As The World Ends

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

There are so many stories that don't get told. Stories about abuse, fear, kindness, love, desperation, bravery. Most people don't get to share their experiences beyond the people in their life. But I wanted to write down the happenings in my life, starting in 2064, exactly 29 years after my birth. My story goes like this:

First of all, since this is a special look into my head, you'll also get an exclusive look into other people's minds that I didn't have then but do have now because this is my story and I can do whatever the hell I want. 

The world has been going downhill for a long time. I'm a part of that world. I've been a part of that world since the moment I took my first breath. 

Maybe fighting is pointless and we should just let everyone fend for themselves, but I'd spent 16 years risking my life for other people at that point and I sure as hell wasn't going to stop until my death. Ha.

The date was April 17, 2064.

I stood in the bathroom thinking back to the person I walked by a few weeks ago.

I'd been working specifically with my division partners, Robin and John, for about seven years by the time I met Jasmine, and the three of us were as tightly-knit as could be. Divisions usually stay in the same country, but sometimes we get spread around to different continents. On our last mission, the three of us spent two months in the United States of America independently taking down a nuclear power plant. Not seeing anyone else was rough, but we got through it.

We had taken care of the facility pretty quickly, all things considered. It only took about two months, which felt like nothing compared to the four that the last one had needed. When we were done, we got permission to freely explore the town (we'd previously been instructed to avoid interaction with the locals). The first thing I did was head to the bookstore, while Robin and John went to the café next door for coffee and pastries. 

I browsed the shelves for a while and ended up buying a few second-hand novels. I paid in cash. After rejoining Robin and John, we decided to just wander around for the last few hours before we had to leave. That's when I saw her. Our eyes caught, but neither of us stopped to talk to the other. I spent the next few weeks plagued by the smile they gave me. Having not thought that I'd ever go back to Iowa, I never expected to see them again.

One night, my commander's rushed voice came through my earpiece with barely comprehensible instructions. Twenty minutes later, I was on a plane headed back to Iowa. According to them, the facility we'd shut down had some important paperwork that we'd somehow missed, so he sent me back by myself to retrieve it before someone else got to it.

Only about seven hours after landing, I had everything I needed (I triple checked). There was still a while before the plane would return for me, so I had some time to kill. I went to the same café that Robin and John had visited during our first visit and, after ordering a coffee, sat down at a quiet table in the back corner.

I was silently staring out the window when someone sat down across from me. My eyes were the only part of me that reacted, moving quickly to take in the person who had so rudely intruded on my quiet. It was her. Of course it was. Like some classic love story, there she was, sitting less than a meter away, watching me. They were easily the most beautiful person I'd ever seen with their relaxed expression and shoulders, soft face, brown hair, light brown skin, and chocolate brown eyes.

I turned my head and our eyes met again. Her mouth quirked into a grin and stuck out her hand for me to shake. I shook it and noticed with mild amusement that neither of us had introduced ourselves. 

We made small talk for about ten minutes before she said anything of value. "You, know," she remarked, leaning back in her chair, "It's interesting how you show up for a couple of hours, leave for three weeks, then come back and sit in the corner of this café like you've lived in this crappy town for your whole life."

"I guess so."

"Hmm. Well, I like your accent."

That was unexpected, but I nodded in thanks.

"Don't have much to say, huh? What're you doing in the glorious United States of Shit?"

"Uh. You know. Just visiting. Stuff like that." I gave jazz hands. "Tourist."

"Uh-huh." She raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you can tell me what you're doing here that requires sporadic trips on a private plane when most of the people here can't afford a normal plane ticket." They paused. "And don't say 'tourist' with those weird hand motions that I haven't seen in over ten years."

I snorted. "You're observant." Shaking my head, I added, "I don't suppose I can. It's rather personal. And classified."

"Classified? What are you, a secret agent?"

"Something like that."

"A secret agent in the guise of a tourist? I like it." She thought for a couple of minutes. "How long before you leave again?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Can I come with you?"

I just stared at her for a long moment. "Why?"

"Adventure."

Oh boy. My commander would be pissed, but hey, why not? I shrugged, "I'll make a call and see."

Twenty minutes later, this beautiful stranger that I'd only seen twice before was on a plane with me to a top-secret compound in North Dakota where I'd be meeting up with Robin and John after giving Jay the documents. Jay was my operating commander, promoted after years of being one of the top spies for the WSS, and had been very skeptical and (as I predicted) pissed when I had called him and requested to bring someone not in the WSS to one of our bases, but in the end, he decided to trust my judgment and agreed.

Jay was waiting on the air field when we landed. "Commander," I acknowledged, giving them a fist-bump, which they returned with resigned enthusiasm. He spent several minutes studying the person that I'd brought with, but eventually decided to have her blindfolded and led in. We made our way down the hallways escorted by two guards and attracted a number of curious looks from the various people that we passed. 

They had the person taken to a room for accommodations and a thorough security check. Jay and I, however, continued down a couple more hallways until we reached a control room. We both scanned in and only once we were safely inside did he collect the documents from me. After going through them and double-checking that I had all the right ones, we returned to the matter at hand.

"She knew that something was up, and when she asked to come with, I figured it couldn't hurt."

Jay interrogated me for a little bit longer before he finally sighed and told me to go check on her. I was pretty sure that meant that she'd be allowed to stay, but I wasn't positive.