Chapter 2.3: Only You Can Stop Invasions!
Fenton was one of the first to arrive in the empty classroom they had reserved to discuss what they would need on their first mission. The moment he walked in he saw Levi, whose face went from hope to annoyance.
Whenever Fenton was around, so was Ace. This time they were not together and Levi was displeased. Fenton hated that he knew why and was tired of hearing every inane thought of everyone within 300 yards.
Slowly the class room filled up, and as usual Ace was somehow last, an impressive feat for someone who could be wherever they wanted with the blink of an eye.
Fenton smirked as he watched Levi try not to smile the moment Ace walked into the door. Instead Levi looked like he was having a heart attack, his lip twitching and his eyebrows arching up.
God this is so painful to watch, Fenton thought. But it's so entertaining.
The second best highlight of Fenton's daily life was watching Levi pretend he wasn't trying to undress Ace with his eyes. The best highlight of all was throwing it back into his face everytime Levi would become irrationally angry that he was with Candice instead.
Levi finally composed himself and tried not to get irritated as he saw Fenton sneering at him in the front row.
"As you all know on Friday we're heading out for our first mission," Levi grinned. They all cheered, happy to finally do something, that their hard work would soon be paid off.
"That doesn't mean we're in the clear yet," Levi cautioned them. "We still have the matter of actually passing the end of year test." They all groaned and Levi held up his hands, used to being the one to control them.
"I know. It sucks. I'm sure if you guys stop cheating we can all pass, so-"
Immediately everyone started claiming various things, shouting over one another. Levi was prepared for this, and he was simply amazed he got four sentences in before they all started shouting at each other.
He got out his phone for this eventuality.
While they continued to yell at each other Levi finally found the file he needed. It was called SEDATIVE.WAV.
The sound of a lawn mower erupted from his phone and everyone stopped talking, wondering what he was doing. Fenton's head pounded from the screaming, the sounds of the lawnmower, and the very angry and confused thoughts seeping into his mind.
Levi turned off the recording and glared at them.
"I have fifty three different noises," he told them. "I decided this was better than screaming."
"We aren't children," Mark argued. "You can't just-"
The sounds of him complaining was drowned out by the sounds of a jackhammer echoing from Levi's phone.
"Now I have fifty two," Levi said coolly.
Everyone finally was quiet and they sat down to listen to what he had to say.
"You guys are going to think I'm an ass when I say this," Levi sighed.
That's because you are, Fenton thought.
"But please bring your Fealty Rings. Just do it. They have trackers so if you get lost we can find you."
"I never wear mine," Candice boasted. "I don't need it."
Levi ignored her and continued on his presentation. He picked up a remote from the desk and pressed a few buttons until the wall changed, it's built in screen coming forth.
Everyone groaned as they heard the intro to the same video they had already seen dozens of times before.
"Shut up," Levi snapped. "We only need to watch three parts this time!"
They all zoned out as the cheerful video explained to them what they already knew.
"Do you want to help your community," said the cheerful actor on screen, from a video that looked like it wasn't even from the same decade they were in.
Fenton laid his head on the desk and mouthed the words along, already knowing the video by heart.
"You too can join the Defense Program," it said. "You just need your parent's permission!"
Why did they show us this video when we were thirteen, Fenton wondered. Was that even legal?
It was not.
The cheerful actor made it look how easy it was for one to get their parents to simply allow their children to train for five years and then enlist in a private company contracted by the government to do all the things they legally weren't allowed to do.
"Only you can prevent invasions," Fenton whispered to himself, mocking the terrible video with horrible CGI and out of tune music. The video was clearly outdated by the slang it used that no one had ever heard of such as, pog, and its many references to current President of Earth, Bill Gates VII.
"Well I don't think I should join Mr. Johnson," said the adult actor played to dress and act like a child, that clearly didn't look like one.
Suddenly horrible CGI ships appeared in the sky.
"Oh no," said the overpaid and washed out former child actor. "They've returned. The Empire."
Everyone's favorite part of the terrible informational video was when The Empire attacked. The horrible CGI re enactment of an actual and historical event just made everyone giggle.
The only one who seemed to take the scene seriously was Levi, whose grandfather had fought in the war against the Empire and had told him many stories about it.
The Empire came two hundred years ago, and Earth had learned many strange things in a short amount of time.
The first being that there were aliens.
The second being that there was more than one universe.
The third being that they were at the bottom of the food chain when it came to science, and that what other planets had that looked like magic to them, was simply things they hadn't discovered yet. 200 years later and Earth was the equivalency of a developing nation compared to most other planets.
The least surprising of all was the birth of many children with the same abilities of those who came from the Regal Empire, after of course, the Regal Empire had shown them what true democracy and freedom looked like.
Of course the video glazed over the fact that most of those children weren't born by choice after many incidents that occured by Empire soldiers against the women of Earth.
It didn't mention the scores of abandoned children left by women who didn't want reminders of their assaults looking at them every day, and that Levi's grandfather, a great war hero was one of them.
It also glazed over that the war against the Empire was mostly won over the course of many years, but boiled it all down to a single thirty second explanation.
"Only you can stop invasions," boomed the video, as Fenton rolled his eyes so hard they almost receded into his skull.
200 years after they had left, the Empire was still affecting them, their history washed down and diluted to a video that would make the horrors of war easier to digest for their descendents.
"Our plight will never end," said the video. "The Galaxy must become one, under the Union's watchful eyes."
The Regal Empire was simply replaced with another omnipotent entity that would colonize and tax them, but at least this one wasn't assaulting their people.
At least not yet.
Fenton tuned out again as his favorite part of the video was over, and he hoped that he wouldn't have to watch it again at least for another few weeks.