After the Pandemic: White Noise - Chapter One (1074 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1.8 on 22 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Steve's House of Pancakes (View user info) at 2005-03-09 04:28:29 EST
(Hi, I'm Steve. I like bandwagons. I also don't know how to proofread so there are probably tons of mistakes in here. This stuff came out of my brain, but this is the original idea - http://www.ubersite.com/m/61238)
Niko pursed his lips and glared at Ben. "You shouldn't have brought her back here."
Ben sat back and folded his arms behind his head. Ben had never been cocky before all this. He never acted superior to anyone, even those he was superior to. That good person had evaporated. There was some one new living in Ben's skin. Niko used to call himself Ben's friend. Now, he hated having to share the strange new world they were living in with this hollow man. He hated that Ben was still breathing and in perfect health when so many others were afflicted or killed quickly in the aftermath.
Ben smirked wryly and cocked his head at Niko. "Why should it matter, Niko? She's here now."
"She could've been sick, Ben. Hell, she could still be. What if she had brought the sickness back here?" Niko's shoulders were squared as he stared at Ben. Ben was calmly leaning back in his chair, acting nonchalant to the whole situation.
"If she had, I would've been glad," Ben shrugged. "Would've livened things up a little."
"Think before you speak, Ben," Niko snapped.
"What? Should I have said 'deadened?' Would that have worked for you?" Ben sighed heavily and stood. "Look, we're both supposed to be leading this town. I make decisions; you make decisions. Niko, none of us are fucking perfect. Get off your fucking high horse and realize what's more important for this town."
Niko practically leapt off of his chair. "What's more important for this town is to keep outsiders out. We don't know how far those things can travel. We don't know how far the Pac got. Until we get word we..."
"Fuck you, Niko! You preach about keeping outsiders out, but you still rely on them! What if the people you're relying on are sick? What then? Don't be a fucking hypocrite," Ben shouted. He gave Niko one last glare before turning and leaving the cabin.
The cold air rushed in when Ben left and Niko shivered. The wild arctic wind whipped daily at this time of year.
Yet they were alive. They were still alive when so many were dead.
Niko ran a hand through his blonde hair and exhaled roughly. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and slumped back into his chair. It shouldn't be like this. He shouldn't be fighting with the only other man left at their small outpost, if it could be called that. They should be working together to protect themselves and the girls. They should be doing so much more to keep safe.
Instead they're fighting about a stray girl that Ben had found half-frozen in the snow when he went out looking for supplies.
Niko was just 24 when this all started. Now, he was thirty but felt so much older. Ben was three years older than he was, but Niko had earned the respect of his community and was 'elected' their leader right from the start. The girls were all afraid. They wanted to be protected. Niko was a mountie. He knew what to do.
So much for Constable Niko Sawyer.
He should've told him that he was hardly a year out of Depot when they had appointed him their default chief. He should've told him that his first posting was up north. He should've told them that mounties aren't trained to fight vampires or zomies or deal with the total dysfunction of normal society.
But most of all he should've told them he was a coward.
Northern Canada hardly knew what hit it when the flu spread north. Hunters brought it to northern communities. Hunters and researchers started the epidemic. Doctors were even scarcer after everything started to fall apart. They didn't know what was happening when the outside world stopped functioning. It stopped functioning as they knew it and became something that was to be feared.
Then the refugees came. Survivors from oilrigs and observation stations started to trickle in. Some came from Canada, others from Alaska. Some even came from further north. The planes that had once brought them supplies stopped coming. They crossed when the ice was still solid to see what was happening. Then others from small towns started to arrive at other small towns they thought were safe. Soon, former residents of larger cities started wandering out into the wilderness only to be attacked by a bloodthirsty polar bear or puma.
Niko packed up his truck and fled when he couldn't take it anymore. He knew he was weak. He ran while he colleagues stayed to fight and die. He drove until the road wasn't driveable anymore. Then he started out on his snowmobile to the cabin he had heard about. His sergeant had told him that he had a cabin hidden in the wilderness that no one knew about. He had been stocking it with food for years for the apocalypse. Niko plied his paranoid commander with booze and got a location out of him. His sled died and he had to hike, but he found it. It was stocked with enough food and supplies for him to live along time.
He thought he would be fine on his own.
But they still followed. Ben had known about the cabin because Niko made the mistake of trusting him. Niko thought that Ben wouldn't tell anyone else and bring more supplies with him. Instead, Ben had brought a group of his friends and hardly any supplies. The rest had just been lucky. People who were half frozen and scared to death wandered towards the dot in the distance. A pilot had crashed his small plane just because he saw somewhere that was far away from everything that was out there. He had his wife and daughter with him and much needed supplies.
Now, six years later, they had built four more cabins and spread supplies so thin that Niko didn't think they could support one more mouth. They were afraid to hunt, for fear of killing a diseased animal and eating its flesh. They were afraid to explore outside of the safe-zone that had been erected around their shantytown. The camouflaged their cabins after the plane spotted them and they knew they were vulnerable from the air. They had set up a monitored parameter. If something were coming, they'd be able to hide quickly. But Niko was making this up as he went along and was quickly running out of ideas. A diseased bear had crossed their borders undetected last month and killed a woman who was chopping wood.
They were going to be found sooner or later, by animals or by whatever else was out there. And it would be all over.
Some one was knocking on his door. They'd been knocking for a while when Niko zoned back into the present.
"Come in," he said.
Jessica stepped inside. Jessica was 20 and stunning. She had arrived on the plane and had been a kid when her life had been uprooted. She had grown up right in front of him. Now, she was his beauty of the north. In the real world, Niko knew he wouldn't have a chance with her. Here, it was either him or Ben. While he didn't want to create sides within their small camp, there were obvious favourites amongst the girls. There were eight girls left. Only the youngest and strongest people had survived. There had been 20 people at the camp just a year ago. Now, there were only ten.
Niko was responsible for so many deaths. Niko could see the graves from his window. Through the frosty glass, he could see the small markers. They would've burnt the bodies for heat, but they were afraid the smell would've attracted too much attention. Niko shook his head. Their blood was on his hands.
"Nik, the new girl is awake," Jessica said quietly. Niko had practically forgot she was there. "Ben told me not to tell you, but..."
"Thanks, Jess," Niko sighed. "How's she doing?"
Jessica cocked her head. Her dark hair was long and held back in a loose braid. Her brown eyes seemed to cut right through Niko and the brave and hardened exterior he tried to project when he was around others. They knew each other well, perhaps too well. But Niko cherished Jessica's company. He knew she was smarter than Ben. He hoped that Ben would not return from one of his supply missions just so he could name Jessica his second in command.
"She's fine. Maggie and Fran said she was talking and seemed okay," Jessica stepped inside and closed the cold out. "But how are you?"
Niko shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "She makes me nervous, Jess. Having her here will make things harder on all of us. Ben made a selfish mistake bringing her back here."
Jessica nodded, leaning against the back of the door. "He did come back with more supplies, Nik. It could work for a long time if he doesn't lose control of this source."
Niko scoffed. "He will. He always does."
That's when he heard Jessica lock the door. He raised an eyebrow as he stepped away from the door and towards where he was sitting. She sat on his desk and ran her slender fingers through his quickly thinning hair. She stared at him with her calm brown eyes. Niko tried to smile at her, but his head was too heavy with thought.
"Nik, we're going to make this work," Jessica soothed. "I don't blame you for my mother's death. I don't blame Ben, either. We can't blame anyone. All we can do is think of ways to make this work. Summer is coming and they're going to be looking for us again. We have to work together to survive."
"I love you, Jessica," Niko said, despite himself. "I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want some stranger bringing that flu up here and I don't want that asshole Ben to hurt you."
Jessica gave Niko a small smile. She gracefully moved off his desk and onto his lap. She straddled his waist and kissed him deeply. Niko held her close, wishing that the world would finish itself off right then and there. He was sick of the life that had been forced upon him. He wanted to go back to what he used to know. He was ready to give up. And that scared him. He was never the type of person to quit at anything.
He broke the kiss and rested his head against Jessica's chest. "I just can't do this anymore."
He felt her lips on his forehead. "Yes you can. You're our leader for a reason."
His hands travelled down her back and rested on her hips. "I'm your leader for all the wrong reasons."
"Niko..." She started. She sat back to look at him and frowned. "We're still alive because of you."
"Hmm..." He brought his hands up to start unbuttoning her coat. She watched him as his hands slipped the thick coat off of her shoulders. He pulled her sweater off and kissed her bare shoulders before taking off the worn tank top underneath.
"Nik..." Her voice was low as he caressed her breasts. His cool hands slipped beneath the waistband of her pants and she pulled him into a kiss.
Niko shifted Jessica in his arms and carried her to the small couch in the corner. They'd fucked many times. Niko needed Jessica. Jessica needed to make Niko feel better. She knew that their situation was hopeless, but if offering her body to him would keep him focused for one more day then that would mean she'd be alive for one more day.
Niko eased Jessica's pants and underwear off without saying anything. He kissed down her chest and stomach. Jessica felt his stubble scratch her delicate skin but fought the urge to wince. Niko was so in love with her it would pain him to know that he was hurting her.
But each time Niko thrust into her it would hurt. Every time she felt him cum inside her, it would hurt. It would hurt because Jessica knew that each time these encounters created life, the baby would never breathe air. Jessica had been pregnant many times since this all began, and each time she would miscarry. And each time she would wish for death too.
When it was over, Niko left her to go see the new girl. Jessica curled up on the couch and fought the tears she knew were coming. She was too smart for this life. She was going to be so much more before...before everything.
She wanted to cleanse herself, but there was no way to be clean. She longed for a hot shower. The grim and sweat never washed off here. It just built up, layer upon layer. She wanted to try to get to a city. Maybe there was a resistance somewhere. Maybe they would meet up with people like them, alive and untouched.
She pulled on her clothes and went out to find Niko. Maybe this new girl knew something about the cities that could help. Maybe she could tell them more than the scattered radio signals they got every other week.
Or maybe she was sick and would kill them all.
Jessica could only hope.
User Reviews
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2006-06-24 03:51:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ernns
Submitted by notyou (user info) at 2005-07-07 19:42:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Jungle_Jimanee (user info) at 2005-06-22 09:57:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by nrduncan (user info) at 2005-05-12 17:44:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I have just got done reading these all and I have enjoyed them all. Great work everyone, +2's for all!
Submitted by Dannie (user info) at 2005-03-14 11:33:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked it.
Submitted by Professional_Peon (user info) at 2005-03-12 11:58:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Here is my contribution - http://www.ubersite.com/m/61730
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2005-03-11 04:41:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
One of the better ATP posts.
Submitted by Wazza (user info) at 2005-03-10 02:34:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck you Stevie, you write good stuff man.
Submitted by Zackstersmackster (user info) at 2005-03-09 18:16:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Cool
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-03-09 17:07:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2005-03-09 16:47:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I could just say 'everything will be explained in later chapters' but that would be lying. I don't know how to fact check either....
GO STEVE WOOO
Submitted by Jack_McCallum (user info) at 2005-03-09 16:39:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"...a bloodthirsty polar bear or puma."
It's a non-issue. A non-diseased puma would be bloodthirsty in winter regardless of its state. It's a carnivore.
Fuck knows what a puma would be doing that far north though, unless it was driven away. Presents interesting possibilities.
+2 for another tale NOT set in the USA, and use of the Mounties (even though they can be loosely classified as 'redcoats' and therefore are not to be trusted by Americans...).
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2005-03-09 16:28:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
>>But, I thought cats couldn't get the disease?
Told you I couldn't proofread....I was thinking about that fact the whole time and I just couldn't escape the alliteration in that one sentence. Fucking alien cats.
Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2005-03-09 15:12:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
props.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-03-09 14:04:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I would love to see more of this.
I love your posts.
Submitted by engine13 (user info) at 2005-03-09 13:46:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This was pretty good.
But, I thought cats couldn't get the disease?
Submitted by Avals (user info) at 2005-03-09 11:57:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Durrr?
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-03-09 09:43:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Rawrg (user info) at 2005-03-09 07:43:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Everything you ever wanted to know about AndyD
User id: 9429
Registered on or around: 2004-06-16 07:39:15
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Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-03-09 07:37:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I like that the lead character and his relationships are complex and multi-layered.
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2005-03-09 07:23:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
rock.s
Submitted by AndyD (user info) at 2005-03-09 07:18:08 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
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