A Survivor's Journey

Chapter 1: Never have I had such a vivid nightmare

A cold wind blew across a desolate landscape.

Bothered by the chill current running through my body, I awoke with a groan.

'Perhaps it was a nightmare.' The words I've repeated thousands of times resounded in my ears. I found myself unwilling to open my eyes and face what I knew as reality. Yet still, a lingering sense of hope beckoned me to open my eyes slowly.

As soon as they adjusted to the light, however, I realised I'd much rather have kept them closed. The decayed buildings and lack of life around me seemed to mock my thoughts...

Dazed and hopeless, I closed my eyes again, hoping to escape into fantasy. Perhaps I would dream of her, of seeing her smiling and laughing, feelings I had long since forgotten. My hand traveled over to my ring and caressed it gently.

Against my wishes, I felt my consciousness become clearer. I forced myself up, ignoring the aching in my muscles from sleeping on stone as my hunger got more pronounced with each passing second.

'Where am I?'

I looked around frantically, not knowing how long I was asleep. It didn't help either that I didn't know which direction I was going. After all, ruins look the same from every direction, and if they don't, then I was too tired and hungry to note any differences on the roads to my way here.

I tried exploring the place, but the hunger for food persistently invaded my thoughts.

I sighed, my breath leaving my body in a cloud of smoke, making me painfully aware of my shivering body.

I trudged to the corner of what used to be a room. Exactly as I remembered it, a bag made of plants was resting on the corner of the wall. It was a contraption I had woven a few years ago, while our destruction was still taking place.

At the time, I had strayed from civilisation to escape them, and I needed a way to store food and water. It was a simple bag made with vines and leaves, Of course, I had to make a new one after some time, but it would usually last a long time.

Looking inside, I reached for one of a few bottles of water and the last of a few snacks and fruits. The snacks had long gone bad, but they should sate my hunger for a few more days to a bearable level, at least. Other items inside were fruits and vegetables, generally ones that could last more than three weeks, but those were running out too.

I took a snack out, too hungry to be bothered about its state, and drank some water.

Afterward, feeling a bit more refreshed, I tried once more to map my surroundings. Dark clouds grumbled over the roofless room, and the cold wind penetrated from the broken walls.

'I must have fallen asleep.' I recalled. It was around dawn at the time I entered, looking for food. Having felt tired and defeated, I decided to sit and rest for a while.

'...'

My memory faded after that, perhaps due to the lack of sleep I'd been having.

Looking around, I was just as confused about my location as I was previously. I climbed over a few walls and tried to reach as high as possible.

'Never thought I'd be looking for those things...' The irony was anything but humorous.

Unable to climb any further, I looked into the distance, trying to find any of those machines to guide me.

A few flew far over in the distance, looking for survivors to finish to job. Much closer, on the edge of the block, I saw a human. His slow, scraping movements made me naturally weary.

'He's one of them,' I deduced.

Those enslaved by the AI weren't killed immediately, though the empty look in their eyes would make you wonder if they're still human. They tended to be unresponsive and worked more as bait and scouts for the AI.