entering the protecti ve hull, she found a suitable place to lay her head near the collapsed portion. Her rifle was gently placed on the ground as Ella took a final glance around to be sure she was safe. Using her backpack as a pillow Ella allowed her dreams to take over.
It wa s dark and eerily silent when she awoke. The whipping winds had died down completely, the sky had quieted, its fury unloaded while Ella slept. She packed up her belongings and ventured out into the darkness. The mounded earth had blocked the water from her, but an inch of it sat at the base of the ravine. Unsure of exactly how long she was out, Ella returned to her lookout. Sleep did her crazed mind good, the rage had subsided somewhat, her nerves calmed. She straightened her mask and allowed for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She knew the way back to her lookout, but moved slowly to avoid the inevitable stumbling haste would have brought. The climbing caused her to breathe heavily, her huffing and puffing amplified by her mask, drowning out any exterior sounds.
Once the blue glow was in sight, she followed the terrain through its rises and falls until she reached her bunker. She arranged herself into position under the camo netting. Lying prone, with her rifle sitting idle next to her, she removed the binoculars and played with the zoom until her view was in perfect focus. The rows of the sentinel coils greeted Ella, and glowed a much brighter blue in the darkness. Nothing would give her greater delight than watching the row of them come crashing to the ground, opening the way for her and the Masked camps to join the party on the Inside.
The day had not yet started for those who oppressed her kind, the lot of them still fast asleep behind the glass walls. She was not sure how much time she had before th e skies brightened, but she frequently longed for a closer view. The break in the row of active Tesla coils where the latest expansion was being built gave her the chance. Though it was forbidden by the Elders, she knew her mission was solo and her position in the bunker would go unchecked until she missed reporting in, something she was not scheduled to do for another three days.
She had the time and the opportunity to get closer, and reasoned this to be her best chance. After securing her lookout and leav ing everything behind, she crawled on her belly toward the dark corner of the glowing city of glass and steel. She stayed as flat to the ground as she could, keeping her head down the whole way, except the occasional check in to make sure she was staying on course and not straying into range of the perilous coils.
She arrived at the perimeter, which appeared dark from her lookout, but was close enough to the dome and power lines to glow faintly blue. Caution was exercised to avoid exposure, as she was sure someone from the Inside was watching. Despite the clear glass, she trusted nothing about Glass City. Even if her eyes told her the coast was clear, a deeply rooted mistrust told her otherwise.
Standing beneath the unpowered coils, she studied their constr uction closely. They were much farther from the glass than she guessed, and she made mental notes of how to best attack them if ever the opportunity arose. This up close view was unique to Ella. None of the Masked she knew had ever been this close to Glass City before and it was likely none would ever again, unless their attack was successful. Being so close to Glass City and these instruments of instant death empowered Ella, making her feel invincible. The base of concrete steadied the steel rod running through the middle and supported the weight of the massive coil and large polished ball resting at the coil’s peak. Lattice style construction provided additional support. Starting around the sixth story, the coiled metal wound up and up the rest of the steel rod, where the shiny ball was mounted some fifteen stories above her. Lines running in at the base of the coil would someday
It wa s dark and eerily silent when she awoke. The whipping winds had died down completely, the sky had quieted, its fury unloaded while Ella slept. She packed up her belongings and ventured out into the darkness. The mounded earth had blocked the water from her, but an inch of it sat at the base of the ravine. Unsure of exactly how long she was out, Ella returned to her lookout. Sleep did her crazed mind good, the rage had subsided somewhat, her nerves calmed. She straightened her mask and allowed for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She knew the way back to her lookout, but moved slowly to avoid the inevitable stumbling haste would have brought. The climbing caused her to breathe heavily, her huffing and puffing amplified by her mask, drowning out any exterior sounds.
Once the blue glow was in sight, she followed the terrain through its rises and falls until she reached her bunker. She arranged herself into position under the camo netting. Lying prone, with her rifle sitting idle next to her, she removed the binoculars and played with the zoom until her view was in perfect focus. The rows of the sentinel coils greeted Ella, and glowed a much brighter blue in the darkness. Nothing would give her greater delight than watching the row of them come crashing to the ground, opening the way for her and the Masked camps to join the party on the Inside.
The day had not yet started for those who oppressed her kind, the lot of them still fast asleep behind the glass walls. She was not sure how much time she had before th e skies brightened, but she frequently longed for a closer view. The break in the row of active Tesla coils where the latest expansion was being built gave her the chance. Though it was forbidden by the Elders, she knew her mission was solo and her position in the bunker would go unchecked until she missed reporting in, something she was not scheduled to do for another three days.
She had the time and the opportunity to get closer, and reasoned this to be her best chance. After securing her lookout and leav ing everything behind, she crawled on her belly toward the dark corner of the glowing city of glass and steel. She stayed as flat to the ground as she could, keeping her head down the whole way, except the occasional check in to make sure she was staying on course and not straying into range of the perilous coils.
She arrived at the perimeter, which appeared dark from her lookout, but was close enough to the dome and power lines to glow faintly blue. Caution was exercised to avoid exposure, as she was sure someone from the Inside was watching. Despite the clear glass, she trusted nothing about Glass City. Even if her eyes told her the coast was clear, a deeply rooted mistrust told her otherwise.
Standing beneath the unpowered coils, she studied their constr uction closely. They were much farther from the glass than she guessed, and she made mental notes of how to best attack them if ever the opportunity arose. This up close view was unique to Ella. None of the Masked she knew had ever been this close to Glass City before and it was likely none would ever again, unless their attack was successful. Being so close to Glass City and these instruments of instant death empowered Ella, making her feel invincible. The base of concrete steadied the steel rod running through the middle and supported the weight of the massive coil and large polished ball resting at the coil’s peak. Lattice style construction provided additional support. Starting around the sixth story, the coiled metal wound up and up the rest of the steel rod, where the shiny ball was mounted some fifteen stories above her. Lines running in at the base of the coil would someday
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