Part CXXVII: Launch Date
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
Oldin moved quickly as he skidded down the tunnels, moving quickly toward the opening to get back into Araelia. His communications were still all down, and Oldin knew that the elven terrorists were behind it. No doubt they had sabotaged them, again maintaining their step ahead of him. He had to get to Iraina to warn him about what was going to happen. They had to get enough guards up to defuse the bombs that were even now waiting to rip open a clear path to the surface.
And he had to do it fast.
Moving to the door, Oldin quickly opened and slammed into it, throwing it open as he stumbled out into the wide cavern that made up the center of Araelia. The capitol building flickered like a gem in the dimness of the cavern as Oldin looked toward the great amphitheater, where even now Iraina was planning his great speech announcing his plans for the Xavier Team.
Dashing into the street, Oldin leapt toward a man trying to get into his car. “Official government business!” Oldin yelled, flashing his FRI badge as he drew out his gun. “The fate of Araelia is at stake! I need your car!”
“But-” the man interjected.
“Sorry!” Oldin yelled, flinging the man his business card as he snatched the keys out of the man’s hand. “Come visit my office tomorrow and I’ll pay for the damages!” Shoving the man aside, Oldin leapt into the front seat, slamming the car door shut before putting the keys in and turning it to ignition. The car roared and Oldin slammed down on the gas pedal. And the car roared off down the road.
“Bide your time,” the elven commander said as he glanced down at the mountain. “Everything is nearly ready. We just need to wait for the signal.”
“Aye, aye, commander,” the elven pilot said, only one pilot among the fifty other pilots that were here commanding their ships. “How large of a defense force shall we plan for?”
“A meager one if anything,” the commander replied. “Operation C-Watch has done its work and will silence most all of the possible defenders. Today is a day of victory where we will take the city with minimal bloodshed. And so the promise of the Great Upheaval will again be ours as we capture the last free city of the humans.”
Oldin skidded the car to a stop in front of the back of the amphitheater, quickly checking his clock. The ceremony began in seven minutes. He still had time to alert Iraina before he moved out on stage. Wrenching the door opened, Oldin moved out, running across the side walk toward the guarded door.
“Oldin—Head of the F.R.I.!” Oldin yelled as he ran toward the guards. “Open the door! I must speak to Iraina—now!”
“I… yes, sir,” one of the guards said, opening it up. Racing down the corridors, Oldin could hear the low clamor of the crowd ahead as he came into the prep room where Iraina stood, hair slicked back, shades on, ready for his speech. Outside the door, portions of the crowd could be seen as they gathered around the platform.
“Iraina!” Oldin yelled. “Iraina—for the Great One’s sake, you have to call the ceremony off—now! We’re in imminent danger!”
Iraina slowly turned, taking off his shades as he did as his eyes narrowed. “And why would that be?” His voice was cold.
“The cursed elven terrorists have duped us!” Oldin yelled. “They have a whole line of bombs in the outside tunnels waiting to blow up a route for them to get us! The Launch Date is today! You-”
“Shut up,” Iraina snapped, his lips curling back in a sneer. He cocked his head. “Go ahead.”
“Go ahead wha-” Oldin began, but suddenly, two men grabbed his arms, lifting him up as another confiscated his weapons. “What’s going on?!” Oldin roared.
“Oh—you still don’t know?” Iraina asked, his voice still cold as he began to laugh. “You really came this far without suspicions, Oldin?”
“Suspicions about what?!” Oldin roared even as his numbed mind began to work out what was happening. “You can’t—you wouldn’t-”
“I would of thought that you of all people would have begun to figure out why we were always a step ahead of you,” Iraina hissed. “Of course, it never occurred to you, now did it—that the leader of Araelia was a traitor.”
“But—but—but I trusted you!” Oldin cried out as his world began to crash around him. “You can’t—you didn’t-”
“You didn’t even investigate the election results!” Iraina cried out, laughing. “Did it never occur to the F.R.I. that there might have been election fraud? Did it never struck you as too remarkable that in a district that Astrid was supposed to have easily won, that the last 10% of votes all came out for me?”
“You…” Oldin said, horror-struck. “You—you meddled with the election!”
“But of course, Jaigran’s plan wasn’t so fragile as to be stopped by democracy,” Iraina snapped. “You really are too slow to learn for being the Head of the F.R.I. And now it’s over. Guards, put a C-Watch on him. He’ll experience the announcement with everyone else.”
“Ex…experience the announcement?”
“But of course,” Iraina said, raising his eyebrows. “Or have you not figured out yet what this era is all about?”
“No…” Oldin whispered, his voice slowly raising. “No. No! You can’t do this!”
“I already have,” Iraina laughed. “And thanks to your help in getting the communicator for the Xavier Team, I convinced them to fall into Jaigran’s plan as well, which coincidentally is worked out on this same day. Today Araelia and the Xavier Team falls in one fell-swoop. Thanks for your help.”
“No!” Oldin screamed as the C-Watch was put on him. “You… You can’t.”
“Already done,” Iraina whispered and he moved out to the podium to address the crowd.
“People of Araelia!” Iraina cried out as Oldin could only watch. “Today marks a new day in civilization—a new day for Araelia! Today is the day when the final victor is revealed between the people of Araelia and the elves! And today is the day when the final victor is me!” Iraina grabbed at his ear, and as Oldin watched, pulled off a flab of skin, causing the end of his ear to spring up. But it was only too obvious now. Iraina flung the fake scab of ear down as his pointed ears showed, above the gasps of the crowd.
“And now!” Iraina triumphantly proclaimed, pulling out a case from his pocket. “Now you get to hail the true victors of Araelia!” And with that, flipping open the case, he pushed a button.
Explosions rung out in the background as the portion of the mountain that for so-long had guarded them from the elves was destroyed, even as Oldin felt a prick hit his skin under the C-Watch, even as it all became clear. His thinking became obscured as he glanced weakly at the C-Watch. Of course. All the extra gadgets—the additional electric current—as the volt of electricity ran through Oldin’s body, it became all-too obvious. The elves had created a device that had gained mass popularity with the people. And this device had just electrocuted all 70% of the populace that had bought these devices. And as Oldin’s body was lulled to sleep, one last thought escaped from his mind.
They’ve won.
Date: Kapton 30th, 114 A.U.
Oldin moved quickly as he skidded down the tunnels, moving quickly toward the opening to get back into Araelia. His communications were still all down, and Oldin knew that the elven terrorists were behind it. No doubt they had sabotaged them, again maintaining their step ahead of him. He had to get to Iraina to warn him about what was going to happen. They had to get enough guards up to defuse the bombs that were even now waiting to rip open a clear path to the surface.
And he had to do it fast.
Moving to the door, Oldin quickly opened and slammed into it, throwing it open as he stumbled out into the wide cavern that made up the center of Araelia. The capitol building flickered like a gem in the dimness of the cavern as Oldin looked toward the great amphitheater, where even now Iraina was planning his great speech announcing his plans for the Xavier Team.
Dashing into the street, Oldin leapt toward a man trying to get into his car. “Official government business!” Oldin yelled, flashing his FRI badge as he drew out his gun. “The fate of Araelia is at stake! I need your car!”
“But-” the man interjected.
“Sorry!” Oldin yelled, flinging the man his business card as he snatched the keys out of the man’s hand. “Come visit my office tomorrow and I’ll pay for the damages!” Shoving the man aside, Oldin leapt into the front seat, slamming the car door shut before putting the keys in and turning it to ignition. The car roared and Oldin slammed down on the gas pedal. And the car roared off down the road.
“Bide your time,” the elven commander said as he glanced down at the mountain. “Everything is nearly ready. We just need to wait for the signal.”
“Aye, aye, commander,” the elven pilot said, only one pilot among the fifty other pilots that were here commanding their ships. “How large of a defense force shall we plan for?”
“A meager one if anything,” the commander replied. “Operation C-Watch has done its work and will silence most all of the possible defenders. Today is a day of victory where we will take the city with minimal bloodshed. And so the promise of the Great Upheaval will again be ours as we capture the last free city of the humans.”
Oldin skidded the car to a stop in front of the back of the amphitheater, quickly checking his clock. The ceremony began in seven minutes. He still had time to alert Iraina before he moved out on stage. Wrenching the door opened, Oldin moved out, running across the side walk toward the guarded door.
“Oldin—Head of the F.R.I.!” Oldin yelled as he ran toward the guards. “Open the door! I must speak to Iraina—now!”
“I… yes, sir,” one of the guards said, opening it up. Racing down the corridors, Oldin could hear the low clamor of the crowd ahead as he came into the prep room where Iraina stood, hair slicked back, shades on, ready for his speech. Outside the door, portions of the crowd could be seen as they gathered around the platform.
“Iraina!” Oldin yelled. “Iraina—for the Great One’s sake, you have to call the ceremony off—now! We’re in imminent danger!”
Iraina slowly turned, taking off his shades as he did as his eyes narrowed. “And why would that be?” His voice was cold.
“The cursed elven terrorists have duped us!” Oldin yelled. “They have a whole line of bombs in the outside tunnels waiting to blow up a route for them to get us! The Launch Date is today! You-”
“Shut up,” Iraina snapped, his lips curling back in a sneer. He cocked his head. “Go ahead.”
“Go ahead wha-” Oldin began, but suddenly, two men grabbed his arms, lifting him up as another confiscated his weapons. “What’s going on?!” Oldin roared.
“Oh—you still don’t know?” Iraina asked, his voice still cold as he began to laugh. “You really came this far without suspicions, Oldin?”
“Suspicions about what?!” Oldin roared even as his numbed mind began to work out what was happening. “You can’t—you wouldn’t-”
“I would of thought that you of all people would have begun to figure out why we were always a step ahead of you,” Iraina hissed. “Of course, it never occurred to you, now did it—that the leader of Araelia was a traitor.”
“But—but—but I trusted you!” Oldin cried out as his world began to crash around him. “You can’t—you didn’t-”
“You didn’t even investigate the election results!” Iraina cried out, laughing. “Did it never occur to the F.R.I. that there might have been election fraud? Did it never struck you as too remarkable that in a district that Astrid was supposed to have easily won, that the last 10% of votes all came out for me?”
“You…” Oldin said, horror-struck. “You—you meddled with the election!”
“But of course, Jaigran’s plan wasn’t so fragile as to be stopped by democracy,” Iraina snapped. “You really are too slow to learn for being the Head of the F.R.I. And now it’s over. Guards, put a C-Watch on him. He’ll experience the announcement with everyone else.”
“Ex…experience the announcement?”
“But of course,” Iraina said, raising his eyebrows. “Or have you not figured out yet what this era is all about?”
“No…” Oldin whispered, his voice slowly raising. “No. No! You can’t do this!”
“I already have,” Iraina laughed. “And thanks to your help in getting the communicator for the Xavier Team, I convinced them to fall into Jaigran’s plan as well, which coincidentally is worked out on this same day. Today Araelia and the Xavier Team falls in one fell-swoop. Thanks for your help.”
“No!” Oldin screamed as the C-Watch was put on him. “You… You can’t.”
“Already done,” Iraina whispered and he moved out to the podium to address the crowd.
“People of Araelia!” Iraina cried out as Oldin could only watch. “Today marks a new day in civilization—a new day for Araelia! Today is the day when the final victor is revealed between the people of Araelia and the elves! And today is the day when the final victor is me!” Iraina grabbed at his ear, and as Oldin watched, pulled off a flab of skin, causing the end of his ear to spring up. But it was only too obvious now. Iraina flung the fake scab of ear down as his pointed ears showed, above the gasps of the crowd.
“And now!” Iraina triumphantly proclaimed, pulling out a case from his pocket. “Now you get to hail the true victors of Araelia!” And with that, flipping open the case, he pushed a button.
Explosions rung out in the background as the portion of the mountain that for so-long had guarded them from the elves was destroyed, even as Oldin felt a prick hit his skin under the C-Watch, even as it all became clear. His thinking became obscured as he glanced weakly at the C-Watch. Of course. All the extra gadgets—the additional electric current—as the volt of electricity ran through Oldin’s body, it became all-too obvious. The elves had created a device that had gained mass popularity with the people. And this device had just electrocuted all 70% of the populace that had bought these devices. And as Oldin’s body was lulled to sleep, one last thought escaped from his mind.
They’ve won.
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