Every news station in the world was tuned in to one event. Thousands of languages were speaking about the same thing. The events that had happened over night were more or less going to lead to all out war. World War three was the title of the war before the first shot was fired. A war the world may never heal from. And of course, Xi hadn't turned on the television yet, or the radio. He didn't know what was going on outside. All he could do was think about his son and his niece, where ever they were.
There was a breach in security, sensitive information was stolen from somewhere, and people weren't happy. Fingers were being pointed and then placed on the trigger. Countries chose sides, armies were being gathered, and people were being warned to take shelter somewhere. Bombs might fall tonight.
Xi walked out of his house to get into his car only to see several military trucks carrying soldiers. A man on a microphone was telling people to stay in the their homes. Xi didn't care, he climbed into his car and started it. He had to find his son.
As he backed out of his driveway, two police vehicles slide to a stop behind his car and he had to slam on his breaks to avoid a collision. Three officers ran out of their cars with pistols raised and ran to the passenger side.
"Step out of your vehicle now sir!" The officer shouted at him and Xi unfastened his seat belt and stepped out.
Immediately the officer grabbed him and slammed his chest onto the hood of his car.
"You're under arrest for suspicion of treason," the second officer said and Xi didn't struggle since it wouldn't have mattered. They could have shot him without consequence.
"Aren't you going to read me my rights?" Xi asked. His answer was the side of his head being smashed into the hood.
"You have no rights," The officer said and cuffed him. After that a black bag was placed over his face and he was led to the car and thrown into the back seat.
"Xi Stern acquired, returning to station for questioning," the officer said into the radio and drove down the street.
What seemed to Xi to be hours later the bag over his face was pulled of and he squinted from the light above his head. Five men were in the room, all armed and standing straight. None of them seemed in charged. A sixth man walked into the room from behind Xi and took a seat at the desk across from him. Xi already knew who this man was, it was Toby Miller.
"Hello Xi, strange to see my brother in law here," Toby said and smiled at him.
"Why am I..." Xi started to asked before he was hit in the face.
"Speak only when asked," Toby said and gestured for the man to stand down.
"Now, what do you know about a super computer hidden somewhere?" Toby asked and Xi looked at the man, as if asking if it was alright to speak.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Xi asked, and Toby gestured at the man who then struck Xi in the face again.
"Don't act stupid, we already examined many people from your family and close friends. Your mother and father were very resistant, but a mister Jeremie Belpois was cracked fairly easily. It's amazing the things you accomplish when you put a gun to a mans daughter. Aelita Robbia and her husband Odd resisted interrogation as well, but Sissi Delmas cracked in minutes. Charlie Robbia escaped capture, and the whereabouts of your son and my daughter are still trying to be found."
"They ran away last night, I was leaving to go looking for them," Xi said and Toby gestured to the man to hold back since his hand was ready to hit Xi again.
"My wife said the same thing, and I hate to say but I believe that. I'm an expected grandfather you know. We'll find them soon enough. Now, tell me where your friend Odd Della Robbia jr is. He isn't at his home residence and he left many calls on your phone telling you to leave and go into hiding. He obviously knows things that you don't, or you both know and you're not sharing.
"Jeremie and Sissi admitted to the existence of the computer but refused to tell us it's location. We have men working around the clock to find the missing party members, but if you would tell us there locations, it may save you from immediate execution. Your son will be granted full pardon."
"There is no computer," Xi said and was struck in the face a moment later.
"Really, so project xana doesn't exist either. You left the digital finger print, and your family and friends are listed as people who played a part in it's programming. You've been working on it for years," Toby said and Xi maintained eye contact.
"I've been framed, does any of my education list me as a computer expert?" Xi asked.
"No, but Charlie, he's a different case. Your friend is the grand son of Waldo Schaeffer," Toby said and placed a sheet of paper on the table.
"Who is Waldo Schaeffer?" Xi asked.
"Franz Hopper," Toby said, "When he came out of hiding he changed his name, and effectively stayed hidden until his death. Waldo built a super computer to stop a government program, but all documents on that case have been destroyed to cover it up. The location of the computer included. It's the same computer, and your friend inherited it, and is finishing his grandfathers terrorist activities."
"Why does that lead to me?" Xi asked.
"You and Odd jr helped your friend, your work for years is listed when we traced it back, but we were cut off before the trace was complete. We managed to salvage years of notes on the computer, you working on it so much you felt you were mentally deteriorating. Sound familiar?" Toby asked.
"No, it doesn't," Xi said and was surprised he didn't get hit, "I don't know anything, so just place me with my family please."
"What family?" Toby asked.
"What do you mean?" Xi asked.
"For failing to comply with us, they were executed. Your mother, father, Aelita, Odd, Jeremie, Sissi, and Emilie Belpois. Your brother is being held else where."
Xi shot to his feet with the chair attached to his wrist and was rammed in the stomach by the but of a rifle.
"You mother fucker!" Xi grunted out and continued to struggle before he was hit in the side of the head by the rifle and dropped to the floor chair and all.
"Place him with his brother, continue the search for my daughter and nephew," Toby said as Xi continued to struggle before he was knocked unconscious.
"Finally your awake," Justin said to Xi from across the cell. Xi opened his eyes to the sound of his brothers voice and pulled himself up from his back.
"Where are we?" Xi asked.
"I don't know, I got a bag pulled over my face before they placed me in the car, probably the same happened to you,"Justin said and Xi nodded and felt his head stinging from the hits he took.
"What the hell are they talking about, half of the extended family is being accused for treason. It's all about some computer, they say you and Odd jr are behind the whole thing," Justin said and Xi looked over at him.
"Mom and dad?" Xi asked.
"Dead, they killed them in front of me," Justin said and placed his face into his palms, "We didn't do anything, but because the world is bracing itself for war, they're looking for a reason why."
"War?" Xi asked.
"Guess you haven't heard yet. The computer program we have something to do with, infiltrated secret information from almost every powerful country in the world. England, Germany, Spain, France, America, name it. Someone stole launch codes for American missiles, they can attack anywhere in the world."
"Shit," Xi said and leaned into his seat, "They didn't catch all of us, some of us got away. Odd jr, Charlie, Travis, and Lily aren't captured."
"That's a relief. They killed everyone but us, why are they keeping us alive.? They didn't even interrogate Emilie, they just shot her. Kat was moved somewhere else with Ben, but I'm not sure if they're still alive."
"Quiet in there!" A guard shouted from the room next to them with a television talking about the certainty of war.
"I don't know what to tell them," Justin said.
Suddenly the television went to static and the guard began to slap the side of the television but it didn't do any good.
"God dammit," he said and walked out of the room to go fix the wires in the next room. When the door shut, the television stopped making white noise and went to a black screen. Text began to appear as if someone was typing. Xi looked closely and read the message.
'Xi, in ten seconds the door will open. You must eliminate the guard in the room and go to the next cell block and get Kat and Ben. Move quickly, I've looped the camera feed, MOVE!!'
"What the hell?" Justin asked before the electrical lock on their cell was released and Xi pushed the door open. Xi crept out of the cell and into the guard both where we waited for the guard to leave the back room. The moment he reappeared Xi grabbed him from behind and snapped his neck.
"You killed him," Justin said as Xi grabbed the guards gun.
"They killed mom and dad, fuck him," Xi said and exited the both and ran down the hallway to the next cell block. Running past the cell with Kat and Ben inside he went into the guard booth and unlocked it. Kat opened her eyes and saw Justin helping her up.
"Come on, we're getting out of here," Justin said and crutched her out while Xi carried Ben who was still unconscious. They hadn't been easier on him since Xi could see stained tears on his face.
"Now what?" Justin asked.
"We get to the lab," Xi said and Justin looked at him.
"It's true then," Justin said.
"Yes there is a lab, but we didn't access the files, someone else did. I've been framed, this is my fault," Xi said and looked at the black television screen then at the camera that was focusing in on him, "How do I get out of here Odd?"
'Just follow me, and escape should be no problem.'
After successfully escaping the building they fled into the sewers and followed the path Xi remembered to find to the entrance to the lab. Stepping into the core, Xi climbed up the ladder to see Odd jr at the computer sitting in the chair.
"What the hell is going on?" Xi asked.
"Xana got out again, and things are this bad in only a day," Odd jr said and stood up off of the chair, "I warned you about this."
"I know, is sector six functional?" Xi asked.
"Yes it is," Odd jr said then began to pace around the room, "Everyone is dead, just like last time."
"Last time?" Xi asked.
"Xi, do you remember the day xana came back and I saved your life?" Odd jr asked.
"Of course," Xi answered.
"You never found it strange I knew exactly where you were, and that you were in danger," Odd jr said and Xi looked at him suspiciously.
"What do you mean?" Xi asked.
"I lived that day twice Xi, I knew you were there because you were killed once. Things were bad for awhile, but when we figured out it was xana, he sent me forward in time thirty years to the apocalypse. It was hell on earth Xi, and I was there. I was sent back to the day you died, and I killed xana, and saved the future.
"But you, you had to rebuild the computer, reprogram xana, just to save a woman you knew for a day. I helped you, I knew something like this would happen," Odd jr said and sat against a wall.
"You knew Angela was going to die," Xi said.
"No I didn't, she didn't die the first time. She raised Travis on her own after she got out of the coma. Xana shot her, she lived. Eventually xana with a body, framed us like he's done here, and the government hunted us down. Only a few of us survived."
Xi grabbed Odd jr by his collar and slammed his back against the wall, "Why didn't you tell me, why did you keep this all to yourself!"
"I was trying to stop that future Xi, but you created it on your own. In less than a year, the world will be hell. It'll be controlled by the CEA, a military government. Your son will be the leader of a rebellion against them. And he's just like you are now, a heartless bastard."
"Search the area," a voice said from below them.
"Shit, they found it," Odd jr said then made Xi let him go.
"There is only one thing you can do, go back in time, and stop this from happening," Odd jr said then pointed at the ladder leading to the scanner, "Go."
"Where are you sending me?" Xi asked.
"The coordinates are in already, go," Odd jr said and picked up Ben while Justin continued to crutch Kat.
"Why not you?" Xi asked.
"It's your past that will change not mine," Odd jr said and carried Ben to the busted elevator shaft, "Go Xi."
Xi looked at his friend and nodded after a moment. He began to climb down the ladder to the scanner room and stepped into the open scanner. It closed after he stepped in and he felt it hum to life. He closed his eyes as the white appeared, and in a heart beat for him, it was years for the world.