The World After

by Sonador Snow

  “As I already told you in our hidden city, we have permanently living just short of forty thousand people that never had a brain implant or had it removed. We have people from all over the world, at least eighty nationalities as far as I know. However, the plan Apocalypse is known only to a chosen few who actually founded the Yuyuan all those years ago.”

  “And what exactly is the meaning of the name of your organization?” Taylor asked, sipping from his coffee.

  “Yuyuan in China is a big garden or small park in which everything lives in perfect harmony with one another. Our most famous yuyuans were built by some the most intelligent and capable men we had the pleasure to have – the true spiritual leaders of our nations that are known as Jians. These men were social figures, philosophers, musicians, poets and healers. In our tradition, we have the belief that, in order to create the perfect combination and positioning of flowers, trees, paths, water and bridges, one needs to be in almost perfect harmony with nature.”

  “So this is pretty much your equivalent of Eden, just built by human hands,” Taylor summarized.

  “Pretty much so.”

  “I like it.” Taylor topped up their mugs to finish the coffee that was left in the small kettle.

  “The values and ideas behind our organization very quickly attracted some of the brightest minds, and this helped to build the Yuyuan into what it is today,” Jinhun continued. “Amongst us are some of the best specialists in pretty much every major sphere of science you can think of. Even the father of the Noetic Science joined us not long after the movement was created.”

  “And what exactly is this base in Itanagar we're heading for, the underground city?”

  “This is probably the crowning glory of our community of which everyone is extremely proud. To show you my trust, I'm ready now to share with you the exact location of our base. It's about twenty miles north of Itanagar and about fifty away from the Chinese border. Its location is in the middle of hardly accessible swamps and marshes for which the region is famous. Added to that the fact that one of the last virgin forests left in India creates a belt around us, we're living in a pleasantly secluded region.”

  “What is the city like?”

  “It's located right under the surface of a beautiful mountain lake; it's basically a unique system of interconnected skyscrapers in a massive underground hole, or cave if you like. Under the edge of the water's surface, we have built a roof of solar panels that provides a lot of our energy. From a plane, you wouldn't be able to tell that there was something under the smooth water's surface. The first level of our city is right under the panels, this is where we grow all kinds of fruits and veggies, and also we have several herds of livestock. On the second level are apartments, and even several small houses with gardens, that serve as homes for everyone. The third and fourth levels are for offices, labs and areas for services and entertainment. The last underground floor is reserved for a generator that collects geothermal energy directly from the core of the planet.”

  “It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie.” Taylor was impressed. “And is the energy from this generator enough to provide everyone sufficiently?”

  “Easily. According to our latest estimates, our city can maintain a healthy and completely self-sufficient population of up to two hundred thousand people, if required.”

  “What about fresh air? I assume quality so deep underground is not great.” Taylor continued with his questions.

  “For that, we're using an enormous Viennese Wheel that has been turned into a greenhouse. It's built almost entirely from old cars and is a constantly whirling hothouse which purifies the air. We also grow thousands of trees and other plants on the wheel itself; this is producing bio-energy for many of the machines we're using.”

  “I have to see this place.” Taylor sighed.

  “You will my friend. We'll make it there safe and soon.”

  After finishing their coffee, Jinhun made another quick meal of scrambled eggs and bacon to give them energy. After they finished eating, Taylor continued with his questions, “What more can you tell me about the plan Apocalypse?”

  “The idea was born about six years ago, and immodestly I can say that a lot of it was my idea.”

  “Yeah, but from what you've revealed to me so far I have some concerns. Isn't it a bit cruel? I imagine all the innocent people around the planet that will inevitably suffer and even die. At the end of the day, who can predict what the number of the casualties will be.”

  “I understand very well what you're trying to say. I also spent many nights thinking what will it be like after we accomplish our goals. Every time, I convince myself that the ignorance of the masses makes them a deathly tool in the hands of our enemies; they're almost as guilty as the ones craving power and wealth. For decades now, the economic interests and the thirst for wealth and power have been the gods not only to those in control of society but also to the masses. You know better than I that, a long time ago, ordinary people lost their identity by giving away more and more of their private and sacred rights. In fact, the masses feel much safer and comfortable when it's under almost total control by big brother.” Jinhun spat on the ground, a gesture meaning contempt amongst the Chinese. “Don't tell me that you haven't faced greater malice amongst ordinary people compared to officials. All for what? For the fact that you still have some of your freedom intact, while their lives have been engulfed by the system for years.”

  “Everything you're saying is true, but you know as well as I that most of these people have good souls. They're simply blinded or brainwashed; they're innocent sheep. What is the use of a shepherd without sheep?”

  “Here I disagree with you, my friend. Most of these people willingly chose this way of life.”

  “That's true, but how many of them had a chance to see the alternative?”

  “Well, very soon, we'll show them the alternative with a spectacular spectacle that will wow the whole planet. Now we really have to move on.” Jinhun put an end to their conversation. After getting up, he started packing.

  Taylor was still not convinced about the whole concept of the plan Apocalypse, but there was plenty of time for all the fors and againsts to be weighed.

  Five minutes later, two clouds of dust indicated in which direction the two vehicles and their riders were heading.

  * * *

  Carolina and her father, Minister Gamejro, were running bent behind a row of parked cars. They were trying to seek cover. Just as they quickly ran through a small gap between two cars, a rain of bullets penetrated the metal of the vehicle behind which they were just a second ago. The pedestrians nearby started screaming and running in all directions. Some fled inside shops; others fell to the ground seeking cover; but whoever was firing didn't stop. A line of bullets followed the movements of the two running figures – the target and his daughter.

  Everything started earlier when Carolina left her father's house to give him some time to prepare himself for the unexpected disappearing act she convinced him to do.

  The beautiful Brazilian walked twenty yards to the wide main street of the rich Athens' neighborhood. Traffic here was light, but she knew that just a two-minute walk north took her to one of the busiest main streets of the city and her favorite kebab stall. As she headed there, she noticed an indigo car parked in the shade of the trees. Two men were sitting inside. She didn't pay much attention, busy with her own thoughts.

  Later, when she walked back with two steaming kebabs, she was on the side where the indigo car was parked. The men were not there. A flicker from something reflecting on the back seat attracted her attention. The moment her eyes rested on the object, she knew what it was. Just before her trip to Greece, Fabio had given an open lecture for members of their organization about the newest technologies used by the ATU. The internet router 'Logit LAN-AC 950B' was able to reach computer speeds of nine hundred fifty megabytes per second, and as she remembered well, only one organization in the world had access to such techno
logy at present.

  Carolina threw the kebabs on the street and raced back towards her father's house with her heart pounding. Just past the wide open gates, she noticed legs poking out of the nearby bushes. She knew without stopping to check that an unfortunate gardener or other servant had stumbled on the agents. By the time she reached the main door, she'd ran past two more dead bodies. Even before entering the wide open house doors, she was screaming her father's name. The winding marble staircase up to his quarters was narrow and long. Carolina was only halfway up when she collided with her father.

  They hugged; but, with no time to spare, Ademar Gamejro pushed her back down as heavy steps from above them echoed on the marble. A shot echoed behind them followed by a shattering of glass. They raced outside. Without panicking, the Minister grabbed his daughter's hand and dragged her left towards a few tall trees and small pond. Running down the open driveway towards the gate would have been suicidal. At least one of the agents would have been waiting in the perfect position by the big window on the staircase. They quickly slid under the low branches of a willow and stood motionless, hoping to deceive the agents.

  “How did you escape?” Carolina whispered as they were trying to catch their breath.

  “After you left, I quickly wrote a few memos and stood by the window to look down the road for you. That's when I saw them. They walked through the gate, shooting Georgis.” Ademar Gamejro referred to his gardener. “I rushed to the emergency stairs but was apprehensive about using them as my two bodyguards were still by the main entrance. However, two shots and a quick exchange between voices I haven't heard before proved to me that they were dead. Fortunately, I didn't go down the emergency escape; they knew about it.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I heard somebody climbing the metal staircase on the inside wall, so I fled to my quarters. I guessed correctly that the two would split, so I hid behind the door. A bit desperate but it worked. The moment the man from the main staircase barged into the room scanning it for me, I sneaked behind him and ran. Then I collided with you.”

  They fell silent as the two agents walked out of the house. They didn't hesitate and, after a short consultation, split. The taller one headed left, away from where they were; but the heavier built one came towards the pond. The two were able to see him right until he disappeared down the winding forest path that was simply circling the grounds.

  Ademar Gamejro whispered in his daughter's ear, “In a minute, he will reach a part of the path where his view towards the pond is blocked by a big rock. This will be our only chance.”

  Carolina nodded. She knew that they must move soon. Even if they were not spotted, the two agents would receive the exact location of the Minister shortly. His implants made him very easily traceable. When the time was right, they dashed from their hiding place and ran as fast as they could towards the gates. Voices behind alerted them they had been spotted. Despite that, they made it out to the street. Carolina grabbed her father's hand, pulling him towards the busy main road further down. They rushed towards it as fast as they could.

  They actually made it unnoticed for quite a distance before shots rang out behind them, triggering a wave of panic. Almost simultaneously came the noise of sirens that increased by the second. That was probably one of the reasons the two shooters put their automatic pistols back in the holsters.

  Carolina was brave enough to lift her head above the boot of the car they were huddled behind. She was just in time to see the two agents running back towards their vehicle, still sitting in the shades on the quiet side street. Obviously they didn't want to bother with the local authorities, at least not for now.

  They waited motionless for another minute. The moment the first police car flew around the corner, Carolina pushed her father into a narrow side street between two tall buildings. She followed him. “In less than ten minutes, the police will locate you with your implants, we'll be trapped, and the whole city will start looking for you.” She added, “If we surrender to the local authorities, we'll be signing our own death warrants.”

  “When is your plane due to land?” the Minister asked, still gasping for air after the heart-stopping chase.

  Carolina looked at her wrist watch. “In about an hour and a quarter. We have to make it to Elada airport, though.”

  “I have an idea.” His eyes scanned the main street as two more police cars and an ambulance flashed past. A further minute elapsed; all the sirens were now coming from the approximate direction of the Minister's mansion. He decided that it was time for them to move.

  Carolina followed him as they walked back to the main street and crossed it quickly. Ademar Gamejro stopped right next to a fancy electric-green motorcycle. With a devilish look in his eyes, he said, “One of the latest implants they put inside me can turn me into a very successful car thief. I can start the engine of almost every motor vehicle responding to brain commands. Come on.”

  Without delay, they jumped on the seat of the fifteen-hundred cubic 'beast.' In a second, a loud roar proclaimed the implant had worked. Carolina had just enough time to put on the only helmet before her father was skillfully speeding down the road. It was relatively quiet after the recent public shooting.

  She wasn't able to see her father's face; he had a smile all over it. The active Minister of Economics for Greece had just turned into a car thief. This thought alone was enough to cheer him up. Carolina squeezed his waist tighter as they reached a much busier part of the city. Without a thought about traffic laws, Ademar Gameiro started to cause even more problems in the normally chaotic Athens' traffic. His risky overtaking maneuvers forced many drivers to swerve, but they were successfully making their way towards the nearby northern exit of the city.

  Quarter of an hour later, the fast moving motorbike was just over two miles away from exiting the city; but his blatant disregard of speed limits very quickly attracted attention. Ademar Gamejro was skillfully weaving his way through the traffic; but, on their tail, four police cars followed at close proximity. Above them, a police helicopter was monitoring the chase. The authorities had access to the biometrical data collected by the traffic barriers every two miles. They knew that ahead of them was the Minister of Economics. This was the only reason why the police were happy enough just to follow the motorbike and not take more aggressive action to stop them.

  Just as they reached the outskirts of Athens, the four police cars parted. Through the middle, a large indigo car advanced. The police vehicles dropped back. A dangerous high-speed pursuit continued between the bike and the indigo-car.

  Ademar Gamejro spotted the car in his rearview mirror. In an attempt to escape, he slowed down and sharply turned the motorbike into a narrow side street, but not narrow enough to prevent the car following. Halfway down the straight passage between two buildings, gunshots echoed in the enclosed space. One of the bullets smashed the left rearview mirror into pieces; some of the sharp glass stabbed into the Minister's hand. Ademar Gamejro did very well to overcome the pain, gritting his teeth, and not allowing this to disrupt the movement of the motorbike. Despite his efforts, the car behind was closing the gap with every passing second.

  Ademar Gamejro managed to over shout the engine's roar, “Hold on!” Carolina squeezed her arms around his waist even harder.

  Seconds later, the motorbike flew out of the side street. Without slowing or turning, the minister directed it towards the pedestrian entrance of the fish market ahead. This risky maneuver forced numerous drivers to hit the brakes. By the time the indigo car was out of the narrow sideway, there was no clear passage to the other side where the green motorbike disappeared amongst the crowd of startled shoppers.

  Athens' open fish market was one of the few left on the planet. Years ago, constant uncontrolled fishing in the oceans pretty much made most species extinct. In 2025, the fish on the market wasn't caught in the sea but was grown in massive reservoirs. Even this way, not many places in the world could afford to have fish on their menu anymore;
but Greece was one of the few with a favorable climate. This was the biggest fish market in Europe.

  The motorbike proceeded down the narrow lanes between the stalls. Fleeing shoppers were overturning tables full of precious fresh fish to the ground. Ademar Gamejro stopped the machine only after they reached the middle of the market. They looked behind them. It was total chaos. Slightly injured and fish-covered people were swearing loudly. Tables were turned upside down. Fishmongers cried and shouted angrily in their direction. The whole area was covered in flapping fresh fish, after the water buckets in which they were displayed had spilled.

  The two fugitives walked away from the bike in order to avoid the wrath of the nearby crowd. They easily blended into the colorful crowd that looked confused and shocked by what had just happened. They were trying to walk as slowly as possible, despite their racing heartbeats. Ademar Gamejro explained, “The market is a perfect square with similar exits on all four sides.”

  Carolina took her helmet off and threw it under one of the stalls. They stopped for a second, and she said, “We entered from the west and now we're heading north. If we make our way through the crowd, we might just be lucky enough to get out before all exits are blocked.”

  A narrow trickle of blood dripped from Ademar Gamejro's thumb. His daughter noticed the few pieces of sharp glass stuck in his hand. “Let me check that.”

  “I'm fine. There's no time for it now. Later.” He took her hand and pulled her after him.

  The two were making their way towards the north entrance of the market. A police helicopter took up position above the confused crowd. The chaos worked in their favor. There was no way they could be easily spotted amongst the hundreds of people shouting and running in all directions.

  It took them just over a minute to reach the entrance of the market and squeeze out between two tall opportunistic men who were also eager to leave, tails and heads of fish poking out from underneath their jumpers. It didn't take a trained eye to immediately spot the indigo-colored car parked diagonally in front of them. Luckily for them, there was nobody inside.