Chapter Eight

"Hello, my name is Henry Freeman." said Henry while holding out his hand to shake.

"Um, hi." said Jacob, shaking Henry's hand. "I'm Jacob. Aren't... aren't you a terrorist?"

Henry laughed a little bit.

"No," he replied. "that's what they want you to believe."

"But aren't you supposed to be locked up in Minneapolis?" Jacob inquired.

"That's what I wanted them to believe." Henry explained. "I escaped and came across a giant cavern under the sewer. I turned it into this."

"How did you build all this?" asked Jacob.

"With great difficulty." Henry replied. "Now, are you one of us?"

"I..." Jacob stammered. "I'm not sure yet."

"Shall I escort him to the holding cell?" the woman in the corner asked.

"No," responded Henry. "Let's give him a chance."

"Thank you, sir." Jacob said.

"If we're going to rebuild America we've got to start trusting each other." Henry said. "Now, let's get you caught up."

Over the next half hour, Henry told Jacob everything. What happened to his mom, his grandpa's help, his attempt on Peloscer's life. Even the horrors that resulted from it. He then talked about how he was placed in a re-ed camp and how he broke free by digging a hole under the toilet.

"Then we should fight back!" Jacob said.

"No. We're not ready." Henry said.

"But we have enough people." argued Jacob. "We have enough weapons. We could-"

"I said NO!" Henry yelled. "HAVE YOU NOT BEEN LISTENING?! Last time I fought, I caused the deaths of almost all the white people in America! I caused the death of Grandpa Z! I got myself trapped in a nightmarish prison camp! I learned the hard way not to act irrationally."

"I, I'm sorry." Jacob said.

Henry walked over to his desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out a small pointed metallic object with a chain on it.

"What is it?" Jacob asked.

"It's a key." Henry explained.

"A what?" queried Jacob.

"In the old days, doors had handles on them." said Henry. "They could be accessed be turning."

Jacob had, of course, recently discovered the door handle. But he didn't want to interrupt Henry, he had a great deal of respect for the man. Henry continued:

"These devices could make it so no one could in through the door with out it. This specific variety is called a car key."

"Car?" asked Jacob, confused.

"Big machines that could move us from place to place at great speed." Henry said. "Cars were made illegal in the 30's due to 'pollution' getting into people's lungs and making them more susceptible to the 'virus'. But really it was a means of control."

Henry looked down at the key with a mix of sadness and nostalgia.

"This is a key to a 2010 Toyota Avalon." said Henry. "My late grandfather used to own one. They took him from me because he dared to think for himself."

"So what can we do?" asked Jacob.

"We just recently got a hold of a satellite from a government building." said Henry

"How did I not here of this?" Jacob asked.

"The regime doesn't want to appear as a failure so they covered it up." Henry explained. "But with this, we can transmit messages directly to the people."

"We're gonna make political ads?" Jacob inquired."

"Exactly." Henry replied.

An armed guard knocked on the door, Henry opened it, and the guard walked in.

"Okay, if we I'm gonna live here I have to go get my son." Jacob stated.

"No," the guard said. "it's too risky to let you go out."

"I disagree." Henry exclaimed. "We're doing this for them. The children are the ones who are going to be the new society. Jacob's son needs to be educated on the truth.

Jacob smiled.