A Dance of Two Worlds

The Command Center

Chapter Fifty

The Command Center

No war is won without sacrifices, and sometimes a sea of innocent blood is required to turn the tide

Aden

6L 1/1/1/9

"Well, I don't think he is letting anyone out."

Jacob said with a gloomy face. "Those people are his shields and he will hide behind them. He will not even tell the people about our offer. So I don't think waiting for another day is of any use."

Jennifer was thinking on different lines. "If he is doing something we expected him to do, let us do something he doesn't expect us to do. Arnold, did you do the job Jennifer told you about?"

"Yes, and your hunch was spot on. Solomon did build tunnels in this world and that too in almost the same locations as the tunnels of our world. I followed the maps of Elisiums and located the required tunnel in Aden. And the good news is that the long tunnel is in surprisingly good shape for something that has not been used for ages. It will be perfect for our little foray inside Aurae."

"They know we used tunnels in Elisium and they will be prepared for this plan of action," Jacob warned them.

"Even with the maps, I had a hard time finding the exits. I think it is almost impossible for someone to locate these tunnels without any maps. And I Am sure they don't have any of those," Arnold retorted.

Jennifer nodded. "Let us give them a surprise tomorrow morning. When we first discussed this plan in Elisium it looked like a long shot but with the help of John and his allies inside the city, we will be able to make a far greater impact than expected."

John gave a twisted smile. "Yes, we are going to give Marcus the shock of his life."

"Okay, so let us get moving. Time is running out and we have a lot of work to do."

***

The residents of Aurae were living under a shadow of fear. There were rumors that their troops had been annihilated in Elisium and the enemies had arrived at their doorstep. They dreaded that a bloody war could begin anytime soon but they had no means of being sure. Aurae was completely cut off from the outside world. No one was permitted to go beyond the walls neither anyone was allowed to come in. And then, one gloomy morning, thousands of residents of Aurae woke up to a surprise. Or rather a shock. They received something which they hadn't imagined in their weirdest dreams. The truth had been shoved in their faces in the crudest way possible. They now knew that their counterparts weren't just waiting outside the wall, but they had penetrated their city. And even reached their homes.

***

Michael pushed aside the guard, who asked him to wait for the king's permission, and barged into the dining room of the Grand palace where Marcus was having a quiet breakfast with his wife and mother.

"Seeing your expressions, I don't think you have some good news," Marcus muttered through pursed lips. "Come, have some breakfast."

"I think you too will lose your appetite after seeing this." Michael handed an envelope to Marcus. It contained a picture of an impoverished family in ragged clothes standing outside a hut. There was a letter accompanying the picture.

"This is the picture of Judas and his family who are duplicates of you and your family. Just like them, every person in Elisium is the exact copy of a person in Aden. And just like you, we are honest, moralistic, peace-loving people.

However, our world has been terrorized by some gluttonous monsters for the last seven cycles. Our lands have been snatched, homes confiscated, and our men women, and innocent children have been subjugated to a life of suffering and misery. Nevertheless, we vanquished our enemies in our world and now want to finish their masters to end this vicious cycle of oppression.