The War In His Mind

Chapter 33

"Who are we?" Abraham asked. Natasha was standing across from him with her arms and legs crossed, leaning against a desk. "Are we human? Are we an abomination?"

He asked these questions not expecting to get an answer, but to open his mind. Natasha didn't say anything- nor did he want her to. He had been studying philosophy in recent days. He wanted to figure out that answer for himself. The best place to discover it, it seemed, was in books. Thomas O'Neil had brought in millions of books from the outside world when he created Wonder City. It didn't take long for Abraham to figure out that he loved reading. More importantly, he loved reading about history and politics. Among his favorite books were those that gave him an intimate understanding of where humanity has been. He found identity in that. There was an entire Earth outside the reality of Wonder City. It was an alternate world. A place far different- far bigger. It was a scary place full of war and death. It reminded him of the recent days in which O'Neil brought destruction into the world.

So what was it? What was the point? Was there one?

All of the suffering, all of the pain, all of the despair of the Earth was visible. He knew that if he were to succeed and defeat O'Neil- that was what Wonder City would become. Nations would rise and eventually turn against one another. The people of different creeds would be the first to place guns to each others heads.

Yet that was a war for a different day. Life is a series of battles, Abraham reminded himself, it's best to tackle them one at a time. Any life was better than wasting away under the likes of Thomas O'Neil and his communist dystopia. What good is reality without originality?

In his books, Abraham read about men like George Washington. Men who resisted oppression and tyranny. He studied how they lead and what made them leaders. He found the colonial era especially fascinating to study. Though General George Washington was out flanked nearly every battle, his men revered him. He was a man of integrity and character who respected and believed in every man fighting for him. He placed their welfare before his own and often made sacrifices for them. It was that leadership Abraham came to understand was what Wonder City needed now. Washington was a man against tyranny. A stoic bulwark of a man who fought against dictatorships. It was his leadership that allowed the revolution to succeed.

It was clear to Abraham that the people of Wonder City needed to know who he was. He inspired men and women hundreds of years ago, would it be possible to re-inspire a new civilization now? They needed an identity. What better way to learn about identity then through story?

"Natasha..." Abraham stood up swiftly. "...Let's see if we can find any old documentaries on George Washington. Check the archives."