One Thousand Years Later

by Kiar Fero

From 1950 to 1953 there was a war between North and South Korea. Now, one thousand years after, in the year 2950, another war between these two countries is being fought. In order to have any hope in the war, Lennard Rector the Supreme Leader of North Korea is using desperate measures to attain more soldiers. Who will win this bloody battle?

Prologue

An explosion shook the city of Kaesong, sending debris into the air as an abandoned building collapsed, the shriek of steel splitting the reformed silence. Once more the quiet came back, allowing anyone nearby to hear the odd click of stone on stone or creak as supports began to fail. Of course, no one was around to hear it. No one would stay in a place so close to the border of the country they were at war with. The place was a ghost town, the noiseless, lifeless streets home to nothing but dead air. One thousand years after the first Korean war, the fight had been struck up again.

A man watched from behind a projection as the building fell, seeing the dust sprayed into the air. Pressing a button, he rewound the footage to watch for the third time as the shell landed in the middle of the abandoned city. He clenched his fist and bit down on his lip, just as he had both times before.

At that time, a older man walked in the room. His gray hair was combed back neatly, and he tugged on the edge of his suit as if perpetually trying to straighten it. In one hand he held a small black object, the other tugged once more at the suit. He looked nervously at the young man before him, then to the projection. With a small, pretend cough he attempted to alert the other man of his presence. It didn't appear to work, however, causing him to tug at his suit again.

The young man gave a sigh and paused the recording, leaving it suspended in the moment just after the building had started to collapse. He was young, very young to be where he was. His deep brown eyes, tired and dull from lack of sleep, rose slowly to look at his companion. "What is it Timens?"

Oha Timens looked into the young man's tired eyes and tugged on his suit again. However much he hated to have to tell him this, he would still have to do it. It was his duty as advisor. Bowing, he placed the black object on the desk beside the man. Instantly, as though he needed to have something in his hand at all times, he reached into his suit pocket and brought out his phone, flipping the small object end over end in his fingers. "My sincerest apologies for interrupting you, chairman, but I have important news."

The young man, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and supreme leader of North Korea, pushed himself back from the glass desk he had been working at. He gave Oha a small glare before speaking. "Why do you insist on calling me chairman? I have told you multiple times to use my actual name." He cut the older man off, seeing he was about to argue. "You knew my father, and have known me since I was five. I will not find it of any disrespect to refer to me as Lennard."

With a sigh and a bow, Oha started from where he had left off. "Cha-" Catching the look from Lennard, he righted himself. "Lennard, I have just gotten word of another attack. It seems the south is getting ready to shift the border. We don't have enough troops to hold them back, not for the whole stretch anyway." He nodded towards the black, pebble-like object that now rested on the desk. "More information is on there."

Pausing, he watched Lennard's face. It was hard to tell what the twenty year old was thinking, his eyes shut and mouth clenched. For a moment he wondered if he would get a response, but Lennard opened his eyes to gaze at him once more. There was a look of hopelessness in them, mixed with desperation, but it was pushed aside by a calmness that almost made Oha shiver. There was a clarity to Lennard's voice, sharp and cold, as he spoke, "If we do not have enough troops, we must get more. Send out Raptor and his team, send them to Canada. I hear there are plenty of strong children there." Seeing the slight fear in the eyes of his god father, Lennard blinked. "I will do whatever I must to keep my country safe."

Oha nodded, then bowed. "As you wish chairman Rector." It was at times like this when the old man couldn't help but notice the similarities between father and son. It was the eyes, and the way he held his shoulders. For a moment he could have almost believed it had been Cadmon Rector that sat before him instead of the boy who had been forced to take his father's place. "As you wish." It was not his place to question orders, but to follow them. Quietly, he made his way to the door. He caught sight of Lennard hitting the play key on the projection as he shut the door behind him. The image of the falling building stayed with him as he went to find Raptor and give him and his men their new assignment.