After the Second Fall Pt. 02.1

After the Second Fall - Part 2.1

by Simon Underfoot

Copyright 2020-2022, All Rights Reserved

Author's Note:

After the Second Fall was published in 2020 as a standalone story, and has now been significantly expanded into a 300K word epic. For those that read the initial version and are re-starting here with the new material, I've included a synopsis of the first novel since there was no attempt to fill in the backstory.

Thank you for giving this story a chance. If you feel so inclined, consider leaving comments or sending feedback as I continue to work on finding my voice as an author.

Cheers,

Simon

Synopsis of After the Second Fall - Part 1

Decades after the nuclear apocalypse, rather than large-scale war, cities send single combatants to the Arena to settle conflicts in deadly individual matches. Pip is an Adam, a fighter from the city of Rieckenburg, designed by scientists and gestated in a laboratory within the Complex, the center for all Arena-related activities. While significantly larger than even the biggest men, Pip is small compared to the other Adams. His handler, a hybrid (father was an Adam) named John Rogers, has unwavering faith in Pip, although the fighter has had little previous success.

During a training bout, Pip kills his larger opponent with a single punch, simultaneously winning for the first time and leading the Complex Council down a path to replicate the "magic bullet" strike. Meanwhile, John recognizes that Pip was moving faster than his opponent, and discovers that Pip's perception of time slowed during the fight. They subsequently start their own journey to discover if this "Effect" can be duplicated.

After a failed attempt to duplicate the "Effect" on racing bikes, Pip meets a young woman new to the Complex from the worst section of Rieckenburg, Rosie (Rosaline) Smythe. There is an instant connection leading to a surge of emotions and Pip inadvertently causes time to slow again. With this realization, he begins to learn how to manage his perception of time, as well as increase control over his body. Shortly afterward, Maggie (Magdalena) Samuel joins Pip as Rosie's "Second," a position intended to ensure Rosie is adequately caring for Pip.

A secondary effect of the failed bike stunt is that Pip comes to the attention of Lilith Collins, the Complex's Director of Public Relations. Seeing what he can do, Lilith decides to make Pip the face of the Adam program. This includes marketing and public appearances, specifically his participation in an exhibition ballsport match. The contest takes a turn when Pip is violently attacked by one of the three other teams and consequently kills several players. Feeling remorse, Pip asks that the families of the dead men be cared for by the Complex, which leads to one of the widows, Rachel Frazier, joining Pip as his personal assistant, the third and final one of "Pip's girls."

As Pip improves his control over the passage of time, a retired Adam named Max becomes his trainer, and Pip improves further. He is unexpectedly entered into an Arena (capital "A") match against one of the city's "Big Three" rivals. After triumphing, Lilith increases Pip's public appearances to build more support for the Complex. During the final rally before his subsequent match, an assassin attempts to kill Pip with a gun, which are now exceedingly rare. Pip is shot and in the process of saving Maggie, inadvertently injures her severely; Max is killed. Pip must deal with anger and grief, and eventually heartbreak, when Maggie decides she can't be with him any longer. Pip and Maggie eventually reconcile, much to the relief of Rosie and Rachel.

As a result of the assassination attempt, Rieckenburg declares war on the offending city, meaning they can demand as many fights as desired within a specified time period. Pip is pleased with this outcome, as it will provide him with an opportunity for revenge. In the first match of the war, Pip discovers that he cannot immediately win the fight by breaking his opponent's bones, as he had done previously. Pip utilizes the "Effect" to locate a weak point and wins, then takes the finger of his opponent back to the Complex, where scientists determine the bones are partially fossilized.

With the other city's secret exposed, the way to complete victory is clear, if Pip can defeat their best fighter. The match follows a similar pattern to the previous one, with Pip eventually finding a weak point and winning. In the aftermath, the leaders from the opposing city will be executed by Pip in direct response to the assassination attempt. In a twist designed by Lilith to showcase Pip to the world so that he can act as a deterrent to future aggression, several of the defeated city's fighters defend the condemned persons, who will go free if Pip is killed. Pip ultimately defeats the other fighters, but leaves before he finishes the executions, disgusted by the spectacle.

Chapter 1

As Pip stepped over the black rope and exited the makeshift arena, John squeezed Lilith's hand and stepped down off the stage where they had been standing with Rieckenburg's Meister and several of her officials. As the Adam passed by, John fell into step beside the bigger man, who was walking back to the Complex, eschewing the transport that had delivered both of them to the city center.

The spectacle in the Quad had been gruesome by design. That didn't make it easier to watch for John, and he was certain that Pip hadn't enjoyed performing the executions, despite the young Adam's anger toward the condemned. Consequently, John was uncharacteristically quiet as they walked, hoping that his presence alone would provide some measure of comfort.

Their pace was unhurried, so it took the two men more than half a bell to finally reach the wide concrete steps leading to the Complex's main entrance. Pip slowed and then stopped, looking up at the enormous structure. "What's this all for?" he asked, spreading his arms wide, then letting them drop dejectedly. "It seems so pointless."

John paused before responding. "It's what keeps the world sane." Pip harrumphed disgustedly, but didn't say anything, so John continued. "I'm sure you don't want a lecture, and I'm not in the mood to give you one, but...

"I've found that some people are genuinely rotten: nasty and evil and vile from the inside out, as if they were born that way. If somebody like that is also smart and driven, really bad things can happen. Really bad things have happened. What we do here is an alternative: a countermeasure. It's nasty and cruel, inhumane and almost inhuman, but it has kept the world from falling apart again for the better part of a hundred years."

Pip folded his arms in a defiant gesture. "Pip, When Max died, you saw what a single gun did in the hands of a man with no morals and no conscience. Now picture hundreds of thousands of people shooting at each other. Then add in bigger guns and bigger bullets." John sighed. "Do you know how many people were alive at the time of the Second Fall?"

Caught off guard by the question, Pip finally looked down at his handler, his friend, but didn't answer.

"Almost twelve billion, with a 'b'. Do you know how many people are alive now?" John waited for half a hundred beats, but Pip still didn't respond. "Maybe one and a half million, if you count all of the settlements that we know about. That's less than one tenth of one percent. They nearly destroyed the whole fucking world, and there were at least three times before the Fall when they almost did the same thing."

John took a calming breath before continuing. "What you were asked to do -- what you just did -- was a necessary evil: one that I hope will keep us out of the Arena for a while. I know it made you question things you've always accepted, and I'm glad, because it means that you're still the Pip I've known since you were born, and that you've finally begun to cope with the anger that you were carrying around these last few months."

Pip took his own deep breath and his shoulders relaxed marginally as he let go of some of the accumulated tension. "Do you think Director Collins' plan will work?"

John looked away, his eyes losing focus. "I hope so, but like I said, some people are inherently rotten, and what we did today isn't going to change that even a little bit. We'll still have to deal with Marbelo and Gracia somehow. If we're lucky, we'll have a reprieve for a time, but I don't think we've seen the last of the Arena."

"So it won't ever stop?"

"Not for you, unless you choose not to fight anymore," replied John with a sad smile, "and we both know you worked too hard, and are too important to the city, to do that any time soon."

"That's what I thought. It was just wishful thinking, I guess."

"Sure, Pip. Like I said, today was an especially bad day, but that just means tomorrow will probably be better."

"Thanks, John," Pip replied, then walked up the steps and into the Complex. The smaller man watched him for a while, and, deciding he could use a little more time away, turned and strolled down the street.

Inside the Complex, after stopping to get checked over by Dr. Shepherd and then taking a quick shower, Pip arrived in his room to find the girls waiting for him. Rachel, who had been sitting in his Adam-sized chair, was first to reach him, joined shortly after by Maggie and Rosie, who had been sitting side by side on his bed.

After a group hug, the girls quickly undressed and ushered him to the bed without a word, already knowing what had happened in the Quad. Pip didn't resist and was soon laying on his side, knees slightly bent, with an arm around Rosie and Maggie, who were spooned together with him. Rachel laid down on top, her head resting against his ribs. Pip found comfort in holding the women snugly, especially with Rachel's hands gently tracing circles simultaneously on his abdomen and lower back.

When Pip awoke in the late afternoon, the world didn't seem quite so bad, nor his situation so bleak. Having three beautiful, nude women in close contact with him had been an effective reminder that he had already achieved his life goals, despite not yet reaching twenty.

With slow movements, Pip lifted himself slightly off the bed so that he could rotate his hips, causing Rachel to slowly slide on top of the other two. As they started to wake, Pip moved to his knees and gently repositioned them so that all three were shoulder to shoulder and looking up at him from their backs. Lowering himself back down with a massive arm on each side of the trio to support most of his weight, Pip brought his lips to Rosie's throat, kissing and suckling her skin, causing her to moan softly; when he moved on to Rachel, he left behind a large purple mark. After he had done the same to the other two, Pip moved lower, repeating the process; then he did it again.

When he was finally done with his three playmates, they were collectively a beautiful, disheveled mess. Rosie had a dreamy look on her face, her eyes half lidded. In the middle, Rachel was smiling contentedly and almost glowing from the flush of her skin and the sheen of perspiration. Maggie's face was completely hidden by her curly hair, which didn't matter because she was once again snoring softly. Pip pushed back up to his knees and admired his efforts: each of his girls was marked at her throat, breast, hip, and inner thigh; Rosie especially had enjoyed the last one.

Shaking off her sluggishness, it was Rosie that sat up first and pushed Pip onto his back with a smile. Rachel soon joined in helping remove his pants, and by the time he had doffed his shirt, Maggie was ready to participate. The following bell saw the women do their best to repay his attention in kind, including love bites from his knees to his forehead. When time for the evening meal arrived, Pip was in no shape to leave the bed, let alone the room. Living up to her reputation for forward thinking, Rachel pulled a food cart from the corner of the room and the four of them ate a light meal together, still naked in bed, before intertwining themselves once again.

On the other side of the complex, Lilith was reading reports on the public's reception of their demonstration of Pip's abilities. Broadcasting the executions caused an outcry across the continent, with Gracia and Marbelo making the most noise, as was expected. In the following days, Gracia would file a formal complaint with the Arena Council; however, when it was learned that the Northumberland Meister had signed the treaty sanctioning the executions (including his own), and that the replacement council fully sided with Rieckenburg, all accusations were summarily dismissed.

In the moment, Lilith was satisfied with the day's outcome, although she still felt mildly nauseous from seeing the carnage in-person. When John entered her office with a knock, feeling a bit better after his time alone, Lilith quickly rushed around her desk and into his arms, simultaneously glad and relieved to see him.

"Is Pip okay?" she asked cautiously.

John nodded. "A little shook up, but he'll be fine. What about you?"

"The same. I don't ever want to see that kind of thing again."

"Do you think it will be enough?"

Lilith disengaged from John and sat on the edge of her desk. "Fuck if I know, but Pip certainly did his part. If that doesn't convince the other cities to stay away, I don't think anything will."

"I had the same thought. Dinner off-site?"

"Sure," Lilith replied quickly, glad for a chance to forget the Complex for a while.

Just off the Quad in the city center, Cassidy sat at her desk on the top floor of the Meister's Office, also thinking through the day's events. Pip had, of course, been magnificent. The skill and athleticism he displayed were incredible, and the viciousness he let loose was almost tangible; she found her pulse racing and had to concentrate to calm herself.

Cassidy had been Meister for almost four years and Executive Director of the Complex for just less than two, the first time a single person had held both offices. The strain on her was tremendous, but it made alignment between Rieckenburg's two most important organizations much more efficient. Unfortunately, the arrangement effectively made her a pseudo-dictator, a thought that made her cringe most days, and more than anything else, was what kept her awake at night.

Which brought her back to the current dilemma: what now?

The city had created an unprecedented alliance with Northumberland, which included protecting the Northern city against any and all acts of aggression; in return, Rieckenburg's access to water, and consequently power, would increase. The cities were also finalizing details on initial trade agreements for everything from agricultural products to gene mod tech and even historical information.

With Northumberland no longer a threat, Rieckenburg could now focus on the remaining two pillars of the Big Three, Marbelo and Gracia.

Marbelo was still weak, a result of Pip's first victory as well as a second brutal Arena match with Gracia, in which Marbelo's new champion had achieved a Pyrrhic victory. With their top two fighters dead, they were almost certainly a prize worth pursuing, but this didn't fit with deterrence strategy the Complex Council had adopted.

Gracia could wait: reports indicated they had sent their own Number Three to the Marbelo match, which still left them with adequate depth at the top of their stable. Unless she wanted Pip to fight again soon, which was really the crux of the problem.

Cassidy was confident that Pip could -- would -- win any match he entered, and probably without being seriously injured. Consequently, she could send him against both cities repeatedly at the minimum allowed six month intervals.

But what was the end game she was working toward? A single unified city-state? Even as the thought came to her mind, again, she dismissed it. Rieckenburg's physical infrastructure was already stressed; trying to incorporate other cities -- likely with similar issues -- for the sake of expansion didn't make logical sense. Furthermore, both Marbelo and Gracia were so large that it would take more than a decade to fully acquire all of their territories. Rieckenburg had only been successful with forcing the Northumberland peace accord because of the failed assassination attempt and resulting war that was sanctioned by the Arena Council.

There were, of course, other smaller cities that came to mind as potential targets, but what was the point?

Cassidy leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. Yes, she could take the strategy issue to the Complex Council -- and she would, eventually -- but with open ended questions, that group rarely came to elegant solutions. It was always better to provide them a clear starting point and then make alterations to a plan.

Finding a counterpart in Northumberland to use as a confidant was an interesting thought, but the relationship was still too new, and it would be some time before the city's leaders earned her full trust.

What Cassidy needed was her own cabal, like what Pip had built. Actually, it was probably John that had done most of the building, but that was beside the main point. The group kept a tremendously powerful secret, but rather than pushing for power or prestige, they seemed to have remained focused primarily on Pip's best interests. Cassidy actually felt privileged to have finally been allowed to join, which she found ironic considering her positions of power. What's more, when she had spoken openly about some of the problems facing the city, her assumptions had been actively challenged, leading to a significant change in the city's future.

As she considered this, she realized that maybe there was a simple, ingenious solution to address her need for a counterpart after all. The more she considered the still-new idea, the better it seemed to fit. By the time she wearily walked home from her office, she felt better about her plan than she had about anything in weeks.

It was afternoon the following day and Cassidy was on edge, although she hoped it wouldn't show.

As the bell tolled, Lilith strode into the austere Council Room, looking apprehensive. The smaller woman quickly slid into her normal seat, which left a place between them as a buffer. Cassidy arched her eyebrow and looked to the closer seat, then back to Lilith. Trying to maintain a neutral demeanor, Lilith moved to the indicated spot.

The two women were always cordial, but not more. Even so, Lilith held Cassidy in high regard, having seen the woman's sharp intellect and fierce drive consistently since her ascension to the Executive Director position. They were nominally on a first name basis, but the big redhead still intimidated the hell out of Lilith, and not just because she seemed to be twice her height.

"How are you Lilith?"

"Well, thank you. And yourself?"

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Relax, Lilith. Remember, I'm part of Pip's inner circle now. You can trust me."

"Yes, ma'am." Lilith closed her eyes and forced herself to relax, opening them again after half a dozen beats. "I'm sorry, Cassidy. I don't know what you wanted to talk with me about and I'm on edge -- I guess I was trying to figure out what I did wrong."

Cassidy waved her hand dismissively. "Fully understood. One of the unfortunate parts of my position here -- both of my positions, really -- is that it's hard to have even a simple discussion, because people always expect they are going to be punished or rewarded."

Lilith nodded, then ventured a small smile. "So which is it this time?"

Cassidy barked out a surprisingly loud laugh, then gave Lilith a coy smile of her own. "Well, I suppose it depends on your perspective. In one sense, neither, and in another sense, both." She fixed her eyes intently on Lilith and the smile disappeared.