Xero Hour Prologue (Working Everything)

This is the big one. My big story. I've been writing backstory for it for... years now. This prologue was written years ago, and probably needs fixing, but I want to see what people think.

A man walked onto a raised, wooden platform, his footsteps echoing in the unnatural silence. Reachingthe center of the platform, he turned to face the massive crowd. Each and every person in the audience stared at the man, waiting for the news which they knew this man must speak.

The man simply stood on his platform for a moment, meeting the eyes of some of those in thecrowd. When he began to speak, he did so calmly, yet his voice could be clearly heard even from theback of the crowd due to the loudspeakers that had been hastily erected. There was no apparent microphone.

“Soldiers,” he began, “we have faced something that humanity has never had to fight in all of its recorded history. And we have won.” He was dressed like those in the crowd, showing a bond, a brotherhood. It was completely false.

“We were threatened. We were met with an army. We were attacked, for no reason, no warning. Yet we have triumphed over evil.”

The soldiers cheered once at these words. A few pumped their fists in the air. A gust of wind unfurled the lone flag behind the man on the platform.

Still calm, he continued, “When we were faced with improbable odds, you rose to the challenge, regardless. You took up the call of man and did what had to be done. You safeguarded a people who had no other real option.”

Further out from the stage, beyond the crowd of soldiers, was a field drenched in blood. A field that had witnessed more death today than it had witnessed in its life. A barren, rock filled waste now sated with the blood of man. There were many faces in that field that would only be seen again by thecarrion who would feast. Young and old, male and female alike lay out there. Death was not picky. She would welcome all in her embrace.

Far beyond the platform, screens the size of billboards were flickering on in a now walled in city.The screens were broadcasting the man’s victory speech in every part of the city, showing its denizens that they were safe, that the government was in control.

“This terrorist army, this merciless militia has been stopped. This battle halted a horrible future. Because of you, a terrible war has been averted, a nightmare future that is just that. A harmless, unrealized dream.”

Out in the field of death there was motion. Strange forms gleamed in the sunlight as they moved stiffly, sorting through the bodies. The mere smell would have sickened any sane man. Yet, these stayed.

“Families can sleep soundly in their beds tonight. Mothers do not have to worry about their children being stolen in their sleep. Fathers can now go back to work, knowing that they have done their duties safeguarding their families.”

None of the soldiers showed any signs of battle fatigue. None showed signs of war.

“Our society has triumphed over its largest obstacle to date. Yet we came too close to disaster. Too close to the end.”

The soldiers, whom had continued to cheer, were suddenly silenced.

“It is for that reason that the Administration has decided to keep its auxiliary soldiers in full force.” Countless gleaming robots began to march into view behind the platform. “This is so that we are always ready. So that no child must lose their father, no mother her son.”

“We keep you safe.”

There were no robots among the fallen in the field.

“We give you hope.”

There were no soldiers among the fallen in the field.

“We are in control.”

There were only countless ragged men, women, and children, all of them brutally slaughtered in a matter of minutes.

“Humanity has won.”

Author's Note

This is old. Kind of really old. I don't know if it holds up or what I need to change. But I wanted to hear what people thought. This is a huge world I'm trying to create and I hope it works.