The dream was clearer, stronger.
People she knew, people who were dear to her.
Surrounding her.
At peace, at rest.
The music,
The dance,
The smiles.
It still wasn't a nightmare, not even close, but she woke up with tears trickling down her cheeks and a pang of regret in her heart.
Commander Halsey was already dozing off when the alarm rang, and she quickly shut it off.
"Commander?"
"Mm?" He mumbled.
"I'm going out to the cafeteria now. See you."
"Alright. Give my regards to Reese."
She stepped outside. The stars were shining brightly in the sky, and the children had all gone inside. Grim was still on the bench, but his eyes were closed, and his head was tucked under his wing.
"Rest well, partner," Enterprise whispered and headed to the cafeteria. There were about twenty-five people there, men and women alike. The brothers immediately noticed her, and they waved her to a table where Reese was sitting.
"Hey," Reese greeted her as she sat across from him. "You're here. Good."
"I am. And thank you for taking care of the Commander. He's doing fine."
"Just doing my job. Anyway, go eat first. And if you are looking for your girl, she's over there with the other children. Jessie's keeping an eye on her, so don't worry."
Looking in the direction he was pointing, Enterprise could see Amy sitting with Jessie and several other children. They were all eating and chatting happily, and Enterprise could hear her giggling along with the others. It was a pleasant sight.
"Alright. Thank you," Enterprise smiled. She stood up and walked over to the counter, where a young African-American woman was serving food. She didn't seem to be the type who cooks; instead, she gave the impression of an ambitious career woman—yet she was ladling out the stew with the same care as a mother feeding her children.
She was probably a professional before all this, Enterprise thought. But now, she's one of the many who are shouldering the responsibilities of the community.
"Here you go, sweetheart. Enjoy," the woman said, smiling at Enterprise.
"Thank you," she said, returning the smile. "What's your name?"
"Me?" The woman asked, raising her brows in surprise. "I'm Melissa."
"Nice to meet you, Melissa."
"Nice to meet you, too. Never seen a KANSEN before. But I'll say this: you are prettier than I imagined. I'm jealous."
"Thank you...?" Enterprise blushed and went back to her seat, the laugh still ringing in her ears. Jim was grinning as she sat down.
"Well, that was nice of her," he said, and Enterprise rolled her eyes.
"Shush," she said and took a bite of her food. It wasn't exactly a gourmet dish, but it tasted good, and she was hungry.
"Anyway, you want to join the supply run tomorrow morning, yes?" Reese asked.
Enterprise nodded, swallowing the piece of meat in her mouth.
"Okay. Here's the plan..."
***
The plan, as Reese described, was simple enough.
She would go with Jim and another person she had not heard about yet, a man named Sam. He was the meek-looking person she passed by earlier, and she had to admit that he didn't seem like the kind of person to take part in supply runs.
"He wanted to. He said he needed parts, and only he knew where to find them," Reese said, shrugging. "Sam's a mechanic. I know he doesn't look like one. His day job was as an accountant. But don't worry about him. He could hold and fire a gun, at least."
"Alright, sir," she said, nodding. "If he could help, then we need all hands on deck."
"That's the spirit, Miss Enterprise," Reese grinned. "You're a soldier, so I don't think you need to be briefed. But here's the deal: we don't do supply runs all that often. As a matter of fact, this will be our first one in a week. But as we just housed a group heading to God knows where recently, we figured we could use the opportunity to replenish our own stockpile of goods."
"I understand, sir."
"Good. Well, try not to confront those things unless necessary, okay? Don't want to attract a whole swarm of them. And if that happens, run. We don't want to lose lives. And if you don't get anything, well...at least you tried. I will give you details on where to go tomorrow, but for now, rest up, yeah? You don't want to be all tired when we need you the most."
"Understood, sir. Thank you, sir," Enterprise stood up and saluted. Reese just chuckled and shook his head.
"Don't 'sir' me, Missy. I'm not military. Not even a police officer, like those two. Just a former EMT. And, please, you don't have to thank me. We owe you for saving those two. Now, if you're done eating, go check on your little girl. Anyway, just a reminder: lights out at nine."
"Got it."
***
With Amy in tow, Enterprise returned to their room and found Commander Halsey fast asleep. He already had his dinner, judging from the empty tray on the nightstand. It was only partially eaten.
Amy immediately went to his side and hugged him, but was careful enough not to cling too hard. The gesture startled him awake, and he opened his eyes to see Amy clinging to him. He laughed and patted her on the head, making her giggle.
"Hey there, sweetie. Did you have fun with the other kids?"
She nodded, smiling.
"Mm! I did! And Mr. Reese also gave me PJs and clothes!"
"Is that so? That's great. Now, let's get you changed. Go take a shower and brush your teeth first, then you can get some rest."
"Can...can I sleep with you? I won't move around much. Promise!" Amy pleaded, her eyes wide.
"Sure thing, kiddo."
"Okay!"
And with that, she skipped to the bathroom. Enterprise could only smile at the sight, and she sat on the edge of the Commander's bed.
"So," he said, shifting on the mattress. "Tell me about this supply run."
"Of course, Commander."
She told him everything Reese had briefed her on, and the Commander listened.
"Good. Like he said, don't engage unless necessary. We're not in a position to risk any loss. I will...stay with Amy and keep Grim close by."
"Roger that. Please take care of yourself, too."
"Well, I can't really do anything about that. But I'll live. And hey, you can count on me to watch over Amy."
"I know you will. And I trust you," Enterprise said, smiling. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to take another shower."
"Again? You just took one a few hours ago."
"Maybe I'm just feeling extra clean tonight," Enterprise chuckled. "I'll be quick."
Soon, there was laughter and giggling coming from the bathroom, and the Commander smiled to himself. He'd never seen Amy this happy before.
And that was worth fighting for, he thought, the smile never leaving his lips.
***
"Alright, everyone's here."
The sun was just rising when Reese began to brief them on the plan. Enterprise, Jim, and Sam were gathered in front of him.
"Jim, you know what to do. Take them to the depot, then to the nearest supermarket or any other stores you can find. Get as much food and medicine as you can. And wherever Sam needs to go, take him there, too—apparently, our bus needs some parts. We don't have enough gas to run her for long, either. But we might need to relocate soon, and that bus will be essential to our survival. And...if you can convince Nurse Janine to finally leave that place, that'd be great. Any questions?"
"Nope, old man."
"None, Reese."
"Alright, go get your weapons and gear. Your ride is waiting."
***
"So, who is this Janine?"
"Old man Reese's former colleague. A stubborn lady who refuses to leave her post. We've told her to come with us, but she just won't listen," Jim replied as they drove off, a rifle lying beside him. Enterprise was riding shotgun, with Sam and a bag of supplies and equipment in the back, along with a few containers of gasoline.
"Why is that?"
"Ask her. I don't know," Jim sighed. "Glad you came with us. I feel safer already. Like, that bow of yours—that doesn't need ammo, right? It's like using a goddamn cheat code."
"It does not, no," Enterprise said, her smile hidden under the scarf she wore. "But it draws power from my...energy. So, if I run out of that, I won't be able to use it. But I guess I could hit things with it if I ran out. But it will be much less effective than using arrows."
"That's a relief. We're not keen on using up ammo, so...we can't afford to engage them if we don't have to."
Enterprise nodded. She looked out of the window, and the scenery that greeted her was not a pleasant one. There were destroyed and abandoned buildings, burned and flipped cars, roads blocked with debris, and the signs of past battles. For whatever reason, the machines had yet to return to finish what they started, convincing Enterprise further that the invaders weren't here to annihilate. Not yet, at least.
That was, in a way, more disturbing. Not knowing of your enemy was always worse than knowing—you were under their control. They had the initiative, and all you could do was react. If you had the time to, that is.
"Hey Sam, you've been quiet the whole time. What's wrong?" Jim asked, looking at the rear-view mirror.
"It's...I'm sorry," Sam muttered. He had a pistol in his belt, and his hands were shaking. "I don't really like this. Those things are..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But keep yourself together, man. Once we get that bus running, we can start thinking about moving out," Jim said, nodding to the road. "But only you can do it."
"Yes, yes," Sam said, swallowing and pushing his glasses up. "I'll do my best. I'll do my best."
"That's the spirit. Okay, Miss Enterprise. Get ready."
The National Guard depot was near the city center. Like any military installation, it was fortified, but the walls and fences were breached. The ground was littered with charred skeletons in uniforms and shrapnel. Jim took time to bow his head in respect, and Enterprise did the same. She could only imagine how many of them had sacrificed their lives to protect their families, friends, and homes.
The complex wasn't exactly large, with only an office and a couple of warehouses. Jim mentioned a bunker down there, but they could not access it without the key, which, he assumed, had been destroyed with the corpses around them. They weren't going to dig for it.
"Okay, the central warehouse should have the things we need. Sam, stay close, alright. Miss Enterprise, if you could, keep an eye on him. I'll be fine by myself."
"Gotcha."
"Here," Jim tossed Enterprise a walkie-talkie. "In case something happens. We can communicate through this."
"Right. I'll keep you updated."
"Let's move."
***
The silence was unsettling—it was like the pharmacy all over again.
The place wasn't a storehouse but a garage for the National Guard's vehicles and other equipment, and as such, the shelves contained tools, parts, and manuals. There was a limited amount of supplies, however, so Enterprise grabbed everything while Sam searched the shelves for the parts he needed. She was on high alert, her eyes scanning the area. She didn't think there was anything dangerous around, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Sam had moved to one of the vehicles, opening its hood, and was now busy rummaging through its inner workings. The work was a noisy one, and she hoped that wouldn't attract unwanted attention.
What parts he needed, Enterprise didn't have the slightest clue. But he seemed to know what he was doing and was quick to strip the parts and toss them into his toolbag.
Finally, he nodded to himself and stood up, wiping his hands on a rag.
"I'm done. Let's go," he whispered.
They grabbed a couple of jerry cans filled with fuel on the way out and left the building. Outside, they met up with Jim, who had a backpack slung over his shoulder and a cartful of supplies. There was also a crate near his feet, which he gleefully admitted was packed with explosives.
"40mm grenades, because I found a pair of M79 launchers. Sure to stop anything short of a tank. Or Godzilla. Not that I hope they would show up, but it would be fun to blow them to kingdom come. Anyway, I have one more cart to bring here. You two can wait in the car if you want. Or help, of course. After that, we can scram."
"I'll go with you," Enterprise said, nodding.
"Alright. Sam, wanna wait in the car? Just...keep your eyes open. You know the drill."
"Y-yes."
"Good man. Let's go, Missy."
***
The second cart had already been loaded, to her relief. She didn't like being the paranoid one, but her experience had taught her not to trust everything. Especially when they were out in the open like this. Jim, on the other hand, seemed relaxed. He was humming a tune to himself, and Enterprise had to wonder if he was just trying to keep his composure.
"You're pretty cool under pressure," Jim noted, grinning. "So, tell me, why do you have to head out east?"
"Orders. That's all I can say."
"Ah. You sure do look like the type to follow orders. I've lost count of how many times the Chief chewed me out for getting into trouble. Josh was a little better, heh. Guy's a suck-up. But I love him anyway, haha."
"I'm part of the Navy. Following orders and serving the nation is my duty."
"Oh, of course. But what about that guy, then? Your Commander?"
She hesitated, not sure how to answer. She wasn't even sure what he was getting at.
"Uh...what about him, if I may ask?"
"Well...I mean, you two are...more than just an officer and his KANSEN, right? And that's a big no-no. Fraternization."
"Uhh..." She blushed and tried to hide it behind her scarf.
"Not judging you. I'm just saying, don't worry too much about it. I had a fling with a fellow officer once. It didn't last long because she was transferred, but man, we were so in love, even if we almost got caught more than once," he laughed, shrugging. "Not saying you should break every rule, but...don't let 'em hold you back, yeah? And sorry if I'm nosy. Sometimes, I spoke without thinking."
She didn't mind, really. Not only did the talk get her mind off the mission, but it also reminded her of what she had been pondering last night. Even if it was still embarrassing that she was that obvious.
"Right..." She said, nodding. "Thank you. For the advice. I'll...think about it."
"Good. Well, I'll shut up now. Let's get this cart outside."
"Copy that."
***
Sam was nowhere to be seen when they reached the car, which was still there, the loaded supplies intact.
"Sam! Sam! Where the hell are you, man?" Jim shouted as they put the cart next to the car, his rifle at the ready. "Shit, where is he? He's not in the car. I told him to stay inside!"
Enterprise's senses were tingling, and she looked around. She felt something watching them. But where?
"Jim, watch out!" She shouted, just as the drone fired. The beam hit a concrete block near them, barely missing them.
"Shit!" Jim fired in the direction of the attack, the bullets ricocheting off the wall. "Damn it!"
The drone flew down and strafed to the side, firing again, this time hitting the ground near Enterprise. She almost lost her balance but steadied herself just as the machine was about to shoot another beam at her.
The arrow not only struck its target but also sent it flying to the other side of the depot. There was a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass, but nothing else.
"Damn it. SAM, WHERE ARE YOU?! We gotta go!" Jim shouted.
"Over here!"
Sam ran toward them, his pistol drawn. His eyes were wide, and his hands were trembling. He looked scared out of his wits.
"What happened? What was that? It—it was—"
"Hey, hey. Relax. You're okay," Jim said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, thank God. Don't worry, it's over. Where did you go, anyway?"
"Th-that thing saw me. It saw me when I was checking the supplies, so...I ran," Sam said, swallowing. "I thought it was going to kill me!"
"Yeah, it sure hell was. But we'll be okay...as long as we don't stay here, that is. Can you help load this thing up?"
"Y-yeah."
"Good. Alright, move it, guys."
Enterprise opted to stay in the bed of the truck this time, standing guard as they drove away from the depot, the wind blowing her hair. It didn't seem like anything was following them, and she relaxed.
It was bumpier in the back, made much worse by the cracks and bumps on the devastated roads. Sometimes, Jim had to take detours since some roads were blocked, and he apologized for it each time, but Enterprise didn't mind. She was glad to be able to do something for the community.
The place where the nurse was said to be stubbornly staying was not a hospital but a nursing home near the riverfront. The Christina River was just a short distance away.
The building was still standing, and the front lawn was well-kept. It seemed like a peaceful place, a nice, cozy spot to spend the twilight years. But that still didn't explain why someone would be staying here in the middle of an apocalypse.
"Alright, let's unload the supplies. I hope Janine will be reasonable this time."
***
Nurse Janine was not as old as Enterprise had expected. No, even younger than Reese. She was tall, with a face that seemed more like a librarian than a nurse. She had a sharp look and definitely not one to be pushed around.
The inside of the nursing home was not in the best of conditions, with some parts of the ceiling falling, but otherwise, it was clean and tidy.
"Jim, for the last time, no. I'm not leaving."
"...Janine, for what? Your last patient's dead, damn it. You've got nothing to stay here for."
"And you won't change my mind, either. Just leave me be."
Enterprise was not expecting to see this kind of argument, especially at a time like this, and she was not sure what to say. Sam was, too, looking very uncomfortable.
"I understand, ma'am," she decided to speak. "You want to stay here for a reason, yes? Mind telling me why?"
"Who's this?" Janine frowned. "A soldier?"
"I'm from the US Navy...on my way to New York. But...er, things forced me to stop here for the time being," she explained. "I told Mr. Reese I'd join this supply run to repay him for the kindness he has shown me."
"Huh, that's...admirable. But really, what I'm doing here is none of your business, Miss..."
"Enterprise. And I think it is. If you have a good reason to stay, I'd love to listen. We can help, perhaps, even if only a little."
Janine sighed. "Fine, come with me. Jim, you two can wait here."
***
The backyard was a small, well-tended garden, lush with flowers and a few trees. The ground had a mound of soil marked with a wooden cross, and in front of it, Janine kneeled.
"This is..."
"My mother..." Janine whispered. "She...died soon after all this shit began. She died in her sleep. I buried her here, near her favorite tree. The one she sat under when she was still alive."
"I...am sorry," Enterprise muttered, lowering her head in respect. "I can see why you don't want to leave."
Janine turned to her, her eyes wet and red.
"She died before the military came to move us. I...I hid. I didn't want to leave her, and...I don't want to leave her alone again. She'll be lonely."
"But, Janine, she's not here. She's gone," Enterprise said softly. "I know how you feel. But she won't want you to stay here, will she?"
"But...but..."
"Here. Why don't you tell me a bit more about her, yes? I'm listening."
Janine nodded, and she sat down in the grass, gesturing for Enterprise to do the same. Enterprise did so, and Janine began to talk.
"She...I moved her here so she could spend her last years in peace. And...so I could be closer to her. We...we were not on the best of terms in the past. We were...we didn't get along well. But caring for her showed me that she's so kind...everyone loves her. I was just too blind to see. She was just worried about me."
"You two reconciled, then."
"Yes. But she was already getting weaker...when reports started coming in about those things, she told me to go to safety. I refused. I wanted to stay with her. She fell asleep one night...and never woke up. I'm just glad we managed to... patch things up before she went. But all those years...all those years. I missed it. I was an idiot. And now, she's gone."
"You're not an idiot, Janine," Enterprise said, shaking her head. "We all make mistakes. And sometimes...it's just too late to fix them. But she's gone in peace, and you've given her the best care you could. But now, you could do better. You could still do better. You're still alive. She won't want you to waste the opportunity to live and make things right. I think she's watching over you, too. She won't want you to be alone, just like you don't want her to."
Janine was crying now, and Enterprise put an arm around her, gently patting her on the shoulder.
"But...but I can't leave her..."
"I'm heading off to New York, and sooner or later, I will have to fight them. Those invaders," Enterprise said, gazing up at the sky. "And we will win, Janine. We will. And once we do, you can go anywhere. You can come back here and rebuild. You can be at her side again. But for now, you need to stay safe. You can't do anything to help if you're dead. But if you stay alive, you could do a lot of good."
"Really?" Janine looked at her. "But...but how do you know that? I don't even know where I'll be staying. Those people..."
"Reese has been trying to convince you to come with them for a week now. He must trust you. You'll be welcome there, I'm sure of it. Reese is a good man. I've been there. And I can assure you that you'll be fine," Enterprise smiled. "You're still young, too. It won't be too late to pick yourself up again."
"Alright...Just let me...let me say goodbye to her. I don't have much to take, so...I'll be quick. You can wait out front."
"Sure. Take your time," Enterprise patted her on the shoulder and stood up, dusting herself off. She was surprised by her own words, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was the same with herself.
She could only move forward.
***
"Thanks, Enterprise," Reese smiled, looking up at her from his mug of coffee. "Janine finally came to her senses and agreed to stay here. I don't know what you said to her, but whatever it was, it worked. And I'm glad. I was worried for her."
"It was nothing...but I want to ask, do you...know her well? You've been trying to get her to come for the past week. That's a long time, especially considering our situation right now. And you could've just moved on, but you stayed here for her. Why?"
He coughed and turned away, his face flushed. It was a rather comical sight, seeing a grown man blushing like that, but Enterprise kept a straight face.
"Well, uh, yeah," he said. "I used to help out sometimes at the nursing home back when I was still working with the ambulance service. And she was...well, we talked. A lot. She's...she's a great woman, and I wanted to...uh...yeah. But I never got around to doing it. I was going to, but those bastards had to come and ruin everything, heh."
Enterprise nodded. It was good to see people like Reese here. It was reassuring.
"Anyway, Jim's working on the bus. I...I'm beginning to think it's best we leave this city soon. The drones are showing up more and more. We can't stay here forever. Not unless we have a way to deal with them."
"That's why you've been going on supply runs."
"Yup. And I'm glad you came along. You're a big help."
"I'm just returning the favor. So don't thank me too much."
"Well, thanks anyway. You've done so much for us, and I can't thank you enough. Anyway, might need to convince the others of this plan. Some may not like it, but well, nothing's set yet. Still trying to figure out a way for everyone to be safe and sound. But yeah, if you want to go check on your people, I won't hold you back."
"Thank you," Enterprise bowed her head slightly. "And good luck."
***
She returned to their room to find Amy reading a book beside Commander Halsey, with Grim watching over them. Both looked considerably relaxed, and she felt a bit guilty for intruding upon their quiet moment.
"Enty! You're back!" Amy exclaimed, putting the book down and running toward her. She hugged Enterprise's leg, her head barely reaching her hip. She bent down to pick her up.
"Hi, sweetie," Enterprise smiled, brushing the hair out of her face. "Did you miss me? I was only gone for a few hours."
"I did!" Amy giggled. "How's the sup'ly run? Do you bring food?"
"It went well. We got food, too. A lot of them. Enough to last a while, I think. What did you have for lunch?"
"Mm...us kids got sandwiches and milk! And then Mr. Josh gave out some candies to everyone! He said they were from a supermarket they visited last week. I had gummy bears!"
"Oh, that sounds yummy. Maybe I should ask him if I could get some later," Enterprise laughed. "What about you, Commander? Feeling better?"
"Much better, thanks," he grinned, but it was evident that he was still in pain. "Damn, I hope they're not thinking I'm going AWOL. I'm not going to hear the end of it."
"Calm down. With all that's going on, I think they will understand our circumstances. But I'm worried that...we might be too late," she said. "If we don't hurry, we might lose our chance to do something."
"Yeah, I know," Commander Halsey said, his expression growing grim. "I've been thinking about that. But right now, I'm starting to take Reese's word to heart. If we rush things, we won't be ready to face what's to come. I have to be able to get back on my feet, at least, or we'll just be liabilities. And you have to conserve your energy, too."
"True. But..."
"I know. I know," he sighed. "But in my current state, I'll be a liability more than anything else. And you can't protect both Amy and me alone."
"I understand, Commander. Um, Reese did mention that he's thinking of moving everyone away from this city. Soon. I'm not sure when, but I can see that he's making plans to do that. He might be waiting for you to recover...or..."
"You think he'll leave us here?"
"No, I don't think he would. Not after all that. He's a good man. Perhaps...I could try convincing him to..."
"...Go where we're going, you mean?"
Enterprise nodded. "He has a bus, and it's almost fixed. I think he wants to use it to travel."
"Hmm. How are you going to convince him?" the Commander asked, raising his brows.
"Maybe...we can offer to escort him? And after all, they say New York is among the safest places in the country right now. Maybe I can mention that. And maybe he'll be willing to tag along."
"Good idea. It's better to have allies and friends than to go at it alone, especially now. If you need help talking to him, just call me. I think I can walk a short distance."
"So...all of us are going to New York, Enty?" Amy asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Possibly, yes. I hope so, at least," she smiled, brushing her hair. "If we can, that is. But it's all talk for now. I'll try, sweetie, don't worry."
"And Enterprise, if they agree, could you please at least remember to take my Elvis tapes from the Matador?" Commander Halsey quipped. "Gotta keep the spirit high, after all."
She was close to rolling her eyes, but smiled and shook her head instead. It was a welcome distraction.
"Of course, Commander."