Beyond The Collapse

by Kip Nelson

  The huge brawl turned into small scuffles as people fought each other, punching and biting, knocking each other down. He heard the sickening crack of bones echo around him and watched blood seep onto the ground. The city soon would be stained crimson. As soon as he saw a little bit of space in front of him, Adam ran as fast as he could, ran away from the noise and the chaos, ran away from all the other people, those who were threats and those who needed help. He just wanted to get away from all of them and be on his own. That was the only way he could deal with all of this, just to turn his back on the world because the world certainly had turned his back on him.

  His chest was on fire and he had to stop. In the distance, he could hear panicked people, and all he wanted to do was turn away from it all. He wanted to find a quiet part of the world where he could forget about all that had happened. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that people still were rushing about the city, trying to find a safe place, but the thought of being a part of those loud groups overwhelmed his mind and made him feel nauseous. He bent down, placing his hands on his knees as he gulped in lungfuls of air.

  Then all the sad faces of the people who had looked to him for safety rushed through his mind. Men, women, and children all looked to him, and he could have saved them if he just had been braver, and more willing to put himself on the line. But no, like everything else in his life, he had to put himself and his own needs first. Filled with self-loathing, he felt the hot sting of tears pour down his face. The world was crumbling around him and Adam sank to his knees. It was all ending, everything he ever had known, and nothing would be the same again. He wiped his eyes and looked over at the horizon, where the sun rose and spread its golden light across Opal City, signifying the dawning of a new day.

  Chapter Five

  Adam watched the sun rise and was struck by the profound beauty of the universe. It was so peaceful that for a moment he could forget about the carnage he saw and almost pretend it was just another day, if he didn't look in the direction of the fallen skyscrapers and the wrecked planes that were jutting out from the crumbled buildings. The cries of the dead echoed through his mind as he imagined their final moments, hurtling down through the sky, not knowing what or how or why anything was happening, only that they were about to die in a blazing inferno. Then suddenly their lives were snuffed out. The thoughts made Adam nauseous, so he tried pushing them out of his mind. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was death and destruction.

  When he opened them again he saw the sky bleeding orange. Fluffy clouds flowed steadily across it, and as he looked up he was filled with a deep sense of longing. His interest in technology and science fiction always had filled him with a sense of wonder about the world, about how big and mysterious it was, and how there was such a sense of grandeur about it. He had hoped that at some point during his life there would have been many advances made so humanity could move past petty wars and leave the issues of poverty and racism in the past. He wanted a future like the one depicted in Star Trek, one that was filled with optimism and hope, one in which people worked together to build a better future for everyone, and yet it seemed to be futile.

  From what he saw that was so far from reality that it was nothing but an illusion. In his old life, he easily could have imagined the future shining brightly, as brightly as the sun; that humanity could overcome its weaknesses and take its position as guardians of the cosmos; that it could look up to the sky and push outward to explore the new frontier that presented itself. When he was younger he had wanted to be an astronaut, but that dream never had materialized. Now none of his dreams would come true.

  It was clear humans would not work together. They were too busy fighting for their own survival. They couldn't see past their own needs and desires actually to make any progress in the world, but how could they when people such as Adam shied away from their responsibility? He easily could have taken action, and perhaps if he had shown others the right way to act, then they would have joined him. In that moment Adam took upon himself all the guilt and burden for the state of humanity.

  He remembered lazy nights where he would stay up gazing at the stars, wondering what the future held for mankind. Never did he think anything such as this would happen. Of course, there were plenty of stories and movies about the end of the world. It proved a grim fascination for some, and a fertile arena for Adam to use in the games he designed. It was easy enough to get players invested in a character who was fighting for his life and to make it through a world that was like the real Earth, just twisted. But now that Adam found himself actually in that situation, he did not like it at all and wished things could have been different.

  He didn't know what had caused the apocalypse, nor did he care because the end result was the same. He was there, alone, struggling to survive and humanity was tearing itself apart. Was it the same across the country, or the world? Was there any part of the world where the ugliest aspects of human nature did not rear their heads? He liked to think that somewhere people actually were working together to make the best of the situation, but he found it impossible to forget about those people he saw baying for blood. They were like animals, caged animals who were lashing out just because anger was about the only thing they could understand in that moment.

  Adam exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself and reach a meditative state in the hope that some wisdom would come to him. He wanted to gain a hold of himself so he could figure out a plan to make it through the coming days and weeks. If he made it longer than that, then he would take them in his stride as well. It was a strange thing, thinking that soon he could be dead. He didn't want to die. In fact, he never had. It always had been his dream to be immortal because he hated the thought of missing out on all the great human discoveries that were awaiting them in space. He also couldn't comprehend a world in which he didn't exist. The only world he ever had known had him in it, and was viewed from his perspective. Although he knew he would die he didn't like thinking about the idea. It seemed an abstract concept to him, almost one that was strange and unfamiliar. Perhaps, if he just didn't think about it at all, it wouldn't befall him, even though it was inevitable and was one of the few constants of human existence.

  So many people had died already that he was most likely in the minority. It was hard to think about just how many people had died, but given the rioting and the plane crashes and any other catastrophes, the city most likely was littered with corpses, along with the rest of the world. He thought about the people in hospitals who relied on electricity to keep them alive. Then he thought about people who needed hospitals for their medication. If they weren't dead already, they surely would be. It was not a pleasant prospect for the future as even routine ailments could prove fatal now that medication would not be produced. Water soon would stop as well, as would food production. It was as though everyone's worst fears finally were realized.

  Adam had grown up in a culture where most things were provided for him. Everything was available at the push of a button, as long as he had the money. He never had had to learn how to skin an animal or harvest a crop, or even how to sew. It always had been a running joke between him and his friends about how terrible he was at life skills. He was hopeless at DIY, and any attempt at cooking something that required more than a few ingredients ended in disaster. Those life skills always had been something Adam intended to improve, one day, at some point, in the future...

  But now the future had arrived and he would need to learn those skills to survive. He would have to change his entire philosophy on life if he was to make it through. He had been used to a life alone, living away from people, tinkering with his games and his creations, but he would have to abandon those precepts if he was ever going to make it through the winter and beyond. He tried not to think about the future too much because it was too bleak and daunting, but at the same time it was natural for his curious mind to wonder about the future of the world. Humanity had the power to shape its own destiny. What picture would they cr
eate, and what part would Adam play?

  A gunshot rang out, and then another. Adam instinctively crouched down, even though whatever conflict was happening wasn't anywhere near him, although it soon could be given the circumstances. He stumbled to the side of the street, hiding down an alleyway. He sank to the ground, breathing heavily, pressing his back against the wall and his palms to the concrete slabs underneath him, providing him with some sense of security at least. A dumpster was beside him that smelled awful. The refuse wouldn't be collected now. It would be left there to rot, just like everything else.

  Nobody was anything anymore. The roles they had given themselves in society were no longer applicable. It didn't matter if you were a video game designer, a lawyer, a trash collector, a saint, or a sinner, everyone was in the same boat and nobody would find it easy. There were people who were made for this kind of world, Adam thought to himself. He always had laughed when he heard about 'preppers,' those people who had stocked and prepared for the end of the world. How he wished he had been like one of them. He had received a number of comments about his last game because he hadn't included anyone who actually was prepared for an apocalypse. His reply was it wouldn't have been fun to have an advantage in the early stages of the game. Now he laughed at himself morbidly, for he would have loved to have an advantage like that now.

  He looked around. He had nothing on him, only his clothes, his two hands, and his wits. That didn't amount to much in this crazy world. Just a few hours ago his life had been comfortable. He had known exactly what he was doing and where he was going in life. He had been comfortable, assured. Now he was back to his infancy, where the world was a dangerous place and all he could do was cry out for help. Yet, unlike his infancy, there was no mother to coddle him, no father to carry him to his cot and sing him lullabies. There was him and only him, with nobody else to rely on.

  That's when he heard the thunder of other footsteps. They raced along the street. Adam edged closer to the dumpster, wondering if he should jump in and hide, but he was paralyzed by fear. So, he stayed hunched against the wall, making himself as small as possible so no one would see him. He didn't know who they were or what they might do with him; he was only afraid they would attack him. With nothing to defend himself he was vulnerable, and he wasn't much of a fighter. He drew his legs in and wrapped his arms around them, then bowed his head in the hope that they would pass by without noticing him.

  The crowd passed and, as he had hoped, they didn't make any move toward him. They carried on running, to where he did not know. There was something envious about them, that they at least had each other in their fright. Part of him wanted to be alone and escape from the world, to retreat from Opal City and live out the rest of his days in peace without fear of being attacked. Yet, at the same time, he envied them for having other people to share this plight with. They weren't the only group he heard, though. Every time he heard or saw any sign of other people, he felt a knot of anxiety swell within. That same need to keep separate from every other person on the planet was strong within him.

  Another gunshot sounded. He couldn't believe that people were starting that kind of fighting already. He trembled in the alley, afraid to move in case he was the victim of a stray bullet. He thought back to his game, how the early levels were much like this. The main character was so afraid and had to avoid other people, while trying to scavenge for a weapon and food, and try making his way to safety. In the game, everything had been down to Adam's imagination. Unlike other games in the genre, he eschewed including monsters such as zombies and their ilk, for he knew the greatest horror was the darkness and despair of man. That game was like a prophecy. It had been a bleak game, filled with few moments of joy, and yet it had been one of the greatest successes Adam ever had had. It seemed as though people actually wanted a large dose of misery in their lives. Perhaps they were simply used to it.

  Crouched in the alley, he managed to push himself up and sidled to the entrance, poking his head out to try seeing if anyone was around. There were still various noises in the distance and the buildings still smoldered. Opal City had a strange look about it now that the daylight was shining upon it. Everything was out in the open and it was so eerie to see the devastation. For Adam, it was as though he was seeing a scene from a movie, yet this was entirely real. The world had changed irrevocably, and he didn't know what to do. There was no order anymore, no clear direction on what he had to do. Before, he knew his routine. He woke up, had a small breakfast, and then went to work. Once he was done he'd go back home and plant himself in front of the television. There was always a sense that he never had enough time for everything he wanted to accomplish. There were always too many movies he wanted to watch, too many books he wanted to read. Now he had all the time in the world, but doing any of those things were the last things on his mind.

  His stomach was beginning to growl, and he knew he would have to eat sooner or later. The coast seemed clear. So, he stepped onto the sidewalk to try finding some safe place to eat, but then he heard a shriek as another group of people came running toward him. He ducked back into the alley, and this time ran all the way behind the dumpster, watching them run as they looked over their shoulders. Then, a few moments later, another man followed them. He was wearing only long pants and nothing else. His long hair flowed behind him in the wind, and he was holding a large knife. Screaming cuss words and disgusting racial epithets he waved the knife through the air. Adam's heart raced and he ducked down, hoping the man wouldn't see him, for this wild man had stopped at the alley entrance. He panted and shouted at the people who were running away, saying he would catch up to them at some point.

  Adam ducked down, but as he did so he knocked against the dumpster and it rattled. This caught the wild man’s attention and he called out. Adam looked around him. The alley came to a stop to his right, and to his left the man was encroaching. Adam felt for sure this was going to be the end of his life as the looming shadow moved forward. Then the figure of the wild man, who was cackling with laughter, came into view.

  “Well, well, well, what do we have here then?” he said, the blade of his knife gleaming as it caught the cold light of day. He leaned down.

  Adam could smell the alcohol on his breath and could see the red rivers that flowed within his eyes. All Adam could do was cower there, making himself as small as possible. Fear coursed through his body. In his mind, he thought about curling his hand into a fist and launching it at the man's face, but his body would not do what he wanted it to do.

  “Really?” the wild man asked, a sense of disappointment in his voice, “You're not going to do anything? Look around you, buddy, this is the end of the world. You can't just sit here and hide away. We're finally free!”

  He leaned back and roared, spreading his arms out like wings. Adam remained motionless. The man spat at him. “You ain't no fun. There's no point doing anything to you. I'm in this for the chase. You're too scared to be scared. It won't be long before somebody gets you,” he said, and as quickly as that he was gone, running with wild abandon to find some other people to harass.

  Adam wiped the spit off his shoulder and raised his eyes to the heavens. There was truth in the man's words. Adam wasn't made for this life, and it was only a matter of time before he died. He was so pathetic that even a crazy person didn't even bother with him. Yet, as he had looked into that man's eyes, there was a feeling that brought him even more shame. Part of him wanted the man to take a swing and kill him.

  Right at that moment, death seemed like a far easier prospect than living, and this caused Adam a great sense of inner turmoil because so many people had died already. So many of them would have spent their final few seconds of consciousness praying for just a little longer, wishing to have the same chance as Adam, but instead of feeling blessed he felt cursed. Hell had come to Earth, and Adam wasn't prepared to fight any demons.

  However, he desperately needed food. So, after a time he summoned the courage to move, although he opened the dum
pster first to see if there were any leftovers. There were not. He crouched down and stayed close to the edge of the building as he moved, not entirely sure where he was going, just knowing he had to find food and water somewhere or else he would starve. The city was huge. When it had been alive with people it seemed easy to get lost in, but now it seemed small and he could run into danger at any moment. The coast seemed clear for the moment, though, so he walked down the sidewalk hoping to find a store or something that would have what he needed.

  Chapter Six

  All the time he walked, Adam's eyes darted around, wary of his surroundings and what dangers they may contain. He was well aware that, without the watchful eyes of law enforcement, people would feel free to explore their darker natures. It had been only a short time since the world ended, but he knew some people would have jumped on their darker impulses in only minutes, and these were the people he had to look out for. But there were other people who were scared, just like him, and he would have to watch out for them, too. He'd never quite trusted other people, always fearing there was a darkness lurking behind their eyes. He always feared they only were behaving well because of the constraints of society, and that once they were free of those, their true natures would emerge, leading to savage behavior. Every noise made him jump, and every time his heart beat faster he was sure he soon was going to be confronted by something that surely would end his life.