"Mutiny?! Do you realize that if we do what you probably are thinking of right now, we could all get killed!"
Erik laughed at Lucas, as did I. We knew that having a Rebellion in the first place was a deadly idea, but with how many people were still alive-- we'd gotten riskier and riskier with our choices. I decided to butt in to calm her down, not like my words would help.
"Lucas… you do realize you are in the largest Rebellion in the entire System right now, yet here you are. How do you think Erik's managed to pull this off without getting killed? Imagine how many times you've walked outside with Officials glaring at you thinking about killing you because they know you work for Erik? We've been inside the slaughter house for centuries, yet now you get scared of death?"
He stood there silently, thinking about what I had said. I could tell that he was worried, I mean, we all were. It didn't take much to kill someone, and if someone found out-- even the wrong person, we'd all be dead in an instant. That's how much power the System had, that's how much power the Elites had, and that's what they'd not even hesitate to do if they caught wind. So far we've been lucky with our encounter. All it would take is one person to stick their nose into use, and we'd be done for.
"I'm gonna go lay down for a bit…"
Seemingly pale for a moment, he grabbed his head. Then I noticed that he'd probably just read the letter that was now out in the open since Kenneth had shown it to me. Did Lucas know…? I shook my head, denying any thoughts I had. Erik had seemed to pick up on the hint as well, seeming a bit confused.
"Did he ever tell you that he was involved in the Kerestein? You know… the big party they throw to cheer up the people in that area?"
Now this was news. Being invited to the Kerestein from a higher class was actually a rare opportunity, seeing that the Officials knew that those lower class people didn't want to see any higher ranks crashing in on the fun.
"How did he get in--"
"I'm even not quite sure about that. All I know is that he formed this really tight bond with a small family in the higher district. He might be worried about it that way…"
Kenneth stood up, and took Kira away with him, leaving Erik and I alone at the table.
"Alright. Seems like we are all finished here with dinner. I'll start working on the plan with all of the information I've gathered. Go and make sure Lucas is in the right mindset, otherwise we won't be able to take him on this mission. And for once in my life, I think we may need some backup."
As he left, I stood up and began to make my way to the dorms. When I got there, Lucas was lying in bed, the lights still turned on. Taking this chance to plan for the days to come, I began to browse through some of the files I had been given on my first day. Most of the files were at least named correctly, and I finally found a few that suited my interest. 'List of System's People - Updated June 1st, 2047,' 'Summarized History of the Rebellion,' and one that was increasingly gaining my interest: 'The System: How It Works, And How It's Been Brainwashing Us.' Because I had spent my first 5 years in the Auxiliary Center, and then the Function House, I was only being taught what was mandatory for Objects like myself. I had been spending so much time with Erik and the Rebellion that I was neglecting what was happening outside-- and the reality was far worse than what I wanted to hear.
I opened the first folder, containing a plethora of books and older magazines. The first list stated all of the Authorities that were on our side along with a total number next to the name. 396 officially recognized Authorities along with 144 in processing. Even having more than 5 was risky, but measuring up to the hundreds was seemingly impossible without being caught. The next up were the Officials, being far less in their numbers compared to the Authorities. Yet, if you compared the ratio, it was a significant increase. The number of recognized Officials was a striking 80, and it was known that there were less than 300 Officials in work at the moment. Moving down more pages, I was eager to find the official list of Royals. To my surprise, there was the #4 Royal, Alicastair Henson. Below his profile picture, it showed all of the interactions between us and him. This included the process that he went through in order to be approved to be entered into the Rebellion. The way that the questions were asked were modified in a way as to not give any key evidence to lead them to thinking that a Rebellion of our size actually exists, in case during the public interviews she was having her higher up's listen in to us. Some of the questions were actually scrubbed out, most likely entailing for the viewing of only the highest of the ranks in the Rebellion. Finally finished with the first folder, as I set it down, I noticed Lucas watching me from his bed.
"You want me to give you some of this information?"
He nodded as I went to reach for the folder entitled 'Summarized History of the Rebellion.'
"The Rebellion began when 4 World Leaders that existed far from the beginning of the System came together with the idea that they could revert the way our country was from when people didn't fear those in Power. In 1989, the System made its first move by building a large scale concrete dome around the country, complete with synthetic screening and allowing for the penetration of healthy UV rays. What made the System popular, was because the world at that time was struck with disease and pollution, and no one wanted to bear with the air any longer. The construction of the wall cost nothing, as it was built by death-row inmates from around the world. This construction lasted for about 11 years, with the 4 World Leaders on the outside. Their family, and their friends wondered where they went, and the System deemed their existence to have never been in the first place. Those associated with those 4 people were considered delusional, and placed in one of the first Function Houses built by the System. A few friends were smart and managed to evade this by not talking at all, and ended up finding the thousands and thousands of books they had written on the System. One of these people was John Copwin; Erik Copwin's biological father."
"So-- Erik is directly related to the beginning of the Rebellion? Does it mention anything about Jenna and her relationship with him?"
I kept reading with the thought pushed to the back of my mind.
"John Copwin lived with the System, and supposedly stood as a System Supporter as it changed the country drastically. He raised Erik in a small house while his wife [UNCLEAR] traveled. In 2012, the System classified biological females as 'Objects,' with the next announcement being the laws they would have to follow along with the separate schooling they would receive. 5 years later, a young Erik would fall in love with Jenna-- writing notes back and forth between the Function House and his home. During her graduation, Erik had convinced his father to buy her, even though at the time they didn't have enough money to support their own. For the next 9 years, Jenna and Erik discussed about the System, while Erik's dad would supply them with the work of the 4 World Nobles that he'd saved from the past. They would also practise their combative skills, working on the multiple dead martial arts that had been banned by the System. It was all going so well, and then, Jenna left, leaving no trace. For the next year, she would remain a missing Object in the eyes of the System. Then, the headlines of the "Great Kill." This disaster would go by many names; 'The 2027 Disaster,' 'Mutiny Against the System,' and 'The System's Great Trial.'"
On the document, it showed a newspaper clipping from 2027 "Over 5,000 Ofiicials Killed in a Mass Murder Event" along with a bloodied, slumped over Jenna in the center. I read the newspaper, becoming silent. It showed quotes from the System's earlier Officials that stated they finished off the perpetrator the second they heard. Their excuse for not being there at the moment it began to happen was because they were 'on a trip outside of the country's walls.
"What does it say?"
"The System lied about their whereabouts to boost their ego during that crisis…"
"Well, who can really blame them? Think about it, if you were a large company or in their case-- a new way of running an entire country, then wouldn't you want to not only keep the people's trust but also keep chaos to a minimum? I mean, right after that, the System released the official list of the Elite 100 and fired a few Officials to keep their numbers smaller but powerful."
"Yeah, but it's the System that is lying to 6 million people-- aren't they supposed to show how good their system works and be the example?"
He laughed and shook his head.
"You realize, just because 45someone in power has power, doesn't always mean they'll be fair? I mean, I was given a document about the world before the System and how they ran their government. It was called something like a Democracy… where they let the people decide who would get the power. It worked out quite well until someone got into office that a lot of people disagreed with, and he ended up destroying the country and our economy. I think that's probably why the System was even elected in the first place, and probably why the people went with it-- they were in distress."
I was a bit shocked. The way I knew the System to run was the Royals were the top and were born to be leaders. The Officials were elected by the Royals (of birth) which then the Officials and Royals would select a new Elite as needed. Maybe there was bound to be problems underlying every glamorous win…
"I do still wonder… even with this whole document, it doesn't really explain how the Rebellion has been able to get away with so many of their feats. I've never heard it in the news, it's never been mentioned anywhere on any of the publication boards…"
"That's because once again, they want to preserve their ego. The System that we live, breath, and die by is so egotistical as to not mention the real issues at hand. I personally don't think that they know of us yet, but I think that they definitely know that something like us exists. If they were to actually publicly announce that there was a Rebellion of our sheer size, let alone lasting the entire time they've been around-- it would be a huge loss for them. Think about it… people would revolt with the final hope that there were actually others with the same ideas in mind about the System. The System wouldn't and can't control the sheer amount of people that would revolt, thus why they can't let it be known at all."
I nodded my head. It was all plausible, sure. But there were other ways the Officials and Authorities had of getting people killed through 'mass murder events' in order to secure the spread of knowledge. And by now, they were all practically experts at blaming and framing other families and people for their actions. It was almost like a one way road, if you were swept on to it, there was no turning around. I checked my watch, my mind still flooding my head with thoughts I could barely comprehend anymore.
"Do we have anything in particular to go to tomorrow?"
Lucas looked up from browsing the few files he had just taken out of the stack.
"I don't think so. There is a high possibility that Erik will think of something to do for us though, especially involving the mission planning in the Royal's Public Execution. They may or may not be handing us a few weapons as well, considering that a lot of these events do arise quite the bit of speculation and anger from lower districts."
"Like what kinds of weapons?"
He glanced over to the huge stack, and searched for a title. Reaching over, he pulled out a book labeled 'Missions Weapons.'
"Let's see… on lower critical missions, they will give you a small .22 glock with the option to have a silencer or a flash hider attached. For Medium critical missions, a thin poly- carbonate bulletproof mesh is provided along with the same .22 glock and a karambit. For high/ maximum critical missions, it's a .22 glock, and a deconstructed SCAR-L into 3 parts that are able to fit into a suitcase, the same bulletproof mesh, along with two karambits. All of this is concealed in what we call 'loaded jackets' and 'loaded pants' in order to divert suspicion. Most likely for the upcoming mission, we will have a decoy-- which will be Clark and Sarah due to their crimes against you."
At that moment, Clark walked through the door, not bothering to knock. He had chains on his wrists as he walked through, guided by Kenneth holding tightly to him from behind. Clark's voice was raspy, and it looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep in a few weeks.
"As it seems you already know… I'll be the decoy for the Execution. Erik has arranged me to be taken to the house of the original suspect, who fits my description, and I'll be taken to the public stands by morning."
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A/N: This marks the first of the mass release going on. I will be releasing once everyday at 12:00 EST for the next 5 days!
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