The War of E-57 Chapter 1
(First story on SF, yay. I welcome constructive criticism. Just don't bash it for no reason. Also, I'm sorry if the spacing is off, I did this on my mobile. I'll fix it if need be when I get back to my computer. Oh, and this chapter only mentions about furs. There will be furs appearing in the next chapter.)
The years of world peace was a great time for most. Many medical advances transpired over the time, a true cure for aids, cancer was a worry of the past, genetic splicing perfected and made common. This last bit raised some issues, but by a slim margin was deemed ethical. Many humans had their genes spliced with animals. These hybrids usually got nothing more than a unique look to them, although for more money they would be able to get certain traits that the animals had. Alas nothing lasts forever, a new energy source was found. The origins a mystery, the possibilities noted as endless. This power source known as E-57 ended world peace. The major nations began a race to protect and collect the sources closest to their countries, and then they branched out. The U.S.A. became the main holder of E-57 in the beginning. This however did not last long, the other nations banding together and fighting the U.S.A. for it. They were not honest with each other and soon a new world war broke out.
May, a human girl born to a lawyer and his maid was orphaned weeks after her birth. Her father died in an earthquake in San Francisco the day she was born, her mother, who had no money from his will, left May on a cliff on a mountain trail. This trail was at the outskirts of San Francisco. A trail of tears was left but soon faded away. A man stumbled upon the bundle of cloths that kept May warm. "Many trust no one. May you trust no one as well. For in this world there is none to trust." He spoke calmly as he stepped closer. Her crying had stopped at the end of his short speech. With a smile he picked up May and carried her to a cabin in the woods. This one place, the place he called home, became her only safe haven.
"Trying is never enough, only succeeding is acceptable." A silhouette that was clinging to a rock wall kept repeating over and over. This was May, eighteen years later. The man that had taken care of her up until now had given her a task. She was told to succeed or not come back. She thought it was an odd task, climb this cliff face then follow the trail not there. He was always cryptic in his words, but this puzzled her even more than his usual sayings. Nonetheless she continued climbing, making it to the top in three more minutes. "Whew," She rolled onto her back breathing heavy. "Thirty minute climb. Geezer might have gone crazy this time." She had a nasty habit of talking to herself, one that comes from years of being alone. Even though "Geezer" as she called him was there to take care of her, he made sure she would be able to rely on herself by sending her alone in the woods often.
Soon she was up and looking for the "trail not there." After a mile or so of walking she stopped and sat down. "Where the hell would this be." She had left at seven at night, it was now nearing eleven at night. It had taken her a good while to find the cliff and thirty minutes to climb. Then around sixteen more minutes for the mile walk. "If I'm not back by midnight there's no point in coming back." A frown was on May's face as she spoke. But Geezer had told her that and she knew he meant it. More walking, more frowning. She had to sit down again, not to catch her breath, but to cry. It was past eleven now. She wanted to be able to go back, Geezer was her only family, even if he was tough on her. She cried for at least ten minutes.
When her fit of tears was over she stood up and looked around. "Oh wow." She said with an amazed gasp. There was a trail, barely noticeable through the trees. It was incredible that she could see it this late at night. Then again she had a little help, the trail was lit up with an odd blue luminescent glow. "That must be it." She walked towards it at first. Once she realized the time she began to run. Her swift form, basically a blur through the dark, followed the trail as close as she could. Branches seemed to whip out at her, they were brushed out of the way. The roots, overgrown and twisting through the forest attempted to trip her, these were jumped over swiftly. May would not be stopped by nature, the only thing that could stop her would be another person. And there were none around. The trail began to widen, the trees backing off their attacks on her. Soon she was in a clearing.
The sight was magnificent. A crystalline lady on her knees cradling an object. The moonlight gave the crystal an eerie glow, different from the trail. There was an air coming from the crystal, it wasn't ominous, but it wasn't pleasant either. The image of the lady appeared sad. One could see a crystalline line going down her cheeks as if she were crying. It lured May closer, beckoned her to look into the eyes, pleaded for the object cradled to be taken away.
May did as the crystal statue commanded. While there was no voice, no real incentive, it was he own will telling her to approach. The closer she got the more she could feel that feeling in the air. Yards away, feet away, now inches. Why was she so interested? It didn't matter now, she was reaching for the arms. She grasped the object, it was cold, then it was warm, now searing hot. She tried to pull away but her hands were stuck to it. A silent scream escaped her lips as her vision blackened. The last thing she saw was the statue crumbling apart.
May came to in a wooden cabin. The two deer heads on the wall, one a six point, the other a ten, were familiar. The smell of cherry wood, old and freshly cut heavy in the air was familiar also. Then the smiling face of Geezer hovering over her confirmed it, she was in his cabin. "How'd you find me." She asked confused.
"I told you of the place, does it not make sense that I knew where you were." Geezer stated simply. He held his hand up before she could speak again. "Child, you have lived here for eighteen years. I believe you should go out into the world and find yourself a cause. My cause has been fulfilled. I hope you may fulfill yours." His smile was ever present. "I don't want to hear a single complaint from you. I took the liberty of going into town and buying you more clothes. I hope they fit. Take the bag at the door and make yourself scarce. I don't want to find you in these woods by midnight." May was holding back tears yet she nodded. She had known Geezer for eighteen years now, she knew arguing was pointless. As she got her bag and began to open the door Geezer spoke again. "I have kept one secret from you for the past year." She stopped and looked at him. "The whole world is at war. I hoped that it wouldn't touch us here before you were ready. My hope came through. This war has been ongoing for the last year you have spent here. Now get going. You know where the town is." With that said she walked out of the door, her light bag over her right shoulder.