After the Apocalypse

亂寫了個故事 (學校要求)... 見以後都唔會有機會用 所以我就放咗係呢度~

It was year 2381, five years after the baptising of Earth by the notorious Nuclear Apocalypse, of which it is an atrocity caused by the Nuclear War, or the Fourth World War, launched by both China and the United States, two of the strongest nations then. Of course, the whole world fell into a post-apocalyptic era as all nations disintegrated, be it formally or not, and most life forms, including humans, were annihilated. There were a certain fortunate few, such as myself, who managed to survive the apocalypse in underground facilities when the bombs fell, though not many had such an honour. Some, who were rather lucky, turned into ghouls after being directly exposed to radiations, and many others simply vanished. Settlements and communities were built, of course, as rapidly as they were being destroyed, though they are comprised mainly of scrap materials and ruins which have escaped the malevolence of the Nuclear War.

Two days had passed since I’ve started my journey to Elysium, currently one of the most populated human civilizations. Concrete and trash rubbles clattered under my feet as I dragged myself on. Scotching rays from the sun had taken away most of the pleasure of the journey, especially since there is no possible form of shelter anywhere as the surface of the Earth is both naked and bared. A little rain would be good, I thought, though the irritations caused by irradiated rain isn’t all that pleasing either. Other means of transportation is literally impossible. Not only is it because that nothing can possibly manoeuvre through these grounds, it is also a fact that fuels such as petroleum, too, ceased to exist after the Nuclear War as the whole world was set ablaze.

After another hour or so of walking, the façade of the gates to Elysium greeted me with solemnity. Elysium might be a community lain in ruins when compared to any form of architecture before the Nuclear Apocalypse, but none can dismiss the fact that this is the place with the most advanced form of human sophistication. The city is barricaded by scrap metallic plates in an irregular array. The houses too, as I realized soon enough, are being built with nothing more than scrap metals, of which they are shaped into something cubical and are erected intrinsically in a disorderly manner. Architecture here is different from where I came from, where most buildings are fortunate enough to still be standing, though barely, and habitation inside one is possible.

***

I located the inn as soon as I have familiarized myself with the city, a city with a population of around two hundred. A waiter greeted me as soon as I step inside the inn, a ghoul.

“Ah, a lone wanderer. What would you like?”

“Martini, please,” I said, and soon enough my curiosity got the better of me. “You’re something special, aren’t you?”

The ghoul smiled as he fetched my drink. Bright red defacements can bee observed from all of his visible skin. Eye sockets, nose, lips and ears are not visible features of his head, which took the shape of his skull. Hair, too, is scarce as only a few strands are visible. A minute or so passed and he came back with my drink.

“There’re not many of my kind around here. Not many of us are socially welcomed outside Underworld. I’m fortunate enough to have been offered a job by the keeper.”

Underworld is a city where communities of ghouls reside.

“Nah, you look fine,” I lied.

“Thank you,” the ghoul grinned. “We feel better that way, even if it’s just a lie… You know, many condemned our appearances, and it’s not pleasant at all. We were just unlucky when the bombs fell, and did not have the fortune to die. So… what brings you here?”

“I’m looking for someone,” I replied. “He has been involved in some projects a while back… and the Enigmatics is kind of against it.” The Enigmaticstics is a self-proclaimed government which appears after the Nuclear Apocalypse who owned one of the two remaining radio broadcasting stations. It should be noted that almost all forms of communications and media, be it wired or wireless, have disintegrated. Even as such, a few power plants miraculously survived the Nuclear War.

“The Enigmatics…” the ghoul spoke softly. “No one likes them, their egoism and pride, but no one really gives much of a thought about them. No one knows where they are, though I’ve heard that you can trace them with their radio wave.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about that.”

“Ah… But if you are seeking the Enigmatics, you should head for Paradise Lost and consult the brotherhood …”

The ghoul paused as his naked eyes gazed upon the silver pin on my collar.

“… I didn’t realize that you’re one of them… my deepest apologies…”

“It’s alright,” I replied as I emptied my glass. “How much was that? Oh and how much is it for one night?”

***

As soon as I’ve gotten my keys, I settled myself in my room. A vague sense of metallic and dusty stench filled the room. While making my preparations, I can’t help but to let my thoughts run wild. What has become of this world? The Nuclear Apocalypse came and gone, and everything should become tranquil once again, or at least this is what the destiny of humanity deserves. But no, chaos never ceased to reign and catastrophes never ceased to thrive. It’s pointless. Humanity has already lost everything and the rubble outside is more than enough to proof just that.

This is year 2381, five years after the Nuclear Apocalypse. Most life forms are annihilated and most human sophistications lies in oblivion, but not war.