'Science...'
'Politics...'
'Religion...'
The crowbar smashed into the head of the man, sinking into his skull with a sickening crack. He collapsed, covering the ground in his black, pulp filled blood.
'Ethics...'
'Morals...'
'War...'
The tool was wretched from the dead man's skull, the wielder banged it on the ground, shaking off the excess gore.
'which one of these destroyed humanity?'
The felled body jerked, eliciting a grunt from the corpse. The steel equipped drifter brought the crowbar down on the head of the man twice more, reducing it to a gory brain filled mess. It didn't move again. She let out a sigh of relief, once again removing the gore from her weapon.
'In a way, they all did. Science let people mess with forces that they didn't understand. Dabbling in things that they KNEW could unmake them. Politics, This let foolish and blind government officials take our guns away. They made it difficult to own a car, forcing most to rely on the mass transit system.'
A little girl rushed out of the shadows, pale, empty eyes, focused on the woman. She cocked the crowbar back, like a baseball player readying his homerun swing. The four foot monstrosity came within range and she cut loose with the curved end, stabbing it in the head. She pulled, ripping the steel tool out of her head and tearing a hole in the top. Blood spurted out in sync with her heart. Not sparing the creature a passing glance, she shouldered the jimmy bar and walked on.
'Ethics... People compelled by these ideals followed the laws of the government, even when capital hill had no clue what to do. People needlessly went to their deaths by going to the overrun evac stations or the clinics to get help. People who had morals recklessly risked or gave their lives to save the damned, just because they held them close. It was a disgrace... or I guess it still is. The reason for the development of the blight was because of the war. And the cause of the war? The worst of them all, religion. The people of this world could never get along because of religion. For centuries, humanity waged war in the name of "god". When the worst conflict came, when each side was going to eliminate the other for "god", they destroyed themselves. And in doing that, they released their contagious doom upon the earth. They murdered their own race in the name of "god"'
She spied an open door to a small concreate building. With a frown on her dirty face, she casually walked over to the door. Ever so carefully, she banged her weapon on the metal door frame, a classic form of bate the lost.
Nothing happened. Her frowned deepened, this was unusual. Generally at least one was in a building at anytime. The rain muted any sound that could possibly be one of the lost, when their not on the war path. 'I'll have to risk it'
She drew a metal cylinder from a satchel at her side. With a motion of her thumb and a 'click' a light shined onto the opposite wall. She waved it slowly, left and right. To her amazement, nothing. She entered the room and closed the door, she found a light switch a moment later. With another click, the room was illuminated. The room was a comfortable size, a staircase that led to another floor was to her right and a table to her left. A box sat atop the table. She turned to the door to inspect it's security. A titanium bar lay several feet from the portal, hooks were welted onto the door for said bar. The woman picked it up and secured it.
"Don't need any unwelcome visiters coming from behind." She whispered. She put the torch on the table and examined the contents of the box. A few MRE's and a chewed piece of gum made the cardboard their home. She took out the food and read them.
"Pasta, Cajon rice, and meat loaf... Shit" Rolling her eyes, she placed them in the pack on her back. The food added much hated weight, but it ment three less days of starvation. Leaving the box where it was, the young woman went to the stairs. The green carpet had dark stains on it. Either headed upstairs or the opposite. Regardless of how much she didn't want to, she had to clear the top floor. Putting one foot infront of the next, the white haired maiden marched up the stairs, Pry bar at the ready. She was greeted by a lack of events. The second floor resembled the first except that there was a bathroom in the corner, the door wide open. And a cot in the far corner. A bedroll and camping pillo rested on it. The whole building was windowless, there was one door and one easily defendable stair case. When she laid eyes upon what lay on the table, she couldn't help but grin. On the table rested an old pump shotgun. The pump and stock were made of real wood, two boxes of shells sat to the side. When she worked the action, she found three in the gun. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She would sleep with this next to her tonight.
"I guess whoever lived here wasn't to keen on handing their guns over to the feds." She smiled, then loaded it up, full this time. "It's almost as if someone knew I'd be coming." She went to the cot and laid out the bedding. After removing her wet clothes and slipping into bed, when she dreamed, it often reminded her of what life had transformed into.
'Humanity was brought to extinction in the name of "god"' She closed her eyes, sleep consuming her.
'… There is no God...'
Seven months earlier
"Our top story tonight! The United World of Islam and the Holy European Dominion Refuse to back down, with heavy fighting in Russia and Turkey, The body count grows ever higher. Estimates show that HED casualties have reached over one million while the UWI has taken twice that. Regardless of the requests from the HED, the United States remains neutral, President Steiner has declared that the western hemisphere will not get involved in the pointless wars of the eurasian continent. Relations with the two blocks is crumbling. The People of-"
"That's enough of that." Alfred sighed as he walked away from the television. "Those dang people never talk about anything else these days. Makes me sick, the US media should cover US news, not crap about people killing for no other reason then hate." Kim stood up from the couch and stretched, groaning as she did.
"Dad, those religious nuts are fixated on killing each other so for their respective gods, they're all fighting or the wrong cause. It's not like anything has changed either, religious people always slaughter each other." Alfred gave her a sad look. She saw it to.
"Kim... Don't be ignorent. Religious people have done lot's of good for the people of this world. Don't mistake the sins of some for the dogma of others."
"I have never met a good christian or Muslim before" Her father put a firm grip on her shoulder, she looked her in the eye, not yielding or blinking.
"I'm sure you have, I know I have You should try reading a bible some time, What it teaches is good to live by, even if you don't believe. And one last thing, the majority of the two warring blocks aren't true believers of the faith. Real christians are people like your mother and her family. Think on that." Kim returned his stare, she looked at him for what seemed like ages. She looked away first, he defeated her. The young woman shrugged his hand off.
"I'm going to bed, I have classes tomorrow." She turned and went up stairs to her room, locking the door as she went in.
"Why does he treat the religious with so much kindness? The fact they believe in a higher being makes them lesser..." She stayed awake for a long while, puzzling over the thoughts in her mind. Eventually she dozed off.
Alfred turned the news back on after she left, he had nothing else to do. The news anchor looked a little worried. "The new weapons developed by both the HED and the UWI have had extremely large success in Turkey and Russia. The Populations of both Kiev and Istanbul Have seemed to completely disappeared. More news as the situation develops." He stared at the TV, surprised and curious.
"I wonder... Did the HED and UWI continue the research anyway? I thought we discussed the arrangements for the research to be destroyed..." He cursed and grabbed his coat and keys.
"Kimberly! I'm going out! I have my phone!" She threw open the door and headed out into the night, cursing with every step. He entered his old continental and turned the key. The old fossil fuel engine roared to life, It's output waking the neighbors. "Heinrich! You stupid son of a bitch! Mehmed, you too!" He got on his cell phone and dialed a number.
"Federal Bureau of investigation. What is the purpose of your call?"
"Listen, I have important information on the HED's and UWI's new weapons. I need to talk to your superior." The high nasal voice of the woman annoyed him to no end, her response was even worse.
"I'm sorry sir, that is not possible. Please do not call this number again. It is a federal offense to prank this line."
"It's not a prank! Im serious-" She hung up on him. He spat a curse and kept driving, He turned onto the entrance ramp for the inter-state.
'Heinrich! What did you do!?! We agreed that this research was too dangerous!' He flew down the inter-state going ninety miles an hour. He was never pulled over, much to his surprise. Minutes turned to hours, he saw the "welcome to Ohio" and kept driving. Alfred pulled into a parking garage in Columbus, beside an apartment complex where Heinrich resided. He killed the engine and locked the old car up. Fear and anger pushed his feet into a brisk walk, his fists were ready to dent the Austrian's head. He approached the door where his coworker lived, he knocked.
Nothing happened, He hammered his fist on the door. "Heinrich! You dick head! Open the door!" A moment later, a small man opened the door. He was pale and balding, he looked like he had a permanent case of the flu.
"I figured you'd come along eventually Alfred. Nice to see you again." The Healthy middle aged man pushed the frail one aside and entered the apartment.
"I can't say the same. What did you do Heinrich? And Mehmed too?" The hagard man looked at his ex-friend with disdain. He sneered.
"Why should I tell you anything? Your not the boss of me!" Alfred drew a small pistol from his pocket and trained it on Heinrich's face. "You wouldn't! Where did you get that? The government took all the guns away!"
"I don't have time for this! The government lied about that! They got less then ten percent of the firearms! Geez! What did you and Mehmed do? Humanity is at stake, we need to stop the infection before it grows out of control!" The little man snarled.
"I ain't saying anything Alfred, all I will say is that those ragheads will get what's coming to them!" His pistol hand shook, anxiety adding to the list of emotions he felt.
"You gave the HED government the research!?! Are you insane!?!"
"Mehmed did the same, it was for our own respective nations. It was your foul to dispose of your share of the data. You left America without that deterrent."
"We agreed to destroy all of it Heinrich! For the survival of humanity!" Heinrich scowled fiercely, anger was finally shown on his face.
"If those bastards in the middle east survive then they will eventually destroy humanity! And besides, it's already over! The bombs have been planted in every major city of the UWI. The end of dar al islam is at hand!" Alfred was seething with anger. This POS had no clue what he had just done.
"Your going to infect that many people! The results will spill into europe and asia in a matter of days, you single handedly just killed all of eurasia!"
"Those pagan bastards in asia will suffer for their inability to accept the faith. And those infidels will get theirs first."
"And what of the christians in the americas? The majority of south america is still catholic, and they denounced the HED's actions from the start! Or the many christians in the US? Your people will never get away with this!" Heinrich grinned, Evil radiated from the man. Malice filled his eyes, he stood up straight. His pronunciation was the final straw.
"That is why we have placed the bombs in Many major US cities as well, We will be the sole survivors of this war! The south americans will see the light when faced with the choice to join us or die!"
Alfred shot him.
Heinrich fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. The blood drained from his face, more poured from the wound. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words coming out, a bullet went in. The back of his head exploded in a spray of gore. Brain and pieces of bone covered the floor, blood seeped out of the wound.
Alfred began to cry, he fired his gun into the corpse several more times. The police would be there soon, he reached into his pocket and drew his phone. He dialed Kim's cell, knowing she wouldn't answer the phone. He put it to his ear and looked at the gun.
"Please... pick up Kimmy... please" a moment later, the phone was picked up.
"Hello? What is it dad?"
"Kimberly... there is little time! Go to my room. There is a box in my closet, there is a lock. The combination is 1785, take what's in it and go! Get out of the city and find somewhere to hide!"
"Why? What are you driving at old man?"
"People are going to die very soon, lots of people around the world. Get the box and go, don't expect me to come find you... Actually don't expect to see me again. Just get the items in the trunk and get the hell out! I don't have time to explain!" Kim sighed in annoyance, her patience with the old fool was thinning.
"Damnit you senile fool! I have to study, if you call again it better be a major emergency!"
"Kim! Hang on a sec-" She hung up. He cursed violently, the squad cars pulled into the parking garage and the officers were running to the apartment. Alfred held onto the pistol and raised it to his head and pulled the trigger, he never heard the report of the gun, his vision was filled with white. Instantly, his life was over.
Kim slowly opened her eyes, she was still in the cot. Still alive. She removed the bedroll and dawned her clothes. The rain was still pouring outside, put it sounded like it had let up a little. She checked her watch... 8:24 AM.
"Early morning start, better get a move on." She got all her equipment together and went to the door, looking out the porthole in the bars to check for infected. Nothing in sight. He removed the bar and opened the door, moving out slowly and cautiously. The rain was a drizzle, it wasn't to cold out. With the shotgun shouldered, Kim moved around the building and continued her journey to find rescue.