The Crash Box Set, page 3
part #1 of EMP Crash Series
“We're cut off from everything.” Grace's head fell into her free hand. She went to bring the other one up, almost forgetting that she still was cuffed to Mack.
“Is there really still a need for these?” she asked.
“You're still a prisoner,” Mack replied.
“Seriously? You don't get it, do you? The world has ended! There's no more government, no more courts, no more computers! Whatever crimes I was guilty of aren't even possible anymore!”
“I don't accept that. Somewhere someone has survived and we will rebuild our country, and even if we don’t we still are responsible for our actions. But, I will keep the cuffs off if you promise not to run away.”
“It's not like I've got anywhere to go,” she replied in a surly manner.
Mack pulled the key out of his back pocket and unclasped the handcuffs. Grace rubbed her wrist and stretched her arm, then looked around at her surroundings. They had fallen into the middle of the woods. Trees surrounded them, and if it hadn't been for the crashed plane it would have been a rather idyllic site.
“Come on, we don't have any time to waste, we have to get supplies,” he said, and began searching the plane for anything they could use.
The two of them themselves hadn't had much luggage, but other people on the plane did. They managed to find some backpacks with supplies such as flashlights and knives, and the plane had stores of bottled water and other drinks. Mack worked quickly to try getting an inventory of everything. At first Grace remained sitting on the bench, wallowing in the sadness of knowing that the world she knew did not exist any longer.
“Snap to it, Grace. If we're going to do this then you have to pull your weight. Search the plane and grab anything you think we can use. Water and food are the main priorities, then anything else that can help us survive, such as lighters or flashlights.”
The two of them foraged through the plane, and by the end of it had managed to get quite a few supplies, and made sure they got as much water as they could carry. It was tough, though. Mack had to steel himself as he went through the personal belongings of those who had died. He would have liked to have kept speaking to keep Grace's mind off of things, but anything he could have said seemed to be inappropriate when surrounded by such a tragedy. Once they finished they came back to each other and looked at the people laying lifelessly before them.
“Shouldn't we, like, dig a grave or something?” Grace asked.
“I wish we could, but even with a shovel it would take us days.”
“It feels wrong to just leave them here, though.”
“I know, but there's nothing else we can do, except pay our respects. Are you religious?”
“No, are you?”
“I've never been entirely sure. I suppose we should say a few words, though. It feels like the right thing to do,” Mack said, and cleared his throat.
“To those who perished in the crash, I hope somewhere that your loved ones are alive to mourn you and they have not experienced the same fate as you. We shared the same plane, but we didn't know anything about you, and for that the fault is ours. Going forward we need to try making friends, not strangers. May all your souls rest in peace.”
When he finished he moved away and pulled out a picture of his wife. He held it tightly and exhaled, then gazed up at the sky. Grace saw this but she didn't say anything and continued to load the backpacks. When they both were ready they hoisted a pack onto their backs. Grace grimaced at the weight of hers, and then they went on their way, leaving the plane behind. The decorated military officer and the wanted hacker were now allies, and all over the world new partnerships such as these were forming. Although, for the moment, Mack and Grace felt as though they were the only people left alive in the world.
Chapter 4
It was about mid-afternoon, so just before they left they had a bite to eat; taking some stale food from the plane. Airplane food wasn't very tasty up in the air, let alone when it had been buffeted about and had to be eaten with corpses a short distance away. Grace was thirsty and began gulping down her first bottle of water, but Mack quickly stopped her.
“We have to conserve it. We don't know how long it's going to be until we come across water again. Take short sips and only drink as much as you think you need. This is going to be a different way of living than you're used to, but as long as we take it day by day we should be fine.”
They moved away from the wreckage, leaving the plane behind. They walked at a good pace through the forest and Mack seemed to know where he was going. Once they were away from the plane the smells of the forest grew stronger, and the air became fresher, which was a relief. The trees were thick, and now and then they heard the sound of an animal scurrying about.
“Do you really think the rest of the world was hit?” Grace asked.
“It wouldn't surprise me. Sure, you can take out America, but if there were other countries that still had electricity they would come to our aid. If it was the North Koreans or someone like that then they'd have to take out everyone. Attacking one country just wouldn't be enough.”
“What do you think is going on in the rest of the country?”
“I don't know. Hopefully, people are keeping safe and sensible but I wouldn't bet on it. Unfortunately, when people are in a big crowd they tend to turn to fear quite quickly. And there are some people who revel in this kind of chaos. I dread to think what the cities are like. Sadly, there are probably people who still are trying to steal televisions and things like that from stores. But there are procedures in place for these eventualities. So I'm sure that, somewhere, the chain of command has survived and, hopefully, they'll find a way to get a message out to people. I think that's what people are going to need most right now, some sort of guidance.”
“I think you're hoping for too much. People need more than that. I dread to think of what's going on in the cities right now. When it comes down to it, people still are savage and we're not so far removed from our cave-dwelling ancestors as we'd like to think.”
“I'd have thought someone who loves technology as much as you would have the opposite view. Don't you think that humanity has improved itself over the years?”
“No,” Grace replied bluntly, “and one of the reasons why I'm so drawn to technology is because it won't let me down. It has no agenda or flaws. Not like people. They use technology to further their own means.”
“Like you did?”
“I'm sure you read my file. You can draw your own conclusions.”
“I'd like to hear your side of things.”
“Why? It doesn't really matter anymore.”
“We're here together. There might come a time when I need to rely on you for survival, I'd like to know I can trust you.”
“Maybe you can't. Maybe I'm just waiting for the first opportunity to stab you in the back.”
Mack smirked. “I think I'll take my chances. What I saw in your file was someone who wanted to try helping those less fortunate, but used the wrong means. The ends don't justify the means. They never have.”
“Sometimes you have to use the only means at your disposal. The world was corrupt. I was no worse than the people in power. The same people that you defend.”
“I don't defend people. I defend the nation and the principles it stands for. I defend liberty, and truth, and all the things that really matter.” He said that without a hint of sarcasm.
Grace wasn't used to hearing someone speak so earnestly about the country. She was used to being cynical, and being surrounded by cynical people who wanted to tear the veil away from people's faces and show them the dark truth of the world. She rolled her eyes.
“I guess we just have different views of humanity,” she said.
“I try seeing the best in people, that's all.”
Grace didn't reply to that, and they remained in silence as they walked. Sweat poured from their bodies even though the air was fresh. Mack was used to this physical exertion but Grace wasn't. When he noticed she was beginning to get fatigued he stopped for a break, taking note of their surroundings every time they stopped, even though to Grace the woods looked the same.
“Why do you keep doing that?” she asked.
“Doing what?”
“Looking around at the trees and stuff every time we stop.”
“It's called observing and being aware of your surroundings, to make sure we're going in the right direction.”
“And what direction is that exactly? I assume you have a plan to get us somewhere useful and that we're not just going to wander blindly through the forest?”
Mack suppressed a chuckle. “Why do you think I have a plan, because I'm in the army?”
“Don't you people always have a plan for every letter of the alphabet?”
“Right now I have a couple.”
“So are you going to tell me?”
“There's a military bunker in the area. I figure we head there. Hopefully they've set up a base of operations and we can rendezvous with them and start to branch out, maybe find some more people and start to build a community.”
“Great, and I'm sure they'll have a prison to throw me in. I think I prefer this freedom.”
“I'm sure if you can contribute to society we can work out some sort of arrangement. But if that doesn't work then we should head to the nearest city. Somewhere out there people are going to be working together and forming new communities. It will take time, but we can rebuild our society.”
“If you say so. I hope this bunker isn't far. My legs are aching already.”
“You'll have to get used to that, I'm afraid. With the EMP having hit I doubt we're going to find any functioning cars or motorcycles.”
“I thought you didn't know much about EMPs?” she said, a little surprised.
“I know a little, but I wanted to get you thinking about something else other than the accident.”
Grace went quiet for a moment before she said, “It was terrible. I can't believe all those people just died. How did we survive?”
“Did you notice what happened when the plane started to go down?”
Grace shook her head, “People started screaming, I guess.”
“Exactly. They panicked and forget about the safety procedures. It all happened so fast, I can't blame them really, but in situations like that you have to try keeping a clear head. The brace position works, but sadly nobody else remembered to do it.”
“You saved my life,” she said starkly, not having realized it before. They stopped walking.
“You sound surprised. Did you really think I was going to let you die?”
After Grace didn't answer Mack turned his back on her and added, “Maybe I just didn't want a corpse handcuffed to me. But either way, you can thank me by keeping up. I'd rather keep up a good pace so we can get to the bunker quickly.”
They continued to walk for the better part of the day, stopping occasionally so Grace could catch her breath and rest her muscles. The walking was hard and Mack kept up a strong pace, so there wasn't much time for them to talk. The forest didn't seem to change much, but at a certain point it thinned out into a clearing and there was a small hut set in the copse of trees. Grace held Mack back when he went to go in, and he looked at her quizzically.
“What if there are people there?” she asked in a hushed whisper.
“I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt,” he said, and walked forward.
As they moved around to the front of the hut they could see that it had no door. So they announced their presence, but there was no answer. Mack stepped in, much to the shock of Grace, who hopped after him. Her eyes were darting about, full of anxiety and paranoia for she was used to people hunting her every move. In contrast Mack was relaxed, confident in his ability to handle any situation that may arise.
Inside the hut was a small desk. It seemed to belong to a ranger who oversaw the forest, although where he was at the moment they did not know. There wasn't much in the way of supplies, but there was a map of the local area. Now that they had found some shelter Mack suggested they rest and have a bite to eat. Grace gladly slipped off the backpack and groaned as she settled into a chair. She hungrily ate the rationed portion of bland food they had taken, and sipped some water as Mack had instructed. Meanwhile, Mack pored over the map and tried to figure out exactly where they were.
“Seems this forest goes on a while, but there's a city to the northeast. We should head there if the bunker doesn't pan out,” he said.
“How did you know about the bunker anyway? I don't even know where the hell we are.”
“Because before we left I checked the flight route. It was part of my job to know where these installations were. I also looked at the last coordinates of the plane when I was in the cockpit. Like I said, it's important to be aware of your surroundings. There's information all around you.”
Grace sighed and idly chewed her food. She leaned back in the chair and placed one hand across her stomach. “I guess there are some people suited for a world like this and some people that aren't.”
“Don't beat yourself up about it. We just have a different set of skills. If you put your mind to it, you can learn anything.”
“I spent all my life learning how to manipulate code and work my way through a virtual world. I'm a little lost right now,” she said, staring up at the ceiling. Although Mack still was unsure what to make of her he did feel protective of her. Perching himself on the edge of the desk he placed his hands in his lap and looked at her.
“I've trained my whole life to have these skills. I'm sure I can teach you a thing or two if you pay attention. Do you feel a little helpless right now?”
“Yes. I've never liked relying on other people and I don't want to have to start now. But I know that if I'm on my own I probably won't survive the night.”
“So you feel like you've lost a lot, like your entire abilities.”
“Yeah, at least in the old world I knew my place; I had a purpose. Right now I don't know what I'm supposed to do.”
Mack let the comment linger in the air before he spoke again. He sidled toward Grace and reached over to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The gesture surprised her as it was a far cry from the sharp touch which had forced her head down between her knees, ultimately saving her life. In all honesty, she wasn't used to such affectionate touches.
“Before I joined the army I didn't have a place in the world either, but through it I developed skills and abilities that I never knew I had. It's often scary to be thrust into a new situation with no idea how to handle it or what to do, but as long as we remain calm we can make it through this. I don't know what's out there waiting for us, but I know that we can face it together and, you never know, we may meet some new friends along the way. Now, you should get some rest. It's been a long day for both of us and we've still got a way to go.”
Grace nodded, and as soon as she lay on the floor she felt sleepy, yawning loudly. Back in the old world, as she now had to think of it, she had been a night owl, staying up until daybreak fueled by energy drinks and coffee. But there was none of that now, and the stress coupled with the exertion meant that she fell asleep almost immediately. However, just before she dozed off she cast a glance toward Mack. He, too, was laying down, but as the dimming light beamed through the open door Grace saw that he kissed the picture she had seen him looking at earlier. As her eyes finally closed in slumber she was left wondering who that woman was.
Chapter 5
When they awoke they stretched their limbs, and once again Grace bemoaned her lack of physical fitness. Mack seemed unperturbed by the previous day's exertions, and he looked amused at the poor state of Grace's health.
“You see, your generation can talk all they like about how great technology is but it's only made you unfit. It won't be long until you get used to it, though,” Mack said.
“Unless I die first,” Grace said in a dry tone, and at that moment death didn't seem far off.
Mack was busy working out the best route to the bunker. Although it wasn't marked on the map, which only showed the general area, he knew the coordinates and marked it on the map himself. They were still a few days walk away from the bunker, and when he relayed this news Grace almost collapsed to the floor. Mack stood over her and looked down upon her with a stern look in his eyes.
“I know you don't think you can do this, but you can. Humans were built for survival. It's in our DNA. Think back to our earliest ancestors. You say we're not far removed from cavemen. Well, they used to hunt and forage and they lived to evolve into us. If you want to prove your point, then you'll show me you're the same as them. Self-pity isn't going to get us anywhere. Now, it's going to be a few days until we get to the bunker and we're going to have to walk at a fast pace to get there. It's going to go a lot easier if you accept that and try to fight the urge to give up.”
He spoke in a strong, clipped tone and the authority with which he spoke instantly touched on her rebellious urges. She scowled at him, but didn't argue back because she knew there was no point, and also because she didn't have the energy.
They had a bit of breakfast then hauled their packs over the shoulders and continued traveling. They walked through the forest, and in an effort to adjust to this new world Grace tried observing the forest. She tried seeing what it was that Mack saw, but everything looked the same to her. It was difficult to concentrate on anything other than the dryness of her throat, the heaving of her chest, or the weight of the pack on her shoulders, but she didn't want to give Mack the satisfaction of seeing her falter. She wanted to prove to him she was every bit as capable as he was at making it through this ordeal. Although, secretly, she hoped some other group would find them before they made it to the bunker. She didn't like the idea of being a criminal when the world had changed.
As the days went by they walked through the forest, wishing the sun was a little cooler. Mack held up the map occasionally and adjusted their trajectory when he thought they were going off-course. There was a river on the map, but it was a little out of their way. So they weren't making their way to it just yet. When they stopped they talked. Grace was tempted to ask him about the picture he was carrying, but she never managed to summon the courage. Despite the change in circumstances, Mack was still the authority figure and Grace never quite had managed to get along with them.
