By MonaL
Prologue
". . . Can our future be cleanly shorn
from a life to which we're born?
Is each of us a creature free-
or trapped at birth by destiny?
Pity those who believe the latter.
Without freedom, nothing matters."
--The Book of Counted Sorrows
Sit back and let me tell you a story. A story about a time long ago.
Back when people say life was easier. . .
People.
One must remember to use that term with discretion now days. In the early 21st century, there was still just one kind of prejudice--at least to mosts knowledge. That was the type humans had toward other humans. There were many stupid reasons they found to hate each other: Color of skin, religious beliefs, sexual preference, so many stupid reasons. I can tell you one thing, though. Through some ironic twist of fate, the "Affliction" brought human kind together. . . once they found something else they could
hate . .
. . . Something they could all hate together.
That something turned out to be--us.
Mutants.
("Mutants are people too!")
That's right,
("Fight for equal rights!")
Mutants.
I guess I'd better explain what the humans call the "Affliction". Around 2010, a rebel group known as MAHK--"Mutants Against Human Kind" (Clever, huh?)--Sent their Ultimate Weapon out into the 'States. They had become nation wide in just ten years, and had more power than the government could have possibly imagined. Who knew there were so many of us out there then? The Ultimate Weapons" they had created were sent to various places--places where they could do the most damage. Namely, the most populated cities in the country: New York, Chicago, LA, DC, nine cities in all. But the "Ultimate Weapon" wasn't built to destroy by any means.
It was built to create.
Create Mutants.
Those within a fifty-mile radius would be exposed to the weapon. It released some kind of airborne chemical that affected every being it came in contact with--Human and animal. Over a fairly short period of time, those creatures found themselves changing. The beasts becoming Human-like (Mutants), and humans developing animal characteristics (Mutates). As more and more appeared, tensions began to mount between the two now very defined groups.
Tension eventually grew to violence, which is exactly what the MAHK had in mind, I suppose. Many of the "Victims" turned to the group, asking, pleading for help, to escape the persecution. The humans had formed their own rebel group, you see. The Mutant Task Force had made it their job to rid the nation of Mutant kind. There were vicious riots and marches; the humans even went so far as to gather mutants indiscriminately--males, females, youths, infants, it didn't matter--and hold public lynching.
Keep in mind not all humans believed in this "Cause" as it was called. Just as not all mutants resorted to violence when it came to humans. Unfortunately there was little we could do to stop the violence and hatred. . .
By 2020, the populace had become extremely divided. New York City was split in two. The humans ruled the West side, while the Mutants were pushed and bullied to the East side, against the ocean, cutting us off from most supplies. Constant battles between MAHK (Which was based in NY) and the Mutant Task Force had left the city in ruins. Those of us caught in between tried to keep the once great city from crumbling at our feet, but with little success. . .
And so today, in 2025, we try to keep ourselves going, try not to give up on thoughts of peace . . .
End of Prologue
