DETESTABLE

GOOD RIDDANCE

The advancement of Humanity never ceased, even for a moment–during difficult times we grow and adapt once again. The cities are as prosperous as ever, and our technological advancement is rising. With our recent discovery of Ignniat, humanity has once skyrocketed past its peak; the greatest has yet to be achieved. This grace of newfound knowledge could only be described as divine intervention - we humanity will be able to grace the gods with our presence in their land in the clouds. Everyone within the company of Karascene has evaluated Ignniat and we sense a large potential within this mineral – worry not, Ignniat has not been evaluated to have any side effects or downsides of being mined, it has a higher chance to–

       JANUARY 14th, 10:26 PM, 2543.

A click. It had been reruns of this same stream, the day the world was ruined. Dad always found himself turning the channel off when I was unable to tear my eyes away. The somber face he gave me ensured a gut-wrenching feeling transpiring from deep within – I always feel bad when it plays, but it opens the floodgates to so many memories; granted they weren't very good ones. Letting out a sigh, I slowly rose to my feet, gotta get my mind off things. His saddened mood remained, and regularly I'd try to help ease his mood and at least give him a little bit of joy, but today; I'm tired.

I hold a relatively slow pace as I approach the door, giving a small holler to Dad. "I'll be heading out for a bit, dinner is in the fridge." No response. Figures. He usually hears me though, he'll probably be fine. Slowly closing the door behind me, I let another breathy sigh escape as the door completely shut. Nearly forgetting, I place my hand on the cold, metallic scanner that locks the door. If there was anything this apartment had, it was advanced tech, but then again; most places had notable technology–it had been a long time since anyone had used any other different technology.

The cold, rainy night ensued my long overdue walk–exploring the city of Paltricus was a privilege to those who'd been safe from the mutation via escape, or pure luck. The city night was beautiful, illuminated with vibrant stars that remained for thousands of years. It must be lonely in the great distant sky. Paltricus was a nice place, but it felt more like a cage than a luxurious place of living. Filled to the brim with apartments, homes, and any other building able to hold occupants, most buildings were hundreds of stories tall; thanks to Ignniat. The mineral that appeased technology, and architecture was a great mineral that extended our foundation of life. Public knowledge only knows so much about this mineral though, mainly because mainly because it's kept under pretty tough wraps.

Removing myself from clouded thoughts, I found my way to my favorite coffee spot; most people avoid it because rumors were spread that a lapse was found in the area, which was what society has referred to those whom the virus has infected. This never really disturbed me, I've had incredible luck my entire life, plus the owner is a great guy. Who would pass up free coffee in exchange for talks and chats late at night?

Walking inside, a loud ring dispelled my discomfort as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled my lungs. Anton, the man who owned the store, was of course the person behind the counter – the place was practically empty except for a few people in the back. Approaching the counter, my feet tired from a long walk, I droop atop one of the stools and yawn. I spot Anton bringing the regular thankfully. "Hey Lilith, Long night?" his raspy voice echoed within the fractals of my brain, "Something of the sort," I replied shallowly, more tired and tired by the second.

Ready to fix my fatigue, I took a few sips of the coffee placed in front of me. "Business still down since that sighting..?" I spoke quietly, not attempting to scare away the remaining customers that Anton's unit had. He nodded, cleaning a glass with a rag – this place is technically a bar, but I never really came for drinks. A few murmurs could be heard from behind, but for the most part, the conversation between me and Anton was held rather short tonight. Waving him a small goodbye, I left the shop; with a little more energy than before.

Wandering the dark streets late at night wasn't usually the best option, but honestly, it was better than staying in that stuffy apartment; hell most of the time you could hear the neighbors having sex more than you could hear your music. With a quick, breathy sigh, I returned my gaze to the walk ahead–I'll probably make my way towards Al's Pawnshop; just a place I find junk that looks interesting, as a pastime. Quick regret flushed over me as I heard footsteps close behind, maybe I'm overthinking it, but nobody hung around this place unless they wanted to get mugged, or beaten up. It was popular for its mafia and gang activities...

Isn't that funny? We have half the manpower left, and we can't even refrain from hurting one another. I hastily sped up, Al's was around the corner, so I would be fine inside. A glance behind me ensured that I was no longer being tailed as I stood in front of a bright glowing sign that read, "Alborn's Pawnshop!" With slower steps, I entered once again–this place was more under the cover, as Alborn would often take in people who'd been mutated and snuck into Paltricus. Upon opening the door, the lights had been shut off, interestingly enough–there was no Al. No refugees. Nothing. Something wasn't right here.

Stealthily I made my way towards the back of the store, murmurs and talking heard beyond a metal grate which took a few yanks to tear off. Climbing into the vent was the safest and quietest option for me right now; climbing my way through, I'd pick up on conversations and talks between strangely dressed men. I noticed Al inside, chained. Figures he'd get caught eventually.

Alborn was a great guy, but this looked serious. No need to stick my nose out for someone, especially when they seem like they've just gotten into trouble with every authority in the city. Yet, I still couldn't shake the feeling. Letting a silent sigh escape me, I slowly warped off the grate below, dropping down into the quiet room. "Psst. Al. Al!" I whispered, giving a soft yell at his lack of response. "Lilith? What are you doing here..? You've gotta leave, he'll catch you."

No shit, I silently voiced to myself. Attempting to lockpick the chains that wrapped around his arms, voices closed in on our location, the faint footsteps growing ever louder. "Quick! Get back in the vent, and leave. Do not come back. If we meet again, it won't be in this city." He said hurriedly, the flash of panic on his face didn't help my nerves at all. Listening to his advice. I couldn't bring myself to stay longer. Fuck, Al. I quickly ran for it after exiting the vent; it hurt a bit to lose such an invaluable friend. Were they moving him to the...other city? So many things were flicking through my slightly scattered mind, and most of them were angry but sad. I'd done numerous kinds of research on the outer cities, and the capital of the infected, Alcatraz, which they named after the prison – felt like it fit the name pretty well from what I'd read. Not to mention the unmutated had cut any remaining connecting land with infected land, it was...tragic.

The walk home was quiet, but so loud. The thoughts infecting my brain were booming, and the regret of not having stayed to help flashed over multiple times. I finally arrived home, almost brought to tears by the dreadful walk in the burst of sounds from the clouds above, the thunderous booms were enough to frighten any person sometimes. Dad was already passed out on the couch, some rerun of an older movie, probably 10-12 years old; sighing, I quietly crept my way back to my room. Flopping in the bed, I wasn't able to keep my eyes open for long. Before long, slumber crept up on me.