[ WP ] After Earth has been taken over by religious extremists you decide to escape . Seeking asylum on Mars , you join a ragtag group of refugees on an improvised space vehicle . Describe your journey .

*Chapter I* 
 
 I pulled my coat tighter around me, hunching his shoulders against the wind. The mass of bodies around me did nothing to warm me up. Usually I like cold weather, but this was too much even for me. Weather reports were saying the state was going to be buried in five feet of snow by this time next week. It had n't snowed yet, but the wind that was bringing the snow was already here. 
 
 Another cold gust of wind, I bent my head down against it. Everyone around me had slowed to a shuffle, as if the cold would pass over them if they did n't move. I kept my head down, concentrating on keeping my teeth from chattering. Spending my childhood in Texas had n't really prepared me for New York weather. It was then that I ran into the man in front of me. 
 
 *Bump* 
 
 I looked up, ready to apologize and/or defend myself, but the man did n't even turn around. He was standing still, just looking in front of him. I tried to sidestep around him, but more and more people were stopping in place too. Being a bit on the short side, I had trouble seeing what was going on. I was finally able to squeeze between two people, and got an unhindered view of what was happening. 
 
 A line of paladins were staring directly at us. I suddenly felt very exposed. 
 
 The paladins were dressed for battle, as they usually were. Combat boots, a utility belt with a baton, handcuffs, a taser, and a pocket edition of `` The Book of Mercer'' tucked in, and a vest over a heavy shirt. All of this was painted white, making the paladins stand out even more in the dark, overcast surroundings. Three paladins were standing in the way of the crowd, halting their progress. An armored truck was parked perpendicular to the street, back door wide open. Three other paladins were blocking foot traffic in the opposite direction. They had made a direct path from the truck to a small shop. A bakery, from the looks of it. 
 
 `` No, please! I can explain!'' A cry came out from the bakery. 
 
 A man in his fifties was shoved out into the cold, handcuffed. A paladin followed after him, wearing the red triangle on his sleeve signifying his status as an officer of the Mercers. He stood a head taller than the other paladins around him. He looked around at the crowd he had more or less accidentally gathered, and smiled. No, it was more of a sneer. 
 
 `` Citizens, rejoice! Today is a day of blessing!'' The officer shouted over the wind, speaking in the slightly old-fashioned way that Mercers tended to do. `` A black sheep has been plucked from the flock, bringing all of us one step closer to total cleansing!'' 
 
 `` I did n't do anything! Please, just let me explAHH!'' The handcuffed man pleaded, but all he got was a kick to the gut that sent him to the ground. 
 
 `` This man is guilty of breaking the laws of Mercer! For this there is no excuse!'' The officer pulled his pocket edition of the Book out of the utility bet and waved it in the air. `` The Word is here, for all to see!'' 
 
 `` What law did he break?'' A voice from the crowd suddenly called. 
 
 Even the wind suddenly stopped, as if it were shocked also. The officer turned to look over at us. His eyes crossed right over me, and I held my breath. I did n't speak. Oh lord, what if he thought that I had?! He kept gazing through the crowd, until he finally spoke again. 
 
 `` Step forward.'' 
 
 Nobody moved at first, but there was a shuffling behind me as people stepped out of the way of someone. I sidestepped too. A kid stepped up, almost directly to the line of paladins. Well, I say `` kid,'' but he could n't have been much younger than me. He seemed nervous, but not scared. Clearly he was an idiot, or very brave. 
 
 `` What law did he break? I'm just curious.'' The kid asked again, he had pulled a phone out of his pocket and was now recording a video. 
 
 `` The Law of Mercer, child.'' The officer gave another sneer/smile. `` Surely you're learning these laws in school.'' 
 
 `` Yeah, I usually sleep through those.'' 
 
 I physically winced. No, this kid was an idiot. 
 
 The sneer only grew larger. He pointed down at the handcuffed man, who was still curled up, gasping for air. `` This man is guilty of the sin of greed! Instead of willingly giving his tithe to the Church, he hoarded his wealth! Hiding his earnings, he cheated the Church. Worse, his sin is a blemish on all around him! He must be plucked from us like a seed from cotton!'' 
 
 The kid looked like he wanted to say something else, but the officer turned away from him. Roughly pulling him to his feet, he pulled him into the truck. The man could be heard still muttering `` I did n't do anything... I did n't do anything.'' Until the door slammed shut. 
 
 As the truck drove away, the remaining paladins shifted over, creating openings for the crowd to go through. It was a bit of a bottleneck. Slowly, two, sometimes one at a time, we all passed through. I closed my eyes and sighed as I heard the kid suddenly cry out, followed by the sound of paladin batons beating into him. I did n't look back, I did n't stop moving. The crowd was the only safe place to hide. 
 
 We all kept shuffling, but it was n't the cold that was keeping our heads down. 
 
 ( I'll try to write more later. This is just the first chapter for a story I'm literally making up right now )
