Atonement
"Did we succeed?", asks a mysterious man in an cramped and dark place, "I suppose so", answers another man standing beside him. "Well.....now it's just a countdown to desolation.", mumbled a third man in the same place.
They all giggle hysterically.
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Robert wakes up in "See Green City" after he clumsily collapsed in the middle of a road and is graced with the presence of the old man he met before he fainted, who had actually brought him here with him and asked "Ye ai'ght, son? Ye fainted from excitement I think, but don' worry 'cuz this old man carried ye all the way here, now praise me." Robert replies: "Well Thank you, Sir..." "It's Louis" " Oh, Thank you vey much Sir Louis, I cannot express enough gratitude, it's just that I've been confused these past two days and don't know what to do exactly..." Louis adds by saying "Well...I think I might know a way to clear that confusement of ye'rs, I'll make you meet the one incharge of this City and most probably the saving grace of this stained world." Robert is struck with curiosity and is jittery to meet this so-called "Saving grace of the World".
On the way to meet See Green City's "leader", Robert gets to experience the wonders of this place, there's greenery everywhere, the copius verdure of the folliage and the meagreness of soil was something inconceivable to Robert because the world he had only seen was one filled with corruption and greed, due to which the sight was not worth gazing upon, as every nook and cranny of that world was discoloured by the tainted society. However, this world was different, it was filled with a intention of change, regret from past and a urge to fix, exactly what Robert was struggling for......his new oppurtunity.......his forgiveness......his atonement.
While on their way Robert sees a stall or some sort of work area and pondered on what it was, he asked louis who answered: "Oh, this! You'll see these everywhere, they are small clinics for children or people who can't afford surgery".
"Surgery? For What?". Robert obliviously blurted out.
"ARS, don't you know". Robert shakes his head. Louis is surprised and exclaims to Robert: "Jesus Christ, jus' where have ye been livin'......well lucky ye brought this up 'cuz there was no way ye would be livin' here in See Green without knowin' the 'Acute Radiation Syndrome'.
"Uh huh?"
"Well listen now, the ARS or acute radiation syndrome is a terminal illness which was caused from an explosive of some sorts set off in Japan of that time, it dates back to almost six or seven decades, anyways, the radiation spread and affected the people and has been carried through genes to this date with no cure or vaccine yet, when people are already busy and fed up with trying to rebuild the world, the cure is long awaited. And that's where See Green comes in, we are constantly trying to cement a new footing, with working on the re-establishment of civilization and disclosing a method to be rid of this chronic malady."
Robert out of the blue ceases to move, he thinks to himself,"I knew it.......how could I have not seen this coming, my own creation.......has led to the demise of millions of people today.......how could I even show my face to anyone, to Louis, to this leader, to these people who are fighting for their lives........I'm pitiful, I'm disgraceful, I'm miserable, I'm.......I don't deserve this new oppurtunity!" Robert breaks into tears, Louis is baffled at Robert's behaviour but he doesn't question it and encourages him to keep moving as there was someone waiting.
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It was almost evening, the crows and pigeons had calmed. Robert and Louis had finally arrived at the "leader"'s headquarters or base of operations. It was a building resembling the shape of the colosseum, an oval-rounded, glass covered, stalwart and robust bulding with an whopping astronomical and cumbersome size. They both went in and Robert's heart starting throbbing from nervousness to meeting this mystery person who made the world stand on its feet again.
"Excuse me Ma'am, can we come in?" Solicited Louis,
"Ma'am?" Robert mumbles,
The door is opened to the leader in her proudful and lofty form. "It's a she!" said Robert to himself,
"Greetings Gentlemen, I'm Audellia Borghild, the one who leads the citizens of our See Green City......how is she a woman, are probably the words repeating in your mind, but it is the reality, face it, embrace it, for I will be the one to put an end to this tyranny." She was young but old enough as they say, her pulchritudinous black hair with a hint of indigo gleamed all the way down to her hips, and her curtained bangs shined over her ravishing and inescapable vibrant violet eyes, down to her lionizing thin face and ductile, luminescent skin, in her sergeants' clothing, mantled with badges and pride. She was truly not someone ineligible to hold the title of "saving grace of the world".
"Anyone is qualified to make change wether it be any gender or any race, as long as ones capable, he will succeed, and here I ask you, Audellia Borghild! Are you capable enough?", excluded Robert to Audellia, Louis interfere and tries to occlude Robert and says "Robert! How can you speak in such disdain!" Audellia speaks forth " I will permit it Louis, after all I do have to prove my worth in order to educate this world for its own benefit, Robert was it? Come.....I will show you if I'm capable enough." Robert steps over there and Audellia directs him to a view which would clear all queries, "This was once just rubble, a void, with nothing to do with it, those who were hopeless and drenched in despair were correct, as there was now nothing you could have done with this, but, we prevailed, we never gave up, I, never gave up, and this is the result today. Fields of inundated grass and vegetation, smiles on every inhabitants' face, food on the table, roof on the head, I hope this was enough to answer you." claimed Audellia by leaving Robert speechless and silent, "it seems, it was enough."
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Both sit down and Robert begins by saying "I wholly apologize for my rude manner of speaking, however, it was necessary as I needed to know the ability of the one who I'm going to entrust my future from now on." Audellia was confused and asked, "Why? Have you decided to live here in See Green?" "Yes, I have, a new begining you could say.....actually these past two days I had no idea what was happening with me, I remembered nothing of before these two days." Audellia says, "Rather strange that is, but no worries as you are most definitely welcome here and we are always fortunate to see more and more people being exposed to See Green. Here have this." Louis comes out with a small bag containing the currency of See Green, Robert is stuck in a predicament as much as he would like to accept, his gentle etiquettes could not let him take it, but, to his satisfaction, Louis just put it in his hands and Robert expressed his gratitude, while jumping in his pants with over-excitement.
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Robert exits the headquarters and mumbles to himself, "A new begining, eh? I still don't know how to atone for my sins, for what I have done, these lives had to suffer because of me............there must be a reason as to why I was given this chance......." He takes a deep breath and shouts in his heart, "Let's make the most of this life as we can Robert, don't fail this time, don't fail this time, DON'T FAIL THIS TIME!"
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"Did he seem one of them", asks Audellia to Louis who answers: "His behaviour doesn' seem to be as he is one of them, nor a hired spy, although some signs do show suspicion, he apparently didin' remember anything before two days and he decided to live here. But Oh'well we'll see."