2.1

Two days later, Astra and the rest of the survivors have been waiting patiently in the bunker, observing the live feed from the cameras hidden on the steel bunker, the crawlers have been pretty much inactive the last three days, on the first day that they entered, they filled the underground space where the bunker is in, scratching at it with their claws and trying to get it open.

However, as it becomes apparent that there is no way to get the people hiding inside, like a tiger chasing a monkey that just climbed a thin tall tree, which the tiger cannot climb. The crawlers lose interest in the bunker and after three days with no human to attack; they stop moving, forming small clusters of five crawlers each and hibernate.

On the fifth day, early morning, they all woke up to the sound of an explosion that had happened shook the entire bunker. Followed by a series of sounds that resemble mortar shell bombardment and intense gun fire sounds.

Astra watched on the live feed screen that the crawlers around have woken up and left, obviously for whatever is happening out there. She realized.

“What exactly is going on? Has another transport of people being evacuated to the shelters been ambushed by the crawlers?

The loud explosion sounds continued for several hours. The team has not seen or heard a single crawler since the explosions started.

“Do you think that the crawlers in the shelter have left? It sounds like the military is fighting the crawlers nearby and all the ones in the shelter have gone out to engage the soldiers. Maybe we should open the bunker and see what is going on in the shelter.” Jamie said.

“We shouldn’t do that. That will not be a good idea. Once we open this bunker, we will be dead.” Rhoda answered.

Astra sat on the table with her legs crossed, watching as Rhoda and Jamie argue about what the group of survivors should do.

“If we are sure that they all crawled away to the outside to fight, it should be a good idea that we find out what we can do before they come back.” Kate said,

Astra laid down on the table she is sitting on. She raided her arm and clenched it into a fist.

“Jamie is right. There are a lot of guns and resources out there that can help in our survival. We need to check them out, but even more importantly, if we have a chance to escape this shelter and head to the shores, we may be able to survive after all.”

At this very moment, the transmitter started ringing. After it rang for three seconds, Jamie’s grandfather came on the line and said.

“Chrome shelter, survivors. This is The Global Human federation floating fortress. If you can hear me, I have dispatched a special unit of the Army to rescue you all. If you are listening, Jamie, start the emergency protocols and send an SOS signal for the special squad to know exactly where you are. We will save you.” The man said, and the transmission ended.

All of them were suddenly on their feet around the transmitter. For a moment, the dreary look of doom and loss of hope disappeared from their faces, Jamie was smiling brightly and Khan was already looking for the switch for the computer to set up the bunker’s SOS signals the soldiers will see and get to where they are.

“We should hurry and do this. I am sure that the soldiers cannot keep fighting the crawlers outside forever. There should be thousands of them. The faster we move, the better,” Rhoda said.

Khan turned on the computer and started the sequence for the SOS signal to be sent. He finished setting up the protocol and was about to proceed when Astra suddenly walked to him and stopped him.

“What are you doing, Astra? We need to get out of here fast.” Kahn protested.

“If you do that, I strongly believe we are all going to die here, including the soldiers outside.” She responded.

With a sudden change of expression, Khan pushed her away, standing in front of the computer. Rhoda and Kate also did the same. They walked behind Khan and stood, looking at her with concerned expressions.

“Explain yourself!” Jamie shouted.

“You guys are a bunch of muscle heads,” she said, directing her gaze to Rhoda, who stands behind Jamie.

“I thought that you of all people will get it that if we fire the SOS sound signal, we will be inviting the crawlers that have left right back at us. Have you even reasoned everything we have witnessed so far fighting these crazy monsters? That our guns mean nothing. I am sire that the soldiers out there are well trained and equipped, but ask yourselves this. Are they trained to fight alien monsters?”

There was silence for a moment as each of them ponder what she said.

Khan turned to look at the computer and there, the description said that the bunker will send out loud beeping sound signal that will help reveal its exact location.

“It seems you have finally caught up on what will happen if we send the SOS signal.” Astra said with a smile.

“What do we do now?” Khan asked.

“Now, we sneak to the hovering bikes we have seen outside when we arrived. I have taken my time to check if they were charged or not and all of them were fully charged.”

“She is right. We brought those here. There are ten in the container and these are the new high speed and fast charging models. They were part of what we delivered earlier,” Kate interrupted Astra and said.

“As I was saying, once we take the bikes, we fire a flare to pet the soldiers, know we are out, and head for the shore as fast as we can.” Astra said.

“Gear up everybody, we are moving out!” Khan shouted.

Astra unplugged the pod of her swords. She strapped the sword on her back like a backpack and placed the swords behind the pod where they magnetically get fixed; she went into the toilet and washed her face in the sink, took a sip of water to gain a bit of strength.

When she came out, Khan had picked a multiple grenade launcher that can fire up to ten high explosive grenades per round. Rhoda has taken off her jacket and torn it apart, using bits of it and tying two ceremonial javelins together. Kate and Jamie, on the other hand, have packed a backpack full of hand grenades.

She picked the transmitter and walked to the in-bunker armory and picked a few frag grenades and a belt grenade holder that she strap them to and tied to her waist.

They observed the live feed outside the bunker for a few minutes before starting the sequence to open it up. As soon as the hinges begin to turn, they know that it is too late to turn back. The door of the bunker can only be closed from the outside.

“keep a low profile and try not to make any sound.” Astra said to all of them and as the door finally open up.

They walked slowly, with Astra in the front, followed by Khan and the rest of them following from behind.

The crawlers have completely evacuated the shelter and went out to fight the soldiers. They scampered to the parking space and opened the large box with the bikes sealed in it. Each of them climbed onto one of the hovering bikes and started it. They levitated into the air and crept in the direction of the shelter gates.

They all came to a stop, realizing that the hole that the crawlers have made on the gate is not enough for them to fly through.

“We won’t fit through there, now that the engines of five bikes are on, it is only a matter of time before they come running and start to attack us.” Said Kate.

Astra flew closer to the hole in the door. She flew back and said to Khan.

“Blow it up with your grenade launcher. Aim just a bit below the hole and fore three grenades. If we are lucky, that should do,” .

Khan pulled out his MGL launcher and fired two accurate shots without hesitation, a few seconds later, an explosion follows, when the smoke has cleared out the hole in the door has gotten bigger, now enough for them to pass through one bike at a time.

Astra flew through the hole, followed closely from behind by Khan and the rest of the team. A few crawlers have already found them by the two explosions earlier and are currently heading towards them.

Khan overtook Astra and fired six grenades at the group of crawlers, throwing them away with the explosion and creating a path.

They all started moving away from the shelter, heading northwards towards the shore.

As soon as they get off of the cliffs of mount chrome, they were met face to face with a reality that made their gut turn and their spit bitter. In the vastness of lands east of mount chrome, Astra can see over twenty thousand crawlers running in the felids, at first, she thought they were clumping on one another but immediately realized; they were feeding off on the corpses of the soldiers that Jamie’s grandfather sent to rescue them.

The sight mortified the five of them, but they have no luxury of worrying about others. A few crawlers are chasing after them.

“Speed up and follow me. Try not to get left behind!” Astra shouted at them and speed up her hovering bike. Within a minute, over four hundred crawlers are currently chasing them. They set the bikes to maximum speed and keep up speed, just barely enough to outrun the hungry alien crawlers that are chasing after them.

Khan swerved to the left, taking a few of the crawlers with him. As he keeps speeding up, he pointed the grenade launcher he was holding behind and started firing away and blowing them out of their feet. Each time the grenades go off, a few crawlers go flying in the air, falling and eventually falling behind.

After two hours of racing against the hundreds of crawlers chasing them, Astra and colleagues have finally seen the shores, and the floating fortress a bit farther away into the ocean. But there is just one big problem: the shore is filled with even more monsters.

Astra heard a static sound coming from the Transmitter. “Chrome shelter survivors, continue on your current path. We will create a path for you, so keep up your current speed and direction,” the man from before said. Astra shouted to everyone via their bike radio the fortress is giving them support and they are to keep up their speed and keep heading straight l, there is a small acre of land covered with woods that have been systemically planted to stop the candy beach from overtaking the entire shore, Astra pulled out one of her swords from her back and turned it on.

“Stay in front of me,” she shouted at them and slowed down just a little so that she will be the one behind. She held the swords as it heats and glow red, as they maneuver their way through the brief forest that will lead them to the shore, she increased the sword power to maximum and as she passed near trees, she slice them up with the sword, cutting through like butter and sending the tree falling backwards on the large group of crawlers chasing them.

Before they exit the forest, they have gained significant distance away from the crawlers and their trail through the forest was visible even from the distance. Astra has cut down all the trees she passed near.

As soon as they come through the forest, a supersonic jet flew past them, leaving behind it a trial of explosions that creates a partial way for Astra and her colleagues to pass through the group of monsters. They speeded through the herd of aliens at full speed. However, halfway through, they realized that the aliens have surrounded them.

Astra quickly figured it is time to drain the battery of their bikes since they are near the sea, anyway.

“Levitate higher, as much as the bike can handle and maintain the speed we are going with!” Medulla shouted at them through the Bike radios.

She pulled a lever by the side of her bike’s control all the way up and instantly the bike ascends upwards and upwards, elevating high enough for her to avoid the crawlers in front just in time.

They passed the swarm of alien crawlers on the beach and are currently above the ocean water.

Suddenly, all the bikes started beeping. When Astra checked her screen, the bike has run out of charge and was about to crash down at any second. The crawlers have not chased them. She turned back and looked towards the gigantic structure floating in the sea and saw two smaller ships heading their way; she let out a deep sigh as her hovering bike drained the final bits of charge and plummet into the ocean, followed by the rest of her team.