Volkr, somewhere near the Belmont Wall
"Yokiv, take a look at this lad."
Driver Dex was a good driver and a good man. Every time I needed a drive to my parents he always gave me the latest paper. One could hardly guess how he or anyone could afford such a thing but I always took great excitement in reading the news. It was the only time I could, and he knew it. I was his only friend and likewise.
He was an old white man, his eyes were pale brown, so much such so they looked almost completely black. He wore dirty oil stricken overalls and a worn black hat, which he never took off. His left eye was covered with a driving lens, as he was nearly blind in that eye without it. This time his poppy voice carried more cracks of disparity as he handed me the paper. My heart still beat fast as the Bolden Letters and print sharpened my soul.
PLAGUE STRIKES10A
AUTHORITIES WARN OF INTER-WALL TRAVEL10B
MERCHANT SHIPS DENIED ENTRY11A
p. 10A
PLAGUE STRIKES JALISCO
By Samuel Resko
(Sept. 20) 1819
(Jalisco Port) - Republican police and doctors are finally investigating the coughing that has reportedly claimed over 70,000 missing person cases in the neighboring industrial perishes. In the past six cycles, over 500 businesses and 70 factories have been shut down prior to the authorities wearabouts. Many have called for renewed contacts with old Axis states but some are saying that is too slow a response and renewed strikes into the outer wall are needed.
Chelsea Altov of the Reporters Media Center has called the connection "war mongering", "a natural loss of workers and businessmen in a cycle should not cause the Republic to squeeze so easily on old world sentiments."
Regardless, hours have plummeted and some dead are piling on the streets. "Plume smoke of grey", say Artov Mondelev, a hydro-magnetic engineer at Solod, "is that of the dead, burning in the coal fired drums that were once used for fuel."
When asked if he was personally affected by this, "I have friends whome I've known personally, that have left and are not in contact or are missing. My fellow workers have their hours cut or have been fired. I have had an 80 hours per cycle increase, but with sickly work I cannot speak of. I can only hope President Saratov and her Republican Guard can step in to do something. Where are they!?"
p.10B
AUTHORITIES WARN OF INTER-WALL TRAVEL
By Samuel Resko
(Sept. 22) 1819
After Several days of deliberation in Parliament, an official statement was released regarding inter wall travel following fears of the severity of the plague. Parliament Leader Mikiv Rilo said early today, "Entries into the Belmont Wall are forbidden for 2 cycles until Engineering has fingered out a solution to the sickness. If you are sick, please report to your nearest Republican checkpoint in your Perish. If you see illegal entry, report it. If you are unable, Civilians and the Public are authorized to use lethal force in defense of their Republic."
p.11A
MERCHANT SHIPS DENIED ENTRY
By Celista Cortov
(Setp. 30)
Gondola Heights - Thousands of Businessmen and workmen are camping in front of the Capital Castle Rampart demanding answers from parliament as TWO Vector Class Merchant Hydrogen Ships carrying 4,000 metric tons of Magnetic Copper were denied entry into Gondola Port. "While we care about safety, denying us essential materials will kill us faster than this so-called Plague. This is ridiculous! Do they know how much we paid for these shipments? Can they please just let them through this once?"
Currently there has been no response from the president or parliament regarding the businessmen's demands.
The two merchant ships have been seen a few kilometers from the wall in stationary hover. Rumors from Kiliv Perish report 4 (Four) Republican Interceptors are deployed in the skies and are circling the VCMs. It is unknown if or what will happen if they are low or run out of fuel.
"You didn't read this before you handed this to me, did you Mr. Dex?"
"Oh what's that? Ah yes, uh well I suppose it's a good thing you chose today to see your mum and pop."
My parents lived on the West side of Volkr. It was a quiet neighborhood. I was 28 and they were now in their 50's. Mum was into hypothecary and pop was into building very small mechanical planes that could fit in your hand. Small little things, but proven useful for delivering items around the city.
Every few months I went to check up on them. They were retired, growing old and sick from hard labor in their youth. When I was younger they pushed hard for me to fly ships for the Republic military or become an engineer. After reading that paper I became desperately worried and Dex saw the panic that flustered over me. Without saying a word he stepped on the gas and the wagon almost flipped over the stone roads. I did not care. I needed them to be safe.
Mum did not purchase a large home. It was settled with many neighbors. The gears and golden light were slower than usual. The city was running out of fuel. When we arrived the sun filled the evening with a red burn. I felt afraid. The door looked cold and stale and the wagon's rumble was the only sound in the street. I sat there, stared for what felt like an hour at the door. Dex let out a huf and dragged his large body out of the wagon. The rumble stopped and I could hear Dex strapping his pistol on his side.
"Okay Yok let's go. I'll walk ya to the door."
"Something doesn't feel right about this place, Dex."
"I know. That's why I'm coming with you."
Twenty steps felt like 100. I let out a breath and knocked a few times. Nothing.
"Are they even home, Yok?"
"They have to be."
"I'll check around back."
I knocked twice more. Nothing. Finally I tried turning the door handle. It felt jammed. After a snap it propped open. A wave of cold air rushed over me and my heart began pounding. It was pitch black.
"Pop!?"
Nothing.
The place looked completely abandoned. Where had they gone?
After a few steps in I heard a coughing voice.
"Yokiv.."
"Mum is that you?"
"Throw coal in the stove so I can see you dear."
I rushed handfuls of black char into the stove. It was smooth and grimy. I shut the grate and cranked a lever on the side. After what seemed like an eternity the creaking noise of the gears slowly turned and a small light illuminated some of the house.
I quickly turned to my mum who was lying on her chair. She looked almost like a corpse. Her skin was pale and she let out a painful cough. She threw her arms out and I hugged her.
"Mum, what has happened? Where is Pop?"
"Haven't you read the paper dear?"
"Yes I have mum! Are you sick?"
"Yes I am. And your father was taken somewhere."
"Why haven't you written the police?"
"Cough Cough. They aren't coming. Nobody has heard from anyone for some time."
I frantically searched the house for anything that would give me any more answers. Half of mum's plants were dead and a few rats had made their way up from under the floorboards.
In their guest room were old pictures of me. I hated those photos. I took some down along with two of pops planes and stuffed them into a bag.
Where was Dex?
"Yok! There's a man here!"
I scurried back to the living room.
"Mum, that's the driver."
"I haven't found your Pop. In fact there's not a soul outside this night. What's the matter she 's sick?"
"Yes."
He placed his hands over the stove.
"She can't stay here."
"What if Pop returns?"
Silence.
"We'll have to get her to your place. When we do we'll have to see where the nearest checkpoint is. Maybe your Pop went to one."
"Cough. Take some of my plants with me."
"Yes we can do that."
"Mum, do you have any magnetic copper or steel Pop left behind?"
"Any weapons too?"
"There should be some in the closet in the guest room."
After an hour we filled the wagon and left. I wrote to my Pop that Mum was sick and we look her to East Volkr. The night's veil descended over the dying city. It was half as bright as usual.
We set her bed in my upstairs guest room. The plants were properly lit and we administered what medicines I had. We fed her and gave her water but she still looked pale and dying. The pain of seeing her this way really started to hit. I couldn't handle it. I cried into Dex. The pain of Pop's missing was also overwhelming. First time I really cried as a grown man.
I passed out from exhaustion on the sofa downstairs. The daylight crept through the windows and I eventually woke with a burning sensation in my chest. I cooked breakfast, meat with eggs. Dex had left earlier.
"Now what?"
There was a note on the table.
"Yokiv, I left but I'll keep my good eye open for any help nearby, Dex."
I couldn't really leave for work with my mum here. Perhaps Sarah could watch her.
My neighbor Sarah was a woman I really enjoyed company with. Never married her but she and I occasionally worked on projects or danced. Surprisingly she was home. She lived across the street, and was happy to come over, but not happy with the news.
"Oh my heavens , this is awful! Are you sure this is all real?"
"When was the last time you've been out of your house Sarah?"
"Not but a cycle."
"Listen, I'll pay you, just.. can you watch over Nichole while I find help?"
"Uh yeah I guess I wish I could come with you."
"Oh just take the girl out, cough-cough, I won't die yet. You never gave me grand children Yokiv." She yelled down the stairs.
"Ha I guess it's just you and I now."
I hated asking her for favors for she is a very attractive woman but I could not marry her. Something about her personality just didn't sit right.
She was real skinny but was built for projects. When she wasn't at the factory she was at home building something. She wore orange pants and long sleeves with a black coverall. She was also my age but a little more wealthy.
We called another driver into town. That was a mistake.
The Perish Church was overwhelmed with people lined up into the streets. Wagons were parked side by side.
"This is far as I'll go you two be safe."
In the distance were the huge towers of Jalisco some 90 kilometers away. Airships were crowded not in its usual traffic. They were clumped over the city. In our town, officials were in the center in and across the church were piling fuel for what looked like an auction. Police were frantically keeping folks away.
"What is happening?"
"Is this one of the checkpoints they were talking about?"
"No it can't be..."
A massive crack in the sound barrier deafened the entire region and all the way to Jalisco. We stood in shock as one of the VCMs I saw in the paper slammed nose first into the ground some distance away.
"There!" A Sarah shouted.
A huge plume of smoke, rubble and Hydrogen engulfed the sky to the North. 3,000 Metric tons of Material and gas had smashed into the ground at free fall speed from at least 6,000 feet in the air. That VCM must have ran out of fuel! It was like someone had dropped a magnetic fusion bomb on the Republic. A shock wave was rushing out in a diameter that was imploding every perish it touched.
"Run!"
She grabbed my hand and we threw ourselves back into the wagon. She pushed her pistol to the driver's neck and told him to gun it. Sure enough we high sped back west back to our neighborhood. The anxiety was unreal as we stopped at my house. We ran inside and threw mum and ourselves under the floor boards. Seconds later we were buried under 10 feet of rubble.