The Ideals We Defend

October 26th

Northern Region of the New Atlas Zone

7:22 AM

The next day, Isa was up early, the sun had just begun to rise over the horizon, giving the city a golden glow.

"Mmmm...." She looked out the window, at the sunrise, a smile creeping across her tired face "Beautiful."

She stretched and got up "I never get how to get up so early no matter what" she mumbled to herself.

Isa walked over to her closet and pulled out some clothes, simple black pants, a white shirt, and her iconic pastel coat. Then, she headed into the bathroom and began to take a shower.

"God this is so nice"

After getting out, Isa got dressed, grabbed her laptop, and headed to the door.

"Oh wait" she looked at the mirror, checking her outfit "Perfect."

She headed out into the hallway and knocked on Jarvis's door

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

"Ughh....." came a mumble from inside

"C'mon Jarvis, you did this to me on Monday. It's my turn now"

"Mmmm....."

"C'mon, Get your lazy ass up"

"Fine, I'm coming"

"Good."

Isa heard a groan from inside as the door opened.

"Goddammit, I was enjoying my sleep, what do you want?"

"Breakfast, let's go."

"Can't I just sleep a bit longer?"

"Nope, we gotta job to do."

"Ughh, Fine"

"Come on, let's go."

Jarvis groaned and got out of bed. He was wearing a simple pair of pajama pants and a white T-shirt.

"Come on, get dressed."

"Okay, okay"

Jarvis grabbed some clothes and headed into the bathroom, taking a quick shower, and getting dressed.

He put on a pair of dark blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a gray hoodie.

"Come on, let's go"

"Alright, alright"

Jarvis and Isa headed out the door.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm starving, I'm sure they have some kind of mess hall here.

"Okay, let's go"

They headed into the staircase, avoiding the elevator just in case of any outages.

"Did you see the conference last night?"

"Dude I passed out as soon as I hit that bed."

"I have to show you during breakfast."

"Alright."

They headed down the stairs into the lobby, where soldiers stood aplenty, some in gear, some just in normal clothing with holsters, they made their way to the front desk.

"Morning you two" Smiled Jim "A good night's rest I hope?

"It would have been amazing if I wasn't interrupted" chuckled Jarvis slightly

"Oh you asshole" Laughed Isa

"That's what friends are for" Smirked Jarvis

"Anyways, do you know where we could find somewhere to eat?"

"Yeah, There's a mess hall just a couple of buildings down, follow the signs."

"Alright, Thanks Jim"

"You two have fun"

Jarvis and Isa left the lobby and headed down the street.

"So what happened during the press conference?"

"It was boring, and the whole thing was a farce, a propaganda piece, I mean, seriously, did they expect anyone to believe that the marshals went in there because the council was planning on attacking the military?"

"That's insane, but it's what the government wants us to believe."

"Exactly, They're trying to spin this whole thing, so that the people think that the council was the bad guy, But we all know that they were the ones who started it."

"This is ridiculous"

"Tell me about it, But, that's just how things are, the government's gonna say whatever they want, and we have no choice but to go along with it."

"I hate this, but yeah, that's the way things are."

"Let's just get something to eat, and we'll deal with the rest later."

They headed down the street and towards the mess hall.

"So, you ready for the job today?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Not really."

"So, what's the plan?"

"We're gonna head to the city center, and we're gonna see what the situation is like."

"Right, sounds like a plan"

"Then, we're gonna go out and talk to some of the civilians, and see what they have to say."

"So, basically, we're just gonna be walking around, doing nothing but talking to people?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Great, just what I wanted to do today."

"Don't worry, It'll be fine."

They headed into the mess hall, and they were greeted by a loud buzzing of voices and clinking of dishes.

"This is the place"

"Woah, this is big."

"Yeah, it is."

There were rows upon rows of tables, all filled with soldiers and civilians, eating, drinking, and chatting, some of them noticing the two.

"Woah is that them?"

"Oh my god, it's those reporters!"

"Hey, it's them!"

"Oh my god, look!"

The room began to buzz, people staring and whispering, and pointing.

"Seems like we're popular

"Your high school fantasy has come to life Jarvis" She chuckled

Jarvis replied with a middle finger

"Hey, let's get something to eat, and then, we can start the day."

"Alright, sounds good."

They headed over to the food line and got their breakfast.

"Man, this place has a great selection"

"Yeah, It's pretty good."

They found an empty table, and they began to eat their breakfast.

"You said you were going to show me the conference"

"Ah right"

Isa opened her laptop and played the video, Jarvis watching intently.

"Oh man"

"I know"

"This is such bullshit"

"I know."

"And people are buying this shit?"

"Yeah, people are, people are stupid."

"This is so fucking messed up."

"You can say that again"

"Hey, are you Jarvis and Isa?"

The two turned and were met by a young lady, slightly younger than them.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"My name's Eliza, I'm a writer for Gray County Times."

"Nice to meet you" Smiled Isa

"Shocked, I thought we were the only ones reporting."

"Likewise, and No, you're not the only ones, there's others."

"Huh, well, that's good, at least."

"Yeah, it is."

"Can I sit with you guys?"

"Sure, have a seat"

Eliza sat down and began to eat her breakfast.

"So, you were at the shooting, right? The one on July 5th"

Isa stopped as Jarvis choked on his food for a moment

"Yeah...." Isa sighed, The memory was not a pleasant one

Jarvis cleared his throat "It was a hard day for us both"

"I can imagine"

"I'm still struggling with the memories"

"I understand. I apologize if I brought back unpleasant memories"

"No no, it's alright"

"So, I'm shocked you are still so willing to report on the conflict"

"Well, someone has to do it, And I want to tell the truth, It's hard but, the truth needs to be told"

"Yeah, that's true, The truth does need to be told."

"Honourable" Smiled Eliza

"Thanks, but there's no point in being honorable if no one's listening"

"That's a good point."

"So, why did you come over here?"

"I... I want to write headlines about international news, Be a big shot like those in CNN or the New York Times, not just 'Oh accident on the freeway' When it's just a fender bender...."

"Well you remind me a lot of a certain someone" Jarvis bumped Isa who gave him an eyeroll "I'm sure Gray County has been getting interesting with all the evacuees no?" Isa smiled

"I mean, yeah.."

"Try getting their stories, not everyone has the same story, I'm sure there are many stories about their past lives and the struggles they are having fleeing from their home," Isa assured her.

"Huh, That's a good idea"

The two got up with their empty plates

"We'll see you later, Eliza, It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise, Good luck on the stories"

The two got up, and left the mess hall, leaving Eliza to her own devices.

"You know, She reminded me of you when we were younger"

"Oh shut up."

"Nah, I'm serious, You always wanted to be the big-time reporter, The one that gets the juicy scoops, and the big-name headlines."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You never changed."

"No, I guess I didn't."

"So, where to first?"

"Let's go to the city center, and see what the situation is like."

"Sounds like a plan."

The two headed off to the city center.

----------------------------------------------------

They walked a few blocks and found themselves in the city center.

The city center was a large square, with shops and businesses all around. It was usually bustling with people, but today, there was a different feel to it, a tenseness in the air, a quietness, a heaviness.

"This is weird..."

"I know, this place is usually packed."

"Yeah, it is."

"C'mon, let's go, and see what the situation is."

The two headed into the square and began to look around.

There sat 4 soldiers in a truck, They mostly sat there, a few talking amongst themselves.

"Look at them, so casual, like nothing's wrong"

"Want to talk of them? See if they're willing to spill?"

"You mean you want me to go talk to them?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

the two walked over

"Afternoon," Jarvis said with his camera in hand "You mind if we talk to you guys?"

"Hey, it's you guys, You said all that stuff to the mayor."

"Yep, That's me." Isa smiled

"Nice work, You got that crazy ass bastard"

"Thanks, I did the best I could."

"Well, it was pretty impressive, considering the odds" cheered another soldier.

"Thank you thank you"

"But did you want to ask us something?" Asked the first soldier

"Oh, uh, Yes but first is it ok if my cameraman records this conversation?"

The soldiers looked skeptical for a moment but nodded

"Course" Nodded the first one

Jarvis smiled and turned on his camera

"We were wondering how you are holding up. How's life here as a soldier for New Atlas"

"It's... It's been alright. Better than what I was doing before."

"And what were you doing before?"

"I was a mechanic, back in my hometown."

"Ah, That's interesting, and how does it compare to being a soldier?"

"It's... different. More stressful."

"More dangerous too"

"Yeah, definitely."

"What about you?" Isa asked the other soldiers "What are your stories?"

"I'm an electrician," One said, "I worked for the city, maintaining the power grid, they asked me to be one of those mechanics but, That's boring, I joined because I wanted some adventure" The soldier chuckled.

"What about you?"

"I was a nurse, Back home, I wanted to do more, Do something bigger, So I joined"

"Ah, Interesting."

"And what do you think of this whole thing?"

"Well, I think it's... interesting."

"It's wonderful what they do here" cheered another soldier

"They give me an opportunity, Something I could have never achieved back home, Sure the fighting isn't the best part, but I can sleep better at night knowing the world is a better place, A place where people dont have to live in fear"

"I think it's a good cause."

"And you?" Isa turned to the final soldier

"I... I joined to escape, This was the only way for me."

"Escape? Escape what?"

"My past, I had a life before, a good one, but I did something....I shouldn't"

The group became silent

"But, the more important question is, Do you enjoy serving here?"

"Yeah, Yeah, it's great"

"Definitely"

"I couldn't be happier."

"That's good, Thanks for talking to us."

"No problem, Good luck."

"You too"

The two parted ways.

"Well, that was interesting."

"Yeah, it was."

"Let's keep going, see what else we can find."

"Alright."

They kept walking around, seeing the city, and its people.

There was a heaviness in the air, an uncertainty.

Everyone seemed to be going about their day, but there was an undercurrent of fear and tension.

There were soldiers everywhere, patrolling the streets, manning roadblocks.

The civilians seemed to be trying to ignore them, going about their day, as if everything was normal, but there was a sense of unease.

The city was tense, the soldiers were on high alert, and the civilians were trying to go about their day as if nothing was wrong, but there was an undercurrent of fear.

They passed by a shop.

There was a group of soldiers outside, looking at the TVs in the lobby

"What's going on here?"

"We're watching the press conference from the other night."

"Oh, the Governor?"

"Yeah, that fat fuck. Who the fuck is HE calling us terrorists, He's tried to starve us out!"

"Yeah, the fat fuck has no idea what he's talking about." A soldier spewed

"He's a fucking idiot, he's not even fit to run the state." another followed suit

"Yeah, that's for damn sure." One replied

The soldiers continued to watch the press conference, getting angrier and angrier by the minute.

"I swear, one day, I'm going to fucking kill him, I'm going to strangle him, I'm going to tear him limb from limb, I'm going to rip his fucking head off and shit down his neck!"

"I'll hold him down while you do it."

"Yeah, and then we can hang his corpse up as a warning so that no one else tries to fuck with us."

"Hell, yeah. I'd pay to see that."

"We'll have to organize a hunting party, and get some good old-fashioned revenge."

The group started laughing.

Isa and Jarvis looked at each other, the conversation turning grim, but they knew better than to interrupt.

"So, what are your names?"

"Oh, I'm Tom, and this is Jack and Kendall.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Isa, and this is Jarvis"

"Pleasure" Tom replied

"So, how is it being a soldier for New Atlas? I assume it's interesting?"

"It's... different. You learn a lot, you see a lot, and it's not always pretty."

"Yeah, it's definitely not for the faint of heart."

"Is there anything that made you interested in serving?"

"I was a police officer, trying to change it from the inside, But after July 7th. That poor man, I quit in protest and joined the militia, I wanted to help and make sure something like that never happens again"

"Same" chimed Jack

"I'm sorry to hear that"

"Eh, I'm just happy to be doing some good."

"Same, I wanted to help protect people, to make a difference, and this was the only way I could."

"I used to train people in a shooting range, but I felt useless like I was doing nothing. When the opportunity came to serve, I jumped on it, and now, I feel like I'm finally doing something worthwhile." sighed Kendall

"Wow, that's really brave of you, and what about you?" Isa turned to Tom

"I'm a teacher, I taught high school history, and I saw how the kids were growing up, the racism, the discrimination, The fear, it was just getting worse, and I couldn't do anything, so I thought, 'Fuck it' And joined"

"Interesting, And how's it going so far? I'm sure with the threat of invasion from the National Guard, it's not been easy"

"With that raid with the Marshals, we got a taste of combat. It was... intense. Not the type of thing I'd like to go through again. But, we're getting there, We're learning, and we're growing."

"I'm sorry about that" Sighed Isa.

"Don't worry, we're okay, We're a family, and we're here to support each other."

"I'm glad to hear that"

"Well, I'm afraid we have to get back to work, Good luck."

"Good luck."

The soldiers went back to their patrol.

Isa and Jarvis turned to each other.

"Wow, that was a lot." Isa sighed

"Yeah, it was."

"I felt like it was better without the camera, they seemed much more willing to talk."

"Yeah, They did."

"Yeah, it is."

"Come on, let's go, let's try and find another story."

"Alright."

The two walked off, continuing their journey around the city, Interviewing people.

"So, What do you think is going to happen? With the city, and the situation?" Asked Isa

"I don't know, It's hard to say. But, I hope for the best." said one

"I don't want to leave it, I want it to be safe, and peaceful." said another

"Those bastards in the US Government want nothing more to see us as slaves, they will find out the hard way that fighting against threats to our kind is something we're good at," said the final with wrath in her voice

The two paused in shock at the woman's words

"Well... I guess you're not wrong" Isa spoke.

The group continued walking, and they were able to gather quite a few interviews.

As the two finished their tour of the city, they realized something.

"It's getting late, and we've had a long day."

"Yeah, it is."

"What's next, for tomorrow?" questioned Jarvis

"Probably get more about the Raid"

"So, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we get more of a natural element, the stories of those that were actually in the raid, How it felt, and why they were there"

"Hmm, That's a good idea."

"Come on, let's head back, we can think about it more in the morning."

"Alright."

The two headed back to their hotel, tired from the day's events.

---------------------------------

Back in her room, Isa sat by herself, writing in her journal, she was thinking back to her interview with the soldiers.

"They were right, They were all so, so different, They came from such different backgrounds, and yet, they all had the same goal.

To help, to protect, to do what they thought was right."

To fight for their cause,

To protect their families, their homes,

To make the world a better place,

To stop the oppression and injustice,

To bring peace and prosperity to their people

To make a better life for themselves, and others,

To help end the suffering and fear,

To end the tyranny and bigotry,

To make the world a better place,

But will it all be worth it if something pops off...?

She closed her eyes, thinking about the last words the soldier said

"Those bastards in the US government want nothing more to see us as slaves, they will find out the hard way that fighting against threats to our kind is something we're good at,"

What if their anger, their resentment, their hatred, becomes a reality, what would happen if they snap, if the violence escalates?

If the government sends its troops into the city,

Will it all be worth it?

Or will they just lose everything in the process,

Their homes, their families, their lives,

Just to defend what they believe in?

The war was coming, and she didn't know if she was ready for it,

But she had to try.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Jarvis plugged his camera into the laptop, loading the footage, as he did, He was deep in thought, The conversations they had today, it made him think.

He was only in Quitania for a few years. Moved to Atlas when he was 5, and was mostly treated as an outsider, But his mother and father taught him kindness and tolerance.

They taught him that everyone is equal, no matter their race or ethnicity.

He saw firsthand, the bigotry and discrimination that plagued his people, he saw how it affected his family,

and how they were treated as second-class citizens.

He never really knew what to do once he graduated, had a 'plan' but never really had an idea of his future, and bounced around jobs...and homes...till Isa offered him a job, She was looking for a cameraman, and he was the only person willing to take the job,

He was thankful for that, because of her, he's gotten to see and experience things he never could, He's met and interviewed so many amazing people, and seen so much beauty and wonder in the world,

But. Where would he be if Isa never offered? Would he be a soldier in the New Atlas Milita, a cop like his brother? or even...

BING!

The footage finished loading to the laptop.

He sighed, and shook his head, no use worrying about it now,

"Time to focus," he told himself

He clicked play and started editing the video of the interviews,

"He mostly edited out the more extremely vulgar things some of them said, leaving the most important parts intact

He worked well into the night, not stopping till he had a decent amount of the interviews.

As he saved the video, he sighed, he was exhausted, and the video still wasn't finished.

It was to the part with what the woman said, about the government,

It scared him,

The militia was getting stronger, more prepared, more aggressive,

"Keeping this in could make people despise Quitanians," he thought,

He deleted the clip and sighed

"I...I don't want things to get worse," he whispered,

He closed his laptop, and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling,

He was tired,

And he needed sleep.

He closed his eyes and drifted off...