AGE OF INSANITY

Chapter 33: Aliens

TWO YEARS LATER

My alarm clock went off triggering the lights on. The window shutters opened wirelessly as the water heater turned on with a nursery rhymes I couldn't stand. I got out of bed feeling exhausted and unmotivated. I took a quick shower and got dressed and set about my chores for the day. As soon as I opened the door, I was accosted by two cubs. I looked around and sure enough my siblings were playing pied Piper with the animals again.

I made my way to the community hall, dreading another humdrum day that would play out same as yesterday and same as tomorrow. For twenty three months the underground shelter had been our home and it's occupants become family. Two babies had been born during the two years we had been underground with four more along the way. We had lost three members from injuries sustained from the surface. The rest of us had been forced to adapt to life below the surface.

We occupied our days with chores to keep the community running and our evenings were spent exercising as a community before having family time. We did a majority of the activities together, to ensure that no one strayed from the rest of the community and no one got any funny ideas. Mandatory communal exercises had been introduced a month into our underground stay. Something about staying below the surface with no end in sight had the minds of the majority of the people fraying at the edges. After several fights broke out and one suicide attempt it was decided by our parents, who had made themselves leaders based on our merits, that establishing engaging routines was of at most importance. That was when they came up with a set of rules that had each and every member of the community occupied from dusk till dawn.

The lack of natural sunlight had us dependent on clocks. The entire bunker ran on an automated system that mimicked the cycle of the sun. It had been done to keep up the semblance of normalcy, although normal was a concept that had been eroded with each passing day. Today like every other day I threw myself into the exercises with the aim of tiring myself out.

While the rest of the community had found solace in their companionships, I had opted to remain alone. I hooked up with Leon and Marcus every once in a while to let off some steam. Although there was no love lost between them, they maintained a level head about the arrangement. I spotted Marcus at the front alongside Susan and Ruth. Monica, Phillip and Leon were two rows ahead of me. After two hours of communal work out, everyone went to their respective homes for the evening.

A few select members nicknamed the protectors by Richard remained behind for combat training. My friends and I had been forced into combat training. We were offered no choice because we needed to be monitored and that was the easiest way to do so. Rebecca and Richard had joined amidst oppositions from everyone but Marcus. The rest of the group consisted of Charles, Phillip, Nigel, Kevin, Patrick, Marcus, Erick and four of the officers we had rescued from the forest: Brian, Tomas, Alex and Dan. We spent the next two hours honing our combat skills although there was no guarantee we would ever use them. After an intensive session we broke off and went to our respective homes. A long shower, to soothe my aching muscles, later and I was time for bed.

It had been another ordinary day, similar to the previous day and so on. The community ran as one and as such when the bright lights dimmed to indicate night time everyone was expected to be indoors. Four hours after the dimming of the light all the systems were shut down except for the essential systems such as life support, the hydroponics system and the surveillance system. Likewise all personnel were expected to retire except night duty personnel.

So when my door bell went off less than an hour after the daily shut down, I knew there was a problem. I have nothing to say in my defense, as adrenaline began rushing through my blood stream reviving my all but dead spirit. It was Irene on the other side of the door. Irene was nothing if not transparent. She was the easiest person to read and in that moment her face held nothing but terror. My heart rate picked up as I identified the naked emotion on her face. Something was terribly wrong and for the first time in two years the world felt right to me again.

We met Marcus along the way with Kevin. We were all headed to the server room that contained our surveillance system. Charles was already there eyes trained on the monitor right outside the gate. It took me a minute to identify the problem. Given that the problem was moving in out of the frame. Twenty three months had passed and this was the first time we had seen any signs of life outside the bunker. Worse still or maybe it was a good thing, the problem happened to be human.

Albeit covered from head to toe in protective gear, there was no mistaking the human figure that seemed to be pacing Infront of our gate. We all stared at the monitor in silence as we were joined by governing committee that comprised of my friends and I's parents. After the initial shock that most of us were still grappling with, the room devolved into chaos as shouting contest ensued. Everyone was too busy shouting to notice a truck pull up to the gate.

Irene called everyone's attention to the monitor and another round of silence ensued. Before anyone could get a word in a giant for lack of a better word came into the frame. The Camera had been positioned at the top of a seven foot tree, the height offering a bird's view of the surrounding area. Whatever had come near the compound had to be more than eight feet. Our guests must have been on the run from whatever it was as they abandoned three more figures flung themselves from the vehicle that was currently getting airborne and quickly joined thier companion who had flee into the cover of the thickened forest.

For a sheer terrifying second the creature lowered itself posing in front of the camera. Grotesque was too dull a word to describe the bubbling pile of rotting flesh that presented it self. It was only for a few seconds before it was up and moving. The camera quivered with its every step until it was well and truly out of view. From the thicketed forest the human figures emerged and then one by one they removed their masks before taking in deep breaths in elation.

"Yes!" Charles shouted in triumph and not a minute later sound filled the still silent room.

"That was so close man. how did one get this far from the barrier?"

"I don't know men but that was too close for comfort. If we hadn't gotten that alert and suited up we would have been raving food man."

"Ha ha ha ha ha raving food you crack me up." Another man dryly retorted.

"Enough you too we need to scout and get out of here. Our coms are down thanks to that Mute eating our car. Look around there might be something of use to us. This area looks fairly undisturbed so we might luck out."

The men moved out of the range forcing us to grapple with the new information. Something had happened something that distance had shielded us from for better or for worse. While the rest of the room struggled to process the existence of whatever the hell that had been, I saw our only chance of getting answers get away.

"We need to get those men." I spoke calmly into the chaos and they listened if only for long enough for my parents to dismiss the idea.

we need to get them now.. Marcus called out voice ringing with resolve that dared anyone to disagree. Most wanted to none did.

" Melissa and I will go, and Charles and Kevin he called as the two volunteered.

My blood pumped hot once again. The idea of breaking the soul eating monotony that had become my life seemed too good to be true. we suited up in our hazmat suit and for the first time in two years headed for the door.