Anna's Ether - Chapter 5 - War

"We are the only hope for mankind, William. You see, I have formed an army of survivors to fight the onslaught of an enemy so bent on destruction, that mankind will soon be extinct if they are not stopped," Martin said.

He then communicated with one of his men who brought William's attention to the north wall of the room. On it, frighteningly realistic images of war were displayed. William looked on in horror as wave after wave of suicidal troops attacked again, and again, wreaking death upon all they came into contact with, including themselves. They seemed to relish the chaos they were creating. "They don't even care." William managed to whisper. "No, they welcome death. In fact, it is not their objective to gain territory or resources in this final stage of the war. Their goal is to eliminate mankind, including themselves."

"I do not understand," William said. "After the nuclear exchange, the survivors split into two camps: One camp believes humanity can start again and build a better world... learn from this tragedy. The other believes that mankind must be eliminated, in order to end the cycle of destruction once and for all. They are determined to eliminate us by any means possible. We are all that stands in the way of their goal. As the leader of that first camp, I demand total allegiance from my people. In order to bring Anna back, you both will need to provide the same." Martin paused. "What does that mean, total allegiance?" William asked. "Our enemy is not made up of mindless killers.... quite the contrary William. One of their most effective tactics has been to infiltrate our ranks. We have lost more people to these internal attacks than we have in regular combat. That is why I must ask both Anna and yourself for complete access to your thoughts anywhere and at any time. This alone will ensure that our forces are not compromised. Everyone under my command has already voluntarily submitted to this procedure we have come to call The Ritual."

"And what if one does not volunteer?" William asked. "Anyone here is completely free to leave at any time," Martin replied. "Judging by the miserable state of the world, I would not presume anyone has taken you up on that offer," William said. William was feeling quite entrapped by the situation and was now fighting hard to keep his anger from swelling up. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know about "The Ritual". Right on cue, Martin tried to calm William's misgivings. "The Ritual is simply a series of simple steps that must be taken in order to complete the connection between our minds. The first step, you have already taken. By accepting communication via thoughts in a safe environment, namely this room, you have learned both how to communicate with me and to trust that your thoughts will once again be private the moment you walk out the door. The only difference is that after The Ritual, your thoughts will be private, if and when you decide to walk out our doors for good," Martin said.

"Then, there is no returning once the decision to leave is made?" William asked. "Unfortunately, not. We cannot risk the enemy using those who leave here against us," Martin replied. "I'm not certain I can bring Anna into this predicament where she has such abominable choices to make," William said. "At least she would have a choice, in death, she has none," Martin replied. "I need more time to think about this," William said. "Yes, of course. I will, however, need your decision in the morning. William returned to his quarters with a heavy heart, feeling more like a prisoner than a guest in this strange new world. He paced the room, determined to make the right choice if indeed there was one. Would she be happy to see him again or angry at him for choosing her fate for her? There was no easy answer. Would it be selfish to bring her here? Suddenly, an explosion shook the building followed by a powerful shockwave that knocked William to the floor unconscious.

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Next week: Anna's Ether - Chapter 6 -Flight,