The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution

by Stephanie Kato

  She noticed Percy and threatened him, “Stay back! I don’t trust anybody on this island! When these phone lines start working, I’m calling the police and getting out of here!”

  Percy approached her slowly. “You need to be very careful. Those wires conduct electricity and you don’t have the proper tools.”

  “Who cares? I’m just trying to survive the night,” the female celebrity griped while she fiddled with the wires.

  “Let me take care of that for you. The mesh in my clothes makes me partially resistant to electricity. Look at my gloves. They’re perfect for this type of situation,” Percy offered.

  She snapped back, “I told you to stay back! How do I know you’re not one of those homicidal Utopians?”

  Percy shrugged. “I’m a Steampunk. That would be contradictory.”

  Before she could say anything more, the woman electrocuted herself with the cables. Percy used his arms to shield himself while the electricity surged through her body. An electrical blast sent her flying backward and then she landed on the ground. Percy looked away from the aristocrat’s body as smoke filled the air. He examined the phone box, but it was seriously damaged.

  Percy shook his head and then he chose to enter the mansion again. He walked through the front door and wandered through the east wing. He could hear two voices that disagreed with each other. He cautiously poked his head around the corner and saw a celebrity pair. The couple hid underneath a table in the dining room. Judging from their hiding spot, Percy assumed the couple was not part of the Utopian organization.

  “This was a terrible idea! You brought us to a death trap!” the woman complained.

  Her husband countered with, “Don’t blame this on me! Our marriage is falling apart! I was trying to find an excuse for us to spend more time together! If we survive, I’m not taking you on anymore trips!”

  “Maybe we should split up!” the man’s wife complained.

  Percy interrupted them, “You guys are still alive.”

  The couple felt embarrassed when they noticed him.

  “What are you doing here?” the male aristocrat wearily asked.

  “I’m looking for my wife and kids. Believe it or not, you guys are lucky. You’re still together. I would give anything to be with my family right now,” Percy explained.

  “No offense, but we don’t trust anyone here. Half of the people on this island are Victor’s minions,” the man grumbled.

  Percy glanced at the wrench in his hand. “I don’t think you need to be worried about me. The Utopians are trying to hunt me down too. This wrench is a pretty good weapon. We should stick together. I can tell both of you are unarmed. Let’s be honest, I have a clear advantage that you guys lack. The metal in my clothes protects me from gunfire. If you guys come with me, I’m sure we can find a way to work together.”

  The female celebrity heard something around the corner. “Did you hear that?”

  One of the Utopians jumped on Percy’s back and caused him to drop the wrench. The couple screamed while Percy struggled.

  “Run and find another hiding place!” Percy insisted.

  “I’m getting really sick of you guys! Why can’t you just die?” the angry villain growled.

  The couple fled while Percy’s attacker pulled out a hunting knife. Percy grabbed one of the man’s arms and hurled him onto the floor, causing the assailant to drop his knife. As the Utopian got up, Percy pulled out his pocket watch. He flipped the lid open and smashed the pocket watch into his enemy’s face. The villain felt an overwhelming amount of pain while Percy ground the glass face into his skin. Percy pulled the watch out of the man’s face and was repulsed when he saw bits of meat hanging from the mechanical device.

  “That’s disgusting!” Percy said.

  The Utopian moaned and whimpered. Pieces of glass, springs, gears, and one of the watch’s arms were imbedded in the man’s face.

  “What just happened? You messed up my face! Victor was right when he said your species is obsessed with human mutilation!” the terrorist shrieked before he ran down one of the hallways.

  Percy tossed his ruined pocket watch aside and picked up the wrench again. “Man, I really liked that watch.”

  Chapter 16

  Reb unsuccessfully tried to find service on her phone as she stood on the front lawn.

  “Come on. This would be so much easier if I could just call for help. The island’s location is probably the issue. Maybe those Utopians are smart enough to screw up the phone lines. Actually, I don’t think they deserve that level of credit,” she griped under her breath.

  While Reb was working on her phone, a terrorist barged through the mansion’s front door and walked out on the porch.

  “You’re exactly the Steampunk I’m looking for! Victor has a big grudge against you! He’ll be really proud of me if I can serve your head on a platter!” the Utopian said gleefully, as he raised up his submachine gun.

  Reb furrowed her eyebrows. “If that’s what you want, don’t accuse my culture of being savages and cannibals!”

  She unraveled the boat chain and heaved it like a whip at the villain. He froze when the heavy chain flew in his direction. The chain wrapped tightly around his arm.

  He dropped the submachine gun and tugged at the chain. “Let go of me! That’s really tight! I don’t understand how this can happen!”

  “Stop complaining! I’m so tired of Utopians preaching about a peaceful and just nation without Steampunks! If you want a righteous world, you need to lead by example!” Reb ranted.

  She yanked on the chain with all of her strength. Reb heard a loud crack when her opponent was jerked forward. He landed face first on the lawn.

  The terrorist rolled on the grass and gripped his arm. “For crying out loud! You ripped my arm out of the socket! Don’t you have a conscience?”

  Reb was slightly impressed by her own strength. “Not tonight.”

  She approached him and wrapped the boat chain around his body, then proceeded to drag him up the stairs and inside the mansion.

  The Utopian squirmed but he remained trapped. “You won’t get away with this! Somebody from my group is going to hunt you down!”

  “You’re an angry bunch of misfits,” Reb said as she opened the basement door.

  She threw him into the dark room, causing him to tumble across the floor. The Utopian was startled when he saw from the light of the hallway, that two more hostages were already there.

  “Welcome to the dungeon. We’ve been here for quite a while,” one of the captives grumbled.

  “I don’t understand. Why can’t we beat the Steampunks?” the most recent hostage asked the others in a confused tone.

  “Because they’re a bunch of violent psychopaths who aren’t afraid to tear us apart,” the other Utopian remarked.

  Reb smugly twirled her baton. “I just think we’re more advanced. We have a very strong will to live, and our metal grafting gives us a considerable edge over normal humans. Something is becoming very clear to me as this night progresses; I don’t think Victor, or anyone from the Utopian movement, are celebrities. That was just a disguise to bring real celebrities to this isolated island. It’s also the reason why I didn’t recognize any of you. I think you guys are just a bunch of losers and who want a more privileged lifestyle. Why earn a living when you can take the easy way out? Anyway, I’ll let you boys have some privacy. You’re going to be here a long time.”

  “Wait! Don’t leave me here! I have to use the bathroom!” one of the hostages complained.

  “I don’t even know where the bathrooms are located, so you’ll just have to hold it in,” Reb unsympathetically replied before she slammed the door.

  At that point, Reb tried to find an efficient path through the mansion. She limped through the first floor’s hallway, feeling nervous because she knew the clink of her baton and boots could attract enemies.

  Eventually, she entered the kitchen. A frightened celebrity immediately attacked her with a butcher kni
fe. Reb swiftly held up her baton and defended herself. She pushed him away and raised her baton in a threatening manner.

  “Don’t hurt me! I just came here for Mardi Gras! If there’s a war between the Steampunks and Utopians, I don’t want to be involved!” the celebrity chef said as he cowered.

  Reb shook her head. “The Utopians are just a fanatical group of idiots. Everyone in their subculture are just a bunch of losers who never accomplished anything. Maybe they want to blame someone for their failures. Why did you attack me?”

  “I don’t know who to trust. Obviously, the Utopians are murderers. However, I don’t really trust Steampunks either. You changed America into a strange-looking place with steam power, Victorian fashion, and architecture that seems like material from science fiction movies. Those weird-looking weapons and body modifications also frighten me. I just want everything to be normal again,” the celebrity argued.

  “I don’t have to defend my subculture. Truthfully, change was inevitable, especially after a major event like the Apocalypse occurred. People like you want to exist as if nothing happened, but it’s not true. Sometimes people have to move forward by looking to the past for help,” Reb explained.

  He sighed. “I can’t do that. The Steampunk image isn’t right for me.”

  “That’s okay. You should join me while I search for my family. Allies give people a better chance of survival,” Reb offered.

  The man responded, “Just leave me alone! I don’t want anything to do with Steampunks, Utopians, or anything else!”

  He chucked the butcher knife at her.

  Reb immediately stepped out of the way. “Screw you! Good luck surviving until sunrise if you don’t have support or defense! Those little kitchen knives aren’t going to protect you! The Utopians are out for blood, and that means they’ll hunt you down too!”

  She left the kitchen and went elsewhere in the mansion. The celebrity chef felt glad when Reb had left. He sat on the floor and sighed heavily. The kitchen seemed like an oddly quiet place. He felt relatively safe and waited as the minutes passed. The man almost dozed off as he waited in the quiet environment. After several minutes, he heard footsteps.

  When the celebrity opened his eyes, he saw a woman holding a hunting knife. “What the heck?”

  She tried to stab him, but the chef scurried away. He tried to reach for another kitchen knife, but the terrorist slashed at him. She knocked several pots and pans to the floor, breaking several glasses as she swiped repeatedly at the terrified man. The Utopian finally pinned him against the oven and stabbed his abdomen five times. He crumpled to the floor in pain and disbelief.

  “No offense, but only the strong will survive tonight,” the villain coldly said before she stabbed his chest.

  The celebrity moaned and coughed up blood, then he slipped away.

  She used a kitchen towel to wipe the blood from her knife. Afterward, she left the kitchen to find another victim. She hoped to kill a few Steampunks before the night concluded.

  Chapter 17

  Reb maneuvered through the hallway and became increasingly tired from the long night of survival. Her left leg ached as she hobbled across the floor. Along the way, she heard footsteps behind her. Reb ducked in the art room and held her baton in a defensive position.

  “Come and get me,” the Steampunk woman said quietly through gritted teeth.

  When the individual walked in front of the doorway, she attacked him.

  “Reb, it’s me!” Giles yelled, while he wrestled with her baton.

  She pulled away in shock. “Giles, you’re alive!”

  The couple gratefully embraced before they sat down.

  “Where have you been? It seems like I’ve run into everyone except the right people,” Giles pondered out loud.

  “Well, I can tell there was a big expansion done to this estate. If someone wants to hide, this place would be pretty effective,” Reb explained.

  “I know. The kids were able to hide in the attic for a while. Earlier tonight I found them, but then a group of Victor’s thugs attacked us. Now I’m not sure where they went,” Giles admitted.

  Reb felt uneasy. “Do you think we’re the only members of my family left?”

  “I hope not. Nobody from your family turned up dead along my trail, and that’s a good sign,” Giles said in an optimistic tone.

  Reb rubbed her chin. “Giles, I have to tell you something. I finally remember why Victor looked so familiar. During the Apocalypse, I ran into a young member of the Utopian organization. He tried to flee in a getaway car after Boris blew himself up. At that moment, I wanted vengeance. So I took Boris’ head and threw it at the young man. I’m sure it traumatized him. That young Utopian was Victor. He’s older now, but I still recognize his face. Victor has been planning revenge for a long time.”

  Giles was sympathetic. “This isn’t your fault. Nobody on the island is responsible for the violence that happened tonight except for Victor and his followers. I’m pretty sure there’s a deeper motive than a severed head. Victor probably wants to carry on his master’s legacy.”

  “Truthfully, I don’t feel guilty at all. Boris, Victor, and all of these terrorists had it coming. I just didn’t think we would have to keep fighting after the Apocalypse ended,” Reb confessed.

  Giles held her hand and said, “At least we found each other. You mean a lot to me, and I feel much better that we’re together again. Let’s get out of here.”

  The couple felt more confident about their situation as they walked through the hallway. However, they became unnerved when they heard someone moving down the stairs.

  Reb glanced up. “Who’s that?”

  “Get back. It might be one of the Utopians,” Giles quietly said, as he pulled out his pistol.

  They hid in a corner of the hallway and eventually saw the man walk down the stairs.

  “We need to make a clear judgment. Some of the people here are frightened guests, but the rest are terrorists. Do you think this guy is working for Victor?” Reb wondered out loud.

  Giles nodded his head. “Positive. He’s carrying a handgun.”

  After their target entered the hallway, Reb and Giles ambushed him. Giles shot their captive in the calf.

  The Utopian immediately fell on the floor and shrieked, “What was that? My leg is bleeding all over the place! It hurts so much!”

  They brutally assaulted the fallen terrorist. Giles kicked their enemy several times while Reb pounded on him with her brass baton. Soon, the villain was nearly unconscious. The couple examined him and discarded his weapon.

  Reb planted her baton the floor. “Let’s make an example out of him. The Utopians must learn that we’re the dominant subculture. We already know they don’t treat people with respect, but I’m sure they can learn to fear us.”

  “I have an idea. If we can find a rope, or another long item, we can tie up this guy and hang him from the chandelier,” Giles recommended.

  Reb looked at the fancy chandelier that hung from the ceiling. “That should scare the living daylights out of Victor’s minions. I like it.”

  Giles found a rope in the hallway closet and the couple worked together to tie up their captive. It was a difficult effort, but they managed to hang the Utopian upside down from the chandelier. The thug soon woke up and noticed that he was hanging vulnerably from the ceiling.

  “Something doesn’t seem right. Am I upside down?” the terrorist asked in a confused tone.

  Reb gloated and said, “Affirmative. You’re not in control of this situation. The Steampunks are still in charge. Tell all of the other Utopians that a crippled woman strung you upside down from the ceiling. Have a good night.”

  The villain tried to escape from his bondage without any success. “You can’t do this! We’re not supposed to lose!”

  “Don’t squirm too much. Otherwise, the chandelier will break and your head will crack open on the floor. Otherwise, you should definitely survive the night,” Giles warned.

  Reb
and Giles left the hallway and left the Utopian to his thoughts. The defeated thug was completely bewildered. He didn’t believe Steampunks were capable of teamwork, strategy, or tremendous strength. Victor had told his followers that Steampunks were a primitive species of human beings who lacked the skills for critical thinking. At that moment, the beaten terrorist realized everything that Victor had said was wrong.

  Chapter 18

  Priscilla searched for her children in the west wing. Armed with only a metal fan, Priscilla felt stress and fatigue weigh heavily on her. She loosened her leather corset to breathe easier. The southern belle tried to remain strong, but she knew fatalities were possible. Oliver and Maggie were her pride and joy. The thought of losing them frightened her. Priscilla also thought about Gable. He was her soul mate, best friend, and lover. She always believed they would grow old together, but the massacre on the island may have changed everything. Priscilla used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her brow while she moved further down the hallway. She cautiously checked a few rooms off the hall.

  “Kids, I’m trying really hard to find you! If you can hear me, just come out so we can go home!” Priscilla hollered.

  She entered one of the bedrooms and found a pleasant surprise.

  “Mom! You found us!” Oliver excitedly shouted.

  Priscilla hugged both of her children as she sat on the bed. “Thank goodness! I’ve been searching for you all night. We should have stayed home instead of coming here, but none of that matters now. I’m just glad you’re both okay.”

  “It’s so good to see you. Where’s Daddy?” Maggie asked, while she clung tightly to her mother.

  “I’m not sure. He’s around here someplace,” Priscilla answered.

  She stood up and Oliver tugged on her skirt.

  “Mom, we saw Uncle Giles. He fought off three guys like a champion. He tried to save a couple more guys on the roof, but I don’t think it worked out very well for them,” Oliver explained.