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Darrin Drader's Post Apocalyptic Story Hour - Updated 09/10/2005
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<blockquote data-quote="Darrin Drader" data-source="post: 1925419" data-attributes="member: 7394"><p>Chapter 2</p><p>Coming Home</p><p> </p><p>Today</p><p> </p><p>It had been four long years since Scoth had seen Alex. As the armed warrior escorted him through the gates in the razor-wire fences towards the Outpost, he wasn’t sure what to expect from his friend. In truth, he didn’t even want to be this far away from home, but he had an unpleasant duty to perform, and he wasn’t going to let his fear of war stop him from it.</p><p> </p><p>The outpost looked as though it had sustained heavy damage recently. The ground beneath the front facing fences was pockmarked and the razor-wire there was silver rather than rust colored. One of the guard towers had obviously been destroyed, and there were workers laying new concrete blocks to repair it. “Was there an attack recently?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep, they hit us pretty hard about a week ago,” the guard replied. The man stood six inches taller than Scoth, with ebony skin, and appeared to be chiseled from solid muscle. Unlike most of the warriors, this man’s head was shaved bald. “The muties punched a hole in our perimeter and flooded in. They took out a guard tower, and killed twenty-five of our men. They showed up in superior numbers, but we’re better equipped and better trained.”</p><p> </p><p>Scoth shook his head sadly, “There’s no reason for this conflict to have gone on so long. It’s a shame.”</p><p> </p><p>The guard nodded, “Yeah it is, but we weren’t the ones who started it, and we’re not the ones keepin’ it going. I think they’ll keep comin’ until we’ve killed every last one of them”</p><p> </p><p>They passed through the inner perimeter, and walked another two hundred feet to the door of the building. The guard approached the door, but stopped at a keypad. He punched in a series of numbers, and then they heard a click as the inside door unlocked.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t realize this place had electricity,” Scoth commented.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, we run the lights and the security system from a generator in the basement,” the guard commented. “The gas ran out a few years ago, so they brought in some engineers and switched it around to run off alcohol.”</p><p> </p><p>Scoth smiled. “So that’s why the price of hundred proof has gone up so much recently. I just assumed we were making less.”</p><p> </p><p>The first thing he noticed as they entered the building was the oppressive darkness of the place. Low wattage bulbs that were plugged into white circular fixtures in the ceiling dimly illuminated the hallway. The walls were constructed from unpainted gray concrete. As they walked, Scoth occasionally spotted cracks in the floor or the ceiling. This was clearly a somber place where courageous men came to lay down their lives.</p><p> </p><p>The pair walked the length of the corridor, down an adjacent corridor, and finally through a set of double doors. On the other side was a room filled with beds, many of them occupied by bandaged soldiers. Scoth noticed that a few of them were missing appendages. More than one was asleep with fluids being pumped into them.</p><p> </p><p>The guard led Scoth to a bed near the far corner, where he saw his unconscious friend. He was battered and barely recognizable as the kid he grew up with, but it was definitely Alex.</p><p> </p><p>“Alex?” Scoth said. A moment later, the eyes fluttered open.</p><p> </p><p>“Stone now,” said Stone with a smile. “Well, ain’t this amazing. I haven’t seen you in years. Tell me you didn’t come all this way just to check on me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What happened?” Scoth asked.</p><p> </p><p>Stone shrugged. “We were attacked, I got into it with a couple of muties. One had a gun and shot me in the chest with an armor piercing bullet.”</p><p> </p><p>“How bad was it?” Scoth asked.</p><p> </p><p>“The docs said it was touch and go for a while. The bullet busted two of my ribs, just missed my heart, collapsed one of my lungs, and narrowly missed my spinal cord on the way out. I managed to kill the muties, but I ended up laying in a pool of my own blood for an hour before they found me. So is that why you’re here?” Stone asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No.” said Scoth. “I wish that were the case, but I have news I have to deliver from home.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” said Stone. “Spill it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your father. He died three days ago. The Lord Mayor sent me to fetch you for the funeral.”</p><p> </p><p>Stone looked at his friend emotionlessly. “Well that was damn decent of him. So how did the old man go?”</p><p> </p><p>“Cancer,” Scoth said.</p><p> </p><p>This came as no surprise to Stone, given the fact that his father had been suffering a slow, creeping death from the disease for the past ten years. “Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t seem too upset,” Scoth commented.</p><p> </p><p>“Me and the old man didn’t get along too well,” said Stone. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, he gave me a message to give to you before he died.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did he now. I didn’t realize the old man cared.”</p><p> </p><p>Scoth swallowed hard. “He said that the journal is yours now. He also said that he wished for you to find the hope you’ve been looking for within.”</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, a surge of grief welled up within Stone, but he quickly suppressed it. “So that’s it then. I’m supposed to just walk out of here now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you well enough to travel?” Scoth asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I think so,” Stone commented. “Hell, I’ve been milking this injury for as long as I can stand it just to get a little rest.” He tried to stand up, but a wave of nausea overcame him, causing him to sit back down. “Okay, the going might be a little slow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Its alright. I’ll let you ride the horse if you’d like,” said Scoth.</p><p> </p><p>“So tell me how things have been,” Stone said.</p><p> </p><p>“Things haven’t changed much. We’re still working the fields and making guns. The Lord Mayor is still a bastard, and the school is still deciding which graduates are smart and which ones get sent here to die,” Scoth said.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well some of us got to decide for ourselves,” Stone commented.</p><p> </p><p>“You were instructor Kelley’s greatest disappointment. He signed off on you to be a reader. You could have worked alongside me, gotten paid well, and done well for yourself. There’s more than a few people around town who think that you wasted your potential by choosing to fight.”</p><p> </p><p>Stone narrowed his eyes menacingly at his friend. “I had my reasons for coming here, and I have my reasons for staying. If it weren’t for me and people like me, you guys would all be dead, or worse, enslaved by the muties.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t mean you any disrespect. You have my gratitude as well as the gratitude of everyone back home,” Scoth said quickly.</p><p> </p><p>“So how’s Mali been?” Stone asked.</p><p> </p><p>Scoth shook his head. “I would have thought that after three years, you’d be over her by now.”</p><p> </p><p>“How is she?” Stone insisted.</p><p> </p><p>“You really don’t want to know.” Scoth stated.</p><p> </p><p>“Still in the Lord Mayor’s harem, isn’t she?” Stone asked with contempt.</p><p> </p><p>Scoth nodded. “She’s one of his favorites. Now do yourself a favor and stop thinking about her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right.” Said Stone. It would never happen. Even if he couldn’t be with her, he could at least protect her from a distance.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>It took two hours for Stone to gather up his belongings and check out with the captain. He intended to slip out of the outpost quietly so that the other soldiers wouldn’t get the chance to detect the shame he felt for deserting them. As he walked out of the building, he saw a line of soldiers, their guns held aloft, forming a corridor of leather clad bodies between the door of the outpost and the inner gate. The captain, an older man with a chiseled face and blond hair that was shaved on the sides and cut short on the top met him at the door. “Lieutenant,” he said saluting.</p><p> </p><p>Stone returned the salute. “Why all of this?” Stone asked. “You know I’m coming back, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>The captain smiled. “Take your time. You’ve done your duty here and we can get along just fine without you for a while. Come back if you need to, or get back to your life if that’s what you want. The important thing is that you served with dignity and honor.”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s nothing for me to go back to. It won’t be long, but I’ll consider it for a few days if you’d like,” Stone promised.</p><p> </p><p>“Suit yourself,” said the captain. “Dismissed.”</p><p> </p><p>As Stone and Scoth walked towards the gate, he locked eyes with every man he passed along the way. He knew all of their names and had fought beside most. They brought their hands up to salute him as he passed, and he returned each salute as they continued away from the outpost. When he reached the first gate, Stone turned back to them and shouted, “You are all my brothers, and it has been an honor fighting alongside each of you!” He knew that some of them would be dead by the time he returned.</p><p> </p><p>The soldier at the end opened the gate as the two childhood friends walked through. They passed through two more gates, and a soldier holding the reigns of Scoth’s horse met them. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re the one who’s all shot up. You can ride,” Scoth said.</p><p> </p><p>“And you’re the pretty boy who reads books all day, so I think it would be best if you ride,” Stone countered. “You probably can’t even jog a mile without stopping.”</p><p> </p><p>Scoth gave his friend a wounded look. “Then I guess neither of us will ride. We’ll both just walk back. How does that sound?”</p><p> </p><p>Stone agreed. Half a mile later, the pain from his wounds became unbearable, and he grudgingly climbed into the saddle.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>The service for Stone’s father was short and solemn. The day was bright and sunny and the service was held outside the Honee temple. When he looked in the casket, Stone noted that his father’s extra appendage was hidden from view, likely strapped to his back, as he normally wore it when alive. Stone noted that his father’s hair was grayer than he remembered and he appeared to have gained some weight, but otherwise his appearance wasn’t much different than the last time he had seen him.</p><p> </p><p>The service lasted no longer than a half an hour. During that time the Mystic burned incense that were said to help speed his father’s way to the spirit world. The Lord Mayor attended and made a brief speech honoring the service his father had provided for the township, and then two former soldiers who had served with his father made short speeches, recounting the tales of his heroics. Stone knew that his father had served only six months at the Outpost, and then spent the rest of his life taking handouts from the community because of his injury. Overall, he concluded, a rather uninspiring career from an uninspiring man.</p><p> </p><p>Unmoved by the service, Stone returned alone to the house he grew up, where he would spend the next two days unlocking the secrets buried in his grandfather’s journal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Darrin Drader, post: 1925419, member: 7394"] Chapter 2 Coming Home Today It had been four long years since Scoth had seen Alex. As the armed warrior escorted him through the gates in the razor-wire fences towards the Outpost, he wasn’t sure what to expect from his friend. In truth, he didn’t even want to be this far away from home, but he had an unpleasant duty to perform, and he wasn’t going to let his fear of war stop him from it. The outpost looked as though it had sustained heavy damage recently. The ground beneath the front facing fences was pockmarked and the razor-wire there was silver rather than rust colored. One of the guard towers had obviously been destroyed, and there were workers laying new concrete blocks to repair it. “Was there an attack recently?” “Yep, they hit us pretty hard about a week ago,” the guard replied. The man stood six inches taller than Scoth, with ebony skin, and appeared to be chiseled from solid muscle. Unlike most of the warriors, this man’s head was shaved bald. “The muties punched a hole in our perimeter and flooded in. They took out a guard tower, and killed twenty-five of our men. They showed up in superior numbers, but we’re better equipped and better trained.” Scoth shook his head sadly, “There’s no reason for this conflict to have gone on so long. It’s a shame.” The guard nodded, “Yeah it is, but we weren’t the ones who started it, and we’re not the ones keepin’ it going. I think they’ll keep comin’ until we’ve killed every last one of them” They passed through the inner perimeter, and walked another two hundred feet to the door of the building. The guard approached the door, but stopped at a keypad. He punched in a series of numbers, and then they heard a click as the inside door unlocked. “I didn’t realize this place had electricity,” Scoth commented. “Yeah, we run the lights and the security system from a generator in the basement,” the guard commented. “The gas ran out a few years ago, so they brought in some engineers and switched it around to run off alcohol.” Scoth smiled. “So that’s why the price of hundred proof has gone up so much recently. I just assumed we were making less.” The first thing he noticed as they entered the building was the oppressive darkness of the place. Low wattage bulbs that were plugged into white circular fixtures in the ceiling dimly illuminated the hallway. The walls were constructed from unpainted gray concrete. As they walked, Scoth occasionally spotted cracks in the floor or the ceiling. This was clearly a somber place where courageous men came to lay down their lives. The pair walked the length of the corridor, down an adjacent corridor, and finally through a set of double doors. On the other side was a room filled with beds, many of them occupied by bandaged soldiers. Scoth noticed that a few of them were missing appendages. More than one was asleep with fluids being pumped into them. The guard led Scoth to a bed near the far corner, where he saw his unconscious friend. He was battered and barely recognizable as the kid he grew up with, but it was definitely Alex. “Alex?” Scoth said. A moment later, the eyes fluttered open. “Stone now,” said Stone with a smile. “Well, ain’t this amazing. I haven’t seen you in years. Tell me you didn’t come all this way just to check on me.” “What happened?” Scoth asked. Stone shrugged. “We were attacked, I got into it with a couple of muties. One had a gun and shot me in the chest with an armor piercing bullet.” “How bad was it?” Scoth asked. “The docs said it was touch and go for a while. The bullet busted two of my ribs, just missed my heart, collapsed one of my lungs, and narrowly missed my spinal cord on the way out. I managed to kill the muties, but I ended up laying in a pool of my own blood for an hour before they found me. So is that why you’re here?” Stone asked. “No.” said Scoth. “I wish that were the case, but I have news I have to deliver from home.” “Yeah,” said Stone. “Spill it.” “Your father. He died three days ago. The Lord Mayor sent me to fetch you for the funeral.” Stone looked at his friend emotionlessly. “Well that was damn decent of him. So how did the old man go?” “Cancer,” Scoth said. This came as no surprise to Stone, given the fact that his father had been suffering a slow, creeping death from the disease for the past ten years. “Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.” “You don’t seem too upset,” Scoth commented. “Me and the old man didn’t get along too well,” said Stone. “Well, he gave me a message to give to you before he died.” “Did he now. I didn’t realize the old man cared.” Scoth swallowed hard. “He said that the journal is yours now. He also said that he wished for you to find the hope you’ve been looking for within.” For a moment, a surge of grief welled up within Stone, but he quickly suppressed it. “So that’s it then. I’m supposed to just walk out of here now.” “Are you well enough to travel?” Scoth asked. “I think so,” Stone commented. “Hell, I’ve been milking this injury for as long as I can stand it just to get a little rest.” He tried to stand up, but a wave of nausea overcame him, causing him to sit back down. “Okay, the going might be a little slow.” “Its alright. I’ll let you ride the horse if you’d like,” said Scoth. “So tell me how things have been,” Stone said. “Things haven’t changed much. We’re still working the fields and making guns. The Lord Mayor is still a bastard, and the school is still deciding which graduates are smart and which ones get sent here to die,” Scoth said. “Yeah, well some of us got to decide for ourselves,” Stone commented. “You were instructor Kelley’s greatest disappointment. He signed off on you to be a reader. You could have worked alongside me, gotten paid well, and done well for yourself. There’s more than a few people around town who think that you wasted your potential by choosing to fight.” Stone narrowed his eyes menacingly at his friend. “I had my reasons for coming here, and I have my reasons for staying. If it weren’t for me and people like me, you guys would all be dead, or worse, enslaved by the muties.” “Sorry, I didn’t mean you any disrespect. You have my gratitude as well as the gratitude of everyone back home,” Scoth said quickly. “So how’s Mali been?” Stone asked. Scoth shook his head. “I would have thought that after three years, you’d be over her by now.” “How is she?” Stone insisted. “You really don’t want to know.” Scoth stated. “Still in the Lord Mayor’s harem, isn’t she?” Stone asked with contempt. Scoth nodded. “She’s one of his favorites. Now do yourself a favor and stop thinking about her.” “Right.” Said Stone. It would never happen. Even if he couldn’t be with her, he could at least protect her from a distance. *** It took two hours for Stone to gather up his belongings and check out with the captain. He intended to slip out of the outpost quietly so that the other soldiers wouldn’t get the chance to detect the shame he felt for deserting them. As he walked out of the building, he saw a line of soldiers, their guns held aloft, forming a corridor of leather clad bodies between the door of the outpost and the inner gate. The captain, an older man with a chiseled face and blond hair that was shaved on the sides and cut short on the top met him at the door. “Lieutenant,” he said saluting. Stone returned the salute. “Why all of this?” Stone asked. “You know I’m coming back, don’t you?” The captain smiled. “Take your time. You’ve done your duty here and we can get along just fine without you for a while. Come back if you need to, or get back to your life if that’s what you want. The important thing is that you served with dignity and honor.” “There’s nothing for me to go back to. It won’t be long, but I’ll consider it for a few days if you’d like,” Stone promised. “Suit yourself,” said the captain. “Dismissed.” As Stone and Scoth walked towards the gate, he locked eyes with every man he passed along the way. He knew all of their names and had fought beside most. They brought their hands up to salute him as he passed, and he returned each salute as they continued away from the outpost. When he reached the first gate, Stone turned back to them and shouted, “You are all my brothers, and it has been an honor fighting alongside each of you!” He knew that some of them would be dead by the time he returned. The soldier at the end opened the gate as the two childhood friends walked through. They passed through two more gates, and a soldier holding the reigns of Scoth’s horse met them. “You’re the one who’s all shot up. You can ride,” Scoth said. “And you’re the pretty boy who reads books all day, so I think it would be best if you ride,” Stone countered. “You probably can’t even jog a mile without stopping.” Scoth gave his friend a wounded look. “Then I guess neither of us will ride. We’ll both just walk back. How does that sound?” Stone agreed. Half a mile later, the pain from his wounds became unbearable, and he grudgingly climbed into the saddle. *** The service for Stone’s father was short and solemn. The day was bright and sunny and the service was held outside the Honee temple. When he looked in the casket, Stone noted that his father’s extra appendage was hidden from view, likely strapped to his back, as he normally wore it when alive. Stone noted that his father’s hair was grayer than he remembered and he appeared to have gained some weight, but otherwise his appearance wasn’t much different than the last time he had seen him. The service lasted no longer than a half an hour. During that time the Mystic burned incense that were said to help speed his father’s way to the spirit world. The Lord Mayor attended and made a brief speech honoring the service his father had provided for the township, and then two former soldiers who had served with his father made short speeches, recounting the tales of his heroics. Stone knew that his father had served only six months at the Outpost, and then spent the rest of his life taking handouts from the community because of his injury. Overall, he concluded, a rather uninspiring career from an uninspiring man. Unmoved by the service, Stone returned alone to the house he grew up, where he would spend the next two days unlocking the secrets buried in his grandfather’s journal. [/QUOTE]
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