YEAR 2029; 8 YEARS SINCE THE DAWN OF THE PURGE.
Lagos State.
The sound of Ikoyi's Street gave life. But the buzzing city of lagos drowned in the depths of dead silence. The empty buildings, the abandoned yellow below usable conditioned buses parked in the middle of the street gave the city the image it portrayed so well. An image revealing lost hope and love in its undeveloped structures, the pain that came with the dried spilled blood on its walls.
Bodies hung from the end of stakes from revolts of the last stand, from starving survivors scavenging for food from their own people. Bodies scattered on the floor, beyond recognition, fallen from the sky tall buildings, ending their miseries. The smoke still filled the air. It still burned the eyes as you walked through the streets. Dominants shrieks still bounced off the walls of the torn down buildings of Ikoyi, shrieks filled with hunger and thirst for blood. The army trucks stood firm but still. Its fragments burnt to an almost unrecognizable piece of scrap lying on the road. The absolute carnage raised from the grave of insanity hovered over the ragged human minds, walking aimlessly on the streets like factual zombies, whose minds had been desolated by the Dominants, fighting for scraps of flesh. The slime from the Dominants excrete fell all around the town.
It was a sight of a lost war. It was a sight that couldn't be forgotten easily. It was a sight that couldn't be forgotten, period.
Deep within the walls of what to an untrained eye would seem like just another house destroyed by the wake of war, stood a D.O.O.M patrol base. Soldiers sent to help the remainder of the survivors by the New Independent Confederate Republic, when they thought the survivors were worth saving at least, then finally giving up and sending the new generation D.O.O.M bots. Pesticides to the pest problems they said. Leave it to the Europeans to make something this catastrophic look like the mild flu. Now there's no Africa to save. Only the Confederate.
The metallic doors leading to the bunkers of the D.O.O.M patrol cracked opened up with a wrench head peaking its way through. Then the fingers came after, dragging it to the sides like a stuck elevator door.
'Jackpot!' Noah exclaims as he made his way through the metallic doors.
The bunkers were filled with abandoned foodstuffs in open boxes all around. Snacks, Cereals, Canned foods, Portable sized bags of raw rice, some fruits that had already started to spoil, but most especially to Noah, canned beer.
He held the beer in his hands with a wide grin 'Ah God, thank you. I've missed you old friend.'
Alheri makes her entrance with Elis right behind her.
"El, you mute genius! You were right about the bunker! It's packed with the essentials" Noah raises his beer into the air with the grin still on his face.
"Let's get to it then." Alheri motions for them to starts packing and they immediately begun to pick as much as they can carry in their back packs. As soon as it was full, they zipped up their bags and prepared to go.
"Remember, the Dominants are crawling everywhere. Keep your eyes sharp and your mouths closed. You hear?" Noah says with a firm and authoritative voice.
They both nod in agreement.
"Oya let's go before they kukuma come and catch us here" Alheri says while passing Noah out the entrance but not before he places his hand on her shoulders, stopping her in her steps.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Stay close behind with El, I'll lead." Alheri rolls her eyes but she did not argue.
El grabs Alheri's hand and looks her in the eyes with fear written all over his face.
"The last time I was here… it didn't end well… I… my…" his eyes got blurry with tears threatening to fall.
He was scared and they knew the risks before they left the cabin to come here. It was either die starving or die trying. They cannot afford to be sloppy now.
"I know El. I know. But this time's different. You've got me and Noah." El nods his head with bits of tears escaping. He looked at the strong man figure of Noah with a homemade utility belt composed of a hand gun and other ammunitions strapped to it and tried to gain confidence from Noah's accountability. The little circular device planted on Alheris neck blinked green drawing his attention from Noah. He had seen it multiple times but never gotten used to it.
They were out of the house and into the street moving as discreetly as possible, making minimal noises. They moved from one parked truck on the road to another Toyota Camry abandoned on the road, finding cover. They didn't stop moving with Noah making calculated stops at certain times and certain areas, careful not to alert any of the walking zombie humans and keeping an eye out for any D.O.O.M bots.
They kept doing this for about five minutes, getting closer to a safer and less open area.
Noah leans in closer to Alheri and El behind a van and whispers "Follow my lead."
"Now!"
They immediately start to run but El couldn't move. He turns to see his back pack hooked to a loose screw driven into the vans bumper. Panicking, El starts to drag the bag forcefully, trying to get free.
"No! stop, it'll-" but it was too late. Noah cursed under his breath as El's goods all pour to the ground. Like a call for attention, they all turn to look at El and his spilled food and snacks.
"Leave the bag and run!" Alheri shouts to El dragging his arm as she takes off behind Noah.
Noah picks a rod from the ground and starts swinging, hitting anyone that got close to them. They ran faster and faster, but while some of the zombies had gone for the food spilled, others wanted their flesh. Yelling, scratching and fumbling on each other they kept on Noah, Alheri and El's tail with El struggling to keep up. He was younger than Alheri with a few years, but that didn't stop him from pushing his body to the limit at that point. He wouldn't let it happen a second time. He wasn't going to lose another loved one because of his sloppiness.
Gun fire drowned the yells of the zombies. The D.O.O.M bot stood still having its arm for a rifle hanging midair. Its red metallic body shined in the bright sun with a bottle cap shaped head beaming with red eyes. Its thick and heavy body didn't restrict it from moving at the great speeds. It was clearly made to battle monstrosities and from the looks of the zombies bleeding out on the floor, they were included.
Noah anger swelled within him. He always thought the Zombies could be saved; it was purely the Dominants messing with their minds. They're people too.
He lifts his gun from his holster and starts shooting the D.O.O.M bot with as good accuracy as anyone.
'Run!' Noah yells out.
The bots eyes scanned all three figures running and found one positive for Dominant traits. The Female. Exterminate all threats to man-kind.
It leaped to action. Tripling each step they took. Noah's gun fire kept ricocheting off its armor as it drew closer by the second. It stretched out its metallic arm ready to grab Alheri off her feet when something hit it, sending it flying across the street into a building.
The spine shivering shriek that followed soon after was all too familiar to the three of them. It stretched its body leaping claws first for the bots head. The bot fired at the Dominant, trying to get it off of him. The first shot was lethal making it cry in pain and in anger but then it showed what the dominants are known for. Adapting then Dominating.
Its scales start to change color from a swamp green to looking metallic of the sorts. Its body became as hard as the metal used against it, impenetrable to any gun fire. It let its four claws dig deep into the chest of the bot forcing sparks and wires out of it. It lifts one of its mighty long tentacle out of the five attached to its rectum like its tail to strike the bot in its head, cutting any power it had left to fight back.
Its blood colored reptile eyes looked straight at Noah, Alheri and frightened El. The Dominants slender reptile body adjusts, letting its tentacles rise high above its head. Its four legs grip hard on the D.O.OM bot it's still on, ready to launch. Its low growl sends shivers through Els body, his legs going numb just looking at it. It slowly opens its mouth revealing its monstrous set of teeth the length of an arm. Its black gums show itself as he opens it wide to expose his mouth in entirety. It roars so loud it causes the zombies to scamper like cockroaches in the light.
Noah, Alheri and El duck down to the floor slamming their hands on their ears, blocking the excruciating sound as much as they could.
"Let's move!" Noah yells over the sound of the roar.
He sends shots the Dominants way but it just ricochets off of it. It stops and launches forward with enormous speed, its slender body twisting to give it the best form for its momentum.
Noah and Alheri dive out of the way avoiding the Dominants wide jaws. But El wasn't so lucky. Its teeth sunk deep into his neck and without hesitation ripping his head off his body. Blood spews out of the open neck like a hose, splashing all over the Dominants body and face, before dropping to the floor.
"No!" Alheri yells with her arms stretched towards the Dominant munching her friends head. Tears filled her eyes as her stomach turned in disgust and boiling rage. It looked at her like it wanted her to see it. Like it wanted her to feel the pain.
"Not here, Alheri. We have to keep moving." Noah drags Alheri by the hand beckoning her to run.
They take off, running as fast as their feet could carry them. Noah takes out a Walkie Talkie from his utility belt, clicking on the top button.
"Obe! We need you now! Things went to hell too fast. Get down here!"
They jump into an alley way and into a closed small restaurant with a chalk board toppled over in front of it, with bold words written with white chalk, "MAMA FLORENCE KITCHEN."
Once inside they jump over the kitchen counter into the kitchen. Its smell was hard to ignore but they had more pressing matters at hand. It was black and looked as bad as it smelled from excessive use of firewood and charcoal and spoilt foods stored somewhere. Noah didn't pay the interior décor any mind. He focused solely on the Walkie Talkie
'Obe Goddammit! Answer the talkie. A Dominant is hot on our tail and we can't shake it off. We need you!' He lets go off the button waiting for a reply.
Nothing.
'Obe I SWEAR-!' Noah's yell is cut off with the loud crash from the wall being busted into.
Noah kicks the back door open as they run out into the street with the Dominant gaining head way right behind them.
"Into that building now." Noah pointed at the three storey uncompleted building, which from the looks of it, was being made into a supermarket of some sorts.
They run straight into the hole that's meant to be a door and head up the stairs. The Dominant crashes through the wall and hits its body on the interior wall from lack of balance. Its low growl from down the stairs made both their hair stand on their backs. As they climbed the concrete stairs, passing the first floor, the Dominant began to climb.
With every terrifying leap it got closer destroying the stairs behind it. The second leap was enough for it to catch up. Noah and Alheri were almost at the top of the building where the stairs led to when its mighty claws ripped through the stairs. Debris fell to the ground floor as Noah and Alheri leaped into the air. Noah grabs hold of a rod that seemed to be forced into the wall with Alheri clinging on to his leg as the Dominant scratches the walls claw deep trying to hold on to it.
The Dominant stabs the walls corners with its tentacles, maintaining a firm grip. Its eyes narrow on Noah and Alheri, getting ready to pounce. It was resilient and it was about to be paid for it in full.
"Do it! Do it now" Noah yells down at Alheri slowly losing her grip on his legs as her arms grew weary by the minute.
"AAHHH!!!" Alheris implant turns red as she screams at the Dominant perched on the wall.
The scream hit the Dominant like a bomb shell. It shrieks in pain as its scales flutter between its metallic form and its former swamp green form. Its body begins to shake as if it was having a seizure. Alheris scream was making it lose its grip on the wall. In its eyes the pure killer rage wasn't there anymore. It was covered with pain. And Noah loved every minute of it.
He knew Alheri could only hold it for so long and wasted no time. He used his free arm to aim for an exposed part of the Dominants impervious scale with its constant flickering. With a let out breathe, the bullet flies through the air to hit the Dominant in between its scales. It cried out in more pain letting some tentacles lose its grip on the wall. Alheri stopped screaming, her body drenched of power. She felt weaker and weaker struggling to hold on to Noah's leg. Noah had to make use of the chance.
It was pissed now and Noah knew it. He threw his gun at its head, bouncing off and falling to the ground. It roared in anger, getting its stamina back quickly preparing to pounce on the two dangling figures.
"Yeah that's right. Shine your thirty two for me." Noah tosses a grenade from his utility belt into the
Dominants mouth. Before it could make out what it had ingested involuntarily, its abdomen and every other parts enclosed in its reptile body came out with an explosion splashing all over the walls and on both Noah and Alheri.
Alheri begins to slip half unconscious and too far down for Noah to catch her without losing his grip on the rod. He lets go of the rod and grabs hold of her mid-air turning her over so his back would take the impact of the fall. They both land on the ground with a heavy thud. He yells through the pain ripping his back, grabbing hold of it as if trying to reach the source of the pain. He tries to get back up but the pain draws him back down. Alheri was just coming off it by his side. He needed to get up. More would be here by sun down.
A hand reaches to support him up and he leaned his whole weight on it wincing in pain.
"Small small," Alheri said as she supported him up, barely standing on her own herself.
"I'm going to kill him" Noah said grabbing his side in pain "I'm going to kill Obe with my bare hands!"
Noah and Alheri wobbled into the Cabin made of red bricks in the woods. It was a miracle for them to have found that cabin in the condition it was under when they did some weeks back. A big enough Cabin with four rooms for Noah, Alheri, Obe and Bernard. They had always had luck on their side since from the time Noah and Alheri would walk alone for nights without end finding a good place to sleep or food to eat, but only finding destroyed camps. They were lucky to be alive. So much couldn't be said for many they had known.
Noah stumbles in through the door trying to hold himself together ignoring the wrenching pain in his back.
"For God's sake take it easy!" Alheri says losing hold of Noah as he struggles to find his way to Obe's room door.
Bernard comes out of his room, confusion crossing his face as he saw Noah stumbling passed him furiously through the thin halls with his back arched like an old man and his hand on the wall supporting him.
He looks at Alheri hoping she would make sense of it.
"He took a nasty fall."
Noah tries to open the door but realizes its locked from inside. That for some reason only added to his anger. Who does this boy think he is ehn?
"Obe open this door!" he bangs on the door with his fists clenched "Open this door or so help me God-"
"And why is he so upset with Obe? He was in his room all day."
"That's precisely the problem Bernie" Alheri answers down casted.
"You think you're better than any of us? You're no better than those mindless zombies fighting for scraps of the Dominants shite every day to me" Noah doesn't desist from yelling at the closed door. "You just wanted to get rid of all three of us? …to do what? What good could possibly come of it Obe! MAKE ME UNDERSTAND!"
"Why're you- Haan, its true o, where's El?" Bernie asks as if just noticing that Alheri hadn't come back complete. He looks to Alheri, trying to find answers on her face, but she just turns away as tears flood her eyes.
"Oh no." Bernie said realization smothering on his light skinned face. His tone changed like a displaced chord in a melodramatic tragicomedy musical.
"What happened? Alheri?..."
"A Dominant happened" she forced out in between sobs.
Noah clenched his fists even tighter. He closed his eyes and could still see the Dominant rushing forward. You killed him. You led him there. You led him to his own death.
He had so much anger, pain and sadness inside him. All he wanted to do was let it out. And Obe was his perfect medium.
"Open the goddamn door Obe! Open the door and-"
The door swung open with a bewildered Obe standing on one side and a fuming Noah standing on the other. Noah grabs Obe by the neck and pushes him into the room slamming him on the wall.
"What in the actual severed world were you doing Obe ehn? That you couldn't pick up the talkie when I called huh?"
"What- What are you talking about?" Obe stunned by Noah's hissy fit.
"What I'm I talking- THIS BOY! YOU DEY TRY ME O!"
Bernie enters the room also confused by the tantrum slowly tries to calm the situation.
"Guy calm down. 'E never reach to fight na"
"Shut up! Make I no change am for you too!" Noah warns Bernie with a protruding finger. Bernie raised his arms midair and walked back slowly. Noah turns back to Obe still pinned to the wall.
"I was calling your talkie, shouting your name here and there. 'Dominants are here o.' 'Obe come and help us o'." Noah comically mimics his cry for help in a thin voice "not knowing you're here locked up in your room like its twenty twenty. Why should I keep you around if you can't do your one job mm?"
"I wasn't ignoring-"
"Speak the hell up!"
"I wasn't ignoring your calls! I just didn't hear them!" Obe yells back at Noah's face. "I was meditating and then all of a sudden I found myself in what seemed to be a telepathic communication line with the Dominants. They weren't exactly words, but I could feel it. I could sense what they were saying. Understanding them."
Noah let go of Obe and steps back trying to hold his anger, tightening his mouth muscles.
"I was lost of all my human senses. Touch, sight, smell... It wasn't till you started banging on the door that I fully regained consciousness. I swear to you Noah I didn't hear the transmission. I'm sorry. I truly am."
Noah starts to leave then stops without turning to look at Obe.
"You were answering the wrong call Obe. Sometimes I wonder whose side you're on Obe, ours or theirs. Pick the latter and I won't hesitate in finding a bullet a new home in your skull."