An Ocean of Consequences

Chapter Two - Pt. One

(1698 words)

It had been two days since the initial attack. Explosions sounded occasionally in the distance for the rest of the first day, rumbling the house like thunder each time. The rocks and other debris that fell against the roof told undoubtedly came from the Plateau. It seemed their targets were infrastructure more than people, or so I hoped. Our phone system went down first, followed by the power, and eventually, the lights. All but the phone system came back the next day.

My family had stayed indoors, as instructed, other than the time Father dared to venture outside, only to find armed guards patrolling the parallel. He did not tell us what he saw, but the pale look on his face showed it was enough to scare him back into compliance. After that, I watched as they passed by the windows every few minutes. Their glowing weapons and mechanically detailed armor made them seem further from reality than they had in my mind. Nothing about them gave a sense of peace.

The man from before came over the emergency system again that night, informing us they had secured the Plateau and negotiations would begin. I did not imagine that these "meetings" were as friendly as he made them sound. "As a precaution, we ask that no congregations occur in means of rebellion. An attack against us is an attack against your leader and an attack against peace," he had said. "Armed guards will remain in all public places. We will assign additional guards to all governmental buildings and residences to monitor all interactions henceforth." He had thanked the public for their cooperation, as if we had a choice, before disappearing once again.

Governmental residences? Does that mean our house? The of being any closer to the invaders made me shiver. Pullans were a peaceful people. There were no soldiers, no military. Even our peacekeepers were unarmed other than batons. I could not think of a reason these people would bring weapons for our protection. I slept uneasily that night, fearing what may happen if the visitors arrived.

They came knocking on the third day.

It was early morning, but we had all risen with anticipation. When we heard the knock, my father hesitantly opened it. A large man in a caped uniform held a clear panel the size of a sheet of paper to his face. "Matemacus residence?" he asked, mispronouncing every vowel possible.

"That is correct." My father's weak tone betrayed his attempt at confidence. Without invitation, the man stepped inside. My father retreated to where we stood, pulling my mother and me closer with either arm. I hugged my sister to my front, crossing my arms over her narrow shoulders while she stared ahead at the man.

"These are officers Nola and Sindh," the man continued, gesturing to two men who stepped in behind him.

The two held a large bag in one of their hands, which they sat down once they were inside. They acted like visiting guests rather than invaders.

All three wore charcoal-colored armor that covered them from neck to boot. The only exposed skin other than their faces was their hands below the line of their sleeves. Their uniforms had blue streaks that traced the geometric grooves that mimicked the muscle structures beneath and created bands around their biceps and thighs. The blue matched the soft glow of their weapons, a long gun that hung from a strap across their chest, and two smaller ones fastened to opposing shoulder and hip.

As intimidating as they were, they looked less confident than the officer who introduced them, wearing expressions similar to ours.

"They will stay with you indefinitely through this transition," the man continued. "You are no longer permitted to leave the residence unsupervised, so please plan your schedules accordingly."

I had labeled them soldiers, but it seemed they were nothing more than glorified babysitters. Weaponized, glorified babysitters.

"The men will remain armed at all times. Please note these weapons are coded to their fingerprints and therefore can be used by no one else." He eyed us with his warning. He then placed his hand onto the gun at his hip, and like magic, it glowed blue and hummed. It faded immediately when he removed his hand. "Adherence and cooperation will be paramount to your safety." The man gave us a menacing, crooked smile and said, "Have a nice day." With that, he left, leaving the two men alone with us as if he had returned missing property.