Aftermath (After the Fall Dystopian Series Book 1)

by Tom Lewis

  The group had decided to venture into the new city to see what it was about. Paige could care less what it was about, but knew it was her only hope of finding Chad. If he was even still alive. Trish’s words the night before, about the guards just killing Chad on the spot if they wanted him dead, had been strangely reassuring, but Paige still had her doubts.

  As a precaution, they’d hidden their weapons in a duffel bag behind the generator, and were taking only their clothes, some bottled water, and a few MRE packs. It never hurt to have a plan to fall back on in case shit hit the fan. And every instinct in Paige told her it was going to.

  “But maybe they want to be peaceful now,” Trish responded.

  “Oh, yeah. Obey us, or we’ll annihilate you. That sounds really peaceful,” Paige shot back, then instantly regretted it. Sometimes her sarcasm could be biting, and the hurt look in Trish’s eyes let her know this was one of those times.

  “I’m sorry, Trish,” Paige said, softening her tone. “You didn’t deserve that. I’m just pissed.”

  “It’s okay,” Trish let her know. “Maybe we can ask them about your friend. I’ll help.”

  Paige nodded, giving the young girl a pat on the head. “Thanks, Trish.”

  “Everyone ready?” Drew asked, as he and Randy joined the girls.

  “I guess,” Paige shrugged, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. “But for the record, I think this is a really stupid idea.”

  “Objection noted,” Drew smiled back. “Anyone else?” He glanced down at Randy, who managed a shrug. “Looks like we’re a go,” Drew added.

  “We’re still gonna help her find her friend, right” Trish reminded Drew.

  “That was the deal,” he nodded back. He turned to Paige, giving her a reassuring nod as well.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The New LA

  The “city” was a maze of these colossal new structures. For lack of a better term, Paige was calling it LA version 2, or “LA v2” for short. But it bore no resemblance to version 1. It was alien in every aspect. As Paige and her band of homeless kids roamed down what seemed to be a wide promenade-like mall, she took in the enormous pyramids, monuments, and obelisks towering on either side. Palm trees and plants had sprouted up along the mall, growing to their full height overnight.

  It wasn’t so much that LA v2 was ugly, it was just different. And felt cold. That was it, Paige thought. There was no warmth to it. With the exception of the plants, everything was a dull gray, as if it had been molded from the same blocks of cold dead stone. The intricate patterns carved into the sides like hieroglyphics did little to break up this chill, and actually added to the alien feel. It was still stone, and lacked the colorful flare of the storefronts and awnings which had given life to LA v1.

  “I don’t know. I think it’s kinda cool,” commented Trish, gazing up at the architectural behemoths.

  Trish and her optimism, Paige thought, resisting her urge to make some sarcastic comeback. “The old one looked better,” was her reply.

  That was when Paige noticed something in the sky overhead. The sun had just reflected off of something, hovering maybe a hundred feet above the mall. Then it vanished, as quickly as it had appeared. Drones, she thought, of course those things were using drones to monitor them. And they were masked with some sort of camouflage, that cloaked them with the sky. She had just happened to catch it at an odd angle to the sun.

  They moved along with a throng of people, all of whom were equally in awe, as if walking through a massive museum exhibit. I guess you can’t really blame them, Paige thought, glancing around at their faces. The place really was a sight. And at least for the moment, it seemed as if the invaders, Paige’s new term for the alien occupants of the ships, had ceased their hostilities. Except, that is, for the presence of the guards stationed along the mall. They stood like statues, watching the throng through dark tactical sunglasses. Rifles in hand, although aimed at the ground. She couldn’t help but feel like a prisoner of war, being herded through the gates into the enemy’s work camp.

  “We should find out where we’re going,” Drew suggested.

  Paige nodded towards the guards. “Do you want to ask them?”

  “Not really,” he grinned back.

  “Let’s ask her,” Trish suggested, nodding towards a grey haired woman standing along the side of the mall. She seemed to be giving people directions.

  Before anyone could respond, Trish headed off in the woman’s direction. Paige and Drew exchanged a look, shaking their heads. What is it with that girl?

  Trish strolled up to the grey haired woman, followed by Drew, Paige, and Randy.

  “Hey,” Trish asked, tapping the woman to get her attention. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?”

  The grey haired woman looked down at Trish, giving her one of those broad grins that just screamed fake. “Why what adorable children,” the woman replied, giddily. “Have you registered yet?”

  Trish shook her head “no.”

  “Well you’ll need to do that right away,” the woman responded. “They have registration tables set up on the next mall over.”

  That was something else Paige was noticing about LA v2 - there were no longer any streets or sidewalks; there were malls, and paths. The malls, like the one they were on, were broad, and paved with polished stones, with thick clusters of trees and plants lining the sides. They seemed to be used to divide the new city into blocks of buildings. The paths, on the other hand, were much narrower, and wound between the buildings.

  “What do they make you do?” asked Paige.

  “Oh, it’s nothing to be concerned about, young lady. They just ask you some questions, and then they give you your key.”

  “Key to what?” Randy chimed in.

  “To your new home, young man,” the woman responded, bending over to look Randy in the eye. “Is this your family?” she asked, straightening up.

  Randy looked at Drew, Paige, and Trish. He nodded.

  “Excellent. Well you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll all be assigned to the same apartment building.”

  “And that’s it. That’s all we have to do?” Paige asked.

  “Well of course you’ll also be assigned to your new jobs,” the woman replied, as if pointing out the obvious. Then, turning that fake condescending grin back on Randy and Trish, “but you young children won’t need to worry about that. You’ll be expected to attend school, where you’ll learn all about our new hosts.”

  Paige did a double take. Hosts? “You mean them,” she asked, motioning to the spaceships looming in the sky high above LA v2.

  “Of course,” the woman replied. “Who else would I mean.”

  Paige’s bewilderment must have been obvious. “It’s really nothing to be worried about,” the woman interjected. “Our hosts have made the process quite simple. I can take you there if you’d like.”

  “Oh. No. That’s okay,” Paige quickly responded. “We can find it.”

  “We’re just admiring the work of our… new hosts,” Drew added.

  The woman eyed them for a moment. Did she buy it? Paige couldn’t be sure.

  “Very well then,” the woman finally continued. “But you children be sure to behave.”

  “Oh, we will,” replied Paige.

  “We should get going,” added Drew, anxious to break off this bizarre conversation.

  “Yeah. Don’t want to keep our new… hosts… waiting.” Paige couldn’t resist throwing this in.

  The four of them strolled off.

  “Wow, someone really overdid it on her meds this morning,” Paige remarked, as soon as they were out of earshot of the woman. “That was like talking to the Stepford grandma.”

  The others nodded.

  “I think we should go back to the tunnels,” Randy suggested.

  “Me too,” Trish agreed.

  Drew and Paige exchange looks, both nodding in agreement.

  “Let’s go.”

  They turned, and started ba
ck down the mall the way they had come.

  “Hey. You kids need to keep going that way.” It was one of the guards, who’d spotted them trying to leave. He pointed in the other direction.

  “Right. Sorry about that,” Drew responded.

  The four of them turned, rejoining the throng of people flowing down the mall. At the end of the mall stood several more guards, directing the flow of people to the right.

  They turned down the mall, where they found four lines of people waiting their turns in front of a row of tables. Behind the tables sat more guards, asking the people questions, and filling out forms. Other guards stood watch, rifles in hand.

  Paige had revised her impression of this place. Now she felt more like they were cattle, being herded off to slaughter.

  When it was their turn, Paige was the first to go.

  “Name,” asked the guard.

  “Paige. O’Connor.”

  “Age?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “Family?”

  Paige thought about this for a second. She looked back at Drew, Randy, and Trish. “These are them,” she responded.

  The guard looked up at the others through his dark glasses. Finally he nodded, slid Paige a card key and map.

  “Here’s your key. You’ll be staying in apartment 408. Curfew’s at eight. This is a map of the city.”

  “Guess I can throw out my LA map now,” Paige remarked.

  “Your what?” asked the guard, looking up at her.

  “My map of Los Angeles,” she replied, already wishing she hadn’t brought it up. He continued staring. “Los Angeles?” she added, “the place that used to be here.”

  “What’s she talking about?” asked the guard at the next table, peering over. The guard in front of her continued staring, and Paige couldn’t help but think he was assessing whether or not she was a threat.

  “It’s nothing,” she added. “Just me trying to be funny.”

  The guard in front of her finally broke his stare. He turned back to her form, picking up where he had left off. “No food in your room. You’ll be eating in Dining Hall 12. Breakfast is at seven, dinner is at five. Don’t be late.”

  “Where’s Dining Hall 12?” she asked.

  “It’s on your map,” he replied. “You’ll begin work next week. Work hours start at eight thirty.”

  “What am I doing?”

  “You’ll be assigned to work in the fields.”

  She must have flinched, as he shot her that stare again.

  “Do you have a problem with labor?” he demanded.

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Good. Now extend your right hand.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  The guard shot her a look. “I need you to extend your right hand.” The implied “or else” was apparent.

  Paige hesitated a second, then extended it. He grabbed her hand, held it down on the table, and pressed a stamp down on it. She felt something puncture her skin, like hundreds of tiny needles.

  “Ow!” she exclaimed when he was finished. She pulled her hand up, and there was a tattoo on it. Like a bar code.

  “That’s your Registration Identification Mark,” the guard explained. “It records when you eat, sleep, who you talk to, where you’ve been.”

  She stared at the mark in horror. “Are you serious?” she asked, immediately regretting saying it.

  “Very much so,” he replied. “Next,” he continued, nodding to the person in line behind her.

  “Wait,” she interjected. “I just had one question. A friend of mine was injured. Do you know where they took him?”

  “How was he injured?” asked the guard.

  “He was stabbed.”

  “Was it by a citizen?”

  “It was before all of this,” she replied, motioning to the buildings.

  “Try the infirmary,” he replied. “Next.”

  ***

  The inside of the room felt like a cave, or even a tomb, thought Paige, as she and Trish checked out their new apartment. It was built of the same cold gray stone as the outside, only the surfaces had been polished smooth. There was a bunk bed, desk, and chairs, all made of wood, a bathroom, and what looked like some sort of a projector mounted to the wall.

  Paige made a beeline for the bathroom. There was a sink and shower, but no mirror. She turned on the faucet, and scrubbed madly at the tattoo the soldier had stamped on her hand. But it wasn’t coming off.

  “Dammit,” she exclaimed, returning to the living area.

  Trish stood across the room, staring out the rectangular window carved into the wall. Their apartment was on a middle floor of one of the pyramid shaped buildings, and the window provided a sweeping view of the alien city. They were the lucky ones. The boys had been assigned to one of the interior rooms without an outside view. Cold hallways of stone wove like mazes between the apartments, but fortunately the boys’ apartment was just across from their one.

  “I don’t like this place,” Trish muttered.

  “Me neither,” agreed Paige, joining Trish at the window. “We’re getting out of here as soon as I find my friend.”

  “Deal,” replied Trish.

  “Ready to help me look for him?”

  Trish nodded.

  ***

  Trish trotted alongside Paige, as they headed down the mall. This was a section of the city they hadn’t seen yet.

  Large aqueducts criss-crossed high above them, held in place by enormous arches. If this city had an industrial center, this was probably it.

  Paige checked her map again, as the two headed along. The infirmary should be right around here, she thought, as she looked up from the map.

  And there it was, on the ground floor of a massive pyramid just across the mall. And if she had any doubts, a sign carved into the front read: “Infirmary.”

  ***

  The inside of the infirmary was built of the same solid gray stone as the other structures, with its walls polished to a smooth surface. Lighting came from phosphorescent stones embedded in the walls and ceiling. Four people were waiting on a wooden bench in the lobby when Paige and Trish entered. Oddly enough, the people on the bench, consisting of a man, a woman, a young child, and girl maybe a couple of years older than Paige, were dressed in the same colored outfits. It looked to Paige like the outfits were made of a tan linen type of material. The women’s outfits appeared to be tunics, while the man wore trousers and a shirt of the same material.

  Paige didn’t really give their odd choice of clothing a second thought, as she and Trish crossed the lobby to a large window carved in the far wall. A transparent crystal-like material covered the top portion of the window, behind which sat a nurse.

  Paige approached the window, tapping lightly on it to get the nurse’s attention.

  “Hi,” Paige said, after the nurse finally looked up. “I’m trying to find someone, and one of the guards told me I should ask you guys. He had a knife wound in his leg.”

  “Patient’s name?” the nurse asked coldly.

  “Chad. Harding.”

  “Is he a relative?”

  Paige hesitated. Maybe a second too long. “Uhm, yeah,” she replied. “He’s my brother.”

  The nurse eyed her. “Let me see your Registration Identification Mark.”

  “My what?” Paige asked, looking puzzled.

  The girl on the bench overheard this. She glanced over, assessing Paige. The girl’s name was Valerie. Despite the bland outfit, there was something cute about her in a nerdy sort of way. She had the dark hair and glasses, but it was also in how she carried herself. Just sort of… nerdy. And she seemed comfortable with that.

  “The mark on your right hand,” the nurse explained to Paige.

  “Oh, this thing,” Paige responded. “Here,” she said, holding it up so the nurse could see it.

  “I need you to slide it beneath the window,” the nurse instructed.

  Again Paige hesitated, then slid it beneath the crystal glass.
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  The nurse ran some kind of metal gadget across her hand. Paige noticed it glow briefly, then fade. The nurse glanced at something to the side of the window, just out of Paige’s sight, then turned back to Paige.

  “You and Mister Harding have different last names, Miss O’Connor.”

  Valerie continued watching from the bench, taking notice as Paige’s shoulders sank. It was obvious to her that Paige had been caught in a lie.

  “Okay. He’s not my brother,” Paige replied to the nurse. “He’s my friend. He was hurt really badly.”

  The nurse just shook her head. “I’m sorry, but we can only divulge patient information to family members.”

  “That’s dumb,” Paige insisted, once again engaging her mouth before engaging her brain.

  “Those are the rules, Miss O’Connor,” came the nurse’s reply. There might have been a trace of sympathy in her tone.

  “Well they’re dumb,” Paige shot back, turning to leave. “Come on, Trish. Let’s go. These people suck.”

  Valerie continued watching from the bench, as Paige stormed across the lobby towards the exit. There Paige stopped, turning around to look for Trish. But Trish had other plans. As Paige headed for the exit, Trish stepped up to the window, turning on all of her youthful charm.

  “Hi. Look, I’m sorry about my friend. But you see, she’s been looking all over for her friend. He got stabbed trying to save her life, and she feels responsible for that.”

  The nurse actually softened a bit, looking past Trish to where Paige had stopped in the doorway.

  “We promise we won’t tell, if you could just make an exception,” Trish pleaded.

  The nurse thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “How was that last name spelled?”

  “H-A-R-D-I-N-G,” replied Trish.

  “Let’s see what I can find.

  The nurse disappeared behind the counter for a moment. Trish glanced back at Paige, still standing in the doorway.

  The nurse returned. “I’m sorry, but I’m showing Mister Harding’s records as being classified.”

  “What’s that mean?” Paige asked, rushing over to the counter.

  “It means, the security forces must have ordered his records sealed.”