Surface: Doomed Planet

Excerpt 22-Evacuation

We learned overnight that with the support of Ryu's B52 and Aegean's Y35 and extra ground support, that our ability to combat the Volatiles was drastically increased. Juggernauts, plus a Humvee delivered by the 35 and Steven's tank made us a force for the undead to reckon with. Early the next morning, I took Mike, Alcatraz and Rebecca, the woman with the Stryker rig, to close off the last hydrant. With support from the y35, the task was rather easy and on the way back, Alcatraz and Rebecca got to talking.

"How long have you had that Exo?", she asked.

"Five years", Alcatraz said, "the mounting points are surgically implanted, but the suit itself has quick releases so I can take it off, but I usually don't because when I do the computer in my brain that controls my synthetic body goes insane."

"I know the feeling", Rebecca said, "my face looks normal, but underneath my rig I'm a burn victim. My parents had the suit built custom for me so I could live somewhat of a normal life. I can go around without it okay, but I have to take things easy or risk ripping the burn's open, which can happen anyway."

"You at least got to keep what you were born with", Alcatraz said, "I'd give anything to have been able to keep my original body."

Rebecca looked at him like he was crazy, "say what?"

"What you see on the surface is all replacement", Alcatraz said, "all that's left of me is my brain, spine and an eye, rest is all fake, well still the original skeleton, but, might as well have been replaced. If it wasn't for my undamaged spine."

"Holy shit", Rebecca said in shock, "what happened to you."

"A gas main burst", Mike said, "we had a huge Earthquake at the lab where we lived at and gas line burst right next to him, total body 6th degree burn."

"Ouch", Rebecca said tugging on her collar.

"I actually didn't feel too much", Alcatraz said, "everything was numb."

She shook her head, "not a road I'd like to walk down."

"Not again at least", Alcatraz said as we returned to the church, I found Chy out front, starring towards the sky, she was obviously deep in thought.

"You okay?", I asked kissing her.

"Yeah I'm fine I just...I want this to be over", she said, "I wanna go home and forget any of this ever happened."

"It's no where close to over", I said, "not by a long shot. Have you talked to Aegean this morning?"

"Yeah", she said, "he's gonna bring a transport ship Ryu's air force base to pick everyone up, but according to Ryu, the challenge is getting through the city, the gang members will never let us leave if they know we're going to Evac."

"Then we will fight them every inch of the way", Mike said stepping out of the church, "Skyline, these people are just about ready to leave, Ryu said he has a Chinook coming to pick us all up."

"You, Jacob and Tyler go with the civilian's to the Exfil sight", I said, "the rest of us will climb on Warpig and head back to the hotel. Ryu's boys will need our help to get all those people to the Exfil sight safely."

"I'll come too", Rebecca said as she and Alcatraz stepped out of the house, "I've been bored these past few months and need some action, last night wasn't enough."

I nodded, "Mike, your in charge, get these people out of here."

Mike nodded and went back into the church while the rest of us walked down to Steven's tank, he and his friends were just finishing up cleaning their breakfast mess.