This Is Where I Want To Be

199. Too Much

Carl

The barracks where we were stationed were empty. The watchers were recalled from En-gannim, and our station had gotten leave for a few days. After the non-stop battle on En-gannim, they decided we needed some time off. The four of us sat staring at each other. We had nowhere to go so we had stayed at the base. Our guns were clean. Our boots were polished. Beds were made, and even the four men's watcher feed was disconnected. It had left us in the dark.

Earth had decided to ship all the alien food back to En-gannim, leaving the farms empty and deserted. The world had not taken the news well. It felt like every couple had tried it. The masses of people that streamed into the hospitals were staggering. Basic first aid had to be broadcast on TV, and so far, it had not produced one Ittoqure. What it did cause was hatred. I chuckled. Every couple who had tried it had broken up.

Teleporters were a thing of the past, and the world was in an economic mess. Doctors couldn't get to hospitals in an instant. Paramedics were back to driving ambulances. Large shipments of food were stranded. Since the teleporters, world hunger had suddenly ceased. Homes and businesses could leave parcels at the stations every night. All the food that usually went into the trash was sent worldwide. People were rewarded if there were no food wastage. Unemployed teachers suddenly had jobs. They could be in some remote village and come back at night. Volunteer workers could dig water wells on a Saturday and still come home for dinner. But those people were back to a waitressing life and stuck in some small town playing video games.

All the armies had divided again. Countries were back, and diplomats were no longer used for "foreign" relations but to represent their countries. The different generals had relocated to their homes, leaving us on the American base. After the people found out aliens were still murdering innocent humans rather than child molesters and murderers. The death penalty was back to what they were in specific countries before all of it happened.

Women had been paid to have babies. With the fear of the human race dying out... The world had no choice. Since conception was established, they got subsidiaries, healthcare, and time off from jobs. IVF was free. Women who wanted to have children as a career suddenly had the option. They would go to a sperm bank. Choose their donor and got paid to raise a baby. Caretakers were sent to help them. Social workers had little to do. If a family was unfit or abusive in any way. They were sent away. The foster system had become the highest-paying job. The kids had therapy, food, and a roof over their heads. The best education. But that had also stopped. And with abortion being banned worldwide, women were going crazy against Lyla. Some of them needed the money and the support. And for those who were pregnant and had lost a partner because their ass carried the scar to prove it. The situation was getting out of control.

The world had seemed cleaner. In many instances. No more litter and no more fear. After Lyla, people stopped caring again. There was a lull in the streets. A deadness. The numbness was back. Where society had something to look forward to. Better futures, more prospects, and cheaper education. No one had the options anymore. No one would ever travel to other planets or be able to colonize ones that would still be discovered. Scientists were Lyla's greatest enemy.

One night the first accusation of rape was on the news and shocked America. Protesters had stormed the streets. Ones against Lyla and her companions. The rape was followed by a missing child in North Carolina. It left the people livid against all her efforts.

The watchers were not scattered anymore. Not able to fly and catch anyone trying to flee a scene. Working with local law enforcement to determine how to use teleporters to their best advantage. Every child in America and worldwide was accounted for and checked up on daily. Having a teleporter in every neighborhood meant a watcher was there to operate the station. It had created jobs. The comings and goings were documented; if someone didn't come home that night, police could quickly follow up with a one-second trip. There was also a watcher and policeman patrolling and listening for screams, whistles, or even basic emergencies. Where women were safe to walk around drunk, they were back to being careful.