Episode 1 of Broken Chains

Sirens.

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(Carter Durrant, AI Generated photo, owned by Flaat Library)

I have longed to join the others on Zone 16. Mother and father were sent out six years ago to work on the farms and get everything set up for our family. I was left in charge of Zoey and Michael, although I was only twelve at the time, they expected me to provide them a decent life. The government was good to us for the first two years, provided us with food and shelter and the means to get to school. But things are rough on Earth now. There is hardly anyone left. I haven't seen anyone in months, although time is an illusion now, no one could convince me it was spring other than the birds singing. The winter was long and quiet after Michael left on the last transport of the season, along with Victoria and her family.

Ahh, Victoria Baker, the love of my life, and partner in the apocalypse. We fought so well together, her family took Michael and I in after Zoey was chosen at the selection assembly. Her family spotted us and offered for us to come for dinner. It was a delicious meal, that I can still taste, the last large meal I have had in over a year.

As I sit here, in the dark of the cabin, alone. I wonder what the new world will bring me, if I will find my family, if Zoey and Michael found mother and father, and if I will ever see Victoria again.

Sincerely,

Carter

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The sounds of sirens woke Carter, hours after he drifted off to sleep. He frantically threw on a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans that were stiff from not being washed since January, his black and white converse high tops, the black hoodie that was two sizes too big for his thin figure, and packed as much as he could shove into his leather backpack.

He scrambled with the door locks, that he had installed after the Baker family was selected to leave. He threw the door open, and darted across the dirt field towards the arena. The crowd was small, gathering as Carter sat in the front row, waiting for the Lieutenant to take the podium.

"What's going on?" Sean said sitting next to Carter. Sean was an elderly man, once the father of four who was the last to leave from his family and had been waiting selection after selection, losing hope each time. "There ain't much of us left to pick from." He sighed, and leaned back into his chair.

"I don't know, they have never had an assembly in the middle of the night, something must be happening." Carter responded, shifting uncomfortably to the edge of his foldable stadium seat. The assemblies were held in the Yankee's stadium in Carter's hometown. New York was the first to get hit by the evacuation. Then, St. Louis, Detroit, Seattle, Denver, last was Los Angeles.

The infection spread fast, and was world wide. Although Carter was too young at the time to understand fully what was going on, his father explained that the planet was already dying. With little resources left, the government found a planet perfect for the remaining humans to build their new civilization. From the assemblies Carter has attended, he put together that they had established colonies, united together as one government, each family will receive a stipend of $100,000 USD, and a piece of land once they arrive. He looked forward to seeing his new home.

Not long after the remaining people wandered in and found their seats, a tall man approached the bench. "That isn't the Lieutenant..." Carter whispered to Sean.

"No it is not." Sean whispered back.

"Ladies, Gentleman, and children." The man began, in a sharp and emotionless tone. "I am pleased to announce the arrival of the last shuttle off Earth. We have room for all of you, if you would kindly make your way to center field so we may take your names, and assign you a room.

"Hell yeah brother!” Sean exclaimed, grabbing Carter's hand, tears forming in his eyes. "We are going home." It took a minute for Carter to comprehend what the man had said. Once it settled in his mind, he felt a mix of emotions. He would miss Earth, even though it was hard to breathe, walk, eat, and find water. He worried that he wouldn't find his family, but he was excited to finally be going to Zone 16. "Come on boy!" Sean yelled from the stairs that lead to the field. People weren't shoving or forcing their way in, some remained in their seats. Carter looked around the large stadium with small pockets of people here and there.

"Why isn't everyone coming?" Carter whispered, looking back and seeing a family get up to walk out of the stadium.

"Beats me, they can live here on this dead rock. I'm going where the food is!" Sean grinned, he had hardly any teeth left, and walked with a limp. He told Carter once about how he fought off scavengers to save his family. He had gotten shot in the leg, and even through the bullet was removed, pain prevented him from walking normal.

They made their way to center field with about fifty others. "Form a single file line!" A voice rang from the bottom of the stage. Everyone obeyed. Sean and Carter stood close together, Carter hoped he would be bunked in the same room as Sean. As they made their way to the front of the line, Sean took his place in front of a military woman with black hair pulled back into a tight bun, and her hat tilted in front of her eyes. "Name." She said, in a cold tone, not looking up.

"Sean Biggs, Ma'am." He replied cheerfully with a grin.

"Age." She responded, cold again.

"62." He tried to speak quietly.

(Sean, AI Generated photo, owned by Flaat Library)

The woman looked up at him this time, looked him up and down, then back at her paper. "Any talents?" She asked quietly, Carter noticed a slight emotion in her voice this time.

"I can hunt, fish, and build a badass cabin." Sean said proudly.

"Section ten." The woman replied, pointing to a man to the left of her standing at attention. Only one other person stood there, an elderly woman with a cane and a hunchback.

Sean looked back at Carter, grinned and hugged him. "This may be goodbye son. I hope to see you in the afterlife." He clasped his hand over Carter's mouth before he could respond. "Take care of yourself, and survive." He gave him another tight hug, and walked to take his place next to the elderly woman.

Carter walked up to the military woman. "Name." She spoke cold.

"Carter Durrant." Carter responded in the same tone as her.

"Age." She spoke again.

"18." Carter responded.

She jotted on a tablet with a stylus, "any talents?"

"No." Carter did not want to be pre-selected for a job before he was even on Zone 16.

The woman looked up at Carter, "I need to put something down." She whispered and looked over Carter's shoulder.

Carter turned around to see the tall man staring at them, he quickly turned back to the woman, "I can shoot."

She wrote on her tablet, satisfied with his answer. "How well?"

"I can get a head shot from a mile and a half away." Carter whispered. His father had taught him to shoot when he was five, and he had a lot of time to practice during the apocalypse.

The woman jotted more, then looked up, "section seven." She pointed to the right, where a man stood at attention, and a group of young men and women about his age were huddled together. Carter took one last look at Sean who grinned back. Then Carter made his way to section seven.