Prologue (Part 1)
In the distance, the rumblings of machines could be heard. The smell of burning coal saturated the air, however, the inhabitants of this land were used to it. In fact, it brought them comfort to know that the old machines were still alive. These machines were the gifts of the Ancients, illuminating the crystal lights that allowed everyone to see, the mechanisms that brought them water, and the heat that warmed the homes. At the best of times, the sky only provided minimal light, enough for the outlines of shapes to be seen, but nothing more. Life within this town was not easy; food was always scarce and tools constantly wore down. Despite all the hardships, the townsfolk still made the best out of what they could by finding whatever free time possible to socialize, and if the conditions permitted, a modest festival was held. In this tight-knit community, everyone treated one another as if they were family, giving each other a reason to live. It was in this town that Anya was born, this town of Black-Rock.
The sound of metal striking rocks rang through the crisp air. The citizens of Black-Rock knew that the machines were always hungry, never ceasing to consume coal. If not for the sweat of its inhabitants within the mines, the town would have gone dark like the countless others around it. The town was a small and simple dwelling formed toward the end of the gravel road that led to it. Over the years, what were multilayered tents were slowly renovated into shacks and insulated hubs. Reclaimed warehouses constituted the centerpieces of the town, storing its meager wealth while serving as the administrative center of the town. This place used to be a sort of mining outpost, a part of a larger operation. Years of abandonment had left much of its machinery inoperable.
Toward the warehouse, men and women holding an assortment of rifles busy themselves with preparing the gas-powered vehicles for departure. Black-Rock's remoteness made it ideal as a low-profile settlement tucked away on its own edge of the world, unfortunately, this also had its share of drawbacks. Besides coal, any other resources were rare and trading proved to be tedious. However, without trading, this town cannot hope to survive as the meager number of crops they were able to grow cannot hope to sustain themselves. With their only specialty being coal, Black-Rock found themselves in a near-constant state of desperation.
A woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in old military fatigues laced with stitches and patches directed the group of similarly dressed individuals to their stations. She will soon lead the convoy on their trade mission like the countless times she has done before. The lady sighed and grabbed her wrist when she noticed it shaking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, opening and closing her hand as if she were squeezing the air.
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"Anna!" A man, who seemed to be of a similar age, approached, wearing an apron and holding a toddler in his arms.
“How many times does she need to do this, it's like she's an endless poop machine,” the man gave a gentle smile and padded the child's back. “How about next time I lead the convoy and you take care of Anya? You need the quality mother-daughter time or Anya will forget you.”
“Oh really?" Anna approached the toddler while clapping. "Ethan or me?” The girl quickly spun around and attempted to jump into her bosom. “I think it’s you who needs to spend some quality time with Anya.” Anna pressed the toddler close to her chest. With a quick glance at Anya’s large brown eyes and cute puffy cheeks, she could not help but squeeze Anya tightly in her arms.
“She’s beautiful, just like her mother.” The man smiled but it quickly faded. “Hey... at least let me come with –“
"Someone needs to stay here and take care of Anya" Anna Interrupted. “Unless you want to leave her here alone. And don’t you dare suggest leaving her with Stephan. He could barely take care of his own health.”
Both Anna and Ethan let out a light chuckle which faded into a moment of uneasy silence.
“Listen, Anna, you don’t have to do this right now. Let’s wait it out a bit longer, maybe they’ll lose interest and move on. Who knows what you’ll find through the ruins? We’ll just ration ourselves until we’ve made sure everything is safe.”
“Might as well not eat if we ration ourselves any further.” The woman sighed. “Look, Ethan, we waited when the bridge collapsed, we waited when the scouts first found the raiders. We can’t just keep waiting.” Gently, she placed her hand on his cheek. “I know you’re worried, but trust me, this is not my first time doing this. I’ll be fine.”
"..." Before Ethan could retort, Anna planted her lips onto his.
“I have to go. We don’t have the luxury of waiting any longer. Once the food starts running out, then, we’ll have something to worry about.” Anna handed Anya back to Ethan. “Anya, be a good girl and keep Daddy safe for me, okay?”
“Un!” Anya said while she puffed up her chest and made a motion reminiscent of a salute, the toddler's poor motor controls caused to her strike herself in the process. Anna smiled as the scene played out in front of her.
“We’re ready!” a voice shouted from the distance. Hearing this, Anna stepped into the passenger side of the vehicle.
“Please come back safely!”
“Sure-sure.”