Reddened Wasteland

by Kyle Perkins

  “They were found carrying this,” Valek interrupted and stepped forward to show the woman the flask.

  She investigated it for a short time before looking back at the group. “Why are you in possession of this?” she asked.

  “Assassins attacked my partner here” Alerik jerked his chin towards Velar. “We found the flask on the woman’s body after the attack,” he raked his fingers through his dark hair.

  “After the attack? So this assassin… she is dead?” the woman wore a look of sorrow in her face.

  “I’m afraid she must be. If we didn’t kill her trying to fend her off, surely The Union had her executed. They took all three assassins into custody immediately after the attack,” he said.

  “Poor girl… I knew I would eventually receive this news, or news like it,” she said as she rose from her throne. “Her name was Elliani, and she was my daughter. She always wanted to go to the surface and no matter how many times I warned her of the dangers, she would always fight with me. I knew one day she would walk the surface and it would be her undoing. She was always so hard headed.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that… I know what it is like to care about someone who is stubborn,” his eyes flickered towards Velar before he continued, “I would have preferred not to quarrel with the woman, but she was mixed up with Liberty’s Hammer, a terrorist organization on the surface. The women were trying to kill my friend. I had to stop it. I had no choice but to report it.”

  The woman let out a small laugh as she reached Alerik, “Oh, child. I know all too well what Liberty’s Hammer is… Take a walk with me, I want to give you a little history lesson. Your friends will be safe where they are.”

  Alerik cast a wary glance at his companions and shrugged. He didn’t really have a ton of options.

  Velar nodded to him, reassuring him that he could go on without her. Soran did the same.

  He turned back to face the woman, “Your word that they will be safe here?”

  The old woman nodded.

  “Right, let’s go, then.”

  The two began walking, Alerik followed the old woman’s lead and a group of three guards trailed behind them. Apparently she was allowed to have backup along their friendly walk.

  “So, how did you find us?” she broke the silence as they moved through the doorway.

  “The older man with us, Soran. He knew about your group and he led us right to you. Part of the agreement we made was that we had to bring him with us. He said you were a group of people that took in wanderers and cared for them like your own.”

  “We take all kinds. We are all brothers and sisters, after all, and we need to look out for one another,” she paused in the hallway. “We are known as the Children of Old, can you guess how we got that name?” she arched a brow.

  “I have no idea, honestly. That’s why I am down here, to learn about you. To find your connection with this other organization. Though you seem nothing like them. You could have killed us all but didn’t. That already shows me more rationality than I have come across with Liberty’s Hammer,” he said.

  “Back when humans first came to this planet, the dome was not ready. Sure, it was built and the solar panels were up, but there was no plant life. All of humanity lived inside these vaults underground. It took the hard work of the people in here, making runs to the surface to get the farming underway. We used space suits and kept a supply of oxygen with us. The systems in the vault would convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and pump it into our living space. The vent to the outside would release the carbon dioxide that we exhaled back to the surface,” she explained.

  “I’m guessing that is what is beyond the wall. You know, since there are no plants in the settlement,” he said in a moment of clarity. “So wait, we didn’t actually start on the surface here? I thought the settlement was built before we arrived.”

  “Oh, of course not, there were many problems that the colonists faced when arriving here. The gravity difference being a huge issue. Another being cosmic radiation, both of which were solved in one easy move,” She said with a smile.

  “The dome?”

  “Partly, but that only keeps out minor radiation. Luckily, the Earthlings had thought of this inevitability before coming to the planet. Most of the electricity used in the settlement isn’t to light the homes, but to keep the dome spinning. That is why the stars at night never seem to sit still. The dome spinning rapidly generates a little gravity for us and a magnetic field to block the radiation. Without it, there would be no plants, and with no plants, there would be no oxygen,” she said as they continued on.

  “Very interesting. So that’s why stars move that way. I just assumed that’s how stars behaved. Is not like miners get the best education, or any education for that matter.”

  “That you can blame The Union for. You see, even in a vault this tiny, factions and opinions form. When oxygen was in abundant supply on the surface, people started getting stir crazy. They all wanted to get to the surface but had very different ideas of how things should operate once they got there. Liberty’s Flame believed in equality, and living free on the surface… doing as we wished. They believed in living off of the land and rebuilding humanit—”

  “And The Union?”

  “The Union believed in tight structure, and a caste system. The Union were the first out of the vaults. They populated the inner city and shortly after, Liberty’s Flame populated the outskirts and the mines. The two coexisted in harmony for a while until naturally, men did what men do,” she said with a frown.

  “What happened next?” he asked curiously.

  “The Union saw what the mines had to offer, and though Liberty’s Flame had better equipment, The Union had greater numbers and better communication. They overtook the mines and killed everyone. At least they thought,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

  “I’m guessing you know otherwise,” Alerik smiled.

  “Indeed I do. Many escaped and returned here, slowly rebuilding their numbers. We tried to get them to join our way of life, but their need for vengeance was greater than their common sense. Once again, we were divided in the vaults. They eventually did the attack of 2231, and all bets were off. The Union ran a campaign that turned Liberty’s Flame into a terrorist organization. Overnight they were the enemy of everyone, and their notoriety caused us to expel them from the vault,” she sounded almost regretful.

  “Well, if you didn’t kick them, The Union would have been at your doorstep,” he reasoned.

  “They found their way here, regardless. They poured into our vaults and slaughtered many of our people, but we knew the vaults better. Our people slaughtered many of theirs. Eventually, the battle was a standstill and they had to return to the surface to lick their wounds. Though, that didn’t stop their war on us. They have sealed up every mapped entrance to this place and covered most of the vents. Our oxygen supply is dwindling more and more as the days go by. Soon, our system will fail from the extra strain put on it and we will once again have to return to the surface.”

  “I have to admit; your story is amazing. And even I have fallen under the spell of The Union. I knew they weren’t as philanthropic as they say, but I did hope that they had our best interest at heart,” Alerik said, frowning.

  “The only thing The Union has at heart are its own interests. The people come second,” she sighed as she linked her arm with his. “Let’s head back. You will stay with us tonight, learn of our culture, and dine with us. We have real food, not that processed crap,” she wrinkled her nose as she spoke of the Life Bars.

  “Wow, real food? I’ve never actually eaten anything aside from those processed food bricks,” he chuckled.

  “Well then, it’s settled. You will stay and we will have a feast,” she said as they entered the room where the others were waiting. “Valek, have the others prepare a dinner for us and our guests.”

  “Right away ma’am,” he said before disappearing.

  “By the way… what is your name?” Ale
rik asked the woman.

  “My name is Cinine. Nice to meet you,” she smiled as she squeezed his upper arm affectionately.

  Chapter Three

  The night they spent with Cinine and the Children of Old was enlightening. They had fresh fruit and real vegetables, all grown within the vault using the artificial lighting. Turns out, they had been growing food for generations, since before the humans even walked the surface. They were an odd bunch – eccentric at times – but they definitely cared for their fellow human.

  They believed that Mars and Earth were both deities. That Earth was a paradise and the body of the “good” god, while Mars was the body of the “evil” god. They believed that Earth was where humans belonged, but humans were being punished for their treatment of the old world. They also believed in Phobos and Deimos – a pair of evil sentinels that watched over Mars and added to human suffering.

  Alerik had a feeling that Cinine didn’t truly believe these things, she was way too scientific with her reasoning, but he figured she probably played along for the sake of her people, just to keep them together and under the same belief system. It was inspiring to see the respect and love that her people showed towards her. On the surface, respect was demanded by superiors, but down in the vaults, it was freely given.

  The time did come when they had to leave the company of Cinine and her Children of Old. When Alerik and Velar left the vault, Soren shook their hands and thanked them for helping him find the group. Cinine hugged them both and Alerik promised they would return. He had such an amazing time, and loved seeing a side of humanity that he didn’t know existed. That was a promise he wouldn’t break, he would definitely see them again. Still, he had duties on the surface that he needed to attend to, and now he was armed with a little more information.

  The pair walked out of the junkyard and followed the same path that they had taken with Soran in order to find the hidden vaults.

  “That is dedication,” Alerik raised his eyebrows when the driver and vehicle came into view. Had he waited there the whole time?

  “Yeah, no kidding. I wonder if he even ate…” she said as they climbed into the vehicle.

  “Where to?” the driver asked. He didn’t seem affected at all by the long wait.

  “I need to see Aemon,” Alerik leaned back in his seat, daydreaming about the fun they had while below the surface. He knew he wouldn’t tell Aemon of what had happened or where he had been, but he would be able to give him more information on Liberty’s Hammer without betraying the Children of Old. He didn’t know if he could trust Aemon, but knew without a doubt that he couldn’t trust The Union. Not after all that he had just learned.

  Velar laid her head in Alerik’s lap as they made the short journey back to the office. He put his hand on her head and started playing with her beautiful hair. He bent down and kissed her forehead and thought of how lucky he was for a girl like her to be interested in someone like him. Thoughts of returning to the vault with Velar and forgetting the world on the surface did cross his mind, but Cinine’s people were running out of oxygen and he didn’t want to add to their burden. Plus, there were all the miners on the surface unknowingly working for a corrupt organization that didn’t give a damn about any of them.

  A war was definitely coming, and it needed to happen for the Children of Old to survive.

  For the time being, though, Alerik had to stop Liberty’s Hammer. Though their heart was in the right place, they were willing to kill innocents to get their point across, and that was something Alerik couldn’t stand for. The world might even be better with them in charge, but if they had to be fanatics to do it, then they were no better than The Union. At least The Union had the tools to stop them.

  They vehicle halted at the office and both of them stepped out. The driver parked around the side in case he was needed. Alerik gave Velar a quick kiss goodbye as she headed into the mine for a long day of work, and he went into the office. Hopefully she’d have no trouble today.

  Aemon was sitting in his usual spot behind Bragog’s desk. He smiled as Alerik walked in.

  “I suppose you have news?”

  Alerik nodded, “Yesterday, we pulled this flask off of one of the assailants. We believe they were all linked with Liberty’s Hammer. Not much of a surprise, there. We don’t have any more leads at the moment.”

  “Very good, Alerik. We now have a lead. Once we test the metal, we will know where it came from based on the composition. There are only a few mines in the settlement, and this will point us to where the majority of them are coming from, or at least give us more clues.” He said with a huge smile. “I will get back to you in a couple of days once we know more. Now off you go,” he dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

  Alerik hid his annoyance at the man’s flippant tone and remained silent as he turned to leave.

  “Oh, and Alerik,” he said with his thumb up, “Good work!”

  Alerik slammed the door behind him.

  ***

  The day in the mines had been like any other as of late. Dirty looks, discreet whispers, and blatant insults. The new normal for Alerik and Velar. At least nobody charged them with makeshift daggers this time. If only people could see the big picture, if they could only see what the pair was trying to do for them, they might change their tune. But people were people, and people had a tendency to be shitty about things they didn’t understand. He didn’t blame them though, go back a couple of weeks back and if he were in their shoes, he’d be giving the dirty looks. So he didn’t hold it against them.

  After work, their driver took them back to the new apartment. Alerik walked through the door and quickly took off his sweaty shirt, dropping it on the floor before collapsing in the bed. The last couple of days had made his head spin and he wasn’t sure that he fully understood what was going on. So many pieces of the puzzle were still missing. And if he didn’t get to the bottom of it soon, more people would die. The pressure was almost too much.

  Velar hopped onto the bed and snuggled in close to Alerik after she dropped her backpack on the ground. She propped herself onto her elbow and looked at him.

  “Rough couple of days, huh?” she said as she traced her fingers up and down his chest.

  “Eh, things will get better soon enough. We just need all of the facts. I’m not sure of where to go next, honestly,” he said, looking up at the ceiling.

  “Wherever it is, we will get there together,” she looked up at him and smiled. “I know you’ve been pretty busy lately, we both have… But, I’ve been wondering where we stand. I mean, no pressure or anything. It’s just… what Soran said when he first met me, and then it was like you didn’t know what to call me. It made me realize we haven’t really had a talk about what we are. As a couple, I mean. Or not. I don’t know. What do you think?” she rambled.

  “Oh, you mean like a label? I didn’t realize we were label people,” he said with a chuckle.

  “No… Not like a label. Or maybe. I don’t know. I’m just trying to understand your feelings for me. I mean, we hang out every single day, and now we live together. Not to mention the other stuff…” a blush crept onto her face as she spoke.

  Alerik was silent as she stumbled through her question, mostly because he was trying to figure out a way to articulate his response, but also because she was especially adorable when she was flustered. He inhaled a deep breath before speaking, feeling a bit awkward expressing his feelings out loud. It was foreign territory for him.

  “I think that… no matter how many scenarios played out, in a thousand different universes, we would always end up here, and together. It just feels right. I’ve cared about you since the moment I met you, we have an undeniable connection. I’m just so happy we finally decided to do something about how we felt, instead of dancing around the subject like we used to,” he said with a smile, “Time in this life is not guaranteed, and I intend to spend as much of it as possible with you. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  She let out a relieved sigh, “
I’m really happy to hear you say that… I was hoping this whole thing wasn’t one-sided.”

  “No, it’s definitely not one-sided. I’m surprised you thought that. I thought that my feelings were pretty obvious by how often you’ve caught me staring at you,” he grinned.

  “Staring at my ass you mean?” she arched an eyebrow, “That says something, but it doesn’t have much to do with feelings. Not the romantic kind, anyhow.”

  “No, no, no! I noticed more than your ass,” he laughed as he rolled over so he was resting on his elbow and looking at her face, “Your tits are pretty spectacular, too,” he teased.

  “You sleazeball!” she playfully shoved his chest, “I’m surprised you had time to notice any of my features, what with all your admirers parading themselves in front of you every day in the mines,” she huffed.

  “Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice?” he asked, laughing as he ran his fingers through her silky hair.

  “Oh, fuck off! I’m not jealous…” she sat up, then let out a defeated sigh. “Well, maybe a little.”

  “Don’t be jealous, we’re label people now. You have nothing to worry about,” he started tickling her sides. She burst out laughing, then kneed him in the stomach.

  “Don’t. Tickle. Me!” she managed to choke out between laughs.

  Alarik stopped and feigned injury, clutching his stomach and moaning in an exaggerated gesture.

  “Oh, please! Not falling for it. I don’t know if I’d be attracted if you were that big of a baby,” she called him out.

  “Just trying to get your confidence up. Didn’t want you to feel bad about that pathetic hit,” he shrugged.

  “Oh, so you don’t think I could actually hurt you?” She said in a menacing tone.

  “I have a feeling this is a trap… I’ll bite, though. No, I don’t think you could actually hurt me,” he said as he flexed his chest and grinned.

  She immediately stripped off all of her clothes, then wrapped the blanket tightly around herself. She gave Alerik a pointed look.