Tales of the Wastelander

Author's Note: Well, here it is, the first chapter of my post apocalyptic story! It took some doing to hammer out the details, but here it is, finished and with more chapters waiting to be written! I hope that everyone who wanted this story enjoys this opening chapter, as I put a lot of love into it! Now shall we begin?

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1,135 days before N-Day (Nuke Day)

Benjamin Lopez was busy in the locker room of his workplace, changing out of his uniform. He stripped the greasy clothing off his body and piled it on the floor. He reached into his locker to pull out his everyday clothes. Once he put them on, he had a feeling of cleanliness, though the feeling was little more than an illusion.

He supposed that working in a machine shop would do that to you. No matter how careful he was in the shop, he was perpetually getting coolant, grease and oils all over himself. Ben brushed the few remaining chips out of his hair as he finished putting his clothes on. He took stock of himself in the mirror and grunted as he looked.

Ben stood at around six-foot-one, with brown hair and brown eyes and the sun-kissed skin that was part of his Latin heritage. Truth be told, though, he looked more white than Latin, though he supposed he had his mother's Polish genes to thank for that. He noted the thick five o'clock shadow he was sure he picked up from his dad's side of the family. Though he wasn't really a fan of shaving, he figured that he'd have to shave tonight, unless he wanted to look like a ragamuffin.

He cracked his back and his arms as he stretched, popping each joint as it moved. He was grateful that his musculature was decent. Benjamin wasn't heavily built, but he wasn't a weakling either. He was what most people would call trim, but he was a far cry from fit or built. Ben finished putting his jacket on before grabbing his lunch bag and walking out the door.

He collected his stained uniform first, depositing it into the 'to be washed' bins outside the locker room. Ben still had a few more uniforms to go through before he'd have to get clean ones, but that was a problem for another week. He was happy that it was Friday, and that he was going home, with nothing to do over the weekend!

Although he relished in the solitude he had at hand, Ben was still a lonely guy. Having little to no friends was as much a curse as it was a blessing, since he had no one that he could hang with. There were some online friends he had, which he chatted with on the Xbox sometimes, but they were all far away. Some lived on the other side of the world, so meeting and hanging out in real life wasn't an option.

He supposed that he had his mental state to thank for his lack of friends. Ben had grown up for most of his life, devoid of any real friends. He always had trouble making and keeping them, since there was much about socializing and such that he did not get. It was a little over a year ago, just before his twenty-eighth birthday, that he learned that he had Asperger's Syndrome.

Though it was on the Autistic spectrum, he didn't exactly present as a typical autistic man, like from the movie Rain Man. Ben had no issue with school or any academic subject, really. It was in social circles that he fell short. Tells, hand signals and body language, which most people understood, went right over Ben's head. It was because of this that he found himself with few real friends.

It wasn't as though he didn't try to fit in and make friends. The problem was that no one was willing to take the time to help him through. Had someone been kind enough to help him navigate the social scene, which was a common part of life, he would have managed. But, as fate would have it, pretty much everyone he'd ever met in school was indifferent, or outright cruel, to the poor guy.

Various pranks had been pulled on the poor man as a boy, which left him bitter once high school had ended. It was because of several of these pranks that Ben fell into self-destructive patterns in which his marks suffered. His previously stellar academics had floundered, and he almost didn't graduate high school.

With few options, Ben found himself in a technical school to become a machinist. He thought it had been a good option at the time. There was a serious shortage of machinists, among other trades, with everyone going into computers. He figured that it was a good trade and that he'd be working with his hands. That he'd craft many various and unique pieces and get paid well for it. The reality of it was far different from what he'd expected.

He'd underestimated just how rapidly technology was advancing. Not long after attaining his journeyman's papers, he found himself working for a shit wage. He was also doing boring, repetitive jobs that belonged to first-year apprentices, not a fully certified Red Seal Machinist. With the way the economy was going, it was a miracle that he even had a job, since much of what he did was outsourced.

Putting that line of thought out of his head, Ben punched out and walked outside to his car. It was a 1967 Shelby GT 500 that his dad had owned, and it had been his for the last thirteen years now. Ever since his parents had died in that car accident just after his sixteenth birthday. Putting yet another unpleasant thought out of his mind, Ben turned the car over and left the parking lot.

He got on the 401 heading west and continued until he came to the Mississauga exits and took one. After taking the exit, he turned south and kept going until he got to Lakeshore. He turned west again until he came to a small cluster of shops and turned down the street next to them, before he turned down the alleyway behind the shops. Ben went down the alley until he came to the building where he lived.

He parked in his spot and locked his car up, before heading to the back door which led to his apartment. Ben looked back at his car and couldn't help but smile. It had been his father's pride and joy, having spent years hunting down authentic, working parts for that vehicle. He spent easily as long putting the damn thing together, rebuilding cars not only as his hobby, but his regular day job as well.

Victoria Lopez was leery of letting her husband spend so much of his time and hard-earned money in restoring it. Though, once it was finished, when Ben was ten years old, she had to admit that it was a thing of beauty. She also didn't mind letting Ezio Lopez take her out on date nights, which always had her giggling like a little girl whenever they got home.

Ben smiled at the many happy memories that were associated with this car. Even though there was a terrible point in time associated with it, there were too many good ones to justify selling it. Not only that, but he also couldn't bring himself to sell it, despite the many ruinous sums of money that had been offered to him for it.

Turning back to the door, Ben unlocked it, retrieved his mail from the mailbox and trudged on upstairs. He took his boots off and sprawled all over the couch, picking up his controller before turning on his gaming system. He played through the Witcher 3 for about an hour, before he decided he should wash up and check his mail.

Deciding to check the mail first, Ben found that there was little of any genuine interest, as it was mostly bills. The last letter grabbed his attention like a hot plate in his hands. It was a letter from CryoTek Industries, addressing him and him alone. Opening the letter, he read its contents and was surprised by what he was reading!

Dear Mr. Benjamin Lopez,

Thank you, sir, for taking the time to take part in our tests, as the data we have collected is invaluable. Congratulations are in order, as you have been selected to take part in our sociological and scientific experiment. You have no doubt read up everything about this initiative, and we hope you are eager to participate in it.

The battery of tests that were conducted on you have concluded that you are eligible for the full Gold standard test of ten years. With this letter, is also a list of items you may bring with you to store and how much space you are being given to hold your effects. Because of your Gold Standard status, you are being given significantly more space to store your things.

Also included in this letter is your Gold Standard passcard. It will grant you immediate access to the facility, at any time you wish to use it. Also included is the address of the facility nearest to you and they will be expecting you. At your earliest convenience, please make your way to this cryogenics facility, so that testing may begin. Again, congratulations sir and thank you for participating.

Jason Adler, CEO

CryoTek Industries

Ben couldn't believe what he was reading! He'd been selected?!? Him, of the thousands and thousands who had applied to it?? He couldn't believe his luck!! Getting into this program had been something he'd dreamed of for months! Now that he had received this acceptance letter, everything for him changed!

The experiment was advertised to be testing out the effects on cryogenic freezing on humans. There were many catches to it, but the big catch was that only certain humans, of certain genetic structures, could go into one of these tubes and come out alive. The technology of it was still in its infancy, but the fact was that it worked! Because of its unfinished state, the only thing to do was to test it on those who were fit and to go from there.

One of the biggest selling points of the experiment was the financial compensation. Jason Adler was a billionaire, one of the biggest, and he offered anyone who took part in the experiment financial compensation. The compensation wasn't pennies either, but it ranged up to fifty thousand dollars per year spent in cryo sleep. That was incentive enough for most people and plenty for Ben!

He no longer had to work at that dead-end job of his anymore! Ben could go into the tube and wake up ten years later, with a massive amount of cash waiting for him! He could see the future and be one of those young enough to properly enjoy it! This was the fresh start he was looking for, and he would be taking it without question!

For Ben, though, this was perfect, because he really had no one to leave behind. His parents were gone, and his father's parents, Cristof and Claudia Lopez, were long dead. His mother's parents had disowned her when she married his father, but he didn't care about them. Cristof Lopez had died of a heart attack when Ben was thirteen and Claudia Lopez had passed on of natural causes two years ago.

He thought some more about who he might have to say goodbye to, and only one person came to mind. Samara Rodriguez, a woman who had been his only friend when he was a boy and his former girlfriend. They had parted on amicable terms and stayed friends for the past year, as Ben was still figuring things out with his mental state and coming to terms with it.

Though they weren't officially dating anymore, Samara did sometimes stop by his place to hang, chill, and have the occasional booty call. Ben still had a tough time reconciling the fact that a woman like her would still be interested in a man like him. He always thought of himself as an ordinary schlub, not worth a second thought or glance.

Samara, on the other hand, was pure dynamite! She had both the looks and the brains to do whatever she pleased and have whoever she wanted, when she wanted. Figuring that if he was going to go under and be gone for ten years, he might as well have something good to dream about while he was gone. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Samara's number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Ben! I wasn't expecting you to call for a bit yet! Thought you might have been to see your therapist!" she said to him, her voice smiling through the phone.

"My therapy sessions ended last week, Sam. Anyway, are you busy tonight?" Ben asked her.

"Not doing anything, really. Why? Did you want to hang out or something?" she wondered, her low alto voice rising an octave or two in excitement.

"More than just hanging out, Sam. Would you be up for a proper date tonight?" he asked her.

"Absolutely! What time were you thinking?" Samara asked, her voice rising even more.

"What do you say to me picking you up at eight? I have something planned and dress in something nice, but something you're able to dance in," he told her, smiling to himself.

"Oooooh! OK! Where are we going? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she begged him.

"Nope! You're just going to have to wait and find out what I have in mind!" he said with a snicker.

"Spoilsport!" she pouted.

"I promise that you'll take on a different tone before the night is over," Ben promised her.

"I'll hold you to that, mister! See you tonight!"

"See you tonight, Sam! Bye!" Ben finished before he hung up.

It was only four o'clock, so Benjamin had some time to prepare and get himself ready for the night. Since he would be asleep for the next ten years, he wanted to have a good send off. And what better way than to spend it with the one person he cared about most? He couldn't imagine a better last night for the next ten years, so he got to planning and setting things up for the night.

Once all the necessary calls were made, Ben then picked up a small notepad and a pen and made a list of things that mattered to him. He had reread the letter to be sure it was genuine before he went over the rules and what he was allowed to bring with him to the facility. One vehicle and all the contents which he could fit into it was permitted and no more. And, of course, no firearms or related weapons.

Knowing he could bring some things he wanted to keep was good, as he didn't want to give everything away. Ben started with the most important things first and did some mental work about how it was all going to fit. Once he'd gone over that, he removed the less important things, so he could make room for his tools.

Though he didn't want to go back to his place of work again, the tools he had were left to him by his dad. Some tools he had were one of a kind pieces that were no longer being made, making them literal gems as far as he stood. Once he'd come up with a plan on how he would fit everything, Ben double checked the list to be sure he had everything that mattered.

Once he was certain he had everything on the list, he put it down and went to get ready for his date with Samara. The first thing he did was get in his car and take it to a nearby car wash to clean and detail it. There was no way he would let Samara get in his car with it looking filthy and reeking of machine oil and such. He took the better part of an hour before he was satisfied with his work. With that done, he drove back to his apartment to get cleaned up.

He showered, shaved, and styled up his short hair into something that looked messy yet good. Ben picked out the best suit he owned, which was a gift from Samara, and laid it out on his bed. She had taken him to a top end tailor downtown and fitted him for his own tailor-made suit. Despite his protests, Ben found that he looked pretty damned good in it! Plus, the smoldering looks he got from Samara and how crazy she was that night didn't hurt things, either!

Ben shined up his shoes with a fresh coat of polish before he got dressed. He also picked out a nice pair of cufflinks and a proper tie, as he knew that Samara was a stickler when it came to details. Checking his reflection in the mirror, Ben admitted that he looked good and knew he would knock Samara's stockings off tonight!

He chuckled with that last thought, hoping that he'd be able to manage that last part. After double checking that he had everything, Ben left his apartment and got into his car. He took the QEW downtown, heading for Samara's apartment building. Traffic had died down enough when he left, so it didn't take him long to get there. He took the exit ramp into her neighborhood and his mind drifted to the woman he'd be seeing shortly.

Samara Rodriguez had always been an enigma to him, befriending him as a boy, when he was ten. Ben had always wondered why she had shown such interest in him, and he was stumped about it constantly. They'd gone through elementary and high school together and had always maintained their friendship. It wasn't until grade ten that the dynamic between them had changed.

Samara was a late bloomer, but when she bloomed, her looks and curves outshone every other girl in school. Hell, she looked even better than Ms. Gerontas, who was the hottest teacher in school, that every boy wanted to bone. Some girls were instantly jealous of her good looks and tried to make her seem like some kind of slut. Ben had feared for what would happen, but he needn't have.

Samara hit back nearly instantly, calling them out for all the shit they had pulled, and she wasn't gentle about it. Not only did the snobby bitches plan backfire, it wound up exonerating several girls and a couple of boys whose lives had been ruined by that pack of jackals. The resulting backlash was so severe that all seven of those girls had to move to different schools just to escape the ridicule and scrutiny.

After that incident, Samara instantly became the school heroine and sought after by many of the guys. The popular ones, the jocks, not a single guy passed up the chance to ask her out and make her their girlfriend. Unfortunately for them, she wouldn't have a single one of those guys. There was only one man she had eyes for and that was Ben, but he didn't know it.

A lot had happened since those days, both him and Samara going their own ways, his service in the military, among some darker events in his life. Eventually, they found each other again after all that time and realized how they felt about one another. Ben and Samara couldn't believe just how much time they'd wasted. They hadn't seen what was in front of them, and they spent every waking moment making up for lost time.

Even though they were in love with each other, the past year had been rocky, putting a strain on their relationship. Ben had learned that he had Asperger's Syndrome and wasn't even aware of it. He had started seeing a therapist to help him come to terms with it and bettered himself as he went along. Though he enjoyed spending time with Samara and how they were looking at moving in together, Ben had put it off. He had promised that once he'd gotten some things in order, they would move forward.

It was during this time that he concluded and felt Samara was wasting her time with a guy like him. Though he was good at what he did, there was little in the manner of money for it, and he felt like he wasn't doing enough as a man should for her. Though Samara could have helped him, he was a proud man and needed to do things himself. It wrenched him to do what he was doing, but he felt that was the best option for everyone involved.

Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't have one last date with her and, if he was lucky, one final romp in the sheets. He refocused back on the road after that brief jaunt down memory lane and found that he had arrived at her apartment complex. He parked his car under the carport, killing the engine and letting himself out.

Ben gazed around at the well-manicured grass and garden that decorated the property. He also noted how clean and neat this place was and it didn't surprise Ben, this place being in a ritzier part of the city. He walked on up to the front door and saw it was Julius who was manning the door today. Julius was always a stand up sort of guy, having taken a liking to Ben instantly, despite his humble origins.

"How you doing, Ben? Figured your shit out? Haven't seen you by in a while and was wondering if the rumors were true," Julius asked him.