Ok, well … that didn’t quite go as planned …

More like it went completely out of hand actually …

To recapitulate the happenings, here is roughly how it went.

The first night was a complete failure, I sent him a one spirit unit vivid dream and the guy did not even wake up, at best he just slightly stirred in his bed … A three unit dream was needed to get a reaction and even then he only went for it because captain Bob was an overly enthusiastic kind of guy ...

After that I kept experimenting. As it turns out, the points you invest in peoples are cumulative, you cannot simply send vivid dream to the same person over and over again, they will slowly turn into devoted people …

And we all saw where that ends up …

The guy just lost all semblance of rationality …

Anyway, when I had fed him around 15 points, I sent a new kind of dream to the major where I asked him to play a renaming prank on his subordinates. Honestly that went way too well, I was impressed by how the guy didn’t even hesitate …

I have to say, that was the most fun I had in years !

... Did I mention this place suck ? ...

Anyway, let’s stop digressing. After that little joke, I directly fed him enough spirit unit to get him above a hundred, asking him to lead a small squad of men to the outskirt of London. That didn’t quite work and he spend the whole day hesitating on what to do … Clearly realising that this was a suicide operation …

This changed after another 50 points push, the guy was then convinced and ready to put his life on the line for whatever I asked him to do. The problem is that my words were apparently too ambiguous …

I mean, the guy was an army major, I voluntarily hadn’t precised how many he should bring and how he should prepare so that he could use his experience to do it as best as he could !

That wasn’t quite what happened and, well, you know the rest … *sigh*

Honestly that was a complete bloodbath down there. People shooting other people so they wouldn’t get shot themselves … other screaming for everything to stop or to simply beg for their life … There is simply no way to describe it better than with the word chaos ...

I mean, I consider myself quite hardened against that kind of thing. I have seen a lot of violent movie and game but, I still couldn’t repress the urge to vomit … and I hadn’t eaten in years !

Let’s say that wasn’t the most pleasant experience  …

Yup, that’s one hell of a god right …

Anyway, after my stomach had thrown it’s little fit, I unfocused from that murder fest and started searching for a plan B. Plan A being the huge failure that it is …

So much for trying to build a whole rescue mission and get something nice going, that will have to wait for later …

So, now that the capital has cooled down enough so that the heat vision is becoming useful again ... I decided to search around London to locate all human being living as close as possible from the capital. The goal being to send someone directly from there ...

And, as always, that didn’t quite go as planned … No survivor in a 20 km radius …

At least none in good enough shape to make the trip …

Since whoever bombed the south of the UK went for London, Birmingham and Bristol, the only place that was more or less spared was the Norwich county …

It’s either that or sending someone from above manchester *sigh*

Ah no, wait, Liverpool was bombed too … those guys were thorough …

Well, on a positive note, the crater is now one big ass pool. It matches the city name ...

…

*sigh* This is depressing …

…

Whatever I’m doing right now is useless. I can never save the planet like that …

I would need some kind of powerful magic to fix everything ! I’m just a floaty, I can’t make miracles yet !

“Hey, don’t give up now ! I have a story to write here. I am sure a solution will appear !” ~Author

Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to inconvenience you, BUT HOW ABOUT YOU FUCKING LOWER THE DIFFICULTY, YOU ASSHOLE !

***

“Is it here ?” Asked a soldier while getting down the passenger seat of a jeep.

“Should be, that’s what the signal said anyway ...” Said a second soldier while getting down from the car. His uniform clearly harboring the insignia of a second lieutenant.

“Said ?”

“Yeah, it stopped emitting on the way. Used to come up every ten or so minutes but it’s been two hour since it last appeared … I hope we aren’t too late ...”

“No use worrying … Let’s get to work ! We might need a few days to clear all that rubble with only two jeep and the four of us” replied the first soldier. “Maybe we should have brought the search dog after all ...”

***

“I am sooo hungry ...” Complained Frank while laying down on the ground.

“Are you sure that you don’t want us to share. You two look paler and paler each day !” Asked Alice while looking at Marie

“No, we are fine. Beside even if we shared, that wouldn’t be enough for anything. You guys barely have four spoon worth of food in your plate ...” Responded Marie who sat near a wall.

“But it would help a little, I mean we~”

George interjected from the side, cutting her words “Alice, don’t make it more difficult for them. I don’t like it either but … we stick to the plan”

Marie nodded “Thanks George, I knew you would understand.”

Alice rolled her eyes, there was simply nothing to say. When that stubborn teacher made a decision, she wouldn’t budge. Her train of thought was rapidly interrupted by another complaint from Frank.

“Yeah, thanks George !” He said in a cynical voice. Clearly emphasising the name of his friend while inwardly scolding himself for not taking advantage of her kindness sooner.

“Don’t mind him, he is always in the worst mood when he’s hungry ...” Sighed Marie

“Uncle George, I’m hungry” Voiced Jenny from the side while tugging on his shirt.

“I know Jenny” Said George “but you two already ate a lot. You have to bear with it a little, ok ?”

The little girl nodded unhappily. Clearly not satisfied by the answer.

“Now go play with Mark and Teddy, let those two eat a little.” Asked Marie from the side.

The little girl scampered to the other side of the room. An awkward silence reappearing between the four adults.

“How much time do we have left” Asked George, breaking the silence

“Water for two days, fuel for three ...”

“And food ?” George asked again

“That was you last proper meal, the rest is for the children” Voiced Alice

George grumbled “You guy should have told me, I would have enjoyed it a little more … that could very well be my last meal ...”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Silence grew again, more awkward this time.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ~” Said George

“It’s all right, we are all a little on edge but we have to bear it ... for the children !” Said Alice with an insistent voice.

More silence, only the occasional sound of spoon clinking on the metal plates.

“I … Concerning the plan, I still think you should be the one to ~” Continued George while talking toward Alice.

“We already had this discussion George ...” Sighed alice, exasperated ...

“Yes, I know, but I really think that ~” Continued the man frantically

“GEORGE” She screamed, scaring the children as much as the other adults. “We … We have already discussed this … We are not .. never … changing the plan … we hope for rescue to the very end ! No matter what happens, we make every second count !” She said, tearing up as she talked.

“But why me, why does it need to be me !” Screamed George

“Because I love you !” she said in tears, shaking her head she continued “It has to be you George, for the children. Please don’t make it more difficult than it already is ...”

“I … No … That’s … That’s unfair. Why ... why me ? Why does it have to be me and not you !” Whimpered George

Alice stood up and embraced her husband from behind. “It’s ok honey, you can cry as much as you want. We understand ...”

At her words, George which had done the best he could to suppress his tears cracked. Only his lament echoing for the following minutes.

From the side, Marie and Frank now held hand with each other.

Suddenly happy that if they had to go, they would be together ...

***

“It’s here, I found the entrance to the bunker” Screamed a soldier after dislodging a huge wooden beam that should have a been a support for the roof. He had to use the jeep to move the large piece of wood, moving a lot of rubble first to get a flat space and extract it.

A few minute later, two of the four soldier soldier were chosen to go inside.

The hatch opened rather easily revealing a small ladder downward. The ladder ended on a small platform covered in dust, from which started a narrow spiral staircase heading downward.

The soldiers quickly descended, their path lighted by their flashlights. The bunker’s light had apparently went out a while ago and It was rather hard to breathe, even near the entrance ...

A few meter down, laying down beside a second hatch, opened this time, three corpse were found, recent, they hadn’t had the time to rot. The first two corpse obviously belonged to a couple, they held hand with a rather peaceful expression on their face. One belonged to a rather tall man with brown hair, the other to a small blonde women with long hairs. Both very thin as if they hadn’t eaten for weeks.

The third corpse, situated on the other side of the hatch, was from a women with long black hair, her eyes still opened. Her face clearly less peaceful than the other two. Probably because she had died carrying far more regrets … She looked better than the other two, less famished. Not that it mattered for a corpse.

The two soldier rapidly closed her eyes and went down the hatch. Their soul burdened by a new image they would never completely forget … They didn’t want to linger here but they didn’t want to leave without checking everything.

What they saw after reaching the end of a new smaller staircase, filled them with a bit of hope. Three individuals, one man, two children, were sat against the far wall of the dark room, near the exit of an air vent. The man barely conscientious unlike the two childs.

The two soldier rapidly approached. Taking out a device from their pocket. As they pressed them against the skin of the three, drawing a drop of blood, a medical report appeared on the monitor.

It indicated that the two children were apparently fine, just sleeping. The man however, wasn’t as well off. Breathing hard for air, he was dehydrated and visibly famished, not to the point that it was critical, but enough that it wouldn’t go unnoticed. Still, he should survive.

The man visibly tried to talk but the two soldier motioned him to shut up. Quickly giving him something to drink. The man drank until he started a coughing fit. It burned as he drank. A small whimper escaping his lips before he too fainted, probably relieved that they were saved.

“Too late”

Was what the two soldiers had heard. A reproach they did not really deserve and that had hit them far harder than it should. They didn’t hold it against the man however, quickly carrying the two children upstairs, later coming back for the man.

When they moved him however, a little box fell from his hand. The two soldiers immediately realised what it was and what the words of the man had actually meant.

They frantically hurried to bring him outside, bringing the box and a plush bear with them. Thinking that a familiar object could help the children go through those hard times. None of the two wanted to linger a second later in this place or to have to come back later. They needed to make the three survivor barf what they had ingested as soon as possible.

The man had thought he wouldn’t be saved in time and had done the most sensible thing, ending his life and the life of the two children before they had to suffer from asphyxia. He had however been wrong, they had been saved ... The two soldiers could only hope the pills hadn't had time to act ...

Once outside, a soldier with a medical formation quickly took them in charge. Examining the pill box, he quickly realised that they were an old product, far beyond the recommended date of use. The doctor hurried to the car, bringing back a first aid kit. He quickly found what he was looking for and made the three rescapee swallow a small pill.

A few seconds later, the two children barfed everything they had stomached until nothing came out anymore and they collapsed. The product took a while longer to act on the man, but it worked just as well.

The field doctor let out a satisfied smile.

The three of them would probably live. That was all that mattered ...

***

When the soldiers arrived in the bunker, three souls quietly watched, holding their breath.

When they quickly went back out carrying two children, the souls felt relieved.

When, later, the man was also carried out, they all carried a metaphorical smile, persuaded that everything would be all right.

Two of the souls then swore to find him in the next life to say their thanks.

The third, swore to always wait for him. No matter how many eternities passed before then.