Hollow - The Herculean Challenge

Round 2: The Characters

Name: Sem Pavelli

Age: 67

About: Sem is an old man, but don't let his age fool you—he's very much alive and doing well in a world that's not. When he was born the North Pole was already devoid of ice and the South Pole had melted to such an extent that many coastal cities had long vanished below the waves.

In 2247, when Sem was thirteen, the general public learned that the storms above the Arctic were not quite what they had been told. There had been conspiracy theories that governments around the world had been trying to hide something ... and they had been right.

Sem followed the live video footage of a group of people that had sent an army of drones to the Arctic. Of the many drones, the majority didn't make it; they were either taken down by the military or by the storm as they progressed further in. Those that did make it showed Sem images he would remember the rest of his life.

The sea opened up, seemingly defying gravity, into a massive hole. From this gaping chasm, light shone. An inner sun.

The Earth was hollow.

The footage spread like wildfire and the evidence was too great to be debunked or labelled as staged.

Governments confessed.

As Sem grew older he went to study meteorology. He desired to one day investigate those strange storms that had erupted over the Arctic after all the ice had melted.

However, in his final year, the Earth's inner sun had something akin to a solar flare. Massive amounts of radioactive particles were released into the atmosphere and swept over the land and seas.

The Northern hemisphere was eradicated of life. The Southern hemisphere managed to catch on to what was happening, but the radiation was unavoidable. As the strength thinned out further down the globe, people survived. Countries were in shambles, hospitals were filled with people showing signs of radiation poisoning, and anarchy threatened to overtake the remaining civilised world.

Sem got lucky. New Zealand got lucky—as did all of the far South.

The first decade after the disaster was hell. Barely any countries were left functioning as cancer had taken the majority of the initial survivors. The climate had changed drastically and the once arctic storms now covered almost the entire Northern hemisphere.

Still, Sem made the most of life. He finished his education, worked on studying the new storms, married and had kids.

But the inner sun continued to flare up over the years and each time the radiation reached further down. By the time Sem was fifty, New Zealand had become dangerously unstable. By sixty, there was only anarchy as there simply weren't enough people left for much else.

Sem's sixty-seven now. The small community he lives in tries their best to live off the dying land and sea. Despite everything, he remains optimistic; for himself, for his remaining community. He's not planning on giving up just yet.

(491 words)

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What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear would be to one day predict a solar flare and knowing the radiation would reach my community. I would fear knowing what was to come and not being able to save those I care about.

What is your greatest strength?

If I am to believe my family and friends it would be my optimistic nature and humour. Never underestimate the power of laughter.

What is your greatest weakness?

I guess my old age. Don't get me wrong—I'm still very much able to help my community. Still, my endurance isn't what it used to be. When food is scarce, it goes to the young and to the women—survival of the human race and all. Things are gradually getting harder and the time will come when I won't get enough sustenance to keep my health up.

I hope to have taught my granddaughter all I know before that time, though. That way when I die, the community will at least keep all my knowledge.