The Space Corporation

Chapter 1: Hiring

The Zaacplot Trading Corporation, or ZTC, was a massive company that expanded its reach world wide by being ruthless in business and generous in its appearance. No one saw it coming. The Revolt began with a single act. One government flipped. Then the next, and the next, and one by one, the world fell under the control of one power. There was resistance by those who weren't corrupt or bought out, but their power was too strong.

Executions started and if you tried to even support any type of resistance, like giving money to rival companies or anything like that, you could be shot outright without trial or reason. Men in black uniforms patrolled the streets at night. Curfews were put in place, and the oligarchy of the ZTC was ruthless and unforgiving. All forms of writing that wasn't given an okay by the ZTC was outlawed. Why tell you the last part? Because we're the resistance. We're the ones who plan to topple the tower. We're the ones called The Anticorp.

The name given to me by the ZTC was Wings of Gold. I was very poor growing up. Anything my father and I couldn't get with money, we built or acquired through trade. Our class in society was deemed the Derelict. For we were the forgotten in society. We were the unwanted. I never truly hated the ZTC. Growing up, you're taught that they're the thing protecting us from the horrible world that came before. That they were perfect and that they could do no wrong.

It wasn't until that night that I despised them. I was asleep. Everything was fine. A storm had blown in from the south. It was rare that this happened. Our world was no more than a desert that stretched for miles without end. The holes in the roof leaked, but we put containers below to catch it for later consumption. I was no more than 10, and I was woke by talking outside.

"Claws of Black (he was my father), we've been commanded to take you in." Said the man in the black uniform. He didn't have anything to show it, but anyone who saw him and his 2 acquaintances would be able to spot that they were ZTC Secret Police.

My dad took a step back, but didn't run. It would've been a death sentence to run.

"What do you mean? Why? What could I have done to upset you?" He said almost pleading.

"I don't make the rules, Black. Hold your hands out please. Make this easy for us, and you might be able to return to your home." He said taking out laser cuffs. He was lying. No one came back, after being taken away. If they did, they were usually gone or found dead. The rain began to rain a little harder and the clothes clung to my father, while it rolled off the waterproof suits of the secret police.

"Daddy, what's going on?" I said walking out into the warm, rainy night.

"Come on, Black. Don't make this get ugly in front of the child." Said the man again. He put his hand on the grip of his laser pistol to emphasize his point.

"Um, listen Theo. Daddy will be gone for a little while, but he'll be back soon. But if he isn't, I want you to go over to Miss Pink, okay?" He said grabbing my arms and crouching to look me in the eye. I nodded and he kissed me on the forehead.

"Black, now." Said the man losing his patience.

"Go back inside." He said getting back up to face the men. I began to walk back to the house. I turned around to watch them put the cuffs on my dad, and even though I wanted to run to him, I obeyed and went back to bed. That was the last I ever saw my father. I went to Miss Pink's and I bounced from home to home. Evantually winding up in the city.

I was 16 around this time. The mettalic skyscrapers towered above me. They dwarfed the farms and power plants nearby. I approached the forcefield that all inhabitants of the city had to pass through. There was a line that formed up to a booth, while ships that flew overheard were stopped by men and another forcefield above.

The men scanned the wrists of the people ahead of me. Every time it clicked, they were allowed entry. I hadn't seen what happened if it didn't click yet. Evantually it was just 2 people in front of me before it was my turn. The young woman dressed in a red dress held her wrist up and pulled the sleeve up. The operator held his scanner up to her wrist and it began it's scan. It clicked and she passed.

Now it was a short, fat man before me. I watched him do the same thing the woman did. The scanner came up, scanned, but didn't click. The operator told him to wait, and went into the little office. I was curious what would happen, but the people behind were not. They grew eerily quiet. A cold feeling grew in my gut.

The operator came back out. Then brought up the scanner to his wrist again. The man held up his wrist again, only it was different this time. For as soon as the operator clicked the button, a needle shot out into his wrist. The man recoiled and the needle retracted. He screamed as he grew pale. He wandered onto the metal walkway and everyone watched quietly. He stumbled, fell to his knees, and then laid still. Two men in black uniforms walked out of the booth, grabbed the body, and departed with it down down a corridor next to the booth entrance. I grew pale and I hadn't been hit with the needle.

"Um, sir. I've never been to the city before. I came here in search of work actually." I said trying to avoid the same fate as the man before. The man nodded and typed something into his wrist pad. Two men came out of the corridor again and this time they grabbed my shoulders and pulled me aside. I felt my stomach turn as I felt this could be the end of me. I was going to die here just like that man.

I was brought to a emotionless dark room that was furnished with only a table and metal folding chairs on either side of it.

"Sit. The career specialist will see you soon." Said the one of the men. I did as I was told and sat down in the chair. They left and as the door closed behind me, I felt that the city was no longer the freedom I needed from the desert country, but rather, it was the prison people fled to the country to escape.