"Wake up, Edward."
At first, Edd thought it was his father. He sat up and immediately knew that this
was not the case as he hit his head on the top of the chamber he was laying in. Suddenly,
it all came back to him. The war, the cryogenic freezing, as well as his hope of being
found someday.
After a moment, the chamber completed the unfreezing process and he fell out
onto the cold floor. He tried to stand but his legs couldn't support him and he crashed
back down to the floor. He then noticed that his vision was also gone. He remembered
studying this and thus knew that his eyesight would return in a few minutes.
Then he remembered the voice that he heard. "Is someone there?" he asked, a
little nervous.
"Take a minute to recover," came his answer. "Then all will be explained."
Edd stayed still for a moment until his sight began to return and he got his first
look at the one that had awakened him. The man reminded him of the Hunchback of
Notre Dame. He had a large hump on his back and his face was terribly disfigured.
"Who are you?" Edd finally asked.
"A birth name I don't have, but most people just call me Tol. I guess I have a
great deal to explain to you. Come with me, please."
Tol lead him to a small kitchen and poured a glass with some sort of purplish
liquid.
"It doesn't look very good," explained Tol. "But it's great for waking up."
Edd took a drink. The liquid burned his throat but helped to drive the
drowsiness away.
"Now then," began Tol. "I guess you know that there was a nuclear war in 2002
that almost wiped out life as we know it. After the initial hit, humans as you know them
no longer existed. The survivors were disfigured so much that they no longer even
looked human.
"One such being was a man by the name of Victor Black. The war took its toll on
him mentally, more then anything. He took over what was left of the world and drained
most of the resources fairly quickly.
"Some people tried to fight back but he was very smart in preparing for that
chance. All guns of any kind are banned with the exception of his soldiers. With limited
weapons and even fewer rations, we haven't done well.
"Then, while searching for food, I discovered your cryogenic freezing chambers
and this."
He held up a small leather bound journal. Edd recognized it immediately as the
one he had written in all his life including that tragic day the world as he knew it ended.
"I read it and learned a great deal from it." Continued Tol. "You figured things
out very well. I brought you back mostly because I need your help."
"What good would we do?" asked Edd, taking it all in.
"You have the brainpower to out think our enemies. And being a young man,
they'll underestimate you. Though you'll definitely need some training to prepare you
for what's outside."
"I need to talk to the other kids before I can make a decision." Edd answered.
Tol merely nodded and together, they began waking the other kids. Once they
were all out of the chambers and had recovered from the illness, Edd explained the whole
story and they discussed what to do.
Finally, Edd walked over to Tol who was sitting in a corner by himself.
"We're in." Edd exclaimed.
"Then let's begin your training." Answered Tol, standing.
At first, Edd thought it was his father. He sat up and immediately knew that this
was not the case as he hit his head on the top of the chamber he was laying in. Suddenly,
it all came back to him. The war, the cryogenic freezing, as well as his hope of being
found someday.
After a moment, the chamber completed the unfreezing process and he fell out
onto the cold floor. He tried to stand but his legs couldn't support him and he crashed
back down to the floor. He then noticed that his vision was also gone. He remembered
studying this and thus knew that his eyesight would return in a few minutes.
Then he remembered the voice that he heard. "Is someone there?" he asked, a
little nervous.
"Take a minute to recover," came his answer. "Then all will be explained."
Edd stayed still for a moment until his sight began to return and he got his first
look at the one that had awakened him. The man reminded him of the Hunchback of
Notre Dame. He had a large hump on his back and his face was terribly disfigured.
"Who are you?" Edd finally asked.
"A birth name I don't have, but most people just call me Tol. I guess I have a
great deal to explain to you. Come with me, please."
Tol lead him to a small kitchen and poured a glass with some sort of purplish
liquid.
"It doesn't look very good," explained Tol. "But it's great for waking up."
Edd took a drink. The liquid burned his throat but helped to drive the
drowsiness away.
"Now then," began Tol. "I guess you know that there was a nuclear war in 2002
that almost wiped out life as we know it. After the initial hit, humans as you know them
no longer existed. The survivors were disfigured so much that they no longer even
looked human.
"One such being was a man by the name of Victor Black. The war took its toll on
him mentally, more then anything. He took over what was left of the world and drained
most of the resources fairly quickly.
"Some people tried to fight back but he was very smart in preparing for that
chance. All guns of any kind are banned with the exception of his soldiers. With limited
weapons and even fewer rations, we haven't done well.
"Then, while searching for food, I discovered your cryogenic freezing chambers
and this."
He held up a small leather bound journal. Edd recognized it immediately as the
one he had written in all his life including that tragic day the world as he knew it ended.
"I read it and learned a great deal from it." Continued Tol. "You figured things
out very well. I brought you back mostly because I need your help."
"What good would we do?" asked Edd, taking it all in.
"You have the brainpower to out think our enemies. And being a young man,
they'll underestimate you. Though you'll definitely need some training to prepare you
for what's outside."
"I need to talk to the other kids before I can make a decision." Edd answered.
Tol merely nodded and together, they began waking the other kids. Once they
were all out of the chambers and had recovered from the illness, Edd explained the whole
story and they discussed what to do.
Finally, Edd walked over to Tol who was sitting in a corner by himself.
"We're in." Edd exclaimed.
"Then let's begin your training." Answered Tol, standing.