This is Rom from the Packrat Sprawl, making waves and coming to you live and direct from an abandoned building in the Zone. It is raining outside and the rain always brings the radiation. We have been sequestered inside for the last few hours as the air raid sirens go off signaling high radiation levels. I am on the line with the radio trying to raise a contact that I was supposed to meet today to hand off some data. I can’t go out until the rain stops and the Newsfeed gives the all clear. But I am out of luck, I have to get out of here. The danger inside in the Zone is about as bad as the rain. I think I have to risk it. Lets check on the radiation levels from the Terror Hack feed.
Rom put the radio mic down and went to the broken window, the rain was filtering in. The sky was red with dust from the radioactive particles as the rain pounded down. He waited for fifteen minutes as the rain started to let up and went back over to the radio to try to call out again.
“This is Packrat Outpost 2154, is anybody there? Can anybody hear me? This is Packrat Underground checking in. Sound off?”
Rom touched the radio dial and adjusted it as the static white noise came in affected by the radiation. He could hear the air raid sirens still going off in the street continuously. Suddenly they stopped. Rom looked out the window. He was alone in the room. He would be forced out soon. He looked down at his handheld on the desk which had a warning of the radiation level.
“I got to get out of here,” he sighed as he turned off the radio after checking the frequency one last time. His handheld chimed. If he was going to make the meet he would have to leave now and travel farther into the Zone which was also dangerous. He could only stay here for four hours otherwise he would succumb to radiation sickness. He had been in the area two hours already.
He pulled the blanket off the back of the chair and tied it around his neck so it covered him after he buttoned up his coat and put on the radiation mask. He pulled the hood of his sweater up over his head and took in a deep breath activating the mask which filtered the air so he could breath as it cleaned the particles of radioactive debris making it safe to breathe. He closed the door to the outpost and ascended the stairs going out into the blazing daylight.
The scorching wind whipped around the corner as Rom attempted to run down the street. He pulled the goggles down over his eyes so he could see, the dust ripping at his cheeks. He took in a deep breath from the radiation mask and hauled his way pushing against the wind. He ran to the corner and hid behind a half destroyed wall.
Something was coming.
Rom was trying to get to one of the refugee outposts and deliver a set of fake Echelons IDs. These would be used by refugees fleeing the Atlantea Federation and escaping through the Zone to get to safety in the Pacific Territories in the Echelons. Rom was far from the Zone Cross into the Echelons. It was dangerous where he was as Jannai patrols roamed the area and would take out anything that walked. Rom listed intently as he heard marching coming from up ahead. He snuck around the corner, hidden behind an abandoned car and watched as two Janni in black armour with machine guns came around the corner. Rom made sure to stay hidden. He watched on as a man and woman came out of a building. The minute they walked out the Jannai were on them. The two were dispatched quickly, the man and woman dead in the street. Rom had to get out of here. Teleporting would tip the Jannai off and they could teleport out on the teleportation stream if he was not careful. Rom waited for another few seconds as the Jannai passed by the abandoned car then set into a run hoping the blaring sound of the wind would cover his footsteps.
The Jannai were ominous, standing three heads taller than Rom, their stark white skin and black armour made them look ominous, scales on their face hiding their mutation. The two Jannai did not have on radiation masks as they were able to tolerate the fallout. Rom turned and ran chancing a glance back. The reverberations of his feet against the concrete signalling the Jannai that setoff running after him.
Rom teleported out and jumped three times, running a few steps between each jump hoping the Jannai didn’t follow. He ducked into an abandoned convenience store on the corner and hid only to find seconds later that the two Jannai appeared. They had teleported out on his teleportation stream. Rom would have to act fast if he wanted to be free of them. The meeting place was right around the corner but he couldn’t go there directly or he would risk the Jannai finding the refugees hiding spot. Rom backed up into the shadows hidden by the sun filtering behind the clouds suddenly and teleported out again to the other side of the area to an underground shopping center which had long ago been left vacant. Nature had reclaimed the escalators ad there was grass shooting through the floor, cracks in the concrete foundations. Rom walked down the escalator to the bottom floor. He hid in an abandoned store and watched.
A minute later the two Jannai were in the building coming down the stairs, Rom figured that they were hot on his trail. He kept hidden. Suddenly there was a sound to the left. Rom watched as the two Jannai went running for it.
Rom changed his vantage so he could see the Jannai. A scraping sound rang out as the Jannai moved farther away from him and approached someone who was leaning down and scraping on the floor. Rom watched carefully. The Jannai approached the person who had a bald head. Rom could only see them from the back. The Jannai came close confronting the person, then all of a sudden a psi blast the two Jannai were sent flying and slammed into the wall. Rom watched as the person stood up and turned around. Their eyes were large and black, glowing in the mere light of the sun filtering in through the cracked floor. Rom realized he was looking at one of the psychic “children” as they were called, beings that had been so changed by the radiation that they became psychic monsters.
Rom took a step and disturbed a rock. The creature shot a glance in Rom’s direction and took a step forward. The creature locked eyes on Rom who did not move. The creature lost interest quickly. Rom teleported out just as the two Jannai began to wake up from the creature’s attack. Rom teleported out before the Jannai could find his trail again. He rematerialized at street level and went running back towards the refugee outpost. He arrived outside and teleported down to the basement.
The rag tag room was flooded with people and Aseth the prophet was there at a desk rummaging through paperwork. There were a line of refugees that stretched across the room. Rom went into his pocket and handed off the Echelons IDs. Aseth spoke up.
“Good, you brought the Echelons IDs. The refugees here will get good use of them.”
“The Jannai are out in force, you best close up shop soon. You can’t stay here and the radiation is still over the normal limit. You need to clear out.”
“I will be done once I get through these last few,” said Aseth taking the IDs from Rom. “Anything else I need to be cautious of?”
“The children are in the area as well. Stay out of the shopping center. The Jannai pursued me down there. I know the refugees like to hide there but it is not safe. Tell them to travel quickly on their trek across the Zone.”
“I will remind them,” said Aseth and handed an Echelons ID to a young teenager who walked off. “You best get going. Tell Faid I should be back in the next hour.”
“Good,” see you back at the Sprawl. These people need our help. I can’t thank you enough for doing this. The Atlantea Federation is relentless. These people will see freedom in the Pacific Territories when they get to the Echelons.”
“That they will. Thank Packrat Underground for getting these IDs to the people. We couldn’t ask for more.”
“I am out, stay safe Aseth. Get back soon,” said Rom and disengaged. He teleported out back to the Packrat Sprawl.