Were Apocalypse
Chapter 9:
Lyall Remembers
For a moment, the group remained in darkness for a long time. Faolan did not know for how long exactly; he only learned of the threat SEER issued just minutes before. Suddenly, the power came back, and the monitors flickered to life. Along with the lights came the sounds of an alarm blaring throughout the building. Row pushed a few buttons on the console, and as the screen displayed the threat, dread fell on the entire group. Though Faolan did not know precisely why.
“What is it?” Faolan asked as the monitor displayed a topographical map of the region, accompanied by a red blinking light moving across the screen.
“Quickly, we must go! NOW!” Row said as she led them out the same door they came through. They ran down the hall after her.
“What?! What’s wrong?!” Faolan said as he grabbed Pip’s hand.
“We have a missile inbound. We need to evacuate now! Quickly! In here!” Row said as she opened the door, and they ran into what looked to be a spacious cockpit.
“How much time do we have?” Atlas asked as he and the others strapped into their seats.
“Seconds! Hang on!” Row said as she and BEBE took the pilot seats.
“I’ll help, Momma,” BEBE said, flipping switches as the vehicle roared to life. A steering wheel extended out from the console as Row’s robot form reassembled to resemble a young woman with golden blond hair and a form-fitting pilot suit.
Suddenly, Faolan felt the vehicle lurch forward, throwing him back into his seat. He thanked the moon for the seat belt, as he struggled to look forward. Soon, the vehicle roared again as it approached what Faolan thought was a dead end. His heart stopped, and he braced for the impact, but it never came. The end of the tunnel opened before them, light piercing the darkness like a sword, blinding them all except for Row and BEBE.
Faolan felt the vehicle lift off the ground before landing on massive wheels and raced south from the cathedral. They had made it only a few thousand feet before the missile hit the building. An enormous explosion rocked the area as the shockwave raced out in all directions. Faolan looked back and saw the debris wall approaching them at godlike speed.
“Faster!” Faolan yelled as Row stepped down harder on the pedal, the vehicle accelerating faster. However, the debris wall crept ever closer still. Soon, it was merely inches from their rear, threatening to overtake them at any second. Suddenly, all the windows were shut, with some kind of metal plating, except for the windshield, through which the plating left a narrow gap for Row and BEBE to see through.
Instantly, the debris slammed into the vehicle like a battering ram, launching it high into the air. Faolan remembered tumbling end over end as mini airbags deployed to help absorb the shock.
“Hang on!” Row said as the vehicle shook violently from the onslaught. In several places, the metal dented in and started to peel off, exposing them to small speckles of debris and fire.
Soon, the vehicle hit the ground with a crunch as it rolled end over end, and everything went black.
Faolan awoke to Lyall kneeling over him, his face an expression of anxiety. “Hey kiddo, you okay?”
Faolan suddenly felt some minor aches across his body and had a nasty cut on his head. He slowly sat up and took an inventory of his faculties. Other than the injuries mentioned, Faolan could not find anything else wrong.
“What happened? Is everyone okay,” Faolan said as he looked and saw everyone standing around him.
“Damn, pup! You gave us a good scare there,” Atlas said.
Pip knelt down and offered Faolan a hand up, who took it with a smile. “Thank you.”
Those were the only words Faolan could get out, and Pip hugged him. “Don’t you ever scare me like that.”
Faolan wrapped his arms around Pip’s trembling body and said, “I’m sorry. I’m…”
“Shush you dumb wolf,” Pip said as Row approached them.
“We are not safe here. We need to get everyone patched up. Luckily, there is a hospital not far from here. We can get supplies from there if it has not been ransacked already,” Row said as Pip and Faolan separated.
“That was a close call,” Ayden said as he hummed a tune.
“Indeed, but thankfully, this vehicle held,” Lyall said as they looked at it.
“What kind of vehicle is it?” Faolan asked as he gazed at the mangled metal before him.
“Well, it was a minivan before I modified it. I saved it just in case we needed it for such an escape as what we went through. I knew it was only a matter of time before SEER would learn of my location,” Row said.
“Wait, something is not adding up. SEER found you in the deer village, and then he found you on the bridge, and now, he found you with The Shaman Woman. I think you might have a tracker on you, Faolan,” Atlas said as everyone looked at Faolan.
“What?!” Faolan said as he turned this way and that, trying to locate the tracker.
“Hang on! I think I see it,” Pip said as he grabbed Faolan’s tail, whose body froze from the sensation. Pip took something off the tip of Faolan’s tail and held it up for him to see. It looked like a tick except this was metal with a faint red light that pulsed slowly.
“Um, Pip. You might want to let go of his tail, wolves’ tails are extremely sensitive to touch,” Lyall said as Pip noticed the physical changes within Faolan and let go.
Faolan relaxed as the excitement faded away, “Whew, that was close.”
“Well, that’s good to know for later,” Pip said as he smiled at Faolan, who simply melted.
“All right you two, enough of the googly eyes,” Atlas said as he patted Faolan on the back.
“Let me see that tracker,” Ayden said as he brought out a mini tool kit from the inside of his jacket.
“What are you doing?” Row asked as Ayden smiled.
“I’m sending a virus back to SEER. It seems only fair since he tried to wipe us out,” Ayden said.
“No virus can cripple SEER himself,” Row said.
“Oh, that may be so, but I’m not aiming for SEER personally. I’m aiming for his infrastructure. I may not be able to stop him permanently. Still, maybe I can cause him a few headaches,” Ayden said as he produced a little computerized handheld device. He put the tracker into a slot, and an upload bar displaying the progress filled quickly. “There, all done!”
Suddenly, several things happened at once. In the sky, several explosions occurred in a cascading effect. Next, the ground began to rumble from internal explosions, and finally, several drones uncloaked, dropping before them.
“What was all those explosions and why couldn’t we see the drones?” Faolan asked, confused and startled.
“Because my virus sought out his tracking network, which means it wasn’t just the tracker that kept tabs on us, there were several other devices SEER employed to keep us under his eye,” Ayden said with a smirk.
“That is fortuitous, indeed. Because now, it means we can find a place to recover from the crash,” Row said.
“Sardis is not far from here. There is an abandoned small hospital there and we might find supplies.” Lyall said.
“Good because we need more bandages,” Pip said as he finished cleaning the cut on Faolan’s forehead and bandaging it.
“That feels a lot better. Thank you,” Faolan said.
Pip sighed and said, “You dumb wolf.” Pip hugged Faolan and then cleaned up the remnants of the first aid kit.
“Will there be pretty rocks in Sardis,” BEBE asked as everyone giggled.
“I’ll make sure to help you look for some,” Faolan said to BEBE.
“YAY! Thank you, big brother!” BEBE chirped loudly, circling the whole party.
Soon, everyone set off down the road, walking at a slower pace. The air in the group seemed a bit lighter, and perhaps that was partly due to Ayden crippling SEER’s spy network. However, as Faolan observed, the word that best described his feelings in that moment was family. He knew that, except for Lyall, none of the others were related by blood, but still, the sense of family existed within this group. Atlas and Lyall seemed to be conversing about older times when they were younger. Though Faolan noticed they did not seem to age that much.
Suddenly, Faolan felt a bump on the shoulder and noticed Pip walking beside him. “Something on your mind,” Pip asked as Faolan gently held Pip’s hand.
“I was just thinking how beautiful this is right now. All of us together. It may not have been what we planned but it does help,” Faolan said as he felt Pip’s hand tighten around his.
“It does, but I still miss my dad,” Pip said. Faolan put an arm around Pip’s midsection and pulled him close as they walked.
“I expect that you will always miss him, but if you hold him in your heart, then he will never truly be gone,” Faolan said.
“What are you two talking about back there?” Ayden said as he slowed down to let them catch up.
“We’re just noticing the nice atmosphere in the group, and it is a welcome change,” Pip said as Ayden nodded.
“How long is it to Sardis,” Faolan asked as Ayden thought.
“Well, I’d say about an hour or two with us walking,” Ayden said as Faolan nodded.
Within an hour, they arrived at the outskirts of Sardis, where the buildings appeared closer together. Being within the town limits made Faolan nervous and for good reason. Every town and city was an island to itself, seemingly with its own customs, not to mention the dangers. However, the group arrived at the hospital without incident. It was small, and before anyone settled, they all swept the building, ensuring they were indeed alone. Next came the search for medical supplies, and it seemed to Faolan that the place had been cleaned out ages ago. However, to his amazement, Lyall located a few medical packs and some canned food. They all settled down in the morgue, which was deserted but had the only real source of heat from a furnace. Although it was spring, the nights were still chilly enough to require a heat source.
“So, Lyall. How did you escape from the Crocodilians?” Faolan asked as Lyall smiled.
“Ah, now that is a tale, and I will tell it. But first, we need to go back to when Bog met Alpha, your father. It will give greater context for what I’m about to tell you,” Lyall said as Faolan listened intently, leaning against Pip, who leaned back.
“Where to begin? Ah, yes, roughly thirty years ago, your father rescued Bog from a horrible and gruesome fate. Unfortunately, Alpha couldn’t save Bog’s parents who were tortured to death in front of his very eyes. There was no telling how long Bog watched them rip apart is parents piece by piece just because they were predators. Bog was eight at the time and he tried to rescue them, but they held him. At the time, your father and I traveled with our clan. We heard the horrible screams of pain from Bog’s parents, but your grandfather refused to help. Alpha and I sneaked off together, driven by a powerful moral compass. I provided the distraction by setting those scoundrels houses on fire. Your father, even though he was ten at the time, was a capable fighter. He quickly took out the people holding Bog and got him out of there. We found a clan of Crocodilians not far from where our clan hunted and roamed, leaving with a relative for which I can’t remember what relation,”
“Do you remember who the people were?” Pip asked as Lyall looked at him.
“Actually, they didn’t look like any creatures I recognized before, they looked like werebeasts but had a metallic shine to them,” Lyall said, staring off if he looked at something in the distance.
“That… sounds like SEER,” Atlas said as Lyall snapped out of his thoughts.
“Possibly. However, at the time, your father and I only got a glimpse of them. We never saw them after that. However, he is the most important detail. Bog and Alpha imprinted onto one another that day without meaning too. And before you ask, yes, Alpha married your mother, but no one knew what happened to her. She disappeared shortly after you were born, and we have not heard from her in a long time,” Lyall said as this revelation hit Faolan hard.
“But wait! Bog is a monstrous murderer. He slaughtered countless lives,” Faolan said as his blood began to boil.
“I know. But, you also have to understand that Bog is a soldier, and to him, orders are absolute. However, I believe there is a crack in the armor. Bog and Alpha developed a good relationship, often hunting together and engaging in several other activities that I will not mention at this time. Unfortunately, as time went on, they grew more distant, weighed down by the pressures of each of their clans bearing down on their shoulders. Alpha could not stand the excessive violence that Bog used with people, even though, to Bog’s credit, he never killed them himself,” Lyall said, recollecting his thoughts for a moment.
“Hang on! Are you really going to say Bog is not a killer, because my father is dead because of him,” Pip said, the tension rising in his voice.
“Oh, hang on now! I didn’t say that. He is just as responsible as SEER is for this chaos but there is a nugget of good in him. Something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Three days ago, he let me go. The last thing he told me was, ‘go take care of that pup, he might be enough to save us all.’ To say I was shocked would’ve been an understatement,” Lyall said as the shock spread across the room.
“What in God’s name is he playing at,” Atlas asked finally.
“I’m not sure. Not yet. But, if I had to hazard a guess. He has is own code for doing things, though I might be wrong,” Lyall said.
“No, I don’t think you’re wrong. Given what you told us about his past and how you two saved Bog from being killed himself, he could be simply repaying the debt,” Row said as Lyall nodded.
“Perhaps. But here is the most vital detail. I have reason to believe Alpha is alive and is being held prisoner,” Lyall said as Faolan’s heart stopped.
Faolan, for the longest time, believed his parents to be dead. But now, here was Lyall telling him that his father was possibly alive. If there was any chance of seeing his father again, Faolan would do it without hesitation. Faolan breathed, “he’s… alive?”
“I believe so yes. Here is my reasoning. Bog is chieftain of the Crocodilians and as ruthless as he is, he does not kill without purpose. And the fact that Bog imprinted on to Alpha will make it physically impossible for him to kill his mate,” Lyall said.
Faolan stood up and paced the room, “Then we need to rescue him. We have to put a stop to SEER, but if there is a chance of saving my father than we must do it.”
“Whoa, hang on! We are talking about marching into enemy territory to rescue someone who might not even be there. We need to use our wits if we are to save your father. But first, we need to verify that he is there,” Ayden said. Faolan ran his hands through the fur on his head.
“Alright, but every second we waste is another second someone else could do something,” Faolan said, frustrated.
“Ayden is correct. We need a plan or we will die within seconds,” Atlas said as Lyall smiled.
“I might just have one,” Lyall said.
“All right, grand master. What’s your plan,” Atlas said as Lyall looked at him.
“To stuff you full of what’s good for you! Now please, let me explain. Ayden, you are correct that we need to verify that Alpha is actually there at the facility. That is why, when we get closer to the Croc’s stronghold, we will send you and BEBE in to verify that Alpha is there,” Lyall said as Atlas huffed.
“You’re sending my daughter into a dangerous situation. If she is caught, she could be killed,” Row said.
“Very unlikely. Most crocs see AI as gods and will not dare to mess with BEBE out of fear that SEER will kill them. Plus, Ayden being with BEBE will seem less suspicious than if he went alone,” Lyall said.
“Yes, but you are forgetting one thing. SEER just tried to kill BEBE with a missile,” Faolan said as Lyall looked at him.
“Maybe, but now I’m not so sure. He could have just sent the missile without ever telling us and we would’ve never known. Not that Row’s equipment could not detect the missile incoming, but no, I think SEER was flexing his might,” Lyall said.
“For what reason?” Pip asked, his barely discernible.
“To frighten us, I should think,” Lyall said, staring up at the ceiling in thought.
“Well, it kind of worked. I know I’m quite scared, but regardless, I will do whatever it takes to stop SEER and the Crocodilians,” Faolan said with a voice shifting from uneasiness to confidence. Pip put a hand on Faolan’s shoulder and smiled warmly at the wolf, who returned the smile.
“I still do not like this plan. I just only got my daughter back and now you want to send her into harms way again,” Row said, sounding anxious as BEBE lightly bumped her.
“Don’t worry, momma. I’ll be with Ayden and you know he’s good at protecting me. Besides, I can defend myself,” BEBE chirped.
Row stared at her daughter for the longest time before finally, she sighed and said, “find, but I’m coming with you. I can try to disrupt their video surveillance at the very least.”
“Then, that is settled. Once you verify that Alpha is actually there, then we will move in to retrieve him,” Lyall said as everyone nodded.
“Now, it’s late, and I need my beauty sleep. Faolan, you’re first on watch,” Atlas said as Faolan nodded.
Faolan was not sleepy anyway. The dreams had stopped for some reason, but still sleep eluded him, and he suspected it was due to high stress. He went out to the hospital lobby. He sat down on top of the desk, sitting rigid like a gargoyle overlooking a courtyard. He looked up and saw a massive hole in the ceiling, revealing a dark sky full of stars, and said, “Hello again dear friends, I know it’s been a while since I last spoke with you, but as you may have witnessed, things are not going well. This whole ordeal with my father and finding Lyall, that in itself is almost too much. But now Bog might actually be not as bad as I first thought he was. What am I to do? I never wanted this immense power. The only thing I wish for tonight and for the rest of my life is to live happily with Pip. That’s all I ask for.”