Eugene cracked his knuckles. “Looks like they haven’t learned their lesson. Chuck, Charlie Seven, Charlie Eight—get your weapons up and prepare to move.”
The androids rose up from between their legs like monstrous crabs, and the miniguns mounted to their shoulders clacked into the ready position. Yuri and Kacen opened the makeshift compartments that had been welded to the androids’ backs and lowered in additional cases of ammunition, and Eugene tested the settings on his Augmented Reality glasses. The drone’s footage fed directly into a tiny screen at the corner of his vision, and the integrated targeting system began highlighting the Afflicted soldiers with red boxes.
Eugene inhaled through his nose and out through his mouth. He massaged his neck, rolled his shoulders forward and back, and grabbed one knee at a time to stretch his hips. “If I don’t come back, Nicole’s in charge.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Kacen said. “We’re going with you.”
Eugene shouldered his rifle and grinned at his teammate. “I’m the only one with bulletproof underwear, so you’re staying right here.” He gave Kacen a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in five minutes, and these guys will be running with their tails between their legs. Just watch.”
Kacen looked skeptical, but Eugene didn’t give him a chance to argue. He tucked the metamaterial cowl under his chin, waved Chuck and the Charlies forward, and ran outside.
His ankle protested the sudden movement at first, but his heart was pumping hard and adrenaline was flooding his system. After fifteen strides, the pain was gone, and he was primed for action.
“Chuck, take the lead. Twenty-meter interval at my 10 o’clock.”
“Proceeding, sir.” The android galloped forward, a little less graceful than usual due to the extra weight, but still easily passing Eugene.
“Charlies Seven and Eight, I want you to fight for the right flank. Move east of the gate, find some high ground, and give those bastards a shower.
“Roger. Proceeding, sir.”
Eugene raised his rifle and waited for the first Afflicted to appear in his crosshairs. “When I start shooting, give them everything you’ve got.” His breathing was more labored than usual—no doubt due to the lack of sleep. He slowed his pace until his reticle stopped bouncing, and his finger moved toward the trigger.
The gate was in view. A few more strides, and the firefight would begin. But something was wrong. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a green light.
Eugene slowed to a trot, assuming the green light was coming from his AR glasses. But the lenses were clear. In fact, they were too clear. The drone feed, the heads-up data, and the red target boxes were gone. Eugene slid to a halt and stared straight up. It was the sky. And it wasn’t just green, it was dark red, purple, orange, and turquoise—undulating and shimmering like oil on a gentle sea.
“Chuck, are you seeing this?”
There was no response.
“Chuck?” Eugene’s breath caught in his chest. “Chuck!”
The android was stumbling, first to the left, then the right, its legs barely keeping it above the ground. It’s arms spasmed, twisting at unnatural angles, and the minigun turrets mounted to its shoulders pointed straight up.
“Pro—Pro—ceed—ing…”
“Chuck!” Abandoning any thought of self-preservation, Eugene ran to the android’s side and stood in full view of the Afflicted. He tried to catch the android, but it was too heavy. It slipped through his grasp and crashed onto the asphalt. Eugene knelt and pounded the android’s chest. “Wake up, dammit. I need you!”
Laughter broke out at the leading edge of the Afflicted—a single man’s guttural laugh.
Eugene stood and stared at the formation of soldiers as they came to a stop directly outside the gate. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a bronze face marred by pink scars moved to the front of the formation and wiped a tear from his eye.
“This,” the man said, “is a memory I will treasure for a long time.” He threw his head back and raised his hands toward the sky. “The new dawn has come. A thousand nuclear warheads have been destroyed, freeing the world from fear and severing the chains of technology. The electromagnetic pulse has rendered your weapons of war completely inert. Even the rifle in your hand is—”
The rifle bucked against Eugene’s shoulder, and he watched flesh and bone spray into the air above the man’s head. Unlike other members of the Hillcrest Security Team, Eugene preferred to carry older weapons with mechanical triggers. They weren’t as fast or precise as weapons with electric triggers, but they were reliable.
As soon as the shot rang out, the mass of Afflicted surged forward. Eugene didn’t look twice to confirm his kill, and he didn’t empty his magazine into the crowd. He simply turned and ran.
Ashley Forest, South Carolina
Kayla descended the spiral staircase three steps at a time, gripping the railing to keep from falling. When she reached the landing, she ran to the far end of the hallway and opened the door.
Phoebe sat on the bed with her grandchildren around her. The woman’s arms were wrapped around the children, and she was whispering to them softly.
“Phoebe?” Kayla asked, taking a tentative step into the room.
The woman glanced up, and for the first time in two weeks, her eyes were clear and alert. “It’s okay. I’ll watch the children. Don’t worry about me.”
Above their heads, Eric’s rifle cracked like a bullwhip. The grandchildren flinched, but Phoebe remained steady. She had never stepped foot on a battlefield before, but a lifetime spent married to a security contractor had taught her how to cope with worry. “It’s all right, kids. You can trust Uncle Eric and Aunt Kayla to take care of us. Everything will settle down in a few minutes. You’ll see.”
A tremendous weight fell from Kayla’s shoulders. Having Phoebe lucid was an incredible blessing, and she couldn’t find the words to adequately express her thanks. So she simply said, “Thank you, Phoebe.” Then, with a wry smile, she added, “I’m getting you some food, and I want you to eat every bit of it.”
She ran to the kitchen and gathered a heaping portion of leftovers from their Christmas Eve dinner, then she piled four cinnamon rolls on top for the kids.
When she returned to the room, she placed the plate on the end table and smiled at Tommy, the youngest of the grandchildren. “Your grandma’s right. It’ll all be over soon, and we can get back to celebrating Christmas, okay?”
Tommy nodded and hid his face in Phoebe’s blouse, clutching his toy race car to his chest.
Kayla left the room and latched the door behind her. She checked a box on her mental checklist then began searching the other rooms, making sure every friend and family member was safe and accounted for.
There was only one person missing. Deedee.
Kayla quickened her pace and passed through the living room to double-check the kitchen. It was empty. She fought to keep her worry under control; it wasn’t like Deedee to wander off during an emergency.
As Kayla passed the refrigerator, she saw the straight, black hair bobbing up and down as Deedee climbed the stairs from the family room.
“Deedee!” Kayla wrapped her in a hug. “Why aren’t you with the children?”