"To surrender to a faith so fake

To not comprehend while you're awake."

-Dimmu Borgir, 'IndocriNation'

xxXXxx

After the horrible events of break time, Jack and Ashley wanted to do nothing more than bunk of school and go smoke somewhere. Jack had never smoked weed, but no he was seriously contemplated stealing some of his sister's stash. In the cool school hallway the pair stood together, aware of their foreignness and feeling a sudden hostility from those who had once been friends.

"You'll be all right," she said quietly, looking up at Jack, "you've got Asian blood. Your dad is western Chinese, right?"

Jack thought slowly to himself before nodding in the affirmative. "But my mom is from Russia," he said quietly. "Listen, my sisters are dying their hair black. Maybe you should do the same, just for now until the Embassy can help get you all away from here."

They spoke in whispers, packed tightly together. The pair were terrified. All around them their Leader was looking out. It made Jack think of Orwell's 1984, something he had barely gotten partway through for school before giving up. Maybe there were listening devices in these posters; maybe he and Ashley were being watched. He gulped and felt sweat forming on his forehead. His body ached anew with anxiety and tension thrumming through battered bones. Maybe he should finish the book now that he was living it.

"What are you thinking about?" whispered Ashley. Jack looked at her to see her standing very close, her eyes focused on his. He glanced away to create some space.

"A book," he said, "I never finished it but…" he lowered his voice further, "but in it the people were being watched all the time. The government controlled them. But they didn't even know, they didn't realise they were being oppressed. I thought it was stupid but," he shrugged. Then he looked at Ashley a sudden realisation in his eyes, "Mr. Cole made us read it a few months back. It's not even on the curriculum. Do you reckon he was trying to tell us something?"

She shrugged, disconcerted, "I dunno. Where is he? Maybe he was hurt in…in the thing in town."

"Maybe. But he doesn't seem the type to go to that sort of thing. He hated people."

A teacher walked passed, observing the pair. Instinctively they both looked at the ground, Ashley stepping closer to Jack and catching a few of his fingers in her own. They looked like a shy couple. The teacher moved on.

"I hate this," Ashley barely whispered.

Jack let out a shaky breath, looking up at the posters decorating his school.

What could he say? There was nothing. They were in purgatory before, but now they were in Hell.

The bell rang and they returned to classes.

None of the teachers mentioned the student who had been attacked. By what Jack could tell, no one was reprimanded for the assault either. Instead, the blinds were pulled down on the windows and they were made to watch a couple of educational films. One was of their Leader, sitting behind a desk. A voiceover described how clever he was; that like the Buddha and Jesus and Mohammed, he realised that society was a mess and that he could fix it. It explained how he understood how to make their country great again. He would improve job prospects and medical care. He would control immigration. A cartoon popped up, showing millions of hideous cockroaches crawling through cracks in a wall.

"These are the enemy," said the video, "they infiltrate our society through wild, uncontrolled immigration. They corrupt. The Muslim," here a caricature with a long beard and thick lips which he licked lasciviously, "the Christian," another man, now with a large roman nose holding a whip in one hand and a bible in the other scowled at the camera, "all come to destroy our culture. And they are funded by the Jew." Now there was a cartoon of trio of laughing orthodox Jews, throwing about money. They had large, crooked noses and teeth. They rubbed their hands in glee.

"They do this for many reasons," the voiceover continued as attractive images involving their country were now shown, "they know of West China's great resources and covet them for themselves. They are jealous of our great history and wish to ruin it. They are aware of our beautiful women and wish to rape them. They know our culture is superior to theirs; based on logic, reason, kindness and freedom. They hate this and aim to bring it down. For us to be loose and unsophisticated like the westerners, to be uneducated like the African and to be barbaric like the Arabs."

Now the camera showed Chinese school children, all wearing the same black uniforms. Their hair was styled in the same way; the girls with two long braid either side of the head with a straight middle parting; the boys with a parting on the right side of their head, their fringes smoothed across the top of their foreheads. They all stood straight and proud.

"What will you do to protect our nation? What will you do to bring our Dear Leader's Vision to the world? Will you be a martyr to the cause, or a weakling that time will forget?"

The national anthem played as the credits rolled, finishing with the slogan, 'Live for the Leader, Die for the Country,' which was held up for some time before their new teacher turned off the video.

Without saying a word she put in another tape, thankfully less blatant propaganda. This next video taught them about how to react should they be attacked again whilst in school. The video was pretty short, the advice amounting to little more than 'get under the table and stay there.' After they were made to practice the video, hiding under the table and then getting into a line and marching out of the school into the recess area, as if it were a normal fire drill. From there they had the register taken. Hardly anyone answered and barely anyone was in school.

Jack looked across the grounds from his position and saw Ashley a few queues down. She looked miserable and tired; but then so did everyone else. Normally, in fire drills, everyone would talk. But now they were all completely silent. He could even hear the birds tweeting in the trees.

Once all the registers were taken, the Head Master came out to look at his pupils.

"I know," he began in a loud voice, "that things have been very hard recently. The events of the weekend have been devastating. I know many of you and many of the staff have lost loved ones. Many of our own are ill or have been killed by the atrocities committed. For those not watching the news, we were attacked by the East. They do not agree with our way of life, even though it is one of peace and prosperity. They wish for us to be under their rule, which only bought misery. They East have always been a wicked people. If you have family or friends there, I suggest you cut them off, like one removes a gangrenous body part. They are a naturally evil people and the events of this weekend are proof of that. Now I have some much needed good news. It has only just been announced and I was very keen to let you all know."

Jack blinked. Could it be? Had peace been brokered? Had the two sides sorted out their differences in the hope no more innocent people would die?

"The official age limit to join the army," the Head continued, "has been lowered to fifteen! Congratulations! Many of you now have the chance to Live for the Leader and to Die for your country. Though your education is important, these are dark days and so I have no qualms about anyone leaving school to go fight. If you will die, your blood will water a new future for West China. Your sacrifice will save your mothers and fathers; your siblings; your descendants. You will enter a Hall of Fame, a Hall for Heroes. To die fighting for our Leader and his vision is the most noble death imaginable." He let out a dry chuckle, "honestly I am a little jealous of all the young men and women here who have such an opportunity. Do not waste it. This is your chance. Live for the Leader, Die for your country. Repeat!"

"Live for your leader," they all intoned, "die for your country."

"Repeat!"

"Live for your leader, die for your country."

"Repeat!"

"Live for your leader, die for your country."

"Excellent, now we shall sing our new national anthem. Anyone getting it wrong will be severely punished as you should all know it by now."

The dirge began once more and Jack felt his insides were cold, cold like ice.

Later that evening he sat on the settee between his sisters. His mother was in the kitchen washing up. Father entered the room and sat on the armchair in the corner.

They were all watching the news.

"The devastation is overwhelming," the pretty news anchor, Rin, was saying to the camera. She was in the city centre, standing amidst the rubble. In the background were several relief workers. "People stand out the outskirts, waiting to hear news of their loved ones who did not return home after Saturday's terror attacks. The predicted cost of fixing the city is in its billions. But the cost of the lives lost here will never be sated until our enemies have felt the same level of horror."

They cut back to the news room where the studio anchor thanked Rin for her brave, unbiased reporting. He looked grimly at the camera, "these sad events continue, but there is hope on the horizon. The United Nations have declared the atrocities as illegal, but as of yet are not getting directly involved. They have offered to send relief agents to help with the clean-up. Better is the news from Russia."

The news now turned to a clip of the Russian Leader addressing the media, "the attack on The Republic of Western China was illegal and wrong," the subtitles explained as he spoke in furious Russian, "therefore Russia will ally itself to the Republic. We cannot let the East become like the Middle East; a place of war and ruin. We will nip this in its infancy, removing any more attacks and war. If the West dare to attack the East, it will provoke our wrath."

"See," said Joanne, a slightly pleased and smug tone to her voice, "the world agrees with us."

"Not exactly the world," Jack muttered.

"Everyone who's opinion actually matters," she sneered, "no one cares about what America have to say. Everyone knows they're capitalist idiots who vote in Porn-Star fuckers and their fat people are sheep. Russia has strength. It's good to have them on side. It shows that we're in the right."

Jack sighed and leaned against Judy, who looked half asleep and was shaking slightly from withdrawal. Father must have taken her entire stash.

"They nearly killed a kid today," said Jack at last, feeling rebellious. "He just didn't agree with everything that was happening. We have a new flag and a new anthem. They keep telling us to die for our country and live for our Leader."

"So they should," barked Joanne, "it's your country, you need to protect it!"

"It's not my country," sighed Judy, her voice slow and slurred, "Borders are bullshit. Notice how borders never exist for the rich? They go where they like. Always have. Doesn't matter where they want to live or where they want to work. No one owns any country anyway."

"No one needs to hear your socialist bullcrap," snapped Joanne.

"It's nothing to do with the country," insisted Jack, "it's our leader and his vision…" He suddenly paused, feeling stressed and like he had said too much. Apparently the others thought the same as there was a sudden tension.

"Maybe I should tell the police what you think," began Joanne lightly, "maybe they would like to hear your views."

"Quiet," came the demand from the corner of the room. Father sat in his chair, looking relaxed. "No reporting on one another. No more arguing. We are here and we go with whatever we are told to go along with. No questions asked. And do not put your hope in anyone other than me. Everything will be fine, just obey me."

"Yes father," the three intoned like drones.

xxXXxx

The following day of school was much like the first, only this time army personal entered the school and began to tell the students about all the great things that could happen if you joined the army. You get to see the world; you get to learn a skill; best of all, you get to live for your leader and maybe even to die for your country. Several kids signed up straight away. Jack kept quiet. He had never been so silent before the attacks on the weekend. A rumour started about the boy who had been attacked the day before; people were saying he died in hospital. Those who committed the attack either cried alone in the toilets or signed up to be soldiers with cold defiance in their eyes.

Jack wondered how much longer any of the attackers would survive before killing themselves through suicide or through war.

Ashley had come in with jet black hair pulled into two short braids. She looked even more tired than yesterday. She and Jack ate together at lunchtime out in the fields, far away from any other student. They talked about the monks and reminisced about all the silly adventures they'd had trying to find shen gong wu. It all seemed very long ago.

Overhead, fighter jets had zoomed in the sky. It made Jack feel sick and the flashes of horror kept coming up in his mind. Ashley was surprisingly nice about it, staying quiet until the moments passed. They never discussed it.

Jack arrived home to see armed officers carrying boxes out of the house. He paled and went inside as quickly as his healing body could allow. The officers were going down into his lair.

"Hey, hey!" he barked, "what are you doing?"

The officers ignored him and continued on their mission. He limped downstairs and pushed into the lair. The basement stood large and empty save for a few soldiers in the shadows taking out a few smaller experiments. In the middle of the room stood the tall, thin figure of his father. He was holding one Jack's robots in his hands.

"Is this what you have been spending my money on?" he asked calmly.

The robot was one of his Butler Bots. It was grinning and garish and suddenly Jack felt pretty stupid. He felt himself shrinking into his own body. Somehow his father always made him feel like a five-year-old who'd wet himself.

"Aren't you going to answer me Jack?"

He looked at the floor. He felt like his mouth and throat were constricted. Jack heard his father stand right in front of him. He could see the long, dark shadow on the floor. He could even feel the cool air from his father's body, as if his father was made of ice, as well as the slow steady breathing as Jack's own breath and heart beat began to race. The robot was flung at his feet. He flinched, almost as if he'd been slapped.

"Pick it up." Said Father. There was a pause before, "pick it up!"

Jack flinched again before bending down slowly, feeling the ache in his joints and bones, and taking the robot. He felt the heavy weight of it in his hands and it comforted him. Jack loved his bots. He looked at the fake grin etched into the metalwork; it felt more real to him than any of the smiles his family would occasionally throw his way.

"Now give it to the soldiers. Give it to them and apologise."

This forced Jack to raise his eyes from the ground. He looked around, everywhere but directly in front where his dad stood. Soldiers were now standing around, all looking at him with blank eyes. They'd all watched him getting chewed out by his pop, and he felt his face begin to redden.

He walked up to the soldier standing nearest to the door. He glanced up at the man's face. His eyes were trying to be blank and cold, trying to be what he was trained to be, but Jack could see that this soldier was really just a boy, only a little older than himself. He passed his Butler Bot to the soldier muttering a, "sorry."

The soldier took it and walked away briskly, the feeling of awkwardness lingering in the air. The other soldiers followed suit, leaving one by one.

"You have lost your rights to this room," said Father, "it was unfair for me to allow you two places when your sisters have to make do with only having a bedroom each. The basement is now a bomb shelter, and so will be more use now than it ever was in your care."

"Yes father."

"Go help your mother go shopping. Soon they'll be no food left the way people are panicking."

"Yes father." Jack turned and left the basement. He didn't even have the courage to ask his dad where exactly his inventions and experiments were being taken to.