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She looked out from the dirty window. Outside she could hear footsteps, but she couldn’t see anyone. Yet, she knew it was the patrol. The damn patrol! She tried to calm her breath, even if she didn´t think they would hear it. She was safe in here. Her dirty old garage had kept her alive many days now. Months, maybe even years? She had lost track of time it seemed. Everyday had been hard, just trying to keep alive. Her arms had started itching again. She knew what that meant, yes, she needed more of the medicine. The medicine that keep the illness in check.
After the big war she as many others turned to the medical center to get the injection. The injection that would make them sleep for many years underground. They all did, the survivals… They took the shot and let themselves be buried underground in “vaults” but they were nothing more than underground dirt caves with coffins. She remembers getting out of her coffin looking around to see that she was a rare lucky one. One of very few who survived the long sleep in the cave. The caves stank was overwhelming and she managed getting out of there choking on the dirty air.
The feeling getting outside was the best she ever had. To take a fresh breath of air after that awful stay down below was like getting a cold glass of water in a burning dessert. But she was kind of late to wake up. A lot of people were already living in this new world. Some of the first had already taken all that had any value and now they ruled the world with guards and patrols. They were “The fabulous”, newly rich people in colorful garments and accessories. She saw one of them walking by and he or she looked at her with a repulsive gaze. The member of the fabulous made a silly noise with a wrinkled nose and ran off like a small child would run.
It was by now she felt the itching in her arms. Like her body and body fluids were one fire. The skin on her forearms were changing colors and looked inflamed. The after math of the injection… This was also the first time she heard the footsteps. They were heavy and aggressive. From nowhere they were over her. The patrol. She looked up and saw to big hands grabbing her carelessly. He just pulled her away and dragged her through the village.
“Here” he said with a deep voice throwing her at the door to the medical center. “Could it be? No, it couldn´t? The same medical center?” It was - the same medical center as before the big sleep, but now they had a different agenda. Now they got you hooked up on their drug. The one that keep the cellular degeneration down.
“Another hatchling that crawled out from the cave.” The deep voice made her back hair stand up. So much hate in the voice, so much disgust. “Okay, ill let her have a shot – the first one is on the house you know!?” The so-called doctor hammered a syringe in her thigh so hard the tears instantly filled her eyes. “Oh, we have a cry baby here!” The grumpy and dirty doctor laughed at her, but she didn´t care because the shot had made the itching stop right away. She didn’t feel hot anymore, no she was feeling awesome! The small bloody wounds on her knees and hands just started to disappear.
“What did you give me?” She was surprised by her own voice. It was deeper than before, and dustier. She tried another time and this time her voice sounded a bit clearer. “What did you give me?” The doctor turned arrogant towards her. “You won’t care what it is very soon, but you will sure know that you need it.” The doctor gave her the worst of grins and the Patrol standing next to them all laughed. “Yeah, and then you will come running for more, be sure to bring some Manganese mineral. You know that’s why we stay in this god forsaken place, right?” The dark voice gave her shivers again. “We all need that shit now, Manganese... Before you just got dizzy and tired without it, now we degenerate and die.” It was another one of the patrol members talking and his voice sounded more kind. “It looks like this” he said and showed her some small purple stones in the palm of his big hand. She looked at them and they were kind of beautiful. “You can keep this” he whispered and sneaked them into her hand. “They will keep you alive for a couple of days, but you will need more and more of them.” She looked at him with gratefulness before the deep voice where over them both. Don´t make friends with the trash, he screamed and kicked her where she was sitting.
The patrol immediately moved out and she was left alone in the dust in front of the medical center. Without food, water or shelter. All she had was just some purple shining stones in her sweaty palm, and a memory of the garage where her father once used to work. “That’s where I will go.” She didn’t know if she said it or just thought it to herself. “I will take it from there. One day after another.”
Timeline
1973 - Scientists working on the longevity of lobsters manages to find a way to make cells regrow without shortening of telomeres and thereby avoid ageing. These genes become known as TR- genes (Telomere Regenerative Genes)
1978 - Scientists working on the regenerative abilities of amphibians manges to transfer the TR genes, using a viral vector, from a lobster as well as the regenerative genes from an amphibian to a mouse thereby creating a self healing mammal.
1985 - After a few years of trials the cell regeneration therapy is deemed safe enough to use on humans who else risk death.
1986 - The Chernobyl incident cause a mutation in the virus vector used for the gene-therapy to mutate and mix with the influenza virus. The treatment turns into an airborne virus that both infect and cure those infected, causing the gene therapy to become a true “pandemic”. At first this is no major concern since the only symptom is self regeneration. However this cause increased metabolic rates and thereby increased requirements for food.
1988 - The increased need for food is driving motor behind increased consumption, economic growth and increased ecological stress. Hunger drives people to burn the rainforests to create agricultural land and the increased demand drives up food prices forcing the public to neglect environmental issues to gain enough money to buy food. Further increasing the productivity and economic growth as well as the environmental stress.
1992 - The developing world starts to suffer greatly. The increased prices mean that they no longer can afford to buy food for themselves. This causes a large migration crisis and hunger driven crime sprees. This has two effects: increased technological investments in robot and AI technology to create farm-aid for food production and increased agitation between people.
1994 - Increased stress and need for food drives people to desperation. Riots occur in the streets in protest of increased food prices. This forces politicians to take more forceful measures to control the public.
1995 - War breaks out.
ca 2020 - Decades of war have left the world in ruins, famin, contaminated water spread far and wide and biodiversity is at a record low to make new accessible agricultural land. It is decided that the most efficient path to take is to create underground self sustaining shelters.
Ca 2030 - the shelters are expended upon, however there is soon realised that they will not be sufficient to support the population. In addition to the limited access to manganese, the cramped areas makes for corruption and complicated social structures, hence it is decreed that those living there should sleep in cryo-sleep until the surface world is safe enough to repopulate.
2050 - most survivors are sleeping. Those unfortunate few who does not get access to a vault are forced to survive in a barren world where the remnants of bioengineering have left an accelerated rate of mutation. This combined with a lot of open nisches leaves a world open for strange new creatures...
2320 - Those who will become the first fabulous wake up to reclaim the world. They get first pick from the funtionating treasures left in bunkers, and still have the memory of how to control them. They still suffered from the need of manganese, however, some still had the skill to manufacture new, or accessed stockpiles constructed by automatons during their sleep.
2400 - the time of OFFA, gangs control what little manganese there is. Social hubs are created around fachistly controlled production facilities.
You live in the village off Böja. Here the rich Fabulous people rule because they control the Medical Center, and to do so they have their own police force - The Black star, who patrols the village. Böja is poor, so if you have some money consider yourself lucky.
You constantly need Manganese to survive and it is provided by syringes from the Medical center if you give them Manganese chrystals.
In the center of the village it is a big house "The Bazaar" were people come together and meet. The Bazaar is run by VAB - "Vårfamiljen af Blomsterprakt" and there is also alot of mutants hanging around here.
Next to the Bazaar you have the Medical Center and a Russian Bar in the same house. You will get the gossip here and also the precious Manganese syringes from the doctors. This house is run by the Black Star and be sure to behave because the patrol can make your life miserable without any real reason.
Another house facing the Bazaar is the Garage where The techno-Cats live. You will most likely see some robots arround and hear som more futuralistic music playing. They don't fancy members of VAB that much but the peace holds to some extent. It is told that the Techno Cats is lead by a fearless woman that climbed her ranks from Hatchling to Leader.
Far away you can see the train stables where many Wastelanders roam around and do their everyday work. Once in a while you bump in to a hatchling that often is very confused.
Behind the train stables the road to the new town Ankle Wolf begins. Sometimes Böja make trade with Ankle Wolf but people of Böja never go down the road, the trade is done by the border. Why? The road is often raided by the fearsome Denim Hoods - the plague of the Wastelands. Why they don't raid the people of Ankle Wolf is unclear but they must be bribed say some people.
The nobels of the town is easy to spot. They have colorful clothes and has a lot of make up. They are rich and often careful, some are cowards but don't underestimate them. They are often leaders and has a lot of body guards close by. Some of them are also heavily armed, and crazy aggressive if threatened. You can never know.
All you do in Böja gives reputation. It is important to be popular and fabulous. Your Fame Factor will follow your footsteps wherever you go. How will you gain your fame?
"Prospekt Tid-Vad"
Written by the participant Marc Jansson, translated by Kristofer Mannerström
The small settlement of Prospekt Tid-Vad lies at the farthest shore of what once was the river Tidan. The only way in there is a poorly managed and cleared road that many times could be mistaken for a larger animal track. If you make your way through the worst bushes, then stretches of cracked asphalt soon appear that offer a little easier travel, apart from the wild animals and confused raiders who stray along the roads.
The closer you get to the settlement, the more water-sick and swampier the ground becomes, and the few nutrient-poor fields in the area ends before the first traces of buildings are visible. The final stretch goes over rickety wooden bridges before Prospekt Tid-Vad's pale lights appear in the swampy fog. Between the sheds there is wreckages of vehicles and scrap, and oily mud water spreads the gleaming light of lamp shades. A heavy scent of rust, oil and spoiled fish fills the whole settlement.
History
The settlement was founded by two newly hatched people who did not really know any better. Filled with some kind of romantic feeling for settling down, they gathered together the few surviving documents they could find, one of which was greatly torn but described "newly built ch..h in Tid..vad”.
When they arrived at the site, they quickly found out that left was mostly gravel and ruins. The river had flooded and drenched the dirt in its dark smelly water, and now the dry land did not suffice for neither cultivation nor housing construction. Even worse, size of the ground was to small and much to stony.
The newly hatched (who went by the names Abel and Margit) had to fight from day one for their survival. Wooden logs that was not completely attacked by wood rot were pushed down into the mud along the edge, on which were laid wooden boards from collapsed barns.
Soon it resulted in a larger shed along the shore. Slowly but surely people began to gather for the settlement, more sheds were built and an old two-storey house was repaired helpfully to be used as a meeting place, and work as a residence for the by now two village elders.
It was by now the settlement got its name, Prospekt Tid-Vad. Nowadays, the settlement consists of about ten sheds and poorly repaired houses that accommodates about fifty people.
Settlers and surroundings
The people in Prospekt Tid-Vad are stubborn, worn people who feed on barter, mostly in Böja. They have an almost uncanny ability to find useful mechanic parts and useful scrap in the wasteland. Some fishing also occurs and although the villagers claim that the fish is fully edible, outsiders are highly hesitant about the knotty, eel-like animals.
A few dry land plots are cultivated, and the settlers grow the plants without any major consideration. Inside the village nothing grows as the ground is spoiled by junk from scrap handling.
Few people make it out into the marshland, but recently raiders have become more common. This has forced the people to arm themselves and old car wrecks have been dragged out to work as protection around the most vulnerable parts of the settlement. Torches and oil lamps burn at night, but the weak lights only light up a few buildings.
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