Mune snarled a curse, and he aimed at a distant barrack. Two shells popped out of the gyroc. Then he leaped before Hawthorne, and Mune staggered as something thudded against him.
“You’re hit,” said Hawthorne.
“Yes, sir,” Mune said, wheezing heavily. “Now run while I shield you.” Without waiting for confirmation, the captain shoved Hawthorne, propelling him toward the lift. Another slug tore into his back, and the captain’s left arm abruptly sagged. Mune whirled around, lifted his gyroc and fired one second after another rifle cracked. A bullet chipped pavement near Hawthorne’s foot.
The Supreme Commander’s belly curled with fear. Snipers are trying to kill me. He ran. Something whined past his ear. A spark against a metal post and another ricochet—Hawthorne roared with frustration.
“Go that way, sir.”
Hawthorne heard the voice, and he felt pressure move him rightward. He ran toward the human welfare buildings. Beyond them was one of three operable lifts to this level. Political Harmony Corps had blocked the stairwells two weeks ago, while the other elevators had been dynamited by lift security.
The reports he’d read said the food riots down here had been suppressed. Emergency supplies and riot control squads were supposed to have dampened things. He’d wanted to see a lower level himself, assess things with his own eyes and ears. This had been a surprise inspection. The snipers, they implied that someone in the higher government echelons had smuggled rifles down here.
Have the security people been compromised?
Mune groaned. Hawthorne glanced at him. Pain creased the captain’s heavy features. Blood welled from holes in his tunic. One arm hung limply. The other held the gyroc.
“Hang on,” Hawthorne wheezed. “We’re almost to the lift.”
The muscles on the captain’s face bunched tight. He gave an imperceptible nod.
They rounded the last corner of the welfare buildings, with the wide veranda before them and then the lift.
Hawthorne uttered a single-word curse. The lift was shut and the security people were gone. In twenty seconds, he passed the temporary barriers, ran a little farther and slapped his hand against the call button.
“Sir,” Mune said.
Hawthorne turned as the captain’s heavy body crumpled onto the flooring. Blood welled from Mune’s back where he’d taken several sniper slugs.
At that moment, the elevator door opened, and half-a-dozen bionic men tumbled out. They wore combat armor and cradled machineguns.
“Sir,” said their leader.
“Where did you—?” Hawthorne tried to ask.
“Captain Mune sent us a signal, sir,” said the leader.
One of the bionic bodyguards knelt beside Mune. He pulled out a medkit and pressed it against the captain’s neck.
“Where are the lift people?” asked Hawthorne.
“In custody, sir,” said the leader.
Hawthorne nodded. It was time to leave.
-9-
Two days later, James Hawthorne paced before his desk in his office on the Third Level of New Baghdad. The city had sixty levels all told, one of the deepest in the Eurasian landmass. New Baghdad contained more than fifty-seven million inhabitants, the majority of them government workers.
Old-style books lined the shelves beside him. The shelves were filled with military history texts. Hawthorne clasped his hands behind his back as he paced. He’d worn a path in his carpet. More than once, he’d debated putting in wood flooring but had never gotten around to giving the order.
The more he thought about the episode in the Fifty-third Level, the more it troubled him.
Hawthorne stopped and scowled at his military history books. Reading was his greatest comfort. History and military history in particular had always been his passion. Earth was like the Chin Empire that had once faced Genghis Khan and his Mongols. Genghis Khan had fielded a single host of nomadic horse-archers. The Chin had possessed hundreds of thousands of solid soldiers, as well as owning the Great Wall of China and countless cities of teeming millions with vast protective walls. As important, the nomads had lacked siege equipment to breach those walls.
Yet Genghis Khan’s nomads were warrior’s born and bred. The windswept steppes and vicious tribal warfare had hardened the nomads into the most brutally efficient warriors of the medieval world. Genghis Khan had been arguably the greatest warlord of history. The combination had proven too much for the Chin, for the Sung, the Turks, Arabs, Russians, Poles and Hungarians. The Mongols had swept the medieval world in a relentless tide of conquest. Their march hadn’t been merely measured in miles, but in degrees of latitude and longitude across the globe.
The Highborn were the Mongols of today. Few in number compared to Earth’s masses, they outfought and outgeneraled Social Unity’s armies.
A ping sounded at the door. Hawthorne turned in surprise. He’d left orders that no one disturb him. Because of what had occurred two days ago, he now became queasy. Had someone corrupted his bodyguards? Three strides brought him behind his desk. He opened a drawer and placed a hand on his gun, the same gun he’d used down in Level Fifty-Three.
“Enter,” he said.
The door opened and Captain Mune’s wheelchair rolled in.
“What are you doing up?” Hawthorne asked.
“Reporting for duty, sir,” Mune said. He had a bandage on his cheek and a crease on his forehead that quickheal hadn’t been able to erase yet.
Hawthorne released his gun and closed the drawer. “You should still be in the hospital.”
It was a heavily-built wheelchair, made to take Mune’s weight. His chest looked bulkier than normal, making the fabric of his uniform strain against his buttons. Bandages likely caused that. His gyroc was slung in a holster, dangling from his right armrest.
“The bullets caused a lot of bleeding, but little internal damage, sir.”
“I’ve read the report, Captain. You’re belittling your injuries.”
“I’m supposed to keep off my feet. I can do that sitting here, sir. In case of another emergency, I’m quite capable of standing and doing what’s necessary.”
“Your health is necessary to me.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m sure—”
“Now listen here, Captain Mune. You’ve saved my life on more occasions than I care to count. You’re…. Damnit, man, you’re making this harder that it should be.”
“I’m sorry, sir. And thank you for what you did.”
“What are you thanking me for?” asked Hawthorne.
“You saved my life, sir.”
Hawthorne shook his head. “That was a terrible experience. Every time I close my eyes, I see those poor souls falling to the cement. I killed them. I shot down the very people I’m supposed to be protecting. I don’t know, Captain. This war….”
“If you can’t win it, sir, no one can.”
“That’s propagandist crap.”
“No, sir, it’s the truth. It’s one of the reasons….” Mune looked away, appearing uncomfortable.
Hawthorne also looked troubled as he cleared his throat. After a moment, he pulled out his chair, plopping into it. He turned on his desk-screen. The truth was that Captain Mune had become his best friend. The thought of Mune dying—
Hawthorne cleared his throat again. He brought up a map of Earth. The red parts were Highborn-controlled. Now that meant all the islands of Earth, which included Antarctica Sector, Australian Sector and even Old Britain Sector. The Highborn had taken South America, driven through Central America and now fought a continent-wide campaign in North America. Projections indicated a total defeat there in another five months.
Hawthorne had debated with a warlord policy in North American Sector. The Highborn controlled everything above the stratosphere, making shipping impossible. Even quick jet flights were questionable. North American Sector was on its own. It wasn’t really a question of stopping the Highborn there, but a matter of how long it would take the Highborn to pacify the continent to the
ir satisfaction. If he gave independent authority to hard-bitten, ambitious people—warlords—might they hang on longer than if they were mere Social Unity functionaries?
There was no way he could convince the other members of the Politburo.
Mune’s chair made noise as the captain wheeled himself into a corner. “With your permission, sir?”
Hawthorne nodded absently. It was good to see Mune, good to have him around again. The captain was the one man he knew he could trust. Hawthorne turned back to the large desk-screen.
Social Unity on Earth was Eurasia, Africa and parts of North America. It was the last battlefleet orbiting Mars, with a friendless understanding between them and the Planetary Union there. Neither side on Mars shot at the other. Neither side completely trusted the other.
Hawthorne stared at the green-colored areas of Earth, Social Unity territory. The algae tanks could only feed so many people. Highborn laser platforms had destroyed the many fishing fleets and the oceanic fisheries. That left traditional agriculture. Even with strict rationing….
“We’re starving to death,” Hawthorne said.
Mune looked up.
Even as he said that, Hawthorne knew he hadn’t stated the problem accurately. If he was going to start lying to himself, it was time to step down. The rationing system was rational, at least in terms of fighting the Highborn. Soldiers, production workers, PHC personnel, block leaders and the like received the highest calorie count. People who lived in the lower levels—those who served no warfare-useful purpose—they received much less.
“If I may be so bold, sir,” Mune said, as he tucked away a cell phone.
“Eh?” said Hawthorne, looking up.
“Have you discovered how rifles managed to appear in Level Fifty-Three?”
Hawthorne frowned.
“I didn’t think so, sir. I therefore request permission to begin an internal investigation.”
“You’d better explain that,” Hawthorne said.
“The lift security people fled their posts.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“They’ve been discovered, sir. Each of them has been shot in the back of the head.”
“Why wasn’t I informed before this?” Hawthorne asked.
“Yes, sir, that’s what I’d like to know.”
The cold feeling Hawthorne had felt as the food rioters had charged him returned. “My own people have been corrupted?” he whispered.
“Chief Yezhov is a cunning opponent, sir.”
“What evidence compels you to suspect him?” Hawthorne asked.
“I don’t consciously think about it as I shoot my gyroc, sir. I simply fire, relying on hundreds of hours of practice to guide me.”
“And your point?” asked Hawthorne.
“I’m a bodyguard, sir. I suspect those my instincts tells me are guilty. What happened down in the lower level—it smacks to me of the Chief of Political Harmony Corps.”
“Maybe we should give him a visit.”
“Let me visit him, sir. Meanwhile, perhaps you could turn your military insights into uncovering the moles in your organization.”
Hawthorne frowned at his desk-screen. The green areas of Earth versus the red areas—he needed to do something to change the course of the war. If he couldn’t, maybe it was time to let someone else try. Was Chief Yezhov the candidate for the job? Hmm. He doubted that. The Chief had strengths. They were shadowy powers like intrigue, sabotage, assassination and double-dealing. They were useful, certainly, but unlikely to win a war against the Highborn.
Looking up, Hawthorne said, “I’m a military man, Captain. I wield the sword better than anyone else does in Social Unity. But there’s an ancient saying about swords. You can do many things with them, but you can’t sit on them.”
“Sir?” asked Mune.
“Swords make a poor throne.”
“I’m not sure I follow you, sir.”
“Direct action, the bolder the better, that’s the way to wield a sword. You said I have moles.”
“The facts indicate that, sir.”
“I can’t beat Yezhov his way. My counter-intelligence teams simply lack PHC guile and secret police ruthlessness. What happened two days ago, we don’t know for certain that Yezhov had a hand in it.”
“Who else would, sir?”
“That’s a cogent question. Yes….” Hawthorne tapped his desk with his fingertips. “We’re at the verge of the precipice, staring down into the abyss of defeat and Highborn domination. Social Unity is crumbling. The strain is too much for us. I’m at the top and I’m in charge of the bitterest defeat ever faced by men. I can no longer survive by the old methods.”
“Sir?”
“There was a ruler in the Twentieth Century, the Shah of Iran. Someone named the Ayatollah Khomeini had horribly weakened the Shah’s grip on his country. There was a Muslim rebellion against the monarchy, and agitators had caused the people to march in the streets against him. The Shah had an Imperial Guard. He should have used them.”
“Used them how, sir?”
Hawthorne smiled bleakly. “If you’ll allow me a further example, I’ll tell you. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte.”
“I’ve heard of him.”
“He was one of the greatest military leaders in history. Before his rise to power, however, he was one general among many. He happened to be in Paris when the mobs rose up and marched in the streets against the Directorate. The five men of the Directorate ran revolutionary France. The five rulers froze at the uprising, terrified of the Parisian mob. Napoleon was made of sterner stuff. He gathered some tough soldiers and rolled cannons into the streets. Then he set a line in the streets. The mob surged across the line, and Napoleon ordered his artillerists to open fire. They shot canisters of grapeshot.”
“What was that, sir?”
“The cannons acted like giant shotguns. The grapeshot tore into the mob, blowing down many. The mob broke in terror, fleeing to their homes. Napoleon then sent his soldiers into Paris to arrest the worst ringleaders. Afterward, Napoleon said he’d solved the insurrection with a whiff of grapeshot.”
“You plan to use grapeshot, sir?”
“The Shah of Iran should have sent his Imperial Guard into the streets, set up machineguns and blown away the mobs in his capital. He could have saved his life and his country from the Islamic Revolution that caused grave havoc to the world for countless decades afterward. He could have sent his soldiers to arrest and then execute the Ayatollah Khomeini.”
“Did they have food riots back then, sir?” Mune asked.
Hawthorne blinked, and he shook his head. “The lesson for us is similar but not identical. I have a sword, and now I need the willpower to use it. Someone practiced deceit against me. The likeliest candidate is Chief Yezhov, but I’ll probably never find the proof. Well, maybe I don’t need proof, not if I’m willing to use the sword. Or in my case, the cybertanks and soldiers in New Baghdad.”
“What are your orders, sir?”
“Call out your men, Captain. We’re going to go pay Chief Yezhov a visit.”
-10-
Hawthorne frowned as he stood in an underground room in Political Harmony Corps Headquarters. The video shots he watched were grainy, with occasional white-line wavers. Then everything fuzzed horribly, and the technicians at the boards adjusted controls.
The room was dark except for the wide-screen on the wall. Besides Hawthorne and the PHC technicians, there was Captain Mune in his wheelchair and Chief Yezhov of PHC.
The Chief wore a red uniform with black straps. He was a medium-sized man with round, un-athletic shoulders, pale skin, a weak chin and washed-out blue eyes. He nervously glanced at Hawthorne.
“This is quite normal, I assure you,” Yezhov said.
Hawthorne noted dryly to himself that Yezhov had been doing a lot of assuring the past six hours. The Chief had good reason to be terrified. A little more than seven hours ago, massive cybertanks had smashed through the front barriers. Into
the rubble had swarmed bionic soldiers. Sixteen PHC guards had died in the ensuing gun-battle before the rest of the guards had thrown down their weapons, surrendering.
Hawthorne’s counter-intelligence people now combed through PHC computers. He doubted they would find anything damning against Political Harmony Corps. Yezhov had likely set up the real PHC operational headquarters elsewhere, leaving the headquarters in New Baghdad as a shell. The howl against what he’d done would soon begin. He’d have to decide whether he was going to initiate a bloodbath to maintain his authority or if he could continue along old lines but with upgrades.
“How long can the operative beam these images?” Hawthorne asked.
Yezhov cast him another nervous glance. “Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough. The…operative doesn’t know she’s beaming the information.”
“What form of transmitter does she use?” Hawthorne asked.
“It’s a retinal scan,” Yezhov said.
“Explain that.”
“One of her eyes was surgically removed. A bio-replacement was inserted along with a cerebral power-pack. You’re watching what she’s seeing.”
Hawthorne stared at Yezhov. It seemed the Chief of PHC carefully kept his gaze on the screen in order to keep from looking at him. Finally, Hawthorne turned back to the picture.
The grainy images showed war-torn streets: rubble, blasted buildings and overturned vehicles. People moved quickly, usually with their heads bent and shoulders hunched. A soldier stood on a street corner. He wore a Free Earth Corps uniform.
“Where is this again?” Hawthorne asked.
“New Orleans, in Louisiana Sector of North America,” Yezhov said.
“That’s far behind enemy lines.”
“Ah,” Yezhov said. “If you would watch this….”
Hawthorne became absorbed as a giant strode into view. The Highborn wore combat armor, but without the customary helmet. He strode closer, until he filled the screen. His mouth moved as he talked to the operative. The Highborn had pallid skin, and the intensity of his eyes was overwhelming.
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