2029

Sydney

It was cold and wet, and the rain fell in an endless barrage. It had reached the point where the tiny droplets seemed to be travelling closer to the horizontal than the vertical. The weather had been the same for a while, and it had begun to seem almost ordinary to the people of Sydney, not that there were many of them. The sky had been blocked out for so long that many had forgotten what colour it was. The grey of the clouds had taken over, and it had been a long time since the city had had any colour to it. It was almost as if it existed in an old photo, bereft of life and character, and the streets seemed to melt into each other, every one the same as the last.

Two boys stepped out of the shadows and onto the cross-bricked surface of Circular Quay. The first of the two was relatively tall, and slim to the point of almost being scrawny. He wore a black hoodie, and a pair of torn black denim jeans. His dark hair, dark beanie and dark expression completed the set. The other boy had a little more colour in him. Dressed in a bright yellow anorak, black tracksuit pants and a yellow beanie, he would have been identical to the first boy, had it not been for his messy blonde hair, pointing in all directions from under his beanie. One could infer from their appearances that they were twins, and they would be right, but these two boys were not ordinary twins, although they looked normal enough. Given one glance, they would seem like normal human beings, but upon closer inspection, one might have noticed the red corneas of the dark-haired boy, or the vulpine ears of the second boy, peeping inconspicuously out of the back of his beanie, blending with the colour of his hair and his beanie.

No, Felix and Jay Black were not normal by any stretch of the imagination.

They were Gijinka.

Felix surveyed the area, his gleaming red eyes sweeping the Quay, searching for any sign of the police.

"I think it's safe" he said to his brother. The two boys removed their beanies, revealing the vulpine ears of their half-species. Felix's were large and conical in shape, tapering to a point at their tips. They were the same colour as his hair, but for a gold ring of hair or fur – it didn't matter to Felix – halfway up. Jay's ears were larger, and flat, unlike Felix's. They matched his hair colour, and were diamond shaped, with spikes of fur – much like his hair – sticking out in all directions.

Felix looked out across the harbour, and the grey mess of a city stared back at him. The Opera House, standing at Bennelong Point, seemed to highlight the city's hopelessness. The once proud building stood in disarray, its windows shattered, tiles missing and cobwebs decorating the vacant window frames. Although he hadn't been born when the House was in good condition, he knew what it had looked like. He remembered his mother showing him an old postcard when he was young. The card sported a photo of the House in its prime, with smiling tourists – Human of course – posing in front of the famous arches, its windows reflecting the clear blue of the harbour and the cheerful glow of the sun.

That all changed seventeen years ago, with the Division.

2012

New York

"Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen"

The man who had spoken the words had spoken them with authority. His voice resonated around the room, and in the ears of his audience. He stood tall and proud, his chest bristling with countless medals of all shapes, sizes and colours. His hair was cut short, and he was dressed in a military uniform.

His name was Victor Maddox, Commander Victor Maddox, and he was the most powerful man in the world.

His beady eyes swivelled back and forth, running over his audience from behind reflective aviation glasses, as he prepared to address them. They were from all over the world, Great Britain, China, Australia, The US. Every nation on the planet had been represented in some way or another. They were all members of the Global Government; an organisation that had brought all the governments of the world together, and formed one single body, and Maddox was in charge.

"I'm sure you all know why you've been summoned here tonight" Maddox spoke with a certain confidence that struck the audience with reverence and fear at the same time, and he knew it. Nobody spoke.

"As I'm sure you all know, a few years ago, a strange new species appeared on our planet" Maddox continued. "Nobody knows where they came from, or why they're here, all we know is they're here. At first they seemed harmless enough, and they've kept to themselves since they arrived. However, as I'm sure you've noticed, they have been breeding like rabbits." He scanned the audience once again, and his eyes came to rest on a man in the third row. The man was Asian in appearance, and he wore a black suit with a red tie. "Mr Zhao" Maddox said, pointing his finger at the man. "What was the increase in the Gijinka population in China in the past three years?"

The man, Mr Zhao, replied calmly. "We have recorded a 200% increase, sir." Maddox paused for a moment, as if to let the rest of the audience take in what Mr Zhao had said.

"They are out of control people!" Maddox said, raising his voice. "And if we don't act soon, we may be overrun!" Murmurs of agreement broke out in the audience, but quickly died out when they felt Maddox's cold gaze fall upon them, disapproving.

"I am issuing world-wide permission for the collaring of any Gijinka on sight, and the use of lethal force, should they resist. We must remove, at all costs, these blemishes of the Human species, our species. Any objections?" He asked, as if daring someone to speak up. A man in the front spoke up.

"Sir, I don't believe the Gijinka have done anything to deserve this kind of treatment". He spoke with an English accent. "Since they appeared, they have not displayed any hostility towards us, so why should we attack them?"

Maddox waited a moment before answering.

"I'll see you afterwards, Mr Clarke" he said, menacingly. "Any more questions?"

If anyone had thought about asking one, that thought had well and truly left their mind now.

"Good" Maddox said. "You are dismissed".

The crowd forwarded out in an orderly manner, quietly chatting amongst themselves. The only people left in the auditorium were Victor Maddox and Mr Clarke, the Englishman.

"So, Mr Clarke, what is your stance on this subject?" Maddox said, calmly.

"I'm sorry sir, but I cannot issue an order like that on an innocent race in my country"

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir"

Maddox sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that" he said, as he held out his arm, holding a pistol.

The last thing that went through John Clarke's mind was a Victor Maddox's bullet.

Maddox returned the gun, and pulled out his phone. He pressed a single button, and held it up to his ear.

"Mr Smith?" he said

"Yes sir?" Smith replied from the other end of the line

"Mr Clarke has resigned. His position is now yours"

"Thank you sir".

He hung up, and put the phone away.

Victor Maddox, leader of the Global Government, meant business.


I'm back! As you might notice, I've deleted most of my stories, as I'm starting from scratch. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the revised Outcry. More coming soon (Hopefully)