WorldFall: Echoes of Extinction

When The Stronghold Comes Knocking

Neemo's heart lurched. A sense of dread crept over him as he searched the crowd for Alessia and Elias.Luckily, he found Alessia a few feet away, hidden behind some figures.

Her face also wore the same expression. He could see the fear in her eyes when their eyes locked.

He shook his head sideways at her while the latter nodded in reply.

“Told you they are deaf.” Another soldier alighted from the truck. Unlike the others, his uniform was more immaculate and its rank insignia more elaborate

Like the previous soldier, he took his time to assess them with a sneer. He reached for a canned juice and downed it like their filthiness was too much for his soul to handle.

“Hand it over now and be free.” He declared like he was some celestial punishment.

Murmurs rose among the people, which was quickly silenced by the wave of guns.

“Perhaps it would help if we knew what you were here for.” Henry stepped forward, only stopping when he was a few feet from the closest soldier.

The Lieutenant paused, “Are you trying to pry words from my mouth?” He casually played with the half-empty can.

Henry's bravery and the Lieutenant's brief pause emboldened the youths, and a few stepped out, staying right behind Henry.

Neemo's heartbeat steadied a little. It seemed the soldiers didn't know what they were looking for, and they might not even know a thing about the body.

“Search their shacks. If you see it, you will know. Bring me anything beyond their worth.” The Lieutenant ordered, still holding his gaze against Henry.

“Take a step. I dare you.” Henry returned with ferocity.

“Boy, don't. They are under the order of the Stronghold. We shouldn't defy the Noble Soldiers.” Uncle Benson bootlicked.

Neemo sneered inwardly. He had always known the man was shameless, but this was on a different level.

_Bang_

The sound echoed and a bullet flew through the air before lodging itself into Henry's head. 

It felt like the scavengers had all been drawn into a dream then the world moved again and Henry's body hit the floor and blood seeped from his forehead to the floor.

“Any other takers?” The Lieutenant smiled evilly.

Not far behind him, the soldier who had shot the bullet rested against the truck.

_Fuck!_

_Magical Rod_

Neemo's eyes shone on the gun with relunctant hesutation. Then reality caught up to him and his pants went wet. Those rods could end them in minutes.

Under gunpoint, the scavengers were rounded up into a circle while the soldiers searched the shacks, turning everything upside down, in the process damaging what the Scavengers deemed precious.

“Noo. The cot is mine. It's our family heirloom.” A woman burst from the circle. “It has belonged to us.”

The Lieutenant jumped off the bonnet. He looked at the woman then threw a juice can at her. That was his fourth can. The man downed canned juice like it wasn't expensive.

Neemo had only tasted it once on a Christmas Eve when the Stronghold delivered it to the mine. He had been given a gulp in exchange for reading the labels.

It tasted like orange and sugar. The liquid was smooth and cold, almost like it had been unearthed from the snow. It even little cubes of orangle flavoured jelly floating inside.

“What's a whore like you doing with a baby cot?” The Lieutenant laughed. “Which unfilial and unlucky child is using this?”

“Please.” The woman dropped to her knees. “Without it, the mosquitoes will bite my baby and I will have to go into the Radlands for herbs.” Tears dripped down her eyes to the earth.

The Lieutenant moved forward. He knelt before the woman and his hands reached forward.

The woman pulled away, her hands crossing over her chest.

“Alright.” He muttered and went towards the baby cot. He flipped out a lighter and dropped it on the half-done cot — the net had lost its color and had been patched endlessly with clothes.The old fabric caught slowly, its frayed edges blackening as the woman begged him to stop.

“Lieutenant, we found something.” A soldier saluted the Lieutenant. In his hands was the dead soldier's combat watch.

Neemo's face went pale.

“Who owns this?” The Lieutenant's voice turned cold.

The next second, Elias's father knee-walked out. “Noble Soldiers, I am the one. My great-grandfather brought it from the Stronghold beyond the Radlands.”

“Alright. Where is the remaining gear?” The Lieutenant asked.

“I don't know. My grandfat-.”

_Bang_

Elias's father groaned painfully as a bullet drilled into his leg, “I don't… ahh… I don't know….”

“This is a combat watch linked to a complete set. It predates your fucking grandfather. Where. Is. The. Remaining. Gear?” The Lieutenant's amusement vanished.

“My grandfather only found the watch. He found it on a skeleton. There was nothing else.” Elias's father cooked up a lie with a shaky voice.

Another bullet went straight for his heart and the old man fell forward. The Lieutenant grinned as he wore the watch, a look of satisfaction on his face.

“You monster!” Elias shot forward.

_Bang_

Neemo didn't see where the bullet hit. He only saw Alessia — her hands over her mouth as she choked back a sob. Hot liquid strolled down his legs.

His hands instinctively reached for the pendant, pulling it deeper into his shirt.

“That’s enough.” A voice cried from within the circle.

“Albert. No.” Hands pulled him back.

“You use us in the mines. You bully us and now you have come to rob us. Take what you want and leave us.”

The soldiers went silent at the outburst, then they descended into a fit of laughter. The Lieutenant strolled forward. Midway, he opened another can.

Albert forced his way out of the circle, taking long strides towards the Lieutenant. His confidence amused the Lieutenant, and he wished to see how far Albert could go.

Which was probably the worst mistake he made in his career as a soldier.

Albert's muscles flexed — a vivid outcome of years in the mines — and his fist smashed into the Lieutenant's face.

Shouts and screams erupted amongst the scavengers, but Albert stood his ground.

The Lieutenant staggered, reaching for his gun, but Albert seized his wrist and forced the weapon down. Before the officer could recover, Albert drove an elbow into his face.

The soldiers raised their guns at Albert. “You filth, drop to your knees this instant.” A soldier barked.

The Lieutenant wiped his mouth. His frame shifted as he tried to attack but was restricted by Albert and ended up getting punched.

The soldiers aimed, but they couldn't shoot. The Lieutenant was too close to Albert for their shooting skills. For the first time, the scavengers saw the soldiers hesitate. At close range, with their officer caught in the struggle, the rifles were suddenly harder to use. 

“Get on your knees or I blast her head.” A soldier aimed at a woman that had held Albert back. For a moment, everywhere was silent but Albert didn't back down.

Then the soldier fired.

“Get on your knees or I blast him.” He repeated, then fired.

The scavengers all stared at Albert, but no one berated him, no one called him. They had always been treated as slaves, as animals by the Stronghold soldiers. At least someone stood up for them; the Head Miner always licked their boots.

“Get on your -”

The scavengers scattered. While it was great that someone stood up for them, they didn't want to die.

“You lowly animals.” A soldier yelled and opened fire. Bullets spewed out, killing and injuring some scavengers.

The next second, dozens of scavengers burst forward yelling. Simultaneously, Neemo's vision rippled and a string of words appeared.

[Mission: East Mine Settlement Revolt]

[Requirements: Join the revolt and kill at least one Soldier.]

[Reward: 50 Exp, 1 Stat point]

[Accept/Reject]

Neemo stood rooted to the spot, his lips moving soundlessly as he read the words.

Around him, one scavenger charged with a pickaxe, another grabbed stones off the floor. Majority of the front row fell before they reached the guns.

Behind them, the second wave emerged. In its shadows was Neemo, one hand dragging a clay gourd, the other a thick branch.