Fighting for Air

During a post-apocalyptic world, there are five people who have one primary issue together--They all need oxygen. These five people all live together in an underground facility, and their base is losing air, and fast. The above ground air is very toxic, and will kill anyone within two minutes maximum without clean air. All five of the people stand together in a metal cube, known as Facility Bravo, to address their issue.

"We need to get some clean air..." Johnny stated.

"Yeah, Johnny, I think we found that out already." Kate replied.

"I think that we should use the air tanks we have and go searching for the nearest facility." Syrus suggested. Everyone looked at him. "We only have two oxygen tanks, and each one would only last for about an hour." Kate said. Murphy walked over to an oxygen mask and tank, and picked it up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kate argued.

"Surviving. I am taking one of these tanks so that I can get out of here!" Murphy shouted.

"You can't just take one! We have to decide who gets it and what our plan is!" Syrus yelled back. He swiftly walked up to Murphy to attempt to take the oxygen tank back. Murphy threw a punch at Syrus, knocking him onto the ground. "You can't do this!" Johnny yelled towards Murphy.

"I'm getting out of this metal box!" Murphy shouted to everyone as he walked towards the hatch, which leaded to the surface. "No, we will all die!" Syrus wheezed out, trying to stand. Murphy ignored their cries for help as he reached for the hatch. Suddenly, Murphy falls to the ground into a pool of his own blood, dropping the oxygen tank and mask next to Syrus and Kate. As Murphy falls, Johnny stands behind him, holding a bloody knife. Syrus and Kate shout various things as they walk away from Johnny.

"You killed him!" Syrus screamed.

"I did what I had to do..." Johnny said in a depressed tone.

"Johnny, we made a rule, don't you remember?" Kate asked.

"Yes, that murder is punished with murder." Johnny replied.

"I don't want to have to kill you, John," Syrus said, "but we have to stick to that rule. It helps us save oxygen, you know this."

"I don't want to die either, Syrus," Johnny began, "so I apologize in advanced."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Kate asked.

Johnny lunged towards Syrus with his bloody shiv in hand. Syrus dodged the knife and throws Johnny against a wall. He quickly recovers and jumps onto Syrus, forcing the shiv down onto Syrus' chest. Syrus rebels by pushing Johnny off, while Kate grabs a shard of metal from a broken radio. Johnny stands, facing Syrus as Kate approaches Johnny's back side.

"I am more than sorry, Syrus." Johnny stated.

"So am I." Kate said as she slid the shard of metal deep into Johnny's neck. She let go as Johnny's corpse flailed to the ground. Kate looked at Syrus in the eyes as he stood back up. There was a silence as they walked towards each other slowly, both in shock.

"We have two people, and two air tanks now..." Syrus said to Kate.

"We can make it out of here, the the next base!" Kate whispered with a grin.

Syrus and Kate shared a kiss together, and then began to suit up. They both wore an oxygen mask, with a special suit to seal their air, and connected their oxygen tanks. Syrus looked at Kate, "Ready?" Kate nodded. They opened the hatch together as they crawled out onto the surface. The scenery made Earth almost look like Mars, with ruins in the distance and red dirt. Dark, smoke clouds flooded the skies. Syrus pulled out a map from his pocket.

"There should be a populated base approximately two and a half hours from here heading east." Syrus explained to Kate. Only Kate remembered that each tank held about an hour of oxygen, but didn't say anything to Syrus.

"That way?" Kate pointed. Syrus looked away from Kate towards the east and pointed, "There."

Pain shot through Syrus' entire body as the sunlight brightened through the shield of his mask. He looked down at his chest, only to see the end of a blade sticking through him. He slowly turned towards Kate and looked her in the eyes. He fell to his knees and bled out. Kate shed a tear as she took the oxygen tank from Syrus' body and sealed it in her backpack.

"What has to be done, has to be done." Kate whispered.

She picked up the map from the ground and ran as fast as she could east, never to look back.