"Everyone wants peace, but no one can seem to find it."
Berlin, Germany
19 February 2236
The year is 2236. World War IV wages on beyond the walls of the bunker that holds the leaders of the ninety-eight nations of the globe, who are all gathered to make a decision that could change the course of the war.
They mingle, speaking to each other in English, the official language of the United Nations. In hushed tones, the most powerful people in the world discuss what lays ahead, for the world and for the people who call it home.
The war has gone on for a full century. Peace and love have not shown their face since before the North Koreans dropped an atom bomb on the American city of Dallas a hundred years ago, wiping out all of the surrounding area and killing thousands. Soon after, the USA declared war on North Korea, backed by France, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. Since then, population has declined, nations have been wiped out, and multiple full hundred-mile-square sections of the planet have become uninhabitable.
People are starting to get fed up with the drafts, the air raids, the drills, the death. They're ready to rest easy again. Everyone wants peace, but no one can seem to find it.
So the nations of the world have agreed to send their leaders to Berlin, where they have resided for a full week, trying to agree on a solution. And they think they've found one.
"Attention!"
The leaders fall silent and look up at the stage, where Diana Mackey, president of the United States, stands, next to Kim Chung-Hee, leader of North Korea. This is new. Never in the history of World War IV have the American and Korean leaders been this close.
"All right, thank you. Take your seats," Diana says, hesitating to let everyone sit. "Now, as you all know, Kim Chung-Hee and I have been conferring about how to proceed. Neither of us want this, and I'm sure none of you want it either. However, we see no other solution."
Chung-Hee nods. "We have decided to put our plan to a vote. If half or more of you vote in favor of the Competition, it will take place. The competitors' home countries will be decided at that point. If you vote against the Competition, we will find another solution. Keep in mind that by the guidelines of this meeting, none of us may return home until an agreement is reached."
Diana smiles wryly. "To refresh our memories of the specifics of the Competition, these are the rules we have drafted thus far: Twenty-four competitors, aged twelve to eighteen, from twelve nations, will be removed from their homes and sent here to Berlin. Here, they will train for three days in survival and fighting, using state-of-the-art equipment and instruction. At the end of three days, they will be flown to a remote location, called an Arena, and made to fight to the death until only one remains."
Chung-Hee continues Diana's statement. "The winner of the Competition will be flown home to their country, along with desperately needed supplies, food, first aid, and water for the citizens. The United Nations will back the winner's country in wartime for one year with extra help, no matter who wins. At the end of the one-year period, if the war still rages, the cycle will begin again, with another Competition."
"Let us vote." Diana says. She and Chung-Hee shake hands and return to their seats, and the Chancellor of Germany, Elise Wagner, takes the stage.
She speaks briskly and with purpose. Elise isn't one to talk in circles. "I will not be voting today, as to break any ties. All in favor of the Competition, please stand at this time."
Seventy-two leaders stand. A headcount is performed, and double-checked.
"All right, you may sit. And all against?"
The remaining twenty-seven stand. Again, a headcount is performed, double-checked, and Elise gives the signal to sit.
"All right, thank you all. The people have spoken, and the very first Competition will be taking place in four months' time. As per the decisions that were made earlier, the eight nations that originally took part in the war will each send two competitors, one male and one female, by random lot. That's... the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, North Korea, Germany, Russia, and China. The other four nations taking part will be South Africa, Egypt, Japan, and Australia, as they were the next nations to join the war effort."
"Tonight, the United Nations will broadcast a mandatory message to all citizens of every country, explaining the rules of the Competition and the lottery process. This concludes the meeting. Thank you all for coming, and good luck."
A/N: Well, I couldn't resist. I started thinking about this a while back, and now that we're halfway done with the Arena in HTWB, I figured I might as well post it. It's been a heck of a lot of fun making this idea come to life, so I hope you decide to join me on the ride :)
Just so you know, throughout the story I'll be writing from first person present tense, just like in HTWB. This is different, since there's no one narrator this chapter. That'll change later on.
Submissions won't be due anytime soon, seeing as I'll probably take a few months to finish HTWB. So keep an eye out for the deadline, but it'll probably not be till about mid-September, at the earliest.
Everything you need to know is on my profile, so definitely check that out. I've made a google form for submissions- super easy, and doesn't clog up my inbox- but if you need to edit your characters later please reach out to me, since I don't think you get to see your responses once you submit.
At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the first prologue, and I hope to see you stick around! :D
Until next time!