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Something wasn’t right. A pain in her mind like the worst headache in history made her vomit. Jan lay prone on the floor in the middle of her stupid circle.??

“Fucking shit!”?

It hadn’t worked. She looked around her large work room. The candles still blazed around her. The sulfur and blood line that encircled her place on the floor was unruffled. A silky haze floated in the near half-light. That was something different but not the going away gift she’d planned.??

‘What were you trying to do?’ The dead thoughts of her deceased Mother rang like a chime to add misery to her wracked brain.?

“I’m sorry, I wanted to...wanted to be with you.”?

As soon as she’d spoken the words, she felt ashamed. How pathetic she’d become in these last few months.?

Jan got shakily to her feet and wobbled over to the table that held an assortment of herbs and other magical components. Her communications display lay where she’d sat it down as if it were some important token to her mad plan.??

Kill myself, or send myself. Had I gotten it all wrong??

The display flashed angrily. No connection, no feed, no anything. She looked at it blankly. She took it up in her hand, the small globe like a magical ball and examined the data array.??

Exactly ten minutes ago all communications were lost. That’s when she had...well failed to embark on her final voyage. That’s a fairly large coincidence.??

The old satellite data links weren’t all that great but they never sent no information. Had a solar flare knocked them out? She dredged through her mind and felt the alien machine presence, a small chip implant near her left ear canal that made local communication possibly with innate protocols. She registered some local exchanges still functioning but they also couldn’t connect with the Satellite array.??

Jan felt a sudden chill. She’d never been out of contact. Not since the chip had been installed on her seventh birthday. Seven, such a significant year for young adults when they got the implant and a world beyond came funneling right into their little brains. Education, law, news everything you could think of and more was always handy. She had spoken over a hundred languages with the amazing technology. Now she knew, well one. Good old English. That wasn’t completely true. Over the years she’d learned subconsciously through the implant magnification dozens of languages. It wasn’t the sort of learning everyone got. You had to have money and connections. Or the military. She’d had all of the above.??

There was the language in her head it just wasn’t as vibrant now. She could still converse in old Spanish with Maria who lived next door. It would be a poor imitation of what had been.?

What had happened to the array??

She toggled a news search and found nothing. Locally alarms were sounding but she ignored them. Troy wasn’t exactly the bedrock of what was left of global communication. With nothing coming in she had no choice but to listen in on the local network.?

The squawking was immediate and weird. According to a few locals who had links to the hardwired web something had happened to the world. Most of the news was hearsay and jumbled superstition but a flash from a deputy enforcer shook her to her core.?

“We have no road to Montgomery. It just...ends. It’s just woods.”?

What the hell??

Jan was out of her basement, up the stairs and standing on her porch in a bat of the eye. Outside seemed normal enough. The sun bled a scalding sting to her eyes. It was in the wrong place. She knew it almost instantly. The sun should be at forty degrees plus or minus. This sun was at fifty plus. Fall had just become, SPRING???

She fell back onto her porch swing. She felt dizzy. This sort of thing doesn’t happen, ever.??

What had she done??

Next door, Maria waved to her in greeting apparently oblivious to recent events. She walked swiftly to her little trike at the curb, climbed in and moved off silently down the road. Maybe to go pick up her kids at school.?

Jan swung aimlessly on the swing thinking. It wasn’t logical that her little invocation or summoning whatever could have caused all this. Her head cleared and most of the pain as her implant made adjustments to the pain center.??

That was better. It didn’t leave her with anymore answers.??

Jan got up and hiked to the side of the house and opened a large garage. Inside was her Mother’s old and dusty Chevy. The poor thing hadn’t seen the light of day in months.?

She climbed in while subconsciously hooking into the vehicle's diagnostics with her hardwired implant. It wasn’t green. Power showed a puke yellow but it would move. Outside in the sun it would power up quickly. Would it be able to navigate locally? She put in a destination and the Electro began to move.?

“Let’s try to go to Montgomery,” she said cheerfully in a mocking tone. She didn’t really feel it.?

?

?“The cell towers must be down, too,” Romonika said, observing her smartphone.? “I’m getting no signal.”

“That shouldn’t be happening,” Julian said.? “The towers have backup power independent of the grid.”

“Gimmie a sec,” Mayor Reeves said.? He ran off to a nearby police cruiser, spoke with the deputy, a few words were exchanged, and the cruiser was on its way before he came back.? “The deputy’s reporting a lot of static over the radio—can hardly hear anyone.”

“OY, JULIAN!”

The call came from someone dressed up in a circus acrobat’s outfit.? His dreadlocks were short, and sweat was dripping off his mahogany skin.

“What’s up, Louie?” Julian knew the guy.? He was a pack leader inside the Blood Nation.? He and his little group were a high wire act for the travelling carnival.? They also did work in other places that required being around heights.

“There’s some columns of smoke, far to the west,” he said, catching his breath.? “I saw it while I was up on the trapeze. Something else, though, and I don’t know how to say it…”

“What’s the first thing that comes to mind,” Julian asked.

“Well it’s weird,” Louie said.? “I’m looking that way, and…something’s wrong, ‘cuz the land’s changed.”

“Come again,” Reeves blinked.? “Changed?”

“Yeah, the CHOOH2 fields end sharply at one point way out there,” he replied, “and well…it looks like forest, really dense forest!”

That made no sense at all.? For the past 40 years, PetroChem’s been buying up land like crazy, in order plant more and more CHOOH2, the GMO wheat crop that was the basis of what had replaced fossil fuels.? Troy used to be surrounded by stands of woodland and prairies, but not anymore. If Louie was right, and he had no reason to doubt him…then what was going on?

First thing’s first, he thought.? There’s a fire to deal with. Worry about the rest later.

“Get the word out,” Julian said.? “Until we get power and communications back, we’ll have to use runners.? I want to gather as many people as we can in the Home Depot parking lot in 30 minutes.? I’ll need at least one med-wagon, and as many strong backs as I can get, especially anyone with firefighting experience.? Thirty minutes from now. Got it?”

“Got it!”? Louie was off like a shot, shouting to a knot of kids before moving on.

“If you think you’ve got that, I’ll try to get some more information here,” Mayor Reeves said.? “I’ll see if I can’t restore basic services and try and keep the townsfolk from panicking. Ms. Shapiro…I don’t know if there’s much for you, but—“

“I’ll go see to Zack,” she said.? “You guys go do what you have to do.? So will I.”

Few people would argue that Romonika Shapiro was a difficult woman.

Thirty minutes later, A mix of motorcycles, VW Bugs, FAV’s and a pair of Hummers modified to act as the requested med-wagons had gathered.? All in all, there was a small crowd of about 20 Nomads from the three Nations coming forward to listen to Julian. In that time, some amount of communication by radio had been re-established, but the static was bad.? On the other hand, Pike Power and Water was seeing about getting their supplementary generator online. All it required was overriding the normal software that kept it off until there was a demand.

Julian found that ironically amusing.

“I’m not exactly sure what we’re going to find out there,” Juian said.? “All we should be seeing is miles and miles of CHOOH2, but the drone passes confirm it:? We’ve got forest—we’re literally surrounded by forest. At the moment I have no idea why, but I’m leaving orders with our People to coordinate with Mayer Reeves and the Sheriff in helping to keep order.? The rest of us here are going to scout out what’s going on…and see about those smoke plumes.”

He could see that some of them had questions, but equally they all knew that if had answers, he wouldn’t have mentioned the word “scout”.

“Okay, children.? Vamanos!”

231 north out of Troy was a nice four-land roadway that had fallen on hard times and now was a patchwork of gutted pavement. As Jan headed out of town. She ran the dial on her radio and picked up the University Station.??

?

“...wrong, it’s just wrong. I’m stuck here looking at a wall of trees. The roadway is just gone.”?

?

Jan’s attention was redirected at traffic coming south into Troy. Several four-wheeled supply trucks rumbled south. She dodged another pot hole and slowed down. The airport to her left showed unusual activity. An emergency vehicle sat near one runway. A plane was down on its side a plume of smoke from its engines.?

On the horizon she caught a glimpse of flashing lights. She pulled to the side of the road moments later her mind not accepting what her eyes told her. A mighty forest rose like a wall in the distance. She was still a mile off but the trees seemed to tower like some kind of rainforest.??

The radio droned on... “...the rest of the world is just gone...”? “...That call from Joyce Ambers from...”?

She switched off the radio.???

Jan drove to the end of 231 and pulled over.? Several vehicles mostly supply types were turning around as a Deputy pointed back towards Troy.??

“Ma’am,” the Deputy put his hand up as Jan approached. “You need to turn around.”?

“I’m a scientist from the University,” she lied. “I was sent to investigate.”?

She read his badge, “Officer Clifford, I must look at this.”?

He nodded reluctantly.? This woman looked like she’d just fallen out of bed but he let it go. She was very attractive.?

Jan gingerly walked to the end of the road.? The pavement was cleaved as if by a super intense laser. Beyond only inches away stood a giant tree. She reached out to touch the bark. Jan wondered idly if her hand would vanish but it only came in contact with the rough surface of the tree.??

She stepped down from the pavement into the woods and looked back. The road was solidly on the ground. She could see nothing that looked to be displaced underneath.??

She froze at a sound or movement or something.?

The back of her neck tingled. Before she could even grasp the significance, a strange sensation grew from within her core and poured out. A shimmering shield of invisible force surrounded her.??

Then she heard a noise up above her. Something in the trees. She backed away from the forest and climbed back onto the pavement.??

Clifford stared at her with a look of incomprehension. “What the hell?”?

“I’ve seen everything I need for now,” Jan said quickly. She ran back to her ElectroChevy. At some point the strange shield dismissed itself.??

Jan sat in the seat staring at the new forest for a long time. Something had moved that here or we moved there, she thought. Whatever had happened it had made her change as well. Somehow. Had she done the shield thing, made it subconsciously?”??

Intrigued about the strange world that had popped in Jan was equally conflicted about her own mental state.? She had just tried to end her own life. Did it really matter what happened now? Not really but something exciting was happening and she was more than willing to throw herself right at the mystery.?

She concentrated on driving the short distance back to Troy. As she ventured through town a hubbub of sorts made her break. A large group of vehicles were pulling away from townhall and heading west. She followed behind meekly in her tiny Chevy. ‘Where were this mixture of Nomads going?’?

Julian led a small convoy of nomad rides onto Interstate 29, Westbound.? Behind the wheel of his FAV, his mind was raced through the information that he had.? A forest? What happened to Alabama?

Maybe that’s not the right question, he thought.? Maybe I should be wondering what happened to Troy.

“贬别测, jefe,” said his backseat passenger.? “We’ve picked up a tail.”

“A tail?” Julian asked.? “What kind of tail?”

“It’s one of those Crowder cars—a Chevy by the look of it.”

A Crowder car was a catch-all term for the little electric cars that a lot of urban dwellers used.? Where it often cost $60+ to fill up a typical CHOOH2 car, the typical Crowder cost only $15 to charge.? If you didn’t travel beyond a hundred miles, it was the perfect car. As something trying to leave Troy any distance, it was terrible.

Well as long as the Townie doesn’t get in the way, I’m not going to give a shit, he thought.? On a list of “WTF” issues, a Chevy Crowder eating their exhaust fumes barely registered.

Almost 10 miles out, Julian brought his ride to a halt, and the rest of the impromptu pack stopped with him.? He stepped out to examine the highway…because it had just abruptly ended. Not in the usual way where it becomes a surface road, but because 20 feet in front of him, it ceased to exist.? It was as if a blade had come down and cut it, and on the other side of the cut was uneven ground…and forest…the type he hadn’t seen since he had been in Canada years back.

Trees…coniferous trees.? They towered upward in sheer majesty, branches proudly spread.? No signs of blight brought on by air pollution, and on the ground, no sign that people had been through the area on the ground, just dense underbrush, dominated by moss and ferns.

“Julian…this ain’t normal.”

The comment came from Clarence McCoy, one of the Jodes.? He and his clan had come to get ready for the CHOOH2 harvest.? All they were waiting for were the combine drones in order to get started.? He wondered if they were coming at all, now.

“No, this isn’t normal,” he replied, “but it’s here anyway.? Lucia, can you get some eyes above us?”

Lucia Cortez:? Aldecaldo and gadget nerd.? She had built her own recombinant motorcycle when she was 14, and built her first drone earlier than that.? Now she reached into one of her saddlebags, and drew out something little bigger than a smartphone, where she yanked out four branching arms, each with a miniature turbofan on the end.

A few seconds later, it was climbing in the air, getting above the trees.

“I’m still getting some interference, jefe,” she said.? “A lot of static over the link, but that forest goes on well ahead of us.? I’m gonna guess about a half-mile before we reach whatever’s causing that smoke plume.”

“Got it,” he said.? “Okay boys and girls, looks like we’re hoofing it to—“

It was the sound of rustling brush that turned his attention.? That was all the time he got before a girl burst forth from the foliage and ran into him, sending them both to the ground.? He barely got a look at her. She was dirty, wild-eyed and clearly scared of something. Maybe it was him, or maybe he just added to the girl’s fear.

She quickly scrabbled to her feet, darted looks around her.? Her face was a mirror of terror. No one tried to approach her, and a few of his number backed off slowly.? Her clothes were odd, both in the fact that the style reminded Julian of old Amish styling, but also because it was torn and ripped.? And not from running through the woods…

“Nobody move,” he said.? “Just let her calm down—“

There was the sound of more movement in the forest’s underbrush.? Julian got to his feet and backed away. The girl didn’t wait any more.? She darted off to the left—off the road and into the wheat fields. In front of him, the underbrush parted to reveal a group of six men, but unlike any men he had ever seen before!

Julian Ramirez had been around.? As a Nomad, that was easy for him to say.? The cities he had been to were full of people, and there were groups and gangs of all sorts.? There was even one known as the Society.

The Society was what used to be called the Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA.? They romanticized the medieval period, and gathered into “Houses” and “Kingdoms”, and often dressed in expensive reproductions of old garb, and even sets of armor and weapons.

These folks…they looked the part.? They were wearing body armor, but not the type he was familiar with.? This was metal—was that a cuirass they were wearing? They wore almost identical metal helmets on their heads.? At their hips were…swords? Were they for real?

What really caught his attention though were the rifles they were carrying.? They were MASSIVE things. He had never seen the like before…and were they smoldering?

Whatever they were, they looked like they were ready for business, so Julian and his pack returned the gesture.? As nomads, one didn’t go anywhere unarmed, and he yanked out his trusty Mustang Arms “Mark II” even as others drew pistols and rifles.? If these bastards were looking for trouble, they had just found it, outnumbered 20 to 6, so…

Of course they began pointing their massive rifle-like objects.

“First and last warning,” he barked, recalling his days as a sergeant.? “DROP ‘EM!”

“Halj meg pogányok!” was their response before they…pulled a lever?

The strange rifles boomed, but not like rifles should.? Julian was struck in the shoulder and taken down. An instant later, nineteen guns answered back, pelting the six newcomers in a hail of automatic and semi-automatic fire.? Julian watched as the bullets tore through their armor and tore them apart. He was a little embarrassed, but he was grateful he was wearing his armored coat. What self-respecting individual went outside unarmored?

A few seconds later, and it was over.? There were six very dead…soldiers? And what was he shot with?? He was mildly surprised when he turned to see a deformed chunk of lead on the pavement near him.? Apparently it had bounced off his armor no problem…but the size! It must’ve been at least .80 calibre!

“Jefe, you alright?” came Lucia’s voice.

“I’m fine,” Julian said, pulling himself up.? “What were those assholes thinking?”

“Hey Julian!? Check this out!”

The cry came from McCoy.? He went over to one of the fallen bodies after the short-lived firefight, and now he was picking up one of the fallen soldier’s (?) weapons.

“What’s up?” Julian asked.

“This crazy thing,” McCoy said, gesturing at the odd weapon.? “If I’m not mistaken, this thing’s a matchlock arquebus!”

“A what?!?” Julian was a little dumbfounded.? “Are you serious??”

“As serious as can be,” McCoy nodded.? “It’s a fucking black powder weapon. No wonder it didn’t penetrate your armor coat.? Hell, I’m surprised you even got hit!”

“Jefe…why would anyone be using such antiques?” came the obvious question from one of the pack.? “Where did they come from?”

“I’m not sure,” Julian said.? “And I’m wondering if we’re asking the wrong question.”

“蚕耻别?”

“I’m wondering if we’re what’s out of place.”

What was more plausible, he wondered.? The world getting replaced by temperate rainforest, or Troy appearing somewhere else?? Oy…just the fact that I’m asking that question makes me wonder if I need to have my head examined.

“Regardless,” he continued before the questions erupted.? “There’s a fire to investigate. Lucia, I want you to take your sisters and find that girl who ran off.? I’m hoping that being approached by women will calm her down. You—“

He pointed to the woman who had arrived in the Chevy behind them, recalling now that she was with them.

“Unless you’re packing or you’re a counselor, get back to town.? There’s too much weird shit going on, and I can’t babysit.”

Rayna Kovacsolt, Queen of Apa, Queen of the Sword, internally reminded herself that it was better to be even tempered and well mannered in the face of bad news.? She was a stateswoman first, after all. Her people depended on her being calm, calculating. She really wanted to radiate that…

Upon finishing the missive from the Prince of Jotun, that attitude lasted about ten seconds.

“DAMN THAT PETTY LITTLE PRINCE,” Rayna roared, as she grabbed the edge of the table.? “DAMN HIM, HIS FAMILY, AND EVERY TRIPLE-DAMNED NOBLE OF THE NORTHLANDS!”

Rayna wasn’t what one would call classically beautiful.? She was tall, red-haired, and highly charismatic—she always attracted attention wherever she went.? She was also rather tall, and had the strength of that height behind her, which she demonstrated by upturning the war room’s table, and scattering its contents to the floor.

All around her, gathered generals and nobles loyal to remained standing, remaining silent and not daring to utter a word as their queen and commander went through her tirade.? These rampages were rare, and thankfully short. At the moment though, no one was sure about this moment. One in particular, Duke Heinrich Colmyr, Duke of Klausburg, was rather uneasy.

Her Majesty took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly.? She turned to Heinrich, her eyes calmer.? “I’m sorry, your Grace.? I don’t of course include you in that temper tantrum of mine.? Out of all the nobility here, you’re one of the few who would talk to me, let alone pledge yourself to my cause.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” Heinrich said, relieved.? “The report…is it bad?”

“I’m sorry to say it, but it’s hard for it to get any worse,” Rayna answered.? “The Prince has not only reversed his stance in adding his troops to mine, he’s denying me access to cross the Susswasser.? I’m short on troops, and unable to properly deploy.”

“You know why, of course,” Duke Otto Guverich, her closest advisor chimed in.? “It’s Archduke Norris.? He probably shipped over a small fortune in Lothari gold.? There’s a reason they call him the Prince of Yes and No, after all.”

“I know, I know,” Rayna said.? “I was hoping the Prince might’ve found his balls finally, but it looks as if those are up for sale to the highest bidder.”

There was a general chuckle around the room.

“So, as it stands, I have enough troops to remain here, but not enough to press the advance without cooperation.? My coffers are too far away from the front, and what I have here in assets are nearly dry. It’s all we can do to just maintain our presence.”

“What about the promised Torquani silver?” Guverich asked.? “Any word on Haran vos Naarmyr and his daughter?”

“Nothing yet,” Rayna shook her head.? “I hope to the Goddess they weren’t anywhere near Masden, especially with his daughter accompanying him.”

The Queen never had a problem with Torquani, or Tieflings as they were called disparagingly.? The sins of their ancestors shouldn’t be a blemish on them, even if their appearance said otherwise.? In many ways, Torquani were far more decent than most humans she’d ever met.

“The simple truth:? I can’t come to the rescue of Masden,” the Queen admitted.? “As much as I want, I simply can’t. Without help, Masden will fall.”

“What about our Elven allies?” Heinrich, Duke of Klausburg asked.

“I only have one Elven kingdom listening to me,” Rayna said sadly.? “And while I find Miera Holadi and her Wolf Rangers helpful, they’re far too few to make a difference.? I’m sorry, my friend, but Masden’s best option right now is to surrender and come to terms with Turriq…if such a thing is possible.”

Everyone in that room was grim at that fact.? Aiden Turriq, commander of the Ispaaran mercenary advance, wasn’t known for his generosity of spirit.? At 54, he had been in multiple wars and raids for almost a quarter century.? In all that time, he had never known defeat. The Church of the Holy Twelve despised him, but they couldn’t argue against his success.? So the Church gave him their blessings…and Rayna was sure they were secretly praying for his ruin.

In the meantime, the killing continues, Rayna thought dourly.? All I seem to be able to do is add to the misery.? Goddess, what am I doing here?

“Well, the best we can do, it seems, is remain in Baden,” Rayna said.? “So be it. We’ll consolidate here for now. Build our power point here.? We’ll try and make overtures to Bahn and Essenburg. If we can’t get Jotun on board, then perhaps we can get his rivals instead.”

“I should return to Klausburg,” Duke Heinrich Colmyr said.? “My people will need me.”

“I can’t agree with that, your Grace,” Rayna said.? “I mean no offense, but your own army is no match for Turriq.? And with the Prince against us, I can’t guarantee your protection.? Stay here, with me. I’m sure your counsel will enrich me better here than back in Klausburg.

“Besides, with Winter coming, Turriq will unlikely be unable to move against Klausburg until the spring.”

Heinrich sighed.? “Alright…I’ll stay.? I don’t like it, but you’re right.? I’m no use to anyone if I’m dead.”

“Good,” the Queen smiled.? She looked over at the overturned table and sighed.? “Well, at least we won’t need that table for a while.? I don’t think we’re going to get much more business done today.”

“As you say, my Queen,” Duke Guverich said.? “Any orders?”

“I’ll need messengers,” she said.? “I have a few missives to send out.”

“Of course, my Queen,” he bowed, and let one of the waiting paiges to fetch the master of birds.

“If I might advise you, your Majesty,” the Duke of Klausburg said, “I have some reservations regarding the Prince of Bahn.”

“翱丑?”

Heinrich nodded.? “I know him somewhat.? He’s married to my niece, after all.? He’s an amiable enough fellow for a noble, but courage isn’t exactly his strong suit.? One alternative you might consider, though. Have you thought to contact the dwarves?? We might petition to use the Underground Highway.? The odds aren’t great, but you wanted to see about making more allies…”

The Queen nodded.? “For that, I’ll still need that Torquani silver if I’m to have any chance, but you’re right.? I do want to make contact with them eventually. Human wars have a nasty habit of spilling over all too often.

“As for your nephew-in-law, he’ll be a lot simpler.? I’ll give him a choice: He can either get some steel in his spine, or he’ll get steel up his ass.? If not from me, then likely from Turriq!”

That got a bit of a chuckle from Heinrich.? He wished no harm to the Prince of Bahn, but the Queen of the Sword was right.? This war was going to visit him eventually.? He couldn’t ignore it. A few moments later, the Master of Birds entered.

“What is your will, my Queen?” he asked.

“I have messages to get out,” she said (obviously).? “I’ll need your swiftest birds to deliver them.”

“Always at your service, my Queen,” the old man said, as he took out a sheaf of narrow paper sheets, the kind that were ideal to slide into a messenger tube.? “I’m ready to dictate.”

“First message is to the Prince of Bahn,” she said.? “Inform him that I am coming in two weeks, and to expect me when I arrive.”

The general idea is that he’ll either stay silent, or if he’s in league with the same people as the Prince of Jotun, he’ll get a missive in return discouraging her.? It’d take less than four days for a return message to get back to Baden, and the trip to Bahn would take less than a full week.

“Next message,” she continued.? “To Miera Holadi in Kir Thanur:? Ride to Masden, but do not interfere.? Your forces are too few. Aside from that, use your own discretion, and report back on Turriq’s major movements in the area.”

If worse came to worse, the elves could retreat to the denser forests.? Tercio formations moved best on open fields, not heavily wooded regions.? Rayna toyed with the idea of trying to have Miera lure Turriq’s forces into those woods, but dismissed it almost immediately.? Miera’s rangers were too few, and Turriq wasn’t that stupid.

“Final message, to Lord Gural Warfury,” she said.? “Would like to meet with you and yours to discuss mutually beneficial partnership.? Please respond at your best time possible.”

Rayna would include a gold coin with this message, one stamped with the Royal Seal of Apa.? That would give the dwarf confirmation that it was indeed her, and that she was serious. It was, as Heinrich pointed out, a long shot, but she’d take that shot regardless.

“That should do it,” she concluded.? “Carry them out as quick as you can, please.”

“Yes, my Queen,” the Master of Birds hurried off.

She sighed.? “And now, I think I’d like to go for a walk.? Alone, if you don’t mind. I’ll see you all at supper.”

She did this often, much to the chagrin of Duke Guverich.? How could he see to her safety if she did these isolated walks into the woods?? But she was stubborn, and well…she WAS the Queen of the Sword. And he knew why she took these walks.

Somewhere out there, she’d seek out a perfect natural spot, and there she’d draw Goddess’ Glory, reverently lay that magnificent weapon upon the earth, and she would pray to the Goddess for guidance, ask forgiveness, and bare her soul.

Rayna was a pious woman, devoted to the Goddess and the promise of Her love to all living things, even those who didn’t venerate Her.? Otto Guverich knew all of this. He also knew that she felt incredibly guilty for the suffering she couldn’t bring to a stop.

My Queen, it’s not your fault, he silently implored.? Wicked men do wicked things. Think ahead. Think of the healing you could bring to the suffering.? I know that’s why you’re here…but it’s going to take time. Don’t lose hope.

He made his own silent petition to the Goddess, in hoping that She would guide his Queen to the wisest course, and guide them all to victory.

It was in the final year of the seven cycle war that Jan Tasker got her captain’s rank. Her outfit ‘The Raging Queens’ was only one of four Ranger platoons to survive the Hong Kong purge. As an advanced scouting platoon the Queens held several positions throughout the city. There was never a safe place so several worked as backup. On a hit and run the platoon encountered a Flag detail. Enthralled they might actually capture a Royalty they signaled for reinforcements then boldly attacked the block. Jan was in that squad. She was the sole survivor.

?Four months later she was discharged from LTB(Lanyard Technical Bio-enhancement). The quasi Hospital/Guinea Pig rehabilitation center for psonic progress had given her a green light to rejoin her company now established in Atlanta. Complete with new left arm, built with a cyber-ware kinetic enhancer made from tungsten and graphite with a nu-skin outer-shell. The surgery had been a success. Despite recurring problems with communication with the arm and episodes of out-of-body experiences they’d released Jan back into the field. It was four months after rejoining her outfit the Army disbanded the entire Ranger Core.

?Jan decided a retreat might do her some good. She needed to work out the technical problems with her new arm and then find new work, preferably overseas. She hadn’t seen her mother in three years. Troy was as good a place as any to get some good R&R.

?Troy hadn’t changed much but her mother had. She’d been dying slowly since the last Jan had visited and now she was almost gone. Jan put up a good fight but after several months her mother passed away. The experience left her drained and without any plan for the future.

?On the day of the harvest moon Jan gathered the needed components and began the ritual of annihilation.

?It had been a strange road she’d traveled to get to this point. After her mother’s death a sort of denial had taken possession of her mind. A complete meltdown of attitude and drive that had been her winning feature fell away replaced by a desire to end it all in an implosion of body and spirit. It was a long story to how she’d gotten to this perilous point in her life but one guiding influence kept her going, her mother had been a Neuromancer.

?Jan didn’t think it would work. Then the world winked and she was gone. In a flash of light.

“Hurry,” barked Ludwig.? “We need to go now!”

Ludwig’s tension was worn on his face. His son Erhardt wasn’t back yet, but it was only a matter of time. The story of Masden had reached all the way out into the countryside. The stories said that they were impaling the people outside its own demolished walls. They also said that the women and children were being enslaved.

The most terrifying story was the one that said the mercenaries were spreading out through the countryside, burning and plundering as they went. If that was happening, there was only one thing to do, and that was to flee.

“Ludwig, I don’t like the idea of leaving,” came his VERY pregnant wife Inga.? “The children, our sheep…there’s too much.”

“Do you think I like leaving, woman,” he quipped.? “I don’t want to go, especially when you’re so close to giving birth. But if those mercenaries get to you…”

He left the sentence unfinished. Mercenaries had no sense of decency or honor. Erhardt was old enough that they might kill him. His two daughters…the thought of what they’d do to a 12 and 14 year old girl made him shudder internally.

He remembered back when his grandfather would tell stories of the wars between the cities. It didn’t matter whose side you were on. You learned to fear the soldiers and mercenaries that came to your house. They’d simply take what you had “for the cause” and run you through if you gave them trouble. They’d even take a daughter or a sister for a job as a “camp follower”, which of course was simply another way of saying “whore”.

No…he was no soldier, but he wasn’t going to let his family fall victim to that kind of stuff. It was a stretch, but the forest around them could provide. He was a fair shot with a crossbow, and he knew how to hunt. The girls could help their mother gather the rest of what they needed.

It was a shorter trip Klausburg, but they’d run a greater risk of running into mercenary forces. All the roads they could take would pass too close to Masden. No, their best option would be to try and make a crossing at the Susswasser River. There were villages near the city of Bahn they might settle into, and rumor had it that Rayna, Queen of the Sword was near. He heard good things about her and her army. Maybe—

He was distracted by a bright flash of light roughly east of them. It was sun bright…but it was almost noon, and the sun was already up.

“Ludwig, what is that?”

He had no answer for his wife. Nothing he had ever experienced before gave him any reference as to why that was happening. Maybe it was sorcery? Or the Gods? Perhaps…

“PAPA! PAPA!”

The high pitch yelling of his son jarred him from his train of thought. He jerked around and saw Erhardt riding his pony hard. The poor thing…but if Erhardt was riding that hard, it could only mean one thing.

“The mercenaries, papa,” he said breathlessly.? “They’re…at old man Heinrich’s house…”

And that was when he made up his mind.? “Alright, that’s it. We leave now. Love, get in the wagon. Elsa, Sara, join your mother. Son, you take the point.”

Ludwig of course would lead his prize bull that was pulling the wagon.

“Which way, Papa?”

“West road.”

He just hoped whatever caused that light wouldn’t cause them any worry.

Until the day he met his maker, Ludwig would ponder the bright flash that happened that day, and the incredible changes that happened afterward. Back then, he didn't know it—how could he—but on what was one of the worst days of his life, the world of Aertelle had just changed, and changed forever.

It all started out as a perfect day.

TroyFest was the town's biggest celebration. Even after all these decades, it brought the town together. It didn't matter who you were, everyone was welcome at TroyFest.

Hell, even the Nomads are being welcomed.

That thought was significant to Julian Ramirez. As the one who spoke for the Aldecados, the Jodes and Blood Nation, it was his reputation (not to mention ass) on the line.

The Aldecados were especially on pins and needles, even after two years. With first Militech, and now Sikorski-Mitsubishi closing shop, there were some hard feelings all around. The fact that his Nation was the main one contracted for the demolition of the assembly plants didn't help.

Still, over the year-and-a-half that they've been in town, some healthy Eurobucks had exchanged hands, which led to some of those hands being shaken, and finally led to a fragile but definite acceptance.

We weren't the ones who decided to close the plants, after all, Julian thought. We're just here to do the demo.

It was a terrible pity, too. Troy was a nice place. The university was even opening the campus to some in the Nations. His niece, Rosalina, would have an actual bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering before they were finished.

Of course, Rosalina was also talking about marrying one of the Townies and settling down. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Penny fer yer thoughts."

Julian looked to his left and found Mayor Reeves. The greying statesman had a churro in one hand and an easy smile on his face. The relationship between himself and Mayor Reeves was…complicated. He and Reeves have haggled, argued, negotiated and even played poker over beer and pretzels. They were both leaders, each responsible for their people.

Julian smirked. "I think I need a churro."

"Now you're just trying to distract from the question," he retorted. "Spill, ya crazy road warrior."

"Alright, alright," Julian relented. "I'm just thinking about my niece, and how I might have to find a way to come here regularly."

"Well, we're not exactly the boonies," Reeves said. "I'm pretty sure we'll be here for, oh…at least another 10 years or so."

"So I take it that your negotiations with Sikorsky-Mistubishi didn't pan out?"

"I tried," he shrugged. "I pointed out we still have the infrastructure, and that a minimum of retooling would be needed to go from building helicoptors to building drones. Hell, I even threw in the tax break."

"And they still said no," Julian was amazed. "Corporates…every time you give them something, it's never enough…unless of course you have bargaining power."

"You saying I should've been a Nomad?" Reeves chuckled. "I can barely drive, these days."

"Boys and their cars," said a sultry voice. "It's kind of sad."

The two men turned their heads to find a casually dressed woman. She was pale, but with ice blue eyes, with her face framed in long, inky black hair.

"Ms. Shapiro," Reeves beamed. "I wasn't expecting you out here."

"Yeah, well, I decided I needed to take a walk," she smiled mildly. "That, and Zack needed some help to set up the jewelry store's stall at the market."

"Well, I think it's great to see you out and about," Julian said. "I wasn't there for…you know…but I'm sorry for your loss."

Romonika Shapiro had turned into something of a recluse since her husband had died weeks ago. The fact she was out and about…maybe there was some hope.

"Thank you," she smiled sadly. "Ben would've harped at me for staying indoors for too long. Bad for my complexion, after all.

"So where are we headed, gentlemen?"

"Julian needs a churro," Reeves said.

"Sounds good," Romonika smiled. "Maybe we can pick up some horchata while we're at it. It's kind of warm out—"

There was a flash of light, brighter than the sun. It was so bright that everything, every detail of the town, the rides, the displays of TroyFest were all blotted out in the intense illumination all around him.

"Oh shit…"

Julian's voice. The light was like a nuke, or what nukes were supposedly like. If this was happening…

There was a rush of wind all around them, and suddenly, it was over. The light faded, and everything returned to normal.

Except that the power was out.

(Reposting the old stuff first. Then the new stuff between Scott & myself will come in)