Adaxia

Chapter 10: Impala

Luna and David sped through the streets of Manhattan.

“Can't we go any higher?” She asked as she inspected the dashboard looking for some kind of, 'UP' button.

“Not exactly.. When we went through the tear in space-time I got locked out of a lot of this things functions. I barely landed this thing.” David explained focused on the streets.

“So wait..” Luna started, “Where did you and the Skyline come through anyway?”

“Japan.” David said with exasperated look on his face as if it was all coming back to him.

“You mean Japan.. As in Japan?” Luna said feeling slightly confused.

“Last time I checked there was only one Japan in the world.” David sighed.

“And you got here how?”

“I took a plane, dummy.”

“But how did you bring the Skyline?”

“It was my carry-on.” David chuckled. Luna went to punch him in the shoulder, as she did so David flinched and sent them crashing into the side of an office building. They skidded across the floor knocking over cubicles and crashing through a few walls before coming to a halt. As they sat upside down David sighed and Luna grunted with the effort of unbuckling herself.

“So, can this thing magically flip over or..?” Luna asked, David simply responded by rocking from side to side, eventually the Skyline flipped onto its side and they both spilled out.

“Sorry about destroying th-.”

“It's fine.” David cut in. They both evaluated their surroundings, it was a typical office layout with row upon row of white cubicles which clearly hadn't been used since Attack Day. The power was also out which meant no elevator.

“I don't suppose you have a Jetpack?” Luna questioned as they approached the hole they had made as they crashed in. They looked down, they were at least 15 floors up.

“Depends how many cans of beans you ate this morning.” David said sounding oddly serious. Luna shrugged and made her way through what she assumed was the break room and onto the other side of the building. The windows on that side overlooked the Hudson River which was polluted with the wrecks of various barges and naval vessels. A voice started to ring throughout the city.

“Reveal yourselves survivors, Centrotrasen will look after you! Join the Lalonde Family!”

The voice rang, it was clearly propaganda and no doubt a trap, the voice continued.

“Centrotrasen is able to prove YOU with medical supplies, food and clean drinking water, but first you must do something for us.”

David came to the window and looked up, some kind of mobile Heli-base was no floating over the Hudson, it had two giant screens mounted on either side which were now displaying both of their pictures.

“Bring us these two fugitives ALIVE and you shall be granted anything you desire, Lalonde out.” The broadcast ended and the airship propelled itself back above the clouds.

“Lalonde.” They both said in unison. Mallory Lalonde was known as the founder of Centrotrasen, the futures biggest supplier of just about everything. She was also notorious for having anyone who displeased her assassinated, anyone who was in her elite few had to tred carefully.

Luna sighed and fished the Nokia out of her pocket and thumbed autodial, a familiar voice picked up.

“Luna?! Where the hell did you go? We needed you here!” Alec was furious.

“Boyfriend?” David smirked, Luna shot him daggers.

“Yeah Alec, we need a pick-up, can you get Sierra to bring the Impala?” Luna sighed into the phone, she hated Sierra but she refused to let anyone else drive the Impala. It was one of the few vehicles that they could salvage after Attack Day.

“Have you looked outside lately? It's dark, we don't go out when it's dark and what the heck was with that thing in the sky a few minutes ago? Who are you?!” Alec was practically screaming into the phone now.

“Listen Alec, I can't explain over the phone, just send Sierra! We're just a few blocks away inside the office building with the gaping hole in the 15th floor.” Luna hung up and took a deep breath, “Now. Let's figure out how to get down.”

David shrugged, he'd only know Luna for a few.. Hours? Months..? Anyway by now he knew not to question her, “Should I find some bedsheets to tie together?” He smirked, he was asking for it now. This time Luna managed to Land a successful jab to his rib as David pivoted back clutching it.

“Fine! Fine!” He surrendered, he pulled a small device out of his coat, it shared on odd resemblance to what people in this time called an, 'iPhone' except there was a small keypad at the bottom. David made his way over to the elevator with Luna followed and placed it on the wall beside it. He fiddled with the keypad for a second before the, 'UP' arrow on the elevator flicked on and the familiar beeps made their way up to their floor. Luna cheered and they stepped inside, David quickly grabbed the device as the doors closed and they carefully descended to the ground floor.

They had only been waiting inside the Lobby for a few minutes when the familiar sound of ACDC and headlights rocked up outside, they quickly hurried inside the Impala and took off, Luna gave Sierra a brief lecture about playing the music so loud and using the headlights.

“Stop acting like you're my Mom or something.” Sierra screamed at Luna who was riding shotgun.

“Sierra, I'm not going to fight with you, just take us back to base.” Luna said in a calm and collected voice, Sierra huffed and it wasn't long before they were back at the Yoga Studio. As they stepped inside Luna felt an eerie silence surround them.

“Where is everyone, Sierra?” Luna turned to Sierra, Sierra responded with a shrug and a look of equal confusion on her face.

“Alec?” Luna said cautiously, David slunk out from behind her and disappeared down the hall somewhere. The lights were on but nobody was home, only the faint rattle of the generator was audible in the distance. Luna made her way over to Alec's monitor bay and flicked all of the monitors on, all screens showed static, they never showed static..

David returned and put his hand on Luna's shoulder.

“There's a girl in one of the rooms.” He whispered into her ear.

“Andrea?” Luna asked nervously as she went to push past David, he stopped her. Luna shot him a confused and slightly angry look, David simply shook his head and in a matter of moments Luna was in tears. She excused herself and stepped outside leaving only David and Sierra in the main hall.

“Hey pal, what happened?” Sierra asked, she stepped forward just as Luna left, “Where is everyone.”

All David could do was shrug, he could only assume the worst, if one of them was dead it was likely there were more. Either that or Lalonde had somehow kidnapped the entire base which seemed unlikely. There was no sign of a struggle anywhere.

Luna entered and looked at David, she blinked at him before nodding her head, he nodded back and gestured for both Luna and Sierra to follow him outside. He had a good idea where everyone had gone.