Epilogue

Bread Upon the Water

September 21, 2043 “Cast your Bread Upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.” Ecclesiastes 11:1

“Wheeeez Wheeeez”

…..her asthma was starting to bother her again. She looked up again to the same sight that she saw for almost every day for the last 12 years. At last count 22 people huddled in a narrow room made for at most five, a low lit electric lamp, and a least one baby crying. She never knew which baby, she didn’t care anymore.

            She slowly rose from her musty smelling government sanctioned cot, turning back towards her bed she mutters”…only thing that the fucking government is good for is blowing up the goddamn planet and handing out free shit to make feel it better.”

               She walked out of the room towards what was called the “trough”, the name isn’t funny. It was nearly noon and she hated to sleep in, but hated being bored. She sat down at her favorite table with one other person.

            “Hey, jess….Jessie, YO JESSABEL!!” Mike’s voice finally reached her.

“Damnit I told you not to call me that Mike.” She said with clear irritation.”

            “And you told me you would stop cursing so often.” He stated while pulling a Marlboro from his coat pocket.The sound of someone moving some chains made her jump. Mike noticed this.

            “You had that same nightmare again huh” saying with a calm tone. She quickly shot him a look that could stop bullet. He raised his hands as if saying “Ok sorry I asked”.

WHOOOOOOOO… The all clear sounded with meaning of foreboding. Only a dozen or so people got up to go out side, the rest didn’t even budge.

            “Maybe you should go outside for a little.”

            “….”

            “Come on jess it will be good for you”   

            “…not today”

            “Just five minutes, please ju...”he paused

            Rrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

            “What was that, does any body else feel that.”

            WRAAAAAAAAAARROOOOOOO

            The speaker on the wall crackled to life “…NCOMING ENEMY TROOPS I REPEAT INCOMING ENEMY TROOPS.”

            RRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMM

            Bang bang….Ratatatatatatat

            “Damn..gotta be those raiders again, Jessie get to the bunkers NOW…”

             Instead she ran to the exit leading to the gunfire.

            “Jessie don’t do it, fuck…”

                        *                                  *                                  *

April 15, 2031

“I can’t believe it …”This coming from the mouth of a brigadier general.

“Update on the specimen.” Says one of the many men in white jumpsuits.

            “Vitals at 185% normal, strength at 1760% normal, I think it has stabilized Dr…”

            “That IT has a name and that IT is a man or should I put you in the training ring with Experiment 1313.” The seasoned warrior stared at the scientist with a stone cold gaze.

            A silence fell as a majority of the goggled men’s looks focused on the general in horror.

            “N-n-no sir….”he said trying to avoid looking at the general.

            “Then let’s give him the respect he deserves for volunteering for this in the first place.”

            “Yes sir…”

            The general walked up to the tall cylinder that was the center of attention again.

“Can he hear me.” He asked a nearby suit.

            “It…HE is awake but can’t hear through the tube.” She replied

            “Is there a way I can talk to him anytime soon”

            “Yes, just speak into the microphone on the other side of the tank.”

As the general made his way over to the other side the tank he knew the suits were looking at him.

            “Is this it.”

            “Yes sir…”

It was one of the only instruments that the aging soldier recognized in the room.

He leaned forward bringing himself closer to the microphone. He noticed some movement in the tank. He pressed down and spoke.

            “How do you feel…”

 The form in the tank lifted one giant titanium gauntlet and gave thumbs up.

            He breathed a sigh of relief,” That’s good to hear.”

He let go of the button and stepped back. He gave a salute to the tanked figure and received a salute in return.

“When will he be ready to get out of that tube.” He asks.

“Um….about 12 hours sir, we need to finish some test bef...”

“You have eight, then I want him out of the fish tank and mobile an hour after that.”

            “But…”he thought about the other scientist, and 1313,”...yes sir, I’ll get right on it.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

            BAM..BAM…RATATATATATATATA       

She ran towards the sounds, she ran as hard as she could, she doesn’t care,

            RATATATATATATATA “ARGGGAHHH”

            “MEDIC…”

 She ran outside. She ran not to her allies, but towards her enemy…

            “JESSIE”

             “WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING…”

             “AGGAHHHH MY LEG AHHHH WHERE IS MY LEG…”

She didn’t want to be comforted any more she just wanted it to stop…

A nearby soldier grabbed her…

”GET DOWN BEFORE YOU GET…”

The soldier face winced in pain as she pulled his knife from his gut.

She wanted it over, she wanted is to be done, she wanted to die…

            “WHAT THE FUCK…”he said as he doubled over, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.

            “JESSABEL STOP”

…she wanted to die before she saw it again, she didn’t want to die by that monsters hands…

            “JESSABEL….”

            “GET DOWN BEFORE YOU GET SHOT, SHE LOST IT MAN”

            …the monster that killed her father…

            “JESSABEEEELL”

            …the monster marked 1313…

             Just as she reached the first raider she closed her eyes.

            RRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMM….

            She fell back and slowly opened left eye expecting to see a wound in her stomach and a dark red stain spreading across her white tank top.

What see saw was a wall of earth and the raider she stopped no less than five feet away.

She could hear fighting on the other side of the wall that had to be twenty feet high.

            “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THI…”WHAM         

            “JUST SHOOT IT, SHOOT IT NOW”

            RATATATA PING PANG PING

            “ITS GOT ME HELP HELAHHHHHH”

            A raider was thrown over the wall and landed close to her.

He was surrounded within seconds and disarmed.

            RRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…..

            “LET ME GO YOU HAIRY SON OF AAHHHH”

“OOOOHFFFFF…….”

            The earthen wall shook and cracked…..Silence…….

RRRRRrrrrmmmmmmmm…

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…

It felt like forever before she realized that she was covered in a shadow.

“Are you ok, are you hurt” a deep voice was close.

She looked up to see colossus of a being in front of the sun. Before she passed out she swore that she saw two ears on top of its head.

                                    *                                  *                                  *