Taken by Berlin. Nicolas Scheerbarth
"But not because of me? Or is it?"
"You're a smart boy, Joschi Silajev... always out to be a detective! Yeah, it had something to do with you after all. At least saving your bureaucrat's ass. But it wasn't planned that way. I've been doing fieldwork, in general. The plan... it seems the Nazis hatched it themselves. We wanted to approach you differently... and not so soon. But let Bonnet explain that to you! She's the boss of this place."
***
He was exhausted, but sleep was out of the question. How did it feel to be invited on a trip to an alien planet? After his fear had subsided, serious curiosity had seized him. But it wasn't the reaction of the threatened hostage that identified with the perpetrators. Berlin lay in the "Zone", was... probably... its capital, an almost forgotten enclave, separated from Europe during the Great Catastrophe by the arbitrariness of a rebellious nature, bounded in the south and east by the Dead Land, in the north and west by the Baltic Sea and the large Elbe Gulf. What was there? Some 200 years ago it had been a separate state for some time. Now it was swamp or jungle or steppe... the new map of the earth was full of white spots.
Joschi Silajev was a member of the executive committee of the... after the Middle Kingdom... best organized community on this planet. And he had no idea how it looked like immediately beyond the borders of his bailiwick! He remembered that this Zone, the Dead Land and many other areas nominally belonged to the Union. Borders had never been drawn after the Catastrophe. You claimed what you could claim and what was habitable.
Outwardly calm, Joschi lay on his bed. Thinking about the striking lack of information distracted him from the memory of the kidnapping, the massacre, the fear, the torture of the ride in the locked, flat box. But he was honest with himself. He began to look forward to this adventure! And if he was honest about it: These women fascinated him. They were the kind that had always fascinated him. They had energy, humor, love of life, charisma. They had everything that you couldn't find in people today.
He stood at the head of a power, the European Union, which was almost powerless. The power over a graveyard. He had wanted to save, to build, but still today, the Great Catastrophe was stronger... no longer the great dying, the complete overturning of the nature of the whole planet into a hostile... no... inhospitable world... but it had also changed the will to survive. Nature had had it with humans. Depending on the perspective, 10, 20, 30 years of uninterrupted dying. A rapidly spreading uninhabitability. Coming of the last judgement. No more trials, just executions.
The survivors and the few who were still born and grew up, were different. They didn't know about future, hopes, or plans anymore. The remaining mankind lived on call... on a planet that had once briefly shaken beneath them. People didn't need governments anymore. There was nothing left to govern. They had created a representation for themselves out of habit. Government was... and that applied to all remaining governments except perhaps that of the Chinese Empire... a museum act, a historical farce in bad copies of expensive costumes.
He was important in Strasbourg... an inescapable, paralyzing fate, veiled with a semblance of power. He had known for a long time that he was nothing but unhappy there. Here he was a victim, a hostage, powerless... and yet, here was something he'd missed for thirty years. He felt comfortable with these women... yes, liberated. Not only from the hands of the Nazis, but also liberated from the sad business of administering the dying of human civilization. If not, the Triads were behind it... if these women were typical of the society from which they came... he actually could look forward to being curious about Berlin, an oasis in this dying world!
"Oh, I thought you were asleep."
It was Kandy. She had come in quietly not to wake him. He could barely hold back a smile.
"We got something to eat from the monks. You want some?"
"Yes, please. But... monks? Am I hostage to the church now?"
She laughed, "You're worried." She stepped close to him. "You're not a hostage," she quietly continued. "Don't be so scared!"
She leaned forward and stroked his cheek with the back of a narrow, strong hand. Even though he was physically far from any excitement, he could not turn his gaze away from her breasts, which swung full and round towards him. She noticed his look.
"Do you like them?"
His voice was too throaty to answer. His eyes wandered to hers. He smiled.
"You'll see... everything will turn out fine!" She spoke gently to him like a mother comforting her son. Strange how easy it was for a woman in her mid-twenties to slip into this role, even to a man of his age! Perhaps it was also the effect of the two unmissable accessories, which swung close above him.
She grabbed his hand, pulled it up, and laid it lightly on one of her breasts.
"Go ahead! It'll relax you!"
"I..." – croaking. He cleared his throat. "You really are... you... you're pretty, aren't you? But you're making fun of me, aren't you?"
"No!" She stroked his cheek again. "I really don't! You see, we like you... all of us. We were told a lot about you. And we're sorry it didn't work out better for you at first... and for your people!"
"Couldn't you have stopped it?"
"It wasn't that simple! We... I mean Susie and the others... had to come here without being noticed by anyone. It all happened so fast. Of course... we could have tried to warn you. But if you'd believed us, a bunch of crazy chicks who suddenly turn up out of nowhere?"
"At least we would have put a stop to the Nazis."
"That's what you think! But have you ever thought about where the idea came from... to kidnap you... originally, I mean?"
At first, he had a quick answer, but then he began to ponder. Lost in thought, he continued to caress the round, soft breast.
"Well, tell me! Where did the idea come from? Or more precisely, what's your version?"
"Ha! 'Version'! That's not a version. We don't know exactly either. All we know is that someone from your club is behind this. From the Council. And drawing these people's attention to us would be the last thing we need. That's why we did it this way. Now all they know is that something's gone badly wrong."
"Somebody's gonna find out the truth. At least those mysterious unknowns who allegedly were behind the Nazis... although, in some sense, I believe you. The Nazis are well equipped, but far too limited to challenge something as big as the Council. Such an action cannot have grown on this brown muckheap alone."
"You see!" She bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "You're not that stupid. With a little help..."
Her breasts were now pressing on his chest. He felt the nipples through the thin cloth. He had pulled his hand back and stroked her upper arm. It was crazy! This woman might still turn out to be an opponent, and she could be his daughter, almost his granddaughter. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the attention that had long since ceased to be maternal! He was about to embrace her completely and draw her to himself... she seemed to think it was completely okay, no muscle was stretched to defend herself... when a voice resounded behind them.
"Kandy!"
It was the tall woman with the dark red bob. Kandy looked up.
"All right, all right! I just comforted the poor guy a little."
In any other circumstances, Joschi would have been offended. He didn't like to be called 'poor guy'. However, nobody had tried that in the last three decades. Now, however, he only felt sorry for the interruption, even though he was painfully aware that he absolutely would not have been able to "exploit" the situation. The redhead pulled Kandy up by her shoulder.
"Sorry, Silajev! She shouldn't have done that. We don't want to 'seduce' you. Forget it if you can, please."
***
He's at the Mehringhof. A huge, ancient, winding building complex... shady courtyards below, behind the high windows and closed blinds. It smells like clean dust and old things that have become warm. Dry