1 Before All That Happens

"Beeeeep...Beeeeep...Beeee..." i reach my hand to my phone and turning off the alarm that beeping loudly.

The alarm is set at 21.00 to make sure i wake up in time for my shift. I opened the curtain of my bed as i sit to wake myself.

I stretch my arm a little bit before i get up from my bed and wearing my uniform.

"it's already the time for my shift huh, better get ready soon or she will get pouty for two whole days like before."

I grab a can of cold black coffee from the refrigator after i wear my uniform and headed to the front cabin.

I opened the door to the front cabin while sipping the black coffe in my arm. I see a vast dark roads illuminated by our truck lamps as soon as i enter the front cabin.

My name is Jeff. I worked as a cross-continent truck drivers on the biggest delivery services company in the worlds, The 'Alley Ways' company. It's been 5 years since i work here.

Right now, i am on my usual jobs to delivers our cargo with our mighty companies electric truck.

" you're 4 minutes late Mr. Jeff. " i hear complaining voices as soon as i enter the front cabin and closing the back cabin door.

"i am sorry, put it on the auto 1 and i will replace you now so you can rest." I apologized to her and offer to take her place.She then headed to the back cabin after i sit on the driver seats.

It's been 2 weeks since i worked together with her.

Her name is Ivanna Yamaguchi, a beautiful half japanese and russian with smooth bobcut hair as long as her shoulder.

She is hired by our company to replace my 5 years partner and senior, Mr.Kim who get entrusted to be the driver of the newest Tavla E-T 2000 truck.

The Tavla E-T 2000 that we drive are the newest truck model from Tavla E-T series.The E-T series are 8 wheel electric truck that are manufactured for the first time in 2098 or 10 years ago by Tavla.

It is the most expensive cargo trucks on earth wich cost 7 million euros and there is only 22 in the world right now.

The one that i drive right now are manufactured in 2105 or three years ago. This model are 1 generation below the truck that Mr.Kim get assigned to.

This electric truck has maximum power of 3200hp and 6300nm torque that generated from the electric motor on each axle. All of it's frame from the chassis to the cabin are made with high-grade hardened carbon fiber that made this truck extremely strong and durable but pretty light.

Other than hardened carbon fiber, the truck has a bullet & laser proof windows as their safety features. the outer bodies are of the truck are made with military grade dyneema plates.

Those average highway bandit with their outdated guns won't have a chance to harm it.

The tires are also high-grade airless, all terrain military tires that will cost you 2 newest model of cheap electric family car a piece.It is considered as the safest non military vehicle, maybe even safer than some of it.

The truck itself are inspired by an old biodiesel powered military transporter truck made by russia for world war 3 in 40 years ago.Even when crossing a wasteland, driving this truck makes you feels like the safest person in the world.

Like right now, we're crossing on one of the no mans land on our truck. it's lawless, radiated and dont have anything that can sustain humans community. We called this no mans land a 'free lands'.

I know that the world that i live in right now are very different than the world before the war happened more than 40 years ago. The wars has wiped out almost 60% of wilds flora and fauna to extinctions.

Now, the whole worlds has more 'free lands' than it used to be.A lot of country dissapears,merge like the west europe i was born or become a lawless land that we calls 'free lands' even 30 years after the wars ended.

The wars also screw up the sky so bad and makes air aviation stopped working until todays.The dust clouds and unstable weathers make it impossible and very dangerous to fly a planes.

No air aviation makes the land and sea the only avaiable options for transporting goods and logistics. That is also the reason why "Alley Ways" become as big as right now.

Nowadays a cross-continent delivery trucks driver are one of the jobs that have pretty high salary. It's like becoming an airplane pilots in the pre-war era. The danger that we have is almost the same as a pilot too.

Some says the jobs isn't worth it because all of the danger in the 'free lands' and a very less free time that we have for our family.

But having more money is better than having less. And money are something that always useful in this still unstable post-war era. At least that was my principle.

In those 5 years i already experienced no less than 200 attack from bandits without a problem. Oddly enough, in the past two weeks with Ivanna there is none bandit attack that happen. Well, it is better this way than the other.

Looking at the dark abandoned 'free lands' roads with no lightning except from the truck gave me some strange peaceful feeling.

Just 4 hours drive from here we will leave this 'free lands' and arrive at the border checkpoint of New Ottoman country.

I put the truck into auto mode and just sit on the driver seats. Watching the roads as the truck adjusting the speeds itself, matching the contour of the roads. Silently watching it speed up and down from 150-220 km/h while sipping my canned artificial black coffee.

This time the truck is passing an abandoned town. It's a relics from the past pre-war civilisation.

Some tall silhouette of an old abandoned building looming in the distances and get flashed by the truck light, showing it's current conditions and swallowed again by the darkness as the truck passed by. It's kinda beautiful and eerie at the same time.

While i enjoyed my time looking at the building that i passes, i spot a dim light in the far distances.

'Is it a bandits..?' i thought to myself as i ajust my seatbelts and change the drive mode to manual.

The dim light in the distances suddenly got bright very fast. The light suddenly reaches the truck and the next thing i know is my visions turned whites.

The blinding light makes me release the accelerator pedal but i decides not to hit the brakes yet.

I can still feel all my other senses except my vision. I can feel the truck decelerate and i can hear the beeping sounds of gps that cannot finds a signals.

I tried to put my feet on the accelerator pedal again so i didn't stop or lose too much speeds, but as soon as my foot touch the pedals the truck suddenly stopped.

It feels as if i suddenly hit the brakes too hard.

'shit, did i just hit the brake pedal instead of the accelerator?' i question myself while still not regaining my visions.

'There is no way i miss my steps on the accelerator pedal, driving this truck for more than 5 years there is no way i miss it. I know which one is wich easily like it just parts of my body.' I though to myself while confused.

In those midst of confusions i try to step the brake pedal with my left leg, and surprisingly i hit the brake pedal just fine.

There is only 2 pedals on this trucks, the other possible pedals like the electric motor brakes that mimics engine breaks on diesel engine are replaced with a button on the steering wheels.

'What on earth happened...?' i mumbled as i try to stepped on the accelerator and release my left feet from the brakes. There is no response at all, it's like all the electric motor are dead.

There is no way of knowing with my vision being so white like this. Electric motor doesn't make much noises unlike diesel engine. And it's located outside the cabins make it's more impossible to know.

I tried to pinch my hand to make sure i am not just daydreaming. It's hurt wich mean i am currently conscious.

I tried to calm myself down and assess the situation that i am in right now.

I release both of my feet from the pedals, rubbing the steering wheel with my hand trying to feel the control panel buttons, thinking the best move while hearing the beeping sound of gps trying to reconecting.

It's been around 10 seconds after the blinding light hit the truck.

Suddenly i remember something very important, It's the intercom for the rear cabin buttons.

I almost forgot that i have a partner that i can call in dire situation like this. I hurriedly push the button and calling for help from ivanna.

"Ivanna....get ready, we're under attack..!!!"

"I get blinded by some strange light and need some assistance."

I try to call Ivanna for the third times when the white light suddenly dissapears. My vision is a little blurry for some seconds before it comes back to me perfectly.

As soon as i regained my visions i turn on the switch to activate emergency mode then push some of the small button on the left steering wheel to check the truck conditions.

The windows are now covered with sturdy dyneema plate that pulled up from the outside. Those dyneema plates are pretty thick, it will definitly help from attacks when the truck get stalled and bombarded.

Being stalled is the most vulnerable position for this trucks or any vehicles on this 'free lands'.

I brace myself, expecting a bullet or explosive that will be thrown at the truck. But the attack didn't happen. When i checked the truck condition in the monitor it's seems everything is normal except the gps doesn't have any signal.

i turn my head to the monitor that show me the condition outsides through the emergency camera.

" What happened Mr.Jeff? the light on the room suddenly turn so bright and make me lose my vision for some second." Said ivanna suddenly after she got out from the back cabin.

" i dont know, just look at the monitor for now." I replied to her while pointing at the monitor that show the condition outsides.

Both of us are dumbfounded at what we see on the camera.