Fresh Start In A Strange New World

The disgusting, squishy sound of landing in the mud was the first thing Isaac heard when he landed in Dystopia. He frantically searches for his glasses in the mud, shaking and breathing heavily as the rain pours, obscuring the landscape around him. “Damn it…. This can’t be happening…. T-this can’t…..” He just keeps mumbling to himself as he desperately searches. He stops and pulls his glasses out of the mud, sighing a bit in relief. At least he has his glasses, right? He sits himself up with a hiss of pain, resting on his knees and looking around. He takes a deep breath before he tries to call out to see if there’s anyone around. “H-hello?! Era, are you there?!”

After a moment of silence, there’s a woman’s voice in the distance, calling back out to him. “Isaac! Oh thank god, you’re here!” Isaac turns to where he heard her voice, squinting. Through the rain, he sees her form stumbling through the muddy forest. Era rushes over, tripping and stumbling along the way until she kneels down next to him. “I… I thought they would have killed you,” she said with a sigh of relief, hugging him tightly. Isaac leans into her, shaking.

“T-they wouldn’t do that, darling, they know me…. We need to go back, t-they just misunderstood!” He tries to put his mud covered glasses on as he talks, although they slip from his muddy, wet hands. Era stops and pulls away, keeping a firm grip on his shoulders. She shakes her head, confused. “Isaac, we can’t go back… Even if we somehow found a way to go back, we’re practically criminals in their eyes!”

Isaac goes rigid at the remark and stutters. “W-we?! You’re the one that decided that advocating for cyborgs was an amazing idea! I am-” “Was. You were a Utopian scientist,” she cuts him off, keeping a cool level head. “But that’s not how it is anymore. You know that what your former colleagues are doing is wrong, you didn’t report me even though you know you should have.” Isaac goes flush and shakily tries to stand up, slipping on the mud. “Absolutely not! I didn’t report you because I love you, not because I’m a damn criminal! I’m a proud Utopian scientist, and you know it!”

Era watches as Isaac clumsily tries to get up, frowning. “ How could you say that…? You know that what they’re doing to people, to children is unethical! Look at what they did to us, just because we stood up for what is right,” she says, raising her voice as she gets up. “You just can’t possibly be serious!” “Well, I am! As serious as death! Those so-called people deserved what they got! And don’t you dare lump us in with those criminals, this is all just a massive misunderstanding, Era!” Isaac grabs onto a tree, holding on to gain any sort of balance. It’s so hard to try to stand, trying to ignore the pain all over his body.

Era stares at him for a moment, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “I can’t believe you… You’re not the same man that I fell in love with, you’re just…. How could you? How could you possibly defend them?! You know what they do to the children! Hell, just look at yourself! Look at me! They mutilated us! They didn’t even let us explain ourselves!” She gestures at their multiple scars, as well as their various new body parts. Isaac closes his eyes tightly, muttering. “It… It’s just a misunderstanding, I swear…. If we could just go back-” “No! Stop it! Just… Just stop…. We can’t go back, Isaac….” Era tries to wipe away her tears, sniffling. Isaac shuts up, hearing her cry.

“... You’re right. I’m sorry, I… I’m just scared, darling,” he apologizes after a moment of silence. “We need to go find shelter…. Food and fresh clothes would also be optimal, considering our condition….” He stretches out a hand to her. Era glances up at him and shakily nods, taking his hand. “Okay… we’ll talk about this later. First things first, I suppose….” She walks over and makes him lean on her, trying to help him balance.

Isaac stumbles but regains his footing, holding onto her tightly. “.... You really are my lifeline, Era… I love you, my darling,” he speaks softly. Era gives a small, reassuring grin as she guides him through the forest. “I love you, too, Isaac…. We can get through this, I promise.” Through the pouring rain, they stay side by side as they walk to the town that would be their new home for the rest of their lives.