It’s a beautiful spring day. The snow is just about gone; everyone can walk down the street in nothing heavier than hoodies and sweaters. The trees are taking on a greener hue as they come alive and sprout leaves. Another day in the apocalypse.
‘No one expects it to look like this, even I still wonder. In movies, apocalypses are depicted as nothing short of a war zone, with splattered bodies (depending on the rating), the military, and hurricanes of sounds and explosions. Maybe interspecies experimentation, or parasitic aliens, or a tyrant is forcing their rule on everyone, resulting in a world-wide invasion. Or a combo of the above.’
You’re in one right now. While you ate a breakfast of porridge and tea this morning in your small blue kitchen, while you watched the news about another murder of passion three months ago on the laptop (this one about a scientist, professor What’s-his-face), and even while you were studying Ancient Sparta in university ten years ago.
‘What most people don’t realize is that apocalypses don’t happen overnight. They can happen over a series of weeks, months, or years. Decades, even. What first appeared as the planet flying on the merry-go-round of space soon became a world falling slowly.’
The sun peeks out from some clouds ahead, casting the grass, monochrome buildings, and people in a bright, warm glow as you walk down the red brick side walk towards your destination.
“Bon matin.” You greet and nod to a passing elderly woman, a younger man, and who you assume to be his daughter. The sun adds a shine to her long, black hair that frames her round, chubby face and dark blue sweater.
“’Allo.” The adults respond and smile in unison, the little girl walking straight ahead and drinking from a water bottle, knowing that she isn’t really involved in this conversation… or with this world’s new era.
“Kids.” A familiar honeyed voice muses from behind as she approaches you and matches your pace. She has on her old black sweater and faded grey jeans. Her gaze follows the little girl, specifically the water bottle if you know her right. “You don’t see many of them these days, ‘specially the younger ones, eh?”
“If this is another conversation to get grandkids, Mama, then please drop it.” You keep your eyes ahead and adjust your sleeve, trying to bask in the morning’s peace as the two of you walk. A few cars drive by on the road and you scrunch your nose at the smell of gasoline. The stench you smell every time a car drives by. It only increases as the day wears on. For this year.
“You know it’s not. Pleasant day for a walk, though. I see the malls still up.” Mama says. You look her way to see the large, grey building splattered with new colourful advertisements of junk foods, clothes, and messages. You haven’t been to that mall in three years since:
You knew that when Mama invited you into the mall so she can use the bathroom, there was an ulterior motive. But you went in anyway and as predicted, she went right to the nearest clothing store.
“What do you think of this, dear?” She held up a painfully bright red t-shirt with flower designs.
“That doesn’t look like the bathroom, Mama.” You deadpan.
Despite the earlier greeting, you can’t help the grin tugging at your lips at the memory and Mama’s chortle, which had caused other people to look your way.
"They're still probably selling those horrible sugar drinks in the stores."
"Just filled with sugar and salt! Too bad the government won't listen to our requests to take them off the shelves."
"There are ways, I'm sure..."
“Maybe... it’s nice that the lab is close by from here. Thanks for responding to my invite. I have some things to show you.” You glance at her – Mama has a second white stripe in her hair – and then ahead, vision narrowed on a stark white building that is roughly the size of a football field. The greening grass is short and neatly clipped, brightened by the sunlight reflecting off of the side wall, which is nothing but sleek, glass windows. The left side of the building had nothing at all.
‘Conveniently, that’s where our personal lab is.’
You stepped a bit behind Mama, letting her open the door for you.
“Thanks.” You say.
“Anytime.” She replies and whips out her key card while you were still looking in your pocket to swipe the slot on the second door. Once inside, you both walk down the clean, white halls to the left part of the building, the motion-sensing lights instantly turning on. You blink in irritation each time it happens and let out a breath of relief when you see the familiar door to your lab.
“You must have deep pockets, today.” She smiles, her eyes (with noticeable bags underneath) crinkle with joy lines as you… search for your card. Again, she swipes her card and opens the door. This lab is one of the bigger ones, perfect to research any projects a parent and child team wish to explore. Cameras are in each corner, the red lights thankfully turned off.
“So.” Mama puts her handbag down by the corner and dons one of the lab coats hanging up. You follow suit and shrug one on. “I’ve taken samples from the river and compared them to the samples found in the Great Lakes and the city’s water treatment facility.” She turns on one of the large computers on the black desk. You stare at the images of charts. “It shows a match to the chemicals found in the other samples. Someone is putting something in the water, but I traced it to the EPA, not any of those fisheries or industrial companies like we first thought!”
“You’ve found out a lot.” You say, studying the graphs and bite your lip at the chemicals they show, some with question marks instead of labels.
“Ah, not really.” She rubs her eye and adjusts her black sweater. “In all my years of research, I don’t know what they are, exactly, but their effects could be what’s causing the decline in births in recent years.”
“Actually, what’s causing the decline is because most people don’t want them.” You smile from behind her. “These chemicals were leaked into the water supply and activate when hidden messages are played on advertisements.” She turns to stare at you, a cocktail of surprise and disbelief on her aged face. “The messages will subconsciously altar the population’s thought patterns. Specifically, to not think about intercourse.”
“… W… What? How do you know about this? And why would anyone do this?”
“There’s almost eight billion people on the planet.” You respond nonchalantly, turning to look at the wall as the confident words of Chief fill your head. “Governments aren’t making a move to support environmentally-friendly energy sources. Humans are a parasite to this planet and should be controlled. With less breeding, the numbers will shrink to something the earth can support, while not endangering other species in the process.”
“And you're a part of this? What about when you want children?” Mama asks, walking in front of you, most likely searching for any sort of lie.
“I never wanted children.” You could never take care of something so helpless and dependent. “Professor What’s-his-face also found out and declined my offer to help out, so I had to take care of him.” You stare at her, unblinking, waiting for her answer.
“What!? Dear, think! To do this, it’s an invasion on people’s liberties. Whoever is leading this practice is bad! they're not saving the world! I would never be a part of this!” Mama shrieks and you reach into your sleeve. “You have to tel-“ You grab her hair and unsheath the hidden knife, stabbing her in the chest. time appears to stop as you stare into her sad brown eyes and your heart thumps rapidly.
"Bad, eh?" You echo, the smell of blood attacking your nose and push her to the floor. "Reminds me of that phrase... 'you either die a hero or live long enough to be a villain.'" You keep eye contact, circling around the woman as her breaths turn ragged and her heart beats slow down, the blood spreading over the pure-white floor. "In all your years of research, you have not found a way to get everyone to choose a better life, even when you knew better. Do you think that you lived for too long?"
A dull pain shoots up your hand, crushing the knife's handle. She sputters as you kneel down to fish out her security card. "I, on the other hand, have found ways to improve myself and the world." She begins tearing up, but says nothing. "Ways in which I will act on. Since you declined... I have to kill you, too." The woman begins to sob which echoes around the room and excites your heightened senses again. You stand up quickly and go to the door.
“Anytime.” You whisper and swipe her card through the slot.
A smile stretches across your face as you wipe your eye from a threatening tear. The ‘invasion’ is in full effect and you’re a part of it.
Sorry, I had to fix up some things and change the title to something better.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aysI9zio2
