23. Woke Up and Chose Violence

[gunwithoutmusic]

Sunday, January 26th—2:13 a.m.

660 words. Approximate reading time: 3 minutes, 18 seconds.

“I don’t even know what we’re doing here,” Tara said quietly. “Is this worth it?”

“How can you ask that?” Ciaran responded. “Of course it’s worth it. You’ve seen what they do to people. Now there’s people that are willing to do something about it, and I want to be a part of that. I think it’s incredibly important right now.”

“Yeah, but do I want to be a part of that? I’m only here because of you. My life was fine and I was pretty happy, you know? I’m not this kind of person.” She reached down to the floor beside her and picked up the pistol that the Returner had given her. “I don’t even know how to use this thing. And I don’t think I want to know.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have to use it. It’s just for show. And I guess a little extra safety.” Ciaran sighed and leaned on Tara, resting his head on her shoulder. “Look at this. Where we are.” They both gazed out of the window of the skyscraper, looking out over several other tall buildings, all dark, blending together like one solid mass of black. A single tower in the city center stood out from the rest, completely lit up.

“It’s crazy,” Tara said, “how they have this whole downtown area to themselves, and they never thought to expand beyond that one building.”

“Why should they?” Ciaran asked. “That building there is probably mostly empty, if you believe what these guys say. All the regular workers for the corp are VR. It’s just the head honchos that actually show up in person. And doesn’t that just set you off? Why do they get to live outside the rules, just because they have all the money?”

“Yeah, it does make me mad, but it always felt like one of those things. Like, that’s the way the world works, get used to it, you know?” Tara sighed. “Look, I remember what it used to be like. I used to work downtown, in a building right near here. And yeah, it was different, but... I don’t know. Aren’t we safer this way? Are we sure that these people aren’t just saying those people are bad just because? How do we know they’re better? And what happens after this? Can you just... overthrow the government and make everything better overnight?”

“No, but... well, these guys have been planning this for a while. And the plan sounds good. Traeger’s come up with a spectacular virus that’ll stop the corp dead in its tracks. Then we go in, guns waving, to scare the bigwigs into complying with our demands.”

“Our demands?” Tara asked. “And what exactly are those?”

Ciaran raised his head and looked at Tara. “You know, like, it sure would be nice if I could go for a walk around outside whenever I want to without worrying about getting shot. It sure would be nice if I could have some friends over to my house without having to worry about a neighbor calling down some enforcers to rip me from my home and take me God knows where.”

Tara sighed again, turning the pistol over in her hands. “I trust you, Ciaran,” she said finally. “I don’t really like this, but I trust you. I know how much you miss life before, and I hope that you get what you want.”

“Are you trying to tell me you’re bailing?”

“No, I’m not bailing,” she responded. “I made a commitment to you and I’m going to follow through with it. Just... maybe hang out on the back lines with me? Maybe don’t be the first one to go in waving your gun around?”

Ciaran put his arm around Tara and pulled her closer to him. The two sat silently for a moment, watching the lighted tower loom over the shadowy buildings surrounding it. Ciaran removed his arm from around Tara and stood up, slowly and with some effort.

“Get some sleep,” he said softly. “It’s starting in a few hours.”

Comments

[dadi]

Whew. Scary...

[gunwithoutmusic]

Thank you - I don't want to think about what comes after this honestly

[erulissedances]

Oh, those moments before history really occurs are often the most frightening.

- Erulisse (one L)

[gunwithoutmusic]

Thank you - I can't imagine ending up in a position like that; it's really a scary thought. I wonder what I would do if I was in Tara's spot.

[roina_arwen]

I hope Ciaran doesn’t make a martyr of himself!

[gunwithoutmusic]

I get the feeling he's one of many that don't FULLY grasp what's about to happen, for sure.

[bleodswean]

The tension here is real, the feeling of hopelessness in the face of making a change. You captured all of that really well in a compact way, with dialogue! Nicely done!

[banana_galaxy]

Whew. Authoritarians in charge always seem to get their comeuppance eventually. How this will go is anyone's guess, though. I liked the contrasting feelings here, between Ciaran and Tara.

[dsrmousey]

This is very frightening...

[ofearthandstars]

"that's the way the world works, get used to it" is such an apt description of the cynicism and hopelessness so many people feel. I love the way this captures the hypocrisy and anger at those in charge, but also the fear and tension of it all. It does make me want to read what happens next! Will we see in the competition, or are you saving it for your book? :)

[flipflop_diva]

Ahhhh, it's like the buildup right before the action-packed climax. Hopefully the good guys will be, but the tension is already palpable.

Also, I can really relate to Tara. I don't think I want to run in somewhere, guns blazing, either. Or at least, not if I can help it!