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"Echoes"

By Lauren Rivers

Mornings were Alison's favorite time of day. While most people woke up grumbling about having to go to work and pay the bills, to Alison it was always a reassuring prospect that you'd made it to another sunrise. To her it was the promise of another chance to finish that book you've been reading or say that thing you've been meaning to say to someone special. Whether you actually did it or not wasn't the point. The simple fact that you had another chance meant you still had lots of options. With each new day came new opportunities and that was what got her out of bed every morning.

She allowed herself a single luxurious stretch before sitting up and pulling the covers away from her body. As much as she enjoyed a good sleep she had places to be and people to meet. The meerkat ran a paw through her hair as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and jumped the short distance to the floor. When she had first bought the bed she had wondered about the wisdom of it being that much higher off the floor than her last one, but over time she had come to think of it as a reward at the end of a long day. Climbing into it felt so good and she had only fallen out of it once or twice. Once she had gotten used to it, she quickly mastered the art of using it gracefully. Now she also considered it a good way to make sure she didn't just climb back into bed once she was out.

Wearing only lingerie and her bathrobe she padded across the room to her personal bathroom. The apartment she lived in was large enough for three people but for the moment she lived there by herself. Alison had been fortunate enough to find the place through a friend and wasted no time putting down a deposit since she needed to start at her new job ASAP. In less than a week she had moved halfway across the country with all of her belongings and set it up here. That was six months ago.

She turned on the shower and waited a few seconds for the water to heat up. Once it was at the pressure level she liked she extended her paw and felt the temperature. It was warm but not too hot, just the way she liked it. She shook her head as she heard a buzzing in the back of her mind. It was probably nothing. Maybe it was the neighbor's alarm clock or something. She shook her head and tried to focus on the shower, but she could not seem to push the sound out of her mind.

Turning the water off, she walked to the kitchen but could still find no source for the sound. She picked up the paper from the front stoop and picked it up to the image of a city ravaged by nuclear war. Doubtful she picked up the paper and scanned the date. March 23, 2035.

Another flash of memory surfaced in the back of her mind. That date was important.

_ But why? What happens then?_

Before she could answer her question she felt a cold breeze and realized her bathrobe was missing. Whirling around, she saw her apartment in utter disarray. Windows were shattered and walls were damaged. A light fixture hung from the ceiling. Far from the pristine perfection it had been only moments ago now it was utterly destroyed. She ran to her bedroom only to find the entire room no longer existed, the walls completely missing and the ceiling collapsed.

As she gathered the air in her lungs to scream, suddenly she woke up in pitch darkness.

April 24, 2040

DAY 1,859

No sooner had she bolted upright in her bed than the lights turned on in response to her movement. The fluorescent glow from the ceiling bathed her in artificial illumination, the only kind available down here. The sudden brightness forced her to shut her eyes to allow her vision time to adjust. A curse escaped her muzzle as she blinked in an attempt to speed the process along. With a grumble she looked up at the sound of her door sliding open and a figure walking into the bedroom to stand before her. She did not need her eyesight to clear to know who it was.

"Doctor Riley," she said.

"The dreams again?" the other woman asked.

Alison nodded, seeing no point in trying to lie. Perhaps if she had more time to compose herself she might have been able to pass it off as something else, but the caribou had an uncanny ability to know when she was not at her best. As the facility's Chief Medical Officer, there was very little that escaped her notice. The meerkat blinked a few more times before she finally made an effort to slide her legs over the edge of the bed.

Anara touched her forehead with a shake of her head. "Your forehead is clammy and you're covered in sweat."

"It was just a dream," she said.

The caribou folded her arms. "And if you were anyone else I might be able to leave it at that, but you are the director and chief administrator of this facility. The stability of this population depends on its leaders conveying the illusion of infallibility, as much as possible anyway, at least in the public areas. They need to see you at full power even if that's the last thing you want to do."

"You don't need to lecture me on my responsibilities. I know what's expected of me." Alison had been in charge of Sanctuary Echo since the doors closed five years ago on the day of the war's end. Since then she had been tasked with the operation and administration of one of the twenty six underground structures built to protect the best and the brightest from the horrors of the nuclear war. So far they had managed to survive all that time with minimal issues.

Anara placed her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "This is the fourth time this week."

"I'm aware of that," the meerkat replied. "I'm handling it."

"Are you?" she asked. She pulled out a bottle from her pocket and handed it to her. "I want you to start taking these."

"I don't want to take the damn pills," she shot back, throwing them on the bed and rising to stand.

Anara turned away from her to retrieve them. "Well, you need to do something. You can't keep functioning like this."

"I've been doing pretty well so far," the meerkat replied.

"According to what I've seen, I think you've been getting worse." The caribou met her glance as the meerkat held up her paws to protest. "Not in front of the others, but I see a lot more than they do. I'm responsible for the health and well being of every person in this facility. That includes you."

"You think I don't know that?" she asked.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure. You push yourself even when you have people whose job it is to help you. You need to delegate and you need to deal with whatever it is that is causing these dreams or they're only going to get worse." The caribou let out an audible sigh. "I know you think you have a handle on this, but let me ask you one thing. Is this about Kieran?"

Alison whirled on her and opened her muzzle to speak but no words actually came out. She grimaced and held up her paw. "Not everything is about Kieran."

"I know that, but is this?" she asked again, clearly not letting the matter drop.

The meerkat sat back down on the bed. "I don't know. I'd be lying if I said he wasn't on my mind lately."

"You want to tell me about it?" Her hooves made soft clacks against the floor as she came a few steps closer.

At first she considered lying, but the more she considered it the less point there seemed to be in doing so. No one entered or left Sanctuary Echo, not since the day they had sealed the doors and shut out the rest of the world. That is, except for Kieran. Whether he was the cause of her dreams or not she knew she could not avoid the doctor forever. Either way she could not escape the thoughts plaguing her subconscious. She motioned for the doctor to join her on the bed as she began. "I keep seeing my apartment. You know, before the war."

Anara nodded. "Go on."

"I wake up and everything's like it used to be. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and I've got to get ready for work. For a few minutes it's nice. I almost forget about everything that's happened since then." She lowered her muzzle. "It doesn't last. It never does."

"What happens next?" she asked.

"It's a little different every time. I'm about to do something to get ready for the day and something happens that makes me remember. A sound, a smell, something I see brings it all back. The next thing I know my apartment is a wreck and by the time my mind wraps around what I'm seeing I wake up screaming in a pool of my own sweat." She shook her head. "Sometimes Kieran is there, sometimes he's not. Either way it always ends the same way. I'm alone and the war starts."

Anara touched her on the arm with a gentle squeeze. "How often do you have this dream?"

"Too often," she replied. "And before you ask I don't know why."

Doctor Riley nodded. "Well, you've made it clear you don't want to deal with this through medication, so about the only other option I can offer you down here is therapy."

"There are other people who need your services more than I do, doc," Alison said.

"There you go again, putting the welfare of everyone else before yourself. Well, unless there's another major accident in the engineering level my nurses can handle most of the cases until further notice. Now you can either sit down and start talking, or we can do this in my office. It's your choice."

Alison sighed and threw up her paws. "Fine. Have it your way." She walked across the room to the kitchen area. "Would you like some coffee?" she asked.

"I'd love some," the caribou replied. "I take mine with two creams and a sugar, thank you very much."

Alison smiled as she prepared the requested beverage, presenting it to her on a neat looking saucer before walking back to pour her own. Once the two women were seated at the small table in her quarters, the meerkat leaned back in her chair and took her first sip. The coffee was perfectly warm with an aroma of hazelnut. She closed her eyes letting the smell waft into her nose and fill her senses giving her a brief respite from her thoughts. Coffee was one of the few luxuries they had available to them within the Sanctuary, which had been designed for the primary purpose of survival.

Constructed when the war looked like it was preparing to spiral out of control, twenty six facilities were built across the United States with the intention of preserving the best and the brightest. Sites were chosen underneath the surface to offer the best chance to avoid the worst of the radiation and maximize protection of the people and technology contained within each Sanctuary. Spread evenly across the United States each facility was intended for a specific purpose. Each respective facility was to be populated with the people best determined to help fulfill its intended mission.

Six weeks before they were intended to be put into operation, the war escalated without warning. Nuclear weapons destroyed several major cities and the final assault of the war began. Alison had been assigned for the final stage of preparing the facility and had been on hand with most of her primary team when the alarms sounded. Almost the entire Sanctuary population had made it into the facility before she had been forced to close the doors, and from that moment they had not opened again, other than once.

Before that moment, despite the fact that her responsibility was to get the facility up and running in the event of an emergency, a part of her had never considered the actual possibility of it being put into operation. In less than twenty four hours she had gone from the life she knew to being the administrator of Sanctuary Echo. She had told herself that she had dealt with everything that had happened but perhaps all she had ever done was push it down inside her where she could occupy herself with other things.

It took a lot to run a facility like this, but the problem with being isolated was that you could not escape your thoughts forever. Eventually they caught up with you, and down here there was plenty of time to think.

She took another sip of coffee before setting the saucer down and placing her paws on the table. Her eyes met the caribou's, and the two women shared a moment of mutual awkwardness. "Where should I begin?" she asked.

Anara brushed a stray hair out of her face and set her own saucer down between her hands. "I suppose it only makes sense to start at the beginning."

Alison nodded and let out a deep breath. "This may take a while."

"I've got nothing on my schedule." The caribou gave her an encouraging smile, shifting slightly in her seat.

"Okay," Alison replied, knowing she could not delay it forever. "It all started when the war locked us in here." She paused. "No, wait. That's not true." She sighed. "It all started when I came in to do my final inspection a few weeks before the war. I had gotten up that morning and taken a shower as usual, preparing to read the morning paper and have a cup of coffee before I headed to the facility. It was a normal day, sun shining with the temperature just warm enough so you didn't need a jacket. I got in my car and headed here, figuring I knew exactly what was waiting for me when I got there." She laughed to herself. "I had no idea."

February 12, 2035

SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE WAR

Standing in the center of the unobtrusive parking lot Alison enjoyed the last few moments of peace she would have before descending into the wasps' nest that was Sanctuary Echo. Beneath her feet paws workers were performing various tasks necessary to get the facility up and running by the target date. She cast a glance at her phone knowing she needed to start heading down to begin her day. No doubt there were over two dozen tasks already needing her attention.

With a sigh she stepped onto the concealed elevator and descended below to the access tunnel. It was built into the sewer to minimize the possibility of discovery and to take advantage of the already dug tunnels to make the prep work easier for the construction teams. Getting the men and equipment needed down there had been an exercise and cost a veritable fortune, but it was deemed by those who made these sorts of decisions that the expense was worth it.

Alison had been placed in charge of overseeing the final stages of construction and as a reward for her work would be guaranteed a space inside when the time came. She was no doomsday survivalist but even she had to admit the prospect of the war escalating out of control plagued her thoughts more than she would have preferred in recent months. The more things seemed to get crazy the more of a priority staying alive seemed to be.

She held her nose as the elevator reached its final destination at the base of the shaft. Stepping off, she was greeted by one of the personnel supervisors, Kieran Reynolds. The hyena was dressed in the uniform all the Sanctuary residents would wear which was a green and black jumpsuit someone thought was both stylish and efficient. While she could not deny their attractiveness especially on the right person, she could not bring herself to wear the odd garment just yet. Perhaps it was superstition, but if the world was headed towards its demise she had no desire to encourage it through her wardrobe.

Alison smiled as their eyes met and the hyena stepped close enough to talk. "About time you got here," he said.

"I'm here right on time. You're early," she replied.

"Actually, I never left." The hyena acknowledged one of the department heads as she went through the check in procedure. Once her badge was scanned and she had stepped through the scanner, he fell into step beside her.

"You slept here last night?" she asked.

"All week, actually. There's a lot to do and the residential quarters are already completed, so why not?" He offered a shrug.

Alison looked at his choice of attire. "And the outfit?"

"It's the standard issue Sanctuary uniform. If this is what we're all going to wear should the worst come to pass I don't see the harm in breaking it in." He brushed a piece of stray fuzz off of his garment.

"I'll stick to my business suit, thank you," she replied.

"Suit yourself." The hyena had his blonde hair tied back in a neat ponytail, his preferred style for both business and pleasure. His golden eyes reflected the light as they stepped through the atrium into the main concourse where dozens of teams of workers were doing everything from installing lights to double checking the plumbing and making certain food and other such things were fully stocked. The completion date for the facility was set only two weeks from Friday which meant there were a million tasks that still needed to be done.

Despite the fact work crews were operating around the clock it was still going to take that much time to get everything up and running. While no one was definitively willing to state whether they thought the war was coming to a critical point or not it had nevertheless been a high priority from the start to complete as many of these underground facilities as possible before the war made them absolutely necessary. As much as those higher up in the corporate ladder insisted it was simply a precautionary measure everyone knew it would do them no good if these projects were not completed by the time they would need to be put into use. As such more than half of them had already been brought online and put through a test run. The rest were being rushed as quickly as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the work being performed. It made sense, but the result was logistical and administrative chaos.

"Remind me why I agreed to take this job?" she asked.

"The boatload of money they're paying you, and a guaranteed spot in the residential quarters should things go south," he replied.

"Oh yeah," she said, half kidding. "What's our status?"

Kieran checked his tablet and handed her the device. "We're behind schedule, over half of the departments are screaming for supplies, personnel, or both, and we're still having trouble keeping the water circulation system online."

"Still?" she asked. "I thought we had that locked down already."

"So did I, but apparently something keeps taking the system offline. The main control board keeps showing a fault but we're having a hell of a time tracking it down." The hyena shrugged.

Alison shook her head. "Make it our top priority. The rest of this won't matter if we don't have a functional water system and I don't know about you but I plan on drinking a lot over the next thirty years, and it might be kind of important if any of us would like to take a shower ever again."

"Noted, I'll pass it along to the department heads," he replied.

"Thank you," she said.

Kieran gestured towards the tablet screen. "Our personnel reviews are almost complete, you'll be happy to know we've got ninety percent of our residents already selected and assigned to quarters so if and when the facility comes online we've already got places for everyone."

"I suppose that's one bit of good news," she said. "Anything else?"

"Doctor Riley is in your office," he replied, gesturing towards the metal door that led to the administrator's area.

Alison held her breath for a moment turning away from the door. "I suppose there's no point in putting it off."

"You know if you try to she'll just track you down later," he said.

The meerkat touched the side of Kieran's face. "Meet me for coffee later?"

"It's a date," he said, giving her a gentle lick on the side of her face. She smiled as he walked away touching the spot where he'd kissed her, enjoying the peace before turning to touch the door control and walking past her secretary's station.

Inside her office was the caribou who served as the facility's Chief Medical Officer, Anara Riley. She came highly recommended from practically every physician's organization from one coast to the other, and it had been somewhat of a coup that the Sanctuary program had managed to recruit her. From what she had been told from some of her counterparts in the other facilities she had won the lottery with her assigned physician. More than a few of her colleagues had contacted her asking what she had done to secure such a well regarded doctor but in truth she had done nothing other than extend the offer to several individuals in the candidate pool. Doctor Riley had simply chosen hers.

The caribou wore her white coat over a peach blouse and a tan pair of slacks with a stethoscope hanging around her neck in a loose fashion. The woman wore her hair casually about her shoulders with little decoration other than the badge on her breast pocket. Her piercing brown eyes locked onto her the moment she closed the door behind her.

"There you are," she said.

"Doctor Riley, I wasn't aware we had an appointment," Alison replied.

"We don't," she responded.

Alison offered a casual gesture of surrender and walked behind her desk. "Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea? Perhaps a glass of water?"

"No, thank you. Honestly I never touch the stuff." She wrinkled her nose slightly as if remembering something unpleasant and shrugged. "Coffee, I mean. Keeps me up all night. I prefer to have a clear head."

"That's something we have in common," the meerkat said.

The caribou stepped closer to the desk, her hooves clacking against the metal floor. "I need to speak to you."

"So I gathered," Alison said, skimming through some of her morning messages. "Is there any possibility we could do this later? I have a lot of work to do and I haven't even had a chance to review all the tasks at paw."

Doctor Riley shook her head. "It's really important I discuss these matters with you immediately."

Alison sat down in her chair and leaned back slightly. "All right, doc, go ahead. You've got five minutes."

She held up a tablet she had tucked underneath her arm. "Have you seen the personnel allocations for medical?"

"As far as I understand it, they're well within recommended guidelines for a facility this size," she said.

The caribou scoffed. "Hardly. Their recommendations are on a best case scenario, and the staff I have will not be sufficient once this place is locked down." She placed the tablet on Alison's desk. "They're anticipating a population of five thousand people for at least five to ten years. The people I have will not be sufficient to provide round the clock medical treatment for all of the residents. I need at least a ten percent increase in personnel, not to mention the delay in receiving half of the supplies I've ordered."

Alison picked up the tablet and scrolled through the information. "We don't have enough residential space to accommodate your requested increase."

"Take them from somewhere else. They've allocated nearly four hundred people for security. We don't need that many," she said.

The meerkat considered the personnel requirements and after a moment gave a slight nod. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," the caribou replied. "In order to do my job effectively I want to make sure we have every available specialty on our staff. Once we seal those doors we won't have access to freshly trained personnel."

Letting out a deep breath, Alison tossed the tablet onto her desk surface. "Believe me, doctor, I'm well aware of that. Which is why I've spent every day for the last several months making sure this place is up to speed." She lightly reviewed a few more of her messages before looking back at the physician. "As for your medical supplies I have put in another inquiry with central inventory."

"You have my heartfelt appreciation," she replied. "Getting this place ready has been extremely complicated as I'm sure you know."

"You only have to get one department running, doc. I have to get this whole place ready for over five thousand people in less than three weeks for a disaster that may never even happen." Alison leaned back as the doctor took a seat in one of the guest chairs.

"Have you been watching the news?" she asked.

"Of course I have," she replied. "All they'll give us are the status reports that tell you nothing which politicians seem so good at, but between you and me I think we're going to need this place sooner rather than later."

"All the more reason we should make sure we're as prepared as we can be," the caribou replied.

"Agreed," Alison said. "Now if there's nothing else I need to report in to HQ."

The caribou pushed up out of the chair. "I'll get out of your hair."

Alison watched as the doctor walked out of the room and left her alone. She entered the commands to dial Sanctuary Headquarters and was soon met with the face of a young ram with a dark blue suit. She could not recall his first name but he was responsible for coordinating all the facilities currently under construction. "Halsey," she said.

"Miss Taylor, it's so good to see you. I assume everything is going well?" he asked.

"Not as well as I'd like, but for the moment it's under control," she said. "Doctor Riley was informing me of her dissatisfaction with the allocation of medical personnel."

"I can't say I'm surprised. She's quite a handful," he replied.

Alison nodded. "She is, but she knows her stuff. I'm inclined to give her what she wants as long as it doesn't compromise the facility's ability to operate. I diverted some residential spaces from security."

"Do you think that's wise?" he asked.

"Considering all they'll be doing is monitoring the interior personnel I think a doctor will be more useful than another guard should the worst happen, and that is our business, isn't it?" she replied.

The ram nodded. "Fair enough. Keep us informed."

"Will do. I'll send a more detailed report after my ten o'clock meeting."

"Sounds good, Halsey out."

Alison closed her eyes and enjoyed one more moment of peace before diving into the tasks before her. It was going to be a long day.

May 7, 2035

DAY 45

Nearly a month and a half had passed since the doors had closed and five thousand souls had entrusted their survival to this steel and concrete monstrosity they called a Sanctuary. Once everyone had made it inside and the population had been counted she had been relieved to know every person who was supposed to be here had managed to make it on time. The first few days had mostly been spent settling in and getting everyone assigned to work details which took a significant amount of administrative resources, but once that had been completed everything had settled into a sort of routine.

With few exceptions the atmosphere within the Sanctuary had been calm with most of the residents simply glad for their survival. It wouldn't last. Once they had enough time to process everything that had happened and the reality that the world they knew their whole lives was no longer functioning there would be a notable increase in disruptive incidents. Alison had expected this and once doors had closed she had done her best to make sure everyone knew the world outside was no longer safe for the foreseeable future. While on the surface most people seemed to accept what she had told them she knew it would take time before they really understood it.

The protocol had instructed the Sanctuaries to remain closed for five to ten years, and only then conduct feasibility studies on whether or not it was safe to return to the surface. Regardless they would never be able to return to their old lives and the sooner everyone got used to that notion the better off they would be. For now, it was enough that they focused on the transition to living inside the Sanctuary. The rest would come in time.

The Sanctuary Project had done their best to provide the residents with all the comforts of home. The facility had a gym, a movie theatre, several multipurpose rooms which could be converted for any number of functions of various sizes, and several eating establishments. The largest of which was a cafeteria with several different styles of food options which was supported by the underground garden and orchard which were designed to produce a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. While they were reaching viability in the meantime they had a large supply of food stored in the warehouse area which would last them until then.

For the most part, everyone's focus had gone into keeping Sanctuary Echo up and running as efficiently as possible. The lone exception had been her significant other, Kieran. The hyena had kept his eye on the satellite footage every day since the war had ended. Every time the camera passed overhead he reviewed the footage of the surrounding area hoping he would find something promising.

Alison felt this was a bad idea, knowing he was perhaps holding on too tightly to the idea of the world they had lost, but she could not blame him for it. There were many things and people she missed from her life before this but she had already made peace with the fact that she would never see any of them again. She had considered ordering him to stop but she knew doing so would only inspire him to do it more, and so she had let it be.

It was only after curiosity had begun to spread about what he was doing she had felt the need to intervene. Several people had begun asking what he was doing monitoring the satellites so heavily and thus far she had been able to pacify them by saying he was studying the environmental conditions. It would not last, however. Once she could put it off no longer she made her way down to the satellite telemetry room. The hyena was there, as she had expected, studying the displays with focused intensity as he recorded the data on the tablet he held in his paws.

She waited a few moments before announcing her presence with a gentle touch on his shoulder. "Kieran."

"Alison, I didn't hear you come in," he replied.

The meerkat stood beside him waiting for him to put down his tablet, but at last she was forced to simply take it from his paws. "We need to talk."

"Have you seen my reports?" he asked.

"I have," she answered, not sure how to broach the subject. "That's actually why I'm here." She held the tablet just out of his reach until finally she set it down on the nearby workstation. "You need to step back."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"People are starting to wonder what you're up to in here and I'm not sure it's the best thing for them given the current climate," she said.

Kieran tilted his head. "I'm not sure I understand."

"We're going to be down here for at least five to ten years, and people need to prepare themselves for that. If they know you're monitoring the satellites every day they might start thinking about other things." She stood between him and the displays.

The hyena let out a deep breath. "You're afraid they'll start wanting to leave."

"I'm concerned for their safety. Every day out there we've seen reports of fighting and chaos, never mind the radiation danger," the meerkat said.

Kieran shook his head. "In most areas the radiation has gone down to survivable levels, and don't you want to know what's out there?"

"All I see out there is violence and destruction and right now that out there represents a significant risk to our people in here. I appreciate your curiosity but if we open up this place to the outside world there are too many factors right now we can't control. We need to keep the five thousand people that we are responsible for safe for as long as possible," she said.

"So you just want to keep the doors sealed until the five years are up, is that it?" he asked.

"It's prudent," she said. "By then the worst of what's going on down there will be settled and we can consider exploring when we've got people who are trained to handle the new world we've found ourselves in and not before. If we go out there now all we'll be doing is leading lambs to the slaughter." She shook her head. "We can't take the risk."

"How can we prepare ourselves for that which we do not know?" he asked. "If we don't go out there we won't be prepared when they come looking for us."

"There is no way anyone is getting through that door," she said.

Kieran frowned. "You know I was speaking metaphorically," he said. "Let me take a small team out."

"No, absolutely not," she replied.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Do we really need to go through it again?" Alison placed her paws on her hips before shaking her head again. "It's too dangerous."

Kieran folded his arms. "I'll take volunteers only and we won't go far. If nothing else we need to make sure that what we're seeing is accurate."

Alison frowned and turned away from him while she weighed the risks and benefits of doing as he proposed. In truth it made some degree of sense but she knew if she did not allow him to carry out his plan it would simply encourage him to keep looking until she did. Seeing capitulation as the path of least resistance she finally nodded. "All right." She held up a paw to forestall any response as she continued. "You can take four people max. Make sure they're armed and that they understand what you're asking them to do. You can go out and look around but if you encounter any hostile forces you do not engage, is that clear?"

"Crystal," he replied.

"Prepare your team and report to me when you're ready," Alison said.

Kieran nodded. "Will do."

Alison touched his arm as he returned his attention to the monitors. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The hyena relaxed his posture slightly. "I don't know if want is the right word, but I kind of feel like I have to do this."

"I just don't want you to expect too much when you go out there. Things have changed a lot just from what we've seen through the satellites and I don't want you to be disappointed," she said.

Kieran let out a deep breath. "I don't know what's out there. I don't know what I expect to find, but I have to know. Either way I have to know. Even if all that's out there are hostile raiders and militia groups I need to know."

"I can understand that," she said. "But after this, you need to dial back on the surveillance. People need to be prepared for the possibility we may be down here for a long time. Max projections put it at twenty years or more. If we need to, I need everyone in this facility to be on board with our survival down here." At his glance she softened her expression. "I'm not saying to stop looking, just that you need to focus on other things besides what's out there."

Kieran gave a slight nod. "I know you're right," he said. "We lost so much when the war ended. If I can save just a little piece of it, I need to do that."

Alison leaned in closer. "We didn't lose everything," she reminded him. "Some things are still here." She kissed him gently, holding his muzzle to hers and for a moment she forgot all of her worries and concerns as administrator of the facility. As she pulled away she gave his arm one last squeeze.

A part of her knew this would not resolve the conflict in his mind but at least for a while, it would lessen. Perhaps that would be enough. Not every problem needed a permanent solution. Sometimes you had to settle for the best possible option. She just hoped she would not come to regret it.

March 23, 2035

DAY 0

Twenty seven minutes ago everything was normal. Twenty six minutes and thirty seconds earlier the first warning about an incoming nuclear attack had reached the United States government. Despite their anticipation of the attack the reality of it had taken everyone by surprise. Alison had been on site when the news had reached them and wasted no time in activating the Sanctuary protocol. Since that moment, the personnel and their families had been arriving as quickly as possible but it was a race against the clock as to whether they would all arrive before it was too late.

Alison held her breath as she observed the monitors. The central display showed the paths of the incoming missiles currently racing across the Pacific Ocean to strike targets throughout the United States. In a matter of minutes several major cities across the country would be bathed in deadly radiation. In response the United States had launched weapons in retaliation, and soon the world would become an inferno.

The two monitors on the left displayed the outside and interior of the entrance. Countless faces filled the monitors as the five thousand residents made their way to the facility and inside to safety. So far over three thousand of them had arrived with more making their way here with every moment that passed. All of their projections had suggested they would have enough time to get everyone to safety but no one could have predicted the suddenness of the attack.

"Ten minutes remaining until fatal radiation exposure," the computer reported.

Alison approached Kieran's console from behind. "Report."

"We've got over thirty five hundred people inside but we're having some trouble getting everyone inside. We have two hundred transponders that still haven't replied to our signal."

"What the hell are they waiting for?" she asked.

Kieran shook his head. "I don't know, but if they don't get here within the next ten minutes the doors are going to seal automatically."

"Where is Doctor Riley?"

"Last I saw she was helping people into the facility. She's doing everything she can but we just don't have enough time," he said.

Alison looked up again at the monitors as the countdown clock continued to tick away. "Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not, we're getting people in as fast as we can but it's a mess down there," Kieran said.

"I'm going down there," she said.

"Are you crazy?" he asked. "We need you here!"

Alison shook her head. "There's nothing more I can do here. Keep everything together until I get back." She did not wait for a response as she hurried out of the room and towards the entrance.

The hallways, so empty by the command center, seemed to fill up rapidly as people headed in the other direction slowed her progress. She kept to the side of the hall pushing her way through the crowd until finally she caught sight of the caribou physician. "Doctor, what's our status?"

"We've still got over a thousand people out there. We're getting them in as fast as we can but we just can't move any faster." The caribou shouted for people to keep moving, ushering them inside from the raised platform on which the door controls stood.

A sea of individuals continued to surge into the facility as the population made their way inside. For the moment everyone appeared frightened but under control. On either side of the flow of people several security and medical personnel stood ready to provide whatever services they required. Alison stepped closer to the crowds and cupped her paws around her muzzle.

"Keep moving! There's plenty of space for everyone, but we need you to get inside as quickly as possible. Keep moving and get inside to the main cafeteria or the auditorium. We need to clear the halls so that we can get everyone else inside before the radiation reaches dangerous levels. If you've lost anyone in your party we need you to keep moving, we'll find everyone later but for now we have to get everyone inside the facility before the missiles hit!" She hoped her words helped to calm at least a few people but there were many more that were still coming.

"Five minutes remaining until fatal radiation exposure," the computer calmly reported.

Alison turned to the doctor. "Are we going to make it?" she asked.

"I don't know, but either way it's going to be tight," the caribou replied. "Everyone please keep moving as quickly as possible. We need to make sure we get as many people to safety as possible. Don't worry about where you're supposed to be right now, just focus on getting everyone inside!"

The flow of people did not seem to slow as the urgency increased. Alison had lost track of how many people remained, but she knew they had many more waiting. The meerkat held her breath as a young woman stumbled and fell to her paws. "That woman needs help!"

"You'll never be able to reach her!" Doctor Riley shouted.

"If I don't, they're going to trample her to death!" She pushed into the crowd, shoving her way through the sea of people trying to carry her away like a rock caught in a torrential sea, but through some miracle she made it all the way to where the young woman cowered in a huddle in one piece. Alison pulled her to her feet and looked the young blue jay in the eyes before giving her a simple instruction. "Follow me!" She issued the command in a way that brooked no argument and less than a second later the woman followed her back through the sea of bodies. Emerging on the other side the doctor immediately rushed to them both.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I think so," Alison replied, waving off the doctor's attention.

Doctor Riley smirked. "I'll be the judge of that," she replied. "You look like you're in one piece. She's a little shaken up but she'll be fine." She turned to the young avian woman. "I want you to stay on the side until this is over, understood?" she asked.

The young woman nodded in agreement.

"Two minutes remaining until fatal radiation exposure," the computer reported.

They were running out of time. The stream of people had finally begun to dissipate somewhat as the bulk of the population made it inside. Just as soon as Alison breathed a sigh of relief the doors began to close. Alison's paws flew to the console as she attempted to ascertain what was going on. "It's not time yet!"

Doctor Riley looked alarmed. "It's the security protocol. It's closing the doors early to prevent possible radiation exposure!"

"Is there any way to stop it?" she asked.

"I don't think so," she said.

"Damn it!" Alison looked up as the massive doors began to close. Through the opening she could see several hundred people still struggling to reach the doorway, their only path to safety sealing before them. If they failed to make it through they would never have enough time to find another safe place before the missiles struck. The meerkat wrestled with the controls for another few seconds before she finally gave up and swore at the controls. With no other option all she could do was watch.

"One minute remaining until fatal radiation exposure. Doors will seal in forty five seconds." The computer continued to report the time left with callous rigidity. Time almost seemed to stop as she watched the last few rush through the closing gap.

Through the opening she could see hundreds of people running as fast as possible towards the narrowing opening, but they would never make it in time. "Hurry!" she shouted, even knowing it was futile.

"Please, wait! Don't close the doors!" a panicked giraffe shouted.

"We can't stop them, you have to hurry!" Alison could only watch as the doors closed with a resounding metal clang, trapping hundreds still outside.

Seconds later the facility was rocked with the power of a massive shock wave. Alarms and warning klaxons drowned out any attempt at conversation as the main power went offline and the facility was bathed in darkness.

May 12, 2035

DAY 50

"You know you don't have to come with me," Kieran said as they approached the atrium where the rest of their team waited.

"I know, but if you want me to authorize further excursions out there I want to see it for myself," Alison said.

Kieran nodded in understanding. "Fair enough." He touched her arm as they approached the doorway. "Thank you for agreeing to this."

"You made a solid argument. We need to see what's out there, and we may need to access some of our equipment from time to time. If we have to access our external systems I'd rather know what we're walking into."

"All the same, I know you had your misgivings," the hyena replied.

"I still do, but I know that you're not going to let this go, so for the time being I'm willing to indulge you, but make no mistake, once we're out there, you're in command but I have the final say on when we head back. Agreed?" she asked.

"Agreed," he replied.

"Then let's go," she said.

Two of the security staff were already present when they arrived, preparing their gear. Kieran had hand picked them to be part of his team both for their skills and their discretion. Regardless of how this excursion went, for the time being Alison felt it prudent to keep knowledge of their expedition limited to a necessary few. Most of the Sanctuary population had begun to accept their new situation and knowing they were traveling to the outside could potentially upset that progress. This meant their team had to be small and it was being done in the early hours of the morning when few were awake. Their proposed exploratory journey would take them out towards the center of the city and back again before anyone knew they were gone.

Standing before her with a rather impressive rifle was Security Chief Kevin Curtis. The black bear carved an impressive figure as both the tallest and the strongest of the group. Despite his fearsome appearance he was a gentle person under most circumstances. Even so the residents knew better than to try to take advantage of him. He was an understanding ursine but he did not tolerate fools gladly. It was one of the reasons Alison had liked him.

"Chief Curtis, are we ready?" she asked.

"Almost. There are just a few things I want to go over with you both before we head out. This is Halsey, he's my best man." A squirrel offered a casual salute before returning his attention to preparing his weapon.

Alison offered him a nod before accepting a handgun from him. She chambered a round and placed the weapon in her holster with a satisfying sound. The meerkat looked at the bear. "Were we expecting trouble?"

"It's always prudent to be prepared. We don't know what's been happening out there since the nukes struck, but it's safe to assume the government isn't functioning anymore. Even if it was we can't trust that anyone we run across is going to be the friendly sort under the circumstances. I recommend we avoid contact with anyone we may encounter out there if at all possible," the bear said.

The meerkat nodded in agreement. "Probably prudent."

Kieran slung a rifle over his shoulder. "We're not going to learn much that way."

"Perhaps not, but until we know exactly what sort of world is out there I'm not willing to take any chances," Alison said.

Chief Curtis gestured towards Halsey as he continued to speak. "The instruments indicate that radiation readings have dropped to safe levels but there may be pockets of concentration out there, so we're all going to be wearing these badges. They'll turn dark if you've been exposed so keep an eye on it and each other's. If you notice anyone's badge turning black we need to leave the area immediately. No exceptions."

"Is there anything else?" Kieran asked.

The black bear shook his head. "Not for the moment. Just keep your head down and your eyes open. That goes for all of you." He stood in front of the door. "Halsey, you take the lead. I'll bring up the rear."

Alison walked to the console that controlled the door mechanism and entered her keycard. After inputting her authorization code and pressing the button, the door let out a loud hiss and slid open slowly, giving the group their first look at the outside world since the war had ended. The way ahead was dark given the underground location without even emergency lighting to provide illumination. She had known there was little chance of the city's power grid being active, but it was not a good first sign.

"Careful of the bodies," the black bear said.

Alison activated her light and for the first time saw the people who had been trapped outside when the doors had closed in response to the radiation from the initial attacks. While most of their people had managed to get inside a few stragglers who had taken too long to get there had been trapped outside when the attack occurred. Unable to override the safety mechanism they had died out here only a few feet from safety. After a moment she felt Kieran's paw on her shoulder.

"Come on. You can't help them," he said, guiding her forward. The hyena shined his flashlight ahead providing them enough illumination to see by as they made their way out of the area and towards the surface. After about ten minutes of walking and climbing up several levels they reached the sewer tunnel that would provide them surface access.

Emerging onto the street the squirrel went first, followed by Kieran, Alison, and Chief Curtis. The first thing Alison noticed was the unsettling quiet. She perked her ears up and listened but there were no cars, no sounds of people, nothing other than the four of them. Not even birds seemed to fill the air that was dominated by a dead silence. Wrecked cars littered the street with corpses inside them and spread around the area in various stages of damage. Windows were blown out in many places along with sides of looting and violence that had occurred in the following weeks.

An overturned semi truck blocked their path forcing the group to come to a stop. Alison put her paws on her hips. "We could try to go around it."

"Both of the alleys look like they're blocked," Halsey said.

Kieran shrugged. "We could head back the way we came, try to take a different route."

Alison nodded. "Let's double back."

Chief Curtis knelt down to inspect something and when he stood he held a shell casing in his paw. "Something's not right here."

"Chief?" Alison asked. Before she could answer, a bullet went right through Halsey's neck. "It's an ambush!"

Kieran fired his rifle up at the windows before pushing Alison behind a dumpster. Chief Curtis took cover behind a damaged car. "Can you see them?" he asked.

"No, can you?" she replied.

The hyena shook his head. "For the record, you were right about this being a bad idea."

"Thanks for saying so," Alison said. She fired two shots up at the first window where she saw movement. "Up there!"

"I see them!" Chief Curtis moved and took another shot before urging them to move to his position.

Alison wasted no time sprinting closer with Kieran right behind her. "What about Halsey?" she asked.

"He's dead," Chief Curtis replied. "There's nothing we can do for him. Right now our only priority is getting the hell out of this kill zone."

Alison nodded. "Any ideas?"

"There only seems to be two or three of them. If we lay down suppressing fire and make a run for it we can probably reach safety before they can reposition," the bear said.

"We need to make sure they don't follow us. They can't find the Sanctuary." Alison looked back at the bear.

"I'll get them to follow me and meet you back at the entrance. When I run, you break in the other direction and head back," he said.

"No," Alison protested.

"I'll be right behind you," he replied. "We can't lose our Chief Administrator, now go!" He opened fire and ran, disappearing from sight.

Alison felt herself being dragged along as Kieran ran in the opposite direction, pulling her back the way they came. A few minutes later they stumbled inside the security doors to come face to face with the tall black bear. "Hold your fire! It's just us."

"Thank god you two made it," he said. "When I was the first one back I was worried something had happened to you two."

Alison leaned forward for a few minutes until she had caught her breath. When at last she was finally able to stand she shook her head at Kieran. "I'm ordering the doors to remain closed until further notice."

"Alison, please," he said. "We have to know what's out there."

"We know what's out there. Blood and death. Now I have that young man's blood on my paws because I listened to you against my better judgment. Now I am not going to risk that a second time. No one goes outside and no one opens those doors, is that clear?" she asked.

"Alison," he said again.

"Is that clear?" she repeated.

The hyena nodded. "Yes."

"No more excursions." She looked at the hyena and then the black bear. After a moment she turned and walked away.

March 27, 2035

Day 4

Alison leaned over the communications console which for the past four days had displayed nothing other than a standby signal despite their best efforts to bring the system back online. Contact with the outside had been down since the day of the attack leaving them with no idea of the current status of the outside world. Almost everyone inside the facility had spent that time wondering about whether there was anything left to return to after it was all over. To that end, Alison had continued to attempt to contact Sanctuary's headquarters to no avail.

Crouched under the console, Lynn Allen let out a deep breath. "It's not our equipment."

"Then what's the problem?" Alison asked.

"The communications array is working perfectly, so that leaves two possibilities. Either their equipment was damaged by the nuclear attack like ours were, or there's no one left to transmit anything," Lynn said.

Alison shook her head. "I refuse to believe that no one survived the initial attacks. Even in a worst case scenario there are always survivors."

Lynn leaned back against the console and shrugged. "Then that leaves us with option one, their equipment was likely damaged and it's taken them this long to bring their system online. If that's the case, it means in theory we could hear from them at any time."

"Is there any way to tell how many of the other facilities are still online?" she asked.

"Unfortunately no. The connection with the other Sanctuaries was the first thing to go down. The long range communications equipment is significantly damaged and I don't think we have the parts to repair it, unless you're willing to cannibalize other critical systems." The black cat tossed the tool she was using into the tool box and pushed herself up to a standing position.

Alison frowned. "I think we have other priorities at the moment. Keep trying to reach out to Sanctuary HQ. Someone there has to have survived."

Lynn nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Any luck?" a female voice asked as Doctor Riley waltzed into the command center.

The meerkat placed her paws on her hips and shook her head. "Not at the moment. We keep reaching out but so far no one has reached back. At least, no one from the Sanctuary program. We've been receiving assorted distress calls and other radio transmissions but nothing solid. We've been attempting to ascertain the status of the government but no one there has responded either."

"It's likely they're pretty busy figuring out what they have left after the attack," Anara replied.

"Hopefully it's simply a matter of time," Alison agreed.

Doctor Riley gestured behind her. "So far everyone seems to be handling their new situation well enough though it would go a long way towards that if you would speak to them."

"I intend to," she began, "once I have something to tell them." Alison cast a glance at the monitors, most of which displayed no information. The nuclear blast and subsequent aftereffects had damaged or disabled most of their systems even as well protected as they were. It was likely that the city above them had received at least one direct hit, possibly several. In either case it was going to take time to get their systems back to a functional state. For the time being, they were blind and deaf.

The caribou took a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs. "I appreciate the pressure you're under, but the longer you wait the more difficult it's going to be for everyone."

"I appreciate your feedback, but for now I have other things to attend to," she said, turning back towards the communications console.

"I'll let you get to it, then," the caribou said. As she turned to leave, one of the monitors flickered to life and a haggard squirrel appeared hunched over a desk. "This is Sanctuary HQ attempting to reach Sanctuary Echo, do you read?" he asked.

Alison pressed the button to transmit. "This is Alison Taylor, Chief Administrator of Sanctuary Echo. We read you, sir."

The squirrel leaned forward in obvious relief. "Oh, thank god. Miss Taylor, how are your personnel? What's the status of your facility?"

"We took some damage during the initial attack, we're still ascertaining our current situation but the facility withstood the blast as expected. We're all fine down here for the time being, waiting for some news on the outside world." She paused for a long moment. "Sir, we lost some of our people during the initial evacuation to the facility. Over a hundred of our people were trapped outside when the emergency protocols sealed the doors."

The squirrel closed his eyes and lowered his muzzle. "That's unfortunate, but thank goodness most of your people made it inside."

"Yes, we're still taking a count but we believe we have most of our personnel within the facility," she told him. "Our supplies are fully stocked. We had managed to complete all of our preparations before we were forced to take shelter within Sanctuary Echo."

"That's good news. Is Doctor Riley with you?" he asked.

The caribou stepped in front of the camera pickup. "I'm here, sir."

"What is the condition of your population?" He straightened up in his chair. It was evident from his current state he had not slept in days. Alison did not find that surprising as no one she knew had been able to get a good night's rest since the doors sealed them in here.

The caribou shrugged. "For the moment everyone is still in shock, but physically they're all in good health. We have a few minor injuries mostly stemming from the haphazard nature of the last few moments of the intake procedure but there was no permanent damage."

"Good to hear. I need to speak to Administrator Taylor again," he said.

Alison stepped in front of the camera pickup again. "What's the status of the government?"

"D.C. took a number of direct hits. We haven't heard from anyone there since the attack. We have reason to believe most of the executive branch and Congress is dead. The Secretary of Energy was supposed to be out of town inspecting some new energy production facility but we don't know if he made it or what his condition is," the squirrel said.

"Do you mean to tell me that the government is non functional?" Alison asked.

"Until we find the next person in the chain of succession I'm afraid so. The military is taking command for now, they're trying to restore order but it's chaos out here. Panic and fear are running rampant as the American people come to realize how much damage has been done. We're trying to get everything under control but we don't know how long we can maintain communications," he said. "We've managed to get in contact with at least ten Sanctuary facilities but we don't know how many of them are still online. We're hoping their communications equipment was knocked out like yours was, and that we'll hear from them soon."

"We appreciate the update, sir. What are your orders?" She leaned forward towards the monitor.

"Sit tight for now. Until we have a better idea of what's going on I don't recommend going up to the surface. You're safest where you are. I'm attempting to--," the squirrel said. Static overcame the transmission, his statement left uncompleted.

"Get him back," Alison ordered.

Lynn sat down and attempted to reestablish communications but at last she shook her head. "I can't. The transmission was cut off at the source. Either their transmitter went down or something else happened. Either way there's nothing I can do from here."

Alison let out a deep breath and turned to Anara. "Doctor, gather everyone in the cafeteria. I think it's time I told them what we know."

"Yes, ma'am," she said, and turned to leave.

Ten minutes later she stood on the upper level of the cafeteria, with Kieran and Anara at her side. The meerkat squeezed his paw gently before she leaned forward over the railing and addressed the crowd. "I don't know where to begin so I'll just say it. Four days ago we were attacked with nuclear weapons causing untold damage to our nation and its people. Casualties are still coming in but it's reasonable to assume countless lives have been lost. We know the government has been hit but we don't yet know the extent of the damage. We've managed to get in contact with Sanctuary HQ but the transmission failed partway through. We don't know if it was due to technical errors or something else but for the time being we are safe and I will continue to relay whatever information we receive as we go." She glanced at Kieran before returning her attention to the gathered masses below. "At the moment most of our external sources of information are offline, what we've learned is only what we were told from Sanctuary HQ before we lost contact. Once we've reestablished control with the satellites assigned to us we will have more information. When that happens I will share what I know, but for the time being what we need is your cooperation. We still don't know who made it inside and who we lost during the initial evacuation. For the time being I ask that you stay in your quarters and sit tight until someone has issued you your ID badge and other essentials. Rest assured we have enough food and supplies to last us a long time down here and you are in the safest place you can be. That's all for now," she said.

Kieran squeezed her shoulder with his paw. "How are you holding up?" he asked.

Alison looked at him for a moment before pressing herself into his chest. "I don't know." The hyena simply held her for a long time afterwards, long after everyone had dispersed and returned to their quarters. In a few minutes Alison would need to return to her tasks but for a few moments longer all she wanted was to be held in his embrace. There would be time for reality later.

May 16, 2035

Day 54

Alison stood with her arms folded while she watched Kieran pack supplies into a duffel bag. "They told me you were planning on leaving."

"I was hoping to be finished before you heard," he said.

"So you were just going to leave without telling me?" she asked.

Kieran turned to face her. "I knew you'd try to stop me."

"You're damn right I would," she said. "Did you forget what happened out there?"

"Of course not," the hyena replied. "I think about it every day."

"So why are you going back out there?" she asked.

Kieran closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. "Because I can't stay in here knowing that people are suffering and dying out there while I can do something about it."

"What are you going to do?" Alison demanded. "You'd be out there alone with no help and no support."

The hyena packed another shirt and some food in his bag. He reached for another ration pack before she placed her paw on his wrist. "Maybe at first, but there has to be others out there who feel the same way I do."

"And what if there isn't?" she asked. "What if the only things you find out there are more people like the ones who killed Halsey?" She released his paw and walked away a few steps. "I can't bear the thought of you out there bleeding to death on some random street."

"Then come with me," he said.

"You know I can't," she replied.

"Why not? There are other people in here that could run this place. It doesn't have to be you."

Alison whirled around on him. "It's my job."

"And you do it very well, but that won't always be the case." He walked up to her and kissed her. "I need you."

"Then stay," she replied.

Kieran shook his head. "Maybe you can be content sitting here for the next five to ten years hoping things calm down but I think we both know that's not likely to happen. The world is tearing itself apart out there and the only way it's going to get better is if we get out there and do something about it."

"I am not willing to risk the safety of our entire population on that," she said.

"And I can't stay here and do nothing," he said.

For a long moment the two of them simply stood there in silence, neither one of them moving. Alison looked at the hyena wanting nothing more than to run to him and embrace him in her arms, but she knew if she did she would never let him go again. She needed to be strong in this moment rather than indulge in what she wanted. She could not risk the safety and security of the people she had sworn to protect on some fools errand, even if her lover was the fool.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I could stop you, you know."

Kieran nodded. "I know, but if you did you know I'd never forgive you." He packed a few medical supplies and tested the weight of the bag in his paws. "You'd have to lock me up to keep me here."

Alison frowned. "You know I could never do that to you." She reached out to him but let her paw fall back to her side. "I know if you stay you won't be able to be happy here, but if you go I don't know what I'll do without you. Either way I lose."

The hyena wrapped her up in his arms. She kept hers at her sides, unable to bring herself to return the gesture. "Hey, you'll never lose me. I promise. No matter what happens you'll always be in my heart and you'll always be my reason for being." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of the two of them together. "Do you remember this?"

Alison took the phone into her paws and smiled. "Of course I do. I'll never forget that day in the park. It was the day I got the job as head of Sanctuary Echo." She blushed.

"You were so proud, and I was so happy for you. I don't know if I ever told you how excited I was the day you were chosen to run this place," he said. "I knew of all the people they could have gotten that you would do a fantastic job, better than anyone else they could find."

"I'll never forget it. We had a picnic by the lake, and then rode bicycles to the tables where we had a wonderful meal." Alison held the picture back out to him. "I wish it could have lasted forever."

Kieran lowered his muzzle. "Me too," he said. "The war cost a lot of people everything."

"Yes it did," she replied. "I don't suppose there's any way I can talk you out of it."

"No," he said, "any more than I can convince you to join me."

Alison threw her head back and walked to the nearest chair to take a seat. "Where will you go?"

Kieran offered a shrug. "I haven't figured that out yet. I figure my first task will be to get out of the city. Once I reach the city limits I'll start walking and see where I end up."

"You should avoid the highway," she replied. "Odds are most of the main routes are probably ambush spots for people looking to take what they can from travelers."

He nodded. "I'll be careful."

"Do you have to go today?" she asked.

Kieran locked eyes with her. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't ask me to stay a few more days because you know if I do, it'll be that much harder when I finally do walk out that door. I don't want to leave you, but I have to. I'm asking you to let me go." The hyena finished packing the last of his supplies and equipment and opened his closet to slip on some civilian clothes. Taking off his Sanctuary uniform he exchanged it for a simple rust colored shirt and tan pants.

Alison knew it would allow him to blend in out there much more easily than the green and black uniforms they wore down here. Once he was finished she held up a paw. "Wait right there."

"Alison," he said.

"It'll only take a moment. Please?" she asked.

Kieran nodded, and she hurried into their bedroom where she pulled out something wrapped in colorful paper. He took the package with some hesitation and looked into her eyes. "What is this?"

"Well, it was supposed to be for your birthday but if you're intent on doing this than you should have something to keep your neck protected," she said. Alison gestured towards the package. "Go on, open it."

Kieran sat on the bed and proceeded to tear into the paper. Inside was a small furry neck covering which stretched and flexed, feeling soft to the touch. He looked at it with some confusion until Alison took it and slipped it over his head, settling it into place around his neck. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied.

Kieran put his paw on his hip. "So how do I look?"

"Like someone who is about to make me worry for no good reason," she said. "Not to mention damn sexy."

The hyena chuckled as he stepped in front of the mirror. "It's a very practical gift. It'll come in handy out there, I'm sure."

"I wish I could do more. If you're insistent on doing this, then all I can do is wish you luck," she said. Alison turned around and reached into the nightstand, handing him her knife. "Take this with you. It'll keep you safe."

"I appreciate it," he replied, taking it gratefully.

Alison looked into his eyes. "We can monitor you for a while after you leave. For at least a few days we'll be within range if you should need help, but after that you'll be on your own."

"I'm not going to change my mind," he said.

"I know, but if you need us, don't hesitate to call." Alison gestured towards the door. "I'll walk you out."

Few people were in the hallway at this time of night. Alison was grateful for the privacy. Not only did she not want anyone to know that Kieran was leaving, but she wanted her last few moments in his company to be just the two of them. She longed to stay with him, even if it meant abandoning her responsibilities, but she could not bring herself to make that choice. They walked slowly to the entrance where she slipped her keycard into the slot and activated the door sequence. As the massive opening widened before them she walked closer to him for what potentially stood to be the last time.

"So this is it," he said.

"I guess so," she replied.

"I..." the both said at once.

Kieran held up a paw. "You go first."

"I'll miss you. I just want you to know that I understand why you have to go out there, even if I don't agree with your reasoning. If you change your mind, you're always welcome here."

"I don't know what I'm going to find out there, but I need to see for myself. I promise, if I can, someday I'll come back. I swear." Kieran leaned forward and kissed her with the most passion she had ever felt in her life. When she opened her eyes, he had gone.

April 24, 2040

DAY 1,859

"Well," Doctor Riley said, "with all that rattling around in your head it's no wonder you can't sleep."

Alison shrugged. "I miss him."

"I know," she said.

"I reach over at night and sometimes before I wake up all the way I keep expecting him to be there. Then I wake up and he's gone and I remember all over again," the meerkat said.

The caribou nodded in understanding. "You're not the first person to come to me with something like this. People who have been through what we have don't emerge without at least a couple scars." She shrugged. "We may have been protected from the radiation but we still have our lingering wounds."

"So what do you prescribe, doc?" she asked.

"Well, for most people I would suggest a good night's rest and a hot meal, but I'd like to consider setting up regular counseling sessions between the two of us," she said.

Alison stood up. "No."

"Would you rather keep letting this fester in your mind until you have a breakdown?" she asked. "You need to talk about this, and I'm the only candidate you have."

"Oh, gee, thanks," Alison said.

The caribou held up her hands. "I didn't mean it like that. I only meant that I'm the only person who knows everything you're going through and I can keep a secret. We don't even have to call it therapy. You and I can set up a regular consultation. As far as anyone else in here knows we're talking business. No one else other than the two of us will be privy to what's really going on in here. You talk to me, and we work it out together. Sound like a plan?" she asked.

Alison considered the suggestion for a long moment. "You give me your word everything said in here stays in this room?"

"Either here or in your office," she said. "But yes, I do."

"All right. We'll try it." Alison held up a paw. "Provided that you bring the coffee."

"Fair enough," she said.

Doctor Riley rose to her hooves. "So do you think you'll be all right?" she asked.

Alison nodded. "For now," she replied.

"You call me if you need anything," the caribou replied and then left.

Alison reached into her nightstand and pulled out the photo of herself and Kieran. It was the same one he had taken with him and the last time she could remember having absolutely nothing to worry about. As she held the image in between her fingers she closed her eyes and thought about him, hoping that wherever he was, he was safe.