2-The Great Tower

While sleeping a nightmare haunts me as I recall the events of the horrible day that forever stole my wife 6 years ago.



{Flashback to 2030}
I heard muffled explosions coming from outside when I was in the shower all of the sudden my apartment started shaking.

"What was that!?" I inquire. Nearly slipping in the shower I extended my arms out on either side of me, bracing myself against the shower walls to steady my balance.

The recently installed Imperium alarm system started calling out in my apartment. "Emergency. Emergency. Emergency...

A computerized female voice was heard repeating the emergency broadcast of, "Imperium emergency protocol, code 6, is active. This is not a drill. Travel to downtown Imperium is prohibited. Emergency. Emergency. Emergency..." The Imperium alarm kept repeating.

"What is going on?" I question not knowing that day would change everything and inspire me to join the Imperium Freedom Forces.

"Emergency alarm acknowledged." I conveyed as I reached out my hand and pressed a button on the wall stopping the flow of water to my shower. The alarm ceased in my modernized apartment. Staring at one of the walls of the shower, I commanded, "Monitor on."

A small area of the wall turned on and the images that I saw still haunt me today. Smoke was filling the air in downtown Imperium as the massive Tower was engulfed in flames. Pieces of the building were falling off towards the busy street below. My stomach started nervously twisting in knots.

I could remember my heart racing and all I thought of was my wife. She worked on the 27th floor of the Great Tower.

"Lauren. Dear God, Lauren!" I whimpered as my mind anxiously raced with what if's. 'Was she okay? Has it spread to her floor? Could she make it out?'

I swallowed the lump that was stuck in my throat when I commanded,

"Monitor call Lauren."

Acknowledging me the Monitor responds. "Calling is not permitted at this time. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please try again later."

Being in denial I tried again while my fists banged against the hard wall of the shower until they bled. "Call Lauren!" My voice broke.

But I had gotten the same message as before and so I crumpled onto the wet, cold shower tiles below, my eyes never left the Monitor. When I watched the horrific scenes unfold I could not escape the thought of my wife.

The broadcasters' voice interrupted the silent scene.

"Just moments ago explosions were seen coming from the Great Tower starting from the ground floor moving their way up. We aren't sure the causes of the explosions yet, or how many casualties there are, but reports will be coming in as we gather more information. Stay tuned."

I was sitting there my tears splashing below while I tried to call her over and over. "Monitor call Lauren." I was repeating as my voice grew weaker, and quieter. But the error message kept repeating,

"Calling is not permitted at this time. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please try again later."....
{End Flashback}





Waking up from the horrible nightmare I'm soaked in sweat. I feel really dizzy and I remember having seen my wife in the room before being drugged. But I wasn't sure what was real anymore because she had been dead for 6 years now.

The room I'm in is quite dark and I believe it to be sometime in the middle of the night.

"Monitor on." I state not knowing what will happen I turn my head to the left side of my pillow, then the right, looking around the room wondering if there was a Monitor in here.

After a few seconds of silence the Monitor answers. "Voice not recognized. Access denied."

"Come on." I sigh. "Monitor recognize new voice." I confidently express.

"Recognizing new voice. Please say the following statement." "Monitor recognize new voice. Monitor on."

I repeat the command.

"Voice recognized. Would you like to set this as the new user?" The Monitor requests.

Not knowing if I am being watched I quickly answer. "Yes."

"Voice recognition change acknowledged. New user page opening." The small Monitor on the ceiling above me turns on and a blue page appears, illuminating the dark room.

"What is the date and time?" I wonder aloud staring into the Monitor.

It states, "The date is May 17, 2036. The time is 2:58 A.M."

'So I really have been in a coma for a year' That thought makes me wonder how much has changed in a year.

"Search Lauren Stenno in Imperium obituaries on August 9th 2030." I curiously wonder as my eyes widen, staring at the Monitor.

August 9th 2030 was the day my wife was killed in the bombing of the Great Tower. I'm looking for her obituary on the internet to re-assure myself that the woman I saw in my room was an imposter and not my wife, Lauren.

"Internet access not permitted on this Monitor. 'Imperium obituaries for, August 9th 2030.' has been flagged and recorded per administrator control settings. Admin security protocol, 5-1A initiated. Shutting down." The screen goes blank as the Monitor shuts off.

"Shoot!" I was so close to getting an answer for one of the many questions running around the treadmill of my thoughts. Severely frustrated I yell out, "Monitor on!" There's no response and thinking of Lauren my eyes start to tear up. I try it again more calmly than before. "Monitor on." The lack of acknowledgement from the Monitor angers me as I clench my hands so tight that my knuckles turn white.

If I could get out of bed I would smash the Monitor to pieces for failing me. Perhaps it's a good thing I'm restrained right now. Hearing mechanical clicking noises my heart starts racing as the lock to the door of the room dis-engages. The door slides up, opens and light from the hall pierces through the darkness of this room. I see two people and as they enter the light clicks on and I quickly close my eyes, keeping one open just slightly so I can see what they look like.

They are wearing all white clothes and the same ominous, black masks. A chill runs through my body as they stand there like statues silently studying me. I assume they know I'm awake considering they came into the room just after the Monitor flagged my search.

I open my eyes and sit up as much as I can in bed while demandingly grilling them with questions. "Why am I restrained? What did you drug me with," more importantly I ask "who was that woman that looked exactly like my wife!?"

They both look at each other for a second, then back at me while they approach my bed in utter silence.

Getting angry they aren't answering I yell. "Answer me! Why won't you answer me!?" I cry out. "Please just tell me what's going on and why I'm locked up!" I beg them and catching my breath I lay back down in bed.

Finally, their silence is broken as one of them dumps an overload of information on me.

"We are, sorry,"

The way he said "sorry" had a hint of in genuineness to it but I keep that to myself to see what else he has to say.

"for your unfortunate circumstances. But we," he briefly pauses then re-words, "I promise you that we are not your enemies."

As if that made me feel better. "If you're not my enemies then unlock me!" I shout at them while sitting up in bed staring them dead in their dark masked faces.

"You are restrained and locked in this room for your safety as well as ours. We didn't know how you would react coming out of such a long sleep."

I guess that made some sense to me. 'But was that the only reason?' I ponder in silence as I continue to listen to every word he says seeing if anything else sounded off.

"You are here because we need your help. Impe-,"

I cut him off. "Who are you guys?" I had no idea who they were. At first I was assuming they were Drs. but now I know they were much more than that.

"We are with Imperium. I work in the Defense Sector and as I was saying before, Imperium is threatened of falling under the control of the Akuvarian." He pauses, resting his hand on the metal frame on my bed.

"The Akuvarian? They're only a small group of rebel fighters." I say, remembering back to when I was fighting for the I-F-F. (Imperium Freedom Forces)

He removes his hand from the metal bedframe and standing back a step, straightens up his body while continuing.

"They have greatly grown their numbers and power over the last year. Their goal is to infiltrate Imperium, to destroy us from the inside. In the past they almost succeeded in bringing us down. The day the Akuvarian bombed the Great Tower they almost took Imperium down with it. If Imperium falls to these rebels, everything that you have ever known won't be. The world you know will cease to exist. Emotions such as; joy, happiness, peace, anger, pain, love" he stops himself, dramatically pausing for a moment.

The way he said love was off. I could discern a hint of disgust with the way he'd thrown it from his mouth.

"and love. Love will no longer be something that you are able to feel or experience. There will be no memories of the past. There will be nothing. Just mindless, emotionless, nothingness, human slaves. Ian. We need your help to stop them." He finishes standing there in silence while waiting for me to respond.

I didn't know what to think or believe. All I knew is that I am being held and drugged against my will and that I saw my wife.

Stuttering as I speak, "I..I don't even know what..to say. How can I trust you?"

"I wouldn't expect you to trust us so soon. This is another reason you are restrained. I know it's a lot to take in and you are confused, but we will give you some time to think about it." The flat voice of the stranger calmly answered me.

They start to walk away from me but stopping them I ask,

"Who was that woman that looked like my wife? Exactly like her."

A second or two pass before he answers. "There was no woman who looked like your wife. Coming out of a year long coma can confuse the brain. Emotions. Strong ones. Such as love,"

That word again. Love, said the same way.

"can alter your perception of reality. The woman you mistook of being your wife was Sergeant Yalding."

I fought along side Yalding for years in the Forces. There's no way I mistook her as my wife. They look nothing alike. But keeping that to myself I stay silent as they leave my room, the door closing behind them and the light shutting off. I lay awake for hours pondering everything. About Imperium being under attack, the Akuvarian, Sgt. Yalding and about my wife, Lauren. After laying there while my mind races for hours, I doze off and finally fall asleep.