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DARK SUNSET by Mort Book One: Part Five
The only thing that made the idea of Hearn's second rape bearable for Mulder was that the Stud hadn't witnessed him crawl across the floor in defeat, and the fact that he couldn't see the man's face this time. On the other hand, the bench gave the Stud a far better angle for penetration and Hearn had enthusiastically made use of his ability to put all his body weight behind each thrust. Mulder couldn't believe the pain of the assault yet, as Jax had told him, the brutality of the penetration masked the far greater pain in his balls, even before the milking device was turned on. Which was just as well, because the Vet allowed Hearn to thrust inside him for an endless five minutes before turning on the machine. Perhaps it was that, as much as the increased pressure inside his testicles, that made Hearn erupt inside him before Mulder had finished emptying his essence into the milker. The strength of his orgasm was so great that he was almost insensate, as waves of sheer pleasure rolled over his whole body with each siphoning suck of the machine and each brutal punch against his prostate. His balls were shrinking as he emptied his load, easing the strain on the stretched swollen skin of his scrotum and he was sobbing as he realized that he'd never be able to resist the lure of the bench again. Just the cessation of the agony would have been enough to make him feel pleasure, but his adapted body wasn't satisfied with anything less than his complete abandonment to the dual sensations in his cock and ass. Yet, at the same time, he was disgusted with himself for allowing the aliens to reduce him to no more than a quivering mass of excited nerve-endings. He was relieved at first to feel Hearn's warm cum flood his bowels. The idea that it was Hearn who had given him so much reluctant pleasure was sickening, and the sooner he pulled out of his ass, the better Mulder thought he'd feel. He was wrong. Without the pounding pressure against his prostate, his cock dried up. Mulder's balls were so shrunken now that he would have willingly climbed off the bench, but the milking device was still attempting to suction him and what had felt unbelievably pleasurable while he was ejaculating became torturous. Mulder mewled desperately, silently begging the Albrecx to turn off the machine. Instead he heard the unmistakable crack of a whip against flesh and Hearn screamed as a deep welt sprung up on his buttocks. "The producer needs more," Hearn's handler snarled, striking a second blow against his ass. "Finish your job." Hearn looked helplessly down at his now limp cock and frantically tried to massage it back to life. He wept as his oversensitive shaft smarted angrily and shrunk still further while all the time his buttocks were being flailed by his handler's whip. Hearn forced his limp cock into Mulder's hole and humped desperately but the increasing distress of Mulder's moans quickly proved that his efforts were proving useless. Jax grabbed the Stud by the shoulder, hauled him away from his charge and used his own fingers to bring Mulder back to orgasm. He had an urge to use his Qwentcha instead, confidant that Mulder would appreciate the feel of the thick ridged organ inside him even more than a Stud's cock or his own fingers, but he knew an higher caste Albrecx like Ronxil would find that disgusting. So he simply stroked the vibrating nub inside Mulder's ass until the machine's auto cut-off alerted him that Mulder was completely drained. Then he helped the little beast off the bench and gently placed him on his hands and knees on the floor. "You'd best go and get him ready," the Vet warned, checking the time a little worriedly. Jax nodded and slapped his thigh loudly. "Come, Mulder," he demanded, tapping his leg again as though he was calling a dog to heel, and he began to walk slowly across the room to a doorway. Mulder raised his exhausted head long enough to check the direction he was supposed to be moving in, and started to crawl across the floor. Although his balls were back to near-normal size so it should have been possible to walk, his legs had been turned into jelly by the brutal fuck and the protracted orgasm. He was so tired he could barely prevent himself simply collapsing in a heap, so pulling himself to his feet was impossible. In this way, he managed to justify to himself his decision to crawl after Jax like an animal. But, since Mulder had never been much good at self-deception, he knew the reality was that he was simply too cowed to even attempt any more rebellion at this stage. He needed sleep, and a period without pain, before he could even attempt to come up with a viable plan of defiance. In the meanwhile, it was simpler just to do as he was told. Jax led him first into an almost featureless room. Other than the fact that the floor was dominated by a low concave metal plate that sloped gently downwards towards a small hole, and the presence of a small knob on one wall, positioned about twenty centimeters off the ground, the room was barren. "This is a replica of the bathrooms provided on this ship for personal producers," he explained. Mulder rocked back on his heels and looked around himself in puzzlement. Then he gasped in horror as the Albrecx began stripping in front of him. Mulder's cock shriveled in fear and he clenched his sore ass in terror. Because Jax carried his reproductive organ in proud view at all times, it never occurred to him that the beast would be intimidated simply because he was undressing. So it was just because he was a naturally chatty person that he explained what he was doing to Mulder. His experience of beasts was that they rarely understood more than one word in four, even if you spoke in their own tongue, and even though he knew personal producers tended to be smarter than average cattle, he still didn't really see them as 'people', just as clever, performing beasts. Still, Jax *liked* to talk and was convinced that a gentle tone worked its own soothing magic on a skittish beast, no matter what the subject of conversation was. "It's pretty impossible to teach you about bathrooms without getting drenched," Jax smiled. "The floor is pressure sensitive. As soon as you crawl onto it, the shower will start. Try it," he urged, giving Mulder a gentle shove when he hesitated. Mulder crawled forward onto the metal floor, shivering in expectation of being drenched with ice cold water. Instead, as soon as his weight triggered the mechanism, a panel slid back on the ceiling and a steady needle-sharp rain of pleasantly warm water poured down onto his body. The water was fierce enough to massage his sore muscles and he groaned with pleasure. "The central hole is for you to void yourself," Jax said helpfully. "It's always best to do that before the oil cycle starts. However, you probably won't even need it since the shower won't work at all unless you regularly use the enema device. Your own bathroom will be programmed to know how many times you should be cleansing yourself and will report any anomalies to the main computer. Basically, no one pays any attention if you use the bathroom too much, but a failure to use it enough will mean a stud is assigned to clean you. Animals that they are, they tend to abuse the situation, so I suggest you follow the rules yourself." Mulder just looked at him in complete confusion. He understood that the Albrecx was referring to enemas, but looking around the plain metallic room he had no idea what he was supposed to do. Jax chuckled good-naturedly and climbed into the shower. Mulder flinched. Somehow the Albrecx seemed even huger when he was naked, possibly because of the ridges of clearly defined muscle that banded his whole frame. Jax's legs were wider than Mulder's waist, he'd already demonstrated his immense strength when he'd picked Mulder up and flung him on the milking bench as though he was weightless, but what disturbed Mulder most was realizing that the Albrecx had no visible sexual organs. Which meant surely that the Qwentcha *was* an immense penis as well as a means to extract essence. It made him wonder for the first time what female Albrecx looked like. "Don't be frightened, little beast," Jax chided. "I know you're sore, but you'll feel better when you're clean. It's worth a little discomfort, isn't it?" He led Mulder over to the wall with the small knob, and frowned a little. "It's a little too high, really," he admitted. "We're used to dealing with larger cattle than yourselves, but the device in your own bathroom will be moved to fit you comfortably." Mulder still was completely bemused about what he was supposed to do with the small rubber button. He was too tired to think, let alone puzzle out an alien device. Jax saw his weariness and took pity on him. He picked the little beast up, turned him ass to wall and pushed him until the soft rubber knob was pressing against Mulder's anus. He had to hold Mulder's hips up in the air to keep the right angle while the device came to life. Triggered by the touch of Mulder's flesh, the small knob began to grow out of the wall, piercing through Mulder's loose pucker and probing inside. When it reached his prostate it stopped growing lengthwise and began to expand instead, its soft texture molding perfectly to fill every millimeter of Mulder's passage. Trapped by Jax's hands on his hips, Mulder couldn't even try to struggle against the sensation but, to be honest, it wasn't really an unpleasant feeling. Although he had an almost uncomfortable feeling of fullness, the rubbery material had expanded so gently inside him that it had barely irritated the bruising and abrasion of Hearn's rape. He was a little frightened when the invader began to heat up inside him but, as soon as it had reached an equal temperature with the water that was still flowing over Mulder's body, it stabilized. "See," Jax said smugly. "You hardly even felt that, did you?" Mulder shook his head obediently, although the combination of the warm shower and the heat radiating comfortably through his ass made it increasingly difficult for him to stay awake. Jax merely chuckled as the device beeped then moved into its next cycle so gradually that Mulder barely even noticed it happening. It was only as the tingling became insistent enough to send shivers of reaction to his cock that Mulder realized that the rubber was vibrating inside him. He twisted and looked at Jax in panic. "It's alright, little beast. It's only meant to relax and pleasure you, not to force a sexual arousal. The vibrations gently massage anywhere that may have been bruised or hurt by the Stud, and after you have been voided, the device will line you with a healing, soothing ointment. You're a valuable animal, Mulder, and your heath and well-being are of great importance to your owner. You never have to worry that you'll be mistreated by him. The only bad thing that can happen to you here, is if you displease him. He won't punish you, he'll simply replace you, and I'm sure I don't have to remind you that life as a milkbeast is *very* different." Mulder looked so frightened that Jax felt guilty for saying it but, then again, there was no point letting the beast forget the cost of defiance. Fortunately a small beep from the device focused Jax's attention back on the lesson. "Every time you hear that sound, it's warning you that it's entering the next cycle. The device will hollow out now and clean you thoroughly. It's far less distressing than the way I cleaned you yesterday. The water will enter at your very own blood temperature and your waste will be drained back out into the device. The cleansing cycle is thorough but gentle. It takes about fifteen minutes to complete. Any faster and you'd suffer cramping. This way you can virtually doze through the whole procedure." As though his comment was a spell, Mulder felt his eyelids sagging and he slumped. Despite the fact that Jax had let go of his hips, the device had expanded enough to anchor him to the wall and he didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep until Jax gently shook him awake again. "Poor little beast, we don't have time for you to sleep yet. We've only got a couple of hours before your master's dinner party, and there's still a lot to be done to make you ready. Hopefully the Imperator will be satisfied just to show you off to his guests and then send you back to your room before the pressure returns too severely for you to sleep through." Mulder shuddered as the invader shrank inside him and withdrew, leaving him feeling strangely numb. "The ointment has an anesthetic property," Jax explained, as he saw Mulder's puzzled look. "Believe me, Mulder, this device is going to become your favorite toy." And although the indignity of the whole procedure horrified Mulder, he had a feeling that the Albrecx was right. After his ass had been assaulted by a Stud, he could only imagine that the cleaning, soothing properties of the device would be too welcome for him to refuse. Besides, as Jax had said, he'd be monitored to ensure he *did* use it, so he didn't have any choice. Jax was delighted by the expression of reluctant acceptance on the little beast's face. As surprisingly cute as the beast was when he pouted, Jax took his obligations to the animal far too seriously to allow any rebellion to flourish unchecked. It occurred to him that Mulder was far more susceptible to gentle persuasion when he was exhausted and he decided to ensure that the beast remained deprived of sufficient sleep until he had finished his training. The device beeped again, loud and insistent, and Jax realized he was falling behind schedule. He helped Mulder crawl back to the center of the shower, and warned him to close his eyes. A few seconds later, Mulder felt the water change to a soapy foam that frothed and lathered as it struck his body. I'm in a fucking car wash, he told himself with an hysterical giggle. "Wash yourself," Jax snapped, as Mulder just sat there under the foam. "Don't forget your hair," he added as Mulder started to wearily obey. The room beeped again and the soapy water was replaced by clear water again. The rinse cycle was both fiercer and faster than the earlier shower, quickly dispersing the foam. Another bleep sounded, and Jax warned him to close his eyes again. This time a light sheen of oil descended. This cycle only lasted about thirty seconds but it was enough to coat Mulder from head to foot with glistening oil that smelt vaguely of sandalwood. And finally the shower seemed to be over, since the room filled with warm air and the remaining water drops started to evaporate . When Jax realized that Mulder was just going to sit there in a daze, he stepped forward and began to briskly massage the oil into Mulder's skin. "You're supposed to do this for yourself," he scolded, but he didn't really mind. The little beast was pleasantly soft to touch and wriggled in obvious, if reluctant, arousal as Jax's hands roamed his body. Jax took the opportunity of Mulder's current emptiness to massage the oil gently over the beast's cock and balls, and although Mulder stiffened in horrified embarrassment as Jax's huge hands fondled him, he couldn't prevent his cock from rearing up in excitement. Tears filled Mulder's eyes. He'd never been out of control like this before in his life. It disgusted him that his body found the touch of the Albrecx so exciting that it completely ignored the frantic demands of Mulder's head to calm down. "You're such a contrary animal," Jax complained, as he saw the angry shame in Mulder's eyes. "You'd be far happier, far more quickly, if you stopped denying your pleasure." He rose to his feet, dressed himself and then slapped his thigh once more. "Come," he demanded. Mulder crawled slowly out of the shower tray, followed Jax back into what he now thought of as the 'rape room' and then through a new doorway. This time he found himself in a type of workroom. Although it was as sterile in appearance as the rest of the veterinary center, this room was lined with shelves full of strange apparatus, and was centered by a long table fitted with straps. He swallowed nervously as the placement of the straps left him in no doubt as to the purpose of the table. Sure enough, Jax bent down, picked him up as though he weighed nothing and laid him prone on the table. Mulder didn't have either the energy or will to try and prevent the Albrecx from strapping him in place. he just looked at Jax with dull, lifeless eyes and wondered what torture was in store for him now. "The Imperator is very impressed with your beauty," Jax confided, as he rummaged on one of the shelves to find a box. "Apparently he was so interested in you from the reports, that he'd decided to try and tame you even if you were less than aesthetically pleasing. As it is, despite your slightness, you conform very closely to what we consider a very desirable conformation for a beast. He's particularly fond of your nose. A lot of your fellow cattle have distressingly small noses despite their otherwise attractive appearance. Of course, the only true way of judging cattle should be by taste, but over the centuries the custom has changed to demand good looks *and* taste, so you're fortunate." Jax returned to the bench, triumphantly clutching a small, ornate box. "I'm told his only problem was that he couldn't quite decide what color your eyes are. They seem to change shade constantly. In the end he decided on Gantt jewels. They aren't the most precious of stones but he felt they would compliment you most." He opened the jewel box and withdrew a green gem that was so perfectly cut that it danced with an almost golden fire as the light caught it. "This one's for your nose," Jax explained, catching hold of Mulder's face and sliding the post of the gem through a hole Mulder hadn't even realized had been pierced. "And there's a matching pair for your ears," he added, snapping them into place. He paused to run his hand through Mulder's oil-slicked hair. "He's upset that you've shorn yourself so brutally, but it will grow." At Jax's mention of hair, Mulder's face set into a puzzled frown and he made an inquisitive noise from the back of his throat. Jax just blinked uncertainly for a moment and then his face cleared. "You're wondering about your other hair?" he asked. Mulder nodded. "Oh, that was dealt with the adaptation," Jax admitted. "We're unused to cattle as primitive as yourselves. Your facial and body hair should have been eliminated from your collective gene pool a long time ago. We've not only removed the problem from your body, we've altered your genes accordingly so that if you're ever used for breeding, your offspring will also conform to this more pleasing standard." Mulder blanched at the thought of being used to breed new 'pets' but couldn't deny the fact he was relieved he'd never have to shave again. Jax fished into the box and withdrew a stone to adorn Mulder's belly button. "This is pure waste," he muttered, "Since no one will ever see it." Before Mulder could even begin to wonder what the Albrecx meant by that comment, Jax slid gold hoops through his still sensitive nipples, and then to Mulder's horror, attached a large gold weight to each hoop. The weights felt heavy simply resting on his chest. Mulder couldn't bear to imagine how much they would hurt when they were hanging down from the hoops. "Don't worry, little beast. The weights are probably just for your appearance tonight. I doubt you'll have to wear them all the time. But of course, that's up to the Imperator. This is permanent though," he added, brandishing a thick cock ring in Mulder's face. He unsnapped the small ring that had been keeping Mulder's cock piercing open, and slid the loop of the much heavier jewelry in its place. Then he reached for a small gun-like device and lasered the ends of the loop shut. Next he took a long item from the box that looked horribly reminiscent of a jeweled hat pin to Mulder, and began to ease the gold bar into the slit of Mulder's cock. Despite his slow, caution as he pushed the pin in until only its sparkling green jewel remained on show, he was glad that he'd strapped the beast's hips down firmly. "It's to stop you leaking," he explained apologetically to Mulder's tear-stained face. Mulder flushed, as shame at his cock's new habit of constantly dribbling replaced his pained outrage at Jax's act. "Again, it's only to be worn for special occasions," Jax added sympathetically. "And anyway, you'll find it far less painful as you get used to wearing it." Mulder just turned his head away. Jax shrugged, rose and collected another, larger box from which he withdrew four heavy gold cuffs. He fastened them around Mulder's wrists and ankles and checked the fit was snug but not tight before unfastening the restraints that held Mulder to the table. "On your hands and knees," he instructed. Mulder tried to glare defiantly but he crumbled under the Albrecx's amused smile, realizing that the giant alien could easily just flip him over so it was pointless to even pretend to have a choice in the matter. Then, as soon as he complied, Mulder was distracted by the painful drag of the weights dangling from his nipples. If he moved, the weights swung and somehow felt even heavier. He was so busy whimpering at this fresh unexpected pain that he didn't realize what Jax was doing until it was too late. Jax lasered a thin, but strong gold chain to Mulder's left wrist cuff, threaded it through the cockring and then lasered the other end to Mulder's left ankle cuff. Then he repeated the same process on Mulder's right. He picked Mulder up, placed him carefully on the floor and told him to stand up. Wearily, Mulder complied only to freeze in a half-crouch as the chains pulled tight, locking his wrists against his cock and his spine in such an unnatural position that it immediately ached in protest. "Do you understand?" Jax asked gently. Fresh tears streamed down Mulder's face as he sank back to his hands and knees, realizing that unless the chains were cut off his body, he'd never be able to walk again. "It's for your own good," Jax pointed out. "Walking is both painful for a producer and can cause impact damage to your scrotum. The chains ensure that you are always sensible enough to crawl instead. We only use them on wild beasts like yourself, home-bred cattle know better." He lifted Mulder up onto the table and laid him on his back. Mulder's chains forced him to bend his knees and pull them back to his chest. "You understand the shape of the milking benches now," Jax said casually. "The only way you can stretch your legs wide is if your knees are bent high. It's a somewhat uncomfortable position to hold naturally, so the wings of the bench hold you in place and take the strain from your thigh muscles. As you can see, although many of the things we are doing to you seem cruel and unnecessary, when you understand *why* we do them, you can see that everything is done for your own comfort and protection." Mulder just gazed back with hurt, confused eyes. He was beginning to wonder which of them was mad. The Albrecx for seeming to genuinely think he was being kind, or himself for refusing to accept any of the reasoning. He was too tired and had dealt with too many shocks in too short a time to even begin trying to process all that was wrong with the picture Jax was painting. The only thing that he really wanted to scream out was what gave the Albrecx the right to do it? How could they possibly justify the enslavement and torture of another species just to satisfy their peculiar appetite? It wasn't comparable to the way humans bred cattle for consumption, purely because cattle weren't sentient and humans were. It made a difference, Mulder told himself fiercely, although at the same time he found himself ashamed that he had gone through his life completely oblivious to the possible suffering of animals he consumed. In this strange horror story that had become his reality, Mulder felt far more kinship with a cow than with the Albrecx. Unaware of Mulder's internal debate, Jax shuffled through yet another shelf before triumphantly brandishing a pair of soft knee pads that would fit the little beast. "Your hands will callous easily but your knees will ache if you don't remember to put these on every time you leave your room," Jax warned. He strapped them in place, making sure that Mulder could see how the fastenings worked. Finally he told Mulder to return to a kneeling position, amused to see the relieved way the beast scrambled to obey. It had only taken Mulder one short session of lying on his back to realize that the short chains meant that any position other than kneeling was now to be avoided. Even the pain of the nipple weights was less than the burning ache of his inner thighs as he attempted to keep his legs in the air. The beast was learning surprisingly quickly considering his inability to ask questions, and Jax was pleased with him. So he petted Mulder's ass fondly as he produced the beast's penultimate adornment. Mulder mewled miserably as Jax showed him the plug that would ensure his anus retained the benefits of his days of dilation. Rather than resembling a dildo, the plug was so short that it was heavily ridged like a screw to keep it in place. It was as wide as a human fist and Mulder shuddered to realize that he would be permanently held open so that his ass was a gaping hole. But the true humiliation was that the plug was equipped with a lush tail exactly the shade of Mulder's own hair. Jax filled Mulder's ass with thick gel, used his fingers and then a fat dildo to encourage Mulder to dilate back to his full stretch, and then screwed the plug in place. The beast was still sobbing so much when he'd finished that he decided it was pointless to try and comfort him. It was probably better to let Mulder sulk and pout and get over it. So he just applied Mulder's final adornment, a heavy golden choke chain, snapped on a leash, lifted Mulder down onto the floor and slapped his thigh commandingly. He was relieved when, despite a glare of hatred, Mulder began to crawl after him. Jax really didn't want to be forced to drag the little beast through the ship to greet his new master. He really wished he could simply transport the beast to his new quarters but cattle had such an unfortunate habit of vomiting when they rematerialized that he decided it wasn't worth the risk. Even so, he was concerned that Mulder would struggle with the journey through the ship and a lot of the co-operation he had won from the beast would be lost by the necessary humiliation. Mulder was indeed feeling less than co-operative as the Albrecx forced him to crawl on his hands and knees through the endless corridors of the ship towards his new quarters. At first, he was burning with humiliation, imagining that all the aliens that passed them were sniggering at how low he'd been brought. But gradually he realized that although the corridors were crowded, very few of the aliens even seemed to even notice him crawling past. Somehow that was even worse than being mocked. It was obvious that the Albrecx saw nothing strange about his position, and it was their indifference that finally brought it home to Mulder that none of the last few days had been deliberate cruelty on the part of the Albrecx. In the eyes of the aliens, humans truly were no more than beasts and to make a human a pet was genuinely an attempt on their part to treat a human well, as Jax had claimed. He felt sick with anxiety as Jax drew to a halt in front of a closed door and spoke in a strange language to one of the guards standing post at the entrance. It would have surprised him to know that Jax was feeling just as nervous about entering. The door opened and a scowling Albrecx snapped "You're late," at Jax. Jax blushed, considered explaining that Mulder had been a little difficult to get ready, realized it wouldn't do the beast much good to start his new life with a reputation and so apologized profusely, claiming he'd become a little lost. The other Albrecx nodded his acceptance of the explanation. The ship was so vast that barely anyone knew their way around it well. People usually just transported where they wanted to go, but Bracx was relieved the youngster hadn't risked it with the Imperator's new pet. He gave the beast a dispassionate glance. He had to admit the creature was fetching and except for a sullen expression and eyes so swollen that he'd evidently had a few tantrums in the last few hours, there was nothing about his attitude that screamed 'trouble'. But Bracx wasn't convinced. There was *something* about the beast. Maybe the rigid set of his shoulders or the fearful but intense flashing of his eyes, *something* told him the beast was as wild as they came and that as soon as the shock of the last few days wore off, the Imperator would find out he'd bitten off more than he could chew. "Follow me," he told Jax. "I thought it was best to put you in the room next to its quarters. You can settle it in, then check your own possessions have all been transported safely. The Imperator hasn't summoned it yet, so you may as well get comfortable while you wait." Jax looked at Bracx in surprise. It was unusual to refer to Producers as "it". That was a term used for Studs and milkbeasts, but Producers were almost invariably called "he" as a mark of affection. Then, seeing the sideways look of dislike Bracx threw at the frantically crawling Mulder, combined with the pace Bracx set that was forcing the poor beast to scramble in panic or be choked, Jax shivered and understood. Bracx didn't think Mulder was going to be anything more than a very temporary amusement for the Imperator. In Bracx's mind, Mulder was already destined to end up in the dormitories so he thought of the beast in those terms. All Jax knew about Bracx was that he was a highly esteemed general and a close personal friend of the Imperator. If *he* thought Mulder was unlikely to remain in favor for long, there was a good chance he was right. Jax felt faintly nauseous. A large proportion of his dismay was that the Vet was probably right about the fact he'd be back in his old job before he'd even started his new one, but another part of him felt genuinely sorry for the fiery little beast. It seemed a terrible waste of his beauty to discard him simply because he was a little wild. Jax decided he was going to have to increase Mulder's training rapidly, and he had a good idea of how he could help the little beast win his new master's affection. His only problem would be convincing the beast to co-operate. ~~~ Skinner and Farrand had left the Capitol grounds and headed south-west at first because Skinner had a mental list of FBI safehouses in the suburbs that might have survived the initial destruction. He knew a number of Field Agents would have been outside the Hoover building at the time of the abduction and it seemed likely that they would have gathered together at known places of safety. It took them four days to reach and then trudge around the perimeter of
Washington's outskirts. The destruction radiated out from Capitol Hill in ever
decreasing severity so that at the rim of the city there were a number of
relatively undamaged buildings. Here, instead of the charred blackened rubble
left by the alien weapon, the sidewalks were littered with broken glass from
looted shops and the streets were full of empty cars and abandoned items of
luggage where refugees had obviously given up dragging their possessions by foot
and had simply left their lives discarded behind them as they ran. "Shockwave," Farrand said sagely. "Like the effects of a nuclear explosion. We'll probably find that all the batteries have been destroyed. So no one can use radios or torches or anything else that depends on battery power and it's pretty obvious that the mains supplies have been destroyed. It's a good job it's summer, or there'd be a lot of people freezing to death." "At this stage, I'd be happy to find a corpse," Skinner replied bluntly. "It's impossible that not a single person stayed behind in the city. I understand that anyone inside the strike zone would have been incinerated, but some of the people on the edges *must* have been injured in the blast. Either burnt or injured by the falling buildings." Farrand looked thoughtfully at the still smoldering piles of burning buildings. "I'd guess that if we moved that rubble, we'd find a lot of corpses," he replied, "but I agree with you that there must have been a number of non-fatal casualties, people with burns and broken limbs. Either the Albrecx managed to sweep them up after the initial attack, or they managed to instill enough fear in people that they ran despite their wounds." "They won't get far without cars," Skinner commented. "We're not getting far looking for survivors. I vote we collect all the supplies we can carry from the shops that haven't been completely looted and set off after them," Farrand suggested. "They will have scattered in all directions," Skinner pointed out. "So whichever way we go, we'll find someone who can tell us what happened," Farrand replied. "I suggest we head for Baltimore." "Why Baltimore?" Skinner asked suspiciously. "Why not?" Farrand replied. "Besides, we're near route 295 so it makes more sense to just get on the freeway here than work our way back through the city." Skinner thought about it, then shrugged. Farrand had followed him unprotestingly for several days as he'd made his useless search of the city. It was time that Skinner returned the favor. Besides, at this stage, one direction seemed as good as another. ~~~
Skinner accepted the steaming mug of coffee and sniffed gratefully at the comforting aroma. He had been back on the surface for four days and although he and Farrand had found sufficient food in the abandoned shops, this was his first hot drink. They made good time on the bikes, peddling down the abandoned freeway towards Baltimore, only occasionally having to dismount when the abandoned vehicles that strewed the road were too close together for Skinner and Farrand to be able to ride between them. As they traced the path of the earlier exodus they started to come across the first bodies. Many of the corpses had terrible burn scars that suggested they had died of injuries sustained in the alien attack. Other bodies, however, were clearly the work of other humans. In the midst of the flight from the alien menace, many people had instead met their tragic death at the hands of robbers or rapists. "When you see what humans do when there's no risk of reprisal, it makes the actions of the Albrecx more understandable," Farrand muttered as they cycled past the rotting half-naked body of a young woman. "How so?" Skinner asked. "They're bigger, stronger and there's no one to stop them," Farrand explained. "Which was probably the thought in the head of the fuckers who killed *that* poor bitch." "There's a difference," Skinner argued. "These atrocities are being done by a minority, Farrand. Most people don't act this way." "Yes they do. Take any war, take 'nam. All it takes is a breakdown of order and the belief that you won't be punished, and any guy can turn into a murderer and a rapist." "Not *any* guy," Skinner replied firmly. Farrand glanced over at Skinner's furious face and shrugged. The movement made his handlebars wobble and he had to struggle to regain his balance before he spoke again. "You're right, of course. There's always the good guys too. Problem is, in situations like this, it tends to be the bad guys who end up with the big guns." ~~~ It was the next day before they started passing straggling survivors of the alien blast. Although they stopped and questioned everyone about what had happened, nobody seemed able to tell them more than they already knew. The Albrecx (or according to some, the Russians) had destroyed the capital and people were simply fleeing for their lives and praying that they weren't heading straight into another killing zone. Their breakthrough came on the third day when they caught up with a group of teenagers. "We're heading for Baltimore Airport," a tall, over-thin boy told them firmly. His face and clothing were begrimed with soot, he was limping painfully because of a dark, seeping burn on his right leg, but his eyes were bright and hopeful. "Why the airport?" Skinner asked. "Because of the last radio transmission before the aliens shut all the communications down," the boy replied. "The guy said if we got ourselves *there*, people would be waiting to take us the rest of the way." "Where?" "To join the resistance, of course." ~~~ Go to Part Six
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