Interlude:

'Ceremonies of Light and Dark'

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AN: Yup, it's interlude time again. One interlude after each chapter, remember? Until I got a little too excited with the last three chapters. But now its back to the original game plan. I hope!

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A-Day+11 years, 8 months, 2 days, somewhere, sometime

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Human population: ± 1 billion

The San Fernando Valley had been hit hard by the androids in the opening days of the Android Invasion, its southern arm in particular having been scorched to the ground. Very few people had survived the 'Burning of the Valley' as Californians came to call it.

Despite the utter devastation it had wrought, the Valley was still inhabited. With the greater San Francisco area still intact as a market and the Valley still being good agricultural ground people inevitably moved back to repopulate it. This being part of a general trend across the world after the collapse of the fortified city scheme. As dispersal now became the only means of surviving, it made even more sense to do so in the ruins of the places that had already been hit. After all, what better place to hide then in the places that already had been hit?

That at least was the theory.

In practice nobody knew for sure.

With the US census bureau no longer existing, as with almost any other branch of the US government, there was no way to know for sure if the androids hit their old 'stomping grounds' more or less then usual. No way to collect the data, no way to correlate findings.

That didn't stop people from taking to the devastated zones again. In a day when people had to survive from day to day against incredible hardness, belief, not reason, was what sustained them. And not just belief in God, a god, or gods. It was belief in the little things.

It was belief that certain things would help prevent the androids from returning/attacking them. Ranging from the relatively harmless, like a belief that certain harmless rituals would help, to the truly absurd like the sacrifice of animals and even people. There was no rational basis for it. It was self sustaining. If community X did the things they believed they had to do and were spared because the androids had an elsewhere to be, well, then it had to be true, right? And if not, then as far as their neighbors were concerned they failed to adhere to the proper rituals and lore.

Of course not everything was silly superstition. Just like aboriginal tribes in deserts and jungles passed along good need to know information with absolute harmful superstitious garbage through their myths and legends, so it was with the new superstition. Always keep a low profile, move about in small groups, always make sure you have a way to escape, stay abreast of the android warnings on the radio, try not to live on open space when you can hide in the mountains, if you have no mountains use anything else that provides cover, if you have no cover go deep underground.

In the Valley few people lived in what used to be the main population centers, that string of towns and cities in the center of the valley. Instead they clustered along the high ground of the Sierra Nevada and the Diablo Range, where protection and shelter seemed more likely.

The small community of New Exeter eked out a marginal existence not that far from the old Yosemite National Park. Two larger communities not far from them meant that they had less access to the fertile grounds in the Valley, and anywhere else in the world it meant almost certain death. Access to fertile grounds was life, especially to mountain communities which depended on long distance farming. It wasn't uncommon for territorial disputes to grow into local warfare. And there had been instances where one community had left clues for the androids to find that led to a rival community.

Luckily for New Exeter its relatively close proximity to San Francisco meant that in this part of the Valley things were never as black as they seemed.

While all the branches of the US government had ceased to be there was still one branch left that survived.

The US Army.

Throughout the territory of the former United States, and parts of what used to be Canada and Mexico the US Army still patrolled, sorting out territorial disputes, maintaining the android early warning system and providing protection for traders, traveling across the land.

But it came at a price. One that wasn't always paid in blood by the men in uniform.

Captain DeLancie of the 40th Divisional Command led his command along the Sierra Nevada mountains. They had been on the road for two weeks now and his troops were nervous. His command, the 408th logistical company normally numbered 22 soldiers and a heavy buggy. But since they had been on the road for two weeks, journeying from one community to the other, their ranks had been swollen to almost three times that amount.

The US Army of year 11 of the Android Invasion was a different one from the US Army of before the Android Invasion. Or the first few years of the invasion for that matter. For one the uniforms looked very different, the average soldier's uniform now carrying so much camouflage they looked more like the ghillie suits US snipers used to wear, making extensive use of rough webbing and loose strips of cloth or twine, often augmented with local scraps of foliage. It wasn't ideal, in fact it was impractical and hot as hell, hard to make and quite expensive. But anything was better then getting noticed by the androids, right?

Another thing that had changed was the average age of the average soldier. Before the Android Invasion the average age of a US soldier had been almost 27. It had now dropped to 15.

The Android Invasion had killed off the old professional army. The mass drafts had lowered the age to 19. That army also died not that much later, both from getting killed as from mass desertion. After the governments of the world basically abandoned the planet when the SGC was destroyed and all other branches of government collapsed the military was left to fend for itself. With no more civilian oversight and still faced with the need to maintain a semblance of order Earth's surviving generals borrowed a page from those other military organizations that had to fend for themselves under harsh circumstances.

African guerillas/warlords.

African resistance movements often used child soldiers because they were more moldable, obedient and not forget easier to intimidate. All qualities that the US Army, or others for that matter, felt it now needed to survive.

So now throughout the country men like Captain DeLancie, he himself barely 20 years old, scoured the land, going to communities like New Exeter to exact food, raw materials and of course, young children.

Like any good community that managed to survive for this long New Exeter had sentries out to keep an eye for possible attacks, both androids, other communities and of course the Army.

Tax collecting was not a popular duty, neither for the tax paying communities and neither was it for the troops. Nobody liked paying taxes when they were all but dying as they tried to survive. There had been communities which had taken up arms against taxation. In some parts of the former United States whole revolts had broken out under the old slogan 'no taxation without representation!' At least one divisional command had collapsed that way, the 35th in Kansas, creating a large lawless zone that other divisional commands wanted to annex, if it weren't for their own lack of manpower.

If push came to shove the Army could theoretically muster greater force and attack a rebellious community. But that was risky as concentrating such great numbers risked android attack. More often then not men like Captain DeLancie had the authority to call for the ultimate sanction instead. They would leave signs behind betraying that community to the androids.

The very threat alone was usually sufficient, provided that the object lesson had been carried out in recent memory.

But even then Army tax collectors still had to be very careful in case of an ambush, both from the communities itself or the androids. It went without saying that even if you could stomach taking away food and children from starving people, that threat alone was enough to dishearten the average soldier.

But Captain DeLancie was more then up for the challenge. In fact he was a volunteer.

Which was also why he was a captain at age 20.

Showing exceptional skill at tax farming, meaning complete and utter ruthlessness, DeLancie always managed to fulfill his quotas. Which was why the 408th logistical company now almost had up to twice its number in children age 11 and 12.

As they neared the hidden location of New Exeter DeLancie ordered his troops to deploy. Troops manning the buggy deployed its camouflage making it look like a large boulder, so they could then ready its main weapon, the mortar.

After all, this was the day when the only weapons against the androids were stealth and camouflage, which meant that the only enemies the Army would actually fight would be fellow humans.

With its heavy weapon deployed at a safe distance from the settlement DeLancie waited for his scouts to return. Which they did.

Coming with the scouts were two of the village leaders. They weren't there to talk with Captain DeLancie. They had come to act as hostages. They were also women of still child bearing age which meant that the settlement could ill afford to lose them.

Now that he had his hostages DeLancie returned with the scouts to the settlement. New Exeter was built into a shallow valley underneath a large overhanging rock. From above it couldn't be seen. Still, it was far from ideal as there was too much potential for smoke to escape in the open. And while fire was still vital for survival, smoke could kill. Caves were better. But that was yet another reason why New Exeter was a struggling settlement.

As he entered the valley DeLancie was greeted by the village elder. He had met him before, as he came here at least twice a year.

"Greetings, Captain DeLancie," the village elder said respectfully, "We are always pleased to welcome our men in uniform."

Considering that the two scouts beside DeLancie were barely in their puberty there was considerable irony in the village elder's words.

Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunate after all, the US Army had not issued DeLancie with a sense of humor delicate enough to see the irony.

"Elder Daniels," DeLancie replied, knowing the leaders of every settlement in his tax farming district, "Let us not waste any words. You know why I'm here. It is that time of year again, you must pay us for the protection that we offer."

"Yeah, about that," the elder said as he looked downcast, "It has been a very bad half year. Times have been hard and both New Springfield and East Riding have squeezed us very hard for access to the fields. On behalf of my people I was hoping that we could apply for an abstention."

DeLancie did not look pleased but he refrained from yelling at Daniels. Experience had taught him that while he should be firm, outright hostility should be applied with moderation.

"You know I cannot give you an abstention," DeLancie said calmly, "the General would not be pleased. You must give us more then just a sad story. On behalf of the General I demand access to your books."

"Of course," Elder Daniels hurriedly said, then he beckoned someone, "You shall have full access."

A villager came running with a notebook which he handed to DeLancie, who began reading it. After a few minutes he threw the notebook over his shoulders.

"You expect me to believe this crap?" he said still using his calm voice, "Do you take me for a fool, Elder Daniels?"

"But captain," Daniels protested vehemently, "These numbers are the truth. We are…"

SMACK

Captain DeLancie lashed out and struck the village elder in his face, causing him to fall on his back.

"Do I look stupid to you?" DeLancie said as he raised his voice, then he addressed the people of New Exeter, "Do I look stupid to you people? I have seen better forgeries when Stinky McCormack used to forge his mother's signature in the first grade."

"But captain...," Daniels protested, only to be stopped as one of the scouts put his gun to his head.

"The people of New Exeter owe the General what the 40th Division quartermaster has set out for them," DeLancie shouted, "You will pay up or face the ultimate consequence."

"But captain," Daniels said, "we would starve!"

"Then starve for all I care," DeLancie said cold, "If you are of no use to us we might as well turn you over to the androids. At least that way next year my men and I will be home a day earlier."

Still with a gun to his head village elder Daniels turned to his people.

"Give him what he wants, he would do it."

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As the last bag of grain was handed over to the soldiers and placed into Capsule Corp. capsule containers, DeLancie's own quartermaster nodded that New Exeter had fulfilled its quota of grain and foodstuffs. That left only one last thing to do.

Together with one of the scouts DeLancie inspected the children of New Exeter, having them lined up in a row for easy inspection. Passing them by one at a time DeLancie finally halted in front of a girl in her early teens. How old exactly was hard to say as the hard life now delayed the onsets of puberty in teenagers.

"You," he said and the scout pulled her out of the line. Behind them one of the women of the village began to wail and a man came forth.

"Please, Captain," the man begged as he fell to his knees, "Not my daughter, not my Jenna. She's my only daughter! If you must take someone, take one of my sons, I have three of them."

"I have no more need of boys," DeLancie said without pity, "I have my quota of boys. I do need more girls. Soldiers need entertainment."

Then DeLancie patted the man on his cheek.

"Don't worry," he said ruefully, "if the androids do not burn this place she will return in a few years once we tire of her. And who knows, when she returns you might even be a grand dad."

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High above on the rocks Trunks and Mayan had been watching as the army tax collectors were stealing the poor people of what few things they still had.

"Those bastards," Trunks said angry, "We should go down there and teach them a lesson about stealing from these people."

"And what would you do?" the voice of Gohan said behind them. Trunks and Mayan turned their heads around to look at their teacher.

"Strike them down!" Trunks said resolute, "This shouldn't be happening."

"They're going to rape that girl, aren't they?" Mayan asked.

"In a way. Like the man said. Soldiers need 'entertainment' too," Gohan said mournfully, then he looked away, "So you think we should do something?"

"Yes!" Trunks said, to which Mayan nodded in agreement.

"You two do realize these things happen all over the country, right?" Gohan said as he folded his arms across his chest, "Hell, they're happening all over the world. And where do you think the food you eat comes from? The parts that keep our gym going? It's already working at only one third capacity. This is the price we pay every day for our continued existence."

"Then that price is too high!" Trunks said vehemently.

"So you want to get rid of the army?" Gohan asked, "Get rid of the trade that keeps your mother in business and our gym going? The food that you eat? The one thing that prevents all the settlements from killing each other over water and land?"

Gohan turned away from Trunks and Mayan.

"Maybe I should take you to Kansas," he said wistful, "I was there last year on an errand for your mother. There is no army there. No tax collectors, no forced takings of children."

"Sounds like a good place," Trunks said.

"It's hell," Gohan said as he slowly shook his head, "Do you know that the androids don't even go there any more? People fight each other there for access to land and water. There's even a band of religious fanatics who think if they can force anybody to pray for salvation the androids will be stricken down by God. Of course anyone who refuses to pray gets killed. Why should the androids bother to kill them when the people there do it themselves."

Gohan turned around, joined Trunks and Mayan and looked into the valley.

"I brought you here for a reason," he said, "To see the price that humans have to pay to survive. The price of the food you eat and the price of training in our gym."

"It's too high," Trunks said, but his voice had lost its anger.

"Of course it is," Gohan replied as below them the soldiers dragged away the crying girl, "But remember who is responsible for this. Only 12 years ago this would have been unthinkable. It's the androids who have turned us into this. It's they who have forced us to pay this price."

Gohan turned around and walked away, followed by Trunks and Mayan.

"Xander once said, don't hate the player, hate the game," Gohan said mournfully, "Never forget who forced this game upon us."