Only Human

    My name is Alexander. Me and my two friends, Michael and Kimi, are one of seven groups left in the Phoenix area. Everyone else has either fled or has been killed.

    On that note, maybe I should start from the beginning. About ten years ago is when it started. Their initial attack was the use of half mile wide astroids to diminish the world population. Of course the world leaders united to prevent, at that time what seemed an act of god, this catastrophy from occuring, but they sent hundreds of them at earth. In the US, San Fransico, Washington, Denver, Chicago, Huston, Miami, Charleston, and New York were hit. In the confusion, no one noticed the smaller objects among the debris, those were the second wave. Only after the smaller objects made touchdown did we realize we were under attack. Now nicknamed Monoliths, because they don't move any longer, they were giant machinary that strided on six legs across the landscape to confront the first resistance. After the major first attacks against the invaders failed, the attack became small and more organized, I would think like the french did in world war two with their resistance fighters. The first few missions were successful, till the hounds landed. The hounds, nicknamed for their appearance similar to dogs, were deployed in any area that showed any kind of resistance to the occupation. Working with infared, sonar, and night vision, the resistance was soon dispersed. After that, only sentries, a smaller version of the monoliths, began walking the streets, eraticating any sign of human life, and thats how it has been for the past seven years.

    Our group was in the resistance, and we were the first to flee when the hounds came about. We were 9 larger then, some being killed by hounds that found them during nightly raids on food markets, a couple to the sentries because of carelessness, and two by their own hands. We now claim a protion of the city as our territory. We protect our food supplies from wanderers and the other groups every now and then, and our water has become decently clean since the cities up river have died off. Clothes are recycled by cutting old and torn clothing into pieces that are made into wearable pieces. It doesn't get too cold, so we don't worry too much about having a lot.

    As for the faces of our occupiers, well, none have seen them, not that have lived for more than a minute or two after seeing at least. We call them the invaders. Some call them names found in myth and religion.

    It is true, humans can survive just about anything. Our group, as small as it my be, is proof of that. But there isn't enough freedom to think of repopulating, and with food supplies limited, we have to fend off intruders.

    And so it all come down to who has control of what resources. We still fight among ourselves instead of working together. But what can I say, we are after all only human.