Chapter 44 – Free or Dead
Sunday Morning – September 25, 2310
Just before seven am, a team of municipal network administrators alerted the Angel City Police Department to the blacked out district. Further investigation revealed the lock-box, preventing local officers from meaningful reconnaissance.
Despite the fact that all communication with the district was down, the police picked up the internal broadcast from the stadium. The kids were beaming a real time feed for anyone who cared to tune in.
In typical fashion, as soon as the department dispatched their first patrol, the news crews reported to the scene. By six am, all the major networks and their local affiliates had massive trucks and transmitters anchored on all sides of the district. They beamed reports of the black out, inter-cut with bits of the earlier stories on Ashley as well as the murdered and now missing district governor and her security chief.
They also recorded and amplified the transmission from the stadium in real time. The whole world watched the horrifically violent events unfolding on the district below. Auntie's discovery and the evidence against her, as well as Ashley's experiences at the meeting hall, all openly available to anyone who might be interested.
Gage pushed all the signals out through the main dish. In possession of Ashley's stolen router, there was nothing he couldn't do.
The stage was awash with heavily armed children. Ashley stood at their center. Cole's handgun lay on the podium, feeding its signal into the monitors. The orphans in the stands watched the recent event from the weapon's point of view.
Slick was protesting the locked doors. Escurrido raised and pointed the gun at him, but then set it on the chair. The cuffed and blindfolded detective knocked Escurrido out and the gun was forgotten.
Morgenstern unveiled Ashley. She took his eye. He choked her unconscious and was shot by Slick. Soon after, Abbot attacked him. The Reverend vomited on Big Texas and Dunkirk, who followed him from main hall.
The orphans cheered as Ashley woke, picked up the gun and shot Nelson.
Dunkirk returned in flames, followed by the Reverend, who made short work of the Governor and the Texan. He helped Ashley and the teens escape by blowing apart the chains at the front doors.
Ashley carried the weapon outside.
Keller shot the teens as he and Morgenstern crossed through the main room. Ashley's gun fired at them but they went into kitchen, deeper into the meeting hall
The orphans watched as she fled into the alley, where moments later, she confronted the murderers and shot them both. The orphans cheered themselves hoarse as Ashley fled with the weapon.
The monitors cut from the handgun, back to Gage's main camera. Ash stood behind the podium, very much alive, her adult hostages crowded onto the field behind her, beaten and broken. She held the gun aloft.
The children cheered and applauded with painful enthusiasm. They fired their weapons into the air, cracking the luminescent dome overhead.
Ashley held up the document Grey had given her, only a few hours earlier, and raised the microphone to her lips.
"This was written over a hundred years ago by one of us, right here in this district. During a riot, he escaped and later became a citizen. He even became Chief Executive. And here's what he had to say about this shithole…
"Plans for the Violent Overthrow of District Thirteen…”
The recently liberated zeros screamed with unrestrained fury.
Ashley waited for them to settle down.
"Plans for the Violent Overthrow of District Thirteen and Reformation of the Republic. By Dakota Elijah Grey, July 12th, 2198.”
"First, the death penalty must be abolished. Until we acknowledge the value of all life, we cannot respect it.”
Ashley laughed and looked over her shoulder at the captive adults. “Should we apply this rule to these retards?”
The orphans packing the stands booed.
Ashley went back to the document, "Second, the Republic must declare all people everywhere Equal, with equal rights. Gated Citizenship is slavery by mutual consent, an assault on basic human dignity and the integrity of the individual.”
All across the globe, Ashley and District Thirteen had become big news. Her fight with Mo, her execution and the subsequent riots, this was the story of the day and the people watched.
On the surface, the district appeared desolate, but watching the broadcast transmitted from inside the stadium, it was obvious things were out of control.
The police department, swat teams and National Guard reserve moved into position, surrounding the district on all sides and just as importantly, pushing back news outlets and other non-essential personnel.
Ashley continued to read, "The gates of citizenship are the birth of your conflict, a misery which you spread and inflict upon others.
"If all men are equal, then all rights of citizenship must be conferred upon all members of the race, everywhere, equally. With the gates of citizenship in practice, surely all men cannot be considered equal.
"This nation was once the home of liberty, a beacon of hope for all men, founded on the concept that all were equal.
"Everyone. Equal. Everywhere. Citizenship is dead.
"We declare war upon the true thieves and torturers of Angel City, those who profit most, the top one percent, board members, the shareholders, the CEOs and CFOs, bankers, and bourgeoisie, the oppressors of their brothers.
"You paper men, you lawyers and executives are a weak and cowardly bunch. You have no discipline. You hire and exploit real men to do your dirty work for you. Once we find you, your soldiers will abandon you or die, and then you will crumble and burn. You are the real traitors of all mankind; we will seize your Property and redistribute your Wealth among your orphans.
"You think we are worthless and treat us like refuse, but we are the children of men and Liberty is our God. We will execute her enemies with her praises on our lips.”
Ashley set down the rage filled papers.
Ash smiled. "I like this old guy. He knew his shit."
The orphans exploded into overwhelming applause.
The air was charged with the weight of the moment.
"As for what I think about all of this." Ashley looked at the hostage adults. "I think we would be justified in killing every one of you.”
The kids in the stands roared with applause and cheers.
Several orphans dashed onto the field to attack the helpless adults. They carried batons and a few even had machetes.
"But that's not what we're going to do!" Ashley shouted.
The boys didn't stop in their attack. They continued to swing on the unarmed adults. Some were falling, mortally wounded.
Ash screamed, "Stop!" into the microphone, but she was barely heard.
Several adults were down now.
Ashley held the detective's weapon next to the microphone and fired.
The amplified sound was deafening.
On the field, the orphans paused in their abuse of the helpless adults.
"Stop!" Ashley said again. "Go back to your seats.”
A few adults were severely hurt, dying or dead.
Most of the boys turned and walked back toward the bleachers.
Suddenly, Ash felt deeply ashamed.
However, it simply would not do for her to lose her cool here, in front of everyone. She took a deep breath.
A couple of the more aggressive orphans remained on the field.
"We can't just let them go," one yelled back to Ashley.
"We're not going to," she replied.
"You said they were going to blow us up!" the other shouted.
"Listen to me. They are our ticket out of here," she explained. "Don’t lose your head now.”
"Who died and made you God?" the first boy asked. Ashley recognized him; he was a Devil, one of Dante’s crew.
Ashley stormed from the stage. Her weapon pointed directly at the face the young devil that dared question her.
Swoop and the cameras followed, broadcasting her every move and word onto the big screens overhead.
“Hey, you stupid fuck, I beat Mo. I killed Lethal. That’s who died. Your old gods are dead. And who the fuck are you? You wouldn’t be here, if it weren’t for me.”
Ashley didn’t hesitate, upon reaching the boy; she punched him in the mouth. He dropped his machete as he fell backward.
Ash towered over him. “You listen to me now, if you want to survive the next twelve hours, you little asshole.”
She looked back at the stands and the cameramen surrounding her.
“This goes for everyone of you here. Anyone questions my orders, anyone wants to fight me, come and face me, one on one, or five on one. I don’t care. But until then, I am your King, or General, or whatever the fuck. Until then, I’m the boss.”
“Just like the old boss,” the wounded orphan retorted.
Ashley kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious.
“I’m willing to discuss anything, if you can be reasonable, but if you if you threaten me, I will fucking end you.”
After a moment of silence, the orphans roared.
They chanted her name as she returned to the stage.
After a brief moment, Ash smiled.
The kids in the stands laughed.
The tension was broken.
"Go," she ordered the gang members still on the field, pointing back at the stadium bleachers.
Several adults were kicked as the extra zeros walked from the field. Ashley had already conscripted specific rifle-toting gangs to act as guards for the prisoners, she didn’t want extra orphans getting caught in the cross fire if the adults go out of hand.
One orphan, as he walked back toward the bleachers, sliced off an adult’s ear and threw it at the girl.
Ashley was mortified.
This was her fault.
She had caused all of this, not her father, like she'd thought earlier. It certainly was not the fault of the black knife he'd left her, even if it was an intelligent computer. Ashley realized that was the first time she'd admitted the truth to herself.
The Micronix, the prototype in her locker, if it was still there, was intelligent. Ever since it had come into her possession things had been different; she had been different.
Right now, at this moment, watching a boy casually slice an adult's ear off and throw it at her, this was not her father. This was not the device. This was her own fault, her own doing. Whatever influences she might have had, this would always be her fault. This is what she had created in her own life.
Then, suddenly, in the same moment, Ashley realized that He, the Ear Slicer, was responsible for his own actions. She was involved, but she didn't slice the ear off. The same as those on the field arrayed before her were responsible for their own actions.
They had made this necessary; they had tried to kill her.
All over the world, people watched. She was re-broadcast on almost every channel. The news channels split the screen, displaying swat and National Guard troops moving into position, while on the other half of the screen Ashley continued her rant.
"Did you know, the law says that if a citizen attacks you, you can only use enough force to defend yourself from his attack? For example if he threatens you, all you can do, legally, is yell and run away.”
She allowed the children a moment to shout their replies.
"I’m with you. Fuck that. If someone insults me, I break his face. If he tries to punch me, I break his arm. If some asshole comes at me with a weapon, I will put him in the ground.
"That includes cowardly attacks from a distance, or through some scheme, like hiring assassins, or soldiers, or cops. First, I will kill your soldiers, and then I will come and find you where you live and I will murder you in your sleep. I’m coming for you, I am your karma."
Ash turned away from the cameras and addressed the prisoners. "You are all Citizens, correct?"
No one replied.
"Many of you have been assigned to this district as part of your citizenship-mandated public service, correct?"
Again, no one replied.
"Now, Who's willing to denounce their citizenship as immoral and demand equality for all people?"
No one spoke or moved.
"Let's make it easy for both of us. Uncuff them." Ash gestured to her soldiers for the restrained citizens to be freed.
Almost every child carried a blade of some sort or another. She waited as the machete-wielding children freed the hands of their captives. Ashley held almost fifteen hundred prisoners, but not all of them had been bound.
The district’s census was skewed toward the older end on the orphan side, while the guards and teachers were mostly young adults themselves.
Competent orphans outnumbered the citizens better than five-to-one. Full-grown adults in their thirties were few and far between, and heavily outgunned by the fearless and angry children.
It took a good five minutes to sever the bonds, even so grossly outnumbered. Several adults decided this was their chance to make a stand, but none escaped and only seven were killed or knocked out.
Ashley held up the microphone. "We are going to give them a choice. The only way we can only beat them; is if we don't become them.”
"We can beat them with sticks," the Ear Slicer yelled, as he strutted from the field.
A large number of the orphans laughed at this remark.
Even Ashley smiled. "That's not what I meant." The smile crept into her voice and the good humor was amplified through the speakers. "I do have a plan.”
The statement elicited more cheers and yells from the children.
Ash turned and addressed the adults, calmly, rationally. "We're going to settle this once and for all, between us, at least. We're going to do it with a vote. Everyone's vote counts. What you choose over the next few minutes will change your life.”
The orphans assembled in the stands listened attentively, curious.
"First, the death penalty should be abolished. And second, citizenship should be equal rights for everyone, on the whole planet. Two questions, one vote.”
No one spoke.
"Raise your left hand if you want to keep things the way they are. Raise your right if you think everyone should be equal under the law.”
No one moved.
“Left, in the name of the Republic, stay a citizen, try to change things from the inside. Right, renounce citizenship as immoral and declare all men equal. Sound simple, right? So, okay, go ahead."
They didn’t move.
Ashley raised the handgun at the adults. "Go on, vote.” She pulled the hammer back; it clicked loudly over the speakers. "Somebody vote, or I'll just start shooting you.”
They continued to hesitate.
"I can bring them back out onto the field." Ashley pointed to the stands.
The Orphans screamed, whistled and cheered.
Ash slowly and dramatically pointed her gun directly into the crowd of teachers and guards.
Slowly the citizens placed their votes.
Most of the humanitarians voted for equality, raising their right hands high, but some did vote for citizenship. The soldiers voted for citizenship, almost to a man.
Ash instructed the orphan soldiers to separate them by their vote, left and right, a few teachers joining the clustered guards, but almost no guards on the equality side.
Ashley shook her head with disappointment.
She gestured for Swoop and the other cameramen to back off while she conferred with Hambone and Oddball. "Which medical bay is safest, hardest to get to?"
"The Bolt's," Hambone answered.
Ashley turned to Gage, “Can you shut off the monitors there?”
“Sure, easy,” he answered.
Ashley pointed to the assembled instructors. "Separate out the nurses and medical staff you think you can trust and take them down there. Take their phones and cut all the cables to the monitors."
"What, why?" Oddball asked.
>
"We will need to them to stitch us up if we get away."
"If." Hambone and Oddball speak simultaneously.
Ashley smiled.
"Okay, but why cut the monitors," Hambone asked.
"Because if they see what I'm going to do up here, I don't think they'll want to help us. Now, go"
She assigned several platoons of zeros to accompany the teachers who'd voted for equality to God's Hotel and to inform them that they're being evacuated.
Oddball nudged Hambone and they called over a waiting platoon to lead the good ex-citizens from the stadium.
Ashley and the orphans continued with their plans and preparations until Oddball radioed that they were ready.
The footage streamed out across the world.
Mayor Westbury gave the command to prepare for the attack. Swat and the National Guard moved their assault craft into ready positions, along the outermost edges of the crisis box, but without the codes, they could not breach the locked magnetic barrier.
Leonard had called every political department the Mayor could think of, but no one claimed responsibility for the crisis-box.
High above the chaos, Captain Snow and her soldiers returned to the district. They activated their invisibility cloaks and stepped from their transport. Using minimal power, they dropped past the surrounding police, National Guard and news outlets.
Snow had specified the old orphanage as their rally point and the soldiers briefly congregated there. At Snow's command, Captain Grey was sent to double-check his charges. First Sergeant Tarnung King, Splitter and Sorpresa were assigned to the stadium, while Captain Snow set out to secure the infants and toddlers on God's Hotel.
On the screens, on the stadium field, Ashley approached Auntie and Dr. Mallus. “Agatha Dorchester Maime, Governor of Angel City, District Thirteen, we charge you with cannibalism and crimes against humanity. We hold you responsible for the serial murder of hundreds of children and introduce your personally assembled cookbooks as evidence."
Ash turned to Doctor Mallus. "We also charge the Chief Surgeon, Doctor Lorenzo Mallus, with hundreds of murders by lethal injection. We introduce your cactus statues.
"Confronted with the evidence before me I have no choice but to find you both guilty. Oh, wait, how do you plead?"
Ash didn't wait for their answer.
She stepped forward, drawing and swinging the Little Dragon, slashing Auntie's head clean off, in one smooth stroke.
A fountain of blood sprayed from the severed stump.
Lifeless, the body sagged to the ground, but unsatisfied, as it was still restrained by the spear.
Ashley approached the Doctor.
"I plead innocent, I plead innocent." he chattered.
She slashed again.
His head jumped free and his life’s blood shot into the air.
"Your plea will be taken into consideration,” she said.
The children cheered for all they were worth.
Majors Armitage and Watrous had also been arrested. Ashley didn't speak to them at all, but in two more clean strokes, she separated their heads from their necks.
Ash lifted Auntie's head onto the stake restraining her dead body. Blood and other cranial fluid ran down the spike as she speared it. The Doctor's and the Majors' heads took similar places atop tall splinters of wood or metal.
One of Ashley’s requests had been for the children to dismantle sections of the Old Orphanage’s gothic fencing. Dozens pointed metal stakes had been carried in and distributed among the orphans. Finding sharp pointy things had been much less trouble than anyone could have anticipated, and there were at least fifty other adults that had been singled out by the zeros as having been among the district's worst offenders.
Ashley encouraged the orphans to confront the guilty with their crimes in person.
Morgenstern and Keller wheeled the dragon across the district without encountering a single zero. The hovering police and news vehicles, however, did see them. A sniper relayed their movements to his superiors and asked for permission to fire, but was asked to wait for clearance, which never came.
Orphans all over the district occupied strategic positions, but the police didn’t know anything about it. They had hung the terillium netting across the open spaces of the parking garages, concealing their movements. All weapons and riflemen were ordered to remain below the ledge until the police got past the lock-box.
Outside the crisis box, the police department and National Guard awaited orders. They didn't have the access codes and so couldn't move their vehicles through the lock box if they had wanted to.
Westbury had called in some markers and a group of hackers were working on digitally cracking the box.
ACPD Swat, like Keller and Morgenstern, had begun cabling men down onto an upper wing of the Old Orphanage.
Grey's instructions to Ashley, to abandon the Old Orphanage, ensured that it, with its high towers, would be one of their first landing points. It wouldn't be long before they found the Governor's torture wards.
Almost immediately, the swat team was stalled by the discovery of the dozens of child corpses. They also rescued dozens of captive children, orphans in desperate need of medical attention, as a result of their time in Governor Maime's captivity.
On the monitors, the citizens accused of crimes were brought forward. Ashley asked only that the children accuse the citizen of their crime in public. After which they were free to pronounce any verdict and sentence, to be carried out immediately.
The crimes and grievances were graphic and exotic. Rape, torture, all the standard fare, but also accusations of murder and selling children were brought forward on the behalf of absent victims.
Several were shot, impaled, burned and attacked with machetes. Ashley made no objections to loaning out the Dragon. The curved ribbon of steel drank from many throats that morning.
After the guilty were mercifully dispatched, Ashley again addressed those who had voted for citizenship over equality.
"This is your second chance. Would you rather be equal or dead?"
Dozens of right arms went up.
Ash again had them separated, another group marched off toward God’s Hotel.
She stared at the remaining citizens, those who had twice voted in favor of the gates of citizenship.
She gave the signal and several dozen of orphans walked out onto the field, surrounding the adults. They were carrying lit torches and machetes.
One at a time, the citizens were again given an opportunity to vote.
All but a few voted for equality.
Those who voted with their left arms, lost them to steel and fire.
These orphans, hard gang members one and all, did not shirk from what Ashley asked them to do.
The challenge for these children wasn’t whether they could stand the sight of blood, but whether they could get a clean cut. Their challenge was to take the arm in a single stroke.
The challenge for the guards was to stomach it, without crying, for which they would only be beaten and teased.
Those carrying the torches showed no aversion in cauterizing the wounds, though many guards screamed during this part of the ritual and lost consciousness.
Of the remaining soldiers, less one arm, most were in shock. Almost no one was standing. Only a few could stay on their feet.
Ash casually approached the biggest, toughest soldier on the field. He was older, experienced, battle scarred, standing straight as could be. He hadn’t participated in the voting and had lost his left arm for it. His face was crossed with lacerations and spotted with bruises. His arm lay at his feet, yet he stood strong.
Once Ashley was within arms’ reach of the soldier, she didn’t hesitate, slashing his head from his neck. None of the remaining soldiers stood with the dignity this man had.
Ashley had lost her taste for the brutality and hoped her point had been made.
She signaled for Dante and his men to see to the prisoners, as they had agreed. On the field
, Dante and his Devils were hardly noticed.
Most of the orphans were more interested in staking claims on the too few vehicles and picking out choice spots for fighting off the police.
Frost and Yama had objected to guarding the adults, but it was clear Dante was up to something.
Once Ashley left, and the remaining zeros were Dante's loyal soldiers, he stepped over to the corralled the citizens. "She wants to hold you, keep you here, but I've got a better idea."
The doors leading under the bleachers were opened and the adults were forced to pick up their severed limbs and roughly escorted from the field to the central freight elevator. From there, they were taken to the lowest level of the complex, the parking structure under the Iron Fist’s campground level.
The one-armed ex-citizens were crowded into the parking garage and seated on the floor, behind a makeshift barricade.
The relocation of the healthy guards exposed dozens of wounded citizens, lying on the grass, too wounded to travel.
Dante walked through the field, executing them with a pistol.