Attempting to Survive the Apocalypse: Dimensional Dislocation

He looked on impassively from his post as he watched the multitudes of trucks continued to flow into the base, each one with their backs covered only to soon enough be swarmed by soldiers as soon as they stopped. Quickly forming a chain to quickly unload a multitude of crates, barrels, and whatever else was on board before being quickly taken to either another temporary storage area or the still in construction bunker.

"Aleksander!"

Turning around he looked at his supposed partner on watch who was currently leaned back in a chair with a relaxed expression along his wide grin. Though there was no response his partner nevertheless expected there to be no immediate response before continuing.

"You need to relax some. So far, all expected deliveries have been on time and there hasn't been any major problems the entire week. It's mainly just been the usual shipments and construction as of late so there's no need to tire yourself."


"You know very well I can't do that Alex. The world has begun to change too much and with how everything's been recently I can't help but feel like somethings going to happen…." Pausing, Aleksander briefly looked back behind him, catching sight of the sun rising past the mountains and glittering off the nearby lake. "…I very much don't think its possible to not worry. Of late I can't help it. Recently I've even begun thinking about my young niece, her and my brother being the only family I have left and yet I've only ever been able to see her once." Turning to look back in front he noticed Alex getting up.


Look at him questioningly it wasn't long till he closed the distance and put their arm around his shoulders.

"Come on man, don't think like that! Of course, you'll see them again! I have even heard were expecting a delivery soon of some impressive little combat robots! Why if things continue, I bet soon enough of them and whatever the next generation brings us we can all stay safe and be with all of our loved ones!"


"That depends on nothing like what movies has taught me happening. How can we be sure these things are even safe or live up to the rumors?"


"Wow. You just love looking at the negative, huh? It's going to be all right, I assure you. Now come on, I shift should just about be over."


Sighing, he allowed himself to be lead down the nearby stairs once he took note that the next shift has just came up them. Moving away from the guard tower Alex removed his arm only to grin and wave it excitedly to another soldier in the distance carrying a long wooden box.

"Jenkins! You doing anything important!"

Looking over, the other soldier gave a slight smile before responding.

"Not really, I was asked to take this over to the entrance guards, but I should have some time."

"Great!"

Soon enough Alex managed to close the distance and the next thing they all knew he had both arms around both of their shoulders. The sudden action nearly causing Jenkins to lose his grip and gaining a panicked expression got the box to restabilize in his arms. Giving a soft sigh Jenkins shot Alex an annoyed glare as he led both of them to a nearby stack of crates. Taking a brief glance to an approaching train to a nearby station.


It's been only a couple minutes of the three of them talking before Jenkins sighed and pushed off the crate he was leaning against and collected the box. Looking first to Alex who was currently sitting on the crates then to Aleksander who was leaning on the side past Alex with his shoulder before finally speaking."

"well, it was great chatting with both of you guys but I should really get this delivered."


Taking a moment to consider Aleksander quickly straightened up and walked over to join Jenkins before speaking up, "I'll walk with you. There was something I wanted to drop off at the post to be delivered and its on the way there."


Nodding to each other they both looked over to Alex who now had his eyes partly closed as they leaned back with their hands clasped behind their head. Apparently taking note that they were waiting for a response he simply smiled before looking up to the sky with his eyes closing fully before responding.

"You two go on ahead, I'll catch up with one of you two later at the barracks."


Accepting their answer they both moved on. Taking a brief look to the right both of them simply looked on silently upon noticing the train from earlier and what exactly they were now unloading. Currently being unloaded was one of the recent ACR-10s with a multitude of others already unloaded being placed on the station platform. But neither stopped walking and soon enough the sight was blocked by a building they were passing but the moment Aleksander returned his attention forward his eyes widened. Both of them were now close to the base entrance, but at some point, a large crowd gathered in front of it. The guards in front working to try to calm them all down.


But that wasn't the main thing he took note of. What truly held his attention was a few individuals acting calmer then those around them, some of whom were reaching into their coats. Giving a shout Aleksander quickly ran forward, leaving Jenkins briefly confused before he decided to awkwardly run too with the box. Rushing quickly Aleksander failed to notice how one of the people reaching into their coat took notice of him and so also repositioned to better face him.


It was with the sudden noise of multiple weapons going off that everything seemed to get suddenly quite. Aleksander came to a sudden halt as if he seemed lost, looking over as some of the entrance guards seemed to just collapse and the shouting crowd seemed to pause in horror as they starred. Looking to the right Aleksander finally took note of one of the calmer people who was currently looking in his direction, held within their grasp was a rifle aimed directly at him. Now suddenly shaking he distantly heard a shouted no before he started to fall backwards, his descent halted when Jenkins after having apparently dropped the wooden box he was carrying rushed over and caught him. Blankly, he watched as Jenkins quickly shouted something as he looked at his chest. Only to notice his eyes widen when he looked back to the gate. Trying his best to looked, most of the crowd was panikly leaving. All that were remaining being ones that were armed and attempting to rush in, one of them holding some container they were working to unseal.


With a jolt he was dropped as Jenkins quickly got up and rushed at the one holding the container before tackling them, but just after they finally got it unsealed. He watched numbly as Jenkins eventually managed to wrestle the container in but not before ending up being exposed to a large amount of the stuff as the remainder were quickly dealt with by the rest of the guard and soldiers. Jenkins then quietly stood up and look back at his gaze with a now resigned expression, but soon enough his sight was taken up by another face. Alex apparently running up and sliding onto their knees before him, but their face was wrong. For as long as Aleksander knew them, he never saw them with such a look of despair, and it was in that moment that everything seemed to clear up for Aleksander and he finally understood his situation. Silently, he broke eye contact and looked down. Taking brief note of the multitude of new red stains on his uniform he reached into his pocket. Looking back up at Alex and Jenkins who has managed to make his way back over to them he quietly handed over to Alex a letter he has kept for awhile now on his person in case this ever happened. Mutely noting that Jenkins was doing the same thing.


Now holding two letters Alex seemed to be shaking their head no before stopping in shock as Jenkins quietly placed his hand on their shoulder. Aleksander following suit as they weakly grasped at their arm. In silence trying to reassure them. Aleksander took note as the world seemed to be getting darker before quietly whispering.

"…Please…. take...Care…"

His grip slowly loosened with each word before finally falling back, darkness now his entire vision. It was in that moment that Aleksander was now gone, now forever unaware of what possibly fates could await for what remained of not just his family, but his friends.

"Paul, what is Sergei doing now?" You ask your long time guard duty comrade from where you lean against the wall, the short German flicks his eyes up and opens his mouth before pausing, spotting the same thing you were currently staring at.

The of of you watch in stunned silence as Sergei, the absolute madman, throws a thin metal pipe. The pipe arcs beautifully, bouncing off of the inside of the walls and clanging down onto the concrete, the thickly accented voice of the thrower following just afterwards. "FETCH!" From his side, the formerly stationary ACR shoots into motion, rushing past the two of you and flashing the blocky English stencilled onto the side as it passes. DOG.

A gust of wind ruffles your uniform as several hundred kilograms of war machine finishes racing past faster than you can sprint before abruptly skidding to a halt, the internal systems smoothly balancing it as the legs halt it's bulk without even sliding. Then it leans down, the long barrel of the currently mounted .50 pointing as far down as it can, the entire machine almost sideways in it's awkward pose as it delicately slots the barrel through the pipe and lifts it up.

Again, without any warning Dog takes a running start as it turns and gallops back to Sergei, the bear of a man you knew full well was a gigantic nerd waiting with his hand outstretched. Dog performs the same perfectly smooth and abrupt halt in front of him, aiming down with the .50 until the pipe slides down into his hand.

The two of you stare at him until he shrugs and answers the silent question that half the camp watching him is wondering. How the fuck did you do that? "ACR comes with a very good development suit yes? It's not too hard to program new behaviours into it-" He gently wiggles the pipe in his hand as he stares at the motionless form of the waiting ACR next to him, "Plus! I didn't even code any of the movement details, it's doing that all from it's own navigational systems. The only tricky part was getting it to pick up the pipe in the first place." Evidently satisfied with his own description, he turns away from the two of you and opens one of the panels on the side of Dog, fiddling with some kind of built-in screen.

"You know when he breaks it, we're going to get in trouble too?" Paul waves vaguely at cooing Combat Engineer as people around the area stop staring now that the excitement is over. "It's assigned as the squad unit." You hum, having no doubt he's thinking about that time Sergei somehow managed to bolt two belt fed grenade launchers together and make it work, well, until it exploded.

"That is true, however." You give Paul a nudge with your shoulder and ignore his long sigh of suffering. "It's going to be fucking awesome." He doesn't grace you with a response, already returning to counting the birds, but you've known him long enough to know better. He's thinking about shouting Fetch right now. You settle down to wait patiently, but he gives in before the minute is up, pushing open the door behind him and taking a deep breath. Years of experience sends you darting towards him just before he shouts loud and clear, "FETCH!"

The two of you duck out of view and close the door, the last thing you see before the door closed being a rather bewildered Sergei holding that pipe in his hand and Dog turning to face him out of his field of vision.

Later, despite the punishment, you would both consider it to be totally worth it.