Communications Relay Stoker

They had continued to walk, through the fields of ruin, with no intended destination. Every step took them further away from the sniper's sight. The Veteran had barely said anything since, the only noise he would make was a repetitive hum of some old tune. The tune was driving Beck insane, not because he found it annoying but rather the fact that he couldn't recognise it. He knew it would be pointless to ask the Veteran, if you ever asked him anything all you'd get in response was something akin to: 'I can't remember, my minds going.'

Soon they had both spotted something and like some miracle the Veteran began to speak: "Look over there!" He pointed to some kind of strange outhouse. "We must have never came this way before, I don't recognise that. D'you?"

Beck shook his head, they had crossed these lands so many times that he couldn't recall seeing it before. "I don't think I have?" Quickly the Veteran started to speed up, racing towards the outhouse. Duncan Beck had never seen the man go at these speeds. "Careful Vet, don't get yourself into any accidents." The Veteran quickly dismissed any of Duncan's concerns with a gentle hand gesture. Suddenly they were both standing before the outhouse, up close it was more of a shack. This was Department property.

Slowly the Veteran entered, peaking in to determine if anyone was here. The coast was clear. Inside was a loud terminal flanked by some server machines, strings of networking data printed on the terminal's small display. "Clever of them to leave this open, ain't it?" grinned the Veteran. Duncan continued to investigate, when he spotted a small handbook with a handwritten cover: Communications Relay Stoker. He handed the handbook to the Veteran, to get his opinion on it. "Communications Relay, eh?"

"Guessing it connects some of the Department's calls to each other? Maybe even to the mainland?"

"Maybe even the mainland," a menacing look quickly appeared on the Veteran's face. Immediately he started to run a riot, pulling on every visible cable, slamming his fists against the machines. "Here- see how the Department likes this. Bloody crooks. See how they like being fucked about with!" Duncan just stood and watched as everything was quickly turned beyond repair. The place was a mess, the Veteran had gone as far as ripping apart the handbook.

Eventually Duncan intervened, he placed his hand upon the Vet's shoulder. "I think that's done the trick Vet. Let's keep moving."

"You're right," the Veteran nodded. "Sorry, I got a bit carried away there..." The two of them left the shack, the Veteran imagined everything going haywire in the Department labs as their telephones and fax machines refused to work. The thought made him smile.

TBC