Rebellion

Written by:

Anthony “Most psychologists think I have problems. I agree and I do too.” Lindsey

A production of Global Special Report Network Writing

Looking back, I should have known that things were gonna get weird the second I met Scheris. If I could have seen what she was going to put me through, this week and a half ago, I would never have... Nah. I can't say that, no matter how many scars and lasting injuries. I mean, everything in life is a lesson, right? Right? Besides, Scheris doesn't deserve all of the credit for ruining my life and health. I should have known my life as I knew it was over when I stepped into that box van with Trapper. Maybe I'm being a bit too hasty blaming everyone like this. I know it is all their fault but you don't yet. Heck, you might not even know what led up to this idiotic event that left me in a hospital for nearly a full week. Well, I suppose it is my duty to tell you that before I continue on my rant.

Where to begin... Well I'll start about twenty two years ago, late August. August 19th was the date that will live on in horror and hatred. Bloody Friday. The third time in the history of mankind that an atomic weapon has ever been used but this time it was not the overly arrogant Americans. Even with their thousands of atomic bombs, they still could not protect themselves when North Korea snuck up on them through Mexico and blasted numerous major cities in one massive assault. The third launch... the fourth.. the fifth... so many... This could have led up to the feared end-of-the-world nuclear war but some cooler heads managed to prevail and decided that instead of a wave of bombs, they would instead send waves of troops to capture the rouge nation after a small, tactical nuclear strike

Boy was that a mistake. With the years of peace and no major wars since Iraq, the Americans had gotten cocky in their belief that they didn't need to keep funding and top-of-the-line training for their military . The first troops that landed in North Korea found themselves in an environment unlike any they had ever seen before. Everything was against them, the humidity, the people, the nature of the land itself made all of their grand, obsolete technology useless. Within a month, nearly 40 of the 20,000 initial landing troops were dead or injured beyond any sort of fighting capabilities. It was horrific. America recoiled at the loss of such men but could not back down to the blasts that they had endured. It seemed as if everyday a new law was being passed to give more power to the government and military to help make America “safe”.

With the new changes in policy came some major advancements in training and weapons. Some say the new training procedures were needed to weed out the weak from the men and women from the ones who would be able to stand up and fight in the hostile territory and shift education in schools to help make better “Americans”. Many historians look back upon these acts of Congress and say that this was the first movement of America away from the democracy it so greatly promised. Which ever way you look at it, America seemed ready to return the pain that the Koreans had wrought upon them. And they did.

With 150,000 men, women, planes, and ships, America stormed right into the heart of that “terrorist” nations. Within six months, the entire landscape was turned into a wasteland. But even with these sweeping victories, more and more laws were getting passed to help insure America's safety. Laws restricting free speech, police rights to seize and detain American citizens to find terrorists, and even one that created a new branch to help deal with internal security. Soon America was safe from any problems that could be thrown at it or at leasts that what its populace tried to tell itself. They needed the confidence boost when they found out Russia and China were behind the “North Korea” sneak attack.

Immediately the draft went into effect. Any man, woman, or child that the government felt could assist the war effort found themselves on the front lines or in a factory producing America's new way to combat the mounting threats. Mecha. They were armored suits that looked a bit like tanks but within the first five years of use they soon started to look like the ones out of animes. Anime fans would have been proud if it wasn't for the fact that such “terrorist propaganda” had been banned for nearly three years. All forms of entertainment suffered some sort of censorship to help filter the patriotic ideas from the terrorist ones. Even with these vastly sickening laws, no one protested them too loudly. Everyone was in shock at the bloody war and in a constant fear of another surprise attack.

Hundreds of bodies were coming back home daily and even more never made it back. Getting drafted seemed to be a death sentence to most. Only a few mechs could be produced even with America's capabilities and that left regular troops and armored vehicles to take the gap. The war... it's hard to describe it when you look back. Both sides fought like mad and were willing to do anything besides a full nuclear war to win. Even if that meant the sacrifice of civilians and soldiers alike. The blood bath hit a peak when China managed to take over the West Coast and America and its few allies attempted to take it back. Even now, it is still a wasteland where there used to be forests and mountains. It was barbaric and both sides would stop at nothing. For years it was “all or nothing”.

Millions dead on all sides as soon the war reached the twentieth year. At a historical peace conference, all sides managed to come to an agreement, signed a treaty, and soon the battles were over. How it seemed to just one day happen was no surprise as nearly half of all involved populations were decimated and all wills to fight were dead. No side got anything new, but all suffered. With the war over, people thought life might be able to return to the way it was before.

Yet nothing really changed. No one seemed to remember when the term “liberal” did not mean you were not American and shot. People were getting taken out of their homes and never heard from again. Before anyone even noticed, America had been changed into its own worst nightmare. The worst thing is, few did anything when they realized it. Society had changed and now was crushed under this new oppressive government. The few who tried to solve it the diplomatic way were never seen again. Any and all threats to this new found peace were removed. For the bulk of the former nation of freedom and prosperity, the future looked bleak.

But as with all tales of America, not everyone decided to take the change lying down. Numerous rebel groups rose up to fight for their freedoms, like their ancestors did before them. Few ever had any true success because of the devastating new weapons they faced, but not all. No, my tale is about one such group that managed to find its own ways to fight back. They were the Triple Diamonds, a former mecha branch that broke off in order to bring back the freedoms of America. Their leader was Carlos Sentura, a former squad leader who had lost family when America started to exterminate the Mexicans who had crossed illegally or just for vengeance for letting Bloody Friday happen. Thousands were drug out into the street and shot in plain sight. The few protesters were put down in the same fashion. I can't blame Carlos for what that did to him. I do though blame him for what he did to me.

But back then, less than two weeks ago actually, they were my heroes. Standing up for what they believed in and defending it. I was just a college student training to become a mechanical engineer. I was never exactly brave. Most said I was shy and I didn't have many friends. I was a loner who didn't want to be. I wanted to have friends and have a purpose. I wanted... I just... It's so hard to explain what exactly kept me so far away. I was scared, I guess. Scared that if I got too close, I might get hurt. I didn't want people to hurt me and therefor, I never let anyone get close. Except for a few really good friends, I only had myself at the end of the day. I guess it was my hope to be with brave people like the Triple Diamonds and prove myself to anyone who might accept me. Maybe that was what caused to me to hunt for them. I finally found one of their members, their ground coordinator, Trapper, through a friend. I was in luck, they needed a mechanic to help with their five mecha...