This story is the sole property of the author, M. A. McIntosh
This story is written for people 18+ years of age and contains mature content, if you are under 18 or it is not legal to read stories of this nature where you live, please leave now. If you have any comments or suggestions you can send them to me at PAL.author@hotmail.com. Enjoy!
This story takes place a few years after the events of the story "Post-Apoc Love" in which a devastating nuclear war has reduced most of the world to cinders. The story will focus on the experiences of a teenage boy living a sheltered life in one of the few remaining bastions of human civilization left in the world.
It was a cold autumn day outside when the boy awoke to a familiar buzzing sound next to his bed. Pale streams of sunlight entered the room through the tiny grated window. Cold, musty air caused the boy to reach out for a warmth, but he found none, and a strange feeling of emptiness filled his chest. Finally, returning from the half-awareness of sleep, the boy rubbed his eyes and lifted himself from the dull grey sheets. He stumbled into the utilitarian designed bathroom, with its plain white walls, a single square mirror, and basic amenities. He slipped off the shorts that he was required to wear to bed each night, and examined his naked form in the small mirror. He was of average height, short brown hair, and retained an athletic body from years of state-enforced labour. He jumped into the cramped shower and shivered as the cold water cascaded down his young body.
When he was clean he dressed in his white state-issued uniform and exited the small apartment that was his home. The hall outside his apartment was long and designed with the same utilitarian style. White bands of light illuminated the shiny metal walls and floor. Others were beginning to join him in the hallway, dressed in the same white uniform. The look on their faces was blank, but they hurried to get to their work stations, the punishment for lateness was severe. He made his way down the long hallway until he reached the lift that would take him to the ground floor. Some of the other citizens had followed him into the lift, but they did not talk to each other, unnecessary communication was forbidden by the government. The lift descended quickly and opened with a hiss. As the passengers disembarked, the boy continued on his way through the large glass and marble entrance hall. Buzzing cameras with polished lenses scrutinized the crowd from high places around the hall. Guards in black riot vests shouted orders at each other, menacing supression rifles in hand. After a short walk down more of the identical hallways the boy arrived at his workstation at last. The guard at the entrance handed each of the workers two white pills. The pills were taken each day, but the boy had never cared to ask what they were for, questions were almost allways met with the sharp crack of a guard's police baton. He gulped nervously as his turn to recieve the pills, the guard extended a gloved fist and dropped the pills into the boy's extended hand. Then the strangest thing occured. The boy froze as he looked up into the guard's face. The man was an absolute giant, almost seven feet tall with a muscular body packed into his black uniform. He had a strong jaw, piercing blue eyes, and very light blonde hair that was shaven short. Before the great atomic war, people would have described his features as scandinavian. The guard met the boy's eyes, and the boy was overcome with a feeling so unbelievably alien to him that a shiver traveled up his body. The guard nodded his head, and the boy dropped the pill capsules into his mouth and swallowed. Almost instantly the strange feeling dissapeared, and the boy returned to his familiar mechanical stupor. As he walked past the guard he looked back, the guard was still watching him with a curious interest.
The boy spent the rest of the morning sitting in a room filled with hundreds of other people at identical tables assembling small mechanical components under the watchful eye of the buzzing security cameras. The boy's hands were sore from the hours of repetative work, which were only interrupted for brief meals of bland food laced with more emotion suppressing drugs. After ten hours of work the boy was allowed to leave for a short break. He wandered out into the city streets, a metropolis of metal and concrete towers surrounded him. People wandered about their daily activities, unthinking and unfeeling, around him. He couldnt get the image of the guard's face out of his head, he replayed the events of the morning over and over again. His thoughts were interrupted by a man in a black suit making announcements through the giant broadcast screens throughout the city.
"Attention citizens. We, your government, have decided that in return for your hard work and devotion to the state you will be rewarded with extra time for rest. All citizens will now be expected to remain within their provided living quarters one hour earlier than the previously enforced curfew. That is all." The broadcast screen faded to black. "How can they call this a reward?" The boy thought to himself. He glanced up at the black helicopters on patrol in the sky above, monitoring the streets for suspicious activity. The boy remembered with a sickening feeling what happened when he had witnessed one of these helicopters cracking down on protesting citizens. The helicopter had opened a hatch on its underbelly and fired a barrage of tranquilizing supression darts down on the unsuspecting crowd. The boy recalled with horrific clarity how the people had fallen over as if dead, roundup crews were dispatched and those people were never seen again. The boy picked himself up off the concete steps that surrounded the imposing factory that was his work assignment facility. He turned his head to watch a man in a black city police "C-Pol" uniform approaching him. The boy tried to keep his nervousness in check, convinced himself that he hadn't done anything wrong. As the tall figure got closer the boy realized that it was the guard who had handed him his pills that morning at work. The officer had a serious look on his face, and stopped in front of the sitting teenager. The boy lowered his head and did not make eye contact with the officer. "What is your name?" asked the officer in a deep and powerful voice.
"My uhh.. my name?" responded the boy. Citizens were never supposed to talk to each other, but when an officer asks you a question you are expected to answer.
"That is what I asked." said the guard in a gruff voice, as he crossed his arms across his broad chest. The boy lifted his head and looked into the officer's face.
"My name is Alec."
"Alec..", said the guard. He allowed the word to roll of his tongue, and extended his large hand, grasping the boy on the shoulder. He pulled the boy to a standing position. "Do you remember when you saw me this afternoon?" he said with a lighter tone of voice. "I had the strangest feeling come over me while looking at you. Do you have any idea what it was?"
"I felt it too. It made me want to...uh nevermind"
"It made you want to what?", inquired the guard.
"I uh... well.. I cant explain it, but I wanted to touch you." Alec turned his head away, expecting the officer to lash out at him, but the beating didn't come. Instead, the officer relaxed his serious expression and withdrew a small communicator. Alec expected the guard to arrest him for his show of emotion, but instead the guard slid the comm unit back into his riot vest. "Ill see you again soon, Alec." The guard turned away and made his way down the city street until he dissapeared. Alec noticed how late it was getting and decided to head back to his apartment.
When Alec awoke in the morning, he undressed and got into the shower. He turned the faucet, and cold water cascaded down his body, something that he had gotten used to in his boring daily routine. He arrived at his work place and got in line to recieve his daily dose of pacification pills. He waited in line until he was standing in front of the guard who had asked him his name the other day. Alec extended his hand to take the pills, but instead of handing them over, the guard tucked them into a pocket of his vest and motioned for Alec to continue on with a smile. Alec soon discovered after about three hours of working without the emotion-supressing capsules he began to feel drastically different. For the first time in his young life he was beginning to feel emotional responses to the circumstances that he had been living in for almost 17 years now. He couldn't believe that the government had been keeping people in such a colourless and unfeeling state, nor could he discern what motivated them to think it were necessary to do so. He continued his work for the next seven hours, thinking about the officer who had now changed his whole view of life. The more he thought about the officer, the more he wanted to see him again. Once he had finally finished his work shift for the day, he left the factory and sat in the same place on the concrete steps outside just as he had the day before and waited. Time passed so much slower now that the boy was aware of his emotions. He waited and waited, hoping that the guard would seek him out again.
After about an hour the guard exited the factory and approached Alec with a hurried pace. Alec looked up at the guard with a mock-serious expression, even though he was smiling on the inside. The guard took a seat beside Alec on the concrete step and turned his face to look the boy in the eyes. It was only now that he had regained his emotions that Alec could finally understand what he had been feeling before. The officer was very handsome, and Alec now felt strong feelings of attraction for the much larger man. "I thought you wouldn't come.", said Alec with relief.
"I told you I would, how do you feel?"
"I feel... much better", Alec replied with a smile. The guard returned the smile, but there was an expression of great urgency on his handsome face, he put a strong hand on the boy's shoulder. "Our government has done a terrible thing you know.", he said with a sigh. "Our scientists had wanted to remove human emotion in order to achieve everlasting world peace."
"I can see how they may have thought that would work, but now that I see the truth, how can they take this happiness away?" Alec's smile faded and was replaced with a look of disgust.
"When nuclear war ravaged the planet the remaining governments of the world created this place, to give humanity a chance at starting again. The removal of emotion was part of a plan to create a society free of the issues that caused the collapse of the old one." Alec finally understood, but felt the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes at the thought of all the people now living lives divoid of meaning or importance.
"I want you to come with me.", said the guard as he raised himself to his feet.
"Where are we going?"
"Someplace where we can be alone."
The pair made their way through the busy streets of the city until they arrived at a residential building similar to the one that Alec lived in. The guard led Alec to one of the top floors, and once he had made sure they were not being watched, ushered Alex into one of the spacious apartments. Alec let out a gasp upon entering the apartment, it was so unlike his own. The windows were large and covered with clear glass that allowed for a spectacular view of the city. The living room had comfortable leather furniture and two doors that lead into the bathroom and bedroom respectively. Alec's mysterious new companion unbuckled the vest he was wearing and tucked it into a storage space by the door, leaving him in a white uniform just like Alec's. The burly guard motioned for Alec to take a seat, and so Alec sat down and lay back on one of the comfortable leather couches. The guard smiled and joined Alec on the couch. "My name is Erik, by the way. You can trust me."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"Because im working with other people who want to make things better for all of us." Erik leaned over and slid one of his massive arms around the back of the couch.
"why did you do all this for me?"
"Because from the moment I layed eyes on you Alec, I knew you were special."