Intro

Some Chronicler writings (from the book)

ABOUT THE APOCALYPSE “How did the world end? Some Stalkers and other braggarts say they know what happened. That a great plague swept the world and killed everyone. That the bosses of the Old Age fired their weapons of mass destruction at each other and drowned the world in flames. That the gods among the stars, the Ancients’ overlords, had enough of mankind’s hubris and decided to end it all in fire and brimstone. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s just lies and tall tales. The truth is, no one knows for sure. Except maybe the Elder. And he refuses to talk about it. We learned as children not to ask, he would curse and rave at us every time the subject came up. But I’ve heard him mumble in his sleep. He said that the Ancients ended themselves.

ABOUT THE ELDER “Do you remember what it was like before the Elder got sick? He used to walk around in the Ark and talk. Talk and help us with anything we needed. During the days, it was school time and he taught the People to read and count. At night, we’d sit around the fires and listen to stories about the Old Age. The Elder said he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but that he had read books and seen moving images that showed what a fantastic time it must have been. When the Elder got sick, all that stopped. Maybe it’s the Rot that finally got to him. Maybe he’s just old. I don’t care which. I just want to sit in his lap again, to hear him talk about the green fields, the blue lakes and the great cities full of people.”