Traitors, Turmoil, and Thursdays: Chapter 2 – Another Day, Another Grind

Chapter 2 – Another Day, Another Grind

I go about my daily morning routine and then call my parents who thankfully pick up. There’s always a feeling in my gut that they’ll one day not answer the phone and end up dead since many people hate them. I’m sure they have the same fears about me since a lot of people hate me as well. I ask them how things are going on the west coast where a majority of media and entertainment in America is controlled.

“We’re having modest success here in helping people and trying to combat the propaganda in media with books, movies, games, and more of our own,” my mom says.

“It’s a struggle day in and out to keep it all afloat, but our friends and family and faith in God keep it going. We’re sure to succeed since modern art has nothing on real beauty, especially there’s is so perverted. Our charities and the honest work we do around the community also helps pays the bills. I still say we should do something about the satanic pedophiles here,” my dad says.

“Like what? Good people have been trying to get them out of the industry for decades.”

“You know what I want to do. It’s the same thing that Roxy did to those traitors.”

“Violence is the last resort. Surely, there are other methods to eliminate their influence,” I say.

“I pray to know them, but your mother always seems to get the answers while I don’t. Our enemies should be thankful that she’s here to temper me. How are things in the east in the most corrupt capital in the world?” my dad asks.

“Same old, same old.”

“I'm proud that you conducted yourself so well during that press conference. Your father would've started a fight with them,” my mom says.

“And then I would’ve had a nice talking down to them for an hour or so. I’m madder that I wasn’t the one they were targeting. No one messes with my family.”

“How are your friends, Elliot and Annie?”

“They’re doing fine. Still arguing but managing to get along like always.”

For the next few minutes, we talk about the past and how we should get back together one day probably during the summer. We end the call by saying I love you to one another and telling each other to keep in touch and call in case anything happens. These daily calls that I have with my parents really help not just because they give me good advice and let me know what’s going on around the country so we can coordinate our forces, but simply talking to them is enough to lift my spirits. Besides talking to them, being with friends, praying, and the thanks of the people we help are enough to get me through the harder days. The only problem is that I hardly have enough time to enjoy these things. My work takes up most of my time and my opposition never lets up.

Most people get something special when they’re in their early twenties like their first car and their first time going out for drinks. When I turned twenty-five, I inherited the east coast branch of my parent’s empire as they call it and I’ve been the leader of it for five years. It's funny that the weight of my role only affects me when I think about it. The day my parents gave it to me didn’t faze me since I was raised to take it and wanted to because I wanted to change the country for the better and still do. With renewed strength, I get dressed up and head out.

Today, I am going with Annie’s plan that we scheduled. We are serving food at a poor house and giving out food and water in the surrounding area. My part in it is to be around but not too close and look out for trouble. I’ve tried to be in the midst of the poor, but this has turned people away for various reasons. Some are afraid of us or disdain us. I can’t blame them for fearing for their lives, especially after the attempt on my life and how the media portrays us.

There are people who are also uncomfortable with my appearance. People even think of me as a reaper because they think I’ve only brought death and division into the country. On the other side of things, having any kind of cybernetics is a sign of being upper middle class since only those with a modest amount of wealth can afford them. Meanwhile, everyone lower than in status will have to spend their life savings on them. Certain jobs will pay a portion for the cybernetics, but it will come out of the worker’s pay and since machinery is becoming more complex and dangerous to repair, some people will have to deal with it if they want to continue working in those jobs.

Thankfully, nothing bad happens today and it all goes smoothly. Wait. I’ve spoken too soon. A little girl is crossing the street chasing after her ball and a truck is barreling down the street. Using my cybernetic body’s enhanced movement, I’m able to snatch her out of the street and get her back on the sidewalk before she gets run over.

“Are you okay?” I ask her.

She looks at me unsure of what to say. I get her the ball she was after and still nothing.

“Be careful crossing the street next time,” I say with the best smile I can with my cybernetic face.

With still nothing to say, she hugs me, bows her head, and then runs off. The people who see what I did also nod and smile in approval with a person on their phone presumably talking about it while telling me I did a good job. Surely enough, I find a short video of me saving the girl on the internet when I return home. This video gets a mostly positive reception with the obvious detractors in it that don’t like simply because I’m in it.

“What you did raised our reputation more than the charity event. Maybe we should patrol the streets looking for kids in trouble next time,” Annie says.

“That would be a good compromise with what I want to do. I’ve been talking to our police contacts about going out on patrols with them or training people in self-defense and what to do when they run into trouble,” Elliot says.

“Your training would involve guns, which are all but illegal to have except for single shot bite-sized pistols that might as well be BB guns.”

“The honest officers don’t care if you have guns and will let you exercise your second amendment rights as long as they don’t catch you having them. They say they’re also willing to look the other way if you don’t use them for the wrong purposes.”

“Whatever the particulars of the current law are, do you have everything prepared for tomorrow, Elliot?” I ask.

“I do and our friends in the police are happy that we’re finally going to help them. The weapons for training and protection just in case something happens are ready.”

“Good.”

During the next day, we teach our people and volunteers how to shoot, how to defend themselves, and when and when not to get into a fight. The place we are doing this training at is a burned out school that we’ve barricaded with bulletproof barriers. It’s also in a part of the city where the other law enforcement shouldn’t bother us. In addition, this school is an example of why the local neighbors should have guns since it was a Catholic private school that was attacked for teaching traditional values and not protected by the police because of that and its general location. The building is currently being repaired by the neighbors and is sometimes used as a poor house, but still has scars from its previous attack with broken floors, ceilings, and walls, burn marks, and what looks like dried blood on the floor. While walking its halls by myself, I feel like I hear the screams and cries of its past occupants crying out for help and justice. This becomes too much for me to handle so I go back to where the training is happening to help out.

“Is something wrong?” Elliot asks.

“It’s nothing,” I say.

“I can see something is wrong. It’s the school, isn’t it? The atmosphere here bothers me too, especially since I went here before it burned down.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. I haven’t told you before since I try not to let it bother me. Still, I won’t lie that it isn’t part of why I want to restore justice to the poor districts of the city besides the constant reports of violence and all of the corruption in the government and corporations that we’re meant to trust. Doesn’t it make you want to take things into your own hands?”

“It does and this is what we’re doing to help mend the country.”

“Yeah, but I wish we could do more and fix a lot of our problems in an instant.”

“Me too.”

“Well, that’s what we have God for, right? We can only do so much.”

“You’re right. Let’s get back to the task already given to us.”

We continue training for a few more hours and end it around five in the afternoon, but after we leave, we’re immediately attacked. The trucks that were carrying the weapons and ammo are blown up and we are attacked from all sides. Retreating inside the school, we take cover behind the broken and burned down walls that lack the protection we put on them since they were put down not too long ago. They must’ve waited for us to be in this situation before they attacked. Even so, because of the training we did and our numbers, we are able to overwhelm them and minimize casualties.

By the end of it, we lost three people and have six that need to go to the hospital. While inspecting the bodies of our assailants, we find that one of them is still alive. His hands are cuffed and he is brought before Elliot, Annie, and me. To my surprise, both of them and most of our allies think he should be killed.

“It’s people like this who blew up this school,” Elliot says.

“Please! I had no choice but to do this,” the man says with tears in his eyes.

“Why do you say that?” I ask.

“I was forced to! Everything I have and everyone I love was at risk! I know names and the places they meet at. I promise to pay for what I’ve done and then some just let me speak. Please, believe me.”

“Don’t do it, Roxy. He’s just trying to save his own skin.”

I look into the man’s scared eyes and make a decision.

“He’s telling the truth. Let’s let him speak somewhere safe.”

The man thanks me over and over again as we get him inside the school. After interrogating him, we go out and end up finding the people he described in every location. We end up making a few arrests since most refuse to be taken alive. Those who we do arrest tell us they were paid to make trouble for us by an anonymous person.

“There goes another trail to find out who is after us gone cold,” Annie says.

“At least we got rid of this group from the city. They were one of the many gangs that cause a lot of trouble in this part of the city with the violence they were hired to commit. It’s a win in my book,” Elliot says.

“Yeah…” I say.

Annie and Elliot put their hands on my shoulders. They know I’m upset at the lives of our friends that were lost today and the best thing they can do is remind me that they’re here for me. When we get home, we’re surprised to see that the media is again showing us in a positive light, and the surprises don’t stop there. I get a call from one of our opposing groups that they want to meet up for dinner at a hall to talk about cooperating in the future. Since I have the call on speaker, Annie and Elliot hear it and whisper to themselves. Why am I looking at them? This is my decision.

“We’ll do it. When’s this dinner happening? I’ll gladly pay for my people and myself,” I say.

Both Annie and Elliot seem concerned about my decision. I’m told that the dinner can happen this week. We agree on it happening this Thursday at four, which is in two days. I thank them for the opportunity to work together and see eye to eye and then hang up.

“Cancel everything we have going on this Thursday,” I say.

“That goes without saying. Are you sure you want to do this?” Annie asks.

“Can we even be sure we can trust these people?” Elliot asks.

“We’ve been working all these years for a chance to make peace with our opposition. We have it now and I won’t waste it.”

My friends are reluctant to accept it, but they do because they say that they trust me. I tell everyone else about this dinner and the reaction I get is mixed with some happy about it while others are uneasy. During my next daily call with my parents, they’re much the same way but trust me and say that they’re proud.

“Be careful with those people and don’t forget to bring your guns,” my dad suggests.

“I have to agree, but don’t show off your guns. Just be calm, and cooperative, but also unmoving in your foundations,” my mom says.

“I will.”

The next couple of days pass by like the wind and before I know it, it’s Thursday. I get dressed in a long black dress and head out to the event. When I arrive, I’m surprised to see that so many governors, mayors, corporate leaders, and more who are all dressed to impress with fancy suits and dresses of all kinds of colors.

“It’s strange to see that the archbishop of our diocese isn’t here,” Elliot says.

“Yeah, but his allied bishops and priests are here,” Annie points out. “I’m more concerned that I don’t see the leaders of the non-Catholic conservatives here.”

“Which non-Catholic conservatives? I see a couple of their leaders here.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter since they’re all heretics.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” I interject. “The people here are too important to lose, so it’s not like every group sent fodder here to talk to us. Are you thinking that they’ll-”

“Shh. You’re right. They wouldn’t sacrifice these people in particular. I’ll try to relax and not let my worries get to me,” Annie says.

“Yeah. Do you ladies want anything to drink?” Elliot says as he gets up from our table.

Annie says she wants a red wine while I want a simple soda. I can’t afford to be too comfortable and not because Elliot and Annie are implying that an attempt on my life may happen. My mind has to be completely focused and at attention so I can make the most of this. Hopefully, this’ll be the start of a peaceful America if this goes right. God, give me the strength and wisdom to make that happen.

As more people come in, my friends and I make small talk with them as if we’re strangers who have nothing against each other. The food and drink orders are taken and then served not too long after. With all the talking and laughing, you’d think this was a school reunion dinner. That is until the talks actually start.

Now that the pleasures of the night are done and the business part of it begins, the topics of tonight are brought up such as religion in politics, cybernetics, the rebellious states, crime, and other surrounding topics. The rules of this meeting are set as people are allowed to state their points and answer questions from the other groups at our discretion. More is brought up about this with the other groups being given a chance to talk first. Then, everything falls apart. Not because of what’s being talked about or us being what’s talked about negatively, but because explosions go off in the room killing nearly everyone. I see nothing but smoke, fire, debris, and dead bodies. I’ve survived thanks to my cybernetic body. Still, I wish that I didn’t so I wouldn’t have to see so many of my friends dead and my opportunity to make peace with the opposition gone in an instant. Why…God?