Four unmarked survivors. One totalitarian government. A fight to keep their humanity intact.
100 years into the future, the E-91 virus has thrust the world into chaos.
For Rachel Wilson, survival hasn't come easy. For the last fifteen years, she's...
"What do you guys think of this place? Can we trust them?"
It was Rachel who yelled over the sound of hissing pipes and blowing steam.
Simone, Juan and Hector stood around her in a cramped room filled with machines that groaned like humans with a bellyache.
The smell of old water and dirt filled the air and the heat made beads of sweat form on their foreheads but this was the only place they could really talk without the fear of being overheard.
Simone -having been assigned to cleaning duty- had full access to the bottom service floors so there was no fear of being discovered, at least not for a little while.
"Damn it, Rachel, you're always asking that question. Why can't you just accept that something good could happen to us? Don't you think we deserve some luck after everything we've been through?" Juan said.
Suddenly, Rachel felt sorry for him, rather than angry.
He sounded like a small child, desperately wanting to believe that the world was good- but it wasn't.
"Look at what happened with Charles," She replied, her words gentle.
"Charles was doing us a favor. He sent us here so we could be someone, so we could have a purpose in life." He turned to Hector, "You believe that, don't you, brother?"
Hector said nothing at first.
He cleared his throat and raised his voice so he could be heard over the grumbling of the machines.
"The only thing I don't understand is why he lied."
"I don't know. Maybe he thought we wouldn't believe him. If he had told you there were people out there who liked to play poacher dress-up but were actually good guys would you have believed him? Because I sure as hell wouldn't have."
"Me either," Simone said, her eyes fixated on her lap. "Can I ask you for one thing, Ray? Friend to friend?"
Rachel nodded, feeling wary of what she would say next.
"I'm happy here. I've made friends- Pippa and Tom, they're good people and I like what they're all fighting for. Please don't go and ruin it."
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Rachel felt a pang of hurt at her best friend's words.
Was it really so terrible that she wanted to be cautious after what had happened with Charles? Was it really that outlandish to believe that in this world, you couldn't really trust anyone?
She wanted to look at Hector to gauge his reaction.
Was he thinking the same as her or had the luxuries of this new place brainwashed him too? She decided she would wait for a later time to ask. For now, she just needed to get one thing off her chest.
"I'm sorry that you feel like I'm a threat to your new lifestyle, Simone but I just think that anyone willing to put people through psychological torture to further their means are not good people. But maybe you and I just have different definitions of good."
