Interlude: Journey Part 1

“World might be fked but at least we still have memes” - Anon, 5:36 UTC, 7th of March 2034, on the popular messaging board ‘6tan’ nine minutes before the first Solar Flare hit.

Harsh winds whipped across the harsh desert expanse, hurling sand and dust through the shattered and desiccated ruins of a city. In this blinding sandstorm, several barely visible dots struggled through.

Heavily armed, they wore thick desert camo, faces obscured by gas masks. Despite their attire, they seemed unbothered by the heat.

“This is Charlie,” their shared coms buzzed. “How much further is B? Over.”

“Few more minutes,” his coms answered.

“Hurry up, this sandstorm won’t last forever.”

“Damn campers,” the fourth soldier muttered, before absentmindedly adding. “Over.”

“More reason to hurry- bzzzzzzzzzzzz-”

Suddenly, one of the soldiers dropped, a spray of blood erupting from the back of his head, before it was lost in the desert wind.

“-zzzzt.”

“Sniper !” Charlie yelled as he fell to the ground, taking shelter behind the broken husk of a car.

“WHAT THE FU- bzzzzzzt,” another soldier foolishly yelled instead of getting to cover, leading to a rather predictable result.

“Duh!” the other living soldier replied as he got behind a wall. “Cover me!” With practised ease, he knelt onto the ground, one hand rapidly tapping a holographic device on his arm, before one of the pouches on his belt shot out, landing onto the ground before unfurling into a mechanical drone.

Using the holographic device, he controlled the drone, piloting it out of the alleyway, “It’s just one guy, gimme a moment to-”

The drone caught sight of one shadowy figure before a bullet pierced its camera.

“Shit! This fucker isn’t-”

“Fuck he’s here!”

He couldn’t finish his sentence, as he heard the spray of bullets from Charlie’s weapon before it abruptly stopped.

“Oh fuck.”

The remaining soldier’s breath fastened, he held his rifle tight. Eyes darting around rapidly like a hunted dog.

“He’s just one guy…”

“Yo.”

His reaction was instant, the voice came behind him, from within the alley. In less than a breath, his rifle was aiming at the enemy behind him.

… Only to see a near-exact replica of the drone he used, save for the darker colouring.

From both the drone and behind him, a voice laughed.

“Haha, you thought.”

The first bullet hit the back of his head, stopped by his helmet, the soldier fell forward, but the shooter’s aim was true.

The second bullet entered the hole made by the first, pushing both into his skull.

Mattmanfoo sniped xXDPS_KINGXx with the Operator

Mattmanfoo sniped COD_was_BETTER with the Operator

Mattmanfoo silenced charliewastaken with the Ghost

Mattmanfoo silenced ValorantMan with the Ghost

Matt removed his VR helm, his lips curling with a mischievous and smug glee that can only be obtained when two-thirds of the game lobby just accused you of hacking.

Oh, and the cheering crowd around him also helped.

He rose from his machine, hands thrown in the air.

“EASY!” he declared, revelling in the cheers. “Now pay up!”

“Oy you fucking cheated you asshole!” One of them yelled, tearing off their helmet, the thing clanged onto the floor as he jumped up. “I know you fucking cheated! How’d the fuck you managed to snipe us at the start?”

He shrugged, “I only cheated as much as you did damage… Oh wait?” he paused for effect, tapping into the holoboard.

The game statistics showed up on the viewer screen and with exaggerated surprise, Matt slapped his face, “You didn’t do any damage! Guess I didn’t cheat DPS King.”

The crowd laughed, shouting insults at the guy as his face reddened.

One of his friends, Charlie, put his hand on his shoulder, “Knock it off Jared-”

“Oy fuck off!” Jared yelled, throwing off his arm. “I ain’t you paying a cheater nothin!” The tall, high school boy stormed towards Matt.

His friends tried one last attempt to stop him. “He ain’t worth it Jared!”

Jared stopped, only a few steps from Matt, even here he could see that Jared was significantly taller and bulkier than him. He took a deep breath, before saying, “You’re right, this kid isn’t worth it, let’s leave, I need to make an appointment with my anger management-”

“Well I guess these little bitches can’t keep a promise,” Matt interrupted the near one-hundred and ninety centimetres tall high schooler. The crowd, mostly composed of other middle schoolers booed around him, “I beat all you weak tiny shits in a one-v-four like I said, so pay up the money!”

Whatever rational breakthrough Jared was having, stopped at Matt’s words. As the high schooler, approximately fifty centimetres taller than him, reddened once again and stomped those last few steps.

“I’LL SHOW YOU WHO’S A LITTLE SHIT!”

His friends jumped forward, trying to grab him, but Jared had a head start, and grabbed Matt by the collar, lifting the smug boy off the ground.

“WHO’S THE LITTLE SHIT NOW!” he yelled as he shook Matt like a rag doll, spittle flying everywhere.

Matt responded by putting a hand on his nose, “Still you! Also, brush your teeth!”

“AHH!” Jared’s grip tightened, threatening to choke him.

He raised a fist, slamming it into Matt’s mouth. His knuckle leaving a gash on his lip.

Matt’s head spun, a brief moment of disorientation quickly passing as he licked the cut on his lip, “Savour this moment! This will be the deepest you’ll ever be in a person!”

“I’LL FOCKING MURDER YOU AND SHIT DOWN YOUR THROAT!”

“STOP YELLING IN MY STORE OR I’LL DO IT FIRST YA GITS!”

‘And there’s the cavalry,’ Matt thought as Angelo pushed away the gawking crowd recording the whole encounter on their phones.

The other three idiots he had beaten were crowding around them, more concerned for their friend than Matt and they readily stepped away as Angelo’s huge bulk dwarfed the high schooler.

“YA GIT! DAFUQ DID YOU DO TO MY MACHINE!”

Matt smiled as Jared simply looked confused for a moment before he fully took in the leering figure two heads taller than him. The reddened face paled quickly. Matt was never worried about his situation because the moment Jared had thrown the headset he was fucked.

With slow, deliberating words, Angelo spoke, “Get. Out.”

Jared dropped him and legged it, his friends following him.

The crowd around them cheered as the high schoolers ran out, but Angelo simply gave a stern look before they legged it as well.

Leaving only a grinning Matt on his ass.

“Afternoon Angelo!” he cheerfully waved, “How’s business- WOAH!” Matt yelled as Angelo grabbed him by his collar, lifting him up.

“I swear to God that if you keep doing this then I’ll kick you out of my store!”

“You won’t do that Angelo,” he smugly replied, before gesturing around, “look at how much business I always bring.”

The crowd may have dispersed, but they dispersed into other parts of the gaming cafe, gleefully wasting money on all manner of things Angelo managed to scrounge up.

Angelo looked cross for another moment, before he gruffly set him on the ground, “I know you would- Ow!”

Locking him into a headlock, Angelo gave him a noogie, “Do you give?” he asked.

“I give! I give!” Matt yelled, slapping him on his beefy arm. He knew this was more for his pride than anything, Angelo wouldn’t let him have the last word here.

With one final playful rap on the head, Angelo let him go, “You gotta stop getting into trouble kid, what if your mothers find out?”

“Don’t worry man, I can handle myself,” Matt replied, rubbing his head.

“And what were you doing playing this?” he gestured to the VR machine, “You know you aren’t old enough-”

“Meh,” Matt shrugged, “I’m only two years off the PG Fifteen rating anyways, it’s fineeeee.”

Angelo gave him a hard look, before he shook his head, “Get moving scamp, Sarah called, she needs you back for something. Both of them.”

Matt paused slightly at that, if both ma and mum needed him then it had to be important… not too subtly, he looked at the clock, five PM, surely he could- Angelo glared at him- never mind.

With a clumsy salute, he replied, “Got it, boss!”

Grabbing his bag, Matt made for the exit, giving one final wave, “Cya later!”

“Be safe!” Angelo replied.

He stepped out of the store and onto the gravelled ground. Once upon a time trains ran through here, providing public transport, but now the rails had been ripped off, used for material somewhere else. On both sides, the walls had been taken down and holes dug to allow for more space, where dozens more stores and other such things lined the tunnels.

From his pocket, he took out a pair of earpods and his phone, old but well maintained. Humming an old song as he passed by countless stores, lit by glaring neon and a thousand other scavenged forms of light.

Matt’s home was three stations south and as he walked he passed through the Metrocity with a used familiarity. Waving at those he recognised as he passed them, sometimes they returned waves, other times middle fingers. He gleefully returned those, angered shouts and greetings drowned out by music and the general bustle of humanity.

But when he reached the second station, his eyes perked up in curiosity, as he saw the four stooges he beat earlier loitering around.

It could’ve been nothing, but Matt liked to think he was better than that, so a fight was definitely on the table.

He glanced around, he was near his home turf but he couldn’t see any of his friends nearby. He had no backup. That put a slight wrench in his plans, as good as he was at games he was still a skinny- and very handsome teenager in real life.

There were four of them, each physically larger and older than Matt.

He could probably take them.

But as he moved to declare himself, a thought nagged at his mind.

Sarah and Denise still needed him for something, something important enough Angelo seriously glared at him.

Now, he could fight these four idiots, but he would definitely come home late or bruised, probably both.

Carefully hiding himself again, he considered for a moment.

Enjoy a small moment of victory over idiots he already beat?

Or don’t get a three-hour lecture by mum?

“Next time,” he whispered, making a note to gather his crew and jump them later.

But until then, he faded into the crowd, making his way to a non-descript alleyway between someone’s house and a seemingly dismantled part of the subway wall. After making sure no one was looking, he kicked aside a pile of trash, revealing a small passageway.

Once again making sure no one was looking, he entered, dragging the trash back into place as he did.

It was completely dark in the tunnel, but he knew his way. After giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the dark, he began walking again. His hand was on the wall, feeling the roughly hewn concrete.

‘Turn right here…’

Slowly, the sounds of the main tunnel faded as he walked deeper into the darkness. There was a slow incline, as he followed a path downwards.

‘One more left here…’

But slowly, he began to hear the sounds of life flare up again. Walking towards the sound, he turned a right, and to his destination.

His hole was a dozen metres off ground, so he had a good view of the place as the small tunnel opened up to a massive chamber, La Sous-Terre or whatever the snobs called it. Most people just called it Sous. A ceiling almost forty metres high, held up by countless enormous concrete pillars placed at regular intervals, numerous holes drilled into them to form a ventilation system that didn’t require energy. Underneath them was a sprawling metropolis, near the actual entrance underneath the station, there were hundreds of squat concrete apartments, built almost to the height of the ceiling. Their base was completely uniform white concrete, but over the years most people had settled in, painting over the boring white with graffiti, art pieces, anything really. Their individual lights brought the only glow in this place and added a much-needed splash of colour to whatever drab thing people of the past erected.

As Matt turned his gaze further left, the squat concrete apartments began to disappear, slowly replaced by things less solid. Though the underground chamber stretched many kilometres, the apartments did not. Lights became less common, the apartments there were half-constructed, roofs and walls later covered up by scrap metal and whatever material the denizens could find. Even further left, there were none of the uniform houses left, just huts formed of dozens of different scavenged materials. Few lights appeared there, and though he wanted to explore it one day Denise would surely do worse than just a lecture if she someone ever snitched.

He shrugged, no time for sightseeing today. Edging to the side of the hole, he found numerous handholds chipped into the concrete. Used by whoever dug the tunnel from the ventilations to the subways. With practised ease, he grabbed onto them, and made his way downwards, even skipping a few holds as he did. Once only a metre off the ground, he let go, sliding on the slope at the base of the pillar.

Once on the ground, he quickly made his way back home. One of many concrete apartments scattered in the middle area. He knocked on a metal bin outside, just once and his brother heard it.

Max peeked out from the window, hearing the sound. His younger brother gave him a conspiratory look, before holding his hand in a thumbs up with a shrug.

‘So probably not me huh?’

He got on the concrete stairs, quickly getting to their level. Opening the door, he raised it slightly so that it didn’t scratch on the ground like it always did and quietly entered. Shushing Max who was giggling at a corner.

Already he was hearing hushed voices of argument.

“Max is only six, do you think he could make it?” Matt recognised Denise’s voice, soft-spoken like usual.

“But we’ve been waiting for a spot for years, it’s supposedly pretty easy. So long as we stick with the guide,” the second voice was Sarah’s, uncharacteristically hushed and strangely cheerless.

He tiptoed into the main room, and though both his parents were facing the entrance they were too engrossed in their conversation. Quietly like a shadow, he crept behind Sarah and…

“Guess who?”

He saw the slight smile quirk on Sarah’s lips as he put his hands over her eyes.

“Heya Matt,” she answered tiredly, “sorry but I’m gonna need you to sit down for this.”

A slight feeling of unfamiliarity washed over Matt, he’d been doing that ever since they got adopted, yet Sarah never answered as if she was tired. It was always full of cheer and infectious energy.

He shook off the feeling, taking a seat next to them.

“What’s up?”

“This… might be hard to swallow,” Sarah began. “But, we’re thinking of leaving the Metros.”

Matt’s brow furrowed slightly, “The Metros… As in underground? I thought topside wasn’t safe for living? Perimeter and SANS and all that.”

“It isn’t,” Denise answered, “but it’s possible to travel through. If you keep to guides then you can get to ports and leave Europe.”

“And right now is an opportune time!” Sarah cut in, “Right now the Equator is calm over the Mediterranean, so they’re running planes over it again. It won’t be like this for another four years!”

Denise shook her head, “I don’t know Sarah. If we wait one or more decades then Oceania would finally get the underground rail complete. Then we can safely travel regardless.”

“They’ve been saying that for years!” she hissed, “It always gets held up by something or other. This might be our chance, Denise! A better life for all of us.” She clasped her wife’s hands, “Please? If not for me then for them.”

Hesitantly, Denise brought their hands to her forehead, “I don’t know… That’s why I wanted to ask you, Matt.” She turned to him, Sarah following suit. “Max said he wants to stay with us no matter where… but…”

“What do you want?”

“One final run down,” the guide Alex said.

Max checked his pack again, his hands shaking somewhat. In a few moments, he’ll be on the surface. A place he’d been warned against since childhood.

“If you see the sun then run~”

“We’ve made it as far as we can underground,” the other guide, Jeremy said as he checked his pack, a heavy automatic rifle strapped to it. “Now we’ll have to surface. To confirm, we’ll be surfacing in Old Paris, and make the remaining trip on foot until we reach the military base in Rouen.”

“The trip should take two days, but we’ve made allowances for three.” Alex gruffly said, “Ensure you memorise the map given to you.”

“Run back to your holes, that is your goal~”

Denise opened the map again, staring at it intensely. As if trying to physically burn the images into her memory.

“If we follow the normal route along with the exact times, then we’ll be fine. But the slightest deviation could cause us to get caught by the Perimeter. If a deviation occurs then make sure you stick by us. We’ve got the patrol routes and times memorised, so we can avoid most detection.”

“For with Peri, we will never be merry~”

Alex knelt down, pulling out several black bags. “Any electronics you have you need to shut down and leave them inside. We’ll be passing through several EMP zones and I don’t want Perimeter to catch any transmissions. That’s mean complete radio silence.”

Sarah knelt down, helping an almost crying Max part from his phone. ‘He wasn’t even that sad when we left home.’

“Are you all ready?” Jeremy asked.

Max nodded eagerly.

“And if you have SANS, you can only pray to St Anne’s ~!”

There were hesitant nods all around.

With a sigh, Alex stood up, “Then follow.”