Story: The New World by Allen Walker – Episode 1

“Sometimes I wonder what would be next, after the inevitable Armageddon.
Would that be the end of life as we know it?… Or maybe we can extend the Armageddon until it never happens.” – Khris Walker

Wake up curt. Curt Morris, wake up”. His eyes fluttered open as he slowly waltz into consciousness.

The room was unfamiliar, not the conventional hospital or ER. The nurse unsmilingly flashed the torch in his eyes checking his dilated pupils, she looked Russian.

“Your number is 315054; Your race, Caucasian; Your tribe, Jew”, she quickly blabbed with an obvious Russian accent.
He looked about trying to recollect; there were white curtains all drawn closed with a drip stand and a large tray on a hospital table with all sorts of surgical instruments right next to the bed.

The air was antiseptic and he could hear loud voices outside saying the same thing his own stranger doctor was saying to him in different intonations and pitch.

“Welcome to the new world Mr. curt”. He couldn’t make sense of anything. “This is yours” she hands him an orange medicine can with his name and number boldly written on it. “You take one by 8am every morning, or you get sick” then added as if for emphasis “8am every morning I said”

She starts to rearrange her equipment as she signals the soldiers on black camouflage uniforms and boots and they led him out of the facility then left him outside the building.

The air was different, cleaner. The buildings were new. There were people of different races and colors, everyone with a tag carrying a number on their uniforms. Curt had an Orange uniform, shirt and trouser with 315054 boldly written on the tag by his left chest.

He barely could make sense of what was happening around him.
Someone walked up close to him half smiling as if in mild sarcasm; “Hi, I’m Jessica, Gilbert Jessica. You woke up today?”

“Yeah, I guess. What’s happening?”. He was still trying to coordinate his thoughts.
“I woke up 2 years ago. You’ve been hibernating.. Along with everyone else.”
“Hibernating?” The word sounded strange in his ears, like he hadn’t heard it before; he didn’t think man could hibernate in the actual sense of it.

“Yeah. I know its a lot to take in. Come, I’m your affiliate companion.” Said Jessica
“My what?” He couldn’t make any sense of anything.

“Let’s say I’m your tour guide. you’d get clarity at the convention square.” She said as she started walking towards a building encouraging the confused Curt along.

She led him towards a large building painted white with over a million people lobbying about with some looking confused and some in pairs. Every building in the new world was painted all white.

“The ones walking about are affiliate companions looking for their kid, the ones in orange like you are the kids, you’d get proper uniforms when you get your place in society. The ones in pairs are the ones who found their affiliates. I’m lucky I found you easily,” She said.

“Kid?” He asked as if that was the only word he heard in the entire sentence.
“Yeah, kid. You don’t like the term?” She said with a disgusted look.
“I’m no kid” he shrugged.
“We’ll see about that”

The convention center was large. There were speakers on all borders of the building. The ground was made of hard transparent glass that showed a large fan below spinning at an alarming speed. A male voice on the speakers began to speak in heavy baritone. He sounded Russian too…

!# Good evening and welcome to the new world. By now you must’ve met and become comfortable with your affiliate companion. I hope you’re comfortable with them because they’d guide you through your journey here in the new world.

Outside these walls, there are screens everywhere; including in your rooms. These screens would guide you on your expected daily routine check ups and behavioral expectations.

Your affiliates would share their bed space with you for 2 months, then you’d be transferred to your personal quarter. It is expected that after 2 months, you would have assimilated enough to keep you from breaking the rules; after these 2 months, you’re responsible for your every action and would be treated as such.

Please know that the world you knew no longer exists as you know it. This is a new world order and if you want to survive, you’d accept it.
You can now exit the center. Good luck in the new world!

Episode 2