"When the wars cease and evil falls, the world will be a better place… but it will never happen, because the devil has infiltrated politics… and politics has become our religion."
I made my way to Frederick's office.
He was sitting behind his desk when I walked in.
"Can I help you with something, Traytros?"
I closed the door and locked it. Without a word, I tossed the letters onto his desk.
"I need you to help me with these."
Frederick picked them up, flipped through one… then another… then another. His face hardened.
"Where did you get these?"
"You know something, don't you? Yes or no."
He shot to his feet, strode to the door, opened it to check the hallway, then shut it again. He stepped close—so close I could feel his breath.
"You have no idea what you're doing. If anyone finds you with these papers here… they'll kill you."
"Why? They're just old letters describing what happened."
"That information was only known to a handful of people. No one knows… no one!" His tone was almost a warning.
My mind raced. Was Frederick involved? How much did he actually know?
"So you do know. Then tell me—what happened? What's the UN? What really went on?"
He held my gaze for a long moment before finally speaking.
"It's not the time yet. I'll only tell you what you need to know."
"The time for what?"
"To understand the board you're playing on. The war we're in didn't start years ago… or even decades ago. It's always existed. The reasons change—land, resources, ideology… even fruit, if you can believe it. But the spark that lit the last fire was a vaccine."
"A vaccine?" I repeated.
"For cancer," he said with a grim nod. "Russia developed one—free, and capable of curing it. The West and the pharmaceutical giants didn't like that. The United States liked it even less. They threatened Russia: stop the distribution, or we'll reveal secrets that have never seen the light of day. Russia refused. So the U.S. declassified Soviet-era files—mass famines, Lenin as a dictator, expansionist wars, extortion."
His voice was steady, almost as if he'd been rehearsing this truth for years.
"Russia took the bait," he continued. "They severed ties with the West, invaded Ukraine and the Baltic states.
»When they touched a member of the European Union, they issued a warning: 'If you attack the Russian nation, we will annihilate any country that dares harm us.' NATO didn't lift a finger. The U.S. launched a massive strike… and Russia answered with its full nuclear arsenal."
A chill ran through me as I pictured cities like New York and Nevada wiped off the map in seconds.
"The defenses fell," Frederick went on. "The U.S.'s allies couldn't protect it. The economy collapsed. Russia emerged as the sole superpower. The rules changed overnight. The global market crumbled. Israel invaded its neighbors. Venezuela joined Russia and invaded Guyana and Suriname. Colombia and Ecuador allied with them to form a new Gran Colombia. Panama refused… and was annexed.
»Any nation opposing Russia was obliterated. The U.S. made one last attempt on Russian soil… and failed. In retaliation, more cities were turned to ash. The UN, NATO, UNICEF… all gone. The European Union dissolved. The world became a free-for-all.
»Chile and Argentina held out… now most of their people live underground. China tried to challenge Russia for dominance. The war that followed was the last… and it left the planet in ruins. Over 70% of the surface became uninhabitable. Radiation brought mutations in animals and plants. New diseases. Rabies turned into a plague in Africa. In Europe, mutants and anomalies wiped out entire cities. And here in the Americas, even though we were hit the least, we still have our share of them.
»And because humanity never learns… the survivors decided iron-fisted rule was the only way forward. Repression followed. Then rigged elections. And when a coup failed, the current government clung to power. Today, we're one of the few regions still standing."
I sat in stunned silence. I'd known the world was in chaos… but not like this.
"So there really aren't other cities like this?" I asked in almost a whisper. "The world… is finished?"
"More than you think."
"Then why don't people unite to fix it?"
Frederick leaned closer.
"If you don't understand the game of power, you'll play it like a pawn. And pawns are meant to be sacrificed. Here, if you don't calculate every move, you'll be dead before you make your next one. And if you're a soldier, even worse—they'll use you as an example. Nothing is ever done out of kindness. England didn't support America's independence out of goodwill… it did it to expand trade and dump its debts on others. Since the dawn of mankind, everything runs on convenience."
"Frederick… you worked with my father. You must know how he died."
He put on his cap, walked to the door, opened it, and said:
"Your father was an admirable man. Don't disappoint him."
The door closed.
I sat there, mind burning. God hasn't abandoned us… we abandoned Him.
What will become of me? Of us? If human life is this worthless… maybe we're doomed already.
I went back to my room, fired up a computer, and started searching for answers on my own.
None of the information from the letters existed in the system. It was all gone—erased. In fact… people here might actually believe there's still a world out there.
Seeing nothing, I realized I'd have to find the truth myself. And that meant getting into the Defense Building's systems.
I waited until nightfall to try sneaking in.
The hallway was dim, lit only by a flickering bulb in the distance. My footsteps echoed against the metal walls. My pulse thundered in my ears. I reached the access door and slid my hand toward the panel—
A sharp punch slammed into my face.
I hit the floor, the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth. My vision blurred. A high-pitched ring drilled into my skull. Through the haze, a tall silhouette stepped closer.
I couldn't move. Darkness swallowed me whole.
When I woke, morning light streamed through the window. The smell of coffee and toast hit me first.
Frederick was at the table.
"Awake already?" he asked. "How are you feeling?"
"Was it you who hit me?"
"Yes."
"How did you know I'd be there?"
He took a bite of bread before answering.
"I wasn't born yesterday. I knew that, once you found nothing, you'd try something stupid. I was about to leave… a few more seconds and you'd have made a monumental mistake."
I'd never been hit so fast—or so hard—in my life.
He finished eating and added, "Traytros, don't do anything stupid. Just follow orders."
Then he left, leaving me alone.
Looks like… I'm on my own in this.
I'd thought Frederick would help me more. I was wrong. I can't involve Herlin either… they'd kill her.
I guess my only hope is…
Tamara.