Year 20XX

A large vehicle treaded over the road leading to the entrance of a ghost city. The remnants of a once-great city lay spread out beneath the vehicle as it glided silently through the overgrown ruins. Towering skyscrapers now stood as hollow sentinels, their skeletal frames entwined with resilient vines. Goldwin supervised the piloting from his seat, his keen eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger. Beside him, Roy, his smart robot sidekick on treads, monitored the vehicle's systems, ready to assist at a moment's notice.

"Any sign of life here, Roy?" the elderly man asked.

"Beep-beep. As soon as we entered the city, scan results there are zero human life around us. This city has been infested with 87.3% vegetation, Master Goldwin."

"…I see. Another ghost town, huh."

"I'd wager it's around more than a decade since this place was abandoned, Goldwin," a middle-aged man walked to his seat.

"Yeah, probably more than that, Gareth. Very well, then, we'll just have to pass through."

"Where should we set course, Old Man?" one of the drivers named Alan asked. "I suggest we should find a source of water. The Hope's water storage is running low."

"I was thinking of that, too," Goldwin said. "There should be a river about five kilometers to the west. We'll see if we can take the water there."

"Roger. Setting course for the Hope to the west."

The Hope was a marvel of modern engineering, a testament to human ingenuity and resilience in a world turned silent by war. Its sleek, aerodynamic design combined functionality with aesthetic appeal, making it both a formidable vehicle and a beacon of hope in the desolate landscape.

The front of the Hope featured a panoramic windshield, offering a clear view of the road ahead. Integrated sensors and cameras fed real-time data to the cockpit, where Goldwin and the team could monitor their surroundings and navigate through the treacherous remnants of civilization. The cockpit itself was a hub of activity, filled with touchscreens, holographic displays, and manual controls for when precision was needed.

"Oh, oh, there's the river, Grandpa!" a child pulled on Goldwin's shirt.

"Haha, you got the sharp eye, kiddo."

"The current seems calm. I think we should immediately extract water from it, sir," Alan said.

"Not so fast, lad. Joko, Hana, get the radioactive test equipment ready," Goldwin instructed.

"Roger!"

The team moved with practiced efficiency, knowing the importance of every decision in this silent world. As they approached the river, Joko and Hana disembarked with their testing gear. The water shimmered invitingly under the midday sun, but they knew better than to trust appearances. Most sources of water in this post-apocalyptic landscape were contaminated by radioactive waste from the nuclear war.

Joko dipped a testing rod into the water while Hana monitored the readings on the portable scanner. After a tense few moments, Hana looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "It's got a low contamination level, Mr. Goldwin. We can purify it!"

Goldwin's face broke into a rare smile. "Excellent work, you two. Gather as much water as you can and start the purification process. We'll need every drop."

The team sprang into action, filling containers with the precious liquid and setting up the purification equipment. Goldwin supervised the operation, ensuring that everything ran smoothly. The purified water would be a lifeline for their continued journey through the desolate landscape.

Once the containers were filled and purified, the team resumed their journey. The Hope rumbled back to life, gliding through the ruined cityscape with renewed purpose. Goldwin glanced at his makeshift family, their spirits lifted by this small victory.

…

..

.

My name was Goldwin Zal Gunawan. Well, they called me Grandpa, Old Man, or just plain Goldwin. I was sixty-four, and let me tell you, age was just a number when you had the right tech on your side. My body may have creaked like an old door, but my mind was as sharp as a freshly honed blade.

I was the mastermind behind the Hope, our high-tech haven on wheels. While the rest of the world was a crumbling mess of radiation and ruins, we were cruising in style thanks to my ingenuity. I'd always had a knack for making things work, even when the odds were stacked against us. Some folks might've said I was a genius, but I preferred to think of myself as resourceful.

My team of misfits and survivors, they were a good bunch. Theo, Joko, Alan, Juan, Gareth, Audrey, Hana, Phoebe, and Lana — we were a motley crew, but we stuck together. They may have thought of me as a grumpy old codger sometimes, but deep down, they knew I'd move mountains for them. They also knew better than to underestimate me. I might have had a sassy streak, but when it came to keeping this team alive, I was as serious as a heart attack.

We'd seen some things, let me tell you. The remnants of civilization weren't pretty, but there was beauty in the way nature was reclaiming the world. Vegetation consuming skyscrapers, trees growing through the wreckage — it was like life was giving humanity the middle finger and saying, "I'm still here."

Every day was a battle against the remnants of a world torn apart by nuclear war. Water, food, safety — it was all a struggle. But as long as I was there, guiding the Hope through the chaos, there was a chance. And that was what kept me going, kept all of us going. We weren't just surviving; we were looking for a way to thrive in this silent, broken world. And I'd be damned if I let anything stand in our way.

When the sun's down, we would normally stop the engines and made camp. Tonight was no exception. After mapping out the areas we passed through, I stepped out of my seat to go outside. It has been more than twenty years since the nuclear war ended, yet it still haunted me till this day. Watching the stars in the night sky outside was a rather effective way to calm my nerves.

Just when I wanted to go out, Phoebe came by to me crying.

"Grandpa, grandpa…"

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"My PDA is broken…"

"Let's see… Ah, the screen froze, huh."

"Can you fix it?"

"Yeah, no problem. I'll get it fixed in no time."

"R-Really?"

"Uh-huh. Be a good girl and help Miss Hana cook."

"Okay! Love you, Grandpa!"

As the little girl hopped off the vehicle with a smile, I started my work immediately. On the working table, I inspected Phoebe's PDA. After dismantling the device, I found out the problem to be the LCD screen failing. Therefore, I picked up a spare piece and slapped it on. Voila! It worked again.

Everyone in our small team had a PDA so that we could communicate with each other. There was no global internet connection in this barren world anymore. How sad. We could only rely on the Hope to even get a sprinkle of active network. The PDA had a transmitter itself so that the Hope could determine its location. It was horrendously limited in terms of accessibility, but hey, it was more than enough to make sure no one gets left behind.

I returned Phoebe's PDA the next morning. She hopped with excitement knowing it worked again.

"Thank you, Grandpa! You're a genius!"

She jumped to me, hugging me so tight.

"Haha. No problem, kiddo," I said, patting her head. "Take care of it for me, will you?"

"Mm. I will!"

"Good girl."

We continued our journey aboard the Hope. Days passed by. No matter how long we treaded the wasteland, we couldn't find anyone else nor any functional civilization. I wanted to believe that we could find other survivors of the atomic war. And yet…reality always stomped with the harsh truth. We were alone in this post-apocalyptic world.

"Guys, look ahead!" Alan said, his eyes widened.

Lana picked up her binoculars, "Another town… It seems to be a big one, boss."

"Bah, perhaps another dead town," I responded. "Roy, what'cha got on your database?"

"Beep-beep. My data shows that this city is called New Hasil. There are at least ten supermarkets in there. Caution: it is not advisable to pick up any organic material such as vegetables or meat from there."

"Like hell we would. I bet it's gonna smell terrible after all these years…"

"No doubt about that," Gareth stepped beside me. "But we can probably find something useful in there, Goldwin."

"Agreed. We can fetch some batteries or maybe some electronics for us to salvage and use."

"Shall we park somewhere, Mr. Goldwin?"

"Aye. Let's set up camp outside the town. Joko, Lana, you two will accompany me. We're going to do some shopping."

"Roger that, boss."

"Eh, me?" Lana turned around on her chair. "Y-You sure you're not trying to call Hana now, do you?"

"Oi. Even though your names are nearly identical, I can still differentiate between them!"

"I, I see…"

"Huh, what, you're scared?"

"N-No! Of course, not! I'm a brave, independent girl!"

"Well, get yourself ready. Audrey, please guide us from the radar."

"Leave it to me, Mr. Goldwin!"

"As for Gareth, I leave the Hope in your hands while I'm away."

"No problem, buddy. Don't forget your gun."

"Oh, right. Y'know… I've been wondering whether I even need them."

"Who knows? Wild animals might roam the city, my friend. And heck, even though we can find human survivors, we can't guarantee they're going to be all friendly."

"Huh, makes sense. Alright, then. Come along, Roy!"

"Beep-beep. Following right behind you, Master."

Joko, Lana, my robot Roy, and myself ventured into the withered city. Our eyes expanded widely when we saw the city to be full of mist. We immediately wore our masks. The pungent smell wasn't helping either. It penetrated the mint smell in our masks. Joko performed initial examination of the contamination levels in the area. The results…weren't too surprising.

"Bad news, Mr. Goldwin. The test kit shows high levels of radiation. I don't think we should go further down this road."

"Guess a gas leak happened somewhere and mixed with the radioactive elements. We'll go through another road."

"O-Okay…"

Joko continued testing the air quality. Most areas were indicated to be contaminated with nuclear radiation at least from medium to high. With the mist clearly blanketing the city and shrouded our vision, I sighed, thinking that it would be best to leave empty-handed.

"It's not worth it trying to salvage from a damn polluted city. It's your lucky day, Lana. We're heading back."

"R-Really? Oh, thank God…"

"But before that… Roy, where's the nearest supermarket?"

"Beep-beep. The closest one would be 700 meters from here. However, it is poorly advised to go there, Master."

"Hmm… What about electronic stores or something as such?"

"Beep-beep. There are three of them within 200 meters from here."

"Gotcha. What do you think, Joko?"

"Well, the radioactive presence is quite thick here. Not to mention the mist made my skin feel itchy. I don't want to risk getting exposed to them, unless we have hazmat suit with us."

"Good point. Well, that's that, I guess. Joko, call Hana and tell her to ready the detox kit."

"Rog."

"Hey, umm, boss… You're not telling me you want to go in anyway, do you?"

"Hahaha! Of course not, Lana. There's one guy that can do the job. Roy, can you fetch some batteries for us?"

"Beep-beep. Easy task. Leave the job to Roy."

I picked up my PDA and called Audrey. "Audrey, do you read me?"

*Yes sir, loud and clear.*

"Good. I need you to keep track of Roy's movements."

*I'm on it. Wait, you're not going in, sir?*

"Nah. We're good. The mist is basically a lethal dose of hazard. Unless you want to see a mutated human inside the Hope by the time we go back, we're not going anywhere inside the city."

*Ahahaha, I see. Okay, then.*

And with that, Roy, my robot sidekick, rolled down the highway exit and into the city. I used my PDA to track his movements, too. I could communicate with him as well.

Roy… That robot was my latest invention along with the Hope before the atomic war began. I designed him like a recon drone on tank treads, but with robotic arms. He was only the height of my knee, but he was extremely versatile. He could do many things and comprehend our speeches. Well, that's what happened when you fused a strong AI into its computer brain.

Before long, the robot returned with a trolley full of electronic items. Joko performed a quick decontamination on the trolley and its contents. Hana arrived and performed detoxification to us before we returned to the Hope. I could see Lana's face sighing out of relief. She claimed to be brave, but deep inside, I knew it was just a front. I wanted to make her overcome her fears by coming along, but I suppose it would need to wait for another day.