UNSCDF Chapter 11- A Near Miss

Greenacre, New South Wales, Australia

Roberts Park

July 18, 1999

1615 Local Time

            Sarah got off the school bus along with other civilians. She was upset that the soldiers dragged her out of her house and brought her here. She was waiting for her parents to get home, but it did not seem possible at this point in time.

            “All able-bodied men should report here.” an Australian soldier spoke on the speakers and waved his hand.

            Sarah wondered if this was where Charlie signed up for her and decided to take a look around.

           “Sorry ma’am, you can’t enter.” a nearby soldier grabbed her shoulder as she made her way halfway through the line.

            “Why?” Sarah asked.

            “Women and children go to the other line.” the soldier pointed.

         “I’m looking for my parents.” Sarah brushed his hand off her shoulder as she quickly gave her reasons.

            “Then head on over there.” the soldier gave her a serious stare.

            Sarah took one more look and then headed over to the other line and saw a different uniformed soldier. Sarah noticed aircraft lifting off in the background ferrying the civilians. As she approached the soldier in front of the line writing down names before people entered the aircraft, she saw the word “UNSC” stenciled on his flak jacket.

            “Name?” the soldier glanced at Sarah.

            “Sarah. Sarah Hunter.” Sarah decided to use her mother’s last name in hopes of finding her mother.

            “Alright, get on the Pelican.” the soldier waved her to the aircraft.

            Sarah was a bit lost with everything happening so fast, but she felt a bit reassured knowing Charlie went to enlist in the UNSC and that she was riding in a UNSC Pelican. She looked at the people sitting beside her and noticed so many scared faces. The Pelican lifted off and Sarah looked at the distant cities. Sydney was hit the hardest; the city had been overrun with the zombies within two days. Sarah glanced at two marines sitting next to the cockpit door and then looked at another marine manning the turret. She noticed a sweaty woman coughing beside the marine on the turret and saw her eyes. The woman looked at Sarah and suddenly got up from her seat.

            “Sit down!” the marine manning the turret commanded.

          Suddenly, the woman charged at the marines and bit his neck. The marine screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. The civilians saw the infected and all ran towards the cockpit doors. This sudden shift of weight caused the Pelican to tilt downwards as it skidded over the roofs of many houses.

            “Shit!” one of the marines yelled as the Pelican crashed to the ground.

            Luckily, Sarah still had her seat belt fastened and was just bruised by the impact. She released her seat belt and scanned at the pile of bodies beside a burning cockpit door.

            “Help!” a muffled yell came from under the pile.

           Sarah’s gut told her to run away, but she couldn’t leave a person behind to burn to death. She flipped over some bodies and uncovered a dark skinned marine in his late twenties.

        “Thanks.” the marine pulled himself out and grabbed his M16. “Let’s get out of here before it explodes.”

            Sarah nodded and ran quickly out the rear of the Pelican. She turned around and noticed the marine detaching the M60 turret and then run towards her.

            “You know how to fire a gun?” the marine asked.

            “Yeah, did it in Army Cadets once.” Sarah replied.

            “Take this.” the marine gave her his M16.

            “Thanks?” Sarah laughed.

            “What’s you name girl?” the marine waved her to run away from the flaming Pelican.

            “I’m Sarah.” Sarah replied.

            “I’m Corporal Azrie al-Rahman. You can call me Az.” the marine took off his damaged helmet and dropped it to the ground.

            “What do we do now Az?” Sarah asked.

            “My comms got fried so we won’t be expecting a rescue.” al-Rahman pointed at the helmet on the ground.

            “Now what?” Sarah asked uneasily holding the M16.

            “We’ll have to walk our way to the Relief Center down in Bankstown.” al-Rahman explained.

            “Bankstown…” Sarah thought out loud.

           “I know, it’s a couple kilometers.” al-Rahman sighed. “We’ll have to be stealthy to avoid any infected along the way.”

            Sarah and al-Rahman walked past a few houses when the Pelican exploded behind them.

            “Better hurry. That’s going to attract a lot of attention.” al-Rahman pointed at the explosion.

            “Or help.” Sarah joked to reassure herself.

            “I don’t think so…” al-Rahman pointed his M60 at a group of zombies running at them.

            “Damn.” Sarah steadied her gun.

          “Go down the alley first. I’ll cover you.” al-Rahman pointed at an alley beside Sarah and fired his gun at the zombies.

            Sarah ran down the alley and came across two zombies feasting on a corpse.

            “Shit!” Sarah aimed her gun and fired as the two zombies noticed her.

            al-Rahman saw Sarah firing in the alley and ran towards her.

            “Let’s get inside Sarah.” al-Rahman fired at the zombies.

            Sarah bashed her gun at the window next to the door handle and reached in to unlock it. In a matter of minutes, the alley was flooded with zombies on both sides.

            “Die!” al-Rahman yelled and sprayed a heavy cover fire as he backed up into the building.

            “Az! Come here now.” Sarah shouted as she opened a metal door and waved at him.

            al-Rahman quickly turned around and ran inside as she closed the door and locked it shut.

“Phew, that was close.” al-Rahman wiped sweat off his forehead.

“We have to find a way out of here.” Sarah pointed at the metal door being pounded by the zombies.

“Agreed, let’s take a look at our ammo.” al-Rahman opened the magazine box on his M60.

            “I’m at one quarter of a clip.” Sarah removed the magazine from her gun.

            “It looks like I’ve got another twenty rounds left in this beast.” al-Rahman closed the magazine box.

            “Let’s check the back. Maybe there is an exit.” Sarah hoped.

            al-Rahman pushed some chairs and tables to the metal door and wedged it to buy them more time to look around. Sarah noticed a wooden a door and waved at al-Rahman.

            “I’ll go first. You watch my back.” al-Rahman slowly opened the door.

            Inside the room was an old grey sedan in a garage.

            “Let’s see if I can hotwire this thing.” al-Rahman mounted the M60 on top of the car.

            Sarah looked at al-Rahman break the window on the passenger’s side and opened the door. Sarah turned her head to the metal door and saw some screws falling of its hinges.

            “Az, you better hurry up.” Sarah looked uneasily.

            “Trying, take this.” al-Rahman took the M60 off the car and mounted in front of Sarah and the door.

            “Okay…” Sarah had a confused look.

        “When they get through which they will. Squeeze the trigger. When you’re out, use your M16.” al-Rahman explained.

            “Great.” Sarah smiled nervously.

            “I should be done in a few minutes.” al-Rahman reassured her.

         The metal door groaned as the zombies bashed it. After a minute, the door frame gave in and came smashing to the ground. Sarah fired the M60 at the crowd, but ran out of ammo in five seconds. She quickly picked up the M16 and fired bursts. Click. Click. The gun ran out of ammo.

            “I’m done. Get in now!” al-Rahman shouted as he opened the door for her.

            The zombies ran inside the room and pounded at the car. al-Rahman slammed on the accelerator and smashed through the garage door and drove up a sidewalk. After a few turns, they had managed to lose the horde.

            “You alright?” al-Rahman looked at a tired Sarah.

            “Yeah, I’m okay.” Sarah closed her eyes.

            “You are a brave girl.” al-Rahman continued to drive.

          Sarah began to wonder if her parents were alive after seeing how scary and powerful the zombies were.

           “Maybe everyone close to me is gone.” Sarah felt a wave of sadness as it swept over her in thought.

          “Perhaps even Charlie…” Sarah thought about the chat she had with Charlie. “The only friend who still hasn’t abandoned me after the apocalypse.”