"We'll be seeing shootings next" Diana mumbled, frowning.
I nodded, pulling my eyes away from the sky, which were still waiting for another scene to happen at any moment. I found that the students lost their spirits, probably because they dreaded that the next event to unravel before us would be more violent, one that would feed our fear and would make us lose our heads. I ended up getting even more furious at the rebels and the government itself, couldn't they let us live in peace?
"God, I hate them," I let out, and the rest looked at me, "Their rebellion is so stupid, it's only making it hard for us."
"Well, yeah," Anna acknowledged, "But they don't have bad intentions, they want to help people to live better."
"And I respect that, but they want a perfect government and there's no such thing, not while it's ruled by fools."
"Maybe not perfect, just better."
I pointed to the sky, with a grimace.
"Then they should set an example and follow their 'peaceful' and 'respectful' ideals that they won't stop bragging about. He flew over a school! Why include the children?"
Before anyone could speak, we heard the voice of a teacher through the comms telling us that it was time to start our class. His monotone and dry voice, falsely excited, only proved that the teachers were as scared as the rest. The scene itself had been pretty calm and was controlled without much trouble, but after countless violent assaults in other countries and planets, the fear that things could get worse lingered.
"Well,... this is really awkward, how about we go?" suggested Abril.
Without more to say, we made our way back to our respective classrooms in a silence that was only broken by her.
"Shit! The homework!" she shouted, lamenting herself.
************
Three hours later, at break time. Diana waited for us to sit close to her before starting the transmission of the news on her cellphone. Abril was telling us about how she got in trouble with the math teacher for not handing the homework, and how she was later sent to the corner because she wouldn't stop chatting with the other students. She stopped her story when the signal got to the hologram projecting out of the cellphone of our friend, and paid attention to the words of the presentator. The man first discussed some non related incidents like assaults, uprisings, murders, missing and found persons, kidnappings, among others. After a wave of negative news, he finally said:
"Another case that left the citizens flabbergasted was the robbery of a Jenkin's airship on the military field located in Culiacan, Sinaloa. The authorities were alerted of the rebel presence shortly after they started to project a message inciting treason and insulting the government, " A video of the facts appeared on the screen, the same ship that we've seen hours ago with the raw message in all its splendor, "Minutes later, members of the air force arrived to handle the situation, and were able to control it without resorting to violence."
I guess that if no one got hurt then you can't say it was violent I thought, unable to hold back a grimace.
"The rebel pilot was identified as Carlos Mario Hinojosa del Fuerte, thirty six years old. The events ocurred this morning, between six fifty five and seven, close to an elementary and junior high school. The mayor specified in his social media that they're planning on interrogating the man with the aid of special agents to expose the identity of 'J', and how they've been able to 'seal' the portals between planets. The methods they'll use have not been specified."
"They're going to dry his brain of information, that's for sure," Jollibeth commented, kneeled down beside me "Maybe with the help of a pastir."
"I almost feel sorry for him," Anna crossed her arms, "Almost."
Some images where the authorities escorted the man to a Humvee were shown. Once the doors were closed, it rose to the sky and flew away.
"Carrying on with the topic, the damages caused by the 'sealing' of portals has been catalogued as one of the biggest economical disasters of the century. According to the reports, every assault have been carried out the same way: Apparent sabotages are done in the facilities that force the employees to evacuate, as their lives are in danger. Explosions, cut off communications, firearm sabotage, collapsed buildings, are only a few of the reported agressions that the staff suffers, and for which at least two hundred workers have ended up hospitalized. Currently, the methods that the direct responsibles for the attacks are using on these sabotages are unknown. In the demands presented by the rebel group, 'J' insists that the representatives of the Uniserval Government leave their positions and to submit their power authority to the rebel faction, else, he won't reopen the portals. In some areas of the galaxy, the owners of aircraft companies are declining a cooperation with the government to share their transport due to the subit rise of taxes and commodity prices, as well as the proliferation of space pirates," videos of smugglers attacking spaceships spanned the holografic screen, showing the ruthless way they worked, killing the crew and stealing the merchandise, "The leaders of the Galactic Board have announced that-"
Then, we heard the alarm that ended the recess, which prevented us from hearing the words of the news anchor; his lips continued to move without a pause for about fifteen seconds. If he said anything else that was important, we didn't hear him. Diana finished the transmission and looked at us.
"That's awful, you think we'll face something like that? I read that in Mexico city there's been shootings."
"I don't think we're that lucky," Maria Andrea mourned, "We live in Culiacan... I think we'll soon be like them or worse, maybe the school will be closed."
And despite how furious I felt, how I clenched my fists over my tights as if they were trying to break something invisible between my fingers, I convinced myself that the best was not to meddle in. I didn't have the power or the voice in the matter to let any of the groups know my opinion, I wouldn't even know what to tell them; it was a political conflict from which I didn't really know much about between people who could do a lot. Or not, they couldn't do a lot, more like they dedicated themselves to send strangers to fight for them after persuading these poor people that it was the best for everyone, including them.
After everything I'd had to endure in my life, the only thing I cared about was to live peacefully. Meddling in such matters were not good news for anyone, so I decided to keep focusing on my own problems and to remain as an expectator, waiting for the end of the conflict. That's what I kept telling myself, as I tried to shut down the mental voice that repeated the words of my great-grandfather.
Slowly, each one of us stood up and headed to their respective classroom.
"How many portals have been sealed here on the Earth?" Abril asked me, catching up with me a few seconds later.
"About seven," I answered, trying to remember what I've read lately on the news, "They're all part of the G-8, the only country to keep the two of their main portals open is Great Britain, but they suspect that it'll soon be a target for the Rebels so they're increasing the security protocols."
"You think they'll attack Mexico?"
I shrugged. Our country was important on the Earth, but not as much as the rest of the powers. It'll surely be if the ones in charge were smarter and less greedy. Anyway, I didn't think that sealing our portals was vital, unless they took into account that, for decades, we had been the biggest food exporters to the rest of the planet.
"Who knows, maybe a few more months."
An unsatisfied expression appeared on her face and I stared at her, curious.
"I was hopping you'd say a higher number."
"I don't know, I'm being optimistic. We could end up without one of our portals tomorrow."
"Don't add salt to the wounds, please" She begged, covering her face with her hands, then turned around to her classroom.
“You're asking for something impossible” a smile escaped from my lips, and a hand took my arm gently. María Andrea was waiting for me and, together, we went to our classroom.
The history teacher Mariel was waiting on her desk with the class info on the screen in front of the room. She was crossing her arms, a lost look adorned by a few strangs of artificial blonde hair, and her bearing seemed more strict than usual as the shadows formed by the sun sharpened her facial features. I noticed the stiffness on her neck and shoulders, omen of a tedious and full-of-penalties class.
I wasn't the only one to notice the awkward atmosphere that our teacher emitted, but others took more time to notice it. The students passed at least six minutes talking and screaming in a messy manner, ignoring that the women was waiting for them to be silent before the spoke. When everything finally got quiet, she uncrossed her arms.
"I wonder who will be able to endure what's coming," she murmured, I thought I recognized some solitude in his voice, "No one is safe from the ravages of 'J', as you may have noticed with the event this morning."
At first I wasn't sure that her compassionate smile was directed at me, until she added:
"You're all alone, who's going to protect you now?"
My fists closed over my tights and I forced myself to hold her gaze. She was right, what would happen to me? I'd have to swallow my complaints, go to live with one of my relatives in another city or country, maybe even another planet. The history teacher turned around and wrote on the holografic board with her finger "Debate".
"For today's class we will divide in two teams that'll have to debate, an audience, a moderator, and someone who'll have to measure the time," She pulled her chair in front of the class and sat down with her arms crossed, "The topic: Is “J” a good change for the society? You'll have fifteen minutes to decide where you'll be positioned and the arguments that you'll use in whichever team you choose to be."
The rest doubted for a moment before standing up and began to settle in the surroundings of the room, ignoring that I was still frozen in my place, terrified at the idea of facing a possible war all by myself. The government would suspend the budget for the program that provided my only source of income, all to defend themselves during the uprisings, and it'll be hard to receive cash from my family. If the strifle grew enough to use weapons, then I was lost. It'll be natural to think that I'd want to do something about it... yet...
I opened my hands, feeling them throb in the area where my nails had dug on my palms, and I stood up, straightening my skirt. I dragged my seat to the back of the classroom: where the audience sat. At the other side of the room, I caught sight of the worried look in Maria Andrea's face. Of course she'd gotten to the same conclusion, she just didn't seem to understand why I always preferred to carp on the sidelines; or maybe she did know, she just didn't like it. She was also afraid that I could end up stuck in a hospital again If I lost my mind.
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