A technomancer's journey in an apocalyptic world

Ryan cleared the various chairs and tables that were blocking the door as he stepped inside he was welcomed into the apartment by a headless corpse that was seating on a sofa with an opened bottle of whiskey by his side.

A shotgun lay in front of him, as he looked around he found a good collection of guns, ranging from snipers to assault rifles to revolvers lying around collecting dust.

'I doubt that most of them would be legal but then again I am not well versed in the Government Arms Act, so thinking someone having an illegal stash of weapons is cool.'

He looked at the door that was missing making him sigh, 'I feel unprotected without something covering my back.', he closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them with a small sigh, 'Well I have enough for a door, but it would mean I will not be able to make another when I deconstruct it as well as lose a few more points in mana.'

Ciara sighed as she looked at hustling and bustling on her fort's ground, it had come as a shock to her when a group of three hundred strong humanoids came asking for shelter and help.

Yes, humanoid the group consisted of what the claimed as elves and dwarves, at first she was sceptical, she thought it as a poorly made joke, claiming that they are not human because of their sudden mutations, but as more and more proof was given out she was forced to acquiesce that they were speaking the truth.

'At least having them amongst us was a great boon, the elves are great with hunting and growing plants, while the dwarves have taken over constructing.'

Unfortunately, no matter what they tried they were unable to build anything inside the base, as such a small village had formed on the outside of the base perimeter.

Ciara sighed as she was looked up towards the sky thinking about her children.

Michalina meanwhile was feeling the sting of defeat, she had tried hard but unfortunately, all she could do was follow a certain direction and was forced to return empty-handed as the tanks of the bikes were running low to the point they gave out a few kilometres away from the base, she did not know how far Ryan had been taken, nor did she know his current status, all she felt was numb.

Ryan meanwhile looked at the journal in front of him the journal once belonged to one Captain Frank O'Rorke, the very same Frank that was lying on the sofa and was dead.

It was nearing noon and Ryan had spent the entire morning inside the apartment, he had made a quick detour back to the neighbouring apartment and now he was the proud owner of a portable stove, he tweaked it a bit as he did not wish to use gas, after all of the gasoline can act so much dangerously who knows what gas was capable of.

As such the solution was rather simple he used the one that needed fuel in the form of wood and the broken furniture provided plenty.

He used the guns that the Captain had to craft a new one for him, combined with hybrid sight, which could change from red dot to 4X zoom with a simple flip, but most importantly he had managed to create silence, unlike the traditional suppressor he was more square-shaped and mixed with the gun well enough that it looked as if the gun was slightly extended and without any muzzle.

'The integrated suppressor sure looked nice.'

A small smile graced his lips at the thought of his gun before he picked up the journal as he began to read it while waiting for his Mana to fill up again.

It had been a few days since I have returned from my tour in Afghanistan as a member of the UN Peacekeeping forces, I was only deployed for three months and the bullet that severed my spine made sure that I would never stand let alone walk on my two feet.

As such, I was discharged from the 5th Airborne troops with Honors and medals and a sizable pension that would take care of me for now at least, when I returned home in my apartment that I got for us, my relatives began treating me as a fragile glass.

At first, I understood the reason and accepting their behaviour but it slowly turned to annoyance, I did not spend so years in the army to be treated as such, but even then the sight of my beloved cheered me up.

To Ryan, it sounded soothing to read and learn about Captain Frank while he tried to pass his time.

Ellie had been a bit distant to me lately, she had been busy with her work lately, at first I thought nothing of it, but my cousin send some pictures and I…I cannot believe it, the same Ellie who promised to stay by my side till death do us apart was in another man's arms and a rather intimate position.

I understand, being a cripple was not easy but still, at least she should tell me at my face, instead of hiding it behind lies and deceit, to be her happiness was the most important thing in my life and now I do not know what to do, I will confront her later.

The next date in the journal was a couple of weeks later from the last entry,

I confronted her, we argued and she called me lots of things but what was worst was she called me a murderer, yes that was what she called me.

'All soldiers only know is how to kill and kill, nothing more than a bunch of savage murdering psychopaths.'

Over my life, I have been called many things but this, I do not know what to say, I believe a part of me had died when I heard it.

Since time immemorial every soldier in this world have fought one and one thing only, to keep their loved one safe, they freeze in the cold knowing that by his actions at least his loved ones would have a warm roof over their head, we all swore to protect the weak, shelter the unsheltered and bleed so that the future may be safe from the tyranny of the corrupt and evil.

I did not choose to be in the army because of money, fame or glory, no if I wanted I could be a movie star or work in some other profession, I joined because of that small grateful smile of the child when I saved him from the burning building, I joined the army because I…..

There was nothing written there he had stopped writing, though Ryan's heart clenched as he spotted some smudged ink indicating the presence of tears while writing.

The next entry was once again a few days later, exactly on the day everything changed.

A few days after that incident her new boyfriend came to my apartment, with some papers, yes divorce papers, since she was expecting they were getting married soon after the divorce was finalized.

Before that bastard left she told me with a smug smile on his face,

"Well before you were a cripple you were a leech that cost the honest hardworking people their money through tax so that you and your group of psychopaths would go on a murdering spree, now you parasite do not expect an invitation I do not want the greatest day of my life to be tainted with likes of you."

Oh God above how much I wished I had my guns with me, I would have killed that waste of space then and there, for the first time I felt so much hatred in my life that I cannot even begin to say.

Then the journal had one last entry that was devoid of any dates.

The earth shook the buildings toppled and I was left inside a slanted building those who could run, but I was left behind, how could I move when the stairs are inaccessible, when the elevator won't work because there was no power, it was hell, I was forced to let go of my wheelchair as it was proving to be difficult.

It would have been a bad dream but now it was a nightmare the dead rose and everything went to hell, they were everywhere tearing and eating people.

I always loved guns, as such I had a collection of them, and I put them to good use.

Like it mattered, ten became hundred and hundred became thousand and my guns ran out of bullets, and now here I sit, after boarding the door up, I could hear them outside the door, one of them had managed to reach the window and it bit me, even if I had managed to kill it, the damage was done, I could not stop the bleeding I was dying.

I was always taught that suicide was the way of the coward, but I refuse to let myself change into those undead creatures after death, I was not that good looking and I can bet I would look even more ghastly as such Captain Frank O'Rorke of 5th Airborne troops signing off and goodbye.

Ryan wiped the tears that fell from his eyes, he felt really sad for him, and he always had a deep respect for people in Uniform, maybe because two of the most important persons in his life wore them.

"I pray that you found peace in your afterlife Captain, and thanking for all your hard work."

He put the journal in his backpack as he quickly donned his gears, he then bowed towards the corpse as he spoke with a sad sigh, "Captain Frank I am sorry for not being able to give you a proper burial, I might not know of you during your lifetime, but I will never forget you and sorry for borrowing your journal of private thoughts."

With his piece being said Ryan stepped out of the apartment leaving behind Captain Frank, as he slowly began to make his way downstairs.