Free Rock

From what he had been told, he was a political activist bent on taking down a one world dictatorship.  Sit-ins, rallies; all were to no avail.  It seemed like the only way to destroy this government would be through excessive force.  For a reason unbeknownst to him, whether it be via concussion or drug-induced, he was rendered unconscious and lost any recollection of his political activity.  That was ten years ago.  To protect his identity, let's call our hero John.



After waking up in a dingy hospital room somewhere on the United Front, John desired to return home.  He was without any kind of documentation; no passport, driver's license, not even cash.  Thankfully, this did not matter to the nuns who had so graciously taken him in and nursed him back to health.  John was determined to raise money in order to pay smugglers to take him across the border into Indepencence City.  From there, he could go back to his hometown of Free Rock.  In order to raise money, he bussed tables.  While taking a lunch break one day, some new friends invited him to play billiards.  John soon realized he was an excellent billiards player.  He decided to become a pool shark in order to raise the needed money to return to the states.  He raised every penny he needed, and realized he had an abundance left over.  He gave the majority of it to the nuns at the hospital, and gave the rest to the restaurant.



Sneaking out of Union Front was difficult, but he managed to do so without a problem.  Famished, John went into a diner to eat.  He was in an Independence City  roadhouse ordering a steak when a cowboy came in and walked up to his table.  "I hear you're going to Free Rock.  I've got a shipment going there, but we have to leave in five minutes.  Don't worry about picking up the tab, I've already asked the waitress to put it on mine.  Meet me outside if you want a ride."  Who was this man?  Was he a friend, and most importantly, could he be trusted?



Desperate for a ride, he climbed up in the cab.  'What's your name?,' he asked the truck driver.  "James Staimpel, but most people call me Jim."  he replied.  "I guess you're wondering how I found you and, most importantly, how I knew who you were; I used to be in the same political activist agency you were in.  In fact, you could say I was your right hand man.  When I heard what happened to you, I sent our top informants to find out where you were.  Of all the places to take you, I still can't figure out why they decided to drop you off in Union Front.  You were left for dead.  Thankfully a priest passed by and the nuns nursed you back to health.  It was by no sheer luck that you got back here.  Those "coyotes" were from the agency.  They're the best smugglers we have; they could smuggle anything," Jim remarked.



Before long, Jim had arrived in Free Rock.  Still perplexed by everything that had occurred, he didn't know whether to continue to trust in Jim.  "Here's your stop," Jim remarked, "Unfortunately you're not getting out, there's a bounty on your head, and I'm taking you to claim my reward.  I have three children, and after I take you in, they'll eat well tonight."  Jim took him to a nearby facility which housed the major political activists from the agency.  "I should have told you, about eight years ago the government captured me.  In order for me to live, they forced me to become a government agent and reveal the location of all major political activists in our group.  Of course, our group was split into two parties twelve years ago in order to prevent the capture of all political activists.  Do you remember this?  You ordered the split.  You're our head leader, and now we have to determine who you chose to be the leader of the second party."  John was speechless, how could Jim, his right hand man, sell the agency out like this?  More importantly, who was the leader of the second party, and why were they trying to take down the agency?



John was taken into an interrogation room and asked a series of questions.  Without a memory, he was not able to recollect anything; only what he had been told by Jim.  After surviving a number of attacks and being brutally tortured, the government decided to let him go.  "He's of no use to us like this," stated the main guard.  John was taken to a nearby hospital.  The director of the hospital was a former member of the political activist agency.  After being nursed back to health, and realizing that John had no money, the director requested John come into his office for a meeting.  "Will you lead the resistance?" inquired the director.  "First, let me thank you for your hospitality.  You have been more than kind to me in my time of need.  As much as I would enjoy seeing Jim get what he deserves for leaving me there, I want nothing more than to go home," replied John.  "Very well then, I see that you have no money.  I will pay your hospital bill.  I also have a job lined up for you at my brother Philip's factory.  The factory is located just down the street," proclaimed the director.  "I greatly appreciate the offer, but I think I can manage on my own," replied John.  "Okay, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me," stated the director. 



John took a job working in the loading and unloading department of a local supermarket.  This was back-breaking work, and shortly after taking the job, John remembered what the director had said.  John went back to the hospital to ask for a job.  The director contacted his brother.  "You start work on Monday, 8 am," the director remarked happily.



John went to work that Monday, he would be working in data entry with the possibility of working in other departments depending on his performance.  John did not like the job, but he enjoyed it much more than working at the supermarket.  John talked to Philip, and asked if he could be transferred to another department.  "I don't normally do this, but because my brother likes you, I will transfer you to any department you choose," Philip stated.  John requested that he be transferred to the engineering department.  There, he would work as an engineering assistant. 



John enjoyed the work.  Quickly, he was designing space and missile defense systems for the government, and although he did not like working for the government, he enjoyed designing and building the systems.



The laboratory John worked in was on the fourth floor.  Every day, John would ride the elevator.  One day by mistake, John pressed the button for the third floor.  John got out of the elevator and went down a narrow hallway.  At the end of the hallway was a large door with two burly guards outside.  For extra protection, the door also had a fingerprint scanner.  John realized this was a secure facility, but he wondered what they were guarding.  Periodically, John heard screams coming from behind the door.  An unknown voice startled John.  "This floor is restricted!" shouted the man.  "My apologies, I thought this was the fourth floor," John stated. 



John never could forget that day.  Neither could he forget that Jim had told him he was the head of the political activist agency.  John always wondered why he was working for the government.  "Of everyone they could have chosen, why did they choose me?" he wondered.  John realized he had no formal training.  He had dropped out of high school in order to prevent fighting in the war he deemed unnecessary.  He did not even have a GED, and yet he was working for the government designing space and missile defense systems.



One day while getting off the elevator and going to his temporary apartment, a strange man carrying a briefcase came up behind him.  "Your life is not safe unless you come with me!" the man yelled.  The man grabbed him.  Desperately trying to free himself, John pushed the man down.  The man's briefcase flew open, and inside were documents containing information about John which included the name of the political activist agency, John's role in the takedown of the government, John's personal information, and information about all major members of the political activist agency.  One document stood out; it was Jim's.  Who was this strange man?  Was he a member of the government or an agent of the political activist group?  John was desperate to find out.



John went to his apartment.  About 9 pm that evening, John heard a strange tapping at his door.  The strange man, assisted by a government SWAT team, beat down the door.  "I told you your life would not be safe," the man stated.



John was taken to a holding cell. From a one way mirror,  John could see both guards who were protecting the cell.  One of the guards was familiar.  John finally realized that he had seen the guard on the infamous day when he accidentally went to the third floor.  John finally realized that the guards were not protecting an item; there was a person located behind the door at his workplace.  John was unsure who had been behind the door, all he knew was that the person behind the door must have been related to the political activist agency.  "Perhaps the person behind the door is my second in command," John murmured.



John desperately tried to escape, but it was to no avail.  He finally noticed a laser that he had been working on.  "Perhaps I can use the laser to free myself from these handucffs," he stated.  He realized that the laser could easily burn his hands, but he was so desperate to escape that he used it.  As if with surgeon's precision, John cut the handcuffs with the laser.  "Now, how to escape?" He asked himself.  He believed that one of the guard's fingerprint was the only fingerprint he could scan to open the door, but which guard's fingerprint was it?  The guards would feed him everyday at noon.  The guards would always use gloves to handle the food since it was very hot, and the guards would also place their hands inside a small hole about the size of a mail slot to deliver the food.  One day, while bringing the food, one of the guards reached his hand in, and John quickly grabbed the guard's hand.  John proceeded to tie the guard's hand to the wall.  John slipped one of the gloves off, and to ensure he had a fingerprint, wiped the guard's fingerprint on his bowl.  John also cut the guard's finger; just enough to get a blood sample.  John tried the fingerprint. To his amazement, it worked.  John knocked out the guard and quickly escaped.



Desperately seeking answers, John embarked upon a journey he knew would be treacherous.  He knew he would have to figure out who the man being held captive was.  John decided to talk to the Philip.  "It may not be the best idea," John said, "but he's the only one who knows."  John barged into Philip's office.  "Do you want to be transferred again?" Philip asked.  "No, I demand that you tell me what the guards on the third floor are guarding!" John yelled.  "I don't know what's happening on the third floor, and even if I did, why would I tell you?" Philip shouted.  "You may be my brother's friend, but this is my company, and you are fired!" Philip yelled. 



Once again, John was alone and had no money.  He politely asked for his job at the supermarket back.  His supervisor at the supermarket finally agreed to let him have his job back.



John never could forget being held captive in the holding cell.  "I must find an explanation," he muttered.  One day, a group of government agents came to the supermarket and tried to arrest John.  Much to John's surprise, his coworkers and supervisor at the supermarket resisted John's arrest.  "If you take him, you'll have to take all of us," John's supervisor uttered.  Never since the days of the political activist agency had anyone ever threatened to go against the government.  Activities of this nature were banned, punishable by life in jail or execution.  A massive fight erupted, which resulted in John, his coworkers, and his supervisor deciding to seek refuge. 



"Who are you?" John asked.  "We are the second Great Alliance, a branch of the agency you created.  Our goal is to abolish this one world government and establish a new world order where democracy and justice prevail," John's supervisor stated.  "I know I did not tell you my name when I hired you on.  Of course, this was for safety reasons.  For now, you can just call me Boss," John's supervisor exclaimed.  "Why is the government afraid of our agency?  Most importantly, who is second in command, and who was on the third floor in the holding cell?" John asked.  "Patience, for now, until I can entrust you with the information, I can tell you that we have a secret the government does not want us to have.  A secret that will expose the government for who they are.  We're also the only group who has the audacity to stand up against the government.  The man in the holding cell was a decoy.  An agent who looks just like me, but knows far less than you do.  We have a proposition for you.  Join us and together we can take down the government," Boss exclaimed.  "Agreed, what do you want me to do?" asked John.  "You must go on live television and announce our existence.  Do not expose us, merely proclaim that there is a second Great Alliance," stated Boss.



John entered a television station.  The emcee was reluctant to allow John to talk about the Alliance on the television in front of the whole world, however, the emcee did not mind because he was handsomely rewarded.  This is what was recorded on the live telecast:



'Greetings, citizens of the one world.  In order to restore democracy and justice to all, we have established a second Great Alliance dedicated to preserving the ideals that we once stood for.  We believe your voice should be heard.  No longer should the government make us to succumb to their dictatorship styles.  You should be allowed to express your opinions and beliefs in the way you so choose.  For those without a voice, we will fight!  For those without a home, we will fight!  Democracy and justice shall prevail!'