“Hey Matt, you awake?” 

No answer. Joe shook the bed and heard a thump below him.

“Ow!” exclaimed Matt. “Why'd you wake me?”

“Another search...”

“We need to get to the street before it starts! If they search the block again because we’re missing, another riot is provoked, and then we have to stay in our apartment for another week.”

“Oh.” Matt sighed.

The radio buzzed and crackled with static as the two listened for any sound. In the background someone whispered “Is this thing on?” 

Matt chuckled. “Is someone sending another distress call? It never works and only makes things worse.”

“Shush!” Joe said.

The radio man continued; “If anyone is listening to this, don’t let any civil protection hear.” He stopped for a minute. “Nova Prospekt just got raided by Anticitizen One, and I think it’s time to rise up once and for all and take back our home!”

At the end of the speech they could hear the sound of a siren coming through the radio before it cut off.

“Weird. Do you think it will work this time?”

They heard talking from the other room and heard a knock on their door.

“Who is it?” Matt said as he opened the door slightly

“Mary.” said a voice behind the door.

“Oh.” Matt said. “Come in.”

“You heard the radio right?” She asked.

“Yup.” Joe replied.

They heard yelling and in the other apartment.

“What was that?” Joe Asked nervously. 

“I have no idea and I don’t think I want to know.” Matt responded.

“I don’t like this, I really don’t.” Joe whispered.

“We should really get going.” Mary told them.

They all agreed, and the three headed out of the room and into the hallway connecting the apartments. As they were walking through the hall they heard more banging in the apartment next to theirs.

 “Yikes...” Matt said.

Joe replied with “Yeah.”

On a night like this, the sky should be full of stars, but as Matt looked up, his legs almost gave out, not believing his eyes.

“Good god…”

Fire and smoke filled the sky, and the group could hear gunfire and crashing in the distance, as a dropship flew overhead.

A siren came from beyond the street they were on.

“Is that the northwest barricade again?” Mary asked. 

“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard this before.” Joe answered

“Wait a second. That’s the alarm from the radio broadcast!” Matt said.

“This is the rebellion the radio man was talking about, isn’t it?” Mary said

Matt responded with “Yeah, it probably was...” 

A riot and explosions could be heard down the street just past the wall that ended it.

“That wall, what is it there for?” Mary asked

“It’s one of the street boundary walls. when something like this happens, you don’t want to be loitering around one. They aren’t just for blocking the streets, trust me when I say that I almost died to one of those things.”

As they walked Matt explained how whatever past the city walls is dangerous and no place fit for government peoples or operations. Refugees and fugitives roam and aliens inhabit the wasteland and beyond.