Apocalypse Before Finals by Julie Steimle (electric book reader txt) 📕

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I didn't want to be the last."

Zormna felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Normally she would have whipped around and automatically broken their neck, but she knew from his familiar presence who it was. She looked up. Jafarr looked down into her sad eyes. Blood fleck and ash smeared across his face. His hands were blackened with it. The occupants of the room has set a fire intended to damage the city - but her crew had quickly put it out.

A tear trailed down her ash-covered, face. Zormna shook her head. "Why?"

Jafarr pulled her to his chest, holding her. After a moment, he sighed out, "There was no other way. They would not give up their hold, and they refused to be taken prisoner.... And they would never give in to anyone - especially a Tarrn among the classless. Their pride killed them."

Zormna shook her head and pushed away. "There could have been another way."

Jafarr closed his eyes and sighed. "I wish there were."

"Zormna." Alea Salvar's voice broke the low silence of the desolation, coming from the doorway.

Zormna pulled from Jafarr's arms and stepped across the wrecked chairs, going out into the lighted corridor. Jafarr watched her - and the critical glare from her childhood friend who was walking towards them.

"Why did they do it?" another familiar voice two steps away from him asked.

Jafarr looked.

Anzer Dzhon gazed down at the bloodless bodies of their once rulers, shaking his head as if it had become heavy. His green uniform was stained with black from the knees down as if he had been wading through ash to get there.

Stepping over the broken remains of chairs and stone to his old friend, Jafarr looked over the mutilated bodies for a second. Shaking his head, he quickly turned, pulling on his friend's arm. "Some people have a hard time accepting reality, Dzhon. That is just the way it is. They did not want to lose."

Anzer Dzhon frowned at him. "Jafarr, this was not a game. They are dead."

Jafarr nodded. "Yes, they are. And so is my father, and my mother, and Zormna's parents and my neighbors and many people." He huffed. "Dzhon, I know it is not a game. I certainly know."

But with all the misery, Jafarr did not wallow in it. He had already seen too many dead long before this. He walked out of the room, pulling his friend along. "Let's clean up."

June.

There were three weeks left of school. Prom had taken place at the first of the month. Brian took his sister Joy, but most other students didn't even go. About twenty actually came, and about half of them were Brian's friends.

It was a sober end to a year. Many of their classmates continued to watch the skies in terror that a new army would come and destroy them. Gossip was rampant. And the media was only making the hate towards anyone of Martian heritage worse.

"So you are saying that that FBI guy Sicamore is a whelp?" Michelle Clay said, gasping to Tammy Davis during their History lesson the second hour.

Tammy nodded. "Didn't you know? I thought everyone knew he was a second gen Morlock."

Up until then, Michelle and Tammy had been bitter enemies. But their hate for 'Morlocks' had brought them together.

"But why would the President listen to a whelp? It's like having a spy inside your house," the head cheerleader complained loudly, casting Jennifer dirty looks.

Jessica hissed for Jennifer to ignore them, which was Jennifer's general practice. Adam was also sitting with them, though more out of a desire to get on Brian's good side than for any feelings of kindness to Jennifer. But it was better than nothing. Miss Bianchi usually didn't help much. She said nothing to Jennifer in class now, ignoring her very presence except to mutter under her breath every so often, "Irish indeed." However, at this moment her teacher was too preoccupied to hear any of the conversation or to complain about Jennifer. She was shoving a huge TV set to the front of the class and was fiddling with the channels.

"It should be on now...," she muttered aloud, punching the channels to a news station.

The screen immediately went blank.

"Ah, ha! Here it is!" Miss Bianchi exclaimed in her old giddy excitement. She turned around and spoke so all could hear her. "Class! Class! Pay attention! Here is history in the making!"

The entire roomful murmured among themselves, their eyes taking in the blank screen. Then an image faded in, showing a multicolored circular symbol that looked like an eye staring upward. Jennifer knew that symbol immediately and held her breath.

The symbol faded off again, and they heard a voice speak in clear American English. <<This broadcast is the third of five. It will be rebroadcast in three hours.>>

Miss Bianchi peered across the room at Jennifer with a slightly kinder eye. "You will find this interesting. I saw this on my TV last night. And I only could record one half."

On the screen a new image appeared - something like a pressroom. Only this one showed a podium with the same symbol as the first screen image. Behind the podium stood a clean pale woman with vivid green eyes and radiant curly hair cut at in a bob, except for some stray spirals which extended down past her shoulders. They did not recognize Zormna at first, but it was her, wearing a black and white Surface Patrol uniform with a mock turtleneck. Her expression was military serious, and so unlike the girl they had known to slouch in her classroom desk muttering under her breath that Miss Bianchi was being ridiculous again.

She spoke.

Her words were not in English. She spoke in that language they had come to hate - the alien brogue of their captors. Another woman's voice spoke over it in English. <<My fellow humans, for we are all of the same species as Mars was the original home of human kind, today is the first day we acknowledge each other for over ten millennia. I am Alea Zormna Clendar Tarrn, the new head of the Arrassian people.>>

A ripple of shock went through the room with gasps. But Jennifer sat back, sighing with relief that Zormna was alive. Jessica snuck looks at her, getting excited.

<<I am ashamed to admit that such a position was had by much war and death. But it is so.>>

More gasps erupted like little bombs.

<<My people, those of Arras, I say to you, thank you for your confidence in my leadership during this war. To those of our enemies, to you I say, you are forever banished from our home.>>

Murmurs again broke out, but the majority of the students hushed them. They wanted to hear.

<<To those who were harmed by our enemies, those of the planet Earth - my deepest apologies. We had not expected our battles to be taken to your grounds. Had we known, the Surface Patrol would have acted sooner. My colleagues and I express our sorrow for your pain and your loss, and we promise full reparations that are within our power to fix.>>

Miss Bianchi nodded and turned up the volume to the TV. She grinned with personal ownership, as if the speech had come from her and not the sulky blonde who had sat in her class and had been forced to wear various costumes at school functions.

Zormna continued. <<Ten millennia ago my Tarrn ancestors were murdered upon their thrones, and their descendants hid among the people. Since that time, the High Class has oppressed our people and murdered many of its citizens, all in the name of order. But no longer. From this point forth, I declare all Arrassians free.>>

They could hear a cheer coming from the TV.

<<Ten millennia ago our people split apart because of war and disharmony. Since that time, we have been apart as a species. This will be no longer. From this time forth we will know each other. I declare to all humankind, our division will cease. Arras, know your sister, Earth. Those of Earth, know your former home, Arras. Those of Aloea who have long since been gone, know us, and make contact with us. We are all human. We are all one. And we need one another.>>

Jennifer blinked, wondering about this Aloea, Zormna had mentioned. She had not said one word about it before. But then Zormna wouldn't. She kept secrets. It had been part of her job in her military.

The entire class stared at the TV, wondering similar things.

<<By right as the last Tarrn, I have been told that I have the right to rule the human race.>>

Miss Bianchi's class gasped again and rumbled dissenting murmurs.

<<But I will not hold you to it. Promises made by ancestors cannot hold to those that never made such promises. All I want is peace. Therefore, starting today, Arrassians must hold elections and elect their new leader, for I will not rule you. Those of Earth: you are free to govern yourselves as you did before. But be forewarned.>> Zormna's dark green eyes narrowed into a stern soldier-like glare. Her classmates had seen that dark expression only a few times, and most didn't like it. <<Arras will no longer take a passive role of watchman. From this day forth - my only decree to you - you will disarm your nuclear weapons and stand down your armies against one another. If you cannot face the People's Military, then you certainly cannot face us.>>

The room erupted immediately in anger. Jennifer feared they would break out and vent their anger on her, or at least destroy the TV. But they didn't.

Zormna's voice continued to echo in the room in spite of that. <<Weapons like your nuclear bombs destroyed our world over ten thousand years ago. I will not let that happen again.>>

The murmurs escalated. Miss Bianchi had to hush them to hear the rest of the speech. Even Jessica grumbled, "She can't be serious."

<<I will not allow the stupidity and hatred of mankind to destroy another world. I will not let human pride and arrogance continue to be the downfall of our race. You must now trust us - that we will keep this promise. That if you do not disarm, we will disarm you for you.>>

The class exploded into protests and exclamations again.

"Quiet! You will miss it," Miss Bianchi yelled out, holding a finger in front of her mouth. "Shhh!"

They barely silenced when Zormna's voice in her language continued and the translated voiceover spoke in English. <<I read a speech once given by a man that was killed because of hate and social discrimination. I have read it many times since then. I have read the dreams of ancient leaders and wise people of history. They had dreams of peace and harmony among all people, regardless of skin color or social status. I have this dream too.>> She bowed down her head. Zormna looked careworn and tired, much older than seventeen. The young Arrassian beauty looked up at the camera and spoke solemnly. <<Today I hope to fulfill some of that dream.>> She sighed. <<I know I cannot force people to make peace. I know I cannot make you change your minds and reverse all the learning you have received. I know that I am young in many of your eyes, and I look inexperienced, but I have had dreams too... But my dreams are not beautiful.>>

Miss Bianchi's class hushed now and leaned forward, staring at the TV screen.

<<When I close my