Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 56: Nimo’s arrival.

Engines rumbled like distant thunder, armored personnel carriers lined with patchwork steel carrying one thousand soldiers and three hundred civilians traveled up the lonely small path, heading to what was promised to be safety.

Lieutenant Nimo rode at the front; boots planted beside her canine partner Dash. Her fingers were dancing in the rain, which was bouncing inside, annoying Dash that was trying to get some rest after a six-hour drive.

"Less than five minutes out." a comms officer that was controlling the drone that was flying above the convoy reported.

Nimo replied, "Keep going, no deviation. Keep the civilians calm because this is not a government sanctioned base. If anyone tries something stupid, they will be left behind and they can seek help elsewhere."

Her words traveled through walkies-talkies and into the ears of the civilians. Their nervousness increased. Mothers and fathers hugged their children tighter. Elders kept their eyes on the supplies they had managed to bring along, whatever had not been looted or stolen when they were making their way to join the others at the meeting point before the journey begun.

The convoy moved in deliberate cadence: troop carriers up front, supply vehicles in the center, civilian trucks followed, and more troop carriers cocooned in the rear.

Such a sight of mass migrations was no longer new in many parts of the country and the world.

Inside Hauler 12, Staff sergeant, Erica Warrow sat among her squad, eyes fixed on the rear monitor that showed families following them. They were squeezed into trucks like refugees being transported to a camp after losing their homes. Children were covered in blankets; some were clutching their dolls and others were crying or sleeping.

Erica wondered how many times she had seen such scenes in war torn countries. She never though that someday, in her homeland, she would have to pack up her children in such a manner, leaving behind nearly everything they owned.

She recalled how her six-year-old daughter Lyra had asked her if they would ever return home. Erica had not answered. Not because she did not know [which she didn’t] but because she was afraid to give Lyra hope.

Fortress Four loomed and the first wall came into appearance. Many heads peeked out of windows, despite the rain. Sleeping civilians woke up but they could not see anything as the trucks were covered by truck tarp.

The gates were like giant behemoths, taller than the fence. They were black in color and harder than material on earth. They were forged from Dexonite, a shimmering alloy that absorbed electromagnetic pulses and reflected light in the dark, as bright as the sun.

"Turn off the engines and wait patiently in the cars. Over." Sergent Nimo notified them as she stepped out of the car.

She walked straight to the gates and waved at the cameras. "Can someone please tell Sunshine Raine that Sergent Nimo has arrived."

Nimo stood outside the gates, holding an umbrella as she patiently waited. Dash was impatient, and he was already barking at her to get back in the truck.

After a five-minute wait, the gate began to rumble open. It separated like giant metal teeth, revealing a yawning passage glowing with wire veins and darkness.

Nimo entered the truck and rubbed Dash’s head. "Let’s move." She said into the radio.

As each unit passed through, the vehicles and occupants were scanned. Everything they carried was logged into the system.

The trucks passed in designated spots and finally parked in the car storage area.

"Everyone should remain calm until they hear from me. Again, this is a private base and the security here is very tight. One wrong move and the people on the walls will shoot to kill." Nimo warned them.

As she stepped out of the truck, she heard her name being screamed. When she turned her head, she saw Sunshine running towards her while carrying a toddler in her arms.

"Aah," Sunshine hugged her. "You made it."

Nimo hugged her back. "I cannot believe that this place exists. How was it built in a week?"

"By hiring close to ten thousand workers that worked in overlapping shifts." Sunshine replied. "How else would we have enough stone houses to fit all these people that you brought?" She peeked over Nimo’s shoulder. "We need to get these people settled; they must be exhausted."

Nimo had a lot she wanted to talk about but first, she turned around and slapped the truck twice. The driver jumped out and Dash also jumped out of the window.

"Dog, dog." Castiel shouted while jerkily trying to jump in Sunshine’s arms.

"Yes, dog." She replied.

"All soldiers, please evacuate the trucks." Nimo ordered through the radio.

She did not have the highest rank among those that came, but she was the one with the connection to the base. Naturally, leadership had been handed to her.

Rori Quinn and others were waiting to process the new arrivals in a large empty warehouse built out of twenty containers. It now served as the registration office. Medical officers were also on standby, ready to care for anyone that needed help.

Sunshine and Nimo also went to help, handing out thermal bands which were a necessity in the apocalypse. They measured body temperature, inflammation and breathing issues.

Inside were trackers that could also be used to identify the location of someone.

"You must wear your thermal bands at all times." Sunshine reminded them. "After settling in, visit the information center and receive the rules of the base, directions and other details."

The same advice she was giving, a smooth mechanical voice coming from a speaker in the wall above was also doing. Hades had even added a large flat screen solar powered television which only had the words welcome to Fortress Four, a sanctum for humanity.

It took an hour long to clear all the soldiers and their details and then the civilians followed. Names were logged; families were directed to living sectors where another team was waiting to receive them and provide help.

Every stone house had furniture and some necessities. Hades had figured that he would not be able to save his money that was in the bank so he bought all the things that those that lived within the base would need.

They were not as lucky as he was, to have a wife with a space that could carry furniture and everything in their home.

Others were taken to housing beyond the second wall and others to the inner wall. Erica was among those that were taken to the inner wall.

She switched on the light in their house and gasped as she had been expecting an empty house.

"Mommy, is this home now?" Lyra asked.

Erica smile, just a flicker. "I hope so."

Sunshine was about to lead Nimo to the twenty fifth floor of the main residence when her friend pulled on her arm.

Tentatively, Nimo said, "So... I know you said we cannot trust super humans, but I brought Carson Warnock. But I have made it clear to him that whether he stays or goes is still your decision, not mine."

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶