Story [Issue 77] The City of Peace

[Vikingsrallentando 3,058]

1st place winner of the Story category!

 

 

 

 

 

The City of Peace

 

 

 

The white, snow-capped mountains stand majestically before the towering green Royal Palace, their shadows cast over the island. Behind the mountains, the sun rises on the horizon. There are people climbing the mountains. One reaches the top of a particularly difficult mountain, before falling to his death. I briefly see silver, brilliantly reflecting the sun's light. His screams echo through the island. I see another person, holding a dagger, atop the same mountain. His - or her, I cannot discern, laughter drains the echoes of the dead man's screams. 

 

A river flows through the mountains and encircles the palace, before flowing through the farmlands in the residential sectors. It turns just before the army’s barracks, and slowly finds its way to the industrial areas. It turns left one last time and meets the sea. The Peace Scientific Research Institute is built atop the river water, just by the raging sea, and acts as a dam that powers the city.

 

It’s a timeless scene. I don’t want to leave. I wish I had a camera. Or the time to take a picture.

 

I see people living happily and peacefully across the city. The name of the city, Peace, is still ironic, because it’s not as peaceful as it may appear from an ancient fortress designed for war, situated at the banks of the river when it’s furthest from my home in the palace. Corruption is ingrained in the lives of the people. Crime hides in and operates from the most ridiculous and devious of places (that is, to the people). Think a shop that looks bigger than it is, not because the unseen sections are for goods production or processing, but because said unseen sections contain the impossibly lavish and secure house of the city’s greatest thief. I raided it two months ago, only to be accused of being an accomplice in crime. By, of course, my own sister.

 

Still, surely there must be a reason why the people haven’t already dethroned the king and queen by now, if they can’t keep peace. After all, the balcony of the king’s room faces the entire city, and it’s hard to believe how easy it can be to assassinate him from the rooftop of just about any building of the city.

 

But let alone assassination, for a millennium the people have not rioted. Ever since the City of War was destroyed, Peace has avoided even the tiniest possibility of war. Peace fears war, and for good reason. It is better to let the War Palace decay. 

 

I see a child running amok, dangerously close to the river just off Research. A man and woman running after him. Scared, and hoping the child survives unscathed, I silently begin to pray. But it is cut short.

 

I hear sounds that force me to turn around. They’re coming.

 

This place is patrolled by hundreds of robots, walking and killing intruders for three millennia. No human has entered this place for eleven hundred years. Its deteriorated, decaying black and white walls show its age. I’m not supposed to, but I can see the ground floor from here. It’s stained with the blood and powdered bones of countless humans that have made the mistake of entering this place in the last eleven centuries. The building never cleans it. Its robots let it decay, and barely keep the entire fortress from falling apart.

 

I hear the creaks of the robots’ mechanisms. They’re three millennia old, and in that time they have been repaired only seven times. The last time was eleven centuries ago.

 

But that doesn’t mean they’re weak or incapable of fighting. If they find me, this room will be littered with my bones, and bathed in my blood. The stains will remain till the time war breaks out again. Fear envelops me. I will have to jump. I will have to abandon all the valuable information I can get from the computers and databases in this room. All the history of the ancient civilization of Time, gone. The information I needed about the conspiracy, gone. 

 

And if I jump, I’ll die.

 

I’ll die either way.

 

A robot enters the room. I merely see a titanium skin, and it scares me to death. I refuse to look at this monster any more. Or maybe it's only a monster because of my precarious situation?

 

I notice a body lying on a chair nearby. Dead. The blood is fresh. She died because it was her blade that killed her. And then she sparked a revolt. I might have forgiven, if it was only the former. Or was it the robots?

 

I turn to the balcony and the city beyond. I take in the view one last time. A voice stops me. What will the people do when you're dead? Surely I can survive? 

 

A force compels me to jump. I resist. I refuse to jump. I will not be a tool in their machinations. I will die gruesomely and my corpse will rot, but I will not live to help the conspirators. I will not do what they say. I will not live to cause chaos. 

 

The city is the last thing I see before I jump. The last thing I hear is a shrill, metallic voice. “Intruder found. Intruder found. Intruder committed suicide. Threat nullified. Threat nullified. Return to patrol.”

 

And then the child's screams. Splashes of water. Then silence. Then screams.

 

Then, "The King is dead!"

 

Little do they know.

 

@thethiefofvictory

 

[thethiefofvictory 339]

My story <3

 

Also, I caught a typo:

 

"The city is the last thing I see" :P

 

Also, I'm beginning to think it should have been named 'The City Named Peace :P

Edited July 6, 2018 by thethiefofvictory

[Hex 11,520]

This reminded me of the City of Light in the TV series, The 100 

[thethiefofvictory 339]

This reminded me of the City of Light in the TV series, The 100

Eh? Can you please explain it? even a Google search gave nothing. Interesting to see I reminded someone of something

[Hex 11,520]

Eh? Can you please explain it? even a Google search gave nothing. Interesting to see I reminded someone of something

Here you go: http://the100.wikia.com/wiki/City_of_Light

[thethiefofvictory 339]

Here you go: http://the100.wikia.com/wiki/City_of_Light

Thanks! :d

[Chronicle 164]

My story <3

Definitely nailed it, I really loved the way you structured the story. Each paragraph almost climaxes the consecutive paragraph, couldn't stop reading it. Not sure if it ends on a cliffhanger, if it does, do tell me when the next part is coming out! 

[thethiefofvictory 339]

Definitely nailed it, I really loved the way you structured the story. Each paragraph almost climaxes the consecutive paragraph, couldn't stop reading it. Not sure if it ends on a cliffhanger, if it does, do tell me when the next part is coming out!

It's more akin to Hippin's Tankiverse Fanfic, so no parts. Its not a cliffhanger either - I did say he fell off the cliff

[Gamma 99]

Amazing :D 

haven't been hooked while reading something in a while.

[PeregrinTook 25]

Very nice story, thetheifofvictory! Pretty sure you deserved first place more than I did :P

thief, sorry.

Confusing (to me), but I write those kind of stories every once in a while, too. Can't blame ya!

[thethiefofvictory 339]

Very nice story, thetheifofvictory! Pretty sure you deserved first place more than I did :Pthief, sorry.

Confusing (to me), but I write those kind of stories every once in a while, too. Can't blame ya!

*insert shameless advert about amateur writing here*

 

Anyways, short explanation (why do all my articles need explanations?!): Protagonist describes the city he lives in, before realizing that, being in the War Palace, he or she is in a rather precarious situation involving ancient, mindless robots with scythes, and has to decide between two different ways to die. He/she chooses the less grotesque, i.e drowning in the river below. Unfortunately, that means supporting some sort of conspiracy. There, explained.

 

Also, thanks a lot, and congrats to you too! Oh, and it's 'Thief', it feels odd to be called by my full nickname heh

[PeregrinTook 25]

Still confused, but sometimes I have the brain of a guinea pig. Oh well :) I feel this way after reading Lemony Snicket, too. Ever heard of him? (His real name is Daniel Handler.)

[hi-its-mebachoo_3000 1,247]

Surely, the person narrating the story wasn't the king?  :huh:

Or did the people only think that the king committed suicide?

Who is the person?

I still don't understand :v

[thethiefofvictory 339]

Surely, the person narrating the story wasn't the king?  :huh:

Or did the people only think that the king committed suicide?

Who is the person?

I still don't understand :v

Other stories reveal that yes, the protagonist WAS the king. Sorry, it's more than a bit complicated, might take a long time and many stories to explain it all. 

 

Actually, might as well explain as much as I can. Little did they know pretty much assures that the people merely assumed. If you've read carefully, you may note that the protagonist is being forced to jump. Somehow. 

 

Also, before questioning how it could be the king or how he could commit suicide, you may want to have questioned why on earth his own sister accused him of (or even had the authority to accuse) crime, or why is he even in an ancient, decaying fortress in the first place, or who the dead body in the room was, or why he personally raided a thief's manor, or what the conspiracy is. Lots o' questions there, no? Basically: it's complicated. :P

Edited July 18, 2018 by thethiefofvictory

[hi-its-mebachoo_3000 1,247]

I'm more curious to know why the robot said the king was an intruder :ph34r:.

Also, will you explain the rest in other stories in the timeline?

[thethiefofvictory 339]

I'm more curious to know why the robot said the king was an intruder :ph34r:.

Also, will you explain the rest in other stories in the timeline?

Why do you think his own sister accused him of crime? Why do you think nobody entered the building for 1100 years? :p

 

Also, of course I will explain. Part of it I've already begun to explain (Her Wish, An Attempt on Her Life, The War Palace). Guess I've raised more questions here than I ever imagined I could :wacko:

[hi-its-mebachoo_3000 1,247]

Why do you think his own sister accused him of crime? Why do you think nobody entered the building for 1100 years? :P

 

Also, of course I will explain. Part of it I've already begun to explain (Her Wish, An Attempt on Her Life, The War Palace). Guess I've raised more questions here than I ever imagined I could :wacko:

I am horrible at understanding everything myself :lol:.

Can you list all the stories in a chronological order?

[thethiefofvictory 339]

I am horrible at understanding everything myself :lol:.

Can you list all the stories in a chronological order?

Ooh, so now I'll have to post a timeline over at AWC Discussion, ya know, like Hawaii did. Probably will do then. Tomorrow.