ZION Chapter Fifteen

This is the last chapter of Zion. So, enjoy! Also, I will be publishing the sequel Zion: The Rebellion soon. I will be making Zion a trilogy. Here’s the last chapter:

 

THE EMPEROR’S DINING ROOM, THE PEAK

 

The Emperor of the World, leader of the League of Nations, was drinking champagne with the second-highest power in the world, Charles E. Ville, head of the Court of Scarlet; and his wife, Empress Nora. They were laughing and having a great time. They had just finished dinner and were waiting for dessert to be served. the dining room walls were painted to give the illusion that they were made by green emeralds and white diamonds; the floor was tiled with smooth, pearly-white tiles and the seats were plush, red satin and had frills along the edges. Emperor Noland and Empress Nora loved to be adorned in clothes studded with gems and precious stones and also loved to wear all sorts of jewellery. Charles was wearing his best suit and was not wearing the ugly wig he wore in court.

They were celebrating the successful plan of establishing the totalitarian government that succeeded eighteen years before. For thousands of years, Noland’s ancestors had been trying to take over the world and be the ruling family ever since Noland’s ancestor, Nimrod, had created the Tower of Babel and it was destroyed. Thousands of years of plotting, planning, failed attempts and finally, they succeeded. Once the final plan was underway and Noland’s family – the Collins – had to decide who would be Emperor, they were originally going to pick King Ignatius of Perkatan, but he died a few hours before he could be crowned under suspicious circumstances. So they quickly elected Noland to be the world’s leader. Once he was Emperor, he had his family murdered or sent into exile to dispose of anyone who would try and usurp the position of power that he had. Even Nora’s family – the Owens – who had been secretly rivaling for power as well were all sent into exile or death. Nora lived in constant fear of her life as her husband was ruthless and he only had to think she might possibly be going to try and gain complete control, and she would be murdered.

The Collins bloodline had ordered the assassination attempts of Donald J. Trump, Pauline Hanson, Cory Bernardi and other political figures who had posed a threat to their plans, but those attempts had failed. They had died natural deaths. Noland’s and Nora’s sixteen-year-old son, Kyen Collins, had been raised never to trust anyone and do anything to hold onto or obtain power, and as a result, Nora was fearful of Kyen, though she never showed it. Kyen was absent as Noland had sent him off to learn more of how to rule in preparation of when Kyen would take over from his father, Noland. Charles raised his glass as the servants served the dessert. “A toast! To the League of Nations!” he bellowed.

Noland and Nora raised their glasses. “To the League of Nations!” They echoed the toast.

“May she stay strong for a thousand years,” Nora added, referring to the League.

“Yes,” Noland agreed and he and Nora clinked their glasses together. Then there was a knock on the big double doors. “Come in!” snapped Noland, his spoon just about to dip into is vanilla ice-cream. The doors behind him burst open and a tall person ran inside. It was Kyen Collins. He had wavy black hair that he had let grow to his shoulders, green eyes that looked distrustfully at everyone except his father, and had the beginning of a mustache. Kyen had a bronze-coloured complexion and was wearing a black and red checkered, long-sleeved top and was also wearing navy blue trousers and black boots. He knelt before his father.

“Your Eminence, sir,” he said reverently.

“Yes, what is it, my son?” Noland asked attentively. He had always loved his son, even though he was ruthless to others, even to his own wife. “You may stand,” he added.

Kyen briskly stood up and held up his right hand. In it was a folded piece of paper. “Important message from Mindy Parker in Surveillance, my father. Said to deliver it over right away,” he explained. He took the message to his father as only a selected few could enter the Emperor’s presence. Noland merely took the piece of paper and unfolded it. After reading it, he bolted upright and stood straight up. He began to head for the door with Kyen following.

“Charles, come!” Noland barked at Charles. Charles put down his champagne and nodded at Nora before departing, following the Emperor and his son, whom he had plans for.

“What’s the matter, Your Eminence?” Charles asked.

“There’s been a rebellion in Region 64,” Noland explained shortly.

“What!?” Charles exclaimed incredulously

Noland handed him the piece of paper. Charles quietly read the message. “Riots. Law Enforcers dead and those surviving are unable to contain the rebellion, rebels taken over a Salamander, a tank and have blown up another tank, ripping…and burning the League of Nations flag!?” he gaped in astonishment.

“People shouting ‘Death to the totalitarian regime!’ and ‘Long live Freedom!’ Signs that people in other regions are also on the verge of rebelling,” Kyen rattled off. He had a photographic memory and could memorize things at a single glance.

“I’m disappointed in you, Charles,” Noland told him suddenly.

Charles looked at him askance. “But, Your Eminence…The Law Enforcers smothered the rebellion. We have arrested and have killed the rebels. We had peace for a while. How was I to know they would suddenly rise up like this?”

“It should have been obvious to a man of your talents and abilities, the second-highest power on the globe, that the quiet interval in Region 64 was all a decoy to distract us from the fact that they were secretly planning this all along,” Noland replied.

“Sir?” Charles said.

Noland stopped and rounded on Charles. “These sudden attacks speak of coordinated and planned. And,” here he interrupted Charles who was about to speak, “you are in serious danger of becoming useless and being replaced!”

“Your Eminence–”

“Prove your usefulness by quelling this rebellious nation once and for all, or I will KILL YOU IN THE MOST EXCRUCIATING AND GRUESOME WAY POSSIBLE!!!” Noland threatened. “Do I make myself clear?”

Charles thought of all the manners that the Emperor would choose from to dispose of him and he trembled. For a short guy, he knew how to evoke fear and obedience, Charles thought. “Yes,” he said.

Noland and Kyen began to walk off. “Then get on with it! What ideas do you have? And they better be effective!” Noland demanded.

Charles hurried after them as they entered the Surveillance Room, trying to come up with a reasonable and effective method. What, what, WHAT!? He thought to himself. There HAS to be something. Noland, Kyen and Charles were shown the footage by Mindy. All the while, Charles was frantically racking his brain for a solution. An idea occurred to mind. Would it work? He began checking it out to be sure.

“Well, Charles?” Noland asked.

He did not answer straight away. Yes…yes, it would work. Yes! He inhaled and proudly stood up tall. He personally loved the thought of towering over the Emperor, even if the Emperor did not enjoy it. “We’ll send six of the best fighter planes from our Bird Troop to bomb Region 64 while at the same time, broadcasting it live all over the world,” he stated.

“And…how does that solve the problem?” Kyen asked, exasperated.

“We’ll show the rebellion beforehand, and then show them being bombed to death to show that this is what happened to those who rebel against us. That no matter how hard they try, they can never defeat us. That we will always stand strong. That will quell any and all rebellious notions and bring them all under our control again,” Charles explained excitedly.

Noland thought it over carefully. As much as he wanted to be rid of Charles, who seemed to be trying to get the power all for himself, he grudgingly admitted that his idea seemed extremely likely to succeed and that he had proven that he still had a purpose. Sighing, he agreed. “Alright. That’s perfect, Charles,” he agreed. He turned to his son. “Kyen.”

“Yes, sir,” Kyen stood erect and straight.

“You’re a member of the Bird Troop. You’ll be the leading bomber. Go and give the order and be ready to leave in ten minutes!” Noland ordered.

Kyen saluted and briskly left to do what his father commanded. Charles turned to Noland. “Him? In command? Are you sure he knows what to do?” Charles was concerned. Concerned that Kyen would be injured or killed and that his plans would not happen.

“I’m surprised at you, Charles. My son has been going under extensive training. tests and command decision practice for three months now. I think he needs the real thing as further training. Being a member of the Bird Troop and going to be Emperor means he needs experience as experience is one of the best teachers,” Noland replied curtly. He did not like his decisions to be questioned.

Charles nodded. If Kyen survived, then his experience would benefit Charles’s plans. “I apologise, Your Eminence,” he apologised. Noland gave him permission to leave to make sure the television crew was ready and to be ready to give the message for the broadcast. After leaving, he rubbed his hands together in evil delight. His position was secure and the one thing that was needed for his plans to succeed was for Kyen to survive. Easily accomplished. This could not be better, he thought with glee.

REGION 64

Aleph, Bet and Gimmel (the three Freedom Fighters) were all happy. They had freed Region 64 – which was part of what used to the Soviet Union, which everyone in Region 64 now thought of it as – and had blown up the prison after freeing the original rebels that were going to have a trial in the Court of Scarlet. Everyone raised the success signal and shouted in one voice: “We are free! May we be free forever!” People began to celebrate, sing and dance. People began to pour fuel and petroleum on and set fire to any remaining buildings of the League of Nations, which then began to burn.

THE WORLD

Everywhere, everyone was gathered infront of the television. They did not have a choice. Something was being screened. On the television, people witnessed the rebellion of Region 64. Then they heard the voice of Charles E. Ville. “This rebellion is taking place in Region 64. People are trying to get the freedom they can not have. You think you can do it too? You think we are going to put this aside and ignore it?” he stated.

On the screen, it showed the Bird Troop, which was the Emperor’s group of fighter planes, swoop in, dropping bombs, destroying buildings, roads and killing people. People screamed and ran everywhere, trying to find cover. “You can not win. We will defeat you all.” Then the Bird Troop come back in for a second wave and they dropped more and more bombs. They had a third wave until everything and everyone was gone. “We will always be in control. You will never be free.” And the television turned off.

RUSSIA

Stan Novack, Benjamin, Percy, Melanie, and a woman and her baby escaped out of the area alive. They were the only ones. They ran through the snow and stopped and looked back at the ruins, which were still burning. They did not know where to go or what to do. “So, what are we going to do?” the mother, Prue, asked as she tried to comfort her baby.

That was a good question. They all looked at each other. What were they going to do and where were they going to go? “We’ll live in the country,” Novack decided. He figured the League had probably aired what had happened as a warning to others. And it would work, most likely.

But what none of them – or the League – foresaw was that, the League had accidentally fanned the flame they had attempted to extinguish.

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