Chapter Fifty

The Command Center

No war is won without sacrifices, and sometimes a sea of innocent blood is required to turn the tide

Aden

6L 1/1/1/9

"Well, I don't think he is letting anyone out."

Jacob said with a gloomy face. "Those people are his shields and he will hide behind them. He will not even tell the people about our offer. So I don't think waiting for another day is of any use."

Jennifer was thinking on different lines. "If he is doing something we expected him to do, let us do something he doesn't expect us to do. Arnold, did you do the job Jennifer told you about?"

"Yes, and your hunch was spot on. Solomon did build tunnels in this world and that too in almost the same locations as the tunnels of our world. I followed the maps of Elisiums and located the required tunnel in Aden. And the good news is that the long tunnel is in surprisingly good shape for something that has not been used for ages. It will be perfect for our little foray inside Aurae."

"They know we used tunnels in Elisium and they will be prepared for this plan of action," Jacob warned them.

"Even with the maps, I had a hard time finding the exits. I think it is almost impossible for someone to locate these tunnels without any maps. And I Am sure they don't have any of those," Arnold retorted.

Jennifer nodded. "Let us give them a surprise tomorrow morning. When we first discussed this plan in Elisium it looked like a long shot but with the help of John and his allies inside the city, we will be able to make a far greater impact than expected."

John gave a twisted smile. "Yes, we are going to give Marcus the shock of his life."

"Okay, so let us get moving. Time is running out and we have a lot of work to do."

***

The residents of Aurae were living under a shadow of fear. There were rumors that their troops had been annihilated in Elisium and the enemies had arrived at their doorstep. They dreaded that a bloody war could begin anytime soon but they had no means of being sure. Aurae was completely cut off from the outside world. No one was permitted to go beyond the walls neither anyone was allowed to come in. And then, one gloomy morning, thousands of residents of Aurae woke up to a surprise. Or rather a shock. They received something which they hadn't imagined in their weirdest dreams. The truth had been shoved in their faces in the crudest way possible. They now knew that their counterparts weren't just waiting outside the wall, but they had penetrated their city. And even reached their homes.

***

Michael pushed aside the guard, who asked him to wait for the king's permission, and barged into the dining room of the Grand palace where Marcus was having a quiet breakfast with his wife and mother.

"Seeing your expressions, I don't think you have some good news," Marcus muttered through pursed lips. "Come, have some breakfast."

"I think you too will lose your appetite after seeing this." Michael handed an envelope to Marcus. It contained a picture of an impoverished family in ragged clothes standing outside a hut. There was a letter accompanying the picture.

"This is the picture of Judas and his family who are duplicates of you and your family. Just like them, every person in Elisium is the exact copy of a person in Aden. And just like you, we are honest, moralistic, peace-loving people.

However, our world has been terrorized by some gluttonous monsters for the last seven cycles. Our lands have been snatched, homes confiscated, and our men women, and innocent children have been subjugated to a life of suffering and misery. Nevertheless, we vanquished our enemies in our world and now want to finish their masters to end this vicious cycle of oppression.

David's Army, the Army of Elisium, has surrounded your city. We are not your enemies. We just want to save both our worlds from the clutches of tyranny. We offered peace to your king, but he rejected it. Yet our offer is still valid.

Our leader, Jennifer the Reborn, the Super-Transitioner, the true heiress of Solomon and Samuel, has vowed that whoever walks out of the gateways of Aurae before tomorrow's sunrise will suffer no harm. They will be spared the horrors of war and can return to their homes once the war is over.

Come out of the gates and we will welcome you with open arms.

Don't become scapegoats for a despot."

"Yesternight, thousand of such letters were distributed all over Aurae. People got photos of their duplicates delivered at their doorsteps. They had the guts to drop one such envelope at the palace gates as well." Michael handed another envelope to Marcus. Marcus saw a picture of himself, or rather his duplicate, standing outside a shanty with his wife and kids.

"After seeing the pictures of their counterparts in such miserable conditions, everyone in Aurae now has proof of our regime's atrocities in Elisium. Their hearts and sympathies are with our enemies. They trust them more than they trust us. They know that our enemies are the ones who want peace but it's their king who is risking the lives of his citizens by opting to fight. In one move they have completely switched public's loyalties in their favor."

"How did they get such detailed info about our people?" Marcus asked looking with wide eyes at the family photo in his hand.

"They captured our base in Elisium which had all the data about our citizens. They used our cameras to take these gloomy pictures of their citizens and matched them with our data to prepare these envelopes. I assume John's supporters helped them deliver these envelopes to proper addresses. I must say that they did quite a commendable job of delivering so many envelopes in a single night."

Marcus stood up from his chair. "You were supposed to take care of the security of Aurae and you are showing me this?"

"You told me to deploy my troops to protect the boundaries of Aurae. There were only a handful of soldiers within the city and this was done in a very discreet manner with a lot of inside help."

"How did they enter the city?" Miriam joined the conversation.

"No idea. But I guess they unearthed those mysterious tunnels which they had used in Elisium as well."

"Wasn't your useless brother supposed to locate them?" Marcus's voice was rising with every sentence.

"He hasn't seen their maps and it would be impossible to locate those tunnels without them. Besides that, they have completely broken him. He is a living dead."

"This is just a gimmick. We should just sit tight and things will cool down on their own," Marcus implied.

"I don't think so. Thousands of people have already gathered near the exit gates and there is a commotion there. As I told you, people seem to have more faith in them than they have in us."

A guard entered the room before Marcus could say something and whispered a few words to Michael.

"Switch on the TV," Michael ordered the guard.

When the television came to life, a documentary was playing on Aden's state news channel. The headlines at the bottom read 'Elisium: The Twin of Aden'. In the beginning, there were some sweeping views of Elisium highlighting the similarities between the two worlds. Then the deserted streets of the Ruins were shown to emphasize how Aurae's replica had been turned into a ghost town. The remainder of the video focused on the Refuge, showing the pathetic condition of its people and the overall dismal state of Elisium.

Marcus had to admit that whoever had directed this documentary was a genius. He had taken wide shots of the slums of the Refuge to make them appear inhabitable. Through fleeting shots, he had covered thousands of people in this short movie to ensure that most of the Adeners saw themselves, or someone they loved, on the screen and instantly connected with their plight. A couple of poignant interviews about the injustice and tyranny even made Miriam wipe a tear from her eyes. If the photos inside the envelopes had triggered Adener's sympathies, these gut-wrenching images of misery and despair burned their hearts. Hearing about a tragedy is one thing, but witnessing its effects with your own eyes is something different altogether.

Marcus sunk back into his chair. This documentary was going to add more fuel to the already raging fire. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control. Bur before he could think of a way to control it a familiar face appeared on the TV screen.

"Hello, people of Aurae. For those who don't know me, I am John Paul Andrews. I am here to inform you that David's army has infiltrated Aurae and they will take down this despotic regime. Aden's troops are powerless against them.

I want you to understand that the people of Elisium are not our enemies. They are not invaders. They have already spared the lives of thousands of our soldiers in their world and have promised to not harm anyone of us"

(A video played in the background that showed Aden's surrendered soldiers in the training ground inside the Ruins. Despite losing the war and sustaining injuries, they looked in good condition and it seemed they were taken good care of. Many Adeners even recognized their relatives in this video and this further strengthened their trust in Elisium's army.)

John's sing-song voice continued on the television.

"But to remain safe, we have to move out of harm's way. Our deceitful King, not only rejected their peace terms but also failed to inform us about their offer. David's army has guaranteed that whoever walks out of the city gates before sunrise tomorrow morning, will survive this war unscathed. Once the war is over we all can move back into our houses. They don't want to displace us but want to save our families from getting killed.

'Citizens of Aurae, I plead you to move out and not to fall into the trap of a monster, who is willing to sacrifice all of us to save his throne.

'Once you walk out, you will find that our so-called enemies are ready to welcome us with open arms. They are far more concerned about our safety than the person who claims to be our protector.

The video switched to the outskirts of Aurae where numerous large tents had been erected. Hundreds of Elisians, including women, were making arrangements inside these tents to receive the refugees from Aurae.

'Your copies from the other world have come this far to save you from the jaws of a bloody war. They are waiting for you beyond these gates. Come and embrace your other-selves.

Some recordings from Agar played on the screen. People of two worlds embracing each other. Otherworld twins eating and laughing together. The heartwarming clips from the big two-world reunion were enough to quash any remaining doubts. The happy faces made it clear that there were no monsters or enemies amongst the Elisians. Only friends.

'My brothers and sisters, make a choice and take the leap. May God bless us all."

Marcus's face had turned crimson red. "Where did that transmission come from?"

"Such an emergency broadcast can only be made from our Army command center," Michael did his best to evade his king's glare.

"Don't tell me you didn't leave enough men to guard our Command Center. I am seriously having doubts about your ability to tackle this situation." Marcus looked as if he was going to blow up like a volcano.

Michael did his best to stop himself from trembling. He hurriedly took out his walkie and shouted, "Command Center, come in. Command Center?"

John's dreamy voice crackled over the radio. "Ah Michael, I was waiting to hear your voice. Don't worry about your troops here. They are alright. We just incapacitated them. And don't bother about sending any reinforcements. Our job here is done. We will be long gone before anyone arrives. I assume you are with Marcus. I have a little surprise for both of you. Just walk to your balcony and have a look at our glorious Command Center."

Marcus, Michael, and Miriam rushed towards the balcony. The moment their eyes fell on the iconic structure, a series of explosions shook the whole building. The ear-shattering booms of the blasts reverberated around Aurae. They just froze and watched with wide eyes as, with a loud rumbling sound, the whole Command Center started to cave in. Within seconds, the historic building was reduced into a pile of rubble.

"That was the chiming of the bells of war. The formal beginning of the end." John sounded the warning before severing the connection.

Marcus hung his head and trudged back to the dining room. "They are wreaking havoc without even using their biggest weapon, that girl."

Michael shrugged. "They can't bring in their whole army through the tunnels. Can they? I am thoroughly confused. Should I protect the boundaries or pull back my armies to guard the city from within?"

Miriam was the only one who, despite these shocking assaults, was able to think clearly. "These blows shouldn't change our strategies."

"Mother, that wasn't just any other building. That was the heart of our operations. An icon that inspired confidence in our people that everything is under control. They just ran a dagger through that belief."

Michael's radio crackled once again

"Minister Michael come in."

"Yes. Go ahead."

"The crowd is getting out of control at the main gateway. They want us to let them out. They are even attacking our soldiers. Please instruct what to do. The situation is getting out of hand here."

Michael silently looked at Marcus for an answer.

Once again it was Miriam who was able to read the situation. "We can't let them out. They are our only shield. Our insurance".

"So what do I do?" Michael asked.

"Disperse them. Tell them to go back to their homes."

"I don't think they are in a mood to listen to my commands."

"I think, with all those men and weapons at your disposal, you should know how to make people listen when they don't want to. Impose an immediate curfew in the city. Tell people, those who violate this direct order from the king will be treated as rebels. And I assume you know how to deal with rebels."

"There could be rioting."

Marcus was ready for the consequences. "I don't mind a few dead-bodies, or a few hundred, or even a few thousand. This should persuade people to listen to us. Use the guns and do whatever you have to. I want to crush this internal rebellion before we deal with those enemies outside."

Michael let out an exasperated sigh.

Miriam seemingly sensed his uncertainty. "Michael, no war is won without sacrifices, and sometimes a sea of innocent blood is required to turn the tide. You have to understand that enemies are doing all these gimmicks to avoid bloodshed. They are soft and compassionate and that doesn't help in a war. We must exploit this weakness to rattle them. Innocent blood will gnaw at their consciences. It will perturb them and force them to abandon their well-planned strategies and commit a mistake. And that is when we make our move. But do you have the guts to carry out these orders or shall we entrust this mission to someone else?"

Miriam had masterfully tickled Michael's ego and he gave the expected response. "Don't worry about my guts, Queen-Mother, I am a true descendant of Henry. Just wait and watch."

Marcus patted the back of his most trustworthy lieutenant. This was his last roll of the dice. "Make it a spectacle, Michael. The gorier it gets, the more it will rattle them. The more blood you spill, the better chance we have of upsetting their plans. This all now comes down to you and your bloodlust. Don't let us down."

"I won't." Michael bowed his head and walked out of the room.

Marcus smiled to himself. The miracle girl had caught him by surprise through her unexpected move, but the return gift was going to shake her to the core and have an everlasting impact on Jennifer and the two worlds.