Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The Rough Winds Stray Close

“Evert, how many do we have? We only have two weeks left before the plan.”

Alina silently surveyed thirty men hiding in the middle of a thick grove. The sun has already set. Unlike the cities, the area was dark and quiet. Yet the glinting silver gems in the sky and the gleaming moon lit her vision. The landscape was lush with a thick wooden grove that towered over skyscrapers. The ground was bustling with wispy moss and sprawling with mushrooms. Besides the hushes made by the men, the creaking sound of the ancient trees and the howling wolves reached her ears now and then. They were in the Picus Forest, north of the Aurelion farm, where sightings of the rebels were reported.

“About 2,000, commander. Give or take, but only about 1/8 of them are old enough to fight, barely.”

“That’s not enough.”

Using hand signals, she ordered her soldiers to encircle the men. Basked in the darkness, Alina wore her black combat suit. It offered better protection than the usual military combat vest. It was made with layers of polythene compound and reinforced with nanomachines. If magic existed, that would be the groundbreaking nanomachines that can affect the fundamental forces and elementary particles. 

“We can’t really expect much here. There is almost no adult left.”

“Our movements are also limited. They already sent a death squad to hunt us.”

“Many will die if we continue the plan.”

Alina readied and aimed her Geisler m203 rifle, the latest military rifle of the Ophirian Army. It, too, was the product of the magic-like scientific breakthrough of the last decade that works in a series of complex processes. The nanomachines in her rifle can reorganize each atom of the bullets in the combustion stage to increase their velocity. Once launched, the nanomachines inside will turn it into a denser substance. The results were more penetrating power and faster acceleration, almost like the speed of light.

“They will die regardless. In an even more gruesome way than being shot by a bullet.”

“Hmm… How about the target? Did you locate him already, Evan? “

“Yes, we found him this morning in the 6th sector, barn 6467.”

“Good. Let’s continue to obse- “ 

She pulled the metallic trigger of her gun, and its ominous shout echoed in the vast and silent Picus Forest. The man who was in her gun sights now lay on the mossy ground, motionless. Her soldiers soon followed and began their assault on the rebels’ position. But they were quick to get into defensive positions. Their readiness was on another level. 

—As expected of former soldiers.

Three years ago, when the poor were rounded up to farms, the soldiers in the Ophirian Army were not exempted. Holding on to their freedom, many of those soldiers became rebels. They fought for the rights of the poor citizens. Establishing the revolutionary army, they engaged in asymmetrical warfare with the Ophirian Army. At first, people treated them as terrorists, but as many became awake to the horrors of human farms, their support was slowly increasing.

The fighting ensued, each side not giving an advantage to their enemy. The roar of guns echoed throughout the entire forest. A mist enveloped the area as their barrels and grenades supplied it with fuel. Now and then, weeps of pain and suffering were nurtured on the rebels’ side. But then…  

“Unknown number of enemies coming from our west!” shouted one of her soldiers.   

—Those guys in the recon sector gave us the wrong info!

Alina clicked his tonged. They had to intercept their enemies on the west flank, but that will weaken their encirclement of the rebels. They did not have the numbers to choose both. This was the first time she had been in actual combat after she graduated from the military academy. The intense atmosphere, the roaring of the guns, and the lives entrusted to her — it was all different back in the academy. ‘What would he do if he was the one commanding?’ she remembered her friend. She always knew that he was far better at her in military maneuvers.

“Captain Marbas, intercept the enemy coming from the west! Leave some of your soldiers to Captain Haan,” she said. “Captain Haan, fill the gap in the encirclement with your troops.”

She did not have a choice. Her soldiers executed their orders perfectly. But the rebels punched right through their weakened encirclement and began running deeper into the forest. But the push did not come without its cost. The mossy ground was now tinged with crimson. The foul odor of copper and metal dispersed in the atmosphere. Bodies of rebels littered the dark grove.

“Should we pursue them?” Irene asked.

“We can’t. Captain Marbas is still engaged with the rebels in our west flank and we have wounded. We can’t leave them behind,” Alina said. “It is also dangerous. We don’t have enough intelligence in this area. The rebels probably know this terrain better than we do. Just assign a UAV to them. I want to see where they will be going.”

“Yes,” Irene replied. 

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***

 

It was past the curfew. The barn was dark and cramped. There were loud chirps of cicadas that resonated everywhere. Sitting beside Ranulf, Gert, and Elise, Sieg bit the mass-manufactured bread from the food station. But it was tasteless. It was only its rough texture that he felt in his mouth. His friends were also eating the same bread.

“Can they even call this food? It feels like I’m eating rags,” said Ranulf as he gnawed his hard bread. 

Sieg had to agree. The Aurelion farm gave them rations every meal to keep them alive and healthy. However, the taste did not matter. Their foods emphasize price efficiency and the production of healthy, fat-minimal meat. Putting extra condiments and seasoning in foods to make them taste better was wasteful and inefficient. 

“To them, we are more like the food and this is more like feeds to animals,” said Gert, jokingly. Unintentionally, when the 10-year-old children heard him, their faces went downcast. 

“Geez Gert. Stop saying something dark so casually,” said Elise. She had seen the children’s faces. “But… I guess that’s somehow true.” She lowered her voice, only letting the four of them heart it.

“Don’t worry about it, everyone. Once we are big enough, we can defeat them, right Geneae?” said Sieg. “So, let’s eat and continue to grow, okay?” He lifted his right arm up exaggeratedly. 

—That was utterly stupid and cringe.

“Yeah!”

Some children cheered up, but some did not. He had no siblings before, so he did not have experience with children. But, in his three years on the farm, he saw that most of the children there believe in what the four of them will say. Letting the incident be under the bubble, they continued biting the hard bread rations of the farm.  

—But they can’t live believing they are hopeless. That would be even worse than dying. Maybe someday…

knock knock knock

His thoughts were interrupted. He heard a wooden rapping-like noise in the barn door. He, as well as the other three, jolted up. They exchanged tensed glances. It was like that situation. Guards forcing their way to the barn, raping girls, young and adult alike. They engraved it in their minds. On the Aurelion farm, it was not unusual for things to go wrong. It was technically legal since the law did not consider them as humans. Why would a citizen be convicted if he raped some pig, cow, or chicken?

knock knock knock

“Who’s that?” asked Gert.

But no one talked, and everyone held their breath. Gert and Ranulf picked up sturdy planks lying on the ground while Elise gathered the children behind her. Sieg slowly walked in front of the barn door. The atmosphere became heavier and heavier. Sweat trickled down Sieg’s cheeks.

knock knock knock

The heavy thumping continued to grow. Sieg gulped. When he held the barn door’s lock, the coldness of the metal assaulted him. Slowly, Sieg twisted and unlocked it. With Gert and Ranulf ready at his back, he opened the barn gate. 

Six men came to his vision, covered with dirt and grime. They carried rifles in their hands, their bodies tinged with splashes of crimson. The two of them stood unstably and were supported by others. Their bodies were decorated with fresh wounds, their breathing ragged. 

One man stood forward, blood dripping from the gunshot wound on his right arm. His face lit with anguish and grief. Slowly, he threw his rifle on the ground and looked straight into Sieg’s eyes. 

“Help us… Please.” 

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