Wanderer (Book 1): Wanderer

of the fence I could see the size of the compound. The satellites were arranged twelve long and twelve deep. Each satellite rose about thirty feet from the ground and was about twenty five feet wide with a twelve foot arm protruding from the center.
Now that I had hoisted myself up the wall I tried maneuvering myself over the razor wire, but my pant leg got caught on the wire and I slipped. My right arm twisted in the wire as I fell. I don’t know if the ripping sound is my jacket, my arm, or both. I landed hard on my face gasping for breath and I instantly felt that tingling sensation in my nose. There’s a little blood, but it’s nothing compared to the blood pouring out of the gaping wound in my arm. The laceration extends from my mid forearm to my upper shoulder. A little flap of skin is loose and I can cover and uncover the muscle below by wagging my arm back and forth.
One of the razors clipped my funny bone as it dragged up my arm, I think it chipped the bone. I was honestly surprised it wasn’t worse, and normally I would be extremely worried, but soon I would have all the medical attention I could handle.
I shouted again for my invisible saviors. They returned no response, only the low hum of the power coursing through the cables underneath my feet. Maybe they couldn’t hear me. I started searching for some building or elevator, anything into their underground compound.
Behind one of the satellites I spotted a small building up against the far east wall. My joy overcame me, the pain disappeared in my arm and I sprinted for the building. I ran so fast I couldn’t even slow down and I slammed into the door. To my surprise it was locked. I noticed a Master lock on the door and it looked new. I tried peering into the windows. It was no use. The thick layer of dirt and the security gate made it impossible. I had to get in there. Remembering my gun, I pulled it out of the holster and aimed it at the lock and pulled the trigger. The shot was loud and echoed through the neighborhood. It must be a knock off because it only took one bullet to shred the lock. It fell to the ground and I opened the door.
All my hopes and dreams were washed away and my arm started hurting instantly when reality set in. The building was just a small office, an empty shell of a past world. A map of the city adorned the back wall. A large calendar hung over a small desk to my right. Whoever occupied this building had scheduled a vacation on August 12th. I wonder if they ever got to take it. To my left was a book shelf comprised of nothing but large white 3-ring binders covered in dirt.
The satellites had been moving by themselves, back and forth, day after day, generating power for a civilization that would never return. Pavlov’s satellites.
I sat there for a moment, in disbelief, listening to the hum. Then I heard it, a more aggressive sound growing over the hum. It was coming from behind me to the west. I turned and saw the thick black smoke sticking up over the wall like a cobra being coaxed out of a wicker basket by a snake charmer. It was heading toward me. The scavengers had made quick work of my house and had now followed me here. Could they have thought the same thing as I did? If they did, there must be another gate on the back wall.
I didn’t have time to think before I sprinted for the front gate. There was a gate at the back because I heard it open, and now the smoke vehicle was in the compound racing towards me. I made it to the gate and I hurdled over it, this time with no problem, landing on my feet on the other side.
I panicked for a moment when I realized that Mandy was gone from under the tree. I called her at the top of my lungs. The next few seconds felt like an eternity. Why did I leave her? I didn’t know what to do. I could hear shouting on the other side of the gate. The smoke vehicle was getting closer. I was running out of time. How long should I wait for her? Just when I was about to leave I saw her shape appear on the top of a car about thirty yards away. I called for her to follow me and we headed east again at a dead run.
The smoke vehicle was a lot closer than I thought and the front gate started to open just as we left.
I turned south when we reached the end of the compound, hopefully it would give us time to hide before the smoke vehicle came around the corner. We ran into another city park. I’ve had it with parks and open fields. I should have stayed on the road. There’s no turning back now, the road eventually bisected the park ahead. I could see a drainage pipe connecting the two atriums of the park and I headed toward it. The smoke vehicle would turn the corner any second now and we would be captured by the scavengers.
I slid in the tunnel and called for Mandy to hurry. She entered the tunnel just as the smoke vehicle passed the edge of the compound. It was only about thirty seconds before I heard the smoke vehicle rumble to a stop on top of us, shaking dirt free from the roof of the tunnel. How was it able to move so easily through the cars? I don’t remember seeing a cow catcher on the front of this one.
I heard a door open and shut and footsteps walk up to the edge of the street. The shadow of