Afterworld

A Gentlemen's Crusade

Crumpled up in a small one bedroom apartment a disheveled man ran creamy gel through his hair. His bulky glasses bounced back in the reflection of the mirror. He wanted to be beautiful, but he could never accept himself. His lack of self esteem and general discomfort with how he looked made him timid and soft. Yellow stained tiles were illuminated by the faint light flickering above his head. A persistent buzzing put rhythm in his thoughts. He pulled his collar tight and straightened his back. A man weakened by his self imposed ideology and the lies he grew up with, he faced his self hatred. "Today will be better. It has to be." His positive affirmations were the only highlight of his days. Life was hard in Luthander City, especially for someone like him.

Precisely placed above his shirt pocket a black tinted name tag displayed the words James Croswell etched with white ink. The state of Luthander City still required the need for white collar jobs. Croswell worked for a crisis management company. Calls would come in for any type of emergency and he would dispatch a unit of android soldiers to handle the problem. Whether it be a physical altercation between citizens or the common apartment fire, Luthander City's android militia was always ready.

Croswell lived on the lower side of the city where the less fortunate found themselves to be. The upper side belonged to a more high class society. It seems nothing changes the social hierarchies that rise in different civilizations. This difference in class made Croswell's morning commute quite the trek across the city. Luckily for him he was used to it after all these years.

Croswell scurried away from his apartment complex. He wasn't completely fond of walking the city streets. In fact, he never actually did, it was always more of a sprint than anything else. His place of work was twenty or so blocks away so it was an adequate form of exercise. All he needed to do was keep his head down and his feet moving. That was his way of ensuring he'd avoid trouble in any way it might find him. Little did he know his fate within the city walls was about to change forever.

You see, Croswell wasn't wrong in assuming the dangers of the streets of Luthander, even though it was heavily guarded by an android militia. Safety was a luxury the citizens within the inner city could count on, so long as they chose to follow the rules. Unfortunately for most, the city's laws were strict and unfair to those on the bottom of the food chain. This led to riots and seeds of revolution that were swiftly dealt with by spilling blood. Distrust of the city officials spread from person to person like the plague. Only those on top found themselves enjoying life in the inner city. This unfair treatment led to a lot of animosity between the common folk and the android militia that's meant to protect them.

Of course, Croswell knew this. That's why he chose to follow the rules, but he was smart enough to know nothing was ever guaranteed. He saw the androids for what they really were, a deadly piece of machinery meant to keep the people in line. Maybe that's the reason he is the way he is. He's spent his whole life in fear of everyone and everything. It seemed death was always lingering over his shoulder and there was no way to escape it.

Even though things weren't perfect within the inner city, it was far better than the chaos that ensued on the outer ring. That's why large metal gates were built that extended between multiple buildings. Their sole purpose was to protect the inner city from any outside threats. Some were larger than others, but they all were guarded by android soldiers. No one was allowed to pass through the gates unless they possessed specific pass cards that gave them permission to do so. A rarity amongst Luthander citizens, but the rich enjoyed delving into the darker side of the city, along with their own android escorts of course.

It just so happened that Croswell passes by one of these city gates everyday, but unlike everyday something unusual was happening. As he rounded the corner he could hear the blended noises of a crowd chanting and yelling. His heart sank in his chest as a wave of anxiety washed over him. His inertia almost flung him to the ground as he stopped in his tracks. "Oh my god." He whispered as he tried to catch his breath. "Something's happening."