Human Again: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Novel (Cryonemesis Book 1) (15 page)

Chapter 18- EPILOGUE

I thought I’d have nightmares but I slept like a baby that night. Maybe I was just suppressing everything because my body was so tired and weak from fighting. A lot of people had gotten dehydrated during the stay outside. They portioned the algae so everyone could eat something, and started collecting bugs to reinsert into the container. Also, I'd found out that there was a smaller reserve container just for situations like this.

It was a new day of freedom but for the first time I didn't know what to do. There was no training. No plans to plot. So I just went to the gunroom and helped the former gun technicians fix the broken guns as fast as possible. Some had taken direct hits and exploded into pieces. Isaac came by and introduced me to his wife. After everything that happened he decided that she was going to stay with him outside the simulation. Shanta's brothers were not harmed, and she was their sole caretaker at this point. Toya and Dev were dead. Knaan made the chief security officer president, and Dr. Manu was in charge of the whole restoration process. No one knew about the resistance. Only three of us remained to tell about how we wanted to save the city, yet had to destroy it first. I guess that summed it up. Bahomi got his glory after all by guarding the hatch and dying for the cause. Yet, in the city he'd always remain the one who destroyed it. Isaac had a new story to tell the children, a story with the moral of always being prepared and not counting on the systems.

While walking in the city I could hear people talking about going to the northern city. They thought Knaan wasn't safe anymore and that they'll never be able to fix everything fast enough. And that the remaining Purists would retaliate. I could stay and help rebuild the city; everyone respected me because I’d earned my place. On the other hand if I reached the northern city I might be able to find out more about my parents. This would be the best time to leave because the Purists suffered a massive blow and would take long to recover. I told Shanta about my idea, but she came up with a third option. During the attack our security team sent a distress call for the northern city, but Monish from the Floating City picked up on it and they were on their way to help.

“Why would they want to help us?” I asked.

“They are willing to take us north to Scandinavia where you can still walk outside without melting.”

“Are you sure it's safe there? What about Purists over there? What about their resources? Who says we can trust these rich folks?”

“The way I see it you have two options,” Shanta said, “because staying here is suicide. The last thing I'll do is stay in this place or one like it. If yesterday didn't make that point clear.”

She got close to me and held both of my hands.

“If you stay here you will continue to fix guns for the rest of your life. Then one day you'll retire and choose to assimilate because that's what everybody does eventually. Or you can go on a dangerous road to the northern city. Your job will be to protect a large group of people that never lived above ground. Once you reach there, you'll have to start over just like you did here. Plus the chance of finding your parents is below zero.”

“I know that,” I said after taking a deep sigh.

“But you have another option. You can come with me and the people you trust to a place that actually has a future to offer you. What will it be?”

“Leave it all behind after we almost died to protect it?”

“It's was never my intention to stay. Ask yourself if you would have.”

“How do you know this floating city isn't just another techno-prison you'll live to hate? How different is it from this place?”

“I don't know. But I know that the northern city is just the same as Knaan and I'm staying in neither.”

“At least we know what we're dealing with, though.”

“Your parents are dead! Face it. I'm sorry, but you're going to kill yourself and you won't find them. We just stopped a Purist attack, but there will be more. Nothing has actually changed. But we can change
our
future if we go away to a place where there's hope. My mom trusted these people and so do I.”

“Just say you want me to come with you.”

“I want you to come with me.”

We hugged deeply, breathing into each other. Like our hearts melted and welded together. We were alone in the world, but we had each other now.

I chose to come with her to the Floating City. I chose the unknown hope over known false stability.

Oh, I was so wrong.

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