Surviving the Apocalypse

New Front

Hanna watched the chopper land outside of their wall, the snow making it next to impossible to actually tell what they had in the Camp as it was still snowing enough to make visibility a nightmare. If it hadn’t been for the beacon she had activated for the pilot, they never would have spotted the base from the air. So when she met her uncle who was a little perturbed about her security measures, she laughed when he said he should be exempt. “I am not even exempt when I return. Even if it is just to an allowed Camp, everyone is screened upon entry through this gate.” She explained as he looked at her.

“Other than some high blood pressure, he is ok.” Dr. Pierce said to Hanna as he scoffed.

“Kind of hard to get meds at thi-“ he said until the pill bottle hitting him in the chest cut him off.

“One per day. Should last 6 months at that prescription. Let us know when you need more, or better yet schedule an appointment with my nurse at the clinic.” Elaina Pierce said before she walked out and he looked at the bottle. It was clear that it was stockpiled.

“So when Crystal says that your Camp is a dream, she isn’t exaggerating?” he asked curious making her laugh.

“Follow me.” Hanna said as she lead him through the corridor where his men were still being examined by the medical staff. Crystal was waiting at the door to actually enter the Camp, the guards chatting with her as this wasn’t their first time seeing her. “A dream huh?” she asked Crystal who laughed.

“How would you describe it to someone who wouldn’t believe you of you told them?” Crystal asked making Hanna laugh.

“You do realize that nightmares are dreams to?” she asked indicating the zombies.

Crystal nodded with a chuckle as she considered it. “Yeah, but when describing them, you use the term nightmare, not dream.” She said defending herself.

“True enough. So, do you want a tour first, or should we sit down and have a conversation?” she asked her Uncle.

“How about we talk while you give us the nickel tour. Surely you can tell me what the hell happened that it took 2 days for you to be available.” He said as she opened the door and stepped out while holding it for them.

“Not much to tell really. I used to much of my energy and passed out for three days.” Hanna said trying to minimize it.

“She means to say that she used so much power it took three days for her body to decide she wasn’t going to die and wake up. She still has another day of observation by the doctor before she can even resume consuming Evojuice, and at least a week before she can begin training again.” Lucas said as she groaned and glared at him.

“I wasn’t going to tell him that jackass.” She said making Lucas laugh.

“Which is exactly why I am here. Well, that and to be an escort during this tour.” He said as they rounded the corner so they could see the animals in their protected pens.

Ramon Storm gasped as he saw hundreds of cows, sheep, goats and pigs in the snow, most of them approaching s*******r weight. Two of the sows were actively birthing piglets in the warmed shelters that they were provided, all of it to keep their precious stockpile from being exposed to the elements that would kill them otherwise. “When were you going to tell me about all this?” he asked looking around before he saw 50 greenhouses releasing heat as steam just a few yards from the edge of the pens.

“Not here Uncle, let’s focus on the tour. Want to see inside the greenhouse?” she asked pointing at the nearest one.

“You think barren dirt is going to impress me?” he asked her not believing for a moment it was a thriving greenhouse with 3 feet of snow covering the exterior. When he walked in before she said a word and felt the blast of heat as soon as they stepped through the curtain, he knew he was in for a surprise when the 5 acre building was full of plants that weren’t just growing, but actually producing usable food.

“No, but I think a greenhouse full of producing vegetables while it is 5 degrees Farenheit with 4 feet of snow outside just might. So if Crystal told you that this Camp was a dream, you might want to listen to her. She has been here once before today, so could easily describe what it looks like when we are in full production during the summer months.” Hanna said as he walked through and saw the gardeners singing to the plants while they used their abilities to make them grow bigger and better produce.

Ramon watched as one picked a large tomato that was at the peak of ripeness before Hanna walked over and asked for it. Without a word he watches the worker give it to her before returning to what she was doing as if it was perfectly normal. He was amazed when Hanna held it up for him.

“How long since you had a vine ripe tomato right after it was picked?” she asked while he just looked at it.

“Months. Can I?” he asked making her laugh and nod.

“I wouldn’t offer it to you if I didn’t expect you to eat it. Especially since you eat the damn things like they are apples.” She replied before he bit into it. The explosion of flavor and juices making him moan as he began chewing.

“I tried to tell him that what we were doing was childs play compared to your setup.” Crystal said with an amused smile as they watched him eat the tomato. Not caring one bit that the juices were covering his chin and getting all over his uniform.

“Ok, seeing what you have is a dream compared to what most of the Camps have. Most of us are eating MRE food that tastes like cardboard for the most part. Seeing this, is not just a dream, but heaven. Do I want to know how you got all this?” he asked his niece before taking another bite of his tomato.

“You can ask, but it doesn’t mean I will answer. Not here anyways.” Hanna said before taking both of them to her office. None of them spoke as they walked into the bunker, Ramon whistling appreciatively when he saw just how thick and large the door was, as they had kept the larger door there in the event they needed to get equipment in or out of the mine.

“What was this before you took over?” he asked realizing the blast door was easily 3 feet thick.

“It is a mine. There was a collapse that killed 65 people, the company that owned it going bankrupt when it was revealed they had been warned multiple times about excessive use of blasting agents. I managed to purchase it at liquidation prices before the outbreak and rushed to stock it with as many supplies as I could get ahold of, and as much equipment as I could afford. Since this all started, we have been working round the clock on both the exterior Camp and our failsafe.” She told them before showing them another greenhouse area that had artificial lights to mimic the sun cycle as if it were still mid summer.

“Quite the failsafe, can it even hold your Camp?” he asked her.

Hanna shrugged. “Holding the entire Camp would be simple. If it were just about numbers, we could probably hold my Camp as well as Epsilon. Supporting that many however would be another challenge altogether. Before we get into the gritty details however, you and I need to talk.” She said leading them to her office. As soon as she shut the door and locked it, she had both of them sit down. “So Uncle Roman, what did Dad tell you about his plan?” she asked bluntly.

“Not much unfortunately, just that he was working on something and that it would be up to you to finish it.” He said as she nodded.

“What can you tell me about Paxton?” she asked.

That name however hit a nerve, her uncle growling at the name. “Arrogant piece of s**t that has a flare for the dramatic. Has a special penchant for cruelty to his men and enemies alike. What do you want to know?” he asked.

“Absolutely everything you can tell me about him.” Hanna said as he sighed.

“Hanna, you need to be careful asking about some things. Paxton isn’t a man that I would willingly cross paths with again, if he survived.” Ramon said evenly while looking at her.

“Because of Second Dawn?” She asked as his face snapped up and looked at her carefully as it paled.

“What do you know about Second Dawn?” he demanded.

Hanna shrugged as she looked at him. “Not much, especially not anything I would reveal to someone that is a suspected member. Tell me, what part in causing the apocalypse did you play?” she asked as he growled.

“I am not a member of Second Dawn, nor would…” he trailed off for a minute. “That is why he didn’t tell me? He thinks I joined those arrogant bastards?” he asked angry.

Hanna pulled up the files she had, 18 of his closest friends and superiors all part of the Second Dawn leadership. Every one of them with direct links to her uncle. “With everyone you knew and worked with being a member, it is hardly surprising he suspected. Especially since you had contact with 4 of them right up until you were mobilized for the outbreak response.”

Ramon looked at the files, surprised that she had such good details on them. “They were actively attempting to recruit me for the 5 years prior to the outbreak. I however had no desire to join them, as they were focused on creating what they called the perfect soldier. No matter the cost or what it actually did to the people who volunteered for it. When he warned me that what was coming would make my nightmares seem tame, that I needed to protect and save as many people as I could. Your father was many things, but he wasn’t known for exaggeration when the matters were serious. Why are you asking?”

Hanna sighed as she looked at him. “Because what is happening now and what you just told me, are inextricably linked. That is why I need you to tell me what you can about them, because what I know now, is no where near enough.”

Ramon sighed as he looked at her box that was creating white noise. “Can that jam digital surveillance?” he asked her which made her nod. “Second Dawn started as a dozen Generals within the ranks of the military about twenty years ago. Their goal, to create super soldiers that would be able to survive any battlefield conditions and ignore pain to achieve their objectives. Over time the recruited scientists, congressman and corporate busybodies that had the same mindset. Make the soldier of the future no matter the cost. I first learned of them 12 years ago when I was made a General, however refused to join when I saw the agonizing death they made one man suffer when one of the scientists thought he had discovered a breakthrough that would take them one step closer to their goal. If they survived this, they will be nearly impossible to eliminate.” He told her as he pulled out an external hard drive that contained a massive amount of data.

“They didn’t just survive this Uncle Ramon, they actively caused this. As far as eliminating them, there is a lot more at stake than what you might think.” She said as he set the drive down and shook his head.

“The senior leadership is made up of 10 high ranking Generals that don’t make rookie mistakes. Each one with a thirst for power and cruelty that would make the zombies jealous. There is no way to combat them without a serious army.” He said as she smiled.

“There is no way to combat them using traditional methods. I however specialize in non traditional combat strategy and tactics, which is what this .last definitely falls under. As far as needing an army, even as despicable as they are, they aren’t my enemy. As far as what’s at stake, the fate of the human race and the world as we knew it before this nightmare began. So, I will ask only once, your answer and actions once I do all the answer I will need. Can I count on your help to learn about an enemy I have never met?” she asked him.

Ramon didn’t react for several moments as he analyzed her. “You don’t intend to face them with an army, do you?” he asked not believing what he was hearing. “How do you plan to defeat them?”

“Uncle Ramon, you are still fighting this battle like a soldier who is looking at a war from the old world. I am looking at it through the lens of what the world is now, and using every advantage I can utilize. Destroying the zombies or even the Second Dawn, not on my to do list now or ever. I understand you are skeptical it can be done, under normal battle conditions you would be absolutely correct. We however don’t need to kill them all to win, although the plan is every bit as dangerous if they catch wind of what exactly it is we are doing. So again, can I count on your help or not?” she asked bluntly making him sigh.

Ramon nodded as he looked at her. “My wife and son were killed in Hagerstown when the horde ripped through it. If the Second Dawn played any part of that, I won’t rest until they are utterly wiped away from the face of this planet.” He said with a sadistic smile she knew meant terror for his enemies.

“Than I need to know everything you know about the people who are members, what facilities they have and where. What equipment and armaments they have, and most importantly where the research labs are located.” She told him.

“None of them are anywhere near here, which is why I made my own Camps here. As far from their prying eyes as possible. You have to understand though, 15 different corporations make up the heart of their facilities and financing, most of their research labs deliberately isolated from people with as many geographic barriers as they could manage. None of them will be easy to reach, and next to impossible to infiltrate to extract information.” He told her.

“I have no intention of actually going to them or extracting any information. What I am planning is still a few years away at this point, especially if we remain hidden from them here.” Hanna told him.

“How do you intend to battle their influence if you won’t be confronting them at all?” he asked.

Hanna shook her head as he wasn’t understanding at all. “You have said it yourself multiple times, even with an army it would be next to impossible to destroy them. Especially if they have the resources of 15 Corporations that were able to adequately prepare for this very thing. Something I must assume they did for far longer than I had to plan my own response. Traditional warfare isn’t the answer, especially if they have any type of armaments that could blow us away from the air. That means we need to adapt our definition of warfare, and battle them where they will never suspect or see it coming. This is my area of expertise, and I assure you I excel at it Uncle Ramon.”

“But if we can’t fight them, or even survive an attack from them, what good will it do? We can’t cram into this bunker and outlast them.”

“Our battlefield doesn’t exist anymore, not in the sense that you understand battle. Tell me, did Dad ever act like he somehow knew things that were going to happen before they actually did?” she asked him.

“Especially the last 18 months he was alive, it was almost like he had a detailed map of what was going to happen.” Ramon said.

“Crystal, how accurate have my warnings been so far?” she asked.

“Almost like you can see the future, like a psychic or something.” She said as her Uncles eyes widened.

“Close enough for my example. It isn’t because I have premonitions or anything, but because of an extremely unique ability that my father was able to pass to me. Our battlefield no longer exists, because I intend to fight them in the past. Before this nightmare ever happens. That is why we will never battle them, why we don’t need an army to defeat them. Our weapon of mass destruction, a simple vaccine. One that will eliminate the zombies from ever rising in the first place.” Hanna said as both of their eyes widened.

“Temporal Reset, that was why they forced your father to kill himself. I thought Paxton was losing his mind when I saw that communique.” Harold said making Hanna smile.

“Capable of returning the person who possesses it to the past, up to two years before the outbreak. My first rodeo, nearly 5 years of this nightmare. I don’t know what is going to happen because I can see it, I know it because I have already lived it once. Our battle now, surviving long enough to develop our weapon of mass destruction. Once we are ready, than and only than do we force a reset for me to go back and use the army we have there to stop these monsters from making this repeat yet again. What’s at stake, the world as we knew it before the outbreak. Will you help me?” Hanna asked knowing it was a risk. One she needed to take this time however.

“I’m in.” Crystal said quickly.

Ramon however took a minute before he locked eyes with her. “I’m in as well. Whatever you need, let me know.” He said evenly before they got up and went to dinner.