Hive IC Story 2

[Rokossovky]

Right, since the old thread is buried, I am starting a new one to continue on from the old story.
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The old IC story thread can be found here.

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=2065234#post2065234

Kody

[Rokossovky]

A beautiful streak of orange stretched across his view. It was getting cold, the sun was setting, and the land was turning dark. Still, the Marshal could clearly see the shadows moving in the distance, foreign and far off; but yet so close. He knew this day would come eventually; did he dread it or eagerly anticipate it? That was a question he still couldn’t answer even though it was upon him. Behind Rokossovky the rest of the battalion waited nervously, unsure of their fate, knowing their lives depended on the decision that man made. Would he send them forward, swords drawn, to clash with these invaders? Rokossovky had his political masters; the men would remain safe, today.

“Let’s let them know we are here. Put a shell 100 metres off their right flank then hail them over the commlink.” Far in the rear an artillery battery exploded, and a few seconds after that a muffled explosion echoed through the lush valley. Through his binoculars Marshal Rokossovky could see the Drone infantry scrambling for cover. He could also smell the fear …how easy it would be, they are completely exposed, far behind enemy lines and even farther away from reinforcements… but I must follow my orders…

“Have we established contact yet?”

“Yes sir, they're asking for our ident.”

“Tell them we are soldiers of the Revolutionary Army of the Human Hive, they are in our territory, and we WILL open fire unless they withdraw immediately.”

“Yes sir!” A few seconds past before the officer reported back. “Sir, they apologize for the intrusion and will be heading out at first light. They have also transmitted their faction’s primary commlink frequency.”

“Confirm and send some bull s**t about hoping our relationship is more friendly and beneficial in future.” …that should appease the politicians back home with their peaceful aspirations… “And Major, stay on their ass and make sure they don’t get anywhere near that colony pod to your west. If they make an aggressive move, make one back. Those are your orders, keep me informed of any changes.” Rokossovky took one more look at the Drones, and the fire that was burning behind them.

It was nearly eighteen hours before the lights of a city filled the window of the command rover, the first time in nearly four years. A lot had changed in that time. Jamski had “disappeared”, a fact which the Central Military Commission still says it knows “nothing” about, and Comrade HongHu, the Marshal’s most trusted confidant when he had lived in the city, had been appointed Deputy Chairman. Most surprisingly a newcomer who Rokossovky knew almost nothing about had slowly acquired the place of the Chairman’s right hand. Regardless, the communiqué’s he had received from the man while out in the field seemed intelligent enough, maybe this was a good thing. Like so many things however, he couldn’t decide. Nor did he have the time right now. The CMC needed to be reorganized, and more importantly, he wanted to finally have that dinner with HongHu.

[Rokossovky]

The door seemed the same, the sharp lines of heavy wood disturbed only by the brass handle and the security pad. Rokossovky walked up, submitted to the iris scan, and turned the handle. White cloth covered all the furnishings, and streams of moonlight cascaded through tall windows onto the carpet. It was like a haunted house you saw in all the movies on old earth. It appeared as though his apartment hadn’t been opened since he left; he hoped. A counter-intelligence team rushed in and began combing over the room …Jamski may have left a surprise our two before he had to go…

A few minutes past before the team emerged, content in their work. “A bug sir, nothing dangerous. Other than that the premise is clear.”

“Good job captain. Get a maintenance squad down here immediately; I want this place clean before 01:00.”

“Yes sir!” The officer saluted and then turned to head down the hall with the rest of his squad, leaving only Rokossovky and his guard in the corridor. The fine wood paneled walls and deep red carpet were amenities only the powerful could acquire.

The closet was filled with the same uniforms as before, varying in their splendour and verbosity. The Marshal’s hand wandered onto a simpler one; not dull by any measure, but yet not extravagant as some of them were. It’s clean, dark green lines were disturbed only by two gold cufflinks and the Marshal’s insignia on the chest. He threw it down on the bed and walked into the bathroom for a shower …the first hot shower in four years, I wonder if it’ll be as good as I remember… He emerged, much later than is usually allowed, clean and rejuvenated. Carefully the uniform was put on and the shoes shined to a lustrous black …time to find out what has happened…

As the swarms of people on the street teamed by the news was blaring something rather disturbing to the Marshal. All along the boulevard PRAVDA, with it’s gigantic displays sending the days message to the people, was telling the tale of ex-Deputy Chairman HongHu. Rokossovky tapped his driver casually on the shoulder. “Lets get a move on and hope she is still in her office.” The blackened window rolled up and he was left to ponder … I wonder what prompted this. She has all the power a ma-…woman could want, the luxuries, the respect. Now it seems as though she is throwing it away… This perplexed the Marshal, something he simply couldn’t understand.

[Rokossovky]

The world revolves. It turns, changes, and yet remains the same for some. Water flows, currents drift, and wind carves the landscapes beauty. Even the most resolute stone cannot help but be altered by the forces of time. What abnormality caused Rokossovky to remain stagnant through all of this? How did the world revolve past him, around him, but leave him standing, a dam in the river? This was the question he pondered.

“How did you manage to get a bigger office than me?”

HongHu laughed lightly at the question as she stood from her desk. “Well my dear Marshal if you hadn’t ran off for all that time I’d probably still have the smaller one.”

“Can I help if it matters more important than politics call me away for a time?”

“Marshal, even YOU should have noticed that in the Hive politics IS the most important. Mind worms go away; the party is a little more concrete. You should learn to dangle the carrot for it more often.”

“Ah, the party. I must say that I find this most amusing coming for you, the one who has slapped the carrot in the face of the party, the people, and the chairman.”

“Nonsense, I told them all that my term as Deputy Chairman would be finite. I did my duty.”

“Why do you not continue to serve?”

“A desire for peace, I suppose. A longing for a simpler existence.” This note hit a cord with the Marshal. Peace was a word which appeared very often in his dreams, but so little in his life. …the sky… he would think, alone in his restful fiction …the night sky, the pure expression of peace. So alive, yet so still and calm. There are not clashes, no politics, only existence. Black and white, light and dark. Twinkling in our view, far away; and even farther beyond our reach…

“I can understand that.” Rokossovky’s mood was sombre now, as he was forced to consider real life and his absence of peace. He was unsure, as always, as to what would indeed bring it to him. He did know that peace did not involve declining opportunities to advance; but he knew HongHu was a different person with a different view on life. That he truly could comprehend. “Well anyway, now that you’ve found YOUR peace, where shall we go for supper? I suspect you are rather hungry after a full day packing.”

“Somewhere quiet. I’d like to start my new life quietly.”

Rokossovky looked at his watch. …01:30…the maintenance crew should be done by now… “Are you up for a bit of adventure? A quiet one though, I promise”

“It depends on what you mean?”

“My cooking.”

HongHu let out another small laugh. “I’m sure it is far from an adventure.”

[Kody]

The forever red sky of Chiron seemed a prophecy of future doom. Alien and foreboding the red stained everything. Even the pole star that hung outside the window. He missed the blue and green of earth. Of home.

It was cold and still fairly dark. This close to the arctic the days were short and sometimes only a smudge of light in the sky. Outside his window winter weather had stripped the leaves of the hybird trees that grew in the courtyard. Beyond the river system wound around Drone Central bringing with it floating fungus and energy from the river generators. On the otherside of the river was the rising superstructure of the Merchant Exchange.

Mongoose looked at his hands, cracked and weathered by the hours he had spent working in the factories. He was getting old and there was not much he could do about it. Grey now crept into what once was dark hair, and names and faces were slowly being reduced to a single blur in his memory.

He sighed and picked up the documents he had been ignoring. The Free Drones had met the Human Hive and being the most senior worker after the foreman the task of negotiations fell to him. The Hive proposed a Pact and made promises and spoke of greatness. However, underlying the offers was the threat of what might happen if the offer was refused.

Life was no longer simple anymore, as just a drone everything seemed crystal clear. Now free of the burdens of slavehood the world was fogged and uncertain. He longed for the simplicity of other days even though he knew things used to be harsher.

Rokossovky, the drones scouts called him a dragon as he was quick to temper and frightening in his intensity. It was he that controlled the armies of the Hive. For now the dragon slumbered, but who knew when the dragon would awaken and bring the swarms of the Hive against the Drones.

The nights of the arctic winters were long and in more ways than one.

[Jamski]

Jamski grinned. Noone had the faintest idea of where he had been or what he'd been doing... and the was the way he liked it.

If HongHu, or the Marshal, or even the Chairman could see me now... well... they'd be pretty surprised for sure

It was time to return to the Hive, the negotiations were concluded and the samples were all ready...

Now I hope that Wujiang has done as I hoped he would...

Jamski buttoned his black coat and straddled his speeder bike. He pointed it towards the distant perimiter defences of Fellowship City and opened the throttle to full.

And Comrade Forlani would be waiting too...

-Jam

[Vev]

Not unexpected, Comrade Vev have several absent periods away from the Hive performing espionage as usual. For the past few years, the reclusive spy have been working on another project.

For many years, Vev had been in this spying business and there will be a time where more willing, loyal agents are needed. The current class have been progressing well. The weak and the unwilling were weeded out early and now their abilities were put to the test. It would not be long before the first probe team are assembled ready for service. Comrade Vev wished he had prepared them enough for their first challenge. For they will have to endure long days and uncertain futures. One has to be ready for anything, especially if the Drone negiotiations failed to produce favourable results.

[Snowflake]

Marshal Rokossovky inserted a disc into his old fashioned CD player. Soft music filled the room with vague hints of the old earth. Comrade HongHu sat in the couch, her eyes gazed into the red wine in her glass. HongHu couldn’t remember the last time she was this relaxed. A faint smile appeared in the corners of Comrade HongHu’s lips as she thought about how the Marshal shut her out of his kitchen and refused her offer of helping with the dinner. It turned out to be quite nice, actually. Nothing extravagant, but the food tasted quite delicious. She looked at the Marshal. Still firm and energetic, but the years had added a trace of maturity to his face. She knew that he was a different man now.

Comrade HongHu enjoyed the moment of quietness. The music flowed through her heart, so comforting and soothing. Fragments of memories flashed through HongHu’s mind. She remembered that early morning in the command center, when Chairman Voltaire announced her to be the acting deputy Chairman. She remembered how her protest stayed at her half-opened mouth under Voltaire’s pressuring and trusting look. Since then she had over taken the heavy burden that came with the title, and she had worked hard for her beloved nation without break. HongHu remembered the grand birthday party just one day before the Marshal headed off to the open territory. And the day when she learnt about Deputy Chairman Jamski’s disappearance. Jamski …

“So who’s this new kid on the street?” Marshal’s question broke the silence.

“Oh, Comrade Kody? He is a very brilliant young man. Very zealous and enthusiastic. He is a nice guy too, although sometimes he seems to be always in a hurry.” Comrade HongHu continued, “The Chairman has grown to trust him a lot.” In fact Voltaire had been a little too much over dependent on Kody, in her opinion. She hopes he’ll be able to handle all the duties that the Chairman had levied on him. He’ll mature faster than us, thought HongHu. “Oh, and there are rumors that he is empathy.”

Comrade HongHu took off her wrist quick link, pressed a button and past it to the Marshal. A short paragraph was shown in the small screen.

Comrade HongHu...This is all hypothetical. I ask you to NOT reveal any of it to the Chairman, even if you do not agree with it. The Chairman, I have noticed, is beginning to...slow down. To the point where he may not be able to lead the Hive... Hypothetically speaking, someone may have approached me about...a regime change. This someone....wishes to (hypothetically) gather people to.....change the regime in his favor. I'm wondering if you’re....partial to this idea? Hypothetically speaking of course.

Rokossovky’s facial muscles tightened with alarm. “Who sent this to you? I cannot see the sender’s name in this screen.”

“I would rather not reveal it, dear Marshal.” Comrade HongHu took the quicklink back. “Whoever sent it wasn’t really careful. He didn’t know that the Chairman deliberately arranged my retreat to HongHu KongHu so that I would be protected from all the power struggles in the time of his government reorganization... The connection between me and the Chairman is perhaps stronger than what those guys thought.” Comrade HongHu took a deep breath. “The upcoming days could be quite hectic. Be careful Marshal. I would really hate if anything that shouldn’t happen happens. I’m not a CCC member any more. But if I see things happening, I would fight, from my far away base, as a citizen.” Rokossovky was astounded by the calmness and firmness in the little woman’s tone. “You will fight with me and the Chairman, won’t you?”

Rokossovky hesitated for a second, and quickly answered, “Yes, of course. I will not betray your trust, Comrade HongHu.”

[Vev]

The Drone meeting had caused quite a stir. The Chairman wants some hard reliable facts about them. The Unity database, or what was left of it, had very little information about this group. The only useful data collected was a role-call of all major government members. More information is needed. What attitude these Drones have, their relative strengths, anything to help analyse whether they are a threat or a friend.

Vev intercommed his secretary,
"I will be away for a while. I need two good recruits to trek long distances. Also ask if Comrade HongHu is interested in visiting the Drones."

"I wouldn't mind seeing new places," Comrade Vev mused to himself.

[Snowflake]

Jamski stood in front of Comrade HongHu's private quarters. It was very late into the night. But he had to see her before she left for HongHu KongHu tomorrow. Her door was slightly ajar, just like it always was. Jamski smiled to himself, and pushed the door open.
"What are all the fuss about you leaving, Comrade HongHu?"
"Jamski!" Out bursted a little happy cry, followed by a small figure dashed toward him. “You are back!” Comrade HongHu wrapped her arms around the deputy chairman's neck, and murmured: "Thank god you are back..."
Jamski was a little surprised to this warm welcome. He looked at HongHu and mocked, "So you missed me, didn't you?"
Looking into Jamski's eyes, HongHu answered quietly, "Yes I did."
Jamski's eyes searched HongHu's eyes, which were so deep and intensive toward his own. "So you did miss me."
"Yes I did."
Jamski was lost of any words to say for a minute.

"Oh come, sit down, dear Jamski", Comrade HongHu walked away and came back with two glasses. "These are the whiskey you sent for me, some time ago. I don't know if they are still good." Comrade HongHu said cheerfully with a wink, "it is not very easy to get anything from the good old earth nowadays."
Jamski took one glass and sat down. "So why did you decide to leave us?"
"Well I have tried my best to do your job dear deputy chairman." Answered HongHu, "But I'm not you. I can never be you. I feel that all the politics are too much for me. I have wanted to leave quite sometime ago, and only stayed as the Chairman asked and because he was right that the Hive needed devotion from people. I resigned because the hardest time seems to be behind us now, and I know that the Chairman has gotten other people who can help him. Do you know that Comrade Ali has joined us? Now you have arrived just in time. I could leave without any regrets. " Comrade HongHu stopped for a second, took a sip from the glass, and looked at Jamski with that deep and intensive gaze again, "Although you are also making it very hard for me to leave."

"You can always stay if you wish, I trust the Chairman will be glad to here that." Jamski asked tentatively.
"Oh, no, I have to go. My book has waited for too long, and I have almost forgot how to make a vase." HongHu laughed lightly again.
Such familiar laughter, Jamski didn't know how he could have forgotten about it.
"So I suppose you have finally finished your secret project?" Asked Comrade HongHu.
"I see that you are still on top of things, like always." Jamski smiled, secretly feeling proud of himself.
Comrade HongHu sighed softly, "I will not be like that any more...
"But you have stayed out of people's sight for more than four years. How were you able to do it? Didn't you miss anybody, anything here? Is your plan that important, that you could forgo all the other things, such as friends, and life?"
This little woman can always touch the deepest pain of his heart, and remind him that he still has a heart. Jamski couldn't help to remember those sleepless nights, when he had thought about his comrades, his duty as the deputy chairman, and wondered how things were...

[Rokossovky]

The desk surface was cold and dark. Old oak, polished to a shine made up its ancient construction. Fine inlays created beautiful patterns, outlining the shapes of plants and leaves. It was ironic to Rokossovky that one would want to depict that which had been destroyed in order to create the masterpiece. Why substitute art for reality? Maybe it was because nothing is ever as beautiful as it is in the mind, and art being an expression of the mind, rather than of reality such a photograph, conveyed this impossible beauty. He always had a dislike of people who cannot appreciate that which is around them. However, he liked the desk; he liked the atmosphere it created in the otherwise barren office. At this time of night the Marshal could only shrug and move on. His mind should be doing other things rather than pondering the strange philosophies of life. He chuckled to himself… maybe I could retire to HongHu KongKu, then I’d have plenty of time to wrestle with irony…

At present though, he had work to do. The political landscape of the Hive and changed over night. Jamski, the ever loved Deputy Chairman, had returned to all the fan fair that could be expected. With this came a very disturbing twist. The resource support the military had enjoyed for the last twenty-five years had almost dried up over night. Foolery was the word that came to Rokossovky’s mind. …because of the attention we paid to defence the Drones were reluctant to engage us… it put us in a commanding position during negotiations…they were afraid of what we could do… Now it appeared as though the leadership was willing to demote the Hive to middle power status. Once again the Marshal threw these thoughts from his mind. Opinion was swaying back to the middle. An assault of proposals, arguments, and papers was bringing popular support back in line with HIS vision of the future, a balanced future.

What was bothering the man? Rokossovky himself was having trouble deciding. He held the newest in the line of reports in his hands, a pre-publication release of the Defence White Paper. The cover was clean, to the point, and effective. This was exactly how he wanted it.

The other paperwork caught his attention at that point. He quickly signed HongHu’s direct commission to General…well I hope she didn’t think she’d be getting all that much time away from me… Next, the final report on the construction of the new central command disclosed that it was ready to begin operation next week, on time and within budget. Rokossovky put in a note to his secretary to promote the officer in charge.

Across the plaza the trainees were beginning their morning jogs. It was time for bed, sleep, and a new day. He was regretful that the dinner earlier had ended so suddenly, he would had liked to have talked with HongHu about things other than work and politics. He wondered what she was doing now. Then darkness came in the form of a magical world, artistic in nature.

[Rokossovky]

A serpent moved in the green grass at his feet. The sky, blue beyond recognition, contrasted the fertile, yet flat landscape. The Marshal was puzzled as to how a cut lawn covered all sight.

“Why is cruelty a human condition?” The mind asked, independent of control.

At that moment the sky turned pink, the sun red, and the hills barren. Dry chapped earth cradled the skeletons of life. A city, desolate, lay in the place of civilization before it. The screams could still be heard. A flash, a rumble; the searing of flesh, bone, and spirit. Cruelty enveloped all who saw it. Rokossovky himself could feel the burn, the burn of advancement, of achievement, of technology. His flesh began to peel as the world melted before his feet. The serpent slithered away, content in its work.

At that moment the familiar, repetitive drumming of the Marshal’s alarm clock woke him from a moment he could barely remember. The feelings he could recall stirred a sense of forthcoming despair. Once again, however, he shrugged and moved on… dreams are interesting, but one mustn’t get caught up in them or real life will smack you in the side of the head…

Today, however, real life touched him more like a supportive mother. A change for sure. The White Paper had been received well by the Central Continuing Committee earlier in the morning, and the news was bristling with its pages.

It took only a few moments for the seasoned military man to shower, shave, and get out the door. Five and a half minutes to be precise, Hive military standard. As usual a rover sat waiting outside the lobby of the building. However, the rover was not executive transport standard. Rather, it was bristling with armour and high speed repeating cannons. To complete the package an entire platoon, twenty-five men, stood at attention behind it. The Marshal recognized the patch on their arms. A Company, 1st Regiment. They were Spetsnaz. A flak vest and helmet was handed to him as he climbed in the side. The Marshal had unfinished business to attend to.

[Snowflake]

Comrade Vev’s quicklink beeped. It was Comrade HongHu: “Comrade Vev, I have words that you are planning to visit the Free Drones?”
“Yes, Comrade HongHu. I would like to invite you to accompany me if you have time to spare.”
“Thank you so much Comrade Vev! I would love to! I have always loved of going to different places. Oh this is going to be a nice adventure…” Comrade HongHu’s exultant passion spilled out from the quicklink.
“No reason to jump like a little girl.” Grumbled Comrade Vev. “This is an official visit, I’m the special representative of the Chairman, and you’ll be representing the CMC. I have already talked to the Marshal.”
“Yes, Sir!” Comrade HongHu secretly stuck out her tongue and quickly managed to make her face straight again. “I am honored to accept your invitation Comrade Vev. As I have resigned from my CCC position, my schedule is rather unfilled. I am ready whenever you plan to leave.”
“Good. The Drones will send a transport to pick us up tomorrow morning. I will see you at the port.” Comrade Vev added casually before he turned off his quicklink. “I have also invited Comrade Forlani Claire to travel with us.”
Comrade HongHu couldn’t help to smile but her voice did not show it: “That is good, Sir.”
Somehow Comrade Vev felt that he needed to explain a little bit more. “Ambassador Mongoose of the Free Drones requested her appearance.”
“Understood, Sir.”

[Snowflake]

A little white sail wondered through ponds, lakes, and rivers. She loved them for their different temperaments and they loved her for her lightheartedness and liveliness. She was happy and content, but secretly she longed for the sea. She dreamed for the day but was also afraid of the day when they meet. One day she met the sea. She sailed into his arms without stopping for fear. She was buried in his waves. She lost her elegancy and dexterity. But she was still happy. For she finally met her love, and she knew one day she would ride the waves with ease.

It was like only yesterday when she wrote this. Comrade HongHu closed her little diary, leaned back and closed her eyes. She heard laughter of YangZi and her own spreading over the air, when he held her up high, and turned around, and around … And his singing: “Only with your accompany, I could go look for my dream …” My love, my sea … Her heart whispered into the deep night. It was such sweet bitterness to think about her love. It was so hard to love without expecting return … A large drop of tear fell on the cover of the diary. From when did tears wet her cheeks? Comrade HongHu stood up, and laughed at herself. Silly me. She dried up her tears, carefully locked her door, deliberately not noticing the emptiness of the room, and the coldness of her bed. Tomorrow we’ll be visiting the Drones. Will you come with me, my love? Tomorrow, will be an entirely new day.

[Vev]

The Drones live in the cold north, a harsh land that breeds tough people. Tireless workers till the hard land, figthing as always against the elements. Every winter the bone-chilling north wind descends making outdoor agriculture almost impossible. Giant greenhouses dot the land making use of every arable farmland. Covered in a layer of shining bright white snow, it resembles a wonderland often found in ancient earth fairytales.

"Good thing the ice packs doesn't travel this far South." Comrade Vev's breath mists as he talks. "The polar sea are rather treacherous to navigate this time of year. We shall be seeing our first Drone city, on the shores across this strait."