CH 23 - CS Technology Code

Jon finished writing his bequest, trusting Hemlock will forward it for him. He is now trying to re-read Moby Dick, one of several real paper books on the room's shelves, but it is hard to concentrate.

The jailers watching him have been intently listening to their radios, but their ear plugs keep calls private. They seem to have been put on alert, holding their blasters with whitening fingers. Happily trigger fingers are still outside trigger guards.

A royal guard Captain enters, closely followed by a squad of heavily armed guardsmen. "Prince Pahl has ordered us to take the prisoner to other quarters. Your squad will report to our barracks for temporary assignment. You are to declare for Prince Pahl first, or you will be made prisoners yourselves."

The Sargent for Jon's guards looks at his men, "Place your blasters in your holsters. Stand in rank, on three all proclaim 'I stand for the prince.'" The formality done, he leads his men to the royal guard barracks, at the double.

Captain to Jon, "I am to treat you as a person of great importance, and lead you to any computer facility you wish. Prince Pahl is abdicating his throne in favor of Jacob de la Casa, we are loyal to both. There is no conflict between them, but we have been advised there is a firefight between loyal troops and those holed up with Scar and Hemlock in the computer bay, another fight rages where Prince Pahl is holed up in our Royal Guard barracks."

"Thank you Captain. Please lead me to the closest computer with administration hookups. Make it one with a UPS, a battery and generator back up."

"Each floor has a system administrator's office, I will lead you to the closest and you can tell me if their systems meet your needs."

As they leave a concerned Jon asks, "How fares the Prince?"

"He has been wounded leading us, and yet refused to leave the battle. He sent us here to rescue you even though he needs our fire power. It was hard to leave, but he is a man worthy of obedience. He is placing his troop's lives above his own, and seems to consider your work as more important than his life."

Once Jon is ensconced in the administrative office, the Captain and his troops return to the battle, except one wary individual left for Jon's protection. Jon discovers the communications grid still stands. A network is running, apparently Jon's hacked version. Finding Hemlocks new system is Jon's first task. Perhaps both are operating side by side.

Jacob de la Casa is still broadcasting updates every fifteen minutes, and Pahl has been interviewed by Jacob. It is apparent to any that watch; here are two men of united minds and hearts.

The army's regular generals have all declared for Pahl, and hence for Jacob. Their local troops are moving toward the city to confront those fighting Pahl's forces. If the loyalists can hold out another few hours, they should be able to retake the initiative.

After confirming only one network is running, Jon starts shutting down systems in areas held by Scar's troops: elevators, lighting, even air handlers. The confusion is giving assistance to loyal forces, making their fights easier. Some of Scar's troops are surrendering. If Scar is not present, their will to fight is subdued. Being isolated, they quickly determined they are loosing. Scar's troops rightly reason it is better to surrender early while they can still claim confusion, rather than persist and face punishments as traitors to the crown. Early on Prince Pahl used the public address system to plead for a laying down of arms. The PA system had since been disabled by explosions during a counter attack by Scar.

Power dies. It was now dark throughout the building. It is a tactic initiated by Hemlock, probably to cover his escape. The darkness will likely make fights more desperate but less frequent. There is an explosion at the entrance to the computer bays, closing them off, stopping that battle. When Jon restarts the Palace systems minutes later, Scars troops start surrendering in a wholesale manner -- those that had not been bright enough to sneak out in the dark and pretend they had been fighting for the Prince.

There is no reason to keep fighting, no cause worth their lives, no one around that will sign their paychecks or promote them. The brief period of dark has restored sanity while shifting the scale's balance from fear of Scar, to hope for survival.

Jon finds a way to port into Hemlocks new system, it is mostly operational, but not complete enough to compete with the old system he was running. Jon locks it up securely, it will be useful for Mose/Jacob as he re-establishes the kingdom. Keeping Hemlock from back-dooring the system will be a problem, but a problem decentralization will solve quickly. If Hemlock has survived.

There had been no sightings of Hemlock or Scar since shortly after the fighting started. Scar would have been recognized, Hemlock has probably triggered a generic persona change program. Once clear of the area where he is know, he will likely remain clear.

Jon seeks to establish contact with the computer bay, there is no response, the whole area seems dead.

Within the hour all rebellion has ceased. There are still armed guards standing by as workers clear rubble trying to reach the computer bay. Royalist troops wander the palace grounds at the ready, but the battle is over.

The future of Elldee is now in the hands of the hackers.

There are many blaster burns, but less than one hundred fifty deaths. It has not been bloodless, but the blood shed has been professional soldiers that live with battle risk. While losses among soldiers have been few, all are to be treated to full state burials. Who is to say what or who they they were fighting for. It was a confused battle.

Royal guardsman Whitecloud died beating off one of the attacks on Prince Pahl. He led a charge that turned the tide of that one battle, using his reckless offense as a defense for his prince. His loyalty extended to the grave. Pahl briefly mourned at his body, and has Whitecloud's coffin before him as he gives his broadcast victory speech.

"It is over, victory is achieved, it is now up to us the living to awake a free people worthy of such sacrifice. Elldee is officially free, but as always, the word officially is overused. You are free. Free to say no, free to make bad decisions, free to do nothing. Consider using your freedom to create a better Elldee by creating and empowering a better you."

Jacob joins Pahl. "Realization of the benefits of freedom require each of us to exert ourselves for our own peculiar advancement. Complacency and acceptance of situations are not to be on our agendas. My task, with Prince Pahl's council, is to remove official barricades you have faced. Too long have you been forced to live in our society's holes to avoid being stepped on by either right or left boots of officialdom."

Pahl continues: "All of you have the potential to be exceptional. Exceptional was dangerous before, now it is required. Not required by us, but of you -- to first dream, then shape ideas, then act on those ideas. Recover from mistakes, learn, then act again. We expect many failures. We encourage risking failure as the best way to improve. Expect many failures of us also. Repeated failure is necessary to create the exceptional. May we all make ourselves exceptional."

Jacob glowers at the camera. "I do not want this job, I don't want to be king, I want you to rule your own lives."

He then smiles and relaxes, a bit. "As it will take time for us to unload the burden you and I have been forced to carry, so it will take time for you to realize the burden is lifting. It is time to consider what you might be, and start investigating how to make it real. Even though you have been yoked to the grand carriage of state and forced to haul it on uneven roads, you were born with wings. We are removing our yokes. It is up to you to unfurl your own wings and decide where you want to fly."

Pahl places his hand reverently on Whitecloud's casket, "Loyal soldiers have been wounded and died giving you a chance to fail brilliantly. Fail for them, over and over again. Don't waste their or your efforts. Fail brilliantly to succeed exceptionally."

King Jacob concludes: "When the people of Elldee seek to succeed rather than to avoid failure - then all free people will profit even as our country profits. May you as an individual profit, even as your soul profits. Let us now take a minute to mourn our dead."

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