The Price of Survival  

By: Nicolás Díaz - Juan Andrés García Caicedo - Mateo Guzmán (New Chapters below)

Chapter I 

November 17, 2025

It was a cold evening in New York City, the streets were empty since the catastrophe. Across
“Park avenue” there was a row of 6 story foot buildings, rather small for the “new big city”.
There was a faint light radiating from the 4​th window. Inside there was a small living room,
only being able to fit a single couch and a dinner table. The room connected with 4 others, a
kitchen, a bathroom located in the hallway, a bedroom (which was quite messy and
disorganized) at the end, and the Studio.

This last room is where Maxwell resides. Maxwell is an average 25-year-old man who works
independently as a reporter. TV died a few years ago when the internet became accessible
and possible to manage the entire community, now the internet became essential to transmit
information. He was working on a news story about the city’s fusion reactor. The fusion
reactor network (FRN) replaced fossil fuels as a source for clean energy 4 years ago, they
could supply renewable energy for almost the entire country as long as they received
maintenance every week or less. Maxwell started rolling the camera and began talking:

“As well as we all know, the government overlooked the reactor’s maintenance for a couple
of weeks, which explains why there has been some strange activity in the FRN that has
affected the energy supply of the city. As such the government will begin its weeklong
maintenance of Fusion Reactor Beta. Thankfully it appears there hasn’t been any serious
damage caused and we should not fear any energy crisis after the maintenance, however, its
recommended to use energy as sparingly as possible during this week. Thank you all for
watching and be safe.” End recording.

After finishing his job Maxwell continued with his daily routine. He started ordering various
items from the online store (such as food, toilet paper, and such), as well as a couple of
recreative objects (games for example). Physical stores died out after the internet took over
any deal (shortly after TV died), Internet shops were more efficient and cheaper, however,
public spaces remained in an attempt from the government to maintain social interaction
between citizens, otherwise, the society will become inhuman. Maxwell paid with his
fingerprint and left the room. His delivery arrived in a couple of minutes.
After ordering everything he needs Maxwell sets out to a nearby bar to meet his friend.

They spoke a bit about their current situation (regarding the fusion reactor), however, they
mostly spend their time playing pool and getting drunk (like typic jongens). They stayed in
the bar until closing hours (3 am), when they were kicked. Maxwell’s friend takes a cab back
home and Maxwell returns to his apartment. He only has the strength to charge his phone and
then proceeds to fall flat on his bed.

Maxwell wakes up and looks at his phone:

“Weird, it didn’t charge at all” (Now having an outraged face)

Then he heads towards the studio and attempts to turn on his computer:

“Why isn’t it turning On? Ugh, whatever let me get something to eat”

And so Maxwell walks towards the kitchen when he notices something odd:

“The Clock has stopped as well, that never happens. Why did it stop?!”

Suddenly the sounds of screaming people plague the streets. Scared shirtless Maxwell opens
the living room window and checks out what is happening:

“The fuck you all screaming abou..”

In front of him lies a mushroom cloud where the fusion reactor used to lie. A wave of bright
light approaches his apartment. With nothing but shock Maxwell utters what he believes to be
his last words:

“Oh, God…”

April 23, 2031

It was a cold evening in the remains of New York City. The streets were empty as usual.
Across “Park avenue” lies a row of destructed buildings.

A dark figure wearing a cloak approaches one of them an old hair products factory. Dim light
can be seen from the entrance. Inside things look old, their walls have huge cracks and the
windows are all broken. The shadowy figureheads towards the basement. Inside there is a
group of 4 people lying in used mattresses surrounding a campfire. The figure sits down and
takes something from his bag, it’s the corpse of an animal, then he heads towards an
unmarked room. His room.
The room is surrounded by various cardboard boxes, a broken wardrobe, a bucket, and a bed.
The figure takes out a camera from one of the boxes, it ran out of battery years ago. He places
it on top of some boxes and starts talking:

“Hey there, Maxwell here with another interesting news story. This week has been a heavy
burden for our group, we’ve barely scraped by with what we had. And now…”

He takes a deep breath and regains his composure:

“And now, Turnet has died. He succumbed to the disease that plagued him for a couple of
weeks now. He was the hunter of our group and a damn good one at that, he knew many
survival tactics and…

I just can’t believe he is gone. Now that he no longer is with us I decided to take his role as
the hunter. Today was my first time hunting. I’ve learned a few tricks while observing Turnet
but it feels a lot more different being the one pulling the trigger. I’m disgusted but, whether I
like it or not, it’s my duty now. I can’t shake this sense of guilt, taking the life of an animal.”

He sheds a tear, but quickly comes back to his senses and continues talking:

“Either way. During my rounds I found a couple of seeds, it seems we’ll be able to cultivate
some food on our own. Even if we don’t know how we will figure it out. Medicine is running
low so we will need to explore beyond our usual route, hopefully, we’ll find something
helpful. We will make it through. We MUST make it through. Thank you all for watching
and be safe. End recording”

Maxwell goes out into the “living room” and sits in one of the mattresses everyone is silent,
no one knows what to say or if they should say anything. They’ve been silent ever since
Turnet’s death. One of the female members of the group starts crying, meanwhile, Maxwell
and another member stare deep into the fire. The two other members are fighting (as usual)
over supplies.

Maxwell wants to do something, but he can’t do anything, all he can do is watch the fire and
see the mushroom cloud in the distance that started this whole mess.

“How did we end up here? Why?”

November 18, 2025

A mass of angry civilians can be seen outside Maxwell’s apartment. Mass hysteria has taken
over the city, everyone is panicking. No one can access their bank account nor use any of
their personal computers. Everyone gathers around the town hall waiting for an
announcement. Out steps a fat middle-aged man and briefs everyone about the situation:

“You see, yesterday during maintenance hours someone accidentally left one of the reactor’s
main components unchecked, this resulted in a nuclear meltdown.”

A random citizen stood up and said:

“So what does that mean for us?!”

The mayor looked at him and answered politely:

“As you know the FRN is a network of multiple Fusion reactors, however the only way for it
to work is if all the reactors are operational. If a single one fails the entire network shuts
down. New York isn’t the only one affected, all the country is now in a tough spot. This
means we’ll have to rebuild the entire network from scratch. We’ve already communicated
with the president and are working on it.”

Another citizen replied rather aggressively:

“So what? We are just supposed to stand still until they rebuild the network? What about our
energy? Our needs? Did it take them years to build the fucking thing? We are screwed!”

The mayor took a second to think and then answered:

“I know this is a complicated situation, not only for us but for America as a whole. As such,
for the time being, we’ll be using the old power plants. It will take us some time but I believe
they should still be operational. Many back up power plants will distribute energy to different
sectors of the city, however, I can’t guarantee that they will be enough to supply energy to the
entire city. So I advise we use energy sparingly until we’ve finished rebuilding the FRN.”

Maxwell sighs and thinks to himself:

“This is gonna be the end of the world as we know it”

 CHAPTER 2
November 25, 2025

"It has been a week since all this started, the generators have not yet arrived in this area.
There is a lot of disturbance around my apartment and I am low on food. Today it was
chaotic, I think even worse than previous days." Maxwell takes a deep breath before
continuing. "Today ... dammit ... I heard a man being killed outside my apartment. He
couldn't pay his battery or food debt, or so i was told. Does it matter really? Is there anything
that justifies the death of an innocent man?” Maxwell looked distressed at the camera and
continued talking:

“So that's it for today, please for stay safe” After that Maxwell shut down his camera, he was
thankful that it had half of the battery left. Without his camera Maxwell would be lost.
Maxwell used it as a means of dealing with the situation around him. He felt calmer when
talking about what was weighing him down, and doing it in the form of news gave Max hope
that things would be solved very soon.

A generator will arrive, then the nuclear and hydraulic plants will be put into operation, if
necessary more will be done and everything will return to normal. A very pink, unrealistic
future, but one that helped him sleep at night anyway. Ready to go to bed, he extinguished the
candles that were the only means of light in the apartment and lay in bed until the next day.

In the morning a lot of shouting and applause woke Maxwell up. I could not understand why
so many people would be doing so much with so much euphoria. Without giving it much
thought, he settled into his bed trying to get some more sleep. But then it was heard:

"The generator, the generator is finally here!"

Those simple words made Maxwell suddenly get up and go straight to the window. There, he
could see several military vehicles approaching down the street, two jeeps and a truck
carrying a large metal box.

Everyone was celebrating, there didn't seem to be anyone who wasn't happy with the
situation. People were leaving the street completely empty so that vehicles could pass without
problem. These are heading towards the center of the area.
Without thinking twice Maxwell grabbed a coat and quickly went outside. Once down he saw
how people started to follow the truck that contained the generator, and he started doing the a
new fol video for it.

April 30, 2031

There were no noise in the streets anymore since the last 6 years, well, there are as 1/10
people alife compared to 2025. Mow we can only the nature take around the buildings. I
remember when everyone was happy about the generator arrival in 2025, If they only know
what happen.

The rest of the living people were now led by Claudia Tidemann, a girl that once since to
work with me in the news. She succeed leading the people by promising that they together
would repair the generator but she provide to go without its permission. Now there were on
the streets around my apartment.

Claudia:

-Maxwell come out now, e are going to kill this three people, they tried to enter the generator
without my permission.

Maxwell:

-Are you serious? Why is so important to you that does not permit people to enter the
generator. You promised us, that it would be repaired.

Claudia look to my face with an angry look, then he took me to the Van and went directly to
the nuclear central.

We were 1 km apart from the people of the street when I see a shot belong from Claudia's
slaves. The lives of the people that challenge her know inexistence.

Now we arrive to the wall that divides the generator with the city, there was only a small hole
between the underground and the concrete. We passed through it and started walking to the
center of the FRN.

Claudia:

- You really wanna know what it's inside no?

Maxwell:

- Well, the only thing I wish, is to live like in the old days.
- That impossible and you know it
 - Well, hope is the only thing I've had left

Claudia order one of his slaves to open the door, the door open and silence came alive.

I was petrified looking the generator, well there was no more generator! The only thing I can
see was a big black sphere of a rare substance floating in the air. Know I just an understand
anything. Claudia approached me and said.

- Now what you think about it, you really though there would be a generator after an
explosion that erased 9/10 of our community! You are as silly as the people that are
following me. When the generator came on November 25 everyone was happy but
they didn't noticed what was coming. THe engineers started repairing the generator to
have the energy again, but a person Called Jonas make a mistake, instead of
connecting the cable that give upon the electrons of hydrogen to the canal of atoms,
he connected to the center of the energy, this means that…
- The atoms of hydrogen and Helium started to collapsed together.

Claudia smiled at me and said:

- Correct know you looked upon you and please tell to me what you see

Know I understand everything that “failed” of the engineered result on a nuclear explosion
and that was orchestrated. I fell into the ground and remember what happened.

November 25, 2025

I went down to the street to see clearly what was happening. The only thing that i can see was
the crowd toward the wall of the FRN waiting for the energy to come. But something was
weird, when the van passed with the groups of engineers I really don't see the people who
always went to the maintenance every week. There was something wong. Because of this I
decide to go to a nearby supermarket and get new supplies.

When I arrived to the supermarket I see Claudia Tideman, a woman who I since to work
with, she was accompanied by his son, a little guy of 7 years, it was blonde with blue eyes,
simply beautiful. She was so proud of it I remember when she gave to birth, it was an
incredible day for her, she was married with Nicholas the hottest guy the city ever see, black
hair, blue eyes, caucasic skin, tall, very muscle. She had practically everything, a charming
husband, a stable and good job and a beautiful son. This make her get so smug with the other
citizens. Well I don't care.

Claudia approached me and said

- Hi Maxwell how are you, I haven't seen you since last week, how is been your life
without energy, I just look at her and get out of the supermarket.
I've never seen so many people in the streets it was awful, but the difference was that there
were angry, so angry. Our society was accustomed to the energy, the machines and internet
made everything easier for us, they were only doing maintenance to them.

Well, social media was the base of there living way, people only worried about what people
said to them and having energy to see there favorites influencers.

CHAPTER 3 

April 30, 2031

Now I understand everything about Claudia, she lost the things she most appreciated, his son
and husband, they disappeared with the explosion. Know everything she once believed and
realize was over. But most important know she wash more energy to supply its life and
apartment, but why is she killing people when they are trying to go inside the wall, why she is
making people believe it can be some hope about this.

I question her:

- Why are you doing all this? Why are you killing people if they are nearby the wall if
you know the truth.

She simple answered me

- People that seems to know everything are treated like strangers, no, a pretty most bad
thing, they are treated like weird people that only cares about themselves, but they
don't really know about anything. If the people outside noticed that there is no way to
make the energy come back they would make a disturb and they would freak out. I
make them believe there is hope so they calm down and can realize a real solution. A
little bit of hope is more satisfying and controller than fear. I'm here, a woman who
has suffered the lost of his life and energy that makes me understand them more than
you.

I replied

- Making a dictatorship is not a good solution, I prefer saying the truth and making
them realize that we have to work together to find a new way of living.
 - You're so annoying

Then Claudia took up his rifle and hit me on the head with its handle. I was knockout.

November 25, 2025

The disturb on the streets are now over since the new generator come up, but i don't think that
everything is done yet. I returned to my apartment, on the entrance there was a man asking
for me, I said to him what's going on. He rapidly took me inside the building and talk to me.

It was a deep very deep voice, it match up with its aspect, now I was with fear.

- You're the guy encouraged od transmitting news I’m wrong?

- No sir, I Am Maxwell
- Well there is a new your boss wants you to cover, here it is the script just follow it
exactly. Or you shall see the consequences.

The man went outside and disappeared in the crowd. I immediately started reading the script,
it was about the new generator, it would be in function about 3 days. Now my face smiled
with so much euphoria. But I noticed something was wrong, the script said that the people
had to wait outside the wall, that was so weird. Nevermind, I take up my camera and start
recording.

-“Hi everybody knew that the new generator is coming on, you maid noticed this on the
streets, know he only have to wait the engineers to connect it. It would take approximately
two days , meanwhile just relaxed upon your houses and wait the energy to come back. But
on November 27 everyone has to be nearby the wall, the government would give the citizens
a package of supplies to reward peoples courage.”

The recording was off. But something is steel wrong, I don't even noticed that, it seems that
the government give us hope just to calm us down and don't mess up the city.

April 30, 2031

- Know I understand everything, you Claudia act exactly like the previous government
aren't you? You give citizens hope to calm down, you're just exactly like the mans
who exported the generator.

Claudia:

- You really realize you knew everything, you're wrong pretty wrong. The ones who
exploited the FRN want us dead so they can take up the complete energy only for
 them and the high classes. They first realize that the new generator cannot supply the
entire community so now they have to kill to survive with he energy.

I was again petrified, now the man on black that give me the script for the report was working
with the government that was the reason they needed the crows be nearby the wall. An I help
them. Now I feel lost, I think I was helping people now and 6 years ago, but the only thing I
manage was to kill them. The deseperating make me get towards Claudia and take his rifle,
but only second before it happened, she shot me on my leg so I can move.

The pain just covered up my eyes, I can't see.