John O'Brien - Chaos

Little is said during the rest of the night. Lynn ponders whether this is an isolated incident but the fact that they cannot raise anyone either inside the camp, or any of the other bases in country, leads her to believe this may be on a much larger scale. Calls to other bases within the states or Europe also go unanswered. Could this be happening world-wide? She thinks staring out through the window from her position near the center of the room at the star-speckled sky. I hope Jack is okay and her heart both tightens and warms at the thought of him.

With the coming dawn, the sky not yet lighting with the false dawn but promising it is near, something happens that draws everyone’s attention. Or really, it is more like the lack of something happening that draws their attention. The sounds outside suddenly, and without warning, cease. Complete silence ensues. In the dark gray of the building, Lynn walks into the front office once again and slowly peers out of the side of the window, careful not to draw any attention. The buildings, avenue and lights remain the same but there is no one to be seen. To the east, she can barely make out the sky beginning to light up. The one thing that does draw her attention is a form on the ground under one of the lights far down the avenue to her left. That must be the guy who was attacked by those first two , she thinks and withdraws from the window.

“You two with me,” she says to Taylor and the Private as she passes by them on exiting the office and proceeds back to the other group members.

Drawing the group together in the center of the room, she notifies them of the situation out front. “When it gets fully light, you two will continue to man the TOC,” she says pointing to the Specialist and one of the Privates. “The rest of us will draw weapons and head over to the security shop. I’m not sure what happened so we need to stay together and alert. This facility will remain on lockdown and you ID anyone trying to come in. No ID, no entrance. Any questions?”

Drescoll shakes his head and the others respond with, “No, Sergeant Connell.”

The sun crests the horizon transitioning from night to day. The transition in the desert comes quickly. One moment night holds sway, and the next, the land stands bathed in daylight. After checking through the office window once more and verifying that nothing is moving outside, Lynn opens the front door and steps out into the morning light, squinting against the sudden change in brightness. The chill of the night quickly turning into the heat of the day but moderately comfortable at the moment. With Sergeant Drescoll and Specialist Taylor off each shoulder and slightly behind her, and the two Privates behind them, she starts off through the sand towards the armory to draw their weapons.

On the way, they pass by the form in the avenue. It is indeed a soldier, or rather, what once was one. Its field cap lies on the ground by its head. I say ‘its’ because the gender is unidentifiable. The tissue on the face is completely removed leaving only the facial bone structure staring up at the blue sky lighting up with the rising sun. The uniform is shredded and almost completely removed from the body. The only piece remaining is the belt and small section of the pants just below it. That piece and the shreds of uniform lying on the ground around are covered in dried blood. The rest of the body appears to have been almost completely eaten with the bones only holding small bits of tendons and flesh. Blood is soaked into the sand around the body which is churned up denoting a frenzy of activity. One lung and chunks of internal organs are the only things remaining within the torso and chest cavity.

One of the Privates leans over and throws up the little in his stomach, dry heaving once everything has been expelled but unable to stop. Lynn looks over at Taylor and he walks to the Private and guides him a little ways down to the avenue removing him from the proximity. As he is doing this, Lynn reaches down and removes one of the dog tags, sticking one in her pocket and leaving one with the body.

“Okay, let’s move on,” she says straightening.

The only sounds in the area are of generator motors running in the distance with some closer. The usual morning activity of people heading off on various assignments and errands are non-existent. A little further away from the TOC and the body of the soldier in the road, a figure steps out from a building ahead and into the roadway. The small group freezes into place, ready for anything that may come. Stopping in the road, the figure ahead looks anxiously to the left and right before sighting the group. Appearing startled by the sight of her group of five, the figure walks warily toward them, tensed and ready to run. Lynn turns her head over her shoulder and tells everyone to remain in place.

As the figure draws near, Lynn observes the wariness and tension from the fatigue-clad soldier. “Identify yourself,” Lynn calls out once the soldier closes in to where they can hear without her broadcasting their location. The tension visibly leaves the soldier as she replies back, “Corporal Horace.”

“You’re the first ones I’ve seen today, Sergeant,” Horace replies as she steps up to the group.

She then relates her story of the night prior detailing how she headed out to the latrine in the middle of the night and was chased repeatedly until taking refuge in one of the buildings for the night. She was over by zone 2 and listened all night to the shrieks, howls, and apparent running gunfights with the sounds of the gunfire dying around 0200. Watching from the windows of her building, she saw several other soldiers attacked and taken down,

Heading over to the camp armory, the group encounters more bodies of soldiers and civilian contractors laying in the sand in various positions but looking like the first body they encountered to some degree or another; bones stripped mostly to the skin.

“What in the world could or would do this?” Taylor asks quietly as they pass two more bodies lying in the warming desert sun, not really expecting an answer.

As with the first soldier she encountered, Lynn removes a dog tag from each one adding them to the growing number in her pocket.

“I don’t know but we’re going to have to assume the camp has been overrun at this point,” Lynn replies noting the very distinct lack of people or the noises normally associated with a large group of people assembled in one place.

Stepping around the corner of a building and onto the roadway leading to the armory, Lynn sees a larger group standing in the roadway in front of the armory a short ways ahead. She signals the others with her to hold up, not knowing if the group ahead is friendly or not, and draws to a stop with the rest of the group behind her.

“I think we should head between the buildings here,” she says pointing back in the direction they came and a pathway leading between them, “until we can get closer and find out their disposition.”

Retracing their steps, still unseen by the larger group, they turn left and walk down the pathway, keeping the buildings between them and the other group. As they draw closer, the sound of voices begins to penetrate the mostly silent area. They squat behind the building directly across from where the others have gathered.

“What do you think, Sergeant Connell?” Drescoll asks quietly as they all gather in a circle.

“I don’t recall hearing any of those affected ones speaking and they’re not attacking each other, so I think we’re going to have to assume they’re okay,” she says squatting in the shadow of the building. “I’ll go out and make contact. The rest of you stay here. Sergeant Drescoll, keep an eye on what happens. If it goes bad, get out of here. If we become separated, the rally point will be the TOC. Everyone clear?”