Kaiju Apocalypse (20 page)

“How do we knew he's for real?  I mean, what if he's just part of another tribe and they're looking to take what we have?”

“What do we have, Curri?” Matan argued, “Some kelp, rusting walls around us, and packs of Dog Kaiju that gets closer to finding us every day?”

“We have
us,”
she said.  “If he's lying, and there are soldiers at that station with him, they might want slaves, or worse, breeding stock.  No matter how tempting it is to work with him, we can't endanger the group recklessly by just handing out details on our strength and location.”

“If the system he's using is anywhere near as good as what I think it is, Curri, he already knows exactly where we are.”

Curri muttered a string of curses. “The real Dr. Bach was supposed to have died before the great beast fell back to the Earth from the stars during the time of the burning skies,” she pointed out.

“I believe him, Curri,” Matan stared at her.  “It would take someone pretty important to still have equipment like what he's using to talk with us. I mean, look at this.  Even with this piece of junk I'm using, I can tell he's got access to the whole global net. He caused our comm unit to seek out him, and not the other way around. That takes some serious power and knowledge.”

“I still don't like this,” Curri admitted, “but I guess you're right.  What choice do we have but to trust him if we want to find out anything about what's really left out there?”

Matan reopened the channel without waiting on her to say more.  “There are around two dozen of us, sir. Mostly civilians, but a few soldiers from the war.”

“And are you armed?” the ancient sounding voice asked them.  “My readings show that you are located in the old Alantica tunnel system.  To be more specific, the coastal defense bunker there.”

Giving Curri an
I told you so
look, Matan answered.  “We are armed.  Mostly small arms, but we've recently discovered a few Dog Killer suits at the location and we are beginning work to see if we can get them online.  Are you suggesting that we make our way to your location, sir?”

“Negative, Lannier tribe.  However, I believe I know a means by which you can help us both.”

**** 

The entirety of the Lannier tribe gathered around Curri, Higgins, and Matan.  Curri had called the meeting to discuss what to do in the face of the knowledge that they were no longer alone.  That knowledge was met with an equal degree of excitement and fear by most as she told them of what Dr. Bach asked of them.

“Dr. Bach is aware of our situation here.  He is alone and unable to act himself from his location, but he believes that the island of Lemura holds something that will help us all against the Kaiju.  He has asked us to make our way there under his guidance.  There is a bunker on Lemura much like this one, only much stronger and according to his data, still fully operational.  If what he says is true, we would finally be safe from the Kaiju.”

“Ain't no place left that's safe!” someone in the crowd shouted.

“The bunker there is
intact,”
Curri repeated herself, “And likely fully stocked.  We'd have food, power, and more weapons.  Compared to this place, it would be like a fortress.”

“I agree,” Higgins cut in.  “If this Dr. Bach is on the level, it would mean a whole new life for us all.  We'd have access to sensors and be able to see the Kaiju’s movements around the bunker.  There would be no more living in fear like we do now. More than that, this place he wants to head for would be stocked up with medications as well.  Those are something we all need.  How many have we lost to simple infections?  The medical facilities of a bunker like the one he's talking about would be worth the risks of the journey alone.”

Zack stepped forward from the crowd.  He was a wiry man in his later twenties, lean and hard.  Zack was one of the Lannier tribe's few full-out warriors, and he worked for Higgins.  “You're talking like this journey is no big deal.  Have you forgotten just how far away Lemura is, or how many Kaiju, both Dog and Mother, will be between us and there?”

“Matan here has managed to unlock
this
bunker's armory.  We are no longer lacking for firepower,” Higgins answered Zack's challenge.  “I wouldn't have agreed to let Curri suggest any of this if I didn't think we had a chance at some of us making it to Lemura alive.”

“And those are the key words, aren't they?” Zack argued.  “
Some
of us, making it there alive.”

Matan put a hand on Higgins' chest, stopping the big man from plowing forward at Zack.  “The risk is worth the gain,” he said to Zack calmly.  “Unless we want to die here, living as we are, this is our only chance of finding something better.  Not just for us adults, but for the tribe's children too.  Think of them, Zack.”

Curri could see that Matan had won over Rebecca and the other parents of the tribe with that simple statement. 

“Fine,” Zack glanced around at the crowd.  “Let's put it to a vote and be done with it.”

“Curri is our leader,” Higgins snarled.  “What she says goes.”

“No!” Curri shook her head.  “This is something we all must decide together.  A vote is the best way to settle things.  All in favor say
aye.”

The chorus of voices in agreement was so loud, they echoed in the cave.  Only Zack and a couple of the others gathered kept quiet. 

“It's decided then,” Curri smiled.  “Higgins, Matan.  Get started with the preparations.  I want everyone ready to move out, come dawn.”

**** 

The cave was a beautiful mess of chaos as folks darted about gathering up their meager belongings or helping those who were sick, like Leigh, getting ready for the coming journey.  Higgins, Zack, and the tribe's other warriors were off with Matan, in the cave's armory, preparing as well.  She supposed that was where she needed to be as well, but the sight of her people so active and filled with hope kept her rooted to the spot where she stood watching them. 

“Curri?” Nanci called, climbing up the jagged rocks to the overhang where she stood.  “Do you really think we'll make it?”

She reached down and helped the small, red-haired girl up onto the rocks beside her.

“I hope so,” Curri brushed a rogue strand of that red hair from the girl's face as she spoke.

“It feels like we're finally going home,” Nanci smiled. 

“I suppose we are,” Curri laughed.  “You know what I can't wait for?”

“What?” Nanci giggled with excitement.

“A shower,” Curri laughed too.  “I can almost remember what those feel like.  It'll be so strange to be clean again.”

“Curri!” Matan shouted from beneath them.  He motioned for her to come down and join him.

“Sorry, Nanci.  I have to go,” Curri ruffled the hair atop Nanci's head.  “Duty calls.”

Curri met Matan at the entrance to the corridor leading to the cave's armory where he waited on her.  She could tell from his expression that the news was going to be good and thought this was something she could certainly get in the habit of happening.

“The Dog Killers
are
functional,” Matan informed her.  “Higgins has experience using the suits, so we're good there too.  He should be able to give a crash course to whoever we stick in the other four.”

“Four? I thought you said there was only a couple.”

“Yeah, we lucked out again,” Matan beamed.  “In the meantime, as we decide who the pilots are going to be, Higgins is busy handing out weapons to the folks he trusts with them.  It looks like this place has enough ammo in it for us to fight a small war with.”

“Good,” Curri said.  “Odds are we are going to need it out there.”

“But it gets even better than that,” Matan looked ready to burst.  “With Dr. Bach's help over the comm, I was able to access some areas of the cave we could never get into before.  Guess what the good doctor led us to?”

“No idea and you'd better not try to make me guess,” Curri warned him.

“Two APCs!” Matan cackled like a madman.

“What's an APC?” Curri asked.

She could see she had completely taken the thunder out of his surprise as Matan sighed.

“APC stands for Armored Personnel Carrier.  They're like big armored trucks, Curri.  It means we won't have to walk.  The sick won't be slowing us down.”

“Oh, that's great,” Curri feigned excitement, still not fully getting it. 

Still disappointed, Matan led her down the corridor towards the armory. “Just follow me.  I'll show them to you.”

**** 

As the weak light of the rising sun seeped through the clouds over Alantica, the Lannier tribe left the cave behind.  Curri sat in the driver's compartment of the lead APC.  She watched as Matan worked the vehicle’s controls.  Curri had no idea who Matan had entrusted to driving the other one, as both Higgins and Zack, along with the other more combat experienced men, were suited up in Dog Killer suits that ran alongside the APCs.  She was beginning to question her decision of having the tribe move out so fast.  More time for everyone to learn how to use the new weapons and vehicles they had been blessed with might have been a good thing.  But according to Dr. Bach, the sooner they were “on the road,” the better.

The APCs had their own comm gear as did the Dog Killer suits so Matan no longer required the bulky, jerry-rigged comm unit he had built from bits and pieces scattered about the ruins of the cave anymore.  The doctor had provided them with a downloaded map detailing the path of least resistance between them and their current destination, which was the heart of Atlantica.  There, they were to ditch the APCs as something called a Trident would be waiting on them.  According to Higgins and Matan, a Trident was another type of old world vehicle that flew through the air.  They would need it to reach their final goal in Lemura. 

Curri stared out the APC's windshield at the wasteland Matan drove them through.  The distance to Altantica proper was not far from the cave.  With the APCs pushed to their max, their ETA to the waiting Trident was less than two hours. 

Each APC was equipped with a topside, turret mounted weapon.  Higgins had assigned Daniel to man theirs.  Every few minutes, a lone Dog Kaiju or a small pack of the creatures would come into view.  They loped across the sands on thick, muscled legs, their yellow eyes blazing with rage and fury, lips parted in hungry snarls.  For the most part, the Dog Kaiju simply could not keep up with the APCs and they were left quickly behind.  When the attack came, no one was expecting it.

The APCs were barreling down a strip of real roadway towards Atlantica.  The road was lined by hills of sand that stirred and blew in the wind as they passed by.  The Dog Kaiju they had encountered earlier must have somehow been able to communicate with those ahead of the APCs because the monsters laid a trap for them.  Ahead of the lead APC, dozens of the Dog Kaiju came pouring onto the road.  Cursing, Matan slammed on the vehicle's brakes.  There were too many of the things to plow through.  Their numbers and strength would stop the APC dead in its tracks if they tried.  The second APC braked behind them and Curri heard Daniel open up on the creatures with the 105 caliber guns on its turret.  The heavy rounds tore into the ranks of the creatures.  Curri watched as one of the Dog Kaiju's head exploded from a lucky shot, spraying fragments of bone and chunks of brain matter onto the road.  Another pair of the things was caught at waist level by Daniel's stream of fire.  Their bodies jerked and danced as their stomachs and chests were punctured by too many bullets to count.  They were disemboweled where they stood, their legs blown out from under them, before their corpses flopped to lay still on the road.  Still, the beasts came.  They surged forward towards the APC, as an unstoppable mass of razor teeth and claws.  Curri screamed at the sight of them.  More Dog Kaiju appeared at the tops of the hills lining the road and began sprinting down the shifting sand towards the two APCs, as yet another mass filled the roadway behind them. The Dog Killer troops, led by Higgins, moved to engage them.