On Earth's Edge

Chapter 2

Everyone began shuffling around early morning in silence. Terri had come up lightly shaking us all one by one.

“I’ve always woken up early.” She giggled.

I remembered being young under the stars, camping. The sky would be a shade of navy with the last few stars remaining, but disappeared when the sun outshined them. On rare occasions, the waning moon would still be visible. Mother Nature had delicately sprinkled the crisp air with morning dew and humidity.

I look up at the bleak ashen sky, and frown. The fire was out, I pulled my cardigan tight around me. Terri had just gotten to Auden last who was curled up with the remains of blackened cracked wood. I grabbed the jacket I'd used as a pillow. The guilt made me much heavier than I was the day before. I sheepishly made my way over to his groggy, stiff body.

“Here you go, thanks for lending it.” He blinked dazed.

“Oh, sure, yeah.” He pulled it on gratefully. He cleared his throat and stood up. Terri stood quickly in front of him, sensing he was about to make a statement. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to hide my smile.

“Okay everyone, I hope everyone feels a little better with some rest. Auden will be leading us to the shelter, towards Bentworth. Thank you for all your help!” She smiled at him and rubbed his shoulder. We began making our way across the tracks. Clyde had found an old gasoline can, from the warehouse. He carried it easily, it must be empty. I examined him, he was definitely the oldest. Probably almost as old as Atlas, which was rare. His plaid flannel was only half tucked with a rope holding his loose jeans. His neck was beading with sweat already.

“What’s the gas can for?” I asked.

“Thought we might be able to find some water without ash, in the trees up here.” He gestured ahead. He looked over at me, and slowed his pace. His cheeks were flush and his eyes were kind. He had a warm and I found it comforting.

“So let me guess. Yer a teacher right?” I looked at him baffled.

“What gave that away?” He chuckled.

“I overheard ya yesterday. ‘sides ya look the part anyhow. Gotta be asking the questions.” My cheeks blushed.

“Well what did you do, Clyde?” I asked curiously. He nodded proudly.

“Now, used to be a farmer.” My jaw dropped. He continued. “Our farm was nice and hidden. Found some good money with it fer a long time. But when the bombs blew up and then Yellowstone ‘rupted, the ash killed all the plant life. No photosynthesis.” He elbowed me kiddingly. “Melted holes in my leaves. Sure do miss that little farm, been working hard for it all my life.” His eyes welled with tears. “The government never found my farm so I never got enlisted. Thank the Lord! Happy to have aged like a fine parmigiano. My wife died few months ‘go. Hasn't been the same since.” My eyes gazed at him, saddened. A woman with black tight curls behind us seemed invested in his story as well and met our pace.

“My name is Carmon I was listening to you and, I am so sorry that happened to you Clyde. Too many have died since the take over. I was a nurse at a few camps. I had joined to help people, but I learned the good care was reserved for the synthas. They look so real you'd never guess they weren't until you look for a pulse. Other than their eyes… they couldn't quite get those right. Not to mention no compassion.” She quivered. “I’ve had to watch so many good folks die because they weren’t worth the treatments or care. They say Synths never die and they'd rather dump the money into that. Especially after pharmaceuticals got taken over. No profit in human life anymore.” We were coming up to a river bank, of course most of the water had evaporated. Clyde looked at the can with despondency. Auden and McCarthy were speaking amongst themselves. We must be coming up on the patrol routes.

I remembered being lost with Jared once in the mountains, we had gone for a hike while the national parks were being transitioned.

Jared had looked at me frustrated

"Well they didn't have to tear all the damn signs down. Couldn't they have just left something alone?" I bit my nail nervously.

"Let's just try to go back the way we came... I think it was that way." I pointed a finger in a random direction. He had rubbed his temples.

"Sherry, I don't think that's the way." His gaze got lost somewhere behind me and I turned my head. “Do you hear that? I hear water! Maybe we've found a waterfall! Come on, let’s go!” He was already bolting away. I was out of breath jogging to catch up to him. The jacket tied around my waist thumped my thighs with each effort. He was out of my view but I heard the water now.

“…you crazy! Don't drink that!” I nearly collided into his back. I looked to see who he was talking to. A man knelt beside the amber stream and drank from his hands. My face frozen and dumbfounded. The man turned slowly.

“I need to get energy. I am part organic.” His voice was monotone. I looked closer, there were no lines in his skin, on his fingers or his face. His shape was human but more like some polished silicone mannequin. Jared stared in horror. I had heard about the prototype models being able to purify out radiation. They were just data before then. Something impersonal.

It had been a few hours now, McCarthy had taken lead carefully avoiding the patrols. I’d selfishly hope we were close, I was starving, and needed water. I bit at my dry lips and pressed McCarthy and Auden suddenly hunched down, we all followed suit. Adrenaline pulsed my veins. I looked around, we were coming up on a clearing. We were barely hidden in the brush here. Auden slowly stepped around a bush and slipped beyond sight. McCarthy signaled everyone one at a time to the same unknown slip. When it was my turn I saw an opening right before the bush. Amazing. Underground. McCarthy offered his hand on the way in, sending butterflies to my stomach, followed by a squeeze of guilt. I looked carefully in the abyss, must be about 15 feet below.

The inside was incredible. Concrete walls and steel beams with UV lights and a small garden. Clyde was already studying the luscious green plants, with glee. It was large for a family of six. We would be tight in here with fourteen but there was food. There was a low hum which must be water filters. How could someone human be able to get this kind of equipment? I didn't think anyone in this area of the states could have had the kind of resources or income required for something so lavish. Auden began rummaging the kitchen pantry, it was roughly the size of a walk in closet I had in an apartment during college. He pulled out bags of rice and various legumes onto the counter. Excitement rattled through me. Another woman, quite large stepped beside him.

“I can sure help with this! I used to run a restaurant. Just wait till you have my cooking, June, here is gonna fatten you right up!” She said with a thick southern accent. She bumped his small frame with her hip and he struggled to regain balance. He readjusted his glasses and smiled. She grabbed pots and pans from the cabinets and began moving quickly. She paused at the faucet, then lifted the handle hesitantly. Clear water emerged. Clyde and Auden passed out metal flasks and bowls of water to us. I took mine from Clyde's excited fingers with a smile. The cool water moistened my throat. I sipped slowly though I didn't want to.

June cooked us all dinner and a few other women helped including, a young girl probably nineteen or twenty whom I hadn't noticed before. We laughed and smiled. Drank and ate. The atmosphere was joyful and robust. Auden had explained bathroom protocol. The worry of tomorrow seemed to threaten the air. We wouldn’t be safe here for long, maybe a few days. Auden made it clear.

“Please remember this is only a stepping stone and we still have to find The Destinies. I've been doing survival courses for 15 years, and we can get supplies here and rest for now, but we have to keep going.” The Destinies were rumored to be safe I wasn’t sure if I could muster that kind of faith we'd ever make it with no direction to go.

During the night I found I couldn't sleep. I was haunted with Carmon and Clyde's stories. They rattled in my head leaving a bitter taste. I looked around the dim lit room Izzy and three other women were sandwiched with me. As my eyes scanned the rest of the shelter, my blood ran cold. Up from the roof tiny rumbles, shocked down.