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As humanity faces the future, we are living with the fastest evolving life-form on the planet - technology, growing and changing almost daily. Today the world as a whole is becoming wired together. The future is a glittering computer console gateway to tomorrow. Retrograde was a concept born out of the question: What would we do if tomorrow the world shut down. Imagine waking up to a world where only the most rudimentary tech still worked. What would humanity do? How would our world change? A group formed by chance is our prism to tell the story of this likely improbable but ever-so slightly possible tomorrow.
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AKSHAY DHAR
The stories, institutions and characters in this publication are fictional. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Published by Pop Culture Publishing, an imprint of Twenty Onwards Media Pvt Ltd.
B-130, Naraina Vihar, New Delhi - 110028
Artwork Copyright © 2011 Twenty Onwards Media Pvt Ltd. Character & Concept Copyright © 2011 Akshay Dhar.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for any views, ideas, comments and opinions expressed by the author. Further, the publisher cannot be held liable for any error or omission that might have crept in inadvertently. Publisher shall not be
held responsible for any direct, consequential or incidental damages arising out of use of any information contained in the book.
2011 -2012FIRST EDITION
ISBN:
PRINTED IN INDIABY
WWW.POPCULTUREPUBLISHING.COM
978-81-910061-1-7
AVISHEK PRINTERS, NEW DELHI
WRITER AKSHAY DHAR
ARTIST
AVIK KUMAR MAITRA
INKER SWAPNIL SINGH
(ABSTRACT BROS. MEDIA)
COLORIST NAVAL THANAWALA
LETTERING AMITA KHOSLA
ART DIRECTOR AMITABH THAKUR
editor
ADHIRAJ SINGH
the trouble with our times IS THAT the futUrE is not what it used to be-paul valkley
IT NEVER REALLY OCCURS TO US
HOW FRAGILE WE ARE DOES IT?
NOT JUST US, BUT THIS LITTLE SHINY
BLUE MARBLE A NERDY FRIEND OF MINE
USED TO CALL “STARSHIP EARTH”
I GUESS WHEN THE SUN
WENT CRAZY AND BALLS
OF FIRE RAINED DOWN
FROM THE SKIES...
...WELL LET’S SAY I STARTED
TO RETHINK THINGS A LITTLE.
WE HAD IT ALL, TECHNOLOGY, MADDENING DEVELOPMENT,
GLOBALISATION, EVERYTHING. AND IT SEEMED LIKE NOTHING
COULDN'T BE ACHIEVED BY HUMANITY IF THEY WANTED IT.
“HUBRIS”, I THINK
THE WORD IS.
WE THOUGHT WE COULD DO ANYTHING AND SO (FROM WHERE I
STAND) IT LOOKS LIKE THE UNIVERSE HAD TO HUMBLE US -
REMIND US THAT THOUGH IT WAS OPEN TO US, WE WERE STILL
ONLY A SPECK FLOATING THROUGH THE STARS, ANY DAY
COULD BE OUR LAST.
OK, A LOT.
I CANT EVEN IMAGINE THE
KIND OF DEVASTATION THAT
MUST HAVE BEEN FELT ACROSS
THE GLOBE.
ONE BABBLING STRAGGLER WHO SEEMED
NUTS HAD EVEN MUTTERED THE WORD
‘TSUNAMI'. THAT BROUGHT BACK IMAGES
FROM NOT THAT LONG AGO...
ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE DAY.
ONE DAY. 24 HOURS AND
WE LOST IT ALL.
WE ALL SAW PLANES SIMPLY FALL
FROM THE SKY, JOINING THE OTHER
FLAMING STREAKS RAINING DOWN.
THE SKIES LIT UP LIKE A NIGHTMARE
VERSION OF THE BOREALIS THAT I
HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE.
BASIC MACHINERY STILL WORK BUT
WITHOUT POWER WE WERE ON MANUAL MODE.
BACK TO BASICS...
COULD
COMPUTERS, POWER SUPPLIES, SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE...
IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE WE HAD SEEN ANY
SIGNS OF ANY AT ALL.
“POST APOCALYPTIC” LIKE MY NERDY FRIEND] USED
TO SAY. YEAH, I DON'T THINK ANYONE ACTUALLY
EXPECTS TO SEE IT HAPPEN TO YOU.
What do you do when it does? where do you
go when the world is in pieces?
EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME, GOING OUT
AT NIGHT STILL FREAKS ME OUT MORE
THAN A LITTLE.
BUT SOMETIMES
NECESSITY OUTWEIGHS
WHAT YOU WANT.
I still don't see why this
couldn't wait till morning!
Its crazy t' be heading
through that place at
night! I can’t see shit!
No talking unless it is urgent.
Not to bring notice to us!
Keep it together Scott. There's no more foodTO scavenge in this
town, and with our little garden at least a couple of months from
giving us anything we can use, that leaves us running out of options
sooner rather thAn later.
GOD WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE TO HAVE ONLY THE CROWD
AT MR. SINHA'S GROCERY SHOP RIGHT NOW AND WITH
THE SKIES BEING AS DARKENED AS IT SEEMS, THAT
PROMISES TO BE SLOWER AND LESS PROMISING EVERYDAY.
ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THIS GHOST TOWN ONCE HOME
TO A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE, LOOKING AT THE 18 SURVIVORS
THAT NOW REMAIN.
WAS
WHAT THE STORMS AND
TORNADO DIDN'T KILL, THE
UNEXPLAINABLE ILLNESSES
and BREATHING DISORDERS
TOOK NEXT.
NOW WITH OUR SCAVENGED FOOD RUNNING LOW
AND ALL HOPE FOR OUTSIDE HELP LONG DEAD,
WHAT CHOICE DO WE HAVE BUT TO ADAPT? I
NEVER IMAGINED I’D BE HUNTING FOR MY FOOD
BUT WE HAVE NO CHOICES LEFT.
are not far from
first trap, total
quiet from here is
needed.
BUT RAZZA, HE'S SOMEONE I WOULD WANT HAVING MY BACK. HE'S A MOUNTAINOUS AND
SURLY BUT HARSHLY HONEST FORMER GURKHA COMMANDO WHO HAD BEEN THE JACK-OF-
ALL-TRADES REPAIRMAN OF THIS LITTLE TOWN WHEN WE FIRST MET.
SCOTT SMITH, OUR RESIDENT WHINER. IT’S SMALL
WONDER HE AND TABBY HAVEN'T EXACTLY BEEN
GETTING ALONG, IF WE WEREN'T SO SHORT ON PEOPLE I'D NEVER HAVE BROUGHT HIM ALONG.
Shh!!!
Nothing, does not look even like they come here today. Maybe other traps bring better luck for us.
I hear something ahead,
perhaps something is
caught in the next trap.
Oh shit!
Shit! Damn it all! Scott,get back here! We
have to stay close !
ANGRY WITH THE LIMITED PAGES?
CURIOUS TO READ THE WHOLE THING?
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THE COMPLETE BOOK?
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FOR COMPLETE DETAILS!
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