NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 112: Day Seven Afternoon
POV : WASTELAND
Turns out the group of hippies that had chosen to leave last night hadn’t gone far. They had hidden in a small cave in the forest near Fort Bone.
Saturn said, "I love the forest, but we can’t just stay out here forever."
Storm nodded, "Yeah, it’s peaceful, but we need more than just nature. Atlas is hogging all the resources."
Lennon winced, still nursing his injury. "It's not fair. We’re out here struggling, and they’re inside living comfortably."
Krissy added, "We need to do something. Let’s write a protest song."
Leilani agreed, "It’s time we made our voices heard."
After some work on a song, they decided to head back to Fort Bone and demand entry.
Saturn, the self-appointed leader of the Earth Children, marched into the Fort through its non-existent door, her voice firm and carrying a mix of defiance and conviction.
"We deserve to form our own independent government because we have rights, just like anyone else. No one voted to leave our Earth’s Children settlement behind; that decision was forced upon us. We’re not here to be subjugated or assimilated into something we don’t believe in. We have our own values, our own way of life, and that should be respected. We didn’t leave because this is our land too, and we will live right here."
Amber, seeing the group return, blinked, not quite sure what to make of this sudden declaration. "What do you mean you’re living right here? Wait, I’m getting John."
She hurried off, thinking to herself, ‘If I get Atlas, he'll just flip out and kill them all.‘
John, fresh from the afternoon hunt, walked over, already tired but sensing more trouble. "What’s going on?" he asked.
The Earth Children repeated their speech, oblivious to the stunned looks on Amber and John’s faces as they nonchalantly strolled around Fort Bone. Olivia looked mortified as the hippies made themselves at home in the tent area, pulling out some marijuana spliffs and lighting them up.
John shook off his initial shock. "You can’t live here without being part of the settlement," he insisted.
Saturn, seemingly prepared for this response, calmly untied her shirt, exposing herself alongside the others as they tied themselves together with leg bone poles. "We thought you might say that, and we’re ready to stand our ground. We are staging a peaceful protest and aren’t leaving."
"Ooh, that hippie chick has nice tits," said Hank.
"Yeah, a shower’d clean 'er up right nice," agreed Alexander.
Hank and Alexander’s crude comments floated in the air, unnoticed by the determined protesters. Saturn, unbothered, led the group in a protest song, their voices loud and defiant. They had spent the afternoon crafting this masterpiece.
‘‘[Verse]‘‘
You don't have the right
To kick us out
This land ain't yours
Hear us shout
‘‘[Verse 2]‘‘
Feet on the ground
Our voices loud
We stand our ground
Unbowed and proud
‘‘[Chorus]‘‘
You don't own this land
You can't push us away
Respect our rights
We are here to stay
‘‘[Verse 3]‘‘
We've walked this path
With hearts unchained
Times may be tough
But we're unrestrained
‘‘[Bridge]‘‘
We're part of this soil
We're part of the trees
You won't take away
Our liberties
‘‘[Chorus]‘‘
You don't own this land
You can't push us away
Respect our rights
We are here to stay
https://suno.com/song/8b7ac250-5c84-4cd0-a03d-2bf640cfdfdc
‘‘‘
The noise drew Atlas over. Seeing the scene, he stormed up, eyes blazing. "No fucking way you're staying here and occupying our space," he growled, drawing a sword. With a swift motion, he cut the clothes binding them to the bones. "Now either sign a work contract or get the fuck out."
The Earth Children’s leader, who had been previously been wearing a shirt that depicted Native Americans with the slogan ‘"If you don’t look like this, you’re the illegal immigrant,"‘ shook her head. "No, we are staging a peaceful protest."
Atlas’s patience was at its end. He turned to John, his voice cold. "You deal with this. But when I come back from setting up our defenses, this better be sorted out, or I’ll solve it myself."
‘I guess that even though this group had seen the horrors of the wasteland it seems the true reality hadn’t sunk in yet. To be fair it had only been a week. Still this will be a good test for John,‘ thought Atlas.
John watched Atlas walk away, the weight of the situation pressing on him. The Earth’s Children continued their protest, their voices rising in song again, but John knew he had to find a solution fast—or face Atlas's wrath.
John, Olivia, and Amber gathered quickly, the situation with the Earth Children weighing heavily on their minds.
As Lennon stood amidst the group of Earth Children, his thoughts swirled in a haze of pain and frustration. His injury still throbbed, a constant reminder of their struggle. ‘It’s always us out here, suffering‘, he thought bitterly. ‘Atlas and his crew sit behind walls, enjoying all the food and protection, while we scrape by.‘ His mind lingered on the memory of how things used to be—back when they had their own space, their own way of life. It wasn’t perfect, but at least they hadn’t been treated like outsiders. ‘This isn’t fair,‘ he told himself over and over, the anger building inside him.
Despite the pain in his side, Lennon sang along, his voice strained but determined. The protest song they had written felt like the only weapon they had left. ‘If words are all we have, then I’ll make them count.‘
Saturn, on the other hand, was fired up in a different way. As she stood at the front, her voice ringing out with defiance, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. ‘We’re not weak. We’re not helpless.‘ She glanced around at her people, noting how some of them still hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their eyes. ‘They need me to be strong.‘
Saturn had always been the one to push forward, to keep the group united when things seemed impossible. She believed deeply in the Earth’s Children’s ideals—living in harmony with nature, rejecting the violence and materialism that seemed to rule the world now.
‘Atlas doesn’t understand that‘, she thought, her gaze hardening. ‘To him, we’re just an inconvenience, but we have rights too. We deserve a voice.‘ She couldn’t let Atlas and his people treat them like pests to be chased away. This protest was about more than just living space. It was about standing up for who they were, for their right to exist without being forced into a system they didn’t believe in.
As they sang, Saturn’s thoughts shifted toward the future. ‘If we can just make them listen, maybe we can get what we need.‘ The peaceful protest felt like the right move—no violence, no escalation—just a firm demand for respect. ‘They can’t ignore us forever.‘
But deep down, there was a flicker of doubt, one she kept buried under her fierce determination. ‘What if Atlas didn’t care about their peaceful methods? What if this ended in violence anyway?‘ She pushed the thought aside, her voice rising above the others. ‘We’ll stay. We have to.‘
"We could just drag them out," John suggested, his voice edged with frustration. He’d had enough of the hippies’ antics, and it showed.
Amber sighed. "Maybe, but it might not hurt to let them stay a day or two."
"These are the most stubborn of the Earth’s Children, though. Back when they were with us, they barely lifted a finger to help. And they were the most vocal about their demands," Olivia, who had once led the Earth’s Children, said. She’d seen firsthand how little some of these people had contributed.
‘‘‘
Meanwhile, Atlas was having a separate conversation with Noi. They stood near the edge of Fort Bone, discussing the logistics of upgrading the settlement.
"I think we should go with apartments," Noi suggested, glancing at the scattered tents and tarps. "They’re cheaper and more efficient."
"I agree," Atlas replied, his mind already calculating the costs. "But we should also make a few houses. Some people will want more than just an apartment, and with everyone getting coins soon, they’ll be able to afford it."
Noi nodded. "But can’t we just let them buy the houses themselves? The vending machines will handle the placement, right?"
Atlas shook his head. "We can’t let them set up houses randomly. Last time, it was a nightmare to defend and patrol. This time, we’re doing it right. Plus, I get a 5% discount with my achievements when I buy things. It’s a nice bonus that adds up."
"So you’re making money off your own people?" Noi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Atlas smirked. "It’s not about making money; it’s about being smart. Charging the normal price generates extra funds without having to tax the hunters more. We’re going to have a lot more people soon, and we need every advantage we can get. In fact, I’ll set it up in the settlement kiosk so that all the coins go into my personal account; you guys can use that for government purchases and get the discount."
"Got it," Noi said, understanding the strategy. "And what’s this friend-or-foe identification system you mentioned?"
"I’ll explain it to the group later," Atlas replied. "It’s something we’ll need before tonight when people start portaling in."
With that, Atlas headed back toward the protest group, a sense of urgency driving his steps. The situation with the Earth Children needed resolving, and fast.
***
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