(Chapter 8) Appendix 14 - Mutated Survivors

(The Corrupt, Raiders, Fallen, Mutants)

Persistent during Reclamation Period

There was always some speculation that a group like this would survive. Every story about the apocalypse has some form of unsanctioned human survivor turned vicious and savage by their new environment. Often they take to eating human flesh, mutilating their bodies and congregating in tribes and clans, often at war with one another. Unfortunately, such speculation and fantasy became reality soon after the world ended. Their first encounters with humanity may be undocumented, therefore I shall treat my research with commonly accepted 'first contact' protocol.

During my travels, I discovered a refugee town, like any other I have found. Some rudimentary fortifications, guards, a wary yet recovering populace of good people. However, few of them were still burning when I arrived. Now make no mistake, I have found ruined camps and villages before. But all of my research at these locations that the damage was accidental and most likely occurred after the local folk had departed. A campfire left unattended, a gust of wind blows a spark to the nearby canvas of a tent and, just like that, the damage is done.

However, this town was, by all accounts, attacked. Not by the natural predators, I doubt they could blow a hole through a palisade like this. Not by the 'zombies', though that would explain the lack of bodies but not the bullet holes directed inward from the ruin of the wall. The Wild children of this new world are not capable of such graffiti and looting. No, unfortunately, this town was attacked by human, or humanoid, hands.

It's conceivable that of the human survivors, some could be dissenters, trouble makers, possibly killers in the right circumstances. However, this is very unlikely. Please see my other notes for further explanation, I dare not commit that reason to more than one set of notes. It seems far more likely that there could be other human survivors around the world, who bore the end without protection, or without sanctioned protection. Personal survival bunkers, doomsday preppers and the like; these people also seemed to have access to a large store of weaponry, a store they now seem to use with relish.

I have also, unfortunately, discovered that these survivors were driven insane by their new world. I cannot establish a solid reason as to why. Maybe the fact they were correct about the end of the world, maybe they simply reverted to a more primal form of man, gathering in tribes, supporting the strongest among them, hating who they were told to hate and killing who they were told to kill. Personal contact with these tribes also revealed a lot of forced-evolutionary mutation, extra limbs, lack of limbs, more powerful builds and the like. The reason behind this can be found in my diary entries regarding the wars of old.

Either way, for whatever reason this happened, they did not react well to the other survivors emerging from their confines. From the trophies I found in one of their tribal settlements, a lot of designated human survivors were destroyed soon after they were found. There are some atrocities I will not discuss here, or anywhere for that matter. What these creatures did to these people is beyond horrific, and I refuse to share those memories with most people.

However, human nature began to shine through once again. After first trying to make peaceful contact with these tribes, and failing with catastrophic results, the humans began to behave defensively. Finding ways to arm themselves with anything on hand, scavenging sporting goods stores for bows, crossbows, spears, anything they could use to defend their new homes. After a few skirmishes and a few lucky finds, a lot of the new human settlements began to arm themselves with guns and body armour.

It seems this went on for some time, remaining on the defensive. By all accounts, the humans simply wanted to survive this situation and carry on with their lives as best they could. But, as has been the case throughout history, the bullied and the oppressed will eventually snap and bite back.

And so began a form of war, the humans against the mutants, all the while the creatures were fighting amongst themselves. The main human camps became organised, but never once became aware of each other, more's the shame. The warriors among them began to seek out and destroy the 'enemy' camps with extreme prejudice. No form of these monsters could be allowed to survive and plague mankind again.

A great many lives were lost, on both sides. Good people, forced to defend themselves against a savage and ruthless opponent. Bullets were fired, explosions were let loose, butchery commenced. It is a dark chapter in the development of this new society, but unfortunately, not all variables can be accounted for in this situation.

Eventually, the last of the tribes fell. After heading to the area of the battle, I found several notes made by the apparent leader of this particular band of human fighters. The notes claim the human forces numbered somewhere around two thousand men and women, most with rifles and armour, some without. There was a greatly detailed plan of attack for the tribe, including methods of sabotage and subterfuge. After three weeks of siege, with minor skirmishes producing losses for each side, the humans launched a full-scale attack. Most estimates put the mutant numbers at four-five thousand, however, most were unarmed. At the end of the battle, most fought hand-to-hand, their ammunition expended.

Final figures put the human losses at one thousand, four hundred and eighty-nine and another two hundred or so injured. For the most part, the mutants were destroyed, luckily they had chosen to congregate as one tribe toward the end. The likelihood of survivors escaping the purge is possible, but not enough to pose a threat to this blossoming new society.

A crude statue made by the survivors of the battle now stands here, marking the sacrifice made by so many to protect humanity's chance of a new and hopeful future. Humanity's history is littered with many examples of such sacrifices, Thermopylae, Numantia, Mecca, Agincourt, Alamo, Stalingrad, Operation Overlord, battles of a vastly outnumbered force against a superior foe to protect the ones they love.

One can only hope that now, with this last battle and this noble sacrifice, humanity may have a chance at a peaceful future at last.