"I uploaded all the new intel I had gained to the recording device. Now I needed to find a way to get this info to the next runner. And I needed to get it there. NOW.!"
The Darkness...
Darkness had fallen. No sound. No crickets. No airplanes overhead. No distant sounds of civilization. Not a peep. Just a Dead silence that left a shiver up my spine. The Javas were sure to be in my path. A path that headed westward towards the small farm town just a mile or so away. A twenty minute walk on a normal day. But this night it would be a long journey. Crawling on my hands and knees. Staying in the creek beds and ditches. The dense forest growth would be my best option.
The Drop Point...
The drop point runner, If still alive, would wait till daylight for my arrival. His location being the second of five. Ending at a mountaintop location. A military stronghold that needed our vital Intel on these Java Monsters. I knew that the Intel I had gained would be priceless. I still wanted to know more...
The Theory...
What was the black liquid to be used for? The black coffee like liquid that was the result of a weapon much like a lazer fired into a pot with the still wiggling, twitching remains of a dismembered human.
I had witnessed the disturbingly ritualistic liquification of the runner that was with me only a few long hours ago. I had to make the impossible decision of attempting to save her, or to protect the intel device that could save what is left of mankind.
What effect, if any, would these shotgun shells loaded with pellets of Non Dairy Creamer? have on the Javas? I had only a theory from the evidence and scribbling left behind at the farmhouse. A theory I wanted to avoid testing. To test that theory would mean direct contact with the Java Monsters. A test that not even a heavily weaponized army battalion could survive.
For just over two hours, I crawled slowly, silently. I had gone what I guessed to be 1/4 of the distance to the drop point when I came upon the Javas. 3 of them. They seemed to be waiting for something. I had never witnessed them so motionless. I managed to sketch this rough drawing from my vantage point.
These 3 Javas appeared to be on a...
Coffee Break...
They were smaller and less evil looking than the ones that I witnessed earlier in the day performing the liquification brewing ceremony on the other slower runner. They seemed to be sort of lookouts, or scouts I am guessing.
It was somewhere around midnight when I made it to the GPS coordinates assigned to me. I took cover in a nearby grain storage silo as there was no sign of another runner. There were also no signs of a struggle or a liquification. So I decided to hunker down and wait. At about 3am. I was fighting to stay awake. When I saw a glimmer of light from the direction of the drop point. But was it the runner or possibly two runners? Or could it be the Java Monster scouts?
The Explosion...
With each passing moment, the light became brighter, suddenly I heard an explosion as I was blinded by a bright flash of light. I felt the sting and the burning sensation as the shrapnel pierced my skin...
𝕋𝕠 𝔹𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕖𝕕...
Wʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴘʟᴏsɪᴏɴ?
Wɪʟʟ ᴡᴇ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏɴ ᴅᴀɪʀʏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ sʜᴏᴛɢᴜɴ sʜᴇʟʟs ᴡɪʟʟ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴛʜᴇ Jᴀᴠᴀ Mᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ?
Is ᴛʜɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴏᴜʀ ʀᴜɴɴᴇʀs?
Stay Tuned to the CCCcommunity to find out...
Aʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Aᴜᴛʜᴏʀ:
I ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ. I ᴀᴍ ᴀ sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴍᴀɴ, ᴀɴ ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ 30 ʏᴇᴀʀ ᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ ᴅʀɪᴠᴇʀ/ᴏᴡɴᴇʀ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ. Bᴜᴛ I ʟᴏᴠᴇ sᴄɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, Jᴀᴠᴀ Mᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ Eɴᴇʀɢʏ ᴅʀɪɴᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ Cᴀᴛs.!!