One

The End

I'll give you a hint here, don't let the title fool you, I survive this chapter. I just wanted to show you how things go in this story.

I'll begin with my journey to the Red District. That's where it all began for me, so I'll bring you into it just a little bit earlier.

I was nine days into my journey from Echo, and from what they had told me I had less than a day left. I checked my compass, I had to follow a bearing of 080 to hit the town. Next traveller I found, I would check I was on the right track.
My backpack was, as always, full of my possessions. I carry very little when I travel, only the few essentials. More food and water than I need, shelter, clothes, and my hunting and cooking equipment. You might ask why I hunt when I carry food, and the answer is heat. Any meat I carry would go off, so I cook anything I can catch.
My life is a simple one, which you will learn about as my story moves along. Let's just say, today started fairly normally for me. It was later that things turned upside down.

Seven hours into my day, and things got exiting. I would say that my first mistake was stopping where I did, but nine days on your feet can do that to a man.
"Don't get up, keep your hands and feet where they are" came the voice from behind me. I move to look around, but the blade at my neck acts as a quick order to stop.
I feel the figure's weight shift as they search my bag, and I act quickly. With my right hand I push the flat of the blade, and throw my body towards the man. We crash to the floor, and I roll to my feet as the highwayman struggles to find balance. I place my foot hard onto the sword as they move to grab it, and with my other foot I knock them to the ground.
I draw my pistol from my boot, and point it at the man. "Ten seconds, get up and leave", I tell them.
They struggle to stand, shaking from my kick.
"Six, five, four..." I say impatiently as he staggers into the woods.

I leave the sword on the ground as I pick up my things and continue my journey. Perhaps if the man had known my gun was empty, things would have gone differently. Perhaps not.

Who would have thought that last century, we were living in the peak of human civilisation?