CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

 

The Rebellion Army had created pockets at two points on the new Mexican border, one east and one west, and was rapidly advancing into the United States and broadening the pockets, moving very fast, preceded by missile barrages where enemy concentrations could be found. The US military was in disarray. Their troops were demoralized and surrendered easily. The commando battalions were ordered to move ahead of the main army, scouting for enemy troop movements, destroying command posts, missile batteries, and capturing elite bureaucrats. This often required that they move at the maximum speed of their stealthcycles, sometimes during the day with their solar panels spread out on their panniers. They received continuous satellite intelligence on enemy units, so they were seldom surprised by a concealed enemy unit. They usually surprised the enemy. Dana’s platoon was down to 21 men, having lost some to enemy action.

Dana still had the hearing aid in his ear, and occasionally would come close enough to a civilian home to hear the news. It was the same kind of false reporting he had heard from the earlier war with the Mexicans. The rebellion was being pushed back by the brave actions of the Army and Air Force, but somehow, the next day, the enemy had advanced further.

In five days, they were given a specific target, which was the Nebraska State Capitol building in Lincoln. They were to race well forward of the main army and capture or kill the governor and state legislators.

The company was running out of food, and the Captain gave permission to appropriate food from local abandoned supermarkets, of which there seemed to be many, but usually with nearly-bare shelves. The men were getting along on the least appetizing packaged foods that were left.

They approached Lincoln from the west, seeing no enemy nearby on their satellite and camera drone feeds. It appeared that the U.S. military had abandoned the state capital to its fate. They sped through the downtown streets, covered with unplowed snow, flinging a tremendous amount of it into the air, straight towards the Capitol, a sprawling three-story dirty grey stone building. It had once had a striking tower rising above it for about 50 meters, but the tower had been demolished as being too “phallic,” according to information on their faceplates.

Dana’s platoon was designated to enter the building from the south door, which had to be blown open. They had pictures of state legislators they could pull up on their faceplates, but found no one in the building at all. The Fifth Platoon was to take the governor’s mansion on the south side of the Capitol, but it was empty as well. At least, there was some decent food in the cupboards and refrigerators, including lots of gin, wine, and a little beer, which was distributed to the company.

They spent the day in the Capitol, and the Captain received orders to rest and refit behind the Rebellion lines, which would advance to meet them the day after next. So, the company spread out inside the Capitol, each two or three men taking an office with couches for their quarters. Dana told his men to take any offices on any floor on the south side, and they all grinned. After a week of sleeping on the ground, the food and the soft sleeping were a great luxury. They did envy the fifth platoon, which was staying in the governor’s mansion. There was no heat in the building, so they remained in their stealthsuits. It was humorous to see a man sleeping on a couch with patterned upholstery, with his ‘suit showing the same pattern to the room. There was a canteen on the west side of the building, where the men cooked their food.

When the regular army arrived, the company was told to remain in place while their supplies arrived. Colonel Okoro visited the company, assembled in the legislature meeting room. He congratulated them on their progress, and told them to load up for another long mission. Afterwards, in one of the legislature meeting rooms, he held a board of inquiry concerning Hudson’s death. The three corporals corroborated Dana’s version of events, and Dana’s shooting of Hudson was approved.

They were to have a week’s R&R in place as the RA advanced. Each platoon got new men to replace those lost. They had heard that their next mission was going to be ambitious, and very dangerous. Dana slept on the couch in a state senator’s office. Most nights, he found himself waking from a nightmare. Sometimes, he was leading men around a corner when a beast, all claws and teeth, leapt at him. Another time, he saw a huge missile approaching his platoon, and he was frozen, unable to give a warning. He would wake up with his heart racing and gasping for air, and sometimes with the sound of his own shout ringing in his ears. He was glad he was alone in the office, and would try to go back to sleep.

Like most of the other men, Dana had been growing a beard. They had been forbidden by Male Control for some reason, so the men were trying them out. Dana had his first chance since the war started to see himself in a mirror in the senator’s office. He looked shaggy. He found a pair of scissors in a desk and did some trimming, liking the result better.

When not on guard duty, the men found ways to amuse themselves. They played cards, watched viewscreens, and hooted at the obvious falsity of the news. Some of them watched soap operas, which they found hilarious, and would gather in one office to blow raspberries at the ridiculous dialogue. About half the company assembled in the legislative chamber, elected officers, and passed absurd laws, like all corn production must be used for making bourbon. Given that none of them knew anything about any other forms of entertainment, they made it up as they went along. Someone found a rule book for poker games, and the Captain had to forbid betting except on worthless tokens. So, Dana would walk in on a poker game and see one man betting a senator’s award plaque, and another one seeing his bet, and raising him a thick volume of Nebraska state laws.