Wasteland Rules: A New Dawn (The World After Book 3) (15 page)

   “We got what we need. I can explain more once we get to
the chopper.” She told him.

   “We need to hurry. Once Jonas gets out from those people
he is going to lock down the airport.” Derek said hurriedly.

   “Not to worry, we’ve taken care of that.” Rora said with
a smirk.

   “Then let’s go!”

September 5, 2029

Las Vegas Strip, Nevada

   As they ran towards the Visitor Center, Rora could see
Strip Security rushing towards the Maximus. It was rather amazing how quickly
the situation had gotten out of control. But she assumed it was because despite
the glitzy exterior of Vegas it still contained all manner of human suffering.
The casino owners and their VIPs might live in luxury, but everyone else
struggled just to survive and was kept down by the elites. Given a chance to
get a little payback they were jumping on it with both feet.

   Exiting the Strip was far easier than getting in. It may
have been because a lot of security was engaged in putting down the riot, but
hardly anyone gave them a glance as they left. She figured it was also because
they assumed that you were leaving because you were out of money; and if you
were out of money than Vegas had no interest in you.

   They made it all the way to the chopper before anyone
even seemed to notice them. An airport worker gave them a friendly wave as they
boarded. Rora noticed more activity on the tarmac this time, it seemed like a
lot of VIPs were getting ready to leave. Workers and personal security swarmed
around a number of small jets fueling them and preparing for a quick takeoff.
Apparently they were finding the riots a little too threatening for their
comfort.

   “What did you do?” Derek asked. “It’s like we don’t
exist. I would have thought security of some kind would have stopped us.”

   “The hacker isn’t the only one who can erase their
steps.” Rora said with a grin. “The Voice erased us from the casino’s system
and prevented any communications about us from going out. So Strip Security has
no idea they want us. They’ll eventually figure it out, but we will long gone
by then.”

   “Nice! Did you get what we need?” Derek asked as the
chopper took off.

   “We did. He was really good and erased all records,
video, and audio of himself; but we managed to figure out where he went.” Rora
told him.

   “How did you do that?”

   “Rora suggested we look for ‘blank’ spots in the video
which would suggest someone had removed data.” The Voice interjected. “Using
that we were able to see where he had been. We couldn’t see what he did, but we
know he got on a small plane and took off.”

   “Excellent. But how do we know where it went?” Derek
asked.

   “I still have access to CIA satellites.” The Voice
explained. “I was able to track it to a small airport outside Boise, Idaho. It
is still there, so it is likely your target is still there as well.”

   “Alright, let’s go to Boise then.” Derek agreed.

   “I already told the pilot.” Rora informed them.

   “Great. What do you think he wants in Boise?” Derek
wondered. “That’s an awfully risky place to go right now, and so out of the
way.”

   “What’s so risky about Boise?” Rora asked as they flew
away from Vegas.

   “Boise was one of the few cities in the Midwest to
survive the Collapse and the Aftermath intact. For a few years they had it
pretty good. They had decent food supplies and a clean water source from the
mountains. The temperatures dropped significantly, but the people were used to
cold winters so they adjusted. They still lost two thirds of their population,
primarily the old and sick.” Derek explained. “They were too far away for the
U.S.T.G. to assert power over them, and not important enough to attack. So
compared to the rest of North America, they were doing well. But, the
Collective began expanding eastward and Boise became a prime target for them.
For the last four years Boise has held out against a Collective siege. They are
stubborn people and refuse to give up, but the Collective will eventually
overwhelm them.”

    “If the Collective was able to wipe out a large U.S.T.G.
force with tanks and planes, why haven’t they been able to capture Boise?” Rora
asked.

   “That is a good question. They must have wanted it intact
for some reason, or they weren’t able to commit enough troops to take it. I’m
not sure. We should ask when we get there. If they have some secret weapon to
fight the Collective, it would be in all our benefits to get it.” Derek replied
thoughtfully.

   “Aren’t the Collective no longer a threat since we took
out Doors?” Rora inquired.

   “Nature abhors a vacuum. I’m sure someone else stepped in
to take control.” Derek answered.

   “It would appear you are correct Major.” The Voice added.
“All reports indicate the Collective is still fully functioning and still
besieging Boise. I am getting shortwave radio broadcasts from there that
indicate they are losing and desperately seeking help.”

   “Then we better get there quick and take care of business
before they get overrun.”  Derek stated emphatically.

   He instructed the pilot to make top speed to Boise and
got a thumbs up in return. The three soldiers assigned as their escorts had
been listening to the conversation and didn’t look happy. Derek didn’t blame
them. They had thought they were on a simple milk run to check out the village,
but now they were heading into a combat zone. They had already been under fire
at the village by elite Special Forces. Now they might have to face the
unfeeling and relentless Collective troops. The rumor that being around Derek
was essentially a death sentence seemed to be true.

  The remainder of the flight was in silence. Everyone
checked their weapons and gear. They didn’t know what to expect when they got
to Boise, so they needed to be prepared. It took them about three hours to get
within radar range of Boise. The terrain became increasingly bleak as they got
closer. The temperature dropped noticeably and there were already hints of snow
on the ground. The effects of the temperature shift had been more pronounced
the farther north you went and Boise was no exception.

    As they approached, the radio chatter increased
significantly. It seemed that a major offensive was under way by the Collective
forces and that they had all but surrounded the city. The Boise Free State, as
they called themselves, had been pushed back into the ruins of the city. They
could see that the outskirts had been reduced to rubble by the constant
fighting.  No building was undamaged and nothing stood over one story.

   “We have an incoming transmission.” The pilot notified
Derek.

   “Put it through.” He instructed.

   The radio crackled, and Derek could tell the signal was
weak. “Unidentified aircraft, we do not have a safe place to land. You need to
divert. Repeat, you need to divert.” A female voice reported.

   “We have urgent business and we need to land, it is very
important.” Derek replied.

   “Identify yourself and your business.” The woman ordered.

   “Derek Storm with NASA, there is a man we need to talk
to. He flew in about a week ago.”

   “You’re the guys that took out Doors?” The woman asked.
“We heard about you on WAST, the Voice of the Wasteland.”

   “That’s right, sorry that didn’t provide any relief for
you.” Derek said sympathetically.

   “It did for a couple of days and then they came back just
as strong. We are on the verge of collapse here. If you come in, you will just
get stuck with us.” The woman said dejectedly.

   “Maybe we can help?” Derek offered.

   “I doubt it, the man you are looking for said he could
help; but it didn’t work. It’s only a matter of time.”

   “We really need to talk to him, is there anywhere we can
land?” Derek requested.

   “We control the airport, barely, but it’s under siege. The
majority of us are trapped on the old Boise State campus. You could probably
land on the football field, but I cannot guarantee the Collective forces won’t
shoot you down.” The woman told him.

   “Okay, we’re coming in. Any cover you could give us would
be appreciated. Storm out.” Derek ended the transmission.

   “We’re landing at the stadium, look for a patch of blue Astroturf.
We’re probably going to be under fire as we land, so go in at full speed.”
Derek ordered the pilot.

   “Seriously?” The pilot asked. “Blue Astroturf?”

   “Seriously. It was a big thing back in the day.” Derek
told him.  “Everyone buckle in and hang tight, it’s going to be hot going in.”

   They all tightened their restraints and hung on as the
chopper accelerated and dropped altitude. Various alarms went off as ground
radars began to target the chopper. It began to rock side to side as the pilot
took evasive maneuvers, and Derek could feel flares being launched.  Then they
could hear the metallic pings of bullets striking the body of the helicopter.
Everyone instinctively clutched their seats tighter and hunched up. The Chinook
was lightly armored, which would protect them from small arms fire, but
anything heavier could come through.

   Derek was relatively calm; he had done this many times,
including the chopper ride to NASA. The sounds and sensations were perfectly
normal to him. But the sudden boom that shook the entire chopper wasn’t normal.
He was about to ask the pilot what it was, when the helicopter suddenly dropped
a hundred feet. The pilot regained control, but Derek could tell the chopper
was badly damaged.

   “What was that?” Derek asked the pilot.

   “Missile! Can’t talk, hang on!” The pilot screamed back.

   The chopper began to shake wildly and began losing
altitude. Smoke poured out behind them like a streamer. Every alarm was
sounding before the co-pilot disabled them. The damaged chopper rocked from the
repeated strikes by heavy weapons fire. A ricochet or fragment struck Rora’s
arm and she screamed in pain. Derek tried to bandage it as they continued to
plummet towards the ground.

   Then, as quickly as it had begun, the weapons fire ended.
They were through the Collective’s defenses, but they were still going down.
Derek glanced out the window panel to see the walls of the stadium passing by.
The stands went by in a blur and then they hit the ground hard. The chopper
bounced, rolled sideways; and then began sliding along as the chopper blades
smashed into the ground and shattered one after the other. They were all thrown
around violently at the impact and Derek could hear screaming.

    The helicopter rolled over completely and they were
briefly suspended upside down before it came to a stop with a crash, mostly
upright. Smoke filled the rear cabin and he could make out the beginning
flicker of flames. They needed to get out before the thing blew.

   He immediately unbuckled and checked on Rora. She was
stunned but otherwise okay. He unbuckled her and shoved her towards the door.
It was stuck, but he used his superior strength to wrench it free. Fresh air
poured into the smoke filled cabin and he could now see the three soldiers.
They were working on freeing themselves from their harnesses.

   Rora jumped out and Derek was going to follow, but he
noticed that the pilot and co-pilot hadn’t moved. He climbed back into the
cabin and to the small pass through into the front cabin. The co-pilot was
obviously dead. A piece of the helicopter blade had pierced his chest. The
pilot hung limply, but he appeared to be breathing. Flames were burning at his
feet and beginning to spread. Derek had to save the man who had managed to get
them to the ground; he couldn’t let another man die because of him.

   He cut the pilot’s harness off and dragged him into the
rear cabin. The three soldiers had exited; he could see two of them carrying
the third that seemed to have a broken leg. The flames had spread to the
doorway, but Derek shouldered the unconscious pilot and jumped through. He hit
the ground hard and stumbled, but managed to regain his footing and raced away
from the burning chopper. Glancing over his shoulder he could see that the
chopper had crashed into the wall protecting the stands and was now fully
engulfed in flames.

   He and the others were almost clear when it blew. They were
knocked down and peppered with debris from the doomed chopper. Rora and the
soldiers just lay there for a minute and caught their breath while Derek
checked on the pilot. The man had a nasty lump on his head and his jumpsuit was
singed, but otherwise he was fine. Once Rora caught her breath she fixed the
bandage on her arm and went to help with the wounded soldier.

   Derek looked around. They had landed on the field and
destroyed a good part of it. A scorched trail led from the middle of the field
and up to the stands. A goal post had been obliterated by the crashing chopper
and the burning remains of the chopper were melting the Astroturf around them.
Smaller fires burned where the burning gasoline had splattered. Oily black
smoke hung over the field, trapped by the sides of the stadium.

   Not that it mattered, no one had played here in a while
and it would be a long time before anyone played here again. The remains of the
helicopter were a burning wreck. Yet another vehicle he had destroyed. They would
need to find another way home. They lost one man and two others were seriously
injured.  And no one was in sight to help them. Hopefully this mission started
going a little better soon.

September 6, 2029

Boise State University, Boise, Idaho

   It wasn’t long before men in a motley assortment of
camouflage and winter clothes burst out of a tunnel opposite of the crash. The
men were armed with a mixed collection of assault rifles, shotguns, and hunting
rifles. They surrounded the crash survivors and held them at gunpoint, but they
stayed at a good distance. Derek counted twelve of them, and they were all very
anxious. Fingers were on triggers and it would only take one wrong move to
start a massacre. He raised his hands slowly and told the others to do the
same.

   “Don’t move.” One man ordered the survivors. “We need to
search you.”

   Derek held still, as did the others, while one man
scanned them one at a time with a metal detector and a radio frequency
detector. He wasn’t searching for weapons though; the scans were all around the
head and neck area. He realized the man was scanning for drone or LINC chips.
The Collective must have tried to insert people previously. After the man had
scanned all of them, he gave the all clear.

   Rora noticed that the men still didn’t relax their
stances. The guns were still aimed at them and their fingers were still on the
trigger. They hadn’t been disarmed, but they were definitely prisoners. This
could get very interesting, very fast. Only two of the soldiers were capable of
fighting and they had lost their weapons when they exited the chopper. She and
Derek were armed, but there were too many gunmen for them to take them without
getting seriously wounded or killed. She had a hole in her arm, but it had
stopped bleeding and didn’t hurt that much.

   The leader of the gunmen, notable for his dark blue parka
and long beard, gestured for them to stand up. Like the other gunmen he had a
scarf covering his face and no discernable rank emblems. He turned and headed
back into the tunnel. The other gunmen followed herding the crash survivors
along. The soldier with the broken leg was helped by the other two and Derek
was carrying the unconscious pilot.

   They descended into the bowels of the stadium. Dust and
cobwebs covered everything and it was obvious no one ever came here. The
footprints from the gunmen passing through to enter the stadium were the only
signs of life. The group took a winding path and eventually ended up in what
had been the steam tunnels under the stadium. They had to pass through three
metal gates that the gunmen locked behind them with massive metal padlocks.
Rora noticed several cameras and motion detectors. Even though they weren’t
patrolling here they still maintained a watchful eye.

   Finally they emerged into a large open basement. The room
was dimly lit and it looked like a storage area for forgotten furniture,
although she did notice that all the furniture was metal or only the metal
remnants. All the wood had been stripped or used for something else. A space
had been cleared in the middle, and three people stood waiting for them. An
older woman flanked by two armed guards stood in the center of the space.

   She was surprisingly well dressed, but bundled up for the
cold in an expensive designer snow jacket and pants. Stylish snow boots and a
fancy scarf completed her outfit. The two guards were similarly dressed in
heavy parkas and snow gear, but Rora could see the outline of body armor below
them. They carried M4 carbines with underslung grenade launchers on slings and
had a military bearing about them. They were very alert and eyed Derek and Rora
with barely concealed suspicion. She noticed they while their weapons were
pointed away from the group, they had their fingers on the trigger.

   Derek and Rora were led in front of the woman by the man
in the blue parka. He stepped to the side but stayed near them, his gun in his
hand. The soldiers from their group were kept back at a distance and at
gunpoint. Once they were closer, Rora could see the woman was probably in her
late fifties. She had dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and her features were
Eastern European. She had once been very attractive, and even now she still had
great presence. The woman examined them with a critical eye for a minute and
then looked over at the man in the blue parka.

   “They were clean.” He reported gruffly. “No chips or
cybernetics. That doesn’t mean they aren’t some new form of infiltrator
though.”

   “Since they nearly died getting here, I will give them
the benefit of the doubt.” She replied with a laugh, and then introduced
herself. “I am Dr. Rosanna Baikul and I am the current leader of the Boise Free
State. Welcome to our little slice of freedom.”

   “Wait, I know you.” Rora interrupted. “You worked with my
father.”

   “Who is your father?” The Boise leader asked cautiously.

   “Dr. Andrew Carter.” Rora replied quickly.

   The woman’s face went white at Rora’s answer. “Everyone
out except these two!” She suddenly ordered, pointing at Derek and Rora.

   When the man in the blue parka and her two guards
resisted, she waved them off and reiterated her order. They left begrudgingly
and Rora knew they were right outside. The woman waited impatiently as the
others filed out. She stared at Rora intently as if trying to pierce her soul
and read her mind. Once the room was clear she moved in close to Rora.

   “I did work with your father. What do you know about our
work?” The woman demanded with an edge to her voice.

   “He never said exactly, just that he regretted ever doing
the work. But I know it was when he was still a part of the Collective.” Rora answered,
slightly taken aback by the woman’s tone.

   “Yes, I’m sure he regretted it.” The leader of the Boise
Free State agreed sadly. “Our work led directly to the Collapse and the
Aftermath.”

   “I’m sure that’s a little dramatic.” Derek interjected. “The
world was already on a collision path with disaster. It didn’t take much to
push it past the tipping point.”

   “Oh really?” The woman snapped sarcastically. “I’m a
cyberneticist and your father was a geneticist, we worked to bring those two
fields together. Our main project was to create a computer that mimicked the
human brain.”

   “You created the LINC.” Rora said with a gasp.

   “We created the basic design for what became the LINC.”
Dr. Baikul agreed with obvious regret. “We created the monster that allowed the
Collective to come into being and for Doors to transfer himself into the
system.”

   “But that means you must have created the device that my
father hid away and that we used to delete Doors?” Rora asked. “You could make
more?”

   “Yes, I helped your father design it. But he destroyed
the design after he built the prototype, he didn’t want anyone else to be able
to seize control.” Dr. Baikul replied. “I disagreed with his position, but he
was insistent. Then he disappeared and it became a moot point. I always
wondered what happened to him.”

   “He was hiding out in a small village in Colorado, trying
to make up for what he had done.” Rora told her.

   “You must have some capability of the device her father
built or you wouldn’t have been able to keep the Collective out for so long.”
Derek interjected.

   “Yes, I utilized some of the design that I remembered to
build larger versions of the device that prevented the LINC from connecting
within the area of effect. That meant that the Collective forces would suddenly
lose control when they entered that area and we could easily pick them off.”
Dr. Baikul explained. “They were slowly destroying the devices, but we were
able to build more and keep them at bay. We always assumed they would
eventually give up, but they never did.”

   “What is so important in Boise that they would keep up
the attack? There are plenty of other easier targets nearby.” Derek asked.

   “I think they want the research and any prototypes we
have for the LINC and the devices. I imagine it is quite a threat to the
Collective’s existence.” The scientist explained. “We resisted giving the
technology to the U.S.T.G. for fear of what they might do with it, but they
have been offering us a lot of assistance in exchange for it. At some point we
have to give in or be wiped out.”

   “What changed in the last few months that has enabled the
Collective to make huge gains into the city?” Derek wondered.

   “When you deleted Doors and destroyed the station, we
thought our nightmare was over. The drones and the Humeks pulled back and we
even saw some fighting amongst their ranks.” Dr. Baikul told them. “But within
a month they suddenly regained their organization and restarted the assault. At
first it wasn’t much different, but a couple of weeks ago they started entering
the area of effect and they seemed unaffected. That caught us off guard and
they made huge gains before we pulled back into the University.”

   “How are they nullifying the effects of the devices?”
Rora asked with curiosity.

   “One of our scouts discovered a large transmission tower
had been built on Table Rock, just outside the city. We believe that the
Collective units are now controlled via a new network that is powered from that
tower. The signal is powerful enough to override our devices and allow the
Collective to function within the area of effect. Essentially all of Boise.”
Dr. Baikul informed them. “We won’t last long against the full array of their
forces. They have us vastly outnumbered and outgunned. But I’m sure you didn’t
take such a huge risk to come here to ask about the Collective. Why are you
here?”

   “We are looking for a man who flew here in a private
plane last week. He stole something that belonged to my father.” Rora replied
vaguely.

   “Is he here?” Derek chimed in.

   “What did he look like?” Dr. Baikul asked slowly.

   “We don’t know, he obscured his image. But there can’t be
that many people who flew in here lately.” Derek pointed out.

   “Bill!” The Boise Free State leader called out. “Bring
everyone back in, including our other guest.”

   “Yes ma’am!” A voice hollered back.

   “I don’t need to tell you that what we discussed is
confidential?” Dr. Baikul asked them in a low voice before the others came back
in.

   “Of course.” Rora said reassuringly.

   The man in the blue parka, Rora assumed he was Bill, led
everyone else back into the dimly lit basement room. The guards took up their
positions on either side of Dr. Baikul and the remainder of the Boise Free
State militiamen stood in a semi-circle facing her. They parted slightly to
allow Bill to drag a man into the middle. The man was average in every way.
Rora estimated he stood about five feet and ten inches tall, and he was slender
but not thin or muscular. His clothes were all a shade of dark gray and his
hair was a close cropped and brown.  He had no defining characteristics and if
she saw him in a crowd she would have difficulty picking him out.

   “I assume this the man you are looking for.” The Boise
leader said. “He arrived about a week ago offering to help us hold back the
Collective. But we later found him trying to hack into our mainframe.  He
claims to be Mark Kroner, a freelance hacker out of Nashville.”

   “I wasn’t hacking your system.” The man interrupted in a
soft voice. “I was trying to make the alterations to the system to keep the
Collective back.”

   “Well that obviously didn’t work.” Derek replied
sarcastically.

   “Indeed. We need to go to the source of the signal for me
to make the changes. I can still help you.” The man said pleadingly.

   “I think not.” Dr. Baikul stated firmly. “You have
already proven untrustworthy, and it is possible you are working for the
Collective. I’m not going to deliver you to them.”

   “We’ll take him off your hands.” Derek offered. “We can
make sure he isn’t a threat to you.”

   “That works out for you, but how does that help us? Why
shouldn’t we just kill him?” Dr. Baikul countered.

   “What do you want for him?” Derek asked calmly.

   “You don’t have much to offer.” Dr. Baikul pointed out.
“You lost your ride in here and you don’t have any weapons or tech to trade to
us…”

   “We work with NASA, I’m sure they could provide some
support.” Rora interjected.

   “Maybe, but it would come too late.” Dr. Baikul replied
thoughtfully. “But maybe we could put your skills to good use.”

   “Why not.” Derek muttered. “Everyone else seems to have a
use for my skills. Why should you be any different?”

   “So you’ll help us?” Dr. Baikul asked hopefully.

   “What do you need us to do?” Derek replied resignedly.

   “We need you to take out that tower on Table Rock.” Bill
interjected.

   “Oh, is that all?” Derek asked with sarcasm. “No problem.
I’ll just jog out there right now and take care of it.”

   “We have a plan.” Bill replied a little sheepishly. “We
just need someone who can get up there and blow the tower.”

   “I’m listening.” Derek said patiently.

   “We have some remaining artillery we have kept back for a
final stand. We will shell the area around Table Rock and then launch several
ground attacks up the main road there. That should draw the Collective’s
attention and create enough confusion and chaos that you can infiltrate the
area. Climb up the side of the mountain and then place the charges.” Bill
explained.

   “You make it sound so simple.” Derek said with a sigh.
“But I’m sure it is well defended.”

   “It is, but only the road and trails.” Bill replied
smoothly. “That’s one of the advantage we enjoy over the Collective forces.
They are very rigid and unimaginative. They can only approach from those
directions so that’s all they’ve guarded. And there is no individual initiative
so they just follow the orders as given. It is a blind spot we have exploited
many times. A small group of no more than four people should be able to
infiltrate the summit and take out the guards there while the others are distracted
by the assault. Blow the tower and get out of there.”