Beyond the Walls

The Chosen Ones

Tracing the naked back bone of a woman, Liam looked up at the shabby ceiling of the inn. He was in. He and a girl are in.

“Why are you not sleeping?” The girl with sleepy green olive eyes looked up to him as she repositioned herself on Liam’s naked chest.

“Just thinking of some things.” His mind keeps drifting to that place. The voice of his mysterious client and the very challenging work he was assigned to.

“... We are holding a game. We need players.”

“... Military related positions are unacceptable.”

The girl pushed herself up and the thin blanket slid off her beautiful skin, revealing her round bosoms on him “Is there anything I could help you with?” she asked.

“All you need to do is to provide us names. We'll take it from there.”

“Liam…” The girl called softly, returning his senses to the room with her.

He reached his large hands to cup the girl’s small face. He smiled like a devil as his low tone voice said. “There is… do what you are best at.” He grabbed the hair of the girl and pushed it down to his body.

The girl didn’t say a word and obediently did as he says.

He closed his eyes and hummed a little as the girl’s head moved back and forth. Staring at the ceiling, he remembered the parting words of the mysterious client.

“You have three months to gather 200 qualified participants”

*Sssshhh

The sleeping gas again made him pass out and by the time he regained his consciousness he was back in the car, with the same driver. Driving on the same street.

“Call this number when you have questions.” The driver had said, after driving him to the wall.

‘That s**t is impossible. What— *Hmmm*’

He pulled up the girl from below. ‘Bummer, they win.’ He thought and started kissing the girl.

‘They manage to pull out my curiosity.’

Before the sun has risen, Liam is out of the inn, leaving the girl in bed sleeping soundly with a couple of bills on the table.

“Let’s start working.”

Liam finally knows where to start.

For the past more than two months he had visited and stayed for a while on the outer walls district drinking, talking to people but behaving himself while w*****g. He is working quite diligently on profiling people.

It was more fun than he expected but still… it’s not the excitement he is looking for. He had finished his list with two weeks still free. He put the paper on the envelope and sealed it.

It was like the first time he went to meet this client. Enter the inner walls, car and driver waiting.

“Please put this on.” The driver gave him an open box with an earpiece inside it.

Expecting that he would be put to sleep again but he was slightly disappointed but didn’t show it and just took it.

The driver started driving and as soon as he put on the earpiece a hologram appeared and a voice meter was displayed.

“Hello, Liam. I trust you are here to deliver.” It was the same altered voice of the mysterious man.

“Ofcourse.”

“Put the contents in the box before you.”

Looking like a drop box, Liam’s eyes twitched as he unsealed the envelope again and put the papers one by one. There were only four papers so it was not much.

“What happens now?”

“...”

The hologram is still on but the voice meter is still and quiet. Liam doesn't know what to do besides waiting.

He hummed as he sight-seeing the clean streets of the inner wall. Unlike the outer wall districts. The inner walls are not subdivided by walls. After passing the Wall 50. District 30 - 50 don’t have walls dividing them, they are just placed by streets. The further or the nearer the streets are to the innermost walls the higher the people’s status are.

‘38th street.’ He read. He sees some schools and playgrounds in the district. A very far condition compared to outer walls.

*bzzzz

The connection with the hologram had returned.

“Are you sure these are your candidates?” The voice asks.

“Yes.”

“Explain.” Even if it’s voice is under alterations, Liam detected irritation.

Which he knows will be a possibility since his list looks like a half assed list. There are top performers on the list like military drop out, former outlander and some even special skills, in martial arts, street fights, weapon mastery but at the same time there are beggars, runaways, deserters, house husbands/ wives, and/ or just plain nothing in the society.

“A person that remains alive after all the struggle is called a survivor... If that is it, isn’t everyone inside the wall a survivor? Afterall, we are all here after the apocalypse.”

“...”

“Even after the Apocalypse everyone inside the walls are still fighting to survive. Be it being in a government, businessman, employee or even a bum. We are all struggling to live…”

“Spare us the lecture, Liam Vicarman” The voice said, domineering.

“Now, now, I didn’t mean to lecture anyone, it’s just important for me to start my explanation like this, will you hear out the rest? I promise, this was not an excuse and the list is all deliberately written and carefully selected.”

There was a brief pause but eventually the voice said “... Go ahead.”

“Thank you… As I said, every human struggles to live everyday but to survive in an apocalypse, it will take a lot more than skills, if you want a real apocalypse survivor. ”

Apocalypse survivors are known as outlanders nowadays and these outlanders are valued in the post apocalypse world. They either became soldiers of the walls with high military ranking or in other influential sectors. Only those who are useless like Ulysses, are left for themselves. He cannot be used in the military and either is bright or knowledgeable.

“...It took time to figure out how to get around the condition of not involving any military, I thought I should look for a loophole or something but… then I realized. If I can’t find an Apocalypse Survivor then I should make one…”

He barely managed to stop himself from continuing ‘... I know you are doing the same. Creating a survivor.’ That’s why he was hired, to find the most suitable people.

Skills are really important in survival, that is unquestionable but he thinks a little differently now, thanks to Ulysses, the bartender.

“...the most important quality one should have and watch for is ‘Self-preservation’.”

For the whole night, he pondered it all while feeding his other desires.

“... To be able to make one… First the players must be desperate to live.”

That’s how survivors are created.

Liam shut his mouth, not continuing anymore. As if he is daring the man behind the voice to figure it out.

“Good Work, Vicarman. As promised you will be receiving the money in your account—”

“I don’t need the money anymore.” Liam cut the voice. Something else interests him more.

“What is it you want now?” As if confident the man behind the voice could give anything. There is no hesitation. Which was a wrong move against Liam but at this point he didn’t care at all, even if the citizens of the innermost walls are the people behind this.

“Let me in… Let me in the games.” Liam smiled so much that his eyes squinted and almost went from the wide smile.

****

That same day, at night, Liam went back to the outermost district wall, Wall 103.

On the familiar bar, he went straight to the bar where Ulysses welcomed him. w****s flocked around him and people came in to him like he was some sort of an actor that visited the town.

Only when Ulysses came around with alcohol and some food did the crowd disperse.

“So what is it now? Is your work done?”

Liam smiled as he sipped his beer. “Of course. Who do you think I am?”

“Don’t let it go to your head, Kid!”

They laughed at it and talked about something else.

“So what are you looking for today?”

“Someone who has stamina.”

“If you are looking for good stamina, how about you try that one? I heard he has regulars but I can pull you up on the line. Do you want him?”

Slowly looking behind him, Liam landed an eye on someone by the stairs.

“Hah. You know I go both ways. I’ll be sure to go all out tonight…”

“Why do you sound like you are going away?” Ulysses asked.

Half drunk, Liam answered honestly “I am.”

“...Then, I’ll see you around.”

Was it ironic to feel more at ease at a shabby rundown place than his gated place?

“......... yeah. I’ll see you around.” He waved his hand and started walking away.

Ulysses shook his head and watched Liam pick up the man by the stairs and lead him up.

That was the last time they’ve last seen Liam. He never showed at the bar he frequented again. Though lots of people ask for him, the bartender only brushes their question with something like, “He is busy at work” or he just snaps at the person.

Not knowing that Liam, the person who everyone had been wondering about, was sitting at bed. Trapped in a space with all other 249 unconscious players.

He looked around seeing familiar faces but it seems like there are others that were added. He could hear faint growls around. He then put his ears on the only door behind him, there were also growls behind it.

*ting ting ting

An alarm sounded, soon, there were banging on the thin walls but not long after a lovely piano playing had masked it.

“Ugh.” The other players are starting to wake up.

Liam smiled.