Alternate Gear

SIX MINUTES EARLIER...

Tamika assumed a one-woman-army at the shop; taking care of stocking, front register duties and assisting customers while Deon ran his current job of helping Ms. Stewart lug her groceries back to her farm. The muggy day was going extremely slow until the old woman and her niece entered the shop. After them, random villagers began to pop into the family business seemingly out of nowhere, right behind the other too, leaving the obsidian twenty-five year old to feel a little overwhelmed. She understood such was the flow of work in the life of a store clerk, however she wanted extra hands during moments like these.

Every blue moon, a few of the townsfolk—more nieces and nephews belonging to elders that were friends of Granny's—volunteered, even worked part-time during the holidays. The help ended there though. These days, the residents of Auburn Hills were dealing with their own issues.

The town was damn near bankrupt.

Started about five years ago.

Tamika knew the truth; everything went to hell once the Gear War ended. The entire country of Ehzra began to decline. Soldiers stopped maintaining security on various cities of the country and began to put their energy into protecting the lives of the royal family. She heard the capital was still under attack from majority of the remaining Gears.

Most of the buildings in town nowadays were barren. Boarded up due to the dwindling population. People were fleeing. And for good reason.

Over the past three years, majority of businesses in the small suburb shut down and the ones that survived downsized; laid off hundreds of employees. Tamika attended all of the town meetings and folks were miserable and frustrated. Losing hope and giving up.

Farmers suffered the most. Humble, hard working people like Ms. Stewart, a widow, single handedly ran her seventy acres. But the fields were dead thanks to the toxic chemicals of the androids. The Bidst Woods were a death trap and part of the reason the mayor's project to clean up the forest ended was because the town couldn't continue to fund the project. He also wanted to use the woodlands to fortify the Hills and keep robots from invading.

Never came to fruition.

Working near the entrance to the back of the shop, she picked up a stack of boxes, watching clients circle in and out of the narrow aisle in front of her. They scanned colorful trays in the shelves, containing a variety of fruit. Picking them up, people examined them before coming down to a decision to either add the produce to their baskets or leave.

She tried her best to keep Deon somewhat sheltered from what was going on. She made him work as much as possible; he was a good kid, however he didn't do well under stress and depression. She wanted to toughen him up, these were ugly, dangerous times. The weak did not survive in today's world. Any opportunity available to her, she used it to provide a little tough love. Tamika guessed he probably thought she was being a cranky old witch. It was for his own good. He'd understand later.

Growing up, she watched Granny spoil her baby cousin rotten. He received whatever he wanted as child, whereas Tamika earned her rewards. He was soft, naive and a bit too kind for his own good.

She admit, at one point in time, she possibly, may have been sort of jealous of his carefree attitude.

She missed her grandmother.

Her wisdom knew no bounds sometimes. She'd know what to do in these times. During the town council meetings she remembered attending as a teen; Granny would always give sound advice.

Why can't I be like her?

Why couldn't she contribute great ideas to the town like her?

The thought caused the young woman to freeze in her actions, kneeling in the middle of an aisle surrounded by wanderers. She held onto a stack of plastic cups before an empty shelf. She shook her head, causing her long braids to flail beside her ears. Snap out of it, she thought sighing. Now wasn't' the time for mourning or self-pity.

Upon placing the cups in neat rows on the lowest shelf, she rose, wiping the dust off her dark apron which was tied over faded jeans and a long sleeved shirt. The heat of the afternoon was starting to creep down the shopping lanes; sweat formed on her upper lip. Bright sun light peeked past the chained sheet of locks nailed onto the giant windows adjacent to her

BOOM.

The abrupt explosion from somewhere outside the store sent powerful tremors racing through the heart of downtown. Few buildings around Colworthe's completely collapsed; filling the streets with flames, thick dust and rubble.

Town-hall, the most significant establishment and the mayor's headquarters, had exploded.

Back inside the shop, glass shattered raining onto the floors. Shelves along the wall of the building toppled over, smashing into others, creating a domino effect of crashing metal. Customers screamed, being crushed underneath. Tamika was one of the unfortunate lives trapped beneath the bulky, heavy metal. On impact, she was knocked unconscious. Supplies showered down on her not to mention everywhere else. Those lucky enough to avoid the imploding aisles panicked, bolting for the exit.

All around the hills, residents who felt the ground-shaking shock of the detonation wandered out of homes, more shops, and cafés. Those too busy to leave their specific buildings, such as hospitals and schools, crowded in front of rooms with windows that provided views of the main district. Everywhere in town, the masses were gathering near their respective places. Gazing at the horrible sight. Town-hall was utterly demolished; the remains were burning to nothing! Some rushed to action, the flames needed to be put out or they could spread. Most were too traumatized to move.

A dull buzz reverberated through the air. Amongst the brown fog and thick black smoke traveling across the area, something was coming. Each passing second the hum grew louder and the vibration accompanying it became stronger; dirt rattled under the citizens. People lifted their heads to the sky, only to let loose blood curdling screams.

Gears. Flying Androids.

Seven of them flew in a V-formation, cloaks strapped around their necks fluttered in the wind like crimson capes. Fire roared from an opening in the robots' steel soles, pushing them forward at blinding speeds. Simultaneously, a larger slot of flames in their bellies allowed them to stay off ground. Their arms acted as wings. They circled around town in an ear shattering screech, then zoomed over Colworthe's, firing small missiles from their fingers.

The miniature rockets connected with numerous structures, instantly sending them up in smoke. Smoldering bodies of the innocent showered the soil, chunks of wood was thrown everywhere as pandemonium struck Auburn Hills. Residents took off in all directions, trampling over one another. Someone sounded the disaster horn, but it was too late.

Gears had invaded Auburn Hills.

No one was safe.

And there was nowhere to hide.