After the Revolution: Chapters Twelve, Thirteen & Fourteen

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter twelve, Sasha the Lord did not mean for Sasha
to be a cleaner. That was her first big lesson
as a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom. She was good
enough at it, and she had too much self respect
to complain, but the work felt so unrewarding that she
knew it must not be what God wanted for her.
She'd spent her first night in the Kingdom being pampered

(00:22):
and provided for by her fellow sisters in the Faith.
They'd fed her, cleaned her, found her fresh clothes, and
given her all the emotional rewards she could have ever wanted.
And then the next day, Helen had woken her up
at seven in the morning to help clean out an
old Republic barracks that was being transitioned over to housing
for soldiers of the Heavenly Kingdom. She knew it was
honorable work, she knew it was necessary work, and she

(00:45):
knew from the issues of Revelator she'd read that establishing
the Kingdom of Heaven was a job that would not
be accomplished easily or without pain. She'd accepted this when
she'd made the choice to venture down here, but by
the time she'd scrubbed her twelfth toilet of the day,
Sasha had to ida that her mind and her loyalty
were better used elsewhere. Oddly enough, something her father had

(01:05):
told her about the corporate world stopped her from whining.
Never complain, never speak ill of your colleagues, and always
ask if there's more work you can do. It had
been his advice to survive and thrive in business, but
she took it to heart here, and by the end
of her first full day in the kingdom, she'd scrubbed
more toilets than any other girl. She hated the work,
but she also took a reverse sort of pride in it.

(01:26):
That brought a little guilt because she wasn't here to
serve her pride, But also wouldn't the Lord God be
happy to see her commitment. I'll ask Helen about that,
Sasha told herself. She'll tell me how much of my
pride is justified and how much isn't. She didn't see
Helen again until the end of that day, when a
truck came to gather all the girls up and take
them back to the House of Miriam. They all washed

(01:48):
up and then sat together around a large oaken table
while Helen led them in prayer, She read a chunk
of the Book of Isaiah, and then gave a quick
lecture on the value of physical labor, each callous on
your hand as a kiss from God, before inviting them
to tuck in. The dinner wasn't luxurious by sasha standards,
just biscuits, a thin brown gravy, and a palm sized

(02:09):
slice of beef for each of them. But they had
oranges for dessert, which was a treat, and Sasha felt
more comfortable than she'd ever have believed. Among her new sisters,
Caroline had fled from Florida, North America's bananaist Republic. She'd
been shot in the arm making her way to the
Heavenly Kingdom. She said almost nothing. Sasha wasn't sure she
even spoke English. But Caroline worked hard. There was an

(02:31):
intensity in her eyes that was a little scary and
humbling at the same time. Then there was Susannah from
the black Stone Nation. Sasha couldn't help but notice she
was the only black girl there. Susannah had spent most
of their work day singing to herself. She had a
beautiful singing voice. And then there were the three other
am fed girls. Emmeline, Rosie, and Anne. They had all

(02:52):
left a few weeks before Sasha had made her own journey.
Anne had actually gone to the same middle school as Sasha.
She wasn't great with name so most of the other
girls in her group were still more of a collection
of smiling faces than real people at this point, But
they'd all been so warm to her. There was a
real effort from all of them to make regular physical contact.
They put hands on each other's shoulders and cheeks, They

(03:14):
hugged constantly. Sasha experienced more touching in her first twenty
four hours here than she'd experienced in her last five
years in the American Federation. There was something intoxicating about
being touched and feeling so cared for. The only girl
she didn't like was May. Like Sasha, May was within
spitting distance of age eighteen, She'd fled from the UCS,

(03:36):
and she had a gift for letting people around her
know when they fell short of God's standards. During their
work day, she'd spent more time policing the other girl's
posture than she'd spent scrubbing toilets. When Anne had hitched
up her shirt sleeves, it was May who had scolded
her for a modesty. When Susannah took off her shoes
and socks during their lunch break, May had yelled that
she was an unfair temptation to the young soldiers walking

(03:58):
by on the street. Sasha knew it was unfair and
definitely Unchristian to feel this way, but May looked like
someone who lived to tell other people what to do.
She had the pinched features, squinting eyes, and high pitched
voice of a born snitch. May kept her hair tied
up in a bun so tight and short it looked military.
She never smiled and never seemed to relax, and there

(04:20):
was something about the frenzied way she'd pray alone quietly
in the corner throughout the day that made Sasha leery.
She hated that she'd noticed those things. She knew God
didn't want her focusing on what other people were doing wrong.
And besides, she told herself, what are you really angry
about that? She's too serious about her faith. Isn't that
way you left home? Gluttony is a sin too, you know,

(04:42):
May said. Sasha realized with a start that May had
addressed her. She had been eating her orange and absent
minded and tired after a long day of labor. She
hadn't realized how messy she'd been about peeling it. Her
hands and sleeves were covered with a sticky juice. She
looked around at the table and noticed that the other
girls had been much more careful their dessert. Sorry, Sasha started,
I wasn't thinking. May rolled her eyes and started to

(05:05):
say something else, but Helen cut her off. It's quite
all right, dear. None of us is perfect. She cast
a reproach for lie at May. And we all lose
ourselves and thoughts sometimes, especially in the wake of great change.
The Lord understands. She looked out to the rest of
the table with a gaze that seemed to take in
each of the girls collectively and individually. Then she spoke,

(05:28):
we are all here because we recognize the primacy of
God's word on earth. But we are no more perfect
and no more beloved by our Lord than the enemies
we face. Never forget that, girls, our foes are as
dear to Him as we are. They must be purged
when they seek to interfere with God's will, But we
should feel sorrow for such losses, and we should never

(05:49):
ever Her eyes went to May again, let our fortune
in hearing God's word bleat us of compassion, or lead
us to arrogance. Sasha's heart swelled at this. She never
admired a woman more. Helen had a way of imparting
wisdom without judgment, of shining a light on the truth
without seeming like it was her truth alone. Helen wasn't
a preacher, but Sasha had never heard anyone speak the

(06:12):
word of God with more conviction. After dinner, they had
an hour of free time to read their bibles, share
a few stories of their old lives, and drink a
single cup of sweet lemon tea. By nine o'clock it
was bedtime. Sasha was rankled a bit by the fact
that she and her fellow young women were being ordered
into bed at a set hour, but she was so
exhausted by her day of labor that she couldn't work

(06:33):
up much frustration over the mild injustice. Perhaps, when she'd
had more time to adjust, she'd bring this up to Helen.
She collapsed in her bunk bed, certain she'd fall asleep
in an instant. Instead, she lay awake for the better
part of an hour, thinking of Alexander. She'd still heard
nothing more from him or about him. She'd asked Helen
a couple of times today, and the older woman had

(06:54):
almost seemed angry. Somehow, Sasha knew the anger wasn't towards her,
and that was doubly confusing Sasha. Anne's voice broke her reverie.
The other girl was situated just below her on the
bunk bed. Sasha was surprised to hear her still awake. Yes,
is something the matter? No, Anne said, I just couldn't sleep.
I thought maybe you were awake too. I guess we're

(07:17):
both in the same boat. Then Sasha kept her voice low,
more to avoid waking any of the others than out
of fear of breaking the rules in more ways than one.
Anne said, I'm waiting for a man I love too.
Sasha's heart beat a little faster. It was like that,
with everything that made her think of Alexander, her mind
didn't need a great deal of prodding to turn towards him.

(07:37):
Your love is at the front, too, Sasha asked, I
think so, Anne said, I was lucky enough to get
to see him once I arrived in Kappel first, back
before the Kingdom took Plaino. We met once then and
once more after the city fell and they moved us
into the House of Miriam, Jealousy seized Sasha's heart. She
tried to replace it with gratitude in the Lord, he'd

(07:58):
send her someone who can understand pain and frustration. Wasn't
that a blessing? That must be hard for you, she said,
getting to see him and then being separated. The words
came out a bit stilted and cold. She hoped Anne
hadn't noticed it is. Anne said, but it isn't half
so rough a place as you're in. I can't imagine
how anxious you must be arriving here and not seeing him.

(08:21):
He's not the only reason I came, Sasha said, a
bit defensively, But yes, it's hard. I'm scared. I don't
know why I feel so silly, Admitting that it's certainly
not silly, Anne assured her, But I get it. Everyone
here is so focused on gratitude and God's wisdom. It
almost makes you feel like a traitor for feeling afraid

(08:41):
or unhappy. Anne's voice dropped a few decibels, as if
she was ashamed of her next words, I almost feel
like a liar when I smile. I don't think the
Lord wants us to be liars, Sasha said, but I
think being happy, or trying to seem happy, is a
sacrifice we make for the kingdom. It helps keep everyone
else around us strong. Hmm, Anne said, and then yawned.

(09:05):
Her voice sounded heavy with sleep. There must have been
something contagious in the sound, because Sasha felt her own
eyelids start to droop. That's a nice way to look
at it, Anne said, I like the way you think, Sasha.
Helen woke all of them up the next morning. She
was gentle with it, a hand on each girl's shoulder
and a word in each of their ears, but there
was no mistaking that she meant now. So Sasha got up.

(09:28):
Her feet hit the floor just as Anne took her
first steps forward towards the dining room. They all filed in,
silent and groggy. The girls took their breakfasts in the
form of a thick, tasteless protein shake, and then they
were loaded onto a heavy military looking bus and driven
off to a large, red brick office building. According to
the bullet poxed signs, it had once been an administrative

(09:49):
building for the corporation that had run most of the
Republic schools. Sasha swept up bullet casings and shattered glass.
She scrubbed toilets and wiped the blood off the walls,
and tried not to think too hard about how it
had gotten there. Conversation wasn't forbidden, but there was a
lot of ground to cover, and May was quick to
scold anyone who dawdled. Sasha and Anne both kept moving,

(10:09):
but they passed each other in the halls often. Each
time the other girl would favor Sasha with a supportive smile,
and Sasha would return it. They broke for lunch a
little afternoon, stale cheese sandwiches and orange juice, but instead
of getting back to work after their meal, they were
met again by the bus that had taken them there.
They were told to file inside. Sasha wound up in
between Anne and Susannah in the middle row of the bus.

(10:31):
It was hot, the air circulation was bad, and the
smell of sweat was thick on the bus, but the
windows were down, and once the bus got going, the
air that blew in felt like Heaven, Lord God, I've
been waiting for this all day, said Susannah. I'd stay
on this thing all night if they led me. Yeah,
Anne said, this is actually a lot more comfortable than
the bunk room. Even when the powers working and the

(10:53):
fans are on. Does the power go out a lot?
Sasha asked. She felt dumb for even giving voice to
the question, but her seatmates didn't treat it like a
stupid question. Not a lot, Anne said, but we'll lose
an hour or two most days, and it can be
out for quite a while when Austin gets a drone through.
That doesn't happen often. Susannah assured her. I've been in

(11:13):
the Kingdom ten days and we've only had to take
shelter once twice for me. Anne said, but I've been
here almost three weeks. I'm not scared, Sasha assured them.
I'm just curious. You should be scared. Susannah said, it sucks.
It wasn't a long ride, and Sasha was embarrassed at
how long it took her to realize the destination. This

(11:36):
was the same route they'd taken from the House of Miriam,
just in reverse. She and the other girls were being
taken downtown. Won't she got a good look at the gallows,
she understood why there were six people lined up in
front of the little stairway that led to the platform.
They looked like prisoners. Susannah looked just as confused as Sasha,
but Anne seemed to understand what was going on. She

(11:58):
scrunched her face in disgusted. Oh no, she said, I
hate it when they make us watch this. The two
martyrs who had guarded them all day opened the doors
and told them to form up outside of the bus.
Sasha did as she was told, while grabbing as many
long looks at the gallows as she could manage. None
of the people who stood out in front of the
platform looked like soldiers, or robber barons, or much of

(12:19):
anything at all. They just seemed young and scared fags.
The martyr standing next to the driver at the bus
door grunted as Sasha stepped past him. He waited until
the other girls had all filed off the bus before
he stepped around to stand in front of them. Sasha
hadn't paid the man too much attention during the day, because,
in truth, he scared her. He looked old, over forty

(12:40):
at least, and his face was heavy with scars and tattoos.
There were faded blue crosses inked on each of his forearms.
There wasn't much skin visible under his armor and helmet,
but the skin she could see was tanned red like leather.
His eyes were cold and seemed fixed into a permanent squint.
When he addressed the group, it was with a voice
that sounded like it came to them through a filter
of gravel and glass. These people, he said, and spat.

(13:03):
After the word people, gender traitors, there were a few
gasps from among the crowd. He continued. It took us
a while to crack into the Republic's old files, but
we finally got a list of all the fags who
refused to accept their God given gender. They thought surgery
could hide him. But there's no hide in the truth
from the eyes of God or his true servants, and
there's only one fair punishment for someone who turns their

(13:26):
back on natural law. Sasha's heart started to pound. She'd known,
of course, that Pastor Mike didn't approve of transgenderism, of
gender change surgery, of homosexuality, or of anything else that
didn't fit into the neat biblical lines of what a
man and a woman ought to be, but it always
phrased his objections with such compassion. Queer and trans people

(13:47):
weren't monsters deserving of death. They were victims of the
fallen secular world, same as anyone else. Sasha agreed they
needed re education, but this the crowd, perhaps three hundred strong,
eared as the prisoners were led up to the gallows.
Sasha's heart beat like a bass drum. She couldn't hear
anything else. The voices of the crowd, of her sister's

(14:08):
faded behind the beating sound of the blood that coursed
through her head. But her eyes continued to work, and
she watched in horror as they fit nooses around each
victim's neck. The young people cried and screamed and begged,
but the martyrs paid them no mind. Some of them
chanted in tongues while they prepared the killing machine. Sasha
saw joy in their eyes. She found it revolting. Before long,

(14:29):
they'd finished their preparations, and six people were strung up
on the gallows before the brays and cries of the crowd.
Sasha didn't think it was possible for her heart to
beat any faster, but it kept speeding up. She felt
light headed and nauseous, and a little like she needed
to go to the bathroom. Her knees grew weak, and
she found herself leaning on Anne. The other woman looked
almost as scared as Sasha did, but she weathered it better.

(14:52):
She put an arm around Sasha, supporting her, and the
two of them looked on as the executioner called out
and pulled the lever that sent six human beings dropping
down to dangle until they were dead. The snap of
their necks was the only thing Sasha heard above the
sound of her own pounding heart. She watched them twitch
and jerk for a second too, and then her body
grew too light, and her legs collapsed beneath her. The

(15:14):
world went black. She awoke back in the house of Miriam.
Her sisters knelt or stood around her. Sasha was gratified
to see she wasn't the only one who had passed out.
Anne lay next to her, clearly disoriented, along with two
other women whose name Sasha hadn't quite memorized. Helen set
in between them, wet washcloth in her hand, and stroked

(15:35):
their faces. There, there, DearS, you've had a terrible shock,
and there's no shame in your reactions. No shame may
spat the words. There was a glow to her face
and a manic glint in her eyes. Ma'am, with all
due respect, I don't know how these girls can call
themselves committed to the heavenly kingdom if the sight of
defying justice hurts them so much. Sasha saw anger in

(15:56):
Helen's eyes, but the older woman didn't let it carry
over into her voice. Instead, she fixed May with a
cool gaze and said in an even tone, Miss May,
one can believe in our Lord's justice and still regret
the pain that comes with it. That does not signal
a lack of devotion. It signals compassion, a trait Jesus
Christ had an abundance. May frowned and pursed her lips,

(16:18):
but she kept them shut for now. Helen turned back
to Sasha and the other girls who had fallen. Death
is never easy to witness, girls. It should be a
horrible thing to witness. She glanced back to May. And
we should all be worried if a day ever comes
when we can see such violence without pain in our hearts.
But these are dire times. The world has fallen too
much for pacifism to bring back the rule of God,

(16:41):
and so we must use violence. Do you understand? Sasha nodded.
She heard the other girls give stuttering, hollow replies. Even
the girls who'd managed to stay standing looked shaken. May
was the only one who wore a smile. They gave
her a wide berth the rest of the day. Whoever
was in charge of their schedule paid some deference to
the fact that they had been forced to watch in execution.

(17:03):
There was no more cleaning that day. They spent the
rest of the daylight hours seated around the common area
in the House of Miriam sewing uniforms. Sasha had never
sewn before, but Anne sat next to her and taught
her the basics. Her hands were still shaking when they
got to work, but Anne helped her and eventually, focusing
on the meticulous task allowed her to blot out the horror.

(17:24):
Once she got a good grip on the basics of
what was required of her, she was able to lose
herself and quiet productive flow. She was almost disappointed when
Helen called them to dinner. They ate the same food
as the day before. They prayed, and then they had
an hour of relatively free time. They couldn't leave the
House of Miriam since it was after eight, but they
could talk. Sasha gravitated naturally to Susannah and Anne. The

(17:47):
topic of conversation turned at once to the execution. Is
that always what it's like, Susannah asked. Anne nodded, her
voice shook a little when she said, I passed out
last time too. I thought it'd be easy year the
second time around, but it really wasn't it feels wrong,
Sasha whispered. She glanced over to May, who was holding
court with a few of the other girls at the

(18:08):
other end of the common area. I'm not saying it's
okay what those people were doing, but surely they deserved
a chance to repent. Susannah nodded. I don't think Jesus
would want us to murder people just for being wrong.
It's one thing to kill an atheist or an apostate
who's attacking you. It's another thing to just Her voice
caught a bit hank people. Anne shook her head in

(18:29):
an absent sort of way. Kyle told me it was necessary. Kyle,
Susannah asked, my intended Anne said, I watched the first
execution with him when I passed out. He was so sweet.
I came to when he was holding me, petting my head.
Anne's eyes shone with love, and Sasha had to fight
hard to keep the jealousy from her own face. He

(18:50):
explained that the Heavenly Kingdom couldn't afford to re educate
the fallen. They are too many and we are too surrounded.
If someone is capable of changing, God will know, and
he will sure they get their just reward in heaven.
Sasha was not entirely convinced, but she also wasn't willing
to argue with Anne. It felt a little dicey just
admitting her continued discomfort with the executions, so she stayed quiet,

(19:13):
and the talk turned to more comfortable matters, what they
expected from the next day's work and what sort of
lives they lead. When the fighting was over and they
were settled down with the Gallant warriors, they knew they'd
marry soon. The girls all filed off to their small
snug beds after a long day of work and stress.
The bed felt so good that it made Sasha feel guilty.

(19:33):
Alexander was fighting right now, he'd surely seem more death
than she had, and he didn't have the option of
fainting or crying about it. As she drifted off to
sleep again, Sasha promised herself that she would never faint
or cry out in the face of death again. If
this was the way God had ordained, his kingdom must come,
she owed it to herself and to her Lord to
stand and see it. The next day, they all went

(19:56):
back to the same battered administrative building as the day before.
Sasha scrubbed and swept, ate her lunch and got right
back to work. She forced herself into enthusiasm for the
menial labor with the same discipline she'd used when it
had been time to study for an exam and a
class she hated. The same tactic worked in both high
school and the Heavenly Kingdom. About two hours before the
end of their workday, Sasha's rhythm was interrupted by the

(20:19):
sound of a crash and a scream from one of
the girls in the bathroom next door to the room
she was in. Sasha dropped her scrub brush and darted over.
She was the first one into the room. It took
her a moment to piece together what must have happened.
Susannah had been scrubbing a sink that had been badly
damaged by shellfire. The sink had collapsed while she had
scrubbed it, and a jagged edge of porcelain had torn
open the girl's hand. There was already an enormous amount

(20:41):
of blood. By the time Sasha arrived. Susannah looked pale.
She backed up against the wall and was just screaming wordlessly.
Sasha had taken three semesters of premed classes in the
last two years. She had a good basic instruction and
first aid. She pulled her shirt off over her head
and wrapped it around the gash on the other girl's hand.
It was the spare shirt she had brought from home,

(21:02):
and it had an antimicrobial weave that should make it
relatively safe as a wound dressing. She pulled it tight,
watted the extra fabric up over the wound, and applied
as much pressure as she could. Susannah kept screaming, but
the flow of blood from her wound slowed. Breathe with me,
Sasha told Susannah as she stared into the other girl's eyes.
In she inhaled, and out she exhaled. She repeated this

(21:25):
several times until Susanna stopped screaming and started breathing in
time with her. Several of the girls had crowded around
the entrance to the bathroom at this point, when Sasha
glanced up, she could see May's face in the back
of the crowd. She looked disgusted, probably at the fact
that Sasha had torn off her shirt. Please call for
the martyrs, Sasha asked, no one in particular. Tell them
Susanna needs medical attention. I don't think she has any

(21:47):
clotting agents in her blood. No one moved, so Sasha
locked eyes with Anne and told her, please go now.
We shouldn't take any chances with a wound like this.
Anne nodded, broke away from the glawking group and stumbled
off to find help. Sasha looked back to Susannah. She
coaxed the other girl to sit down against the wall
and sat down next to her, applying pressure to her

(22:08):
hand the entire time. Sasha's shirt was now soaked through
with hot, sticky blood. Her hands were wet too, but
she didn't feel squeamish about this. She'd expected to after
her reaction to the hangings, but somehow the sight of
all this blood actually combed her. She knew what to
do here. It felt good to take effective action. The
martyrs arrived a minute or so later, with a medic

(22:29):
close behind by that point, Susanna's bleeding had stopped entirely.
The medic was impressed and he said, so you have
some kind of training, ma'am, you handled this very well.
Three semesters of premed. She had answered, it was only
high school premed, but they made us do a lot
of first aid drills. The medic gave her a significant
look and then asked, what's your name, miss Sasha? She

(22:52):
had started before correcting herself Sasha. Susannah was taken off
to whatever served as a hospital for the Heavenly Kingdom
while Sasha and the rest of the girls finished their
work day. It was uneventful after that, but the other
girl's attitudes towards her seemed to have shifted. Anne had
given her a big hug, of course, but everyone was
more respectful. Several of them came to her to ask
minor things, advice on how best to clean a room

(23:14):
or clear a pile of rubble. At one point, Sasha
had divided four girls up into two teams to remove
a huge amount of shattered glass. While she directed the effort,
may had walked by the room and butted her head in.
Just because she knows a little first day doesn't make
her a foreman. She sneered. The other girls didn't pay
May any mind. They left for the day at the
usual time and arrived back at the house of Miriam

(23:36):
in the early evening. Helen was waiting for them at
the door. Behind her stood an older man in a
white lab coat. He had a cross pinned to his
lapel and a larger red cross on his arm band.
As the girls all filed into the building, Sasha saw
Helen point to her and whisper something to the man.
He nodded, Miss Sasha, he called out. As she headed
to her seat at the dinner table. Sasha pealed off

(23:58):
and approached him. Helen stood nearby, distant enough to make
it clear that this conversation was between her and the man,
but close enough that her presence provided a warm kernel
of certainty and support. Yes, Sasha asked. The man had
a sharp, narrow jaw and a long nose. There were
deep bags under his eyes, and his hair was at
the grayest end of pepper gray. He wasn't very large,

(24:19):
but he used his physicality well. He moved like he
was used to controlling the room. Sasha, I'm Dr Brandt,
one of our medics, was very impressed with your work
earlier today on the injured girl. Sir all I did
was trying to stanish the bleeding. Anyone could have handled that.
It didn't require any special knowledge. No, he interrupted her,
it did not. The knowledge of how to stim bleeding

(24:40):
is not rare or special, but the willingness to jump
in during an emergency and to get blood on one's
own hands is rather rare. I understand you have some
form of medical training, very little, Sir. I took three
semesters of pre medical courses in high school. I was
thinking about a medical career before. I yes, well, three
semesters of an kind of training almost makes you a doctor. Here,

(25:02):
we're not exactly flooded with qualified medical experts. Doctor Brandt
lacked Helen's gift for interrupting without seeming rude, but he
was clearly a busy man, and the fact that he'd
offered praise made it hard for Sasha to take offense.
Miss Helen. He snapped back at the older woman, I'm
putting this one on special duty. Would that be all right?
Of course, doctor Brandt. Helen said she smiled at Sasha,

(25:25):
and there was honest pride in that smile. More pride
than she had ever seen in her mother's eyes. Sasha
resisted the urge to tear up. In response, Doctor Brandt
turned to Sasha next and asked, what do you know
about the people of the road. She frowned. Post humans
were a popular topic of discussion in her high school.
Sasha had seen waste Land Warriors a couple of years back,

(25:46):
and benis enthralled as everyone else, but her school curriculum
didn't talk much about them and definitely downplayed their influence
in the rest of the continent. Her father had called
them a bunch of idiots dancing around the desert to
win drugs and robbing people. She decided to use a
variant of that for her answer. Their drug addled pagans
fornicating and spurning the will of God. Doctor Brandt smiled.

(26:09):
He had such a serious face and such stern features
that Sasha was shocked by the honest kindness of that smile.
I'd say that's basically accurate, he chuckled, perhaps even a
bit charitable. It turns out one of these groups sent
some emissaries into Plano just before the city fell. They
were on some trade mission. They wound up getting stuck
in a pin with a few other prisoners. We didn't

(26:29):
even realize who we had until their people contacted us
and demanded their release. Sasha's eyes widened. All she could
think of were the grainy video fragments from one section
of Waste Land Warriors. It was supposedly a recording of
an attack on an Agis Biosystem's convoy headed from Milwaukee
to Denver. The convoy had been well armed, but it
had been taken apart in a matter of seconds. The

(26:51):
assailants moved so fast that the documentarians had needed to
slow the video to make them visible as anything but
flashes on the screen. How could something that fast and
deadly be captured? Doctor Brandt answered her question before she
could ask it. I'm going to guess her wondering how
he managed to capture three of those Frankenstein abominations. Yes, sir,
Sasha said, well, Doctor Brandt popped the glasses off his

(27:14):
face and buffed the lenses on his shirt while he spoke.
Most members of any given group aren't quite like that. Oh,
they're all Pagans are atheists, just some kind of heathen.
They have a lot of aesthetic modifications. Led tattoos and
body lighting and some sensory upgrades, but few of them
have military style implants. I see, as you know, cities

(27:36):
and civilized nations tend to ban those implants within their borders.
Doctor Brandt slid his glasses back into place on his nose.
So the people of the road have to send their
less modified citizens out to negotiate, et cetera. Which means
we've got a bit of a tiger by the tail
situation here. What do you mean, Sir Sasha asked, Well,
the stories about these types are absolutely true. Some of

(27:59):
them have hundreds of warriors packed to the gills with
nightmare technology. There are individuals who are capable of taking
on entire companies of human war fighters. The tribe these
particular captives hail from, well, their name is quite obscene.
The City of Wheels would be the most polite variant
there is lost as it gets when it comes to
the Word of God. But they've got about six hundred

(28:20):
post human citizens. Sasha thought back to what a dozen
of those things had done to that convoy. She tried
to imagine the carnage six hundred of them could unleash
upon the heavenly Kingdom. A shiver ran down her spine exactly.
Doctor Brandt nodded at her like I said, we've got
a tiger by the tail. They might not intervene while
we have their people, so we've got to make sure

(28:42):
our captives are well taken care of. That's where you
come in me. Two of the captives are women, Sasha.
They'll need to be inspected by someone besides me. We
do have some qualified female nurses, but an sdf drone
at one of our troop transports about two hours ago,
and I'm afraid they're both in the thick of that mess.
So you're coming with me to handle this job. I'm

(29:05):
proud to do it, sir. She wasn't sure what else
to say, and besides, it was true. The first captive
sat on a small concrete bench in the back of
an eight by ten cell. Her hair had been shaved
into a mohawk, but the purple hair was deflated and greasy. Now.
There was stubble on the sides of her head. Her
face was round but lean. There were slight laugh lines
at the corners of her cheeks in the edges of

(29:26):
her eyes. She wore a sleeveless purple and black dress
that was by now filthy. Her arms were covered in
a strange series of tattoos, dozens of branching lines that
each terminated in a box. They looked almost like circuit diagrams.
Sasha quickly realized that each box held a little led screen.
Most of the screens were set to a dull red color,

(29:48):
but once she stepped into the women's cell, they flashed
bright orange. The woman looked up and snarled at doctor Brandt.
Fuck do you want shipbird? She looked over to Sasha
and then added, sorry, ship birds, Sasha. Doctor Brandt sighed,
kneading the bridge of his nose. Meet Marigold Fulton. Jesus
fucking Christ, what are you? Six? Fucking ten? Marigold said

(30:10):
to Sasha. Then she looked to doctor Brandt. That's fucked up, man.
Doctor Brandt winced at both curses. Sasha glanced down and
saw that his right hand was bawled up into a
fist and clinched tight. Marigold, this is Sasha, he said,
through gritted lips. She'll be performing your intake exam. We
need to make sure you're uninjured, uninfectious, and not hiding

(30:31):
any weaponry. I would recommend compliance your kind always do.
The woman spat back, Sasha, you've got this. Doctor Brandt
gave her a curt nod, turned on his heels, and
headed back out of the cell. There was an armed
guard just outside the cell. As doctor brand had instructed,
Sasha pulled along privacy screen out from the far end

(30:52):
of the wall and clasped it to a set of
hooks on the other end. The captives were being held
in the old plain o jail, which made this one
of the rare buildings in the Heavenly Kingdom being used
for its intended purpose. Sasha was grateful for the privacy screen.
She was also unbearably nervous about what came next. I'm
going to have to ask you. In one smooth motion,
Marigold pulled the dress up over her shoulders and off

(31:13):
of her body. She wore nothing underneath it. Her purt breasts,
her little belly, her pubic mound, and its shock of
purple hair were suddenly just there. You're gonna do your job?
Are you just gonna stand there and Jill off? Marigold
asked what. Jill Marigold gave a harsh laugh. It's sending
him from masturbation, Lady, masturbation. You don't do that, do you, Sugar.

(31:35):
I'm gonna guess the Heavenly Kingdom frowns on girls having
fun without the help of boys. Sasha grimaced. The Heavenly
Kingdom doesn't frown on women having fun, but it does
encourage self control. Mr. What you're talking about, it's a distraction,
It's worldly. Marigold whistled and mocked surprise, and said, spoken
like a lady who truly needs an orgasm. What I

(31:57):
need to do is draw some of your blood and
some of your saliva and then perform a cavity search.
Marigold's lips curled up into a catlike smile. She opened
her legs. Sasha had seen other women's vaginas before, but
only in textbooks and movies. This was the first time
she'd found herself staring directly down the barrel of one,
so to speak. She gulped, Ah, Darlin, am I your first?

(32:20):
Don't be scared. I got some crumb in me, but
I never wound up putting defensive teeth in there. Now,
my fer in topaz. Stop. I know what you're trying
to do. Just stop. Sasha hadn't thought the woman's smile
could get any whider, but it did. And what am
I trying to do? Child? You're trying to to fluster me,
to distract me or Marigold rolled her eyes as she replied,

(32:44):
I'm bored. You Fox have kept me in one holding
area or sell or another for almost a week. I
spent three days shifting in the corner of a gym,
but at least Rick and Tullie were there too. The
woman smile softened for a moment. She looked troubled, vulnerable.
You don't have any idea where my people are, do you?
Sasha shook her head. She felt guilty for some reason.
That was stupid. She hadn't done anything wrong, but she

(33:06):
felt the need to assuage the other woman's fears. I
don't I'm sure they're all right, though we wouldn't execute
them just for being in the wrong place at the
wrong time. Marigold snorted, maybe you wouldn't love your friends.
Though I've seen your gallows. It doesn't seem like the
kind of things someone builds just for show. We have
a right to enforce our laws, God's laws. What am

(33:29):
I doing defending the kingdom to someone who's clearly blind
to the word. Sasha shook her head. She opened the
blood testing kit doctor Brandt had given her, and stepped
back towards Marigold. Look, I've got to do this. Just
hold still and it'll be quick. It was. The other
woman offered no resistance when Sasha told her to stand.
She stood. When Sasha reached a gloved hand up inside

(33:51):
her to search for foreign objects, Marigold said nothing. She
didn't even flinch. Instead, she kept her eyes locked on Sasha's.
The other woman barely blinked. In about two minutes, Sasha
had finished her examination and collected her samples. She started
to step back, but Marigold's hand shot out whip fast
and grasped her around the wrist. Listen. Sasha stopped and listened.

(34:13):
She wasn't sure why. It was something about the other
woman's tone. She'd heard the term command voice before, Sasha
hadn't understood what that term meant until now. When Marigold
spoke again, it was in a hushed tone, barely more
than a whisper. I don't know what brought you here,
but you're obviously smart. You don't have those dead zelad eyes.
She jerked her head in the direction of the guard outside.

(34:33):
When I mentioned the gallows, you looked fucking ill. I'm
gonna guess you haven't been here long. You're probably having
second thoughts. Help me get my people out of here.
If we can get back to my city, you'll be safe.
We'll take you wherever you need to go. I Sasha
wasn't sure what to say. She should have slapped the
other woman or spit in her eye, but she didn't.
Don't say anything. You'll be back here, I promise. Think

(34:56):
about what I've said, Think about where you are just
sucking think. She let go. Sasha stepped back. The two
women locked eyes for a long moment, and then Marigold
grabbed her slip dress off the floor and slid it
back down her thin frame. Sasha unclipped the privacy curtain
and headed back out into the hallway. The other woman,
captive Tullie, was tall and muscular. She had a wide

(35:19):
face with cheek bones so sharp they were almost jagged.
Her skin was a dusky brown. Her eyes were alert
and moved rapidly between Sasha, doctor Brandt, and the guard
who led them into the room. Her name is Tullie,
doctor brand said, and she's probably going to threaten you
pay her no mind. He turned away and left, while
the guards stayed behind and kept a close eye on

(35:39):
the tall woman. Sasha was scared to approach Tuli at first.
The woman's forearms were corded with muscles, and she had
biceps that looked as broad as Sasha's thighs. But the
woman didn't move an inch or say a word the
entire time Sasha worked on her. Tullie didn't even blink.
She complied to every one of Sasha's requests without eye
contact or any other form of acknowledgment. The woman and

(36:00):
seemed dead to the world. Somehow, Toollie's quietness and seeming
stupefaction were more uncomfortable than Marigold's aggressive words. Sasha finished
her work in short order. Once the last vial was
sealed and her gloves removed, she took a final look
at the captive. I hope you get back to your
home soon. Sasha immediately regretted the words. This woman is

(36:21):
the enemy. Why would you try to comfort her? She
won't even look at you. Tullie let out a dull laugh.
She had been so silent earlier that it shocked Sasha.
The other woman turned her head and stared at Sasha.
I will return home soon, and fire and blood will
come to this place because you've held me here. You're
a dead woman walking enjoy the last beats of your heart.

(36:42):
Sasha didn't know what to say. What could you say
to that? So she took her samples and left. Doctor
Brandt dropped her off outside the house of Miriam and
told her he'd send a jeep out tomorrow morning to
take her to the hospital. Sasha thanked him and headed inside.
The other girls were already almost finished with her when
Sasha sat down and joined the group. She gave a

(37:02):
quiet smile to Susannah and nodded at the other girl's
bandaged hand. When dessert a banana this time, was over,
Miss Helen took Sasha aside while the other girls broke
off to read their bibles and drink their nightly tea.
I have some news for you, yes, ma'am, Sasha asked.
Alexander has been rotated back from the front, and that

(37:23):
strange look of mingled frustration and anger crossed Helen's face again.
You'll be able to see him tomorrow. After lunch, Sasha's
heart pounded an excitement that made her feel guilty and
elated at the same time. I'm afraid it won't be
a long visit, Helen continued, but you'll have a bit
of time with him, and then Helen's sighed again, just
a little. Sasha was sure she wasn't supposed to have

(37:44):
noticed it, but Miss Helen's eyes looked a bit watery.
Sasha was so happy, so excited, that her brain glossed
over this fact. Instead, she gave Miss Helen a hug.
It wasn't nearly the first one they'd shared, but this
was the first time. The older woman seemed hesitant in
returning it, but she did after a moment, and Sasha's
joy drunk brain wrote over any sense of doubt she

(38:05):
ought to have felt. Sasha buzzed with uncontained energy. The
rest of the night. Sleep was near impossible. She tossed
until the small hours of the morning, turning over her
memories of chat conversation she'd had with Alexander. His face
felt so clear and real in her memory that she
could almost touch it, and tomorrow she'd be able to
do just that. Sasha finally passed out about two hours

(38:26):
before Helen came round to wake them up. She should
have been exhausted. Instead, she found herself out of bed,
feet planted firmly on the ground before her mind was
even fully awake. Her subconscious was that eager to start
the day. She rinsed herself with extra care that morning.
May seemed to notice the added efforts she put into
primping and called her out for it. You're not working

(38:47):
at the hospital to snag a doctor, she sneered. You
know that right. Sasha tried to ignore the comment. Susannah,
whose hand was still bandaged from her injury the other day,
spoke up in her defense. There's nothing wrong with me
an extra clean May. It's probably important for the work
she's doing over there. Sasha's dealing with wounds and stuff,
She's not scrubbing toilets like you. Sasha was gratified by

(39:09):
how that made May's face blush. She flashed Susannah a
grateful smile and shuffled out of the washroom as quick
as she could manage. She headed outside and took in
her first deep gulp of the cool morning air. Cool
might have been too strong a word to use, but
the fresh air felt good on her skin. It only
took her a few seconds to spot the battered and
dirt specked jeep doctor Brandt had sent to pick her up.

(39:31):
A young man, maybe as young as her, with a
weak chin and an acne pocked face, sat behind the wheel.
Sasha waved to him, ran up and hopped in. It
wasn't a quick ride to the hospital. Large sections of
the road were destroyed, blocked by rubble, or jammed with
traffic from refugees entering the Heavenly Kingdom. Seeing that had
gratified Sasha. More souls coming to God, she thought. For

(39:53):
the most part, she lost herself in thoughts of Alexander
until forty minutes later, the jeep rolled to a creaky
stop in front of the medical city of Plano. The
enormous hospital complex looked badly damaged and largely abandoned. Many
of the windows had been shot out or shattered by
large blasts. Several buildings had chunks of wall and roof
that had fallen in, but there were lights on in

(40:14):
many of the windows, and the hum of generators filled
the air of the front courtyard. Dozens of people milled about,
filled with purpose, running wires and wheeling patients. Sasha was
excited at the thought that she might get to do
some actual work in a functioning emergency room. When she
found doctor Brandt, he quickly disabused her of those notions.
We're doing all right today. What I need you to

(40:35):
do is come in here and help me catalog which
medicines have spoiled. The power had gone out during the
fighting for the city, doctor Brandt explained, and the medical
storage room had been without refrigeration for almost two days.
He showed her how to check medical vials for signs
of spoilage, handed her a clipboard to mark her findings,
and told her to get to work. It was a menial,
painstaking task, and Sasha found herself missing the hell out

(40:58):
of cleaning. She hated it. She devoted herself to the work,
and minute by minute the time passed. Eventually it was
time for her meeting with Alexander. Sasha pulled herself away
from the rows of vials and jars and blister packs
and headed outside to where she knew the jeep would
be waiting. Her driver that afternoon was a different martyr,
slightly older but still young. She was so preoccupied with

(41:20):
thoughts of Alexander that she almost forgot to greet the man.
He didn't seem to be in a talkative mood either, though,
and they rode in silence back to the center of town.
Sasha was so focused on the butterflies in her stomach
and trying to catch glimpses of her hair and face
in the rear view mirror that she didn't notice the
crowds thronging downtown until the jeep rolled to a stop
and it was time for her to disembark. A familiar

(41:41):
sense of queasy dread gripped Sasha's guts as she exited
the vehicle and looked out over the crowd. They were
converged around the gallows. Once again, Sasha craned her neck
and she was able to see four men in filthy,
tattered rags standing before the killing instrument. It took her
a second to recognize two of the men as the
porters who had first unloaded her from the crate. An older,
bearded martyr and jet black body armor stood before them.

(42:04):
He held a bible in one hand and a formidable
looking handgun in the other. Sasha started to push her
way through the crowd for a better look. She hadn't
made it far when the bearded martyr addressed the crowd.
These four men were all once employees of the secular
abomination that calls itself the Republic of Texas. He said,
in his booming, stentorian voice. The Heavenly Kingdom offered them

(42:24):
mercy in the form of indentured servitude. All we asked,
he scanned his eyes across the crowd. The left corner
of his lip curled up into a slight growl. All
we asked for was their honest, obedient labor. And they
repaid this mercy by stealing food and supplies meant for
the Heavenly Kingdom's brave soldiers. He lifted his big pistol
up into the sky and fired off four shots in

(42:47):
quick secession. These men stole from God. There is only
one proper punishment for such a sin. He turned back
towards the gallows and knotted at a hooded martyr who
stood behind him with a hand on the thick wooden
lever that operated the whole grim apparatus. The other man
pulled downwards, and the four bodies on the scaffold dropped
with a sickening chorus of snaps. Sasha felt her stomach

(43:08):
turned sour. This time, though she watched, she didn't take
her eyes off the gallows until the last man had
ceased his twitching. It's not a pleasant side, is it?
That voice? Sasha recognized it immediately. It was the voice
she'd heard a hundred different times over her deck, hidden
up in her room back in the am fed. It
was the voice of the first man she'd ever really loved.

(43:30):
It was Alexander. Sasha turned around, and her heart nearly
burst at the sight of him. He was tall, broad,
and muscular in a way that somehow seemed comforting and
not scary. His mop of curly brown hair, lopsided smile,
and round, permanent jawline were all exactly as she remembered
from their dozens of chat sessions. He wore alive green
fatigues that looked stained and burned in a few places.

(43:52):
His hair was greasy, and there were great big bags
under his eyes. But he was here, He was real.
She collapsed into him. Before she realized it, she'd started
to sob. I love you, I love you, I love you.
I thought you were dead. I love you. He hesitated
for several long beats before he returned her embrace, but
he returned it with gusto. His hands crept down from
her sides to her buttocks. He squeezed her. It was

(44:14):
a gesture she'd fantasized about several times in her weaker,
more carnal moments. It was not something she'd expected a
godly man like Alexander to do out in public, surrounded
by people in the immediate aftermath of an execution. Sasha
pulled back and coughed in surprise. She didn't say anything, though,
she didn't want to mar their first meeting with that,

(44:34):
and she also remembered something Pastor Mike had written in
Revelator that the beastly nature of man must be salved
by the goodness of women. Alexander had just spent several
days up at the front. He must have seen terrible things.
It was understandable that his self control would not be
at its peak right now. Still, she didn't like the
way he looked her up and down. There was something

(44:54):
of the wolf in his eyes. It was not the
look she'd dreamed of seeing. But then he spoke, Sasha,
I'm so proud of you. I didn't know if i'd
ever get to see you here. I wasn't sure if
you'd be willing to truly commit yourself to our Lord.
But I prayed that you would, And now, by the
grace of God, you're here, and you're even more beautiful
than you looked online. Sasha blushed. How could she not look?

(45:18):
He waved a hand towards the gallows and the bodies.
Things are still sort of a mess around here, But
I know one cafe near by us up and running again.
I've got enough rash and tokens to get us both
a cup of coffee. What would you say to that,
I'd say yes, She smiled at him. Her earlier reservations
dissolved as she took his hand and followed him down
the street, past the gallows, in the dispersing crowd, and

(45:41):
towards the cafe. In a minute, they were there. It
was a small place, one rectangular room with a coffee maker,
a half dozen tables in an outer patio area with
another half dozen tables. There was a generator, power and
air conditioning inside. So they sat there. Alexander ordered them
two large cups of black coffee. He sat down while
he waited for their order and stared into her eyes.

(46:02):
She stared back for a while. That was all they
did It's so good to see you, Sasha said. I've
been working at the hospital and I've seen so many
wounded men. I couldn't stop thinking I was going to
see you in one of those beds, broken and bleeding.
He smiled at her. Then he reached his left hand
out and sat it on top of hers. Sasha shivered.
She couldn't help it. Things stirred inside her. She felt

(46:25):
a sudden, powerful urge to possess his body, to hold
him and squeeze him and be explored in turn. She
clamped her mouth tight and focused on trying not to
give all her thoughts away through the blush in her cheeks. Sasha,
he said, it brings me such joy to see you here.
And don't worry. I know the situation at the Ladies
Barracks is rather primitive, but I'm talking to my commanding offices.

(46:48):
As soon as we get married, you'll be a part
of my household. We'll be able to live together. We'll
build a life, and that life will help build the heaven,
the kingdom. She was stunned for a moment. Sasha began
to hear up, and all she could do was not
at him. This was like a dream. It was, of course,
rather different from her actual dreams, which had involved Alexander

(47:08):
in a house, but not so many bleeding and dying men,
nor a gallows. Their coffee arrived, Alexander took a sip
and she followed suit. He continued, I know you're working
at the hospital now. I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry
you had to spend so much time scrubbing toilets. As
soon as I can get you off those duties, I will.
Oh no, she interjected, I love working with Dr Brandt.

(47:30):
It's important and I want to do my part to
help the kingdom thrive. Something passed across Alexander's face. It
looked like irritation, perhaps at her interruption, but it was
gone quickly and his smile returned. That's admirable, Sasha. You're
a remarkable young woman. If that's what you want, I'm
sure you can continue to help out there until you're
with child. With child, Sasha felt guilty for the horror

(47:53):
in her voice. Of course she wanted children, she just
didn't want them now or particularly soon. Alexander nodded, we
must be fruitful in multiply so the heaven the kingdom
can remain and expand. His smile was so warm, so kind.
I know you've read more of past to my ex
writing than I have. Sasha, you're a very smart girl,

(48:14):
but God made you to bring forth more children. You
wouldn't want to delay your purpose, would you? Maybe? A little?
She thought? No, she lied good. He smiled again. And
don't worry. You won't have to do it alone. Mallia
already has a child, and Adelaide's two months pregnant. They'll
help you too. The world stopped, at least it did

(48:36):
for Sasha. She could tell people were still moving around her,
but Sasha's reality had shrunk to the pounding sound of
her heart in a twisting in her gut. Adelaide and Mollia.
Alexander gritted his teeth. There was something almost practiced in
the way he said. What came next? Adelaide and Mallia
are my wives as you will be. Alexander, you didn't

(48:58):
say anything about other Why you never mentioned them at all?
Why are how can you be telling me all this now?
His smile turned sad, or at least it gave the
illusion of sadness. Sasha was still too shocked for anger.
She felt like a whole had just been knocked in
her heart. She knew she should be angry, but she
also felt like there must be something missing, something she
didn't understand yet. Alexander was a sweet boy. He wouldn't

(49:22):
do this to her. Look, he said, I'm sorry. This
is never easy. You understand how important the Heavenly Kingdom is, Sasha.
Nothing in the world could, Madam are, and the kingdom
will not survive without people like you. One of my
jobs here is to push young women like you to
take the terrible risk of coming here. And so you lied,

(49:43):
She croaked, barely able to believe what was happening, you,
poor false witness. Alexander. I I did not lie. His
voice hardened, and so did his eyes. I did not
tell you about every aspect of my life here, but
I did not lie. He sighed, took a sip from
his coffee, and continued. I'm part of a special unit
within the Kingdom. Foamed on the order of the past

(50:05):
to himself, he calls us jacobeans. It is our job
to see the next generation of modus. We take personal
responsibility for the Kingdom's expansion. Finding you and bringing you
here was one part of my work in this great cause.
If I'd told you every detail about life here, every
single thing, you wouldn't have come and your soul would

(50:25):
have stayed in jeopardy. He took another deep, arrogant sip
of his coffee. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but
it was for the greater good. We must sometimes do
distasteful things to serve God's design. Sasha's vision went red.
She stood and, without thinking, grabbed her now lukewarm mug
of coffee and splashed the whole thing in Alexander's face.

(50:46):
He yelled at her and sputtered like a goldfish, but
she was already up and heading for the door. She
flung it open, walked out into the crowded street, and
lost herself in the press of the crowd and the
boiling waves of her own anger. Chapter thirteen, Manny Manny

(51:10):
woke up feeling like his mouth was filled with cotton
and his head was filled with spiders. It took him
a few long seconds to remember where he was and
what had happened to bring him here. He activated his
deck and was shocked to see that more than a
day had passed since he dropped into bed. His first
guess was that he was suffering some side effect from
skullfucker Mike's blood. He couldn't think of any other times

(51:31):
he'd slept that long, although he also couldn't think of
any other times he'd survived a drone attack and an
intentional car crash in the same minute. Merit, He cursed,
and then called out Reggie. He looked over to the
cot the journalist had been sleeping on. It was dark
in the little room Nana Yazi had provided. He could
see the outline of Reggie's empty cot and not much else.

(51:52):
The room was just one tin by tin section of
an old shipping crate. Manny knew the only things in
the room besides their cots were a table with a
built in coffee maker and a pair of folding chairs.
Manny sat up, groaned as every palpable thing in his
body popped, and then rose to his feet. As he
stumbled to the door, his deck started to populate with
messages from friends and family back in Austin. By the

(52:14):
time his hand touched the knob, there were more than
fifty translucent messages hovering at the edges of his field
of vision. He blink selected a mass response template filled
it with the names of everyone who had sent him something,
and typed out an update, not dead details later. He
almost sent it, but then he noticed one of the names,
Aisha Martinez, Oscar's wife. He could only see the first

(52:37):
few lines of the message without opening it, but what
he saw made it clear she was terrified for her husband.
Manny De selected her from the list and sent the
mass message off to everyone else, and then scrolled through
his messages until he found Oscar's message stack. The other
fixer still hadn't said anything, not since the assault had begun.
Many opened up Ayisha's message. He tried to read it,

(52:59):
he really did, but his brain wouldn't let his eyes
focus on the words. His heart started to pound, his
gut curdled, and instead of reading it, he typed her
a quick response, I'm alive. I'm so sorry, but I
don't know where Oscar is or if he's made it out,
And then he typed a sentence he knew instantly he'd regret.
I will do everything I can to find your husband.

(53:22):
Then he sent the message and stepped out of the
room into the dying light of the late North Texas afternoon.
Rolling fuck unspooled around him. It was crowded or at
least more crowded than it had been yesterday. Dozens of
people and non human people were packed onto the gantry
ways and into the sundry buildings added around the rollers
and up on the spires. One building that jutted off

(53:43):
the rear roller looked like a carousel ride, with little
rocket ships instead of horses. It appeared to function as
a spinning bar. Drunk people rode little ships while bartenders
in the middle kept them liquored up. Some one shoved
by him, a heavily chromed person with three tails, each
topped by the fully articulated and seeming sentient head of
a cat. One of the cat heads belched a small

(54:03):
puff of fire at Manny as their wearer passed. He
shook his head and squeezed his way over to the
main roller. It helped little to pretend he was just
pushing his way onto the Austin Metro. While he walked,
he noticed a message from Reggie. He blink clicked it
open and heard Reggie's voice in his ear at the
rooftop bar, drinking my way through some research fund me.
When you wake up, I'm onto something. Of Course, Manny

(54:25):
had already been on his way there before he'd seen
Reggie's message. That was the simple reality of British journalists.
If it was possible for one to be drinking, that's
what they'd be doing. The walk took about ten minutes.
He crossed a combination of gantry ways, staircases, and even
one webbed net. The bar was packed when he arrived,
but it was easy enough to pick out Reggie. Both

(54:46):
his holographic screens were up and active on the bar
top in front of them. He was seated next to
skullfucker Mike and they were deep in conversation when Manny
walked up. Hey, brother, Reggie said, you've been out for
a long time. Yeah, Manny said, nothing like that's ever
happened to me before. How long were you out? The
journalist thought for a moment and then answered, odd, guess

(55:06):
like a day, he said. Mike told me that's not weird. Yeah.
The chrome man chuckled, All medicine's got side effects, my
weird ass. Blood's no different, y'all. Cute little humans ain't
made for it, schoofucker. Mike and Reggie were both clearly drunk,
and just as clearly not as drunk as they planned
to be. By the end of the night. Mike flashed
a grin at Manny and offered a hug that the
fixer accepted awkwardly. Guy, it's good to see you, Mike said,

(55:30):
I gotta tell you, I'm kind of jealous of your nap.
I miss sleep like that with all this chrome in me.
He waved a hand vaguely over his head. I can't
get exhausted like that anymore. You miss it when it's gone.
I got a drink like thirty of these fucking things.
Mike gestured to the half full drink in front of him.
It looked like a Penia colatta, a strange incensey odor.
Wafted it up from it just to pass out like

(55:51):
a normal person. Reggie was drinking the same thing. He
offered his half full glass to Manny. These things are
the best man Vodka Opium colottus. They got a little
bit of THC in them too, Mike added, in a
high sing song voice. Manny waved them off. I'm good, thanks,
I just woke up a minute ago. I probably shouldn't

(56:12):
immediately take three different drugs. Reggie and skullfucker Mike both
looked at him like he was an alien. Weird, they
said at the exact same time. Mike laughed and Reggie
looked back at his screen as a push notification popped
up with a cheery shitting tits. He cursed Manny and skullfucker.
Mike leaned into the screen. The notification was a newswire

(56:34):
update with a journalist who must have been embedded with
either the SDF or Austin's forces. The title said, at
all as the Heavenly Kingdom prepares for another assault, SDF
and Austin abandoned WACO. I'm not surprised they're pulling out,
Mike said. Your people are good enough fighters on a
normal day, but the sdfs built to dominate a bunch
of squabbling militias. They were never going to hold off

(56:54):
a sustained assault from a real army. The sleep was
fully banished now Manny was awake, and the gravity of
what had happened over the last few days sank in again.
Amide and de Shaun, We're probably dead, so was mister
perrone an Oscar Holy shit, Holy shit, what am I
going to tell Ayesha? And then the darker, more selfish thoughts.
Am I going to have time to fly out of Austin.

(57:16):
How the hell did the martyrs turn into a real
fucking army overnight? He asked, with more fear in his
voice than he meant to display. Well, Reggie said, as
he gestured to a series of curated social media posts
from people in and around Siadad de Muerta. Best as
we can figure, they sort of stole most of the
Republic's army. There are reports of entire units of Republic soldiers,

(57:38):
thousands of fight us turning at once. He gestured to
a live updating political map of Texas. It was a
map Manny consulted regularly. The Heavenly Kingdom's territory was outlined
and read. There was a lot more read on the
map today. It seemed impossible that Sancharados Manny breathed. Galveston. Yeah,
Reggie gave a grim nod. Fell about and hours ago.

(58:00):
Heaven the Kingdoms pushing into the Lake Houston suburbs. Right now,
the holding position in Dallas, though, digesting the gains, still
ain't gonna be long before they hit Austin, Mike said,
maybe a week, maybe two. Many stood there for a moment.
He thought about his father, his friends. He thought about
the house where he'd grown up. In the view of
Austin sprawl from his roof, he imagined golden Cross banners

(58:23):
flapping in the breeze above burnt out buildings. He pictured
gallows filled with people strung out along Sixth Street. A
knot of nausea started to build in his belly. What
will you do, Emmanuel? He heard mister Perrone's voice echo
in his conscience. Many shook the dead man's words away.
I need to get back home, he insisted. Is there
some way you can get me a ride? Schofucker? Mike

(58:45):
took a long pull from his drink. He squinted it, Manny,
and the chrombed man's eyes focused. One iris looked a
lot larger than the others. Mike swayed a bit in
his seat, but he seemed lucid mostly. And what are
you gonna do in Austin? He said, Pick up a
gun and die fighting, Unless you're hiding some serious mods
under that skin. I don't think your help will make
a rat ship worth a difference. I know I'm not

(59:08):
going there to fight. I need to what fly away?
Go to fucking California. Try your luck in Europe. Mike
shook his head You've got a chance to actually do something.
Help us get our people out of Dallas, and we
can fuck the Kingdom's advance, maybe even throw him back.
Many thought about it, sighed, and said, I think I
do need a drink, skullfucker. Mike nodded. He pointed over

(59:31):
to a table lined with a dozen different beer taps,
the normal stuff, self service. I recommend the Wheat Hayes.
Pretty mild, but it's good for stock humans like yourself.
Many got up, grabbed a glass from a dispenser at
the edge of the bar, and walked over to the
beer table. Each keg had a thick strip of white
tape across the front. The only details given about each
beer were vague, almost allegibly scrawled names. Many found two

(59:54):
labels that both looked like they might say Wheat Hayes.
He picked one at random, then headed back to the
bar and sat next to Reggie. Mike looked impressed for
some reason. Good choice, he said, with a nod. Manny
took a sip. It was really good, a mild, pale
asle with just a hint of sour. He leaned in
and looked at the maps and scrolling updates on Reggie Screen.

(01:00:15):
The journalist finished writing down a couple of notes and
shook his head. I'm really sorry, man, truly, he gestured
towards the live map. This is so fucked You're gonna
stay here to cover the fall, Mike asked. Reggie shook
his head. He looked frustrated. Got a message from my
editor a bit ago, and they're trying to work out
an extract for me. Gonna send a team at here
to drive me west to El Paso. I guess it's

(01:00:37):
not safe to fly out of Austin right now, so
he trailed off. The three of them drank in silence
for a minute. Schoolfucker Might, gulped down the last of
his glass and ordered another, along with three shots of bourbon.
Manny started to turn down the shot, but it was
soon apparent that Mike wanted all three shots for himself.
He downed them all in the space of around a second,
belched loudly, and then returned to staring at Reggie Screen. Fuck,

(01:01:00):
he sighed out again. Funcket he fuck fuck. Manny was
halfway through his beer when Donald Ferris approached. The old
documentarian wore a burgundy velvet waistcoat underneath a slightly battered
but well tailored tweed jacket. He had a glass of
probable whiskey at his hand, and the soberest eyes Manny
had seen that day. Hello, the gentleman school funcker, Mike,

(01:01:21):
getting caught up on the latest catastrophes, ali Yep, said, Mike,
how you been. The older man shrugged and took his
seat at the table. He gulped his whiskey and looked
down the table at Manny. It was strange to see
an actual old person this close up. The creases on
his forehead and around his lips were so deep they
could have been carved with a knife. There were spots
on him, a clear sign he'd taken no juven treatments

(01:01:42):
at all. His face had a deep, craggy richness that
lent every word he said, a certain vague majesty. Donald
Ferris spoke, and many felt compelled to listen. You can
hope this. You know, was stuck negotiating with the Kingdom now,
and they are most recalcitrant. But the Fucians quite a second, Reggie,
he interrupted, fuckans really. Donald and Mike exchanged a look,

(01:02:04):
then a laugh. Donald replied, the city's not exactly famed
for consistency. Almost any collective now and you can think
of would be appropriate. He took another sip from his
glass and set it down on the bar top with
a clack. Donald Ferris leaned in at that and eyed
the glass as he rotated it around on the table.
He tapped it again, smiled, and looked back up to
the group. Now, young man, let me explain why you

(01:02:26):
should go risk your life on a daring and dangerous
rescue mission. Manny grunted and shook his head reflexively defensive.
I'd rather not talk about it right now, if that's cool,
he said. I just woke up. This place is ridiculous,
and I'm not going to decide to go into terrible
danger because some old man gilt trips me at a bar.
Suit yourself. Donald smiled. I can't imagine how stressful this

(01:02:48):
is all bidden for you. I'm a little surprised you'd
choose to trip balls at a time like this. What
do you mean, Manny asked, with growing anxiety. That's a
white haze, right, I think Mike said it so wheat haze,
but I couldn't really read the labels. Shit. Mike cursed,
while Donald Ferris fought back a laugh. What Manny asked,

(01:03:08):
Mike should have warned you. The wheat haze is normal alcohol.
The white haze packs about two hits of lesurgic diethyl acid.
Put pint be anxious, not in. Manny's gut began to
pound in pulse. He looked to skullfucker Mike, furious. What
the funk man? Mike winced, He looked genuinely rueful. I'm
really sorry, he said. I'm not used to it making

(01:03:29):
a difference. Most people here take two or three hits
acid with their breakfast cigarettes. Oh shit. Manny slumped forward
and put his head in his hands. He started to hyperventilate.
The edges of his vision blurred, and many couldn't tell
if that was from the drugs kicking in or just
a consequence of his own panic. He could feel Oscar's
face hanging out just at the back of his mind,
afloat on a river of guilt. He didn't want to

(01:03:50):
know what a headful of acid would do with those feelings.
I gotta get back to the room, he said. I
can't handle that. Donald put a hand on his shoulder.
He was stronger than Manny would have guessed you've got
a head full of surprise. I said, boy, the last
thing you need is to sit in a dock room
and stew with your demons. He exchanged another look with
skullfucker Mike and said brain breakers ought to be kicking

(01:04:13):
off right now. That's the place for a man in
your condition. But started Manny, what the hell is that?
Reggie asked, Wait, Manny continued. Donald ignored him and replied
to Reggie, it's the best damn party on the continent,
or at least the best one humans can attend and survive.
I don't really want to, Manny started, Scofucker Mike added

(01:04:33):
his hand to Manny's shoulder. You really do trust us
on this. In the end, scullfucker, Mike and Donald convinced
him to go. Reggie surprisingly opted to stay at the
bar and continue his work. He said he was close
to something Manny really wished he chosen to come along.
He didn't know the journalist well, but Mike and Donald
were complete strangers. Manny was not looking forward to the

(01:04:56):
drugs kicking in. He also wasn't sure a giant rave
room was the best place for him to be when
they did as they approached it, Many realized he'd seen
the structure when they first arrived at the City of Wheels.
Brain Breakers was a three story cube at the top
of Rolling Fox highest gantry. The cube appeared to have
been knitted together from long strands of black metal. Multi
colored light pulsed inside it and bled out through the

(01:05:18):
gaps and the knitted metal of the sides. Schoolfucker Mike
led them down the gantry towards the cube. There didn't
appear to be any kind of entrance. The wall on
this side was the same knitted steel as every other side,
but once they reached it, Mike simply stepped into the wall.
The woven metal writhed like something alive and curled back
to admit the big post human. The metal tendrils caressed

(01:05:39):
Mike's body as he walked through. Manny flashed a questioning
look at Donald. It it feels nice, he explained. Many
side exasperated and furious. Is this whole damned city built
around drugs and fondling? Yes? Donald grinned a spidery old
man grinned now insoide with you. Many Sides swallow out

(01:06:00):
and walked up to the wall. The metal, which felt
surprisingly soft and warm slithered around him, and Mother of God,
it felt good. That might have had something to do
with the acid percolating in the back of his brain.
The sensation was a cross between being tickled and being caressed.
He was reminded, uncomfortably of his mother's stroking his forehead
when he had a fever as a child. And then

(01:06:20):
he was through. It took him a moment to realize
he was breathing heavily and covered in cold sweat. It
was then that Manny got his first view of the
interior of Brain Breakers. It looked a little like a
space station designed by M. C Esher with a drunken
hr Geiger as the contractor. There were a half dozen
different stages protruding at various levels from the walls. Three

(01:06:40):
of the stages were currently occupied. One performer was an enormous,
seemingly sentient xylophone that pranced about on stage, playing itself
with eight knob and arms. Another stage held four human
looking individuals. They were all naked, and they were all fighting.
Many watched and slacked jawed awe as they punched and
bit and kicked and choked each other. Every impact sent

(01:07:00):
a chorus of warbling sounds pouring out from speakers at
the base of the stage. The longer he listened, the
more hypnotic the music seemed. The third inhabited stage held
what looked like a normal d J booth with a
presumptive person behind it. Manny guessed that was the source
of the bass, heavy rhythmic pounding that filled the square.
The remaining stages were empty for now, but the place

(01:07:21):
was so full of sound that Manny couldn't imagine two
more acts making things any louder. It was chaotic and
confusing and a little uncomfortable, but after a few seconds,
Manny started to pick up on an overarching rhythm. All
three acts were making very different music at very different paces,
but somehow it all tied together. The inner walls of
the place were covered in projection art. Giant human sized

(01:07:44):
silhouettes stalked the walls, floor, and roof. At times, they
moved so fast they looked almost like wisps of smoke.
But here and there one would stop long enough for
Manny to get a solid look. He saw several different figures,
a tall, muscular but androgynous person, a small, lithe young woman,
a rod the squat man, with a bald head. They
danced around each other, flittering up and down the walls.

(01:08:05):
Their pace and the nature of their motions varied depending
on the tempo and pitch of the music nearest to them.
It was mesmerizing. Manny stared for what felt like minutes.
The sensation of his body faded away from him, and
his vision tunneled in on the dancing figures. Their dance
had looked joyous and sensual at first, but the longer
he watched, the more frenetic it seemed. The more danger
he spotted in their jerking limbs, the arc of their necks,

(01:08:26):
the uncontrolled way they spun round and into one another.
Anxiety started to build in the pit of his stomach.
And then there was a person beside him. Mike, Hey, buddy,
He grinned. The other man's pupils were the size of
dinner plates. He clenched and ground his teeth back and forth.
Is it o'kay if I put a hand on your shoulder? Uh? Sure,
Manny said, surprising himself cool. Mike smiled and did so.

(01:08:51):
His hand felt supportive, comforting. How you liken the party?
Manny really wasn't sure. It was beautiful? Here. Now that
skullfucker Mike had pulled his attention from the dancing silhouettes,
He'd started to focus more in the crowds of people
dancing and drinking and fucking across the assorted dance floors,
cuttle spaces, and bar tops of brain breakers. Most of
the celebrants were visibly chromed. He saw a woman with

(01:09:13):
six arms, a couple of things he could only describe
as dick centaurs, a man with the head of a dolphin,
and countless people in bizarre costumes built of light and
fur and liquid metal. It was hard to tell how
much of this was real and how much of it
was the drugs. The acid was hitting his head pretty
damn hard. Schoolfucker Mike squeezed his shoulders and brought Manny
back again. The fixer blinked and then finally responded, it's

(01:09:36):
a good, good, fucking great. Let's get you some whippets
and head over to the fireworks table. They're about to
open it up fireworks inside. Mike laughed. It's hardly a
party without explosives. Brother, just go with it, and so
many did. He and Mike did some whippets, which meshed
gloriously with the acid. Then they stood up on stumbling

(01:09:56):
feet and headed over to the fireworks table. Things seemed
to be just get started. Over there, Manny inspected a
few different brightly colored explosive toys before something burst next
to his ear, and he looked up to see Skullfucker
Mike firing a massive Roman candle towards the musical, punching
people on the stage. The sound of it wholly held
a sound. It might have been the most compelling thing

(01:10:16):
his ears had ever heard. The acid is definitely hitting
hard now, Manny thought, Holy funk, Holy funk, what is this?
The rest of his night faded into a blur of
lights and music and strange, indefinable sense memories. It was
disorienting and exhilarating an equal measure. Hours went by, the
acid faded, and eventually Manny found himself on a bunch

(01:10:37):
of cushions, sitting around a table with Skullfucker Mike and
other Fuccians. He couldn't remember any of their names, but
after a few minutes of relative lucidity, Manny was able
to piece together that they were all friends of the
people who had been captured. One of the men, a
bearded guy, with multi jointed fingers the length and with
the rulers reached over Manny to grab a beer. He
pulled it back, took a sip, and settled into his seat.

(01:10:59):
My favorite Maria Merrigold, he said, it's from back when
we were still building this city, right after we stole
the bagger. She got a hair up her ass that
there ought to be a big purple clubhouse at the
top for folks to do cocaine in and watch sunsets.
I remember she strapped an armed little wood to her back,
grabbed a can of spray paint, took a big rail
of meth, and just started climbing up the center spindle
like she was gonna do the whole damn job herself.

(01:11:20):
She got fucking stuck two thirds of the way up,
just hanging out there with her panties in the breeze,
screaming like a scared cat. Mike laughed. I remember that
me and Topez had to climb up in freer, and
then she climbed the rest of the way up and
started laying down boards. Fingerman nodded, yeah, I remember when
I climbed up there an hour or so later. She's
all frantic and fiddling with nails and bolts and turned

(01:11:42):
to Funck but like making progress too, And I asked her, Marigold,
why are you doing this? This ain't a one person job,
and she said, I know, but unless I start building it,
it'll never be real. There was quiet for a while.
Many could feel the pain in the pause and see
it on everyone's face. He didn't want to say any thing.
He was pretty sure there was nothing worthwhile he could say.

(01:12:03):
But then he spoke, anyway, can you tell me about
the others, the other two who were captured. Another of
Mike's friends, a tall black woman in a bright blue
shark Onesie, nodded and replied. Rick's a little dude, a
great painter and a pretty good pyrotechnician. He's no kind
of fighter, but he's got a real sweet way about him.
He puts people at ease, so he goes out on

(01:12:24):
a lot of these delegations to be a good face
for the city. Marigold is always the main negotiator, but
we sent Tully out too. She's newish to the city,
used to be an activist in Albuquerque before the King
took over and started boiling people. She's a good talker.
We had her studying under Mary so she could pick
up some of the load in the future. They're all

(01:12:45):
good people, Fingerman added, Marigolds saved my life a few times.
Back during the revolution. She helped found this place. It
started out as just a big caravan RV's and mobile
hydroponics units. She'd find isolated communities bring him food and such.
No government was much use back then, so for a
lot of folks, Mary's caravan was the line between life
and death. Yep, said skullfucker Mike. She's the one who

(01:13:08):
found topaz in me. After the boss went missing. We
were pretty lost, doing a lot of freelance violence, but
not making anything, not building a damn thing. Marigold told us.
Her vision for this big, stupid city got us hooked
on the idea. Many noticed tears at the corner of
skullfucker Mike's eyes that felt somehow wronged him. Someone so
powerful and inhuman shouldn't be able to cry and make

(01:13:30):
it look so normal, But there he was crying. And
then for the first time in the trip, the thing
Manny had most feared happened. He thought about Oscar. He
remembered a picnic he'd taken with the stringer, his wife, Aisha,
and their two kids. It had been a lovely spring day,
one of the dozen ish days a year in Austin
where the air felt good on your skin. They drank

(01:13:51):
cheap beer and eating hot dogs and watched the kayakers
roll along the Colorado River. I sent him out there,
and now he's probably dead. You know there's something else
we share, Mike said, his voice low and somber. We've
both spent way too much of our lives feeling helpless.
Manny cocked a disbelieving eyebrow up at skullfucker Mike ere

(01:14:13):
the chrombed man chuckled. I know what you're thinking, but
you'd be surprised how often the fancy hardware doesn't matter.
Mike's face twitched and more tears poured down his face.
He took a deep breath, fixed Manny with bloodshot puffy eyes,
and spoke again. We all spend a lot of life helpless,
So when you have a chance to do something to

(01:14:33):
make a difference for some one personally, I recommend you
fuckin take it. Manny woke up the next day feeling
out of place and vaguely unstuck. From time he could
hear Reggie snoring on the next bed. The room was
very dark and it was impossible to tell what time
it might be. Manny thought about activating his deck, but
decided against it. There was something almost nauseating about the

(01:14:56):
thought of being flooded with the outside world right now.
He stood up and went outside to wander the spindles
and gantries of rolling Fuck for a while. At one
point a man walked by with a plateful of breakfast burritos,
and so Mannie had breakfast. A little while later he
found a self served coffee house stationed next to one
of the fondle boats, and so he had coffee. He
was just starting to think about turning on his deck

(01:15:19):
and welcoming in the world when Donald Ferris found him. Mannie,
my boy, I hope your ascid hangovers not too bad,
Mannie shrugged. I actually feel all right. It was a
It was good and help me sort some things out.
The older man smiled. I'm genuinely happy to hear that.
There's nothing like a headful of acid to help you
see what's important. Now. Listen, I hate to interrupt your morning,

(01:15:41):
but there've been some developments. Nana Yazzi and I need
to talk to you. Mannie went with him back down
into the main roller in that weird conference room where
they'd met on his first day in the city. There
were more people there now. Nana Yazzi sat in the
same spot at the end of the table. Reggie was
there fiddling with one of his screens scuff a her
Mike sat next to him, and then at the other

(01:16:02):
end of the table was a large black dude Manny
had never seen before. He was muscular, but in the lean,
wiry way of a construction worker or a particularly swollen hobo.
He had a long, gaunt face with prominent sheet bones
and an oft broken nose. His hands were big, there
was something menacing about them, but his face was the
least threatening thing in the world. His eyes were litted, half,

(01:16:24):
focused and dreamy. His jaw was just a little slack.
He had short hair, stubble really, and a patchy six
day beard. He looked stoned. Welcome, Manny, said Nana Yazi.
She gestured towards the big man. This is Rowland. If
you choose to help us rescue your people, he'll be
our escort into the Heavenly Kingdom and your escape plan.
Donald shut the door behind them, walked around to the

(01:16:46):
other side of the table and sat down next to
Nana Yazzi. We've tried to give you time and space
on this, he said, but I'm afraid both of those
things are running out. All our intelligence suggests the Heavenly
Kingdom is very close to another roll out as salt.
They'll move on Waco in four or five days. It
could be outside of Austin in a week's time. You
are free to make whatever call you want, or offer

(01:17:08):
to fly you to Austin still stands, mi Ho, said
Nana Yazi. But I am afraid we need you to
make a decision. Now, I'll do it, Manny said. Almost
everyone looked surprised. Donald coughed. Nana Yazi's eyes went wide,
Reggie did a double take schofucker. Mike just smiled and
nodded at Mannie. Roland didn't look as if he'd been

(01:17:29):
affected in any way. In fact, Mannie was pretty sure
he was drumming along to some music only he could hear.
It might have been Ronnie James Dio's Holy Diver Chapter fourteen. Roland.

(01:17:50):
Once he'd been dismissed, Roland had made it his immediate
business to get as high as post humanly possible before
he was needed. This was not a difficult task. Rolling
Funck had been built to keep buzzes going. The main
rollers bar stocked an assortment of beers mixed with LSD laudanum,
dimethyl trip to mean, and a half dozen shogun chemicals.
Roland started off by sampling them all. He drank until

(01:18:12):
the fireworks showing his head was indistinguishable from the actual
fireworks outside and those real or am I just fucking lit?
Roland decided that answering that question wouldn't make him happier.
He lost himself for a while and drifted from one
of the fondel boats to a dance party in a
field underneath the main gantry. After hours of that, Roland
had his fill of rhythm, so he found his way

(01:18:33):
to a coke benge in a weird purple house atop
one of the spindles. The rest of the night he
spent testing the limits of his talks and filters, and
his tolerance for human contact. The latter came first. He
abandoned the coke party and stumbled through Rolling Funk until
he reached a small booth with baggies of umnuloch, a
d m T based hallucinogen made from synthetically grown giraffe liver.

(01:18:55):
Thanks got fuzzy. After that, there was a fireworks fight
on a spindle that caught a shack on fire. He
downed a shipload of mescal and as the sun breached,
and then quite suddenly it was afternoon and he was
lying on his back across the baking hot metal of
one of the spindles. Schoolfucker Mike stood above him, naked
as the day he was born, and holding some sort
of frosty purple beverage in a large teeky cup. Hey man,

(01:19:17):
Mike said, as he took a sip, Nanny as he
told me to find you you straight enough to talk
to people. Roland nodded. He wasn't, really, but he could
sober up fast. Maybe sober wasn't the right word. His
brain could flood itself with focusing drugs to offset the hallucinogens,
and he had a vial of liquid meth amphetamine somewhere

(01:19:37):
in his pack that might do the trick. Roland sat up, grunted,
and waved a hand at Mike. Then he dug around
in his pack for the vial. He found it and
drained half. All right, let's go, he said. Let's go
to the place and do the things. Mike helped him
down the spindle. Roland's unsteady legs were proof that he'd
managed to find himself a worthy drug bench. The satisfaction

(01:19:59):
he felt from that mixed well with the initial meth euphoria.
By the time they reached the conference room, he was
wired as fuck and kind of wishing he'd picked a
different drug to spend his mood. Roland sat down and
eased into his chair. A short, young Anglo fellow entered
next and sat down on the opposite side of the
conference table. He looked and smelled nervous. Roland paid him

(01:20:20):
little mind. He was too jittery from the meth to
want to talk. He decided a nice dose of some
downers would help his situation and rooted around for his
heroine kit. At that moment, another young man entered the room.
He was short, Hispanic, and about twenty one years old.
Nana Yazzi embraced the kid schoffucker might clapped him on
the shoulder. They started talking. The kid said something that

(01:20:41):
seemed to surprise most of the people in the room.
Roland half paid attention to all that while he loaded
up his syringe and tied off his arm. He stopped
when he realized everyone else in the room was staring ey.
Something wrong, he asked Roland. Nana Yazi said in a
warm voice as she gestured to the Hispanic kid. This
is Mannie. He's going to be your partner for the mission.

(01:21:03):
He grew up in the Republic, and he's a skilled negotiator.
He'll help you blend in while you do your work.
Er hh cool, Roland grunted and returned to his heroine, Rowland.
If you wouldn't mind, Reggie was about to speak. Naniyazi's
smile was as indulgent as ever. He's uncovered something important
about the heavenly Kingdom. It might be useful to you,

(01:21:23):
Roland shrugged. Mossy's gallus, to which bartenders in plain o
make a pass of a whisky. Sar can't imagine caring.
But if you let me finish this, he jiggled the
syringe in the air, I might be able to at
least pay attention right now. I'm white too, metht out
to focus. The old man leaned forward and sighed. The
kid looked horrified. He started working his mouth and what

(01:21:44):
Roland was pretty sure must be the prelude to some
sort of expression of shock or offense. Schofucker Mike preempted him.
Let Roland shoot up. Trust me, drugs aren't gonna make
him any more or less effective. Here, Roland grinned, Schoofucker
might clearly knew him, even if he could only sort
of remember skullfucker Mike. He went back to tying off

(01:22:04):
his arm and shooting up, while the younger Brits stumbled
into the start of his speech. Yes, well, I've been
going over the last few days of successful vehicle based
bombings on checkpoints from Galveston and Lake Houston and all
across the Dallas Fort Worth area. In total, I've identified
three hundred twenty one bombings that appear to have been
carried out as part of this overall offensive. Two hundred

(01:22:26):
and forty of those bombings involve autonomous vehicles hitting dedicated
autonomous vehicle checkpoints. Right on cue, a projection map flickered
to life on the wall behind him. Hundreds of red
dots populated a map of the conflict riddled regions of
north central Texas. It looked like the pattern of attacks
you'd want in order to funnel the stf's limited resources
towards the least defensible chunks of their line. What was

(01:22:48):
weird was that so many bomb rigged autonomous vehicles had
gotten through the scanners. So Roland asked, how the fuckers
do it? Lunch zero days. Reggie shook his head. That's
what I thought at first, he said, But these attacks
actually started more than a month before this offensive. If
they were relying on exploits, the s df I T
folks would have caught something by now. The most likely

(01:23:10):
explanation is that the martyrs found some way to make
vehicles that aren't autonomous. Seemed that way, yeah, Manny said.
The martyrs have tried to hide drivers and autonomous vehicles
before the s d F watches for it, which means
the martyrs have figured out something new, said the journalist,
some new way to hide a human driver that doesn't
register on conventional senses. And that way is nanny, Yazi asked.

(01:23:35):
Reggie's face reddened. He grunted and swallowed, and then spoke,
I've got no idea, but I think I know where
they're putting these new vehicles together. He snapped, his fingers,
and the projected image changed to a map of a
city called McKinney and the Dallas suburbs. It zoomed into
an aerial shot of one enormous factory building near the
outskirts of the city. The BBC pays for access to

(01:23:58):
a few independent satellites that overlooked this part of North America.
We also pay the SDA for limited access to some
of their drone surveillance footage. From all that, I was
able to trace out pass for seventy eight of the
vehicles used in these attacks. Every one of them started
their journey here. The projection changed again to it looked
like a stock photograph of the front of a large

(01:24:19):
white factory building. The Tesla logo was displayed prominently by
the front door. It's an old Tesla plant. They finished
it about a year before the Civil War. It's been
in and out of operation since then, as best as
I can tell. The last normal vehicle rolled off the
line three years ago, before the Heavenly Kingdom started cocking
things up. McKinney was one of the first parts of

(01:24:39):
the old Metroplex to fall, so they've had plenty of
time to fiddle with shit Roland raised his arm and
realized belatedly that the needle was still dangling out of it.
The old man sighed again, but Roland bravely ignored him.
So what does this have to do with your captives,
he asked. I didn't sign on to help you guys
spy or blow up of factories in this data to
the SDF for Austin. If you think it matters, schoolfucker,

(01:25:02):
Mike put a hand forward in a placating gesture. We're
not asking you to do anything about this, he said,
but you and Manny will be our only eyes and
ears inside the kingdom. If you get a hint of
how they've accomplished all this, it will be valuable to
us in the SDF. We'll find a way to make
it worth your while. I mean, the drinks are free, right,
Roland asked. I don't know what else you got that

(01:25:23):
I might want. Mike smiled and gestured to Roland's backpack
of narcotics, which sat next to him on the big
redwood table. By my account, you've gone through about half
your stash that's coming out here. If you're able to
get us any worthwhile info, I'll make sure the bags
full before you leave, Roland narrowed his eyes. It would
be a giant pain in the ask to find a

(01:25:43):
good percoset between here and Campbeltown. He sighed, all right, fine,
if we hear something, we'll look into it, but don't
hold your breath. After the meeting, schoolfucker Mike took Roland
down to the city's makeshift more so he could steal
a dead man's face. Rolling Fox Militia had found the
fresh corpse of some guy Roland's rough height and build.

(01:26:04):
He'd fled Dallas and made it almost as far as
Waco before getting hit by a drone attack. The foe
Fuk had been gutted by shrapnel, but his face was
intact enough for Roland's chameleon implant. Roland hadn't used the
thing in so long he worried it might not work.
He stared down at the man's face and took in
his features. The fellow was white, but his skin was
burnt a deep reddish brown. He'd clearly spent a lot

(01:26:26):
of time under the Texas sun. He appeared to be
in his early forties and clearly hadn't taken many juven treatments.
His hairline was fine, but the man's eyes and the
edges of his lips were creased with wrinkles. His dead,
staring eyes were blue. There were deep dark bags beneath them.
Plenty of time to sleep, now, Buddy Roland thought. He
closed his eyes, focused on the dead man's face, and

(01:26:48):
felt his facial bones start to tear themselves apart and
then reform. He felt the pigments and his skin shift two,
which was always strange. The sensation of his pigments opening
up and taking in more light felt a little like
dripping off a thin layer of clothing. While Roland did this,
skullfucker Mike ran a scanner over the corpse and located
the I D card in its right forearm. Mike used

(01:27:09):
a tool that looked like a long metal straw to
suck the I D free and then shoot the tag
into Roland's own arm. He took a second for Roland's
body to pull the data. His name was erin Wether's.
He was single. He worked as a mechanic in Arlington
for most of his life. He had a clean criminal record,
save for a drunk driving arrest in his early thirties. Roland,
now Aaron, left the morgue with skullfucker Mike and headed

(01:27:30):
for the ride that would take him into the Heavenly Kingdom.
He used the walk as an opportunity to smoke a
couple of grams of fine Afghan opium. He was still
smoking when they reached the batted old pickup truck on
the outskirts of Rolling Fox campground. The kid Manny was
in the driver's seat. Hey, Manny said, and stared wide
eyed at him. You look different, he added, with a

(01:27:50):
forced smile. Yeah, Roland replied and pulled himself into the
passenger seat. Mike tapped him on the shoulder. What, Roland asked,
I'm gonna need your bag, man. He pointed to the
still smoking opium pipe in Roland's hand, and that the
Heavenly Kingdoms got a pretty strict policy on intoxicans. You're
not going to get a backpack full of narcotics through

(01:28:10):
their checkpoints. Roland growled at Mike. He couldn't fault the
other post humans logic, but he'd be damned he was
going to spend several days surrounded by a bunch of
religious nuts and do its sober. Roland locked eyes with skullfucker. Mike,
opened his bag and grabbed a heavy handful of drugs.
He swallowed them all one by one, pillbottles and baggies,

(01:28:30):
vellucinogens and vials of amphetamines. He ordered his gut to
reduce its acidity so he could store the drugs for
later regurgitation and consumption. Then he took one last deep
hit from his opium pipe and handed it and the
bag to Mike man He popped the car and to drive,
and they rolled off into the night. They drove in
silence for a while. Roland's hind brain would have marked

(01:28:52):
the time if he hadn't done such a successful job
of pickling it with opium before they left. The quiet
got awkward and boring pretty quick though. He considered putting
on music, but of course his head wear was severed
from all outside networks. He couldn't connect to the car
any more than he could blinks into an email. He
decided to ask Manny to put something on niggay music,

(01:29:12):
Can you music? Roland realized he was slurring and his
words were not coming out the way he'd intended. The
kid Manny looked irritated. How fucked up are you right now?
Roland gave a shrug that meant very You know, my
ass is on the line here too. I'm not made
of whatever fucked up science you've got in your veins.
I'd appreciate it if you took this seriously on an

(01:29:33):
objective level. The kid's request was fair. This must be
a big moment for him, going off on a dangerous
mission to enemy territory, et cetera. But to Rowland, this
was Tuesday or whatever day it actually was. He disabled
his clock and calendar years ago because funk that noise.
Funk that noise, he said, without meaning to good God,
I'm so high. What Manny sounded confused and perturbed. H sorry,

(01:29:58):
man Roland rubbed his eyes A little days from the opium.
I wasn't talking to you. I am the only other
person in this car, Manny said, Yeah, you know him.
Highest shit words come out sometimes they are meant for anyone.
They just happened. The car slowed, and many pulled over
to the shoulder of the cracked old highway. When the
car came to a stop, he put his head in

(01:30:18):
his hands and breathed in and and out very slowly.
It took Roland a moment to realize the kid was
going through a panic attack. He's never done anything like
this before. Of course, he's terrified. Roland wondered if he
should do something to comfort the kid. You know, he said,
I've killed about twelve thousand armed people. Many turned to

(01:30:39):
stare at him. He looked shocked, but Roland noted with
satisfaction the statement had disrupted his panic. What what the
I mean, give or take a handful? Roland continued, I
burnt my brains, killed canter out with crocodile and sheep
vodka while back. Why would you tell me this? Why
would you think this would help? Because, Roland said, We're

(01:30:59):
about to go into a very dangerous place together. You're
scared you're gonna die, and I want you to know,
however many arm nut jobs are in that city, I
can murder them, all of them. Manny stared at him.
He still looked terrified and vaguely pissed, but his heart
rate was steadier, his breathing had slowed. Roland declared his
gambit a success. Okay, the kid finally said that's actually comforting,

(01:31:24):
thank you. There was silence for a beat, and then
Roland spoke again that all sudden, I'd prefer not to
kill anyone I'd really prefer that. I was on a
pretty good no murder streak until a couple of days back.
I'm trying to stay on the wagons, so a talk, well,
be a good face, man. This will all be easier
if I don't have to commit murder. Manny looked a

(01:31:45):
bit nervous again, but he popped the car into drive
and rolled back onto the highway. I'll do my best,
he said. They were an hour outside of Dallas when
they hit the first checkpoint and the Kingdom's guards ordered
them out of the truck. Roland stepped out with his
hands up. Manny had done the same. The guards scanned them,
verified their status as Republic citizens, and then the questioning started.

(01:32:08):
What brings you to the heavenly Kingdom? Their leader, a
fat man with a kalashnikov, asked Manny. We heard about
the amnesty, Manny replied, and we thought it sounded good.
We we want to live under the rule of God.
The fat man grunted. So you're both good, God fearing men, then, yes, sir,
Manny nodded, of course, and praise be to God for
all the victories you've won here. The fat man sniffed

(01:32:29):
at the air and looked over to his partner. I'm
not wild about another skin here, Hanson. You think we
need any more Mexicans? Hanson shrugged, orders say, the faithful
are all welcome. Yeah, the fat guy continued, if they're faithful.
He looked back to Manny, why did it take a
couple of devout men like yourselves so long to make
a break for the heavenly kingdom. We've been at this

(01:32:50):
fight for a while, you know, I. I mean we
we were scared, and we didn't we weren't sure what
to believe. What you're supposed to believe is the word
of God, the man snarl. And that's as clear as
day to everyone who lives inside the kingdom. He looked
back at his men and smiled an evil wolfie grin
Hanson malloy, I think we might need to question these

(01:33:10):
two more intensively radio command And that was the last
thing the fat man said, probably ever. Roland shoved a
hand into the martyr's mouth, pulled downwards, and shattered his
jaw in four places. Then he leapt into the others.
It went quickly. He gouged eyes, broke jaws, severed tongues,
and then started in on their limbs. By the end

(01:33:31):
of it, all four men were still alive, but none
of them were in any shape to report on what
they'd seen. Manny vomited several times. What I wanted to
do in your best, Manny, Roland asked, more irritated than angry.
Once he'd finished, the kid recoiled, Roland realized Manny had
started to shake a little. He also realized there was
still a part of a man's ear in his mouth.

(01:33:51):
A hell, you scared him, Sorry, kid, he said, and
squatted down next to Manny. Look, the odds were always
good that this first trial was gonna you scratch. The
good news is they've got other checkpoints. Will hop on
the access road and find the next one. It'll be fine.
What did you too to Manny started? I stopped them
from talking, he said, very quickly. No one's dead. There'll

(01:34:14):
be uh. He glanced down at the burbling, bleeding mess
of shattered humans. Will be. I but we need to
move now before someone else comes along. And I got
to break them too. Roland popped open the cab so
he could change into a clean set of spare clothes.
It was grateful that skullfucker Mike had packed them bags
to lend their story extra versimilitude. Manny changed too, and

(01:34:35):
once his hands stopped shaking, they rolled off to the
next checkpoint. Roland tried not to think too much about
the men he'd just broken. That helped that one of
them had been an asshole. It helped that none of
them had died. But still they hit the next checkpoint
eight minutes later, and things went much better this time.
For one thing, it was busier. There were already a
dozen other cars in line when they pulled in. The

(01:34:57):
guy who was questioning them was less of an asshole.
He seemed to buy Manny's claim. We weren't brave enough
to make the journey until now, but we prayed all
night about this. I know it's the right thing to do.
Roland had to fight to avoid rolling his eyes. The
line worked, though. The man at the checkpoint waved the
men and issued them a temporary transit pass. This is

(01:35:17):
good for six hours, The checkpoint officer said, that's plenty
of time to find the immigration center, and poured in
if you're caught driving around the Kingdom after that, it
won't end well for you. They drove on, but it
was slow going after the checkpoint. The roads into Dallas
were choked with ruined vehicles and actual traffic. It looked
as if hundreds of people had taken the Heavenly Kingdom

(01:35:39):
up on its amnesty offer. Roland couldn't fault them for that.
The Kingdom seemed to be winning. As they rolled towards Plano,
they were stopped regularly by patrolling martyrs and asked to
present their papers. But bit by bit they made their
way onto and through the packed and crumbling highways of
Old Dallas. At one point they found themselves installed traffic
on Highway seventy five, overlooking the cratered ruins of the

(01:36:02):
Lakewood Blast. He felt cold October air. He smelled barrel
fires and heard the sharp crack of rifley. He saw
flashes of a face it might have been Gem's, and
he remembered the feeling of a cold metal handle attached
to something heavy, dense. He remembered yelling to a small,
sweaty hand held tight in his own. He remembered guilt.

(01:36:23):
What's up, Manny asked. He looked over at Roland and
his eyes widened. Dude, you're shaking. Don't tell me you're
flipping out now, we're way too deep in this thing.
Roland shook his head. It's it's it's nothing, he said.
Just a piece of an old memory hit me in
the face. I think I was in town when that
fucker went off. The young man's pupils grew as big
as saucers virga. He spit, you're fullish shit. Roland shrugged.

(01:36:47):
I don't know. Maybe it's just a piece of a memory.
I might be confusing it with something else. Sure got
triggered by seeing the blast side, though Manny was not
satisfied by that answer. I refuse to believe that someone
could watch an atom bomb eviscerat a city and not
have a clear memory of it. I had to take
anti radtles my whole childhood because of that bomb. I

(01:37:08):
don't have any clear memories, kid, none from further back
than about I guess fibery years ago. I don't have
a whole lot of clear memories since then, either, but
that's from the drugs. What the hell happened to you,
Manny asked, I thought you post humans all had hard
drives running through your blood. Were you too cheap to
pay for a photographic memory? Roland scratched his neck he

(01:37:28):
wasn't ditchy. It was a nervous gesture. He was a
little fascinated at the fact that this line of questioning
made him feel nervous. He really couldn't remember the last
time a conversation had made him feel that way. Weird.
I got hurt, was all he could honestly say. I
don't remember much of anything from before the revolution. Hell,
I don't really remember the revolution. The line of cars

(01:37:50):
started moving again. Many popped the car back into drive,
and they rolled further into the Heavenly Kingdom. Both men
were quiet for a minute until Roland spoke again, That's
why I'm doing this, you know. He wasn't sure why
he was saying all this, but Roland found he couldn't
stop himself. Jim, the guy who brought me on you
knows some fucking East Coast surgeon who specializes in post

(01:38:11):
human brains. They think they can give me back my memory.
This rescue mission is uh, that's how I pay for that.
Are you sure you want those memories back? Manny asked
the fund Do you mean I don't even know who
I am or was right now? Wouldn't you want that
ship back if you lost it? Manny glanced over to him.
They locked eyes. I don't know, the kid said, you

(01:38:34):
say you killed at least twelve thousand people. I've been
working as a fixer for the last two years, and
I've seen a lot of fucked up eyes, dead eyes
on men who have done too much killing. But none
of them hold a candle to what's going on there.
He pointed to Roland's face. I don't know. I got
a feeling your past is one big fucked up nightmare.
Maybe you're better off without it. Roland was quiet for

(01:38:56):
a while, and Manny didn't say anything else. They crept
along and stops and starts, and inched closer to Plano
as the sun cracked open the horizon. Kid. At a point,
Roland decided he'd worried about the same thing himself since
Jim made the offer. Every hour or so, he still
found himself thinking about the driver of that technical The
man had reeked of love, and yeah, the guy had

(01:39:18):
been fighting to establish a Cristo fascist nightmare state. Somehow
that didn't mitigate his death. In Roland's head, most causes
were ship. Most men who fought for anything fought for nightmares.
That guy and all his friends had just been doing
what felt right. Based on the ship lives they'd lived.
The same thing had to be true for most of
the soldiers and insurgents Roland had killed. How many civilians

(01:39:39):
did you kill, Roland, how many lives did you in
just to keep the battle drugs flowing? When he thought
about it that way, he really didn't want his memories back.
But then, of course there was Topaz. He loved her
so much, or rather, the pieces of him that remembered
her loved her so much. Roland knew he wanted those
memories back. He needed them back. Every time he thought

(01:40:01):
about her face, something twisted inside him, as if his
guts were being tugged in whatever direction he thought she
might be. It was a weird way to feel about
a woman he only remembered in fragments. Roland shook his
head in a nervous attempt to shake the thoughts from
his mind. Then he stared ahead at the line of cars.
The immigration center was chaotic, crowded, and heavy with the

(01:40:22):
smell of scared humans. It was also a happier place
than Roland would have expected. Martyrs and fresh, olive, drab
uniforms with bright golden crosses and blazoned on the arms,
handed out food, water, and even cups of instant coffee
to the adults. They posed for pictures with children. The
whole place almost had the air of a party about it.
There was someone filming too. Roland guessed he must be

(01:40:43):
a propagandist for the Kingdom, putting together some sort of documentary.
They stood in line for two full hours before it
was their turn in front of the intake officer. He
was an older man with a big, bushy mustache, red jowls,
and a droopy rooster wattle of a throat. He had
a whiny voice that barraged them with questions as soon
as they sat down at his desk. How many apostles

(01:41:03):
did Christ have? What was the name of the hill
where our Lord was crucified? What is the fifth Commandment?
Manny answered every question while Roland sat there and smiled
vacantly like an invalid. They decided in the car that
playing dumb was his best option. He'd probably wind up
starting a fight if he talked to the man. And besides,
Bland didn't know shit about the Bible. He didn't even

(01:41:24):
have any memory fragments of church services, and why is
it that you're answering all the questions, young man. The
officer finally asked, what about your friend here erin is it? Ah? Yeah,
Roland replied, I just I don't know. I don't test
so good. Mom said, I ain't a thinker, but you
are a Christian. Yes, oh, yes, sir, he nodded enthusiastically.

(01:41:45):
I love God. I am all about God. The intake
officer narrowed his eyes at Roland Manny flashed him a
look of fury, and then quickly turned it into a
smile directed at the officer. He's a he's slow, sir.
His mama took care of him, but she died in
a drone st two months back from the SDF. I'm
just trying to make sure he's okay. The man grunted

(01:42:06):
and then looked to Roland. I imagine that must make
you angry, losing your mother. Roland nodded and put on
his best fasimile of an angry face. They're bad men.
I want to hurt them back. The intake officer chuckled, Well,
I've got good news for you. Then, the Heavenly Kingdom
needs soldiers. I'm sending you both to a training platoon.
In a few days, you'll be martyrs and you'll have

(01:42:27):
a chance to get your revenge. Wait, Mann, he asked,
we're being drafted. The officer narrowed his piggy eyes. The
heavenly Kingdom is fighting for its life. Boys. Every person
we let in has a job. There are no shirkers here,
no layabouts. If you aren't willing to help build the
Kingdom of God on earth, we have no use for you.
And I've decided you boys will best serve God in

(01:42:49):
our infantry. And just like that, Roland found himself inducted
into a military for what was at least the second
time in his life. The intake officer gave them more pays,
signed a mustering order, and sent them off with directions
to find the barracks that was apparently their new home.
Manny handled the rest of the interaction well. He even
managed to act enthusiastic after his first startled outburst. But

(01:43:12):
once they were out of ear shot back in the truck,
he started to hyperventilate again. It looked like another panic attack, heerd.
He cursed, this was such a fucking bad idea. Hey,
Roland patted the kid on the shoulder, It's gonna be
all right, buddy. Some aspect of his comforting tactic must
have gone wrong, because the kid just looked pissed. Do
you not realize how fun this is? Manny shoved Roland back.

(01:43:34):
We're supposed to be effecting a rescue here, he yelled.
They're going to have us drilling and training day and night,
will be surrounded by soldiers. I thought we'd just be
squatting in an apartment saying some piece be with you
is When we went outside, I thought we were going
to track down those hostages and like a day. Now,
what the funk are we supposed to do? Roland thought
about that for a moment. He thought about the martyrs
he'd faced on the battlefield three days ago, in their

(01:43:55):
motley armor and battered, rusted weaponry. Look, he said, this,
for a real army, we'd be fucked. But you've seen
how these guys fight. They had numbers and some professionals,
but the bulk of their forces are just poor dumb
fox with a week's worth of training and whatever gun
was lying around. We're not going to be drilling from
dawn till dusk. He gestured at the truck's dashboard, they're

(01:44:17):
letting us drive our own fucking truck up there. This
ain't gonna be like a real army. I guarantee you
will have time to do our ship. Stay calm, stick
close to me, do what I do. I'm real fucking
good at soldiering. If you follow my lead, they love us,
and our job will be that much easier. And what
if something goes wrong, Manny asked, what if they catch us?
Roland shrugged. If they catch us, them will already be

(01:44:39):
in the middle of their army. That will save me
so much time. Hey, I've written a novel. It's called
After the Revolution. You can find it as a podcast
under After the Revolution, and you can find it at
a t r book dot com as a free e
pub if you like it. I am crowdfunding the sequel
so that I can keep making my books free. That
will be it after the revel solution, the sequel on

(01:45:01):
go fund me. That's After the Revolution, the sequel on
go fund mem

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Host

Robert Evans

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}After the Revolution: Chapters Twelve, Thirteen & Fourteen