The Home You Don't Remember by Shane Shepherd

Author:Shane Shepherd [Shepherd, Shane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-12T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

Win and Sam crossed the city gates and drove out to the Wasteland. It was like walking from one world to another. The city itself looked mostly like a normal human city—there was the Center and other Spider buildings, but most buildings were ordinary, and there were people and streets, trees growing near shops, some people were walking dogs, and many, many were out with strollers and children, enjoying a post-war baby boom that would give Spiders many soldiers… but out here, the Wasteland deserved its name.

It was desolate.

There were ruins everywhere; everything was rubble and dust, bones and used-up and damaged weapons, every building crumbling and every dark nook a nest where monsters dwelled.

The back of their shuttle rattled with movement. Snarling interrupted any attempts at conversation. The Roaches were vicious beasts—people who couldn’t stand the transformation and were reduced to their warped instincts, famished and violent. The shuttle wasn’t one of the fancy and advanced ones made for the war effort, but a somewhat serviceable tin can. The Roaches scratched at the walls of their prison, and every single time Win thought they’d managed to claw their way out.

Outside the shuttle they could hear the faint noises of Roaches skittering around, groaning, fighting amongst each other or dashing about looking for food.

Roaches, like Spiders and even Champions, had less hearing than humans, but their vision was more than enough to make up for it. It was slightly less sharp at night, which was why they went out in the dark. Their shuttle had a cloaking system, but it was still hard to feel safe. Win couldn’t spot any Roaches, but he always felt like hungry eyes trained on them in the Wasteland.

Sam drove while Win manned the shuttle weapon—a plasma rifle they used to protect themselves if the Roaches attacked. They drove for a while, getting farther and farther away from the light and protection of the city.

There were no official routes they had to take—this whole job was a mess—but people made do; some areas were naturally safer for one reason or another, and a common path was easier to travel and, ostensibly, safer as well.

Win guided Sam through the safe areas and beyond, entering the places people colloquially called Roach orange zones.

“What if we diverge too much from the common paths and the Supervisor takes note of it?” Sam asked quietly, eyes jumping around as he looked for Roaches.

“We’ve diverged from the common paths before and he’s never mentioned it,” Win reassured the man. “Also, the man probably never checks our location beacon.”

“And we know they want us to get in trouble out here,” Sam completed, then sighed. “Sorry, sir. I’m just nervous.”

“I know,” Win said. He smiled. “You were made to sit at a desk and be a researcher, huh, Sam?”

Sam snorted. “Yeah. Julien was always the most adventurous one. I just want to find Dr. Mackintosh and go back to working on the UniCom. The module we have for the Spiders is the sort of thing she’d go crazy for, back before…”

“I know,” Win said.

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