Prisoners of Paradise

by Brandon Lars Erikson

  “…so ya see, Wallace, we have the power to defeat that white haired man, who has haunted our nightmares for so long…but why should we stop him…when the death he will bring…could be what gives us our ultimate victory?”

  “Checkmate,” Van Dien thought as his cigarette drooped from the smile crossing his lips.

  CHAPTER 4

  Location: ManolokiaValley…the base of the HalawalachekMountains….Ailana.

  Ailanian Standard Time: 0600 Hours.

  The armored vehicle’s muddy tires sank into the soft ground as it slowly rolled into the shade of the wavy trees. Inside the vehicle’s cab, a DJ’s happy voice sprang from the radio.

  “And it looks like it is gonna be another beautiful day in paradise, ladies and gentlemen of Ailana! It don’t matter if you’re a human or a native Ailanian, today is gonna be warm and beautiful! We’re expecting clear, blue skies, and a cool breeze from the ocean will keep the weather perfect for the next few days. If you’re heading outside there will be no need for a jacket, but be sure to put on some sunscreen because our UV index is up just a bit, but that won’t make a day at the beach unpleasant at all. So, if you have the day off, go out and enjoy yourself. And if you are lucky enough to be at a job, make sure you work as hard as you can to help make this economy recover. And if you happen to see a person from the planet Aurora today…like that great guy Ambassador Chezui Banka…be extra friendly to them, show em’ just how nice we Ailanian people can be, and how much we appreciate them trying to help us out in this time of need…”

  “And now the ass-kissing, propaganda machines start their engines…I’ve heard enough.”

  The DJ’s voice went silent as Jhett Jonez turned off the engine.

  “When this shit is all said and done, my goal in life…is to never have to kiss another ass again,” Jhett rubbed his massive forearm as he thought about the violent incident, which occurred the other night outside the night club. “Damn force fields may save your life…but they don’t make the laser bolts hurt any less…I’m getting so sick of doing this shit.”

  Jhett sighed as he looked out the vehicle’s window and saw how the trees spread like a green liquid across the valley and began to inch their way up the steep, gray mountain slopes. In some places, the mountains looked so steep and treacherous it hardly seemed possible that any living creature could cling to them. The sun had just come up over the horizon and the morning shadows were still cool, like pools of deep water.

  “I guess it’s time to set this phase of Plan B into motion,” Jhett thought as he felt the tension and soreness in his large muscles. He clenched his jaw as he retrieved a small, plastic bag from the glove box. “I just hope all this hard work pays off soon.”

  Birds sang and butterflies surrounded the vehicle.

  Jhett wet his lips as he thought, “money make the worlds go round…and drugs and guns can make you a ton of it…if you just play your cards, and use the people around you…correctly.” His fingers felt stiff but worked with precision as he rolled a wad of dry, red leaves into a cigarette paper. When he was finished, he smiled and handed the fat joint to the young Ailanian man, who was sitting in the passenger seat. The youth was of Kupano decent. He had long, black hair that was twisted into dreadlocks. He had dark skin and a scared face that hid the eyes of a child.

  The young man accepted the gift with a bit of reverence and awe as he said, “We just want to thank you for assisting us in our cause, Mr. Jonez.”

  Jhett had a cocky grin on his face as flexed his thirty centimeter biceps, hoping to intimidate the young man in the passenger seat. Jhett admired the network of thick veins in his forearms as he ran his fingers through his long, brown hair. He reached into one of the small pockets on his black, leather vest as he said, “Feel free to call me Jhett…but don’t be telling people about us. Ya know about that treaty, the one that says that folks like me are not supposed to even exist? And while we’re at it, this thing I’m going to give you isn’t supposed to exist either, so be sure to keep it hush-hush if ya know what I mean.”

  Jhett pulled out a red, plastic card, and handed it to the Ailanian youth, who accepted it gracefully, and stuck it into one of his pants pockets.

  The young man said softly, “Your secret is safe with us…we do not care what you are sir…you look like a good man.”

  Jhett Jonez saw the young man as a commodity, as something to be used. But he kept his true feelings hid as he donned a sympathetic face, “Now are you sure that you wouldn’t rather stay in town, and try to hunt down and kill those two hoods who shot at my boss the other night?”

  Jhett heard the young man say, “My brother Kali’ooma told me that he would love to help you find the punks that tried to shoot Mr. Giraudoux. Myself, I gotta get out of the city for a while.”

  Jhett thought quickly as he nodded at him, “The kid is either in trouble…or he just wants prove himself to his gang…maybe he just wanted a vacation, and a nice hike over the mountains is his idea of a good time. I just hope I ain’t making a mistake trusting this guy.”

  Jhett smiled and said, “I’ll give your brother a call. Now remember, don’t lose that card. Be sure to keep it on you at all times…and remember you don’t know who I am…or what I am…regular folks on Ailana might not take to kindly to the fact that there are genetically modified people on this planet who have been turned into cyborgs.”

  The young man seemed sincere as he said, “It doesn’t matter to me that you have metal bones or wires under your skin. You have helped us…and that’s all that matters. And I promise that I will take good care of this card …it is our ticket to freedom.”

  Jhett could care less about the young man’s motivation, but pretended to show some personal interest as he said, “So how do ya know these guys?”

  “They are my family and we just can’t thank you enough,” The young man said as he lit the narcotic cigarette and took a couple of puffs. He handed it back to Jhett and said, “We are few, but thanks to your help, we now have the power of many.”

  Jhett took a quick drag and handed the joint back to the young Kupano as he said, “Hey kid, it ain’t a problem. But remember…someone paid me to do this, and I ain’t here on account of anybody’s cause. The only cause I believe in is my own. I’m only helping Marco because I was foolish enough to believe that this was going to be the big score that would allow me to retire from this ridiculous life. But I do sympathize with you. I can tell why you and your people are all are so unhappy. It’s this Moralist bullshit that seems to have swept the planet. What the hell are the asshole leaders of this planet thinking anyway?”

  “The government of Ailana is lie!” The young man said with an angry voice, “they have created this poverty to control the people! They keep us poor and take all the money for themselves so that they can have luxury while we starve in the gutters. They say we need to follow the Moralist code for the good of all Ailana. To hell with them! My people should not have to suffer because some greedy bankers decided to sell some toxic assets to some asshole Capitalists who didn’t realize what they were buying. The government of this planet allowed this recession to happen…they just let it happen! None of these Elites and politicians have done anything to earn my respect and I am going to be part of the solution to this problem we Ailanians did nothing to deserve!”

  Jhett saw how the young man’s eyes betrayed his willingness to go to extreme measures for his cause, even if he didn’t completely understand why. Jhett knew this individual was wanted for armed robbery; he was the perfect candidate for this task due to his lack of remorse. He smiled at the young Kupano and said, “Oh yeah, one more thing…take this bag of Makani and feel free to smoke it all up. Be sure to give your friends some and let them know there is more where that came from.”

  “Thank you,” The young man’s face lit up as he took the plastic bag of red leaves and stuffed it into his jacket. He got out of the ve
hicle and began making his way to the back of the truck. Jhett bit his lower lip and narrowed his eyes as he gazed into the side view mirror and saw how the young man had a noticeable limp when he walked.

  “He seems to favor his left leg.Perfect,” Jhett sighed and watched the young man limp away while he opened his door and got out. It felt good to stretch his legs and he made a point to walk as slowly as he could toward the back of the truck.

  “It’s these quiet moments in the forest that I love the most…”

  Jhett froze and his eyes darted about. He reached for his pistol as he realized the bushes that surrounded the vehicle were beginning to shake. Jhett looked up and saw a group of young Kupano men walking into the clearing. He noticed how they were dressed in a ragged, eclectic blend of modern day, military-surplus clothing and traditional Kupano garments. He could see that they all had green backpacks slung over their shoulders, and how their facial expressions appeared to be serious, and unsympathetic.

  Jhett remained calm as he opened the truck’s cargo hold and said, “Have you fella’s met my partner yet?” There was a rumbling sound from inside the darkened cargo hold. The vehicle shook slightly as a man, who was simply out of proportion, emerged from the dark depths of the cargo hold. The Ailanians stood in awe for a moment; he was the largest human being they had ever laid eyes on. The large, bald man wore a yellow tank top that clung to his impossibly large chest, along with camouflaged pants that were somehow baggy enough to cover his legs, which were the size of tree trunks.

  Jhett smiled as he realized how impressed the natives were. “Everybody, this is Bloke,” Jhett said with a grin. “Bloke, this is everybody.”

  The enormous man smiled as he said, “Come on in, guys…we got some new toys for you to try out. We guarantee you’ll have a blast with them.”

  Jhett noticed how the young men remained stoic. He swallowed a bit of fear as he saw how one particular youth, who was standing in front of the group, seemed to have a face that was hardened by events that had made him into a person who was numb to pain and without sympathy.

  Bloke glanced at the young Ailanian, who had drove here with them, and cleared his throat before he said, “It looks like you fella’s got a new guy here. Does he know what he’s in for?”

  The hardened, young Kupano, who appeared to be the leader of the group, looked dead serious as he said, “Your boy told me that he understands our cause…and the sacrifice that it is going to require.”

  “Then I suggest that you pack up and get moving,” Bloke said. “May the gods be with you.”

  “And also with you,” The leader of the group said as he proceeded to climb into the truck’s cargo hold. He emerged a few minutes later with his backpack full and bulging with a weight that appeared to be heavy, but not cumbersome. Then, one by one, the rest of the young men leapt into the cargo hold and emerged with their packs full. The young man, who had ridden with the two large men, was the last to emerge with a backpack. He joined the group, and they all began walking away.

  Jhett sighed, with a bit of sympathy, as he noticed that the young man he had brought here with him, appeared to keep up with the rest of the group, even with the limp. Bloke noticed how he passed the Makani leaf cigarette to the others as a peace offering.

  When the pack of young men had disappeared into the jungle, Jhett realized that Bloke was giving him a disapproving stare as he said, “You sure have given a lot of that stuff away. Aren’t you afraid that someone might be suspicious of your generosity?”

  “No Immoral Ailanian refuses free Makani,” Jhett said with a smile. “And lucky for us, everyone who we need to keep track of loves to smoke the stuff. That will be our guarantee they will be easy to find if need be.”

  “Do you think anyone has noticed how the stuff you have been giving out is a bit different?”

  Jhett simply smiled and admired the trees as he said, “not at all…have you met anyone yet who would even care?”

  “Well, here’s hoping that kid with the limp, smokes a whole lot of it, because you just gave him something that is really important to us.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Bloke,” Jhett said. “Let’s get out of here…this planet is becoming a dangerous place, and we still have a lot of work to do. Apparently, some low quality Cutz that was obviously not made by the Pilikoa Family has been finding its way to the streets and clubs.”

  “Yeah…well so what?”

  “I guarantee Marco won’t be happy about it because that bastard who is in charge of the Pilikoa Family will definitely not be happy about it. And when Makula Pilikoa ain’t happy…people get killed.”

  Location: Audrey’s Office…Hana Paloi Federal Building…Downtown Polynea.

  Ailanian Standard Time: 0900 Hours.

  Moke’s Aunt, High Senator Ulu Jinkua, wrinkled her sharp, Kupano nose at Audrey and said, “I cannot emphasis how important it is, to my fellow Moralist High Senators, that this sort of…incident…does not happen again.”

  Audrey let her eyes and mind wander for a moment. She glanced over her desk and took a moment to look at a picture of herself and her Ailanian foster parents. She was about ten years old in the picture with pigtails and a toothy smile. At the moment, she felt like a young child being chastised for doing something wrong.

  “Just tell her what she wants to hear and she’ll go away…” Audrey thought as she gazed upon the green faces of her Hokupi foster parents. She recalled how they used to be strict, but fair, when she was growing up. She remembered how kind and encouraging they could be. She remembered when her foster mother told her how older Ailanian women sometimes allowed their power and authority to go to their heads. She reflected on her advice; just make them believe that they are in charge.

  “Miss Winters?” High Senator Jinkua wrinkled her nose again as her irritated voice scratched the air.

  Audrey came back to reality and stammered, “Uh…yes ma’am. We are reviewing what happened with Jacob Colombe…and are taking steps to ensure his fellow conspirators, in The Evil, will not take their own lives when we arrest them.”

  “The question is…why were you at that young man’s apartment in the first place? I believe we ordered the CIA to start investigating drug making facilities for that Special Forces Team from Earth to destroy. Why are you wasting time with these dissenters who we assigned to Sprog Kanta?”

  She held her breath as she remembered how Moke had said, “Audrey, what they are doing is wrong…we need to hold our ground on this…”

  Audrey knew she had to put on the charm. She spent a few moments collecting her thoughts while she gazed at her newest trophy, which she had won in a kickboxing tournament. She felt a bit of pride as she remembered how hard she had fought to win the small statue. Her confidence suddenly came back, and Audrey started lying, like a good CIA agent should, “Ma’am…we believe there is a connection between The Evil and the Ailanian drug trade.”

  The grouchy woman frowned and said, “It still doesn’t seem relevant to track down individuals who create anti-government propaganda and put it on the Ailanian Wide Web.”

  Moke’s voice rang in the back of her mind, “I’d do anything for you Audrey…loyalty is everything in this game…you will help me, won’t you?”

  Audrey wet her lips as she thought about the kick to her opponent’s head that brought him to the mat for good, winning her the trophy on her desk. She smiled and said, “But ma’am think about it…Jacob Colombe was the leader of The Evil…and we have gotten rid of him for you. Think about all the political damage he caused you with those mud-slinging ad campaigns he designed in cyberspace, not to mention all those protest rallies he organized. Moke believed that Jacob was being paid by the drug lords to ruin the reputations of Moralist High Senators. I mean, he was spreading a rumor about the government creating cyborgs and brainwashing its people. You have to admit Moke helped squash that misinformation Jacob was spread
ing.”

  Ulu seemed pacified for a second as she appeared to be giving Audrey’s words some thought before she said, “Agent Winters, I have been giving your boss…a lot of leeway, and a lot of freedom to pursue Ailana’s Immorals as he sees fit. And, for the past few years, my fellow High Senators and I have been pleased. But lately, our displeasure has become more apparent…especially when we turn on the news and see Immorals setting themselves on fire…and leaping out of buildings in order to inspire further protest against our government. We especially become irritated, when we read reports of Ailanian produced narcotics ending up on Earth. We are under a great deal of pressure from The Alliance to stop this drug trade, Miss Winters. Our future economy depends upon it. The Aurorian government wants this drug trade under control before they invest money in our planet. But I suppose, there are so many Immorals…and so little time.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Audrey said with a serious smile.

  Ulu sighed as she said, “And sometimes, I find it funny…that The Alliance is sending us Captain Ronald James Harris, a reformed Immoral…to take care of the problems we have with our Immorals.”

  Audrey’s face became blank from surprise as she said, “Captain Harris was an Immoral? What did he do?”

  “Oh my dear…that was so long ago. I can’t even remember why I sent him to that school for troubled boys. He was getting into fist fights with his classmates I assume, egotistical male behaviors such as that. But his parents were Immorals…and thus the bad behavior was probably inherited.”

  Audrey said, “I don’t believe that one’s genes cause one to become a law breaker.”

  With her nose in the air, Ulu said, “perhaps not…I guess you turned out to be an upstanding Moralist, despite your own upbringing. Do you remember your real parents, Miss Winters? Did they lose custody of you due to…immoral behavior?”