The Decade Cycle

Released on July 12, 2024



The creature roared as it lunged at me.

Seeing my chance, I thrust my sword upwards at the creature's head.

The sword pierced through the chin of the monster and through the top of its rat-like head.

Its eight eyes widened in shock and pain.

Weakly, it tried to swipe its claws at me, but it failed to do so.

Then, finally, I watched as the life disappeared from its eyes.

I pulled my sword out and let the creature's body drop to the ground.

As I wiped my blade with a rag, I peered down at the corpse of the giant rat... spider... thing.

The Earth had not been kind after the war - not to the humans and the automatons that had devastated it, and not to the other creatures caught up in the aftermath.

Regardless, I sheathed my sword and pushed on towards the destroyed town ahead of me.

***

I made my way through the derelict building.

Reaching the hidden trapdoor, I unlocked it and began to descend into the bunker below.

As soon as I walked in, I made my way over to the pod in the middle of the room.

I peered through the glass.

And there she was - Linda.

She looked serene in her sleep.

I walked over to the computers and turned on the screens to check the monitors.

Good - the pod had kept Linda safe and alive.

I walked over to the pod and peered through the glass again.

"Sorry, Linda," I said to her, "I couldn't find one again."

I looked at her, unable to respond to me.

How many years had it been since we were last able to actually talk to each other?

Fifty? Sixty?

So many decades had gone by...

"I miss you," I said to her.

I stared at her again, longing to speak with her once more.

But, enough wasting time - I had to prepare.

***

I took off my equipment and stored it into the stash, making sure to sort it all properly for Linda.

Next, I updated the maps with where I had travelled to over the last ten years, noting down any possible leads that I had found.

And finally, I recorded a message for Linda.

I told her about my last decade of travelling - of searching.

I told her about the Sacking of Toronto; about our old friend, Queen Tinmei, and her efforts to protect her people; about how I had, somehow, gotten caught in the middle of what could have been called the Second War of the Roses, before it was, luckily, quelled down to just the Little Garden Skirmish; and about plenty more that had happened during the last decade that she had missed.

And I told her about Sam, the child who loved fireflies - the child who had travelled and grown alongside me before we had been... separated.

"You would have loved Sam," I said, sadly, "I hope you two get to meet each other someday."

I turned away from the recorder - the events of when I had last seen Sam replaying in my mind.

I shook my head, and turned back.

Then, I finished my message to Linda, and got prepared.

***

The pod opened as I pulled up a chair.

I looked down again at Linda.

Regrets ran through my mind - had I spent the last ten years well?

Could I have done more, so that we could have been properly reunited?

There was so much going through my mind - so many ifs and buts...

But, I couldn't delay it any longer - it wouldn't be fair to Linda.

I reached over, and opened the panel on her chest.

Then, I opened my own chest panel...

And took out the heart inside.

"Your turn, my love," I said.

I placed the heart inside her chest, and closed the panel.

Closing my own chest panel, I sat down and leaned back on the chair.

Without a heart to power them anymore, my body's systems began to shut down.

My consciousness started to fade as well, as my mind began to enter low-power mode.

I looked back at Linda once more...

And then I closed my eyes.

~~~

I woke up.

Sitting up in the pod, I turned to see Nate slumped back on a chair.

Sadly, I said, "I guess you couldn't find another heart this time either..."

I unplugged myself from the pod and got out.

Then, as quickly as I could, I picked up Nate and placed him into the pod, plugging him in.

Checking the monitors, I could see that Nate had been plugged in properly - that he was being kept alive.

"Good," I said, as I pressed a button to close the pod.

I walked back over to the pod, and peered through the glass.

My hand reached out, touching the glass as if it could touch Nate's face somehow.

"Rest now, my love," I said, "It's my turn."



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