Apokalypse

By Benji de Lara

A great quantum adventure in which good and evil depend on the observer...
Superheroes, conspiracies, legends, aliens and much, much more..

The planet Earth is on the verge of collapse, because of man and his unconsciousness.
It needs a hero to free it from the disease that threatens to destroy it: humanity!

When Gabriel hears voices in his head he will think he is going mad. After all, he's just a normal person,
just another ordinary citizen struggling to survive. But when he discovers that everything that voice has told him is true, he will have to decide whether or not to accept the mission, to save the planet at the expense of destroying his own race...

Mr. Luz is the great hero who defends the city of Sumadia, a debtor of justice and idolized by the people. When he learns
of the plans of this new villain, he will fight to save the human race at any price....

The future of the planet and humanity depends on one decision, yours!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Benji de Lara
• Release date: Aug 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005098872

Benji de Lara

Autor independiente de obras variadas especializado en ciencia ficción y fantasía, así como en cuentos infantiles que transmitan valores positivos.Me gusta dotar a mis obras de mensaje y profundidad psicológica, para que no solo sean solo un entretenimiento, sino que dejen pequeños posos de sabiduría en el lector y que contribuya a que viva con mayor plenitud su experiencia de vida.

Book preview

Causality

He slowly opened his eyes and, as he saw his lonely dimly lit room while the first rays of dawn started to go through the blinds, he let out a sigh.

"Phew... Just another day...’’ he muttered, letting his head fall again on his pillow.

Minutes later, he leaned back so he could be seated on the bed, dejected.

"Just another day, alone, in this monotonous existence,’’ he said to himself. ‘’But even though nothing makes any sense, I am still here... So, seize the day.’’

He rubbed his face and stretched out, and then, he stood up groaning. He lifted the blinds a little and looked outside with indifference. Then, he came back and went to the bathroom. While he was washing his face, he thought that, at least, that morning he had work to do, something that would provide him with some money, and that would give him an excuse to go out and walk around a little. After having a quick breakfast and getting dressed, he picked up his backpack with his tools and left the house.

Gabriel lived in the big city of Sumadia, the epicenter of the planet. Sumadia was the capital city of Sidonea and it was considered the most influential city of the planet. Its more than fifteen million inhabitants were made up of all kinds of people, but among them, were the most respected personalities of the world; since anyone who could afford it, did not hesitate to buy their properties there. But Sumadia’s reputation was not based on his citizens, it was based on their banking system’s strength, on the important businesses that brought it to together with the majority of the countries, and on the fact that they had the best and most prestigious corporations. Due to that, among its lines, the most brilliant and recognized scientists, professors and scholars of the world were present. As a consequence, they possessed the most advanced technologies.

Their privileged situation, situated in the center of the continent Dorna, besides the great river Tigris, which crosses it from north to south, transformed it, since the beginning of time, in the main business area of the well-known continent, due to the easy ground and maritime access. Therefore, many civilizations throughout history established Sumadia as the capital of their empires. For this reason, hundreds of millenary works, such as cult temples of ancient civilizations, castles, and other constructions that endured through time, coexist mixed together with the most modern buildings and enormous glass skyscrapers, which give the city that unique and peculiar look.

Sumadia was, in short, the magic city, where dreams could come true. It was the city that led the way and ordered rules; and the rest of the cities from all over the world tried to follow and imitate it. However, very few managed to get close. Actually, in the rest of the world, the situation was quite different. The governments’ excessive greed during the last century, specially Sidonea’s, and the lack of general awareness, had caused the planet to drift into a state of agony almost irreversible. The economy that the big city had imposed was based on a consumerist system, in which a great number of products were created every day with a planned obsolescence, and its inhabitants were stimulated to keep on buying. However, that had caused an unsustainable pace. Countries from all over the planet had destroyed nature with no moderation or consideration. Their only goal was to obtain raw materials and to satisfy the great demands of a market that did not stop growing. Entire rainforests were destroyed to obtain wood and other materials, causing many species in the way to go extinct; the ground was drilled indiscriminately in search of minerals and oil; green areas were destroyed to build more and more cities. As they moved forward, they destroyed areas and exhausted all resources available, and they continued with another area to repeat the process later. They did not have any consideration. They did not care about the planet at all. All they cared about was money. They just looked for benefits, without worrying about the consequences. But, as expected, the consequences ended up getting to them…

However, the world kept spinning and the Sumadians went on with their lives, oblivious to everything, listening to the message of their political leaders in which they transmitted a fake tranquility and assured them that, soon, everything would be solved. A new day began, giving way, again, to the usual whirlpool of stress, haste and duty that their inhabitants were so used to.

Mireia was sitting in front of her personal computer, wrapped in her silk robe, while the intense smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room. Without moving her eyes from the screen, she picked up the mug and took short sips to avoid burning her tongue. As she was enjoying the bitter taste of her hot coffee, she talked with her friend Melissa. ‘‘Cool, girl, well, I leave you because I’m going to start getting ready. So exciting!’’ Melissa wrote, adding a smiley face emoji.

‘‘Wonderful Mel, that is set, then. I am so excited to see you again, girl. Kisses,’’ she wrote back.

Mireia grabbed the mug with both hands to warm them up, as she smiled satisfied while thinking about the happy event. Mel had been her best friend since they were little; they had almost been raised together. However, they took different paths when they finished high school, and because that is how life is, they drifted apart until they lost touch. But now, thanks to social media, they had had a happy reunion. And, to celebrate it, they had arranged to meet at noon for lunch and to go shopping together, just like in the good old days. She was uneasy and eager for the moment to come. She had so much to talk about…

She got up, melancholic, and with the coffee mug in her hand, she moved closer to the window to contemplate the city while she took another sip of her hot coffee.

The streets were swarmed with movement, full of rushed people coming and going, but, between the crowd, Andres walked peacefully with his dog Sam. They were coming home after the usual morning walk, in which the animal did its business and Andres tried to burn the first calories of the day. It had only been a month since he was fired, but the depression and his sedentary life style caused him to gain more than eleven pounds, so he was trying to make up for it. However, he could not fight against his own nature, so, as he walked by the churro’s shop, he was faced by the dilemma one more time and he gave up again. Tempted by the sweet smell of chocolate, which was enticing to him, he entered the shop. I’m going to buy some churros for breakfast… It is only one time, he said to himself. As he walked home with the goods in his hand, he could not help but feel a little guilty. The same thing always happened to him. He gave up easily and then he tormented himself because of it.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost crossed the street while the red light for pedestrians was on, and he would have done it if it were not for his dog Sam, who had paid more attention than him and had stopped suddenly. His heart skipped a bit when he lifted his head, noticing the leash yanking, and watching a car passing by at high speed just a few inches ahead of him and honking the horn at him. The driver had to swerve to avoid running him over.

‘‘Look where you’re going, asshole!’’

Carlos, the car driver, yelled angrily. He grabbed the wheel firmly and kept cursing, despite the fact that he knew it was partly his fault too, because he was driving faster than he should; it was just that he was late for work. That morning, he had gotten up pretty annoyed because it was the third day since he stopped smoking, a process that wasn’t turning out to be easy at all for him, and he had ended up arguing with his wife. That started because she was taking too long in the bathroom, but the real issue was that he felt obliged to do something for her, for the promise he made her. On a consciousness-raising day, he accepted his wife request to quit smoking, but it was only after he could not deny the negative effects tobacco was causing his body; after an asthma attack that nearly took him to the hospital. He promised her, and himself, that he would quit for real this time. But it was turning out to be too hard for him. In the end, in the middle of yells and reproaches, it had gotten really late and, to top it all, he had not gotten time to have breakfast. When he pulled up in front of his work, his stomach was growling. He looked at his wristwatch.

‘‘Shit! I’m already ten minutes late,’’ he exclaimed as he covered his face with his hands. He got out of the car reluctantly. Then, he looked at his office building and, right after, at the bar next to it. He hesitated.

‘‘What the hell! No tobacco and no coffee… No way! I’m late already, I won’t take more than ten minutes.’’

He walked to the bar nervously. As he walked in, he found the bar empty and Arturo, the owner, with his elbows leaning on a table and watching TV. He thought it was strange to see the bar that empty because he used to visit it half an hour earlier, amidst all the hustle and bustle, just before the offices’ started.

‘‘Hello, Arturo. Give me a long black coffee. And hurry up because I’m late,’’ he said, sitting in a stool.

‘‘Yes, sir,’’ he answered, walking towards the coffee pot and starting to grind the coffee.

Instinctively, Carlos lifted his hand towards his shirt pocket, where he usually kept his tobacco pouch, and he cursed to himself as he remembered that he no longer smoked. He stayed there, fidgeting with his fingers and his leg, as he waited for his coffee to arrive.

‘‘How the world is, ah…’’ Arturo said, as he handled the coffee pot.

‘‘Huh?’’

The coffee was ready quickly. Arturo turned around holding the mug and served it to his client.

‘‘Another earthquake, even closer this time,’’ he explained, gesturing his head towards the TV. Carlos grabbed the mug with both hands, and, like a junkie, he smelled it almost entranced. Afterwards, he took a sip.

‘‘I prefer not to watch the news,’’ he answered, ‘‘There is only tragedies. Wherever you look, there are disasters, hunger, death… It is disgusting. I don’t know what the fuck we are all doing instead of killing ourselves.’’ He took another sip.

‘‘Wow… Someone got off on the wrong foot,’’ the waitress joked.

The man gave him a grim look, then he took a last sip, and lifted the mug above his head, rushing the waitress. ‘‘I’m leaving,’’ he said, letting go of the mug. He got up and went out in a hurry. When the door was about to close, it opened again.

‘‘Wow, this guy’s in such a hurry, we almost crashed.’’

‘‘Yes, it looks like he is not having a good day. But come in, come in Gabriel. I was waiting for you,’’ Arturo told him as he got out of the bar to shake his hand.Gabriel shook his hand.

‘‘What’s up, Arturo? All good? Where is the refrigerator that is causing you trouble?’’

‘‘Yes, very good, except for isolated problems like the refrigerator that refuses to work, but I wish all the problems in the world were like this one. These problems, at least, can be fixed. Gabriel tried to force a smile.

‘‘Come, I’ll show you the refrigerator. This way,’’ he signaled. While he was guiding him towards the warehouse, Mr. Light showed up in the TV news and Arturo stopped dead.

‘‘This world needs more people like that,’’ he said.

In the morning news, they were talking about another act of heroism of Mr. Light, which apparently had taken place early in the morning and not so far from there.

‘‘Again, while we were all sleeping, he saved us one more time. Yesterday, our dear hero Mr. Light dismantled a drug trafficking network, destroying an illegal operation and reducing the leaders of one of the most dangerous gangs in the city, which has already been arraigned in court. Apparently…’’

‘‘I have had enough,’’ said Gabriel panting, and started moving again. Arturo looked at him surprised and resumed walking.

‘‘Do not tell me that you do not like Mr. Light?’’

‘‘Let’s just say that I am more interested in other things… Like in this broken refrigerator. He shrugged.

‘‘Okay, look, it’s this one,’’ he signaled.

Gabriel glanced at the broken refrigerator, took out some hand tools he carried in the little backpack he was wearing in his back, and bended over next to it.

‘‘Well, it’s worse than I expected,’’ he mumbled after his first diagnostic. ‘‘I will get to it, Arturo. Let’s see if it is fixed in a little while,’’ he added while he gathered up his long black hair in a ponytail and started to fiddle with the broken appliance. ‘‘I’ll let you know when I’m done.’’

Arturo nodded and went back to tend the bar.

Many hours later, around noon, Gabriel got up dirty and with his forehead bright with sweat, but satisfied because he had made the refrigerator work again. He washed his face while he observed his accomplishment. Then, he let his hair loose again, picked up his things, and went out to talk with Arturo. Arturo, satisfied with being able to have refrigerated products again, willingly paid him.

Gabriel shook his hand and got out of the bar.

The arrival of summer was imminent and warm sunny days were beginning to become usual. Gabriel walked with his head down, his head spinning. He did not have few worries and that was reflected in his diamond shaped face and in his delicate features. His cheerful and seductive appearance contrasted his sad and dour character. He had a sloppy designer stubble, a flat nose and expressive penetrating black eyes that, in that moment, were fixed on the ground, observing his own shadow; a thin long shadow.

As regards to work, his situation was not good, but that was usual at the time. He was thirty-one years old and it had been three years since he was fired from his last real job. Since then, he only found jobs with no contracts and with ridiculous salaries. Since Sidonea fell into crisis, a few years ago, everything had gone from bad to worse. However, the situation not only concerned them, it also concerned the whole planet.

Every country was immersed in a huge crisis, the largest in the whole history. In the least developed countries, the situation became dramatic: thousands of people starving to death daily and the rest surviving in precarious conditions. Nevertheless, in the developed countries it was no less alarming since many families had lost their homes and the poverty rate between the middle class grew constantly. Besides this world chaotic economic situation, were the conflicts between different countries. These wars took thousands of lives and caused heavy damage. The crisis had forced every country to try to look for survival, confronting each other for the power of areas with potential economic and food resources; and not to mention the growing natural disasters… The last earthquake, in a neighboring country, had taken over six hundred victims. Moreover, on the other hand, his personal situation was not any better. No family, no friends, no Sara… He was completely alone in a world that was falling apart before his eyes. If this goes on this way, all of us will end up dead, but not before destroying the Earth, he reflected. We are an embarrassment. Although, seeing the chaos the planet was immersed in, he felt almost lucky because he survived taking all kinds of gigs, adapting to the circumstances. He had just been paid; therefore, he had enough money to make it for a couple more days, so, why worrying?

All of a sudden, a kid ran towards him, interrupting his thoughts and making him stop dead in his tracks so as not to bump into him. Almost without realizing it, he had arrived to the entrance of the town square, a large square in the center of Sumadia, which worked as a meeting point for its citizens. The boy he had dodged ran excitedly towards the center of the square along his two friends. When Gabriel looked towards it, he saw a large crowd gathered. There was a lot of fuss, so, tempted by curiosity, he decided to get closer to take a look.

In the center of the square, there was a stage with a lectern assembled and two people were standing by it. Everything was filled with TV cameras. In the distance, Gabriel was able to distinguish that those two people were Mr. Olivera, the mayor of the city, and Mr. Light, the famous hero that protected it. Apparently, all that commotion was due the presentation of a new isotonic drink, whose slogan was ‘‘Aqualight, the restorative drink of the big heroes.’’

Mr. Light was the big hero the whole world was talking about. He was a handsome and charismatic man, with a body sculpted in the gym, a wide jaw, brown hair, and blue eyes. His modern hairstyles always set trends. He was the perfect man prototype. Since he appeared, eight years ago, he had become a big world star. Everyone admired him. There were products of all kinds sold with his image: underwear, videogames, toys, school supplies, and a long etcetera. The ultimate product taking sales by storm was ‘‘Mr. Light action figure.’’ Every kid had to have it. Mr. Light was announced as an important government project with the purpose of giving citizens a hero that protected them, due to the fact that there was a time in which the city turned into a chaos and had a high crime rate. His presentation was luxurious, with a big media campaign that broke audience records. Gabriel had always liked heroes in comics; however, he did not like Mr. Light for several reasons: The first, because he was quote unquote hero. The special suit he wore was what gave him powers; it allowed him to fly due to an innovative technology of magnetic fields; it absorbed most of the impact of the damages he received because it was made of a special material created exclusively for that reason; and it gave him a higher speed of muscle reaction, which increased his speed. The suit had been developed by the company Acad Technologies, leading company in the information technology area, although it was too often related to the war field. The great Mr. Light was nothing without that amazing suit. The second reason was that he thought that the hero was a product created to please and entertain the masses, deviating their attention from more vital matters. It was true that the guy took his role seriously and, since he appeared, there had been fewer crimes, but the planet was getting worse every day. In addition, all the publicity and marketing behind him was generating millions in income. He was an idol with feet of clay that the youth had to admire and imitate, and he did not like that commercial hero concept.

To avoid all that hustle and bustle, Gabriel decided to go around the square, down