Somewhere in Central Keron
Ostomrei watched the pillar of flame rise against the night sky. She felt the heat of it from where she was standing on the hill overloooking the site; a heartbeat later, the bass of the explosion slammed against her chest.
It was beginning.
She turned to her contacts, and shrugged. It was the only thing she felt she could do.
No doubt people were dying down there, trapped by the collapse of the shafts they hollowed out the hill from.
Ostomrei tried not to think about them, but think about them she did.
Behind her, something crumbled, the rumble of its disintergration echoing through the valley.
The three miners in front of her flinched; she had to put effort into keeping her face blank.
The oldest of the three, a grizzled man with coal dust still clinging to the whispy hairs on his cheek, only spoke long after the sound of the building collapse had faded: "This'll be happening all across the country." The edge of his mouth shivered for a second, and no longer. "It'd better be worth it."
The counterpart on his left grunted.
"With the supplies we've acquired," whispered the scarred youth to the old miner's right, "anything might be possible."
"You cannot be too headstrong. Everything here is finely balanced." She forced her tongue to work around the unfamiliar words in an unfamiliar language. "I know it is only me here at the moment, but there are more of us around the country with other like-minded groups, and there will be more of us to come." She squinted over their shoulders at the a glow of light on the horizon - another explosion, maybe. "Just because a group of people have sold you equipment and weapons doesn't mean they have your best interests, or the interests of your class and people, at heart. In this case, I know they definitely do not."
"And you do?" The grey-haired, balding one raised an eyebrow.
Ostomrei permitted herself a grimace. "We try."
She looked from him to the other two, taking time to record their features into her memory, from their faces to the way their determined eyes seemed to sparkle with nervous energy.
"We know you do," the miner said at last. He held out his palm; Ostromei clasped it, holding his gaze.
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be," the young one hissed, his eyes fixed on the labour camp at her back.
The quiet one gave a sad smile, and glanced at the long crate by his feet.
"Lead on."
The four of them began to trot down the hillside, box held aloft by the two younger miners, their cargo rattling gently inside.
Below them, shouts; some of terror, and of triumph.
Ostomrei watched the pillar of flame rise against the night sky. She felt the heat of it from where she was standing on the hill overloooking the site; a heartbeat later, the bass of the explosion slammed against her chest.
It was beginning.
She turned to her contacts, and shrugged. It was the only thing she felt she could do.
No doubt people were dying down there, trapped by the collapse of the shafts they hollowed out the hill from.
Ostomrei tried not to think about them, but think about them she did.
Behind her, something crumbled, the rumble of its disintergration echoing through the valley.
The three miners in front of her flinched; she had to put effort into keeping her face blank.
The oldest of the three, a grizzled man with coal dust still clinging to the whispy hairs on his cheek, only spoke long after the sound of the building collapse had faded: "This'll be happening all across the country." The edge of his mouth shivered for a second, and no longer. "It'd better be worth it."
The counterpart on his left grunted.
"With the supplies we've acquired," whispered the scarred youth to the old miner's right, "anything might be possible."
"You cannot be too headstrong. Everything here is finely balanced." She forced her tongue to work around the unfamiliar words in an unfamiliar language. "I know it is only me here at the moment, but there are more of us around the country with other like-minded groups, and there will be more of us to come." She squinted over their shoulders at the a glow of light on the horizon - another explosion, maybe. "Just because a group of people have sold you equipment and weapons doesn't mean they have your best interests, or the interests of your class and people, at heart. In this case, I know they definitely do not."
"And you do?" The grey-haired, balding one raised an eyebrow.
Ostomrei permitted herself a grimace. "We try."
She looked from him to the other two, taking time to record their features into her memory, from their faces to the way their determined eyes seemed to sparkle with nervous energy.
"We know you do," the miner said at last. He held out his palm; Ostromei clasped it, holding his gaze.
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be," the young one hissed, his eyes fixed on the labour camp at her back.
The quiet one gave a sad smile, and glanced at the long crate by his feet.
"Lead on."
The four of them began to trot down the hillside, box held aloft by the two younger miners, their cargo rattling gently inside.
Below them, shouts; some of terror, and of triumph.
Harndon
Some wanker with too much time and too little energy.
