"The One Day War" (Zarazel and Onica)

World War 3....Nobody was sure who had fired the first shots...and it wasn't like the world was in a good enough state people could still connect and try to figure out what the fuck had happened.

The only thing that was widely known was the worlds Supply of Nuclear Armaments were used in a worldwide holocaust, killing a good 80 to 95% of the worlds population. Only the lucky survived...if one could call them lucky.

These days, it was commonly known as 'The One Hour War'...and it had changed the world forever. The Internet still worked...somewhat..if one could find an access point and enough power to run a computer....and we're lucky. Small shanty towns and cities sprung up once and a while, but only a few survived the raiders and thugs that inhabited the wasteland...raiders, thugs and...other things.

______

Onica Istre had been in the military only a year or so when the war had broke out. A young US Marine out to start a life of her own...now found herself alone for the most part. Not many asked how a Marine ended up on a army base...but then again there was not many around to ask her. An those that did find her where not really in the questioning mood and often found their self on the wrong end of a gun.

She had for the better part fingered out what this place had and didn't....and it had more things then most thought to look for. After all most gas tanks and water wells where dry, but it took a key and code to get into the gas pumps on base and it seemed that most bases where build to last even if they where cut off from the rest of the world. The water hear still ran if one could get a the water pumps to work...and because not many thought to raid the bases after the war boxes of food had been left...left for the young marine to gather over the past year.

It was the air wing part of the base she now called home, having turned one of the officer's offices in one of the hangers into a little haven. The best part was it was located in a gate inside of a gate inside of a gate and the only way into the hanger was threw the fire escape.

Yet the young girl found herself going outside of these gates more often now, trying to get as much fuel back to her little home and find as much supplies as she could before the winter months where upon her once again. Armed with nothing but a M16A2 Rifle and two boot knifes she could be found wondering the streets. A bright red gas tank in her arms as she hiked three miles back and forth to and from the air station.

A plastic key around her wrist and a number key keep safe in her head she started to pump the fuel she needed before she once again made her trip back to get yet another empty tank.

Jacob woke up, the blast of the nuclear bomb made him hit the wall of the underground shelter he was in and go unconcious. He had no idea how long it had been since he was out of it he only knew something bad happened. He got on his feet and looked at the door of the entrance, the blast must had closed the door and kept him safe. He shook his head and pushed the door only to see the reality of it all, his house was there no more and a lot of the buildings near his home were gone too. He groaned and looked around, he had no idea what happened but it looked like hell finally invaded earth. He knew this was not good and if there were any survivors they were as bad as he was, so he grabbed a few guns from the casses and a few food and started to walk.

He opened the door of his beatup truck to find the radio, he placed the channel 9, if someone was alive and had a radio that would be the channel they would go, â??This is Sargent Jacob Anzaker, looking for anyone aliveâ?¦â?he repeated the message a few times then started walking and talking again, he would do so every couple of minutes. He found a truck on bad condition but good enough to drive, he quickly fixed the battery and got in driving to the city. He needed supplies, his first step was the mall. It was deserted. He walked in slowly with his weapon up and entered the mall, pool of dead bodies all around the inside. He shook his head and grabbed his radio once again giving the small message, hoping somebody would answer.

Like most places in the lager cities and towns the mall would have be most likely empty of anything one could use. The raiders and thugs making short work to anything in there way. They only lived it seemed to watch the world burn more then it already had.

They only thing they really did not tough was the bases, to scared that the military was still running them and they would be shot on site. But they where just as dead as the cities and towns they once watched over.

It had already been a year sense the war tore threw everything in its wake.

____

"One more that's all I need," Onica said to herself as she made her way back to the, but she would get it tomorrow. The sun was already going down, and no one with half a brain after the attack went out after night. There where things out there that liked to hunt at night, things that the blast made.

However, Onica did hear one thing as she entered the hanger for the night...from one of the helicopters she got to work...work not fly. A voice over the radio, someone was out there moving about at night. That was not good. Dropping her gas can to go listen, normally she would not answer but with so few people out there now and days she could not just leave him in the dark. "This is UH-N1 Huey HMLA/T 303 Army Air Station. Seek shelter I repeat seek shelter before night fall." Sure she just gave away her location but a guy on foot would not make it here before night fall...to bad the guy was not on foot.

Jacob was surprised to hear somebody on the other end of the radio, â??Who are you?... what is happening here?â?. He groaned as he watched the sky and then looked at his clock, it would take a hour easy to get there, he decided if she could survive so long, he could be able to as well. He ran out and got in the truck and drove off, as the day started to turn into night he saw people coming out,they threw rocks and shot at the truck. Jacob took a deep breath and pressed the gas pedal all the way and soon he cleared the most crowded area of the city, but not without a bullet to his arm. He groaned as he looked at the station and grabbed the radio, â??Iâ?¦ I am here, damn I am shot are you still there?â?. He groaned as he got off the truck and looked around, nobody was in sight he started to walk inside looking around.

The wound on his arm was getting worse and he was loosing a lot of blood. Because of his training he knew he had to keep pressure on the wound but there was nothing in sight that he could use. He got a idea he took off his shirt and with it he applied pressure on the wound. He had forgotten all there is to know about talking on radio, he wanted a shelter and fast. He groaned as he went back to the truck going inside, if someone came he would be safe inside, â??This is Jacob Anzaker, are you there? Look I want no problem and I am alone if that is what your worried, I been unconcious until now so I have no idea what is happening, I am looking for a shelter if you are there open the gate pleaseâ?.

She sat there for a minute in the cockpit of the Huey. Listening to the man on the other end, almost not believing him as she spoke about already being at the gate. It had only been about an hour maybe a little more. She did not answer him, but took her rifle and went to the gate. Taking about five minutes on foot to get there. She could not open the gate because there was no power...but she did have a crawl whole.

It did not take long for her to sneak around the truck and have the her rifle in his face, "Get out the truck. Don't try anything or your going to have worse then just a gun shot in your arm."

She did not care if he was riding in a truck, nor did she care he was wounded. She had seen many of times when she did leave the safety of the base, how the groups and clans sent there wounded to lore out others...then kill them where they stood. She was not that crazy. What he would see though would be a sight for sore eyes.

She was clean unlike the one's that attacked him, dressed in a uniform that screamed Military...or better yet marine. The dark green cami blouse and matching pants. The dark brown boot, even the way she held the rifle. She could not be taller then five foot three, maybe 107 pounds. Long brown hair about down to her shoulder blades and her eyes. The hazel orbs seemed to cut threw the sun set that was behind her.

"Hurry up damn it. Its not safe out side the gate right now!"

Jacob smiled and got off leaving the gun behind, â??I left the gun on the truck, I donâ??t want any problemsâ?. He was surprised to see her pointing the gun at him but under these conditions it would be an everyday thing for her. He walked toward the hole on the fence and went through it waiting on her and not moving. After she was through he walked in front of her as he was sure that she was pointing the gun right at him. He walked inside the base and when she locked the door he turned around to face her, â??put the gun down, I want no problems. My name is Jacob Sneaker, I was on a underground shelter when this happened, been unconscious until today.

"Turn back around," She had learned not to trust anyone these days. Waiting in tell he did to pat him down, not really giving a shit if it made him uneasy having her grab at every inch of his pants and shirt. Making sure he was telling the truth about having left his gun in the truck. Her hand coming back blood as she grab his wound unknowingly. "So what if you where, everyone has there story and its late so I don't feel like hearing it. Now..." She would turn in back to face her and check him once again but this time from the front. It did not seemed to bother her as she felt over his body, no sexual though entering her mind but she was not sure about him. "Up stares. Come on Move it."

Once in the stair well, making sure the metal door was locked behind them, going up a few flights before entering a long hall way. Windows along one wall, doors along the other....going into one of the larger doors. It seemed she had quite the set up, a pile of sleeping bags made up her bed in one corner, near a set of windows was a Chiminea. A helicopter exhaust tube fixed to the top of it and the other end going out the window to keep the smoke out of the room....a home made fireplace in a way. Against the other wall was propane stove on a home made counter top, a few pot, pans and cooking tools hanging on the wall via screws in the wall. A make shift shelf had a few can good and other cooking things on it. A locked door along the same wall must have had some valuable things in it. A home made table and plastic table could also be found in the room with an old beat up sofa and some oil drums for end tables that held gas lamps and an old radio. A door along the same wall as her bed held up a worn out sign that said "Officer's Locker Room."

"You can stay here for the night and I'll fix you up....but I want you gone tomorrow morning at first light. The winter months are going to be hard enough for me let alone two people."

He sighed as she checked him, she was making sure Jacob was not dangerous wich he were not. He nodded as she told him to walk and remained quiet all the way, this woman had already lost trust in humanity, what would be next?. He shook his head trying to clear his mind and heard her conditions and nodded, â??Very well, before you wake up tomorrow I will be goneâ?. He shook his head as he sat on the corner of the room and relaxed a bit, â??I know you donâ??t want me here, but at least care to explain what the hell happened?â?. He shook his head as he took out a photo of a woman and a child and looked at it, the bodies of them should be around the destroyed house they could not survived whatever happened.

He shook his head as his vision was beginning to go weird. The loss of blood on his arm was bad and he knew he must not do anything until the wound had been treated. He looked at her starting to patch him up and sighed closing his eyes and hearing her out. The word nuclear sent shivers down his spine as he finally understood what was going on, â??they had managed to get a couple of treats to the US government, they did not think it was worth the worry so they did nothingâ?. He shook his head and looked at her, â??Whatâ??s your name?â?

"Its Onica, and I don't know. No one really knows anything about the attack or who shot first or really anything besides the fact that it happened." She did not have anything to help with the pain or to put in him under as she started work on his arm. The bullet was do deep to get to with out risking damage to his arm or may him loosing it. But she was able to clean in out, repairing what she could to the point he would not loose his arm and would have full use of it. Stopping the bleeding and stitching him up, wrapping the wound with clean make shift bandages. "Leave as early as you want but I don't think it would be wise to leave when its still dark out. The blast did things, made things that you really don't want to run into even with a weapon little less a fucked up arm."

She would get up and walk into the room that said "Locker room" on it. The sound of something starting up, the a lower purr like sound...followed by the sound of running water. Onica coming out a few minutes later with the blood off her hands, the sound of water still running. "It use to be a shower room for the officers to clean up after flight. Go get showered up and cleaned. I think I have some clean clothes that will fit you and some boots maybe. They are better then normal shoes now and days."

Walking off to undo the lock on the other door. If he would look he would be able to see a lot of useful things in there. Boxes and Boxes of MREs and Can food. What looked like to be three bags of seeds, and a few boxes of clothes and more blankets and sleeping bags.

He nodded and did not showed any signs that he was in pain while she stitched him up, it was not the first bullet he had received. The stitches did hurt a bit but ir was nothing he could not handle, " so the end of the world was made by humans... great". Picking a photo of his family he kissed the small girl in the photo and placed it away. " I wish I could prove im not here to bring you harm, but I guess it's no use, I will leave first thing after sunrise".

Taking a deep breath he stood up and walked to the showers as she mentioned. Taking off all his clothes he let water hit his body, it felt good to have his body clean. After a couple of minutes he picked some clothes and got dressed going back to the main room and laying on the sleeping bag from the box, he set the alarm for 7 am and sighed laying down and looking at the ceiling, at least for today he was ok.

Onica caught site of that photo of his. Her mood calming a little. It seemed that not one person alive did not loose something or some one in there life after the war happened. Letting him move around with out her watchful eye proved some trust....after all no raider would carry a photo of loved ones around with them.

It did not seem she went to bed at the same time he did. Moving about some, working something here and there. Once the night air started to catch a cold chill a fire could be heard starting to burn in that make shift fire place of hers. The girl even going as far as to bring out another blanket for him and put it over him. Even with the fire she knew that sleeping on the floor still got cold. Going to her own bed not long after that, but waking up a few times in the night to look around from her bed. Almost as if she was looking to see if he had left yet or not. By the time morning came though it would be Onica that would be the first one up. Letting the guy sleep some, leaving him a MRE by his sleeping bag before heading down to the main floor of the hanger.

More or less to mess around with the radio. Ether way he would have to walk pass her to get out of this place.

He slept all night, he was tired and his body needed the sleep. The sound of his alarm went off waking him off instantly, he looked around and she was gone, the only thing left was a plate of fozen food on the side of his bed. Groaning a bit he stood up and placed the food on the microwave. While it was cooking he started to get everything ready, everything that is his gun and the sleeping bag.

After eating he picked up his stuff and walked out of the room. Just as he was about to leave he saw her on the corner, " well thank you for everything as promised I am leaving good luck". He smiled and began walking out, watching the truck from a distance as he got to the fence looking around for the hole in the fence.

Onica noded at first but then followed. After all she did not want him to put a new hole in the fence, the one she had made was enough. Watching him from afar as he looked for his way out, and after a few minutes walked over to him. Showing him where it was, "Like I said over the radio last night. Be careful out there. Stay out of the cities if you can and try not to stay out at night. The war made more then just the humans go crazy."

She took in a deep breath and looked away from him. Clearly she was thinking about something....more like the photo of his family that she saw, "And if you can't find anything out here your more then welcome to come back. After all winter is only a few weeks away and well I guess I could use the help and all. I mean you didn't shoot me last night so I guess one could trust you."

He nodded as he found the hole with her help, this was going to be a long day driving, he would have to avoid big cities like she said and that was going to be hard. Passing through the hole he stopped as he heard her, "I got nothing left, no one left my daughter and wife got killed in the house, when I woke up I saw the house in ruins, there was no way somebody would survive that, and I do not know how much time I was out of it". Smiling he looked to the sky, "it's funny how life is, you give and devote your life to help others and some assholes launch some nuclear weapons and the entire world goes to shit, and don't worry I know you don't trust me I will find my way through this mess, hope for the best with your base".

He walked and stopped midway there, " Do you want me to stay or go, you said you could use the help but I am not sure what to do, one day you tell me to leave, the other you tell me to stay, what made you change your mind?". He was really curious as to why exactly would she change her mind so fast, he was a stranger to her and with things like they were it was rare to see someone trusting others.

"Well a day ago you just showed up with out much of a warning. Plus not many killers carry around photos of there wife and kid....but your a grown man I think you can make up your mind on your own. Just saying that I could use the help that's it, not going to beg you to stay. As far as why I trust you well," She stopped her walking to look over her shoulder and at him, "I don't even know. Truth be told if you where any other person I would have put a round in your head just to be safe. Guess its been your lucky day or days."

She would not stay around long, leaving him to make up his mind as she moved back to the hanger. She still had some work to be done. Yet she would not be doing much wondering around the base today, not with the clouds outside about to open up at any time. She could not risk getting sick, but she would find enough things to do. Moving around boxes of can goods and MREs. Putting together useful items in the main room she lived in. Making a list of things she needed to get and find....Weather or not the male followed her back inside was a different story. If he did she would find a few things to keep him busy.

He sighed and smirked looking and the hole and passing through it again to go inside. Walking back to the base he figured it would be best for him to remain with the woman since she seemed to have a very solid base. Looking around he smirked knowing he knew a little about anything related to mechanics or electronics, he could be of some help to her. He smiled and approached her carefully, "Im not going anywhere, it's safer here than out there and I think I can help you out with some stuff". He smiled and grabbed one of the boxes and helped her carry them around.

He looked at the beat up car on the corner and smirked,"you know, I could use parts of the car to make a trap for intruders, cars have a lot of stuff that can be used to screw someone up. We can set the trap on the hole in the fence, to keep intruders from coming in. He smiled and looked at the sky,"what is happening to the sky", he sighed and looked at her then at the boxes. "we need to hurry, the sky is kinda weird", he picked up some boxes and hurried them inside to where she told him to placed them.

She only shrugged her shoulders at the idea of a trap as they moved some boxes into the hanger. Looking up at the sky as he talked about it, "Oh that. We are near the ocean so it always looks like that when its about to rain. I would say we have about another hour before it starts to pour down rain so I would not start making that trap of yours right now." Getting the boxes into the hanger was not the hard part. It would be getting them to the second level of the building. "Okay once we get the boxes we can wait to get them upstairs in tell tonight. What we need to do is go to the other end of the flight line and try to get some wood in before it get wet from the rain. After that I need to put together a few things in the room we slept in last night and we need to get you a better bed made if your going to stay. The nights are only going to get colder."

Oh that should be fun. The winter months, last year is snowed around here and with only a fire place to keep them warm Onica knew they would have to go into the housing area of the base and try to find a bed or two so they would not be on the ground during the cold months. But that would have to wait in tell after the storm moved on.

He groaned and nodded she was right if a storm was coming they needed as much wood as they could possibly get. He nodded and stretched out, "I will go get some wood, you keep moving the boxes, I have a idea". He grinned and ran out to the flight line, and looked around noticing the wood at the other end. He looked around and found something that he could tie a rope and maybe drag a bunch of wood into the house at the time. Looking around he fount a pallet on a corner with a finger, "perfect". Walking to the finger he checked if it turned on but it did not. He took out the wires and checked them out and soon he had the finger turned on. He jumped in it and quickly got to the other end of the flight line and started to load the wood to the pallet. After gathering just enough to spend like a month easily he drove the finger back to the hangar, "Here ya go, we got enough wood for a month".

Onica had been bringing in more boxes when she saw what Jacob was doing. Almost dropping a box of can goods at the sight of all the wood, but that shock quickly turned into a cocky smirk, "Tell you want. If you can get enough wood to last the winter months not only will I'll let you stay and I'll cook a hot meal tonight." A bet more or less to see if he could bet the rain. Walking over to where the pallet had been set down. Taking her time to point out a few more pallets in the corner of the hanger with a small smile. Waiting to see if he would take the bet.

Maybe this guy would be a great help to her. If he could get enough dry wood into the hanger before it rained that would be on less thing she had to worry about and cross of her to-do-list. Plus now that she remembered what he came here in...that truck of his would be helpful to. She could use it to haul fuel and more supplies in with out having to make trips over and over again on foot.

He smirked and looked at the sky, at least he had fifteen minutes before it started to rain, if he could work fast enough he maybe able to do it. Nodding he took one of the pallets with the finger and rushed over where the wood was, the sky was very dark it would be a great storm followed by winter so he needed to get as much food as he could possibly get. Stopping in front of the wood he started to load the plank with as much wood as he could carry at a time, if he timed it right he could be able to do it in the time she had placed him. After five minutes he finished loading the second wave of wood and he brought it back taking another pallet and rushing back, looking at the sky he was not sure if he was going to make it. He started to take a lot of wood at a time forcing his bad arm with the pressure he did not needed to do. When he was done loading he was on his way back but it started to rain just second before he could make it in the hangar. Checking the wood he smirked some if it was wet but not enough to not burn and besides he already brought two carts so by the time that wood was to be used it would be dry. He groaned covering his bad hand and smirked to her, "looks like your cooking tonight".

She had finished moving in the boxes by the time he was done and could not help but laugh. "Okay you got me. How about you go upstairs and clean up. I'll move them into that cage looking thing over there and then we can try and move the boxes up stares before dinner. After all the day is still young even if its raining. Work to be done and all."

It was true, in one of the corners of the hanger was a large cage looking thing. It was empty but it would be a good, dry and safe place to put the wood in tell they needed it. "By the way dose your truck still work?"

She had a plan to use it tomorrow, even if the rain was not over by then she could still use it to raid a few house and most likely find things they could use. Mostly furniture wise. After all a few real beds could do them good...maybe something to use a shelves so they could keep a few things of can goods and other things in the main living area that they would be sleeping in.

He shakes his head and sighed, "it's not use me going to get bathed and then get dirty again, let's just finish what we have to do then we can both take a bath". He stopped and thought of what he said and laughed, "sorry sorry you know what I meant". He smirked and started to load the wood in the cage. Taking a deep breath he looked outside and shook his head, " my wife's name was Kathleen, my daughter Dakotah". He knew she did not wanted to know but he just felt like saying it out loud. After finishing loading the wood he looked at her and helped her with the boxes, "and yea it still works, plus it have like half gallon left in the tank, you need to wire it up for it to get started but I know how to do that obviously".

"Obviously," After all he used it to get here right. Though the thought of his family and him telling her there names kinda brought down the mood or so it seemed. Onica had not really lost anyone in the war, most of her family already died when she was still young. Being on her own, even this time and day was not odd to her. "I didn't have anyone before the war so I can't say I know how you feel. I really don't know how you feel...all I can say is sorry for your loss."

Her words seeming somewhat cold, but she did not know what else to say. The last box was put into a room that she seemed to use a storage, they already seemed to have more then enough boxes of food in it already...but more was better then less in her mind. The sun seemed to be setting already, funny how the day seemed to pass by so fast with someone else around. Already she had gotten more then a few days worth of work done. Maybe for the first time in a while she would be able to relax and enjoy the evening. Bring her back to what he said about the shower earlier.

"Your not shy are you?"

He finished off helping her with the boxes and checked out everything, "everything looks good. I think we are done for a couple of days". Shaking his head he smirked ,"Don't worry I just wanted to say them out loud for myself". Looking at his arm wich were bleeding he sighed, "Looks like I need to repatch the arm up, and no I am not shy". He smirked and closed the hanger door so the rain won't come in, "now we are done, let's go back up".

After entering the room he looked around, "We will need fuel, tomorrow or when the rain stops we need to find a way to get fuel". Taking off his shirt he stretched out and removed the cloth from his hand looking at it, some of the stiches were out but it was not that bad. After patching it up simply so it won't wet during bath he took his pants off and walked to the bath, he needed a good bath so badly he was stinky and sweaty.

"I have fuel don't worry about that," watching him take off his shirt, then grabbing his lower arm in order to look at his wound and the stiches. She would help him clean out the wound, knowing it would be a better job done if she helped. Letting him fix it so it would not get wet in the shower. Moving into the locker and shower room while he did so and before he went in. Taking her time to turn on two of the shower heads in the large group shower. Not knowing if he saw her or not when he came in and started to undress.

She was already undressed, her clothes in a pile near a bench. A towel wrapped around her in tell the water warmed up, smiling as she leaned against the wall. "Well I'm sure glad your not shy. Because if you where we would have to take turns in the shower and only one of us would get hot water. Not that I mind showering which someone else, you get use to it in bootcamp and all....I was just worried about how you would think about the idea."