The Birth of the New World

-Chapter I-

Rookie’s First

The shaking of the old APC driving over cracked and ruined roads with its massive tires is a near constant as we travel. Everyone inside being shaken about as they sit shoulder to shoulder, loaded down from head to toe in heavy protective gear and extra plating.

Across from me, through the small view ports barely large enough to fit the barrel of a gun, I watch as the greens and browns of trees and the ruined remains of people’s homes pass in a blur of colors. Sitting squeezed between Sandy and Thomas, I find myself a bit thankful for being on the shorter side. The both of them are already pretty big as it is; with Thomas alone being massive at over six feet tall and stacked with muscle.

All of us being covered in heavy gear and armored plating is making this already cramped space feel even smaller. It also doesn’t help that my rifle takes up so much room in front of me, making it to where I can’t even stretch my legs.

If there is any consolation to all of this, it is that the AC is working. I’ve heard from others that the AC in these things can be quite finicky sometimes. Apparently, Team 3’s is down, they we’re all complaining about it as we were boarding. I can only imagine how hot it would get in here with all of these bodies stuck together and several layers of armor trapping it in.

I definitely don’t envy them right now.

Moving around a bit, I try to work out a bit of the soreness in my back, but it doesn’t work, and I instead just end up bumping into Sandy. She turns to look at me, probably thinking that I need something, but I just shake my head and give her a quick apology.

“Don’t worry about it. I know it gets uncomfortable riding in these old rust buckets, but it shouldn’t be too much longer until we get there.” She smiles, looking a bit mischievous, “Then we’ll get to stretch our legs; going to be covering a lot of ground in the city. Hahaha”

I smile back nervously as I remember that we won’t be able to bring the APC into the city. If we try, we’ll be swarmed with half the city’s population of monsters charging us. If that happens, it won’t matter how much armor we put between us and them; we’ll be peeled out of here like sardines in a can.

Almost as if on que, Sgt. Lenz stands up at the front and get our attention after receiving word from the driver. Holding a rail on the ceiling, he keeps himself steady as the heavy armored vehicle speeds over bumps and cracks.

“Alright listen up! We are about to reach the drop point. We get there, we get out, and we hunker down as our transport draws attention from the surrounding threats and then pulls out. Once we are clear of hostiles, we walk the remaining distance to Point Bravo where we will be reporting in with forward operations before moving into the city.

“Remember! Unless you’ve got something trying to eat your ass, you are to keep your fingers off of those triggers. We are not here to fight monsters and clear the city, we are here for reconnaissance and nothing else!

The rest of you know this already, this isn’t your first rodeo, it won’t be your last. Rookie you stick close and do as we do. If we move you move, we stop you stop. Understood?”

“Yes sir!”

Sgt. Lenz walks to the door, 12 Gauge held to his chest, “Good! ETA is in 300. Check your gear, tighten your straps and get ready to move! Second this door is open; I want your asses out of those comfortable chairs and boots on the ground! Am I understood?”

We all call back, “”Yes sir!””

“Good! Now check your shit!”

Not needing to be told twice, I get to it. Checking all the straps holding all my armor plates together, tightening my pack, and checking over my scope to make sure that everything is working right.

Sandy, seeing me mess with one of the straps on my side, reaches over and gives it a hard pull, tightening it until I can feel it.

“If your straps aren’t tight enough to hurt, then they aren’t tight enough to fight in. You get into a fight with loose straps, and you’ll be losing plates before you know it.”

“Thanks Sandy.” I tell her with a smile.

“No problem Rookie,” She give me a look over, “What you blushing for? You into being strapped down nice and tight? Never took you as the type to be into bondage.”

“Whaaa? Ah no, no! I’m not… I’m not into anything like that!” I exclaim, my face flushing with heat.

“Hahahaha, relax Rookie. I’m just yanking your chain. You gotta relax a bit, you're all tensed up and looking like you are on a hair trigger.” She laughs, and soon everyone else is joins in.

“Besides, we don’t judge. You can be into whatever kinky shit you want. “

“Ah! I told you I not into…!”

The Sergeant speak over us, “Alright everyone! Besides the Rookie being a rampant degenerate, we are good to go! Doors open in 5, 4, 3, 2…”

The vehicle comes to a skidding stop and as Sgt. Lenz says 1, the door behind him drops.

“Go, go, go! Move your asses! You see that building over there, I want your asses in it yesterday, now move!”

Moving quick, we hustle out of the back of APC and fan out. Sgt. Lenz in the front, 12g aimed forward. Thomas and Sanders take the flank and watching the tree lines for movement, Sandy and I stick to the back and watch the rear as we move.

Behind us, the APC is already sealing its hatches, its top mounted auto cannon already moving and searching for targets as it covers us.

Not too much longer and we are already breaching the building, Sgt. Lenz kicking open the door and sweeping the entrance with his shotgun.

“Clear! Move in and clear the building, Rookie, you stay behind Thomas and cover him.”

We pour into the building, the Sergent being the last to enter as he forcible shuts the door behind us. Moving down the hallway we clear the building room by room until we are sweeping the second floor.

Outside we can hear deep booms of the auto cannon sounding out as the APC begins to engage hostiles. The creatures that we attracted while driving here having finally caught up to the stationary vehicle.

Joining up in a room on the second floor we report the 'all clear' just in time to see a hulking beast come tearing out of the woods and charge the APC.

Hugging the walls and peeking through the windows, we watch as the auto cannon snaps towards the beast. It is a creature that looks as if a bull had mated with a rhino and doubled in size. Covered in plating and with three massive horns adorning its head, it charges towards the vehicle even as it unloads round after round into its armored hide.

The APC moves, driving to just barely avoid the charge as the beast goes barreling past, apparently unable to quickly turn and follow. The auto cannon continues to track the beast as it passes by, unloading more and more round into its flank until one finally manages to find its way between two plates and blow off the things hind leg.

It trips and tumble over itself as it barrels into the side of house on the other side of the road. Crashing through like an out-of-control bulldozer. It brings down the walls and soon the rest of the house is collapsing with it.

Sgt. Lenz curses from where he watches, “Shit, they’re going to be bringing back a lot of them with them now! The boys on the north wall better be ready for a shit storm.”

The APC outside quickly turns about and guns it back the way we came as more creatures come pouring out the woods and come barreling down the road from the north.

Soon there is a veritable tide of pissed off flesh moving down the road and chasing after the vehicle with murder in their eyes. We all collectively hold our breaths and hug the walls tight; not daring to peek out the window lest we end up drawing attention to ourselves.

For a couple of minutes that feel like hours, we wait until the sound of the stampede finally passes. Sandy peeks out a bit and reports, “Just a couple of stragglers left at the back of the pack. They’ll be gone soon.”

Sgt. Lenz nods his head, “You hear that people, catch your breath, collect your nerves and clean the shit out of your pants, five minutes and then we’re heading out. We got about an hour’s walk ahead us through hostile territory until we hit Bravo.”

I lean heavily against the wall and let out a long breath that I didn’t realize I was holding in.

Sanders, with a big smile comes over and gives me a bonk on the helmet, “How you liking your first real mission so far Rookie, were not even in the city yet and your shaking like a mouse, hahaha.”

I force a smile on my face and give him a hit on his armored chest piece, “I’ll be fine, just my first time seeing that many outside of the walls.”

Sgt. Lenz speaks up, “Well if we are lucky, that will be the most that we see during this mission. As long as we don’t drop the soap while we are in the city, we should be fine. Will mostly just have to keep an eye out for cats and raccoons, the little fuckers.”

“And rats…” Sandy says, spitting on the floor as if she just tasted something rancid.

Ya, I really hoping that we don’t run into a nest of rats…

The rest of the team doesn’t like to talk about it, but there used to be one more member, their designated marksman for the team who’s slot I’m currently filling. Apparently, he got taken out by giant rats when he got a bit too close to a nest during a mission. Before they knew it he was already being swarmed by them, Sandy even has scars running down her arm from where she tried to pull him out; the rats biting at her arm and around her armor as she tried to save him.

I imagine that this is probably part of why they are all being so protective of me, regardless of this being my first mission. They probably don’t want to see me end up like their old teammate. Quite frankly, even if it means getting babied a bit, I’m not going to complain. I don’t want to get torn apart by monsters and if it makes them feel any better then that’s all the best.

Not too much longer, as I am gathering my nerves and double checking and triple checking my gear, the Sergeant calls out, “All right, break is up. Roads and the surrounding areas should be clear now. Everyone send a prayer to the boys and girls on the walls and let’s get moving.”

Thomas, you’ve got point, Sanders is on flanks with me, Sandy watch our asses, Rookie you’re in the middle, I want that rifle ready in any direction, I point you aim but keep your finger off that trigger unless I say otherwise. Everyone understood?”

“”Yes sir.””

“Good. Let’s move.”

We leave the building, guns and heads on a swivel, checking for any stragglers that might have remained. Sergeant gives the call for the all clear, and we sound out. With a wave of his hand and a quick order we move.

Soon we are passing the now collapsed building where the hulking creature still lies. Eying the massive pile of rubble, we all back pedal as it starts to shift, pointing our rifles in the direction of the thing as the Sergeant silently directs us to move away and off the road behind some cover.

Soon the monstrosity is pulling itself weakly out of the rubble as blood pours from its destroyed hind limb. Completely ignoring or just simply not noticing the tiny humans hiding nearby, the beast shakes itself off as layers of dust and brick n’ mortar fall from its body.

Slowly it limps away from the destroyed house and onto the road before turning south and heading after the long gone APC.

We don’t speak as we watch it limp away into the distance, blood pouring from its wounds and leaving a trail that even a blind man could follow.

We turn and walk away, heading north but I continue to watch the beast until it disappears over the horizon.

Thomas speaks up behind me and I have to agree with him, “The big ones are dumb as shit, but Christ are they hard to keep down. It will follow the APC until it bleeds out on the road or reaches the wall and gets hit by artillery.”

“We’ll probably be seeing it corpse on the way back, either half eaten or blown to bits and turned into crow food. Just ignore it and keep moving.” Sgt. Lenz says.

I listen and turn north; it’s been two years since I’ve been to Louisville. Since I was forced to flee my home in the city. I guess it’s finally time for me to go home.