Edge of the Ocean

Orion stares at Cole, wondering what to say next.

"I doubt you had one before. But you wouldn't have remembered either way. Sometimes, you weren't vocal at all."

"What is it?"

"Have you had it as long as you can remember?"

"Yeah."

Orion then looks at his own KNOWLEDGE XP bar. Still going up. What am I learning?

"I guess we are all learning something today. I don't know what it is," Orion says. "I got it after it all went down. I've only known a few others who had it, and they are all dead. Don't tell anyone. Okay?"

"Does anyone else have it? Here on the island?" Cole asks everything like a curious child.

"I said, don't bring it up," Orion snaps, looking around. "Not here, at least. It's a curse."

Cole says nothing. "Fine. Explain everything else to me. What went down, as you say."

Orion takes a breath, looking out, then stares at the nuclear scarred sky.

"Okay. This. Our island? It wasn't always like this. The climate change and global warming was one thing. Nuclear war was the other. Put the two together. Everyone who had nukes pushed their buttons. Killed most, starved the rest, melted what was left to melt. There are pockets of civilizations like ours. Rebuilding. A new world. A better world. But we lost most of what we had before. Good and bad. Have I lost you?"

Cole shakes his head.

"Okay. Well, I will in a second. There was too much information and not enough. There was conversations but no action. Human beings do two things, Cole. Talk and fight. You talk so you don't fight. When you stop talking, all you do is fight. And when you are fighting, it is very hard to get back to talking."

Orion looks back at Cole.

"Keep going," the young man says. "Actually, no. Tell me about me."

Orion nods.

"You arrived here years ago. Some think you were from a ship that sunk. A ship of the elites or a remnant. I think you were a soldier or sailor or something like that. You had no memory, and you seemingly couldn't make new memories. Every once in a while you seemed like you were able to retain. But then you would go backwards. We all take turns caring for you. The Mayor wasn't joking. You are one of us, Cole. Now, you tell me you are starting to remember a little more long term, and have a menu of stats in your head."

Orion leans over his balcony and laughs. Cole smiles.

"Why do you call me Cole?"

"It was on your shirt. Probably your last name, sailor," Orion says, not looking back at him. "That was the extremely condensed, light version. When everyone had the ability to destroy the world, there was an assumption nobody would do it. That was a bad assumption, I think. There is probably a million other things you should know, but it doesn't really matter. We're out here on the edge of the ocean."

"Can I have a sip of that?"

Orion hands him the cup, smiling as the young man just let the last few lines go over his head.

Cole takes a sip and makes a face, then keeps drinking it.

"Okay. Last question. I think I was smart in my past life. Who are the fallen? Everyone keeps talking about them in town."

Orion thinks about the horrible day he had before, and all the other exploits he has had with them.

"Some think they are survivors of the nuclear holocaust, but like rage filled. Cursed or mutated. Some think they are a demonic horde. Fallen angels and descendants from hell and mankind. They themselves say that is what they are. Hell, they chant it. Old religious and holy books spoke of them. Lead the world into darkness. They were wiped out once before, I think. Then they came back. Right about the time mankind killed themselves and mother nature. Personally, I think they made us do it. If your intent was the destruction of mankind, they couldn't have done worse."

With that, Orion is done talking and explaining, but adds one more thing. "I keep them from taking over this island. There used to be more. Now it is just me."

Cole thinks about it. "Sign me up."

Orion looks at him, surprised. "Okay. Fair enough. We'll see if you remember all that shit I just said. Get ready. We need to go to the other side of the island. The port. We need ammo, baby."