Easy Now

The rustling of the leaves in the wind came in waves and gently washed over the top of the forest. The air was humid and there was a smell of dew in the air, as the fog slowly wafted away and little rays of light shone through the trees, basking the forest floor in lines of light. It was a beautiful sight and it was so, so quiet with a few birds chirping nervously, as their day had already begun once the sun had risen. The bunker behind her was cool and rigid as she slowly walked along the forest floor. She had checked her gear a few times before she left. She checked it again in the capsule to topside. She checked it again absentmindedly as she slowly walked across the forest floor. Backpack is secured, rope was ready, she had her Hairpin pistol waiting in the holster and a Ferro rifle dangling alongside her. Some other Raiders liked to come strapped straight out of the gate but not her, she preferred the pistol ready but lately, she found, people were more forgiving. Gentler.

There were no signs of any drones nearby, she could hear birds and even an insect or two. It felt good to hear them. Smaller animals seemed to go under their radar, their attention. If you were quiet they did not seem to notice you. She caressed the Hairpin lightly and nodded to herself. She was ready. She walked through the brush gingerly, patiently as she kept her ears perked up at all times. She noticed some garbage around the exit point. Others before her were not as kind to at least take care of this. She noticed a wrapper from a snack she used to like as a child. There were no more around, she and the others her age had eaten them all and the company that produced them naturally did not exist anymore. She smiled as she picked it up and wiped it of debris. It could have been one of her own she had thrown away. She wasn't always as careful and caring as she was now. She sighed and put it in her pocket.

Patting down her other pockets she made sure they were all ready. You never know what you would find topside. Nuts and bolts, maybe some wires, a shirt, some packaging, a bottle. Anything could be valuable. Anything could be reused, recycled, turned into something else. She walked towards her usual path then took a stop to survey the area. She was about two clicks away from the exit and was about to embark into uncharted territory. Well, it had been charted many, many years prior. Yet now people chart it again with a new perspective. Where there were good things, where there was still many things left to haul back, where there were more dangers, where there were bodies yet buried. She preferred to do it the old fashioned way and would then update it back in Toledo with the others, so it could be shared. Just as she was about to get the map out she noticed a hint of movement far off. She slowly crouched down and took out her binoculars.

There was the valley ahead of her, with a warehouse from Noma Za Corp. to the left that covered most of the area and had already been looted ten times over. The fence was full of holes and falling apart, with many bits and pieces taken away for repurposing over time. She looked to the right and there was a creek, with bushes and some cacti growing patiently along the path. There she suddenly saw movement, way off in the distance - about 800 to one click away - a figure was ambling about. They looked disheveled and it was hard to tell what was wrong with them. Suddenly she saw one of the drones appear. The figure looked around but did not seem to want to run, or hide. They simply raised their hands as the drone gunned her down. She could still hear the shots echoing off of the trees and stone as the body fell. The drone approached the body, it's seeking light turning from red, to yellow, then back to neutral blue as it whirred off into the distance. She took out her compass, checked the distance and the landmarks around and made a note of the body. "Srndr ⩀" - Srndr to mean "surrender" as the person had given up. She shook her head and put away the pencil and map as she looked out again with the binoculars. The Wasp type drone that killed the poor person up ahead was unrepentant and without remorse. They all were. She tried to remember a time without them but failed. It seemed they were part of the world just as she was, just as the bees and the birds. Something that was always true.

She headed out to the new direction that was yet not surveyed on her map and took her time. You would not want to get caught out in the open like the poor soul she observed die in her binoculars. She was surprised at her own callousness. The person out there might still be alive. What if she could help them? She stopped in her tracks then turned towards where she saw the poor soul die. She headed to the fence and popped her head through first, impatiently. There was nothing and no one. She stepped through until she heard something. A crunching sound. She took the Hairpin out slowly and the crunching stopped. Someone was right around the corner and had heard her. They had unholstered their gun as well, she assumed the sound was.

"Who is there?" the low-pitched, scratchy voice asked incredulously. She took a deep breath. "Don't shoot!" She shouted and turned the corner. A figure huddled over a bag turned quickly and aimed their gun at her. She aimed back. The eyes of the - she assumed woman - opposite of her are large and bulging. Her face is dirty and taught, skinny. Starving, probably, but not lowering her gun. They both looked to the sky once they heard the beeping of a Wasp. Their eyes met again.