Chapter 25: Return

“Now that the mission’s pretty much complete, we’ll have to think about how we can get back to Rencia with the intel,” Drake told Steve. They were on the Mall’s rooftop at night again. “It’s great that we found something of relative value in the SORS. Our morale is a bit better now. Though, without the General, fuel, weapon ammo, and buggies, I don’t know how we’ll make a safe trip back.”

“Let’s be grateful for now,” Steve said. “At least we’re somewhere safe. And about our return, let’s wait and see. I have a feeling it’ll work out,” he said, sanguine.

Drake looked at Steve. “If you say so…”

The two gazed at the starry night sky. It would have been hard to imagine a view like this, with both a cityscape and a clear sky full of stars, existing before the Apocalypse.

Being reminded by the sky, Drake stated his confusion aloud, as if doing so would clear it: “It’s all so strange: the meteorite coming out of nowhere, someone hacking the SORS, the meteorite releasing the Blucteryhem despite having evaporated much time before—none of it makes sense. If only we had more pieces. We could make some sense of the puzzle.”

“Yeah. About that. I have a theory.”

“Already? Wow, that was fast. Shoot.”

“Well, considering the ability of the hacker to hack into a highly sophisticated technology, the SORS, remotely, as well as the ability of the meteorite to shoot that Blucteryhem in such a way that it covered the whole planet, I can come to two conclusions: both are directly caused by an individual or, more probably, a group of people, and whoever they are, they have sophisticated technology and the ability to handle such technology themselves. And because the meteorite came from space, or at least low Earth orbit, and human space travel is prohibited, no country—actually, no humans can be responsible for the meteorite. This leaves one option left: aliens.”

This assumed that the Blucteryhem was shot from or related to the meteorite and not a distraction caused by the perpetrators, but it was the most logical explanation for the events of the Apocalypse.

Drake thought about it. “No matter how weird that would be, I must say, it is basically our only good theory right now. I can’t refute it, so good job at thinking of it. But if they were aliens, why would they want to do something so terrible as to cause this Apocalypse?”

“They could be very malevolent. Who knows why?”

“In the best case, they were trying to do something else and the Blucteryhem spreading was an accident.”

“Ha-ha,” Steve laughed. “What else could they possibly be doing that involves shooting a curtain of liquid in the sky over the entire world?”

“Well…” Drake couldn’t think of anything, but he also couldn’t think of any reasons they would want harm to a species, more specifically genocide. From what he’d experienced, he’d never met someone who wanted to harm for no good reason. Plus, if they did want to harm, they would have figured out a way to exterminate whatever was left of humanity with their advanced technology by now.

The two remained silent again as they stared up at the sky in contemplation. Humanity’s enemies could be up there, for all they knew. It was hard for Drake to wrap his head around this huge idea and its implications. But whether the theory was correct or not, what did it mean for humanity? If there were some aliens up in space, how would that help them stop the Mayhems? If they end up doing so, how would those beings respond? Should this theory be something the two should tell the higher-ups? Wouldn’t it just distract humanity from its present, short-term efforts to survive?

* * *

It was now many days later. Drake hadn’t gotten much sleep. The soldiers were somewhat healed for now; they could engage in daily activities. They formed a relationship with the Cyll Survivors, and, traveling outside, met a few other groups of Survivors in Cyll. The Defense Force generously distributed to the various groups their transceivers to use to communicate and organize with each other, and a few other supplies that they had, under the feeling that they had more use for them.

The atmosphere between Drake and Commander Rein was still awkward; they avoided talking. Drake got to know a few Survivors. He’d be stuck in this place for a while, so it was a good way to pass time. Among them, Tom Dudley was quite an odd one. He’d keep to himself most of the time and occasionally enquire about life in Rencia. Drake was more than happy to answer the questions. He told everyone about his adventures in the city and in the Defense Force. He gained a following, with many Survivors gathering during the evening supper to hear his story around a fire to warm them in the chill of Autumn.

The Defense Force taught the Survivors how to defend themselves against Mayhems using various weapons that they had. They taught especially how to throw and shoot. Molotov cocktails, sharp poles, or whatever objects were lying around could be used to try to fend off or distract Mayhems. If they had any guns and ammo, they could use those until they ran out, not that they did much—Mayhems neglected the tiny bullet wounds. To survive, people really had to learn to use any tools to their advantage.

In addition, the Defense Force helped the Cyll Survivors build their indoor farm in the main hall and on the roof of the Mall. They built a solid border and filled the inside with dirt. They developed an irrigation system for it and built a large reservoir for trapping and storing rainwater. Finally, they planted corn kernels the corn they garnered from nearby farms. Now, they just had to wait and see how effective it was. None of them had any experience with farming—they weren’t farmers and even farming had become very automated—so they had to improve the system with trial and error.

Now, it was September thirtieth, twenty-two days after the beginning of the Expedition. Drake heard a faint rumbling sound from outside the Mall. He and others ran outside to see the source. Looking around for Mayhems and suspicious activity, they saw nothing. It was then that Steve arrived and pointed up. They followed his finger to the sky, where a pair of cargo planes could be sighted flying.

Jaws dropped.

“Airplanes? During the Apocalypse?” they exclaimed, astonished.

Steve smiled victoriously. He took out a flare he had with him and lit it. He waved it in the air and ran to the center of the Mall’s open parking lot. Everyone was confused, but they joined him, waving their hands and making noise for the aircraft to spot.

Steve took a transceiver and talked into it so that the aircraft, tuned into the same signal, could hear. Steve confirmed their identity and told them to ‘drop the load’.

After taking a U-turn and returning to the parking lot, the planes opened up their cargo doors and began to drop large containers attached to parachutes.

It was a supply airdrop.

Soldiers cautiously gathered around the crates, which touched the ground. Opening them, they found, inside, ammo, swords, Laser Blasters, food, and other supplies. They were clearly from Rencia!

“What’s going on?” Drake asked Steve. He clearly knew what was going on.

“They came! Rencia actually came!” Steve yelled excitedly.

He looked relieved. The whole Defense Force was. They now had what they needed in order to return to Rencia.

“Let me explain,” Steve started. “Back when we went to the radar station, I thought of a plan: The SORS had all the equipment required to have long-range communication with cities in case of emergencies. I told the Commander about this. Using it, me and Commander Rein were successfully able to establish communications with Rencia. We sent messages to them about the current situation and also gave them access to remotely control this SORS. We needed them to help us by sending us supplies. I proposed to the Rencia higher-ups to send a group of soldiers along with pilots and supplies to a nearby city with an airport. They could take a functional plane into the air and have them fly over here, Cyll, to drop the supplies.

“Of course, there were risks involved had Rencia chosen to do so. One such risk being, that a group of the already small remaining forces of the Defense Force would have to be absent from their duties for a few days to be on this small mission.”

“Woah,” Drake said, impressed. “So that’s why you told me not to worry about getting back… Wait, if there were planes nearby, why didn’t we take them here?”

“Well, we really didn’t know much about the airports in the nearby cities. For all we knew, the planes were already destroyed by Mayhems and the runways weathered or broken. More importantly, even if we could take a plane there, where would we land it? There’s no guarantee that Cyll’s runway would be clear of obstacles. It could be infested with Mayhems or littered hazardously with other planes that were destroyed when the Apocalypse started. That uncertainty is avoided here by having them drop the supplies from the air and not land anywhere.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this sooner?” Drake asked. The soldiers had worried needlessly about if and how they would get back.

“The Commander and I thought it best not to get anyone’s hopes up. The airport near Rencia might not have been operable and there was no guarantee that Rencia would do anything about the situation.”

“What do you mean? Why would they abandon us here?”

“Their own safety and security come first. They wouldn’t want to send the few soldiers they had on a dangerous mission outside the Walls. They could instead just tell the citizens there that we never made it and cover it up over time. I kept this in mind when I was communicating with them. I had to show to them our value and a good reason to bring us back. For one, we didn’t tell them about the General’s death; no leader means less chance of us returning alive and more chance the supply mission would be for nothing. I also didn’t transmit the information we got out of the SORS. We hid it so that if they wanted to know, they would have to save us. It was our biggest bargaining chip. We also reminded them that the people’s opinion of the government depended on this important information and the success of the Expedition.”

“Huh.”

Drake didn’t really think about the politics and psychology that went into negotiations like this. Steve was amazing for thinking it through this carefully. However, Drake felt such a level of caution and deep thought was hard to have in life. He wondered what led Steve to develop such an attitude.

“I’m so glad they actually went through with our suggestion and sent this airdrop!” Steve said cheerily as he watched the aircraft disappear behind a tall building, returning to Rencia, their mission complete.

* * *

Now having an abundance of supplies, the Defense Force decided to give some to the Cyll survivors in goodwill. The weapons, especially, would help them survive.

As Drake watched the soldiers giving the goods to the Survivors, and members of both sides being happy and friendly with each other, he remembered Steve’s words from a few nights ago: “The military doesn’t exist just to kill Mayhems. You don’t have to be some fearless Mayhem slayer to join it. That’s not even what the military is for.”

He’d always thought that the military was full of people like him—out for revenge against the Mayhems and fighting to take their world back. Because of this, when the soldiers failed at killing Mayhems, he’d hold them in contempt. After all, why join the military if you couldn’t do your job or achieve your goal properly? It was a mark of weak resolve and incompetence.

But now, he realized that wasn’t the case at all. Seeing their happy faces and hard work to help these Survivors, he realized that the soldiers had joined the Defense Force to help and protect people.

This marked a fundamental change in his perception of the duties of the soldiers of the Defense Force. This whole time, he fought Mayhems thinking his friends were dedicated to the same purpose as him, but they were instead thinking about protecting their loved ones and other citizens of Rencia. No matter how scared they were, they tried to fight on. They didn’t leave the military, even after the gorilla incident in which they saw for themselves that even with weapons, they could be helpless against their foe. They instead thought that if such a thing could threaten Rencia, they would have to continue trying to protect it.

Drake looked at his fellow soldiers in a new light—one of deeper respect for their dedication and selflessness. But it also made him realize that he was alone in trying to complete his objective. He felt lonely and a bit guilty.

A thought came to him then: If there was a way to defeat the Mayhems and protect humanity without killing them, would he accept it?

* * *

It was the next day. The Defense Force was preparing to depart for Rencia. Tom Dudley approached Drake alone. He was wearing a hoodie.

“So, you’re leaving us to go back to Rencia, eh…?” Tom said slowly, not making eye contact.

“Yep.” Although it had been a short period of stay, Drake and the others had gotten to know the Survivors well and they would miss one another.

Tom stayed silent for a moment. Drake stood in place awkwardly. He tried to break the silence. “Er… so-”

“Can’t you guys take me with you?” Tom interrupted.

“Ah. Sorry, no. We can’t. I think I explained this already, but Rencia is full and-”

“You don’t have room for one more person?”

“Well, we can’t select certain people to take with us. That would be unfair to others…”

More silence.

“…why…? Why do you get to be there? Why can’t I? What did you do that I didn’t?”

“Huh?” Drake was getting confused and nervous by the vibe the young man was giving out. “I don’t know… I was lucky. Steve helped me and got us helicopter seats…”

“Luck?!” Tom said, outraged. He grabbed Drake by the collar and pushed him against a wall. His eyes were red.

Drake was irritated by this gesture. He knew he could easily overpower this man in a fight, but didn’t want to. He instead wanted to find out what this person’s problem was and discuss it. Why was an adult man picking on a sixteen-year-old? What power did he think Drake had? His change in attitude from his normal self was surprising and even a bit frightening.

Tom continued: “Do you have any idea of what I’ve been through here? Of what I’ve had to do to survive?!? It’s not fair! I deserve to…”

Drake took Tom’s hands off of him.

“Hold on, Tom. What makes you say that you deserve to be in Rencia? Just because you suffered? Do you think I or anyone there hasn’t? If you’re looking at who suffered the most, I’m sure there are many people who deserve to be in Rencia more than you. And in the first place, why the heck is that some sort of criteria to be in Rencia?! That makes no sense.”

Tom staggered back.

“No person is more entitled to be in that city than another, but the way people got in was by being first and getting on those helicopters. I know it sucks, but it can’t be helped. The vacancies were taken on a first-come-first-serve basis. That’s just how it worked, and none of us can change it.”

“B-but after all that I’ve been through…” Tom fell down and put his hand against his forehead, looking at the floor. “Can’t it end…? Will I have to suffer for the rest of my life in this miserable world?”

“Suffer?” Drake crouched next to him. “You are part of the Cyll Survivors. You’re living all safe in this Mall. Sure, Rencia may be better, but you should be grateful for what you have. There are survivors out there that are much worse off. Make do with what you have, try to improve your life as much as possible, but don’t have high hopes—that leads to disappointment like this. You can always strive to achieve better, but sometimes, you have to give up on impossible fantasies. Our lives in the Apocalypse will be like this at least for a while. We have to accept that.” Essentially telling a person to remain complacent in their place didn’t sound too good, but Drake didn’t care; he just spoke what he thought.

This was a learning experience for Drake as well. He’d just realized how lucky he was to be safe and in luxury in Rencia, and just how much suffering was going on in the world outside, by witnessing an example of it and its effects. It made him feel a bit guilty that he was busy pursuing revenge while others were trying to survive, but at least he wasn’t willing to throw his life away anymore.

Jord and a few others arrived where the two were, attracted by the commotion. “What’s going on?” Jord asked, curious but prepared to intervene.

“Ah, nothing,” Drake told him, saving Tom. “Just giving this guy some advice.”

He then leaned close and told Tom quietly: “I’ll forgive you for this; traumatic experiences can haze your thoughts, after all. Think about what I told you. If we ever meet again in the future, I’d like to see you working hard, better off, and thinking about building your own future rather than feeling envious of the lives of others.” Drake looked into the distance. “The both of us ought to learn to be more grateful. You, of surviving and finding this haven without any regrets, and me, of living in Rencia and having whatever friends of mine that remain.”

With that, Drake left, leaving Jord confused and Tom remaining kneeled on the floor, looking down.

* * *

The Defense Force stood outside the main entrance to the Mall, where the Survivors were also gathered to see them off.

“You sure you want to go already?” the leader, Trevor asked the soldiers. “Stay a little longer. We can make more memories, you can tell us more about Rencia,” he eyed Drake, “you can teach us more about how to use these weapons. We’ve had practically no training at all.”

“Sorry,” Commander Eric said. Rein left most of the talking to him, despite being the actual leader. “We’ve spent too long here already. Rencia wants us back as soon as possible to perform other duties. I’m sure you all can practice and learn how to use those weapons on your own. You’re a smart bunch, after all.” He smiled.

“Mr. Pharrell,” Drake spoke in cheerfully. “We may meet again after we’ve defeated all the Mayhems.”

“Oh? You sound pretty confident about that.”

“Well, with this Expedition, our first step is complete. We’re bound to find a way to kill them soon.”

After a bit of farewell chatter, the soldiers finally departed, bound for their home.

The journey back lasted ten days—the same amount as their journey there. They selected the same path they had gone through to arrive there for their return. On the way, they went back to the location where they had battled the Mayhems, and salvaged what they could from the buggies. Unfortunately for Drake, there was no sighting of the Raven. It bothered him, but killing it wasn’t a priority anymore.

With more experience with horses in the wilderness, the soldiers should have been able to travel faster, however, their injuries and having to carry supplies by horseback slowed them down.

This time, there were a lot fewer encounters with Mayhems, and everyone was able to make it out without any injuries or casualties.

On October tenth, 2151, a little over a month since the Expedition had begun, the group arrived at the gates of Rencia. There, they found Dr. Poll heading inside also. Drake enquired what he was doing outside the Walls, in Mayhem territory.

“Ah, well… Jus’ wanted to revisit a nostalgic place.”

Drake looked in the direction he’d come from. There was nothing of interest there. Drake knew because he’d been there before: it was the side of the Walls where the Gorilla incident had taken place.

The doctor seemed reluctant to reveal any more, so Drake decided not to press any further.

The group entered the city, where they were greeted by the citizens ceremoniously. The soldiers were surrounded by a crowd, eager to hear of the discoveries the soldiers had made. The Defense Force made its way through. Tired soldiers wanted nothing but to go to their apartments and rest on a nice, comfortable bed after all that time.

From the corner of his eye, Drake thought he noticed a familiar face. He turned to see that the person was the secretary lady that had given him his Smummr Pass. She was wearing a hood. As their eyes met, she appeared surprised. She turned and disappeared into the crowd.