The Wrong Devices

Titan’s breath was visible in the cold air as he heaved each breath, hugging himself for warmth. The anxiety pulsated through him, stimulating every inch of his body and making him shake even more in the winter wind. What could be so important for the Veret to call everyone to the town square? What could be so important to cancel all trains, planes, and close all roads? It had to be something big—something not good. Nothing like this was ever good.

Everyone was crammed in close in the square, hugging themselves and each other. In front of them was a large stage, adorned with suited-men holding guns. Bodyguards, they were, to protect the queen. Above them were two large screens turned to the east and west sides of the square, but a picture was not projected yet. When the Veret arrived, the televisions would finally be turned on to broadcast her image. How long would it take for her to arrive? At least someone was going to freeze to death soon, Titan thought.

“Calm down,” a voice said. Titan felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder, warm and large. It was that of his father. His voice was a deep grunt, and his appearance was that of a bear. He was a large man, wearing a fur coat over his black suit. His work had been canceled for the day, due to ‘unforeseen events’ on the Veret’s part.

“It’s your birthday,” his dad said. “Make the most of it.”

“I’ll try,” Titan said, breathing a sigh. Somehow he felt his nineteenth birthday wouldn’t be as fun as the last eighteen.

After a few more minutes of shivering silence, there was a gong. The clang sounded across the city, echoing across the spiral of large skyscrapers and glass windows and statues. It rang the ears of everyone in the crowd. Titan cringed at the sound, ducking as if it were a gunshot. After the initial gong subsided, a song began to play about the sound. There was no distinct source, but it was a beautiful song nonetheless. The theme song of the country: Zem’s Arise.

When the song ended, there was another short period of silence. Then, the girl appeared on stage; she walked up the stairs from the back, wearing a long purple silk dress with her blonde hair tied back in a bun. As the woman took her place in front of a microphone, the blue force field shimmered in front of her, reminding us that there was always something separating us from the Veret.

There was a short pause before she spoke. “As you all know, I am the only one of my kind on this Earth we share…”

The Verets were all owners of soft, quiet voices that made calmed even the most anxious of people. Her green eyes glazed over the crowd, somehow sad at the same time. The vibrant color was dimmer than the last time she made a public appearance.

She gulped before she said the next line, “But I fear I will be the last.”

This was met with scattered gasps amongst the crows, whispered questions. Titan even felt himself questioning the Veret’s words as his suspicions were confirmed.

“Recently, I’ve bore witness to a future without us. Without me. I’ve seen the end. It’s coming soon, and I felt as if everyone deserved to know.”

How does it end? Titan found himself turning this question around in his mind. With his mouth closed, he felt his tongue moving to form the syllables of the sentence. Then, just as he suspected, the question was fired from the crowd:

“How does it end?”

Everyone looked around to find who’d said it, but it was done to no avail. Instead, everyone looked at the Veret as she answered.

“I don’t know…” she said, looking down at her feet. “I felt as if the people should have a say in what we do to prepare for—and possibly prevent—this coming catastrophe.” She looked at all of the people before her, silent. No one came forth with a suggestion, yet. Not a word was spoken as the loyal crowd awaited her next words. “But before we go further, we must decide: avoid it, or accept our end?”

It was silent in the crowd as everyone pondered over their choices: die, or try and prevent your death? Titan was immediately on the side of avoiding the apocalypse. Even if it wouldn’t kill him in this generation, he wouldn’t wish it onto anyone in later generations.

The first voice spoke up amongst the confused and frightened people: “We can’t play god!”

“Yeah!” some shouted in agreement. One man in-particular continued, “If this is the fate the gods leave for us I say we take it head-on!”

“It would be a sin to avoid it!” another man agreed.

Titan was slightly repulsed by the welcoming of death. How could they want this? How could they stand up and say “Kill us all!” even when most of them had children? How could they wish this untimely demise upon every single person on the planet?

“But we can’t!” a woman shouted. “We can’t just sit around and do nothing! It would be suicide, and suicide’s a sin!”

Everyone began arguing amongst themselves silently, debating what we should do. Titan felt a powerful hand grab his wrist and begin pulling him through the crowd. They weren’t moving towards the back, to the exit, they were moving towards the stage. Towards the Veret.

Titan’s dad pushed everyone aside as he moved, lugging his son along behind him. Titan didn’t dare speak a word in protest; if his dad was going to do something, it would be with good reason. Even if that thing was marching up the stage, past armed guards, right to the Veret’s side.

The guards allowed his pass up the ramp due to his prestigious position as a senator, and they didn’t bat an eye as he marched right up to the Veret’s side. Without any respect, he released his son’s hand and pushed the queen away from the microphone so he could speak. As they inched in, Titan saw their images appear on the large screens across the city: digital billboards, projections on windows. His face was across the nation.

“What are we talking about?” the large, gruff man asked, raising his hands up in question. He spoke with great inflection in his voice, and moved his hands with the changing of tone as if his speech were a sonnet. “How could anyone even slightly suggest letting our children die? How could we suggest throwing away our future, just to please the gods? If anything would prove our strength as a race—as children of the divines—then it would be to escape our own fates, and alter the future! It would be to make a better life for the next generation, not leave them in the dust to clean up our mess. If the world ends, we will no longer be graced with the humble presence of our Verets; we will no longer be able to see into the future and predict our prosperous livelihood; we will no longer be able to thrive as a nation!”

Half of the crowd cheered in the name of nationalism and patriotism. The other half scoffed, and when the shouts were over someone shouted: “Defiance to the gods will land you in Hell!”

But then, someone else shouted, “Let the kid speak!”

Titan froze with fear. Why would he need to speak? He wasn’t any senator, or a prophet to the gods. He was merely a teenager. He barely knew how finances worked, let alone if his opinion towards the fate of the world was valid.

“Why?” Titan’s dad asked.

“Well, he’s your son isn’t he?”

“Yes,” he nodded.

“Then let him speak for the next generation.”

Titan’s dad backed away. Titan had no idea what to do. He was petrified. The idea of being up in front of all of these people scared him, and so did the idea of every television in the nation being closed-up on his face. But actually voicing his opinion to the country? That almost made him vomit.

Slowly, he made his way to the microphone. He clenched his fists and held back tears as he spoke, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. “I think… I think that we should try to avert the crisis.” he said. “It would be selfish to put the whole life of the planet on the line based on our personal beliefs… it would be selfish to take away the most natural of all rights—”

He was cut off by the loud toll of a bell, signaling the end of the gathering. Titan’s dad pulled him away from the microphone to make room for the Veret, so she could give everyone the final verdict.

“You’re all dismissed,” she said, “and the Herra and I will be coming to a conclusion within the week. Please, try not to stress yourselves over the wait. All regular communes and jobs will resume tomorrow, and I hope you have a lovely evening.”

Together, Titan and his father walked off the stage and to their car. The Veret was escorted by her body guards to her limo. The gathering ended faster than it had begun, and with much more confusion. What was to come of the world?