Jake's Fortune Ch. 17

– Johannes Stark,
Nobel Lecture,
June 1920

"Mister Evans, General Cromwell." the man nodded as he looked upon them.

He was quite old, as evident from the strips of white hair adorning his temples. He had a no-nonsense attitude and looked like he'd seen a lot in his long life.

"I am Senator Parker, and we have a long conversation ahead of us." he waited as the officer brought him a chair. He sat down and looked at them expectedly.

"I couldn't believe it was you at first, but now that I can see it with my own eyes, I am intrigued." the Senator said.

"You can start by telling me how you got here from Tansa."

"And why would we divulge that kind of information?" Jake asked.

"Because if you don't. Some bad things might happen to your disposable friends over there." he pointed at Michael's soldiers nonchalantly.

"We're all citizens of Tansa, and we have diplomatic immunity. You can't touch us!" Jake challenged.

"Oh, but we can. You've stepped into the lion's lair, don't expect to come out unscathed."

"I think Tansa would be delighted to know that we have you captive in our possession, and despite the lasting differences between our governments, they would be more than happy to denounce you as a citizen of the Republic. Considering the circumstances by which you attained that status."

"Now talk. I'm listening."

Jake told him how they got to Earth, but kept back some details back.

"Impressive. Our spec-ops teams would be envious of your orbital insertion." the Senator remarked.

"So, you're telling me that that thing is hidden out there in orbit right now?" he asked.

"Yes, and if you don't release us, I'm going to tell it to bombard this city with rocks from space."

"Oh, Mister Evans, we both know you wouldn't do that."

"And why is that?" Jake asked.

"Because you'd be putting innocent lives in danger! A man with your moral stance, a man that stepped up against the genocide of another race surely would not allow the murder of thousands of helpless citizens."

Jake sighed, the man saw right through his façade.

"So, what do you want from us?" Jake asked.

"Presently? Nothing. In the future, who knows?" the man said as he got up and left. Jake stared at the empty chair for a long time.

They spent two days in their cells. The cells were fitted with a wall mounted latrine and a food and drink dispenser that fed them three times a day. Jake found it odd eating solid food and urinating without a tube, but it felt good nonetheless.

Jake was getting bored, something was happening on the surface, of that he was certain; so he had an idea.

His eyes glowed and he tried to focus the light on a security camera. The beam vibrated as Siren immediately got to work. His mind was flooded with security footage and broadcasts of all kinds. He sat in silence as he listened-in on conversations from all over the building and news broadcasts from all over the universe. He knew he could escape right then and there but decided against it.

"The budget cuts are not acceptable!"

"The money has to come from somewhere."

"I will not allow it."

"The project must proceed."

"We must find that Progenitor in orbit first."

"You mean the C'Nosi?"

"Oh, stop calling them that. We don't even know if that scene at Tansa wasn't all staged."

"I don't think so, what's there for him to gain by staging all of this?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out after the project is launched."

His mind picked up another conversation.

"Jake Evans can't be allowed to exist!"

He perked up at the mention of his name.

"What are we going to do? Kill him? The boy won't die. You've seen the bullets go through him and how he survived them."

"We use acid!"

"He's too valuable. We need at least a corpse to study after we kill him. Besides, do you know what the public would do if they found out that we killed him?"

"We'll kill anyone who rises up against us."

"Do you have any idea how many labourers exist out there? They'll overwhelm us. He's a legend to them and they'd devour us whole if they found out."

"Still, they'll calm down if we kill enough of them."

"We can't risk it. The middle class may take their chances as well."

"Fuck them. The blood suckers are just pests living off our droppings."

"I'd love to see the look on their faces if they hear that." said the vice president.

"Screw them. They're not worth a squash from the sole of my shoe. Once the project is complete we won't need them at all. We might as well kill them all if we want to." said the president in all seriousness.

"I have to get out of here."Jake thought.

"I have a better idea. Let's give them what they fear the most."Siren whispered.

He focused on the camera again and she got to work.

Minutes later, the entire conversation was heard over the emergency announcement intercoms throughout the city.

Jake paced through the streets as the riot broke around him. Michael and his soldiers followed.

"We need find a news agency." Jake shouted over the commotion.

Guards were trying to control the raging crowds, which overwhelmed them and took their weapons and moved on to flatten everything in sight. Almost three million people took to the streets after they heard the president's conversation. The situation ignited all over the globe as news broadcasts picked on the news and broadcast it further.

The rioters broke into the core with force and overwhelmed the guards at the security checkpoints. They were simply out of control. The situation developed further when the guards opened fire on the crowds, and thousands of the middle class joined in, in response to the that action and the president's comments about them.

The Senate building was missing a sizeable chunk around him, someone had taken the chance and launched two rockets at the monument. Jake used the resulting panic to free himself and his companions and they took to the streets.

They saw the politicians fleeing the scene as the crowds gnawed at them, they were armed with crude clubs and traffic signs and even some stolen weapons from the fallen guards. A woman dressed immaculately was grabbed by a mob and disappeared under a seething body of arms and legs.

They had to move quickly before the army intervened.

People made way with awe and recognition on their faces wherever he moved. Their orange prisoner jumpsuits stood out to the crowd, so there was no helping it. Slowly the chants rose around them. A repeat performance of the scene at Tansa happened as the crowds chanted his name in force.

Jake and Michael dropped two guards and took their weapons, Jake handed his weapon to one of Michael's soldiers. The crowds followed them through the streets as Michael led them to the Media Block, where they found the news agencies.

Security guards greeted them as they approached, they were teetering on the edge of panic and just the sight of Jake and the crowd behind him sent them into a rout, the crowds gave chase.

Jake, Michael, and their two companions entered a building, where Jake touched doors and elevators to open a path through to the recording studios on the twelfth floor.

Jake and his companions started working the equipment, as a terrified camera crew fled the scene.

Finally ready, Michael signalled him to begin.

"People of Earth. My name is Jake Evans, and I've come here to talk."

"I originally came here to try to talk to your leaders, but they didn't pick the diplomatic route and attacked and imprisoned me and my companions instead."

"Your government was supposed to look after you, to protect you, but you all saw what they meant to do. This corrupt system must come to an end today."

"It's you, and only you who can change that. I know some of you look up to me as a saviour, but I am one man. A man who can't move mountains or topple governments by himself, rise and be with me, and we shall be free. Your children shall be free."

"I know you're angry right now. But remember that what you're destroying belongs to you, and you alone."

"If you want to destroy something, destroy corruption. Destroy the terrible government that repressed you for centuries. Destroy it and make a new one. One that has your interests as their goals. A government that wants you to have a better future."

"Only you can decide your future. Now go and make it your own."

They heard cheers erupt from the outside as his speech was broadcast through the giant screens of the building as well as to the rest of the settled universe.

They left Earth one week later. Things had settled down considerably; although protests were a common sight on the streets. The president was publicly impeached and the Senators jumped at the chance to get rid of him. Only this act prevented the total collapse of the government.

Many of the Senators resigned as well, and the first middle class politician emerged, marking the symbolic end of the oligarchy that ruled the Earth and Luna for over a century.

The government pledged to cease all hostilities against the C'Nosi from that point and in the future. Jake, General Cromwell and all of his men were granted an unconditional pardon, they were even offered their positions back but he turned them down.

The C'Nosi swooped down from orbit and picked them up as news cameras captured their departure.

It picked a band out of the solar system and they drifted along on their way back to Tansa.

When they reached Ita, Jake was happy to see his family again.

They embraced him for a long time in a teary reunion. Little Jaden was almost a year old now, and was already talking. Jake noticed that he was phenomenally smarter than the average child of his age, and he asked a lot of questions.

His uncle came to see him.

"I'm proud of you, son." he said with watery eyes as he put his arm around Jake's shoulders.

"Thanks, uncle." Jake said, and left much unsaid. Did his uncle still think he was becoming less human?

He took his child and wife into his arms and headed to their quarters.

Everyone were euphoric. Finally they'd managed to accomplish something, and their struggle was over. The UEF's cessation of hostilities against the C'Nosi was a monumental accomplishment in and out of itself. The reformation of the UEF government was even more gratifying.

Like a rock thrown into a pond, the ripples travelled fast, faster than light. More and more governmental bodies across the universe chose to withdraw their forces voluntarily, in fear of a repeat performance of what had happened in the UEF, or of Jake Evans appearing and razing everything to the ground. The rest couldn't get enough support or feared being singled out, and gradually the war ceased to exist altogether.

Humanity's expansionist policy was completely eradicated, and a new era of flourishing peace was upon them.

– Abdullah Ali,

June 2014