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Just Another Day of War
Feb. 28th, 2009 11:02 pmThe door takes them to the main area of a ruined church: pews and benches are missing, the altar is empty and dusty, ruined by time and weather. Outside a broken window nearby the sun is setting, a gorgeous orange ball at which they can look directly. That night, the wind would blow in to add another layer of dust to what had been burying the small dead city for the last three years.
The whitish dust lay over everything, covering the streets and the open spaces, starting the work of hiding the small houses that had been crushed and made into rubble by soviet artillery and their massive tanks.
It is quiet. Like a cemetery. "And here we are."
The whitish dust lay over everything, covering the streets and the open spaces, starting the work of hiding the small houses that had been crushed and made into rubble by soviet artillery and their massive tanks.
It is quiet. Like a cemetery. "And here we are."
Friends Bonding Over Deadly Toys
Feb. 24th, 2009 05:24 pm[ Before ]
First thing to be noticed, is the brightly colored sticker on the door. Just because Tanya gave up looking does not mean she will hide after 'coming out' already.
She opens the door for Annabelle, letting her friend walk in first: the room is tastefully furnished, with the queen-sized bed, carpet, a large comfy couch, a walk-in closet and a door to a bathroom. Bookcase, a portable fridge, a work desk. Cozy little space.
Little details are what set it apart, like the tactical belt with two pistols hanging from the back of a chair, and the gun rack holding two carbine-sized assault rifles and two scoped long guns.
"Welcome to my little foxhole."
First thing to be noticed, is the brightly colored sticker on the door. Just because Tanya gave up looking does not mean she will hide after 'coming out' already.
She opens the door for Annabelle, letting her friend walk in first: the room is tastefully furnished, with the queen-sized bed, carpet, a large comfy couch, a walk-in closet and a door to a bathroom. Bookcase, a portable fridge, a work desk. Cozy little space.
Little details are what set it apart, like the tactical belt with two pistols hanging from the back of a chair, and the gun rack holding two carbine-sized assault rifles and two scoped long guns.
"Welcome to my little foxhole."
(no subject)
Jan. 15th, 2009 11:57 pm[ Before. ]
First thing to be noticed, is the brightly colored sticker on the door.
The room is tastefully furnished, with the bed, carpet, a large comfy couch, a walk-in closet and a door to a bathroom.
Hm... a bookcase, a portable fridge, a work desk. Cozy little space.
First thing to be noticed, is the brightly colored sticker on the door.
The room is tastefully furnished, with the bed, carpet, a large comfy couch, a walk-in closet and a door to a bathroom.
Hm... a bookcase, a portable fridge, a work desk. Cozy little space.
Tales of Therapeutic Revenge
Dec. 7th, 2008 04:06 am...
Closure can be such a bloody, violent affair...
...
...
Room 852 - Time to Depart
Nov. 11th, 2008 02:56 amIt has been two days, and with care, the swelling of the bruises went down some. Tanya is not aching so much, she is eating a bit more, but still spends a lot of time in troubled sleep. AndrAIa's presence helps,she rests better with her friend near.
Waking up late, the battered soldier just stares at the ceiling: she made up her mind about something.
Waking up late, the battered soldier just stares at the ceiling: she made up her mind about something.
[[ From here ]]
First thing to be noticed, is the brightly colored sticker on the door. But when they get there, another problem presents itself.
"I... lost my keys."
Ah yes, one of the side effects of spending time as a prisoner being 'reeducated': personal possessions are surely gone.
First thing to be noticed, is the brightly colored sticker on the door. But when they get there, another problem presents itself.
"I... lost my keys."
Ah yes, one of the side effects of spending time as a prisoner being 'reeducated': personal possessions are surely gone.
Rescue from the Nightmare
Nov. 6th, 2008 12:08 amThe door opens into the streets of a small abandoned village: it is night, a chilly autumn night.
The bright moon in the sky makes the numerous footprints of heavy boots and the even more numerous prints from attack dogs' paws clearly visible. The ground also shows tire marks and the tracks from an Armored Personnel carrier. A keen eye might also notice spent bullet casings here and there.
Unfortunately, none of those seems much recent.
The bright moon in the sky makes the numerous footprints of heavy boots and the even more numerous prints from attack dogs' paws clearly visible. The ground also shows tire marks and the tracks from an Armored Personnel carrier. A keen eye might also notice spent bullet casings here and there.
Unfortunately, none of those seems much recent.
Nightmare Week: Day Seven
Nov. 4th, 2008 11:26 am"Tanya?"
The soft gentle voice roused her from sleep. Another Grey Man, but this one carrying a bundle of clothes. "Time to get dressed, Tanya. We have a long day ahead."
If he expected some special reaction, the man would have been disappointed. Tanya simply moved to her feet, accepted the bundle of clothes and got dressed.
Her half-uniform, cleaned up. But no reaction showed itself, she got dressed and waited for new orders. Satisfied, the Grey Man beckoned her to follow, walking out of the cell.
Escorted by two guards, they walked deeper into the facility: the Grey Man opened a door to what looked like a television studio and guided the woman to a table and chair. "Now, this is just a test. If you do well, we can move you to a better room and do a real recording net week. You would like that?" She mechanically nodded, expression still blank; Grey Man made a mental note to work on her conditioning to fake emotions, but there would be time later.
"Very well. When the red light turns on, I want you to read this for the camera." He offered her a few sheets of paper and Tanya stood there looking over the 'confession of war crimes' a moment, before nodding. "Can do."
"Good. Just wait for the camera." She nodded again and he turned away from her.
Turned his back. To her. The two guards noticed the bloodthirsty gleam lighting up in her eyes a second too late, and they were a trifle too far anyway.
Tanya dropped the sheets of paper and pounced the Grey Man like an animal, grabbing his face from behind: index fingers sunk into his eyes, middle fingers into his nostrils, rings fingers in the corners of his mouth; Grey Man screamed when his captive tore his face apart with her bare hands and shoved him into one of the guards. That one dropped his truncheon and the woman wasted not a second to pick it up and attack the second guard, catching him on the jaw and head, then turning to the first and breaking his arm before pummeling him and Grey Man down.
More guards arrived a few critical seconds too late. Tanya laughed at then and lunged with the truncheon and herself covered in blood, even managing to hit a couple more before being overwhelmed. It was much like the first day, but this time they were not holding back, intending to beat the woman to death.
"Stop!" Another Grey Man yelled, rushing in and shoving guards out of the way. He surveyed the scene, three dead, two wounded, then turned to the beaten-up woman, feeling a bit of grudging respect: she had fooled them all, pretending to play along, aiming for exactly this, no doubt planning to force the guards to kill her.
He crouched and checked her vital signs: still relatively strong. Grey Man pulled the White Coat who just entered the room away from the injured guards and put him to work on the prisoner: now that his colleague was dead, he was the senior interrogator.
"What happened here, comrade?" Grey Man turned around and nodded to the Facility Commander.
"Comrade Colonel. It seems my colleague underestimated the german agent's cunning and resilience."
"So I see. Have her brought to my office. I will end this waste of time myself."
Grey man briefly thought about protesting. Breaking the woman, truly and completely, would be interesting... but there would be other prisoners. It was no secret that the commander had a personal grudge against the german woman.
"Of course, comrade." Still, what a waste... once converted, she could have been a perfect toy...
The soft gentle voice roused her from sleep. Another Grey Man, but this one carrying a bundle of clothes. "Time to get dressed, Tanya. We have a long day ahead."
If he expected some special reaction, the man would have been disappointed. Tanya simply moved to her feet, accepted the bundle of clothes and got dressed.
Her half-uniform, cleaned up. But no reaction showed itself, she got dressed and waited for new orders. Satisfied, the Grey Man beckoned her to follow, walking out of the cell.
Escorted by two guards, they walked deeper into the facility: the Grey Man opened a door to what looked like a television studio and guided the woman to a table and chair. "Now, this is just a test. If you do well, we can move you to a better room and do a real recording net week. You would like that?" She mechanically nodded, expression still blank; Grey Man made a mental note to work on her conditioning to fake emotions, but there would be time later.
"Very well. When the red light turns on, I want you to read this for the camera." He offered her a few sheets of paper and Tanya stood there looking over the 'confession of war crimes' a moment, before nodding. "Can do."
"Good. Just wait for the camera." She nodded again and he turned away from her.
Turned his back. To her. The two guards noticed the bloodthirsty gleam lighting up in her eyes a second too late, and they were a trifle too far anyway.
Tanya dropped the sheets of paper and pounced the Grey Man like an animal, grabbing his face from behind: index fingers sunk into his eyes, middle fingers into his nostrils, rings fingers in the corners of his mouth; Grey Man screamed when his captive tore his face apart with her bare hands and shoved him into one of the guards. That one dropped his truncheon and the woman wasted not a second to pick it up and attack the second guard, catching him on the jaw and head, then turning to the first and breaking his arm before pummeling him and Grey Man down.
More guards arrived a few critical seconds too late. Tanya laughed at then and lunged with the truncheon and herself covered in blood, even managing to hit a couple more before being overwhelmed. It was much like the first day, but this time they were not holding back, intending to beat the woman to death.
"Stop!" Another Grey Man yelled, rushing in and shoving guards out of the way. He surveyed the scene, three dead, two wounded, then turned to the beaten-up woman, feeling a bit of grudging respect: she had fooled them all, pretending to play along, aiming for exactly this, no doubt planning to force the guards to kill her.
He crouched and checked her vital signs: still relatively strong. Grey Man pulled the White Coat who just entered the room away from the injured guards and put him to work on the prisoner: now that his colleague was dead, he was the senior interrogator.
"What happened here, comrade?" Grey Man turned around and nodded to the Facility Commander.
"Comrade Colonel. It seems my colleague underestimated the german agent's cunning and resilience."
"So I see. Have her brought to my office. I will end this waste of time myself."
Grey man briefly thought about protesting. Breaking the woman, truly and completely, would be interesting... but there would be other prisoners. It was no secret that the commander had a personal grudge against the german woman.
"Of course, comrade." Still, what a waste... once converted, she could have been a perfect toy...
Nightmare Week: Day Six
Nov. 3rd, 2008 07:30 amCold water. All pretenses to niceness evaporated, cold water roused her from sleep. Tanya did not bother even opening her eyes, she just sobbed and whimpered, curling up tighter.
"No no, it will not do, miss Adams. I am sure you have deep regrets about your escape attempt, but you had your time to think about them." Grey Man's voice was full of subtle mocking tones. "Now, get up. Our excellent doctors assured me that no permanent damage was done."
Tanya did not move: she vaguely remembered being brought in, hosed off, with actual hoses, and taken to a room with white walls. Maybe there was food too, but she was aching too much in all ways possible to think. She did not want to think, she wanted to sleep, sleep and maybe never wake up.
"Miss Adams, you were warned of the consequences of disobedience. It seems to me you like to invite punishment on yourself."
Two guards grabbed her arms and hauled her up; a 'doctor' (if you can call doctor someone who assists in such heinous acts) walked in, jabbing her arm with a syringe. Against her will Tanya felt the haze lifting and the pain lessening. Without the aching to derail her thoughts, the happenings of the past few days came back to memory full force and she gave out a pained sob.
"Now, that you are awake, you need your strength back." Right there in the cell. Her little safe space being violated...
A large heavy padded metal chair was hauled in and set down: the woman was strapped to it, hooked on an IV drop and the White Coat examined her, carefully, nodding to the Grey Man.
"Comfortable enough, miss Adams? Nevermind, you will be feeling much better after the IV ends putting some nutrients into your blood stream. Much better." Tanya said nothing, just staring blankly ahead.
"You are thinking there is nothing worse that might happen, and you happen to be wrong: we can revisit everything that happened to you so far, everything. Infinite times." The woman flinched and looked down.
"Of course, you can avoid that fate. Just help us finish the war, miss Adams. That simple; and you can be out of here, to enjoy true soviet hospitality. Sleep in a real bed, and have the lock on your side of the door, in your room." Tanya flinched again and closed eyes.
"I was afraid so." He turns to White Coat and the Black Uniforms. "After refreshment is done, take her back to the volunteers. They will change her mind." Tanya said nothing; the Grey Man made note of the glassy, empty stare at nowhere.
****************************************
Hours later, she was back to her cell. Curled in a corner.
In another part of the building, three Grey Men were observing her on a large screen; on the next screen, Tanya's most recent 'session' with the 'volunteers' was playing.
"You think she is ready?"
"I think so. She is completely passive at the right times, docile and obedient. She will do what we command."
"I will inform the Colonel, then, that we will run a test tomorrow: and if things go well, we can start broadcasting in a week."
"Keeping the normal treatment?"
"Of course. It may not need reinforcement into a deeper level, but it does need upkeep. And if her progress continues, I am sure comrade Stalin could use a new concubine."
"Indeed. I expected her to hold out longer, but what can I say... westerner propagada, smoke and mirrors."
The men chuckled low at the joke, turned off the screens and went about their business.
"No no, it will not do, miss Adams. I am sure you have deep regrets about your escape attempt, but you had your time to think about them." Grey Man's voice was full of subtle mocking tones. "Now, get up. Our excellent doctors assured me that no permanent damage was done."
Tanya did not move: she vaguely remembered being brought in, hosed off, with actual hoses, and taken to a room with white walls. Maybe there was food too, but she was aching too much in all ways possible to think. She did not want to think, she wanted to sleep, sleep and maybe never wake up.
"Miss Adams, you were warned of the consequences of disobedience. It seems to me you like to invite punishment on yourself."
Two guards grabbed her arms and hauled her up; a 'doctor' (if you can call doctor someone who assists in such heinous acts) walked in, jabbing her arm with a syringe. Against her will Tanya felt the haze lifting and the pain lessening. Without the aching to derail her thoughts, the happenings of the past few days came back to memory full force and she gave out a pained sob.
"Now, that you are awake, you need your strength back." Right there in the cell. Her little safe space being violated...
A large heavy padded metal chair was hauled in and set down: the woman was strapped to it, hooked on an IV drop and the White Coat examined her, carefully, nodding to the Grey Man.
"Comfortable enough, miss Adams? Nevermind, you will be feeling much better after the IV ends putting some nutrients into your blood stream. Much better." Tanya said nothing, just staring blankly ahead.
"You are thinking there is nothing worse that might happen, and you happen to be wrong: we can revisit everything that happened to you so far, everything. Infinite times." The woman flinched and looked down.
"Of course, you can avoid that fate. Just help us finish the war, miss Adams. That simple; and you can be out of here, to enjoy true soviet hospitality. Sleep in a real bed, and have the lock on your side of the door, in your room." Tanya flinched again and closed eyes.
"I was afraid so." He turns to White Coat and the Black Uniforms. "After refreshment is done, take her back to the volunteers. They will change her mind." Tanya said nothing; the Grey Man made note of the glassy, empty stare at nowhere.
****************************************
Hours later, she was back to her cell. Curled in a corner.
In another part of the building, three Grey Men were observing her on a large screen; on the next screen, Tanya's most recent 'session' with the 'volunteers' was playing.
"You think she is ready?"
"I think so. She is completely passive at the right times, docile and obedient. She will do what we command."
"I will inform the Colonel, then, that we will run a test tomorrow: and if things go well, we can start broadcasting in a week."
"Keeping the normal treatment?"
"Of course. It may not need reinforcement into a deeper level, but it does need upkeep. And if her progress continues, I am sure comrade Stalin could use a new concubine."
"Indeed. I expected her to hold out longer, but what can I say... westerner propagada, smoke and mirrors."
The men chuckled low at the joke, turned off the screens and went about their business.
Interlude: Investigation.
Nov. 1st, 2008 10:54 amA good place to check for clues is Tanya's room. As important as opening a door to her Earth, is knowing where to go once there.
Lucy has a key, so entrance is not a problem. There is a certain badge on the door.
Inside, darkness and silence.
Lucy has a key, so entrance is not a problem. There is a certain badge on the door.
Inside, darkness and silence.
Nightmare Week: Day Four
Oct. 31st, 2008 04:16 pmWhen the next day started, Tanya barely opened her eyes. She was numb and dazed when the guards and one of the Grey Men entered the room, all silent and just watching her.
After a couple minutes, she dragged herself unsteadily to her feet, and without need to be told to, removed the tunic and let them handcuff her. Grey man almost smirked at her reactions... almost.
He personally made sure her food was laced with the right dose of drugs. Oh, they could continue to break her only with physical punishment and psychological harassment, but the drugs not only made the process speedier, they also made sure the conditioning would take root deeper.
Today's strategy combined humiliation and degrading with a more crude sort of physical pain. A numbed and passive Tanya was chained spread eagle, arms and legs wide apart, suspended a few inches above the ground. Gagged and blindfolded, she was submitted to the ministrations of one of the Black Uniforms, a virtuoso of the art of the cat of nine tails.
While speakers blared with soviet propaganda, she was beaten, the man causing red welts to rise all over her body while the cheery voice of the female announcer hammered her with offers of escape by accepting the mercy of Comrade Stalin. "Free yourself from the agony of the corrupt capitalist world! Comrade Stalin will welcome you!" When she fainted, cold water brought her back, one of the White Coats examined her to make sure the damage was not permanent yet, and the agony continued.
Still, they did not ask anything. Interrogation would just give her stimulation to resist, and there would be time for stamping out her loyalty to the Allied Forces after they broke her resistance with badgering and punishment.
The agony continued for the whole day and well into the night, cold water, electrical shocks, needles, varying the method to not let her get used to one kind of pain only. Finally she was awarded the luxury of a cold shower and a meal before being sent back to her cell, a smidgen of kindness and comfort aimed at eroding her mental defenses even more.
Finally alone, Tanya dropped to the floor like dead, asleep or unconscious even before the door fully closed.
After a couple minutes, she dragged herself unsteadily to her feet, and without need to be told to, removed the tunic and let them handcuff her. Grey man almost smirked at her reactions... almost.
He personally made sure her food was laced with the right dose of drugs. Oh, they could continue to break her only with physical punishment and psychological harassment, but the drugs not only made the process speedier, they also made sure the conditioning would take root deeper.
Today's strategy combined humiliation and degrading with a more crude sort of physical pain. A numbed and passive Tanya was chained spread eagle, arms and legs wide apart, suspended a few inches above the ground. Gagged and blindfolded, she was submitted to the ministrations of one of the Black Uniforms, a virtuoso of the art of the cat of nine tails.
While speakers blared with soviet propaganda, she was beaten, the man causing red welts to rise all over her body while the cheery voice of the female announcer hammered her with offers of escape by accepting the mercy of Comrade Stalin. "Free yourself from the agony of the corrupt capitalist world! Comrade Stalin will welcome you!" When she fainted, cold water brought her back, one of the White Coats examined her to make sure the damage was not permanent yet, and the agony continued.
Still, they did not ask anything. Interrogation would just give her stimulation to resist, and there would be time for stamping out her loyalty to the Allied Forces after they broke her resistance with badgering and punishment.
The agony continued for the whole day and well into the night, cold water, electrical shocks, needles, varying the method to not let her get used to one kind of pain only. Finally she was awarded the luxury of a cold shower and a meal before being sent back to her cell, a smidgen of kindness and comfort aimed at eroding her mental defenses even more.
Finally alone, Tanya dropped to the floor like dead, asleep or unconscious even before the door fully closed.
Nightmare Week: Day Three
Oct. 30th, 2008 10:53 amThe third day started in a different tone: there were the black-clad guards again, but with them came one of the Grey Men as well.
Tanya got up when they were already entering, her body aching and drained of strength, expecting another beating session and trying to get ready to fight back. The Grey Man surprised her by raising a hand and uttering a word she did not expect. "Please, miss Adams." Tanya stared at him. "It is just time for breakfast and to take care of your hygiene. Shall we?" He indicates the door.
The woman watched him for a moment, but her pain and tiredness screamed louder... with a small nod, she started moving just to be stopped again. "Take off your clothes." Tanya bristled at the request, stepping back, but the man continued. "If you do it, you will receive clean clothes at the end of the day. If you don't, you will have it taken from you and never returned."
She licked lips nervously... confused really, but pondering his words. They could take it from her, after all...
A long minute passeed, before her hands moveed down and pulled up and off her tunic. Then she extended arms forward for the handcuffs. "Most excellent, miss Adams. Now, please follow your guards, breakfast is waiting." As she left, the Grey Man allowed himself a small smile: it was a small compromise, but she did compromise.
****************************************
The breakfast was more soviet rations, but it was food and warm. She was allowed to eat, even if the portion was small, and then allowed to use toilet and bath facilities. Tanya was strangely docile and subdued when they took her to the interrogation rooms again, even letting them dress her into a strange harness, then be sat down and secured to a solid chair. The gag was in place once more, so they did not expect her to answer anything, yet.
After that, a large screen was turned on and another Grey Man addressed her. "Good morning, miss Adams. I must say, your cooperation is much appreciated." A jolt of electricity ran over Tanya's body, making her scream and strain against her restraints. "Now, I believe you are aware of your situation, correct? You are not going to be rescued, and you are not going to escape. What you will do, is surrender. How much suffering you will reap until that moment, is completely up to you." The current is turned off, and Tanya slumped down. "Am I clear, miss Adams?"
Give in a little, cried her weaker self. Give them something, fake something! You can not resist long being stubborn this way. Tanya pushed back that voice and regretted it the next instant, another jolt making her scream muffled, muscles tensing almost hard enough to snap bones. "What you will do, is surrender. How much suffering you will reap until that moment, is completely up to you." The current was again turned off, and again Tanya slumped down. "Am I clear, miss Adams?"
Something, anything, just a nod! She nodded frantically: her bravery was being harshly tested and found wanting. "Very good, miss Adams. Now, we shall go over your actions since the last winter..."
Tanya looked down and tried to shut away the droning voice, but to no avail. Grey Man seemed to know exactly when her attention was lapsing, and the damned chair could not only shock her but also draw the restraints tighter. The woman was kept in a medium treshold of pain that broke her concentration, and the near hypnotic voice of the interrogator continued to chip away at her resolve. For hours and hours and hours.
****************************************
When she was returned to her cell, Tanya was numb, physically and mentally. She was beyond pain, feeling like her head was made of lead and her body was water inside her skin. Pushed inside, she just collapsed in a heap on the hard floor. She was dressed again in a clean tunic: her captors upheld their side of the bargain.
The cold hate of past days had been replaced with emptiness and a vague resolve to not tell them anything. So tired she was, Tanya fell asleep scant seconds after hitting the floor, glad to be back in her cell.
Tanya got up when they were already entering, her body aching and drained of strength, expecting another beating session and trying to get ready to fight back. The Grey Man surprised her by raising a hand and uttering a word she did not expect. "Please, miss Adams." Tanya stared at him. "It is just time for breakfast and to take care of your hygiene. Shall we?" He indicates the door.
The woman watched him for a moment, but her pain and tiredness screamed louder... with a small nod, she started moving just to be stopped again. "Take off your clothes." Tanya bristled at the request, stepping back, but the man continued. "If you do it, you will receive clean clothes at the end of the day. If you don't, you will have it taken from you and never returned."
She licked lips nervously... confused really, but pondering his words. They could take it from her, after all...
A long minute passeed, before her hands moveed down and pulled up and off her tunic. Then she extended arms forward for the handcuffs. "Most excellent, miss Adams. Now, please follow your guards, breakfast is waiting." As she left, the Grey Man allowed himself a small smile: it was a small compromise, but she did compromise.
****************************************
The breakfast was more soviet rations, but it was food and warm. She was allowed to eat, even if the portion was small, and then allowed to use toilet and bath facilities. Tanya was strangely docile and subdued when they took her to the interrogation rooms again, even letting them dress her into a strange harness, then be sat down and secured to a solid chair. The gag was in place once more, so they did not expect her to answer anything, yet.
After that, a large screen was turned on and another Grey Man addressed her. "Good morning, miss Adams. I must say, your cooperation is much appreciated." A jolt of electricity ran over Tanya's body, making her scream and strain against her restraints. "Now, I believe you are aware of your situation, correct? You are not going to be rescued, and you are not going to escape. What you will do, is surrender. How much suffering you will reap until that moment, is completely up to you." The current is turned off, and Tanya slumped down. "Am I clear, miss Adams?"
Give in a little, cried her weaker self. Give them something, fake something! You can not resist long being stubborn this way. Tanya pushed back that voice and regretted it the next instant, another jolt making her scream muffled, muscles tensing almost hard enough to snap bones. "What you will do, is surrender. How much suffering you will reap until that moment, is completely up to you." The current was again turned off, and again Tanya slumped down. "Am I clear, miss Adams?"
Something, anything, just a nod! She nodded frantically: her bravery was being harshly tested and found wanting. "Very good, miss Adams. Now, we shall go over your actions since the last winter..."
Tanya looked down and tried to shut away the droning voice, but to no avail. Grey Man seemed to know exactly when her attention was lapsing, and the damned chair could not only shock her but also draw the restraints tighter. The woman was kept in a medium treshold of pain that broke her concentration, and the near hypnotic voice of the interrogator continued to chip away at her resolve. For hours and hours and hours.
****************************************
When she was returned to her cell, Tanya was numb, physically and mentally. She was beyond pain, feeling like her head was made of lead and her body was water inside her skin. Pushed inside, she just collapsed in a heap on the hard floor. She was dressed again in a clean tunic: her captors upheld their side of the bargain.
The cold hate of past days had been replaced with emptiness and a vague resolve to not tell them anything. So tired she was, Tanya fell asleep scant seconds after hitting the floor, glad to be back in her cell.
Arrival to the Nightmare
Oct. 27th, 2008 11:04 amWhen Tanya woke up, she discovered herself to be laying on a metal floor, blindfolded and handcuffed, feeling the movement of what must have been a truck... or an APC. The air was hot and heavy with the scent of dust and diesel; somewhere very near, a few people were talking in Russian.
Moving head to listen better was rewarded with a hard kick to the stomach and a stream of profanities: her captors seem to have a grudge against her, so the woman laid still and quiet. It did not prevent them from nudging and prodding her with boots and the stocks of their guns, making sure she could not relax. Royal treatment, it seemed.
After what seemed like an hour, Tanya felt the vehicle slow down, then speed up again: probably going past a checkpoint. The same thing repeated itself three more times, before another long stretch of travel, then movement ceased. Another hard kick, and then she was hauled up and dragged out.
Open air... then a door was opened and she was taken inside a building: long hallways, more doors, two flights of stairs down, hallway, doors. Tanya was roughly sat down on a chair, her handcuffs secured behind it, long moments of silence ticking by until someone pulled off the blindfold.
Moving head to listen better was rewarded with a hard kick to the stomach and a stream of profanities: her captors seem to have a grudge against her, so the woman laid still and quiet. It did not prevent them from nudging and prodding her with boots and the stocks of their guns, making sure she could not relax. Royal treatment, it seemed.
After what seemed like an hour, Tanya felt the vehicle slow down, then speed up again: probably going past a checkpoint. The same thing repeated itself three more times, before another long stretch of travel, then movement ceased. Another hard kick, and then she was hauled up and dragged out.
Open air... then a door was opened and she was taken inside a building: long hallways, more doors, two flights of stairs down, hallway, doors. Tanya was roughly sat down on a chair, her handcuffs secured behind it, long moments of silence ticking by until someone pulled off the blindfold.
The silence of the dark forest was broken only by labored breath and the sound of footfalls. The woman raced in silence, pushing back the fear the silence itself elicited, eyes on the trail, hearing focused to the faint sounds of her pursuers. Once in a while she heard the stomping of boots and knew they were getting closer: she could not hide and they were too many to fight, so running was the only option.
A pause for a couple deep breathes; Tanya knew she had been betrayed, or spied, since there was no way this kind of trap would be accidental: attack dogs, trained scouts, patrolling choppers and rangers. Someone had gone thru a lot of effort to catch her.
A bitter smirk showed on her face. She hoped the reward was good enough.
Tanya rushed on, towards a small abandoned village she knew to be not far: in this kind of impossible situation, the only escape would be Miliways, to reach Milliways she needed a door. The tricky part was staying ahead of the scouts and their dogs.
When she emerges from the woods into the outskirts of the village, Tanya is down to her last few bullets and the sound of patrols is horribly close, scouts and attack dogs converging on her position. Just a few more steps... her lungs burn with the effort, but only a few more steps and a bit of luck and she might just escape this time...
A soldier, another, three guard dogs appear from behind a house. Tanya raised her guns, and fired. One, two, five, seven shots, men and animals falling down: her guns lock back, empty. Cursing low, she opened the closest door and for a moment stareed into nothing; then, Milliways appeared before her.
As she moveed to enter, thanking god and luck for the escape, reality came crashing down on her in the shape of sixty pounds of attack dog, knocking her guns out of her hands and sending her to the ground. The door closed by itself and the passage to the End of the Universe vanished.
Another person would be paralyzed in shock and dismay: Tanya was fully aware that shock-freezing would get her killed; she managed to elbow the dog on the throat and draw her knife, sinking it to the hilt between the animal's ribs. Pushing the still-quivering beast off, Tanya trieed to climb to her feet and was 'helped' by a heavy military boot hitting her stomach, followed by a hard blow from a rifle buttstock to the back of her head finishing the job. Her last sight before blackness was of the soldiers swarming in, the last sensation was of her arms being drawn back and her wrists secured.
She did not really expect to wake up.
A pause for a couple deep breathes; Tanya knew she had been betrayed, or spied, since there was no way this kind of trap would be accidental: attack dogs, trained scouts, patrolling choppers and rangers. Someone had gone thru a lot of effort to catch her.
A bitter smirk showed on her face. She hoped the reward was good enough.
Tanya rushed on, towards a small abandoned village she knew to be not far: in this kind of impossible situation, the only escape would be Miliways, to reach Milliways she needed a door. The tricky part was staying ahead of the scouts and their dogs.
When she emerges from the woods into the outskirts of the village, Tanya is down to her last few bullets and the sound of patrols is horribly close, scouts and attack dogs converging on her position. Just a few more steps... her lungs burn with the effort, but only a few more steps and a bit of luck and she might just escape this time...
A soldier, another, three guard dogs appear from behind a house. Tanya raised her guns, and fired. One, two, five, seven shots, men and animals falling down: her guns lock back, empty. Cursing low, she opened the closest door and for a moment stareed into nothing; then, Milliways appeared before her.
As she moveed to enter, thanking god and luck for the escape, reality came crashing down on her in the shape of sixty pounds of attack dog, knocking her guns out of her hands and sending her to the ground. The door closed by itself and the passage to the End of the Universe vanished.
Another person would be paralyzed in shock and dismay: Tanya was fully aware that shock-freezing would get her killed; she managed to elbow the dog on the throat and draw her knife, sinking it to the hilt between the animal's ribs. Pushing the still-quivering beast off, Tanya trieed to climb to her feet and was 'helped' by a heavy military boot hitting her stomach, followed by a hard blow from a rifle buttstock to the back of her head finishing the job. Her last sight before blackness was of the soldiers swarming in, the last sensation was of her arms being drawn back and her wrists secured.
She did not really expect to wake up.
Interlude: Betrayal
Oct. 18th, 2008 09:00 pmAllied Headquarters, Frankfurt. Hardly one could see a busier place, for the task of defending Europe from the soviet invasion was a truly endless one: supplies had to be regulated and delivered, orders forwarded, plans composed. All finished plans and strategies traveled under guard, in sealed envelopes and locked briefcases.
It was supposed to keep the missions secret and the operatives safe. Unfortunately, a bit less attention was paid to the people who wrote the reports and collated plans.
It was not a terribly hard task after all. Millions of civilians were behind enemy lines, prisoners of the Soviets, in forced labor camps, reduced to slavery. Some resourceful high officer of the Red Army came up with a plan: prisoners were approached by lower officers, and told a prisoner exchange was going to take place. Elated at the prospect of being sent to their families in Free Germany, hundreds of thousands of citizens supplied names and contact information of their relatives.
The next step took longer, with spies combing information bases in Germany, locating relatives until a list was compiled: workers at the Allied HQ who had loved ones captive. From that list, careful probing and questioning led to the creation of a third, much smaller list, a couple handfuls of people willing to report information they had been working on in exchange for the continued survival of their captive families.
You see, a traitor is not always a despicable wretch. Sometimes, just desperate.
Sometimes, willing to put strangers in jeopardy to protect their loved ones.
It was supposed to keep the missions secret and the operatives safe. Unfortunately, a bit less attention was paid to the people who wrote the reports and collated plans.
It was not a terribly hard task after all. Millions of civilians were behind enemy lines, prisoners of the Soviets, in forced labor camps, reduced to slavery. Some resourceful high officer of the Red Army came up with a plan: prisoners were approached by lower officers, and told a prisoner exchange was going to take place. Elated at the prospect of being sent to their families in Free Germany, hundreds of thousands of citizens supplied names and contact information of their relatives.
The next step took longer, with spies combing information bases in Germany, locating relatives until a list was compiled: workers at the Allied HQ who had loved ones captive. From that list, careful probing and questioning led to the creation of a third, much smaller list, a couple handfuls of people willing to report information they had been working on in exchange for the continued survival of their captive families.
You see, a traitor is not always a despicable wretch. Sometimes, just desperate.
Sometimes, willing to put strangers in jeopardy to protect their loved ones.
Morning. No pesky light filtering in, no loud noises, the room is peaceful and quiet. Blissfully quiet.
There is a covered tall glass of water and two aspirins on the small table by the bed. There is also a note with an account of the past night's happenings on the table by the aspirin, marked 'Read Me'.
The room is tastefully furnished, with the bed, carpet, a large comfy couch, a walk-in closet and a door to a bathroom. On said couch, Tanya is fast asleep.
There is a covered tall glass of water and two aspirins on the small table by the bed. There is also a note with an account of the past night's happenings on the table by the aspirin, marked 'Read Me'.
The room is tastefully furnished, with the bed, carpet, a large comfy couch, a walk-in closet and a door to a bathroom. On said couch, Tanya is fast asleep.
