"And that is why you should never have corn niblets for breakfast on the morning of orientation!"
It has only been half an hour since they met, but Zoey hasn't stopped talking. Zeth tolerates her and routinely fakes a nod as he has his separate conversation with Zela in his head while they walk.
[Seriously, 'Zeth'? You need to eat someone creative because Zeth isn't working. Is that your alter ego?]
Zela teases, she is unseen, yet she almost pierced through his ego.
Quiet. I thought the change was only appropriate.
Fully aware of his situation, Zeth justifies changing his name.
After all, he spent his life in a room full of medical apparatuses that the best hospitals in the apocalypse could offer. The best surviving doctors and practitioners in the dead wasteland did their best to treat him and to make him comfortable.
Zeth thought that this might be a new chapter in his life.
[Why? Because you have a Zystem in your vein? Lame. You might've grown strong and gained some power, but you are still the same lame loser!]
Zela continues to make fun of Zeth.
"I am still Seth!"
Zeth said it out loud, and his shoulders stiffened. Zoey expresses confusion, tilting her head to one side.
"Yes, you are! Come on, joining the Forces doesn't mean you have to abandon your old life!"
Zoey laughs, patting Zeth on his back, and he could only chuckle awkwardly.
"By the way, are you from Burns?"
Burns. The colloquial name for Burn Abbey. Zeth is taken aback. He has never had someone ask questions about anything before.
"No. I'm from another city. I only moved here for… A doctor's appointment."
Zeth nearly felt compelled to reveal his cancer, but opted for a half-truth. He was from a different city, and he was here for a second opinion, which he once sought after he knew about his diagnosis.
"Oh, which city?"
"Err, does it matter?"
"Ha! You're right, you're now in Burns! One of the best surviving cities in the apocalypse! Is that why you came here for a checkup?"
"I guess that's one way to put it. I thought the doctors here are the best in the world…"
"And now you're fine, right?"
Zeth thought about it, and he let out a smirk.
"In a way, yeah."
"Great!"
As they near the plaza, they find themselves mixed with the busy crowd in their bustling lives.
Even in the apocalypse, a working society is essential for a remnant of civilization like Burns. The denizens of this city are scared, yet also ignorant, because survival is their primary drive, a motivation protected by the walls and the elite Zoldier Forces.
The city of Burn Abbey features an interconnected set of ruined buildings, refurbished with steel beams and other materials, to form a long and enduring wall that protects the people inside. The only way in and out is a large iron gate, fitted like a giant door, located on the south side, where the Long Road can also be found.
Inside the walls are shanties and shacks for the lesser class of people, those who only possess manual skills and labor. In contrast, the influential and powerful reside in tall, decrepit condominiums inside an inner wall, which are equipped with comfortable utilities and amenities that may be surprising to find in a wasteland.
Even in the apocalypse, division persists among the people. No matter how noble the Zoldier Forces are, there will always be individuals and groups running the show to protect their interests.
"So why did you want to be a Zoldier?"
Zoey continues the conversation. She looks at Zeth, waiting for a response. She couldn't wait to tell her reason. Zeth sees through this and obliges.
"Well, why did you?"
"Because I want to start my own city! A city of healthy and happy people, plenty of food to eat, where you don't have to worry about rations running low and no conflict, and everything that makes a city sad and look bad!"
Zoey excitedly blurted out, beaming with joy, as she shared her dream. They enter a narrow street filled with activity, where merchants and buyers line the sides.
"Start your own city?"
"Yeah! If you work hard enough and get promoted, they will allow you to build a stronghold, a town even! Eventually, it will grow into a city! I might be dead by that time, but if taken care of, it will be!"
Zeth thought it was ridiculous to pursue such an endeavor, but he didn't want to appear unsupportive of it.
"That is a nice dream."
"Thanks! What about you?"
Zeth narrows his eyes. He never thought about having a dream before. He certainly didn't want to be someone with a Zystem. All those years lying in a hospital bed drained him of any hope.
All he ever wanted was to live and die by his terms.
But for now, all he could think of was to find the doctor who turned him into an underling.
Which brings a question to his head: Aren't you born an underling instead of turning into one?
Zoey awaits his answer as they approach a winding market. But before he could even make something up,
BANG!
An explosion rocked the street. Windows from nearby buildings shattered, the cobblestone street cracked, and merchant stalls collapsed. People panic and run in terror, scattering everywhere.
Zeth instinctively shields Zoey, and they both take cover behind a table that flew. A stampede of scared citizens breaks out, and they all pile on top of each other. The narrow one-way marketplace couldn't accommodate the sheer number of people trying to flee, and so the situation worsened, essentially trapping those being squeezed by the hysteria.
But from the rooftops, a quick response team of Zoldiers jumps to the scene. Their weapons were drawn and at the ready. Led by someone without a mask and a Meltdown, a muscularly slim man with a bleached, tapered mullet and eyes glowing white. He stands confidently tall.
One of them saw Zoey and Zeth and shouted at them while pointing their fingers.
"Recruits, help with the evacuation!"
"Yes, sir!"
Like a good soldier, Zoey shouted back, to Zeth's surprise. He thought he could use the chaos to split away from her.
Zoey pushes through the crowd, pulling those stacked together. Her strength surprised some people. She hauled a few men and women from the ground with ease, gripping them by the body and tossing them to the side like a harvest season.
"Citizens, calm down! The Zoldiers are here! We are here!"
The panicked civilians slowed their surge as they heard Zoey. They stopped shoving each other. Instead, they helped those on the ground, albeit in fear and hesitation.
But some were still in shock and disoriented, Zoey helped them regain their senses by hauling them with ease and putting them aside. Those who were able to calm down tried to help the small-looking but strong-willed girl clear a path and assist in unstacking the people who had jumped on top of each other.
Once Zoey cleared the blockade of people, she barked an order, waving her hands..
"Don't panic, run safely, spread out, and don't push each other! Follow me!"
They all followed her guidance, steadily maintaining their pace as they began to escape again. But as the people moved away from the scene, the damage became clear.
Those unlucky enough to be crushed and stepped on lie lifeless along with the debris. Zoey felt an extreme sadness within her, but she knew she must keep helping, starting with the wounded and injured.
Meanwhile, a distracted Zeth watches as two characters emerge from the burning epicenter of the explosion. Zeth clenches his fists. Without a doubt, the perpetrators are fellow Zystem users—underlings.
The squad leader with the mullet immediately jumps into action, but one of the opponents easily deflects him. Then, a barrage of punches from the opposing side threw them far from the scene. Their fight could be heard from a distance.
Which leaves one more enemy underling and five Zoldiers encircling with their weapons out. They engaged, but the difference in strength was evident. Their numbers were useless. Unlike their leader, the Zoldiers couldn't match their opponent's strength. They were being toyed with ease.
Zeth approaches, hoping to watch closely. But before he got to a better vantage point, the enemy stood right in front of him, inches away.
[Ooh, this one is fast! Very fast! He must have that kind of System. What a delicious Zystem!]
Zeth and his indifferent eyes clash with the one in front of him, staring them down unafraid. He stands straight, face to face with the enemy.
"You're different from those weaklings, aren't you?"
The underling said, side-eyeing the fallen Zoldiers behind, bloody and ripped apart.
Zeth smirks as the fire from the explosion intensifies, creating a dome that surrounds them. He grins, and his eyes glow green.
"Go ahead and find out."