A group of individuals walked through the corridors of the Fleece, determined in their gaits. As they passed by one security guard, the guard jumped to their feet and watched them pass by. The guard had been watching television before the group walked through. The television showed a documentary about the Sahara Savannah, a lush, green region occupying the northern parts of the Mauritan continent. In what was once known as Africa, the area known as Egypt, now called Alexandria, showed the metropolis of Ramses, formerly Cairo. The ancient Egyptian pyramids were even more in ruins now than the prior civilization of Anderson, SC. Much of the structures collapsed, with the Sphinx head gone and the body overgrown by vegetation. Twelve thousand years had eroded the once grand structures. But that was also due to the civilization's restart after the Zombie Apocalypse. Now, it was time to deal with the situation at hand.
The individuals walking through the corridor were Pat, Jay with Britton still being held hostage, Larry, Dr. Blake, Dana, Mike, Seth, and at least fifty armed soldiers surrounding them all as they progressed towards the Artifact Room. Jay watched Pat closely, not trusting anything he said, even more so now that he discovered Britton. Britton was calm but unnerved at what would happen next. Pat had strong intent in his eyes as he took the group down into the bowels of the Fleece. He pulled out his radio and contacted the control room.
"We will be at the Artifact Room in 5 minutes. Stand by."
The technicians were at a loss in the control room for what to do. GASON was on its way, Pat needed to be apprehended, along with Dr. Trent, and somehow, they had to stop the zombies in the Anderson, SC universe from destroying Linda Trent before it was too late. One technician picked up the radio and replied, "Affirmative. Standing by."
"What are you doing?" another technician asked.
"Let's corner them down there in the Artifact Room. We can seal them off from the rest of the Fleece until GASON arrives."
"Good plan. Now, how will we get that guy's wife back here?"
"I'm working on it."
Then the consoles lit up in the control room. Another power surge formed from the orb, this time much more intense than previous surges. The technicians were now concerned that the Fleece itself was in jeopardy.
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Linda and Rob were running for their lives. The zombies were pouring into the power station, walking, running, crawling if they had to. The creatures moved like a flood, filling every crevice Linda and Rob passed by en route to the main containment buildings for the nuclear facility.
"Don't look back, lady!"
Rob didn't need to tell Linda twice. She tried to run when she could, having even run half marathons before, but the recent events with Jay left her unable to practice. However, when death is chasing you, that's all the motivation you need to run faster.
The corridors were tight and winding as Linda and Rob ducked around each corner as fast as they could. The horde was gaining quickly, ripping down parts of the walls in their wake. In a long stretch of corridor, Linda and Rob entered; a strong metal door resided at the end. Linda and Rob kicked it into overdrive to make it to the door before the horde overcame them. The horde also picked up pace, only feet away from catching them, before Linda and Rob shot through the doorway and closed the large door.
Before the door completely closed, however, one zombie got an arm through, keeping the door from closing. This action allowed another and another arm, leg, and head to push through the crack as the increasing weight of the horde was pushing against Linda and Rob, trying to close the door behind them.
"We can't hold this for long!"
Rob yelled as he pushed against the door with all his strength. Linda was pushing with all her might, too, but it was getting harder and harder with each second. Soon, the door would burst open, and zombies would overwhelm them.
"I can't...keep...pushing..." Linda said through gasping breaths and strains, trying to keep the door from coming back open. But it was too late. The zombie horde had piled up so much, with so much weight and bodies, it was only a matter of time before the door ripped off its hinges. Linda and Rob would have to stop pushing and hope for the best or die when the door collapsed with all the zombies on top of it.
Rob looked at Linda, and she looked back at him.
"Thanks for caring, Mrs. Trent."
A tear ran down Linda's cheek, "Thanks for trying to get me home, Rob."
With that, they both let go of the door and darted away from the area. The door burst open, ripping off the hinges. The zombies poured into the containment room. Linda fell to the ground as Rob tried to run away from there with her. Rob was ahead of her but stopped when he saw her fall. He rushed over to her, lay beside her, and embraced her. The zombies took notice of them quickly and darted toward them both. As Linda and Rob embraced, lying on the floor, they closed their eyes and waited for whatever happened next.
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In the control room of the Fleece, the technicians attempted to stop the zombies but were having a hard time accessing the cancellation program. For whatever reason, the connection was severed. Nothing he pressed seemed to be working.
"Can you stop them?" asked the female technician.
"I can't. It won't override."
Finally, the screens showed the zombies were put in calm mode, but not because of anything the technician attempted. The male technician kept pushing buttons, tapping screens, flipping switches, and trying anything to override the zombies.
"Look, on the screen. They've entered calm mode. You did it!" said the female technician.
"I did?"
They both looked at each other and then back at the screen.
"What sequence did you use?"
The male technician looked back at her, "Panic? I don't know. I didn't stop anything. I was just pressing buttons because nothing worked."
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Back at the Oconee Nuclear Station, the zombies had stopped. Mere inches from grasping hold of Linda and Rob, the zombies stopped their pursuit, with many lying down flat or standing back up straight, staring off into the distance.
Linda and Rob were still lying there, embraced on the floor with their eyes closed. Rob opened one eye to see the Zombies had all stopped. Then, both opened their eyes, released their guard, and embraced as they stood to their feet, looking at the massive horde directly before them. Linda and Rob began to chuckle as they looked at each other and laughed. Finally, yells of joy came from both of them, knowing the horde had been stopped and they were safe, at least for the moment.
"Someone is looking out for us," Rob said.
"Thank you, Jay," Linda said, smiling.
"How do you know it was Jay?"
"I had to be. There's no other way."
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The doors to the Artifact Room opened wide for the whole party to enter. Jay saw the massive doors open and chuckled.
"You didn't want us to just walk through it, Pat?"
Pat looked back at Jay, "Not everyone is like you or me, Jay. Let's keep moving."
The group made their way through the chamber. Dr. Blake, Larry, Dana and the others were in awe of what was in front of them. These relics and things they had never seen before were all around them. The head of the Sphinx. A full pyramid from China. Rocks from the Eye of the Sahara. So many things were there from ancient history, but it was only the tip of the iceberg.
Next, they saw cars, planes, and ships they had never seen before or seemed all too familiar. The remains of a rotted, destroyed vessel were sitting there with a pulsating light originating from it headed toward the orb. This ship's name could still be seen slightly through the worn-down paint reading TITANIC, having been raised from the ocean depths some time ago.
The group passed by other artifacts, some from biblical history now. The Ark of the Covenant was clearly seen. Part of the temple wall was standing nearby. The rock from inside the Dome of the Rock was there. More parts of Gobecli Tepe were seen, glowing like the pulsating lights in the cords lining everything. The orb shone more intensely as the group approached it with more sophisticated relics nearby.
A computer system that appeared highly progressively advanced was near the orb but wasn't powering it. It was connected by the cables and cords as well, but it was not functional. The computer system looked years more advanced than today's technology by hundreds of years. There were other futuristic-looking devices near the orb, but one showed a name. It was shaped like a Christmas tree, with multiple pulsating lights and a cord connected to it that was connected to the orb. The name of the device was the Time Displacement Accelerator or TDA.
Pat stopped the group a hundred feet from the orb. The light was so intense it was hard to see. The orb was truly as luminous as a star in this enclosed environment below the confines of the Fleece.
"This is as close as we will get," said Pat.
"Ok, so how do we get my wife back?" Jay asked.
Pat turned to face Jay and moved into a position where both men didn't have to shield their eyes.
"That's up to you, Jay."
"What are you talking about, Pat?"
"You're the only one that can bring her back. You did it before with the zombie. Why couldn't you now?"
"I don't even know how I did that. Come on, Pat, you know you have a way to send people there and bring them back. Now, do it already!"
Pat smiled, "No."
"What do you mean, no, Pat? Do it, or she dies."
Pat buried his pistol into Britton's head, causing her to grimace. The guards hoisted up their weapons, aiming them at Jay.
"Eh, go ahead."
Britton couldn't believe what Pat just said.
"Dude, don't do this," Larry said to Jay.
"He's forcing me to have to. I'm warning you, Pat. No more games."
Jay cocked the trigger on the gun. Britton closed her eyes.
Mike and Seth both get out their guns and aim them at Jay.
Pat stood there smiling at Jay.
Jay glared back.
"Come on, Jay. show me."
Pat stood there with a maniacal smile, tilting his head slightly as he stared at Jay.
This look was the most terrifying one Jay had ever seen from Pat. The look sent a chill down Jay's spine. He finally spoke, "I'm going to count to three."
Pat stood there, unphased.
Jay spoke aloud, "One..."
The guards ready their rifles.
"Two..."
Mike and Seth cocked their guns. Pat was still unphased.
Jay looked intently at Pat; his eyes widened, and he was nervous about what he would be forced to do. Pat could hear Jay's thoughts, as Jay couldn't believe Pat would let Britton die. But Jay and Pat both knew Jay would never pull the trigger.
Jay couldn't do it. He couldn't say three and pull the trigger. He knew Pat wanted him to. So, Jay lowered the gun and eased his grip on Britton.
Britton opened her eyes; some tears had welled up, and she sensed Jay releasing his grip. She grabbed Jay's gun and darted away from him. She turned to face him and aimed the gun at him, standing beside Pat.
Pat laughed and said, "What did I tell you, Britton. He's not so special after all."
Britton smiled, still aiming the gun at Jay.
Jay stood there defeated and awaited whatever would be. He had let down Linda, his family, everything. He did something he never thought he was capable of, threatening another human being with murderous intent. He looked down the barrel at Britton, who was clearly unhappy with him. This might very well be the end for Jay.
"Shoot him, Britton. Shoot him now," Pat said.
With that, Britton pulled the trigger.
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At the Oconee Nuclear Station, a light began to form behind Linda and Rob near the old reactor. The leftover fuel rods had been sealed, but the light was siphoning energy from the old rods. This siphoning was heating up the rods exponentially at the same time.
Linda turned around, "What is that?"
She put her hand in front of her face to block the ever-growing light from her eyes.
"I think that might be our way home. Your way home, I mean."
"Jay!"
Linda believed Jay had figured out a way to bring her home. The light was getting more intense as more and more energy was absorbed from the fuel rods.
"You're coming with me, Rob."
Rob looked at Linda and smiled. He liked that gesture. Then Rob noticed the increasing heat coming off the old fuel rod location. The area was beginning to glow orange from the heat.
"We better get out of here now!"
Rob pointed to the area past the orb forming. Linda saw the area was now red hot. What neither knew is that the fuel rods were not just heating to the melting point. They were going to explode in a nuclear reaction, essentially a nuclear bomb. They would both be disintegrated soon.
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The orb in the Artifact Room began pulsating. All of the other artifact cords began pulsating faster. The pulsations were growing in intensity. Pat and the group did not notice the intensity immediately, but the pulsation did one thing no one expected. The bullet fired at Jay stopped inches from his head. The pulsations had triggered a cascading effect, pulling on the fabric of everything in the room, including objects and people. The bullet fell harmlessly to the ground. Britton watched it fall and then looked back up at Jay, a shocked look on her face. Jay just stared back at her and Pat. Then, the orb's light brightens intensely, blindingly. The guards, Mike and Seth, all lowered their weapons to hold up a hand to cover their eyes. Pat just turned towards the light and stared at it as Britton shielded herself. Jay shielded his eyes and tried to look in that direction but to no avail. They couldn't see what was about to happen.
***********************************************************************************
The fuel rods were becoming critical at the station. Rob focused back on the orb and saw an opening. He grabbed Linda's arm and yelled, "Let's go!"
Linda and Rob ran for the orb as the fuel rods because of a breakdown. They charged headlong into the envelope in the center of the orb. The zombies took notice of the orb and looked into the light but offered no movement towards it. From the zombies' point of view, they saw Linda and Rob diving head first through the orb light just as a fire ignited behind the orb and encompassed it. Finally, the orb light dissipated, and all the zombies saw was a bright flash of light.
In the distance, away from Keowee Toxaway Nuclear Station, near Clemson, a mushroom cloud could be seen rising above the horizon. The concussion wave rolled up Highway 123 and 93, ripping through the remains of the former college town. The stadium crumbled in areas from the blast wave and began to collapse. The buildings, like Tillman Hall, erupted when the blast wave hit. Sikes Hall, Cooper Library, Edwards Hall, and Hendrix Student Center were all destroyed, crumbling remains of their once grand design. This incident marked the end of an era as the twelve thousand-year-old civilization came to a close with no more connection to the current-day Smithville universe.
The zombies that had taken notice of the blast stood there looking at the mushroom cloud rising higher and higher into the grayish sky. As they watched the cloud rise, they all began to fall. All of the zombies, everywhere on this Earth, fell to the ground. Their connection determined by the Fleece had been severed for good, and their lives were mercifully over. This ending would allow a new world to begin again. The Smithville world.
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Linda and Rob dove through the orb and plummeted to the ground before Jay. The orb's light diminished greatly, and the pulsations stopped. Everyone in the room could let down their guard to see Linda and Rob lying before them.
Linda looked up at everyone in the room, and finally, her eyes found Jay.
"Linda?"
"Jay!"
Linda sprang up to her feet and rushed over to Jay. They embraced and then kissed passionately. Jay knew instantly that this was his Linda.
Britton stared on, still confused by what had happened and now somewhat annoyed at what she saw.
Rob began to stand up as Pat looked at him. Rob looked at Pat, his dad, and then looked away to Jay and Linda.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you're alive!"
Jay was holding Linda tightly. They looked at each other, Linda smiling brightly.
"I knew you would get us out there, Jay. I just knew it."
Jay knew he had done nothing but wondered how they got away, "How did you get out of there?"
"Someone created this orb over there. All the energy from the power plant," said Rob.
"An orb?" Jay asked.
"Yes, this big orb opened up, and we jumped through it. You must have opened it up for us."
"I didn't do anything, Linda. I was right here, but I couldn't do anything."
"Well, I don't understand. Who did?" asked Linda.
"I believe they did," Pat said. He was looking up at the area in front of the orb.
Jay and Linda looked up, as did Rob and everyone else in the room.
Standing in front of the orb was a figure. The light from the orb shrouded them in darkness, so only a silhouette could be seen. Additionally, the being was semi-transparent, as you could see through it in some places. Parts of its body were shifting in and out of space and time as they stood there looking out across the room.
The being had a human-like form but was decidedly not human-looking. There were no facial features apparent, no discernable look about them. Just a being of some kind.
Finally, they spoke, "I guess you are wondering why I've called you all here tonight?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
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