Chapter Twenty: The Singing Fence
Lily's antidepressants worked. She always had very strong antidepressants nearby for such cases. The only noticeable side effect was a slight dizziness. But Lori, who was standing next to Lily in the snow on December 13th, didn't notice. The day ended. It was about to get dark.
"Are the medications working?" Lori asked.
"Yes." Lily said.
"I haven't seen you in this state for a long time."
"I was glad about that."
"What triggered it?"
"Laerke spoke Danish."
"The Danish triggered it?"
"Yes. I fought in Europe against the Danes when I was seventeen."
"I know. Oh, I don't want to imagine what you've been through."
"You Navy people don't see what we see in the infantry."
Lily looked at the sleeve of her Honecker coat. Lori went to her and gave her a Hug.
"I'm here for you."
Lily didn't react for a moment. Then she gave an answer.
"I didn't doubt it."
Lori looked at Lily.
"You know what I mean."
"I think."
"Is that the medication that's making you so dizzy?"
"I think so. They are very strong antidepressants."
"Do you want to go back into the house? Maybe lay on your bed until you feel better?"
"No. I don't want to go back in until the others have left."
"I understand."
Lily looked at the falling snow. Lori noticed her right index finger moving.
"What are you doing with your finger?" Lori asked.
Lily looked at her finger. Lily immediately recognized the movement she was making.
"Salvos."
"Salvos?"
"Press for half a second, release for one second, new target, press for half a second, release for one. Machine gun salvos."
Lory didn't say any words. But Lily added something else.
"It's in a box in Mom and Dad's basement."
"What's in a box?"
"The MG51. With about a thousand rounds of 7.5x55. Serial number registered to me."
Lori looked at Lily with a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"
"So you're saying you have a machine gun in Mom and Dad's basement?"
"Yes."
"So why is there a machine gun in Mom and Dad's basement?"
"I took it with me."
"Why did you take it?"
"Because it was my machine gun."
"Firstly, it is reprehensible to hide a machine gun at our parents' house."
"And secondly?"
"And secondly, I want to look at this machine gun."
"That sounds like a double standard."
"Yes... That's my sin."
Lily began to hold her right shoulder with her left hand, extending her elbow forward. She then held her right arm forward, holding her hand as if she was pulling the trigger.
"I do this blindly. I don't think. I change the barrel, I load the ammunition belt, and pull the loading lever. I can do it alone in fifteen seconds."
Lily saw the MG51 form in her hand. She slowly drifted away
"A saw... for cutting people…" Lily said slowly.
"Stop thinking about that shit." Lori said, and shook Lily.
Lily looked at Lori.
"I would have triggered it again myself." Lily said.
"Therefore, don't think about machine guns!"
"Yes. I should suppress that thought."
"Good. When the others are gone, we'll go back into the house, straight to your room."
Lori and Lily waited. After half an hour the back door of the house opened and Bobby called out.
"You can come in!"
Lily and Lori went into the house, and Lily entered her room, where she took off her Honecker hat and Honecker coat. She sat down on her bed wearing beige trousers and a white shirt with a tie. Lori entered. She had taken off her jacket and was wearing a light blue sweater.
"So. What do we do now?" Lori asked.
"First of all, I can't see Laerke, let alone hear her."
"Is it really the Danish language?"
"Yes."
"Is there anything else that triggers it?"
"I don't know. I just know that hearing Danish triggers it."
"And then you speak German…" Lori said and Looked down.
"Ja ich spreche dann deutsch."
(Yes, I speak German then.)
"What did you say?"
"That was humor... You're stressed, so I used humor to cheer you up."
Lori smiled and gave Lily a hug. Lily's head was at Lori's chest as neither Lori sat down nor Lily stood up. Lori stopped the Hug.
"If somone says that you are a Monster, this person is wrong."
"Did someone say that I am a Monster?"
"Yes. I do not say who, but..."
"You not need to. I know Lynn says that."
"She has trouble with this. Even with me."
"Lynn is particularly attached to the word war criminal. Since she is very emotional, I wouldn't call it a bad thing."
"It's easy for you to talk. You're half a robot."
Lily looked at Lori and her head tilted from left to right.
"You called me robot."
"Oh shit... Lily, I didn't want that."
"You have done it."
"But... sorry... way too much happened today…"
Lori stood up and left Lilys room, closing the door behind her.
"I would have accepted the apology…" Lily said.
Lily stood up and stripped down to her underwear. She turned off the lights, just lay in bed, and turned on music on her phone. It was a playlist of military marching music from the Swiss Confederacy. Lily tucked in and listened to the sounds of the orchestra playing softly on the phone. When Lily woke up in the morning she had a bad headache. She opened the bedside desk while she was still in bed. No painkillers. Lily stood up. The headaches were a side effect of the antidepressants. Lily ran to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. She immediately saw a box of Dafalgan 1000 milligrams. She took a tablet, put the box back, and leaned against the wall. She was breathing slowly and heavily.
"I thought that was done. It shouldn't happen again. It shouldn't…"
Lily began to sweat. And she started to hear extremely loud footsteps. Lily put her hands over her ears. Lori was making these noises. She entered the bathroom and began to hold Lily so she wouldn't fall.
"Jesus Christ, you look like a zombie." Lori said.
"I'm not feeling well."
"You don't look good either. Come on Girl. You belong in Bed."
Lori carried Lily back to her room and laid her in her bed.
"You stay here for now."
Lori saw the scars on Lilys body.
"Jesus Christ, you have a lot of scars." Lori said.
"Shell fragments... From Danish artillery. I still have metal in my hip and stomach."
"Don't you want to have the shrapnel removed?"
"Unnecessary operation. They only cause problems at airports."
Lori shook her head and went into the kitchen and came back with a wet rag. She placed this on Lily's forehead.
"So. Let's cool you down."
"My body is not so used to the medication anymore." Lily said.
"I can see that. You're obviously having side effects."
"It was a... a bad idea for Lucy to bring Laerke here."
"No."
"No?"
"Even if Lucy couldn't know that Danish is something that triggers these attacks, but now you know how Laerke is."
Lily looked at the ceiling.
"I should be shot... I tried to do it in my apartment in New York shortl after I did the Clean up. But I couldn't."
"You tried to shoot yourself?"
"Yes. With the K31 that's under my bed. My personal weapon."
Lori looked at the wall with wide eyes.
"I'll get antidepressants later. You can take them again from now on."
Lori got up and went to the door. She left Lily's room and closed the door. Lily closed her eyes and tried to rest. She slept lightly until midday. The headache had subsided and Lily was feeling better. She got up and put on one of her white shirts and pants from the day before. Then Lily went into the kitchen. She cut a piece of bread and ate it. The front door opened and Lori entered the house with shopping bags. She closed the door and came into the kitchen.
"Ah there you are Lily. Well rested?" Lori asked.
"Possible. It's unusual to see you like this, as a classic housewife."
"Yes. So I look like any normal person. And not like the commanding officer of a CVN."
Lori rummaged through the shopping bags. She took out a packet of antidepressants.
"Here, these are mild, non-prescription antidepressants."
Lily took the package and looked at it.
"These are not mild antidepressants."
"Yes, the pharmacy told me that this product is limited to 200 pills per person per month."
"This medicine is stored in a cupboard in my quarters on the Enterprise. Just in case I need it."
"You know you're not allowed to store medicine in your quarters, right?"
"I know."
"Then let me ask, why do you have medicine in a quarters?"
"Because I have declared the corresponding rule for officers from the rank of lieutenant invalid."
Lori shook her Head.
"You just changed a rule without discussing it with me? Are you crazy?"
"The change was so minimal that it wasn't relevant."
"Everything is relevant!"
"Then I revise my statement, the change was not relevant enough."
"That's no better."
"It depends."
"It doesn't! Anyway... Do you know anything current about the state of the Enterprise?"
"According to last week, repairs are in full swing. Nobody knows anything about the meltdown or other classified things. I dont know anything else, since I did not get any reports this week."
"That's good."
"Only TASS and Russia Today had different views, but these were no different than GDR or other Eastern Bloc media."
"Typical."
"I'm back in my room."
"Lily you're acting like a teenager again."
"What do you mean?"
"You're in your room all the time. You don't do anything. You're even in your room more often than Lorraine. And that's saying something."
"I just don't have anything else to do."
"Then let's do something."
"You want to do something with me?"
"Yeah. Or let's take someone with us."
"Before we even invite people, we first have to find something to do."
"Lily, do you remember how much you did with Lorraine before you left?"
"Positive. Among other things, I visited the zoo with Lorraine, or went to the park and fed ducks."
"Good. I have some toast in the breadbox. Let's go feed the ducks."
"Bread is not good for ducks."
"That's why you throw the bread into the water with the ducks."
"That does not make it better."
"Come on… put your coat on."
Lily went into her room and came out of her room two minutes later wearing a Honecker hat and coat.
"We still need to work on your clothing style, Lily." Lori said.
Lily looked at herself.
"We already had this discussion yesterday."
"Right. Come on, let's just go."
Lori took the toast in the kitchen and left the house with Lily. But when they were both outside and saw the snow, both Lori and Lily thought of something crucial.
"Lori, ducks are migratory birds, right?"
"Yes?"
"That means, since it's winter now, there won't be any ducks in the park."
"Oh my God…"
Lori grabbed her head and looked at Lily with wide eyes and an embarrassed look.
"I'm so stupid." Lori said.
"You just forgot."
"It doesn't matter. Let's go back inside."
"Wait."
Lori turned around. Lily approached the chain link fence that separated the Santiagos' garden. Lily put her ear to the fence.
"It's active again." Lily said.
"What's active again?" Lori asked, and went to Lily.
"Listen, then you know what I mean."
Lori put her ear to the fence. She heard incomprehensible, distorted, quiet voices coming from the fence. Lori understood now.
"Then the system is back in operation?" Lori asked.
"When we hear the radio voices, then it's up and running again."
"I don't know why. It's so quiet at the moment."
"It's not that quiet either. They're probably scanning Madagascar right now."
Lori pulled her head away.
"Come in with me. It's just cold here."
Lily tortured Lori into the house. The two entered again, closed the door and took off their jackets and coats. Lori hung up her jacket and went into the living room.
"Lily, come here!"
Lily walked into the living room and saw Lori putting her ear to the television, which was turned off.
"The television does the same thing as the fence."
Lily put her ear to the television. Very quietly, Lily heard the voices that were talking confusedly and incomprehensibly.
"It will be the same throughout Royal Woods as it is here." Lily said.
"It's creepy."
"It was very strange when it started."
"Tell me."
Year 2023: December 3:
It was winter. There was snow everywhere. An opportunity for Lily. A chance to explore. Also because of something that was new in the forest. Shortly after the Russian bomb exploded, many military officers drove into the forest. Also concrete mixers, cranes, and other construction machines that she didn't know. A fence was built around the forest. And now Lily looked at the forest that was visible from the Louds' house, about two miles away. There was something that looked like scaffolding there. It was tall, very wide, and thin. Lily made her way towards the forest. She was curious. When she arrived at the forest, she noticed the branches covered in snow. Very fascinating. Lily walked ten meters into the forest and stood in front of a five meter high fence lined with NATO wire. There were three series. Behind the fences, Lily saw soldiers with assault rifles and guard dogs. That was new. Lily was watching the whole thing as she was grabbed by the shoulder. A security guard with an assault rifle at his back held her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked with a stern voice.
Lily was in a state of paralysis. This was so sudden that she couldn't answer.
"Go home girl."
Lily tried to ask.
"What… is… behind the fence?" Lily asked.
"I don't know. All I'm telling you is, go home! Understand?"
Lily nodded. The guard let her go, and Lily walked away pretty fast. She looked back. This was a strange place. And this thing that Looked like Scaffholdig… What was this? When she was fifty meters from the forest, Lily got a bad headache. She held her head. It was a headache like Lily had never had before. Lily tried to run home. She fell. Lily held her head in pain as if she were lying in the snow. After a short but seemingly endless time, the headache became less severe. She stood up and looked at the scaffolding that was standing in the forest and saw a huge flock of birds flying away. It didn't make sense, but Lily suspected that the headache had something to do with the scaffolding. Lily walked away and kept looking back at the forest. When Lily got home she took off her jacket and went into Lisa's room. Lisa sat on a chair by the window and looked at the forest.
"Were you at the forest?" Lisa asked, without looking at Lily.
"Yes." Lily said quietly.
"You were curious, weren't you?"
"Yes."
"It's strange that thing standing there. I have a theory what it could be."
"What could it be?"
"A radar. A highly sensitive radar."
Lily tilted her head to the right.
"What is a radar?"
"A device that sends electromagnetic waves. These waves are reflected by an airplane or a rocket and received by the radar. So you can see everything without seeing it. And I'm sure it's here to spy on the Russians."
"But, the radar is here. How can it see Russia?"
"There is a phenomenon that is related to the atmosphere. In any case, it is used to detect Russian nuclear missiles."
"How can you be sure?"
"I saw the first army officers the day after the Russian bomb. That's no coincidence."
"You are smart."
"I know."
Lily looked at Lisa and went back to her room. However, Lily didn't sit down at her model train, but rather at the radiator. Winter was always very unpleasant for Lily. Because it was always too cold for them. And in summer it was always too hot. And because each quarter of the year has its own season, Lily has a big problem adjusting. Once she got used to winter, it was already spring. Terrible. Lily continued to warm up. On the other side of the planet, Lori was preparing for a test. The response to the Russian nuclear test. Lori was holding glasses with lenses made of special black glass. Lori transmitted several radio messages that were meant for two accompanying destroyers. The Honolulu really took up her task for the first time. The task of a destroyer commander.
"Charlie-Lima-Alpha-Alpha Six Three is calling Delta-Delta-Golf Seven Zero, you're too close. Adjust course to Two Nine Zero Degrees."
Lori got a response seconds later.
"Delta-Delta-Golf seven Zero understood. Correction will be made."
Lori turned to Captain Hartman.
"Done Captain. DDG-70 corrects course."
"Wonderful Kitty. Three minutes until we see an artificial sun." Hartman said, and put the special glasses on.
"Will we be able to keep up with the ASSG bomb?"
"I hardly believe that. The most powerful thing we ever detonated was Castle Bravo, fifteen megatons. And it was so powerful because the scientists miscalculated."
"And the ASSG bomb?"
"A hundred megatons." Joker said behind Lori and Hartman.
Lori almost had a heart attack.
"Do not scare me like that!"
"That wasn't intentional."
"You're both idiots." Hartman said.
Hartman looked at her watch. Two minutes.
"Kitty, make an announcement that glasses are now required."
"Aye captain."
Lori went to the radio and switched it to the announcement function.
"Glasses are compulsory! It is compulsory to wear special glasses!"
Lori went to Hartman and Joker, wich both stood at the Window of the Bridge. The three looked at the sea on the starboard side and put on their glasses. Lori saw Nothing trough those lenses.
"I don't see anything." Lori said.
"Soon you'll see enough." Hartman said.
An announcement came over the radio.
"Twenty seconds!"
Lori looked at Hartman. In vain. She saw nothing. She looked back at the sea. Then the Countdown started.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Lori saw a blindingly bright light through the glasses. It slowly weakened and a mushroom cloud formed. Lori fearfully looked at it. Twenty seconds later there was a huge bang. The windows shook and a loud rumbling sound began to be audible to everyone. Lori had flashbacks to her Honeymoon, with the Russian Bomb. The light began to disappear. Lori, Hartman and Joker took off their glasses.
"Turn on the sprinklers. I don't want any contamination." Hartman said quietly.
Lori turned to the rest of the bridge crew.
"Sprinkler systems on!"
Lori turned around and looked back at the mushroom cloud.
"Shit…"
Hartman said something at that moment that Lori would never forget.
"We bastards."
Joker and Hartman turned to Lori.
"The only one who can forgive us now is God." Joker Whispered.
"I will probably have to kneel in front of the Western Wall to receive forgiveness." Hartman said.
"I don't know if I have faith."
"Maybe you did... Anyway... Oh screw it. I'll be in my quarters for the next few days. First Officer Wilson is in command."
A officer on the Bridge saluted, and Hartman left. Loris shft ended two hours later. She went in her quarter, and Layed on her bed. Lori thought about what happened. She didnt do anything. She basicly watched the detonatio. But it made her feel guilty. Lori kept laying there, until dinner Time started. Lori got up and went to the cafeteria. The canteen was full of sailors. But nobody spoke. Lori took her food and sat down. As Lori ate, she listened to a whispered conversation between the sailors sitting next to her.
"The Thomahawks that we have on board, you know, the cruise missiles, can be nuclear-armed?"
"Yes?"
"So, I got some information from the Chief Engineer. In the Citadel, you know what that is?"
"Yeah I know."
"So, there is a chamber in the citadel. A heavily armored one, I think about 200 millimeters of armor steel. Four warheads are supposed to be stored in it when fully equipped."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No. But think about what that means. That we can destroy four cities here. For such an unimportant ship as we have, that's impressive and frightening."
"Wait, is the chamber where the armor is at very weird angles, like an armor belt is protecting the armor?"
"About there, yeah."
"Oh dear. Let's just hope it doesn't escalate any further."
Lori ate the last bite of her portion and stood up. She placed the plate on the appropriate shelf and left the canteen. As Lori walked through one of the side aisles of the Honolulu, she looked out the aisle's small window. White ash rained down on the ocean. Lori quickly went up a few decks and looked out the windows at the aft deck, which was exposed to the sky and washed by automatic sprinklers sticking out of the floor. Lori saw one of the doors that led outside. The light above the door glowed red, and a screen next to it displayed a message.
"DOOR BLOCKED!!! RADIOACTIVITY!!!"
Lori Lokked out of the window again. Then she heard Steps. A dosimetrist approached Lori. He was holding a Geiger counter.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
He held the counting tube of the Geiger counter to the door, and the Geiger counter began to click loudly and intensively.
"I wouldn't stand too close to it. You'll get cancer in twenty years."
Lori stepped away from the door.
"Is it bad that I stood there?" Lori asked unsure.
"Were you out there?"
"No."
"Then you don't have to worry. As long as you weren't outside and didn't come into contact with the ash, everything is fine."
Lori nodded. She looked out of the window again. The ash looked creepy and harmless at the same time. She went back in her Quarters. Lori layed back on her bed, and rested again. Lily went to school like she did every Monday morning. She was walking on the sidewalk with her small backpack, running at a fast pace. In front of the school, on the school grounds, she stood next to the fence next to the dugout and took out a magazine that was written in German. Lily started reading and understood some things pretty well. Some words she didn't understand at all. Hüpfersteurung was one of these words. As Lily read, she heard voices next to her. That was normal. The other children were always playing before school. Lily looked to her side and didn't see any children playing. There was the fence. This one talked. Lily no longer understood anything. She put her ear to the fence. Actually. The fence spoke. There were several, incomprehensible and distorted voices. But Lily heard these. Lily was extremely confused. Why did the fence speak? Lily tried to understand what the fence was saying.
"ƕⱶʉɏ pĄɆIJƩȢɏȳ µ ǶɆⱠⱢØ?"
"ⱤǭǥǮƍ ȡẂEɎğł. ƪƾÿƛồⱺ. ƧḯǝⱤⱤⱥ ɯṙķⱷ."
The voices were completely incomprehensible. Lily continued to listen. But she didn't even understand individual words, insofar as she recognized individual words as such. But the really strange thing was that it was a fence that spoke.
"Lily! Come in!"
Lily looked at the school. Her teacher Miss. Daisy yelled out of the window.
"Mrs. Daisy?"
"Class started five minutes ago!"
"I didn't know that. The fence speaks."
"What? Oh, come in!"
Lily put her ear to the fence again.
"ⱤǭÿⱷⱢ ẂŒŒƍƶ ƱƖǮǽṥƷ ßųṛ ."
Lily walked of, and entered the school building. She took off her jacket and went in the Classroom.
"Miss Daisy, the fence is talking." Lily said.
The whole class laughed. Especially Jack and Gus. Miss Daisy looked confused at Lily, and then asked what she meant.
"The fence Talks?"
"Yes."
The whole class laughed again. Miss Daisy made them Silent.
"Lily, I don't have time for games, please sit in your seat."
"But the fence spoke."
"Lily sit down!"
Lily went to her Place, and sat down. As Usual, she got Targeted by Paper Aircrafts, launched by half of the Vlass, mostly by Jack and Gus. Jack and Gus were not really smart. But smart enough to use Google Translator, to translate Slurs, wich they wrote on the Paper Aircrafts. One of the Slurs they really used often, was «Dumme Kuh», wich roughly meant stupid cow. Lily didn't react much to these things that day. The fence was on her mind the whole time. And I had an impact on her work. Lily calculated more slowly and wrote more slowly too. She also made more mistakes. But the question she had was important to her. Why is this fence talking? When school ended in the afternoon and she left the school grounds unnoticed without Jack and Gus noticing her, she waited until none of her classmates were near the school anymore. Lily crept to the fence and put her ear to it. She didn't hear anything. Lily looked at the fence in surprise. Now he didn't speak anymore. Lily waited. The Moment the fence would spak, she had her proove. But nothing happened. Lily started walking home, ten minutes after she started observing the fence again. On her way home, she had to hide many times because Jack and Gus were looking for her. The usual ten minutes to get home turned into thirty. But as she arrived, Lily took her jacket off, andhung it on the wardrobe. Normally she would now do her Modell Railway stuff, or read, or read in german, but now she walked up the stairs to the room of Lisa. Eleven year old Lisa was laying on her bed, doing something on her Notebook.
"Hello Lisa." Lila said.
"Hi Lily. Was school good?"
"I don't have a real answer to that. I saw something strange. More precisely, I heard it."
"A train?"
"No. A fence. A speaking fence."
Lisa looked at Lily confused.
"A speaking fence? What are you talking about?"
"A speaking fence. I was reading the Train magazine, and then I started hearing voices from the fence at the school."
"Are you sure you don't tell me a Fairytale?"
"No. Im serious."
Lisa stood up.
"You need to show me that. Lucy!"
Fithteen year old Lucy walked to the Door frame of Lisas room and looked at Lisa and Lily.
"What?" Lucy said without motivation.
"Do you want to solve a mystery about a talking fence?" Lisa asked.
"A talking fence?"
"Yes. Lily told me about that."
Lily and Lisa saw how the eye of Lucy was visible rolled.
"I think Lily makes a joke."
Lily gasped, and started acting stressed. She was looking at the floor and her movement became more twitchy.
"No. It's real. The fence spoke."
"Lucy... Come on. Solving the puzzle won't hurt us." Lisa said.
Lisa left the room and went downstairs. Lily walked to the dorrframe an stopped. She looked at Lucys collar.
"It was real. The fence spoke." Lily said.
"It sounds like nonsense."
"It's true."
"Come on… lets just go."
Lucy and Lily walked downstairs. Lisa already had her green jacket on.
"Let's see what this fence says."
"If it happens at all." Lucy said.
"It happened." Lily said.
"I doubt that."
"You were once more attracted by mystical things like that." Lisa said.
"I'm not that interested in this anymore."
"Well, maybe you find it interesting."
"Maybe."
Lucy and Lily put their shoes and and Jackets on, and left together with Lisa the house. Lucy pulled up to Lisa.
"So, do you want to see or hear this fence talk?" Lucy asked.
"Yes. Because I can't always be smart, I also have to be able to learn something."
"Lily learns from you, and she has to learn that a fence does not speak."
Lucy expected Lily saying that the fence spoke. But nothing. Lily stood next to a chain-link fence and was holding her ear next to it. Lucy rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"This one speaks too." Lily said overwhelmed.
Lucy lost her mind in this moment and started yeling at Lily.
"What the Fuck!? Don't act like a fucking retarded robot!"
Lily looked at Lucy with big eyes and covered her ears.
"Calm down." Lisa said.
"No I won't! This is enough!"
Lucy walked to Lily and grabbed her hand.
"We go home. I don't believe in a speaking fence. I believe you want to troll us or you are just insane."
Lily shook her head. Lisa in this moment held her ear on the fence. And Lisa's skin turned pale, as her face got shocked expression.
"Oh god…"
"What?!" Lucy yelled.
"Listen…"
"No!"
"I don't make any jokes here. Listen."
Lucy held her ear at the fence. And her face turned paler than it already was.
"ƋƎⱢȶæ ḹịɯⱥ ŹǎŶỲḧƕℳΩ."
"ǢḘĖɃȾẌĵijøⱡōǒổ ƱƪȝȹҘ ӘѰѬД."
Lucy looked at the ground in front of Lily, wich was covered in snow.
"You were right... The fence is speaking."
"I told the truth." Lily said.
Lucy started to feel bad about what she had said.
"I have to apologize, Lily."
"I just want to find out why the fence is talking."
"If I believed in it, I would say it was dark magic."
"Nonsense. have a theory. But to prove it, I need some dollars." Lisa said.
"For what?" Lily asked.
"We buy some fence at Home Depot, and then see if my theory is right."
"What theory?" Lucy asked.
"You will see."
Lisa, Followed by Lucy and Lily went to the Home Depot in the center of the Industry site of Royal Woods. In the Home Depot, between all the big shelfs, they started looking for fence.
"So, what kind of fence do we need?" Lucy asked.
"Chain-link fence." Lisa said.
"The type of fence that is made like fabric?"
"Exactly."
Lily looked around. But the way Lily looked around made both Lisa and Lucy think of a meerkat.
"Lily stop acting like a Meerkat." Lisa said.
Lily looked very confused at Lisa.
"I don't act like a Meerkat." Lily said.
"Leave the discussion. Where is the fence?" Lucy said.
"I found some."
"Where?"
"There."
Lily walked to the shelf ten meters behind them. There was it. Rolled 15 meters of steel made chain-link fence. And it only costed 40 dollars.
"Well, this is perfect." Lisa said.
"Forty dollars? No way. That's a hell of a lot of money." Lucy said.
"You'll get it back. Goth."
"Bla bla bla."
Lucy took the Fence roll, and went to the Checkout. The cashier looked at Lucy confused, and then at Lisa and Lily as they waited behind Lucy.
"What are you going to do with this fence?"
"We destroyed the neighbor's fence and want to rebuild it." Lisa said.
"I see. Forty dollars."
Lucy gave her the Money, and they left the Home depot. As they approached the House of the Louds, the fence roll started speaking.
"έᶁᵚᶤᶑȻ Ɖǝȴƭǣ ƪḯɯȺ PⱢǝƣṩⱷ ɍœȿⱣǾƟȠƌ."
"It started." Lucy said.
"My theory is more and more realistic." Lisa said.
"What theory?" Lily asked.
"My theory is that this giant radar also sends radio signals. I might be wrong, but I heard the voice saying "Delta Lima". That's the radio code for Germany."
"Why is it Delta Lima and not Germany?" Lucy asked.
"No. Its D and L. That's the Radio Alphabet."
"Okay hirni, why is it D and L when it says Germany? Then it should be G and E."
"I have a theory about that too."
"And this theory is?"
"Lily, how is Germany called in German?"
Lily started thinking.
"I don't know. I never used it. I read more about Swiss Trains." Lily said.
"You've probably read that word once when you read your german Railway magazins that often." Lucy asked.
Lily thought again.
"It might be Deutschland."
"What?"
"Deutschland."
"That could work. Lily, is it possible to split the word in any way?"
"I guess... Deutsch, Land. That would be German country."
"Now Delta Lima makes sense again, doesn't it Lucy?"
"Yes. Now it does."
"Good. Let's move on. I want to confirm my theory."
Lisa, Lily and Lucy went trough their garden, and walked over the Meadow, toward the Giant Radar wich stood in the Middle of this Forest. The Voices from the rolled fence got louder.
"That's scary." Lucy said.
"Go closer." Lisa said.
"I want to go home." Lily said.
Lucy wanted to touch Lisa's shoulder to make her turn. In this moment, both Lucy and Lisa got electrocuted from the fence and each other. Both fell to the ground.
"Ohh ouch…" Lucy Moaned painfully.
"My shoulder…" Lisa said while putting snow under her jacket on her Shoulder.
Lily started getting a headache. Lisa and Lucy started feeling the same.
"I don't feel good." Lily said.
"Why did we do that?" Lucy cried.
"We have to go. Here is too much radar." Lisa said.
Lucy stood up and ran away. Lisa wanted too, but Lily wanted to take the fence with her.
"Lily! Come on!"
"We paid for the fence. I don't want to lose what we own."
Lucy ran to Lily and Took the fence with her, followed by Lily. All of them entered the House exhausted, and full of fear.
"I will never do anything with either of you." Lucy said.
"How... Should... I... Know... that... the fence... is under voltage…" Lisa said panting.
"You have the big brain. Explain it to me."
"So... I should have known that the radio and radar waves would induce a current in the fence."
"So that didn't have to happen? You asshole!"
"Why is the fence talking?" Lily asked.
"The radar sends out, in my opinion, strong radio signals, and also radar waves. And they induce a current in the fence that begins to oscillate. Frequencies that radios cannot receive because of the switching design, but which the fence can make audible."
"So we listen to military radio?" Lily asked.
"Yes."
"Can't we go to jail for this?"
"In a way, yes. That's why we shouldn't repeat this."
"I won't. Screw you Lisa!"
Lucy went up the stairs into her room.
"So, the scaffolding in the forest makes the fences speak?" Lily asked.
"Yes. It reminds me a lot of a story that was similar. From Switzerland."
"Switzerland? Tell me."
"I remember Roughly. The PTT, i think the Company is now called Swisscom, had a Radio Antenna somewhere in this small country. So they sent raio signals. And in such a huge amount, that Traffic signs, Fences, and Milking machines started playing Radio."
"But why doesnt here everything speak, but only the fences?"
"Maybe because the fences are shaped like a good antenna. That makes the Fence act like a Radio Receiver."
Lily looked at Lisas jacked with a kinda impressed look.
"You know a lot."
"Everyone can know as much as I do. It just needs focus."
Lily nodded. She went in her room, and started driving her modell Trains. Lisa knew, Lily was now doing her normal life again, and doesn't really worry about the Radar. Or so she thought. Lori woke up. She went in the Bathroom, and started washing her face.The reflection of herself looked ten years older. Lori looked at her face.
"You were once a beautiful woman. What just happened to you Lori?"
Lori saw the Rank Badge from her uniform, in wich she slept. She leaned on the sink.
"Stress Everyday... A possible war with the Vodka machines... And just a fucked up Life."
Lori put her forehead to the mirror and closed her eyes.
"Was that the message of your death, Lincoln? That im no more than a woman who works on a ship designed to mow Russians down?"
Lori sat up and looked her reflection in the eyes.
"No. Lincoln had nothing to do with it. That was my decision. My decision."
Lori took her Uniform off, and stepped in the shower. She turned the cold water on, and sat down, pulling her legs towards her. As the cold water runned down on her, she again she saw the Nuclear explosions. The Red Sun. And the Bomb T-2023. A Bright Light, a moshroom cloud and a Loud Bang. At this size, the detonation force does not matter anymore. There will be everthing gone. Litteraly vaporized. Lori kept siting. She didn't really want to start a new day. But Joker knocked on the door.
"Kitty, your duty is starting in twenty minutes!"
"Okay. I'll be right there."
Lori stood up, and washed her hair almost with shampoo. She washed it out, turned the shower off, and dried herself with a towel. After, Lori left the quarters, wearing a uniform. When she arrived on the bridge, she took a look outside to the bow, where the two front turrets were. Sailors in strange white overalls, with a hood, gloves and Gas mask were walking on the deck with Geiger Counters. Lori Looked at a Display. It showed the Message, «MODERATE RADIOATION!»
"Prepare self-loader test." Hartman said somewhere on the brigde.
Lori went to Hartman to fill her position as third hand. Hartman looked at Lori.
"One question Kitty. Which type of shell is best against aviators?"
"AP-HE, Captain."
"And what does that mean?"
"Armor-Piercing-Hing-Explosive."
"Great. And what is a SLAP Round?"
"Saboted-Light-Armor-penetrator."
"Good. And what do I like to call this Shell?"
"The Ultimate Fuck you against everything armored."
"Smart girl. But What's the Actual Ultimate Fuck you against armored targets?"
"Depleted uranium."
"Exactly."
Lori's eyes widened.
"Captain... Do you really want to fire Depleted Uranium Rounds for a Practice? Something actual Radioactive? That will land in the Sea?"
"Turret B will fire a six-shot volley to see how the gas pressure charger of the 127 self-loading artillery performs with this exotic projectile."
Lori looked forward out of the Window, where the roof of Turret B was visible.
"We already know the result. It will work." Lori said.
"Why do you think so?"
"That's a Swiss Artillery System made by RUAG. It works a hundred percent."
An officer approached Hartman and Lori.
"We are waiting for your order, Captain."
"Assign command of the exercise to Ensign Santiago." Hartman said.
The officer turned to Lori.
"We await your orders, Ensign."
Lori thought. This was very unexpected.
"Um... ninety degrees starboard... angle guns 10 degrees up?"
"You have to tell him the distance." Hartman said.
"Ten kilometers…"
"And now you have to…"
"Confirm my orders. Confirm the orders, Lieutenant, and have Turret B aligned."
"Aye ma'am."
The officer went to a telephone and quickly dialed a short number.
"Turret B, angle to ninety degrees starboard, ten kilometers away!"
Lori heard a dull engine noise and saw that Turret B was leveling and the cannons were angling.
"Wait for the order to fire!" the Officer said.
Lori know yelled confident the order, how she knew it from Hartman.
"Fire!"
The Officer yelled in the Phone.
"Fire!"
It banged three times and black smoke covered the bow. Six shots of depleted uranium were fired by the semi-automatic 127 mm Guns. The Officer listened on the Phone. He Turned to Lori and Hartman.
"Semi-Auto Loader cycled smoothly. Depleted Uranium can be fired without a Problem in Semi-Automatic."
Hartman made a chef kiss.
"Wonderful. We're ready for war."
This sentence ran through Lori's head for days. Both Lori and Lily experienced key memories during these days. From atomic explosions to singing fences. But if that was good or bad, wasnt in their Knowlegde yet.
Year 2040:
The television had long since fallen silent. The radar's radio location stopped transmitting. And so everything made of metal in the house, which was long enough to be an antenna, fell silent.
"They stopped." Lori said.
"Indeed. They might have seen all they wanted to see." Lily said.
Lori's stomach growled.
"Oh dear. Do you want something to eat too?" Lori asked.
"I would like to eat something."
"Great. I googled something earlier, Raclette? What do you think?"
"This is typical Swiss food. Why?"
"You like Switzerland, don't you?"
"Yes."
"So. Then I'll make raclette."
Lori went in the kitchen. Lily kept standing there, and listened to the Sound that came from the kitchen.
Lucy entered Laerkes room with a Mug of Soup. Laerke sat on her bed, and looked tired at the blanket.
"I got the soup you wanted."
"No hungry more." laerke said with her broken english.
"But you wanted to have soup."
"Weird Feeling in Belly."
Lucy put the mug on Laerkes bedside tabe, and opened the windows.
"You need fresh air."
Laerke gave no answer. She didnt even act like she noticed it. She just sat there, and looked at the blanket of her bed.
"Me feel bad."
Lucy sat down next to Laerke.
"I will try everything to make you healthy again."
"Me Sick when Sun fell down."
"I know Laerke. I try to make everything good for you."
"Amerkans make all worse. Kill strong people of Danmark, and make life broken."
"But, you lived under a dictatorship. You don't know what happened to you."
Laerke got up angrily.
"Vestergaard no dictator! Verstergaard good!"
"Laerke, you don't know what happened to you."
"Ingen listen to Amerkan Lie!"
Laerke held her ears closed. Lucy got up.
"You'll see eventually that I'm right."
She left Laerkes room. As she entered the Living room, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Lana.
"And don't kill my plants."
Lucy wrote back a message in all manner.
"What?"
Another message from Lana came.
"Sorry. I wanted to message Lola."
Lucy shook her head. She sat down at the couch, and made something on the internet. But then, she Discovered a newsline.
«FORMER DANISH DICTATOR VESTERGAARD IN NYC HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF HEART ATTACK»
Lucy started reading the news article.
"The former dictator of Denmark suffered a heart attack on Thursday on Friday. Vestergaard, who is currently in custody, was admitted to a special clinic in New York City. His condition is currently stable. Vestergaard is indicted before the Court of Human Rights in Geneva for genocide and war crimes against Muslims and Jews, as well as the systematic extermination of homosexuals and trans people."
"Interesting." Lucy said to herself.
However, Lucy wasn't surprised that Vestergaard was in such a bad state. He looked so old and sick, even though he was only sixty. Ever since he retired to Greenland and just wanted to terrorize the world, he looked increasingly sickly in pictures. Lucy read on. But there wasn't much new to know. The day was coming to an end. Lily was standing in front of a display case containing the model of her BLT Tramlink. She looked at the edges and contours of this articulated train. Lily heard a knock and looked to the door. It was Lorraine.
"Hi aunt Lily. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm feeling like normal again."
"Okay. You didn't feel well yesterday... I was worried about you."
"This is what I suspected."
"What was wrong? Why did you speak that other language? And why were you crying?"
Lily looked at Lorraine. She did this for a long time. Lorraine didn't know if it was okay to ask that question. Finally Lily gave an answer. But she only partially answered the question.
"There are a lot of things that affect people. And I know what affects me."
"What is it?"
"Nothing for you."
"Okay… I'm sorry."
Neither of them said anything. Lily looked at Lorraines sweater, and Lorraine on the floor.
"Should I go now?" Lorraine asked quietly.
"That's your decision."
"Okay... Goodnight Aunt Lily."
"Good night to you Lorraine."
Lorraine left the room. Lily looked back at her BLT Tramlink modell. But now Lori came to Lily.
"Hey Lily. I know it almost triggered again your… you know what, but where exactly was that machine gun we were talking about yesterday?"
"In a wooden box in Mom and Dad's basement. But you can't carry the box alone." Lily answered.
"Okay. Dad will definitely help."
"No. I will."
"You almost had flashbacks yesterday because of our talk about the MG."
"Yes... but Dad is older and it's my MG."
"Are you sure you want to risk that?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Just take the medication with you."
"I will."
"Okay. Good Night Lily."
Lori left the room, and closed the door. Lily looked at the floor for a few seconds, and then changed her clothes. After she put on her pajamas, she went in the Bathroom and Brushed her teeth. Lily heard while walking back to her room Lorraine upstairs closing her door. She went in her room, closed the door, and after she turned off the light, she went to bed. The night was not good, Lily would say. She always dreamed of the same things. It was Lolas Voice, saying numbers and words of the Radio alphabet.
«Oscar, Echo, Hotel, India.
98. 51. 42. 73.
Sierra, Sierra, Uniform, Charlie, Foxtrot, Alpha, Golf, Papa, Quebec, Delta.
57. 53. 52. 52. 22. 74. 52. 11. 9.
Over.»
Lily then started dreaming about something different. She held a Ammo belt, wearing her uniform, wich was from the era of the second world war, standing in the german trenches, soaking wet from rain. She got up, and carefully laid the belt in the feeding system of her MG51. Someone, a soldier with a small periscope, yelled sometghing.
"Defense!"
Lily jumped at her MG51, made it ready to fire, and saw the big amount of Danish soldiers running toward her trenches. Lily pressed the trigger. A sound, like someone was ripping fabric in two parts, sounded from the machine gun, and lily felt the force she had to push against. She saw how danish soldiers got cut in half from the amount of bullets she fired. Mortar shells exploded everywhere. Lily sped firing, opened a part of the machine gun, took the barrel out and replaced it. She closed it, and fired again. Aiming at heads of soldiers, wich got mowed down by bullets.
"STIRB!!!" Lily yelled.
So much people she mowed down… she gets crazy. She is crazy. Lily jumped away from the Machine gun, and laid down in the trench. She screamed at the ground.
"SCHEISSE!!! SCHEISSE!!!"
She shook her head. She had to be normal again. She jumped again to the Machine gun, and started mowing people again. It didnt stop. She smelled blood filling the air. It made her forget herself, and just reload and shoot again.
"Feuer einstellen!" the commanding officers yelled.
"Feuer einstellen!" someone repeated.
"Feuer einstellen!" again someone repeated.
No more people did come. Only bodies were in the no-mans-zone. The artillery and the guns went silent again. Lily held on her MG51, and let herself fall backwards. She layed in the tranches, holding the Machine Gun like a Teddy Bear.
Lily twitched awake in her bed. She opened her eyes, and saw Lori tanding next to her.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Lori asked.
"No. Just memories." Lily said quietly.
"Don't lie to me... You said things in a language I didn't understand, which sounded very bad though."
"That was nothing. I just…"
Lily opened the bedside table, and took a pill out of it, wich she swallowed.
"Need a pill. That's all."
"That's not normal. Did you have flashbacks again?" Lori asked.
"Negative. I just dreamed a memory. That was all."
"Okay. Lily, we are just worried about you. Don't you think, you want to see a doctor again?"
"No. That's not necessary."
"Okay. I just wanted to mention it."
"Thanks for your care, but it's okay."
"Okay... But tomorrow we'll talk about this, okay?"
"Agreed."
"Good. Sleep well."
"Same to you."
Lori left the room. Lily went back to sleep. The four hours that remained, weere at least without memories.
End of Chapter