An apocalypse.
That's what one would call the world above. The last stand of man. A remnant of what once stood before it. An inhospitable wasteland with nothing to give for those that traveled under the sun. A burning star with no mercy, igniting what it could see. A moon that froze oceans and angered the seas. Acidic rain and active volcanoes destroyed what they could. And what did survive could kill in a matter of seconds. A death sentence for any daring, or stupid enough to seek its freedom.
At least that's what he was told.
We're the underground. We're the lost and found.
Down below the sub zero mountains, underneath the surface, where not even the sun could reach did they lie. Where the rock was cool to the touch yet the ground was heated by the iron core of the planet. Where darkness was ever present and the sky was a layer of bedrock.
Never see the day, While we hide away.
Man made lights illuminated what the star couldn't burn. Molten magma vents heated what the moon couldn't freeze. Buildings of steel stood tall in the dark, built into the stalactites. Their reach farther than what could be made out through the fog of the vents high above. The only indication of their reach being the multicolored lightning.
Red, blue, and purple. Colors spread far into the city within the caverns. Moving spotlights and holographic displays were a common sight. Illuminated highways flared with speeding vehicles and airships dominated what was left of the open air. From the ground to the walls and the ceiling. Buildings were like insects. Yet they remained flooded with those in tailored clothing.
Soft spoken like a gun At the top of my lungs.
Deeper within the caves, the money ran dry yet the flow of material exports were never ending. Where the exposed inner workings were prevalent and safety was not a concern. Cloaks, hand-me-downs, and rags were more than enough. Down where pipes exhausted noxious fumes and a meal was earned. Was where the true face of this sealed city was revealed.
We're the underground. We never die.
Brilliant flashes nearly blinded him while near deafening explosions shook the ground. Yet he stay motionless as he watched from far above. Stood on the edge of a tetanus lined building. Patched over and over again with sheets of rusting metal and whatever fit.
His crimson eyes watched as people worked their lives away. A nearly unnoticeable look of disgust on his face as he watched on. His arms crossed over his worn clothing in waiting. Feeling the wind spurred by the zooming aircraft and heavy machinery.
If you don't mind me, I won't mind you.
A distorted bell echoed through the caverns. The sound long distorted by the overcrowded halls of the caves. Narrowing his eyes and scrunching up his nose, he dropped his arms as the final bell made itself known. Revealing a pair of bicep cuffs. Their yellow striped paint job an accent of the black overalls he wore.
His face of disgust turned to one of stoicism as he turned away from the quarry towards the rest of the city. The side by side buildings, thin alleys, shaking catwalks, and shuffling population. With a quick hop he was off.
The game is for two.
From catwalk to catwalk, he jumped. His legs easily handling the shock of landing on oxidized grates and metal sheets. Their metallic bangs echoing into the crowds who didn't bat an eye. Too busy trying to survive to care.
Animals generally form groups. Carnivores have a hierarchy, and those that don't manage to get to the top of the food chain will live a life of constant stress. Herbivores have their own problems, like being forced to abandon their own to survive enemy attacks. As you can see, being in a group brings no advantages to the average individual.
