Alice in Deadland Trilogy (27 page)

‘What is that?’ Alice asked.

'For people like me, Arjun, Satish, and others of our age,
we knew what the world was like before The Rising. We know what messages are
likely to be no more than propaganda and what we can really trust. We know that
the Chinese were not exactly our allies and how their political system was so
different from our democracy. But more than half the people in Wonderland were
either born after The Rising or are too young to remember any of this. They
take everything they see at face value; they are the ones most excited by the
shiny toys and TV shows, and they are the ones the Central Committee is winning
over with these messages.'

'They could not defeat us, so they steal our children's
minds,' Arjun growled.

'Alice, we need to defuse and manage the situation. I will
issue a statement that there must be a mistake and someone is trying to frame
Satish.'

Alice stood. 'My father used to tell me something about why
he never worked for the Central Committee despite being asked to, and why he
always ensured our settlement remained independent in spite of all the
difficulties we faced. He used to say that a leash, even if made of the finest
silk, is still a leash.'

The meeting ended with Arun’s departure. He planned to issue
a statement immediately.

When he was gone, Satish looked at Alice. 'What are you
going to do?'

'I think the time's coming when we'll be needed to fight
once more. Spread the word among your men that they should make sure our heavy
weapons are ready to use.'

Satish grinned.

'About time we did what we should have done long ago.'

As he turned to leave, Alice cautioned, 'Just don't do
anything hasty. Lie low for now.'

She turned to see Arjun grinning broadly.

'What's so funny, Arjun?'

'I never cease to be amused by how you order around people
three times your age, and how they listen to you.'

Later that day, Alice was called urgently to town. She raced
there on her bike, hoping it was not another Biter attack. When she arrived,
she found that it was almost as bad. Two of Satish's men had been eating at
McDonald's when a couple of teenagers had made comments about Satish being a
criminal. Words had been exchanged and before anyone could defuse things, a
fight had broken out. One of the boys was in hospital with a broken nose and a
large crowd had gathered in front of Arun's office, demanding that Satish's men
either be disarmed or confined to barracks.

One woman shrieked, 'These men are too used to war. They
don't know how to live in civilized company anymore.'

Alice glared at her and the woman shrunk under her gaze.

'You have what you call civilized company because soldiers
like them bled for you. Don't forget that.'

Arun was inside with Arjun and Satish, who seemed livid.

'Arun, these boys are our best fighters. There is no way I
will disarm them.'

Arun rubbed his forehead absently, trying to deal with a
throbbing headache.

'This is all going crazy. Look, can you please put your
recon teams in a barracks for a day or two till things cool down? Arjun, can
your men handle security till then?'

Arjun shook his head sadly. 'My boys can break up fights and
help drunks home, and of course they could shoot Biters when they were in the
Deadland. But they are not trained combat soldiers like Satish's men, so if
there's any trouble with the Red Guards, they won't last too long.'

'But there aren’t any Red Guards around, are there?'

Alice said, 'Not yet, but I'm sure we will cross paths with
them soon enough.'

***

Back in Ladakh, Hu was seated in Chen's office, the chess
set in front of him as usual, looking more complacent and smug than ever. As
events had unfolded in Wonderland over the last few days, Chen had finally
begun to grasp the true extent of what Hu and the Central Committee had
planned.

'Comrade General, do you see now how this war is being waged
and won? I don't care about those savages and their pathetic piece of land, but
the fertile lands of Northern India are needed to feed our people, and we need
labor to resume working on farms and in the camps back in the Mainland.'

Chen was silent, but Hu fixed him with an expectant look.
Okay, if the Commissar wanted groveling and positive validation, Chen would
oblige. If it helped him save the lives of hundreds more young conscripts from
being thrown away in meaningless battles, he would play along.

'Comrade Commissar, the plan is certainly something I would
never have thought of. It's reassuring that the Central Committee has been able
to find a more peaceful solution to achieve our goals.'

Hu laughed.

'Comrade Commissar, did I say something to amuse you?'

Holding his belly, tears standing out in his eyes, Hu said,
'Who told you that there is to be no more bloodshed?' Opening his hand, he
produced a chess piece. 'You see, Comrade, our game is a little bit different
than a normal game of chess. In this game, the White King can be taken off the
board and the game will continue.'

***

Arun pulled his jacket around him, trying to keep out the
chill. He remembered a time when he actually welcomed Delhi winters, enjoying
hot cups of tea in the heated comfort of his bungalow. In the Deadland, winters
had meant nothing but misery and huddling in old, tattered blankets. So it was
no surprise that the latest shipment from the Central Committee had generated
much excitement, as it had brought crates packed with soft woolen sweaters and
blankets. Arun had stood proudly as people had openly cheered and clapped. That
one moment had brought home to him that he had finally made progress in being a
true leader to his people. Wonderland may have been forged in blood and war,
but Arun would be the one who brought the beginnings of peace and prosperity to
his people.

The flight had also brought with it a message for Arun from
Commissar Hu. The Commissar wanted to meet Arun alone to discuss some important
matters. Arun had been requested to not share this request with anyone else:
the message had euphemistically stated, 'Do not share broadly until we have met
to prevent counter-revolutionary elements in Wonderland from sabotaging our
continuing partnership'. Arun knew that the ‘elements' being referred to were
Alice and Satish, and he was fine with that. He had sought refuge in Wonderland
like thousands of others and watched Alice and her followers wage the war that
had brought them some breathing space, but while Arun never doubted her courage
or skill with weapons, he did not think she had the vision needed to realize
that no society could exist in a perpetual state of war. The only way out was
to bring about some semblance of stability and peace. Arun was well versed
enough in the ways of politics to know that the Central Committee had not been
sending all their shiny gifts out of the goodness of their hearts. They would
want something back in return, and he guessed that was what this meeting was
about. His best guess was that the Central Committee would want to restart the
farms in the plains where labor from the Deadland had once worked. When he and
the others in the Deadland had been scavenging to survive, many settlements had
sent people to these farms to buy some degree of security from Biter hordes. At
that time, Alice's vision of these being slave camps and her offering freedom
seemed compelling. Now, with a more settled presence in Wonderland, Arun
believed that it could be a more equal exchange. He could promise some share of
the harvest from these farms in return for assured supplies of goods that would
really set Wonderland on its path back to civilization. Already he had a mental
list that included more generators, bicycles to help people get around more
easily, and a large screen and projector to open the first movie theatre in
Wonderland – something that had been much in demand once people had started
getting used to the daily dose of TV soaps.

This was what national leaders did, wasn't it? Trade with
other nations to bring prosperity to their people; create a vision for a
peaceful, stable society; and end long, festering wars. So Arun had slipped
away at night, riding a bicycle to the borders of Wonderland and then arriving
at the agreed rendezvous point. Part of him was worried at being out in the
Deadland alone at night, and he nervously fingered the pistol tucked into his
belt, but the excitement of a major new agreement with the Central Committee
overrode that nervousness.

Arun had been so lost in thought that he almost missed
seeing the sleek black helicopter that had landed a hundred or so meters away.
It had arrived without making any noise, and looked like the helicopter that
Vince loved to play around with. A figure stepped out, barely more than a
smudge in the darkness. From a distance, in the dull glow reflected from the
cockpit of the helicopter, it looked like a Red Guard officer, with the
trademark slanted cap. But as Arun got closer, he was surprised to see that the
officer seemed to be a woman. He had never encountered a female Red Guard before
and wondered if she was an aide who had come to fetch him to meet the
Commissar.

A nervous knot formed in his stomach. He did not want to be
taken anywhere alone by the Red Guards. Talk of fraternal relationships was
great when he was in the relative safety of Wonderland, but not out here when
he was all alone.

The Red Guard officer strode toward him.

He had a tactical radio strapped to his belt, and the
frequency was set to the Looking Glass. He knew Danish would be there, and
while the old man would hardly be able to offer much help, he could alert Alice
and Satish. It was a sobering thought as he realized that when he was faced
with imminent danger the two people he had done most to undermine in his
attempt to gain power were the only two people he thought he could count on to
help him.

The Red Guard officer was now mere feet away. In perfect
English she said, 'Greetings, Mr. Prime Minister. It is an honor to meet you.'

Hearing her polite greeting reassured Arun and he walked
towards her, still unable to make out her features in the dark.

‘Greetings, is Commissar Hu here, or do I need to go
anywhere else to meet him?’

The officer chuckled. Then her voice changed, taking on a
harder edge.

‘Prime Minister, my brother died somewhere here in the
Deadland, cut to pieces by the Yellow Witch and her monsters.’

Arun stopped in mid-stride.

‘I listened to survivors of his unit talk about how people
like you cheered and clapped as they were hunted down by her. It was a war, I
admit that, but why would you allow the slaughter of those who were willing to
surrender?’

After a moment of fumbling for a response, Arun said, ‘No,
such a thing never happened. We always let surrendered Red Guard units go. That
was Alice’s order.’

‘You lie!’

Li spat out the words and took another step towards Arun. He
saw her reach for something at her belt and, suddenly very scared, Arun took
out the one signal flare he was carrying and lit it. As he held it in front of
him, he got his first look at the Red Guard officer facing him. He took in the
red, lifeless eyes, the teeth pulled back in a feral grimace, and the decaying,
yellowed skin. He stumbled back, the flare falling to his feet.

‘What are you?’

Li picked up the flare and held it close to her face.

‘I am the Red Queen, dog!’

Arun clicked the transmit button on his radio. He screamed,
‘Looking Glass, I need help!’

Before he could say another word, Li had crossed the
distance between them in a single leap and hit him with an outstretched palm.
Arun doubled over in pain as he felt his ribs crack. He struggled to his feet
as Li pivoted, cracking the edge of her palm against Arun’s nose. He felt warm
blood spurt out over his face and mouth and he screamed in pain. He tried to
reach for the gun at his belt, but Li grabbed his wrist in a lock, applying
pressure until she heard the bones snap. Arun’s screams became incoherent.

Li wanted to make him suffer more, but her orders were clear
as to how this man was to die. She brought him close and then leaned forward,
opening her mouth to bite. Behind her two of her Biters approached to finish
the job.

***

Danish had stepped out to stretch his legs. Sitting in front
of the terminals and radio equipment for hours every day was not doing his
aging joints any good. Not being able to access the American sites was
frustrating but he had nowhere else to go, as he slept most nights in a small
room adjoining the Looking Glass. He had decided to call it a night and sleep
when he heard the scream on the radio. He rushed back inside, but he heard nothing
else. Had he imagined it? He could have sworn he had just heard Arun scream.
Falling down into his seat, he tried to call Arun’s tactical radio.

‘White King, do you copy? This is the Looking Glass.’

He flinched as he heard a low moan, sounding more like an
animal in pain than a human being. That was followed by a roar that could have
come only from a Biter.

***

EIGHT

‘White Queen, I think I saw some
movement about a kilometer east of your current position.’

‘Roger, White Knight. I’m on it.’

The moment they had been alerted
by Danish to the transmission from Arun’s radio, Alice, Satish and Arjun had
been scouring the area around Wonderland. Arun’s wife did not know where he had
gone, other than the fact that he had stepped out late for a meeting. That set
off alarm bells in Alice’s mind, so they agreed to not only search Wonderland,
but also the land bordering it. Vince was in his helicopter, using its motion
sensors and heat detectors to aid in the search. Not knowing what they were
getting into, Alice radioed Satish and Arjun to join her before they
investigated what Vince had just spotted.

Vince reached the location well
before they did and what he saw was clear. There was a heat signature in the
darkness almost directly below him. From the limping way the figure seemed to
be moving, it was either a badly wounded man or a Biter. He would have taken
the helicopter down for a closer look but Alice had told him to stay in the air
to provide warning in case this was a Red Guard trap.

Alice was riding her bicycle and
so far had been cautious in the darkness but was now pedaling as fast as she
could. Arun and Satish were on their own bicycles just behind her. They had
debated coming out in a jeep but Arjun had cautioned that it would make too
much noise and alert any potential adversaries. From over Alice’s head came the
soft hum of the helicopter; she was close. Vince must have seen her on his
sensors as he turned on the powerful spotlight below his copter, lighting up
the figure below him.

It was Arun; Alice could recognize
him from his clothes.

‘Arun, are you okay?’

She dismounted from her bike and
ran towards him, and then skidded to a stop when he raised his face to look at
her. His right hand was clearly broken and hung limp at his side, his face was
bloodied and torn, and he had several bite marks visible beneath his tattered
and bloody shirt. His bald head was covered with blood and his red eyes had a
vacant look in them. He looked at Alice and snarled and then took a step
towards her, baring his teeth. Alice sensed Satish come to a crouch beside her,
his rifle at his shoulder.

‘Don’t shoot,’ she warned.

Alice had done this dozens of
times with Biters that had joined her band, only she had never imagined doing this
with someone who had been a person she had spoken with just hours ago. Removing
the charred book from her belt, Alice held it above her head with her left
hand.

‘Stop and look at me!’

The way she had screamed her
command startled even Arjun and Satish, who had never witnessed this ritual and
took a step back. Arun bared his teeth and jumped at Alice, who sidestepped him
and kicked him down with ease.

‘You fool! Do you think I am a
mere girl to be bitten? Look at me!’

Arun’s eyes went to hers. He
stopped.

‘I am your Queen and this is the
book that contains the prophecy that is our fate. As long as I hold it you will
obey and follow me.’

Arun snarled again and was about
to leap when Alice kicked him hard in the chest, sending him sprawling.

‘Follow me or I will tear you to
pieces. Look at me, look at the book and remember that you are destined to
follow me.’

Arun stayed crouched, his voice a
low growl, but he did not attack. Edwards had been curious about how Alice got
the Biters to follow her, and she had told him her about her own experiences
and also what she had witnessed among the Biters who had followed Dr. Protima.
Edwards had said that perhaps it reflected the fact that even though they were
now no longer fully human, Biters perhaps had one thing in common with people.
Like people, Biters needed symbols to follow and believe in, and the charred
copy of Alice in Wonderland had become such a symbol.

Alice knelt down and took a closer
look at Arun. When Satish and Arjun joined her, he snarled at them but did not
attack. Alice heard Satish draw in his breath.

‘My God, who did this?’

Arjun replied, ‘Probably one of
those damn Biters the Red Guards seem to have following that Red Queen. Though
why they would do this escapes me.’

Bunny Ears emerged from the darkness,
looking first at the figure and then Alice.

‘Bunny Ears, take him with you and
teach him how to follow you. Keep him safe till we figure out what’s going on.’

The bunny eared Biter grunted and
then pulled Arun to his feet. As the trio watched him disappear into the
darkness, Arjun said in a low voice, ‘I may not have agreed with him, but he
was not a bad man. He was just blinded by his ambition and the hate he had for
Biters. Sometimes when we hate something too much, we are fated to become the very
thing we hate.’

They took their time coming back
into Wonderland as they swept the area where they had found Arun. Satish found
indentations in the sand that could have been created by the landing gear of a
helicopter but there was no way of being sure. They found some blood nearby,
presumably Arun’s, and a discarded signal flare. There was no doubt that Arun
had come out here by himself to meet someone, but whom that had been was a
mystery. Alice’s mind went back to the so-called Red Queen she had encountered
in battle and she found it easy to imagine her and her Biters setting an ambush
for Arjun, though what the Central Committee would gain by doing this was
uncertain.

Their first stop back in
Wonderland was the Looking Glass, where Danish was waiting for them. When they
told him what had happened to Arun, his eyes widened.

‘I have a really bad feeling about
this.’

Vince arrived at that moment. To
Alice he said, ‘So far the Reds have been playing us quite well. They’ve
alienated you and Satish from the rest of Wonderland; they’ve made the humans
and Biters stop working together; and they’ve got the youngsters in Wonderland
eating out of their hands. Whatever they’re trying to do with Arun has to be a
part of that plan: gradually dividing people in Wonderland to weaken it.’

As if on cue, Danish spotted a new
message flashing on the Central Committee Intranet. It was an invitation for
the people of Wonderland to gather and watch a special news broadcast on TV
that morning.

The word had spread like wildfire by
the time of the broadcast, so thousands of people were gathered around the
Council building, and Arjun had to bring the TV outdoors so more people could
watch it. When even more people landed up, he ended up hooking up the second
TV, too.

Several of those gathered asked
where Arun was.

Arjun stepped up on a table.
‘Folks, I have no idea what they want to broadcast, so please be silent so we
can all hear.’

He made no mention of Arun. He,
Alice, Satish, Vince and Danish had resolved not to let anyone else in on the
secret of what Arun’s fate had been until they got a better idea of what the
Central Committee was up to.

Before long a red star replaced
the static and then the familiar newscaster appeared. Today she looked even
more somber than usual as she began her report.

‘It is with profound regret that
we must report the passing of one of our dear friends and a steadfast champion
of the fraternal bonds between the Mainland and Wonderland.’

A buzz spread through the gathered
crowd as she continued, ‘Late last night, Arun Chowdhury, the Prime Minister of
Wonderland, was apparently set upon by a group of wild Biters and killed.
Please wait as we show photos from one of our circling drones.’

A series of photographs flashed
across the screen. They were fuzzy and the night-vision optics gave them an
eerie glow, but what they showed was clear enough. Arun lay sprawled across the
ground with two Biters leaning over him.

Commissar Hu appeared on the
screen next.

‘I mourn the passing of a statesman
who had the vision to see that our nations could put aside past
misunderstandings and start a new relationship. It is clear that with the Zeus
traitors having been exposed for the criminals they were and the so-called
Queen losing control of her Biters, the people of Wonderland need security. If
the Prime Minister, our dear brother, could not be protected, what will happen
to ordinary citizens of Wonderland?’

Alice felt a stirring in the crowd
and one or two teenage boys pointed at her and Satish. But what Hu said next
scared her more than any potential disturbance in the crowd.

‘Dear brothers and sisters in
Wonderland, we will not abandon you in this time of need. Until you are able to
secure your own borders and elect a worthy successor to Comrade Arun, I am
dispatching a small force to help secure your borders and protect you from
these heinous Biter hordes.’

***

‘Dakotas at Netaji Subhas
Chandra.’

It was the fifth time that day that
the Americans had made that enigmatic transmission on the radio. While Danish
had been unable to access the American websites, he had hidden Arun’s old ham
radio set when the Red Guard technicians had come, and had been using it to
listen into what the Americans were saying. He had caught snippets about
ongoing battles in the American Deadland and also repeated pleas for Wonderland
to re-establish contact. Then had come the mysterious transmission, repeated
several times every day for the last two days.

Vince asked, ‘What the hell are
they talking about?’

After the last TV transmission,
Alice, Satish, Vince and Edwards had essentially sought refuge inside the
Looking Glass. Satish’s men were on edge, but he had asked them to stay in
their barracks. Arjun was spending every minute passing through Wonderland,
trying to soothe frayed tempers and nerves. A few young men had decided that
attacking Satish would be a good idea, but Arjun had dissuaded them at the
point of a gun. Wonderland was a powder keg about to explode at any minute, and
Alice worried that when the Red Guards arrived they would be able to
essentially take over Wonderland with little resistance.

‘I have no idea how, but the Reds
have made a mistake and we need to use that against them.’

All eyes fell onto Arjun. He
continued, ‘They left Arun there, thinking he was dead. That Red Queen of
theirs did not get transformed by being bitten. She and her Biters were created
in a lab, so she probably has never seen a human get bitten and transformed. She
did not know that a person looks dead and then wakes as a Biter after a few
minutes. From their TV transmission, the Reds believe Arun is dead, maybe
because they spotted Vince’s helicopter and scooted before Arun woke up as a
Biter.’

‘Let’s call everyone and tell them
what’s going on now! We must get organized and ready before any Red Guards get
close,’ Alice cried.

Satish shook his head. ‘We will
get ready, and we do need to tell people what happened to Arun, but we need to
wait.’

‘For what?’

‘For us to be ready. I want all my
recon teams back in the Deadland to act as a tripwire for Red Guards and to
give us some warning, and I want my SAM teams deployed before we do anything
that may get the Reds to act. But I can’t do that now, not with the tensions in
Wonderland. Let’s wait till nightfall and get my men deployed. Then first thing
tomorrow morning we can get Arun back here.’

Alice did not like the idea of
waiting for one more night, but she saw reason in what Satish was saying. Armed
troopers out in the streets now would likely only provoke confrontation. She
also needed to get word to Bunny Ears, and that would take some time.

Suddenly Danish stood up,
excitement shining in his eyes.

‘I got it! I can’t believe I never
made the connection earlier!’

‘What?’

Danish grabbed Alice by the
shoulders, unable to stop himself from smiling.

‘I figured out what the Americans
have been trying to tell us. They would have seen Doctor Edwards’ last post and
I’m sure they’re trying to get him out.’

Alice still had no idea what
Danish was talking about.

‘Netaji Subhash Chandra
International Airport was the name given to the airport in Calcutta.’

Vince completed the thought for
him. ‘And Dakotas would refer to airplanes. Old DC-3s. It makes sense that
without satellites for GPS or networks to run the navigation computers, the
first planes flying are the old propeller driven ones like the Dakota. They
must have made landings in Calcutta.’

Alice felt a surge of excitement.
The Americans had found a way to reach what had once been the Indian
subcontinent! They had found comfort in the radio broadcasts and web posts they
had shared with the Americans since they told them that they were not waging a
solitary war. Now there was a chance to make direct contact and, critically, to
get Edwards to a location where he could help create a vaccine or a cure.

‘Vince, you said you could get the
helicopter to Calcutta, didn’t you?’