Mengy seemed to ignore him as she waved her arms and the door behind them shut. Even though she had been the warmest and the friendliest towards him, she was just as suspicious of him as everyone else. Because he wouldn’t tell anyone a great amount of himself and she couldn’t read his mind, she knew she couldn’t trust him and had to keep a sharp eye on him.
* * *
After walking down seven hundred dark wooden steps, everyone stopped on the ground. They were all standing on the concrete path in the middle of the warm yet hard soil. Skipton and Lukeson past the animals and went to a ten foot metal gate. Lukeson went to a metal keyboard on the right side of the gate and started typing on it.
Rustom was looking around. “So is this where you guys live? Under Blackpool?”
“As you know, the Earth’s surface is running out of room to let us build for our needs,” Kathy said, “so that’s why we live underground.”
“And it would make us less like easy targets for the surface dwellers,” Stu Pot said.
Then Rustom spotted something. “Nice to know you have energy at least.”
Kathy looked at where he was looking at. “Oh, our geothermal generator. You like it?”
The vast red geothermal generator had a steam pumping pipe on the left and a water pumping pipe on the right. Both poles nearly touched the roof. Its maintainers were a mole, a badger, a skunk and a rabbit, all wearing bright yellow jackets and hard hats.
“One thing I am impressed with you guys already,” Rustom said, “is that you guys create and live on your own power from renewable energy instead of relying on fossil fuels and nuclear power like most humans.”
“Well, just because we can walk, talk and do activities that humans can do,” said Larissa, “doesn’t mean we have to be like them: selfish, worried about life and ruining the planet.”
Then Rustom reminded himself that Blackpool had never been one of the best places on Earth for geothermal energy. He turned to Paula. “Did you have something to do with making this place reliable on geothermal energy?”
“Wish I could say I did,” Paula said, “but a mole who worked with Sergeant Lukeson in the early years did.”
“And you call yourself a genius, do you, Paula?” Rustom smirked. He got no reply from her, just a hard stare.
Then the giant door opened.
“Move on,” Skipton said to everyone.
Everyone walked through the gate.
“Welcome to your new home, Rustom,” Lukeson said. Then he and Skipton let Squad J through.
* * *
Rustom had to admit he was impressed as he went through to the other side of the gate. As he walked with the G.C.A. staff and soldiers, he was beyond amazed to look at the giant city. It was massive and beautiful. It was like an urban city but with more trees, bushes and plants and fewer buildings unlike the urban cities on the Earth’s surface.
Then he saw how the animals and the very few humans were living in big beautiful log houses. Each roof was covered by solar panels. They all had big gardens with lots of trees, bushes and plants perfect for pollinators. Then he noticed the very tall log hotels and wooden skyscrapers. “This is the most beautiful city I have ever seen in all of my two millenniums. I never thought you guys could live in such luxury.”
Rustom looked up and noticed the entire ceiling two hundred feet above the whole city was decorated with solar panels. He noticed it was supported by many metal columns scattered all over the city. “Am I to assume that it’s the geothermal heat and the solar panels that are helping the trees and the plants grow?”
“And the water we use from our own rivers,” Paula added.
“That way we get oxygen down here and we don’t need to live on air conditioning,” Pedro said.
“Not to mention these paths and roads have given old worn car tyres a new purpose rather than letting them rot in a landfill,” Rustom praised, as he looked down at the path they were walking on. Then he looked at the eco-friendly roads with wooden cars, buses, lorries, bikes and motorbikes passing by.
“And look, twelve o’clock,” Stu Pot said. “You’ll like this.”
Rustom looked around to see a café made out of wood. “Végétarienne Ciel,” he read.
“You’re not expecting meat, are you?” Kathy said.
“Rhinos are herbivores, moron.”
“I know that!” Kathy snapped. “I was just saying G.C.A. is one hundred percent anti-meat everywhere on the planet.”
“Even when the animals die, they don’t get turn into meat?” Rustom asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
“What about dairy, eggs and honey?”
“Well, we leave it up to the animals that produce those foods to decide what to do with them,” Paula explained. “It’s less painful and more sustainable than the humans ever did when they were in charge of their food productions before the Great Mutation Storm.”
Then the tour continued, showing Rustom the big post office, the popular shopping centre, the grand library, the massive fitness centre and the biggest veterinary centre he had even seen, though he was certain he would never need it. Then Mengy tapped on his shoulders and pointed to the big cinema.
“You guys watch the same movies the humans on the surface watch?” Rustom said. “How can you afford to pay taxes in a place like this?”
“No animals pay any tax at all,” Kathy said. “No one knows how it works, but I believe Lukeson, Skipton and Tugson are the only ones that get paid and they use their earnings to help the animals live and work voluntary in this massive organization.”
“What about those non-military human beings?” Rustom asked.
Squad J saw a female ginger-hair human going into the school, followed by a male human wearing a bright orange work coat with a white hard hat heading for the geothermal generator and a dark haired female woman with glasses came, carrying a cardboard box of paperback books heading to the library.
“I don’t think they get paid either,” Stu Pot said.
“So what is this city called?” asked Rustom.
“Blackpool Underground,” Stu Pot told him.
“Underground?”
“So you don’t get confused with the Blackpool on the surface,” said Kathy.
“Okay, guys, tour’s over,” Lukeson said. “Let’s get to HQ.”
Everyone started to move again.
* * *
After five more minutes of walking, Rustom looked ahead and saw that they have stopped in front of the biggest building of all in the underground city. It was a very vast and clean skyscraper made out of logs like all the buildings in Blackpool Underground and was about thirty floors high.
“I take it this is the town hall of this underground city?” said Rustom.
“Not just that,” said Stu Pot. “You could call this the White House of all of G.C.A. Or we simply call it the Log Scraper.”
“And you’re going to meet the President,” Lukeson told Rustom.
“How many trees did you guys have to cut down to build this underground empire?” Rustom went on.
“Only two hundred and fifty trees for this city alone,” Paula explained. “We only cut them down when they die and can’t grow anything anymore. The rest of the wood comes from the surface that humans throw into their wooden skips at their recycling sites. Then G.C.A. has them brought here to our cities and turn them into buildings, vehicles and even entertainment items like wooden TVs, video games consoles and computers.”
“Because what’s the point of relying on energy that’s going to run out in the future?” Kathy said.
“Also we rarely need to burn logs for warmth, thanks to our geothermal energy,” Stu Pot added. “So, all in all, the trees are well safe with us.”
“Very good,” said Rustom. “Very good.” Then he was greeted by a solar panelled pistol. “I wasn’t being sarcastic, Sergeant,” he said. “I really meant it.”
“This is your last chance to tell us who you are and where you come from,”
Lukeson warned.
“Sergeant, you know that’s not going to work with me,” Rustom said. “You’re just doing this to vent your frustration, aren’t you?”
“I want to know why you’re asking so many questions if you’re not spying for anyone,” Lukeson said.
“Well, if this is going to be my new home,” Rustom said, “I just want to know how everything works and what the rules are.”
Rules? Lukeson still wasn’t convinced. You probably just want rules so you break them or, worse, change them if you take over from Tugson.
“Sir,” Paula called, looking from her Spy Pad. “The first half of today’s match finishes in five minutes. We will then only have half an hour to report to Captain Tugson.”
Lukeson withdrew his pistol and ordered everyone to enter the Log Scraper, but he still gave Rustom the untrusting eye.
They went into the clean and shiny reception. The room was creamy white, decorated with large paintings on the creamy-white painted walls and with large indoor plants in vast plant pots. There was also a giant common vampire bat in a smart blazer, shirt and skirt and was wearing glasses was sitting behind the wooden desk typing on her wooden computer.
“Hello, Carol,” said Lukeson.
“Hello, Sergeant,” said Carol. “Captain Tugson has asked not to be disturbed this afternoon. It’s Saturday afternoon, you see.”
Lukeson and Skipton looked knowingly at each other.
“Why? What happens on a Saturday afternoon?” asked Pedro.
“I would think football has something to do with it,” said Lukeson.
“Everyone, into the lift,” said Skipton.
CHAPTER TEN
The wooden lift took everyone to Floor Thirty which was the highest floor of the Log Scraper. They entered the room. It was so enormous that it covered the entire floor. It was surrounded by windows with tree frames over them. There was a large long oak wood table for meetings in the middle. The back of the room had a large pinewood desk with a wooden computer. The left hand side had a soft comfy cream-coloured wooden desk chair with bookshelves behind it.
This room was the thing that impressed Rustom the most. He thought it had to be not just the biggest room in the Log Scraper, but in the entire city of Blackpool Underground. Maybe the biggest room in the entire organisation of Global Creature Alliance.
“Come on, Seasiders!” shouted an old man’s voice.
Everyone turned around to see a man in a wheelchair watching Blackpool Seasiders playing a match on a seventy-inch energy efficient wooden plasma TV screen on the right-hand wall of the room.
“And it’s a draw for both teams as we come to end of the first half,” said the TV announcer.
Lukeson nodded to Mengy. She clicked her fingers.
“What?” the man cried. “The TV’s broken again!”
“No, Captain,” said Skipton. “Now the first half is over, we desperately need your full attention.”
The man spun around and everyone except Rustom stood to attention as they saw Captain Tugson’s grey and curly hair, eyebrows and beard facing them. He was wearing a British Army Captain’s uniform.
“Salute!” Skipton ordered, as he and everyone excluding Rustom did.
“At ease,” said Tugson. “I take it that the mission in Egypt was a success.”
“Your report, Sergeant,” Skipton said to Lukeson.
The Welsh sergeant approached and told Tugson the whole story of how they failed to catch a cobra sphinx but learned where they came from. Then he explained about Akins and his magical army of monsters. They couldn’t work out where his magic powers came from but they managed to defeat him and stop him from conquering the planet, though sadly it cost all the lives of the top Blackpool nine squads and Squad J’s very own Rachael Rhodes during the mission.
Tugson sighed sadly. He found this news very upsetting.
Then Lukeson gave him the news about them bringing back the broken emerald stone pieces from the ring that Akins wore the whole time while he was leading his invasion.
Tugson was curious about the emeralds as Paula dropped them in his hands. “How did they break?”
Lukeson introduced him to their new recruit Rafig Rustom. He explained about his abilities and how they helped G.C.A. during the mission.
The captain wheeled over to Rustom and surveyed him. “You said this rhino carries weapons in his body?”
Paula pointed out that the rhino was hit by lightning and stabbed through the neck by a large kongamato beak and he was still standing on his feet in Tugson’s office.
Tugson scoffed. “Maybe working in the heat for three days has dried your minds out.” Then he jumped when he heard a loud bang and red blood splatter all around his beautiful office. He looked at the rhino lying on the floor unconscious. Blood was leaking out of his forehead. He noticed he had a Glock in his hand. He must have been the one who fired a bullet in his head. But why would he do that?
“He looks dead to me,” the captain said.
“Do I now?”
He was shocked to see Rustom standing up on his two feet and smiling. He also noticed that the bullet hole on his head was there no more.
“Is that enough proof for you?” Rustom asked.
Then Lukeson told Tugson about all the experiment tests they performed on him to see how indestructible he was and how he surpassed them all.
In all of his fifty nine years of his life, the confused captain had never seen or even heard of so many unexplained mysterious events in his life, including the sorcerer in Egypt with his cobra sphinxes and lightning birds and now a rhino that was indestructible and could carry his own weapons in his own body among them. What was next? Talking gemstones that could boast about how beautiful they were?
“All right, pay attention,” Tugson said, after so much considering. “Squad J, find out everything you can about these emerald pieces and let me ASAP. The sooner we know about this magic, the better.” He gave them back to Paula. “And, as for that rhino, make sure he’s officially signed up as a private and has a bed at the sleeping barracks.”
“As long as it’s bigger than a cradle, I’m happy,” Rustom said unenthusiastically.
Lukeson ignored him and saluted Tugson. “Yes, sir.” He turned to Squad J. “Squad, let’s get to work.” They started to head to the lift.
“Lukeson?” Tugson called. “I didn’t dismiss you.”
Lukeson sighed. The biggest downside to his job was the meetings with his own commanding officers. All the arguments, all the lectures, all the hearing the bad news about the animals not being happy among everything. This was the last thing he and Skipton wanted to do right now, but Tugson insisted it be done and before the second half of the football match began.
Lukeson addressed Squad J. “Guzman, you know your tasks. Pedro, Larissa, keep out of trouble. Potter, we’re still going to do our hour’s reading today so make sure you practise. Meng, sort out Rustom and clean the blood in the Captain’s office before you leave. And Toronto, if you’re volunteering at the vets this afternoon, don’t overdo it. Right, dismissed.”
Squad J saluted and walked into the lift. Just before the doors closed, Mengy waved her arms and the blood in the room disappeared.
A stressed but determined Lukeson sat on the left side of Tugson’s table and Skipton sat on the right.
“What is the purpose of the meeting, Captain?” Lukeson asked.
“Need I tell you how bad things are, Sergeant?” Tugson said. “We have lost nine squads out of ten and we’re stuck with the immigrant squad. We need more help.”
“How, sir?” Skipton said. “We can’t force all the animals to learn to be soldiers like the human race did to the males in the past. Some are too old, too young or too disabled to be trained and the animals still in training are still months away from being able to step out into the field. Also we can’t reveal ourselves to the humans and ask for their help yet.”
“Sir, if I may?” said Lukeson.
“You ma
y,” said Tugson. “As long as –”
“It’s about Squad J,” said Lukeson.
“No, Lukeson,” said Skipton.
“Oh, come on, sir.”
“They may be the only squad left here, but the laws state that foreigners are not allowed to be promoted or advanced to Squad I, let alone Squad A.”
“We make all the G.C.A. laws,” Lukeson said. “We can change them. Besides, I don’t remember even signing that law with you three.”
“Well, we are more senior than you – both in age and rank. And we have plenty of foreign animals taking all the British animals’ job.”
“They take only three percent of the jobs, sir. The rest of the working animals here are British. And what about Private Potter? He’s only Scottish. And what about Meng? She has used her magic for nothing but good.” Lukeson turned to Tugson. “Look at your office, Captain. It’s not blood stained anymore, thanks to her.”
“If we let Meng work her way to the top, her promotions could go through her head and her magic could not only enslave us but the whole world,” Skipton complained again. “We need to keep on top of her while we can.”
Deciding he was too tired to bite his tongue any further even to one of his commanding officers, Lukeson stood up and glared. “Ever since we started this company, Lieutenant, you have been nothing but very negative about the animals. Need I mention very harsh and strict with them? And more than you need to be. You are a part of making a history by trying to unite human and animal together for the first time in the history of Earth and yet you still self pity yourself.”
“You know it’s not my own fault I had a miserable childhood, Lukeson!” Skipton yelled, standing up as well. “You know it was my pain-in-the-ass dad that made my life a living hell on the farm and drove me to run away to join the army.”
The Cult of Kishpu Page 11
