Victim of Circumstance (The Time Stone Trilogy Book 3)

  “I don’t know what to shoot at!” Dan yelled.

  “Just shoot in the same direction everyone else is!” Jim yelled.

  Dan pulled the trigger and the weapon started a rhythmic popping with a bright red flash coming from the barrel.

  “Smoke!” Dan yelled.

  Jim looked up and saw explosions at a distance which instantly billowed into a pure white cloud.

  “Must be ours!” Jim yelled. “We’re the only ones that use a smoke screen for cover!”

  Jim’s forehead hit the seat in front of him. He felt the front of the vehicle rise and looked up to see the ground. The whole scene turned and pivoted wildly. He felt pain around his waste and saw a severed seatbelt strap pass in front of his face. He shut his eyes knowing that any moment he’d feel the impact of his body against either the ground or the vehicle.

  Jim opened his eyes and saw grass next to his face. The memory of him hitting the ground didn’t exist.

  Raising his head, he looked around to see the smoking wreckage of the scout a few meters away. “Sam!” he yelled. “Matt, Dan! Where are you?”

  “Ah’m hear,” Sam replied.

  “The driver’s dead,” Matt called.

  “Where’s Dan?” Jim yelled.

  “He’s here,” Sam called. “He’s busted up pretty bad.”

  Jim staggered to his feet and walked to where he heard the sound of Sam’s voice. Sam was bending over Dan on the ground.

  “Get going,” Dan said and Jim saw him rip off the cover of an attachment on his belt and press a button. “The medics’ll get me.”

  Jim knew the button Dan pressed was a medical alert. It was an electronic beacon so that the medics could easily find him.

  A troop carrier slid to a halt next to them. “Get in!” yelled an officer from a hatch on top.

  “What about Dan?” Matt yelled.

  “I’ll be fine mate!” Dan yelled. “Just a couple of busted bones. Get going. The medics’ll be here in a minute.”

  Jim, Matt and Sam sprinted for the door that was opening in the back of the carrier. They climbed in assisted by a dozen hands from inside. Jim quickly crawled to a vacant piece of floor; the seats lining the sides were all occupied. Arms, legs, bodies and weapons was all he could see in the dim light of the packed compartment.

  The carrier lurched forward and shook violently. Jim was struck first by a knee then by the side of a weapon.

  “Sorry Mr. Prime Minister!” Jim heard a voice from somewhere say.

  Jim’s head collided with Matt’s. “I’m having flashbacks,” Jim said. “I’m remembering why I hated armored personnel carriers in the army back on Earth.”

  “My first time,” Matt said. “In the war games Sam and I were just observers. We rode everywhere in a scout.”

  The carrier continued to rock and occasionally dive. A loud cracking sound made Jim lift his head. It was followed by a scream.

  “We’re hit!” someone yelled.

  Through the mass of bodies he saw a spot on the wall glowing red with molten metal dripping down from it. “Refrigerant!” someone yelled. Jim was suddenly shoved down by a body on top of him. “Medical kit!” someone else yelled. “Burn pack!”

  Jim was face down on the floor with scrambling bodies crawling over him. He heard a hissing sound followed by the smell of burning plastic and a light steam filled the air.

  The carrier continued weaving between objects Jim couldn’t see. He slid first right then left on the floor. Shaking his head, he tried to focus his mind but all he could feel was a headache and a ringing in his ears. He also heard the continuous rhythmic pop, pop, pop of the carriers pulse cannon above them.

  Jim’s arm was suddenly grabbed and raised. “Stay still Mr. Prime Minister!” someone yelled. “You’re injured. I have to put a dressing on your arm.” Jim raised his head to see a pair of hands opening a gash in his sleeve with blood evident inside.

  “Which way are we going?” Matt yelled. “Are we advancing or retreating?”

  “I haven’t got a fucking clue!” someone yelled back.

  The carrier came to a sudden halt and the mass of bodies slid forward. The back doors swung open.

  “Out, out, out!” yelled a voice from above.

  Jim was trampled by a dozen feet and he rolled up in a ball to protect his face. Within seconds, the compartment was empty except for Sam and Matt lying on the floor.

  “Damn,” Sam said, grabbing for his crotch. “Someone stepped on ma petunias.”

  “I think this is our stop,” Jim said.

  “Who’s winning?” Matt said.

  “I haven’t got a fucking clue!” Jim said.

  They struggled to their feet, backs bent due to the low ceiling and headed from the dim of the cab to the bright light of the outside. Jim jumped out first drawing his laser pistol and keeping low. The cracking sound of pulse rifles was all around them.

  “One soldier here is dead,” Sam called from inside the carrier.

  “Haul him out,” Jim said. “If they have to leave in a hurry they won’t want their buddy’s body in there with them.”

  Jim leapt for a low garden wall and crouched down behind it. Matt and Sam soon joined him.

  “They already pushed that guy’s med alert,” Matt said. “His bio monitor’ll tell the medics he’s dead.”

  They looked across a lawn and saw a slowly dissipating wall of white smoke. Trees, bushes, fountains and walls obscured everything that was going on beyond a few meters away.

  “Which side of that there smoke thaing we on?” Sam said. “We on the enemy side or the side we come from?”

  “I don’t know,” Jim said.

  “What now?” Matt said.

  “I’ll find out,” Jim said and ran to the troop carrier. He climbed the front and crawled on the top to where the pulse gunner was still firing.

  “Where’s you officer?” Jim asked.

  “No idea,” the gunner said without taking his eyes off the small flat screen monitor that was the sights.

  “Is this the enemy main force?” Jim said.

  “I’m sorry sir,” the gunner replied. “All I know is that I have to keep shooting.”

  “What’re you shooting at?” Jim said.

  “What everyone else is shooting at, sir,” the gunner said.

  Jim raised his head and looked around. Laser beams streaked overhead and small read sparks flew in all directions. He saw men running and crawling. Several troop transports sat with their gunners firing their weapons. In the distance, several men stood with their hands raised but he couldn’t tell the uniforms at that distance.

  Jim turned his head and saw the chancellery building a couple of hundred meters away.

  “We got through?” Jim said. “We got to the chancellery?”

  “Yes sir,” the gunner said. “We ran straight over the fuckers. They’re running in all directions. It’s one big cluster fuck but I think we’re winning.”

  “Mr. Prime Minister,” came a voice from the side of the vehicle. “The way to the chancellery is clear, we’ll get you there.”

  Jim climbed down and crouched by the side of the vehicle next to a lieutenant.

  “We went right through them sir,” the lieutenant said. “My men are out now rounding up prisoners.”

  “Tell your company commander to disarm them and let them go,” Jim said. “I need your men to secure the chancellery. What was the size of the enemy force?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but they did outnumber us by at least three to one.”

  Matt and Sam joined them.

  “Nicht schiezen,” Jim heard and swung around pistol at the ready to see two men in Bund uniforms with their hands raised.

  “Ausgehen” the lieutenant said.

  “Tell them to go to the soccer stadium,” Jim said.

  “Sorry sir,” the lieutenant said. “That was the limit of my German.”

  “I speak English,” one of the men said. “Will we get medicine at the soccer
stadium?”

  “Only if you go there without weapons,” Jim said.

  The two men turned and walked off just as a dozen Casian soldiers arrived and loaded onto the troop carrier.

  “Is there medicine at the soccer stadium?” Matt said.

  “No idea,” Jim said.

  * * *

  “Holy hell this place is huge,” Jim said as he started to climb the stairs to the gigantic main doors which were open.

  Jim stopped at the doors to let the soldiers by. Inside, the rotunda was centered by a giant statue of Germania, a woman in armor with a raised crown in one hand and a sword in the other. There was an inscription on its base.

  “What does them there words say?” Sam said.

  One of the soldiers turned to face them. “In memory of the unanimous victorious uprising of the German People and of the reinstitution of the German Empire,” he translated.

  “German Empire,” Jim said, “and everyone wants me to replace it with my own personal empire, ironic.”

  “Clear here,” Jim heard a voice say from a hall to the left.

  “Where do we go?” Matt said.

  “I guess we go that way,” Jim said. “Just wander around and see what we can find.”

  Jim’s pocket buzzed so he pulled out his pen phone. “What the hell?” he said then activated it.

  “Peter here,” said a voice. “Congratulations, you made it.”

  “How the hell can you call me here?” Jim said.

  “One of our operatives set up a relay so we could talk,” Peter said. “There are two in the building, so don’t shoot them.”

  “Friendlies in the building!” Jim yelled.

  “Our operatives say that Chancellor Schroeder is still there along with several of his cabinet.”

  “Why is he still here?” Jim said.

  “He couldn’t get home. The transport system is down and his manually operated vehicle drivers are all blind.”

  “Why didn’t the troops outside take him home?”

  “Our operatives tell us they’re totally avoiding contact with anyone who’s infected. They’re not even entering buildings. That’s why there are no soldiers in the chancellery; they’re staying in the open air.”

  “So, where’s Schroeder?”

  “What’s your location?”

  “We walked in the front door and turned left down a hall.”

  “Go to the end of the hall. One of our operatives will meet you at the top of the stairs. I’m talking to him on another line right now.”

  Jim broke into a fast walk. “One of ours up ahead!” he called to the troops. “Don’t shoot him.”

  At the end of the hall a man appeared with his hands raised.

  “It’s ok!” Jim called. “Put your hands down! Where’s Schroeder?”

  “I spoke with someone who thinks he went down to the first sublevel twenty minutes ago!” the man called back.

  “What? Is there a bunker down there?” Jim said as he got to within a couple of meters of the man.

  “No, that’s on the fifth sublevel. I think I know where he was going. I was told he’s been in his office for the last two days. He must be hungry. I think he went to the cafeteria, maybe the kitchen.”

  “Why weren’t we told of that enemy unit in the park?”

  “My apologies, I did not know. We only arrived fifteen minutes ago through the back.” The man started to walk in the direction Jim’s party had come. “The cafeteria is down the stairs to the right,” he said. “Excuse me, I have to go and guide your technicians to the main computer system.”

  “Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister!” Called a man running to catch up.

  “Yes,” Jim said.

  The officer with the insignia of a Captain slowed his pace. “The enemy outside have been neutralized.”

  “What was the size of their force?” Jim said.

  “They were a battalion,” the Captain said.

  “And we beat the crap out of them with a company?” Jim said. “Not just a quarter their strength but we also have inferior weapons and equipment.”

  “I was just talking with their commander. They were good and ready to fight. They expected either Chinese or Japanese troops. When they saw the insignia on our vehicles, the old Reb battle flag, they realized we were Casians. The entire battalion panicked and ran.”

  Jim chuckled to himself. “So, they also believe we’re a tribe of vicious, rampaging, carnivorous apes.”

  “It was also the speed of our attack,” the Captain said. “Any other Home Guard unit would’ve stopped short to consult their computers first.”

  “I didn’t see any trenches or fox holes,” Matt said.

  “They’ve been here two days, but their ultra sonic excavators only arrived half an hour ago.”

  Sam laughed. “And they ain’t got no practice at usin’ a pick and shovel.”

  “They don’t even carry picks and shovels with them,” the Captain said.

  “Any word from Harry and the rest of our troops?” Jim said.

  “Enemy resistance is collapsing there too. From what I’ve heard your Native American friend had something to do with it.”

  “Chock? What did he do?”

  “When they got to their rallying point he was in full Indian war paint. The rest of the troops copied him. When they encountered the enemy’s lead battalion Colonel Norton himself ordered an energy sink weapon that drained all the pulse rifles power packs, both ours and theirs. He then ordered a bayonet charge. The enemy were faced with a thousand screaming, war whooping Red Indians coming down on them. They dropped their useless weapons and ran.”

  “That was just the front line,” Jim said. “What about the rest of their forces?”

  “The panic appears to be dominoing. The rest of the units are running too.”

  “Jest like First Manassas,” Sam said. “We set a couple of Yankee regiments a runnin’ and the rest followed.”

  “Stop them running,” Peter said from Jim’s pen phone. “We need them to distribute antivirals to the population.”

  “Where are the meds coming from?” Jim said.

  “Your freighter is out of dry dock. It’ll be there in four hours. Where do you want to set up distribution?”

  Jim shrugged. “The soccer field?”

  “The antivirals will be there in four hours thirty minutes.”

  “I’ll pass the information along,” the Captain said.

  “Good,” Jim said and turned toward the stairs. “Now let’s find Schroeder. That Secret Service man said he could be in the cafeteria.”

  “So, we just look for a sign,” Matt said. “What’s ‘cafeteria’ in German?”

  “Cafeteria,” said the soldier who had translated the inscription in the rotunda.

  “Ok,” Matt said and the soldiers around them started to chuckle.

  They walked down the stairs. To the right, an entryway lead to a large room full of tables and chairs.

  Jim pointed to just above the door. “Matt, there’s your sign.”

  “I see it, I see it,” Matt snapped. “Cafeteria.”

  They entered. Several tray carrying autoserves stood motionless in the room. Jim looked around for doors that could lead to a kitchen.

  Matt pointed. “Double doors over there,” he said.

  “Good, they’re open,” Jim said. “With the power out we would’ve had a problem if they were closed.” He then walked to the doors. “I’ll go in first,” he said, drawing his laser pistol.

  Jim slowly entered with his pistol at the ready. Just inside the door he heard the clink of metal against a plate. In the dimness of the emergency lights he saw a middle aged man, who he recognized, sitting at a table.

  “Wer ist da?” the man said.

  “Chancellor Schroeder,” Jim said. “I believe you are our prisoner.”

  The man smiled and took another mouthful of food. “Your voice is familiar to me from 3V Mr. Young,” he said in a heavy accent while chewing. “Do you m
ind if I finish eating? I haven’t had a bite to eat in three days. This is my fourth attempt to find this kitchen. During the other three I was badly lost.”

  “Go right ahead,” Jim said. “I thought we’d find you in the bunker. I understand there’s one on the fifth sublevel.”

  “I am not Adolf Hitler,” Schroeder said. “He was an idiot. I will not hide in a bunker and shoot myself.”

  “Taking land and deporting people has a slight historic ring to it,” Jim said as he took a seat. “Then there was that massacre on Reins.”

  “The officer responsible for the massacre on Reins is now spending life in prison,” Schroeder said. “Search the Bund, you will not find a single concentration camp. Unlike certain members of the Commonwealth we have not victimized any group like the French Empire did with us.”

  “The French are only a part or the Commonwealth. What about the rest?”

  “They all looked down on us, they all treated us like unmenschlich, sub-humans who did nothing more for mankind than invent sauerkraut. Did you know that the French Empire took the great works of the German philosophers Schopenhauer and Nietzsche and translated them into French claiming they were written by Frenchmen named Laurent and Roux? That is theft, theft of our heritage.”

  “I have heard that,” Jim said. “It was only one family’s quest for power. The De Poulets are responsible, but they’re all gone.”

  “And the other people believed them. Nobody questioned. They share the fault for that. We have the same size population as other unions, but we had only three planets while others have ten to fifteen. Everyone has taken from us. It was our time to take it back.”

  “Ah doesn’t blame ya fer bein’ angry,” Sam said as he took a seat. “Ah guess we gotta work thaings out.”

  “But first we discuss surrender,” Jim said. “The fighting must stop.”

  “It has,” Schroeder said, tapping his ear. “I am monitoring the military channels. I cannot reply, our systems are down, but I can hear. General Brest has just surrendered to your Colonel Norton in the south. If I could reply, I would have given the order to do so before this.”

  “You still have a fleet,” Jim said.

  “Half the fleet is floating helpless in space. The virus struck it too. We have kept that a secret. Admiral Zurbrück is requesting humanitarian assistance.”