The world outside pulsed with the rhythm of life once more. Despite the rain, commuters navigated the busy streets of Greenwich, seeking refuge in bustling coffee shops as the welcomed hum of traffic reverberated through the air.
A cold burst of air hit Archie, waking him from his lucid daydream, the door to ‘Drip Coffee’ hurriedly closed behind his next customer. And to his surprise, it was Alan. Alan who had been absent for what felt like an eternity. A wide grin crept across Archie’s tired face, his steely eyes glistened, today really did feel normal.
“Alan! It’s been too long” Archie exclaimed, happiness evident in his voice
“Archie, my friend” Alan replied warmly “ I’ve been hunkered down with the family in Essex - I have a place there, much safer you know”
Archie didn’t know much about Alan, beyond their daily encounters. He liked his coffee black, with a flat white to follow and always commented on the morning news. The reunion felt like a ray of sunshine, yet their conversation inevitably turned to the events that had shaken the world.
“Absolutely crazy what’s been going on isn’t it?” Alan whispered
“Tell me Alan, who was it, the Chinese?” Archie responded, mockingly, a wry smile curling at the edges of his lips.
“Don’t be daft, we don’t have that kind of technology, we are eons away from that type of stuff. It had to be extraterrestrial”
Alan paused for breath, as if tired from having this conversation with every soul he had encountered. Archie could feel the weight of the conversation hanging over them. The events of the last year had left a mark on everyone, fear ever present at the back of their minds.
“Every nuclear facility, every military base and stronghold across the globe, surrounded by glowing blue light and eradicated in seconds, with no nuclear fallout?” Alan reminded Archie, disbelief still plain to hear in his voice. “Across our oceans, in our deserts, in this bloody city”
“I know.”
Archie hung his head, wondering how long it would be until that fateful day in February would disappear from everyday conversation.
“Military presence across our streets, our reserves called up and near 24x7 patrol for almost a year. Rumour has it our Prime Minister, all world leaders in fact also received a message”
”Yeah I heard” Archie chipped in “we are not worthy of this world, it is time for the great reset”.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“That’s the ticket Archie! Glad to see you’ve got your sources too”
Archie handed Alan his coffee and stuck out his hand. Glancing down, Alan smiled and took it; a solid handshake with an old acquaintance who he hadn’t realised, was really a friend.
“What’s the latest Alan? Let’s not allow old habits to die, what’s the FTs take on the news of today?”
“A combination of the race to become a nuclear power once more. Civil wars in full flow, with plenty of interference from ourselves of course - foolish.”
This is why Archie avoided the news, the depressing cycle of anxiety, death and destruction wasn’t good for the soul. He was always surprised that the UK government managed to hold onto control, but guessed the size and set-up of the country had held it in good stead.
The US was still in turmoil, pockets of civil wars across states were only just starting to simmer down; mob mentality and riot culture was thriving there. In a way, ‘the event’ had put the UK back on the geopolitical map.
Once the morning rush had faded, Alan had made his way into the soulless void of Canary Wharf and Archie had time to reflect.
It’s funny how everyone is acting normal, he thought. It had only been 10 months since the event, when the world stood still. The mass panic and fear, spiralling into anger whilst the government implemented rationing and curfews, a call back to the hardships our Grandparents had lived through.
It hadn’t taken long for the overreaching arm of governmental control to hit boiling point with the nation, the largest marches on record took place, many breaking out into violence. There was so much bloodshed, so much anger, so much pain.
Somehow, the democratic process of the UK managed to hold firm and prevail, for the first time building a government not just around one or two parties, but formed largely of individual candidates.
Turns out it doesn’t matter who you vote for, it always turns out the same. The world is full of empty promises, led by power hungry novices. Grappling for power, more power for them, more power for the nation, always forgetting about the lives their people are living, the lives we try our best to smile and struggle through. Despite this, Archie couldn’t help but wonder what the future had in store.
Archie’s mind wandered to the FT article Alan was quoting, how could we be interfering in wars and funnelling our resources into Nuclear arms again. The back of Archie’s neck prickled, had we learned nothing?
A fresh blast of air brought Archie back to his surroundings, it was oddly cold for October, he thought, it was cold that fateful day in February too and he couldn’t shake that feeling that history was on the verge of repeating itself.
“Ah, Wren! Welcome back my rock-writing friend, your usual spot is free and your first coffee is on me”
“Oh you spoil me, I’ll be sad to get back to the States, nobody makes coffee like you - it’s what brings me back here most days”
Wren’s quirky Norwegian/American accent and mesmerising eyes, one a deep seaweed green, with the other an amber that he swore sometimes flicked like fire in the light; always captured Archie’s attention.There was something fascinating about her, hidden depths he’d yet to learn.
“Coffee for Wren!”
“That’s a terrible pun, and you really need to work on your handwriting Archie… ‘Rage against the espresso machine’? Really?! You’ll never make it as a writer” Wren teased
Her smile playful as she accepted the cup, her thin pale hands reaching beyond the large baggy arms of her Rage Against the Machine hoodie. The coffee, fragrant as ever, warmed her cold hands, offering her solace from the chill. She wondered, briefly, why was it so cold in here?
Then it happened...