A World at War - With Itself

A World at War – With Itself

     Korron pointed at the image on the large monitor in front of a group of fifty twelve to thirteen year olds. “From above Roath looks like almost every other planet in the universe.”

     As that image grew the surface of Roath could be seen. Mountains dotted it so much the actual isle they stood on couldn’t be seen. On top of those tall ten to fifteen-mile flattop mountains in the center of them stood a castle. Surrounding those castles stood thousands to millions of pretty primitive village homes. All the mountains were about the same height. “Can anyone tell me why most of us live on SpaceStations that surround Roath?”

     Cowwena, twelve, tapped a gem hanging around her neck. She glanced down to see it glowed a light green. Then she stood up before she spoke. “It’s the only way to for us to survive the war that has been going on for fifteen almost generations.”

     Korron walked around his Learners as he continued talking to them. “That’s correct.”

     “The war was killing us off one at a time,” said thirteen-year-old Pattrick. “We had to do something.”

     “That’s also correct,” replied Korron. “The only ones living on Roath are those fighting in those wars – and the owners of those castles.

     Gellan, twelve, tapped his Answerer once. Then he stood up to speak. Everyone did it that way. “It was really bad for us the first ten generations.”

     “He’s right,” said another thirteen-year-old, Willia, female. “Most of those who got killed were the Innocent Ones.”

     “The elderly, women and children suffered death the most,” replied twelve-year-old Thollim. “It took us that long to become advanced enough to do something to stop the slaughter of the Innocent Ones.”

     “Who can tell me what it was that got us to living on these SpaceStations?” Korron asked.

     “It was the death of a group of children younger than us,” answered twelve-year-old Jessike. “There were five thousand of them who died that day because a rival castle thought that castle was using the children to protect themselves during battle.”

     “It’s the biggest single kill since the war began,” said a sad sounding twelve-year old male named Olivver. “I had relations who died in that killing spree.”

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     “Who here can tell me how this war got started?” Korron asked after the Learners came back from eating.

     “That is a trick question,” Tanni, thirteen, said. “There isn’t just one war going on.”

     “There’s about a hundred of them,” continued twelve-year-old Vonnic. “Everyone is at war with their neighbor.”

     “That’s correct.” Korron leaned against his desk that sat in front of those Learners. “Only that isn’t the question I asked an answer to.”

     “You’re right,” said twelve-year-old Norrice. “You asked us how the war began.”

     “Can anyone answer that question?” Korron asked.

     Thirteen-year-old Rollian stood to answer Korron. “No one knows how it started or how it expanded so quickly.”

     “It’s been so long since it began,” continued, thirteen-year-old, Adomm. “What could have answered that question, if there ever was anything to answer it, got destroyed generations ago.”

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     A few minutes later the image of the surface of Roath got replaced by a female Announcer, Mollina according to the oblong name cube sitting on the desk in front of her, sitting behind a desk. “The latest news about the war at the top of every hour.”

     “I wonder how bad it is this hour.” Korron sat down in a desk chair near him. “This is the worst part of the day.”

     “Somewhere on the Isle of Wight, a castle on a mountain top was under siege...” An explosion behind Mollina made her jump out of her chair a little.

     “Can anyone here tell me where that isle is at?” Korron asked.

     Korron scanned the room for a light green light. Only he didn’t get one. “It’s on a small island with about fifty mountain castles in the southern part of Roath.”

     Behind Mollina, on a big monitor, a castle was getting hit hard. Korron and his Learners saw little, and big, pieces of it destroyed. They also saw the fighters on the castle walls fighting, mostly being blown away, back. Most of the dying didn’t look much, if any, older that those individuals in that room.

     Mollina continued on with one war story after another for another fifteen minutes. Then the image that stood there before Mollina came back. Korron got up and addressed his Learners. “Let’s continue.”

     “How do you know where that island is at?” Asked thirteen-year-old Gorrine. “Do you have relations there?”

     Korron didn’t answer those questions. Instead he said, “We have a lot more to talk about before tomorrow.”

=====-=====-=====-=====-=====

     “That’s about all I can show you about our planet – and the war that’s going on there.” Korron sat behind her desk. The four hovering slowly spinning Time Globes indicated it had been several hours since Korron ignored the Isle of Wight questions.

     “It’s all up to all of you now.” Korron practically knocked the chair out from behind her as she stood up. “You still have some Fighter training to do before you take off for Roath tomorrow morning.

     “Good luck to you all,” said Korron. As her Learners started getting up and leaving Korron thought to himself. Unfortunately, most of you aren’t going to live long enough to return here.


Note – It’s true the Isle of Wight is on Earth. But I don't think you know that
       the planet of Roath also has an Isle of Wight on it too.

The Word Count, including this line, is 934