The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution

by Stephanie Kato

  Like other members of the Nelson family, Reb married Giles for political and monetary purposes. The Nelsons had significant reputations as entrepreneurs and public figures, so their spouses had to be socially acceptable. However, the Nelsons became fond of their spouses and developed fulfilling relationships. In a way, the concept of love was an acquired taste for them.

  Reb munched on a jam cookie and then she said, “Maybe we should take a vacation. I enjoy our work, but it’s wearing me out. Sometimes we work evenings, weekends, and holidays. I feel like we’re missing a lot of good opportunities.”

  Giles grabbed the mail from the table and flipped through it. He opened one of the letters and it sparked his attention. “This might be your chance. Do you remember Doyle Teague? He was one of those big movie producers before the Apocalypse happened. Evidently, he’s inviting us to a party that’s celebrating Mardi Gras. Maybe we should go.”

  Reb felt somewhat perplexed by the letter. “I’ve never met him. In fact, Teague isolated himself in a Louisianan swamp after the Apocalypse happened. He never made a public appearance again. I don’t think he could trust people anymore after he survived that level of mayhem. Why do you think he’s throwing a party and inviting strangers like us?”

  Giles shrugged. “It’s been ten years. Maybe he’s willing to give mankind another shot.”

  “Well, I’ll take any excuse to escape the office for a little bit. It might be fun. Do you think he was an acquaintance of my mother? We’re flying to San Francisco tomorrow anyway. I should ask her about that when we arrive,” Reb pondered out loud.

  Giles held her hand gently, and then he carefully slipped the thick glove off her hand. He caressed it and quietly said, “Maybe this Mardi Gras party is a sign for us spend more personal time together. We might be business partners, but I would like to think we’re spouses first.”

  “You know how it goes. We mix a lot of business with pleasure,” Reb teased in a flirtatious manner.

  Giles stroked the side of her face. “That’s right.”

  “You’re a dead man if you mess up my hair,” Reb quipped.

  “Of course. I know the terms of romance with you,” Giles said before he kissed her affectionately.

  After they reached the bedroom, Reb and Giles discarded their accessories, including her baton and his coachman hat. They passionately kissed and undressed their lean bodies. It was a long process with multiple layers. After Giles removed his jacket, he took the opportunity to slowly unzip the back of Reb’s dress.

  “Sometimes it’s nice to forget about our messed up past. Intimacy always helps,” Reb mentioned.

  “Do you love me?” Giles quietly asked.

  “Yes,” Reb answered while she unbuttoned his shirt.

  She unbuckled his belt and allowed it to drop to the floor. They kissed with greater passion and then he peeled the dress off her slender body.

  Giles gently kissed Reb’s neck before he asked, “Do you find me irresistible?”

  “Yes,” she said in between kisses.

  He unbuckled her heavy boots and pulled them off individually. Giles then slowly peeled off her pantyhose, while he kissed the soft skin of her legs, including the large scar on her left thigh. After Giles stood up, Reb used one hand to pull off his shirt while she ran the other hand across his chest. Eventually, they stripped off the remainder of their clothes and climbed into bed. The two lovers rivaled the imagery of Greek gods from antiquity with slender and unblemished figures. They firmly pressed their lips together while Giles ran his fingers through her hair. She clutched his rippled back while he nibbled on her neck. It was an experience they had many times in the past, but they still enjoyed being close with each other.

  Later in the evening, Giles lay in bed next to Reb after their night of intimacy.

  Giles was satisfied with their romantic interaction. “This is our safe zone. At least we can always find comfort here.”

  She glanced at him and playfully muttered, “I’ll forgive you for messing up my hair if we can do it again.”

  “You’re a tough negotiator. Let’s cuddle for a while first,” Giles insisted.

  They became cozy underneath the covers and then Reb asked, “What kind of tough guy likes to cuddle?”

  “I don’t know. What kind of lady likes to screw and then roll over?” Giles cleverly teased.

  While they held each other, Reb thought about their flight to San Francisco. “I’m not ready to face my parents. It takes time to brace myself. Can’t we say the flight got cancelled?”

  Giles was firm with her. “No excuses. This is a business trip. When your parents deal with legal matters, they need to speak with us. Both of us are getting paid for this trip.”

  Reb sighed and then she grumbled, “Onward to Steampunk San Francisco.”

  Chapter 2

  After their flight landed, Reb and Giles drove their rental car across one of San Francisco’s new bridges to visit her parents. This most recent bridge was partially constructed from iron, and was a miraculous structure that was suited for the Steampunk style.

  San Francisco was a city that had completely changed when the 21st Century ended. The vehicles that drove down the roads were covered in rotating gears, cogs, and propellers. Most of the houses were grafted with modified metal, and had a variety of Steampunk decorations. The trolley cars were made out of brass, iron, and bronze. Steam spurted from the trolley cars while they moved down the streets. Even the bay was influenced by the new culture. The visitors at the docks wore Victorian garb including corsets, grafted boots, vests, and derby hats. Boats were powered by steam, and decorated with accessories like rivets, rods, gears, and intimidating items that looked like weapons.

  Giles looked past the retro-futuristic vehicles around them as they sat in traffic. “It’s amazing how architecture changed. I don’t recognize anything from the 21st Century anymore.”

  Reb nodded her head. “Our entire culture changed. People who didn’t adapt to the Steampunk style look like they’re from a different planet. Some people have a hard time moving forward.”

  Before they could broaden their discussion, Reb’s phone rang.

  “Is that your mother?” Giles casually wondered out loud.

  Reb looked at the screen on her beat-up Steampunk phone and frowned. “Yes. Be merciful and kill me now.”

  “Today, it’s just about business. I guess you’ll have to suffer,” Giles said with a smirk.

  Reb begrudgingly answered her phone. “Hi, Mom.”

  On the other end of the line, Reb’s mother, Savannah, responded with, “Hello, dear. How much longer will it take you and Giles to get here? I was hoping to get a manicure this afternoon.”

  Reb rolled her eyes. “We hit some traffic, but it’s moving a little bit at a time.”

  “By the way, I have a task for you. My company is receiving some kind of audit. I need you to pull up my financial records from the past three years,” Savannah explained.

  “An audit? Please, tell me you’re doing everything legally,” Reb growled.

  “Of course I am! What do you take me for?” Savannah snapped.

  “I’m much too frightened to answer that question,” Reb muttered.

  Savannah ignored her daughter’s sarcasm. “Anyway, how soon will it take you to sort through my finances?”

  Reb had to think about it. “I’m not sure. We’ll need help from an accountant. It might take a while because Giles and I are taking a short vacation. Both of us were invited to a Mardi Gras party in Louisiana.”

  “That’s interesting. Is that Doyle Teague’s party?” Savannah inquired.

  Reb felt impressed by her mother’s insight. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “Your father and I were invited to the same party. I guess you’ll be stuck with us too,” Savannah gloated.

  “No kidding? You had a long acting and modeling career. Did you participate in one of his films?” Reb wondered out loud.

  Savannah carefully thought abou
t the question. “I don’t think so. Actually, it seemed very strange that we received his invitation. Nobody has seen Mr. Teague in years, and neither your father nor I remember meeting him in the past. We like meeting new people, so this party sounds like a good opportunity.”

  “That’s really weird. Well, I’ll talk to you when we get to the house. It won’t be much longer. Bye, Mom,” Reb said, before she hung up the phone.

  Giles tried to keep his eyes on the road while he asked, “What’s the matter?”

  “Evidently, my parents were also invited to the party. They’ve never met Teague either,” Reb answered.

  Giles furrowed his eyebrows. “That’s one heck of a coincidence. Mr. Teague is starting to sound like a pretty strange guy, but I shouldn’t be surprised. From what I can tell, he lived in isolation for the past decade.”

  Reb sighed. “Well, I guess we shouldn’t let it ruin the fun.”

  “You’ve got that right. A little mystery can make a social gathering quite interesting,” Giles commented.

  Eventually, Reb and Giles drove up to an expensive gated community that was heavily fortified. After they pulled up to the main gate, Reb rang the intercom. They waited for a minute, but Reb’s parents did not answer. She rang the intercom again and was greeted by silence a second time. Reb finally lost her patience and repeatedly rang the intercom.

  She shook her head. “They totally know we’re here. I think my parents are just playing with us.”

  Giles admired the bay, and gated community, while they waited. He was impressed that San Francisco had adapted to the new Steampunk image. Most of the houses had industrial appearances that were blended with traditional architecture from the bay area.

  “I think your parents are trying to tick you off,” Giles muttered.

  “It’s working! Hurry up you slowpokes! We’re stuck out here!” Reb complained while she rang the intercom again.

  After a moment, her father Percy answered the intercom. “You could use a lesson in patience, Moonshine.

  “Stop playing with us and don’t call me Moonshine!” Reb demanded.

  The gates automatically opened and the couple drove into the residential area. They parked in Percy and Savannah’s driveway, and then the young pair exited the vehicle. Percy and Savannah were on the front lawn sitting on a set of furniture that was stylized from the Victorian period. A large umbrella shaded them from the sunlight.

  Percy and Savannah were the official patriarch and matriarch of the Nelson family. They were the oldest members of their family, but the couple was also young at heart. Percy sipped on a glass of lemonade as he sat in a folding chair. He was a tall and powerfully-built man with a neatly trimmed haircut. Percy sported a brass monocle over his right eye that was grafted to his face. He wore a Victorian suit, and dress shoes that were also grafted with metal. A decorative bronze pocket watch was fastened to his vest. He was also the nation’s leading entrepreneur in electronic technology. Most of his products also adopted the Steampunk image.

  Savannah appeared to be an aging femme fatale and Hollywood beauty. She was a tall and slender woman who looked quite attractive for her age. Savannah wore a dress that was comfortable, form fitting, and slightly provocative. Her gloves reached the mid bicep region and she wore a dainty Victorian hat with feathers and hatpins. Savannah’s boots were similar to Reb’s and were also grafted with metal. She wore a variety of Steampunk jewelry, including a necklace, bracelet, and earrings. Most of Savannah’s jewelry incorporated wings, hearts, keys, gears, and miniature clocks.

  During the 21st Century, Savannah had been a popular actress and model. After the Apocalypse, she created a corporation that manufactured and sold women’s clothing, lingerie, and beauty supplies. Her clothing line incorporated Steampunk elements from the Victorian era, Wild West, Industrial Revolution, and noir fashion of the 1940s and 1950s. Recently, she had dabbled in a clothing line that adapted elements from 1950’s fashion and ventured into the Dieselpunk style. Savannah was one of the earliest manufacturers to graft metal into her clothing lines.

  “Thank-you for joining us today. Please, have a seat,” Percy said, while he motioned to a couple of chairs.

  The younger couple sat down and pulled out their cell phones to document notes.

  “It’s good to see you guys. When was the last time we flew to the bay area?” Giles pondered out loud.

  Savannah wasn’t sure. “That’s a good question. At least three years. Usually, we have to fly to your house in the boonies. You should travel this direction more often. I think the bay area is much more attractive than Oklahoma.”

  Reb pulled up her digital calendar. “It’s easier for us when you come to our place. Don’t give Oklahoma a hard time. It’s Steampunk just like the other popular locations. Anyway, what brings us here today?”

  Percy handed a small metal device to his daughter while he said, “First, I want you to see this.”

  “It’s a strange looking gizmo with really big buttons. Does it shoot laser beams?” Reb asked, while she clutched the tiny item in her hands.

  “I think laser beams are a bit too advanced for our modern technology,” Percy stated.

  “How come? We can have metal grafted into our clothes and bodies. I don’t see why laser beams sound impossible,” Reb mentioned.

  Percy shrugged. “That would be more of a Cyberpunk theme. It seems like society prefers Steampunk. I would have appreciated Cyberpunk because it has a bigger emphasis on computer technology. Anyway, this item is a computer mouse.”

  Reb was surprised. “Seriously? It looks like a little robot.”

  Giles scratched the side of his head. “Your invention is very cool, but I don’t understand why we had to fly over here to see it.”

  “I actually want you guys to read this file. There’s a graphic designer who I contract at times, but he has some personal hobbies that could make my business look bad. One of his mistresses posted inappropriate photos of them online. I need you guys to clean up his image. It’s not exactly my problem, but employees can be a reflection of any industry,” Percy explained as he plopped the pictures on the table.

  “Really? I want to see,” Giles quickly said while he flipped through the pictures.

  Reb was not amused. “Of course you want to look at them.”

  Giles defended himself with, “It’s important that we understand our potential clients.”

  “Both of you are experts at sweeping away scandals. We’ll be grateful if you took care of this little problem,” Savannah muttered.

  Reb scratched her temple. “I think we should hand this case over to one of our executive attorneys. We’re awfully busy with another project.”

  “Like what?” Percy asked.

  “Two of our clients are particularly messed up, and we’ve known them for a long time. Do you remember Malcolm and Beauregard?” Giles asked.

  Percy raised his eyebrows. “Absolutely. Those boys hit rock bottom before the Apocalypse ruined America. I don’t want to think about the mess they’re in now.”

  “Their fathers are friends of yours. Both of them asked me to help Malcolm and Beauregard become successful role models. Basically, the two men want their sons to become acceptable members of society. I’m going to clean up Malcolm’s image, and Giles is going to help Beauregard,” Reb explained.

  Savannah picked up a glass of lemonade and sipped on it. “Good luck with that. I think that job will be too difficult, even for you guys.”

  “You might be right, but we’re getting paid a lot of money to make it happen,” Giles admitted.

  Percy checked the time on his pocket watch while he said, “By the way, your brother, Gable, told me that you’re flying to Las Vegas to deal with some of his business issues.”

  “That’s true. In fact, we have to catch a plane within the next few hours. That means we should hit the road again,” Giles explained.

  “You guys are always running around. It makes me dizzy. Do me a favor and give us a call
when you reach Las Vegas. I haven’t been there in a while. Let me know if anything has changed. We’ll talk to you later, Moonshine,” Percy said.

  “Don’t call me Moonshine,” Reb insisted.

  Chapter 3

  Reb and Giles tried to get comfortable while they flew to Las Vegas.

  “What kind of first class flight is this? My seat is really uncomfortable. We should get our money back. Not that we need the money, but it’s about principles,” Giles complained.

  Reb pulled out her computer tablet and said, “I agree with you. On a different note, let me try to get a hold of Priscilla. Maybe she can update us about my brother’s casino franchise. I tried calling him earlier today, but I just got voicemail. Priscilla is usually pretty good about answering her phone.”

  Giles reclined his chair. “Go ahead. I’m taking a nap.”

  Gable and Priscilla were also members of the Nelson family. Gable was Reb’s older brother, and arguably, Percy and Savannah’s golden child. He was the owner of a popular casino franchise in Las Vegas. Gable was very tall, classy, handsome, charming, and somewhat intimidating. Women were very attracted to him. Gable had a penchant for expensive suits and shoes with heavy amounts of metal grafting. He often wore fedoras with Steampunk accessories, such as chains, gears, springs, and keys. Gable’s belts were laced with bullets and pieces of metal. As a safety precaution, Gable usually hid a pocketknife on his belt.

  His wife Priscilla was a curvaceous southern belle and blond bombshell. Like Gable, she also embraced the Steampunk image. She usually wore classy clothing that had a southern Steampunk style. Priscilla often incorporated grafted metal, lace, and leather into her fashion. Her signature items were elaborate bronze or copper fans, and large sunhats with metal accessories.