Free Vigo's Lament: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 3) by Chris Yee Page B

community.”
    The crowd cheered.
    “I think it would be appropriate to take a moment of silence, in respect for those we’ve lost. Please join me.” He lowered his head and closed his eyes. The rest of the crowd did the same.
    Vince, Izzy, Charlotte, and Alan closed their eyes as well.
    Alan thought of Melinda. Her beautiful eyes. Her laugh. Her smile. Everything she did filled his heart with joy, but she was no longer around, and a black void filled that spot instead. The void was impossible to fill. It would remain there forever.
    Charlotte thought of her friends and coworkers. It was the only community she had, and now many of them were gone. A few had made it out, like Trevor, but she would never forget the others. They were all good people. None of them deserved to die.
    Izzy thought of her father. The others called him Greene, but to her he was Daddy. He was the only person she knew, other than the labbies, and he was certainly the only person she loved. The one person in her life was taken, the only home she knew was left behind, and now she wandered with strangers, amidst a crowd of people. There were so many faces, but the only one she wanted to see was gone forever.
    Vince thought of Saul. Who else was there to think of? Their loss in Snow Peak was tragic, but Saul was his best friend. He was more than that. They defied death for two hundred years, and now for Saul, it was all over. A life spanning two centuries was turned to dust with the pull of a trigger. Behind that trigger stood a mad-man, the one responsible for all of it. Simon, the psycho, as Alan would put it. Vince’s memory of Saul was stained by the image of his headless body lying at the feet of that monster.
    They had all lost someone close. Death had risen up and snatched their loved ones from the mortal plane, dragging them into the mysterious depths of the afterlife. And what the afterlife brought, no one knew. None would know until death returned to claim their own lives. All they could do was show respect, and pray that life after death led to happiness.
    “Thank you,” the man continued, breaking the silence. “Now I would like to introduce our special guest. She is one of Mr. Greene’s former employees. She spent her days in the labs, working with subjects and helping to improve the City. Her name is Trish Beaumont.”
    A young woman joined the man on stage. He handed the microphone over and stepped back. The woman wore the familiar white lab coat. A pair of thick-framed glasses sat on the top of her nose.
    “Thank you, Warren,” she said, with her voice projecting through the speakers. “As he said, my name is Trish. I used to work in the Spire. I was there during the attack. There were a lot of brave men and women defending their home. Defending what made this City so great. Victor Greene was a triumphant man.”
    “I guess this is a ceremony for Greene,” Alan whispered.
    “Of course they’re going to mention him,” Charlotte said. “He’s one of the fallen, and had such a big impact on these people.”
    “He was a man with a vision,” the woman on stage continued, adjusting her glasses every few minutes. “A man whose only wish was to help others. We were all touched by his kindness. His generosity was boundless.” She paused and lowered her head. “In the last couple of years, I worked very close with Mr. Greene. I saw him every day. I worked by his side on a project close to his heart. Sadly, in his absence, the project will never come to light. Too much was lost in the wreckage. But that doesn’t mean we will forget what he did for us. He sacrificed so much to make our lives better. It is not only our duty to carry on his work. It is our privilege. It’s not what he would have wanted, but what he would have expected.”
    The crowd broke out in hollers and cheers, clapping and stomping their feet. Looking around, it became apparent to both Vince and Alan, that these were true supporters of the man they were trying