A Broken World

Everyone forgot about war, everyone except for a few. Including Mica.

Mica couldn't forget. Russia had taken over the world, and now everyone spoke Russian. Some countries remained independent, but not all. Russia influenced other countries, including overseas. The wars that affected the lives of millions, if not billions, had come to a halt. She knew the technology to erase memories now thrived, and people no longer remembered war. Only a select few knew, including her. Now her mission was to prevent wars from happening. It had been peaceful for the last 10 years of her life. England continued to have a monarchy. It's been heavily reinforced by communist military rules and guidelines. She grew up under those rules. There was no turning back. But something was off. Although she was fluent in Russian and English, something pounded on her mind. She didn't know what. Something was wrong with the system.

"Mica. Report for duty immediately. Go to headquarters immediately." A soldier yelled through the closed door.

Mica opened the door and went out. Her clothes were a little rusty and wrinkled. She followed the soldier to the doors of the headquarters. No questions asked. Pain swelled through her already big stomach. She had a husband to think about, even if she didn't care for him, and the marriage was arranged anyhow. She couldn't care less.

Entering the big building, she went to the elevator and selected the third floor. Three times the charm became a popular saying. Remained popular throughout the world. Without Russia, the world wouldn't run. It was like that for China, too, which remained independent. Now, she made it to the office with sweat dripping down her face, even though it was cold.

"Good evening. There is an important task for you. Here are the details. You have a week to finish this task. Bolivia is threatening to release a nuclear bomb onto Russia, and your job is to show support to Russia and make peaceful negotiations to clear the threat. Four billion people are counting on you to survive. Will you accept?" Gorche, the leader, tapped his finger on his desk.

"You can count on me. Anything to keep the peace. Something is off, I just know it." She twiddled her fingers. A kick could be felt again.

"Your baby will thank you."

Mica went home and the first thing she did was to go to the table and sat down. Then she sifted through the papers. The peace was unsettling. The leader of Bolivia was up to no good. Time was of the essence. She needed to stop him in a week. This might be another country in the grasp of Russia if things failed. The Chinese were declining due to more deaths than births. She thought of how China was at its own downfall and wondered how the world would go without that country. It was the most technologically advanced. Flying cars were the norm because of it. Still, she couldn't think of that right now. She had to focus on her task. Her first task would be flying to Bolivia. That would be where the leader would be. Then she had to speak to the leader. Sounded simple enough.

Leaders of the countries didn't have memories of war. She knew that. They could easily start a war, and it would hurt the lives of so many innocent people. Trauma from war lived on. Although memories could be erased, soldiers who survived battlefields never stopped remembering, even when their memories were wiped due to dreams. War continued to exist even at a time of peace, and she saw the pattern. Peace was a false existence. War lingered around the corner. Leaders could be careless thanks to the ability to erase any memory. She needed to stop this leader, whether she wanted to or not. Her husband, Lolo, came home and immediately hugged her. She pushed him back and guarded the papers. He wasn't supposed to know.

"How are you doing? And how is our child?"

"Kicking as ever. I might have more than one. The more the merrier. Russia moved Boswick overseas; isn't that great? That country always wanted to have the ocean as a border. I think the land of America is enough for them to all fit."

"That is great. Both sides get what they want. You always talk about something that doesn't exist. Of course, new countries are developing all the time. Most of them are Russian. That's on the news. What is also interesting is that the president of Russia is talking about changing it to Unify. And there are new species on the rise that didn't exist before. That is interesting."

"I will watch out for that. Tonight I have to leave. It is an important task I must fulfill. These countries and creatures do exist, and new lands and oceans are being discovered. The Earth is growing. I saw someone shapeshift, even. Always test to see what you can do in the bedroom of course. Radiation- wait I think your memory will be erased now."

"My memory will be erased? Why will that happen?" He scrunched his fists. "There you go again, bringing up something that doesn't exist. It's not in the books either."

"Well, I'd better get going. I got a world to save. This stuff I know but you don't know, drives me nuts."

Mica left and went into the bedroom in an instant. She scrunched her forehead and furrowed her eyebrows as she prepared to use the flying car the government gave her. How she could live with her husband for much longer, she didn't know. Still, she was obligated to do her duty. She knew soon India would take over the world due to its high birth rate and low death rate. They had the medicine. It was her duty to know these things. Yet she couldn't speak it. No, that would need to change. The memory eraser needed to be destroyed. With a total of 100 countries to address, peace needed to happen, especially against the 500' creatures. Mountain-sized creatures existed.

When the time came to leave, she sighed. It will be a long journey. They didn't need another nuclear war. War didn't exist to anyone except for a select few. It would be a painful experience, and if it did happen, memories would need to be erased once again. She couldn't let that happen. Revolts and protests occurred daily with difficulty. The government already had to make changes due to these constant revolts and protests because they affected the economy. Slowly, the changes were being made. She thought of this and realized it improved the lives of others all around the world. Everyone was too small to stand up against the forces of Russia. Everyone but India. India was second in world power, claiming the second most countries. Hindus were the norm with them. They excelled in skill. She looked at the flying car that waited. Then put her things in it. For now, this was the only way.

Getting into the driver's side, she examined all of the gadgets. Everything was all in working order. Now, she called the country to arrange for a communicator. This was no ordinary trip. She had to save lives. Not only was nuclear technology declining, but creatures were eating them, too. She only hoped that a creature would eat it first. A big creature could wipe out life on Earth. Four billion people left. The population had declined dramatically due to war, and plants had altered and changed due to radiation. Many places had become like Australia. Everything was poisonous. Food supply and soil were being exhausted.

"If only peace existed all along. Russia and India had been in a tight spot, and there are tensions between the countries. War still exists, according to this report, and people are still declining. Russia's power for peace is great, and yet here I am chosen to confront a country leader. This is the hardest task yet. What is wrong with this system? Can't we live with the creatures in peace? They have done no harm."

She continued to fly higher in the sky, then set it to autopilot. There, on the ground, halfway to her destination, stood a large creature that looked like it resembled a Chinese dragon but was completely different. Then she realized it wasn't on the ground but hovering in the air. Just enough to block her way. She can't be food now!

"Stop! I have an urgent request." Its soft voice shook her. How could a creature so big speak loud enough for her to hear yet soft enough that it didn't shatter the glass?

She rolled down the windows and peered out. "What do you want of me?"

"There is a threat in the country of Bolivia. I am tracking down his dreams. He is going insane. I need you to talk him out of doing the unthinkable. I can eat up the nuclear missiles. My human had heard of that before having memories wiped. But I got the information. These memory machines need to be destroyed. It doesn't erase pain. There are smaller creatures working on that. If we can work together, we can make a world where we, creatures, can live in peace and coexist. The time starts now."

"Who are you?"

"Ishkariot of Egyptian origin. The memory eraser is everywhere. My human suffers, not knowing anything but his job, wife, and children. He kept us a secret, though, and remembers us. A society built on not recognizing us isn't fair. We want to be known. Luckily, the wild is safe from cameras. I sense the technology for electronics has declined?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"I can see many things even though I am big now. And no, I'm not a Chinese dragon. When you are done, I have a favor to ask of you, as people with creatures are getting lucky to gather and unite under one common language: English, where others have passed away. I can guard the people. There is an island hidden from view. I want you to take him and his family. Otherwise, his memories about us will be lost."

"I don't have enough money for gas."

"I can take you. In fact, Lacario can pick you up and fly you over."

"Deal. Anything for Russia to be safe."

Giant creatures existed. She wasn't imagining it, no matter how many times she blinked her eyes. The creature disappeared as fast as it had appeared. This was something she couldn't tell anyone. Not even her boss. The sooner she made it to Bolivia, the better it was. A revolution. The creatures wanted to be known. But they didn't want war. It seemed to have no concept of war, like the others. Yet it knew a nuclear missile. Could it read the minds of others? If so, then she would have introduced the concept of war to it. Was this concept important to know? What would the world be like if the whole world accepted these deadly creatures? Without nuclear power, these big giants couldn't be stopped. The world had better be united to face them. But this one sounded as if it just wanted peace. There would be no need for war with these creatures. Advocating peace was her only goal.

The landing procedure in the country came as a jolt. Flying cars were unwelcome there. Still, there were other flying cars in the air, too. She sighed as she had to land it at an airport. Then she could go anywhere in it. Tomorrow was the due date. That was when the leader planned to press the button, and she needed to stop it. Not just for the people, but for the creatures. But now she knew what the creatures were up to. The wild was their advantage. They planned to destroy the memory machines. Change the dystopian government Russia had and enforce acknowledgement in India, which depended on the memory machine, too. Only a select few remembered everything and weren't allowed to pass it on. Then, after refueling, she stopped in front of the building where the leader was staying the night. Something was fueling him. Another dragon that the dragon dared not speak of? Since these dragons can read a person's mind, it was possible. A war among the creatures existed then. How will they solve their problems?

She was led inside the office, where the leader waited with a big red button on his desk. This country represented India. Yet India had no claims of using a nuclear missile by Bolivia. Russia had a missile pointed at Bolivia. There had to be an intervention for them, too. The leader's eyes were black and looked as if he had had many sleepless nights. He yawned. She sighed, covered in sweat. Now she had to face him and resolve this before midnight. The nuclear missile-eating dragon better have found the right ones. Otherwise, there would be a disaster. More pain. The heated argument could escalate to war with few people knowing the concept at risk of dying out. Her father knew. That was how she knew. He described the pains of seeing fallen bodies. How he had been injured himself. And the government chose her to know.

"Hello. I am here. What is your purpose in trying to blow up Russia? Don't you think it will be futile?" Mica asked as soon as she sat down.

"Create a brand new world with these creatures. Only a few would survive. I have seen these creatures rise. I don't care what India thinks. This would only benefit India. Think of it: these creatures exist for food. And they are the size of a mountain. I don't know why memories of them get erased, but I convinced India not to erase mine. Now, at the press of this button, Russia will collapse. I want my people to thrive. China may be a world power due to its technology, but more deaths are happening than births. The same is true for Russia. It's all over the news. I want powerful weapon creatures. Then I can rule the world." The leader patted the big red button.

"Creatures are a figment of your imagination. You really need your memories wiped. I don't know where you got that idea. Why not be just at peace and stop following your dreams?"

"Stop following my dreams? Why would I do that? Nuclear missiles keep disappearing from my inventory, and they are the solution to the rise of these creatures. Destruction must happen, and I'm on the side of India."

"It is not worth the risk. Your people would only be wiped out, and Russia will continue to thrive. Those dreams are false. Nobody can withstand the power of two giants. Think about what is best for your people. To die or to live?"

"To live, of course. Two Dystopian governments. Both can have their downfall. Though I grew up with multiple Gods, I must say something is out of place. My dreams..."

"Your dreams mean nothing. There is no such thing as creatures. Only animals. Anything in the form of a giant is purely your imagination. Got it?"

"I swear there are creatures as big as a mountain."

"Cut the dream. What do you want from Russia?"

"I want, I want..." The leader faltered and thought for a moment. "I want independence from India. But as in partner to Russia. However, these creatures are vivid."

Just then, Mica turned and looked at the wall. 11:30. She had to do something. The conversation came at quite a twist. Then she peered out the window. A dark skinned head with red eyes stared back. Could it be the dragon driving behind this force? Nobody would believe her except for a chosen few to know about creatures. Less than 1% of the population. She must speak to this dragon or whatever type of creature it was. She opened the window.

"Excuse me, but could there be peace?" Mica glared at it.

"Peace? When will this nuclear missile reveal my grandest plan? The only thing that can stop it is you and that dragon of yours. Well, not yours either. But as soon as I lay hands on its human..."

"Stop controlling Bolivia's leader. Yes, that dragon will stop your plans. I hope it did. Whatever you are up to is no good. There is land out there you can settle down on with your human. It doesn't have to be this way. You'll wipe everyone out."

"Things have been changing. Have you noticed that you can breathe fire? I'd hate to disappoint my human. It had been 500 years of hiding in secrecy."

"What? I can't breathe- achoo!" Sure enough, fire came out of her mouth. The menacing dragon chuckled.

"Control that, then come back to me. I could teach you how to fly. You caught the magical radiation from the last explosion like us."

With that, the dragon disappeared. Mica turned to face the leader. He seemed to be about to fall flat on his face and pass out. She thought quickly. If she could heal him with her power, then maybe he would recover. She would have to guess right. There were no rules against using magic, and she would have to control her own. She would be blamed if anything were to happen. Focusing, a burst of magic came from her hands. Excited, she focused her magic on the leader to heal him. Something good will come from this. Ishkariot. When will she meet him again? They had a deal.

She stopped and checked for a pulse. Good. The leader was still alive and breathing, too. But it was too late. The big red button was down. She knew that the dragon said it wanted to please its human. What kind of human wanted war? Then again, the war concept existed for only a few. Was that human chosen, too? Time will tell. She needed to find that human and explain to them that what they wanted was wrong. Otherwise, disaster could strike again. Still, that nuc would be in the air unless Ishkariot took care of it. Egypt wasn't far away. Still, she couldn't fly there. Maybe both boys had the same origin. How could she be sure that the humans were boys?

Mica rushed out the door and into the security guard. She wondered who the human was that the dragon was so interested in pleasing. It would go after Russia next. She felt certain about it.

"Excuse me, but where do you think you are going?" The guard held her back firmly.

"It's the leader. He collapsed on the nuclear button. I couldn't make it." Mica stumbled out the words.

"I'll get help immediately. Does this happen to have anything to do with the reports of seeing a dragon outside?"

"No. Nothing of the sort. I don't believe in dragons. What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

"Good. Let it be that way. Here comes help. You may follow me. I'll escort you personally."

She followed the guard while the emergency team went out to take care of their leader. She described all the conditions of the leader only to the officials. Once out, she went to the flying car and got in.

I know who the human is. He lives in the country. I will take you there. This must stop before that dragon pursues Russia. I got a glimpse of its plan. So you can breathe fire? You'll need to be trained too.

All of my life Ishkariot. I don't care what people think. Take me to him first. Then take me to your human. I will fulfill my word.

Ishkariot took her to the countryside of Egypt and sat her down. She looked around at all the sand. Then went out and knocked on the door. A boy who looked to be only nine stepped out and grinned. He seemed to have a shine in his eyes and a jolly smile.

"So you came. My friend said you would. Who ate the nuclear missile?" The boy frowned.

"None of your business. Call him off and have him come back here. You must behave. There is an island out there where you could go and be free with him. No destruction allowed. You owe the leader an apology."

"Aww, it sounded so cool. Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Okay then."

There was a rumble, and then the large, black dragon appeared. "Well, now, who do we have here? What better option does this human have that could supersede destruction and chaos?"

Ishkariot appeared with a huff. "Supersede? Peace would supersede death and pain. That isn't the solution. These Dystopian countries will recognize us or pass away. Violence isn't the answer. You can practice your powers peacefully on this island. I will show you. Please use it for good, not for harm. Young boy, turn to the light and watch peacefully."

The boy collapsed his hands. "Whoa, another dragon!"

"Yes, another dragon. I think you need to study war to learn what not to do. You nearly wiped out two billion people today with your foolish act. Will you agree to listen and resist speaking about war and creatures to others?" Mica's fists clutched hard.

"What if it's boring? Life had always been at peace for 500 years. This war that you spoke of is exciting. An exciting concept. But I don't want anyone to die. No, that would be horrendous. The pain of losing my own parents hurts greatly. They died of cancer. I thought if war creatures existed, then it would be so much funnier around here. Nucs brought this dragon into existence. I love it." The boy scrunched his face.

"Stop! A nuc will kill him, too. Start small. We want peace, not war. You need to go to the island immediately, you and your dragon, and start seeking ways to do good there." Mica crossed her arms.

"Okay then. And I will learn from this other dragon, too. I will wait upon him. But will target Russia and nuclear missiles if you fail me." The boy sighed.

"Wait here. You need your gas. I will show them the way. You, young boy, will be in for a surprise." Ishkariot scowled. "I ate the right missile. Now I am fuming with radioactivity."

"Haha, what a joke. Though my clothes do feel tighter each day that passes." Mica frowned.

"Wings!" Ishkariot said.

Sure enough, she felt as if she could control it. She couldn't see her back. Her mother and father spoke of wings and fire from the day magic appeared in the world. They kept silent about this phenomenon. How could she keep hers silent? By now, the security of India would know she could breathe fire. Will they do surgery and erase her memories? Would she be better off on the island?

As she was thinking these things, Ishkariot came back. Immediately, she got into the flying car. Ishkariot carried her over to his human family. A little girl and her family. She encouraged all of them to enter the flying car. The trip was surprisingly fast, and they traveled across the ocean. When they landed, she saw not one but two of the same species of each dragon. The boy greeted her. The island was already full of life. Tall trees and everything. The way it was before civilization. Only people were here with creatures. Creatures are not afraid of humans. Then her clothes ripped and exposed freshly grown wings. She blushed.

"Looks like you can't go back to England anymore. The magical radiation has affected you greatly. The world needs to embrace the change, or else it will lose two billion people. When an entire population gets wiped out, it is genocide. There won't be support for the economy. Hubartik and Aslesa, go out there and find and destroy the memory erasing machines. You would be doing a big favor for the people. The concept of war can be taught by Mica. She knows things we don't know. I will return the flying car. We'll gift you creatures that can help you. It takes a war against machines to weaken defences and clear the path to a new revolution. Two giants can't withstand the protest. Goal: no one gets hurt." Ishkariot instructed.

"Yes. Destruction. We will be careful. Once that memory-erasing machine falls out of order, then people will start remembering us. The upper class will have to reckon with us. And you concentrated that radiation in an Indian country. There should be a rise in war beasts in that concentrated area. A very small area. I will get my fun a little bit. I will detain those creatures." Hubartik agreed.

"You will need to destroy the memory erasing machine technology. Mica needs her memories and her wings. For now, she stays with us. Her child would have shifting abilities between dragon and human. There needs to be a divorce letter for her husband. He is human. Once in the blood, it can't be changed. There are many that are altered by the magical radiation living here. Mica is a result of those affected. Her parents are here, and they won't be like she remembered them to be. Two dragon blood." The second dragon, whom Mica heard the name Mummy, spoke up.

"My parents are here? They aren't like I remember them to be?" Mica gaped her mouth open.

"Yes. You have many brothers and sisters, too. Their eyes tell everything. Their minds don't. They are here too. There is one dragon soldier whose parents died from bombs, I think you might like." Ishkariot bowed his head.

"I think we need to think of something less dramatic. The world should go back to a Democratic state of mind. See if the people vote to keep the memory-erasing machines. It doesn't erase the pain of war. It just makes life easier. But I see that they've been erasing memories of having creatures, too. Not everyone wants to experience that. So why not just live in a society of peace away from the Dystopian governments?" Mica thought out loud.

"They are wiping out anyone who looks different than humans. That has got to change. People are people, whether they can shift or not. It boils down to two billion lives being lost based on the fact that they can shift. Your parents, sisters, and brothers have joined this movement. They can control themselves now. But they would have died if they stayed. Now your life is at stake because you are of a dragon race. Once society finds out about the fact that you could breathe fire, they will attack you, too. Your sneeze gives you away. Now, we aren't asking for you to join our cause. We want you to experience happiness. Listen to us: the government is out of control. We'll fight for your freedom to remain in society. Then you can go back. There will be resistance, but freedom must be fought over." Ishkariot warned.

"Then I will stay for now. Maybe it is better. But the world has changed a lot, and many people are suffering because of it. I want life, but I stand for Russia. I know I sneezed in the bathroom often, including in public places. But now my sneeze is on camera for the whole of India to see. And now I have wings that ripped my clothes. I'm willing to be one of the few casualties. But first, I would like to see my parents. Brothers and sisters, too. How old are they?" Mica tapped her foot.

"Up to 500 years old. They had seen war, but they don't remember it. In fact, I learned about war through you. Something isn't right with society as it is. Yes, that is true. Many people have to keep their identities a secret. They live in fear. Same with their children. It doesn't have to be this way. We will teach you everything. But your wings won't hide themselves, and you will grow a tail. I'm glad we stopped one source of war. Now we need to bring peace between India and Russia. They still attack each other." Ishkariot raised his head.

"Yes, I can agree with you. Very well. Looks like I have no choice." Mica sighed.

Mica walked over to a strangely beautiful building. It looked as if it was sturdy and on solid ground. Only it wasn't. It was on stilts. She climbed the stairs and thought. What would happen if she joined this revolution? Was there anything she could do for her country? She would be a traitor to enter this country. Still, she didn't have to. She would love to see her parents again, even if they were on the wrong side. She missed them. It had been a long time. Her memories were still as clear as day about them. These four dragons would sound the alarms, and nuclear missiles would be fired on them. Except they were eating nuclear missiles. That technology would be used to feed dragons instead of being wasted on war. What would happen if there were no more such things as nuclear missiles? The two countries would have a reason to be against them. Only they hoped for peace. That was all they wanted. They didn't deserve death. Yet they are addressing the very issues she was seeing in the government. Races needed freedom. The world wasn't all just about humans. And here she was, a dragon. Maybe this side was the right side after all.

Her water broke just as she reached the front door. Panicking, she fell down to the ground. Her contractions were starting! She cried out for help and moved away from the door. Was this building a hospital? She hoped so because she wanted to be in a hospital right now. The door opened, revealing a maid. This was someone else's house! She didn't know if she could make it.

Prompt: What if the ability to remove memories led to people no longer knowing the concept of war, and the world continued with the basic struggle, with only a limited number of people knowing of the existence of pain?
Word Count: 5,023
Contest: "What if...? story contest"  "Long, Long, Long"