Tagged: video games

Shopping Trip

Dear Planet Earth,

We’ll be leaving soon. Half of us, anyway. A resistance formed among the resistance, only instead of fighting against the invading mole people, they led a coup against General Talpa and his remaining soldiers.

“Coup” might be a bit of a stretch, but the point is, a group of us civilians are determined to raid the nearest shopping center for food and other supplies, and the military isn’t having any of it. Talpa offered to lend some weapons and five soldiers to help us, but remained steadfast in his belief that we should stay at the library until we know more about the enemy’s deadly drill snake, namely if it’s far, far away.

I was able to share a couple words with him this morning. He said he wouldn’t try to stop me from going, just to be safe and take it easy on my leg. I’ve been walking around fairly normal now, even without the cane. I tried doing some sprints when no one was around and only fell on my face like an antagonistic cartoon character three times.

I’m just excited to finally get out of here. I might even score a gun and kill some mole men if I’m lucky. It can’t be harder than playing Call of Duty, right?

You Have Died of Dysentery

Dear Planet Earth,

It’s been a crazy few days. We crossed over into California, chased by mole men for two days before they seemed to give up and turned around. They were using some kind of weird vehicle we hadn’t seen before, something Fred Flintstone might use if he was into steampunk.

One of the trucks broke down on Friday, so we had to fit all those people and equipment in the other ones. A tiny old woman sat on my lap for an entire day, and I tried my best not to learn anything about her in order to keep the awkwardness to a minimal level.

We didn’t see any other groups or signs of humans besides the countless abandoned cars littering the roads. No one could give me a convincing answer as to why we couldn’t just take some of those cars and find another place for Grandma’s bony butt.

We lost two oxen and I was sick with typhoid. That was a joke, by the way. An Oregon Trail joke.

We just set up camp here at a used car lot, which is about half as fun as it sounds. We’re going to try to sleep in the lobby, but it’s probably just as spacious back on the trucks.

I haven’t seen Talpa around, so I’m not sure what our next moves are. It’s good to stretch the legs out — or just leg — and I was able to juice up my computer pretty quickly. When we’re back on the road, I’m going to see if the troops will let me use those power generators, which I didn’t see them use at all before.

It’s a Boy

Dear Planet Earth,

The freedom fighters came back today. Santiago and Roberts dropped by my room for a visit, all smiles as usual. I think they told me their first names once, but I like remembering everyone by their last names now. It makes me feel like I’m on a football team.

They told me some pretty exciting stories. They raided a camp of mole people two days ago, about two hundred in total. The few tanks we have left was enough to get the majority of the suckers before they could prepare a real attack. We lost three men, and a dozen more are injured, but the troops see this as our first major victory, and a much needed one at that.

I found myself smiling with them as they recounted the highlights of their campaign, using words like “offensive,” “retreat,” and “battalion.” It made me feel like I’m in Call of Duty.

Those sick bastards brought me back a present, too. They heard me complaining before about how we still haven’t got a good look at the mole men, how we can’t be sure of what these things really are yet. So, they put a burnt little skull on my knee and started laughing hysterically.

It’s shiny and smells like an ignored campfire, and yet there’s something so human about it — the macabre, distinct shape that haunts our dreams, reminds us of our one and only fate. Or so you would think until you recognize the overall smallness of it. The eye sockets that seem too big. The teeth that seem too numerous.

It’s still sitting on my knee here in room 204 of the maternity ward. I can’t bring myself to touch it.

What Did You Do, Ray?

Dear Planet Earth,

It may be snowing at the North Pole, but here in the outskirts of Vegas, things are heating up. The homeless people are coming in droves now, surrounding the base from every side.

Each new group is better equipped than the last. Two days ago, they came with AK-47s. Yesterday, they started wearing helmets and body armor. Today, our boys reported seeing some of them carrying RPG rocket launchers. That’s what got us really freaked out and probably a little trigger happy.

I snapped this picture near the western gate a few hours ago. According to Christiansen, one of our guys saw one of them point a rifle towards the base — something they’ve never done before. This caused the soldier in question to start firing his weapon into the air wildly, which caused another Call of Duty addict to throw some smoke grenades at our silent enemies.

As you can see from the photo, the CDC is also here now, although no one can seem to give me a straight answer as to why. They’ve been setting up colored flags all around the base and taking readings from what I can only assume to be either Geiger counters or the ghost traps from Ghostbusters. It’s assuring and unnerving all at once — and I have to wonder, if all the phones and radios are still not working, who they gonna call?