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In The Last Great World War
The Planet Is The Ultimate Casualty “The last time we knew how to keep track of time, it was the year 2010. What began as the Middle East conflict eventually escalated into World War III. Allies became enemies; everyone launched their most destructive weapons against each other. Millions of lives were lost, the world as we know it came to an end. Race, class, and creed became things of the past. What was left of us had to leave the surface and move underground. The surface of our world had become uninhabitable; nuclear winter was perpetual and we would never again see the sunrise. And there were those…who had decided to stay… As the surface was now a superheated realm of the dead, we dubbed it Hades. My home is Hub 60625, located two miles beneath what our educators call Old Chicago. The best of us, called Runners and Retrievers, have to pass through Hades and contend with Those Who Stayed for our city to survive. Our Runners are trained to gather intel on newly uncovered “Safe Zones”; areas of the surface cleared that may contain uncontaminated supply. Our Retrievers are the ones who get what we need at all costs. My father was a runner. On the last run, he disappeared. Only one of the Runners made it home. He died from his injuries soon after. The Elders believe that Those Who Stayed are becoming desperate for survival, and they have begun hunting us. Those Who Stayed have found a way into our home. Our people are dying. I don’t know if I’ve been affected yet, and it doesn’t matter anymore. My name is Gabriel. I am going to risk charges of treason and abandonment by reaching the surface. I am going to Ground Zero, where all of this began, and I will bring back whatever is necessary for our people to survive. And most importantly, I will find my father. I will either rescue him, or bury him…”
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