Newsgroups: alt.ql.creative Subject: As It Fell Upon A Day, Part 2 Message-ID: <1j9utbINNhev@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> From: aa811@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Terri M. Librande) Date: 16 Jan 1993 21:32:27 GMT Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA) "As It Fell Upon A Day" Terri Librande Part 2 Sam's stomach dropped. "Am I here to keep that from happening?" "Ziggy says no." There was a touch of sadness in Als voice, but he kept his manner businesslike. "All those events hinge on this night; the Guard taking the campus, the kids getting killed..." He shook his head. "We can't stop this ball from rolling. Ziggy is operating on the assumption that you are here to help during the aftermath. In our history, the real time, some pretty heavy things happen after the massacre. He hasn't quite pinned down what you are here to do." "As usual." Fire engines had arrived and the men were jumping from the truck, hoses ready if another fire should break out. In horror, Sam watched as the crowd stoned the firemen, rushing them and tearing the hose from their hands. Rocks filled the air again. "God, Al, this is insane." "It's anger, Sam." Al riveted his attention on the link. "Nixon announced yesterday that we were invading Cambodia. These kids want the war over and everyone to come home. The president just prolonged the conflict almost five more years with this one action. It means that some of these hippies will have to climb out of their sandals and put on boots." Sam noticed the irony and anger in Al's words. His eyes asked a question. Al bit into his cigar, grimacing. In 1970 he'd been in a monkey cage in Viet Nam, marching endlessly, starving, watching his freinds die in new and unique ways. Kent State would be something he'd read about in a back issue of LIFE magazine when he was liberated. He remembered, vividly, the photo that had been printed--everywhere, it seemed--a girl kneeling over the body of the dying boy in the parking lot of this same school. Remembering that, other photos flashed through his mind--of Viet Nam villages, mothers over the bodies of their children and men. He had known at that moment that a war had been fought in the States, as surely as there had been battles in 'Nam. "What's on your mind, Al?" Sam felt distanced from his friend, more than normal. He was distracted by the students, who, in spite of the firemens best efforts, had managed to restart the fire. Al's cool manner made him turn away from the commotion. "I was in 'Nam, Sam." Al scanned the information Ziggy was scrolling across the link screen. "So were a million other guys." "And Tom." The chaos and shouting around Sam was escalating. The ROTC building was now burning merrily, to the delight of the crowd. The thought of his brother somehow subdued what was happening. There was something-- Tom died, that much he knew, but when, and how close to this very time Sam was living? With a sinking feeling, Al noticed the grief-stricken look that crossed his friend's face. Damn it, Sam was remembering--again. The Swiss-Cheesing sometimes worked to advantage, sometimes not. "You know when Tom died, don't you?" "About a month ago?" A funny kind of ironic grin crossed Sam's face, his voice and eyes filling with tears. "I think I sort of remember this, too. I was getting ready for MIT when all this went down. Afterwards, Mom..." The memories were beginning to rush him and he was glad the crowd had moved off. "Mom and Dad--they were worried that I'd go radical on them when I left home and maybe get killed during a protest like this one." "I bet you fast talked them out of that idea." Al was watching the firemen trying valiantly to put out the flames as the kids beat them off. Some of them more adventurous protestors were actually attacking the fire hose, pulling it from the firefighters hands. "Were you angry about Tom's death?" "I didn't express much of anything, then." There was movement around him, shouts, but it all seemed to fade at the thought of his brother. He forced the grief away, his gaze drifting over to the flames that were rising. The firemen had given up, it seemed, and were making tracks fast. A roar of approval filled the air as the truck pulled away from the fire. "They're just leaving?" "Oh, hold--" Irritated, Al smacked the link with the heel of his hand. "Ziggy says there isn't anything you can do and that they'll be back once the cops arrive. He's also saying that this place is going to get bad very fast, and you should go to your quarters as soon as possible. Ziggy is saying tear gas, the works." "Maybe I should warn..." Sam began, looking around frantically. "Won't do any good, Sam. The crowd is going to get dangerous and trash the property. Ziggy says Dr. Barry's car isn't far from here. Let's go." The car was a sporty little number. Al entered without benefit of the door, sliding into the passenger seat. At Sam's question, Al explained that Peter Barry was from an affluent family and could easily afford a car like this. With great reluctance, wondering if he should do something to help the students, but knowing he couldn't, Sam drove off campus. Ziggy hadn't been kidding about the law arriving--and they were coming in droves. It took him almost forty-five minutes to get to his apartment only a few miles away. The tension in the car was acute and neither man said much until they arrived at Dr. Barry's home. It was an old Victorian house which had been converted into several large apartments. Before Sam could get out of his car, an elderly lady hurried up. She wore a fuschia-splashed housecoat and a worried expression. "They said on the radio that the National Guard is coming." "It's bad at the campus." Sam put his arm around her in a comforting gesture. "You'll be safe here, though." "Her name is Mrs. Esther Gray, Sam." Al said, consulting the link. "she's your landlady and seems to set great store by you." "Those people aren't going to burn our houses down, too, are they, Doctor Barry?" Her watery blue eyes were as round as saucers. "I hear they broke every window downtown last night, and even some houses were damaged. What's stopping them from coming here?" Al shook his head at her words. "They won't, that's all." Sam gritted his teeth as they headed toward the front door of the house. "If the National Guard is coming in, they'll keep the peace." Part three to come. Terri Librande -- Unscrupulous---But effective!!!! Terri Librande aa811@cleveland.Freenet.edu --Assistant Sysop The Science Fiction and Fantasy Sig--Go SCI FI