Disorientation.

Frankfurt, Germany
1998 - 2001

Frankfurt. The city's nightlife was the bane of my career. Being a bundespolizei was a choice that I hadn't regretted. This career opened my eyes to city life, especially after living for practically all my years in rural Germany. I was 22 when I got promoted to polizeiobermeister -- in other words, a senior police constable.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, 9 years prior, Frankfurt had a surge of migrants from the East. Crime life had surged with the migration, and for the first time, my life seemed like those Hollywood police films.

Soon, 3 years later, I had climbed up to the rank of polizeihauptmeister, or police chief constable.
The coming of a new century was grand for society. We had begun technologically advancing. Although, there were still events that were very marking for us, especially in 2001.

Who knew at that time, that the collapse of the Twin Towers was nothing compared to what happened just a year later...​

 

[not breezy]

Geneva, Switzerland
City 24
2004 - 2024

It’s still unbelievably insane to me how such an empire can make a world yield to them in seven hours.
Even Denmark didn’t surrender that quickly to the Germans in World War II. Scheiße… A whole planet, completely destroyed in seven hours. Honestly? You gotta give it to them, it is quite a feat. But to be fair, they are a galactic force… We just barely discovered what a super-capacitor is and these guys invade us.

Makes me ponder on how the world would’ve evolved if they hadn’t invaded. Would we invent flying cars? Find the cure to cancer?
A bygone era.

I feel like City 24 is one of the only cities that shows remnants of what once was. You look at the architecture, you will think, “What beautiful craftsmanship!”, before you look two centimeters to your left, and see the ugliest infrastructure buried inside of the building with no regards to its history and beauty.

The Combine really stripped us of everything. Even our humanity. When I was still in City 24, you’d see folks stare at the ground and walk from point A to B, usually carrying something cause we were obligated to work like dogs.
Ever heard of forced conscription into the Civil Workers’ Union? No? Go to City 24.
Crowley would bust a load.

Enough was enough for me. I ventured and remained in the slums of the city, because, as funny as it sounds, it was the only remaining area where you’d have your humanity.
Throughout my life, I thought I’d never enjoy the sight of a crackhead or two, until we got invaded.

An eerie silence always filled that city. No one talking to each other unless they had to. The only time the silence would be interrupted was when we had those screencasts. Even then, it felt like an echo coming from a silent void.

Never in my life have I ever felt so alone in a city filled with so many people.
It was depressing. The thought of ending it all wasn’t a rare thought.
A co-worker was never heard of, neither was a friend, or acquaintance.

Decades living there, and I had only managed to acquaint myself with five people. Ron, Hannah, Kaylie, Kerry and Hans. We met in the slums. The six of us were tired of the bullshit that happened in the city. The constant silence.

I always think of them. Wonder what happened to them. The six of us were forcefully relocated after we were seen together in the city. I wonder what city they were sent to. I dread to think that some of them never made it to another city…​

 

[not breezy]

Transportation Transfer Hub
2024

I remember being on a train ride for about a couple of hours before I arrived at this hub with a few other people aboard. I had the chance to gaze out at the forest that surrounded City 24. Where there were lakes, are now replaced with empty lakebeds.

I saw a few Combine convoys. These huge tripod looking creatures, APCs, an insanely long line of Combine soldiers marching, those weird sentient ships that carry containers beneath them and with them were these other set of sentient ships, but more slim and agile.
Freaked me the fuck out.

When we arrived, we were put in a separate section of the hub. Me and a select few that were on the train with me.
They didn’t talk much, if at all. They always stared at the ground.

It was night by this time, and I could see, for the first time in such a long time, stars shimmering in the sky. A lot, more than what we could see in the city.
It was beautiful. I shed a tear, reminiscing on how I wanted to become an astronaut when I was younger, how we conquered space and the Moon along with it, only to be shut down by a superior species.

I didn’t get much sleep that night, cause soon after, we were forcefully put on separate high-speed trains and put to sleep.

I don’t remember much of anything after that.​

 

[not breezy]

City 8
2024

Arriving to this city was the most engaging thing that has happened to me since the war. More activity and life than 24…

My trip from the hub to the city happened in a flash. I don’t recall much on my way here, but I do remember waking up on the train underground.

The first among many that I’ve met was Edward Crowley, Director of the CWU. He showed me around, told me how things worked.
Soon enough, I’d be apart of his ranks, actively helping him keep the city up and running.

I like to think I was one of his best employees. Somewhere up there, maybe not the best.
Whatever… Another person I met was Antonio Díez. A Mexican man who was just as new as me to the city. I showed him around and told him what Crowley told me.

Me and him quickly became close, having as much in common as one can have nowadays. We actively helped each other out as best we could. He’s the closest I have— Or had.. to a brother.

Before my arrival, the city was seemingly in a state of famine - something to do with insurgents and a train track rigged to explode, therefore causing a train to crash into the streets and warehouse.
The warehouse was the factory, where rations were made I’m assuming… I don’t really know how the whole thing functions.​

 

[not breezy]

City 8, Stabilization Jurisdiction
2024

I left the CWU once I moved up to middle-class. I ended up joining the Civil Protection, a plan I’ve had since City 24.
I’ll tell you, it’s been the best and worst decision so far.

I can’t really say much… It’s a job that fucks you up badly, but at the same time rewards you for bravely sacrificing your life to save the city - or whatever bullshit the Benefactors say.

Among all the units I’ve met, UNION-1 stands out the most in my opinion. I don’t know the guy that much, but his behavior and thinking is very interesting… He scolded me for doing something that could’ve been a massive morale failure, but he ended up letting me go. Didn’t even yell at me.

He’s the type of guy to threaten you for doing something, saying shit like “I’m gonna break your legs” or “I’m gonna rip your spine out of your fucking body”, then reward you a sterilized credit ten minutes later for being cohesive.
He’s weird, but I like his ways. Reminds me of someone…

Anyways… Now I sit here, in the Nexus, writing this as quickly as I can, cause I don’t want to get caught writing these entries.

I’ll leave you, dear reader with this…

I see the raindrops fall on the window pane. It's just 5 o'clock still I feel the same. I put the words on a note. Trying to understand. September rain comes to me again. Just like sudden sadness comes hangin' on the breeze.​