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#abandoned #after #age #apocalypse #apocalyptic #breakdown #cataclysm #cold #dawn #desert #desolate #desolation #dystopia #dystopian #exposure #fiction #frozen #future #ice #iceboat #james #lost #nuclear #post #science #scout #snowfield #snowstorm #soldier #stranded #survival #survivalist #travel #vision #war #wasteland #winter #flaxman #jflaxman #snowplane #aerosan #art
Published: 2014-12-10 04:02:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 31748; Favourites: 679; Downloads: 278
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Β The short but intense nuclear war that took place a generation ago did not spell the end of life on earth or even human civilisation, though populations have fallen dramatically and industry and agriculture take place on a much smaller scale. Most societies rely heavily on scavenging and bartering, but during longer, harsher winters such activities are left to the most daring or desperate. After suffering a breakdown en route, the crew of this small aerosan are obeying common wisdom in staying with their vehicle, though the cold and lawless wastes harbour many dangers besides exposure and starvationβ¦Related content
Comments: 29
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This is really good, as are your other works, it really kind of leaves a lot up for the theater of the mind. I felt inspired to write a short story, though I'm not sure how accurate it is to the world you've created.
"Well, there's our problem..." Smudge muttered to himself as he examined the busted, dirt encrusted, filthy cracked gasket that had failed at just the wrong moment. "May as well get comfortable, we're not going anywhere soon, not with the engine covered in oil." The man adjusted his jacket and walked around the side of the aerosan with an almost casual stride. Smudge and Tombstone were new to working with one another, neither knew the other's real name, in their line of work sentiment could be a bigger hazard than the creatures that lurked in the shadows.
"I'll take first watch then." Tombstone replied simply, grunting as he pulled himself up onto the roof of the aerosan and quickly surveying their surroundings. The remains of bombed out skyscrapersΒ loomed around the pair like grim skeletons, an ever present reminder of a world long past. Neither of them were exactly sure just what a 'skyscraper' was, just that they were big, metal, and usually crawling with nasty beasts that would just as soon eat a man as drag them off into the unknown abyss. "You have any idea what this place used to be called?"
"I dunno... Nork or something?" Smudge said, dragging one of their dufflebags from inside and dropping it into the snow with a soft thumb. He plopped down, leaning his rifle nearby as he stared into the abyss of snow and ice that surrounded them. "Who cares what it was called?"
"I do." His companion answered simply, taking a cross-legged seat on the roof. "You ever think about what this place used to be like, before the world fell apart, I mean." Smudge shrugged his shoulders, the mist exhaled from his mask rapidly being blown away in the growing breeze.
"I just assumed it was kinda like that place way south of here? Barzil or something? I've never been, but rumor has it it's a paradise." Smudge rubbed the back of his neck tiredly, he hoped that would be the end of the conversation. Tombstone was a helluva shot, but he had a tremendous flaw... He was an optimist. Unfortunately, Smudge had a flaw of his own... Curiosity. Curiosity is what had dragged them out into this snowstorm in the first place, his insatiable wonder to explore the corpses of the fallen metal titans that littered the world. So, against his better judgement, he spoke again. "Why are you so interested in this stuff?"
"I just wonder if we will ever build something like these structures, is all..." Tombstone gestured to the buildings around them as snow landed on the lenses of his mask and melted slowly. "The world is dangerous, desolate, and in some cases disturbing... But, I always wonder why we can't just take a few moments to think beyond where tomorrow's next meal is coming from." Smudge was about to retort, when he caught himself. Tombstone spoke with words he didn't fully understand, and he couldn't help wondering where he had learned them. "Someday, long after we're dead and gone, I hope that there will be structures like this again..."
"You hope?" Smudge asked incredulously, looking up at his companion who simply nodded. "Why hope for buildings like this in the future? So the people who built them can blow the world apart again? You really think whoever builds these things, assuming such a thing could possibly happen, won't screw up like we did before?"
"Yeah, I do... I really do." Tombstone said quietly, Smudge could barely hear him over the sound of the whipping wind and misty snow that swirled around them. "We won't be able to forget this, as a species I mean. It'll be a painful lesson, sure, but one we'll learn well because of it. It will take time and hard work, but in the end... We'll be better off for it."
"What's a spee-seas, actually, forget it... You mind if I ask you two more questions?" Smudge groaned, his eyes focusing back on the wasteland. "What makes you so sure we'll get through this, as a spee-seas or whatever... And more importantly, where the heck did you learn these fancy words?"
"I'm sure we'll get through it as a species-" Tombstone corrected quickly. "-because we always manage to come out on top... Even at the brink of destruction, some bright minded person comes up with a solution that changes everything, and sets right the course of our evolution... There are pitfalls, most certainly... The war was certainly one of them, but..." He trailed off with a sigh. "As for your second question?" He was silent for a few seconds, Smudge couldn't see it, but the man briefly patted the firm cover of a leather bound book in his pocket. "I was lucky enough to be raised in a settlement set up in one of the pre-war schools, I believe it was called a 'University'... Fortunately, we had enough sense of mind to keep the books we found there rather than burn them as fuel for fires."
"I see..." Smudge said with a slight nod. "Say, if you're so smart, why are you here with me and not back there doing smart people stuff?"
"Knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing... At least, that's what I've been told." Tombstone mused, almost sounding giddy. In truth, it had been months since he had had a chance to speak about such matters. Most of the time there was little to conversations other than 'This is the job, this is your partner, get to work.' It was refreshing to encounter a curious, if somewhat literately challenged individual. "I can read a dozen books and be knowledgeable, but I won't have the wisdom I'd need to effectively use it or develop that knowledge further... Coming out here into the world gives me a chance to build that wisdom..."
"Makes sense..." Smudge said quickly, he had never really thought about things like that before, and his short concise statement was more a product of deep thought rather than indifference. Sure, recon and scavenging were good sources of work, and the pay was better than most other jobs. It was also exceedingly easy to get into the job with so many people getting killed. Still, for the first time in his life, Smudge wondered if there was perhaps something more to life beyond where his next payday came from.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Tombstone spoke up, Smudge turned to look at him, his surprised expression evident in his eyes, even if his face was hidden. "What's your name?" Smudge looked at him for several long and tense seconds, and just as it was about to become an uncomfortable silence, he answered.
"Wilson..." He said hesitantly. "And you?"
"Adams." Tombstone replied with a notably more relaxed tone, but Smudge could see his body language rapidly shift as he tightened his grip on his rifle. "Wilson... One last question." The man slowly pointed into the snowy abyss, Smudge had looked away for a few moments and now that he turned back he too could see what had drawn his companion's attention.Β The skulking shadowy silhouettes danced practically invisibly in the haze of fluttering white flakes and soiled filthy air, drawing ominously closer out of the mist. "How much ammunition did we bring?"
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Marcus - "Dont bother bringing extra fuel they said, it'll be a short recon mission they said..."
Vladimir - "Yeah yeah dont remind me... Least we packed extra rations and ammo, we might scav the fuel we need."
Marcus - "True, True... still though. Look at this place... Shot to hell."
Vladimir - "Well we were on a recon mission. Our job is after all to see what there is to see."
Marcus - "Looks like. Rubble... Snow... Ash... and..., oh yeah look! Dark. Lots and lots of DARK. Mission accomplished."
Vladimir - *chuckles to himself*
Marcus - "Well... why dont we go see whats in that building over there?" *Marcus points to a building nearby a collapsed skyscraper, it looks to be mostly intact*
Vladimir - "Hmmm... Looks like an old library or something. Definitely valuables in there thats for damn sure. Yeah shit, lets go! Better than sitting out here choking on this ash."
Marcus - "Alright, lets go through our gear, grab what we can and... help me push this thing into cover or something."
Vladimir - "Yes good idea, dont want anyone pinching it while were gone. Uhh... look at that hole there, good cover, away from the winds. Should be a good hiding spot."
Marcus - *Spots a nearby darkened space near some rubble, then hops down from the Skimmer and helps Vladimir push it towards the hiding spot* "Ffffffff this thing is heavy!"
Vladimir - *Grunts* "Yeah! Dont feel very heavy when youre in the cockpit at 50 miles per hour thats for damn sure... Gotta give credit to those engineers though... 127 miles to the gallon is mileage anyone would've killed for."
Marcus - "You think if- *grunt* -we had that kind of tech before the bombs fell, the bombs wouldnt have dropped?"
Vladimir - "Of course not! Bombs would have dropped anyway. Why? Politicians, zealots and corporations. They cared more about their stupid ideals more than their own humanity."
Marcus - "And Were the poor bastards suffering the punishment. Wanna join the 'i hate my ancestors' club?"
Vladimir - "Do you have t-shirts or coffee mugs?"
Marcus - "Theyre on special order, expecting first shipment on monday."
*moment of silence passes, and they both burst into laughter as they push their vehicle into a covered spot, and conceal it*
Marcus - "There we go... if we find fuel, we'll know where we left her. So... library huh?"
Vladimir - "Yup... Looks like a central one, might be a university library. If its still intact, it could be worth serious coin."
Marcus - "Den wadda we waitin fo'?"
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great drawing.
i hope that the crew of his ship will survive.
who knows...
this could be a nice comic-series. think about it!
good work, keep it up
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Whoa, awesomely done dude!
This looks great! fantastic work ^^
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Huh I didn't know you drew Canadians.
Just kidding.
Great job, J. I like the outfits for these guys as well as the design and details on their vehicle.Β
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Make a book. Paintings with stories beneath. I'll buy a copy.
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Love winter scenes. Excellent work, man :3
I love that a nuke war didn't totally wipe out everything. Nice to see something a little different.
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I think your dystopian world would make an amazing single player RPG, much more ballsy than Fallout.
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I for one would enjoy RP based in Flaxmansworld.
Fallout, but with more edgy and lots ofΒ toxic cyberpunk skanks.
And mutants aren't green orc things, but rather decaying manifestations of sin incarnate.
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Sounds like a top-class game!
One of the enemies could be a wretched blue bear thing...!
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That's freaking awesome!this should be the start of a game :3
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Winter atmospheres have always been a personal favourite of mine! Wonderful piece!
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ahhhhhhwwwww, when the ride breaks down.Β hate when the ride breaks down.Β specially in winter.
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Dude, I hope you get some work to do a graphic novel. You do amazing work.
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