Themopolous dashed to the ATV and grabbed the bag,nearly pulling her shoulder out of socket from the weight. Shedragged the bag closer to Mathew and Masters.
"Okay, I'm ready!" she called.
***
Rachel's mech ran past the funeral pyre, not botheringto wait for Masters and Mathew to stop firing. Bullets ricocheted offthe battle machine's frame.
Mathew, Masters and Themoplolous watched in awe asRachel ran her mech into the middle of the dozens of zombies stillleft. Furious, she lifted her metal fists and smashed down, crushingthe undead beneath her. She did the same with her massive feet,mashing the creatures into pulp.
Within seconds, all was still.
Rachel's chest heaved, then seized. Far away, Mathew'svoice called to her, but it all went black before she could respond.
***
"Commander?" Harlow called over the com.
"Yes, Harlow?" Capreze responded, walking with Bisbyfrom his office. "Whatcha got?"
"Looks like company may have followed Bisby."
Capreze glanced at Biz and narrowed his eyes. "Iwasn't aware of that. How far out?"
"At the funeral pyre. Sounds like Rachel came in andsaved my boy's ass, but … "
Capreze stopped, Bisby did also, waiting, not privy tothe conversation.
"But what?"
Harlow hesitated, "Well, sir, it sounds like Rachelmay have passed out. Want me out there?"
"I want everyone out there. Get the transport readyand get the staff loaded up."
***
Mathew lowered Rachel's unconscious form to theground, having just retrieved her from the cockpit. "Holy crap!"he gasped, slumping to the ground from the exertion.
Checking Rachel's pulse while pulling back an eyelid,Doctor Themopolous turned to Masters. "Your turn to help. Hand memy bag."
Masters grabbed the med bag next to the pyre and handedit to Themopolous. She shook her head. "No, I need you to pull outthe injector and grab the small red vial in the side pouch."
Masters did as he was told, Mathew rolled onto his sideto get a better view.
***
Jay manned the transport controls, powered up thevehicle and checked the instrument panels. "Ready to go Commander."
Capreze did a quick head count. "Alright, Jay, we'reall loaded. Take us out there."
"Gotcha."
Capreze clicked his com. "Mathew?"
"Yes, sir?" Mathew responded, still sounding winded.
"We are on our way. How's my girl?"
There was a slight pause. "She's coming around now,sir. Doc says she'll be fine."
"Good to hear. Site secure?"
"Yes sir. Your girl took care of that."
"Excellent. We'll be there in just a moment."
Capreze severed the communication as the transport leftthe hangar.
***
Mathew helped Rachel to her feet. She wobbled a little,but stayed upright.
"Easy now," Mathew said. Rachel smiled at himweakly, gently removing his hand from her arm.
"I'm fine. I got this," Rachel responded.
"Take these," Doctor Themopolous ordered, handingRachel two red pills.
"What are those?" Masters asked.
"Just some energy pills, they'll give her a boostand also maintain her blood sugar."
"Blood sugar?" Mathew asked.
Themopolous turned to Rachel. "I am assuming all youhad for breakfast was coffee?"
Rachel nodded. "Just like every morning."
"Yes, well this wasn't like every morning, now wasit?"
***
Doctor Themopolous and the pilots stood at attention asthe transport pulled up.
The side door opened and the base staff exited, forminga semi-circle around the pyre. Capreze exited last. He placed himselfopposite the semi-circle on the other side of the pyre.
Capreze nodded and Jay lifted a small bag labeled"flammable" that lay by his feet. He stepped to the pyre andshook the contents out around Stanislaw's body. Small briquettestumbled from the bag and scattered across Stanislaw's corpse.
Jay stood back as Capreze lifted a torch from the groundand lit it.
Several sobbed quietly.
***
"This is an unfortunate tragedy," Caprese statedsolemnly. He looked at each of the pilot's faces, trying to gaugewhich couldn't cope with their grief. "Stanislaw was a good man,a good pilot and a dear friend."
Some of the attendees sniffed, a few brushed away tears.Most stood stone-faced, burying their pain deep down. Bisby's faceraged.
"Today we set a colleague free, we send his soul aboveand make sure his body stays at rest."
Commander Caprese lifted the torch to the pyre, lightingthe briquettes and setting the platform and what was left ofStanislaw's body ablaze.
***
The base crew each said their goodbyes to Stanislaw ashis body became ash and the ash became smoke, adding to the trillionsand trillions of particulates of burnt, dead heroes already floatingin the atmosphere.
When the train whooshed by, no one turned to look, noone cared about supplies and requisitions, news and gossip from thecity/states or some dumb Rookie thinking he won the lottery and wason his way to glory.
No one could take their eyes off the now smoldering pyreand the scorched pieces of melted metal that was once part ofStanislaw's uniform.
***
"As per tradition and out of respect for our lostfriend and comrade, we will walk back to base. Jay, you bring backRachel's mech," Capreze ordered.
"Yes, sir."
"Sir, if I may?" Themopolous interrupted.
"Yes, Doctor?"
"In my professional opinion, I think Pilot Caprezewould do better catching a ride back to base in the transport. Justto be safe."
"I'm fine," Rachel said quickly.
"For now, but I'd hate to have you relapse."
Rachel crossed her arms, setting her feet firmly.Capreze noted his daughter's stance.
"Understood,Doctor. But, Ithink a walk is just what she needs."
***
The Rookie stood and stretched as the train came to ahalt. He looked at his bloodied hands and broken fingernails, barelybelieving what he'd just been through. His body was exhausted, buthis mind raced, going over and over the mock attack.
The pilot and co-pilot had called back on the com whenthe test was over to congratulate him on a job well done. They bothsaid they hadn't seen anyone figure out how to get out of the traincar that fast before. Ever.
The car door opened and the Rookie confidently steppedout onto the platform.
***
Stanislaw's voice echoed through Bisby's fatiguedbrain. He shook his head violently, trying to dislodge the ghostlymurmurs.
"You okay, Biz?" June asked, placing a hand on hiselbow as they walked back to base.
Bisby didn't answer as he glanced sideways at her, hishaunted eyes rimmed with dark circles. She squeezed his arm.
"Of course you're not. Sorry. Everyone's right, Ido say stupid stuff all the time," June said. "I'm here,though, if you need to talk."
Bisby smiled wanly and patted June's hand. She smiledback and let Bisby move on ahead, giving him his space.
***
"Looks like a funeral," the train's pilot said,stepping past the Rookie.
"I wonder what happened," the Rookie mused aloud,shielding his eyes from the sun, trying to see into the distance.
"Someone died, genius," the co-pilot quipped."Happens a lot out here in the waste."
The Rookie turned to the co-pilot. "Mostly mechdrivers?"
"Pilots, boy. They are pilots. You get caught callingthem drivers and it'll be your corpse getting grilled out there."
"Right, pilots. But, is it? Mostly mech pilots thatdie?"
"Listen kid, you need to learn that Death iseveryone's bunkmate out in the waste."
***
"Probably not the best day for a Rookie to arrive,"Capreze said walking arm in arm with Rachel.
"I disagree. It's probably the best day for him toarrive. No illusions as to what it's like out here," Rachelresponded. They walked along in silence for a moment, Rachel kickingstones with her boots, the Commander staring at the base, his base,lost in thought.
"Have any idea who you want to mentor the Rookie?"Rachel asked, knowing it wasn't the most appropriate thing to say,but she couldn't take the silence anymore.
"Yep."
"And...?"
"You, Baby Girl."
Rachel nodded.
***
"Good luck, kid," the pilot said, shaking theRookie's hand.
"You're not staying?"
"Nope," the co-pilot answered, shaking the Rookie'shand as well. "We're all fueled up. As soon as they all clearoff, we'll be gone." The co-pilot motioned towards the groupcoming up the tracks. "We've got two days of wasteland to cover.The sooner, the better."
"Two?" the Rookie asked. "It took four."
The pilot laughed. "The test was four. The trip wastwo. Better get used to things not being what they seem out here."
"Thanks, I will," the Rookie muttered as the train'sdoor shut.
***
The Rookie watched from the train platform as the basecrew slowly walked back up the tracks, smoke from the pyre reachingtowards the sky behind them.
The first pilot to reach him was Bisby and the Rookiestepped off the platform, hand outstretched.
"Hey, there I'm-," but his greeting was cut shortby Bisby's right fist connecting with his jaw. The world spun andthe Rookie took a header to the ground.
"I don't give a FUCK what your name is Rookie!"was the last thing the Rookie heard before his world went black andthe pain became darkness.
Free Excerpt From TheAmericans-
Description:
Hundredsof years after the United States is turned into a radioactive, zombieinfested wasteland, the descendants of peacekeeping troops strandedabroad are now the world's marshals, keeping law and order in afuturistic landscape of high-tech feudalism and raw, bioorganicmetal.