1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Chapter nineteen. Manny he knew where they were taking him 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: as soon as the transport exited Highway seventy five. It 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: took Exit forty B White Avenue, McKinney. He visited the 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: town a few times as a kid, before things in 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: this part of d f W had gone entirely to ship. 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Manny thought of the satellite photos Reggie had shown them. 7 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: He thought about that Tesla plant and what strange mysteries 8 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: it must hide. Somewhere in that plant was the answer 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: to how the martyrs had so thoroughly befucked the stf's 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: defense network. Manny hadn't exactly planned to find an answer 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: to that question on this trip. Now it seemed like 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. His escorts, 13 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: Alexander's men, hadn't said much. They directed him to the 14 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: proper transport and told him to keep his mouth shut 15 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: when he asked for an explanation. Manny did as they asked, 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: because he half expected them to gun him down if 17 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: he made a real fuss. Roland's bound to find me. 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: He can find any fucking one. I just need to 19 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: stay alive long enough for him to get here. Once 20 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: upon a time, the Tesla factory had been an immaculate 21 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,959 Speaker 1: sign of what some commenters called the Texan Renaissance. After 22 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: the fall of the old United States, the Republic of 23 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: Texas had been one of the first functional states to 24 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: arise in the southwest. Dallas had been wrecked by the 25 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: Lakewood Blast, but the rest of the state still had 26 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: tens of millions of people and abundant natural resources. For 27 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: a while, the hardcore libertarian policies of the Republic had 28 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: created a minor economic miracle. Tesla had gotten this factory 29 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: going about three years before that boom went bust. The 30 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: first room they were taken to had clearly been some 31 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: sort of reception area and probably a showroom at one point. 32 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: There were three large, oval shaped plinths that had once 33 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: held cars, and a handful of metal desks bolted hard 34 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: into the ground. There were also several benches stripped of 35 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: whatever they had once been upholstered with, and a few 36 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: dozen folding chairs that were clearly recent additions. Many could 37 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: see signs that the walls had been attacked at several 38 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: places in an attempt to strip them of wires. The 39 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: damage was obvious, but not as extensive as he'd expected. 40 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: Bessierda de MARTA's standards. This building was in good shape. 41 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: A dozen martyrs occupied the room. They wore quality, non 42 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: powered body armor and toted rifles that must have been 43 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: looted new from their republic's armories. One of the desks 44 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: was manned by a haired looking young man in an 45 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: off white suit. He wore no sign of rank, but 46 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: did have a white cross arm band around his left 47 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: bicep and a golden cross pin on his lapel. He 48 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: was balding, baby faced, and the deep bags under his 49 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: eyes spoke of severe exhaustion. His face lit up when 50 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: he saw Manny another. My prayers have been answered, as 51 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 1: the Lord wills it, one of Manny's escorts replied. They 52 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: brought him to the desk, and the besuited man looked 53 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: up at him. He had a hungry look in his eyes. 54 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,119 Speaker 1: He'd started to sweat a little too. You may call 55 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: me Isaac. What's your name, young man? Me Emmanuel Emmanuel Sanchez. 56 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: The little man jotted that down on a piece of 57 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: paper and then continued asking questions. What's your date of birth? 58 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: Do you have any family history of allergies or illnesses? 59 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: Have you ever undergone surgery? Before, what biomodifications, if any, 60 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: are currently active in your system, do you have any 61 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: inactive modifications? And so on. After about ten minutes of questioning, 62 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: the little Man told Manny to stand up and follow 63 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: him into an examination room. His tone was cordial, even warm, 64 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: but Manny tasted doom behind it. He smelled death in 65 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: this place, and his soul cried out against heading further 66 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: into its bowels. But there was nothing to do but follow. 67 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: Alexander's men left after dropping him off, but there were 68 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: plenty of guards on the front room. Two of them 69 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: followed Manny and the young man backed through the double 70 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: doors and into the heart of the facility. They walked 71 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: through what had once been an open floor office. There 72 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: were a few overturned desks and chairs, but mostly the 73 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: place was barren and half cannibalized for scrap. It was 74 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: ill lit and derelict. What are we doing here, Manny asked. 75 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: Isaac put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. We're 76 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: doing God's work, he said, the same as everywhere in 77 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: this blessed kingdom. I know that, Manny said, in a slow, 78 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: careful tone, but I don't understand why I was pulled 79 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: out of training or why I was removed from my unit? 80 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: What is this place? Isaac didn't answer. Instead, he walked 81 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: Mannie to a door in the back of the empty 82 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: office and opened it to reveal a small, well lit, 83 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: white room with a bench, a weight scale, and a 84 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: computer terminal built into the wall above a rolling cabinet. 85 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: Isaac weighed him, marked down his height, and then pulled 86 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: a strange measuring device out of the cabinet. It looked 87 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: like a cross between a protractor and a pin vice. 88 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: This is a craniometer, Isaac explained, once he saw the 89 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: confusion on Manny's face. It's for measuring the size of 90 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: your skull. Isaac set right to work. He fit the 91 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: strange device around Manny's head and tightened it until the 92 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: vice grip bit into Manny's scalp. Isaac jotted down some 93 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: more numbers on his notepad and removed the craniometer. He looked, 94 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: pleased that alone was enough to turn Manny's stomach. Can 95 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: you please tell me what this is all about? Isaac's 96 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: eyes darted up from his paper For just a moment. 97 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 1: He gave Manny an insincere, distracted smile. Everything will be 98 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: explained soon. Enough, young man, right now, which should be 99 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: enough to know you're doing the Lord's work. Manny was very, 100 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: very tired of that response. Isaac finished his notes and 101 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: led Manny out a back door in the room and 102 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: into what Manny had to assume was the final step 103 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: in their journey. The scent of blood in the air 104 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: was too heavy for anything else to be the case. 105 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: Manny felt hair stand up on the back of his neck, 106 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: his shoulders went tinse, and a moment later he felt 107 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: the strong hands of his guards on either bicep. This 108 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: new room was part mechanic shop, part abattoir. It had 109 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: once been the main factory floor, and it was filled 110 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: with the half looted carcasses of robotic auto workers. Several 111 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: of those machines had been restored to some level of 112 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: functional capacity. Manny could see twentyish new vehicles and various 113 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: states of construction across the vast space. Instead of sleek, 114 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: consumer gray electronic cars, most of these vehicles seemed to 115 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: be very old and warns sedans and trucks. A handful 116 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: of them were outdated and ni obsolete. Military drones palettes 117 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: of plastic explosives sat outside several of the vehicles. Many 118 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 1: could see human workers packing blocks of it into a 119 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: battered off white Kia a few dozen feet in front 120 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: of him. None of this was particularly shocking. Vehicle based 121 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: improvised explosive devices had been de rigueur for terrorists insurrections 122 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: for the last seventy years. Two things about this factory 123 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: struck Manny as strange. The first is that none of 124 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: the vehicles in construction had any armor added to them. 125 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: Most V B I E d S would be covered 126 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: in thick slabs of concrete and welded scrap metal to 127 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: ensure they made it safely to their target. The vehicles 128 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: here seemed like they would look normal when they finally 129 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: rolled off the reassembly line. The second odd thing was 130 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: the dozens of surgical tables and the rather significant amount 131 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: of red blood coating the floor underneath them. Five of 132 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: the beds were occupied with bodies covered by blood speckled 133 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: white sheets. The men under them appeared dead. Oh God, 134 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: Manny forgot his cover in the dawning horror of the moment. 135 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: What the hell is this place? What's your mouth? Young man? 136 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: Isaac snapped, This is a temple of the Lord where 137 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: young heroes delivered themselves into the waiting arms of Eternity. 138 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: A tall man in a lab coat made his way 139 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: over to them. He had gray hair and warm brown 140 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: eyes behind horn rimmed spectacles. He gave Manny a warm 141 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: smile and extended out a hand in greeting the Lord 142 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: be with you, Emmanuel. I'm doctor Ernest. I'm sure you 143 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: must be full of questions right now, gentlemen. He glanced 144 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: towards the guards, who still had their hands on Manny. 145 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: You can let him go now. This young man is 146 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: a hero and he should be treated as such. The 147 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: hands loosened. Manny heard the men step back. He flashed 148 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: a nervous smile back at the doctor. Keep him talking, 149 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: Manny thought, The longer you drag this out, the more 150 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: time Roland will have. What is going on here? These 151 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: ah He grappled for the correct terminology. These martyrdom devices 152 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: seem different. And I don't know what's going on with 153 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: with with all the medical equipment and the bodies. Doctor 154 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: Ernst finished his question without so much a break in 155 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: his warm smile. Yes, God bless him, but diplomacy is 156 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: not Isaac's strong suit. He gets rather focused on the 157 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: task at hand. Many noticed that the odd little man 158 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: had already wandered off towards a rolling tray of medical 159 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: equipment near one of the surgical beds. That set Manny's 160 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: heart beating even faster. Follow me, said doctor Ernst, and 161 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: I'll explain everything. The doctor led him to one of 162 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: the shrouded bodies and pulled its covering down, revealing the 163 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: dead man's face. Manny wasn't exactly surprised to see that 164 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: it was Jonathan, the young man from Atlanta he'd met 165 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: just a few days before. Jonathan was, of course quite dead. 166 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: A bloody red line ran across his skull, just above 167 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: his ears. His eyes were closed, and his lips were 168 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: turned up in a beatific smile. You know this man, yes, 169 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: doctor Ernst asked gently. Yes, of course you do. The 170 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: doctor chuckled. You're both colored men and the heavenly kingdom. 171 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: I'd be surprised if you hadn't developed a connection. It's 172 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: only natural to gravitate towards your own kind. Many fought 173 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: down the urge to slap Doctor Ernst. Jonathan here started 174 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: his journey to martyrdom just a few hours ago. I 175 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: know he appears dead, but as it was with our 176 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,599 Speaker 1: Lord and savior appearances. Quanby quite deceiving. His brain is 177 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: still quite alive and alert. It's just been moved. Doctor 178 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: Arn't gestured over to the Kia. Many saw that another 179 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: lab coated worker was now carrying a peculiar metal box 180 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: over to the v B I e ed. The box 181 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: was about head sized and covered with sockets and plugs. 182 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: A single green light flickered on one side. See they're 183 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: loading him into his chariot now, and soon he'll pilot 184 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: this anointed engine of heavenly will to the ruin of 185 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: our enemies, many thought, backed that last day before the invasion, 186 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: to Reggie's questions about that mysterious checkpoint bombing, This must 187 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: be how they did it. He realized the STFs checkpoints 188 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 1: were perfectly capable of reading the itinerary of any autonomous 189 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: vehicle that drove towards them. They'd shoot anything that didn't 190 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 1: broadcast to its destination. But the Kingdom had found a 191 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: way to hide a human driver capable of taking over 192 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 1: once the car was past the checkpoint. His eyes drifted 193 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: over to a combat drone lying half disassembled on the 194 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: table a few yards to his left. It was a 195 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: hefty beetle black monster with a heavy underslung machine gun. 196 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: It reminded Manny terribly of the drone that had almost 197 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: killed him in Reggie a few days earlier. This explains 198 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: why the STF drone jammers didn't work. The Heavenly Kingdom 199 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: wasn't really using drones. Manny realized with downing horror that 200 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,079 Speaker 1: the drone's open cavity was likely the intended resting place 201 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,079 Speaker 1: of his brain. Ah. Doctor Ernst smiled, I see you've 202 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: already spotted your chariot. Yes, Emmanuel, you are quite fortunate. 203 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: Martyre Ditmar noted your intelligence and suggested you be implanted 204 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: into a drone. I assure you it's a high honor, 205 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: even in this sacred place. Manny's heart thudded like the 206 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: tolling of a church bell. For a while, he couldn't 207 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: hear anything else. He felt himself gripped by a sudden, 208 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: clustrophobic arr were. The worst thing wasn't even the thought 209 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: of being cut open, torn apart. It was the thought 210 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: of being trapped inside that little metal box, forced to 211 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: kill and die in the name of a cause he abhorred. 212 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: Many knew he'd started to shake, but there was nothing 213 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,839 Speaker 1: he could do to quell the terror. Doctor Ernst to 214 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: put a hand on his shoulder. Many assumed it was 215 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: meant to reassure him. It did not have that effect. Immanuel, 216 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: I know this is quite a lot to take in, 217 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: but all you really need to know is that you've 218 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: been blessed, truly blessed with the chance to play a 219 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 1: real role in making the Heavenly Kingdom a reality. The 220 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: Storming Battalion are God's elite, the holiest of our martyrs. 221 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure once the shock wears off, you'll realize what 222 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: a privilege this is. Many heard footsteps. He didn't need 223 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: to look to know his guards were stepping back up 224 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: behind him. He felt the noose titan and his hope 225 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: slip ever farther away, Where the hell is Rowland? I 226 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: am um, he stuttered, Can I have some time to 227 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: h to prey on this? Of course, emmanual. Doctor Ernst 228 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: smile ever looked false or forced. He put a hand 229 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: on Manny's shoulder. It will be a few minutes before 230 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 1: we're ready to begin the operation. I commend you devotion. 231 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: This is an ideal time to pray for guidance. A 232 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: few minutes his heart pounded so hard, he thought it 233 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: might beat its way free from his chest. He was 234 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: sure doctor Ernest must have heard it, but if he did, 235 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: he said nothing about it. Instead, the doctor led Manny 236 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: over to a small carpeted area that looked to have 237 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: been set aside as a prayer room for the soon 238 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 1: to be martyred members of this battalion. It consisted of 239 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: a half dozen shares, at least they're padded, a three 240 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: foot tall white stone statue of Christ on a cross, 241 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: and two small inn tables, each with a couple of 242 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: dog eared bibles. Manny sat down, bereft of any better idea, 243 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: he grabbed a Bible and flipped it open to a 244 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 1: random page. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty 245 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: cubits high and six cubits wide. Manny rolled his eyes 246 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: the flaming ale as a cubit. He skimmed the next 247 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: few verses until he realized which story he'd stumbled upon. 248 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: His religious school hadn't been intense, but he had gone 249 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: to church most Sundays for the better part of a decade. 250 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: He'd listened to enough sermons and attended enough Sunday school 251 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: classes to know the story of Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego, 252 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: three stupid assholes who'd wandered into a furnace and trusted 253 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: in Deus ex deos to save them. If we are 254 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: thrown into the blazing furnace, the god we serve is 255 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver 256 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: us from your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, 257 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: we want you to know, your Majesty, that we will 258 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: not serve your gods or worship the image of gold 259 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,319 Speaker 1: you have set up. It struck Manny that his current 260 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: predicament had more than a little in common with these 261 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: ancient men, if they'd ever existed in the first place. 262 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: The chief difference was that, of course, Manny wasn't praying 263 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: for the help of a god. He was, however, strongly 264 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: hoping for rescue from a godlike being that felt close 265 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: enough to give him a sense of kinship towards the 266 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: men and the story. The king's command was so urgent 267 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: and the furnace so hot, that the flames of the 268 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego, 269 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: and these three men firmly tied fell into burning furnace. 270 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: He hadn't remembered that bit from Sunday School, the part 271 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 1: where the king's soldiers were burnt alive by the heat 272 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 1: of his fire. Many wondered what kind of soldiers would 273 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: so willingly step into a pointless death at some mad 274 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: king's command. And then he remembered where he was. He 275 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: looked up from the Bible at the twenty or so 276 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: armed men stationed around the factory. I really, really hope 277 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: someone comes along to burn them to death. Many heard 278 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: footsteps behind him. He looked back this time and saw 279 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: Doctor Arnst advancing with two guards in Isaac. The bald 280 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: little man was visibly excited. An obscene smile played across 281 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: his features. He held an almost comically large needle in 282 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: his hands. Many looked over from him to the doctor Immanuel. 283 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: Doctor Arnist said it's time. Many stood. His mind raced 284 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: for some sort of delaying tactic. I need to uh 285 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: pray more, I need more pray. Time confused, jan passed 286 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: over all the men's faces. Time is of the essence here. 287 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: Doctor Ernst insisted, don't delay this important work because you're scared. 288 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: Trust in the Lord, open your heart to his will. 289 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: See I have I I totally have, Manny stammered, and 290 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure he's actually not down with us. Yeah, 291 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: I think he wants me to be a soldier, a 292 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: regular soldier with a gun, not a brain in a drone. 293 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: Doctor Ernst glanced back at the two guards flanking him. 294 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: He nodded, and they advanced. One man had a kalashnikov 295 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: on his back, the other had a holstered side arm. 296 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: Both men were much larger and more muscular than Manny. 297 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: He glanced around for a weapon, as if anything left 298 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: around would be useful against two firearms. There was still 299 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: a bible in his hands that probably would have been 300 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: enough for Roland. Manny had no doubt the posthuman could 301 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: kill a dozen men with a book, more if it 302 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: was hardcover. Emmanuel, the doctor's voice was low, soft and 303 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: as comforting as a lullaby. I know this is a 304 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: frightening thing, but you must trust me, You must trust 305 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: all of us. The heavenly Kingdom not spend your life 306 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: this way if we were not certain your sacrifice would 307 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: further the will of our Lord. That is why you 308 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: came here, Emmanuel. I know if you listen to God, 309 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: you'll see what's right. Manny closed his eyes. He listened 310 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: not for the voice of God, but for the sound 311 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: of footsteps. After a few seconds pause, he heard the 312 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: guards move towards him again. He gripped hard on the 313 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: Bible in his hand, and he tried not to think 314 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: too much about what he had already decided he had 315 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: to do. The footsteps grew closer until Manny could almost 316 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: feel the heat coming off the other men's bodies. Very good, Emmanuel, 317 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: doctor Ernst cood, God loves you. Manny opened his eyes. 318 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: The guards were right in front of him, now reaching 319 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: for him. Manny swung the Bible up underhanded into the 320 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: kalashnikov man's chin. Then he dove to the right and 321 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: slammed his head into the other man's crotch with all 322 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: the force his five foot ten inch frame could bring 323 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: to bear. The man howled. Manny half fell, caught himself, 324 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: and dropped into a dead run, aimed straight for Isaac. 325 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: Both the bald headed needleman and doctor Ernst stared at 326 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: him in astonishment. Belatedly, Isaac raised his arms up in defense. 327 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,120 Speaker 1: The gesture did nothing to stop Manny from plowing into 328 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: him and knocking him to the ground. He punched the 329 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: other man in the face hard, and then scrambled back 330 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: to his feet too. He felt the pain of the 331 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: gunshot before he heard it, or rather, he didn't register 332 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: the sound of the gunshot as a gunshot until the 333 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: pain made it clear he'd been shot. And then Manny 334 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: was on the ground. His world shrunk to the space 335 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 1: below his belly button, which now pulsed with spurts of 336 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: deep red blood. His hands covered the wound, pressing back 337 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: against it in an instinctive attempt to protect himself. He 338 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,640 Speaker 1: stared in fascination at the spreading red. He watched as 339 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 1: his blood turned chunky and thick. The spurting faded away 340 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: to a slow ooze. The pain caught up to him now, 341 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: and Manny's vision went black for a moment. The world 342 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: faded into view after a while. Doctor Ernst Isaac and 343 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: both guards were standing above him. The guard with the 344 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: handgun had a drawn a wisp of smoke trailed up 345 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: from the barrel. Manny watched, enthralled as it curled up 346 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: to the sky and gradually disappeared into the air around them. 347 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,680 Speaker 1: You've made a grievous error, my boy, Doctor Ernst's voice 348 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: was grave, now devoid of all compassion. You was so 349 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: close to paradise it almost brings me to tears. The 350 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: doctor was only a few feet away, but his voice 351 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: sounded distant and muffled. I'm dying, aren't I? Manny thought, no, 352 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: if that was a kill shot, i'd be dead by now. 353 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: The bleeding's already stopped. The thought did little to calm 354 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: his nerves. He'd thoroughly blown his cover. Even if they 355 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,479 Speaker 1: never guessed his true purpose in coming to the Heavenly Kingdom, 356 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: he'd be executed for trying to flee. This is going 357 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 1: to put us even further behind schedule. That was Isaac. 358 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 1: His nose was bleeding, but it didn't look broken. I 359 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 1: wish I was better at punching. Take ab outside, Doctor 360 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,640 Speaker 1: Arnest said to the guards, and make it quick. There's 361 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: no sense in stringing him up in public for simple cowardice. 362 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: So this is how it's going to end. Manny was 363 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: confused by how it peace. He felt with that some 364 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: of it was gil Alajandra was dead, Amide was dead, 365 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: Oscar was dead, mister Perrone was dead. This was nothing 366 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 1: more than he deserved. He was pleasantly surprised to find 367 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: that as the little robots in his blood, flooded his 368 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: system with happy drugs. That sense of guilt began to fade. 369 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: He felt wonderfully detached from the world. He wondered if 370 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: this was how Roland felt all the time, disconnected and 371 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: pleasant in a vague, indefinable way. The guards bent down. 372 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 1: Many felt their hands on his arms. He felt them 373 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: lift him up. He felt a terrible, shifting pain in 374 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: his gut as another rush of clotting blood poured out 375 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 1: of him. Many thought of mister Perrone. He could almost 376 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,679 Speaker 1: see his face. Maybe the Christians were right about the 377 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: after life. That was a nice thought. Actually, he thought 378 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 1: mister Perrone would be proud of him. I tried to 379 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: do something, Sir, I really did. Many didn't see the 380 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: source of the noise. It sounded like something heavy falling 381 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: from a high height onto something soft and squishy, some 382 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: one soft and squishy. He realized the guards dropped him. 383 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: Men started to yell gunshot, gunshot gunshot. Manny thought, and 384 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: he giggled a little bit. The sounds of chaos and 385 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:08,679 Speaker 1: violence that had erupted inside the factory could only be 386 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: Roland's doing. Manny lifted up his head with considerable effort 387 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: and looked over towards the waiting area, where most of 388 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 1: the guards had sat idle. It was a mess now. 389 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: Several of the chairs in one of the big tables 390 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: were mashed together with a chunky red paste that resembled 391 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: good salsa. People salsa, he thought, and then giggled again. 392 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: Manny caught a glimpse of Rowland as the chrombed man 393 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,360 Speaker 1: rocketed across the factory floor and into a trio of guards. 394 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: The men didn't even have the chance to fire their weapons. 395 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:38,439 Speaker 1: The first guard burst like a balloon full of jelly. 396 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: It was hard to tell exactly what happened next, as 397 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: it occurred under a red cloud of human viscera. Manny 398 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 1: slipped in his own blood and fell back onto the floor. 399 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: He stared up at the ceiling for a little while 400 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,719 Speaker 1: and just focused on trying to keep his breath steady. 401 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 1: There was nothing else he could do here anyway. Immanuel Sasha, 402 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: he thought, Ula he said, it's okay. He held her 403 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: warm hand on his forehead. Don't talk. You've been shot, 404 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: but you're probably not going to die. Probably, he had 405 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: to admire her fundamental honesty. I'm going to try to 406 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: drag you out of here. If you can walk, that 407 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: would be really helpful. She grabbed Manny under the armpits 408 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: and tried to pull him up. He let out a 409 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,560 Speaker 1: coughing cry at the pain of being moved again, but 410 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,120 Speaker 1: he also realized late in the game that he still 411 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 1: had some control over his legs. He pushed up, and, 412 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 1: with Sasha's help, fought gravity well enough that he soon 413 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: stood under mostly his own power. Sasha wrapped one of 414 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: his arms around her shoulder and took some of the 415 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: weight off his weakened limbs, and then together they hobbled 416 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: free of the Chinel factory that had almost been his tomb. 417 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: An hour later, Manny sat with Roland and Sasha on 418 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: the roof of an old Bank of America and watched 419 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: as the Tesla factory burned in the distance. Manny had 420 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:57,479 Speaker 1: passed out almost as soon as Sasha had got him 421 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 1: out the door. He recalled waking up a few times 422 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: during the run away from the factory. At some point 423 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: Roland had met up with them and started carrying him. 424 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: He'd come to on the roof of the old bank 425 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: building just in time to see Roland dribble a trail 426 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,680 Speaker 1: of weirdess blood into his gunshot wound. He'd felt a 427 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: little revulsion at the act, but it had passed once 428 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: his pain dissolved. I should really find a way to 429 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:23,120 Speaker 1: bottle that stuff, he thought. What happened, Manny asked. Once 430 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: reality had solidified a little more, Roland found me, Sasha said, 431 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: just after they took you. I told him that Alexander 432 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: had mentioned a factory, and then well he seemed to 433 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: know this must be the factory they'd been talking about. 434 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: Thanks for that, Reggie, he told me he was going 435 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,680 Speaker 1: to She coughed a little and her cheeks reddened an embarrassment, 436 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,880 Speaker 1: feed them their own dicks, and that I should wait 437 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: until they were engaged to run in and drag you out. 438 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: A large explosion echoed across the city. Escape and the 439 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 1: Trio watched a small orange mushroom cloud light up the 440 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: sky where the Tesla factory had been. It's about damn time, 441 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: Roland grumbled. The detonators those fuckers stole from the Republic 442 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: were garbage. Hey, He looked over to Manny. The hell 443 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: was that place anyway? Yes, Sasha added, and how exactly 444 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: did you wind up getting shot there? Manny related the 445 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: whole story as best he could, Sasha's face went pale 446 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 1: white with outrage and disgust when he explained exactly how 447 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: the Heavenly Kingdom had managed to get its suicide vehicles 448 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: past the sd f's checkpoints. Oh god, she moaned, Oh 449 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: God above, no, no, no. Roland just laughed. That's as 450 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:32,479 Speaker 1: clever as a two headed crow. I'll give him that, 451 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: He clapped Sasha on the shoulder. Come on, lady, you 452 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 1: can't still be surprised by how funk the Kingdom is. 453 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: How many people did you watch them? Hang? Sasha didn't respond. 454 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: She just sat there, eyes red and watery, and stared 455 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 1: out at the burning factory. Manny felt like he should 456 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: have said something, but his mind was still catching up 457 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: to his body after the events of the last couple 458 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: of hours. Staring straight ahead represented the extent of his 459 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: abilities right now, Sorry, Roland sudden response to the silence 460 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: not for get you kids aren't used to this sort 461 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 1: of ship. I'll tell you it gets easier. What almost dying, 462 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 1: asked Manny. We're being betrayed by the only thing you 463 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: ever believed in, asked Sasha. Roland shrugged. Both I guess, 464 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: I mean neither is much fun. But hey, y'all pop 465 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 1: some cherries today, so it's got to mean nothing but 466 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: downhill from here on out. Neither of them responded, but 467 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: Roland plowed right along. I meant downhill and like the 468 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: positive sense of the word, you know, sledding like that 469 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: or something more. Silence Roland's side and took a loud 470 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: gulp from a piece of sheet metal he'd been into 471 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: a makeshift cup. The beverage inside smelled like another batch 472 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,640 Speaker 1: of his gut liquor. It burned Manny's nose from three 473 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: feet away. A minute went by, and then another Without 474 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,920 Speaker 1: a word. They listened as emergency sirens sounded and drew 475 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: closer to the side of the blast. So what the 476 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: fund do we do now, Manny asked. Roland grunted and 477 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: then belched, Well, we've probably gotta roll back into town, 478 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: break those ladies out of jail, and then I don't know, 479 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: we should probably leave right Many rolled his eyes. The 480 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: casual recklessness of Roland's confidence had been fun and reassuring 481 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: when he wasn't recovering from a gunshot wound. The events 482 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: at the testa Plant had proved to Manny that the 483 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: post human's protection wasn't enough to guarantee his safety or Sasha's. 484 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: He was the deadliest thing Manny had ever seen, but 485 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 1: he couldn't be everywhere at once. Wait, who are you 486 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: breaking out of jail, Sasha asked? Those three negotiators, Manny said, 487 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: from the City of Wheels, the woman you examined, and 488 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: their mail companion. Sasha gave Manny a look he couldn't 489 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: quite parse out what he asked. Is that why you 490 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: started talking to me, she asked, Because you knew I 491 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: was working with those women, and you thought I might 492 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: be able to get you into the jail. No, started Manny. 493 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: I mean sort of right, finished Roland. That was sure, 494 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: as she had a big BLUs. Many glared at the 495 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: post human Rowland had all attacked and diplomacy of a chainsaw. 496 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: That's why I'm here in the first place, he reminded himself. Look, 497 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: Roland continued, there's no point in dressing any of this up. Sasha, 498 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 1: you fled your home to join a militant terrorist organization 499 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 1: that butcher civilians. Manny, you kind of manipulated her in 500 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: the hope of getting information. I just beat like twenty 501 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: people to death, plus I fed Martyr Ditmar his own 502 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: hand and I feel genuinely bad about that. Roland shook 503 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: his head. I'm really trying not to fall completely off 504 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: the murder wagon here, guys. But when I get angry 505 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: and the battle drug start flowing, he shivered, I get ugly. 506 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,679 Speaker 1: Once again. Roland's words were met with stunned silence, and 507 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 1: once again he plowed forward. Nonetheless, what I'm saying is 508 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: this whole situation as ugly as fun and none of 509 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: us as a hero. But we're probably the least shitty 510 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: people in the city with any kind of power. So 511 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 1: let's all forgive each other's trespasses and use that power 512 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: to try to save a couple of nice people from 513 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: being crucified or whatever it is Christians due to the 514 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: people who piss them off. Is it just hanging I 515 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: Sasha started to respond, then shook her head and exasperation. 516 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 1: Probably not, she said. Instead, all right, Roland clapped and 517 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 1: put on a bright smile. So how do we get 518 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: in there? I mean, I can just sort of balls 519 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: my way through the front door or the ceiling, but 520 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: since this is an actual jail, it's probably reinforced. There's 521 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: a good chance they'll kill the hostages. Before I punched 522 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,920 Speaker 1: my way into the cells. Manny could almost hear the 523 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: wheels turn and Sasha's head as she caught her thoughts 524 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: up with what was now apparently her reality. To her credit, 525 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: she responded in short order, that's probably the case, she nodded. 526 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: There are armed guards outside of each cell, and there's 527 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: a real disgust for those captives among the martyrs. They 528 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: probably would shoot those women rather than let them escape. 529 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: And what about the guy? I never saw him? I 530 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: dealt with the women, Marigolden. Oh, what was her name? Tully? 531 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: But I assume he was in the same jail. Is 532 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 1: Roland confirmed, or at least he was last time I 533 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: sniffed around there. Manny's mind finally spun up to full speed. 534 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: The pain in his guts had subsided, as had the 535 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: light headed, bloodless feeling he'd woken up with. He felt 536 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: comforted by the mere fact of having a simple problem 537 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: to solve. At the core, this question was a logistical one, 538 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 1: just like the problems he faced every day as a fixer. 539 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: He needed to deliver his team to a certain location 540 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: the jail in a amitted time frame, So Manny's first 541 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: job was to figure out what connections he'd need to 542 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 1: make in order for that to be possible. Sasha, he asked, 543 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 1: who can help us get inside that jail? Do you 544 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: know anyone who has the authority to come and go 545 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: from there with impunity? Doctor Brandt, She replied. He's a 546 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: good man, I think, but he's committed. He's not going 547 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: to work with us to betray the Kingdom. He doesn't 548 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 1: need to. Manny assured her. I'm going to guess he's 549 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: a smart guy, right. He has to be somewhat worldly 550 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: to be an actual doctor. Sasha nodded, He's not a 551 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: mindless zealot, if that's what you're asking most of us, 552 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: aren't you know there was a reasonable case for supporting 553 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: the Heavenly Kingdom at just She trailed off, and Many 554 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: put his hands out in a placating gesture. No, No, 555 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: that's not not what I'm getting at. I want to 556 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,719 Speaker 1: make sure this guy has a sober, realistic understanding of 557 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: what someone like Roland can do. Sasha's eyes went cloudy, 558 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: but she nodded. He talked about them with me a little, 559 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: She said. I would say he has a healthy respect 560 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 1: for post humans, good Manny said it. So we find 561 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: him and we make him an offer either Roland tears 562 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: the heart out of the kingdom or doctor Brandt helps 563 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: us get those captives out of the jail. If he's 564 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: a sensible man, who'll have to see the reason in that. 565 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: Sasha didn't look so sure about that, but after some consideration, 566 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: she nodded and agreed that it was at least possible. Okay, 567 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: so we find this doctor Brandt, we use him to 568 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: get inside the jail, Roland does Roland things, and then 569 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: we beat feet to get out of Seda Demuerta. Roland 570 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: shrugged and took another deep pull from his gut beverage. 571 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: He seemed on board. Sasha raised another question, though, Okay, 572 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: so who are you two supposed to be? Then, every 573 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: time doctor Brandon I visited the jail, we had a 574 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: driver in an armed guard. But you two don't exactly 575 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: look like you fit the bill. Right now, you, she 576 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: appointed to Manny, clearly just took a bullet, and you, 577 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: she jabbed a finger at Roland, look like you just 578 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: murdered dozens of people, which I guess you did, right, 579 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 1: Manny clapped his hands. That's easy enough to fix. It's 580 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: what five am. Now the city is starting to wake up. 581 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: Do you know what shift doctor Brandt's expected to work today, Sasha. 582 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: Lately he's been doing seven to seven and Rowland. Manny continued, 583 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: do you know where the vehicle pool is? The big 584 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: man nodded, Oh yeah, I drag that downer in my 585 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: first reconde. It's about thirty minutes away on foot for 586 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: you guys five minutes from me. We'll go slow, said Manny. Sasha, 587 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 1: you let us know when you recognize doctor Brandt's cheep 588 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: and driver will stop them, relieve them of their uniforms, 589 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: and drive on to the doctor's house. Roland, you think 590 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: you can take out two men without bloodying up their uniforms? 591 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: He gave another shrug. Fifty fifty all right? Manny nodded. 592 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: That's plan A, then, and what's Plan B? Sasha asked, 593 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: Close your eyes and hide behind Rowland. Hey, I'm Robert Evans. 594 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you enjoyed 595 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: the chapters to come. You can find the free e 596 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: pub of every chapter and eventually the whole book at 597 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: a t r book dot com, complete with illustrations. 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