Chapter 10: CHAPTER 9

Ray

Ray got his first good look at the area around the chemical tanks as he got to the bottom. Rolling his eyes at the fact that he probably should have done some scouting from the top of the tank, he pushed the thought process aside to appreciate just how close to his objective he was.

He only had to cross a small highway, get through a green belt, and he was practically at his destination on the terminal. Getting a move on Ray began crossing the gravel lot to the far side of where the dozen or so chemical towers were. Climbing a chain link fence, he dropped to the other side to find himself face to face with overgrowth.

Grumbling to himself, Ray shoved through the branches and overgrown brambles to the side of the road. He took note of numerous abandoned vehicles and semi’s on the highway. There were probably a lot of supplies still bunkered down in those airtight containers. Supplies he could use at some point. Taking note of that idea, he climbed over the guard rail and quickly traversed across the six-lane road.

Casual everyday vehicles were very close to being obsolete with the advanced rail and public transit systems that were in place around the city, however, moving large quantities of goods by truck had never gone out of style. With the advent of high-powered electrical vehicles and sub-orbital travel, this signaled the slow death of adventuring by road.

Climbing over the railing on the opposite side of the by-way, Ray found himself facing another chunk of overgrown vegetation. He could still see the remnants of an old steel track underneath them all, but he wasn’t about to go exploring yet. He had a mission to complete. The terminal was close, which meant he was only a few hours away from possibly saving mankind.

He took three whole steps before growling froze him in place.

Turning very slowly, he saw two orange eyes staring at him from under a pile of refuse. Swallowing, Ray figured it could only have been the skinless demon that kept following him. Taking a few slow steps back, he brought his multi-tool to hand and prepared for a fight.

He couldn’t have been more surprised when what slowly emerged wasn’t a zombie, demon, or monstrosity, but a dog. A skinny, malnourished German Shepherd. Blinking at the growling animal, Ray slowly put his tool away. Reaching into his inventory, he removed a bottle of water and a couple of packets of dried noodles. As he moved, the dog's eyes followed the food and water as it emerged. Its demeanor went from one of hostility to one of cautious curiosity.

Ray opened both packets of food and tossed them to the dog. It moved to them slowly, sniffing them for a moment before tearing into them savagely. The crunching of noodles echoed in the greenbelt alleyway between the two large warehouse-like buildings.

“Boy, you must have been hungry,” Ray said kindly. “I wonder how you survived this long? Maybe a bit of luck? Skill? It couldn’t have been easy, that’s for damn sure.”

He had always had a soft spot for animals, in particular dogs and horses. Having grown up in the Midwest of the North American Common Wealth had made him intimately familiar with such animals. The dog eyed Ray speculatively as it ate, and all too soon both sets of noodles were gone. It looked back up at him and cocked its head to one side as if asking for more.

“Sure thing bud, I have a bit to spare,” he said, opening another two packages. The dog didn’t even wait this time, trotting right up to him and taking each one right from his hand.

Ray reached out tentatively, petting the matted fur on top of its head. “Boy, you need a bath. Well, then again so do I,” he chuckled.

The dog finished the last two packaged meals as Ray stood up. “I’m heading this way, you’re … uh … welcome to come?” he said, feeling a bit strange at talking to an animal.

The dog just looked at him, cocked its head to one side, then turned and ran back into the overgrowth.

“Ah well, there’s gratitude for you,” he grunted.

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Ray continued his trek down the old byway in between the factories and warehouses. He saw dozens of old and new tractor-trailers, as well as very outdated train cars that had been abandoned behind their respective buildings. Taking note of everything that he could for later, he was laser-focused on getting to the terminal and planting the node. He had a lot to do, and the node was only the first step in a very long process of getting mankind back to the level of dominance over the world that they had once held.

He stopped suddenly, taking note that in front of him, for roughly two hundred yards, the foliage had grown over from one building to another. This created a shaded canopy that was shrouded in darkness. While he could see the other side clearly enough, he had no idea what was lurking in those shadows. Once again, Ray was facing a choice. Take the risk and get through, knowing that his goal was on the other side. Or try to find a way around and possibly get caught outside at night. Where he would most likely be killed.

Swallowing, he brought his multi-tool up and began flicking through the options. Eventually, he settled on an odd-looking hammer with an elongated handle. As the tool took shape in his hand, he realized that things were moving in the shadows. Not many, but they were there. He only hoped there were none of those odd undead with weird abilities. Or those Skinwalker demons. Any one of them could kill him quickly.

Hefting the hammer, Ray took a deep breath and then sprinted into the overgrown tunnel.

As soon as he crossed from daylight into the shadows, a cry went up. All around him bodies began to shuffle and move. He was already a dozen meters in when he realized that he was being chased. And that they were so close he could hear the clicking of teeth behind him.

The utter fear of being eaten alive consumed him, and he poured on the speed to put distance between whatever was in pursuit and himself. Sprinting down the alleyway he pulled in deep breaths and could taste the stench of decay. This may have been a very, very bad idea.

Ray was more than halfway through the tunnel when the worst possible thing that could have happened, did. Something stepped in front of him.

Careening sideways and slamming into whatever he had hit, he spun on his feet and somehow stayed upright. But his advantage in momentum and distance was now gone. A boney hand latched onto his arm, slowing him even further. With a strangled cry, Ray brought raised his hammer and brought it down on the appendage, smashing through the dried skin and bone. It separated completely, and the moment he was free, and with his panic giving him a massive dose of adrenaline, he exploded into the fastest sprint he had ever done before.

It was mere seconds before he burst outside the other side of the tunnel and into the sunlight. Continuing to run, he gave himself some distance before turning around. What he saw terrified him to his core.

There were dozens, if not hundreds, of undead that had stopped at the line of shadows dividing life and certain death. They were clacking their teeth at him in rage, raking clawed hands into the air. Every so often they would misjudge and a hand would swipe through sunlight, causing it to smolder and smoke. Ray could smell the singed flesh from where he was.

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