Revealed: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction by Norman Christof Page A

helicopters. 
     
    "Give it a bit more throttle, Alex.  We need to get up over those buildings and trees at the golf course."
     
    Alex applied more throttle, and gradually they gained altitude.  As he neared the end of the runway, they were cruising at a hundred feet, close enough to see what was on the ground.  There was a group of zombies and humans running around the grounded helicopters.  The ground crew were waving their arms and signaling for them to land. 
     
    Then, their inboard radio came to life.
    "Copter niner-alpha-zebra, this is Godman Airfield control tower.   What is your status? Over."
    Alex looked to Chaz.   "What do we say?  That group on the ground is signaling us, and I'm pretty sure they have weapons."
    "Nothing; we'll be out of their airspace in seconds.  They won't have a chance to do anything."
    "Wait, don't we have weapons?  This is a damn attack helicopter.  Let's fire at them before they can fire at us."
    "Right now, you need to concentrate on just flying this chopper.  Don't worry about firing anything.  Just keep us moving."
    "Copter niner-alpha-zebra, this is the control tower.  You're being ordered to return to your hangar.  Please comply immediately!"
    "Keep moving, Alex, you're doing just fine.  This will be over faster than they realize."
     
    Weapon flares lit up the runway below them just as the copter passed the hangars.  Several shots rang off the exterior of the copter. 
     
    Chaz glanced back. "Christa, are you OK?"
    "Yes, I'm fine.  Nothing hit me.  Can they hurt us with those guns?"
    Chaz answered, "No, not with those weapons.  This is an attack copter.  It's built to handle a lot tougher fire than that.  Don't worry, we'll be safe and sound in no time."
    Alex piped up, "You mean like that one?"
     
    Alex then banked the copter hard to the left, knocking his passengers hard up against the side doors.
    "Shit, boy, what the hell was that for?  Fly this thing straight."
    A ballistic missile flew right past on their right side, twenty feet from where Chaz was sitting. Chaz pressed his face against the side glass, looking behind them, checking to make sure the missile wasn't heat-seeking, and making a return pass. 
    "Where the hell did that come from?  Is the fort firing on us?"
    "No, sir, look a little further down, just in front of that big water hazard."
     
    There was a tank sitting right in front of the water hazard, with all its guns pointing in their direction. And it was on the move.  Alex was breathing hard now, and shifting in his seat. 
    "Shit, that was a lucky guess on my part, sir.  I just saw the gun flare in the distance, and moved to one side.  I barely saw it coming, I just guessed and moved.  We're getting closer, and I don't know if I can do that again."
     
    Before Chaz could reply, they both saw another gun flare, and Alex jerked to the left.  This time he wasn't as lucky.  The missile clipped their landing gear.  It wasn't enough to take the copter down, but even an experienced pilot would have had a hard time regaining control from the impact.  Alex and Chaz both tried pulling the controls back on center, but they were in a lopsided spin and losing altitude fast.  They didn't have much altitude to lose, and the copter was heading straight for the tank.  The tank driver saw what was coming and hit the throttle, but the old tank was too slow.  The rear section of the copter came down hard on the tank, stopping its spin, but not enough to stop its forward momentum.  The copter hit the ground, bounced, then rolled and twisted into the water hazard.  The rotors stopped them from rolling upside down into the water, just before they snapped off.
     
    Water, plants, muck, and a few golf balls went flying from the water hazard as the helicopter became a permanent fixture.  Water started to fill in the passenger compartment of the helicopter, and was quickly up to the seat level.  Still dazed from all the whirling about and the