The Green(The Green - book 1)

Chapter 2

Year: 4040

2024 years into the future, so many wars had damaged the world, people had decided having a government was more dangerous, than it was protective. In the year 3000, there was so much corruption, that the United States decided it was time to rely on the citizens, more than the country. Many corporations were shut down and exposed. The currency system no longer mattered. It was all about survival. A majority of the people kept their jobs as a way to "earn their keep." They had check out slips that were digitally marked, to show the landlords, if they had been approved for another week to stay at their homes. The water and electricity still worked and people were able to get the food they needed. A war broke out in 2999 that destroyed most of the country.

People were outraged! They rebelled against the government, until it was shutdown. Within that year, people started uniting and rebuilding what their government couldn't protect. There was still a TV network and a radio network to broadcast the news. As for entertainment, there were electronic bands, who performed for big venues in their area, in order to get their slips approved. Occasionally, there were rewards set in place, whether it was groupies, feasts or rare finds. Either way, life did not go without its rewards! It all depended on the opportunities given. How did one pay for that concert, you may ask? Instead of being ruled by money, everyone is approved by their approval slips. All they have to do, is show their slips to prove they "paid their dues." There were still policemen and security guards of the community, just not as strict as they were, during government law.

Many cars that were burned in the war, were used as barriers and materials to seal the holes, left by explosions. Some cars were sticking in walls sideways and the rest was boarded up with wood. Some cars stuck straight out, acting as a window, surrounded by other metals, to block entry.

In 4040, it wasn't much different. By then, no one knew what TV shows or movies were. If they did, they were rare finds. Even though there was no currency, rare finds were like gold. Rare finds helped motivate people, not everyone was presented with them, but everyone hoped they would find some. Finding these items turned men into thieves and criminals.

Raven woke up to a foul stench. He sniffed himself and thought he needed a shower. He got up, walked to the bathroom, turned on the water and stripped off his clothes. The smell was still there a few minutes after he scrubbed himself. He tried scrubbing for a while, but he still couldn't get the scent out. After stepping out of the shower, he started smelling the same scent everywhere. He looked around, yet couldn't explain where it was coming from. He grabbed a towel and dried himself off, carrying on with his day. The apartment was a 2 bedroom, but he lived alone. Without high rent and low rent, it didn't matter. The landlords decided where you could or could not stay. The walls were made of red brick, but the floors were brown wood. It was a fairly small place, yet, all Raven needed was shelter. In a cabinet above the kitchen sink, there was a box of fruit flavored sugar-free cereal. People were careful about how much sugar people would intake, with centuries of diabetes that loomed. After grabbing the milk out of the fridge, he opened the bottle and smelled it. He detected the same foul smell. I bet everything's fine! My nose is playing tricks on me! He thought. He proceeded to grab a bowl and pour the cereal and milk into it.

After he ate, he proceeded outside to his cargo speeder, which was a gray, hovering motorcycle, with a 3x3 foot metal cargo bay in the back. Raven worked at a package delivery service in town called Skyzer Corp. Some of the packages were rare finds, so couriers were entrusted with the security, to get them to their location safely. He headed to the shipping center and went inside, to check in and put his uniform on. They were required to wear a white shirt with the Skyzer Corp logo on it, an orange vest and black pants. "Hey, partner!" He heard behind him. He turned to look. "Hey, Grease..." Raven replied, as he finished changing. Christopher "Grease" Adams was Raven's co-worker, he was 25, the same age as Raven. Grease was a tall guy with dark, spiky hair, a round face and a goatee. He was the prankster of the group and he was the class clown, back in high school. "We're bein' split up, today. The old man's got me goin' down to the North District and you're goin down to the South District, over by Central Street!" Raven rolled his eyes. He hated going to South District, because there were a lot of gangs down there that were always looking for a fight. "Guess I better bring the emergency kit..." "If you could maneuver like me, you wouldn't need it!" Grease replied, as he patted Raven on the shoulder. Raven grabbed the emergency kit, strapped it to the side of his bike and sped off.

It took about an hour to get to the South District, from Central. It was around 1 in the afternoon. Lunch traffic was congested, as expected. At least I'm going during the day and not at midnight. He told himself.

Car and speeder horns were blaring, the homeless were taking advantage of the traffic jam, begging for drugs or food. Raven waved them off. A bald man with a gray beard, and hardly any teeth, came up and clutched on to Raven, with all his might. The light turned green, Raven elbowed the man multiple times, as hard as he could! The old man fell down and was struck by another car. The car stopped, but Raven kept going. That was self-defense! If I wasn't on a schedule, I'd check on that lunatic! I'm sure he's dead, but he got physical with me! I was defending myself! He thought.

Two blocks away from his destination, he saw a green glow, in an alleyway. Curiosity got the best of him, so he pulled over and went to see where it was coming from. He looked around, but didn't see anything. He shrugged it off and started walking back, when a transparent sphere shot out of the dumpster and flew away. Raven stumbled back and fell into a puddle on the ground. The puddle sent a burning sensation into his hands and up his arms. He yelled and leapt to his feet, staring down at his hands, then at the puddle. "You rang?!" A short blonde guy, with crazy hair and a beard, came out in front of him. He wore a black leather coat, black shirt and black jeans. He was followed by a tall, overweight man, who had a round face, with his hair slicked back. That man was also wearing all black. Three more thugs walked behind Raven. A tall black gentleman with a blue Mohawk was standing in the center. To his left was a short black gentleman with dreadlocks. To their right was a tall black gentleman with a bald head and a square shaped face.

"Check it out fellas! He works for Skyzer Corp!" The blonde guy said, as they inched closer to Raven. "Since you work for them, I assume you've come here on business! Go get us the package or we'll send you back in one!" The blonde took out his switchblade. "It's... In the bike behind you." The blonde guy turned to look. "Okay... Give me the keys..." Raven slowly stuck his hand in his pocket. He whipped out his switchblade and slashed at the blonde's face, but only hit his jacket. The man with the mohawk took a chain out of his pocket and pulled Raven back by the throat! The two gentleman beside him, took out their blades and pointed them at his throat. "You ripped my jacket!" The blonde was about to stab him, but before he could, Raven kicked the man's wrist, sending the knife flying behind him. The mohawk man suddenly dropped down and started convulsing. The other two went to check on him, as the overweight one charged at Raven, shouting his lungs out. Raven tried to stab him, but right before the knife made impact, the hefty man fell to the ground and started convulsing. The blonde tackled Raven to the ground and the other two began kicking at Raven's side. Raven started to pass out. He heard a yell, right before everything went black.

When he woke up, Grease was staring down at him. "Raven! Raven!" Raven slowly sat up and looked around. The sky was dark, the alleyway was even darker. "You got a flashlight?" Grease turned on the light from his tracker and looked around. "What the hell happened here, man?!" Grease asked. "They were attacking me, for defending the packages. I tried to fight back, they all started convulsing... At least two of them did... From what I remember..." "Why are you even in this alley?! This isn't part of the route!" "I...Saw something glowing... I thought it could be a rare find... Hey, what are you doing here?" "Boss called and told me to follow your GPS... You never made it to your delivery, man!" Raven stood up and groaned. "Let's go... I'll drop it off on the way!" "You sure you're alright?" Grease looked at him with concern. "Nothing's broken, I'll be okay!" Then they hopped on their bikes and rode to their destination. How did those 3 end up like that? Why did those other two start convulsing? It doesn't make any sense! He asked himself.