Letting the World Burn

by Graham Dalton

  Two men wrapped their hands around my arms. They held me firmly in place.

  “Have you come to speak on behalf of the Elites?” he said. “People like you make me fucking sick.” He spat a glob of saliva into my face. I didn't wince, though. I stared him dead in the eyes. “Maybe, you should be next!”

  The whole crowd cheered. “Have his head!” they cried.

  “String him up! Kill him! Kill him!”

  “I'm not looking for a fight, Max,” I said. “I can help you.”

  “Ha!” the man said. “Help me?” He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me up onto the car. He breathed a salty, fishy puff of air into my face. “You want to help us, eh, race traitor? No. We don't work with traitors.”

  “We have a common enemy,” I said. My voice was firm and bold. I stared dead into his eyes. “Let me go, and I’ll prove just how fucked up these Elites are.”

  Max lowered his arms, He nodded. “If you try anything, my men will have you killed.”

  Two men, both 6 and a half feet stepped up onto the car. They stepped next to Max and folded their thick, veiny arms.

  “He's pulling out a gun!” one of the men shouted.

  I quickly whipped out the photographs and held my hands up. “I'm not here to shoot you!” I slowly lowered the photographs and handed them over to Max.

  His greasy fingers quickly flipped through the pictures. “What is this?”

  I nodded. “The Elites have been experimenting on Commoner children for years now.” I looked out into the distance.

  “How many of your children have gone missing? What are they doing to them?”

  “They’re taking your children and turning them into Elite children!”

  The audience screamed in anger. I turned to Max, who kept flipping through the photographs.

  “These are real,” Max said.

  “I'm not their slave anymore,” I said. “I'm not their puppet. I am not their goddamn service dog. Right now, I'm their worst-fucking-nightmare. We all are. We will murder them for what they did to our families, and we will take our children back. Those Elites may have their ‘perfect’ genes and the technology, but we've got the numbers. For years, we've been lied to by them. For years, they have kept us down. For years, they have pitted us against one another, but that ends today. That fucking ends today!”

  The people cheered, and I smiled. I was getting so close to seeing my daughter again.

  “I know that I've spent a good part of my life coddling up to those bastards, but no more!” The crowd went wild, cheering me on. “I know how those Elites think. I know how they operate. I can be your greatest asset in getting the justice that you all want! I'm through with their bullshit, their lies. I am done being their fucking puppet.” The crowd cheered wildly. “Let's kill some goddamn Elites, and let's get some goddamn justice.”

  I turned to Max, who stood watching me. His mouth was slightly ajar, and he nodded. Then, he looked back at the photographs.

  “They have our daughter,” a woman called out as she scurried through the crowd. She stepped up to the car and stared at me. “You know what happened to her?”

  “No, but we're getting her back,” I said.

  “Those bastards will get what's coming to 'em!” called out a man from the crowd. He shook his fist into the air and screamed. “Damn it! I will fucking kill every last one of 'em!”

  “Most of their soldiers are Commoners,” I said. “They're Commoners like me. They have sold out and dedicated their entire lives to serving the Elites. I can convince them otherwise. Give me a chance to speak with them, and we'll have the whole Elite army on our side. Those prissy cunts won't stand a chance against us.”

  “What do you mean you can have the whole Elite army on our side?”

  “The police aren't your enemy,” I said. “The Elites are our enemy. For too long, they've pitted us against one another. That ends today! We're going to fight alongside their army. We're going to fight as one.”

  Max shook his head. “I don't know about this. They hate us. We’ve killed enough of the bastards already.”

  “We will take this chance,” I said, stepping forward. “To bridge the gap between Commoners and the soldiers in the middle. We will extend a hand because the only enemies are the Elites. For too long, the Elites have been trying to divide us, but we will not let them divide us! We will stand as one and kill them all!”

  The crowd cheered. They once acted like I was their worst enemy, a traitor to my people. Now these people cheered me on because we all have a common enemy. I still stood in disbelief as they cheered. They chanted. They screamed for Elite bloodshed, and they would get exactly what they wanted.

  “I'm getting us an army,” I said, smiling.

  I hopped off the vehicle and gestured toward Max. The two of us waded through the crowd of people. I crossed over to the end of the crowd and glanced at Mona, who stood there smiling at me. I smiled back. She looked so much like Alice that I still couldn't believe it. The woman crossed over to me.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  I shrugged, as I walked forward. “We're going to get us that army. I have connections.”

  “You think they'll just turn on the Elites like this?”

  Max said. “Nah, I still don't buy it.”

  “I know Jessica,” I said, stopping in place. “She's one of the police chiefs, and she always does what she thinks is right. I've got proof the Elites are kidnapping children. She'll fight with us. Trust me.”

  Chapter 18

  We walked to the station, crossing through several abandoned streets. Then, we stood in front of the tinted police station. Screams and shouts echoed from inside. I could only imagine how chaotic the police force was, given the state of the city. The Elites couldn't ignore these protests anymore now that the Commoners had become a real nuisance. I thought about how interesting it will be to see how the Elites respond to the chaos of their precious city.

  I pulled open the glass door to the station and stepped in. A dozen men and women sat around dented desks, spatting and feuding with one another. Jessica cradled a cigar in her thick lips as she leaned against a wall. One of the men, with a scar down his face, turned to her and pointed a finger.

  “Jessica, we gotta do something!” he said. “We can't just sit around while the protests are going on. We gotta fight them!”

  “No, it's suicide,” she retorted. “I don't care what those Elites say. I'm not risking my life for them. Not this time.”

  She turned to me and laughed forcefully. “Quincy, Quincy, Quincy! I never expected to see you around here. I thought with all the shit going on, you'd have run off to that cabin of yours.”

  “I'm not running,” I said. “Not today.” I walked toward the desk and threw down the photographs onto the counter. I looked up at her. “These are pictures from inside the Genesis Corporation. You want justice, right? Well, these Elites have been kidnapping Commoner children and experimenting on them.”

  She walked toward the desk. “What the hell are you talkin' about?”

  “The Elites are turning Commoners into Elites,” I said. “They’re taking good Commoner kids from their families, only to alter their DNA and make them into Elites. It just ain’t right. Now, we need to do what’s right. Side with us, Jessica.”

  “Us?” she said, cocking a brow.

  “I'm with the Commoner rebellion,” I muttered softly.

  She stared back at me and sighed. Then she glanced down at the photos. “These Commoner children...” She took a photo and stared at it. “I knew a friend who lost their daughter. I wonder if this is what happened to her.” She turned to me. “But we're not working with the resistance, Quincy. That's out of the question. Have you seen what they've done to my men? They burned them alive and beat them to death.”

  “Work with us, or you’re dead,” Max snapped. “We outnumber you. We will overpower you.”

  A few of the policemen reached for their weapons, but Jessica waved
them away. The men froze with their hands still wrapped around their guns.

  “I know that shit's gotten real bad,” I said. “But you have to understand, we don't want to hurt you. We need to fight the real enemy.”

  Jessica stared back down at the picture for several moments. She opened her mouth to say a word, but she remained quiet. She continued gazing at the photo.

  “I knew there was something like this going on,” she said. “But my father used to say, ‘just keep your head down, do what they tell you, and then everything will work out in the end.’ I've heard about so many missing children throughout the years, but those Elites always told me the same thing. Mattis always told me the same thing. He said, “Just do your job, don't ask questions.” She stared up at me.

  “Well, you're going to have to make a choice,” I said. I placed my hands down on the table and stared back at her. “So, what's it gonna be?”

  Jessica paused and then turned back to the other policemen. They all stared at her, waiting as she made her move. She glanced back at me and bit down on her lower lip. She remained quiet for several moments.

  “I...I don't know,” said Jessica.

  “You pigs can side with the child-snatchers, or you can side with us,” Max said. “Do the right thing for once.”

  She cocked a brow at him. “You’re Max Rodgers, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah,” he said a shrug. “Damn right I am, and I’m offering you peace between our people. You’re lucky I’m being so goddamn generous.”

  I turned to Max and sneered. “Shut the fuck up,” I snapped at him.

  He ignored me and stepped forward.

  “Do the right thing, Jessica.” The policemen all pulled their guns on him. This time Jessica didn’t hold them back. She just stood there staring, mildly amused. “These assholes have been taking our kids and turning them into those freaks. They think they’re so goddamn superior.”

  “And the right thing is to side with a terrorist,” Jessica said sarcastically.

  Max lightly smiled. “We’re only taking back what’s ours, this city.”

  Jessica furrowed her brows.

  “And is the right thing to side with a group of people that kidnap innocent children?” I asked.

  She glanced at the policemen who all kept their guns aimed at Max. The rebel leader stood his ground.

  “Go ahead,” Max grunted. “Shoot me.”

  “No,” said Jessica. “We’ll fight alongside you.”

  “But Jessica!”

  “Enough!” she snapped. “If anyone objects, leave now!” Everyone remained still. The policemen all slowly lowered their guns. Jessica turned to Max. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for the children of this city.”

  Max sneered his nose. “Ya think I give a shit why you’re fightin’?”

  Jessica turned to me. “Quincy, whatever happens, we’re in this together.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Chapter 19

  We prepared for the assault. No longer would those people continue to harm our good Commoner children, turning us into ‘them’.

  First, we led an assault on the docks. A couple dozen Commoner workers stood around, most were chatting about some idle gossip. The rebels shot them down, leaving a bloody trail of mangled corpses along the dock. We stormed into the child containment room. Two Commoner scientists stared blankly at us. Jessica winced at the children. Their pale bodies lay lifeless. Cables were attached to their joints. She swung out her gun and shot them both dead.

  “Those bastards aren’t going to steal our children, anymore,” I said

  “Fuck the Elites,” Jessica said. “Fuck every last one of them.”

  Laura’s mother approached one of the girl on a slab. She knelt down and undid the cables. She petted the back of her daughter’s head while choking on her own tears.

  “Mommy,” the girl muttered.

  Her father ran up and wrapped his big, furry eyes around the girl, as he belted out tears. He turned to me and mouthed the word ‘thank you’. I flashed a smile and stepped away. No longer would these innocent children be robbed of their real parents. The day of Elite rule was going to be over.

  More parents rushed forward and grabbed their children. I stood back. I had been working for the Elites, the same people that had been oppressing our people. I was a traitor, no better than the scientists that lay dead before me.

  Over the next hour, we assembled the rest of the protesters and began our march toward the Elite district.

  We reached the gates protecting the Elites, and I watched as Jessica’s police force unlocked them. The doorway opened up, and our ragged army clogged the Elite district, screaming and shouting.

  “Kill the Elites!” someone shouted. “Kill the bastards!”

  The Commoners burned down trees, destroyed vehicles, and shouted words of violence. I kept walking. I knew that as soon as I stepped foot into the Elite districts, I'd have to lead an assault on Genesis’s headquarters. I needed to save those kids and Anna.

  I took a deep breath and thought of my daughter. As soon as I found her and rescued the other children, I'd run from this city, never looking back. This city was nothing to me, anyway. Maybe, we could finally have a happy life. I never thought that this day would come when I could finally leave this shitty life of mine. I couldn't believe I had almost lost hope that my daughter was still alive, and I couldn't believe I had worked with the bastards who had stolen her from me.

  Mona stood beside me. She caressed my thigh as she chewed down on her lower lip. I stared at her, smiling. It was like I was going to fight alongside my wife. No, Mona was my wife. She was Alice. Maybe, I could finally live that fantasy of mine at the cabin with my wife and my daughter. Maybe, I could finally be happy.

  “Q-Quincy,” she muttered.

  “Yes?” I said.

  “Is everything going to be okay?” she said, shaking.

  I brushed my fingers through her hair. “Everything's going to be okay,” I promised. “Don't worry, dear.”

  Max continued leading the army. He shook a burly fist into the air and screamed at the top of his lungs.

  “Those assholes have had it too good for too goddamn long!” he shrieked. “Let's kill 'em. Kill 'em all! This is our city now.”

  The army roared, as they waved their guns in the air. They screamed and shouted. They cried for blood and violence. I ignored all that, though, and just kept myself focused. I thought about my little girl and how we were going to be together. I heard her voice whisper around me.

  “Anna, you're coming home,” I muttered.

  Max marched forward, leading the army through those prissy suburbs. Elite men and women watched in horror from the sidewalks as they saw us marching toward them. Shots were fired down the streets. Elite bodies collapsed onto the ground. Their perfect physiques were blemished by oozing bullet wounds. They screamed and cried. Other Elites rushed away, and bullets shredded their backs.

  Several of the Commoners broke off from the group, lighting the mansions ablaze. They took Elite families and killed the ‘parents’ while whisking the innocent children to safety.

  I knew that I had to go to the Genesis headquarters. It was only a few blocks away. I didn't know where Anna was, but Marie might be to tell me her whereabouts.

  I hurried through the crowd and walked up to Max.

  “We should go to the Genesis headquarters,” I told him. “They're the source of everything.”

  “No,” said Max. “First, we go to Mattis' mansion. I'm going to kill that bastard myself.”

  “But we-” I said.

  “I'm in charge here, Quincy!” Max snapped. “You're lucky I'm even letting you fight alongside me.” He glanced over to me. “You don't want to end up like your friend, Andy, do you?”

  I kept silent.

  “Don't question me, Quincy,” he said. “I know what I'm doing.”

  He snapped his head forward, and I snarled.

  Max continued to lead
an army of terror throughout the city. They burned houses, mutilated adult Elites, and chanted more words of violence. Dozens of screaming children were rounded up and escorted away.

  Max smiled grandly as he led them down another street. He rained a barrage of ammunition into an open crowd, and I turned away. My stomach wrenched into a twisted knot.

  Some of the Commoners dispersed, creating havoc through the shopping district. They smashed windows and attacked pedestrians as the entire district was aflame. Smoke as black as oil choked the once sunny skies. Charred bodies lined the streets. Screams echoed around me as shots rang out, thumping louder and louder. I didn't have time for this. I needed to get to the Genesis headquarters, and I needed to get away from this.

  I pulled away from the group, and someone grabbed my arm. I turned around and saw Alice standing there. The reflection of flames danced in her turquoise eyes.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “To save someone,” I said. “Come with me.” I handed her a gun. “You know how to use that?” She shook her head. “You're an AI. You'll learn. Follow me.” I gestured for her to follow as I rushed away from the group. I needed to find my daughter soon. With all the chaos unfolding, I had to make sure that she was still okay. I rushed through the streets. Flames lined my path. Alice ran behind me. I gasped for breath, not realizing that I was this out of shape. Every step felt insurmountable, but I kept thinking of Anna. She was my strength. She was the only reason for living.

  I heard machine guns firing nearby. A black truck drove by. Mattis must have commissioned his private military to take care of the rioters.

  I gazed up and saw the Genesis building pierce the smoky sky. I rushed forward, running faster than I had since my youth. Alice kept pace beside me as we rounded a corner and stepped up to the lot of the Genesis Corporation. I walked ahead, stepping up onto the platinum sidewalk. I rushed forward and tossed my weight through the double glass doors. The secretary sat at her desk. I aimed my revolver at her, and she jumped up, waving her arms in the air.