The Creepers

The following story is a work of fiction. Science fiction, to be precise. Any resemblance between characters in the story and any real persons, living, dead or waiting to be born, is purely coincidental.

In my little world of the future, there are no unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases unless having them would be a convenient plot device for yours truly. The author encourages (strongly) the practice of safe sex.

The following story contains lesbian sexual activity and has a lot of plot. If either of these things fails to float your boat, you might want to stop reading now.

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The landscape was eerily quiet and pristine, like one of those old photographs by Ansel Adams. Snow dusted the top of the evergreens and blanketed the forest floor below. It was the kind of things they used to put on postcards, back when there was such a thing as a mail system. No one looking at that particular hillside would have any idea the danger it hid.

Because staring back from that hill was a group of ten heavily armed and very dangerous soldiers, or legionnaires, as they liked to refer to themselves. Their commander was a woman named Diamondback. She was a stern, lean, muscular woman who had seen a lot of action in her twenty-eight years of life. Action that was a result of a broken world trying to piece itself back together again.

Over seven hundred years earlier, the human world had the smug look of superiority knocked off its collective face. For millennia, they had placed themselves above the natural order of things, which made them feel invincible. They weren't. Not by a long shot. They had developed technologies which amazed and delighted themselves, but all their mechanical magics and marvels couldn't save them from themselves. An enormous amount of data was lost, but those who survived the Cleansing gleaned what they could from assorted documents belonging to the old governments. A pharmaceutical company had been trying to develop better treatments for, of all things, the common cold. Apparently, they came up with a medicine that worked faster and better than anything that had come before. Unfortunately, they didn't stop there. In order to prove how wonderful the drug was, they developed new strains of cold viruses to test it against. Of course, they thought they had everything under control.

No one was sure how it got out, but it did. They had developed a particularly hardy strain that interacted with other viruses. Eventually, this strain began moving like an avalanche, devouring other diseases and adding them to its mayhem. It had absorbed the genetic structure of diseases ranging from chickenpox to the pneumonic plague. It literally overloaded the immune systems of its victims, killing them in as little as twenty-four hours. It was ugly. It was air-borne. And by the time it was done, ninety-nine percent of the "civilized world" lay dead. Countries with highly centralized populations, such as China and India, were the hardest hit. But even the "wide open spaces" of the former United States were no defense against this disease, which was subsequently called the Reaper Strain.

It took almost a century before even the most rudimentary of civilizations began to emerge, and even then the world more closely resembled feudal Europe than anything like the twenty-first century. Hardy survivors banded together in tribes. Sometimes these tribes banded together into towns or, if large enough, kingdoms. The rulers of these kingdoms were sometimes benevolent and sometimes not. Many large bands became raiders, preying on, and living off, the pain and misery of others.

Then, there was the Legion. The Legion had started as a couple of kingdoms in the northeastern area of what had been America, and the southeastern area of Canada. The leaders of these groups were wise, kind men who simply wanted to restore some order to all the madness and to live without fear of the raiders. They had established the island of Manhattan as their base of operations, turning the once teeming city into an island fortress. Due to the harsh world it had been born into, the Legion quickly revitalized the weapons and medicinal industries, and both had flourished. While the Legion wasn't the largest fighting unit on the continent, they were the best equipped. The Legion's fighting forces were divided up into squads, usually consisting of one hundred men and women. New squads were added as the Legion expanded, and each squad assumed its own identity of sorts. There was a squad named Thunder which specialized in the use of heavy weapons and artillery, while another squad called Gateway was in charge of driving and maintaining the Legions small fleet of solar-powered vehicles.

In order to be a part of the Legion, a community had to agree to abide by the Code of the Legion. The rules were simple, but not without opponents. When the human race was recovering from the Reaper Strain, they discovered a highly increased rate of sterility. Only twenty percent of people born since the Cleansing had the capacity to create life. These people were called Breeders, and they were treated as demi-gods in most communities. Most groups, including the Legion, would defend those "futures of the race" with their lives. Any group that joined the Legion had to agree to register all Breeders. These people, men and women, couldn't serve in a military or other dangerous capacity until they had produced/sired at least three offspring. A large number of them continued to participate in the program because of the benefits and gifts bestowed upon them. Others, who were either unhappy with the idea or were simply restless, could join a squad. Many people considered the Breeder program to be inhumane or monstrous. Many of its proponents agreed. But the survival of the human race took precedence. But Breeders picked their own partners, and the crime of rape was punishable by death, which provided some consolation to those unhappy with the program. And it was certainly better than what the raiders did. Raiders treated Breeders like animals. They were kept under lock and key, usually in cages, and were bred like dogs until they expired. Afterward, men were incorporated into the raider fighting units. The women were kept in cages and used for pleasure.

Several months earlier, the Legion heard rumors of a large group of raiders moving east from the northwestern area of the former United States. If the rumors were true, it could be the beginning of continental conquest by a group that could threaten the areas protected by the Legion. So the Creepers had been sent to investigate this potential new threat.

The Creepers were a different type of squad. There were about eighty squads in the Legion. Half of them were out patrolling the Legion's territory, one fourth were stationed in and around Manhattan, and the remaining fourth were stationed in bases along the perimeter of Legion controlled land. And each town was allowed to maintain its own militia of people not quite skilled enough to get into a squad. Out of the eighty squads, four of them had been around in one form or another since the beginning of the Legion. The Creepers was one of them. They were also the only squad that had a membership of ten instead of a hundred. And they were so good at what they did that they were legendary even amongst the other squads. They consisted of the best black-ops, hit-and-run guerilla fighters the Legion had to offer. In order to be considered for a slot in the Creepers (when one was available), you had to be an expert in marksmanship, stealth, camouflage, hand to hand combat, small-arms fire, tracking, and they had to have a least rudimentary knowledge of first-aid. Three of their members were full-fledged surgeons. They could wander into the wilderness and exist self-sufficiently if need be. This is why they were the best choice for the mission, which was going to require them to hike all the way across the country.

When around other Legionnaires or townsfolk, the Creepers barely talked. They enjoyed the mystique it created. As soon as they were on the trail, they were laughing, joking, and cursing like nobody's business. Their group was as tight as family. Each of them had taken the name of some crawly, quiet assassin of the animal world. There was Emperor Scorpion (or Scorpion for short), Viper, Black Widow (or Widow for short), Rat, Cobra, Tick, Centipede, Copperhead, Red Back and, last but not least, Diamondback. Diamondback had taken over the squad three years earlier when she pulled the crew out of a nasty firefight. The previous captain had forgotten about the basic nature of the squad and had gotten them involved in a frontal assault. He was the only one killed.

She was five feet, ten inches of bundled muscled and boot leather. Like all the Creepers, she was totally hairless. Legion scientists had created an ointment that permanently killed hair follicles anywhere it was applied. The concept of a smooth-skinned squad was odd to some, but none of them spent near as much time out in the wilderness as the Creepers did. Out in the wild, personal hygiene was essential but difficult to maintain, so going "shaved" was mandatory for squad members.

But baldness and muscles aside, Diamondback was still considered to be a handsome woman. Her features were perfectly symmetrical, her lips full and luscious, and her curves were unmistakable. Her life of physical labor and strength training had left her with small (but definitely noticeable) pert breasts, a rock-hard abdomen, narrow thighs and incredibly powerful legs. She had a scar running from her forehead to the middle of one cheek from a knife-fight that had thankfully not taken her eye. Her eyes, despite all her beautiful features, were her most striking endowment. They were a blue that was so light it was almost gray, and her stare could scare a man out of his wits or a woman out of her clothes, depending on Diamondback's mood. As that statement might suggest, she found men were useful as targets for her fists, and women as targets for her hands and lips. Unfortunately, finding company was harder for her than the rest. Every town they went two had people who were awed by them or the reputation of the Legion, and finding townsfolk who were so awestruck that they were willing to go for a roll in the hay with anyone in uniform wasn't difficult for most. And most Legionnaires didn't mind taking advantage of that. Diamondback was not most Legionnaires. Most of the girls that had caught her eye were mesmerized by the idea of her, but weren't really attracted to women. She didn't want company that stayed with her out of hero-worship. Not that she didn't mind a meaningless tumble from time to time, but the woman had to be truly into women. She had some Courtesan friends (Courtesans were highly respected businessmen and women in those days) who she had taken to bed, but she tended not to partake in "pillaging the village" as some of her cohorts called it.

But a more literal pillaging is what had brought them to their current predicament. They had made a habit of helping out with local problems on their trip. For many places, the Creepers were the first encounter they had with the Legion, so they had long been in the habit of making good impressions. They had come across a village which had been attacked by Raiders on horseback who had swooped in and made off with food and a number of their women. When the Creepers arrived, the attack was less than a few hours old. The townsfolk looked at the Creepers like one might look at an avenging angel that had arrived to strike down their enemies. Which is fact what the Creepers had agreed to be. They had a lot of ground to make up, but they had a feeling these bandits hadn't made it too far. Riding a horse over broken ground in the snow wasn't something to be done quickly or carelessly. And they had left a trail so easy to follow that a child could have found them blind-folded. The raiders had made a critical error. They had thought the only problem they had would be the villagers. The Creepers were going to prove them wrong.

After verifying that the clearing was secure, the squad moved on toward the next hill. They had reversible uniforms, with woodland camouflage on one side and winter camo on the other (and this latter was serving them well at the time). They moved through the snow and trees without disturbing so much as a twig. Over the next rise, they located the raiders' camp. They didn't even need to speak. They circled the area, braced themselves against rocks and trees, and aimed high-powered sniper rifles equipped with silencers into the group.

Diamondback made out fifty or so men in the camp. Most of them were eating and drinking and (undoubtedly) bragging about their escapades. Some were stationed near the villagers, all of who were tied up and lying on the cold, snowy ground. Something caught her eye. There was another captive who was separated from the main group. Whoever it was had been tied to a tree away from the main group. Even though they were armed and the person was tied, the guards seemed to want to keep a safe distance. Diamondback saw the reason why as one guard who ventured too close received a lightning fast kick to the groin. She couldn't help but smile. At least that one had some spunk.

"Who are you, friend, and what makes you so different than the others?" she asked herself quietly. She saw a motion from Red Back indicating that everyone was in position. She grinned. Red Back was a good friend, and it was scary how a man who was six feet, ten inches tall and as broad as a buffalo could be so sneaky. He was so good at hiding that it was often hard for his own people to spot him and register his signals. She braced her rifle on the crook of a tree limb.

The first volley was fired. Ten raiders hit the ground. They had taken out the men guarding the prisoners and those closest to the edge of the forest. They didn't want anyone getting away. The second volley was fired, and ten more raiders stained the snow with their blood. And so far, the Creepers hadn't made a sound that could be heard more than a few feet away. The remaining raiders looking confused. The third volley was fired. Ten more dead raiders. The Creepers almost never missed, and this was like shooting dead fish in a very small barrel. Some raiders were clueing in and were trying to ready their weapons. A fourth volley, and there were ten more corpses. The remaining raiders started firing blindly into the trees. They were scared rabbits, running to and fro and completely unable to escape the wolves that were hunting them. A fifth volley. Ten more dead, and a sixth volley finished off the stragglers. Silence hung in the air like smoke. The captives were looking around, wondering if they had been saved by something worse than those who had initially captured them. They looked into the woods, trying to make out the gunmen. They saw nothing but snow and trees. The Creepers were waiting to make sure there were no raiders left that might have been hiding in the woods when the battle, which had lasted less than a minute, started. Diamondback signaled to the squaddies on either side of her that the coast was clear. When she turned back to the clearing and looked down, the loan captive seemed to be peering around the tree he/she was tied to. And whoever it was seemed to be looking right at her.

"Impossible," she whispered. "There's no way . . ." She shook it off and headed down into the clearing. As per standard procedure, she and her second in command, Red Back, would make first contact while the others waited nearby. Sometimes, a crowd like this hid its own serpents, people planted by the raiders to weed out possible revolutionaries. She doubted that would be the case here, but it never hurt to be cautious. It turned out that what they had on their hands here was simply a bunch of very relieved people. Red Back started cutting them loose, while Diamondback laid down the law.

"All right," she said with her most authoritarian voice, "here is the deal. We are the Creepers, a scouting party for the Legion. We wandered into your village shortly after your capture, and agreed to help rescue you, but now we need your help. If we are to get you back to your homes safely, you will have to do exactly what I tell you. Understood?" The throng nodded quietly. She could be quite intimidating when she chose to be. "Good. First, look around you. If there is anyone who ISN'T from your village, let me know. I want to know who I'm dealing with here." Some of them looked at the captive who had been kept separate, but that was it. "Now, gather up as much of the food and supplies as you CAN COMFORTABLY CARRY. Before we leave, I want everyone to have something to eat. We are going to have to keep up a good pace if we're gonna get back before the next snowstorm hits us, and I want everyone to be in as good a condition as possible given the circumstances. You will follow the trail the raiders left behind. It's easy enough. We will have people out in front and behind the main group. If you here gunfire, run like hell to the nearest cover and keep your heads down. If you do as I have asked, I think we'll all get back to your town unharmed. Understood?" Again, silent nods. The rest of the team descended like ghosts from the forest, eliciting "oohs" and "aahs" from the awestruck prisoners. Red Back wandered over to her.

"Looks like clear sailing back to the village. Just need to get that one more prisoner and . . ."

"I'll do it. I've got a hunch," she said. Red Back just shrugged. A man of few words.

She walked over to where the person was bound, but stopped outside of kicking range. She looked the person over quite carefully. Sure enough, it was a girl. At least she was pretty sure it was a girl. She was covered in mud and muck from her head to her toes. It was probably the only reason she hadn't been raped. Diamondback was willing to bet they had caught her either on the way to or from the town. But what the hell was a girl doing out by herself in hostile territory in such lousy weather?

Diamondback pulled out a knife, eliciting a fear response from the girl. But the fear was replaced by mild trepidation as the squad captain turned the knife around and offered it to the girl, who cautiously took it. When she realized it wasn't some kind of trick, she cut herself loose and handed the knife back.

"Okay. I'm guessing you're not from the village. But I'm going to suggest you come with us for now. The weather looks like it is going to turn bad in a hurry, and we can't be sure we got all these scumbags." She emphasized that last by kicking the raider who had been nailed in the balls by the prisoner earlier. Diamondback could have sworn the girl smiled. "Are you going to behave yourself?"

The girl nodded. "Yes ma'am."

'Impressive,' thought Diamondback. She did have some spunk. Most people were usually still awestruck at that point. She was still interested in what the girl had been doing out there in the first place, but the explanation would have to wait. The former prisoners were almost done eating, and soon it would be time to go. She offered the girl before her some beef jerky, which almost vanished from her hand. Poor dear must have been starving.

The motley band gathered up the horses the raiders had used, allowing the injured and the weakest among the villagers to ride, then they all headed out. The stopped to rest and change riders, but they still made decent time, arriving back at the village late the next day. Cold and exhausted, the returned townsfolk were greeted by cheers and hugs by their friends and family. And the Creepers were given a hero's welcome. They were fed and given some very fine drink, and local minstrels sang of their exploits, which were only a few hours old. They were to be provided with warm places to sleep and from the looks in the eyes of some of the young men and women, the Creepers would have their pick of company for the evening.