by Genevi Engle
CHAPTER 4 – THE LAUNCH
August 10th, 2145
Our protective suits were locked inside a section of the spacecraft. The section had us arranged in a circle, and from here; frozen in my suit, I was staring at Babe.
“Can you hear me?!” I shouted.
“Barely!” she shouted back. Her voice was faint from within the giant tin-man suits.
“Got any plans?!' Babe shouted with a laugh.
“Is that supposed to be funny?!” another inmate shouted from the side of me. I could see his heavily tattooed face from his face shell.
“Lighten up!” yelled one of the other inmates. I looked to the opposite side to see a woman with brownish-red hair. She looked at me. “Now would be a good time to find a sense of humor!” the woman yelled.
“And why's that?” the agitated inmate yelled back.
“Because it's sounds like the only thing we'll ever need in this situation. It may feel good to laugh a little before we die!”
I couldn't agree with her more!” I shouted.
“Marie!” the red-headed woman shouted.
“Claire!” I replied back.
“What the fuck is this?!” the angry inmate yelled.
“It's called companionship! That too is also a nice thing to have before we get obliterated by the sun!” Marie said. She looked at me. “T-Bone is a bit of a grouch!” she yelled.
“Fuck you!” T-Bone yelled.
“Love you too!” Marie shouted back.
“Attention inmates!” a voice blared over a speaker inside of our capsule suits. “This is Sergeant Banuelos of the Territory Police Force. In ten minutes, we will be lifted into orbit and set on our journey to Sonne Graol, your final stop.” the Sgt said.
“What a fucking asshole!” Marie laughed.
“Once in orbit, the noise and clutter that you hear now will diminish and the capsules will produce a very euphoric gas. This will allow each of you to relax upon our decent. Consider it a farewell gift.” he explained. “So sit back, relax and enjoy your last ride.” the intercom clicked out. That was unsettling, and I couldn't help but constantly wonder what I wanted to do before I was to be get burned out of existence. No one will remember me for my hard work or all of the effort I put in to reaching my job as the President's assistant. No one will remember me for my kind personality or just exactly who Claire Dodson was. Nope. From now on, even after I die, that name; that fucking identity that I broke my back building will be forever known as the bitch who killed the President. Soon the conspiracies will began. It'll be another case, and I'll be Lee Harvey Oswald version two. The truth will slowly point itself out, and there will be those who oppose the truth but sooner or later, more and more people will believe that I was innocent and maybe forty years later, they'll re-open my case, and realize the mistake that they had made. Unfortunately I'll be long gone before my name would clear. Shit. There I go again. Pondering out, trying to figure out a positive to this. This long road to the end is shortening and I'm getting tired of trying to think my way out of this.
The space vessel begin to shake. I could feel us beginning to lift off from the ground.
“Here we go!” I heard Babe shout.
The abrupt rumbling began to fade, and now we were entering the silent travel.
“Claire right?” said a voice on the side of me. My eyes came upon a young looking man with a bit of black hair drooped across his face.
“Lucas Vant.” he said introducing himself. “I know you. You're the one who shot the President.”
The other inmate's heads turned, and each of them were now focused on me.
“Oh shit.” Marie said. “You don't look like the murdering type.”
“Listen, can we not talk about the reasons why we're here?” I started. “I think it would just be a lot cooler if we just stay out each others personal lives.”
“Sweetie, you're in a ship with a bunch of murderers.” Marie said. “T-Bone killed a cop and raped three women.”
“You want to be the fourth?!” T-Bone snarled, looking at Marie.
“You're not scaring me. Nothing sounds better than getting a cock slammed in me one last time.” Marie smiled.
“Are they separating genders when we get up there?” asked another voice. I looked over to my far right to see a black woman, who looked to be in her late forties. “I'm kind of against having Charles Manson over there having his way with me.”
“I don't do black bitches.” he growled
“Fuck you!” the black woman yelled.
“No. Fuck you!” T-Bone shouted.
“Sorry to put you out there like that.” Lucas said as the others argued off in the background. “But I believe in what you did. The President was a disease to the territories. His death will bring countless amounts of change. It's sad that we both must die before we witness the dawn of such change.” he explained.
“That's probably the most nicest thing someone has ever said about it. Maybe even the weirdest but thank you.” I smiled. Lucas smiled back.
“You want to take a stab at me motherfucker?!” the black woman continued to argue with T-bone.
“I may not even let you live all ten days. You'll be the only life the sun doesn't claim.” T-bone said angrily.
“Hey!” Marie shouted. T-bone and the black woman looked at Marie. “What's your name?” she asked.
“Aliza.” she said.
Another inmate broke out in laughter. “No fucking way!”
Everyone turned their attention to the inmate. “Something funny fuckboy?” Aliza asked.
“Fuckboy?” the man asked. “Now that's a name I don't want to be remembered for.” he started. “Name's Ice and I'm laughing because I'm in shock. I can't believe they got you.” he said.
“Am I missing something?” I asked.
“You guys never heard of her?” Ice asked. “Hackin Aliza. She stabbed her husband with a butcher knife.” Ice said.
“Uh hello. Personal life.” I said.
“Bad marriages?” Marie asked.
“Bad marriages, Bad sex, Good money. All in all, the perfect opportunity to cash in on their life insurance.” Aliza said.
“You were swimming in the loot once you killed them all.” Ice said.
“They fucking busted me when they found the evidence from my first husband's death. Used that to convict me in the rest.” Aliza said bitterly. “But like I said T-Bone, fuck with me and I'll make sure you're next.”
“Alright! Enough!” Marie shouted. “Can we just please get along for just a bit. You guys can duke it out ten minutes before the sun fries us.”
“What are you in here for Ice?” I said, facing him as best as I could.
“You ever heard of the Emerald Central Massacre?” Ice asked.
“That shoot-out at the mall. Yeah I remember that.”
“Yeah, that was me.” Ice chuckled.
“How is that funny? You killed twenty five people.” I said.
“It's funny because if one of the officers wouldn't have shot my trigger hand, I'd be in a grave, and not on this shit.”
December 22nd, 2125
The Emerald Central Massacre was an event that made me realize what type of fear was needed to make an impact. No matter the message, if you wanted it to spread, enacting a wave of violence was going to get the important people's attention. You'll probably even get some sick fucks to follow you as well. Linda and I held hands at the mall when the massacre took place. Our relationship had grown farther then either of us had expected. Unlike before, how you would find two 14 year old friends hanging out at the mall. Instead, now you would find us, two 16 year lesbians making out at the mall. People had their opinions. We were young, and many frowned upon it but I didn't care. That wasn't the message we were trying to send. Our message was bigger. A message of change. For the leaders of these territories to give us back the control that we deserved. We wandered the areas of the mall, searching for those looking for a savior. A brotherhood that they coul
d be a part of. We didn't reach our radical stage yet, but if I could explain that day in just a few words, I'd say that that day was the birth of it. As I pressed my face harder into Linda's, a loud eruption of gunfire went of and our faces snatched away from each other. Those who walked through the mall, including us began running the opposite way of where we heard the gunshots. I had a hard time absorbing what was going on. I was scared. It couldn't have been my time to die yet. There had to be a way out of this. Those were my thoughts then, while trying to keep my composure in front of Linda. We came to the tiny back entrance, which was cluttered with over three dozen people trying to squeeze out of the mall. I could hear more shots. The sounds were becoming louder. The shooter was getting closer, and the crowd's panic began to grow. I grabbed Linda's hand and cut into a store to the left. We sped into the store bathroom, and hid ourselves in one of the stalls. I started to cry silently, shaking with unimaginable fear. Then I heard it began. The slaughter. I could hear him spraying the crowd with bullets. I could hear the screams of terror, as if the grim reaper was joyfully selecting his ripe souls from the garden of life. I continued to shake fearfully, sweat covering my face. I looked into Linda's eyes, who was holding me tightly. Her beautiful green eyes stared into mine.
“I love you.” she said, her voice cracking with fear.
“I love you...” before I could tearfully finish, a distinct spray of gunfire became louder, as if it were right next to the bathroom door. I went silent, my hyperventilating echoing through the bathroom. The bathroom door swung open and slammed against the wall. I could hear someone coming.
“This was it.” I though. The stall swung open and standing before us was an officer, tucking away his pistol.
“We have two in here!” he shouted.
I wanted to scream and fall into the officer's arms. At this moment, I knew we were safe.
“It's alright ladies. The gunman has been neutralized.” the officer said. “I'm going to get you out of here.” he said extending his hand.
The officer escorted us outside of the mall, where my mother ran to me with a passionate hug. This moment in my life set in place the idea that fear was the main key to spreading a message. It was the key that we needed to spread our message.
Present
“You're fucking joking!” Ice laughed. “You were there when that shit went down!?”
“Me and my girlfriend.” I said.
“Damn. The bathroom was my next stop. Goddamn cops got to you before I could. Nearly shot my fucking hand off.” Ice said.
“I guess there's a reason why I'm alive today.” I said.
“Yeah. To share the same fate with your would-be murderer.” Lucas said.
“Are you some fucking hippie?” asked another inmate. A black man with distinctive tear drops tattooed on his face. “You don't look like a killer.” he said looking at Lucas.
“I'm sorry. I didn't notice there were more of you in here.” Lucas snapped.
“What the fuck did you say?” Aliza snapped.
“Oh you're funny.” the black man smiled. “You want to know what I'm in here for?”
“Do I really have to guess?” Lucas said with a smile.
“My guys on the outskirts call me Barb.” the black man started. “Earned my name by taking down a few officers around town.”
“How many?” I asked.
“Enough to get me here.” Barb replied
“I'm sorry. I'm missing your point.” Lucas said.
“My point is if you keep being a smart-ass, I'm going to put rip your goddamn face off.” Barb threatened.
“Alright can we just ease up on the tension?” Marie asked. “Let's just finish going around so we can know who's who.”
I looked to the far side to see a gloomy looking woman with short black hair.
“You're the last contestant sweetheart.” Marie said looking at the woman.
The strange looking pale woman raised her head, staring out with her wide eyes. “You all are going to burn in hell as you burn out of life.” she said.
“Okay. You win the weird award.” I said. The woman was shaking and what I could see of her black hair, looked greasy and slimy.
“Judge me if you will, we all share the same fate. We will share death!” she shouted.
“All we wanted was a name freak show.” Marie said.
“Her name is Ellie.” Babe said. “And she shouldn't be here.”
I looked at Babe. “What do you mean?”
“She belongs inside of a mental facility.” Babe said.
“Well the guys in charge saw different.” I said.
“Well enlighten us ginger. What did she do?” Ice asked.
“I purged them. I cleansed their souls!” Ellie screamed.
“Who is she talking about?” I asked.
“Her kids.” Babe replied.
“My spawn were drenched in the blood of false ideology. I had to free all three souls!”
“Why is she yelling?” Ice commented.
“You killed your three kids?” I asked.
“They were covered by the filth of this realm.” Ellie said.
“We belong here.” Marie said. “We absolutely fucking belong here.”
CHAPTER 5 - BALL OF FIRE
February 23rd, 2127
I was doing my best to get some more sleep before we arrived to the sun blazed prison. Each time I managed to shut my eyes, visions of the corrupt decisions of my past managed to conjure. I recalled me and Linda leading a march through the streets in the heart of the Capitol City. I could see the Territory Officers in front of us, on guard. They held their rifles at the ready and I could see the intensity within them; prepared for one of us to make a violent move.
“We want change!” I shouted.
“Give us change!” my members shouted.
“As long as you keep this protest a peaceful one, we won't use force!” The lead enforcement officer shouted. Deep in the back of my mind, I knew this wasn't going to work. We were just another group of people trying to get our voices heard. Those who were there to witness our demonstration would listen for the moment, but those same people would go home and they'd just forget. We had to do something different. Something drastic. Radical. Linda had a gun tucked in her pants, underneath her shirt in case something dramatic was going to happen and my heart was telling me to go for the gun. To whip that motherfucker out and pop some officers in their skulls. However my brain was putting out the logical probabilities of those actions. These assholes would slaughter us at this point, but Linda needed to know. I had to tell her that now was the time to put fear into those that barricade us. I looked at Linda and nodded. She nodded back, and we quickly fell back to the rear of the protest.
“What's wrong?” she asked as those in front of us continued to chant loudly.
“We can't keep doing this. It's not working. No one's going to care about what we have to say at this rate.” I explained to her.
“What do you want me to do? Turn the cult into a militant group?”
“Whatever works Linda.” I replied. I could see her eyes widen. I know she wanted the same thing. She was just too afraid to admit it. They all were.
“Even if everyone agreed to spraying bullets into these fuckers, where would we get the things needed to do so?”
I looked around at the protesters. My cult. If I wanted to lead them correctly, I had to be willing to take a few risks in order to press my ideal into the establishment, and at that moment, a plan had presented itself inside my cold heart and my hardened mind.
“Give me your gun.” I told her.
“For what?” Linda refused. “This is only for emergencies.”
“Just give me the fucking gun.”
Linda sighed with a bit of frustration.
She pulled it out from the front of her tight jeans and handed it to me.
“Careful.” she said. “It's loaded.”
“I know how to use a gun, thank you.” I said before I walked back tow
ards the front of the cult protest. I held the gun firm, finger lightly against the trigger. I pointed it into the air and pulled the trigger, and the pop rattled my brain, and silenced those behind me. The officers quickly reacted and pointed their rifles at me.
“Drop the fucking gun!” the officers screamed.
“Are we going to be heard?!” I shouted. “Too many of our loved ones have been lost because of the changes that have been made to this government!”
“Lady, drop your weapon or we will kill you!” I could hear the intensity in the officers' voices as they screamed at me.
“You would kill me! I haven't hurt anyone but you're all prepared to put down an innocent teenager!” I shouted. “Do it.” I muttered. “Shoot me!”
“What the fuck are you doing?!” Linda shouted to me.
I looked back to see her making her way to the front of the protest and it was at that moment, I felt something sharp fly into my neck. I rubbed my hand against the side of my neck and felt a large, plastic object protruding from my neck. I motioned to pull whatever it was out, but the blue sky went dark and I fell asleep.
Marie was right. We did belong here. Well they did. Then again, maybe I did. Even though I didn't kill the president, my past actions may have presented this karma to me.
I woke up inside of a jail cell, my eyes peeling open to an officer standing in front of me.
“Had to get you out of there, those officers were prepared to blow your head off.” the officer said.
“Why didn't they?” I asked, sitting up.
“18 year old girl, killed during a supposedly peaceful protest?” the officer said. “That's just bad publicity.”
“You all should be used to it. Everyone knows about your system's dirty work.”
The officer smiled which agitated me a bit. “You think the system dirty, corrupted; I say the system is held to a certain degree in which you are to young to even understand and it is my job to protect that system.” he explained. “I'm sorry, I believe we got off to a bad start. Ms. Dodson, I'm Detective Jones and I'm here to convince my colleagues that your actions out there were just a huge mistake.”