"Aaa fuck! I'm five minutes late for work. "
Muttered a young man of African and Caucasian descent. He possessed short black curly hair that worked well with his hazel-brown eyes. He wore a grey overall with brown stripes at the sides over his tall but lean body, and with one look at his face one could tell he could not be less than nineteen in age, this young man was August.
Looking up at the sky from his doorway August could see The sky full of black smoke coming from the factory, it added a gloomy look to the already dark atmosphere which gave the feeling that the world was in despair.
"What amazing weather this morning," thought August in a sarcastic tone while he moved through the crowded streets of New Elis. Looking around the sight of dilapidated social housing on each side of the streets could be seen, some buildings possessed burn marks while others amassed cracks that moved up at the side of the building and other buildings looked like they were leaning at the side ready to crumble under its weight. But most buildings looked livable, with each reaching thousands of feet in the air, giving a claustrophobic feel to anyone who sees them.
Each housing unit holds tens of thousands of residents, and each one of these residents had to work close to death to make a living.
Moving to the south out of the Social housing August made his way to the metro station once there he took in the sight of the metro station, August could see workers in grey overalls with different colors and stripes at the sides which indicate what work they do for a living.
Look at them a thought came to August in his head, "They are the lower cast of this society the ones who slaved and pushed society forward never to realize that they are pawns in a global cog and they happily do it". Shaking his head at these thoughts, August hastily made his way to one of the front desks of the Metro station and bought two bus tickets from and back from the Industrial District.
Thirty minutes later he heard his ticket number called and entered the bus taking a single seat at the end of the bus August began to look out of the window as the bus started to move and began to gain height in the air forty-five minutes later August was standing inside of another metro station Looking around he could see the poor state of the station around him. Moving to exit of the station August could see the exit block by a large number of New Elis security forces in partially mechanized body armor mixed with a small squad of Federation milltary members fully equipped with a full body of black exoskeleton that encased their whole body furthermore they had a darkened face shield to conceal their faces.
Moving into the crowd of workers, August spotted an older man by himself. Shifting his body to the older man with partially gray hair on his face and head, he also possessed an easy-going face and wore a grey overall with green stripes at the sides that indicate that he worked in the Chemical plant " What going on "asked August, " Not sure security forces came to the station this morning blocking anyone from Exiting station"," they say no one allow to enter the Industrial district" he continued.
Cursing his terrible luck for lack of information August moved to one of the security personnel" Excuse me, sir " hearing someone talking to him The man looked up from what he was doing " What do you want " replied the officer with an annoyed expression.
Seeing the officer's annoyed demeanor August kept himself calm and with a neutral expression " When will we be allowed to enter the Industrial District" Seeing That August wearing a grey overall with brown stripes at the sides that indicated that he worked at the Sewage plant and with a look of disgust he replied, " there been a reports of insurgents entering the building early this morning, the station has been blocked off until further notice".
Saying what was needed, the officer glanced down at the communication pad, resuming his previous task, taking the hint August suspicions piqued by the officer words, hinting at concealed information.
August, now distanced from security personnel, effortlessly summoned his communication pad with a swipe of his hand. This cutting-edge device, known as the CP, had replaced handheld gadgets in the late twenty-first century. Its translucent screen displayed a list of contacts, from which August selected Steve's name. Upon connecting, Steve's voice erupted in August's ear, demanding an explanation for his absence from work.
"We have a problem, The sun is out," August whispered urgently, interrupting Steve's tirade.
"Are you sure this better not be a fale alarm?" Steve's annoyances was palpable.
"Yeah, I'm sure," August affirmed.
Silence followed as Steve processed the news before swiftly formulating a plan. "Head to the Administrative District from the northern station. I'll call you once you arrive," Steve instructed, concluding the call.
With his orders clear, August purchased a ticket to the northern station, unaware of the implications of heading towards the Administrative District or the depths of the situation he had unwittingly become embroiled in.
August, now on his way to the northern station, couldn't shake off the unease gnawing at him. The cryptic nature of Steve's instructions, coupled with the abnormality of the situation, left him apprehensive. As the train sped through the dilapidated landscape of New Elis, August's mind raced with questions, yet answers remained elusive.
Upon arrival at the northern station, August cautiously stepped onto the platform, scanning his surroundings for any signs of disturbance. The air crackled with tension, palpable even amidst the hustle and bustle of commuters. With a deep breath, August composed himself and reached for his communication pad, ready to alert Steve of his arrival.
Before he could make the call, a voice pierced through the chaos. "August!" The urgency in the voice was unmistakable. Turning, August locked eyes with a familiar face, and Steve's features contorted with worry.
"We need to move, now," Steve urged, gesturing towards a discreet alleyway adjacent to the station. Without hesitation, August followed, his heart pounding in his chest.
In the shelter of the alley, Steve wasted no time in divulging the gravity of the situation. "My informant in New Elis security force's said there was tip about the weapons we stoled,"he explained, his voice hushed yet laced with urgency. "We've r right now also comfimed the one of our regional leaders was killed ."
The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on August as Steve relayed the shocking news. The theft of weapons, the death of their leader—it all painted a dire picture of escalating tensions within their organization. With each word, the reality of their predicament sank deeper into August's consciousness.
"We need to lay low," Steve continued, his tone grave. "Keep your head down head to work like normal."
August nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. Their survival depended on discretion, navigating the treacherous landscape of New Elis without drawing attention to themselves.
As they parted ways, August felt the weight of responsibility settle upon his shoulders. The spark of rebellion that had ignited within him now burned brighter than ever, fueled by the knowledge that their fight had just become infinitely more perilous. With a sense of determination, August steeled himself for the challenges that lay ahead, knowing that only by standing together could they hope to overcome the oppressive forces that sought to extinguish their flame of resistance.