Free Reddened Wasteland by Kyle Perkins

that turned Liberty’s Flame into a terrorist organization. Overnight
they were the enemy of everyone, and their notoriety caused us to expel them
from the vault,” she sounded almost regretful.
    “Well,
if you didn’t kick them, The Union would have been at your doorstep,” he
reasoned.
    “They
found their way here, regardless. They poured into our vaults and slaughtered
many of our people, but we knew the vaults better. Our people slaughtered many
of theirs. Eventually, the battle was a standstill and they had to return to
the surface to lick their wounds. Though, that didn’t stop their war on us.
They have sealed up every mapped entrance to this place and covered most of the
vents. Our oxygen supply is dwindling more and more as the days go by. Soon,
our system will fail from the extra strain put on it and we will once again
have to return to the surface.”
    “I
have to admit; your story is amazing. And even I have fallen under the spell of
The Union. I knew they weren’t as philanthropic as they say, but I did hope
that they had our best interest at heart,” Alerik said, frowning.
    “The
only thing The Union has at heart are its own interests. The people come
second,” she sighed as she linked her arm with his. “Let’s head back. You will
stay with us tonight, learn of our culture, and dine with us. We have real
food, not that processed crap,” she wrinkled her nose as she spoke of the Life
Bars.
    “Wow,
real food? I’ve never actually eaten anything aside from those processed food
bricks,” he chuckled.
    “Well
then, it’s settled. You will stay and we will have a feast,” she said as they
entered the room where the others were waiting. “Valek, have the others prepare
a dinner for us and our guests.”
    “Right
away ma’am,” he said before disappearing.
    “By
the way… what is your name?” Alerik asked the woman.
    “My
name is Cinine. Nice to meet you,” she smiled as she squeezed his upper arm
affectionately.

Chapter
Three
    The night they spent with Cinine and the Children of
Old was enlightening. They had fresh fruit and real vegetables, all grown
within the vault using the artificial lighting. Turns out, they had been
growing food for generations, since before the humans even walked the surface.
They were an odd bunch – eccentric at times – but they definitely cared for
their fellow human.
    They believed that Mars and Earth were both deities.
That Earth was a paradise and the body of the “good” god, while Mars was the
body of the “evil” god. They believed that Earth was where humans belonged, but
humans were being punished for their treatment of the old world. They also
believed in Phobos and Deimos – a pair of evil sentinels that watched over Mars
and added to human suffering.
    Alerik had a feeling that Cinine didn’t truly believe
these things, she was way too scientific with her reasoning, but he figured she
probably played along for the sake of her people, just to keep them together
and under the same belief system. It was inspiring to see the respect and love
that her people showed towards her. On the surface, respect was demanded by
superiors, but down in the vaults, it was freely given.
    The time did come when they had to leave the company
of Cinine and her Children of Old. When Alerik and Velar left the vault, Soren
shook their hands and thanked them for helping him find the group. Cinine
hugged them both and Alerik promised they would return. He had such an amazing
time, and loved seeing a side of humanity that he didn’t know existed. That was
a promise he wouldn’t break, he would definitely see them again. Still, he had
duties on the surface that he needed to attend to, and now he was armed with a
little more information.
    The pair walked out of the junkyard and followed the
same path that they had taken with Soran in order to find the hidden vaults.
    “That is dedication,” Alerik raised his eyebrows when
the driver and vehicle came into view. Had he