Survivor Diaries

A small figure clung to the shadows, pausing to avoid the Collectors walking past. The figure was dressed in dark greys and black, the clothes tight fitting to her petite frame. On her back she carried a large backpack in the same color scheme, around her waist she wore a belt with a knife, flashlight, and a secondary belt with pockets filled with odds and ends. She relaxed into the shadows, her dark red hair draped around her cherub face half hidden by a mask. Her light blue eyes glinting in the disappearing light, she turned her face to the sky. Oh how she wished to see the stars again, but the pollution from the Unwanted Furnaces filled the sky like a thick miasma blocking all possible hope of seeing the brilliant balls of gas. She tensed as more footsteps came close to her hidden form in the shadows. She had to be careful letting her guard down with so many Collectors nearby, she couldn't risk getting caught. Everyone relied on her getting the much needed supplies, more so Sarah's life counted on her mission going well.

Her fingers sought out the heart shaped locket under her clothes, seeking the comfort she so desperately needed for this mission. Her thoughts flashed back to her last visit with Sarah, she could barely catch her breath with her harsh coughs. She needed medicine to help her recover, she had what everyone hoped was just a bad version of a cold. Sarah and Rayne had been friends since what seemed like the beginning of time, they grew up together in the same school and lived just two streets away from each other before the First Harvesting.

Sarah was younger, and Rayne had always felt responsible for making sure nothing bad ever happened to her. She felt guilty that Sarah had become sick in the first place, but was determined to make up for it. Rayne released the locket, taking a look around her, making sure the coast was clear before heading into the damaged store front. Since the Fall of Humans, we have resorted to scurrying around like vermin on our own planet.

Just under 5 years ago an alien race calling themselves the Pri-tons or Pri-tonians came to earth initially seeking peace with the human race. The Pri-tons were a willowy species of alien, their forms thin and light. What they lacked in mass they made up for in strength, Pri-tons were 5 times stronger than the average human. There were quite a few things that made them different from us, they had three fingers, reverse legs that formed into hooves at the foot, large bulbous iridescent eyes that took up a majority of their face, and they had luminous tube-like hair. Their skin color was always in a spectrum of blue somewhere darker then others.

They seemed like a peaceful race, only wanting to share their technology and culture with us. Everything was fine for 3 months, we had started negotiations about merging our races to co-exist on earth and their home planet Pri-tonious. Negotiations were going smoothly until a radical group of humans shot and killed the leader of the Pri-tons delegation team. After the assisination everything went to hell, humans started fighting amongst themselves, and the Pri-tons. Eventually the Pri-tons decided we were not useful allies unless they fixed us, we were the primitive race after all.

It was not long after that the Pri-tons started to collect the useful humans, disposing of the useless. That’s when the First Harvesting happened, and continued until they collected at most 70% of the human race. The useful ones were sent to breeding farms to up the intelligence of the human race, they had decided that since the human race was far from perfect that they would make them perfect. Nowadays the Pri-tons were taking it even further by experimenting on the humans to see just how much better they can make them. There are now three classifications of humans, Alts, Creators, and the Unwanted. The Alts were genetically modified and treated as if they were gods themselves or glorified pets, Creators were just breeders that got sent to Farms, and the Unwanted were dirt, hunted like wild game and treated even worse.

Making sure to check her surroundings, Rayne crept through the old abandoned pharmacy. Since the Pri-tons started genetically altering humans there has been no need for medicine, they practically bred the diseases out of humans. Rayne carefully crept through the dilapidated pharmacy, grabbing any needed medicines for our survivors group. She quickly made her way through the crumbling isles, once she gathered the necessary medicines, she swiftly headed toward the picked over food isles. Their group had been hitting this store for about a month now, the supplies were starting to dwindle, which meant they were going to have to move locations again or travel further than was comfortable.

It was never safe to stay in the same place too long, especially when the Scanners came through for daily sweeps. The Scanners used a combination of thermal scanners, high res cameras, chip readers and motion sensors. All humans had to be careful not to anger the Pri-tons, they could change your status in the Scanners system at any time, piss the wrong person off and you would be labeled an Unwanted. For Alts and Creators it usually meant death, everything was provided for them so when they are Disowned, they usually don’t know how to fend for themselves.

If Scanners come across an unregistered human it will automatically be labeled as Unwanted and tagged in their system for review later. The review board finds out the Unwanteds heritage, if they are found to be of good breeding status they are tagged Creators. Once labeled a Creator, a warrant is then put out for you and the Collectors are sent after you. If you were stupid enough to stay in the same place as when they tagged you, then it was usually over for you. Oftentimes if a Disowned comes across a Wanted Creator, they will turn them in to get back in good standing. It is not often that a Disowned will be allowed to join a survivors group, for fear of being turned in, but it does happen.

Making sure that she had everything that she needed she started to make her way back to the front of the store. Just as she was about 10 feet from the front of the store she heard a loud humming noise that vibrated the walls, causing dust particles to fall all around her. Rayne flinched looking around herself to see where she could possibly hide, she was not going to get caught by the Scanners. She quickly hid behind a shelving unit digging through her bag for her thermal blanket, it was a heat insulating blanket that shielded her form from thermals. She quickly tucked herself into a corner, grabbing random debris to cover the blanket with, to disguise the blanket and her hiding form.

Just as the Scanner turned the corner and started scanning the street. They usually did not go into stores unless they caught thermals, she made sure the was completely covered by the blanket, they could pick up on the slightest heat signatures. She held her breath as she waited for them to pass over her location. Rayne waited to make sure that they left before quickly grabbing everything and bolting. She was not going to risk another patrol coming through, she was able to get everything that she needed and more. Rayne prayed that the medicine she was able to get worked well for Sarah, if it doesn’t it might just be best to- NO. She would not think like that, she needed to get back to the others.

She scrambled through the destruction left behind from the First Harvesting, most was caused by the panic of everyone trying to flee capture. Every city across the world had ‘Destruction Zones’ or DZ’s, these were the only places left safe from the Scanners. Our group's current hideout was in the city's subway system, or the Under Safeway, which is run by back up generators scavenged from the DZ. Rayne let out a large breath of relief when she reached the dark shadows of the Safeway, digging around in her bag she pulled out some night-vision goggles, and secured them to her face. They made sure to keep all the electricity off in the upper levels to keep the Scanners from finding them, it just made it safer to live there. She carefully worked her way through the blockade that keeps everyone who didn’t belong out, she also had to disarm and rearm multiple traps on her way through.

She took off the goggles as she neared the gate to the Safeway, the guards all greeted her as she walked through the gate. “Hey Rayne, successful trip I’m guessing?” Called one of the ones on the gate. “Yep got everything we needed and then some!” She called back waving to them. As she turned the corner, The Safeway came into view, it was a small little town created out of abandoned train cars. Imagine a winding stream with train cars on either side, similar to a trailer park. Every 10 feet or so there were large overhead lights they salvaged from the baseball stadium, lighting the paths between cars.

She weaved her way through to the very back of the station, that was where the makeshift Medical Ward was located. It was the largest open space available to them down here, so it made sense to make it the Medical Ward. She went to the back office to speak with the Head Healer on what supplies she managed to get. “Healer Gloria!” Rayne called as she knocked on the door. “I’m back from my supply run!” She said as she waited for Healer Gloria to come open the door. “Ah Rayne you made it back safe! I’m so glad, I hated having to send you out so close to the patrol times. Were you able to get all of the medicine we needed?” She asked Rayne over, turning her this way and that to make sure she had no injuries.

Healer Gloria was a short plump woman who was a head nurse at a hospital before the First Harvesting. Her mousey brown hair fell in small ringlets framing her full face. Her light blue eyes glittered with mischief and wonder. She wore lightweight linens composed of mainly blues and whites, everyone down here tried to keep a color associated with their responsibilities. Blue/white for Medical, browns/black for Patrol, greens/yellows for the Growers, and dark grey/black for the Runners.

“Yes I was able to get everything on the list but, most of them were the last of it. We are going to have to venture out further for medicine and food or we will have to move.” She said, setting down her bag of goods. Rayne started to pull out all of the medicines and handing them to Healer Gloria. “I hope we got everything we need to help Sarah, the medicine we needed for you was everything the store had. If we need more I can head out in the morning. I will have to do a brief with Chief Patrol Memphis.” She said as she handed over the last of the medicines. “Once I get the canned foods to the pantry I will come and visit Sarah, is she feeling any better?” She asked, zipping up her bag.

“She seems to be doing better and with this medicine, she should be better in a week.” Healer Gloria said putting the medicine on the shelves. “You go get some rest okay Rayne? You deserve it!” She said as she put the last bottle on the shelves. Rayne turned to smile at her before she headed out the office.