Chapter Four
“So now you want computer programmers for a bio research lab?”
“Look at the big picture, Director. We’re no longer just breeding biomatter from the ground up. We’re also programming it.”
–Dr Ava Sherman. Manchester, New Hampshire, 4 Years Before.
* * *
It was the most beautiful thing that Liam had ever seen.
Land. He’d spotted it first through GPS the night before, but had forced himself to sleep instead, lest all his efforts go to waste due to an ill-advised night landing. After weeks stuck on his hand-built raft, and an exponentially longer time stuck on an island, the sight of the solid earth stretching the length of the horizon was almost more than he could bear. A red sun cut through a malaise of navy and into a thin fog, only broken by the deep grey monoliths of downtown LA, and the even darker mountains on the cusp of sight. This early in the morning, the city was silent and the lights were out.
But it was still there, standing.
He pulled the mast free one last time, and made a break straight for Santa Monica’s shore. There was no longer any need to conserve battery power from the GPS. The moment he’d hit land, it wouldn’t matter in the slightest. Civilization was here!
Oh, how this’d be a story to remember. Liam Fenix, survivalist extraordinaire, believed to have been dead for years, only to not only have survived alone through pure force of will, but to have then gone on and constructed a raft capable of traversing the better part of the North Pacific Ocean. He’d braved monsoons, fought back sharks, explored unknown derelicts. Getting back on the telly would be the least of his concerns.
The wind picked up, and his raft shot straight for the shore. Liam could feel it all coming back his way. After so much time, and so much of his own life lost, he’d finally have the one resource returned that he had squandered in his youth. People. They had once meant so little to him. In truth, when him and Nelly had left Alaska and returned to civilization, Liam had only agreed to perform in his television series “Survive In Wild” in order to return to being as far away from people as humanly possible, as ironic of a personal statement that was to make. But after so much time in isolation, Liam could see how much of a fool he’d been. If he had one wish left other than to return to his family, it was to get in front of a crowd of people and talk to each and every single one of them. It didn’t matter the subject. Only that he hear them and they hear him.
His raft was almost there. Liam was no longer kilometers away, but in the hundreds of meters. It was happening. He was almost home. Closer still, and he could make out the nuances of the shore…
Hm, that’s odd, Liam thought. From a distance, it seemed to have been filled with umbrellas and towels, but that had been an illusion. Nothing but trash remained.
Liam was nearly thrown from off his raft as it collided with sand. He’d been so focused on the beach that he’d lost track of his speed. The mast dislodged from the deck a moment later, forcing Liam to do out of reflex what inertia had only started.
Part of him could have been upset about destroying his hand-built ship, but there seemed to be greater priorities afoot. Liam held his hands up high to block the rising sun and scanned the beach. There was nothing in sight but sand and trash. Even the nearby pier looked to be lifeless.
Sure, it had been years, but if there was one place that always had some semblance of activity, it was the Santa Monica beach. Even this early in the morning, there should have been someone about, if for no other reason than to clean up all this trash. Where the hell is everybody?
Liam turned to Thirsty. “You know what I think, mate? Oftentimes, if there are chemical spills or red algae warnings, entire beaches will get evacuated and deemed unsafe for use. You know how California is. I’m thinking something like that must’ve happened here. Don’t worry though, we aren’t staying long. Let’s just grab our things and move inland, yeah?”
Liam filled his luggage with the essentials, slung Thirsty over his shoulder, and started walking. He wouldn’t need canned food once he found some assistance – which of course would be soon – but part of him felt like it would be nice to have on hand. “Just in case”, as the saying went.
Clearing the beach did little to resolve his unease. The street was barren save for a few vehicles, and by the dust and grime and rust that coated their shells, they looked to be entirely non-functional, and had been for years. And they weren’t alone. There were vines on the buildings and windows were smashed, as if nothing had been in use around here for years and years.
Just like the Xin Yue Jiang…
Liam shook his head. “Looks like Santa Monica has hit harder times than we thought, eh Thirsty? A real shame. This place once used to be so much more beautiful… But, cities change and so do the times. Let’s just keep moving, yeah?”
On that thought, Liam began the longer hike inland, using the main road as a guide.
Downtown Santa Monica wasn’t much improved. The shops were all closed, and what little evidence there had been of activity was now extinguished. Broken glass littered the ground, and whatever had once been valuable had long since been removed.
With all the damage about, Liam could not say if this place was left by choice or force.
Liam grinned through the angst. “There’s an island off the coast of Japan that had once been a sprawling metropolis of industry. Coal mining was the purpose, if I have my facts straight. But the government closed it down around the 1970s, and the people abandoned it, effectively turning an entire island into a ghost town. Decades later, one would think they had all been killed off had they stumbled upon it unawares, just like us.
“Climate change is my guess. You and I know a thing or two about that, eh, mate? We’ve been feeling its effects for years. So that’s what I think happened. If people realized that coastal resorts weren’t an ideal place to invest in, then that would be bad for the local economy. Less tourists each year. Less revenue from the state. At a certain point, they’d have no choice but to all leave.
“That’s how this went down, yeah?” He nodded, if not for Thirsty’s benefit, than his own. “Yes. There’s no doubt that’s what happened to Santa Monica.”
No doubt at all.
* * *
Liam moved deeper into the city, and faced nothing but more abandoned city. The houses were shuttered and strangled in vines, and the streets were empty, save for more rusted wrecks. There were no signs of life other than the occasional bird in the air or rat poking its head out of a gutter.
But Liam did not want to let this setback slow him down, nor make him question his own sanity. Every oddity had an explanation, and for every argument for his unsaid fears, there’d be another more plausible one against. LA was filled with poverty and abandoned housing units. Maybe the economic crisis had finally caught up to this part of the city. No one was answering his calls for help because it was still too early. And even if it wasn’t, he was certain that they’d all have better things to do than talk to some nutter wandering the streets. How foolish would Liam feel the second he came across that first car?
Each step began to grow heavy as the exhaustion of the exercise caught up with him. By the time he discovered his first dead body, he almost lost his strength entirely…
But still, Liam persisted. He stopped bothering to justify everything in sight and decided to focus on the newfound wildlife instead. What an interesting breed of vine to have growing around here? The birds in the windows didn’t seem to be native to the region, which made their migration pattern all the more fascinating. Those dogs that kept fleeing were acting as if he was the superior predator, and not them. So much for man’s best friend. What could that mean for the conditioning they’d developed?
On and on, Liam spoke to Thirsty to report his findings. Half of the stories and facts he passed on were being made up on the spot, but that was part of the production! He couldn’t just leave an explanation half-finished because he’d mucked up a detail or two. Where would be the fun in that? That’s what he was having, wasn’t it? Fun! This was all just another brilliant adventure. Another story that everyone would love to hear about, the moment he found someone to tell.
“Oh, that’s strange,” Liam said when he came across a freeway. “I seem to have lost my bearings… But yes, I’m quite positive now. That’s the 405 right there. That’s what that is…” He paused. “It’s a bit unusual. In all my time living around here, it’s never once been… I’ve not once seen that road emp–” He could not finish the thought.
Liam swallowed the bile in his throat. “Y’know, back in the 1930s, there was a major public works proj–” But even then, he couldn’t muster the strength to continue.
Why the bloody hell is the 405 empty!? Of all the places, of all the roads in the city. If there ever was a single place on this earth incessantly backed up in traffic, it was the 405. How many times had he missed an appointment because of that hell-forsaken road!?
He looked to Thirsty, still sitting numbly in his hand. “And here I am, talking to a fucking canteen!” Thirsty plummeted to the ground.
Like water through a cracked dam, the truth of his circumstances burst through. His horror had been unearthed. His nightmare reborn. That primordial, subconscious fear that he had buried during all his years on Purgatory. The one that had driven him so hard to leave that very place and strive for answers as to why nobody ever came.
There are no people here because there are no people left. Concise, simple, and without evidence to the contrary.
The tears rushed down his cheeks. It wasn’t fair! He had only wished to take a break from it all. It had never been his intention to leave them entirely. How could he have known that the world would end just because he did a lap around the globe?
And so Liam cried. And cried. And cried. For once, he did not wish to stop the tears, or find some second wind of resolve to keep pressing onward. There was no need. No hope could be found here.
A door crashed open behind.
Liam flew into attention as somebody else hobbled into view, out from a half-collapsed home. He froze in place, his eyes widened against the sight of the figure moving towards him. Though humanoid and in the shape of a man, its movement was feral and instinctive, its clothes rotted beyond recognition, and skin grey and peeling. The hair was stringy and whitened, and sores covered its scalp. Its mouth clattered hungrily as it stumbled, and it raised a mangled arm his way. Even the veins were subhuman. They were black and bulging, like a corpse half-decomposed.
But it was the eyes more than anything that made Liam flinch. They were white. Blank. Empty. It was as if the life had been drained from its very sockets, leaving behind only a vacuous hole where a human had once been.
The creature hissed, and Liam’s world shattered anew. He had heard that noise before.
On the Xin Yue Jiang.
It all made sense now. A contagion that could reduce people into a state like this… Such a force levied against civilization would be one they could not hope to win. Humanity lost. Its strengths, its virtue, its muster. Could this really have been their end?
Liam stumbled back. First a few steps, and then a few more. His foot nicked something hard and he tumbled back into the ground. He could not run and he could not stand. He could only inch further away from this monster, the fear and uncertainty crippling him against doing anything else.
Another person walked into sight. Before the monster could respond, a hammer was slammed through its skull. It fell limp.
“Well, well,” someone else said from behind, his voice raspy. “Looks like we got ourselves a stray.”
A group of three survivors stood behind. Each was wrapped in heavy clothes in spite of the weather. Cargo pants were tucked into boots, with beige dusters hanging above. Their hands were gloved and gripping weapons, both guns and blades. Even their faces were covered in cloth and hoods, with tinted goggles above.
Only one stood out from the others. Where his companions were similar in aesthetics, he had leather padding as added protection around his arms, and each was laced with spikes. He held a battle axe, large enough to use as a walking stick, with a pistol strapped to his waist.
He took a step forward. “What’s the matter? Never seen a hollow before?” His voice was deep and gruff, as though he’d spent a lifetime smoking cigarettes.
Liam opened his mouth, but found no words.
“You sure this guy’s one of us, Spike?” the one who had killed the monster asked, her voice still hoarse, yet more feminine.
“Of course he is, Camilla. You all heard him.”
She shrugged. “Don’t know what I heard. Could be a dreg.”
“I could use the boost, either way,” another said with that same gruff hue. “It’d be quick.”
“Oh, shut up, Rocco. You just ate yesterday.”
Spike waved his gloved hand. “Enough, or I swear, I’ll purge you both.” He leaned into Liam. “You’re not starved, are you? You can talk?”
“Y-yes,” Liam said. “I’m not like th– that thing.”
He nodded. “There. What did I say? We got ourselves another one, fresh from the factory. Still got the stutters and everything.”
The last of their group walked over. With a gloved hand, he grabbed Liam’s cheeks and examined them, one side to the other.
“Don’t think this guy’s a rezzer,” he said.
“What the hell are you talking about, Damian?” Rocco asked.
“Look at his eyes. They look alive.”
Liam stared, confused. “Of course I’m alive.”
At once, all of them took a step back, their weapons raised.
Liam gasped. “What the hell are you doing? I said I’m alive!” But they did not move.
“If we’ve got ourselves a living human here,” Damian said. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
Spike turned his head an inch. “Big payday from Hades, that’s for damn sure.”
“More than that,” Rocco said, elated. “Any of you ever have human before?”
“Are you kidding me, Rocco? You’ll get us all hunted with talk like that.”
“No one would ever know.”
The group began bickering as Liam lay in place. They kept arguing whether to keep him for themselves, or trade him to someone else. What was happening? Why wouldn’t anyone give him a clear answer?
“Please,” Liam begged. “I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I promise you, I’m a living, breathing human, and I just need a little help, yeah?”
A hrmph spilled out from beneath Spike’s mask. “You really don’t know, do you? What, been stuck on an island or something the past decade?”
“Well, actually,” Liam said. “That’s exactly what happened.”
“Hah! Who woulda guessed? Looks like we got ourselves the star from Cast Away.”
Liam laughed. “Yes, yes. Exactly like the movie Cast Away. Thank God you found me.”
To that, Spike leaned in. “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that if I was you.” He removed his goggles and lowered his mask.
Liam’s heart stopped in his chest. Spike’s face was as grey and rotted as the monster they had killed, and a long set of scars ran across his cheeks. But unlike the hollow, his irises were filled, and projected a red, demonic glare that was anything but human.
“What’s the matter?” Spike mocked. “Don’t look so excited to see me anymore.” He laughed, yellowed teeth bared against blackened gums. “Think you might be right, Rocco. I’ve never had living before. Maybe we should hack off one of those pretty little arms and have a taste.”
Again, Liam was speechless. What could he say? What could anyone say in such a circumstance!?
Suddenly, more trash crashed as another monster stumbled into the street. This one looked more recognizable, with a feminine frame below a sheepskin jacket and a pair of faded jeans. The face was hidden beneath a hood, but there was no denying the erratic movement and deep hiss that was characteristic of the hollow before.
Spike grunted. “Come on, Camilla. Let’s not have any more distractions.”
She started to wander over. “I swear, I have to do everything around here.”
Camilla drew close, hammer raised. But as she swung her weapon, her target danced to the side and threw its hood down. Black hair was tied into a bun, contrasted against a burgundy scarf that covered her face from nose to neck. The woman drew a pistol with an oversized suppressor and pressed it into Camilla’s face.
“Oh, sh–” Camilla started, but the shot went off before she could finish. She fell lifeless into the pavement.
The others screamed and took aim with their own weapons, but the woman was quicker, and brought down Damian and Rocco before they could respond, each with bullets to the head. Only Spike was able to return fire. The woman flinched when her shoulder took a hit, but she otherwise ignored the blow entirely. Spike whooped as his own pistol got shot out of his hand, then rushed for safety. The woman advanced and kept shooting. Blackened ichor burst free as different parts of Spike’s body were struck, but he shrugged off the hits as though they were nothing. With one final lunge, he vaulted over a fence and out of view.
The woman closed in, and again Liam found himself at a loss. Her skin was pale and smooth above the scarf, but her irises were shrouded in a strong, magenta gleam contrasted against black mascara.
“Thank you,” Liam said. He tried to hold a hand up to shake, but she waved him off.
“It’s true then, you’re alive?” she asked, her voice as deep and hoarse as everyone else he’d heard today.
“Yes,” Liam said. Why does everyone keep asking me that?
“Good. Let’s get out of here then.”
“Wait! Who are you?” Or better yet. What are you?
“My name is Leah, and I’d suggest you follow me.”
