Mayor Carnie had taken Beau’s idea of forming a platoon seriously. He sent out the request, posted fliers around town, and soon after about fifty men and women formed an armed militia. They assembled near the rift. Most of the volunteers were former police officers and firefighters. They wore stab vests and jeans, mostly. Some wore construction hats. They wielded shovels, kitchen knives, hunting knives, sledgehammers, and woodcutting axes. Some carried bundles of rope and grappling hooks.
For the time being, the militia wasn’t there to start a war. They were there to rebuild and defend. They moved in organized chaos per the instruction of the temporary foreman, Rena Thatcher, a girl his age who really knew how to lead and give instruction. She shouted orders and the others followed. She stood atop a pile of plastic sheets so everyone could see her, as she normally stood much shorter than everybody at five foot four inches tall which came about to Beau’s shoulder. Rena ordered everyone to proceed with the plan the engineers came up with. The militia carried plastic sheeting to the tear. They fastened it with a homemade concoction of adhesive as strong as concrete. It was one of those Dr. Lorne secret recipes. Beau and Tessa helped carry buckets of the concoction. Every few minutes, someone came around and sprayed a citrusy liquid which was supposed to dull the scent bleed coming from the dome, hopefully preventing the lure of more ants. There wasn’t just a fear of the ants coming back—they feared what else might smell them and come knocking.
Everyone knew Beau and Tessa. Each militia member at one point or another gave a respectful nod to them. Sure, some people looked at Beau sour, especially since he caused this mess in the first place. But most of them tried to forgive him, especially since he saved at least ten households during the ant attack. He wanted them to see he was trying to fix things. Some of them acknowledged that. Others kept to themselves. Tessa was even more famous, having slapped bandages and stitches on nearly everyone inside the dome after the attack.
After working for two hours, Beau and Tessa came up with a plan. They wouldn’t go out into the dark without direction. They both decided it was best to look for food. That’s what they needed most of all. They would map the complex as best as they could, but marking pickup locations for food was the priority assignment.
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As they spoke about the mission. Beau noticed one of the militia men who leaned toward the rift. He looked out into the unknown, beyond the newly constructed plastic veil. He then quickly stepped back like he looked down from the edge of a steep cliff. He rushed back to his post, hauling buckets of adhesive.
Beau adjusted the strap on his BB rifle which rested on his back. He knew he probably couldn’t effectively use it, but it felt strangely comforting resting against him. It reminded him of his grandfather. Who knows, maybe it would come in handy?
Tessa paced in a half circle. Her eyes darted from the makeshift repairs on the rift to the bits of crushed foliage from the stampeding ants, and then back to Beau.
“It looks sealed to me. Ready?”
A silence stretched between them. Somewhere far off, lightning flashed beyond the breach and lit up the plastic sheeting. A low thunder growled in the distance.
The weight of what came next filled the air between them.
“Why are you really doing this?” she asked. “You’re not a soldier.”
“Because I ruined everything. The food stockpiles are gone. We can’t survive on nutrient slurry, and even that’s running low. If there’s a chance of finding food, I have to try. I owe it to everybody.”
She was quiet. So he kept going.
“Think of it, Tessa. This place is huge. There is no telling how many rooms this place has. What if there is a way out?”
A vibration buzzed through his shirt. He checked his phone.
NEW MESSAGE – MAYOR CARNIE
RE: UPDATED MISSION DIRECTIVES
Priority Objectives Below:
- Map the territory beyond the mega complex.
- Locate a viable exit from the facility.
- Identify and retrieve new food sources.
- Discover tech to override weapon fabrication limitations.
Tessa read the message over his shoulder.
“Looks like our scavenger trip just got upgraded.”