Apocalyptic Truths
The world went to straight to hell, and the human race damn near went with it. It’s been about a year since the latest incident. A year of nothing even resembling normalcy. Death follows me across a broken, and hollowed out land. Let me pause here, I should start at the beginning …with introductions. I can give you the bull about being a pale rider, but it really is too cliché. Even if it feels true.
I am the one who ended the world. My arrogance before is why the majority of humans hide now. I was so sure of what I was doing, I thought playing god was worth it. Now, I am not so sure. My name, if it really matters was Tracy Campbell. I was a scientist in one of the various labs for the CDC. Our job was to find out the cause of disease. To prevent the so called super flu from being created. Or at least that is what the world was told. We mostly tried to stop the disease coming in the air from the tear between the worlds.
I decided to take it one step farther. It sounds silly. I was researching the idea that disease was only effective on humans. Other races had been spotted, vaguely. I thought if I could bring one of them through, just a little bit…I could get some blood and find the cure to the incurable.
The original incident was before my time. The nuclear bombs dropped across the world during the world wars had torn what was believed to be several holes into other realms. Just none as wide and open as the one I did. The other realms could be seen through the rifts, and it brought greater amounts of disease whenever the opening was spotted. They moved you see, appearing stronger in some places than in others. The determination was made that the air quality on the other side was hazardous. That was really the only thing about the other side that we could determine.
When the rifts opened, we at the CDC would have to open quarantine areas, and research the diseases that rampaged the contained area. So I often got to see the thin veil of smoke that kept our world from bleeding into the darkness on the other side. I watched as large demonic shapes passed by what seemed like a smoke filled doorway into insanity. Nothing ever came through the smoke, until I broke the veil. The heat also spiked where the breaks opened. After a time we started to call the rifts portals to Hell.
I let my ambition make my choices. The government were looking for ways to fix the atmosphere. Even if it was a political mess. There were projects that had been testing to see if since nuclear fission had caused the rifts could nuclear fusion close them. There was also testing on laser, and cold weapons, in hopes of one of them making the rifts shrink in size. Not one of them was having the desired result.
Back then I was a ravenous reader, though since the latest incident reading is nearly impossible. Books are so much antiquities of a bygone era. I used to read anything of interest. I would spend all of my spare time when I was not working, nearly devouring all that I could find.
The openings were something that had held my attentions from early on. It was part of why I pursued a career in the CDC. I wanted to be close to them. The only ones allowed near the rift were scientists. So I convinced everyone that I was a scientist. I was a child looking for someone to tell me I had done a good job. Though I did the schooling and such to hold the title. I sped through school with the speed of a fool.
There were several sorts of creatures who came through when the breaks fully opened. There were the large demons, and small mephits. There were also other sorts. My original theory was made without any true idea of what was on the other side. I have since found that some of the creatures had antibodies that could help us, those humans who are left.
The larger demons decided immediately that humans were food. So any who were unable to get underground were quickly devoured. The demons are too large for the majority of the underground tunnels.
The mephits, a much smaller breed of demon, seem to eat rocks and minerals. So they are less of a threat. Considering that they are small enough to sneak into human encampments, this was a major relief. Each mephit was roughly the size of any average house cat. The mephits also kept some of the other creatures from invading. Many of the remaining human settlements kept them as pets, early alarm systems if you will. The mephit’s wail could wake the dead, and when the larger demons got within a mile radius, they would wail.
As long as I don’t display my credentials I am welcome in any camp. My actions are not known, and that is likely why I still live. The CDC is still held to blame though. I may not be known, but the fact that it was one of us is known. So many of my co-workers lie to survive. Science is often a evil witchcraft in the society that exists now.
The worst threat to mankind didn’t come through the rift. The worse threat is as it always has been…Ourselves. It has taken me most of the apocalypse to figure that out. There are now gangs that travel the overland. If you escape the demons, which are visible for miles, you still have to avoid the gangs. They take whatever they want…and either rape or kill any that they catch. Most are human, but there is the occasional other race involved. One that patrols the former New York city has what is termed as an Orc with them. Large tusks and a porcine face, large muscular frame.
There are a few of the new races that will help if you find yourself alone on the surface, but most will gladly assist in harming those who are caught above. I travel to help save those I endangered. I have learned the hard way how to fight. I have learned when to hide.
I have a pet mephit, I call Flame, who eats fire. I have a orc friend who taught me how to kick ass. He is nothing like the others of his kind who came through the breach. Ti’chet is his name. He taught me to handle a club, and some hand to hand combat. He is soft spoken and often thinks before he speaks.
He has never been welcome among the humans. Fear of the unknown has always been the strongest of humanities flaws. I will occasionally go in and gather supplies for us. Then I return to him, and our somewhat nomadic ways. I am still human, but I find that with each passing day I feel less so. Humanity is corrupt, and wave their flaws about like a flag. And I feel like I am to blame for their fall. Whether it is truth or not, it is how I see things.
I think that I know how to close the rifts. I have spent every waking moment that I could spare researching the rifts. That is why I am writing this. If I fail, I want those who come after me to know what I tried. I want to tell myself that I am honestly a real scientist finally. Sealing the breach will not stop the creatures who are already on this side. It will only stop more from entering our world. Only the one fissure actually opened, though five are now visible at any given time. So if we can close the only open one, maybe we can keep the others closed the same way. The air around the rift has several elements in it that are not found in our normal atmosphere. I have done a chemical cocktail up (the list of ingredients will be attached separately.) It should react with the otherworldly atmosphere. It may be a suicide attempt to set this off. Seems only fair. I screwed everything up, so if I can fix it, well I gotta try. I have gathered both the supplies for the cocktail and the safety gear so I might survive. We will have to see.
Closing the rift will mean learning to deal with those who are already on this side, including the humans. I believe if the break is sealed we can kill the large demons to make the world safer again. Then things will settle into a semblance of normal…even if normal no longer looks like we expect it to. Our innocence was lost when the rift in the sky first opened. We were no longer alone in the world, much less the universe. My actions merely stopped the questions of what was on the other side. So, I had hopes that my actions this time would help the world find a semblance of balance.
From here on, I will leave the tale in the hands of a dear friend. If I return to finish it, I will. If not, then it will be released as my apology to a world that I helped to build. May I be eventually forgiven.
The demons surrounded the gate. Each standing well over the size of a three story building. For a time I watched, unsure what they were doing. There was six of them surrounding the hole into nowhere. Every so often one would try to step back through…and the others would attack the one making the attempt. This is when I paid more attention to the one that kept making the attempt. Bleeding from several scratches and covered in bites, it was weakly standing. None of the others seemed to be trying for the rift. It’s eyes were roaming wildly across each of them, as though trying to find a way out. I honestly never thought I would feel pity for one of the big ones. Still in that moment it seemed like killing it would be merciful. Dead demons could provide no information though. Ti’chet pointed at a steel building on the other side of the rift.
“If you had a distraction,” his scratchy whisper barely audible.. “You could get the injured one in there. Maybe even find answers?”
As I sat processing his idea, He took off. Making as much noise as he could. I was too stunned to call him back, even if I could. Instead I quickly gathered what wits remained, and after a small prayer for my friend, Set to getting that damn demon into the metal building. It seemed to understand my presence quicker than I did.
Unsure if it could speak or understand speech, I motioned for it to follow me and headed to what was originally a airport hanger. It followed with no hesitation. I hesitated to close the door behind us, for fear it would keep Ti’chet from getting in. Still it would keep the other demons from finding us…and that was why he did this. I realized that there was more to rescuing the demon than just knowledge.
Sometimes you had to do what was right, even if it was against you in the long run. The stench wafting from the creature was nauseating. Strong copper and sulfur mixing to overwhelm all of my senses. I decided that I needed to find my friend and escape the suddenly closing walls of this building. I tried to find an exit that would allow me to escape without leaving the creature exposed, and heard a soft knocking sound at the building’s back door.
Nervous I went and checked outside. To my absolute relief, Ti’chet was standing there. Quickly, I pulled him in and considered reading him the riot act. No sooner then I closed the door, we felt the rumbles of the demons return. Quiet was needed, for the moment. I could save giving him a piece of my anger until it was safe, whether I wanted to or not.
Demons are thankfully not known for being the most patient of souls. We were only waiting maybe five minutes, if that, before we heard them stomping off. Ti’chet waited for a few minutes more, just in case.
Demons have been seen to have exceptional hearing, although very little intelligence to go with that hearing. Once we were sure they were gone, he raised his hand and motioned that we still had one to deal with. Though I knew he was right, it still bothered me. His recklessness, though typical of his species, upset me. A human failing…for sure.
Orcs are strong willed and reckless. Often they are also physically stronger than most humans. Most do not have a concept of fear. Ti’chet is a rare of his kind, as he has a strong sense of honor and compassion. I watched as he was starting to minister to the wounded demon, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. The sound of my own heart was deafening me. I couldn’t look away, though I desperately wanted to be anywhere else at that moment.
Since the schism opened, racism took on a new meaning. There were dozens of new races all fighting to survive. Choosing to dislike someone for the color of their skin was even more idiotic now that humans were an endangered species. Almost all of the other races chose to keep to themselves. Elves are tall, slender creatures that look down their noses at everyone else. Gnomes are quick witted small people who seem to be able to handle tools like extensions of themselves. Orcs were one of the few that didn’t seem to care.
For me though, it wasn’t about humans and orcs…This was my best friend..my only friend. And I damn near lost him because he was reckless. It took me a moment to calm the noise of my heart. When I did I was amazed at what I was hearing. Ti’chet and the demon were conversing. I didn’t even know that the demons could talk. I listened silently as a horrific story unfolded.
According to the demon, the rift only stayed open because of a spell that was still active on the other side. The demons had sorcerers that continued to recast the spell every so often. This world was rich in resources, and food, that had long ago dried up on the other side. The demon spoke of feeling guilty. His guttural voice grew even huskier as he spoke of his home, of all that he was missing from that side.
I was starting to wonder if I had hit my head when the demon said that it was trying to leave but was prevented because the others were afraid. Afraid that if the rift closed the air here would clear. The toxins in the air were what kept the demons healthy.
This broke through my haze. I rushed up and blurted out the question suddenly burning in my weary mind. “What do you mean toxins? What is it that is coming through the opening? And if the rift was closed would the air clear?”
Both the Demon and Ti’chet had obviously forgotten that I was there. The demon recovered quicker than Ti’chet did. “The toxins are particles of the air in our home. We may be able to survive without it, I just don’t want to find out. Neither do my brethren. The air here would likely return to normal. I am not sure. There really is only one way to find out. I need to go through and close the door on my side.”
Ti’chet quickly nodded. “We can help to distract the others if you think you can get there. We won’t be a distraction for long though, so you would have to be quick”
I had to protest. “Can’t he do it now while they are gone? Why does he need us?” I realized almost subconsciously how childish that sounded. Believe me it didn’t sit well. So I sighed my agreement. Why not, today was as good as any for me to die. Just as long as I was not stuck alone after all was said and done.
Quietly, I listened as the plan was laid out. I saw the flaws in it, but found myself afraid to speak. What was it about that moment that had me frozen? Still, without the spells ending, none of my plans would work either. Ti’chet and I agreed to run look out and distraction while the demon tried to enter the portal.
It set wrong with me that we were trusting that creature even as far as we were. Normally I would be asking a million questions. That day I was completely mindless. Though I was considering using my original plan as a backup. Blow up the portal, even if it reopened. Maybe I could take a few of the big ugly bastards with it.
Though it felt to me like we sat planning this for hours, truthfully only moments passed from us entering the building and us leaving. The other demons were not in sight so it honestly looked like we were going to get off scot free. I should have known it wouldn’t work that way. It never does. it always has to go wrong. We were perhaps the length of a football field from the rift, Ti’chet called out a warning, as he had spotted them coming back. The one who was going home took off at a run. The ground shook, making it harder to move. He was far faster than I had imagined. Which meant so were they. Ti’chet started screaming, and running the opposite way
And I ran towards the rift. I needed to set up the backup plan plus I was supposed to call out if they turned towards us. To be honest I was unsure if they had even spotted Ti’chet or myself. The big guy was a little hard to miss.
Still, when we were planning, the big guy told us that the larger demons were nearly blind. They saw based on sound. So for all that he was making the ground shake, our demon was being stealthy and quiet. Ti’chet was the one making all of the noise. I found myself amazed that it really was working.
The demon made it through the rift, quicker than I could have expected. He passed through like it was a silk curtain, and mere moments later the it started to slowly close. The backup plan unnecessary, I found myself stunned and staring. The air took awhile to clear, but we saw a difference in the big demons almost immediately. They could breathe without the toxins, but they were stumbling and struggling to remain upright. They would be easy to defeat. I found out later that many of the ones who remained were killed when they started to stumble.
Ti’chet and I both survived. We are still partners, and I like to think that this world is recovering from the mistakes of the past. I watch to be sure the breach is left closed, and am prepared if I ever need to try to close it again.
This story was given to us by a random source — Total world news has not found any confirmation to the identities of the narrator or an Orc Ti’chet. We hope that if the pair still exist they are more cautious in the future to prevent their actions from impacting humanity.
