After Earth Fell: I Became Humanity's Strongest Mecha Soldier

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we once again welcome you to seventh anniversary of Humanity’s Stellar Expansion. But this year is no ordinary year, this year marks a great milestone achieved by individuals who strived to make Earth and her sisters possible and where she is now. Today, the United Earth Government presents recognition, the collective gratitude of all the lives they have improved and rewards for their hard work. Welcome all, to the Award Giving Ceremony of the United Earth!"

Applauses and wolf whistles echoed throughout the ballroom.

"Now now, don’t expend your applauding energy. Save it for the nominees!"

Edith settled down at the table reserved for her and her colleagues.

The order of ceremony followed.

Earth and her sister planets sang the United Anthem.

Popular musicians and celebrities performed.

The host announced a bunch of other festivities she didn’t bother to pay attention to.

Across her, a man pulled a free chair back. His silver hair was styled back in a neat slick.

"Lovely night isn’t it, Meredith?"

"It’s Edith."

She scowled at him.

"Jeez, all these years and you’re still as feisty as ever."

"Merit do me a favour and fuck off, would you?"

All these years and he still wouldn’t give up chasing her. Even after she got married and had a child, he didn’t relent. It got so bad she had to ask Roger to move into her lab station so it would atleast intimidate him.

It worked for a few months and then out of nowhere, he named a planet using both their names.

Merit and Edith.

Meredith.

How was that possible? Benefits of being a rich kid...a filthy rich kid.

Roger had been so livid, he nearly marched over to Merit’s house to beat the living daylights out of him.

"I wouldn’t miss such an auspicious event not when you are present."

Edith glanced around for Roger but he was no where in sight.

"Where is Roger?" Her eyes narrowed at the silver-head.

"How would I know?"

"Ladies and gentlemen our nominees for the ’Brilliant Mind’ award are..."

The host mentioned the names of her colleagues.

"...Edith Summer Burkman and Merit Smith."

Of course.

He had somehow wiggled his way into this event as well...just like he did the other times.

Merit was a scientist.

A laid back scientist who barely did any work. Most of his ’achievements’ over the years were the work of other people, paid for in hefty sums to shut them up in return.

Many have tried bringing him to book but it was all for naught.

They all paid a heavy price.

"You’re looking very beautiful tonight."

Edith looked around for her husband, her unease coloring her face.

"I’m going to ask you one more time. Merit, where is my husband?"

"I don’t understand, what do you even see in that guy?"

"Where is he?"

Merit scoffed and pulled out his phone. The device rung for a second before it was answered.

"Boss?"

"Release him."

Horror flashed across Edith’s face at his words. "What the fuck?"

"Sure thing, Boss."

He pocketed his phone and gave her a slow once over.

"It’s a shame, the trophy’s color accents matches your dress."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Edith, if awards truly defined someone, who do you really think is the real winner? The person who won the award or the person who didn’t?"

"..."

He wasn’t asking a trivia question, she knew that. It was her fate.

"No answer? Well, here’s mine. The person who takes home the award is always the real winner, no matter how he gets it."

Saying this, he stood up and left their section to where the executives sat.

Roger ran a palm through his hair as he hurriedly rushed to his wife’s side.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh my gosh, did they hurt you?"

He shook his head. "They just tied me up and blindfolded me. Did that bastard try anything funny?"

"No, I’m fine."

"That’s good."

His lips pressed against her cheek as he sat next to her.

"Roger?"

"Yeah?"

"He’s not going to let me have it...again."

"...motherfucker."

"It’s alright. I know a way to steal the show."

"What?"

"I’m going to tell them."

Edith linked her hands with his. "About our research."

"It’s still in the early stage and we’re not show if it can even work."

She squeezed them. "It will work because we’ll make it work."

"..."

...

..

.

"Salamdeul-i wae ileon gae gat-eun geol boneunji domuji ihaega an gane, ppeonhi jojagdoen geonde! Jeo Merit saekkiga maennal igijanh-a! Ya! Seonghyeon-a, nae bil-eomeog-eul maegju jom gajyeowa![I still don’t understand why people watch this shit, it’s obviously rigged! That Merit bastard keeps winning all the time! Hey, Seong-Hyun, bring me my fucking beer!]"

A heavily drunk man slurred at the flickering tv. His empty bottle of beer slammed against the table, the sound sent a scrawny woman cowering further into the wall behind her. The child in her hand stretched and burst into tears.

"Ya! Bagseonghyeon! I sseulmo-eobsneun saekkiya, gwi meog-eossnya?[Hey! Bak Seong-Hyun! This useless bastard, are you deaf?]"

The baby stirred and began to cry, its sleep disturbed by the loud man.

"Ibwa! Jeo agi jom joyonghi sikyeo! [Hey! Shut that baby up!]"

The woman whimpered and began petting the baby, trying to pacify it. She hurriedly brought out her breast for it to feed, successfully quieting it down.

An equally scrawny boy limped into the living room. His eyes was bandaged and his arm set in a poorly made cast.

"Samchon...dol-awass-eoyo.[Uncle...I’m back]."

"Wae ileohge neuj-eoss-eo, huh? Gumbeng-i gat-eun saekkiga. Bandaejjog sondo buleotteulyeo julkka?[What took you so long, huh? Slow bastard. Want me to break your other hand?]"

The man snatched the plastic bag filled with chilled beer and continued watching his programs.

"Eonni[Sis]." Bak limped to his sister and sneakily shoved the contraceptive she had asked him to buy.

"G-gamsahaeyo...[T-thanks]." She hurriedly slipped a pill into her mouth and put the satchel in the gap between her bra.

The boy nodded and limped outside.

At the same time, a troop of soldiers marched past.

’They are soldiers...they should be able to rescue my Eonni.’

He limped faster towards the marching troop. Someone bumped into him stepping on his wounded feet.

"Agh!"

The culprit didn’t spare him a glance or a ’sorry’. He wanted to curse and swear at the person but that would mean he was no different from his Eonni’s husband.

"Sir!" A soldier drew back from his troop to attend to him.

"My Eonni and Joka." He gestured carrying a baby. "Bad beat every day."

"Damn kiddo, you should work on your English. I don’t understand whatever it is yiu just said." The soldier shrugged and joined his troop.

Why wouldn’t they help him?

How hard could it be for them to understand that he needed help? That his Eonni needed help?

Dejected, he stumbled back home. His bad feet hurt more than before thanks to the person that stepped on it.

The door to their little home groaned open. Beneath the television noise, his eonni cried and begged for mercy. His niece was tucked in a warm swaddle outside. He picked her up and began to rock her on his good arm.

Something crashed, his eonni screamed but he didn’t stop. He kept rocking the baby, drowning out the sound of the merciless strokes of a leather belt hitting skin.

An hour passed and his uncle stormed out of the house.

Seong-Hyun let a few minutes pass before he stepped in. The vase his uncle’s mom had gotten them was shattered into bits. The chairs were pulled back from their original positions and his Eonni lay at the center of the living room.

Convulsing.

Her skin streaked fresh belt marks, some had blood beading at some areas. Beside her sat the contraceptive satchel he had given her earlier, crushed to nothingness.

"Neon hangsang mwol sumgineun de seotulleoss-eo... teughi geu salam ap-eseoneun deodeoug.[you were always bad at hiding things...especially from him.]"

Her response was a weak gargle before fresh tears began to stream her face.

"Ulii ma...geuleogien jom neuj-eossneyo.

[Don’t cry...it’s a little too late for that.]"

His hands pushed back her sweat-slicked hair. A hand print sat there, red and swelling.

"Dongsaeng-a, nae il ttaemun-e neokkaji hwimallige haeseo mianhae...nunaleul yongseohae jwo.[Little brother, I’m sorry i dragged you into my mess...please forgive your sister.]"

She held onto his hand, shaking uncontrollably.

"Bong-Chaleul deligo domangchyeoya haeyo. Geu salam-i uli aileul haechil geoyeyo. [You have to take Bong Cha and run. He’s going to hurt my baby.]" She pointed to where she ’had’ safely tucked the baby under a raised chair.

"Dongsaeng-a, geunyeoleul anjeonhage jikigessdago yagsoghae jwo. Museun il-i iss-eodo geunyeoleul bohohagessdago.[Little brother, promise me that you’ll keep her safe. No matter what, you’ll protect her.]"

Seong-Hyun nodded and limped and pretended to scoop the baby from where she had pointed and cradled her against his chest.

"Geuleolgeyo. Jega geunyeoleul jikigessseubnida.[I will. I will protect her.]"

Was what he remembered saying.

So why was why their house on fire, the brick crumbling as people ran past it screaming.

"Eonni..."

No response.

"Bong-Cha..."

Why were his sister and niece...becoming shadows?