by Jim Spencer
‘We hold an annual tournament…to the death.’ Arion elaborated further as they walked towards the main assembly chamber, a massive golden dome which expanded across the circumference of the city. It was the epicentre. Arion remembered that these tournaments were held in here. It was a number of games, where people would volunteer, for a challenge in life.
In exchange, if they won, the champions would be sent out on adventures, or would have the choice to leave neutral country if they so wished. The competitions would vary between circus tricks to gladiator-like tournaments that would last for days. After people stopped volunteering, prisoners were made the focal point of entertainment. It was the only way they kept their prisoner count in check.
Anyone who committed a crime, no matter how big or small, would spend the time in the cell, fight in these tournaments, earn freedom or choose to stay free in the country. Of course exceptions were made after a few years. If they were murderers, then the only option would be exile or death. Or for a rapist it would be exile, death or public castration. For the men, their genitals were cut off and for the women, their ovaries were taken out without anaesthetic.
‘I have called everyone from the chamber cabinet. They are thrilled to meet with you. Some have not met anyone from civil country in their lifetimes, never mind tribe,’ he mentioned, eyeing up Sana as he said so.
‘Hey pal, watch your gaze,’ Arion lashed out at him.
‘I can handle him,’ Sana spoke.
‘It’s not about that,’ he said.
‘Put it this way, your punch is like a baby slap to me. Trust me, I can handle him.’
There wasn’t much more he could say to this and the guide took him out of his misery somewhat by adding,
‘Don’t be too offended. We are very open about our feelings here. And if this gets you so emotional, I wonder what will happen to you on valentine’s day.’
‘What the fuck happens on valentine’s day?’ Arion asked, not exactly wanting to know.
‘We have a public loving ceremony.’
‘When you say public ‘loving’ ceremony, you mean…’
‘Oh yes, definitely,’ he said, as if this was normal amongst people. Sana’s palm was on her face, covering her disgust as she tried her best not to hit him. But Arion had always known they were a bit more ‘free-thinking folk’ around here. Although, it was not exactly his idea of freedom. He preferred love to be sacred…and private, but hey, he was but one man.
‘And now, we are here,’ he said, as the great golden gate of the chamber house opened. A great coliseum like building opened up to them, with three floors of cabinet already sat in their positions. They moved fast Arion thought to himself. But he had no time to think of it, as the doors behind them closed. It was now or never, neutral had to decide what to do. Take sides, or die in a man’s greed for power.
*
‘Why are we waiting?’ Sana asked Arion.
‘They like to introduce themselves to the delegates. It’s like some tradition, though they stand up and show their fashion.’
‘I don’t like the way that sounds,’ she said.
‘Oh don’t worry. They just stand up and bow.’
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they did anything else,’ she implied.
‘I have to be honest, even neutral country have some rules.’
‘Oh yeah, because at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if incest is ok to them.’
‘Only on mutual consent,’ their guide told them, who didn’t seem offended by her tone.
‘They’re different here,’ Arion told her.
‘How come you know so much?’ she asked him.
‘I came with Tali when I was younger. He took a liking to me when I was small. Has helped to raise me ever since I was a boy. He always used to take me on expeditions like this. Used to tell everyone I was his son.’
‘Wow, suddenly I have more respect for Tali.’
‘I know, he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever known.’
‘So what do you think will happen here?’ she asked as the remaining delegates finished their bowing.
‘Progress, I hope.’
Chapter 23
All the planes fell to the ground, rocks were being thrown in as many corners as they could, but the casualties were still minimal with how many people there were. Alexander leaned on the floor and simply started to lash out at everyone. The rest of the men stood next to Alexander and created a semi-circle to protect the people of tribe. Ruto threw all the remaining weapons he had, which was mostly cutlery. Something had to affect them.
The men fell back after a few minutes and more people being killed. As Alexander and the others stood there, the others took out their guns and began to shoot. To Alexander it stung. It wasn’t a death stroke, but it sure hurt. They hurled themselves towards the people with guns, which were many in number. As they were distracted with the giants, Ruto took this opportunity to send out a new command.
‘Take out our last weapon,’ he instructed, and they took out the GP-002. They had two dozen weapons left. As the giant continued to lash at anything they could, some were beginning to weaken. Even giants couldn’t survive that long apparently. They took a shot at the people who were shooting the giants. Instantly they died and Ruto screamed out new instructions as their limp bodies fell to the ground.
‘TAKE THEIR WEAPONS!’
The people of tribe ran faster than the wind and were able to get there quicker than the army of tribe, although the giants did help. From then, it was a combination of a few things. The giants continued to lash out at everyone, the people of tribe shot civil country down. They still had a great deal of weaponry on them. Every time it looked like they were getting close to making tribe country retreat, the GP-002 would be used.
In desperation, Atan ordered the giants to be taken down. Some people began to shoot at the giants whilst others took knives and began climbing onto their arms. As the giants screamed in pain at the wounds being opened deeper, more people climbed above the giants like ants climbing a hill. Ruto utilised half of the GP-002 to be aimed towards the people climbing the giants, whilst the rest carried on the assault.
Drones were then utilised and took a strike against the people. Unfortunately, the machines were AI, so were able to manoeuvre the attacks, so some of the weaponry got the people of tribe. The giants intervened as best they could, although how much life they had left in them was anybody’s guess.
As if in answer to this, one of the giants began to stagger in his steps. He took out many drones and accidently stampeded on some of the tribe folk. The civil army took this upon them to climb upon this one person in that moment of confusion. He lifted them up in the air and they hung off the edges of the giant, making him look like some extremely disfigured spider.
As they stabbed into him all they could, the giant finally fell to the ground, dead. Luckily for Ruto, he crushed many civil army folk along the way. The people of tribe folk climbed atop the giant and all in unison fired the GP-002 in the direction of civil army. The combined strength off all the weapons created a see-through wave of energy. It expanded in the direction of civil army, and after the first few battalions were taken out, the army of civil had no choice but to retreat. Ruto ordered them to stop shooting and they did.
The army of civil staggered, leaving their dead behind. Ruto honestly didn’t know how many were taken out, but there was a good chance that half of them could be dead. He looked at the staggered bodies. An entire wall of people were dead in front of them. Laying across each side for a great distance. How far, even Ruto didn’t know.
‘What do we do with the bodies?’ Tali asked him, breathless.
‘We ask the giants to bury them for us. How many are left?’ he asked.
‘Three from what I can tell.’
‘Let’s hope they have enough energy to build us some pits.’
*
There was a general murmur of curiosity as Arion stood there, explaining the intricacies of the G
od Particle. He didn’t go into too much detail, for in all honesty, even he didn’t understand it completely. As he finally stood there and told them what had transpired, some of the delegates were observing him curiously while others were somewhat anxious of him. As he finished what he had to say, the main delegate, whom Arion presumed was the high chancellor stood up and spoke,
‘It is quite a tale you have told me, Arion.’
‘It is not a tale,’ Arion broke in, ‘It’s the truth.’
‘Well that remains to be seen.’
‘I’m sorry, but how can you not notice the sudden drop of the Nargus population, since they are closest to you. The only reason they don’t attack is because this region is too cold.’
‘That doesn’t stop them from trying.’
‘Well how haven’t they got through then?’
‘Due to an interesting discovery we made about them.’
‘What kind of discovery?’ Arion asked, taken aback by this.
‘Turns out they’re allergic to zinc sulphide.’
‘That’s a dangerous chemical,’ Arion told them.
‘We know, but we’ve coated the outer layer of our country with this substance, coated by a protective layer to stop it from igniting. So if they attack from the outside, it explodes onto them and they literally melt away.’
‘And would this not be useful information to share with your neighbours?’ Arion asked, somewhat insulted that they hadn’t.
‘There was no need. The outside provinces shall we say, are only more interested in power. But back to your point. Unless you can prove that this formula of yours exists, we can’t do or say anything other than the fact that this is a great fabrication.’
‘Very well,’ Arion presented them the GP-003. Everyone looked at an over-clunky gun and began to laugh in the courtroom.
‘This is but a mere weapon,’ one of them said, as some laughed but others continued to look curiously at the device.
‘I told you,’ Arion screamed in the crowd of laughter, ‘it can be used as weapon and healer.’
As some of the crowd continued to laugh, Cordell whispered at Arion.
‘Perhaps a demonstration.’
Arion did as he was told and surprised everyone by shooting the high chancellor. He died instantly, flopping to the ground like some ragdoll. There was stunned silence for a moment, until the assembly began to roar in outright fear of what he had just done. Before the situation could get out of hand, as he could see guards coming over to take them away, he shot at the high chancellor again and revived him.
As he sat there, wallowing in the life that had been suddenly returned to him, he gasped to the crowd,
‘Take these people away.’
‘Chancellor,’ Arion screamed, ‘we are not here to create war. We’re here to ask for your help in a war that is already happening.’
‘We do not interest ourselves in war,’ the chancellor told him, still breathless with the guards close at hand.
‘Look, chancellor. I have to tell you this. You need to understand. Once Atan is done with the region of tribe country, where else do you think he will go? The only other region left is neutral country. He is gonna come for you. Whether you’re ready or not. In his twisted fantasy of control, he wants power, in whatever way he can get it. The only reason he hasn’t is because I have this formula right now. And I’m the only one who knows how it truly works.’
The chancellor waved at the guards who let go of Arion and the rest and backed away, allowing the summons to carry on.
‘No man has ever dared to attack us in the years we have been here,’ he finally said.
‘He is one who would dare that,’ Arion told him.
‘And what got him the idea to do this? Your weapon?’
Arion was somewhat speechless on this. He honestly couldn’t deny that,
‘I guess so,’ he finally said.
‘Exactly, and although this ‘thing’ was created for good.’
‘It is not created, it is already a part of our environment.’
‘Whatever. If it is a healer, it is a weapon as well. If you won’t use it, then someone else eventually will. How do you know your comrades haven’t thought of it as a great weapon?’’
He couldn’t deny that either. Although Cordell was the only other person who knew the most about this, he still only understood the basics because Arion knew telling him too much was dangerous.
‘I suspect your silence means you agree. This is the reason why neutral country deliberately doesn’t dwell into these things. It creates too much conflict. There is no known safety.’
‘So you’re not willing to help us I take it?’ Arion asked him directly.
‘No’ the chancellor told him, ‘and neither are we willing to keep the formula safe for you either, for the reason I just told you. It would be better to destroy what you already have.’
‘Look. I still feel this can be kept safe. I feel if it is governed correctly than it can benefit society.’
‘The risk is too great.’
‘But what is life without risk? We have to take a step sometimes to gain peace, don’t we? We can’t just stand back and let everyone do what they do and hide in the corner calling ourselves peaceful.’
‘How dare you accuse us of that?’
‘Why shouldn’t I? That’s what you’re doing right now. Shying away and passing on the battalion to someone else to deal with.’
‘I think I have heard enough. I will have one vote of this in session now. If the vote goes against overall, then you will have to leave and not come back until the formula is destroyed,’ he said in a forcibly composed manner.
‘And if the majority vote in favour?’ Arion asked him.
‘Then we will, grudgingly I admit, keep the formula safe as to your instructions.’
‘Fair enough then. Get it over with,’ Arion said, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get any better with him. The chancellor faced the summons,
‘Those in favour of keeping the formula safe, please raise your hands now.’ quite a number of people did raise the hands, but in the overall crowd of people, it was in the minority.
‘And those who favour the destroying of this machine?’ Arion shook his head. He clearly didn’t understand the implications of what he was dealing with here. It got worse as the majority of the delegation raised their hands in unison. The chancellor asked one more question when the hands went down.
‘Lastly, people in favour of helping tribe country in their war against civil country, please raise your hands.’
Only a couple of people raised their hands, the rest simply sat there, stone faced.
‘I think you have your answer,’ the chancellor told him.
‘Fine,’ Arion answered, fuming inside.
*
‘Can’t they see what’s going on here?’ Arion spoke to the others once they were ordered to leave the country.
‘I know, but Arion. They have to think about their own security as well,’ Terence told him.
‘But it will come to bite them in the back eventually. What do you think?’ he asked Sana. She was a little surprised he asked for her opinion, as no other man other than her father ever did that.
‘He has a point about the weapons that have been created, but he should be helping us with our struggle as well. It will eventually come back to them.’
‘Well, there’s no use in that now. Any news from tribe?’ he asked Cordell.
‘Ruto just paged me now. The army of civil has retreated for now. They’re building pits to bury the dead in.’
‘Pits? How many died?’
‘Unknown. But he thinks about half. Apparently the giants are dead.’
‘Giants? They found giants? Wow. And Alexander?’ Arion asked.
‘Alexander isn’t there, it’s Genghis.’
‘Really? Well, whenever Alexander comes over, ask Ruto to send him to us. We’ll wait here for a day or so. Either way, I don’t trust neutral country, they might
try something. Did you see the way some of the chancellors were looking at us?’
‘Yeah I saw it. He said he’ll ask him as soon as he sees him,’ he finished. Arion sighed,
‘Good. Let’s sort out Atan now. Will he negotiate?’
‘He has to now,’ Sana told him, ‘no option if he’s lost half his men.’
‘Let’s hope he’s not so stubborn.’ Arion hoped, as they finally made their way out into the open region.
‘What about the god particle?’ Sana asked him.
‘I suppose I’ll have to destroy it. It’s too dangerous.’
‘I’ll keep it safe for you,’ she offered.
‘You don’t know what you’re asking,’ he told her.
‘And my people will not ask either,’ she told him. They paused for a moment, near the great golden gates of neutral country.
‘Ok, I’ll explain to you what it does and how it works.’
*
With the explanation over, and Sana and Arion joining the rest as they made their way outdoors, the cold air hit them straight away. As they held their hands close to their faces, the blizzard covered what was in front of them and they were unable to see it straight away.
*
‘Any orders?’ one of the generals asked Atan, afraid of what he might say.
‘How many people do we have left?’ he asked, clearly shaken by the great power of these weapons.
‘Just over one and a half million at last count.’
‘Send our finest to take over neutral country.’
‘Sir?’
‘You heard me, general. This formula needs to be kept safe. Neutral will be too ignorant of that. We need as many men as we can get to take down tribe country.’
‘But sir, isn’t this a bit…’
‘What general, what exactly is it?’ he asked him, dangerously.
‘Insane,’ he finished, clearly losing his cool with the high chancellor. The chancellor simply took out his gun and shot down the general point blank. He then turned to the remaining millions he was amongst and projected his voice with the speaker.
‘Our peace is being tested here. Great weapons of mass destruction are being used against us. To stop our way of life, our way of thinking. They now clearly want to take this formula to the people of neutral, who could use it against us. I order all the able-bodied men to go to neutral country and find where they may have hidden this formula. I want this weapon to be retrieved. You’ve already seen its power, let’s take down neutral country before they do anything to go against their peace and before they create chaos in the world.’
