“Admiral Myers?” Ken exclaimed. “The commander of the combined Commonwealth fleet?”
“They’ve landed Admiral.”
“We can extract your team but you’ll have to spend time in quarantine.”
“We’ll be fine Admiral. If worst comes to worst we’ll just dump our uniforms and blend in with the locals. Does the Bund know of the virus?”
“Our intelligence reports say they do. The troops would probably be on antivirals just as your team.”
“Elder Hansel,” Danita called as she ran up in a panic. “Please help us. Repent your sins and denounce the unholy visions.”
“I cannot renounce the truth,” Hansel said. “What’s the urgency?”
“Pastor Bye is screaming and yelling. I fear he’s possessed by demons. He’s stacking the missing parts of the Bible outside your house and says he’s going to burn them. He says they’re contaminated by evil. He’s acting like a madman.”
“One moment Admiral,” Colin said into the comlink. “We have problems.”
“I’ll talk with him,” Hansel said.
The group took off in the direction of Bye’s house at a fast walk.
“Edward, are you still there?” Colin said into the comlink.
“I’m here, and I have more news. One of the Thai villages is resisting. There’re dead and injured. I cannot tell them to surrender. This is our land, we will fight for it.”
“Where is Deckett?” Hansel called. “We need our headman.”
“I cannot give your people orders, Edward, only advice,” Colin said. “Expect extreme casualties.”
“He’s gone,” Danita said. “He’s run off to his farm.”
“Son!” Hansel yelled. “Stop this foolishness and talk with me!”
Colin looked up and saw Bye standing next to a pile of brail manuscripts.
“Son?” Bye yelled. “I have no father. Satan has taken him.”
“I am your father,” Hansel said. “You will honor me as such.”
“I shall not submit to heresy. I’ll follow the teachings of the Bible.”
“Sometime in the past, people have corrupted our Bible.” He pulled a recording device from his pocket. “Listen to this. Two, Kings, six, seventeen.”
“Then Elisha prayed and said, O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” Came a voice from the recorder.
“Stop,” Hansel said. “Listen to it, it said the eyes see.”
“Is there another heretic here?” Bye said. “I don’t recognize him.”
“No son, it’s a scientific instrument.”
“Are these people going to force us to have the unholy visions and be damned to hell?”
“No,” Colin said. “Only those who wish it. We have to eliminate the disease, but those that don’t want the visions don’t have to.”
“I’ll not submit,” Bye yelled and turned to enter his house. “If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee.”
The door slammed and they heard the bolt slide. Hansel jumped forward and pounded on the door. “Open up, son.”
“Stand back elder,” Colin said and drew his pistol. A beam struck the door which smoked and crackled. One quick kick and it flew open.
“Stay outside,” Hansel said and entered.
Colin raised his comlink. “Admiral sir, are you still online?”
“This is your father,” the voice of Jim said. “I was just contacted by Chancellor Schroeder. They know you’re there, your mission, your names and the fact that you’re my son. They’re demanding your immediate surrender and that you hand over all information you have gathered on that planet. They also want the girl with natural immunity.”
“Ida, would you come,” Hansel called from inside the house.
“Tell him to go fuck a schnitzel,” Colin said. “We used the right antiviral by sheer bone luck, is it possible they’re not protected?”
“They know everything else, in detail. It’d be illogical to think they don’t know that too. It appears we have a damn spy in our midst. It’s the only way they could know so much.”
“We can no longer evacuate you,” came the voice of the Admiral. “The Bund must have their entire fleet blockading that planet. There’re preparing for a major engagement. It’ll take at least four standard days for our fleet to get there.”
“What are my orders, Admiral,” Colin sighed.
“You’re there, I’m not. You know the situation better than I do. You’ll surrender, hide or fight on your own discretion.”
“We will not surrender,” Colin said. “If need be we’ll fight alongside our friends.”
“Don’t do anything silly son,” Jim said.
“What would you do, dad?”
“Same as you,” Jim said. “What do you want us to do here?”
“Talk to Schroeder. Tell him the Pinoy and the Sangustins will fight. Negotiate. Anything that’ll delay an attack on our position here. We have to prepare.”
“Will do.”
Colin turned and saw Hansel at the door. “What’s up?”
“Ida is taking care of him,” Hansel said. “He has taken a knife and cut out his own eyes.”
Chapter 28
Clubs and spears filled the ranks as men got themselves into a vague line. “Pastor Hansel!” called Gant from the line of men. “I count two thousand. Another three thousand are coming from the other villages.”
“I’m Elder Hansel!” Hansel replied. “I told you all, I’m not a Pastor!”
“But we have no minister,” Kelsin said. “How could we be at war without? Pastor Bye is mad.”
“As I told you in my speech to the town yesterday, I cannot perform the duties of Pastor without many sun high’s study. The Bible I learned is corrupt. I have to learn it again.”
“We agreed,” Farren said. “Elder Hansel is the only one who can lead us. We have no other Elders who could.”
“Two thousand came?” Colin said. “How many didn’t.”
“Only one in four of the fighter age men came,” Farren said. “The rest are hiding in fear of Satan. Twenty warms of talk still didn’t convince them of the truth.”
Colin looked over his shoulder at Ida who was holding a pad. “Where’re they now?”
“Infrared images detected about a kilometer down the road,” Ida said.
“Strange, very strange,” Yuri said. “Coming straight down a road on foot, no espy field to cover their movement, they left their heavy equipment, vehicles and big guns kilometers back.”
“It’s also very curious that they waited four weeks before advancing south,” Ken said. “The history of German warfare is in the blitzkrieg, lightning war, fast moving mobile units that outflank an enemy.”
“My father briefed me this morning before I woke you up,” Colin said. “It’s what’s going on in the Commonwealth Council. The Union of English Speaking Planets, the Japanese and the Italians want to attack. The French, Russians and part of the Scandinavian Union want to give the Bund this planet and end the war. The rest are undecided.”
“Part of the Scandinavian Union?” Yuri said.
“Yep, some of their governments are splitting with Haugen and his group.”
“So, why’re the Germans waiting?” Yuri said.
“If the Commonwealth can get a fleet together big enough to attack the Bund fleet here, without the Arab League’s support the Germans’ll be forced to retreat. That’ll leave the German division on the ground stranded. They can’t spread their forces out because they may have to evacuate.”
“You do know what caused all the division?” Ken said.
“Yes, an encyclopedia from the back of a rental truck that my father bought at a yard sale. It’s us that brought the plague; a plague of knowledge, we’re the Fifth Angel.”
“The fifth what?” Ken said.
“Nothing. Just something some guy told by father in a back alley.”
“Is that the Fifth Angel from Revelations in the Bible?” Hansel said
. “And it’s a plague of knowledge?”
“Just look what’s happening here,” Colin said. “Your people either hide in their houses fearing Satan or stand here with a spear in hand ready to die. It’s all due to the knowledge we brought.”
“It’s not bad,” Hansel said. “We feared the short people, now they’re our friends. We feared anyone with abilities we didn’t have, now we understand. We now know we have a terrible disease that can be cured. The biggest thing that’ll die in this plague is ignorance, and that’s good. The Fifth Angel must be a good angel.”
“I wish you’d tell my father that. The thought that he caused all this trouble is eating him up.”
“Any more on what’s happening up north?” Yuri said.
“Not for three days,” Colin said. “The Thais said the Germans pulled the occupying forces out of the villages and their main forces are now in a valley to the east of them.”
Ken chuckled. “From what we heard the Thais kicked their butts before they had to surrender.”
“They underestimated the people here,” Farren said.
“Yep,” Colin said. “They thought they were up against blind people, people that get lost and trip over things. The accuracy of the Thai throwing spears took them completely by surprise. They won’t make that mistake again.”
“Maybe that’s why they’re coming up on us slowly,” Farren said. “They want to negotiate. They don’t want another battle.”
“I don’t know why,” Colin said. “They could just sit back and blast us with pulse cannons and drones.”
“There’s another oddity,” Yuri said. “Not a single scout drone has checked us out in the last four days.”
Colin raised his comlink. “Admiral, what do the analysts think?”
“Negotiation,” a voice from the comlink said. “Another massacre like the one on Reins, and their people back home will object.”
Colin smiled. “Especially if they massacre blind people.”
“Both the people of the Bund and the Commonwealth are tired of the confrontation,” the Admiral said. “If this takeover doesn’t go perfectly, their people will demand an end to the war. That‘s why they’re taking their time. Your actions are critical.”
“Puts the pressure on us,” Ken sighed.
“Yes, if they want a parley, our analysts have nothing to go on. All we have is this voice link. We can’t use infrared or RF to let you know the mental state of the person you are talking with. We cannot even use voice stress analysis. Just like ours, the Bund officers are trained to cover any emotion in their speech. Looks like you are on your own.”
Farren raised his head. “I hear someone coming from our left.”
“It’s the Pinoy,” Colin said. “Edward said they were close.” Colin raised the comlink again. “Admiral, what did the Bund 3V say about the fight with the Thai?”
“They claim Commonwealth agents pushed the people there into fighting.”
“Anything since then?”
“It’s confusing. Very little about that planet. They’ve issued warnings for all citizens of Berlin City to remain indoors and avoid public places. We believe they’re preparing for a counterattack. Just about their entire fleet is above you in orbit. It’d take them five standard days to return.”
“Counterattack?” Colin said. “With their planetary defenses, our fleet would get creamed.”
“Also two of Berlin City’s 3V stations are now off the air. They’re preparing for something.”
“Any more about the Arab League and the Irish.”
“It still appears they’re refusing to join the battle. By the way the bund fleet are deploying, it looks like they’re preparing to fight alone.”
“The Pinoy just arrived,” Ida said.
Colin looked and saw men with spears and bolos stream from the forest.
“Move to the right!” Hansel commanded his men. “Our friends the Pinoy will fight on our left.”
“You should say the Pinoy will die on our left,” Colin said. “I still advise against an armed confrontation. Passive resistance would save many lives.”
“They voted to fight, so I have to obey,” Hansel said.
“They voted?” Colin said. “Farren said only one in four fighters are here.”
“The rest refused to vote,” Hansel said. “They are confused.”
Edward ran up to the group closely followed by Marilou.
Hansel turned to greet him. “My new friend,” he said. “What is your opinion? Do we drop our weapons or fight?”
“We talk,” Edward replied. “If talk doesn’t stop them, we fight. I have five thousand men. The Khmer and Vietnamese will soon be here with another eight thousand.”
“Edward, what would fighting accomplish?” Colin said.
“You told us of the vast numbers of humans that now live, the many groups and races that make up man. If we’re to join them, we’ll do it with honor, not as slaves. You told us that on the other planets the Bund people conquered, they moved the people away. We will not be moved away as a beaten people. We will move only if we want it. We will be known to the rest of the planets as men, not as goats to be herded.”
“Bund scouts’ll soon be in visual range,” Ida said.
“They’re still moving slow,” Colin said.
“Maybe they fear an ambush,” Edward said.
“No,” Colin said. “With their electronic devices they know exactly where we are, how many are here and what weapons each man carries. They probably even know if we ate breakfast by our infrared scans.”
“We’re wearing Ranger suits,” Ken said. “We wouldn’t show up on their instruments.”
Colin nodded. “That could be why they’re approaching slowly. They don’t know where we are.” Colin pointed. “You guys move to the right. If there’s a fight, we’ll catch them in a crossfire. Pull the navigator back to give its pulse cannon a better range.”
The three Rangers took off at a run.
Colin looked back at the leaders standing in a group. “Marilou?” he said. “Why are you here? I thought the Pinoy warriors where all men.”
“Ooo?” she said. “I have my talents.”
“She does,” Edward said. “If we do talk with the enemy, you’ll see.”
Colin laughed. “Will you hypnotize the negotiator with your voice and he’ll become your slave?”
“Only if he’s handsome,” Marilou said. “There’s one thing I feel. There’s something in the air here. I felt it as we approached. It tingles.”
Colin slapped a box on his belt. “It’s a short range espy damper field. It stops our voices from carrying too far. The Bund scouts probably have long range listening devices and are trying to listen in on our conversations.”
Marilou raised an arm and snapped her fingers. “They’re here,” she said. “If I had eyesight I could see them.”
Colin looked up to see three men appear from the bushes down the road. One waved a white flag. Another raised a device to his mouth. “Parley,” he called in an amplified voice.
Colin pulled a voice amplifier from his belt. “Don’t say anything important,” he said to the others. “I have to turn off the espy field to yell back to him. I’ll turn it back on when he’s close.” He raised the amplifier to his mouth. “One person may advance!” he called.
“Would he be insulted if we looked him over?” Hansel said.
“I doubt it,” Colin said. “They already know how you see.”
They stood and waited.
“Hello,” called the man in a heavy German accent. “Who am I to speak with?”
Colin gestured. “This is Elder Hansel, leader of the Sangustins and Edward, President of the planet Uniseya.”
The non-seeing of the party grunted at the officer.
“This man has the visions of a freshly cut cucumber,” Hansel said.
“Your brain is interpreting the vision as a smell, elder,” Colin said then turned to the officer. “I’m the official representative
of the Commonwealth.”
“You are the famous Colin Young, man of the past,” the man said.
“And you’re being rude not telling us who you are.”
“What is I am?” the man said.
“Rude, offensive, disrespectful. Your name, if it’s not too much trouble.”
The man laughed. “I apologized. I am Lieutenant Haaser, I have authorize to speak for General Tanz, the commander of forces here. I am here for speaking with the people of this planet, not representative of the Commonwealth.”
Colin smiled. “Well, I’ve been authorized by the people of this planet to act as mediator.”
Hasser paused for a moment. “To act as to what?” he said.
“Your English isn’t very good,” Colin said.
“You have the espy field activate,” Hasser said, tapping his ear. “I cannot get translate.”
Colin tapped the box on his belt. “Now you can, and I said I was the appointed mediator.”
Hasser paused. “Ah, that is acceptable. You know these people more better. You explain to them what we are capable of.”
“They know,” Colin said. “They’ve heard from the Thai.”
“I have a question,” Hansel said. “Why do you want our land? I have heard you have much.”
“We have little compared with other people of the galaxy, that is your people include. For our contribution to human, we have the right to have what others do. You have five continents on this planet. Only one occupy with few peoples.”
Hansel turned to Colin. “Continents?”
“Land surrounded by water,” Colin said. “We still have to teach you how large this place is. The land you know is only one leaf on a bush.”
“I will have to learn,” Hansel sighed.
“Soldier,” Edward said. “I have heard you are ruled by a king.”
“Our Chancellor was elected by the people.”
“Then he abolished elections seven years ago,” Colin said.
“Without elections he is a king,” Edward said. “As Bugs Bunny say: Give my regards to the king, the queen, the jack and the ten of diamonds. Tell him he not take our land. This is our planet. Even unoccupied continents are ours. It is the law.”
“Commonwealth law,” Haaser said. “We are not the Commonwealth.”
Victim of Circumstance (The Time Stone Trilogy Book 3) Page 29