The Love Chronicles

Chapter one River City

This story is not immoral, this story is not amoral, this story is immortal.

Book One

  The Love Chronicles

Chapter 1

River City

         Childhood delusions had buried themselves in the dust along the many trails of his cross-country journey. Fourteen-year old Jack now stood on the shore across from River City. The river formed a natural barrier to his goal, bisecting the abandoned dreams of his past from the hope of an unknown future.
A gentle downriver breeze fussed his long brown hair over his eyes. Jack gathered his hair up in his hands behind him, twisted it, he then secured it into a ponytail with a clip.
Jack became aware of River City from a popular nightly radio broadcast that sometimes painted a picture of an almost utopian society. His imagination had conjured many images in his mind that he had carried with him during his two month sojourn. Those visions were now being supplanted by reality. He squinted against the bright sunlight, trying to telescope details across the deep river into clarity.
He could see a level line of chain-link fence-tops glinting slightly even at this distance running along the other side of the waterfront. The fences that circled the city were clearly taller than two stories, much higher than he had envisioned. Taller buildings within pushed their way up to various heights.
River City rising inside the fences looked like a jewel in a cheap setting.
Jack laughed to himself at the absurdity of his unspoken thoughts.
Five bridges spanned the river, leading into the city. He could distinguish guards at both ends; patrolling barricades and chain-link fences topped with loops of razor wire. The bridges all naturally rested now in the raised or non-pedestrian position.
Jack didn’t have a clue where or how to gain entrance to the city, but in his wandering along the shoreline he came upon The East Gate. Calling out to a guard he asked, “How does one get to the other side?”
Stepping forward one of the uniformed guards responded, “This Bridge is the only way across, but you must get on the list and wait until your name comes up.”
“You don’t really look like a troll. How long does that take?”
“Oh sometimes three days or more, do you want your name on the list?”
“Well yeah, what do I need to do to get on the list? Do I have to answer some trick questions?”
“You’re not letting it go are you? Actually there are only two people on the list and we can allow three in today, in just a few minutes.”
“Sign me up, my name is Jack Webster, I’ll just wait if that’s all good.”
“Normally, you couldn’t but I see the other two are coming right now. You’re all a little early but when they get here I’m just going to send you all across. To be straight with you, you’re pretty lucky; if you had to wait overnight in the ruins on this side, well, they can be pretty dangerous.”
Jack smiled, cocking his head back slightly he looked the guard square in the eyes, his mouth screwed into a smirk before he said, “Guess that didn’t make it into the brochures, huh?”
“You know I like you, but we’re actually not supposed to be friendly with entrants, so hey, don’t give me up okay?”
The guard had relaxed while talking but now his military training involuntarily snapped his posture. This caused Jack notice to his uniform. Each guard wore a dark blue uniform enhanced by “Water Police” patches on each padded shoulder and a golden badge on the right breast. Pressed pants of the same color were festooned by a black leather belt with shiny golden bullets pushed down into loops all around their waist. A black holster on the right or left side held a large handgun. Nametags completed the look most would expect, but this guard also had a nickname Bon that served as the only distinguishing mark on an otherwise unadorned universal outfit worn by all officers.
As footsteps scuffed up behind Jack, he realized the stiffer posture mirrored the arrival of the two other people who would be crossing with him. Turning to acknowledge them, he nodded in greeting before he realized the girl had a trickle of dried blood running down the side of her face. A young couple clad in jeans and flannel shirts with backpacks were smiling widely. Jack felt a flush of sympathy pain push blood into uncharacteristic journeys. “Are you okay?” he asked.
The young man wagged his dirty blonde mane up and down. “Yeah it’s not as bad as it looks, there was only one of them and I clocked him pretty quick. We decided to leave the blood because we thought it made us look a little nastier if we ran into any more Rovers.”
“It’s all about makin smart choices out there,” the guard responded. “We aren’t allowed to do much to help anyone.”
“What the hell does that mean? You mean you help no one out here?” a hint of outrage tempered Jacks’ voice.
“We make that clear when anyone registers. We have some offensives on this side but they are planned out. We might look mean, but we question rules like anyone else. Any time we help someone there is a review. To be fair we can help but it isn’t encouraged. It’s our job to guard the city and to protect our brothers. The problem with an incursion is where do you stop?
“An incursion places your team in jeopardy and compromises security because it leaves a post abandoned. Our job is to keep our residents happy and stay alive. If we try to set up any kind of safe zone on this side we will pay with lives and it can only still be safe as far as we are willing to extend. The Rovers have weapons and guns, for now there is a fragile peace with them. It’s human nature… no, that’s not right, it’s our compassion that makes us want to keep everyone safe. But we also have a responsibility to be smart with our resources.”
The guard held up his hand in a stop gesture, “This has started to turn into a philosophical discussion and it’s a subject that could actually benefit from a debate, but your goal is in sight. Would anyone like to go across to River City?”
“Sounds good to me,” Jack said.
The guard said, “I’m guessing George and Barbara have seen enough of this side for now.”
“Let’s go,” said George.
The guard shot his hand up into the air and made a circling motion. A shudder shook the ground and everyone turned to watch the bridge. Two very tall cyclone fences separated the remaining fifty feet up to the heaving eighty foot slab. From their close vantage, Jack felt small as the bridge slowly began to lower. Large metallic shrieks and groans reverberated through the air and under their feet. With a sideways motion, the guard signaled again and the first double cyclone gate began rolling open. “Please come with me,” he said.
Behind the still rolling gate a second guard appeared with his rifle canted across his chest. He kept his eyes trained behind the group.       
The group followed through the gate in loose formation, Jack and the guard first with the couple following. After they had passed through the gate the second guard rounded in behind them to follow. The bridge still squealed and frenzied the ground with deeper trembles below them. Once clear of the gate the group stopped because the guards had stopped. Both guards now turned around, focusing their attention behind the group, scanning the terrain until the gate halted. The gate began to close as the guards held position. Searcher watched the guards until the tall gate finished its cycle and locked in position. They turned nearly in unison but with a professionalism that still exuded a military foundation. Now they all faced toward the nearly fallen bridge, the second gate began rolling open.
“From here, you’re on your own. We’ll stay here, at our station. You can run across or walk whatever you choose. After you have crossed you will be tested for disease and searched for weapons. Showers are provided before your medical, if you pass all the tests then you can exchange your money and you will be housed without cost in a shelter inside the city tonight. 
“Welcome to River City, I hope everything works out for you.”