The Maxacka essentially was the apocalypse, which resulted after years of nuclear warfare among many countries across the world. The worst days of the Maxacka occurred in the last 10 days of December. Military involvement in everyday life became an extreme hassle, and attacks were at an all-time high. On the day before life in the pre-modern world came to an end, the people saw their president collapse and die while giving the final speech a president would ever give. Hope plummeted, families withered away, crime skyrocketed, and violence from military police rapidly increased. Nuclear radiation killed thousands daily as people essentially watched the world crumble down around them.
Most of the countries all around the globe were affected, as the toxicity of the nuclear waste deeply impacted the lives of those who couldn’t manage to be killed by the weapons. In America, the Belor Islands, once known as Hawaii, were most affected by the nuclear toxins, as they were completely surrounded by water, which was polluted with the toxic waste. To this day, people are still afraid to go there for fear of even deadlier toxins and creatures. Yet, across the country, crops started to die as nuclear waste seeped into the soil and sometimes managed to toxify the rain. Famine seemed inevitable, though a few rare crops managed to thrive, while many underwent mutation; oftentimes this posed a health problem, but to the lucky few, the mutations were beneficial. In fact, those who survived developed a sort of immunity against the nuclear effects, which they would then pass on to offspring.
Over time, these mutated plants began to have an effect on those eating them. About a third of the remaining population experienced debilitating mutations, such as extra appendages or dysfunctional organs. The most common mutation could be seen in eye color and hair color. The typical eye colors were brown, blue, gray, or hazel, yet after many years of consumption of these plants and animals, the most common eye colors became purple, golden yellow, teal, and red-orange, and all appeared to be somewhat fluorescent, which provided an advantage for seeing in the dark. Small vestiges of the hazel variety can still be found. As for hair color, it became normal to have multiple hair colors instead of just monochromatic. Also, white became a more common hair color, and people often gained non-neutral tints to their hair, the most common being blue or red.
As fate would have it, a small group of people who survived the Maxacka eventually found one another and became dedicated to the cause of rebuilding society. Their initial focus was, of course, survival, but after stable living conditions were established, they began to focus on reestablishing a system of society and government. Though there were many conflicting ideas, the group eventually unanimously agreed that government should protect rights while permitting several freedoms. These freedoms included the right to trade and sell freely; to have nearly unlimited property rights; to be able to speak, share ideas, and protest publicly; to live your chosen lifestyle without government intervention; and to have military action taken only when necessary (which stemmed from the frustration felt in the final few years before the Maxacka when military intervention was widespread). These ideas became known as the “Principles of Freedom” and these survivors became known as “The Founders.”
One founder, Barroso (age 28), a single father and a baker, along with his young son Christio (age 6), spoke French, and Barroso’s parents were actually French immigrants. All of their descendents are known as Barrose, and they typically speak a mixture of French and English. Barrose can also refer to a fatherly person. Fitz (age 32) was a New York cab driver until the Maxacka. His descendents are Fitzis, which can also be used to describe someone who is proud and strong-willed. Giorgio (age 37) was an Italian-German-American living in Illinois, where he worked in business. His descendents are known as Giorgian, which also can defer to – usually derisively – someone in the business industry. Bluebell was a South Carolinian farmgirl (age 19) who aspired to be a musician. Her descendents became known as Blues, but can also be a term of endearment used to describe someone who is musically-inclined. William (age 24) and RJ (age 26) were a gay couple living in Los Angeles. RJ worked in photography and journalism, and Will worked as a statistician. In an act of responsibility, RJ had children with a woman, though he and Will stayed together. Their descendents are known as Rillians, though this term can be used to describe someone who is gay, but more often it refers to a gay couple. Jenna was a journalist, author, and poet from Colorado. Her descendents came to be known as Jens, which can also refer to someone with a passion for writing. Fortune was a chef and artist from Florida. Her descendents are known as Fortuna, which also came to be the capital of the Milus Palette, the palette with the highest concentration of Fortuna. Fortuna can also describe someone who is very artsy. A boy named Sorren (age 17) had long dreamed of becoming an athlete in his home state of Michigan, and was heavily involved in hockey as well as several school clubs, always keeping himself busy. He and Bluebell ended up falling in love and eventually having children, and his descendents as well as athletic people are simply referred to as “Sorren.” Edgar worked as a biologist in Washington, where he worked in labs. The Edgarth are his descendents, but also can be people who love science. Jeffrey, who lived in Iowa, was a Democratic politician. Jeffrans are his descendents, which can also refer to someone involved in politics, often used in a derisive tone (though the post–Maxacka time period is free of political parties). Mason (age 41), a coal miner, lived in Kentucky with his family whose members were killed in the Maxacka. His descendents are simply known as Masons, yet this also refers to hardworking, dedicated people. A lesbian couple, Rachelle, who worked as a therapist, and Aurelie, who worked as a beautician, lived in Rhode Island. They had three children by Aurelie through artificial insemination: Alvin (age 16), their son; Astra (age 10), their oldest daughter; and Zoey (age 8), their youngest daughter. Their descendents, or a word that can also refer to a lesbian or lesbian couple, are “Ralies.” The final known Founder, Rosencrantz (age unknown), became one of the most important Founders, as he took on a leadership position and was the driving force for the implementation of government laws in his lifetime. He was also the first to develop the mutation of the red–orange eye color and white hair color. He has no known descendents, but it is rumored that he is the ultimate father of all of those born with his eye color and hair color. Names similar to “Rose” are often given to children destined for greatness.
It is likely that there may have been more minor members who aided in reconstruction; however, these 18 people were the only recorded Founders. This is what I learned growing up all my life from my parents and from my teachers. The Maxacka occurred 999 years ago, and as it was taught in schools, all memory of time seemed to be lost on that final day that life was “normal,” or at least normal enough. After this lack of concept of time, the Founders ended up fatefully unifying and decided that a new era of time should begin. There was once B.C.E., then C.E./A.D., and now there is T.R., which stands for “tempore de reconstruction,” or “time of reconstruction.” Though, reconstruction had mostly ended before my time on Earth.
