Dawn of the Void

Chapter 20: Fourth Wave

The Fourth Wave was the largest yet.

With all the progress and meetings and killing of gremlins, James had momentarily lost track of the shitstorm that was spreading across the world. Hed started to feel empowered, important, with an executive assistant ready to guide him through the halls of power and an army sergeant ready to follow him into battle.

But sitting down after lunch, he scrolled the news channels with horrified fascination as he took in the ongoing developments.

Updated estimates put the combined number of the first three waves at around a billion and a half. One out of every five people on the planet had faced a Nemesis 1, though the Third Wave had been hugely assisted by knowledge and preparation. The Fourth Wave that was washing across the world seemed twice as large as the first three put together.

The sheer number swamped every policy and system that had been implemented to handle the threats. In the streets of metropolises crowds surged and heaved in an ocean of humanity even as gremlins appeared in their midst to slaughter and slash. Small towns everywhere were overrun, deprived of military support, the locals unable to have leveled up ahead of time without sufficient gremlins to kill. Every military was stretched to its utmost, every soldier, every reservist, every police officer, anyone with a gun taking to the streets, blue armbands the universal indicator of a survivor, seeking to kill gremlins as they swarmed the worlds cities.

The worst footage came from a local station. A news helicopter hovered over Grand Army Plaza where the National Guard had set up shop and been bolstered by the army out of Fort Hamilton. People flowed in from everywhere, choking the streets, stopping traffic, shoving and yelling for help, overwhelming soldiers and guards who futilely tried to maintain barricades, who inched tanks into place to try and direct the flow of bodies with their sheer mass only to witness people be crushed against their sides.

Holy shit, whispered James as he half rose from the crouch. Hed been lulled into complacency. Nobody had told him to do anything. His heart began hammering. He couldnt tell if the sound of screams came from the TV or the streets. He stared at Jessica who was watching from where she sat at the kitchen counter. I have to get there.

I - of course. She stood. Ill call the sergeant and Major Hackworth.

James rushed into Serenitys bedroom. She lay comatose amongst sheets that were twisted into ropes between her limbs. Serenity! Wake up!

No. Bad day. She turned and pushed her face into the pillow.

He shook her. We have to get out there! Serenity!

Want to die, she grumbled into the pillow.

James cast around, grabbed her glass of water and flung it at the back of her head.

She sat up abruptly. Jesus Christ shat in a basket, what the fuck?

Get dressed. Were hitting the streets.

His tone caught her attention. Wait. What?

Fourth Wave. He spoke with irrefutable certainty. Were going. Now.

Three minutes later they spilled out onto the sidewalk. Mancini and his fireteam were waiting, rifles in the carry position, helmets on, good to go.

No driving, called James as he set out at a swift walk. Were going to work our way south to Grand Army.

Copy, said Mancini, moving alongside him. Objectives?

Just to, I dont know, fucking help. James tried to get the images out of his mind. For some reason hed begun to associate the gremlins with nighttime, as if they couldnt be summoned by millions in the full light of day. Youve seen whats happening down there?

We have. I was requesting permission from Major Hackworth to move to assist.

Well, you got it now. You guys spend your points?

We did. Mancini was alert, watching the streets, and James realized the whole fire team wasnt just hustling to Grand Army, they were moving as if they could be attacked at any moment. Huffman brought up the rear, watching the street behind them, while Singh and Delvecchio watched the rooftops. Mancinis gaze swept the sidewalk ahead of them, never resting.

Orders came through. Singh was instructed to place all his points into Arete and acquire Shield of Faith. Hes Level 5, Arete 32, which has raised his Lead Aura to 5. Shield of Faith runs off of Stamina, but hes still only at an 8 there, so well see how that plays out. I was instructed to acquire Bless, which runs directly off Arete. Im Level 5 as well, and mines at 30. Delvecchios Level 6 and was ordered to acquire Smite and pour all his points into Power, bringing him up to 36. Huffmans still only Level 4, but shes to go Smite when she levels and reserve her points till we get further results.

Delvecchio needs Strength to back up his Power.

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He got +4 to Strength from Auxiliary bonuses, bringing him to 12. But it doesnt matter. Hes focusing on Smiting through his gun. The brass thinks the SAWs high rate of fire combined with maximum Power will make Strength unnecessary. One way to find out.

James took a moment to process all this, then nodded.

The Armys running this experiment across the country, said Mancini, then touched Jamess shoulder to get him to stop. He moved ahead, peered around the corner up and down the intersecting street, then gestured. Delvecchio and Singh ran across, took up position on the opposite corner, and then Mancini and Huffman ran across, James and Serenity in tow.

Operation Excellence, its called, said Mancini, taking the lead again. Theyve registered something like ten thousand Level 5s, three thousand Level 6s, and hundreds of 7s. Most of them spent their points early on, but enough leveled yesterday that theyre experimenting with optimal spread.

Got it, said James, considering his own mishmash. I wish Id thought things through before spending all of mine.

Dont second guess yourself. Mancini sounded absolutely assured, gaze flicking to parked cars, doorways, trashcans. Youre Level 8 and helped kickstart this whole conversation. Besides, theres a problem with optimization.

Whats that?

Without understanding the system as a whole, we can only optimize for our current situation and understanding. Singh might be invulnerable against Nemesis 1s but hamstrung against Nemesis 2. Or 3, or whatever comes after. Extreme optimization at this stage in the game can be as much of a liability as an advantage. We just dont know.

But Operation Excellence aims to find out.

Exactly.

They turned onto a busy avenue. People were rushing south toward Grand Army Plaza. Cars were backed up already, most people leaning on the horns, standing inside their open car doors to yell down the line. Traffic lights changed back and forth without anybody noticing.

Mancini cut through the crowd smoothly, people drawing back when they first saw him, then pressing forward to clamor for help.

James wanted to answer every plea. But how could he arrange to dispatch gremlins here?

So they moved on, the fire team professional and smooth, Serenity and James following just behind Mancini.

The madness began to manifest when they were still a dozen blocks north of Grand Army. News helicopters shared the skies with small, buzzy black helicopters that sported army men with rifles seated on the outside, legs wrapped around bench seats mounted to the side doors.

Killer Eggs, said Mancini loudly over the noise as one zipped by overhead. Special Ops. They can land in an alleyway.

James saw one alight atop a five-story building. It barely touched down before the fireteam leaped out, and immediately lifted again.

What are they doing up there? called Serenity.

Mancini shrugged one shoulder. Taking sniper positions? Securing the building? I dont know.

A voice was blaring over loudspeakers, repeating a message over and over again from the distance:

Please stay calm and proceed in an orderly fashion. The National Guard and US Army is on hand to help. Please stay clear of the road and form orderly lines on sidewalks. You will receive help in a timely fashion. Dial 3-1-1 for more information or register for Notify New York. Please stay calm

Their progress began to slow.

Screams sounded from the left and people scattered to reveal a gremlin crouched over an old man, its fangs crimson as it grinned at everyone gaping at it.

James ran forward. The gremlin saw him, leaped, and ashed.

People gaped then began to shout and rush toward him.

James held up his hands and tried to back away, but hands grabbed at his arms, people pushed him, yelled their demands with eyes wide, faces pleading.

A gun shot shattered the clamor and the crowd recoiled.

Heart pounding, James moved to where Serenity stood, Sig Sauer pointed at the sky.

Lets move, said Mancini. He speared forward, forcing his way closer to Grand Army. This is FUBAR. Theres no way we can handle this kind of press.

More screams sounded from across the street. James craned his neck but couldnt see what was going on. Frustration boiled within him. Was this the right move? How could he best leverage his aura?

Mancini was talking in his radio, and a moment later a Killer Egg flew into view, wind blasting everywhere as the crowd wilted before it.

James raised his arm, shielding his face, and the Killer Egg slowly descended, its precision surgical. Delvecchio strode into the street and ordered two cars to reverse onto the sidewalk.

Our ride! shouted Mancini, leaning in. Well never get there otherwise!

They ran forward. Mancini showed them how to sit astride the benches and buckled their lap belts.

Dont worry! he shouted over the rotors. The dynamics of helicopter flight will keep you pinned to the deck no matter how it orients. Just stay calm. If we bank hard, centrifugal force will keep you planted.

James gave a thumbs up. Delvecchio and Huffman were on the bench with him, all of them squashed up close, and as the dust swirled from the rotor blades James squinted and wished he had the same wrap-around shades they sported.

Turns out they werent just to look cool, after all.

They must have finished buckling on the other side, because the Killer Egg swayed and lifted up, the ground falling away, the street full of upturned faces as the crowd yelled and watched them go. Jamess heart went out to them, and anger came boiling up right after, a dark rage at this absurd and horrific predicament they were all in.

The copter turned smoothly, the world rotating, and then they were above the rooftops, everything flat and dingy and covered with electrical boxes, air conditioning units, water tanks, and the top of elevator shafts.

They skimmed smoothly toward the heart of Grand Army Plaza, flying high above the traffic and crowds, the Egg leaning forward as it went.

Mancini was right. Instead of sliding off the bench, he felt glued to it.

The experience was exhilarating, the rush of cold air biting, and hed have enjoyed the fuck out of the moment if it hadnt been for the despair laid out below.

It was like an endless concert crowd. Here and there people fought and killed gremlins as they manifested, but it was clear that people were holding off on acknowledging in order to get help first.

They wouldnt wait forever, though.

The lessons from the Second Wave were stark.

Grand Army came into view. Normally it was a huge expanse of cement outside the northern main entrance to Prospect Park. Two concentric oval rings were arranged as streets around a fountain, each ring divided by black, leafless trees, while a massive Arc de Triomphe rose at the southern end, looking out at the park entrance.

But now it was a fucking madhouse.

A hundred thousand people surrounded the inner oval, which was protected by high barriers and army vehicles. James could see the normal intake channel to the north through which people were supposed to enter, be processed, and then sent into the park through the south, but the crowd was so packed and progress at processing them so slow that it had all ground to a halt.

The Killer Egg touched down within the perimeter, and James unbuckled himself with shaking hands. They moved away from the copter which immediately flew up and away.

Even with the sound of the rotors gone, the air was brutal tapestry of noise. Shouts, screams, and cries from an endless number of throats blended into a wall of sound that washed over them continuously, while instructions were blared from loudspeakers and gunfire echoed from the park.

Mancini took Jamess elbow and led him to the closest officer.

James realized with clinical detachment that he was overwhelmed and in shock. Seven years ago hed have recommended he sit down, maybe put his head between his knees, take deep breaths and wait till his pulse slowed, but now there was no time.

Still, he was happy to let Mancini navigate the army officers. To follow where directed, and eventually end up at the southern point where soldiers returned along a protected umbilical cord that extended from the park to the huge arch.

Mancini had a brief exchange with a Sergeant Major then walked over, his expression rigid.

Whats going on? demanded Huffman, turning back and forth as if expecting to be charged by fast zombies at any moment.

Fucking protocol. Mancini glowered, then took a moment to master himself and turned to James and Serenity. Youre both civilians, and thus despite Major Hackworths insistence dont have clearance to partake in military operations. Hes clearing things right now, but hes also juggling a hundred other things.

Fucking pencil pushers, growled Delvecchio.

Which means what? asked James.

Which means we have to wait till youre both cleared to get involved.

Serenity stared at him in disbelief. How long will that take?

Delvecchio groaned. This is the US Army. Itll take twice as long as necessary and then well be yelled at for not having gotten started sooner.

We cant wait, said James, the screams and shouts from the hidden crowd driving him crazy. We need to get out there.

Youre not authorized to get involved here, said Mancini. If we want to leave and operate independently on the streets, we can. But you saw how that was going.

Angry shouts broke out from soldiers standing atop a tank behind one of the barricades that was swaying and shaking as if being attacked. They raised their rifles and loosed a three-round burst into the air, and the barrier ceased shaking.

Its the scale of this, said James, turning in a slow circle. Everywhere people in military gear were running, moving, shouting, or standing still looking overwhelmed. This whole operation was set up to handle ten thousand people. Not a hundred.

James. Serenity reached out and took his hand. What do you want to do?

This right here is an argument for taking over the Department of Ranking Citizens. At least then wed be somebody.

But what about now? Serenity shook his hand. How would we even get out? Can we get another ride on a copter?

Mancini scowled again. Maybe. Major Hackworth would have to call it in again, but us getting out is not the same priority of getting us in. Itd take time.

Fuck, said Huffman, and kicked at the ground. This is a total clusterfuck.

More gunfire erupted, screams, then hoarse shouting.

James pinched the bridge of his nose. Running around in the streets will only get us mobbed. We dont have the manpower or infrastructure to help large numbers or set things up. We can do the most good here. Ultimately. Lets just hope Hackworth can do his thing.

Serenity nodded.

Were going to make ourselves useful while you wait, said Mancini. But we wont leave the area without you. Keep your radio handy and hang tight. Ill be back when Ive got news.

James watched the fire team be swallowed into the shifting mass of other soldiers. He turned in a slow circle, taking in the madness, the barely maintained perimeter, the howls of outrage from outside.

Hed only ever felt this helpless once before in his life.

But while he felt rage like before, this time he didnt want to sink into oblivion.

This time he wanted to do something, anything, in whatever way he could.

Regret etched his soul like acid. Why had he wasted the morning signing documents and watching the news? Why hadnt he anticipated this chaos, fought to set up a different kind of kill zone, a way to process people through his aura? Something where he just stood there as people filed by, and endless stream of humanity that he could save from the Nemesis 1?

Then again, if the government and military had underestimated this panic, who was he to have done better? Maybe it had been hubris earlier to think himself important. In the face of the sheer scale of the Fourth Wave and the chaos and death it was unleashing, he was nothing.

But hed hang in there.

Hed do what he could.

Listening to the screams, the cries, he felt as if he heard the wailing come from around the globe.

He closed his free hand into a fist.

From now on, he vowed, he would do better.