Terra Novus

Chapter Two

I froze, my hands slightly raised in front of my body. I waited a beat before slowly turning around, hands raised in the air. I tilted my head, glaring at no one in particular.

"What was that all about?"

"You know exactly what that was." The tall man spat. I held back a scoff. I nodded, waiting for him to say more.

"Can we go now?" I said, more of a statement then a question.

"Please." he sneered. "Thanks." Alex nodded back as we climbed into our truck. I started the engine and backed out of the empty lot, keeping eye contact for as long as I could. As soon as we had pulled onto the road and passing the front of the lot, the rest of the crowd began shouting petty threats at Alex and I. Alex only smiled back as we pulled away.

"They have no idea what they're fighting against... or for." Alex muttered as we drove through the desolate town. I nodded, unsure of what to say. "Humanity does that." I shrugged. "Fighting for who knows what so they have something to hold on to... or something."

As we turned the street corner I could already hear angry citizens trying to drown out Drake's powerful voice.

"It's your choice." She said calmly.  "Whether you choose to believe the dreams of Greenpeace, or choose to follow us onto a new, safe world, the choice is yours, and yours alone. Thank you." 

With that, she gave a short nod, and stepped down from the park bench she had been standing on. As soon as she stepped onto the ground, the crowd parted. Drake stood 6'2" at full height and had the build of a superhero. Her dark eyes carried the threat of death in her stare. The crowd backed away as fast as they could as she made a beeline for the truck, Jade trailing behind her. 

Jade hopped into the back seat, red faced and shaking. She was the exact opposite of Drake. Quiet, sensitive and reserved, her pale blue eyes stood out from her sharp facial features. She was graceful and petite, with burning passion for peace... Jade sighed deeply, leaning back against her seat as she shoved the chunks of her white hair from her face. "They aren't going to listen." She stated, matter-of-factly. I glanced in the rearview mirror as the crowd disappeared from view behind the town hall. 

"Well," Alex said, "We wanted to get people talking."

"We certainly did that." Jade laughed dryly. I shook my head. 

"They're just fighting the inevitable. They're going to have to wake up one day." I said as I started the car. I could see Jade smiling back at me in the rearview mirror. 

I sat in silence the rest of the ride. While the rest of my team fell fast asleep, I was left to my own thoughts with only the rusty, straining noise this ancient car made. I stayed focused on the crumbling road before me, trying to ignore the soot-filled air around us and the dying black earth below us. I felt as if I was losing my memory of what the Earth was before the first nuclear bomb dropped. Although dirty and poor, at least we had life. Trees, plants, animals, insects... damn, I even missed the mosquitoes. Just the idea of having life around me again gave me hope for the future. The idea of breathing in fresh air and not being afraid of developing cancer every time you step outside. I sighed shakily, fighting the tightening in my chest. I could hear Jade shuffling behind me. "You alright?" Jade asked softly, placing her chin on the seat back beside me. "Yeah." murmured. "Just thinking."