Chapter Nine
A Way Out?
Shortly after George's futile escape attempt, engineers started building a saucer shaped disc on the roof of the gazebo that lay outside the perimeter fence. To Walt, it looked ominously similar to a thorbo, the latest vaunted weapon in the Myrian arsenal. It was much smaller than the one featured on the news.
No such weapon was necessary. Security was no longer a problem. The open casket had seen to that. Maybe it was an enhanced solar collector.
Walt, unable to curtail his curiosity, bravely decided to test his hypothesis. Late one evening, during one of the popular recreation sessions in the ornamental garden, he surreptitiously approached the perimeter. Ten yards from the fence, he heard a loud crack as a lower branch on a nearby pine crashed to the ground.
It was no solar collector.
Why the added security?
Confused, Walt retreated from the fence and rejoined the revelling residents.
Back in his room, Walt inserted a solar disc into his HED, lay back in his comfy reclining chair to watch the last period of a salsco game. Hilda was unlikely to return before dawn. His enjoyment was short lived.
NEWS FLASH!!
A myrite transporter, en route from Rachon to Myranda, was ambushed earlier this morning. Elite imperial troops are hunting down the Darsian rebels responsible for the atrocity at this very moment. More news later.
So Darsians had survived the introduction of alphega and were in revolt, but where and why?
Subsequent newscasts portrayed the ethnics as lazy, unappreciative good for nothings, allowed to keep their own towns, even run schools and hospitals in their own language, but what had they given in return? Nothing. They didn't participate in Myrian society, and they even refused the offer of alphega. Now they were attacking transports. They had gone too far.
Five days after the initial announcement, the media frenzy reached a crescendo, when the authorities paraded four, dishevelled young men of Darsian origin before the cameras. They summarily accused them of treasonable acts, and as an example to fellow conspirators, publicly beheaded them in their hometown. The execution of the four young men, without proof of guilt, rekindled Walt's desire to aid the Alliance.
Despite his revulsion, Walt had watched the entire horrific episode on HED. He recognised the execution site from his many summer visits. It was the market square in Engelsbay. The nearby Vagus River flowed into Lake Nipogong and Engelsbay lay at the head of the lake. It was within reach. If only he could somehow escape and avoid the double menace of dehydration and alphega withdrawal.
"A Myrat for your thoughts, Walt," said Millie, sidling up beside him in the sensitizing pool.
"They're worth much more than a Myrat, Millie."
"Walt, what are you up to?"
"What do you mean, Millie?"
"You seem so preoccupied. You aren't planning anything stupid are you? Remember what happened to George."
"Oh, I'll never forget that Millie. By the way how are things going? It must be hard coping on your own."
"I'm rarely on my own," she replied without any trace of embarrassment.
Walt could understand why. Even when they had entered the Hollinger, Millie had been a very attractive older woman. Alphega had restored much of her youthful beauty, and her presence at the sensitizing sessions still aroused prurient interest amongst the male inmates, even after all these years.
"But how about you, Walt? I rarely see you nowadays at any of the recreation sessions, and I cannot remember the last time I saw you and Hilda together. Is something wrong?"
"Not really."
She knew he was lying.
"Well if you ever want to talk I'm available. You know my room and I'm usually there for a couple of hours after my exposure. Now I'd better get into my exposomat or I'll miss my allotted time."
Walt watched admiringly as Millie pulled her smooth taut body from the pool and confidently strutted over to the exposomat.
Was this the start of an attempted seduction or did she suspect what he was up to and wanted to help in some way?
Walt wasn't sure, but in the days that ensued, he made sure to share the sensitizing pool with Millie as often as possible, and eventually arranged a nocturnal meeting in the gardens.
"Why here, Walt? You're quite welcome in my rooms."
"I know, but I have a terrible feeling that they have a system which allows them to monitor all activities in our rooms. Out here we should be able to talk more freely."
They had left the Hollinger down the steps of the main staircase, and wandered over to the wild flower garden. Just after sunset was the best time for outdoor activities and their stroll in the garden wouldn't arouse suspicion.
"What is so hush-hush that you don't want them to hear?"
"Nothing really. It's just that I like to get out of there. I find it so regimented so claustrophobic."
"Me too."
Was this a signal?
"Millie. Would you mind if I asked you a rather personal question?"
"No, go right ahead."
"Why did George try to escape? I mean it is a little bit like being in prison here, but I cannot imagine any man wanting to leave you behind."
Millie smiled at his clumsy compliment.
"He wasn't leaving me behind, Walt. I was going with him. We decided that we didn't want to live under these conditions anymore. We wanted to spend our final years in the old way, back in our summer cottage on Lake Nipogong."
"Weren't you worried about the effect of sunlight and alphega withdrawal?"
"We didn't know anything about withdrawal at that time and I think it's a load of moose manure anyway, designed to keep us dependent. Just think about it. George was found after three days. I cannot believe that withdrawal can happen so fast. I'm convinced that poor George died from dehydration."
"But surely he knew not to go into sunlight?"
"George had it all figured out, or so he thought. He believed that the active ingredient of alphega, whatever that is, needs sunlight to be activated, but that one wavelength in the solar spectrum initiates the dehydration."
"That explains our morning routine. The exposomats must filter out the dangerous radiation."
"I think the pre-exposure bathing maybe has something to do with it too. Anyway, George felt we would be okay as long as we avoided direct sunlight."
"Didn't he worry about stopping the diet?"
"He was willing to take the risk."
"So what happened?"
"Obviously our plan misfired. It was just plain bad luck really. If it hadn't been for that work crew we would have been out of here."
Walt could hardly contain his curiosity. "Tell me more."
"We made it safely to the vicinity of the gazebo."
"How on earth did you do that? How did you break through the perimeter without being detected?"
"Later, Walt, later. We stayed hidden in the gazebo until dark when George went out to investigate. He wasn't sure whether security patrolled outside the perimeter. Unfortunately, there had been a storm the night before and a crew was pruning damaged trees in the vicinity of the fence. One of the workers spotted George and raised the alarm. Luckily for me, George led them away from my hiding place in the gazebo and I was able to make my way back safely."
"Did they ever suspect that you were involved?"
"I think so. The interrogation team searched every nook and cranny of our room. They found nothing and I claimed ignorance of the whole scheme. They were really desperate to know how George had cleared the perimeter."
"Should they have found something?"
Millie gave a wan smile and nodded.
"We were lucky enough to draw the master bedroom of the Hollinger when the rooms were originally assigned. The room still contained some of the original furniture, a giant four poster bed, an antique armoire and an exquisite oak writing desk, all obviously of much higher quality than the furniture in the other rooms. The desk particularly intrigued George. It must have been imported prior to the trade embargo. Inside the roll top desk were nine small drawers, three rows of three, each with a brass handle and a keyhole. Strangely, the keyholes all differed in size. Luckily, the keys were still in the appropriate locks, but none of the drawers were locked and all were empty. George tested each lock carefully and was very impressed with their smooth operation. There was one exception, the lock in the centre drawer. No matter what he tried he couldn't get the key in the central lock to turn."
"Did he have the right key?"
"He was sure. It didn't fit anywhere else. George was intrigued and spent a lot of time futilely attempting to solve what he thought was a riddle."
"Was it?"
"Turned out it was."
"What did he do?"
"Well he tried various combinations of locked and unlocked drawers. For instance, he locked all the other drawers then tried to turn the central key. No luck. He then opened one drawer and tried again."
"Sort of trial and error."
"That's right."
"It must have taken him ages."
"Not really. George was a smart man. The key was Hollinger, and his obsession with the letter H. You know how it's emblazoned everywhere. This gave George an idea. He locked all the drawers except those in the middle column. The key in the centre lock now turned smoothly, locking the drawer. Strangely, he found that he was able to rotate the key through another full rotation. This time there was appreciable resistance and he heard a distinct click. Puzzled, George accidentally placed his right elbow on the leather, writing surface, embedded in the polished wood, causing it to rotate into a vertical position. Underneath was a secret compartment containing several documents, one of which was Cornelius Hollinger's plans for construction of the home."
"Do you still have it?"
"Of course I do."
"But you were searched."
"They never solved the desk."
"What did the plans reveal?"
"That Cornelius was a nutter. The whole place is riddled with tunnels and secret passages. One leads from the library to the gazebo. That's your way out Walt. Once you reach the gazebo you're beyond the range of their detectors and free to go."
"Do you want to come with me, Millie?"
Millie shook her head.
"It would be better if you went alone, Walt. I don't want to risk the pain of alphega withdrawal."
"But you said it was most likely not true."
"I'm not willing to take the risk. How about you?"
"I'll do anything to help the Alliance."