Chapter Fifteen: The Visionary Man — Part 3

The decision to walk on ahead having been made, there really isn’t much to do but to pretend they don’t know about the trap and walk right into it, form a solid front, and get the weapons ready to bear. Jon and Teri, having longer reach, have fallen back behind George and Jude, while Kevin and Daria have put themselves to either side of the medics. Jynx is to the left of Jude, and ChoCho is in the center of them all. He is a little upset that Jynx is so intent on protecting him from the big bad crowd that she seems to think that he needs to be put in the middle of the mass.

“I don’t see why I have to be all penned in like this. I’ve got a knife, and people like me, you know.” ChoCho says, wondering if anybody else has caught the obvious contradiction in his thoughts.

“You’re not a fighter Cho, you have to know that.” Jynx says gently.

“These people don’t like anything they can’t control.” Daria adds quietly.

They come around the curve of the park, stumbling onto the Town Square unexpectedly. It is more the scene in the square that is unexpected, rather than coming on the square itself. To the north of the Square are the legislative buildings, in the center of which is City Hall, to the northwest and at a distance, the flight line, where ChoCho’s engine lay in its final stages before the first test. The Major is actually to the north east of them, is talking to a young woman and her husband, his body framed in an odd stance. His arms are crossed, and he is leaning back a little, listening but disengaged, as the woman and her husband discuss matters that must be important to them. Despite his involvement in the discussion, he doesn’t miss their entrance. He smiles at George, and there is no missing Major Dominic as the new leader of The People. He points to the eight with two fingers, and ten young men armed with batons fall out from the crowd, moving in on George and his team in a controlled semicircle.

“You wanted your zombies.” Daria says quietly to Kevin, no humor in her tone.

“Fucking Zombies. And me without my axe.” Kevin says, hands dropping behind his back.

“Hey guys, are you all sure you don’t want to put me in the front line now,” ChoCho says, “According to everybody here, I’m supposed to be a pro at taking a beating. Looks like all of us might just have one coming.”

Jynx has to curb a chuckle. “Hush you.”

“Call back your bullies, Major.” George yells across the crowd. “We don’t want trouble, we just want Arpie and Opus, and we’ll be on our way. You can have your hive and honey without us.”

Major Dominic struts over behind his youth guard. The lot of them look like college football players with clubs, and their expressions hide none of their desire to beat breath and will out of whatever the Major tells them to. Jynx hates them without knowing entirely why, though she starts to suspect its visual bias. They remind her of every jerk she’d ever met in high school, strong enough to bully others, stupid enough that they can’t think of any other way to get what they want. Usually the people in power simply looked the other way, or, like the Major, actually exploited the force.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that, George. You see, the people have come to a vote, and you and yours, well, you’re all citizens now.”

“I revoke my citizenship then, and I’m sure the others will too.”

“It’s not that simple.” Major Dominic says. “You and yours are a resource. We need hands, strong hands, willing hands, and powerful minds, if we’re going to shape this new world, bend it to our will. The hands need trained, the minds molded a little. There’s a class starting in two weeks, once you’ve all been calmed down enough to listen to the instructor, we’ll get you started on your courses.”

“We’re leaving, and we’re leaving with Arpie and Opus.” Jude says quietly, drawing a pair of spiked brass knuckles from his pocket and sliding them into place. “We want to do this thing peacefully, but if you want to rumble, I’m game.”

Jynx drops down, pulling her skirt up over her knees, flashing her pink cotton panties at everybody in front of her, then pulls her daggers there sheaths at her ankles, standing up and ready to fight. Kevin and Daria draw daggers, as do Jon and Teri. Of the crew, only ChoCho and George have kept their weapons away. George looks desperate, begins thinking about how he can get Major Dominic to understand the near psychosis Jynx and Daria will display if they decide to act against such large numbers. He decides that the direct approach might be best.

It is Jon who speaks up first, her voice completely dominated by an overtone of dark foreboding. “Major, I respect the vote of The People, and politely request, one last time, the right of those who wish not to live here, to leave. It’s a big world, after all, there’s room enough for all of us. Our distance could even be an advantage, over time. Don’t let this get out of hand.” Jon’s voice is pleading, because she’s already looked around, sized up the crowd.

There are no crossbows or archers at the perimeter, and these one hundred people don’t think like fighters. Jynx and Daria, she knows, will cut through the crowd like farmers working a field set for slaughter. The Major doesn’t speak immediately. Overhead, the clouds are turning darker, the evening is coming on. Soon it will be raining and it will also be night. Any fighting will be done by streetlights, if it comes to fighting, and if there is enough power in the batteries to pull the streetlights on. The first drops of rain start to spatter the ground, but it isn’t the storm really, just a passing piece of it. The storm is still a ways off. Wind builds around them, though, so it’s only a matter of time before the blow brings the fury of water and wind to the Glenn. The Major makes the show of considering Jon’s words, and then raises a hand.

“Jon, you’re a medic, what about your oath?” Dominic asks.

“What about yours, Major?” Jon counters.

“If we move,” George warns, “We move as one.”

“You had a chance to come over to our side, George, all you had to do was make the right choice.” The Major drops his hand, and the ten teenage boys of the Youth Guard move in, the crowd edging in to watch the confrontation.

The wooden poles are raised high, and for some reason Jynx and Daria are smiling savagely. They’ve assessed the crowd. The Major wants them alive, but Jynx and Daria have no such limitations set on their own actions. This is two fold: They don’t care who dies so long as they live; and they don’t care how bad they are hurt so long as those they love have a chance at escape. The baton swingers think they are trained for combat, while Jynx has been picking fights since puberty hit and Daria is formally trained with small arms. The bulk of the audience will scatter once people start bleeding and dying, and the sooner the better, as far as Jynx is concerned. The Major will move against them to protect his own, and will fall like a ram to the wolves. This will break the Glenn for centuries; if it can keep its population stable enough to survive the coming years. George and Jynx both know this. The only person who doesn’t seem to know this is the Major — and ChoCho, apparently.

ChoCho steps in front of his crew, his eyes focused directly on the Major, until he is certain the man sees him. “I am giving you this last chance sir, keep your enemies closer, but let me and mine leave in peace.”

“Who do you think you are?” The Major asks.

“I am ChoCho.” ChoCho says.

Major Dominic points with two fingers and drops his hand sharply. The Youth Guard advances slowly. ChoCho looks completely caught off guard as the first club comes down hard and straight for his head. Jynx has no time to move, though she thinks her reflexes are faster than ChoCho, and though she is now focused solely on revenge. ChoCho isn’t moving, or hasn’t seemed to move at all. The smile on his face looks completely calm, fading as the club’s speed builds to a vicious blur. For Jynx, Daria, and Kevin, time stops.

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