A World in Conflict

A World in Conflict

Chapter One: A New World

Waking from a nightmare covered in a cold sweat a man in his early thirties sets up. Breathing heavily, he looks around the room then at his hands. He looks backs up and take a look around the room again before throwing back the covers and scooting to the edge of the bed, trying to process what he had just seen.

For the past six months the same nightmare played over and over in his dreams, and it always ended the same, with a bright blinding flash of light. Was it a vision or was it just his mind playing tricks on him? Setting on the edge of the bed the man breathing returned to normal after a few minutes and as calmness flowed over him, he looks up at the window across the room from him, seeing droplets of rain on it.

“Good morning, America!!! Up next is ‘Make It Happen,’ now set back and enjoy, this is ‘Let Freedom Reign Radio.” says the announcer as the alarm clock radio on the nightstand came on.

As the song beginning to play the man stands up and walks over to the window. Reaching it, he unlocks the locks and slides the window up. As he does so, a cool breeze flows in and the sounds of the city flow in as well.

While looking outside at the street below, he is greeted by the sight of military vehicles driving along the street, replacing the thousands of yellow city taxis that now line the curb. On the sidewalk, the police officers on foot and horseback were now armed soldiers patrolling both day and night. This was the new norm for the city now, but not just the city but for what was left of Free America. As the man stood there looking at the street, he thought back on how he came to be there at that moment.

For fifteen minutes he stood there thinking when suddenly there is a knock on the door.

“One moment.” he says as he closes the window and walks back to the bed, picking up a shirt. Having fell asleep wearing pants the night before the man quickly slipped on the shirt and made his way to the door. As he stepped up to the door, he taps a small flat screen mounted on the wall next to it.

“Good morning, Joseph, it’s me…” said a woman on the small screen. She was wearing a red and black colored jacket, a black t-shirt and blue jeans. In her hands were four bags of groceries. “Come on, open up. I will be late for work.”

With a grin on his face the man opens the door. “Finally, good morning good morning.” says the woman again as she hastily walks in and heads to the table, setting down the bags of groceries

“Good morning.” says Joseph as he closes the door behind her. After closing the door, he walks to the table and helps unpack the bags.

“Let me do that.” he says smiling. “You better get going before you’re late.”

“Oh right…you’re so sweet.” says the woman as she kisses him on the cheek.

“I know.” laughed Joseph.

As the woman walked toward the door, she suddenly turns around and rushes back over to him, kissing him on the lips. Caught by surprise, Joseph didn’t know how to act. When the kiss ended, he was speechless, almost. “What was that for?”

“Nothing, just a good-bye kiss.” says the woman as she heads out the door before popping back in. “Oh…I’m working till seven tonight, Julie took the day off and I have to fill in for her.”

“Ok, don’t worry; I have to work late too. What do you say we meet for dinner?” replied Joseph as he resumed unpacking the groceries.

“Ok, seven thirty?” replied the woman.

“Yeah, that’ll be fine. I will call you later to tell you where to meet.” Joseph replied.

“Great, I’ll see you then, bye.” says the woman as she closes the door behind her. The woman name was Sidney. Joseph had met her nearly a year ago when he was released from the hospital. She was a waitress working at a coffee shop when Joseph, weaken from his stay in the hospital, collapsed on the shop’s floor. And as he laid there, she checked if he was alright and ever since they have been in each other company.

As he heard Sidney take off down the hallway, Joseph looks at the clock. It was nearly six thirty; Joseph himself had thirty minutes to make it to the office before he was late. He rushed back into the bedroom and grabbed a fresh multi-colored uniform from the closet. As he grabbed the uniform, another one caught his eye. It was his old uniform. It was dirty, ragged and torn in places. It was also stained in places with both sweat and blood. It was the uniform he arrived in New York in. Joseph stares at the raggedy uniform for a moment before quickly putting on the newer one and headed out the door.

Joseph was a member of the National Guard with the rank of Staff Sergeant. After being wounded at the front, nearly a year ago he was sent to New York to recover and since then he had been stationed and working at the Freedom Tower as a recruiter.

Down in the building lobby, a Corporal walked thru the front doors bumping into Sidney. “Hey David, she will be right down in a few moments, he is putting up the groceries.”

“Ok, thank you. Stay warm out there.” replied the Corporal as Sidney hugged him before rushing out the door. Knowing it would be a few moments before the Staff Sergeant would be down, David walked over to the hotel bar.

“What will you have David?” asked the bartender with a heavy accent.

“Just some coffee with…” said David as the bartender interrupted.

“With four creams and a little bit of sugar, right?” asked the Bartender.

“You’re right Bud.” laugh David as he paid for the coffee.

As the bartender made David’s coffee, David reached over the counter and grabbed the TV remote, changing the channel. When he landed on the news channel, he put the remote down. On the flat screen footage from the front showed as a reporter reported on what was taking place.

“Here you are my friend.” said the Bartender as he handed David his coffee.

“Thanks Mikhail, by the way, I been wondering where you get those?” asked David pointing at a display case with military campaign medals and ribbons.

“What…those old things?” asked Mikhail with a smile. “I got those in Kazakhstan, 2044, Operation: Scorpion.”

“You were a member of the UN Task Force?” asked David taking a sip of coffee.

“No.” said Mikhail as he looked at the medals. “I was part of the KDF. I was a Lieutenant in the Republican Guard station in Almaty, I fought against the PLA and Red Army until my country was destroyed, absorbed back into the control of the Russian communist. Me and my family escaped. We arrived here in 2046.”

Mikhail turns back and faces David. “Now I run the bar here, originally my bar, but the owners of the hotel made my bar part of it so I…you could say am part owner, yes?” smiled Mikhail with a little bit of disappointment on his face.

“Hey, at least you and your family are alive and safe.” comforted David as he placed money on the counter. “I bet you were a good soldier.”

“You bet your ass my American friend, a damn good soldier.” Mikhail laughed as he refilled David cup.

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” said David as he turned around to look for the Staff Sergeant.

“Will duty calls.” he says spotting Joseph.

Before David walked away from the bar, he salutes Mikhail. Mikhail in turn returned it. After saluting the old soldier, David rushed over the the Staff Sergeant.

“Good morning Staff Sergeant.” said David as he approached Joseph.

“Hey now, you don’t have to call me that David, anyway, good morning, now let get to the office before we’re late, again.” replied Joseph.

Minutes later in a Humvee, the two made their way toward the Freedom Tower in Freedom Plaza. At the office they usual done paperwork and occasionally they were also be sent out on police duty which Joseph was very careful to keep from Sidney and would only go on rotations that were not near the coffee shop where she worked. Setting in the passenger seat Joseph looks out the window as the Humvee drive’s pass park vehicles, vehicles that have not moved since the EMP attack.

“Today we have a fresh recruit dropping by for us to show the ropes to.” said David as he drove.

“What’s his name?” asked Joseph as he yawned.

“A…Jordan Parker, sound familiar?”

“Yeah, it rings a bell or two…” replied Joseph. “He was that kid that aided us in St. Louis.”

“I believe so.” answered David as he turns the street corner.

After driving a few more blocks, David asked Joseph a question. “So…are how you and Sidney doing lately?”

Joseph waits a moment before answering.

“We’re doing fine, why you ask?” Joseph asked still looking out the window.

“Oh nothing, just that I though, you know, you two would have tied the knot or…something like that by now.” replied David as a grinned formed on his face.

“What business is it of yours?” asked Joseph as he leaned against the passenger door with his elbow and his head resting on his hand, leering at David.

“Nothing, just that me and Kabayashi made a bet a while back on how long it would take you to purpose to her.” answered David.

“How much is this bet?” asked Joseph.

“It just a bit of money…”

“How much?” demanded Joseph grinning.

“Mm…about a month’s pay.” answered David.

Joseph just laughs. “A month’s pay!”

David says nothing and just nods in agreement.

“Well my friend, you are going to lose your month pay, me and Sidney are just friends, nothing more and that’s that. Now just shut up and drive.” said Joseph as he punches David in the shoulder. When Joseph punched David in the shoulder, he had little knowledge that it would cause David to veer off the road slamming the Humvee into a parked car. As the Humvee slams into the car the impacts jolts both David and Joseph in the cabin. Now at a complete stop, David having hit his head on the steering wheel leans back in the driver seat and groans in pain.

“Shit that hurt.” he muttered as he raised a hand to his forehead.

“What the hell man?” groaned Joseph.

“You the one that hit me man.” replied David as he kicked open his door.

“Guess I shouldn’t have hit you, sorry.” replied Joseph as he opens his door and climbed out. “Anyway, the Colonel is not going to like this.”

“Damn right about that.” added David as he grabbed his door and stumbled on to the snow-covered sidewalk.

Forty minutes later, at the Freedom Tower, Joseph and David reported to the Colonel’s office to explain what happen.

“Explain to me what happen with the Humvee.” commanded the Colonel taking a drink of his morning coffee.

“We hit a patch of ice and went off the road sir.” explained Joseph standing in attention in front of the Colonel’s desk.

“It that what happen Corporal?” asks the Colonel looking at David.

“That is right sir, we were talking when we hit an ice spot and went off the road.” answered David also standing in attention.

The Colonel takes a bite of toast from a plate in front of him and then a slip of coffee before standing up and looking out onto the plaza. “I am finding it hard to believe you two story, but since I have no proof saying otherwise, I will let it go but I’m giving you two a warning, next time something likes this happen, you will be deployed back to the front, are my instructions clear?”

“Yes sir.” replied Joseph, looking straight ahead out at the plaza.

“Dismissed, now get out of my office.” ordered the Colonel with a rough tone in his voice.

Joseph and David give a quick salute and proceed to exit the office when another officer enters dressed in full combat gear. Seeing the stripes on the officer Joseph jumps to attention, along with David and salutes.

“Good morning, Captain Gibbs.” says Joseph as he salutes.

“Staff Sergeant, Corporal.” saluted Gibbs recognizing the two Oklahoman’s.

“Ahh, Captain Gibbs, I been expecting you.” says the Colonel as he turns around. But upon seeing the Staff Sergeant and Corporal still in his office his mood changes and a annoyed look appears on his face.

“You two still here? I thought I told you to get out of my office?” asked the Colonel.

Puzzled Captain Gibbs stands quietly by with his helmet under his arm as the Colonel glares at Joseph.

“We were just leaving sir.” replies Joseph as he and David give a quick salute before proceeding out the door

“Now Captain, down to business.” says the Colonel as he shakes his head in disbelief at the Staff Sergeant conduct.

Arriving on the Third Floor, Joseph and David made their way to their office where they see several individuals already wait outside.

“Well David, you ready to begin the day?” asked Joseph as he spots the individuals.

“Just another job.” reply David cleaning his glasses with a small cloth sheet.

“Good morning gentlemen.” Joseph says as he approaches the individuals. “Just give us a few minutes to warm the computers up and we will have you all enlisted and assigned.”