Descent into Mayhem (Capicua Chronicles Book 1) (42 page)

“I hardly think the leaders of a movement would have exposed themselves in the way these fools have. How did you get by this information?” He asked critically.

The question put the sergeant on guard.

“Varsity sources, Your Honor. Surely there’s no requirement for me to be more specific.”

“There is not. “ The judge decided after some thought.

“Your Honor,” the Lieutenant-colonel intruded, “I am satisfied. Regarding the evidence presented against the defendants, I mean. Moreover, I agree with you about the supposed leadership role of these boys. These boys aren’t leaders, they’re adventurers. If they want a real adventure, I’ve got one for them. I want them. All of them.” The officer declared, his gaze fixed on Ken.

The old judge grimaced, knowing the old soldier was right. He stared at the haughty youths, and his gaze paused on the boy with the trench coat. There was an almost vulnerable demeanor to him, as if a war would tear him apart in the first clash. Then he considered the sheer panic the city had suffered at their hands, and his heart began to harden. He thanked the police officer for his testimony and dispensed him from further questioning. He then cleared his throat and made his judgment.

“The defendants before me have managed to simultaneously paralyze the Metropolitan, Underground Transit and Automated Transit systems. Had this happened at the eve of the Great Rains, what might have happened? Hundreds would have been stranded above-ground to brave the Winds at their most intense, and if the Rains had happened to pelt down at that time, how many would have been washed into the floodplains? Perhaps your friends took this into consideration or perhaps they didn’t care. The people of Leiben have always been brother and sister to you, and now that the Earthborn have arrived to put an end to all indigenous inhabitants, that truth is all the clearer now. At least for those sensible enough to see it.

“You young men seem not to have seen it. And blindness has consequences in the real world. The consequences in this case will be severe.

“Darryl Hikari, Fumio Fukitsu, Peter Kojima and Timothy Bowker. You are convicted of Civil Net piracy, qualified intrusion, sabotage, resistance and seven counts of qualified assault. You are sentenced to no less than two years of compulsory military service, with the possibility of said period being extended at the pleasure of his Excellency the Commander of the CDF.

“Wolfram Kurayami, Drakum Balog, Maderu Scindia and Isogu Kitsune. You are convicted of Civil Net piracy, qualified intrusion, sabotage, qualified damages, resistance, four hundred and fifty seven counts of sequester, wanton vandalism and two counts of simple assault and coercion. You are sentenced to no less than four years of compulsory military service, with the possibility of said period being extended at the pleasure of his Excellency the Commander of the CDF.”

He expected the storm to break. It did not. Several of the newly convicted smiled beneath their gags, while others merely appeared annoyed at the sentence. The boy in the trench coat maintained an impassive expression, and the old judge began to wonder about him.

*****

The moment the judge wished them well, policemen removed the convicts’ gags and shushed them as soon as they began to complain. The group was then led away to the courthouse detention block to the building’s rear.

The eldest among them smiled as they walked along, thinking of how it had all worked out. The Movement’s greatest weakness was not a lack of personnel. It was quality and training that was lacking. Not one soldier, not one police officer, not even a fireman was to be found among them. They were a horde of overeducated undergraduates. It was that very dominant quality within Core Hack that had motivated the Wolf to form his own pack. Unfortunately, there was only one within it who possessed the intellect for elaborate planning. The remainder, if he was uncomfortably honest with himself, were little more than muscle.

Which was why they were known as the Alphas. It was not a name they had chosen for themselves. It was the depiction the members of Core Hack had of them, a derogatory adjective that had slowly become a name. The Fox’s recruitment had been meant to make up for that.

As they entered the cell block where delinquents awaited transport to the army recruitment office, the Wolf gave the Fox a one-armed bear-hug and pulled him close.

“Sorry about this, Isogo, it looks like study time is over.”

The Fox shrugged.

“Thank the gods. I was sick of it any way. Do you realize how fortunate we are?”

The Wolf smiled from his two meter frame, letting loose a chuckle at the thought.

“Free training and operational experience. Access to weaponry
and
ammunition. This is a wet dream for me. What’s your analysis?”

The Fox furrowed his brow as he thought on the matter, ignoring the congratulatory slaps his pack mates were laying into his back.

“It would be inconvenient if we were all to die. We need to volunteer for different operational units. And –”

“No, my hasty fox. We need to stick together. I know it would be more rewarding information-wise if we were to separate, but you’re not considering that
we are a pack
. So, what do you think of the earthlings in all this?”

The Fox peered up at his senior with a quizzical expression.

“You know well that the people from the hubs will be used as cannon fodder against the earthborn. We’ll simply have to defeat them. And then we can finish what they started when they tried to level Leiben.”

The Wolf grinned and leaned down to his junior’s ear.

“It seems my hasty fox has unwittingly become a wolf. Good for you.”

END OF BOOK ONE

Author’s note:

Thank you for taking the time to read my book. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends and posting a short
review on Amazon
. Reviews are an indie author’s best friends and much appreciated.

The second installment of the Capicua Chronicles is expected to arrive sometime in December, 2015.

Kindest regards,

Bruno Goncalves.