Dreams among Stars (23 page)

With a grim face Richard gives me a nod and turns to face Gustav together with Ernest. In the meantime I have the fabber create three weapon belts, two stun guns for each of us and stuff the backpacks with stun grenades and energy shields for a hundred fighters. An additional twenty pistols fit into the backpacks after some creative shuffling. After short consideration I have four medkits made, which are a bit of a hindrance attached to our belts. Still its better to be prepared for the worst case in regards to the state of health of the prisoners.

Originally I had planned to avoid spreading too many data glasses around, yet with such superior numbers opposing us we would need every little advantage we could get, so I have three more glasses manufactured.

First I explain the equipments manner of functioning to Irene and when she puts on her glasses she attentively listens to its introduction, after which she sets her glasses name to “Veda”.

Then we step up to Richard and Ernest and the scared eyes of Gustav greet us. As a matter of fact he had affirmed the weapon depot to be located below the palace and even better news was that a tunnel between the palaces basement would provide a direct route to the barracks prisons.

As final equipment I have two explosive charges made for each of us, then I teach Richard to use the equipment, while Irene instructs Ernest. “Oh it talks like a bug in the ear.” Richard exclaims on putting the glasses on and this stays his choice of name.

This time around I am not in any hurry, so I erase all construction plans from the fabber with exception of the spare parts needed for the water treatment plant. To be really sure I disable all data interfaces, so only if one would take the fabber apart it would be possible to link into a direct connection and activate the interfaces again.

I take a deep breath and tell Marple a command I had never expected to need. “Marple activate the warfare mode.” Instantly my field of vision is changed, everything is tainted in grayish green hues, my three battle companions are being shown in dark green. Gustav and the unconscious technician are being shown as grayish yellow schemes and are marked with a symbol indicating captivity. Behind the door in the hallway at least a dozen dark red silhouettes are shown lieing on the ground, above them float sleep indicators, which looks just like a scenery straight from a comic.

“
Don’t be startled.” I hail to the others to then command “Marple, create a squad.” Instantly I see status bars for Richard, Irene and Ernest. Baffled exclaiming affirms that their data glasses had switched to warfare mode automatically. I explain how we now can employ the data glasses for the maximal benefit in the fighting ahead of us. One by one I shake hands with each of the three, before turning off the sleeping gas and welding open the door. We
look at each other once again with stout expressions, then we step out and come over the waiting soldiers like angry demigods.
 

All around us pure chaos erupts, while we close in to the “palace” of the Benefactor step by step. Arrows drum our shields, spears clatter to the ground or even burst and sword strikes glide aside harmlessly deflected.

The last line of defence consists of only a few soldiers but armed with battle ready energy rifles. Angry alarm signals from our glasses safe our lives and as the shots from the rifles pulverize our cover bit by bit a well aimed stun grenade resolves the trouble.

We destroy the rifles and enter the palace.

Behind the entrance a monitor bobs out filled with the Benefactors angry face. “Why do you do this? You cannot allow the lie to live on!” I take aim with my gun and the screen shatters with a satisfactory bang.

After a short search only interrupted by a few attacks we locate the entrance to the cellar. Irene and Richard secure the door, as I push forward with Ernest at my side. Only two soldiers are protecting the weapons, we stun them with minimal energy. As they come to, bound and disarmed, we drag them towards the basements exit. “We will blow up everything. And with that I do mean the whole palace.” I explain to the two. “So get everyone out. In five minutes anyone who remains will be buried or worse.”

Richard pushes the two out into the main floor and with a few explosive shots I bring down the ceiling over the entrance.

We deploy and activate the charges, then withdraw into the tunnel heading to the prison.

It is obvious to me that some soldiers will try to get back into the basement, but at least I had handed them the opportunity to make the right choice. Solid steel doors greet us, while behind us the explosions herald the successful completion of our disarming mission.

As a layer of loosened mortar is going down on us as a dusty shower a desperate fatigue takes hold of me.

But behind those gates are people waiting for our help, so we have to press on.

The opening mechanism is out of order since ages. To prevent jailbreak a solid bar is in place, ironically located on our side of the gates. Richard lifts the massive wooden beam and for a moment looks like an angry berserker with a mighty club, before throwing the the bar to the ground with a loud clatter.

The warfare mode is unable to select the proper category for the human silhouettes behind the steel and so there are countless schemes tainted in a dull orange tone.

I make sure that my current shield generator still has sufficient energy reserves and swear on realizing that only an additional two shields remain ready for action in my belt.

Behind the other side only an empty hallway awaits, the orange schemes become gray as Marple is able to identify them as prisoners.

With a gesture I send the others ahead to secure the corridors and then start opening the locks with aimed explosive shots.

Already six cells are open before their inhabitants realize that they are being set free.

I call to them that they should gather at the exit towards the barracks and that we have equipment ready to be distributed among them. Unfortunately I am being ignored as nobody knows me, but before total chaos breaks loose Irene and Richard come to the rescue. Most of the prisoners are indeed with the resistance and this helps in a quickly established chain of command, which of it’s own accord is being headed by Richard. In the meantime the prison keys have surfaced. My knowledge is needed by the wounded, Irene takes the medpacks from Richard and Ernest and allocates them to two of the former prisoners and the four of us do our best to mobilize as many of the wounded prisoners as possible. Mainly we are kept busy with infected wounds and mutilations, this horror presented to you by your friendly torturer, now you can get two for the price of one.

Ernest and Richard distribute shield generators and stun grenades among the combat-ready prisoners, also the twenty pistols are being handed out to trusted resistance members. We have a lot of time, as nobody is checking up on the prison. There only had been a small guard of five soldiers and those had been stunned and firmly secured back when my companions secured the corridors.

After a busy two hours we are able to draw a very positive summary, we nearly have a half hundred ready for battle and only seven completely immobilized wounded. These seven can be moved by the twenty other wounded though, so they won’t slow us down. I refill my weapon belt, then we discuss the further strategy.

The plan is simple enough and so we directly start executing it. Together with Richard, Ernest and Irene I step up out the prisons exit and it actually is the basement door of the barracks.

Before us lies a long corridor lined with a lot of doors, which could lead to dorm rooms or officers wards. Silently we rush room by room and stun all soldiers we meet, in actuality the barracks are pretty deserted though. We are being searched for someplace else apparently and I do have to grin at that thought and my tiredness boils away, by some margin at least.

From the barracks we are able to see the recruits training camp, the situation there is completely different. Apparently the rookies are being prepared for deployment right now.

We decide to simply surround the camp and snow it under a hail of stun grenades.

Two fighters armed with stun guns remain at the barracks entrance to guard the wounded, all others come with us and together we spread out around the training camp.

Everyone noticing us is being shot down, still the ruckus within the camp is so loud that we aren’t noticed by the crowd.

The near simultaneous detonation of a fifty grenades is marked by sudden silence, shortly after to be broken by alarmed yelling of the remaining soldiers and recruits. Stun shots quickly send them asleep and then we are busy tying everyone up.

We have the soldiers transported into the prison and our counts show about two hundred recruits had been in training. With Marples aid I locate Mark and am shocked to see him fully uniformed and armed. In a collective effort we secure the camp, at every entrance gunners are being posted and the wounded leave the barracks to join us. Now we have to wait for the stun effect to wear off or we would have to leave the recruits behind.

After half of the needed time has passed we are already located by the Benefactors forces. A troop with a dozen soldiers returns from a patrol. Unfortunately two soldiers manage to escape the shots of our guards and soon some hastily alarmed soldiers are gathering outside of the pistols shooting range.

While the troops make ready for a battle with us, the first recruits are waking from the forcefully applied sleep.

Richard takes the floor and gives an inspirational speech, but I don’t get much of that, as my attention completely belongs to Mark.

His relaxed young face is hardening bit by bit as he slowly regains consciousness.

When he opens his eyes, I look into the face of a jaundiced adult. Only as he unbelieving asks “Helen?” I realize that tears are rolling down my cheeks. In his gaze I recognize the child I had come to know back in the barn and relief fills me up. “Hello Mark, remember I did promise that I wouldn’t forget you, sorry that it took me so long, but now I am getting you away from here.”

To orchestrate such an amount of people takes a lot of time and for a while I observe the bedlam, the intense conversations going on all around me and some reunions as prisoners spot a son or nephew.

But we are given only a short five minutes after Marks waking, when the Benefactors soldiers charge on a massive frontal attack.

One of the guards calls out loudly “Archers”, if the recruits are completely on our side has become irrelevant, now survival is at stake for everyone.

I call out “Anyone equipped with a shield generator turn it on now!” And then hurry towards the entrance from where the alarm call sounded. A long-drawn-out line of archers closes in and while the shots in their direction puff out without effect they already come to a halt.

The Benefactors soldiers have taken position between the city and the barracks, getting into the city is impossible without battle now.

Clueless I look at the unfolding situation and desperately wish for a seasoned strategist like Maximus or Gurd.

In this moment Ernest accompanied by a dozen soldiers storms out from behind us and like a madman races towards the archers.

The pistols are only usable on a short range of about ten meters and before his troop closes in on the archers they release the first volley. Only a few arrows are aimed on the camp, most go down on the onrushing foray troop.

With relief I notice that our soldiers had remembered to activate their energy shields. Sadly that wasn’t valid for all of them, one of our fighters slumps to the ground pierced by arrows. I turn away sobbing and standing before me I notice Richard. He grabs my shoulders carefully and explains with sincere manner “Helen, we need you for a very important decision.” He nods towards the battlefield “Leave that fight to Ernest.” “Okay.” I hear myself reply and then follow him.

In the tent of the camp commander or rather the head of training a small group had assembled. Irene greets me and introduces me to the four new faces. “This one here is Helen van Scharl, the freshly awoken. Without her we wouldn’t have made it here.” Turned to me she explains “I know the original plan was to escape into the tunnels and join the forces of the outer and middle decks, but our new friends here have informed us that only a small protective force is stationed in the city. Nearly all forces are holding the tunnels. The contingent of soldiers just now attacking us is probably all that remains in the city from the Benefactors forces.” Irene looks to Richard and he grins as he takes the word “What Irene is saying is, right here and now we have the chance to seize the city. Most recruits are on our side, so what do you think about it Helen?”

Dumbstruck my eyes wander between the anticipating faces and my lips move on their own regard at the first thought crossing my mind: “But we don’t have enough room in the prison.”

Loud laughing resounds from the tent.

From here on the events start happening very fast.

Like a wave, whose particles consist of people, we rush forward as one. Before my eyes the attackers faces change in quick succession and ceaselessly I run and shoot. The defensive line of the attackers is holding for only a short moment and then we stream into the cities streets without any resistance.

Neither jubilation nor opposition is given by the citizens. As we enter the streets are emptied. Some folks wave at us from the roofs while others observe us apprehensively.

The Benefactors estate had been properly demolished when we blew up the weapon storage. The jail with the barracks is securely in our control, but is located too far away.

With that the largest building in the city is now the markets administration building, so we set up our headquarters there. While the city is being searched for any remaining soldiers, we are busy setting in. Seemingly untiring Richard concerts the takeover of the city, since a long time I lost track over the many visitors. Nobody is paying attention to me, as I leave the house. I find Mark at the square before the house and together we search for something to eat. Neither of us is talking, too much had happened to both of us to already talk about it. Two times I take hold of the locating device, which Mark wears as trinket on a necklace and then caress motherly over Marks head, but as it is visibly embarrassing for him I then stop doing it. Eventually Mark asks me if I know how his mother is doing, but Marple is unable to establish a connection with the security service and the maintenance teams, so I have to answer in the negative.