Project 2115

Chapter 11: Reality

The day passed uneventfully for Kai and his family until they were startled by someone banging on their door. "Please open the door! Please save us!" a voice pleaded. Peter was making his way to the door, but Anne stopped him and shook her head. "It's not safe," she insisted. Peter studied her for a minute, weighing his personal morality against his family's safety, and ultimately agreed that his family's safety was more important.

The banging grew louder until they heard another voice: "Stop it! You're too loud; you're attracting the Z's! Shit, they're coming down the road! Let's go!" And the people outside scurried off. "Z's? They call them that?" Peter asked Anne, puzzled. She thought about it for a moment. "It's probably a way to radically accept that they're no longer people. It's hard for normal people to hurt others. They probably call them that to justify attacking them."

Peter considered this for a long minute. "We should call them Z's too. We never know what we may need to do. Dehumanizing them is the best option." They both nodded in agreement.

"Mom, Dad? What was that banging?" Kai came down the stairs quietly. Anne explained the situation, and Kai was confused. "We're supposed to help each other in times like this, Mom. If not us, who?" Anne considered Kai's words, knowing they were true but only in times when their safety could be assured. She was shocked by this realization she had and struggled to explain to Kai the concept that their safety was more important than helping others in this new, terrifying world.

As Anne pondered over Kai's words, she found herself in a moral dilemma. The compassionate side of her wanted to help others, but the protective mother instinct was now dominant in her mind. She questioned herself, feeling torn between her values and the need to safeguard her family. Anne looked at Peter, trying to gauge his thoughts, hoping he would provide some guidance.

Peter, too, was struggling with the decision they had made. He had always believed in helping others, even at great personal risk. But now, faced with the unimaginable horrors outside their door, he realized that their primary responsibility was to keep Kai and themselves safe. They needed to be alive and well to make a difference in the world.

Kai's question echoed in Anne's mind: "If not us, who?" She knew they couldn't save everyone, but the idea of not even trying made her feel guilty. "Kai, I understand how you feel, and I want you to know that helping others is important. But right now, we need to focus on our own safety. We can't help others if we're not safe ourselves," Anne explained, hoping her words would provide some comfort to her son.

Kai nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew that their world had changed, and they needed to adapt to survive. The family embraced each other once more, holding on tightly to their love and hope for a better future.

As the day turned into night, the family listened to the eerie sounds outside and prayed for the safety of those who were beyond their help. They couldn't save everyone, but they could still cling to the hope that, someday, the world would find its way back to normalcy. And when that day came, they would be there to help rebuild and heal. Until then, they would stay together, stay strong, and keep each other safe.