This is not a story for everybody. If you're looking for a compelling sci-fi dystopia adventure, then this is it. If you're looking anything else, look elsewhere. I will actually be sharing this with people in the "real world," so references to the show will be kept to a minimum. But fear not, there is a central character in this! Just be patient with me and you will be rewarded.
In the year two thousand twenty, a virus killed every person over the age of forty and no one lives past the age of forty. Eighty years later, Agent Leah Lindell embarks one last mission to find the cure and finds something that leads to a much larger conspiracy at play.
The Last Mission
Personal Log of Agent Leah Lindell
July 9th, 2100
There was a time when the earth was a beautiful, vibrant, place. That time has long past. For those still unfamiliar with our history, I know there are many, the earth was decimated by a virus that killed every person over the age of forty in the year twenty-twenty, known as the Ultimate Cataclysm. To this day, in the year two thousand one hundred, every person who hits the age forty dies. My name is Agent Leah Lindell and I am twenty years old. My life is already half over.
For decades there have been rumors of a cure for the virus. Terrorists have been keeping it hidden for generations now. People have died scouring the globe for clues as to where the cure might be. There are also persistent rumors of technology being developed that could save humanity. They are only rumors, but they remain our only hope.
"Agent Lindell?"
Lindell looked up from her notebook.
The man in the ragged suit nodded.
"They're ready for you."
Lindell closed her notebook and straightened her pants as she got up. They didn't quite fit her, but they were the nicest pants she owned. Presentation wasn't as important as it used to be, but it still mattered.
They sat at a conference table that had seen better days. Director Isabella Hotchner sat flanked by her second in command Ray Welk, and Special Missions Operator Louis Briar.
"Agent Lindell," Hotchner said politely. "Have a seat."
Her red suit was in immaculate condition. She clearly had the discipline to sew and maintain her own clothing. Her brown hair was in a neat bun. At the age of thirty-nine, there was a hardness in her eyes that indicated she knew her time would be up soon.
"Why should we consider you for the last position on this mission?" she asked.
"I still believe there is a cure," she said. "I don't believe we're chasing shadows or just playing dress-up for a mission that will only get us killed. I still believe."
"Why?" Welk asked.
"I read in an old Star Wars book that rebellions are built on hope. I want to be part of mission that upends that status quo and saves humanity."
"The Allegiance thinks we are a wasteful enterprise," Hotchner said. "What happens if we discover there is no cure on this mission and you lose your job?"
"I refuse to give up," she said. "I will seek out another organization hunting for the cure and work for them."
"What special skills do you bring to the mission?" Briar asked.
"My superior athleticism, I have BA in Biology, and I am fearless."
"What about your brother?" Hotchner asked.
"I haven't seen Cameron since I joined up," she said. "He resented my decision as he is among the people who believe the human species should simply die away."
"In a hypothetical situation," Hotchner said. "Would you be willing trade his life for the cure?"
"In a heartbeat."
"What about your girlfriend?"
"I broke up with her today. I didn't want anything to get between me and a chance to find the cure. The answer remains the same though: yes."
"That will be all Agent Lindell," Hotchner said. "Thank you."
"Thank you," Lindell said and stood up.
She left the room and decided to take the long way back home. As the upper floors had fallen out of disuse due to lack of consistent access to electricity, she took the stairs down from the third floor to the main atrium. Lindell stopped and looked at the photos of those fallen. No one had been added since the Cataclysm. Looking closely at the photos, she wondered what the fallen agents would think of the shadow of a government she worked for now.
"My great-grandfather worked for her."
Lindell turned around to see Hotchner pointing to an older blond woman with a severe look on her face.
"My grandfather kept a record of all the stories his father told him about the bravery of his elite team of agents who apprehended serial killers. This woman was his direct supervisor."
"You have a legacy to be proud of," Lindell said.
"Thank you," she said with a thin smile. "Are you really willing to give everything to find this cure?"
"Yes, Ma'am," she said firmly.
"Be prepared to do so. This may be our last chance at finding something useful and it may cost you your life."
"I am aware of the risks."
"I hope so. Have a good day, Agent Lindell."
"You too, Ma'am."
Lindell left the building and walked home. She didn't know if she had gotten the job, but there was hope. Hope was what was needed in times when the odds seemed insurmountable.