Life Outside of the Bubble

Living in a Bubble

The sun shines brightly in the sky, making it hot outside during the warm summer morning. Ethan Saxe wakes up from his bed. Ethan isn't usually so eager to wake up so early in the morning, but today is a special exception. It's his eighteenth birthday today. He is a man now in his community, so he can finally pursue his dream. He looks at his walls to see the date on his calendar marked 2055 with a red circle marking June 27th, his birthday. He almost squeals in excitement at the thought of finally being allowed to leave the community and start his new life. He leaves his room to greet his family before he leaves them for his journey away from home. 

Once he enters the living room he hears his family shouting "Surprise!" in unison. They each wish him a happy birthday. He receives many gifts today, most of them being clothes. He begins feeling emotional as he gratefully accepts each gift. As he takes the last gift, a sturdy sledgehammer from his father, he sees his dad sharing the same feelings as he did. His father, a relatively short man, wraps him in a big warm hug before speaking. "Son, you're a man now. And I'm so proud of you." Ethan feels like his body is about to break from the embrace, since his father is quite stocky and muscular. 

"Thanks, dad." Ethan replies to his father, finally being freed. He stares down at the sledgehammer in his hands, admiring the gift. Usually such a gift would be odd, but this particular item has been used by his father since before he was born. Long before Ethan was conceived, there was a brutal nuclear war. Several nations grew tense and eventually the tension came to a head in the form of nuclear attacks. The result was catastrophic to most of the world. Even the places on the Earth free from attack suffered fallout that rendered most of the flora and fauna useless. Fortunately for his family, there was several preppers who were ready for just such an event. 

Almost thirty years ago the Earth was assaulted by the radioactive onslaught. The preppers weren't as prepared as they thought, but they did have enough time to craft numerous bunkers in the ground. The only ones to survive were the incredibly wealthy and the incredibly paranoid. Ethan's father was one the most paranoid in the area. He had supplies stored away in a larger bunker deep underground. He had been preparing for this almost his entire life, believing almost every world-ending theory that he heard. His friends and most of the public ridiculed him constantly until the day the nuclear strikes occurred. The ones who had enough time to make it to his shelter begged and pleaded to get inside. He gladly let each one into his home until the last possible moment. 

The environment outside was visibly scarred by the radiation. most creatures died within a few years, but some evolved and adapted. Now the Earth is crawling with mutated monsters that barely resemble the creatures they once were. Ethan's father worked tirelessly with a scarce few who believed him to gather materials to create a massive structure capable of surviving such destruction. The structure was a large dome, affectionately called "The Bubble", big enough to comfortably cover a few houses and a farm. They created a building specifically for distilling the water. They purchased several suits capable of protecting them from the radiation. They spent their entire life savings to afford everything the needed to survive. 

Many of the poor souls who entered the safety of The Bubble left to build a home elsewhere or return to their home, believing life outside wasn't as bad as it seemed. Others became greedy, attempting to steal or forcefully take rations form others. A couple of years after the event that changed the world, there were only a few families left inside of The Bubble. Through hardship, the families grew close. They had formed a bond that could withstand anything. Being from the United States of America, the families held many of the same laws and cultural norms as their once populated nation. Children were considered adults once they reached the age of eighteen. They were free from that point to do whatever they wanted with their lives. Many chose to stay at home with the safety and familiarity of The Bubble and their loved ones. Ethan was an exception.

From the moment he was born, Ethan has been forced to endure the hardships of the new world. He only heard stories of the old world and the creatures that inhabited it. When he was young he would tell his parents that he would someday make the world like it once was. that he would make the world safe for his family to explore. A few years later, he was ten years old, his mother left The Bubble to gather supplies from nearby buildings and she never returned. His father knew after a few days that his mother perished outside, but he never let it show. Ethan was thirteen before he accepted the harsh reality that his mother left this mortal plane. For a long time he was furious that there was never a funeral to honor his mother and her noble sacrifice. He elected to have a small funeral of his own not long after and wept for days. As time went on he cried less often. Eventually he felt like he was incapable of crying. He forgave his father and regained determination to create a safe place for his loved ones to inhabit. 

Now he realizes it's likely impossible to create a world, but he still desires to locate somewhere that is untouched by the radiation plaguing the planet. He clutches his new sledgehammer tightly as his father interrupts his daydreaming. "Look, I know you've been eager to go outside and try to find a utopia out there." His father grabs on to his shoulder, staring into his eyes. "But would you consider staying here? I know you're a man now and can do whatever you want, but its dangerous out there son." He can tell how distraught his father is, knowing his son is leaving.

"Dad, I have to do this." Ethan says in response to his father's pleas. His dad seems to understand and gives Ethan a slight smile before letting him go back to his room to gather supplies. Ethan spends a couple of hours making sure he has everything he needs before he puts on a protective suit. He meets his father at the entrance of The Bubble, the rest of the community in tears and cheering him on. 

"Last chance to change your mind, son?" Ethan's father attempts to persuade him to stay once more. 

"I'm going dad, I've been waiting for this day my entire life." Ethan replies, turning to wave to the community before he hugs his dad tightly.

Ethan's father begins to cry, something that not many in the community have seen since the loss of Ethan's mother. His father holds him close for a while longer before eventually letting go of him. "I love you son, take care of yourself." His father opens The Bubble for Ethan to finally pursue his dreams. 

"I love you too dad." Ethan says his final words to his father before he leaves The Bubble that has kept him safe for so long. Ethan is finally free to explore the massive world outside as he takes his first steps on his brave new journey.