The worst part about travelling is the time you have to dwell on your own thoughts, there are only so many conversations two people can have before they start rehashing old ones.
Your mind tends to wander and generate the dreaded 'what if' scenarios.
What if you had been there?
What if they had gone with you?
What if you got back sooner ... ?
The constant tormenting reminder that your moving further away from where they lay at rest.
What if ...
As we walk across the endless fields, skirting once amazing city skylines reduced to rubble, we walk in silence searching the endless horizon for signs of life or danger. It is fast becoming monotonous and we both have to force ourselves to keep our concentration on the task at hand.
On the sixth day we stop and make camp in a destroyed warehouse, hiding under the partially collapsed roof.
We scout the immediate area before starting a fire and sit down to drink the coffee we found scavenging the previous evening. The sound of the fire crackling and spitting breaks the silence that myself and John don't seem to be able to break. I move to the entrance of our little hidey hole and take up position for the first watch, our routine started for the evening.
I take first watch, four hours later I wake John and he takes the next.
I wake with a start, John is shaking me and holding his finger to his mouth telling me to be quiet.
I pick up my A One and move towards the entrance of our make shift camp, I notice the fire has been hastily put out. Crouching, I strain to hear and see into the darkness around us, when I hear a shuffling of what sounds like feet.
I lean forward to peer around the corner and notice a black shadow moving slowly and quietly across a glassless window.
We wait, watching listening.
Out of the darkness, past the outer shell of the building the familiar sound of an A One being fired, a scream then more firing.
I look over at John, he nods and we dash to the window frame.
Looking out I can see small fires from the weapons fire and shapes running from the alien intruders marching down the roadway.
I hold up there fingers to John he nods and moves away to my right, a few windows away. Once in position he holds up five fingers, peeks over the frame and starts to count down.
5 fingers, 4, 3, 2, 1
I look over the the frame and mentally count zero. We both open fire at the same time cutting down the three attackers before they even know we're here.
We glance at each other, I point to my eyes and then out the window, John nods and I move to the doorway.
I speak quietly, "show yourselves or we shoot." careful not to shout in-case the aliens have backup.
"You show yourselves." comes the reply
mustering all the authority I can, I speak in a growl "This is Corporal Michael Simmons, show yourselves or we shoot, I will not ask again."
I can hear murmuring and shuffling of feet when a soldier starts to stand up slowly aiming his weapon in my direction. "Colin don't be a dick, he could shoot you"
He waves towards a pile of rubble, "If he's gonna shoot, he woulda done it already, that and he saved your arse mate." he replies smirking.
I signal for John to remain under cover as I stand up and start walking towards Colin.
Colin sees my stripes and springs to attention with a crisp salute, "Paul, Officer." he whispers
"shit." I hear as Paul comes out from behind some rubble to join his friend copying him.
"sorry sir." snaps Paul.
I salute "at ease guys and don't worry about it." I say turning and motioning for them to follow me.
We walk through the doorway as i call out for John to join us.
John walks over to where we are now standing "Hello, I'm John." he says shaking hands with both the soldiers.
"Lads, we have a pot of coffee, if you want some?" I offer
"Sir, I'd love some coffee but i'd love one of those weapons more." replies Colin with an envious smile.
"Fair enough, how about coffee then we'll talk about getting you one?" I say wearily
"That's sound cool Sir. If you have more of those the Major is gonna love you." replies Paul
We walk over to our makeshift camp and sit down with still warm coffee being poured and pass around.
"Ok lads, now we're settled I have a few questions." I say
"I thought you might Sir. If i may Sir?" Paul replies looking at me for confirmation
I nod and Paul continues "We are what's left of the Army that was defending the outskirts of London Sir. We have a base about a mile from here with seventy four civilians and thirty five remaining soldiers. Major Donahue is the only officer we have left." Paul looks down at his feet before continuing
"We managed to be far enough from the fighting that we knew what to expect so we took cover and took pot shoots at the invaders, unfortunately we got our arse's handed to us and had to bug out. The Major took that hard but we've been trying to find a way to fight back since Sir." the look of hurt across his face shows me he's been in the thick of it for awhile.
"We've no active command structure available, above the Major, but we do collect stragglers like yourselves." he says breaking into a smile.
"we're trying our best Sir but looking at what you two have in yours hands I think we might do a little better now." He glances at the weapons we're holding and then looks at me, "that about sums it up Sir."
I nod and John tells them how we came to be in the neighbourhood. Listening to him recount the group we have lost causes a pain to shoot through me. Paul and Colin look at me then down at their feet not knowing what to say, John continues and when he's finished I look up at him and nod.
He excuses himself and I turn to Paul and Colin "You guys got room for two more?" I say
"Hell yeah" Colin blurts out and a moment later adds "Sir"
"Good, we'd hate these weapons to go to waste." I say as John returns with the bag stuffed full of A Ones.
I look at the two young soldiers and fish out two A Ones handing them to both Paul and John.
"Sir, how many of these you got in there?" asks Colin
"Including those in your hands, fifty three." i Reply
"Holy shit!" exclaims Paul then he adds "Sorry Sir." looking a bit embarrassed by the outburst.
"Don't worry about it, we'll finish up and head over to your command camp I think there may be some more people who would like one of these." I say
"Definitely Sir, as I said the Major is gonna love you." Colin says smiling
John took Paul and Colin through the basic operation of the A One and then we packed up our gear, spreading the load across the four of us we moved out with Colin in front and Paul at the rear, me and John walking side by side in between. Paul and Colin chatting back and forth while we marched onwards.
YOU ARE READING
1742
Science FictionOne of the most important questions of the human race has just been answered, are we alone in the universe? Something tells me we'd have been better off not knowing. Follow the survivors as they fight for their survival and then turn their though...
