The Humans; Strange Individuals

Before he drifted off to sleep though, he heard a knock on the door.

A voice called out from outside. "Yo! I'm welcoming myself in!" Jake yelled, as he unlocked the door and entered.

"Looks like someone's getting the hang of it." he chuckled.

"Lily, turn on the lights." Vincent commanded, as he sat up and chuckled in embarrassment. "Yeah."

"Lily, huh?"

"Named it after my daughter. Gave her my wife's name as a second one."

"Thoughtful. I'm… amazed really."

"Don't you have a family too, Jake?" Vincent asked.

"I don't wanna talk about that." Jake dismissed.

"...alright." Vincent nodded. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to check in on you, see how you're settling in." Jake replied. "And I notice that you haven't taken a shower yet."

"Shower?" Vincent asked, scratching his head.

"You need to clean yourself, friend." Jake chuckled.

"Oh, bathing. I'm… pretty clean after getting soaked in the rain, you know."

"No you're not. AI, can you show him how? I really don't wanna babysit his ass."

"Certainly." she responded. "Please follow the square, Vincent."

As she said that, a green holographic square popped up near a door, which read 'Bathroom'.

"Yeah, just ask her for any help. I'll be waiting in the cafeteria for you. Got it? We got stuff to discuss. See you." Jake said, leaving the room.

"Uh… alright." Vincent groaned as he followed the square and approached the bathroom. The bathroom door slid open with a hiss, and closed as he entered inside. There, he was greeted by a compact bathing pod situated in the corner. The pod was sleek and minimalist in design, with smooth surfaces and a transparent door. Above his head, a floating holographic panel displayed various options for water temperature, pressure, and even fragrance. 

"Lily?" Vincent called.

"Yes? How may I assist you?"

"Set it to warm water, and the rest you can handle."

"Certainly… settings complete."

"Thanks." Vincent said, taking off his clothes and putting in a basket that read 'Clothes'. Entering the glass pod, the door sealed shut behind him with a soft hiss. Suddenly then, he felt a sudden rush of warm water as the chamber quickly filled up, completely submerging him for just a few seconds before draining it out just as rapidly. The water jets were powerful, ensuring that every part of his body was thoroughly cleansed in the blink of an eye. 

As soon as the water drained away, a burst of warm air enveloped Vincent. This powerful gust of wind swiftly dried his skin and hair in a matter of seconds.

"Holy…! What just happened!?" he exclaimed, stepping out the chamber.

"Your clothes are ready." the AI said.

"What? Already?" he said, as he approached the basket and found his clothes neatly folded and smelling fresh. It was as if they had been washed and dried by hand, but in reality, it had only taken mere moments.

"Wow…" he exclaimed, as he slipped back into his clothes. Vincent glanced around the bathroom, taking in the futuristic design and advanced amenities. Then he stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed and revitalised.

Sighing in relief, he unlocked the door by swiping his keycard, and glanced around the corridor. As he left, he walked until he saw a sign that read 'Cafeteria'. Quickly, he rushed there, gazing around all the people engaged in tasks, conversations, eating, playing and so much more. It really felt like a whole new experience for him. Spotting Jake and the others at a table in the corner, Vincent made his way over. They waved him over, their faces lit up with smiles. 

"Ay bud!" Peter called.

"Hey, glad you could make it!" Jake greeted him. "How was the shower?"

"Amazing," Vincent replied, taking a seat. "Thanks for showing me how it works."

He noticed Lance hadn't greeted him, nor said anything, nor did he wave. "Lance?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Lance murmured.

"What's wrong? Aren't we friends?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay… then. What stuff did you want to discuss, Jake?" Vincent asked, turning to face Jake.

Jake leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together as he glanced around the table at his companions. "Well, first off, I wanted to officially welcome you to The Apex." he began. "Just like how we welcomed all these people. Except you passed the test."

"Test?" Vincent asked.

"Remember the panther? Yeah. That was actually… Lance's stinky ass." Peter chuckled.

"What?" Vincent blinked in confusion.

"Yeah… it's… complicated." Lance sheepishly laughed.

"No no, what?" Vincent questioned further. "How did Lance turn into a panther? Is that some sort of technology?"

Lance scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, it's kind of a long story. Let's just say there's some things involved."

Jake nodded. "The important thing is, you handled it. You even handled the storm."

"I'm so lost… Can you guys turn into panthers too?"

"No no, just Lance. He was injected with a compound that lets him transform into a panther." Jake responded.

"Okay…"

"Don't worry about it, bud." Peter chuckled. "He's just a homi— um, he's just a weirdo."

"Homi?" Vincent pressed.

"Idiot." Lance muttered at Peter.

Jake sighed. "Hominota."

"What's… that?" Vincent's eyes widened.

Jake leaned forward, his face and voice bearing no emotion. "Alright, listen up, Vincent. The hominotas are a danger to humanity that needs to be dealt with. They're not like us. Imagine humans with animal-like traits, running wild, unpredictable, and dangerous. They're mutated, twisted versions of what humans used to be, before 'The Darkening' happened, and the world transformed into a wasteland."

"What…?"

"Just, they're humans but twisted, and different. Dangerous and cruel." Jake sighed.

"So…"

"And The Apex? Well, we hunt them down. These beasts, monsters, zilch! We hunt them all down, one by one." Jake continued.

"But if they're human…" Vincent murmured. "Couldn't we… stop fighting and find peace?"

"No, Vincent. You don't understand, you come from a village where nature is your only enemy. We? We were born in the battlefield, where there isn't any mercy, at least from the other side. Look at us, we accepted Lance, but they want us gone. Removed. They want the world for themselves, Vincent." Jake grumbled.