It was dark. Darker than anything either Corona or Kai had ever seen. The only light visible came from a large, white object hovering in the sky set against a black backdrop punctuated by tiny flashing yellow specks. Corona looked up at it. “I think that’s called the moon.”
Kai stared at it. “What does it do?”
“Don’t you remember when we studied astronomy? It’s like a planet but not exactly. It comes out at night. It’s really far away.”
“Then, those speckling dots must be stars.” He cocked his head and squinted. “I always thought they’d be bigger.”
Corona dug into her sack and took out her flashlight. “I don’t know how long the batteries will last.”
“I’m surprised they work at all. They must be older than us. But I guess the scientists knew the best way to store them. Still, sooner or later they’ll stop working.”
“We won’t need it when the sun comes out in the morning. I wonder what that will look like.”
“I remember learning it was a star.” Kai glanced up at the twinkling stars. “It had better be bigger than any of those up there or we won’t be able to see much.”
Corona adjusted her facemask. “Do you think these will protect us?”
Kai shrugged. “We’ll find out.” He glanced at the ground. “Shine the light over here.” He kicked the illuminated spot of sand amidst the grass. “Look at it scatter. This sand stuff is fun. In the pictures it was always clumped together. That green stuff must be grass.”
“Don’t touch it,” Corona said. “It might be contaminated.”
Kai nodded. “Let’s pick a direction and start walking.”
Corona glanced back for one last look at the outside hatch leading to the bunker. Then, she hefted her sack over her shoulder and followed Kai.
Dawn was breaking. “It’s getting lighter,” Corona said. “We should see our first sunrise soon.”
“I hope so. Maybe we should stop and rest.” Kai sat down and took off his shoes. “My feet are killing me; I’ve never walked this far before.”
Corona joined him. “No one has. We’ve been walking for hours. I doubt we’ll be able to still see the bunker once the sun rises.”
“It’s so quiet. I thought there were supposed to be animals roaming about. The books are filled with pictures of all different kinds: lions, tigers, elephants.”
“Maybe somewhere else. It’s a big planet; we’ve only walked a little ways considering how large it is.”
“My feet might disagree.” Kai mused. “Suppose… Suppose there are no animals… Or other people left?”
Corona chuckled. “If you’re suggesting we become the next Adam and Eve and repopulate the world, then you’re out of luck. Even if you turn out to be the last man on Earth, I’m not sleeping with you.”
Kai shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I’ve never heard… Silence before. You know how voices carry in the bunker. Even the generators have a soft hum. There’s always some sound in the background, even if you’re not conscious of it. You never feel alone when there are dozens of people nearby, chattering away. But look out there: nothing. Sand and grass and nothing but the sound of our own footsteps.”
“I can see the sun rising. It’s as beautiful as all the books said it was. The pictures didn’t do it justice. It’s like a huge orange ball of fire slowly rising in the sky. I can’t wait to see all of it.”
Kai stood. “All right, let’s keep walking. Now that we can see where we’re going, maybe we’ll stumble across someone else — if there are other people out here.” Corona nodded and the two explorers set forth.
The oppressive sun approached high noon. Kai wiped the perspiration from his brow. It did little good as it was almost immediately replaced by more. “I’ve never sweated like this before; not even when I was exercising.”
“The bunker is climate controlled. It’s different outside.”
“But why is it so hot?”
Corona gazed upward. “That’s why. It’s so bright I can’t even look at it. It’s awful. My clothes are drenched with sweat.”
“Mine too. Do you think every day outside is like this? No wonder people built bunkers underground.”
“Remember those trees we passed a few hours ago? We need to find more trees, or something we can hide under to shelter us from the sun’s heat.”
Kai pointed. “Over there. Way in the distance. I see something.”
Corona scanned the horizon. “I don’t see it. Is it a tree?”
Kai shook his head. “It’s bigger than a tree if I can see it this far away. Not the same color, either. Maybe it’s a building… Or even a city. According to the books in the library, there were lots of cities all over the world.”
Corona pulled her canteen out of her sack and took a swig of water. “I hope whatever it is, we can find water there.” She swished the water in her canteen, listening to it reverberate against the metal. “There’s not much left.”
“It’s the heat. It’s making us thirstier than normal. If we run out of water…” Kai left his thought unspoken. “It’ll take us a couple hours to reach whatever that is. We could wait until dark when it’s cool but then we wouldn’t be able to see where we’re going. Your flashlight can’t shine on anything so far away.” He looked at the younger girl. “Or, we could try to make our way back to the bunker.”
“Remember those stars we saw last night? Our ancestors built spaceships and launched them into space. They didn’t know what to expect or what they’d find. Some died in the attempt. But they did it anyway. Despite the risks and dangers of plunging into the unknown, they did. Ancient sailors did the same thing. It’s what explorers do.”
“Is that what we are? Explorers?”
Corona shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but the books are filled with tales of men and women who ask ‘What’s out there?’ and have to find out. I’m not turning back until I know.”
“I just want to find a place where I can make my own rules and not live under someone else’s. Life in the bunker may have been easier but I want to make my own choices; do things my own way.”
Corona nodded. “Then, let’s go on while we can still see whatever that is ahead.” She offered Kai the canteen. He shook his head, deciding she needed the water more. Corona replaced the canteen into her sack. “And let’s hope it has water.”
A pebble that had slipped into Corona’s shoe rubbed uncomfortably against the sole of her foot. She ignored the discomfort, not wanting to slow down to remove it. The small object on the horizon they had been heading toward had grown immense as they neared it, while the sun had begun to set, taking the daylight with it. Kai had wrapped his arm around her, the two supporting each other in their weakened states, dehydrated and suffering heatstroke. Kai stumbled and fell to the ground. Corona tugged at him. “Come on, we have to keep going.”
Kai shook his head, beads of sweat flying off his face. “Let me lie down. I need to rest. You go ahead and I’ll catch up.”
Corona became resolute. “No, if we split up it’ll be impossible to find each other again, especially once it becomes dark.” She slid her arm beneath his underarm and helped him to his feet. “Lean on me.”
“You’re not strong enough to carry me.”
“No, but I can support your weight. Just put one foot in front of the other.”
Kai rose unsteadily, placing his arm around Corona’s shoulder.
“Upper body strength my ass,” Corona said. “I’ve still got one thing you don’t.”
“What’s that?”
“Stamina. Now shut up and walk.” The continued their grueling journey, shuffling forward toward a series of white buildings encased within a huge transparent dome.
Kai faded in and out of consciousness. Corona lugged the dead weight as she trudged forward. “Stay with me, Kai. Don’t die on me.” She wondered what life would be like if she survived, alone. Corona didn’t want to think about it, but she couldn’t help it. It was becoming a distinct possibility; assuming she didn’t also succumb to heatstroke. “Well, maybe if you were the last man on Earth… And I was feeling desperate.” She couldn’t tell if Kai had heard her but she thought she detected a smile on his lips.
An hour passed. And then another. The sun had set below the horizon leaving only a soft glow to light the sky. The temperature had cooled but Kai had not recovered and Corona’s head was pounding, her heart racing. With each step she forced herself forward. The canteen had been empty for an hour now. Sweat oozed from her pores, less from the sun’s rays than from the fever now rising within her body as the heatstroke took its toll. She took one more faltering step and dropped to her knees. Kai slid from her weakened grasp and lay unmoving on the ground, either unable or unwilling to get up. Corona plopped face-first into the grass, her facemask plunging into the soil. Feverish thoughts filled her mind. I should have said goodbye to Covid. But if I had, he’d have stopped me from leaving. Then again, maybe that would have been best. I guess he was right, after all. She was too weak to lift her head, yet she noticed the growing darkness encroaching as twilight was slowly subsumed by the night. It can’t end like this, Corona thought, her eyes shutting.
Twilight had not yet settled into dusk so the two bodies lying in the open were still visible. The evening was still and quiet. The silence was only broken by the occasional high-pitched howl of a hyena miles away but the two unconscious teenagers were beyond hearing.
A noise grew louder as a motorized vehicle approached. The modified Humvee stopped several feet from where Corona and Kai lay. From its mounted gun turret, a man swiveled his rifle as he nervously scanned the surroundings. The driver cut the engine and hopped out, cautiously walking to the still forms. He reached down to check their pulses.
“Are they dead?” the gunner shouted down.
“Not yet. But I’ve never seen anyone this pale before. Even with sunburn, they’re white as ghosts.”
“Hurry up and toss them in back before more Raiders show up.”
The driver lugged each of the unconscious bodies into the back of the Humvee. “I don’t think these are Raiders.”
“What else could they be?”
“Dunno. Maybe survivors from some encampment or city?”
“Unlikely,” the gunner said. “Unless their horses ran off; they appear to have been walking. They couldn’t have walked that far.”
“Maybe they had a vehicle. They might have been forced to abandon it if it broke down.”
“Or they could have been dropped off by their friends in a vehicle. There may be others. We should resume the patrol.”
The driver shut the back door of the Humvee and climbed into the seat. “Not enough juice in the battery. If we don’t head back and recharge it we’ll be stuck out here.” The driver glanced at Kai’s unconscious form. “Besides, he looks young and virile. If he survives, we can count this as a successful outing.”
The gunner grinned. “And if not, a couple of dead Raiders is still worth celebrating.”
The driver chuckled and started the engine. The Humvee turned around and headed toward the domed structure, kicking up dust in its path.