No Good Person

Chapter 1 : The Uproar

Damn... today is going to be boring. I wish... I wish something new would happen in my life-I wish that I had something to do. If happiness comes from accomplishment, then I am one sad excuse.

I sat up from my bed and looked around the workers barracks. Another day toiling away at the fucking dirt for my livelihood. Well, more like my parent's lively hood. I have had to work since I was young to pay off their debts. No story anyone hasn't already heard a hundred times. I know its wrong... but I feel some ill will towards them. It also doesn't help I came out of a coma not long ago... after that accident where my grandfather died...

It's this job though... it's starting to get too me-especially since that shady bastard who runs the place takes half of the workers cut. Life is just unfair, but that's how it always has and will ever be.

I dressed up in a new suit of work cloths, a tight orange vest, white undershirt, thick brown coveralls, and jeans underneath. An orange hard hat to top it all off.

My bunkmate dressed as usual in silence. I wish he would talk to me for once.

He looked at me for a second.

"Hey... er... Aren?"

Huh?

"What is it?"

"Hey... have you heard any news?"

"About what?"

He looked at me a little cross but rolled his eyes and looked back to getting dressed.

Well... the one freaking time he talks to me...

I looked around to see another one of the workers get down from his bunk, but... wait what is that?

Underneath his arm is... a newspaper?

Oh... for a minute there I thought I saw a gun. Must be my mistake.

Ah well...

I picked up my small bag of tools from underneath the bed and walked past the other workers outside into the camp. The worker from before holding the newspaper pushed me aside quickly and made his way towards the center of camp with the newspaper held tightly in his hands. His shirt is untidy, and his pants just about ready to fall off.

He held the newspaper in his hand into the air and waved it around.

"Everyone come here for a second! I got some news from the Homefront!"

Oh god... not this again...

A large number of the other workers rushed to him and formed a circle around him excited to see what he has to say.

The man lowered the newspaper and smiled before he began reading from it.

"Yesterday one of the local mines currently under construction, owned by the 'Heavens Bounty' mining corp. was assaulted by the elusive Free Angels terrorist group. Two of the company's officials were murdered, as well as many office employees and security. The police have completely shut down the mine for investigation..."

The man stopped and with a determined grin started to rile the others up.

"You see? We don't have to put up with this shit anymore! Get up, dig, eat then dig, go to sleep, get up, fucking dig some more! The unions have failed us already, and you know what? The company that we work for is corrupt and will stop at nothing until our lives are destroyed! We can't let the freedom fighters do all the work for us! We have to stand up for our-"

"For what Jerico? For yourselves? Have you forgotten that you all have signed contracts?"

We all looked to the front of camp to see the co-manager, Razen, accompanied by a lot of armed guards. Jerico laughed and popped his knuckles.

"Ah look, its Razen bringing in his oppressive military to make our lives even worse! Now what? You going to get all totalitarian on our asses now? I have a family at home... two children to feed and yet you sons of bitches keep steeling all my earned cash!"

Razen looked at Jerico solemnly.

"L-Look... I only do what I am told. Please don't make this personal. I know that the conditions right now aren't the best but-"

"But what?! I can't do this anymore... I just can't..."

Jerico sighed... a few tears falling from behind his eyes.

Razen looks like he's hurting inside... his eyes looks somewhat terrified and he is jittery.

"Jerico... look, we can work this out. Don't think that because some people on the other side have done some bad things that the whole side is evil. I hate that the conditions are bad and that everything as it is now just isn't working, but we are going to fix it-we don't have to resort to violence to rule this out. We do care about the wellbeing of our workers. I know that you all have heard of this Free Angels group but, I can assure you they are not the answer. They are extremists who-"
Jerico covered his hand with his face.

"I am tired of your lies... I want to believe that everything will be fine without violence but... I just can't allow myself to believe any more of your lies than I have already. I signed your god damned contract believing what I was doing was the best for me and my family... and now... everything has gone to hell. I just can't!"

Jerico dropped the newspaper to reveal a hidden pistol.

He aimed it at Razen as he held out his hand.

The guards behind Razen opened fire.

Jerico fell onto the ground, a puddle of blood seeping into the soft ground around him. The gun still clenched tightly in his hand...

The other workers cowered away as the guards started to walk closer. Razen stood frozen, his hand still outstretched.

I closed my eyes. Why did I have to see this... why did I have to be part of this.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder.

I opened my eyes to see that one of the armed guards came up to me.

"Off to work... we don't want to cause no more trouble..."

I nodded my head.

They still expect us to work... after that?

I held tightly onto my tool bag and moved along.

So... this is the life I have been destined to have...

Well, what can I do...?