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Location: North Side of Hibbing, MN
Date: December 13th, 2136
Objective: Execute Hospital Group
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4 Months Later....
"Duluth broadcasting system says there's gonna be a blizzard. A heavy one at that. Allie just heard the news of it just a little bit ago." Daniel said to me.
"When is it to hit?" I asked him.
"It's supposed to last from 3 o'clock this afternoon to noon tomorrow."
"Has Chris said anything 'bout it yet?"
"Not a thing. She decided to tell me first. We'll probably hear our orders soon enough."
"Good, good. How's your knife wound? Any potential of it opening up during the fray?"
"Not a chance. I got it nice and enforced with body glue, and it's natural healed scar tissue. I won't be having any problems."
"I would hope so. It healed pretty well for what it was."
"That it did. You and Ender saved my life."
"Couldn't let you die. I'm not willing to loose ANY of you guys. Your all family."
"As you are to us, Hunter."
"This mission will put us all in a safer place... they've been getting a little too bold for comfort..."
The radio produced a low tone static sound, before coming into tune. Allie's voice sounded out, as she relayed information from Chris.
"He said that we should meet at 3. Tomorrow the heat levels will be down too low to merge our thermal signatures with the heat off the snow. Today is best, before the sun goes down." She said.
"Gives us less than an hour of wiggle room before it gets too dark... but alright. Thanks, Allie." I responded.
"He says to meet at the Super One near there."
"Ok. We'll meet you all there." I said, walking away.
"I'll tell Anna and Sheila we are going on a run. They can hold the fort down themselves."
"Why don't you tell them what we are REALLY doing..?"
"As much as they've shown us we can trust them, I don't want to be betrayed again. I'm always sure until I doubt. And I doubt them ever so slightly."
"I.. I understand. But you can't go on forever without trusting them."
"I know full well that I can't. They will gain it eventually."
My armor was already on, as well as my sword by my side, the sniper rifle strapped to my back, and my .44, which now had a suppressor on it, and holstered to my right thigh. Daniel started to put on his armor, before I stopped him.
"Don't bother. Ender has some new armor for you."
"Why's that?"
"He says it has more protection and support for your stab wound area."
"Alright... thanks."
"Tell that to Ender, not me."
I walked out of the room, quickly looking at the wall-hung clock, seeing that the time was 1 o'clock pm. As I walked around the building, I found Anna and Sheila, talking to each other as they ate their lunch. I walked past them, to the fridge, taking out the sandwich meat, and grabbing two slices of bread from the top of the fridge. I made a quick sandwich, devouring it rather quickly.
"Me and Daniel are going out for a supply run. A small weapons store in the farthest north point of the city." I mentioned, as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
"Alrighty. Want one of us to come along?" Sheila asked.
"Um.. no, I think he and I can handle it. I'm leaving YOU in charge here."
"AW COME ON!" Anna yelled, pouting.
"Fine, YOU get to be in charge next time, Anna."
"Humph." She said.
I had to stop myself from laughing, as she looked like a turtle while she was angry, with her olive green sweatshirt on. Reminded me of what my mom would do. I started to walk away, a smile spreading across my face.
I went to the roof, sword in hand. My feet sunk slightly into the fresh layer of snow that was starting to fall. It was more on the heavyish, squishy snow, perfect for making snowmen. It crunched gently with each foot fall, compacting under my weight. I swung my sword around in a fighting motion, slowly and deliberately, with smooth movements. I closed my eyes, side stepping occasionally, and making quick jabs at the air as well. As I warmed my fighting up, the snow started to fall harder, and harder, so by the time I opened my eyes, the visibility was no farther than 400 feet. And it was going to get worse.
"How are we... going to be able to see them. In this blizzard?" Daniel said, having come up the stairs behind me.
"All we have to do, is shoot the windows. Those will be simple enough to see. Once we start shooting the windows, everyone will attempt to evacuate. Unless they cleared out the Roamers in basement, since when we were last there, they have really no where else to go, aside from the roof. That'll be a death sentence. And with the camera's taken out, we can move up, AND use our thermal optics to see through the shot-up windows."
"What happens once we get all the medicine and supplies.. and kill our 'targets'?"
"That one is up to Chris. I'm sure he'll decide just to leave it."
"So that means you don't know?"
"No, I don't."
The blizzard was adding quickly to the snow already on the roof from previous, more light snowfalls. In all, there was 6 inches on the ground.
"What time is it?"
"Close to 2, now."
"We better get going. We'll have to drive slow to be safe.."
We got up, walking down, down, down, to the bottom, where Daniel exited first.
"We're going on the run!" I yelled up, before shutting the door behind me. Daniel decided to drive this time, starting up the wheeler. It was under a makeshift roof, to keep the snow off it. And it did a good job with it.
I hoped on, letting out a low, stressed sigh. This was possibly the last day we'd ever have to worry about the hospital group. And maybe, we'd be safe again.
Daniel started driving slowly over the snow, and away from our base. The tires sunk slightly into the soft top layer, but not far enough to get stuck. And with the good traction, we were able to go along at a steady pace. After a little over an hour of driving across town, which seemed to take forever, we arrived at the meeting place, where everyone was waiting.
"Last to show up?" Ender mused.
"Yeah. Had to make sure all was secure back at our base." Daniel responded.
"Well, we are all ready. Ender gave us our equipment. I'm with you guys instead of being with Joel and Phineas. I'll be with Allie. Get in a group with your assigned team, and get in position. Make sure your com-links are on, and stick close with your members. Let's move!" Chris ordered, turning around, and running up the hill, leading to the hospital. We all jogged after, getting in our groups. Ender handed me a thermal optic addition to my scope (because instead of needing a whole new scope, you can just add it on like a new lens. To save space as well, in a backpack.). He also handed Daniel a pair of binoculars.
Ender joined me as I laid down on the hillside, using trees as cover. Putting our bi-pods on the ground to support our rifles, aimed at the building, we put our guns off safety.
"Ender and Hunter, locked and loaded." I said into the com-link.
"Jerome and Leo, explosives charged."
"Allie and Chris, awaiting entry."
"Put explosives on the power grid. It's in the south part of the building, surrounded by a fence." Phineas's voice said.
After a few minutes of preparation, having explosives on their main power grid and back-up, as well as their main entryways, they methodically took out cameras. Now, it was time for Ender and I to do our part.
"Shoot all the windows in site. Look for any signs of movement once you do this, and don't hesitate to fire." Chris said.
"I'll do west and high, you do east and down. Go all the way across, and go up a row, till we meet." I said quickly, taking my first shot.
There was the constant sound of glass breaking, as we relentlessly show out the windows, and the barriers behind them.
"Detonate!" Chris yelled.
There was a loud, combined BOOM, as the explosives went off. The lights, which had shining slightly through the broken barriers, flickered out. They almost flickered back on, but went out as there was no back-up power.
"Allie and Chris, going in the breach of the south side from detonation." Chris said.
Quickly, people started flooding out. Any dressed with armor or had weapons, were taken out by me and Ender instantly. This caused a bigger panic. Anyone that went on the roof as well, were killed.
I slowly crawled down the hill, Ender covering me from behind and watching for Magnus and Sean to come out.
"OH SHI-" Ender started to yell, but went silent. I turned around, and through the snow, I could make out the form of Sean, on top of Ender. He hadn't seen me yet. I quickly got up on my knees, aiming my rifle at his helmet. When I pulled the trigger, the force took him right off of Ender. I ran up, seeing that Ender was ok. But so was Sean. The bullet hadn't gone through his helmet, as it was meant to withstand heavy hits. He slowly got up, groaning at the definite headache he had.
"You assholes just don't know when to give up.." he said.
"I could say the same for you." I activated my sword, and swung up, hitting him into the air slightly, and hard against a tree.
"Well.. we have surprise for you..." he said.
"I don't like surprises." I swung at his helmet, knocking it off.
His face was bruised and battered. There was a slight bruise, where my bullet had hit his helmet.
"Where is Magnus?" I demanded.
"You'll find out. Soon enough."
"I'm tired of your shit." I took out my .44, putting a bullet between his eyes without hesitation. He was dead instantly, falling to the ground.
"Surprise... that can't be good.." Ender said, having gotten up.
"No.. it can't be-"
"Surpriiiiseee~" I heard in my ear. Chris.
"Chris..?"
"That's right, Hunter. I'm the surprise. I've been a traitor... all this time."
Those words hit me like a bullet. No.. no... they hit me like a freight train. All this time... he had been a traitor.
"Allie.."
"Unconscious, and about to be Roamer food."
"ALLIE!" Ender yelled. He took off running, towards the hospital.
"Chris.. you aren't leaving here alive." I said darkly, running after Ender.
"I'd like to see you try, boy."
"Everyone! Lay siege upon the hospital!" I yelled into my mic.
"Her armor tracker says she is on the 6th floor. It's not on the move. I'll keep you posted." Phineas said.
"I love this conversation we are having." Chris said.
"Cut Allie and Chris off the connection." I said.
"Already done."
There was available stairway, as the other one had been blown up when we first came to the hospital group. No one was evacuating anymore, letting us run up the stairs quickly.
"Suck on this." I heard Chris say above.
Next, came the clunk of something, landing at my feet. A grenade. Quickly reacting, I picked it up. And threw it straight down the stairs, to the basement. It blew up, but far enough away so that we were safe.
"Déjà vu..." mumbled Jerome. As I was at the front of the group, I made a gesture to hush them.
"They think we are dead. We have the element of surprise. Stay. Quiet." I whispered at my lowest volume.
Nodding in response, I led them upward, slowly and silently. My sword's electric output module was off, so that it didn't give us away in the dark stairway. After a painstaking walk, we got onto the sixth floor.
"She is at the end of the hallway. Chris's armor tracker shows that he is in the same room." Joel's voice said.
"Cameras?" I asked very quietly.
"In the room? One active one."
"Access?"
"Affirmative."
We made a semi-circle around the door, with me at the front. We waited for the word from Phineas and Joel. Leo made a gesture for her to kick open the door, as she had thicker armor, and go in first. I wanted to protest, but I let her.
"He is one foot over on the right side of the door. Magnus is aiming right at the door. Allie is in the far right corner. A few Roamers are walking towards her. You don't have much time."
I looked over at Daniel, who had his twelve gauge shotgun. I pointed at the place where Chris was supposed to be. I made a shooting gesture.
"On my mark." I said, almost not able to be heard by them, so DEFINITELY not heard by Chris or Magnus.
I held up three fingers. I slowly moved each one down. When three were doing, I pointed. Daniel let loose on the wall, unloading.
Jerome kicked open the door, shooting straight. He took the bullets, as they stuck in his armor, not able to go through with how thick the titanium was.
From behind him, we all shot at Magnus, knocking him back. I entered the room after Jerome, going straight to the right, where Chris was stumbling from Daniel's shotgun assault.
I grabbed Chris's throat, smacking him against the wall, hard enough to crack the drywall. Even though he was bigger than me, I had the advantage of being ready.
"I trusted you.. you were the leader of the group, when I couldn't be. I considered you my friend... and you were a traitor." I said.
"It's not my fault you are and incompetent imbecile." He managed to say.
Before I could respond, he kneed me in the stomach, causing me to let go, and fall to the ground. I drove his elbow down into my back, causing me to let out a slight scream of pain.
My friends noticed this, and started to walk towards Chris, weapons ready.
"No, stay back. I got is.." I said.
I flipped to my back, swinging my sword and knocking him away. I leapt to my feet, swinging again, and making contact with his shoulder. It cut into it a little, but not enough to go through. Chris took out his climbing axe, making an attempt to hit at me, which I blocked.
He kicked the back of my knee, causing me to hit the floor. He tried to hit me with his axe, but I rolled out of the way to miss it, but barely. I grabbed his foot, making him tumble across the room
"You won't win, Hunter. I'm bigger, stronger.. just give up." He said, gesturing to the room around us. Ender and Leo were fighting Magnus, as Daniel and Jerome took out the Roamers that were after the still unconscious Allie.
"That may be true... but I have one thing you don't." I said.
"And what is that?"
"The view of the open window behind you."
He seemed confused at first, but I ran at him, drop kicking Chris into the remaining wooden barrier and glass... and out the window. The last thing I heard, was his screams, fading as he plummeted downward. There was a sickening sound of the metal armor hitting the pavement bellow. I sighed heavily, turning back to the room.
Magnus was down on the ground, helmet off. Ender had his gun to Magnus's temple.
"You bastards hurt Allie, and my group... death is the only repayment." He said, before shooting.
Ender stood up, going to Allie. She slowly started to wake up.
"Ugh... Chris..." she said, rubbing her head.
"He's dead." I said.
"He attacked me out of nowhere.."
"Well, we have to get going. Everyone will start coming back in soon. Everyone, grab as much as you can, and go to the roof. Take these." Ender said, handing us all glider wings.
I grabbed a bag that was laying on the floor.
"Leo, go with Hunter to grab as much medicine as you can." Ender ordered. She and I ran out the door.
She followed me down 5 doors, into the medicine room.
"Grab anything you can. Be careful, though." I said. I started grabbing medicine, and putting it gently into the bag.
There wasn't too much left in the room, but enough to fill most of my bag, and all of Leo's. I could hear footsteps down the hall, and strange voices. The people were coming back.
"Go out, guns blazing. Don't shoot the people unless they return fire." Leo said, standing at the door.
She took off first, shooting off rounds with her pistol. I went right after, doing the same. People panicked, running into the rooms. Leo went into the supply room.
"We gotta go!" She yelled, before going to the stairway and running up. Everyone, including me, followed after, up ten more floors, to the roof.
Gunshots rang out, and footsteps, as people chased us, though 2 floors bellow. On the roof, the blizzard had gotten worse. Only 200 feet of visibility at this point.
"Just go! Meet at the main base!" Ender yelled, having to, as a hard wind had started, at our backs thankfully.
One by one, we jumped off the roof, spreading the gliding wings, and flying into the storm. I was the last off, flying westward, the direction of the base. I could only see people for a spilt second, before they disappeared into the heavy snowfall. I was flying.. absolutely alone.
"Everyone escaped?" I asked into the mic.
"Yeah. Remember, once you get to the ground, the land might be hard to determine where you are. If you need help to get back to base, report in and we will direct you. By trajectory, none of you will go farther than a half mile from the base." Phineas stated.
After a few minutes, I landed, roughly, in an open field-like area. I picked up the bag, safe beside me, before getting my bearings. I was in the Hibbing Community College baseball field.
"I know where I am. On my way back." I said, starting to jog in the direction I needed to go.
After a 5 minute jog, I had covered close to a half mile. I could see the L&M.
"I'm here. Coming in through the garden department."
I jogged up, Phineas opening the door for me.
"Thanks." I told him
"Welcome back." He responded.
Everyone else had arrived, sitting down in the camping department. There was a mixture of distraught looks, sad look, and stressed looks. I couldn't blame them. Chris, our leader, was a traitor. And now.. there had to be a new one.
I sat beside Leo, breathing heavily from my jog. I took off my armor, as everyone else already had. She rubbed my left arm gently.
"Well... we have to please a new leader in command. Anyone willing to step up?" Asked Allie.
No one responded. They just sat there, avoiding eye contact.
"Alright. Then we vote." She handed us all sheets of paper.
"Write who you want to be leader, and the person with the highest votes for them, will take command." She said.
I wrote down my answer, Ender, and gave it to her.
After a few minutes, she came back.
"The answers were near unanimous. Hunter."
"I don't want to be." I said.
"But... we all agree.. you are the best option for us..."
"I said I don't want to. I don't think I'm ready to take over again."
"WELL NEITHER ARE THE REST OF US! You are more qualified, more used to, being a leader, than all of us." She yelled.
I was silent. I didn't know what to say. I started to stand up, before Leo stopped me, gently pulling me back down. She held my hand. This caused my to tense up slightly, then relax.
"Fine.. fine. I will be the new leader... but only if Leo is my second-in-command."
"No problem... Hunter, what is your first command?"
I looked around at my friends. Battle worn and ragged. Dirty. sweaty. They all looked at me with anticipation.. and slight admiration. I didn't deserve it, but it was what they would do.
"My first command, is to bring all base setups, meaning supplies and people, back here. We will not spread ourselves out any longer. The move is to be done now, before the sun goes down." I said. The group and I jogged back into the blizzard, to where we had left the vehicles. They were covered in a 2 inch layer of snow. Brushing them off, we split up, to our separate bases.
When we arrived, we went up to the main room. Anna and Sheila were playing a slight game of uno, on the wooden table in the corner.
"We are all leaving. I'm the new commander." I said
"What happened to Chris?" Sheila asked.
"He... he was a traitor. He is dead now, but I've been voted into the position he left. Pack any of your stuff, and put it in the trailer under the overhang where the ATV usually is."
They got up, going to their bunks to do so. I packed up all of the food, supplies, and my personal items from My room. I didn't have much, but the supplies definitely was plenty. We all loaded our stuff into the trailer, Daniel hitching it to the wheeler.
"Daniel and Sheila are small enough to fit in the trailer without too much difficulty." Anna suggested.
"Good point." I responded. They both crawled into the trailer.
After a little less than an hour of driving, we arrived at the main base, again let in by Phineas.
We were the first arrivals. I put it in park, getting off, helping Daniel and Sheila out. Ender walked over, jumping at the sight of Anna and Sheila.
"Who are these people..?"
"From the group we got four months ago."
"Ah, Sheila and Anna, I see. Well you two are the only people from your group to actually stay." Ender said.
They didn't know how to respond. There really wasn't a way to.
"Hey Ender?" I asked,
"Yes, my good friend?"
"Can you possibly... make a.. shield, for me?"
He seemed rather baffled at this request, looking at my armor. He gestured to the slight bullet dents on it, making his point clear to me.
"But.. you have that."
"I know. I had a good idea. Make it circular, and light. So I can throw it like a disk. It actually has worked before, and well."
"So.., you basically want to be like Captain America...?"
"Along those lines, yes."
"Well, I have an idea. But I'll need your sword."
"Fine-"
"And a supply run."
"To... where?"
"The Amalgamation Mining Center."
"On the west side of town..."
"Yes."
"The mining pit that is a half mile deep.."
"Yes."
"For what, might I ask?"
"It doesn't really have a name. It's known as project CC-07."
"Um.. where would I find it?"
"Third level down, and I'm not sure which room. It would be close to the elevator shaft, I believe."
"Fine..." I responded.
"Tomorrow. When the blizzard dies down."
"Alrighty. Simple enough.." I said sarcastically.
The Amalgamation Mining Center was a mining pit, founded it 2117. It was unique from most mining pits, as it had a huge office building, built around it, and down half of it, as mining was done without explosives (outlawed in 2093). It had on site equipment testing labs, mineral condition/worth labs, anything associated with mining. The main material mined, was titanium, and iron.
"Good to see you so pumped." He joked.
"I'll take care of it. Consider it done."
"Give me your sword and the new object tomorrow when you get back."
"Ok. Thank you, Ender."
"No problem."
I walked alongside of him. We went to the food isle, grabbing something to eat, and drink. I took my heart pill, groaning at the taste, which stuck around even after drinking water.
"Daniel tell you when you were safe to go without those?"
"A month or two from now. Unless I check out ok in a checkup soon."
"Alrighty... that's good..."
I looked at the supplies, which were at a good level for the time that had gone bye. There was still enough to last us all, hopefully, 3 months without re-supply. Though we wouldn't need to go that long without going outside.
"Still doing good on supplies, it seems."
"Yeah. We have dates for any expiring dates needed. The soonest one is February 3rd."
"Good deal."
We walked together to Chris's old office. The knob hadn't been locked, so I went into the smallish room. It was neatly organized.
I checked everything that could be checked. I found a radio in his office drawer, set to a different frequency than we were. Obviously how he had communication with the hospital group. I found nothing else in the room, somewhat relieved to have not found something dangerous, like a bomb or something that would cause instant harm.
"Seems clear. Well, I'll be sleeping in my tent, which I saw was still up?" I asked,
"Yes. Everyone's is still up."
"Thank you. Well, as the time is near 7, everyone should have arrived, and settled in."
As we walked back, everyone had indeed arrived. None of the old recruits were there, as all of them had been traitors, like Jacob and Asher. With food and water supplies, they stocked up the shelves even more, putting us at 5 months.
All of the original group settled into their old tents. Anna and Sheila were given their own, on both sides of Allie's. Most everyone retired for the night, which I decided to do as well.
"Everyone here deserves a good rest. I'll be taking a small team to the Amalgamation Mining Center tomorrow. Leo, Anna, and Ender. Any objections, say now." I said, which was received by silence.
"Ok. Again, sleep well everyone. Goodnight." I added.
"Goodnight, Hunter." They said. Before going into individual goodnights.
I laid down on my somewhat comfortable bed, resting under the blankets, in my clothes. My eyes slowly drifted to sleep, to the sound of the humming of the air-conditioning system.
The next day, I woke up, checking the time to see that it was 9 o'clock. I ran my fingers through my hair, and rubbed my eyes, before getting up, still in my clothes, and exiting my tent.
Everyone was sitting in a circle, eating breakfast, which was beans, and bacon. Joel gave me the can, which I replied to with a thank you, and eating the food, which was quite good,
Once I was done, I went to where I had last out my armor, putting it on my body. All of my weapons were with it, so I was ready to go. Anna, Leo, and Ender, joined me soon after, all ready. Anna was the only one without metal armor, as Allie had given Anna her plastic bb-gun armor, until she was to be GIVEN metal armor.
"I'll drive the Raptor." Ender said excitedly, jogging out into the now-calm daylight.
"Shotgun!" I called.
We all made it to the back, where Ender got into the drivers seat, Leo and Allie in the back, and me in the passenger seat.
"Off we go... into the WILD BLUE YONDER HIP HIP HO. AWAY WE GO!" Ender sang, turning the ignition, and taking off. We all held on for dear life as he drove fast, yet somehow carefully, down the west-bound stretch of the highway.
After a ten minute drive, we made it to the parking lot, which was about a quarter mile from the Mining Center. There was a walkway required for everyone to take, as it was a government run facility, with all of its materials that people could steal. We walked down the path, seeing the large building, with the word AMALGAMATION in capital letters and in blue. The windows, which was all the building was made up of aside from metal framing, were tinted both green and blue.
There was a large concrete area in front of the building, leading to steps that went into the building. As we walked up, Ender stopped suddenly.
"Ender?" I asked.
"There was something about this place... some protection system they had in case of a dire situation... I can't remember what it was..."
"Dangerous?"
"Very... but it was so long ago since I was told..."
"Well we will just be careful and watch our every step." I said, taking a few steps forward. Suddenly, the ground in front of the steps started to brake, and rumble. I backed up slightly, watching as slowly, a rectangular object came out of the ground.. then a big, spider-like metal body. As it came out of the ground completely, I could see that it was basically a huge cannon. On legs. It started to move towards up, aiming its large gun. The sound of something charging up could be heard.
"Oh shit..." I said.
This was probably the scariest moment, I'd had during the entire apocalypse. This.. could possibly lead to my death. Or my friends.
YOU ARE READING
Desolate (under reconstruction)
Science FictionThe town of Hibbing, MN is under siege. But by an unlikely enemy. Genetically mutated humans, brought into the world by a mishap in the M.W.A.S (Mid West Association of Science), the science station within Hibbing's walls. An attempt to make a genet...
