Sebastian makes his way to the Ore station. The station is integrated into an enormous white spire that holds the elevated Ore tracks up above the city streets. When he arrives in front of the station, he sees the train stopped above and ready to depart. He runs into and through the spire, towards the large lift that goes up to the train platform. Unfortunately, the lift leaves without him. He quickly makes his way up a wide flight of stairs until he reaches the platform. Sebastian hops onto the tram expecting the doors to close after him immediately.
They don’t.
Sebastian has time to stand and breathe loudly as he attempts to catch all the breath he lost. Because of the ceaseless physical demands of the kitchen, he’s in good shape. The doors close after a minute, by then his heart has returned to normal.
Sebastian rolls up his sleeve and scans his signature tattoo on a wall-mounted terminal. The doors to the car open and he quickly finds a seat. The Ore begins to move forward, accelerating to full speed in less than twenty seconds.
The rumble of the tram and passing scenery encourages Sebastian’s mind to wander. This mental legroom is his favorite part of the ride. The Ore is the most lived in piece of the city. Countless stories have left their traces as they passed through these trams. Thousands of little marks and scuffs cover almost every surface of these once luxurious white train car interiors. The orange, green, and yellow seat cushions wear varying degrees of discoloration.
Scuffed and graffitied like everything else in the tram, there are thick, plastic-protected screens on the back of every seat that constantly play Comet, the largest news broadcast in Federation territory. It is an inescapable stream of tailored stories and advertisements.
With its vast resources and official partnership with the government, Comet practically holds a monopoly over the news cycle. Its content can be informative, but often plays into paranoid speculation and hyperbolic controversy to make the feed as entertaining as possible. The viewing numbers are good for business, but the infinitely morbid news cycle is mentally exhausting. Everyone knows this, but it’s difficult to source credible news and easier to just watch what’s already available.
"… And Martian military officials have made it clear that they are ready to take action if their demands are not met within the next year. Along with a unilateral decrease in Lunar tariffs, the Martian empire would like to reinstate the open borders agreement, which was originally invoked by the late King Ford Halcyon over a century ago. The Secretary of State had this to say about the issue…" The Comet news anchor reads.
Sebastian tunes out the feed and settles into his seat, watching the passing city for a few minutes. He sees several armored military vehicles parked throughout the grid’s intersections. Additionally, he notices an increasing number of military airships patrolling the skies.
He jumps in his seat when suddenly, the volume of every screen in the train increases dramatically. A loud ‘BREAKING NEWS’ graphic leads into a sweeping shot of the same newsroom where the pair of meticulously manicured news anchors wait patiently to speak. Their expressions are sober, but not too upset.
"Good evening. I’m Ozias Twilson."
"And I’m Bronwyn Everstar."
"And tonight we present to you this breaking story—a tragedy on the colonial front." Ozias states.
A cleanly edited reel of post-attack footage plays onscreen. Colonists covered in wounds and dust are lifted from large piles of rubble. Intimidating armored soldiers gently guide workers towards evacuation aircraft.
"The Starsieg-sponsored colony of Vento has been attacked by a coordinated series of bombings throughout its mining operations center. Carefully placed explosives were detonated within both the central industrial spire and mining tunnels, collapsing the network and trapping several laborers underground. Starsieg personnel are actively working with the Vanguard to recover any remaining survivors from the wreckage. The current death toll in Vento is twelve, with thirty-seven reported injuries, though both numbers are expected to rise throughout the night." Ozias reads.
There are a few concerned gasps throughout the car.
"To ensure the safety of all state registered colonists, the Lunar Vanguard has instated a level one lockdown of all interplanetary port colonies with Prosperity Labor Union branches present. This includes Sunset, Refraction, and Oasis," Bronwyn explains.
There are several angry groans and shouts throughout the car.
"The level one lockdown includes a mandatory curfew that will be enforced effective immediately—all non-military personnel must remain indoors from eleven pm to five am."
The effects of the mandated lockdown are instantly noticeable. Orbiting air traffic densifies as gaining the clearance to land becomes an arduous process. Sebastian can see from above that ground traffic has become hectic as people scramble towards every market and fuel station in a fit of paranoia—creating a quick start to the supply shortages they fear will come. Small hovercraft called Tadpoles fill the streets of the Oasis downtown grid as traffic begins to build. Every person in the city is now pressed for time. The curfew starts in an hour.
Soldiers of the Lunar Vanguard (the Federation’s Earth-based military) bark orders from speakers mounted to the armored vehicles that dot the grid. The aggressive commands are an interesting attempt to get people to calm down.
Out of one mess, and into another.
Sebastian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
He needs to sleep.
"Authorities suspect that this attack was orchestrated by the Prosperity Labor Union—a wide-reaching organization with an established chapter embedded within every major Federation colony. The Prosperity Labor Union has been known to house former Earth Restoration rebels and Martian sympathizers," Bronwyn reads.
"Furthermore, highly trained Eclipse operatives have discovered startling evidence that the organization’s leadership includes former Earth Restoration generals who have begun indoctrinating all members of the union with rebellion teachings. The democratic nature of the Union’s structure has made it pliable to corruptive influence," Ozias reads.
"Experts warn that history is likely to repeat itself, after all, the Earth Restoration rebellion began as a labor union itself. The Halcyon royal family has released an official statement denouncing the Prosperity Labor Union and urging any active members to reconsider their affiliation," Bronwyn reads.
"With the royal family’s disapproval made official, any affiliation with the Union at this time could possibly have negative impacts on social credit. So, I would definitely heed the Halcyons’ advice. Right, Bronwyn?" Ozias takes a break from the teleprompter for a moment to look over at her.
"Indeed you would, Ozias." She says sternly, remaining faced forward with perfect posture.
"Right." Ozias resumes facing forward.
The Earth Restoration rebellion has been a long-time adversary of the Lunar Federation. It was once a labor force created by the Federation with a mission to reclaim wildlands for colony construction. When documents leaked that the government had been using workers as fodder against dangerous wildlife, the workers organized a global strike. However, after an attempted unionization went horribly wrong and a large peaceful protest turned violent, the Earth Restoration program quickly became a patchwork militia with cells scattered throughout the colonies. Their tactics were unpredictable and wrought indiscriminate havoc upon anything tangentially related to the Lunar Federation. This conflict became known as The Uprising.
The fighting was initially expected to end quickly, however the Federation underestimated the rebellion’s strength, leading to a decades long conflict. As the Uprising went on, the Federation gradually transformed itself into a massive war machine. It focused its energy on ending the war as soon as possible, crushing the resistance with rapidly advancing weapons technology. Towards the end, the insurgency clearly stood no chance. After almost thirty years of fighting, the rebellion officially declared defeat, and the Earth Restoration uprising was quelled.
When Sebastian was in grade school, they taught a version of the story that ended there. The Vanguard defeated the evil rebels—everything is fine now. But as he grew older, the grey areas of the war became more and more apparent. It is an unspoken acknowledgment amongst almost every working colonist that the Federation’s violent response to the rebellion was excessive. The Federation’s war crimes used to expedite its victory aren’t a secret. Everyone knows this, but it’s best not to mention said crimes. Otherwise, the threat of consequence is a quiet reality.
But, this breaking news is a reminder that the Earth Restoration rebellion never truly died. A shade of the resistance remains, scattered all around the globe in the form of roaming pirates and terrorists embedded in labor unions. The two-hundred-foot walls that surround Oasis are there to protect the city from all Earthly dangers. Though giant aggressive beasts roam the wilds, they know not to wander too close to the city. It’s the dangerous maniacs that would try to breach the city walls that truly scare everyone.
The rest of the train ride drags on as the commotion within the car grows louder and louder. Other passengers make phone calls to coordinate their next steps with friends and family. A lot of people get up to wait in front of the exit doors. A long line forms. The Ore reaches its destination and everyone aboard the train, including Sebastian, rushes to get out.
The station is hectic—filled with people waiting for the next train to show up and passerby’s zipping through the crowd. Sebastian politely pushes his way through until he makes his way down to the exit. Outside isn’t much better. The sidewalks are crowded and Tadpoles honk at one another as the traffic gets nastier. Sebastian’s apartment is a quick five-minute walk from the station, so thankfully it doesn’t take too long to get home.