Clio and Cy: The Apocalypse (24 page)

“I told God to protect me from my enemies
and I started losing friends.”

-Unknown

Atlanta:

Dr. Pressfield was nauseous when the vehicle finally
stopped. He’d been bounced around for the last several hours without a break.
Waiting, the back door suddenly flung open and Marcus tensed, anticipating the
bots would appear at any second and drag him out.

“Marcus, my old friend,” Dr. Pavlov greeted after popping
his head inside the back of the Hum-Z.

“Dr. Pavlov,” Marcus stated calmly.

Dr. Pavlov’s head disappeared as one of the Sentinel bots
leaned inside the back, waving like a traffic cop, ordering him out with a hand
gesture. Grabbing Marcus by the arm, it launched him out, hitting the ground
hard and rolling. Disoriented, Marcus was grabbed again and being dragged by
two Sentinels as they followed behind Dr. Pavlov.

Seth Pavlov turned around and looked at Marcus. “The old
CDC,” he said as Marcus raised his head. “My new home… Come on in and I’ll show
you around.”

Dr. Pressfield knew this was probably going to be his last
stop. Pavlov always seemed a bit off, but now, now he had a deranged look in
his eyes. The bots drug him inside the building as he noticed the makeshift
factory.

“Seat him over there,” Dr. Pavlov ordered.

After forcing Marcus down on a chair, the two Sentinels
stood guard over him. Dr. Pressfield watched the mad scientist enter a room
past another Sentinel standing outside its doorway. After doing an about face,
the Sentinel entered inside the office behind Dr. Pavlov.

Jesus Christ
,
Marcus thought at the sight of the man they drug out by his arms. The Sentinels
slid his limp body closer and stopped in front of Dr. Pressfield.

“What do you think, old friend? I present to you the
President of the United States of America.”

The President looked up at Marcus. Both men recognized each
other. They’d met before at a Joint Chief’s Senate hearing. Dr. Pressfield was
on the panel that briefed the President about growing concern of genetics being
used to create super soldiers by our enemies.

“Watch this my old friend,” Dr. Pavlov stated.

Dr. Pavlov gave the nod to his Sentinels. Pulling on the
President’s arms, both Sentinels ripped the extremities from his body as he
screamed for a brief second. Marcus heard the body hit the ground after looking
away. The President mumbled in shock, bleeding out on the floor, dying.

“Now I’m the President,” Dr. Pavlov stated. “What do you
think about that, my old friend?”

Marcus looked at the President. Gurgling and clinging to
life, the Commander in Chief looked toward a door as if he wanted to escape
through its opening. “You’re a sick bastard,” Marcus said. “Sick…”

Pavlov jumped close to Marcus and gripped his throat. “I’ll
show you sick my old friend. You wait… you’ll get your chance soon enough.”

Marcus breathed heavy after Pavlov released his grip.

“You killed everyone you crazy… sick fuck…. you killed my
wife…”

“Not everyone… not yet. Soon though…” Dr. Pavlov nodded to
his Sentinels and they grabbed Marcus by his arms, dragging him away.

Dr. Pressfield was delivered inside a secured room where a
few other people were being held. Praying it wasn’t their time to be executed,
they jumped to their feet when the Sentinels opened the door. After dropping
Marcus to the floor, the bots did an about face, and exited the room. The door
slammed behind them as two people ran over to help Dr. Pressfield to his feet.

“I like being scared, so I've always liked fairy tales
because they're kind of creepy.”

-
        
- Lana Parrilla

South Carolina:

Petty Officer Deines and Lance Cpl. Woolridge continued
leading the two pilots on foot. “You know where we’re going?” the copilot
asked. The question meant: do you know how to get to RMB Jackson. Deines looked
back at the two pilots, annoyed.

“Yeah, I know where we’re going.”
Will we make it
?
That’s the
question
, he wanted to know.

To the pilot’s delight, the sun was rising overhead. It was
burning in a hot rage
already but to them, light
was better than the dark any damn day. The pilots were carrying photon pistols
but not much else. Low on ammo, Deines and Woolridge had their assault rifles.

Something howled from inside the woods. “What the hell was
that?” Woolridge asked.

“Beats the shit out of me,” Deines responded.

“Yeah… what the hell was that?” the copilot asked.

The SEAL and Marine scanned the tree line, pointing their
riffles as if something were about to jump out at them.

“Hey look. It’s a road,” Woolridge announced, squinting and
pointing his finger.

“Let’s get the hell out of these woods,” the Captain
pleaded.

“Ditto,” the copilot said. “Di-toe.”

“Make sure you’re covering our six,” Deines ordered as he
turned back to face the pilots.

Deines and Woolridge took a knee on the edge of the road.
Making sure it was safe to enter; both men looked up and down highway. Both
pilots were antsy to get on something man-made as they fidgeted, looking around
the woods.

“You two need to relax,” Deines ordered. “Going to get us
killed.”

Woolridge eyed the pilots and pointed behind them, reminding
them to cover their ass end.

“Let’s go,” Deines ordered.

“Finally,” one of the pilots mumbled.

“RMB Jackson is only a few miles down this road,” Deines
confirmed, pointing.

“Hope it’s still there,” Woolridge professed.

The SEAL nodded his head. “Me too,” he said quietly.

Another howl came out of the woods,
sounding closer this time.

“That’s giving me the creeps,” Woolridge whispered in
Deines’s ear. “Yeah, no shit,” he whispered back. “That ain’t right.”

Deines and Woolridge entered a maze of vehicles as the two
pilots lagged behind, exhausted.

“Ahhh!” Deines and Woolridge swung around after they heard
the men scream behind them. Both pilots disappeared, but one of them could be
heard, squealing in a blood-curdling cry.

“What the fuck?” Deines asked as goose bumps covered his
skin.

The SEAL jumped onto the hood of a vehicle and the Marine
followed suit on the adjacent line of cars, both working their way back.
Pounding across the rooftops and glass, they ran over the cars, bounding.
Deines smashed through a back windshield as he planted his foot down, going
through, bashing his face on the trunk and losing his rifle.

Woolridge halted a car up and turned back to see the fallen
SEAL “You ok?”

Woozy, Deines shook his head. “Yeah…”

He turned away from Deines and looked down.
Holy mother of God!
The pilots were
below the Marine’s elevated position.

He froze at the sight on the road beneath him. A massive
bull humanoid was holding both pilots down…Eating the intestines of the copilot
while he was still alive. The Captain struggled to break free of the creature’s
claws that wrapped around his neck.

Wanting to fire, Lance Cpl. Woolridge didn’t have a clear
shot and lowered his riffle. Gripped in fear, the Marine looked down at the
surreal scene on the highway of death. Realizing it was being watched, it
snapped toward Woolridge, peering out with sharp eyes. “Sssshhhhaaaa!” After
letting go of the pilots, it stood and faced the Marine. Crawling with a broken
neck, the Captain tried to get away from his copilot and the beast.

Staring at Jimmy as if it knew him, the creature coiled
down. Woolridge froze, holding his rifle at his side. Smelling the Marine’s
fear, the beast became excited and launched forward. “Crack! Crack! Crack!”

As Woolridge reeled in reverse, Deines shot from between the
cars, hitting the creature three times. The Marine lost balance and knocked his
skull on the back windshield, finally pulling his head out of his ass. The
creature slammed into the rear of the vehicle that Woolridge was now lying on
top of. Injured, the flesh eater stretched its arms across the trunk still
trying to grab the Marine.

Still clawing and looking up at Woolridge with its chest on
the trunk, the monster was slumped over the metal lid as it slid to its knees.
Deines crisply walked to the creature and placed his barrel a few inches from
its head. “Crack!” shooting a round through its skull and blowing half its
brains out the other side. The monster fell over, twitching, its nervous system
still moving it on the ground. Deines circled behind the creature. “Crack!
Crack!” placing two more bullets into its body.

“Dead now you son of a bitch?” Deines asked as he stared at
the thing.
What the fuck is that?

Woolridge stood up and looked down at the beast. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.”

“I fucked up… I froze… I…”

“Don’t worry about it Marine… happens,” Deines said.

After jumping off the vehicle, Woolridge ran toward the
struggling Captain. The helo jockey was turning pasty white as blood drained
out of his mouth. Broken neck and crushed windpipe, he wasn’t going to make it.
Woolridge squatted over the pilot to assist him, but there was nothing he could
do. Within seconds the flyer was gone.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Deines said.

“Let’s,” Woolridge responded. “Fucking thing stinks.”

Both warriors continued down the desolate road heading for
RMB Jackson.

“Hope we don’t run into any more of those fuckers,”
Woolridge announced.

“No shit,” Deines responded looking back. “What the hell was
that thing?”

“Beats the shit out me?”

Forty-one minutes later:

“Should be right through here,” Deines announced, pointing
through the woods.

“Yeah… I can smell it,” Woolridge affirmed.

“Doesn’t smell good either… does it?” Deines asked.

“Not good at all. Smells burnt to shit,” Woolridge announced
as both men cleared the woods at the edge of the tree line.

RMB Jackson was in view. A pile of rocks and rubble littered
over the open field. Confirmed - both RMB’s were smoked.

“What now?” Woolridge asked.

“I don’t know… I just don’t know…” The SEAL said softly.

“Let’s check it out at least,” Woolridge stated as he walked
forward.

“Roger that,” Deines said hinting at sarcasm. “For what?”

“On a hard jungle journey nothing is so important as having a
team you can trust.”

― Tahir Shah

“What do we do now?” Clio asked.

“Well you can’t stay here. I’m going to take you to
Charlotte, back with me to DARPA.”

“Can Lady come?”

“I don’t see why not,” Cy responded.

“Good. I’m not going anywhere without her.” Lady jumped on
the couch and placed her head in Clio’s lap and seemed sad, as if she somehow
sensed the old man was gone forever.

“Are we leaving now?” Clio asked, petting the top of the
dog’s head.

Cy shook his head no as he looked out a window. “No, it’s
getting dark soon. We better wait till morning.”

“Ok.” Clio felt strange about it but needed to ask. “Cy?”

“Yes Miss Clio?”

“Will you sleep next to me?” the girl asked.

Cy glanced at the girl as if he were thinking what to say.
“Afraid of the dark Miss Clio?”

Clio became afraid and didn’t answer, worried that the
cyborg would say no.

“It’s ok Miss Clio. I won’t let anything hurt you. I
promise.”

Clio nodded yes. “Ok,” she said softly.

“Of course I’ll stay next to you while you sleep. I’ll stand
guard all night. Lady too,” Cy promised.

Showing teeth, a wide smile stretched the girl’s lips.
“Thank you Cy.”

“I like that Miss Clio,” Cy announced, pointing at her face.

“What?”

“You’re smile is beautiful Miss Clio and it warms my heart
to see.”

Clio turned a darker shade and tucked he chin into her
chest, looking away sheepishly.

Cy sensed the young girl was flustered… then excited… then
afraid… then elated… then panicked… “Are you ok Miss Clio?”

Clio seemed to change emotions several more times before she
answered. “Yes.”

What a strange and
complex creature this girl is
, Cy thought.

Clio breathed and appeared to go back to baseline. “I’m
good,” she confirmed, wiggling her fingers.

“Would it be ok if we sleep in the living room Miss Clio?”

“Sounds good to me.” Lady barked as Clio answered. “You too girl,”
Clio said. “You can sleep out here with us too.”

Clio fell asleep on the couch and rested more soundly and
peacefully than she had since before the war started. No bad dreams invaded her
mind, only R.E.M.

She woke to the sight of Cy looking through one of the
boarded windows in the living room. “Everything ok Cy?” Clio asked, rubbing her
eyes.

Signaling that she be quiet, the cyborg pointed his hand
back.
Not again,
Clio thought.
What the crap is it this time?

“I’m detecting movement coming our way,” Cy confirmed.

Looking at the rifle rack, Clio swung her legs off the couch
and stood up. “What is it?” she asked.

Cy shook his head. “Hard to tell yet... Two of them whatever
they are,” he said.

Clio walked over and leaned in. “Two of what… what are they?”
she whispered in the cyborg’s ear.

Detecting Clio’s heart rate increase, Cy noticed emotions
were emanating from the girl in multitude combinations. “I think we’re ok,” Cy
suggested.

“What does that mean?” Clio asked, wanting a solid answer
wrapped around a detailed description of what was coming.

Cy walked for the front door and began to unlock it.

“What are you doing?” Clio yelled in a whisper.

Cy spoke at a normal level. “It’s ok Miss Clio. Don’t be
afraid. I told you I’d protect you,” he promised while walking out onto the
front porch. Staying tucked behind him, Clio followed the cyborg outside. “Pst,
Cy… What do you see?”

“Hello,” Cy said, greeting the two men that appeared from
the woods, entering the front yard.

“Hey,” Deines responded, holding his hand up in a friendly
gesture.

Soldiers,
Clio
thought.

Keeping their barrels pointed at the ground, Woolridge and
Deines approached the front porch.

“What are you guys doing out here?” Clio asked as if she
were the boss in these parts.

“It’s a long story,” Lance Cpl. Woolridge stated. “Real
long,” Petty Officer Deines confirmed.

“Are you men in need of aid?” Cy asked.

“Well… as you can see, we don’t have much to our names,”
Deines said.

“Where did you come from?” Clio asked, wondering if one of
them might know her dad.

“California… RMB Pendleton.”

“That’s quite a long journey,” Cy commented as he looked
toward the west horizon.

“Yeah… Vulcan ran out of fuel and we put her down a ways
out,” Deines explained.

“Lost our pilots on foot… on our way to RMB Jackson,”
Woolridge added.

“Lost?” Cy asked.

“This thing… it came out of nowhere and attacked us. Killed
them,” Woolridge said, still not believing what he witnessed on the road.

“You guys were going to RMB Jackson? That’s where I’m from… used
to be anyway,” Clio said.

Woolridge looked at the girl, feeling her pain. “We saw it.
I’m sorry,” he said.

The cyborg reached out his hand. “I’m Cy.”

“Petty Officer Deines, call me Gary if you want,” he said,
reaching his hand out to shake.

“Lance Cpl. Woolridge, United States Marine Corps,” he said
reaching out to shake Clio’s.

“All that, really?” the SEAL asked, shaking his head at the
Marine.

“I’m just Clio.”

“Jimmy works,” the Marine stated, looking over at Deines.
“Better, SEAL Team?” he mocked, smirking.

The four finished shaking hands as Clio opened the front
door to let a scratching dog outside. “This is Lady,” the thirteen-year-old
announced.

Lady wagged her tail and instantly liked the two new
warriors, nosing and moving around them in circles.

Squatting down, Deines gave her a big hug and ran his
fingers through her fur. He missed having a dog around. All the SEAL trained
K9’s were lost in the war. Lady barked. “She likes you,” Clio announced. “Good
enough for me,” the girl confirmed.

“Shall we go inside? Are you hungry?” Cy asked.

“We could eat,” Deines responded.

The Marine was the last man to enter the front door. “Hell
yeah, I’m hungry,” he affirmed, looking around the living room.

After walking in the kitchen, Clio tossed two protein bars
out. “Thanks,” they both responded.

“Welcome.”

“So what’s your story?” Deines asked, referring to Cy.

Clio’s eyes went wide as she thought
wait till they get a load of this…

Woolridge noticed the girl’s expression change after Deines
asked the question.

“What’s the deal?”

“Miss Clio is referring to the fact that I’m not fully human
Lance Cpl. Woolridge.”

“Come again?” Woolridge asked.

Petty Officer Deines made sure his weapon was ready to go
after the comment.
This guy a nut or
something?

“Please don’t be alarmed by my comment,” Cy requested.

Clio nodded her head. “Telling the truth… He’s not a real
person…”

“So what are you?” Deines asked, moving his eyebrows high.

“Well I’m part man and part machine.”

“You’re a fucking cyborg?” Woolridge asked, shouting it as
if Cy just announced he was made of anthrax.

Cy’s face changed. Visibly, he was taken aback by the
remark. It was the first time the cyborg ever heard a human refer to him as
being something that sounded negative.

“Easy there Devil Dog,” Deines requested, placing his hand
on the Marine’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, that comment just caught me off guard,”
Woolridge explained.

“It’s quite alright Lance Cpl. Woolridge. I’m sure that news
does sound shocking,” Cy said.

“Eh, just a little,” Woolridge, responded.

“Sarcasm. That’s one of my favorite things about human
communication. Dr. Marcus teaches m…”

“Marcus… Dr. Marcus Pressfield?” Deines asked.

Cy’s eyes lit up. “You know him?”

“Yeah I know him,” the SEAL answered. “Nice guy.”

“How do you know my master, Petty Officer Deines?”

“Worked with him on a defense project quite a few years
back… before all this,” Deines said looking up through the ceiling.

“He’s close by at DARPA,” Cy affirmed. “Were leaving to go
there this morning.”

“Will you both come with us?” Clio asked both men.

“Might as well… don’t have anywhere else to go,” Woolridge
announced.

Deines and Woolridge both realized that they really didn’t
have anywhere to go. No home. No family. Nothing was left for them to return
to. And no one was waiting for them if they did.

Their mood became somber.
Nothing…
It was a hell of a thing to realize.

“Let’s get ready,” Clio announced.

“Good idea Miss Clio. Dr. Marcus is probably worried sick right
now.” The fact that Dr. Pressfield hadn’t tried to contact him through his
communications system worried Cy too.

The four prepared for their trip to DARPA and left the
farmhouse after raiding Russ’s weaponry.