He becomes hysterical as Joseph stares at him, puzzled. Even Marcus himself raises an eyebrow.
“What do you know, Gregori?” mumbles Marcus. “What are you hiding from us? The planned attack?”
But Joseph doesn’t care what Gregori knows anymore. He wants to know why Gregori is laughing. His bewildered self turns to anger as he clenches his fists.
“Why are you laughing?”
Joseph slams his fists onto the table as Gregori’s laughter grows louder. Gregori can’t control his happiness anymore, a feeling he has suppressed for years now. This irritates Joseph and his urge to kill his friend creeps back. He reaches out to grab the madman again, ready to end to his life.
“Joseph! Don’t!”
Joseph stops and watches in frustration as Gregori continues to laugh.
“The Empire will fall,” Gregori says in a menacing voice. “And I will be free truly.”
The Empire will fall? What is he talking about? These thoughts run through Joseph’s head, baffling him. He can’t comprehend such words that come from Gregori’s mouth.
“The Empire will fall…” Marcus says slowly with dread.
He understands the interpretation of Gregori’s words, riddles that rattle Joseph’s mind. These words confirm his suspicion: that an attack is imminent and they may be powerless to stop it. It would explain why they found a large stockpile of armaments in Zok and this new shipment heading towards the Empire is to build up their strength for this assault.
Even if the Gewerksma attempt to take power, they will fail miserably due to the Empire’s well-established military. However, a cyberattack would paralyze them, causing severe damage that can cost trillions.
“That’s enough for today, Joseph. Sergeant Qauti will escort him back to his cell,” Marcus says hastily. “Squawker, bring our guest back to his ceil.”
Joseph turns around and stares at the black window. He isn’t finished talking with his friend yet. He has so much more to ask him, so much to confront him with. He needs more time, time he’ll never get again.
As he’s about to ask for more time, the door opens. Hanna walks in and picks up the cheery Gregori, erasing the smile on his face.
“Hey, dear can you- ouch! Be gentle…”
“Hell no, not with people like you.”
She pushes him forward, taking him back to his cell. As they walk out, Joseph stands in silence, staring at the open door. He can’t believe that Marcus has cut his conversation short, his quest for answers coming to a disappointing end. He needs answers, answers that fit his narrative.
Believing he still has an opportunity, Joseph jogs out, hoping to catch up to his former friend. As he walks out the door, he looks both ways to see which way they went.
To his left, there is nothing. As he turns to his right, however, Marcus is waiting for him, staring at him irately. Joseph freezes into place, unable to escape the man’s glaring eyes.
“You know what I am going to say? I know you would love to hear this.”
Joseph remains silent, looking away in shame.
“Marcus, perhaps I can-”
“Explain? No, no. That’s not necessary. You were doing so well. A little rough in the beginning, but you were promising. Then your emotions took control of the situation and everything crumbled.”
Joseph’s face twitches a little, infuriated by Marcus’ lack of understanding of his situation.
“Do you realize how difficult it is to lose a friend? Do you?!”
Marcus takes a step forward, not intimidated by Joseph’s growling response.
“I know the feeling well, but it doesn’t mean you become reckless and kill him. You don’t stoop to their level of abandonment.”
“Screw you! You don’t know what it’s like to lose a friend!”
Joseph vents uncontrollably. He isn’t thinking clearly, making a ridiculous assumption that accuses Marcus of being apathetic to the loss of his friend. This thought is merely a fabrication built upon lies he has made up, excuses produced by his emotions to confront and push away reality. This concerns Marcus, as he’s aware that these feelings are driving Joseph to a dark place, just like what happened to Gregori.
He understands just as well what it is like to lose a friend. Before his friend’s inevitable death, he asked Marcus to protect his son, to serve as a role model that resembled his own father. That boy was Argus, who taught him valuable lessons of life, lessons that helped him surpass his father and join the Krenma to fight honorably for the Empire.
However, despite his promise and best efforts, he failed to see the Gewerksma’s manipulating influence that would alter Argus’ mind, using alternative facts to mold him into an individual driven by despair, hate, and revenge for their ideological justice. This has led Marcus to reflect on his past, wondering how he could have failed to influence him, blinded by this evil power. Since Argus’ death, he has been unable to forgive himself, causing distress in his balanced life.
These painful memories pull at his heart, making it difficult for him to keep his composure. Knowing it’s time to defuse the situation, Marcus takes another step forward, placing his hand on Joseph’s shoulder. Joseph flinches a bit, caught off guard by the symbolic gesture.
“I know it isn’t easy,” he says with sorrow. “But, badgering Gregori will get you nowhere. In fact, your demeanor is becoming the likes of those that have lost everything, just like Gregori. Keep it up and you’ll drift away from the path you’ve chosen to walk on, wandering in the darkness that will eventually surround and consume you.”
He pauses, conjuring the strength to tell him a story he has told few.
“On the night Argus betrayed us, I confronted him, asking him why he would commit such a treasonous act. He told me that our nation killed his father, silencing him because he found dirt that would expose the government as a corrupt entity that sought to control the people. It was then he proclaimed his allegiance to the Gewerksma and vowed vengeance. I thought I could reason with him, tell him that he was preaching lies, that he was being used as a tool to their sickening cause. However, his rigid mind wouldn’t allow such facts to penetrate him, his mind made up on the basis of alternative facts that contradicted reality. Like you, I have lost friends I valued deeply, people I wished I could save.”
He pauses and sees Joseph looking down, feeling ashamed of himself.
“Look at me, Joseph,” he says soothingly, and Joseph reluctantly looks up. “Sometimes, we can’t save everyone, but we can set them free from the cruel world that plagues them. But that can only happen through our own free will and strength, which we’ll need to fight and win over the ruffian Gewerksma and put an end to their reign of terror.”
He pauses again.
“While you may have wandered off the path, I believe you’ll find balance in your life and fight your emotions that have unraveled you. To accomplish this, you must first understand how others have drifted away, consumed by power as they tried to find their identity, their purpose. Only then can you find the ability to trust yourself, to find stability. However, the moment you doubt yourself and lose confidence in the world around you, that’s when your emotions ravage you, tearing the fabric of your mental and physical well-being apart. Right now, you are teetering towards your emotions directing you-”
“That’s not true,” interjects Joseph. “While your story is a prime example of clarity, it fails to convince why I need to study others to find stability. I’m one of the strongest out there. My power is the reason I am balanced, the reason I trust myself.”
Marcus shakes his head, disgusted by what he hears.
“Strength isn’t everything. Even the strongest succumb, and you know what brings them down: arrogance and blissfulness, which they use as a guide, a guide that fails to inform them of the consequences, that destroys them in the long term. I want you to think about what I have just told you because failing to understand this means it’s probably too late to save you.”
He lifts his ha
nd and walks past Joseph, as Joseph tries to comprehend Marcus’ words.
“And Joseph. Once you have pondered my words, meet me at the Communication Room. I’ll brief you and the President there on what the current situation is. From there, you’ll alert the Tower and other facilities to increase their security. We don’t want to be caught off guard.”
He walks away, leaving Joseph to contemplate his words. He has to update the President on the CBW and can’t continue to lecture Joseph on things he has already learned. At this point, he can only hope his words sink into the dense man, turning him in the right direction, turning him away from the shadows that draw him in unconsciously.
INCINERATION
NOVEMBER 10th, 2060
9:56 P.M.
BARSELO
At the People’s Actions headquarters, the facility has closed down for the night. During the day, the atmosphere of the building is comforting. Yet, at night, the building has an eerie feeling to it, and one might well feel unwelcome, spooked by its setting. With the assistance of a highly developed security system, the building’s eerie outlook deters many from breaking in and discovering its secrets that hide in the darkness of its rooms.
In one of these rooms is a large whiteboard, containing maps of Zurkerx. On these maps are pictures of important locations, including the Presidential Palace and Tower, along with high-ranking officials in government. There are many red circles and arrows pointing at these images with red words that read “eliminate” or “move here.” But in bigger, brighter lettering reads “attack here” in one spot: Moskova, where the Final Draft will commence.
The Final Draft is considered the Gewerksma’s all or nothing plan, a gamble to overthrow the Empire and install a new government that promotes Neo-Demokrism, bringing true liberation to the masses that have been living under a false pretense of freedom and prosperity. For the Final Draft to succeed, Argus encouraged its members to donate money to buy supplies and armaments to stockpile, and to spread and produce propaganda. In addition, he had some Vorhs, who were former soldiers, train other Gewerksols for war against the Empire. Yet, most assume they are helping the ailing organization bring their ideals closer to reality, whether that be through propaganda or violence. If the plan’s true nature were revealed too soon, the government would surely wipe them out without hesitation.
Beneath this board is a long table covered with folders. The folders contain information regarding finances, leadership, membership, and intelligence gathered by informants. Most of this has been whited out, its secrets impossible to read without the assistance of a special light. However, there are a few things that remain readable, though their meaning is vague. This is especially true for one folder titled “The Speaker.”
The Speaker has remained a mystery to the Gewerksma. Even Argus has no clue who it is. All they know is that The Speaker is an individual who has been an immense help to their cause, providing financial backing and supplies through black channels. This includes the new shipment of supplies arriving from Jekaria tonight at a port in Farzca, containing tanks and supplies that will help aid their assault against the Empire.
Usually, the building is full of occupants, workers maintaining the facility as they continue their disguise as a non-profit organization. Even at night, some stay overtime to finish paperwork, processing any fraudulent transactions that are used to fund the Gewerksma. However, tonight there is no one inside, the entire facility dark; everyone has been told that they are moving their operations. What has changed is the aroma of the building, which reeks of gasoline.
Then a flicker of light appears as the sound of clanking metal echoes throughout the room. A small flame dances, unveiling its source coming from an Auto Feur lighter[66]. The pirouetting light reveals the shadow of a figure standing there as he gazes into the room, the darkness hiding his identity.
Then the flame moves closer, revealing the face of a scowling man who is contemptuous of the room and its secrets. He is audacious as his black beard glimmers in the flame’s light. While the vapors of gasoline lick his nose, warning him of the dangers, he knows that the gasoline has only been doused on the room’s secrets. He only serves one purpose: to destroy the facility and its secrets, leaving nothing behind, initiating another step in the Final Draft.
He flicks the lighter into the air. The flame makes a spinning motion as it slowly reaches its destination. It hits the floor and bounces a few times, chiming like a soft bell as the flames lick the papers. The man stares as the gasoline-soaked papers are set ablaze, destroying the evidence and quashing any possibility of the government learning about their secrets.
He turns his back and walks away, knowing that the firefighters will soon arrive to put out the blazing inferno. He runs towards his motorcycle, grabbing his helmet and slipping it on. He starts up his motorcycle and rides away, heading towards Farzca. He has an important meeting that he mustn’t miss, a meeting wherein he will confront a spy who has been giving them hell.
SACRIFICE
NOVEMBER 11th, 2060
12:35 A.M.
BARSELO
The frogs croak and dragonflies buzz in the air. In the southern part of Zurkerx is the tropical part, an area that used to be dominated by wildlife and large rainforests. Now, major population centers have sprung up, replacing the rainforests with cities filled with casinos, amusement parks, and business districts.
The move into this sensitive part of Zurkerx was made to accommodate the growing population as the Empire’s demand on resources grew. In addition to the ever-growing population, this area also attracts many tourists all year round, making the area particularly popular.
However, this popularity has come at a cost. In recent years, this area of Zurkerx has been a target of the Gewerksma, where automation has been implemented heavily. For these population centers to survive, the military has expanded its operations, building bases nearby to provide protection as well as job opportunities for people desperate for a source of income, a purpose to exist. During the day, the military monitors the surrounding area, though any activity greater in scope than simple surveillance must be approved beforehand by a judge.
However, at night, many squadrons of Red Skulls roam the rainforests that remain untouched by the Zurks. Tonight is no different, as several squadrons of Red Skulls silently make their way through the forest, slowly approaching a docking yard believed to be controlled by the Gewerksma. Their objective: stop and capture the armaments that are destined to arrive shortly.
A short distance behind them, a motorcycle rumbles in the distance, just out of their hearing range as it pulls over. A dark figure gets off the bike, surveying the land, looking to see if anyone else is around. Ever since military bases have been popping up, the increased number of military personnel has made it difficult for the Gewerksma to maneuver silently and effectively. Luckily, his helmet has built-in night vision, giving him an advantage, although he isn’t armed to fight the military, especially if there’s an abundance of them.
But while he’s looking to see if anyone is around, he’s also looking for a secret passage, an entrance that’ll bring him to his destination discreetly. As he slowly wanders and looks around, he spots some large abnormal boulders, seemingly placed there by someone years ago. Realizing that’s one of the entryways, he quickly makes his way to them.
He comes to a stop at the boulders and places his hand on them. His hand glide slowly over the smooth surface as he tries to feel for a button that’ll open a sliding door.
Then a clicking noise sounds. Finding the button, he slowly pushes it, unlocking the door. But then he stops. He senses something is watching him, spying on him. With his other hand, he slowly reaches for his pistol, pulling it out and pointing it upwards, looking around. All he can see is some frogs that are croaking and insects buzzing around, some being scooped up by bats.
Relieved that no one is around, he pushes the button. The door’s locks unlock and the door slides open, unveiling a tunnel that leads t
o a docking yard owned by EE, one of many owned by them in the outskirts of Farzca.
Built sometime in the 1200s, Farzca served as a seaport for Reylo, a place where the sea market and self-reliant trade became the city’s source of income. This part of Reylo was predominately Glaunists, a religious group that viewed Reyso as barbaric. They sought sanctuary in a hellhole that killed those who dared challenge the authority of Re, and they hid in hopes the Reformist North would be their savior.
However, years went by as the Glaunists continued to suffer, losing hope that no savior existed and that they would suffer forever in hell. That changed though when Captain Ausch set sail from Farzca and discovered an island he would name Halusnek. When he returned from his voyage, he told other Glaunists of a promised land he discovered, spreading the word around to come to Farzca in secret.
Word spread quickly as the Glaunist minority left their homes, heading to Farzca, having heard about a savior who discovered the promised land. Only roughly a million would make it by the time the Civil War came to an end in 1495 as these Glaunists settled into their new homes, unaware of the fact that Reylo would be freed by the Reformist North, reuniting the Empire.
When Farzca became a part of the Empire, it still heavily relied on fishing and trade, although its liberation gained access to new markets that made the city more robust. Eventually, the Empire’s discovery of other nations, including Halusnek, led to new trade routes opening up, leading to a boom in the city’s economy and population. By 2033, Farzca had a population of 21 million people as goods, services, and ideas flowed through the ever-growing city; 40 percent of all trade came from Halusnek.
Then a civil war broke out in Halusnek on January 15th of 2037, and trade came to a grinding halt between Halusnek and Zurkerx. While Farzca had other trading partners like Ukrainie and Naszna, 60% of its income came from Halusnek. This enormous loss in revenue forced businesses to lay off workers, resulting in an economic slowdown. This downturn in the city’s economy forced a third of its inhabitants to leave in search of better opportunities, affecting the city’s budget and expenditures as they borrowed money to keep themselves financially afloat. It wouldn’t be until after the civil war that businesses and the city’s economy rebounded when trade with Halusnek resumed, bringing in much-needed revenue to spur growth and alleviate debt. The Farzca politicians recognized they needed to diversify the city’s economy, fearing that regional events could too easily affect the economy.
Zurkerx- The Empire Shall Grow Page 12
