Fiction:DCP-Vermulan War/Partisan

Chapter 1 – Call In
The somewhat distorted view from the chute was not the most enlightening. Mostly, it was rouble and ashes left over from the battle after which Simnadsiat was occupied by The Enemy. Occasionally, there was something interesting, like a few Ottoman soldiers searching for their comrades' escape pods. However interesting this was, the fact that so many Ottomans had survived was not very heartwarming to a loyal citizen of the.

Vremrich was captured out in a rural town out in the wilderness. When the Governor of Simnadsiat capitulated to the The Enemy, the new Ottoman Governor ordered all citizens to withdraw to the five cities (and left it ambigious and optional which one each citizen should go to! A DCP-leader would have specified exactly which city each citizen was to go to). Vremrich, in defiance of the new authority, remained behind in the mining town that was his home. When the Ottoman engineers came to augment the automated mine with their own technology, they discovered Vremrich and immediately arrested him and sent him flying down the chute system to be interrogated at the closest city.

The chute came to its end. Two other travellers going down the chute flew out and hit the ground with a great thud. Vremrich, who was travelling feet first, managed to slide on the ground and remain relatively uninjured. He heard the sound of clapping, and a muffled voice say “Well done” in a disrespectfully condescending tone. Vremich looked up to see the disturbing sight of a Kelyduc, a species enslaved by the DCP, wearing a strange khaki uniform with a mint trim and a half-face respirator. Even more disturbing was that this Kelyduc was not being kept on a lead, and there was nobody about who seemed to be its owner. Kelyduc were not meant to be allowed in public without a lead.

Vremrich took a close look at his surroundings. It appeared to be an old teleportation nexus, torn apart to be a station for the chute system. Many citizens shuffled down a hall, being lead by more figures in khaki uniforms with mint trims and half-face respirators. The room's resident telescreen, instead of having the face of the planetary governor chanting with his booming voice to the masses on how glorious the DCP was, now was only showing text describing how glorious The Enemy's regime was. To the side, a few more khaki/mint uniformed figures were fiddling with the inner-workings of a combat robot. Vremrich tried to examine more, but the Kelyduc grabbed him by the arm and forced him to follow.

Resistance was futile, as Vremrich was unarmed and outnumbered. He took a closer look at the khaki/mint uniformed figures. They were entirely composed of DCP species, either the more rebellious of the first generation members or second-class citizens. Vremrich was dragged into a shabby looking room, with a chair soaked in a myriad of different coloured bloods and some ashes. To Vremrich's surprise, a Cloppity wearing the khaki/mint uniform seemed to be the torture technician here. It was disheartening to think that even a species as loyal as the Cloppity would succumb to the bread and circuses offered by The Enemy.

The Kelyduc gave the Cloppity a datapad, and left the room. The Cloppity examined the datapad and commented to Vremrich:

“So, you ignored the orders of the Association?”

Vremrich did not acknowledge the question. He was going to be as stubborn as possible, just to defy The Enemy and the collaborators. The Cloppity beamed and smiled. He walked over to an Ottoman control system at the end of the room and glanced up at a pair of cameras, which were both firmly staring at Vremrich. The Cloppity tapped a few buttons on the control panel and the lights suddenly shorted out. A few voices heard from adjacent rooms told Vremrich that this had happened in quite a few rooms. When the emergency lighting kicked in, the Cloppity was smiling triumphantly, and the two cameras were deactivated. He spoke again, in a more heroic, but quiet tone.

''“How would you like to join the partisan movement? Fight The Enemy behind the lines where the military can't reach 'em?”''

Vremrich remained silent.

''“I take it you don't trust me. Why should you trust a collaborator? But believe me good sir, I only joined the Kapıkulları to get some inside information for fellow partisans.”''

Vremrich then spoke back.

''“I'm going to believe you. After all, it makes no sense that a noble race like the Cloppity would be a collaborator. I am willing to hear more about these partisans.”'' ''“That's the spirit! Now I can't talk long, it won't take them long to repair the cameras. Now, do you know your way around this city?”'' “No, I've spent all my time on this planet out in the country.” ''“I see. Well, I'll set you free after I'm done. You'll be in the basement of the chute station. Get up the stairs, and you'll find yourself in the lobby of this station. Go out the front door, and you're in a plaza. Go down the street immediately to your left, go down left to the first alley there is, then go left once you reach the other end. You'll then be in a block of housing. One of the buildings has, or had, a statue of Kilnok in front of it. I think it's been replaced by a statue of some Ottoman leader, I'm not sure. Anyway, go into that building. That building's entire residence are partisan agents. They'll guide you from there. Now, have you got that?”'' ''“Left, left, left, building with statue. Got it.”'' ''“Good. Now, the Ottomans are obsessed with surveillance, so you'll have Kapıkulları hunting you soon, but I wouldn't worry about that. The Enemy only trusts them with rubber bullets, and I think a genetically enhanced Grimbolsaurian like yourself will be able to deal with that. Now, follow me.”''

The Cloppity then opened the back door of the chamber and let Vremrich through. He called out one last statement.

''“I'll spread some ash on the chair and tell them I disintegrated you. I'd give you a weapon to defend yourself, but they'd noticed if anything of mine went missing.”''

The door closed very sharply. Vremrich found another door, which lead to a set of stairs, which lead up to the lobby of the chute station. It was a malformation of the old teleportation station. Instead of citizens coming and going at their own lesiure, there were only citizens coming and going by order of the Ottoman oppressors. Instead of Coalition police making sure no terrorists were trying to smuggle bombs into the city, there were only more Kapıkulları making sure no martyrs were trying to smuggle bombs into the city. The lobby's telescreen, instead of advertising the benefits of joining the military, now only advertised the worthless bread and circuses given for joining the Kapıkulları.

Vremrich walked out into the plaza. The sight of the city was shocking. The violet sky was now a very dull eggplant sort of colour colour, filled with smog that Vremich couldn't determine the origin of. Many starcrapers had toppled over and been replaced by Ottoman buildings. Many buildings had Ottoman or Grox technology augmenting them. Smart blocks, formerly floating about to create new structures with modifiable properties now lay useless and dead on the street. Numerous citizens wandered about on their daily errands, being watched by Kapıkulları and floating surveillance drones. And dominating the skyline was an ominous pink crystal spire.

Vremrich headed to the left immediately. He passed a small building guarded by Kapıkulları that appeared to be having some interrogation going on inside. He saw the first alley to the left, and hastened down it until he reached the street on the other side. He turned left down this street, but not until after he peered down the right, where he saw more Kapıkulları conducting another interogation. Behind them a tripedal walker of great size and apparently Vermulan origin marched by them. Vremich then found himself in a residential block. A couple of buildings were blocked by Kapıkulları guards. Another had a bronze statue of a human wearing some spheroid hat, and at its feet were the remnants of a silver statue of Kilnok. This must have been the place.

He headed outside, and was immediately greeted by a fairly rugged Jarzo.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded to know. “I was told this is where I come to join the...” Vremrich lowered his voice. “Partisans.” The Jarzo smiled. ''“You've come to the right place. Head up to the rooftop. We have a man up there that will direct you. We'll be happy to have a Grimbolsaurian of your calibre fighting with us.”'' He looked outside. A few Kapıkulları appeared to have taken interest in the building. The Jarzo spoke again: ''“Hurry! The elevator doesn't work, take the stairs.”''

Vremrich hastened down the hallway and began to ascend the spiral staircase. Behind him he heard a door being broken down and what sounded like gunfire, with bullets rather than directed energy. Residents of the building rushed to their door, taking with them what appeared to be makeshift crossbows. Them took aim at their doors, waiting for the Kapıkulları to stray too close. Vremrich continued up the stairs, but it appeared that Kapıkulları where making their way down the staircase from the roof top. A Kapıkulları was hit by a metal bol directly in the chest. A Rammo woman, who had fired the bolt, exclaimed:

''“There's another staircase through here! Keep going for the roof!”'' “If they're coming down the staircase, doesn't that mean they've taken the roof?” Vremrich pointed out. ''“No, this building is connected to its neighbours via doorways. They're coming from the upper levels of the other buildings.”'' she explained. She once again insisted that Vremrich hurry, and he did.

He hurried up the second spiral staircase, where he met only one Kapıkulları, a small man of limited means who Vremrich picked up down dropped down the centre of the spiral down an eight story drop. The rest of the way was clear of Kapıkulları, although he could hear the sound of fighting throughout the building. Vremrich reached the roof (or rather, a space between the highest floor and the roof) where a Flixxel lay in wait.

''“New recruit? Terrific, we could do with a strong Grimbolsaurian like you. Head across the rooftops, spefically across the left side. After about twenty houses, you'll come across a shattered skylight. Drop down that. Go go go!”''

Vremrich did as he was told, and ran across the rooftops. Down below, Kapıkulları riding upon what appeared to be Grox tank sped across the street, headed to the building from which he had just left. Ottoman helicopters flew overhead, but either did not notice or did not care about Vremich. A suddenly jolt of pain in the leg revealed, however, that someone on the ground did. Kapıkulları were firing their guns up to the rooftop in hopes of stopping him. However, their bullets were made of simple rubber, and were not going to harm Vremrich.

He found the shattered skylight and dropped down to the floor below. Triumphantly, Vremrich opened to door out of the storage room he was in, to find whoever it was he was supposed to find. On the other side of the door were several Kapıkulları. Vremrich was tackled to the ground, and the Kapıkulları captain pulled out an energised bonking rod. But before he could bonk Vremrich with it, the sound of some kind of directed energy weapon. Bright red light flashed across the room, and the Kapıkulları fell to the ground dead. Vremrich looked back to the door, and saw a Grimbolsaurian woman standing very smugly with an antimatter rifle in her hands.