Liberation: A Post-apocalyptic Novel

by Peter Okafor

  “Sick bastards,” he muttered.

  He jumped over the table and headed towards the door. A large hairy man reached for his coat. Runner charged through the door and escaped his grasp, leaving his coat behind. He ran into the streets, shoving through moving men and women and bystanders.

  Runner broke left and ran into an alley. He stopped to catch his breath.

  His nightmares began with just two loaves of bread. Now, it was obvious that his entire life had been mapped out by someone else. Everything was planned—from his sentence to his inclusion to the Remnants of Men. He wondered what else had been planned for him.

  A hand came upon his shoulder. Runner turned around, using his elbow to jab on a boy’s stomach and then pushed him to hit a wall.

  The boy put his arm over his stomach. “Jeez, Runner. How did you get this violent?”

  “Troy? Oh my god, Troy,” Runner said happily.

  He opened his arm and with much enthusiasm, embraced his friend.

  “I thought you might have become compost fertilizer for a lucky plant in the wasteland,” Troy said as they disengaged.

  “Don’t count on it,” he replied.

  Troy’s gaze fell upon Runner’s hand. “Why is there blood on your hand?”

  “It’s Mekkel’s blood, not mine.” Runner hid his face in guilt. “I kind of…like, stabbed him, you know.”

  “You stabbed Mekkel?”

  “No, I kissed him, moron. What do you think? He tried to kill me, and I stabbed him with a broken glass.”

  “What the hell, Runner! What did they do to you out there?” Troy’s eyes widened.

  Runner turned around and saw a familiar face. Legion was standing behind him. She walked quickly to him and embraced him too.

  “Wow, I’m glad that you guys aren’t dead,” he said.

  Legion put her palm on his cheek. “I knew you would make it. You can tell me all about it later.”

  She walked to Troy and put her arms around his neck, pushing his head towards her lips and kissed him hard, much to Runner’s surprise.

  “That was fast,” Runner said.

  “Yeah, I know right. She saved my life, like for real, Runner. I thought I was going to die when wave upon wave of marauders were coming at me, and then she came.”

  “The building collapsed, and we were both stuck there for hours,” Legion added with a smile.

  Runner glanced at Troy and then Legion. He walked to the girl, caught by the arm and dragged her to one end of the wall.

  “Are you trying to get back at me or what? Troy is my best friend. You want me to believe you just…”

  “Just what?” Legion replied. “He is a nice guy and I like him. Look, Runner. You are a good guy and you have a lot on your plate you need to sort out.”

  Runner’s mind strayed to thoughts of Olivia and his face paled. For a moment, he thought of telling Troy the truth about Rhiannon’s death, but the new smile on his friend’s face was all he had ever wanted. He knew how hard it was to smile in the slums, and he would not take that away from him, not even if Legion was faking it with Troy to make him jealous.

  “We saw the news, Runner. Did you do it?” Legion asked.

  “No.” Runner shook his head. “But Olivia is dead. LongJaw cornered us and…and…Forget about it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Troy said. “She didn’t deserve that. She was good a person which is a rare quality in this town and really liked you a lot, my friend.”

  Runner sighed. “The feeling was mutual.”

  Troy put his hand on Runner’s shoulder. “There is someone who wants to meet with you.”

  “Who?”

  “Come on, we will show you.” Legion beckoned.

  She opened a door to an abandoned factory on the left, and Runner entered followed by Troy. It was dark inside. Legion overtook both boys and opened another door. Runner stepped in and saw his old company: Slim Jim, Big Sylvia, and Marq. They were standing beside large computer screens that displayed images of several zones in MegaCityOne.

  He was confused.

  “What’s going on, guys?”

  Troy pushed forward an old man in a wheelchair into a beam of light that streamed from a florescent bulb. He looked to be in his seventies with a bald head and a long white beard. Runner knew him as Old Max, the mad mechanic. Soon, he was joined by Bob Davies, the chief enforcer of Section 5, and another man in expensive Citadel clothing.

  Runner stepped backwards in confusion, fearing they were there to arrest him.

  “It’s okay, Runner. They are friends,” Old Max said.

  Apart from Troy, there was no one Runner trusted more in Rat Town, and so he calmed his racing heart.

  “Runner,” the third man called. “My name is Councillor Goldfinger, and I’m here to help.”

  “How?”

  “I’m sorry for the way you were treated after everything you went through. But not all of us in the council share the same ideal,” the man said.

  “So, what?” Runner shrugged his shoulders. “I’m supposed to believe you’re one of the good guys?”

  The man walked in front of the computer screens. “Dr. Lysander Patterson is the most dangerous person in this world, and many of us in the council believe that she has to be stopped, but we need your help.”

  Runner shared his gaze between Old Max and Bob Davies. “You guys think I’m some kind of hero. With little luck, I barely survived the Remnants of Men. There is not much I can do.”

  “They killed my son, Dope,” the chief Enforcer said, “just because they wanted to build a symbol in a plan to eliminate our homes. I cannot say I was the best father, but he was my only boy, my only child. Right now, there is a division in MegaCityOne. The rangers of Section 5 demand to know why they were left to fight LongJaw alone.”

  “People don’t know this, but even now the council plans to use biological means to eliminate the slum. They believe with the slum gone, there would be enough resources for the big city for many years to come. That’s half a million people, Runner.”

  “What do you want?” Runner opened his arms.

  Old Max came in front of him.

  “The fight is just beginning. We have a ship waiting to take you across the ocean to the domed city of New London. We believe Reinhardt Reddit has taken residence there. We want you to find the tyrant and kill him. Do this, and the councillor would make sure you get the freedom you so well deserve.”

  “So, you want me to journey across a toxic sea, sneak into New London, and what? Shoot the nightmare of every person in this world. Am I missing anything?”

  “No.” The councillor shook his head.

  “I’m not an assassin.” Runner protested. “I can’t just kill a man.”

  “When you get there and see what they do to the people, believe me, you will have all the motivation you need. Reinhardt is Lysander Patterson’s greatest ally. Do this for us, and we will take care of the rest,” the councillor said.

  Old Max dragged Runner to a dark corner. “You are right; you are not an assassin. You’re just a kid who deserves as normal as life can be in a shitty world, and we have no right to ask this of you. I have known you since your mother brought you to this world. You are a survivor. That’s what you are, and that’s why we need you to do this. Right now, we are all fighting for our very existence. New London is an urban jungle, and finding Reddit might be the most difficult thing you have ever done.”

  Runner pulled away. “When do I leave?”

  “Now,” the old man replied.

  Troy came forward and pushed a button. A large gate opened up to a garage. He walked in and came out pushing his rat bike.

  “Whoa, you still have yours. I lost mine in the wasteland.” Runner admired the motorcycle.

  “Runner!” an ecstatic voice called.

  He turned around and saw a little girl running towards him. “Angie!” He sank on one knee to receive her in an embrace.

  Runner ran his fingers down her hair. “I promis
ed you, didn’t I?”

  She settled her head on his shoulder. “Are you going away again?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “But you are coming along this time.”

  She pulled her head away from his shoulder and gazed at him with a smile. Legion and Slim Jim came towards Runner with a backpack and a belt arranged with sheathed weapons. He took the belt and buckled it around his waist before proceeding to grab the backpack and a gas mask.

  Runner climbed the rat bike and squeezed the throttle.

  “Come on, Angie,” he said.

  “Are you sure you want her to come along? You know, we are now her family here in Rat Town. You could leave her with my mum.” Troy glanced at Angie.

  “I’m not gonna leave her behind this time. I will keep her safe, I promise.”

  Troy lifted Angie and helped her to sit behind Runner on the bike. She wrapped her arm around Runner’s torso and held tight.

  A large truck drove by and stopped. Legion popped her head through the window. “Hop in,” she said.

  Troy went around and opened the door at the other side. He settled in comfortably and Legion kicked her engine.

  Runner glanced back at them. What was left of the Remnants of Men was about to follow him on another path to death and darkness.

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  Chapter One

  The sun beat down over me, making sweat drop onto my sticky pink tank top. I bent over in the back seat of my beat-up orange Gremlin, placing the last of my boxes inside. Swiping my blonde hair out of my face, I stood upright again and turned toward my parents. Mom, as usual, looked beautiful even with tears in her eyes; it made the blue in them pop out. My dad stood next to her like a strong pillar. His stone gray eyes that I had inherited softened at the sight of me.

  “It’s okay. I’ll be back here for holidays before you know it,” I said before wrapping my arms around the both of them. Mom hugged me back tight, almost too tight.

  “I know. It’s just my baby is headed off to college! I’m so proud of how you turned yourself around last year. Now, look where you are. You’ve been accepted to Arizona State University! You can call day or night, okay?” my mom said as she held my face. Chuckling at her antics, I nodded, or at least moved my head the best I could while she held my head captive.

  “I know, Mom. I love you both, but if I’m going to get there by nightfall, I need to leave now.” We lived in Tuba City, Arizona. It was a nearly four-hour drive to Phoenix, and I had a late start. I was going to leave this morning with my one and only friend, Gavin, but I wanted to wait to say goodbye to my dad too since work kept him late. Gavin had gotten accepted to the same college. We were both pretty excited.

  It’s funny because before my junior year, we weren’t really friends. In fact, I think he used to hate me. But one day, I said something that made him laugh. That was that, and now we’re all but attached to the hip.

  “Goodbye, Kiddo. Drive safe, and watch the needle so you won’t overheat.” My dad always talked about getting a better car, but I was living off a student income, which meant I had next to nothing in my bank. Pretty standard as far as college life goes. I was lucky to get a scholarship even though it did surprise me since there were other students that were more qualified. I was told the reason was I volunteered quite a bit these last two years.

  Saying goodbye one more time, I hopped into my car and sped off to my future.

  ***

  I stood outside of the campus with my mouth agape at its size. Students walked up and down the designated sidewalks, not too bothered by the blistering heat. I had to stop twice on the way here so my car didn’t overheat, and I was pretty sure a few of my CDs melted in the back seat since it smelled like burnt plastic. I had texted Gavin a while ago that I was thirty minutes out, so when I saw him walking up, I wasn’t surprised. He grinned when he saw me, showing off his green braces. His wire-rimmed glasses glinted in the setting sun, making me squint my eyes. Without warning, he picked me up and spun me around in three quick circles. When he set me down, I had to look up since he was significantly taller than me.

  “Hey, Miss Always Late!” He teased and picked up a box that I had set outside of the car. I was right about some of my CDs. They might as well be used for some sort of abstract art for all the good they were now. I playfully scowled at him before picking up my duffel bag and swinging it over my shoulder and picking up another box. I had one more on the ground, so after a second, I placed the box in my hands down and placed the smaller one on top of it and picked them both up. I was determined to make it just one trip.

  “Thanks for the help. I guess I’m in dorm 118. Do you know where that is?” I asked, huffing a bit at the big load I was carrying. I laughed tiredly as Gavin scooped the top box out of my arms and onto his box. “Thanks,” I said distractedly.

  “No problem, and yeah, I know where it is. Just across the courtyard where I’m staying at. Do you have a roommate?” He huffed alongside me. I nodded, still taking in all the sites around me.

  “Yeah, but she’s not going to be here until the end of the month. At least that’s what my paper says. Who’s your roommate?” I swear I could feel myself baking as the sweat on my forehead sizzled.

  “His name is Hayden. You might meet him later, but I’d give him a wide berth if I were you.” The warning in his voice rung clear. I gave him a puzzled look.

  “Why?” I asked, perplexed. Gavin, although he looked a little nerdy, wasn’t known to stand down.

  “He’s bad news. In the minutes that I’ve met him, I got that vibe from him. He smelled like pot and has a bad attitude.” I felt bad Gavin had to be stuck with a roommate like that. I hoped mine wasn’t like that.

  “Hopefully, it will get better. And if not, I think you can switch if someone is willing.” I tried to be helpful, but at hearing him snort in disagreement, I knew I wasn’t.

  “That’s the problem! Anyone I talked to today told me to stay away from him. No one likes him! And when you’re near him, you get this weird feeling like you need to stay away.” I felt a little offended that he would say that since I went through a similar thing growing up.

  “Maybe he’s like me? Everyone tried to stay away from me growing up.” Before I could say anything else, he snorted out a loud laugh.

  “No way! You were little miss popular growing up!” We always argued on how my childhood was. I distinctly remembered being alone a lot in school, but who knows since it was so long ago.

  “Whatever, can we please just head inside where hopefully it’s air-conditioned before I become buzzard food?” I complained as sweat started to sting my eyes. I was sure I looked really attractive.

  “You got it. We just need to go through this building here.” Gavin directed us into a building that thankfully had an AC on.

  ***

  “Do you think you can get me some numbers while you’re living here?” Gavin spoke as another cute girl walked past. I shook my head and chuckled.

  “Oh no! We are not going down that road again! Last time I tried to set you up, Amanda didn’t speak to me for a month!” I laughed as we reached my dorm room door. I had to set the box and bag down to fish the key out of my pocket in my jean shorts before I could open the door. My classmate Amanda was a cute shy girl. Gavin still didn’t realize why taking her to see a museum that had a spider collection was such a bad idea.

  When we walked in, a smile lit up my face. It was small, but it was mine. Two beds on opposite sides of the room were no bigger than a twin but still looked comfy. A desk laid under the two tall beds like a little cove, and I could see the engravements on the wood from where I stood that came from past students. There was only one fairly large closet near the door with
a large bay window on the far wall looking out into the campus. Overall, it looked like freedom, and I could feel my heart racing at all the new possibilities. “I felt the same way seeing my dorm for the first time this morning,” Gavin said after seeing I was speechless.

  “It feels great…C’mon, let’s set these down, then I want to explore.” Gavin nodded, and I quickly chose my bed by the far wall. I wasn’t sure how loud my roommate would be, but I knew I had quiet footsteps so I wouldn’t wake her when I came in late, which was why I chose the farthest bed. Gavin placed my boxes on my bed before we walked out. Locking the door behind me, I placed the key back into my jeans pocket and smiled up at Gavin. “Show me around!” I ordered playfully. He laughed through his nose, shaking his head before gesturing me to follow him.

  The common area was amazing! A lot of the walls were glass so you could see outside, while the solid walls were white and had a chic designer feel. Colorful couches splashed personality to the open area while lighting fixtures gave the room a warm feel. Paintings that littered the walls also gave off that quirky vibe, but it meshed well with everything.

  “This place is amazing! I can tell I’m going to like it here,” I spoke with a smile. Students were either messing around or studying dutifully in a quiet corner. Gavin nudged my shoulder for me to continue to follow him.

  “I believe the cafeteria is this way. Follow me because I’m starving,” he said while rubbing his stomach. I rolled my eyes at him since he was almost always hungry. It really wasn’t fair since he could eat an entire pizza by himself and not gain an ounce.

  “I doubt it, but I’m hungry too. Have you had the food here yet? Is it any good?” I asked, watching my steps so I didn’t bump into anyone. Suddenly, a horde of students brushed past us, and all I got from the murmuring is the word fight. Gavin and I paused before he stopped a guy who was running.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” he asked quickly.

  “That guy Hayden again.” The unnamed guy took off after that. Gavin paled slightly and shook his head before taking my arm and towing the both of us in the opposite direction. I had to nearly run to keep up since his legs were so much longer than mine. Puffing slightly as we got outside, I pulled out from his grip.