BDCEMF - Chapter One

1

Jeff was running....and running hard. It had been five hours since he had scaled the 30 metre high concrete wall that surrounded the remains of Central Manchester. He was sure he had set off at least one proximity alarm as he made his unsteady descent, and the spotlights and blaring klaxons that came on as he descended the last remaining feet didn’t disappoint.

Jeff stopped at the corner of a road where the hollow shell of a large office building offered him some cover from the sight of any passing Guardsmen. Beads of sweat trickled down his ebony forehead as he glanced nervously around the skyline, his starkly blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

What was originally a background humming grew in volume as a large metallic platform, surrounded by a guardrail hovered past the office building some distance above the ground. These Coffin Slabs were just one of the devices brought into existence by the person who had created this state of fear. They were guided by a small group of body armour clad Guardsmen, their deep amber visors reflecting the harsh spotlights mounted to the frame.
These Guardsmen were obviously on the hunt for Jeff, and they were getting closer to tracking him down.

Jeff moved swiftly, but not so much that the Guardsmen stood on the smooth surface of the Coffin Slab would notice him out of their peripheral vision. After clambering under the rusted metal frame of a revolving door, the tall, dark-skinned man stretched his aching limbs and squatted under a slightly singed office desk. Taking his first opportunity for rest since he first approached the Manchester Borderwall, Jeff opened the zip of his torn backpack and took out a bottle of water and a folded CamoBlanket.

Covering himself in the slightly translucent material, Jeff finally felt at ease. The fabric was designed specifically to blend in with whichever background it was placed over, a clever blend of nano-technology and traditional textile manufacturing. Unscrewing the cap of his water bottle, Jeff drank thirstily. The fluid that Jeff imbibed was not water as it was known by people before the Mishap. This liquid contained more minerals & pseudo-chemicals than natural water, but all were created to be beneficial to the human body, as Jeff discovered to his pleasure.

At peace now and finally feeling secure, Jeff began to slumber.....