Three raincoats made their way across the soggy field. Dark clouds swept over the night sky, the smell of wet dog thick in the air. A four-legged beast emerged from the mist ahead of them. Two members scattered, leaving the only man of the group to deal with the sopping, black-furred creature. Moonlight glinted off a twin set of razor-sharp teeth protruding from under the monster's snout.
The brute leaped as Russell charged, pulling a bladeless hilt from his belt. With a squeeze of the haft, a blade appeared. Galloping through the mud, the thuds of his paws vibrated the man's legs with each step. He lunged at the beast's head, but in retaliation, the animal thrashed, knocking the man against the ground. The beast approached the recovering Russel, its jaw gaping.
It dove its snout down on top of Russell, but as it did, he drove his knife into the creature's cold black eye. A popping sound echoed out, blood splashing down on Russell. Using his submerged metal as a pivot, he swung atop its head. As he loosened his grip on the snakewood handle, the sharp metal retracted, but he squeezed it once more, plunging the steel into his opponent's skull. Crashing to the ground, he jumped from the lifeless body and rejoined his scurrying companions.
"How's he doin', Abby?"
The woman lifted the canvas cover of the handwoven carrying basket to check within. "He'll be fine, Russell, but we need to hurry."
"How 'bout you, Bon?"
"I'm okay, Dad. Just want to hurry and get there." Continuing her dash, Bonnie raised her hand, swiping it over the left side of her face. A mechanical whine resonated from her eye socket. A metal plate disguised as an ordinary human iris rose from her also seemingly normal eyeball. GUIs from different programs installed onto the cybernetically enhanced eye's memory chip popped up, blocking her vision momentarily.
Several pop-ups relating to vitals appeared. With a movement of her pupil, she closed the windows out, and activated a program titled Weather. All the climate caused hinderances disappeared in her one eye as if it were a neutral day without a cloud in the sky. For an inexperienced user, seeing something completely different through each lens was extremely disorienting. But her frequent practice, even when in impractical situations, helped to negate the nauseating sensation.
"We're here!" Shouted Bonnie, navigating with the swing of her finger toward their destination.
The group advanced in the direction of a large cement wall emerging from the fog. Sprawls of buildings stretched into the sky behind the twenty meter high concrete structure, leading into the horizon as far as the eye could see. Protecting all the constructions within electrical discharges sprinkled the invisible enclosure. They rushed toward the capital as the rain subsided, continuing towards their goal, the eastern entrance.
As the group approached, they could make out Bradley, a young city security guard clad in black covered by matching metal, pondering the night sky, his armor scraping against a large metallic door. The sound of the steadily approaching splashes pulled his attention back to his duties. He straightened his stance, the embers of his sweet stick lighting his disinterested face. His right hand gripped the cloth-wrapped hilt of the blade that rested in the saya hooked to his belt bands. Smoke lingered in the air as Bonnie approached, her hood now folding back.
"Bradley!" Bonnie said. "Thank God, I never thought I'd see you again."
Bradley embraced Bonnie, her brunette hair radiating the smell of sweat and rainwater, but this didn't affect her loving warmth. "You scared the crap outta me! You know how antsy I get being outside these walls. Guards take beatings every week from what's out here."
Ignoring his concern, she raised her lips whispering in his ear, "You picked up smoking again? You know how that makes me feel."
"I needed something to occupy myself with after you left. My nerves were getting to me about the whole situation." Bradley turned to look at the other hooded figures tailing Bonnie. Uncovering her face was a woman in her forties with shoulder-length brown hair, followed by a middle-aged man with short black stubble on his head and chin.
"Well, if it isn't mama Gail and old man Russ."
"It's good to see you're well, Bradley, but we need to hurry. Is your father ready?" Russell turned, grabbing the woven carrier from his wife.
"Yeah, let me get Donny to open the gate. They're just on the other side."
He gently knocked on the thick metal door at varying rates, loosely resembling morse code. Metal bars dropped into the floor and the doors creaked into the walls, revealing two men: Bradley's not much younger brother, Donny, dressed in the same manner, and another, Bradley's father Joseph, a man around Russell's age. After a firm handshake, they quickly handed the carrier over to Donny, who stood shaking behind his father.
"Take good care of him, Joseph." Russell stepped back behind the open slits in the floor, allowing the metal bars to retake their position.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Russ?" Joseph looked back at his son, who was clearly hesitant to check under the cover.
"We have no choice, Joe. The Marrow is opening."
Despair flashed across Joseph's face. "No, it can't be."
Russel hung his head low, pulling his soaking black hood back up. He reached deep into his wife's pack and pulled out a large envelope, handing it over. "That's for medical, living, and any other expenses he might need. We'll be back as soon as we figure out what to do."
After a quick kiss on Bradley's lips, Bonnie let go and turned to follow her mother and father. "Take care of my little brother, Brad. And you better quit smoking."
"Wait, I'm coming with you—"
"You can't now... Bradley, be there for my little brother. He'll need a sibling that can be there for him. Make sure Ant grows up to be a good man." She stuck out her tongue and turned away, concealing the tears following the path of scars on her cheeks.
The adventurers disappeared into the fog whilst the men looked down at the baby.
YOU ARE READING
My Crack At Adventure In A Dystopian World: Generations After
Science Fiction'I'll see you on the other side,' are the last words Anthony heard from his uncle, before the gates shut. Now, Anthony and partner Riley find themselves locked outside of one of the last protected cities in existence. Objective: Find his family scat...
