Chapter 5: Neighbors

“Try it now!” I called over the hood of the truck, and Vi turned the key in the ignition as I had shown her, the engine sputtered unhappily before fading out. I wiped engine oil on my cheek, setting down the spanner I was holding and cursing under my breath in frustration. “Piece of shit truck, how the hell did it break down, I put a goddamn tarp over it before I left.”

Admittedly I didn’t know much about vehicles, I could tell you how an ADVENT turret was assembled, but something as quaint and simple in comparison as a car was beyond my understanding. It was like asking a computer technician to repair a gramophone. I scoured the shelves of the garage for a guide or a manual, anything that might give me a starting point so that I could diagnose the problem. Finally I came across an owner’s manual, and began to run through a checklist of engine problems that might prevent it from starting. Eventually I narrowed it down to an electrical problem, most likely a dead battery. It made sense, who knew how long the tuck had been languishing here. It was easy enough to remove and replace, but where the hell was I going to get a fresh battery all the way out here? Again I turned my attention to the dusty shelves and boxes in the garage, my grandfather had been a practical man, self-reliant, surely he would have a replacement battery around here somewhere. If his one truck were to break down, he might be stranded until he could phone for help, that’s an idea that I knew would have grated at him.

Success, hidden away in a plastic bin behind a pile of tool boxes were two car batteries, fresh I assumed. I followed the instructions in the manual in order to replace the spent battery, then stood and wiped my brow as I appraised my handiwork.

I shouted for Vi to rev the engine again, and this time it sputtered to life, disgorging a cloud of black smoke from its exhaust. I pumped my fist in triumph as the truck idled, then gestured for Vi to step away. She slithered away from the driver’s door and waited on the other side of the garage.

“Stay here Vi, I shouldn’t be gone for long. Don’t open the door for anyone besides me, understand?”

She nodded, and so I hopped up into the driver’s seat and rested my hands on the steering wheel. It had been such a long time since I had driven a vehicle, public transport in the city where ADVENT had relocated me had been excellent, and I certainly hadn’t been flying any dropships during my time with XCOM. Oh well, it was just like riding a bicycle, right? I eased the flatbed truck out of the open garage door and onto a dirt track, Vi turning her head to watch me as I started off down the road, the treaded tires kicking up dust.

I drove past the unkempt fields that marked the boundaries of the land my family owned, well, that I owned now. There wasn’t anyone else left, besides my cousin who was still working with XCOM to my knowledge, the family had thought he had been killed in action during the invasion war and had signed all of the property over to me. I knew the area fairly well, and I knew that my nearest neighbor had been an acquaintance of my parents and might be able to help me with the ongoing repairs. I needed a damned electrician, even when society had been functioning properly it would have been a pain in the ass to get one all the way out here, if they didn’t know someone who lived locally we might just have to go without power to most of the farmhouse.

It was still pretty cold, not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough that I kept the windows closed. I had driven these dirt tracks in warmer times, back when the fields had been full of golden wheat and my job at the factory had seemed like my biggest concern. Despite all the time that had passed and the world-changing events that had transpired since then, Kansas had changed remarkably little, everything was just the way I remembered it.

After a half hour I came to a crossroads and turned off in the direction of the closest farm, belonging to a Mr and Mrs Kadavy. They had been in their forties the last time I had seen them, which was a good few years ago, they would probably be in their mid fifties by now. I hoped they still remembered me, these were not peaceful times, and having strangers pay you unannounced visits might be taken the wrong way these days. I spied their grain silo in the distance, and their fields were full of partially harvested corn, it looked as if their farm was still in operation. Excellent, perhaps they could give me some pointers when the time came for me and Vi to get our own farming operation in gear.

I steered the truck up the narrow dirt road that led to their farmhouse, bringing it to a stop a fair distance away from their property, I didn’t want to alarm them. I hopped out, pushing the door shut behind me and began to walk the remaining distance up the hill upon which the farmhouse was perched. As I rounded a corner and neared the building, the front door flew open and an older, slightly overweight man with a salt and pepper beard stepped out onto the porch. He was wearing a checkered shirt and faded jeans, and my heart skipped a little as my eyes focused on the shotgun he was pointing in my direction, screwing up his leathery face as he squinted at me from beneath the wide brim of his hat.

“What’s yer business here,” he called to me, and I raised my hands above my head to show that I was unarmed, slowing my pace a little as I approached.

“Mister Kadavy? Do you remember me? I live at the farmhouse down the way,” I gestured back in the direction I had come. “You knew my parents before the war.”

He blinked at me, lowering the gun and straightening his hat.

“Oh, you’re the neighbor’s boy, that’s right. Not seen you round these parts for an age, what brings you up here?” He was no longer pointing the weapon at me, but he still kept it ready, I’d have to move slowly and make sure I didn’t startle him. To live through an interstellar war only to be shot by a twitchy farmer would be the biggest joke of my short life.

“Well Sir, I’ve been fighting a war,” I said, approaching cautiously, careful to keep my hands in view. “I just got back a couple of days ago, and the farm isn’t in the best of shape. I wondered if I might ask some neighborly advice?”

Kadavy seemed to relax, letting the shotgun fall by his side, and he gestured for me to take a seat on a chair under the porch. He leaned his gun against the wall of the house and lowered himself into a wooden rocking chair, drawing a packet of smokes from his pocket and offering me one. I shook my head, and he slipped one into his mouth, striking a match and shielding it from the wind behind his cupped hand. I waited patiently as he took a long draw, then he exhaled a cloud of smoke and turned to me.

“So, what’s been going on in the world? You been fightin’ a war you said?”

“Yes Sir, against the ADVENT occupation.”

“Heard about that on the radio, those resistance fellas were broadcasting that you’d fought ‘em off. You see combat?”

“I did, yes.”

He leaned across and took my hand, his fingers strong and calloused by decades of farm work, shaking it vigorously.

“That’s a fine job you’ve done, boy. I fought in the first war myself, infantry regiment. We didn’t stand a chance against them twenty years ago, I don’t know how you guys did it but if you sent those alien bastards packing, then I owe you whatever help you need.”

“I can tell you all about it on the drive back, that is if you know how to repair electrical systems?” The old man scratched his scruffy beard, taking another draw from his cigarette, the tip glowing orange as he inhaled.

“Can’t say that I do. I know a guy who might, though, I can give you his number if yer phone line is still workin’.”

“That would be great, thank you.”

“You said you needed help with yer farm? What kind of problems are you havin’?” I loosened my collar, a little embarrassed of my ignorance before this obviously seasoned farmer.

“Well ... I worked in a factory all my life, then I joined the resistance, I inherited the property from my family and I can’t say that I know the first thing about tilling fields or planting crops. Now more than ever we need farmers, the supply system ADVENT set up has been dismantled and the food is going to have to come from somewhere unless we want to see a modern famine. I thought I should do my part.”

“So yer askin’ me to teach you how to run a damned farm?” Kadavy blew a cloud of grey smoke into the air, the wind carrying it away as it left the shelter of the porch. “Yeah, I guess I can set you straight, least I can do for a fellow serviceman. First though, there may be something you can help ‘me’ with.”

He rose to his feet, retrieving his gun, and I followed behind him as he led me around the property to the back of the building. His farm was laid out much the same as mine was, he had a large barn near the farmhouse where he probably stored tools and machinery, and a grain silo for storing his harvest that would presumably be emptied into a hauler and carted off for processing at the end of the season. At least if those haulers were even running now that the aliens had been ousted. As we neared the red barn painted in the traditional Midwestern style, I noticed that there was a hole in one of the walls, splintered wood scattered about the ground. It looked as if a damned rhino had barreled straight through the side of the structure. Kadavy gestured to it, his shotgun resting across his arm.

“Any idea what did this? Something big came through in the night, broke into the barn and stole damn near all of my tools, whatever it was took a fair share of my dried food stock too. Set the dogs barking somethin’ crazy, I let ‘em loose and went to fetch my shotgun, but by the time I got out to the barn the thief was gone and the dogs ... my dogs were dead. I’m too old to be fightin’ another war, but you’re fresh off the battlefield. Tell me, you ever see one of those aliens do anything like this? Has to be an alien, ain’t no coyote big enough to smash through the wall like that.”

I crouched to examine the splinters of painted wood, looking for tracks in the dirt maybe, but I was no detective. It was obvious that something big had done this, that was about all I could tell without more information.

“I’m ... not sure,” I said, straightening up and walking through the jagged hole. It was tall and wide enough that I didn’t need to duck. “I’ve seen a few different species that could do this, as to which one it might be, and why they would be all the way out here I can’t say.”

My blood ran cold as I thought of Vi. We had arrived a couple of days ago, she was the only alien in the area that I knew of, surely she wouldn’t have left the house at night to do this? She had still been wrapped around me when I had woken up that morning, as if she hadn’t moved at all. No, she wouldn’t do that, but letting Kadavy know about her right now might be a bad idea. It would probably be wise to keep her under wraps for the time being.

“You said that whatever did this took food?”

“Yeah,” Kadavy said, walking through the hole to join me in the barn. “I had a stock of dried food for emergencies, fortunately your war never reached us here, at least until now...”

“Maybe that was what attracted it?”

“Likely, whatever it was took my tools too, what would they want with those?”

I shook my head, unsure. A lot of aliens had left the cities when the ADVENT network went down, some in significant numbers. Nobody in XCOM had really known how that would play out, where would they go, what would they do? We had no idea how Mutons or Vipers, or even Chryssalids behaved when the Elder’s control over them was lost and they reverted to their natural state. I walked out of the barn, shielding my eyes against the sun with my hand and looking out over the surrounding landscape. It was mostly fields, but off in the distance were pockets of dense forest, the area was so sparsely populated that a goddamned dinosaur could hide out here and go unnoticed. Suddenly the picturesque, peaceful countryside of my childhood seemed oppressive and hostile. Imaginary eyes watched me from the trees, whose eyes were they, Muton? Viper? Suddenly I missed the comforting weight of my rifle on my shoulder.

“Are you alone here, Mister Kadavy?” I asked, turning to him.

“No, my wife lives with me, and until recently two dogs.”

“Do you have transport? Can you get to me in an emergency? If whatever made this hole comes back tonight to steal the rest of the food, don’t try to fight it. Conventional ammunition won’t scratch a lot of these creatures, have a vehicle ready to go on short notice. I kept my service rifle and I have a ... friend who may be able to help.”

“I appreciate the offer, my wife will certainly sleep easier. I can fuel up the old Ford and park it out front.” He straightened his wide brimmed hat and started to walk towards the house, I trailed a short distance behind him as he made his way up the grassy incline. “Let me get ye the number of my handyman, I’m sure he’s not too busy these days, I think me and Matilda were the only ones who didn’t get relocated to the city after the incident at the ADVENT facility down the way.”

“Oh? They practically forced me out at gunpoint, you’re saying they didn’t try to relocate you at all?”

“Nope, they never came to see us. Maybe we were far enough away from the facility that they didn’t think we were a risk.”

Maybe, I thought, or perhaps they just didn’t have a use for the elderly or the infirm in their gene clinics. The idea made me shudder, all those people floating in tanks, their bodies being broken down into genetic soup for use in the Elder’s sick experiments. We arrived at the door of the farmhouse, and I waited outside while Kadavy entered and picked up what must be a phone book from a desk in the hall, wetting his thumb with his tongue and leafing through the pages.