I walk towards a tall (around 30 story) office building, with an exact one next to it. They stand in a park-like area, alone. I am somewhat dressed up. Taking elevators and stairs all the way to the top floor I come into a large, well-lit, window encased circle where the elevators and stairs are basically a central column to the room. It's decadent, old men dressed in nice clothes are milling about. I walk towards and open a door but unexpectedly interrupt a meeting of more old men at a dark wood conference table. They look up at me as I apologize and quickly shut the door. Embarrassed I walk around to the other side of this floor and go towards an open office. It is the only office on this floor and as I walk in I am greeted by another old man who welcomes me. Our conversation seems congenial and insignificant, and very short. I leave, but with some measure of anxiety.
Fast forward and I am in the same office building but barricaded in a lower floor room. The floor's layout is the same. Wrapping around the central column elevators and stairs. Our men are fighting their way to the top where we plan to assassinate the old men in nice clothes upstairs. As fighting breaks out up and around the hallway ahead, I go back to our operations room on this floor to discuss the situation. Someone breaks through, looking for the leaders. As they near our room we hide, but not for long. I realize that my opportunity is now, especially as our forces are being pushed back, obviously defeated. I take the stairway and hide as others come down. Up on the top floor there is a party just ending. Stragglers are drinking the last of the alcohol and mill about. All of them old and well-dressed. I feel very out of place in my operative clothes. The same office door is open and I find my way to it, quickly, but not running. The old man is there and in a short conversation explains our situation. My forces have all been captured or eliminated, I have the opportunity now to destroy the man before me, but whatever it is he stands at the head of, will go on. It is more than just him.
Broken, defeated, I am left with my freedom to leave. Except, there is an understanding that I will be sought after, either killed, or imprisoned.
Chaos in the settlements. Everyone from our town has been rounded up and imprisoned, or killed. I don't know where any of them are. I am struggling with the possibility that my whole family has been executed for my mistakes. No one is home, except the few newcomers who are taking our homes. In grief, the only option it seems is to take my own life, before they do. It's a cold day, with snow on the ground, where my family's home was. So I go inside and put on many pairs of socks. Through tears flowing I find more warm clothes to wear as the plan becomes more clear. With no gun, I will take my car into the mountains and, after numbing myself in the snow, cut my wrists and die. I go outside only to find that more of the old man's men are here. One is a large and burly man who, with no apparent worries, talks calmly to me, unaware of what I planned. That is, I hope he was unaware. He talks of the success they enjoyed, of my own success in coming as far as I did. Referring to my skills, he then proposes another option to me. An opportunity to work and train in the organization of the old man. He tells me we should celebrate and suggests we do so separately. I agree and then go to find alcohol for myself. In a pantry among one of the houses I find a collection of liquor and take with me two large, but previously opened, bottles of clear liquor.
The old man is at one of the houses (which takes the appearance and layout of my parent's home in Alaska). After drinking some, and planning to take my life in the downstairs bathroom, this man comes down asking after me. I go out and stand next to him as he stairs out of a downstairs window. He explains to me the situation of his organization, what they are trying to accomplish, and what I can contribute to his goal. He speaks of various people they meet, skilled people. They serve their purpose for a time and eventually their one-track skill set proves them unreliable for long-term service. Referring to me, he then describes people with a rounded ability that act as leaders in his organization. I am shown a recent mission where two leaders stand behind a woman, seemingly crazed by her power, taunts the fallen adversary of a rebel force. She is then killed by the opposing man, who is then overwhelmed by the organization forces. Standing behind these forces I recognize the large and burly man that I had met earlier.
Even though I am somewhat buzzed, I understand the situation I am in.
Fast-forward. I am walking with Zach through what seems to be a warehouse, like Costco. As we walk and talk I describe the hopelessness I feel about having lost my family and nearly everyone that I knew. He seems annoyed, saying that he is still here, and his friend Tyrone is still here (emphasizing the fact with a jab of a finger in my chest).
Fast-forward. Later that day I am back in the large building where the old man has an office at the top floor. On an upper floor I am acquainted with a few other operatives, younger than me. It appears that they don't share my conflict with the situation of the organization. I feel like an outsider. I ask them about their lives and where they are from. Their home towns sound nothing like that I am used to. As we prepare to go to bed I am invited to talk with the old man. He asks about what I expect to happen, I tell him it seems like it will be hard. He refers to my university education, and the hard work I put into that. Then, slower and more deliberately, he explains that I do not know what hard work is, yet.
I go to bed.
The next morning I go to the common area (surrounded by windows to the outside) and a lady is teaching this girl about air operations that involve jumping out of planes. I join the conversation and learn what I can. The burly man comes and informs me that I need to go with another operative to a train that currently houses a target. We go, I am nervous. After finding our way into the carriage where the target is, we break in and find a young father, Asian descent, holding a young girl. The carriage is of poor quality, but something the rebels would apparently think as high-class. My companion and I remark on how this man deserves better. He is noticeably scared while the little girl is confused. I console her and reassure her safety.
In the office building I am talking with the old man again. I ask him about the situation and what has happened. There is a gap in my knowledge of what happened between where I was and where I am now.
The earth was on its way to chaos and a breaking down of society. His company, Selving, anticipating this collapse, engineered a massive 'ark' in space that would carry the best of society away and return when the earth was ready. This massive sphere would have its own gravity and various peoples would inhabit the interior levels in different climates that reflect the variety of earth. Rebellions come and go and we must keep the order. I ask about the situation on earth and he says that it has no doubt already fallen to chaos.
I have up to this point found that my depression and desire to take my own life had reigned as the primary driver of my days. After this revelation about where I am and what is happening, I found motivation in the thought of bringing down this centralization of power and abuse therein. Wanting to hide my intentions I decided it would be the intensity and dedication to my training that would assure them of my loyalty. One day I would bring it down from the inside.
Fast forward and I am in the same office building but barricaded in a lower floor room. The floor's layout is the same. Wrapping around the central column elevators and stairs. Our men are fighting their way to the top where we plan to assassinate the old men in nice clothes upstairs. As fighting breaks out up and around the hallway ahead, I go back to our operations room on this floor to discuss the situation. Someone breaks through, looking for the leaders. As they near our room we hide, but not for long. I realize that my opportunity is now, especially as our forces are being pushed back, obviously defeated. I take the stairway and hide as others come down. Up on the top floor there is a party just ending. Stragglers are drinking the last of the alcohol and mill about. All of them old and well-dressed. I feel very out of place in my operative clothes. The same office door is open and I find my way to it, quickly, but not running. The old man is there and in a short conversation explains our situation. My forces have all been captured or eliminated, I have the opportunity now to destroy the man before me, but whatever it is he stands at the head of, will go on. It is more than just him.
Broken, defeated, I am left with my freedom to leave. Except, there is an understanding that I will be sought after, either killed, or imprisoned.
Chaos in the settlements. Everyone from our town has been rounded up and imprisoned, or killed. I don't know where any of them are. I am struggling with the possibility that my whole family has been executed for my mistakes. No one is home, except the few newcomers who are taking our homes. In grief, the only option it seems is to take my own life, before they do. It's a cold day, with snow on the ground, where my family's home was. So I go inside and put on many pairs of socks. Through tears flowing I find more warm clothes to wear as the plan becomes more clear. With no gun, I will take my car into the mountains and, after numbing myself in the snow, cut my wrists and die. I go outside only to find that more of the old man's men are here. One is a large and burly man who, with no apparent worries, talks calmly to me, unaware of what I planned. That is, I hope he was unaware. He talks of the success they enjoyed, of my own success in coming as far as I did. Referring to my skills, he then proposes another option to me. An opportunity to work and train in the organization of the old man. He tells me we should celebrate and suggests we do so separately. I agree and then go to find alcohol for myself. In a pantry among one of the houses I find a collection of liquor and take with me two large, but previously opened, bottles of clear liquor.
The old man is at one of the houses (which takes the appearance and layout of my parent's home in Alaska). After drinking some, and planning to take my life in the downstairs bathroom, this man comes down asking after me. I go out and stand next to him as he stairs out of a downstairs window. He explains to me the situation of his organization, what they are trying to accomplish, and what I can contribute to his goal. He speaks of various people they meet, skilled people. They serve their purpose for a time and eventually their one-track skill set proves them unreliable for long-term service. Referring to me, he then describes people with a rounded ability that act as leaders in his organization. I am shown a recent mission where two leaders stand behind a woman, seemingly crazed by her power, taunts the fallen adversary of a rebel force. She is then killed by the opposing man, who is then overwhelmed by the organization forces. Standing behind these forces I recognize the large and burly man that I had met earlier.
Even though I am somewhat buzzed, I understand the situation I am in.
Fast-forward. I am walking with Zach through what seems to be a warehouse, like Costco. As we walk and talk I describe the hopelessness I feel about having lost my family and nearly everyone that I knew. He seems annoyed, saying that he is still here, and his friend Tyrone is still here (emphasizing the fact with a jab of a finger in my chest).
Fast-forward. Later that day I am back in the large building where the old man has an office at the top floor. On an upper floor I am acquainted with a few other operatives, younger than me. It appears that they don't share my conflict with the situation of the organization. I feel like an outsider. I ask them about their lives and where they are from. Their home towns sound nothing like that I am used to. As we prepare to go to bed I am invited to talk with the old man. He asks about what I expect to happen, I tell him it seems like it will be hard. He refers to my university education, and the hard work I put into that. Then, slower and more deliberately, he explains that I do not know what hard work is, yet.
I go to bed.
The next morning I go to the common area (surrounded by windows to the outside) and a lady is teaching this girl about air operations that involve jumping out of planes. I join the conversation and learn what I can. The burly man comes and informs me that I need to go with another operative to a train that currently houses a target. We go, I am nervous. After finding our way into the carriage where the target is, we break in and find a young father, Asian descent, holding a young girl. The carriage is of poor quality, but something the rebels would apparently think as high-class. My companion and I remark on how this man deserves better. He is noticeably scared while the little girl is confused. I console her and reassure her safety.
In the office building I am talking with the old man again. I ask him about the situation and what has happened. There is a gap in my knowledge of what happened between where I was and where I am now.
The earth was on its way to chaos and a breaking down of society. His company, Selving, anticipating this collapse, engineered a massive 'ark' in space that would carry the best of society away and return when the earth was ready. This massive sphere would have its own gravity and various peoples would inhabit the interior levels in different climates that reflect the variety of earth. Rebellions come and go and we must keep the order. I ask about the situation on earth and he says that it has no doubt already fallen to chaos.
I have up to this point found that my depression and desire to take my own life had reigned as the primary driver of my days. After this revelation about where I am and what is happening, I found motivation in the thought of bringing down this centralization of power and abuse therein. Wanting to hide my intentions I decided it would be the intensity and dedication to my training that would assure them of my loyalty. One day I would bring it down from the inside.
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