Artificial Earth

                                   25

Route 06 Necropolis
District 03
6:00 a.m

          

   MAJOR HARRIS TOGETHER WITH FIRST LIEUTENANT Alexa Fernandez and fourteen men from the Artificial Earth's Tactical Assault Group (T.A.G) headed out to First Lake. The Major decided to take a different route, choosing to pass through District three, pressing forward Necropolis then exiting directly east of  First Lake...saving time.
       
    Necropolis or "The City of the Dead" is the only Cemetery on the Artificial Planet. It is located just outside the outskirts of district three and is almost as huge as a normal city.     People  come to this place to bury their dead, spending as little time possible then leave, never coming back, not even to visit or pray for their dearly departed.
 
  The black Van with the insignia T.A.G followed by a military truck entered the rusty gates of the Necropolis. Darkness, wind and rain only added to the dreariness outside, statues of angels, tombstones unkept, crosses and trees with long vines hanging from their branches depicts a sepulchral scenery.  Mausoleums for the wealthy or famous, untouched, decaying from the passage of time were layed out next to each other, their perpetual silence clinging to onlookers, reminding one of the fate shared by all at the end of one's journey.
        Inside the black van, Major Harris sat behind the backseat together with Lieutenant Alexa Fernandez, two other members of the tactical assault group were sitting up front. Major Harris sat silently looking at the rain and parade of tombstones as the van slowly advanced. The Major was lean and muscular, his face... hard. A large scar marred his cheeks, he has several other scars as well, scattered all over his body, battle scars from hundreds of missions.
Looking at the tombstones, he thought about all his fallen comrades and those in his command who gave up their lives, and those yet to give up theirs.
     
      Inside the military truck, the men were seated facing each other, holding their riffles, looking outside behind the partially opened tarpaulin.
         "So this is the infamous Necropolis." Duncan said.
          "Sure is creepy." Lance added.
           "Any of you been here before?" Duncan asked, looking at the others.
            "I have....My Grandfather died a year ago..." Chester said.
             "Is it true what they're saying about this place?" Duncan asked.
             "What in particular?" Chester asked back.
              "That you shouldn't stay here too long...and that..after the burial, one must leave immediately..." Duncan replied, looking at Chester.
         Chester hesitated, choosing his words carefully.."Oldwives'tale...Some say Death himself roams these grounds, and that if you stayed out here too long.....You might literally come face to face with Death."
        "I heard rumors that people who pass by sometimes see Ghosts wandering just beyond the gates." Stone added.
        "Ghosts my Ass...Just give me one of those newly issued A90's that fires two hundred and sixty rounds per minute and I'll blast the devil himself off the planet." Trev said.
 
      Someone was standing in the middle of the road out in the pouring rain twenty feet in front of them. It was a small figure, her clothes dirty and torn, her hair was dangling,muddy. The Van stopped.
       "Sir, Someone's standing in the middle of the road...looks like a girl..."
The driver said.
        Major Harris looked out the front window and stared at the figure.            "What's a girl doing out in the storm in a cemetery all alone?.." he thought, asking himself.
       "Tell the team to get their gear and head to that Mausoleum." the Major said, pointing towards the huge Mansion like Mausoleum several feet from them. "Lieutenant,.. You, Brick and Spoon get that girl and bring her over that Mausoleum." the Major ordered, taking his riffle, getting out of the Van and heading out in the rain.
       Lieutenant Alexa Fernandez has served under the Major countless times to know better than to question his actions.
       "Alpha and Bravo Units...Get your gears and follow the Major down that Mausoleum, Over and Out." Brick said, using the vans communication link.
        "You two...follow me, let's go get that girl." Alexa ordered.
         "Yes Ma'am." they both answered back, following the Lieutenant out into the rain.
        
          The Mansion like Mausoleum was gigantic. Two large rounded pillars stood on both sides of the entryway, a twelve foot tall iron gate stood at the base, keeping trespassers away. Inside, several smaller pillars were placed diagonally across each other, forming a wide open circle at the center of the room, and a winding staircase on the left corner lead upstairs.
      Major Harris stood in the rain in front of the iron gate, an uneasy feeling crept inside him. Their mission's to head on out to first lake...but that can wait, a mystery must first be solved, he thought.
       "Major...Sir!" Duncan said as he and the others walked towards their superior.
        "Open this gate." the Major ordered.
         "Yes Sir!" Duncan replied.
    Using the butt of his riffle, Duncan hammered away at the rusty padlock. After hitting it a couple of times the lock broke and fell to the muddy ground. Duncan and Lance entered first, followed by Major Harris and the rest of the team. They got to the entryway and was finally out of the rain, placing their gears down and waited for instructions from the Major.
      "Duncan, Trev and Stone....You three secure the area, check the floors." the Major said, wiping water off his sleeves.
       "Yes Sir. "

      The Girl was just standing there in the middle of the road, out in the pouring rain, staring at them. Lieutenant Alexa Fernandez stopped a few feet in front of the girl, the other two, Brick and Spoon were flanking the Lieutenant on both sides.
      "Don't be scared...we're not gonna hurt you.." Alexa said, inching closer, placing her hand right in front of her.
       "Are you hurt?" Alexa asked, assessing the girls condition.
        "Are you alone, honey?" she added, looking around. The girl was just standing there staring at her.
       Alexa moved closer, the girl backed away. "No..no...I'm not gonna hurt you honey..." Alexa was saying,the girl turned around and ran.
         "Shit!" Alexa muttered.
       "Catch her!" Alexa ordered, running after the girl, Brick and Spoon following.

      Duncan, Trev, and Stone took out their flashlights and slowly walked towards the foyer, the area was about fifty to sixty feet in diameter, it's ceilling, they estimated, was probably the same.
      "Wow, this place is huge..." Duncan said, his voice bouncing off the walls.
      "Who do you think is buried here?" Stone asked, pointing his flashlight up the ceiling.
     "Must be famous or something...like maybe a movie star." Trev replied, pointing his flashlight forward.
     There were cobwebs everywhere, dust was at least an inch thick, windows on the wall were untouched and dirty, a mural was on the upper right side of the wall and  cracks could be seen almost everywhere.
     "Want to make a bet?" Stone asked, standing still for a moment.
      "Okay.....Five bucks....I'm betting the owner's a politician." Duncan guessed.
       "I'll raise that....Ten bucks...He or She is in the movies, like an actor or director." Trev said, raising the stakes.
        "Okay...I'll raise that....Fifteen bucks.....I bet the owner's a business man." Stone said, raising the stakes a bit.
      "Deal."
    "How old do you guys think this place is?" Duncan asked, looking around.
      "Must be pretty darn old...." Trev replied.
      "Come on, let's look for a power switch, must have one here somewhere..." Stone said, walking ahead of them.
       "Have you guys ever seen a ghost?" Duncan asked, trailing Stone.
        "I haven't...not even once.." Trev flatly said.
         "I have....Once. It was a long time ago....A buddy of mine died during the reaping, back on earth...Two years later, I saw him standing in the middle of the field while I was on a mission. He was just standing there looking at me." Stone said, moving forward
         "Hey, Over there...near the staircase..." Stone said, pointing the light at a narrow open door.
       "There's a passage way!" Duncan exclaimed, his voice reverberating    
      "Come on...let's check it out." Trev suggested, walking towards the open doorway.
       "Do you think we'll come across ghosts?" Duncan asked.
       "I hope so...always wanted to catch one of those." Trev replied, entering the doorway.

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Authors Note

Sorry for the long wait, I do hope you stick around and keep reading......Thanks!
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