Höllenbadt: Book two of the Torus Saga

by Berg, Michael

  By the time the machines had cleared a path around the wildfire and had arrived at the triple intersection, they had gained a considerable amount of time and distance. The machine drivers had also fallen for their decoy and had taken the right trail, thinking the group would not have taken the way directly ahead as it looked overgrown and strewn with debris, thus slowing them down. And despite tracks leading off to the left, it looked as though the main group was going right as they could see a few different cartwheel marks. “They won’t fool us. They went right, those tracks on the left are a decoy to try and slow us down.” Such was the relatively low state of alertness of those in service to the Agent, for they were indeed bound to anxiety during situations where a direct report to him, they failed to consider all the options as the group ahead had constructed.

  After three miles travel along the partly sealed road, the scout riders again returned to them – they were now going slower to give the horses some respite. “There is an abandoned settlement ahead. We should stop there for a while and figure out what we are going to do. The snow is more consistent from there on and the road will need to be cleared as we go.”

  “Did you see anyone at the settlement?”

  “Not as far as we could tell, but they could be hiding. We still need to be very cautious.”

  By the time the entire group had reached the small settlement of half a dozen houses and a few farms, they decided they would spend the night there as it was only a couple of hours until dusk.

  The pursuers had taken the right trail but quickly discovered that it was a decoy as the wheel tracks suddenly disappeared, leaving only horseshoe marks continuing on. “Damn it! Double back. We need to take that middle trail.” They reversed each machine back to the intersection, as there was not enough room either side of the trail turn them around. When they had made it back to the intersection, they cleared the debris on the trail and quickly discovered the tracks left behind by the group.

  “This is definitely it. See the wheel marks left by that truck. And our stupidity falling for such a rudimentary work. Look at this decoy. Well, don’t just stand around, we need to move fast!”

  By the time they had reached the broken tar seal road, the day had turned to dusk. “We must keep going until we find them, even if it takes us all night. You know what a bad report would be like.”

  The group at the settlement were all located at the one farm property on the fringe of the village and could see the lights of the machines slowly winding along the road a few miles distant. “It is going to be a standoff – we are going to have to fight,” John said as they discussed their options. “Take the women and children, and the horses into the barn over there. Get all the weapons we have and all the gunpowder. We’ll need them. If they catch us there will be no more use for it ahead, so we might as well give it our best shot now.”

  Steve had a plan for the coming assault. “First we set up some barricades using anything we find suitable – wood, metal, wire…anything. While you men do this, John can make us some handy little bombs we can throw. But he also needs to make a few packages we can set in the ground with fuses as well. That is where the barricades come into it. We need to narrow the access into this place. After that, we fall back and locate ourselves in a broad semi-circle around there where we want to stop them.” He pointed to a place a hundred yards away where the path into the farm went between some rocky outcrops. “If we can hold them up there, we can open fire with guns and the bombs John makes.”

  “What if they get through?”

  “Then it is open warfare – we are going to have to do our best to kill them. I know that sounds bad, but if we don’t kill them, they will kill us, or take infect us with the Agent. Find some places where we can hide and fire at them from. Make sure they are good too – those laser weapons can have a devastating effect.”

  “What about if they check the town first, can’t we get them there and save them getting close to the majority of us?”

  “I thought about that, but I think by channelling them in here, we can have our best shot at taking them out for good. So let’s get to it. I reckon on them being here within an hour, even if they check the town first.”

  The first mistake their pursuers had made was to keep this chase for themselves and not advise anyone else seeking who could assist them. They had foolishly decided this was going to be their prize for presentation to the Agent. Their second mistake was to look around the village for the group. There was simply no room amongst the houses for them all to hide with horses and carts. And their third mistake was to underestimate the force they were about to encounter.

  John had been cunning making the hand held bombs. He had fashioned a dozen hand grenades with fuses and they were affective at halting the machines. He had told the men to aim for the underside of the machines where they were exposed to damage, as the upper side looked like carbon nano fibre and would repel the small bombs.

  The planted explosives had missed their mark – going off behind the machines as they entered the property. When they eventually came to a halt from the barrage of grenades, their drivers disembarked – each of them in a rage. Such was their state, two of them failed to focus on their own strategies and despite having laser pulse rifles, they were no match for the group of determined men, using weapons of times long passed.

  The other machine driver, who had been at the depot back in the valley, took a different approach as soon as he was out of his machine. He had been sneaky enough to avoid the volley of gunshot and had successfully made his way around the men by first doubling back, and then taking a wide route towards the barn. When he arrived there, he found it undefended and could hear noises coming from inside. Carefully he picked his way through the piles of old derelict machinery at the rear of the barn towards a small door. When he burst inside, unleashing laser pulses, he injured three people before they really knew what was happening. The men outside heard the commotion and rushed back to defend the barn. The intruder sought frantically for cover - unable to find any, he seized Carmel as a hostage. It was a standoff. The men stood, their guns at the ready watching him, looking for any opportunity to take him down.

  “Don’t think about making a move or this bitch gets it!”

  “You are not going to get away from here alive,” one of the men said.

  “Oh yes I am and I am taking her with me. Now lower your weapons unless you want to see her dead.”

  They had no option – his laser weapon was held against her ribs. Slowly he stepped backward aiming for the small door he had entered through. He went through the door dragging Carmel with him and immediately pushed her onto the ground. Some of the men rushed to the exit, whilst the others went back outside and around the barn to cut him off. The intruder was surrounded and became agitated realising his situation.

  “I’ll kill you! I’m not going to leave this place empty handed.”

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked him from her position on the ground.

  “None of your business. You’ll soon see the darkness and essence oblivion when the Agent takes over…”

  “But he already has.”

  “Not enough for him. He is never satisfied. Now shut up and get up!” He looked around for options and decided on cover behind an old machine about twenty yards from the barn.

  John was watching seeing Carmel being pushed along, the laser rifle stuck in her ribs. “Let her go,” he shouted.

  “No way. She’s my ticket out of here. Don’t move or I’ll kill her.” When he made it to the machine, Carmel slipped and began to fell. This destabilised the intruder and his rifle went off, striking her in the leg. Immediately she fell to the ground in agony.

  “Fuck you!” John yelled and charged towards them.

  “Watch out John!”

  The intruder steadied himself and fired, but he was off target and the laser pulse struck the side of the barn. John was in a rage and kept coming. He tackled the intruder then set upon him. He didn’t shoot -
instead he began a fistfight. First he struck the intruder in the head with a decent punch, but the intruder was half ready and was able to fight back using his rifle as a club. He struck John in the torso, causing him to bend over with the pain, but only for a second. John fought back and knocked the intruder over. This was all he needed as he set upon him again and lay a volley of punches into the intruder. He kept punching him – he had him pinned down. On and on and on, John kept punching, his rage growing. He felt as if he would teach this intruder a lesson and make him pay for the suffering he had brought, injuring Carmel, and further as a minion of the Agent. By the time had could punch no more, and the intruder lay there unconscious, his face bloodied and swollen, John calmed down.

  John turned to look at Carmel, who was being helped by some of the others. He was seething and angry, his chest heaving and his rage barely subsided. “Screw the lot of them,” he yelled. When at last he had calmed right down, he dropped the laser weapon and went inside where the others had taken Carmel.

  She lay on a bed of straw with a large gaping burn in her right leg, “How is she? Will she live?”

  “It looks bad John, but I think if we treat this wound, she will make it.”

  “Man, you gave it to him,” Steve said. “Quite a fit of rage there.”

  “Yeah, I’ve bloody had enough. Those bastards are everywhere and it is time they began to pay. I’ll take revenge on any of them for this.”

  Carmel’s eyes turned to look at John - they were not eyes of pain, but of sadness. Although John had saved her and she was grateful, she was upset at his rage, and his temper. ‘The anger makes him look beastly,’ she thought. Then she passed out.

  Chapter 12

  The group decided to stay at the farm for the next week, so those injured could heal, and posting a strict guard over the minion – feeding him little. John was going through the broken machines looking for any technology they could use for themselves. He was still in somewhat of a rage – the injury to Carmel and his tiredness of running from the Agent, fuelling him. He was not seeing what was apparent before his very eyes. His rage and anger was blocking his vision, both in sight and in heart.

  “John?” Carmel had surprised him.

  “What are you doing out here Carmel?”

  “It’s Ok John, I can walk with the help of this crutch one of the men made for me today. What are you doing?”

  “Just going over these machines to see if there are any parts we could salvage.”

  “You still look angry John.”

  “Yeah well that idiot could have killed you. And I am sick of this running. It has been years now.”

  “But I am here. He didn’t kill me.”

  “Thankfully. I don’t what I would have done if he had killed you.”

  “John…you need to calm down.”

  “I can’t calm down Carmel. All this seeming endlessness in struggle. Constantly moving on, constantly keeping out of sight. All these years…and the violence now with the Agent. It was not as bad when the authorities were in charge.”

  “It was as bad John, you were just seeing it differently. It was a challenge to you then, only now does it seem like a struggle.”

  “It was a struggle then. But you are right in a way – it was more like a challenge. It was as if I was being called…called to do something to help people and to actually live. Now it seems just a case of survival. Everything is gone…”

  “What about Chris, your son? You helped to have the implants removed.”

  “But he is still with the authorities.”

  “At least he is not subject to the viruses from the Agent.”

  “True. But is not so different, he is still far from me. Far from living. It is as if he…we are existing, not living.”

  “It does appear like that John. We are not often living as the people we thought we were and we are being subjected to things that make us spend our time where we would rather be somewhere else.”

  “It makes me angry Carmel. I am getting tired and angry. Angry with the running. Angry with those people I am close to being threatened or disappearing all together. Angry at not having my place to live where I can choose what I will do on any given day. Sometimes I just want to rage and fight it all…destroy it all so I …we can live. It is like my life is not my own and that I am just a pawn in the playing out of this game. I even question why I bother at times. It might be easier to just give in, be ignorant.”

  “But that is not your way John. You are not such a person to give in. You have always stood up for your way, your feelings about life.”

  “And look where it gets me - constant struggle and nil return. It seems futile. Look at me, at us, we are fleeing the tyranny of the Agent, just to get closer to the tyranny of the authorities and there is no end in sight, no objective, other than survival. We are at the mercy of those few who play these games to control people.”

  “It is not entirely like that John. Sure, you see many people who give in and just become part of the game those players play. They want to forget the struggle to survive and just take it easy. You are not like that. We are not like that. You are a beautiful soul John so don’t let anger and rage take the place of what is truly in your heart. You are a leader too, it is just you do not see yourself this way. Your struggle is one in oppressive times. Many times humanity has been led away from oppression by people like you. Individuals who care enough to do what they can, in their own way, to make changes. And unfortunately, many of those changes get slapped in the face because they do not suit the agenda of others. Don’t let yourself slip away to this anger and rage. Remember who you always are and be that person. It does not matter if many don’t see this. You know inside you are doing the right thing – it is your way, and your intentions that are key here. Never lose sight of that John. People and things may fall by the way side and at times you may struggle and it can look as if everything is against you, and us, and this is the time where you must draw upon your inner strength and not lose sight of yourself. Because if you do, then those who oppose you, oppose your ways, will win and all this will be in vain.”

  “I know what you are saying Carmel, but I feel as if it will be anyway and they will win. My work is insignificant…even with the flux mechanics, because one day someone else will do it, or do it better and so I am nothing…”

  “That is never the case John…ever. You can never be nothing. You can never be insignificant, despite what you may think in that you are small and they are big. Be relative to yourself and focus on this as your centre. It does not matter what anyone thinks…even if some person says your work is no good. Their view is for them. Your view is for you. They are no more correct for you than yourself. If you believe, you will create. Also, from what you have told me, I think you are the leader with these mechanics.”

  “I have felt angry. Often I feel as if I just should not bother and that I may as well be surrender myself…for all the difference it will make. People will still carry on. Chris will be Ok…after a while. It’s not like he thinks much about me anyway.”

  “You may be very mistaken there John. Chris is your son and children never forget who their parents are, despite distance or time. And you should never consider yourself better off surrendering yourself to the blandness of either The Agent or the Authorities. You have life and that is so much more than most people on this planet care to think about. They are consumed and have been for so many years. This latest thing…the authorities and the Agent, is the manifestation of this, and of the inwardness that is prevalent through consumption. Do be too inward John.”

  “Yeah…um…”

  “You said to me not so long ago that you were glad I had left the authorities because I might have ended up as something as a result of all this inwardness.”

  “I remember.”

  “Yes, do remember John. Whatever comes along and however down about it you may feel there is always you, the elemental you and the intentions in your heart.”

  “Yo
u are right Carmel. You do get me thinking at times.”

  “You said that before too.” They both laughed for a moment in recollection of this. “And one other thing. Why don’t you look at these machines in a different way? Perhaps you can see something you can build from them. I did notice that as you pull parts out of this one when I walked up, you seemed to be guided a bit by your rage tearing them apart.”

  “You may be right. I was looking at it as salvage and out of desperation. Maybe if I approach it with the idea of building something new.”

  “Of course you can. You always have and you always will John.”

  “Thanks Carmel. Can I help you get back to the barn?”

  “No, it’s Ok. I think my leg needs to work a little anyway.”

  “Ok. Well, I should get to work on building something.”

  “Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”

  “So, how did you go John?”

  “You were right Carmel. I was looking at it the wrong way. I have come up with an idea I would like to discuss with the whole group and see if they agree.”

  “Ok John. You make me happy. Can I ask something?”

  “Sure, ask away.”

  “Can we use the light? I am happier now and I want to run it.”

  “Why not.”

  That night, everyone was situated in the barn talking. They all sat together in kerosene lantern light, and light being powered by Carmel’s steam engine. John was about to gain everyone’s attention, but Carmel interrupted him first by letting off some steam pressure, prompting everyone else to glance in her direction.

  “I have been going through those machines we have acquired from those who pursued us, and I have some good news - thanks to Carmel.” John gave her a quick glance and smile, as everyone else also looked her way for a moment, before returning their gaze to John as he continued. “Thanks to her, I have looked at what we can do with the machines and I have decided there are some options ahead for us by using them. As you probably know, each one individually is pretty useless, as our little bombs have rendered them un-drivable. Instead of just stripping them for parts that I considered may become useful at some time, I have come up with a plan to re-build a machine.”