D-Day

Ooo. Ooo.

Baby Dylan reached his tiny hand out to his father. David smiled and held his son’s hand and gave it a kiss. “I love you,” he said. Dylan started laughing. David looked at his wife, Dani, and they smiled together. Dani held a heart shaped locket above Dylan and he grabbed it and put it in his mouth. David and Dani both gazed at their precious one in bliss.

Even when the world was crumbling outside, we were hopeful about the future. As long as we had our family, nothing could tear us apart.

Aah! Aah!

Screams were heard outside. People ran away from the armored cars as troops in black uniforms jumped out. David got up and looked out the window.

“Darling, they’re here. Hide Dylan! Quick!,” David said.

Dani ran towards the bedroom.

Bang! Bang!

The door swung open. Troops suddenly crowded the house.

“You can’t just barge into my house like that!,” David yelled.

“Look for the baby,” a troop told the others.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” replied David.

Wah! Wah!

A baby’s crying could be heard in the other room.

“No! Please don’t take him!,” Dani yelled, crying.

“You don’t know what I’m talking about? Is that right?,” the troop scoffed.

David tried to go to the other room, but the troop kicked him down to the ground. Dani clung onto the troop carrying Dylan. The troop pushed Dani away and caused her to hit her head onto the corner of the table. The troop continued out the door as Dylan screamed nonstop. Furious, David tried to get up, but a soldier stepped on him and hit him in the head with the back of the gun.

That was 25 years ago. When the world was decaying due to the release of synthetic bacteria, resulting in an imbalance in the ecosystem and causing crops and animals to die. To make matters worse, the pesticide, used to combat the bacteria, released more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, warming the planet at a drastic rate. As a way of mother nature fighting back, catastrophic disasters rampaged the world. Many lost their homes. Food became scarce. Everything needed to be rationed and those in charge, the same people responsible for taking my son and killing my wife, controlled how much to give out to the rest of us.

They thought that by starving us, we would become weaker and thus easier to control, but they were wrong. The rage within me and all the parents, whose children went missing, remained strong. We started a rebel group and have been planning and waiting for a chance to get our children back. As time passed, food rations began dwindling and more family members were lost. People started hearing about our group and decided to join us. What we started eventually became a movement for survival, which leads us to the present day.

Ahem. Ahem.

“The leader of the troops passed away and is announcing their next heir in line. It will be broadcasted everywhere. The coalition decided that today is our D-Day. This is our chance to take back what’s ours!” David yelled in excitement.

Whoo! Whoo!

The crowd cheered.

David continued, “We will split into five separate groups as planned: Offense, Defense, Support, Range, and Sneak. Offense and Defense will charge straight to the facility and will work side by side, supporting each other. Support will assist Offense and Defense with transportation, reinforcements, ammunition and medical help. Range will be our eyes and ears and will take down enemies above us. Sneak will be with me. We will head to the sewers and take them down from the inside and we’ll meet everybody up from behind enemy lines. Stay with the plan and we will succeed. So, move out and let’s win this!”

Yeah! Yeah!

The crowd yelled louder than before and began chanting.

---

Vroom. Vroom.

It was an amazing sight to see as we headed towards the facility. Vehicles stretching for miles, all driving side by side, following each other. To think everybody in these vehicles are fighting for survival. It’s unbelievable.

As they got closer, David’s heart beat faster. To comfort himself, he took out the heart shaped locket and held it close to his heart.

“Who gave you that Chief,” Daniel asked.

“It was my wife’s, but she passed away and it’s all that reminds me of her and my son,” David answered.

“I’m sorry sir.” Daniel said.

“It’s alright Daniel. Today will make up for my loss,” David said earnestly.

“Sir, there are three bogeys ahead of us,” Darell said.

“Tell Diana, Doug, and Duke to head on up,” David said.

Three vehicles drove ahead and three individuals popped up from the roof of their vehicles. Each pulled out a bazooka and aimed at the aircrafts.

Boom! Boom!

“I don’t see anymore from here to the facility,” Darrell said.

“Must be their daily recon. Doesn’t seem like they’re expecting us,” David replied.

When they arrived at the deserted city, each vehicle went to their designated locations. Offense and Defense troops waited in position in their cars awaiting confirmation. Support troops were parked a little behind them. Range troops headed inside nearby abandoned skyscrapers for a clear view of the facility. Sneak troops remained inside the closest skyscraper to the sewers until Range troops got into positions.

“You’re clear to go down,” Diego said to the Sneak team.

To ensure his team went down safely, David pulled out his gun and looked out for enemies. In the corner of his eyes, above of him, he saw an enemy take aim at him.

Pew! Pew!

The enemy was shot.

“Thanks Diego,” David said in relief.

“Anytime,” Diego replied.

Once David got into the sewers, Diego called the other teams to begin the charge. Offense and Defense planted bombs inside vehicles and had them charge full speed into the facility’s gate.

Wham! Wham!

“I have a clear view of the bombs. I’m going to take the shot,” Dinah, from the Ranged team, said.

“Go for it,” said Don from the Offense Team.

Kaboom! Kaboom!

Meanwhile in the sewers, the Sneak team approached a barred entryway.

“Damarcus, you’re up,” David said.

Damarcus planted a bomb onto the entryway and told everyone to back up.

Beep! Beep!

Bam! Bam!

Once the debris was gone, the team continued on. Up ahead, they saw a rectangular light. They got a closer look and it was a glass screen and beyond it was a garden, full of crops. They were astonished to see so much green and they couldn’t believe what they saw, especially when the outside world was a wasteland. They broke through the glass and they couldn’t believe how fresh the air was. Everybody took deep breaths and was intoxicated by the richness.

“Come on, we need to move forward,” David said.

They crossed the garden and went through a tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel was a screen broadcasting the new heir.

“And here’s your new leader! Dex!,” the announcer on the screen yelled enthusiastically.

The young man had golden hair and bright blue eyes and waved at the crowd.

Clap! Clap!

Applause and cheering were heard through the screen.

“Dex is quite young, but he has built an exemplary reputation and with his wisdom and guidance, he will lead us to the new world,” the announcer continued.

Drip. Drip.

“Are you okay Chief?,” Dorothy asked.

“That’s my son.. That’s my son, Dylan! He has his mother’s hair and eyes. I need to go find him!,” David said frantically.

“Alright, let’s split into two groups. A small group will go with David to find his son and the other will make their way to the other teams,” said Devin.

Step. Step.

Following the signs, the small group used the elevator to go down 100 floors to the capital floor, where Dex is believed to be. As they went down, they witnessed an unimaginable world.

There was a floor with houses with its own plot of land stacked on top of each other, stretching for miles. Children were wearing white and could be seen laughing and playing on lawns. There was another floor filled with only baby cribs that spanned for miles. There were also separate floors teaching kids how to read, write, sew, cook, swim, etc.

Below the 50th floor was beyond comprehensible. One floor was basically an aquarium with all kinds of colorful fishes swimming in it. Another floor had zero gravity and different colored galaxies could be seen. There was one that made you feel like you were inside of a watch and another filled with storage tanks filled with different fruits.

When they arrived at the 100th floor, they felt insignificant and lost their purpose in life. They were completely dumbfounded, except for one person, David.

He wanted to find his son.

David walked into what looked like the inside of a palace. In front, was the porch from the screen where Dex was presented.

Dex came in from the other room and jumped.

“An Outsider.. It’s surprising to see one so far down and one who has not completely lost it,” Dex said.

“Dylan, I’m your father,” David said. “The troops took you away from me when you were a baby.”

“You’re mistaken. My father is the Great Leader Dimitri, who passed away yesterday, and I’m his son and only heir,” Dex replied.

“You’re wrong! You’re my son! You look exactly like your mother. You were born outside,” David claimed.

Dex yelled back, “Blasphemy! Saying that I’m one of you, Outsiders, is an insult to me. Outsiders are nothing, but disgusting, violent savages. My father shouldn’t have thought about you, Outsiders. He should’ve left you all to die.”

Shocked, David said, “What are they teaching you down here? The world is dying. Living up there isn’t easy and the fact that you barely give us any food is inhumane. There’s a whole floor filled with food that could feed cities!”

“You, people, think too small. We think about the future. That amount of food can only feed some cities, not the whole country. If everybody found out about this place, the food supply would be gone in a few weeks. Humanity would cease to exist. We’re the only ones keeping humanity going,” Dex explained. “As leader, I’m going to end the food rations. There’s no need to continue feeding the outside world. This way, there’ll be less people to deal with in the future and humanity will continue to thrive.”

“Are you insane?!,” David yelled, marching towards Dex.

Dex pulled out a gun and shot David in the knee.

Agh! Agh!

David squirmed around on the floor in agony.

A screen popped up in front of Dex.

“Sir, the rebel group has infiltrated the facility. What do we do?,” a troop said.

“Lockdown the 10th floor and below. We can’t let them get past there. Protect all civilians at all cost,” Dex commanded.

“Yes Sir,” the troop replied.

“Damn it!,” Dex yelled, flipping over a nearby table. “You people ruined everything! We’re trying to survive down here and you just barge into our home! You people cause nothing, but destruction! This place is humanity’s last chance for survival and it’s about to be destroyed!”

David pulled out the locket and held it next to his heart and said, “I’m sorry, Dani. I failed you. I couldn’t bring him back.”

“Enough of this,” Dex said. Dex shot David near the heart.

Using his remaining strength, David shakily held out the locket to Dex and with his last breath, said ,”I love you, Dylan.”

The locket caught Dex’s eye and he got closer to have a look. Holding the locket, he suddenly remembered it as a baby.

His other hand covered his mouth and his eyes widened. Tears began falling down his cheek.

-No one is good or bad in this world. We’re all just trying to survive.