Ground Zero

Chapter One: Searching.

A trail of paw prints were left indented in the soft sand, slowly blowing away by the light breeze to erase the trail of the lone creature wandering the decimated, inhospitable land. This creature was that of a wolf, but at the same time it was not. Yes it had the build, the fur, and the eyes of a wolf, but the frame beneath that fur, skin, and muscle layer was mechanical. This creature was manmade, but from how long ago was difficult to tell. It was clear that it had been wandering around this desolate place for some many years, and the lack of any other life around made it clear that this creature was very, very old. The creature itself did not know why it wandered. It contained no memories of its past, and no ideas, nor had desires for its future; however, one word kept banging inside its mechanical head like a mantra: search. Search and search.

Search for what, though? Simply search. And so that is what this creature was doing; searching. Searching for the thing that would make the clanging in his head finally cease, in a world deprived of anything anymore.

It didn't know why it was created, or even what its purpose was on this void land, so the only thing it had to go on was the desiring feeling in its head of searching for whatever it was it had to find.

*

The faint white light from the lamp flickered gentle shadows against a high stone wall, illuminating three dimensional engravings that had been set into it many years ago. They were of fine detail, depicting animals, trees, people, and buildings. It was all one great sweeping story showing how animals emerged from slowly growing forests approaching the people who were rising from an underground society out onto the surface where the animals were waiting to meet them. The beasts of all shapes and sizes all led the humans to a shining mountain where prosperity for both reined.

A small hand rose from the darkness and touched one of the carved out beasts that was leading the humans to paradise. The lamp the boy was holding caught his features; thin, with a boney, but strong face and sooty black hair that was a bit ruffled up. He looked to be about twelve years of age and was wearing a body suit that had varying shades of whites and grays so that he could both match his surroundings, but also be able to be seen in the faint light

As he stared up at the beasts with big, green eyes, he set the lamp down beside him as he sat, leaning back on the heels of his hands.

"When will we be able to see you...?" He mused quietly to himself, as he gazed deeply into the stony eyes of the creature carved out in stone before him.

"Miro? Are you down here?"

The boy, Miro, turned at the sound of his name. "Yes, I'm here Eser."

"Your father is looking for you." The man said, motioning for him to come over.

Miro stood, grabbing his lamp as he went, running over to the middle-aged man standing in the entrance to the great chamber.

"Been looking at the carvings again?" Eser asked as he closed the double doors behind the boy.

Miro nodded. "I wanted to see the animals again; I wanted to know what they looked like when I get see one."

"It's good to have the vision fresh in your mind." Eser smiled, rubbing down Mito's black hair. "Even if it's not in our generation, it's good to hope for the ones to come that the prophecy will come to pass."

"Don't worry Eser, it will be for us." Miro said with certainty. "I can see them in my dreams, the animals will appear and we will be able to live on the surface."

"Well, let's also leave science up to that decision too." Eser said.

Miro looked up at him. "Are you doing the tests today?"