Chapter 16 Sign of the Times

Kate – Age 21 (POV)

Lynn – Age 14

Laura – Age 18

July 20th, 2017

6:09 PM

Canyon County, Idaho

Marsh Residence

9 hours earlier…

It had been a frightful couple of weeks at home watching the ConDef attacks in Seattle and San Francisco on television. As well as the recent MIT raid on the news. Caldwell was under lockdown and no one was allowed inside the city due to possible ConDef activity incoming. It was a good thing my family and I lived out in the countryside of the county we lived in when we moved to Idaho. After Max saving me on the school roof four years ago, the Blackwell raid, Max's trial, and the Triple 4 attack in Portland, things were getting more safer and happier in Canyon County joining the church group my family and I entered after the pilgrimage.

I knew Victoria and her sorority group were in San Fran and I hoped they were still okay. I knew Warren and Brooke went to MIT and prayed they made it out alive. And I knew Max and Chloe were in Portland and according to the news, the city they moved to was under curfew and evacuation due to a possible ConDef incident. I too prayed for their safety as well. Not to mention Rachel and her skeevy boyfriend Frank who kept in touch with from time to time also. They were in Vancouver last time I emailed them and no telling if ConDef was hitting Canada, they deserved prayers for me indeed.

My family and I all sat down at our dinner table saying our prayers before eating. Mom, Dad, my two sisters, and I shutting our eyes and folding our hands to pray to God for the safety of this family from ConDef terror. For our hopes for safety from God had not been dashed. Not yet.

"Dear God," said Dad beginning the prayer. "We gather to this table in hopes for our safety from the terror we've witnessed in Seattle and San Francisco. We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our integrity to keep this family shielded from harm's way. From where we live, from where we breathe, the Lord has given us these lands where we are free from the violence that threatens our brave new world. May God bless us all. And may God bless the Marsh family. Amen."

We now feast on the dinner Mom made after our prayers were finished. Mom had made chicken with cornbread, potatoes, and corn for supper. She was a fine cook for the family. We all then started a conversation about what's been occurring across the country these past two weeks as we ate with our silverware.

"I still can't believe what we've been seeing on TV," said Laura. "First Seattle, then San Francisco, now Caldwell is expected to be hit too? I don't like this."

"Laura, whatever we've been seeing on the news," said Mom. "It's never going to happen here. The lockdown in Caldwell is only for precaution."

"I'd like to agree with Laura, Mom," said Lynn. "I don't want our family to get in the middle of this. None of us do."

"And we won't, Lynn," said Dad. "In the name of the Lord, this family will never be endangered from this ConDef nonsense happing on the news. Not here, not in Caldwell, not anywhere outside this house. I've made sure of that."

"I'm just more worried about my friends," I said. "Victoria was in San Francisco, Warren was in Cambridge, and Max was going to Vancouver last time I kept in touch. I haven't heard back from her since and I've only been able to contact Chloe for almost two weeks now."

"I'm sure Max is safe sound where she needs to be, Kate. I know you two were close back in Blackwell and this family is still in her debt for what she did for you back then. And she's the hero of Triple 4. A fighter. You know she can handle her own even if bad things were happening around her."

Suddenly, we hear noises outside our home. The sounds of gunshots and screams outside. My body is frozen and soon everyone at the table freezes in a panic as well. I swallow my last bit of food in my mouth before I can say anything. Dad is the first one to get off the table to investigate.

"Stay here," he warns everyone.

Somehow, I knew what was happening. I didn't want to believe it, but I was forced to. Mom goes with Dad to the windows to check out the situation. I insubordinate Dad's warning by actually getting off the table to see what was going on with my parents. Lynn and Laura chose to sit down and listen.

My dad peeks through the kitchen window with Mom to see ConDef soldiers forcing our neighbors out of their homes with guns. And soon they'll be breaking into our house as well. Now we were going to get it and this is where I get into my scarred phase.

"Richard, what's happening?" My mom questioned with fear.

"Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," said Dad. "It can't be. ConDef's here and they're rounding up the Stevensons outside."

"What do we do?!"

"Kate, go with your sisters into the basement! Mary, go with our daughters! I'll get my gun in case they come in here!"

"Dad, I'm scared!" I said. "What's going to happen?!"

"Just go with Lynn and Laura and do as your told!" Dad snapped. "Your mother will be with you!"

"What?!"

"Get inside the basement! Now!"

I quickly return to the dining table with my mother to fetch my sisters so we can hide in the basement together while my father runs for his rifle. Lynn and Laura look just as scared as I am when they see us.

"Mom, Kate, what's going on?" Lynn asked.

"It's ConDef!" I warned. "They're here!"

"What?!" Laura questioned.

"Lynn, Laura, go with Kate into the basement!" Mom warned. "Your father's getting his gun! We have to hide now!"

Then I just remembered. I still had my bunny Alice in my bedroom to take care of. To me, she was part of the family and I could just leave her for the ConDef to possibly hurt her as well.

"Mom, I have to get Alice!" I shouted.

"What?!" Mom thought.

"My rabbit, Alice! I'm taking her with me!"

"Kate, no! Just leave her!"

"I'm not leaving her! She has to come with!"

Without Mom scolding me again to leave her behind, I race for my bedroom upstairs to fetch Alice in her cage while Dad gets his gun and the rest of my family gets into the basement. I storm into my room and see Alice safely in her cage as I grab hold of her cage and remove my pet out of there to take her with me. Then I run into Dad who just grabbed hold of his pump-action rifle.

"Kate, what in heaven's name are you doing here?!" Dad scolded. "Why aren't you in the basement?!"

"I had to get Alice!" I answered. "I'm taking her with me!"

Dad shook his head.

"You and that damn bunny!" He griped. "Come on!"

I run downstairs with Dad holding Alice's cage and find the basement's doors hidden under the floorboards. The doors were like a hatch to a secret bunker used for smuggling. No way for ConDef to find us down there.

Mom, Lynn, and Laura had already entered inside and Dad opens the door for Alice and I to get inside. Once everyone's in the basement and accounted for, Dad closes the hatch doors behind us with his gun in his arms. Ready to defend us from anyone discovering us. Just as soon as ConDef soldiers come kicking our front door down. Ready to purge our own household.

David

July 21st, 2017

3:05 AM

Canyon County, Idaho

Caldwell Farmlands

The five of us hide under a bridge where a convoy of ConDef trucks pass over and an enemy helicopter flies above with a searchlight scanning the ground. We're well hidden under the bridge to make sure neither the convoy or heli can find us. Once the enemy vehicles and aircraft have passed, I order the team to move out.

"Alright, let's move," I ordered.

I take point away from the bridge with Cayce, Kristine, Flint, and Logos and lead the team into a small homestead down in front. We could hear voices of tangos nearby where they were likely coming from the place we were entering. I stand next to a door to a barn where we could cautiously enter through.

"Hold up," I said. "We've got company."

My team and I enter the small barn with caution to a man outside being cornered by a squad of ConDef soldiers surrounding him and interrogating. I held my team back with our guns trained on the enemy troopers threatening the man we saw through the windows of the barn. Hidden inside until I ordered weapons free.

"Alright," I said. "Let's top these bastards before they kill the old man."

One of the ConDef soldiers pulled out a sidearm and was ready to shoot the man dead in the face. Until gave the order to open fire and we shoot down every one of the ConDef troopers while avoiding the civilian. Despite our effort of avoiding friendly fire, the civilian was shot anyways through the kidney as the ConDef soldier holding the pistol had pressed the trigger while being shot to death. The poor man crawled to the corner wall of his house for safety while bleeding from the bullet wound in the ribs.
As soon as we killed the group of tangos in front of us, we stepped out of the barn to secure the area and the wounded civilian. Good thing I've brought a medic in my group who was Kristine.

"Area clear," said Cayce.

"Alright," I said. "Let's keep moving."

"Hold on, David," said Kristine. "That poor man needs our help. He's been hit."

We approach the man with caution to check on his status. He was hit bad. We could see the bullet had entered his kidney and damaged his ribs. Making him bleed on the ground as he sat against the wall tempting to fight through the pain.

"Chrysalis," said the man coughing. "Should've guessed."

"Are you okay?" I asked. "How bad did they hit you?"

"Bad enough to nearly destroy my ribs…"

The man coughed again. There wasn't much life left in the man. We may not have time for medical attention, but it would be common courtesy for us to give him the treatment now.

"It's terrible enough you almost shoot me when you killed those fuckers," he continued. "Now you lack the decency to shoot them before they had a gun to my face."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" I asked.

As the man was still succumbing to his wound, he reached out for a gun in his pocket to make sure we didn't come any closer. He didn't look too trusting even for people in Chrysalis uniforms.

"Get away from me, Chrysalis!" The man warned. "Your kind has done too much already! You're the reason ConDef did this to me. Your feigned pity is the final insult."

"We need to find a Church somewhere in the county," I said. "Do you know where we can find it?"

"Chrysalis looking for a place where Chrysalis can sympathize? I hope the ConDef burn that church to the ground."

The man was beginning to cough out blood. He would be dead in any second or minute now. Kristine had to heal him immediately.

"I hope you…I hope…damn it," said the man coughing blood. "Damn you. Can't…"

"Hey, stay with me!" Kristine advised. Attempting to heal the man by applying pressure on the wound. She reached for her med kit for gauze and tools to do the best she can. "This won't cure the wound, but it'll stop the bleeding."

Kristine held the pressure until she got out the gauze and stitches to treat his wound. The bullet seemed to have gone through his skin so there was no need to pull it out with a certain procedure of any kind. Once the man was patched up, Kris helped him on his feet and the bleed had stopped.

"You…you helped me," said the healed civilian. "Why?"

"I told you we were looking for a church," I said. "Would you rather we let you choke on your blood?"

"I suppose not. What do you wish to know?"

"Why is ConDef behind all this?"

"I don't know and I don't give a fuck. I might've overheard them talking about something hidden under the church. That could be why they're here."

"That doesn't sound too surprising," said Logos. "Cuz we're for the same thing they are."

"We need to find that church," I said. "Where is it?"

"Just across the farmland we've made here," said the civilian. "I hear people are gathering there from these ConDef raids. I used to go there every Sunday. Whatever you hope to find there, I hope you find what you're looking for. I think Chrysalis is supposed to be there too protecting the refugees. I was too afraid to go and worried I'd be caught by ConDef and that's exactly what happened."

"We can send a rescue team to escort you if that sound fine."

"Fine by me. In this sign of the times, I'll pray to the lord for my life to be protected by your own authorities."

Note: So yeah, you all knew Kate Marsh was coming at some point to have her minor role to play in Eternity War. And why not? Perhaps this story would be a lot more interesting if it had more familiar characters to write in compared to my Lost Daughter mini-series. Bringing together a culmination of all the characters we've come to know and love in Life Is Strange and Before the Storm is an excellent way to make a final chapter for my way of closing Max Caulfield's story in Eternity War. Like Marvel has done with Infinity War and the upcoming Avengers 4. I hope you all appreciate that.
Until next time, stay tuned and golden!

P.S. In the first Life Is Strange game, Kate mentions one of her sister's is named Lynn who was 10 at time of that game's events. In this story's timeline, it would make her 14. Kate also has a father named Richard and an unnamed mother and sister a few years older than Lynn who's unnamed as well. So I just game them names that I liked and stuck with them. Thank you.