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Desert Grey 5
Merriam Hayden
INNER CITY, NAMBULA, Hyde’s lab
Hyde is watching a monitor as a news crew is trying to report on the chaos in Cyrus
“The Guard have been-“INTERUPTING EXPLOSION “Have been trying to subdue the attacking Desert Dwellers. The battle was started in the Prison Train Yard, but the fighting spread to the Public Train Station. Several civilians have died and many more have been injured while the Guard death toll has to be up in the hundreds by now.”
Hyde switches to another screen where Eric is making a statement
“Citizens of the State, we shall respond to this unprovoked attack with speed and force. As we speak I am sending aide to Cyrus. We will show these backwards savages no mercy.”
A reporter raises her hand “Mr. Vedichello! Can I get a comment on your missing sister? Do think her disappearance and these attacks on Cyrus are related?”
Eric grips his podium “The matter is being investigated. We have made no progress in finding her or connecting it to these attacks.”
Hyde grins “You always were a beautiful liar.”
Multiple floating screens show citizens within the Second Sector getting arrested and generally harassed, EG camera’s show International Council setting up Refugee camps outside the State’s perimeters
MEANWHILE WITH THE WANDERERS, Janet leaves Angie with Torrid to go talk with Faizah
Janet follows Faizah into a tent
“Can I help you?”
“I just wanted to know more about what you’re trying to do.”
“Isn’t it obvious? We’re trying to over throw your people’s government.”
“No. That wasn’t obvious because you blew up a prison trainyard with robots!”
“Listen, I don’t have time to answer your every question. All you need to know is that there’s almost no water to spare, your current Head of State pushes down on my people harder than any other Head of State in history, and if you turn against us I will have you shot. Understood?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Good. Now go rest. We’ll have to go to Delvco to resupply tomorrow.” Faizah starts looking through papers and at a map
Janet leaves and see’s Kwame and Kathy go into a tent carrying crates with mechanical stuff in it, she follows them as Torrid and Angie lay in the shade of a tent
Angie turns on the radio as he and Torrid sit in the shade “Dispite the recent attacks on Nambula the meetings with the International Council shall continue as scheduled.”
Angie tries to change the station, but only get’s news “There’s no music today.”
Torrid smokes and Elijah approuches “Do you like music?”
Angie smiles all cute “I love music! The only good thing about being at my house is listening to the records. I would’ve brought them, but the record player is too heavy to carry and I wouldn’t be able to choose which records I could’ve brought. There were too many to bring them all.”
“Have you ever thought of making your own music?”
“Do you think I could?”
Torrid blows smoke “Kid you were singing earlier. A little choir practice and a few years down the road you’ll probably be wooing young ladies outside their windows.”
Angie gives this thought “Why outside their windows?”
“It’s a romantic convention. Though you would need to learn how to play an instrument to get the full effect. That’s what you were getting at right?” Torrid looks up at Elijah who smiles at him
“There are some Gaan dancers in the Healers Tent. I’m sure they’d be glad to teach you how to play an instrument or give this practice Torrid mentioned.” Elijah pats Angie on the head “Though it may have to wait until later tonight.”
John comes walking by carrying two large rabbits
Elijah calls out “*Good hunting, Brother?*”
John holds up one of the rabbits “*Some of us won’t go hungry at the very least.*”
Angie looks disgusted by the dead bunny
MEANWHILE IN NAMBULA
Eric leaves his office and passes Annie
“I’m going to lunch, Ms. Velvet. Direct any messages about the attack to the Elite Guard commander.”
“Very well, sir. I hope you enjoy your lunch.” Annie keeps typing away on her type writer/computer thingie, once Eric is gone Annie sneaks into his office and activates his skype, the Norsch King answers and speaks in the main {Norsch Dialect}
“{Annie the lying bastard informs us that every thing in the State is under control. Yet the IC has had to set up multiple Refugee camps outside the State’s perimiters.}”
“{Mr. Vedichello is cracking down hard on his own citizens. His own paranoia is starting to get to him and he is desperate to find this sister of his.}”
“{Setting her free was a brilliant idea to make him unravel. However it is not enough for the IC to intervene because the Head of State is a mad man.}”
“{The Synthoniam is proof enough that cloning is going on in the State, but I’ve yet to find a laboratory or scientists. There must be one since there are cameras everywhere. Someone must be watching from the otherside of them.}”
“{Continue your work then, Annie. You are invaluable to the Norsch Kingdom Royal Family.}”
“{Fret not my liege. There are enough cracks in the Head of States armor that we can see his soft underbelly.}”
Annie ends the transmission and exits Eric’s office, Hyde watches her do this and grins his creepy grin
MEANWHILE WITH ABENI she is cooking food while John, Malika, Angie, Elijah, and Torrid hang out
Angie is horrified by John cleaning the rabbit pelts, John looks up at him “Do you find this distasteful, boy?”
“Yeah! Why would you eat a poor little bunny?”
Torrid rolls his eyes at Angie “Does it look like there’s a Food Mart or a Tasty Eats around, kid?”
“But can’t they hunt other stuff?”
“With how much water your people soak up the resources out in the desert have been scarce. If it puts your mind at ease I found many rabbits, but only took the two. Unlike your people mine know how to live with the land as opposed to just off it.” John doesn’t appear malicious as he says this, but he concentrates on what he’s doing
Angie looks sad, but Abeni hands Angie a spoon and a bowl of rabbit stew
“Children and the sick eat first. Then the adults.” Malika carries Abeni and another bowl over to where Kwame’s tent is
Angie looks down at the stew and Torrid puts a hand on his shoulder “Eat up, Angie. You’ve had a long day.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t eat very much anyway. I’ll be fine.” Torrid smiles as Angie hesitently starts to eat, then he starts to chow down
“Wow! This is good! Though I still feel kinda bad. It’s not nice to eat things that were alive.”
“Angie, with that logic you wouldn’t be allowed to eat anything.”
“But what about plants?”
“Was the gentle flower or sturdy root not once teeming with life? Does the cycle of life not apply if a creature lacks the ability to move or speak?”
Elijah, John, and Angie look at him, the two adults smile and Angie says “That’s a good point actually.”
MEANWHILE AT KWAME’S TENT
Janet watches Kwame work on some spider robot
“Do you like watching me work? You used to do that when I worked on train engines with Essien.”
“I do find it pretty fascinating.”
“Really? How come?”
Janet looks over at Kathy who’s working on her own robot arm “I don’t want to talk about it in front of her.”
Kwame tilts her and smiles, but Janet looks extremely guilty
Abeni pokes her head in “Stew’s on!”
Kathy looks up and she takes the bowl from Abeni “Thank you.”
Kathy puts the bowl down between herself and Kwame and retrieves two spoons
“Little Bird that stew is for you!”
“I don’t mind sharing. Besides I don’t need to eat very much.”
“If you insist then. Do you want some Janet?”
Janet stands “Actually I think I should go check on Angie.”
“Okay. Rest up, Janet! We’ll be heading to Delvco tomorrow.”
Janet exits the tent
End Part 5