Human Nature

“The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” – 1 Corinthians, 15:26

The fallout of a global nuclear war is not a simple situation to deal with. But human beings proved how resourceful they were when it did happen in 2040.

The coronavirus pandemic which had started 20 years before had killed billions in several western countries. Nationalism and xenophobia increased significantly, as many were blaming the globalization trend started in the 19th century for the spread of the illness. Youth-focused groups banded together online to share their knowledge, trauma, and pure hatred.

The vast vaccinations campaigns had proven effective against the virus, and life was returning to normal. However, a prominent American hate group decided to create their own bomb, through the donations and expertise of their diverse members. Their first target was a Chinese Youth Center on a California island, ten years after the start of the pandemic.

China retaliated by sending nukes to the US. The US also sent nukes to China, and these events destroyed the fragile balance of the world. Eventually, Russia and North Korea began showing marked support for China, while France, Japan and the United States forged an alliance: The World War 3 or as some dubbed it, the Ice War, began.

In total disregard of previous war interdictions, nuclear weapons were used by both camps. Soon, the war destroyed most of the world. It was thought humanity’s last tango with evil—but human beings are incredibly resilient.

Many had survived by living underground. They decided to organize themselves under the banner of a single government: the New Conscience. The survivors, who were barely hundreds, settled in Africa, in what was Ghana in 2020.The reason was that Africa was the least affected by radioactive emissions.

Within thirty years, the survivors had organized in a society: the Naturals.

Naturals lived underground mostly and had renounced the trappings of their predecessors. It was a fully federated republic, uniting people from all countries, where everyone was treated fairly and equally.

It truly was the perfect society…except for the fact that people were barred to go above ground. Naturals were told that the above was rife with destruction, and that radioactive levels were still high. It was safer for the remaining population to just stay underground, protected by the Government.

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Walker Diarra enjoyed working as a scientist alongside his father, the eminent Robert Diarra. Recruited only three years ago, he was quickly rising in rank. He wanted to prove to his father how valuable he was.

The artificial sunrays were burning him as he was resting in his sofa. He looked at the watch; it was time for his treatment. He injected the government-approved green liquid in his veins.

Somebody rang his phone. When he answered, it was a young woman’s voice—Shoshanna Jenkins, reporter and accessorily his long-time crush. He could hear she was smiling, and out-of-breath.

-Walker, she said, I need your help. I need to make a report about Natural workplaces, and I would like you to show me around.

Walker pondered it. No cameras were allowed.

-This is great, said Walker, who produced a glass of cold water to drink, but I am not sure there is much to talk about.

-Hold on! Geneticists? You guys defeated cancer, and other illnesses. I am proud of you—

He could not help but smile. For the longest time, he had been trying to date Shoshanna, but she had always evaded him. He thought of her plump frame, with her beautiful eyes and lips, and the cold brown of her skin. Sometimes people must take a chance.

-Come at work this Monday at 9:00 AM, said Walker. I will text you the address.

The following Monday, Walker was dressed sharply. He had gone to the barber to touch up his beard. What he planned to do was show the young woman his entire department, before the company would open. He also planned to disguise Shoshanna as an intern.

When she arrived, she was understandably awed by their current projects; a gene-stabilizer to help teleportation; a baby gene selector which could give children desired hair colors. But Walker was fascinated by something else. Between her breasts, a small pendant attracted his attention for a moment. It was a heart-shaped locket, with an intricate design. She noticed his wandering eye and smiled. She took it off to show him the object. Walker touched it; it was made of metal, and it contained something.

“Seeds, she explained.

Walker was puzzled. Seeds were now redundant due to his father’s projects; food was now cloned. The young woman explained it was a family relic.

Walker was in heaven, until he heard unmistakable footsteps-- his father. Walker shove them both in a closet.

“What is the meaning of this, Walker? She whispered.

-Sorry Sho’, please stay quiet, he said under his breath.”

Dr. Robert Diarra got in the office and seated himself comfortably. He furrowed in his papers, looking at reports left on his desk.

Walker and Shoshanna were petrified in the closet for hours, until Dr. Diarra’s phone rang.

“Yes, the extractor will be close by. I will show it myself.

Eventually, he left his office and Walker was able to sneak his friend out without anybody seeing.

“It was close, he said.

-If we were not able to go, you should have told me! She exclaimed. I lost my pendant.

-Come on, said Walker, panicking. I must find it quick. If he sees it, my father will go ballistic.

As a response, the young woman elegantly strode away from him, disdain on her face.

Walker went back to retrieve the locket. Shoshanna was admiring the books in the library; so maybe it got there. He picked a book randomly, and a platform under his feet pivoted. The door besides him was replaced by a wall. The only exit was a huge steel elevator, standing in front of him.

The elevator took him to a beautiful white board room, made of celestial marble with a fresh lemon scent. Many people were already seated at the table, elegantly dressed.

“Diarra, somebody said tranquilly. You are already here? I thought we would see each other next week.

Walker smiled, uneasy. His father must have talked about him.

“So, the next plan is going well? said a beautiful mature woman with cream-colored skin.

-Yes…?” replied Walker. His father really believed in him that much? He felt very honored.

The woman considered him with attention. “What a handsome young man, she said, smiling. You really outdid yourself.”

They were all sitting on one side of the table and servants started to bring food. Walker could smell exquisite caviar and red wine.

“When will we arrive to the next phase? asked a white-haired man.

-Soon, intervened a blonde gentleman. Just like Diarra here, we will become immortal."

Walker’s interest was piqued.

"The process is simple, ladies and gentlemen. You extract your child’s pineal gland, he said, touching his own forehead, and this rock, mixed with the elixir our forefathers made, will grant to the drinker absolute youth and immortality. Diarra here is the proof!”

Appreciative murmurs rose.

“But what happens to the progeny? asks another person. Do they die?

-It is the beauty of it, says the white-haired man. If you don’t mind, Diarra?, yes. The child becomes immortal too, but he becomes akin to a puppet. The population under thirty has also been sterilized as you know, so it is impossible for them to bear children, ensuring our eternal rule.

-We found a way to destroy death! This will help us.

Walker was trying his best to not look too livid and relaxed. All his father’s research was to culminate in this horrible experiment.

“We are done here, says somebody.

A short and black-haired man was eyeing Walker suspiciously.

“Would you mind reciting our creed for the end of the meeting as you usually do?”

All the members were intent in listening. Walker felt uneasy and opened his mouth to stammer something when another member interjected.

“It would be better to do it this evening, when we succeed,” said the blonde man.

Walker was then escorted to a secret passage that got him back to his father’s office. He retrieved the jewel and ran out of the company.

Walker found Shoshanna outside.

“Where did you go? I was worried!

Walker explained everything to her calmly. She looked incredulous, but he could not believe the words he was saying himself.

He gave Shoshanna the silver locket. She was clinching it.

-We need to send the children far from here, she quipped. Absently, she shook her locket.

“Which event got all the children together tonight?

-The fair, she said. There is a booth where children can sit.

-There must be an extractor of some sort in the booth, murmured Walker. I know!

Walker arrived on the scene, very charming and courteous, channeling his father. Parents had already started to come with their unsuspecting children. Walker gathered the children in a bus, and Shoshanna led the parents far from the booth. Then, he heard his father’s car.

-Leave those children alone, said Mr. Diarra.

-You want to sacrifice me, said Walker softly.

-For the good of mankind, said Robert. He walked towards his son. Did you know an empire is supposed to last around five hundred years maximum until it degrades? See what we built? This planet was nearly destroyed because we let the wrong people have opinions and rule. It was this thinking that led to the Great Plague and the subsequent World War. From our ancestors’ mistakes, we were able to create a truly just society. But there is always the day where somebody would come along, and ruin everything. By allowing the right people to look over the world, we are guaranteeing the life of our civilization. And when I am done with you, you will still be alive.

-No, said Walker. Do not touch me.

-Youth is wasted on the young. It is young people who destroyed civilization countless times and you know it.” He stood up, his hands in the air, looking like an idolatrous zealot.

“Death is dead. Life is eternal. Nobody will die anymore, and we can become gods.”

With these words, he attacked Walker with a taser. The two men wrestled, and he stunned Walker. Robert was dragging him towards the real extractor.

He was about to start it when Shoshanna hit the doctor’s head hard from behind.

With both Diarra men unconscious, Shoshanna took Walker to the bus and drove to the company, just in time to escape from the hordes of murderous parents.

Walker and Shoshanna, along with the children, got on the surface.

They were greeted by silence. Deafening silence that their footsteps were not even preventing. Walker coughed a little bit and looked at the scene in front of them.

Shoshanna was looking straight ahead. He had heard the planet was destroyed beyond relief; there was no way to ever rebuild it.

He was told thousands of buildings had been wiped out; only some buildings were still standing. There was nothing else to see. Remains of human beings were on the street; lovers who were gently dancing for the last time, a pregnant woman lying, her hand across her stomach, totally calcined.

And it was true. Everything was destroyed beyond repair. He opened the locket. There were the seeds, that he clutched in his hand.

Maybe they would die here. But to them, it did not matter: their seeds would grow and grow, sprouting new life on the desolate planet.