generation. When you get back to Wonderland, you must get
them to start making books again.’
Alice played
with the grass at her feet.
‘I don’t know
when and how we’ll ever get back to Wonderland. I had thought that with peace
we would get a chance to create a better future.’
Edwards smiled.
‘It is easy to make peace with an enemy, but difficult for ambitious men to
make peace with their own greed and hunger for power. From what you’ve told me,
that is what led to The Rising in the first place. It looks like man hasn’t
really learnt any lessons from it.’
Ever since the
battle, Alice’s mind had been on litle else other than the unexpected adversary
she had just faced.
‘Doctor, do you
think that you can really create a vaccine that works?’
‘Science can
always be used for good or evil. The Central Committee is perhaps keen on
creating an army of hybrids, but that same science can be used to not just
create a vaccine to prevent infections among humans, but perhaps cure Biters as
well.’
That made Alice
straighten. ‘Do you think the Biters can be cured?’
‘I’m not sure,
but looking at their behavior closely, I can say that they are more than just
brutes. Yes, there must be some brain damage, but at the very least if we can
curb their aggressive instincts, it would make co-existance much easier.’
Alice
remembered what she had heard from Danish about what has happening in the
American Deadland.
‘Have people
always reacted with so much hatred to those different from them?’
Before Edwards
could reply they saw the helicopter come back for a landing. Vince had been
like an excited child when he saw the prospect of flying again, and he and
Satish had taken off in the captured helicopter for a quick reconaissance
flight. As the helicopter landed, and Satish slipped out and ran toward them.
‘Alice, Arun
doesn’t know how big a mistake he made by having our recon teams pull back. We
barely flew out a hundred kilomteres and I could see more than a dozen Red
Guard APCs on the roads. This is the first time in months they’ve come out in
such numbers..’
Vince was soon
with them as well. His eyes danced with excitement.
‘I thought I
would never be able to fly again. When I was up there, it felt like I could
once again make a difference, that I could once again be worth something.’
Satish slapped
him on the shoulder, and Alice could tell that the earlier frostiness between
the men had gone. Though she was still young, she knew that there was little
that bonded two people more than being in combat together.
‘Alice, the Red
Guards will slowly but surely start taking control over the outlying areas. If
they do, you know how easy it will be for them to form a chokehold over
Wonderland. Thousands died so we could have this freedom, and now we risk
losing all that to petty politics.’
At that,
Edwards scoffed. ‘It’s an old truth. In any war, the soldiers and common people
bleed, and the politicians rule over the rubble that remains.’
A few minutes
later, Satish came running to Alice.
‘It’s Danish on
the radio. He says that Arun and his so-called Cabinet have voted and they want
us to return. He says that Arun wants to talk to us and has a proposal he wants
to put before us.’
Alice exhaled
deeply in relief.
‘Thank
whichever god anyone still cares to believe in that Arun has some sense after
all. Let’s get back to Wonderland. Once we get the doctor and Vince in front of
them they will have to believe our story about the Biters being sent in by the
Red Guards.’
Satish was not
so easily reassured. ‘Alice, I don’t trust Arun one bit. This could just be a
trap. For all you know, he’s calling us back to arrest us and put us up in
front of some court where he acts as judge, jury and executioner. I want to
call my remaining recon boys in so they can go with us.’
Vince tapped
Alice on the shoulder. ‘We will ride in at a place and time of our choosing.
And if
them to start making books again.’
Alice played
with the grass at her feet.
‘I don’t know
when and how we’ll ever get back to Wonderland. I had thought that with peace
we would get a chance to create a better future.’
Edwards smiled.
‘It is easy to make peace with an enemy, but difficult for ambitious men to
make peace with their own greed and hunger for power. From what you’ve told me,
that is what led to The Rising in the first place. It looks like man hasn’t
really learnt any lessons from it.’
Ever since the
battle, Alice’s mind had been on litle else other than the unexpected adversary
she had just faced.
‘Doctor, do you
think that you can really create a vaccine that works?’
‘Science can
always be used for good or evil. The Central Committee is perhaps keen on
creating an army of hybrids, but that same science can be used to not just
create a vaccine to prevent infections among humans, but perhaps cure Biters as
well.’
That made Alice
straighten. ‘Do you think the Biters can be cured?’
‘I’m not sure,
but looking at their behavior closely, I can say that they are more than just
brutes. Yes, there must be some brain damage, but at the very least if we can
curb their aggressive instincts, it would make co-existance much easier.’
Alice
remembered what she had heard from Danish about what has happening in the
American Deadland.
‘Have people
always reacted with so much hatred to those different from them?’
Before Edwards
could reply they saw the helicopter come back for a landing. Vince had been
like an excited child when he saw the prospect of flying again, and he and
Satish had taken off in the captured helicopter for a quick reconaissance
flight. As the helicopter landed, and Satish slipped out and ran toward them.
‘Alice, Arun
doesn’t know how big a mistake he made by having our recon teams pull back. We
barely flew out a hundred kilomteres and I could see more than a dozen Red
Guard APCs on the roads. This is the first time in months they’ve come out in
such numbers..’
Vince was soon
with them as well. His eyes danced with excitement.
‘I thought I
would never be able to fly again. When I was up there, it felt like I could
once again make a difference, that I could once again be worth something.’
Satish slapped
him on the shoulder, and Alice could tell that the earlier frostiness between
the men had gone. Though she was still young, she knew that there was little
that bonded two people more than being in combat together.
‘Alice, the Red
Guards will slowly but surely start taking control over the outlying areas. If
they do, you know how easy it will be for them to form a chokehold over
Wonderland. Thousands died so we could have this freedom, and now we risk
losing all that to petty politics.’
At that,
Edwards scoffed. ‘It’s an old truth. In any war, the soldiers and common people
bleed, and the politicians rule over the rubble that remains.’
A few minutes
later, Satish came running to Alice.
‘It’s Danish on
the radio. He says that Arun and his so-called Cabinet have voted and they want
us to return. He says that Arun wants to talk to us and has a proposal he wants
to put before us.’
Alice exhaled
deeply in relief.
‘Thank
whichever god anyone still cares to believe in that Arun has some sense after
all. Let’s get back to Wonderland. Once we get the doctor and Vince in front of
them they will have to believe our story about the Biters being sent in by the
Red Guards.’
Satish was not
so easily reassured. ‘Alice, I don’t trust Arun one bit. This could just be a
trap. For all you know, he’s calling us back to arrest us and put us up in
front of some court where he acts as judge, jury and executioner. I want to
call my remaining recon boys in so they can go with us.’
Vince tapped
Alice on the shoulder. ‘We will ride in at a place and time of our choosing.
And if
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