Desperate Measures

Witnesses are long gone before apocalypses ever finish their cataclysm. Whether due to an unfavorable environment, faith, or plain old infighting – death takes them all before the end. All that’s left behind is an empty world with no one but me to observe its final moments.

The climax of reality is never at the last few chapters or arc, but rather at the beginning or, if you’re lucky, in the middle. While people want to survive, irrationality slowly consumes even the most sane minds as they grow to distrust anyone not in their clique.

With that, even the smallest of nudges can make people resort to desperate measures.

Tick.

I had finally located it: the thing I was looking for. All my time, searching for a month, scouring the edges of the city without a trace, only for it to have been for naught. Rather than me finding it, it found me.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The steel glistened under the barrage of bullets tracing the midday sun. The white sheen of the chassis barreled down like a monster towards the church doors. The skidding wheels screeched while the fuel sloshed, frightening the nearby victims as it blew past. It took all I had not to lay down my gun and accept the incoming diesel truck with open arms.

I had to have it.

Tick.

As expected, the strokes from summer heat pushed many of the factions over the edge, reigniting their territory war for resources. The mutually assured destruction doctrine no longer mattered – they just wanted to be the one with most, regardless of the consequences. Of course, they still had some semblance of a brain, making sure to attack the faction with the most resources for the greatest benefit. What faction was that?

Well, the Harmony faction, unfortunately.

We were surrounded on all sides as hundreds, if not thousands of people fought in the streets, vying for control of the church. While there was plenty of weapons and ammunition, most of the Harmony faction were non-combatants, leaving many too scared to pick up a weapon. About twenty or thirty of the few hundred had the will to fight back, with half of that able to accurately shoot a gun. Basically, we were in a desperate situation. The only saving grace was that everyone outside was also killing each other in their frantic state.

But I digressed.

Tick.

“I’ll do something about the fuel truck!” Glad in my battle maiden cosplay for morale, I yelled back, running towards the truck with a gun and knife in hand. Hopefully, the grin growing on my face wasn’t visible.

“Casey, wa– Agh! Soraya! Cover my back please!” Andrea shouted from behind. I wasn’t sure how a nun with a shovel and maybe a gun was going to do anything, but it wasn’t like they were stepping out of the church anyway. First came the truck.

Given its speed, it would probably reach in thirty seconds. There was no fuel leaking out, so either the tank was made of a thicker steel or the bullets didn’t have the required power or angle to penetrate. Even if they did, it likely wouldn’t be able to ignite the tank. However, with how many bullets were flying around, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some specialized bullets that could cause an explosion, so I needed to end this fast.

While I had learned a lot about this world, there were many things I still didn’t know. Shooting the driver was a no-go; I wanted to avoid damaging the tank as much as possible. Throwing a weapon was a bust too; my strength was the same as an average person. That left the risky option. It would be annoying if something flew off, but compared to getting my hands on that truck, I could live without a few parts for a bit.

Tick.

My eyes ticked down as the truck quickly approached the staircase leading to the entrance. There was no need to rush anything. If there’s anything I was good at, it was timing.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

I started running…

Tick.

…and jumped right before the first step leading downwards.

Tick.

CRAAAASSSSSSHH!!

“Grk!” My body slammed right through the windshield as my knife found itself embedded in the driver’s throat. His eyes widened as his body turned the wheel, slamming on the brakes, on instinct a moment too late. My body jerked to the side as the truck swerved, throwing my body into the other passenger. I used that moment to swing my arm around and stab her in the heart.

The truck made a loud shrieking noise as it continued to slide towards the church. Its bottom wheels just managed to clear the stairway as it swung out towards the entrance. There was nothing more I could do to stop it.

BAAAMMM!! The truck crashed sideways into the doors, covering them completely. It was a miracle that the truck didn’t tip over. After making sure the two were dead, I checked myself over. Besides from a few clicks and clacks, nothing seemed to be broken. A quick pop fixed those issues right up, leaving behind the slight ticks made from the clocks in my eyes.

Tick.

If I had to say, everything worked out rather well. The truck was in my possession and doors were barred. While some might try to shoot the truck, most of them would be wary. After all, with the fantastical movies Andrea told me about, they probably believed any bullet could blow up a tank. To save the resources, they had to find a different way in.

I kicked open the door, flopping back into the safety of the church walls.

“Casey?!? What in the world was that?” Andrea asked, wearing the same dumbfounded look as the rest of the fighters.

“What do you mean? I secured the truck. Now I can power the train!” I responded.

“Wha– you— agh!” It seemed like my logic was a bit too insane for the average person. A couple lifetimes changed the way you thought.

Tick.

“Well, now they won’t be able to enter this way. What happened with the doors anyway? Why were they stuck open?” I quickly redirected.

Andrea took a second to calm down before responding. “I’m not sure, the doors simply wouldn’t move, as if they were locked in place. It did look like something was wrong with the hinges, but I couldn’t tell.”

Hmm, he already made his move then. “Are there any other entrances?”

“Huh? Yeah, there’s one around the–”

Bang!

A shot rang out, and a body slumped to the ground. The bullet pierced through the back of the nun’s habit, killing her instantly. At least it was painless, but nobody else thought that way. Andrea still couldn’t process what had just happened.

“So, what do you think you’re doing, killing your comrades like that, Mr. Firefighter?”