Crimson Rain (39 page)

“
That mighty nation known as the United States of America continued to grow. It expanded and collapsed upon itself several times. Things became better, faster, easier, and deemed simpler by the early two thousands. By this time, almost nobody in America the Great didn
’
t have their hands on the newest technologies.

“
Families would go so far as to forego food for big screen monitors to watch decaying, drug
-
abusing athletes that would soon be dead and forgotten. All without ever having t
o
leave the couch.
Indentured servants, the whole nation. Not one of them truly free in the fully ironic, iconic nation dubbed,
‘
the land of the free.
’
Yes, slavery has never ended.

“
There are always those on top and those being taken advantage of. The trick is to convince the victim that there is no other way and that they deserve this. It worked; they suffered many recessions, depressions, and even a great drop in population due to disease and famine, all brought on by themselves.

“
It meant something back then; it meant pain, misery, failure, heartache. All it means now is numbers on a graph and a blip in a history book. Fast forward to about two-thousand-four-hundred. Here,
in the beautiful nation of Alexarien,
technology was something one could not live without. The pollution brought on by the generations before had caused the land to be barely habitable.

“
People
’
s hearts and minds all controlled by microchips and processors. It wasn
’
t much different than hundreds of years before, except that now, these things were internal. Symbiotic with technology
,
unable to sustain themselves without it. If a power outage were to ever occur, it was sheer pandemonium. Again, it was panic, death, terror, pain and agony then, but only numbers and statistics now.

“
Go back
t
o
the year 2028
when the states
decided they didn
’
t even need human interaction any longer. They felt they could make an artificial intelligence and use it for everything from love dolls to military intelligence. The plan seemed good and they rushed ahead without
thinking of
any undesired consequences. As we know, in a single night, one rogue AI detonated a nuclear arsenal that had long been talked about being disarmed.

“
In one night, all five billion on that continent were dead. The price paid for such great technology was the
G
reat
E
xtinc
tion. The fallout was so expansive
it killed everything from the Pacific Ocean west
to the shores of China, Russia, Australia and many islands in between
. Plants, animals, people, all dead, all just statistics.
Technology ceased to progress for a short while, but then again
,
we began to build and research along a different path. The path of Biotechnology and Nanobots.

“
The fallout worldwide crumpled governments and destroyed land masses. The ice caps melted, people drowned, nations were torn asunder and in the midst of all the destruction and chaos, there was a lesson to learn.
Turn back now, those of you who survive, or face the same doom.

“
And once again, the lesson was ignored. The death, destruction, and decay of the world around us became
only
statistics. Just numbers and nameless faces. Technology moves ahead and offers answers, offers hope, and people cling to it even if it is false.
The polar ice caps were restored
,
and people cried out:
peace, security, freedom, balance. In their ignorant eyes
,
the world was corrected.

“
I ask now, who of you
are
content? Who is happy? Who can look at the last two strongholds of civilization and say that this won
’
t happen to us? We will survive; we will not fail where those before us did
?

“
Which of you can proudly say,
‘
I am not a slave to anyone?
’
Only a handful of people—
the same handful that is going to try to remove this broadcast. They will be infuriated by it going on air, but they will be unable to stop it. It is already too late; the code has been embedded into their digital video loops. Shutting me down means shutting themselves off from all that their media has to offer.

“
They won
’
t do that; Synaptix won
’
t allow it. As we speak, they are airing ads that will make you want to buy their products, make you want the gifts they have to offer. More slavery! They are using a rudimentary mind control signal to corral the weaker minded in and then sealing it by means of their Psyker Scream nanobots. This is something they
’
ve kept from the public, and the government that promised full disclosure allowed it to happen.

“
Polyhelix is kidnapping in Ilyeion and raising a mutant army. I am your herald, your messenger, your prophet, your voice of doom. Listen to me and be saved! The hour is coming where you will be drawn into the conflict without choice, so act now while you still have one. Join the Crimson Crusade! All I ask of you is to identify yourself with a small red
‘
C
’
on your body and wait for the time of chaos to act.

“
We shall topple the corporations that are making your life hell. Once this is over, nobody will be without a home. The government will belong to you for real, not this mockery of democracy we have now. You have the power to change the future, to prevent this generation from becoming a statistic that nobody will ever read about.

“
Come with me you tired, you poor,
 
you huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Come with me all of you who are oppressed, loaded down, and toiling for nothing but perhaps your next meal. Come with me all of you who fear that tomorrow you may be purchased for slavery or for death.

“
The road that looks like oblivion is salvation, I say! And the road they tell you is salvation is most certainly our oblivion for all eternity. If you want to truly live, join the cause and I promise you change. Change now, change for the future.

“
If you are hearing this now and are in favor of toppling these false deities of government and technology, then give a battle cry in the streets. Join the Crimson Crusade and be freed.

“
No longer become beguiled by things, by people, by activities, or by empty promises. Give yourself to an idea, an idea that this is larger than you. An idea that the common man can be what changes the course of a world doomed to die from the foolish leaders pushing us ahead. Give yourself to the ideology that we can restore the earth to a time of healing!
”

This was the second video feed of Crimson 3033C.E. This video sparked an idea that nobody could extinguish. It sparked a sort of fervor everyone thought lost. This would go down in history as the true final crusade.

As she had dubbed it herself,
“
The Crimson Crusade.
”
Soon it would be clear she had support. Tattoos, most commonly on the hand, would become ever popular. A small red
“
C
”
that showed their allegiance. Ever
y supporter blended in to every
day life. They went about their business doing the same mundane tasks they always had done before. The only difference was they were ready to act when the time came.

Nobody from child to old woman knew exactly what it was that would be required of them when the time came. They expected another missive and a direction for the coming battle. When asked if they knew what they were fighting for, they all gave the same answer,
“
To be free.
”

It was viral, and though nothing had changed yet, many admitted to being happier already. In their minds and in their hearts, they were already free. They already knew what they would do with themselves when the chaos had ended. When the Crimson Crusade had finished clean
s
ing the earth.

—
From the tome of Demicles
4001 C
.E.

Tombstone Territory

“
I am so glad to have you back,
”
Zarfa said over his shoulder.

Sarah was trailing behind him at a close distance; it wasn
’
t hard because he was moving slowly. He was in a great deal of pain from all the events earlier. He looked forward to finalizing this evening by taking down Ghast.

He had never dreamt it would be so easy. For years, this evil figure, this name that ran the Faraza, had been an apparition. Nobody could grab hold of him, but now he was within Zarfa
’
s grasp. The feelings of joy overwhelmed him.

“
I
’
m not going to lie,
”
he continued.
“
I really did plan to kill you… That sounds bad, it
’
s just
that
I figured you had been brainwashed and tortured. Never did I dream that—
”

“
You
’
d have your sister back?
”
she asked. Her voice was nasally from the swelling in her nostrils.

“
I didn
’
t think it possible.
”

“
Well, I am here. Furthermore, I am proud of you. I know Faraza is evil. I know Dad is evil, but I still couldn
’
t…
”

“
It needs to be done.
”

“
I couldn
’
t agree more, but you have to be the one who does it.
”

Zarfa didn
’
t say a word more. He just quickened the pace. His body was stiff and didn
’
t want to move faster than he was already going. The faster he moved, the more pain riddled hi
m
, but he was determined to reach the ambush location.

Sarah match
ed her pace to
his and trailed him like the younger sister. Zarfa couldn
’
t help but let his mind drift to when they had been children. Not innocent, but pure. They knew pain and loss, but they had never known atrocities like this before.

Now was a time of undisputable chaos. Zarfa
,
for his part
,
would have taken all of the pain, horror, tragedy
,
and sadness from his sister if he could
have
. He knew even though she was resilient, she was hurting deep down. All those years in the Faraza, she had been forced to do terrible things to innocent people.

It was all for the sake of fitting in. All for the sake of keeping a cover. All for the sake of reuniting with her brother and hopefully,
someday
,
destroying the evil organization that had taken her life from her. On the outside, she acted as if nothing bothered her, but he knew her deeper than that. Something was amiss inside of her and he didn
’
t know how long it would be until she couldn
’
t carry the weight any longer.

“
Well, we
’
re here. From what you told us, he should be passing this way this evening. He and his raiding party. Now we go into the tower and wait,
”
Zarfa said, motioning to a spire that stuck out of the residence.

“
I thought you preferred to fight with your hands? What are we going to do up there?
”

“
I do prefer to, but not after I
’
ve been nearly killed multiple times in the same day. We go up there, we wait. I contact Zajifa when he comes into sight, and more than a hundred men will descend upon him. I come down to interrogate after it
’
s all over.
”

“
I see. Well, you always were so smart, big brother,
”
Sarah said with tears welling up in her soft eyes.

“
Hey, a warrior never cries in battle. Try to hold yourself together, sis
.
”

The two of them entered the huge residence they were standing outside of. It belonged to a member of Legion Nine and the family had cleared out of it in case the fighting spilled over into the home.