Eventually the schemers recommended the two of us catch a few winks of sleep. They'd wake us when they had plans.
And wake us they did. But not because of a plan.
"Come on, get up quick. They're here!"
Nic grabbed Cea's arm and jerked her up from the ground. He went to grab me, and in the moment that he hesitate I jumped up on my own.
Cea was the first to ask, "What's going on?"
"They sprung the trap! They jumped us. They're on us. They've surrounded us. We thought we could play games with time, I can't imagine why!"
Games? They? I was a little foggy from my nap.
Then gunfire erupted twenty feet above my head and I was firmly awake. This was no game, and I remembered exactly who they were. I just wasn't sure how one played this non-game.
Cea tugged me along, "Come on, Phil, up the ladder. We gotta get out of here."
"But we'll get shot up there!"
"Shot up there or shot in a prison yard, take your pick."
It was not a choice I was accustomed to making. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be involved with guns and bullets and
BOOM!
and explosions.
Up the ladder, out through what remained of a cardboard box. I was surrounded by junk and noises.
I heard Augustine shout down from the main floor, where no one was allowed, still. "They're coming on from the front. Get to the combat van!"
Nic laughed, "What? You think the United failed to guard the back alley?"
Augustine bellowed from above, barely audible over gunfire, "What? You think you want to go out the front?"
Judging by the flashes of fiery light and the whining of bullets I was hearing from above, I figured that not even stubborn Nic would argue.
I yelled, "Why are the blowing up a pizza parlor?"
Stanyard hung his head down the hatch to the main floor, "Because I am shooting back. But ammo is not a regular topping, and I'm about to run out, and when I do, or before, they will be in here and heaven save us if we are still when they get in!"
Nic jeered again, "Let's hope heaven does save us, because I sure as hell won't be going there!"
Cea slapped her brother across the face.
And to me, time paused right there. No one mastered Nic. No one touched him without his permission unless it was me running into him again.
But time didn't pause for anyone else. Stanyard yelled again, in unison with Ephesus and my daddy, who had already climbed the ladder to the garage, "Run!"
Cea bolted up the ladder. I remember that the adrenaline caught me about the time I saw her last foot disappear. I was finally processing things as they happened.
I reached for the ladder, only to have my arm thrust aside as Nic jumped the first few rungs and was up like a shot. I climbed right behind him, his heels grazing my forehead.
When I got up everyone was lying flat on the ground, so I did the same. Bullets whizzed through the garage door only inches above our heads, and bounced around hissing with heat. Smoke was filling the air. The garage door was constantly being pierced by more rounds, letting little shafts of light in, which only managed to show more of the dust filling the air.
Then my brave brother saved us all.
Crawling across the floor he got to the huge black van that had rescued me once before. He opened the door remotely with the keys. I never knew where he got them. We each crawled on our faces over to the van, then made the brave hop up into the floor of the van.
Bullets bounced off of the barely cracking glass. They must have actually stolen this one from the military.
We were all in, pile on top of each other. What was so good about being in a van? As soon as Augustine stopped shooting back they'd rush in. Casualties while fighting rebels was terrible press for the United, so they preferred to take as much precaution as they could.
Then I heard, faintly, a tapping on the back of the car. Augustine must have been pounding it. Ephesus popped up the back door and Stanyard rolled in. Before it was down again I felt the car rumble. The engine had started.
Ephesus was driving.
And then we were flying.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Philli Part 35
Oh. So that was what we were going to do. I didn't like it.
Stanyard clarified, "Like I said, we all need to scatter our way out of here. We are leaving anyway."
Cea objected, "There's no way all six of the United's most wanted can travel from here to Iceland without detection."
Stanyard answered, "First, we would be flattering ourselves to much to be considered on the most-wanted list. Maybe Nic or I could make it, and Nic more likely than me, but otherwise, we are all pretty low-key besides the recentness of this episode. Second, I don't think we should all go. And before you explode, Dr. Smyrna, hear me out.
"Philadelphia and Cea will stay back, together. I think Cea was right, and we need a small group for stealth. Besides, they can act for our behalf as decoys. If the United follows them, even as much as we hope it follows no one, it may think it has the trail of all of us. And that would give us double the chance of getting out there. I can get us a smaller boat that way, too, which will be able to make it by the coast-guard unnoticed."
Smyrna sat in silent acceptance. If those two stayed together, it could be fine. He had an idea, "If they sneaked back into camp, couldn't they hide in a house? They don't really search often, and by now they will have already searched there."
Stanyard nodded. "They can go anywhere. There's a usual network of safe-houses, so they can stay there a while until the United has lost interest, and then sneak to camp, and eventually we will find a place for them all."
I looked at Cea. Was she accepting all this?
Cea nodded slightly, "I am not to bad with a gun, but of course, Phil needs protection, too."
I couldn't deny that in the least.
"So let's finish the job here and then pack up and go."
Nic, Ephesus, and Stanyard went back up the ladder to finish trashing the upstairs until it was devoid of clues and evidence. I figured that would be interesting to do without making too much noise. A few minutes later I realized noise was not a concern in the least as things smashed and crashed and banged with alarming volume.
Cea, my daddy, and I started burning away as much evidence as we could. There wasn't much down there for evidence or clues, so at last we just piled everything in a heap and poured the fires ashes on it. Maybe that would hide fingerprints. It would certainly make combing through the charred books, sleeping mats, and garbage more irksome.
We spent most of the night trashing the basement. Stanyard wouldn't let any of us on the main floor, so that there would be less we could tell if we were caught.
Then began the planning conference. For over an hour Nic, Daddy, Stanyard, and Ephesus poured over maps and options and plans. Cea helped for a while, until she realized she knew no more than Ephesus. Eventually the schemers recommended the two of us catch a few winks of sleep. They'd wake us when they had plans.
And wake us they did. But not because of a plan.
"Come on, get up quick. They're here!"
Stanyard clarified, "Like I said, we all need to scatter our way out of here. We are leaving anyway."
Cea objected, "There's no way all six of the United's most wanted can travel from here to Iceland without detection."
Stanyard answered, "First, we would be flattering ourselves to much to be considered on the most-wanted list. Maybe Nic or I could make it, and Nic more likely than me, but otherwise, we are all pretty low-key besides the recentness of this episode. Second, I don't think we should all go. And before you explode, Dr. Smyrna, hear me out.
"Philadelphia and Cea will stay back, together. I think Cea was right, and we need a small group for stealth. Besides, they can act for our behalf as decoys. If the United follows them, even as much as we hope it follows no one, it may think it has the trail of all of us. And that would give us double the chance of getting out there. I can get us a smaller boat that way, too, which will be able to make it by the coast-guard unnoticed."
Smyrna sat in silent acceptance. If those two stayed together, it could be fine. He had an idea, "If they sneaked back into camp, couldn't they hide in a house? They don't really search often, and by now they will have already searched there."
Stanyard nodded. "They can go anywhere. There's a usual network of safe-houses, so they can stay there a while until the United has lost interest, and then sneak to camp, and eventually we will find a place for them all."
I looked at Cea. Was she accepting all this?
Cea nodded slightly, "I am not to bad with a gun, but of course, Phil needs protection, too."
I couldn't deny that in the least.
"So let's finish the job here and then pack up and go."
Nic, Ephesus, and Stanyard went back up the ladder to finish trashing the upstairs until it was devoid of clues and evidence. I figured that would be interesting to do without making too much noise. A few minutes later I realized noise was not a concern in the least as things smashed and crashed and banged with alarming volume.
Cea, my daddy, and I started burning away as much evidence as we could. There wasn't much down there for evidence or clues, so at last we just piled everything in a heap and poured the fires ashes on it. Maybe that would hide fingerprints. It would certainly make combing through the charred books, sleeping mats, and garbage more irksome.
We spent most of the night trashing the basement. Stanyard wouldn't let any of us on the main floor, so that there would be less we could tell if we were caught.
Then began the planning conference. For over an hour Nic, Daddy, Stanyard, and Ephesus poured over maps and options and plans. Cea helped for a while, until she realized she knew no more than Ephesus. Eventually the schemers recommended the two of us catch a few winks of sleep. They'd wake us when they had plans.
And wake us they did. But not because of a plan.
"Come on, get up quick. They're here!"
Crook Q Part 36 & Philli 34
"And why would I help someone like you?"
"Well, if maybe, we had Cea with us. Wouldn't want to send people our way then, would you?"
"Oh you are a devil."
"Innocent as pigeons," Augustine hissed in Nic's ear, "Sly as serpents." Then Stanyard made a quick move and drew Nic's gun out of this pocket.
"Now. What were you up to, again?"
And so Nic was forced to spill it all. Besides, he reasoned, he was in too deep now to avoid working with these people. Either he would work with them or he might as well be in their prison. Besides, with this new development, he would need their help.
Augustine flipped on the lights and the two of them descended. Everyone down below woke up rather quickly, and watched in silence as Nic came down first. As Stanyard reached the floor Cea just whispered, "What'd he do?"
Nic answered, "It's not what I did that's of consequence, but what I discovered that matters most."
"He is right," said Stanyard. "Albeit, he discovered it by stealing my computer and hacking through United files, but that's irrelevant now that I have his gun."
No one knew what to make of that. Nic filled the silence, "I discovered a great deal in the United official personnel files. I am legally dead, Cea is legally transferred to a Mars colony..."
She interrupted, "I did what? There is no such thing!"
"Exactly, sister. Ephesus is still dead in an exploded transport. Smyrna's information says he works as a lab-tech in a space-parts factory."
"Which I do."
"And Phili's says that she is religiously a zealot but politically conformed."
The girl began to object but Nic just kept going, "And, to my great amusement, it says specifically that she is not a trouble maker."
Nic watched with smoldering disgust the coy grin that spread on the Christian maid's face. He didn't know what he wanted to do to her, but whatever it was, he knew he was dying to do it.
"Get to the point, Nic," Stanyard interjected.
Ephesus was ready for anything, "Yeah, I doubt all you did was rehash your knowledge of all of our personal histories. If that is all, I would have preferred to remain asleep."
"Well you should be glad we got you up," said Nic.
Stanyard pushed Nic aside to assert his dominance. "Nic found a communications entry saying that a new industry has begun on Rott, the prison island from whence Nic came here."
"A delightful place, let me assure you. The hairstylist culture is a little crude, but otherwise..." With a look Stanyard silenced the doctor.
"They've started making what they call 'Red Rain,' there."
A gasp rippled through everyone in the basement who hadn't heard it already. The silence afterward was tangible.
Ephesus looked over at Nic, the hostility in his gaze latent, "And how, Doctor, is that possible?"
"I finished it the night before the escape. You almost had it, old man," Smyrna would have none of it.
"It's Thomas Smyrna."
Ephesus punctuated, "And I'll knock your block off before I hear you call him anything else again, especially as I am fairly mindful to do it right now anyway. You mean you gave them the weapon and then proceeded to run away?"
"I downloaded the chemistry onto our microchip."
"My. Microchip. My microchip. I hadn't even thought of it since we left there."
"The microchip that was in our possession. But apparently a ghost version remained on the cloud that they decoded."
Ephesus rolled his eyes, "Philli could decode a ghost file without too much trouble. It's not that difficult."
The doubtfulness of the statement was obvious on Philadelphia's face. Ephesus launched, "So what you are saying is, that despite all your intelligence with chemicals and radioactive isotopes, you made the dumbest error none to hacking? I'd say that between your computer ineptitude and utter lack of people skills, you have your life fairly fouled up, and a few others beside!"
"Don't forget my lack of religion. That has to be on the list somewhere."
Ephesus was furious, and stood up about ready to finish off his threat. Cea grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
Stanyard drew both guns. "You obviously don't realize how important time is. Nic connected that computer to the internet. They will know I am still here. They'll pounce on us at any moment. We have to scatter."
My daddy stood up to that. "We will do know such thing. We're done being pulled around by the schemes of all you people involved in the world's affairs. We are getting out, together. We'll go back to the camp before we'll separate again."
I hoped my face showed that I was resolved with him. Ephesus' face did.
I watched the other half of the room react. It was three versus three.
Nic chuckled, "You know you can't go back? You're all criminals now. Even Miss Philadelphia." I felt blood drain out of my face as I caught on. "You are all thieves and murderers, in the truest sense of the word. Philadelphia shot a man in the stomach and assisted in the murder of several others. Several of you have illegal cell phones. You can't just go back to camp."
Stanyard countered, "No they can't, but they can go to safe-houses. We can keep them safe."
Nic stood up, "Except for one large problem. Two words. Red Rain."
I didn't get it. "Why is that a problem? The United has had weapons of mass destruction for a long time. They won't turn them on us."
Everyone but me bit their lower lip. They all looked around, trying to see who else was in the know. Apparently I was the only one who didn't get it.
My daddy leaned down to me, "Philadelphia, dear, it's not quite like that. There's a civil war brewing. Once one side has Red Rain, it will start. And we're all bound to be caught in the cross fire."
A civil war? in the United? Wasn't that an oxymoron?
Nic finished off for me, "See, pretty girl, on one side is the tyrants who just want control of everything. On the other side are some idealists who want freedom for everyone. They both lobbied me for Red Rain, and in fact, I signed with both. Once they have it, they'll use it to wipe out their resistance."
I still didn't see how us little Christians needed to be involved, but I was sure I didn't like Nic's new nickname for me. "But we're not on a side. We just follow Christ and obey."
Cea got me this time, "But you see, Phil, there's just the thing. We might be able to survive a war. It might even help us. But millions will die. Millions, Phil."
Was everyone against me? "But it's not our job to fix all the wars. It's not our fault. We aren't going to fire the rockets.
Ephesus knelt next to me, "Philli, remember the last time someone had Red Rain?"
Boy did I ever.
"Someone else had Red Rain, and he was going to hurt people. Lot's of innocent people. And even if he didn't use it, he was going to threaten them all with it and other weapons. It's the same thing again except someone else has it."
I looked over at the someone. This was his fault. All of it.
"So you see," the someone said, "You've all got your feet stuck in this one. Mister Thomas Smyrna over there did most of the work; Ephesus did some; I did the rest; Stanyard hid me; Cea supported us all and shot a few people; we lit a laboratory on fire, blew up a few elevators, and now they have my weapon."
"So what are we going to do about it?" I exploded.
Stanyard looked at his guns. Ephesus smiled, and Nic did the same, in his old creepy smile of mastery.
Oh. So that was what we were going to do. I didn't like it.
"Well, if maybe, we had Cea with us. Wouldn't want to send people our way then, would you?"
"Oh you are a devil."
"Innocent as pigeons," Augustine hissed in Nic's ear, "Sly as serpents." Then Stanyard made a quick move and drew Nic's gun out of this pocket.
"Now. What were you up to, again?"
And so Nic was forced to spill it all. Besides, he reasoned, he was in too deep now to avoid working with these people. Either he would work with them or he might as well be in their prison. Besides, with this new development, he would need their help.
Augustine flipped on the lights and the two of them descended. Everyone down below woke up rather quickly, and watched in silence as Nic came down first. As Stanyard reached the floor Cea just whispered, "What'd he do?"
Nic answered, "It's not what I did that's of consequence, but what I discovered that matters most."
"He is right," said Stanyard. "Albeit, he discovered it by stealing my computer and hacking through United files, but that's irrelevant now that I have his gun."
No one knew what to make of that. Nic filled the silence, "I discovered a great deal in the United official personnel files. I am legally dead, Cea is legally transferred to a Mars colony..."
She interrupted, "I did what? There is no such thing!"
"Exactly, sister. Ephesus is still dead in an exploded transport. Smyrna's information says he works as a lab-tech in a space-parts factory."
"Which I do."
"And Phili's says that she is religiously a zealot but politically conformed."
The girl began to object but Nic just kept going, "And, to my great amusement, it says specifically that she is not a trouble maker."
Nic watched with smoldering disgust the coy grin that spread on the Christian maid's face. He didn't know what he wanted to do to her, but whatever it was, he knew he was dying to do it.
"Get to the point, Nic," Stanyard interjected.
Ephesus was ready for anything, "Yeah, I doubt all you did was rehash your knowledge of all of our personal histories. If that is all, I would have preferred to remain asleep."
"Well you should be glad we got you up," said Nic.
Stanyard pushed Nic aside to assert his dominance. "Nic found a communications entry saying that a new industry has begun on Rott, the prison island from whence Nic came here."
"A delightful place, let me assure you. The hairstylist culture is a little crude, but otherwise..." With a look Stanyard silenced the doctor.
"They've started making what they call 'Red Rain,' there."
A gasp rippled through everyone in the basement who hadn't heard it already. The silence afterward was tangible.
Ephesus looked over at Nic, the hostility in his gaze latent, "And how, Doctor, is that possible?"
"I finished it the night before the escape. You almost had it, old man," Smyrna would have none of it.
"It's Thomas Smyrna."
Ephesus punctuated, "And I'll knock your block off before I hear you call him anything else again, especially as I am fairly mindful to do it right now anyway. You mean you gave them the weapon and then proceeded to run away?"
"I downloaded the chemistry onto our microchip."
"My. Microchip. My microchip. I hadn't even thought of it since we left there."
"The microchip that was in our possession. But apparently a ghost version remained on the cloud that they decoded."
Ephesus rolled his eyes, "Philli could decode a ghost file without too much trouble. It's not that difficult."
The doubtfulness of the statement was obvious on Philadelphia's face. Ephesus launched, "So what you are saying is, that despite all your intelligence with chemicals and radioactive isotopes, you made the dumbest error none to hacking? I'd say that between your computer ineptitude and utter lack of people skills, you have your life fairly fouled up, and a few others beside!"
"Don't forget my lack of religion. That has to be on the list somewhere."
Ephesus was furious, and stood up about ready to finish off his threat. Cea grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
Stanyard drew both guns. "You obviously don't realize how important time is. Nic connected that computer to the internet. They will know I am still here. They'll pounce on us at any moment. We have to scatter."
My daddy stood up to that. "We will do know such thing. We're done being pulled around by the schemes of all you people involved in the world's affairs. We are getting out, together. We'll go back to the camp before we'll separate again."
I hoped my face showed that I was resolved with him. Ephesus' face did.
I watched the other half of the room react. It was three versus three.
Nic chuckled, "You know you can't go back? You're all criminals now. Even Miss Philadelphia." I felt blood drain out of my face as I caught on. "You are all thieves and murderers, in the truest sense of the word. Philadelphia shot a man in the stomach and assisted in the murder of several others. Several of you have illegal cell phones. You can't just go back to camp."
Stanyard countered, "No they can't, but they can go to safe-houses. We can keep them safe."
Nic stood up, "Except for one large problem. Two words. Red Rain."
I didn't get it. "Why is that a problem? The United has had weapons of mass destruction for a long time. They won't turn them on us."
Everyone but me bit their lower lip. They all looked around, trying to see who else was in the know. Apparently I was the only one who didn't get it.
My daddy leaned down to me, "Philadelphia, dear, it's not quite like that. There's a civil war brewing. Once one side has Red Rain, it will start. And we're all bound to be caught in the cross fire."
A civil war? in the United? Wasn't that an oxymoron?
Nic finished off for me, "See, pretty girl, on one side is the tyrants who just want control of everything. On the other side are some idealists who want freedom for everyone. They both lobbied me for Red Rain, and in fact, I signed with both. Once they have it, they'll use it to wipe out their resistance."
I still didn't see how us little Christians needed to be involved, but I was sure I didn't like Nic's new nickname for me. "But we're not on a side. We just follow Christ and obey."
Cea got me this time, "But you see, Phil, there's just the thing. We might be able to survive a war. It might even help us. But millions will die. Millions, Phil."
Was everyone against me? "But it's not our job to fix all the wars. It's not our fault. We aren't going to fire the rockets.
Ephesus knelt next to me, "Philli, remember the last time someone had Red Rain?"
Boy did I ever.
"Someone else had Red Rain, and he was going to hurt people. Lot's of innocent people. And even if he didn't use it, he was going to threaten them all with it and other weapons. It's the same thing again except someone else has it."
I looked over at the someone. This was his fault. All of it.
"So you see," the someone said, "You've all got your feet stuck in this one. Mister Thomas Smyrna over there did most of the work; Ephesus did some; I did the rest; Stanyard hid me; Cea supported us all and shot a few people; we lit a laboratory on fire, blew up a few elevators, and now they have my weapon."
"So what are we going to do about it?" I exploded.
Stanyard looked at his guns. Ephesus smiled, and Nic did the same, in his old creepy smile of mastery.
Oh. So that was what we were going to do. I didn't like it.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Crook Q Part 35
A new factory down at the lowest depths of Rott. A weapons factory, under direction of Commander Ambrose. "So, he got a position of leadership again. He must be tickled pink."
A plant manufacturing a weapon to end all resistance.
But how could this be?
A new chemical weapon, branded "Red Rain," was in production:
In the last year, United peace-keeping forces made a daring raid into space, sacking a nest of terrorism disguised by the front of a research facility. There they had developed the rudiments of a technology designed to wipe out all life on earth. Weapons technology belongs only in the hands of the benevolent government of this United planet.
United scientists have perfected the state of this chemical weapon, capable of burning through any pH reactive substance, requiring only the presence of water. Propelled by radioactive particles, the weapon will also destroy any life hiding behind non-reactive defenses. Silver has proven non-reactive enough to act as a shield so long as water is not available to start the reaction. Thus, the fluid is pumped in sealed silver-lined pipes with a lead lining in case of trace amounts of water were to infect the system.
Because of the dangerous nature of this new weapon, which will be useful in pacifying rebellious regions, stubborn populations, and the few hold outs of totalitarianism in the far reaches of the earth, and will prevent any stellar warfare, again, because of the danger of this new weapon, first tests and manufacturing are beginning in secured scientific labs at the bottom of a secure vault.
So is that why Christians hated lying and deceit? But how had they got it?
Then it slapped Nic in the face. The same way he read this report. When he had copied the files to his chip, the ghost file stayed on the cloud. And, even though Nic was a smart one, he had not deleted it.
They had his weapon. It was no good if two sides had it. Here he had passed through caverns of prison, through space, out of a prison-science-hospital, and they had it.
Well, they had to get it back. He would get it back. Somehow.
"Now close the computer, then put your hands on the top of your head, but don't even think about turning around."
Nic stiffened. The last time someone had a gun, he had rigged the door. This, time, no luck.
"You know the computer was only asleep? I was working on it until about forty-five seconds before you came up. Now, you've shown your skill on the computers. And it's not half bad. Just tell me what you were up to."
"And... if I won't?"
"Well, fortunately, we are a floor down. The shot won't carry far."
"You couldn't shoot me. You'd never make it to heaven that way."
"Oh I never said it would be lethal. I think I can safely leave you bleeding somewhere for the United to find. You might even be able to throw them off our trail."
"And why would I help someone like you?"
"Well, if maybe, we had Cea with us. Wouldn't want to send people our way then, would you?"
"Oh you are a devil."
"Innocent as pigeons," Augustine hissed in Nic's ear, "Sly as serpents." Then Stanyard made a quick move and drew Nic's gun out of this pocket.
"Now. What were you up to, again?"
A plant manufacturing a weapon to end all resistance.
But how could this be?
A new chemical weapon, branded "Red Rain," was in production:
In the last year, United peace-keeping forces made a daring raid into space, sacking a nest of terrorism disguised by the front of a research facility. There they had developed the rudiments of a technology designed to wipe out all life on earth. Weapons technology belongs only in the hands of the benevolent government of this United planet.
United scientists have perfected the state of this chemical weapon, capable of burning through any pH reactive substance, requiring only the presence of water. Propelled by radioactive particles, the weapon will also destroy any life hiding behind non-reactive defenses. Silver has proven non-reactive enough to act as a shield so long as water is not available to start the reaction. Thus, the fluid is pumped in sealed silver-lined pipes with a lead lining in case of trace amounts of water were to infect the system.
Because of the dangerous nature of this new weapon, which will be useful in pacifying rebellious regions, stubborn populations, and the few hold outs of totalitarianism in the far reaches of the earth, and will prevent any stellar warfare, again, because of the danger of this new weapon, first tests and manufacturing are beginning in secured scientific labs at the bottom of a secure vault.
So is that why Christians hated lying and deceit? But how had they got it?
Then it slapped Nic in the face. The same way he read this report. When he had copied the files to his chip, the ghost file stayed on the cloud. And, even though Nic was a smart one, he had not deleted it.
They had his weapon. It was no good if two sides had it. Here he had passed through caverns of prison, through space, out of a prison-science-hospital, and they had it.
Well, they had to get it back. He would get it back. Somehow.
"Now close the computer, then put your hands on the top of your head, but don't even think about turning around."
Nic stiffened. The last time someone had a gun, he had rigged the door. This, time, no luck.
"You know the computer was only asleep? I was working on it until about forty-five seconds before you came up. Now, you've shown your skill on the computers. And it's not half bad. Just tell me what you were up to."
"And... if I won't?"
"Well, fortunately, we are a floor down. The shot won't carry far."
"You couldn't shoot me. You'd never make it to heaven that way."
"Oh I never said it would be lethal. I think I can safely leave you bleeding somewhere for the United to find. You might even be able to throw them off our trail."
"And why would I help someone like you?"
"Well, if maybe, we had Cea with us. Wouldn't want to send people our way then, would you?"
"Oh you are a devil."
"Innocent as pigeons," Augustine hissed in Nic's ear, "Sly as serpents." Then Stanyard made a quick move and drew Nic's gun out of this pocket.
"Now. What were you up to, again?"
Crook Q Part 34
Augustine concluded the conference, "I will go back upstairs and see what I can do. I will try to make the United think we left already, in a rush. They will, hopefully, wait for us to come back before coming in, expecting us to try to clean up the exit. You all have to lay low. And the lights have to go off, too.
A few minutes later we were all in darkness again.
For many hours the Christians sat in the dark and conversed. They talked about trials and sufferings, and how much better of people they would be when it was all over, by the grace of God. Seemed like some awfully complicated business for just meaning that they got better at living after getting experience. With how much faith-building they talked about Nic was beginning to imagine a tower that could outdo even that of Babel. Brick, tar, and faith.
Eventually they grew tired of quoting ancient works of religious literature and retired to sleep. Nic had dozed occasionally during the day, he couldn't help sleeping when surrounded by such un-stimulating conversation. And so he had barely moved out of his chair, except for a few moments to stretch, which were dangerous, because in the pure dark one could trip over something at any moment.
And so they all went to sleep. Nic was almost there, too, physically, but mentally he was outpacing the download speed of the fastest computers he had ever worked on.
So the United was on there trail. And not just on the trail, they were after Nic, and after Cea. Nic still had the microchip. Ephesus had never demanded it back yet. He might have almost forgotten about it, since Cea had the same virus on her chip.
It had been too long since Nic used a computer. Too long since he had information. His moves were being made by some Christian zealots with nothing but the kingdom of God in mind. Nic had other plans, and he did not trust the Christians to work in his best interest. He had to know what was going on. He had to know what kinds of evidence, what lines of clues, the United was pursuing. He specialized in knowing the project better than it knew itself. He had to out-know the United. And sitting in the basement wouldn't accomplish that. He felt like he was in a bad version of Plato's cave.
He managed to traverse the floor without tripping. He couldn't afford noise. There was the lowest rung. Up he went, one at a time, barely breathing. There was the top. He popped the latch and was out. Nic crawled across the floor, counting his little crawls. He bumped his head against a box and barely restrained from profanity. He turned ninety degrees and kept going. He reached the stereo, and instantly popped out the cassette. In case he was caught, he could plea bargain his evidence, maybe.
Now where was the door to the main shop.
But then he didn't need it. A computer was sitting next to him on a box. Augustine must have left it there when he got interrupted with something. Perfect.
Passwords didn't stop Nic for long. This would be a cinch.
Except that there was no password. The computer was left logged-in.
Nic prowled around until he found an internet browser. It was an ancient thing, something about what had once been counted as a high number and a shiny metal, except the number was spelled with a "-gle" instead of a "-gol." Silly 21st century advertising.
Connecting took an eternity. Apparently the device had never been connected to the United internet before. Nic would have to find a way to wipe this things record when he was done... the virus would do. Besides, he needed to test it, for his own confidence's sake.
In under ten minutes Nic was cruising his way through United government communication files. He did a quick search for Rachel. Still no records.
Then he searched for himself. And he was amazed.
He had escaped from Rott, apparently on nothing more than a scrap of wood. His body was never found at sea. He was legally dead.
Well that was an interesting revelation, to say the least.
And Cea, was she dead, too?
No, she was very much alive. Apparently she had been hired to work on a top secret mission on Mars, a colony project, from which colonists were not allowed to return. Nic knew from personal experience that there were no such projects. Some governmnet-employed liar had creative ways of eliminating people that shouldn't be on the papers.
Maybe that's where Rachel was, too.
For a quick moment of fun, Nic looked up John and Dowe. Not at all to his surprise, he found an entry covering both. There escapades were remarkable. Apparently a whole warehouse of print Bibles had emptied itself in the space of three hours, and they were found with one-tenth of the booty twelve hours later. And there was a missing jump-jet. That never turned up again. And millions of dollars of records were burnt. They escaped, made mischief, were caught, caught while escaping, escaped, made mischief, lit something else on fire, and apparently turned one thing into rubber even on the official entries. Then they went to Rott. And then there was an interesting entry. "Hired as valve operators." The date was for two days ago.
There was something interesting. New industry on Rott. But of no consequence.
The Smyrnas... how did they show up?
Ephesus was still dead in an explosion. It must have been to embarrassing to ever correct that. Thomas Smyrna worked as a lab-tech in a factory. His was accurate.
How about that miscreant female creature that was his offspring?
"Philadelphia Smyrna. Age: 17. Unaccepted minor. Uncovered one Unaccepted plot of global terrorism." She was classified as a moderate. Stubborn about her religion, but not a trouble-maker.
Well, obviously the United saw things in a very different light than their greatest Martian governor ever.
And what about her mother? Where did she get the other half of her trouble-making side?
Her mother was dead. She had been killed when being brought into questioning. There was a newspaper link to the story. Nic followed it.
"Unaccepted Scientist Kills His Wife."
Well, that escalated quickly.
Nic read on. Apparrently there was a purge of the ranks in Street 17 Camp at some point. The best Christians were brought in for questioning. The state was refilling its archives and reassessing the religion problem. Really just paper-work shuffling. That's when Dr. Thomas Smyrna's wife was called up.
But he wouldn't let her go.
There had been some sort of scuffle at his home. He had resisted letting her go. She would have went, according to the media, but he dragged her inside and tried to lock the door. As Commander Ambrose moved in to get her, force was required. Setting his gun to a stunning level, Ambrose had fired upon Dr. Smyrna. Somehow he missed, and the stun shot caught his wife in the head, the only spot a stun-shot would be lethal.
There was a story to tell. Finally, Nic new his chief nemesis better than she knew herself.
So he went to check on the new Rott industry. That was more tightly classified, but then he found a major de-briefing that he stole the transitory version of. When a file transfers, the cloud of transfer holds, temporarily, a ghost copy of the document. Only smart people remembered to protect those or delete them. So Nic read away.
A new factory down at the lowest depths of Rott. A weapons factory, under direction of Commander Ambrose. "So, he got a position of leadership again. He must be tickled pink."
A plant manufacturing a weapon to end all resistance.
But how could this be?
A few minutes later we were all in darkness again.
For many hours the Christians sat in the dark and conversed. They talked about trials and sufferings, and how much better of people they would be when it was all over, by the grace of God. Seemed like some awfully complicated business for just meaning that they got better at living after getting experience. With how much faith-building they talked about Nic was beginning to imagine a tower that could outdo even that of Babel. Brick, tar, and faith.
Eventually they grew tired of quoting ancient works of religious literature and retired to sleep. Nic had dozed occasionally during the day, he couldn't help sleeping when surrounded by such un-stimulating conversation. And so he had barely moved out of his chair, except for a few moments to stretch, which were dangerous, because in the pure dark one could trip over something at any moment.
And so they all went to sleep. Nic was almost there, too, physically, but mentally he was outpacing the download speed of the fastest computers he had ever worked on.
So the United was on there trail. And not just on the trail, they were after Nic, and after Cea. Nic still had the microchip. Ephesus had never demanded it back yet. He might have almost forgotten about it, since Cea had the same virus on her chip.
It had been too long since Nic used a computer. Too long since he had information. His moves were being made by some Christian zealots with nothing but the kingdom of God in mind. Nic had other plans, and he did not trust the Christians to work in his best interest. He had to know what was going on. He had to know what kinds of evidence, what lines of clues, the United was pursuing. He specialized in knowing the project better than it knew itself. He had to out-know the United. And sitting in the basement wouldn't accomplish that. He felt like he was in a bad version of Plato's cave.
He managed to traverse the floor without tripping. He couldn't afford noise. There was the lowest rung. Up he went, one at a time, barely breathing. There was the top. He popped the latch and was out. Nic crawled across the floor, counting his little crawls. He bumped his head against a box and barely restrained from profanity. He turned ninety degrees and kept going. He reached the stereo, and instantly popped out the cassette. In case he was caught, he could plea bargain his evidence, maybe.
Now where was the door to the main shop.
But then he didn't need it. A computer was sitting next to him on a box. Augustine must have left it there when he got interrupted with something. Perfect.
Passwords didn't stop Nic for long. This would be a cinch.
Except that there was no password. The computer was left logged-in.
Nic prowled around until he found an internet browser. It was an ancient thing, something about what had once been counted as a high number and a shiny metal, except the number was spelled with a "-gle" instead of a "-gol." Silly 21st century advertising.
Connecting took an eternity. Apparently the device had never been connected to the United internet before. Nic would have to find a way to wipe this things record when he was done... the virus would do. Besides, he needed to test it, for his own confidence's sake.
In under ten minutes Nic was cruising his way through United government communication files. He did a quick search for Rachel. Still no records.
Then he searched for himself. And he was amazed.
He had escaped from Rott, apparently on nothing more than a scrap of wood. His body was never found at sea. He was legally dead.
Well that was an interesting revelation, to say the least.
And Cea, was she dead, too?
No, she was very much alive. Apparently she had been hired to work on a top secret mission on Mars, a colony project, from which colonists were not allowed to return. Nic knew from personal experience that there were no such projects. Some governmnet-employed liar had creative ways of eliminating people that shouldn't be on the papers.
Maybe that's where Rachel was, too.
For a quick moment of fun, Nic looked up John and Dowe. Not at all to his surprise, he found an entry covering both. There escapades were remarkable. Apparently a whole warehouse of print Bibles had emptied itself in the space of three hours, and they were found with one-tenth of the booty twelve hours later. And there was a missing jump-jet. That never turned up again. And millions of dollars of records were burnt. They escaped, made mischief, were caught, caught while escaping, escaped, made mischief, lit something else on fire, and apparently turned one thing into rubber even on the official entries. Then they went to Rott. And then there was an interesting entry. "Hired as valve operators." The date was for two days ago.
There was something interesting. New industry on Rott. But of no consequence.
The Smyrnas... how did they show up?
Ephesus was still dead in an explosion. It must have been to embarrassing to ever correct that. Thomas Smyrna worked as a lab-tech in a factory. His was accurate.
How about that miscreant female creature that was his offspring?
"Philadelphia Smyrna. Age: 17. Unaccepted minor. Uncovered one Unaccepted plot of global terrorism." She was classified as a moderate. Stubborn about her religion, but not a trouble-maker.
Well, obviously the United saw things in a very different light than their greatest Martian governor ever.
And what about her mother? Where did she get the other half of her trouble-making side?
Her mother was dead. She had been killed when being brought into questioning. There was a newspaper link to the story. Nic followed it.
"Unaccepted Scientist Kills His Wife."
Well, that escalated quickly.
Nic read on. Apparrently there was a purge of the ranks in Street 17 Camp at some point. The best Christians were brought in for questioning. The state was refilling its archives and reassessing the religion problem. Really just paper-work shuffling. That's when Dr. Thomas Smyrna's wife was called up.
But he wouldn't let her go.
There had been some sort of scuffle at his home. He had resisted letting her go. She would have went, according to the media, but he dragged her inside and tried to lock the door. As Commander Ambrose moved in to get her, force was required. Setting his gun to a stunning level, Ambrose had fired upon Dr. Smyrna. Somehow he missed, and the stun shot caught his wife in the head, the only spot a stun-shot would be lethal.
There was a story to tell. Finally, Nic new his chief nemesis better than she knew herself.
So he went to check on the new Rott industry. That was more tightly classified, but then he found a major de-briefing that he stole the transitory version of. When a file transfers, the cloud of transfer holds, temporarily, a ghost copy of the document. Only smart people remembered to protect those or delete them. So Nic read away.
A new factory down at the lowest depths of Rott. A weapons factory, under direction of Commander Ambrose. "So, he got a position of leadership again. He must be tickled pink."
A plant manufacturing a weapon to end all resistance.
But how could this be?
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Philli Part 33
Augustine chewed on that for a second. "Well then, welcome to the underground for the rest of your lives."
My voice came out shaky. "I... I am not sure I like that." In a strange way, being Unaccepted and all the paper-work that went with that was an identity for me. At least concrete walls held out the world from coming down against us.
Augustine looked at me. "No more identity cards. No more files to sign and not sign. You will legally not exist. Doesn't it sound like an adventure?" The flare in his eyes caught me. "It's an Unaccepted dream! Freedom from prison, Phil. Because if they ever catch you now, they'll probably kill you."
Nic's voice chuckled out of the shadows. "And if they don't, you'll be left to rot!"
Ephesus was more interested in the threats to their safety than Nic's witticisms, "Aha! I get it. It's a pun! Anyhow, about the present situation."
Stanyard continued, "We are working with the other units on how we will get you all out of here. most likely, we will have one unit take each of you far away from the cities. You can hopefully re-unite away from the hands of the government."
Smyrna wasn't easily convinced. "I am not sure I like that plan. First off, if we all go our separate ways, and they track us, the will be getting the whole organization."
Stanyard shrugged it off, "That's established protocol. We assume success before we assume defeat."
"But that is not the main problem," Smyrna continued. "The main problem is that business about 'hopefully' reuniting. We are not going anywhere on the basis of 'hopefully' reuniting. At least not m family." No one needed to ask if that was the case for all of the Smryrnas.
"Well don't let that stop you from evaluating Cea and I," Nic interjected. "You can send us both to one spot, can't you?"
"That'd be as bad as sending the whole family together. I have checked your records, Doctor. You and Cea have gone everywhere together except prison for your whole career. They will be watching for you both. Everyone goes out individually."
There was silence until Cea stated the facts. "Uh, no, we don't. It's not happening."
Augustine just sat there, barely refraining from gaping. Finally he muttered, "Fine. I never cared much for protocol anyway. I'll save m personal computer and see what we can do to escape from this place as one massive group, but I doubt I can do that. Would you all be content to be in separate safe-houses near eachother. Or maybe Nic and Cea can go one place and you all the other?"
Nic answered immediately, "Oh, we are very okay with that."
I rolled my eyes. I found it silly that he always wanted rid of us, but he was always the one calling us back.
I answered for us, "Anything where we end up together will do. But where do we go after a safe house? What do we do for the rest of our lives?"
Augustine shrugged, "You're asking for an awful lot in advance there, Phil. In the underground, there is no such advance notice."
It seemed my life was one devoid of advance notice. First going off to Mars with Daddy, then finding Ephesus, then getting arrested... Maybe I was well cut-out for underground life after all.
Augustine concluded the conference, "I will go back upstairs and see what I can do. I will try to make the United think we left already, in a rush. They will, hopefully, wait for us to come back before coming in, expecting us to try to clean up the exit. You all have to lay low. And the lights have to go off, too.
A few minutes later we were all in darkness again.
My voice came out shaky. "I... I am not sure I like that." In a strange way, being Unaccepted and all the paper-work that went with that was an identity for me. At least concrete walls held out the world from coming down against us.
Augustine looked at me. "No more identity cards. No more files to sign and not sign. You will legally not exist. Doesn't it sound like an adventure?" The flare in his eyes caught me. "It's an Unaccepted dream! Freedom from prison, Phil. Because if they ever catch you now, they'll probably kill you."
Nic's voice chuckled out of the shadows. "And if they don't, you'll be left to rot!"
Ephesus was more interested in the threats to their safety than Nic's witticisms, "Aha! I get it. It's a pun! Anyhow, about the present situation."
Stanyard continued, "We are working with the other units on how we will get you all out of here. most likely, we will have one unit take each of you far away from the cities. You can hopefully re-unite away from the hands of the government."
Smyrna wasn't easily convinced. "I am not sure I like that plan. First off, if we all go our separate ways, and they track us, the will be getting the whole organization."
Stanyard shrugged it off, "That's established protocol. We assume success before we assume defeat."
"But that is not the main problem," Smyrna continued. "The main problem is that business about 'hopefully' reuniting. We are not going anywhere on the basis of 'hopefully' reuniting. At least not m family." No one needed to ask if that was the case for all of the Smryrnas.
"Well don't let that stop you from evaluating Cea and I," Nic interjected. "You can send us both to one spot, can't you?"
"That'd be as bad as sending the whole family together. I have checked your records, Doctor. You and Cea have gone everywhere together except prison for your whole career. They will be watching for you both. Everyone goes out individually."
There was silence until Cea stated the facts. "Uh, no, we don't. It's not happening."
Augustine just sat there, barely refraining from gaping. Finally he muttered, "Fine. I never cared much for protocol anyway. I'll save m personal computer and see what we can do to escape from this place as one massive group, but I doubt I can do that. Would you all be content to be in separate safe-houses near eachother. Or maybe Nic and Cea can go one place and you all the other?"
Nic answered immediately, "Oh, we are very okay with that."
I rolled my eyes. I found it silly that he always wanted rid of us, but he was always the one calling us back.
I answered for us, "Anything where we end up together will do. But where do we go after a safe house? What do we do for the rest of our lives?"
Augustine shrugged, "You're asking for an awful lot in advance there, Phil. In the underground, there is no such advance notice."
It seemed my life was one devoid of advance notice. First going off to Mars with Daddy, then finding Ephesus, then getting arrested... Maybe I was well cut-out for underground life after all.
Augustine concluded the conference, "I will go back upstairs and see what I can do. I will try to make the United think we left already, in a rush. They will, hopefully, wait for us to come back before coming in, expecting us to try to clean up the exit. You all have to lay low. And the lights have to go off, too.
A few minutes later we were all in darkness again.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Philli Part 32
I hugged my brother tightly for a short moment. He was such a good protector when he could. When our family was together, there wasn't anything that anyone could do.
Then the lights came on. Stanyard was probably coming down. He always switched the lights on before he came down, so that we could be sure it wasn't an arrest.
I watched his legs drop down through the shaft, his head in a blur. He never used the rungs more than he could help it. He joked that it was for finger prints sake, but I think he was over crediting his security measures.
I looked to him for some happy conversation. He was always as happy as he could be with us. But not this time.
"I've got interesting news, folks."
Ephesus looked back at him, "Looks to be more than interesting by your demeanor... by what should I call you?"
"You can call me Augustine."
Ephesus whistled. "I should have figured you were at the bottom of this. Augustine's got a reputation with us all."
"Right, of course. Now, the news."
Nic coughed in the corner. "Ahem. Is any of this classified against atheists?"
Stanyard shrugged off the comment. "It's for any one who happens to be hiding in this safe house, religious affiliation is of no consideration. We think there's been a leak."
Nic's eyes grew wide, "You think there's been a what?"
Ephesus quipped, "A leak. It's what you call it when stuff flows out of a test tube, Doctor."
Cea was less jocular than either of the young men. "Do you mean we should expect the Peace-Keepers in here in no time?"
Stanyard shook his head. "No. Not in no time. But not in much time, if they come at all. I was afraid of this when I picked you all up. They let Caesar and Philli go, more or less."
Cea was indignant. "We shot up a storm to get to the basement. Several of them are dead now. They did not let us go."
Stanyard looked back, "Obviously you haven't operated in the field much, Caesar. They let you and those guards all go. Peace-keepers and security are cheaper than intelligence. They just bought Augustine's location with the lives of a few soldiers."
Stanyard turned to Nic, Smyrna, and Ephesus. "Your escape sped things up. I don't think they tracked you all around. Your escapes were well executed. But they aroused suspicion. And they are hoping to nab you all as well as me at the same time. They undoubtedly know about Caesar's cellphone, and a host of other things, so this would be a big haul for them. If they catch us."
Smyrna was suspicious himself. "How do we know there has been a leak. Couldn't be some genius counter-plotting counter-intelligence type arrangement?"
"Several of our best sources corroborate the information. It comes from very high up. The top branches of the United want to grab us. Especially because of Nic."
Nic doubted his importance. "Because of me? Are you sure it's not just jealousy of your pizza recipe? Maybe they are literary critics dying to get their hands on a Bible?"
Stanyard turned the tables. "Doctor Nic, you are the singular only prisoner ever to leave Rott. You proceeded to research weaponry, sponsored by the state, and then escape with two Christian compatriots in terrorism from only a year ago. Your sudden series of successes makes them suspect an inside job. This isn't just routine 'Christian-hunting' or protocol. This is political. The fascists figure the libertarians are up to something. They smelled us out."
Stanyard turned his head to address us all. "So this operation must immediately foreclose. I have already initiated my automatic self-destruct sequences upstairs, deleting my digital information en masse. Once that is done I will start smashing the hardware itself, down to the pizza ovens. Everything valuable must get out of here at once, which means you all first."
Smyrna said, "And what about you?"
"I'll go out last. To be sure there is nothing behind. If I leave any trace, they will be on my tail forever. Augustine has to vanish."
Cea's nerves were visibly close to fraying. "The same goes for us, Augustine. I can't ever go back to my real name, nor can any of us. We are all wanted people now, not just for believing in God unconditionally."
Augustine chewed on that for a second. "Well then, welcome to the underground for the rest of your lives."
My voice came out shaky. "I... I am not sure I like that." In a strange way, being Unaccepted and all the paper-work that went with that was an identity for me. At least concrete walls held out the world from coming down against us.
Augustine looked at me. "No more identity cards. No more files to sign and not sign. You will legally not exist. Doesn't it sound like an adventure?" The flare in his eyes caught me. "It's an Unaccepted dream! Freedom from prison, Phil. Because if they ever catch you now, they'll probably kill you."
Nic's voice chuckled out of the shadows. "And if they don't, you'll be left to rot!"
Then the lights came on. Stanyard was probably coming down. He always switched the lights on before he came down, so that we could be sure it wasn't an arrest.
I watched his legs drop down through the shaft, his head in a blur. He never used the rungs more than he could help it. He joked that it was for finger prints sake, but I think he was over crediting his security measures.
I looked to him for some happy conversation. He was always as happy as he could be with us. But not this time.
"I've got interesting news, folks."
Ephesus looked back at him, "Looks to be more than interesting by your demeanor... by what should I call you?"
"You can call me Augustine."
Ephesus whistled. "I should have figured you were at the bottom of this. Augustine's got a reputation with us all."
"Right, of course. Now, the news."
Nic coughed in the corner. "Ahem. Is any of this classified against atheists?"
Stanyard shrugged off the comment. "It's for any one who happens to be hiding in this safe house, religious affiliation is of no consideration. We think there's been a leak."
Nic's eyes grew wide, "You think there's been a what?"
Ephesus quipped, "A leak. It's what you call it when stuff flows out of a test tube, Doctor."
Cea was less jocular than either of the young men. "Do you mean we should expect the Peace-Keepers in here in no time?"
Stanyard shook his head. "No. Not in no time. But not in much time, if they come at all. I was afraid of this when I picked you all up. They let Caesar and Philli go, more or less."
Cea was indignant. "We shot up a storm to get to the basement. Several of them are dead now. They did not let us go."
Stanyard looked back, "Obviously you haven't operated in the field much, Caesar. They let you and those guards all go. Peace-keepers and security are cheaper than intelligence. They just bought Augustine's location with the lives of a few soldiers."
Stanyard turned to Nic, Smyrna, and Ephesus. "Your escape sped things up. I don't think they tracked you all around. Your escapes were well executed. But they aroused suspicion. And they are hoping to nab you all as well as me at the same time. They undoubtedly know about Caesar's cellphone, and a host of other things, so this would be a big haul for them. If they catch us."
Smyrna was suspicious himself. "How do we know there has been a leak. Couldn't be some genius counter-plotting counter-intelligence type arrangement?"
"Several of our best sources corroborate the information. It comes from very high up. The top branches of the United want to grab us. Especially because of Nic."
Nic doubted his importance. "Because of me? Are you sure it's not just jealousy of your pizza recipe? Maybe they are literary critics dying to get their hands on a Bible?"
Stanyard turned the tables. "Doctor Nic, you are the singular only prisoner ever to leave Rott. You proceeded to research weaponry, sponsored by the state, and then escape with two Christian compatriots in terrorism from only a year ago. Your sudden series of successes makes them suspect an inside job. This isn't just routine 'Christian-hunting' or protocol. This is political. The fascists figure the libertarians are up to something. They smelled us out."
Stanyard turned his head to address us all. "So this operation must immediately foreclose. I have already initiated my automatic self-destruct sequences upstairs, deleting my digital information en masse. Once that is done I will start smashing the hardware itself, down to the pizza ovens. Everything valuable must get out of here at once, which means you all first."
Smyrna said, "And what about you?"
"I'll go out last. To be sure there is nothing behind. If I leave any trace, they will be on my tail forever. Augustine has to vanish."
Cea's nerves were visibly close to fraying. "The same goes for us, Augustine. I can't ever go back to my real name, nor can any of us. We are all wanted people now, not just for believing in God unconditionally."
Augustine chewed on that for a second. "Well then, welcome to the underground for the rest of your lives."
My voice came out shaky. "I... I am not sure I like that." In a strange way, being Unaccepted and all the paper-work that went with that was an identity for me. At least concrete walls held out the world from coming down against us.
Augustine looked at me. "No more identity cards. No more files to sign and not sign. You will legally not exist. Doesn't it sound like an adventure?" The flare in his eyes caught me. "It's an Unaccepted dream! Freedom from prison, Phil. Because if they ever catch you now, they'll probably kill you."
Nic's voice chuckled out of the shadows. "And if they don't, you'll be left to rot!"
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Philli Part 31
I stared at Nic sitting there with a smug expression on his face, his eyes poised like fists ready for a little boxing. "Of course it would seem so to you, Doctor. You don't have any experience in the 'sacrificing for other people' department."
"Ooh, you have the theology of your father and the wit of your brother."
I didn't respond right away. So he just fired again, "I'd hate to have had to deal with your mother. She was probably the worst of all of you."
And right then and there I started crying.
I stood there watching his wry, gleeful smile. He enjoyed watching me fall apart under him. Well, if that was what he wanted, he wouldn't have it.
"Yes, Nic," I sniffed my way through the words. "She was the worst of all of us. She loved other people too much to let them live without the truth. She cared to much about the truth the let other people take it away from her. She cared to much about us to let us be taught anything but the truth.
"But as for you," I went on, "You wouldn't care about the difference between the truth and a lie. You would just feed off of lies if it would help you get control of your petty world of weapons and hate. The only lie you would ever care about would be your science."
"Exactly. Because science is truth."
"No. Science is what you think. Science is you thinking you can take control over everything. But you can't. Only God can."
I was done with it, but Nic wasn't. "No, Philadelphia. I can. I don't care what you say about God or truth or justice or anything. Just let me have my science, and I will finally be in control."
I was still done. I sat down back on my little bed mat and didn't look behind me. Nic merely sat there, looking at the fire.
Eventually I heard Nic snoring again, and after looking briefly to be sure he didn't fall in the fire. Then I started trying to crawl over to my daddy. He had slept enough.
I was almost over there when I stumbled over an extra body. It was Ephesus.
"Ow. Watch it sister."
"Sorry, Ephesus."
"What's got you moving around."
"I was looking for Daddy. I think he fell asleep praying in the corner."
"What's that catch in your voice?"
"That's talking to Doctor Nic."
"You talked to that..."
"Watch it, Ephesus."
"That lovable gentleman with agnostic predispositions?"
"Yes. He caught me awake... and he's hard not to talk to."
"And he makes little girls cry."
"Well he does make me cry, anyway. Sometimes."
"How'd he do that, Phil?"
"He... he said something about mom."
"Well you go talk to Dad, then, Philli. He's better at comforting. I'll do the talking to Nic when it needs to be done. I've worked with him before. Don't listen to another word you don't want to, even if he says the house is on fire."
I hugged my brother tightly for a short moment. He was such a good protector when he could. When our family was together, there wasn't anything that anyone could do.
Then the lights came on. Stanyard was probably coming down.
"Ooh, you have the theology of your father and the wit of your brother."
I didn't respond right away. So he just fired again, "I'd hate to have had to deal with your mother. She was probably the worst of all of you."
And right then and there I started crying.
I stood there watching his wry, gleeful smile. He enjoyed watching me fall apart under him. Well, if that was what he wanted, he wouldn't have it.
"Yes, Nic," I sniffed my way through the words. "She was the worst of all of us. She loved other people too much to let them live without the truth. She cared to much about the truth the let other people take it away from her. She cared to much about us to let us be taught anything but the truth.
"But as for you," I went on, "You wouldn't care about the difference between the truth and a lie. You would just feed off of lies if it would help you get control of your petty world of weapons and hate. The only lie you would ever care about would be your science."
"Exactly. Because science is truth."
"No. Science is what you think. Science is you thinking you can take control over everything. But you can't. Only God can."
I was done with it, but Nic wasn't. "No, Philadelphia. I can. I don't care what you say about God or truth or justice or anything. Just let me have my science, and I will finally be in control."
I was still done. I sat down back on my little bed mat and didn't look behind me. Nic merely sat there, looking at the fire.
Eventually I heard Nic snoring again, and after looking briefly to be sure he didn't fall in the fire. Then I started trying to crawl over to my daddy. He had slept enough.
I was almost over there when I stumbled over an extra body. It was Ephesus.
"Ow. Watch it sister."
"Sorry, Ephesus."
"What's got you moving around."
"I was looking for Daddy. I think he fell asleep praying in the corner."
"What's that catch in your voice?"
"That's talking to Doctor Nic."
"You talked to that..."
"Watch it, Ephesus."
"That lovable gentleman with agnostic predispositions?"
"Yes. He caught me awake... and he's hard not to talk to."
"And he makes little girls cry."
"Well he does make me cry, anyway. Sometimes."
"How'd he do that, Phil?"
"He... he said something about mom."
"Well you go talk to Dad, then, Philli. He's better at comforting. I'll do the talking to Nic when it needs to be done. I've worked with him before. Don't listen to another word you don't want to, even if he says the house is on fire."
I hugged my brother tightly for a short moment. He was such a good protector when he could. When our family was together, there wasn't anything that anyone could do.
Then the lights came on. Stanyard was probably coming down.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Philli Part 30
No, it wasn't like a 24 hour dinner. It was a series of plan changes. [In this post, I cheat by having my characters discuss something I actually know very well about. Hope it doesn't feel forced].
Nic felt the eye-contact at the same time. He turned back to the fire, but it hardly lessened the awkwardness. Nic made a joke of the situation, "Don't worry, it isn't Hell. I know that it is dark, and there is a fire, and I am here, but that doesn't make it Hell. If I remember right, Hell has something about dragons and sulfur and stuff."
Philadelphia just stood in the semi-dark in the same clothes she had worn since she escaped from her own prison. That wasn't the same Nic she had dealt with before.
I honestly didn't know what to do. In the months following Mars, I had tried to think as little as possible about Doctor Nic. I had tried to pray for him, but I didn't know how and wasn't sure what to pray for anyway. God's justice? God's mercy? He wasn't super evil on the inside, but what he had done to my family, taking Ephesus, I was pretty sure I was close to hating him.
But here he was, sitting in a pitch black room with me. The firelight wasn't helping his appearance either. My dad's shirt, well worn now, with the face and mustache of that far-off, cold, Martian governor that had tried as hard as he could to tear apart my family.
And now he was talking about Hell. I formulated a response, "Thanks for..." I couldn't even finish it. Somehow he wasn't impressive to me anymore. He had no authority for me to respect. But I was still afraid. I didn't want to say anything.
"That's right, Philadelphia. I'm back. You thought you had seen the last of me, didn't you? Well, I thought the same of you. And if I had known escaping meant meeting you again, I think I might have stayed in prison."
Was he afraid of me, too?
"You summoned my father and brother for a second time. You should have known our family doesn't separate easily."
"Well it seems that whether I summon you or not, you still show up with them, so I will never doubt that ability again."
I sat down where I had been sleeping, receding into the dark again. I could hear my daddy snoring. He had fallen asleep in prayer. I didn't find that surprising considering what he must have gone through to get to this little hole.
I asked the smartest waking individual in the room, "Do you know what the plan is now, Doctor?"
A grim rumble of laughter bounced out of the corner near the fire. "Doctor?" His voice climbed as he said it back to himself, "Doctor! Here we both sit in a dark hole burning cheap literature, and you call me doctor." I wasn't sure if he was laughing at me, or was just a little insane. Insanity did seem like a possible excuse for his actions. "Well, little girl, you have asked the wrong genius. I wasn't the one who said we should hide in an illegally constructed basement." He tore off a slip of paper and tossed it on the fire casually. "You'll have to ask the man upstairs what we are going to do."
"Wait, what are you burning?"
"Paper."
"What paper?"
"The white ones with words on them."
I resisted the flare of anger that would have shown in my eyes if it wasn't so dark. I rushed over by the fire and grabbed the bunch of papers he had been tearing up. It was.
"You're burning the book I was reading."
I wasn't sure if he bristled in indignation or in genuine apology. "Oops."
"And you started at the end..." I flipped through the pages to where I could find my spot. I had been only about two pages from the end when they had all come inside. "Well, you tore off all that was left for me to read." I instantly regretted saying that. I didn't mean to make a big deal out of it.
I could only see one side of Doctor Nic's face. From his eerie half-visibility he said, "Well, if it's any comfort, I still remember the last line."
"Oh?"
"It was something about, 'the story of the King, who died for a people not his own.'"
I sighed almost happily. "So he did die for all of them. How sad."
"Was it something about Jesus?"
I laughed. "No. Well, kinda maybe I guess."
"Obviously science didn't rub off on all of you. That answer was not nearly exact enough for it to be of any use."
"I mean the story wasn't about Jesus. But I guess you could interpret it that way. The main character gives us a happy quiet life for someone he loves, even though the people all hate him for trying to be kind to them."
"What's the character's name?"
"Caesar," I replied. It felt odd to talk to Doctor Nic this way. But he really wasn't so bad in this setting. And because I couldn't see him maybe. And everyone else was asleep anyway.
"Caesar is a fool," Nic pronounced.
I stared at Nic sitting there with a smug expression on his face, his eyes poised like fists ready for a little boxing. "Of course it would seem so to you, Doctor. You don't have any experience in the 'sacrificing for other people' department."
"Ooh, you have the theology of your father and the wit of your brother."
I didn't respond right away. So he just fired again, "I'd hate to have had to deal with your mother. She was probably the worst of all of you."
And right then and there I started crying.
Nic felt the eye-contact at the same time. He turned back to the fire, but it hardly lessened the awkwardness. Nic made a joke of the situation, "Don't worry, it isn't Hell. I know that it is dark, and there is a fire, and I am here, but that doesn't make it Hell. If I remember right, Hell has something about dragons and sulfur and stuff."
Philadelphia just stood in the semi-dark in the same clothes she had worn since she escaped from her own prison. That wasn't the same Nic she had dealt with before.
I honestly didn't know what to do. In the months following Mars, I had tried to think as little as possible about Doctor Nic. I had tried to pray for him, but I didn't know how and wasn't sure what to pray for anyway. God's justice? God's mercy? He wasn't super evil on the inside, but what he had done to my family, taking Ephesus, I was pretty sure I was close to hating him.
But here he was, sitting in a pitch black room with me. The firelight wasn't helping his appearance either. My dad's shirt, well worn now, with the face and mustache of that far-off, cold, Martian governor that had tried as hard as he could to tear apart my family.
And now he was talking about Hell. I formulated a response, "Thanks for..." I couldn't even finish it. Somehow he wasn't impressive to me anymore. He had no authority for me to respect. But I was still afraid. I didn't want to say anything.
"That's right, Philadelphia. I'm back. You thought you had seen the last of me, didn't you? Well, I thought the same of you. And if I had known escaping meant meeting you again, I think I might have stayed in prison."
Was he afraid of me, too?
"You summoned my father and brother for a second time. You should have known our family doesn't separate easily."
"Well it seems that whether I summon you or not, you still show up with them, so I will never doubt that ability again."
I sat down where I had been sleeping, receding into the dark again. I could hear my daddy snoring. He had fallen asleep in prayer. I didn't find that surprising considering what he must have gone through to get to this little hole.
I asked the smartest waking individual in the room, "Do you know what the plan is now, Doctor?"
A grim rumble of laughter bounced out of the corner near the fire. "Doctor?" His voice climbed as he said it back to himself, "Doctor! Here we both sit in a dark hole burning cheap literature, and you call me doctor." I wasn't sure if he was laughing at me, or was just a little insane. Insanity did seem like a possible excuse for his actions. "Well, little girl, you have asked the wrong genius. I wasn't the one who said we should hide in an illegally constructed basement." He tore off a slip of paper and tossed it on the fire casually. "You'll have to ask the man upstairs what we are going to do."
"Wait, what are you burning?"
"Paper."
"What paper?"
"The white ones with words on them."
I resisted the flare of anger that would have shown in my eyes if it wasn't so dark. I rushed over by the fire and grabbed the bunch of papers he had been tearing up. It was.
"You're burning the book I was reading."
I wasn't sure if he bristled in indignation or in genuine apology. "Oops."
"And you started at the end..." I flipped through the pages to where I could find my spot. I had been only about two pages from the end when they had all come inside. "Well, you tore off all that was left for me to read." I instantly regretted saying that. I didn't mean to make a big deal out of it.
I could only see one side of Doctor Nic's face. From his eerie half-visibility he said, "Well, if it's any comfort, I still remember the last line."
"Oh?"
"It was something about, 'the story of the King, who died for a people not his own.'"
I sighed almost happily. "So he did die for all of them. How sad."
"Was it something about Jesus?"
I laughed. "No. Well, kinda maybe I guess."
"Obviously science didn't rub off on all of you. That answer was not nearly exact enough for it to be of any use."
"I mean the story wasn't about Jesus. But I guess you could interpret it that way. The main character gives us a happy quiet life for someone he loves, even though the people all hate him for trying to be kind to them."
"What's the character's name?"
"Caesar," I replied. It felt odd to talk to Doctor Nic this way. But he really wasn't so bad in this setting. And because I couldn't see him maybe. And everyone else was asleep anyway.
"Caesar is a fool," Nic pronounced.
I stared at Nic sitting there with a smug expression on his face, his eyes poised like fists ready for a little boxing. "Of course it would seem so to you, Doctor. You don't have any experience in the 'sacrificing for other people' department."
"Ooh, you have the theology of your father and the wit of your brother."
I didn't respond right away. So he just fired again, "I'd hate to have had to deal with your mother. She was probably the worst of all of you."
And right then and there I started crying.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Crook Q Part 53
"We both find satisfaction. Only one of us finds truth. Now tell me, who is more likely to have truth, the movie directors or the Truth Himself?"
"So long as you reserve the right to define your deity as the embodiment of truth, you will never lose this argument."Smyrna smiled, "And if we define Him as anything else, He isn't God anymore, and you win this argument."
Nic returned to studying the successful methods of his scientific colleague at fire inducement. Apparently the reduced surface area of the wound up log of paper gave it more sustainability. In the case of natural disaster, natural selection might favor Christians after all.
They both sat there looking at the fire for a moment longer, then Smyrna retreated to a corner of the room, behind a pile of junk. Nic listened to the silence for a moment, then returned to the infinitesimally small hum and hiss of the embers. The old man was praying, undoubtedly.
The ex-governor considered his options among plans. He had the weapon, both of them, the virus and the Red Rain. The best part was that no one knew it, which gave him more time. Still, Nic could barely make sense of his own actions. He had never really decided on what his true course was. He had played off both sides when it came to contracting to make Red Rain happen. He had then abandoned one of them in randomly escaping, but here he was unwilling to give over his weapon to the others. He did not like the anarchists idealism, or their methods of procuring it, nor did he like the fascists and their totalitarian arrogance. In the words of a fantastic creature from a centuries old epic, he was on no one's side, because no one was on his side.
Or maybe in his case it was the opposite. No one would take the Dr. Nic who could defeat them at anything except maybe running a marathon. No one would take the man who had been evicted to Mars and there been one step from being history's greatest terrorist. The school valedictorian with a criminal record. And now, apparently, he was nothing more than a loose end to a group of religious vagabonds that lived like worms. Only a few people had ever really tolerated his contradictions, and only two had loved him despite his volatile tendencies. Cea had stuck with him always, an essential support. They had taken the other one.
No matter the craze of his circumstances, Nic remained calm for one reason. He knew he had the trump card. He was in control here. If captured, all he had to do was plea bargain his way to freedom by offering Red Rain in return for whatever he wanted.
What he most wanted, though, was to be back on the red planet. Back away from all these frivolous people who seemed to all be either caught up in worshiping a God or persecuting those that did.
There was a stirring over on the female side of the room. Nic turned, but his eyes had adjusted to the firelight, and looking into the darkness he could see nothing. He listened, trying to guess who it was. A sudden sniff that had stifled a gasp told him. It was that Christian girl named after one of the oldest cities in North America.
Nic felt the eye-contact at the same time. He turned back to the fire, but it hardly lessened the awkwardness. Nic made a joke of the situation, "Don't worry, it isn't Hell. I know that it is dark, and there is a fire, and I am here, but that doesn't make it Hell. If I remember right, Hell has something about dragons and sulfur and stuff."
Philadelphia just stood in the semi-dark in the same clothes she had worn since she escaped from her own prison. That wasn't the same Nic she had dealt with before.
(to be continued after I go eat dinner)
"So long as you reserve the right to define your deity as the embodiment of truth, you will never lose this argument."Smyrna smiled, "And if we define Him as anything else, He isn't God anymore, and you win this argument."
Nic returned to studying the successful methods of his scientific colleague at fire inducement. Apparently the reduced surface area of the wound up log of paper gave it more sustainability. In the case of natural disaster, natural selection might favor Christians after all.
They both sat there looking at the fire for a moment longer, then Smyrna retreated to a corner of the room, behind a pile of junk. Nic listened to the silence for a moment, then returned to the infinitesimally small hum and hiss of the embers. The old man was praying, undoubtedly.
The ex-governor considered his options among plans. He had the weapon, both of them, the virus and the Red Rain. The best part was that no one knew it, which gave him more time. Still, Nic could barely make sense of his own actions. He had never really decided on what his true course was. He had played off both sides when it came to contracting to make Red Rain happen. He had then abandoned one of them in randomly escaping, but here he was unwilling to give over his weapon to the others. He did not like the anarchists idealism, or their methods of procuring it, nor did he like the fascists and their totalitarian arrogance. In the words of a fantastic creature from a centuries old epic, he was on no one's side, because no one was on his side.
Or maybe in his case it was the opposite. No one would take the Dr. Nic who could defeat them at anything except maybe running a marathon. No one would take the man who had been evicted to Mars and there been one step from being history's greatest terrorist. The school valedictorian with a criminal record. And now, apparently, he was nothing more than a loose end to a group of religious vagabonds that lived like worms. Only a few people had ever really tolerated his contradictions, and only two had loved him despite his volatile tendencies. Cea had stuck with him always, an essential support. They had taken the other one.
No matter the craze of his circumstances, Nic remained calm for one reason. He knew he had the trump card. He was in control here. If captured, all he had to do was plea bargain his way to freedom by offering Red Rain in return for whatever he wanted.
What he most wanted, though, was to be back on the red planet. Back away from all these frivolous people who seemed to all be either caught up in worshiping a God or persecuting those that did.
There was a stirring over on the female side of the room. Nic turned, but his eyes had adjusted to the firelight, and looking into the darkness he could see nothing. He listened, trying to guess who it was. A sudden sniff that had stifled a gasp told him. It was that Christian girl named after one of the oldest cities in North America.
Nic felt the eye-contact at the same time. He turned back to the fire, but it hardly lessened the awkwardness. Nic made a joke of the situation, "Don't worry, it isn't Hell. I know that it is dark, and there is a fire, and I am here, but that doesn't make it Hell. If I remember right, Hell has something about dragons and sulfur and stuff."
Philadelphia just stood in the semi-dark in the same clothes she had worn since she escaped from her own prison. That wasn't the same Nic she had dealt with before.
(to be continued after I go eat dinner)
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