The System Apocalypse Short Story Anthology Volume 1: A LitRPG post-apocalyptic fantasy and science fiction anthology

by Tao Wong

  As he put distance between himself and the sea monster, he heard a loud bleating noise and the waters all around the bridge started to churn. He turned his head to find the source, and saw it blowing a large conch horn. He pushed his bike faster, his calves burning with the effort. He sped down the road only just avoiding the massive sucker-covered tentacle that leaped out of the water toward him.

  “Holy crap! What is that thing!?” he shouted out loud, riding as hard as he could to get away and off the bridge.

  He glanced back to see two more of the fish creatures climbing the guardrails. He was thankful they were slow on land and was just starting to feel relieved at the distance he was putting between them when the huge tentacle picked up one of the smashed cars on the road and threw it at him.

  He wouldn't have believed his eyes if he didn't have to avoid the car flying towards him. He wasn’t sure his heart had ever beat so fast. He screamed as the car slammed into the asphalt a good ten feet to his side, the cacophony as it scraped across the ground making his whole body flinch. A last glance back showed the creatures across the bridge hollering in his direction, raising their spears. He put on speed and hoped he could find his mother.

  Chapter 9

  Danny pedaled hard, sweat breaking out on his forehead, eyes peeled for any sight of his mom. A movement to his side caught his attention, sending his elevated heart rate up even higher. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was his mother, who had hidden behind a dead car on the side of the road. He slowed down then but motioned for her to hurry up.

  “Why did you stop? We need to keep moving!” he yell-whispered, no idea what other monsters might be lingering nearby.

  She jumped on her bike and rode up to him. “I was just watching to see what was happening. I couldn’t leave you behind. Danny, you can't scare me like that! You could have died! What were those things?”

  “I don't know what they were, but I think they wanted me alive, which scares me more than if they had tried to kill me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, but then a look of anger crossed her face. “Don't you ever tell me to leave you like that again! You can't do that to a mother, tell her to leave her son to die!”

  Danny wanted to console her somehow but only had words to offer. “I’m sorry, I just, I have powers now that can help me, and I knew I might stand a chance to get away. I needed you to go try to save Monica and Jason.”

  “I know. I'm just so sick of this damned world. The things I… we… have had to go through since your diagnosis. Then this alien invasion or whatever it is. It’s just so much.”

  “I know Mom. I’m sorry. I don't know what it’s been like since the diagnosis, but this world with its strange monsters attacking us, it's a lot. I love you though, and I will do everything I can to protect you.”

  They rode in silence for a bit after that. “Powers, what do you mean you've got powers?” she asked.

  He smiled, thinking of the energy he could summon. “It’s like, fire powers. It’s from something called an elemental affinity. I guess I have a connection to Solar energy. I don't know exactly what that means, but I've been able to create a lot of fire out of my mouth and body. It’s pretty neat, actually.”

  She looked at him askance. “You breathe fire and it's ‘pretty neat’?” she asked.

  He barked a short laugh. “Hah, yeah, I guess that's a bit of an understatement.”

  “We’re getting close now.” Susan pointed towards a green sign that read ‘Welcome to Lakehead,’ and ‘Population 430’.

  “Wow, this is a real small town,” Danny said.

  “It’s where you retired from firefighting. You loved the small town and river here,” Susan said.

  Danny shook his head, trying to remember the things she was talking about. He had that weird déjà vu feeling again as they rode. He felt like he knew everywhere they passed. He was pretty sure if he closed his eyes his body would take him back home. They rode through the small town taking a few side streets.

  “Where are all the people?” he asked.

  “I don't know, with the cars not working maybe they are just in their houses?” Susan responded.

  They rode until they got to a large red two-story house with a detached garage that had been converted into a mother-in-law apartment. Susan pulled into the empty spot of the driveway with Danny right behind her. They dismounted and his mom waved her hand towards the house.

  “This is it,” Susan said and pointed at the Tahoe in the driveway. “Monica's car is still here. I don't see Jason’s though.”

  “Jason has a car? How old is he?” Danny asked.

  Susan blinked at him, her smile melting into a frown. “You really don't remember?”

  Danny felt the heat rise in his face as he lashed out. “How the hell am I supposed to remember!? As far as I know it's still 1987!” he screamed.

  Susan only stared at Danny as he panted, his face red. She turned her whole body towards him, keeping her hands behind her back. She spoke in a calm tempered voice. “I’m sorry, Danny. I know this is hard for you.” She slowly approached him from his right side and placed an arm on his bicep. “Would you like to go in?”

  Danny shook his head, not in response to the question but to clear the anger away as he absorbed his mom's soft demeanor. “Yeah, let’s go inside,” he said.

  Susan turned, walking towards the door on the side of the house. She took her keys from her pocket, fumbled with them a bit, and pushed one into the lock of the door. As it was opening, a weight slammed against it, shoving it closed again. Susan jumped back, startled, and tried turning the knob again only to find it was locked.

  “Who is it? What do you want?” came a female voice from inside.

  “Monica? Monica, it’s me, Susan! Open the door!” Danny's mom yelled.

  “Susan? Who’s that with you?” the voice, presumably Monica, said.

  “It’s… well… it’s a long story, but this is Danny,” Susan said, her hand pressed against the door. It was quiet for a long moment. “Monica, it’s really me, what’s going on?”

  “Prove it,” Monica said.

  “What? Prove what? Monica, what is going on, why won't you let me in?”

  “Prove that you are who you say you are. Prove that you’re Susan. I don't know that guy with you, and Susan left town hours ago. How do I know you’re who you say you are?” Monica's voice sounded strained, like she was trying to shove all the emotion out of it but failing.

  Susan stared at the door, then looked at Danny who simply shrugged.

  “Alright” she said. “I was at your wedding and tried to calm your ass of a father down. When I called him a drunken idiot, he threw his drink at me and stomped off. I thought you would never forgive me.”

  Susan was just about to say something else to break the long silence that followed, when the lock clicked, and the door opened. A petite brunette in her 40s stood behind the door and Danny felt a wave of unexplainable emotion looking at her. He couldn't recognize her, but something within him felt he should.

  “Susan?” the woman said and rushed out to embrace the older woman, dropping a large knife. “Susan! It IS you! Where's Dan? So much is going on.” Monica stopped and looked warily up and down the street, biting her lower lip. “Come in, you have to come in. We need to lock the doors.”

  Monica ushered the two of them in the house, her movements frantic as she scooped the knife back up and dead bolted the door behind them. She pressed her back against the door, breathing hard.

  “Quickly, come this way, we have to help him,” she pointed at Danny, “if you want him to live,” Monica said and walked through the kitchen toward what looked like the living room.

  “Monica, you need to slow down and tell me what's going on!” Susan called behind her as she followed. Danny scanned the kitchen; the sense of déjà vu overwhelming him, and went after the two women. He picked up his pace when he heard his mother gasp.

  “My God, Monica!” Susan exclaimed, her ha
nd over her mouth. Danny rounded the corner to see a boy, no, a young man, tied to a chair with earmuffs over his ears, and a gag of cloth tied around his mouth. “What have you done to Jason!?”

  Chapter 10

  Susan moved to help the young man, Jason, out of his bindings when Monica grabbed her arm.

  “DON'T!” she yelled, then her eyes darted toward the door they had just entered from. In a lowered voice she said “This is for his own good, it’s protecting him. Something weird is going on, something that has all the men in town freaking out. If you don't want your friend here,” she pointed to Danny, “to suffer the same fate, we need to do the same to him.”

  “Does it have to do with the boxes and this new ‘System’ that seems to have taken over?” Danny asked. He felt strange looking at her and the young man in the chair. He felt… protective… over them but didn't know why. It must have had to do with his ‘Memories of Past Lives’ Skill.

  Monica looked at him, an eyebrow cocked. Her face screwed up as she did a double take between the man in the chair and Danny.

  “Susan… who is this? What happened to Dan?”

  Susan put her hand on Danny’s shoulder. “We’ve had a strange day as well. This is Dan. This… System… changed him.”

  Monica took Danny in, her eyes going from top to bottom and back to his face. “What are you talking about?”

  Danny nodded towards her. “It’s true, I am Dan. Or well, I go by Danny. I… don’t remember you… I’m sorry…”

  Monica tensed up, a war of conflicting emotions making their way across her face. “You don't remember me?”

  “He can't remember anything past his teenager years,” Susan said. “The System took over and our car died on the way to the doctor. Dan was still Dan then. But then I was almost eaten by some plant monster and he saved me, looking like this. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, and I can assure you it is Dan.”

  Monica looked right at Danny, her stare piercing into his eyes. She squinted, cocking her head in different directions. “I don't… how is this even possible?” she asked.

  “It’s the System. I became something called a Phoenix, like the one from the story, I guess. Although the stories never mentioned voices in your head,” Danny said. “I guess I have a Skill called ‘Rebirth’ that changes me based on whatever memories are dominant. When I accepted the class, the System assigned me a rebirth, and I woke up like this.” He shrugged, waving his hands over his body.

  Tears filled Monica's eyes, and she embraced Danny, her head on his shoulder leaving wet stains. Danny wrapped his arms around her, his hands falling comfortably at her waist. His body knew hers. Just as he was about to say something, a strange sound caught his attention. “What is that noise?” he asked.

  Monica pushed away, her face going white. She looked to Susan. “Get him in a chair! I'll try to find more rope!”

  “Is that… singing?” Danny said looking around for the source of the noise.

  “What are you talking about, Monica?” Susan said at the same time. “I know it’s hard to believe this is Dan, but-”

  Monica cut her off. “It’s not that! The sound! We have to block out the sound!” She grabbed two throw pillows and pressed them to the sides of Danny's head, covering his ears.

  “It IS singing!” Danny said, pulling at the pillows.

  “What are you talking about? I don’t hear anything?” Susan said.

  “I don’t hear it either, but all the men seem to. Now help me!” Monica shouted, but it was too late. Danny wrestled the pillows away, enraptured by the sounds he was hearing. The women attempted to re-cover his ears, to hold him back as he started walking towards the door.

  “NO!” Monica screamed and moved in front of him, both hands on his chest, pushing him back.

  Danny felt the heat of anger well up within him and he slapped Monica's hands away. She yelled in pain as his suddenly hot skin burned her. Danny kept walking towards the door, each step slow but determined. “That music is so beautiful…” he whispered as his anger dissipated along with the rising heat of his body.

  Tears flowed down Monica's face and she turned to Susan. “We have to get Jason out of here! If he hears it, he’ll be lost too!”

  Danny shouted, making the women jump… “Hello! Who’s singing!?” He ran to the door and flung it open. Outside was a creature, with the legs of a bird, a feather covered torso and the head of a woman. It opened its mouth as if it were singing…

  “So beautiful,” Danny said as his jaw went slack, and he stood by the open door, fascinated as the creature made its way into the house, followed by three of the strange humanoid fish-people they had seen on the bridge. The three figures plodded in, clearly uncomfortable as they walked on their long, webbed feet.

  “We have to save Jason,” Monica whispered under her breath, eyes red and cheeks wet with tears.

  “What do we do?” Susan asked. “What is that-” She jumped to move when one of the fish-man leapt at her, knocking her to the ground. Monica screamed and raced to the room where Jason was, only to be slammed to the ground as a weighted net wrapped around her. Danny stood there, half aware of everything going on, but so enraptured by the singing, he was unable pull himself away to act.

  Monica continued to scream, fighting and kicking with all she had as the fish-man hoisted and carried her on its shoulder outside, the net dragging behind them, its gills flared. Another fish creature pulled out a spear like the one Danny had taken, and leveled it at Susan, motioning towards the door, while the final one moved past everyone toward Jason while he was struggling to get free of his restraints. Jason fought until the fish-man removed his headphones. Instantly he froze, turning his head towards the door and the birdlike woman beside it.

  The fish-man next to Jason cut his bonds and the young man walked up to the birdwoman, who led both men out of the house. On the road before them was a strange conveyance; a floating cube of water, held together by fields of energy. The water moved and splashed but did not fall from its invisible walls. Several more fish-men were swimming within it, with one at the front wrapped in seaweed like vines. As Susan and Monica were brought closer to the cube, a metal platform extended from the bottom. The women cried out as they were thrown onto it. One fish-man tied Susan’s wrists and arms together and signaled to the other in the water. The creature wrapped in seaweed pulled a few strands, the cube levitated and started to glide down the street. The fish-men climbed their way back into the tank, seeming relieved to no longer rely on their ineffective feet.

  Behind the women, Danny watched in mute fascination, mentally fighting against the bonds of the song as they made their way down the streets, toward the marina. His mom and supposed wife screamed as electricity suddenly raked across their skin. One of the fish-men swam close to their station on the platform, its head bobbing in what could only be laughter as it pulled one of the seaweed strands and another shock burned across them.

  They rode like this until they reached the marina. Every time one of the women would move or speak, they were shocked. The alien parade came to a halt when they reached the marina. What must have been at least half the town's inhabitants were there, the women strewn together in nets. The men were standing at rapt attention, willing prisoners of two other birdlike women, mouths opened wide in song. Water sloshed as the tank set down, and the bird-woman brought Jason and Danny to the rest of the men.

  Two of the fish-people in the conveyance propelled themselves through the water like dolphins and leaped onto the ground, while the pilot of the strange contraption pulled a vine. The floating fish tank began hovering again and turned towards the boat launch where the energy dissipated, and the tank water assimilated into the lake.

  One of the fish-men brought his mouth to the ear of the bird-woman who had led Danny and gestured toward him. She then pulled him from the group, toward the fish-man. Danny saw that its clothes were burned through, the flesh underneath new and healed. This had been the one he had burned on the br
idge. His shock at seeing it completely undamaged turned to dismay as it picked up the spear Danny had stolen and cracked him in the face, knocking him to the ground, blood spraying out of his mouth. Danny gasped in pain and felt the hold on his mind lessen a bit from the act of violence, only to have the singing take control a heartbeat later.

  “Stop it! Leave him alone!” Susan shouted while she flailed in her net and Monica covered her face in her hands and screamed next to her. The creature looked at them and chuckled in pleasure. Two other fish-men grabbed hold of their nets and dragged them to the center of the parking lot leading toward the boat launch, where a large, round stone dais sat. The parking lot had always been there, but the dais was a new addition. In the center of the platform was a table, or altar, engraved with sharks. Their captors roughly threw them down and using stakes, drove the nets into the ground, digging into the flesh of the helpless women.

  The lead fish-man picked Danny up by the throat and carried him to the altar. The rest of the fish-men stood to either side of him and began chanting. They held Danny's arms and legs as the leader pulled out a vicious, wavy dagger, and held it in the air shouting out what must have been a prayer in a strange language. The singing subsided, and Danny’s eyes darted around wildly, as the power controlling his body suddenly dropped away and he shook his head violently as if to dispel what he saw.

  Monica, unable to take her eyes off the scene, recognized that head shake as the one her husband picked up when he started to lose his mind to dementia.

  “It really is him,” she whispered, her voice rising in pitch to a scream as the leader of the fish-men leveled its dagger and plunged it toward Danny's heart.