Twisted Alloy

Like a slow killing chemical the VI was slowly gaining power as more and more people, desperate to get back at the government for letting the economy fail, flocked to their cloud fortress. The un-suspecting United States army, led by Major General John Reddings, was ill-prepared for the massive attack on Alabama. The Alabama citizens didn’t even know that they were being attacked, for the VI samurais silently crept past the state borders. The un-motivated Alabama State Patrol simply gave up and ran out of the state with their families. The VI used heat sensors to detect any human presence in any area they occupied. If there is human presence they are given 10 minutes to leave, if this warning is not heeded, parts of human bodies will be all over the floor.
John Redding was not a stupid man, just a much stressed out man. Too many of his soldiers were deserting to join the VI. He was under extreme pressure to take action, however the deserters had a well planned network of supporters throughout the military installations and scores of safe houses, all supplied by the VI. The attack on Alabama put tremendous pressure on John to stop the advance. How could he stop something he can’t see? He was only human. The only help he got from the government was the establishment of the new 30 year draft.
“Number 38906, please come up to the testing booth” Will hear as he let loose a string of curses and walked up to the testing booth. Will was never much of a religious person, but he was going to need all the he could get, for the stories he heard of the war from veterans were not good ones. “Sir please put your arm in the metal chamber” said Doctor Chamberlain, tired of all the insubordination of the draft picks.” Doctor, do you believe in god?” asked Will. “I’m not sure what that has to do with anything but, yes”. “Then let me leave!” howled Will. Having no tolerance for people with attitude problems, Doctor Chamberlain had the security guards forcefully push Will’s arm into the chamber. As positive results scrolled onto the screen, Will was handed a military identification card and a uniform, not a good thing.
While some of the lower level VI members were new and from the U.S, the samurais are genetically engineered to fight for Jai, their supreme leader. As the fighting in Alabama got more and more gruesome, some samurais were having thoughts of revolt against the VI, a flaw in their genetic code. Any samurai discovered to have these thoughts was decoded and killed instantly. In all 35 years of VI history no samurai has ever revolted against the VI out of the 18 discovered having those deadly thoughts.
Recently, my mind's been thinking of life beyond the VI. But, how is this possible? I was engineered to serve Jai, which is my one and only purpose. I cannot be discovered having these thoughts. The punishment is the most shameful thing that can happen to a samurai, suicide is more honorable than being discovered. The life beyond the VI seems so care free and welcoming. No crazy wars filled with painful deaths best left for the movies. No, I can’t let the life beyond distract me from my mission. This is the worst time for these thoughts. Tomorrow I am being shipped to Alabama, the front lines. If only my friends could see me now, Samurai Bo, fighting the American aggressors.
I didn't want to serve. Not one part of me wants to fight in this war. But whatever, who cares, you know? There is no other choice, the new dissertation laws guarantee quick death for anyone caught making even the slightest planning of escape. I’m not even sure if I’ll live to see next week. I’m being assigned a post at a military installation in Alabama, where all the fighting is taking place. Once I’m there my chances of escaping are as slim as the protection vest I’m forced to war. Damn this war. Who ever said I wanted to be Private Will. To hell with all that.
"You are nothing without Jai! Jai is everything! I am Jai, you are nothing. You will fight for me!" Damn these VI speeches. The moment I touch down on Alabama soil, I'm gone. And that's exactly what I said to Jai. And now I am in a prison with American POW's and not the execution chamber, simply because I have too much influence and my death might inspire a revolt. The Americans also don't want to fight this damn war. One of them, Will, seems to want to leave as much as I do. Looks like someone I could trust to help me escape.
"Charge!" yelled John Reddings, the so called general. He can’t even stop his own troops from leaving him. As the personal carrier doors open and the samurais come screaming towards us, I run straight into a group of samurais quickly shooting them with my rifle. I am not bothered by these killings until much later. I continue to run into what used to be a house, as I take up a sniping position I am knocked out and taken prisoner. As the prison hovercraft is floating through the cloud fortress gates, I realize how much of an architectural masterpiece it is. This is certainly not the right time to think of buildings.
At the prison lunch break I walked up to Will and said “I’m tired of this, lets leave". He replied “Whenever you’re ready". That's how we began to hatch up a plan to get out of here and experience the life behind. Every lunch break for over two weeks we watched the guards and planned when the best time was to escape. Finally we came up with a plan to leave when the guards were switching shifts. “Go" I yelled as Will and I knocked down the two main guards and killed the remaining ones with their own rifles. When we made it to the cloud elevator that took us to the surface, I changed into civilian clothe and got ready for a new life.
Bo and I came up with a plan to get out of this hell hole. We quickly busted the two head guards and used their rifles to shoot the others. As the futuristic cloud elevator was nearing to the surface, I thought of all the fun I'd have out there. In the elevator, Bo and I exchanged stories of how we got into the army and how hard training camp when suddenly Bo started asking me questions about fast food. I get to smoke again. Things are looking up. New life, I'm coming!
The life beyond isn't all it's cut out to be. Sure there's fast food and ladies, but after two weeks I'm living in a crummy apartment I share with Will. No TV or air conditioning. Some times I wonder who pays the rent Will and I or the rats and bug that make themselves at home all over the apartment. We live a life of mandatory minimums. The apartment was crummy and infested with rats and all types of vermin, but one I know one thing for sure, it beats the barracks.
I got this apartment to share with Bo. I rule the house. No more John Reddings to boss me around. I’ve been thinking of hiring a full time exterminator, but, of course money’s tight when you don’t have a full-time job. Maybe I could work as an exterminator, got to keep that thought in mind. Next week we're getting jobs at the recreation center and moving into a new house complete with air conditioning and a Plasma TV.
The new house is great. Better than any cloud fortress barracks. Perhaps even Jai's house. The job at the rec center doesn’t require that much work compared to army life. I now live a life of work, relaxation and fast food, for I have fallen in love with this so called, McDonalds. Everything is good!
I’ve been thinking. How much money would Bo and I make if we started a movie production company? Well, sure as hell more than the rec center job. We could make war documentaries through our own movie production business. It would be easy, we’ll make a movie about army life, something both me and Bo know a lot about. After we came back from the rec center, I took this up with Bo. “Sounds great, but we need money to make money” was his reply. And that’s how Bo and I took our idea to the government, asking for a grant. A grant is exactly what we got.
Will and I got our movie production company a name, Real Army Corporation, we hired a couple of people from the rec center to be our actors, planning to fire them after we get enough money to hire professional actors. Our first movie, Through the Clouds, was an instant hit. We got about fourteen million dollars of that movie. Will an I each bought a new house. Even though we live in separate houses we still are friends at work.
The movie business was great, after fourteen million dollars and a box office hit, I bought a mansion, with a hot tub inside and outside. Soon, I was dating this girl I met at one of our movie premier parties, her name was Jade. I proposed to her 3 months after meeting her and she said yes about 6-9 times. At the wedding ceremony, Bo was our best man. We had a great time.
I met this McDonalds waitress who served me the best Big Mac with Large Fries ever. 2 weeks later, we were getting married. The wedding was 2 days after Will’s and he was our best man. I messed up at the, do you take her to be your loving wife, part because it was my first time to hear such a thing.
Now both married and with kids, Bo and will continue to make movies about army life and to support veterans of the war through a charitable organization they started. They each have 3 kids who they love and take care of. They promised each other to never let any of their kids join the army.