2020: A War on Ideology
The arrival of summer had brought with it a soothing atmosphere to Joint Base Lewis McCord, and the rapidly cooling dusk air meant an end to many soldier’s hard daytime labors. Yet just as silence seemed to bring a close to the day’s operations, one last flight was cleared for departure along the single stretch of tarmac. The iconic hum of a C-130’s turbine engines suddenly broke the peace as it rapidly gained speed, leaping upward into the dying sunset. The camouflaged beast was a whale, yet it climbed into the air with a surprising agility, eager to get into the amassing cloud cover and out of sight from the restless eyes below.
Consumed by the mesmerizing buzz and unbelievably peaceful nature of the ascent, three soldiers within the beast’s belly lay slumped in their seats, drifting into a well needed snooze before their dangerous mission ahead. The team’s leader, code named Ethan, was the last of the hmen to give up grip on consciousness. Surrounded by darkness, images flooded his mind. They were not nightmares, nor dreams, but merely memories of a time not too long ago. His past soon came to light, and those dreaded days in history quickly grasped all of his subconscious thoughts.  He remembered everything about those few cold winter days, everything to the last detail.
         Through his cloudy morning eyes, fourteen year old Ethan could just barely make out the bolded letters and numbers on his ageing alarm clock, which read: 8:00 a.m., December 21, 1990.  The crisp, cool air brought welcome to a new winter day as rays of sunlight beamed into the small bedroom, providing little warmth from the overnight freeze. Even with the familiar scent of home and freshly baked pancakes radiating from the kitchen downstairs, the cold was enough for teenage Ethan to stay secluded in the warmth of his sheets. With his mother out for work and father deployed overseas, there remained little motivation to get out of bed during the middle of his Christmas break. Alone in his family’s two story apartment, located in central New York City, not a single drop of fear resided in Ethan, for the three factions were at peace and crime was at an all-time low.
Ever since the great resource wars of 1910 conceded, with it went the need for independent nations. The formation of the three world factions, mega powers compared to the old countries, finally concluded the aggression of governmental systems. The United Democracy, resembling much of the primitive Europe, Canada, and United States, at last obtained more than enough space for its spread of democracy and free ideology. Likewise, the People's Communist Republic, formed from the old China and Russia, finally determined that the west was no longer a threat, as it had enough territory and resources to secure the communist system. Even the Islamic State, formed from the rouge Middle Eastern countries, had controlled its internal terrorist problems and ceased its spread of the Islamic religion through violence. The remaining parts of the globe remained neutral territories, in which each nation was allowed to share as long as peace remained present. The singing of the World Peace Contract in 1911 was the final seal of approval for this new way of life, and at last, the world would remain in amity. No civil unrest had plagued the world for years; harmony was now commonplace.
         At this time in his life, Ethan lived in a utopia. He had never seen an act of war, people were no longer discriminated against, and being a citizen of the free United Democracy, there were no limitations of what he could explore, think, or create; he was lucky. Yet his good fortune would soon run out.  Around five minutes after finally forcing his limp body out of bed, Ethan decided that it was time to be “productive” for the day. Even though this most likely meant another series of playing computer games or watching the television, it was still better than sleeping for another twelve hours. Just as he began to stand, stretching all six feet of his athletic figure into the air, a deafening sound shattered both his ears, and the windows. Simultaneously, fire erupted in the streets as brilliant flashes of light beamed through the shattered windows of the neighborhood. The smell of breakfast and home quickly was replaced by the scent of burning buildings as Ethan was thrown to the floor in yet another violent series of rumblings. Half-naked, Ethan scrambled in a panic to find his closet, where he could quickly change from his pajamas to his hardy work clothes. After scrambling through the smoke, which was pouring in though what was left of the empty window frame, he finally was able to find his mark. Not even taking a minute to grab anything else, Ethan ran down the stairs towards the front door. Like the many buildings around him, his family’s small apartment was going up in flames. Sounds of screams and cries filled the air once the front door was opened. Ethan’s once peaceful neighborhood had now turned into what looked like an old war zone; burning bodies of his neighbors lined the streets with their houses and belongings in no better shape. There was no time to think with the explosions continuing to rain down upon him, Ethan had to move.
         For blocks he ran, sprinting as fast as his skinny legs could possible allow, but the scenery never changed. Around ten blocks away from his home, almost on the brink of giving up hope, Ethan found two of his best friends, who promptly shuttled him into a nearby underground apartment complex. Ethan, Danny, and Jon had been friends since the beginning of primary school, basically from the age of five. The two identical brothers were similar in structure with Ethan, both tall and muscular at around six feet and 150 pounds. Although all three looked somewhat alike, the twins blond hair and blue eyes were distinctly different than Ethan’s dark black hair and hazel eyes. They were all like family, never to leave each other’s side. Sports, games, school, and joint family outings have bonded the three for years.  They all valued loyalty; and stuck together like a wild pack of wolves.  
The explosions only lasted for another hour, but it seemed like an eternity for the young survivors. After the almost two hour nightmare, the twenty survivors who joined the boys collectively decided to remain in the far from luxurious structure to prevent more injury and to hide from whatever, or whoever, was causing the destruction outside.  For the time being, there were no more rules, only survival. The boys were scared, confused, and worried about the safety of each other and their families. They had nothing to do but sit and wait, like helpless dear in headlights. The radio brought in by one of the older adult survivors had not provided entertainment, nor information from the outside world, as static was the only audible noise from the small machine. If they were ever to hear of what happened above, it would have to be from the single box radio that sat alone in the dark lobby of the apartment. At around nine at night, though it was impossible to tell the exact time without a functioning clock, the boys finally heard the familiar sound of news coming from the receiver.  The message was faint, but audibly read: “Attention, Attention all survivors! This is the emergency broadcasting network; the following message is not a drill. The People's Communist Republic has carried out an assault on all fronts of both the United Democracy and Islamic State. All people are advised to now turn to station 760 for further news and instruct-.” The station was turned by another of the adults before the automated voice could finish its instructions. The news station was manned by a women, possibly of British descent based on her accent. From a teleprompter in a land far away, the woman read: “Good morning, afternoon, or night ladies and gentleman. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you are doing, the following message applies to you! Today, at approximately 1:35 p.m. central Europe time, The People's Communist Republic launched the world’s biggest assault against the two other powers along with all neutral territories. The first strike consisted of the bombardment of almost all major population centers and strategic military targets with the use of space-bound kinetic energy weapons. As most of you have experienced, these satellites launched large titanium rods from outer earth orbit down upon the atmosphere, which rapidly pick up speed while traveling to their targets. The effects of the weapons were devastating today, leaving tens of millions dead and trillions of dollars in structural damage. The effects of these weapons may have the appearance of nuclear warfare, but there is no radioactive material involved. I assure all of you that the outside environment is safe to inhabit. That being said, I caution all of you to stay out of sight, as the second wave of land troops will be hitting your areas soon. These soldiers are highly trained and will stop at nothing to hunt you down for the benefit of their motherland. Do not convert, I repeat, do not convert to the communist way of life. Stay true to your friends, families, and nations. Hide by day and fight by night. Do not let-.” The transmission was once again interrupted, but this time by a much older voice, with a hint of a Russian accent. He aggressively spoke in English stating: “Make quiet for the words of your new leaders! The People's Communist Republic now owns all citizens of the world! If you are listening to this broadcast, step outside and walk with your hands above your head to the nearest red army soldier. Surrender now and be welcomed to join the communist way of life. We all need you, we all are counting on you, but most of all our glorious supreme leader Big Father wants you. Be a part of the community, be a part of something bigger than yourself! Freedom means nothing; dedication to your fellow man means everything.” The message continued to repeat in Arabic, then again in English, yet no one motioned to touch the radio. Everyone sat confused, saddened, and heartbroken in the small dark basement apartment.
            Ethan knew what was happening, and even worse, what would happen if he didn’t surrender. He knew exactly what would happen if he did as well. The communist way of life portrayed by the message and the super power was not as great as they make it seem. Most citizens of The People's Communist Republic are poor and have little money. But even worse, they are not allowed even the most basic rights. No one can speak out against anything the government claims, nor practice any form of activity without being spied on. People are forced to work menial jobs until death with no benefits other than to “help” their fellow comrades. Everyone is supposed to be equal but even that’s not true. Most everyone is poor and the few rich are the ones in charge.  Ethan didn’t want to be poor, nor oppressed; he wanted the ability to be free!
         The group of three boys decided to take action, all enraged by the assault of the communists and the future of despair they promise. The next day at sundown, they planned to leave the underground apartment and find any form of resistance group they could join. The next morning, the boys awoke to the chill of steel being forced up against their foreheads and a stern face in a digital camouflage uniform staring them in the eyes. All hope of a rebellion was lost as they were loaded into a truck and hauled off for “re-education,” a long process of teaching the ways of communism. In the years that followed, Ethan, Danny, and Jon were never split apart. The communists knew the advantage of their bond, and used it for their own benefit. Years of training, torcher, and re-education taught the boys the true meaning of communism, and made them the true unit they were always meant to be. The boys never saw their parents again, yet for some odd reason none of them cared. The 18 years of training by the communists had made them think nothing, feel nothing, nor love anything but each other and their government, but most importantly Big Father.  
         The three soldiers were promptly awoken by the ring of a high pitched alarm and the sudden dimming of the plane’s cabin lights to a soft red tone. At a second sharp beep, they all took to their feet, flipped the safety on their weapons, and performed a right face directly to the aft of the cabin. Within seconds, the rear door of the beast dropped open to reveal the night air rushing by at 350 knots. With one last beep and the signal of a green light, the three men jumped from the rear of the plane in single file. Off into the night they soared, to fight a war for not the love of each other, but for the love a country that had taken everything.  The men would not stop until they had taken the last remaining outpost resembling the free world that once was present.