A2

The alley was still dark. AKG49 used the flashlight to guide his way. Broken signs were on the ground. What was once an alley filled with music and changing neon lights was dead. Cold and gloomy. Since he walked the alley everyday, there was already a path that lead to the main street.

Las Vegas Boulevard. The famous strip was also dead. No more big screen monitors showing what was the latest event. No more water fountain show in front of Bellagio. The Eiffel tower in front of Paris fell into the ground, now blocking the main road. It was not an issue. There was no more traffic. The so called cars were just some metal frames left on the street. The humans inside were gone. The bones vanished into dust after the nuclear bomb exploded.

An hour later, there was more light from the sun. AKG49 was able to see better. He turned off his flashlight to save energy. Thirty days. He needed to find more power source.

He turned left on Las Vegas Boulevard and headed towards Paris casino. He got to the corner of Flamingo Street. The street sign was still upright but the letters faded. No, he did not need to see the letters. He knew the street.

A1

AKG49 noticed the blinking light. He got closer. It was the power source. There was a number next to it. 

Thirty.

Thirty days.

AKG49 repeat that number to himself. He had thirty days to find another power source. Otherwise, everything will shut down. No power, no information. All his work in the last year to reconnect with the floating ships will be gone. His body would stop. Everything will be on hold. Not that it was bad, but he knew he was in that lifetime for a reason. He was supposed to learn something.

“Did I programed it that way?” He thought.

He could see the weak sunlight from the east. It was winter. The days were short. He decided to start earlier today. He grabbed his helmet and put on his suit. He went to the exit chamber. He held on to the bar attached to a cable. The cable allowed him to lower to the ground level, 550 feet below.

The outside world was quite. As usual. Empty buildings with broken signs. It was all that was left from this famous strip, the Las Vegas strip. The strip was built and flourished based on gambling, smokes, sex and alcohol. People enjoyed it and kept going back. It was a place to let go. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”.

Prologue

 The round capsule was enough for him. AKG49.

He walked slowly inside the capsule. It was 550 feet above ground. Many years ago, you could see the whole strip from here. Mandalay Bay on the south side to Stratosphere on the north side. Now, everything below him was black. He did not know how this single capsule survived the blast. The blast from the nuclear war in 2020.

He pulled out a small picture from his left chest pocket. His father, mother and grandfather were here. They looked so happy. His father was in the middle. His mother standing to the right of his father. His father had his right arm around her. His grandfather was wearing a black jacket with a checked sweater inside. They watched a comedy show that night, then went to the Venetian for the cheesecake from Carlos’ Bakery. Then they took the so called High Roller, got to this exact spot where he was standing now.

How did he know all of that? Well, his mother told him the story several times. Right before she died, she gave her the picture and told her about that night again. It was a special night. His father proposed to his mother that night. The next day they stopped by the small wedding chapel next to the Stratosphere, got married and left town.

He was conceived the day they got married.