Book 1: The Siege of Fort Vagabond

Chapter 3 Part 2: Welcome to Bunker Boogaloo

Bohdan drew out his route by tracing a finger along the map that appeared on the homebrewed app on his phone which interfaced with the relay. A second later the system sent a green message reading “Acceptable Route”. Nodding Bohdan slapped the set course button on the screen sending the message to the many wifi boxes in the tunnels changing the tracks and opening the gates to clear the passage. With a final rumble the dirtbike screeched forward in the wooded covered tunnel.

This was the kind of carnival ride that gave you chest hair as the wooden beams and golden murals rushed past in a blur of motion. The walls were within spitting distance of your face, and the rushing of cold tunnel air made the adrenaline pump in a special addicting kind of way. Bohdan caught himself smiling as he felt that blood saturation take over. His instincts directing his movements and balance faster than a mind could physically think.

Gated dark tunnels whisked past with the occasional filled in passage or even blockaded path in the sides of the subterranean maze. Not everything was friendly down here. Nor stable for that matter. They cleared out what they could, but you never knew when something dark and slimy would refill a lair or hole in the wall you’d cleansed. Better to stay safe when commuting through the winding passages. Not to mention plenty of the mess of passages weren’t mapped yet. Who knows what other nonsense was skulking around down there.

With a whine and a brief incline along the track Bohdan screeched through an arched door that, unlike the tunnel system he’d been riding through, was a solid bunker construction made of dull gray cement right out of World War Two. Beyond the gate was a massive complex that still staggered Bohdan to this day.

A cavern spread out before him so massive you could fly a 747 jet right through the expanse, and land safely within the chamber’s walls. Not necessarily a comfortable landing, but you could land and with room to spare before hitting the jagged domed shaped wall on the far end. Inside this cavern was a series of cement structures and supports right out of a super villain’s lair. Several raised roads criss crossed between them and over bridges where several other vehicles of ranging make and scrappy feel were buzzing.

Some of them were repurposed dirtbikes like Bohdan’s own ride, but plenty were good old fashioned cars and go carts not tethered to tracks and fancy relays. They even had a tram right out of a theme park that had two stops between the above ground town, and the main hub of the underground bunker city. From there the several hundred of the townspeople who commuted to work went about their business expanding, facilitating, and maintaining the massive complex along with all the other miscellaneous duties that came with the acquisition of such an oversized asset.

This was Bunker Boogaloo. The ultimate doomsday shelter that was more of a mirror city to the town above ground designed to outlast any barrages or nuclear fallout. This was not a construction of their own, but one the Blood family had acquired long before Blood senior had taken his position as Mayor of New Venice. One could say that his interest in the position had been sparked after Operation Boogaloo Bunker had been launched with their militia driving out the denizens who had been squatting on the old edifice to times long past.

Soon they were busy finding manpower, trustworthy manpower that is, and skills for refurbishing the place. This was where the whole town could run, and if necessary exfil to Fort Vagabond in the nightmare contingency. Conversely in the nuclear fallout, or scorched earth contingency all of the Town and Fort Vagabond would move into Bunker Boogaloo while the militias ran a guerilla war on the surface.

As a rule they had built Fort Vagabond disconnected to this complex in case the horror they ran from had access to the underground labyrinth, and thus to Bunker Boogaloo. In this situation the town was to relocate to Fort Vagabond filling in the tunnel entrances as they went. The idea was to ensure that if one contingency was compromised the rest of the bug out plans would still be intact. Like a terrorist cell staying decentralized to avoid complete annihilation. That said they were hopeful to be able to bring all their assets to bear rather than having to sacrifice one to keep the town intact.

A honk drew Bohdan’s attention back to the throng of workers commuting back up to the surface, or to the civic district of the bunker to enjoy the weekend festivities. There behind a side by side outfitted with extra lights and with more militia boys strapped with traps, guns, and other pest killing equipment than was legally or physically advisable was one of the Blood family’s oldest friends and allies. Charlie’s old man himself Mr. Holdfast Sn in the flesh.

Blurry and large like his son the dirt splattered faced man appeared grizzled and hardened in the bright bunker lights, but he was a smiling optimist and today was no different. The big man waved his mayor’s son to a stop next to his overloaded side by side as they both slowed down at a red light. The track took Bohdan just close enough to be within earshot if you didn’t mind going hoarse screaming over the engines.

“I see you’re off on your hot date Young Blood!” Shouted the oversized exterminator over the chuckles of his crew of four or so oversized goons.

“You know it Mr. Holdfast! When are you going to convince your son to calm his wild oats and join us old men in the marriage game?” Bohdan yelled back to even more laughter from the surrounding commuters.

“Soon as you find him one kid! By the way,” Continued Mr. Holdfast. Bohdan got the distinct impression that this was the main reason for calling him over. Responsibility will come at you like a thief in the night.

“The tunnels towards Oden City are getting more pests than normal. Me and the ladies here are going to earn our keep tonight and leave more rat traps before we join the weekend fun. Tell your old man if you see him first about it. These infestations are growing worse, and I smell a rat between here and old man Olden.” Mr. Holdfast said using a local term for their sister city some fifty miles as the crow flies North of New Venice. Bohdan pursed his lips at this information.

One of the first things you learn when dealing with the nasty stuff on the spiritual plains was the prevalence of dark and twisted things being followed by creepy crawlies and decay. Wouldn’t be the first time they noticed higher amounts of infestations of roaches or rats when they were getting close to something otherworldly in the tunnels or even on the surface. Only things were coming to them this time.

That could be a bad omen, or just varmints being attracted to all the extra supplies and bustle they were bringing into the old cavern. Either way it sounded like Holdfast wouldn’t be in cell phone range for a while to report the incidents to the elders or the mayor. And just like that Bohdan had one more thing to do before he could enjoy his date with Heidi.

Responsibility was like a stinky foot fungus. Always reeling its ugly head when it was least welcome.

The Story Will Continue Every Saturday.

Click the image below to go to my blog so you can be updated on future updates, and support the Grizzly Clan so we can keep the stories flowing.