ODIN'S WAR

The End Is Near

At Spurion’s meeting room, the Board was gathered in a - milling and murmuring group. They had been called to assemble by Voltaire only shortly before for an emergency meeting. They had no inclination as to why, but they always responded immediately to their leader’s wishes, or directives, as it were.

“We have to organize now!” Spurion barked as he burst into the room, his arrival immediately silencing everyone in the room. Spurion was noticeably disturbed, more so than any of the board had ever seen him at a meeting.

“There has been an invasion in the lower levels. We have to call all our guards immediately. They have control of the main computer terminal. Sit down! Everyone!

The group quickly seated itself, and prepared to hear the words of their distraught tyrant, whose grey hair and bloodshot eyes gave him a bit of a demonic look.

“We have them trapped in a corridor,” he began hurriedly, “but I suspect there’s more of them outside, waiting for their chance. It is obviously an attempt to overthrow me, the divine ruler in the name of God. It shall not be.”

“I won’t let it happen, no, I won’t. We will call all guards immediately! Advise them to use full stun. Organize a group to sweep the perimeter. You, Archangel Three, will be in charge of the outside group, and you, Archangel four, will be in charge of the interior group. Marcus and I will not be available for consultation, but II”′ the emergency communication wave to call should the enemy be trapped, defeated, or if anything desperate comes up. The rest of you stay tuned to the emergency wavelength for further orders and news. I suggest you remove yourselves as far from the action as possible. These men must be Umms, like the ones who attempted to overthrow us in the first revolution, and therefore they can be expected to try anything, even killing. They have no regard for life and its proper uses. But we will fix them!” Spurion slammed his fist on the table. “Now go, all of you, and do as I have instructed, and this little insurrection will be quashed. directly.

The meeting room came alive with the hum of voices and the pushing and sliding of chairs as the Archangels, Marcus, and Spurion left the room to go to their appointed stations. .Soon groups of guards were moving quickly through the halls, while others were hastily preparing for their outdoor excursion. Then the fire alarm went off and water came sprinkling from the ceiling. James had set it off in hopes of confusing the ICCE guards.

It worked temporarily, as the guards stopped and ran. into each other under the shower, and a few yelled Fire: causing several to bolt down the hall, where they ran. into still more guards, who knocked them down. The leaders of the groups eventually got everything under control, and once again the few hundred guards inside and outside continued their procedure, closing in on the members of MUSIC outside the camp and inside the computer center.

As several platoons descended quickly down to the eighth level, some by the stairs and some by the elevators in order to block off all attempts to escape, as large group of guards began to emerge from the garage area and within sight of MUSIC’s small group. There were several guards suddenly on the third and top floor above ground, where the MUSIC assault force was spotted from the high vantage point. The 200 or so guards on the ground, about half getting into sonic cars, started toward MUSIC, which was frozen at their spot, The second in command of MUSIC’s much smaller party was in shock and did not know what to do.

Suddenly, some of the guards dropped to the ground clutching at their ears while others ran wildly in all directions, some trampling over their comrades. MUSIC, at first terrified by the approach of the ICCE guards, were now shocked by the scene in front of them, obviously caused by the satellite sonic waves which were now bombarding the complex in full force. MUSIC watched, ears protected by special headphones. What was an audio hill for the guards, as an erratic sequence of high pitched tones penetrated their heads until their nose and cheek bones vibrated in totally unnerving pain, producing hideous screams, was a moving picture of soundless hell for those of MUSIC, who watched the scene in silence.

Two of the guards above threw themselves from the roof and landed with sickening thuds in front of the MUSIC main force, which now moved out to stun the guards in their agonized confusion, in part to save them from their

pain and dangerous conditions. But no sooner had MUSIC moved out from behind their rocks, when the sonic cars came shooting out in all directions, zigzagging around, over, and past the ICCE guards. The group quickly ducked back behind the rocks as the cars shot by, some driverless, and either smashed in a burst of flame against the rocks, the complex walls, or careened off each other.

Inside the complex, the sound waves penetrated with similar affects. The guards ran into each other and fell in a screaming, writhing mass.

Marie, James, Kerenyi, and their three companions were relieved when James had tried a final time, and the technicians in the room had dropped to the floor. Elated, the small group then made their way out into the hall and stunned the falling and confused guards. They moved up the stairway, pausing at each level to stun the guards on the way. Johnson’s voice came through the headphones, and said he was working the far side of the complex, while the situation outside seemed to be developing properly.

It was just hard work, now, stunning the ICCE guards who were helpless, and carrying them into rooms where they were locked in, as yet still unconscious. They were not thrilled by the duty they were performing, as they dragged the heavy, unconscious bodies. Firing stuns into hallways filled with writhing bodies was both relieving and somehow faintly morbid, as all was accomplished in a deep silence to MUSIC, since the headphones were functioning perfectly. It had the effect of a dream, silent but moving at a rapid pace.

Shortly, Kerenyi, Marie, and James worked their way up to the main floor, where they began to search the rooms for Spurion and his board. They found a few of the archangels scattered in different places in the halls, and two more in the main control room, but Spurion was not with them. Marie herself knew where Spurion’s chamber was, having only just been there a week or so ago. She made her way down the hall, weaving left and right through the corridor. Presently she came to the entrance to his chamber. She stunned the two guards at the door who were clutching their ears, and sitting on the floor. They were knocked prone by the blasts, and laid still. The door was opens apparently Spurion: had been hit by the sonic waves only just after he had reached his chamber. Marie went in and looked around. There he was, sitting in his chair amidst the clutter of tables, chairs, piles of books and several fantastical figures of art. He resembled one of the other motionless figures of iron and marble in the room now, as he sat totally motionless, staring without sight into the center of the room. His hands were clasped in his lap, the .knuckles white with pressure. He obviously was aware of nothing, and Marie thought he was dead at first, but upon approaching him carefully, she could see that he wasn’t dead, but in some kind of coma. Apparently the sonic waves had affected his brain, or perhaps the excitement and confusion had induced some kind of stroke. She touched his shoulder, but he didn’t move. It gave her an eerie feeling, knowing that this man had been raving and screaming like a madman at her from that very chair not long ago, and that she had feared his awesome power, wielded in the true sense of a theocratic tyrant, but now, he was an impotent vegetable. “Such is the way of God,” she whispered under her breath silently.

She left the room in no hurry to see what had happened to the others. She made her way back through the halls rather slowly. Suddenly she thought for a moment she saw someone dart across the corridor from one side to the other and disappear. She quickly slipped into a room and carefully peeked around the corner. She saw several more men run by further down the hall. They were wearing headphones, but not the same kind as MUSIC. Nor were they ICCE guards. The last man to run by was elderly, with snowy white hair and a bent over body. Marie was sure it was Fromo. “But he’s long dead:” she thought to herself. “What on earth is this all about?” She now felt that somehow things were not going as smoothly as it had seemed just a moment ago. There was someone else who had designs on the ICCE empire besides MUSIC. Lilt who? Marie could not imagine. She waited just a moment, and then began to make her way back to the main hall of the complex. Since she knew the halls so well, she was able to reach her group before the unidentified others she had just seen. She went straight to Kerenyi.

“We have some visitors,” she said through the microphone.

“What?” said Kerenyi.

“There is a group of armed men with headphones at the other end of the complex on this floor. I don’t know who they are.”

Kerenyi immediately called his group together, including. Johnson and his men. They made a quick decision, and they spread out, moving down the corridors in the fashion Marie recommended, since she knew the complex, and had seen the men herself. Everyone in MUSIC’s group was nervous, not knowing what to expect. And had they known who else was in the complex, they surely would have been cautious out of fear.

Marie went to the main entranceway by the front door, and made contact with the forces outside. The ‘battle’ was almost over, she was told, as the ICCE guards were being rounded up. They would soon be inside, and locked up with the others. Marie requested several men for help inside, in case the group she had spotted was larger and stronger than she. had thought. Outside, there was a mess;. Several of the guards had been hurt by the sonic car stampede, and the members of MUSIC were trying to help them. Also, there were far more ICCE guards than MUSIC, so the gathering together of the stunned men was proving quite a task, which had to be completed as soon as possible, since some of the stronger men would recover soon. They could only spare a couple men, who soon came through the front door to greet Marie.

She was explaining to them the situation, when suddenly, several men burst out of the elevator across the hall. They fired blasts, which appeared to be stuns, at the two new MUSIC members, who dropped instantly. Marie was completely surprised, and did not move. This was fortunate, for the small group of men ran swiftly up and kicked each of the men they had just shot over. Their faces were different from men who were stunned. They looked. dead. Marie knelt down, and touched the throat of one to find a pulse.

Nothing. Marie felt a quiver in her stomach as she realized that these were strangers who killed.

“Who,” she stammered, “Are you?”

“We are THOR!” came the answer, rasped out in a rough voice. A small, white haired man pushed through and emerged from behind the little x group of armed men. They apparently were able to use the same frequency for their headphones as MUSIC.

“Fromo!” gasped Marie. “You! You’re not dead? You’re alive? How can you be?” Marie was feeling disoriented. This was too much to bear in the wake of the latest chaotic debacle.

“Yes!” Fromo’s voice was triumphant. I am alive! and they’ are dead!” he pointed a bony, crooked finger at the 2 bodies sprawled askew on the floor. Marie looked at them, but quickly turned her, head, covering her face with her hands. “Fromo,” she began, “You were once my friend. My husband drank with you in companionship. but you are not the someone I once knew, a bitter old man, nor again the man I knew before the Day of Death. You were in love with life. You thought you loved God. Where is your love now? Now you are old and bitter, but you are not even a man. You cannot do these things now, Fromo. This is wrong, and you know it must be. We can live and die without senseless “It is not senseless,” responded Fromo. “Don’t you fear me now? Don’t you fear them?” he waved his crooked arm behind him to the motley crew.

No!” said Marie calmly. “I just feel sick now. I have been afraid for so long. I have lived under a reign of fear, but I have always had hope. You are the end of all hope.”

“You are naive, my dear,” said Fromo. “Hope went thirty five years ago, with the slaughter of our families, and then, with the slaughter of our soul’s.”

“A bastardized state religion that whispered perversion to every waking ear. No one has withstood that pain. Our only joy is the rightful death in our duty. That is our hope. It was the joy of the ancient warrior, the Norseman, the Gaul the Greek, the Roman. Dulcet et decorum est! You know our end was handed to us-- Let us take it and rejoice in it!”

Marie stood silent. Meanwhile, Blake and Johnny were still unsure of the success of their mission. The touchdown was to be a bit of a tricky affair, with Johnny guiding Blake at the controls, adding what assistance he could, with his bandaged arm and shoulder.

“We have to begin firing our reverse thrust jets now,” said Johnny, pulling the corresponding switch. The shuttle rumbled and shook, as the jets slowed the movement of the shuttle. “We will be approaching our landing trajectory zone in a few minutes. After that, it’ll come down pretty quick, and you’ll have to drive ’er with the manual steering column there.”

Johnny tapped the wheel in front of Blake with his free hand.

“This gauge,” he began again, pointing to a small dial on the panel, “will show your horizontal alignment, and this one will show the position of the nose. If you keep these two lined up, I’ll handle the brakes and the landing gear.”

The cabin was silent for the next few minutes as Johnny intently studied the controls. After a few minutes, he flipped a few switches, the shuttle shuddered again, and this time, they were all aware of a significant slowdown. Then Johnny turned the video screen, showing the grey nukescape a few thousand feet below and moving silently by Johnny then signaled to them and they put on their headphones, since they were about to enter the area under the satellite sonic beam. Soon they were over the landing field, just a quarter mile behind the ICCE complex. The shuttle needed very little landing space and it came quickly in, swooping down like a bird into the cleared area. There were a few bumps and a somewhat shocking brake, but the landing was safe. They quickly made their exit, not knowing what to expect for certain.

The contest appeared to be over. There were several sonic cars lying about, wrecked and burning. Blake led the little troop of six at a brisk pace to the main complex doors. It was then that Blake heard Marie’s voice over his headphones. “You are the end. . . “Everyone was silent, as Blake motioned to his crew to get into the proper positions for a surprise entry. Blake hit the door button and the doors slid open. The THOR men were caught by surprise and were hit by successive blasts of stun from Blake and his men. Fromo fell with most of his men, but a few slipped around the corner and down the corridor. Marie stood still in shock again from yet another unexpected encounter. Flake waved to the others to follow the remainder of THOR while he went to talk to Marie. She recognized him, thought she hadn’t seen him in eight years, and the premature ageing effect of the stuns had given him the appearance of a man in his late fifties. His fame as a fighter had also caused frequent pictures of him to appear in the news, though they had always depicted a much younger man.

“Are you all right?” Blake asked plainly.

“Yes, thank you,” she replied, managing a tired smile. Her face was not completely free of tension.

“Are those the only ones?” asked. Blake.

“I’m not sure,” said Marie, “but I think so.”

“Who are they?” was Blake’s next question.

“He called them “Thor”, said Marie, pointing to Fromo’s crumpled frame on the floor. Blake looked at the old man, not quite sure if he recognized him or not. He leaned over the form and laid his fingertips on his throat. He looked into the wild blue eyes. They were in a fixed, blank stare.

“Whoever he is, it appears that he was too old to be stunned. He’s dead.” Marie covered her face with her hands, and began to weep slowly, quietly. Blake turned his head and saw her. It was more than he wanted, or needed to bear. He stood up and embraced her, pressing her small and slight form to his large and rugged body. Her head rested on his chest, and she returned the embrace. For the first time Blake could remember, he momentarily forgot his men in a combat situation. He knew that there was still a potentially very dangerous situation, but he could not bring himself out of Marie’s warmth, acutely sensitive to her suffering, though he did not know all the reasons for her pain. They were standing together only a few moments, when their silence was broken by a voice over the headphones.

“Cap’n. Cap’n Williams?” It was Fitzgerald’s voice. ’We’ve got em. They ran straight into this guy ’Kerenyi” and his men. They stunned ’em down.”

Marie looked up into Blake’s face, and whispered softly. “It’s over now.”

“Cap’n?” came Fitzgerald’s voice again. “What did you say?” Somethin’s wrong with my headphones.

“It’s OK,” answered Blake. “Have Kerenyi and his men come to the front hall here. We’ll all gather for a little meeting.”

The group composed of MUSIC’s two forces and Blake’s men were soon gathered in the hallway. Kerenyi and James each shook Blake’s hand.

“we are honored to meet you, Captain Williams,” Kerenyi said with a Slavic flourish in his voice.

“Yes,” said James with his familiar lisp, “Your strength, intelligence, and spirit have been well known by us at MUSIC. We have been looking forward to such a meeting.”

“Thank you,” said Blake,” and I am honored to be with group of such dedicated men. I think now we shall pray.” Everyone was quiet. Blake looked at his watch. He kept his eye on it for several seconds, and then looked up.

“We thank the Lord for delivering us from a hopeless, false world of perverse tyranny. We pray for the souls of those who died in the revolution, which we sought to be free from such tragedy. We pray for the establishment of a new, godly kingdom in the name of love, honor, peace and happiness. May the blessings of the Lord be on our children and in our lives from now to our meeting with the Blessed Saviour in Heaven.” Here Blake paused a moment, placing his large hand on Marie’s slight shoulder. “May those of us in the twilight of our years have special strength to throw out the legacy our generation has through great misfortune left for our children, and may we build our ties on the love of God and each other. These are the ties which preserved us all for thousands of years, and which will build us a future again, a hope, and a tie to the heart of eternity, which is the Love of God.

Blake then reached up and removed his headphones, signaling that the sonic wave barrage had ended. A thunderous roar shook the hall as the men cheered for Blake, for themselves, and for the long awaited victory of oft tried and tormented souls. Marie reached her arms up and around Blake’s massive shoulders, kissing him deeply amid the shouting and the joy.