The man whose name would later be known as Demyan backed off with his hands in the air as a sign of surrender then he ran away and out of sight. I looked to the crowd and slowly knelt down next to the boy. The crowd roared as I pulled out my first aid kit and began my work rapidly. The boy's back was broken and it would take weeks maybe months to heal. I wrapped it tediously and carefully as I worked the boy cried out in pain and a woman from the crowd who I was guessing was the mother helped me restrain him. As finished I wiped the tears from the boy's face and the women suprised me speaking in English ", His name is Ivan."
I looked at her. Her face was kind and warming and I knew she was someone to trust. "The man is Demyan he is our city's leader but his ways are . . . evil. He works us to the death in the mines and when Chinese or American attack we hide here. His ultimate goal is to build an army to controll all of Mars. That is why we mine for raw material to build his weapons. Personally I don't care what race you are if you are good you are good. What is your name by the way?" She asked.
" Matthew. Or you can just call me Matt," I answered.
She held out her hand "Tamara," she stated as we shook hands. Then she looked at me in the eye "Demyan wont be be gone forever, he will return with an army and he will punish us harshly for rebellion."
"We can run, can't we?" I asked
"No. With no way of contacting thew outside world without Demyan's holographic communicator and no starships available it would be impossible and these people are in no health to run away from Demyan's forces. Or to fight them." She replied.
I looked at her in dismay "but-"
"No heal my boy and then take him while you can. Run from this god -awful place and allow my son to live a better life than this. He deserves that much at least," She continued in a faint whisper ",That is all I can do."
"Your boy is a hero. He saved my life I will do all that is in my power to help him." I said. Than Tamara left to get supplies leaving me to my thought and an unconciouss Ivan. "How did I get myself into this mess?" I muttered to myself.
Tamara returned with a cot and a single sheet for a blanket “Here have this, you must sleep for tomorrow we head to the mines,” she stated.
I fell on to the cot and soon sleep overtook me.
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I awoke to the sound of grinding metal and the burning of fire. I opened my eyes and eagerly jumped out of the cot. Ivan was lying in a cot next to mine his eyes were open and he was fiddling with his thumbs, boringly. I looked to my right as a man approached me. He motioned for me to follow, I did. He led me to Tamara who held a pick axe in her hand and a helmet on her head. She greeted me cheerfully and told me to follow her into the mines. We headed into the deep and dark tunnels. My breathing became shallow and as we went through the winding tunnels I started to become claustrophobic. Tamara finally came to a stop and she lifted the pick axe into the air and began to pound into the ground. Dirt fell away in chunks and soon I could see a faint glow coming from the ground. Tamara knelt down and grabbed a crystal that could eminent light. I watched intently as she spoke putting the crystal in the wheel barrel “,This is what we mine for. This substance: we don’t know its name, is what fuels Demyan’s powerful weapons.”
“Have you tried stealing? Or stop mining it?” I asked.
“Yes, but he always finds out and punishments are harsh.” She answered helplessly. Then she handed me the pick axe “ Your turn.” She said. I held it awkwardly in my hands and looked at the ground beneath my feet. I raised the pickaxe and brought it down on the cold hard ground. It didn’t even dent. I raised it again and with all my might I thrust it into the ground.
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THAT MORNING ------------- 30,000 miles away
"Get up!" A once great chinese warlord defied a gaurd in one of the most high security prison on mars. The man's name was Gang Qiang his success on colonizing mars for his government led to his great military career. He was betrayed by his country when a new leader came to power and sentenced to a life prison. Today he planned his escape.
His hands were shackled in a pair of electrocuffs, his body was heavily bruised and scarred. He was a weak, pitiful man. The prison guard was growing impaitient he took a took a step toward Gang and butted him in the back of the head with the shotgun in his hands, guard's mistake. Gang quickly recovered as the guard spat at him ", Move it!" Gang stood up he waited until the guard levered the shotgun at his back before he made his move. He fell to the floor and as the guard tripped over his body he headbutted the guard and grabbed the key to his electrocuffs. The guard aimed the shotgun at Gang gang quickly ripped the gun out of the man's hands and with a killing blow hit him in the side of the head.
The alarms were raised and Gang had to move! Gang moved the only way he knew he could: up. Laser fire burst around him and rang through his ears. The guards were gaining on him! Gang quickly ran into a elevator opened by three guards he just made it in. The guards reacted quickly one aimed his laser right at Gang while the other two pulled out stun sticks. Gang quickly shot the two down and high kicked the other in his kneck. The elavator took him all the way to the top. Waiting for him as the door opened was a guard force of twenty-five and the first time in eleven years he saw the sun. It bore down on him and Gang Qiang fell to his knees.
All guns were aimed at him, surely this would be his end? Five men wallked toward Gang to disarm him. Something wasn't right: He was smiling. Behind him a starfighter quickly rose above the skyscraper prison. All heads turned up in awe and then a young guard yelled ", OH S***!" as the laser cannons opened fire upon the guard force. After a moment the starfighter landed and Gang walked in smiling to himself.
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THREE WEEKS LATER----30,000 miles away
I have now started to grow fond of the boy Ivan and his little community. Ivan's back has slowly began to heal and now he can manuever on his own with minimul pain. Tamara takes us into the caves to mine everyday and today seemed like any other. We walked together through the narrow caves my mind on her and heart beating faster with every step.
Suddenly a loud crash came from behind us and and a rush of screams followed. A man with a laser rifle ran into the cave behind me and Tamara. In a flash Tamara collapsed to the ground. He had shot her! Rage coursed through my body , but I was weaponless. I looked down on Tamara and examined her. She was dead I could see it in her cold eyes. The soldier that had burst into the caves was followed by many more. Children and women cried and ran in chaos and I became a lost target among the chaos. I searched for Ivan, helping him was my priority. I caught sight of him quickly and pulled him to the ground narrowly escaping a blast of laser fire. I scanned for an escape route I lookeed into the direction that the men were coming from. There was too many of them that way and Demyan himself was coming from that way. I watched as Demyan gazed over the room as if oblivious to his surroundings. Then he turned to me and Ivan and pointed to us "After them. They're the ones I want!" He snarled.
The men began to run in our direction. Ivan punched me in the arm and motioned for me to follow our lack of a common language was going to make this difficult. Ivan and I broke off into sprint as Demyan's men began to chase after us.

Ivan and I broke off into sprint as Demyan's men began to chase after us. Ivan began to yell as laser blasts burst around us and smoke began to fill the cave. I stumbled into Ivan as he fell over in weakness. I helped him to his feet and urged him forward; Demyan’s men were closing in on us!
I could hear Ivan’s voice up ahead but I had lost sight of him in the smoke encircling us. The next thing I felt was the young boy’s hand on mine pulling me up and out of the smoke filled cave. I coughed, gagged, and fell onto the ground on my knees. I doubled over and vomited right then and there. I glanced at the sky star fighters had filled the day sky and I groaned “, you got to be kidding me.” I struggled to my feet and began to chase after Ivan as he ran off from Demyan’s men.
A laser beam whizzed past my ear and I ducked my head for cover. An explosion erupted in front of me and I was blasted off my feet, backwards. Ivan was far ahead now and my heart was pumping fast! I quickly jumped to my feet and bolted to Ivan as fire began to engulf the space around us. Demyan’s men began to surround us and then what happened next was jaw dropping.
Ivan collapsed beside me, his eyes closed and then the fire around us began to grow. Then the growing fire was pushed back blown into the face of Demyan’s forces. A star fighter crashed to the ground not too far away from us and many Demyan’s men cried out in pain and began to retreat or fall to the ground, dead. I stood for a moment in shock and then an explosion blasted near us bringing me to my senses. I lifted the unconscious Ivan off the ground and carried him over my shoulder, away from Demyan’s forces and into an abandoned building to hide in this desolate city.
I fell to the ground and closed my eyes. I fell asleep to the sounds of Demyan’s army searching city for us.
I felt something brush up against my shoulder and opened my eyes. My eyes took a moment to focus before I saw it was Ivan standing in front of me. I got to my feet and we scavenged the abandoned skyscraper for food. We found a couple of energy bars and a jug of old milk. It was all there was so we finished it, the milk was unbearable. After we had finished the two of us walked out the building and headed out into the main center of the city filled with ashen black smoke.
We had only been walking for a few minutes before we saw them in the sky. Star fighters began to fill the sky in search for us. We walked through the streets cautiously walking in the shadows. Neither of us would talk, there was no need. The soldiers were relentless and we grew weary of every turn and corner. We were fortunate to not come across any enemies, but it would not be long.



Chapter 2
On the other side of the planet Gang Qiang sat in his starship with his rescuer at his side. The man wore battle aromour and a pistol at his waist , his bright blue eyes stared down Gang Qiang along with his grim facial features. "It has been a long time my friend." His smile showed true in his eyes and he continued ", A long time." The rescuer's name was Alvar an American special agent and spy on Chinese government.
Gang Qiang grinned "Where are we headed, now?" he asked.
"To the other side of Mars, many outbreaks and rebellions have been noted there and we must put an end to it."
Gang sat down in the pilot's controls and headed toward the destination. He smiled, his plan had worked and he had actually escaped that wretched prison.
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The sun was just beginning to set for Ivan and I when we were spotted. We had ran right into a squadron of four trooper all heavily equipped. I raised the blaster pistol at my side and aimed it at the first man's head. I had never thought about it before, killing a man whose only mistake had been being raised in a country other than yours. The soldier probably had a family he was looking out for. . .I closed my finger around the trigger and pulled just barely before he could react. The other men were jolted to their senses they quickly raised their rifles and I had only got two shots in before I was forced to find cover with Ivan.
Ivan's energy was drained from his miraculous physic power's from yesterday and all that had happened in the past two days. He was in no condition to run from these men. I quickly rolled out of my hiding spot and shot down another soldier. Four down, four left. I ducked back into cover behind a dumpster and popped out as laser fire ricocheted off of the metal. I aimed and took my shot. A soldier fell down, dead. Ivan leaped out of his hiding spot, took his knife, and threw it with all force into one of the men's weak spot: his neck. He stood there motionless and fell onto his back, blood spilling out onto the ground. The remaining two soldiers’s raised their attention to Ivan. I took two carefully aimed shots and they were dead.
Ivan stood up took his knife out of the dead man's neck, wiped the blood off and began to follow me out of the area. One thought ran through my mind as we continued are journey: How were we going to get out of here? My question was answered soon enough as a star fighter with the American emblem landed on the roof of a skyscraper to our left. Ivan and I bolted into the building with a group of Demyan's forces hot on our tail. We headed upstairs avoiding the broken elevator. The men were gaining on us and I fired a few shots behind Ivan and I, to slow them. We reached the top and the star fighter's doors opened for us. Eight men in American military uniforms rushed out blasting laser fire down upon Demyan's men who were chasing Ivan and I. The American men rushed us inside the ship, blasted a few more rounds at Demyan's men, bolted inside and took off. I collapsed to the ground. Finally, I could head home and escape this horrible place. Suddenly the star fighter tipped on its side and could hear the pilot’s scream “, We’re gonna crash!!!” A blast of laser fire from Demyan army hit our ship and we began spiraling downward. Up was down and chaos emerged blurring my vision. Ivan hugged me tightly and everything was black.
My eyes drifted open and the stench of burning metal drifted into my nose. I groaned and sat up I had a raging headache and I felt my forehead my hand came in contact with a warm liquid. Blood. I slowly crawled out of the burning star fighter. I observed the burning wreckage all around me I heard a scream of pain in the distance. Ivan! He must of been taken by Demyan’s men! I took a step back taking in the enormity of this mess I was in. I turned around and picked up a rifle that was in the hands of a fallen soldier. Another tortured scream came from the distance and I began to run. It was time to rescue Ivan.
Minutes passed by and another scream came from the distance. Soon I found myself on top of a rather large skyscraper looking down on the city around me. I spotted them! A group of about thirty men were surrounding little Ivan taking turns at slashing at him with their knives. I raised my rifle and aimed it down at the men. I thought better of it they were out of range. I ran down the steps from the skyscraper nearly stumbling and falling, I was in such a hurry. I made it out of the building and sprinted across the street to get to Ivan. The men soon spotted me and they blasted laser fire at me. I fell to the ground and a high pitch screech filled the air. I raised my rifle and shot a few rounds. Demyan’s men returned with heavy fire. I waited and then made my move. I jumped to my feet and charged forward I got a couple shots in before they began to aim their fire at me. A laser blast whizzed past my ear and I was beginning to lose confidence in my ability to make it out alive. Then Ivan let out another scream and urged me forward. I picked up momentum and let loose my anger as I shot down many of Demyan’s men. As I neared a soldier to my right I jumped into the air and landed a hard punch on his nose. He fell to the floor clutching his nose in pain.
A sudden crash filled my ears and I whipped around to face Ivan being held at gunpoint by one of Demyan’s men.