Darkness on a Pale Blue Stone (20 page)

They found a motel that night. Several others seemed to be staying there, but the group interacted with no one until finding rooms and closing the doors behind them.

The Case family had found themselves their own room. Michael helped Alice onto the bed. She could stand, but her strength would take weeks to recover. Alice thanked her husband and closed her eyes, enjoying the chance to stretch out.

"Dad, do you really think it's possible that those... Exterminators are really... not from Earth?" Adam asked.

"I don't know. It... It's possible I suppose. But before today I always just ignored the thought. Now we've seen them, though. God, I... I don't know. It feels like everything is happening so fast. I guess it's already been weeks, but..."

"It just doesn't seem real," Adam finished.

"Right," Michael said.

"What are we going to do?" Marie asked. "I mean, Gresson seems to have some kind of idea, or at least his 'group' does. But really, if the Exterminators can do all this, what will stop them? Even if we can turn off the frequency, what are we going to use against them?"

No one had an answer.

The next morning, everyone rose late, but sleep had been limited for them all. They slowly gathered their things and regrouped outside of the motel. There was a light fog covering the landscape as they returned to the road and began the day's journey.

The trip was peaceful and only a few others were seen walking nearby. By late afternoon, they saw signs for an I-95 junction.

"It's been awhile since we've been on that road," Lucas said.

"Feels like it's been forever," Jake said.

"A week almost, right?" Alice asked.

Michael shook his head. "I can't even remember."

"Something like that, though," Lash said. "How far are we now from New Salvador?"

"Another week of walking and we should be there," Gresson said.

"I, for one, cannot wait to get there and just sit. Not having to walk anymore would be..." Jake said, until he realized Alice was giving him a look from her wheelchair. "Ah, hell. Sorry. You know what I mean."

They walked up the on-ramp and headed south. They had only walked another mile when the sun neared the horizon. Near the highway was a small trailer park. They went to it and searched for a place to stay.

They asked one of the locals if there were any empty trailers. He pointed to one, saying, "I think the folks that lived there ran off or died or something."

"Charming," Lash mumbled as they walked over to it.

The nine of them stepped inside. It would be crowded, but there was enough floor space for them all lay down, except for Alice and Michael who took the small bed in the back room. Darkness enveloped the trailer park as they began to fall asleep.

Chapter 27

South Carolina - August 23, 2072

The group was back on I-95 the next day. The sun was bright and the air was warm, leading everyone to take off any outer layers that they wore. After an hour, Jake began walking beside Lucas.

"So, you said we could chat at some point. I have a question."

Lucas smiled. "Sure, ask away."

"I'll try not to be an ass this time."

"I'll try not to be preachy."

"Fair enough. You said you came along with us because you felt God was calling you?"

"Yes, and I do. What are the odds that a former president, let alone one that was once thought dead, would show up at my church soon after the world's power goes out?"

"Probably the same that he would show up at any church."

"Perhaps. But would you expect me to simply ignore something like that?"

"No, but it seems like you are covering up for your curiosity with some kind of God-given destiny."

"To be honest, I'm not very curious. No part of me wants to find out what the Exterminators are going to do or what we will have to do to stop them. In fact, I would much rather be back in the comfort of my church, simply helping those around me."

"How do you know
that
isn't what you were called to do?"

"Because I could feel it. It's not something I can simply describe."

"Because it's not something that exists."

"Why? Why must it not exist? Why are you so frightened by the idea of some purpose beyond our own?"

"I'm not frightened. I'm simply looking honestly at the real world. But if I was frightened of anything, it would be of those who believe they have some destined purpose, a purpose greater than anyone else's. Some of the worst things people have ever done has been in the name of some superior purpose or 'destiny.'"

"And yet the greatest things people have done were due to their belief in a greater 'purpose.' Without that purpose, why do anything at all?"

"Oh, come on. So you think nobody can do anything worthwhile unless they think 'God' told them to?"

"Of course they can. But then how do they know it was worthwhile?"

"Because 'worthwhile' is only what we decide."

"If that's the case, then
nothing
is worthwhile. I believe in God because he gives all things purpose. Without something outside ourselves defining that, what is the point?"

"So, if I believed that Santa gave me purpose, you would find that an acceptable, logical belief?"

"I doubt you could have faith in Santa the way I have faith in God."

"You're saying a belief is as valid as the amount someone believes it?"

"No. All I am saying is that God is the only way to have purpose outside our selfish reasons."

Jake scoffed. "Selfish reasons?" He turned to Lash, who in no way wanted to join the conversation. Regardless, Jake asked, "Lash, why are you here?"

"Jake, please..." she objected.

"No, really. Why are you with us?" Jake insisted.

"Didn't we already talk about this?" she said, hoping he would interrogate someone else.

"Yeah. And you said it was because we all needed protection."

"I said... Look, all I know is that my energy is better spent helping Gresson and Michael do what they are doing, not sitting around just trying to survive. Especially after seeing what we are up against," Lash said.

"See? No selfish reason. No God," Jake said to Lucas.

"I did not say people cannot do things that are unselfish. People just cannot know the true reasons for their actions the way believers know," Lucas explained.

"But how do you know there
is
a 'true reason?'"

Lucas sighed. "I can't explain how I know. I just...
know
."

Jake scoffed. "Of course you do."

Much to everyone else's relief, the conversation failed to continue. It did, however, spawn questions of "purpose" in the minds of everyone there, questions most had already asked before.
Why
am
I doing this?
most wondered. Clearly the Exterminators needed to be stopped, but why were
they
the ones to stop them?

The group ended the day by camping on the side of the road. No suitable shelter was nearby and the sky was cloudless, leaving little fear of rain. Everyone agreed to take shifts watching the road for any danger.

The night was uneventful and they continued their journey the next morning. Within an hour, they crossed into Georgia.

"One more state," Sean commented, somewhat anxious about what lay at their destination.

Late that afternoon, they passed a pack of coyotes on the highway. There were four of them, sniffing through trash that littered the road between cars. It was the first time the group had encountered any wild animals besides birds on their journey. They stopped to watch.

"They certainly don't seem to mind all that's going on," Adam said.

Lash, with her gun drawn, said, "Should we, I don't know, scare them off or something?"

"Aw, they look cute," Marie said. "They can't be that dangerous. Why don't we just walk around?"

They crept closer, though they stayed to the far side of the highway. Lash, Adam, Gresson and Jake all kept their guns ready.

"Oh, wonderful," Jake sighed. It was now clear the coyotes were not only devouring trash, but the remains of a human body.

"I take it back. They aren't cute," Marie said, looking away.

Lash looked over at Gresson, who seemed very unsettled. "You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he replied, not moving his eyes from the animals.

They eventually passed, leaving the coyotes alone. The animals extended the same courtesy.

The group found a motel that night a few miles south of Savannah and stayed there. They had little interest in staying outside, now conscious of the wild animals that could be nearby.

The following day displayed the same weather as the last two and the Cases began to miss the cooler temperatures in New York, along with their climate control at home. When the group stopped for lunch, they saw a soldier on horseback riding along the highway, heading south. The soldier cautiously approached what appeared to be a formerly deceased president.

"Are you..." he began to ask.

"Gresson, yes," Gresson responded. "Where are you headed?"

"Uh, to find you. Colonel Valdez from Quantico sent me."

"I assume he told you to find me at New Salvador like I asked?"

"Yeah, that's what he said."

"Well, I expected to be there by now, but we had to take an extended detour. Tell Valdez to add four days to my other instructions."

"Okay..." the soldier said, not sure what other instructions Gresson might be referring to.

"Any news from the north?" Gresson asked.

"Well, the Exterminators hit Philadelphia," he replied.

"What?" Lash asked in shock.

"Oh, do you not know about the Exterminators?" the soldier asked.

"We do. We even saw them just a few days ago," Michael said.

"All the way down here?" the soldier exclaimed. "We heard a report about them being farther south, but figured someone had been wrong about the direction."

"But... what happened in Philly?" Lash asked, concerned for the few others she knew there.

"The Exterminators came in with their flame-throwers and lit up the whole place," the soldier explained, giving an undertone of awe and fear when he said the now-popular name of the invaders. "After a few days they had completely destroyed nearly half the city. The nearby troops and some locals prepared to attack, but the day they went out to mount a defense, the Exterminators were gone,"

"Damn..." Jake said.

"Is the army preparing to attack them?" Adam asked.

"I don't know. To be honest, most of the folks in DC are still struggling to build a perimeter. Seems worthless, though, if these things can just burn it down," the soldier said.

"Well, tell the colonel that defense alone is the objective right now, and again, add four days to my instructions," Gresson ordered.

"Yes. Yes, sir," the soldier said, still hesitant about talking to a former president who had been shot in the head two years ago. He slapped his horse and rode back in the direction he came.

"So, what instructions?" Jake asked.

"You'll see soon enough," Gresson replied.

They camped along the road that night as no suitable buildings were around. They made assignments for keeping watch, this time paying particular attention for any wild animals. The waxing moon loomed over them as they laid their sleeping bags down on the asphalt of I-95.

Chapter 28

Georgia - August 24, 2072

They continued their journey the next day, eager to make good progress. Gresson estimated they were only a few days away. Their goal was to end up in Brunswick, Georgia by sundown.

After walking for several hours, they arrived at a bridge. Halfway across, there appeared to be a small group of people relaxing on both sides of the road. Unfazed, the group continued on, paying little attention to the others until they began to come closer.

"Okay everybody. There's a toll for crossing the road here. Lemee see what you got," one of them said. He was one of the few wearing a shirt, and it was missing sleeves. Nothing seemed to unite this group except for a small yellow symbol crudely drawn on their shoulders.

"That is
very
cute," Jake teased, pointing at the shared tattoos. "But..." Jake, Lash, Adam, and Gresson all pulled out their guns. At the same time, those standing in the way pulled theirs, but it was clear the would-be bandits were not accustomed to resistance.

"Whoa, whoa. This ain't us, man. This ain't what we want. We should just let 'em go," one said.

"You should listen to your friend," Gresson said.

"Alright, everyone relax," a woman said. She stepped forward with her gun still drawn, but after a moment of eyeing the group and curiously looking over Gresson, she lowered it. "You look really familiar."

"What the hell? You're that president! The one that got shot!" another on the bridge exclaimed.

"Damn. Uh... okay, you can go on. No charge," one of the men said. He motioned for everyone to lower their guns.

"Smart," Lash said. Adam, Jake, Gresson, and her continued to keep their guns raised as they led their group across the bridge. Only until they were a fair distance away did they put away their weapons.

"You see all that stuff they had?" Jake asked.

"Yeah. Looked like they'd been pulling that off for a while," Lash said.

"Should we go back there?" he asked.

"And do what? We take care of them, another group comes along to replace them. At least they don't seem to have the guts to do anything all that bad," she replied.

"Makes you wonder how the rest of the world is reacting," Lucas said.

"We discussed long-term reactions in electronically deprived communities when researching Project Blackout," Michael said. "As much as I don't want to say it, a majority of people are going to be dead within months, at least."

"You really think people will get that violent?" Sean asked.

"Not everyone, yet. But once immediate food sources run out... Who here knows how to grow crops?" Michael asked. No one answered. "How to raise animals?" Again no answer. "How to build, well, anything?" In silence, the group began to realize how irrevocably damaged the world really was. Not only had they lost
access
to this information, but the information itself no longer existed. Every electronic piece of knowledge humanity had saved was gone, and physical books were rare. The group had known all this before, but, now, weariness from the journey was taking its toll.