by C M Dancha
Both men entered the hall together but separated. Krieger feared that he wouldn't be able to keep his emotions in check if Todd was anywhere nearby. Besides stealing his family heirloom and lying about Alex, Todd had by-passed Krieger to weasel his way into the Black Cross. He was now the Der Fuhrer's closest adviser. The two of them were inseparable and rarely did Gott make a major decision without Todd's input. It was inconceivable that Todd didn't know about Alex's death. In fact, Krieger was betting that Todd was notified of Alex's death by one of his agents and then passed the information on to Gott.
As Krieger seethed over Todd, Date Hattori entered the fitness hall from a nearby preparation room. He strutted to the sword training area. Besides carrying an authentic Odachi sword, the instructor was wearing a full set of Samurai battle armor. It was the same red and black armor he’d worn to Gott's celebration party several weeks before. No one in the crowd seemed to question why Date was wearing battle armor, although the explanation was quite simple. If he had to die today, then he wanted to do so wearing the garb of his Samurai ancestors.
As Date check his equipment for fit, Der Fuhrer entered the fitness hall from another preparation room. The hall erupted into a standing ovation; a reception meant for a conquering hero.
Der Fuhrer also wore a full set of Samurai battle armor. His was a striking yellow, red and black combination which also happened to be the same colors as the Black Cross logo. Once Gott assumed his position on the training mat, Date bowed and went over to check his opponent's armor.
"Hattori, have I put my armor on correctly?"
Date circled Gott examining the armor and making a couple of minor adjustments.
"You have done quite well considering this is your first-time wearing Samurai armor. Before we start, do you understand the rules of Odachi dueling?"
"Yes, I read the rules you sent me last night. Spearing is not allowed. The knees, throat, and underarms are off limits to blows. And, killing blows are ‘pulled’ before contacting the opponent's armor." Gott's smarmy recitation of the rules was enough for Date to suspect that he no intention of following them.
"Very good. Let's begin."
Date walked back to his position approximately twelve yards from his opponent. Before he turned to face Gott, he flexed each leg at the knee to make sure the throwing stars were still in place. A six-point, razor-sharp star was hidden on the back side of each knee plate. They were known as ’death stars’ and could be thrown with accuracy from forty yards to kill or maim an opponent. With the task ahead of him, Date thought that the death stars might be the difference between surviving or dying in the fitness hall.
Each man bowed in respect to his opponent. When the umpire blew his whistle to start the duel, each man raised his sword to a fighting position. Swords were lowered and raised in attack or defensive positions as each man pranced forward and backward, seeking an opening. This dance of swords went on until Date saw Gott make a defensive error. He immediately sprang forward and scored a killing blow across Gott's abdomen. Date was awarded three points and the duelers resumed their start positions to begin another joust.
The dueling went on for fifteen minutes with Date scoring at will. To keep the crowd interested, Date allowed Gott to score a few minor blows. At the twenty-minute mark, time was called to allow each fighter to cool down and rest. Darting around the dueling mat in the heavy, full body armor was exhaustive.
As Date sat on a chair and wiped his face and head with a towel, he looked around the hall to determine the position of the bodyguards. There were twelve, all armed with energy burst guns and other assorted weapons. All were roughly ten to fifteen yards from the dueling mat.
A short tweet from the umpire's whistle indicated that there were two more minutes of rest. Date retrieved his helmet from the floor. As he put it on, he noticed something very strange on the perimeter of the fitness hall. At first, he thought there was sweat in his eyes, causing him to see double. It was either that or what he saw were holographic images. He focused and realized that around the hall there were multiple Kriegers’. Everywhere he looked, there was a Krieger standing in the background behind the crowds and between the bleachers. After doing a quick count, he determined that there were close to two dozen of the tall, dark-haired assistants to Der Fuhrer.
The Kriegers’ were dressed in Black Cross uniforms. Some wore dress uniforms and others wore working fatigues. From the way they moved, he could tell that they weren’t holographic images – these were real, flesh and blood humans. He realized with a start that these Kriegers’ were replicants. They were clones of the original Krieger, just like Evelyn, Rollie and Easton were replicants. The only difference was that the host Krieger was still alive, whereas, Rollie, Easton, and Evelyn had been brought back from death.
Date speculated that one of the Krieger’s on the perimeter must be real. He was in the training hall to make sure his replicants carried out his plan correctly. Date wondered what Krieger had cooked up. He smiled at the ingenuity of the plot as the umpire summoned the duelers back to the contest mat with a double tweet from his whistle.
With his attention and sight darting back and forth between the Kriegers’ and Gott, Date was lucky to score a ‘draw’ in the first joust. By the end of the second joust, he could see the Kriegers’ moving off the perimeter toward the bodyguards. Date hurried the pace of next two jousts, so he could spend more time watching the Kriegers’. At the beginning of the fifth joust, the Kriegers’ removed burst guns, garrotes and knives from beneath their clothing and attacked the bodyguards.
A millisecond before the attack, a man stood up in the bleachers and started screaming at the bodyguards. "Look out! Look out! Turn around!"
It was Todd. He had seen the approaching assassins and tried to warn the bodyguards and Gott. As he scampered down the bleachers, he pulled a burst gun from a concealed holster and started firing at the Kriegers’.
The fitness hall erupted into a firefight and close hand-to-hand combat. The noise was deafening. Energy bursts flew throughout the hall. Some found their mark while others lodged harmlessly into the walls and ceiling. Many of the bodyguards were killed before they could turn around and respond to whatever the madman in the bleachers was screaming. Many of the observers laid on the floor, dying from mortal wounds. Others tried to hide in the bleachers to avoid the stray shots.
It took a moment for Der Fuhrer to realize what was happening. When he turned to run out of the hall, Date plunged his sword through the top of Gott’s foot. The rawhide, silk stocking and half sandal he wore were easily penetrated by the razor-sharp sword. Gott was anchored to the mat and couldn't escape.
He screamed out in pain and dropped to his knees. His weapon laid useless by his side on the mat. Blood was flowing from his wound, soaking the dueling mat and surrounding floor. He tried to grab the sword by its hilt and pull it out of his foot, but Date held it in place as he watched the killing take place throughout the hall.
The pain was excruciating. Gott had to get his foot loose and escape from the hall before he passed out. "Please Hattori. I'll give you anything. Just take the sword out."
Date held the sword in place and ignored Gott’s pleas. He was trying to locate Todd and the real Krieger in the chaos. At the far end of the hall, a Krieger emerged from a large cloud of burst gun vapor. He walked toward the dueling area carrying a garrote in one hand and a burst gun in the other. He glanced at Date, his eyes pleading with Date to allow him the honor of killing the diabolical Gott. Without speaking or gesturing, Date invited him to end the life of Hell's primary agent on Earth. A slight smirk crossed Krieger's mouth and he started toward his prey.
As he drew his burst gun and aimed at Gott, a hole opened in his chest and he fell to the ground. Date looked behind the fallen Krieger and spotted Todd. His broad smile and glowing eyes spoke to how proud he was to kill Gott's assassin.
Todd moved cautiously toward Date, keeping his gun fixed on the Asian. "You're next, Hattori. Move away from Der
Fuhrer."
Date moved quickly. He stood Gott up and put him between Todd and himself. He yanked the sword out of Gott's foot and threw it, point first, at Todd. It wasn't on target and didn’t have enough velocity to injure Todd. As the agent sidestepped the sword, Date retrieved a death star and hurled it. The star sliced through the air and found its mark. It hit Todd in the right shoulder and embedded deep enough to make Todd drop his weapon. Date launched the second star immediately, which hit Todd in the left shoulder. Neither wound was lethal, but the stars caused enough damage for Todd to drop to the floor, landing on all fours, groaning in pain.
The battle within the hall subsided. A few of the bodyguards were still alive but in no condition to continue fighting. A handful of the Krieger clones walked casually out of the hall as though they were on a Sunday stroll in the park.
Date looked down at Gott who was gripping his foot. When he saw Date staring at him, he turned and began to crawl away. He struggled in desperation toward the nearest preparation room door.
Date picked up Gott's sword and walked ahead of him to block his escape.
"Please, Mr. Hattori. Please, don't hurt me. I'll give you half of everything. Better yet, you can have it all, just don't hurt me."
Gott's begging and groveling were embarrassing to the Samurai. A real warrior dies with honor. He welcomes death at the hand of a superior foe.
Date couldn't stomach Gott's behavior any longer. He sliced Gott's helmet strap in half and flicked the helmet off his head.
"No, no, no!" These were the last words Der Fuhrer uttered before Date beheaded him.
Date could hear the pounding of feet and yelling from outside of the hall. There was a mob of Black Cross employees, officials and military men heading toward the hall to investigate the commotion. He walked across to Todd and used the back of his expensive coat to wipe the blood from the Odachi sword.
Todd was still on all fours. He glared up at Hattori and attacked the Asian with a litany of verbal abuses.
"Why, you, Asian piece of dung. If I ever get my hands on you, I'll send you to your ancestors minus your balls." As he continued, his voice raised in intensity. "Do you hear me, Hattori? You better…"
Beheading Gott was a mission for his Great Lord, Jefferson. Chopping off Todd's head was a pleasure and offering to his Samurai ancestors.
45
MOVING FORWARD
The next twenty years were difficult yet rewarding for the peoples of the world. Economies were in shambles. Without welfare programs, people needed to learn how to fend for themselves. Those who had spent time buying and selling in underground economies had the least difficulty becoming self-sufficient. Those who had relied entirely on the government for survival found it difficult adapting to a new existence. The popular expression, ‘there's no such thing as free’, grew in popularity with each passing day.
Easton led a successful, yet passive revolution for democracy. The theory of freedom and capitalism spread throughout the world without military intervention. Groups bonded together by culture, need and in some cases, family. If a group wanted to live under democratic principles, then The Patriot group was there to support their decision. If they preferred another type of government, they were at liberty to pursue it. This was providing they didn't militarily or politically interfere in the affairs of their neighbors.
Easton was under no illusion. Some people didn't understand the concept of democracy and would never embrace it. Trying to force it upon them was as difficult as requiring them to speak a different language. Some people preferred to be ruled and told what to do throughout life.
Easton was offered several titles through the transition period to self-determination. The highest title he rejected was King. He was fed up with titles. In his opinion, they did nothing but over-inflate the egos of good men. This led to self-serving decisions and policies. Too much power in the hands of one man always led to corruption.
After the first five years, he weaned himself from leadership and retired to the east coast of old America. He pursued his passion for producing fine wines and cordials. The best grape saplings from around the world were transplanted on his land. Monticello, once again, became a thriving agricultural estate. It took five years before the saplings matured and started to produce wine-worthy grapes. In the interim, he rebuilt the main house which had been destroyed by M.C.'s mobile attack group. The new house was named Hemings House in honor of a special lady from his past. The wines he produced also carried the Hemings brand name.
Date Hattori and his trusted friend, Miguel, split their time between old Japan, the Amazon basin and Easton's estate. It took Easton several years to convince Date that he no longer needed the protection and services of a Samurai. To Easton, fulfilling the mission of killing Der Fuhrer and Mr. Todd was enough sacrifice and accomplishment for one person in a lifetime. Date never felt comfortable being an unemployed, Ronin Samurai. He sorely missed watching over a Great Lord.
To fill his time, Date created a new cloaking system which neutralized the kidney tracking device. To use it, all a person had to do was drink a cup of Date's special blend elixir. He made the potion available for a nominal fee which covered his costs.
The Black Cross and World Council movements fell apart rapidly after their leaders were killed. After Evelyn was eliminated by Sophia, there was an attempt to clone her. The result was a woman who walked with a limp and couldn't keep her mind focused on a specific problem or topic for more than five minutes. With each successive attempt to clone her, the results worsened. By the fifth cloning, the Evelyn replicant was reduced to a babbling idiot. She constantly drooled and laughed at everyone and anything.
History remembered Evelyn as a clever leader and devout believer in Socialism. She was praised for cloning two dozen Kriegers’ which were sent to Berlin to help assassinate Der Fuhrer. What no one other than Helmer, Claude and Claudette knew was that she was a mad hatter who came within minutes of unleashing another destructive plague upon the Earth.
Mr. Todd's remains were cremated. Other than the owner of the reopened Le Frotette restaurant in Paris, no one missed him.
Der Fuhrer's remains disappeared as mysteriously as they had appeared several years earlier.
Claude was fed up with everything. He’d had his fill of corporate politics, power crazy tyrants, war and trying to fit in socially with anyone other than Claudette. He and Claudette decided to stay in the Black Sea area and built a small home overlooking a peaceful bay. He considered turning himself in for killing Callie but was talked out of it by his partner. Her logic was simple and quite convincing. "Claude, what would it accomplish?"
Helmer Stanke became the chief development scientist for the Patriot group. He was put in charge of disposing of the CR47 machines. He had all the machines disassembled except for one. That one was put into storage where it was neglected and collected dust for many years. He decided not to pursue the last step in making the machine error proof. He did, however, put a detailed description of why the machine was flawed into the incubation chamber. Anyone from the future who thought about resurrecting the CR47 would know from the start that the machine produced flawed clones.
Helmer spent years trying to figure out what to do with the vial containing the mutated FISS plague. There didn't seem to be a fool-proof way of destroying the vial. He was afraid to open the vial for fear of unleashing the plague by mistake. Evelyn's description of the mutated FISS haunted him for the rest of his life. He kept asking himself over and over, "How did Evelyn know the plague mutated?" And "How did she know the mutation would kill off most of the Earth's population?" He elected to keep it in a secured vault with a detailed letter explaining the vial's contents.
Jason Milkweed took advantage of every opportunity capitalism offered. He started selling high-end fashions and oversaw a chain of beauty and hair salons. The Milkweed brand became synonymous with fashion in all cultures. Whether it was working clothes or formal attire, Jason had something to say about how e
veryone dressed and groomed.
Rollie and Raul remained friends and assumed leadership roles in the Patriot movement. Rollie was groomed to take over Easton's position when he retired full time to his vineyard. Raul took on the role of second-in-charge.
The hardest things for them to learn were the basic principles of democracy and capitalism. They spent countless hours studying and being tutored by Easton. In return, they became the educators of democracy and freedom when Easton retired. When they were invited to teach others about democracy, they carried a cheat-sheet with simple reminders of what democracy was and was not. Written on their cheat-sheet was the following.
1. Freedom is a God-given right which can only be maintained by sacrifice.
2. You have the opportunity to succeed. It is not a right. Those who succeed have the duty to teach others how to do the same.
3. You do not have the right to any other person's property. That person alone will decide, if and when, you can share his possessions.
4. Each human owns his time and labor. You have the right to keep the fruits of your labor. What you do with that fruit is your decision.
5. All those who are capable will work for their food, shelter and basic needs.
6. ‘Free’ handouts are never free. Someone always pays for handouts. Ultimately, free handouts have little or no value.
7. Government is a necessary evil, put in place to keep the peace and ensure safety. It must report to the populace and be staffed with people who are limited in their authority and time in position.
8. Socialism destroys the human spirit and ultimately makes everyone equally poor.
9. Humans need the opportunity to fail. It's the best way to learn.
