Chapter 3: The New Home
Wertigon sighed as he read the order from the Governor. Dhroma. It had to be Dhroma. The biggest evidence that the Second Sun was a pervert.
All the more reason to wipe out this nest. Shame that New Brooklyn had about a hundred years of unchecked infestation before it was settled. Maybe the infestations would never cease.
“GG, Nessa, I need you two. On the double.”
Wertigon sat back in a rickety chair. It used to be something of luxury, but like almost everything in the fortress, age took it’s toll.
He waited for about five minutes before a young woman swept into the room, followed by a young man.
“What’s up?” the young man said, cooly. He had the air of one who lived for a fight.
Wertigon threw down the pictures PC had taken. “GG, we have a Dhroma infestation in the old Times Square.”
GG grinned and jerked his thumb over at the woman. “Any reason Nessa is here? You know what’s going to happen… IPE!”
His voice rose about an octave with the application of a small ice spell centered on his crotch. Nessa just smiled at him and said, almost jovially, “Keep on going and I burn it too.”
GG shut up. Quickly.
Wertigon laughed a bit, leaning back in his chair. “That’s exactly what we’re going to need, Nessa. GG, get your flamer. Think I might ask for Weiila, we’ll probably need her.”
GG rose an eyebrow. “She can’t fight.”
Wertigon sighed, and started to speak to GG as if he was mentally impaired. “She can heal.”
“Good enough.”
“Alright, here’s the plan I had in mind…” Wertigon beckoned the two closer, and he pointed at various pictures as he outlined his plan.
The Governor tapped his fingers on the desk. “No memory, frightened of magic, and yet nothing’s wrong with him?”
“That’s the prognosis, Governor.” Weiila sighed.
“Hmmm. Think he might be a Child?”
“Maybe. I can’t tell if his mind is altered. My abilities don’t stretch that far.”
The Governor sighed. “As much as I’d love to find someone who can train you in that, if he is a Child, we don’t have the time. And yet the circumstances point to him not being one.”
“How would you know?”
“PC brought him in.”
Weiila mulled this over for a moment, and then nodded. “Good enough. Where is PC anyway?”
“Collecting ClothHat’s bounty.”
“Ahh. So what do you suggest we do?”
The finger-drumming stopped as the Governor pressed his fingers together. “Well, we’ll keep an eye on him, think I might put the word out that we’ll need someone with experience in memories. Jamie should be good to make sure everyone knows.”
“So who’s going to watch him?”
A moment later, Weiila left the office, resisting the urge to curse at the top of her lungs.
I laid there for a while, just looking around. I didn’t have the time to take stock of the area while the dark-haired woman tended to me. But now that I was alone…
The room seemed to be a makeshift doctor’s office. It made sense, she seemed like one. There were a few beds along the wall, clean sheets and everything. Nearby I could see a set of surgical tools. Some of them were rusted, as if they hadn’t been used in a long time.
But what got to me most is the age of the room. Wooden paneling seemed to be cracking with age, and the ceiling, which was probably white when it was first painted, was a golden yellow with age. The lights seemed to flicker slightly, as if there wasn’t enough power to supply them.
What had happened?
The woman returned, sighing and muttering to herself. “Are you feeling alright?”
I nodded. I don’t think it was the time to argue.
She continued. She seemed annoyed. “The Governor welcomes you to New Brooklyn…”
“What?” New Brooklyn? The hell?
She looked at me with another one of those “God you’re stupid” looks. “New Brooklyn.”
“Uhm… humor me here, but why is it called NEW Brooklyn?”
She shrugged. “Because it was built on the ruins of the old Brooklyn.”
Ruins? What the hell? What exactly was going on here?
I must have looked extremely confused at that, because she sighed. “I don’t really know. That’s a question for Trillian.”
I’ll have to talk to them later. Whoever this Trillian is.
“One more question, then…”
Now she was getting very annoyed. “What?”
So was I. “Why the hell are you barking at me? I haven’t done a damn thing!”
She looked at me for a minute, and then sighed. “Sorry, I just seem to be testy lately…”
I shrugged. “Fair enough. But please don’t be testy to me, okay? Sorry for interrupting, but do go on.”
She nodded, and starting speaking in a somewhat calmer tone. “The Governor wishes to extend a welcome from New Brooklyn, and has offered you a guest room in the fortress.”
Niiiiice. I get a guest room from what’s apparently the Big Boss around here. Normally I’d question why, but hey, it is a place to stay after all. “Tell him I said thanks.”
“He’s also… asked… me to give you a tour of the fortress, just a quick look around.” She sighed a bit. There we go. Apparently she didn’t want to do this. Ah well. Couldn’t blame her, having to show around a newcomer for a little while.
I decided to break the ice. “Uhm… after all this, I never did catch your name…”
“Weiila.” She smiled just a bit, and extended her hand. “Sorry about not having proper introductions earlier.”
I took her hand and shook it lightly. “No problem.” I sat up and pushed myself out of the bed. Uh oh… “Uhm… where are my clothes?”
Weiila seemed to be supressing a laugh. “I’ll go get them.”
Ten mintues later, Weiila was showing me around the “Fortress”. Nothing much, there were quite a few people running around, which Weiila greeted by name, and I nodded in greeting. But one thing got to me.
“Why does everything seem so… old and dirty?”
Weiila sighed softly. “I think… I’m not sure, but I think this building was abandoned for about a hundred years.”
“A hundred years? What the fuh… Why?”
She looked at me like I was crazy for a moment. “Why? Everyone in New Brooklyn was killed 200 years ago by the Second Sun.”
“200 YEARS?” I just had to ask. Something was wrong. “Years? What year is it?”
“194 A.S.”
“Anno Domini, please?”
Her face contorted, as if trying to remember something. “Let’s see… Trillian said that the Second Sun happened in 2008, so I’d say it would be… 2202 A.D.”
200 years. I was almost 200 years in the future. Five years after yesterday… What was yesterday anyway…
What happened to me?!?!
Glossary
Second Sun: Refers to the disaster that happened over Monroe, Michigan, which wiped out almost the entire population of earth and pretty much wrecked every ecosystem on the planet. There are some survivors, and while they have not had an EASY existance, they have somewhat thrived.
Pre-Sun: Before the coming of the Second Sun.
A.S: After Sun. Year Notation. 0 A.S. Corresponds to 2008 A.D.
Mutation: Refers to the creatures which started to appear approximately 20 A.S. Refered as mutations because most generally don’t look or seem like any sort of creature before the Second Sun.
Dhroma: A reptilian or plant beast that seems to be one giant mouth surrounded by a mass of tentacles. Not very strong in combat, but fast and the tentacles have been known to paralyze. Only knows two things: Eating and mating. It’s mating habits are… disgusting to say the least. Often lives in nests with numbers reaching over a hundred. It’s usually advised to bring some sort of flame, as they seem to burn easily.
Firebomb: A grenade.
Metal Horse: A motorcycle. Operational ones are rare, especially with the fact that usable fuel must be refined in a painstaking process. The only one who really knows how to make fuel in decent amounts is Kai Sampo… In New Brooklyn anyway.
Salvager: Someone who specializes in salvaging, repairing, and building Pre-Sun Technology. Salvagers are a rare commodity.
New Brooklyn: A series of skyscrapers in the ruins of New York City, New Brooklyn is probably the largest human settlement on the eastern Seaboard, boasting a population of about fifty thousand. The most notable fact is that most of the usable farmland is on the rooftops of heavily guarded buildings.
Child: A follower of the Children of the Second Sun.
Flamer: A flamethrower.
…nice.
This is one good fic, Star. Keep it up!