During this day,
many villagers had come to the two men, to wish them all
the best for the operation.
many villagers had come to the two men, to wish them all
the best for the operation.
Orwell - 1984
A part of the long, old street
would be a fenced off, accessible for nobody. About thirty
meters in front of the thing, called „Temple of Tolerance",
the speaker's plattform, where Leon-Jack Wechsler would
open the ceremonies, should be erected.
The masses, that would fill the streets around the security
zone, should see the politician only on big video screens,
114
which would be set up to hundreds along the "Avenue of
Humanity" and in the whole city.
What was allowed, to be admired from the proximity, were
the GCF soldiers and the policemen, who would
demonstrate strength, marching down the boulevard.
The governor of the administrative sector . . Central Europe"
would bring the "great message of humanity" of the New
World Order, and the parade of the security forces and the
military would show the people, that it was healthier to
believe that message - in case of doubt.
It was a tremendous insanity to go to the dirty metropolis to
kill this polititian. Nevertheless, Frank Kohlhaas bred it in his
mind. He had nothing to lose. It could nothing happen worse
than dying.
115
Procrastination is the Thief of Time!
. . Procrastination is the thief of time! "
. . Procrastination is the thief of time! "
. . Procrastination is the thief of time! "
Frank still fed his illusion and repeated this slogan like a
prayer. In the following days he was just concerned about
the fact that he would become scared. But retreat was not
allowed anymore, he had to remain hard and Kohlhaas did
also not allow his resoluteness, to get any cracks.
„l_eon-Jack Wechsler must die. . . die. . . die! ", he recited
himself again and again.
Meanwhile, Alf got out of his way most of the time.
Nevertheless, he was fascinated by the idea of creeping
through tunnels get into the security zone. And sometimes
he even thought about following his crazy buddy to Paris.
To kill the governor and to cause riots in one of the most
important cities of the continent, was a great chance and
could have sweeping political consequences.
Furthermore, the possibility of participating in a "big thing"
was offered to him. In this point, he had to agree with Frank.
However, he also had nothing to lose and what kind of rebel
would he be, if he bitched out now?
The days passed and Alfred could hardly sleep. Should he
really join the operation? But how? Creeping through
tunnels, then emerging and shooting at Wechsler?
That would be their certain death, even if it functioned. They
just wouldn't survive this. Escaping from the security zone
would simply be impossible, Alf was sure. He had to talk to
Frank, because the plan was still not perfect.
116
The first week of the new month had almost passed and hail
came from the dark sky outside. Frank and Alfred sat in the
kitchen and had a hard day behind them. Kohlhaas had
mused for days and was still not completely content. He had
asked HOK for more construction plans of sewers and other
tunnels below Paris, but he had come to no solution.
Alfred ended the silence. „You have said, we can come to
you, if we want to join the operation, right? Okay, I have
thought about it and came to the decision, not to let you do
this crazy job alone, Frank. "
„Aha, this sounds good to me. You really want to help me? ",
returned Frank with a smile.
Alfred looked back and said: „More or less, but I need some
more informations about all this. The idea with the sewers
and tunnels seems to be not bad at all and HOK has
already given some plans to you. Did you meanwhile study
them sufficiently? "
„Yes, I did! "
"Anyway, that's not enough! ", answered Alf.
„Thus, your plan is to come somehow into the proximity of
that "Temple of Tolerance", through these sewers or
tunnels, right? And then you want to shoot at Wechsler? ",
asked Baumerwith surprise.
„About that! ", said Frank.
"But you should know, that the entrances to the sewers in
the direct proximity of the event, will all be weld shut by the
police. I think, two or three days before the spectacle",
returned Alf.
Frank recognized that his friend had found a weak point of
his plan: „You are probably right. I already have seen this on
television, in some reports. This could be! Shit! "
„You have to modify your plan. In addition, I don't have the
desire to join a suicide operation. And it would be nothing
else, if we suddenly come out of a hole and shoot at the
117
governor, who is surrounded by countless cops," said
Baumer thoughtfully.
„Maybe you Ye right. . . ", answered Frank and moaned. „Then
make a proposal, Baumer! "
„Hmmm. . . perhaps. . . "
Alfred took a slip, on which he had written something. He
hesitated for some seconds and sifted the small note for the
most important details of his plan.
Finally he said: „We go into a channel, a tunnel or
something like that, in the distance of two or three
kilometers - in an insignificant side street, by night.
I have to study HOK's documents. However, we need
something else than an usual handgun, which we couldn't
use at all in the worst case, if the security forces really had
locked all the gully covers around the "Temple of Tolerance"
before the event. "
"Get ready with you speech! ", said Kohlhaas.
J talk about an explosive charge, that we place under
Wechslefs ass and blow him up in front of the eyes of the
world public. I thought of NDC-23. The stuff is easy to carry
and highly concentrated. Twenty kilograms are sufficient, to
destroy a part of the canal system, the square in front of this
so called "Temple of Tolerance" and of course this fucking
governor!
We could transport it in backpacks into the tunnel system
and bring it to explode below the speaker's platform. Of
course, we will use a time fuse so that we can escape
before the big burst! ", explained Alfred and seemed to be
enthusiastic.
„Damn! A great idea! ", 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.
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.
119
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.
120
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
121
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
122
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.
would be a fenced off, accessible for nobody. About thirty
meters in front of the thing, called „Temple of Tolerance",
the speaker's plattform, where Leon-Jack Wechsler would
open the ceremonies, should be erected.
The masses, that would fill the streets around the security
zone, should see the politician only on big video screens,
114
which would be set up to hundreds along the "Avenue of
Humanity" and in the whole city.
What was allowed, to be admired from the proximity, were
the GCF soldiers and the policemen, who would
demonstrate strength, marching down the boulevard.
The governor of the administrative sector . . Central Europe"
would bring the "great message of humanity" of the New
World Order, and the parade of the security forces and the
military would show the people, that it was healthier to
believe that message - in case of doubt.
It was a tremendous insanity to go to the dirty metropolis to
kill this polititian. Nevertheless, Frank Kohlhaas bred it in his
mind. He had nothing to lose. It could nothing happen worse
than dying.
115
Procrastination is the Thief of Time!
. . Procrastination is the thief of time! "
. . Procrastination is the thief of time! "
. . Procrastination is the thief of time! "
Frank still fed his illusion and repeated this slogan like a
prayer. In the following days he was just concerned about
the fact that he would become scared. But retreat was not
allowed anymore, he had to remain hard and Kohlhaas did
also not allow his resoluteness, to get any cracks.
„l_eon-Jack Wechsler must die. . . die. . . die! ", he recited
himself again and again.
Meanwhile, Alf got out of his way most of the time.
Nevertheless, he was fascinated by the idea of creeping
through tunnels get into the security zone. And sometimes
he even thought about following his crazy buddy to Paris.
To kill the governor and to cause riots in one of the most
important cities of the continent, was a great chance and
could have sweeping political consequences.
Furthermore, the possibility of participating in a "big thing"
was offered to him. In this point, he had to agree with Frank.
However, he also had nothing to lose and what kind of rebel
would he be, if he bitched out now?
The days passed and Alfred could hardly sleep. Should he
really join the operation? But how? Creeping through
tunnels, then emerging and shooting at Wechsler?
That would be their certain death, even if it functioned. They
just wouldn't survive this. Escaping from the security zone
would simply be impossible, Alf was sure. He had to talk to
Frank, because the plan was still not perfect.
116
The first week of the new month had almost passed and hail
came from the dark sky outside. Frank and Alfred sat in the
kitchen and had a hard day behind them. Kohlhaas had
mused for days and was still not completely content. He had
asked HOK for more construction plans of sewers and other
tunnels below Paris, but he had come to no solution.
Alfred ended the silence. „You have said, we can come to
you, if we want to join the operation, right? Okay, I have
thought about it and came to the decision, not to let you do
this crazy job alone, Frank. "
„Aha, this sounds good to me. You really want to help me? ",
returned Frank with a smile.
Alfred looked back and said: „More or less, but I need some
more informations about all this. The idea with the sewers
and tunnels seems to be not bad at all and HOK has
already given some plans to you. Did you meanwhile study
them sufficiently? "
„Yes, I did! "
"Anyway, that's not enough! ", answered Alf.
„Thus, your plan is to come somehow into the proximity of
that "Temple of Tolerance", through these sewers or
tunnels, right? And then you want to shoot at Wechsler? ",
asked Baumerwith surprise.
„About that! ", said Frank.
"But you should know, that the entrances to the sewers in
the direct proximity of the event, will all be weld shut by the
police. I think, two or three days before the spectacle",
returned Alf.
Frank recognized that his friend had found a weak point of
his plan: „You are probably right. I already have seen this on
television, in some reports. This could be! Shit! "
„You have to modify your plan. In addition, I don't have the
desire to join a suicide operation. And it would be nothing
else, if we suddenly come out of a hole and shoot at the
117
governor, who is surrounded by countless cops," said
Baumer thoughtfully.
„Maybe you Ye right. . . ", answered Frank and moaned. „Then
make a proposal, Baumer! "
„Hmmm. . . perhaps. . . "
Alfred took a slip, on which he had written something. He
hesitated for some seconds and sifted the small note for the
most important details of his plan.
Finally he said: „We go into a channel, a tunnel or
something like that, in the distance of two or three
kilometers - in an insignificant side street, by night.
I have to study HOK's documents. However, we need
something else than an usual handgun, which we couldn't
use at all in the worst case, if the security forces really had
locked all the gully covers around the "Temple of Tolerance"
before the event. "
"Get ready with you speech! ", said Kohlhaas.
J talk about an explosive charge, that we place under
Wechslefs ass and blow him up in front of the eyes of the
world public. I thought of NDC-23. The stuff is easy to carry
and highly concentrated. Twenty kilograms are sufficient, to
destroy a part of the canal system, the square in front of this
so called "Temple of Tolerance" and of course this fucking
governor!
We could transport it in backpacks into the tunnel system
and bring it to explode below the speaker's platform. Of
course, we will use a time fuse so that we can escape
before the big burst! ", explained Alfred and seemed to be
enthusiastic.
„Damn! A great idea! ", 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.
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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
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
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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.
