A Perfectly Logical Guide to a Superhuman Apocalypse: 54

A Perfectly Logical Guide to a Superhuman Apocalypse: 54

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Wordcount: 2500

Commissioned by Arksoul

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What’s the deal with superhuman criminals?

Well, if you go by nation and culture, you’re going to get a lot of different answers.

In most of western Europe and America, superhumans who flouted the law were usually brought to justice and incarcerated. More than a few superhumans worked with government agencies for top dollar, or went as vigilantes and… didn’t get paid for risking their lives for some reason. It was the power of money and having most of the population above the poverty line. People tend to take the path of least resistance, so if they’ve got no reason to be a criminal, they won’t be.

Then, there were the countries not lucky enough to have lots of money and had societies filled with the corrupt.

Yeah, they collapsed, conflicts sparked everywhere, and generally speaking huge portions of the world became subsumed by regional conflicts. Lots of private corporations were granted the right to have retainers of superhumans and paramilitaries to keep trade up, but even then there were shortages. Naturally, these foreigners coming in to muscle the local populace were great targets to increase the popularity of local warlord number 487 and soon enough the world of have-nots and those who have were split apart further.

I worked both sides, generally to make the most money, and I could say for a fact no one’s in the right.
Everyone was just out to do what’s best for them, while everything tumbled down into the shitter.

Nothing new in the grand scheme of things.

Still, though, Japan was one of the few countries in Asia that didn’t get superhuman warlords pop up all over their country, at least before things went down.

So, of course, they were going to take issue with Walker’s plans.

…

“You intend to integrate this menace to your society!? He needs to be placed in confinement permanently, at the very least!”

“With his current state, that confinement will take centuries before his parts wear down due to neglect. That is inhumane.”

“Does Shin look human to you? Are his action anywhere close to human in your eyes, Walker-san?” We’d relocated the argument to the docks, where Parvati set up and gathered all of the containers I’d shipped its troops onsite to. The various gynoids and drones were hard at work turning the dock into a fortress. They even co-opted a few shield generators and defenses and reactivated them under their control, while the began cleanup. Meanwhile, Walker and Nori were arguing non-stop, while I sat next to Shin. Less guillotine that can send him straight into a volcano, and more just to keep him company. “Tell your intentions to all that died by his hand. To the society he brought low. The Shogun arose because he brought low the entirety of Japan!”

“Were this a case in court, I would defend myself, but such is not the case.” Shin grumbled in his box. Most of his chassis was stored in an insulated, lead-lined container while a hologram emitter with a vocal synthesizer was provided to him with some sensors. No transmission ability, so he couldn’t mess with Parvati, whose current bodies in the area were all working un-networked just in case and would go through screening before being backed up. “Japan would’ve broken apart no matter what I did, so I chose to kill it cleanly and take it. However, I did not expect the whole of the military to fall under one banner and assume control… and decide to fall upon utter depravity to bolster their numbers.”

Never though I’d agree with someone who uploaded themselves into a bunch of metal and wires, but here I was nodding along.

Still, I had to point out the obvious.

“Cool motive. Still killed a lot of people on a hunch. If you did all that after Japan fell apart, you’d be a hero.”

“And far more would’ve died.”

“Still, you’d be a hero.”

Shin was glaring at me, I could tell, even though his hologram emitter was so small and low-rez that he could only make basic avatars to represent his ire. Ooh, yeah. Throw an angry emoji at me. That’ll teach me, lol.

Nori picked up on our conversation and used it to her benefit.

“See! That madman has no desire to repent and believes himself just. Hundreds of thousands died because of what he did, Walker… and you intend to bring him to your nation!?”

“I intend to do so, because I will be able to keep watch over him, and ensure that he does good with his power. As I am doing for dozens of other criminals. It shall be a service to my nation, and in exchange I will support your government with trade and acknowledgement.” Walker was good at this sort of thing. Didn’t know what she’s been up to since I went underground, but it was obvious that Nori wasn’t exactly capable of arguing with her. Hell, in Nori’s place, I’d start arguing that Shin should be put to use in Japan, rather than over in the west coast. Having a superhuman genius on your retinue is a pretty big deal, even if you can’t give him access to anything remotely dangerous and keep an eye on him. “We are lacking in technology and infrastructure but have much to recycle and rebuild. Your nation needs food and military aid, which we can provide. Give me Shin, and that shall be done.”

If the world was simple, easy, and normal, Nori should’ve caved at that statement or tried to work with a compromise.

Instead, just like many others, she was ready to refuse the moment Walker stopped speaking.

It’s easier to trick someone, than convince them that they’re wrong and have them admit it.

“Shin shall be punished by the people that he wronged. For his crimes, even before all collapsed, he has earned over five lifetime sentences. That he is not killed is solely due to his usefulness to the state in the most dire of circumstance.” Nori argued against a literal force of nature. Maelstrom put down all of the criminal elements of superhumans in North America on her own and paved the way for a brief period of stability all over the world. The world would’ve gone tumbling into hell before anyone had a chance to prepare without her. Nori, however, was arguing against her. This wasn’t bravery. This was just flat out idiocy. “Walker-san, I understand you want to make use of him, but if he is to serve anyone it must be first those who he wronged and in accordance to the punishments the laws have rendered onto him.”

If those words were given to anyone else besides Walker, they wouldn’t have worked.

“I see. Then, I suppose I must entrust him to your people, if your intention is to make him pay for his crimes and to make use of him.” Walker’s goal here was probably this all along. Stop Shin from getting outright killed, and stop him from just being locked away in a deep, dark hole until he died or went insane. She could’ve gone the easy way, just taken him and used him to her own ends, but no. She had to choose the right way, as usual. “Make use of him. Make it clear that imprisonment and death alone doesn’t await those who have once raised their hands against you.”

I shook my head and did my best to ignore Shin.

Guy’s a menace.

I wouldn’t trust him to help me, unless he had something to gain, and even then I’d look over my shoulder the entire time to make sure.

I’d rather not be in charge of keeping someone smarter than me contained.

…

A few hops, skips, and jumps all over the world and I found myself taking advantage of Walker’s hospitality sooner than I anticipated.

Not because I wanted to, but because Anderson sent a message my way.

Rather, an old acquaintance that we had decided to resurface.

“Qin? I don’t recall anyone going by that name.” Walker was grilling and an impromptu celebration/barbeque was going on. People took the sight of me loathing myself on a picnic table, and Walker grilling up some seasonal veggies as an invitation to come and greet her, ask about things, and bring their own side dishes. The dinner I planned on picking up and just brining home before a shower and a collapse onto my bed rapidly grew to a small gathering. “Who are they?”

“First gen superhuman from… Hong Kong, I think? Former triad hitman. Fought with her on occasion. She’s a bruiser, fast as hell, and heals fast. Didn’t stick around, but I heard she started taking jobs around the world.” It wasn’t a surprise that people like Qin were still around. If you made it as a superhuman in the criminal underworld, where they can get creative in how they kill you, you tend to be very good at what you do. “Anderson says she caught wind of her in… Cuba with a trade fleet or something? Guess the triads are trying to get access to cocaine or something again.”

“Chinese trade fleet, perhaps.” Walker stated simply and placed a plate in front of me. Normally, I’d turn up my nose when faced with a plate of grilled corn and cucumber and carrots, but with some light salt they were decent enough for my stomach. Nothing too strong in flavor, otherwise I’m going to end up barfing. Augh. Every time I close my eyes I can still see myself tunneling through ridiculous amounts of flesh, bone, and viscera. This isn’t even post-trauma yet. It’s just trauma. You’re telling me this gets worse? “The question is why they didn’t travel across the Pacific.”

“Stuck to the coast and followed astrological maps, probably. GPS ain’t exactly available anymore. Also, the waters beyond their coast was complicated.” The sea between China, above the Phillipines, off of Korea, and Japan was an international shitshow even before superhumans popped up, but when things popped off I heard a lot of tales about the place getting hit with loads of crazy stuff. Replicating minefields were the tamest. Mutated seamonsters designed to board ships was the more average story. I was surprised no one salted the place with dirty nukes. “Well, whatever’s the case, if she goes up into the Southern US, you should take a look into it… just be careful in case she has some sort of sword or weapon that can hurt you. Qin’s a real, honest-to-god living warrior.”

“I’ll keep that warning in mind, Egress.” Walker nodded, and I trusted that she w asn’t just giving me lip service. I’d seen Qin’s work. Or, rather, the messy aftermath. That woman would wade into a building with a pocket knife, a pair of jeans, and a tank top, and come out covered in blood and holding a broken pillar in one hand as a bludgeoning tool. On paper, her powers weren’t anything close to teleportation or Maelstrom’s brand of crazy, but ridiculous speed, durability, strength, and regeneration in the hands of a master killer with a penchant for improvisation was fucking terrifying. Even if I wasn’t adverse to working with crazy Chinese warlords, I wouldn’t have worked in the Middle Kingdom with her around. “Now, take your meal and go rest. There’s no need for you to force yourself to stay. Just return the plate when you’re finished… perhaps with a spare bottle of dish soap, if you can spare it.”

She didn’t need to tell me twice.

“Alright, see you in a day or two. I’ll send some sponges, too.” Walker gave me a nod of thanks, then I popped back into my bedroom… and I looked at all the rooms all over my bunker.

It was hidden, it was secure, but it always pays to be secure.

After making sure my feeds were good, by popping into each room and scanning quickly, I settled into my living room.

I nibbled on the plate of lightly salted, grilled vegetables and focused on turning all my systems on. Television, computers, game consoles.

You name it, I had it, and all of it was ready to send me into the abyss of mental overstimulation in hopes to bury my traumas.

C’mon, videogames, engrave yourselves into my brain, so that I dream of you instead of what I did this past day!

…

“Didn’t take?”

“Not as much as I wanted. Helped a bit, but still bad”

Walker gave me a nod, as I put a basket of dishwashing soap and unopened, brand-name sponges on her kitchen table. I’d gone back right after taking a shower from my poor night of sleep.

I got some surprised looks from people waking up groggy in couches.

Everyone was disheveled and walking off hangovers, while Maelstrom and I looked pristine. Me, I was clean because I’d showered and broke out a fresh outfit while the one form yesterday was being cleaned. Maelstrom, being Maelstrom, was just pristine and dapper as usual in her full suit. Didn’t even look like she’d tango’d with a telepathic giant capable of wrecking cities with ease.

She did look pretty happy getting the bright-yellow sponges with green, rougher sides on them… wait… everyone is looking at the sponges and not me.

I groaned as a I realized that I’d been advantage of.

“Those sponges are expensive now aren’t they?”

“Obscenely. It’s one of the few things we’re unable to replicate.” Maelstrom looked giddy as she started making several plates squeaky clean… and lemon-scented. The neon-yellow dish soap also got a lot of attention. “How many cleaning supplies do you have?”

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” I had seven pallets of the stuff. I knew that they’d be useful trading goods in the future, so I’d stocked up on them. Non-perishable and useful for cleaning, they were going to be worth something, so I made them. Those dreams were dashed when I came here, since Maelstrom’s people had soap in production from natural products and grew loofah plants. “I’m not telling. If anyone wants them, they’re trading for it through me.”

That earned me some glares, but I knew those guys would come back.

“I’ve got better scrubbers too. Steel wool. Those happy faces. The works. Loads of cleaning supplies.” That got more attention, and for the first time since I’d turned into a wood chipper, I felt a bit like myself as shocked eyes stared at me. Yeah. I have all the cleaning supplies. “I bet you’ve all forgotten how fabric softener feels and how laundry detergent smells, huh?”

For the first time, I felt a hint of aggression from Maelstrom, as she suddenly loomed over me with a smile as frosty as ice.

“Egress?”

“Y-yeah?”

“I get first pick when trading, okay?”

Oh, this is better than I thought!

Trauma!?

Who’s that?

I’ve got a monopoly, baby!