Despair Architecture

[Caelia]

???

"He really went in did it and it's just a month away, that's not a lot of time. I would never have believed he would risk everything like this. Maybe we overestimated him?"

"It means he's feeling it. I have no doubt he is going to try and end this in one blow, and I wouldn't count him out either."

"A head on assault? Funny, never seemed like his style. But I will give him credit though, when this is all over only one side will be left standing, no a doubt about it. Exposing yourself to that takes some guts, or a few to many blows to the head."

"Oh yes. But I don't believe he'd have allowed himself to be provoked into it unless he still thinks he can win. No, unless he thought it was his sole best chance. If we get careless we won't come out the Convocation alive."

"Heh. It comes with the territory, I think of it as an occupational Hazard. You know what they say nothing ventured..."

"...Nothing gained"

"I'll drink to that!"

 

[Caelia]

Border Observation Station S-199, Kypchak Administrative Region, Kyivan-Polatsk border.

Luka cursed the cold and suppressed the urge to kick the heater again, his toe was still aching from the last one. Winter was a coming and a freezing wind blew across the steppe and S-99's lonely observation tower may as well have been a freezer. The heater? It hadn't worked in exactly thirteen days.

He rubbed his hands together furiously one more time, trying to restore their sensation, but as fast as he could warm them the air seemed to suck the heat away. He looked, but there was nothing to see. The flimsy single pane windows (a testament to Kyivan military engineering!) were covered in thick frost, in the frost he could still make out crude drawings and words. Some of it was his own, most put there by the others who shared his duty.

The stated purpose of S-99 was to monitor the border for signs of Oikawan military activity, in principle the nearly opaque windows severely impeded this. But Luka did not worry. S-99 was old, built decades ago by the communists. Four kilometers east S-154 had been expanded just two years ago and was festooned with state-of-the-art electronic surveillance equipment including it's own UAV squadron. Routine ground patrols ran along the entire length of the sector, and five years ago they had installed a sophisticated seismic intrusion detection system. If someone tried to cross the border S-99 would probably be the last place to know.

Why did it still exist then? Why had Luka spent six long years here staring at overgrown minefields and slowly crumbling tank barriers? He thought about that a lot, especially on long cold nights like this one. He hadn't found a satisfactory answer. The only explanation he could conceive of was that they simply had never bothered to close it down. S-99 he supposed just didn't matter to the planners in the faraway capital. So far beneath their notice they couldn't even be bothered to get rid of it long after it ceased to be relevant.

To think he spent the bulk of his career in the Border Corps dutifully manning a forgotten, redundant outpost was not comforting. Knowing some men had been here two or three times as long without any recognition was even worse. Right then he began to shiver.

Suddenly, the feeling of a hand on his shoulder and a voice. Had he been asleep? How long? "Did I wake you soldier?". Then there was laughter, and Luka relaxed. It was only Ivan, come to relieve. Luka looked over at the clock but his eyes were blurry. "Mhhh? It's a bit past 15:00, if you're wondering. Sorry for waking you early, still an hour to go I'm afraid."

Lukas wits were beginning to return to him "15:00... since did you show up for watch early?".

Ivan's expression changed, his smile vanished and suddenly he became much more sullen. "Because Luka."

"Because?"

"Because I need to talk to you..." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small battered booklet and pushed it into Luka's hand "...about this."

Luka took the booklet from him and turned it over. The moment he saw the title could feel his heart skip, it read: The Endpoint of the Stratocratic Revolution: A Manifesto of the Soldiers Democracy.

 

[Caelia]

GASFC Electronic Messenger Service​

SEC: SECRET//MCID//COMM
TO: V. Hukdin
FROM: I. Ternopol
SUBJECT: Re: Odesa

The possibility of a MID leak at this level is disturbing but you are correct, it is the only explanation which is 100% consistent with this fiasco.

IF the committee has managed to infiltrate the MID at that level we may have no choice but to consider the MID as compromised. Command agrees that we need to give this investigation top priority. Any committee informant in the MID needs to be silenced ASAP.

Note that everything related to the Odesa investigation has been reclassified as COMPLETELY SECRET effective NOW. And do not forget to remind you're people that this is a Military Counterintelligence internal matter, not a word about it is breathed to anyone outside the directorate.

Especially if they are in the MID.

THIS IS A SECURE NETWORK​

 

[Caelia]

???

"I see I was wrong to doubt. The source is invaluable."

"Heh. You should have a bit more faith in my abilities!"

"Sounds like it might be going to your head. Are you losing you're edge? Or maybe you just can't handle you're liquor."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

The room erupted into laughter.

"Now I am sure my esteemed compatriots already know this, but counter intelligence is already on the trail."

"The investigation has been moved to the highest level. All our channels have been locked out."

"I guess we can't get anyone inside?"

"Impossible. They've clamped down hard. I haven't been able to identify any potential supporters that would have access, and even if we found one they are all being watched constantly. Right now only the hand of god can get us inside that investigation."

"That really is a pain. The source won't like being left hanging in the wind. Maybe we should tell it to go to sleep for awhile?"

"Absolutely not. The Committee is adamant, this information is to valuable to the cause. If the our source is getting cold feet, lie."

"And if it is silenced?"

"Regrettable."

"I get it, I get it."