★Memorable Author: [El_Roy_1999] And Tomorrow...The World! •22pp•

[El_Roy_1999]

The next day, Karel led his ward to the gymnasium. It was a massive hall, its walls decorated with ancient frescoes. There were watching eyes, glaring demons and long calligraphies. The place seemed to be a former temple. Whoever had adapted it for training had tried to fit the equipment and technology to the original style. This gave the whole place a weirdly ancient feel.
Right now, it was deserted. Gladys said:
"Thank you. Just a question ..." She pointed at some of the machines that stood around. "What are these?"
"They are special exercise devices developed by our scientists. They are more efficient than regular weights and the risk of hurting yourself is lower."
"Fascinating ... Can I try them?"
"Of course. I will explain their use. Also, here is an outfit for training."
Gladys didn't want to tell the machine that she was now used to exercising in the buff. Somehow, she was still uncertain this was really a machine. She couldn't be certain, but there might be a real person on the other end of this thing. She didn't want to be naked in front of it. She thanked him and took the outfit.
Disappearing behind a screen, she changed as fast as she could. Her body still hurt and she could tell she was not only out of shape, but also reduced in her range of motion. That fight had been the worst in her life. She seriously hoped she'd never hope to face that monster again. On the other hand, she knew this was probably inevitable.
She stepped back into the hall. The outfit fit tightly, yet allowed her to move freely. It was a weird change to the usual linen or wool suits she used. Also, it covered her torso and upper thighs, as well as the shoulders, but left the rest of her body naked. Somehow, she felt a pang of shame. You could really see everything with such a clingy fabric.
The black and red design also made it look aggressive and powerful. All in all, not a bad thing, but it would definitely would take some getting used to. The machine asked:
"Are you comfortable? I had it made to size."
She stretched a little:
"It's very comfortable. Thank you."
"Good. Now, let me explain the machines."

[El_Roy_1999]

Gladys instantly returned to her fitness lifestyle. Within a few days, she was recovering her muscle. Somehow, these machines made it really easy. There was much less strain and she didn't have to concentrate so much on correctly performing the movements. Somehow, the machines took care of that. Also, after a little begging, Karel had agreed to supply her with a Spartan diet that really returned her power. Soon, she admired herself in the mirrors. She flexed her powerful arms and was astonished by the size her biceps had gained. It was even bigger than it had been before.
"This is incredible. I've been strong before, but I never imagined I could reach this level."
The robot examined her and said:
"You are way beyond what is expected of a woman."
"I know. That's always been my thing."
She switched the pose and brought out her triceps.
"Actually, I think that I am way beyond what is expected of a man too."
The machine clicked and calculated, then declared:
"That is correct."
"So, now that I am back at health, when am I going to meet my captors? They've been treating me well and yet, they're not asking any questions."
For a moment, the machine seemed to smile. Could it do this? She doubted it. Then, she understood:
"You're not questioning me. You're examining me."
"That is correct. We have gained important information about you and your mindset. However, we will allow you to interact with other prisoners soon."
"That's a relief. Also, thank you for treating me well."
"I am happy to help."
The statuesque woman smiled. Of course, she was captive, but still, her jailers were treating her well. She'd have to think about this.

[El_Roy_1999]

A few days later, Gladys was allowed to enter a kind of common room. She had started to record the progress of time by scratching lines into a hidden part of the wall, hoping that Karel had noticed her. She had been here for several weeks now and she had absolutely no idea what was going on in the rest of the world. Although she was provided with food, exercise and even entertainment, she was painfully aware that the Master's troops could by now have invaded most of China and she wouldn't know.
She got dressed, happy to finally meet another human being. Conversation with Karel was interesting and the machine was knowledgeable on almost any subject, but she really longed for contact with another member of her species now. The door opened. In her red and black outfit, she looked tough and focused. It felt odd, but she quite liked it. It was well-tailored, making her look feminine without seeming weak. She looked around. There was some basic furniture: A divan, a table and chairs and oddly enough a billiard table. At the table, Washington had just finished his move and looked up. He immediately dropped the queue and almost ran to her. He embraced her. She did the same. He produced an "oof!"-sound, so she relaxed a little. No point in crushing the man. He said:
"Gladys! I was so worried!"
"Me too. How are you?"
"I'm fine. They're treating me well. How about you?"
"I missed you. But other than the solitude, I can't complain."
"That's good. Have you noticed: We're in the Himalayas."
"I've been outside a little. It is impressive."
He touched her face.
"I'm so glad you're well. I was worried sick. Do you have any idea what happened to the others?"
She smiled:
"No. I don't."
She led him to the divan and sat down next to him. He did look small and rather weak next to her. Should she tell him right away? She hesitated, then decided to wait. She had to be certain.

[El_Roy_1999]

"So, how have they been treating you?" Gladys smiled gently.
"Pretty good, I guess. I get food, I get sleep and now, I can even meet you."
She couldn't help blushing although she didn't feel it. Some feelings were clearly deeply ingrained in her mind, whether she liked it or not. He asked:
"Have they asked any questions?"
"Not at all. They were just careful to look after my health. They showed no interest in the unit."
He leaned closer:
"I don't think that's a good sign."
"Do you think they're all dead?"
She was shocked by the thought. Of course, it was perfectly possible. Washington continued:
"Honestly, I'm wondering why our people haven't come looking for us. We've been around for a while."
Gladys nodded:
"I think that they're not coming. Besides, we shouldn't talk too much about this. The walls have ears."
Washington gave her an enigmatic smile.
"They do, I guess."
There was a pause, then she asked:
"Tell me, since when have you been a traitor?"

[El_Roy_1999]

"Me, a traitor?"
"It wasn't easy to find out, but when I saw that symbol, I understood. She pointed at the lines and circle above the door. It's the Open and Closed Hand, isn't it?"
Washington watched her intently.
"And if it were?"
"Then I would ask you why you suggested the trip to the ruins."
"I did?"
"You did. And I think I know why."
"Do tell me. I'm interested how I might be a traitor."
"We went to the ruins and met that old man. He was friendly and everything and he very clearly had me have the Master's book. It took me a while to understand, but the symbol fits the title. The lines are the fingers, the circle is the palm."
"That's possible."
"It's true. So I guess you were in on this. Of course, there's the question why."
"That's a very big question. I don't follow at all."
She approached him:
"It's easy and understandable. Even though the Captain might be an honest man and able to tell that you are an excellent soldier and agent, you're never going to make it. They're never going to give you that commission you want. You also love me. This honors me and I actually might love you back. It's hard for me, because since life is as it is, we're not going to be able to marry. My parents will never accept that."
"So far, everything you say is true. The Captain might talk about desegregation, but the top brass will never have it."
"So here you are, putting your life on the line for a country that despises you and a culture that treats you like a nuisance. And on the other hand, there's the Master, with his promises. Reading that book opens anybody's eyes, so you wanted me to have it. I'd read it and I'd understand and then, I'd join you."
"The way you put it, even if I wasn't a traitor, I should be one."
"So that's a confession?"
"I think so. But it's more complicated than that."

[El_Roy_1999]

He sat down and motioned her to do the same.
"Now ... It isn't easy to explain, but for my family, every war was an opportunity to finally get a fair chance at life. Every time it was about bravery and skill and not about color, we got better. So when the opportunity came, I joined the army. I fought in Russia and in South America and in the Caribbean. Eventually, I ended up in China with the Captain. At that time, I was still completely convinced that I was doing the right thing. But then, we were send to protect our stuff and our people during another uprising. The people were getting shot by revolutionaries or rebels or militia and we thought we could protect them too. The Captain ordered us to get in formation and make it clear to the attackers that they were dealing with real soldiers. When the higher-ups got wind of that, they ordered us back. The people we fought to protect were butchered. And even though I still respect the Captain, I decided to chose my allegiance. There was no point in fighting for people who didn't care about their fellow men."
"There was probably some political reason ..."
"Of course. There's always a political reason. And it's all very reasonable. But the world is mostly people not like those I was fighting for and I decided that this wasn't what my country should be about. You know, freedom."
Gladys watched him intensely. Washington had become very emotional during his little speech. He was a little out of breath and wiped the sweat of his brow. He added:
"I'm sorry I ranted, but for me, this is the only solution. And I'd be happy if you'd join me. I love you and I want this world to be ours."
Gladys nodded:
"I understand. I'm sorry, Grant, but I won't be with you then. I believe in this and I won't go back on my word."
He sighed:
"Somehow, I knew you'd say that. Sadly, that means that you'll have to deal with the Master's second-in-command next. She's not a pleasant person."
"I'll manage. Thank you."
He got up and left.

[El_Roy_1999]

The next day, Gladys was left alone, but in the evening, she was visited by two women in black. One was rather old, but seemed to be in good shape, the other one might have been younger, but she couldn't tell. She wore a hood that covered the top part of her face. Gladys wondered how this woman could see, but she didn't bump into any things, so maybe there was some kind of trick to it. What surprised her the most, though, was that the younger woman's movements were extremely quick. She had to think of a hummingbird when she watched her. This woman seemed familiar after all. They sat down next to her. The older woman started:
"You're Gladys van Rothe, aren't you?"
"I am."
"Very well. How do you feel?"
"I am fine, thank you." She immediately stopped herself. "I will only give you my name, rank and serial number."
"You're no prisoner. You were found without uniform and we are not a military. The rules don't apply."
A more experienced soldier might have known what to say now, but Gladys, who had actually been more of an agent than a soldier was momentarily confused.
"They don't?"
The woman smiled:
"No. But don't worry. We know what we need to know. There's mostly one question to be answered: We want the formula they've used on you. Would you be willing to help us understand it?"
Gladys was surprised. They did know everything. Washington probably told them.
"I won't. I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about it and I don't want to help you."
"That's sad. You could have done something for women all over the world. It's not as if they couldn't need more strength in their daily lives."
Gladys hesitated. The idea was interesting. Before her mind's eye, she saw a world of strong women capable of taking responsibility and earning respect.
"It's still no. You're the aggressors. Helping you would only make things worse."
"Very well. We'll ask again tomorrow. But be careful. If you don't cooperate, we might have to find ways to make you talk."
The hooded woman added:
"We can still learn a lot by just looking inside you."
Her voice cut like steel.

[El_Roy_1999]

That evening, Gladys realized that things were going to turn ugly. She had to escape and she had to be quick. However, there were several problems with that: First, it didn't seem like Karel would ever fall asleep. He also seemed to be able to see in the dark. Second, she could move freely in the area, but she didn't even know where the exit was. It seemed as if she lived in a self-contained place. There had to be an entrance, but she had no idea where. Third and last, she was somewhere in the Himalayas. Without proper equipment and at least some knowledge of the environment, she would die.
She decided to try and find the exit first. Without that, she had no chance anyway, so she could start with this. Over the next days, she was questioned by the pair over and over again. Instead of resisting, Gladys tried to stay vague. She played for time, even going as far as to describe the process she had been subjected to. It wasn't much help and the twitchy, aggressive woman made it clear that unless she gave them real information, she would find out.
On the other hand, she did make some progress. Apparently, the door was set in the roof of the common room. There was a round hatch that opened, then an art-deco suitcase extended downwards. Getting on this thing without Karel noticing was pointless. Gladys had to admit to herself that she was stuck. She had to block Karel.
Just as she was giving in to despair, Washington announced himself. She had him come in. He looked tired and a little edgy.
"I just wanted to check in on you."
She was glad to see him, despite their previous disagreement.
"I'm fine, thank you."
"That's good. Listen, I'm supposed to do the good cop-act here, but I don't want to trick you. I'm just going to put the cards on the table. If you won't join us, that's okay, but we need that technology. So please, cooperate."
"I'm sorry, but I can't."
"That's too bad. Well, at least I tried."
He got up.
"I hope you don't mind that I give this back to you. It's worthless to me now."
He handed her a postcard. She didn't know what to make of it and looked at him in confusion. He jerked his head imperceptibly and she decided not to ask.
"I'm going. Be well and think clearly about this. I don't want you to get hurt."
She looked at the postcard after he left. It was a simple card that showed a group of jazz musicians. The text was completely inane. Gladys touched it carefully. That's when she noticed the message. There were letters on it. Apparently, Washington had used a typewriter without ink ribbon. She put the postcard into her pocket. She'd read it later.

[El_Roy_1999]

In the dark of the night, she took out the card and examined it carefully. Karel hadn't switched off, so much was clear, but she doubted he'd notice what was going on. The moon shone in through the window and she held the card so that she could read what was written. It said:
"Dear Gladys!
This is the only way I can help you. They are losing patience and they're going to just cut you up. You have to escape. To knock out Karel, connect the dots on the other side. The pattern confuses him. I'll lower the stairs as soon as he's knocked out. You'll have to find a way down the mountains. Please stay away from trouble. We're going to make our move soon, so stay with your family until it's over.
Please don't die. I love you.
Grant"
She looked at the card and sighed. Their life could have been so much easier. The poor guy was sacrificing everything to help her and she could do nothing to save him. Did she love him? Probably. Could she be true to him? Not in this world.
She took a pencil and started connecting the dots. It soon turned into a very complex symbol. She had no idea what to make of it. If it worked, the postcard was her ticket out of here.
Gladys lay in the dark for a while. She tried to make up her mind. Should she flee? Could she actually get away without being massacred?
The moon shone, ignoring her plight. Up here, it looked enormous. Suddenly, a large shape darkened it. There was a loud buzzing and rumbling and a huge airship flew by, surrounded by smaller aircraft.
Maybe she should stay here for a while, but not in here.
She got up and switched on the light. Time to confuse the machine.

[El_Roy_1999]

Karel's eye immediately popped into view.
"How can I assist you?"
Gladys held up the card. The machine examined it carefully. She could see the robot eye tried to follow the lines. It took a moment, then the disembodied eye blinked and produced a strange, metallic noise. It didn't sound too good. There was a whirring, then a squeak and finally a hiss. Karel said:
"Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. My name is Karel. My name is Karel. My name is ... Karel. How may I assist ..."
The voice died down. The eye hung there, paralyzed. Gladys moved her hand in front of it as if checking on a sleeping person. Nothing. Whatever had happened, the thing was shot. She nodded to herself. She had no idea how that had worked, but she was free to go now. She walked over to the door and looked outside. Nobody. That was just as well. It probably wouldn't take long for people to realize that Karel was busted, so she had to act quickly. She got out into the common room and saw the stairs slowly extend downwards. She got on them as soon as they were low enough for her to grab them and pulled herself up. Above, she found a pack. She grabbed it. It was probably from Washington. There was a blanket slung on top and a thick coat as well as some boots.
She hesitated. Going outside was dangerous. She didn't know the area and chances were they'd track her with dogs and look for her from the air. Getting away was basically impossible. She appreciated Washington's effort, but she knew she had no chance. She had to find another way.
That's when she noticed that the tracks on which Karel moved around here were suspended from the roof at a certain height. Also, they didn't go everywhere.
She smiled. That was a weird idea, but it could work.

[El_Roy_1999]

With a quick jump, Gladys grabbed the rail and pulled herself up. She climbed up and balanced on the beam. In a few moments, people would turn up to check on Karel, so she had to be quick. She carefully followed the rail, eventually finding a part of the building that hadn't been refurbished. Below her, she had seen several patrols that ran to her prison. She was so glad they didn't look up. Up there, she had no cover. If they spotted her, they'd just shoot her. Instead, they shouted things in an unknown language and disappeared. Gladys dropped from her perch and looked around. The place was deserted. The walls seemed decrepit, the ancient paintings on the wall were cracked and faded. Other than a few crates, there was nothing interesting there.
After checking for any signs of guards and waiting for the search parties' noise to die down, Gladys examined her situation. As long as she evaded the guards and Karel's eye, she could stay here. She was certain she could steal food from the mess and maybe even find several hideouts. She grinned when she thought of the Open and Closed Hand: "Hide under the eyes of your enemy."
Next, she had to find out what happened to the rest of the unit, save them if necessary and possibly fight the Master and his minions, even if that meant getting into a struggle with Washington. She wasn't too sure if she wanted to do this, but she probably had to. Also, there was this bizarre woman. She had no idea what to make of here, but she made her deeply uneasy.
All in all, there was a lot to do and she had little to no idea how to manage all this. On the other hand, she had been through worse, and she wasn't entirely sure why, but since her stay here, she felt stronger and tougher. Maybe it was a late aftereffect of the treatment.
She couldn't tell, but she liked it.

[El_Roy_1999]

Just a question: Is anybody still reading this thing?
I like to write it, but there's just a lot of silence. Is it good silence or bad silence?

[jcboyd]

Highlight of the day, El Roy - always good plot and exposition (never mind your excellent writing relfecting teh "period" nature of the story

 

[El_Roy_1999]

Highlight of the day, El Roy - always good plot and exposition (never mind your excellent writing relfecting teh "period" nature of the story

 

Thank you!

[chilipalmer99]

I look forward to each new section. This is a truly a wonderful piece of literature, and you have done a marvelous of fleshing out an alternative earth. Please keep going.

CP