Chapter 1: Beyond the end
I opened my eyes. This alone was a surprise, considering the fact that I should have been dead, that for all intents and purposes I did die. The RFI shut down all my vital systems in less than 3 seconds, everything that can or did keep my supercharged body running had given out, and no amount of emergency response could have fixed that. Yet here I am, lying flat on my back staring at the grey sky. I tried to get up, but it seemed an almost herculean effort. Every muscle of my being told me to stay down, to sit here and die like I should have already.
With a grunt and a groan I lifted myself onto my ass, each joint popping as it went. Panting, I stayed hunched over, lacking the energy to fully right myself. "Ugh, that's... that's plenty good for now Cole. Most corpses couldn't manage half of that so you're off to a good start." I said aloud, mostly just to see if the old pipes still functioned. It was just then that I realized that I had closed my eyes at some point on the way up. "Jeez, I need to find some juice to keep me going." I told myself, trying to motivate my exhausted form to do something. Deciding there was nothing better to do, I opened my eyes to get a look around.
I wanted to close them again real fast. Everything around me was in shambles, the buildings were crumbling wrecks, bricks contorted and deformed by encroaching vines, statues lying on their side in a dozen pieces, and bodies. Bodies littered the streets, some were brackish and near mummified, while others looked to be fresh kills. My limbs finally decided that I was well enough to move and I stood, stumbling on the uneven and cracking pavement.
I looked around, and to my horror realized I hadn't moved an inch from were I had died. This is New Marias, or was. I walked without direction, just walking to get away from the cathedral, which looked to be on the verge of toppling over. I reached the stairs, gasping and gagging as the air seemed to thicken in my throat, dust catching in my eyes. I took one step down and knew I couldn't keep up. I toppled down the stairs like a sack of potatoes; flipping, smacking and cursing the whole way down. With finality I rolled down the last step and onto the ground, coughing and moaning as the dust settled around me.
I couldn't bring myself to get up, to look at what I had done. I knew that something had went wrong, something obviously hadn't worked and the RFI, designed to destroy all conduits, the beast, and the plague had instead turned into a bomb, wiping out the city and everyone in it. My eyes watered and electricity arced off my face as I thought of all the people I had killed, of all those who had trusted me, and those who I had failed.
Then it hit me, literally. I cringed further as a steel toed boot slammed into my gut, knocking the wind out of me and causing me to cough even harder. With fury in my eyes I shot up, rage coursing through my veins like lava. A gun shoved its way between my eyes before I could even get a look at the guy, and tracing the barrel back to the person revealed it was actually a gal. Not even that; it was a girl, no older than fifteen. She dressed like a mad max wannabe, with leather pads and aluminum studs covering her torso, shoulders, and legs. "Who are you?" she asked, too forcefully for my taste.
"Who am I? What is that, some kind of Joke? I'm the man who destroyed this city. I'm the man responsible for all of this. I'm the man who failed!" I roared angrily, waving my hands up and down in frustration. How could this girl not know me? How could anyone in New Marais not know about me?
The girl almost laughed, her lips twisting into a shit gobbling grin "Oh, you're general Ackerman? Yeah, and I'm a rad-gator's niece. Seriously man, what kind of chems are you on?" she replied haughtily, pressing the gun further into my face.
I had no idea what she was saying, all I knew was that I was pissed off, tired, and sick of her crap. My hand snagged the barrel of her rifle, knocking it out of the way just as the electricity I still had cooked off the ammo. A single bullet whizzed by my ear before the gun failed catastrophically, the next round exploding in the breach and ripping the gun in half. I tossed aside the mangled barrel as the girl stared dumbfounded at the useless lump of metal that was the rifle's base. With a sick grin I yanked the girl off her feet and into the air, my smile only widening as she kicked around helplessly.
One surge, one little pulse could have ended our encounter. Then it hit me all at once. I was the good guy. With an angry growl I released my grip, dropping her to the ground while I slumped backwards against the stairs. The girl's hazel eyes burrowed into me with fear and awe, her brain trying as hard as mine to process what happened. "What... how did you do that? With my gun?" She stammered out, pointing to the piles of fresh scrap metal.
I laughed, "What, don't you know what happens when lightning mixes with gunpowder? It goes bang." I replied, arcing some energy between my hands for show.
"What? Electricity in your... OHMYGOD!" She howled, her eyes widening like she had seen a ghost (which to be fair she might have) "You're him! You're the guy from those old world stories, the saint of New Marais! You've come back, just like grand dad always said!" She screamed in excitement, her demeanor going from frightened to jubilant.
I raised my eyebrow in curiosity "What's all this talk about prophecies and grandpas? I set off the RFI, I killed this place honey. I don't think 'saint' is the word you're looking for."
She shook her head and hopped in place, frustrated at my apparent density "NO! You didn't, the RFI worked fine! You're a hero, you stopped the plague! All this happened way after you disappeared!"
My mind raced, my mouth unable to keep up "Hold up a second, what do you mean 'disappeared', that thing killed me. And how much longer exactly was it before this place began to look like the set of I am legend?"
She leant down next me, placing her hand on my shoulder "You really don't know what's happened all these years? Well, I can explain. But not here, I've been out to long as it is. Come with me, I'll explain everything back at base." She replied, standing and offering me her hand. I thought long and hard, wondering what the hell sort of story she would spin, and asking myself if I really wanted to hear it. After what seemed like a minute I huffed and took it, dragging myself onto my feet.
This in gonna be a long.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Why this you ask? Because I'm insane, that's why! Read and review. Or just leave a rude remark, either one works just fine. Also, this is the shortest chapter I have ever written in any of my fictions, and is the only first person piece I have ever done. Weird. Also, I wouldn't mind having a beta reader. If anyone both reads this and finds this interesting (I know, I ask too much) please PM me.
