The Earth After Rebirth

"You really think you're something amazing don't you? Holier than thou kind of bullshit? You're not different from the rest of us, human nature will always be to look out for your own skin."

Sekani almost laughed at his ridiculous claims. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his children and wife, that included dying for them. His life didn't matter unless it had the people he loved in it, that's how he looked at it.

"Why don't you just drop the chatter and pull the trigger?" Sekani egged him on, he didn't want to stare down a barrel any longer.

"Then I'll ensure every generation of your family comes to work here!" He shouted letting his finger pull the trigger, a loud bang sounded throughout the vicinity.

Time seemed to slow to Sekani, he could've sworn the bullet was travelling at a snail's pace. He could even see the smoke the gun released all clustered together at first but gradually it was dispersing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He wasn't just standing still either he was running forward, toward the bullet. When it was close enough to pierce his skin he side stepped and it grazed his forearm.

Arnold was a poor shot, especially with old guns where the accuracy entirely depended on the shooter. That needed a lot time to practice and hone, something Arnold lacked.

Sekani let the bullet graze him to throw off its trajectory from Wilfred and the two unconscious young men. Arriving at the armed enemy, he held the other side of his arm and used his other arm to punch, that completely broke it.

Arnold howled in pain, dropping the gun. He found himself wishing he could've just turned the gun to himself instead, he had no idea that a man from the slums could've been that much of a good fighter.

At that singular moment, Arnold Black was completely resigned to his fate. He undoubtedly knew that he was going to die.

"Master Waynworth!"

Wilfred yelled for his master as he turned around standing behind Arnold and attempting to choke him to death. He was choking him as he his eyes fell onto Wilfred, who was frantically trying to get his attention.

Something caught his eyes, Nikolai was conscious but barely. He gave the man a thumbs up, Sekani exhaled loudly, relieved that he could finally put an end to this. It wasn't long before Arnold Black died of asphyxiation.

Sekani laid there with him, the other dead, and the other tired. Tired of a world like this, he'd been killing guards since getting here but this kill felt draining, it felt personal, he didn't feel relief at all after it was done. His heart was instead grieving.

'It can't be for him. I didn't even know him.' He thought to himself.

Not realising that he was grieving a part of himself. Whether people believed it or not, murder no matter who it was, changed a person. And Sekani was feeling that change happening all at once.

There were a few guards who came while they were fighting but Grey and Jesús took care of them. Now it felt like the fight was over, but that was an illusion.

There was still so much to do, the people they came to rescue would not only their liberation, they'd need more than just money to become a part of society once again.

Sekani heard footsteps approaching him, he didn't look up and Wilfred appeared above him and offered his hand to get him up. He took it.

"You did great Sir, you'll be happy to know that Nikolai will recover. I gave him something for the broken ribs, it'll also heal the punctured lung."

"Punctured lung?" He looked at Arnold's lifeless body and got an urge to kick him while he was dead.

He couldn't wrap his mind around anyone treating their own children the way this man treated his. It was disgusting, it was maddening.

"He'll be alright sir."

Together they walked to the unconscious, Jesús and Grey joined them too. They all had one question in mind, what would be next for this place. Because it was clear that their country needed it for the advanced technology to work.

"How about making it government owned? This thing of having individuals owning resources doesn't sit right with me, not anymore." Grey said his piece.

He could completely see another family exploiting workers, instead of making them slaves who worked for food, they would be slaves who worked for money that could barely sustain them.

At least with the government, there wasn't a lot they could hide. And when employees are unhappy, it was impossible that it would be kept completely under wraps.

"That's not a bad idea dean Whitmore. I'm not interested owning this either. And it's too close to the inhabitable zone." Sekani agreed.

"Is it dangerous? Being here?" Jesús asked concerned for his well-being.

"Not really, but if you cross the line then you're dead. They say it's your eyes that starts melting, then your skin and when you're close to dying from being slowly melted you forget to breathe." Wilfred spun the wildest tale they'd never heard before but because it was coming from someone like him they didn't question it.

They were waiting for James or Nikolai to awake. Either one would be fine and the other would be carried to the deeper parts of the mine to liberate the people.

"Wh-what happened?" After several hours Nikolai opened his eyes as much as they could open and asked.

Nobody said anything, his father was a few meters from them and he was dead. Sekani wasn't sure whether he would remember waking up and giving him a thumbs up, or maybe deny that the thumbs up was a go ahead of some kind.

"Uh, your dad..." Sekani started and realised that this was harder than it should've been, while no parent wanted to hear of the death of their child, no child wanted to hear that their parent was dead.

"He's gone then?"