“Obviously we all have things we need to share. Wren, Lara I am certainly interested in hearing your stories this evening” Maureen started, glancing between them.
“Bob and I have been interested in survival for a long time. I told you before that I was a nurse. This was a lie. My life was spent serving this country as part of GCHQ; I built my credibility in computer networking and signals intelligence; joining the organisation as it expanded its presence in Cheltenham in the mid 1950s.”
Bob raised a giant arm and chipped in “I really was in the Navy… it was just part of the SBS.”
“Right” Archie said, pretending he knew what this meant.
Continuing, Bob said “that’s how I met Maureen actually. She moved around the agency and was doing a stint running operations that coincided with one of my last… The Gulf war, you must only have been children back then.”
“Anyway” Maureen interjected “Bob likes to chat away, often too much. But let me get to the point. We really did retire 20 years ago and we’ve both seen how close to the brink the world has come to all out war. We started with our bunker as more of a hobby and the campsite was an afterthought to help us cover up what we actually built”.
“During the last event, there was a spike in people looking to build out survivalist networks. Bob and I have always been cautious and had created most of this place with our friend Christian. A secret bound to just three of us.”
“how long did it take you” Archie asked, full of wonder as he looked around.
“The shell took one year in the early two thousands, once the structure was sound we have essentially worked on this place every day for the last twenty four years”.
“Wooooooowwwww” Wren gasped “we are so lucky to have found you”
“In the spirit of honesty, we would not have shared this space's existence with you both, had it not been for tonight’s events.” Maureen looked towards Lara and smiled “but it seems like you and our dear friend Lara have been blessed amongst the chaos and nightmare of today; I think our future hangs in the balance of people like you”.
“Lara, why don’t you finish off my story” Maureen coughed as she stood and shuffled towards the kitchen “I will fetch us some tea”
“Ok…. So - after the last event, I joined some networks and forums with survivalists. That’s when Maureen called me out of the blue. She told me to be more careful with my identity and to visit her and Bob here at the campsite. I spent my summers growing up here, Maureen and Bob are like an aunty and uncle to me”.
“That’s when they let me in on their little secret. Our circle grew to include my friend Wilton and we worked at pace to build this bunker into what you see today. This is Outpost number zero seven eight.”
“An outpost?!” Archie said, tension rising, “as in… like a military outpost?”
“Not quite” Lara said. “We are part of an underground survivalist network, we’re made of individual units and outposts around the world. Some outposts are run by governments and the military - we’re sure of it, but we think it’s seen as a possible fail safe option for them. We’re doing no harm but I’m sure they’re monitoring the network; I’m certain of it”
It was Bob’s turn to speak “there’s thousands of us around the globe, and one hundred and twelve across the UK. Maureen has been monitoring the network and we formally joined after the last event; although no other outpost knows our exact location - but we can communicate via HAM radio” there was a pause “and the internet obviously… if it was working - but I don’t understand that stuff anyway”
Maureen interrupted the group with a tray of tea and biscuits, rattling as she made her way over to the table. “Right. That brings you up to speed with us. If we could take your drinks and make your way to the office space please - I need to keep an eye on the cameras to see what’s happening above!”
The cameras showed that a helicopter had landed at the far end of the campsite and two military humvees were parked on the driveway. Three squads of five armed units with flashlights were searching the premises; two across the grounds and one in the house. Meanwhile a man with steel glasses stood over the corpse of the wolf in the flowerbed. He glanced up towards the camera hidden neatly in a nearby tree but was interrupted when two people in hazmat suits made their way towards him, carrying an extra large body bag for their new specimens.
Archie pointed to the man on the lower left monitor. “That man… he’s called Damian Leezy. He picked us up in London and was taking us to a base near here”
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“Wethersfield” Maureen said. “Why aren’t you there now?”
“We… erm… we escaped…” Archie hurriedly added “but we didn’t do anything wrong. It just felt off, I can’t explain it… but I’ll try”.
“Try later” Maureen shushed, her attention captured by the armed unit at the base of their campsite. “Bob, get to the flip switch and pull the green lever on my say so”
“yes, boss” Bob retorted as he shuffled through the doorway, filling it like a giant polar bear, as he made his way to a discrete unit at the back of their bunker.
“Now” Maureen called, in a half whisper, half shout. She explained to Wren and Archie that it was a flip-switch to their generator's connection to a number of wired cameras above. She was timing their disconnection with one of the armed units who had just cut the power mains power to the campsite. “I’ll turn them back on in a few hours”.
“Okay, let’s move back to the other room now” she said as she turned the lights to the office out “the only thing we can do is wait”.
Back at the table, Archie and Wren explained their day, their powers and proficiencies. Demonstrating his ability to conjure latte art pens, Archie was shown up by the awe-inspiring arcane shield of Lara who followed suit with her own demo, causing Maureen to chuckle, whilst her wily eyes remained locked on Archie.
“I’ve been locked to our radio for most of the day. We have had lots of information that I’ve logged on the laptop in the office - but the high-level notes are here” Maureen slid a pad with handwritten bullet points and tables scrawled across an A4 pad of paper. “For now, we only have UK-based information, we’ve connected to a few of the local outposts across about a 100 mile range - we haven’t tried our ultra-high frequency HAM radio yet, something funky in the atmosphere is throwing things off”
Describing how to read her notes, Maureen continued:
“The ‘locations’ are areas we now know have disappeared, replaced by something else entirely. ‘Politics’ is our summary on what’s happening in the local area. ‘Beings’ are otherworldly creatures we’ve had reports on, you can add wolves to that list and finally, ‘class types’ are the information we’ve heard over the radio about humans being gifted… you can add sorceress, defensive healer and thief to that list now too”
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Location Status Notes Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs Eradicated and replaced Large fortress-like city. Strange elven like creatures spotted within their streets. Armed units and powers of unknown and incomprehensible strength Reading (and large parts of the Berkshire county) Eradicated and replaced Completely replaced by forests filled with unknown flora and creatures. Angelsey and Bangor Eradicated and replaced Mountain-like landscape appeared and merged with Earth. Aggressive stone-like creatures have attacked and destroyed everything that has tried to make contact. Leeds Largely eradicated Replaced by forests, border merges with the central city of Leeds (half eradicated, half remains). Reports that people simply disappeared from view, replaced by the forest as the blue wisps faded. Many undocumented and unknown creatures have been sighted. Truro Eradicated Unknown information Gunton Unknown unresponsive outpost #028
Politics:
1) UK government - holds on to military control and is leading evacuation efforts across neighbouring towns near remaining military bases.
2) Current focus is on re-capturing control of major cities - London, Manchester, Cardiff, York, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness; alongside zones being militarised across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Surrey and Kent.
3) Smaller towns not within immediate vicinities or focus areas are being left to defend themselves. There have been some reports of villages being destroyed by unknown assailants (likely outworlders due to small pockets of nearby areas being eradicated and replaced) - reported via outpost #016
4) Small coastal towns being overrun by mobs and local gangs; believed that drug trafficking routes will likely fall under outlawed control - reported by outpost #092 (believed to be linked to the government)
Outworld Beings Identified:
Troll-like creatures (London)
Goblins (London and Finchingham)
Elves (London and Leeds)
Stone creatures (Wales)
Deer-like creatures with three horns (Leeds, Reading, Wales)
Giant birds the size of helicopters (Wales)
Class types:
Tank (one within outpost #016)
Warrior (reported)
Healer (reported)
Mage (reported)
Illusionist (reported)
Hunter (reported)
“Thanks” Archie said, scanning the list with Wren. “What do you mean… eradicated”
Maureen didn’t break eye contact “It means that… well, those locations, all of the buildings, all of the people have gone. Vanished and replaced with areas from what we believe to be other worlds.”
“Other worlds” Wren repeated in awe
“As far as we know… different creatures, castles, forests with strange flora. Everything is different and that is before we talk about magic and incomprehensible abilities some of you have been blessed with” Maureen said, gently placing a hand on Wren's forearm.
“I think we may be down here for some time, until the visitors above us vacate the premises. Now let me bring you up to speed on events of the day from London, specifically Canary Wharf/Isle of dogs” Maureen said, her voice heavy.