ONE NATION: A Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian Saga

by Michael W. Huard

  “We both know this country will never be safe with a psycho robot thinking he is God running about. I’m actually waiting for a vision to tell me what to do. I’ve had very few as of late, in all honesty!”

  Grammy Wal sipped her wine, then added, “Well, I hope it's clear to you one day. I really do.”

  Raegan offered a toast now to the elder sisterhood member.

  “You’ve been a blessing to all of us, Gram. Here’s to you! I also have to ask you one question now. Is it just your leg that is mechanical? Or is there more than you that meets the eye? Where are the robotic parts we are unaware of?”

  Grammy Wal downed the rest of her wine.

  “That's pretty much it,” she then answered, “and that's barely holding together. Then again, I wish I had bionic eyes so I could keep an eye on all these youngsters roaming about. Every time I turn away, one of them is off doing something they shouldn't be.”

  “They're growing up too fast,” Reagan answered, rolling her eyes. “Way too fast. I'm so proud of everybody, though. These teens are unbelievable.”

  Grammy was smiling now. “That you should be,” she announced. “That you should be.”

  Omagus had a few robot soldiers now in perfect working order. He had his hand, Old Horny, his second-in-command, with him as well. And today he had a new thought.

  “This country has all but destroyed itself. There is no need for us to stay here very much longer. We have new places to go and conquer, but for now let them finish the final details on my statue; I see small thigs that still need attention. IT’S LOOKING MIGHTY FINE. All need to know that it is now time of the robot. Do you have a ship up and running yet?” He asked Old Horny.

  The red lacquered robot gave him a nod. “I do, master, and she’ll go quite well.”

  The Godbot nodded. “Good, now go and get the proper bombs we have hidden in the earth twenty miles to the west. It’s time we use them for lessons much needed.”

  Old Horny knew very well where they were placed, but still had never learned where they had come from?

  “May I ask how we came to have these missiles, sir?”

  The other robots with them all standing near the statue looking out at it turned to hear the Godbot’s answer.

  Omagus grinned. “They are negotiation tools, my soldier. Gifts from the ones who seek America to fall into their own clutches. Fly out and load them into the ship with the other soldiers helping you today. We will leave a mark on some other places in this nation, before we actually do leave. Places that are already ripened for a nice attack. Those defying me even still are to be taught.”

  It did not take long for the hand of the super robot to do as he was commanded.

  Soon enough, the Godbot and his second-in-command were off into the sky with several big missiles attached to the main frame of their reformed ship. Their first stop after traveling awhile was New Orleans.

  A well-aimed launch, and they blew out the rest of the coastline and flooded the area. The sea levels could not withstand their attack. To defy the super robot’s commands was to pay a hefty price.

  Next was another place resistant to his lifestyles demands: the state Florida. Miami, to be exact. Here it was surprisingly easy to bomb everything and flood the region.

  After, the ship swirled its way to Charleston, South Carolina, and then to Atlantic City, New Jersey. The East Coast regions were easy targets to blow up and cause massive flooding that soon overtook the entire cities themselves.

  The Godbot called out at each moment of attack the same words, “If you choose not to obey and share this world, you shall suffer! You shall drown in your own water.”

  It was later they flew back and up to Massachusetts. They were tempted to do the same everywhere, to leave the earth with such flooding and simply move on.

  Old Horny, in fact, asked now, “Perhaps this nation is not obedient enough to merit your rules? I am beginning myself to think that.”

  Omagus felt he had a point.

  “I debate these actions internally. I don’t want to just blow up planets; I want to study them.”

  It was then they stopped bombing, and made it back above Manhattan, New York, now coasting over his beautiful statue that stood so tall.

  “I don’t desire much, just laws and order. Statistics that say all of America is prospering, but humans will not fall in order. Why is it they enjoy the pain? If that is the case, I’ll give them more.”

  Old Horny had no answer as of yet. And it appeared now they were not leaving. His master was, as stated before, himself the Y-Wood Corporation. There was more to come, much more.

  Sun and Karma sat outside of their little home on the porch this fall evening. Each sat with an extra blanket and sipped warm coffee together. The boundary out there, the barb wire fence, was like a mark of their territory here in Liberty, Maine.

  “I like it here too,” Sun said to Karma. “I mean, Baxter State Park and its massive territory is spellbinding, don’t get me wrong. But this little spot is nice. Then again, every time we sit out here, I feel like someone is watching us. Why do you think that is?”

  Karma looked out in the darkness. “‘I suppose there probably is. I mean, there are people still about this area, not many I would bet, but who really knows? It’s easier to live here in rural areas, to be honest. We probably have watchers in the woods, sis!”

  Sun turned her head back and forth yet saw nothing but darkness beyond the fence.

  “What's going on tomorrow?” Karma then asked the red head sitting beside her. They as a pair had picked this little place along with Naiera, and the three of them were always trying to find things to do.

  “Martial arts training,” Sun answered. “Mahira’s teaching striking and then Jansa’s teaching grappling. They’re trying to get things back to normal as much as possible. It will be good for all of us to get on a regular training regimen. I need to get my mind off thinking of New York so much myself.”

  Karma seemed to agree. “Yup, it’s hard to focus if we just sit around too much. I was right there in New York for a bit, seeing the people just trying to make it day by day, then this whole attack. Somehow, one day, I want to make a difference more than ever in helping that area too.”

  “Yup,” Sun replied. “I hope we do!”

  “Rahhhhhhh!” Suddenly, Johan came around the porch side, screaming out, trying to scare the crap out of the girls.

  Both of them almost fell over backwards in their Adirondack chairs.

  He then ran out in the darkness in front of them, jumping around like an idiot on the steps, acting happy after his antics.

  “Man, I got you two. What were you thinking, perhaps monsters were out and about? Ha ha!”

  Sun stood up, looking out at him. “You're really funny. You’re lucky I didn't shoot you,” she said, showing him that she had both her laser pistols in her hands.

  Johan came closer to the two of them and went up the stairs, giving Karma a little shove.

  “Admit it. I got you.”

  She snarled at him.

  He then sat on the porch railing.

  “What are you two talking about?” he asked curiously. “Anything good?”

  Both the teens looked at one another before Sun replied.

  “Well, we were discussing the new postal delivery service and how you’re going to carry all the mail while we just sit around here and drink tequila!”

  Johan smirked.

  “You two will help just as much as the rest of us. Where’s this tequila?”

  The girls giggled some.

  It was then Johan asked if they minded if he pulled up a chair, and he did so, right next to Sun. The two of them had been spending a lot of time together as of late, and as Karma glanced over, she could tell there was definitely something between the two of them.

  They were all quiet for a moment before Sun asked him, “Do you think he is dead, like the others do?” She was of course referring to the robot that Johan had talked about with her
recently, the one named Galax, whom he had spent time with him in the past.

  “I do not know,” Johan answered, shrugging his shoulders. “Galax could be buried forever in the rubble for all we know. He might be still alive too. He is, after all, a multi-billion-dollar specimen.”

  “Do you want him to be?’ Karma asked Johan.

  Johan shrugged again. “We kind of had a relationship, but it’s probably better that any creation of Y-Wood is no longer around. He was the nicest of the robots I trained with though.”

  They all chatted some more about various things, but soon Karma excused herself when Naiera came to the front door. “I’m heading in, guys. Naiera and I are going to do something before going to sleep. Bye Johan,” she said, teasing.

  Sun and Johan were alone now. Each kind of just looked at one another. He had changed so much as of late, she thought to herself. It’s kind of crazy how teenagers change from children and how girls are always seemingly bigger than the boys, but then suddenly the boys begin to catch up. Johan was starting to catch up. He was handsome and so smart.

  Because the two of them, along with the other teens, had accelerated their aging by using the sisterhood's Starigen 6280 enhancement drug, the changes came even faster. All now were restricted from abusing the formula. That was a good thing.

  But oh yeah, he was good-looking. His face had filled out, his jaw had squared, his shoulders had become large, and his waistline was thin. The boy’s brown curly hair was now not so wild and unkept as he trimmed it and used gel to make it shapelier.

  Johan noticed her focusing on him.

  “Do you see something you like?” he asked with a grin.

  “Yeah. I kind of like the guy that's in front of me,” Sun said with a broad smile.

  “Oh, I'm a man now, no longer a boy,” Johan teased. “Well let me say, you're not too bad yourself. That red hair of yours is pretty beautiful. I kind of fancy your big brown eyes as well.”

  Sun leaned over closer to him. “Yeah, you think so?”

  “Yes. You’re beautiful. I love what I see.” He nodded.

  And with that sweet answer, Sun rested her cheek on his shoulder.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Morning came too fast for the members of the sisterhood. All had now lined up for training in a clearing of low grass within the community just as the dew from the night’s chill was finally seeping into the ground.

  Jansa warmed everyone up with a series of Tai Chi moves. Each one today was made to mimic the flow of certain animals, the swimming bear, petting the tiger, and the coiled snake were just a few to get everybody's eyes and bodies awakened.

  “I want you all to breathe in the fresh Autumn air,” the sisterhood's spiritual doctor called out.

  She then led everyone in a series of exercises that raised one's hands upward while breathing in and lowered them slowly while breathing out. Eventually she had everybody feeling pretty good and ready to begin Mahira’s first Muay Thai lesson.

  “All right,” the fiery red head yelled loudly. “Let's get this party started. I want to begin with a demonstration, showing you how the stand up and ground fighting arts intermingle. Do we have any brave volunteers out here in the group? I would like you to come out and show everybody how this works.”

  Karma had her hand up right away, as did Naiera, and the two them were chosen for the demonstration.

  They smiled at one another, acting a little bit goofy as to lighten the mood that a fight was about to happen. They, of course, were good friends.

  Mahira then explained, “Watch what happens when you have no knowledge of jiu-jitsu or takedown defense. You will see that Karma’s striking skills will be useless versus a well-trained ground fighter.”

  The women squared off and circled around each other, and soon enough, Naiera faked trying to tackle her friend. Both kept away from one another though, until Karma finally came in and faked a jab and tried a leg kick that missed Naiera by inches as the Native American jumped back out of the way.

  It was then that Naiera came in like she was going to punch Karama but again faked it and circled once more out of the way.

  Finally, the Asian American attacked full-heartedly with a blitzing barrage of punches right at her friend’s face. Naiera was not hit though. She dropped low and shot in, grabbing her sister by the legs and pulling them out from under her, then lifting her body up and cutting to the left, taking her down to the ground.

  Naiera landed on top and soon climbed up on Karma in the mount hold. She was now sitting on her sister’s chest, and acting like she was about to punch her in the mouth.

  The watching members of the sisterhood all clapped and were impressed by the demonstration.

  It was then that Jansa explained, “You have to realize, all of that can be altered once you learn the basics of takedown defense. You won't be stuck in such a horrible position that easily, not to say that it can't happen. Let's just watch and we'll all see what I mean, as this time Karma will use defense skills so a takedown won’t happen so easily.”

  Again, the two sisters slapped hands and banged fists, ready to grapple and strike out at one another.

  Naiera teased her sister, “Either way, you’re going down again, girl!”

  Karama smiled, adding, “Not a chance.”

  The fight went similar to the last one, with Naeria eventually waiting for Karma to advance heavily at her, but this time, Naiera waited, and waited, but Karma did not full-heartedly attack.

  So Naiera had to go on the offense more.

  Karma moved nicely, using evasive foot work, and landed a decent jab, and then a solid leg kick to her sister’s mouth. But she never tried to hit Naiera hard.

  Then, when her sister went for her legs, she was prepared this time, and she pushed Naiera’s head down, avoiding the reaching arms of her sister.

  Naiera growled some, getting the onlookers excited, and again she came in ready to grab Karma. But Karma kicked her with a push kick right in her stomach to stop her, and then leaped up and superman punched Naeria in the face. Everyone moaned out at such a cool move landing.

  But Naiera was not finished. She faked tackling her sister once more but then grabbed her by the waist and bearhugged her, pushing right back into the audience of fellow trainees.

  Everyone tried not to back up as the girls came into their space.

  Yet Karma knew what to do. Soon she went about pummeling her arms under Naiera’s grip and freed herself. She then stepped to a left angle and delivered a roundhouse kick right into her sister’s gut.

  Naiera took the blow well, but it definitely knocked the wind out of her. That was when the teachers broke up the rest of the fight.

  Jansa then called to all, “You see what a good defense can do? Striking becomes even more valuable, but to those who have no knowledge, a grappler can overwhelm you and get you down easily. Good job, ladies!”

  Mahira was now ready to take over. No more demos for the time being were announced.

  “Listen up, we now begin session one with a little footwork. I want everybody to move two steps forward, two steps back, two to the right, and two to the left. Come on, people, let’s work!”

  The whole group moved about, shaking off the night’s sleep and getting into a groove.

  “Keep your hands up,” Mahira called forth, going down the rows of trainees. “Get your body feeling the rhythm and follow me as we do a few strikes. Let’s go. Jab, double Jab, push kick, spinning elbow, roundhouse, flying knee. Yes, you guys are doing good.”

  She certainly had the whole group sweating already. The gathered members here included all the longtime sisters as well as many others. It was good to be a full team again.

  Their instructor then explained that there was more to martial arts then just these techniques.

  “You have to believe in the arts. You have to live the arts.” Mahira said this while walking down the lines of trainees before her. “Wherever you go, they’re like a friend in your back pocket. Someone th
at walks beside you. You are never alone when you have martial arts as a companion.”

  Everyone listened as their instructor then got back into a few more actual physical moves.

  The lesson of the day was about dominant angles and also not being hit.

  “The first thing I want you to realize on an offensive level is that if you just try to hit someone straight on, well, they can defend easily and hit you right back. You need to use footwork to set up in spots that they are not so easily able to be stopped and that place you in a position not to be easily hit yourself.” She then yelled loudly, “ARE YOU WITH ME, PEOPLE?”

  Everyone yelled back, “YES, MAAAM!”

  “Follow me,” Mahira instructed. “Everyone throw a jab then then a cross. Come on, move to the left and left hook, and now round kick. We create this angle, draw attention high, and let them have it right in the liver.”

  Everyone worked hard at this maneuver and several others before a 10-minute break was allowed.

  Jansa afterward led everyone in jiu-jitsu skills.

  She began by explaining certain aspects of the art.

  “You all must understand that this style is different than most others because you can decide where you want the fight to take place. If you feel you cannot hurt someone by hitting them and they are attacking you harshly, you get them down to the ground to take away their leverage. This is jiu-jitsu at its finest. It’s designed for the small person to have a chance against someone bigger and stronger. The techniques rely on being smart, and utilizing leverage via your whole body. Of course, knowing the positions and how to defend each spot when you wrestle is crucial when you hit the ground. It’s a fascinating style. It really is. If you like playing chess, this is human chess.”

  All participants listened to her explanations with a keen ear before actually delving into some of the physical attributes of jiu-jitsu.

  “We're going to do some basic stuff today because it's been a while,” Jansa now explained. “Let's look at being on the top in the mount. Here is where we sit on our opponent. We have a huge advantage in the game of chess. This is like the king on the board. He is the most dominant piece, but if we get knocked off and end up on the bottom, we can be defeated.