The Chronosurge.

As humans we are supposed to age as time, the silent architect of destiny marches along but in my world, time is frozen while speed is now the architect of our fate. My name is Elaine Harper, I live in a world where speed determines whether we live or die.

A decade ago, a Norwegian scientist, Erik Nordahl, whose persistence in his exploration led him to discover how to manipulate time. So he decided to play God by creating a velocity machine (Chronosurge) that would enable him to control time as he pleased.

The government, and the powerful people of my world encouraged him and empowered him to succeed so that they could have the machine to themselves. Erik succeeded in creating Chronosurge machine, but something catastrophic happened when he activated the machine for the first time. One third of our population was wiped out of existence when the machine exploded. Till this day, our earth hasn't healed from the injuries she sustained that day.

The Chronosurge’s explosion didn't only wipe out one third of our population, it also stopped time and ingrained in us super speed abilities. What seemed to be like a gift soon unveiled its true nature as a curse. We all found out the hard way after millions of people died when they used their abilities.

As our numbers dwindled to the scale of a mere city, we discovered that the more we used our super speed ability, we would age faster and eventually die by combustion. Yes, time was frozen in our world but speed was our new determinant of the future.

As we continued to thrive to survive, we began to train ourselves not make use of our abilities which was a difficult thing to achieve because it always felt like a natural instinct to use our abilities. We felt cage and restricted, but still with the strict training some still died from the inevitable combustion.

---

Two weeks ago, Elaine and her dad, Alastair, decided to journey to Chronosurge city, the city where it all began. The city where the explosion happened has been marked off limits due to the radiation.

Elaine, a young resilient woman with beautiful auburn curly hair whose piercing blue eyes reflect her determination and a mix of her youthful exuberance embarked on this journey with Alastair. They took with them protective suits that would shield them from the city's radiation, laser guns and also food as they searched for the cure to their predicament. It is also rumored that Erik Nordahl had survived the explosion and has been in hiding ever since.

As they got closer to the city, Elaine grew anxious and agitated. The journey to the Chronosurge city was the longest journey of their lives as they couldn't use their ability. If they had, they wouldn't have made it to the city.

“Hmmm, ‘The Chronosurge city’. You think we'll find that weasel that damaged our world?” Alastair said to Elaine as she came to stand by his side with the city in their line of sight.

”Well there is always some truth in rumors. So we might get lucky. I would also love to the be first person to kick his arse and feed his ball to him” Elaine replied.

Alastair chuckled, patted my shoulders and said, ”Elaine, let's hope he is alive and not a decomposing corpse”

”Ew! You had to paint that picture in my head”.

”Come on! Put on your suit before the radiation starts to get under our skin”.

---

As we headed towards the city in our protective gear, soon the laboratory came to view. It was quiet, empty and devoid of life. Our footsteps echoed in emptiness and it got me agitated even more. As we got closer to the laboratory, a sense of unease settled over me. Everything we stepped on was easily crushed under our boots into ashes. Then from my peripheral vision, I noticed a dark shadow figure of a huge man stalking after us. Was I hallucinating?

”Dad, I think someone is following us. Like a shadow or something” I said into the comm radio that was attached to my suit.

”Are you sure? Remember there is no one here. Remain focused so we find what we came here for.”

The laboratory still had the echoes of the explosion, an eerie hum lingered in the atmosphere that I felt to my bones. As we ventured deeper with my dad leading the way. Suddenly, we heard a loud crash.

”What was that?!” my dad said as he stopped abruptly.

”I think someone is here Dad” I said as I almost bumped into him.

”Let's stay close together. Alright?” he patted my shoulder.

I nodded quickly in response and out of nowhere, on a spur of movement, something or someone slammed into my dad tossing him into chunks of debris which knocked him out unconscious.

”Dad!” I screamed with a voice laced with panic.

As I tried to go to him, the mysterious dark shadow figure I saw earlier stood over my dad, a towering seven feet tall figure. Immediately, I fired my laser gun multiple times, yet the shadow effortlessly evaded each attempt, dissolving into an ethereal blur before seamlessly reappearing in the fabric of our reality in a boost of speed maintaining a vibrating noncorporeal form. I have never witnessed such a kind of super speed before.

Frustrated, I lunged for the shadow, only for the shadow figure to lunge for me too and effortlessly tossed me aside with brute force. I collided into a weak, dense beam. My vision blurred, my muscles throbbed as I struggled to get back up to defend my dad. The shadow figure went back to my dad to finish what he started.

I couldn't let this monster kill my dad, so for the very first time in my life, I tapped into my ability. In a boost of speed, I ran slamming into the mysterious shadow figure and I felt the harsh sting of death.

The last thing I heard was the agonizing echo of my dad's scream that lingered as the world blurred into nothingness and totally darkness.

To be continued…

Story was inspired from @shadowspub email daily writing prompt. To subscribe click here

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