and I on the
ambulance crew would go there after a late-night shift sometimes.”
“Hard to believe I was sitting in a booth in
that diner highlighting terms in my biology book for a test. It was a year ago,
August 25, this very day.”
“While I was stuck in the company Suburban
outside the Roadrunner , profiling potential bad guys and eating fast
food,” said Carlie, who shouted from the bench across from them.
Amy leaned forward, resting her forearms
across her knees. “And I was getting ready to teach my first class to a bunch
of new EMTs and then going shopping for a new Subaru.”
Jared slid over in his seat, moving up
closer to Amy. “And I had just gotten done casing a few upscale homes in north
Tucson…you know, the kind with the Spanish-tiled roofs and kidney-shaped pools
in the backyard.” He interlaced his fingers into hers, staring into her eyes.
“But I found a real treasure with this fine young maiden,” he said in a
sonorous voice while issuing a half-grin.
The two women frowned and shot their
smirks back at Jared while trying to contain their chuckles.
“Shane, where were you?” said Eliza.
He looked up from his notebook and peered at
Eliza then floated his gaze over to Carlie. “Finishing up a desert op and then
having my ass handed to me the next day by a female shooter that I’ll never
forget.” Carlie folded her arms and looked out the window, her face taut.
Amy saw Matias sitting quietly on the
bench on the other side of Jared. “What about you — what were you up to
last year on this day?”
“Finishing up a deployment along the
border with Shane. I was getting ready to head home to Phoenix to spend a few
weeks with my wife and two kids.” Matias averted his eyes and looked down at
his tan hands then flexed his right fist, staring at his wedding band.
As the plane continued its voyage west
over the Pacific Ocean, the cabin grew silent inside as each person’s thoughts
probed the alcoves of their souls, reflecting on the memories of their old
lives and the new world that had since emerged.
Chapter 13
Osaka, Japan
During the eleventh month after the virus
arrived in Japan and when the fruits on the cherry trees in August emerged, the
city of Osaka was still silent. Gone were the rush of crowds, the street
vendors, and the blare of trains. Now the only things that stirred were the
millions of soulless creatures roaming the roads in search of prey. There were
no other humans left other than small, desperate bands of survivors spread
around the country. The Legionnaires’ Disease epidemic that had swept through
the nation prior to the global pandemic had further ravaged the population once
it was left unchecked and Japan had suffered far more greatly than other
nations. Within a week of the outbreak, the country was fractured and thrust
into third-world living conditions; within a month the entire social fabric had
collapsed and the cities went dark. But the priorities of life hadn’t changed.
It still revolved around staying warm, dry, fed, rested, and safe from
predators.
With the vast die-off, there had been no
shortage of canned goods, dried rice, and other staples but protein was sorely
lacking. From their hideout in the Shinsekai Aquatics Center across the bay from
downtown Osaka, Shiro and his tiny band of ten fighters used small boats which
they put into the bay for a few days each month to net fish that they would
then pickle and preserve. Nora’s experience working catamarans in younger days
on the Atlantic had served them well and provided her, the sole geijin, with a
means of contributing to their tight-lipped group.
Early radio reports from around the globe
indicated that there were large clusters of survivors in some countries. Intermittent
broadcasts from Copenhagen, Seoul, Halifax, and an army base near Seattle had reported
refugee camps that had sprung up, their walls fortified by the vestiges of the
military.
Occasionally, at night, there was a
ambulance crew would go there after a late-night shift sometimes.”
“Hard to believe I was sitting in a booth in
that diner highlighting terms in my biology book for a test. It was a year ago,
August 25, this very day.”
“While I was stuck in the company Suburban
outside the Roadrunner , profiling potential bad guys and eating fast
food,” said Carlie, who shouted from the bench across from them.
Amy leaned forward, resting her forearms
across her knees. “And I was getting ready to teach my first class to a bunch
of new EMTs and then going shopping for a new Subaru.”
Jared slid over in his seat, moving up
closer to Amy. “And I had just gotten done casing a few upscale homes in north
Tucson…you know, the kind with the Spanish-tiled roofs and kidney-shaped pools
in the backyard.” He interlaced his fingers into hers, staring into her eyes.
“But I found a real treasure with this fine young maiden,” he said in a
sonorous voice while issuing a half-grin.
The two women frowned and shot their
smirks back at Jared while trying to contain their chuckles.
“Shane, where were you?” said Eliza.
He looked up from his notebook and peered at
Eliza then floated his gaze over to Carlie. “Finishing up a desert op and then
having my ass handed to me the next day by a female shooter that I’ll never
forget.” Carlie folded her arms and looked out the window, her face taut.
Amy saw Matias sitting quietly on the
bench on the other side of Jared. “What about you — what were you up to
last year on this day?”
“Finishing up a deployment along the
border with Shane. I was getting ready to head home to Phoenix to spend a few
weeks with my wife and two kids.” Matias averted his eyes and looked down at
his tan hands then flexed his right fist, staring at his wedding band.
As the plane continued its voyage west
over the Pacific Ocean, the cabin grew silent inside as each person’s thoughts
probed the alcoves of their souls, reflecting on the memories of their old
lives and the new world that had since emerged.
Chapter 13
Osaka, Japan
During the eleventh month after the virus
arrived in Japan and when the fruits on the cherry trees in August emerged, the
city of Osaka was still silent. Gone were the rush of crowds, the street
vendors, and the blare of trains. Now the only things that stirred were the
millions of soulless creatures roaming the roads in search of prey. There were
no other humans left other than small, desperate bands of survivors spread
around the country. The Legionnaires’ Disease epidemic that had swept through
the nation prior to the global pandemic had further ravaged the population once
it was left unchecked and Japan had suffered far more greatly than other
nations. Within a week of the outbreak, the country was fractured and thrust
into third-world living conditions; within a month the entire social fabric had
collapsed and the cities went dark. But the priorities of life hadn’t changed.
It still revolved around staying warm, dry, fed, rested, and safe from
predators.
With the vast die-off, there had been no
shortage of canned goods, dried rice, and other staples but protein was sorely
lacking. From their hideout in the Shinsekai Aquatics Center across the bay from
downtown Osaka, Shiro and his tiny band of ten fighters used small boats which
they put into the bay for a few days each month to net fish that they would
then pickle and preserve. Nora’s experience working catamarans in younger days
on the Atlantic had served them well and provided her, the sole geijin, with a
means of contributing to their tight-lipped group.
Early radio reports from around the globe
indicated that there were large clusters of survivors in some countries. Intermittent
broadcasts from Copenhagen, Seoul, Halifax, and an army base near Seattle had reported
refugee camps that had sprung up, their walls fortified by the vestiges of the
military.
Occasionally, at night, there was a
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