The Resistance

Chapter six

Caleb (year 3940)

The wind blew briskly pasted Caleb’s checks, they would turn red if they could but the fact of the matter is you need blood for your cheeks to turn that color. A small sigh left his lips as he looked out over the city.  His feet felt stiff as he had been perched on the railing of his balcony for over an hour. He liked to sit there, no matter how many times his farther told him not to, in fact Caleb did almost everything that his farter told him not to and sitting on the stainless steel railing of the balcony was only the tip of the iceberg.  The sun projected orange and red waves in to the sky; the night was coming and coming fast. Within a few moments the city would come alive and life would begin but Caleb didn’t want it to. He didn’t want the sun to go down, he didn’t want the light to end, Caleb felt more alive in the light than he ever did before. His friends at school wish they could stay in the dark but Caleb, Caleb wanted to adventure out beyond the board of his colony and see what the others were like but now he feared that that dream may come true.   

“Caleb” his father called from down the hall, his footsteps echoed on the stone marble floor bouncing off the smooth plastered walls. He walked into the living room with and elegance that Caleb could never perfect, his black embroider formal coat shimmering in the dimming light projected shapes on to the cream walls like the sun projected colors into the sky.

“Caleb” his father’s tone changed to disappointment “what have I told you about sitting there” Caleb turned to see his father scowling at him from the balcony doors. Dropping his shoulders Caleb jumped back on to the balcony and rolled his eyes at his dad cause his father to stare harder at him.

“That it’s dangerous and I could fall” Caleb knew what was coming and didn’t want to deal with it.

“That’s right, now are you ready for school?” his dad question while sorting his tie, it was obvious to Caleb that his father didn’t really care.

“Yeah I am” picking up his bag from the glass outdoor dining set he walked back into the flat. He father was now playing with his phone, probably emailing his underlings. “Come on, Come on” his farter urged him without looking up from the small glass panel he held in his hand but Caleb was already out the door.

After waiting ten minutes, Caleb’s farther finally joined him in the limo. “Crossing Park” his father barked at the driver before he played with the glass partition.  The weather and the news appeared on the side nearest Caleb and a conference call was happening on his father’s side.

The drive to school was as usual , silence, Caleb didn’t talk to his father and his father didn’t talk to him, only today his dad was talking to the chef and commander of the army.

“Well that’s not good enough” his farther said pointing his finger at the projection of the commander. “I thought you said you could handily it because if you can’t…”

“We can handle it Darius” the commander snapped back

“Good because if you can’t I would hate to have to send in Devolution”

“There will be no need for that sir” the Commander barked back in perfect military format

“There better not be or your ass is mine!”

“Yes sir”

“Oh and Connor, don’t call me by my first name again you lost that privilege when you let my wife die”

“Yes Minister Williams” the commander said through gritted teeth

“Now that’s better” Darius said in a spiteful tone that had some satisfaction in it. Just as he hung up on the conference call the limo came to a stop, the wheels bumped against the curb and then the car stopped. Not knowing what to do or say Caleb and his farther stared blankly toward the front of the car. After a few minutes of awkward silence Caleb grab his bag from his feet and pushed the car door open but before he could get out his farther grabbed his arm. They stared at each other, Caleb’s eyes flicked between his father’s trying to figure out what might be the problem. His father let out a small sigh and reluctantly loosened his vice like grip on his arm, Caleb got out of the car and rubbed where he had be held. He wondered dumbfounded into school trying to shake what he had just heard in the car but he couldn’t it was stuck like a fly on fly paper. The rebels were advancing, the commander was losing control and his father couldn’t wait to give the order to send in Devolution.