Bridget Bundy - The Secret Weapon

Clearly seen from the freeway, signs of a once vibrant community peeked through overgrown trees. Silence was the owner for most of the homes now. The truck kept moving, not slowing down enough for Coraset to catch any glimpse of anything specific.

Getty’s eyes pooled, feeling utterly overwhelmed at the silent accomplishment of man across the terrestrial. No matter how many times he drove this route, his heart never stopped aching for mankind. So much life, absolutely flushed away by something that could only be seen by a microscope.

Getty asked, “Do you think there are people still out there, Coraset?”

“I’m sure there is.”

Getty wiped his face with his shirt sleeve and said, “I’m sorry, Coraset. I’m worse than an old lady, sitting over here blubbering. I just wish times were back the way it was. I missed those stupid mundane things that used to get me upset.”

“Like what, Getty?” Coraset asked curiously.

“I used to sit in traffic on this highway, and I used to wish everyone was gone so I could get to where I was going faster. I’d get so aggravated. Man, I never imagined my wish coming true like this. We were the only ones on this entire freeway, not a single car or truck on our way here. I should have wished to win the lottery instead.”

“Strange how there was better odds on nearly everyone dying,” Coraset remarked with a little chuckle.

Getty looked over at Coraset. He didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t deny she was on the mark with that statement.

Soon, they saw Erato, old L.A., rising in the distance. The grey skyscrapers rose above the cement wall. Some buildings were completed with flags of the Federation on top. Others were halfway finished, the steel frames spiking into the air with no windows. The royal palace loomed in the center with a doomed white marble top.

“Wake up, Rudy,” Coraset said as she touched his hand.

She wasn’t sure they were going to make it through the checkpoint. The computer didn’t list any problems. She didn’t want to take a chance and get her old friend in trouble at the gate.

“Getty,” Coraset remarked as he kept a steady velocity on the highway around the walled city. “You can drop us outside the gate. If you’re caught with us, you’ll be in trouble, too.”

“They’re not looking for you, Coraset. We would have heard by now. I’ll get you in the gate. Get in the back with Rudy.”

“Are you sure about this?” Coraset’s nerves were on end.

“I’m not leaving you out here. Do as I tell you and get in the back.”

Coraset touched his hand gently and did as she was told. Getty shifted off the freeway and headed directly for the Barat Region outer gate.

The gate guards approached the truck. Getty pulled out his ID card for scanning. Coraset thought about pulling out her gun, but she didn’t want to have Getty or Rudy hurt or killed. A woman guard scanned the barcode with a thin laser wand. The register on her hip beeped a confirmation sound indicating that Getty was good to go. The woman guard then scanned the barcodes on the cab and trailer. Everything registered as good, and the steel doors slid open with a screech.

The new society was revealed once again to Coraset and Rudy. People moved about, dressed in bland clothing, hair shaved, cut, or stuffed into a bun. Hardly anyone smiled, there wasn’t any reason to. Coraset moved to the front seat and stared out the window. She looked up at the half built structures that hovered over the streets.

Getty stopped at a red light and announced, “This is where you get off. They won’t let you into receiving at the warehouse.”

She turned to Getty and said, “Thank you for the ride.”

“Tell your dad I said hello. It was nice meeting you, Rudy.”

Coraset smiled and said, “I will, Getty.”

“Thank you, sir,” Rudy respectfully stated.

They got out of the truck right before the traffic light turned green, and they stood on the sidewalk as Getty slowly drove down the empty city street. Rudy bent over, his shoulders shuddering from his restrained crying. Finally, they were home. They were in Barat.

Coraset waited for Rudy to steady himself. He wiped his dirty face with the back of his hands and straightened to his full height. He slid his fingers through his brown hair, suddenly realizing it was dusty and messy.

“I need a bath,” he stated as he brushed at his clothes.

“Where do you live?” Coraset asked as she searched her surroundings from where she stood. She was trying to see if anyone was paying attention to them more so than normal.

“Building twelve,” Rudy answered.

“Alright, Rudy, go home.”

“What if the police come looking for me? They’d find me.”

“Honestly, I think we’re in the clear. We could have easily been caught in Baker. There was no bulletin on the Federation computer in Getty’s truck. I didn’t see anyone following us. Getty’s truck wasn’t searched when we got to the gate or at the gas station in Victorville.”

Rudy wasn’t so confident about her conclusions, and he began to get real nervous about standing on the sidewalk without reasoning. He didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention.

“Go home, Rudy. If you think there’s a problem, call me.”

“If there’s no problem, then what?”

“You go back to what you used to do before you were arrested. You get up every morning, and you go to work.”

“What if they won’t allow me to work at the hangar anymore?”

Coraset answered impatiently, “I don’t know, Rudy. You’re asking me questions I don’t have answers for.”

He put his hands on his waist and looked away. He nervously pulled at his bottom lip with his teeth. Rudy cleared his throat and said, “My number is 83176.”

“7772,” Coraset reminded him. “You’ll be fine. Go on.”

Rudy nodded. He was unwilling to leave Coraset, but he knew he had to.

“Go see your sister tonight, have dinner with her, and if you get into trouble, call me. It doesn’t matter the time of day. I’ll get back to you.”

Rudy glanced at Coraset and then started down the road. He walked slowly. Each step to him was leading to an uncertain future. Coraset decided not to watch him. She needed to move on with her life. Rudy turned around one last time only to see that she was gone. He sighed hoping one day to see her again.

The buildings rose high above the city streets. Banners hung over every entrance with the wording ‘Celebrate Barat! Chancellor Dominic Erato.’ Small national flags hung from short poles jutting out from wrought iron light fixtures that were evenly spaced on each side of the road. Trash cans and triangular sidewalk announcement boards had images of a man Coraset never seen before. She didn’t understand what in the world there was to celebrate. She put it out of her mind and decided to get off the streets. It never looked good to Federation Constabularies for people to be just standing around outside. She’d be apprehended and questioned. Coraset decided to go home and quickly.

When she returned back to her apartment door, she stopped. There was a new numbered key board at chest level on the left side of the door. Coraset wondered if the apartment was given to someone else. She knocked on the door. When no one answered, she pressed 7772 in the keypad. She figured it made sense because that’s the only number she could think of, and the Federation assigned it to her. The number buttons turned bright blue, and the small screen above the keypad flashed: fingerprint required . Coraset pressed her forefinger to the screen. The keypad turned green, and the door popped open.