In the final moments before dawn, within an almost inhumanely small room, a man sat on a bed, staring blankly out of a tiny window – as if looking or waiting for something specific. All he could see however was a wall so tall, it looked as though it pierced the Heavens themselves, and whatever light managed to sneak its way into the room was artificial, and almost entirely too bright. That didn’t matter however as an alarm went off in this man’s room, as well as what sounded like hundreds of other rooms.
“00-66.” A gruff, yet disinterested voice called out from beyond the small metal door. “Up and at ‘em, Double Six.”
The door unlocked with an extremely heavy sounding click, before it opened automatically. The man referred to as Double Six then stood up, and walked to the door, his tall and muscular frame almost dwarfing the door. There was a security gate in front of him that was still locked and closed, however there was a slot through which the man slid both hands through. Thick metal wrist bands conspicuously adorned his thick wrists, and the man who had called out to Double looked over a series of stats on a tablet before pressing something on the screen. Immediately afterwards, something that looked like a light blue streak of lightning sparked and then snaked out, connecting the wristbands together. Double Six then pulled his hands back into the room, and the security gate unlocked and opened as well. The alarms continued to go off for another minute, after which they became completely silent. The sound of hundreds of bare feet stepping out from the rooms onto the metal platform outside of said rooms echoed loudly throughout the entire area.
“Agents.” An AI sounding voice echoed. “Please go to your scheduled appointments and activities. Tardiness shall not be tolerated.”
The voice repeated this as if it was some kind of mantra, and the ‘Agents’ all turned without making a sound and marched like robots in single file towards their various destinations. Agent Double Six was one of those who was headed to the gym – clad only in his underwear as were all of the other Agents. Blue lights on the ceilings as well as on the cold floor below illuminated their paths, and they split and diverged, leading the groups in whatever direction they were each headed. Agents entered massive lifts en masse, and were funneled into different rooms and areas. A positively massive auditorium filled with gym equipment of varying types was where Double Six’s group ended up, and after they marched over to their designated lockers, which all unlocked via a retina scan, they pulled out their gym gear and waited. A series of large holographic countdown timers appeared, and upon reaching zero, the shackles were deactivated – allowing the agents to get dressed and begin their workouts. There was no conversation, no interaction, no shared or stolen glances – everybody just got to work. While some Agents were scheduled for multiple activities during their ‘personal time’, Agent Double Six spent the entire time working out.
He finished training, showered, and marched back to his room with the same blank expression he’d had on his face since waking up. The room – which was more akin to a prison cell – had what looked like a nylon body suit waiting for him on his tiny bed. The Agent slipped into the suit, and as he did, an untold amount of circuits all over the body suit pulsed with a light blue glow. He waited for the next countdown, which came and allowed him to go to the mess hall to eat. From marching to the cafeteria, to standing in line, being served and then eating, everything was sequential – and done in silence. The only sound that came from any of the hundreds of Agents present was that of utensils bumping into and scraping against plates and teeth. The guards that watched over the Agents eyed one another, with some still unable to understand these people.
“I just can’t get used to watching these freaks.” One guard remarked.
“…not this again.” Another responded.
“Watching them doesn’t freak you out?”
“It didn’t freak me out two days ago when you asked me the same question, why would it now?”
“They don’t speak, they don’t interact with anything that is beyond their orders, they don’t laugh, don’t cry, don’t do a damn thing… it’s like watching marionettes on rails. Especially these First Gens.”
“Look, all Husks were purpose built. They served their purpose during the Third Great War, and now they’ve been given a new purpose.”
“There are probably tens, or hundreds of war heroes sitting here, people who gave up their emotions to gain the immense strength it took to ward off the Vamps, Wolves, and all the rest. Essentially lobotomized and turned into weapons for our sake. Now look at them…”
“Would you shut it already? They have their circumstances, and we have ours. If they had really done their job, would we be living in this world with no sun? With walls so tall and thick most of us don’t even know what the world looks like beyond them? These fuckers should have wiped all of those filthy Descendants once and for all. Instead, we live like shut ins in our own fuckin’ country. So stop feeling sorry for these useless cunts and focus on doing your job.”
The guard that spoke first said nothing in reply, and none of the ‘Husks’ even batted an eye at the entire conversation that was almost unnecessarily loud. The buzzing timer alerted the Agents of the end of breakfast, prompting all of them to stand up and march out of the hall. They all made the surprisingly long trip towards an equally large room which had the words “First Generation” glowing above the entrance. Once they were all in, they started to walk towards designated areas, which were sectioned off and labeled. Agent Double Six went to an area with a 27031 hovering above it, and was soon joined by four other Agents. While Double Six simply had a large afro and somewhat scraggly beard, the others were a bit more distinguishable – with some having multiple piercings, others having facial tattoos, or both. In under a minute, all of the squads had assembled, and in addition to the Agents, there were two people known as ‘Technicians’ assigned to each squad. They were clad in actual clothing, with long jackets that looked like armoured lab coats. A large holographic screen appeared in front of the Agents, and an older looking gentleman with a massive moustache clearly augmented eyes began to speak.
“Good morning, Agents.” He greeted plainly. “Due to the current and continued atmosphere of hostility within the city, you will be required to be just as vigilant as you have been in recent weeks. Also, we have received intel that a number of the peaceful protests we have been subjected to may very well boil over and become riots, therefore, the issuing and use of Riot Gear has been permitted by the Agency. Your handlers will explain everything in detail once you are all outfitted and en route to your various areas.”
The screen disappeared, and the Technicians all got to work, turning to their squads and opening the large cases that were with them. Thiren, the Armour Tech for the 031, and Kriyen, the Weapon Tech both got to work immediately.
“You heard that old ‘stache, riots equal Riot Gear.” Thiren said as he pulled multiple items of apparel out from his case. “The problem with you First Gens is that some of you were able to obtain monstrous abilities and powers, and as much as you really powerful ones have zero emotions, some of you seem to enjoy destroying the extremely valuable gear that I am tasked with making for you.”
Thiren was scowling hard as he went on his rant, all the while staring directly into Agent Double Six’s lifeless eyes.
“Dude, he doesn’t do it on purpose – he derives no pleasure from any of that shit.” Kriyen chimed in as he himself pulled out a series of melee and ranged weapons. “Just look at those eyes T, it’s like staring into an empty abyss.”
“I’m telling you Kri, he does it on purpose.”
Thiren then started to dress the Agents one by one, ending with Double Six whose kit was a little bit bigger and heavier than the others. There were two women, and two men – with the women appearing to have the heavier plating on their boots, pants and tops. They were all black, and had small transistors all lined on the inside, and a large overcoat that almost touched the ground was given to them all. The fit of the coat was different for each Agent, with Double Six’s being a tight fit – much like everything else. Kriyen then started handing the Agents their weapons, with one of the women receiving giant gloves which were more akin to gauntlets, the other getting twin daggers, and the men got guns – assault rifles for the one, and a shotgun for the other. Double Six however got a pair of gloves, a large pistol, and a longsword. They were then all given helmets, which they all held under their arms. Once they were all kitted out, the Techs from the respective Squads all rattled off a series of facts and figures regarding the areas they would be going to patrol, as well as the estimated probability of riots kicking off in said areas. This all went on until yet another timer appeared, which prompted all of the Technicians to stop talking and look at their tablets. The moment the alarm went off, they tapped on the screens, and every piece of equipment worn by an Agent began to make all manner of mechanical and hydraulic sounds, with bits screwing in, others locking in place, sealing, and more. Along with these physical sounds, there were also beeps and bongs, as if the items were turning on, posting and then booting. The larger, muscular Agents had steam and smoke blowing out of vents on their shoulders and backs, while some had the same blowing out from their boots, and various other places, depending on their size and kit. After a series of quick diagnostics tests, the Techs signaled for their Squads to follow them into a hangar which was full of large, SUVs that were so heavily armoured, it looked as though they would break through the tarmac below and plummet to the centre of the planet. Large rear doors were open, revealing the area where the Agents sat. All the Agents present then holstered their weapons either on their waists or their backs, before the shackles on their wrists were activated again, and they each stepped into the back of their Squad Cars. The massive doors then slid closed, and locked with an audible bang, before the Techs hopped in the front where the designated drivers were Each SUV had the Squad’s number written on the side, once a horn of sorts went off, the hangar door opened, and the cars all moved out in sequence.
It was quite the intimidating sight as they all moved out and filled the streets, before going in their various directions. The 031 had been assigned to patrol an ‘urban’ area which had been flagged as potentially high-risk zone. It was in fact a slum where a large number of discharged Husks – known amongst themselves as the Unshackled – resided and attempted to earn a living. Protests had been going on for weeks, and the closer the SUV got to the zone, the more it became apparent that things weren’t good. Artificial sunlight blanketed the city, revealing just how bad things were, with violated buildings becoming more and more prevalent as they approached the area. The buildings were disheveled, detritus filled the streets, and slogans were spray painted on most all the buildings, signs and even the streets themselves. Soon enough, the car arrived and was immediately met by protest action. Hundreds, if not thousands of men and women of all ages flooded the streets, holding signs and pickets with slogans and messages. Many of the protesters were clad in black, with masks across their faces. The predominant slogan was ‘Husk = Human’, and it was not only on the shirts and signs, but on the masks as well. It was also being chanted out loud, and protest leaders who were placed in strategic positions were holding megaphones, absolutely bellowing the slogan out and leading the chants. The SUV had to slowly make its way through the crowd, so as to make sure that they didn’t hurt anybody. The actual destination of the car was to the District Hall, where the Head Councilor of the District, and the leader of local government was housed. The protesters sought a dialogue with him, yet he had holed himself in the building – much like the Councilors in all the other zones where the Squads had been assigned. They eventually arrived, and the shackles of the Agents were deactivated, before the Techs spoke.
“Alright Agents, you are permitted to put on your helmets.” Thiren said as he confirmed a few things on his tablet.
“Weapon safeties are active; however, the use of non-lethal force is allowed if things go pear shaped.” Kriyen confirmed.
The Husks all put their helmets on, which made whirring sounds as they booted and connected.
“Alright, video and audio are operational.” Thiren confirmed.
The Agents all stepped out of the back of the SUV only to be met with a massive chorus of boos and jeers. Objects were thrown at them as well, but the protest leaders quickly stopped the protesters from throwing objects, however the did nothing about the boos and hurling of insults and slurs. ‘Turncoats’, ‘traitors’, ‘puppets’, ‘scum’, were the most common insults, and along with the odd rock, the Agents had no choice but to take them all – which they did with a degree of stoicism. The Squad then formed a Husk barricade, standing shoulder to shoulder at the base of the stairs leading up to the entrance of the District Hall – from which the Councilor quickly emerged, flanked by his security.
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“Agents!” He greeted as he spoke to the Techs. “These people must be dealt with. By protesting in such a manner, they are getting in the way of service delivery, and thus, are delinquents – Constitutional delinquents! They must be dealt with!”
The Councilor’s stomach jiggled with every exaggerated hand gesture, and the Techs spent most of their time trying to calm the large man down. Meanwhile, somewhere close by, a salvaged digital rifle scope was pointed in the direction of the Hall. The person who was holding it, was clad in head to toe in salvaged Husk armour from the war, painted white with a closed fist insignia on the chest piece.
“The target is here.” A male voice said, speaking into a radio. “Commence with the plan.”
Back at the Hall, the Councilor was still speaking, becoming ever more animated.
“These Third and Forth Generation Husks are a real nuisance. They seem to think that because they retained more emotions than the First and Second Generations, that it is somehow their duty to fight for the rights of those soulless bastards.”
As he got more animated, so too did the Husk Rights Protesters, and as if by some cruel twist of fate, a bunch of vehicles and people arrived and began filling the streets – however they did not look Pro Husk. In fact, they were dressed like those who were already there, only they had ‘Fuck Husks’ on their clothes and their masks. There was absolutely no talking or communication between the two groups, and a huge clash suddenly popped off, with the two sides not even easing into anything. They shouted their respective slogans as they fought, and as this all happened, the Councilor started screaming and ducked behind his security before barking at the two Techs.
“You there! Agents! Protect me! Get me out of here!”
“That’s why we came in the first place, Councilor.” Kriyen said with a barely contained roll of the eyes.
The fighting started to get worse as well as spill over and get closer to the steps, and as projectiles were being thrown about, a fire bomb somehow flew over the crowd and landed in front of the Councilor’s guards, exploding in a rather impressive blaze. Panic washed over his group, guns were drawn and fired at random. This prompted members from both groups to then pull their own lethal weapons and start to go at each other in earnest with the intent to kill, all the while, the Agents had yet to move a muscle.
“Agents, we will be evacuating the Councilor. Double Six, you will remain and clear a path for us while the rest of you will be with us and the motorcade. The car will stay behind and once you have succeeded in your objective Double Six, you will leave and meet up with us at HQ.”
As Kriyen quickly relayed the orders, the other four Agents suddenly sprang to action, leaping up the stairs in one fell swoop and joined the Councilor’s guards. Many of the protesters were actually Husks themselves, and it showed. Despite being on the government issued Suppressors that were supposed to neutralize their powers, the little they were able to access was more than enough to fight and cause real damage. Double Six gabbed his pistol and held it down by his side as he watched on in silence. A heads-up display inside the helmet was giving him all kinds of diagnostic information in real time, and as he waited for the signal to act, he looked around as something about all this felt a little off. Before he could ponder further, Thiren spoke through the coms.
“Agent Double Six, we are about to emerge, please clear a bath for us.”
The Agent took a few steps forward before leaping up into the air and landing on the car they had all come in. He looked around, surveilling the area until he found what he thought would be the most efficient path for the motorcade to take. He then leapt off of the truck, absolutely flew through the air and landed on the ground with an almighty thud – practically cracking the tarmac below.
“5%: Power.” Double Six said in a virtual whisper.
He looked down at his right boot, which began to glow brightly, before raising said boot and stomping it on the ground.
“…Quake.”
The ground suddenly sook violently, before the tens, if not hundreds of clashing protestors all suddenly flew up into the sky. Double six then raised his gun and after doing a quick analysis, aimed at those who would likely fall into the path of the motorcade. He then started shooting, his large energy pistol and left hand both glowing as he fired the shots so quickly, his hand became a blur. The targets were all found, with already falling bodies being blown in different directions, ragdolling as they did. The motorcade suddenly came bursting out from an underground parkade, with sirens blaring and lights flashing. The Agent’s left hand stopped glowing, as whatever power was there was now transferred to his left foot which was glowing together with his right. He then hunkered down slightly, before pushing off and dashing forward, cracking the tarmac once more and careening towards the crowd. He then drew his sword, which also started glowing and flew into the crowd, swinging the blade. Each swing appeared to be of monumental strength, and sent people flying left and right in the dozens. As they flew in all directions, the empty space was soon filled with the motorcade that was gunning it at full tilt. The other members of the Squad were standing on the rooves of the cars, ready and waiting to take care of any stragglers, yet even at full speed, the cars were unable to keep up with Agent Double Six who was literally running in front of them. He cleared the way very efficiently, and soon enough, the motorcade had a path that it was able to drive through to get the Councilor out. Just as Double Six reached the end, he was alerted to something dangerous incoming. Four Husks in the salvaged white armour appeared from nowhere, with two of them holding Particle Rifles so large, they almost looked bigger than the both of them. They simultaneously pulled the trigger and unleashed a massive beam that hit the Agent and sent him flying all the way back to where he had initially come running from.
There was an audible cheer that came from the Pro Husk protestors; however it was quickly silenced as they watched the Agent land on his feet, slide back and then come to a standstill – looking completely unscathed. The two soldiers shot at Double Six again, however he simply holstered his pistol, raised his left hand and held it up.
“5%: Shield.”
His hand glowed and as the giant beam hit it, it was stopped dead in its tracks. His overcoat fluttered as he blocked the shot with his bare hand, and once everything died down, both sides seemed to quiet down and stop fighting for a second. The tarmac beneath the beam was scorched and melting, yet the Agent was fine.
“Shit, rush him!” Somebody ordered, and ten more soldiers appeared from within the crowds, rushing towards Double Six.
The Agent then pulled out his pistol and looked at it for a brief moment, before pointing it and starting to fire. The soldiers, who had their shields active, attempted some evasive maneuvers, but they were unsuccessful and those who were targeted were peppered with shots. After around half a minute, and an untold number of shots, the pistol, which was glowing brightly, suddenly exploded, with bits and pieces of it hitting the floor. The pieces continued glowing and smoking long after hitting the ground. The Agent just stared at the remains of the weapon in his hand, before tossing it away nonchalantly and looking at the incoming soldiers, who had been whittled down by just over a third. As the soldiers reached him, they pulled out their weapons and attacked. Double Six, who was still holding his blade, swatted away a War Era Mace that was enhanced and hardened, shattering the head as if it was biscuit wafer, before sliding his left foot forward slightly and slapping the soldier so hard he twisted and spun in midair like a top. Using his left foot as a pivot, he then swung around to change his angle of attack and thrust his palm into the soldier’s side, sending him flying into another soldier and sending the both of them into the crowd. He then evaded a sword which was aiming for his kidney from behind, twisted his torso as he pivoted once again and faced the other attacker, before dashing forward half a step and slapping the soldier, crushing the helmet and sending him flying as well. He then parried two sword strikes with his own blade, and slashed the air in front of them, producing a shockwave so powerful it almost sliced the two in half.
From atop a nearby building, four soldiers who clad in fancier armour than the rest stood on the roof and watched as the Agent was one-shotting their on-rushing forces with little to no effort at all.
“Send in the Juggernauts!” The one who appeared to be in charge ordered over the radio before shaking his head. “We knew he was powerful, but just look at him… uyiNkosi. (He’s a King.)”
“How are we supposed to capture him alive when we can barely capture his attention, General?”
“We have no choice but to use the Husk EMP.”
“It is still charging up, General.”
“…how much longer do we need.”
“At least three minutes.”
“We have less than two.” The General replied as his armour suddenly began to glow as well.
“Do you honestly think that the troops down there, including the Juggernauts, won’t be able to last for two minutes?”
“You misunderstand.” The General replied as he glowed brighter and brighter. “The ones down there have less than 30 seconds left. I will only be able to hold him off at most a single minute.”
The General then let out a low growl as he continued to power up and glow brighter.
“Maximum: Strength. Maximum: Speed. Maximum: Agility. Maximum: Shield. Maximum: Flame. Maximum: Steel. Maximum: Reflexes. Maximum…”
The General pushed every single Power and Augmented Ability he had gained as a Husk to the absolute limit, causing his body to shake violently in the process. He thrust his arms out and opened his palms and he spoke through gritted teeth.
“Lethani iHawu, (Bring my Shield), iSikhwili, (Attacking stick), uBhoko (Defensive stick), noMkhonto! (and Spear!)”
He called for all of his offensive and defensive arms, which were quickly handed to him, before he let out an almighty roar and leapt off of the roof.
“You have one minute!” He bellowed as he flew towards Double Six.
The Agent, who had made short work of the regular solders, and now dealing with the Juggernauts. He evaded a blow from the massive fist of the first one, ducking under its path before stepping in and driving his palm into the stomach of his attacker, doubling him over and causing a shockwave to pulse out from his lower back. He then simply turned around and parried the fist of the second and final Juggernaut, before stepping behind her so quickly, she didn’t even see him move. The female Juggernaut suddenly found herself falling backwards after having her legs swept out from beneath her, before getting hit so hard in the solar-plexus by the back of the Agent’s hand, all the breath in her body was forcibly removed and she lost consciousness before hitting the ground. As that happened, the one referred to as the General landed in front of the Agent with such force, it looked as though the ground was going to split beneath his feet. Armed with iSikhwili and uBhoko in each hand, he assumed his fighting stance and stared at the Agent in silence for a while, before speaking.
“Sawubona. (Hello.) Before we start, I must ask… you are the Husk rumoured to have successfully processed all 12 Mutagens, aren’t you? The one who single handedly fought Descendant Lords to a stalemate in the Last Stand of Kelemvor? No, you needn’t answer that – your display of strength is more than enough to confirm our suspicions. We have searched for you for many years… please forgive our insolence, but we will be bringing you back with us. We can no longer permit your servitude to these murderous overlords.”
Agent Double Six remained quiet and still, only moving to look at his weapon. The General took advantage of that moment, trying to get the jump of the Agent and attacked him with an almighty roar. His sticks glowed as brightly as did his entire body, with him using every ounce of power within him from the very start, fighting with the traditional Donga Martial Art. His strikes were swift and powerful, with each one either being a killing blow, or setting up a killing blow. He stepped in quickly and unleashed his attacks before stepping out, using all of his skills and abilities, yet the Agent simply evaded and parried as if he lived in a world where time flowed differently for him. After a few rounds, Double Six suddenly jabbed his sword at the General, who had to use every shred of speed and agility he had to block it with uBhoko – resulting in the entire stick, which was made from only the finest and hardest materials, shatter into an uncountable number of pieces. Without missing a beat, the General slid iHawu down from his forearm into his hand and banged it with iSikhwili a few times before launching into another attack. This time, he was unable to even complete the attack because the Agent unleashed a volley of jabs, each one meaning death if it hit. The General evaded and parried as many hits as was humanly possible until the shield itself exploded. The General looked on in disbelief as his shield, an heirloom from his father, was turned into crumbs. Not allowing the mental blow to hinder him any longer than it had to, he then attacked with iSikhwili, but Double Six simply swatted it down with his open palm and snapped it in two. The General then grabbed his spear and tried to lunge at the Agent, but he was suddenly punched in the face and sent flying back. The helmet he was wearing shattered and crumbled at the point of impact, revealing part of the General’s face and his eye.
“It hasn’t even been 30 seconds…” He said out loud as he stumbled to his feet. “It seems expecting to keep you busy for a full minute was hubris on my part. That said, we need to bring you back with us! You work to uphold and protect the world created by oppressors and murderers! They raided our indigenous peoples to raise an army to fight their war! Forcefully conscripted able-bodied men and women, kidnapped and groomed girls and boys, injected us with poisons they wouldn’t dare put in their own people, all to fight against creatures that THEY attacked in the first place! Our Elders weep over the loss of three generations of their families, and we live in fear that our infants will be taken once the truce between the Races dissolves! How many of your fellow Husks have been scarred by the whips of punishment and conscription, as much as by the weapon of the enemy? You are all kept in a prison that is called a ‘Barracks’ just to placate the groups that fight for minority rights! Vuka, ndoda!Vula amehlo, ubheke nje ukuthi uphila kanjani!Ukuphila nje lokhu?!(Wake up, man! Open your eyes, and look to see how you live. Is this even living?!)”
“I don’t understand you.” Agent Double Six said in a robotic, monotonous voice, responding to someone for the first time. “And even if I did, do you think that speaking to me in a language you assume to be my native would sway me over to your cause? You are wasting your time. There is no emotion, there is no feeling, there is no thought – there is only the mission.”
Double Six said all this in a voice devoid of any sort of feeling, and he readied himself for an attack when he was suddenly hit square in the face by the General’s spear. The attack was so vicious, that it destroyed the front of the helmet, causing it to crumble as well and reveal the Agent’s face. Double Six completely no-sold the hit though, and threw his own weapon directly at the General, catching him square on the shoulder and piercing it before launching the soldier off of his feet and flying back He ripped through the once again fighting crowd and took a few of them out as he did, before smashing into a car that threatened to tip onto its side, before slamming back down onto its wheels. The General’s body was limp against the car, and the only thing keeping him up was the sword which had also gone through the door. The sound of incoming sirens filled the air, however most of the fighting protesters were too busy smashing each other’s faces in to even notice them. The General watched through blurry eyes as the subordinates he had left on the roof to fire the EMP were placed next to him after around a minute, their bodies limp and unconscious. He looked up and saw Agent Double Six looking down at him, and then just as he himself lost consciousness, he heard him speak.
“Bekezela, ndoda. Bekezela, ube nesineke. Konke kuzolunga, Mfowethu. (Bear with it, man. Bear with it and have patience. All will be well, my brother.)”
Just before drifting off, the General looked at the Agent once more, and not only saw emotion in his eyes, but life. The look only lasted in instant, before the eyes went back to normal, and the soldier lost consciousness.
The regular police were on hand to round up all of those who fought, as well as the mysterious soldiers who were all surprisingly still alive. As they were lead into vans in cuffs, a bunch of civilians had gathered, and were hurling slurs at not only the Pro Husk protesters, but those mysterious soldiers as well, barking about how the Husks should be ‘grateful’ because they were living like ‘savages’ before, and because of their government, they were now living like ‘people’. That they should appreciate everything that was done for them and do what they were told like the ‘good Husks’ of the Agency. Agent Double Six, after hearing all of this and more, simply turned around and made his way to the back of the SUV, and sat down in his seat. The door then slid closed, locked itself, and then the driver drove off, taking the Agent back to the Barracks
End.
NB: The other language spoken in this story is called isiZulu, and indigenous South African language, and my native tongue.