Machine God: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Final Draft)

First Approach

Even in the tunnels, you could hear the storm blowing over the streets. The walls vibrated, dust pebbles rolled down the crevices.

"What kind of storm is that?"

Ann-Lyze looked at me during the walk.

"You seriously don't know?"

"Nah, I've never experienced a storm before. I woke up in a ruin not too long ago."

I paused as I retold the story for the umpteenth time.

"My memory is wiped out."

"Sandstorms come in different intensities, ranging from terrible to terror."

"Is that a scientific assessment?"

"It's my personal assessment. You don't want to be out in the streets, or even in a ruin, when one occurs. Back when we lived in the mall, there was a category 3 sandstorm approaching us. Our group had just entered the parking space when the storm picked up. It whirled up the wreckages and turned them into dangerous projectiles. One of my friends was ripped apart. I saw his body shredding into bloody pieces as the sandstorm sucked him in."

Terrifying story.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We all have to deal with losses. Unfortunately."

I nodded and inspected the rest of our team. The soldier and the diggers staggered but kept up. Nathan didn't fare so well—he needed assistance from Ann-Lyze and coughed up more blood.

Well, at least down here, we were safe.

The soldier remained stiff. He carried a Viper 15mm and hovered his armored hand over the holster.

Memo to myself—watch that guy.

In dire circumstances, some people freaked out and went berserk. My idea was to ask for the soldier's firearm, but I waited until the tension in the group resided. The adrenaline from the fall still roared.

The shock still simmered in our veins.

"Where exactly are we going?" one of the diggers said to me after twenty minutes.

"Don't know. We're looking for a possible exit to the surface."

"And then? How do we get back to base? The superior and his men probably took the APC and returned to the cluster."

He lost hope with every new statement.

"Do you think they're calling for backup?"

"Possible."

Not.

The so-called superior didn't even hand me his grapple gun. It was unlikely he'd tell his higher-ups to send a dispatch after us.

It was even more unlikely the Bulwarks would waste resources to search for a stranger with no name, a soldier and two diggers. Only Ann-Lyze seemed to be of value.

Ann-Lyze.

For the first time, I realized I could talk to her.

A private one-on-one session to light through my murky past. Wasn't the whole reason to join this mission to squeeze out information?

Heck, Glitch worked out his hacker magic to put me into her digging group.

This was my chance to debunk this world's mysteries.

Ann-Lyze looked up her father with worried eyes.

Maybe now wasn't the right moment.

Soon.

We turned around the corner and heard our foot steps echoing in the endless tunnels. After an hour of marching through the underground rubble, we found a shaft with a steel ladder. It led way up, probably to the surface. I raised my right fist, which halted the group's advance.

"Let's check if the sandstorm is still raging."

Next to us was a small tunnel section with adjacent rooms. Maybe a station where folks worked at aeons ago.

I said,

"You set up camp here and wait for me. Take some rest."

"And you?" Ann-Lyze said.

"I'm going to climb up and check for the storm."

"Let me join you. I'm pretty knowledgable about sandstorms."

"No, you take care of your father. I got this."

Everyone abided. Nathan was too tired to talk. The soldier didn't want to schlepp his heavy armor up the shaft, and the diggers? Weakened by the fall.

When the group settled down in the section, I wiped my hands and climbed up the ladder.

I could have easily shot the grapple gun, but the shaft was tight and I didn't want to bounce from wall to wall while getting pulled up by the cable.

So I mounted the ladder, one dusty breath at a time.

Damn, how tall was this thing?

The way up looked as far away as the glance down.

Stair after stair, I mounted the giant ladder and reached the top. A hatch awaited me, together with an engraved warning sign: open only in case of emergency.

With my ears pressed against the hull, I closed my eyes and listened. Vibrations shook up the metal, a muffled whistle sounded through.

The storm was well alive.

I hoped this one didn't last for days as Ann-Lyze and Nathan had guessed. We didn't have enough water and rations for days. My glance fell into the abyss below me.

I stepped the looong way down and finally reached the tunnel ground after half an eternity of climbing. The group had set up a resting place. A half-way blown up wall made for a perfect niche to camp. The second I entered the sight of my group, Ann-Lyze and the diggers launched from their positions.

"And?"

"The sandstorm is still blasting over our heads."

Everyone slumped their shoulders.

"Maybe that's a good thing. We're all exhausted and need time to rejuvenate. In a few hours, I'll check again."

That idea seemed to find approval.

I did a quick inventory check.

We had three one liter canisters with water, two and a half rations, one grapple gun, one Dust Viper 15mm with three mags, and the gear we still carried on our sweaty bodies. Enough to last at least a day or two. I walked toward the tunnel's wall and slid down, taking a few breaths of the dust-covered air. Relaxed my muscles as much as possible and watched the actions of my team.

Ann-Lyze had found a torn-apart cloth and covered her weak father with the make-shift blanket. Kissed his forehead and rested by his side.

With my legs crossed in lotus position, I rested my arms on my knee caps and waited for the right moment to approach her.