Evigilation

Chapter 4: Perception

Author's Note:

I apologize for the late posting of this, it totally slipped my mind. It has been done for a while XD

Well either way, I hope you enjoy the ending!

                                                                                                                                                                                           

Tristan nearly collapsed. He attempted to speak but his words were caught in his throat. He slowly shuffled over to the glass and gazed out at the destroyed landscape. He placed a hand on the window as if testing if it was real, yet he could already tell that it was. Then he turned to Steve.

Without Tristan replying, Steve continued speaking, "Nearly twelve years ago, the world was ravaged by a devastating nuclear war; one that had been foreseen many years before. What you see outside is a result of that war."

Tristan glanced outside once more at the result of the disgusting human competition called war. The dead vegetation seemed to lilt in surrender.

"However, since the war had been predicted, complexes such as these were built for the aftermath. They had been designed to withstand radiation, but none were able to survive if they were within close proximity of a blast. Before the war, there were about a thousand built just like this one for those who wished to inhabit them. You see, not many people wished to hide out in a scientific complex, sadly..." Steve's voice trailed off.

Tristan hesitated, but then asked, "So how many complexes are there now?"

Steve's face faltered for a moment, then rose to glance out the window. "In this country there are only about three-hundred remaining from the original thousand."

The sheer weight of the war began to sink in at this statement. Tristan didn't want to imagine all of the death and tragedy experienced around the country; never mind the world.

Steve continued to enlighten Tristan, "These complexes sever a highly beneficial purpose, even if a portion of the country was against us."

"Well what is that purpose, exactly?" Tristan asked.

Steve continued to stare out at the barren land for a couple of moments. Then he turned towards Tristan and looked him right in the eyes.

"To adapt. To learn how to live in this newly ruined land. We've never had to deal with living in a nuclear wasteland, so by staying here we may learn."

Tristan rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip, soaking in the information. A new thought popped in his head. "Why wouldn't people want to back a program like this? Especially if they knew that a nuclear war was coming," Tristan wondered aloud.

Steve sighed and shook his head. "They were too obsessed with their war, with proving their dominance. They preferred to build their weapons than waste money on protecting themselves from the outcome," Steve squeezed his eyes shut and slammed a fist on the glass, "Damn government... We could have saved so many more lives."

Steve took a deep breath, and then resumed talking, "We set up the complex to be able to produce the food we need; we have greenhouses, areas to breed and raise cattle, and wells with water purification systems."

Tristan's mind wandered to his fake reality once again. He wondered if his parents actually existed or not, as well as if Danielle or Christian were real.