The chronicles of the world
*** I ***Earth - one of the myriads of planets in the endless Universe, the third planet of the Solar System. An inconceivable time ago, more than a million years, here humanity found their homeland. The question of how this came to be, how civilization evolved always interested mankind. Alas, human history is a history of wars and quarrels, a history of confrontations and intolerance. Even now historians, the keepers of the past, can not give an accurate answer as to what happened then, two hundred years ago, at the end of the twenty first century. Only one thing is known for certain: there was a war, a nuclear war. There were no victors, only survivors, which miraculously escaped death. One of the basic theories about the start of the conflict is that people created weapons, many weapons, strengthening them, making them ever more deadly, efficient, and inevitable. Major countries became continental arsenals of nuclear, chemical and only god knows what other kinds of weapons. Everyone that could launch reconnaissance aircraft, orbital platforms made for assault and defense. The arms race became more and more intense. Sadly, it is in the nature of people to test anything that they invent and produce, there is no other way. Every loaded weapon will fire, sooner or later. Powerful countries, demonstrating their strength and ruthlessness, started dictating their will to the smaller nations, evoking an ever increasing wave of anger. And at some point, apparently, it has gone too far. One of the politicians, diplomats, leaders, it is impossible to find out for sure, panicked and gave an insane order to use force. In the occurred confusion one of the extremist parties captured a military base, containing nuclear missiles. Negotiations did not lead to a peaceful solution, and two missiles were launched on a neighboring country. An answering strike did not keep itself waiting. In a world crammed with nuclear weaponry, men no longer make decisions about the launches. Everything was decided by computers. Electronic reconnaissance systems activated defensive and attacking arsenals, the first of the nuclear explosions were heard. A chain reaction had begun, it was impossible to tell who was attacking who, and where the missiles, bringing death and destruction, were aimed. Powerful nations were swallowed up into the conflict. They had to suppress their enemies. Kill or be killed. The triumph of the atom devoured civilization. A NUCLEAR WORLD WAR HAS BEGUN.
*** II ***
Billions have died. Millions survived the explosions, but soon died from radiation. It seemed that the planet has perished, killing everything on it. But the passing weeks showed that somehow Earth was still alive. Cracked and burnt, poisoned and decapitated - Earth did not die. Humans still lived in the deeps of shelters. Some beasts escaped death in mountains and forests. Rats still inhabited basements and sewer systems. A nuclear winter began. For eighty years humanity lived in underground bunkers, some of which grew to be massive cities. In the end of the twenty first century, in preparation for future wars, shelters were made for the safety and comfort of people who would inhabit them. There was everything you could dream about, but some shelters were out of the reach of people when the war started, some were destroyed by targeted nuclear bombings. A very little part of humanity survived, but everyone who did could build something, that is now called Civilization. Medicine and Science were re-mastered; later new human possibilities were discovered. An era of regrowth has begun.
*** III ***
Only sixty three years later humanity had an opportunity to leave their underground dens. The first tests of soil and atmosphere showed that man couldn't survive on the surface. Never. Nuclear explosions changed the atmosphere forever. The planet's orbit moved. Fauna was eradicated. A first expedition was conducted to explore the surface and build a base camp left with thirty military vehicles. After ninety six hours any contact with the expedition was lost. Later it was discovered that one of the remained sattelites identified the mass of vehicles as a target and unleashed a couple of nuclear missiles. Another attempt was made after six years. Four armored vehicles with energy fields and cloaking devices left the vauts doors. Two months later they came back. A lot of time had passed before the first constructions were built on the surface, cities were founded. Scientists made a breakthrough in researching human DNA could make a medicine that could make people resistant to the new worlds harsh temperature and radiation. A Golden Century had started followed by a war.
*** IV ***
Historians offer this chronology of events - the development of the human race.
After a successful launch of the first piloted shuttle with scientific equipment on board (in 8 minutes 44 seconds of flight) the following happened: a launch of an unidentified missile was detected from a territory that was thought uninhabited and lethally radioactive. The rocket's target was the shuttle. The hit was accurate, the ship - destroyed. Simultaneously, one of the pre-war platforms destroyed all human artificial satellites.
Afterwards explosions are heard in almost every human city, poisonous gasses and pathogenic cultures are released into the atmosphere. Shock and Terror, the headline of pre-war newspapers comes back. Eight days later news reports of an army from the deadlands that has made a landing at the borderline of known civilization from ships of a strange design.
Three days later New Castle - the first city in the army's way, is wiped off the face of the earth with extreme prejudice. Only one thing was known about a resistance - it did not happen.
Reconnaissance data and witness reports from refugees pointed to the fact that the enemy was not human.
Mutants - a result of poorly sealed shelters or the effect of some substances - humanoid creatures, but with an altered mentality and abilities were ready to destroy mankind. These half men, a result of genetic engineering experiments called themselves followers of a group of scientists that, according to unverified information, were working on a pre-war program called "Iron Skies". The army organized a resistance and, despite the lack of experience and huge losses, was able to hold the first waves of invaders. The war lasted for one and a half years with various success. But humans lost city after city until, at last, only one was left.
*** V ***
There is only one city on the planet, a city seen as a giant gloomy block in the middle of a desert under crimson skies. As you come closer, the stocky buildings of the city's outskirts come into view, the barracks where people work, live and die, large hangers of the city's industrial corporations, where the oh so necessary equipment and supplies are produced, concrete administrative buildings, where the social life of citizens is controlled. When the scorching sun is beaming during the day it is difficult to be in the city streets. The air, asphalt and sand are so heated, that not everyone can survive long outside. At night, however, the city transforms. Neon lights and projectors are lighted, showing the any people their way to bars and entertainment. Those, who worked all day in bunkers and hangers, hurry to relax and spend their money. And most of the people are attracted by the City Arena. This is a place where they can not only relieve their necessity for physical activity, but also to earn good money and practice their fighting skills. The Arena acts as a training ground for those who will defend the City from possible attacks. These activities are not for the weak, but they don't survive in this world for long anyway. Despite the risk of receiving injuries, people still go for fistfights, training battles and tournaments with firearms and other weaponry. Many see the arena as the meaning of their lives, and dedicate all their time to fighting and training. On the whole, comparing to the previous decades, the life of the City is sorting itself out. Technologies and sciences are being developed, not without the help of large corporations. Shops, where one can purchase practically any equipment, training centers for combat skills, research laboratories, and many other things let citizens think that they have a chance of survival in these harsh times. Clans that own territories and industrial corporations have divided the City into parts and guard their properties from outsiders. Often, there is even a ban on selling goods that one clan produces to others. Strange, but the religious sects with fanatical followers don differ too much from the militarized structure of clans.
*** VI ***
The uninhabited by men, but not deserted lands surround the City, and they prove dangerous to one who wanders out without proper survival skills. Radiation, unknown creatures, natural and man-made traps is a far from full list of perils for a guest of these parts. The professionals that wander the "stalker-zones" regularly are a whole different story. In other words - the suburbs are not the place where one might go for a stroll after lunch. Trips there require lengthy preparations, a certain plan, good equipment and a well organized team to ward off any attacks. Successful trips are well worth it. The value of the trophies, equipment, weapons and animal skins is high enough to attract adventurers. Those who return boast tales about mysterious radiance in the horizon, sealed pre-war tombs, shining fields, wandering lights and sounds that make the heart fail. But the most dangerous places are the ruined and abandoned cities. Not many have reached their limits, and none dared to venture inside.
The City is a different story. Of course it has been battered by the harmfulness of the environment. And the main factor is still the radiation. It has effected many creatures such as rats and other parasites, enlarging them and making them a serious threat to the population. An appearance of the Mutant was one of these side-effects. Part beast, part, maybe, man this creature lived in an abandoned house near the dump. People, never seeing anything of the kind, named it the Mutant. The Mutant looked disgusting dirty, covered in rare black hair, incredibly smelly, he was feared and despised. This creature fed off dead rats and garbage. Afraid that he might carry a disease or attack somebody people shot him and ran him over with an armored truck. Since everyone was afraid to come close enough to finish him, the creature lay there for several weeks, slowly dying, even after rats have eaten most of it the Mutant still sometimes moved. Sadly mutations are not rare in different parts of town; there were sightings of man-like creatures that, seemingly, had some intellect. The question about these creatures was even raised in the city council, but since the sightings were rare, the problem was forgotten.
But it shouldn't have.
TerraPrima
