2 Chapter 1- Overture of Death

War! The one thing that brings out the worst in life and demands the best in you. It is 2036 and war on a massive scale has finally happened. The name's Henry Yuriy Markov-Lysenko; 3rd gen Ukrainian immigrant to the US. In the 50+ years I've been on God's not so green Earth, war has been on the lips of the rulers of the world. Until it finally happened.

What brought such bloodlust to overflow the Earth? Who knows! I sure as hell don't. For the most part I spend my days playing video games. I mean, my kids are adults, I work from home as a software security programmer and… I suffer from broken heart syndrome… Anyway that's not important.

What is important is us Markov's have seen two world wars, genocide, and other atrocities, but still bounce back like next summer's harvest. What our secret? I don't know, ask my grand uncle Yuriy! That fellow is THE "wilily" old guy, but he's my favorite!

As a kid, I used to spend a lot of time with my grand uncle and grand aunt Katya. Even with how much time I spent with them, I still could never figure him out. Like for instance, Uncle Yuriy had a (not so) secret cabin where he stored all his knowledge.

That cabin was filled to the brim with books and oak furniture. The rustic smell of the place was mystifying by nature and made one never want to leave. Or at least I never wanted to leave the place. You see… My family had many traditions which made one wanna hide in any secret place.

The Markov family before Stalin and the Soviets, were people who always held family and God above all else. Therefore, children from between ages 3 and 12 would spend 2 to 3 months out of the year with the family patriarch and matriarch. The 14-year-olds had to undergo a rite of passage and thus travel between family homes and villages until they reached 15. And at 15, the family viewed one as an adult in which they were allowed to marry, build their own home and so on.

Additionally, the adult children of the family would rotate 6 months out of the year and live with the patriarch and matriarch even if they were married with kids. They, their spouse, and their children would go and live with the patriarch and matriarch. This had been a family tradition since the 1500s (or so Uncle Yuriy would claim). Uncle would sometimes say,

"Before, malyy (малий = little) Yuriy… There used to be a total of 62 households in the Markov family. Each was made up of four generations of Markov's all spread across Ukraine. I and your didusʹ (дідусь = grandfather) would have been the fifth."

It was to be so, until 1932 the Soviets committed mass genocide in Ukraine leading almost all of the family to their grave. The whole family except my granddad, grand-uncle and grand-aunt died either at gunpoint or starved slowly. Their survival, a work of magic to say the least.

Years later despite such atrocities, both Uncle Yuriy and granddad fought with the Soviets alongside the Yanks in WW2. At the time Uncle Yuriy was 24 and granddad was 21. They fought in the hope the Soviets would leave our homeland alone since that's what was promised. Instead, they received praise and invitations from the Yanks, yet only empty unfulfilled promises came from the Soviets. In response, grandad decided to go to the US after the war, whereas Uncle Yuriy always said,

"The soil of my homeland is where my roots lay, and where they shall stay."

Granddad eventually met Grandma Martha and had my dad and his six brothers and sisters. Of course, they had followed our family's tradition even more fervently than before. Thus, granddad and company would spend time with Uncle Yuriy and Aunt Katya and their five children.

Many years later, I was the only child born of my parents. Still, when it was time for me to follow tradition, I somehow convinced my dad to let me spend more time with Uncle Yuriy. So instead of being in the US, I spent most of my childhood in Ukraine, until I was 14 years old, of course.

Now that I mention it, I don't recall mom's family having this type of tradition or any traditions for that matter, only disquieted shame. My mother, Samantha Lysenko, a descendent of Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko did not share the same feelings for Ukraine as Uncle Yuriy. Mom was Afro-Ukrainian so naturally she didn't have the same feelings.

Like granddad, her family too moved to the US, or rather secretly fled to the US. At first mom used to say Grandma Rada as a young girl was afraid of Americans because they thought everyone who spoke Ukrainian were Russian/Red spies and not refugees fleeing the Soviets. But that changed after WW2, Grandma Rada as a young woman warmed up to the Yanks and even had few flings (apparently she like having brothas' as bed fellows).

Although she would not mention much, mom's dad was a black man who after attempting to openly marry Grandma Rada, died at the hands of American Racism when mom was a little girl. Mom once mentioned, as a child, Grandma Rada would put very pale makeup on her to hide mom's skin and made her wear clothes that always hid her limbs.

Nonetheless, with her cinnamon brown skin and extra curly hair, many people would shame grandma and mom for having anything to do with the n*g**rs. It wasn't until mom was an adult, Grandma Rada disowned mom for some reason, but mom never said. When asked, her always bright eyes would dim, and cloud over whenever asked about it. All I know, Grandma Rada died in Ukraine in 2021 without any mention of children or grandchildren…

By now, your wondering, What the hell does your family history have to do with war? Well, war seems to always follow my family like Mi*h*** My*r* hunting his sister. But this time, I know for sure this will be the war to end it all!

At first it started with Russia invading my homeland Ukraine back in 2022; their invasion lasting for years. Then in Fall of 2030, the Russians retreated without rhyme or reason to the border. Everyone's thoughts were geared towards the end of the fighting and went back to their lives while Ukrainians rebuilt their homes, cities, and lifestyle. However, such actions would prove to be foolhardy. On March 14th, 2036, war descended upon the world like a famished pilgrim finding an oasis.

America had now begun facing many enemies all at once. Europe plummeted into World War II conditions only the German led European Union transformed into a dystopian empire. The German run EU decided to wage war against every European nation who was not a part of the union or sided with any Arab nation labeled as "hostile" throughout the world.

China began attacking Taiwan and Japan with strategic air strikes followed by sea and land invasion. North Korea also began attacking both South Korea and Japan. Turkey as a response to the EU, began invading the Middle East nation after nation to "create a Turkish led Ottoman Empire".

All the while, the Israeli-Palestinian war became even bloodier. The war took a turn for the worse when UAE had decided to support Palestine with funds, weapons, and armaments. Then isolated ISIS cells also joined with splinter cell terrorist attacks hitting airports, fuel depots, and other strategic locations. Lastly, the now ruling party turned hostilely anti-America and anti-Israel Hezbollah of Lebanon provided Palestine with political support and reinforcements from the Saudi ruled United Arab Union.

From the outside Africa seemed to be at peace, but this was far from the truth. Many African nations became safe havens for refugees and those fleeing war torn society, bringing with them their strife, bigotry, and distasteful habits. In no time many nations like Kenya, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Sudan, Morocco, Angola, and Nigeria had to fight armed "refugee" forces. These insurgences were driven by madness and began killing people in hopes to "thin the herd."

Even Australia and New Zealand were not spared as armed "refugee" assaulted their borders. Lastly, the not so secretive Central to South American Drug Cartel now controlled by MS-13 somehow positioned over the years enough political goons in control to force Chile, El Salvador, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. With enough blood money, these countries were forced to commence their own bloodletting war with intent on spreading death to the US. As a result, Texas and Arizona became No man's lands bathed in blood and death, California not that far behind.

As the leader of the free world, the US had spread their military forces all over the world. The government also turned a blind eye to civilian militias appearing left and right bringing war to the streets. Congress keeps saying it's all happening with the hope of keeping us safe and restoring a "lasting peace." Any smart person would know that was a lie.

With the international guard-dog split between other conflict zones, no one was prepared for Russia's ramped up invasive return to Ukraine. Like a never-ending rain, Russian forces laid waste to everything they touched. Yet the worst was yet to come. No one knows who fired first; however, everyone across the world could see the rain of nukes flying high in the sky. Many prayed, others wept. What seemed like forever had almost ended when an unexpected wave of solar wind destroyed the nukes in mid-flight! It was a miracle! Many people who did not believe in God did then.

And yet, reality tends to return favor with malice when we are over joyous. A second more viscous arch of solar wind came, splitting the planet in half as radiation tore through the atmosphere killing all life. It all happened in a matter of 45 minutes; and yet, when that second wind came, I knew the party's over.

From my top floor loft in Salem Massachusetts, I could see the night sky aluminate as though it were day. Scientists on the news for the past three months mentioned the sun was acting strangely, as if it was growing. But that's not supposed to happen for billions of years after all humanity on Earth is dead!

Now, the clock's run out!? I never told my parents how much I love them often enough. I never got to spoil my niece and nephew enough (although they are 30 and 35). I'll never get to tell my baby girl how proud I am of her success, or my hardheaded son to hurry up and marry that girl and give me grandkids!

I'll never get to reminisce with my future grandchildren about sitting under grand-uncle Yuriy's rustic oak tree while listening to his stories of yester years. Nor will I get to eat grand-aunt Katya's cooking. Most importantly, I'll never get to see true fully immersive VR technology!!! With many regrets, a bright flash wiped out all life and everything turned black.

-End of Chapter