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Humankind's Redemption: Volume One - Out of the Ashes
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Humankind's Redemption: Volume One - Out of the Ashes |
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fractal007 Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958 |
Phoenix Julia stood there on a precipice, surveying the vast vista of mankind's creation, crying. This was man's legacy. Not a single structure was left unharmed in all that was sprawled before her. Everything was literally gray and dark and the sun could not be seen anywhere. There were no people mingling about. There were no vehicles to be heard, nor any of the other sounds of daily life. No birds called. All that she could hear was the constant pelt of the rain. The world was dead. Julia walked away from the precipice she had so often stood at before the Great Sleep, as she had called it. She walked back to the road. It was barely recognizable, being nothing more than a grey muddy widened pathway through the savagely beaten buildings. She saw a few tracks of footprints on the mud-covered surface. She recognized all of them. Those were mother's footprints, and those were her elder brother's. She walked a ways farther. There, hanging ridiculously off a balcony that, itself, was just barely still hanging on, was that stone angel she'd so often enjoyed climbing. The angel's head was almost touching the ground, while its feet and legs, cracked and, barely holding their shape, stuck awkwardly into the air. Julia remembered how her brother used to tell her about the impending doom from her father, should she be discovered climbing onto the wings of the cold carved angel. She even remembered the awkward glances from passers by, as her brother chastised her while she continued in her journey. Despite it all, she never heeded her brother's prophetic warnings, but instead continued in her quest to the summit - to the head of the angel. The sky above Julia's head was dark and gray. It had been this way since she and her family had come out of their section of the cryotubes, only an hour before. They'd expected that this would be nothing more than another false alarm. Her mother had no idea why their town had even bothered to build the underground cave with cryochambers in the first place. Little did she and many others know, that fateful day in the usual world, so many eons before, was their last. Earth was unrecognizable. Humanity had hated itself. The world had ended and the sky told the grim tale with every teardrop of sulfuric rain. Julia walked onward, toward a large truck parked out in front of what used to be the town bank. The windows were all smashed. She peered into the one of them. The seat was a mess. It looked as though some abstract artist had melted and then rearranged it like oil paint on a canvas. Julia climbed in through the window. It felt so comforting to sit inside a vehicle, as demented it was, in a world such as this. She rested her head on the seat and pondered these last few events. She thought about Father. She remembered how he hadn't made it, but instead helped countless others to their cryochambers. Julia, being only nine years old, did not fully understand why he'd done this, but still none the less appreciated his heroism. She continued to think. How long had they been sleeping? She knew enough about nuclear war to know that it had been at least one hundred thousand years. Julia was always considered more intelligent than most her age. It was time to use this to her advantage. The climate appeared to have settled down; the temperature was neither too hot, as would be felt in a post nuclear winter environment, nor was it too cold, as a nuclear winter would be. As she ruminated, Julia felt a slight pressure on her right shoulder, and then heard a meow. It was a kitten. She turned, and saw its pretty eyes and the naive smile upon its face. She reached over and petted the innocent creature. As she stroked its head, she felt its skull give way. She pulled her hand away quickly, as several cockroaches clambered out of its head, while it continued to meow and purr. Julia screamed and leapt out of the window of the truck again, in time to hear her mother's voice beckoning her. The Raven Nefario, the leader of the followers of the Most High, stood upon his sacred crate, before the assembly of worshipers. He surveyed the faithful servants of the Most Holy One. They were all cramped inside the old military hangar where the Most Holy One had first appeared in all his glory. All around them were old aircraft parts from long ago. No one really knew how to repair the aircraft in this and any of the other hangars. However, the Most Holy One always provided for them. "Let us begin in our worship." Nefario commanded, his booming voice unmistakable. The assembled crowd of ragged worshipers from all walks of life bowed their heads and thrust their hands into the air. Tears streamed down some of their faces, while others held a grim expression of silent, patient expectation of the Most Holy One's next glorious visit. And so, they sang: O holy One From Worlds Away Come and take us far from here And unto a realm of quiet peace. Retrieve us from the dark, and cease Your silent sleep, and come and hear Our prayers and all we have to say! Nefario raised his hands and felt the awesome power of the One who was Most Holy. The singing continued, while a makeshift band of musicians pounded out an overwhelming beat on some old oil drums and steel I beams. All who were there could feel the beat enter into the very fibre of their being and penetrate the deepest threads of their soul. At last, the worship stopped, and it was time for Nefario to preach his message of glorious wonder for all. Everyone grew silent as Nefario made the slow and sacred commands for silence, peace, and attention with his hands. "Many aeons have passed since our great awakening into the world of now," Nefario said. "It has been hard for us, the only ones who remained faithful to Him who is Holy, but He hath prevailed in his great and glorious strength!" The assembled crowd remained silent, save for a few who thrust their hands into the air, yelling "Amen!" in a loud voice. "And now," Nefario continued, "The time has come for us to bring the great news to our comrades, who have just awakened from their own silent sleep in ignorant death! Not more than a day ago, I saw a vision. The One Who is Most Holy showed me the peoples to the east getting out and away from their darkened chambers of freezing death. The great awakening hath begun!" Everyone roared in applause, and then broke out in song again: The Words of Him who is Holy are good To my soul! The Glori'us light of that third Eye To my soul is good! Once they had settled down again, Nefario spoke, "We must save them from the evil doctrines and perverted heresies of the others! And now we shall call upon the guidance of the most high." Everyone bowed his head and waited as Nefario began to chant, "Come to me the leader of your followers!" Slowly the light came into the hangar. Nefario watched in glee, as a red almond shaped orb slowly appeared, standing on end. It glowed ever more brightly with each passing second. Slowly the rest of the Holy One's bright face gradually appeared before him. The assembled crowd, with their heads down, began to cheer and to praise the bright being. The One who was Most Holy finally appeared before Nefario, in all His glory. The third almond shaped eye now glowed blue, as it sat above His other two human shaped eyes. His body was overwhelmingly bright and radiant. Nefario dared not to avert his eyes, however, lest he anger The Holy One. "Why?" The Holy One said in His booming voice. "Why hast thou summoned me?" "I seek your wisdom," Said Nefario. "I know not how to proceed now that the others have awakened." "Go," The Holy of Holies responded, "Go unto the east. There ye shall find the group you seek. Invite them into my glory. Call them to my presence." Nefario watched as the Holy One faded away and disappeared into thin air. Tears streamed down Nefario's and the other's faces, as they looked up again. "Praise be to Him who is wise!" Nefario called. Everyone roared in applause and broke out in song again. Family Julia sat on a rock as she listened to her mother's angry words. "How many times have I told you not to go off on your own?" Mother demanded. "More than I care to count!" Julia remained silent, even as Nathan, her brother came and reported that everything, including the seeds that were stored in the cave, had been retrieved and was now being portioned out to each individual family. Nathan was a rather slender boy of 13 years. He enjoyed teasing Julia and going on hiking trips. Julia remembered how she'd loathed going on hiking trips with her brother. It wasn't the trips she hated, it was her brother's foolish and stupid attitude toward everything. Nathan had always been an underachiever, despite his unique abilities when it came to hiking and surviving in the wilderness. He had always made friends with people of questionable character. Mother had even suspected that he'd been involved in smuggling narcotics from Canada and Britain before the Great Sleep. Right now, however, none of that mattered anymore. What did matter was the fact that Nathan was an invaluable asset to theirs and many other families, because of his survival instincts. As Nathan walked away, Mother resumed her speech. "God only knows what kind of things live around here now! If your father were here..." She broke off, as a tear came to her eye and a lump formed in her throat. Julia didn't tell her mother about the horrifying cat she'd seen earlier, but instead consoled her mother. "Mother... He gave his life to save others. Things will be different now, but we'll get used to it. We always do." Mother appeared to have calmed down slightly. Julia continued, "Besides, I've not seen a thing living here yet." She felt guilty for lying, but it was all she could do to comfort her mother. She felt like a fool. Things will be different all right, she thought to herself, the world just ended more than a hundred thousand years ago and I'm trying to tell my mother it will be okay... Mother walked away, saying nothing. Julia stood up and walked back toward the cave they'd come from. The world still looked so dark and gray. She thought she heard the rumble of thunder far off in the distance. She had heard it at least five times since coming back to her mother. There was never even the faintest of lightning flashes before the thunder. When she arrived at the cave she found several other families mingling about its entrance. Some had been her neighbours across the street and beside her house. Others she barely knew. But there was that same expression on all their faces. She could literally see the life draining from them. All hope was evaporating before her very eyes. Julia looked away from the sight of it all. She looked back toward the precipice she'd stood at, and heard her mother crying in the tent her brother had built for their family. The sky kept raining down that heavy rain, and thunder could be heard off in the distance again, and Julia never saw any lightning. The Oracle Julia turned back toward the cave, expecting to see those families devoid of hope. Now the people she saw she did not recognize. The people mingled about, each carrying something. Some carried metal briefcases, while others carried what seemed to be small computers. In the middle of the whole crowd stood a brilliant figure with a triangle of three eyes on its face. It walked toward her. Julia was afraid. She turned to run, but then heard the figure say in a booming, but calm voice, "Fear not, child." She turned back around. The figure now stood right in front of her, glowing brilliantly. Julia had no idea what was happening. Could this have been some strange mutant life form that evolved after the nuclear conflagration? "I bring for you great news," The figure said. "I have plans for all of you humans." Julia stood there, dumbfounded. "You will be queen and creator of a great new people." The creature continued. He stretched his hand out toward the people before Julia. "These are your descendants. These are your creation and your doing." Julia still stood there without words. Could this all have been some sort of trick of the mind? Julia felt that there was no reason for her mind to be playing such elaborate tricks on her. She was perfectly healthy. If this was real, it must have been some sort of creature that had evolved in Julia and the others' absence. However, this still seemed unlikely due to the apparently short time of only a few hundred thousand years. "Who are you?" Julia asked both critically and fearfully. "You are queen over all." After saying that, the creature slowly faded and then disappeared. Julia blinked and everything she saw was back to the dreary and hopeless landscape it had been before. If this was real, she had some reason to hope. If not then she was experiencing nothing more than the insane musings of a dying mind tied in with a decaying network of hopeless people. Journey Nefario watched prayerfully as all of the necessary supplies were loaded onto the horses for their long journey. The followers of the Most High could pack very lightly and diligently. This was certainly a blessing from the Holy One. "All has been accounted for," Sara, the chief of transport said, as she walked toward Nefario. "Good." Nefario said. "You have proven yourself to Him once again. May you be blessed." "Thankyou, o King," Sara responded. And so they set off on the long trek across the eastern plains and toward the people they'd been instructed to meet and convert. The plains were stretched out in their vast array before them and all around them. Occasionally a part from some old forgotten machine now destroyed, could be seen protruding from the gray mud. Far off in the distance the remnants of some old city were sprawled out over a large portion of the horizon. Nefario looked upward and saw a faint outline of the sun, the giver of life. This was truly a blessing from the Holy One. Nefario remembered his early childhood years, when he'd been given the stories from generations past, of how the sun used to be radiant and the sky was coloured blue so many aeons before. He'd laughed at this, but eventually he came to appreciate the value of these tales of old. He passed them on to his children. He passed them on to his flock. And so, they continued on, drinking from waterholes provided for them by the Holy One, as they went. Meditation Julia sat again atop the precipice, looking down on the field of ancient destruction below. She barely recognized anything. She could just make out the school she used to attend, along with the daycare she and her brother used to go to. Other than that, everything was nothing more than a rubble mixed in with the vague pattern of the roads. Seeing it now, after all she'd experienced, was a powerful thing, but at the same time it was sorrowfully humbling to see all that humanity was capable of. The sulfuric rain continued to pour down upon Julia, with no compassion for her or anyone else. The thunder could still be heard occasionally, off in the distance. Julia looked down. The deadened ash and dust about her feet clumped as a chemical mud. She could still see the vague footprints from her first visit to this place after the Great Sleep. They were slowly being eroded by the rain and remade into that thick soup of mud without form. She looked out to the old city again. The rain continued in its ceaseless, thudding pitter patter. Julia could hear nothing else. She thought of the way things used to be. She longed for the world that used to be. All she found were the words she'd uttered to her mother no more than half a day ago. Things will be different now, but we'll get used to it... Julia felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, expecting to see Nathan or Mother, but instead found the brilliant creature standing there. It was comforting while at the same time overwhelmingly frightening. What was happening to her? "Don't be afraid." The creature said calmly. "I have control over all that takes place." "Then why can't you send be back home?" Julia asked, now crying. "This is your home now," the creature said. "But it is also a temporary home. Soon you will be going to a much more wonderful place. There you will help build a world of great and vast beauty. There you will build humankind's redemption." Julia did not understand, but still looked upon the brilliant creature through tear filled eyes. She watched as the eye on the creature's forehead began to glow a brilliant red, as it slowly began to fade away and disappear. "Wait!" She called. She heard the creature faintly and calmly say, "I am in control of all." Finally, the creature was no more. Manifest Destiny Julia turned and walked away from the precipice, back toward the cave. Upon arriving there, she found several other people standing around talking and instructing her parents and others in some strange way. "What's going on?" She asked one of the strangely dressed people. "My child!" Said a man wearing a dark purple tattered robe. "I have great tidings for you!" Julia was quite confused. She did not know what was happening. The man looked rather odd. His face was very light in complexion, while his eyes were a deep blue. His hair was short and curly. His bony nose was out of place on the man's face, as was his ridiculously small mouth. "I am Nefario. I have come to save you and the others from the evil that plagues our land." The man looked at her with glee. Mother turned and walked toward Julia, followed by two guards from the makeshift tribe. She had a solemn while at the same time strange expression upon her face. "These people," Mother said, "Have come to take us away." Julia noticed that mother clearly did not like the way in which her captors were watching her every move. She occasionally sneered at them, but did little to fight them off. They were burly men. Nearly everyone else was under the close watch of guards as well. Each guard carried a staff made from a piece of old piping with a red rock at the end of it. He brandished the staff at his captive when necessary. "You do not speak the truth," Nefario said to Mother. "Take the fool away," He instructed the guards. Julia stood there motionless, trying to decide what to do next, as the guards led her mother away. Suddenly she remembered what the strange creature had said to her. "Stop!" Julia commanded in the most authoritative voice she could muster. Thunder clashed, this time along with a brilliant bolt of lightning. Many of the guards knelt to the ground. "I order you," Julia continued, "To unhand her! By order of the queen!" Her mother looked at her with one of the most awkwardly chastising glares she'd ever shot at her. Julia knew that her mother probably thought by now that the new world they were in had gotten to her. However, Julia felt that there was little else she could do. The guards trembled around her, some uttering things like "She has control over the elements!" "Fools!" Nefario shouted at the top of his voice. "Get up and pay no homage to this blasphemer! I am your leader. I am the commander of all the world, for I have been appointed by the One who is Most Holy!" The soldiers slowly stood up again. The people had been too confused to move. "Who gave you this power?" Nefario demanded. Julia stood there thinking of what to say. She had no idea where these people came from. It was certain, however, that they had not gone into the cryochambers with them. She wondered what had become of the others who'd built cryochambers across the planet. Were they dealing with situations like this as well? Finally, Julia decided to speak. "I was given this power by a bright creature. He had three eyes and spoke to me in a booming voice, telling me that I was queen over all." Nefario stood there deep in thought. His small mouth twisted about on his face. Julia thought it looked mildly amusing. His eyes gaped, looking surprised. Finally, he spoke. "She has been deceived!" As if this were an order, the guards approached her, brandishing their weapons. "No." Nefario said. "I will deal with the evil one. Take the others away." Julia stood there, now quite afraid, as her parents, neighbours, and everyone else who had made the aeon's long trek from the past and into this future, were marched off to be forcefully converted and then executed. She watched as they were marched toward that precipice she'd so cherished. "And now," Nefario said, his voice booming with conviction, "the time has come!" Julia stood motionless, as she watched the glorious creature appear before her and Nefario. Nefario grabbed a knife from its sheath on his belt. Before she could run, he grabbed Julia and began to plunge the knife into her stomach. As the one who had control over all looked onward, Julia was murdered. Her last and final words through a mouth gurgling with blood were "I trusted you...." The Planners Days passed after the execution of Julia and her family. A few people survived the plunge off of the precipice, but died of starvation or further injury as they tried to climb the slippery slopes soaked in sulfuric rain. Nefario and his tribe waited for a sign from the Holy One, but none came. However, after a few days men armed with assault rifles and high power explosive weapons came instead. They demanded that Nefario and his people come and assist in the work on the new city of Utopia, the ultimate safe haven from the Land of Death. They claimed that the Divine Planners had instructed them to build this city. They looked through the bodies, collecting samples of blood, looking for that one piece of DNA that would be compatible with their new invention. They found it in the blood of a young child. And so, they built their great invention. They built their genetic time capsule, which would awaken them from the sleep of sweet deliverance from the lands of evil when the time came. Nefario and a few other zealots refused to join them in their glorious quest, telling them that they would go to eternal perdition for refusing to serve the Holy One. However, the men paid no attention to the fools and their trite sputtering. Instead, they lined them up and riddled them with high velocity armour penetrating bullets. As Nefario stood in line, he saw the Holy One standing atop the cave that once held the survivors. He watched as the gleaming eye shone red for the last time in Nefario's presence. As the bullets entered Nefario's body he rejoiced that he would soon go and join the One who is Most Holy. "If history is to change, let it change. If the world is to be destroyed, so be it. If my fate is to die, I must simply laugh" |
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| © Copyright 2001 fractal007 - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sharon Member
since 2001-06-04
Posts 53Within a whisper |
Hi! I loved your story. In the beginning though, there were a few too many references to the color gray - if you could find another word to use instead it would be great. I enjoyed this..wanted to know who everyone was and what happened..that's the reason we write isn't it!!?? Is this the end of it or is there more? |
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fractal007 Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958 |
Thankyou for your reply. I used the large number of references to the gray colours to convey the drab and dreary world all the more effectively to the reader. Though, I am still kicking myself for having put WAY too many "there"s in the beginning. IE, "There were no cars to be heard" and such. Anyhow, this goes on, yes. There are about seven more that I will be writing in the weeks and months to come. "If history is to change, let it change. If the world is to be destroyed, so be it. If my fate is to die, I must simply laugh" |
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Dusk Treader
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-06-18
Posts 1187St. Paul, MN |
Seven parts? I'm ready for it, I love your tales and this is no exception. I can easily visualize your post-apocalyptic world in all it's shades of grey. I do rather agree with Sharon though, in that having three instances of the word "gray" so close is rather distracting, there are plenty of good synonyms (Charcoal, ashen, leaden to name a few). I'm really interested in seeing where you take this, there is a lot of places it could go. I'm especially interested in the three-eyed one (Most Holy or his prophet). The Planners seemed rushed, but I'm going to assume the next one will clear up some of that. Enjoyed this much, Kevin, I'll be looking forward to future installments. "They that start by burning books will end by burning men." -- Heinrich Heine |
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fractal007 Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958 |
Dusk Trader and Co: Thanks for the reply. Don't worry, the story line is in good hands. I've had much of the world that this story deals with planned out for about ten years now. It's evolved. The constant occurrances of the word "gray" are intended to make the landscape look even more drab. Where everything is so repetitive, there is very little hope of change. I do agree, the portion at the end was a bit brief. I'd originally intended to make the death of the girl as a result of the City people, and it was to be much more dramatic. But I decided that a killing based upon the basic human frailties that are elevated in this story would be much more effective. I took away the drama because I felt that it would probably offend people. I also felt that the killing itself communicated enough. Besides, what the drama would have communicated was already places evenly throughout the story. [look at the actions and words of the Three Eyed guy.] So, the second volume may not be as well-written, but it is nonetheless 75 percent complete. Filming is almost complete, lol. It is based heavily on a story I wrote three years ago, in grade ten english. My teacher gave me 99 percent for it, lol. Anyhow, thanks all, for the replies. "If history is to change, let it change. If the world is to be destroyed, so be it. If my fate is to die, I must simply laugh" -- Magus [This message has been edited by fractal007 (edited 06-14-2001).] |
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D edgar Grey Member
since 2002-08-21
Posts 174Hell...(aka Wisconsin) |
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! TOO MUCH ON A SATURDAY NIGHT!! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this piece! At first I was really confused, but then I re-read it and am definitely looking forward to the next...seven?!?...parts! Yeah, the stone angel you mentioned at the beginning...hmmm...could definitely play with that a bit...(hint, hint!). I didn't really mind all the references to grey, and I thought it did a good job of descibing the dreary planet. I also liked the cult feeling this involved. Very nice! If homosexuality is a disease, let's all call in queer to work: "Hello. Can't work today, still queer." (If only...>; P) |
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