1.1 After the fall

Nothing has been the same since the accident.  All wildlife has gone.  There are no plants, no trees, no grass, no animals, no fish.  We eat our food from cans and packets.  We have no electricity, no gas.  We store our food in larders, we cook our canned meat on small charcoal fired grills.  The hospitals and dentists lie empty, with no staff to man them.  Where there were schools and colleges and universities and museums, there is now a makeshift hut in which a group of volunteers try their best to educate the few remaining young in the town.  The name of our town almost feels a cruel joke when I look out at the dusty, ashy, toxic wasteland around us.  Welcome to Riverview.

My name is Alf Lazarus.  It wasn’t my name before, but everything has changed now.  I am not the man I was before.  For one thing, the toxicity made me ill.  I nearly died.  It has left my skin permanently disfigured, turning it this lurid green colour.  I look alien.  I feel alien.

I chose the name Lazarus to represent my belief that we can raise Riverview from the ashes.  I believe this town can live again.  I work for the military corps, and together we are hoping to restore some order to our streets.  The mob have the run of the town right now, menacing us all for what little spare cash we own.  The civilians either run wild, looting the empty properties, or they hide in their shelters, afraid.  It is my job, and the job of my team, to restore a sense of order.  There are only five of us so far, but perhaps when others see how we are dedicated to the future of our once beautiful home, then maybe they will join our cause.

There is not much to do in Riverview these days.  Most of the buildings were destroyed by the accident, and the toxic atmosphere means it isn’t safe to be outside for any length of time.  We can only travel if we have access to a vehicle, but the mob are controlling the supply of cars and charging extortionate fees.  I cannot yet afford one, so I get a lift to and from work and spend the rest of my time alone in my shelter.  To keep myself sane, I exercise.  I am afraid for my health, afraid what the accident has done to me.  I am afraid because the water is poisoned and we must boil it to drink it.  I am afraid for my own life and for the future of my children, should I have any.  I don’t even know if I am able to any more.

I am not the only one affected by the fallout.  People all around have skin discolouration, missing limbs, hair that is falling out, clothes that are merely rags.  We are a damaged people, cut off from other towns and cities.  They are afraid of us.

There are people working for the good of the community.  Local artists paint grass and flowers and rocks and rainbows on the pavements.  People open their shelters to those in need.  We share food when needed.  There are signs of hope, signs that one day we will defeat this blight on our town.

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