Diomede

Epilogue

-|PROLOGUE

Alight breeze brushes across Jessica’s face. She reluctantly peels her eyelids open and peers towards the bright sky through her bangs. Jessica! It’s time for your lesson! Her father shouts from the porch of their home. She gently brushes the hair from her face and takes in the full beauty of the willow tree above, flowing majestically in the spring draft.

Leisurely she escapes the cocoon of the hammock in which she had just enjoyed a well-deserved nap. Plucking some yellow daisies from the grass, she makes her way inside. Grabbing an empty mason jar from the cabinet, she fills it with water and carries it into the living room.

There you are. Her father says, relieved. I was worried you’d never wake up. Hurry over let’s begin.

I don’t want to play piano today Dad. It’s so nice outside. Jessica whines.

Balance, my love. It’s the key to life. Now, have a seat. We’ll make today’s lesson short. He replies softly.

Jessica walks over towards the old piano sitting in the corner of the room near the window. She gently places the jar on top then slides the daises into it. Her father, sitting on the left side of the bench, motions for her to have a seat next to him.

Those are some beautiful flowers you picked, Jess. Her father says with a smile.

Thanks! She replies excitedly, gazing at the daises in a daze.

Okay, so for today’s lesson, let’s try a new song. You remember how to read the notes right? He asks.

Of course, Dad. She replies with confidence as she turns her attention to the keys.

Just checking. Her father grabs a sheet of music from the top of the piano and places it in the holder in front of them.

What is Fur Elis? Jessica asks.

It’s pronounced Für Elise. Her father replies laughing. It’s a famous classical piano piece written by Beethoven. It means ‘For Elise’.

So, it was written for a lady? Jessica asks curiously.

Many people believe so, although no one knows the identity of the mystery woman. She must have been just as beautiful as you are to have received such a masterful piece of artwork in dedication. He says with pride.

Thanks Dad. Jessica replies, blushing.

So, on a gorgeous day like today, let’s learn this lovely song to help you remember it. He insists.

Okay. Jessica says, smiling as she begins to study the sheet music intently.

Once confident in her comprehension of the piece, she gracefully raises her fingers into position on the keys. Softly she begins the song, captivated by the melody and lost in the emotion. Each segment unraveling itself within her and stirring up feelings to accompany each note. Her father sits observing as she flawlessly executes the score on the first try.

Wow. He mutters in amazement as she finishes the song.

You’re right, that was beautiful. She says in awe.

You have been blessed with many gifts. Don’t let them go to waste, dear. He says with a smile full of pride. He pats her on the back and gets up from the bench.

I won’t. She replies, deep in reflection from the moving moment.

Staring up from the keys, she brings her eyes to rest on the daisies once more. Inspired, she plays the song over and over until her fingers are sore. Finally, unable to muster the strength to play it again, she gets up from the bench and walks outside onto the porch. Taking a seat in one of their wicker chairs, she begins to doze off, staring out at the spring sun now painting the sky orange as it lays to rest for the day.

1|THINGS  FALLING APART

Arouge wave of fear crashes over Jessica as she watches on while people battle in firefights. Blood staining the sidewalks, bodies strewn across the grass and ruble littering the streets. Looking on in horror, she tries to move but is frozen in place. Unexpectedly, a loud siren tears the silence apart in a rhythmic scream. Pulsating through the air, commanding her attention before softly fading to stillness. It repeats as her gaze is drawn towards a patch of sky above. A massive fireball erupts through the clouds, evolving into a blinding light that consumes her completely.

She jolts awake, her heart racing as she comes to terms that it was just a dream. Gaining her bearings, she glances over from her chair towards Eli laying in the hospital bed next to her. His heart rate monitor beeping in the same rhythmic fashion as the siren from her dream. Startled and soaked in sweat, she gets up and heads to the sink.

After splashing her face with water to cool and calm herself, she glances up into the mirror. Her face worn with fatigue and strain, she frantically searches her own eyes for the confidence to pull herself together. Looking to the corner of the mirror she catches Eli in the reflection. Her heart rate begins to slow, her stress evaporates, and she can feel the fear being replaced with love.

Gradually she brings her focus back to her own eyes. Now clearly seeing the fire ablaze within them. Turning around, she moves to Eli’s side. Grabbing his hand, she leans in and gives him a soft kiss on the forehead. Just then, the door opens and Omilio steps in.

Hey Jess. He says softly.

Hey. She replies, turning to face him with a smile.

Sorry to bother you but Victor needs to speak to you as soon as possible. Things are getting pretty crazy out there. Omilio explains.

I see. I’m ready now, let’s go. She says, squeezing Eli’s hand one more time before releasing it.

Omilio leads Jessica out of the room and down the corridor of the hospital. Keeping a brisk pace, her mind begins to wander about Eli’s condition. The doctors told her that he was in a coma and that they were unsure when or if he would ever regain consciousness. His wounds from the bullets would heal relatively quickly, but the rest was uncertain. The thought of losing him forever is simply too much to bare and begins weighing more heavily on her heart with every step she takes away from the room.

She quickly shifts her thoughts to the present, imagining what Victor wants to talk about and what might come next. With a hint of fear and a wealth of passion, she marches forward, anxious with anticipation to find out how she can be of assistance.

They continue ever deeper though the complex maze of corridors and elevators, as Omilio confidently navigates them. We’d be dead ten times over if it weren’t for him. She thinks to herself as she follows behind Omilio closely. At last, they emerge from the hospital onto the tarmac of the airbase, a kiss of freezing wind caressing their cheeks. The sky bleak, gray and ominous, hanging above them as if to challenge their spirits.

Approaching a small military M-Gator utility vehicle, Omilio motions for Jessica to hop on board. She climbs in the passenger seat and looks out at the troops mobilizing across the airbase. Omilio climbs into the driver’s seat and starts up the small all-terrain vehicle. He threads them through the organized chaos unfolding on the runway. Troops and equipment shuffle around, while aircraft land and takeoff in a constant flow.

It’s just up here. He says. Jessica closes her eyes and digs deep down for the emotional fuel she needs to make it through the coming barrage of reality. Up until this point, she had no idea what was going on in the outside world. With only her imagination to paint the picture, her stomach begins to churn.

Omilio pulls the M-Gator up alongside an unassuming, weathered two-story concrete building near the edge of the base. Shutting the engine off, he climbs out and walks around to assist Jessica out of the vehicle. Despite still being quite injured from the events after Seattle, she had been recovering well. The doctors said she would be fine with a week’s rest. There wasn’t time for that and she knew it, so she sucks up the pain and carries forward with determination.

The large steel doors to the building swing outward and two armed soldiers step out, holding the doors open, saluting Omilio and Jessica as they enter. Thank you. Jessica says as she forces herself to smile for the two men. Just inside, they are greeted by an Indian man in a fine, dark blue military suit and turban, adorned with a plethora of medals and badges.

Good evening. Allow me to introduce myself to you, Jessica. My name is Manjit Singh. I am the Defense Minister of Canada and it is my pleasure to be in the presence of your company. I have already met and briefed your associate Omilio but the time has come to get you up to date. If you’ll follow me, please. Manjit says in a calm and firm voice.

It’s nice to meet you as well. Jessica says, softly shaking his hand.

He turns and leads the pair through a series of heavily locked doors to an elevator. As they enter, Manjit places his hand on a bio-metric scanner, bringing the elevator to life. He selects a button on the touch screen and waits for the doors to close before imputing a numerical pass code. They begin a rapid decent, passing an unknown number of levels, deep into the ground. The elevator comes to a slow and gentle rest before Manjit inputs another pass code and the doors open.

The trio step out of the elevator into a full-blown war-room. Monitors and displays line the walls and flicker with images of cities, terrain, live news feeds, troop movements and radar screens. The room bustles with military personnel scrambling to stay on top of it all. While following Manjit forward through the madness, Jessica catches glimpses of battles being waged on some of the monitors. At first, she looks away, then she finds the courage to turn back and observe. From what she can muster, it appears that U.S. civilians are battling city police and military personnel in the streets.

Jessica, how are you holding up? Victor’s voice booms as he leans in to give her a hug, snapping her out of her trance.

I’m okay, I think, considering. She says as he hugs her gently to avoid causing pain to her injuries.

You’ve been through a lot, that’s for sure. We’re not out of the woods yet. I just wanted to get you caught up on the status of things. There is a lot happening out there and I’m sure you are very curious. Victor replies.

Thank you, and yes I am very concerned with what is happening. What I’m seeing on these monitors doesn’t look good. She says.

Well, here is what we know. Immediately following Stephen’s assassination attempt, full blown chaos erupted nationwide. The government and national media tried to contain the hysteria by placing the blame on Eli. But via social media and the internet, most people came to the realization that the official story was false. Many people took to the streets and battles ensued between authorities and civilians. At some point in the escalation the government issued an order to enact marshal law, while simultaneously flipping the kill switch on the internet and communications providers. This effectively plunged the country into total darkness. No news, no information, a complete shutdown. There were many reports that managed to get out before that happened but since the blackout we have been in the dark as well. All we know is what little we can garner from our satellites. After the events at Enloe, our Prime Minister Jon Oram and Parliament met for an emergency vote and declared war on the government of The United States. Since that declaration forty-eight hours ago, the borders have been sealed shut and we have mobilized our military assets in a line of defense. There have been several small arms altercations along the border between U.S. forces and Canada resulting in casualties on both sides. However, no full-scale offensive has been mounted by either side yet. The U.S. military is currently stretched very thin, having to police the populace of every major city and defend the border simultaneously. Our satellites indicate the full recall of all war ships and most troops stationed around the world. We have released the video you took at Stephen’s speech to the world and with it we sealed any doubts about who is to blame. However, you know how manipulative the media has become. Our sentiment is still not completely unanimous. U.S. citizens only have the last communications they received before the blackout to go off of. We’re working on a plan to broadcast short range radio transmissions with news to the populace but that’s still a ways off. Victor explains in detail.

Allies of the two countries have been torn between supporting Canada or the U.S. in this extremely complex conflict. The level of severity and seriousness in the politics is causing unrest in most countries. The people are demanding that their countries stand with Canada and invade the U.S. to bring freedom to its people. While some leaders are blindly holding their loyalties to their U.S. counterparts and issuing pledges of support to defend the U.S. from any foreign invasion. Lastly, we have rouge nations such as North Korea threatening to use the turmoil as an opportunity to attack. Essentially, we are staring World War III directly in the face. Manjit elaborates in a serious tone.

Jessica stares forward blankly while attempting to digest the information she just received.

Are you okay? Omilio asks, leaning in to comfort her.

I’m fine. Just a lot to process. Not every day someone tells you that you started World War III. Jessica says, nodding in thanks to Omilio’s gesture while refusing his physical consoling.

It is imperative that we de-escalate the situation as much as possible, while still sticking to our guns. Right now, we are in talks with Russia, China and a dozen other countries in support of you and Canada. The world is on edge and military posterity and movement is happening everywhere. One wrong move, well, it could spell the end for everyone. Victor says solemnly.

We still have yet to receive any official contact from within Washington D.C. It appears that there may be power struggles occurring within what’s left of the government. They have been highly destabilized by the events of the last seventy-two hours. We believe that the military may currently be under command of whatever regime is responsible for the assassination attempt. It may not take long for that to shift, as most militaries in destabilized countries end up sympathizing with the populace instead of the politicians. For everyone’s sake, the sooner that happens, the better. If the standing army is on the side of the people, the world may be able to back off and let them restore peace. They can then smoke out the corrupt regime and oversee restructure with minimal external assistance. Manjit adds.

So, what’s our next move? Jessica asks.

We must continue to plan for the worst but right now we need eyes inside the country. We have already deployed several spec ops teams from coast to coast via ground and high-altitude entry. They will be our eyes and ears to monitor the situation, and we will alter our strategy accordingly. Manjit explains.

"There is also a special task force being assembled to extract Stephen