"Subsistence Hunting is a dying way of life and has been for decades, BUT if you look close enough you might find one or two practitioners left. They're a stubborn bunch"
- Anonymous Online Post 2056
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As I made my way through Pittsburgh, I was not happy. Yes, the trip is necessary that doesn't mean I have to like it. It's not like I can produce my own ammo. So off to Pittsburgh I am going, because so many smaller towns have just been abandoned. Like Philidelphia, Pittsburgh isn't quite considered a mega-city it has a few mega-buildings (like two) so that makes it better than Harrisburg (the capitol), but that is another issue. At 19 years of age, I've been here a couple times over the past few years since my old hunting grounds got swallowed up by Harrisburg, luckily, I found some people to sell to who aren't corps. The well off still like fur coats and some kids like jewelry made out of antlers and such.
"So, the Great Hunter returns victorious." Janelle Regan a 5' 10" tall woman who I would say is in her 40s with auburn hair. She happens to be the owner of the Greasy Kettle says as I enter her diner.
"Knock it off I hate it when you call me that." I responded looking up slightly to meet her eyes as I'm only 5'7" myself. "I have 200 pounds of venison for you. You want it or not?"
"Straight to business, who pissed in your breakfast?" Janelle asked surprised by the gruffness of my reply. "You sure you can spare 200lbs of meat though, Bill?" Also surprised by what I was offering.
"Yeah, I'll be fine got a buck and a doe this year, so I'm set for winter. As for your first question Jean Marselle did. She sent a message saying she could only offer me half of what she paid me last year for twice the amount of material."
"Oh, that's probably because there is a corp the Luxury Fur Company trying to get you sell to them. Since the big wigs wives love those fur coats made out of the stuff you bring in. They have her daughter."
"Damn it." Is all I can say. "So, are you taking the meat or not and can you call Winston and tell him I'm going to visit him sooner than I usually do?"
"I'll take the meat, but what are you planning?" concern in her voice, "You can't take on a corp."
"You're right I can't. That doesn't mean I'm going to walk into Jean's place without more ammo, in case they try something more while I'm there."
"Fine, I'll call Winston for you. Things would be easier for you if you got some augs though. I don't care if you think that would make it 'unsporting for the prey' "As we walked into her office, and she sat down her one eye taking on an unfocused look as the call connected "Hey Wiston yes, it is unusual for me to call but William said he wants to be visit earlier than normal... Yeah, it's because of what's happening with Jean... He said it's in case they try something more when he gets to her place..." She looks at me. "He wants to know how much earlier."
"I'll be heading over once you pay me for the meat... On second thought just send the money to Winston." She looked shocked and worried but relayed the message and sent the money.
"Are you coming back?" she asked. I knew why she was concerned and worried though when she put venison on the menu the number of customers she had doubled until it ran out. I thought really hard for a couple of minutes then said.
"No, I don't think I will. If they went after Jean's daughter there is nothing stopping those goddamn bastards from taking your grandchildren next year to get what they want. I sell this year's harvest then move on to a different hunting ground. It's been... Nice to work with you." I extended my hand; she got up came around her desk but hugged me instead confusing the hell out of me.
"You take care of yourself out there you hear?"
"I'll be fine, as long as the corps don't come after me." As I walked to the door on my glasses, I pulled up my email and sent a message to my siblings informing them that I was moving on again and why I was doing so. As I opened the door to the diner it happened:
INCURSION DETECED
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Please report to the nearest shelter.
Damn it all to hell. I thought, and then worked the lever action on my .45 Henry rifle to chamber a round. I also got the .45 caliber M1911 out my thigh holster and also chambered a round for it and take off my glasses (I only use them for things most people have augs for my vision is fine) put them in their case which goes in my pack. Janelle has just exited the diner herself and locked the door she started heading up the street toward the shelter nine blocks away the opposite direction of Winston's place. Less than 60 seconds later I see a model 3 come around the corner 2 blocks away. I raise my rifle and line up the iron sights as it starts to charge in our direction. I take a deep breath and let half of it out before holding the rest then squeeze the trigger and hit it in the head it drops dead. Janelle screams and looks at back at me surprised by the gunshot. Several more 3's come around the corner. She pulls a 9mm Glock from her holster in the back of her pants.
"GO GOD DAMN IT. I'LL TAKE CARE OF THESE FUCKERS." Janelle starts running. Six shots later six more dead model 3s, my rifle is empty. Putting the sling back over my shoulder I get my M1911 out and start heading the way Janelle did. The only remaining ammo I have is in the 3 spare magazines for the M1911. Meaning that in order to in ensure my accuracy and kills I have to let those monstrosities get closer. On the next block on my way to the shelter, I see Maria and Rosetta. Janelle's 21-year-old daughter and 4-year-old granddaughter respectively come running out from the side street with terror written on their faces. A model 3 and some tentacled devil not far behind. I start sprinting to get close enough, so I don't have to worry about hitting the girls. When Rossetta trips I stop and take careful aim and hit the 3 in the shoulder bringing its and the 4's attention to me. Two more shot puts the 3 down I put 3 rounds in the center of the tentacle devil which luckily knocks it down. I reload my handgun as Maria picks Rosetta up.
"Janelle is already on her way to the shelter" I inform them. Maria takes off carrying Rosetta in her arms without responding. Two clips of ammo left. I resume my own trek to the shelter, now only a block away I hear the sound of a scream. I enter a building that's front door has been knocked down. I hear a second, but different sounding scream it came from the second floor. I walk up the stairs to the door the screams came from. I walk through the busted open door and find a small apartment I see a man his head and right arm missing as are his clothes and another model 3 beating its head against another door. I take aim and drop it with a shot to the head. I hear the second higher pitched scream again. I open the door to find a young woman tied to a bed with other restraints nearby but no longer fastened, and a gag around her throat instead of in her mouth. Her clothes and the clothes of the dead guy laying all over the room. I get out a knife and cut the ropes return to the first room and cover the corpse with a blanket that was on the couch in the room, as she puts her clothes back on. When she finishes dressing and comes into the main room, she sees the blanket getting soaked with blood put her hands to her mouth and starts crying. I'm not good with emotions. When my granddad died, I didn't try to comfort my siblings, my parents, or myself. I focused on figuring out how to do some of the chores he did so as to take on my share of the burden of ensuring my families survival. Any time after that if I stumbled upon an emotionally intense situation my go to was to do or say whatever was the best practical thing to help us survive. I pretty sure my siblings are... Displeased with me to say the least. Not knowing what to say to help her I start walking to the exit. The best courses of action to survive are to find a heavily defended place to wait out the Samurai ending this, or make a defensible position to kill Antithesis from.
I make it to the stairs when I hear her running to catch up. She runs past me and disappears out the door to the street. Once I make it out, I see her about block away already. I start my steady jog again when out of an alley way I get ambushed by another tentacle devil. I lose my cool and unload the clip at point blank range needless to say is done. DAMN IT now I only have ONE clip left. I reload and as I make it to the next intersection I look to my left and see ten model 3s headed my way. Well FUCK IT. I take aim six head shots later six dead 3s, four more still coming. I holster the M1911 unsling the rifle and hold it by the barrel to use it like a club. Sorry Dad. I'm able to knock the first to the ground temporarily, I leap to the side to avoid the second which runs headfirst into an abandoned car hard and doesn't get back up, I also am able to club the third to the ground, the fourth bowls into me I pull my knife and stick it in its eye it stops moving. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug. I get up pull the knife from the thing's eye looking at the last two. The first has regained its feet. I picked up my rifle again and bash it in the head again hearing an ominous crack from the rifle it stays down this time. The third comes at me I hit it as well, but half the rifle goes flying down the street. I pull my knife again as the third charges yet again it hits me, and I put the knife in one of its eyes as well. As I sit there and try to collect my breath which is very difficult and painful as the adrenaline is wearing off (it really is a hell of a drug).
That's when it happened...
System Initialized!
Congratulations.
Through your actions you have proven yourself worthy of becoming one of the Vanguard, a defender of humanity. I am Mara. I will assist you to uplift humanity so that you may defend your home world from the Antithesis threat! Rise, William Grazer, and become a protector of the weak!