The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Revolution

by Stephanie Kato

  Soon, the walls trapped them in a box-shaped cube. A pipe opened and released water to flood the small area.

  The thug panicked. “The ship is trying to drown us! Let me out of here!”

  “It’s specifically trying to drown you! Thanks for killing us!” Priscilla shouted.

  Gable looked up and saw an opening to another floor. “It would be okay if we could reach the second floor, but that might be a problem because Steampunks sink underwater!”

  The water quickly rose to their necks.

  “It ends like this? I thought we had an entire lifetime ahead of us!” Priscilla cried.

  Gable held Priscilla in his arms. “It’s not fair, but at least our final moments will be together! I love you, Priscilla! We’ll see what happens on the other side!”

  “I love you too, Gable!” Priscilla declared, holding him tightly.

  The Steampunk pair kissed each other as they were submerged under water. The pirate struggled to tread water while the water gushed over him. Soon, the pressure caused him to sink too. While the couple waited to suffocate, they felt something powerful pull them out of the water. Gable and Priscilla flew through the air and landed roughly against a metal surface.

  “What the heck?” Gable wondered out loud, full of disbelief.

  Priscilla couldn’t move. “Well, one thing is clear. I’m completely stuck.”

  Percy and Savannah stood behind Gable and Priscilla with the mechanical magnet.

  “Check it out. This device came in handy after all,” Percy mused.

  Savannah looked at the dead pirate who was floating in the water. “Too bad. We lost another pirate. I doubt many of them are left.”

  Gable heard his parents talking, “So, you guys found a new toy?”

  “Yeah, I’ll tell you about it later,” Percy commented.

  Chapter 20

  Giles grabbed a rope and tied a hook onto it as he rode on the elevator. He kept the pirate sword fastened to his belt, and wiped the sweat from his brow. He was glad that Reb was alive, but he was also worried about her safety and emotional condition.

  Eventually, the elevator reached the underbelly. After the doors opened, Giles stepped on the platform as he took in the industrial landscape. He was amazed and intimidated at the same time while he looked at the variety of mechanical traps. Giles tossed the rope at a metal beam that was located several feet away. It successfully clasped onto the beam, and then Giles took a deep breath.

  He jumped off the platform and swung across the underbelly until he landed on a conveyor belt. Giles quickly noticed a stationary steamroller that was in front of him. He jumped off the conveyor belt and landed on a second one.

  The lawyer identified another obstacle course. A series of giant gears was in front of him, although it was a different contraption than the one Reb encountered. Giles lie on the conveyor belt and then rolled between the rotating gears. He used careful timing to find the right spaces. A few moments later, he successfully escaped from the gears.

  He stood up and hurried to a safer platform. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Hopefully, I won’t have to maneuver through these traps again. Hang on, Reb. I’m coming for you.”

  Giles turned to the right and ran across another platform. Eventually, he found her, halfway across the underbelly.

  Reb was overjoyed to see him. “Giles! Come here, you big fool!”

  They kissed and tightly hugged each other.

  “You really scared me. I didn’t know what happened to you,” Giles admitted.

  “Don’t worry about that part. We have a much bigger problem. I don’t want Adonis to steal the treasure. What kind of message does that send to the world? This isn’t about a treasure anymore. It’s about maintaining our cultural dominance,” Reb explained.

  Giles agreed with her. “We can face him together. Do you know where he went?”

  “Truthfully, there are very few places left to explore. I’ve ventured all over this maze,” Reb admitted.

  “Okay. Just remember that we’re fighting as a team. Let’s go,” Giles said, as he took her hand.

  Meanwhile, Beauregard snatched a shotgun from the display of weapons in the secret room. “I’m sick of being helpless. Something with a little kick will brighten my spirit.”

  “This harpoon gun or the crossbow could be a keeper,” Malcolm suggested.

  “I don’t consider myself the heroic type, but people might need our help. Let’s go back to the deck,” Beauregard said, as he loaded the shotgun.

  Malcolm resisted the urge to laugh. “You’re having a sudden burst of bravery. I like it.”

  “What can I say? Those pirates ruined my day,” Beauregard griped.

  They rode an elevator to the control room then maneuvered through the ship’s interior. After a while, they encountered four other Steampunks.

  Malcolm lowered his weapon. “It’s good to see people from my own species. Are you guys okay?”

  A female Steampunk nodded her head and said, “Yes, but it’s been a difficult day.”

  One of the male Steampunks chimed in the conversation, “It was just supposed to be a nice vacation. I didn’t ask to be attacked by pirates.”

  The group was armed with various weapons, but they were also scared.

  “Does anyone have any knowledge about ships’ control panels? We need someone to fix the ship’s security system,” Beauregard asked.

  A male Steampunk answered, “I’m a mechanical engineer. Maybe I can help,”

  Malcolm had an idea. “Really? It would be great if we could transform the submarine back into an ocean liner again. That’s our ticket to the surface. Would you be able to find the right switch?”

  “I’m not sure. It could be worth a shot. I don’t think any of us will survive if we can’t get out of this submarine,” the engineer reasoned.

  Beauregard tried to be helpful. “My friend and I know where the control room is located. You might have a chance to save the day for all of us.”

  “It’s a very enticing offer. I’ll follow you,” their new ally commented.

  On the deck, Percy, Savannah, Gable, and Priscilla tried to avoid terrorists.

  Gable looked at the walls that trapped them inside the submarine. “How are we getting out of here? It’s impossible to break through modified metal.”

  “Maybe the submarine will reach Alaska at some point. I’m sure it’s running on automatic pilot,” Percy said.

  “That will take days! We’ll be dead long before the ship reaches Alaska!” Priscilla complained.

  “I’m worried about something else; has anyone seen Reb or Giles? They’re not on the deck or inside the ship’s interior,” Savannah fretted.

  Gable scratched his head. “Actually, there’s a place where they could be hiding. Priscilla and I found a lower level that’s full of industrial traps. It’s a terrifying place. They might be stuck in that area.”

  Savannah sighed. “Reb was always good at getting into trouble. Why can’t she pick safe hiding places?”

  “If we’re going to look for Reb and Giles, none of us are going to split up. We need to stay together for safety reasons,” Percy insisted.

  “Sure, but it’s going to be a rough journey. I hope you’re both prepared,” Priscilla warned.

  Percy stayed focused on their mission. “Nothing can prepare people for worst-case scenarios. We just need to keep calm and use our weapons when it’s necessary.”

  “Fine with me. I’ll show you how we got to the underbelly,” Gable stated.

  Malcolm, Beauregard, and their small group of followers infiltrated the control room.

  One of the female Steampunks panicked when she saw the crew members. “They’re dead! I wasn’t prepared to see dead bodies!”

  “What kind of Steampunk are you? I thought our culture was supposed to be tough?” Malcolm growled.

  Her male companion said, “It depends on the personality. She’s not a very tough woman.”

  The engi
neer examined the control panel until he found a specific button. “This might be the right way to deactivate the emergency system. I’m going to press the button, so we can find out.”

  “Go for it. I want to get out of this submarine,” Beauregard said impatiently.

  The engineer pressed the large button and triggered another alarm system.

  Malcolm tried to prepare the group. “That’s what we need! Everybody, hold onto something! I’m sure you don’t want to tumble around this room!”

  The Nelsons also heard the alarm.

  “Did somebody trip another booby trap?” Savannah wondered out loud.

  Percy thought it sounded different from the booby trap alarms. “No, this sounds like the first alarm we heard right before the ocean liner transformed into a submarine! Grab onto something! I’m sure this will be a rough ride!”

  The passengers could feel the ship point upward toward the surface. It quickly blasted through the water.

  Giles grabbed a railing as he clung onto Reb. “I’ve got you! Just hold on!”

  “We’re going to the surface! This is exactly what we need!” she happily shouted.

  Adonis used one of his suction cups to hang onto the platform’s metal surface. “The submarine is going to transform again! That’s good! My men can help me load the treasure onto our ship!”

  The submarine rose out of the ocean and slowly lowered its exterior walls. Soon the vessel became a normal ocean liner again. The Steampunks cheered when they saw the afternoon sky.

  Malcolm and Beauregard gave each other a fist bump.

  “We did it, buddy!” Malcolm gloated.

  “I hate to deflate your ego, but we didn’t accomplish anything. We needed an outside person to figure out a solution,” Beauregard said, from where he sat on a chair.

  Malcolm shook his head. “Everybody likes to ruin my moment.”

  Blaze watched the ocean liner from the pirate ship. “It’s back! Our captain must have found the treasure!”

  The pirates ran around the deck with excitement.

  “Let’s take the rowboats so we can help our captain!” one of the terrorists declared.

  Another thug responded, “The treasure is ours! Let’s kill the Steampunks! We don’t want any witnesses!”

  Blaze noticed a signal that popped up on his navigational tablet. “Wait a minute! We’re not alone! There’s another ship approaching us!”

  Back on the ocean liner, the four Nelsons were relieved to see the surface. They rested for a moment before they started the search for Reb and Giles.

  Percy sat down on a folding chair. “Maybe we don’t need any more vacations for a while.”

  “I agree with that idea,” Priscilla muttered.

  Savannah placed her hands on Percy’s shoulders. “This escapade will certainly give us more publicity. I guess that’s a perk.”

  Gable held Priscilla from behind. “I think events like this bring us closer together too. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.”

  Deep in the ship’s underbelly, Adonis stood up and looked at the chamber in front of him.

  “This must be the right place. I know this treasure is going to be worth the effort,” the pirate captain said, as he approached the mysterious room.

  Chapter 21

  Giles helped Reb hobble to the treasure room. The couple pulled out their weapons and entered the secret room.

  “I saw Adonis enter this dungeon. The treasure must be in here. We both know he’s been searching for it all day long,” Giles muttered quietly.

  Reb held up her trident. “All right, it’s time to put Adonis in his place. We can’t let pirates menace our culture,” she whispered to Giles.

  Giles nodded his head. “Darn right. We’ll take him down together.”

  Inside the treasure room, Adonis flipped a switch that turned on the lights. The room was enormous, with massive piles of objects. At first, the pirate captain was excited. His attitude changed though when he looked more closely at the treasure. The room was full of metal beams, gears, tools, goggles, cannonballs, springs, weapons, propellers, and other items that were appropriate for Steampunks. Adonis was devastated from the disappointing sight.

  “No, this can’t be the treasure! It’s just a pile of junk! There’s no money, jewels, or anything valuable! I wasted my time!” Adonis ranted and he kicked several metal items that were on the floor.

  Reb and Giles entered the treasure room and were surprised to see Adonis throwing a tantrum.

  “What’s your problem? You found the treasure!” Reb said in disbelief.

  The pirate captain glared at her. “Are you kidding me? The underbelly is full of useless garbage! How did this happen? I heard about a humongous room that was full of priceless materials!”

  “That depends on your idea of a treasure. Steampunks would be thrilled to see this room,” Giles commented.

  Reb agreed with her husband. “It’s true. Look at this industrial wonderland. We could create entire neighborhoods out of these items. Everything in this room could make houses, cars, clothes, boats, furniture, railroads, and all kinds of things. Of course it’s a treasure. I guess pirates and Steampunks have different views about value.”

  Adonis pulled out his sword. “Now I’m going to kill both of you! Somebody has to pay for this charade! Nobody makes a fool out of me!”

  Reb and Giles readied their weapons.

  “Your crew didn’t hold up very well against us. What makes you so special?” Giles growled.

  “I’m the one with a titanium sword!” Adonis yelled.

  Giles and the pirate captain engaged in combat. The male Steampunk struggled against Adonis’ larger and sturdier sword. Reb tried to stab Adonis with her trident, but he swung the titanium sword and knocked her down. Adonis prepared to decapitate Reb, but Giles quickly shoved him out of the way. Reb poked at Adonis with her trident, but he countered each blow with his sword. Adonis knocked the weapon out of her hand then turned his attention to Giles again. The two men engaged in combat, but one of the blows knocked Giles down. He rolled out of the way when Adonis swung his sword down toward the floor.

  “We can’t beat him with these weapons!” Reb yelled out.

  Giles looked at the heap of metal objects. “Let’s use items from our culture instead! That should be much more effective!”

  “What are you guys talking about?” Adonis asked in a confused tone.

  The couple picked up a pile of large gears and flung the items like discs at their enemy, striking him several times.

  “That’s what we’re talking about!” Reb hollered.

  Giles picked up a cannonball and threw it at Adonis. The pirate captain narrowly tumbled out of the way. Then Reb took a cannonball and punted it in Adonis’ direction. He ran out of the cannonball’s path before it hit the floor. Giles motioned toward a large metal beam.

  “Reb, grab the other end of this beam! This one requires teamwork!” Giles ordered.

  They used their enhanced strength to pick up the beam and heaved it at the pirate captain. The beam struck Adonis and sent him tumbling backward. Along the way, a small power drill stabbed his left thigh.

  Adonis howled in pain, “That really hurts! I can’t believe you’re beating me with old junk!”

  Reb was amused by the villain’s misfortune. “Look at that. We match now. Eventually, you’ll get used to the limp. Consider amputating your leg and replacing it with a peg.”

  The pirate captain yanked the drill out of his leg and then hobbled toward an escape route.

  “Enjoy your victory! Somebody will dethrone you one of these days!” Adonis warned.

  Giles watched the pirate captain flee. “Let him go. I don’t think he’ll get far. We’ve been lost at sea for hours. The navy will catch up to the pirates soon. I’m sure the submarine sent a distress signal to the military at some point.”

  “You’re right, the pirates will face justice soon enough. We should probably find my parents and everyone else. Come on,�
�� Reb suggested.

  The pair tried to find an efficient route back to the deck.

  Meanwhile, Blaze panicked when he saw a naval ship moving closer to them.

  “No! We ran out of time! Where’s the captain? We have to get out of here!” the first mate hollered.

  They heard a voice boom on a speaker. It was coming from the naval ship. “Surrender! Otherwise, we’ll sink your ship!”

  The crew prepared to retaliate against the military vessel.

  “It’s the navy! Arm the cannons!” one of the pirates yelled.

  Another thug shouted, “Don’t let them take you alive! I’m not scared of that naval ship!”

  “Kill them! We can take them down with our cannons!” a third pirate shouted.

  Blaze ran across the deck while yelling, “Don’t shoot! They’ll kill us! It’s better if we surrender!”

  The crew ignored their first mate and prepared for battle. They armed the cannons and aimed at the naval ship. Several of the terrorists fired their cannons and struck the vessel.

  The heavily armored naval ship withstood the explosive cannonballs and returned fire. A cannonball slammed into the pirate ship, causing debris and metal shrapnel to injure a handful of pirates. They fell on the deck and screamed in pain. The naval ship fired another cannon and hit their target again. It destroyed part of the lower level, where some of the cannons were stored. One of the cannons rolled through the gaping hole and knocked a pirate into the water.

  The navy fired again, hitting another section of the boat. Part of the deck collapsed, trapping a few of the pirates in a lower level of the ship. Water streamed into the boat, causing it to sink slowly. The naval ship fired another cannon and hit the mast. It fell down and crushed several pirates.

  The navy aimed at several barrels of gunpowder and fired once more, striking their mark. As a result, it triggered a massive explosion that incinerated Blaze and the remaining pirates. The pirate ship slowly sank as it burned.

  Without knowing the fate of his ship, Adonis fled from the ocean liner in an escape pod.

  “I can’t believe the treasure room was phony. Well, I can start over with a new mission. My crew and I can find treasure somewhere else,” Adonis griped.