Sven's Return

[Googlie]

Sven's Return

I pondered Miriam's words. Yes I had sworn the standard mercenary oath of loyalty, which she had released me from, but after those years in New Jerusalem I felt no affinity for Santiago and her troops, even if the Spartans had signed Pact with the Believers.

The Believers were my people. They were family. My Gwynneth had been one of them.

I took stock of the situation.

I was a merc, trained to fight and the equal of any fighting unit currently on Planet. If somewhat lacking in the latest weaponry or armor, I was more than a match as regards versatility and experience.

I plotted my campaign.

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I stood in the shadows in the now occupied New Jerusalem, between the Recycling Tanks and the Children' Creche. Clouds were covering Nessus and Pholus, and the street lighting had not yet been restored after the artillery bombardments. The shadows were deep and concealing.

I waited.

My infrared sensory implants picked up the image of a soldier coming down the alleyway between the buildings. It was a University Lieutenant. I activated my right arm weapons pod and selected a laser knife.

As he approached, I struck. One arm around his neck, and the other holding the knife to his temple I rasped:

"Where are they holding Sister Miriam and her elders?"

He was struggling - but no match for my boosted strength - and snarled an obscenity at me.

I activated the blade, and removed his right ear.

Into his good ear I rasped "If you want to hear your grandchildren chatter, speak now."

He gave up struggling. "In the Barracks ruins", he said, "we've placed a holding cell there. Now let me find my ear and go and get it reattached."

"You can go", I said, "to the recycling tanks."

Smothering his scream, I moved the laser blade across his throat. I pulled the inert body deeper into the shadows. I couldn't risk the alarm being raised.

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The Barracks was my territory.

I moved confidently in the night's darkness to the munitions depot at the rear of the barracks. Under seal was the armor and weaponry for the new recruits that had been in training when the University artillery and infantry had broken through.

I hoped that the codes hadn't been changed since my departure. They hadn't. I activated the locks, stemming the alarm before it triggered, and I was inside.

Collecting some pieces that seemed useful, and one or two that I felt to be indispensable, I left, carefully resetting the alarm and locking the shed.

I left the barracks and loped over to the usually guarded building that housed The Merchant Exchange. While I regretted the destruction of a Special Project we had labored hard to complete - and I was proud of my part in it - I needed the diversion to be as massive as possible.

I reached into the small haversack I had picked up in the barracks, and carefully extracted one of the abdominal sac implants - small tactical nuclear weapons intended to be neurally willed to detonate when the scout unit had reached the end of his or her resources, and kamikazi was the only option. I myself was fitted with one. I knew that until implanted, and wired to the scout's neural net, they were just ordinary small tactical nukes. I was able to program them with a short time delay, and placed one at each of the four corners of the Merchant Exchange.

I moved over to the vehicle pool. The two guards on duty were enjoying a fungal reefer, paying little attention to their duties. I willed a fletch gun into each hand, and with unerring aim dropped the guards where they stood. I selected a rover and moved it to the Base perimeter.

Loping back to the Barracks, I cautiously entered through a rent in the wall, and observed. There were three guards idly sitting playing cards, ignoring the occupants of the hastily built cell.

In the cell sat Sister Miriam; Brother Joaquim, the Chief Science Officer; Sister Beatrice, the Chancellor of the Exchequer; Brother Charles, the Chief Engineer, all awaiting transportation to UN Headquarters.

My heart skipped a beat. There in a corner sat Gwynneth - she must have escaped the destruction of her former, and been captured.

They were engaged in prayer. Sister Miriam was leading it.

"And, Lord, bless those that will revile us and torture us, and give us the grace to bear witness to You under this interrogation. They know not what they do. They are but ignorant savages blinded by their gos of science. Give us strength, oh Lord, to not waver in our convictions or in our service to You." They reached out and held hands, to provide mutual reinforcement to each other.

The explosions were staggered by two seconds, deafening, as the nukes detonated. My fletch darts caught the three guards as they rose in surprise, sending them crumpling to the floor. In a bound I was at the lock to the temporary cell.

"Get back." I yelled. They leapt to the opposite corner, but not before the two women I loved most recognized me and shouted my name.

"Sven," said Miriam, a speculative gleam in her eyes, "I might have misjudged you. I thought you were not a believer at heart". Then she saw where my eyes were looking, and understood.

Just one word, but it held all the promise and reward that made my risking my life seem inconsequential:

"Sven, you came back", said Gwynneth.

The bolts blew from the small detonator I fixed to the lock, and I hustled them out of the barracks.

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Outside it was bedlam. University Garrison troops were running to the Merchant Exchange building to help douse the flames. Citizens were milling around. The vehicle pool was unguarded.

I was herding my small group to the perimeter area where I had secreted the rover, but Miriam was having none of it.

"Sven", she said, "they are my people. In the confusion many of them can escape."

I was torn. She was so right. There was ample time - and opportunity - for many to grab vehicles and escape with us, but only a few could drive. I was consumed with getting my charges to safety, especially Gwynneth. One of Miriam's sermons came to mind 'I was lost and now I am found'. I dithered.

Sister Miriam made up my mind for me.

"Brethren and Sisters", she shouted in that stentorian voice that commanded attention. "Sven here has provided the means for us to escape and start afresh. Those of you that want to, make your way to the vehicle pool and commandeer a rover, and head south. We will rendezvous at a monolith about fifteen clicks from here. Those that want to stay here, do so. We shall think none the less of you for that choice."

The crowd coalesced into two camps. The smaller group made their way to the motor pool., the larger heading over to the Merchant Exchange to observe the firefighting progress. "God Bless you all" said Sister Miriam to their departing backs.

Brother Charles spoke up: "Sven, I need to go to the vehicle pool to help out. These rovers are cumbersome beasts, and our people will stand a better chance of escaping with a qualified driver."

With that he peeled away from us and sprinted over to the group heading for the vehicle pool.

"He's right, you know," said Gwynneth., "and I'm a certified driver too."

She stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on my grizzled cheek. "See you at the monolith."

She left to join the evacuees. My heart tore. Was I to lose her again?

"Any more?" I asked quizzically. Brother Joaquim and Sister Beatrice looked at each other, shrugged, and said in unison. "We're certified too." And left.

I looked at Miriam.

"Let's go", I said, "and let's make a fresh start. This time, though, you will listen to me. More than one base, easily defensible, and I will consent to be your Chief Military Advisor, if the offer is still open".

Sister Miriam looked at me speculatively. "Any other conditions?", she asked.

"Do you still want revenge on Zakharov?" I asked.

"Yes", was her simple reply.