By Scott Stewart
"How are you going to get through there?" Imp was visibly nervous. "They have all that high-tech security computer shit."
"The best thing about computers is that they are pretty dumb." Rabbit pulled Tish into the tunnel and glanced at the time display in the lower corner of his glasses. "Two minutes before the next blast."
"Blast?"
"Yeah," Tish took Imps hand and pulled him along, as it didn't look as if he could make it on his own, "we are in the Incinerator outlet. Every three minutes they vent the air out this way. As long as rabbit keeps an eye on the time, we'll be okay."
"You mean, as in fire?"
"Yep."
Rabbit had to laugh at the sight of a young and well-built man being led by a 12-year-old. "Don't worry, Imp. Our exit is right up here."
Under the city complex laid an old tunnel system that was once part of the aqueducts. The EU construction crew who built the complex was apparently aware of their existence, as they themselves used some of them instead of digging anew for plumbing and the sort. The military, on the other hand, was apparently unaware of their existence, and had not installed any security devices in all but the most obvious tunnels.
"Down here," Rabbit said, wrapping his arms and legs around a pipe and disappearing into the hole. "Don't fall," he called back up, "it's about 80 feet to the bottom."
Tish reached out and grabbed the pipe, securing her laptop to the straps on her back. "We aren't going all the way down. We'll follow these pipes to the East End and surface within the complex there. It's hard to see once you leave the light of the entrance here, so just crawl along and follow the pipes." Then she, too, disappeared.
Imp didn't like tense situations. Imp didn't like the unknown. Imp didn't like the dark.
"30 seconds!" Rabbits voice called up from the hole.
Imp liked getting fried even less.
Beneath the complex was a world alive with sound. Pipes hissed and buzzed and vibrated. In the distance, a few exposed bundles of fiber-optic cable flickered with a million points of lights as countless bits and bytes passed by the three crawling intruders. And there was life here too.
The pipes themselves were covered in a slippery fungus that seemed to secrete an even slimier fluid when crushed. 60 feet below, the sound of thousands and thousands of frogs, insects, and bats echoed throughout this hidden labyrinth.
Imp was immensely pleased when they eventually reached a point where the pipes angled up and back into the complex.
"Gas palace we call this room." Tish said, waving a hand at the many pipes and valves covering almost every inch of the 2-and-a-half acre room. "This is where all the gas is regulated that eventually goes into the incinerators."
"Who regulates it?"
"Computers. They only send someone down here when something goes wrong."
Rabbit removed a small robotic mouse from his overcoat. "This is Elvis." He sat the mouse on the ground and removed a control mechanism from the pack on his back. "I have Direct Imaging Optics in my glasses here. It projects the images from its eyes directly onto my retinas. Once I get him to a local Port Jack, I can jack right into their comps. Tish will take it from there." Rabbit sat down and Elvis vanished through the door.
"Patrols have walked right by Elvis before." Tish removed her laptop and began to boot up. "Vermin this far down is the norm."
"What's the point here?" Imp needed a cigarette really bad, but considering what was flowing through the pipes a mere 6 inches in front of him....
"Cameras." Tish Replied. "It's simple. They store all their images digitally. Each pass the Camera makes is assigned a value that is equal to the time and date the camera began that pass. All we have to do is jack into the cameras we will be passing, find a clean pass, and create a loop to a pre-recorded image. So the camera ops will still see an image that moves with the rotation of the camera, it'll just be the same image over and over."
"Must be careful of two things," Rabbit interrupted. "First, there can't be anything that moves, such as a person, or even a visible insect, in the image." Rabbit paused for a moment, obviously occupied with Elvis. "Two, have to re-activate the camera to normal operation before we leave. If they find out what we are doing, then we'll get busted when next we attempt to do it. Tish, ready?"
"Sure thing, Rab. Patch me in."
The Laptop chirped once or twice as it accessed a few files from the hard drive. Tish began her systematic search for a clean sweep while Rabbit stretched in preparation for the run ahead. "Don't want to be overlong, no matter how safe we deem it is." He stated.
Imp was feeling a bit better now, since his two companions had obviously done this many times before. "Why go through all this trouble?"
"What do you think our purpose is here, Imp?"
"To cause damage?"
Rabbit sighed and leaned against pipe, and immediately jerked back. "Hot. No, no damage. We try to get in and out without being noticed. All we are doing is deactivating the local security apparatus in and around the food and ammo storage areas. The other teams will then get our food for the month, and some ammo. It's not like the EU will give us jobs or anything. Or even let us live. We have to eat."
"Sorry, still don't know that much about your little operation here."
"If you want to be one of us, you'll have to learn pretty fast. It's nothing really difficult, just a bit on the dangerous side."
"No shit. About those images things...are the dates or ummm...values or whatever displayed on the Ops screen?"
"No. It's just the way the computer stores them. Older systems that used video-recording devices had to use on screen displays, as there was simply no other means to tell when an image was recorded. With this digital stuff, all you have to do is type in the date and time you are looking for, and the computer will call up the image."
"Sounds like you two have this all worked out. Why do you need me?"
"Every since we lost Raven a few years back, Team Blue has been short one member. We try to keep at least three people on a team for safety reasons."
"Raven was you’re.... Wife?"
"Sister. And her mother."
"Sorry to hear that. What went wrong?"
"She ran into a patrol that was about to surprise us. The only way to stop us all from being caught was to have them follow her, as she was the only one who knew they were there. She never made it. The gunshot was what warned us of their presence."
Tish was visibly uncomfortable about the discussion going on. "I've got a clean for 43,2 and 43,6 and it appears that 43,4 is offline, and has been for about 32 hours. Do you want me to clean it just in case?"
"I don't think that is necessary. I'm not sure if that will feed an image into the Ops or not. Imagine the look on the Ops face when the camera comes back online without any repairs being done."
"Very true."
"Imagine the look on the Ops face when the camera becomes operational again and he sees us." Imp interjected.
"That's what these are for," Rabbit said, passing a large hand pistol to Imp. "9mm standard issue. With a steady aim it will stop a person at 40 yards."
"What about the Cybs?"
"That's what this big thing on my back is for. It's a rail-gun. Fires a small metallic round that is electrically charged as it leaves the chamber. We call the round Ball Lightning for obvious reasons. It'll short any electrical device that it hits. Including the brain."
"Sounds evil."
"Really, it does. Has a very unique sound to it. Only problem is that each round uses so much voltage that it can only carry enough charge to fire 6 rounds."
"Bummer. No magazines?"
"No. The battery is far too large."
"Okay," Tish said, closing the laptop, "all is clear. Let's go."
"Sure this is safe?"
Rabbit was already out the door. Tish patted Imp on the arm and smiled sweetly up at him. "Course it isn't."
* * *
'The Wall' loomed about a quarter mile before them. It was almost midnight out, and there was no moon, but it was still easily visible. There were no lights other than those at the gatehouse, but those were for the benefit of the officers stationed there.
"Team Blue will be contacting us as soon as they have deactivated the local security around the storage houses. We have to be ready to move as soon as we get the call." Minx tied her hair back, and glanced around at Team Six.
There was Smitty, a small black man with a way for fixing anything with a motor, though his electronic skills were somewhat absent. In fact, he was somewhat stupid all-around, but he was a good friend, and cold as blue steel under fire.
His brother, Crib, was a more intellectual type person who enjoyed being challenged and welcomed the chance to get into some deep discussion. He was stronger than his brother many times over, but lacked the ingenuity and improvisational skills that were Smittys strongest attributes.
Puppy. If ever there was a real-life Rambo, it was Puppy. He liked to confront things head-on, and this was as much his biggest problem as it was his best attribute. Minx constantly thanked the heavens that he was so polite and sympathetic to others, with the exception of anyone having anything to do with the EU. His past was a secret he had made clear that he wouldn't talk about. His Jewish ancestry was the one thing from his past he was proud of, and he adhered to all the laws with the strict discipline of a true believer.
Tracy. Imps sister. She was a white 23-year-old female with no extraordinary features. They had yet to decide on a name for her, as she was so quiet and avoided unneeded social interaction. Most that was known about her was what Imp had said. They were once part of another leach-group called 'Vector Three' that was raided by the EU. Imp and Tracy escaped by the pure chance that they were collecting firewood at the time. Tracy obviously knew how to handle herself in a combat situation. Minx sensed that there was a flame of hatred for the EU burning deep within her, and hoped that she would be able to use that as a resource rather than a burden.
Minx herself was one of the few Native Americans left a pureblooded Navaho with great pride for her race. At the age of 36 she was easily the oldest in the entirety of the Raven Group. She was the best marksman as well, able to hit anything within a guns accurate range, and sometimes even further.
It had once again occurred to Minx that the only reason most of them where here was because of their refusal to surrender their heritage or their religion to the 'One World System' imposed by the EU. Once thing she had noticed about all the Leach groups she had known was that whites were indeed the minority.
"Are we going over that?" Tracey asked. "Or around it?"
Minx sniffed the wind as it blew in from the southwest. The Cacti were blooming already. "It surrounds the entire city complex, there is no going around it. Over it would be suicide. Through it would be too difficult."
"So?"
"Under it. The Old light rail system. It isn't used anymore, and in fact they collapsed the tunnels. You can still get through, though. Only just. Have to leave the sleds behind."
"I don't like them anyway. No wheels."
"Magnetic Differential."
"What?"
"I'll explain later. Basically, the sleds pull themselves up using fluctuating magnetic fields. It works, that's all that matters." Minx scanned the wall with her Binocs, and then passed them to Tracy. "See the distance margins on the side? Find the 315 point."
"Right in front of us."
"Right. That's the extent of the infrared detectors. Step past that line and we'll be exploring the Afterlife, so remember where it is."
"I'll just follow you. We get the food and go?"
"Gotta get a way to get the food out, as we sure aren't going to carry a months supply of food. The Knight Team will take care of that for us. They'll be meeting us in front of the storage area with a truck, so don't start shooting anything that moves."
"Where are they getting the truck?"
"They are borrowing it," Puppy replied. "Minx, time to hit the tracks. The Blues'll have those security bits taken care of in about 5 minutes."
"Right." Minx shouldered her gun and turned once again to Tracey. "It'll be fun. Trust me."
* * *
"He's still there," Imp whispered, looking through the scope on his rifle, "and it doesn't look like he's going to be moving anytime soon. Want me to take him out?"
"No." Rabbit pulled Imp back down. "That'll get us caught for sure. We aren't here to save the world, just to get some food. We'll just have to go another direction."
"I'm working on the maps now, Rab."
"Good girl. Try and not make us do too much backtracking."
"Duhh."
"Hey Rab?" Imp pointed to the ceiling with the nose of his gun. "What about those vents?"
"That old trick? Sure, if you can squeeze through the 9"x5" opening. These people aren't stupid."
"There isn't a larger outlet somewhere?"
"No. Tried that once before. We'll have to do with just completely re-routing our path."
"Guess again." Imp was looking through the scope again.
"He move?"
"Yeah."
"Good, let's go before he comes back."
"Ummm....Rab?"
"Yeah?"
"He's moving this way, and he has friends."
"The Camera." Tish stomped her foot. "Damnit."
"Either they know we are here," Rabbit checked the clip on his gun, "or they don't. But let's not advertise our presence. We can make a sprint back to the Palace. Let's go."
"Right."
Tish took the lead as Imp followed behind her, with Rabbit lagging some distance behind to close up the rear. The trip back to the Gas Palace was uneventful, and the Team slowed to a fast walk to allow Tish to re-activate the cameras as they passed each one, and Rabbit pulled Elvis from the Port as he passed.
Once back in the hole under the Gas Palace, the Team weighed the available options.
"We can pretty much assume that they had no idea we were there," Tish said optimistically. "Perhaps they had come to repair the camera, or some other maintenance. Or a simple patrol beat."
"Possibly." Rabbit leaned his head over the catwalk of pipes the team was precariously balanced on and dropped a shell, listening for the soft thud in the moist earth some 60 feet below. He was obviously annoyed. If he couldn't get the security down, then the whole mission would have to be postponed. "But I don't think the risk is worth it." He mumbled to himself. "Not tonight."
"That the call?" Tish shinned the light on Rabbits face, making him feel all the more on the spot.
"Yeah. Abort." But he didn't move just yet. "They probably have no idea we were there, like you said. But I still don't want to take that risk. We can hold for a few more days. We aren't in the red yet."
"Right."
* * *
It was disappointing news, but at least the Raven group knew when a risk outweighed the potential benefits. And that fact alone separated them from any of the other Leach Groups she had known. Minx and the rest of Team Six had been waiting inside the old Westpoint Station for the call that the security was down. Now they turned back into the tunnel, on their way out.
"This happen often?" Tracey asked.
"It's not uncommon. We still don't like it though." Minx wasn't really that upset. The walk was at least pleasant, and she was still working a sprained ankle off besides. She hadn't been looking forward to the running that was required to reach the Storage Bin in the required time window. "That's why we don't wait till we have only a few days left of food before we make a first attempt to resupply. A raid can be postponed if any one of us feels that it is more unsafe that is necessary."
"I guess that's a good thing."
Smitty came up beside them, and remained silent for a moment, keeping his light on the tracks. The tunnel had been collapsed in three places, and someone had dug a small passage through the rubble some time before the Raven Group had even discovered the tunnel existence. Between the first and second rubbles, the remains of an old electric tram engine and a few passenger cars sat sideways on the track.
Smitty had shown interest in them several times before, and had even asked to be brought down into the tunnel on one occasion just to inspect them. The cars themselves had deteriorated quickly after 29 years in the damp cold air of the tunnel. Moss and other fungi covered both the interior and exteriors of the cars, and the windows were either busted or so dirty that they served little use.
The engine, being electrical, had faired only marginally better. Rabbit had inspected the engine and determined that, with a lot of work, it could be repaired. The problem was that the train had drawn its electricity from a rail alongside the actual track, and the rail was now dead. He had stated that it might be possible to either provide an onboard electrical supply, or allow Smitty to convert it to a fuel-burning engine.
The idea of an active track underneath the EUs own complex excited everyone, but the simple reality was that it would be extremely difficult to both pull it off, and remain undetected. Still, it was an idea that they occasionally toyed with.
"Could always use a hand-cart," Smitty said sullenly, as he fell back to the flank of the group.
"And miss the pleasant walk?" Minx called back.
* * *
"We were already inside the complex, and within 200 yards of the Depot." Jason was sucking dryly on his pipe between his sentences. He had quit actually smoking it some weeks ago, but still kept it packed and in his mouth.
The entire group was sitting just a few miles away from the complex, on top of a small ridge, so that the complex was just a square of multi-colored lights in the distance. "Couldn’t believe it when it was called off," Jason continued, "That had to be the easiest infiltration I've seen in a long time. We didn't see a single soul the entire time."
Jason Knight was a light-hearted young man of the age of 19. If things had been different, he could have easily worked the comedy clubs. As it was, he was one of the strongest links in keeping the Group together. His humor was never misdirected, and often was subtle enough to only add a little needed levity to a subject without actually treating it as one big joke. Most of the time, as now, he merely laughed his complaints off.
His brother, James, usually made up for his brothers optimistic views with more than his share of comments. This night, however, he remained silent, and appeared to be on the verge of sleep when Snoopy offered him a light for the cigarette he had been holding for some time. James was older than his brother by 2 years was, though by appearance the opposite would seem true. Both were fair skinned, though not as much so as Tish and Rabbit. James appeared as if he had suddenly ceased to grow at around the age of 17 or so, though was rather broad a muscular. Jason, though of smaller build, was noticeably taller, and a bit fuller in the face, which led to the illusion of seniority over his older brother.
Snoopy, the other member of the Knight Team, was a mutt and proud of it. He had often challenged anyone to guess his ancestry, and knew little of it himself. He was either a dark white person or a light black person. It was difficult to tell. Or maybe he was Mexican? He certainly had a little Asian in him, but this was only noticeable from his eyes. The fact was, no one was sure what Snoopy was. Other than an expert at explosives. And a damn good chef.
"Place does seem rather docile tonight, doesn't it?" Minx mused. The sky was clear, and though not uncomfortable, there was a slight chill to the air. The desert is a contrasting world. Hot during the day, cold at night. When it was dry, it was scorched. When it rained, it flooded. Minx was at ease with the desert. It wasn't a part of her so much as she was a part of it.
This night was different. Everything was too still. The wind blew lightly, but it was more of a timid breeze than a sure and confident wind. Or maybe it was just her perception.
"I enjoyed the walk, though. Being immobile for the past few days has been hell." Minx scratched her ankle absently. "I guess we'll be back for another round in the usual 2 days, unless Rabbit calls it for tomorrow."
"Why me?" Rabbit didn't exactly like decisions.
"Just thought since you were the one who called it off..." Minx let it hang. It was apparent that they were all tired. Jason's Sand Sled had blown a line on the way there, which had caused a 2-hour delay. It was late, and they all wanted to get home.
Home. Minx had often marveled at their luck in finding shelter. They resided in a 50's era fallout shelter, which was extremely well hidden in the middle of the ruins of some old government test facility. The actual name had been forgotten, but someone somewhere had claimed that it was something like 'Lost Alamo' or something.
Rabbit lay his head on the handlebars of his sled as Tish climbed onto the seat behind him and gripped tightly. "Tomorrow, don't think so. Day after. Something is not right here."
"Yeah." Jason was climbing onto his sled. "Too easy."
Minx wasn't going to argue with that. They mounted their sleds and rode west, just as the moon was rising in the east.
* * *
Jason opened the thick metal door and entered a large, low-ceilinged room. A door in the back of the room led to rabbit’s quarters, and a door on the right wall to Tishes. This large room was lined on all four walls with computers and monitors. None of these worked, and were only scavenged for parts. The only working computers were situated on a series of tables and desks placed in an L shape in the center of the room.
"Morning Jason." Rabbit didn't have to look up from his work. He was always the first one up, followed soon after by Jason, who always carried fresh coffee down to him.
"Morning, Rabbit. Anything worth mentioning?"
Rabbit sipped the coffee, and flipped on a recording without saying a word. It was broken, and filled with static and pops, but it was audible.
"The experiment is almost ready to proceed. We are awaiting official confirmation that the devices are in place, and then we'll leave before the tests begin. All but a small security force and the head physicist have left."
At this point, a high-pitched whine entered the recording, and nothing else was audible.
"Experiment." Jason rubbed at his chin. "Can't say I exactly like the way that sounds."
"Especially considering that they have to evacuate."
"Maybe they have a rodent problem?"
Rabbit laughed. He wasn't all that concerned about the experiment, as they were a full 50 miles away. But the complex was by far the closest source of food. He assumed that if it were evacuated, there'd be no food there. Or if there were, it would be unsafe. "Have to run back up to Groom Lake for food, I guess. Least until we figure out what the deal is here."
Jason raised his hand and backed away. "Not today, my friend. Have you seen the weather?"
"I haven't been out, but the Doppler out of the Complex looks pretty messy."
"Just be glad this place is watertight."
Rabbit turned back to his work. "Yeah.
© Immortal Publications Inc.
Immortal Publications, Immortal Stories and The eBards Hearth are trademarks
owned by Immortal Publications, a Maryland publishing company. All rights reserved.
Send questions and comments to webmaster@immortalpublications.com