Joshua Schuffler

(Science Fiction)

shiningfist@gmail.com

Ragnarok

August 30, 2096

          This is what the world has come to—a place where no one can express feelings, nor argue their point.

The government has officially passed a law making any form of imagination illegal. This is the theory of

Dr. Jonah Redrick:

Imagination leads to opinion…

Opinion leads to argument…

Argument leads to assault…

Assault leads to war…

War leads to collapse of government…

          This means books, movies, music are all banned nationally! The government almost fell apart 89

 years ago with the public opinion on the War in Iraq. There was another Civil War. It was supposed to be

 a war that would officially keep the U.S. out of all possible wars. The rebellion forces did not obtain

 victory. Then, for 89 years the government was debating over the Ban of Opinionated Imagination.

          This journal that I am writing at this very moment is illegal. It's okay though, since I am in a rebel

camp. That's right, the law didn't stop a third Civil War. They're calling it Ragnarok, which, in mythology,

is a war between the gods. It is also referred to as…the Apocalypse.   I am Logan Kapp. I am a soldier of the

P.O.R., the Public Opinion Rebellion. I am proud…and slightly frightened…

s   s   s

          Those words were written into a sketch pad, and left inside the tent of a large rebellion camp. Private

Logan Kapp quickly scrambled for his battle equipment as he heard the alarm of approaching enemy forces.

The enemies were well known as the P.C.A., the Public Control Army. Logan escaped the tent with his helmet

 fashioned on tight, and his camouflage body armor strung across his chest.

          "Enemies are coming in from the south. We also suspect that they have a small assault team ready to

 ambush us if we retreat to the north. Logan, you're gonna snipe from the seventh tree to the left. You will be

 using the new, recently shipped in, Emblem 9 sniper rifle. The rest of you are gonna take position to the east,

 and fire right when you see those dirty P.C.A. soldiers!"  Sergeant Donald Wylcomer ordered to the small

 defence unit that was standing straight and tall in front of him.

          "Sir, yes sir!" They all shouted together. They swiftly ran to their positions as ordered. Logan climbed the

 damp tree, washed down from the storm the night before. The tree was lifeless, and dirty. The water had

 made the bark a darker brown than it originally was. Logan slowly and carefully pulled out the huge, silver

 sniper rifle as he approached the top of the tree. As he zoomed to 20x with the scope, he could see through the

 thick, humid air that enemies were approaching fast. His heart pumped a mile a minute as he prepared to pull

 the trigger, and took another life with his almost frightening skill.

          The enemies were there. Slaughter and rampage surrounded Logan, as he hesitated to push down the

 trigger of the machinery he held. An enemy soldier saw him, and he was about to tell his fellow soldiers as

 they shot at the eastern hill that the rest of the soldier were ordered to go. But as the soldier’s mouth opened,

 his head was blown away by the gun that Logan was holding.

          Then, another six soldier died at the hands of Logan's amazing aim. Soon enough, more than half of the

 enemy assault unit was gone. Logan then put the Emblem 9 away and wiped his forehead, and left the rest of

the sorry saps to the other guys. When the last man was killed, Logan jumped from the tree, and a thump

sounded as his feet clashed with the dirt.

          "You did good out there son, you did good," Wylcomer said as he approached Logan. He stumbled over

a dead body, but kept going.  He patted Logan on the shoulder. Suddenly, as quick as Logan left his tent… he

disappeared, into thin air.

          Hours later, Logan woke up, dazed as could be, in a dark room. The only thing he could see was two

horrible red eyes looming over his head.

          "Welcome, Logan Kapp. I am Project 8967, otherwise known as Ragnarok," the disembodied voice said.

The echo that bounced off the walls from the voice was eerie.

          "Ragnarok? What are you talking about? In fact, even better, what are you?" Logan asked looking around

to see nothing but darkness, and the faint glow of the eyes.

          "That is, in fact, my codename. I am the government spawn that caused this war," the voice said quietly.

It was a soothing, soft voice. It was the odd combination of horror, and relief.

          "Wait…you made this war? What does that mean? If you were spawned from the government, then why

did you cause this war?" Logan asked in a very fast manner. It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he

was absolutely horrified by his current situation.

          "This is what the story is: The government has been through multiple wars, and gotten multiple

complaints from anti-war organizations. They felt that no one appreciated the hard work they went through.

So they created me. I created the thoughts, and ideas of the rebels, and inserted them into the minds of

civilians. This then gave the government a reason to make the Ban of Opinionated Imagination, which then

spawned this war. Without this war, the government would feel too much in control, and the more the

government feels in control, the less fun they have with the small minds of civilians. Basically, the government

doesn't want to feel power…but they want to feel that the civilians fear them, which makes the civilians want to

go against them, and face their fears. This spawns war, which makes the government feel as though they are

feared. So you see, Jonah Ross… didn't actually exist, technically. I am Jonah Ross,"  yhe odd being explained.

The plan was clearly complex, and proved the strange ways the new order of government worked.

          "You're kidding me…right? That is completely insane! They don't want control…but fear, that's so

corrupt!" He was confused, but not by the plan, but how he didn't realize this before.

          "Not corrupt… you just are flabbergasted by the extreme intelligence. Now, what we want you to do is…

become the next Ragnarok," the so-called Ragnarok said.

          "The… next… R-Ragnarok?" Logan somehow managed to get out with minimal stuttering.

          "Yes, it is clear that the rebels will win, so we need the government to be feared once again. So, you will

be the next Ragnarok for the next war. Your skill and determination is perfect for such a job as Ragnarok." His

voice had become a little more frightening, as Logan become for horrified.

          "B-But…I can't do that…m-my brothers…my f-family they—"

          Logan was cut off by the Ragnarok.

          "—Will be spared if you please. What you don't realize is that a Ragnarok has full control over the war,

and can spare or kill who he or she wants. It's similar to being God for a few years," the Ragnarok explained.

          "I just…can't do it…" Logan said. He was terrified, amused, and happy, all packaged into one emotion.

          "Then we will force you…It was a lose-lose situation on your part….young Logan." His voice suddenly

became deeper, as terrifying as could be. Logan was then teleported to a large, dome-like chamber, full of

chains.

          "Logan…this is Fortress 12. It is a chamber for those who turn down the offer of Ragnarok. Please,

observe the chains," Ragnarok said. This time, though, there were none of the two red eyes. Logan then looked

at one of the many chains. They all suddenly started producing electric shocks toward Logan. He was hit many

times, and fell over unconscious.

          He woke up looking down at America… he felt powerful… he felt like a god. But it was then…that a

nuke set off, annihilating Los Angelos… that Logan realized… that he was a Ragnarok…

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