Fic, The Red Wind, Matt, 15
Nov. 17th, 2014 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fredbassettTitle : The Red Wind
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Matt, OCs
Disclaimer : Not mine, no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Summary : In a harsh world, every day is a struggle.
A/N : Written for my![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
primeval_denial bingo square Give us this day, our daily bread. With thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
clea2011 for the idea for this prompt.
“Get under cover, now!” Matt’s shout was torn away by the rapidly-rising wind.
A quick glance around assured him that everyone was already moving, running as fast as they could for the nearest entrance to the tunnels. Matt’s booted feet sunk in the soft sand, making progress difficult. The bag slung around his shoulder bounced against his side and for a moment he considered dropping it, but if he did he knew his chances of finding it again were going to be low to non-existent. He couldn’t afford to jettison valuable food supplies, people were depending on the results of the scavenger hunt to the ruined city. They’d lost two people to the predators that day and Matt didn’t want their sacrifice to be in vain.
He pulled the scarf up around his nose and mouth as best he could and continued slogging through the harsh landscape. In front of him, someone fell, sprawling full-length after tripping over a concealed rock. Jenet, the youngest and least experienced member of the group, was on her first long foray away from their current base.
Matt stopped, even though to do so would endanger his own life, grabbed her upper arm and hauled her to her feet. She kept hold of her bag and stumbled on, head down, breathing already laboured as the wind whipped the poisoned air towards them, making their eyes sting and water.
They kept moving as fast as they could.
On the ridge above them, Matt saw the indistinct silhouette of a gaunt predator appear but before it could threaten them, another crashed into it and, despite the rapidly-approaching threat from the dust cloud and the poisonous wind, the two creatures rolled down the slope, tearing at each other, using teeth and claws. Matt watched with approval. As long as they kept each other occupied, his team had a chance of reaching safety.
Judging distance as red sand swirled around them was getting harder, as was keeping their bearings. He kept Jenet in front of him as best he could, but he’d already lost contact with the rest of the group.
The tunnel he was aiming for was at the base of the small cliff, no more than ten metres ahead – or so he hoped. If he’d got their position wrong a slight overhang might still give them some shelter, but the chances were that their lungs would still be seared by the gases in the air. Few survived a sandstorm stuck out in the open.
He felt rather than heard a clang of metal on rock and, only a metre ahead, hands reached up to grab the slight figure of the youngest member of the team and haul her to safety. Matt swung the heavy bag off his shoulder and tossed it towards the opening at the base of the cliff. More hands snatched it away to give him clear passage as he dived head first through the gate. Moments later, one more of his team came crashing in behind him. Only one was left outside.
“We have to close the door, Matt,” one of the other said, voice hoarse from the lethal combination of wind and sand.
“Just give her time!” he begged.
“We’re out of time”
In desperation, Matt stuck his head and shoulders out of the heavy metal gate. He couldn’t see anything, the wind made sure of that, but over the howl of the wind, he heard laboured breathing and knew that Kitty was somewhere nearby.
“We’re here!” he yelled as loudly as he could.
“Matt!” But the voice came from behind him and he felt hands grabbing his legs to haul him backwards unto the safety of the tunnels.
“No!” He grabbed hold of the metal frame around the gate, his knuckles whitening and he hung on, despite attempts to pull him back.
Matt heard a faint cry, almost whipped away by the wind, but enough to tell him that Kitty was close. He called out again, hoping it would help her find her bearings in the sandstorm. He kept on yelling and kicked out, stopping anyone from pulling him back too precipitously. But he knew they couldn’t keep the hatch open much longer. They had to keep the poisoned air out and couldn’t take risks where the predators were concerned. Those were the rules they lived by, whether he liked them or not.
He yelled once more, as loudly as he could then, with breathtaking suddenness, a figure lurched towards him, arms wrapped around her head to protect her face from the biting sand. Matt reached out and pulled her towards him, one hand protecting her head as he dragged her inside, allowing himself to be hauled backwards at the same time, as someone else scrabbled to pull the heavy gate closed and shoot the bolt into place, preventing it being opened from the outside.
Kitty lay on the floor, coughing weakly. She’d been exposed to the red wind for too long, but maybe she’d be lucky and escape without permanent damage. If she didn’t, then it would be one more mouth to feed who couldn’t contribute to keeping the rest alive…
Matt shook that thought off. She was alive, that was what mattered. And caring for the weak, not ripping them to pieces, was what set what was left of homo sapiens sapiens apart from the predators who’d so swiftly colonised a ruined world. He bent down and patted her on the shoulder. She turned her head to look up at him, a slight smile on her parched lips.
“Thanks,” she mouthed at him before another coughing fit wracked her thin body.
Matt picked up his own bag and her backpack. “Come on, we need to get her looked at by a medic and get this food over to the stores.”
Two of the others helped Kitty to her feet and half-carried her through the dimly lit tunnels. A medical team hurried up to them before they’d gone very far, and carried the woman away on a stretcher. Matt wondered if he’d ever see her again. Life was like that for the survivors. He’d already lost two people earlier in the day, their bodies left behind as food for the predators, but all he could do was move on, living every day as if it might be his last.
The small cavalcade of returning scavengers handed their packs to the quartermaster at the stores and received a tired smile for the trouble. News of their losses had travelled even faster through the small colony than they had.
The central hall was crowded, everyone gathered together to receive their daily ration of food and water, the two precious commodities without which they might just as well concede defeat.
On one side of the room, some people were kneeling on the floor, their heads bowed in prayer as they murmured the still-familiar words, Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.
Matt wondered if that forgiveness was intended to extend to the mutated creatures that dogged their every move outside the shelters. He’d never been a believer, not even as a child. His father was a staunch atheist and Matt had never been convinced by the stories told by the pastors amongst them. But their faith brought comfort to a lot of people in the subterranean colony and for that reason, Matt was happy to leave them to it, and he’d often spoken out in Council in favour of their right to freedom of religion.
As he listened, the pastor leading the prayers ended with the time-honoured words that even Matt knew by heart.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Matt found himself mouthing the words, tears suddenly forming in his eyes for those who’d died that day.
They’d lived hard lives and died equally hard deaths.
And if Gideon’s plans didn’t come to fruition, ultimately they’d all go down before the predators. The only question was whether that would happen before or after their food supplies ran out.
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 15
Characters : Matt, OCs
Disclaimer : Not mine, no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Summary : In a harsh world, every day is a struggle.
A/N : Written for my
primeval_denial bingo square Give us this day, our daily bread. With thanks to clea2011 for the idea for this prompt.“Get under cover, now!” Matt’s shout was torn away by the rapidly-rising wind.
A quick glance around assured him that everyone was already moving, running as fast as they could for the nearest entrance to the tunnels. Matt’s booted feet sunk in the soft sand, making progress difficult. The bag slung around his shoulder bounced against his side and for a moment he considered dropping it, but if he did he knew his chances of finding it again were going to be low to non-existent. He couldn’t afford to jettison valuable food supplies, people were depending on the results of the scavenger hunt to the ruined city. They’d lost two people to the predators that day and Matt didn’t want their sacrifice to be in vain.
He pulled the scarf up around his nose and mouth as best he could and continued slogging through the harsh landscape. In front of him, someone fell, sprawling full-length after tripping over a concealed rock. Jenet, the youngest and least experienced member of the group, was on her first long foray away from their current base.
Matt stopped, even though to do so would endanger his own life, grabbed her upper arm and hauled her to her feet. She kept hold of her bag and stumbled on, head down, breathing already laboured as the wind whipped the poisoned air towards them, making their eyes sting and water.
They kept moving as fast as they could.
On the ridge above them, Matt saw the indistinct silhouette of a gaunt predator appear but before it could threaten them, another crashed into it and, despite the rapidly-approaching threat from the dust cloud and the poisonous wind, the two creatures rolled down the slope, tearing at each other, using teeth and claws. Matt watched with approval. As long as they kept each other occupied, his team had a chance of reaching safety.
Judging distance as red sand swirled around them was getting harder, as was keeping their bearings. He kept Jenet in front of him as best he could, but he’d already lost contact with the rest of the group.
The tunnel he was aiming for was at the base of the small cliff, no more than ten metres ahead – or so he hoped. If he’d got their position wrong a slight overhang might still give them some shelter, but the chances were that their lungs would still be seared by the gases in the air. Few survived a sandstorm stuck out in the open.
He felt rather than heard a clang of metal on rock and, only a metre ahead, hands reached up to grab the slight figure of the youngest member of the team and haul her to safety. Matt swung the heavy bag off his shoulder and tossed it towards the opening at the base of the cliff. More hands snatched it away to give him clear passage as he dived head first through the gate. Moments later, one more of his team came crashing in behind him. Only one was left outside.
“We have to close the door, Matt,” one of the other said, voice hoarse from the lethal combination of wind and sand.
“Just give her time!” he begged.
“We’re out of time”
In desperation, Matt stuck his head and shoulders out of the heavy metal gate. He couldn’t see anything, the wind made sure of that, but over the howl of the wind, he heard laboured breathing and knew that Kitty was somewhere nearby.
“We’re here!” he yelled as loudly as he could.
“Matt!” But the voice came from behind him and he felt hands grabbing his legs to haul him backwards unto the safety of the tunnels.
“No!” He grabbed hold of the metal frame around the gate, his knuckles whitening and he hung on, despite attempts to pull him back.
Matt heard a faint cry, almost whipped away by the wind, but enough to tell him that Kitty was close. He called out again, hoping it would help her find her bearings in the sandstorm. He kept on yelling and kicked out, stopping anyone from pulling him back too precipitously. But he knew they couldn’t keep the hatch open much longer. They had to keep the poisoned air out and couldn’t take risks where the predators were concerned. Those were the rules they lived by, whether he liked them or not.
He yelled once more, as loudly as he could then, with breathtaking suddenness, a figure lurched towards him, arms wrapped around her head to protect her face from the biting sand. Matt reached out and pulled her towards him, one hand protecting her head as he dragged her inside, allowing himself to be hauled backwards at the same time, as someone else scrabbled to pull the heavy gate closed and shoot the bolt into place, preventing it being opened from the outside.
Kitty lay on the floor, coughing weakly. She’d been exposed to the red wind for too long, but maybe she’d be lucky and escape without permanent damage. If she didn’t, then it would be one more mouth to feed who couldn’t contribute to keeping the rest alive…
Matt shook that thought off. She was alive, that was what mattered. And caring for the weak, not ripping them to pieces, was what set what was left of homo sapiens sapiens apart from the predators who’d so swiftly colonised a ruined world. He bent down and patted her on the shoulder. She turned her head to look up at him, a slight smile on her parched lips.
“Thanks,” she mouthed at him before another coughing fit wracked her thin body.
Matt picked up his own bag and her backpack. “Come on, we need to get her looked at by a medic and get this food over to the stores.”
Two of the others helped Kitty to her feet and half-carried her through the dimly lit tunnels. A medical team hurried up to them before they’d gone very far, and carried the woman away on a stretcher. Matt wondered if he’d ever see her again. Life was like that for the survivors. He’d already lost two people earlier in the day, their bodies left behind as food for the predators, but all he could do was move on, living every day as if it might be his last.
The small cavalcade of returning scavengers handed their packs to the quartermaster at the stores and received a tired smile for the trouble. News of their losses had travelled even faster through the small colony than they had.
The central hall was crowded, everyone gathered together to receive their daily ration of food and water, the two precious commodities without which they might just as well concede defeat.
On one side of the room, some people were kneeling on the floor, their heads bowed in prayer as they murmured the still-familiar words, Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.
Matt wondered if that forgiveness was intended to extend to the mutated creatures that dogged their every move outside the shelters. He’d never been a believer, not even as a child. His father was a staunch atheist and Matt had never been convinced by the stories told by the pastors amongst them. But their faith brought comfort to a lot of people in the subterranean colony and for that reason, Matt was happy to leave them to it, and he’d often spoken out in Council in favour of their right to freedom of religion.
As he listened, the pastor leading the prayers ended with the time-honoured words that even Matt knew by heart.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Matt found himself mouthing the words, tears suddenly forming in his eyes for those who’d died that day.
They’d lived hard lives and died equally hard deaths.
And if Gideon’s plans didn’t come to fruition, ultimately they’d all go down before the predators. The only question was whether that would happen before or after their food supplies ran out.
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Date: 2014-11-18 06:32 am (UTC)Brilliantly drawn picture of a horribly harsh world.
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