The Fallen by Jack Ziebell

And we have no way of knowing what the hell has happened to them.  In the meantime they are dangerous and could get more dangerous if they figure out a little more how their bodies work.”
    “Like how?”
    “Like, think of a man with all his strength and desires, but without the civilizing affects of society, reason and knowledge.  Not a child’s mind in a man’s body; a savage mind in a man’s body.  A man like that would act without forethought or regret.  I would prefer to get as far away from that man as I could before he figures out he can do more than just crawl.” 
    “But if everywhere is like this, where can we go?  Run off and hide in the mountains somewhere?” said Brian
    “Com’on Brian, your brain did not get wiped, think.  Where else could people have survived?”
    “The military.  Some kind of military command centre hardened against this kind of thing?”
    “I can’t think of anything else where there would be more than one or two people protected in one place.  I think Cheyenne Mountain is our best bet.”
    “Cheyenne Mountain?”
    “The home of NORAD, the US agency that monitors the skies for missiles, hi-jacked planes, even asteroids.  The problem is it’s in Colorado Springs; we’d have to cross Nevada, Utah and half of Colorado.  The good news is, I know for sure that it’s hardened against EMP and a bunch of other crap.  The whole complex is built on springs and buried deep inside a granite mountain.  If anyone is going to be fine, it’s those guys.”
    “Colorado?  Jesus, that’s well over a thousand miles from here, isn’t there somewhere closer?  I mean the military have tons of bases all over this country?”
    “Do you have internet Brian?  Because I sure as hell don’t.  I only know Cheyenne for sure.  I had a friend who worked there, doing the space monitoring stuff.”
    “A girl right?”
    “Well yes, a girl, but I don’t think she’s still mad at me.”
    Brian laughed but stopped when he looked up at the shore.  The number of bodies had grown and he could make out that people were pushing and clawing at each other to get to the waters edge.  Some were inflicting pitiless misery for no apparent reason, others rocking on their sides, crying like babies.  “Lets get out of here.  Can you sail?”
    Marius held up his hand to feel the air.  “In this wind, I’m not so sure.  But the fire is generating enough of a draft, I think I can get us underway.”
    Brian pulled the small anchor into the craft and Marius set the sail.  Gradually they started drifting away from the shore and towards the main flow of the river.  The crouching masses followed the motion of the craft with their eyes, some reaching out as if they could grab the boat and drag it to them.
    Brian stared back at them.  “They are like animals.”
    “Not like.  They are animals.  And that’s all they will be until - if, they get their senses back.  Red in tooth and claw.  Have you read Hobbes?”
    “No Marius I can’t say that I have.”
    “Bellum omnium contra omnes,”
    “What?”
    “The war of all against all.”
    They sailed on without speaking.  Along the western riverbank, Brian could make out slumped flailing figures silhouetted against the flame lit sky.  The eastern bank was dark, which seemed to him all the more ominous. 
     
     
     

Chapter 20
     
     
    As Tim got closer to the town, he thought he could hear screams, but they seemed to blend into a continuous wall of pain and suffering.  They slowed their bikes to a crawl as they approached the first building on the outskirts.  It was a garage.  Tim had used it before on previous visits to change tyres and service the fleet of work vehicles they kept parked at the office.  The elderly owner had been a friendly and honest man who against expectations had done a good job and charged a fair price.  The place seemed deserted. 
    Tim cautiously got off his bike and laid it quietly on the ground.  “Let’s