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Chapter one

the beginning

Thomas," called his mother Claira from the bottom of the stairs. "Thomas, it's time for dinner. Stop what you're doing and get down here."

Waiting for a few moments and receiving no answer, Claira shook her head, while muttering to herself. "And to think I wanted to be a wife and mother. I must have been out of my mind."

Tapping her foot in annoyance she once again called upstairs. "Fine, I've called you four times. If you can't be bothered to come down now, you'll just have to settle for cold left-overs, if there are any." With that she turned and walked through the living room to the kitchen, still muttering to herself about the ungratefulness of children, hers in particular.

The object of her annoyance was in his room sitting at his large antique desk immersed in a new video game. The huge headphones he was wearing made him completely oblivious to the world around him. "I need to get my defense in place fast. Maybe if I put these AA guns over here, I can protect the factory building better. Damn. I'll lose the mine if I do that. Can I protect both? If I can't, which one can I afford to lose?" Thomas was so deeply involved in planning his strategy that he didn't notice that his older brother Jason was standing behind him, watching him play. After a minute or two of being invisible, Jason yanked the headphones off his head.

"Hey! What the fuck!" yelled Thomas as he was jerking his head around to look at his brother.

Jason stood there whirling the headphones around. "Nice mouth, brat. What if I had been Mom? She would-a whooped you."

At sixteen and one year younger, when Thomas stood up and held out his hand for the headphones he was only a half inch shorter than his brother. "I was in the middle of something important! Give them back!"

Jason smirked a little while still twirling the headphones. "I don't think so." He looked around at the mixed clutter of old stuff and new scattered around Thomas's room and said, "You should stay off the games so much. It's not like you're learning anything that will be useful for real life."

"Is there something you want? Or did you come in here just to annoy me?"

"You're an idiot, you know that? Do you know what day it is?"

"Uh, the 14th? Thursday, I think." Eyes narrowed he looked at his brother. "and the day has to do with you pulling off my headphones how exactly?"

Sighing, Jason tossed the headphones back to his brother. "Think a bit man come on? Mom has been calling you down to dinner for almost ten minutes."

Thomas's eyes widened as he remembered. "Oh, crap. It's Thursday the only weeknight Mom gets home from work early enough to cook dinner."

Jason walked towards the door. "Yep, And right now she's not too pleased that her baby boy has been ignoring her."

Thomas dropped the headphones on the desk and followed him out the door. "baby boy I'm not much younger then you kiddo, and I think you're wrong about not learning anything useful from video games. I might become a programmer someday."

Jason took the stairs down two at time while looking back at his brother. "Yeah, sure you will. And I'll be a five-star general one day."

Thomas grinned, "Yeah, and I'll still be your superior, 'cause I'm a better strategist than you."

Jason was laughing "yah sure thing little brother." as they entered the living room where their father, Joseph was waiting for them. "I hope you two were joking. We've talked about this before. No son of mine is going into the military to get himself killed fighting for no good reason we've not had a good reason for war in decades."

The two boys were ginning as they looked at their father. Jason said, "Yeah dad. We know," while Thomas said "besides it would be no fun soon as I get in there the war would be over, everyone would immediately surrender."

Joseph grinned back at his sons. "We'd better get a move on. Your mother's been waiting long enough?"

All three filed into the kitchen to see the table set and Claira helping herself to the mashed potatoes. "You're lucky you got here in time. I was just beginning to wonder if I could actually eat all of this myself," she said with mock severity. "I've already figured out three different ways to take it to work for lunch."

Jason & Thomas looked at each other, and then each of them took a side and kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry Mom, I was busy pulling the other one off his video games." Thomas gave him a scathing look before saying, "I'm sorry Mom. I forgot it was Thursday."

Claira left them wondering at her state of mind for a moment before smiling and saying, "For now you're both forgiven." she told them impishly.

Joseph smiled at her and said, "So what do we got tonight meatloaf mash potatoes and corn, looks pretty good."

She made a face at him as she was taking a mouthful of meatloaf. "I changed up the recipes a bit. I have to get vegetables in you people somehow."

The three of them looked at each other with varying degrees of apprehension. Whenever Claira decided to experiment with food, the results were sometimes barely edible.

"I saw those looks, you three. Don't worry. I didn't add anything weird. It's just some onions, cheese and bacon to the potatoes, and red & green peppers to the meatloaf."

Thomas & his father groaned a little at the mention of the peppers in the meatloaf, while Jason was enthusiastically loading his plate with the mashed potatoes. "Mm mmm. Bacon," he said. "Thanks, Mom." "Sure thing Hun eat as much as you want." She said glaring at the other two across from her.

Thomas and his father looked at each other before looking down at the plate in front of them each starting to cut a piece off and eat it each looking at the other to see who would eat first.

Putting a piece in his mouth Joseph got a little wrinkle on his forehead before saying it was pretty good and ate another piece. Thomas looked down at his meal and ate some meatloaf as-well, it wasn't as bad as he expected but still bad. Thomas looked up at his mother and said the same "Yah mom it's pretty good."

As Thomas and his father ate their food Jason and his mother Claira where eating theirs more enthusiastically. "Yah mom this meatloaf is pretty good, I'm liking the mashed potatoes as well."

"Well thank you Jason it seems someone genuinely enjoys my food." Taking another bite and looking at her husband and son. She continued eating her meatloaf and mash potatoes.

Swallowing the last of his meatloaf Joseph looks around at his family. "So has anyone seen the news lately, it's going insane out there. Apparently lights in the sky and hackers pass as news now."

"Well dad hackers are a big thing right now." Thomas told him putting his fork down trying to keep from eating more "The lights though I think people just find interesting."

Wiping off his hands and mouth and getting up to throw away his napkin and put his plate in the sink "well the news should be held for more serious matters like the government or education." He went back to the table and sat down

Jason had finished his second helping when he joined the conversation "you know dad hackers are getting more powerful than you think now-a-days, they do just about anything."

"Well do anything or not I still don't think its worthy of front page news like the networks are trying to show." Joseph told them starting out the kitchen. "I'd like to stay and talk some more about it but I have to get back to work upstairs in the office."

"Ok hunny I'll talk to you later then." Claira called to him as she also put her plate and utensils in the sink also Jason I think it's your turn to clean up the kitchen so get on it."

"Aww why do I have to do it tonight I did it just the other night." Jason whined halfheartedly as he got up from his chair. "Yah you did it four nights ago so it's your turn again." Replying sarcastically.

Thomas let out a small chuckle as he started to leave the room "don't worry I'm sure you'll be done quick Jason, not like I loaded the dishwasher for you tonight or anything."

Jason gave a quick scowl before opening the dishwasher "god damn it Thomas." He sighed quickly before starting to unload the dishwasher and put the clean stuff away.

Claira was sitting in the living room watching some TV as Thomas walked by "hey Hun you want to watch a movie or something?" she asked as her son walked past. "No that's ok mom, I've got some stuff I need to do." Thomas replied. A little disappointment in her voice she said ok as he disappeared up the stairs.

Thomas walked up the stairs and back to his room, sitting back at his computer he began to look through his online accounts on his games profile to see who was online and playing what. His friend Brian and Phillip were online playing the same game so he quickly hopped on and joined them and talked as they played.

Elsewhere in the house Jason had finished cleaning up the kitchen and was heading back to his own room passing by his mom as well. "Would you like to watch a horror movie or something, sweetie." She asked hoping he would join here.

"Sorry mom I have some homework that needs to be done by tomorrow, maybe after I'm done." He told her as he made his way up the stairs toward his room.

Jason opened the door to his room and went in. sitting at his desk he opened a few texts books and began working. As he worked he could hear his brother Thomas playing video games in his room and apparently he was winning whatever he was playing.

Thomas was playing his real time strategy games and was having a good time with some of his friends who were online. They were playing against each other in a free for all battle zone and things were getting close before Thomas finally got a foot hold against one of his friends bases and began to win.

Joseph was on the third floor in his attic office filling out stock reports and returns for a client of his. He worked mainly as a financier and one of the best at it but sometimes worked too hard.

Claira was sitting downstairs reading her novel and watching a horror movie on TV. Her novel was about a set of lovers in a steampunk setting and her movie was about a psycho killer harassing some teenagers.

An hour after the family had assumed their usual places for the night the lights began to flicker before shutting off completely. Thomas and Jason began looking around in the dark for flashlights and joseph began to swear a little before he started heading downstairs coming to both the kids rooms. Their mother doing the same headed up to find her sons as well.

"Hey Jason you ok in there" he called to his son opening his door. Looking inside he hurt a bang against his sons desk and then the sound of his son in slight pain as he had just hit his shin on his desk.

"owww ffff mmmm god that hurts" trying to keep hushed as his dad was only ten feet from him. "Yah dad I'm ok how are you" he asked as he made his way around his bed and toward the door finally flipping on his flashlight after finding it on his dresser. Lifting the beam up to his dads face before back to the floor and walking to the door and out of room.

"Your leg ok sounded like you banged it pretty hard in there." Joseph asked looking over his son for a limp. "Yah I'm ok it sounded worse than it was." He replied as he started to walk down the halls. Toward Thomas' room.

Claira had gotten up and set her book down and reached into the end table next to her pulling out a flashlight before heading up the stairs to her son Thomas' room. She arrived on it to hear her son shuffling about muttering about a flashlight as she opened the door. She shined the flashlight down on him and he covered his eyes before standing up.

"Jeez mom not in the eyes that stings." Covering his eyes to keep the light out of them. "Sure thing son. Are you having some trouble finding your flashlight." She asked as she looked around with him having a bit of an advantage with her own flashlight.

As she began looking the lights came back on and both Thomas and his mom looked up to the sealing light to confirm what they thought. "Oh hey the lights are back on" Claira said wondering why they had even gone out. "Oh yah look at that" sounding a little amazed at how fast they came back on.

Just at that moment joseph and Jason had appeared in the doorway of Thomas' room "hey what are you looking for in here." Jason called as he entered the room. "Yah they lights are back on now." Joseph said as he entered after his son.

"We are looking for the flashlight." Clara told him standing back up as her son stands as well and tells everyone he found it. "I found it mom I found it. Oh hey dad when did you get here." Joseph looked over at his son "oh just a-little bit ago you didn't notice." Looking away a-bit before answering "um sorry no I didn't dad" sitting in her sons desk chair Claira asked if everyone wanted to go downstairs to the living room.

"sure why not" Jason said leaving the room soon followed by his father "sorry I need to go up and see if those reports got saved or got through." Turning in the other direction and heading back to the office. Looking over at her son "and how about you?"

Just as she asked the lights once again went out plunging them back into the darkness.

"Yah sure I'll watch a movie with you. Though I don't know what we'll watch if the power keeps going out." Thomas questioned as he walking out of his room with his mom and heading downstairs.

Thomas and his mother took their seats on either of the 2 couches down in the living room. Jason was still up looking through that movie cabinet for something to watch. "Hey I found one how bout apocalypse rise." turning around holding the movie up.

"oh do we have to watch something about the end of the world?" Claira asked as looking at her son. "Besides we've seen it before at least 4 times already." "Well mom that's reason we bought it so we could watch it as many times as we wanted."

"Ok how about,,," Claira was cut off as the power once again went out plunging the family back into darkness. "Well crap." Thomas exclaimed remaining in his chair looking for his flashlight. "Hey Hun you looking for this." Claira turned on the flashlight he was looking for shining right at him once again causing him to cover his eyes. "Really mom do you have to shine it in my face!"

Giggling alittle as she turned it to her other son "sorry I thought it was funny. So how bout you Jason want some help getting back to the couch." A smile came across her face as she shined it in his face causing him to cover his face as well as he went to sit down.

"Well I'm not too much into watching an apocalypse movie anyway so can go and find a different one." Thomas told him. "Wonder if the power will go on and off like this all night." Jason took his seat on the other side of the couch that Thomas was on. "well I hope not id rather it stay on or off not flipping like this its kind of annoying."

"how bout something funny." Their father told them as he came into the room and sitting next to their mother.

"Um sure dad I'm sure we have something funny in here." Jason got back up taking the flashlight with him as he went to the cabinet and began looking through it again looking for a funny movie.

"I thought you had work to do Hun." Claira asked cuddling up to her husband. "well I did but then the power went out again so I figured id come down till it came back."

"Well dad even if you came down for a movie I'm not sure we will be able to watch anything." Thomas told him "well then Thomas we can always try and watch it and then skip to the next parts." His father replied.

Jason had given up on looking through the movie cabinet and sat down on the other couch and relaxing in the dark room before falling asleep sometime later.

The rest of the family looked over to where the sound of snoring had started and his mother called out to him. "Jason, Jason wake up." With no answer other than a half-hearted and sleepy grunt they assumed he was going to stay asleep.

"looks like he is staying asleep then." Claira remarked as she laying her head on her husband's chest. "I wouldn't mind going to sleep down hear either. In fact I think I will."

"Looks like I'll be down here till morning then." Joseph told her putting his arms around her. "You gonna stay down here to Thomas?" looking over into the darkness where he thought his son would be. "yah I geuss I'll stay down here and sleep though I think I'd rather be in my bed."

"I think you should stay down here with us." His father told him getting ready to fall asleep. "well I'll try thought I don't think this recliner is comfortable enough for that." Thomas replied. "thanks it just makes me feel better when the powers out." Joseph said as he began to nod off. "yah your welcome dad."