AN
This is the first story I have written for the site, so do not bash for possibly low writing skills or some other bull crap reason. But let's begin. By the way if you haven't been paying attention to the summary, this is a Half-life fic. Tiny percentage of possible lemon, sorry if you were hoping about it. This follows the story of a resistance member known as Christopher Hansen, in the slums of City 29. [Description of both Chris and City 29 will be in the story and in the Author Note at the end
Speech: "I am going to be done with my shift at eight".
Thought: "I can't believe I ate the whole thing".
The Ashes of Humanity
Chapter One- Alexander
We live day after day in a world of tyranny. But some stand above others in these times of suffering. These are the resistance a small group of men and women that decided to fight back against the alien overlords, known as the combine. The resistance has been shrinking every day from a multitude of a death and destruction from the fights that break out between both the rebels and the combine.
The Resistance lacks proper leader ship and morale. They are under trained and unsuited for battle. It is safe to say from any person's perspective. That no matter what happens. They will always lose; as the days go on and on more lives are lost with the never ending disappointment of the fact that for every combine they kill they lose three of their own. Also due to the people's thoughts about the resistance and the rumors circulating about the resistance surrendering, the resistance continues to shrink as more and more decide it is better to comply with the dictators then to fight. So the resistance leaders decided that they will have they're troops try to convince others to join, ones harmed by the combine and they're oppression. We join one man that will be the turning point in the war, his name: Christopher Hansen, a tall, brown haired, bearded, broad man with nary any fat that resides of his stomach. Not due to work, but due to the fact that he must work hours on end just for 1 day of rations just to split it with his younger brother Alexander; Alexander was the only thing that kept him from taking his life. He loved his younger brother more than he loved his own life; and that was a problem. Alexander could not work. He could not even stand without help. His own spinal cord was severed before the world was taken, he could never walk from that day forth; Christopher when this happened had been devastated and vowed to care for him until the day one of them died.
Every day Christopher went to the mines to gather materials and then left to receive the rations promised to him. He knew that he could get better rations by joining the CP but he decided against it since he would most likely never see his brother ever again after agreeing to the terms of the job. This was a common thought for him, "Could I leave Alexander to fend for himself? Could I leave him to die of starvation just so I could live a better life"?
Immediately just as had the thought entered his mind it left briskly as he thought of his own morals. Not only did he hear about joining the CP but he also heard of joining the pitiful squander that was the resistance. He knew that no matter what, he would never join the resistance. It was worse than working his current job to live with no roof or home, to fight against impossible odds. There might have been a part of him that had died when he vowed to protect Alexander, which would have loved to fight against the combine. But now with his brother he had to take care of he could do nothing but sit and twiddle his thumbs as the days passed by as he grew weaker and weaker succumbing to the starvation that has gripped his life ever since the combine took over.
Advance time- four weeks
He had left to work one day to find the most peculiar of things. "A…..Survey"? Pondered Chris as he had observed the census takers for the combine, examining the frailty of the workers, he knew right away that if he was to be spotted they would know that something was up. He could be fired, or worse than that, taken to the 'Hospital' a building that could be found from the screams that echoed through the empty streets of this forsaken city. "Damn I must escape, before they spot me or else I might not be able to help Alexander". Quickly as soon as he had begun to run he was approached by one of the census takers just salivating at the chance to find one that would allow him to get a second ration if he played his cards right.
"Hey buddy! You going to take this survey or what? If you don't you're going to be sent to the hospital for denying the combine". Exclaimed the Census Taker as he smiled with glee after finding one so perfect that he could almost taste the extra quarter of bread.
"Ah shit. I got spotted better play it off cool or else he will use me just to get more food".
"Uh…Yeah I was just on my way to…uh speak with one of you. I do not have much experience with these sorts of things. Do you think you can help me with that"? Quickly mumbling out a babbling brook of incoherent words and noises, just at the same time of his thoughts about the expression of the census taker "Aww come on he is now just looking at me like a hyena stalking his pray. I almost know for sure that he is just waiting to get his hands on my ration. But I need it for Alexander".
"Oh…yes I am quite sure I can help you. But from the sight of you, you look like you haven't eaten in days. You might be unfit for work. Maybe I can cut you a deal. You give me your rations today and I won't get you fired". Oh yes he could just smell the food just making its way over to him just so he could eat twice as much and live more comfortably then the rest of these fools that decided to use their bodies to work instead of their brains.
"Oh I just knew it. Another one of the bastard's that exploit other people's problems for own personal gain, I hate these sick fucks". Chris inwardly screamed at himself trying to find a solution that got him out of this. Immediately without thinking it completely through took a random punch to the side of the Census Takers skull. Even through weeks of starvation and weakened arms, he could still deliver a punch that was enough to send the man writhing to the floor in agony. As quick as this whole ordeal started, Chris bolted towards his apartment building praying to god that he had not been seen by his coworkers. He knew that they would turn him in immediately for a second ration for the day just like the rest of these god forsaken people.
He rushed up the stairs of his apartment complex to find his apartment door open. As he entered he was greeted with the most horrific sight. The body of his brother, Alexander slumped against the wall bleeding out slowly. As the rasping breaths of his brother filled his eardrums, he was filled with rage as he charged in blind. Just to be knocked to the ground writhing in the agony and the ringing echoing through his head. As the world faded to black, he saw the glowing eyes of his now hated enemy, The Combine.
An
This is the first short chapter of The Ashes of Humanity. I had promised I would give a more detailed description of the city and Chris. But I will also include the description of his brother Alex. Hey maybe you can even feel some pity for Chris if you have experienced the loss of someone dear.
Christopher Hansen: He is a large man (6'3") with broad shoulders and a well-defined body. Based off of a character I had created in a role-play. He is Danish with long brown hair in a sort of straight and fallen the right feathered haircut. He has a beard that covers most of his face when it gets down to it. He is not bright. He is strong though as you can tell from that punch he delivered. He is like a character from Harrison Bergeron. One that lives his life in a way better than others and he must be handicapped because of it.
City 29: The slummiest of all the cities. It is mainly small cramped apartments not even suitable for a single person to live in. It used to be a former mining town. Huge amount of minerals track across the ground underneath the feet of those that live here, abandoned mines make good hideouts for anything. Am I right? Coastal, may be obvious but I had loved the coast in Half Life 2. It was so beautifully designed I wanted to base a story in a town that was nearby that had to be locked down every now and then due to the ant lion spawning. By the way if you don't remember not only humans can be in the mines.
Alexander: He is like a complete contrast of Christopher. He is short and stubby. As mentioned he had not been able to walk from an incident that happened before the seven hour war. A starch blonde hair covers his head as it is clean and is held to the sides of his head making him look like the stereotypical pompous man. He loves his brother to a fault, and vice-verca.