Precipice: The Beginning (21 page)

42

W
as it blood? It looked red, but then again, it looked purple. Andrews wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut at the risk of insulting his only link to the outside world. Yuri, his only true friend. The one man that could possibly understand what he was going through. But that red scratch down his throat and those purple blotches weighed on his mind. Maybe some kind of food? Yuri had told him that the station had turned off its gravitational rotation to conserve fuel. It was very plausible to think some kind of liquid, shampoo or Jell-O, floated into his neck without him noticing. Could happen. Andrews rocked up and down in his office chair, his entire body nodding with his conclusion. He looked at the dim interior of the space station’s communications center. A few blinking lights in the background, the same picture of someone’s brother hung slightly crooked, the left corner just a tad higher than the right. A large, dopey smile on his face.

Yuri’s face filled the screen as he took a seat. His expression was cold, exhausted. The look of man that’s shed the last of his emotions.

“What’s happened?” Andrews asked, his eyes pulling free of the Russian cosmonaut to look at the scratch on his neck. Maybe he scratched it on a piece of equipment while coming around the corner?

Yuri sat motionless for a while, looking down into his lap, his bottom lip trembling. He shook his head slowly as the tears began to fall. He lifted his face up into the camera and took a deep breath, trembling. “Have you ever held someone as they lay dying?”

Andrews leaned back, stunned by such a question. “No, not really. I mean… I’ve been next to people as they’ve died. I’ve even caused a few, but no. Never held them.”

“You are lucky my friend.” Yuri lowered his head. “I wish I could say the same. But our chief science officer, Patrick Lybecker, took his own life a few moments ago. You may know him. He was an American astronaut.”

“No, I’ve never heard of him.”

“Oh, well, doesn’t really matter now. He’s dead. Cut his throat with a jagged piece of mirror glass. I walked in as he dropped it to the floor. I caught him, in my arms, and held him there as he lay dying.” Yuri lifted up his hands to the camera, maroon staining the normal tan skin. Both hands trembled. “I looked down into his eyes and watched his soul leave him. It’s actually quite beautiful.” Yuri gave a distant smile.

“Why did he do it?”

“The transmission we received. We caught a military transmission through a communications satellite.” Yuri shook his head. “It hit too close to home for Patrick. A soldier’s last report from a small town in Colorado.”

“Can I see it?”

“Are you sure you want to?”

“Please, I have to.”

Yuri hesitated for just a moment, running the footage in his mind and remembering his own initial reaction. But he’d been thankful for seeing. A morbid realization, but still, better to know the truth and come to terms with it than to hold onto false hope. He turned his back to the camera and entered some data into the computer, opening the correct files and finally patched the recorded feed into the communications link with the Mars facility. The camera went black, and for the briefest moment Andrews felt his heart pick up, fearing the connection between him and Yuri had been severed. Possibly for good. No one could simply repair the lines as if they were on Earth. No AT&T repair men circling the planet or making house calls. Andrews took a relaxing breath as the close-up of a young man’s face filled the screen, an extreme close up of his right eye while he struggled with his units’ communications satellite uplink.

“Please work,” Private Luther Mihalyo of the 131st company said softly, nodding to himself as he saw the red light above the lens. “Okay, okay.” Luther took a seat, resting his sweaty palms on his knees while looking directly into the camera. His eyes twitched. “My name is Luther Mihalyo and I’m in Boulder, Colorado. My entire unit is dead.” Luther held his breath, holding back a fresh batch of tears. “Everyone in this city is dead. And those that weren’t killed have been stuffed in cages, like fucking hamsters.” The tears fell. “These massive things just came out of nowhere. Grabbing anyone and everyone, throwing them inside these cages. I can’t –” Luther wiped his face and took a calming breath. “I don’t even know why I’m recording this. Or who might ever watch it. I’ve heard nothing from the radios, no response from the surrounding units. Am I all alone?”

Luther fell from his chair, startled by a nearby shriek. His panicked foot lashed out and kicked over the camera, leaving the footage to be shot sideways with a view of the tent’s flap. Andrews sat forward, watching in anticipation as the shrieking continued, outlasting the stamina of any human vocal cord. Luther’s boots stepped into view as he hurried toward the fluttering tent flaps. He pushed them open and exposed the world beyond. Andrews held a hand to his mouth, shocked by such a contrast to the world he remembered. Heavy rain fell from black clouds. The only light coming from large fires that burned the remains of Boulder. Luther aimed his machine gun out into the darkness, rotating slowly without a visual. A creature leapt from the darkness, pushing Luther back into the tent to land on the camera, severing the link.

Andrews had fallen from his chair, startled by the ferocity of the attack. The creature had been huge. At least twice the size of Luther. In the brief second of its attack, only its face and front claws were visible. An elongated snout with large fangs. Its face was completely hairless, and the reddish brown tint to its flesh looked as if the beast had been skinned alive.

“I wept when I saw it,” Yuri said as he looked down to Andrews.

Andrews sat for a moment, the floor cold and uncomfortable through his thin work pants. He felt pinned down by the gravity of what has happened, or is still happening. With a shaking hand, he gripped the table and pulled himself up; thankful his weak knees hadn’t buckled. He took a seat and looked at Yuri. He may as well have been looking into a mirror. The face looking back at him was unshaven, exhausted, and a clinging shard of sanity in his eyes.

“What is that thing?”

“None of us have ever seen anything like it.” Yuri leaned back in his chair, looking past the camera. “Are you a religious man?”

“No.”

“Neither am I. Curse of the scientist, I suppose. But still, one looks at all this and wonders.” Yuri gave a cryptic smile. “Maybe we were put here to survive this. To outlast the extinction of humanity.”

Andrews had been concerned, hell, he’d been downright scared shitless with the sight of that footage, but never had the extinction of humanity entered his thoughts. The thought had been there, leaning against the back of his mind, but it hadn’t hit home.

“Do you have women there?”

“Yes, only one.”

Yuri nodded, leaning forward with a warm smile. “You are so very fortunate. I lost the last female of our crew six months ago. She went back to Earth on the last rotation. But you, you have the tools to sustain.” Yuri shed a tear. “Keep her safe and you save us all. Keep her close. Because our salvation is now in your hands, my friend.”

43

A
nnie lay on her side, propping her head up on her hand. She ran her fingers through Logan’s hair as he slept, looking lovingly at his peaceful face, slightly envious of his ability to sleep soundly. But such is a mother’s job, to shield her children from the terrors of this world. Even if that meant she slept very light, waking to every crack and pop from the fires outside. And there were so many of them now. In the six days they’d been within the hardware store, she’d see the distant red glow moving steadily closer. Apparently no one had informed the fire of the heavy rain, because it didn’t seem to care. It moved toward them all the same. Forcing houses to collapse or wood to burst out into the street, startling her from sleep every few hours. If it wasn’t the fires, it was the creatures. Their snarls or screeches tearing through the air. As always, each inhuman shrill was followed closely by someone screaming, their voice fading with their life. Six days of constant hunting and screaming. Endless voices begging for help. With the power out, fewer people came to the door. Smashing their fists against the boarded up windows until they bled. Annie had been on guard duty when a woman of perhaps twenty came running toward them. Annie had watched her through a crack in the boards, hoping she could make it. But out of the shadows came one of the smaller ones, the “dogs” as they called them. It hit her hard, sliding her along the pavement on her back like a skateboard, coming to a stop a few feet shy of the store. Annie pulled back, wanting to help but not daring to give away their position. She’d wanted to turn away, but the girl looked up. Their eyes met. The creature sank its teeth into the back of her neck and ended her life, yet her eyes still looked to Annie. Her last hope on this world. Then she was dragged back through the water filled street, pulled into the shadows as they all were.

Annie pulled back her hand as Logan gave out an annoyed snort, rolling onto his side to give her his back. The “leave me alone” pose. Annie smiled and respected his wishes, moving into a seated position. Her arm was falling asleep anyway. She stood and stretched, lifting her arms far above her until she heard that all too familiar snap. A smile surfaced. Not long lived, but there. It had gotten to the point where any remembrance of her old life or shed of comfort needed to be enjoyed. Especially since her new residence was the end of the gardening aisle. At least they weren’t outside like so many people were. Drowning in some flash flood or being hunted by either the tall ones or the dogs.

Annie bent down and covered Logan up one last time. She knew full well he’d kick it off, but it’s what mothers did. Satisfied he was covered for the next twenty minutes, Annie headed down the dark aisle. The soft flicker of light ahead made her smile. Arnold was on guard duty tonight, sitting before the front doors with his left scrawny leg crossed over his right. He wore tan slacks, black socks, and a red and blue striped knit sweater. A pipe clutched between his teeth as he read whatever novel he pulled from the shoulder bag he’d brought with them, his glasses pushed down the bridge of his nose so he could see. A small candle held close to the pages, barely giving off enough light to see the book, let alone read it.

“Ah, my dear Annie. Please, pull up a chair.”

“I’m not disturbing you?” Annie asked as she took a seat beside him.

“Don’t be silly. I’m aching for some human interaction. These books are a fine way to pass the time, but boy do they leave me with such a headache. My eyes, you know.”

“Mr. Lee, why read then if it hurts your eyes?”

“First, drop the Mr. right now. I think being huddled together like this allows for some informality. And second, I like reading. It comforts me when I’m nervous, calms me when I’m scared. More than anything, it reminds me of a time when we weren’t hiding from the scary things of the night. I’m not just a man sitting before a boarded up door with a loaded rifle on the ground beside me. I’m simply a man reading by candle light.”

“I like that.”

Arnold nodded, putting his book in his lap. He tilted his head and read Annie’s expression, seeing her concerned features as if the candle were a hundred watt bulb. He set a comforting hand on her knee and gave a good squeeze. Arnold wasn’t concerned that she’d see this friendly squeeze as any sort of sexual advance. When you’re sixty-eight, people tend to look at everything you do as either being cute or annoying, but never sexual.

“What’s on your mind?”

“It’s that obvious?”

“I’m sure if it weren’t you’d be back there snuggling with your boy.”

Annie looked to Arnold and thought of her father. How he used to lift her up and read to her when she couldn’t sleep. “I’m just concerned for Logan. And thinking about Travis.”

“I’m sure he’s thinking about you. Although, I wonder if they know anything about all this. It’s not like they get the morning paper delivered.”

“I hope they don’t. Why fill him with worry when there’s nothing he can do about it.” Annie lowered her head, wishing more than anything that Travis was here.

A loud thump shook the building.

“What the hell was that?” Annie sprang to her feet and hurried to the door, ducking down to peek through a crack in between two boards.

“Something very large.” Arnold gripped the wall for balance as the store rocked again.

Heavy footfalls slamming down on the pavement came closer. The ceiling tiles fell to the floor, startling the twenty people in the back of the store from their sleep. Annie looked back over her shoulder and heard their worried voices and a few panicked yelps. She hoped Logan had slept through the shaking, but she could hear him crying. Her guilt for not running back to console him was eased as she heard Erica soothing him. Annie turned back and peeked through the crack in the boards as a car came flipping down the street, moving like a matchbox car tossed by an angry child. Annie shook her head slowly in startled disbelief, watching the car slam through the front of a secondhand clothing store a few stores down. It occurred to her that whatever had thrown that car wouldn’t have any difficulty pulling a few boards from the storefront, or ripping the metal security gate right off the front door. How safe were they against something like this?

“What the fuck is happening?” Sam ran down the aisle with a handgun aimed at the window.

“Lower that and shut the hell up!” Annie waved her hands as he ran toward her. “You’ll give away our position.”

“What is it?” Sam whispered, pressing his face to the window, darting his head about until he could get a view of the street.

Annie could hear the crowd growing behind them, speaking softly in anticipation. She wanted to turn and offer some words of encouragement but the continual shaking had peeked her interest. The very Earth seemed to shake, growing louder, growing closer. Annie pulled back as the largest foot she’d ever seen stepped into view. It made the animal planet’s recreations of T-Rex look like a child’s toy. The four massive toes sank into the pavement, splashing the standing water high into the air and hitting their window. Annie ducked down and looked up, never seeing more than the creature’s leg. It took another step forward, a stride of twenty feet, maybe more. Items behind her fell off the shelf as it passed. Behind it was a long and oddly formed tail, ending in three fingers. It flexed and crawled about the street, picking up debris floating by here and there, sizing them up before tossing them away. Everyone held their breath for the next few minutes as it lumbered by, stepping on and smashing a bank as it slowly made its way down another street.

“What in the name of Christ our lord was that?” Skip asked, clutching a hammer to his chest as if that would have done any good.

“How many different kinds of these things are there?” Annie whispered to Arnold.

“Three that I’ve seen so far. That thing, wow. What a behemoth.”

“It’s all over now,” Sam yelled, pushing off the window with his head lowered. “If things like that are free to roam, then you know it’s over.”

“Keep your voice down,” Annie hissed, motioning with her head toward Logan as he stood under Erica’s left arm, Abby under the right.

“It’s a bit too late for discretion, lady. That thing is just going to come back here.” Sam waved his gun about as he spoke, sweating wildly as he grew red with anger and panic. He turned to the crowd, preaching his fear for supporters as they shook with terror. “Don’t you all see? We’re just waiting around for the inevitable slaughter.”

“What do you suggest? We just unlock the doors and invite them in?” Arnold crossed his arms in agitation but spoke softly, calmly.

“We’re safe for now and that’s what matters,” Skip smiled to the children. “Even the rain has finally stopped.”

“Fuck the rain. Who cares about rain? I’m not worried the rain is going to break through that door and tear my guts out!”

Annie stepped forward and punched him in the stomach, knocking him backward into the register. Sam cradled his stomach as he collapsed to the floor, struggling to breathe. She stood over him and pressed her foot to his throat, stepping down just hard enough to pin him.

“Now you listen to me,” Annie snarled, pointing down at him. “You keep your voice down and stay calm. The last thing we need in here is panic. Now if you want to go, I’m sure Skip would be more than happy to open that door and let you run off. But if you want to stay, you’d better remember your manners.” Annie pressed her shoe down on his throat. “And if you cuss in front of these children again, I’ll tear your guts out. Do we have an understanding?”

Sam did his best to nod, clawing madly at the foot on his throat. “Yes!” He croaked.

Annie gave a single nod and withdrew her foot, bending down quickly to snatch the revolver from his hand. “When you’ve demonstrated that you’re a rational person, come see me and I’ll give this back.” Annie gave him a hard slap on the cheek before he could stand, turning her back to him since she no longer perceived him to be a threat. “Okay, listen up everyone. Please return to your sleeping bags and get some rest. Mr. Lee and I will stand guard. Please, go on and get some rest.”

Annie stood for a moment, nodding to her fellow squatters and understanding their woe. She lowered her hands to her side as they began moving. She gave Logan a hard hug and a kiss on the check, patting his butt with a wink before Erica took him back to bed. Annie eyed Sam as he stood, shuffling off into the darkness of the store with his head lowered in defeat.

Annie didn’t trust him. He had gone far beyond his level of mental control, broken his comfort zone. Men that paid for valet and first class plane tickets didn’t transition well to sudden catastrophe. Their tailored suits torn and dirtied. Their stomachs growling while they flee their worldly possessions. No, Annie didn’t trust a man that didn’t know himself. It kept him capable of anything, especially as desperation gave way to fear. If she wasn’t careful, he might turn on them.

“Let it go, dear.” Arnold gave a tug at her elbow. “He’s whimpering now, but I’m pretty sure you put him in his place.”

Annie turned and let it go, taking a seat beside Arnold with a view of wooden boards. She crossed her left leg over her right
a
nd leaned back with a sigh. She wasn’t even sure of the time. Night or day? The rain may have stopped outside but the black clouds stayed put.

“I think that might have been the biggest creature I’ve ever seen…or at least partially saw.”

Annie nodded, still able to feel her feet lift off the floor the tiniest bit with every impact tremor.

“How can we possibly defend ourselves against something like that?”

“I don’t know.” Annie shook her head, wondering just how much damage their weapons could actually do against such a beast. “Let’s just pray the military is getting the job done.”