地心啟示錄

"I-Central Chaos: I-Carnival of Mud and Sulfur"
Lapho isibhakabhaka phezulu siqhuma sibe amagundane futhi umhlaba uzamula uzamula ovuthayo ovela emlonyeni wawo ovulekile—sikuhalalisela, manje usuyingcweti entsha yala magundane angaphansi komhlaba.
Khohlwa lezo zifanekiselo zenkosi; manje okudingayo nje ukufakazela isimo sakho amabhuzu akho esikhumba ane-lava kanye namehlo alambileyo abasindile. Kulesi sihogo "Sezinxushunxushu Ezimaphakathi," ayikho imanuwali yesu, umthetho owodwa kuphela wensimbi: funda ukulala phakathi kwephunga elibabule, noma ube wuphawu olushisayo odongeni lwamatshe.
[Umhlaba uyi-aphula elibolile, futhi siluma umnyombo.]
Ungalindeli isiqephu esiwumlingo. Konke okusele eNkathini Ephakathi lapha izijula ezinqamuke ingxenye kanye nezincwadi zomthandazo ezikhuntile. Ingaphezulu? Ibhotela elincibilikiswe yilanga. Manje sibekwe ekhwapheni Lomhlaba, lapho amatshe aphefumula khona, amakhowe athukwa, ngisho namanzi agelezayo akuwona amanzi. I-asidi ethambisa amathambo. Okubi kunakho konke, yilokho kushisa kwe-geothermal. Kube sengathi umdondoshiya ubilisa umhluzi laphaya phansi, siwubhontshisi ebhodweni.
Kufanele uhole le miphefumulo ekhalayo, eneshwa ukuze uthole ukudla, umbe imigodi ukuze uphefumule, futhi, ngendlela, uthole ukuthi: Ubani ophonse umgodi esibhakabhakeni? Kodwa mangicacise, iqiniso lingase linyanye kakhulu kunama-slugs angaphansi komhlaba.
[Konke ukuqalisa kabusha kuyindlela entsha yokuphila (noma ukufa)]
Imephu yale ndawo eyincithakalo ifana ne-graffiti yohlanya, eshintsha njalo lapho uvula amehlo akho. Kwesinye isikhathi ucosha amatshe akhazimulayo, okulandelayo uwela emgodini ogcwele imivini eklabalasayo. Ungase uzithele phezu kwendela ehlanyayo egqoke isigqoko sebhakede lensimbi, ezohwebelana nawe ngesiphambano esigqwalile ukuze uthole isinkwa sakho. Noma ungase ukhubeke endaweni yeqembu elithile— Bakubuka njengempisi elambile ebona imvu ekhuluphele.
Khumbula: Ungalondolozi izinsiza zakho; ungase ungaphinde ubabone bephila. Kodwa ungawamoshi futhi. Phela ukulunywa ukudla kungagcina umuntu ephila olunye usuku, noma kungakuphephisa amagalelo ambalwa lapho ubhuqwabhuqwa ukufa.
[Ukusinda? Ukuthengiselana nje nodaka nosathane.]
Ukusinda lapha kudinga amakhono angempela:
Ukuzingela izicucu: Amakristalu angaqala umlilo, isinkwa esidala singagcwalisa isisu sakho, ngisho netshe elicijile lingakusiza ukuthi ubhoboze imbobo esilwaneni esihlasela ebusuku.
Yakha indawo yokukhosela: Ungakhathazeki ngokuthi i-shabby, inqobo nje uma ingavimba ukuqhekeka kwe-lava. Yakha indawo yokusebenzela engcolile, ucubungule ngayo, futhi wenze isiphephetha-moya esingcolile ukuze uhlale ufudumele. Ungase uphile izinsuku ezintathu isikhathi eside.
Ukuzulazula: Gxumela emihumeni emnyama; ungase uzithele phezu kwezinhlamvu zegolide ezimbalwa ezingagqwalile, noma ungene endlini yangasese yempucuko yasendulo. Imidwebo engaphakathi ingase ibambe isu elisindisa impilo.
Ukulwa: Lezo zidalwa ezinemilenze eyisishiyagalombili aziyona into enkulu; Inkinga yangempela ilele kwabanye abasindile. Bazokweba amanzi akho, umlilo wakho, futhi baze baqambe amanga kuwe ukuze babulawe. Ukubambisana? Impela, inqobo nje uma ungenza isiqiniseko sokuthi umfana ongemuva kwakho akakukhombi ngommese.
[Ilwa? Ukusebenzisa ingqondo yakho kungcono kunezibhakela zakho.]
Ungacabangi ukuthi ungavele ujike induku ushaye ngamandla. Ukulwa lapha kudinga ukubala: Abagijimi abanejubane mabayenge izilo, abanamandla bathathe umonakalo, bese kuba lowo onekhono lokuphula imilingo anyonyobe ngemuva ukuze adubule imicibisholo. Amakhulu abantu, ngamunye unamaqhinga akhe ahlukile; amakhono? Indlela nje "yokuphonsa isihlabathi emehlweni e-monster." Lolu hlobo lweqhinga elingcolile selingcono kakhulu kulo. O, futhi ungalahli noma yiziphi izinsalela ozitholayo, ngoba enye yazo ingenza ama-farts akho abe nobuthi.
[Ukhathele? Vele ulale uzenze umuntu ofile.]

Asikho isikhathi sokubuka? Kulula. Uvele ujikijele lezozilima laphaya ulale. Lapho uvuka, ungase uthole isiqephu se-jerky esidliwe uhhafu noma uqaphele ukuthi abantu ababili abatholakali-noma ngabe, abaphilayo yilokho okubalulekile.
[Umqoqi? Kunentaba yemfucumfucu lapha.]

Ufuna ukuqoqa zonke izinhlamvu eziyinqaba? Impela, kukhona loya mfana oyisidlakela esiketini kanye nentombazane ekwazi ukuvula izingidi ngezinwele zayo. Amakhono? Kusukela "ekuzenzeni idwala" kuye "kuhlebela amalulwane," kukhona konke. Ama-Artifacts? Izigqoko nje ezigqwalile nezinkomishi eziqotshiwe—kodwa zigqoke, zisebenzise, futhi ungase usuke “ekufeni” uye ku... “Bazophila isikhathi eside.”
Umlilo ongaphansi komhlaba uvutha uze ufike emabhulukweni abo. Uhlela ukubabulala kanjani laba bantu? Hhayi-ke, uhlele kanjani ukubagcina bephila?