Before they went to the
transport
aircraft, Mr.
Orwell - 1984
", said Frank and banged on the table.
John or one the others can organize the explosive for us.
Above all, the Russians sell a lot of NDC-23 on the black
market, mostly remnants of the dissolved army of the former
GUS", added Baumer. Frank just smiled and said nothing.
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. . Moreover, we must assume that some tunnel entrances
remain blocked for us, either because workers of the public
utilities are still working there, or because of the security
forces, that had locked them", explained Alf.
Frank scratched his head and cogitated. Alfred's plan
pleased him.
„We need some blowtorchs to open locks or grids, if
necessary", remarked Baumer. „We have a few in the
village here. It is no problem to take them. "
. . Brilliant! ", said Frank enthusiastically.
Alf continued: „And there is one more thing. If they scan the
tunnel system with infrared in the morning before the event,
we should have some cooling covers to cloak ourselves.
John can obtain them. Nevertheless, the whole operation is
really dangerous. We must consider everything! "
. . Well, we should go to Wilden, and tell him about our plan.
Perhaps he has some more good ideas", praised Frank his
friend.
Soon after, the village boss evaluated the plan, which had
been introduced to him by both men this time. Julia Wilden,
who stood next to her father, also seemed to be impressed.
Frank smiled at her and enjoyed her admiration.
Still much more had to be done, and next, the men went to
John Thorphy. The Irishman felt disturbed and openly
expressed his displeasure, when the two rebels tried to
send him out to buy the equipment for them. But finally,
Wilden gave him the order to organize the explosive and the
other things.
Where John Thorphy had found the NDC-23, he did not tell.
But it lastet only three days until he returned with over
twenty kilograms of the highly explosive material and gave it
to the two men with a big smile.
. . Procastrination is the thief of time! ", thought Frank, as he
regarded the plasticine-like mass, packed up in blue bags.
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His deadly idea slowly took shape, and in his mind he
already saw the hated politician torn to pieces on the
asphalt in front of the "Temple of Tolerance".
His dark, delusional resoluteness couldn't even be
destroyed by sleep disturbances, panic attacks or
nightmares anymore. He was eager to bring death to this
man and also to each other person, who would dare to
stand in his way. Frank just ignored the fright, that was
lurking in the night, and looked forward to the great day of
retribution.
Nothing should ever avert his revenge on this cruel world,
as Frank covenanted. Sometimes he went down in the dark
cellar, where Alf stored the explosive. All the rooms here
were cluttered with rotten boards and old crates. There was
not even a light switch. And while his friend slept, the young
rebel crept secretly down the stone stairs and bent over the
blue bags, which were sealed with adhesive tape, stroking
them with a dearful smile like a mother her newborn child.
Until middle of February, Frank and Alf spent their time with
the intensive study of construction plans. HOK visited them
several times, in order to give them still more current and
detailed recordings.
They planned, on recommendation of the computer
scientist, to enter the underground labyrinth at the "Avenue
of Saint-Ouen", nearly two kilometers away from the
security zone.
Here were endless dark tunnels and some of them lead
directly to the square in front of the "Temple of Tolerance".
Nevertheless, the trip to the underworld of Paris was
insanity. Apart from the fact, that they could not build on the
documents of the authorities of the city, there was also the
possibility to get lost in the dark corridors. Some tunnels had
been closed many years ago, or were just collapsed.
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Moreover, even the older employees of the city
administration did not know all the paths through the earth
anymore. Further, Frank and Alf didn't want to make the
acquaintance of the notorious catacombs of Paris. Those
dark places were a necropolis, as there was no second in
Europe.
Here rested the bones of over five million people, who were
brought into the darkness below the city, because of lack of
space on the cemeteries in the early modern times,.
Therefore, the former French capital stood on a gigantic
grave field. Alf often talked about these chambers of the
dead below the city, which were redundant with bones up to
the ceiling. Frank, who always said that he was not afraid to
die, became a bit scared, when he thought about these
spooky places.
„May the dead of Paris forgive us, that we enter their realm.
Their brothers in the netherworld, who look complaining
down at this earth, because their life was so early
terminated by the new rulers, will thank us, if we revenge
them! ", philosophized Kohlhaas.
However, there was a lot to organize now, far away from all
ghost stories about catacombs and dark holes in the
underground of Paris. Meanwhile, time pressed.
Frank and Alfred should be brought to Compiegne, in the
northeast of Paris, by an airplane, in order to penetrate the
city from there, behaving like harmless tourists. All the
planes in Ivas were registered and had completely
inconspicuous owners. Therefore, this approach seemed to
be clever.
Then, the two assassins wanted to drive from Compiegne to
Paris with a hire car. Their Scanchips were falsified and
soon they would see, if HOK's abilities had been good
enough. At least, the journey to Paris should start one week
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before the 01. 03. 2029, so that enough time remained, to
explore some tunnels in the nights before the event.
The shabby hotel, in which Frank and Alfred should wait for
the great day, had already been chosen by HOK. He had
booked a room for them on the Internet, and had also
contacted the hire car company in Compiegne.
All had to be planned to the smallest detail, because there
was no time to waste and uncertainties could become a
deadly disaster.
The takeoff of the small transport aircraft, which officially
belonged to Mr. Artur Burzius, a Russian insurance buyer,
should start from Ivas on 19. 02. 2029 at 9. 00 o'clock. Then,
the two resistance fighters would enter the lion's den. Still
two days remained. Time was ticking away and Frank had
to admit, despite all frights of the holo cell and the strokes of
fate he had overcome, that he was scared. Scared to death.
Afraid to die soon.
He tried to hide his nervousness, but his whipping with the
foot, when he sat at the kitchen table, and his talking while
he was dozing, betrayed him.
However, his friend felt the same. Alfred mostly ran through
the village in these days, speaking at each possible
opportunity with Wilden, who tried to encourage him.
Sometimes, he sat in the brightly illuminated kitchen during
the whole night, with a cup of tea and a cigarette, just
looking out the window. Baumer did not sleep very much
and waited eargerly for the start of the operation.
Julia is at the door, Frank! ", called Alf from the side room,
while his roommate tried to concentrate on a political
brochure. Dusk was already falling outside. The journey to
the west was set for 9. 00 o'clock tomorrow. During this day,
many villagers had come to the two men, to wish them all
the best for the operation. Several women had brought
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cakes and food. Even HOK had visited them again - with
some more construction plans in his hands.
Steffen de Vries, the Belgian, who lived with his family in
Ivas since four years and had to fly the two rebels to
Compiegne, had also been there for several hours.
Meanwhile, de Vries was also more than nervous.
Tm coming! ", answered Frank and left his bedroom.
Baumer had already led Julia in and went with her into the
kitchen. She was pleased to see Frank and shook his hand.
„l just wanted to wish you good luck! ", she said and seemed
to be concerned and gloomy.
„Thanks! We will need it! ", answered Alfred and took a deep
breath.
„Thanks, Julia! It's just nice to see you! ", returned Frank.
. . However, still a last beautiful sight, before we will enter the
spooky underground. "
Now, the pretty woman smiled shyly and didn't find the right
word for a short moment.
J wanted to. . . ", she stammered. „lf it will be too
dangerous. . . however. . . and you have no chance to reach
Wechsler, you can always stop the operation! "
Julia stared with her sad eyes at the table surface. Frank
turned to the window and said: „We will see! When we are
in Paris, there will be no more turning back! "
„l meant. . . ", she added.
„Don't worry! We will be successful, and if not, the
catacombs are near and we will meet a lot of dead buddies",
joked Alf with a cynical undertone.
Julia Wilden obviously found this not very funny and shook
her head. „Don't say such stupid things! ", she spoke quietly
and seemed to be close to tears. Kohlhaas enjoyed it, to
see her in such a condition, if he was honest. Now the
beautiful Fraulein, who was always a bit precocious,
showed some feelings.
123
But Frank still played the hard rebel: „We will return for sure,
Julia! We will kill this asshole without mercy! "
Then she said goodbye with tears in her eyes and shook
Baumefs hand. Frank was even hugged by her. He was
pleased that she treated him in such a way, and briefly, he
was nearly inspired. But he checked himself and tried to
think about something else, ignoring the pretty, young
woman.
„She likes you, Franky! ", teased him Alf, after Julia had left
the house.
"No idea! ", answered his friend with a shake of the head.
"She is really nice! ", added Baumer with a broad grin.
Frank turned away from him, went to the window and stared
at the squalid garden behind the house. It was dark and
rainy outside.
The two rebels were still awake for several hours. Now they
were untwisted and nervous. This last night in Ivas, before
the highly dangerous job in Paris, was terrible for Frank. He
had weird dreams again, which afflicted him in the short
phase of his sleep during the morning hours. He could
remember just a few things on the next morning, when the
Fleming, his pilot, awaked him with loud banging and calling
at the front door:
Frank walked through a strange dreamworld once more. It
completely resembled the holo cell, in which he had
suffered for eight long months. White, sharp neon light cut
into his eyes and he trudged through the bright fog of light
without a real goal.
After a while, he recognized that it was his holo cell, but it
appeared much bigger as he could remember. The walls
could not be seen anymore and only the toilet and the hated
124
plank bed with its light-gray pleather stood in the middle of
the white light.
„Frank! ", he heard the deep voice of an adult of man from a
distance. „Fraaank! "
He followed the call and soon faced a terrible sight. In front
of him was an enormous spider net, full of thick, black
spiders. Some hatefully stared at him with their glinty eyes,
and their slimy mandibles twitched. Some of the creatures
hissed, when he appeared in front of their net, others were
busy with eating their prey.
The enormous spider net, which seemed to broaden into the
white illuminated sky, was full of screaming humans, who
were clinging to thick and slimy threads.
The young man came closer and saw now, who was in the
claws of the ugly spider monsters. It were babies. It was
Nico. They all were little Nicos. Nevertheless, their voices
did not sound like the voices of babies, they were deeper.
Voices of men, who were already adult.
„Frank! Look at us! ", yelled one of the babies, in whose flesh
one of the spiders had bored its mandibles. „Look at us!
Look at us! "
The beasts munched and refreshed themselves with the
warm blood of the little humans, while the babies called: „As
you can see, Frank, the holo cell has grown! Can you see
it? Can you see, how outstanding perfected it is? This cell
does not know walls or borders anymore, because it covers
the whole world. It has been improved greatly, hasn't it? "
And the spiders continued to eat their victims. Soon they
had turned away from Frank again, crept over the gigantic
net and sucked and ate and devoured.
Just look at us, Frank! ", chorused the babies. Then it was
again black in the head of the dreamer and he forgot, how
the dream continued. . .
125
Frank and Alf packed their bags and Steffen de Vries
helped them. Already in this phase of the operation,
mistakes had to be avoided and at first, the list of equipment
was checked off.
Flashlights, explosive, pistols, close combat weapons for
the case of emergency, meal rations, gumboots, army
boots, construction plans of sewers and so on. The list was
long and it lasted over one hour until the three rebels had
finished their work.
Before they went to the transport aircraft, Mr. Wilden suddenly came to them.
„l wish you all the best, my heros! ", he called. „Have you
already heard the news today? "
Wilden smiled and was gasping for breath, while Frank, Alf
and the Belgian turned around: „No, we had other
problems! "
Japan! ", said the gray-haired man. Japan has left the
World Union! They want their old state back! "
"Aha. . . ", answered Frank without any interest.
J wanted to tell you that, before you fly away! There were
big demonstrations in Tokyo and in many other cities of the
country, one week ago. Governor Kaito Ikeda, the servant of
the World Government, and his advisor Ron Baldwin, have
resigned and have been expelled from the island. The new
president of Japan is Haruto Matsumoto, the leader of the
reform movement. Japan has moreover stopped all
payments and tributes to the World Government.
Furthermore, all the foreign diplomats and supervisors have
been expelled from the country too. No country has dared a
thing like that since 2018! ", explained Wilden with
unconcealed enthusiasm.
Japan is at the end of the world and we are here", returned
Steffen de Vries.
„However, this is nevertheless a sign! The system is
crumbling, my friends. Perhaps, other states will follow
126
Japan! ", said the village boss, somehow disappointed that
the three men had not fully understood the meaning of
Matsumoto's rebellion.
Then he added: „lf you read between the lines, beyond the
lies and the agitation of the international media, you could
believe, that even China and Korea are close to a revolt! "
The three rebels, who were waiting for the flight to a deadly
mission, just nodded and said goodbye to Wilden.
Finally the village boss shouted: „You see, nevertheless,
there is still hope! Our fight is not in vain! Good luck! "
At half past ten in the morning, the small airplane rose into
the air. Kohlhaas and Baumer looked wistfully back at the
place of their provisional peace, the village Ivas. Then they
disappeared on the horizon.
Below themselves, they saw the landscape becoming
smaller and soon the plane flew so high, that they could see
the clouds. The hidden and open war, which raged below
them on the ground, seemed to be forgotten for a moment.
But it would not be vanished, when they would come down
to earth again.
They were silent for a while, also the Flemish rebel Steffen
de Vries, Alf and Frank only knew volatilely. The Belgian
lived with his two daughters, his son, his wife and his dog in
the proximity of the village center, in a barely renovated
house.
It was just beautiful, here in the sky, much more pleasant
than on the rotten earth below them. The nervousness in
their minds briefly died down and Frank remembered the
words of Mr. Wilden.
„Japan! ", he thought. „This land is far away and has nothing
to do with us. Nevertheless. . . ? "
Perhaps it was a sign of hope, also for the rest of mankind,
that one day the slave chains could be broken again. But it
was so grim. The enemy had become more than superior in
127
this age. The mass media danced his dance of fraud and lie
without exception, and they flew each day new attacks on
the brains of the people, like on cities, which were already
destroyed and still had to be devasteted.
The power of finance, the whole monetary system, was in
the claws of the enemy since a long time. And with this
weapon, he had crushed the world piece by piece.
The military had been bought by him and he sent out his
dull mercenaries, who seemed to have no more own will,
against everyone, who tried to resist him.
What would be in the future? The hangman's noose around
the neck of mankind tigthened with every passing year more
and more. Something had to be done, there was no doubt.
„Japan! ", said Baumer with a lack of understanding.
„Wilden, the great analyst of world politics. I don't know,
what I shall think about that. "
„ln any case, better than nothing! ", it came out of the cockpit
with Flemish accent.
. . We'll see what happens now! ", answered Frank.
„l will tell you what will happen next! ", growled Alf. "Now, the
Lodge Brothers will demoralize these stubborn Japanese.
Slowly but surely. As they always do, if states dare to act
independently.
It will begin with a worldwide press agitation, which will
slander the Japanese to the bone. Then the economic
boycott will come and in the end another war - or the
Japanese will submit to the World Goverment again. That is
an old and proven tactic. "
„But it could really be, that other countries will support
Japan", returned Kohlhaas with a tang of confidence.
„No, this is an illusion in my eyes! ", answered Alf. . . This new
president, this Matsumoto, should be a born samurai, in
order to endure, what expects him and his people now. He
128
should have nerves like steel cables and should always
sleep with one eye open. "
. . Let's hope that he has the spirit of his brave ancestors",
said Frank.
Anyhow, Japan's act of restoring its independence, was an
incomprehensible boldness from the point of view of the
World Government. The country had gone through hard
times since the great crisis in 2013. Its export trade and the
industry had collapsed and the national indebtedness had
been so gigantic, that the highly technicalised country had
almost broken down like a house of cards. The Japanese,
who had successfully copied the European technology for a
long time, had lost their commercial relevance in a few
weeks.
Japan's economy, the cornerstone of its new national pride
after the Second World War, had declined. After 2018, it
had still become worse and the island had turned into a
bubbling cauldron full of discontent. While a great part of the
nationalistic and traditional Japanese population had
postulated the return to the "old way", the care for their
culture and the preference of Japanese interests, the
puppet government of Kaito Ikeda, who had been assigned
by the World Government, had done the opposite. So the
tensions had risen with time.
Steffen de Vries switched on the digitized radio and a song
of the Cyberpop Hipcore star Evan Steele resounded out of
the cockpit, which soon got on Frank's and Alf's nerves.
Then the news followed.
First came a message about the World President, who had
opened an „One-World-Kindergarten" in Washington, telling
the listeners, that inattentiveness or rebellious behavior,
particularly among little boys, had to be fought with new
drugs. Early childhood disturbances had to be wiped out by
129
the use of more pharmaceutical products and it was a holy
assignment for all great humanists, to liberate the children
of the world from these "diseases".
The chief of the kindergarten was asked about this and
seemed to be enthusiastic about the new medicines. Then a
representative of a big pharmaceutical company gave an
interview and announced that they intensively worked on a
new drug programs for infants.
The next topic was Japan and the newscaster said: „This
morning, the World Government discussed further
measures at their crisis meeting in New York, to handle with
the fascist Japanese state.
The World President and other prominent representatives of
politics and economics, came to the decision, that the global
community has to consider drastic measures, because of
the increasing threat to all peaceable people. Matsumoto's
Japan, where political dissidents are persecuted and
murdered, has nuclear weapons and seems to be willing, to
use them against the free world, as secret GSA reports
prove.
The governor of the administrative sector . . Eastern Asia",
Mr. Kim Bo-Hung, and his advisor Mr. David Frost,
announced a hard course against Japan during the
conference.
„We can not permit, that fascist polititians like Haruto
Matsumoto become new cancerous ulcers in our peaceful
and free world! ", stressed the World President literally.
GCF commander Edward McOwen said that a possible
security zone has to be established around Japan and
arranged the sending of warships of the GCF Pacific fleet to
Eastern Asia. He exhorted all administrative districts and
sub-sectors of the world community to watchfulness, in
order to make fanatics and dictators like Matsumoto
innocuous, before they become too powerful. The plan of
130
Japan, to become independent from world economy, and
also the intend to abolish the interest system, the World
President castigated as a . . perverse act of a mad gone
dictatorship".
. . What did I say? ", muttered Baumer and smiled sufferingly.
„Now it starts! "
„We can only wish the Japanese good luck for the future. I
hope, they have a thick skin. Now we have our own fight! ",
replied Frank.
The airplane flew over Poland and came nearer to the
sector . . Central Europe", while time passed. Meanwhile, the
three men were seized by a growing nervosity.
They talked quietly with each other, as if they would fear to
be intercepted by an enormous ear in the sky. And actually
the curious ears and eyes around them became more
numerous. The countless radar and alarm systems,
supervising the airspace, let Frank think of the spider net in
his nightmare. . . Central Europe" was near.
But nothing happened. Nobody noticed the inadvertent
guests, who penetrated the completely supervised area. If
someone had really scanned the flier, he had only found an
insignificant name in the registration card index of the
machine. The big eye looked past them, although they were
directly in front of its pupil. The hours passed and Frank,
Alfred and Steffen breathed again, when they crossed the
old border of France and no radiogram of the air traffic
control was sent. Compiegne was close now and the
airplane started its final descent.
Finally, they reached the ground without incidents, but a
feeling of biggest uncertainty tormented them, when they
stepped out of the airplane. It was like in former times, when
the Europeans could still afford vacation travels to the
southern countries. If they had left the cold north and had
131
finally come out of the plane in the south, they had often
been confronted with an unusual wall of stifling heat. Today
it was different, because the wall, which waited for Frank
and Alf here in the center of France, was not made of heat,
it consisted of distrust.
In his meticulous fashion, HOK had selected a small village,
where there rebels should land. Far away from the attention
of the natives.
The Belgian had opted a large field near the village to land.
Frank and Alf said goodbye and took their backpacks. Then
de Vries took off again as fast as he could.
For safety reasons he flew directly back to Ivas, because he
didn't want to stay just one minute longer in such an
extremely monitored zone. If he would have parked his
plane somewhere in this rural area for seven days, the
danger to be controlled by a police patrol would still have
been small, but his nerves were raw.
He had been relieved, when he had left the sector "Central
Europe" with his Family in 2019 - never to be seen again.
Perhaps, de Vries was a little too paranoid, and he also had
a perfectly falsified Scanchip, but only the thought of being
caught by the police filled him with panic. The Fleming had
already been arrested in 2011, because of smuggling arms,
and his name was still listed in all official databanks. Steffen
and his family had suffered a lot in "Central Europe" and
when he finally came back to Ivas, he was more than happy
about this.
Meanwhile, Frank and Alf stood on a field close to a small
village near Compiegne - with full backpacks. Their hearts
were pounding like mad. Now they were on their own,
standing in the middle of enemy country. Therefore, it was
important to behave inconspicuous.
„We look like ramblers from the forest", muttered Alf.
132
. . Let's go to the village and then we will drive to Compiegne
by bus. We still have to make it to Paris today! ", explained
Frank and felt uneasy.
They walked along a dusty road, which led from the landing
zone directly to the small village, always looking around.
The load was heavy, everyone had to carry about 25
kilograms, and they just hoped that no policeman would find
them strange.
However, the two rebels had some ordinary clothes. Frank
wore some blue jeans and a dark green polo. Furthermore,
a light gray baseball cap, which was pulled deeply into his
face, covering his head.
Baumer also wore blue jeans, a brown turtleneck pullover
and a reddish baseball cap with the symbol of the the
"Cleveland dead Indians". Under the trouser legs of the two
men, black army boots could be seen, because firm
footwear was essential on this mission.
Their warm jackets had been stowed in the backpacks.
They also had sunglasses in their bags, but the weather
was sulky today, and so sunglasses would have looked not
very inconspicuous.
On the way to the village, they didn't see many people. Just
an old man, who passed and briefly examined them. Apart
from this, there was not a soul to be seen. However, the
village didn't pulsate of life. Everything looked poorly and
only a few inhabitants were on the street. Just a little boy on
the opposite roadside, who shouted something in French,
gave them a bit attention. But Frank and Alf didn't mind him.
They went to a bus stop and drove with line 38 to
Compiegne.
. . Just cut and run! ", they thought to themselves. The bus
driver had warily looked at them, when he had debited the
amount for the trip from their Scanchips, Frank was sure.
Alfred, however, protested that this hadn't been noticeable
133
to him. Both were silent and tried to ignore the other
passengers. They just sat in the last row of seats of the bus
and were glad about everyone, who did not turn around to
them. The bus driver talked with an older woman during the
trip, and she probably told him her whole life story with wild
gestures. „Oui! " and „Non! " it resounded through the shabby
bus. Then the vehicle arrived at Compiegne.
„Give me the DC-stick! ", said Frank, after they had stepped
off the bus.
Anyhow they had already taken this small hurdle without
any problems. Alfred ransacked his black backpack and
pulled out a small data medium.
John or one the others can organize the explosive for us.
Above all, the Russians sell a lot of NDC-23 on the black
market, mostly remnants of the dissolved army of the former
GUS", added Baumer. Frank just smiled and said nothing.
118
. . Moreover, we must assume that some tunnel entrances
remain blocked for us, either because workers of the public
utilities are still working there, or because of the security
forces, that had locked them", explained Alf.
Frank scratched his head and cogitated. Alfred's plan
pleased him.
„We need some blowtorchs to open locks or grids, if
necessary", remarked Baumer. „We have a few in the
village here. It is no problem to take them. "
. . Brilliant! ", said Frank enthusiastically.
Alf continued: „And there is one more thing. If they scan the
tunnel system with infrared in the morning before the event,
we should have some cooling covers to cloak ourselves.
John can obtain them. Nevertheless, the whole operation is
really dangerous. We must consider everything! "
. . Well, we should go to Wilden, and tell him about our plan.
Perhaps he has some more good ideas", praised Frank his
friend.
Soon after, the village boss evaluated the plan, which had
been introduced to him by both men this time. Julia Wilden,
who stood next to her father, also seemed to be impressed.
Frank smiled at her and enjoyed her admiration.
Still much more had to be done, and next, the men went to
John Thorphy. The Irishman felt disturbed and openly
expressed his displeasure, when the two rebels tried to
send him out to buy the equipment for them. But finally,
Wilden gave him the order to organize the explosive and the
other things.
Where John Thorphy had found the NDC-23, he did not tell.
But it lastet only three days until he returned with over
twenty kilograms of the highly explosive material and gave it
to the two men with a big smile.
. . Procastrination is the thief of time! ", thought Frank, as he
regarded the plasticine-like mass, packed up in blue bags.
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His deadly idea slowly took shape, and in his mind he
already saw the hated politician torn to pieces on the
asphalt in front of the "Temple of Tolerance".
His dark, delusional resoluteness couldn't even be
destroyed by sleep disturbances, panic attacks or
nightmares anymore. He was eager to bring death to this
man and also to each other person, who would dare to
stand in his way. Frank just ignored the fright, that was
lurking in the night, and looked forward to the great day of
retribution.
Nothing should ever avert his revenge on this cruel world,
as Frank covenanted. Sometimes he went down in the dark
cellar, where Alf stored the explosive. All the rooms here
were cluttered with rotten boards and old crates. There was
not even a light switch. And while his friend slept, the young
rebel crept secretly down the stone stairs and bent over the
blue bags, which were sealed with adhesive tape, stroking
them with a dearful smile like a mother her newborn child.
Until middle of February, Frank and Alf spent their time with
the intensive study of construction plans. HOK visited them
several times, in order to give them still more current and
detailed recordings.
They planned, on recommendation of the computer
scientist, to enter the underground labyrinth at the "Avenue
of Saint-Ouen", nearly two kilometers away from the
security zone.
Here were endless dark tunnels and some of them lead
directly to the square in front of the "Temple of Tolerance".
Nevertheless, the trip to the underworld of Paris was
insanity. Apart from the fact, that they could not build on the
documents of the authorities of the city, there was also the
possibility to get lost in the dark corridors. Some tunnels had
been closed many years ago, or were just collapsed.
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Moreover, even the older employees of the city
administration did not know all the paths through the earth
anymore. Further, Frank and Alf didn't want to make the
acquaintance of the notorious catacombs of Paris. Those
dark places were a necropolis, as there was no second in
Europe.
Here rested the bones of over five million people, who were
brought into the darkness below the city, because of lack of
space on the cemeteries in the early modern times,.
Therefore, the former French capital stood on a gigantic
grave field. Alf often talked about these chambers of the
dead below the city, which were redundant with bones up to
the ceiling. Frank, who always said that he was not afraid to
die, became a bit scared, when he thought about these
spooky places.
„May the dead of Paris forgive us, that we enter their realm.
Their brothers in the netherworld, who look complaining
down at this earth, because their life was so early
terminated by the new rulers, will thank us, if we revenge
them! ", philosophized Kohlhaas.
However, there was a lot to organize now, far away from all
ghost stories about catacombs and dark holes in the
underground of Paris. Meanwhile, time pressed.
Frank and Alfred should be brought to Compiegne, in the
northeast of Paris, by an airplane, in order to penetrate the
city from there, behaving like harmless tourists. All the
planes in Ivas were registered and had completely
inconspicuous owners. Therefore, this approach seemed to
be clever.
Then, the two assassins wanted to drive from Compiegne to
Paris with a hire car. Their Scanchips were falsified and
soon they would see, if HOK's abilities had been good
enough. At least, the journey to Paris should start one week
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before the 01. 03. 2029, so that enough time remained, to
explore some tunnels in the nights before the event.
The shabby hotel, in which Frank and Alfred should wait for
the great day, had already been chosen by HOK. He had
booked a room for them on the Internet, and had also
contacted the hire car company in Compiegne.
All had to be planned to the smallest detail, because there
was no time to waste and uncertainties could become a
deadly disaster.
The takeoff of the small transport aircraft, which officially
belonged to Mr. Artur Burzius, a Russian insurance buyer,
should start from Ivas on 19. 02. 2029 at 9. 00 o'clock. Then,
the two resistance fighters would enter the lion's den. Still
two days remained. Time was ticking away and Frank had
to admit, despite all frights of the holo cell and the strokes of
fate he had overcome, that he was scared. Scared to death.
Afraid to die soon.
He tried to hide his nervousness, but his whipping with the
foot, when he sat at the kitchen table, and his talking while
he was dozing, betrayed him.
However, his friend felt the same. Alfred mostly ran through
the village in these days, speaking at each possible
opportunity with Wilden, who tried to encourage him.
Sometimes, he sat in the brightly illuminated kitchen during
the whole night, with a cup of tea and a cigarette, just
looking out the window. Baumer did not sleep very much
and waited eargerly for the start of the operation.
Julia is at the door, Frank! ", called Alf from the side room,
while his roommate tried to concentrate on a political
brochure. Dusk was already falling outside. The journey to
the west was set for 9. 00 o'clock tomorrow. During this day,
many villagers had come to the two men, to wish them all
the best for the operation. Several women had brought
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cakes and food. Even HOK had visited them again - with
some more construction plans in his hands.
Steffen de Vries, the Belgian, who lived with his family in
Ivas since four years and had to fly the two rebels to
Compiegne, had also been there for several hours.
Meanwhile, de Vries was also more than nervous.
Tm coming! ", answered Frank and left his bedroom.
Baumer had already led Julia in and went with her into the
kitchen. She was pleased to see Frank and shook his hand.
„l just wanted to wish you good luck! ", she said and seemed
to be concerned and gloomy.
„Thanks! We will need it! ", answered Alfred and took a deep
breath.
„Thanks, Julia! It's just nice to see you! ", returned Frank.
. . However, still a last beautiful sight, before we will enter the
spooky underground. "
Now, the pretty woman smiled shyly and didn't find the right
word for a short moment.
J wanted to. . . ", she stammered. „lf it will be too
dangerous. . . however. . . and you have no chance to reach
Wechsler, you can always stop the operation! "
Julia stared with her sad eyes at the table surface. Frank
turned to the window and said: „We will see! When we are
in Paris, there will be no more turning back! "
„l meant. . . ", she added.
„Don't worry! We will be successful, and if not, the
catacombs are near and we will meet a lot of dead buddies",
joked Alf with a cynical undertone.
Julia Wilden obviously found this not very funny and shook
her head. „Don't say such stupid things! ", she spoke quietly
and seemed to be close to tears. Kohlhaas enjoyed it, to
see her in such a condition, if he was honest. Now the
beautiful Fraulein, who was always a bit precocious,
showed some feelings.
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But Frank still played the hard rebel: „We will return for sure,
Julia! We will kill this asshole without mercy! "
Then she said goodbye with tears in her eyes and shook
Baumefs hand. Frank was even hugged by her. He was
pleased that she treated him in such a way, and briefly, he
was nearly inspired. But he checked himself and tried to
think about something else, ignoring the pretty, young
woman.
„She likes you, Franky! ", teased him Alf, after Julia had left
the house.
"No idea! ", answered his friend with a shake of the head.
"She is really nice! ", added Baumer with a broad grin.
Frank turned away from him, went to the window and stared
at the squalid garden behind the house. It was dark and
rainy outside.
The two rebels were still awake for several hours. Now they
were untwisted and nervous. This last night in Ivas, before
the highly dangerous job in Paris, was terrible for Frank. He
had weird dreams again, which afflicted him in the short
phase of his sleep during the morning hours. He could
remember just a few things on the next morning, when the
Fleming, his pilot, awaked him with loud banging and calling
at the front door:
Frank walked through a strange dreamworld once more. It
completely resembled the holo cell, in which he had
suffered for eight long months. White, sharp neon light cut
into his eyes and he trudged through the bright fog of light
without a real goal.
After a while, he recognized that it was his holo cell, but it
appeared much bigger as he could remember. The walls
could not be seen anymore and only the toilet and the hated
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plank bed with its light-gray pleather stood in the middle of
the white light.
„Frank! ", he heard the deep voice of an adult of man from a
distance. „Fraaank! "
He followed the call and soon faced a terrible sight. In front
of him was an enormous spider net, full of thick, black
spiders. Some hatefully stared at him with their glinty eyes,
and their slimy mandibles twitched. Some of the creatures
hissed, when he appeared in front of their net, others were
busy with eating their prey.
The enormous spider net, which seemed to broaden into the
white illuminated sky, was full of screaming humans, who
were clinging to thick and slimy threads.
The young man came closer and saw now, who was in the
claws of the ugly spider monsters. It were babies. It was
Nico. They all were little Nicos. Nevertheless, their voices
did not sound like the voices of babies, they were deeper.
Voices of men, who were already adult.
„Frank! Look at us! ", yelled one of the babies, in whose flesh
one of the spiders had bored its mandibles. „Look at us!
Look at us! "
The beasts munched and refreshed themselves with the
warm blood of the little humans, while the babies called: „As
you can see, Frank, the holo cell has grown! Can you see
it? Can you see, how outstanding perfected it is? This cell
does not know walls or borders anymore, because it covers
the whole world. It has been improved greatly, hasn't it? "
And the spiders continued to eat their victims. Soon they
had turned away from Frank again, crept over the gigantic
net and sucked and ate and devoured.
Just look at us, Frank! ", chorused the babies. Then it was
again black in the head of the dreamer and he forgot, how
the dream continued. . .
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Frank and Alf packed their bags and Steffen de Vries
helped them. Already in this phase of the operation,
mistakes had to be avoided and at first, the list of equipment
was checked off.
Flashlights, explosive, pistols, close combat weapons for
the case of emergency, meal rations, gumboots, army
boots, construction plans of sewers and so on. The list was
long and it lasted over one hour until the three rebels had
finished their work.
Before they went to the transport aircraft, Mr. Wilden suddenly came to them.
„l wish you all the best, my heros! ", he called. „Have you
already heard the news today? "
Wilden smiled and was gasping for breath, while Frank, Alf
and the Belgian turned around: „No, we had other
problems! "
Japan! ", said the gray-haired man. Japan has left the
World Union! They want their old state back! "
"Aha. . . ", answered Frank without any interest.
J wanted to tell you that, before you fly away! There were
big demonstrations in Tokyo and in many other cities of the
country, one week ago. Governor Kaito Ikeda, the servant of
the World Government, and his advisor Ron Baldwin, have
resigned and have been expelled from the island. The new
president of Japan is Haruto Matsumoto, the leader of the
reform movement. Japan has moreover stopped all
payments and tributes to the World Government.
Furthermore, all the foreign diplomats and supervisors have
been expelled from the country too. No country has dared a
thing like that since 2018! ", explained Wilden with
unconcealed enthusiasm.
Japan is at the end of the world and we are here", returned
Steffen de Vries.
„However, this is nevertheless a sign! The system is
crumbling, my friends. Perhaps, other states will follow
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Japan! ", said the village boss, somehow disappointed that
the three men had not fully understood the meaning of
Matsumoto's rebellion.
Then he added: „lf you read between the lines, beyond the
lies and the agitation of the international media, you could
believe, that even China and Korea are close to a revolt! "
The three rebels, who were waiting for the flight to a deadly
mission, just nodded and said goodbye to Wilden.
Finally the village boss shouted: „You see, nevertheless,
there is still hope! Our fight is not in vain! Good luck! "
At half past ten in the morning, the small airplane rose into
the air. Kohlhaas and Baumer looked wistfully back at the
place of their provisional peace, the village Ivas. Then they
disappeared on the horizon.
Below themselves, they saw the landscape becoming
smaller and soon the plane flew so high, that they could see
the clouds. The hidden and open war, which raged below
them on the ground, seemed to be forgotten for a moment.
But it would not be vanished, when they would come down
to earth again.
They were silent for a while, also the Flemish rebel Steffen
de Vries, Alf and Frank only knew volatilely. The Belgian
lived with his two daughters, his son, his wife and his dog in
the proximity of the village center, in a barely renovated
house.
It was just beautiful, here in the sky, much more pleasant
than on the rotten earth below them. The nervousness in
their minds briefly died down and Frank remembered the
words of Mr. Wilden.
„Japan! ", he thought. „This land is far away and has nothing
to do with us. Nevertheless. . . ? "
Perhaps it was a sign of hope, also for the rest of mankind,
that one day the slave chains could be broken again. But it
was so grim. The enemy had become more than superior in
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this age. The mass media danced his dance of fraud and lie
without exception, and they flew each day new attacks on
the brains of the people, like on cities, which were already
destroyed and still had to be devasteted.
The power of finance, the whole monetary system, was in
the claws of the enemy since a long time. And with this
weapon, he had crushed the world piece by piece.
The military had been bought by him and he sent out his
dull mercenaries, who seemed to have no more own will,
against everyone, who tried to resist him.
What would be in the future? The hangman's noose around
the neck of mankind tigthened with every passing year more
and more. Something had to be done, there was no doubt.
„Japan! ", said Baumer with a lack of understanding.
„Wilden, the great analyst of world politics. I don't know,
what I shall think about that. "
„ln any case, better than nothing! ", it came out of the cockpit
with Flemish accent.
. . We'll see what happens now! ", answered Frank.
„l will tell you what will happen next! ", growled Alf. "Now, the
Lodge Brothers will demoralize these stubborn Japanese.
Slowly but surely. As they always do, if states dare to act
independently.
It will begin with a worldwide press agitation, which will
slander the Japanese to the bone. Then the economic
boycott will come and in the end another war - or the
Japanese will submit to the World Goverment again. That is
an old and proven tactic. "
„But it could really be, that other countries will support
Japan", returned Kohlhaas with a tang of confidence.
„No, this is an illusion in my eyes! ", answered Alf. . . This new
president, this Matsumoto, should be a born samurai, in
order to endure, what expects him and his people now. He
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should have nerves like steel cables and should always
sleep with one eye open. "
. . Let's hope that he has the spirit of his brave ancestors",
said Frank.
Anyhow, Japan's act of restoring its independence, was an
incomprehensible boldness from the point of view of the
World Government. The country had gone through hard
times since the great crisis in 2013. Its export trade and the
industry had collapsed and the national indebtedness had
been so gigantic, that the highly technicalised country had
almost broken down like a house of cards. The Japanese,
who had successfully copied the European technology for a
long time, had lost their commercial relevance in a few
weeks.
Japan's economy, the cornerstone of its new national pride
after the Second World War, had declined. After 2018, it
had still become worse and the island had turned into a
bubbling cauldron full of discontent. While a great part of the
nationalistic and traditional Japanese population had
postulated the return to the "old way", the care for their
culture and the preference of Japanese interests, the
puppet government of Kaito Ikeda, who had been assigned
by the World Government, had done the opposite. So the
tensions had risen with time.
Steffen de Vries switched on the digitized radio and a song
of the Cyberpop Hipcore star Evan Steele resounded out of
the cockpit, which soon got on Frank's and Alf's nerves.
Then the news followed.
First came a message about the World President, who had
opened an „One-World-Kindergarten" in Washington, telling
the listeners, that inattentiveness or rebellious behavior,
particularly among little boys, had to be fought with new
drugs. Early childhood disturbances had to be wiped out by
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the use of more pharmaceutical products and it was a holy
assignment for all great humanists, to liberate the children
of the world from these "diseases".
The chief of the kindergarten was asked about this and
seemed to be enthusiastic about the new medicines. Then a
representative of a big pharmaceutical company gave an
interview and announced that they intensively worked on a
new drug programs for infants.
The next topic was Japan and the newscaster said: „This
morning, the World Government discussed further
measures at their crisis meeting in New York, to handle with
the fascist Japanese state.
The World President and other prominent representatives of
politics and economics, came to the decision, that the global
community has to consider drastic measures, because of
the increasing threat to all peaceable people. Matsumoto's
Japan, where political dissidents are persecuted and
murdered, has nuclear weapons and seems to be willing, to
use them against the free world, as secret GSA reports
prove.
The governor of the administrative sector . . Eastern Asia",
Mr. Kim Bo-Hung, and his advisor Mr. David Frost,
announced a hard course against Japan during the
conference.
„We can not permit, that fascist polititians like Haruto
Matsumoto become new cancerous ulcers in our peaceful
and free world! ", stressed the World President literally.
GCF commander Edward McOwen said that a possible
security zone has to be established around Japan and
arranged the sending of warships of the GCF Pacific fleet to
Eastern Asia. He exhorted all administrative districts and
sub-sectors of the world community to watchfulness, in
order to make fanatics and dictators like Matsumoto
innocuous, before they become too powerful. The plan of
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Japan, to become independent from world economy, and
also the intend to abolish the interest system, the World
President castigated as a . . perverse act of a mad gone
dictatorship".
. . What did I say? ", muttered Baumer and smiled sufferingly.
„Now it starts! "
„We can only wish the Japanese good luck for the future. I
hope, they have a thick skin. Now we have our own fight! ",
replied Frank.
The airplane flew over Poland and came nearer to the
sector . . Central Europe", while time passed. Meanwhile, the
three men were seized by a growing nervosity.
They talked quietly with each other, as if they would fear to
be intercepted by an enormous ear in the sky. And actually
the curious ears and eyes around them became more
numerous. The countless radar and alarm systems,
supervising the airspace, let Frank think of the spider net in
his nightmare. . . Central Europe" was near.
But nothing happened. Nobody noticed the inadvertent
guests, who penetrated the completely supervised area. If
someone had really scanned the flier, he had only found an
insignificant name in the registration card index of the
machine. The big eye looked past them, although they were
directly in front of its pupil. The hours passed and Frank,
Alfred and Steffen breathed again, when they crossed the
old border of France and no radiogram of the air traffic
control was sent. Compiegne was close now and the
airplane started its final descent.
Finally, they reached the ground without incidents, but a
feeling of biggest uncertainty tormented them, when they
stepped out of the airplane. It was like in former times, when
the Europeans could still afford vacation travels to the
southern countries. If they had left the cold north and had
131
finally come out of the plane in the south, they had often
been confronted with an unusual wall of stifling heat. Today
it was different, because the wall, which waited for Frank
and Alf here in the center of France, was not made of heat,
it consisted of distrust.
In his meticulous fashion, HOK had selected a small village,
where there rebels should land. Far away from the attention
of the natives.
The Belgian had opted a large field near the village to land.
Frank and Alf said goodbye and took their backpacks. Then
de Vries took off again as fast as he could.
For safety reasons he flew directly back to Ivas, because he
didn't want to stay just one minute longer in such an
extremely monitored zone. If he would have parked his
plane somewhere in this rural area for seven days, the
danger to be controlled by a police patrol would still have
been small, but his nerves were raw.
He had been relieved, when he had left the sector "Central
Europe" with his Family in 2019 - never to be seen again.
Perhaps, de Vries was a little too paranoid, and he also had
a perfectly falsified Scanchip, but only the thought of being
caught by the police filled him with panic. The Fleming had
already been arrested in 2011, because of smuggling arms,
and his name was still listed in all official databanks. Steffen
and his family had suffered a lot in "Central Europe" and
when he finally came back to Ivas, he was more than happy
about this.
Meanwhile, Frank and Alf stood on a field close to a small
village near Compiegne - with full backpacks. Their hearts
were pounding like mad. Now they were on their own,
standing in the middle of enemy country. Therefore, it was
important to behave inconspicuous.
„We look like ramblers from the forest", muttered Alf.
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. . Let's go to the village and then we will drive to Compiegne
by bus. We still have to make it to Paris today! ", explained
Frank and felt uneasy.
They walked along a dusty road, which led from the landing
zone directly to the small village, always looking around.
The load was heavy, everyone had to carry about 25
kilograms, and they just hoped that no policeman would find
them strange.
However, the two rebels had some ordinary clothes. Frank
wore some blue jeans and a dark green polo. Furthermore,
a light gray baseball cap, which was pulled deeply into his
face, covering his head.
Baumer also wore blue jeans, a brown turtleneck pullover
and a reddish baseball cap with the symbol of the the
"Cleveland dead Indians". Under the trouser legs of the two
men, black army boots could be seen, because firm
footwear was essential on this mission.
Their warm jackets had been stowed in the backpacks.
They also had sunglasses in their bags, but the weather
was sulky today, and so sunglasses would have looked not
very inconspicuous.
On the way to the village, they didn't see many people. Just
an old man, who passed and briefly examined them. Apart
from this, there was not a soul to be seen. However, the
village didn't pulsate of life. Everything looked poorly and
only a few inhabitants were on the street. Just a little boy on
the opposite roadside, who shouted something in French,
gave them a bit attention. But Frank and Alf didn't mind him.
They went to a bus stop and drove with line 38 to
Compiegne.
. . Just cut and run! ", they thought to themselves. The bus
driver had warily looked at them, when he had debited the
amount for the trip from their Scanchips, Frank was sure.
Alfred, however, protested that this hadn't been noticeable
133
to him. Both were silent and tried to ignore the other
passengers. They just sat in the last row of seats of the bus
and were glad about everyone, who did not turn around to
them. The bus driver talked with an older woman during the
trip, and she probably told him her whole life story with wild
gestures. „Oui! " and „Non! " it resounded through the shabby
bus. Then the vehicle arrived at Compiegne.
„Give me the DC-stick! ", said Frank, after they had stepped
off the bus.
Anyhow they had already taken this small hurdle without
any problems. Alfred ransacked his black backpack and
pulled out a small data medium.
