Chapter 45
The GTFO Plan
Friday
October 22
9 days post Armageddon
Liam stood in front of the makeshift hospital recovery room's large, flat-screen TV. Someone had connected it to an old-school antenna. “Guys. Guys! You need to see this!”
“What?” It was the morning after the battle with Evil Panda, and Leo was performing another Group Heal on the survivors.
Unlike the previous days since the world's end, Liam had found a working TV station. The reception wasn't the best, and the picture was fuzzy, but at least the TV was working. An older teenage boy stood in front of the camera.
“Hello, everybody. I'm following the Ascended One as he clears out the city's Afflicted. I won't deny being afraid, but since the Ascended Ones descended on our city yesterday, (ha, ha, descended-Ascended, get it?) ever since they descended on our city and started clearing out the Afflicted, our city has become safe enough for children to play in designated areas and people are coming out of hiding.”
“Oh, shit,” Leo said, joining the small but rapidly growing crowd in front of the TV. “I was afraid of this.”
“Did I do that right? I did that right, right?” The announcer asked someone off camera.
“Nailed it Bro”, someone answered.
From the picture bouncing around on the screen, whoever was holding the TV camera was obviously an amateur, but Leo could see the squidlike Ascended One floating down a street, its tentacles grabbing any of the Afflicted it encountered and tearing them apart.
“You were afraid the High-Level Bosses would show up and start killing off the Afflicted?” Liam asked.
“I'm not going to say I trust these Ascended Ones, but so far they've done nothing to harm humans, and have rescued any human they've come across.”
“The High-Level Bosses are herding the human cattle into pens, securing their food supply,” Leo responded.
“But they're calling themselves Ascended Ones now. Did they do this last time?” Liam asked.
“Over there, you see an implant wearer flying around. Though there was some friction yesterday, the Ascended Ones made it clear that they do not want to fight. They want to work with everyone, implant wearer or not, to clean up our broken world. Thanks to the Change, the Ascended Ones can no longer take human form, but they insist they're just as human as they were before the Change...”
“Is it possible these Bosses decided to take charge and run things?” Liam asked. “From what you were saying, they have just as much to lose from the demise of humanity as the humans do.”
“If these High-Level Bosses are what you say, Leo,” someone asked, “why didn't they just kill people and take over?”
“Oh. And another thing. They are looking for the boy who foresaw the Change. His name is Leo Edwards, but little else is known about him. The Ascended Ones have assured us they have no intention of hurting this boy, but they would very much like to speak to him. There is a substantial reward in food and supplies to anyone with information concerning this boy's whereabouts. If you think you have information contact...”
Leo ran from the recovery room.
Future Man 10/16: Mr. Osmond! Gretchen! We need to meet. Right fucking now!
Teach: You think? Get your ass to our meeting room. You know the place.
Leo ran all the way.
The meeting room was packed. Unable to find a place to sit, Leo stood next to the entrance.
“From the radio, multiple sources all over the world claim High-Level Bosses are currently descending on cities and are showing remarkable restraint,” someone was saying. “Even when attacked, they've been refusing to retaliate, showing regret for previous clashes with humans and insisting that we all have to work together, Ascended Ones, implant wearers, and normal humans alike, to fix our broken world. They are also claiming to be looking into safe, sustainable, environmentally friendly sources of human protein, like human blood and plasma. Is it possible Leo is wrong?”
"What I don't understand,” someone else said, “is how do they not know where Leo Edwards is?”
“I was wondering about that myself,” Mr. Osmond responded. “Desiree/Shank? Albert/Badger? What's going on?”
“Well,” Albert said, looking around nervously, not used to public speaking. “You need to understand, the Agency is a compartmentalized, secretive organization. I wouldn't have known about Leo if the Professor hadn't told me. Everyone in the Agency who knew about Leo's whereabouts, aside from myself and Shank, are almost certainly Afflicted, and no longer reliable sources of information. Our Agency computer system is so complex and compartmentalized that even if someone could break the encryption and bypass all the passwords, it would be difficult for them to locate Leo's files.”
“So, unless one of the many thousands of people who know of Leo Edwards’ current whereabouts rats him out to the Bosses, these Bosses will have no idea where he is.” Mr. Osmond responded.
“Exactly,” Leo said. “Which is why we need to enact the GTFO evacuation plan. Now.”
“What is this GTFO plan? And why wasn't I told about it?” Gretchen asked.
“Our Get-The-Fuck-Out-of-here plan has been on a strictly need-to-know basis,” Mr. Osmond responded. “The sad truth is, if multiple High-Level Bosses descend on this city looking for Leo, implant wearers have little choice but to make a strategic retreat. The non-implant-wearing civilians won't be targeted. At least not at first. If anything, our leaving will make it safer for them, as they'll be less likely to get caught in the crossfire.”
“You are suggesting we leave civilian refugees behind?” Gretchen asked.
“We have no choice,” Mr. Osmond responded. “And again, civilians won't be targeted immediately, as they're the Bosses' future food supply.”
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Someone spoke up from the crowd. “Is it possible that these Boss Ascended Ones sincerely wish to work with us to make the world a better place in this timeline?”
Leo started laughing.
“No,” Mr. Osmond responded. “And fortunately for us, I believe I have located a suitable hiding place. You're all welcome, by the way.”
“Where?” someone asked.
“I am the only person with that information, and that is how it will remain. If this exodus is to be successful, I will need Gretchen’s, and everyone else's, cooperation,” Mr. Osmond responded. “Keep in mind, if you stay and these Bosses discover you're an implant wearer, you and your loved ones will be in danger. The Bosses know your immediate family are the first people you'd give an implant to.”
There was an angry snort from Frank. “I think you're wrong. We can do things ordinary humans can't, and unlike the Afflicted, we don't threaten their food supply.”
There was a moment of silence.
“I can't speak for anyone else, but me and my family are in,” Trent said. “What do we have to do?”
Mr. Osmond stood up. “First, we get the buses ready.”
***
Pastor 11:6: Mr. Osmond/The Professor, is there any chance you and Leo are wrong? These High-Level Bosses are smart enough to realize they have more to gain by working with people than by eating them.
Teach: As I stated previously, Gretchen, the Professor suffered a tragic mishap involving a High-Level Boss and a large septic tank, and is no longer with us. I hope you will join me in praying for the poor man's soul. As to your question, the High-Level Bosses were ruthless, power-hungry, rapacious bastards before the Change, and are smart enough to realize that implant wearers are the only real threat to their existence. We need to hide. If, in the unlikely event I'm wrong, we won't lose anything by relocating to a secret shelter. If I'm right, it will save our lives. Can I count on your support?
Pastor 11:6: Yes.
***
“Some other implant wearers and I are going to investigate potential shelters. We're looking for volunteers.” Leo spoke loudly to be heard over the sound of dishes in the cafeteria kitchen. “Lydia. You and Sparkles are volunteering. Sparkles can look for possible vermin.”
“Are you sure? Sparkles isn't that good with vermin,” Lydia responded.
“No problem. We'll just starve your cat for a few days.”
“You are not starving Sparkles!”
“Okay, okay. Just kidding about starving Sparkles, but you are volunteering,” Leo said.
“You're such a loser. The stadium isn't perfect, but why would you want to trade it for some moldy old shelter?” Lydia responded. “If these Bosses are as smart as you say, they'll find us wherever we run off to.”
“I want you to think back, nine days ago, when you kept calling me a loser and telling me I was crazy. Then I want you to remember what happened next.”
“The world ended,” Lydia replied with a sigh. “I'll get Sparkles.”
***
“This is because of the Boss thing, isn't it?” Jason asked.
“Obviously. Let's get moving.” Leo grabbed Jason's pack to hurry him along.
“The Bosses seem to honestly want to be our friends.”
“Emphasis on seem. If you've ever trusted me on anything, you will get on one of the buses leaving the stadium right now,” Leo responded.
“Where's your pack?”
“I'll be joining you guys later.” Leo urged Jason along. “Remember your promise to look after Lydia.”
“Don't remind me.”
“Please. Try to keep her out of trouble.”
“I suppose.”
“You've been a good friend, Jason. I owe you one.”
“Yeah. I know.”
The stadium's implant wearers formed two groups. Leo and Mr. Osmond's ‘Get-The-Fuck-Out-of-here’ group boarded the buses, while Frank's ‘if the Bosses aren't fighting us, we're not fighting them’ group intended to remain at the stadium.
A crowd of unhappy people gathered around three large buses. Leo had seen Angie, Charlotte, and even Howie board the buses, as well as Trent and his family. Liam?
Future Man 10/16: Liam? You're joining us, right?
Air Mage 87: Maybe next time.
Future Man 10/16: You should really get on one of these buses, Liam.
Air Mage 87: I said next time.
Future Man 10/16: Damn it, Liam. Get on a bus.
“You're leaving us!” someone from the surrounding crowd shouted.
“We are not abandoning you,” Gretchen said. “I'm taking a group on a short trip to check out some old shelters and we'll be back by tomorrow. Currently, we're looking for a few able-bodied volunteers who are not afraid of hard, dirty work.”
“What kind of pay?” someone shouted.
“The satisfaction of helping your community,” she answered.
Brick stomped up behind Leo. “What's going on?”
“Brick? What do you want?” Leo said, surprised to see the larger boy, healed from his injuries, speaking to him.
“Get lost, Brick,” Jason said. “I can kick your ass now, and Leo's tougher than I am.”
Brick glared at them, then looked away. “Look, Leo, it's possible I shouldn't have been so mean to you before the Change, and it's possible I should have paid attention when you and others were predicting the end of the world. That's why I'm asking you now. What's going on?”
“I'll tell you this much, Brick. If I were you, I'd get my ass on one of those buses right now. And one more thing.” Leo whispered something in Brick's ear.
Brick nodded. Then headed for the buses and spoke to a guard, “I want to help my community.” The guard waved him aboard.
Teach: Leo, get on a bus. I have an idea for dealing with the Bosses.
Future Man 10/16: I can't do that, Mr. Osmond. Sorry.
Teach: Idiot!
“Move it, Jason,” Leo said, practically dragging Jason and his pack over to a bus. “Look after Lydia.”
It was another hour before the three buses started moving, and even then, the buses were only three-quarters full.
Every implant wearer Leo knew and liked, aside from Liam, was on board the buses. He thought about waving goodbye to his sister, but knew it would be a wasted effort. He hoped the buses were leaving in time.
He'd spotted a Boss fifteen minutes before, so high in the air it was barely visible. It had been joined by a second, and a third. At present, they were remaining stationary. They'd made no move to attack, but they were coming.