43. Who is Next?

The tale of the great escape continued for the two. The machine continued making its way underwater, and scenes around were beautiful. The engine did struggle a bit in going forward, but the amount of oxygen as well as the fuel seemed to be full, and there seemed to be no chance of any problem there. The escape seemed to be certain at that point, and this journey was surely leading them away from the island. The pursuing machines were still left at the same spot and so the chase was cut off leaving nobody on their tail. There were more hunting machines on the prowl around the island, but there seemed to be nothing on their way. The path underwater was the safer one during those moments. Land was no longer the place for normal people, as far as they were concerned.

“I didn’t think about talking about this earlier, but this was a fine choice, I have to say” said C1RC221.

“I will keep my luck as long as it serves like this; everyone needs some luck, without which humans are nothing” said a proud V221KA.

“There are creatures around us though. I hope none of them are that harmful” wondered C1RC221.

“They are just mutated forms of sea life. We should just ignore them” remarked V221KA.

“Just like us, you say” added C1RC221.

“Not as good as we are, that is for sure” said V221KA.

“That was always the point, wasn’t it? To make us better than the rest, but not in the appropriate way”.

“Yes, but we are better in not just one thing, right?” asked V221KA.

“Being mindless is the better option when we are homeless” said C1RC221.

“We will make new home out of nowhere. It is no big deal” remarked V221KA.

“My home used to be around here only – I have some memory of it; they are buried deep under, but I can find them on another day” said C1RC221.

“That is a story of a long gone past. We have the scope to create new ones”.

“Well, it still exists, even if not in a solid form” said C1RC221.

The machine hit some of the vegetation on the way, but it kept going with not trouble. There was nothing that strong under water to stop their journey, at least until then. A lot of underwater vegetation was already destroyed by the wars. The water at that area was kind of contaminated with all those chemicals being dumped from the islands around, but still safe enough to go through in a machine. There was no comparison to the world before the big wars, as the change had occured, and it seemed to be permanent. War was more like a sporting event, and the dictators kept asking for more and more medals to assert their own supremacy. This was one Olympics that no common man was really fond of watching or being a part of, but what choice did they actually have?

The world had become smaller with the wars, and the effects of terror and mass destruction was seen everywhere. Death was only a temporary happening, and what was worse included all which was to follow later. But nobody was finished with those wars yet, for it was something that repeated itself, maybe towards eternity. There was the need for blood, and there was also the requirement for more than that – there was always going to be the struggle for more, what was rather justified in many names. It was not just about humanity, as the rest of the creatures had also changed, or rather evolved to suit the situations of war. This new world order based on war did become the beginning stage for another evolution, something that humans wouldn’t have loved to see occur.

“You have been holding on to the past for a little too long; which is why it is coming back to you – it will be of no more use to you except related to providing all the pain which you never deserved”.

“It is my past; it will only keep coming back to me at some point or the other” added C1RC221.

“What exactly is that?” asked V221KA.

“My past, and nothing else” replied C1RC221.

“That can’t be your past; I am not agreeing to that” remarked V221KA.

“What? You haven’t seen my past yet” said C1RC221.

“I am not talking about that! Look straight ahead” yelled V221KA.

“Oh! This is not going to be good!” screamed C1RC221.

The scene quickly shifted from relief to big trouble. There was a giant creature ahead, which looked like an octopus, but they were sure that it was certainly not that, with such huge size. Even so deep under water, its eyes were shining red in colour, and it kept looking straight at the metallic thing which had invaded what seemed to be its territory. Completely black in colour with its body, it had twelve arms instead of eight, and it stretched its arms towards the machine. V221KA tried to move it to one side and evade the arms, but even as they managed to go past two of them, the third arm got hold of their vehicle. It dragged the machine towards its side while the engines tried to push it away from the creature.

“We have come so far, and maybe we did get so close, but I guess this is how it ends” murmured C1RC221.

“We are certainly not done yet” yelled V221KA while trying her best to power the machine enough to move away from the arms of the creature that continued to pull it hard. The battle was on, and on one side, it was just about survival and nothing else.

To be continued…

42. More of Hope

That was one sight which brought the positivity back to the scene. There was the machine that looked like a space ship, or rather a hybrid having the hovercraft elements too. Completely black in colour, it was part square and part spherical, and there were two seats inside it, visible through the windows which were also round. The wings of the machine extended towards both sides twisting in between. There were no levers or steering inside the machine, but there was a screen which showed nothing other than the message that said “Screen Locked”. It seemed to be the best scene that could be part of their eyes. There was something that could make a difference.

“Do you think that this thing can fly or at least run? Do you think that they kept it here because it is faulty?” asked V221KA while looking outside at the sea.

“I don’t think that we can be sure about it. There will be a lot of risk involved even if we manage to get it started. We are not trained for this” said C1RC221 as she looked around for some information about it.

“You mean to say that we can crash and just die. We can end up in the depths of the sea or burn to death on this island itself” wondered V221KA.

“Yes, it is rather an easy thing to understand, isn’t it?” asked C1RC221.

“There is still a chance that we might get off this island, and even if we crash in water, there will be safety measures in the ship”.

“Only if we can access them, right?” asked C1RC221.

“Lets go in and check then. It is pointless to waste our time doing nothing. What lies ahead of us is enormous”.

“Okay, in case there is the option for auto-pilot, something can be done”.

They got inside the machine and with a welcome sign, the screen automatically got enabled. There was the manufacturing date and name of the model displayed there on the top. It showed a map of the island with their location highlighted as a triangle in red. There were arrows towards all direction with the names of some locations unknown to them. A red button was glowing with the writing, ‘Begin here’.

“I didn’t know that this one came with an instruction manual. I wonder if they add the next steps too, unless this is full auto-pilot towards these destinations. Well, any place which is not this island should be a fine option for me” remarked C1RC221.

“Well, you really can’t avoid the positives here, can you? Haven’t we been negative for so long?” asked V221KA.

After having a quick look around, she pressed the button after touching one of the locations outside the island and the doors of the machine closed. There was the sound of the engine charging and starting to work. It felt as if it wasn’t used for a very long time. The machine started jerking and took a turn to go out into the sea. Suddenly, the alarms were triggered, and a screaming sound was heard. The machine started moving as a hovercraft over the sea, and the outposts began searching for the origin of the alarm.

“This doesn’t sound good, but at least we are out of there. Every moment there was nothing less than torture” remarked a relieved C1RC221.

“Yes, it is not done yet, but we are on our way” added V221KA.

One of the lights from an outpost caught hold of the machine in its path, and it remained on the spotlight as all lights converged on it. They could hear announcements about a lost scouting machine and missing prisoners. They pushed the button which had the picture of a video camera, and by pressing the zoom button on one of them, they could view a number of armed machines taking off from the launching pads on the sides of the outposts.

“We are about to be hunted! We are going to be brought down!” exclaimed a worried C1RC221.

“Find some of the useful buttons. We have come this far, and there has to be way out of here too. Maybe there will be some weapons in here” said V221KA.

“Didn’t you hear the announcement? This is a scouting machine. The purpose was always to seek and find, not to engage” yelled C1RC221.

“Maybe it is. But scouts also keep the basic weapons in case there is some kind of emergency. Or maybe they are announcing the same to confuse us. We have to keep looking through all the options available on the screen. Maybe it is hidden further inside so that it can’t be accessed by everyone” said V221KA.

“No, not that way, that is the wrong option. You shouldn’t do that” screamed C1RC221.

“I think I know what is to be done here. This option actually looks good” replied V221KA.

With one press of a button, the ship stopped for a second in mid-air, and dived deep into the sea. It kept going underwater, and stopped at a point from where it began to move straight forward. The purusuing machines reached the location on which the machine was last seen over water. They wandered around the place and kept sending information to the outposts which were passed on to the base.

“Well, told you so” said a proud V221KA.

“You have a fine amount of luck with you, I think” said C1RC221.

To be continued…

41. Lands of the Red

Scavengers were not at their best during these days, but the much known fact about them has been that even when they were not good, they are good enough to be evil; it was something which was always present in their blood since they turned. A lot of factors are said to contribute to the origin and the existence of the Scavengers, and the strongest of them have been the wars with their side-effects, the weapons used and the war crimes which had happened more than anywhere else at these wastelands. It was a place of human atrocities and hopelessness; the same had indirectly lead to the practice of black magic and all kinds of sorcery because science had ruined their life with no hope to escape from the pain and terror. There were similar wastelands at many other places, but none like this one which has spread through the lands and survived until now causing fear everywhere – its an achievement no other land could come up with, making this place the one true wasteland, the only area which could claim that title without second thoughts.

The Reds as they were called by many groups of people who stayed outside the city and no longer existed, the rivers of blood that they created through the heart of the wastelands made sure that the name stayed for a long time. Acheron had once come up with a decree to eliminate them all, but they still survived. But the same couldn’t be said about the team which he had sent to finish them off. It was one of the worst situations that a commando operation had to face. Some people still stay that the commandos still survive, in the form of Scavengers, while others say that they had been fully eaten and no part of them remains.

Acheron decided to let them stay then, because they were confined to the wastelands, and he could execute his prisoners by sending them to these lands of the red. The place proved to be good burial grounds as well as the place of execution. The grounds stained by blood were part of the poetry and fictional novels written by the authors of the city for quite a long time. They were the kind of works which brought them instant awards. With not many people left living around the wastelands due to the climate change and the presence of strange creatures, the Scavengers could always be there even with less humans to feed from.

Jack and Noah continued to walk, with eyes following them. The scenery was beautiful even though it was inside that limited space. There were yellow flowers hanging from the top and light reflected from the top provided a special view. The number of eyes following them had only increased in number. They could hide themselves really well, but they were very close to the two friends. They talked to each other using signs.

“And the big journey continues! I have never walked so much in my life! This is now officially my record” exclaimed Jack.

“Are we to continue walking like this? With no real aim and with no idea where we are going?” asked Noah.

“I guess so. It is best option around here as of now, and it should work at some point” replied Jack.

“This doesn’t seem to be good enough to get us to a possible end; seems like a case of eternity” said Noah.

“Even eternity is just a word; it has to end unless that goes as a fairy-tale, those sweet little stories which the kids used to read, but are of no real use in the current world; we are learning it the hard way” said Jack.

“We can continue walking, but even this much of eternity is a little too much; we are not immortals – it has been a long time since our journey to this situation began” added Noah.

“Well, you will see that this is not that long as you think it is, as there is no such thing as we have only a limited amount of land in this area – the land can’t stretch by itself, and we are walking straight” said Jack.

“I will hope for the same. There is nothing else to be done anyway. It is not like we can be Scavengers and do what they do. That would have been more fun and with a better reason” said Noah.

“There is a lot negative in your thoughts right now, you know; it only gets worse. Maybe it is the problem with the your artificial blood group or something” added Jack.

“It is ridiculous. My blood is not artificial; I never used artificial supply there” claimed Noah.

The Scavengers had already reached three quarters of the digging even though they never knew that they were getting close. They had their mind set on only one thing here, and they were all prepared for their most basic need, to feed. They just couldn’t remember when was the last time they managed to feed. But this was the day on which they would come up with a date, and that would be this particular day. Scavengers were not people without spirit, especially when related to things like these. They were more determined than a common man on these days. These were among the worst of times for them too, but they had more hope than the humans themselves.

To be continued…

40. Our Souls to Take

“This should have a certain secret buried deep somewhere inside. It is kind of twisted and with the smell of adventure” exclaimed Jack.

“Lets go. We shouldn’t stay here just because of some curiosity which has the ability to kill us both” said Noah.

“You sure about not checking this out? At least a part of this one? Don’t you think that we can take something interesting from here” asked Jack.

“There is absolutely no chance; not even with the latest weapons of Acheron. It is too much of a risk, especially at this time. To add to it, you always had a special skill in falling into traps” said Noah.

“Okay then. Maybe on another day when things get at least a million kilometres close to being perfect. That should relieve the pressure up-to an extent and there can be simpler adventures” replied Jack.

But all of a sudden, a hand came out of the well and grabbed Jack. There was so much strength in those hands and it had blood dropping right out of the wounds of the palm. It held firmly, and with a lot of difficulty, they managed to get rid of it. Soon, the rest of the creature also came out of the well. It was a dark creature, with what seemed to be its own shadow hovering over it. Another creature followed it out of the well, and others also followed. A series of dark clouds emerged right on top of their heads. The eyes of the creatures turned red, and blood started coming right out. They began to make some scary noises which caused thunder in the clouds.

“The scavengers; the scavengers of the dark! Those things which were named after that spaceship! They are really here!” yelled Jack.

“Yes, I understand. But what are you doing? This is not the time to stare! Run!” screamed Noah.

“Yes! We are going to die! Run and run fast!” Jack continued yelling.

As they both started running, the creatures followed them. They were not that fast, but running through this type of ground was rather too difficult. They fell down and slided to a cave below, which lead to an unknown water-body.

The creatures stopped on the way and screamed. The greenery was splendid out there, and they climbed on to a rock. It was more like a huge cave with a lot of space inside, as if it was another world out there.

“Now, we are surely not where we should have been. We don’t even know how to get back” said Jack.

“At least that much is clear; well, only that much is there to be known. This place might have stayed a beautiful mystery for so long in a universe of chaos and destruction” said Noah.

“This is a strange place, isn’t it? Especially considering the fact that we are directly below the wastelands which stretch a lot further. This is the kind of place that comes in the dreams – yes, there were such places in mine, more than once.” wondered Jack.

“Yes, and that too underground, and still the air feels so fresh here. There is nothing negative about it” added Noah.

“I see a lot of insects around here, which is strange. They were all supposed to have been mutated and turned into something else. Scientists from our place would really love to explore here” said Jack.

“There seems to be another kind of existence here, different from ours. I am surprised that Acheron hasn’t discovered and claimed this area with all his technology and unlimited amount of resources. This should be like a top priority place for him. Just guess what all he could accomplish with a location like this” said Noah.

“There are limitations even for him; and that is the same reason why we are still alive. He just can’t be the all-powerful dictator that he keeps claiming to be – that should be really painful for someone like him. But he will be here sooner or later, that is for sure; that much is greed for resources which can’t be satisfied. This surely seems like the home which a lot of people had written in the books; the one from the long lost past” added Jack.

Surprisingly, there were singing birds and smaller animals which were supposed to be extinct. The place reminded them of something which existed long before the wars had started. It was the kind of green with peace all around, and there was no cause for fear. The situation of horror had left them. Four eyes stared at them from between a crack in the walls of the place, and as they started walking through the straight path which lead to nowhere, the eyes followed them with a certain amount of enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, at the top, scavengers had no idea where their preys had gone. They had started digging with the bones of their victims, and even as they had no clue, had reached a quarter of the way to the newly discovered world of Jack and Noah. Scavengers were the kind of creatures who desperately wanted more and more preys, but there were none for quite a long time. They were the ones who made a pact, and that too with their own kind and also to the darker versions of evil. They were the true predators of the wastelands, and they were the rulers of their lands. They wanted to remember how awesome it used to be, when they were hunting, and hoped for their days of terror to return in style. They kept digging with the bones of the dead, and soon, they had reached half way to the other world underground.

To be continued…

39. Season of War

The war had begun, and now it had spread to Earth itself. From Titan, Ganymede and the other outposts, Northerners had advanced to bring themselves to a very favourable position. It was a different position at Earth though, as the balance was maintained, and none of the alliances made any big advancement. The status at Moon and Mars were not clear though, as the situation kept changing – it was sure to be the biggest war ever fought in the history of mankind.

The newly formed command centre underground was not really a happy place to be, for the Northerners. The original command centre was hit by one missile which brought it down, as the interceptors of the Northerners were damaged in an unexpected intrusion by the combined forces of the enemies. The new centre used to be prisons for super-soldiers, but it is now used as the special area, as Zeus himself had moved there to make sure that there will no more attacks from the air threatening his own life.

“There have been significant territory changes on Earth, but the territory that we have conquered here remains the same as they have control over some of our territories too. The battles at Mars and the Moon have been complicated too; we have lost some of our best lands there even though we did capture some other territories. This is going to go on for very long” said the commander.

“We will unleash our friends from the other world. They are really in need on Earth. The enemies of the Northerns will run away like there is no other way. There will be no mercy, and there can be no escape for them though” declared Zeus.

“We have already unleashed those friends…or fiends. The whole battalion here is talking about the same” said the commander.

“Yes, but not on Earth; we couldn’t take them to Mars or the Moon either as the enemy space watch has been strong and these assets are just too valuable. They are needed here more than anywhere else; this is where the final results of this war will be declared. Earth has always been the key and the centre of everything – the rest are just outposts which depend on Earth for something or the other” said Zeus.

“So, you are saying that we should unleash the secret weapon right now without having a discussion about it?” asked the commander.

“Yes, they already know something about it, and so I don’t see why we should delay it – it is not really that much of a secret weapon. As most of the information from the other outposts couldn’t be linked to Earth, they haven’t been able to spread the news. Our friends are more than what they might have thought about, and so unleashing them will take our enemies back in surprise. We will take over their lands in no time” said Zeus.

“Do you think that they are ready for this full assault?” asked the commander.

“Yes, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be. They are well-trained, and they are brutal” Zeus was confident about it.

“They are brutal and a lot cruel, that much I know” added the commander.

“Brutality is a much needed trait in war. I am surprised that you don’t find it as the amazing thing that it is” Zeus was surely not happy.

“They have the kind of bruality which will make them uncontrollable, I fear. After all, they are not human; and they are not even animals or birds. They might not answer to us at all – unleashing might be the only thing which we will do and I am worried about the rest which will follow” said the worried commander.

“Control is just an illusion; you are never really there with it – we rarely had the same completely despite trying. But I am so close to it that they can make me a role-model. Don’t worry about these friends though. We have a pact with their leader, and they will have to honour it because they will require us to honour it on this side. I also have my backup plans” said a confident Zeus.

“So, you trust them enough, or just your own plans?” asked the commander.

“Well, trust is not the exact word there; I feel these things, and as I am born to be a leader, it comes naturally to me. You will know if you remember some of those quotes from my dear father – they have always been so popular, and they apply to me” Zeus declared with even more confidence.

“If you believe so, my lord. It is your will which shall be done, and it is your final decision that matters for us” said the commander.

“Well, take some time to think, and you will know that I am right. We are not doing badly at any front, and it gives you a few days to believe what I actually said. Maybe it won’t be needed at all with us winning more. So, keep thinking about it and let me know when you are ready” Zeus said while leaving the room.

Zeus remembered his revenge, but he had that in control. It came to him very often, but his thirst for power was above all at that moment. He just wanted to win by any means possible, because that was what he thought he was born for. His soldiers had their doubts, but above everything else, what they possessed was loyalty, something which was part of them ever since they first volunteered. Well, the Seventh World War had begun, and there was no chance of going back from there – a victory for one side and the defeat for the other seemed to be the ony option left; the end of the world was still possible though. He wanted to rule over the other rulers, like Zeus, the king of Gods, and he still believed that he was named for the one simple reason – to be the emperor of them all.

To be continued…

38. Terror Unleashed

The creature which came out of water seemed curious as well as angry. It kept looking at Noah and Jack while making attempts to follow them. It was huge and had a tail which it used to hold on to a tree on the side of the rocks whenever it lost balance. There seemed to be a lot more of it under water. It also kept making a strange sound all the time and spit a green liquid. A group of mutated crows welcomed that noise from the top, right out of the wastelands.

“It is dragon terror. This is not good at all. We are lucky to have started climbing early enough to avoid this one” Jack shouted.

“What on this planet is that? I have never seen this particular creature. It is one scary thing. It has huge horns with long and sharp fangs” Noah yelled as he looked down.

“It was one of those animals created by the scientists during one of their special experiments to make the perfect creature which could be used as the expendable assets during the last war. There were unconfirmed reports that some of them were captured and kept in special prisons until feeding them became a problem and they were released to some forests” Jack made it clear.

“Isn’t it the thing which was called the demons of war because they could stand almost all weapons held by the soldiers? Didn’t they also call it the dark death because the creature attacked mostly at night; midnight to be more specific?” Noah asked.

“Yes, the same; it preferred darkness, a cloudy day also served the creature. Most of the civilian casualities of war were also caused by these creatures because they couldn’t be controlled that well. But they could be unleashed on people because the basic program was like that only” Jack confirmed.

“So, why is one of them here? Did the authorities send them here? I don’t see why they are wandering around” Noah wondered.

“Well, this was not exactly where these things were to be sent. But you know the government; the only thing which they do better than anything else is to keep lying to us. It is like a special skill that they possess. I do feel that this had a lot to do with the wildlife being in trouble, not just the floods. It is an almost impossible task to survive when a creature so terrifying and strong is unleashed against the balance of nature” Jack sighed.

“It does seem to thrive in water too. The creature is really skilled to do more than one thing. Can it get to us?” Noah asked.

“I don’t think that it can get to us from there. Thankfully, they had agreed on not giving these creatures human arms. It was actually on the list of things to do earlier, and we can be really glad that they didn’t in the end” Jack said with a sigh of relief.

“It does seem to be trying though. It really wants to get to us it seems. There is fire in its eyes” Noah said while looking down.

“Yes, it is a programmed predator and wishes to unleash chaos and destruction. It has to kill all the time, and I am sure that it hasn’t got somebody to attack for quite some time. The basic needs are not satisfied here. I do feel sorry for it due to the programming, but lets keep climbing up so that we don’t give this one a chance” said Jack as he kept climbing.

“Those mutated crows seems to be waiting for our death. I have known them during one my journeys through the graveyards” remarked Noah.

“Yes, they are the products of the wastelands. These birds are another reason why we should try not to get injured or murdered. Don’t stop or slip. Also try not to make them interested in us by looking at them in the eyes” said Jack.

Noah and Jack reached the top to face the wastelands which seemed to extend with no end at all. They looked down to see the dragon terror making one final attempt to get on the rocks before turning back and diving into water. They were relieved as they continued through the wastelands which had so much of abandoned buildings and remains of war as well as failed scientific discoveries. There were skeletons of humans as well as animals which were not buried. Most of the human remains seemed to be in cages or had parts of them in chains seemingly making it that of prisoners. The soil was red in colour and the vegetation was only somewhat there.

“I have heard people saying that the soil here tasted like blood, and I surely don’t want to test that” Noah said.

“I can confirm that. I know people who did” Jack replied.

The rain had stopped, and it seemed that there has been no rain in the wastelands for a long time. The clouds seemed to stop outside the boundaries of the wastelands for some reason. But a river coloured dark red was going right through, flowing into what seemed to be a well with a sign which said “Please make sure that you do not come near the well”. The soil was wet and at some places, it was rather too sticky. Noah and Jack went near the well and looked down only to see the darkness and nothing else. Jack thought about having a look by going down through the ladder placed on the right side, but Noah reminded him that they have kilometres to travel and they had to do it quick.

To be continued…

✠ New Year Fragment

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog. Happy New Year to all readers 🙂

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,700 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 45 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

37. Rain and the Woods

As the guards were going through their duties and the trucks from the city had covered more than half kilometres towards the area, they walked through the forests. The rain continued to come down strong. The cleared path to the coast went through the middle and it was used by the vehicles which always kept inside the fences and prevented any creature or random nomads from the forest from entering inside. The security department of the city was really concerned about someone who is not part of their plans entering what they called the perfect world. Noah and Jack made sure that no scout vehicle could find them as they kept going further away from the road. There was thick vegetation all around and it made things difficult, but it was always going to be tough, and it was better than giving any chance of being captured.

“There is water everywhere on the ground. There is only this muddy water with some leaves and branches and nothing else” said Noah.

“This area is known for floods. We have read in the newspapers about the floods which have happened here in the last few years, which brought the water up-to a height of a four-storeyed building. They say that it is partially responsible for the death of most of the wildlife here, and the remaining animals travel to the wastelands which is at a higher location” said Jack.

“How can we believe all which were written in those newspapers? You know the media better than I do, and you have even been an indirect part of one such firm. They are just part of the government propaganda and I believe that we already agreed to the same long ago, didn’t we?” asked Noah.

“Well, we did. But in this case, if they were involved in anything happening around here, they could just write it down without trouble. They have already made it clear that all their activities in the forests were for capturing the rebels who were trying to destroy the city and their righteous way of life. So, they never really needed the floods as a reason. They could always use the excuse of the rebels as no common civilian from the city will be coming here, and we can be sure about that” said Jack.

“There can always be partial truth, because it is not easy to keep something hidden forever. Everything comes to light, one way or the other. You can’t hide everything from everyone forever, because in the end, we are humans with the ability to think and a certain amount of curiosity, no matter how much of brainwashing happens. We actually have many examples for this throughout the history” Noah came up with his opinion.

“As of now, it seems clear that there will be some flood, even if it is not that much heavy. We will need to find the high grounds at the end of the forest. We can’t be sure how early it will happen if the rain keeps falling down like this” said Jack as he started walking faster, ahead of Noah.

“This water level is coming up too fast. I didn’t even know that this was the rainy season, and this might be the first time that it rained so hard during this time of the year. Well, after all those destruction which we had given nature, asking for seasons has been a bad idea from a long time ago” remarked Noah as both of them started running through the forest.

They could feel the trucks passing through the path on the side of the forests, as these trucks used the most powerful engines available; the hovercraft mode was on because of the flooding which sent water through the paths – it meant that the trucks were now moving slower. The dual technology was limited to the trucks going outside the city because the pumps made sure that the world inside the walls was never flooded, and the elite class never really requred these vehicles. So they could be slower and of lower level technology. This technical side also meant that the trucks could go at their full speed only when they were fully trucks. The paths were actually located at a lower level than the forests, because it was made on the same elevation as the deserts and the wastelands which were lower areas. The hovercraft technology was needed, but an advanced one was yet not provided to the departments working outside the walls of the city unless they were part of a military wing. The guards will have to wait more with the flood worsening every minute. Jack and Noah felt confident that they could actually be aroung the walls of city by the time the trucks returned after loading the people and the goods.

The situation was not going to get any better. The thunder and lightning made sure that there was a certain amount of fear in the air along with the lowering of temperature which had happened. There were no animals on their way, even though some birds were seen flying around, but they had also gone now. The two stopped to see that a rock stood before them and what was on the other side of the forest. They said in their minds that it was the wasteland which came after the forest, and they started climbing the slippery rocks from a side which was not that steep. The rain came down stronger and the water level behind them had risen to almost their own heights. The cadaver of an animal was floating on water towards them. The water behind them turned into red as waves of blood hit the rocks. Jack looked behind to see eyes under water at a spot where blood made way for something else. He called for Noah as the bright eyes came out of water.

To be continued…

36. Through the Sea

There was no relief as the wind was strong and the ship struggled to keep its path. It kept moving left, but the journey forward was also happening despite the strength of the wind. Noah and Jack made sure that they were hidden well enough as the checking on the ship continued as if it was a regular procedure. But there was no safety guaranteed with this one. It took the ship seven days to find land, and it was not exactly where it was supposed to stop. There was huge jerking around as Noah and Jack held on to all which they could until the ship stopped moving. There was land, but not that area of land which they needed.

“This is a special announcement for all categories of people on board. We were facing terrible disturbances in the sea, and it has been a very tough ride. We have tried the best as we could, but the struggle was too much. The ship has been damaged beyond repair. It can travel no more as we have rammed it here. So please get down here and move to the city with support. It is only a few kilometeres from here, and the guards from the city will be arriving in a few hours; we have also signaled the outposts here. You can also choose to wait here because the trucks will be coming to take the cargo” the announcement ended as Noah and Jack looked at each other.

“It rarely works according to the plan, right? Here, we are stuck outside the city; not even close to our destination. This journey is to be delayed until further notice, it seems” said Noah.

“Well, this might be the best thing to happen at this time, if you ask me. I am taking the positive side of this one” said Jack.

“Please look into your special screens to find a written record of what was previously said. There will be no more repetitions and do keep the major points in mind. There are dangers awaiting you if proper care is not taken. Don’t try to walk all the way to the city; this is a serious warning and not to be taken lightly” the announcement made a short-lived return, but Noah and Jack didn’t care at all.

“You mean to say that this is something which will help us. But now we have no chance to get inside the city through those guards and the strong walls. They will also have the ultra-modern security equipments, even better than those which they have inside the city. Getting in won’t be that easy as getting out” Noah had his doubts.

“I would say that this has given us a better chance. If we had gone directly to the city port, they might have identified us with ease, and could have executed us without even a trial. It is their strongest area of control where their great dictator is not present. They easily find people and kill them” confirmed Jack.

“But can we make it through these forests and wastelands all by ourselves? We are not trained for that kind of survival. Waiting for a pick-up from the city will be like a suicide. They are sure to search for identity cards because this is how the immigrants usually arrive. So, the end seems to be certain whichever path we decide to take here. Is there even one right path remaining?” asked Noah while looking outside.

“We can find a way. Have you watched a movie called Rani Padmini? It is an old movie which go back to the year 2015 or 2016 – it is from before 2020, that much I am sure about. The danger is the same everywhere, and we just need to have the courage to face it. Giving up shouldn’t be an option here because it is not what we are. The forests are easy with almost all the dangerous creatures already hunted and killed. We can keep ourselves away from whatever remains. The wastelands along with the desert will be difficult, but there is a way through the sides, even though there is the talk about a curse. I don’t believe in that and most of the sane people won’t. It might not be easy, but we will surely get through. We are better than many others, and there are people who have survived these troubles as well as the curse, even though they had no real motive as we do” assured Jack.

“First, we need to get out of here. Time to get to the land taking the very first step. The journey needs to officially begin at some point of time somewhere here; staying here becomes less safe every second. The number of hostile people will increase and the ship will go down” said Noah.

“I don’t think that these people are thinking about looking around. They seem to be focused on their priorities related to the ship and the cargo. The risk is very low right now and we can make use of this opportunity” said Jack.

As the crew were busy taking the goods out of the ship, Jack and Noah jumped into water and started swimming around the place towards the other side of land. The guards from the nearby outpost also arrived, and with their machines, tried to make sure that the ship doesn’t sink. As the ship almost finished unloading the cargo, they had reached the other side. The message said that the trucks from the city were half way there. The dark clouds had started and the rain began its business making things more difficult. The ship finished its time, but it hadn’t sunk yet.

To be continued…

35. Ray of Hope

V221KA and C1RC221 held on to the pipes which were strapped to the roof and made sure that the robot and the workers didn’t notice them during its work. The robot was quite slow in working, as if the model was too old and outdated, unlike the ones they used to see in and around the prisons. The two people were checking the machines, and they seemed to be from the maintenance team of the island. They were surely quicker than the robot as they rushed through each of the machines in the room. But the robot still accelerated on occasions while keeping a look all around for anything to clean.

“We should apply for a new robot today itself. We have been working with this thing for too long. This one is lagging and also making too much of strange noises” one of the workers said.

“I can only hope that they agree to this. They usually say that maintenance and cleaning can do with the old model robots all the time because there is rarely the need, and even when there is a small need, the robots start working” said the other worker.

“This is the moment. Right now, through the door as fast as you can” said V221KA as the two jumped down and rushed through the door into the corridor while the robot slowly turned around to see nothing, and it went back to its work.

The corridor continued with rooms on both sides, and as they looked, there were machines everywhere except for one or two rooms which seemed empty. They reached a hall with a stage in the middle. A large number of chairs surrounded the stage which was decorated with flowers. There was something written on the wall in a strange language. The colours of the room kept changing between blue, red, white, green, yellow, brown, orange and purple. Video cameras and big speakers were set everywhere, but they were not connected or charged.

“Something special is going to happen here soon. Everything seems to be set and someone will be coming soon. We can’t stay here for long without risking capture again” said V221KA.

“It is going to be a very strange function, I would say, unless it has already happened. This is very unlike the total setting of the island” said C1RC221.

There were three doors in front of them with different designs, the left one coloured brown and with the sign of the trees, the middle one coloured black and with the pictures of the stars and the right one coloured red and with the images of the lion, tiger and eagle. The middle one was the largest and the left door the smallest. They took the left door which led them outside, to the foot of a mountain. They looked around to see the prison on the side, but it seemed separated from their present location by something in between.

“There seems to be more than one island. This should be the smaller one compared to the grand island with the prison, guard homes and the training facilities; the one which appears in the maps” said C1RC221.

“This should be a support island and the connection is actually made underwater through the corridors which connect the rooms. The need for some extra power and resources was always present. There could be more of such smaller islands around, but we never see them because we always follow a certain path according to the instructions” added V221KA.

“They have a lot more in store here. I wonder if their own people know this. There have been no stories about multiple islands. The absence of rumours amaze me” said C1RC221.

“They got the money and lots of resources. It is always easy for them to create an extra artificial island and expand their world. They have been stealing for a long time, and building something like this would be always easy for them. After all, they also steal the brains” added V221KA.

They walked to the end of the beach and touched the sea. It was all real and there was no forcefield there. There was no illusions there either as they could feel the sea. There were also crabs wandering around, and the sun was strong. There was no human being in sight anywhere around.

“At least we have managed to be closer to the sea here. There is not much of a security here and may be this is the perfect area to make an escape to the mainlands. We have to be careful, but also agile” said C1RC221.

“Which direction do you think we should go?” asked V221KA while looking at the sea.

“But there are no boats. The direction might not be the first thing to worry about” said C1RC221 as she looked around.

“There are none here, but we can make our own boats” said V221KA as she moved towards the trees.

“This idea is going to take a long time. We should look inside these buildings. At least one of them might have a solution, may be even an inflatable boat. After all, we are so close to the sea” said C1RC221.

“May be we should take the risk then. I can’t find anything sharp either. Lets give it a try” said said V221KA as they started walking towards the closest building on the other side of the island.

They entered the first one to see that it was empty and there were just ashes around. It seemed as if the place was the burnt ruins of what used to be home some time ago. The second building was the same in effect and it remained so as they continued looking inside thirteen buildings, and the only change came inside the fourteenth as they witnessed something other than just ashes. It was not something that could inspire them.

To be continued…