Tisis

A lesson in history (S)

I yawn while thinking, 'Jeez, just how many times do they want to tell us that story?!'

The teacher gives me a stern look and asks, "Am I boring you, D-264?"

I demonstratively yawn again and reply, "Why yes, you are. I mean come on! You've been telling us that story over and over since we were old enough to even just remotely get what you're saying!"

The teacher, a man of 35 years going by the handle of D-164 grins at me.
"Well, if you are so very sure you've got it, then why don't you tell the younger ones about it then? I'm sure everyone will be thrilled to hear what you have learned."

"I was hoping you'd ask," I reply while getting up from the floor.

As I walk to the front, a gasp goes through the other people who are present...just the kind of effect I was going for.

I look over to the door, where one of 'them' throws me an icy glare, telling me that he has me in his sights, but I don't care.

The teacher whispers, "You would do well to not anger them needlessly."

"What are they going to do? Kill me?"

D-164 glares at me furiously.
"Whatever you do, falls back on the entire block, don't you dare forget that! This isn't just about you!"

"Yadda, Yadda, Yadda...now then...history of mankind, right?"

D-164 nods and retreats to one of the back rows.

I think, 'Alright now Sirus...relax...you've done this a million times in your head. Time to show them what you're made of.'

I quickly scan the crowd to see if Eva's watching, but I can't seem to find her.
Probably has something better to do than to listen to the same boring lecture for the x-th time. Just my luck, honestly.

Ah well, I'll get her to notice me yet, one way or another.

After clearing my throat, I begin explaining.

"As D-164 has already explained, mankind came from a planet known as 'Earth'. In the middle of the 25th century, the American conglomerate and the Chinese hegemony got decimated by a nuclear hellfire, sent by the African republic. This triggered the 5th world war...one should think they would've been wiser after the first two, but no..."

D-164 clears his throat quite audibly, thereby asking me to get back on track.

I clear my throat myself and start anew, "The world war decimated mankind to a total population of a hundred thousand persons scattered all across the wasteland it left behind. The few remaining people of the world moved to one of the last habitable places in the world, known as 'Utopia', in the former arctic area."

I take a deep breath, rummaging the details together, well aware that D-164 would chew me out, if I got the following part wrong.

"A few years later, the Asmodei descended upon us after having seen our plight and offered us a new chance on another world," I explain, trying my hardest to suppress the sarcasm I feel rising in my voice.

After a short pause I continue, "Our leaders were thrilled with the opportunity and quickly agreed to take them up on their offer. Shortly after, the Asmodei arrived with a small Armada of transport ships, befittingly called 'Ark', which were to take mankind to a new world, where we could finally redeem our mistakes of the past. Unfortunately, our ark had a malfunction in its FTL drive, which hasn't been repaired up to the present day, because the stupid computer won't wake the technicians up, and that's why we've been stuck in this stinking prison ship for the past 200 years!"

D-164 jumps up, trying to stop me, but I won't be stopped now.

"Yes, you've heard me right! This place is a prison! They didn't come to save us, they came to enslave us! But we won't be kept down forever! One day, we will be free again! And when this day comes, it will be them groveling for mercy!"

A suppressed cheer goes through the audience, which gets quickly shushed as the guards come in, their weapons at the ready.

D-164 tries to apologize, tries to tell them that I'm just a kid, that they will deal with my insubordination internally and that it won't happen again, but they simply push him to the side, aim their gun at me and as the electricity from their stun guns courses through my body, the world around me grows dark.

But as I fall to the ground, I do so with a smile.

For I am Sirus Loctor...son of Amy and Adam Loctor...I am more than a prison number. And the day I'll get to show that will come.