heart raced, and I felt my cheeks become wet with tears. I will miss this place. I will miss its safety and security, sense of purpose, and even the mind-numbing order and routines it provided me.

It was so much better than living above ground, but that was going to be my reality very soon, and I already mourned my life here. I dreaded what awaited us above ground. I was scared for our future. I was scared for Ben. He was still a child.