The name’s Tetris, or at least that’s what people call me. I think it’s supposed to be ironic seeing as I don’t fit in anywhere, but I can manage just fine on my own. I mean, I’ve been doing this for a little over nine or so years and I’m definitely not a little boy anymore. Plus, it’s better to be named Tetris than to have no name at all.


However, nicknames are the least of my concerns. In this world, you gotta make a living. You search through the wreckage and all this other junk, and you get paid in weapons and sustenance. Not a very nice wage, but when a bomb plunges your world into a radioactive winter, it’s definitely worth the trouble. I walked towards my usual spot, the old downtown area with a ton of warehouses and trashed shops chock full of supplies and valuables. I never understood why no one else went there. I have heard whispers of a monster residing there, a beast bulging with oozing tumors, green slime dribbling out of its mouth, and all sorts of scary stuff. Never seen anything of the sort in the year I’ve been rummaging through it, so I think the people who spread those rumors are a bunch of pansies.

Returning to reality, I saw the rusty signs for a variety of clubs up ahead. I slipped on my gloves, zipped up my jacket, and double-knotted my boots. I pulled out a small notepad from my back pocket and briefly checked my shopping list for the day; it seemed that the Market was experiencing an odd shortage of wiring and precious metals. Lucky for me, my spot was chock-full of that stuff, seeing as it may have been a sort of luxury town at one point. I headed towards the town, stuffing the paper back into my pocket. This was going to be one hell of a payday.

Once I arrived at the edge of the town, I decided to do a perimeter check to see if someone had mustered up the courage to try and mooch off my spot. Retrieving a pistol from my belt, I scanned the scene with the eyes of a hawk. Nothing. I slid the gun back into its holster and resumed my usual route. I knew that there was a building near the south end of the town that had some nice furnishings and expensive-looking chandeliers, making it my best bet for some good loot. But before I could become one of the richest men in Junkyard, there was one errand I needed to run.


Disguised as a modest hole in the wall, Candie’s was a nice safe haven for me and my non-existent friends. While it appeared as a pet shop at first glance, its backrooms were decked with purple velvet couches and gold décor that must have been blinding in its prime. It was probably a secret club of sorts, definitely ran by some mafia or drug cartel. But now it was my place to run, and it was my base of operations. My monitors, my weapons, and of course, my decontamination equipment resided here. I slung my bag off of my shoulders and went to my desk. Can’t hurt to check your stocks and tap other people’s radios, right? Actually, forget that last part. Either way, it was good to check all your sources for easier solutions. But just as I was going through my current metal stocks, I heard a rustling from my bag. I froze as I heard something skitter across the floor towards me. I felt it crawling up the leg of my pants, then forcing itself in a powerful leap onto the desk. The thing looked at me and then let out a ferocious squeak.

“Ah, Domino!” I smiled. “Sorry for keeping you in there so long. Can’t risk you getting too exposed.” Domino only growled at me.

“But,” I said, “I think I have something that will cheer you up!” I held a food pellet between my fingers, yanking it just out of Domino’s reach when she got too close. She let out a few squeaks of rage before she settled on her hind legs, waiting patiently for her treat. “That’s a good girl,” I grinned, patting her on the head as she took the food pellet from me. Ferrets are finicky little creatures, but once you have food, they tend to like you pretty quickly.

Turning back to my computer screen, I was pleased to see that I had logged a sufficient amount of silver and gold. I punched the numbers into my nearby calculator and estimated that I could get over a week’s rations with my current supply, excluding the probable amount I would find in the downtown area. I was in the middle of pricing my current filament stock when I heard sudden sound of a gun firing outside. I fumbled for the shotgun on the wall, hastily loading in the bullets and priming the gun to fire. I hadn’t been expecting company, but I sure as hell was ready for some trouble.

I heard another shot, a lot louder this time, forcing me to slam my back against a wall for cover. Domino scampered away somewhere, seemingly frightened by the noise. Even though Domino was a ferret, she usually wasn’t scared by stuff like this. The mere sight of it unnerved me a little. Another shot went off, followed by a dreadfully familiar voice.

“Tetris…” the voice growled, “it has been a while.”

“It sure has, E.T,” I replied. “For a reason.”

“Now, now. Is that how you talk to friends? No wonder you don’t have any.”

“I can’t find any good best friend material,” I sneered. “Because if my suspicions are correct, I’m surrounded by boneheads.” I heard a rumbling of snarls and muffled curses. Dammit. I was outnumbered.

“Tetris, I’m here to make you a deal,” E.T muttered. I had heard stories about E.T’s “deals”.

“Don’t want it!” I blurted.

“Just walk out of here, give us your loot, and you’ll never hear from us again.”

“Still not budging.” My response was met with a crazed snicker, sending a shock of fear down my spine. This was a tighter trap than I had originally thought.

“You know what I have here, Tetris? It’s a detonator. You know what it does?”

“It detonates something. I ain’t stupid,” I answered, trying with all my might to stifle the sense of fear in my voice. It wouldn’t matter. That fiend could smell fear from a mile away.

“Correct. If I press the detonator’s button, all the C4 around you detonates, sending your little base crumbling down and squishing you like a bug.”

“I ain’t goin’ out there. You’ll detonate it either way.” E.T only broke into psychotic laughter.

“Oh, but you will, little piggy. Life is good for you right now, isn’t it? It’d be a shame for such youth to be struck down in their prime.” I heard a quiet thunder of howls and jeers just beyond the door. I put my head in my hands. This was how I would die; being blown to bits by some lunatic while I was on my knees. I was on the verge of crying until I heard a faint squeaking sound.

Domino rushed towards me, leaping straight onto my shoulder and scratching the side of my head with her little claws. No matter how much I tried to shoo her, she kept nagging me and tearing at my ears.

“What do you want, you insolent rodent?” I snapped. I looked over to Domino, expecting to see that same old pouting scowl on her face. However, I was surprised to find that she had something clenched between her teeth. It looked to be a small note of paper rolled up like a scroll, with Domino being its brave messenger. She leaned towards me, as if offering it to me.

Gently reaching towards the paper, I whispered, “Can I have this?” Without a second thought, Domino dropped the note into my hands and scurried into my jacket as if trying to hide from something. Unfolding the paper, I saw that only one sentence had been scrawled onto it: Cover your ears. It had no name to identify the sender, and had no indication as what their motives were. But I was on the verge of death, so I didn’t have the composure to question it.

Slamming my hands over my ears, I crouched into a ball and prepared to embrace death. Despite my efforts to block out all noise entirely, I could still hear the muffled voice of E.T’s incessant cackling.

“Come on out little piggy, or I’ll huff,” E.T howled in amusement. I tensed.

“And I’ll puff,” My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.

“And I’ll—“ E.T’s insanity was interrupted by a large boom, the roar of the blast overtaking the jeers of him and his buddies. I could feel the heat of the explosion sear against the wall, threatening to burst into flames at any moment. Soon, the rumbling stopped and the heat died away. It was dead silent. Finally mustering the courage to lift myself off the ground, I looked beyond the wall to see a smoldering crater where the gang had been, the ashes still puffing up little trails of smoke.

“So you’re Tetris,” an unknown voice called. I jerked my head up from the rubble and debris to see a small figure staring straight at me while casually slinging a bazooka off their shoulder. “I must say, you have one smart ferret. If it wasn’t for her, you’d be barbeque chicken right about now.” Domino poked her head out from my jacket and squeaked in approval. Something told me that an increase in treats was going to be set in place. Still, Domino’s wages was a matter for another time.

“Who are you?” I inquired, beckoning the stranger forward so I could get a better look at them. As the figure stepped away from the clouds of settling dust and wisps of smoke, the gaze of two shining amber irises met mine. She looked to be a girl about my age, with many of the delicate features of her face caked in dirt and grime. She brushed away her long, flowing dark brown hair, revealing a small scar streaking across the bottom of her cheek. She began to speak, her voice a sweet cadence that sang out from the ringing in my ears.

“Most people know me as Galaga, but you can call me Cecilia,” she said with indifference. She must have noticed my stunned expression as she snapped at me, growling, “Hey, my eyes are right here!” Quickly shaking my head out of the trance, I returned my attention to her and did my best to keep it there.

“Oh, uh… Tetris,” I stammered. “Nice to meet you.” I saw a grin spread across her face.

“You don’t have to use your nickname,” she giggled. “We are pretty much allies at this point.” I felt my shoulders slump as I turned my head away from her.

“That is my name,” I sighed. Her beautiful smile drained from her face and left her with a frown. “I don’t know that much about my past,” I continued, “and it hasn’t really bothered me until recently.” Her eyes expressed a deep sense of pity for me, which I could not discern if it comforted or insulted me. Probably a mixture of both. Still, it looked as if she wanted to help me.

“Eric,” Cecilia said suddenly. “How about I call you Eric?”

“What?” I replied with confusion.

“You need a name, a human name, and I think Eric suits you.” I started to mull it over when Domino started squeaking in agreement with Cecilia’s request. And to be honest, it didn’t sound like a bad name at all.

“Alright,” I beamed, shaking her hand in the process. “I’m Eric. Good to meet you, Cecilia.” I saw her eyes dart towards the backrooms, as if she was trying to encourage me to do some unknown task. I quickly caught a clue as to what it was. “Um, would you care for a drink or anything? Maybe just somewhere to rest for a while?”

“Aw, thank you Eric,” Cecilia chided. “And if I may ask, can you bring me some scotch? Perhaps we can talk more over some nice drinks.” I sighed. After everything that had happened today, a drink sounded pretty good, especially with a new friend.