Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Eight

It was late afternoon and no one had slept well, so they stopped to sit for a round of free coffee. Elzbieta was working the shift, almost asleep on her feet. Claudia nodded over her mobile, murmering something about Robots. There were a number of others about, interested but not entirely in the know.

Danjel looked around the room. A lot of young faces, many watching him. Somehow, in the short time he had been back home, he had gathered this following. He told himself sometimes that it was all Claudia behind his back. Claudia and her secret computer messages. Or, maybe Elzbieta had simply called her girlfriends to tell them how cute he was.

He so wanted Claudia. He had the night before and right now he did again. It would probably be vulgar to drag her from this place for all to see and attempt to secret her away with him somewhere. He didn't want to be vulgar, just wanted Claudia. She was biting at her fingers as she looked at the computer before her. She was awfully concerned about the timing of events between Warsaw and here.

Karl reached around Danjel for his word recorder, and as Danjel felt the arm on his back he turned his head. For a moment, he was so close to Karl's face, then Karl smiled in his almost smug way, and withdrew. Danjel turned away and lay his head on the table. They had been much closer last night. Danjel wasn't even sure how to name what they did. It had been sexual, but he doubted making love was accurate, and it hadn't seemed vulgar enough to be fucking.

Kit might know, but then Danjel would have to tell him, and Kit would be sad. Nice as it had been, Danjel really had wanted Claudia. Now, he was distraught, thinking such melodramatic thoughts when they had serious work to do. "Claudy," he said.

She looked away from the screen. There wasn't anything Danjel could say in public. She seemed to be studying him. "Tell them we are having a meeting tommorrow at St Casimir," she said suddenly.

Danjel straightened.

"Tell them to meet at St. Casimir tomorrow," he told Karl.

Karl nodded, passed the word along. The periphery of the crowd disbanded, and shortly only those who knew of their plans with the hospital were left. "We're all too tired," Danjel said. "Let's go to the hospital and take a forced nap after we get there. When it is darker we can try to move the first of them; see what Jacob says."

† † †

The hospital was busy when they arrived, the IDs and last supplies having been delivered earlier. Their 24 patients and helpers were packing what they could. Danjel explained that they were all exhausted and he agreed they should rest. His group had decided they would travel toward Berlin. They would be safe there, able to go to a good hospital and find others of their various kinds in the city.

Blankets were broken out and the group of friends that were just the six in number attempted sleep on the wooden floor of the dance studio. Danjel felt a lot better when Claudia lay down with him. "We need to sleep," was all she said, but he didn't care. He slept easily with Claudia under his arm.

Milla came to wake them later. She whispered to Danjel only, but Claudia was soon awake. "There is news," she said. She led them behind the curtain, where Danjel had seen the row of cots and bedrolls with the patients. Now, everyone sat or stood beside their packs. Jacob and Efrit, who seemed to be leaders, were gathered before a monitor watching a newscast.

Danjel approached, sure it was bad news. The video from helicopter showed an armed column parallel to camera movement, but heading in the opposite direction. Panning back, there were armored vehicles at the front of the line, and the line stretched for miles. This was Warsaw early in the morning. The footage was edited with a quick jump cut. A helicopter shot from a higher angle, and suddenly the column seemed to disappear. Another jump-cut. Polish Army were throwing what they had at the tanks. They bloodied the streets with Russian blood, and fell from windows when very real fire was returned. Another piece of footage showed military hovercraft mowing down entrenched Polish soldiers.