Future Days

Chapter 6: Our Idealistic Hero Confronts a Brave New World

1

The trip to Codicia was mostly quiet and unbothered until Natalie decided to speak:

"Do you think we are some of the only people left in the galaxy?"

"Let's not even bother to speculate." Jefferson replied.

Natalie laid back in her seat and sighed. "This world isn't right. This world isn't right."

"Nobody ever said it would be." Nathan said.

It was really quiet after that.

2

The Tech District used to be a place filled with commerce and business and capitalism and products you were supposed to buy to distract yourself from the world in front of you. That all changed just in a matter of hours. Bodies were all over the streets in their own piles of blood. It was almost like none of it had ever existed without the people. The buildings still stood tall and the products still existed on their store shelves. But it was lifeless and static and without character.

"Jesus Christ." Nathan said. "Is there anyone left?"

"I don't think so. Not here anyways." Jefferson said.

Suddenly, a cough was heard. It sounded like a young girl. "Do you guys hear that?" Nancy asked.

Everyone nodded and they walked down an alleyway where they found a young girl, maybe 13 years old, in tattered clothes. She was crying.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jefferson asked. The young girl just looked and sobbed. She looked like she needed a good meal and some water.

Nathan walked closer to the young girl and talked to her, face-to-face. He got down to her level as she was sitting on the cold concrete. "Hey, what's your name?" He said this in a soft voice.

"E-E-Emily." She sputtered out.

"Where's your parents?" Nathan asked.

"Dead." Emily said this bluntly through the tears.

"Why don't you come with us? We'll take care of you, okay?" Nathan reached out his hand and helped Emily up. "Let's get you some food and water, okay?" Emily nodded.

A new hero added to the group, another idealistic mind in a brave new world.

"Where to now?" Nancy asked.

"Let's find some food and water at the Marketplace District. I'm sure there is plenty there for us to...I guess take now. That's the world now." Nathan replied.

They started their walk to the Marketplace District, completely unsure of what the future should be or should hold.

3

Persistence and survival. Resistance and survival. Days are still ahead.

Nathan coughed into his sleeve as they walked across the Marketplace District, a place that was once bubbling with commerce and people, selling goods and services. Now, it was a lineup of abandoned shops and dead bodies. Dead bodies that were already starting to smell. It was already starting to fall apart, the entire galaxy was already falling apart.

Nathan found a bottle of water and handed it to Emily. "Drink up." Emily nodded and gulped down the water. Nathan then found a loaf of bread and handed it to her. "Eat up."

She munched on the bread. It was somewhat stale. "Should we just be taking stuff?" She asked.

"Nobody is here to stop us. This is reality now." Nathan replied.