Wasteland Rules: Born to Fight (The World After Book 2) (22 page)

   Rora snorted and stuck her hand out to the
computer genius and maneuvered Derek aside. They exchanged pleasantries and
obviously hit it off. The other mission specialist continued to give Derek a
dirty look until they turned around. Derek had embarrassed him and tried to
move in on what he saw as his territory. There would probably be trouble later,
but for now Derek needed to focus on the mission.

   “Okay, time to get to the actual mission.” The
commander said, bringing the focus back to him. “In three days we are going to
launch this shuttle and deliver Major Storm and Rora to Olympus Station. Once
on board they will complete their delivery and then we will return to Earth. We
believe that the defensive systems will be disabled and that we will be able to
attach to the station, but that we will have to breach the outer hull or
hopefully an airlock. It’s pretty simple really. Any questions?”

   “How are the defenses going to be disabled?” The
blond mission specialist asked with a Southern accent.

   “That is need to know, Johnson.” The commander
replied. “And unfortunately you don’t have a need to know. You just have to
trust me on this one.”

   “I have a need to know if I’m going to get blown
out of the sky!” Johnson replied angrily.

   “Let it go.” The pilot instructed him, placing a
hand on his arm.

   Johnson snatched his arm away from the pilot and
glared at him and the commander. Rora stifled a laugh and Anna was shaking her
head in bemusement. Apparently, angry outbursts from the blond mission
specialist were nothing new. Derek wondered why they kept this guy around, he
seemed like a hothead. Derek had sacrificed a lot for this mission, it had
better succeed.

   “I’m more concerned about where we will we be
landing?” Colonel Brandt asked. “The normal shuttle landing spots are in Texas
and L.A. None of which are exactly friendly territory.”

   “That is an excellent point.” Commander Khodorov
agreed. “We will probably land in Texas, but we cannot negotiate with them
until the mission is finished. We don’t want to take the risk of the Collective
finding out our plans.”

   “And if they won’t let us land or want some
ridiculous concessions?” The pilot pressed.

   “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
The commander informed him. “This is a very crucial mission; our entire future
depends on it. You three were picked because you are the best. If you want out
we can go with your backups…”

    As the silence stretched, Anna jumped in and finally
spoke. “We are in Commander. Whatever it takes. After all, we are the best.
Right guys?”

   Derek was impressed. She had managed to force
them into agreeing. If they backed out now because they were afraid and she
went, they looked very weak and their reputations would suffer. Their pride
would force them to go through with the mission. Colonel Brandt still looked
unconvinced, but nodded his head yes. Johnson must have been trying to impress
Anna, because he gave a loud resounding yes. The commander smiled and then
started to hand out assignments.

   Derek had hoped Anna would be their teacher, but
as luck would have it; Johnson was going to be their tutor. They were going to
work on how wear the space suits, and practice EVA in the pool. The plan called
for them to breach an airlock on one of the docking arms, but you always needed
to be prepared. Rule #15. Derek was scuba certified and had plenty of
experience with diving and underwater operations, so this part would probably
be a breeze. Then maybe some time with Anna.

June 23, 2029

Training Facility in the NASA Complex Cape
Canaveral, FL

   The next day and a half had been a blur for Derek
and Rora. All their time had been spent in intensive training. They had spent
the first day reviewing all the shuttle procedures and systems. Everything from
what to do in an emergency, which boiled down to stay out of the way; to how to
eat in zero gravity. Shuttle etiquette was discussed, including who got to sit
in what seats. Derek was bored out of his mind and quickly became agitated.
Rora on the other hand soaked it up like a sponge and was the star pupil.

   He was relieved when they finally got to the
underwater training. It might be boring but at least he got to move around.
Johnson pushed them hard, but Derek skillfully completed every task without
difficulty. His previous training for the Special Forces had included scuba
instruction and advanced snorkeling techniques, along with underwater
demolitions. That only served to make the blond mission specialist more hostile
to him, and the man just couldn’t let it go. Rora did surprisingly well; her
ability to remember everything she was told and learn quickly again made her
the star pupil. Derek could see her having a home here when this mission was
done. She fit right in.

   All the training kept him from getting to spend
any time with Anna, which was a huge disappointment. Even during mealtimes they
were training, with the crew members peppering them with questions about their
training. Rora answered every single one correctly and Derek was a little
jealous. He was used to being the alpha; but while he was intelligent, school
had never been his thing. It was good to see her happy, she had moped on the
entire ride back to the complex. She had taken the death of her young soldier
friend hard.

   He had to admit it was very nice here. There was
fresh food and clean water. A soft bed to sleep in and a hot shower every day.
You could sleep and not worry about being eaten or having your throat slashed.
He was going to get spoiled if he stayed here much longer. After this was over,
he would leave; but he was pretty sure that Rora would stay.

   At the end of the second day, the commander had
approached Derek privately. “Major, I need to speak with you about an important
issue.”

   “Sure thing commander, what’s up?” Derek replied
casually.

   “We have a problem with the launch.” The
commander told him very seriously.

   “What kind of problem?” Derek asked slowly.

   “The main command and control module is damaged.”
The commander explained. “All the systems run through this module and we cannot
launch without it.”

   “How long will it take to fix?”

   “That’s the problem, it cannot be repaired. Once
they are damaged they have to be replaced.”

   “So replace it.” Derek said quietly.

   “Uh, that’s the real issue.” The commander told
him cautiously. “They are very expensive and hard to damage so we don’t keep a
spare just lying around.”

   “So the mission is scrubbed? I made a lot of
sacrifices for this. A lot of people died.” Derek stated angrily.

   “Well, we could get a replacement. We know where
one is…” The commander replied cautiously.

   “Where?” Derek asked, already knowing he wasn’t
going to like the answer.

   “Right before the Collapse we had one shipped to
the Langley Research Center at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia.”

   “Great, let’s go get it.” Derek interrupted.

   “The problem is that there was a mix up in the
shipping and it was sent to Langley instead.” The commander said nervously.

   “As in the CIA, that Langley?” Derek asked
incredulously.

   “That is correct.” The commander stated.

   “D.C. took several direct hits from nukes during
the Aftermath.” Derek said loudly. “Hampton would have been bad enough, but you
expect me to go into a serious hot zone and retrieve this module? We don’t even
know if the building is even still standing.”

   “The building is mostly demolished, but the main
operations took place underground.” The commander informed him. “The CIA had a
contingency plan to seal the building in case of nuclear, biological or
chemical attacks. We have it on good authority that everything is still sealed
in below, including the module.”

   “Even if that is true, I will die within hours of
entering the hot zone. Do you expect me to sacrifice myself? And if the
building is sealed how do you plan to gain entrance?” Derek demanded.

   “We have an experimental suit we have been
working on that will protect you from the radiation and any other environmental
hazards.” The commander explained calmly. “We also have an electronic key that
will allow you to hack the seal.”

   “Have you tested these suits and this key?” Derek
asked angrily.

   “Um, not exactly.” The commander said vaguely.
“We have performed lab tests but no field tests. But we are sure they will
work.”

   Derek was not reassured. Washington D.C. had
taken some of the heaviest strikes during the nuclear exchange that started the
Aftermath. Most of the city was rubble and it was incredibly hot. Scientists
had predicted it would be uninhabitable for over a hundred years. It was
believed that some of the warheads had been dirty bombs intended for that
purpose. Norfolk, near Hampton had been hit also, but not anywhere near as
severely. The intent there had been to destroy the Naval Yard there and the
ships in and around it.

   “This mission has to succeed, and this is the
only way we can launch. You need to do this for the good of humanity. Do you
want to be a drone serving the Collective? Please do this.” The commander
implored him.

   “Wait. I thought the techs examined the shuttle
when we collected it?” Derek pointed out.

   “They did…and the module seemed to be fine then.”
The commander answered guardedly.

   “So how did it get damaged?” Derek asked. “Was it
sabotaged by one of your people?”

   “We cannot be sure of that. It is possible the
techs just missed it.”

   “I’ll go get the part, but you need to do
something about your security here. I’m telling you that you have a mole
problem, and I’m tired of that person interfering in my business.” Derek told
him and then stormed out.

June 23, 2029

NASA Complex at Cape Canaveral, FL

   After he calmed down, Derek asked about the
supposed protective suits and was escorted to yet another building in the
complex. This one was smaller and had radiation and hazmat signs on the door.
This had to be the place. He pushed the buzzer on the intercom and looked into
the camera. The door buzzed and unlocked. He entered cautiously, but the two
soldiers providing his escort declined to come inside.

   Inside was totally unlike the organized and
sterile environments of the other buildings. It was a riotous mess of equipment
and gear scattered all around in a seemingly random way. Things hung from the
ceiling and were piled haphazardly in the corners. Empty food containers lay
open and filled with partially eaten food. Soda cans sat on almost every flat
surface. Oh yes, Derek had found the geeks. If pizza still existed there would
probably have been empty pizza boxes everywhere as well. Actually, he was
impressed they had soda, which was fairly hard to come by. Although maybe not
here.

   “Back here…” A voice called from somewhere in the
mess.

   Derek followed the sound of the voice through a
maze of tools and work areas until he came to an open area in the back. Two
young men sat there with huge smiles on their faces. One was sandy haired with
a heavy beard and glasses, and the other was Hispanic and had long, dark hair
and a clean shaven face. Both were overweight and pale-looking. He suspected
neither went outside much.

   They sat in comfortable looking office task
chairs next to large workstations with massive computer screens and large
desktop computers. Each had various figurines and toys on display on their
workstations. In between the two of them was a suit hanging suspended from the
ceiling. It was all white, armored, and had an angular helmet that looked
somewhat familiar.

   “Welcome to the Geek Store.” The sandy haired
scientist joked.

   “I’m Antonio and he is Luke and we are your store
geniuses, ready to provide any help you need.” The other chimed in.

   They both laughed at their supposed wit and Derek
just shook his head. Some things never changed. Likely they never had visitors
and were just excited to have some company. Ignoring their banter he strolled
over to examine the suit. It was heavy, but seemed more flexible than the
standard radiation suit. There was also some sort of portable computer on the
left forearm. A large backpack that appeared to be permanently attached to the
suit completed it.

   “So this is it, hunh?” Derek asked, unimpressed.

   The two jumped up, excited to show off their
creation. “This is just the prototype.” Antonio explained.

   “The production version is even more durable and
flexible.” Luke added.

   “And the computer is more powerful!” Antonio
gushed excitedly.

   They broke down into techno babble at that point
extolling the virtues of what turned out to be a micro tablet attached to the
left forearm. Derek nodded and smiled as if he understood and continued to
examine the suit. He detached the helmet and put it on. A heads up display, or
HUD, activated giving him the readout on the suit, including the suit
integrity. It was of course zero because the suit wasn’t connected, but that
was a useful feature. He could hear them continuing to talk; the helmet must
have some kind of audio receptors or microphones to pick up outside noise.

   “So what do you think?”  Luke asked as Derek removed
the helmet.

   “What level of protection does it offer?” Derek
inquired of them.

   “The base of the suit is made of Kevlar and
Nomex, and the plates are armor composite of the same kind used on tanks. The
suit is tear-proof and can stop up to a 7.62mm round, and the plates can stop
up to a 20mm round.” Antonio informed him.

   “When sealed the suit is one hundred percent
self-contained and will protect you from any radiation, chemicals, or
biological agents. A modified re-breather is contained in the backpack and
provides constant operation for five days. It also has a built in water
filtration system and reserve as well as a food dispenser.” Luke added. “You
suck on tubes in the helmet to provide each.”

   “It was originally being designed for space operations,
but we decided to modify it during the Aftermath for use here on Earth.”
Antonio finished.

   It finally struck Derek what the helmet reminded
him of and told them. “It looks like Stormtrooper armor from Star Wars.”

   The two scientists looked at each other and
smiled geekily before Luke replied. “Uh, that is what we patterned it after.
Best movies ever!”

   “It didn’t seem to help the Stormtroopers much in
the movies.” Derek pointed out.

   Both laughed nervously before Antonio replied.
“Well I bet they didn’t have geniuses like us working on their armor.”

   “Yea, this thing is nearly indestructible. We
can’t wait to use the suits to go search through the hot zones.” Luke added.

   “Well, not us exactly.” Antonio reminded Luke
sheepishly.

   “Why not you? Shouldn’t you test out your own
inventions?” Derek asked.

   “We, uh…” Luke started.

   “We can’t fit in them okay?” Antonio snapped.

   “Whoa!” Derek said raising his hands. “Easy
there. I’m just a little nervous about trusting untested gear to protect me
from a horrible death.”

   “Oh, right.” Luke said. “Well, we tested it in
the lab here on monkeys and they seem fine, so it should be safe for you.”

   “That makes me feel sooo much better.” Derek told
them sarcastically.

   Both the scientists shrugged. “It is what it is
dude.” Luke told him.

   Derek groaned inwardly, this suit would probably
be the death of him. But he had too much committed to this mission at this
point, and they all knew it. He couldn’t blame the scientists; they were just excited
for someone to put their pet project into use. Augie, Dr. Banek, and the
commander however; he wasn’t completely sold on their interests being
humanitarian. They were definitely using him to achieve their ends, and they
didn’t seem too concerned about his well-being. After all he wasn’t one of
them. He was a hired gun brought in to do the dirty work.

   Derek only had one more question. “Do you have
them in women’s sizes?”

   Antonio and Luke looked at him in confusion and
he chuckled. They hadn’t met Rora yet, so they didn’t know that there was no
way she would miss an adventure like going into fabled hot zones of the
Northeast. Derek had gotten used to her being along and she handled herself
pretty well. She was also very useful when it came to computers or technology,
and he figured the CIA base would be chock full of that. So she would be a
valuable asset for this mission.

   Derek allowed the two scientists to fit him with
a production model that they retrieved from a nearby vault. Entry to the vault
had required more security checks by armed guards which the two had pretty much
ignored. They were too busy discussing animatedly all the real world tests that
Derek could run on the suit. He tuned out their chatter and focused on how the
suit felt and how much it would inhibit his movements. All of his gear would
have to go outside the suit and the two scientists hadn’t accounted for that
with holsters or clips.

    It had taken some negotiating by Derek to get
them to create a holster to hold his shotgun. His machete they said they just
couldn’t do. A makeshift holster was attached on the right hand side of the
backpack. A vest, pouches and clips from the MOLLE system were modified to work
with the suit. Derek could now carry ammo clips, a knife, small tools, and
grenades. Luke tried to point out that the area should be completely abandoned,
but Derek countered with Rules # 9, 15, and 18. Take everything you can carry,
you never know what you might need; always be prepared, and you can never have
enough ammo, respectively.

    Then he had the two show him all the bells and
whistles of the suit. They walked him through all the things the HUD could do
including displaying maps and different imaging settings, like thermal view.
Then they ran through everything the tablet did, which included hacking
electronic devices. He had to admit, the suit was pretty cool. If it did
everything they said it did, he would be able to swoop in and retrieve the part
before anyone noticed.

    Once they had him all set up, he had the two rig
a smaller suit they had gotten for Rora as well. They griped a little about not
being servants, but had done it after Derek stared them down. With the two
suits rigged, he left and went back to the training facility to collect Rora. When
he got there he found her in conversation with Anna. It might have been about
him because they stopped immediately when he showed up and looked a little
guilty.

   It was an opportunity to work on charming Anna so
he put on his biggest smile and went to greet them. But Anna got up and left as
he got there. She gave him a small nod and a professional greeting as she
slipped by him. She was still not falling for his roguish charm. Derek was
surprised; women usually fell all over themselves to get with him. This was
proving to be quite a challenge. Good thing he liked challenges.

   “What was that about?” He asked Rora.

   “Oh nothing.” She said and tried to change the
subject. “What have you been up to?”

   “Not so fast.” Derek told her. “I’m pretty sure
you were talking about me. What’s her deal?”

   “Narcissistic much?” Rora teased him. “Not
everything is about you.”

   “Come on. She ran off with a guilty look on her
face when I showed up, but she won’t give me the time of day.” Derek pointed
out.

   “Okay fine.” Rora said with a huff. “She finds
you attractive but she doesn’t like stupid men.”

   “I’m not smart enough for her?” Derek asked in
mock anger.

   Rora laughed and replied. “Not even close.”

   “I’m no dummy…” Derek said, now slightly
offended.

   “But you’re no rocket scientist either, big guy.”
Rora informed him. “You might be the baddest man in the wasteland, but here you
are just another grunt to the scientists. And here, brains rule.”

   “No wonder I get a bad vibe about this place.”
Derek joked. “It goes against the laws of nature.”

   “At least you have a good sense of humor.” Rora
told him. “She does like to laugh.”

   “So I have a shot?” He asked.

   “Not really. She doesn’t date anyone she works
with, too many complications.” Rora let him know. “She has had to prove herself
even more than everyone else since she is young and pretty, so she keeps it
very professional.”

   “Maybe after the mission is over then?” Derek
mused.

   “Good luck with that, Romeo.” Rora said with a
smile. “So what have you been up to? The other crew members say there is a
problem with the shuttle that YOU are going to fix.”

   “It’s not a problem as much as the shuttle needs
a new part. One WE are going to go get.” Derek told her.

   “Another road trip huh? Where to this time?” Rora
asked with curiosity.

   “D.C.” Derek informed her simply.

   “We’re going into the Nuke Zone?” Rora asked
incredulously.

   “You got it.” Derek told her. “The scientists
have created a suit they claim will fully protect us. We go in, grab the part,
and come back out. Just a casual stroll really.”

   “I have always wanted to see the capital.” She
replied jokingly. “The weather ought to be nice for it.”