Perhaps not an entire planet, but certainly the parts worth ruling. By some surreal coincidence, the sign that read
ARES CITY
POPULATION
POPULATION
still stood on the side of a slowly crumbling tower, the electronic numbers that had displayed the number of inhabitants going dark at roughly the same time those it recorded had, and with just the same amount of finality. For seven decades, Ares had been the capitol of this world; for the past two it had been a tombstone.
A lone figure sat on an oddly pristine park bench beneath the shattered central dome, incogruously smoking a cigarette. He was a tall man inside a light brown trenchcoat, utterly defiant to the lack of atmosphere around him. He looked as though he could be a graceful fifty-five or a rough forty; the creases around his pale green eyes suggested the former. His hair hung down almost to his shoulders; it was light brown, but streaked with gray. This was clearly not a man who had not spent his life in the lap of luxury, but rather somewhere around the heels. Indeed, he seemed the sort who would possess the sheer tenacity to smoke in a nearly airless environment.
He took another drag and looked up at the stars. He slowly swept his gaze to where Earth sat in the Heavens, seeming to be little more than an exceptionally bright star. He lingered for a minute, then shook his head and threw away what remained of his cigarette.
Another figure sat down beside him. She was tall and shapely, with auburn hair and dark blue eyes. She wore the sort of dress that is considered high class only by those most lacking; it was dark red.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite Jezebel." said the man.
She glared at him. "As warm and welcoming as ever, eh Darrus?"
"Ah, Lilith, you know I care for you as much as is possible for ones like us."
Something like a smile crossed her face. "I wouldn't tolerate your tone from anyone else."
A moment passed in silence.
"Well," said Darrus. "Just the two of us, alone in Eisenstein Park under the stars. In different context, this would certainly be romantic."
She looked at her feet. "Yes it would."
He stood. "Lilith, as much as I enjoy your company, I have trouble believing you came all the way out here just to talk."
"And you're right." she said as Darrus lit a new cigarette. "Cankerworm has a new assignment for you."
Darrus flexed his shoulders. "Of course. No rest for the wicked, I suppose. Damn, but this gets tiresome."
"You have no idea." Lilith agreed.
"I suppose I'd best be going." said Darrus, turning away from the bench.
"Darrus--" Lilith called after him. He stopped and faced her. "Why do you come here? When you have the time, I mean."
He sighed and spread his arms, indicating the sea of wreckage all around him. "To remind me what I died trying to prevent."
A lone figure sat on an oddly pristine park bench beneath the shattered central dome, incogruously smoking a cigarette. He was a tall man inside a light brown trenchcoat, utterly defiant to the lack of atmosphere around him. He looked as though he could be a graceful fifty-five or a rough forty; the creases around his pale green eyes suggested the former. His hair hung down almost to his shoulders; it was light brown, but streaked with gray. This was clearly not a man who had not spent his life in the lap of luxury, but rather somewhere around the heels. Indeed, he seemed the sort who would possess the sheer tenacity to smoke in a nearly airless environment.
He took another drag and looked up at the stars. He slowly swept his gaze to where Earth sat in the Heavens, seeming to be little more than an exceptionally bright star. He lingered for a minute, then shook his head and threw away what remained of his cigarette.
Another figure sat down beside him. She was tall and shapely, with auburn hair and dark blue eyes. She wore the sort of dress that is considered high class only by those most lacking; it was dark red.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite Jezebel." said the man.
She glared at him. "As warm and welcoming as ever, eh Darrus?"
"Ah, Lilith, you know I care for you as much as is possible for ones like us."
Something like a smile crossed her face. "I wouldn't tolerate your tone from anyone else."
A moment passed in silence.
"Well," said Darrus. "Just the two of us, alone in Eisenstein Park under the stars. In different context, this would certainly be romantic."
She looked at her feet. "Yes it would."
He stood. "Lilith, as much as I enjoy your company, I have trouble believing you came all the way out here just to talk."
"And you're right." she said as Darrus lit a new cigarette. "Cankerworm has a new assignment for you."
Darrus flexed his shoulders. "Of course. No rest for the wicked, I suppose. Damn, but this gets tiresome."
"You have no idea." Lilith agreed.
"I suppose I'd best be going." said Darrus, turning away from the bench.
"Darrus--" Lilith called after him. He stopped and faced her. "Why do you come here? When you have the time, I mean."
He sighed and spread his arms, indicating the sea of wreckage all around him. "To remind me what I died trying to prevent."
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