Chapter 97: The Inner City

Veridia wasn’t your average base. It was obvious that this place was targeted before doomsday. If not for the acid rain, it would be beautiful. They took great pains to ensure security was available.

When the four entered, they found themselves in what could only be described as a marketplace. The concrete under their feet was riddled with holes from the rain. The sounds of packed gravel crunched under their feet. The loud chatter of people talking and bargaining was heard,

They could see the ’street walkers’ selling themselves for food. The seemingly wealthy men would trade a biscuit for a night. There were those who appeared to be above it. Walking while still glancing at the women.

According to the guard who let them in, Veridia had an inner and outer city. The only place they could stay was the outer city, the very place they were walking through now.

“We need to find a place to sleep,” Aiden said.

They walked over to a section where people had laid out tents and blankets. They hadn’t brought anything with them. They wanted to appear as poor as possible. Now they ended up having to sleep on the floor.

“It’s only temporary,” Luka said. “If they can handle it, so can we .” He looked at the other refugees who were lying on the ground. They appeared to be dead. If not for the rise and fall of their chests, they would be believed dead.

“We need to get information,” Aiden said, surveying his surroundings.

They found a guard who was nearby. It didn’t take much for Ember to get him to talk. A little pheromone control, and he was willing to tell his deepest secrets.

According to him, only those who earn their place can stay in the inner city. The people in the outer city need to contribute to be selected to enter the inner city. As for what kind of work, the guard was vague. Either he didn’t know, or there was some other criterion for choosing candidates.

When asked what the inner city was like, he had a radiant expression on his face. “It’s a paradise. A world away from the horrors of this new world. No hunger, no fear, no want. A place of safety, comfort, and endless pleasure,”

When the man was done talking, the four kept their faces blank. They didn’t believe that the inner city was much different from the outer city. But the look on his face told them that if they dared to contradict him, they might end up being kicked out.

Walking back to their small corner, they heard a conversation between an old woman and a middle-aged woman.

“My cousin was selected last week. She sent me a message saying it was everything they could ever imagine. She’s comfortable and doesn’t have to think about anything besides having fun.”

The conversation drifted as the women made their way to another section.

A week of observation told them one thing. Everyone was yearning to get to the inner city. And all the relatives who had been selected were apparently having a good time.

So the question remained, why couldn’t any of them leave? They had never seen any person who was claimed to be in the inner city, leave to visit relatives. Was it because they were in paradise and they refused to leave after their experience?

The more they heard about theinner city, the more suspicious they became. If it was so amazing, why have an outer city? Why not have everyone go in and enjoy themselves? It doesn’t sound as though they are missing out on any resources.

Then came the selection day.

Loud speakers crackled to life. A delicate voice sounded through the outer city. Everyone stopped what they were doing immediately. The silence was reverent.

“Another week of contributions has passed. Another week of proving your dedication. It is now time to reward those who have shown themselves to be exceptional.”

The voice changed. Now, it was a male’s voice. It sounded devoid of emotion. It called all the names of the people who were selected. first beginning with the female names, then moving to the male names.

Ember and Aiden had used different names so as to go undetected. Since this was Valentina’s base, they would not risk using their actual names. So they went with the simple, Adam and Eve.

Another surprise for them was that no one rushed to go in. Even with all the propaganda about the inner city being paradise. No one rushed forward to pretend to be anyone else. The names called all moved forward with eager faces.

Those not chosen stood to the side with faces full of disappointment.

As soon as they entered the inner city, the gates closed.

It was much cleaner than the outer city. They could see it was deliberately cleaned. Even the buildings of the inner city appeared untouched by the acid rain. The inner city was one word… pristine.

The ohs and ahs from the outer city residents blended with the cacophony of everyday sounds. People were going about their regular day. Whether going to work or having fun. This place appeared to be separate from doomsday.

But what the outer city residents hadn’t noticed or what they refused to see were the people of the inner city. Almost all of them were acting out some sexual act that on any other day would not be seen in the regular world.

On a white bench, a man in a business suit was receiving a blow job from a woman in a silk dress. His head tilted back in ecstasy as she took every inch of him. In a garden, two men and a woman were tangled in the grass.

By a fountain, a man in a guard’s uniform had his pants around his ankles and his face buried in a woman’s pussy. No matter where the four looked, it was a city-wide orgy. What bothered them was not the sex but the fact that these people had vacant eyes.

They were making all the right movements and sounds, but they almost appeared to be robots.

What made Ember even more sure that something was wrong was that she could feel it. She could literally feel the lust in the city. The CE was reacting to it.

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