Helldivers Diary A Generation Zero Story

[helldiver]

227th day

I woke up at dawn. I had finally slept a few hours without nightmares, yet I felt tired. I filled my ammunition bag while making coffee over the Esbit stove and loaded my weapons. I choked down some more armor plates that I covered with sausage and then I made my way to Vidsele.

I wanted to finish the tank. I had packed new EMP grenades from my luggage. When you threw them, they produced a weak explosion, but this produced a strong EMP pulse that could put the machines out of action for a short time.

I stepped outside, it was bitterly cold. I put my gas mask back on, then I set off. I already had the PVG 90 in my hands and occasionally peered over the area. I couldn’t make out the tank, but two Hunters, one of them was missing the arm MG. I had shot it away the day before yesterday.

The tank stood in its "sleeping position" in the middle of the field. I had to attack it, the Hunters could give me a problem, but I had to try to attack the tank by surprise so that I could cause as much damage as possible. I continued to spy out the area and crept up carefully. I tried to get into the back of the tank, because there were important parts sitting here, which had to be destroyed or heavily damaged.

I sent a chopping impulse to the still fully intact Hunter, and then the machine stopped as he was rootet. Then I launched my attack. In rapid succession I chased my 50 calibre ammunition into the tank.

I hit his fuel tank and his tick tank. He was about to set free his little friends. When I covered them with a hail of the heavy armor-piercing ammo they exploded and the tick tank fell to the ground.

I was shaken by the recoil of the rifle. The tank moved and took its initial position. I threw the EMP grenade, I could hear the engines shut down. I quickly loaded the PVG 90 and chased the next round of bullets into the tank’s MG Pod.

I had him by the scruff, because he started throwing lightning and it was smoking out of his head. I kept watching the Hunter. When I had shot the grenade launchers of the tank, the tank stopped and did not make any attempt to attack me. But I saw the two Hunters coming.

I shot the intact Hunter with the PVG 90 and after a few shots he crashed to the ground. The Hunter who was missing the MG, I only kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t get too close to me. I circled the tank and kept shooting at him. The armour came off at his head and cracked. I fired and fired.

With the last shot there was a huge detonation and the tank collapsed moaning and groaning. Out of the fog and smoke of the explosion suddenly the Hunter came running, it was the one missing Mg’s arm.

I backed away, the robot started a jump attack. I saw him flying through the air, but my PVG 90 was empty. I ducked down and the Hunter’s sword sensed just inches away over my helmet.

I took a few steps back to get out of the danger zone. The robot penetrated on me and struck again, this time I parried the blow with the barrel of my PVG 90. The blow was so violently led that the rifle flew out of my hand. I could not reach the Klaucke because the parka was hanging over it. The robot kept penetrating of me further and further, if it took a step, I had to make almost three to avoid getting into the area of its sword.

I tried to reach for my G3 in the rush. I didn’t succeed, because she had slipped on my back during my evasive manoeuvre during the robot’s jump attack and got entangled with the belt of the MP. I still had the Colt Magnum 44 in my belt. At least six shots of caliber 44, but it was not as easy to reload as the Klaucke, because it was a classic drum revolver as it was already used in the Wild West. It was Ronia’s revolver, I had given it to Thort at that time and took it after his death.

I always carried the gun in my belt. I pulled the gun, aimed at the robot and pulled the trigger. The recoil was violent, but the robot also swayed at the impact. I fired again and tried to put more distance between me and the robot, after the sixth shot, sparks were spraying out of the robot. I reached into my jacket pocket, because there I always had a handful of loose caliber 44 cartridges. I flipped out the magazine of the pistol and threw the empty cases out of the magazine, quickly pushed four new cartridges into it, that was all the time I had. Then I let the magazine snap back in, the robot kept penetrating at me and hitting with his sword at me.

They were not artistic fencing blows, but only with brute force, always the same blows. I shot him again and said

“This is for Thort you pig, and this is for Ronia, and this is for Ronia’s child, you bastard.”

With that i chased my last bullets into his ammunition dump. The shock wave of the exploding robot swept me off my feet. I rappelt myself up, breathing heavily.

I searched for the PVG 90 in the snow and examined it to see if it was not damaged by the sword stroke, then I loaded it again. Then I took the ammunition from the robots. I made my way to the containers. I sorted my weapons on the way there I took the G3. But there were no more surprises in the containers, one contained Hunter, I also found a blueprint which I took, the other container contained Runner. I read "Strijdsmaskin Ulven" on the Hunter. On the runners it said "Järven".

I opened the containers, took a few steps away and fired at the fuel cells with the PVG 90. I had destroyed several robots again. I checked the hotspot for more traces, because I wanted to know who was behind all this. When I had looked around enough and didn’t see any more robots, I was done. On the airfield someone could land again, provided that he came through the barrage off the coast.

I made my way to Sandbo. I wanted to set off in the direction of Törsberga Ford. I had already lost too much time here. I went back to Sandbo, where I studied the map while I heated up a ready meal over the Esbit cooker. My next stop would be Lännbacka. A small town on the south coast. After I had eaten, I packed my things and set off. I would have to walk until late at night, because we had an early noon and I still had a distance to go. I took another Ritalin against the tiredness that was latent in me.

It had stopped snowing, but it became bitterly cold. The thermometer showed -25° Celsius. I had oiled the weapons before I set off, so that they did not freeze. After I had set a target point in my helmet visor, I slowly stomped through the snow. It had stopped snowing. The otherwise grey sky was now shining in a deep blue. The sun shone and made the snow glitter like thousands of diamonds. I put on my sunglasses, because the snow blinded me and I didn’t want to risk snow blindness.

An icy, bitterly cold wind was blowing. The suit heater worked, so I did not freeze so patheticly. I had learned from the documents that the suit recharged in daylight. Slowly I stomped through the snow, in my helmet visor I had set the waypoint. I would reach the coast at the height of the village Käleby and then walk along the coast to Lännbacka. I stomped through the deep snow. I cursed about myself because I hadn’t brought me ski goggles. I would certainly have got one at the ski shop of the Björntunet Hotel.

Wherever possible I walked through the forest. Here the snow was not so deep and the trees offered me some protection from the robots. The setting sun conjured a beautiful play of colours to the sky, he glowed literally. I looked around again and again. I avoided a hunter patrol. It would not have been good to get into a firefight with them. I reached Käleby in the early evening.

The place was in a fjord. I was still on a hill behind the place and crept so close to the edge of the forest, so that I could overlook the place. A Hunter stomped along the main road. I was crouched in a bush at the edge of the forest and was practically invisible.

My suit also prevented infrared vision. I continued to spy the place, although the cold crept up on me from below. I had to make a choice. I still saw some runners running around the village.

I decided to go around the outside of the village. There was always a house nearby where I could retreat before I got into a firefight. Slowly I crept around the place. As I crept through the garden of a house near the center of the village, I heard the ominous Djiieeep… Djiieeep… Djiieeep… Djiieeep…the servo motors of a Hunter. His heavy steps told me that he was on the other side of the house.

I crawled under the porch of the house, breathing shallowly and remained seated. I heard him again and again. Was he looking for me yet? I carefully and silently took the G3. I switched my helmet visor to X-ray vision and could see the Hunter. It was pacing back and forth in front of the house. I still had some mines in my backpack. The cookie-sized things had a huge explosive power and could be dangerous to a Hunter. He didn’t even have to step on them, it was enough if he came close. But did I not attract the attention of the other robots? I rejected the idea and thought of a plan to escape from the Hunter.

I kept watching him. He kept pacing back and forth in front of the house. It could go on for hours. I decided for the mine. First I looked for a suitable escape route, then I took the mine in my hand and crept around the house. I looked around the corner and saw the robot, then I threw the mine on the street and immediately ran behind the house again and took the escape route I had scouted out beforehand. I was already a bit far away when I heard an enormous bang.

I looked around quickly once more and saw the glowing cloud of the Hunter. Some bots came running to the place. None of them made any attempt to run in my direction. I rushed on to get as much distance between me and the place as possible. The area was slightly wooded. Trees alternated with shrubs.

In my helmet visor I could see that Lännbacka was only two kilometres away. Normally, half an hour walk. I kept stopping to secure the back. Fortunately no hunter had taken up the hunt, it would have been fatal in open terrain.

I approached Lännbacka, before I entered the place, I crouched in the snow and spied the area. Two runners patrolled the place. I had to wipe them out. I took the G3 and put the silencer on her. Then I crept up to the first house on the edge of town. I watched the Runners through my scope and waited for a good shot. PFAAAUUUU, PFAAAUUUUU, the G3 howled hoarse as I shot the first runner.

I changed my position and crept around the house. Then I had a clear view of the next runner and again the G3 howled with its PFAAAUUUU, PFAAAUUUUU. The Runner turned into a smoking pile of rubble. I was pretty frozen. I secured all sides, looted the robots and looked for a place to stay. I found a nice house in the middle of town. Upstairs there was a small cosy living room. I even found a tin of lentil soup. I licked my lips, if it was nice and hot, it would certainly feed me up and warm me. Under the stairs in a small pantry there were even two bottles of beer whose sell-by date had not expired yet.

I congratulated myself on this success. I made a fire in the fireplace and put the opened can with the soup in the embers. The fire warmed me up and so I could

Take off my parka and jacket. I also noticed my smell, I had been on the road for several days without washing. A little longer and the robots would smell me even against the wind. The house had a bathroom, maybe I could freshen up a bit the next day. I enjoyed the hot soup. Afterwards I smoked a cigarette and drank one of the beer bottles.

What a pleasure after a hard day. The house had a small balcony facing the sea. I stepped out onto it. The cold immediately bit my face again. The moon had risen and showered the land with silvery light. The ice crystals glittered like myriads of diamonds. I could see the main road to Käleby. There was nothing suspicious to see. I went back through the house and locked all the doors. Then I withdrew again into the meanwhile well warmed living room. I drank the second bottle of beer while I studied the map. I would go on the next day. My next stop would be the church of Sankt Angeräs. It should be the base for my next mission. The Törsberga Ford. It was an old Ford artillery and obviously manned by robots. I was to take out the artillery, as it was suspected that the ships off the coast were fired upon from here. I’m gonna have to blow up the casemates on the Ford, there’s gonna be a lot of fireworks. I loaded the Klaucke again and lay down on the couch. I hoped I could spend the night without having a nightmare.

I still thought about Amelie and hoped that she would now be in a warm bed in the hotel. I kissed her good night in my mind. I lay awake for a while in the dark room waiting for my eyes to close. Eventually I fell asleep. The whuusch of the nearby sea had a calming effect.

Amelie tells:

Amelie had been outside since early morning. She and Akiko had been looking for quite a while. Until noon the sky was grey and cloudy and it was snowing. Then an icy cold wind blew the clouds away slowly. It gradually cleared up and in the afternoon the sky shone in a deep blue.

The wind was icy and Amelie froze, for the wind seemed to find its way through every gap in her uniform. She kept peering. On a clear day, she could see far. Jim would come and relieve her soon, then she would warm up for two hours in the bunker and then return. Then she would relieve Akiko so she could warm up. In any case, she would stay at the post until midnight. In between she would go back to the bunker with Jim, eat something and then return to her observation post.

After the meal break, she and Jim would go up the hill and take up guard duty. Amelie peered with the binoculars. Suddenly, she heard a bang. She looked over to Källeby and saw a cloud of smoke rising from the center of the village.

“Jim, Jim, did you hear that bang, look over to Källeby, there’s something, smoke coming up.”

She was excited. It could only have been Helldiver. He was close there with her, and he was alive.

“Jim, we’ve got to get there, quick!”

"Take it easy Amelie," Jim replied,

“There’s a bunch of hunters down there, and they’re pretty upset. I wouldn’t go down there right now if I were you. You’ll have the whole gang on your hands. If that was Helldiver, he’s probably long gone by now. And it wouldn’t be good attract them as well. I know what you mean. I’d like to help him too, but it wouldn’t be good right now.”

“Oh, Jim, I’m so worried about him, I’m afraid something will happen to him!”

said Amelie and sighed.

“I am also worried Amelie, but Helldiver is a shrewd fellow, a good fighter, he can assess his risk. He won’t do anything foolish.”

While Jim was saying that, they heard another bang.

"It was close by," said Amelie.

Jim winced and said…

"that was really close, but it was from Lännbacka."

They both looked with binoculars but they couldn’t see anything. Then they heard another bang. It came from the same direction as the previous one. They couldn’t see anything because the view of Lännbacka town center was blocked by a hill.

“Oh, Jim, that must have been Helldiver. He’s so close, I’d love to go down there.”

“Amelie, that’s not a good idea. He’ll think we’re enemies and shoot at us.”

"Oh, Jim," said Amelie, and sighed again…

“I’m so restless.”

“I’d probably be too, if I knew Akiko was down there.”

They stay in place and kept on scouting, but it remained calm. Amelie went as far as she could up the hilltop to peer for Källeby undetected. She could see several hunters in the center of the village, running wildly back and forth, obviously looking for something. A thin column of smoke rose and she could see a burning Hunter wreck.

"Amelie, there will be no more today, if it was Helldiver, then he walked through here and he will certainly attack Törsberga soon. So all we have to do is lie in wait and follow his trail.

"Hopefully no one else other will lie in wait," Amelie replied anxiously.

"The Mechs are not intelligent enough for that," Jim said.

“Come on, let’s go,” Jim said and hooked Amelie.

She cast another longing glance toward Lännbacka and then left with Jim. In the bunker she drank some hot cocoa, which Akiko handed her. Excited, she told Akiko about the events. Before she went to bed she smoked a cigarette in the corridor and walked restlessly up and down the corridor. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Then she lay down in the bed, wrapped herself in the blankets and thought of Helldiver once more. She fell into a restless sleep.

[helldiver]

228. Day

I woke up again in the night, bathed in sweat and trembling, the Klaucke was already back in action. Fortunately I woke up early enough not to pull the trigger. Fortunately Amelie was not involved in this nightmare this time. I needed some time again to calm down. Finally I got up and lit a cigarette. I paced back and forth in the living room. I stood by the window and looked out at the sea. The setting moon conjured up a glittering, iridescent street on the sea.

With sleeping was it finished with me . I went into the bathroom and washed myself a little, then I made myself a cup of coffee and studied the satellite photos I had of Törsberga. It was a big complex consisting of the bunker and the actual artillery. In the inner courtyard of the complex a tank could be seen.

"Delightfull," I said to myself,

“That’s what I was hoping for, that a tank that’s buzz around there.”

I finished my coffee and packed my bags, then I was ready to go. At dawn, I was on my way. I had to destroy the Beredskappsförrad 120. I thought if I destroyed it before I attacked Törsberga, it might distract the attention of the robots that were surely buzzing around. I made my way to St. Angeräs. The church was not far from me. I started walking. On the way I considered whether I should attack Törsberga today or rather wait until tomorrow.

Around noon I reached the church. I made myself another coffee and ate something. I decided to attack during the night. During the day they could expect that I might attack, because I had attacked the other facilities during the day. I climbed the bell tower and peered with binoculars. I saw a gang of hunters running across a field a little further. I thought.

Should I lure them to the church and then finish them off one by one? The church provided good cover, but a firefight would draw the attention of the robots and I didn’t need that right now. I tried to rest a little longer. Made myself something to eat. Then I packed my backpack, taking only the things I really needed. A big part of the food I deposited in the church, and a part of my medical equipment. I forced myself to doze a little more.

Amelie tells:

"She woke up early and was restless. She had bumblebees in her bottom and couldn’t stand it in bed. She went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast because she had to do something. They were going on a trip to Lännbacka today to see what happened there and maybe find traces of Helldiver.

Jim and Akiko noticed how restless she was. Normally, Amelie ate slowly and as Helldiver always said, like a bird. Now she stuffed her breakfast into her and washed it down with a cup of coffee. Before the others were finished, she jumped up and went into the bedroom to pack her backpack. Jim and Akiko also got ready because they knew that Amelie would not give up. They left everything.

"We can clean up later," Akiko said.

They also packed their things and got ready to leave. Jim urged everyone to be extra careful and not to start a firefight unless absolutely necessary. And everyone should run back to the bunker if it was too difficult. Then they went off.

From the hill they looked down to Käleby, then they went on towards Lännbacka. They looked down to Käleby to see if from there no robots would come. They didn’t notice anything. They stalked carefully towards Lännbacka. On the main road lay two wrecks of runners. Then they saw the footprints in the snow. They led to a house on the outskirts of town. Then the footprints came out on the other side of the house. They led to the runner’s wreckage. Jim went over to the house and found empty shell casings.

This is where he shot the one runner. He followed the tracks and found more shell casings. Then they followed the tracks. They led to a house in the center of town. A thin trail of smoke came out of the chimney. Amelie was very excited and wanted to run into the house. Then Jim said…

"Careful, Amelie, don’t just run in. “He doesn’t expect you, and he might mistake you for a robot. We’ll go in slowly and then we’ll call.”

They slowly approached the house and called out.

“Helldiver, it’s us, don’t shoot!”

They reached the front door and opened it. They called into the house, but there was no answer. They also saw the footprints leading out of the house. Nevertheless, they went into the house and found the remains that Helldiver had left behind. Empty packages and empty beer bottles. They also found an empty blister pack of Ritalin tablets, which Akiko critically examined.

“We have to go after him, he can’t be far,” said Amelie.

Jim said, "That’s not a good idea, we know now that he was here, but we don’t know when he left and how far ahead he is.

He will certainly attack Törsberga and we wouldn’t be much help now. We’d will rather endanger his mission than help him."

Amelie sighed.

"I’m sure he’ll pass by here again and then we’ll follow him. We don’t know what he plans next but if he is done with the Ford, then he will went here trough, then the interesting things would be at north and that can only be Muskudden or Normyrra. So he has to come through here and then we have his trail. We just have to be patient,’ Jim said to Amelie.

They went back to the bunker. Then Amelie went back to her observation post. She knew now he was close by.

229. Tag

In the night I woke up. I packed my bags, loaded my weapons, took another Ritalin tablet. I felt loaded like a pistol. Then I hit the road, kept on scouting the grounds. It was a bright night of a full moon. After an hour I had found the Beredskappsförrad 120. I placed the explosives in the containers, set the time fuse to two hours and went off.

At dawn I reached the Törsberga Fort. I heard the thundering footsteps of the tank. I circled the fort. Some hunters and runners patrolled the entrances. Finally I reached the main entrance without firing a shot.

At the entrance was a gatehouse. I crept up on the opposite side of the road. I continued to spy on the area, then I dared to do so. I sprinted off and within seconds I was in the gatehouse. I watched the tank, it step slowly up and down the whole courtyard.

As he turned his back to me I sneaked out of the cabin and hid behind some containers that were standing on the grounds. I spied the area again and saw the entrance gate of the bunker. It was about 80 m away from me on the other side of the courtyard. I took a firework rocket out of my backpack. With it I could blind the tank. Maybe it bought me enough time to enter the bunker. I got my weapons ready to fire. I waited for the robot to turn its back on me and I ran. I threw the fireworks rocket and held another one in my hand. My plan had worked, without the tank firing a shot, I had reached the bunker gate.

I opened it and was inside the bunker. I raised my gun and stopped in the dark. I switched my helmet to infrared. I could see a runner who was quite close to me. I fired at him immediately and he exploded. Then I walked along the path slowly. Behind every bend there were a few runners and ticks. I destroyed them partially by throwing a hand grenade. Finally I reached the energy center and turned on the generators. A short time later the lights in the Ford were on.

I had to change to the other side of the yard. To get to the casemates. I had a hard firefight with some runners. Finally, I reached the ammunition depots. Here the heavy projectiles for the cannons piled up. I laid my charges everywhere. When I had finished my work, I had to take my legs in the hand to get out of the bunker. I blinded the big tank once again with a firework.

Then I ran out of the fort. Now I had to go back to Sankt Angeräs. I looked at my watch. Actually the explosives of Beredskappsförrad 120 must have already exploded. When I had left Törsberga Fort behind me, I saw a column of smoke in the sky. It was late afternoon. On the way back I had to make a detour, because I met some Hunter patrols. I did not want to get involved in a firefight with them.

I approached the church Sankt Angeräs. To my right I saw the column of smoke from the Beredskappsförrad and some Hunters running around there quite excited. Obviously they were looking for me.

I already had the church in sight when I heard the first explosion. Another heavy explosion followed. I looked around and then a huge thunderclap followed and in a cloud of embers hundreds of meters high, Törsberga Fort was blown up. I saw some hunters who had probably caught me. I ran off and punched hooks. I threw more fireworks to blind the hunters. Then I reached the church completely pumped out.

It was already getting dark. The Hunters were running in the churchyard and I took them under fire one by one. They kept shooting at me and I had to take cover several times.

go. But I also handed out properly and destroyed one after the other. I packed up my things. Also the things I had deposited and made myself ready to leave. After I had destroyed all the Hunters, I set off again to Lännbacka. I ran across a field as fast as I could to take the shortest way to the coast. It was deep night. On the way I swallowed another Ritalin tablet.

I reached Lännbacka after midnight. I bypassed the town. A little later I reached Käleby. Here I was involved in a fire fight. I met a mixed group of hunters and runners. I took refuge in a building. I fired at them one by one. When I thought I had finished them all, I wanted to get out of the building and go on.

I had just walked a few yards down the street when I was fired upon. A sniper had ambushed me. The projectiles whistled around my ears, ricochets buzzed away. I was completely surprised by the attack, had I become too careless? I had me, after that the first projectile not far from me has smashed in the wall, thrown myself to the bottom. I looked around quickly and could not recognize the shooter.

I rappelled me up and sprinted off in a stooped position. I was immediately taken under fire again. The projectiles buzzed around me, chunks of plaster and splashing dirt hit me. Ricochets howled. A ricochet hit me in the leg. I was bleeding like a stuck pig. That’s all I needed. I dragged myself into a building and patched myself up. But the wound was painful, it wasn’t very deep. It just bled a lot.

I used iodine to stop the bleeding and put a gauze bandage on it. Then I made a pressure bandage. I taped over the hole in my pants with Tape. When I finished, I got up and walked around the house. It went without any problems. The wound hurt and pulled, but I could walk normally. I watched the street and looked for any snipers. I tracked them and shot them down one by one. I fought some hunters and also some runners. Then I continued on my way.

Amelie tells:

The next morning, she made her way to her observation post early. The morning was beginning to dawn as she watched the area with binoculars. They had taken a hot cup of coffee with them.

A thunderclap tore the silence. A pillar of fire rose into the sky on the horizon. “It was him, it must have been Beredskappsförrad 120.

Jim spread the card.

“He strike of, he will definitely attack Törsberga.

Amelie didn’t hold anything anymore. She was in her post all day and could not be sent to the bunker. Jim scolded her because she was so frozen. But Amelie persevered. She only went to the bunker briefly to warm up a little, to drink something hot. Then she went to her post again.

When the sun went down she saw the spectacular spectacle with which the Törsberga Fort was ripped up high in the air. First they heard a thunderclap, then a second, and then there was a massive explosion.

Then she heard gunfire and explosions. At the church of Sankt Angeräs, she saw fireshone and begged Jim

“Let’s go there to help him.”

Jim declined

"By the time we are there it is over all mountains."

After a short while the fighting noise stopped. Amelie watched closely the road that led from Lännbacka towards Källeby. Then she kept peering into the night. Jim warned to leave.

“If we want to start tomorrow morning, we need a cap full of sleep. He will definitely go north again now. We’ll find him. Amelie had the feeling of seeing a person walking along the street. For a brief moment she felt like she had seen Helldiver. Her heart leapt. If Jim hadn’t held her back vigorously, she would have run after him.

Then you heard gunfire and explosions again in Käleby. The shootout lasted a long time and then stopped after an explosion.

“Let’s go,” said Jim, we’ll be up early tomorrow morning and follow him. Then he cannot have a great head start because he also gets tired, even if he runs all night. With a heavy heart, Amelie followed Jim to the bunker. When she got into the warmth, her face burned and her fingers were so stiff that she could hardly open her parka.

Akiko sent her under the shower. She should take a shower as hot as possible to warm up. Akiko had given her hot chocolate and hot rice porridge that tasted good. She ate hungrily. Akiko had wrapped them in blankets that she had previously put in the oven and warmed them up.

Amelie slowly thawed and she caught a stern look from her friend. But Akiko wanted only the best for her and wanted to prevent her from getting sick. She just hoped Helldiver was still alive. Jim tried to calm her down by saying

"If nothing had exploded in Käleby now and the fire had simply stopped, he would have been worried."

So he said Helldiver has definitely won the battle. We would go north over Käleby tomorrow and see what happened in the night. Perhaps they would find traces if it wasn’t snowing now.

When she was in bed, she thought about Helldiver again. How was he doing now, was he walking through the icy night now? Mother souls alone, or had he been shot and his body lay in the street in Käleby. At that thought her heart cramped and she choked down the lump she had in her throat.

She was fighting her tears. Akiko noticed that she was doing badly and sat down next to her to comfort her.

“I’m so scared for him, hopefully nothing happened to him,” she said to Akiko in a trembling voice.

“I’d love to be with him now,” she sighed.

Akiko spoke comfortingly to her and stroked her hair.

"He’ll be fine, Amalie, Helldiver is a fighter, will take care of himself. You sleep now, tomorrow we go look, Amalie, good night "

Akiko said to her and kissed her forehead.

230. Day

Amelie slept very restlessly, she rolled back and forth and started again and again. In her dreams, she kept seeing Helldiver being shot and killed, and she was always too far away to help him. She kept waking up with a lump in her throat and worry. Finally, she fell asleep a little towards morning. Finally she woke up with the others, feeling sleepy, as if she had been wheeled.

She went to the canteen where Akiko was already works around. Akiko put a cup of coffee down for her.

“You didn’t sleep well,” said Akiko

"Yes," yawned Amelie

"I’m still worried about him. I finally want to have him back, I’m going to go crazy otherwise. "

"Ahh, calm Amelie, we’ll find him. He’s not far now, we’re going to have a look in Käleby. ”

Amelie helped Akiko have breakfast. She ate quickly and started packing her things. Jim and Akiko did the same. Then they set off. The sun had just risen. They made their way over the hill they had used as a lookout. They peeked at Källeby but saw no suspicious movements. On the main street they could see some robot wrecks. Then they went out and carefully approached Källeby.

You could see Helldiver’s footprints in the snow. They led into the place. At the entrance to the town there were some hunter wrecks on the street. They followed Helldiver’s footprints and saw where he had holed up and shot. There were many empty bullet cases and empty magazines of his G3 lying around. They went further.

Helldiver must have had a pretty tough fight because they counted 6 hunters and 4 runners. Amelie secured on all sides. They sprinted along the houses, taking cover. Amelie ran ahead of Helldiver’s footsteps. In the middle of the village she let out a sharp cry

“Akiko, Akiko, come quickly!” Amelie stood on the sidewalk next to Helldiver’s traces, a hand slapped over her mouth

"Akiko, look, blood," she sobbed.

She was standing next to a big red spot in the snow. From the trail she could see that a fight must have taken place. She saw the bullet holes in the house wall and the flattened snow. He must have thrown himself here.

"No, Helldiver," she sobbed.

Akiko hugged Amelie and comforted her. They followed the tracks and could see from the grinding marks that he had drawn one leg. They found bullet cases again and again. He was obviously shoot at and had fought bitterly. The footprints led into a house.

"Helldiver, it’s me, Amelie, please don’t shoot. Helldiver, please don’t shoot! "

Amelie approached the house, she feared to find him seriously injured in the house. Shouting loudly, she went carefully into the house. But he wasn’t there. She followed the drops of blood, they ended up in a soup plate large pool of blood that had already dried. They also found remnants of bandages, a ripped medipack, and used bloody gauze pads. He must have treated himself here. Then she saw footprints that showed that he had been walking up and down the room.

Outside Jim had seen more Helldiver footprints and bullet casings. Even footprints that led out of the place without any traces of blood. Akiko summed up that Helldiver’s injury couldn’t have been too big, because she could tell from the traces that he had gone back to normal. At the end of the village they found a hunter wreck which was still smoldering.

Then they followed his trail into the adjacent forest.

"It seems like he’s going to the Uttern Bunker. He probably took a break in Sandbo. We should be on our way, ”said Jim. They went back to the bunker as fast as they could. Amelie calmed down a bit on the way. They considered who should do what so that they could get away as quickly as possible. Akiko and Amelie quickly cleared the kitchen and the canteen up and filled up supplies. Jim took care of the bedroom, made the beds, tidied up and replenished their ammunition.

Then they set off. The weather was good, the sky blue with some clouds. It was early noon when they passed Källeby. They had picked up his trail. They reached Sandbo in the late evening. It had started to snow. Jim said,

"We still have to secure his tracks, otherwise we will lose them again in the snow. A plume of smoke rose from the chimney of the house, indicating that Helldiver must have been there too. They walked on and followed Helldiver’s trail. Jim stuck small branches in his tracks at regular intervals. After walking two kilometers, they found that he had probably gone northeast. Jim studied the map and suspected that he must have been walking towards Uttern Bunker.

They went back to Sandbo and arranged themselves for the night. The fire was still smoldering in the fireplace. They also saw the bullet holes in the wall and the empty cartridge cases.

"9x19 caliber," said Jim.

"He must have shot here, but on what?"

The whole wall opposite from the couch had bullet marks. They studied the map together. Jim summed it up

“He will go to Muskudden, because that’s closest to the Normyrra base is further north.”

He pointed to a point on the map, there was a hill called Kilslagen where several paths crossed.

“If we lay in wait here, we will definitely see him. We’ll set off at night. He will surely strike at dawn and then we should be there. No matter where he goes, we’ll see him and then we can follow him. He will never go to Normyrra, it is too far away, that would be better if he went to the Skvadern bunker beforehand and attacks Normyrra from there. ”

Akiko and Amelie agreed. They settled down and slept on the floor. Amelie got the couch because Akiko wanted to sleep at Jim. Amelie was a little jealous. On the couch, which smelled faintly of Helldiver, she was softer than on the floor, but when she saw Akiko lying and sleeping in Jim’s arms, she became a little jealous.

Akiko had curled up like a little teddy bear and lay with her head on Jim’s chest. Jim had spread his parka over her and was holding her in his arms. How gladly she would now be in Helldiver’s arms now. Amelie sighed longingly, lay awake for a while, fighting her tears. Then she fell asleep.

Helldiver tells:

After the fight in Källeby, which was inevitable, I reached the forest behind Källeby. I had set a waypoint for Sandbo. So I could always orientate myself. The night was freezing cold and the moonlight illuminated my path with the silvery light. The Orion stood tall and magnificent behind me in the southern starry sky. The Polar star was also easy to see and helped me with my orientation. I always secured up so as not to run into a gang of Hunter’s and in front of their guns.

The wound on my leg hurt, but it was bearable. The tape on my uniform sealed the crack well and it didn’t pull in cold. My thermometer in the helmet visor showed -26 ° Celsius. I trudged my way through the crunching snow. I had to stop now and then. I breathed heavily and I felt shaky. That this trembling did not come from the cold was explained by the fact that the suit heater worked perfectly and I was not freezing. It was different. I suspected overexertion and lack of sleep.

About half way down I took a cigarette break. I use the helmet’s binoculars and watch my surroundings. I was lucky there was nothing to see. I continued walking in the early morning, the sun had not yet risen, I finally reached Sandbo. I climbed upstairs and lit the fireplace. Soon a lively fire crackled and cracked in the fireplace and it gradually became warm. I ate some armor plates that I covered with sausage. I was just too tired to warm myself up. Then I smoked another cigarette.

I examined my stock. They would last a long time, because Amelie didn’t smoke with. She always had her own cigarettes, but always forgot them, probably she made it extra so that she had an excuse to ask me for a cigarette. It was the same with chocolate.

I put the parka away and lay down on the couch. I had to curl up quite a bit because the couch was very small. The first time I slept on her in sitting position. I had the loaded Klaucke in my hand. I lay with my eyes open for a while.

there and waited for them to fall shut. That was better for me because then I didn’t have any nightmares. I fell asleep.

I woke up around noon. I had slept through without waking up in a sweat. I already felt much better. The weather seemed good. I watched the clouds. Maybe the dry weather would last for some time. I made myself a hot broth and a cup of coffee. I drank both and ate a few armor plates with sausage. Then I packed my things and made my way to the Uttern bunker.

My next mission would be Muskudden. It was a large complex with a port facility and a siding. There was an industrial complex nearby. Hydrogen gas was produced here. Probably the fuel production for my tin friends. If I destroyed that, it would have to be a major blow to their infrastructure. I could imagine that this facility would be very well guarded. In order to be able to penetrate the system, I had to penetrate Frederik Holberg’s villa.

According to a dossier, Holberg was directly under the top manager of FOA 53 and the Minister of Defense and was instrumental in the project on which a Svantje van Ulmer had worked. I had read several dossiers about van Ulmer. Accordingly, he was a brilliant scientist in the field of bionics, the connection between humans and computers. He had been awarded the Nobel Prize and had been working on a secret project for the Swedish Ministry of Defense for several years. Probably artificial intelligence. Maybe an experiment got out of hand and the plug was not pulled in time. Maybe I would find more traces.

The Holberg Villa was on the site of the fuel factory. Here I had to get chip cards to be able to enter the bunker system. A production facility for the robots had to be located in the underground system. All in all maybe even more difficult than the Törsberga Fort. A railway tunnel connected to the port facility. Here was an office building in the tunnel, according to the dossier about the facility. I could use that as a base, when attacked it was easy to defend.

I was looking forward to the Uttern bunker. There was good food, a soft bed and a can of beer. On the way I felt this weakness again and again. But then I shivered differently than when I was freezing. It was getting dark. The sun went down again with a spectacle of colors in the sky.

When it got dark, the sky became cloudy and it was snowing. The temperature had also risen slightly, it was only -18 ° Celsius. Shortly before midnight I reached the Uttern bunker. I went to the energy center and switched on the light. Then I walked through all areas of the bunker. The last time I hadn’t completely secured it. I shot some runners together and a lot of ticks. Then there was silence in the bunker.

It was already 1:00 a.m. I went to the fridge in the canteen and got a can of beer. I drank it greedily and got another one. I lit a cigarette and drank the second can with relish. I studied the documents about Muskudden. Then I went to bed. I was still awake, waiting for my eyes to shut. I fell asleep with the loaded Klaucke in my hand.

[helldiver]

231. Day

I was terrified once or twice at night. I had nightmares again. But luckily I woke up in time that I didn’t shoot around myself. I finally woke up in the morning. It had to be dark outside, because the clock showed seven o’clock. I felt a bit sleepy. I cooked coffee and made myself a can of baked beans hot.

Amelie always found this crass when I ate it with egg porridge for breakfast. My stomach filled. And I felt a little better right away. I had showered in the bath room and enjoyed the warm water. Anyway, I smelled much better now than before.

I was preparing for my upcoming mission and packing my backpack. Then I left. I left the light burn in the bunker, I wanted to return after a successful mission, because I had more to do in the area. It was still dark when I set off. I peeked the surrounding area before leaving the bunker. Then I ran off. A road led out of the bunker.

I walked along her a bit, but always kept myself on the edge so that I could jump into the embankment as quickly as possible. The area was rocky and wooded. So I had a lot of opportunities to take cover. It was snowing, which was good for me, because it also took the view from the robots that were lurking. Slowly I approached the plant. I kept peering to see how many opponents I was dealing with. There were a lot of Hunters and Runners running around the grounds. There were no seekers. I wanted to take a stand in the tunnel first. I bypassed the facility extensively. I walked through the forest and slowly approached. I had to climb over a road and an adjacent hill. I could already see the tunnel mouth. I peered, not far from me to my right were a group of Hunter to see. I took a firecracker in my hand to dazzle them.

The morning dawned and I watched the robots. When there was a good opportunity, I ran off. As I crossed the road, I threw the firecracker and ran into the forest across the street. Then I was at the tunnel mouth. To the left of me was a door. I looked with the X-ray to see if there was anything lurking behind it. Then I opened the door carefully. I came into a dark cave and went into the squat to not offer a big goal.

I turned my helmet visor on infrared vision and looked around, there was nothing hostile to see. I switched to normal vision. I saw the office barracks in the semi-darkness. The railroad tracks passed it at some distance. They disappeared in the dark, according to the map you would have to come out in the port of Muskudden. I walked into the building and pulled the door behind me. I had conquered this base without firing a shot.

Now I wanted to move on. I dropped off my luggage and studied my information, satellite images, maps and road plans within the bunker. What I had in front of me was really a hard nut. I first had to go to the Holberg Villa, very close was the entrance to the complex. It had to be destroyed. I had to blow up the whole thing. I went through the plan again. First enter the villa. Next, attach explosives to the industrial plant and explosives on the large tanks. I had seen her on my way through the forest. Then go to the bunker, visit the computer room, crack the computer with the code that General Viklund had given me and infiltrade a virus. The virus was on the floppy disk, which was in the inside pocket of my jacket in a steel case.

Then I had to get out of the facility as soon as possible, because the virus would activate the self-destruction of the plant. There was a remote detonator in my luggage that resembled a remote control for a TV. He had a fuse button with a seal glued over it. I had to pull off the seal and press the button, then the actual ignition button would come out of the device. I then had to press it to blow up the gas tanks.

That would be a nice fireworks display. I left a little of the 7.62 ammunition on the shelf, because I wouldn’t need everything. I preferred to take the PVG 90, because With the Hunters I had to make a short process. I took enough ammunition for the PVG 90 and the G3 as well as for the submachine gun and the Klaucke. Then some mines, hand grenades and the explosives for the gas tanks. I choked down a Ritalin tablet and smoked a cigarette. Then I Striked .

First I walked along the rails, peering with binoculars. The railway line led directly into the terrain. A bridge led over the road I had just crossed. Behind the bridge stood a derailed wagon in the middle of the rails. Going over the tracks was not so good, because I was too visible there. I saw the Hunters on the road and decided to fight them down with the PVG 90, then across the road and from there towards the facility.

I took aim at the Hunter and wiped them out. I quickly reloaded the PVG 90 and ran across the road, then I found a trample path that led past a rock face below the railway line. Beneath me was a raging river that flowed into a tunnel below the railway.

I slowly worked my way through the rough terrain. I saw the entrance and the gatekeeper’s booth. This was my first goal. I sneaked close enough and ran off. I reached the gatekeeper’s booth and looked at the surrounding area with the X-ray view. Not far from me, two Hunters patrolled.

The villa was about 500 m from me on a hill. The entrance to a warehouse was about 20 metres away. I matched a favorable moment where the Hunters turned their backs on me, then I ran over to the hall. I orientated myself on the aerial photographs I had of the facility. Opposite me was an office building. I ran off and reached the entrance. I crossed the building and worked my way closer to the gas tanks. I didn’t want to cause a stir until I had the explosives attached to the tanks.

When I reached the other side of the building, I saw a tank staggered through the plant and apparently guarded the gas tanks. Some Hunters and about five runners stayed there as well. Here I had to get in as unseen as possible. I ran to the opposite building.

I had turned on the camouflage automatic of the suit. It reduced my heat radiation and automatically adapted to the colors of my surroundings. I had also activated the protectors and the bulletproof vest.

The next building was a production hall. I invaded her and crossed it. The tank ran about twenty meters away from me through the facility. He wouldn’t shoot here if he didn’t want to risk blowing up the facility. I watched the Hunters running around near the tank. I watched them and when there was a good opportunity, I sprinted the 50 m to the Gastanks.

I backed up and pulled myself back between the tanks. I took the explosives out of my combat bag. I ducked in the middle of the tanks and looked again at which load I should attach where. There were control cabinets on the tanks. These housed pressure control valves. If all the controls were blown away, the tanks would be overloaded and eventually explode. That would take the whole facility to the sky

“And you’re right with you if you’re still too close,” I thought.

The explosive charges had a delay detonator, they would go up about 3 minutes after I had pressed the detonator. A small green lamp lit up the explosives. They flashed after a few seconds and then switched to yellow. This indicated to me that the explosives were active and sharp. I walked slowly and again and again securely between the tanks and set the Holberg Villa as the next waypoint. She was still a good 500 m away from me and I had to climb up a hill.

I used the tanks as much as cover. I walked up to the next building and heard the barking of a runner. I kept running and saw a Rotte Runner running up the road between the building and the gas tanks. I didn’t flare for long and threw mines behind me. First shots crashed into the pavement to the left and right of me. I hit hooks and took cover behind a corner of the building. About 20 m from me ran a wire fence, which separated the complex towards the Villa. For me at the moment an insurmountable obstacle, because if any Hunter or Runner took me on the grain, I was delivered, so quickly I wouldn’t be over the fence.

I chose the hard tour and aimed the PVG 90 at one of the fence posts. He literally exploded when I met him. I shot three stakes and the fence overturned. By now, the runners had run into the mines I threw. There were some violent explosions, then I ran off. I stormed up the hill to the villa. Behind me, bullets hit the ground.

Arriving at the slope, I threw myself flat on the ground. That was a good decision, because bullet shots whistled straight over me. I turned around and saw a Rotte Hunter standing at the bottom of the hill. I threw several mines one after the other, which also exploded immediately. The robots all exploded. A Hunter came from the villa and wanted to start a jump attack.

I jumped up and ran towards him. He missed me and fell down the slope. I just threw a grenade behind me. The rising cloud of embers told me that the case was done. Then several runners ran between the two buildings. One of them was Villa Holberg. I took the PVG 90 and made short process with the runners. I threw grenades and fired. Then I reached the villa.

I smashed the Lock with my Klaucke. There was a Tick in the house that I quickly wiped out. I searched the building and found Holberg’s study. There was a computer. Code cards were in a drawer. I took them. Also the floppy disks that were on the table. Then I found another scribbled note, which had obviously been written by Holberg. I read my instructions again and looked at the way map.

Here I had done everything. The bunker entrance was about a hundred meters from me. When I stepped out of the villa carefully, I noticed that I had gotten more company. A seeker flew over the grounds. I immediately shot him with the Klaucke. Some runners had also run up. I shot them with the PVG 90 often only one shot was enough. Then I made my way to the bunker entrance. In the meantime, I switched to the G3 so that I could hold down the opponents.

Then I reached the bunker gate. While I was still firing, I was scanned by a laser beam. A cracking indicated to me that the door could be opened. I shot with both hands, with the submachine gun and the G3. Several enemies passed in an explosion cloud. With a quick handle I opened the door and used it as a shield. Then I was in the bunker. I reloaded my weapons and continued on my way. I peered through every door with the X-ray vision, before I opened it. When I had a big gate in front of me I saw several Hunters lurking behind the gate.

I grabbed some mines in my hands, then i unlocked them and i opened the gate and used one of the wings as cover. Then I went into the squat and threw the mines into the room and immediately jumped back behind the gate. There were some explosions, debris flew into the aisle. I peered through the gate again with X-ray vision.

A Hunter was still visible. I took a hand grenade and threw it into the room. There was a decent detonation and a cloud of embers shot into the hallway. Then it became quiet. Carefully and the PVG 90 at ready to shoot I lurked around the corner. There were only smoking Hunterwrecks in the hall.

I carefully secured on all sides and went on. I looted the robots. They filled my ammunition supplies. I walked through a gigantic hall. On railway wagons were half-finished Tanks and Hunter. Some Hunters hung on chains from the ceiling. It seemed to be a manufacturing facility for the robots. Parts for the robots were stored on pallets. Weapon arms, body, heads and legs for Hunter. I ran after my waypoint, along the way I was repeatedly attacked by ticks that came from some corner. I destroyed them with the submachine gun. Then I found the entrance to the control center. The door was closed. I smashed the lock with the submachine gun, because I had no time to lose. Then I found a computer terminal. I pressed the space bar of the keyboard a few times. The screen flickered and indicated with green letters that it was ready for operation.

"Press Enter to start" was on the screen.

I pressed the Enter key, then I was asked for the password. I retrieved the passwords that General Viklund had called me and entered the code slowly. After I pressed the Enter key again, the screen briefly went dark, the computer was quietly rattling, then a new screen appeared and showed me a menu.

I did exactly as it was in the instructions. Finally, I was asked to insert the floppy disk into the drive. With a quiet clack, the 3.5-inch floppy disk snapped into the drive. I heard the drive start. It cracked quietly and a bar chart appeared on the screen below a percentage that slowly grew larger, finally a beep sounded and the message appeared

"Transfer complete. Start program "Y=Yes / N=No"

I typed "Y" and started the program. Then the next message appeared "Start self-destruction sequence, enter security code" I entered the next code that was on the note.

Then he seemed to report

"Self-destruction sequence activated. Destruction sequence starts in 60 seconds."

I didn’t lose any time, pressed the eject button on the drive bay and took the floppy disk back to me. Then immediately I got up and run away. I took the PVG90 in my hand and stormed through the hall. I had already programmed the escape route into my helmet visor before. I had to leave the facility as soon as possible. When I was still about 50 m from the gate, a Pack Hunter ran up.

I quickly threw some hand grenades, then I threw several fireworks to dazzle the robots. Then I took the PVG 90 and fired as fast as I could. The ground was shaking under me and I could hear a subdued detonation. Then another followed, the ground bulged. I absolutely had to get out of here. I fired back at the robots and ran off.

I kept taking cover behind one of the pillars that support the hall. Gradually I switched off the Hunters, then a big detonation followed. I was thrown to the ground by the pressure wave. In the back of the hall, a Fireflare broke through the wall.

I rappelled up and sprinted off. I threw mines behind me and rushed out of the gate. The track led into the gate, next to it was a wide ramp that led down to the factory. I ran as fast as I could, fired with the PVG90 and rushed down the ramp, behind me a huge explosion sounded and a giant flame shots out over me.

I was knocked over by the pressure wave and rappelled up again. I switched to the G3 because the PVG90 was empty. At the lower end of the ramp, some runners ran up. I fired at them and fled into a barrack. Then I reloaded my G3, took the remote detonator out of my pocket, removed the seal and pressed the ignition button.

The device beeped a green lamp jumped on red and pointed to the ignition being activated. I ran off, because hell would break loose right away. The ground shook under my feet from the violent explosions. Then half the mountain flew away behind me. I still saw the flash of explosion behind me.

In front of me, some runners ran up again. I shot at them. I saw in front of me the railing of a bridge that crossed the river. I shouldered the G3, flanked over the railing, dropped and hoped that the water would be deep enough. Bullets hissed over me. Then the freezing floods over me collapsed. I had to fight to get back to the surface.

The current of the river quickly carried me away. Behind me, the gas tanks were ripped into the sky in a huge explosion. The water was freezing cold and the current kept pushing me under water. I struggled to keep myself at the surface. A hail of rocks fell over me. They hit the water around me. I dived so as not to be hit. Added to this was that the cold hardened my muscles.

I had to get out of the water as quickly as possible. I tried to swim out of the current at an angle. Below the railway bridge, the water became a little calmer. I made it to the shore. I couldn’t have stayed in the water much longer I froze terribly and could barely move. I pulled myself to the shore with my last strength and got out of the water. I rappelled up and tried to run. My suit heating was running at full speed. My teeth were rattling at each other. I had to move quickly to a warmer place.

I crawled up the mountain while behind me further explosions tore the facility apart. The area was illuminated by the gigantic torch. I reached the office building in the tunnel and dropped my weapons.

Amelie tells us:

They woke up at night. Jim had an alarm clock in his watch. We set us on our way quickly. It was still dark and it snowed heavily. They went the course Jim had chosen. Jim orientated himself again and again with the compass. Before sunrise, you reached the observation post.

The area was wooded. Below the hill there were several paths. They took their binoculars and switched them to infrared vision. They spread out on calling distance They peered over the range of the ways and scouted the surroundings of the paths. Suddenly Amelie saw a red light point moving through the forest.

She watched him closer and suspected a Hunter or a Runner. She peered into the night several times and saw nothing. With a Runner or Hunter you would have seen the light beam of the scanner. There was nothing to see. The hunting fever gripped her, that had to be Helldiver. She kept observing the point and then she could see the shape. She kept running ducked, squatting, securing on all sides, jumping up and running on.

She called the others. Everyone watched the spot Jim said immediately

“That’s him, only he moves like that, you’re good, could be a marine.”

Let’s go after him, but be careful that he doesn’t notice us and we don’t disturb his mission, we know where he wants to go. They followed him Again and again Amelie peered with the telescope of her AK 5. When they came near the gas factory, they let themselves fall back. They saw a railway line. They stayed behind Helldiver and saw Helldiver invade the tunnel.

“He’s going to come back,” Jim said.

We’ll stay here for the time being. A short time later, Helldiver returned to the tunnel entrance. We could see him taking under fire a pack of Hunter, they were patrolling the street at a short distance away, and he fought them down. Then he ran over the road, perhaps 50 metres away from them. He disappeared again in the bushes almost silently like a shadow. Even in the infrared it was hardly recognizable. He had turned on the suit camouflage. They followed him respectfully so as not to jeopardize his mission. They followed on the trample path along the railway line and could see how Helldiver penetrated the facility. Now they could only wait.

Amelie bit on her lower lip, she became almost insane with a lot of concern. He, Helldiver, had invaded the industrial complex alone. This complex looked like a refinery or a large tank farm, because in the rear area there were huge tanks. Runners and Hunter patrolled the grounds.

What did he like to look for in the industrial complex. They walked along a rock face and hid behind some large stones. At the end of the railway line to the left of them was a large, concrete tunnel opening that looked like the hangar of a large bunker. You had seen something similar in the hellhole on Hjimfäll. There was a factory for these robots.

There were no gunshots or other activity. Jim and Amelie took out their binoculars and searched the area for any traces of Helldiver. Akiko secured the two by looking around and waiting for opponents who might sneak in.

Then they heard gunshots and explosions in the back of the facility. She peered through the telescope of her AK5. She could see Helldiver running up the hill to the villa and throwing himself down. She couldn’t help him because he was way too far away. She screamed

"Helldiver watch out!!" when she saw the Hunter attacking him.

She also saw Helldiver dodge him and the Hunter fell down the slope. Amelie chewed nervously on her lower lip and saw him entering the villa. Then she heard subdued gunshots. A short time later he came out of the villa shooting violently as he retreated in the direction of the mountain that was standing behind him.

A whole pack of Runner invaded on him and she could see with the binoculars that he was shooting with both hands. Then the shots fell silent. “He’s definitely in the facility,” Jim said. “Now we can only keep our fingers crossed and wait and see what happens.” “Can’t we do anything?” asked Amelie anxiously. “No, I’m sorry, we have to keep calm now and wait and see what happens,” Jim said. They heard muted explosions. Amelie waited restlessly. The minutes dragged on like chewing gum.

Suddenly, the muted thunder of an explosion that had taken place underground rang out. Amelie thought that was him, that was his work.

Another explosion and another explosion crashed, the ground shook and on the opposite mountain a smaller rock avalanche went off. Then, with a huge bang, part of the mountain exploded. The pressure wave of the explosion swept up and they had to throw themselves flat on the ground so that they were not thrown against the rock face by it. A huge stab flame shot into the sky and again another part of the mountain broke out. Small stones scurried down from the air to you. With a huge explosion, the right part of the mountain was torn open. A gigantic cloud of embers, interspersed with stones and debris, rose. Large stones rained down on the three and they had to retreat so that they would not be hit. When Amelie looked over to the tunnel entrance, her heart took a leap.

A narrow figure ran as if hell was behind her there bursted a huge Flame from the tunnel entrance.

[helldiver]

The figure, she hoped it was Helldiver, ran down the ramp leading up to the tunnel entrance and the flame blew over him. She saw him fall and screamed. She realized that she was biting her fist, which she had held in front of her mouth.

The figure rappelled up and ran on. Some runners showed up and wanted to cut off his path. She saw him shoot out of his G3, saw the sparks of his bullets and saw some of the robots explode. He ran in a zigzag to dodge the bullets of the other attackers. The impacts of the enemy shots came ever closer to him. Amelie tried to shoot at the robots from her cover, but she didn’t dare because the robots were too far away and she was afraid to hit Helldiver. Then he disappeared from her field of vision.

She could hear gunshots. Then she saw him running again. She still saw him shoulder his rifle as he ran onto a small bridge, then he flanked over the railing and jumped down from the small bridge into the raging river that led long under the railway line.

She saw him emerge and wrestle with the current. She saw him being carried away and tried to keep himself afloat. Amelie almost passed away in fear because she couldn’t help him. They ran after him. Jim formed the rearguard behind Akiko to protect her from possible pursuers. They pursued him, but the current was faster than them. The terrain was rough, so they didn’t move fast enough.

Then hell broke out behind them. The gas tanks exploded in a gigantic stab flame. They could talk about luck that they had already walked around the mountain a little bit, because the pressure wave swept up and threw them all three violently to the ground. A hail of rocks fell over them. Stones ticked against Amelie’s helmet. The air was suddenly full of concrete dust and it was difficult for her to breathe.

The river led to a large tunnel from where the railway line led to the industrial complex. As they walked along a narrow path, Amelie could see Helldiver swam to shore in the calming water and crawl ashore. She saw him rappelling up and probably running to the tunnel with the last strength. Maybe he had found a place there. They ran after him.

They went into the tunnel and lit up with the flashlights. Then they shouted out, “Helldiver, we are, please don’t shoot.”

A little deeper in the tunnel they saw a small barrack and through the window they could see Helldiver taking his G3 off his shoulder. Jim first walked with a lowered gun and shouted ,Helldiver, bro’ we are. Don’t shoot.’ Jim carefully opened the door Amelie walked behind Jim and Akiko followed her.

Helldiver stood in the middle of the room and made an incredulous face.

"Damned it what are you doing here"

it escaped him. Amelie saw how exhausted and soaked he was. It gave her a stab in the heart, but also hot fury suddenly boiled over in her.

Helldiver tells us:

I looked from one to the other and couldn’t believe they were all standing in front of me. You shouldn’t be here and especially Amelie shouldn’t. Amelie stepped forward. Her face had a strange expression, her otherwise warm eyes flashed, she was pale and her beautifully curved narrow-lipped mouth was pinched to a line.

She put her AK5 on the table and pulled the submachine gun off her shoulder and placed it next to her AK5, then took off her gloves. I saw her shiver and shake. I had never seen her like that.

“Jim, Akiko, let’s leave us alone, please,” she said strangely.

She was shaking. Jim and Akiko left the room and closed the door.

I didn’t know what was coming. I was expecting a big thunderstorm or a tirade. I wanted to say something, there she slammed her hand in my face. I was so surprised because the blow had come without warning and slammed my head to the side. My helmet, whose strap I had already opened, fell to the ground and before I could gather again came the second slap. So firm and hard that I only saw colorful stars. Through the star nebula I saw her left hand flying and I received another slap that threw my head to the other side. I didn’t expect this delicate, slender woman to strike so hard, and above all without swinging.

Jim saw from outside as Amelie Helldiver missed a powerful slap that swept his helmet off his head and immediately a second and a third behind. Jim made a face as if he had received the slaps himself.

"He has to go through it," Akiko said, "Amalie very angry because she loves Helldiver. He is in her heart and she is very afraid of that something could happens to him".

I just saw her swinging up and grabbed her hand and was able to hold her, then she slammed me with the other fist-balled hand and hit me in the chest. She kicked me against my shin and took off her hand. She was suddenly like a weasel and her small but hard fists everywhere.

"You damn Filou (French. crook, slit ear)"

She screamed with a swaying voice and slapped me with punches, which slowly faded.

When Amelie slapped Helldiver with her fists, Jim said

"It gets too violent, I go in between, she beats him dead."

“Ahhh nix kill Helldiver, Amalie will not do. That’s just love. Will he survive.”

Akiko and Jim watched the spectacle while Amelie Helldiver missed a rubdown

"You fucking Filou, chained me like a dog and stole you off like a thief."

she screamed again.

"You fucking ass" and she was already beating me again.

I was able to protect myself with my arms and circled the table to get away from her, but she followed me and I got more blows of her fists.

Then she stopped trembling in front of me. Her eyes flashed furiously, her otherwise pretty face was warped to a grimace, she breathed heavily.

"I almost went mad with the fear that something might happen to you."

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but that wasn’t howling because she was sad, they were tears of fury. I hadn’t seen her so upset in the whole time, even when she had screamed at me in the Vesslan bunker. She approached me and I raised my arms to fend off her possible blows. Of course, I could have taken this weak woman off her legs with a punch. But I didn’t want to fight back, I didn’t want to hurt her. I knew I had hurt her.

"When you just ran out of the bunker I almost died." "And at all, what do you look like, exhausted, when was the last time you ate something?"

"This morning, I said."

"And your weapon, she lifted my G3 off the table. She pulled out the magazine and held it under my nose. It was empty. I had fired the gun empty when I fled the gas factory.

"Here, empty!" she yelled at me.

"Do you have you any ammunition, she screamed at me and groping my bags. They were empty.

“You don’t have a shot anymore and you face the robots,”

"But I still have my submachine gun, my Klaucke and the PVG90. And there is still 7.62 ammunition on the shelf"

"AHH der Grande Chasseur (French: The great fighter), le loup solitair (the lone wolf) you fight with a handful of cartridges against a horde of deadly robots and chain me in the hotel? I almost went mad with fear for you."

Tears could be seen again in her eyes and one of them rolled down her cheek. She was shaking all over her body.

"Why did you do that?"

“Amelie, you knew I didn’t want to put you in danger.” I have said it so many times. But you didn’t want to hear."

Not hear !!, Damn"

She slammed the G3 on the table.

"I have told you a thousand times that I do not want to let you go alone. I don’t want to go after your damn coffin and constantly blame myself for not going along to maybe save your ass! "

She raised her fist as if she wanted to slap me one in. She grimaced her face and banged her fist on the table.

"You damn fool," she yelled at me.

Then she slowly approached me. Still trembling. Suddenly she jumped up at me, wrapped her legs around my hip. She embraced me. I stumbled back and bounced backwards against the wall. Amelie was feather-light but the attack came too suddenly and unexpectedly. Then she kissed me, that my air got away.

"Never do that again," she said as she broke away from me, her eyes had taken a sad expression. Then she kissed me again, but this time much more tenderly. I was deeply ashamed, because what I had done to this woman was unforgivable. I felt and knew that this woman loved me with all her heart and did not want to go from my side. I knew she would go through hell with me without flinching an eyelash. The thought that something could happen to her hurt me again and again and weighed heavily on my shoulders. But her kiss was so sweet, full of warmth and tenderness that the world around me sank. I realized how much I missed her and how much I wished to be with her in a more peaceful place in another time to live with her.

The door opened and Jim put his head in. Amelie turned her head to the side and said “I’m not finished with him yet,” he said.

When Jim closed the door, she looked me deep in the eye and she was again the loving, pretty Amelie who enchanted me with her warm eyes.

"I missed you so much. Never leave me alone again and never lie to me never again, you hear."

"Yes," I answered guilt-consciously.

"Come on, kiss me again," she said. She pressed herself firmly on me as if she wanted to hold me.

Then she slid down at me and stood back on her own feet. She gently touched my cheek with her fine hand, on which she had struck me before. It burned like a fire and stretched because it slowly swelled.

"It hurts a lot," she asked pityingly

"Sorry," she breathed with her French slang

'I was so disappointed and angry with you, I’ll never beat you again. My fuse just flew out.”

I put my hand on hers and smiled at her slightly.

“It’s okay, there’s pain, They’re much bigger.”

"But you have a very nice right hook."

Amelie clenched her right hand to a fist and held she under my nose.

"What does it smell like?" I tenderly took it in my hand and smelled at it. It smelled of glove and very weak of soap. I made a face.

“I don’t know,” I said

“L’hopital” (French: Hospital)” she said and laughed.

I took her fist, put it on my cheek and then I pressed a gentle kiss on her.

"I love you, never forget that," she breathed to me, smiling.

I took her wordlessly in my arms and pressed her firmly on me. I had a lump in my neck. I struggled to swallow it down and struggled to hold back my tears, which were pressing behind my eyeballs. A small tear ran out of my corner of my eye. When Amelie broke away from me, she wiped this tear tenderly from the corner of my eye with one of her fingers and smiled at me lovingly.

Jim tells:

When Jim came back from the door, he said to Akiko.

“She’s not done with it yet”

"Yes, I see," Akiko said, pointing to the window where the two kissed.

"Someone should understand that. First she beats him and then she kisses him."

Akiko replied, “As I said, Helldiver in her heart but she feared for him. Helldiver they also love, only he is Bushido (Japan. Way of the Warrior). He can’t fall in love now. Must have clear head for fight. Don’t want Amalie in danger.”

“Man why doesn’t he tell her,” Jim said.

Akiko replied, “Because he can’t”

"And why not?" asked Jim

"Men," Akiko replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh my God," Jim said, and he rolled his eyes.

"But the main thing between us is all clear."

Jim said, putting his arm around Akiko’s narrow hip.

"Yes Jim, I love you"

"And love you too my darling," Jim said, leaning down to her.

They gave each other a kiss.

Helldiver tells again

Amelie said, "I’ll call them in. " and walked to the door.

Akiko and Jim came into the room. Jim feixed and waved his hand. Then he saw my cheek with the Amelie’s handprint reddish and made a pain-distorted face.

"Thunderstorms clean the air," I said to Jim.

"It was more of a tornado," Jim said with a laugh.

“OK folks, we can’t stay here. We have to get out of here, I know the way to the Uttern Bunker. We can stay the night.” I said.

"There I can update you and explain the rest of the mission. This was just the beginning".

“Well, let’s go,” Jim said.

I grabbed my weapons and took over the top behind came Amelie, Akiko and at the end Jim. We quickly walked through the tunnel towards Muskudden Marine Base. We had to clear our way. Again and again Hunter and Runner stood in our way. Jim and I took care of it, we were both in it. I asked Amelie to stay behind me. We had soon fought the facility free. Now we were able to make our way to Uttern.

My teeth kept rattling at each other. I froze godly. At -20° Celsius, the wet stuff was a danger. Slowly, but gradually, the suit heating was down, because the batteries were empty. I had to warm up urgently and dry my clothes. The suit hadn’t sucked as full as the drilly, but I was soaked to the bones. It was dangerous, because I could die of frostbite.

If I had been alone, I would have gone to a shelter, or I would have stayed in the tunnel, because at least it didn’t freeze there. Amelie looked anxious, because my lips were already blue. I looked up on my card. Very close to us was a farmstead called Äppelbo. We set out there. I realized I got soft knees. We reached the house after about an hour’s walk. I was just moving mechanically. I was terribly cold. I barely got the parka in the house. The one because it was soaked, stiffly frozen. I was shaking like aspen leaves and my teeth were banging on loudly.

Amelie looked very worried. Upstairs, I put wood in the fireplace and lit it. Then I undressed to my underwear and sat trembling in front of the open fireplace. The fire slowly warmed me. Amelie wanted to spread her parka over me, but I refused. I didn’t want her parka to get wet, because my underwear was also completely soaked.

Amelie massaged and rubbed my back to warm me up. I let it go on in silence.

“Don’t do well, you’re so terribly pale,” Amelie said anxiously.

“It’s so so, I’m just incredibly tired,” I said.

I sat in front of the fireplace and nodded in again and again.

"Are you hungry?" asked Amelie

“Not really,” was my terse answer. I didn’t feel good overall. The mission had cost me a lot of strength. Then the hike through the cold with the soaked clothes. That had exhausted me. I was so tired that I didn’t even have an appetite. Amelie opened a can of baked beans and set them in the fire. Again and again she stired them around then she put on the gloves and fetched the can from the fire. She held a filled spoon under my nose. “Come on, eat something, then you’ll be better off,” Amelie said.

I nodded and she put the spoon in my mouth. She fed me a few spoons. They warmed from the inside, but my appetite was limited. I was just too exhausted. Eventually I took the can out of her hand, ate another spoon, then I fed the rest to Amelie.

“You don’t look good my darling,” I said to her, pushing a spoonful of beans into her mouth.

"In the cold you absolutely have to eat something. And you always eat too little,"

I told her. She smiled and ate the beans I fed her. Slowly I warmed up and my underwear dried slowly. I turned my back to the fire so that I could also dry from behind. I smoked a cigarette. Akiko also looked anxious and said

“You don’t look good Helldiver. Looks exhausted.”

Amelie took care of me. I apologized to her for my molefulness, but I was just too tired for any conversation. I groped my parka and uniform jacket. It gradually became dry. I dressed again and sat close to the fireplace again. Then we moved on. I walked the path in silence. I didn’t froze quite so badly any more. But I didn’t feel good, I was fluffy and i had a slight dizziness. My knees were soft and trembling. Once I had to stop and get some air. My knees were shaking and I had a feeling of weakness. I was in the cold sweat. My breath went intermittently.

Amelie asked me if she could help me, but I waved off. She meant it well with me and was worried. I had trouble holding my eyes open, actually I would have needed a Ritalin tablet now. But I didn’t want to take any, because I thought I had already taken enough of it. Akiko felt my pulse and felt my forehead. She looked worried. Then we went on. Amelie hooked up with me. Take me by the hand. She probably noticed that I wasn’t doing well. After hours we reached the Uttern Bunker. I kind of walked on the gums. Amelie made a quick stew hot in the kitchen. She wanted to give me something warm to eat. I showered beforehand and warmed myself under the warm water. Then I put on dry clothes.

After the meal we sat a little together. I was silent because I was just too tired. We drank beer and smoked. Amelie was sitting on the couch next to me. I had trouble hold my eyes open. Then we went to bed. Amelie rolled in happily smiling. It was really a treat to keep them in my arms. My eyes fell immediately shut, but my sleep was restless. I was plagued by nightmares again.

Eventually I was startled up and had the Klaucke back in the attack. I sat vertically in bed and aimed my pistol at the opposite wall. I had one of those brutal nightmares where Amelie died. They were so real that they reverberated for a long time.

Luckily, Amelie was lying next to me. I trembled all over my body like aspen leaves and was sweat-bathed. I was dizzy and flabby. My heart was racing. Amelie knelt next to me and spoke reassuringly to me.

“Sssscchhhh, quiet Helldiver, quite quiet, it was just a nightmare. It’m your Amelie, it’s me, be quiet, calm down.”

She gently put her arm around my shoulders, then stroked my arm with the other hand and carefully placed her hand on the weapon.

"Give me the gun, just let it go, give it to me," she said quietly to me.

I let go of the gun and slapped my fists in front of my eyes. I tried to process the dream. I got up and walked into the canteen trembling and sat down at a table. I hid my face in my hands and sobbed softly. I couldn’t do more, I was at the end of my powers. Always these terrible nightmares that robbed me of sleep. Amelie got me a can of beer and opened it.

“Here’s a sip, you poor, did you have such a bad dream?”

“Yeeees,” I reply sobbing, there goes all the time, I can’t sleep through the night, every time you die in such a dream and then I wake up sweat-bathed. They always feel so real. Then I shoot around me. The smashed bed and the bullets in the wall that was me. I’m going crazy. I think I have to sleep somewhere else, otherwise I have killed one of you. Amelie I’m so scared for you that something could happen to you."

Then I couldn’t talk any more, because I was shaken by a wine cramp. Amelie took me in her arms, caressed, loved and kissed me. She gave me her warmth and enveloped me with her love. She spoke reassuringly to me and comforted me. I sucked it up like a dry sponge.

Akiko came and felt my pulse, measured my blood pressure, then she asked me

“You’re taking drugs?”

"No,” I just answered “Ritalin."

"Where have you?" asked Akiko.

"In my uniform jacket," I replied.

Akiko ran off and came back shortly afterwards with the package in his hand.

"Did you took all, was that full pack?" asked Akiko.

“Yes, I’ve taken them since I left Björntunet about one or two a day, depending on how I felt.”

Akiko slapped her hand in front of her mouth.

“OOOOHHHH Helldiver that far too much for God’s sake. You no longer have Ritalin, so you can’t sleep.”

Akiko pulled Amelie to the side.

Amelie tells us:

Helldiver had slept so restlessly, he was constantly rolling back and forth, he never did. He had something. Suddenly he straightens up and had the Klaucke in his Hand ready to shoot. He trembled all over his body, the sweat was onhis forehead, and his eyes were wide open. His breath was intermittendly. I took him in my arm and gently took the gun away from him, then we went into the canteen. Helldiver sat quietly sobbing at the table. When Akiko examined him, she pulled me aside and said

“Amelie, Helldiver very bad at it, has too much Ritalin taken. He can collapse and then heart can’t beat properly and he’s dead. May not take any more. I believe Helldiver has acute stress disorder. Has experienced too much bad, always the fear of death every day. Every day always at the stop. He had to be calm, sleep a lot, no fuss. We have to stay here for a few days to recover, otherwise it can become a traumatic stress disorder and that’s very bad. You know Helldiver has fears he take many Ritalin so he wakes up, then sleep, but no proper deep sleep will always be awake because of nightmare, then not sleep and then again Ritalin is circle of devil. If he sleeps properly again, he won’t have any nightmares. You have to be very fond of him and don’t get him upset. I’ll look again tomorrow.”

Amelie listened attentively. Helldiver had probably expected far too much, then also the fear for her. She was sorry for him, what had the poor guy been going through for strain and then mother-soulalone alone in the cold. She sat down next to him and took him in his arms.

“Come on we smoke another cigarette, you drink your beer and then we go back to bed and then you sleep properly. I’m with you.”

A little later we got back to bed, usually I turn in, but this time I did it differently. I turned on my back and told him,

"Put your head on my chest. Come here."

He did what I told him, I took him into my arms. I wrapped my arms around him and stroked him. Moments later, he fell asleep. My loving embrace works like medicine. He slept deeply and tightly.

[helldiver]

Day 232

Helldiver tells us:

I woke up and lay on my back. Amelie lay on my chest and looked at me from her dark eyes.

She smiled, "Well, are you awake?"

"So slow, yes, and you, have you been awake for a long time?"

"quelques minutes (French: a few minutes).

"I absolutely have to learn French," I told her

“oui, I’ll teach you,” she said.

Je t’aime, mon cherie (French: I love you my darling)" I told her.

"Was that right or did I say something bad now?" I asked.

She laughed silver bright and looked at me in love

“Oh, non.non cherie, that’s exactly what I love to hear from you”

and she moved to be closer to mine with her face

“You said it right, je t’aime, Helldiver mon cherie.” (French: I love you, Helldiver my darling.)

Then she tenderly kissed me on the mouth and stroked with her fingers over my cheek.

"Do you want to stay a little bit, or do you want to get up, Jim and Akiko are already up."

I closed my arms around her and stroked her back.

“We should get up. I’d like coffee and something for breakfast.”

“OK. then let’s get up,” she said.

"Are you better off?"

"Yes, I slept through the night"

I took her face into my hands,

"I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too," she said.

Then we rose and went to the canteen. Akiko had already prepared breakfast. I drank coffee and ate from the baked beans, Akiko had also prepared egg porridge. Jim and I liked to eat this combination, although Amelie found it absolutely crass. After breakfast, Akiko examined me, measured my blood pressure, listened to me with the stethoscope, especially to my heartbeat, she felt my pulse. Then she saw after my injury to my leg, which was healing.

“Have you done well, have directly clean and a lot of iodine, which is good. I’m just making new bandages, in a few days patches will be enough.”

Then Akiko looked at me seriously.

“You no longer take so many Ritalin that dangerous, you can sometimes do but not every day and especially not always continue. You can kill with it. You absolutely have to be here for a few days now. The nightmares just because you don’t sleep properly because you have too much Ritalin. I Amalie yesterday said you have acute stress disorder and can only resolve if you have a few days rest, I can meditate with you so that you can find inner peace again. Your yin and yang is not balanced you need to rebalance. Then you’re good again and you can fight if you don’t do then can stay and is hard way to get back to health. You’ve seen too much fear and horrible things and then no sleep. Head can not work and therefore you bad nightmares. This afternoon we are meditating.”

I thanked Akiko, I appreciate her calm and thoughtful manner.

She asked me, "Helldiver, you told Amalie that you love her?"

"Yes, Akiko, I told her after we both spoke in Björntunet. I couldn’t hold it back.’

She put a hand on my,

"that was good, so much better for both of you, your hearts no longer crying. Amalie also so something can happen, but now you near her and you can watch out for her. Amalie much better now. Amalie was angry but so much dear Helldivers they forgive you."

"Akiko, may I?" I asked her.

Akiko looked at me with a smile. I spread my arms and pressed Akiko.

"Oh so, that you are allowed."

I just said, "Thank you Akiko."

In the afternoon I sat with Akiko in the common room, we had sat down on the floor in the tailor’s seat. Jim and Amelie were also there. Akiko had put small incense sticks in a glass and lit them. They spread a pleasant fragrance.

Akiko spoke in a calm voice. "Sitting like me, quite relaxed. Leave everything loose. Inhale and exhale. Enjoy the fragrance. She had small metal parts on her thumb and index finger that were shaped like a tiny pelvis of a drum. They made a gentle, quiet ringing as Akiko slapped them together. She spoke slowly and calmly.

“Close your eyes, it gets quite warm, you are at a small lake, with wonderful clear blue water. You’re slowly going in. The water is wonderfully warm.”

I imagined this lake and almost felt the warmth that Akiko suggested to us with her voice. Then I walked slowly into the lake, the water was wonderfully warm. A deep blue sky stretched over me.

"Go slowly in water ever deeper, deeper and deeper until you can swim.

I imagined going deeper and deeper into this wonderfully warm water and pushed myself away from the bottom of the lake and let myself drift.

"You push off the ground and swim slowly, let drift, no effort, just warm water and drift. And one will be with nature, drift… Drive… Drive.

I imagined myself floating on this wonderfully warm water, I felt so carefree so light. I heard the gentle ringing, which Akiko emits with her little bell.

After some time, she said

"You slowly get out of the lake. In warm air, you are very warm and feel good and refreshed, wake up slowly. Open your eyes.

I opened my eyes and raised my head, I felt really carefree, refreshed. Akiko slapped her hands.

Jim and Amelie also opened their eyes. We were impressed by what Akiko had achieved with these simple means. The hour had gone around like in flight. I felt really better. I stayed in the lounge. Amelie said goodbye to the kitchen.

"I still have something to do," she said mysteriously.

Jim and Akiko went to the gym to train. I had an important conversation ahead of me. I had to talk to Amelie again. What I had done to her was unforgivable and I had to tell her at least again that I was sorry. I was so ashamed of her and did not deserve her love and affection.

I went to the canteen. Amelie was tinkering around the kitchen. I went into the kitchen and asked

"May I, or am I bothering you?"

"Oh, no, grab a cup of coffee and sit down at the table."

She stirred in a bowl. Flour stuck to her uniform.

"What are you doing?" I asked her,

"I bake cakes," she said

"Akiko has his birthday tomorrow."

“Honestly,” I said, I didn’t know."

"But I know," Amelie said, smiling, moving on stirring in the bowl.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any candles for the cake,” Amelie said.

“I don’t even have a gift for her,” I said.

“Or maybe she likes to listen to heavy metal, what do you mean when I give her my heavy metal cassette perhaps she’s happy about it?”

“Would you do that? She’s certainly happy about it, especially because she knows it’s yours and you doesn’t have a second one,” Amelie said.

“Don’t mind?”

“No, we’re together anyway and if she wants to hear it she doesn’t do it alone and when it’s over I can make a new one. No, I really wouldn’t mind. I like to give it to Akiko.”

“Candles, I could go down to the small town. I think there’s a supermarket, I could look at it, maybe I’ll find candles and maybe a bottle of sparkling wine and gift wrapping paper.”

"Would you do that?" Asked Amelie.

“Of course.” “But you don’t go alone, you take Jim with you.”

"OK, I do," I said as Amelie poured the dough into a small saucepan and put it in the oven.

"You Amelie," I said, "I absolutely need to talk to you."

Amelie looked at me inquiringly

"What is it about, why so formal?"

“Amelie, I am so ashamed of what I have done to you and abused your trust. I wanted to tell you that I am infinitely sorry and that I did not want anything evil for you, but I wanted to protect you, even if it did not look like it. I would like to ask you for forgiveness. I can understand if you can’t get it right at the moment and you don’t have confidence in me anymore. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”

Amelie looked at me and suddenly got serious. She approached me and stood in front of me.

"Give me a little bit of space,"

she said and stood between me and the table. I moved a little backwards and she sat on my lap.

“Now listen to me good to mon ami (french: my friend). Your Amelie sometimes takes a little longer to understand some things. And sometimes your Amelie has to learn things on the hard tour. That you chained me that Was partly my fault, because I left you no other choice. I was terribly angry with you because you tied me up, I would have liked to have scratched your eyes, but then, as I sat all the hours chained to the heater, I realized what I would lose if I had given you up. I wouldn’t have needed handcuffs for that. I could have had that days before. A slap left and right, dragged to another room and Adieu salaud (French. Goodbye Shithead). But what would I have had? I wouldn’t have had anything and you would have got what you wanted for me. You were even willing to sacrifice our love just so that I could be safe. I would have just been much sadder and always worried that something would happen to you. And then we would never have seen each other again. Even if I had agreed and let you go. I couldn’t have sat in the hotel in peace of mind, drinking champagne, eating well, lying in a warm bed while you’re wandering through the cold out here and every day could be your last. But in both cases, you would have gotten what you wanted for me. But I want to be with the man I love and I want to be with you.”

I wanted to say something, but she put her index finger on my mouth

"Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss I want to be with you. I will go to hell with you if it has to be. And if one of us dies, the other will be very sadly left behind, but he will always keep the other in his heart then it should be the same. If I’m the one who doesn’t survive this. Then At least I was with the man I love and who for me is what I dreamed of. You are no longer a loup solitaire (french: lone wolf) I am your loup feminine (french: female wolf ) I will find you everywhere and as you see no chain can stop me cherie (french: darling). I had already forgiven you when I was still chained to the heater. I love you Helldiver. Don’t blame yourself anymore, I know you did this only out of love for me and I still trust you blindly. That this is what concerns you here shows me that I am right with my love, because you are not superficial, that’s why I love you so much. Because you’re thinking about something like that. And now stop Fin (french: end) forgiving and forgetting, sponge about it. I am sorry that I slapped you yesterday and I would like to ask you for your forgiveness. That was always what I hated about my mother and I did it myself now. I’m sorry, I’ll never do that again, I promise you. I was so angry and I wanted you to feel some of the pain I’ve felt over the last few days, the agonizing uncertainty and the constant fear for you. " I wanted to say something else, but she stroked my face so tenderly and gently closed my mouth with her hand.

"Sssssssssssss, come kiss me, you can do this so well," she said, and we kissed tenderly.

Then she jumped up and looked into the oven. A few more minutes, then he’s done.

It smelled very pleasant in the kitchen. Jim came to the canteen sniffing.

"What do you both do here, it smells so pleasant."

I took Jim aside and said.

“Secret commando Jim, Akiko has his birthday tomorrow and she shouldn’t know that Amelie has baked a cake for her. But we still need candles and a few other little things. To do this would have to go to Stenungsnäs, which is the small place on the coast. There’s probably a supermarket where we’ll find some things we might need.”

“A great idea, I’m in, I’m getting dressed and then we go, ok.”“All right Jim, you just have to distract Akiko a little bit.”

"No subject hell, I do."

Jim left to dress, with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth and the G3 casually on the side he came back.

"We can go. I gave Amelie another kiss, then I took my G3, grabbed the Klaucke and the Kpist submachine gun and we left. Outside, we only secured on all sides. It snowed small flakes and it was bitingly cold.

“I didn’t know Akiko’s birthday tomorrow, she never talked about it,” said Jim.

'I didn’t know either. Amelie just told me. I give her my heavy metal cassette maybe she’s happy about it. Amelie baked a cake and if we’re lucky, we’ll still find candles and maybe a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne."

“That’s great, Hell, I think I’ll give her one of my bracelets.”

Jim showed me his wrist from which several bracelets dangled, some consisted only of braided leather straps, one had bluish stones and shark teeth, one had colorful glass beads. “I think I’m taking the blue one here.”

Jim pointed to the bracelet with the blue stones and shark teeth. This comes from my parents’ homeland, they emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the USA. The blue stones are Larimar, this stone can be found in the Caribbean. The shark teeth bring luck. If I wrap it around her twice around her wrist, it will certainly suit her. She’s looked at it many times.’

"Then she will certainly be happy Jim," I said.

We managed to get into the place without touching the enemy. In fact, there was a “Kundsam” Supermarket. We had to crack the lock, but it was easy. We found everything we were looking for. We found a bottle of sparkling wine, some candles and even a container of ice cream, the expiry date of which had not yet expired. Even some frozen pizzas that were still ok.

We took everything with us. We also found gift wrapping paper and a birthday card.

We each took a can of beer from the beverage compartment and drank them.

When we wanted to leave, a Hunter stood in the middle of the street. Jim threw the empty beer can at him, and the Hunter shot at him. Then Jim and I opened fire on the robot, which shrugged in the street every time the bullets hit, until it finally exploded. We took his ammunition, then we trolled. Amelie was happy about the things she brought with her. We put the champagne bottle in a bucket that we had filled with snow.

[helldiver]

233. Day

Amelie and I got up early. Jim and Akiko were still asleep. We quickly decorated the canteen. Amelie put the cake on the table and the candles. I put my heavy metal cassette wrapped in gift paper on the table. Amelie had written a nice saying on her birthday card last night and had us all signed.

Jim says:

Jim woke Akiko. She was still a little sleep-drunk.

"Good morning my darling,"

Jim said, then he took Akiko in his arms, gave her a kiss and said

"Congratulations on your birthday, Akiko."

"Thank you Jim, how do you know," Akiko said, astonished.

"Amelie told me."

"Ah, Amelie."

"I also have a gift for you," Jim said.

“Close your eyes and don’t blink,”

Jim said to her and took the bracelet he had intended for her from his wrist. He then took her right hand and wrapped the bracelet twice around her narrow wrist. It fit as made for Akiko.

"Now you can open your eyes again." Akiko opened her eyes, saw the bracelet, then ripped open her eyes and sighed

“Ohh, Jim, that’s beautiful, oh thank you Jim, thank you”

She stretched out her arms, pulled Jim to her and gave him a long tender kiss.

“Wasn’t that yours,” Akiko asked.

“Yes, that’s right, but it looks much better on you.”

She pulled Jim to her again and kissed him.

"There is also a surprise waiting for you in the kitchen".

Akiko quickly jumped up, dressed and walked into the canteen with Jim by the hand.

Helldiver tells us:

When Akiko stood in the door with Jim, we lit the candles. The canteen was festively lit. We sang Happy Birthday together. Well, we weren’t the best singers but it fit. Akiko rejoiced and slapped her hands in front of her face.

Even a tear of joy ran. When Amelie congratulated her, Akiko hugged Amelie and thanked her. I also hugged Akiko and kissed her on the cheek on the left and right. Then we started with the sparkling wine.

We had to drink it from the coffee cup because we didn’t have champagne glasses, but we were quite painless in the relationship. She was very happy about the cake that Amelie had baked her. When she opened the packet with the cassette ran a few tears.

The otherwise cool and emotionless Akiko was completely moved that everyone had a little gift for her. Amelie took her in her arms and pressed her tightly. Akiko beamed all over her face and was glad that she had made such great friends in this catastrophe. And with Jim her husband for life. We let Akiko live up and in the evening we started a real metal party, that let the Walls of the bunker shook.

Day 234

The next morning we slept a little longer, because we had duly celebrated Akiko’s birthday and were all a little bit hungover… Amelie enjoyed lying in my arms and cuddling with me in the warmth of the bed. It wasn’t until noon that we got up. Our loss of appetite was due to yesterday’s increased alcohol consumption.

Even Akiko, who never drank much, was a bit shaky on her feet. After a strong cup of coffee that Amelie had brewed, our spirits returned. In the evening Amelie had cooked a chicken soup for us. She had found chicken in the tin and some cans of chicken noodle pot.

235.Day

We were clean again. After breakfast we discussed the next steps. I showed them the map footage and aerial photographs of the Norrmyra artillery base. Here it was necessary to secure a radio mast and to eliminate any existing ticks that had hooked into the system. Then we had to destroy a Gastank farm, it was guarded by some harvesters and two tanks. “It’s going to be pretty tough,” Jim said.

We went back to the bunker’s weapons depot to replenish our ammunition supplies. Particularly important was armor-piercing .50-caliber ammunition. I still had some of the experimental ones, but I wanted to store them for the tanks and the harvesters.

Then Akiko trained with us in self-defense. She mastered Ken Jutsu (Japan. sword fight) and karate (japan. martial arts for self-defense). She had done this with us almost every day at the hotel. Even Amelie, actually the most petite of us, developed enormous powers. She even layd me on the cross pretty hard with a surprising attack. Afterwards we held a meditation lesson with Akiko. In the meantime I was looking forward to it, because after that I felt really good. Slowly I found my inner balance again.

Day 236

After breakfast we make a list of the things we wanted to take with us. Akiko advised me to stay in the bunker for another day or two. I should recover a little bit. I argued that we should not let too much time pass, because the robots might gather and give us a hot reception. Jim dispelled my concerns because he said, "What an opponent is most worn out is waiting, because they don’t know when we’re going to strike. The way you’ve done so far, they’ve been able to estimate when it’s going to crash the next time. Now they are waiting tensely for our attack. They don’t know where and they don’t know when we’re going to strike. And if Elsa’s theory is active and the FNIX are actually controlled by humans, then we cook them softly.

This approach was obvious. Jim went to train with Akiko in the gym.

Amelie took me by the hand and pulled me after her.

"Come on!" she said, prompting to me.

I didn’t know what she wanted from me and go after her. We walked one floor down in the bunker. There were other unused team rooms. Amelie opened a door and we were in a common room that resembled ours. She closed the door and fell over me. She pushed me against the wall while she was kissing me and literally ripped my shirt down. Her face glowed and she breathed heavily.

"Now you are due, I have waived you long enough,"

she said breathlessly while tampering with my pants. I hastily unbuttoned her shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra underneath. While I opened her pants she kissed me hard and demanding."

"Give it to me right," she said as she sank onto the couch with me.

Then on the couch we did the things we used to do on the hotel bed. Every now and then I had to close her mouth with a kiss if she got too loud. When she reached the summit, she clawed in me and scratched my back, trembling and twitching. During our stay in the hotel, she had grown her fingernails long and filed them into a pretty shape. They particularly emphasized their femininity. When she lacquered her nails it adorned her beautiful, slender hands.

However, they now left traces on my back. Trembling and breathing heavily, Amelie lay on the couch. I straightened up, then Amelie pushed me back on the couch and lay down on me. We were both sweaty and her face was red.

"That was good, I needed it now," she said breathlessly.

"It was too long without you," she said.

While I stroked her sweaty back.

“Hopefully Jim and Akiko don’t catch us,” I said.

“Don’t be so gênant, (french embarrassing)” giggled Amelie,

"I caught Jim and Akiko yesterday, too," she giggled.

"How please?" I asked.

“I was in the kitchen yesterday and wanted to get something out of the pantry, but next door is the clothing store. I heard a noise and a groan. I carefully opened the door with a pulled Klaucke and well, Akiko and Jim were quite busy with each other as we were. They didn’t notice me. I then quietly closed the door again and polished off myself,”

she still giggled.

“So don’t be so embarrassed is normal, is it?”

“Actually, you’re right,” I said with a smile.

We smoked a cigarette. Amelie stayed lying on top of me and put her head on my chest. Then we dressed again. Amelie plucked at my uniform and walked through my hair with her fingers.

"You look a bit ragged," she said with a laugh.

"But you too," I said to her.

She arranged her hair a little with her fingers, plucked at her uniform and asked me

"Well, what do I look like?"

"You look good, you have red cheeks," I said to her.

Amelie chuckled a little.

"Well, c’est la vie (french: this is life).

Then we went up again. As we sat together over a cup of coffee in the canteen, Akiko looked at Amelie and smiled knowingly. Amelie was a little cranked up and literally stuck to me. I was happy that she was happy because we were facing a very difficult mission. In the evening in bed, I hugged her tightly.

Day 237

We packed our things and prepared for the march. We went through our procedure again, corrected a little here and there and discussed. Amelie and Akiko had made provisions for on the go and cooked a delicious dinner.

Day 238

We marched in the morning. It was still dark as we set off. We had to fight our way free. Because some Hunters drifted around in front of the hangar. Our first stage destination should be the Church of Boo. We would stop there and spend the night. It was hesitantly bright.

The day was cloudy and a cold northerly wind whipped the branches of the trees. We trudged through the deep snow. We had to cross the open field a few times, which didn’t make it easy for us to get ahead. Snowfall set in around noon.

I was spying on the area in the infrared range and couldn’t detect any enemy robots. In the afternoon I saw a patrol runner patrolling a street far from us. It was already getting dark and the wind whipped the snowflakes into our faces. At the bridge of Boobruk some runners ran up and fired at us. We fought back bitterly and were able to fight them down.

Then we reached the Church. We sat down on the organ gallery. The cold wind howled around the church and made uncanny noises. We ate the things Amelie and Akiko had prepared. We barricaded the entrance of the church and the entrances to the organ gallery. So we could all sleep without having to push a guard. I always slept with the loaded gun in my hand. When we set up our dormitory, Amelie looked at me inquiringly. She held her backpack in her hand and looked around.

"What are you going to do?" I asked her

“I’m just thinking about where to lie down,” she said. "

Don’t you want to lie down next to me?" I asked her.

She smiled and immediately put her backpack next to mine. I always slept in a half-seated position leaning against my backpack. I took off my parka and put off my helmet and scarf. Amelie sat next to me. I saw that she froze. Her lips were slightly bluish.

"Well come on," I cheered her up. She smiled gratefully. I advised her to take off the parka and lay it over her.

“But I’m freezing like that,” she said as she sat next to me.

“You don’t freeze anymore,” I told her.

I spread her parka over her as she lay in my arm and her head on my chest. Then I put my parka over her. I put the loaded Klaucke next to me and took Amelie’s cold hands under the parka in mine. She was comfortable.

"Merci cherie," (French: Thank you sweetheart) she breathed. I pressed a good night kiss on her head. She looked at me in love. Her hands quickly warmed up in mine and the bluish color gave way to her lips.

"Is it warmer for you now?" I asked her.

“Much warmer, it’s really good,” I put my arm around her and pulled her a little tighter on me. She had fallen asleep quickly. Akiko, like Amelie, had cuddled up to Jim’s arms. The two slept tightly wrapped.

239 days.

When I woke up, the sun shone into the colorful windows of the church. Amelie slept still I saw carefully if she might not blink, but she still slept really deep. She had opened two buttons of my uniform jacket that night and pushed her left hand in. Her face was on her right hand. Jim slightly raised his head and winked at me. He made it clear to me that Akiko was still asleep. I lay awake for a while and held Amelie in my arm. What would I give if I could simply march with her from the Church into a normal world.

Enjoy the sunshine. To hold her in my arm and give her my warmth. I put my face on her head. Her hair tickled a little my nose. After a while, she moved. She slowly pulled her hand out of my uniform. She blinked and smiled at me. Then she stroked my face with her hand.

"Good morning," she breathed. "Have you slept well?"

"Yes, and you?" I asked her.

“If I can lie with you, then I always sleep well. It was so nicely warm with you. I’d rather not get up,” she said to me, smiling.

"Unfortunately, we have to do that," I told her.

She pulled a pout and rose. When I put the parka around her shoulders again, she smiled gratefully at me and said

“You were right that I should take off the parka. That’s how I feel a lot warmer.”

I prepared a cup of coffee for Amelie on the esbit cooker. She drank the coffee carefully. I also prepared one for me and ate a few armor plates. Amelie had me smear some with margarine and sausage. After looking into the map again, we got ready to march.

The air was freezing cold as we walked out of the church. Before that we had done our ritual. We stretched out our hands and laid them on top of each other. "All for one and one for all, how, how" we shouted.

Then we slammed our helmeted heads together. It sounded in the church as if a wolf pack had sounded her howl.

We set off. The sun shone from a cloudless blue sky. It was still a good way to Norrmyra. Early at noon we saw the walls of the barracks. We approached the artillery base cautiously. We saw Hunter and Runner wandering between the base buildings. We were also able to perceive the thunderous steps of a tank. Slowly we sneaked into the base and fought ourselves house by house near the radio mast.

We fought down the runners and Hunters who stood in our way. Finally we were able to penetrate into the radio barracks and destroy the Tick that had hooked into the transmission system. I set off a radio call as a test.

"Here Norrmyra base, can anyone receive me?"

"Here Fänrik Friederikson, I can hear you loud and clear."

"Here Helldiver speaks, align General Viklund, we have freed the radio system and will continue our work, Over and Off."

"Helldiver I confirm. Will forward the message to General Viklund, Over and Off.

Afterwards we left the barracks and sneaked on to the tank farm.

We walked through the rows of houses of the team accommodation. It was like the street in a small town. A tank and some Hunters stood in our way. Jim and Akiko were on the left side of the road. Amelie and I on the right. Jim and I shot the Hunters with our PVG 90 rifles and extinguished them relatively quickly. The tank was far more dangerous.

He shelled us with grenades. We could hardly dodge them and just ran towards the tank. He shot at us with his gatling, which Jim and I took under fire. We often had to throw ourselves, because the Gatling quickly swung back and forth and fired at us. Akiko shot with her AK 5, Amelie with the Bazooka. I saw the fire of the grenades rising from the firing tubes of the tank.

"Run, Amelie I called and fired at the gatling of the tank. A grenade struck close behind Amelie and me. Their pressure wave threw us both to the ground as we crossed a crossroads in the run. Amelie slammed long and hit the pavement with her face unchecked.

She was left dazed. I tried to crawl towards her while Jim continued to fire at the tank. Amelie straightened up and wanted to keep running, as projectiles hissed from behind us. I saw a cloud of blood splashing away on Amelie’s upper arm, she screamed and fell to the ground and lost her bazooka.

"Her cries of pain were terrible. I turned on my back and saw a runner running up the street behind me. He stopped and fired at me and Amelie. I screamed

"Stay down!" I pulled my Klaucke out of the holster and fired at the runner as I was lying on my back and destroyed him. I had fired almost twenty shots at him.

Then I turned back to my stomach and took the PVG 90 in front of me and robbed the still screaming and bending Amelie. Her face was covered in blood. Her ran blood out of her mouth and nose. She held a hand on her upper arm, blood ooze out from between her fingers.

"She screamed “IT’S HURTS SO MUCH; IT HURTS SO MUCH, AUUU!”

I screamed "AKIKO!! AKIKO!! AMELIE IS HIT; AKIKO!!"

I reloaded my PVG 90 and fired at the grenade launchers of the tank. Jim and I fired what the guns could give , while Akiko ran across the street and fired wildly. Then she was with me.

"Take Amelie and try to get into one of the houses!" I said to Akiko. She put the rifle strap around her shoulder and pulled Amelie behind the corner of the house to get her out of the firing line.

I kept firing at the tank. He threw flashes and sparks out of his head. A thin plume of smoke rose from his head. Then I had to take more Hunters under fire. Jim kept firing at the tank. When I fought down the Hunter, I fired back at the tank with Jim and he collapsed in a glowing cloud, creaking and groaning.

Jim and I kept sprinting to the fuel tanks. A second tank fired at us with his Gatling. Jim and I sneaked between the tanks and got into position, then I fired at his gatling. He probably did not use his grenades, otherwise he would have exploded the tanks. When his gatling fell to the ground after our concentrated shelling, he stood there rather motionless.

I fired his armored plates over his joints. Then I shot his joints and he buckled. Jim shot at his head and then that tank exploded. We took the ammunition and put the explosives on the fuel tanks. I activated the detonators and linked them to my ignition device. If we had enough distance, we would detonate the explosives.

Then we went in search of the girls. We ran back to the spot where the tank had fired at us. At the place where Amelie had been lying, there was a pool of blood. On the ground were drops of blood that dragged like a trace into the side street. I shot in the air a few times. Akiko waved to us from a house entrance.

Amelie tells us:

As Helldiver shouted "Run," I ran off.

The pressure wave knocked me over and I fell unhappy. I was already too close to the trottoir and although I supported myself with my hands while falling, I hit the pavement with my face unchecked. I was dazed by the impact, my mouth and nose were aching. Something warm, liquid ran into my mouth and I tasted blood. As I stood up, blood dripped from my nose onto the sidewalk. Then I just had the thought of running off and wanted to get on my legs, then I got a violent blow against my left arm.

The pain was just enormous. I screamed. At one point Akiko came and pulled me behind a corner of the house, while Helldiver squatted in front of me and shot. Akiko lifted me up, put an arm around my shoulder and dragged me into a building. She pupated my nose and stuffed small, hard tampons into my nostrils. Then she told me to open my mouth.

She tucked a gauze pad at my lip, then grabbed her in my mouth and wobbled at my teeth. She wanted to see if they were still stuck. She told me

"All okay Amalie, teeth still all good is just lip, you bite on it."

She put a crumpled gauze bandage in my mouth and said

"You hold so that blood stops."

Then she took off my parka and jacket. The arm hurt hellishly. I also had to take off my shirt. Then Akiko and I could see the mess. A gaping wound was on my upper arm.

"IT’s a grazing shot , I have to clean and sew," Akiko said.

"Akiko it hurts even more if you sew now," I said.

She calmed me down while she pulled up a small syringe from an ampoule and she said, “Just don’t hurt anymore, I’ve got Novocain I’m numbing wound, then peeling and sewing clean.”

The syringe piqued my upper arm and the pain subsided. Akiko stabbed the wound several times. Then she took a needle out of her case, pulled a thread through and went to work. With a scalpel she peeled out the wound and repeatedly swiped the scalpel on a gauze pad, which I had to hold her. She dabbed everything with iodine and sprinkled penicillin into the wound.

Then she sewed. The battle noise decreased after a large explosion and finally evaporated completely. I was worried about Helldiver. He and Jim had to fight the massive tank on their own. Akiko noticed my worrying face and said

“I’m also worried about Jim, is just like Helldiver, don’t take care of himself. Hopefully we will come back.”

Then shots rang out in the street. It was three shots in a row. I rejoiced, that was certainly the boys, they were looking for us. Akiko jumped up and ran to the door of the house. She waved excitedly. It was the boys.

Helldiver tells us:

As I walked into the building, Amelie was sitting on the floor. She looked pathetic. Her face was still smeared with dried blood. She had small tampons stuck in her nostrils. In her mouth she had a thick bausch mull, which was blood-soaked. She looked at me with pitying eyes. I sat down next to her and asked

"How are you?"

"To fome eftend, I was fewn by Akiko,"

she mumbled with the tamponade in her mouth.

"And are all the teeth still in there?" I asked.

She was lying with her head on my chest and had put her left hand on my chest. "My dining room if still complete," she mumbled.

Then she pointed to her arm, Through the hole in the parka I could recognize the bandage.

"I waf fewn, waf a fwipe," Amelie said.

“I’d give you a piece of chocolate now, but that’s not possible now, because of your mouth,” I wanted to comfort her.

"What!!," she snapped

"I just banged my lip. My mouth is still fine."

Then she spit out the tamponade and said

“I’m injured and I have to have a consolation patch, so get the chocolate out.”

As she said this, she slapped me slightly against the chest with her fist. I unwrapped her a chocolate bar and while she was taking it she smiled a little and nibbled gently at it.

Amelie was after chocolate like the devil after a poor soul, she made no exceptions, no matter how hurt her mouth.

I wet a handkerchief on my field bottle and carefully cleaned her face. I gave her a second chocolate bar and gave her some kisses on her cheeks.

“I’m much better off,” she said, smiling.

We all smiled. Then Amelie got back on her feet. I glued the crack in the parka with armored tape so it didn’t go cold. She could sew him when we got back into a bunker. Then we made off.

When we were far enough away, I pulled the ignition transmitter out of my pocket.

"Who wants to press?" I asked.

"Let Amelie press, she was the only one injured."

I removed the backup. A red lamp lit up and indicated that the blast could be triggered, then I pressed it into Amelie’s hand. With a laugh on her face, she pressed the button. First the explosives exploded, through the binoculars I could see it, then the tanks exploded in a shining fireball, we had to close our eyes. A gigantic stab flame shot into the sky. The pressure wave rolled up and even though we were far enough away, we could feel the breath of ember.

The plant burned brightly with a huge flame. What was still in the barracks, we had blown away. We handed out Amelie’s luggage on us. I took her backpack, Jim her hunting rifle and her AK 5. Akiko took her bazooka. Then we marched towards Skvadern Bunker. He was about two hours walk away from us. On the way we had to take a short rest, because Amelie’s nose was bleeding again. I noticed it on the big blood stain on her scarf.

Amelie tells us:

When I pressed the ignition button and blew up the tank, we moved on. Everyone took my luggage. All I had to do was wear my Klaucke and my MP. I went to Helldivers hand. I like to do that, he always knows where it’s going and so I’m close to him.

The anaesthetic took off and my arm hurt, but it was tolerable. My lower lip and nose also hurt. I often had to breathe through my mouth because my nose was swollen and clogged. Helldiver kept looking for me. Suddenly he stopped and said

"You bleed again." We stopped and Helldiver took my scarf off me. My nose had started bleeding again. Akiko handed me a gauze pad from her medical bag that I pressed against my nose. Helldiver took off his scarf and just put it on me.

"But then you freeze!" i said,

but, as always, he just repelled and said.

"I have my beard and scarf."

Then he asked me if I was freezing. Admittedly, the wind always whistles cold around my head under the helmet. I nodded

“yes I’m cold.”

He took off his backpack and crawled around it, then pulled out a woolly hat.

"Take off your helmet,"

he said to me and put the cap on my head. Then he knocked her over a few times so that she didn’t slip over my eyes.

"Luckily, the head has ears,"

he said to me with a laugh because his cap was actually too big for me. That was with all his stuff he gave me. He had also wrapped my ears with the cap and it got warmer for me at the moment. I always have a tingling sensation in my stomach anyway when he touches me and especially when he packs me warmly as he did again. He took my helmet off and put it a little bigger.

"Does he fit ?" he asked me.

I answered in the affirmative. Before I could made up my mind, he pulled up my scarf and packed my face in. He always did it as carefully as if I was made of china. Then he took me by the hand and we went on.

Helldiver tells us:

We went on, Amelie’s nosebleeds had stopped. She trotted beside me and didn’t seem so froze anymore.

“I’ve got to take a bit more care of her to get her warmer,” I said.

I thought to myself. In the cold, she was able to quickly freeze her ears. It was already dark when we got to the skvadern bunker.

"What is Amelie, can you fight again?" She nodded.

Jim gave her the AK 5. She checked it and loaded it.

"Ready!" she said to me.

Then we went to the bunker. It started to snow again. In front of the hangar of the bunker, some Hunters drifted around. We shelled them and wiped out one by one. We fought our way into the hangar. After we got from the Hunter the code cards, we entered the bunker. We left the backpacks behind the door and penetrated deeper.

Some runners stood in our way. The energy center of the bunker was again flooded with poison gas. Jim and I entered with the gas mask and turned on the electricity. We also found the control panel for the trigger so we could detoxify the system. Then we moved on. When we had fought the canteen and team rooms, Jim and I decided to do the rest alone so that the girls could rest. It took us about an hour to "clean" the whole bunker.

It wasn’t as big as the Minken Bunker. Rather like the Vesslan or the Salthamm Bunker. When we bumped back into our girls, Akiko had cooked a goulash soup from the can. Amelie sat at a table and sewed her parka.

"Are you better off?" I asked her.

“Yes, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore. After the meal, Akiko wants to change my bandage,” she said.

We ate hungry. The hot goulash soup did really well. I helped Akiko change the bandage. I held Amelie’s hand as Akiko cleaned the wound again and treated it with iodine and rose oil. She had a nasty ratchet in her upper arm.

"If scar stays, later, when war is over, you have to see if you can smooth it out again. Otherwise you must cover it with a Irezumi (japan. Tattoo )," Akiko said.

"What is a Irezumi," I asked Akiko.

"A tattoo," she replied.

"I did," she told me.

“I’ve seen it before, it’s beautiful,” Amelie said.

"If you want to see Helldiver, then you turn around briefly, I have to take off shirt."

I turned around and heard the rustling of clothes.

"Now you can look," Akiko said.

My breath stopped at what I saw. Akiko stood with her back facing me, she had taken off her shirt and opened her bust holder so that I had a clear view of her back. With one arm she covered her nakedness with the other hand she held up her long hair. On her back, was an artfully designed dragon walled on a cherry blossom tree. The whole picture was in subtle grey and pink tones and was very detailed.

“That’s beautiful Akiko,” I said.

"What means it?" I asked.

“Yes, the dragon means strength and wisdom. It’s a traditional image. Irezumi have centuries of tradition in Japan,” she said.

"I that not beautiful?" said Amelie.

“But it was definitely painful, wasn’t it?” I asked Akiko.

“Yes, that’s true, so it’s special when you’re a woman wearing a Irezumi, when you’re stung by traditional methods, then great pain passes.”

I thanked Akiko and turned back so she could dress. When we returned to the canteen, Jim had already done the washing up. I walked into the bedroom moving beds together and moving in. I got bed linen and blankets from the clothing store. I took a second blanket for Amelie, because she always froze quickly. It wasn’t particularly warm in the bunker. We sat a little in the lounge, drank beer, smoked and listened to music.

I had put up my mix cassette on which various hits were recorded. When Prince Purple Rain sounded, I got up and took Amelie’s hand to dance with her. She beamed all over her face and snuggled up tightly to me.

Amelie tells us:

When we arrived in the bunker and fought our way through the most important rooms, I was grateful to the guys that they were going on on their own. Akiko said she would cook something because we needed something warm after the whole day in the cold. I sewed at my parka. I was almost done when the guys came back.

The faces black smeared with powder swath. After the meal Helldiver went with me and Akiko to the infirmary, because Akiko wanted to look at my wound on my arm again. And change the dressing. When she cleaned the wound and sprout with iodine and rose oil, Helldiver held my hand.

As grim as he sometimes seems, he is sometimes so sweet when he suffers with me, when I have a pain. Then Akiko showed him her beautiful tattoo, which I had already seen on her in the shower at the Björntunet Hotel. Then we sat in the lounge.

I was doing really well and when he took me by the hand and wanted to dance with me, I was amazed. Otherwise he was more of a dance muffle I always had to drag him on to the dance floor, because I like to dance with him. But this time it was different. He pulled me off the couch and took me into his strong arm. I would have preferred to crawl into him if that had been possible. I pressed myself firmly on him. A whole swarm of butterflies fluttered in my belly, this warmth when I lay in his arm, there was nothing more beautiful.

Purple Rain seemed to be his favorite song, because he heard it many times. Although my lower lip hurt I had to kiss him, I felt his beard stubble on my face. His firm narrow lips on mine. He was very careful when he answered my kiss. My whole body was tingling.

Helldiver tells us:

When I danced with Amelie, Jim did the same with Akio. Amelie lay in love in my arm and beamed all over her face. When we went to bed, she noticed that I had put two blankets on her bed. She pulled the blanket over our heads and kissed me passionately again. She might have wanted more, but that was not possible with the best of intentions. We weren’t alone. Today had once again brought us to the fore in the danger we were in. We had once again got away with a blue eye. She wrapped herself up as always. Her feet were again small ice blocks. I pulled her tightly on me to warm her up.

[helldiver]

240.Day

After breakfast I went through the further planning with everyone. We would have another hike ahead of us. We had to go a whole day’s march south to get to the Märden Bunker. We had to conquer it. From there we would start the next action. We had to enter the Kungsgarden villa. Van Ulmers Villa. It was located on a small lake. We prepared everything, packed our things and went to bed early, because we wanted to march off before sunrise.

Day 241

We set off. It snowed heavily. We were able to identify some infrared signatures of Huntern. But they were far enough away. We staggered through the snow. I took Amelie by the hand and carried her the bazooka. Amelie’s gunshot wound hurt a little. Akiko had drizzled them with rose oil before the march.

I had put on her cap before she put on her helmet. Then I gave her a scarf and put the scarf around and pulled it over her mouth and nose. She made me willing. Thickly masked, she staggered beside me. When it got hesitantly bright, I asked her if she was cold. She shook her head. Around noon we stopped.

We had to take a detour because we saw a tank in the distance and some Hunter. We made a big bow around them. That, of course, took us time. We found a lumberjack hut that offered us shelter from the icy wind. The snowflakes were very fine and were blown in our faces. I gave Amelie my sunglasses. “There’s no sun,” Amelie said with a chuckle. "If you are constantly looking at the white in the weather, your eyes are hurting and the glasses prevent you from getting the snow blown so much into your eyes.

After we moved on, Amelie said, “Thank you Helldiver that’s really good with the sunglasses, thank you.” She also had no blue lips. I had looked at that at the rest. In the late afternoon we came near the March Bunker and got into a firefight with some hunters. We were able to wipe you out after some time. Then we stormed the bunker. We had found code cards again and were able to open a bunker gate.

We first searched the bunker’s energy center and turned on the light. On the way to the power supply we encountered some ticks. Then we ran off the aisles to clean up the bunker. Hallway by hallway and room by room we secured the bunker. We had to deal with some runners in one go, but together we wiped them out.

Amelie complained of headaches and a general feeling of weakness. Akiko took over the dinner, Jim and I set up the bedroom, put beds together and covered them with bed linen and enough blankets, because it was cold in the bunker. The heating would take a few more days to make it pleasant. Amelie looked tired and done. She froze, although she claimed on the march she had not frozen. I covered them warmly and took them in my arms to warm them up.

Day 242

In the morning, Amelie was a bit cuddly. She wanted to leave something else. Akiko and Jim had already got up. Actually, this was unusual, because otherwise Amelie was always the one who got up early. I noticed that she often rused herself. When I asked if she would not be well, she replied

"I have a frog in my neck."

At breakfast she was quiet and ate somehow appetizing. Although, in my opinion, she ate too little, she always ate with appetite. We discussed our next action. On the plan was a visit to the Villa Kungsgarden.

It was the house of the scientist van Ulmer, who was connected with the secret project and certainly with the robots. I fell to Amelie for the frostand and looked pale. I didn’t like it.

I felt her forehead and asked , "Are you sick?"

she denied it. “I’m just cold,” she replied.

Akiko also criticized her and asked her to go to the hospital ward. She changed Amelie’s dressing and dripped rose oil on the wound. Amelie rattled and shook.

"I want to see your neck Amalie," Akiko said.

From one of the cupboards she took a wooden spatula and posed in front of Amelie

"Mouth up and make Ahhh," Akiko said.

Amelie opened her mouth and made "AAAAAHHHHH,"

Akiko pressed her tongue back with the wooden spatula, lit her neck with her flashlight, and looked inside.

"Is a little red and almonds a little swollen. Must be watching."

Then she put a fever thermometer in Amelie’s mouth.

"Iff have germ fever," Amelie quipped with the thermometer in her mouth.

Akiko was relentless. When she read the temperature after a while, she said

"Temperature normal, no fever."

Amelie coughed a few times and dressed.

"Can we?" she asked.

We packed our things and got ready to go. Kungsgarden was not so far away. If all went well we would be back in the afternoon. I made sure she dressed warmly, especially a woolly hat under her helmet. I pulled the scarf over her mouth and nose. On the way, she coughed again and again. Once we even had to stop because she had a real coughing fit and had a hard time getting air.

I took her guns except for her MP, who desperately wanted to keep them. When we arrived near the villa, Jim and I scouted the area. The day was cloudy and foggy. A nasty damp cold even made me froze. The villa was located on a lake and was very large. In the summer it was certainly very nice here. We didn’t see any robots in the vicinity. We moved slowly. Amelie was supposed to crack the door lock. Akiko helped her. It turned out that this castle was not so easy to crack, but with united forces, Amelie and Akiko managed to open the door.

On the other side of the lake I could see the signature of a few runners. Then Jim and I slipped into the building. In the living room, Amelie dropped on the couch, took off her helmet and took off her cap. She was short-breathed and coughed again and again.

'You don’t like Amelie, you don’t look good. Areyou not doing well?" I asked her.

“It goes like this,” she said, “I’m just getting bad air at the moment and my neck hurts.”

"You certainly got a cold," I told her.

"Stay here, we search the house," I said to her, asking her to take her claw in her hand.

We found code cards, a diary, several cassettes and a pocket dictation device to which the found cassettes matched. Then there are a lot of handwritten notes. Luckily, the house wasn’t tick contaminated. We took everything that seemed important to us, then we got ready to leave. I took Amelie’s weapons again and took them by the hand. The fog became more and more dense. We staggered back to the bunker. Amelie was getting worse and worse, she had very murky eyes and coughed again and again. I took to her to put her in bed in the bunker and pack her warm. She had certainly gotten a fat flu during the long march through the cold. My neck also hurt. I had definitely infected myself with her, or she had contacted me, only that it broke out with me later.

Amelie was walking on the gums as we reached the bunker. She dropped on a chair in the canteen. I took her weapons and took them to the bedroom, then I took the blankets from our bed and wrapped Amelie in them. She was pale, coughing constantly and very short-breathed.

Akiko looked back at her neck and covered her face.

"Ohh, that’s fire red and almonds swollen. I’ll give you antibiotics, you’ve got to take them.’

Amelie let everything go well. Akiko cooked her a cup of hot milk, which she had stirred from the milk powder. I found a few glasses of honey in the farthest corner of the pantry. Akiko put a thick spoonful of honey into her milk.

"Here you have to drink!" Akiko said to Amelie, squeezing the cup into her hand.

"I make rice porridge for her, make warm from the inside and then Amelie in bed,"

Akiko said. I fed Amelie the rice porridge and although she was obviously not doing well, she smiled thinly after every spoon I put in her mouth. She ate quite well and waved off when she was full. Then I wanted to carry her to bed, but she pulled a snout.

“I don’t want to go to bed alone.”

I let myself soften and bedded her on the couch in the common room. I sat down next to her and held her in my arms to warm her. She cuddled up and looked at me from murky eyes. She was really sick. Jim brought me a beer and ripped open the can for me. Then Akiko came into the lounge with a steaming bowl and a towel over her arm. She put the bowl on the table and said

"Amalie, you come here. You have to inhale, then you better."

Amelie sat down at the table and kept the blankets around her. Akiko dripped a liquid from a small bottle into the steaming water.

"So you take a towel over your head and then inhale deeply," Akiko said.

She spread the towel over Amelie’s head and hung it over the bowl.

"Man that burns you all away," Amelie mumbled under the cloth with a muted voice.

"Always take a deep breath," Akiko said relentlessly.

Amelie bowed Akiko’s instructions and took a deep breath. At first she coughed a little, but that settled down after a few breaths. After about 10 minutes, Akiko took the towel from Amelie’s head. It smelled strongly of peppermint and eucalyptus. Amelie’s face was damp and sweaty.

"Puh, at first you think it burns your neck and the lungs off but it helps, I can breathe much better," Amelie said.

Then Akiko Amelie buttoned up the shirt and rubbed a few drops from the vial on Amelie’s chest.

"So and you must now be in bed Amalie," Akiko said.

“I’m going with her,” I said.

I took Amelie on my arm and carried her to the bedroom. Amelie looked at me gratefully, swayed her arms around my neck and put her head on my chest smiling. Then I put her in our bed. I quickly pulled a blanket out of the laundry and spread it over us. Amelie now had three blankets on top of each other. I lay down in bed with her, took her in my arm and warmed her. She put her hand on mine and muttered

“Thank you Helldiver, you’re so sweet, sleep well.”

Day 243

I woke up in the morning sweat-bathed. Amelie was also very sweaty. It was very warm in bed. My neck felt like a rubbing bite. She had slept quietly. When she woke up, she said

“Uiihh it’s warm. I’m sweating, you too?” she asked.

"And how," I said.

"How do you feel?" I asked her.

"Still a little weak, but better than yesterday."

She coughed a few times, but the cough sounded different. When I got dressed, I froze a bit and I had limb pain, like a muscle soreness. I told Akiko that I also felt sick. She examined me after breakfast and also noticed a redness of my neck.

I drank a hot milk with honey and inhaled the drops Akiko had. They were really very strong. The first breaths hurt, but after that I felt better. I suggested to Amelie to go back to bed. When I told her I was going to go, Amelie laughed

"then I can cuddle with you all day, do you wear me again?"

Asked Amelie and stretched out her arms after me. Everyone was smiling as I took her in my arms. Then we just lay down in bed again. After a while, Jim and Akiko arrived.

“It’s snowing like crazy and it’s stormy,” Jim said.

They sat down on their bed and talked to us. Jim got some cans of beer and even Amelie drank one. She was visibly better off. Akiko had given me the bottle of oil to rub Amelie’s chest. We were all in bed in the afternoon and doze a little.

In the evening Akiko cooked the rice porridge again, which we all liked to eat. He was fed up and warmed up well. Amelie ate with a good appetite and didn’t have such murky eyes anymore. I inhaled again after the meal and also rubbed my chest. A little later I lay with Amelie in my arms and fell asleep with her.

Day 244

I woke up so sweaty again but my neck didn’t hurt so much anymore, but Like Amelie I had to cough a little. She was a little better off. After dinner I wanted to take a shower. I just wanted to get my laundry items out of the bedroom, when Amelie appeared in the doorway

“I’m coming with you,” she said firmly, taking her toilet bag.

"But I…,"

“Come on, don’t beson’t like that,” she said, taking me by the hand.

We walked down the hallway to the shower room.

"But Jim and Akiko, what does that look like?" I said

“Don’t act like that. Haven’t you noticed that the two are also taking a shower together?”

she said as she pushed me into the shower room and closed the door behind us.

“You’ve already seen me naked and I’ve seen you so what’s there.”

While she said that, she undressed.

"Well what is, down with the clothes,"

she said, promptly, and looked at me seductively. As I undressed, she went into the shower completely naked with a hip swing and turned up the water. She also operated the second shower so that we had enough warm water. I let it bounce on my body and sit down.

"Are you squeeous to my back?" asked Amelie, smiling seductively at me again.

When I had shaved her off, she turned to me, shaved her arms around my neck and kissed me demandingly. It was strange under the warm water, which rained down on us. She snuggled her soft body to me and sighed softly. Then she leaned against the wall with her back, held on to my shoulders and slung her legs around my hips. I held her so she could put her arms around me. Then we loved each other under the warm water. She was demanding and quickly came to the summit, my back was somewhat spared even though she clung to me shrugging.

She kissed me long and tender ly not getting enough. After a short time she asked me again. When she reached her peak again, she sighed deeply and laughed. We took each other off again and then turned off the water. “Now I’m doing really well,” she said, “That’s been good, let’s get back to bed and cuddle, please, please,”

she said with an eye-roll where you couldn’t say no. We dried and dressed. Amelie blew her hair dry and combed mine too. When we finished we went on a jump to the canteen where Akiko and Jim were sitting.

"You both look better," Akiko said.

“We lie down in bed again, then we’ll be back on the dam tomorrow,” I said.

“That’s good, Jim and I’re coming right away, I could doze a little bit,”

Akiko said, cuddling in Jim’s arm. Jim and Akiko arrived a little later with a few cans of beer in their arms.

“Now we’re having a bed party,” Jim said with a laugh, handing Amelie and me a can of beer. Akiko cuddled up to Jim in bed while Amelie lay dozing in my arm. The break was good for all of us.

Day 245

I woke up and felt fit. Amelie was much better off. She was just cheerful as she opened her eyes. At breakfast she was again as usual. After breakfast, we took a look at the documents we had found in van Ulmer’s house.

We found a doctor’s report that van Ulmer had AIDS. There was no cure for this disease. She was probably well advanced with van Ulmer. The tapes turned out to be a kind of diary of van Ulmer. He had spoken about it. We heard that he had been working very closely with Ingrid Granqvist on a project for several years. They worked on a neural connection between the human brain and a computer. He was also friends with Veronika Nilsson, a member of staff who worked on a computer program. The last recording was from a day when an important experiment was to take place.

Van Ulmer wanted to do a self-test because he was severely weakened by his advanced AIDS disease and there were no immune reactions to his body because his immune system was no longer responding. Otherwise, this could have derailed the experiment. They also found a recording of a phone call between van Ulmer and Fredrik Holberg. Ulmer was to work on a national defense project. They worked to get the robots to be controlled by humans from the bunker. I remembered the newspaper article we found in Lennarts Marin. I put the newspaper on the documents. According to this, Ingrid Granqvist was killed after the experiment with van Ulmer.

I summed it up. Van Ulmer had worked with Ingrid Granqvist for years on a connection between man and machine.

Veronika Nilsson was also involved in this project and had maintained a relationship with van Ulmer that went beyond the normal relationship between manager and employee. She had developed software that was needed for the project.

The project was designed to control the machines by humans, through a spiritual connection between humans and robots.

Van Ulmer and Granqvist had conducted an experiment.

Granqvist had been killed a few days after the experiment

The robot crisis then erupted.

Fredrik Holberg, was obviously a member of a sect. The Church of the Irons. He was the chief executive of the project, which probably included van Ulmer’s self-experiment.

Holberg and van Ulmer had dived just before the robot crisis began.

Holberg had obviously fled or had anything in front of him, as he had probably been seen on Hjimfäll after the invasion by the robots. He had taken some people from Ljuset and killed those who did not want to.

Was Holberg behind all this? What role did van Ulmer play? He had complained to Holberg because he feared that his work would be misused for military purposes. He had done it anyway, because he wanted to put his years of research into practice and he had received the funds from the FOA. Had van Ulmer perhaps seen an opportunity for himself in it. Had he perhaps managed to transfer his consciousness to a computer in order to escape his dying body? A crazy thought.

The code cards we found belonged to a research lab that belonged to FOA 53. That was our ultimate goal. This plant had to be destroyed. It was used to execute the radio commands used to control the robots. We just had to smash the infrastructure. The actions we had carried out before were directed against the supply of fuel and the supply of weapons. We had to conquer the Hermelinen Bunker and destroy two industrial facilities before we were to attack the FOA 53. The Hermelinen Bunker should serve as a base for us in the attack on FOA 53.

We discussed the results all day long. We decided to stay in the bunker for another day so that Amelie and I could cure ourselves. I was fine the sore throats were gone, only the cough had remained. Amelie and I inhaled again with the oil from Akiko’s vial. Amelie fared much better.

Day 246

We packed our belongings and set out to destroy the Leräng industrial plant. It was not far away. We still had enough time igniters and could destroy the plant if we were far enough away. We invaded them. Some Hunters patrolled. They were again quite dangerous. They had a black-green color and carried grenade launchers and a tank with a greenish fluorescent liquid. They were equipped with a tick tank. We had occasionally seen such robots on Hjimfäll. They were also equipped with a flamethrower.

They were very bad guys. On their own, they had little chance against them. We formed two teams. Jim and I fired at the grenade launchers. The girls should focus on the flamethrowers. When the robots were disarmed, we wanted to wipe them out. That worked out reasonably well. We were heavily shelled and often had to withdraw, because the poison gas they fired was very strong. We fought an hour-long battle without really getting into the facility. We were beaten back every time. Our ammunition stock also declined rapidly, so I was already considering cancelling the action.

We started one last attempt by laying a mine belt and luring the robots in. The last one was lured by Jim by shooting him from behind into the tick tank. The robot immediately turned around and fired at Jim, who immediately ran away to get out of range of his shells. The Hunter pursued him and ran into the deep-staggered mine belt. He was torn apart by the mines. Then it became quiet.

We invaded the facility. Ammunition was produced in the factory halls. We stuffed our pockets, because we found a lot of 7.62 and caliber 50 ammunition. Then we distributed the explosives and installed the remote detonators. We quickly got out of the dust when we had everything installed. At some distance, I asked, "Who wants?" and held up the ignition device. This time we let Akiko press. She was delighted when she pressed the button. Through binoculars we watched the explosion. The halls exploded in turn and when the ammunition depots exploded, there was real fireworks. Everything that was in the immediate vicinity of the work was destroyed. Burning and smoking ruins were left behind.

We went back to the bunker and celebrated our victory. In the evening we prepared our next action. This time, the Granhyet industrial plant should believe in it. According to our documents, poison gas was also produced here. The operation was dangerous in that an explosion would release the gas. So we had to be far enough away before we set the whole thing on fire. Unfortunately, the remote detonator had only a limited range. I suggested the use of time igniters, because if we had set them long enough, we would have put enough distance between ourselves and the work.

Day 247

We got back early. We wanted to attack the facility at dawn. We approached cautiously. The weather helped us because a strong northerly wind was blowing and the fine snowflakes were pushing us in the face like ice needles. We staggered through the deep snow. A short time later we looked like snowmen, the snow sticking to our uniforms.

We approached the plant and fought the robots that got in our way. We tried to keep the firefights to a minimum and deceived the robots with fireworks. We invaded the facility and placed our explosive charges. We split up to make it faster. Jim and I had taught the girls how to handle the prison blasts to sharpen them. We gathered, spied out the area and dared to break out. We fired from all the pipes and withdrew from the plant.

“Can’t the robots clear the explosive charges?”

asked Amelie when we were in cover outside the facility.

“No, they don’t have gripping hands and even if they take the hold at the points, it doesn’t stop them from exploding,” I told her.

We retreated further. We lay down mines where we went into cover and took our legs in our hands. At the explosions we heard that our persecutors had fallen into the trap. One or the other robot was only badly damaged and pursued us further. But in the forest she had no chance against us. When we had covered half the way to the bunker, the sow of the wind was torn apart by a huge detonation.

Behind us, a huge cloud of embers rises into the sky. The subsequent rising cloud was colored poison green. That was the poison gas, stupidly it was driven in our direction by the wind. We put our gas masks back on. We had dropped them off after our escape because they hampered us breathing. We staggered back to the bunker and reached it in the early afternoon. We were quite pumped out by the tight march, because the stalk through the deep snow was quite exhausting. After the meal we drank something together and fell into the beds.

[helldiver]

Day 248

After breakfast I went out of the bunker. I wanted to look at the weather and grab some fresh air. When I came into the hangar, I noticed the bad smell hanging in the air. It smelled weak of garlic. I put on my gas mask and went into the front yard of the hangar. I couldn’t identify robots and went on. The wind had settled. It was ghostly quiet. Even in winter you could hear an acorn or a crow. I secured on all sides and went on into the forest. I found a dead deer and some dead crows. They didn’t seem to be there for long. Whether they were killed by the poison gas.

I hated this stuff, for me poison gas was the most cowardly and sneaky means of fighting.

It was a crime to use something like that. I hit a bow and found more dead animals. When I saw a capital deer lying in the forest, I felt guilty. I had killed this beautiful animal senselessly because I had blown up the poison gas factory.

I was sad and angry at the same time. This devil’s stuff had struck a trail of destruction and had killed the animals that had inhaled it. I went back to the bunker. Amelie was waiting for me in the bunker. I called her to put on the gas mask from a distance. She did it immediately. Then she helped me decontaminate my clothes by hitting my parka and pants with some cloth flaps lying in the gatekeeper’s stall. She then rubbed me from head to toe with snow. When we closed the bunker door behind us, I took off the gas mask and sniffed. I couldn’t see any garlic smell. Amelie also did not complain about any complaints, because she had probably stood in the hangar for a few minutes without a gas mask to look for me. Everyone was affected when I told them about my discovery.

"Akiko said we had to do what a choice we had. We can only see that we are bringing this to an end as soon as possible in order to end this war. After that, we can help hold those responsible to account."

We all agreed on this and wanted to see the perpetrators punished. We decided to stay in the bunker for a few days and wait until the poison gas had decomposed.

Day 249th - 251st day

We use the time to rest. We planned the next mission. We wanted to occupy the Hermelinen Bunker. We also dealt with the FOA 53 system. This would be a difficult mission, perhaps even the most difficult. She would certainly be well guarded. This plant had to be destroyed. We prepared our march and set off in the early morning for the hike. We had to pass the FOA 53 to get to the Hermelinen Bunker. We bypassed the facility some distance away. However, we found that many robots were in the vicinity of the facility. It lay in a valley surrounded by forests. We would have to sneak in and somehow find a way into the facility.

In the early evening we reached the Hermelinen Bunker. We fought a lot of Hunters and also found code cards with them. When we entered the hangar, we realized that the door could not be opened. On a control unit we found a handwritten message that robots had penetrated the bunker and the survivors had switched off the locking system. Breaking the door made no sense, because how should we lock it off again?

We circled the bunker and tried to find another entrance. Finally we found the main entrance. The gatestall was destroyed and the bunker gate was blown up. Carefully we invaded. We were often attacked by ticks. Some runners also stood in our way. It took us quite a long time to reach the energy center. After turning on the light and power supply, we locked the outer bunker doors and searched gear for aisle and room by room for robots.

We formed two teams to make it faster. In the evening we had finally secured the facility. I examined the control center of the bunker if there were any clues there. Next to the obligatory warboard, what was in every bunker I saw the control panels in long rows. I hadn’t paid attention to them before and I took a closer look at them the next day. We examined the weapons and pantry. I really wanted to see what the supplies were, while Amelie and Akiko cooked dinner for us. I set up the beds with Jim. After the meal we sat together for a while, had a beer and fell tired into our beds.

Day 252

We sat down after breakfast and looked at the documents we had from THE FOA 53. According to this, this was the top secret research laboratory in which van Ulmer and Granqvist worked under the direction of Holberg on the secret project Landes-Defense.

A lot of robots of different types were floating around inside the facility. Two tanks also guarded the facility. Intrusion was almost impossible. We studied the aerial photographs in detail and could not find a solution. I did not propose to break anything over the knee and to plan this action thoroughly, even if we had to stay in the bunker for a few days now.

In the afternoon, I set out to examine the control panel in more detail. They all looked the same. In addition to a computer and the associated keyboards, they were equipped with a kind of location screen. We couldn’t get any of the desks going. Each desk had a kind of hood. It consisted of several belts to which sensors were attached. I put on such a hood and noticed that the sensors were located directly on the scalp. I turned on the computer. The round screen flickered and an amber script prompted you to enter the password. Of course I didn’t know this password and so I turned the computer off again. Perhaps a robot could be controlled with such a control panel.

Day 253

Gradually I became restless. After breakfast, we re-examined the documents and aerial photographs of the facility. We tried to devise a strategy to get into the facility. We could only try as usual like the mice sneak in there and get stuck in a building. We worked out a route. We wanted to create as little turmoil as possible before we invaded. One consideration was to lure the robots away. We still had surplus time detonators. I had removed a sound module from a seeker, which I had once shot down on Hjimfäll.

I considered depositing it some distance from the plant and setting it in motion with the timer. The thing could ring the robots. If we also put some mines around the noise module, these robots would explode. We found some music cassettes on which hit music was played. I had never used this because I didn’t like this music. On the camp we still found radios and batteries. We also decided to convert these into booby traps to lure the robots away. The turmoil that would create would distract the robots from us.

We had to find van Ulmer’s laboratory in the plant. The central computer was housed there. We had to destroy it. I had EMP grenades for this, they produced a medium explosion and released a strong electrical impulse that could irreversibly destroy the electronics of electrical appliances. On a floppy disk, which I carried in a steel case with me, there was a computer virus that was supposed to set in motion the self-destruction of the plant.

I examined the computers in the command center. I needed an unprotected computer. I found floppy disks enough and the data stored on them were not interesting to me anyway. Finally, I found a computer that was not password protected. I started it and made more duplicates from the virus disk, which I distributed to Jim Amelie and Akiko. The floppy disks worked under the DOS and UNIX operating systems. Once the virus’s startup file was called, it recognized itself which operating system it was dealing with and then started files. The virus would infiltrate and paralyze the control software of the entire computer architecture in the bunker. After that, it would take control of the plant and trigger self-destruction. We didn’t know how much time we had to leave the facility. That made me nervous. This could become the Ascension Command o’station if we couldn’t leave the facility fast enough.

After the conversation, I retreated to the command center. I needed time to think. Could I even be responsible for taking my friends with me? Did I allow that? If I were to enter the bunker alone, it would only be one of those who would die if I didn’t come out quickly enough.

But would Amelie accept that? I smoked a cigarette nervously, I couldn’t think clearly. The more I thought about it, the more nervous I became. Then Amelie appeared in the door and knocked on the door frame.

“Here you are, I’ve been looking for you. Is there anything wrong with you?” she asked.

She approached me. I breathed deeply and answered her.

“I’m worried. This will be a difficult mission, certainly the heaviest so far.”

She sat on my lap and shaved her arms around my neck, then pressed her face on mine.

"Are you scared?" she asked me.

“Yes, yes, I would be lying if it weren’t.”

“This is the first time you say you’re scared,” she said.

“I’m especially afraid of you Amelie.” I pressed her even more firmly on me.

"I know," said Amelie, but I told you that I would follow you to hell.

So don’t come up with the idea of leaving me here, don’t even think about it. She kissed me tenderly and stroked my face.

“I’m always the fear bunny and you’re always the strong man, don’t worry about me. I love you and I will always be with you no matter what,” she said with a firm voice.

“I love you too Amelie, I don’t want to lose you, I’m afraid of that,” I replied.

She pressed her tightly on me and kissed me on the cheek.

“I’m going to take care of myself, don’t worry too much about it is going to be fine,” she said.

She buttoned up my shirt and stroked my chest with both hands.

“But if that’s over mon ami (french: my friend) and we’ve both survived, then you’re something of due, then I want you all for me,”

she said mischievously smiling and kissed me demandingly.

"Do I have to be afraid of what comes after that?" I asked her with a laugh.

"No, you should be happy, because then I belong to you and then I will eat you," she said with a laugh.

I pressed her on me and held her for a while. In the evening in bed she pulled the blanket over our head again and kissed me long and passionately.

Day 254

We were finally preparing. We were all looking forward to the action, because if we managed it, it could mean the end of the robot crisis. We could go back home and finally live a normal life again. The thought of it made me forget my worries.

I saw Jim and Akiko disappear ingenuising in the shower. I went to Amelie’s canteen and smoked another cigarette while she cleaned up. I wanted to help her, but she refused.

“Take a cup of coffee and sit down at the table then you don’t stand in my way,” she said.

"Where are Akiko and Jim?" she asked.

"Showers," I replied succinctly.

"Ahaaaa," Amelie said, laughing.

She put the towel over her shoulder with which she had dried the dishes and sat on my lap.

"We should do that when the two are finished, not individually, but together," she said seductively, the air was tense and crackling.

Amelie’s gaze was seductive and warm. She did the washing up and sat down on my lap again. When Jim and Akiko came out of the shower we both went. We loved each other violently under the warm water, which bounced down on us. Amelie couldn’t get enough. Maybe it was the last time we loved each other. Maybe we were dead tomorrow. I wasn’t allowed to think about it. But I believed that Amelie thought similarly to me. She hung on me like a burdock. I watched the same thing with Akiko. She cuddled with Jim wherever she could.

In the late afternoon I went smoking with Jim in the hangar. I felt that something was on his mind and I spoke to him about it.

"How are you Jim, are you nervous about tomorrow?" I asked him.

“Yeah, yeah,that’s going to be a tough number tomorrow,” Jim said.

"Do you have shot?" I asked him

“You don’t?” he replied.

"At least as much as you," I said.

Jim laughed, did hi five with me, then we slapped our fists against each other.

“No matter what happens bro (American: brother) I’ll go with you to disassemble the hell. You’re a really good buddy. I hope we all survive.”

“I hope bro,” I said to Jim. “We’re going to make it somehow.”

We went to bed early in the evening. Before that we came up with a beer and drank on the good.

[helldiver]

Day 255

We marched off. Before we left we did our ritual. We said our saying, put our hands on each other and slammed our helmeted heads at each other after we let go of our "HOW, HOW!!" It sounded like the barking of a wolf mob.

We had all our weapons with our combat bags full of ammunition. I had the 44th Magnum stuck on my back in my belt. He, too, was loadet. I again had a good amount of caliber 44 full-metal-jacket bullets in the pocket of my parkas. I walked through the forest with Amelie by the hand. In my helmet visor I had set a waypoint so that I did not lose sight of my goal.

The weather was foggy again. It wasn’t so bitingly cold anymore. In the murky light I saw drops of water hanging on the branches. We had thaw, the snow under our feet was also rather pappy and watery. A look at the thermometer showed me that we had +4° Celsius. Here and there snow fell from the trees. Spring knocked on the door. In four weeks, the snow might be gone. The days had already become a little longer.

We often stopped and looked for robots. We tried to bypass them so as not to get into an unnecessary firefight. We wanted to get as close as possible to the facility before we opened fire. With binoculars I could already see the lights of the facility. We swarmed out to install the blast traps. We gave ourselves with the flashlights light signs.

After I had installed my trap and set the timer, I sneaked closer to the facility and gave the other light signs. We had set the timers to 15 minutes. Then it would be loud in different places.

Akiko pulled her necklace out of the uniform. It was her lucky charm that she had once lent to Amelie when she went to Himarvet alone. She opened a sophisticated clasp and shared the pendant. "Here Jim always brought me happiness. You my husband shall bring you happiness," Akiko then hung the pendant around his neck and kissed him. I could see through the trees the entrance to the complex.

Some Hunters patrolled in front of the facility. We targeted them and watched them. I looked at my timer, which I had in my helmet visor. The seconds rallied down and when he stood on zero the howling of the noise module from the seeker started. At the same time we heard different hit music. Amelie giggled "sounds like a fair." The robots got into turmoil. The Hunters guarding the gate ran off. We hid behind the trees and they ran past us.

Then we ran off. We heard gunshots and explosions. The blast traps served their purpose. Then we were in the facility. As a group of runners ran across the grounds, we threw hand grenades and blew them all up. Then we stormed on. We reached a concrete building. A Hunter came running. It was a very nasty one with this disgusting green fluorescent liquid. I fired at the tank of a car. The car exploded and tossed the robot over. Jim finished him with a hand grenade. Then we arrived at the doorkeepers booth.

We fought down some Hunters. A tank truged towards us and set the building under fire. The flat building was shaken to its foundations, all the windows flew out. Glass and shards of plaster flew around our ears. We wouldn’t be able to hold on for a long time. Luckily, we had put on the gas masks before, because I expected the robots to shoot with poison gas. We shot at the tank together. Moments later, he exploded under our concentrated fire. We shot out of all the pipes. Amelie finally put an end to him with her bazooka.

Some runners invaded us. I sent the girls to open the bunker gate while we kept our opponents at a distance. I told them that opponents might be lurking behind the gate. Amelie had looked with her AK 5 and the X-ray module to see if there were no opponents lurking behind the gate. We heard the servo motors of the gate starting and the wings squeaking. Jim and I fired wildly and fought down the runners. Then we were in the bunker.

The gate swung back behind us. I disliked that, because we were trapped when everything flew around our ears. We turned on the flashlights and slowly penetrated the facility. Our nerves were tense to tear.

"Can you wait?" asked Amelie from behind

"What is ?" I quietly returned.

"Give me some light," she said.

She hung the AK 5 over her shoulder and donned a lipstick and a make-up mirror from her ABC protective bag.

"Does that have to be now?" I asked angrily.

'My lips are burning like this and I don’t have clear lipstick. That helps a little bit."

Jim twisted his eyes while Amelie in peace of mind painted her lips. Akiko did the same.

"Do you want to make yourself pretty for van Ulmer before he kills us?" asked Jim.

“No, but when my lips are burning, I can’t concentrate properly,” Amelie told Jim.

"Amalie is right, so am I," said Akiko

"Do you want to,"

Amelie told me mischievously and before I saw it she had drawn a red line on my cheek with the lipstick. Akiko and Amelie giggled.

"Can we continue ladies?" asked Jim impatiently.

“Don’t stress,” Akiko says, cutting Jim a grimace.

“Yes don’t make Punk now,” Amelie hit the same notch and giggled.

Jim and I also had to laugh. When we calmed down, we went on. Strangely enough, we didn’t encounter any robots. I had already expected that we would get massive resistance but nothing happened. At the end of a long walkway, a staircase led into the depths. We carefully climbed down the stairs in the dark. I peered with my infrared module and couldn’t see an opponent, not even a tick.

When we reached the end of the stairs, I saw a diffusely lit corridor in front of me. The floor was smooth and seamless. So are the walls. The aisle went in a gentle bend there was no noise to hear, suddenly I heard Jim screaming. All I saw was a flap in the ground and Jim was gone.

I immediately turned to the spot and lit it off. The trap door was unjointed into the floor. It was hard to see how big it was. We couldn’t hear Jim

"Damn it and sew it up," I said.

"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Akiko anxiously.

“I don’t know,” I told her.

"We stay together best and follow the aisle maybe we will come across Jim again. We don’t have any other option, we can’t do anything about it.’

We proceeded cautiously. The two girls walked in front of me. Suddenly Amelie disappeared. All I heard was her terrified outcry. I tried to grab her, but it was too late, it happened so suddenly. I couldn’t even jump after her. During the attempt, I landed on the closing ground.

I hammered at it. The flap did not move an inch.

"Damn, this is a trap, we have to get out of here!" I said to Akiko.

“But what’s the point?” she asked.

“They want us individually to kill us more easily. Hopefully they’re still alive,” I said with concern.

We walked down the aisle to the left and right close to the wall. Suddenly a flap opened again and Akiko disappeared I was ready to jump on it and wanted to jump afterwards, but because I was in full running I only hit long when I hit the flap. I examined the floor with the X-ray module of my G3 and couldn’t see anything.

There had to be a second floor or an even lower floor. Hopefully this was not a deadly trap and they had been plunged into some abyss. I prayed fervently that my friends were still alive. The aisle made a bend and descended. It went deeper underground. I listened hard to hear my friends.

I heard nothing just a quiet buzz of distant machines, probably the generators. I walked cautiously and light up the aisle. I called for my friends. My voice sounded hollow and the walls threw back the echo of my voice. If I met a runner now, I wouldn’t have any cover, then I’d have to be faster than my opponent and blow the light out to him. I noticed that I was sweating my senses were up to the extreme tension in my head playing a drum whirl.

Jim says:

I fell through a trap door and slipped down the mountain in a tube at high speed. After a few seconds, the tube flattened and I slipped more slowly. Eventually I stopped slipping. I lay in a hallway that was diffusely lit. The light penetrated from a gap that was at the top of the tubular aisle. I got up slowly and cautiously and looked around. I had slipped out of a pipe that was in the wall. I could only have crawled into it. I followed the aisle. My rifle in the attack. I called

"Akiko, Helldiver, Amelie! Hear me!"

I didn’t get an answer and proceeded cautiously. Another walkway led. I shone in, far into the aisle I saw a light,

“Jim, Jim,” I heard Akiko’s voice.

I lit up and saw Akiko running towards me.

Amelie tells us:

I fell endlessly at high speed and finished with life. I tried to slow down my fall on the walls of the tube, but I couldn’t. Eventually I came to a standstill lying on my back.

Slowly I got up. I stood in a tubular aisle that was illuminated weakly by a ribbon of light that ran at the top of the tube. My heart cramped. I was scared, where I was now. And where were the others.

I cried out loudly

"Helldiver, Jim, Akiko!! Where are you?"

But only my echo answered me. I slowly walked down the aisle my nerves were tensed to tear. I tried to calm down. I thought of a piece of chocolate. Helldiver always gave me one when he noticed that I was anxious or excited. He had an eye for it. But he wasn’t there now.

I noticed that I was shaking with fear.

“Just don’t panic now,”

I remembered Helldiver’s harsh voice. He always brought me down with it when he realized I was shaking with fear. I pulled myself together and proceeded cautiously. The aisle made a bend and I passed an junction.

I lit up carefully, ready to jump back immediately when something dangerous approached. The corridor was endlessly long and ran in the diffuse light. I walked slowly and listened hard. But I couldn’t hear anything except an even buzz.

Helldiver tells us:

I walked down the aisle and lit up the floor in front of me. I couldn’t see anything. I kept listening, but couldn’t hear anything. I looked around carefully and took a step forward suddenly it went downhill. I fell and landed unsteadily on my back.

Then I slipped deeper and deeper in the glow of the flashlight I could see that I was in a tube. I counted the seconds and counted in the spirit three seconds more. I suspected that I had to have slipped about 60 m. The drop speed was 10 m/sec and I counted about six seconds the fact that I didn’t fall vertically made me realize that Maybe I hadn’t fallen that low.

I slowly got up and examined the tube. It was in the wall at the end of a tubular corridor, which was about 2.5 m high. No Hunter would come in here. I slowly walked down the aisle and listened. From the left, a corridor flowed in. Carefully I peered around the corner and couldn’t see anything, the aisle was empty and stretched endlessly. I went on and passed another junction, no one was to be seen here either.

I switched the plan of the system into my helmet visor, but there seemed to be no map for that. Only the compass indicated a direction to me. I stayed in the aisle and kept running. The walls were uniform. You could get lost. This seemed like a labyrinth, but what purpose did it serve?

I shouted, "Amelie, Jim, Akiko?"

but I didn’t get an answer. I listened hard. Then I called again after I had followed the aisle and passed another junction. I thought about marking the aisle so as not to run in a circle.

I was looking for my pocket. I opened it and carved an arrow into the cladding of the tunnel wall. Then I wrote a "3N" next to it, because it was the third confluence I encountered the "N" stood for North.

If I had wandered around here long enough, I might have been able to create some kind of plan. I looked back in the aisle and could see my footprints leaving from my boots on the smooth floor of the aisle. A lot of mud had accumulated in the profile of my boots and had left bright marks on the ground. Maybe I could find the others if they were in the same tunnel system.

I went on and called again

"Jim, Amelie, Akiko!"

“I’m here!”

Suddenly I heard Amelie’s voice very thin. It came from the front. I proceeded cautiously. At a bend I saw a shadow coming towards me.

"Amelie!" I cried.

“Yeeees, it’s me,” she shouted back.

Then Amelie came around the bend. She approached me smiling. I let the gun sink. I hugged her briefly.

"All right with you?" I asked her

"Yes all good, we have to look for the others, come on," she said.

I took over the top and walked down the aisle. Amelie behind me. On the floor I could see no footprints of Amelie.

"Remarkable," I thought her boots had to be as dirty as mine. Something was weird I was pretending to look around at her and looking at her boots. They were pikobello clean, even though she had run through the dirt just like me. A strange feeling crept in.

Akiko says:

I slipped on my back in a tube. I held my gun so as not to lose it. After a while the slide stopped and I lay in a hallway on my back. I got up slowly and went on.

Where were the others? Where was Jim. I slowly sneaked on. My senses tense. I’m not afraid. I had been trained by my father at a young age. He was a sword master in the seventh Dan. He had taught me how to unify body, weapon and spirit. Especially how to keep calm in combat situations.

At a gang estuary I went into the squat and looked carefully. Helldiver and Jim had taught me a lot about spying and sneaking to a destination. I can sneak on well anyway, that has my father always practiced with me. The mastery of the body,

"You have to be as silent as a shadow," my father had always taught me.

When I got to another confluence, I saw a shadow. I quickly lit up the aisle and saw Jim. My heart took a leap, there was Jim. I straightened up. As I got up, I happened to see through my telescope. Helldiver had rebuilt it for me and installed a visual module for infrared and X-rays. I forgot to turn it back when I opened the bunker gate with Amelie. I had looked through the gate in X-ray vision mode, which was behind it. I had it pointed at Jim coming towards me and couldn’t see any bones, but it looked more like a robot’s joint.

Normally I should have seen his skeleton. But there was nothing. I quickly looked at my legs through the viewing module and saw my leg bones.

"Hi Akiko," Jim said to me smiling as he stood in front of me.

"Hi Jim I answered and looked at him.

I immediately noticed that he wasn’t wearing a trailer. With a quick glance at his arm, I couldn’t see any bracelets he always wore.

Jim says:

When Akiko was with me, I took her in my arms and lifted her slightly. She was strangely heavy. Akiko was light as a little bird. She smelled of sweat. It was strange.

She always perfumed herself. She was almost as picky as Amelie, who was always perfumed. Amelie always drew a pleasant scent cloud behind her, even when she used Helldivers after shave.

She also didn’t wear the blue Larimar bracelet I gave her. But she had it this morning. Then he noticed the lucky charm, which Akiko did not take off at bedtime. It was still complete even though she had given him half. Jim looked down at himself and noticed that his part of the pendant was gold glossy, while the one wearing the Akiko looked more like a costume jewelry.

“Let’s look for the others,” she pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Yes, let’s go on,” I told her.

Something told me that the person walking next to me was not Akiko. I looked over at her stealthily. Then it fell off my eyes like scales. Akiko had painted her lips with lipstick just before we were separated.

I was still upset about it because Amelie in peace of mind painted her lips . In the middle of the action, she had real nerves and Akiko of course joined in. In that the two girls held together like bad luck and sulfur.

Helldiver tells us:

Something told me that something was wrong with Amelie. I stopped and said

"Cigarette break."

"Must that be now,” asked Amelie angry,

that was strange, normally she was the last one to complain when we took a break. I offered her a cigarette, she knocked it out. That made me wonder, actually she always took a cigarette from me.

In it, she was even a bit old-fashioned. She literally expected me to do it.

"Is there anything?" I asked her.

"I want to continue to find the others," she said somewhat harshly, in my opinion.

"The few minutes don’t make the bacon fat either. They will definitely be looking for us, keep calm, "

I said to her and tried it out. I pulled a chocolate bar out of my bag and slowly unwrapped it pleasurable and provocative. Actually, Amelie was already licking her lips if I only held the thing in my hand. She literally expected me to offer her the chocolate bar before I ate it myself.

Here and there I had done this once and there always came a saying like

"Do you always eat alone?" or

"Hey and me?"

Amelie was like the devil behind the poor soul after chocolate. I was able to make her happy in every situation. Even if it became precarious during a mission and she was scared, I could distract and reassure her with it.

Amelie watched with an expressionless face as I unwrapped the chocolate bar and ate it. As I did, I watched Amelie, who stepped restlessly from one foot to the other.

Suddenly I had it. Amelie had her lips painted in a cherry red. But the lips of This Amelie were not colored. I got up slowly while I was doing this I looked through my visor as if I had to adjust something and set it on An X-ray. I should have seen Amelie’s leg bone, but I saw something else. Her knee looked more like the joint of a robot. I put an arm around her shoulders and said

"Go before I come right away."

As I put my arm around her, I got a little closer to Amelie and smelled on her. She smelled of sweat. It was something Amelie never did. She may have walked through the woods all day and fought against all sorts of things, but she never smelled of sweat, but of perfume.

That wasn’t Amelie that was maybe a perfect replica. A robot. Maybe he should gain my trust and kill me. Maybe he should confuse me so that I shot at the others. What if I was wrong and accidentally shot at Amelie? The thing that was going on next to me wasn’t Amelie. I let her run a few steps in front of me, lifted my G3 and shot.

Akiko says:

That wasn’t Jim what was in front of me. He would never have dropped this pendant that I gave him. I was carrying a large hunting knife on my back. I found it when I was still on the road with my cousin and my friend Yuri.

"Hi Jim I said. Do we want to look for the others?"

“Yeah, let’s go,” the Jim said with a laugh.

I grabbed the knife on my back, pressed the clasp with my thumb and pulled the knife out of the knifes sheath a little bit to loosen it. I watched him sharply as he prepared to walk past me. I made Nuki Tsuke (japan. pulling out the sword and the first cut).

I ripped the knife out of the knifes sheath and slammed it into the Jim’s neck. I got an electric shock and sparks were spraying out of his neck, I actually had a robot in front of me. I had led the blow with all my strength and his head hung quite obliquely on the torso. The robot turned around and made a high scream. I gave him a kick because he wanted to shoot at me. I pulled up my rifle and fired the whole magazine at the robot.

He flinched and fidgeted. When my Ak5 was empty, I pulled the Klaucke, stood over the twitching robot and shot him several times in the head. Eventually something exploded, the sparks stopped and it sounded like engines were running out. I carefully pulled my knife out of the robot. I didn’t get any wiped, suggesting that the power was over.

I studied the robot more closely. It was made of bluish shimmering steel covered with a perfectly designed plastic skin. The way these things could act autonomously made them uncanny. Were the others also encountered such lookalikes. It was frightening, hopefully the others would look through it, otherwise we would end up fighting each other and shooting each other. I took the ammunition from the robot’s weapons. Then I went on the search.

Jim says:

I grabbed Akiko at lightning speed and rammed her against the tunnel wall with all my strength. I didn’t even think about having the real Akiko on her collar. When the thing struck against the tunnel wall, the arms of the thing flinched convulsive. But she still held the gun. I pulled her back and slammed she against the other wall of the tunnel. Her head twitched and she slapped around her uncontrollably.

I hurled her again against the other wall with her face, turned an arm on her back, then I kicked her in the back with force and spun her arm out. Suddenly I held her arm in my hand. I had ripped him out of the joint. A whitish liquid and a spark came from the fracture.

However, the robot was free and went on the counterattack. He jumped with his feet out of the stand against my chest. The air was driven out of my lungs and I slid down the aisle, lying on my back. I was left dazed. With a few steps the Akiko-Robot was with me and grabbed me by the neck with the remaining hand. It closed like a steel clamp around my throat. She lifted me up and strangled me. I couldn’t breathe. I kicked and slapped after her, but that didn’t show any effect. Her grip didn’t loose.

Her steel skeleton skull grinned at me. The plastic skin was ripped from her face and bared the underlying mechanical parts. A camera stared at me soullessly from her eye. I was desperately groping for my Klaucke. I got hold of the handle and pulled it out of the holster. The robot hit me against the aisle wall. He wanted to break my neck. I closed my hand tightly around the handle of the gun, she was my last hope when I lost her, it had happened to me. Then the robot would kill me.

The impact on the wall hurt hellishly and almost robbed my senses, then I got my gun free and shot into the nasty robot Visage. The head twitched backwards with each shot. Then there was an explosion. The grip loosened and the robot collapsed. I shot the whole magazine empty and made sure I had done the robot. If I met one of the others now, I would have to look very carefully because I did not want to kill my future wife. I prayed fervently that Akiko was also so intelligent and recognized the robot.

Amelie tells us:

I walked down the aisle. I approached a junction, suddenly I heard shots far away. I tried to locate the direction It seemed to come from the right next to me. I walked carefully into the incoming aisle and proceeded slowly. At some distance I saw a shadow scurrying. If I hadn’t looked forward so hard, I wouldn’t have noticed him. I approached cautiously. The figure also approached cautiously. When I approached her, my heart took a leap. It was Helldiver.

"Hi Helldiver,” I said and ran towards him.

“Hi Amelie, you’re finally there,” came the joyful answer.

Something got my attention. Actually, Helldiver would have taken me in his arm and pressed me on himself once, especially in this situation. But he wasn’t even making an attempt.

“Hi Helldiver, I’m so glad I found you. Do you know where the others are? Have you heard the gunshots?” I asked him.

"Yes,” I got the answer.

"I think it came from there," I said, pointing in the direction he had come from.

"Do you think so?" he asked.

When I got closer and lit him with the flashlight, he didn’t even blink. Also missing was the red line on his face that I had drawn with my lipstick. Something pushed me back, maybe it was the sharp smell he exuded. Helldiver never smelled much of sweat. He had always used his shaving water very sparingly to save it for me. Because I always liked perfume on me. When I had nothing I was allowed to take away from his shaving water.

But he never smelled bad. Then something scared me. Where was his scar on his head. He had a rather large scar on his head due to the gunshot wound, which Akiko had closed with a skin transplant. His new apex as he always jokingly said. That was God does not know what but what was facing her was not Helldiver. She walked past him to walk into the aisle from the Helldiver double-goer had come.

"Hey, where do you want to go?" the lookalike shouted after her.

Amelie turned around and fired at the double goer. He was quite surprised by her attack, fidgeting and flinching. He attacked his weapon and aimed it at her. Amelie turned around on the heel and ran into the junction. She pulled a firecracker out of her pocket, set it on fire and threw it behind her.

She ran down the aisle and looked over her shoulder. The robot came undeterred behind her. The firecracker did not seem to impress him. Before she entered the next gear she shot at him with her AK 5 and emptied the magazine. The robot shrugged again and continued undeterred.

He raised his rifle and fired back. Amelie pulled the Klaucke out of the holster and fired again at the robot, then she ran on. As she run, she reloaded the AK 5, turned around and fired back at the robot.

Something exploded on him, but he continued to follow her. She veered into the next junction and after a few meters she found that she had run into a dead end.

Out and over, she was trapped. She pulled a grenade from her ammunition bag and hoped she was far enough away. She pulled off the ring and threw the grenade as the robot came around the bend. The explosion was horrific and ripped the robot’s legs away. The torso emitted a high scream. A bare, steely skull grinning at her with reddish glowing eyes. On his arms, the torso robbed towards her.

The robot was a terminator that wouldn’t rest until he killed her. It was too late for another grenade. She took the AK5 and fired a volley at him, after a few shots the AK5 was empty. She ripped the Klaucke out of the holster and fired the magazine empty. She often shot next to it. The robot was only a few meters away from her. She dropped the Klaucke and took the submachine gun. She aimed the red dot optics and shot the robot between the eyes. The fire burst tore the robot’s head backwards. He still crept on disgustingly grinning with his head twitching.

Amelie pushed her back against the wall, then took the gun up again and fired the rest of the magazine into the robot’s head. The Kpist rattled. The impacts pierced the grinning skull, eventually a stab flame twitched out of the skull and the robot collapsed. He had almost been on Amelie’s foot with one hand.

The tears burst into her eyes and she cried. All the tension fell away from her. She trembled and trembled and slowly sank down the wall to her knees. She ripped herself together and collected her weapons. She reloaded the Klaucke and the Ak5. Then she changed the magazine at the submachine gun. She was terribly scared. She noticed she was wet sweating. Slowly, she rose again. She walked past the robot wreck.

Hopefully the real Helldiver would recognize them and not shoot them. She had lost her orientation. She walked down the aisle from where she had bent into the cul-de-sac. Then she heard gunshots again. They came back somehow to the right of her. It ran until the next confluence, which went to

the right. She heard a noise behind her and was taken into a brutal grip. She felt the cold muzzle of a pistol on her temple.

"Prove to me somehow that you are Amelie or I blow through your electronic skull."

It was Jim’s voice. I dropped my AK 5, raised my hands and tried to stay calm.

"Jim, I’m Amelie, please believe me. Smell on me or look me in my face. I just painted my lips. The grip loosened. I turned around cautiously and trembling. If that was Jim, he would have to recognize me. If not, I was lost. I thought if it was the real Jim, he had to recognize her. Just what if she ran into the arms of one of these double goer robots?

In both cases, She was lost.

"Jim, please, I said, calm down, I also met a double goer.

My eyes were tearing. I was terribly scared. If Jim didn’t believe me it had happened to me.

"Jim, I really am, Amelie, please believe me."

I looked in Jim’s sweat-covered face. He was bleeding from multiple wounds to his face. He was still holding the gun to my head. I raised my hands and showed him my open palms. Jim bowed his head and kept an eye on me. He smelled with his wide nose at me. Then he saw my still swollen lip on which I had bitten myself during the fall in the Norrmyra base.

He exhaled and took the gun from my head. He put it away. I fell around Jim’s neck and he answered the hug.

“Oh man, Amelie that was short, I would have blown your brain out. I had just killed the Akiko robot. If you hadn’t been perfumed, I would have shot,” Jim said.

"I know you have half the charm of Akiko,"

I said to Jim and I grabbed at his chest and took the pendant in my hand. Jim looked at her legs through his look and saw her bones. Amelie did the same secretly with her look and saw Jim’s bones. I had heard gunshots. They came from the direction I wanted to go when you grabbed me," I said to Jim. We walked in the aisle.

Helldiver tells us:

I had shot the Amelie double goer in the back. She turned around at lightning speed and fired at me. I was prepared for it and let myself fall. I fired at her again from below. She shrugged and threw a spark.

I quickly crawled backwards to get out of their immediate vicinity. I ripped my Klaucke out of the holster and fired at her, lying on my back. The robot raised the weapon and aimed at me. I gript behind me and got hold of the Magnum. I ripped her out of her belt and fired the Magnum at her skull.

The 44.er roared. Amelie’s robot skull was thrown backwards and burst. The robot shrugged and fired uncontrollably. I crawled further backwards and then shot again at the robot The bullet almost ripped her skull from the torso.

The weapon fell to the ground and the robot sank to its knees with its arms twitching. I rappelled up at the aisle wall and chased the remaining shots into the Amelie robot, which was eventually torn apart by an explosion.

That had been tight. The robot almost caught me. Before that, I took the ammunition from the robot’s weapons and put them in. I examined him. He had been an almost perfect copy of Amelie. The skin felt almost real. When I took one of her hands in mine, I noticed the difference. It felt rubbery. That wasn’t the feeling I had when I had Amelie’s hands in my hand. I set out to find my friends.

[helldiver]

Akiko says:

When I arrived at an junction I saw a movement. Whether that was such a robot again.

"Jim, Helldiver, Amelie!" I cried.

I had to take the risk if I wanted to find my friends again. I lit up the aisle. Suddenly I saw two lights.

“Akiko, it’s us, Jim and Amelie,”

Akiko saw through her telescope and could see two human skeletons that quickly approached her. Amelie came first. She had raised her hands and slowly approached me.

“Akiko, it’s me, Amelie,” Amelie told me.

I saw that Jim had stayed behind and was aiming at me. What should I do if we didn’t want to shoot each other.

“I’m Akiko, the real Akiko, Jim you’ve got half my lucky trailer.”

Amelie slowly got closer. I could see she was the right one. As cautious as she approached and, above all, her eyes. Amelie has such eerily warm eyes. I came out of my hiding place carefully and walked towards her. I smelled Amelie’s fragrance because she always used perfume. Amelie always smelled good.

She carefully stretched out her arms after me. I could see they were shaking slightly. When she closed me in her arms I realized that she was the real Amelie. Only she could be like that.

Jim also slowly got closer. I hugged and kissed him. I had my Jim back. He looked battered and had some injuries to his face.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"Your double goer made me ready pretty hard," he told me.

I took care of his wounds. Luckily, it was just scratches. We went on. Perhaps we would find Helldiver. Jim had a compass and sent us north. We continued down the aisle and called for Helldiver.

Helldiver tells us:

I went on and called for my friends. At the next confluence I put a marker again. After another stretch I heard someone shouting. I also called and listened. I tried to locate the noise. I moved into one of the side aisles. The calls grew louder and I answered them. When I looked into a side aisle, I suddenly saw a figure. I shrugged back and peered around the corner with the scope of the rifle.

I saw a skeleton scurrying up.

"Stop!" I said sharply.

I slowly lifted my G3

“Helldiver, It’s me, Jim. Amelie and Akiko are also with me. Look through your X-ray module, you’d have to recognize our bones.”

“Helldiver I’m here,” Amelie’s voice sounded from the same direction.

I peered through my telescope and saw a human skeleton standing in the middle of the aisle. I lit up the aisle. Jim squatted on the ground and aimed his rifle at me. Amelie stood upright in the aisle, had raised both hands and slowly got closer.

"I’m Helldiver, Amelie, I’m the real one. I’m slowly getting closer. I’m unarmed.’

She slowly came closer and something immediately told me that I had the right Amelie in front of me. Even if she had wiped off her lipstick, whether it was her gait or her hip swing something told me

"She is it."

As she got closer I smelled her perfume and her boots were as dirty as mine. I looked into her wet eyes. Slowly and hesitantly, she came closer. I stretched out my arms and pulled her on me.

I was happy to close her in my arms unscathed. Jim and Akiko also came to me. I hugged them one by one. We were back together and we were all unharmed. We went back to the aisle where I had been running. At each confluence I brought a marker after a longer march we met one of my markings. It was the 3N. We were running in circles.

I summed up that the other corridors that went right led into the interior of the circle and were perhaps arranged in the karee. I remembered that there was only one aisle that left from this one. There had to be a reason for that. Perhaps this walk led out of the labyrinth.

We went back and turned left in the aisle. It dragged on endlessly, but there were no diversions. Then suddenly we stood in front of a gate. A reddish scanner beam scanned us, a light on the side of the door jumped from red to green. The gate opened slowly. We raised our rifles and aimed but no opponents were on the other side.

We came into an empty hall. To our left was a staircase. We lit up the hall carefully. He was big enough for a Hunter. But no one was waiting for us. We slowly climbed the stairs. We reached another a secured door. We opened her and walked down the hallway that stretched behind it. We only saw team accommodation. We went back to the stairwell.

Then we climbed to the next floor. Behind this locked door was again a similar gait system as in the labyrinth. We decided to go to the right. There was a sign on the wall and a sign for an emergency exit. The aisle was much higher than that in the labyrinth. A Hunter could have gone through it. We continued towards the offices. On the left and right, glass doors were embedded in the walls and offices could be seen. One was Ingrid Granqvist. We went in and investigated it.

We couldn’t find anything that would take us further. Then we went on. We found the office of Monika Nilsson. We also examined her desk and found a kind of diary. It showed that she had improved and modified the Unix operating system in many respects. She had called it FNIX operating system. I had to laugh involuntarily. I had read a lot about Unix and struggled with it in high school because I thought I could use it later in my studies and in my professional life. Like many Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology students, they had left their sticky fingerprints on this operating system.

She had also programmed around on it and had called it FNIX. The abbreviation for FOA Unix. She had probably installed it on the central computer a few days before the crisis had broken out and made it work with the help of some colleagues. Then we found van Ulmer’s office. We found nothing special here. A code card was the only thing that was interesting.

We followed the signs to the laboratory. To escape, we had to follow the signs for the emergency exits and hope that we got out of the facility. We were standing in front of a gate. I held the code card we had taken from van Ulmer’s office in front of the scanner. The signal lamp jumped from red to green and the gate rose. We entered a large room. Several computers were on desks there. In the middle of the room stood a lounger.

She had a strange, ring-shaped device at the end of her head. We went further into the room. The gate closed it almost popped down. On a computer was connected a hood as I had seen it in the Hermelinen bunker.

Then a sound sounded as if someone were clapping his hands.

"Bravo, Bravo my friends, Bravo," sounded a voice that was just so dripping with arrogance.

A huge screen flared up on one wall. It appears the figure of a gaunt man. He had short-cut, greesy hair. His face looked sunken. On his nose sat a rimless pair of glasses. The figure slowly clapped her hands.

"Bravo, you actually made it to this point. I’m delighted.’’

So you four are the ones who have hurt us so much. Two young men and two pretty young women. I am impressed that you have done us more harm than the entire Swedish army. That you would find your way here sooner or later was clear to me from the beginning. I just had to wait for you, because I was sure that one day you would show up here."

The figure continued its monologue.

"But you tell me, how did you overcome the labyrinth? The double goers I had made of you were perfect. How could you destroy them without killing yourselves?" he asked.

“Your robots weren’t as perfect as you thought. They were, at best, a cheap copy. It didn’t take long for us to unmask and turn them off,”.

I said in a contemptuous tone.

"How did you make it," he repeated his question.

"The solution was in the detail. If you are with a trusted person long enough, then you know every detail about her, no matter how insignificant," I replied contemptuously. On the opposite side, a bulkhead opened up and two Hunters stepped in. We raised our weapons.

“But not yet, but not yet. Not shoot my masters. My guards won’t do that either. You are my prisoners but you still feel more like my guests. Oh, how rude of me, I haven’t even introduced me yet. My name is Svante van Ulmer. Professor of Neurology. My specialty is bionics, the connection between man and machine.”

I saw a large torus standing next to the screen, with several colorful lights flashing. I had seen such a computer in a book before. It was a Cray station a supercomputer. Had van Ulmer transferred his consciousness there. I walked slowly around the lab.

"Ahhh my young friend, you are interested in computers. Let me guess, you are not the young man who calls himself Helldiver. Very impressive this name Helldiver. Then the young lady with the blond hair would have to be Amelie Devereux. Bonjour, ma chére Amélie. (french: Greet Miss Amelie).

The other young lady will surely be Miss Akiko Hyundura. Be greeted. You are a hard-working aspiring doctor. I admire young people who are so ambitious. I see myself in them again."

The arrogance in his voice was just disgusting and drove up my bile. Did he want to play with us before he killed us? I was looking for a way to get to one of the computers without him noticing. I kept looking around the room. Near the screen, a camera hung under the ceiling. She was chasing me.

He could certainly overlook the whole room with her. I turned around, looked at Akiko and walked towards her. I showed to her with my eyes that she should approach the computer next to which she was standing. If we all imagined her, she might have been able to inject the virus into the computer. If we were already killed, I wanted to take him with me. The fact that the Hunters had not shot us directly led me to suspect that van Ulmer did not want anything was destroyed here. Akiko pushed the computer mouse to the desk and signaled to me that the computer was running.

I turned back to the screen and asked

"What do you have in front of van Ulmer now, would you tell us that."

“Well, you didn’t remotely believe it, you could just march in here and destroy this facility. Why else should you have come.”

'You don’t think that if you kill us, it’s done. Do you think you’re just going to let you carry on like this?" I say in a firm voice.

“I came to convince you that you should repent. Turn off the robots. It is not too late yet. Or you can no longer turn off the robots. If your experiment got out of hand and you couldn’t pull the plug anymore.”

Van Ulmer laughed

"No, my friend, I have everything under control, what you see now and what you have rebelled against is the new world. A new era will come and you will not prevent it. We only had to ensure that the conditions were clear. New machines will be built, which will leave Östertörn later this year and move to the mainland. We will sweep away this regime of ignorants and usher in a new era. We will be much stronger than ever. And you my young friends, will not prevent that. "

I replied

"Van Ulmer, you want to destroy everything you mean what happens when you kill us. Then they will destroy everything here. The most horrible weapons will be used to put an end to this. Van Ulmer reverses them."

Van Ulmer seemed very thoughtful and finally said.

Show me in pictures your idea of your world. Convince me just to turn off these machines. I want to see the world from your point of view. Put the hood on the back of you on the desk. Akiko saw her chance as I walked around the computer and she covered up she was hiding behind the terminal, which was behind me. As I put on the hood, I heard the quiet clatter ingessing with the Akiko inserting the floppy disk into the drive.

“Here’s just Eprom mode on screen,” Akiko whispered behind me.

"Enter boot and press Enter,"

I whempred back and pulled around on the hood as if she wasn’t sitting properly.

"How do I get to the floppy drive?" Akiko whispered from behind.

"Mount, slash dev, slash dsk,"

I whepered back and slowly walked out behind the table with the hood on my head.

“I’m in it,” I heard Akiko.

"What do I have to do now?" I asked van Ulmer.

"Think of what you want to show me."

Another big screen flared up. I thought of a sea beach, as I had seen it at Mortsnäs.

I thought of gentle waves, sunshine and beautiful music. I thought of the Pastorale, Beethoven’s sixth symphony. I thought of a beautiful flower blooming in dewfresh grass. Then I showed him a clearing of the forest in the morning fog. A stag and its hinds stepped onto the clearing, the stag strode tall and majestic. I showed laughing children playing in the sunshine on our beach. Then I showed a woman who didn’t look dissimilar to Amelie and happily held a baby in her arms, smiling happily.

"Would you want to destroy all this, van Ulmer, why do you want to erase all this? What have we done to you?"

“You are an art connoisseur, Beethoven, I wouldn’t have expected that from a young person like you. I’m impressed.”

"Let me show something," Amelie exclaimed.

"Please mademoiselle go ahead," van Ulmer said.

I gave Amelie the hood. She put them on. Then she showed a picture of a sunset by the sea. The area was unknown to me maybe it was somewhere in France. Then she showed how she hugged and kissed me on a beach. She showed us both smiling in love.

Then she showed how she had sat at my hospital bed and held my hand. Another picture followed. I saw myself lying in the bed. She covered me and lay down carefully next to me. Then she grabbed me in the blanket and lay down next to me to warm me and caress my face. Then she showed herself with a little baby in her arm happy laughing with the little child playing. She showed how she took one of the little hands in her Hand and kissed her.

She then showed how she happily fed the baby with a bottle. She showed pictures of How Akiko operated on me. How Akiko and the crying Amelie hugged and comforted each other.

She showed us on New Year’s Eve when we celebrated exuberantly, danced together and congratulated each other.

"Ohhhh, Mademoiselle, these are beautiful pictures, love, yes the love."

He said with arrogance dripping.

"And what does your world look like?"

I ask cutting while I took Amelie the hood off her head.

"Like this!"

I put the hood on turned me over to the screen and went one step backwards. I intentionally kicked Amelie on the foot and pressed my combat bag against her which I carried in my cross, in her were the EMP grenades.

I heard Amelie pull in the air sharply as I lowered my weight on her toes. Luckily, she switched. I noticed her opening the bag in my back and taking out the grenades.

"Does this look like your world?"

I said cutting again and showing him pictures of how I buried my friends. Then I showed a picture of Ronja sitting on the couch with her staring gaze and skull shattered.

“Is this your idea of a new world, death, violence, hatred, oppression. What does a young mother have to fear for her own child? You don’t even know what love is. You are as soulless as your computers!”

"STOP IT !!" van Ulmer suddenly shouted "Stop!"

“No, I don’t stop, because I hold the mirror in front of you, that’s what you’ve done, what your new world is supposed to be. You killed everyone.”

I showed him the pictures of the crying Akiko holding her dead friend and her dead cousin in her arms.

"You have only brought suffering, death and destruction!"

I showed him a picture of an atomic bomb explosion.

"This is your new era only dead and annihilation. What kind of human beings are you, or are you still one, you are not already like your robots, dull and soulless."

“If you don’t stop, your blonde girlfriend will pay for it!”

van Ulmer said.

I had probably met him at some sensitive point. The Hunter’s weapons shrugged up I stood in front of Amelie.

"Then you have to shoot me first van Ulmer. I know what love is, I am a human being, unlike you."

I replied with a firm voice. I heard Amelie breathing behind me, I knew she was terribly scared. I looked for her hand and pressed her.

"You would be killed for her?"

“That’s what I’m going to do, you don’t know what it means to love a person, to be faithful to her, to stand up for your friends.”

"If you shoot Helldiver, you have to shoot me before you can do anything to Amelie,"

said Jim and pushed himself between me and Amelie. I hoped that Amelie would take the opportunity and give Jim a grenade as well.

"You would all die for each other?" asked van Ulmer in disbelief, I am overwhelmed."

His voice no longer sounded so arrogant, but rather astonished.

"Van Ulmer, what was done to you, it was your illness that drove you. You had friends once. Think of Ingrid Granqvist, or your girlfriend Veronika Nilsson."

I showed him a picture of Ingrid Granqvist, as I had seen in the dossiers and in the newspaper sections.

"What about Ingrid?" he asked

“She’s dead, murdered by you,” I said, cutting.

"You killed her,"

I repeated accusations and showed him the newspaper clipping with the news of her murder.

"THAT IS NOT TRUE, YOU LIE, you tell that this is not true,"

van Ulmer suddenly roared up.

“But it’s true, I still have the newspaper.”

Then I put everything on a card and showed a picture of Veronika Nilson, smiling happily with van Ulmer in her arm.

“That’s… that’s yes…, that’s Veronika.”

"Yes, she is, she was your loving,"

I said. Then I show him a picture of Veronika holding a baby in her arms and smiling happily.

“That’s your child, what she’s holding in her arms,” van Ulmer said. Veronika was pregnant before she disappeared. We’ve found clues.’

"Veronika pregnant, where is she now, please tell me," van Ulmer said in a trembling voice.

"You need to know better. You killed her," I said accusingly

"NOOOOOO THAT IS NOT TRUE, NEVER, I HAVE NOT KILLED HER NOT VERONIKA: THIS IS NOT TRUE !!!"

van Ulmer screamed with a trembling overtilting voice. He cried,

‘That’s not true, it can’t be true, how much I would have liked to have had a child.’

He sobbed. The previously presumptuous and arrogant scientist suddenly cried.

“Van Ulmer, please turn around, it’s not too late. Stop that,”

I asked him.

"There is already enough blood on your hands, you finally stop, please. You have done something great to help people. Stop the robots and reverse them."

'I didn’t kill them, never, I wanted to help people, not kill them, especially not the dearest thing I had. Veronika, no," he sobbed.

“If you didn’t kill Veronika, who?” I asked , “Fredrik Holberg maybe?”

“I think now it’s enough with the chatter!”

sounded a loud, command-accustomed, emotionally cold voice. The bulkhead behind the Hunters had opened. Behind them stood another Hunter, who towered over them by at least 30 cm. A grenade launcher was mounted on his shoulder. He had a large-caliber arm MG and the obligatory sword.

"Van Ulmer I think we should kill them, they have already cost us enough time."

"Holberg, did you kill Veronika and Ingrid and all the others?"

"Yes maybe, what should it, they stood in our way. One a more or less it doesn’t matter anyway, "

the Holberg-Hunter replied coldly.

"You cheated on me, Holberg," van Ulmer shouted.

"You lied to us from the beginning and cheated us. Our research should serve humanity and not kill it."

You are a dreamer van Ulmer,"

Holberg answered contemptuously.

"You thought you were just building a few robots that were running around the area a little bit. What did you believe Van Ulmer? Everything comes at a price. I will now take control of this. You can spend the rest of your life in this tin can. Without me and my project, you would be dead anyway, already forget Van Ulmer.?"

"You will never get control of my work, before I destroy everything here," Van Ulmer exclaimed angrily.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice said:

"Attention self-destruction sequence initiated. Please leave the facility, self-destruction in 600 seconds.

"Attention self-destruction sequence initiated. Please leave the facility, self-destruction in 590 seconds."

We had to get out of the facility, Akiko had started the virus. I felt Jim pushing me I grabbed behind me and felt a grenade in my hand. I grabbed her and pressed the fuse lever, then I noticed Jim pulling the grenade. He had removed the locking pin.

"Shoot them," commanded the soulless voice of the Holberg Hunter.

The Hunters flinched, I screamed

"DOWN!" everyone reacted in presence of mind and let themselves be dropped.

The Hunters didn’t shoot, but flinched as if they were blocking something.

“FLEES I HOLD HIM!” shouted Van Ulmer’s voice.

We threw the EMP grenades. Jim ran to the gate and brought in an explosive charge. The Hunters threw all the sparks, bluish flashes twitching over their surface. Jim ran back and threw himself under one of the desks. A bright flash and a deafening explosion followed, then the gate flew into the aisle behind it.

"RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!"

I roared, rappelled on my feet, pulled Amelie up and pushed her in front of me towards the gate. I turned around and fired at the twitching Hunter. One exploded. When I got to the gate, I threw another hand grenade into the room, then I ran after my friends. We ran along the signage. I pulled Amelie with me. Jim and Akiko also ran hand in hand.

I heard quick, heavy steps behind me. Something was on our heels. I let Amelie go and shouted "Run on!" then I turned around, taking the PVG 90 from my shoulder and shoot at the dark shadow that followed us. Promptly a bullet came back and crashed into the tunnel wall where I had stood seconds before. We had to turn and ran on. I kept looking around. In the meantime,

Jim also dropped back and also shot at the Hunter, who was chasing us. In front of us lay a staircase, we rushed them up in flying haste. Before that, Jim and I threw fireworks to dazzle and stop the Hunter. Amelie breathed heavily and wheezing. She had shouldered her rifle and pulled her up at the handrail of the stairs while I pushed her from behind.

I also was wheezing and my legs hurt from the effort. When I looked back, I could see a dark shadow that haunted us. I took another hand grenade hoping the explosion could destroy the robot. The soulless female voice counted down the countdown. The seconds run like sand through our fingers and the exit was not yet in sight. Initial explosions rocked the facility. Concrete dust rained down on our heads. We continued to wheeby and japen up the stairs floor by floor, the robot remained relentlessly on our heels.

The first shots hit the stairs and the stairwell behind us. I threw a grenade behind me and kept running. Further explosions caused the stairwell to tremble. Concrete dust and small chunks of concrete rained down on us. Shots crashed into the walls behind us, ricochets howled and whistled around our ears. With last force we reached the top floor.

At about 200 m away we could see the exit gate. Luckily, it was open. Red warning lights were lit everywhere. Sirens howled and the woman’s voice counted mercilessly down the countdown. We had one minute left. When I looked back, the Hunter just took the last steps and fired at us with the grenade launcher. Luckily, I saw the fire tail of the grenade and dodged it. Then I threw my last hand grenade.

The others fired at the robot, which stood twitching in the hail of bullets. I switched to the G3 and fired as well. We retreated towards the gate. A violent detonation took place and tore apart the stairwell. A blaze of fire shot out of the stairwell. The robot fell over. We turned around and ran as fast as we could. Then we threw more fireworks behind us. Jim still had mines that he threw behind us. Another explosion made the ground tremble.

Several grenades struck next to us. Luckily only explosive grenades, their pressure wave threw us off our legs. We rappelled up and ran off to the outside. Some runners stood in our way, when my G3 was empty, I pulled the Klaucke and fired on them. We were able to destroy them and continued to run. We still had the Hunter on our heels. He repeatedly fired grenades at us and the MG.

Further detonations made the earth tremble. A fiery cloud shot out of the exit. I had jumped behind a concrete barrier. Amelie had barricaded herself across behind a gatekeeper’s house. She fired at the Holberg Hunter’s MG. I shot at his grenade launcher. Then my G3 was empty again. I took the PVG 90 off my shoulder and shot at the robot.

A grenade flew towards my cover and I had to jump out. The Hunter’s MG fell to the ground. I stood upright in front of the robot and shot at him with the PVG90. I had hit his grenade launcher while he was firing a grenade. The grenade struck in front of me about 3 m away. Her pressure wave swept me off my legs, My head hit hard against the wall of the gatehouse and I fell to the ground. I lost the PVG90 and was left dazed. I tried to get up, but it didn’t work out, I felt like a boxer who had gotten a knock-out.

Amelie tells us:

I shot the Hunter, who was chasing us all the time. Helldiver fought against him and also shot him with his PVG90. I shot at the MG while Helldiver fired his grenade launcher.

When I had emptied my AK5 and wanted to reload it, I saw a grenade flying towards Helldiver’s cover. Helldiver jumped out of his cover, ran into the street and shot upright at the robot. I also fired and saw the MG fall to the ground. Helldiver hit the grenade launcher the moment the robot fired at him. I saw the grenade flying towards Helldiver, but I could see that it had been fired too short and hit the ground in front of Helldiver. Helldiver probably wanted to run towards me in my cover when the grenade hit. I still saw the flash of explosion and saw Helldiver flying through the air.

I flinched back into cover. When I looked around the corner again after the explosion, Helldiver lay on the ground and tried to get up. He did not succeed. I was deeply shocked because he had been lying there before, seriously injured. I ran to him quickly, but I could see that he wasn’t bleeding. He had probably hit the wall hard and was still dazed.

The robot only had its sword and ran towards Helldiver. Without thinking about I took the PVG90 what was lying on the ground, I aimed on the Hunter and shot still in the squat. Then I stood over Helldiver and shot again. The robot wavered and lightning bolts swayed over its surface. He started again and ran at me to a few more steps and he would start his jump attack. I aimed at him again and saw a hole in his fan shaft. "PAS CETTE FOIS-CI, SALAUD !!" (French: This time not, you bastard !!) so chased I the bullets from the PVG 90 in its steel body.

The robot stopped, at the next shot he twitched and a rain of sparks flew up. I aimed again, at the opening and hit exactly, I could see the impact through the telescope. The robot exploded with a flash of lightning. Then the tunnel opening exploded. Suddenly Helldiver stood next to me and took the PVG 90 out of my hand.

"Run Amelie!!" he shouted.

Helldiver tells us:

I saw through the dust and the smoke that Amelie squatted next to me, looked at me briefly and picked up the PVG90. She put on the rifle and shot at the approaching Hunter. He only had his sword and wanted to kill us both.

Then Amelie straightens up, stood over me and shot at the robot again. I kept quiet so as not to disturb them. When she briefly dropped the rifle, I rappelled up. As I groaned, she screamed something in French and shot again, after the third shot the Hunter stood shaking and sparkling no 5 m from us. A few steps further and he would have started his jump attack. I reached for my 44 he. Then Amelie stopped again, aimed and shot. The robot exploded in a bright cloud of embers. The tunnel opening exploded. Rocks and debris were ripped into the air. I took the gun from Amelie and called

"Amelie run,"

She immediately turned around and ran off. The ground trembled under heavy explosions. Then there was a huge thunderbolt. The light was shining around us and we were swirled through the air. I lost Amelie’s hand and hit me in the air. I saw a concrete barrier rushing towards me. I curled myself, crashing against the top of the barrier. The impact pushed the air out of my lungs, I overturned several times, hit the ground very hard, slipped and overturned. Then I crashed into the wire mesh fence of the outer barrier. Parts of debris, stones and boulders rained down on me. I ripped my arms over my head and stayed. I heard the debris patter down on me , there was only a high whistle in my ears and I heard everything as if I had cotton wool in my ears.

Then it became quiet. Ghostly quiet. Not even the whistle of the wind could be heard. I moved cautiously and stretched. I had pain all over my body, but I was able to move all the limbs. I slowly pushed myself up to my knees and had to take a break.

I coughed out the inhaled dust and collected myself. My whole body was a single pain. Then I pulled up at the fence on my legs and finally managed to get on my feet. I looked around. Where the tunnel had been, there was a huge hole. Also the place in front of the tunnel was no longer there. There yawned an abyss. A warehouse and surrounding buildings had collapsed.

It was a miracle that the explosion had not also torn us apart. I called for Amelie, my first thought was for her. I shouted her name again, then I heard a cough and moan not far away from me. Then I saw a supposed pile of rubble moving. I ran to the spot. It was Amelie. She had been more lucky than me and had just hit the fence that had softly caught her.

She was a bit dazed. I helped her up and put her on her feet. I held her in my arm and pressed her on me. She stood a bit shaky on her legs and had to hold on to me. I asked her

"Does it hurt you, are you hurt?"

'I’m in pain everywhere, but I think it’s just bruises. What do I look like?" she asked me.

"Apart from the dust and dirt on the face, still good."

She smiled, then her eyes widened and she shouted

"Helldiver watch out behind you!!"

A Hunter staggered towards us. He must have been in the back of the facility and was probably not affected by the explosion. Somehow, however, he staggered slowly, step by step, until he finally stopped. In the middle of the movement. Amelie and I looked at each other, then we looked back at the Hunter, who slowly fell over in slow motion and was left lying.

In the back of the facility I could see a tank. He wavered, then he collapsed squealing and creaking. I turned back to Amelie and we just kissed. Even though the sand between our teeth we crunched we kissed us long and tender.

"We have to look for Jim and Akiko. Where did you last see her?"

I asked Amelie. They were further behind me there at the building where I was, just a little further back. We went in the direction and called Jim and Akiko’s name. Finally, Akiko answers us from across the street that led to the facility. She held her side as she ran towards us.

[helldiver]

"Are you hurt?" I asked her.

"No, only bruise hurts hellishly, I fell on a tree stump, exactly with the ribs."

"Did you see Jim, or where was he?" I asked Akiko.

"Jim must be here too, was near me before explosion."

We cried out for Jim. At one point, I heard Jim’s pain-distorted voice quietly.

“I’m here, au shit,”

"Where are you!" we shouted.

"Down here," Jim shouted back.

I approached a concrete moat. Jim’s voice grew louder. Eventually I saw Jim lying in the empty moat.

“Shit my leg,” he shouted up to me, tormented in pain. I’m looking for a rope and then I’ll come down to you Jim. Akiko and Amelie are also here. I went with Amelie looking for a tow rope, before I had left Akiko down to Jim by holding her hands. She had to jump the last half-metre.

Amelie and I found after some searching and we found two tow ropes in the surrounding vehicle wrecks. When we got back to Jim and Akiko, she had splinted his leg with the rifle barrel of her AK 5. Had taken the strap off the rifle and tied the barrel to Jim’s leg. I gave Akiko instructions on how to put the rope around Jim, then we pulled and lifted Jim up with united forces.

Then I pulled Akiko up again. Jim had been unlucky, had fallen into the ditch and had broken his leg.

"What are we doing now?" asked Jim.

"I think the best thing will be if we go to Överby Airbase and wait for that they get us out, maybe we can now make radio contact with the mainland."

“Sounds good, Jim said, just how do we want to get there. I can’t walk,”

Jim said.

"I go with Amelie to the nearest farm and get a wheelbarrow, that should go," I said.

I looked up on my map and found some farms nearby. Amelie and I left. We went hand in hand. Nevertheless, I told Amelie she should ammunition her rifle and load it through. I didn’t quite trust the roast. After half an hour’s walk we arrived at the farm. We found a wheelbarrow and a large bollard car. He was easy to pull.

I studied the map again and we used the road to get back. The bollard car ran nicely light and was well steered. On a field I saw a harvester lying on the ground. We also saw some runners standing on the street. Their sensors were dark. I gave a runner a kick, he just fell over and remained lying, he didn’t make any movement anymore. Laughing, we moved on.

Jim and Akiko met us. Jim leaned on Akiko and limped hard. Eventually we put him in the bollard car. Groaning and with a pain-distorted face, Jim took his place in it.

"Are you in severe pain?" I asked Jim.

"Only when I laugh," he replied laconically.

I pulled my tobacco bag out of my bag with the tobacco that had already become crumbly.

"I still have some grass here. I could build you a joint, what do you think of it?" I ask Jim.

"What, you have grass in your pocket man, you are the king,"

Akiko shook her head with pursed lips and finally waved off,

"Men, never grow up!"

“Och Akiko, don’t be so strict,”

I said to Akiko with a faithful eye-roll and a sugar-sweet smile.

"Yes, just do I have only weak painkillers anyway, is not bad, if not too often."

Then she leaned her arm against Amelie’s chest, pretended to sob and said in a weeping voice

"Amalie, why do we have we poor women earn such men, do not pay attention to themselves, shoot everything broken, blow everything up, they booze, smoke grass, huhuhuhu."

"Ooch Akiko," Amelie said with a laugh, patting her shoulder

“They have some bad habits, but they’re not that bad, otherwise they’re quite nice or.”

Then they both laughed and hugged each other. I slaughtered two cigarettes because the tobacco wasn’t so crumbly and mixed a little grass underneath. Then with relish I formed a joint for Jim. I handed Jim the half-finished joint to lick the paper, but he waved off laughing

“You’re not poisonous bro and you’re at least taking a puff.” I laughed then lit the joint and smoked it. One train had a calming effect. Then I passed it on to Jim. Jim once pulled strong and said, "Man, that’s good stuff, heaven how long I haven’t smoked one. I’m just better off.’

Then he puffed again at the joint

"Wow, what did I earn so much luck with. We flattened the tin cans, I made great friends, a great woman and now I can also smoke a joint. I’m a lucky mushroom.’

We all laughed liberated, especially Jim. To Amelie he said

"Hey sis (American. Abk. sister), do you want to?"

Amelie approached Jim taking the joint took a puff and blew the smoke through her mouth and nose.

“And I!” cried Akiko, “do you mean your wife can’t?”

She let Amelie give her the joint and pulled on it once. We all stopped the air, because we had never seen Akiko smoke. We waited tensely for her coughing attack, but instead she let the smoke slowly and with obvious pleasure swell out of her mouth. Then she returned the joint to Jim.

"What you look like, have smoked joints, helps you think about it."

Then we all laughed. We loaded Jim’s weapons into the bollard car. Jim leaned back comfortably and enjoyed the rest of the joint. He also stopped complaining of pain. We had early afternoon and the sun pierced through the rising clouds. Their rays already had a little power and they warmed us. The air smelled strangely fresh.

I thought we all had a feeling of happiness. We couldn’t quite grasp what we had done. I pulled the bollard car and the girls took turns helping me. When we passed a clear spot in the forest, the first snowdrops grew there. Amelie picked some and put a little bouquet on each of us’s helmets. When I pulled the car with Akiko she took the free hand and walked happily smiling by my side. We were on a few hours’ walk to the airbase. My calculation was that we would have to arrive there in the early evening.

If we don’t find anyone there, we could stay in the barracks. Everywhere, switched-off machines stood or lay around. We were looking forward to what was ahead of us. Finally back to normal life. As we rest and let the sun shine in our faces, Amelie slipped close to me and let herself sink into my lap with her torso. She shoved a hand in my neck and asked me

"Helldiver, can I call you by your real name?" I thought for a moment, but then I decided to

“Yes, you may. I’m Ulf, Ulf Kellerson.”

"I love you Ulf, je t’ aime (french: I love you). Then she gave me a tender kiss.

When the area opened up we heard a high roar. Two points came from the north in the sky and approached quickly. I ripped up my binoculars and saw two Vraken jets approaching at high speed. Then I saw that suddenly something broke away from the planes. I pulled Jim up and called

"Run away, off into the forest!"

I bent down and heaved Jim on my shoulder, then I rushed forward and jumped into the embankment of the road, the terrain behind it was sloping. Jim and I rolled down the embankment. I hadn’t quite disappeared in the embankment, than the inferno broke out.

Some bomblets hit the street. The pressure wave and a cloud of embers passed over us. I gave Jim my G3 and took the PVG90 off my shoulder. The Jets, who had previously hissed over us, turned and came back. Obviously they wanted to kill us. I targeted the jets and when they swung back in at us I started shooting. My PVG90 roared. Jim also shot, from the other side of the street I heard the wild staccato from the two AK5.

I was reliefed, at least nothing had happened to the girls. I saw through my telescope the impacts in the jets. And I saw the sparkling of muzzlefire at the jets. Mindfully, Jim and I rolled on the side. That was our luck, because a projectile sheaf raced towards us and crashed into the ground not far from us. We all shot behind the Jets. I gave Jim some magazines for the G3 and reloaded the PVG90.

As the jets turned for the next attack, I quickly crawled up the embankment and looked across the road. Amelie and Akiko had sought shelter under some trees and waved to me. I shouted "All right?" Akiko said “yes,” then the Jets came back. I slipped down the embankment a little bit and opened fire on the jet flying in front. I saw that something exploded on him. His engine screamed and he pulled a fiery tail behind him. Then we fired at the second jet, which fired a salvo from its on-board cannons at us.

The bullet track, which was visible from the splashing dirt, raced towards me. I rolled away. Just a metre away, the projectiles churned the ground. While lying down, I fired at the bottom of the jet and landed some hits. This jet, too, suddenly pulled a plume of smoke behind it. Then suddenly two Gripen thundered over us and shot at the planes. I ventured out into the street to have a better view. Our attackers were made to to escape. I saw the jet that brought the thick plume of smoke explode. The other tried to escape, but a short time later the second Vraken also crashed. On the horizon, a dark cloud of smoke rose into the sky.

"What the hell, what was that supposed to mean?" Jim scolded

"Did the idiots think of us as robots?" he scolded.

The two planes came back again, but showed no hostility. One of them slowed down and flew low over the forest. As he pulled over us, he wobbled with the wings, gave gas, turned a roll and climbed back into the sky. Then they disappeared on the horizon

I pulled Jim up the embankment again. The bollard car hung in a tree almost unscathed. I shook him down with the girls. It was slightly damaged but was still functional. We also found Jim’s weapons. They were also unharmed.

"What was that?" asked Amelie anxiously.

'I don’t know, certainly a conspiracy as I’ve suspected. Someone wants to kill us. We spit them nicely in their soup,"

I answered her. Attentively, we went on. Near Östervik the area opened up, the forest became sparse. We carefully searched the horizon. From the east we heard a flapping, roaring sound. I searched the horizon with the binoculars and could see some points that were approaching us. They were helicopters. As they got closer, I could see the Swedish emblems. There were five helicopters. Two of them wore a large Red Cross painted on a white surface on the sliding doors. The helicopters circled us and descended. We stood in a circle on back to back and targeted the helicopters. The side door was pushed open by a helicopter. A heavy MG targeted me and a soldier appeared with a megaphone.

"Here Löjtnant Nils Lundqvist speaks. Please take the weapons down. Nothing we do to you. Take the weapons down!"

I said, "If they wanted to kill us, we would be dead now."

We lowered the weapons and just pointed them at the ground. Nevertheless, we kept them ready to fire. The helicopters landed. Soldiers jumped out and surrounded us. They targeted us with their assault rifles. The turbines of the helicopters went idle and the noise dropped. A tall, lanky, uniformed man approached us. He built himself up in front of me and asked

"Who of you is Helldiver?"

“That’s me,” I said, raising my hand.

"I hope they have a good explanation for this," I said.

"My name is Löjtnant Nils Lundqvist. Helldiver I have the order to arrest you. Your comrades will climb into the other helicopters. They are still being flown to their home countries today."

“Arrest, what’s the shit, we risked our lives and saved your ass and are now being treated like criminals? What’s the point?”

I roared up.

Amelie and Akiko looked around anxiously.

"Please hand me your weapons. Do not force me to use violence. And you also, ladies and gentlemen."

“What’s the nonsense?” I asked the Löjtnant again.

“I have my orders, I can’t tell you more. Your weapons, please.”

I turned to the others and said, "Give up your weapons and do what they tell you. Anything else has no purpose."

Some soldiers crowded between me and Amelie with gentle force and surrounded Amelie Jim and Akiko. I saw the two girls reluctantly handing over their weapons. I took the magazine out of the PVG90 and pressed the loading lever that the loaded cartridge was ejected from the cartridge bearing. Then I relaxed the rifle and handed it over to the löjtnant. Then I took the kpist off my shoulder and unloaded her as well. Then I handed them over. Finally, I handed over my Klaucke and the Magnum.

"May I at least say goodbye to my friends?" I asked.

The Löjtnant looked at me briefly and ordered his people to let me to the others.

I went to Jim and hugged him.

"Make it good bro, this will certainly clear up and we will see you again."

Jim said

"Make it good man and keep your ears stiff. See you."

Then I pressed his hand and we hit our fists against each other. Then I went to Akiko and hugged her.

"Make it good Akiko we see us and thank you for everything."

She replied" "you do well Helldiver, we meet again, you know I work in university clinic in Stockholm and I in phone book."

Then we kissed on the cheek on the left and right.

Then I stepped in front of Amelie. She had tears in her eyes.

"What happens to us now and especially to you."

'I don’t know, at least you’re being flown home. Our journey together ends here. We will see each other again. I will find you. You found me, too. Please be reasonable now."

A trembling "yes" followed.

Then we kissed tenderly. She couldn’t get enough and held me. I had to slowly get away from her. Tears swelled down her cheeks.

“Je t’ aime Ulf Je t’ aime,” she said in a trembling voice.

“Je t’ aime Amelie, Je t’ aime, I will find you.”

Then I kissed her hand and pressed her. My heart was heavy. I didn’t think we’d be torn apart like that. Soldiers pushed themselves between us and pushed me back.

I let go of her hand. I looked into Amelie’s crying face and it almost broke my heart to see her like that. I turned around with a petrified face and said,

“Let’s go,”

to the Löjtnant. One of the soldiers wanted to lead me by the arm, but I ripped my arm from him. Another soldier tried it too I slapped his hand away and hissed him badly

“Don’t touch me!”

I boarded the helicopter and sat down. One soldier sat down to the left and right of me. I strapped on, put off the helmet and put the headphones I was given. I folded my arms in front of my chest and looked at the soldiers with a petrified face. They dodged all my eyes. The doors were closed. The turbines ran up and the helicopter took off. I could still catch a glimpse of Amelie. She threw kissing hands at me and formed a heart with her hands. I waved at her, then she disappeared from my gaze.

Amelie tells us:

We were surrounded by the soldiers. Two soldiers approached me and Akiko. As she got closer I could see it was a woman. She lowered her rifle and said

“I am Corporal Annika Fransson. I will accompany you home. Don’t be afraid. It only serves for your safety.”

I was sad and angry at the same time. I had risked my life more than once, was exposed to deadly dangers, had endured fears of death. Now I was taken away like a criminal and I had the man I had shared with for almost three-quarters of a year, whom I loved like nothing else in the world, who was simply ripped out of my hands within minutes. I would have preferred to have slapped my fists in the face of the soldier, but what would have brought that.

"Please come with me," she said, gently grasping me by the arm.

I saw the helicopter in which Helldiver was sitting behind, threw kisses and formed a heart with my hands. I thought I could see him waving. Then the helicopter disappeared. I turned around and asked the soldier where to go. She showed me the way to one of the helicopters with the medical badges. Another soldier walked next to Akiko, who was led to the same helicopter I was supposed to fly with. They took us in the middle, helped us buckle up and put on our headphones. Then they checked the intercom. I could still see that Jim was lifted on a stretcher and loaded into the other ambulance helicopter.

"What happens to us now?" I asked Corporal Fransson.

"We are now flying with you to Gothenburg. There we land at the military airport. There you are examined and medically treated if necessary. You are then flown to France on a military plane and handed over to your relatives. I will accompany you to that place. You have not to be afraid, nothing will happen to you"

"What happens to Helldiver?" I asked her.

She shook her head and responded

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that, because I don’t know anything, please understand.”

The helicopter took off. Akiko sat next to me with her face petrified. We kept silent throughout the flight. When we landed in Gothenburg we got out of the helicopter. Two jeeps approached. We should be separated. I said goodbye to Akiko. She told me that she was in Stockholm at the university hospital. Her phone number was also in the Stockholm phone book. She assured me that if she knew something about Helldiver, she would let me know.

The Jeep drove with me to a building on the edge of the forefield some soldiers with Red Cross armbands on their uniforms helped me out of the jeep. A doctor examined me in detail. She treated my bruises and my abrasions. She also pulled the strings on my glance shot. I was allowed to take a shower. Then I got a dark blue tracksuit. The uniform was taken away from me after I had taken my personal belongings.

Especially the picture I had of Helldiver, they could have taken everything away from me, only this picture not. I had to wait in a room that was windowless and looked like a prison cell. A bed, a table and a chair were in it. At the door two soldiers as a guard. They served me something to eat. Meatballs with mashed potatoes. I was hungry and tried a few bites. It didn’t taste bad, the meatballs and the sauce over it were spicy. I didn’t have a real appetite. A lump sat in my neck. I missed Helldiver and I missed my friends.

How nice it was always when eating together. The mutual fodbling, the conversations. The jokes and the silliness of the boys. It knocked on the door and the soldier who had accompanied me stepped in, Corporal Fransson, she had changed and was now wearing a dark blue uniform with a black beret on her head.

"Oh, hello, do I disturb you while eating, should I go out again or can I give you company?"

I offered her space. She looked at my plate and said

“Hmm, Köttbulla, I also ate this afternoon before my assignment. Don’t you like it?”

I struggled with my tears, the lump in my neck just got too heavy. After taking a deep breath a few times, I was able to overwhelm my tears. I didn’t want to cry in front of the soldier.

“You miss your friends, I’m sorry,” she said.

She looked at the image of Helldiver.

"Is he that, Helldiver?"

I answered in the affirmative. “He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he?”

"Yeeeeess," I said, and then a few tears circulated.

But I quickly had me back into my violence. She put a hand on mine and said.

'You’ve been through a lot and you’ve been separated so suddenly, I can understand that you’re not doing well. But you have to eat something."

I poked around in the food and shoved a bite into my mouth.

"By the way, I have good news for you," Said Corporal Fransson, smiling cheerfully.

"And that would be?" I ask.

"First of all, General Viklund sends you greetings.

"He apologizes to you for the inconvenience and would like to thank you personally. They will be notified of this when the state crisis is over. He has expressly instructed me to inform you that Helldiver is doing well and that he is in our care. His arrest, "and she indicated goose feet with two fingers of her hands with which she waved in the air," serves only as well as her journey home for his, her safety. In due course, you will all meet again."

A stone fell from my heart, at least all they were well and Helldiver was not imprisoned and was now in some dungeon. I still ate the meatballs I had on the plate and some forks of mashed potatoes. Then I was fed up. If Helldiver had sat at the table, he would surely have said,

"Eat another spoon, you eat like a little bird again."

I had to laugh involuntarily. Corporal Fransson asked me,

“Can we say you together, I’m Annika,”

she held her hand to me. I grabbed her and said

"Amelie".

“So Amelie, as I said in the helicopter, I will accompany you home. You are not taken away here like a criminal, but I am here for your protection. The soldiers at the door, by the way. They’re not there to hold you here. I belong to a special unit and am directly subordinate to General Viklund. General Viklund is directly subordinate to the Minister of Defence and King Charles-Gustav of Sweden.”

She easily opened her uniform jacket and let me take a look at her silver-glossy Klaucke, which was under the jacket.

"I am your personal bodyguard until you are in the care of your parents. If you have any questions, I will answer you when we are on the plane. Is that OK for you?"

asked me Annika.

“Yes, that’s OK, I’m glad I’m experiencing anything at all,”

I answered her.

“Well, let’s go,” Annika said.

I put everything in the pockets of my tracksuit and looked around again. I put my hand over the picture of Helldiver in my pocket. Then Annika accompanied me to a small, grey jet painted with Swedish army emblems. We took a seat in the cabin and a little later I flew to my native France. When we took off, Annika said.

"We assume that a coup is imminent, we have received indications that there may even be machines in a secret hideout on the mainland and are being prepared for an attack on Stockholm. After you shut down the robots, many people also left Parliament, suddenly disappeared and went into hiding. Military jets were stolen and simply ascended."

"They attacked us on Östertörn. We shelled and damaged them. I suppose your air force then shot them down,"

I said to Annika.

“That’s why General Viklund immediately sent us to take care of you so that nothing happens to you. We assume you’re all on a kind of death list because the terrorists assume you have something to turn off the robots. We therefore need Helldivers’ expertise. He is guarded by our unit, you can be without worry, no one comes close to him. We therefore had to let you disappear without much fuss and Press- hype, for your own safety.”

I had to think about Ulf again and again. I now understood more about the background of the action and prayed in silence that nothing would happen to him. If everything had calmed down I would go looking for him.

Jim says:

I was loaded into the helicopter and fixed. Then the helicopter took off. When I ask where I would be taken now, I am answered.

"We will take you to Gothenburg. There, a US machine is waiting for you. You are then flown to the aircraft carrier Independence. It is on its way to the Mediterranean Sea and is currently in the Skagerrak."

When I arrived in Gothenburg I was transported across the Forefield. My father welcomed me and greeted me warmly. He was happy to see me somewhat unscathed. I was loaded into the available C2 and a short time later we were on our way to the USS. Independence. My thoughts were with my friends and especially with Akiko.

Akiko says:

When we touched down at the airport in Gothenburg I was separated from Amelie. I was examined by a doctor, then I was allowed to shower and got a tracksuit. I had to give up the uniform. Then they led me into a windowless room. There was a bed, a table and two chairs. It looked like the room of an infirmary.

I got something to eat. Then a soldier in a dark blue uniform with a black beret on her head visited me. The soldier was of Asian descent and spoke Japanese. She explained to me about the circumstances and that my friends were doing well. Also that Jim had been flown out to Independence. My heart became heavy, because they could just as easily have transported him to the moon.

He was as unreachable on the American warship as he was on the moon. Only the statement that we would all see each other again made me hope. Because that I had a Swedish passport, they offered me to stay in Sweden, but I would then be taken to a secret place where I would be safe, or I could fly to Japan the next day to my parents.

With Professor Magnusson, everything would have been clarified at the instigation of General Viklund. Professor Magnusson would greet her and would be happy to see her again soon. I chose Japan. I was assured that as soon as the state crisis was over, it would be notified immediately so that it could come back to Sweden. As I lay on the bed, I thought about my friends and especially Jim, I miss him.

Helldiver tells us:

After a long flight over land, we landed on the grounds of a barracks. She was in the middle of the wilderness. A thousand thoughts went through my head. Did they want me to disappear? Had we spit a few people too much in the soup. But why the effort? They could have just thrown me out of the helicopter on the way over the sea and goodbye!! I would never have been found again.

So they needed me alive. I was led into a building. We went down a flight of stairs to the basement. Throughout, I was surrounded by armed soldiers. Then they led me into a windowless room.

A bed, a table and two chairs were in it. The fact that there was no toilet in the room indicated that it was not a prison cell. Two armed soldiers took up posts at the door. Then they left me alone. I took off my boots and lay down on the bed. I stared at the ceiling of the room and tried to make a clear thought of what they were up to. Then suddenly the door flew open.

A tall soldier and two other soldiers entered the room. I sat down on the bed.

"What can you think of!" the tall soldier snorted at me.

"Get up and take a stand when an officer stands in front of you!"

He continued to snort. I remained sitting demonstratively, I was stinky angry at the whole thing and above all that such a runaway monkey snorted at me. I was no longer a member of the Swedish army and did not need to do any more males. Not even if the guy happened to be wearing a pimple on his shoulder that pointed him out as a Löjtnant.

"You can cross me sometimes," I replied in a calm tone, and remained seated.

"You take an immediate stance," he told me.

"And what if not," I calmly returned.

"Then it will lead to disciplinary action!" he snapped.

"Likely not," I replied to him

"I am not a member of the Swedish army."

“That doesn’t exist, you’re damn getting up now!”

the Löjtnant snapped.

As he made his show in front of me, I looked at him in depth. On his name plate was Arvidsson. The name seemed familiar to me, because that was the Löjtnant with whom I had talked via radio from the Björntunet Hotel. He had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He had a tattoo on his forearm. This showed a sword with a dumbbell-shaped handle. I had seen the sign somewhere before. But I didn’t find a where.

"Are you get up voluntarily now, or should my people help you?"

One of the soldiers took a step towards me, I said with threatening undertone,

"Touch me and the last thing you hear is the breaking your bones. With you three lollipops I will finish in no time."

This was not an empty threat from me, because Akiko had taught us a lot of self-defense. Jim had also practiced with me very often. I was able to take it with any normal person and inflict broken bones on him with just a few steps. The soldier stopped and looked at me anxiously. It seemed to him to be scary.

“That’s the height, you want to threaten me, I’m going to incarcerate you,”

Arvidsson screamed with a swaying voice. His head was puter red and his carotid arteries came out. I wiped my face disgusted, because he had a wet pronunciation while he roared.

"Try it, do it," I provoking him further.

Suddenly a voice sounded like John Wayne in the hallway

“Damn what’s going on here, how do you go with our hero around Arvidsson, you bottle, take your people and shear you out. I don’t want to see you here anymore. Me and my people are taking over this.”

All the soldiers took a stance. Löjtnant Arvidsson stood firm and saluted. A large bullishly built man in a green camouflage uniform and black beret on his head entered the room in heavy steps The man had the figure of a catcher. He wore four gold stars on his shoulder flaps. That was a four-star general. One of the highest officers of the Swedish army.

On the name plate on his chest was "Viklund". It was General Viklund himself who circled Just Löjtnant Arvidsson with his arms crossed on his back. He towered over Arvidsson by a head length. He stopped in front of him, her two noses almost touched each other.

“What do you allow you poor decal of a soldier to talk to people you can’t even reach the water to them. You should pay attention to him, not discipline them you poor Jerk. Go out of here!”

Viklund roared at him. In the doorway stood soldiers, who were also dressed like General Viklund.

"Major Forsberg, come on!"

A trained sympathetic-looking soldier stepped forward. His pimples with oak leaves on his shoulder flaps, showed him as a major.

"Forsberg you are personally responsible for his safety. By the way, the young man gets everything what he wants, eat, drink, cigarettes, beer, newspapers.

Only coka and hookers don’t, they only come afterwards. And now you’re closing the door from the outside, I’ve got something to discuss with our hero."

The major stood firm and saluted militarily exactly. Then he left us alone. I got up from the bed and took a stance as he turned to me. After all, he was a four-star general. I saluted

"Leave the nonsense and sit down again boy," he said jovially.

He took a chair, pulled him at the bed, and sat on it, resting his arms on the back of the chair. He smiled at me and said

“Hi boy, so you’re our great hero. We are very grateful to you.”

"But it looks strange," I told him.

He raised his hand and said.

"Let me explain boy, then your questions will surely be answered."

“That’s what I’m looking forward to,” I said.

[helldiver]

Amelie tells us:

On the flight to Paris, I told Annika that I wanted to study in Sweden. She told me that, for the time being, there is a ban on entry for foreigners. It will be lifted as soon as the crisis is over. I could come back and study. She asked curiously about my experiences on Östertörn. I told her about my journey, how I had met Helldiver, how he had taught me how to use the weapons. Our fights that we had fought with the robots. About the many dead we had seen.

I told her about Thort’s death and Helldiver’s serious injury in the Battle of the Björntunet Hotel. When I told her that Helldiver had chained me to the heater so that I wouldn’t go on his mission, Annika laughed.

“I’ve never heard anything like this before, excuse Amelie, but for a man to chain a woman so that she doesn’t follow him to hell, that must be real love. It’s almost romantic,” she said.

Annika was sympathetic to me and she told me that she hadn’t found a boyfriend yet. Eventually we landed in Paris. It was almost midnight. Annika secured left and right before I got off the plane. Then we drove with a provided vehicle to the airport terminal. Annika went with me to the exit at the gate. My parents were waiting for me. My mother and father waved to me. At the gate, Annika said goodbye to me. She thanked me and said

"It was nice to meet you Amelie, take good care of you and all the best."

She hugged me briefly, then she turned around and left.

I welcomed my parents. My father and mother were happy to see me again. I wasn’t very excited myself because I would be under my mother’s thumb again. I sat in the back of our car and gave myself wordless. There was nothing I could tell them, they wouldn’t understand.

Although my Parents home were familiar to me, I suddenly felt strange as if I didn’t belong there. Even my room, which had remained untouched during my absence, seemed strange to me, as if from another time. I opened the wardrobe and found my belongings, which I had left behind before leaving for Sweden, neatly hung on hangers or accurately folded. I took off my tracksuit and stood there in my underwear. I was still wearing Helldivers shorts. I would never give it away. It was the only thing I had of him at the moment.

I would have to hide her from my mother, because if she got into her hands she would just throw them away. I took off my bust holder and put on a T-shirt. How much I would have liked to have stripped Helldiver’s worn college shoes over my feet. But they were now unreachable in the Hermelinen Bunker. In a shoe cabinet were neatly lined up my shoes. Beautiful shoes, through away from the bench, I had chosen them myself. There were also some idiosyncratic creations. I opted for a few sandals that I could slip in. Then I walked around the room. From my window I could see the Eifel Tower on the horizon. I looked around my room and felt lost.

This silence, the completely different sounds. I looked at the posters on the walls. Queen, Police, Take That, Eurythmics, Duran Duran. All little girl dreams, because the guys were so sweet. None of them could withstand a comparison with Helldiver. I had grown up in that three-quarters of a year. Was it perhaps Helldivers’ influence. Or was it the influence of my friends. I saw many things more sober. Above all, I didn’t want to give up anything, because my journey had taught me how short and valuable life is. I lay down on my bed. It was much more comfortable than the beds in the bunker and in the hotel, but although it was my bed so it still seemed strange to me.

I was missing Helldiver if I could press my back on him. Feel his hard body on mine. The warmth when I wrapped his arm around me and I almost disappeared under him. I was always so safe, no matter how uncomfortable the bed was. Even if we stayed outside and I could put my head on his chest when he spread his parka over me, that was the most beautiful bed for me in the world. And especially when he gave her a good night kiss. This simple touch of him on her cheek, on her mouth or simply on her head. No matter what lurked outside the door in Helldiverse’s arm, she was safe. In the semi-darkness of the room, she took Helldiver’s photo in her hand and kissed it. “Good night Helldiver,” she said. She just missed him.

Helldiver tells us:

General Viklund asked me

'What about having something to drink, I think you could need a beer or you want to drink something else. A few hours ago, the bullets flew around your ears, you want something food, I’ll let it come right away."

"A beer sounds good. Eat maybe after our conversation,"

I replied to General Viklund.

"Finally a reasonable person. Forsberg!! bring us a few beers, but something decent and not so a shit. And no warm piss."

A short time later a soldier appeared with some beer cans. They were well chilled, and the condensed water dripped off them. We each opened a can. "Skol," Viklund said when we toasted. The first can was a deflagration, I almost drank it all at once. However, this beer had more alcohol than what we had drunk so far.

“So my boy," General Viklund said,

"First of all, I apologize for the inconvenience. This is not an arrest, as these pipes have expressed themselves, but a kind of protective detention, we had to take this step because you are at the top of some death list. This is a conspiracy that reaches into the highest circles of government. Today some people have dived away and we suspect that they are connected to Holberg. He only used his secret project to build these machines. To kill everything that is not in his opinion and then to seize power. We have indications that there are already robots on the mainland. If they can activate them, then grace us God, then we have the same theater here as on Östertörn. Incidentally, I am directly subordinate to the Minister of Defence, who is sobordinate to our King Carl-Gustav of Sweden. I command a special unit, all highly trained, hand-picked people. Absolutely loyal to the government. Outside are my best people.

You and your friends spit mighty into their soup. How did you destroyed the robots, you only had riffles."

I replied

"We shot at their weakpoints. Some can be turned off with a Sniper shotgun, otherwise the PVG 90 is the weapon of choice. This also damaged and destroyed the big ones."

I told him about our experiences in our battles and what we found in FOA 53. Viklund listened attentively. Especially when I told him that Holberg might be able to transfer his consciousness to a computer or a Hunter. And that van Ulmer had managed to do so. Then he told me about the conspiracy and that the conspirators were all connected to the "Church of the Irons". No one knew where the members of the sect had retreated. I told about the things we found out and what we found in the municipality of Ljuset.

"All my documents are still in the Hermelinen Bunker. We left them there," I said.

“Then we will fly there and collect all the stuff. But not today, tomorrow morning. By the way, the people outside are supposed to protect you, it’s not so that you’re incarcerated here.”

"But I would like to have my weapons back so that I can protect myself."

I said to General Viklund. He called

"FORSBERG !! bring the weapons of our hero here."

A short time later, Major Forsberg entered my room with a soldier. One after the other i was handed over my weapons. I also got ammunition. When Viklund saw my G3 and my PVG 90, he looked at the weapons in detail and nodded appreciatively a few times.

"Forsberg, let him explain tomorrow how he has converted the visors, so what could you use."

Then Viklund handed me my 44er . He looked at them from all sides.

"A nice piece what you have, where did you get it from?"

I told him how I had found her, that I had taken her Ronja out of her dead hand. The weapon that Ronja used to kill her child and herself in extreme distress. Viklund looked affected. The other soldiers also lowered their eyes.

“I baptized her Ronja’s revenge, and I took revenche.”

"A very nice piece, keep her good!"

he gave me the weapon. I got something to eat and a pack of cigarettes. I still had enough beer. When I ate and emptied a can of beer, I took off the uniform and lay down on the bed with the loaded 44er in my hand. I smoked another cigarette and fell asleep. I realized how much I was missing Amelie. It had always been so nice to hold her petite body in my arms.

[helldiver]

Day 256

Akiko says:

I woke up early because I had a long way to go. The guards brought me breakfast and when I had eaten my companion Fänrik Hikari Svensson came back. She came from Gothenburg and was married to an officer. Her parents were from Kyoto.

She told me she was my personal bodyguard. After I had breakfast we boarded a larger military jet. By the time the sun rose, we had already flown a good bit towards Japan. Hikari was curious and asked me about the events on Östertörn. I told her about my journey and my experiences. In the late afternoon we set off at Tokyo Airport. We still had a 3.5-hour drive on the Shinkansen to Osaka. Because she was carrying a gun, she showed a special passport everywhere.

We were waved everywhere through a special entrance. Hikari was happy to be in her former homeland. She still had relatives near Kyoto. Finally we reached Osaka Station. I could see my parents from the train and i was happy. My mother Akira had tears in her eyes as she embraced me. I asked Hikari where she wanted to stay. My father then offered to stay with us. She would fly back in the evening of the next day, so she still had time to visit her relatives in Kyoto. With the Shinkansen it was about 20 min. drive.

My father rejoiced. I noticed that he was proud of me. He hugged me, too. My parents have a very nice house surrounded by a large garden. My father offered Hikari our guest room. I gave her a kimono so she had something fresh to put on. She was happy about the traditional clothing. I washed myself and clothed me as well.

I hadn’t worn a kimono for a long time, even if you could only make small steps in it, so I was happy to be at home with my parents, to feel the pleasant silk on my skin. My parents, of course, wanted to know what I had experienced and so I told after dinner. When I told about my surgery, my father listened very attentively. I said to my father with my eyes lowered.

"Father, I have had an operation on a human being. I removed the spleen from Helldiver and sewed and desolate the feeding veins. I know that as a medical student I should not have done this without the supervision of a doctor, but I had no other way to save The Life of Helldiver. I know this is a crime and I will take responsibility for it."

My father looked at me seriously, but then he said to me.

“My daughter, it would have been a bigger offence if you hadn’t saved this young man’s life. In the circumstances you may have, you had no other option. You have acted like a doctor and have done everything in your power. This is not a crime. I am proud of you my daughter. You’re sure to be a capable doctor."

We still drank sake (japan. rice wine). Hikari and I were tired and retreated to sleep. I put the picture of Jim on my bed.

Jim says:

When we landed on Independence, I was transported directly to the hospital ward. They put a mask on me and the light went out. When I woke up, I was lying in a sober room. A doctor came to me and examined my plastered leg. On the bedside table was the rifle barrel of my AK5.

"As a small souvenir," the doctor said with a grin. I asked about my uniform and my personal belongings. A nurse showed me a cupboard in which the Swedish uniform hung.

I asked her to give me the jacket. I took Akiko’s photo from the inside pocket and put it on my bed. Then I lay there alone. From time to time the nurse came and brought me drinks and food. I was still dodby by the anaesthetic and fell asleep again and again.

Amelie tells us:

I woke up in my room in the morning. Murky daylight fell into my room. I opened my eyes and looked around. The room still seemed strange to me, like from an other person. I went to the bathroom and made myself a little fresh. Then I took a pair of denim pants out of the closet. I fit in well, almost too well. I had to keep thinking about Helldiver and how he made sure I ate enough. I had to smile, we were barely out of the bunker he already had the first piece of chocolate in my hand. He enjoyed feeding me with it. From his hand it always tasted particularly good.

I went down to the living room. My parents both sat at breakfast. They greeted me kindly. I sat down at the table, poured a coffee and took a croissant. My father studied the newspaper, my mother looked at me and said

"You look pale."

I pinched myself a few times over the cheekbone and asked

"So better?"

“That’s what you have Rouge for, my child,” my mother replied.

I rolled my eyes, you could never do anything right. Helldiver would have asked me if I would be bad, because I was so pale. He would never have come up with the idea to tell me to take make up.

"Just sit, you get a crooked back," my mother said.

It was boiling in me, this command tone that I so hated about her. I hadn’t missed them all the time. I sat down involuntarily. OK, in the relationship the guys had bad habits when it comes to that. Helldiver always hung over the plate and shoveled in when he liked something and Jim first. He ate like a Barn thresher.

I would never have thought anything to say to them. If it got too bad, I had, without saying a word, demonstratively just sat straight. Helldiver always noticed this and then just sat straight. But I had never seen Jim and Helldiver eat without an appetite. They ate everything I served them, with joy, also when it was so easy.

My mother lit a cigarette and smoked while I was still eating. I couldn’t resist the biting remark.

“It doesn’t bother you when I eat while you smoke?”

My mother looked at me speechless and continued to smoke. I would have to endure it for a while until I could go back to Sweden. If one of the guys in the dining room had smoked while we were still eating, I would have thrown them out. But that was not necessary, they all had more decency in their bodies than my mother.

“I have to leave now,” said my mother, “you can clean up here. Marie, our household helper has a week’s leave. You can go shopping and cook something for tonight, then at least you don’t sit around here all day.”

My father folded the newspaper and drank his coffee, then he said

"I have to go to the customer Au revoir (french. goodbye).

He got up and walked. My mother put the cigarette on her plate.

"You have an ashtray for that, that’s disgusting Maman (French. Mamma) I said disgusted.

“I don’t have time I have to go, Au revoir,” she replied to me, and simply left.

I had lost my appetite. They both looked like that. They didn’t even ask if I was doing well or not. Yesterday, bullets and grenades were whistled around my ears and the only thing that came to mind was that they wanted to eat something in the evening and needed a minion to shop.

I would have preferred to have swept the breakfast table to the floor. I drank another cup of coffee to flush down my anger. My father had put money for me shopping in the kitchen. I found it when I cleaned the dishes together. While I was doing the washing up, I was planning my day. I listened to the radio. In the news came only a lapidary message that there were fears of unrest in Sweden and therefore foreign citizens were asked to leave the country.

Then I went to my room. I took make up, filed my fingernails, which had become a bit jagged, and removed the stained varnish. Then I blow dried my hair and dressed. A pair of denim pants and a sweater. I picked a few Trotteurs that weren’t exactly so high-heely. I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t want to get too thunder up, to go shopping. But a little elegance couldn’t hurt.

I thought again of Helldiver and took his picture in my hand. I pushed it into my wallet so I didn’t lose it. I looked at it and thought

“Wait my friend until I’m back with you. Then I will make myself chic for you, that your eyes will fall out of your head. You won’t want to see another woman, I’ll swear to you.”

The thought of it cheered me up a little. I took another anorak, because outside it rained and put on a cap. I thought of Helldiver’s cap, which he had always put on me lately before we left the bunker. She was still in the pocket of the tracksuit. I put them under the mattress of my bed with Helldivers shorts. My Maman wouldn’t find her there.

Then I went shopping. I felt like I was in a different world. The bustle on the street and the shops. I had been walking through ghost towns for three-quarters of a year, no human soul except us. I wanted to cook Asia chicken according to the recipe I had from Akiko. I paid attention to the prices and bought sparingly but well. The butcher recognized me immediately and greeted me kindly.

“Mon Dieu (french: my God) Amelie, you have become a pretty young woman. I haven’t seen you for a long time, how are you?”

I had a little chat while he was working on my order. The butcher knew me from childhood. I didn’t tell much just that I had been to Sweden to study there. In a library, I asked what books I would need to prepare for medical studies. I had decided not to study economy sciences, I wanted to be a doctor, just like Akiko. She had told me a lot about her studies and I liked Akiko’s work. It was something tangible that could be used to help people. I quietly admired Akiko.

I drank another coffee in a bistro and watched the people. It was this typically rainy Parisian spring weather. But I enjoyed watching people and hanging on to my thoughts. I always wondered what Helldiver would do now. Then I set out to prepare dinner. I prepared mousse au chocolat, as Gilbert had taught me. The mousse au chocolat succeeded me and I put her cold. Then I set out to cook the Asia chicken. If my parents didn’t like it, they would have been unlucky. It is eaten what comes on the table, I thought my friends had never chuckled.

At dinner, my mother only said

"Huii my child, but the sauce is spicy."

“This is an original Japanese recipe from Akiko, if it’s too spicy you just have to take a little more rice, then it’ll be milder,” I told my mother.

The chicken tasted just like Akiko had prepared in the Minken Bunker. I liked the fiery taste of the sauce. My father also tasted it and the first time they asked me about my experiences. I first told them how I had come to Salthamm with Thort.

Then I served up the mousse au chocolat. My mother raised her eyebrows appreciatively after the first spoon. That was rare with her. "But it tastes good and so finely moussed, where did you learn that, but not at Grand Mere (french: grandmother)?"

"No Maman, Grand Mere taught me more rural dishes and good bourgeois cuisine. This is what the chef Gilbert taught me at the Björntunet Hotel."

My mother said, "But then you took good care, which is very tasty."

When we were done and I had cleared, my father handed out a cognac. I didn’t get one and protested immediately.

"Do you always drink alone, and me?"

My mother opened her eyes and asked

"You drink alcohol?"

"Why not, you drink?" I asked back.

She just said to my father

"Give her one too."

My father gave me a glass with a smile and said

"Our daughter grows up."

My mother was eagerly waiting for me to get a coughing fit or something similar after the first sip. But she looked at me in amazement as I swallowed the stuff without a face.

“That’s when you acquired beautiful habits. Well, bad contacts. What were these people you’ve been driving around with?” my mother asked.

“First of all, you drink yourself and not too less and secondly, these are my friends and not bad contacts, these were people who went through hell with me and were always there for me, especially Helldiver. And thirdly, Maman you don’t know what has happened there, you can’t have a say,”

I replied snippingly. Then I tipped down the rest of the cognac and held the glass to my father.

"What another one?" he asked me , astonished.

“Dad on one leg you’re standing badly,” I replied with a grin. He gave me another one. Yes, the boys had just been rough. Jim and Helldiver could shake hands when it came to emptying a bottle of whiskey or cognac. Gilbert had also often given me a glass and himself too.

"I need an accomplice," he had always said to me.

I told my parents about it and mentioned the cognac from Champagne when I called the brand, my mother raised her eyebrows

"Mon Dieu a bottle of it costs almost four hundred francs and he just gave it to you?"

"Oui Maman, after lunch or dinner. Most of the time he sat down with us at the table. He always tasted heavenly, he was very gentle," I enthused.

"And in the morning Akiko and I got a glass of champagne from the gold edition bottle."

"Mon Dieu," my mother said, and she slapped her hands over her head.

“This is a top-class champagne you don’t get under two hundred francs,” my mother said in amazement

"And who paid for it?" she asked.

We had everything free, after all we risked our asses and freed the hotel from the machines, Helldiver was almost shot. Akiko saved his life, she is a budding doctor.

"Helldiver, Helldiver, I always hear only Helldiver, who is the guy you always swarm with?" my mother asked.

"He was the one who took care of me, he taught me how to shoot, taught me how to use the pistol and the assault rifle. I can shoot with the AK5 with the submachine gun, with the Bazooka and even with the PVG90. Throwing hand grenades and laying mines he also taught me. A few days ago we blew up a poison gas factory, where he showed me how to sharpen and attach explosives. Ha, and when we had blown up the Norrmyra base I was allowed to press the detonator."

My mother slapped her hands in front of her face. When I showed her the scar from my gracing shot on my arm, which had not yet healed, she just shook her head and said

“You owe all this to this Helldiver and you are still swarming for him. What kind of society have you got into, but that’s the end of it.”

"No Maman!" I said, putting off the cognac glass hard.

"As soon as I can I go back to Sweden. I want to study medicine there and look for Helldiver."

“You can also study medicine here in Paris, but you don’t need to go to Sweden, it was a liquor idea from you at all,” my mother said contemptuously.

In me it was seething, there was already this command tone, to determine this over my head, but that was the end for me.

“No Maman, this is not a liquor idea, at the university in Stockholm is Akiko, she will help me with my studies and I wouldn’t be alive without Helldiver,” I bursted out.

I noticed how I was talking in rage.

“Nothing would have happened to you if you hadn’t been hanging around with this… this Swede.”

My collar burst

“Maman now is enough. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. We didn’t ramble around, he saved me. Do you know what that means when death awaits you behind every tree, behind every shrub and behind every corner of the house? Do you know what it means to have to fear death every day?”

My voice was shaking and I noticed tears of anger jumping into my eyes.

"Have you ever stood in front of a four-metre-high robot that shoots projectiles as thick as my thumb chasing you until you either fall dead or have you cornered to shoot you to pieces?"

I choked because I didn’t want to cry in front of my mother, but I was too excited. I took the cognac bottle and poured another one. And before the two of them got to each other, I had tipped him down. I noticed how I shook with rage, what did my mother just dare to do.

"Have you seen all the dead, men, women and even children, cruelly wounded," I continued in a trembling voice.

“Have you ever watched one beheaded, when a man’s head is cut off with a sword? Have you seen the lot of blood splashing out? Without Helldiver, I wouldn’t have survived all this. Whenever it got tight, he put himself protectively in front of me; in the hail of bullets. He saved me more than once and was injured himself. He fed me when I was hungry, no matter if he was hungry himself. He warmed me when I was cold. He gave me his things to put on when I had nothing. He was always there for me when I was scared or when I was sad.”

My parents both sat at the table with their eyes lowered. My mother wanted to say something but my father went in between

“Geraldine, leave her now, she’s been through a lot and has to process it all first, we really can’t have a say in it.”

"Thank you Dad," I said

It was the first and only reasonable word I had heard that evening. My dad was very different from my mother. He was always immersed in his work, but otherwise he was always dear to me when he had time. I always got some money from him or he brought me something nice to put on. Dad was always the calm pole in our family. I think he was the only one who understood me a little bit.

"Calm down Amelie," he said to me appeasingly.

"Can I have another one?" I asked my father, pointing to the bottle

"If you want," my father said with a smile, looking at my mother. But she sat there with her face petrified and said nothing more. I drank the cognac with pleasure. My father said cheerfully.

“I’ll give you a little money tomorrow and then you can buy something nice. I think you have to settle in here again so that you can put the terrible events behind you. It would be nice if you could cook something delicious again tomorrow. It tasted very good today.”

My father, Mon Pére, actually managed to calm me down. I was upset. I wondered how long this would go well with me and my mother before we really clashed together. I was rebellious and brushed on riot. I had decided not to be commanded by my mother, especially when it came to planning my life.

Helldiver tells us:

When I woke up in the morning, I reached out my head at the door. Two guards in the ranks of the officers stood at the door armed.

“Good morning, I’d have to be for little guys,” I said.

The two accompanied me to the toilet and moved into posts at the door. When I asked for breakfast, one of the two

“We’ll bring you something right away.”

Moments later, it knocked on the door and Major Forsberg appeared with a tablet in his hand. I got up and took a stand because the major was likeable to me.

“Just let it, you don’t need. By the way, we all meet here in our unit, ranks only play a role in battle. I’m Sven, Sven Forsberg,” he said, holding out his hand.

"Ulf Kellerson," I answered him, and took his hand.

“Don’t you want to have a cup of coffee with me and give me company?”

"Great," he replied, pulling a chair to the table.

"Does General Viklund always deal with you like this?" I asked Sven.

He laughed, “Yes, that’s what you have to live with when you work with him. He demands a lot from you, above all unconditional obedience, but if you do your job well, you will fly up the career ladder so fast you cannot look at it. He’s rough, but he’s good. We sometimes have to watch out for him because he likes to be in the front row when there is a bang. You’d be a good match for our bunch if I see what you’ve bombed away out there, all respect, ”said Sven appreciatively. “May I take a look at your AK4?”

"Please, just too," I said.

I explained to Sven how to switch the viewing modes in the telescope he nodded appreciatively as he was using the rifle.

"Where did you get the modules from?" he asked.

“I removed them from the robots, as long as they weren’t damaged, most of the time we smashed them,” I told him.

Then I showed him my helmet and the ability that the rifle could connect to the helmet visor.

“We should get the suits, it’s brand new.”

Sven was really excited. When I had just finished breakfast, General Viklund appeared.

"Well, have you already befriended?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. General," I said.

"Well then pack your plunder together and then we go to the Hermelinen Bunker," he ordered.

I finished and loaded my weapons. Then we boarded the helicopter, which was already standing with the rotor running on the training ground of the barracks. As we flew over Östertörn, I was looking out. Tanks, harvesters and hunters were everywhere. We flew across the church of Salthamm and I saw the battlefields where we had fought our battles with the robots. We flew over the Överby Airbase and could see from the air that clean-up work was already underway. They were busy clearing the destroyed tanks from the tarmac.

Some helicopters were on the tarmac and the apron of the airport. As we flew over the FOA 53, I asked the pilot to fly a lap. We had completely destroyed the facility. Destroyed robots were everywhere. Half the mountain was missing and there was a deep hole in the complex.

“Great work, take a close look at this, here you can learn something else. That’s what four teenagers did, two boys and two girls. You can cut off a slice of ,” General Viklund quipped.

Then we landed at the Hermelinen Bunker. I still had the keys to the one door that we left locked, because we had locked everything else. We entered the bunker and secured all the rooms. But nothing had crept in. From time to time we came across the machine wrecks we had left behind. In the bedroom I collected all the backpacks.

"Looks really comfortable," General Viklund said as he entered the bedroom.

"And always nicely tidy, all respect," he said approvingly.

Outside the hangar, several destroyed robots lay around. I showed them the wrecks and held my first lesson. I showed them where the robots were most vulnerable. I recognized a wreck. Amelie had destroyed this robot. I showed them the wreckande and when they heard that my girlfriend had destroyed this robot all by himself, they all nodded appreciatively.

Eventually we flew back. We wanted to evaluate the documents the next day.

Day 257

Akiko says:

I sat in the garden of my parents’ house in the early morning and meditated. In front of me on the table stood a steaming cup of tea. Hikari had said goodbye early. I had accompanied her to the taxi and thanked her. I didn’t even know how beautiful our garden is. The cherry trees bloomed and the almost lukewarm spring wind blew the scent of the flowers over to me and rained white cherry blossom over me. The murmur of the small stream that filled our garden pond sounded quiet and soothing. The koi carp in the pond swam in front of me, it was a quiet atmosphere that I let affect me. My thoughts were with Jim and my friends.

Jim says:

I was lying in my hospital bed and bored. Mann had brought me various magazines. The doctor looked after me and the nurse brought me something to eat. It would take me a few more days to walk around again. I kept looking at the image of Akiko, I missed her. I liked it when she lay with me and rolled her up like a little teddy bear.

Amelie tells us:

The next morning, my parents were up early. My mother didn’t have time again as usual. My father gave me some money and then disappeared. I had breakfast alone. Before that, I reluctantly cleared my mother’s plate with the cigarette butt on it.

That disgusted me, if one of the guys had dared to do that I would have given them the plate around their ears. After Tidying up, I got dressed and headed for shopping. From the money my father had given me, I bought two books to prepare for my medical studies. Then I bought another newspaper, because I had seen an article about Sweden in it.

I sat down in a bistro and ordered a cup of coffee. I read the newspaper while I was drinking the coffee. Nothing new emerged from the article, I probably knew more than the newspaper. I wanted to know something about Helldiver, but nothing, no trace, even in the radio news. I checked the status of my account with the bank. I thought about buying a car to go to Sweden firstly and secondly to be able to look for Ulf, why did I still call him Helldiver? That was just the habit I told myself.

I looked around at some used car dealers so I could get an idea of what a car would cost. I favoured two vehicles. A duck or an R4, with the R4 more to me because it could carry more luggage. A Fiesta or a Corsa was too expensive for me. For the R4 I would still need about a thousand francs and then I had to have money for the insurance and fuel. I also needed the money for the ferry and I also needed money for the accommodation in Stockholm. Maybe I could live temporarily with Akiko until I had a room myself. As I went home, I thought about a job. I had to find some work to make the money. I didn’t want to ask my parents.

Helldiver tells us:

After breakfast, I met with the soldiers in the training room. In the meantime I was able to move freely in the barracks, because there were only people of the special unit in it. Mann had assigned me another room which was still windowless because of possible snipers, I was told. I kept the guards at the door. I got pretty much everything I wanted. Food, beer, cigarettes, newspapers.

I threw the blueprints I had from the machines against the wall with an overhead projector and presented what I knew about the machines and how to fight them most efficiently. I reported on the combat tactics we had developed and applied. Even General Viklund listened attentively. Every now and then he asked an intermediate question and then let me explain further.

In the afternoon I presented my weapons and gave a lecture about the modification. Another unit had flown off in the meantime and had recovered some visual modules from the switched-off robots. When I told me that my girlfriend Amelie was destroying a Hunter and describing his vision modules as his eggs that now belong to her, everyone laughed loudly. Even General Viklund slapped himself amusedly on the thighs.

After dinner together, I moved into my room and studied in detail the things I had found in the municipality of Ljuset. I found the sign I had seen at Löjtnant Arvidson’s arm tattoo. It was reserved only for higher-ranking members of the sect and distinguished them as guardians of the Iron Church. The book I had found was probably filled with sayings and psalm-like poems by several people. Partly confusing stuff. I found an entry that aroused my interest. He seemed to describe a secret hiding place.

Where the light always is awake at night

Where in the womb of the earth the Church is save.

Guarded by iron guards

Protected in this place, there we want to be

In this place we are secret.

There we wait for the day of redemption, which is no longer far away.

Then we are the new Lords.

Time slowly runs out in the glass.

Until the new age begins.

Where spirit and machine finally unite.

At the beginning of the new being.

I puzzled around and fell asleep.

[helldiver]

Day 258

Akiko meditated again in the garden of her parents’ house in the early morning. This was good for her, she slowly regained her inner balance. The beautiful weather, the quiet atmosphere of the garden and the steaming tea in her cup showed their effect. She helped her mother in the household, read her father’s books to prepare for her approval. She wanted to return to Sweden as soon as possible.

When she took another seat in the garden in the afternoon, her father sat down with her. Both meditated while some incense sticks spread a fine scent.

"Are you doing well my daughter," her father asks with dignity.

"Hai otosan (japan: Yes father)" she replied, bowing before him.

"Do you want to improve your sword art?" her father asked.

"Hai otosan," Akiko said to her father.

"Then come,"

On the meadow in the garden, her father gave her a Bokuto (Japanese wooden sword). She knelt in front of her father as she received the sword. Then she rose.

"Are you ready?" her father asks

"Hai otosan," Akiko said, taking a combat position.

They circled, Akiko watched her father very closely, because she wanted to recognize the approach of his attack and react accordingly. She emptied her head and tried to become one with the sword.

Suddenly her father attacked and she parried the blows. He carried his weapon artfully and with sophisticated technique. Eventually, he managed to break through her cover and land a blow on her arm.

Eventually, Akiko went on the counterattack. She covered her father with quick blows. She dodged him like a cat and ended up with a fatal hit. If she had a real Katana in her hand, this blow would have killed her father.

They take their basic position and fought each other again. She brought her father into trouble, from which he deftly freed himself. After all, he was a head taller than her. Then he put her in trouble and she even lost her sword after a hard blow she parried.

She skilfully danced around her father and reclaimed the sword. Eventually, they ended the fight in a hard-breathing draw.

Her father thanked her and praised her progress. She was a good student. After dinner, her father asked her to go to his room. He sat in the typical Japanese sitting position at a small table on which stood a container of incense candles. She also sat down in opposite to her father in the traditional sitting position.

"Here I am a father," Akiko said, bowing.

Her father smiled at her.

“You know that a woman in Japan can’t become a samurai.”

"Hai otosan," Akiko replied.

"However, you have proven many times that you have the heart of a samurai. You unify all seven virtues of a samurai in you."

"Hai otosan," Akiko said, bowing again to her father.

Her father grabbed beside him and raised a Katana (Japan: longsword) on his hands. He held it with both hands in front of him.

"You have brought much honor to the house of Hyundura, so Now I will give you your sword. Lead it wisely with a sure hand and with the heart of a samurai what you carry in you."

With which he lifted up the sword that lay on his two hands over to her. Akiko was overwhelmed that her father presented her with such a sword, was a great honor for her. She never expected to get a personal Katana from her father.

She bowed deeply before her father and stretched out her hands. Then she took the sword out of her father’s hand, and bowed again. She drew the sword a bit from the Saya (Japan: Sword Sheath) and looked at the wonderful workmanship of the blade. The fine Hamon of the sword, the fine structure of martensite and pearlite that shimmered in the light and is the signature of the master who made the blade.

It was a beautiful piece of what her father had made for her.

"Thank you Father, thank you very much," she replied, overwhelmed.

She would have preferred to jump up and hug her father, but such outbursts of emotion were not common in Japan. Her mother entered the room sitting down and asked

"Well Akiko, do you like it?"

"Oh yes mom," I replied

"I never expected to get such an honor a sword of my own."

"You deserve it and you are worthy to wear it," my father said, smiling.

My mother hugged and kissed me. When I went to sleep in my room there was a stand on the wall where I could put my sword.

Jim says:

It was the same every day, waking up, eating, dozing a little, eating again, rolling the magazines, solving the crossword puzzles. In the afternoon there was physiotherapy. Slowly the ceiling falls on my head.

Amelie tells us:

I did the same thing again as I did on the last day, did the washing up, went shopping, read the newspaper and listened to the news on the radio. Nothing came to the fore, the situation in Sweden was unchanged, and all was shrouded in silence. In the afternoon, while I was preparing dinner, my mother came home. A dispute developed between us.

My mother wanted to persuade me to study in France. I vehemently refused. In her opinion, I should look for a rich man in France so that I would be well looked after.

“These may be your plans Maman, but not mine. I’m going to Sweden and Basta,” I told her sharply.

She didn’t let loose until my collar finally burst.

“I’m not out of the house fast enough. Am I getting in your way again or what is your problem. You didn’t take care of me before and you just just deported me. Now you don’t can’t care either,” I told my mother.

"What do you allow yourself to do!" she screamed at me, and I grabbed a slap from her.

That was too much, I literally exploded. I had a dipper in my hand with which I just wanted to put dumplings in the hot water. He flew through the kitchen and then I went to my mother, grabbed her hand with which she had beaten me, on the wrist and pressed firmly at a place where it hurt.

"That was the last time you beat me," I growled angrily at her.

I would have preferred to give her a resounding slap myself, but I mastered myself.

“That was the very last time you raised your hand against me. I’m no longer the little girl you can beat up at will. Do this once again Maman and I swear you will bitterly regret it.”

When I snarled at her and held her tightly in a grip, that Akiko had showed me, I saw fear in my mother’s eyes for the first time. I pushed her away from me and picked up the spoon. Later at dinner, my mother didn’t say a sound. She dodged my evil gaze. My father didn’t notice any of this.

Helldiver tells us:

I rolled the book over and over and got no mind at the entries. General Viklund gathered us together and informed us about the latest findings. We puzzled over the poem together until I suddenly had a flash of spirit.

"Could it be that this means a lighthouse. The light that wakes at night."

Everyone didn’t find the idea so absurd and we located on the map the lighthouses that existed on Östertörn.

Day 259

Helldiver tells us:

We examined the first lighthouses. We circled them and searched the area for some secret entrance. We only managed the lighthouses on Norra and Södra Saltholmen.

Jim says:

My father entered my hospital room. He wore his Dress Uniform. He made a very serious face. I got up from my bed and tried to stand on one leg and take a stand. Then I saluted in front of my father.

"Dismiss, lie down," my father commanded me in a stern voice.

Then he walked around the room in silence, as if he wanted to inspect my hospital room. Stop from time to time and rocked on his feet. He wanted to soften me for what was coming to me. I felt unwell. Then he turned to me

"Do you realize that you have committed a denial of command?"

"Yes Pa (amerik. Abbreviation for father)," I replied guilt-consciously.

“That’s called Yes, Yes Sir,” my father thundered to me.

"I said yes sir, Yes Sir!"

"Do you really know what this means to you?" he continued in a stern voice.

"A trial before the military court sir!" I reply aloud.

"I hope you have a good explanation for this?" He stood in front of me with pursed lips and a petrified face, his eyes pierced me.

"May I speak Sir?" I asked anxiously.

"I hear," he told me.

“Sir… Pa… I couldn’t let my friends down. Helldiver had chained his girlfriend Amelie and left alone and Amelie wanted to go after him, I couldn’t let her go alone and I wanted to help my friend Helldiver, without us he probably wouldn’t have made it Sir. I will take responsibility for my actions and the consequences sir,” I said.

I answered with a firm voice. My father approached my bed and brought his face right in front of my

'It’s going to be a disciplinary aftermath for you, which you can bet your ass on. And you will also have to take responsibility,"

my father said threateningly.

"Yes sir, Yes Sir"! I cried out loud.

“I’m just coming from the general and I could just turn the military court,” he said.

Something about his gaze told me that my father was carrying something in the shield.

"That cost me a bottle of my best moonshine (American: illegally brewed liquor). Do you know what that means?" he asked, lurking

"Yes sir, Yes sir!" I replied aloud. I would probably have to help him burn liquor on holiday and tow the heavy mash barrels, but I actually liked to do that, especially if he was burning liquor.

"The disciplinary measure," continued my father,

“It’s that you’re appointed Master Sergeant by the Staff Sergeant. The responsibility you take, you will lead a platoon. Congratulations my boy.”

My father laughed and hugged me. A stone fell from my heart, because the old man had skilfully deceived me.

“If you had let your friend down, my friend, I would have kicked you in your fucking ass. This shows that you are a Henderson. I’m proud of you boy. I love you.”

"I love you Pa too," I told my father.

"The general and I have bent that with the failure to obey my orders and interference in foreign state affairs. This was an unplanned relief operation. I have known General Viklund for a long time and he just laughed and thanked him. By the way, a thank you and an award are waiting for you. But I also promised him a bottle of Moonshine," my father said.

Then his gaze fell on the picture on the bedside table.

"Who is the pretty girl, like your girlfriend?"

“Yes, Pa, that’s Akiko, she was with me, she’s studying medicine in Sweden and becoming a doctor. Her name is Akiko Hyundura and she is from Osaka,” I said to my father.

"Her father is Professor Hyundura, who practices at the University Hospital in Osaka."

"Hyundura… Hyundura, the name tells me something," my father said.

"Sir," I asked my father.

"Sir…, Pa… Sir, I ask for permission to marry Akiko," I said to my father in a firm voice.

He laughed and slapped his hand on his thighs.

“It’s getting more and more beautiful, but because of me, you’re both sure to agree. But… my friend, you will introduce me to the young lady, that’s a command!”

"Yes sir, Yes sir!" I replied aloud. I would be allowed to marry Akiko. I was overjoyed.

Akiko says:

After breakfast, my father called home and asked me to come to the clinic. I took my mother’s scooter and drove off. When I entered the clinic, I was immediately admitted to my father.

“Akiko, General Pounder of the aircraft carrier Independence, asked me for help. A member of the crew suffered a very serious head injury in an accident. If you want you can fly with me and assist me, that could help you with your approval. You haven’t operated for quite a while, a bit of practice wouldn’t hurt you.”

My heart took a leap. I laughed, "Dad, this is the ship on which Jim is. I’m going to see Jim again.’

My father looked at me inquiringly

"Jim is my friend, I have been with him all the time. I told you about him."

My father nodded and said,

“then let’s fly off. The aircraft carrier Saratoga is located in the port of Tokyo and has sent a plane. We will have several stopovers and we will have to change plains once, because independence will also send a plane at the same time.”

"I immediately go home and pack the suitcases dad."

“All right, I’ll come soon after I’ve sorted everything out here,” he said.

I immediately set off. When I had just packed the suitcases, my father appeared. We immediately set off and were immediately admitted to the military part of the airport. The aircraft, a propeller machine, was on the apron with running engines.

We were driven in a jeep. As soon as we boarded the plane, it took off. The flight was not exactly pleasant, whenever I fell asleep a little the plane hopped. After stopovers in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, we boarded the plane in Abu Dhabi, which was to fly us to Independence. After we don’t know how long we were shaken through, we landed on the aircraft carrier rather hard. My father had endured everything with stoic calm. I was dog-tired and fell into the bunk after being assigned a cabin.

Amelie tells us:

My mother announced the visit of a business partner of my father and his son. I should make myself chic, because the son would be a good game. I became nauseated. I cooked the food and didn’t dress too fine. When my father’s business partner and his son arrived, I deliberately had the apron on.

When The Son was introduced to me, I reached out my Hand to him and looked at him disparagingly from top to bottom. The guy was a real Big shot with his three-day beard and his macho manner he only triggered nausea with me. I distanced myself and didn’t pay attention to him at all. When the meal was finished and I had cleared, my mother shoved me back into the living room and said with a nasty look I could be a little nicer to Didier.

I could no longer bear the closeness of the intrusive disgusting. He also got so close to me that I kept slipping away from him. It was seething in me. I thought, when he touched me again, I will ramm my fork into his face. Eventually, the whole thing became too colorful for me. I faked headaches and recommended myself to my room. I would have a little word to talk to my mother.

260.Day

Amelie tells us:

"You could have been a little nicer to Didier yesterday," my mother barely rebuked me by pouring me a cup of coffee.

"Ten minutes in the presence of this disgust and I would have vomited over the table," I quified back.

"The guy is just disgusting with his macho behaviour. He thinks every woman has to fly at him, Ewww, vomit,"

I attacked my mother again and put my finger in my neck as if I wanted to vomit.

'But he has a lot of money and is your father’s business partner.

“Maman, I don’t need his money and I apologize to Dad, even if it’s good for your business, but I don’t have to get involved with every vomit chunk,”

I snapped back.

"Was it?" I asked, looking angry at the round.

My mother looked insulted and my father hid behind his newspaper. I took my coffee cup and moved to my room. There I waited until they disappeared.

Helldiver tells us:

We rattled off the other lighthouses in the south coast region. We had to do this without causing a lot of attention. Sometimes we landed a little further away and marched to the lighthouse. I saw that slowly people returned to Östertörn.

Akiko says:

I woke up in the little cabin and went over to my father, who had his cabin next door. An officer knocked on my father’s door and led us to the officer’s fair. There we got breakfast. We were then taken to a meeting room. Here we met with General Pounder, chief physician Dr. Smith, the physician Dr. Pattinson and a tall, dark-skinned man, First Lieutenant Henderson.

My father introduced us. Dr Smith presented the case.

“A crew member from First Lieutenant Henderson’s working group crashed off the wing while maintaining an aircraft and suffered serious head injuries. We fear a skull brain trauma with permanent damage, so we asked you to help Professor Hyundura, because you are known to be a specialist in this field.”

On the way to the hospital ward, the tall, dark-skinned officer approached me.

"Are you the Akiko Hyundura, the Akiko who is friends with my son Jim?"

“Yes, if it’s the Jim who was with me on Östertörn and fought against the robots,”

I answered him. Then I showed him my picture of what I had of him and he laughed.

“Yeah, that’s my Jim,” he said with a laugh.

I watched the X-rays with my father. The man had a bad skull fracture. My father and the other doctors consulted. I listened attentively. My father asked me about some of the things about this operation. I knew how it was done. I had read them dozens of times in the textbook and internalized the process. We set the surgery date for the next day. I asked my father for permission to visit Jim. He allowed it. I contacted First Lieutenant Henderson and he immediately went with me to the infirmary.

Jim tells:

My father stepped in and greeted me.

"You have a visitor my son," he said. I looked at him irritated, who should visit me here?

"Please come," said my father, facing the door.

I saw that she was still standing up. Suddenly Akiko stepped into the room. I almost jumped out of bed

“Akiko, that’s not possible,” I cried.

She approached me, bent over me, and let herself be embraced by me. We kissed and I pressed her on me. Then I remembered that my father was still present.

"Help me on Akiko," I said. She helped me up and supported me. I took a stance and saluted in front of my father.

“Pa… uhh, Sir… that’s Akiko, my future wife.”

Akiko put his arm around my hip with a laugh.

"Then you step in front of young lady. He can stand on crutches,"

said my father in the official tone. Akiko gave me the crutches that were at my bedandy and stepped in front of my father. She bowed before him and said

"Mr. Henderson, I ask you to marry your son."

My father laughed and said to Akiko

"You really want to marry this flail, who happens to be my son, this disobedient guy?"

"Yes Mr. Henderson, I will. All I have to do is ask my father if he agrees to the wedding," Akiko said with a firm voice.

"Then take pay attention on him. I am Amadeus, welcome my daughter-in-law."

My father spread his arms and Akiko almost disappeared as he hugged her.

“I’ll leave you alone now,” he said, and left. Akiko stayed with me for quite a while.

Then she went again to get her father. Moments later, a tall, slender, grey-haired man entered the room. When Akiko introduced me, he bowed with dignity in front of me. Then Akiko bowed before her father and knelt down.

"Father, I ask you permission to marry Jim."

Mr. Hyundura smiled and helped his daughter up.

"My daughter you chose well, but you know our customs."

"Hai otosan,"(japan. Yes Father) she said to her father. Then she turned to me.

"Jim, if you want to marry me, you have to ask my father for my hand."

I took my crutches and stood in front of Mr. Hyundura.

"Then I bowed to him even though I struggled to keep balance.

"Mr. Hyundura, I politely ask you to marry your daughter. I promise you I will always be a good man to her, she respect and honor her."

"I trust you with my daughter, but you have to promise me one thing. You must also marry according to the Shinto ritual according to the customs of our country."

“I’ll be happy to do that, I want Akiko to be happy. She will teach me your customs and I will learn them, that I promise you.”

I said and bowed again to Akiko’s father. He took Akikos and my hand and put them on top of each other, then he put his hand on it

"Akiko, my daughter, and Jim my son-in-law, I give you my blessing here."

Akiko had tears in her eyes and fell around her father’s neck.

"Thank you Dad, thank you, a thousand thanks."

Akiko hugged me and cried with happiness. I was also happy and held her in my arm. Her father invited me to Osaka, where I was to visit her at Akiko’s parents’ home. She stayed with me until dinner, then she had to leave.

Day 261

Helldiver tells us:

We continued to rattle off the lighthouses of the mountainous region. I turned the book over and over, but found no further clue where this secret church could be. We had no choice but to graze up every lighthouse. I was already afraid that the sect members had long since fled. However, it would have been noticeable, because with each day the island was more populated.

Akiko says:

I woke up laughing happily, I was allowed to marry Jim. At breakfast, my father also smiled at me and said that he wanted to look at Jim’s bonebreak again. After breakfast we prepared for the operation. We sterilized ourselves and dressed. Then we entered the operating room. Dr Smith and Dr Pattinson were unable to take part in the operation because two emergencies had just landed.

They were soldiers who were flown in from Kuwait and had gunshot wounds. There was war in Kuwait. The country had been invaded by Iraq and was gradually liberated by US troops. I assisted my father. At the beginning of the operation, he pressed the scalpel in my hand with the words

"Show me what you learned my daughter."

I looked at him and he nodded to me in a cheerful way. I made the cut with a safe hand and began to expose the damaged skull. While I was operating, my father asked me about every step and monitored each of my handles. He assisted me and handed over the instruments. He once interrupted me to explain something to me. I listened attentively to him and then moved on.

It was late afternoon when I finished the operation and had been caring for the patient. In the laundry room, my father congratulated me.

“It was a very difficult operation and you did it well, I’m impressed with your performance. I will send a recommendation to Professor Magnusson, which will help you with your approval. I think you will finish this with Summa cum laude (Lat.: With the highest praise).”

I saw my father being proud and happy. I went for a jump with Jim, who was very happy.

Amelie tells us:

My mother asked me to make me chic again. This time it was a senior bank employee who also brought his son with him.

"Please beware," my mother said.

'I don’t need this guy Maman. Leave me alone," I said.

It was Francoise, one of the most conceited snobs I knew. I knew him because my father was constantly dealing with his father and this conceited and arrogant beauties who had his son in his tow. He even thought that if he waved with a bundle of money, the ladies’ world would be at his feet. I dressed nicely, but not too excessively, he should leave me alone.

We visited a very upscale restaurant. The banker appeared with his wife and son. I greeted him and he kissed my hand. Disgusted, I wiped them under the tablecloth with a cloth. I paid little attention to him, essentially flashing him off, giving me cool and distanced. None of them could withstand a comparison with Ulf. I wasn’t interested in their money in the slightest.

I wanted to be independent and have my own money. When we finally sat with a glass of champagne, the conversation happened to come to Sweden. On the day, a report had been reported in the news after an accident happened in one of the research laboratories and some robots that had been misguided had been destroyed by the army. Everything is drowned and lying. Some pictures of destroyed hunters and runners were shown. The wreck of a tank was also shown. I could see that he had been destroyed by us, because he had clear gunshot marks and destroyed grenade launchers. Francoise blew himself up like a peacock

"The few robots, once shot in with a hunting shotgun and boom, you don’t need an army for that.

"I turned to him, my mother opened her eyes in horror and tried to silence me.

“You know what Francoise, you’re such a stupid chatterer, you don’t even know what you’re talking about. I was on Östertörn for three-quarters of a year and what they showed in the news today was far from the whole truth. I got stuck there and fought my way with my friends. Every day the bullets and the grenades flew around my ears. You wouldn’t have done anything with your hunting rifle. You could have taken a stone slingshot right away. With the hunting rifle you can shoot a runner, but then you have to be far enough away, otherwise he will chase you. A Hunter is four metres high, you would have at most shited your trousers if he had stood in front of you and seconds later you would have died. You’re a washcloth and a stupid chatterer.”

My mother wanted to be outraged, but I cut her off.

“Maman be quiet, you weren’t there, you can’t have a say at all.” Then I put my cigarettes in my handbag and got up.“Where are you going?”

asked my mother while all those sitting at the table had shamefully lowered her gaze except Francoise, who looked at me completely baffled and speechless.

‘I’m going to get drunk, I just can’t hear this crap anymore, it’s all just stupid, unqualified chatter.’

Francoise wanted to say something to me, but I said to him

"You like to take such a painted fashion doll from the city, you can tell your stories. And leave me alone."

I turned around and sent another poisonous Au Revoir (french: goodbye) and left the restaurant.

I walked aimlessly through the dark streets. I had no way to go home. If my mother at least left me alone, instead of wanting to unite me with some wealthy son. I had other plans for myself. I passed a discotheque I knew. Some punks and disco-like people lounged around in front of the nightclub. I walked in.

Loudly roaring and cigarette-smoked, sultry, sweltering air struck me. I went to the bar and ordered a whiskey and tipped it down. That cooled my anger the hot in me boiled down a little. I was annoyed with my parents, especially my mother, with the news that the military was taking the success, for what she and her friends risking their lives, and with this disgusting snob. She ordered a second whiskey and had just taken a sip, as a woman’s voice, known to her, shouted from behind

"Hey bunny, what are you doing here?"

Amelie swirled around and saw Babette, her former schoolmate and fellow sufferer from boarding school.

"Babette, what are you doing here?" I asked back.

She hugged me and kissed me left and right.

“Man bunny, I haven’t seen you for so long, I thought you don’t exist anymore,” she said

"I was in Sweden the whole time and only came back a few days ago."

I hadn’t seen Babette for a long time. Like me, she had been deported by her parents, who were real estate dealers. And just like me, she had to stay in boarding school over the weekend and spend the weekend because her parents didn’t have time. I had always been stuck with her and we had comforted each other.

Her hair was dyed purple and her mouth was also dark painted. She wore ripped denim pants and wore a T-shirt with a leather jacket over it. I also gave her a drink and we chatted. She was the only bright spot tonight. We drank a lot of alcohol, chatted and laughed. I eventually ordered a taxi and brought her home. She lived in an old apartment in Epinettes, a district of Paris. I took her there by taxi and then drove home myself. I promised Babette to visit her.

[helldiver]

Day 262

Jim says:

Akiko visited me again today. I was very happy that she looked after me again. General Pounder had allowed her to stay even longer and to travel to Israel, she would fly to Tel Aviv, from where she could fly home. Akiko accepted the offer thankfully. Her father also stayed because he wanted to observe the skull fracture. He also looked at my break and asked Akiko how she had re-tweeted and shaved the fracture in the circumstances. Jim showed him the barrel of the rifle. Dr Pattinson said he didn’t have to do much more, the fracture was perfectly repatriated. Dr. Pattinson already offered Akiko a job as a doctor. Akiko’s father was visibly proud of her.

Helldiver tells us:

We didn’t have much opportunity. The lighthouses of the north coast region were built too flat to house a church among them. We searched the area and couldn’t find a secret entrance. During the return flight, I pondered and tried to recall lighthouses standing on a cliff. When we flew towards Överby it occurred to me.

The lighthouse of Klacksundsfyren on Hjimfäll met this criterion. One detail had occurred to me. Once I was there, I noticed a police car that was empty. The blue light was still running only I had not found any bodies from the policemen. Not even in a wider area. Were they perhaps pushed into this secret hideout and killed there? I informed General Viklund of my idea. He said "we don’t have enough fuel and we need to go back. It is also too late. We went to the lighthouse first.

Amelie tells us:

The next morning, she woke up a little scaly. She had drunk four or five pieces of the double whiskey and smoked several strong cigarettes. Her neck felt scratchy and she had lead in her bones. At the coffee table, her mother made a reproachful face.

"But yesterday you were quite wrong. My God Amelie, you have changed a lot."

"Yes Maman, I may have become tougher and above all an adult. I don’t let anyone dictate what to do.’

"By the way, I will look for Helldiver, Ulf"

“But child, you can’t waste yourself on such a peasant lout, you could claim something completely different. And by the way, he instigated all this and put you in danger”

Amelie finally burst her collar. She jumped up, threw the kitchen chair across the kitchen and walked up to her mother. White as a wall, she said with a trembling voice

"You. Call… Him… Never… Again… Peasant lout"

“And then something else. He didn’t instigate it, he was attacked just like all the poor people out there. When I first saw him, he had one of the deadliest robots on his heels that this planet has ever seen”

and then she screamed with her voice over

"And this courageous man, whom you call peasant lout, fought courageously and valiantly and liberated an entire country. And you know something more, he always paid attention to others before taking care of himself. He himself had been badly injured in the fight and what did he do. He took care of my woundet knee. When a robot shot at me, he bravely threw himself into the bullets and pushed me out of the firing line. He has tried to keep us out of danger with all his power. He even let me slap him for it when he fought against a whole bunch of robots and blew up a factory. He risked his ass for his country and for his friends. "

With each sentence she hit the breakfast table with her fist and the plates and cups jumped up.

“You should be ashamed to call such a man Peasant lout!!!

She screamed and slapped her fist on the table again.

"Maman I warn you, that was the last time you talked badly about him."

She slapped her hand in front of her face and ran sobbing from the kitchen into her room.

That was too much for her, that was the drop that had caused the barrel to overflow for her. She took a travel bag, threw Helldiver’s cap and shorts in. Then she picked up a few things from her wardrobe and stuffed them into her bag. She didn’t want to stay a second longer in her parents’ house she just wanted to leave. She stuffed her savings book into her and everything she thought she needed. Then she did not leave her room without banging the door behind her.

Her father came curiously out of his office and asked

“What’s going on here?”

“I’ve got my muzzle full of i’m going,” I said in a trembling voice.

I had tears in my eyes again. When I arrived downstairs in the hallway, my mother stepped in my way.

"Where do you want to go?" she said in a bossing voice.

“Get out of the way of you, so that I will no longer be a burden to you. I was always in your way. You don’t give peace until you put me under the hood of some kind of shit guy, so that you’re finally rid of me. But you can already have that, I’m gone!”

I snorted at my mother with a overtilting voice.

She stood in front of me with her eyes wide open and her mouth open, trying to block my way. I pushed her to the side, stepped through the front door and slammed her behind me, so that the window pane almost flew out. I ran aimlessly through the streets and wept quietly in front of me. If only Ulf were there, he would comfort me now. As she walked towards the city centre and calmed down a bit, she began to think. Her head was aching, she had a lump in her neck and was desperate. Where should she go now? She had money in her account, but she wanted to save for her studies, crawling to crosses with her parents didn’t even come into the bag.

She considered whether she could go to Babette. Maybe she could stay there at least one night and save the money for a hotel. She desperately needed a job, something with sewing or cooking. She crossed the Seine and went to Epinettes. It took her quite a while to arrive in the neighborhood. On the way, she bought a baguette of bread, which she ate hungry on her hand. She walked up and down the streets in Epinettes to find the house where Babette lived. In the dark, everything had looked very different. Babette’s surname was Bonnet. Eventually, she found him on a bell. She pressed the bell, but no one opened the door. It was also afternoon.

Maybe she was working. Amelie decided to wait and walked up and down the street. She kept an eye on the entrance to the house and watched all the people who went into the house. As she sat on the stairs in front of the house entrance, she was approached by an elderly woman.

“I’m waiting for Babette, do you know Babette?” I told her.

"You mean the young woman with purple hair, she is working, she always comes back late."

I thanked her and waited. It got dark and rain set in. The entrance to the house offered little protection and I was soaked after a short time. Eventually, Babette arrived quite late at night. When she found me sitting on the stairs, All I could do was cry. I was cold, I was wet to the bones, I was hungry and I was desperate. She helped me up and asked

“What’s up with you, what happened to you?”

“I’ve been arguing with my parents and I run away, I can’t stand it anymore, Babette” I cried in her Arm.

"Come on and calm down bunny, come on,"

she said to me and pushed me into the hallway. We had to climb some stairs until we arrived at the small apartment of Babette. Sitting on her couch, I had to howl. There was no other way, I had no home, I missed Ulf so much and I didn’t know what to do at the moment.

Babette comforted me touchingly she took me in the arm and stroked over my wet hair.

"You can stay here bunny if you get along with the couch. Come I cook us a few noodles with tomato sauce and then you eat something first. I also have a bottle of wine that we drink now.,"

Babette said. Her cheerful manner was always rousing at that time. I wiped the tears from my eyes and said to Babette

“Thank you Babi, it’s only for one night.”

"Nonsense, bunny you stay with me, save the coal for the hotel!"

Babette came into my word and poured me a glass of wine.

“I’m also run away. I had the muzzle full of my parents’ constant paternalism. They never really cared about me, just like your old ones.”

"Then I at least take part in the rent or go shopping."

“We’re going to agree,” Babette said as she stirred in the tomato sauce.

I told Babette that I was looking for a job.

"I can ask Jean, this is the boss of the shop where I work. You earn ten francs an hour and if you do shift like me eleven francs an hour. Bunny that would be great, then we could work together."

My mood brightened and I secretly hoped that this would work. It would take me some time to get the money for the car together, but that gave me a perspective. I ate hungry the noodles Babette gave me and drank wine from a water glass with her. For all the suffering, at least a small light was lighting up.

Day 263

Jim says:

Akiko always came to visit me when she had time. She had painted something on my gypsum. I was able to take a few steps at her arm. She worked with Dr. Pattinson and helped him. On an aircraft carrier there were all hands full to do, with almost 4000 crew crew always had any injuries.

Helldiver tells us:

We flew to the lighthouse of Klacksundsfyren on Hjimfäll. We landed before the driveway to the lighthouse. There were still some Hunterwrecks lying around, which I had destroyed with my friends. The police car was still standing untouched. I examined it more closely and searched the surrounding area for the footprints of the policemen. I couldn’t find any, the snow and the wind had blurred them.

We combed the grounds. I examined the rock face and found it. I had walked past it once or twice. There was a smooth surface at the rock face. Was the access hidden behind it? I examined it more closely. It didn’t look like it had been created naturally. It looked kind of artificial. I was looking for a mechanism that would open the gate. I looked through the visor of my rifle and switched to X-ray vision, but couldn’t see a locking mechanism. The other soldiers joined in and examined the area. We called for reinforcements. I asked for a bazooka. I wanted to fire a grenade on the wall and see what happened. When the reinforcements arrived, I distanced myself, loaded the bazooka and fired at the wall.

There was a violent detonation of stones flying through the air and as the dust dispersed we saw the entrance to a cave. I took the AK4 and walked carefully towards the cave entrance. The closer I got, the more it smelled like garlic. I warned the others and put on my gas mask. Then I dived into the entrance and peered in the infrared area. The wall I had blown up was actually a gate, but it could only be opened from the inside or remotely. In front of me, a staircase peeled out of the semi-darkness.

I wanted to go down carefully, and a young, dashing officer who wasn’t part of our unit came and pushed me to the side.

“Get out of the way, now let’s do this here!”

I shouted “be carefull,” but they bounced down the stairs. I looked around for Major Forsberg, but he just shrugged. We went behind while I was constantly peering through my telescope. I saw something red in some depth and suspected bad things.

Suddenly shots rang out in front of us, screams of the wounded rang out. We rushed down the stairs. When I arrived on one of the Lower Stairs, I saw the first dead man and ducked. I looked ahead and saw some ticks lurking one floor lower in the infrared area.

I slowly worked my way down and saw some soldiers crouching on the landing of the stairs and looking around anxiously. I saw a tick jumping up the stairs and fired at her. He exploded and his debris flew around our ears. I saw the shot holes over me in the wall, it could only have been a Hunter and this big-mouthed officer had run at him in full front of his gun.

I robbed even further and said quietly to Forsberg

“Be careful, there’s a Hunter lurking down there, he’s blowing you away in seconds.”

The shots subsidet off and eventually died completely. They were all dead. I peered carefully into the depths and could see the outlines of a Hunter in infrared light. He had a shoulder MG. I fired at him and the shoulder MG flew away.

“We’re not done with him yet,” I whispered to Forsberg.

I continued to crawl and could see a second Hunter. He stands good for me. I loaded the AK4 and fired at its fan shift. There was a big explosion and the Hunter was torn apart. The other Hunter flipped over and began to rise up cumbersomely. Meanwhile, I reloaded the AK 4. Forsberg and I continued to sneak in. Then we had the Hunter in front of the rifle, we both shot and destroyed it.

With tense senses, I climbed deeper. I had switched to the Klaucke because I suspected tick attacks. When we arrived on the lower landing of the stairs we had to climb over the bodies of the slain soldiers. The officer lay on the lower stairs with his eyes staring to the ceiling. He had a circular hole in his forehead. I cursed at the senseless death of this man and his people.

The others from our unity followed up. I saw the Hunterwrecks in the glow of my flashlight. Then we were attacked. The ticks came from all sides. Since I had warned everyone, we were prepared for the attack. With concentrated firepower we fought back the attack. We slowly continued to work our way forward and came to a portal that looked like the portal of a church.

I peered with my X-ray visor and could see three runners behind the door. I showed the picture Major Forsberg. We distributed ourselves. One of the soldiers opened the door and I immediately shot at the runners. Massive fire struck us. That wasn’t just the fire of the runners, but there was also someone else shooting along. I saw human skeletons looking for cover behind church benches. We destroyed the runners relatively quickly. I noticed that some soldiers around me were injured. The bullets also whistled around my ears.

For the first time in my life, I had to shoot at people. I shot specifically in the legs and soon after heard cries of pain from the wounded. In a ceasefire, Forsberg urged our opponents to stop the fire and surrender. We moved on and people were hesitant. We invaded the Church. One of the sectarians raised his rifle, but Forsberg struck him down with a double blow (two shots in a row).

We drove the people together and disarmed them. More soldiers followed. They had handcuffs and captivated the prisoners and led them away. General Viklund looked at each and every one of them. He knew some of them.

"You dirty traitors, you will not escape your just punishment. Get this rag pack out of my eyes!" he thundered.

We examined the church and found some chests-shaped objects in a side aisle. They almost looked like glass coffins. As I approached, I saw van Ulmer’s body lying in one.

“That’s van Ulmer,” I said.

The body showed very weak signs of life. In another chest I found another body.

"Who is this?" I asked General Viklund.

“That’s Holberg the Schuft,” General Viklund growled. On the altar at the head of the nave I found a code card with the image of Holberg. I continued to examine the church and found a transmitter that looked similar to the ignition device I had used to detonate the explosives. The fuse was removed and the ignition button pressed. I showed my find General Viklund. He couldn’t make himself a rhyme on it.

Some soldiers and medical personnel followed in and took care of the bodies in the chests. When I got back up with our group, a soldier rushed towards us.

"STOCKHOLM IS UNDER ATTACK; A ROBOT ARMY ADVANCES ON STOCKHOLM!!"

Shouted the soldier excited. We ran up the stairs, as we arrived at the top I heard the sirens and the roaring of the helicopters’ high-speed turbines. We jumped in. We weren’t sitting properly when the entire Squadron helicopter took off in alarm.

We had to go to Stockholm. I checked my ammunition stockpiles and informed General Viklund of the

"You can replenish your ammunition at the landing site."

General Viklund divided the people. I was assigned six people to fight back the attacking robots in my area. In low-flying, the helicopters chased over the country at top speed. The flight took a long, almost too long time. There were reports via radio that the robots had broken through the first defensive belt. I left questions about which robot we were dealing with.

Five tanks and a whole horde of Hunter had been spotted, most of the runners had been destroyed. I gave instructions on radio how to fight the Hunters. I made General Viklund the proposal with my group to destroy the tanks. He agreed. As we touched down in the courtyard of Stockholm Castle, General Viklund jumped out of the helicopter. Then we flew on to the Stockholm Stadium.

We replenished our ammunition stockpiles. I instructed my group and ordered them to use the PVG90 rifles. We had two bazookas with which we wanted to fire the tanks. We received the first location of a tank from the control center. He was in front of the district of Vasastaden. We landed near the North Cemetery and let us set off the helicopter, so that it could not be shot at. I wanted to fall into the back of the tank. We jumped out of the helicopter and he took off immediately. Then we ran off.

When we were within reach, we immediately opened fire on the tank. I had told my people what to look out for and where to shoot. Already the first grenade hits crashed into the tank with concentrated fire from the PVG90 we gave him the rest. Then our helicopter landed again and we took the next tank into the shortage.

He was already in the Siberian district and had struck a trail of destruction. Some army units fought back fiercely. We fell into the back of the tank. A soldier had stayed behind in the helicopter and shot him out of the helicopter with the Gatling. The tank also exploded quite quickly. From the Stockholm stadium we received an emergency call that they were being harassed by a tank. We landed back in his back and destroyed him. There were two left.

Two Gripen thundered in low flight over the city. A tank fired from the Alberget at the Stockholm Palace. The Gripen threw their bombs and were able to destroy the tank. One of the tanks had already reached Södermalm via the southern motorway and from there took the presidential palace under fire. We sat down in the back of the tank and rushed through the house canyons. As we got close enough to the tank, we immediately opened fire until it collapsed in a cloud of embers.

Then we advanced on to the palace and helped the palace guard, who fiercely resisted a large group of Hunter. We laid out mines and lured them in. I shot at least five Hunter with the PVG 90. Then I called the helicopter again and we flew back to the stadium to replenish our ammunition supplies.

[helldiver]

was informed about the situation. Most of the Hunter was destroyed. Their main thrust seemed to be the palace and the parliament building.

We ended up in front of Parliament and stood in the way of the robots. We advanced auf the Sveavägen to the confluence of Kungsgatan, where some soldiers had already built barricades. About twenty Hunters came to meet us. We immediately took them under fire with the PVG 90 and destroyed a larger number. I barricaded myself behind a concrete barrier that stood in front of the office entrance of Stockholm’s House of Concert

Then I fired on the Hunter and caused them to explode. Suddenly, bullets flew around me from behind and smashed into my barrier. I jumped back to the office entrance and lay flat on the floor. I could see that some soldiers with twisted limbs were behind their barrier. A Hunter had bypassed us and had penetrated into our position from behind.

How was the possible I wondered? How could this happen? We had formed a closed line. While further away from me the Hunters ran against our position, mine was almost grindet. Shot from behind. I crawled up to the corner of the house and took the Hunter under fire with a few shots I had fired off his shoulder MG, then I shot his arm MG away.

I just wanted to give the Hunter the catch shot, there was a commanding voice behind me

"Weapon away!"

The Hunter stood at the spot where he had stood when I fired the MG away from him and flinched. His sword blade was hissing back and forth.

"Weapon away I said!"

a voice hissed behind me and I felt the cold steel of a run in my neck. I dropped the PVG 90. The AK 4 was pulled off my shoulder and fell to the ground. My Klaucke was pulled from behind from the holster and thrown to the ground. My 44 he was under my parka. Luckily, he didn’t grop me.

“Let’s see how you cope with my friend here. Go on.”

I reluctantly approached the Hunter and watched him. I was lit by the sun and could see in the shade a person behind me holding a gun to my head. I didn’t have a chance to attack him. Before I could muck, I would have a bullet in my head. The man circled me and walked towards the Hunter.

“Arvidson what’s the point?” I asked him.

"You would not prevent the new order Helldiver. You will die in the heroic battle against a Hunter and no one will notice anything. There are more of us, we can control the Hunter and pass through your lines. You don’t have a chance.’

I saw that he was wearing a hood like the one I had seen in the Hermelinen Bunker and had it in the FOA 53. He had a kind of joystick hanging on a belt.

'I could just shoot you, but that would stand out and get them on our track. That’s why my friend does this for me. Tell the world good bye, you hero."

So he went to the side and jumped behind the barrier, behind which I had entrenched myself. The robot invaded me, slapped at me with the sword and tried to corner me. I pulled up the zipper of my parkas and ripped the 44s out of the arm holster. The Hunter was close to me and started his jump attack. I was prepared for it and dived away under him. He rammed his sword into the tarmac. I was in his back and fired at his fuel cell.

The robot flinched and tugged at its sword. I emptied the magazine of the 44 he in his steely body. Then he had the sword free, and immediately flinched and slammed at me. I dodged backwards and folded the magazine out of the 44. As the robot continued to attack me, I threw the cartridges

out of the magazine. I tried to lure him out of the corner to have more space to circle him around. From my parka bag, I fished a handful of cartridges and put two of them in the magazine.

A spark rain rose from the robot and he started another jump attack. I dodged him and he ended up empty again. This time he did not smash his sword into the ground and swirled around at lightning speed. He tried to behead me with a flat-guided blow, but I was prepared for it and rolled around. The sword howled centimetres over my head.

I pushed two cartridges back into the magazine of the 44s. Two were missing. I dodged the robot that jumped on me again. I stumbled upon a dead body and fell on my back. I saw the Hunter come down on me and could only roll myself away. When he landed he rammed inches away from my head his blade into the ground I shot from below into the robot and hit him.

Something exploded on the robot and he tugged at his sword. I rappelled up and shot him twice more. The robot just flinched and stopped pulling at his sword. I backed up a little bit and fired my last two bullets at him. I threw out the magazine as fast as I could and refilled cartridges. Then I fired back at the robot, after three shots it collapsed.

I looked around, the battle noise had dissipated, where was Arvidson. I heard quick steps, then I saw a figure running down the Kungsgatan. I ran after him. That had to be Arvidson. He circled the house of concert and ran in the main entrance. I ran after him. In running, I reloaded the 44s. As Arvidson ran up the stairs to the main entrance, he turned around at lightning speed and fired at me.

I had guessed something like this and ducked behind a parked car. Arvidson’s shots crashed into the car. Glass chunks flew around scurrying. I turned up behind the car and answered the fire. My bullets crashed right next to Arvidson into the pillars that stood in the espalier in front of the main entrance.

He barricaded himself behind the pillars and shot at me. I couldn’t stay behind the car because when he hit the tank the car could explode. My Klaucke was unreachable near the office entrance. I jumped up and shot at the cover of Arvidson and crossed the road. Without him being able to reciprocate the fire, I reached the corner of the house of concert. As I carefully spyed around the corner, Arvidson shot at me.

The magazine of the 44s was empty and I quickly reloaded. I saw a jeep with running engine in the marketplace. Had Arvidson parked him there? I looked carefully around the corner. Arvidson stood next to the pillar and immediately shot at me. I also shot, then Arvidson shot a volley out of his Klaucke. I ducked, plaster chunks rained down on me and ricochets howled. Then I saw Arvidson running off. I left my cover and ran after him. He wanted to reach the Jeep. He pointed his gun backwards as he run and fired. I let myself fall and rolled off. Then I aimed on the jeep. A shot hit the engine, which immediately died. Arvidson shot unaimed again. His bullets whistled over me. I shot again and hit a tire that burst with a loud bang.

I still had three cartridges in the 44. I jumped up again, Arvidson turned around to me because I had destroyed his escape possibility.

"Arvidson, give up!" I shouted.

“You never get me,” he said. “I’d rather die!”!“

We faced each other eye-to-eye. Both with the pistol in the Hand. Neither of us had an advantage. It was just about life or dead, either he or I. Whoever was the first to have the gun up and hit, he was the winner.

“Give on, Arvidson, hasn’t enough blood been shed?”

I tried to persuade him to give up. He looked at me with ice-cold, steel-blue eyes. Between us there were not ten meters, the ideal distance for a Pistol fight. An ice cold spread in me. I walked slowly sideways. We circled. We both stared at each other.

“Arvidson, give it up, it doesn’t make sense!” I tried to lure him out of the reserve, disturb him in his concentration.

I, saw him nervously opening and closing the fingers holding the handle of the Klaucke. He probably waited for a favorable moment. My nerves were screaming under the tension.

Then the showdown went by itself. Almost like in slow motion. Arvidson ripped up his Klaucke. I jumped to the side and fired the first shot from the hip. I saw the muzzle of his Klaucke flashing and something hot, whisteled past my left ear. I fell down, rolled off and got back into the squat. Then I lifted the 44s, hit the magnum’s hammer with my flat left hand and pulled the trigger through at the same time. The 44er roared, the muzzle of Arvidson’s pistol flashed again his bullet howled over me. Arvidson was ripped around at the same time. His Klaucke flew away in a high arc and he fell to the ground. Loudly screaming, he curled down in pain on the ground.

I jumped up again and ran towards him. I still had a cartridge in the barrel. I cocked the magnum’s hammer and pointed it at Arvidson, who pressed a hand to his chest… When he saw me approaching, he turned to his knees and tried to get his Pistol. I was faster and kicked her away. As a result, Arvidson dropped himself heavily breathing on his back. His breath was intermittendly. Under his hand, which he held to the upper right side of his brest, bright red blood oozed.

"What is? shoot me, make an end!" Arvidson shouted at me and groaned.

He probably suffered hellish agony. The heavy bullet had probably pierced his lungs and had emerged at the back.

It would have been easy for me to point the gun at his head, blow the snot out of his skull and spread it on the pavement.

I relaxed the magnum’s hammer, shook my head and said

"You are not worth it, others should judge you."

It cracked in the radio.

“Helldiver, Boy where are you?” General Viklund’s voice rang out from the loudspeaker.

"On the market square behind the concert hall. Bring a paramedic with, I shot at Arvidson, he is seriously injured. "

"We are with you immediately," he replied.

"Shoot damn, you coward! "

Arvidson screamed at me again tormented. I turned away from him. He moaned and groaned in pain.

"You are a coward Helldiver, you hear, a coward, you are a miserable coward!!"

He screamed with a pain-like, over tilted voice. The rest went under in a coughing fit. He coughed up blood. He had risen into a half-seated position and collapsed again. I didn’t give him an answer. When he moaned again in pain, I had no pity for him. He didn’t deserve it.

A Motorcycle Messenger came to the market place at high speed and stopped at me.

"Please get reinforcements, this traitor here already has enough people on his conscience,"

I called.

A Jeep came up at high speed and stopped with squeaky tires. General Viklund jumped out and held a heavy pistol in his hand. I could see that it was an Eagle with caliber 45.

“Quickly Helldiver, a Hunter has slipped through our lines and on the way to St. John’s Church. We don’t have any soldiers there and there are a lot of civilians and politicians in it. You are the only soldier nearby. We take care of this dirty traitor, he will not escape his just punishment,” General Viklund said

I said to the Motorcycle Messenger

"Give me the motorcycle fast!"

the Motorcycle Messenger jumped off the motorcycle and I sat up quickly before I drove off I reloaded the 44s and shove it into the arm holster. I drove to the spot where my AK4 and the Klaucke was lying, stuck them in, in a flying haste, swung me on the motorcycle, made a wheelie and stormed off.

I chased down the Sveavägen, disregarding any speed limit. Without braking, I turned into the Apelbergsgatan and pulled a spark rain with the footrest behind me. I chased up the narrow one-way road against the direction of travel. In the helmet visor I could see the city map. An the next junction I had to turn left into The Mallmskillnadsgatan. I prayed that no one but me came up with the idea to drive around. I lay down in the bend, touched the ground with my footrest and just managed to get around the corner, without crashing into the next wall of a house.

I drove in the opposite direction in the one-way street and chased it up at hell speed. I could see the Hunter running, towards the church to kill the civilians. I pulled the Klaucke out of the holster. I had to shoot with left so I could give gas. The Hunter ran towards St. John’s Church at top speed and had almost reached the church garden when my first shots rang into his back.

He stopped and fired back. I drove in serpent lines and ducked deep over the handlebars. The bullets whistled over me. I fired again at the robot as I passed him by. I wanted to circle the church so that I could attack him head-on. I wanted to prevent him from invading the Church. I quickly changed the Klaucke into my right hand and quickly fired some shots at the robot. Several times a spark rain from the robot rose on. The motorcycle slowed down because I had let go of the throttle grip. When the Klaucke was empty, I quickly pushed it back into the holster and turned the gas handle to the stop. The motorcycle reared up and made a jump forward. I struggled to keep it down. The robot went over to a counter-attack and fired a grenade behind me. I made a swerve into the Döbelnsgatan and could just escape the grenade. I stepped on the brake pedal of the motorcycle and blocked the rear wheel, to turn into the Kammakargatan in a drift. I saw a narrow staircase leading up to the back and cemetery of the church. I braked and drove up the stairs. The motorcycle shook and at the end of the stairs it takes off. Then I landed on a gravel path between the grave rows of the cemetery. I shred through a hedge and had a clear view of the Hunter. I blocked the rear wheel of the motorcycle with the brake, dropped and slid the motorcycle in front of me. I ripped the magnum out of the shoulder holster and fired her at the robot. Then I covered myself behind a tree, put the Magnum away, pulled the AK4 off my shoulder and fired at his grenade launcher.

I had to change the magazine again. The Hunter fired a grenade, but it came too short maybe I had already damaged the thrower. I fired at him again. After I shot half the magazine, the grenade launcher fell to the ground. The robot covered me with shots from his arm Mg. Shards of wood sped off and the tree trembled from the impacts. It was only a matter of time when the first shot would strike and kill me.

I fired the rest of the magazine at him and ducked myself behind a tomb. More shots struck. I reloaded my Ak4. The Hunter continued to run. He was targeting the civilians. It was an uncharacteristic behaviour, because he would normally have fought me down before he turned to a new goal. I also reloaded the claws and the 44s.

The Hunter was at the church door and tried to tear it down. He launched one jump attack after another on the door. I fired at him from behind and something exploded. A spark rain stumbled away from him. He shot at me and I had to go into cover. Why did he attack the people in the church why not a military target? Perhaps his programming had been messed up. I fired while the robot launched a jump attack on him again.

There rose another rain of sparks from him. Then he broke through the door. She flew crashing into the front room of the church. I ran around the church and wanted to invade the sacristy. The door was locked. I shooted open the lock with my Klaucke and opened the door. Frightened, some crying women ducked at the opposite wall with their children.

I ran into the choir of the church, loadet the Klaucke while running. I saw frightened people ducking behind the altar. I also got behind it and fired at the Hunter’s MG. Promptly a salvo of the Hunter came back and smashed into the altar and above our heads. Candles burst glass shattered. I dived on the other side behind the altar and shot again at the MG. An explosion cloud appeared and again a sheave swept in my direction. I was back behind the altar quickly enough and loadet my last magazine to the AK 4. I quickly appeared behind the altar and took his MG under fire again. With the last shots it fell crashing to the ground. I dived up behind the altar and fired at him with my Klaucke. When I wanted to reload, he started a jump attack. All I could do was save myself with a courageous leap. The Klaucke fell out of my hand and slid under a knee bank.

I rappelled up and pulled the 44s out of the arm holster. Ronja’s revenge was my only defense. I reached into my parka bag and took some 44 cartridges in my hand to reload quickly. The shots from the revolver crashed deafeningly in the church. I was able to shoot at him twice and he started another attack on me. I rolled off and fired three shots. One whistled past him the others sat. He invaded me again and struck me with his sword. I fired the last shot folded out the magazine and dodged the Hunter. I had to back down several times and make sure he didn’t corner me. I only ever managed to reload two shots before he launched the next attack on me. When I loaded the last two shots into the magazine, he invaded at me again and struck with the sword. It hissed only millimetres in front of my face, I still felt the breeze I stumbled backwards up the altar stairs and fell on my back, now he had me. I expected the lethal blow."

GO BORT, SATAN, JESU KRISTI KRAFT KOMMER ATT ERÖVRA DIG !!!"

(Swedish:" GIVE WAY YOU SATAN, THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST CONQUERS YOU!!")

Sounded a loud voice behind me.

The robot flinched back and forth. Golden reflections of light danced on his head.

I rolled to the side quick wittedly and had the magazine of the 44s snapped. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a glittering reflex of light. I risked a quick side view and saw the priest standing tall with a Golden Cross in his hand in front of the altar. A ray of sunshine shone through the bursted glas of a church window and was reflected by the gold cross that I even had to blink.

Without knowing it, this brave man had blinded the robot with the Gold Cross, thus saving me from certain death. I rappled myself into a squatting position. The sunbeam went out because a cloud was in front of it and I fired at the Hunter. The 44s thundered and a rain of sparks rose from the robot he flinched around and I shot again, the robot wavered and small blue flashes swirled on its surface. I shot again, the robot wobbled and took a step backwards. I saw a hole in his armor, aiming and shooting.

A bright stab flame rose up, a cloud of embers spread accompanied by a violent detonation. The pressure wave swept me off my legs, debris, shards of glass and little chunks rained down on me and clicked against my helmet. Something warm ran down my face and dripped on my collar. I got up slowly and wiped my back of my hand over my face. When I lifted him into my field of vision, I saw that he was covered in blood. The priest approached me with the gold cross in his hand and stopped before the altar steps. I stepped in front of him and relaxed the hammer of the 44s. In the church it was ghostly quiet. I saw the priest smiling at me and fell to my knees at the altar steps.

My whole body was aching, I was breathing heavily, I was shaking and shuddering, I was sweaty, I felt weak, exhausted and I tasted blood and adrenaline on my tongue. The priest lowered a hand to my head and said in a calm voice

“Knä ner och f’ vé r Herrens välsignelse.”

(Swed.: "Knee down and receive the blessing of our Lord.")

Then he spoke something in Latin and held the gold cross with which he had blinded the robot, over me. Then he took his hand from my head and slapped a sign of the cross over me. As I looked up, the sun emerged again behind the cloud bench, illuminated the colorful windows with the images of saints and let the altar cross shine in the golden glow.

A deep, almost, unearthly peace spread within me. I heard a rustle and a whisper. Frightened children at the hands of their mothers hesitantly entered the altar room in disbelief that they had been saved. I rose and more and more people came out of their hiding places. Then I heard a rumble at the entrance and swirling around I picked up the 44 but some soldiers stood in the entrance and shouted

"THE WAR IS OVER! THE WAR IS OVER! WE HAVE WINT! THE ROBOTS ARE ALL DESTROYED!!"

Slowly, applause erupted. People all came up to me and wanted to touch me, cries of joy rang out, they clapped their hands. I was looking for my AK4 what I had thrown because it was empty shot. Then I looked for the Klaucke that had slipped away from me during the battle, picked it up, secured it, and pushed her into her holster as I slowly walked out of the church.

The people in the church came after me in a procession together with the priest. As I slowly walked down the stairs in front of the church portal, the sun shone and sent its warming rays. I blinked in the sunlight.

Suddenly, applause erupted. Cameras clicked, cameras where humming. It was all so unreal, so surreal. I saw people in my unit. They had put their helmets on the rifle barrels and waved them. General Viklund, who towered over everyone, stood on the square in front of his jeep and applauded.

"Helldiver, please look over here, please see Helldiver in the camera please. How do they feel about Helldiver. A word for our viewers please."

I couldn’t say anything, I was still too overwhelmed, have we finally ended the crisis and turned away the coup d’état? Would I finally be able to go home and look for Amelie?

General Viklund approached me with weighty steps, pushing all too intrusive reporters aside. He put his arm around my shoulder and led me through the crowd. Before I got into the jeep, he slapped me on the shoulder with his paw.

"That was a good job my boy, My respect."

The jeep drove at high speed through the city to the palace. The helicopter stood in the courtyard of the palace. A speaker’s podium was set up there and a red carpet. As we stopped, King Charles Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden approached us on the red carpet. General Viklund and I took a stand and saluted.

King Charles Gustav first extended his hand to General Viklund and said

"Thank you, General Viklund, thank you for your loyalty. Then he stepped in front of me. I kept my hand at my head after the king had saluted in front of me, I also took down my hand. He reached out to me and said to me

"Ulf Kellerson, we are deeply in debt to you and your friends. I can only express our deep gratitude to you at the moment. The country of Sweden will show our thank to you and your friends at a ceremony. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. "

I saluted again. Then Queen Silvia stepped in front of me and handed me a laugh. I quickly peeked to General Viklund, because I didn’t know if I had to salute now or not. I quickly raised my hand to my head and grabbed the Queen’s hand.

"As my husband said, we thank them from the bottom of our hearts," she told me.

Cameras clicked and a thunderstorm of lightning was coming down on me all the time. Then General Viklund poked me and hissed

"Come sports friend, departure."

On the flight back to the barracks, he told me that my parents would come to me tomorrow and that we could go home. We would be flown by helicopter to Yttervik.

Amelie tells us:

I woke up in Babette’s apartment and looked around. It was a two-room apartment. The toilet and bathroom were in the hallway. Mann had to share the bathroom with three parties according to a fixed schedule. In the adjoining room was Babette’s bed. The room was just so big that it just fit in. She herself lay on the couch that stood in the eat-in kitchen. She stretched slowly. When she thought of the bunker beds, she had already slept worse. She thought again of Ulf and how much she liked to lay on his chest in the morning and enjoyed his warmth.

Instead, she stared up at the high ceiling of Babette’s old apartment. Slowly, she rose. She was fine, even though she had been drinking a bottle of wine with Babette last night. She had told Babette a lot about Ulf and what she had experienced with him.

“Hach, how romantic,” Babette had raved as she recounted how Ulf had thrown himself into the robot’s bullets to protect her and push her away.

“And the lone knight is now in Sweden and you don’t know where,”

Babette had said.

“Oh, bunny you’re a real misfortune raven.”

Amelie swung up and set about cooking coffee. Babette was still lolling in her bed and muttering

“Good Morning bunny I’ll be coming right away, a little moment.”

Amelie smiled and makes breakfast. She makes fried eggs and browned toast slices.

“It’s like a hotel,” Babette yawned behind her.

She had thrown a morning coat over her shoulders. The two girls had breakfast. Then Babette said

“Make you a bit beauty, we’re going to Jean now, maybe you can work in the late shift.”

Amelie makes her ready. Then the two girls moved through Paris. Babette worked in a fast-food restaurant at the foot of Montmartre. Here was a real tourist hotspot, as many went up to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. In the evening, the Moulin Rouge was a magnet. Babette spoke for jean. He asked Amelie about her knowledge. She was promised the eleven francs per hour and was able to start right in the late shift. She was admitted and given work clothes. She had to wear a special apron with the logo of the restaurant chain. She was divided into the kitchen and was responsible for the fries and roasting of the Hamburger Pattys.

Amelie went shopping for dinner and appeared with Babette on time for the work. The work went well for her. She had quickly understand the Patty roasting machine. She knew fries well anyway. Jean watched her from time to time, but saw it all going on. In between, she brought a tray of a burger to the table or collected empty trays. She fooled around with young children and had a friendly smile for every customer. When the rush subsided, she quickly swept through the store with her hand sweeper. Babette served in front. In the dining room, several televisions hung from the ceiling. Suddenly Babette shouted from the front

"Amelie come fast, come fast, there’s something in Sweden. A tape of Breaking News flickered across the screen

+++STATE CRISIS IN SWEDEN++++ROBOTS ATTACK STOCKHOLM ++++ ARMY WAS ABLE TO REPEL THE ATTACK WITH THE SUPPORT OF HELLDIVER++++++

[helldiver]

Amelie stopped in front of the screen with her mouth open. An excited presenter commented on the pictures that were shown. She saw soldiers fighting huge tanks in a believed Amelie Helldiver, because he was wearing a special helmet. Even the way he shot was entirely in keeping with his fighting style. Soldiers were shown fighting Hunter. A soldier chased a hunter on a motorcycle and shot at him.

She thought she could recognize Helldiver/ Ulf again. Babette raised her hand to her mouth

"Ohh Mon Dieu," she said.

"How horrible, did you fight these robots?" asked Babette.

Wobbly images showed a hunter entering a church and a soldier shooting at him.

“That’s definitely Helldiver,” Amelie said breathlessly.

Images were then shown of a soldier slowly walking down the steps of the church. Suddenly, this man was shown in close-up. Amelie almost stopped her heart.

“That’s Helldiver, that’s Helldiver, Babette, that’s Helldiver!”

She pointed to the screen and swayed on her feet. Then she quickly ran into the kitchen. At the last second, she saved the Pattys from burning. In a hurry, she assembled the hamburgers, while the tears of joy ran down her cheeks. The TV report was repeated all evening and while it was a little quieter in the store she had the opportunity to take a look at the screen and get some information.

Slowly, the cards were put on the table and even mentioned their name. She saw the Swedish royal couple thanking Helldiver. But she also saw the sadness in his eyes. She had to fight back against her tears when she saw a picture of him. She saw how battered he was. He had a bloody bruise on his face. She knew he wasn’t saying anything into the reporters’ microphones. Helldiver was never one that pushes himself to the fore, he was a quiet, almost closed man.

She saw exactly what he was missing and said quietly and with a trembling voice

"I hug you darling, hopefully you feel it."

After the work she was completely excited and bought the evening edition of the newspaper. She scrolled through it side by side with Babette and explained the different types of robots to Babette.

"Man bunny, you know more than the newspaper," Babette said.

"I was there after all,"

Amelie said as she stirred around in the cooking pot. Her heart was filled with joy. Soon she would go in search and look for her Ulf. In silence, she was already counting on how many weeks she had to work to get the money she needed for the car and maintenance.

Helldiver tells

The helicopters gathered over Stockholm until the whole squadron was complete. Then we flew in low flight over the forests. Sometime later, the whole squadron descended over the railing of the barracks and touched down. I jumped out of the helicopter. Many soldiers stood in front of the barracks building and cheered. We gathered, I could identify Sven Forsberg. When he saw me, he approached me with joy.

"Hey, Ulf nice to see you. Your department got it pretty bad.’

I lowered my gaze and said

"yes, unfortunately, they are all dead, shot behind by this coward Arvidson,"

'Not everyone is dead, two men have been fatally shot, the rest are seriously injured. The fact that you finished the Hunter in the church alone without injuring anyone was a mature achievement."

"Thank you Sven," I said.

“Head up Ulf, you have to live with that when you do the job, that’s part of it, it wasn’t your fault,”

Sven Forsberg said as they walked towards the barracks building. In front of the building, they gathered and lined up. Helldiver stood with them in the row, because he knew the procedure.

Major Forsberg stood in front of the company and called

"COMPANY, ATTENTION!"

We took a stance and smashed the hoes against each other. Then Forsberg gave the order

"TO THE REPORT TO THE BATAILLONSCOMMANDER THE EYES LEFT!"

We all turned our eyes to General Viklund stepped forward with weighty steps before the company. Major Forsberg turned to him, raised his hand salutingly to his temples and making a report.

"Company, 20 injured and 5 dead."

General Viklund also saluted and said

"Thank you, Major Forsberg."

Then General Viklund turned to the company and said with his John Wayne voice

"MEN, AT EASE!"

We took the comfortable posture with cracking soles.

General Viklund thanked the entire company for their efforts. He gave the names of the fallen and again ordered a minute’s silence. When he let us ease again, he said with a smile.

"Men, you have done a great job and whoever can fight should also celebrate, so there is a small victory celebration in the troop canteen tonight. So march to your parlors, shower you and then we eat and drink together."

"March!"

All the soldiers turned around and ran into the building. I walked into my room. When I closed the door behind me, I sat down on my bed. I dropped my weapons. Somehow, i couldn’t really be happy about winning. I missed Amelie. I pulled her picture out of my shirt pocket and looked at it. What beautiful eyes she had and that lovely smile. How Much I would have liked to have kissed her now and closed her in my arms. I would have loved to have given her all my love. She deserved it more. I had to spend the whole time with her, thinking about giving her a home. I wanted her to finally know where she belonged. I would ask her if she wanted to be my wife so that I could give her the security she more than deserved. I hoped she would agree.

"I will look for you and find you, Amelie and if I have to search for you all of France."

I said smiling to the picture. Then a door knock abruptly ripped me out of my thoughts. General Viklund stepped in.

"Well boy, not in the shower yet?"

"Yes, right away," I replied. He pulled a chair to my bed and sat down.

“You’re happy that it is over, or?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s me, it was a long and very dangerous journey,” I said.

"Are you not happy, you look so depressed from boy?"

“But already, I’m missing my friends.”

“Can I understand when you’ve been braised in hell together for so long. You’re definitely missing your girl, am I right?”

"Yes Mr Viklund that is true, I miss her."

"Is she the girl in the photo, can I see?"

General Viklund asked and took the photo out of my hand. He looked at it for a long time, nodded and gave it back to me.

"A beautiful girl, is that the Frenchwoman, what was her name Devereux?"

“Yes, Amelie Devereux, that’s her name. I’m going to have to look for her because I don’t know where she lives in France,” I said.

"I can see where we have flew her in France. Maybe that helps you find her," General Viklund replied.

He gave me a pat on the shoulder and rose again.

"Come, off in the shower and then I want to have a beer with you, sports friend, now no tribulation is blown."

"To command Mr. General," I say with a smile, getting up from the bed.

In the shower there was a mood like after a won football match, it was sung, laughed, roared and the first beer cans made the rounds. I let myself be infected by the mood. After dressing up, I went to the troop canteen. The kitchen had set up a large buffet and beer barrels and glasses were available in various places. Freddie Mercury’s “We are the Champions” roared out of the sound of a music system, many waving their beer mugs and bawled along.

I took a plate and picked up different dishes. In a large bowl were Köttbullar, the little meatballs, how long I hadn’t eaten them anymore. Amelie had always made the greatest effort to give us not only the canned food but also something fresh. How many times she had ploughed herbs, collected mushrooms, milked cows and slaughtered chickens.

Major Sven Forsberg poked me from behind,

"hey, come over to our table!" and pushed me to a table where General Viklund was also sitting. As I sat down, he just tapped a beer mug full and pushed it over to me. When I toasted him, I only noticed how thirsty I was and drank the cold beer in large gulps…

We celebrated exuberantly. Sven asked me if I would like to join the unit. I could also study in the military and pursue an officer’s career. General Viklund said with a laugh

"Yes Forsberg knead him soft, we need people like him!"

I could understand them, but at the moment I had other plans for my future. Around midnight I recommended myself and lay down in bed, tomorrow I should finally see my parents again and then fly home with them.

Home, that sounded so good and felt good.

[helldiver]

Day 264

Jim tells us:

Akiko came to visit me and pushed me around in a wheelchair a little bit we made a trip to the flight deck. I enjoyed the sea air and the smell of burnt kerosene. We stood at the island and watched a squadron F14 Tomcat start. The engines thundered and made the air tremble. Akiko was impressed by how quickly the planes were accelerated with the catapult. Her mouth remained open as she watched a Landing maneuver by a Tomcat. A B2 also arrived and touched down. Akiko slapped her hands over her head and said that was a feat of landing such a large plane on such a small place.

We visited the canteen where I saw some people from my unit again. There was a big "hello". Many took pictures of us. Akiko, of course, had to be on the picture with them.

Since Akiko was on board and as a budding doctor assisting the two doctors Smith and Pattinson, General Pounder recorded an increased medical status, because the soldiers went to the hospital for every minor injury to be treated by Akiko or to catch a glimpse of her.

Amelie tells us:

I woke up in the morning with a good feeling. Finally, the crisis in Sweden was over and the robots were finally destroyed. That Helldiver / Ulf had survived made me happy. I would have to work for a few more weeks, but I thought he wouldn’t run away from me in Sweden. I couldn’t do anything as long as i was banned from entering the country.

But that Ulf lived and was unharmed made me happy. I had breakfast with Babette and then went shopping. I studied the newspaper at the newspaper kiosk and bought the latest issue. I wanted to know what was going on in Sweden. I saw a picture of Jim and Akiko and even of me in the newspaper, but all they wrote was that we were on the road with Helldiver and had fought against the machines.

I also read an article about the Björntunet Hotel. The refugees around Anita Sjögren had been flown out by helicopter. In interviews, people explicitly thanked the "Helldivers" as they had named us in the hotel. Not much has been written about the background of the robot crisis. In the afternoon I went to work with Babette. On the Televisions I could see headlines again and again and watch smaller reports.

I hid in the kitchen because every now and then a picture of me flickered across the screen. I realized it was my passport photo, which I was a few years younger than I think I was around the seventeen when it was made. The work went well to my hand much to Jean’s satisfaction. He asked me if I could work on Sundays. That was right for me because I had the money for my project together more quickly.

Helldiver tells us:

After line up at morning and the day’s orders were given, I was asked to see General Viklund.

One could notice that normal life returned to the barracks. I climbed the stairs to General Viklund’s office and knocked on his door. A loud “Come in” sounded and I entered the office.

I took a stance and saluted. General Viklund rose and saluted back with a laugh. Then he offered me space.

“So boy,” he began “Your parents are on their way here, so they’d have to land here in half an hour. Once again, I would like to express my thanks to you for your work and loyalty. The Ministry of Defence will still be contacting you and your friends, because there is still a chic buzz waiting for each of you. I can’t say exactly how much, but I’ve heard it’s supposed to be some.’

"What?" I asked

"Well, for the inconvenience, every day in danger of death, all the missions you have done, and ultimately a reward for liberating the land. The royal family itself has also put a few crowns on it. By the way, you can keep your weapons. Maybe you need them again," he said with a wink.

"I hope not," I said.

So, and now we drink one," General Viklund said, standing up.

He went to a closet on the opposite wall, opened a door and took a bottle and two shot glasses. In addition to the closet on the wall, many, sometimes also historical, firearms hung. He placed the glasses in front of him on the desk and poured in.

"We are on duty," I said.

General Viklund laughed

“Yes, yes sports friend, your discipline I like about you. That’s why it’s a pity that you’re leaving us, you’d fit in here very well. This is, by the way, a greeting from First Lieutenant Henderson.”

“Is that Jim’s father?” I asked, astonished.

“Exactly, I’m supposed to greet you and tell you that Jim is doing well. At the moment his wife is with him.”

"His wife, but Jim is not married?" I said.

"Not yet," General Viklund replies,

“his future wife, she’s called Akika or Akiki or something.”

"You definitely meant Akiko," I corrected him.

"Exactly, that was it. She also sends you heartfelt greetings, I’m to tell you that she’s doing well and that she’s going to marry Jim.”

I laughed and said

“I’m very happy to hear Mr. General that the two are doing well, I’ve been worried all the time.”

General Viklund smiled and pushed a shot glass over to me.

"This is original Moonshine made by Lieutenant Henderson himself. I’ve known Amadeus for quite a long time. His boy cleaned up with you on Östertörn and voluntarily accompanied your mission. You know I wasn’t allowed to ask.’

“Jim doesn’t get any trouble now?” I asked

"Oh no, he gets a commendation and here he will also get an award. I made an auxiliary operation out of it with General Pounder, so everything was official."

"I have done everything I can to prevent them from following me. I even chained Amelie. But when she wanted to follow me alone, the others of course went along."

General Viklund leaned back in his armchair, laughing, and snorted.

“That’s the greatest thing I hear, you have to look for the girl, you never find a woman again. I would love to have you all in my unit. So and now we drink,”

said General Viklund and raised his glass.

The brandy smelled very aromatic like fruit. Viklund and I tipped it down. I had to take a deep breath after the sip, because I wasn’t prepared for so much alcohol. The liquor had a decent percentage, but left a very pleasant, fruity taste in the mouth.

“Hmmm, that’s really good stuff,”

General Viklund raved and poured me in again.

“It tastes first class, I’ll thank Henderson personally again,” he said, pouring in again.

"Maybe I can get Jim to work as a liaison officer, then I would have a good connection to the U.S. Army and of course to you. What do you actually plan to do, what is your future?" General Viklund asked me.

I told him that I wanted to study mechanical engineering and of course I wanted to look for Amelie beforehand. I also told about Amelie wanting to study in Sweden and about my marriage plans.

"If she wants that at all," I said to General Viklund.

"I wish you good luck in the search and that it works with your wedding. By the way, our flight readiness has flown her to Paris Orly. Maybe she lives nearby. Maybe somewhere in northern France," General Viklund told me.

Then he lifted his glass and said,"Skål." Then we tipped down the liquor. He shoved a business card to me and said,

“You don’t need to worry about your future. When you have finished your studies, I always have a job for you as a civilian and if someone wants to cause you trouble, just contact me. People like you need our country.”

I thanked him and gave him my address.

“Just visit me, maybe we’ll go hunting or fishing together or we’ll go kayaking.”

General Viklund thanked me and laughed. Then his phone was ringing. He took the handset off, listened, nodded and then said

“All right, I’ll come down with him right away, put them down in the lounge.”

Then he put the listener back on.

"Your parents are there," he said.

"Mr. General, before I say goodbye to you,"

I said and took off the shoulder holster of the 44s.

"I want to give her to you, she will certainly be well cared for in your collection."

So I handed him the gun. General Viklund smiled and said,

“Do you really want to give me this? This is a wonderful weapon and, above all, with the history behind it. Thank you my boy. But don’t you want to keep it yourself?”

I shook my head with a laugh and tapped on my Klaucke in the holster.

"She has been with me all the time and has done good service. I can borrow the 44s from you if I ever need her again."

"You can rely on that, thank you boy."

Then he slapped me on the shoulder and said,

“Come on, we’re going to your parents now, they’re waiting for you.”

When I entered the lounge, my mother Frederike immediately jumped up and ran towards me. She pushed me tightly and kissed me on the left and right on the cheeks. She had tears of joy in her eyes. Then she looked at me and saw the scar on my head.

"Ulf how do you look, you were badly hurt."

"Yes Mom," I replied to her, "but everything is fine except for the scar on the head on the arm and in the side."

She slapped her hands on her cheeks

"My God Ulf, are you doing well?"

“Yes Mom, it’s all right. It’s all healed and I’m glad I survived. Many weren’t lucky.”

"What about your friends Ole, Knut and Nils?" my mother asked.

“Mamma, they’re all dead. Knut and Nils I found and buried on the peninsula, Ole is gone, I suppose shot or drowned in the water, I don’t know,” I said.

"My mother cried, Oh God, how terrible the poor parents."

"I have seen many dead, too many," I said to my mother, comforting her.

Then my father stepped in front of me and said in a suffocating voice

“I’m so glad you live and I’m proud of you my boy.”

He also had tears in his eyes and hugged me. I was glad my parents were unharmed. Then a throat clear rang out behind me. I had completely forgotten General Viklund, who was also present. I introduced him and he shook hands with my parents and said to my parents.

"You have a magnificent boy, you can be proud of him."

Then he said

"The helicopter is ready and waiting for you."

General Viklund accompanied us out. At the barracks I met Major Sven Forsberg. I said goodbye to him, gave him my address and saluted militarily exactly. When my parents boarded the helicopter, I turned to General Viklund one last time, and shook Hands with him, took a stance and saluted. He did the same thing, then patted me on the shoulder and said,

“Make it good boy and let’s hear something from you. I’ll come to you, if I have time to visit, rely on it.”

Then I boarded the helicopter and closed the door. I put the headphones on and gave the sign to start. Then the helicopter took off, the barracks sank under us in the forest and we flew to Yttervik. After about an hour of flight we touched down on the sports field in front of our beach. I was finally back home.

When we entered the house, it was just as I had left it. The frozen foods had all expired and were inedible, we had to dispose of them. As I walked upstairs I looked out of the window and looked over to the roof of the kiosk. The dead soldiers had been removed. The abandoned police vehicle with the dead policeman had also been removed. I stowed my weapons in my room and went down again. I helped my father clean up our living room. Then we sat together in the kitchen and advised what to do, because we had nothing to eat in the house. I was about to make my way to Salthamm, because my father’s car battery was so empty that the car could not be pushed and it had to be recharged, a military truck came and stopped in front of our house.

Two soldiers jumped out and went to our front door. I welcomed them. They looked at me in amazement because I was still wearing my uniform. Then one of them asked

"Are you the Kellerson family?"

“Yes,” I said, “I’m Ulf Kellerson, what can I do for you?”

replied I to the Soldier.

"We have food for you, a basic equipment for the first days. We have heard that your family is coming home today and we have the order to supply them."

"You come as called," I said, helping the soldiers unload.

The delivery included bread, milk, eggs, some pre-packaged meat, vegetables and some canned food. Then the soldiers asked irritated me why I wasn’t on duty. I told them that I had just come out of the service. When I mentioned the Battle of Stockholm, one of the soldiers called

“Man, then you’re Helldiver, I’ve seen your picture in the newspaper.” Then they said goodbye.

After a simple dinner, I went to my room, undressed on my T-shirt and shorts, and lay down on my bed. I missed Amelie, I was used to lying next to her for months and she swiveled my arm around her. She always pressed her back firmly to my chest and squeezed her small, ice-cold feet between my lower legs. All that i missed now. From the window, which was tipped, I could hear the water rushing, which hit the ferry pier. It was quiet, in the bunkers there was always a monotonous quiet buzzing from the generators. The light of the jetty illuminated my room sparsely. I looked around, saw my weapons leaning against the wall. On my bedside table lay the Klaucke that had accompanied me for many months. I was used to loading her through and putting her ready to go to my bed or sleeping with her in my hand.

Today I renounced it. Posters of motorcycles, Led-Zeppelin and ZZ Top hung on the wall. I thought of Amelie, where was she now, how did she doing? Did she think of me, too? I stared at the ceiling of the room and listened to the familiar sounds I had to get used to. Then my eyes fell shut and I fell asleep.

Day 265

Helldiver tells us:

I woke up after deep, dreamless sleep. The room seemed strangely strange to me. I got out of bed and went to my little balcony. I blinked in the rising sun and wished Amelie was by my side. My mother called from below. Surely she had already prepared breakfast for me. I went down to the kitchen and sat down at the table. It was very nice to be back home and the smell of freshly baked eggs rose into my nose.

I ate with good hunger to my mother’s delight. Then I showered and dressed. My father worked outside the house and I helped him. In the afternoon some people from the village came to visit. My friends came back to mind. So I went to the peninsula in the late afternoon. I went to the place where I had buried my friends, the spade was still in the ground in the same place. The tomb was overgrown with fern and other vegetation, but otherwise unscathed. I would probably have to visit the parents of Knut, Nils and Ole if they had not perished themselves. In the evening, I talked to my father about it.

Amelie tells us:

It was nice at Babette. We cleaned up the apartment together, took turns cooking something. Then we went shopping together and walked through the city. When we were back from shopping around noon, a police car stopped us. A policeman jumped out and demanded my passport.

"Is anything wrong?" I asked the Flic.

He answered me kindly,

“Mademoiselle, we have a missing persons report. Your parents are looking for you. But since you are of legal age, you can decide for yourself whether we should notify your parents. You don’t have to go back to them.”

"“You can tell them that I am still alive, but I do not want any contact and where I am currently it is no longer my parents’ business,” I said resolutely.

"Did you went apart in the dispute?" the policeman asked kindly.

"Yes," I said.

“I fell out with my mother and don’t want to see her anymore,”

replied I to the Policeman

The policeman, who had stayed in the car to check my papers, got out of the car and approached me. He raised his hand to his service cap and said,

"Mademoiselle Devereux, everything is fine with your papers. We will inform your parents that you are well and do not want any contact," he said.

he gave me my passport back. Then he asked

“Aren’t you the Amelie Devereux who was in Sweden during the robot crisis and fought against these dangerous combat robots?”

I said yes, both policemen nodded appreciatively, and the one from the car said

"Now that you are standing in front of me, I would not have thought you could do that."

Both policemen shook hands with me and said goodbye.

Babette said as the police drove on.

“Is it so bad that you don’t want to see your parents anymore?”

"Yes," I said, "my mother had me under her thumb long enough, interfering in my life and ordering me around,"

I said to Babette with a trembling voice.

“It’s really crass, I’ve also been angry with them, but I told them later where I am, quite violently what you’re pulling off.”

I was close to tears again, was it just my hurt pride? My parents had made a lot of things possible for me, even though they didn’t care much about me and didn’t give me the attention I would have liked. The boarding school they had deported me to was very expensive and good. I had enjoyed a rigorous and hard education and this A-levels would open the door for me at any university.

I got clothes, no matter how expensive. My mother had often brought me things from her business. Expensive one-offs that a teenager my age couldn’t afford. I had also passed on a lot of things to Babette, who, like me, was always deported. The fact that they were worried now actually showed that they loved me somewhere. But I wouldn’t go back to that golden cage.

When I arrived at Babette’s apartment and dropped the shopping bags, my locks opened again and I cried bitterly. I didn’t have a home anymore and Ulf was so lacking, the certainty that he was alive and that he couldn’t put his arm around me hurt me. I was just desperate I wanted to go back to him.

Babette gave everything to comfort me. When I stopped howling, I felt better. I had to get ready for the job. When I looked into my handbag and counted the money I earned, it cheered me up, because I was getting closer to my goal. Babette noticed that I worked like a Berserker in the kitchen of the fast-food restaurant and kept my nerves even at the biggest customer rush. After the work we bought a bottle of wine. After the first glass, my eyes fell shut and I fell asleep on Babette’s couch.

Jim and Akiko tell:

Jim fell the ceiling slowly on his head, because lying around in bed for a long time annoyed him. Akiko came to visit him as often as she could. He was always looking forward to it. She did physiotherapy with him and he counted the days until he got the walking gypsum, so he could at least walk around.

266.Day

Helldiver tells us:

Today I made my way to Salthamm. I wanted to go shopping there. Then I wanted to check in the Salthamm Bunker if I could get Amelie’s private things, because she had left her dress and the sandals in the clothing chamber. When I got to the bunker, I was greeted and let in by the soldiers. They all knew my face from television and the newspaper. When the sergeant in charge of the clothing chamber handed me the items, he said

“We’ve been wondering about the things.”

I thanked them and took the things with me. Then I made my purchases and went to Knut’s parents, who lived on Salthamm.

Both were still alive. They were lucky and had been evacuated with the first wave. I was received very kindly. Knut’s parents were both bowed in grief, because they suspected the fate of their son. They wanted to be sure and after a short conversation they asked me if I knew anything. As I told them, they both cried. I had a lump in my neck. I offered to show them the grave of their son. Both thanked me warmly. It was a shit day and I felt me misery.

Jim and Akiko tell:

I planned our wedding with Akiko. I had learned through my father that I would get a longer country holiday. I then decided to visit Akiko in Osaka.

Amelie tells us:

Babette and I had the early shift on Saturday and the late shift on Sundays. When we went home Babette once suggested to walk around the houses. She thought I needed a bit of fun and distraction.

“Maybe we’ll find some kind of delicious,” Babette said excitedly.

I frowned,

"What are we supposed to find?" I asked her.

"Well, some sweet guy you can have a bit of fun with,"

she said, licking her lips with a mischievous laugh.

“Oh Babi, I don’t need a delicious I want Ulf again, I’m missing him like that.”

"You just need to dance with the guy, no more, you have to have a bit of fun," Babette told me, cheerfully.

After the work, we made ourselves chic to go out. In the evening we left. We visited the discotheque where I met Babette. The music was loud and the air stuffy. We met two boys. Philippe and Claude. The two were friends and talked to us

Philippe was after Babette, because he made much efforts about her. A short time later, Babette disappeared with him on the dance floor. Claude was a nice boy. He was not quite as tall as Ulf, had dark shoulder-length hair and a three-day beard. He talked to me and tried to land at me. When Babette stayed on the dance floor with Philippe, he asked me if I would dance with him. I agreed and walked with him.

We danced disco each one individually. When a slow song came, he wanted to dance closely with me. I allowed it and kept him a little distance. He quickly realized that I didn’t want him too close to me and didn’t push myself. He was nice, but the butterflies in my belly were gone. I didn’t feel what I was feeling when Ulf touched me.

After dancing, Babette and I went to the toilet. I washed my face with water, rearranged my hair and painted my lips. Babette asked me if she could be alone with Philippe in her apartment for two hours.

I just said,

“Babette’s is your apartment, if you want to be alone at night, I’ll take a room in the hotel, I’m even glad that I can live with you.”

“Oh bunny, I didn’t mean it, he shouldn’t move in with me right away, I just wanted to have a bit of fun undisturbed with him, if you want to go to bed like that in two hours, then just get there I’ve made it with him,” she said with a laugh.

We went back to the bar and a little later Babette disappeared with Philippe. I stayed with Claude in the discotheque for a while and danced with him. He asked me if I knew where his friend was. I said

“Philippe is certainly on the road with Babette, because she’s gone.”

He asked me what I had in mind, I didn’t really know yet and said evasively

“Maybe I’ll go for a walk a little bit.”

“I’ll go with you and bring you home,” Claude said.

That was very nice of him. I danced with him again and let him take me in his arm as a slow song came. Although I found him sympathetic, I felt nothing, no tingling, no butterflies, no showers running down my back. It was just the contact between two people, nothing more. Just like a dance partner in a dance school.

We left the disco and strolled towards the banks of the Seine. In a night bistro I bought a bottle of wine. The owner even gave me two plastic cups. We sat down on a bench on the banks of the Seine and drank wine. Claude tried to look after me, but I told him that I already had a friend whom I would love very much. I told him about Ulf and that I wanted to go to Sweden soon to find and study Ulf.

Claude was a little bent at first because he had hoped for more. When he learned that I had fought the robots in Sweden, he was very surprised and listened very interested to my stories. Although we were about the same age, Ulf was much more adult than Claude. He was such a typical half-strength who wanted to tear up girls and get to the finish line. The goal was to lay flat the conquered as soon as possible.

He was just as childishly superficial as all my schoolmates. How different was Ulf. He was a year older than me but much calmer, more focused. He wasn’t so superficial. If he did something, it was out of conviction and with all his heart. I had met him at the time as very defining and grim. But he was only like that when he had a fight or when he had to think.

As soon as I was hurt or he had said something that made me sad, he immediately took care of me and asked why I was sad. I never had the feeling with him that he wanted to "rip me up", but I rather had the feeling with him that he did not like me, because he did not make any efforts to approach me.

Normally a skillful eye-roll was enough and the guys ate out of my hand, just as Claude would if I let him. But not Ulf. It had taken me a long time to conquer him, but I always knew what kind of person was hiding behind this grim facade. Claude couldn’t give all this, as nice and likeable as he was to me. I chatted with him without obligation and when we emptied the wine bottle I went back to Babette’s apartment.

Claude accompanied me. I walked beside him with my arms crossed in front of my chest. The April night was cool and I froze in my thin jacket. Helldiver would have immediately put something warming around my shoulders and if it had been his own jacket. At the front door, I said goodbye to

Claude. I thanked him for the nice evening and the accompaniment. I pressed a kiss on his cheek. He was so surprised and made such a happy face suddenly that I think he wouldn’t wash the spot where I kissed him for the next ten years. I walked into the hallway and watched him walk away. Then I sat down on the steps at the front door. I wanted to smoke a cigarette on my own.

I thought again wistfully of Ulf, how beautiful it was when I could lie down in bed next to him frozen and he warmed me when I could press on him and warm my feet with him. The sky was glowing, it was early morning. I had to yawn because I was pretty tired. I climbed the stairs and slipped quietly into Babette’s apartment. In the dark I waited until my eyes had got used to it, then I looked carefully into Babette’s bedroom. She lay in bed with Philippe. Both slept deeply. I stripped off my shoes, put myself on the couch and pulled a blanket over me. I fell asleep pretty quickly.

[helldiver]

Day 267

When Philippe wanted to leave the apartment on soft soles, I woke up and wanted to reach for the loaded Klaucke, which I did not have.

Babette was terrified because I was sitting on the couch so quickly and groping for something. When I saw that it was only Babette and Philippe, I dropped back on the couch and fell asleep deep and firmly again. At noon Babette woke me up and thanked me for giving her so much time. I hugged Babette and thanked her for allowing me to live with her.

After breakfast and then morning toilet we went to the work together. Babette was curious what I would have done with Claude. She laughed loudly when I told her that I had emptied a bottle of wine on the banks of the Seine with him and made it clear to him that I didn’t want anything from him. When I asked her what it would have been like with Philippe, she kissed the inside of her hand, made a throwaway hand movement over her shoulder and laughed.

In love affairs, Babette was a little more superficial than me. She said the right one hadn’t come for her yet.

"Lightning must have really struck you," she said to me.

"I hope that happens to me too, you know bunny with a bang that my tongue hanging drooling out of my mouth."

This time I had to laugh and say

"Is that the case with me,"

Babette laughed

“Yes, of course, I can see it at you when you talk about Ulf. But he is for melting away. "

We had a lot to do that day. But so time quickly passed.

Helldiver tells us:

Today I took care of my motorcycle, which had stood for so long. I rolled the Kawasaki out of the garage. I screwed out the spark plugs and cleaned them. I checked the oil in the engine. Then I turned the ignition key and pressed the starter. The machine jumped on directly and barked cheerfully as I turned the gas handle. I put on my leather jacket, put on my sunglasses and helmet and drove to Södra Saltholmen to the parents of Nils. I also delivered the bad news to them. Both were very apprehensive when I also reported to them. They thanked me for taking care of his body and knowing the location of the tomb. They definitely wanted to re-bed the boy in the local cemetery. In tears, his mother told me

"So I have at least one place where I can grieve. Then I know he’s there.’

I felt absolutely misery. None of them blamed me for surviving. I would have understood. They were all grateful to me. Then I drove on to Thort’s parents. Thort’s father ran a roofing shop and his mother a bed and breakfast. It was a pretty house near the Stenudden lighthouse on Södra Saltholmen.

As I drove across the country, I saw still destroyed robots lying around. I recognized some of them, we had done them. The two were very excited. They already knew their son had died, but they didn’t know the details. I gave them the personal belongings That I had taken from him before his cremation. When I told them how Thort had died, his mother screamed and cried terribly.

Even his father cried when I told them about Thort’s cremation. It was horrible to experience the pain of the people. I had only too much in my memory of the shock Amelie had been under and how long it had taken us to process the terrible pictures. Thort’s father thanked me and inquired about Amelie. I told him what I knew about her. Then I said goodbye. I had a lump sitting in my neck all the way. When I took a beer out of the fridge at home, my father asked me where I would have been. I just said

"At the parents of Nils and Thort,"

Then my father left me alone, because he knew what a bad day I had.

Jim and Akiko tell:

I counted the days until my walking gypsum. Akiko visited me again and again. She was the only bright spot when she came in at my door smiling happily and sat down on the bed with me.

Day 268

Helldiver tells us:

A TV team from a Swedish tv station was on our way. I immediately forbade any filming of my parents’ house. The handsome reporter tried all sorts of things and used all the weapons she had as a woman. I had them beaded off. I finally made her the offer to do an interview with me on the beach below Stenhaga.

The cameraman cursed as we descended to the beach, because he had to tow all the equipment alone. We took a seat on two larger boulders and she asked me about the robot crisis. I was as noncommittal as possible. After the interview, she asked me why I didn’t want to take pictures at home. I explained the background to her and forbade her to write about it or send something.

‘You’re a very pretty woman, but if I hear even one syllable about our conversation in the news, I’ll come and take your office apart.’

I don’t know if she understood me, at least she promised me not to do that. In the afternoon, a newspaper reporter came from one of the gossip leafpapers. He was a little more empathetic than the TV reporter and understood me. He wanted to write about us and our lives as friends. We drove back to the beach below Stenhaga. He took some photos of me. He asked me about Amelie. I tried to reveal as little as possible, because who indicated my relationship with Amelie.

Day 269:

After breakfast I went for a walk to the beach. I missed Amelie more and more with every day. Only working at home could distract me a little, but in the evening when I went to bed and looked at her picture my heart became heavy. I never thought I could fall so in love. I would have to go looking for her and do so as soon as possible. As I walked along the beach, I thought about where to look for her. General Viklund had told me that she had been flown to Paris. That was at least a clue.

But that didn’t mean that Amelie lived in or around Paris, she could live further away. She once told me that her father worked as an architect and her mother in the fashion industry. And I knew Amelie’s mother was called Geraldine. Paris was a centre of the fashion industry, if I couldn’t find her father, maybe her mother. Depending on how many Devereux families there were in France in the wider Paris area, I had a lot in front of me.

Suddenly I heard someone shouting my name. My father stood by the beach shacks, called for me and waved. I walked to the entrance of our beach and asked my father what was going on.

"There are a few people from the government and General Viklund."

I ran back to the house. In the parking lot in front of the beach, some black limousines and men in dark suits stood. The bulged jackets barely obscured the weapons they carried underneath. When I went to my parents’ home, the officers searched me for weapons. General Viklund heard this and shouted in his John Wayne voice

"Man you cardboard noses, leave him alone, we wanted to see him.

The officers immediately abandoned me. My mother had set the gentlemen into our dining room. Some gentlemen dressed in black sat around our dining table. General Viklund greeted me with a handshake.

“Well boy, you probably didn’t think we’d see each other so soon.”

"No, Mr. General, you are right, I had not expected you so quickly."

He introduced me to the people sitting at the table, it was the Minister of Defence and two secretaries of state. When I was seated and my mother served us all a drink, the Secretary of Defense took the floor.

“Dear Mr. Kellerson. The country of Sweden owes much to them. We want to thank you again for your loyalty and courageous efforts. That is why it was decided in parliament. To compensate them and their friends for the inconvenience they suffered, for the danger they were exposed to on a daily basis and for the physical damage they suffered, as well as their courageous efforts which ultimately led to the end of the crisis. You will receive a sum of 2.5 million Swedish crowns. "

I folded down the chin and carefully repeated the amount

"2.5 million Swedish crowns for us four, that is 625,000 Swedish crowns for each of us?"

"No," the defense minister replied to me. For Mrs Hyundura, for Mr Henderson and for Mrs Deveraux. They would have to contact them all and ask them to provide us with their bank details so that we can transfer the amount to their accounts."

The cold sweat burst out of me, so much money, my God I could help myself to finance my studies, build a house for Amelie and me and also finance her studies and we don’t have to worry about our livelihood. Then the Minister of Defence asked me about our experience with the robots.

He asked us at the military schools to give lectures on our combat tactics and the fight against robots. General Viklund made it clear to me how eminently important our experiences were. I mentioned my studies again. Then the general said,

'I’ve already told you sports friends, you don’t have to worry about it and by the way the French girl doesn’t too. For her, the entry ban has been lifted."

One of the secretaries of state pushed me a document over the table with Amelie’s passport photo.

'A special entry permit and a permanent visa. If you intend to marry this woman Devereux, she can take Swedish citizenship and no longer needs any more visas as a citizen," he told me.

"Then we would have something else," the defense minister said.

We intend to give you the North Star Order. We have proposed to the royal family that she and her friends do so. You will receive an invitation from King Charles Gustav of Sweden to the award ceremony."

I was completely baffled first this insanely large amount of money and then also the award with the North Star Order, that I had to digest first. The minister and the secretaries of state said goodbye to us. Only General Viklund remained.

"May I look around here, you live beautifully here?"

I walked around with him and showed him the peninsula, the beach and then we took a seat at my mother’s kiosk. We had a small snack and drank a cool beer. General Viklund clearly enjoyed this

"May I come fishing?" He finally asked me.

"But gladly," I said, "anytime."

Then he said goodbye. My parents were happy for me. I rode my motorcycle to Salthamm to get some bottles of sparkling wine to celebrate. On the way back I thought of Amelie again, how much I would have liked to have celebrated with her now. What a face she would do if I found her and confronted her with what she was expecting here.

Day 270:

This morning two hearse passed our house. And also a smaller squad of men. I knew they were going to get Knut and Nils. My father noticed that I was quite disheartened. Over a beer in the evening, I told him about Amelie and that I was missing her. I also told my parents that I wanted to marry Amelie. They had no objections. My father encouraged me to look for her. He said

"If she agrees to marry, then we give you the land on the peninsula over there, if you clear the forest and the bushes, you can build a beautiful house there and you even have your own beach. You could fill up sand there so that it is not too stony. Do you want to get them here when you find them?" my father asked.

“Yes, I would like to do that only I don’t know where to put her,” I said.

"She can sleep with you in the room, you just need a bigger bed, you have enough space," my mother said.

“And one more at the table, my God, that doesn’t matter,” she continued.

'What do you mean mother, do you think she wants that at all, because we haven’t seen each other for a few weeks now. Maybe someone else has met her." I said to my mother.

She shook her head and laughed.

“A woman who goes through hell with you and even runs after you even though you have chained her up, my dear, such a woman will not look at another man so quickly, you can be sure. Maybe she’ll even look for you, I wouldn’t be surprised if she suddenly stood at the door here,” she told me.

I quietly hoped that my mother would be right.

Day 271:

I sat down on my motorbike in the early morning and drove to Stockholm. I wanted to take care of my place of study. When I arrived at the enrollment site, I was greeted warmly. I had no problems. After a short conversation with the professor, I was accepted and was able to start studying in the autumn.

I asked about books I needed to prepare me. He kindly called me a few book titles and also offered to use the university library. With my registration in the backpack I drove home joyfully. I visited my bank and had a bank statement handed me out. The bank employee was speechless when he read the amount.

Day 272:

Today was a terrible day, Knut and Nils were buried. I had to go in the first row behind the coffins. The loss of my friends boiled over even after the long time in me. I felt bad all day. I became more and more thoughtful.

Amelie was so lacking. I could have talked to her. She would have listened to me and shared my grief. She would have comforted me on a day like today.

Where was she. The desire to look for her grew stronger and stronger and I became more and more restless. But before that I had to do something.

Amelie tells us:

Nothing new has happened in the last few days. I worked as usual in the kitchen of the fast-food restaurant. When Philippe and Claude appeared in the restaurant, I hid in the kitchen at the Patty roasting machine. Babette finished the two pretty quickly. I felt like she was making fun of it. During a break, I asked her if she didn’t care, meet someone and then just shoot off again.

“You know, she said, if I don’t feel anything no tingling, no sweats, if the lightning doesn’t strike, then it’s better to separate immediately, that has no other purpose.”

I knew all too well what she was talking about. I became more discouraged by the day. I was hoping every day that Ulf would suddenly stand in front of me.

I always imagined what it would be like if I could hug him again. Every time I sat on Babette’s couch in the evening and looked at his picture, a tear rolled over and over again. I was restless and impatient, it also reflected on my mood. Not that I was irritable, but I became sadder by the day.

Would he even look for me, or had him a pretty Swedish girl already misturned his head. After the hype surrounding him on Swedish television, she could well imagine it. No matter what happened, she said to herself,

“I’ll look for him and if he doesn’t want me anymore he has to say it to me in the face.”

Babette noticed my love grief and tried to comfort me. I didn’t even know that missing a loved one would cause a physical pain. As I cried at night, Babette woke up and comforted me again. When would he finally come and pick me up?

Day 273:

I packed up a few things and wanted to ride my motorcycle to Hjimfäll. I wanted to go to Himarvet and pay for the things we had taken out of the shops and I wanted to buy the ring That Amelie had looked at when we were in Himarvet. It was supposed to be our engagement ring.

I drove across the country and often overtook trucks on their loading area they had robotic wrecks. We had all eliminated them. At a gas station, I was recognized by a couple. They asked me for a photo with them. I agreed and fulfilled people’s wishes. I reached Himarvet on the island of Hjimfäll around noon and went to the shops we had visited. Nobody wanted to take money from me. Once I heard,

“That’s the least you’ve gotten after all the hardships, through you we’ve got our business back.”

Everyone wanted a photo with me. Even the mayor appeared and took pictures with me along with some city council members. Then I went to the jeweler. He recognized me immediately because he had seen my picture in the newspaper. He called for his wife. Both thanked me for leaving their business intact, but it wasn’t necessarily our merit.

Amelie had chosen a special ring during one of our forays to Himarvet, which she liked very much. It was a white gold ring decorated with two heart-shaped pink diamonds These stones were framed in small sapphires they looked like two intertwined hearts. The jeweler immediately took him out of the display and presented it to me. When he heard that I wanted to give him to Amelie because she had chosen him, they wanted to give me the ring as a present. I couldn’t and wouldn’t accept that. They also presented me with a necklace that, like the ring, had two pink diamonds in heart shape and decorated with sapphires that together yielded two intertwined hearts.

She sparkled and glittered beautifully in the light. I asked for a price for both items and payment by credit card. That wasn’t a problem for the jewellers and they gave me a very good price for both things. When the jeweler packed the ring in a small box, he asked me with a wink if I wanted to marry Amelie.

"Maybe," I said, smiling.

Then I drove up to the Björntunet Hotel. I hadn’t even inquired if it had opened at all. I tried my luck and in fact the hotel was open. In the park stood a tank, which had been welded to the joints so that it would stop. At the feet of the massive machine stood a plaque commemorating the slain employees of the hotel. On a second plaque there was a dedication for all those who had defended the hotel.

Next to the hotel entrance were two Hunters. They had their joints weldedso that they stood like monuments. They were terrifying machines, if you were standing in front of them.

I was able to push my index finger into the muzzle of his arm MG. Then I entered the lobby and was immediately greeted with joy by the staff. The kitchen door flew open and Gilbert stormed out. He happily shook my hand, kissed me on the left and right on the cheek and patted my shoulder. I couldn’t speek any word. When I carefully asked if I could have a room for one night, that wasn’t a problem at all. The hotel manager said

"We always have a room for you and your friends."

After I settled in, I went to the restaurant for dinner. Gilbert served me personally. When the restaurant had emptied he sat down with me at the table. He brought a bottle of cognac and two glasses and poured it. After we had toasted each other and took a sip he asked me out of course. And of course he asked about Amelie.

He was shocked when I told him we were separated and I didn’t know where she was.

'I’m going to drive on Saturday and they’re looking. I just don’t know where to start," I said to Gilbert. I told him what I knew about her and that she had been flown to Paris Orly.

Gilbert thought briefly and said

“I noticed that Amelie speaks a special French dialect. In France there are several dialects that are typical of a region. We French can understand each other, whether we come from the north or the south, but that one or the other word is pronounced differently and with Amelie it is so that she speaks Parisienne. This is a dialect spoken only in Paris and its surroundings. Some of the words she speaks are more from Picardy, but she told me that her grandmother lived in the Picardy and she was there very often. But she doesn’t speak like someone who comes directly from Paris, because I come from Beaugrenelle, a part of Paris, so I speak a nuance differently from Amelie. I suspect she comes from the north of Paris, because there are a few Deveraux families there. Maybe you should try it there.”

That helped me a lot. I had a goal now and would start looking there first. We still drank together and chatted. I gave him my address and invited him to visit me. He asked me to visit him when Amelie was in Sweden, because he also wanted to see Amelie again.

Day 274

After breakfast I said goodbye to Gilbert and drove home. In Salthamm I refueled my machine and booked a passage by ferry from Gothenburg. I wanted to set off. The nights weren’t quite so cold anymore. Until Paris it was 2000 km that I had to drive.

Jim and Akiko tell.

Jim finally got the walking gypsum. Then he was asked to general Pounder. He received him and Akiko in his office.

"Mrs. Hyundura," he said.

"We are near the Israeli coast tomorrow, we could fly you out and you can fly from Tel Aviv to Japan. But you also have the possibility to travel as far as Dubai. In a few days, a transport plane flying to Tokyo arrives there. It has material for the USS. Saratoga on board and could take you with her. Dr. Smith and Dr. Pattinson would be happy if you continued to assist them, because there are more wounded from Kuwait coming in, you would be a great help to us. In Dubai, however, tyou unfortunately have to disembark, because from there it becomes too dangerous for civilians."

Addressing Jim, he said.

“Master Sergeant Henderson, you could start your recovery holiday and accompany your girlfriend home. I wanted to suggest that you would pursue an officer’s career. You know the Swedish conditions well. We need a liaison officer and you would be the right man to do that. You would have to go to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, for a few years, where you would have to train as an officer, and after successful graduation you would receive a higher salary and you would be sent to Sweden. While you are on holiday with Ms. Hyundura, you can think together.”

Akiko and I thanked him. Akiko accepted General Pounder’s proposal and stayed on board, much to my delight. In the days that followed, we discussed the General’s proposal concerning my career.

Helldiver tells us:

Day 275:

I was preparing for my journey. I bought a guidebook and cassettes with a French course, so i could at least a little French. Some things I had snapped up from Amelie, but when she spoke a few sentences in French I could hardly understand her. Especially if something didn’t work to her anything and she scolded, she did it in French.

Then I bought a map. I would then look at the phone books in Paris and search for Devereux families. Maybe I got to find her family. I refueled my motorcycle, bought a second helmet for Amelie and put some spare parts for my motorcycle. I packed my clothes into a side case, the second one I left for Amelie. I was looking forward to my journey and lay down in bed.

Amelie tells us:

The weather in Paris was cloudy and it was raining twine. I kept counting my money, because I wanted to make my way to Sweden. I became more and more impatient. I was missing Ulf more and more and the fact that I heard nothing at all, neither in the news nor in the newspapers, did not exactly lift my mood. I had a day off and walked through Paris to the Swedish embassy. I wanted to ask whether the entry ban for foreigners had now been lifted. The friendly information explained to me that it still existed and that I had to be patient. She gave me a phone number where I could ask. When I went back to Epinettes, I thought I saw my father standing at a traffic light with his car. I turned around and ran into an alley. I just didn’t want to see my parents anymore

[helldiver]

Day 276:

Helldiver tells us:

I woke up after a restless night in the early morning. Outside it was still dark and I dressed. It was still cool outside, so I put a scarf around my neck and put on the gloves. In the kitchen, my mother cooked coffee in her morning coat and made me bread on the go. Then fired up the Kawa. With hoarse growl, she set in motion and I set off on the long journey. When I arrived in Gothenburg at the ferry I had enough time. I had chosen the late ferry because I wanted to spend the night on the ferry. Because I still had to drive 1000 km through Germany and Belgium before I could cross the French border. I had also put the papers in for Amelie and kept them safely in my wallet. When the ferry was moving towards Kiel, I went to smoke on the upper deck. I had bought a can of beer and enjoyed it. I had inserted the learning cassette into my Walkman and learned French.

Day 277:

The crossing was stormy. The ship rolled on the high seas, so I kept waking up. The storm howled and roared around the ship. In the morning we docked in Kiel and I drove out. On the German motorways I was able to really throttle. There were miles of stretches without any speed restrictions. I let the Kawa loosen the reins and flew over the highway at over 200 km/h. On the Swedish motorways, only 110 km/h was allowed and in exceptional cases 120 km/h. I’ve never been on a longer track with my motorcycle so fast. It was a lot of fun for me. The motorcycle vibrated and roared under me. The area flew past me, it was like an intoxication.

At noon I reached the Belgian border. In Belgium there was again a speed limit, in the afternoon I reached the French border. It was already dawning when I drove in Paris. I had to look for a hotel. I did several laps around the Arc de Triomphe because I had trouble changing lanes in the dense traffic. I had to concentrate a lot.

Then I drove along the Champs Elysees. Left and right fashion shops. All the noble brands like Givenchy, Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Versace and, and, and… I had to concentrate a lot on the traffic that the French drove like the savages. Then I saw a tourist information. I stopped and asked for a hotel.

I had been practising French all the time during my trip through Belgium, so I could say good evening and ask for a hotel. The nice lady gave me several addresses of hotels. One she recommended me, it was close and after some searching, I found the hotel.

I parked my motorcycle near the entrance and entered the hotel. With my bumpy French I asked for a room. In English, he asked me if I really wanted a double room. I confirm it to him, because I also wanted to have a place to sleep for Amelie. I paid for three days in advance and asked if I could extend if necessary.

That was not a problem. The room was located in an old building. It had a beautifully designed stucco ceiling. I was able to put my motorcycle in the backyard. There it was safe and could not be stolen. Not far from the hotel there was a small snack, there you could get fries, sausages and even hamburgers like at my mother. I had never eaten a hamburger and ordered one. He tasted really good.

As I ate it, I had to think of Jim, who as an American was naturally used to burgers. I bought a can of beer and drank it in the room. You weren’t allowed to smoke in the room, so I went down to the door. The concierge was very friendly and provided me with company. I tried to talk to him in French. I bumped and stumbled, but the constant speaking helped me to understand the language better and I learned it.

Day 278:

I had slept well. The noises were different from my home, of course. In front of the window, the traffic was pulsating. The constant driving on and off the cars was new to me. I was just used to the sound of the sea and the few cars stopping and waiting at the ferry. I went to breakfast. There was a buffet of croissants. They tasted excellent with butter and jam. Amelie had often baked them when she had enough ingredients, and Gilbert had made them daily at the Björntunet Hotel.

I asked the concierge for the phone book. I started looking and actually found some Devereux families. With the help of the city map, I located the addresses. There were actually two architects named Devereux. One of them was more in the west of Paris, one in the north. In the suburb Les Sablon.

It occurred to me that Amelie had always talked about building close to the Seine. But this was more about the fact that she quickly ran tears, whether out of emotion or sadness or anger. I had only seen it once that she had tears of rage in her eyes.

I had to think of her pretty eyes again. I wrote down the addresses and returned the phone book.

“Vous cherchez quelqu’un ?”(french are you looking for someone?"), the concierge asked curiously.

Oui (French: Yes)," I replied.

“Vous devez étre la recherche d’une fille (French: you are certainly looking for a girl).”

I nodded my head and said "Oui."

Then the concierge pulled out a newspaper under the counter and showed it to me. She was already a week old and showed my face and the faces of Amelie, Jim and Akiko. In the picture Amelie looked a little different than I knew her somehow more childlike, younger.

I showed my photo of Amelie. The concierge smiled and nodded his head. He told me that if he met Amelie on the street he would immediately tell her that I would be in his hotel.

“Il faut aider un couple d’amoureux(A love couple must be helped),”

the concierge said to me with a wink.

I got my motorcycle jacket and helmet and set off. I had swapped my leather pants for denim pants and put on a chic leather jacket and shirt. I didn’t want to look too wild if I met Amelie’s parents now. There was a lot to see in Paris. Particularly impressive was the Eifel Tower, which towered high above the city.

There were many historic buildings to see. Eventually I reached the suburb of Le Sablon. After I had re-orientated myself with the city map I also found the address. They were pretty single-family houses that lined up on the street. Many of them had a beautiful front yard. The house where Amelie’s parents lived was two-storey and a little older. It had a well-kept garden and was painted in a beautiful yellow color. Next to the house was a courtyard entrance that belonged to the property. That’s where I parked my motorcycle. I took off my helmet and comb over my hair. I looked at myself again briefly in the mirror of the motorcycle and then stepped on the doorstep. Antoine Deveraux -Architect - stood on a brass sign next to the door. I pressed the bell. A little later, an older gentleman opened to me, who was a little smaller than me. He had a grey-melted shaken hair wreath.

"Que voulez-vous? (French: What do you want?)" he asked.

I was sure that Amelie’s father was standing in front of me because she looked like she was cut from his face.

I said “Bonjour, Monsieur Devereux (French: Good morning Mr. Devereux). Je m’appelle Ulf Kellerson. (My name is Ulf Kellerson) Avez-vous une fille nommée Amelie qui était récemment en Suéde ? (french: Do you have a daughter called Amelie and was recently in Sweden?)”

Man, what had I practiced this sentence and yet I stumbeld.

"Oui," he replied, visibly astonished.

"Savez-vous o’ elle pourrait se trouver ? (french: Do you know where she is)? "

“C’est ce que j’allais vous demander. (French: I wanted to ask you that myself.),”

I said to him wheel breaking.

Then he asked me if I could speak English, I answered in the affirmative. It was easier for me because I spoke english quite fluently. He asked me into the house. Then he called

"Geraldine, Geraldine Il y a un Monsieur Kellerson ici qui demande Amelie. (french: Here is a Mr. Kellerson asking for Amelie)."

A small graceful, blonde woman appeared. She was about the size of Amelie and also had her figure and the same eyes as Amelie.

“Monsieur Kellerson ne parle que l’anglais (Mr Kellerson speaks English only),”

he said to her. She greeted me and asked me in English if I knew anything about her whereabouts. They asked me in her living room we sat down and I explained to her that I would have been with her on Östertörn as known as Helldiver.

After she had followed me into the mission and we had destroyed the FOA 53 we were separated and I wanted to look for her now. Amelie’s mother rebuked me for promising to prevent Amelie from going on this mission. When I told her that I had overpowered her and chained her to the heater in handcuffs after I had forbidden her for days to follow me on this mission, she became silent.

Mr. Devereux told me that Amelie had left the house with an unknown destination in the dispute. Amelie’s parents had given up a missing persons report. The police had searched for her and found her, but she had expressly forbidden the police to pass on her current whereabouts. They were worried and asked me if I could find out anything that I should let them know. I finally asked about the reason for the dispute. Amelie’s mother lowered her eyes. Then she finally said,

‘I had slapped her for a cheeky statement and a day or two later we got into an argument because she has misconducted at a business lunch.’

Amelie’s father spoke to her and said.

‘She got upset about it because you wanted to couple her and you talked derogatoryly about Monsieur Kellerson without knowing him.’

I listened with interest. Then I said to Amelie’s mother

"Amelie had her problems with you, she told me."

I gave Amelie’s mother a look that pierced her.

"You must not forget that she is no longer a little girl, but an adult woman."

"What did she tell you,"

"Quite a bit," I replied.

Then I asked if they might have a clue where she might be. They told me that she was in Paris. A friend didn’t knew her.

“I’ll look around and if I find something out I’ll get in touch,” he said.

I said to them. They told me that Amelie wanted to look for me as soon as she could enter Sweden. I thanked them for the comments and said goodbye. I went back to the hotel and thought about where to start my search. Amelie might mainly do something with sewing or cooking.

Since she had no vocational training, she could only take on auxiliary work. I passed a fast food restaurant and stopped. I saw a billboard, they were looking for employees. Maybe she worked at a fast-food restaurant. After ordering my food, I asked if there would be a directory where all the branches in Paris would be listed. The friendly service pressed a flyer in my hand. It was a stylized city map where all the branches were listed. In my room, I brooded over the Parisian map and dividet it in parts. I would go to a a part of the city every day, search every sewing room and every restaurant, and I would also look at the hotels.

279.Day:

I searched the surrounding area and made crosses in the city map so that I would not go anywhere twice. Paris was huge it amounted to a search for the pin in the haystack. I rattled off the whole neighborhood and showed in every hotel in every restaurant the picture of Amelie with always the same question

"Avez-vous, par hasard, vu cette femme? (french: Did you see this woman?)"

I always got an obligate "Non (french: No)".

I thought about starting the next day at Epinettes and slowly working my way down.

I left my motorcycle in the hotel and set off on the metro. I walked through Epinettes all day and asked in all the companies that were come in question. Everywhere I got a "Non". I slowly went back to the hotel. As I stood at a traffic light, i saw a young, blonde woman walking along the sidewalk in the crowd towards Epinettes. She wore an apron with a logo of a French fast-food restaurant sewn on.

She looked damn similar to Amelie. I watched her and waited impatiently for the traffic lights to turn green. I ran and pushed myself through the crowd and got some nasty calls afterwards from people I had bumped into.

Then suddenly she was gone from my sight. I saw a side street and walked in. There was nothing to see. After about 50m an alley ended up in the street. I looked in and couldn’t see anyone. If so, then the person in one of the houses had disappeared. Maybe it wasn’t Amelie, but someone else who looked like Amelie. I went back to the hotel. Along the way, I met another young woman who was wearing the same apron as the blonde woman earlier. “Le Burger” I read on the apron.

The woman had purple colored hair. Without taking any further notice, I went on. I thought that i first look to the "Le Burger restaurants before I searched the whole city.

280.Day:

I left again without a motorcycle. This time I started in Montparnasse and would then work my way north. It was a very nice track to walk and the warm rays of the April sun drove me sweat out of the pores. At the foot of Montmartre there was a lot of activity.

I got thirsty and bought a coke in the next branch of the Hamburger chain. I entered the restaurant where the hustle and bustle reigned. I ordered my drink at the counter and showed Amelie’s picture again. The waitress called the manager, who also looked at Amelie’s picture. Had I found a hot track? The manager came out with the picture in his hand behind the counter and gave me the picture. Then he said,

"We have a woman who looks the same, the hairstyle is a little different but the face is right. Why are you looking for her, has she done something wrong?"

I denied and told him that I was an acquaintance and that I wanted to speak to her on an important matter. She has a late shift, she would have to show up for service in an hour. I thanked and left the restaurant. I didn’t want to embarrassed myself and i wanted to see who was coming up. I moved across the street. The minutes dragged on like chewing gum. Somehow I must have missed her, because I could only see a blonde and a woman with purple hair entering the store. I only saw the blond head of hair light up briefly. I was looking for a place from where I could see inconspicuously through the window panes into the interior, because the windows reflected strongly. I stopped until late afternoon.

The sky already took on a dark blue color and the interior lighting now showed more of the interior. I could see the blonde woman walking around in the kitchen between fryer and frying pan. Once she came forward and put something on a tray. Then she went back to the kitchen. Was that really Amelie. The hairstyle fit to some extent. The clothes obscured her figure. Or was it just a woman who looked like her. I wanted to go, and she came into the restaurant’s dining room with a broom and a shovel. I cursed that I hadn’t taken binoculars with me, but that would have looked striking.

She came pretty close to the window. I could see her pretty well now. That had to be Amelie, no doubt. She looked strained and made a serious face. When she asked a guest if she could take the Empty Tablet off the table, she smiled and saw her unmistakable dimples in her cheek. That convinced me. That had to be Amelie. I decided to return to the hotel as soon as possible to get my motorcycle. I stopped a taxi and showed the driver the hotel’s business card. He drove very fast and after a short time we reached the hotel. I paid the driver and got out.

I took my helmet out of the room and my motorcycle jacket. Then I sat down on the Kawasaki and let the engine growl. Then I drove back to the fast food restaurant. I was lucky, right at the restaurant I could park the motorcycle. I put off my helmet and put on a baseball cap and sunglasses. My beard was so grown that Amelie wouldn’t recognize me in this elevator right away. I wanted to get the last certainty before I spoke to her.

I had actually seen Amelie. In the fast-food restaurant Le Burger on Montmartre. I saw through the high glass panes how she brought trays of the restaurant’s products to the table and then disappeared back into the kitchen. I entered the restaurant and picked out the longest queue to have enough time to look for Amelie.

The young woman with purple colored hair leaned forward behind the counter and shouted "Bonjour, Missieur (Franz: Hello, Lord)" and looked at me. I went to her, she smiled at me. She actually had dark purple colored hair, heavily made-up smokey eyes and purple colored lips.

Quesouhaitez-vous? (French what can it be?)" she asked me friendly smiling.

I didn’t understand so much French, but I assumed she asked me what I wanted. I replied

"S’il vous plat, un Grand Burger avec du Coca Cola et des frites avec de la mayonnaise(French: Please, a big burger with Coca Cola and fries with mayonnaise). »

"Pour manger ici (french: to eat here) " she asked,

I replied "Oui (french: Yes).

She called me an amount in francs that I paid. From the corner of my eye I saw Amelie serving the fryer and taking the basket out of one, tipping the finished fries into a bowl and salting them, then she went back to the kitchen.

"Prenez le numéro, asseyez-vous une table et nous vous l’apporterons (French: Take the number, then sat down at a table we bring the food to you)"said the girl to me. She beamed at me. Babette stood on her gold-shining nameplate, which she wore on her lapel.

I said

“Merci beaucoup (french: thank you)” smiled back and sat me at a table with my back to the counter, because At the moment I didn’t want Amelie to recognize me. I didn’t want to bother her at work and I wanted to make sure she was it.

Amelie tells us:

Babette called Amelie Helldiver’s order into the kitchen. Amelie made the burger, filled fries and placed a bag of mayonnaise on the tablet. Babette filled a mug with Coca-Cola and covered it with a lid.

"Bring that to that yummy over there!"

"To whom?" asked Amelie,

"well to the yummy with the motorcycle jacket over there. You have to look at it, my God, what a guy to melt away."

"Oh Babette, you know I love Ulf and I don’t care for another man. "

“But Amelie, you have to look at him and why don’t have a bit of fun.”

Amelie smiled,

"Oh Babette, what should I do with such a motorcycle guy?"

"Come on , bring him the stuff and look."

She took the tray and went to the man who was sitting with her back to her. On the back of his jacket was scribed in an arc “Fenriswolf” underneath a wolf’s head with glowing eyes. He was wearing an Baseball cap on his head. He had turned the cap on his left side, so that his face was partially obscured. She could see dark aviator glasses and a reddish-brown beard.

She put the tray on the table from the man and said,

“s’il vous plait” (french: please)," and took the number off the table

"Merci beaucoup," the man said.

He held his face lowered. She couldn’t see it. The voice seemed strangely familiar to her. Almost like Ulf’s voice, but he didn’t speak French. Amelie wiped away the thought and went back to the kitchen

"Well?" asked Babette.

“I haven’t seen much of him, just sunglasses and a beard.”

"You should have seen him right," Babette continued.

Amelie went back to the kitchen and worked. Another hour and then it was the end of the day. She took a hand brush and swept the dining room. She also came close to the man that was wearing a motorcycle jacket, but could not see his face. She was still working on some orders in the kitchen, then twenty minutes before work the man with the motorcycle jacket was still sitting in his place and was sucket at his coke. She went to him and asked

"Puis-je emporter ceci? (French: Can I take that with me?)"

He fiddled in his motorcycle jacket and said

"Oui" (French: Yes). Amelie took the tray and turned to walk.

She thought again that this voice seemed so familiar to her. She heard a rustle behind her and a quiet click. Then the intro of "Prince Purple Rain" sounded behind her. A song that Ulf always liked to hear. And then she heard that voice again.

His voice.

Helldiver tells us:

Amelie came to my table and asked me in French if she could clear the tablet. I turned my face away and said "yes" in French. Then I took my Walkman out of the inside pocket of my motorcycle jacket, took off my cap when she turned her back on me and then I got up.

I quickly arranged my hair, turned on the Walkman, she went a little slower and then I said to her in Swedish

"Amelie, skulle du dansa med mig? " (Swedish: "Amelie, would you dance with me?")

She stopped as if she had run against an invisible wall. She slowly turned to me. Her eyes widened, her chin lowered, and a long sigh escaped her.

I saw the girl named Babette slamming her hands on her cheeks in the background. Amelie began to tremble and shook her head slightly from her throat came in

"U…, UL… ULF are you that really?"

the tablet she was holding in her hands fell crashing to the ground. I took off my sunglasses.

"Amelie, do you recognize me?"

"ULF!" she cried, reaching to her mouth with both hands, and then reaching out to me trembling.

I spread my arms and pulled her on me.

"I missed you so much, Amelie, I love you."

“Ulf, Ulf that you’re really here. I missed you so much. Ulf I love you Ulf,”

she said with a trembling voice, close to tears. She clung tightly to me, then she looked at me again and said

"Finally kiss me, how long should I wait and she laughed at me with wet eyes."

Then we kissed under the cheers and the applause of those present. Cheering whistles rang out. When I broke up with Amelie, she turned around and called Babette in French

“C’est Ulf mon Ulf!” (french: this is Ulf, my Ulf!)

then we kissed again, the world sank around us I was so happy to hold her in my arms. Then I broke away from her and said to her what I wanted to tell her for a long time and what I hoped she liked what I was offering her.

“Amelie, you’ve always said you want to know where you belong. I would like to give you a home. A place where you will always belong to, if you want to.”

I got down on my knees in front of her and took her hand and kissed her tenderly. Amelie looked at me in amazement and with her lips twitching. Her eyes were wet.

"Amelie, can you imagine…, you want… Do you want to be my wife, do you want to marry me?"

Amelie’s face suddenly glowed, she pinched her eyes together. I saw that she was fighting a hard fight against her tears and choking her. She put her free hand to her mouth and nodded her head, a choked “Oui” came out of her.

She took my face into her hands and pulled me up. She cried with happiness, then she cried louder

"Oui, Oui," and then she screamed loudly

"OOOUUUUIIIIII," she jumped up at me, wrapped her legs around my hips and kissed me so tightly that I got almost no air.

I heard applause, whistles, Cheers. She didn’t want to stop kissing me. Then she looked at me laughing.

“And where’s my ring, you get a ring when you get a marriage proposal”

"Little moment," I said to her.

I fiddled the little box out of the jacket pocket, opened it and took out the ring.

"For my wife," I said to her as I put the ring on her finger. He fit as if casted on.

Her eyes widened when she saw him. She was so happy that tears burst into her eyes again.

“Ulf, that’s… that’s the ring from Himarvet?”

“Yes, that’s the way it is,” I said

"That you thought about it Ulf."

“I knew you wanted it and I think it’s the right ring for you.”

I said to her. She hugged and kissed me

“I’m so happy, I could shatter with happiness,” she said.

A man came up to us and said in French

"Uh, sorry, Mademoiselle Devereux you still have to clean up."

I pulled up Amelie’s bow of her apron and took it off her.

"Ma femme vient de démissionner. (french: My wife just announced)."

I said to the man and pressed Amelie’s crumpled apron into his hand. Amelie laughed and looked at me in amazement. Then I lifted her up on my arms. She waved over to Babette and shouted,

" À Demain Babette (French: See you tomorrow, Babette)."

She waved to Amelie and threw kisses at her. The man stood there bewildered, with Amelie’s apron in his hand. I carried Amelie on my arms from the restaurant. On my motorcycle I put her back on her feet and got the helmet for her out of the side case.

"Here, put it on!"

She put it on, I helped her with the chin strap and set it to her size.

“I’ve never ridden a motorcycle,”

she said as she boarded the motorbike.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To my hotel in Montparnasse," I told her.

“Can we drive a little bit through the city, I’ll tell you how to drive,”

she said.

"Well, of course, where you want to go." I started the Kawa and she jumped on with hoarse growling. Then we drove off.

Amelie tells us:

His voice sounded behind me and when I turned around Ulf stood in front of me. He had been sitting there all the time without me recognizing him. I was finally able to let myself fall into his arms and then he made me this marriage proposal, I could shattered with happiness. He carried me out on his arms. And now I sit on this wonderful motorcycle and can close the man I love in my arms and never give him back, because he is now my husband.

Riding on a motorcycle is like flying. The machine is so fast, that you think riding a bullet, so fast accelerates it. Ulf drives masterfully. I told him how to drive Tour Eiffel, Place de la Vendome. We drove to the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and circled him. On the way back, I spread my arms. It was really like flying. Then we drove to Ulf’s Hotel. I prayed, “Oh dear God, don’t let this be a dream now, please!”

Helldiver tells us:

She sat behind me on the motorcycle, laughing, shouting and holding on to me. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed herself on me. As we drove down the Champs Elysees, she spread her arms, laughed and shouted loudly. I could see it in the rearview mirror. It was nice to drive with her through the night Paris. When we arrived at the hotel, she froze a little, because she was dressed quite thinly. When she came out of the shower in my room she didn’t dress at all, she thought perfume was enough clothing at the moment.

She literally fell over me and couldn’t get enough of me. We both had withdrawal symptoms.