The General’s Wife Part 1: After Earth

The nuclear war destroyed everything, exacerbated by the foolish decision of those in power to launch a biological weapon that became a true mass destroyer...

Many inhabitants couldn't withstand the devastation it caused. Some survivors suffered physical abnormalities due to radiation and physical disabilities, losing the chance to be pure humans and choosing death. Others had their souls shattered, severely damaged and incurable, eventually leading to death.

As if nuclear war wasn't enough destruction, humanity's thirst for more killing was satisfied with the release of a biological weapon that damaged the human body, breaking down flesh bit by bit into dust. The process was painful, and the attack was indiscriminate—old people, adults, children, even babies became victims, as did animals and plants that were already on the brink of extinction, unable to bear the burden.

The virus spread by the biological weapon ravaged completely, killing ruthlessly, crushing both enemies and its creators. Eventually, thank God, it ended the war.

Because what's the point of war when almost 80% of the Earth's population has been annihilated?

Those who survived were the fortunate ones, possessing genetic immunity to the virus, lucky enough to reach an uncontaminated land. The remaining landmass became a vast, island-less area surrounded by boundless oceans. Everyone tried to explore, but indeed, that land was the only one left.

Thus, all the survivors, fortunate enough to reach that land, gathered. They forgot about wars, ignored differences, and congregated in one place. They were united by a strict and stern military leader, a leader who despised differences because differences could trigger war.

In the end, After Earth was formed—a new country emerging from a colony of humans from various parts of the world. These were people who survived the destruction of war, people with genetic immunity to the dreadful virus. In After Earth, uniformity was mandatory, and differences were taboo.

In After Earth, they lived in one language, one feeling, one obligation, one goal. Shoulder to shoulder, they worked together to rise again from the bitterness of the past war.

And this is where this story begins, in a magnificent city, the center of all After Earth, the seat of government, where the most feared generals ruled with an iron fist.

...and that city was called Marakesh City.

"He has lost his memory, Your Majesty."

The doctor's voice at the end of the room was faintly audible to the curious Asia.

Well, how could she not be curious? After the doctor examined her, the stranger who claimed to be her husband immediately took the doctor aside, and they whispered at the corner as if sharing a secret.

What did he say earlier? Lost memory? Were they talking about her?

Asia instinctively moved her fingers to her head, as memory was always associated with the head. It was only then that she realized her head was wrapped in a thick bandage. Immediately, she felt a throbbing pain.

The human body is strange; when you are not aware that you are injured, you don't feel pain. But as soon as you realize the injury is there, the pain creeps in, settles, and refuses to leave.

Asia furrowed her brow and tried to ease the pain in her head. She attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation between the stranger and the doctor, but they spoke in low voices that couldn't reach Asia's ears.

A few moments later, the doctor bowed respectfully to the unfamiliar man, nodded slightly at Asia, and left the room.

Leaving Asia alone again, only with the stranger named Akira... The man who claimed to be her husband... the man who was now looking at her with his sharp eyes and then stepped closer.

Reflexively, Asia scooted back and pulled the blanket up to her neck. This man frightened her, as if she were a defenseless prey.

Could this man really be her husband? If so, why was Asia scared? And she didn't want to be touched by him again, as his touch caused a strange sensation, like being shocked, an unfamiliar feeling she didn't want to experience again.

Akira stood next to the bed, staring into Asia's eyes as if searching for something deep within her soul. Then, emotionlessly, he uttered a sentence.

"You're experiencing amnesia."

Asia furrowed her brow, "What do you mean? I remember very well who I am, and all my past, I can recall it vividly... even the orphanage where I lived is still clearly ingrained here." Asia touched her head to emphasize, "Can I inform the orphanage caretaker? She must be worried about me being here."

Akira remained unmoved, only staring sharply at Asia, penetrating deep. The room fell into an unpleasant, chest-tightening silence.

"Your orphanage burned down two years ago." Akira broke the silence, still emotionless. "Everyone you knew there died in the fire. No one survived."

Asia was shocked and turned pale, thinking that the man in front of her was joking. However, the cold expression and the cruelly thin lips were certainly not the expressions of someone joking.

What did this man say? Two years ago? Wasn't she just living in the orphanage yesterday? Asia remembered everything vividly!! How could the orphanage she lived in burn down two years ago? Two years ago??

Moreover, why did this man speak such horrifying words without any empathy? As if his soul were so cold that talking about death couldn't touch him.

Asia glanced around the room, desperately searching for clues—any clues that could provide her with knowledge about what was happening. However, all she saw in the room were unfriendly, sterile white walls. In the end, she looked back at the man.

"You must be lying to me! Please explain what happened!"

Akira's gaze intensified upon hearing Asia's raised voice, as if no one had ever dared to raise their voice to him. Then, with cruelly narrowed eyes, Akira bent his body until his head was so close to Asia's, challenging her eyes to meet his.

"What happened is..." his voice was a slow, hissing sound, restraining anger. "You lost all your memories in the past two years. And your memory seems to have jumped directly from your sixteen-year-old self to this point." Akira reached out his fingers, pressing the back of Asia's head roughly until her face came close to his, their warm breaths mingling. "You are now eighteen years old, my wife. And our child is growing in your womb. So understand this situation quickly and don't act foolishly, provoking my anger."

Roughly, Akira released Asia's head, causing her to jerk backward. He then straightened his body and looked down at Asia, who was frightened by his threats.

"Rest and recover your body. I will take care of your return to our home. It's too dangerous here; at our home, you will be safe."

And then, without asking for permission, Akira turned away, walked out of the hospital room, slamming the door behind him, leaving Asia bewildered and shocked by what she had just heard.

***

When left alone in that silent and sterile room, Asia finally noticed that there was a window next to her bed. The window was covered with white curtains, a window that seemed out of place because it was closed by thick glass panels without gaps and closely spaced iron bars.

The purpose of those bars and thick glass was unclear; perhaps to prevent malicious people from entering, but it could also be to prevent the occupants of the room from leaving... like a prison.

Asia peeked her head. The window was right next to her bed, leaning against the wall, allowing her to see outside by simply peeking. She pushed aside the white curtain that covered it, a curtain that had made her unaware of the window's existence.

Her eyes squinted a bit at the light that penetrated from outside, still unaccustomed to the bright light that didn't come from a lamp. She closed her eyes to adjust and then opened them again with curiosity.

Outside, the dark sky loomed even though the sun was trying to peek through the clouds. Snowflakes descended, like white curtains chasing and racing to reach the ground first. The flakes piled up so thickly that everything they touched turned white. Dry tree branches were all occupied by snowflakes weighing down their limbs, and every inch of the ground underneath was covered in white.

Asia measured her line of sight to the ground below. The position of her room seemed to be on a high floor, at least five floors from the ground.

And currently, it was snow season in After Earth.

The seasons in After Earth became extreme since the nuclear explosion disaster in other parts of the world. When all the islands and living elements around After Earth were destroyed, that was when all the settings on Earth from ancient times became unrecognizable.

Fortunately, the people in After Earth were tough and could adapt to any weather.

There were three seasons in After Earth, all of them occurring throughout the year without a break.

The first was the Dry season, lasting a whole year, characterized by desert-like weather from ancient times. Piercing heat during the day and bone-chilling cold at night. Rainfall was very low, almost non-existent in this season. The people in the colony survived with water stored from the previous season in a giant dam and modern irrigation, providing an equal and fair water ration to all inhabitants throughout the year. Occasionally, desert storms occurred during the day, so houses had anti-sand protections installed during this season.

The second was the Rainy season, also lasting a whole year. Characterized by incessant rain throughout the day and night, every second without fail. Everything was wet, from the tips of green leaves to the dust at the end of the road; nothing escaped the pouring rain. This season provided abundant water, dams filled up, and people didn't lack water with increasingly fertile lands.

The third, also lasting a whole year, was the Winter season. In this season, snow fell all day, plants withered, and everything froze. The entire field of view was filled with white due to the towering snow piles. The snow season in After Earth was the coldest season in the history of human memory.

Asia felt her heart beating slowly as she realized this reality... Her last memory at the orphanage was during the Dry season... After that, she woke up here, in the Winter season that whitened the entire After Earth...

So, the man named Akira was not lying... Two years had passed since Asia's last memory.

If that's the case... is it true? Is it true that the orphanage where she lived burned down... the caretaker ladies at the orphanage, the orphaned children who lived with her... is it true that they were all not saved?

A throbbing pain pulsated in Asia's heart; she suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness, a crushing sense of loss...

Deep in her heart, she knew that Akira wasn't lying, that Asia was an orphan in this world, and the closest people in her life had been lost to fate.

Unbeknownst to Asia, she was being observed through CCTV cameras that continued to monitor her every move.

Akira sat there, observing the monitor screen directly connected to his official office in the Great Fortress of Marakesh City. He was slightly startled when Asia leaned towards the window, as if trying to escape. But then he realized that Asia's treatment room was a special hospital room with the highest security, its windows fortified with steel grilles and all parts covered with bulletproof glass that couldn't be shattered.

Asia wouldn't escape.

Not only because the woman was losing her memory, but also because Akira wouldn't let Asia escape again. Not with their unborn child in Asia's womb.