Nuclear winter was beginning.
Twelve years prior, everything had gone wrong in the world. Businesses collapsed, and the business- based economy the top of the world had established was suddenly bankrupt. Crime skyrocketed, and unnecessary wars were fought to obtain money to hold over the people. Finally, the government lost control of its nuclear assets, and disaster resulted.
Even twelve years later, the nuclear war continues. People look in the sky every minute to determine whether they can continue their lives or must run back to the shelter as a missile streaks over.
However, humanity survives. The UN, with the last remnants of its once worldwide power, has created safe zones- places free of the horrid brown-gray skies that host all of the surviving species of animals. These places have satellites hovering over them that remove fallout from the air and intercept ordinance heading towards the spaces. After the creation of the safe zones, the UN dissolved, leaving the governments of the world to desperately try to fix their world.
The taxi still had a dull yellow paint covering- a spark of life from the earlier days. The days before people had to get food from soldiers. The days before the average life expectancy had dropped to forty, lower in some parts of the world. Before automobiles, like this one, were only found with soldiers.
"At yer service," The hidden driver said.
"Erm, yes…" the child's father said. He fumbled with his wallet, trying to find credit. "We need you to take him to a safe zone. Anywhere."
"Closest zone's Arrrk." The driver said, drawing out the 'ar' in Ark.
"How much?" the kid's mother asked, holding her child by a pale hand. The cab driver peered at the small human.
"If you got nothin' with it, then he's 10,000."
"10,000 bells!" the father said in disbelief. The mother silenced him.
"We can only give you 5,000, but can we also pay with this?" she held up a food check for one person.
"Yeh, whatever." The cabbie said, "Load him in."
The miserable thing climbed into the back, looking back at its parents. "Where am I going?" it asked, "Are you going with me?"
"You're going to the best place in the world," the child's mother said, trying to smile. "We'll come later…" she looked at her husband and tried to instill some hope.
The father closed the door and held out the money and check to the driver's side door. It opened, and a green hand creaked out. The parents jumped back in alarm.
"Don't worrrry," the creature said, "I'm not gonna eat you." The hand grabbed the payment and retreated, closing the door after it. The taxi grumbled to a start and began to drive into the distance…
Irradiated rain began to drip onto the windshield and patter on the roof. Kapp'n heard the child in the bow cringe with fear.
"No worries," he reassured it. "This cab's sealed. No gas can come in, or radiation. Not even a bullet could hurt ya in here."
The child didn't seem to calm down. Not bothering to look back and find out for himself, Kapp'n asked the child, "You a whelp er a wench?"
The child was confused. "Whelp? Wench?"
Wench, Kapp'n found out as the child spoke. "Name?" he asked.
"Why's your hair all greenish? So are your hands…are you a monster?" the child quivered in confusion.
"Yarr, I'm a washed up sailor!" Kapp'n proclaimed, "I'm no landlubbin' monster, kid."
"A sailor?" the child's eyes lit up. "Dad told me he was a sailor once, before the gov'ment stopped trying to contain the pirates."
"I stopped bein' a sailor when the seas gave up their life an' died," Kapp'n sighed. "There ain't no more fish in the sea, there ain't no dolphins, no more blasted seaweed…jus' submarines and trash. Everybody stopped bein' a sailor when the ocean died." Kapp'n finished. "So now I sail the plains like a bloody landlubber."
"That's…sad…" the child said, slowly. "I didn't know the sea used to have fish in it, or anything other than ships."
"Ah told yeh ma life story, landlubber!" Kapp'n said with new energy. "I haven't told yeh ma dream! I dream that one day, there won't be no more trash, no more radiation, and the ocean will be blue again! As soon as I see blue over the horizon again, I'm sailing away and never comin' back."
"Why aren't you coming back?" the child asked, "We're going to the best place ever, aren't we?"
"Ain't no best place in the world since the sea died." Kapp'n said. "Jus' better places. Places kept up by decent animals that have actual money and property. Nice places that don't have anything to do with the rest of this hell."
"Animals?" the child said.
"Animals." Kapp'n answered. "Genetic engineering, or some 'in. I dunno, but there's a lot more animals than people in these places."
"Are you an animal?" the child asked.
"Naw, jus' a water demon." Kapp'n jested. "Your stops comin' up. Sure was fast, huh?"
"Is that the sun?"
"Yep. The sun shines in these places, and nowhere else. Used to be like that on the sea."
"The sea sounds really nice." The child said in wonder.
"It certainly was." Kapp'n sighed again, bringing the cab to a halt. "I'm gonna leave you in the gates. The policemen'll take care a' you." He started to shut the door, but the child ran up to the door and held it open.
"I never told you my name."
"Arr, ya didn't. Why don'tcha now?"
"My name's Anna. It was nice talking to you."
"Nice t' know." Kapp'n started to shut the door again, but Anna kept her hand on the door.
"What's yours?"
"Kapp'n. Like Capp'n, but with a kah."
"Kapp'n, when the sea's blue again…will you take me with you when you sail away? Please? The sea sounds like a lot of fun, especially with you sailing."
"Yarr harr harr." Kapp'n laughed. "I'll make sure to come and get you."
"Don't forget me, please." Anna said, hopefully.
Kapp'n patted her on the head and shut the door. The guards heaved open the door and Anna looked back and waved. Kapp'n waved once, and then drove the taxi around, back into the wilderness.
"Arr," Kapp'n sighed to himself. "That makes three crewmates fer my voyage."
Kapp'n stopped the car and leaned back in the seat, pulling his cap over his eyes.
"Watch me words, like seabirds, through the sky climb…Upward they climb..."