“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
A fiery blast erupted from the Scorpion’s mini guns as he watched the bag land in the dirt directly in the middle of the two vehicles. He stopped counting and pulled the hard trigger of his pistol, watching the first bullet whizz past the bag and ping off the shell of the closest Scorpion harmlessly. Before he could fire another shot, a bullet ripped through his right shoulder, coming clean out the other side. A spurt of blood exploded out of his back, the bullet piercing the small bunker wall behind him.
He screamed in pain and fired another shot into the sky wildly, losing control of his pistol. Another bullet from the Scorpion’s gun grazed his lower left thigh seconds later. Blood poured down his failing body as he began to fall backwards, down into the gray abyss of the bunker.
Time crawled to a stop as he fell. Above the world spun, ash and dust colliding, but inside him the terror of his impending doom mounted. It was a feeling he was accustomed to as a soldier. It was different every time, but this one was more powerful. The terror was deeper, gripping him with jagged claws.
He blinked to see the gray clouds splitting the sky, and then something that didn’t belong, a flash of metal in the distance. It was another vehicle on the horizon.
Obi squinted to make out the shape and saw it wasn’t one, but two vehicles, and then three. He first thought they were CRK reinforcements, but as his eyes focused on the small shapes in the distance he knew it was his own.
“You save any for us?” a voice said, crackling over the radio. Obi smiled, recognizing the hoarse voice of Jackson, seconds before a flash from an anti-tank missile raced through the air. He closed his eyes, the heat from the explosion searing his eyebrows, before he crashed onto the bunker floor and slipped into unconsciousness.
Chapter 3: An Old Knight
“Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.”
~Mao Tse Tung
Time: 6:36 a.m. January 29, 2071
Location: Governor’s Private Chambers, Capitol Building. Lunia, Tisaia
A faint ray of orange crawled over the Eastern wall of Tisaia, spreading an unusual and gracious carpet of light over the city accustomed to vast shades of gray. At the center of the Capitol city the first rays of light reached the golden dome of the Capitol building, creating a radiant glare high in the morning sky. Inside, several of the Governor’s staff members were already busy working and hardly noticed the rare light. Governor Felix Steppe was nowhere to be seen, however, and was likely still sleeping in his heavily guarded mansion.
In the Governor’s private chamber, Chief of Staff Manx Sonii sat at the head of a marble table, reading over several pieces of legislation and savoring his morning tea. Sonii wanted to make sure he was prepared to brief the Governor later in the day. There were several controversial bills scheduled for debate in the one-chamber legislature.
He rustled through the stack of yellowed paper and pulled out Bill 12b, easily considered the most controversial. The bill, an extension of Bill 12a, was drafted by the Plebrocrats. Its main component was to outlaw Biomass from leaving Tisaia. With scientists creating a more efficient and plentiful version, there were those who argued it should be shared. The advocates for sharing Biomass believed there were other governments around the world that had survived the Biomass Wars, but none of these legislators could provide any evidence.
Sonii, like many other high ranking Tisaian officials, knew the rumors were true. He had spent days tucked away in his office, combing through the piles of briefs. Some contained information on pockets of civilization in South America, mostly in the coastal regions; Rio de Janerio, Lima and Buenos Aires. It was the brief on Iraq, however, that fascinated him the most.
Sonii was something of a history connoisseur. In his studies he came to know Iraq as the cradle of civilization. When he found out life had not only survived there, but was flourishing, he was amazed at the irony. The war torn country was one of the harshest environments known to man. Perhaps this was one reason humans survived there; it was engrained in their DNA, having survived war, famine and plague for a millennia. Whatever the reason, it gave him hope. Not the type easy to create either. It was deeper than that, more than just a dream. It was the type that drove an individual to madness. For him, it was a hope for Tisaia. That the TDU would be crushed and complete order restored.
Sonii was a very organized leader. He didn’t like it when things became unmethodical. His life was like a puzzle; every piece had a place. When the pieces didn’t fit, he found a solution. The TDU was the piece he just couldn’t seem to find the solution for, but he knew in time there would be one. There was always a solution. He always made the pieces fit.
To Sonii, Tisaia was not an anomaly. There was a reason the State rose out of the ashes of the Biomass Wars intact and stronger than any other place in the world. He believed Tisaia was fated to be. It was a solution to rid the world of Democracy and Capitalism. And he would do anything to protect it, especially its secrets.
The briefs contained these secrets, and Sonii knew it was imperative they remained in the right hands, for at the heart was the deepest secret of them all. It was one very few people knew.
Sonii could distinctly remember the first time he read the report. It was several years ago, but the mission name, Operation Fallout, was seared in his memory.
Not long after Tisaia was founded, the new government was desperate to know which other countries had survived. With the Biomass Wars fresh on their minds, Tisaian officials tasked the newly minted Council of Royal Knights with identifying any potential threats.
In time the Governor ordered the Knights on a secret mission. He hand-selected five Royal Knights and procured the only working plane in Tisaia. Engineers retrofitted it to run off Biomass and said the plane would be able to travel the world without stopping to refuel.
The engineers were right. In the first few weeks of the journey the Knights sent back startling images and reports of the cities on the coast of South America. From the sky the cities looked like total war zones, the infrastructure completely obliterated. Electricity was sporadic at best, but somehow people were alive, surviving in the grisly conditions.
As the Knights made their way to Europe the reports became bleaker. Not a single city remained from aerial view. Skeletons of skyscrapers and high rise office buildings were all that could be seen. No lights, no people, no sign of anything. The United Kingdom was nothing but a desert of ash.
Just when they thought conditions couldn’t get any worse, they flew over Eastern Europe and Asia. There was nothing. Not a single city recorded. Not a sign of animal or human life. The trace of radiation from the air was so severe no human could have survived on the surface. It wasn’t until they got to New Zealand and Australia that life appeared again. The radiation from the apocalypse, for the most part, had not affected these areas. Maybe it was the wind that blew most of it out to sea, or perhaps the jet stream. The Knights did not know exactly why these countries were spared, but New Zealand and Australia both had pockets of thriving life: green fields, livestock in the country, and electricity in the cities.
When the Knights finally returned to Tisaia, they met with leaders in a cloud of secrecy. It was then a committee was established, of mostly Plebrocrats and Royal Knights. The committee combed through the pictures and reports. Within days they sent their findings to the Governor, who filtered through the images in shock. The desolate landscape and charred cities of Europe and Asia were all he needed to see. His mind was made up. There would be no more recon missions. There would be no reaching out to help those outside the walls. Biomass would stay in Tisaia.
The Governor’s immense fear influenced Bill 99. And soon the gates were closed. No refugees would be allowed in Tisaia and any recent immigrants were to be reported, put into camps and deported into the Wastelands. Anyone harboring an immigrant would be tried for crimes against the State.
No one, save
for a few Royal Knights, the Governor and a handful of Plebrocrats who helped draft Bill 12a knew the truth of the recon mission from years ago. Over the years the Plebrocrats had become increasingly isolationist. They structured Bill 12b so the Biomass would forever stay in the control of Tisaia, who, they argued, “had won the right to reap the fruits of its labor.”
Sonii knew Governor Felix would continue to side with the Plebrocrats, who made up 90 percent of the legislature. “Political parties” were words all but forgotten in Tisaia—the Plebrocrats had dominated the legislature for as long as he could remember. The other ten percent of the one-chamber elected representatives consisted of retired State employees or distinguished Knights who ran as independents. Rohania and the immigrants were not represented at all. Democracy was a word from the past, one forgotten by most. It was only a matter of time before the Plebrocrats would control the entire legislature. It was part of Sonii’s plan, a piece of the puzzle he had been constructing for years.
Sonii slid the bill back into the pile of legislation and watched the orange rays of sunlight peek through the rectangular glass windows. The warm glow was mesmerizing, a treasure in a normally gray bleak world. Every morning he found himself in the same seat, sipping out of the same tea glass, anxious to see if the sun would rise. He could still remember a time when the sun didn’t hide behind the gray clouds and he would always welcome its bright warmth.
The clanking of armor from the adjacent hallway distracted his thoughts. He didn’t need to turn around to see Leglo and Fonti, the Governor’s two handpicked Royal Knights bodyguards as they entered the chamber.
Both Knights wore the traditional armor and were dressed with red capes, signifying their special rank as Protectorates. Sonii always felt at ease in their presence, as he knew they were two of the most well trained Knights in the entire State. They, like the other Protectorates, had sworn an oath to the Governor by committing to a life of seclusion. It was an oath broken only by death.
Sonii brought a hand to his aging forehead and massaged several wrinkles, while the two Knights guided Governor Felix into his chambers. He stood promptly to face the Governor. “Good morning, sir.”
Governor Felix acknowledged him with a nod and sat down across from him at the monstrous marble table.
“You’re in early this morning,” Sonii said, trying to hide his surprise.
“Today is an important day for Tisaia,” the Governor responded, running a finger through his thick mustache.
Governor Felix was a husky man; he wasn’t overweight by any means and could probably even pass as one of his own bodyguards. His handlebar mustache was his most infamous feature, an attribute most of his staff would not dare copy. The combination of his mustache, size and booming voice made him a very intimidating leader.
Sonii continued to study the Governor’s features as the large politician combed through the pile of bills in front of him. Governor Felix petted his thick mustache, something he always did before speaking. This frustrated Sonii, who was not a patient man. He didn’t like to wait for the Governor’s thoughts, especially when he could already guess what the man would say. Nonetheless he waited, knowing his place.
“Well, we’ve almost done it, Sonii.”
“Sir?” Sonii asked, trying once again to hide his surprise.
The Governor looked up from Bill 12b, which he gripped in one of his massive paws.
“We’re this close to passing this bill with a majority of the chamber!” The Governor said, pinching his fingers together.
“And if I can negotiate terms with the rest of the independents then perhaps we can get our unanimous vote after all,” he finished, his grin hiding behind his carpet of a mustache.
Sonii crossed his legs and slouched back in his chair, taking a deep breath. He cocked his head and admired the sunrise still beaming in through the stained glass windows before responding.
“If we can get a unanimous vote in favor of this bill, then perhaps we can win over the general population that does not support it. How can citizens argue when the entire legislature votes in favor of this bill?”
Governor Felix stood and walked over to his wooden desk. “The point is…” the Governor paused at his loss of words.
“The point is, even if there are citizens that disagree with this bill, they won’t for long. Commander Augustus has promised me the TDU will be crushed by the end of the year. With that victory, those supporting the TDU will lose all hope and be forced to accept defeat.”
Sonii glanced over at Leglo and Fonti, who stood in the corner of the room, watching the Governor’s every move. Their eyes were hidden behind their blue goggles, deep within their helmets. For a second they looked like statues, no more real than the ones in the courtyard outside the window. Reality washed back over him as Leglo reached down and massaged the electric blue tip of his sword. The Chief of Staff looked back at the Governor, who was staring out a bullet proof window overlooking the courtyard below.
“May I speak freely?” Sonii asked.
The Governor turned to face his highest ranking official. “You may.”
Sonii cleared his voice and stood. “With respect sir, I think it would be in our best interest to request the Council of Royal Knights consider placing their finest soldiers in areas where there might be protests. Rohania would be a good start. As you know, in the past there have been several violent protests there, as well as outside the immigrant camps. The only way to deter citizens from thinking is by mere force, something Commander Augustus is very good at. And while I share your optimistic view that all of Tisaia’s citizens will eventually agree with the legislature and our office, I think it’s best we take appropriate measures,” Sonii said, as he sat down, winded from his short speech.
The Governor massaged his mustache again.
“This is what I have been saying for some time as well. Just make sure it gets done, then.”
Sonii nodded and rushed out of the room to a hallway leading to the staff offices. He would send a confidential memo via carrier to Commander Augustus immediately, informing him of the bill’s progression through the legislature and the Governor’s request for soldiers in Rohania. As the Chief of Staff made his way through the marble hallway, he felt a sense of victory. The pieces were coming together very well and soon the puzzle would be complete.
Time: 12:26 p.m. January 29, 2071
Location: Legislative Chambers, Capitol Building. Lunia, Tisaia
Sonii sat in a leather chair at the top of the legislative chamber, looking down on the chamber below. Next to him sat the most powerful man in all of Tisaia and probably the entire world, Governor Felix. Beneath them their Plebocrat puppets debated Bill 12b as the rest of the legislature sat silently at their desks. The discussion over the bill was nearing its second hour and not a single non-affiliated legislator had dared speak.
He couldn’t help but smile as the debate continued. If none of the independents spoke up, the bill would come to a vote without any objection. But just when he looked down at his watch, one of the independents tapped his gavel to speak.
Sonii scowled when he saw it was Representative Eduro, a popular politician who had gained the respect of the Plebrocrats through the years. He was known for his distinguished career as a Royal Knight and for his willingness to caucus with the Plebrocrats.
Sonii watched Eduro, who was nearing the age of 70, limp over to the main podium with the assistance of his legislative aide. The representative slowly walked up the steps in the north end of the chambers, which overlooked the desks of more than a hundred other representatives. He grabbed the wooden podium and looked at his colleagues. Silence washed over the room.
The Chief of Staff moved uncomfortably in his chair to get a better look at Eduro, who stood directly below him. He thought of Eduro as a fossil, his face plagued with scars representing battles Sonii had only read about. The truth was the old man was more than just a fossil; he was a powerful voice, a voice of reason many other non-party mem
bers respected and listened to, a voice that even some of the more moderate Plebrocrats listened to.
Sonii sat back in his chair, careful not to alarm the Governor. Eduro was dangerous. Not only because he was popular with his colleagues, but because he was popular with the citizens of Tisaia. He would certainly have a monument resurrected in his memory after his death. All of these things made him a threat to the Governor’s cause. It was people like Eduro who slowed progress in Tisaia.
“Representatives of Tisaia, we’re called here today to vote on Bill 12b, and we’re faced with a daunting question. Do we share our Biomass with governments who have survived the nuclear holocaust of the past century? Do we reach out to our fellow man, or do we keep our plentiful supply of Biomass for ourselves? We know from our past that energy does not always come in endless supply. However, times have changed.
“According to reports from some of the greatest scientific minds in all of Tisaia, we have found a way to engineer Biomass energy on a level that could sustain Tisaia for centuries. We can do this, I've been informed, efficiently and at a cost so low there should be no other option but to share this wealth with other governments.”
Sonii groaned silently, realizing what was unfolding in front of his eyes. He did not dare look at the Governor who sat silently in the chair next to him.
The chamber ignited in protest as Eduro stepped back from the podium, a hint of a smile on his ancient face. His voice was strained and scratchy from years of battles behind the very podium where he now stood, but he still had some fight left in him. He approached it again, raising his hands to quiet the audience.
“Tisaian representatives, hear me now!” he yelled over the commotion.
“We now know of several other governments still intact and barely surviving.”
Sonii flinched. Was it possible Eduro knew of these other governments?
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