Love First

Ding! Grand rising Community 6 Earthians. We’d like to thank all of you for your support and great energy during last night’s Togetherness Summit. As a reward for your participation, the council has decided to grace our community with a presentation of the most precious artifact known to man: the heart-shaped locket of our beloved Mother May, the first female president, founder of Love First, and the mother of the new world. We shall begin to prepare for the Ceremony at the break of the 8th hour. All citizens are expected to participate. Those who do not, will be brought before the co-council. Have a grand day all. And remember, Love First.

“This is it,” Demitrius says.

“We’ve finally been given the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“What do you mean?” questions Dominique.

“This is our opportunity to be seen, to be heard and to hit the council where it hurts. We’re going to steal the locket and destroy it,” says Demetrius.

“How are we supposed to do that? The council will have it so protected that we won’t be able to get close.” Dominique asks, confused.

“We’re going to knockout the entire community and pull the artifacts into the vents. We’ll never show our faces, so we will be impossible to find. Stop asking questions and just follow my lead. This is going to be the beginning of the revolution.”

A blaring “ding!” halts their whispers. A voice echos through speakers in identical dome-shaped dwellings.”Good evening Community 6 Earthians. The time has arrived. We need all citizens to congregate at the center of the city for the viewing of the Locket of Mother May. Have a grand day all, and remember, love first.”

The citizens file out of their dwellings, all dressed in gray robes, and step into transporters. The sky falls black as the council’s aircraft blocks the sun. The bottom of the aircraft opens and a stage lowers. A woman steps out onto the stage holding a glass box containing the heart-shaped locket. As the woman walks forward with the box, a podium rises from the stage, and the woman places the box on the podium. The entire community drops to their knees.

“Love first! love first! love first!” The people chant.

As the community is chanting, a bright light begins to flash, disorienting everyone. Immediately after, a thick fog emerges from the top of every building. Each person falls unconscious. Dominique and Demetrius step out of a transporter parked below the aircraft. They both pull out pocket rockets and strap them to their shoes, subsequently igniting the rockets and projecting them towards the aircraft. As they get closer to the aircraft, the stage begins to ascend back into the ship.

“Oh no, we’re not going to make it,” says Dominique.

“Yes we will. Just promise me you’ll catch the artifact and fly it to the edge of the community and drop it in the womb of the Earth. It is pertinent that you complete this task. Do you understand?” Demetrius drills him.

“No, I dont understand. Where will you be?

Demetrius initiates his boost and flies in the direction of the stage. As he approaches, his entrance thins into a small sliver. He barely makes it in, and knocks the box off the podium. The box gets caught in between the aircraft and the stage. As the door of the aircraft attempts to close, the glass box shatters, sending the artifact hurling toward Dominique. The stage closes, trapping Demetrius inside.

Dominique flies closer to the artifact and reaches out to grab it. He swiftly obtains the artifact and flies to the edge of the community. As he is flying, four drones emerge from the bottom of the aircraft and attempt to apprehend Dominique. He serpentines and evades the drones long enough to reach the top of the womb. He hurls the artifact into the womb as he is apprehended, a robotic drone arm clenching tightly to the back of his neck. Another drone flies towards the artifact as it descends into the magma in the center of the womb. The drone is struck by bubbling magma as the artifact bursts into flames and melts into the depths of the womb.

Dominique is flown back to the ceremony, where the community has regained consciousness, and is on the brink of an uproar. He sees the stage descend from the aircraft once more. He notices Demetrius in chains, covered in blood. He weeps helplessly for his companion. The drone hovers and drops him onto the stage, adjacent to his friend Demetrius.

“I completed the task, brother” Dominique boasts proudly

Demetrius looks up at him, smiling and says, “This is the beginning.”

The woman who was carrying the box walks onto the stage, accompanied by three heavily- armed council scouts.

“We will not tolerate insolence. We will not tolerate anarchists. We will punish any and everyone who initiates or encourages rebellion against the council.” Her cold voice booms through the crowd.

The woman raises her hand. The three council scouts walk over to Dominique and Demetrius. The woman lowers her hand, and the men unleash a flurry of shots into Dominique and Demetrius’ bodies.

The entire community stands in awe. Dead silence is broken by the sound of combustion, an explosion. The community hall bursts into flames. A doomsday transporter drives through the flaming building waving a flag with the words, “This Is The Beginning.”

A man stands atop the transporter with a plasma cannon and fires it into the aircraft. As the aircraft descends, the community breaks out into a riot. Citizens storm the capital.

That was the day the revolution began.