Present Day: One year after the Blackout
It was funny how quickly things changed. Nicole walked the southern boundaries of Seattle, Washington with four others. When the People’s Republic of Seattle, the Republic for short, was formed, she remembered Chairman Ashford preach about preserving the American democratic ideals when anarchy overcame their country when the lights went out. In the beginning it was exactly as he said. People were happy. Months later, though, everything changed. For better or for worse, Nicole couldn’t say. As a CIA agent - former - she thought it’d be a return to the country she signed on to protect. It was anything but.
Rounding a corner, Nicole signaled the four to stop as she looked around. Her grip on her rifle was far too tight. She knew. Within the borders of the Republic, there wasn’t any need for her to be so uptight. Placed within the Sentinel Intelligence Unit. Essentially, it was a fancy term for a police officer when her skills weren’t required. However, when espionage and sabotage was required, she’d become the spy. She had done either role far too many times. She’d take her current placement over the regulars though.
As if the world wasn’t already majorly screwed, Ashford was hellbent on recreating a fantasy empire. A new United States - except with Big Brother. Men and women were all forced conscripted with regards to their age, past experience, and health. The Regulars were the vanguard force that led the Republic’s vision of expansion. News of the multiple skirmishes with the old government and raiders circulated through the population. The propaganda painted the tale of valor and glory while the regulars who made it back told a different story. While dissent was there, Ashford had a way with words. He could make the most rebellious fall in line with the promise of peace through militaristic victory. That kept the conscript lines full and brought out the fanatical devotion soldiers carried with them on the battlefield. A modern day Hitler.
On the flip side, the Republic’s borders were heavily patrolled by the Sentinels, the group she was given. Lightly outfitted compared to the regulars, the sentinel’s acted as a shield to repel invaders and keep ‘aliens’, a term for non-republic citizens, out. She hated the job, but it kept her tokens coming.
“What’s wrong?” One of the sentinels walked up to her, his face shrouded by a balaclava. “See something?”
She wasn’t sure. Nicole kept staring straight ahead. There was an abandoned building — a food mart of some type. She swore she saw something in there. A flicker of a shadow.
“We’re still well within the border,” said the sentinel. “Should I send a runner to South-Com?”
Nicole shook her head. She tilted her refurbished helmet up. The military vest — died black and red — seemed to constrict her chest as her long sleeves felt suffocating. She hated the uniform the sentinels wore. She preferred freedom with her fashion. A privilege that came with her other job.
“First Sentinel?”
“Se—“
An echoing blast filled her ears. On instinct, Nicole dove to the nearest wall. One of the sentinels was dragging back another as the woman wailed from the chest wound. She was bleeding fast. Nicole peeked around the corner. Dark silhouettes moved within the very building she was eyeing before.
“Second!” The soldier who had suggested a runner before looked at her. “Grocery store! I see two!”
“Another three to the left side,” he said. “I’ve got eyes on them!”
Bullets pelted into the wall forcing Nicole to break away. How the hell did they get so far in without a report? Which faction were they from?
Leaning to the side, she sighted with her rifle and squeezed the trigger. The weapon jumped in her hands as the recoil pushed back against her shoulder. The damn thing had a kick. Maybe morning maintenance wasn’t such a bad idea. She heard yells come from the store’s location as she saw targets drop. Richter, her second, was always the dead eye when it counted.
As the skirmish drew on, footsteps bounded towards her. Nicole turned her weapon in their direction. A group dressed in black and maroon fatigues quickly signed an ‘allies’ gesture. Regulars. She pointed her weapon down as the masked figures came to stop by her. Several fanned out, but the CO stayed with her.
“Report.”
“Five confirmed targets in the store straight ahead. Two pegged. One dead, the other unknown.”
The Legate nodded as he signaled his team. They gave signs of acknowledgement as they opened fire. Slowly, they began to move up.
“Have your team secure the rear and flanks,” said the Regular as he stood up. “We’ll clean out the trash.”
—
It hadn’t taken long for the threat to be subdued. The regulars milled about as Nicole stood over her injured squad member. The other sentinel in her squad managed to administer emergency aid. She was fine but needed a doctor. Richter stood to the side as he talked to the fourth member who leaned against the wall. That expression. It was shell shock.
“First Sentinel.” Nicole turned around as the legate walked over. “My team will take over from here. The borders have been notified. We found the area patrol. They were executed by the knife. Bad way to go.”
“Did you find out the faction responsible for this?”
“No colors. My guess is on raiders, but they’re never this subtle. How did they get past the southern garrison?”
She wondered the same thing. Also, why were the regulars here?
“Your squad heading to the lines?”
“Cleaning out the old government’s hard work.”
“So it is.” She looked down as a makeshift stretcher had been fashioned by Richter and the other sentinel. Finally doing something useful she thought. “I’m pulling my patrol back to South-Com. Have a message? Least I can do.”
The Legate shook his head. “Just report this. More sentinel patrols in this area. The last thing the front needs is an attack from behind. You handle a rifle well.”
The two saluted one another as the regulars began their sombre march to what may very well be their death. A pity Ashford couldn’t follow a policy of coexistence. To add more salt to the wound, she was helping in the murder of the government she swore loyalty too. It left a sour taste in her mouth.
“Second, get the stretcher. It’s time to go home.”
Richter nodded. Slowly, the four made their way back to the Southern Zone Command Hub. It was a silent walk back.
—
Nicole had changed into civilian clothes as she walked into the ration center nearest her quarters. Being well into the evening, folks were already calling it a night. The chef waved to her as she waved back. Old man Horace. Though his hair was a hodgepodge of brown and grey, his eyes twinkled in blueish glee. He used to be a college professor, agriculture to be exact. From the life of teaching college students, he had been shafted to this job. If he was miffed by it, he hid it well.
“Alright Horace?”
“I was beginning to clean for the night, but then your pretty face showed up,” he said leaning against the polished silver serving table. “Not much of a choice presently. Got some left over stew and some bread. Interested?”
“Meat?”
“Yes ma’am?”
Nicole reached into her pocket, taking out her pouch of tokens. “Can’t be cheap then.”
Horace grunted as he swooped down and grabbed a bowl. “Discount for you — try not to tell the Se— Oh …”
“I don’t want to get us in trouble with my branch,” she said. “So…?”
“Ten tokens.”
“Christ,” Nicole said as she placed ten tokens on the table. “Any chance of warming it up?”
Horace grimaced as he pushed the bowl and bread towards her. “Water’s over there. Feel free to have at it.”
She took her things as she stopped to get a water before sitting at a table in the corner. She tucked in, observing the room between bites. Even in Central — the safest place in the Republic — she was ill at ease. It was going to be a long night. She’d have to go check on her injured sentinel.
One Year before the Blackout
Her cellphone suddenly shut off. Nicole looked at the encrypted phone. She tried the power button several times. Right when she was about to reach into her bag for her other phone, the lights in the cafe she sat in flickered off. Cries of surprise from the other patrons followed suit.
“What the hell’s going on?” A hipster — for the lack of a better word — stood up as he gripped his headphones. “What happened to the lights?”
Nicole didn’t stick around to listen to the conversation. Rushing out into the darkened city of Seattle, there were more pressing concerns. A slight drizzle began to fall as people milled about. The traffic lights were all out and so was every car. Other than the confused muttering of people, there was no other sound. It was eerie.
For the past few months, Nicole had been stationed at the Seattle office. The agent tasked with following a potential domestic attack on the western seaboard, Nicole had been on the phone for the past few minutes talking to an informant. A deep cover informant. With the communication severed, the informant would’ve been spooked or compromised. A massive blow to their efforts if that were the case.
Walking up to a pay phone, she lifted it from the receiver. There was no dial tone.
She looked around and spotted a uniform. She hung up the phone and rushed out. “Hey!” she called over. “Do you know what’s happening? I was talking to my girlfriend over the phone, and suddenly I lost power. The thing was at 70%. Tried my car, but I couldn’t get it to start.”
The officer shook his head. He had a clean buzz cut and seemed to be one of the few who kept up with PT. “Your guess is as good as mine. Talkies don’t work,” he said. “My recommendation is to head home until this blows over. What power remains will be heading to critical units first.”
“Any estimate on when power’ll be restored?”
“Not a clue,” he said. A commotion came from the background as the officer swore. “Head on home ms. Crowd looks like trouble. Stay safe.”
She watched the officer run off as she made her way back to her apartment. Her laptop was built to withstand EMP-like conditions. Before she could get too far, she stopped and listened. Out of the silence, she heard a high pitch wail. Looking up, her mind went into total lockdown as she saw objects falling from the skies. It was only when the objects got closer did she realize what they really were.
Running the opposite way from the falling planes, a monstrous explosion rocked past her as she was propelled forward. Her body slammed into a nearby car as cries joined the terrifying symphony. A sharp pain came from her side as she continued to run. Gasoline and a coppery smell permeated the air. Something burnt was mixed in with it all, but she dared not try and imagine what that was.
As she felt her sides heave, as another explosion sounded from farther away. If she didn’t see the planes, she’d though the seaboard was being invaded!
She couldn’t resist staring at all the faces running past her. Men, women, and kids. All terrified, believing that things like this existed only in movies. Making sure nothing else fell from above, she braved into her apartment as she ran to her room. The domestic threat was never projected to be this catastrophic. Bounding up the stairs, she pushed through the fourth floor stairwell door. Quickly unlocking her door, she walked and locked it behind her.
Wiping the sheen of sweat from her face, she didn’t bother with a flashlight. It probably wouldn’t work. Her laptop rested on the table as she initiated a wake-up protocol. Nothing happened. “What the fuck?”
Playing around with a few other gadgets of her, nothing worked. Frowning, the thought that she dreaded finally crossed her mind. She was cut off from any CIA analysts. Was the hit that bad? Getting up and grabbing her on-the-go messenger bag, she quickly changed into a pair of jeans, grey t-shirt, and a dark-green jacket to go over her shirt. It was a bland get up, but it was practical.
Moving towards her apartment door after canvasing for any sensitive material, she was back in the hallway and out the door when she spotted a familiar face.
She quickly made her way over glad to see a familiar face. “Amanda!” she said as she pulled her into a tight hug then made some space between them. “Are you okay? Did you see those explosions?”
Present Day
Refilling her third cup of water, Nicole had all but finished the beef stew she paid for. It had been far too long since something like this was served. The farmlands that held the majority of the produce within the Republic was under constant guard and rarely were the animals killed. Only when they couldn’t perform their specific role did the caretakers slaughter them and gave them to the cooks. It was made the day of since there was no way to preserve the meat.
“This seat taken?” Nicole looked up. She was took caught on her daydream to have noticed Richter standing before her. She gestured to the empty seat. “Hilary is doing fine. Doctor says she’ll recover. Narrowly missed the heart and lungs. Lucky girl.”
Sitting back on chair, Nicole crossed her arms as she raised a prominent eyebrow. “Hear anything about the attackers? Raiders for sure or what?”
“Not sure yet. Central-Com has been pretty quiet about it. Either they don’t know what or are simply keeping it under wraps. Having raiders this far into the boundary is bad for morale.”
Nicole nodded. “I’ll see what I can find,” she said. “Depending on what I can tell you, I’ll pass on the news. I hope it isn’t Reich or Arkadia. We’re still trying to push the remnants out.”
“Remnants. I can’t believe we’re fighting against the United States.”
“It’s a whole new world, Richter.”
The sentinel snorted as he drained his glass. His eyes flickered to the tent flap. “Isn’t that your friend, over there.”
Nicole looked over as a tired smile crossed her face. She motioned her over to join the two. “Late dinner, Amanda?”
It was funny how quickly things changed. Nicole walked the southern boundaries of Seattle, Washington with four others. When the People’s Republic of Seattle, the Republic for short, was formed, she remembered Chairman Ashford preach about preserving the American democratic ideals when anarchy overcame their country when the lights went out. In the beginning it was exactly as he said. People were happy. Months later, though, everything changed. For better or for worse, Nicole couldn’t say. As a CIA agent - former - she thought it’d be a return to the country she signed on to protect. It was anything but.
Rounding a corner, Nicole signaled the four to stop as she looked around. Her grip on her rifle was far too tight. She knew. Within the borders of the Republic, there wasn’t any need for her to be so uptight. Placed within the Sentinel Intelligence Unit. Essentially, it was a fancy term for a police officer when her skills weren’t required. However, when espionage and sabotage was required, she’d become the spy. She had done either role far too many times. She’d take her current placement over the regulars though.
As if the world wasn’t already majorly screwed, Ashford was hellbent on recreating a fantasy empire. A new United States - except with Big Brother. Men and women were all forced conscripted with regards to their age, past experience, and health. The Regulars were the vanguard force that led the Republic’s vision of expansion. News of the multiple skirmishes with the old government and raiders circulated through the population. The propaganda painted the tale of valor and glory while the regulars who made it back told a different story. While dissent was there, Ashford had a way with words. He could make the most rebellious fall in line with the promise of peace through militaristic victory. That kept the conscript lines full and brought out the fanatical devotion soldiers carried with them on the battlefield. A modern day Hitler.
On the flip side, the Republic’s borders were heavily patrolled by the Sentinels, the group she was given. Lightly outfitted compared to the regulars, the sentinel’s acted as a shield to repel invaders and keep ‘aliens’, a term for non-republic citizens, out. She hated the job, but it kept her tokens coming.
“What’s wrong?” One of the sentinels walked up to her, his face shrouded by a balaclava. “See something?”
She wasn’t sure. Nicole kept staring straight ahead. There was an abandoned building — a food mart of some type. She swore she saw something in there. A flicker of a shadow.
“We’re still well within the border,” said the sentinel. “Should I send a runner to South-Com?”
Nicole shook her head. She tilted her refurbished helmet up. The military vest — died black and red — seemed to constrict her chest as her long sleeves felt suffocating. She hated the uniform the sentinels wore. She preferred freedom with her fashion. A privilege that came with her other job.
“First Sentinel?”
“Se—“
An echoing blast filled her ears. On instinct, Nicole dove to the nearest wall. One of the sentinels was dragging back another as the woman wailed from the chest wound. She was bleeding fast. Nicole peeked around the corner. Dark silhouettes moved within the very building she was eyeing before.
“Second!” The soldier who had suggested a runner before looked at her. “Grocery store! I see two!”
“Another three to the left side,” he said. “I’ve got eyes on them!”
Bullets pelted into the wall forcing Nicole to break away. How the hell did they get so far in without a report? Which faction were they from?
Leaning to the side, she sighted with her rifle and squeezed the trigger. The weapon jumped in her hands as the recoil pushed back against her shoulder. The damn thing had a kick. Maybe morning maintenance wasn’t such a bad idea. She heard yells come from the store’s location as she saw targets drop. Richter, her second, was always the dead eye when it counted.
As the skirmish drew on, footsteps bounded towards her. Nicole turned her weapon in their direction. A group dressed in black and maroon fatigues quickly signed an ‘allies’ gesture. Regulars. She pointed her weapon down as the masked figures came to stop by her. Several fanned out, but the CO stayed with her.
“Report.”
“Five confirmed targets in the store straight ahead. Two pegged. One dead, the other unknown.”
The Legate nodded as he signaled his team. They gave signs of acknowledgement as they opened fire. Slowly, they began to move up.
“Have your team secure the rear and flanks,” said the Regular as he stood up. “We’ll clean out the trash.”
—
It hadn’t taken long for the threat to be subdued. The regulars milled about as Nicole stood over her injured squad member. The other sentinel in her squad managed to administer emergency aid. She was fine but needed a doctor. Richter stood to the side as he talked to the fourth member who leaned against the wall. That expression. It was shell shock.
“First Sentinel.” Nicole turned around as the legate walked over. “My team will take over from here. The borders have been notified. We found the area patrol. They were executed by the knife. Bad way to go.”
“Did you find out the faction responsible for this?”
“No colors. My guess is on raiders, but they’re never this subtle. How did they get past the southern garrison?”
She wondered the same thing. Also, why were the regulars here?
“Your squad heading to the lines?”
“Cleaning out the old government’s hard work.”
“So it is.” She looked down as a makeshift stretcher had been fashioned by Richter and the other sentinel. Finally doing something useful she thought. “I’m pulling my patrol back to South-Com. Have a message? Least I can do.”
The Legate shook his head. “Just report this. More sentinel patrols in this area. The last thing the front needs is an attack from behind. You handle a rifle well.”
The two saluted one another as the regulars began their sombre march to what may very well be their death. A pity Ashford couldn’t follow a policy of coexistence. To add more salt to the wound, she was helping in the murder of the government she swore loyalty too. It left a sour taste in her mouth.
“Second, get the stretcher. It’s time to go home.”
Richter nodded. Slowly, the four made their way back to the Southern Zone Command Hub. It was a silent walk back.
—
Nicole had changed into civilian clothes as she walked into the ration center nearest her quarters. Being well into the evening, folks were already calling it a night. The chef waved to her as she waved back. Old man Horace. Though his hair was a hodgepodge of brown and grey, his eyes twinkled in blueish glee. He used to be a college professor, agriculture to be exact. From the life of teaching college students, he had been shafted to this job. If he was miffed by it, he hid it well.
“Alright Horace?”
“I was beginning to clean for the night, but then your pretty face showed up,” he said leaning against the polished silver serving table. “Not much of a choice presently. Got some left over stew and some bread. Interested?”
“Meat?”
“Yes ma’am?”
Nicole reached into her pocket, taking out her pouch of tokens. “Can’t be cheap then.”
Horace grunted as he swooped down and grabbed a bowl. “Discount for you — try not to tell the Se— Oh …”
“I don’t want to get us in trouble with my branch,” she said. “So…?”
“Ten tokens.”
“Christ,” Nicole said as she placed ten tokens on the table. “Any chance of warming it up?”
Horace grimaced as he pushed the bowl and bread towards her. “Water’s over there. Feel free to have at it.”
She took her things as she stopped to get a water before sitting at a table in the corner. She tucked in, observing the room between bites. Even in Central — the safest place in the Republic — she was ill at ease. It was going to be a long night. She’d have to go check on her injured sentinel.
One Year before the Blackout
Her cellphone suddenly shut off. Nicole looked at the encrypted phone. She tried the power button several times. Right when she was about to reach into her bag for her other phone, the lights in the cafe she sat in flickered off. Cries of surprise from the other patrons followed suit.
“What the hell’s going on?” A hipster — for the lack of a better word — stood up as he gripped his headphones. “What happened to the lights?”
Nicole didn’t stick around to listen to the conversation. Rushing out into the darkened city of Seattle, there were more pressing concerns. A slight drizzle began to fall as people milled about. The traffic lights were all out and so was every car. Other than the confused muttering of people, there was no other sound. It was eerie.
For the past few months, Nicole had been stationed at the Seattle office. The agent tasked with following a potential domestic attack on the western seaboard, Nicole had been on the phone for the past few minutes talking to an informant. A deep cover informant. With the communication severed, the informant would’ve been spooked or compromised. A massive blow to their efforts if that were the case.
Walking up to a pay phone, she lifted it from the receiver. There was no dial tone.
She looked around and spotted a uniform. She hung up the phone and rushed out. “Hey!” she called over. “Do you know what’s happening? I was talking to my girlfriend over the phone, and suddenly I lost power. The thing was at 70%. Tried my car, but I couldn’t get it to start.”
The officer shook his head. He had a clean buzz cut and seemed to be one of the few who kept up with PT. “Your guess is as good as mine. Talkies don’t work,” he said. “My recommendation is to head home until this blows over. What power remains will be heading to critical units first.”
“Any estimate on when power’ll be restored?”
“Not a clue,” he said. A commotion came from the background as the officer swore. “Head on home ms. Crowd looks like trouble. Stay safe.”
She watched the officer run off as she made her way back to her apartment. Her laptop was built to withstand EMP-like conditions. Before she could get too far, she stopped and listened. Out of the silence, she heard a high pitch wail. Looking up, her mind went into total lockdown as she saw objects falling from the skies. It was only when the objects got closer did she realize what they really were.
Running the opposite way from the falling planes, a monstrous explosion rocked past her as she was propelled forward. Her body slammed into a nearby car as cries joined the terrifying symphony. A sharp pain came from her side as she continued to run. Gasoline and a coppery smell permeated the air. Something burnt was mixed in with it all, but she dared not try and imagine what that was.
As she felt her sides heave, as another explosion sounded from farther away. If she didn’t see the planes, she’d though the seaboard was being invaded!
She couldn’t resist staring at all the faces running past her. Men, women, and kids. All terrified, believing that things like this existed only in movies. Making sure nothing else fell from above, she braved into her apartment as she ran to her room. The domestic threat was never projected to be this catastrophic. Bounding up the stairs, she pushed through the fourth floor stairwell door. Quickly unlocking her door, she walked and locked it behind her.
Wiping the sheen of sweat from her face, she didn’t bother with a flashlight. It probably wouldn’t work. Her laptop rested on the table as she initiated a wake-up protocol. Nothing happened. “What the fuck?”
Playing around with a few other gadgets of her, nothing worked. Frowning, the thought that she dreaded finally crossed her mind. She was cut off from any CIA analysts. Was the hit that bad? Getting up and grabbing her on-the-go messenger bag, she quickly changed into a pair of jeans, grey t-shirt, and a dark-green jacket to go over her shirt. It was a bland get up, but it was practical.
Moving towards her apartment door after canvasing for any sensitive material, she was back in the hallway and out the door when she spotted a familiar face.
She quickly made her way over glad to see a familiar face. “Amanda!” she said as she pulled her into a tight hug then made some space between them. “Are you okay? Did you see those explosions?”
Present Day
Refilling her third cup of water, Nicole had all but finished the beef stew she paid for. It had been far too long since something like this was served. The farmlands that held the majority of the produce within the Republic was under constant guard and rarely were the animals killed. Only when they couldn’t perform their specific role did the caretakers slaughter them and gave them to the cooks. It was made the day of since there was no way to preserve the meat.
“This seat taken?” Nicole looked up. She was took caught on her daydream to have noticed Richter standing before her. She gestured to the empty seat. “Hilary is doing fine. Doctor says she’ll recover. Narrowly missed the heart and lungs. Lucky girl.”
Sitting back on chair, Nicole crossed her arms as she raised a prominent eyebrow. “Hear anything about the attackers? Raiders for sure or what?”
“Not sure yet. Central-Com has been pretty quiet about it. Either they don’t know what or are simply keeping it under wraps. Having raiders this far into the boundary is bad for morale.”
Nicole nodded. “I’ll see what I can find,” she said. “Depending on what I can tell you, I’ll pass on the news. I hope it isn’t Reich or Arkadia. We’re still trying to push the remnants out.”
“Remnants. I can’t believe we’re fighting against the United States.”
“It’s a whole new world, Richter.”
The sentinel snorted as he drained his glass. His eyes flickered to the tent flap. “Isn’t that your friend, over there.”
Nicole looked over as a tired smile crossed her face. She motioned her over to join the two. “Late dinner, Amanda?”