My name is Frank. I am probably 29 years old, maybe 33. It depends largely on nothing. I am outright guessing as the first part of my life was spent counting days and not paying the attention to weeks, months or even years. Truth be told, I asked others and then guessed based on my similarity to them. I have spent my life depending on myself, no one has survived with me long enough to become a friend or even an ally on my journey to this armory in this bunker.
I guess I am saying all this because I am probably going to die for a computer AI who lies to me about the past and the present and most likely my own future. It's funny how one realizes this as one considers how many guns he can carry and effectively shoot in a vainglorious attempt to escape this hellhole that is called civilization.
All the truths I've known and thought I knew have led me to this death trap. Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking computers. I would have really liked to have gotten to know Becky.
I've seen other women scrabbling around in the ruins but never one of her capability.
It's like living with sheep then meeting a deer.... except there are no more deer or sheep, for that matter. Well, at least, I haven't ever seen either just read about them. I find myself wishing I had found a library to lock myself in instead of this armory.
I carefully place the Assualt rifle next to the others I've laid out.
I have a SAW with 200 rounds. I have an HK 36 Assault Rifle with 136 rounds. 2 Glock 28's with 10 mags. An M-34 Assualt Rifle and something called a Razer 26A1 submachine pistol with 130 rounds.
There are rows of M-16A1 and crates of ammo.
I find a Tavor Ts12 Auto shotgun and 2 boxes of shells, adding that to the pile.
No grenades or claymores though, probably stored in a different location.
I am looking for a quick exit. Possibly a run and gun out of Benton on foot, since getting back to the launch is unlikely plus if any of the machinegun nests have bullets, I'd be swiss cheese anyway.
I pause to consider my haul then go looking for body armor.
one hour later, I come back with a single flack jacket. The fucking military did not provide ample protection for its grunts beyond a single jacket or vest. I have a helmet but it won't offer much.
I stare long and hard at this current plan of action and decide to abandon it. I don't stand a chance at run and gun or even a standoff. I have always done much better at hide and sneak.
Begin Log
August 2224
Kathy Jarvis, Benton Harbor Mayor
The first raids have begun. They just came in the night. We weren't ready for them, we lost Sgt Hyatt and half his team in the first barrage. We got pulled from our beds into a world of fire and gunfire. We lost so many good people. The raiders killed our people and grabbed everything they could haul off.
The end result, we lost almost half our harvest, about 40 gallons of clean water, 14 rifles, 20 gallons of fuel, and 2 of the kids. We had 14 casualties, 30 wounded and are running extremely low on ammo. Richard has gathered a group of volunteers to go after the raiders and get the kids back. I am against this but I was shouted down when I protested. Truth be told, if those were my kids I would have shouted me down as well.
end log.
Frank 22, Year 1.
I have brought in a new recruit.
He's puny.
"You will serve me" I tell him. "And I will give you food and shelter."
"Can you kill the others?" He says.
"The ones you were scavenging with?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"Aren't they your friends?"
"Fuck no."
"Ah" I gas the hallways. This man's companions die clawing at their throats. Afterward, he goes out to loot their bodies. Finishing he returns to me with a crazy assortment of junk. He sits down to sort through it. It turns out to all fit into a sort of uniform he must have been wearing at some time.
"What is your name?"
"Me? Oh, you can call me Kensington," he says. It's not his real name. The others had called him Ratshit and Creepshow. Humans often give out fake names to hide something, not Frank though, Frank is just Frank. I miss Frank.
"I need you to go find Frank."
"Frank?"
"Frank is in a place called Benton Harbor. Here is a map and a gun with some ammo."
"You want me to kill Frank?"
Tempting but I need Frank.
"No, bring Frank home."
"Home?"
"This is home."
end log.
"Frank?" It's Becky's voice on the intercom. I look around for an interface. I find a call box on the wall. I consider my words.
"Yes?"
"Frank, please tell me that you aren't going to go down fighting."
"No, I am going set off the atomic bomb in the armory."
There is a long pause.
"Frank, there is no atomics in this bunker. I have the manifests."
Well damn. Bunker Debunked.
"It's was a longshot."
"Does that mean you're going to surrender?"
"Does that mean you're still going to shoot me?"
Another long silence. I can imagine them weighing the options.
"Why would you think we were planning to shoot you?" her voice is pained. she knows that Major Payne had said that.
"I'm going down shooting."
Silence.
"Frank, this is Captain Ross, I have to apologize for hasty words from before, I was just frus- look I give you my word that we will not shoot you....okay?"
This time I am silent.
"Frank?" Captain Ross.
"Swear on your mother's grave."
Silence.
"My mother's still alive."
"Frank, I swear that no one will harm you in any way. If you walk out of here, I give you my word that I will personally escort you out of Benton Harbor." Commander Becky says.
Silence.
"I swear on my great grandmother's grave." She adds.
I suspect that meant a lot more than I ever will know.
"Okay."
"You will not be allowed to take anything with you." Captain Ross adds.
There is an audible smack before the line goes dead.
Interesting.
Begin log
September 2224
Kathy Jarvis.
Richard is dead. He was killed in a firefight with the raiders. They brought back his body with the taken kids, both still alive, thankfully. They also brought back a small hoard of other kidnapped children and young people. Almost all our stolen goods, plus some more. My husband died for this. I don't know if I can go on. Cody has told me to take as much time as I need but I can feel their collective fear that I will quit. I want to but there are the children, my children to consider.
end log.
I guess I am saying all this because I am probably going to die for a computer AI who lies to me about the past and the present and most likely my own future. It's funny how one realizes this as one considers how many guns he can carry and effectively shoot in a vainglorious attempt to escape this hellhole that is called civilization.
All the truths I've known and thought I knew have led me to this death trap. Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking computers. I would have really liked to have gotten to know Becky.
I've seen other women scrabbling around in the ruins but never one of her capability.
It's like living with sheep then meeting a deer.... except there are no more deer or sheep, for that matter. Well, at least, I haven't ever seen either just read about them. I find myself wishing I had found a library to lock myself in instead of this armory.
I carefully place the Assualt rifle next to the others I've laid out.
I have a SAW with 200 rounds. I have an HK 36 Assault Rifle with 136 rounds. 2 Glock 28's with 10 mags. An M-34 Assualt Rifle and something called a Razer 26A1 submachine pistol with 130 rounds.
There are rows of M-16A1 and crates of ammo.
I find a Tavor Ts12 Auto shotgun and 2 boxes of shells, adding that to the pile.
No grenades or claymores though, probably stored in a different location.
I am looking for a quick exit. Possibly a run and gun out of Benton on foot, since getting back to the launch is unlikely plus if any of the machinegun nests have bullets, I'd be swiss cheese anyway.
I pause to consider my haul then go looking for body armor.
one hour later, I come back with a single flack jacket. The fucking military did not provide ample protection for its grunts beyond a single jacket or vest. I have a helmet but it won't offer much.
I stare long and hard at this current plan of action and decide to abandon it. I don't stand a chance at run and gun or even a standoff. I have always done much better at hide and sneak.
Begin Log
August 2224
Kathy Jarvis, Benton Harbor Mayor
The first raids have begun. They just came in the night. We weren't ready for them, we lost Sgt Hyatt and half his team in the first barrage. We got pulled from our beds into a world of fire and gunfire. We lost so many good people. The raiders killed our people and grabbed everything they could haul off.
The end result, we lost almost half our harvest, about 40 gallons of clean water, 14 rifles, 20 gallons of fuel, and 2 of the kids. We had 14 casualties, 30 wounded and are running extremely low on ammo. Richard has gathered a group of volunteers to go after the raiders and get the kids back. I am against this but I was shouted down when I protested. Truth be told, if those were my kids I would have shouted me down as well.
end log.
Frank 22, Year 1.
I have brought in a new recruit.
He's puny.
"You will serve me" I tell him. "And I will give you food and shelter."
"Can you kill the others?" He says.
"The ones you were scavenging with?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"Aren't they your friends?"
"Fuck no."
"Ah" I gas the hallways. This man's companions die clawing at their throats. Afterward, he goes out to loot their bodies. Finishing he returns to me with a crazy assortment of junk. He sits down to sort through it. It turns out to all fit into a sort of uniform he must have been wearing at some time.
"What is your name?"
"Me? Oh, you can call me Kensington," he says. It's not his real name. The others had called him Ratshit and Creepshow. Humans often give out fake names to hide something, not Frank though, Frank is just Frank. I miss Frank.
"I need you to go find Frank."
"Frank?"
"Frank is in a place called Benton Harbor. Here is a map and a gun with some ammo."
"You want me to kill Frank?"
Tempting but I need Frank.
"No, bring Frank home."
"Home?"
"This is home."
end log.
"Frank?" It's Becky's voice on the intercom. I look around for an interface. I find a call box on the wall. I consider my words.
"Yes?"
"Frank, please tell me that you aren't going to go down fighting."
"No, I am going set off the atomic bomb in the armory."
There is a long pause.
"Frank, there is no atomics in this bunker. I have the manifests."
Well damn. Bunker Debunked.
"It's was a longshot."
"Does that mean you're going to surrender?"
"Does that mean you're still going to shoot me?"
Another long silence. I can imagine them weighing the options.
"Why would you think we were planning to shoot you?" her voice is pained. she knows that Major Payne had said that.
"I'm going down shooting."
Silence.
"Frank, this is Captain Ross, I have to apologize for hasty words from before, I was just frus- look I give you my word that we will not shoot you....okay?"
This time I am silent.
"Frank?" Captain Ross.
"Swear on your mother's grave."
Silence.
"My mother's still alive."
"Frank, I swear that no one will harm you in any way. If you walk out of here, I give you my word that I will personally escort you out of Benton Harbor." Commander Becky says.
Silence.
"I swear on my great grandmother's grave." She adds.
I suspect that meant a lot more than I ever will know.
"Okay."
"You will not be allowed to take anything with you." Captain Ross adds.
There is an audible smack before the line goes dead.
Interesting.
Begin log
September 2224
Kathy Jarvis.
Richard is dead. He was killed in a firefight with the raiders. They brought back his body with the taken kids, both still alive, thankfully. They also brought back a small hoard of other kidnapped children and young people. Almost all our stolen goods, plus some more. My husband died for this. I don't know if I can go on. Cody has told me to take as much time as I need but I can feel their collective fear that I will quit. I want to but there are the children, my children to consider.
end log.
