Chapter Twenty-Nine

Love or No Love

When your world is at stake, you don't shy away from even fighting destiny

Elisium

5L 21/19/5/5

"Wow! Jennifer never thought we had such high-quality weapons."

Jennifer was having a close look at a snipe rifle. Her father had brought her to the weapons manufacturing unit for David's Army.

"That is one of the most lethal weapons we have," A young man said walking towards her. "The Star-Rock pellets fired from this rifle blow the target into pieces."

"He is James, the great-grandson of Matthews and in charge of this facility." George introduced him to his daughter. "I have to admit that all the children of Matthews are born with genius brains. That has been the case for many generations now."

Jennifer offered him her hand but James just kept staring at her face.

Another star-struck young man? Did you think that because he is a nerdy scientist he would be a little different? All these men see a halo around your head. You are not a girl to them, you are their savior angel. Their Holy Mother. Jennifer shook her head and audibly cleared her throat.

"Oh sorry, I am so so sorry." James stammered and fumbled with her hand.

Jennifer sensed his unease and tried to strike a conversation. "Tell me one thing James, the looters didn't pass us the technology to develop the weapons. So how did we end up making such good guns?"

James straightened his back and lifted his head. This seemed like his favorite topic. "The first delegation had brought few guns with them that were confiscated. Grandpa Matthews began experimenting with them and was able to replicate their designs. With the help of a few weapon-smiths, he was able to make a couple of guns that worked fine. He asked the Council for some funds to develop more weapons, but they weren't too serious about the threat from Aden and dismissed his request. You know that some of them called him a traitor because of his connections with Andrews. So those guns made by Matthews were dumped and never used in war."

"Then how did we develop these kinds of guns?"

"The formation of David's army prioritized the need for good weapons. My grandfather took out those Matthews's guns that had passed down the generations, and after a little bit of servicing they turned out to be in working condition. He also found some blueprints on how to make these guns. But along with these notes, my grandfather unearthed something much more interesting."

"What did he find?" Jennifer leaned forward to ask.

"He discovered the logs of Andrews's and Matthews's secret experiments on the military usage of the Star-Rocks. They had found out that when the Star-Rock is coated with a certain compound and shot at high speed it undergoes a chemical reaction that causes an explosion after hitting a surface. The quicker it is shot, the larger the explosion."

"Then why doesn't the Star-Rock explode when we burn it as fuel?"

"When we burn it, there is a steady chemical reaction, but when we shoot it from a gun, the gunpowder triggers the chemical reaction that turns volatile due to the fast traveling speed. There is a huge build-up of energy that is released in form of an explosion. During the Catastrophe, these rocks fell from the sky at enormous speed and as a result, had tremendous energy built up in them. That is why they blew up everything inside the Capital. Matthews and Andrews used this same principle and we followed their line of these experiments to develop our guns. And as you can see they work quite well."

Jennifer took a pellet in her hand. "So these small pellets can blow up anything?"

"Not anything, but certainly humans. For other things like shooting at vehicles or structures, we have larger shells that are shot from bigger guns. These small pellets are used in sniper rifles. Our soldiers target the enemies' necks or thighs because their chests are covered in armors. If these pellets hit armor and explode externally there is a chance that the target may get injured but not get killed. But once the pellet enters the body and explodes inside the target is simply blown away. He has no chance."

"We used these sniper rifles in the ambush in which Moses got killed," George said entering the conversation. "That was our first real combat with these guns and they were fantastic. James's father Shaun had developed these sniper rifles. Our soldiers had found a couple of rifles in an abandoned army vehicle and Shaun was able to replicate their design. Shaun carried forward the research of his father, designed machines for the mass production of weapons and ammunition, and kept on improving the quality of our weapons. We needed Shaun for some other important projects, so James took over this facility. And he is doing a great job as well."

James's cheeks turned pink when George praised him in front of Jennifer. She gave him a cold stare and he quickly got a hold of himself. "These guns may not be as sophisticated as Aden's weapons but because they shoot Star-Rock pellets they are way more menacing."

Jennifer gasped. "What? You mean to say, our enemies don't use Star-Rocks in their weapons?"

"To trigger the chain reaction for Star-Rocks to blow up, a certain chemical compound must be coated on these pellets. Matthews figured out what that chemical was when he accidentally stumbled over a Star-Rock that somehow hadn't exploded during the Catastrophe. Without this coating, Star-Rocks can't be used in weapons. The looters don't know this secret yet."

Jennifer looked at thousands of Star-Rocks made ammunition and remembered something. "Father, don't you think that since Jennifer is the chosen one now, I am entitled to pay a visit to the Star-Rock farms, which you have denied me so far"

"Yes, I think it is time for you to see those fields. Moses also wanted to go there but didn't get a chance. I will take you there next week."

"I also want to come with you. I want to see the world inside those walls." James put in his application

"This is no picnic trip, son." George blew away his enthusiasm, but then added as an afterthought, "However because the maps drawn by your great-grandfather showed us the way to those farms, you deserve a chance to see them at least once. You can come with us."

***

"He is more interested in coming with you, rather than going to the Star-Rock farm," George whispered to Jennifer while walking out of the facility.

Here we go again. He just wants you to get hooked. He won't mind even if you start dating the guard outside your door. "Come on dad, he was just a little awe-struck, nothing more. Jennifer is quite used to those looks now."

"Girl, you didn't see his eyes. He is head over heels in love with you. Love at first sight."

"Then he is knocking on the wrong door. Jennifer doesn't have time for love. And dad, you know that my love won't bear him any fruits."

"Not able to bear children isn't the end of the world." George tried to convince her daughter for the umpteenth time.

"It may not be the end of the world, but for Jennifer, it certainly is the end of love. Now can we discuss something else?"

George sighed. "Okay, let us meet another person who will be accompanying us on our trip."

They returned to the headquarters of David's army. George took Jennifer to a small room in the corner of the top floor.

"Hello Roger, how are you doing?" George asked.

Roger hung his head. "Just returned from a walk. Your people still don't trust me. They don't let me disappear out of their sights even for a minute."

"You gave them the biggest shock of their lives by killing Moses. They don't want to take another chance with you."

"It has been four years. What I did then was my duty as a soldier. But the moment I saw the Refuge and realized how miserable your lives have become due to our invasion, I have been helping you."

"Yes, you have provided us with some valuable information. Remember I trust you so don't get bothered by other people's behavior. Some day they will recognize your true nature. Today I have brought Jennifer to meet you. Jennifer, the chosen one after Moses."

Roger looked at Jennifer from top to bottom. He was lost in his thoughts. He might be wondering that he killed the savior to end this war but somehow Elisians got another one.

George pulled him out of his thoughts. "I want you to accompany us in our foray into the Ruins. I think you could provide us with some insights down there."

Roger's eyes lit up. This was going to be the first time Roger would step out of the Refuge since he was arrested four years ago. The first time he was going to be near their fortress.

***

Fifteen members of David's Army stood near a secret entrance that led into a tunnel. This entrance was built into a side of a small mound near the banks of river Vinum and was hidden by small plants and bushes.

"Okay let's go inside," George announced.

David, George's son and his deputy interrupted his father. "First I need to handcuff commander Roger."

"Is that required?" George asked.

"We are entering enemy territory and being close to his people might just tempt him to do something silly. Can't take a chance, especially with some high-profile guests accompanying us on this tour," David said gesturing towards his sister.

David wasn't particularly pleased with his father's decision to take Jennifer on a tour inside enemy territory. He deemed it too risky. But George argued that one day they will have to fight inside the enemy territory. And if Jennifer has a rough idea about that place, about its security arrangements, that could prove useful to her on the day of the war.

David was very protective of his sister. He didn't want Jennifer to suffer the same fate as Moses, but he also knew that Jennifer was much better prepared than him. Since their childhood, she had trained with David and was physically and mentally very strong. After becoming the chosen one, she underwent the complete training regime which all recruits of David's Army were required to go through and passed out with flying colors. She was a natural in combat, had lightning reflexes, and could tackle a handful of soldiers without breaking a sweat. David fondly remembered how Jennifer had pinned him to the ground when he had made the mistake of taking her lightly during a practice fight.

Besides Jennifer's natural talent, David understood that the powers of the amulet imbibed in her soul and body subconsciously boosted her strengths. She had superhuman energy, superb instincts, and could move at the speed of light. Her grasp over her powers was further tightened by the Conferences of Transitioners. Jennifer discussed everything that happened in those conferences with David, and in return, he helped her in putting all that knowledge to the test.

In the last four years, David had seen his sister transform from a young naive girl into a strong-willed, battle-ready commander. A transformation that was essential for someone tagged to become the Transitioner. Her evolution inspired confidence. People started to believe that their hopes weren't misplaced. And that was the reason David didn't want to take a chance. Whether she was the Transitioner or not, her existence was necessary for the hopes of this world. Elisians might not be able to withstand another heartbreak. But despite all this, they were taking her into the enemy territory for no particular reason. His father's decision-making sometimes defied all logic.

George decided to give everyone a brief lesson in history. "People, this is one of the secret tunnels, out of many, that can take us from the riverbanks to the heart of the Ruins, and the fields beyond that. As per the legends, these tunnels were dug on the instructions of David, so that at the turn of the loop his heir can escape from the capital. Solomon used one of these tunnels to reach the bridge and take that historic leap. These tunnels were nicely tucked away from people's eyes until Andrews discovered one of them during his explorations. As many of these tunnels are interconnected one lead to the discovery of many others."

George unfurled a rolled paper. "Andrews and Matthews made maps of these tunnels that passed onto us. This is one of those maps and we are in this tunnel," he said pointing to a tunnel on the map. "This tunnel will lead us to Star-Rock farms. Many of these tunnels lead straight into the Ruins, but we don't go that way. We don't want to alarm our enemy because when the time comes, these secret passages are going to be priceless."

They kept moving inside the tunnel. Nathan further elaborated George's point. "This is the longest and one of the only two tunnels that has an exit outside the enemy's security perimeter. It starts well south of the Ruins and takes us to the farms just north of it. The fences to the south are heavily guarded, as all the population of Elisium lives south of the Ruins. The northern fields are mostly left unattended as our enemies don't expect us to reach that far. Their careless attitude makes it easier for our soldiers to collect these rocks."

At last, they reached an exit after walking for hours inside the tunnel. Ten soldiers of David's Army were waiting for them there.

"Welcome George, you have paid us a visit after a long time." Elliot, In-charge of the units which collected the Star-Rocks, greeted George. "Oh, and you have brought the miracle girl with you. A pleasure to see you, Jennifer." Elliot said shaking her hand.

They walked for a few minutes inside the thick bushes, till they emerged into large fields. These fields were covered in wild grass and thousands of small pieces of Star-Rocks were littered around them.

James rubbed his hands "Wow! A huge treasure is lying here unguarded."

"Yes," Elliot replied, "They have huge boulders inside the Ruins to meet their needs so they don't worry about these pebbles." Elliot then showed them the barbed-wired fence, lining the edge of these fields. "These security fences mark the edge of their security perimeter. We are just a few kilometers from their headquarters in the Ruins, but they hardly bother about their northern territories."

James was about to touch the fence but Elliot pulled him back. "Stop, young man. These wires carry heavy electric current. Whoever touches it gets electrocuted. Now and then animals and birds get roasted by them."

"It also sets off an alarm in their headquarters," Roger said. He was panting and took the opportunity to sit on the ground. "If someone touches these fences, they get the exact location of the breach and can reach that spot in a couple of minutes."

George taunted Roger. "Being an Army man you should have better stamina than that."

"Being locked inside a room for four years takes its toll on a person's fitness. You people carry on I will catch up with you."

David raised an eyebrow.

Roger shook his head. "Boy, I am just trying to catch my breath. I have no plans to jump on these wires and get fried. But you can still stand here and guard over me if you want."

"David, get off his back," George ordered his son. Roger lied down on his back and took a few deep breaths. The entourage moved away from the fence towards the center of the fields.

Elliot was still showing them around the fields when David noticed something. Puffs of dust were rising from the direction of the Ruins. A fleet of enemy vehicles was charging towards them. The enemies were coming at full speed, whereas they were stuck in the middle of the fields with nowhere to hide.

David shouted, "Enemies approaching. Take cover. Take Cover."

Everyone dashed towards the bushes. George, Nathan, David, and other soldiers surrounded Jennifer. They wouldn't repeat the same mistake they did with Moses. They will not let her out of their sight.

They ran fast, but the enemy vehicles were faster. Minutes later, they were surrounded from all sides.

David saw George and Nathan's shoulders slump. Their faces lost all color. He felt a lump growing in his throat. Darkness engulfed his heart. He wasn't worried about his life, but he was worried about the chosen one.

Surely, there can't be a repeat of what happened four years ago. Destiny can't be so cruel to them. He didn't know the plans of destiny, but he certainly knew that Elisium can't afford to lose another Savior.

And when your world is at stake, you don't shy away from even fighting destiny.