The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta

by Stephanie Kato

“I don’t remember hearing anything about killer viruses or plagues in the Post-Apocalyptic era. There must be another reason,” Reb speculated.

  “We’re not going to find answers while we’re standing around in the dirt. Let’s look around and see if we can find people or working phones,” Percy recommended.

  They wandered through the village searching for help. It was a strange area that didn’t fit in with their Steampunk culture. They saw abandoned houses, cars, and small businesses. Everything was covered in dirt and dead branches.

  Giles took out his cell phone and shook it. “I still don’t have phone service. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’re going to find people either.”

  “This feels like time travel. This town doesn’t have any Steampunk influences, like grafted metal, gears, propellers, sprockets, chains, or anything else from our culture,” Priscilla explained.

  Savannah looked at the sky. “Why do you guys think the sky has an orange hue?”

  “We’re probably losing daylight. The sunset changes the sky’s color. I don’t want to be stuck here after nightfall,” Alban mentioned.

  Malcolm checked the time on his pocket watch. “It’s only noon. The sun can’t be setting yet.”

  Priscilla used her fan to stay cool. “It’s also really hot in this town. The heat reminds me of Nevada.”

  “That’s not unusual. The weather always gets hotter during this time of the year,” Reb commented.

  “Yeah, but this feels like a dry heat from Las Vegas. This is Appalachia, not a desert,” Priscilla protested.

  Percy grew impatient. “Let’s save time by splitting into smaller groups. Reb, come with me. We need to search another section of the town.”

  “No problem. It’s getting a little crowded for my taste anyway,” Reb replied.

  The duo wandered away from their group and searched through a more industrial section of the town. They found construction equipment and piles of gravel, then came across an old wire gate.

  “Well, there doesn’t appear to be anyone in this part of town,” Percy muttered.

  Reb looked at a sign on the gate and nudged her father’s shoulder. “We’re in big trouble. Read the sign.”

  Percy looked at the sign and was immediately alarmed. The sign read: Nuclear Zone: Stay Away!

  Chapter 8

  Reb used her baton to quickly hobble back toward the group. “We need to get out of here! This is a nuclear zone!”

  Percy followed his daughter. “Reb, slow down! You can’t run with that limp!”

  “I don’t want to mutate into a crocodile-buffalo-hippopotamus!” Reb yelled.

  Percy glared at her. “Well, I doubt it will be that type of creature. Due to the nuclear scare, most Steampunks carry syringes of anti-radiation serum in case they have an emergency. Aren’t there some syringes in your utility belt?”

  Reb took a deep breath. “Yeah, but we could be trapped here for days. None of us are going to have enough serum.”

  Percy understood her angst. “It sounds so morbid when you say it like that. Why do you have to be a realist?”

  “We survived a lot of ugly situations. I don’t want everything to end now,” Reb said, as she began to walk quickly back toward the others.

  The duo caught up with the rest of their group.

  Percy broke the news to them. “Reb and I found the problem. This town was labeled a nuclear zone.”

  The Nelsons and their companions immediately became alarmed.

  “I can’t believe this! We managed to land in a radioactive area! How can our luck be this awful?” Savannah ranted.

  “We need to get away from this town! Let’s head in a different direction!” Priscilla insisted.

  Giles corrected her. “It won’t matter. The power plant has probably been leaking since the Apocalypse happened. Why do you think the sky is orange in this area? The next few miles are probably radioactive. We could never reach the next town before mutating.”

  “Do you guys think we can retrace our steps and climb up the hill? We might be able to reach the highway again,” Beauregard suggested.

  Gable didn’t think Beauregard’s plan would work. “The hill is made out of dirt and rocks. Everything will crumble underneath our weight. Our grafted bodies and clothes carry a lot of extra weight. We would need professional mountain climbing equipment to reach the highway.”

  “What about the limo? We can flip it right side up and drive away from the area,” Malcolm recommended.

  The driver shook his head. “The engine will be busted from the accident. We can graft a limousine, but engines are much trickier because they have so many components. I’m sure the engine was broken into pieces.”

  “Well, I don’t want to stand around and do nothing!” Malcolm protested.

  Reb tapped her baton on the ground. “First, I want to know if you guys have anti-radiation serum. We’re going to need it.”

  Everyone had at least a couple of syringes when they checked pockets, purses, and belts.

  Percy rubbed his chin. “We need to find two important things. A method of communication, and transportation. Let’s explore the town to find cars and phone lines. I don’t understand why our cell phones don’t work. Maybe the radiation is scrambling our signals.”

  “I don’t know why radiation would alter a phone signal, but anything is possible,” Reb replied.

  “Does that mean we have to split up?” Savannah asked with a worried tone.

  “Unfortunately, yes. We want to save valuable time with our limited antidotes. Let’s break off into small groups. You can come with me, Savannah,” Percy suggested.

  Giles nodded his head. “Reb and I can search for supplies. Both of us also know how to hot-wire vehicles. Hopefully, we can find a couple cars and make them run for us.”

  “Priscilla and I can explore the town’s eastern area. I can see small businesses and some homes in the distance. Hopefully we will be able to find some working phones,” Gable mentioned.

  Beauregard looked upward. “The town has power lines. I still don’t understand why our phones don’t work if the town has electricity.”

  “Maybe older power lines don’t work with our technology,” Alban speculated.

  Malcolm crossed his arms. “That’s probably true, but it doesn’t help our situation. Beau and Alban can tag along with me. I’ll let the couples have their privacy.”

  “Actually, I can run over to the sheriff’s station and the electrical plant while you guys try to find other solutions. One of those places should have working phones. If the power is turned off, I might be able to switch it back on. That could solve our problem. I agree with Percy. Saving time is important and we can have five search parties if I travel alone,” Alban explained.

  Priscilla was concerned about his suggestion. “Are you sure that’s safe? We’re trapped in a nuclear zone.”

  The driver shrugged. “This place hasn’t been inhabited by human beings for several years. I’m not going to run into criminals or terrorists. A regular human being would be dead within a few hours if they were stranded here.”

  “He has a point. Are you guys ready to find help?” Percy asked.

  All of them nodded their heads.

  “That’s fine with me. Let’s meet at this location when we’re finished. Just be careful and keep your antidotes handy,” Giles said in a serious tone.

  The promptly split up.

  Reb and Giles headed toward a shopping complex. Along the way, Reb tapped Giles on the shoulder.

  “Look at those little towers that are perched on some of the houses and buildings. They seem out of place,” Reb mentioned.

  Giles looked at one of the small towers. “I guess they were part of the 21st Century. Honestly, I don’t remember anymore.”

  Reb said, “Something seems weird about those little towers. I don’t remember things like that being prevalent in the 21st Century.”

  Giles led her away from the area. “We’re wasting time. Let’s he
ad to the shopping center so we can find supplies and vehicles.”

  “Did you notice the towers are grafted?” Reb asked.

  Giles furrowed his eyebrows. “That’s impossible. Alchemy didn’t exist in the 21st Century. Believe it or not, iron existed before we used it for grafting. Those towers were probably made out of regular metal before the Apocalypse happened. Your imagination is getting carried away. I doubt anyone was here after the town was abandoned.”

  Meanwhile, Alban hurried back to the sheriff’s station. He broke off the doorknob and pushed the door open. The driver entered the small station and scanned its interior. He found a phone that was old and dusty. Alban picked up the receiver, but he didn’t hear a dial tone. He slammed the phone down and broke it.

  “Dang it! Why don’t the phones work?” he cried with frustration.

  A man wearing a gas mask snuck up behind Alban. The mysterious figure raised a baseball bat intending to harm the driver, but Alban sensed someone behind him and turned around. He felt terrified when he saw the man wielding the bat. Alban ran to the side as the masked man swung the weapon. The masked figure struck the desk and broke part of it. Alban scurried around the sheriff’s station while the assailant continued to swing his bat. Eventually, he smacked Alban’s back and knocked him down and onto the floor. The masked man pulled out a hand towel and covered the driver’s face. Alban coughed and struggled before he passed out from chloroform.

  Chapter 9

  Malcolm and Beauregard walked through a vacant neighborhood and approached one of the houses. Their surroundings were deathly quiet, and without any trace of human activity. All of the houses and cars had been abandoned. Branches and shrubbery grew over many of the old cars. The lawns were devoid of healthy plant life and mostly reduced to dirt.

  Beauregard looked at their surroundings. “This place is creepy. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

  “That’s not going to happen unless we can call for help or find a source of transportation,” Malcolm commented.

  The German man boldly kicked down a house’s front door and walked inside. Beauregard slowly followed Malcolm into the outdated residence. The artist immediately found a landline phone and picked up the receiver. Unfortunately, the phone lacked a dial tone.

  Beauregard put down the receiver and said, “This phone doesn’t work. I’m getting tired of this situation.”

  Malcolm walked in front of a television set. “That doesn’t surprise me. If our cell phones can’t get reception, the landline phones will be dead too. On a side note, I haven’t seen plasma television sets like this since the 21st Century. This place is almost nostalgic.”

  “Dude, you need to focus on a way to get out of here,” Beauregard countered.

  Malcolm sighed. “This town would be really cool if it wasn’t contaminated by atomic power.”

  Beauregard searched for car keys in the drawers and cabinets.

  Malcolm entered the kitchen and grabbed two kitchen knives. “Beau, come here!”

  The artist hurried into the kitchen and looked at Malcolm. “What’s the matter?”

  “Here, this knife could be a useful weapon in case we run into trouble,” Malcolm said, as he handed a knife to his friend.

  Beauregard looked at the blade then hooked it on his utility belt. “I guess it’s better than nothing. Although grafted weapons are sturdier.”

  Out of curiosity, Malcolm opened the refrigerator door. “Check this out. The refrigerator works. Doesn’t that mean the house has electricity?”

  “You’re right. Let me see if the kitchen light will come on,” Beauregard said and flipped the light switch.

  The light immediately came on.

  “That’s really weird. Why would the neighborhood still have electricity but no phone service?” Malcolm wondered out loud.

  “Maybe the town used an outside phone company who cancelled their services when the area was evacuated,” Beauregard replied.

  Malcolm investigated the contents of the refrigerator. “I suppose anything is possible. Look at this! The refrigerator has steaks on the shelves. They’re fresh too. Somebody must have been here recently.”

  “I doubt it. Those steaks are probably a lot older than you think,” Beauregard muttered.

  Malcolm was skeptical. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t seem right about this town.”

  Beauregard continued to walk through the house. He checked the dining room and then he heard something scamper through the backyard. The artist opened a nearby window and looked through the opening. He didn’t see anything except dried foliage.

  “Malcolm, get over here!” Beauregard hollered.

  The sports commentator joined Beauregard and they both looked out the window. “What are you looking at?”

  “I heard something run through the yard. It must have been an animal,” Beauregard mentioned.

  “You’re mind is just getting carried away. Animals can’t survive in this environment. However, the refrigerator shows strong evidence that human beings were here,” Malcolm replied.

  *****

  At the same time, Gable and Priscilla were wandering through a different neighborhood. They found a sedan and checked it over. The vehicle was in seemingly good condition.

  “This car is in really good shape. Maybe it will run?” Gable speculated.

  The casino tycoon punched his fist through the driver’s window and unlocked the car. Gable opened the door and searched for keys. He opened the glove compartment hoping to find them. Priscilla peered underneath the seats, but she didn’t find anything useful.

  She ran her hand along the car’s side. “This is really weird. The car is plated with brass. It’s a grafted vehicle.”

  Gable got out of the sedan. “We didn’t have grafted cars in the 21st Century.”

  “I know, but one turned up in this driveway,” Priscilla commented.

  The casino owner became uneasy as a result of his wife’s realization. “Steampunks were obviously here, but the town still looks abandoned. What do you think happened to them?”

  Priscilla bit her lower lip. “Honestly, they probably stumbled across this town like we did and mutated into monsters.”

  Gable glanced around the neighborhood. “I don’t want any part of monsters. We should keep moving. Let me know if you start to feel sick or weird. That’s why we have the anti-radiation serum.”

  *****

  In still another part of town, Reb and Giles raided a hardware store to obtain supplies.

  “I don’t miss the 21st Century at all. Supplies sucked back then,” Reb complained, while she tossed random tools on the floor.

  Giles snatched an extra belt and attached it diagonally across his body. He grabbed a few tools and kitchen utensils, and attached them to his new belts. “You’re right, but we don’t have many options.”

  Reb picked up a crowbar and triumphantly held it up. “Iron! Now that’s a tool I can rely on!”

  “Good for you. I don’t think we’ll find anything else here. We should go and find a vehicle to hot-wire,” Giles recommended.

  “You got it,” Reb agreed.

  After they left the hardware store, Reb and Giles sported new outfits, with leather trench coats and gas masks.

  Giles looked at her. “I hope you realize these gas masks won’t save us from the radiation.”

  “Yes, but I want to look the part in a radioactive setting,” Reb commented.

  Giles held her right hand while they walked through the abandoned town. “Just stay calm. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

  Before she could respond, the couple found a hat lying on the pavement. Reb picked up the bloody item.

  “This belongs to our driver, Alban. It’s covered in blood. That’s definitely not a good sign,” Reb muttered.

  Giles was confused. “Are you sure it belongs to him?”

  “Alban wore this hat all morning when he was driving the limo,” Reb said, then handed the hat to her husband.

  Giles exa
mined the item closely. “The blood is still fresh. I think we need to be really careful. Somebody is hiding in this town.”

  *****

  In a different location, Percy and Savannah searched an old gas station. All of the cars were decrepit and falling apart.

  “We can’t use any of these vehicles. They’re just piles of junk now,” Percy grumbled.

  Savannah grabbed one of the gas pumps. “Do you think the station still pumps gasoline? If we find a functional car, we could fill it up with fuel.”

  “I wouldn’t trust gasoline that’s been festering in radiation. We just need to keep looking. I’m going inside the station to check for a landline phone,” Percy said, and approached the gas station’s door.

  He walked inside and looked through the beat up station. As expected, the interior was in a state of decay too. Percy picked up the phone’s handset, but it was completely dead.

  Meanwhile, Savannah searched behind the gas station for more vehicles and supplies. While she searched, another masked man climbed over one of the busted cars. He unsheathed a machete and approached her. Savannah saw the villain and screamed. He slashed at her, but she ducked out of the way and hurried to the other side of the gas station.

  “Percy, help me!” Savannah shouted as she fled.

  The masked man followed her in hot pursuit across the street.

  Percy heard the commotion from inside the gas station. “Savannah, what’s going on?”

  The computer programmer hurried outside, but he didn’t see Savannah or any other people.

  *****

  Back in one of the neighborhoods, Beauregard walked out of a house and stared down the street. “What a mess. We might not get out of this one.”

  Malcolm continued to inspect the house. After a few minutes, a third man in a gas mask entered the home.

  The sports commentator was startled. “Who are you? Get away from me!”

  He tried to run away, but the masked man jumped on Malcolm and placed a handkerchief across his face. Despite his great strength, Malcolm soon weakened and felt light-headed. The villain grabbed Malcolm’s legs and dragged him away without alerting Beauregard.