Away From Eden

The Outsiders

The order of the world is just favorable to the Castellans, to the people at the top. Unless, this system remains then the world would stay rotten, not perfect, contrary to what the Castellan and Lords claim. This is what the outsiders believe. This is the core principle they lived by, the motivation of their every battle. The outsiders were deemed as criminals. They were considered outcasts and not deserving of any support from the new world system. According to hearsays they lived underground and eat from stealing or leftovers of the three legitimate hierarchies. Yeah, legitimate. Even though the Newmans and Flocks at are the bottom levels of the social system, at least, they were considered part of the society and since they were recognized, they can get free food and homes and other stuff. Unlike the outsiders who are pushed to live on their own, they were pressed down and without any support. Well, that's what the general public knows.

Lucas Wyatt vividly recalls the expressions on his coworkers' faces on the day the world-threatening war came to an end. The general public felt relieved and grateful that the tragedy was passed. The armies were exhausted yet grateful. The people who lead them out of the war were perhaps more than happy. How could he ever forget the look on their faces? No, they aren't glad that humanity had survived but their glad they have seen one rare opportunity to take over the world.

Those who lead them out of the war were also the ones who created the new order. A new system. A kind of system that will only favor them forever. Yeah, greed was what he exactly saw in their eyes.

Lucas Wyatt...

During the war, his name was a hero.

And now when peace was achieved, his name has become a villain.

People now recognize him for one thing - the leader of the outsiders.

Well, I suppose this is the cost of justice. He thinks.

Lucas puffed out the cigarette and took a deep breath as if savoring the air around him.

They were all wrong, we don't live in filthy undergrounds. He thought to himself as he throw himself on that soft couch. He glanced around his room with satisfaction.

Not all outsiders are living like rats, some were just blending in with the gluttons. He thought to himself as memories after the war flashes back to his thoughts.

" Who's gonna lead now?" the survivors were asking.

Society was back to zero. The entire world was burying their dead. Everything on the land has been crushed.

There were murmurings. No one wants to assume the leadership perhaps because starting from nothing was now a challenge.

There was silence in the atmosphere.

After a few moments of waiting, a confident voice answered the call.

It was Jimmie Vaughn.

At first, survivors of humanity have high hopes and belief in Jimmie's sincerity. They have seen his courage, his tenacity in bringing out the people from the horror of doomsday. So, without hesitation, humanity gladly accepted his willingness to serve. That's what he says, at least. He wants to rebuild the world.

Being at the top of the Castellan's hierarchy, no one could just see Jimmie Vaughn's face, meaning none could set up a meeting and talk to him face to face without him agreeing. Usually, he only agreed to meet in person with a few selected people, and one of those is Barry Hansen. Jimmie's secretaries would usually alibi as it's for the great leader's security, that's why after the apocalypse, he hide his face and his identity from the masses. And the people buy his alibis. But Jimmie had one real reason for it -- he can do what he wants freely if hidden.

Years after the doomsday, hopes of a better world began to slowly fade, especially when a new hierarchical order of society was introduced. Humans have been grouped. The wealthy and poor have been separated. Humans have to toil blood to survive. And though those at the bottom level always got everything they need for free, still most of them felt hopeless for their dreams had been taken away. It's like the cost for free food and shelter and other stuff was their lives being forever stuck in being Flocks or Newman. They weren't allowed to ascend. They were bounded to stay where they are--on the bottom level for the rest of their lives.

The outsiders saw it all, without filters.

The starry, pitch-black sky mourned over the city, leaving its wet, desolate streets in silence. The brilliant, yellow light from the street lighting caused the water in the portholes to glitter. Strong breezes caused the little, green trees beside the roadside to tremble. On his dark black jacket is Lucas Wyatt who leaned peacefully under the shelter of a corner store roof. He is waiting for someone.

A few minutes later, just in time before the rain poured heavy, the guy he was waiting for had arrived. It was Briggs.

" Hop in!" Brigss yelled.

Lucas opened the door of his old car, and it leave the city as he seated in the backseat. It's always like that when he meets up with people outside. Lucas usually pretended to be a lowlife loser. Nobody can truly know who he is or else the public will be hating him.

Today's meet-up with Briggs was important. It involves their lifelong plan of knocking down the Castellan. And the plan involves Briggs' nephew - Carsen Adams. For Briggs, whether Carsen likes it or not, his life is already set into becoming one of them. The hope of the entire outsiders was placed on Carsen's shoulders. When he saw Carsen for the first time when he was a kid, Briggs knew then that he was different. So, he dedicates his life to training him for that outsider's cause. It was Lucas who secretly sponsored his study at Stanford, and made way for him to become a police officer, without, of course, Carsen knowing. Carsen doesn't know about his life's circumstances being secretly arranged towards that one event that the outsiders are waiting for - the world and people's lives going back to how it was before the apocalypse.

" Your nephew when do you think he'll be ready to know about us?" Lucas asked Briggs.

"Oh," Briggs grinned.

" Maybe before he was invited to the party games," he replied.

" He has to know," Briggs added.