• 13- Declaration of war

    Written by Paula Spectacles in Countdown on 12 January 2013 à 01:17
    At the end of the extraordinary assembly it was decided that the committee had to intervene in any way possible to put an end to anarchy.
    One had just to look at how Society was blatantly a political mess.
    Presidents were dictators.
    Innocent people were unfairly tortured. About that the committee stated the President had to be punished without delay.
    Fear and obedience maintained an illusion of political balance and economic growth. That’s why he United Countires had never been aware of the regime’s dealings.
    The list of charges was not exhaustive.
    But what unabled them to act was actually the source of all that mess, the “Shovel of Death”. In fact the President possessed its key. If anything happened against his will, if anything was done to discredit his regime he was able to take control over the whole world by pushing a single button.
    Cornered the committee couldn’t do anything without provoking a nuclear world war.
    Not in the year of 2050 at least.
    Usually pragmatic diplomats, the country delegates resented resort to such unrealistic and irrational thing as time traveling.
    Modifying the past had great consequences on the future, good or bad.
    Give or take it appeared to be the last but not least way to bring everything back to nomal in the world stage.
    By a consensus those who chose voluntary to go were immediately nominated as the passengers of the committee’s secret weapon stored deep inside the building on the sixth under floor. That machine should remain secret, especially because it was meant for emergency use only.
    It has been long since that time reload device has been last activated.
     
    July 15th, 2040:
     
    It felt like the calm before the storm unless Hellmet Pitsbulk had planified something great and dangerous behind his first strategy. It was exactly like they were playing a video game but they were not supposed to.
    Therefore Alys was immediately the person chosen to look after Hitori: she should better take care of him than fight on the battlefield where she wasn’t of any help.
    She considered very seriously her task, delivered personnaly to her by Isha who couldn’t stay with her any longer otherwise their hideout would have been discovered.
    Mikael promised he would come back alive and safe but Alys couldn’t help to feel scared when she saw his motorbike disappearing at the end of the boulevard.
    She was especially frustrated by her helplesness in that situation: indeed she was a woman but it was not a good reason to justify her inability to fight.
     
    Isha faced a difficult dilemma to conciliate her career and her bieliefs.
    She was split between two possibilities, either she decided to abandon her career as Official for the sake of Hitori or she resigned herself to slip in her role of mandated healer. However the answer was not so obvious.
    In the end she considered her values prevailed over everything else. It broke her heart to collaborate with a government blatantly inclined to dictatorial tendencies.
    Instead of hesitating any longer she chose for once to listen her own will.
    After all she had only accepted this job in order to get out of jail’s horror and make a decent living. It was a game of intertwined relationships and bribes what implied leaving aside the road the “bothering” people. Just in time, just for what they did to her and Hitori she had to act to denounce those out of morality dealings
    At the main shelter the healing squad chief executive was negociating subventions with Official representatives when Isha entered in a fury pestering about Hellmet Pitsbulk.
    She was amazed to see how far her boss was corrupted to accept money from the regime.
    - Better late than never, Isha reporting! she said abruptly.
    He turned to look at her. A smirk curled his lips:
    - What were you doing all this time? Do you have consideration for your teammates or even for me who is trying to obtain new subventions to carry out proper emergency hospitalizations? Who do you think you are to talk to me in that high tone?
    - I’m a mandated healer. I can’t deny I’m your subordinate either but have you ever think twice about what you’re doing?
    - Answer my question… who do you think you are to disobey my orders and abandon your comrades and patients?
    - Do you want me to tell the truth about what’s really going on lately?
    - What are you talking about? Or I should ask… are you crazy?
    - I’m talking about how that scandal brought into play people, bombs and democracy. I can’t stand shutting my mouth and faking my faith in the regime’s legitimacy when I see great people dying in front of my eyes and little dictators taking blatantly the leadership as though it had always belonged to them.
    - Calm down Isha don’t tell me you still feel resentment and revenge. You could be thrown back in jail for a few more years to have lit the uprising you know.
    - Who cares of being arrested if it’s for world’s goodness?
    - Say it.
    - What?
    - I was expecting that reaction from you one day. It can’t be helped since he ended up thrown in jail while trying to save you.
    Isha clenched her fists and gritted her teeth:
    - If I were a man you would have already tasted the strength of my fists. How can you dare?
    - I can’t help to feel sorry for you, that’s all: no bully, no reproach. Anyway focus on your main task for now. We may continue this conversation later if possible.
    By the way not to offend you but go to the bathroom before doing anything you smell blood slightly.
    - Tch, I’m doing the job most healers are supposed to do.
    She teared the clean white coat he held out to her from his hands and added:
    - You don’t even know what you’re doing. From the Official people’s point of view, you’re a mere pawn seeking for money with puppy eyes inclined to do whatever they ask for obtaining subventions. Just a small advice: consider that it will never benefit you to take their sudden hint of generosity at face value. You run into the lion’s den voluntary while they are enough selfish to think only about their interest. And their interest put the safety of the whole world into the game. Think about it twice. Do what is fitting for the sake of your consciousness. Or else, here is my demission letter if you may take a look at it. It’s all about me talking at the first person: the reasons why I came to raise my voice and refuse to side with a regime that has stolen from my heart the right to get to happiness.
    Unitl recently I used to be a caged bird into the darkness itself and like never before I felt like even a tiny ray of hope couldn’t reach my eyes and bright my future
    Sometimes loneliness can be such a scary emotion. I just want to let the world know that.
     
    Sen Ma Kloud was not cut out to be a charismatic leader at first.
    He used to be a passive revolutionary, mere shopkeeper of a casual hardware store to some extent.
    But in that context he couldn’t remain neutral. However how to defeat a bunch of savage troopers when you were so frightened by death?
    The problem was you paid twice the price for playing around with the flow of time. First time travelling didn’t offer eternal youth. Second among the ones who had tried to trick with time some had ended up lost in translation physically and psychologically.
    Overused abusively for no valuable reason that ability was quite dangerous as though you were addicted to a tough drug.
     
    The city floated out of time in a dead atmosphere.
    People had deserted their homes, cars were immobile, here and there public equipements were either destroyed or deformed.
    Casually it would have been reported as the consequence of an earthquake by the official medias but this time no need to deny any longer the war has been declared.
     
    Alys heard footsteps approaching. She shouldn’t have lowered her guard. She clenched her fists and stood up. Anyone willing to capture Hitori would know what a woman is capable of to protect someone dear.
    - Is there anybody?
    Alys startled: her mother’s voice. She thought she was hallucinating until she saw shadows taking shape on the floor.
    Seemingly she hasn’t come alone. Alys hesitated to go meet her in case of it was a trap.
    - We don’t mean to fight or to threaten anybody. Is there someone?
    - Hello mother, it’s Alys. Come over there.
    - Alys? I’m glad to hear your voice, where is Mikael?
    - Mikael has gone out.  Hopefully he will be back soon.
    Ashley appeared at the entrance of the storehouse. She groped for the switch:
    - It’s incredibly dark in there, why don’t you switch on the lighting? All that mess… It’s dangerous to hide alone you know…
    - Mrs Wonderland calm down, we’re not there to hear you arguing with your daughter. Keep in mind we have to make contact with the ten years ago self of the Prime minister’s son as soon as possible.
    - Let’s go elsewhere, I’ll try to explain a few things about the recent events, Alys objected.
    - Be fast, we don’t have much time left.
    Alys gulped. A faint smile curled her lips:
    - Beware to explain things quickly you’ll have a shock. You can bear with blood, can’t you?
    - What?
    Alys sighed and grasped the door handle:
    - Is it Hitori you’re looking for?
    - Yes we are. What’s going on?
    - To tell the truth Mikael and the others have gone to the battlefield on the front line. Official army have already launched the assault sooner than expected. Panic is about to wreak havoc all over the city at each minute. Such exhibition of violence is nonsense but they are determined to show off the strength of the regime to regain their legitimacy in the eyes of the crowds.
    Alys restrained her tears with difficulty while she was talking. She tried as best as she could to hide her emotion. However it was visible through her words, beneath her strained face expression.
    Ashley walked to her and forced her gently to let go of the handle. She embraced her daughter sweetly inside her arms:
    - I’m here to put all that fear to an end.  Be honest with yourself, it’s all right to show your emotion when it feels like you need to cry to feel better. By the way what happened to Hitori? You seem to have voluntarely omitted this part of the story.
    The familiar wild flower perfume of her mother redeemed her mood like a pleasant balm to the heart like in the old days of her childhood.
    She should tell them everything. She didn’t want Hitori to die by her fault.
    - Like a hero he tried to protect everyone but has failed in the end. If Sen hadn’t intervened at the very last I wonder what would have happened.
     
    On one side the Lonesome activists, on the other side Official troopers acting in the name of Hellmet Pitsbulk.
    Forces were inevitably unequal and both sides already knew it so well.
    Compared to the Official army armed to the teeth the Lonesome peoples were ridiculously helpless even equipped with guns.
    This was quite a battle already lost.
    Actually not when unexpected reinforcements riding motorbikes arrived just in time before the start of the battle.

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  • Alternate timeline (Countdown)

    Written by Paula Spectacles in Context on 4 January 2013 à 16:10
    To make it short this is about the events occuring during the second part titled Countdown.
    At the end of first part Sam Suung (Alys) and Maa Kintoche (Mikael) have to travel through time to defuse the "Shovel of Death" to prevent the Traumatism from happening. They come back ten years ago to July 14th 2040, one day before July 15th when the Traumatism is supposed to happen.
    Therefore it implies that the past will be modified to some extent in order to not redo the same mistakes as before.
     
    July 14th, 2040:
     
    Alys and Mikael awoke in a quirky waste factory used as headquarter by a revolutionary whose leader is a young man in his thirties named Hitori (which means lonesome in japanese).
    Hitori and his people revealed themselves to be the ten years ago young Lonesome movement.
    Joining temporarily the uprising is likely the best way for Alys and Mikael to find support for their cause and help to access the nuclear power station where they will be able to defuse the "Shovel of Death". Thus they accepted and are part of the revolutionary under the protection of Hitori from now on.
     
    July 15th, 2040:
     
    The "Shovel of Death" has to be defused within twelve hours and so the countdown starts from 8 AM to end at 8 PM.
     
    8  AM:
     
    Nothing much happens. Each side makes its move towards the other.
    On one hand Hitori and his people including Alys and Mikael are riding motorbikes crossing the city to reach the nuclear power plant.
    On the other hand Hellmet Pitsbulk with the police in his pocket prepares his strategy.
     
    to be completed ...

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  • 12- A man's oath

    Written by Paula Spectacles in Countdown on 16 December 2012 à 19:39
    Wherever she went, whatever she was doing Isha thought about Hitori.
    Seeing his body covered with blood was heartbreaking. He was too fragile to carry the weight of such heavy cross upon his shoulders ready to break apart at any time.
    By dint of willing to protect everyone, with boundless self abnegate generosity, he offered himself as a sacrifice for world’s sake. Almost religious his infallible honesty had never known any misdemeanour, since that day.
    That day occurred five years ago in the middle of July.
     
    July 2035:
     
    Since dawn the President’s investiture speech rebroadcast had replaced everything else from the official radio that usually displayed classic music, news and literary programs between 6 and 10 in the morning.
    The sun had risen up but outside a dead silence weighted down the atmosphere. Birds had given up on singing. Footsteps were shifty. Cars went down the city slowly.
    All that echoed everywhere was the rough voice of the President and the slaunch applauses of his followers.
    Hitori and Isha had spent the night together, for the last time. Isha knew so well she had to move on as well as her parents, not to be arrested by the men dressed in black.
    Hitori lightened her against his chest trying to be reassuring and comforting. Any of them knew what future, what ‘new world” awaited mankind at the end of the road.
    - Let me go, Isha whispered picking up her favourite dress that looked like a cherry blossom
    She dressed up and looked by the window at her dear city of origin. She has been brought up there, made there her closest friends, fell in love at first sight with Hitori along that street sat on that bench. She didn’t want to move on so soon, just because a fool had just been elected as the head of the country the day before.
    He was the President. She was Isha.
    He said he could easily blow away any opponent to his regime. She was afraid.
    He said resisting to the regime was useless. She was revolted.
    He said a new world was coming. She was a political refugee from now on.
     
    They forced her to talk, they drove her in a corner but still she endured. She didn’t know where her parents had gone to, she knew anything about the medicine.
    Hitori was held prisoner, arms outstretched, at gunpoint.
    Shocked he couldn’t talk and even less make a single move.
    Isha was their prey but he could only watch.
    He blushed of shame in a fit of anger against himself, against his helplessness.
    He loved her so deeply, so sincerely thus why? Why was he not fighting at her side against those beasts that tormented her?
    The disappointment in her eyes killed him from the inside as though it was daggers
    He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout. No words could have described how he felt so ashamed.
    It was the last time they see each other until the trial, thirty days later.
    One could say it was a parody of trial; forces were way too unequal between the accusation and the accused: lawyers were under the accusation’s heel.
    The courthouse was almost empty. A bribed judge, mock lawyers, Isha, her parents and a few interested Official people were the protagonists.
    Hitori tied back his hair in a ponytail. He couldn’t fail once more. It was a matter of dignity.
    As a man he couldn’t put his own safety before Isha’s life when Isha was enduring the worst torment because of his helpless cowardice.
    Headphones put on listening to latest news he made secure his crash helmet. A gun was hanging at his belt.
    Fate had offered him a second go to prove to Isha the sincerity of his love for her.
     
    Isha was afraid about the outcome of the trial: she could no longer handle the fear and the loneliness of those days spared in jail isolated in the security quarter.
    Her mother tried to be reassuring:
    - Don’t be afraid things will go fine as long as they have an interest about the medicine we have created. If they want to achieve the recipe they shouldn’t kill us. At least it’s our last hope to work out a fair deal with them.
    - Be unfair and unfaithful is their law. It’s thoughtless to think about making a contract with them.
    - How else should we act?
    - Darling we should wait, Isha’s father intervened. I’m sure there is still a chance for us to get out of that mess alive and safe.
    - Should wait for what or who? No need to remind you we’re not in a position that allows us to trust on never coming miracles and/or dreamt guardian angels.
    - I’m talking about a strength that only a few ones gain once in a lifetime, that smash every doubt, every fear to pieces, that gives us life, that light our resolve to the strongest flame, the power of people: a strength whose first name is love.
    It was unexpected Isha was surprised to hear those words from her father.
    It felt like he was not the one talking.
    He looked mysteriously at the main door: has he planned on something great to happen?
    Before the doorman had unlocked the gate, the guest announced his arrival himself.
    Hitori in flesh and blood stood in the threshold armed with a gun.
    The judge ordered him to retreat but Hitori walked to the accused bench instead.
    He threw away his weapon. Face down he bowed humbly to Isha offering his neck in sacrifice to her anger and her resentment.
    - I present you my deepest, my most sincere apologies. I won’t even dare to ask for your forgiveness. A coward doesn’t deserve your love, does he?
    Voiceless in shock Isha squeezed firmly her head. Deep was a word way too weak to describe how strong and respectful were Hitori’s feelings towards her.
    Eyes down he raised a hand at his heart with solemnity:
    -  I swear to protect you until death do us part at my own risk in the name of our love.
    My oath belongs to you before everyone else but not only, also the cause of those who had vowed their life to freedom and equity although they are persecuted.
    The eyes of law witnessed the scene. Even the most cold hearted were moved by such a proof of uprightness and loyalty.
    However necessity was at the root of law. The trial was still going on.
    The hands of coercition seized Hitori and pulled him outside. He could not fight.
    When it comes to fists, he could only submit unable to lay a hand on anybody.
    He believed in words. He believed in mankind.
     
    July 15th, 2040:
     
    And now he layed in his own blood half dead.
    How was such a self-denial possible?
    By dint of denying his weaknesses, Hitori was too self-confident: what about the nature of their relationship? He was human and wished to become a hero but was it really what Isha desired? He was her knight, she was his princess: she was always worried about him, about how he could lose his life at every turn because of his foolhardiness.
    Judging by his personality Isha stated Alys must kept the secret at any cost. He was going to be the first to die if he faced head on the troopers once more. He was going to experience unfathomable despair and remorse if he knew she ought her successful career to her position of mandated healer that granted her opportunities to restart everything from scratch by becoming an Official subordinate to the government himself.
    That way her parents were better treated, Hitori’s life wasn’t in danger for now at least.
     
    July 17th, 2050:
     
    Moto Rorola stayed by the bedside of Sempai.
    His state had gotten worse. He shouldn’t have awakened so soon.
    She placed him back to bed, applying a cold pack on his forehead.
    His wounds seemed reopened even if he had recovered faster than usual.
    She thought about the “Shovel of Death”. It should have never been created; it caused only pain and sadness, guiltiness and regret, injustice and wars.
     
    At the United Countries Committee the order of the day was all about the status of Society.
    After hearing Ashley’s report the ambassadors, members of the committee, became aware of the situation. It couldn’t have gotten even worse.
    As to know if the threatening of another Traumatism was near, they should act wisely. The first had almost destroyed entirely the world the second would smash life to ashes.
    Indeed they were aware “the President” had still dangerous and apocalyptic tricks in his pocket. If so, how to negociate unless declaring war to his regime, a war that might become endless and exhaust mankind as well as Mother Earth herself?
    Ashley’s report mentioned time travelling. It was an alternative but somehow it bothered the diplomats: defusing the “Shovel of Death” was something, but modifying the past didn’t mean necessarily the future would come out better.
    Politicians had failed at that time it was undeniable, now they could only look back at their failures, accept their responsibilities and make sure not to reproduce the same mistakes.
    For now it appeared clear that the fact the President had implicitely taken the leader of the opposition son of the late Prime minister in hostage had brought things to a head.
    It could be counted in hours before he followed through his threats.
    The countdown had already started.

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  • 11- Unbreakable

    Written by Paula Spectacles in Countdown on 10 December 2012 à 00:43
    July 15th, 2040: 10 AM- H-10
     
    Hellmet Pitsbulk chuckled madly at seeing how bad things had turned out for the revolutionaries.
    Left without their main trump card they were already made checkmate even before the real fight has begun.
    However it seemed like a victory too easily won. Upon the exchequer set in front of him the last man standing on the other side was still the fool, a piece that hadn’t play its part in the game yet.
     
    - Stay aside I’ll explain things later.
    Armed with a high volted shear Sen Maa Kloud was really an unpredictable man to Mikael’s eyes. He possessed the ultimate power long desired by most scientists: controlling time.
    The tricky matter about that ability was to guess what future was going to happen to avoid any time distortion or paradox. However it left no room to hazard: it was the affair of a single try requiring a really sharp intuition.
    And Mikael wasn’t able to do so or it would have taken much more time than necessary.
    Sen Maa Kloud grabbed a thread coloured in blue edging out the infinity of possible futures.
    Time reloaded at the minute Hitori was going to die.
     
    « Why am I feeling so cold right now? I must die another day! I have still so much to do, so much to share: I want to live even a few more years. What am I thinking about? It’s not time to look back at my mistakes. No matter if my future will come out darker or brighter I can’t fail my time will come to an end soon enough.
    If only I could close my eyes not to look at all these painful memories. I used to lurk for yesterday’s happiness but now it causes me only pain and sorrow. May you allow me to cry behind this faking smile I’ve been carrying since that day my dearest, my only one?
    Perhaps I’ve become the strongest but it doesn’t make any sense if I remained the loneliest on the other side.
    I remember what happened, what kind of man I appeared to be in front of your eyes: a coward, a stupid damn coward who didn’t have yet the strength at the time to repay you for your deep, sincere love. What should I do to be forgiven? »
     
    Everything faded to nothing. The void drew away shapes, colours, feelings, senses, words, actions. Before his eyes appeared the infinite nothingness in its darkest and deepest black shade.
    Pointing to the horizon a tiny ray of light outlined the road to heaven, defined by thousands and thousands of reminiscent images picturing the flow of his memory.
    He heard voices endlessly calling out his name but the chains that bounded him to earth had just vanished.
    The light that endears all soothed every pain. Was it the end?
     He felt a lone tear falling upon his cheek. Wide opened his eyes blinked.
    Across his faint, blurred field of sight Hitori distinguished a face, deep green sparkling eyes, vivid red hair that belonged to Alys.
    He would like to ask « what happened? » but no sound could overcome his lips.
    - Are you awake? Alys gently inquired. I’m glad… so glad!
    - What… happened? Where… am I?
    - Don’t worry Official troopers have left to report. They think you are dead. You’re not in fact. All thanks to Mikael and Sen Maa Kloud…
    - Sen Maa Kloud? Who’s that dude?
    - He has come from the future as reinforcement. He possesses the power of controlling time.
    - Is that so?
     
    With anger Hellmet Pitsbulk hit the exchequer so hard that it ended up smashed to pieces.
    What a great Deus ex machina! What was he going to do now that the flow of events ruined his strategy? Who the heck was that redemptive angel coming from another time?
    Disappointed he gritted his teeth with resentment and looked back at the darkness itself behind him.
     
    Isha and her comrades rushed to gather the first wounded people. The noise of the gunshots had provoked panic everywhere. People were running destroying everything that got in their way. Heavily armed troopers shot at anyone they suspected of being a revolutionary or affiliated in any way to the Lonesome uprising
    Isha was especially nervous hoping she wouldn’t be targeted as well. To get out the prison she had to make up a cover identity in the purpose of being engaged by the government as a mandated surgeon to manage the Evacuation. However she was not selfless to the extent of denying publicly her love for Hitori.
    All of a sudden a red haired girl appeared in front of her:
    - Don’t get stuck on the way!
    The girl pointed a trembling finger that said “Over there!” at the threshold of a warehouse nearby.
    Isha had surprisingly a bad feeling about that pale close mouth girl who looked imploringly at her.
    In case of an emergency she couldn’t hesitate, her duty was before all to heal everyone no matter origins or political opinions. She would catch up with her comrades of the healing team later on.
    Even before entering in the warehouse she knew something serious had happened. Seven red motorbikes were roughly parked outside probably in a rush. A man wearing a futuristic armor armed with a high volted shear hanging at the belt guarded the main gate.
    He looked suspiciously at Isha when she walked into the building. She couldn’t help to sketch a pale grin trying to win his trust.
    - No problem Sen she’s reliable, the girl said.
    Her voice sounded familiar to Isha. She couldn’t tell why but she was almost sure she had already heard it before. The face of a young child came up to her mind. Could it be possible? Why was she starting to anticipate the future? Their encounter never happened or was going to happen.
    The girl guided her to the back of the waste factory. There, four people were at the bedside of a fifth person badly injured.
    She bent down and pulled away the golden survival blanket that covered his inert body.
    Beneath his jacket blood spread fast around his heart. She recognized him at his long golden brown hair and rimless glasses. Hitori.
    - No... no way! What happened? Why… him?
    Isha had just a first aid kit within easy reach. It was still better than nothing but she didn’t have the tools needed to replace the bullet from Hitori’s chest.
    She could only use bandages to stop the bleeding. Hitori definitely needed to be carried to a medical shelter to be healed properly. Still she refused to admit her helplessness and continued practising usual first aid gestures to bring him back to life:
    - Hitori can you hear me? Hang on… for goodness sake!
    His fingertips were stony. He had already lost too much blood. He was going to die.
    He was going to … !
    - Hang on!
     
    That nuclear bomb was just a mere toy according to Hellmet Pitsbulk. It was just a prototype after all. All the money he had spent to achieve his vicious and ambitious plan was invested to create the real “Shovel of Death”, an apocalyptic machine of war personified by merciless robot filled with nuclear energy acting under his almighty orders.
    As soon as he would launch the monster’s processors Hellmet Pitsbulk should be able to dominate the world like he had always wished to. He just had to push a single button and the entire world would submit to his authority.
     
    July 15th, 2040: 11 AM- H-9
     
    One hour had passed.
    Hellmet Pitsbulk received his soldiers’ first reports on his laptop. The revolutionaries had retreated due to Hitori’s death. Among them there was a weird folk armed with high volted shear but it had changed nothing much to the battle’s outcome given that Hitori has already died or was going to die.
    The Lonesome people were not prepared enough for the next round thus it was the proper moment to carry out everything while they were mourning for their lost leader.
    Isha had done everything she could. Now she had to catch up with her teammates not to be unmasked if her absence hasn’t already been noticed.
    She had entrusted Hitori to the care of the Lonesome movement’s members. He was their leader so they would protect him like he protected them.
    As long as this girl called Alys was alive she knew she had left Hitori between goodness hands.
    Interrupted in an experience Fritz Davis received a phone call from his higher ups. The orders were simple: when the time would come he had to push the huge red emergency button installed on the top of his laboratory’s main control panel.
    It was decided that Sen Maa Kloud would stand in for Hitori on the battlefield until Hitori has recovered enough to fight. In his current state it was the most reasonable alternative.
    The real battle was about to start.

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  • 10- Resolve and bravery

    Written by Paula Spectacles in Countdown on 23 November 2012 à 11:17
    Fritz Davis was a lone wolf, only interested by machinery. His job was to guarantee the smooth functioning of the nuclear power station’s machinery room 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This peculiar room felt like a second home for him. He used to have a girlfriend but they parted as a consequence to Fritz’s irresponsible behaviour. Indeed they couldn’t build anything serious because they never get to see each other: he woke up early and confined himself in the machinery room, eventually his personal laboratory, all the day long until late in the night. In fact he cared more about his experimental weapons and his tools than other people: no wonder if his former girlfriend decided to break with him the day she realized machinery was his first love.
     
    - Hands up! You’re under arrest!
    Hitori startled and looked around. The voice came from the roof of a skyscraper in front of him. He looked up and realized they were defenceless, surrended by a whole squad of policemen armed to the teeth. He wondered how they could have been so easily trapped. It was abnormal that they encountered Official troopers so early.
    It felt weird that the main part of Hellmet Pitsbulk’s fighting strategy consisted in facing them head on. He assumed it was only an attempt of diversion.
    He switched off his vehicle and raised hands above his head:
    - Maybe we should negociate. It must have been a misunderstanding we don’t mean to declare war.
    - Really?
    Ten guns took aim at his neck. Hitori gritted his teeth:
    - On our times we shouldn’t solve crisis with wars. We need to find new ways of living and new resources other than nuclear energy or fuel…
    -  Such stupid and empty words! You pretend to be a revolutionary but you’re not cut out to carry out such duty if you refuse fighting.
    - It has been always my third law of mediation. I don’t put up a fight when I could avoid using my fists as a mean of negociation… according to circumstances obviously. This goes without saying.
    - Sorry to disappoint you but you need to mature up a bit, religious brat. Your natural kindness won’t be of any good for your credibility as leader of the revolution.
    Hitori took a deep breath and let his gun fall on the ground. Arms outstretched he looked deeply at his enemies:
    - Release fire on a weaponless man if you can. Everyone is watching. But before pushing the trigger make sure that you won’t regret it later on. You will endure the suited punishment for your worst crimes. I don’t mind sacrifice myself for the sake of those you oppress and you persecute that seek for freedom and equality.
    He straightened his neck eyes closed, waiting at the same time for nothing and everytbing to happen.
    The assembly, the troopers as well as the revolutionaries, was silenced. Seeing him in that posture was absolutely breathtaking.
    Alys shook her head speechless, unable to express how shocked she was. It was far beyond imagination that Hitori had to go through such extremity to lead the uprising. Mikael embraced her in his arms:
    - Don’t be sad, he’s a great man. It’s all about resolve: he will take it out only if he never betrays the values in which he trusts. Failures shouldn’t be reproduced once more…
    - I know… I know but it’s completely unfair… such a strong sense of justice shouldn’t be repayed with death…
    - Me too I admire him for that. But still and unfortunately, to make things to change sometimes a sacrifice is necessary. You are no longer a crying baby Alys you should have understood that through the years. So please don’t cry.
    - I’m not… crying…
    Her voice fainted. Unstoppable tears climbed over her cheeks.
    She couldn’t help but to let her frustration and her sadness get out, sobbing like a child.
    One by one ten bullets slashed the air.
    At the very last second the watch exploded, emitting a bright and blinding ray of light.
     
    When Mikael opened his eyes all he could see was white. The shapes were faint, the colors bleached. Most of all he was still holding Alys but she was heavier, almost motionless. Her movements have been slowered to the point he could see her veins moving below her skin as crying deformed her face.
    In one word he was scared. He’d like to know what the heck was happening, where he was but his senses were all of a sudden blurred and disoriented.
    And then thousands of neverending red threads coming from nowhere popped everywhere. He stepped back to dodge bunches of them but there were too many.
    Overwhelmed he grabbed a few to look at them searching for a hint.
    Silky type bodies remained overlayed upon them. It looked like a foreign language or coding samples: in fact it was usual numbers. After a while he could read a date of departure near a precise timer. The flow of time that was it! The ability he gained from activating the watch was to control the flow of time.
     
    July 17th, 2050:
     
    - Who are you?
    - I’m a silly mechanic who owns a quirky hardware store located in Society’s suburbs.
    - Stop kidding me, who are you?
    - I think I’ve answered this question just before.
    The policeman shot glance at Sen Maa Kloud, clenching his fists:
    - I’m not used to go rude or to go mad at prisoners but if you insist I’ll be compelled to make sure you’re a man by myself…
    - You don’t need to. I tell you the truth.
    - I’m not sure it’s time for joking and blabbering uselessly. Who the hell are you?
    Sen Maa Kloud remained silent.
    - It will sting a little.
    The jailer held out a lighter.  Tiny but still fluffy the flame fluttered in the air.
    - I’ll… I’ll explain everything you want to know!
    Resigned and desperate Sen Maa Kloud wished he could escape sooner that way.
    “ Everyone… I’m sorry, so sorry!” he thought.
    He was ashamed of himself for being such a coward but he had to make a choice fast.
    The flame brushed against his chest:
    - Tell me everything said the voice over him.
     
    Almost about to black out Sen Maa Kloud felt he was going to die. He raised a hand at his chest wondering how he could have got out the interrogatory room alive. Scarlet wound stains remained where the flame hit him.
    He barely cared: guiltiness was even more painful. He betrayed his comrades in the end.
    He didn’t deserve to be saved or forgiven anymore, no longer able to face Sempai.
    The cell door whined behind him allowing a slight glimpse of light to intrude in the room.
    He thought it was the jailer. It was not. A hand laid a bowl of soap and a piece of bread on the ground before him.
    He turned around. Moto Rorola disguised as a policeman . He couldn’t pronounce a word.
    She put her coat over his shoulders. All parts of his body were shivering.
    - Can you hear me? How do you feel? She asked.
    Such consideration in her eyes and in her words! Sen Maa Kloud never felt as much awkward as now. He had never bowed to someone before in his whole life but there was no other way to act right now. So he looked down to avoid Moto Rorola’s eyes:
    - May I ask for forgiveness?
    - Why?
    - How can you ask why? You know exactly what I’ve done. Now I’m a traitor.
    - Well it can’t be denied I guess but I’m asking why because if I were on your shoes I wouldn’t have had the strength to resist either. A very few people are able to do so if it’s almost no one.
    - But still I don’t think I’m worth to be blessed by anyone’s forgiveness.
    - Eat something instead of saying such awful and dumb things. Doing something wrong doesn’t mean to be forcibly a bad person. I would like to say don’t hate the player hate the game. In other words stop whining and think twice about the problem globally.
    You’re not the one to feel guilty; after all you’re human with your qualities and your weaknesses.
    - But…
    - Sempai offers you a second go to prove your loyalty to him. He can’t travel through time in his current state so he asks you to do so in order to watch over Alys and Mikael.
    - Roger, I’m grateful he still relies on me.
    - It’s your last chance though.
    Sen Maa Kloud nodded and stood up. He staggered because of the pain:
    - Owww… Let’s consider it was my fitting punishment…
     
    July 15th, 2040:
     
    The world appeared in black and white, as though Mikael was viewing an old movie. He was the only moving being. Suddenly time ran back in front of his eyes. It brought him back a few minutes earlier before the troopers pushed the trigger.
    From that moment, still anything could happen.
    One he could intervene in the fight.
    Two he would better stay in retreat to protect Alys at any cost.
    Three they could just run away.
    Four he wished a miracle happened.
    Five Hitori died and history repeated.
    - Let me handle it for you.
    That voice. That silhouette. That weirdo.
    Sen Maa Kloud was the last person Mikael expected to meet at such a critical moment.
     
    Fritz Davis was told to guard the door of the machinery room by his higher ups. He couldn’t fail. All of a sudden he felt a troublesome pain coming from his chest. Under his fingers a tiny scarlet scar appeared on his skin. It stirred up his anxiety: something strange was happening. How did he get hurt without noticing?

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