by Peter Okafor
“Reddit? Everyone knows Reddit is dead. What have you guys been eating?” Runner’s face puckered to a frown.
“Says who?” Gaius Capricorn said softly. “Reddit’s vision was to create a better world from utter destruction. Some of us still believe in that vision, and to do that, we need you.”
The woman began to walk in circles around him.
“The Remnants of Men was devised for a purpose which it served well. We wanted to build someone whose character can inspire and command respect from the masses. Someone able to think fast and act regardless of any personal feeling, and that is you, Runner.”
Gaius Capricorn leaned forward.
“I want you, Runner, to carry our symbol for the culling. Represent strength—” he raised his fist up “—and character. When we unveil you as the saviour of the city tomorrow, you will be loved by all. Carry the hopes of an entire MegaCity to the promise of a new world. You will be rewarded with wealth, a place amongst our elites, and matched to any girl from the great families you choose.”
Runner raised his gaze to meet the councillor’s.
“Hmmm…did I get your attention there?” The bearded man smiled.
“So, let me get this straight,” Runner said. “You want me to be the symbol of mass murder so that you can realise your dream of a utopia? You’re crazier than I thought.”
The councillor stood up angrily. “We are not asking, Runner. This is not your choice, but ours to make for you. We will leave you to search your mind for a while.”
They all walked out of the door, leaving the spectres at their guard posts.
Runner scanned the room, searching for anything he could use to set himself free. He reached his right hand towards the scalpel he had hidden in his shoe, but it was out of his reach. He sighed and hung his head.
“Can I see him?” Runner heard Olivia’s voice.
He turned to the door and saw her standing before the spectre.
“No unauthorized entry.” The spectre’s voice was firm.
“I’m Olivia Patterson. I can go anywhere I want.” She tried to force her way through, but the spectre blocked the path.
In a moment of confusion, a muffled shot went off and stung the spectre on his neck. Within minutes, the guard fell with little control and slipped into unconsciousness. Olivia walked over the body, followed closely by Angel and a boy with a crossbow whom he did not recognize. She picked the key from the spectre and removed one of the handcuffs.
“There are two,” Runner said.
“Yes.” Olivia stared at the second handcuff. “I can see that.”
“No, I mean there were two guards at the door.”
Olivia turned immediately to see the second spectre arriving at his post.
“What?” The spectre raised his rifle.
The boy lifted the butt of his crossbow to knock down the spectre, but his move was anticipated. The spectre dodged wittingly, kicking the boy on the stomach, and sent him to crash on the wall. Angel moved bravely to interfere. She charged forward with the small tablet she always carried, raising it to hit the spectre.
He saw her coming and landed a heavy slap on her face with the back of his hand. Angel fell on the hard floor, and her eyeglasses flew far to another end. The spectre released his rifle to hang at his side and drew out a stun gun from a holster.
“Come with me,” he said.
Olivia took careful steps backwards. Runner struggled with the second handcuff, trying to force it off the chair.
“Runner, he is going to shoot me!” She stretched her voice.
“I’m almost…free,” he said.
“Runner, Runnerrrr…”
Runner stopped immediately. He lifted his leg and drew out the scalpel from the side of his boot.
“Duck!” he screamed.
Olivia bent down, and Runner lunged with his freed arm. The scalpel left his grip, moving as fast as a bolt of lightning. It struck the spectre’s right eye, and the guard responded by putting his hand over that eye. His screams filled the air. Blood streamed down his hand, and he went into a fit.
In his convulsive spasms, the spectre shot thrice. A stun bolt hit Olivia, and she fell into a seizure. Runner raised the chair he was handcuffed to. He jumped and slammed it on the spectre, knocking him out for good. He picked the key from the spectre’s pocket and freed his left hand.
“Are you guys okay?” He glanced at the Angel and the boy.
“Yes,” the boy replied.
“Who the hell are you?” Runner asked.
“His name is James Wednesday,” Angel said as she reached towards Olivia.
“She is out.” James shook his head.
Runner knelt beside Olivia. He used his finger to curl back a strand of her blonde hair in place. She was like a sleeping baby, bearing no burden of the world. He put one arm under her head and the other under her legs and lifted her up.
“How do we get her to wake up?” He turned to Angel.
“Smelling salt,” Angel replied.
Runner carried Olivia to the door. “Come on, guys. Let’s hurry and get some.”
He opened the door and saw the evaluator coming towards the room with a team of spectres. Quickly, he ran down the passageway heading for the elevator. The woman saw them and increased her pace.
Runner noticed that the way split into two more passageways. He moved Olivia’s head to rest comfortably on his chest and used his finger to push the elevator button.
“Take her to my lab at the last floor downwards. I will go with James and distract the spectres,” Angel said.
Runner nodded. “Be careful.” He pushed the button as the elevator doors closed.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Judgement Day Part I
Like a fox with its tail on fire, Runner charged into the room, leaving the elevator’s door to close behind him. He set Olivia on a table beside computer monitors and hardware. He scanned the room, searching intently for the smelling salt.
“Found you,” he muttered, pointing at a fridge with a transparent glass.
He opened it and picked a small bag the size of a finger from a box. Standing before Olivia, he brought it close to her nose and broke the bag. A gaseous substance escaped into the air, releasing a foul smell. In half a second, she snapped awake, looking as confused as a man in a dream.
Runner raised his fingers up. “How many fingers can you see?”
“Oh, please.” Olivia sat upright on the table. “I’m not that gone.”
“Good.” Runner nodded.
He reached his hands towards her thigh to raise her black skirt up, but Olivia grabbed his hand quickly. She threw an awkward gaze at him.
“Seriously.” Runner returned a solemn stare. “How much of a pervert do you think I am? I just want to see if the stun caused any burns on your skin.”
She withdrew her hand, and Runner pushed her skirt a bit upwards. “These things can leave a bad mark on your skin.”
“Is that how you got that scar across your chest?”
Runner paused and glanced at her. “Honey, that scar was nothing short of a nightmare in the wasteland. I can write an entire book about it.”
He picked up a salve and massaged it gently on her skin.
“You know.” Olivia started. “If you ever need…if you ever want to talk about your…you know, your experiences out there to anyone.”
“You mean like a shrink?”
She stroked her neck slowly. “I just want you to know I’m here to listen if you ever feel like…”
“I’m fine.” Runner stretched his hand to drop the salve on a table and paused. “You know what? I have a question for you, Olivia Patterson. Where you in on the plan to get citizens to agree and participate in a culling? Is that the real reason you asked me to join the Remnants of Men?”
“The what?” Olivia jumped down the table.
“Councillor Gaius Capricorn said he wants me to stand in front of the masses and represent their symbol for a culling. He sa
id that the resources available are diminishing rapidly and there are hundreds of wastelanders migrating to the slums each day.”
Olivia folded her arms across her breasts. “So that’s what they wanted all this while. He wants to get rid of the slum dwellers and then maintain firm control over MegaCityOne. He has control of the spectres; he can force a culling on the masses in the big city, but to prevent any form of rebellion, he needs it to be voluntary, and that is why he needs you.”
“Why?”
“With the Remnants of Men, the council has made you into a saviour of the city. Imagine standing alongside Gaius Capricorn before an entire mass of people cheering and idolizing you. They will do anything, even agree to the culling, believing that is the right thing since their hero supports it. That is the symbol, the icon the councillors want.”
“Not if I refuse to stand with them.” He turned away and walked towards the computers.
“Runner,” she called softly.
He glanced at her.
“Right now, there is trouble in the slums. Pope LongJaw has it under siege.”
“What?”
A light bell ring sounded, and the elevator doors opened. Runner picked a stapler from the table and ran to hide with his back on a wall few inches towards the doorway. He raised it up, ready to strike.
Angel came through, and he stayed his hand. James followed seconds later.
“We lost them.” The boy breathed deeply.
“Guys, listen to this.”
Angel picked a TV remote from the table and pressed a button. A large TV screen came alive, displaying the image of a man and woman in colourful clothes covering news for the City TV.
The age of thirst is finally over. Several zones in the city’s capital are brimming with life at the discovery of a freshwater lake, but the question remains: Who is this young hero responsible for saving so many lives? With the annual matchmaking ball about to commence, it couldn’t be more important…
Runner snatched the remote control and switched it off.
“People are dying in the slums, and they’re talking about a fucking matchmaking ball? A lot of friends from my company died horrible deaths searching for water for people that will never know their names. I have to get to the slums.”
He turned to walk towards the doorway, but Olivia held fast to his vest. “You can’t. They’re searching for you, and there are blockades at every gate bordering the slums.”
“She is right,” Angel added.
Runner paused, placing his hands to rest on a table. “There must be a way out.”
James laughed. “You’ve never lived in the big city, have you? Everywhere is monitored and tightly guarded by fucking spectres—law and order, the councillors say.”
Runner tapped his finger continuously on the table as all eyes seemed to be on him. He searched his mind intently. There must be a way, he thought. There always is.
“You said the spectres are stationed at the gate bordering MegaCity and Rat Town. What if we opened that gate? What if we let the marauders through? Surely, the spectres would be forced to defend their city.”
“Wow, that’s a good idea,” Olivia said. “But the problem is getting the gates opened. Like James said, there are spectres stationed everywhere.”
A stark silence descended on the room as everyone threw glances at each other. Runner walked to Angel. “I know you didn’t ask for any of this, but I’m going to need your help.”
She moved backwards and sat on a table with half her buttocks pressed on it. “What do you need?”
Runner smiled. “Gears for one. Throwing knives, gas explosives, a gas mask, a spectre’s uniform, and a compound bow for stealth. Most importantly, I need you—” he pointed at Olivia “—to come with me and operate the gate controls.”
“Fine,” she answered and walked to Angel.
The red-haired girl presented her tablet computer to Olivia reluctantly. “This will get you through security,” she said.
Olivia let loose a dainty smile that brightened her face. “Believe me, I would have preferred for you to go with Runner, but I would move more freely without suspicion from spectres. Don’t worry. I know my way around these tech stuffs too.”
“Hate to break it to you, bro, but all the weapons are in the armoury which is up there.” James pointed upwards.
Runner sighted an emergency fire axe at the side of the door. He walked towards it and then stopped. He removed his white vest, wrapped it over his hand, and smashed the glass with quick but great force.
The glasses came shattering on the floor, leaving Runner to pick the red axe freely.
“This will do for now.” He turned to Angel. “Go and attend the matchmaking ball; take Gaius’s attention away from us while we try to open the gates.”
He began to walk towards the doorway and was followed by Olivia.
They went into an elevator, and he pushed the button to the next floor. Runner’s gaze lingered upon Olivia, but she shyly threw hers towards the floor as if burdened by guilt. He did it purposely to make her uncomfortable; that way, her mind would not stray to the true danger their task held.
“You know, I always wanted to get a pass to the big city,” he said.
“Why didn’t you?” Her eyes lifted towards him, vividly portraying her curiosity.
“Things changed.”
“So, where would you rather be if this was going to be your last day in this bitter world?” Olivia leaned on the metallic wall of the elevator, a smile lingering on her face.
“Definitely not here,” Runner replied. “What about you?”
“Since we are fantasizing, I would want to have one long passionate kiss from someone who truly loves me.”
A brief silence enveloped them. Runner drew closer to Olivia. He felt her breath warm on his skin. She remained still as he pushed his head forward as if he was reaching for her lips.
“What are you doing?” Olivia moaned as her breathing grew heavy.
Suddenly, he reached his hand into her hair and picked out a small shard of broken glass. “You’ve got something stuck in your hair.”
The doors opened, and they stepped out. Olivia led the way towards the gate control tower. It was just a quick walk over a bridge that connected the Citadel of Defence to a large tower that overlooked the gate to Rat Town.
Runner could see the rooftops of houses from the glass windows at each side of the bridge. The city lights that flooded MegaCityOne was like nothing he had seen before. The door to the gate control tower was visible in the distance, and there were no guards.
“This is odd,” Olivia said.
They increased their pace and made their way to the door. Runner halted. His gaze fell upon a key-card lock at the side of the door.
“Alright, Olivia, do your magic.”
Runner moved aside, and Olivia came forward with Angel’s tablet computer. She rigged some colourful wires to the door that only confused him and tapped a few keys on her computer. In a moment, the door beeped and sprung open.
Runner entered gently, axe tight in his grip and facing downwards. He walked into a room with so many buttons and computers that he wouldn’t even know where to start. Olivia came forth and began to work through it.
A glimpse from the room’s transparent window and Runner saw both sides of the gate from his higher ground. A team of spectres in their black military garbs guarded the gate from inside the city. While on the other side, thousands of slum dwellers seemed to be slamming their fists on the gate. There was a huge smoke hanging over Rat Town.
“Angie,” Runner muttered woefully. He wished for nothing more than to see the little girl’s face again.
He glanced at Olivia. “Hurry that up; people are dying.”
She continued to press the buttons on the computer. “What are you going to do? Kill them all?”
“No, just LongJaw, and I’m pretty sure he can’t wait to kill me too. Long story.” Runner wiped the sweat off his forehead.
�
�There are ten gates that connect all ten slum towns to the big city. If I push this button—” she pointed at a yellow button sitting on something that looked like a box “—every gate will be opened to the big city. Are you sure you want this?”
“Never been so sure in my life.” Runner nodded.
Olivia stretched her arm and then she paused, her face masked with fear of what was to come. With little reluctance, Runner slammed his fist on the button, and a wail of siren followed. A red emergency light began to rotate at the roof of each watchtower at the sides of the gate and a voice prompt followed from the room.
Emergency, emergency. Main gate opening, main gate opening. Emergency, Emergency…
Runner lifted his axe and smashed the voice box to pieces.
The gate lifted free, forcing the spectres to move backwards in confusion. Hundreds of slum dwellers charged into MegaCityOne in an unforeseen stampede. Spectres were forced to raise their guns at the poor folks, but then loud roars from LongJaw’s marauders drew their attention. A firefight followed. Spectres dropped ill-equipped marauders dead in their numbers. But they were still coming from every corner of the slums.
“My god.” Olivia watched from the window. “This is better than a movie.”
Runner smiled. “We did it!” He raised his fist.
“Runner,” she called suddenly. “I don’t think the spectres are winning.”
He walked to the window to watch and saw someone familiar. It was a man in a priest’s cassock, accompanied by two crudely-dressed wastelanders who had just shot dead a group of spectres.
“LongJaw,” Runner whispered.
A sudden surge of anger possessed him, filling his heart with red hot rage. Runner used his axe and smashed a part of the window to break free.
“LongJaw! LongJaw!” he screamed.
His enemy looked up and saw him.
“What is wrong with you, Runner? They are coming here.” Olivia ran to one end of the room.
Runner positioned towards the door to the bridge. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I want to set a trap for him.”
Olivia ran to him, and he held her hand, leading her towards the door. He opened it and halted unexpectedly. Armed spectres were coming towards him in the company of Gaius Capricorn and Dr. Lysander.
