After the first apocalypse a man who's name was unknown wrote a series of letters explaining the horrors, trials, and tribulations he went through finally died. These files made it, they transcended through three hundred years, before being placed in a vault where they were typed into a computer, and rewritten then locked away by the government just encase the worst ever happened again. Unfortunately the worst thing possible did happen, the letters were forgotten over a time span of 100 years. All except for one, that had two copies made, one that was stored and another that was placed between two layers of double paned bullet proof glass. Many simply looked at it as an object of history that wasn't erased. Well that was until the documents were stolen from both locations. That is when four families involved in its theft copied it down, each having received a separate letter. Then as tensions between countries rose once more, the families went to extreme measures to ensure the note would remain in circulation. With every first child born, when they turned sixteen the note was tattooed onto their back. These tattoos were the reminder of what had happened four hundred years prior to the first nuclear war and some after. However as the bombs are more powerful, and are much more lethal in these years, even though towns are little shanties or the remains of once great buildings that could collapse any moment. Now as the nations threaten each other with war, on more than just levels of biological threats and minor bombing attacks. Each government is out to find the secret to rule ultimately, as is the belief they have for the letter bearers notes. That is when the mercenary group; Agency Seeking Human Evidence Suppression squad (ASHES) formed. Its main purpose was to serve the highest bidder and get the letters they were paid to retrieve…at any cost.
From sightings many people have described them as ruthless, killing people who have not seen any letter bearers. Removing people from life just because they were beyond law, and that poor soul had gotten in their way. They once had been confronted and the agent, that had confronted them was immediately deemed missing. As they told the country hiring them that they had not seen nor heard from their agent who was sent as a warning. However they haven't killed everyone that's crossed their path. The most notable being, Cassandra, a known letter bearer who was last spotted in a decaying Escondido . Then again she had been on the run since her sixteenth birthday, and knew her territory.
Shoving her hands in the pocket of her coat the light reflecting off of Cassandra's glasses as she was facing the rising morning sun. Its light reflected off the clouds that had a light green tint to them still from the war after all these years. Kicking at the sand beneath her feet, her eyes glanced off to the side for a moment, it had been a few days she lost the last batch of A.S.H.E.S members sent after her but without a doubt more would come. Taking a deep breath before she began walking once more down the dune that was formed from the crater of a mini bombs old explosion Cassandra kept heading east to a city she saw in the distance keeping a tight hold on her weapons that was stored safely in her pocket just in case of a surprise attack. Holding her breath for a moment as she dropped sliding down the hill on her butt dust flying up around her, Cassie coughed once she reached the bottom before heaving in a deep breath of air. Even after years of doing this nearly every day she still wasn't used to this climate. Frankly she wasn't excited about another day, much less one in which she would reach a shanty town and people could recognize her description, then give her location to the ASHES squad, which could and one day would end up killing her.
Bluntly speaking her major thought was a questioning of why she was even finding the other letter bearers and endangering her self. Perhaps she would answer that later, but for now she was focused on finding her supplies and maybe a source for some clean water too. As the dog that had been padding along beside her for several months stopped a few feet behind her, Cassandra looked back over her shoulder as its fur ruffled up and the dog then began to bark. " What is it boy?" she asked looking back over her shoulder gripping onto her knife, Cassie's demeanor changed to one that was conservative and held a distrusting expression on her face. As her eyes narrowed the girl walked over her dog leading the way in a wolf-on-the hunt like stance its teeth visibly bared at the motion just a few feet away from them. "What's going on over here," she started lowering her glasses some to get a glance at the subject. Looking to the dog which was black as night it continued on ahead with a cold steel gaze. The figure seemed to be well camouflaged with the environment around it. The only reason that Cassie had an idea of where this it was thanks to the dirt spurting up around the place where its feet kicked it up. As she moved her hand under her coat Cassie turned rather quickly while pulling out he switchblade she had under her coat.
"Show yourself! Come on you coward, who hides like that?"
As her voice seemed to roar much like a lion in its command all movement ceased, and everything silence. Minus the threatening growl of the dog which was slowly slinking up to the mysterious being. Following behind that canine she saw flesh, beaten by the sun and smelled foul enough. It made her sick to her stomach almost to the point she could barely hold the little she had eaten in. But she managed to fight it for the most part which was good, except that her eyes were watering as the dog lunged at the creature. A loud screech rang into the air as well as snarls from both the dog and the creature. As her dog was thrown back into the dirt and by the being as it was shoved away. A small yelp as it hit the ground could be heard causing Cassandra to take action.
"Ugh its you decays again!"
She yelled as she slid the knife across the creatures torso and then as its claws cut through her coat, she stabbed the blade into the lung of the creature and pushed further in. That single motion was enough to kill it, just barely though. Standing up panting from both the rising heat and the dust she struggled to catch her breath. Raising her arm to her face, Cassandra attempted to filter the strange mixture of dust while pushing on ward, the dog walking beside her still in its feral mode as it was almost assuming more were present.
It was almost dusk now, and the rest of her travel that day had gone relatively smooth aside from the Decay and the dog wanting to nap half way to the city. As Cassandra took in a breath she forced her self to laugh, it allowed her to break up the 'thick' air in her lungs making it easier to breath. Unfortunately the days travel and the dust that was in the air coating it like a thick blanket made it difficult on her lungs. As she glanced off to the side a faint beam of light shot through her glasses to her eyes forcing her to shut her eyes turning away as it hit causing a sharp pain. There was nothing worse then the feeling being blinded by an ungodly bright force. Removing her glasses she rubbed her eyes gently trying to clear her vision once more. Sighing as she looked to the dog, Cassandra placed her glasses on her face once more as they passed through the gate of the city. Everyone around her seemed to be silent and watching carefully. It was obvious that this place didn't trust, nor really accept strangers at first. Her eyes darted about, she saw no arms, or even vehicles that could point towards the presence of A.S.H.E.S members.
She let a soft sigh of relief escape her lips while she glanced to the nearest dust covered building, there was an instability about its half-assed rebuilding, bits of scrap metal lining the pathway were partly scorched black by what she could only guess was a bomb. Though they had gone off hundred of years ago she couldn't help but feel a little irritated by the hell on Earth that everyone was left to dwell in. Ignoring her own emotions for now, Cassandra gripped onto the make shift door of plywood with two scraps of metal nailed behind it for support, or perhaps to intimidate thieves. Either way such small things failed to even tip off her worry. Pulling dust fell from the roof above her, brightening her dark brown hair to a more smoky shade of the color.
"Damn it all!"
Shouting this the girl pulled open the door, its poorly attached hinges about being snapped in the sudden motion. Glancing at those inside who seemed shocked by her sudden outrage, the girl even though she was a little short, cast a glare to veer their eyes away from her as she entered. Glancing at the dog following behind her, its tongue out to the side panting. Cassandra grinned walking into the depressing atmosphere of the building.
"Idiots, act as if they haven't seen a person having a bad day before."