When time stood still (closed for BreezySnow)

[DeathsKnight]

OOC:

In the year 2020 the age old question of being alone got answered, but the way it came to mankind's attention was not the way anybody actually wanted things like these to happen. Though feared by many sci-fi writers and fans alike, when it happened, it took the world by surprise. One moment all was fine, mankind went about their business as usual, then all over the globe warning klaxons sounded in various installations as the atmosphere was breached by objects unknown.

As the objects entered the atmosphere, two large objects suddenly appeared in outer space, it was now clear that these beings had cloaking abilities, the fact that they came in stealthy and only revealed themselves as they came into the atmosphere already placed continents on high alert. But that was not enough, as soon as the alien craft came in their own firing range, death fell upon the cities of the world, retaliation was swift from the Earth forces, thousands of nuclear warheads soared to the skies. Not only did the missile strike cause tremendous damage to the alien ships, but also caused radio active fallout.

To top all of this off, the two mother ships on the outside of the atmosphere launched an all-out offensive from their position in outer space, again death rained down from the sky and when it was all said and done, civilization had come to an end...

Name: Chris Summers
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 195 lbs
Eyes: Green
Hair: buzz cut black
Occupation: Soldier
Hometown: Houston, Texas

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris Summers

He stood on the knoll overlooking the Ellington Field Base, it was all just a smoldering ruin, there was nothing left in it. He had already passed through Houston and it looked exactly the same, he sat down as his legs seemed to give way underneath him, the impact only then struck him. It was all gone...Grace, his family, his fellow soldiers, all of it was gone...

It was some time before he got to his feet, he was still dressed in his hunting clothes, the camouflaged jacket, shirt and pants were all made of sturdy material. Over his shoulder he carried his hunting rifle, his back pack held the rest of his equipment. He had been on the move ever since the last attack rained down, he had found nothing but destruction and death as far as he walked, most vehicles could not run as the EMP blasts from the attacks fried the computer boards.

He knew that he would find a vehicle here at the base, but he was not ready for this total destruction. It was with a heavy heart that he walked towards the total desolation which awaited him...

 

[BreezySnow]

Jacy Silvers

Jacy was out in the garden weeding through the plants on her day off. She was wearing a tight tank top and some cut off jean shorts, along with an old pair of sneakers and gardening gloves. On her head she had a bandana tied around it to keep the sweat from dripping into her eyes. The garden was only about a quarter of the size it was when her mother was alive, but Jacy kept it going in her memory.

She had lived in the house her whole life and now there was no one but her. Her brother had died when he tried to stick up for a woman who's husband was beating her. He didn't know the husband had a gun and was shot. Her parents died last year coming home one evening in some heavy fog. They never saw or heard the semi until it was too late. They were both killed instantly. So now it was just Jacy and Charlie, her dog.

So, as Charlie was laying ouside of the garden and Jacy was weeding she noticed it had started to get dark and was still early in the day. They weren't calling for rain but here in northern Texas you never knew when the weather decided it wanted to change. As Jacy looked up she realized it was not clouds but some weird looking ship. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and something told Jacy to head for the bomb shelter that some previous owners had installed and was now mainly used for a tornado shelter. Jacy called Charlied and they both ran to the shelter and shut the door and bolted it behind them. As Jacy sat there trying to get a radio station to come in she could hear strange noises outside. It sounded almost like bombs were exploding. Jacy finally got a radio station and it was saying that we were being invaded by aliens!! It was telling everyone to seek shelter immediately as the aliens were attacking and leaving no survivors. Then it stopped broadcasting. There was nothing but silence. No radio, no bomb sounds, nothing. Jacy and Charlie sat over in the corner on the cot and just listened. There was enough canned food and water to last for a week so Jacy decided if she didn't hear a human voice she would just stay here until that week was up.


OCC:
Name: Jacy Silvers
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 125 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark Brown worn short
Occupation: Athletic Trainer
Hometown: San Augustine, TX

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris found food and an M-4 with ammunition, also a Jeep had survived the blasts which had hit the camp, he found no remains, it seemed that everybody got incinerated along with the structures and vehicles. The weapon, food and Jeep only survived because they were shielded by falling debris. It took him a while to get the Jeep off of it's side and on to it's wheels. Luckily the engine only needed a slight amount of goading before it sputtered to life.

In an event like this, the only place to go was HQ and to his knowledge that meant Washington, he just hoped that he could get diesel along the way, because it was one long ass walk if he couldn't.

__________________________________________

San Augistine, six days later

Chris stopped the Jeep, all over the routes was blocked and even cross-country would have gotten him deeper into trouble. He stuck to the roads, leeched diesel where he could find it and now he had to find diesel and water. Food was no problem, but his water was almost done and his diesel as well. He slipped the jeep into gear and drove around the wreckage of vehicles and huge craters which dotted the roads. He finally saw a garage, it had a diesel pump and he pulled to a stop. So far he had met no survivors, the only thing he found for miles and miles was total destruction. He watched the station, there was no survivors here.

Ten minutes later he had the pump cover busted open and was using the manual lever to pump diesel into the Jeep. There was a sound which troubled him, the first thing was that it was a sound, second thing...it was a dog. He stood up and brought his M-4 to firing position, rabid or wild dogs was not something he wanted to fall prey to.

 

[BreezySnow]

Jacy knew that she and Charlie were going to have to leave the bomb shelter in the morning. She was worried about what she may find when she opened the door. Would the air be okay to breathe? Would there be water and food available? Would others be alive? All those questions ran through her mind as she dozed off to sleep.

Jacy awoke and gave Charlie the last of his dog food and half of the remaining water. Jacy ate the last of the beef jerky and applesauce. Jacy looked around and realized this may be the last thing she does. Oh well, she wasn't going to stay in here and die a slow death, if there was a chance at survival she was taking it! Jacy went and opened up the door and held her breath!

The sun was shining and there were some trees and grass so the air must be okay. Jacy took a deep breath and waited. Nothing happened. She and Charlie exited the bomb shelter and looked at the devastation all around her. Even though her house was still standing, there were windows missing and shingles gone from the roof. There was a tree across her front yard and in the back her garden was completely gone.

"Well Charlie, guess we should head towards town and see if there is anyone around or any food and water to be found." Jacy commented.

As they approached the town Jacy saw what looked like an Army Jeep at Hanson's Gas Station. She stopped to see if she could spot anyone around the Jeep, with that Charlie started barking. If Jacy hadn't told him to stay he would have bounded forward to check out the guy who she could now see was at the pump. He looked up when Charlie started barking. Jacy saw him bring a gun up and aim it towards her and Charlie.

"Charlie, come!" Jacy yelled as she ducked behind a bush and hoped he couldn't get good aim! "We are not here to hurt you, we are just looking for some food and water!" Jacy yelled to the man with the gun. "Please put your gun down, we are peaceful!" She hoped he would hear her and let them go about their business.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris frowned, he had not seen the dog's owner, but he had clearly heard the command for the dog to go back to the person who sounded like a female, he lowered the rifle, but kept it at the ready,

"Well ma'am, you will have to excuse me for reacting defensively. You can come out, I will not shoot you."

He of course kept to himself that this was only true if they proved to be as peaceful as she had claimed. He moved to a more sheltered position behind the Jeep, but kept the rifle pointed down as he had promised. He scanned the surroundings, in situations like these, most survivors became unhinged, there was no SOP for this, so far as he found, the whole state had been lain in ruin. Removal of society's laws allowed the most people to do as they please and that was usually bad for those who tried to survive in a humanitarian way. He took a deep breath and kept looking for signs of an ambush.

 

[BreezySnow]

Janey and Charlie slowly came out from behind the bush and headed towards Hanson's Gas Station again. She hoped the man wouldn't shoot them, but there was really nothing else for her to do. He had the upper hand right now and her only choice was to stay hiding behing a bush or put her chin up and face things. Since she was not a coward, she walked determinedly forward. She noticed he positioned himself back behind the jeep but at least did not put the gun up again. She told Charlie to heel so he would not leave her side. Charlie stayed with her, but the hair on his back was up and there was a low growl coming from him. 'So, Charlie isn't too sure aboutt his guy either, great', she thought.

"Hi, sorry to startle you, but Charlie picked up your scent and since he didn't know it he took offense." Janey said as she got close enough that she didn't have to yell to be heard. "We decided to come into town to see if anyone else was around. Have you seen anyone?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris watched the duo as they drew closer, a weary eye kept on them and also on the surroundings. The dog's raised hackles and low growl made him shift nervously, he had no idea what the dog was trained to do, nor what it was capable of. He knew that he must have seem paranoid if she was alone and really the only survivor, but it was much better to be careful than to be dead,

"Well to be brutally honest ma'am, I've come from Houston, there's nothing left there, the roads and most of the surrounding areas have been destroyed. You are really the only surviving human that I have come across..."

He eyed the dog,

"I did meet a few pets gone crazy, that was also part of the reason I had my gun up so fast."

 

[BreezySnow]

"Well, I can tell you that Charlie has not gone crazy! He and I have been locked down in a bomb shelter for the last six days! The only reason we came out now is because we only had enough food to last for six days." Jacy explained. "All of Houston? You haven't seen another person until now? Damn!"

Jacy sat down on the ground from the shock of what Chris had just told her. Not a single person from here to Houston! Charlie came over and nudged her and licked her cheek, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug.

"We are truly alone now boy," Jacy said to him. "Oh, except for Chris here that is. I'm sorry, I am just having a hard time accepting all of this. What should we do? Who did this and why? Are we gonna die too?" Jacy had started breathing faster and her eyes got bigger, she looked like she was about to have an all out panic attack.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He saw the onset of hysteria close on the heels of her shock, he decided to chance it and placed the rifle on the back seat, he slowly walked around the jeep to haunch down a feet from her, close enough to speak, yet far enough not to seem threatening,

"We are not going to die. I've survived outside for six days now and I have driven through some really huge craters, I am very much alive and so will you and Charlie be as well. I can really not tell you who did this and why, I was out in the wild, hunting. My first realization that something was wrong, was when the nuclear weapons exploded in the higher atmosphere. I had seen some strange craft crashing to earth, just haven't come across one of them. Then the last assault came, it looked like rain falling from the sky. Much like described in Revelations."

He ran a hand over his jaw, it was stubbled and he knew that he would have to shave soon,

"I'm on my way to Washington, I was supposed to ship out of Houston next week and as far as I know, in times of crisis, a headquarters will be set up in Washington or near to it. I am most likely to find officials there."

He looked around,

"Power is down, fresh or even drinkable water is very scarce, most animals have either gone rogue or have gone mad..."

He paused and looked at Charlie,

"Or they are still faithful companions, I think that society have taken a huge step backwards, if it's truly just you two, I would offer to take you with me. I could use extra eyes when I scavenge."

 

[BreezySnow]

Jacy looked up when he stooped down in front of her. She seemed to lose herself in his eyes, they were a beautiful shade of green and stood out against his black hair. He was trying to calm her down, he told her they were safe, but when he ran his hand over his face she had to clench her own hands to not do the same.

Okay Jacy, stop this line of thinking, you don't know this man. Stop admiring him and think about surviving and finding others. Jacy told herself. She shook her head to clear it and then listened to what he was saying.

"Washington is a long ways to walk, unless you got these pumps to work and give you some fuel. Even then we don't know if DC will even be there when we arrive. Shouldn't we look for other survivors here first?" Jacy asked. "I think staying together would be a good thing for all of us. It increases our chance of survival by having each others backs. And before you say anything, I am a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I am a personal trainer, so I can definitely take care of myself."

"So, you were stationed in Houston, what branch of the military? What were you going to be doing in DC? I see you have a rifle, are you a sharpshooter?"

Jacy asked a lot of questions, but she wanted to know the type of person she would be pairing up with so she knew what to expect if they did come across hostiles.

 

[DeathsKnight]

"Ma'am, I look for survivors where ever I go. This town is in a bit of a better shape, so in the hunt for water and supplies, I will most likely look for survivors as well."

He stood up and walked around the jeep once more,

"Thing with pumps are that they have manual levers with what you can draw the fuel from the reservoir. If there's pumps intact or even diesel vehicles still intact, I am sure that we can drive to Washington."

He knelt down and still managed to keep an eye on her and the dog under the jeep, as he started to work the pump once again,

"I've been stationed at Houston as it used to be my home, I would have shipped out to Fort Brag last week, special operation training. For all intents and purposes I'm a Ranger. My speciality is marksmanship and interest in my joining in the sniper courses was mentioned, so I am basically a jack of all trades and as of yet master of none."

Diesel started to pour into the nearly empty tank,

"If you're willing to wait, I would like to finish up here and then we can make a sweep of the town, I think it would be easier than to try and drive around with all the craters in the streets."

 

[BreezySnow]

"Ma'am? How old do you think I am that you called me ma'am? My name is Jacy. My parents couldn't decide between Jane and Stacy so they combined them and made the name Jacy. It could have been worse, they could have named me Stane." Jacy laughed. "While you finish up here I will go inside and see what we can use in there."

Jacy walked into the station and figured some tools may come in handy. She saw a pair of bolt cutters so she picked them up, then picked up a hacksaw, a hammer, a screwdriver with assorted heads to interchange, some heavy rope and some bottles of motor oil. She took them out to the jeep.

"I found a few things that we may use along the way, but no water or food was in there. We will probably find that at Sander's Grocery store on Main Street, if there is any that is. Oh, there are also a few empty gas cans in there to fill with fuel to take with us. I will go grab them."

 

[DeathsKnight]

"I meant no disrespect, I just used it as the safest title. It's good to meet you, Jacy..."

He motioned around them,

"Under the circumstances. Since you know that I'm Chris, I am introduced already."

He smiled,

"I would like to know how you figured that out."

He watched as she walked into what remained of the gas station, well it could have been worse, he went on with his task. When she returned with her loot, he was busy topping up the last of the jerry cans, he flicked open the toolbox,

"You can just put that in there, can't hurt to have them along."

He secured the nozzle and picked up the assault rifle and slung it over his shoulder,

"Let's get those cans, the more we can get from this tank the further we can go."

 

[BreezySnow]

"Your backpack has a tag that says C. Summers, just took a guess at Chris, because you don't look like a Connor or a Charlie." Jacy said as she handed him the two gas cans she found.

Jacy waited until Chris finished filling up the gas cans and then they walked into two. It wasn't that far of a walk but things didn't look the same. There were craters in the middle of the street and the cars they found were burned beyond recognition. They walked up to Sander's Grocery store and found the door unlocked but no one was inside.

"Where do you think everyone went? They couldn't have all gone outside could they? If they didn't go outside we would have found bodies, right?" Jacy asked.

It was so eerily quiet as they entered the store.

 

[DeathsKnight]

"I think we have another problem"

He motioned to the back of the building, it was basically collapsed on itself, that was the reason that it seemed so dark, he looked around, there was not much left to the front of the shop to actually use. He shook his head,

"I think we will do better to see if there wasn't any more people who did what you did and hid in shelters."

He stepped back outside and looked around,

"I must say that this town seemed to have less damage than the other ones I have come across..."

He shook his head,

"Let's get going, you know the way around."

 

[BreezySnow]

"Oh, the MacCreary's have a bomb shelter at their house also. Not sure if they would have been home or not, but we can check. It is over this way." Jacy said as she lead Chris to the eastern part of town. You can tell that this used to be a nice area of town, but now it is mostly rubble with partial homes still standing.

"Over here," Jacy says as she points to what looks like it would have been the biggest house on the block. "Mr. MacCreary owns the bank in town. Oh, we will have to check there next. If they went into the vault they could be okay, but not sure how they would get back out again."

As they approach the bomb shelter they move debris that has fallen over the door. When they get the door uncovered they find it unlocked and even though they doubt someone is inside they still check and make sure, but it is empty. They head back towards the bank but suddenly Jacy stops in her tracks.

"Well, we won't have to check the bank. See that pile of rocks? That is what used to be the bank. I don't know what they used, but they even destroyed the vault!" Jacy exclaimed. "No one has survived, they are all gone. I can't believe I am the only one in this whole town who was able to find a safe shelter and stay there for awhile! Well, now what?" she asks Chris.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Chris followed Jacy around as she led him from place to place, helping her to clear rubble, all the while keeping a look out for anything that could suggest other life, but like every town he had come across, this one was desolated, destroyed and void of life. At her remark, he rested a hand on her shoulder,

"Just think how I felt when I found that I was the only survivor in Houston."

He gave her shoulder a re-assuring squeeze and looked in the direction of where the Jeep would be waiting at the gas pumps,

"I think we leave a message and head out, there is no need to stay here, I have enough food and water to last us a few days."

He set off walking toward the station, hand steadying the M-4, but also keeping it within easy reach if that should become necessary. They reached the Jeep without incident, he opened the hood and re-fitted the fuse to the diesel pump of the Jeep. He closed the bonnet and looked at Jacy with a slight shrug,

"You never know."

 

[BreezySnow]

Jacy squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, she would get through this and they would find more people, she just knew it!

"Come on Charlie, we are going on an adventure!" Jacy stated as she climbed into the jeep. "Would it be okay to stop back at my house? It was still standing and I would like to get a few things to take with us. I may even have some of my brother's or dad's clothes that you could fit into. I know there should also be some canned food if it wasn't damaged. Just head back down the road it is only two miles out of town."

Jacy figured they should be safe since she had just walked into town from her house.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He nodded as he started the engine,

"No problem, must be the distance from town which saved you, it does seem that the damage have been central and spread out from there, the outskirt not really damaged unless a factory or something like that was on the outskirts."

He drove in the direction that she had pointed and studied her from the corner of his eye, she was quite an attractive woman, of course the line of work she was in did make up for the body, but the rest was just as pleasing to look at. He focused his eyes back on the road, of course he held Grace's memory dear to his heart, but that didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to look. He wasn't dead just quite yet

 

[BreezySnow]

Jacy showed Chris where to turn as they approached the house. She wasn't sure what she would find inside as she didn't go in after the attack because she never thought to do so. Now she found she was hesitant about entering it, not sure what could be inside. Slowly she approached the house and walked into the front doorway because the door was laying on the porch. It was dark inside and Jacy had to wait for her eyes to become adjusted to the lack of light. She slowly walked into the living room, noticing pictures crooked or on the floor, furniture moved around and a layer of dust over everything. She found the same in the dining room. As she entered the kitchen she noticed that the food was scattered all over the place, some of the cans had holes in them as if something tried to open them. She did find a few cans of tuna and some dog food that was undamaged, along with some cans of peaches and some mixed fruit. Nothing else was salvagable. Jacy did think to grab a can opener and some plastic cups, silverware and plates.

Next she went upstairs and opened her bedroom door, again stuff was moved around and doors were hanging open and picture either broken or on the floor. Jacy grabbed the picture she had of herself, her brother and her parents, it was the last camping trip they took together. A park ranger took the photo for them and they each had gotten a copy of it. Jacy grabbed some clothes and threw them in a backpack and she also grabbed her hiking boots and some rain gear. She went into her brother's room and grabbed some of his clothes and rain gear and threw it in a separate backpack for Chris. She was pretty sure he would fit into this stuff since they seemed to be the same size.

She went back downstairs to find Chris.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Since the house stood open, he had scouted the area, already the six days was showing in the garden, he found tracks made by shoes, but they led away from the house. He entered after Jayce had gone upstairs, he scanned the kitchen, he was kneeling down, looking at one of the cans which had been opened with a sharp tool to get at the food inside, when she came back downstairs. He got to his feet,

"Good, let's get going, seems like you had some visitors who didn't want you to know they were here, or they didn't know that you were still around."

He led the way outside and pointed out the clear tracks,

"They headed that way, seems like a woman and two men, but I don't really think they could be in the best of shape if I look at how they dragged their feet."

He looked at her and took one of the backpacks as they headed back to the Jeep

 

[BreezySnow]

"Do you think they could be hurt? Maybe we should find them and see if we can help them!"

Jacy follows Chris to the jeep and climbs in.

"Oh, that backpack has clothes in it for you. I am pretty sure they should fit, you seem to be about the same size my brother was. I also found some canned tuna and some canned dog food."

 

[DeathsKnight]

He shook his head,

"I do not like the way they moved, but if you wish we could have a look. See if we can find them and if they need help."

Of course it went against every instinct he had, he wanted to be on the way to Washington, but the two of them was a team now and he had to take her needs into account as well.

"Thank you for the clothes, I'll have a look at them later on."

 

[BreezySnow]

"What do you mean the way they moved? How can you tell how they moved when you haven't seen them?" Jacy asked. She didn't understand how just seeing a few footprints could tell how someone moved.

"Explain how you can tell their movements and what you think about them. I can see there is something more that you aren't telling me. I need to know this so I know how to protect myself and us if necessary! Please!"

She could tell he was holding back information, but she needed to know everything if they were going to be traveling across the country together. Sure he had been out in this longer than her and had probably seen some really bad stuff, but she had to know about it so she could face it no matter how bad.