Frozen Crossfire

Chapter 2 - Atomic Cocktail

Deserted, damaged and dusted. This is the Chicago of the year 2083.

"What do you mean, Si? What happened?" Ray, the leader of the team, makes a step forward, breaking the silent tension.

It all started an year after you left. I remember clearly that it was the 24th of March, as my birthday was one day away and for the first time in a century I was going to be all alone.

They are all looking at Silas. The word "ALONE" resonates in their minds, as they acknowledge that they are all alone in the tubes, in their own skin... just them, wandering in dreamland. But whenever they are awake, they are always together. The sanctity of their broken promise scares them. They failed this time... and so a war started.

I heard them screaming. All of them. Silence was a matter of the past, completely forgotten in that mess people wanted to call life. They were all screaming, do you understand?! I couldn't help my tears, I just knew it was going to come. I had been following the news... I knew it was close. They were so close! But nobody wanted to believe it. And when it came, it hit everybody. Literally. It killed the soul, the spirit and the body of every breathing being. And it keeps doing it. They keep doing it! They started it and it might just be the end of humanity.

"What? What the hell started?" Liam's voice echoed in the room. They all looked at him in despair. They were all wondering 'How come he doesn't understand?'. He looked at them, his pupils growing by the second. His heart skipped a beat and the air got stuck in his throat. "Don't tell me. Don't you dare say that...-"

The nuclear war has started.

Silence spreads fast in the room. The pandemonium in their hearts is so strong, that their lips are glued and their eyes are closed, as if expecting a sand storm coming their way. For seconds on end, they feel the rising heat of radiation hitting them. But then, they understand that they are safe, far away from the war.

Moments later, Ray dares to ask Silas: "How?"

They found out. I have no idea how they could let this happen. It was obvious that sooner or later Russian spies will be able to freely walk the corridors of the CIA. They could not have missed that. They knew we were followed, but they haven't done anything to help. It's all because of us.

The crowd tries to mentally piece together the puzzle that Silas has just told them. One by one, they start looking at each other, aknowledging the powerful truth. The world was at war, and it was because of them. Outside, others were killing each other in order to preserve the truth. Inside, they were trying to cure mortality, by sacrificing themselves.

Russia started everything. They didn't want to hear our reasons. They didn't want to wait and the Government had no idea I wasn't sleeping. The President stated publicly that at the time we were supposed to wake up, they will let us tell our story to the world. But Russia didn't accept that. They waited one year and attacked. My guess is that they tried to locate our position with the help of their intruders. They found out about Chicago and nothing more. They couldn't be precise. We got lucky.

To be alive because of chance is what people wish for these days. They are safe because of their destiny. It is the choice of Mother Nature to have them here, at this specific point in time

But the others have experienced hell itself. We managed to not be exposed, as the Government finally stopped financing us. They came to the conclusion that it was too expensive to preserve life this way. But the enemies of our country saw this as a step back from USA, an admission of guilt. Then, they striked. Russia and North Korea, the deadly allies, they both signed the Alliance Towards Ultimate Death. They kept hitting us hard. Until the NATO alliance decided to respond towards the attacks, it was almost too late to change anything. Russia began its rule over the biggest part of Asia, as China and Japan surrendered without fight. Our only hope stood in the hands of a great ally in the first part of the century, Israel. This power fought hard to destroy most of the Asian army, in order for America to still remain somewhat alive.

"What do you mean by 'somewhat alive'?" Liam questioned, trying to bring his heartbeat to a normal state.

It is now known that the only American State that still stands still and keeps its guard up is Texas. Unexpected, I know. But that's the place where the Government and the Secret Services moved their headquarters. That's the place with the best technology.

"And let me guess, preserving Texas is the only chance for humanity not to be transformed in a dictatorship, isn't it?" Kaleo's voice echoed within the walls.

Not necessarily. This the last chance that America has to still preserve its history and to be part of the future of mankind. Other parts of the world took care of themselves as well. Not many, but they managed. What is left of the Asian Empire, ruled by Russia and allected Lords from all the great powers in history have retreated towards Siberia, only sending troops towards warmer territories.

The enemy is saving its powers for the right moment. They are killing the legacy that America has piece by piece, safely murdering every American alive.

An ascending power that wasn't taken into consideration by others was Australia. Nobody knew, but they have been building a shield against nuclear weapons. They are safe and sound. The only prosperous land in the world. The only place where economy, education and health still exist. The biggest leaders in the world have no idea how it was possible for Australia to protect itself against all odds. Other great powers couldn't stand a chance, but Australians were still alive and developing.

Liam shifted his weight from one leg to the other. While Silas pauses, he finds the opportune moment to intervene: "Wouldn't it be easier for us to reach the Aussie Paradise and continue our research in peace?"

We cannot talk about peace these days. First of all, the air force is dangerously low in USA. But even if we found a plane and someone willing to fly us all the way to Australia, it would be impossible for us to carry our technology with us. But say we find a way. It will be then impossible to make the leaders of Australia consider our story, when we are not sure what the outcomes are yet. We need to play it safe for a while.

"And how could that be possible in our part of the world?" Ray asked his right hand in command.

We need to gather information about our enemies, as well as about our possible allies. We need to see where we stand. We need to ensure our safety. We need to wait until the war is over before continuing our research. Ultimately, we need to survive.