A New Era - on hold

Chapter 2 - We bite back

A few days after the incident at Alis shop it became clear for even those who were in denial, that the whole country was falling apart. From the outside it was terrific to see how thin the civilization blanket was and how easy it was torn away when the times get rougher. And boy the times were rough.

General Bill Chaplain, Army General and many years in duty to save his country didn’t recognize this country anymore. Nor his friends. He felt torn between loyalty, friendship and this ethical standards who no longer fits into the orders he received.

He always seeked to protect the soldiers serving under his command. He never went into meaningless fights. But the last three weeks he was forced to obey more wrongful orders than his whole life as a General and Commander-in-chief for the 4th Air Force Corps.

The 30 years in duty had taken his toll on the man. Grey, short hair and a hardened face with eyes who saw too much. Death and injury, grief and sorrow. His posture still straight, but his shoulders now hunched, burdened with the responsibility for his men. Now, at the end of his career and it’s peak he felt more helpless than any recruit under fire in a battle. He already lost men and this never sat well with him.

Bill turned around and looked at his Commander and friend for so many years. The carefree and caring college student, he met then was now replaced by this calculating stranger, surrounded by his minions, who obeyed every request he might utter and he remembered other times, where those minions never stood a chance for a career. Heck, he remembered the times they both mocked those mindless drones, only born to obey but never to think by themselves.

Now he was surrounded by said drones, critics are not allowed anymore. “Times are changing, and I’m getting old” he thought solemnly. He wasn’t feel bitter about it. He knew this was the circle of life, continuing from generation to generation. But he was in deep sorrow about their future.

Because this lifelong friend of his was now on his way to kill the future of them all.

“James, you can’t be serious.” he pleaded again. “This is ridiculous. And you know it. You can’t do that.” James Covenant, the President of the United States didn’t even look at him. “You know I can and you know I will. This is the only solution. They got us cornered.”

Bill couldn’t deny this fact. After the “Day of the Message” how people now called this fateful day, there was an immediate death of about 5.500 people. No warning, nothing. The message was sent and the second those men and women got killed. Only a few pregnant women were spared, but the second they gave birth to the child they got killed. Despite all efforts to protect them.

“Bill, I am the President. I am the one giving the orders…” Bill couldn’t hold back his resentment. “And you are the one who is explaining everything to those who survive?” he barked angrily. “You can’t do that. You are destroying this country out of spite? Seriously James? Nukes on the places the Services marked you as “infected”? NUKES?” He couldn’t believe it.

James looked at him, his hand wrapped firmly around the cross he never put down for a while now. “God gave us the land. It is ours to do with it like we please. When we want to destroy it, it is within our rights.Those animals decided to bite. We bite back.” he stated with great dignity. Bill couldn’t believe his ears. This wasn’t his friend anymore. He didn’t know that bigoted stranger right in front of him. And he surely didn’t want to know him.

The President straightened up his back and Bill knew, something was up. “Bill, you had a hard time the last weeks. You must’ve been exhausted. Go back to your farm and your family. You need rest and this might get your mind out of that gutter. We are humans. We are gods own creation. Those “supernaturals” are nothing but filthy animals and they deserve to die. They are an abomination to god. And by god: I WILL bring them to extinct. NO ONE is taking away my country from me.” he almost yelled the last words and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “Bill, leave. A driver is waiting for you to take you to whatever place you want. I’ll call you when I need you again.”