Prologue

In the year 2022, genetically enhanced men and women roam the ruins of a post apocalyptic United States. War ravaged, burned to ash, crumbled, pathetic United States. There are no green trees or grass, rather soot and smoke. One-hundred foot buildings are now thirty foot heaps of rubble and steel piled upon one another. Sixty percent of the human population has been killed, and that number is still decreasing. There are no longer super models or body builders but rather mutated and disfigured children rummaging garbage cans and dumpsters. No more pieces of green paper with powdered men and solemn faces are needed anymore, instead, if someone wants something, it is taken by one way or another. There is a make-shift form of law, though. They call themselves "The Voice". A small group of the tested that joined together to instill some hope into the hopeless and a fear of justice into the fearless. They do their best.

The cyber-hacker group known as "The Sluts" hacked in to the United States security mainframe back in 2017, thus releasing eighty percent of the prisoners help captive in the U.S., including The Tested, as well as sending the stock markets plummeting. The armed forces figured the Chinese were the only ones smart enough to hack the mainframe, and they bombed them endlessly. China joined forces with the Russians, who bombed the States endlessly. The merry-go-round of bombing lasted just three weeks until basically the entire world was destroyed.

It was bad enough that murderers, rapists, thieves, and death row inmates were able to escape from prison and not be caught, let alone a specific group of individuals who were kept in underground vaults, never to be released. The Tested, a handful of people, some volunteers, the rest "volunteers" taken from their homes and the streets to be poked and prodded until they could do things unimaginable. They wanted them to be able to do things that nobody ever dreamed of. Which they can. Which I can. I am Carson Roller. I can run faster than you, jump higher than you, and hit harder than you. I can turn a simple broom handle into a weapon of destruction and death. I can leap form building to building and lift cars over my head as if I were holding a pillow full of feathers. But I'm not the only one. Others can do things that I can't. Horrible things.

Over the past five years I've watched what is left of the world dig itself closer and closer to the skyline of Hell. Why should I be any different? I know what people are capable of, both good and evil. But these days their decisions and actions seem to be very one-sided. Each day I feel myself getting closer and closer to letting go and gaining from what was given to me. I know it isn't right, but not much is anymore.

But would I be letting go, or is my grip of right and wrong slipping?