Chapter 4

Introduction
The fourth chapter of the Beyond the Blue series. Enjoy :)

Destruction
The road was quiet,, with very few debris here and there. A few abandoned cars were scattered on the sides of the streeteiither looted, destroyed with a lot of external damage. He couldn't believe this is what the world has become. William rode the bike, and easily evaded. Soon,the suburbs sticked up behind the trees. Even from up there, the destruction in the city was visible.

"it's just a few miles down this road now. There are no turns, just go wherever this road takes you. And slow down. An infected may pop up in front of us.

Back in the group, Ted, Nora, Spencer and Megan are tasked with keeping everyone safe.

Nora recalls the last words William whispered before he left "Keep them all safe and don't reveal anything about our mission", she recalled.

She stands out on the front porch alone. Spencer and Ted are inside, taking ou any infected that occuly the Inn. The rest of the two groups, scientists and civilians alike are waiting outside.

"Isn't that dangerous?", a man with extremely wide eyes asks George. "Um, what?", George asks. "The blood", the man asks and points at the blood stains in Goerge's shirt. George recalls the infected he killed earlier and the blood it splattered all over him. "No, no one has ever turned from getting dirty with blood. Only a bite", he says but stops when the man doesn't listen. "it's amazing", the man continues, completely ignoring what George said. "I am an entomologist, there are so many tests I could run with the right equipment, on just this very small sample. This is exciting. Very exciting. Imagine the possibilities if we can decipher the dna changes in these people and if we could modify them to... Imagine what we could find out about how the alien DNA interferes with the human one. Do they even have DNA? Or RNA? Or any of the other numerous, maybe even more undiscovered ways of interpreter life? What if we could.. Oh my god, this is exciting, this is awesome". George listens to the man rumbling without saying anything. "How can he be this excited when virtually everyone around him is dead?", he thinks to himself.

"Um, sorry to interrupt", George says with a smile, "but from what you said right now I didn't understand jack", he says with a chuckle. "It is nice talking to you though. George Brown", he introduces and offers a handshake.

"Oh, but of course, hw could you? You are not a scientist like the rest of us. How foolish of me. Please excuse me. I am Ryan Lainus, but sorry, I don't do handshakes".

"Oh", George says and withdraws his hand. "What a weirdo", he thinks. "So wait, are you all scientists?", he asks amazed.

A few yards away, James is sitting with Karen on a bench out in the yard. James looks around, and his eyes catch a familiar figure. He stands up and walks to him, his mind trying to remember where he seems familiar from. "Excuse me", James says. "You seem very familiar. Is it possible that I know you from somewhere?", James asks politely.

"The only time I lived here, was when I worked for the university, some years ago", Allan replies. James now remembers. He was a professor in the unversity when he was too. They never got to meet, but Dr Aallan Brown was one of the brightest scientists there, until he left to go work someplace else. "Ah, I remember now. We worked at the university at the same time. You probably don't know me, perhaps you hadn't even heard of me back then, but I had definitely heard of you. You are Allan Brown, the geneticist", James adds.

"Yes", Allan replies. "And you must be the history professor", Allan adds. "You know me?", James asks surprised.

"I watched some of your lectures back then. Very interesting indeed. Big fan of history. It's one of the most essential sciences", he answers. "Study the past....", he says in a raised voice "if you would define the future", James finishes the sentence and they both chuckle. "My name's James Davis, by the way", James adds and gives Allan a handshake. Allan smiles but they are both cut by Nora's voice.

Nora is standing on the gate of the front yard, cautious of any approaching infected. When she turns around, she sees Ryan Lainus and Allan Brown talking to people from the other group.

"Keep them all safe and don't reveal anything about our mission", William's orders replay in her mind. "Hey you there, stop the chit-chat", she orders. The four of them exchange a firm handshake and go back to their respective groups.

George hurries back, bringing the rest news. "They are all some kind of scientists", he says in a low voice, not trying to hide his excitement. "And the military are guarding them. What do you think they are?", he asks in a low and collusive voice. "That man my age is a geneticist", James says. "And that one is an entomologist", George adds.

"Gee, I wonder what it could be", Mat sayss mockingly. "Could they maybe study the fucking things that tore the world apart?", he asks making a gri on his face.

"Hey watch your mouth", James says in a serious voice. "Come on gramps, the world is destroyed and you care about me swearing?", mat asks again. James sits by his grandson's side and puts his arm around his neck. "It's nothing like that, and you know it. I just don't like seeing you so sad", he says in a comforting voice. Mat can't help but feel better and leans against James' shoulder.

Jason, paying no attention to their conversation, has his eyes pinned to Nora who watched the door. "Go talk to her", a voice whispers in his ear. jason turns to see hia aunt Karen laughing at him. "What?", she asks. jason smiles and looks at her confused, tryiing to decipher if she is serios or trolling. "Are you serious?", he asks. "It may be end of the world, she's cute, you 're cute, and even if she doesn't like you, she doesn't have a lot of options. Besides, everyone would look for some comfort sex during the apocalypse. Jason makes a disgusted face and looks away flushing. "Oh, come on, you think I feel comfortable talking with you about these things?", he protests. "Just go talk to her. You 'll surprise yourself", she adds. "Yeah, why not?", he agrees and heads out. "Oh, and Jason, be careful of the father", she points at Norman. jason smiles and heads towards Nora. She stares out on the road, watching for any infected or maybe lost in her thoughts. Jason can't really tell. She doesn't even turn to him until he leans across the fence next to her when she gives him a quick look. "Never got the chance to say sorry about before", he breaks the silence.

"What for?", Nora asks with apathy. "For aiming at you, threatening to shoot", he smirks. "Wasn't going to do it, you know", he apologises.

"Too bad, she says. You should be able to. It was your father who was in danger. You should do anything for him", she adds.

"Yeah, like you do for yours?", he asks abruptly. Nora is taken by surprise, and gives him an angry look. "Don't mean to intrude, but he never took his eyes off of you, and you clearly seem to be mad at him. Really not my prooblem though", he adds in a lower voice and raises his hands in defence.

"Not your business", she stops him. "Now excuse me, I got work to do", she says and turns her eyes back on the road, but is interrupted by Megan's voice, who gives the clear for them to move in the Inn.

"So we 're good?", he asks, following her inside.

"Yeah, we 're okay", she replies with the same apathy.

"Nice, maybe then we can hang out sometime", Jason adds with confidence. Nora stops and turns to him, who nearly crashes on her.

"Look, I got really a lot going on right now. More than you can understand", she says coldly. "The last thing I got time for is flirting", she adds and continues walking inside. Jason doesn't follow her anymore, but stands there surprised. He shakes his head, and a voiceless "WOW" appears on hia face.

"Didn't go well, huh?", aunt Karen says as she approaches him.

"Don't think so", says Jason.

The group slowly moves inside the house. Most of them haven't talked a lot yet, and most only tend to the elderly and children, trying not to lose them and keep them close. Megan inspects the place one more time, making sure everything is perfect. A man walks by her and stand sright next to her.

"Is everything ok?", Spencer asks. Nora turns to him and gives a faint smile. "I'm fine", she reassures him. "I just need to use the bathroom, it's been a few hours", she says and leaves him.

As she comes out of the bathroom, Megan hears an odd sound in the men's room and knocks on the door. A faint voice is heard from inside. "Help", the voice says. megan kicks the door open and inspects the area. On the ground there is a man laying with his back on the wall, and sweaty all over. "Ted?", Megan asks.

William and Michael have stopped on the foot of the mountain and decide to continue to the trucks on foot. The area around is empty, but seems peaceful. A few houses, a motel, a grocery atore and a few houses here and there. Michael remembers this place as the closest to civilization he ever had when he lived on the house in the mountain. William tries to remember where they parked the trucks when they first arrived in the area.

"It's this way", Michael instructs him, as if he read what he was thinking. William follows and they spot two infected a few yards in front of them as they take the turn. Michael takes out a knife and moves towards their place. "I'm gonna need some help, just to be safe", he says looking at the infected.

"No", William says and grabs his hand. "What happened in the mountain was completely different. We can leave them. They haven't seen us yet".

"What do you mean leave them?", Michael asks curiously. "They are monsters, shadows of their former selves. Put them out of their misery; you do them a favor".

"I said no", William orders again, in a more demanding voice. "We don't know what they are. There may be a cure for them", he adds, thinking about how doomed the world is if there isn't one.

"There isn't, ok?", Michael snaps. Panting heavily, he puts his palms across his face and takes a llok around. The infected have their backs turned to them and haven't noticed their presence yet. "I.... I lost my wife to them", he explains, ready to cry. "I watched her die. I watched her turn". He couldn't hold his tears back in the last sentence. "She is dead", he states in a clear voice among his tears, and shakes his head, as if he tries to convince himself that his wife is really dead. "She is. I checked her pulse. There was none"

"What do you mean?", William asks, buffled from the new information. "Jesus fuckin Christ man", Michael shouts. "What the hell have you been doing the past three weeks? Have you been hiding up in the mountai while we were getting butchered down here? What are you, huh? Are you some kind of coward? Did you and your friends abandon everything and went on a little vacation in the woods? Because we didn't see shit of the military while we died down here", he yells in front of William's face.

William hasn't talked yet. He waits patiently for Michael to end his yelling, clenching his teeth and fists, keeping himself from exploding. "Don't you ever dare tell me that I wasn't there", he says between his teeth.Michael turns to him and gives him a mean look. "What did you say to me?", he asks. "Was that a fucking order? who do you tthink I am, one of your little bitches you get to order around? I wasn't trying to hide in some damn forest with you. You. Don't. Get. To. Order. Me. Around", he says pointing his finger on William's face.

William struggles to keep it together. He knows it's not his fault, not is it Michael's, but with Billy's apparent death, he can't help it. Without thinking, he drives his hand and drives a fist in Michael's face.

Michael falls down and coughs blood. In a matter of seconds, he jumps back up and charges towards William. He gets im by the waist and throws him down on the ground.

"My wife died, and you aabandoned us all", Michael yells out of control. William lands on his back, and hits his head in the asphalt. He lets out a loud groan, but elbows Michael on his back. Michael loosens his grip, and William knees him in the stomach. Lastly, he kicks him hard and throws him on the gorund too. Losing no time, William climbs on top of Michael and grabs him by the throat. Slowly, he starts squeezing him.

"That damn plane tha flew right into one of those things, right before the blackout", he says in an angry voice, "that was my brother. He sacrificed himself and took down their motherships. Had it not been him, your boys would have ended up like your wife", he adds. Michael tries to catch his breath, and his hands grab William's, trying to ease the burden off his throat. Suddenly, Michael goes for William's handgun. In a second he has undone the safety, and takes two shots.