Rhivera

As soon as we reach Uneva’s military base I take the tram line home, trudge upstairs and collapse into bed while still in my uniform. I try to get as much sleep as possible, but it isn’t much. Mom wakes me bright and early. My last day of school was yesterday but unfortunately the graduation ceremony is today, I force myself into my blue and white graduation gown.

“Good morning bro.” The 9-year old Eugenio greets from his wheelchair while fiddling with the food on his plate. “How was last night?”

Mom turns to me pensively from the kitchen.

“It went well.” I nod to him, giving the only answer mom wants to hear. She was never happy about me joining the military, preferring that I do anything else. When Eugenio and I were alone, he liked to hear about the missions I’ve gone on. Of course, I’d censor some of the less savory details.

Mom promises to take pictures of the graduation ceremony for Eugenio, after meeting with Melissa and Yolanda we head for the school. Raul is busy at base so he can’t come. When we reach school we separate from our parents and join the rest of the graduating class.

“Had a late night?” Melissa asks when I start to yawn.

“Yeah, late mission.” I rub my tired eyes as I speak.

“I had a late night too.” Melissa mentions, “Why not take a break from the military after today? I was planning on taking a year off myself.” Melissa says.

“No, I couldn’t do that.” I respond.

“Why not? Knowing you, you’ll be working hard for the rest of your life. Why not take some time off?” Melissa urges me again. “You can rejoin the military or work somewhere else after that.”

“I don’t think that’s for me.” I give her an inquisitive look, “Did you think you would be able to convince me?”

“No. But I thought I’d at least try.” Melissa responds with a disinterested look.

While I took classes meant to groom me for the military, Melissa took a great variety of classes that could prepare her for anything. She still hasn’t decided what she’ll do, but after a year I’m sure she’ll know what she wants. She can do anything she sets her mind to.

Arturo, on the other hand, isn’t here with us. He stopped going to school when he was 14. Not because he couldn’t afford it or wasn’t smart enough. He’s way smarter than me. He had other reasons.

“School can’t teach me anything I can’t learn on my own.” Arturo had said.

But as far as I know, he isn’t working at all. He turned 18 a few months ago like us. I can’t help but worry about him. If he doesn’t change in a few years, Population Control might come for him.

The Rhiveran Flags are displayed prominently on the podium of the graduation ceremony, a blue flag with a white emblem at its center representing the sun. Melissa shakes me awake when they call me up, I must’ve slept through most of the speeches of the ceremony. When I step onto the stage mom takes as many pictures as her camera would allow and gives me a big smile.

After the ceremony and lunch, I get into my military uniform and head to Uneva’s military base for work. Sometimes I walk there, but in my sleep deprived state, I use the ride on the tram as a moment to rest.

The base is surrounded by a stone perimeter wall with several sentries manned around it at all times. Before letting me inside they check my credentials at the gate to make sure I wasn’t bringing anything dangerous with me.

As always, the base is in a bustle. At the center of the base is the administrative district where the highest ranking officers and non-combatants work like Raul and Yolanda.

I meet my squad on the western side of the base near the barracks and armory and join them for training. Whenever we aren’t on a mission, we’re training for one per Ilyana’s orders. We begin running laps for conditioning, other days we’d use the base’s mock battle rooms to play out different mission scenarios.

Sergeant Gutierrez breaks up our training and gathers all of the squads under his command for weekly updates, congratulating us for our mission last night before continuing on to other pressing matters.

“We received word from Sotra’s base that there is a Weaktown in its jungles, and Colonel Rios has asked us to assist Sotra’s military base in tracking it down this weekend. ” Sergeant Gutierrez reads aloud from his notepad.

I remember Mom suggested we run away to a Weaktown to save dad, but he turned it down. Weaktowns are communities created away from society with the intent of avoiding Population Control. These were outlawed since they were typically sustained through theft.

The Sergeant continues, “We will enter the jungle from the west while Sotra’s forces will enter from the North and East. Once we’ve found the Weaktown we’ll eliminate all of its residents.”

My heart sinks. I can’t be alone as a murmur crosses across the soldiers of the different squads at the announcement.

Never one to remain silent, Ilyana spoke up, “Isn’t that a job for Population Control? Why are we being brought into this?”

The Sergeant raises his eyebrow; he’s used to her challenging him. “They suspect the Weaktown is being defended by the RLA, that’s why we’re being brought in. We could eliminate the terrorists and detain all of the residents, but Population Control will end up dealing with them anyways. Our superiors have agreed that we should dispatch them alongside the RLA. Do you see any issues with that Corporal?”

Ilyana hesitates before saying, “No issues, sir.”

“Very good.”

The Sergeant continues with other matters, but my thoughts are on that upcoming mission. Killing terrorists is one thing, but I imagine the people living in the Weaktowns are civilians. People who ran away to escape Population Control.

Ilyana nudges me, “You okay?” She whispers so as not to interrupt the Sergeant. She must’ve noticed me worrying. I give her a false smile and nod, but I can tell she sees right through it.

“Rico, what was it like when you worked for the Population Control?” Ilyana asks after the meeting.

Rico worked as a Population Control Officer for years before joining the military. “It’s never easy. It’s tough seeing how people are at the end like that. If it didn’t pay so well, I wouldn’t have done it for so long. But people know better than to fight back when a Population Control Officer comes to your home. I can’t imagine it’ll be as easy with our coming mission though.”

Rico seems to have made peace with our mission, while everyone else is still wrestling with the idea of killing non-combatants.

“They’re thieves and criminals, right? They deserve it.” Ilyana rationalizes, and the some of our squad follows suit. I’m not sure I’m convinced.

We continue with training until a familiar bearded man in a professional looking military uniform approaches us, the Colonel in charge of the entirety of Uneva Military Base. As Ilyana catches sight of him, she orders us to stand at attention.

“There’s no need.” The man says with a wave of his hand, “I’m just here to chat with Juaquin. Carry on as you were. ”

Ilyana promptly dismisses me to speak with him. It is Raul, his beard had grown even longer giving him a distinguished look. In the years since my dad’s passing, Raul rose through the ranks until he became Colonel, overseeing all military activity in Uneva, the Southwestern region of Rhivera.

“To what do I owe this pleasure Colonel?” I ask in a teasing tone as he takes me aside.

“Oh-ho, the pleasure is all mine,” Raul responds with a smile. His expression turns more serious as he continues, “Sorry I couldn’t show up to you and Melissa’s graduation.”

I smile, “It’s fine, we know you’re busy.” Ever since dad died, Raul has done his best to fill the role of a father figure for me. He even gave me advice for my first date when I was 15. Of course no one could ever match my dad, but I appreciate that he’s always been there for me.

“I’m glad you understand. I don’t think Melissa truly does. If she had her way, the two of us would leave the military for a quiet life. But that isn’t our way, is it?” Raul grins.

“No sir.” I agree with a similar grin.

“Well, that isn’t what I came to talk to you about. The mission your squad is going on this weekend...” Raul looks at me to gauge my reaction, I try not to show my worries, “You can be exempt from it. I can place you with another squad that day if you don’t feel... comfortable.”

As nice as that sounds, it doesn’t feel right to do either, “I don’t want special treatment.” I say.

Raul shrugs his shoulders, “It’s not special treatment. I mean, technically you’re not even working for the military full time yet. I don’t see anything wrong with you sitting out-”

“I’ll be fine.” I say again more sternly.

Raul gives me a nod and pats me on the shoulder. Never missing a chance to praise me, he says “Good man. Better than most. Better than me that’s for sure. You get on back to your squad, private.” Raul gestures me back in the direction of my squad, “I’ll see you back at home.”

“Yes sir.”