Chapter 3: Beacon
machinedhearts
Getting sticky.
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Distracted from attending to the boy, Adrian looked up to find a horde of undead swarming the road ahead of them as they made their escape. She slammed on the brakes of her car and began to skid. In a panic, she hurled the wheel over and dropped gears, as well as the clutch. The four-wheel drive kicked in. Hammering the gas, the tachometer began to bounce, and the vehicle screamed.
In a cloud of smoke, Adrian pulled away from the horde, inches from slamming into the mass of undead. The sight of zombies flooding out from the abandoned Cresica Residential apartment buildings panicked her. They were lured in by the car's noise. She swerved to the median of the four-lane road. After shifting up in a bid to gain more speed, she jammed the accelerator. They were forced to return the way they came. As the headlights passed over each undead, their neon outfits shimmered in the beam, battery packs long since depleted. This section of the city was probably one of the first to get hit by the virus.
The road grew narrow as crowds of zombies lumbered from the sidewalks onto the pavement. The jaws of death were clamping down from all sides. Adrian clenched her teeth in a bid to stop them from chattering. With hope in her heart in seeing the narrowing gap ahead of them, she eased off the accelerator to bring them down to a low speed. Clobbering a corpse was a surefire way to wind up tonight's main course. Now moving barely faster than a jog, the undead began to pound on the vehicle, trying to grab on to anything they could. The boy began to panic as the zombies shouted fetid cries at them.
After calming the terrified child, she found herself back at the first intersection. The horde thinned. And the moment the road ahead looked clear, Adrian was emboldened by the sight of freedom and hammered the throttle. They sped away from the mass of death now in the rear-view mirror. A tentative calm began to rise within Adrian's belly, having escaped the clutches of an ill fate. A tone from within the car startled her.
The scanner picked up something. A green holographic button appeared above the tiny radio mounted on the center vent. A close-range channel was broadcasting a long message. Adrian, curious who would be sane enough to transmit something out in the depths of this place, ran her finger through the holograph to accept, and the scanner tuned itself in.
"If anyone is alive out there, we offer you shelter from the storm. Come to the church in Bunker Hill Old Town, on the green. Peace for peace, no questions asked," the feminine voice recited. Then repeated after a long pause.
Adrian looked at the clock. Almost midnight, there was no way she would be able to talk her way back into New Downtown this late without the risk of getting mowed down by the sentries. She looked at her fuel gauge. Enough to get back, but not enough to drive around all night. And definitely not enough ammunition to clear a building out and keep them safe.
Mulling over the sound of the voice, it was natural but certainly a recording. Tweakers were known to use synth voices to lure people in, especially where it was harder to find fuel and other supplies. Adrian pulled the car to a stop at a wide four-way intersection and dialed in the directions to the church mentioned. It wasn't far, and they would have enough fuel to get back to New Downtown in the morning.
Adrian flicked a switch behind the turn-indicator and the area surrounding the vehicle ignited in bright white luminescence. Her gaze swept around, and everywhere she turned, there was an undead shambling from the depths of the darkness, attracted to the light. Intuition said there was a 50/50 chance that this was a trap waiting at that old church. But given the current circumstances, it beat the certain death waiting right outside her window.
With a gentle takeoff to avoid the oncoming zombies, Adrian departed for the old church. She'd never been this far outside New Downtown after dark before, and each block farther from the wall made her heart sink more and more. Parastisus was a combination of horrible fates, all rolled into one: part living virus, part digital machination. It didn't matter if you were modded or not, if you got infected, you would end up a part of the walking dead.
The path up to the Bunker Hill quarter of the city departed from the otherwise grid-like layout. It had rolling hills and winding roads. As they climbed up a curving parkway with steep embankments, Adrian advanced slowly, careful not to hit the tumbling undead as they fell from the hill and rolled off the cliff-like retaining walls. Anxiety welled, shivering at the thought of a corpse falling from on-high and leveling the car. She kept a wide berth, driving as far away from the embankments as possible.
Finally at the top of the hill was the green. A small wooden-structured church in a grassy yard with a white-picket fence sat amid a stretch of brick buildings and high rises. The church was relatively well-kept, despite obvious bullet holes in its siding, from roaming gangs' turf wars. The structures around were dilapidated, like everywhere else this far from New Downtown, missing windows and doors. But not the church. It still had stained glass which even now let off a glow from within.
Adrian plotted a course from here back to New Downtown. If this didn't work out, she'd take her chances with the sentries. But the small wooden structure let off the air of invitation. With the flick of the switch, she toggled the area lighting again, searching for threats. The illumination was bright enough to reach the second story of most of the surrounding structures. Nothing. No movement. No noise. Just stillness.
Deciding to take the child with her, Adrian scooped him up, using him as a means to conceal her otherwise exposed, holstered revolver. As they approached the wooden double doors of the church, she focused on her surroundings. Despite the ambient illumination of the church, her eyes were adjusted to the dark enough to spot any threats that might jump from the surrounding structures. With her hand on the ring handle, she paused.
Bringing an ear close to the door, Adrian listened. Part of her said this was foolish. The other part said this was necessary. She took a slow, deep breath and steeled herself. With a firm tug, she yanked on the door. It didn't budge and let out a harsh slam. Panicked, she switched to the other door and yanked, which jostled with the same clatter. Looking around, and wondering if she'd just wandered into a trap, her attention dropped down. She spotted a small plaque just above the handle labeled 'Push'. Taking a moment to calm herself, she did as the sign instructed. The door gave way.
She stepped inside, a vibrant red carpet between rows of wooden pews led up to a small, raised altar at the other side of the room. Simple wooden pillars held a steepled ceiling, braced by ordinary beams. The only ornaments were the raised-frame-stained glass, and a small golden chalice placed upon laced white cloth on the altar afar. With a hand on her pistol, she advanced farther into the church.
"Now, here is someone I would never have expected." The same calm, feminine voice from the radio called out, her voice carried throughout the room.
Adrian's grip on her pistol tightened. She sensed this woman a part of a widower's trap, meant to draw unsuspecting, unscrupulous men to a terrible fate. A common tactic among low-level thugs out here in the ruins.
"Peace for peace. I seek shelter from the night." Adrian evoked the transmitted message, in hopes it was genuine.
"Of course. Please, come." The woman emerged from the shadows of the back room.
Much like Adrian, she had long, flowing raven hair. The stranger wore a black veil and a long but simple and loose crimson dress that reached to her ankles. She had her palms held together in prayer. And also, like Adrian, she had emerald eyes, but the stranger's were much more eerie, piercing. Despite her aged attire, her skin was flawless and pale like an antique porcelain doll.
"What brings you out here to this place, especially at this hour?" The woman sat on a stool set at the base of the steps of the altar. "It isn't much of a place for children. Especially not one traveling with a lone woman."
Adrian didn't want to give anything away and needed to think of something fast. "I was scavenging for food with my son, and we got caught in the night."
The stranger gave a slow, methodical nod. "What a terrible thing this disease is. I remember a time not long ago when this part of town was lively. A peace, greatly longed for." Her eyes scanned Adrian, sized her up. Her face remained restrained, calm.
"I also remember when people had a bit more respect." The stranger hummed. "Put the boy down."
As she spoke, a flood of heavily armored soldiers piled into the church from every door, their dark bullet proof vests embossed with golden strips of light pierced the darkness all around. They had full ballistic masks and helmets, bearing automatic rifles. Several of them bore shields and pistols.
Numerous rifle targeting lasers danced all over Adrian's white tank top as she gripped her revolver.
In a cloud of smoke, Adrian pulled away from the horde, inches from slamming into the mass of undead. The sight of zombies flooding out from the abandoned Cresica Residential apartment buildings panicked her. They were lured in by the car's noise. She swerved to the median of the four-lane road. After shifting up in a bid to gain more speed, she jammed the accelerator. They were forced to return the way they came. As the headlights passed over each undead, their neon outfits shimmered in the beam, battery packs long since depleted. This section of the city was probably one of the first to get hit by the virus.
The road grew narrow as crowds of zombies lumbered from the sidewalks onto the pavement. The jaws of death were clamping down from all sides. Adrian clenched her teeth in a bid to stop them from chattering. With hope in her heart in seeing the narrowing gap ahead of them, she eased off the accelerator to bring them down to a low speed. Clobbering a corpse was a surefire way to wind up tonight's main course. Now moving barely faster than a jog, the undead began to pound on the vehicle, trying to grab on to anything they could. The boy began to panic as the zombies shouted fetid cries at them.
After calming the terrified child, she found herself back at the first intersection. The horde thinned. And the moment the road ahead looked clear, Adrian was emboldened by the sight of freedom and hammered the throttle. They sped away from the mass of death now in the rear-view mirror. A tentative calm began to rise within Adrian's belly, having escaped the clutches of an ill fate. A tone from within the car startled her.
The scanner picked up something. A green holographic button appeared above the tiny radio mounted on the center vent. A close-range channel was broadcasting a long message. Adrian, curious who would be sane enough to transmit something out in the depths of this place, ran her finger through the holograph to accept, and the scanner tuned itself in.
"If anyone is alive out there, we offer you shelter from the storm. Come to the church in Bunker Hill Old Town, on the green. Peace for peace, no questions asked," the feminine voice recited. Then repeated after a long pause.
Adrian looked at the clock. Almost midnight, there was no way she would be able to talk her way back into New Downtown this late without the risk of getting mowed down by the sentries. She looked at her fuel gauge. Enough to get back, but not enough to drive around all night. And definitely not enough ammunition to clear a building out and keep them safe.
Mulling over the sound of the voice, it was natural but certainly a recording. Tweakers were known to use synth voices to lure people in, especially where it was harder to find fuel and other supplies. Adrian pulled the car to a stop at a wide four-way intersection and dialed in the directions to the church mentioned. It wasn't far, and they would have enough fuel to get back to New Downtown in the morning.
Adrian flicked a switch behind the turn-indicator and the area surrounding the vehicle ignited in bright white luminescence. Her gaze swept around, and everywhere she turned, there was an undead shambling from the depths of the darkness, attracted to the light. Intuition said there was a 50/50 chance that this was a trap waiting at that old church. But given the current circumstances, it beat the certain death waiting right outside her window.
With a gentle takeoff to avoid the oncoming zombies, Adrian departed for the old church. She'd never been this far outside New Downtown after dark before, and each block farther from the wall made her heart sink more and more. Parastisus was a combination of horrible fates, all rolled into one: part living virus, part digital machination. It didn't matter if you were modded or not, if you got infected, you would end up a part of the walking dead.
The path up to the Bunker Hill quarter of the city departed from the otherwise grid-like layout. It had rolling hills and winding roads. As they climbed up a curving parkway with steep embankments, Adrian advanced slowly, careful not to hit the tumbling undead as they fell from the hill and rolled off the cliff-like retaining walls. Anxiety welled, shivering at the thought of a corpse falling from on-high and leveling the car. She kept a wide berth, driving as far away from the embankments as possible.
Finally at the top of the hill was the green. A small wooden-structured church in a grassy yard with a white-picket fence sat amid a stretch of brick buildings and high rises. The church was relatively well-kept, despite obvious bullet holes in its siding, from roaming gangs' turf wars. The structures around were dilapidated, like everywhere else this far from New Downtown, missing windows and doors. But not the church. It still had stained glass which even now let off a glow from within.
Adrian plotted a course from here back to New Downtown. If this didn't work out, she'd take her chances with the sentries. But the small wooden structure let off the air of invitation. With the flick of the switch, she toggled the area lighting again, searching for threats. The illumination was bright enough to reach the second story of most of the surrounding structures. Nothing. No movement. No noise. Just stillness.
Deciding to take the child with her, Adrian scooped him up, using him as a means to conceal her otherwise exposed, holstered revolver. As they approached the wooden double doors of the church, she focused on her surroundings. Despite the ambient illumination of the church, her eyes were adjusted to the dark enough to spot any threats that might jump from the surrounding structures. With her hand on the ring handle, she paused.
Bringing an ear close to the door, Adrian listened. Part of her said this was foolish. The other part said this was necessary. She took a slow, deep breath and steeled herself. With a firm tug, she yanked on the door. It didn't budge and let out a harsh slam. Panicked, she switched to the other door and yanked, which jostled with the same clatter. Looking around, and wondering if she'd just wandered into a trap, her attention dropped down. She spotted a small plaque just above the handle labeled 'Push'. Taking a moment to calm herself, she did as the sign instructed. The door gave way.
She stepped inside, a vibrant red carpet between rows of wooden pews led up to a small, raised altar at the other side of the room. Simple wooden pillars held a steepled ceiling, braced by ordinary beams. The only ornaments were the raised-frame-stained glass, and a small golden chalice placed upon laced white cloth on the altar afar. With a hand on her pistol, she advanced farther into the church.
"Now, here is someone I would never have expected." The same calm, feminine voice from the radio called out, her voice carried throughout the room.
Adrian's grip on her pistol tightened. She sensed this woman a part of a widower's trap, meant to draw unsuspecting, unscrupulous men to a terrible fate. A common tactic among low-level thugs out here in the ruins.
"Peace for peace. I seek shelter from the night." Adrian evoked the transmitted message, in hopes it was genuine.
"Of course. Please, come." The woman emerged from the shadows of the back room.
Much like Adrian, she had long, flowing raven hair. The stranger wore a black veil and a long but simple and loose crimson dress that reached to her ankles. She had her palms held together in prayer. And also, like Adrian, she had emerald eyes, but the stranger's were much more eerie, piercing. Despite her aged attire, her skin was flawless and pale like an antique porcelain doll.
"What brings you out here to this place, especially at this hour?" The woman sat on a stool set at the base of the steps of the altar. "It isn't much of a place for children. Especially not one traveling with a lone woman."
Adrian didn't want to give anything away and needed to think of something fast. "I was scavenging for food with my son, and we got caught in the night."
The stranger gave a slow, methodical nod. "What a terrible thing this disease is. I remember a time not long ago when this part of town was lively. A peace, greatly longed for." Her eyes scanned Adrian, sized her up. Her face remained restrained, calm.
"I also remember when people had a bit more respect." The stranger hummed. "Put the boy down."
As she spoke, a flood of heavily armored soldiers piled into the church from every door, their dark bullet proof vests embossed with golden strips of light pierced the darkness all around. They had full ballistic masks and helmets, bearing automatic rifles. Several of them bore shields and pistols.
Numerous rifle targeting lasers danced all over Adrian's white tank top as she gripped her revolver.