Prologue
Twenty years ago... A huge disaster shook the entire world. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and typhoons all happened across the planet in just one day.
This is what the survivors called "The Great Calamity". Everything that happened was like something out of a nightmare. Billions of people died that day, millions starved, and thousands rebelled against the government.
The world that people of the past had strived to build was destroyed almost completely in an instant.
Twenty years later, the world has started to heal and people began to get up on their feet and gave life another shot.
It might not be as peaceful and advanced as before, but humankind still had hope for the future and will do anything to survive another day.
But not everybody had a good start after the disaster...
Grandma Alice
Finn! Get your *** down here and help me sell these scraps to the junk shop, you lazy grandson."
Grandma Alice
(Why did my daughter leave her good-for-nothing son with me?!)
Finn
*yawns* *slowly gets out of bed*
Finn quickly got dressed and went downstairs to eat breakfast.
Finn
What's for breakfast?
Grandma Alice dropped a plate in front of him.
Grandma Alice
*sighs* If you have any complaints THEN LEAVE THIS HOUSE! I have no time for useless kids like you.
Finn couldn't do anything but to keep quiet and eat his beans.
Ever since Finn was a kid, he already had a weak body that made him prone to illnesses and made him feel useless. But even after hearing harsh words from his grandmother all his life, he never once resent her and was always grateful for taking care of him despite his condition. He still thinks that her strictness is an act of love.
Grandma Alice
After you finish your breakfast, head quickly outside and help me load the bags of scraps onto the truck.
After eating, Finn washed the dishes and left the house to help his grandma with the bags of scraps.
Grandma Alice
We're two bags short this week.
Finn
I'm sorry, grandma. I felt weaker this week and only managed to collect four bags.
Grandma Alice
And you ask me why I always cook beans?
Grandma Alice
It's because we don't have enough money to buy good food! The money we earn from scraps can only afford us canned beans and the rest is for bills.
Finn
I-I'll try to get a job at the local market. I saw a "Help Wanted" poster outside the fruit shop---
Grandma Alice
You can't even do your job here properly! And now you expect them to hire a wimp like you? Pathetic.
Finn looked down at his feet in shame. He already knew that he's too weak to get another job but a voice inside him still wanted him to try anyway.
Finn
I'm going to load the truck now.
Finn started throwing bags of scraps onto the back of the truck. He started to feel tired, but he didn't want to burden his grandma even more, so he continued working instead.
After he was done, he hopped on the truck and drove it to the city junk shop. It was an hour-long journey alone because his grandma stayed at home to do chores.
Finn
Is there a job at the junk shop I'm able to do?
An hour later, he arrived at the junk shop and met with the owner who receives the scraps every week.
Henry
Hey, kid. Back with new scraps, I see.
Finn
Henry... Yeah, but I'm two bags short this week.
Henry
You okay? Is your body getting weak again?
Finn
I'm always weak, Henry. It just got worse this week.
Henry
Don't push yourself too hard, kid. You know your body ain't built for too much work.
Finn
This is the only job I can do to help my grandma. I didn't finish school and I don't have any job experience in any field. I'm basically useless!
Henry pat Finn's shoulder gently. He gave him a soft, genuine smile to make him feel better.
Henry
You are not useless, Finn. You're living in this world at the worst possible time, and you have a medical condition making life harder for you---
Finn
I'm well aware, Henry.
Henry
---But still you're alive and running. You have a purpose in life and I bet you'll soon find out what.
Finn
*laughs* You're a softie for a big guy.
Henry
Oh, really? Well, you're quite strong for a skinny boy.
Finn
What's going on back there?
Henry
Ah, that? We're working on a new type of vehicle that can withstand intense weather conditions AND natural disasters.
Finn
Wow, that sounds cool!
Henry
If this goes well, and we finish it on time for the "Inventor's Convention", then the world will finally see that it's possible to escape the tragic fate that billions of people met twenty years ago.
Finn
What's the "Inventor's Convention"?
Henry
They started hosting this convention at the "Nextgen Center" two years ago. The government is searching for new inventions to quicken the advancement of society.
Henry
The chosen inventions are bought by the government for five million dollars and will be mass-produced for the use of mankind.
Finn
Five million dollars? That's a lot!
Henry
That money can fix this rusty old junk shop and turn it into a modernized mechanic's workshop. Sounds nice, doesn't it?
Finn
It does! I have faith in you, Henry. I know you can do it, I believe in you!
Henry
Thanks, kid. That really means a lot.
Henry
Oh, right! Before I forget... Here's your pay for this week.
Finn
Wait... This is what you normally give me for six bags.
Finn
But I only brought four.
Henry
It doesn't matter. You worked hard enough to gather all these scraps despite having a weak body. To be honest, I only expect you to get one bag at most but here you are delivering me six bags a week. You deserve a reward now and then.
Finn
Thank you so much! Grandma will be pleased.
Henry
Is Alice still giving you a hard time?
Finn
You know how she is, she's strict sometimes and scolds me, but I know she's doing it because she cares.
Henry
(Poor kid. Doesn't realize she's basically using him to her advantage)
Henry
I guess so. But hey, if you ever need help or just need someone to talk to, always know that I'm right here ready to be of service.
After unloading the truck, Finn waved goodbye and drove back home. He's very excited to tell his grandma about everything him and Henry talked about as well as the pay.
When he was only a few feet away from home, he spotted a soldier's armored van parked outside their house.
Finn
What are they doing here?
Finn parked the truck and quickly ran inside the house to see what's going on.
Finn
Grandma! There's an armored van parked outside the house---
Soldier 1
Is this him, ma'am?
Grandma Alice
Yes, officer. That's my grandson, Finn.
Soldier 1
We'll take it from here.
Finn
W-wait! What are you doing? Let go of me!
Soldier 2
Stop resisting, kid. We're just doing our job.
Soldier 1
We're taking you to the Armstrong residence.
Grandma Alice
I sold you to them, what do you think?
Finn was speechless. He couldn't believe what he just heard.
Finn
Sold? W-why, grandma?
Grandma Alice
We have too much debt and when I heard that the head of the Armstrong is looking for a household helper, I knew I had to grab the opportunity. No hard feelings, Finn.
Finn couldn't think straight. All his life he thought that his grandma's harshness was an act of love but the truth was far more worse. He was never loved, never cared for, and never wanted in the first place.
Soldier 1
Let's go, kid. Don't want to keep the Armstrongs waiting.
Finn
I just want to give my grandma my final pay from delivering scraps.
He walked towards her and gave the money he got from Henry.
Finn
I won't be needing the money anyway.
The two soldiers escorted him out of the house and as they walk towards the armored van, he took one last look behind him. The life that he had before was now going to end. A new life awaits him... Will it be better or worse?
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