Chapter 11 Duran
Duran was divided into many quarters, all focused on anything mining related, from the hard workers labor to finance pitches for investors. The city had five main regions, the northern part was focused on the export of ores, gravel, stones and all material products from the mines. It was the heart of the city as it contained the harbor used to transport it through the rest of the country. The central area was full of skyscrapers for mining corporations and even as living quarters, some people wouldn't even see the daylight for up to a month during high season.
The eastern area was focused on housing for the high class individuals who managed to work themselves up. These people ranged from managers or financial investors to corporate CEO's that owned companies. Such as the four families that owned the city of Duran itself and showed of the wealth. The area was the most expensive due to its status and location being clean and close to nature.
The western area was the least developed with many old flats and skyscrapers close to the center. The more west you would go the buildings would gradually become lower due to the danger from the mountains. This was the place where most of the miners would live. The far western part had many slums up the mountains and all the people living there worked in coal mines on the mountain.
The southern area was used for a combination of living and working. On the southwestern side the flats would be very cramped, old and of lower quality while moving to the southeastern area the flats would improve significantly.
For a city placed in a valley Duran had to make use of every area they had, making the flats higher and higher, ensuring safety for most with dampers against earthquakes and having high quality drains leading out of the city.
Rohan was walking next to the river in the southeastern forest area. Most flats were too far away to be seen from the river making it a perfect walk for normal days. But currently Rohan was hoping to start seeing some buildings again as he started making his way back to the city. The emergency shelter that he was aiming for was used as provision storage in case of a big landslide. These shelters couldn't house many people but were very effective to store a large amount of emergency provisions such as clean drinking water, canned food, blankets, small gas stoves and first aid supplies.
Rohan started moving away from the river the next morning, he was a couple kilometers out of the city, and another couple away from the shelter. He could see the southern mountains rise behind the city on his left. Most peaks were covered with snow that was melting during spring.
Reaching the city edge Rohan picked up his sword from his waist, he didn't know what he might find around. All the buildings looked the same as before, everything was desolate as if all the inhabitants had just disappeared. Only a few buildings had some damage marks but nothing significant like the crashing skyscrapers in the center of the city.
Moving through the first couple of streets Rohan checked many of homes and flats but all of them were lifeless from the inside. They looked like a showroom of housing tours, many household items still laying around but no people around. Some of them had unlocked doors and allowed Rohan to see the deathly silence from inside. No trace of any people having been there in a while.
Rohan passed street after street, empty houses, open windows, fallen bikes, cars dead in the middle of the road, dark stores in the middle of the day. All of it empty and colorless. Main roads that used to be crawling with people during the day.
It gave a weird apocalyptic feeling, no hurried escape of people fleeing or burning fires ravaging the city, just emptiness.
Moving through the streets Rohan got closer to the emergency shelter, it was placed under a night shopping center. The building was three stories high and had its neon signs turned off on the side of the building. Looking through the windows, the place looked very quiet from afar.
Getting close to the building Rohan hoped to see something change in the windows, but everything stayed the same. He was slowly getting the feeling that he was going insane.
"The quietness is driving me nuts" Rohan exclaimed.
Rohan reached the revolving doors that seemed to still work when pushing them. Having checked around the outside of the building Rohan decided to enter the shopping mall. It was very spacious from the inside, mainly using white and wooden colors it looked very pristine.
All the shops were still 'open' as no one had bothered themselves to close down the barriers in front of them.
"There shops are still in good state, but there are a couple of them that seem plundered." Rohan put his hand on the short swords hilt as he looked around. There was no one there but the traces indicated that there had been people around.
Moving slowly to the back of the building Rohan kept carefully watching his surroundings.
"Stop moving boy and put your hands up, any wrong moves and it's over." Rohan heard a deep voice talk to him as he quickly stood still, and moved his arms up.
"I don't mean any harm, I was…" Rohan tried to explain.
"Be quiet and turn around, slowly"
Rohan turned around and looked the man in the eyes. He was wearing a blue jacket and a police badge. He was bald and looked to be in his early 50s, wearing a grimace and not a single emotion on his face. Slightly wrinkly with a moustache and a unkempt beard he looked like someone you wouldn't mess with.
The man was holding a two-pump shotgun that could kill Rohan within a second. Rohan guessed that the man was a former police officer, looking at his outfit and the gun he was holding, he also had an extra sidearm.
"The name's Brady, what's yours?"
"Rohan, I'm from the centr…"
"Nice to meet you Rohan, let's take this easy. You seem like a human but I'll ask a couple questions, where are ya from and how did you get here?" Brady asked while holding his gun aimed at Rohan
"Im from the central part off Duran, worked for the Duran mining corporation, lived more in the northeastern area. I came down from the forest to the east of here next to the river. When the shockwave happened I was out climbing the Rhino's horn, and have managed to travel to here over the last couple of days looking for supplies."
"Well it looks like you came to the right place" Brady responded while lowering his gun and grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Did Ancy check him? Alright got it."
"It seems you are human, alright folks he is clear." Brady shouted in the hall as three other people seemed to move away from Rohan behind him.
"It is just a security measure."
"How can I be sure that I can trust you all?" Rohan asked slightly disturbed that he hadn't noticed any of them as he looked back.
"If we didn't then you wouldn't be standing here, we saw you coming from miles away boy."
"Well let's start with a new introduction, the names Brady, used to be a policeman but now running the shelter in this building." Brady said as he moved closer while storing his shotgun and extending his hand as a greeting.
Rohan was slightly hesitant but shook Brady's hand, "Names Rohan, nice to meet you". Rohan felt a sense of security come from the Brady's hand as he shook it. It was a firm handshake and made Rohan relax for the first time in a while, he didn't exactly know why but he could trust Brady.
"I will show you around the place. It has been a while since a new guest arrived."