AfterLife

Chapter 4

Logan twitched in his sleep breathing heavy, he dreamt he was on The Nautilus. But the power was out and everyone was dead, he stood in the middle of the room with dead bodies at his feet. His father, best friends, the leaders everyone.

“Why didn’t you save us?”

Logan turned around to see Angel standing behind him with her face melting off and her eyes milky white.

“Why didn’t you save me?”

Before Logan could answer Angel jumped at him and bit his neck.

Logan jumped awake, panting.

“It was just a dream.”

Logan wiped his face with his sleeve, he cleared his throat.

Logan gently woke the others,

“Come on we have to go.”

“Is the cloud gone?”

Vinny asked rubbing his eyes.

Logan shrugged,

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Logan climbed up the latter and slowly unsealed the hatch, he slowly opened it just a crack.

It was dark but he saw the light rising over the trees, they were down there all day and night.

He looked around and didn’t see anything or hear a thing.

“It looks clear, stay close and keep moving. We have to get back to camp as fast as possible, Amy needs this radio.”

Logan opened the hatch all the way and climbed out. The others followed him, Kari was the last one out and closed the hatch.

They sprinted to the woods and kept their guns ready. They finally saw the lights from the camp, Logan couldn’t help but smile when he saw a 6 foot wall surrounding the drop ship.

He heard a whistle from the top,

“Their back open the gate!”

Two big pieces of sheet metal opened up enough for them to pass through. The camp was coming along nicely, they built stations for supplies. One was for food, other was for medical, one was for clothing and more.

Connor came running up to them,

“We were getting worried, you guys ok?”

Logan nodded,

“Yea we were attacked by more mutants but they were people this time like Rick. We found a bunker and hid there while the radiation cloud passed. See you guys made it though that.”

Connor nodded,

“Yea luckily we heard the radiation suits beeping and took shelter in the drop ship, one of the engineers fixed the tablet so we were able to know when it passed. That cloud is off the charts and lasts for hours, if anyone is caught out in it is dead instantly. So there are more mutants out there?”

Logan nodded,

“But while we were down in the bunker I found a map and a radio, I need to get this to Amy now. Met me in the drop ship and we’ll look at the map.”

Connor nodded.

Logan ran to Amy’s tent, he just ran right in and saw her naked.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

He covered his eyes and turned around.

“Jesus Christ Logan ever heard of knocking!”

Amy tried to cover herself up, she had a nice body she was a little pudgy but nothing sagged or hung.

Amy quickly got dressed,

“What is it that you couldn’t wait for!”

Logan turned around and handed her the radio.

Her face went from angry to shock,

“Oh my God you found one, fully intact too!”

Logan smiled,

“Let me know as soon as you get it working ok.”

Amy nodded and instantly went to work.

Logan left her tent and went to the drop ship, he saw Connor, a few of the soldiers and a few others standing around a table. Logan pulled out the map and placed it on the table.

“According to this map we are in the United States, we’re here in what was once Maine. Does anyone know historical geography?”

He asked pointing at the map.

“I studied a little bit of it, but I remember reading about that place.”

Said one, it was a young kid named Kevin, he was 18.

“Is there anything you can tell us about it?”

Logan asked leaning on the table.

“We’ll Maine was the northeasternmost U.S. state, it was known for its rocky coastline, it was heavily populated with an animal called a moose which could be almost 7 feet tall. Um it’s heavily forested, it was also know for what was called ‘Seafood’ which was an array of aquatic animals fried up and was eaten. Weather what was known as ‘Winter’ could get severe, um that really all I could remember.”

Logan nodded.

Henry widened his eyes,

“7 feet tall?! Wow hopefully we don’t run into one for those things specially a mutated one.”

“Moose aren’t normally aggressive unless they feel threatened.”

Said Kari crossing her arms.

“Yea that’s what you said about the black bear but the thing killed Rick.”

Snickered Henry.

“The black bear was mutated like Rick, the mutation from the radiation seems to turn things back into a primitive state. They lose all senses of who they were and are only driven to full fill their basic needs, like the need to feed. It seems the rest of the body is shut down like the heart, lungs, kidneys everything but the brain. Which is why the only way to kill a mutant is shooting it in the brain.”

Said Lucy who did the autopsy on Rick.

“Like a zombie.”

Said Kyle putting his gun over his shoulder.

Lucy shrugged.

“I guess if you want to call it that, the radiation tainted the host bloodstream. So if you get a mutants blood in an open wound or your mouth or eyes…”

“You become infected.”

Logan said standing up straight.

“Possibly, I don’t have the right equipment to look deeper into it or test it. So right now it’s only just a theory.”

Lucy said putting her hands in her pockets.

“We’ll good news is I found a radio fully intact, Amy is working on getting our radio to The Nautilus up and working as we speak.”

Logan said

“Good so that means they can send us a new ship and we can go home right?”

Said Kevin smiling, everyone started agreeing.

Logan looked down,

“Um, not exactly. I didn’t what to tell you guys like this but there’s no other way. The Nautilus is… dying.”

Everyone looked at each other,

“What do you mean dying?”

Asked Lucy.

“The Nautilus was supposed to be a temporary home for about 125 years but the Elders didn’t take into consideration that everyone would reproduce so quickly. The Nautilus has probably a year or two left before it shuts down completely.”

Logan said.

“When we’re they going to tell us? What were they going to do when the time came, just let us die?”

Asked Henry.

Logan shook his head,

“I don’t know but all I do know is we have to contact them to send more supplies. We have to learn as much as we can down here so the rest of them can prepare to come down. Earth is our only choice right now, we have to make this work.”

Everyone was silent.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now but move forward, lets finish fortifications on the wall before night fall.”

Connor said opening the door.

Everyone nodded and left the drop ship.

Logan sighed.

Connor walked next to him and crossed his arms.

“You did the right think by telling them, they had the right to know.”

“Yea but their right what were the Leaders going to do when the time did come?”

Logan said sitting down on the floor,

“I mean it’s not like they were searching for a solution, at-lease not that my dad was aware of. I mean we’re they willing to let 300,000 people die?”

Connor shrugged,

“I don’t know, but maybe some questions should be left unanswered. The better question is what are we going to do down here on Earth now we know it is infact livable, besides the flesh eating mutants and radiation cloud.”

They both chuckled,

“Well we have to secure the area, the Leaders are going to want this area to be safe for when people start landed down here. They’ll most likely send more military first to help better secure the area.”

Logan said, Amy came running in the drop ship with the radio in her hands.

“It’s done.”

Logan jumped up and moved the map to the side, Amy placed the radio down on the table and hooked up the wires from the ship to the radio.

“Moment of truth.”

She said flicking the switch and gestured to Logan.

Logan took a deep breath,

“Hello Nautilus come in this is Logan I repeat this is Logan Hughes do you copy?”

Nothing but static,

“Hello Nautilus this is Logan we survived on Earth I repeat Earth is habitable come in!”

Still static.

“Maybe the signal isn’t strong enough to break through the Grey.”

Connor said placing his hand in Logan’s shoulder.

Logan sighed,

“Hello Logan are you there?”

Logan jumped up,

“Yes I’m here can you hear me?”

“The signal is a little weak but yes we can hear you, what happened we thought you all died in the explosion?”

Logan chuckled,

“Yea we’re all ok, a few were injured but only one casualty but it wasn’t from the landing but I’ll explain later. Do you know what happened to the ship?”

“We assumed the Grey caused the explosion, as soon as you guys entered the Grey you exploded then disappeared. We assumed the worse when we haven’t heard from you for two days, but we’re all relieved to hear you all survived. Who was the casualty?”

“Richard Sanders, he was attacked by a bear.”

“There’s life on Earth?”

“Well it’s a little complicated,”

Logan filled them in and everything that happened,

“So if you could have the Leaders send down some more military with more supplies we’ll be able to secure the area.”

“I have the Leaders here, they said they’ll send you down more supplies but unfortunately they can’t send any more military at the moment.”

“Why, what happened?”

“A video leaked about the station dying and everyone panicked, the military are trying to get control back over The Nautilus. But we can send you supplies, do you have your exact coordinates?”

“Um not exact but I can give you our general area,”

Logan grabbed the map,

“45.2538 north and 69.4455 west, we dropped in what once was Maine in the United States.”

“Ok we’ll have that ready for you in a few hours. Is there anything else you guys need?”

“Is my father there?”

“Unfortunately he’s trying to help return the order, but I will let him know we made contact with you and have him radio you back as soon as he can.”

“Ok thank you, is Angel Jackson there?”

“I can call her in give me a minute.”

The radio was silent for a while.

“Hello?”

Angels sweet voice brought tears to Logan’s eyes,

“Hey Angel Baby!”

“Oh my God, Logan! I thought you died!”

Logan can hear the tears in her voice,

“Naw baby, just a little scratched up but still breathing.”

“We watched the ship explode when it reached the Grey. We all though you died, they tried radioing you but all we got was static.”

“Yea the radio got f****d up but someone fixed it, it’s so great to hear your voice. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. What’s it like down there?”

“Oh I don’t know where to begin Ange, it’s so colorful and smells nothing like the artificial scents. I saw a deer, a real life deer and her babies it was beautiful.”

“There’s living creature? Did you find anything else, any people?”

Logan didn’t want to tell her about the mutants,

“Not yet, but we’re going to explore more of the area so we can secure it for when the rest of you come down. I can’t wait to see you babe.”

The radio was silent,

“ Angel are you still there?”

“Yea I’m still here, Logan there’s something I have to tell you?”

“What is it?”

“Logan I …”

The radio started cutting out,

“Angel! Can you hear me! Angel!”

There was nothing but static.

“f**k!”

Logan slammed his fist on the table.

“Logan! Get out here you have to see this!”

Connor yelled outside the ship, Logan walked out the see water falling from the sky.

“Is this… rain?”

Logan asked reaching his hand out letting the rain fall it, it was cold.

“Yea, it’s a little rain shower.”

Connor looked up and let the water fall on his face, he opened his mouth and let it fill up before swallowing.

“Oh man that tastes amazing, you have to try it.”

Logan stepped out from under the ship, the water was cool and refreshing, he opened his mouth. The water was cold and crisp, it felt amazing dripping down his throat.

Logan sighed,

“That is amazing, we have to collect some. Grab whatever you can find to collect the water in!”

Everyone was dancing in the rain, splashing in the puddles.

Hope was starting to fill the camp,

“So what did they say, they going to send more soldiers down with supplies?”

Connor asked

“Their going to send down supplies in a few hours but not soldiers. I guess a video leaked out that The Nautilus is dying and everyone freaked out so they need all the soldiers to calm people down.”

Logan said rubbing his face.

“Well I guess it was only a matter of time before the word got out. Did you talk to Angel?”

“Yea I got to talk to her before the radio cut out, the storm must have blocked the frequency. After the storm passes we’ll try again and have others talk to their loved ones, let them know their safe.”

“Did you tell them about Rick?”

Connor asked leaning back on a rock.

Logan nodded,

“Yea I told them everything. Hopefully they get the station under control, we need more soldiers down here.”

Connor nodded.

“We’ll get some rest, you and I have first shift tonight. It’s easier to get some sleep during the day, I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Logan nodded and headed for his tent, he felt better know he made contact with The Nautilus and got to talk to Angel.

The sound of the rain falling on the tent was soothing, helping Logan fall asleep.