The Badlands: Kinship

She is grunting as she drags me into a room and bars the door. The benefit at least is we will be safe for a little. The things are in my earshot skittering around the Predlym. I shudder as the wave of pain hits me again. I feel myself starting to get drowsy. The pain is taking all I have to even keep awake now.

"Don't you dare pass out on me." She angrily says to me.

"I'm trying to stay awake." I groan. " Everything hurts." I add.

"I am going to assume you broke something.." She says as she goes through her bag.

I shuffle to give her some space. My arms ache from the bruising of my fall. I find myself having Mia pointing a thing, looking like a laser blaster. I shudder.

"Mia, what are you-!" I go to say as a blue light bathes over me.

The light feels like its warm and icy cool at the same time. I can hear grinding coming from my ribs and legs. I stare at Mia in amazement.

"I ain't losing you yet." She says.

I can feel vibrations coming from the ground travelling through the predlym as well. The clatter of the walking creatures fades towards the ground. I sigh in relief.

"Installment Brigade Redeeming Lost Outpost!" I hear someone shouting from the ground.

"Reclamation Squads." Mia sighs with relief.

"That's a good thing right?" I ask.

"Yeah, its a good thing." She replies. "My boys will wipe them out easily. We should help when your feeling better." She says, looking at the mounted screen on the blue light causing device.

"I feel better, but what is that you're shooting me with?" I ask.

"They are hyper fixated UV Rays that carry with color frequencies the eyes wouldn't be able to see, hence the blue appearance." She replies.

"So, it heals with light?" I ask.

"And sound." She replies.

"That's possible?" I ask.

"It's happening. So uh, yeah." She laughs lightly at me.

Within a few moments, that feel like months as the sounds blasters fill the air, my body heals. Mia being my attendant for my healing is comforting. Before I know it she is at the door removing the bar. I get to my feet, a little bit off balance.

The healing made my legs have his sensation, like they fallen asleep when the light worked through me. I sigh as I struggle to keep my typical pace to follow her back to the bottom of the predlym. I scan the ground and pick up a large laser blaster.

We move down to the door we had barricaded before, yet the door and amassed stuff before it is scattered around the ground just inside. I raise the blaster and check the charges left to it. I flip the green switch on the side of the barrel as Mia readies her own blaster in one hand, the electric whip in her offset hand.

We waltz outside, red and green lasers pass by us. Some hit the sands and form brilliant crystal's that release clouds of glittery dusts. The bone armored beings start to become surrounded as we approach the ones who saved us.

"We've got them surrounded." I hear a male say in the distance.

A chattering howl comes from the group of the bone spiders. The glowing peering from behind the masks of some of them, keeping them eerily lit. The sun starts to come over the horizon and I sigh as I start firing my blaster into the group of bone spiders.

"Fire!" I hear someone with a deep distorted tone shout.

A mass of purple and blue flames eject from a person covered in crimson colored battle armor. It has refractive plating and even has an ion compression battery. The combination, makes the flamethrower work from the individual suit and Mia gasps watching the heavy temperatures roast the bone spiders in a stench.

"Woah...." I exasperate.

The screeching of the arachnid humanoids fill the air. A stench of burnt manure fills the air when they finally cease screeching in torment. It seems they can be killed after all! We both run up to the group coming to reclaim the Predlym.

“Stand down men, survivors.” I hear the man in a black metallic armor come forward.

The man is completely metal coated, the head only having the from facing piece being a glass-like visor. I assume the man inside the armor can see through the visor with some kind of visual enhancement. I wonder what all that suit of armor can do for the user.

“We come from the Predlym. We arrived after the attack from the bone spiders.” Mia says.

I can’t help but nod and raise my hands. I hope they recognize this the same as the Basha settlers would. Some of the survivors out in these crazy wastelands are more friendly than others, of course.

“You got them to leave the Predlym?” The armored man speaks.

“Yes sir.” Mia says.

“You know who this is Mia?” I can’t help but ask.

“General Timerus.” He says, extending his arm to shake my hand.

“I am Etha.” I introduce myself.

“You’re the one who went with Mia and discovered Old Boston right?” He asks.

“That’s him.” Mia nods.

I would never expect that someone would actually know me by an accomplishment in the badlands. This is a foreign feeling. I know that we did something amazing, but it is odd to be recognized for that. We really did nothing special, in my mind. We just want to make life better for the badlands.

“We have been asked to help you to get to the St. Lawrence Canyon.” The armoured man says.

I can’t help but be suspicious of this. How would they know we were here? How would they know we were even getting near here? Radios don’t work. The radioactivity in the badlands forbids audio signals like that to function. Most wonder if the old satellites would work if we ever found a way back into space like the people before the bombs fell.

“Who asked you?” Mia jests immediately.

“I was wondering that too.” I admit.

“Well, the mercenaries in New Boston relayed your mission.” He says. “We simply want to help.” He adds.

Mia looks to me and I only nod. We both are on the same page. It seems to be something of an understanding with us now. We are both suspicious of most things. However, we will play along with this guys claim for now.

“Lead the way.” She says.

“Right.” He replies swiftly.

“How long you been allied to the mercenaries?” I ask.

“Almost a decade now.” He replies.

He seems to be legit, but I still have my doubts. Mia would know the better questions to ask. I just know I have to prod a bit. If I am to trust this guy and his team with my life, I want to be certain it is something responsible for me to do.

We walk amongst a team of fifteen total people, myself and Mia counted for. I feel safer in one sense, as bandits and raiders will be less likely to attack an entire group. However, there are always things out there which may not care as much. Caution is still something of a necessity.

“We should make it to the St. Lawrence Canyon in a couple of days. We will set up camp at sunset.” The man who is deemed the general says to us.

“Fair.” Mia says.

I personally, am grateful she spoke up before I managed words. I am still a bit skeptical just from how perfect the timing was of their approach. I continue with the group. Mia seeming to be fully ready to trust the group. I only hope we are with honest people.

“So you encountered the bone spiders and a giant worm?” Timerus asks.

“We named the worm, Asag, as the ancient Sumerians would have. It was, after all, a giant earth based monstrosity.” I reply.

“Yes, we were in Old Boston when we named the thing.” Mia adds.

“Talk about luck.” Timerus says.

“You’re telling me.” I reply.

“Where are you from?” He asks.

This walk seems to last far longer than I expected. Mia starts to loosen up. Her nerves must be settling. This is one thing I can take in comfort.

“I am from Basha.” I speak quickly.

The smell of salt is slowly wafting as we journey farther from the predlym. We must be getting close to the St. Lawrence canyon. I only hope that Mia was right with their information. It would suck to have to trek across all the badlands once more.

“So we should be coming up on the St. Lawrence Canyon by nightfall tomorrow.” Timerus announces.