the narrator, telling an audience of some sort, describing how often he retells these events. Those he lives with insist he is the most skilled at story telling though the narrator believes otherwise. His modesty, the reason's for, become clear as the story progresses. He tells the story to new comers and old friends who encircle him in a sweat tent.
global super power Z, in the year X-
scene 1.) rainbow mountain, capricious youth in the face of impending fate and the age of enlightenment- setting:
the narrator, martin, begins on a slightly positive note. His childhood spent with the other wandering children (those, he later admits, fall in line) in the disintegrating patch of forest just outside their apartment complex. The apartment building, itself, lies on the outer most edge of the vast metropolis and is soon to be surpassed and consumed by further urban development. This area is considered suburbia but, since population has escalated as such, it only vaguely resembles modern suburbia. Compared to the inner city, buildings atop of other buildings, this place truly is a peaceful settlement (though, once again, not by our standards). The lower levels, upon reaching the city's center, are, naturally, where the more desolate and impoverished reside. Glass like streets and sidewalks ring the upper levels where, when looking down, one could see the less fortunate go about in total toil and strife. The further away one gets the more the two levels merge, once you hit suburbia, the two are completely joined and no lower level exists.
The story: Martin (eight or nine years of age) and his four other peers sit atop a steep, though short, drop overlooking rainbow mountain. The city scape can be seen nearby on the horizon, but Martin looks not at the wondrous buildings and setting sun, he instead stares at a small mockingbird perched in a close tree. His companions keep watch for rival children from the apartment complex for they covet the precious mountain and the limited forest space surrounding it as well.
*rainbow mountain is more of a clay hill with multicolored layers, to a child it appears immense and unconquerable*
Martin, while narrating, speaks of this period as one of ignorance, acceptance and hopelessness. Children, before the age of twelve (the transitional stage in this future), are allowed to roam free of their parents watch. most parents, if not all, are completely indifferent/unaware of their children's whereabouts and fully reliant on technology to keep a watchful eye as well as an informant/teacher of basic human values and language.
*the parents do care only when concerns of the age are brought about. parents here are terribly irresponsible by our standards, but much hullabaloo is caused by such trite issues as television censorship and video game violence, while real issues such as proper parental care or concern, are cast aside.*
Martin watches the mockingbird with interest and reflects, at this time, on his interest in birds, while admittedly, not a bird watcher. he returns home to an obese father lazily watching a multiple screened television attached to an arm chair. his mother, not far, does the same, the two take no notice of martin's return and ask no questions concerning the childish events of the day. he retires to his bedroom where the nanny-bot (a bed, speaker, lens and monitor with a keyboard) greets him warmly. he sighs and falls into his bed, the nanny plays a soft lullaby and presents, in the screen, a happy go lucky learning program for kids much younger than him.
scene 2.) birth of a miracle, the precipice of youth and the enlightenment-
setting:
this takes place two years after scene 1, martin's mother had just given birth to a baby boy. the excitement in the household leaves much to be desired. doctors are on call in this age. people prefer to stay within the mind numbing safety of their homes and are actually encouraged to stay indoors unless going to work.
*workplaces in the urban section of the city are reached via tube or tube car, upon reaching the enclosed city (under the protection of a dome that acts as an artificial ozone), walking or cab can take you to your destination. people here rarely opt for the walking ticket and, as a result, most (not all) people have weight problems.*
the doctor sedates the soon to be mother while the father comfortably watches television. upon delivery and spank, the father may, at times, glance over and smile sluggishly at his snoring wife and name the child dismissively before getting back to his program.
*not always the case, but more often than not. the large jump in childbirth and lack of importance associated with births (unless it's that of a celebrity) make the process as celebrated as a fart.*
the story:
Martin peeks in the living room from the hallway where he remains hidden from the doctors view. the doctor, using some baby monitor device, determines the child unfit. retarded physically and mentally. the parents don't respond, the wife farts and the father eats. an auto pram-bot is summoned and it carts the crying baby into a small, nearby room past the hidden martin. he peeks into the room, fascinated by this mysterious life, and watches the pram-bot warmly soothe and quiet the fussing baby. gentle humanoid hands rub and pat, digitalized, but soothing nonetheless, voice sings a crooning lullaby much similar to the lullaby the nanny-bot sang to martin. martin joins the two and falls fast asleep next to them.
the next day, distant relatives (mainly the grandparents who, unlike the majority of the population, are much more traditional) send gifts. the parents, childlike glee and greed, rip them apart for anything of any monetary or mature significance. a rattle and a book are given to martin to be delivered to his "retard brother, melvin." the first time martin heard his brother's name.
the book is of some interest to martin (who had never seen such an antique treasure) and he engrosses himself in it. the book is a patrimonial item their grandfather (whom martin met once or twice on the subway in passing) and depicts a glorious future through the eyes of some author in the seventies. the year two thousand, flying cars, floating cities, happy people in bubble helmets. none of the pictures resemble anything like the life martin lives in, he becomes suspicious, but intrigued.
the life martin lived, he realized, wasn't the life intended for any man, woman or child. this ancient text, much like the numbing programming he was forced to endure, seemed to make impossible promises based on the assumption that humans were inherently progressive in a positive way. that, given enough time, all our wildest fancies would come true so long as certain guidelines were followed. given his situation, the uncertain feelings and attitudes he associated with middle school as well as adult hood (the lack of respect he had towards most adults), he could see that the progress once promised and currently reinforced was a farce. an opiate, of sorts. these bubble headed, smiling goof balls man kind been awoke some dormant, rebellious (passively) urge within martin's brain. he decided that, instead of the traditional transformation from child to adult ( a process that involved the purchasing of a mobile arm chair and multi screen, often obesity) he would choose a more scenic, outdated route.
He began reading the story to melvin. melvin, incapable of any real comprehension, seemed to be put at ease by this and, often, put to sleep by it. martin, while narrating, supposes it had more to do with the tone of his guiding voice rather than the actual story. but his brother's response only encouraged him to seek more books to read.
He read to melvin nightly, the calming effect the story had on his younger, disabled brother (as i said) only encouraged martin to seek out copies of other ancient texts. The nanny-bot, not used to this sort of request, seemed intrigued by the young martin's interest and offered (strangely enough) to help martin his quest.
*the nanny-bot, given young martin's strange behavior, started to develop strange neurotic tendencies completely uncommon with other models. his interest in books (especially literature outside of her database-limited to child fiction) and other things outside of her memory banks spurred the creation of some unheard of, self created program to better 'soothe' the children. soothing and caring for was the only purpose of a nanny-bot model, when a child - martin later supposes- goes outside of these boundaries, the nanny-bot must upgrade or 'learn.' especially since every child is different.*
at first she agreed to read whatever book was brought to her, including the strange, eye opening book martin was given. martin, after searching far and wide, found that books (with the exception of romance novels and erotica, these the nanny-bot refused to read) were, indeed, a rare and obsolete commodity. the nanny read to the brothers what few acceptable books were given to her.
as martin grew, she began to suggest (with her mapping system she had detail directions and locations) stores that might sell what martin was looking for. him and melvin had been growing and, martin at least, craved something a little more adult.
scene 3.) another eye opening moment, the seedy underbelly, classic literature and the explosion-
setting:
Martin is significantly older by now, nineteen, almost twenty. his younger brother is now almost ten. the household is much the same though martin's father had got a raise and had bought a dual screen attachment so that the family could enjoy television together. this wasn't really the reason, martin narrates, more a sign of success. the two parents could watch television on one large screen attached to the both of their chairs, with higher definition, and call it family time. it should be said that, at this age (like driving and obtaining a drivers license is now) martin should have, like any other normal adult, been awarded the responsibility of his own chair. through the chair one could access a web of outside communication, entertainment and shopping. the chair isn't absolutely necessary (though most adults at the time would disagree) but, like any other proof of identity, it helped immensely. the chair that was brought in when martin turned twelve sat forgotten in the corner gathering dust. his parents took absolutely no notice of the fact, just assumed he used it when they weren't paying attention (which was almost all day and everyday) and raised no question. neither did his lack of weight gain, apathetic approach or his constant absence (he slept at the house and cared for his disabled brother) raise any complaints. the people his age, even those he once considered friends, had easy access to the city and the fleeting trends associated with this consumer culture. people like martin were often teased, ignored or just plain ostracized. the result, martin got his fair share of taunts and questioning looks from peers and 'superiors' alike. his school teachers complained bitterly at the lack of social incorporation.
*school was the only time martin accessed the internet (the major source of communication) for classes were attended online: the main screen showing the teacher presenting the subject with various programs, the other multiple screens showing his classmates, distractedly listening (probably watching some television program simultaneously). this he managed to access using his surrogate mother, the nanny-bot. the nanny, at this age, should have been scraped and replaced with the arm chair. the nanny-bot model, since, has been upgraded to handle more with much less flexibility towards a child's fickle nature (the model became much more stern and insistent on children, the improved model given to martin's family for melvin was sold by martin to a family whose nanny had malfunctioned). martin stuck with his self advancing nanny and, as a result, was able to do less with his online classes. teachers often complained to his parents (who only bitched if they bugged the two enough), but otherwise, martin got decent grades.*
the story:
martin, with the continued help of his nanny, wanders the streets of 'uptown.' here he has little success at finding books, if he does it's at an unreasonable price. martin finds work at an 'uptown' grocery store as a bag boy. here he falls in love with a girl, a fellow bagger. she introduces him to a scene of kids much like him, though not so severe. to martin, these people (though they preach profusely about non-conformity) are no different from the average citizen of this absurdly lazy country. they rely on the exact modes of transport and communication, they even shop excessively (though, in truth, not as much as the normal person). the group fancies themselves as collectors and here is where martin gets the information he needs to create a broad list of book genres/categories. their families are rich, though, and the group's young adults, like it or not, have obediently followed the rules set by their society. this they've used to obtain books (though most say they've read them, they really just purchase them for trophies sake) by pleasing their parents enough to pay for their 'quaintly rebellious' hobbies. martin hates his parents enough that this approach seems unacceptable. the girl later cheats on him and breaks his heart leaving him, once again, without a companion.
after drilling the nanny for information she, eventually, let's on to the location of a thrift store (the words completely lost on martin) in the "lower" section of town. unaware of any hostility between upper and lower sections of the city, martin ventures down foolishly and here he meets phillipe (who comes into play later). rather, phillipe interrogates him, confronts and robs him with a knife. phillipe and his gang (martin notices) are smoking strange tubular sticks before and after they approach the oblivious martin. martin learns, now, of the great separation between classes, supposedly a thing of the past, and purchases his first pack of cigarettes from a nearby store. he, learning his lesson, avoids phillipe's street by taking a much longer route to the thrift store.
*much to his delight, many cheap, worn down books were going for sale. the thrift store, again, to his surprise, was right next to a convenient store where he bought his smokes.*
the nanny-bot didn't take kindly to his smoking, martin's parents remained unaware of his habit fully. she insisted (after much debate) that he smoke out of his brother's sight from then on.
the explosion happened in some section of the country currently uninhabited. a thick chunk of arid forest (a stretch of desert four miles south of) was hit by a projectile which origins (to the narrator's day) remained unknown. the effects were unknown and covered up by the country's government (a bioweapon assumed to be responsible for the indigenous animals mutation, as well as those, later, found in humans) who explained the whole mess as a mix-up between countries (which actually might have been true). a year later, reports of strange deformities began creeping along the outskirts of major cities and residential areas. the response, large reinforced dome walls were constructed along each perimeter. Martin's nanny-bot, fully aware of human's nuclear and chemical capabilities, began to worry.
scene 4.) the end of the positive note, decisions, the alliance, the ultimate question-
setting:
the country had been hit with an explosive projectile from some unknown enemy. being a global super power and a nation of self absorbed citizens and politicians, without any real sense of self, enemies were great and allies few and almost nonexistent. the governments advanced technology searched far and wide, without much success, as to the location of the attackers, mainly to counter the attack with one far more devastating. the appearance of "monsters" (though the term was only used by the narrator presently) was a short lived concern for the majority of citizens, mostly because monsters before were products of improper toxic waste dumping (residual effects form the far less environmentally conscious country before) and usually harmless.
*the new breeds were larger and much more violent, especially towards humanoids. though, then, the creatures were less in numbers but given the later decline of human civilizations, the creatures interbred and became much more of a threat.*
as it were, the country overcame the sudden attack and the offspring thereof, the government kept its people subdued but with soothing hints that they should be much more aware of anything out of the ordinary. otherwise, the next two years went smoothly. until martin, by the age of twenty three, experienced the apocalyptic bombing and life determining decisions.
the story:
martin, discussing in private the possibilities of a 'worst case scenario' (but with much doubt) was ordered by the nanny (who had, by now, reached an almost human level of caring, but still planned the most rational, robotic way) to, if the situation occurred, follow her escape plan to a T. she instructed martin of all the possible escape routes in the city, most centered in the deteriorating lower levels and subways (for, with the appearance of hostile creatures, tube travel between cities was submerged) with melvin and, if possible, his parents. he jokingly told her he would rahter cart her 'heavy ass' around for miles than his own parents to which she reacted (never before had she done this) with a harsh, almost violent tone. he was to never, under any circumstances, remove her from their home. shocked, and a little hurt, martin agreed. she calmly read the brothers their last story that night ___________(book referencing end times?)
martin worked the next evening, his new reading material was growing thin as was his brother's patience with the same story over and over (although he was mentally disabled, melvin showed a surprising amount of receptive understanding), so martin worked longer hours with the very girl he had fell for (though now disgusted).
on his way into the apartment, the power went out. that is, the power shut off completely, city wide. he had absolutely no access to the twentieth floor his house was on (the entire city, basic functions and all, ran on juice from the power plant). he worried slightly, after all, he had never, in his whole life, seen the power shut off.
*later explained as an EMP shock wave*
after circling the building, he found a remote fire escape stairway, so old, he had to break the door hinges to enter. he calmly walked up the stair case, all twenty flights, until at last he reached the twentieth floor and, once again, broke in. he repeatedly knocked on his door and was, eventually, let in by a thoroughly exhausted mother. she berated him for being out while such a distressing event was occurring (she rarely cared when he left, only when they had something they needed his help with did they ever complain), and that his brother was freaking out (he was the only one who took care of him, martin's parents had no knowledge of shutting a 'retard' up). martin ignored her complaints. as he opened the door to greet his frightened brother something large and bright flooded his vision and martin was propelled, with great force, backwards.
he regained consciousness moments later to find his brothers room ablaze, a section of the wall and floor (where melvin's bed had been) had been completely separated form the complex. his brother was dead. panic, adrenalin and other foreign chemical responses flooded martin's body, it was nanny's voice ("go, martin, run, plan, run, go, martin, run, plan, go, escape...) that broke his trance. with a last frightful glimpse at the nanny, and a silent goodbye in return, he fled the hallway. his father, puny legs shredded, reached up towards him from his toppled arm chair while martin's mother futilely attempted to lift his girth from the only working vehicle...
*martin's mother had been seated in her chair when the explosion went off. the chair absorbed most of the blast and was ruined. the father, facing the blast, had been horribly disfigured and taken most of the force instead of the chair. martin supposed his mother was trying to drag his father off in order to save her own life on the chair-which had a temporary battery cell in case of emergency*
he cried out, for the first time in his life, the word "son," and beckoned him closer to help. martin's mother shrieked horribly and thrashed about wildly while trying to move her crippled husband. martin stared in overwhelming shock (while narrating, martin admits that most of the details of the event were lost due to the series of traumatic events) and ran out the door. his flight responses, rusty since childhood, kicked in halfway down the stairway and his pace picked up considerably.
The outside was in an uproar, missiles exploded in midair showering smaller projectiles on the once darkened city, now flaming orange. these smaller explosives, in turn, destroyed buildings indiscriminately. martin ran along the tube way, for how long he couldn't say.
the city toppled impressively around him, even the tube he ran on collapsed in a heap. he tumbled into the lower section where the poor ran scared, like roaches to sudden light. that's when the shock wore off, and that's when the plan became clear in his head. that's also when tears began streaming forth, his brother's painfully frightened expression (who, for all martin knew, could've still been alive at the bottom of the apartment complex) tattooed his vision.
he heard screaming, something distinctly familiar about the voice, and turned to see phillipe reaching up to the fallen tube. a little girl, perhaps of indian descent, plopped tearfully into his arms. phillipe saw martin looking at him and approached.
scene 5.)
