The Insurrection

Chapter Two

"We pass through this world but once. Few tragedies can be more extensive than the stunting of life, few injustices deeper than the denial of an opportunity to strive or even to hope, by a limit imposed from without, but falsely identified as lying within." ~ Stephen Jay Gould

"Take care of your brother Alan," my mother says in a rush, pushing a sleeping Alex and me into the hiding place we have under the house.

"Can't you stay mom, please?" I plead with her one more time, my eyes starting to prickle with tears. I just have a feeling that this will be the last time I see her. It is what happened to dad.

"Shhh, everything will be okay. You will be fine."

"Mom, why is UniFed after you? Why were they after dad? Mom, tell me!" I almost yell out in frustration

She sighs, "There is a box in the safe in my room, the password is you and Alex's birthdays combined, backward. You will understand everything then." She kisses my cheek and Alex's head one more time and turns to leave.

I watch her retreating figure break into a run-

-right before shouts, screams, and gunshots sound.

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I wake up in a cold sweat, shaking in bed. I look over to Alex to find him peacefully sleeping. I have had this recurring nightmare ever since it happened, and every day I hope it will be the last time. I never did look into the safe in her room, I cannot bring myself to open it knowing that she is gone and will never be back. Then everything that has happened this past week hits me like a ton of bricks and I have to force down my groan at the mess and risk that I have just put myself and Alex into. Alex and I are not Identified Citizens, and if we get caught, we are as good as dead.

After I get out of bed, wash up, and put on some clothes, I discover I am not the only one up this early. Leon is wide awake and staring at nothing. With my luck, I probably picked up a psychopath and a rich airhead. I start clearing my throat,

"So, what happened to you?" I ask.

I break him out of his trance and he seems startled at first,

"What do you mean?" I get in return.

"Well, you kind of look like you have been through a wringer."

"Oh that. Yeah, that is just normal work for me." He says bitterly.

"You are a Fighter?" A new voice joins us.

Leon looks at Taika and scoffs, "Aspiring" he rolls his eyes, "Do I look like I can be a Fighter?" he says with a sneer.

While WorldKeepers are the World's law enforcement, Fighters are the World's armies and they generally only allow selected people to join. I wasn't kidding when I said UniFed controlled every aspect of human life.

"Well, sorry for suggesting it." She says with her hands raised.

"I am German, the only thing I can do is technology," Leon

says.

UniFed assigns you a career based on your nationality. Every American has to be in the law enforcement like my parents. Every German has to be in technology like Leon, every Finnish has to be in medicine like Taika, and so on. The only exception to this predetermined career and life is if you were Unidentified, you might as well not exist in the eyes of UniFed.

"So then why don't you tell the WorldKeepers if people are beating you up at work?" Taika says.

Leon gives her an incredulous look, "What World are you from if you really think the WorldKeepers will do anything about a scuffle in a German Golden Complex."