Bastion

[Allegheny]

Peter Marshall sat in his small dreary apartment, the power was out at the time and only the morning sun illuminated his living room. On his coffee table sat a pistol and a full magazine. The pistol was his great grand father’s from back during the civil war, it was the same pistol his sister had used to commit suicide only a few weeks before hand. The guns of a fire base not far from the city of Elyse pounded in the background, God only knows what they could be shooting at now, most likely the horrid undead that had showed up out of nowhere a few months before hand, maybe refugees from a less fortunate area of the country or even from a different country.

Peter took the magazine and loaded it into the weapon, he stood up and reexamined it for a few seconds before holstering it in his waistband.

The power came back on and peter squinted his eyes as he was bathed in the artificial light. The television came to life and the talking heads were still going at it on the state news channel, Allegheny was in their words the last bastion of hope for sentient life on this continent, however things weren’t any better inside the uninfected zone. Daily shootings, looting, police arrests, and executions took place as martial law continued to squeeze the life out of a once free people.

Peter walked out into the street, protesters had gathered around a man speaking into a loud speaker: “President Gordon sits in his posh tower as the people suffer from this new police state, our people our suffering and you answer to this global catastrophe is oppress and revoke rights and freedom? I’d rather die by the mouth of the undead than by the proverbial truncheon of Allen Gordon!”

Peter became uninterested in the protesters and continued down the street toward the Rogard Steel Plant for another depressing, dreadful work day.

[Allegheny]

Peter approached the gate to the steel plant, barbed wire fences and private military contract soldiers patrolled it’s perimeter. Micheal Rogard’s plant was one of the last functioning steel producing facilities left in the area.

“Identification please!” One of the guards said gruffly.

Peter rummaged around in his pockets realizing he had forgotten them. “I forgot them sir, but I can give the number if that will be sufficient enough.”

“Oh you fucking workers are all the same, you forget your shit and you expect me to just let you on through like it’s all fine and dandy.” The guard gestured threateningly with his weapon pointed at Peter.

The guard sighed. “Whats the damned name and number?”

Peter recollected the number and recited it slowly. “Peter Marshall, ID number 067753.”

The guard unlocked the gate. “All right go on in, don’t forget you ID next time, if Mr. Rogard finds out I’m doing this for you he’ll terminate my contract and then there will be nothing stopping me from blowing you away!”

Ever since the outbreak people had been on edge all sense of politeness had been wiped away as the impending end loomed over everyones soul, no one gave a damn how they treated each other. The PMC’s were even worse, going out of their way to oppress and mistreat workers all in the name of safety of course.

Peter reported to his work sector and began to put on his safety equipment for working down in the furnaces. All steel workers will tell you that working in the mill was as close to hell on earth as you could get, the gun in his waistband reminded him that hell was only a bullet a way should he choose that way out. At least thats what the priest told him when he refused to do a funeral for Peter’s sister.

He recollected what Father Seller had said to him. “I wish i could give you comfort but unfortunately your sister is burning in hell right now. Thats what happens when you decide to destroy the gift of life Mr. Marshall.”

The priest went home with a bloody smock that night, after the recent events Peter had decided that there was no possible way that God existed if all these things could happen to his followers.

“Hey Pete whats going on!” Peter’s supervisor and best friend Harold’s greeting had interrupted his morbid train of thought. he didn’t know how Harold could keep a smile and a happy attitude seeing how things had turned out in the world, but he sure did feel better around him.

“Hey Harry!” Peter exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

Harry put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and looked him right in the eye. “Look, we all know what you been through, you shouldn’t be here in this hole, you should be at home pigging out on pizza and watching old television shows, you got some serious healing you need to do and working isn’t one of the cures, you know what I mean bro? You can take this week off okay? Go home, maybe rent a movie, or call up that chick we met at the bar last Saturday, take a damn vacation!”

Peter seriously considered the idea. “Nah I need the money.”

Harry laughed loudly. “Did I mention it’s a paid vacation? Get out of here Peter thats a direct order from your supervisor!”

“Okay then. I’ll give you call sometime Harry.” Peter waved and turned back towards the entrance.

[Allegheny]

Before the outbreak and the martial law Elyse had been a great place to live, good people, good jobs, it had everything people had needed. After the outbreak it had quickly deteriorated into a crime filled, oppressed, and dirty place. Being so close to the infected zone many of the refugees who had been allowed out of the eastern portion of Allegheny had gone to Elyse, refugee camps and illegally built slums had cropped up around the city limits, unemployment had sharply risen and many quickly turned to violence to get their way. Muggings, murders and robberies occurred daily.

To make things worse a fanatical religious group had cropped up, they believed the infection was a sign from God that the end of days had come and that they should do everything in their power to spread the infection, for in their minds full infection was the only way to bring about the coming of Christ. It was widely suspected that it was them that had spread the infection to the south western city of Rochester, that’s were his father and mother had lived, it was the same city to be nuked by our own God damned government.

Peter’s train of thought was interrupted when a beggar had pushed himself up against him. “I need money, my wife and child are starving to death back in the camps!”

Peter didn’t need a reason to not believe him what he had said was probably true considering the circumstances. “Here take this and get out of my face.”

Peter had handed him a chip worth five credits, it might be able to get him a loaf of bread but that was about it. Food prices had sky rocketed as the government had taken all control of the private farming sector. Peter continued to walk down the street ignoring screams of people who were being mugged or raped in the alley ways that had snaked through the buildings.

Up ahead of him he saw to national guardsmen with their rifles strapped to their backs, Peter prepared himself to draw his pistol. It was widely known that many of the guardsmen had been stopping people and taking their possessions off them. In the past servicemen were well respected but now they had become as corrupt as everyone else in this every man for himself environment.

The guardsmen took notice of him and peter sped up and looked off in a different direction hoping the men would just leave him be. All of a sudden Peter had found himself surrounded by the two men.

“Hey guy you gotta lighter?” Peter took out a cigarette lighter and handed it too the guardsman.

"You guys gave me a little scare there, I thought… The guardsman interrupted him.

“Though we might do what huh?” He said in an annoyed tone.

Peter gulped. “Well, you know, there had been reports of National Guardsmen mugging and killing people.”

The guardsman stepped closer and blew a puff of smoke in Peter’s face. “Is that so huh? Well why don’t you just give us your wallet before you end up like those “other” people.”

A feeling of dread swept over Peter and he began moving his hand towards his pocket, Peter quickly lifted up his shirt and drew his pistol shooting the two men in the knees. The guardsmen fell over as the pain shot up their legs and Peter broke into a furious sprint hoping they wouldn’t be able to draw their weapons.

Ducking into an alley he busted through the first door he saw…

[Allegheny]

The doors lock easily caved to Peter’s adrenaline charged attack the room he entered was dimly lit and Peter could only see a few feet in front of himself. After making sure the door was closed Peter made his way deeper into the building.

Sirens wailed outside near where he shot the Guardsmen, however they probably didn’t see where he went. Even if they did find out his route through the building he would be long gone.

Peter felt something metallic against his only to turn and find himself looking down the barrel of a pistol.

“Please don’t shoot me I was only trying to protect myself, I was scared!” Peter exclaimed hurriedly.

The owner of the gun’s face had finally come into focus as Peter’s eyes adjusted to the light. A woman with short brown hair that stopped just above her shoulders and blue eyes was staring down the sights of her weapon which was aimed at Peter’s forehead.

“Identify yourself!” The woman had ordered.

Peter stood with his hands still up. "My name is Peter Marshall, please don’t shoot!

“Shut up!” She said, apparently annoyed at Peter’s continued pleas to not shoot him.

“What did you mean you were just trying to protect yourself?” The woman asked.

“I shot two Guardsmen… they were going to hurt me for my possessions, I was scared I didn’t know what to do!” Peter said, his voice shaking now.

“Where’s your weapon?” She yelled once again.

“I…I don’t know, I think I dropped it in the alley. Please stop pointing your gun at me.” Peter pleaded.

The woman took a step back and lowered her weapon. "Don’t worry I am not with the Guardsmen, I was an officer with the Elyse Police Department back before the outbreak, my name is Alexis. I suppose they are looking for you now, you can come with me if you want but our position is compromised.

“Compromised? What do you mean?” Peter asked confusedly.

“We will talk about it later but right now you need a place to hide and I’m offering.” With those words Alexis began to move towards what had to be an exit.

Peter never looked a gift horse in the mouth and since he would probably be caught and killed he decided to take his chances.

Outside was chaos people were running everywhere, there was no way he could have caused all this panic. Then it dawned on him, a low roar was piercing his ear drums, looking up half of a large passenger airplane was flying only 100 feet above the rooftops of the city toward the steel plant which was only a few blocks away. A large explosion emanated from where the plane struck. People ran every where trying to get away as a large ominous black cloud of some began to creep over the skies. The other half skidded down the street and stopped just before the car Peter and Alexis had taken cover behind.

A low moan crept out from inside the cabin and from the darkness of the wreck a zombie appeared. It’s eyes glowed a ravenous red and it took of at a full run pouncing on a man who had been standing there awestruck.

The infection was now inside Elyse…