Song of Blu

by J A Ebonlight

  “You see what you did?! I snapped. Justin turned away from me, unmoved, and then turned back to me.

  “How do you know so much about gangs?” Justin asked. My rage was sapped from me like air from a popped balloon. I didn’t want my entire company to know of my gang affiliations. What questions will they ask, how many would they ask? My company faith in me is the only defense from an ocean of guilt that threatens to swallow me whole. I composed myself.

  “That doesn’t matter, marine! Our division is about to fight an unnecessary tunnel war because of your actions. Tell me why I shouldn’t court-martial you?!” I said.

  He looked away, and I could see his jaw clenching.

  “I hate gangsters….” He said. “They killed my father and older brothers. Raped my mother and sisters. Then took them to be breeders. While I hid in the closet with my younger brothers and sisters. It didn’t stop there. gangs ravaged my homeworld. Never could I get peace from them. Everything I loved or cherished always got swept up by those fucking animals! I only joined the marine corps so I can gain skills. When I get out of service, I’m going back to my homeworld, and I’m going to gut every last one of those dogs!” Justin snapped. Tears broke through his face, and he was standing. His body trembled with rage. These gangs were triggering him.

  My chest tightened, and I was speechless for several moments. I wondered how many victims like this I left in my wake. How many sons and fathers did I put down? How many mothers and sisters did I allow to be taken as breeders? I rationalized it as the only way in the world.

  I’m a monster.

  Countless faces flowed through my mind like a river, and my whole body cringed. All around the room, everyone gawked at Justin. Justin finally realized how vulnerable he made himself and retreated back into the corner.

  “Release him,” I said.

  “Commander, we can’t trust this guy,” Jen said. I glanced over her to one of her squadmates. “Release him.” The squadmate nodded. I exited the room, followed by Jen.

  “Commander, I must protest. Justin is emotionally unhinged, and we’re fighting the people he hates most. These gangs will trigger him again, and he’ll do more harm than good. We can’t trust him.”

  “You have a point,” I admitted but was too far in my head to think about anything at the moment. I needed someone to talk to about my racing thoughts. I needed to see someone I could talk to, like Alicia and Jerry. Jen remained in tow, continuing her blabbing. As I bank a corner of the school building, I found Darryl walking the halls toward me. I thought of what a character from one of my favorite books would do.

  “Darryl, get your girlfriend,” I said. Darryl's blushed, and I assumed Jen was equally flustered.

  “Girlfriend?!” They both said, but Jen was paused next to Darryl. I managed to free myself of them and then had a few troops to call Jerry and Alicia. They were the only two who knew about my past, and I didn’t want more squad leaders to know. If Justin found out, I knew my situation would go south. I couldn’t risk that right now. I had to find proof for my general.

  Jerry, who shared my checkered past, and Alicia, who was the smartest person I’ve ever met. Why my gang kept women as breeders and nothing more, I would never understand. Those two will help me develop a solution. I just needed to get my other squad leaders something to do without bothering me too much. Before I could find Alicia and Jerry, I ran into Maria and Gary, speaking around the corner.

  “Commander!” Gary said, rolling over to give me a big hug. My body tensed. Even after all this time, I still wasn’t used to positive affection. I wished I was, but it always made me tense. Gary finally released me, oblivious of the discomfort he caused me, but Maria noticed my uneasiness. I couldn’t decide which person I disliked more: a loving fool or an overly aware girl.

  “What can I do you for?” I asked nervously.

  “Me? No, what can I do for you? That battleplan last night was balls off the wall, badass! We crushed them. I mean, we crushed-crushed them. I bet their ancestors were even saying ‘dang!’” Gary said. Maria giggled, and I couldn’t help but feel a little abashed by his statements. Without my inside knowledge of gangs, I might have gotten a few marines killed last night. If they were real rebels, I probably would have gotten many killed.

  “Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal. We’re dealing with gangs, so I got a bit of help from Jerry.”

  “This is good, though. We get to practice on these lowlifes.” Maria said. My heart stopped, and a chill ran down my spine.

  “Lowlives,” I mumbled. They didn’t hear me and kept on.

  “Oh, come on, Maria, these guys aren’t all lowlives. Look at the kids. It's obvious this was how they were raised.” Gary said. “They have no chance to be good people.” My heart sunk even more when I heard Gary’s words. He was easily the most naive person, yet even he didn’t believe there was any saving these gangsters. Was I truly beyond saving?

  “What about Jerry? He was in a gang,” I said, hopeful for some second opinion on the subject. Gary rubbed his chin for a few seconds.

  “Still too early to tell about Jerry,” Gary said. “He seems like a good enough guy, but that can change in a heartbeat, you know?”

  “Yeah...” I said, deflated.

  “I don't like the way he leers at me,” Maria said. Gary’s eyes went wide as dinner plates, and he whirled to her.

  “If he gives you any problems, just send him my way. As a future Vindicator, it's my duty to protect the people, no matter how tough they are.” Gary said, flexing his arms. Maria blushed a bit.

  “I appreciate the support.”

  “Okay, I’m going to leave you two alone,” I said, walking off.

  “Wait, Blu!” Gary said. I sighed heavily and turned around to face him. “We both are trying to be Vindicators, so don't hesitate to talk to me or give me extra work. When we both make it, we are going to be brothers in arms.”

  “You sure you want someone like me by your side?” I said, thinking back to his comments. Gary gave me a droll stare.

  “Of course! You’re a great fighter and my Commander. I wholeheartedly respect you.” He said with a wide smile. My jaw clenched.

  “You don't know me.”

  “I know you’re too hard on yourself, and you’re too self-conscious.” My eyes widened at that remark. The guy carried on like a big buffoon but was more perceptive than he appeared. I was envious.

  “How you figure all that?”

  “Because I was like you before I read this book,” Gary said, tapping on his omniwatch, and the screen popped up to show The Mentaitliy of a Vindicator, by Vindicator Ray. The book was published back in the year 785. It was literally centuries old!

  “That advice is probably dated by now.”

  “That’s like saying the king’s Declaration of Unity is dated,” Gary said. I tensed.

  “I never heard it.” That’s that when Gary gawked at me like a child learning Santa Claus wasn’t real. I cringed. I revealed too much.

  “That’s a travesty,” Gary said, as he began typing on his omniwatch. He brought up the king’s speech on Viddhubb—a free video site that spanned all worlds. The video that Gary loaded had hundreds of trillions of views, which was rare.

  “What are you doing?”

  “This will only take a few minutes. I got to educate you if we going to fight rebels, you have to hear the kings’ declaration of war against rebels back in the fifth age. He made this speech back when the rebels went all out in the Emancipation War. Here it goes...” Gary said as he made his omniwatch project a screen against the wall. I witnessed a man in a gold robe too elegant to be mass-produced. A gold masked covered his face, leaving only his nose down visible. It was common among Megastars to wear a mask to allow themselves to have an everyday life. The king’s mask was gold and coated with diamonds on the edges. His white hair was tied in dreadlocks, and his eyes were gold. Even under the mask, I could tell he was beautiful. I envied him. He was powerful in every sense and good looki
ng to boot.

  “Press play, I got things to do,” I said to Gary.

  “Oops! I forgot. I was wondering why it wasn’t playing. Here it goes.”

  “It is with great regret that I must do this, that I must say this, but I do so on behalf of mankind. I have walked among a divided humanity. A race that separated itself first by nations, then religions, then social class, then genders, and finally by their skin color. I’ve watched as our people wasted themselves away―bickering about this petty issue and that minor issue while the world withered with each ghastly breath. When the Nemesis arrived, it took four months for the world to strike back as a fragile alliance. It took three more months for enough nations to be swallowed for the planet to work as one, but it was far too late by then. Half the world had fallen. Even while working together, there were still splinter groups looking for personal gain or fanning old hatred. It is why I was blessed by the cosmos free of corruption and endowed with great power. My responsibility is to the longevity of humanity, and I shall do so, even if I must drag you kicking and screaming. Hate me, love me, it matters not. I shall fulfill my vow to your ancestors who named me king or die trying.

  “It is for that reason that I state this declaration. All-star systems within 5,000 light-years of our capital Eve are now the property of the Phoenician Kingdom. All alien or rebellious forces must evacuate our space or prepare for full-scale war. This is not up for debate. This is a warning to the ambitious and a declaration of war to the foolish. Rebel, fight, strike out if you wish. The kingdom will strike you down and reclaim its worlds. We were given a second chance, blessed with a world beyond imagination. So large it could fit a hundred planet earth in it. You all want to squander that and return to the old ways. Picking one another apart for scraps, pride, and prejudices. I watched that foolishness once. I watched it until the last days of Earth, and I won’t witness it again.

  “By my authority as high king and all those after me, I forbid it. I deny it. I rebuke it. I reject it. Inside our borders, we will be one unit, one force, one power. A united power that will fall to no foe. A nation that will be understanding, tolerant, and will learn to love one's neighbor no matter the differences. A nation that accepts all beliefs that cause no harm. A nation of people filled with open minds and open hearts. The Human Race, for once in its fleeting existence, will be one soul under the Phoenician Kingdom!”

  “Damn!” I said.

  “I know,” Gary said.

  “Damn!” Someone from behind said. We both turned to find Jerry standing there.

  “He said this over five hundred years ago when the kingdom was on the brink of collapse, and now look at us? Over ten thousand worlds stronger, powerful armies, a booming economy, and most of the population living outside poverty. I can’t wait to meet this man one day.”

  “Nor I,” I admitted. I felt a sense of bittersweet. All this fantastic lore about the kingdom and I have been robbed of it my entire childhood. I imagined history class was many people's favorite subject: so many heroic moments and ages where the king himself led those revolutionary moments.

  “I’m telling you, I have to become a vindicator. That way, I can have a conversation with the high king. We’ll be great friends too. I bet he’ll love me.” Gary said. I didn’t know much about the king, but he seemed reclusive. From what I understood, the king only appeared in times of need. He rarely made propaganda speeches or went to celebrity functions or even post on his social media.

  “I think he’s too antisocial for that type of relationship,” I said.

  “Oh, that’s not it. You see, distance and fame create mystique and reverence. You know how many celebrities put their foot in their mouth and ruined their prestige? The king knows better. He keeps his appearance minimum, his words less. Then when he appears and speaks, there’s a great deal of weight behind them. Behind closed doors, I just know we’re going to be best buds.” Gary said, shamelessly pleased with himself. I envied his self-confidence. I can’t imagine many people wanting to spend time with me. I lack the humor of Jerry or the charisma of Gary. The more I spoke with people, the more lacking I found my personality. My main tactic in conversations was to ask questions and keep people talking about themselves. Maria had wandered off somewhere, probably trying to avoid Jerry.

  “So, what’s your world like?” I asked.

  “Yeah, we’re always talking about cradle worlds. I want to know about other worlds,” Jerry asked. Gary’s cringed at that question.

  Good. Maybe that’ll make him leave. I thought, but what a silly thought it was. Gary rises to challenges, not flee.

  “I came from a foundry world. The world is always hot, and we have to wear breathing masks outside the house. Day in, and day out, everyone just works in factories. Your only future in a foundry world was working in a factory. If you had great connections, you might become a foreman.” Gary said.

  Jerry and I cringed at the reality. It sounded dreadful and hard, like the people my gang forced to work in mines.

  “That sounds awful,” Jerry said, then a female squad member walked by us who waved at him. “How were the girls like?” Gary sighed deeply.

  “On my world, the population was mostly men. There were like ten dudes for every chick. Any girl you liked, at least half your work team has already slept with her. Most of my older brothers took trips to the nearby cradle world and brought girls back home to become wives.”

  “Saving them from that world like a knight and shining armor,” Jerry said.

  “That was the logic. Grab a girl from a world who has nothing, instead of a girl half your factory has already screwed. But I didn’t want that becasue It felt dishonest to me. To go to a girl who has nothing and knowing she’ll choose you because it’s better than living in a world robbed of opportunities. Then making her your housewife because she has zero hard skills to survive in a foundry world. So her entire livelihood depends on you. And you know this. But living on that world, you don’t really have a lot of choices. That’s why I want to be a vindicator because then I’ll have thousands of options. Not just for mates, but for everything. Freedom is what I’m after.” Gary said.

  “Wow…” I said.

  “You know Gary, not all girls on cradle worlds are helpless looking for a savior. I bet a lot of them would love a good guy like you to come there and just give them the option to leave.” Jerry said. Gary smiled.

  “You might be right.” Maria had returned and grimaced. Gary noticed and cowered. I decided to use that moment to take my leave and wave goodbye to Maria.

  “Okay, I should be going now,” I said.

  “Alright, Commander. Keep being awesome.” Gary said, saluting. Maria followed suit. I wanted to like the guy but was too jealous of him. Jerry followed closely behind me as we headed toward Alicia. She was with her squad, and they were fooling around with an SUV. As I approached, I could hear a strange robotic voice.

  “You are not my driver. Get out of me! Get out of me right now!” The Car said, to my wonderment. Alicia noticed me coming and rushed toward me to salute.

  ‘Commander, go-good day.” Alicia said with a slight stutter, which I enjoyed. Her nervousness made me feel less out of place. I wondered how her squad saw her and If they still respected her despite her nerves. I remember putting many passive people on Alicia’s squad because I didn’t want her overwhelmed by command.

  “What are you doing?” I asked. Alicia’s face flushed a tad.

  “Um, we’re trying to hotwire some vehicles to help us get around quicker. I thought gangs would not expect us in cars and be thrown off. If we can improvise some armor, we could even use it for ramming and other tasks.”

  “That’s a good idea!” I said. Alicia grinned slightly.

  “Yeah, most gangsters from my world didn’t know how to drive,” Jerry said, then started snickering. “The higher-ups were afraid of soldiers driving away,” Jerry said. It made sense. The more I thought about my gang days, the more I realized that ignorance was their
most powerful control tool.

  “It’s better than walking around waiting to get ambushed.”

  “ True. Alicia, can I talk to you and Jerry for a second.” I asked.

  “Sure,” Alicia said. The three sneaked away to a less populous area. I made sure it was in the open so no one could hide behind corners and what have you. I explained everything to them. Justin's hatred, my past, and my growing insecurity about keeping the past from my company. Gary's opinions on people like me. I even let it slip that Gary said he wasn’t sure about Jerry, which broke my stream of consciousness.

  “He said what?!” Jerry snapped, rising from his seat. “I’ve been nothing but cool with everybody.”

  “That’s not enough for people,” Alicia admitted. Jerry forward on her, and she shivered away and near me. I suddenly had an urge to defend her, but I also didn’t want to set off Jerry. He kept my secret, and if he wanted to, he could let the entire company know I used to be part of a gang.

  “So what else am I supposed to do? I’ve saved more lives here next to Blu. I try to make everyone laugh and feel comfortable. But I’m still just a ticking time bomb waiting to go off?” Jerry argued.

  “He didn’t say all that,” I said. Jerry paced back and forth as if he didn’t even hear me. Then he sat down with his face in his hands, and I heard sniffles. I never thought Jerry would be this hurt from this information.

  “They probably think the worst of me,” Jerry said, between a low sob. “I’m trying to right my wrongs. I meant that’s what the marine corp is for, right? All Are Redeem In The Flames of War” I mean, you lose your felonies if you serve a term in the marines. We are going to be in the marines for ten years. Ten years, where we fight aliens, rebels, and robots. Ten years of nutrient packs for food, ten years of sleeping in that damn hibernation chamber. Ten years of surviving bullets and whatnot. You think anyone would sign up for this if they weren’t serious about trying to right their wrongs?” Jerry said, revealing his tear-soaked face. Alicia gawk in silence. I then realized tears slid down my cheeks. I shut my eyes and wiped my face