Author's Note

"CHAOS MUST SUCCUMB TO ORDER, LEST THESE DAYS BE NUMBERED! I CANNOT CONTRIBUTE TO DISARRAY! I SIMPLY CANNOT RELATE! LET THIS BE MY ACT OF DEFIANCE! LET THIS BE MY REFUSAL TO FEED IN! LET THIS BE MY WRIT OF MISANTHROPY TO A THANKLESS WORLD OF MEN WHO HAVE PERFECTED NOTHING!"

-That Within Blood Ill-Tempered

Objection

Sunset gazed into her monitor with a disheartened expression. She listened to the sound of the rain which pelted the outside of her home.

"I'm so disappointed I can't even find the right words. How could any of this be happening right now? Did we learn nothing from the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries? We had TWO world wars, the Korean war, Vietnam, the Iraq war, and the war on terror in less than a one hundred year period. By the end of Vietnam, we were pretty clued in on the devastation war could cause. The massacre of My Lai outraged people across the world. Hundreds of unarmed innocent people were killed without any rhyme or reason. What's happening now will take that to the ultimate level unless we do something to stop it. For those who are out of the loop, the United States executed an air strike three days ago that killed an Iranian military leader. Supposedly there was some kind of underlying threat, but it either wasn't fully confirmed, or if it was, the information was never disclosed to the public. We were never consulted. The Iranian military is now trying to seek revenge for the assassination. It's pretty much World War I all over again, but this time, the stakes have been raised to the most extreme possible degree."

Subset took a swig of water. She sighed heavily.

"Let me put this in simplest terms so it can never be misconstrued or misunderstood - a full-scale war would be the end of everything. You know the saying 'hell on Earth'? If weapons of mass destruction are deployed, there won't be an Earth to unleash hell on. This is planetary omnicide we're talking about here. It's not just humans that will disappear. Animals, plants: all of them will be gone. We're condemning the world to a violent conclusion to satisfy our own egos. We can sit here and try to deny it until we're blue in the face, but we know what's really happening. Most of the tragedies in human history could have been avoided if we admitted things were getting out of hand. I never understood why that was so difficult to do. If this comes to pass, I guess I'll never know, and that's...Well...That's unfortunate..."

Sunset held her head in her hands. She felt nauseated beyond comprehension.

"I just want to throw up right now. The indiscriminate slaughter of the innocent is, for all intents and purposes, supposed to be a war crime, meaning the use of nuclear weapons should be expressly prohibited, but countries all over the world are completely abandoning the idea of honorable warfare, if it ever existed in practice to begin with. I only have one question: is anything about this morally just? The answer? Maybe it used to be, but not anymore. You may not think it will escalate to the level I'm telling you it will, but trust me, if you heed my warning, life will be so much easier for all of us, because we'll actually still have a life to live. People have been saying for years that US troops needed to be pulled out of the middle east among other regions. They were promised time and time again the soldiers would be brought home so they could be reunited with their families, and time and time again, they were let down. Failure to prevent unnecessary casualties has been the US's greatest disgrace as a superpower. This could prove to be their final failure. If you've made it to this point with me, you're probably wondering what we can do to mitigate the crisis. This is where we, the people, have to make our voices heard. As far as the US is concerned, the draft was abolished after Vietnam, and it can't be reinstated without congressional approval. Tell congress in the loudest, most concise way you can that you do not want Armageddon. The only way they'll listen is if there's a massive public outcry. Let the world know we want to preserve the precious nature of life. Tell congress the troops need to come home. If they don't listen, take matters into your own hands and carry the soldiers home on your backs if you have to. Repay their service by helping them recover from their trauma. Hold the governments of the world accountable for the misery inflicted upon soldiers and civilians alike, both foreign and domestic. We can not allow this to be our closing chapter."

Sunset leaned back, popping her neck, shoulders, and spine in the process.

"I only have one speculation differing from the official report. It's highly unlikely the strike was only a presidential decision. There are numerous security precautions in place. Someone else had to have told him it was a good idea for whatever reason, which, clearly, it wasn't. There's only one other piece of information we can rely on, and it's sketchy to say the least. Iran used the same phrasing in regards to attacking the US that North Korea did not long ago, 'turning day into night' as they put it. If we're fortunate, this is just another scare tactic meant to stave off further strikes, but I'm not risking finding out. I had to say something now before it was too late. I'm begging each and every one of you to help me protect our future. Let the soldiers rest and give the people some peace of mind for once. We haven't had any since at least 1914. I'll go ahead and close this off with a short story. Sixteen years ago, a very close friend of mine who I consider a brother had a prophetic dream about everything that's happening now. He never told anybody because, given psychics' lack of credibility amongst many people, he knew no one would believe him. The warning was scrawled in blood on a large stone. Don't let his nightmare become reality. That's all I have to say."

Sunset went to end the recording, but abruptly halted herself.

"Actually, there's one more thing. Many people may try to convince you sacrificial suicide is justified in this situation. Some of them may even be former veterans. There's a strong possibility they'll accuse you of being unpatriotic or supporting the enemy. Don't let these people get in your head. Nothing about this bodes well for anyone. Even Switzerland is at risk of nuclear ruin now. This has nothing to do with political or economic gain anymore. It's blatant inhumanity at its worst. For a long time, I thought of myself as a coward because I didn't want to get involved in armed conflict, but it's not cowardice. It's basic survival. Even people with extreme suicidal ideation still possess the same survival instincts as anyone else. Those instincts just have to be summoned in other ways. Screw this war. Stay safe, guys..."

Sunset ended the recording. She had done all she could do. All that was left was her prayer. It was one she had recited many times.

"Watchers of the mortal plane, please give us the strength of heart to reject evil and agony. Allow us to walk a righteous path free of injustice. That is my only desire: my only wish I ask of you..."