Legacy of Ash

Home was no longer home. It was a base, a shelter, a hideout, a safe haven. Still, a part of Tobias Denhart considered it home, even if it was half-buried in black volcanic sand and collapsed on the beach. The pillows with tropical floral designs, though dirty, were still sitting on the wicker chairs in the living room. The kitchen cabinets still had Tobias’s “Boss of the Year” mugs from his business back on Earth before he moved to the colony. Cracked pictures of his brother and his children were lying flat on the dusty coffee table.

Outside the bay window, Tobias could see hunks of pumice floated in the filthy, ash-filled sea, washing up onto the shore, then were pulled back out when the tide came in. Hardened lava, looking like a snake wrapped around what remained of the beach house, had so far kept the building from being swept out to sea. There was no blue in the water, not for miles. The sky, too, had been marred by the eruption. Tobias couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a blue sky.

Almost nothing had been left standing in the colony in the wake of the volcano’s eruption. It had been thought to be dormant when extraterrestrial surveyors examined the planet a decade ago. No one living there thought it would ever erupt in their lifetimes, then they woke up one morning to gas seeping into the city, followed by a violent explosion.

There were few survivors, but no one could be certain how many actually survived when everyone split up to go their separate ways and survive on their own. Some fled into the jungle. The rest stayed in the decimated city, scavenging. Like Tobias.

Tobias was certain he would go insane if he had remained on his own. It almost seemed like pure luck that he took shelter with one of his coworkers, a young geologic surveyor named Tadao Iwasaki. At times, the moments when the volcano erupted replayed in Tobias’s mind. Vividly, he remembered Tadao shouting at him and dragging him into the basement of the office building. He remembered the heat, the burned bodies lying in the streets when they finally emerged, disoriented survivors staggering around, crying, screaming, and he felt powerless to help.

Tobias was jolted from his thoughts when he saw someone jogging up the beach to the house through the window. Before he could grab his rifle, the figure took down their scarf, revealing the hollowing face of Tadao. He waved his hands, and Tobias unlocked the door. “Are you alright? You said you’d be back over an hour ago.”

“Ran into trouble,” Tadao said. “Nyla Astrid’s people have taken over the ruins of the mall. I was lucky to get out with as much food as I did, but we’re going to have to find another place.”

“I’m just happy you’re still alive. I’ll go out next time.”

“I suggest going at night, and bring as much ammunition as you can carry.”

“The more parts of the colony Astrid takes over, the less people she has to guard them.” Tobias pulled one of the metal ammunition cases from a shelf behind him.

“I still think we should head into the jungle if she gets closer to the beach houses. At least we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone there.”

“No. The landing pad is less than a mile from here. If rescue comes, I don’t want to miss it.”

“Why would you hang onto that idea when a maniac is running a ragtag army right outside your doorstep? If we stay here, we’ll both die before any rescue comes!” A second later, Tadao sighed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be yelling at you. There’s been enough fighting the last several years. We lost all hope of order during this when Administrator Keiner died.”

A dark thought crossed Tobias’s mind. “Perhaps we can restore order.”

“How?”

“I never thought I’d say this, but... we kill Astrid. Take control of her army. Put them to work actually rebuilding and figuring out ways to survive together rather than kill each other over supplies.”

Sadly, Tadao shook his head. “I don’t think that’ll work. She’s promised them things she can’t give them, and her people blindly follow her regardless. They’ll shoot you before they listen to you. We’re on our own.”

“We’ve run into other scavengers in the past. Why don’t we convince them to take the city back?”

“Most people want to be left alone now. I know I want to be left alone. Let Astrid’s followers figure it out for themselves. I’m sure they’ll kill her when they do. It’s not our place.”

________________________________________

Night fell, and the city quickly became cold. A freezing breeze blew around Tobias as he crept down the winding dirt path through the dying jungle between the beach houses and the parking lot that led into the city. The bushes and ferns surrounding the path were gray and drooping. The flowers had dropped from the bushes and trees, littering the path with ashen-gray petals. Before the eruption, Tobias didn’t think it was possible for a tropical paradise to become so sad.

A few structures in the city had been crudely rebuilt. What was once a hub of activity of people from all walks of life, a place where people had come to make their dreams and goals a reality, was now split down the middle between Astrid’s group of thieves and murderers, and people just trying to survive. Tobias had seen survivors shot in the middle of the street if they were spotted with food, ammunition, or medical supplies. Astrid was indiscriminate in her quest to control the essentials. Tobias could see the bodies of men, women, children, and even the elderly lying in the ash-filled road.

Tobias stuck to the shadows when he entered the parking lot. The only signs of life were the lights in the buildings still standing. He could hear muffled voices, children crying, dogs barking. He jumped when he saw something moving in the corner of his eye, and turned to see a young woman holding a trash bag. Her face was covered in soot and dirt, but before Tobias could blink, she was pointing a handgun at him. Tobias raised his rifle. The two stared at each other, then slowly lowered their weapons.

“I’m not going to steal from you,” Tobias said, softly.

“You were my husband’s boss. That geo-survey place in the center of town, right?” the woman replied. Her voice cracked, like she hadn’t used it in a long time.

Tobias nodded. “What’s your husband’s name?”

“Rendal.”

“One of my location scouts. Yes, I remember him.” Tobias managed a smile. “How is he?”

“He’s alright. Feels responsible for what happened, but he’s alright.”

“No one should feel responsible. All the tests we ran didn’t suggest an eruption would happen so soon.”

“I’ll tell him I ran into you. Oh, don’t go in the mall. It’s completely overrun with Astrid’s group. I heard they’re gonna move on to this side of town next.”

Tobias felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Why?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know why anyone does anything anymore.” With that, the woman disappeared with her trash bag.

Tadao’s voice was in Tobias’s head. “It’s not our place.” Sighing, Tobias slung his rifle. It might not be our place, but if everyone wants to be left alone, they won’t be when Astrid makes her move. I have to do something.

________________________________________

The mall used to be a place where people would gather, talk, laugh, and have a good. Now, it was quiet, in ruins, and dark. Tobias was grateful for the silence, but he was wary, sweeping his rifle around periodically, tense and afraid someone was lying in wait for him. He stepped lightly, though nothing could prevent the crunching of plaster and concrete beneath his boots.

He froze and ducked behind a fallen pillar when he heard a group of people coming down the winding staircase. Putting the rifle scope to his eye, Tobias could see four armed people surrounding a woman with short dark hair. Astrid. Heart pounding, Tobias adjusted the scope. I can end this all right now, and we can get on with surviving and making a new life for ourselves, without fear of you.

He centered the scope on Astrid’s chest. Something glinted, and he saw a silver heart-shaped locket with a blue jewel in the center. The locket was open, and he spotted a tiny photograph of a smiling man with dark blond hair. It was the perfect target. Taking a breath, Tobias squeezed the trigger.

A bang echoed through the mall, and Astrid fell in a spray of blood. Her guards scattered finding cover to start shooting in Tobias’s direction. Putting his rifle back over his shoulder, Tobias took off, sprinting toward the mall entrance. Bullets whizzed by his head, nearly nicking his ear before he made a sudden turn. Using the corner for cover, he pulled his rifle back out, firing in the darkness towards where he last saw muzzle flashes. Screaming and gunshots deafened him. When the gunshots stopped, there was dead silence again. For the first time in the last few years, Tobias felt like he had accomplished something. He couldn’t wait to tell everyone. We’ll be able to make things better now.

As soon as he was outside, there was a roaring sound, and a ship appeared in the horizon over the sea. Relief flooded Tobias. Overjoyed, he ran back to his beach house, shouting for Tadao. Once his friend was with him, they began running toward the landing platform. When the ship touched down, Tobias waited some distance from the ramp as it opened.

A uniformed man, followed by soldiers and medics, stepped off, observing the ruined city. Tobias frowned when he noticed how familiar the man was. The man in the locket? No. No, that can’t be.

“How many survivors?” the man asked.

“I don’t know,” Tobias said. “We lose people regularly, and... many have fled into the jungle.”

“My wife is here. Do you know her? Her name is Nyla.”

Tadao and Tobias exchanged a look. Guilt and shock knotted in Tobias’s chest. “Technically, she is here, but what happened... is a long story.”