HUMANITY: A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Novel

by Edward Brody

  “Nice to meet you too.” Mich returned a flat smile.

  “This is Carl. He’ll be helping you adjust to your new home.” Candy motioned to the man standing beside her.

  Carl waved robotically. He was standing stiffly and attentively with an overly large smile etched across his face. If Mich did not know any better he would have mistaken him for a mannequin, or someone who had a serious case of constipation. His shaved face was perfectly symmetrical, and he had a neat cut of brown hair resting on top of his head, slicked back with gel.

  Candy started walking with her posse, and she motioned for Mich to follow.

  “We’ve arranged a room for you to stay in for the next 3 months. It’s stocked with food, some clothing and a few necessities you might need. We realize that you don’t have any credits now, so you’ll definitely want to get a job during the next 3 months so you can support yourself. Do you have any skills? What was your job previously?”

  “I was a business investor,” Mich replied.

  “Oh…” Candy laughed half-heartedly. “That’s probably not going to help. Any jobs before that?”

  “Well… I used to work in a restaurant when I was in high school.”

  “Most food dispensaries are manned by bots, but there’s a limited amount of positions that need intelligent staff. I’ll see what I can find, and if not, you can always work in the factory or the mines.”

  Mich’s heart sank. He had not considered what he would have to do to support himself yet, and the idea of working in a restaurant or a mine made his stomach turn. Things were going to be vastly different to his life back on Earth–or E-17 as it was now known.

  They boarded a large opened-aired vehicle with 6 seats and began driving quickly down the road. As they passed various buildings, Candy would point and give Mich information about the various places.

  “Over here is the Community Hall.” She pointed to a large dome-shaped building. “It also doubles as a stadium when we have sporting events.”

  “And over here is the food dispensary.” A ground level building with humans standing in a line at the entrance. “I’m sure you can guess what that is for… And over his is…”

  Mich gradually grew bored with Candy’s voice, and his mind started to wander. As they rolled through the streets, they passed a area where everyone seemed to be dressed very modestly. Clothing looked overly worn, and sometimes torn. A few times he noticed human children walking about the streets with no shirts and no parents in sight. Occasionally, he would glimpse someone with slightly less tattered attire–and Carl himself was outfitted nicely as well–but no humans were dressed in the same ravishing garb as the humanoids that he met on Nerria.

  Patrolling through the streets were several covered guards wearing heavy armor and wielding weapons. “What’s with all the guards?” Mich asked.

  Candy hesitated and looked a bit stunned at the question. “The guards are here to ensure safety, Mich,” she replied with the most generic answer possible.

  Mich did not press for further information.

  They eventually reached their destination, a gray, mid-rise building akin to a small hotel. They entered a tiny lobby with more guards watching the door, and made their way to an elevator. Up the shaft to the top floor, and finally to Mich’s room. Candy opened the door with a flat square key and then handed the key to Mich.

  “This is it,” Candy squawked. “Carl is staying just a couple doors down and can help you if you need anything. If you need me, just ask one of the guards or tell Carl. I’m not too hard to find.”

  “Thanks…” Mich said reservedly as Candy headed back towards the elevator.

  Mich opened the door to his room. It was a small studio apartment with a twin sized bed, a table, a small kitchen, and a sectioned off area with a toilet and shower. On the wall appeared a flat screen television built flush into the wall.

  Carl walked into the room with Mich and closed the door behind them. “I guess we’re neighbors now,” Carl said with a large, plastic smile.

  Mich sat on the bed without saying a word.

  “So they say you lived on E-17? Back when humans thought we were alone in the galaxy?” Carl was visually struggling not to laugh. “What do you think of it here so far?”

  “I’m not sure,” Mich replied, “but I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  “Okay, well I’ll give you some time to settle in. I’m just two doors down on the left if you have any questions.”

  Mich nodded. Carl left Mich’s room and closed the door quietly.

  Mich walked to the television that was on the wall and attempted to power it on, but could not find a remote or any sort of controls on the screen. He sat at the table and then laid on the bed before he started to feel bored and restless. He pulled his old cell phone out his pocket and pressed the power button several times, hoping that the battery may have magically charged itself.

  He considered going to Carl’s room and asking for some instructions of how to power on the TV or ideas how to get some juice into his phone, but something about Carl seemed off-putting to Mich, and he wasn’t looking forward to spending any more time with him.

  I need to get out of this box, he thought to himself.

  He decided to head out to explore the city and hoped that he would stumbled across a means to power on his phone so that he could look at his pictures and review the last moments of his past life again.

  He opened the closet in his room, and there were several plain-linen outfits lined up perfectly. He retrieved a set and changed out of the clothes that came packaged with him in the Cryonics cell. On the closet door was a mirror in which he inspected himself. The cream colored linens and brown leather boots weren’t his best look, and his hair was still tangled and matted from since he woke up in the Salvager’s ship.

  When he arrived downstairs, two guards eyed Mich suspiciously, but did not say anything as he passed by. When he reached to the street, he started walking left on the sidewalk randomly, as he had no idea where he was heading.

  He walked for several minutes, taking in his surroundings. It didn’t feel much different from earth other than the futuristic buildings, bluish-hued horizon and strange, floating cars. Most buildings and streets were unmarked, and he suddenly wished he had paid more attention when Candy was pointing out landmarks to him. The humans that passed by seemed caught up in whatever task they had at hand and didn’t give Mich a second glance.

  Mich felt a bit at ease seeing that most of the creatures around him were humans. He would see the occasional alor or other creature ride by on hovering motorcycles or floating vehicles, but for the most part, he judged the majority of the occupants on Rashada were humans like him.

  He soon found himself in the area that he passed earlier on the way to his room, where everyone was wearing worn or tattered clothes and children were walking the streets alone. He turned a corner and found himself in a small, darkened residential alleyway with tall buildings on each side. The shadows and grimy surfaces gave the alley a dangerous appearance, but curiosity got the best of Mich, and he wandered inside.

  As he walked down the alley, he noticed people standing on their small balconies looking down at him with curiosity. A large woman appeared out of a side door to his right and tossed a pale of greasy looking liquid out into the walkway. Mich stepped over and around, trying to avoid the strange substance. An animal the size of a cat, but with the appearance of a lizard ran by.

  “Hey handsome man!” a voice to his left rang out. “You looking for some action?”

  Mich turned his head to his left, and a long, brown-haired girl peeked her head out of another door. She was wearing a torn cloth shirt that was cut just below her sagging breasts. She licked her lips slightly and tilted her head back quickly in an indication for Mich to come inside.

  Mich smiled and put his palms up. “Oh, no thanks. I’m just having a walk.”

  “C’mon,” she insisted. “We’ve got lots of girls inside–young ones,” she continued
. “Only 3 credits for 30 minutes. We’ll make it worth your while.”

  Mich shook his head no and continued down the alley. The girl continued to cry out “Two girls for 5 credits! Are ya gay? We can get ya a boy too if that’s what ya like!”

  Mich scurried away, ignoring girl’s calls.

  Laying on the sidewalk was an old man, his skin, clothes, and hair covered in dirt. Mich couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive, but a small begging jar sitting next to his body was a promising indicator that he was still living–if only slightly.

  As he passed the old man, he felt a slight tug at the back of his shirt. When he turned around, a small, shirtless girl who couldn’t have been more than 10 years old looked up at him with big, blue eyes and a face covered in streaks of dirt. She held out both of her palms to Mich but did not say a word.

  “I’m sorry little girl. I don’t have any money,” Mich said apologetically.

  She continued to hold her palms out as if she didn’t understand, and stared up at Mich’s face with sadness and desperation.

  He realized then that he needed to cut his little adventure short. No matter how much he wanted to help the little girl, he couldn’t as he really had no money at all. And although he’d like to get his hair cut and charge his phone, it was unlikely he’d be able to do any of that without Carl’s help due to his lack of funds.

  Mich started to head back the way that he came, and the little girl followed alongside with her hands constantly in the air, occasionally trying to place herself in Mich’s path to slow him down.

  “I’m sorry little girl. I really have nothing. I swear…” Mich said again.

  Just as soon as he spoke, Mich felt a light sensation in his right pocket and looked down just in time to see a small hand gripping his phone from behind and sliding it effortlessly out of his pants.

  The offending boy ran.

  Mich cried out, “Hey! That’s mine! Come back here!” and began chasing the little boy.

  The boy was fast, and Mich had to run at full speed to keep up. They were jumping over obstacles, and while the boy was weaving through bodies with his small frame, Mich had to push people out of the way to get by.

  The boy ran past an old woman with a basket carrying some fruit, and when Mich passed her, the fruit went flying. The lady was left sitting on her rump, screaming and swearing at the pair. Mich had no time to waste and figured that he would apologize later if he could end his ordeal quickly and find the lady again.

  The boy ran into the street with Mich ten feet behind. A flying car came rushing towards them and slammed on its air breaks, honking its horn loudly, stopping just inches from running Mich down. Mich held out his palms as if he would’ve somehow been able to stop the vehicle had it actually hit him. His eyes were wide, and he was yelling apologies as he continued to run.

  A pair of guards noticed the ordeal, and one of them yelled in a muffled, electronic voice, “You, over there! Stop now!”

  Mich continued chasing the boy, and looked behind him to see that the guards were now chasing him as well. He knew that this was going to cause him unnecessary trouble, but recovering his last memories of Earth were far more important than whatever unknown punishment he might endure. He breathed heavily as he struggled to keep up with the youngster.

  The boy was fifteen feet ahead when he turned a sharp corner, and Mich started pushing with all his might to catch up. When Mich rounded the same corner at full speed, an arm reached out across his chest, and his feet went flying into the air. His head jolted backwards and for a brief moment, he saw a distant moon hovering in Rashada’s horizon. His head slammed hard against the ground, and everything went completely black.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tamor greeted Kryle Yago with a slap on the back as he exited his ship. “Nice to see you, Kryle. It’s been quite a while since you’ve been to the capital.”

  “Yes, it’s been too long. And it’s been too long since I’ve seen my old friend.” Kryle smiled as he placed a hand on Tamor’s shoulder. “How is life serving beside the Queen?”

  “It has its ups and downs.” The two started walking to the heart of the city.

  “You’re one of the finest warriors in the galaxy, Tamor, and one of the most cunning as well. How can you stay cooped up here on Nerria?” Kryle asked. “You know, the Galactic Council would welcome someone like you.”

  “I’m not cut out for politics,” Kryle explained as he shook his head. “The Queen treats me well here. I can rest my tired muscles and eat and drink as much as I want.”

  “Hard to argue with that.”

  “So what brings you here today?” Tamor asked.

  “I have some business with the Queen.” Kryle pursed his lips. “Business regarding the humans.”

  * * *

  The Queen smiled. “Lord Yago. So nice to see you.”

  “So nice to see you too, my Queen. You’ve grown even more beautiful since the last time I had the pleasure,” Kryle said with a bow.

  “You don’t have to flatter me, Kryle. I know you wouldn’t have come to the Queen’s court unless it were for a reason.”

  “Yes… I am indeed here for a reason,” Kryle said as he put his hands behind his back. “I’m sure you’ve heard rumors of the rebellion on Rashada.”

  “There have been whispers here and there…”

  “These are not whispers, my Queen. My spies report that the rebellion is over 100,000 strong, led by a human named Walter St. James. These facts are of great concern.”

  Tamor had since took his place back beside The Queen and was showing signs of concern at Kryle’s report.

  “100,000 weak humans?” The Queen smirked. “How many millions of soldiers does the Galactic Alliance control?”

  “It is true that the humans are weak, but let’s not forget The Cleanse, my lady. The humans brought their planet to ruins with very little technology. They now have access to the knowledge of the galaxy, and if they so freely murder their own kind for a bit of power, will they not hesitate to kill us as well?”

  “Why did you not bring your concerns to the Galactic Council? This is not a matter for the throne.”

  “The Galactic Council would rather wait and watch while the humans grow bolder each day.”

  “And what would you suggest we do, Lord Yago?”

  Kryle paused a moment as if considering what to say. “The only way to remove the threat is to destroy the humans. They are like parasites and must be squashed.”

  The Queen inhaled deeply and let out a big sigh. “To purposely destroy an entire species would be a terrible crime. It’s true that the humans are unique in their brutality, but if we destroyed them, it would make us no better.”

  “But–” Kryle protested.

  “You know that you are always welcome in my court, Kryle,” the Queen interrupted. “But I will hear no more about this. If you think that security on Rashada should be assessed, please bring it to the attention of the Council. Is there anything else, Lord Yago?”

  Kryle turned his head to the side and clenched his fist, battling to hide the anger boiling up inside. “And what of the frozen human from E-17?”

  “It seems that news travels to you fast,” the Queen remarked.

  “So the rumors are true? He is from the past?”

  “A single lowly human was found, yes. And he is now on Rashada with the rest of his people being closely monitored. It should not be of any concern of yours.”

  Kryle pressed his teeth together. “With all due respect, my Queen. Sending a human to Rashada, amidst a rebellion, harboring the same ideas that destroyed a planet, is like handing the humans a recipe for destruction.”

  “Enough Kryle!” the Queen commanded. “You’re beginning to sound hysterical. The humans are harmless, and I have many matters to attend to today.”

  Kryle turned away and began storming to the exit of the chamber, pausing halfway to say his final words. “It only takes a single match to start a wildfire. And if the flames are n
ot extinguished, it will burn and burn until there’s nothing left but ash.”

  When the kraw left, the Queen turned to Tamor and spoke softly. “Travel to Rashada and stay within arm’s reach of the human. We must make sure that this doesn’t get out of hand.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Mich awoke in a small, dimly-lit room with a musty smell stirring in the air. The walls and ceilings appeared as earth with the occasional supporting board. He was laying on a small bed with a wet towel wrapped around his head. As he struggled to pull himself up, a husky voice spoke to him. “Easy buddy… You took quite the knock on the head.”

  The man handed Mich a glass of water. He was a chubby human with a kind face and a white beard, wearing a long, green apron.

  Mich remembered the events before he went cold and muttered, “Where’s the boy? Where’s my phone?”

  “I assume you mean Jimmy,” the bearded man replied. “Um… he’s probably running around here somewhere.”

  “He stole something of mine, and I need to get it back.”

  The chubby man shot a disapproving look over to the doorway, and Mich now saw that he was in the company of two additional people.

  “Tristyn, fetch Jimmy please.” The bearded man said.

  A pretty, thin woman with a freckled face and ginger red hair stood up and went out the door. She was wearing brown, strappy, form-fitting leather garb that outlined the shape of her body. When she turned around, Mich found his eyes drawn to the round of her ass.

  “That’s her brother Earl,” the bearded fellow motioned to the man who had been sitting beside her. “If you stare too long, he might just cut off your balls.”

  The man sitting beside the door grinned out of the side of his mouth as he was busy wiping a long, curved blade with a cloth. His stringy, black hair covered a harsh, weathered face. A grey leather tunic and pants showed off a relatively fit body underneath; he wasn’t as large as Mich, but he gave off the impression that he wasn’t the type to be taken lightly.