Alliance

Chapter Thirty-Three

Potholes.

Potholes everywhere. And cars.

I thought that the roads would be clear and the land would be a desert wasteland, but Ben and I drove for a day and there was no dirt. Only green grass, trees, and potholes all over the road that was littered with abandoned cars.

We hit another large pothole. Everything in the Hummer bounced up and slammed down with a heavy thud. "I swear, if you hit another pothole," I snapped. My head once again hit the headrest for the hundredth time that day.

In the driver's seat, Ben drove with one hand on the wheel and the other elbow resting on the open window. "You are going to do what?"

"Well, I can't read this map with all the banging around!" I snapped again. Feeling defeated as we hit another bump, I closed the map. Or well tried to as it wouldn't fold. Utterly defeated, I crumpled it up and threw it in the back.

I assumed the road would be clear but there were so many cars left abandoned from long ago on the expressway. And due to rain or weather or something, there were more potholes in the road than there were leaves on trees.

"After Omaha, the roads should clear up," Ben stated. "Not many people travel to the Wall or gate so there is no reason to clear off this stretch of road. The roads from Omaha to Vegas are traveled more often so those should be clear of cars."

"How do you know that?"

"Allegan told me, if you would listen, you may have learned a thing or two."

I glared at him. Ben turned to me and I stuck out my tongue. He sighed heavily and went back to driving.

All of yesterday there was nothing to do or nothing to see other than green trees and fields and being tossed around in the Hummer. I assumed that the Wasteland would actually be a Wasteland.

The land was named that because of nuclear bombs. During the Last Great War, nuclear bombs were dropped in the middle of the United States to destroy the fields and farms. Without fields and farms, not enough food was produced, and it was hard to fight on an empty belly. Eventually, it would turn into a Wasteland, it was just strange to see the greenery outside the window.

In the back of the Hummer, amongst the sea of bags, boxes, and toilet paper an alarm went off. It was my turn to sigh deeply, it was one of Blair's communicators.

"You gonna get that?" Ben asked, "I am a little busy at the moment." Ever since Old York, Ben's true personality popped out for better or worse. Since I cracked him open like an egg in Old York, he was relaxed enough to slam me with humor and bad sarcasm.

I turned and forced myself in between our two chairs. The commutator was in the back, on top of an unzip duffle back. I reached for it.

The wheels caught a pothole, myself and surrounding supplies hit the ceiling with a heavy thud before falling back down. My head ached from hitting the ceiling hard. I grabbed the communicator and went back to my seat.

"Really?" I asked, rubbing the aching spot in my head.

Ben gave a slight grin. "That's for being irritable."

"That's for being irritable," I mocked back with a face and a high voice that sounded nothing like Ben.

I slide my finger across the screen to unlock it. The control room came into view on screen with Dad in the middle.

"Ensign, how is day two of traveling?" Dad asked.

"Well Admiral, if Boy Wonder here keeps hitting potholes surely we will pop all four tires."