It was as inhospitable an environment as was possible on Dusktopia. Subzero temperatures with beating winds; ice pinnacles shaped like jagged teeth rising across the landscape like a macabre puppet show dissuading prospective adventurers from making the trek.
Beyond these natural fortifications, however, lay some of the most technologically advanced military encampments remaining in the world. The Cataclysm had torn most of the world apart, but had left the ice shelves at the top of the world generally untouched — it wasn’t long before the hardiest men made their way here to set up camp.
An unofficial ‘society’ had formed around that premise over the last few years: military clans with officers, sergeants and footsoldiers selling their services as enforcers to the Cabal — every time a small insurrection or riot against poverty came up in the Blighted Badlands, one faction or other would be dispatched to put it down with ruthless efficiency.
“Are you crazy? You want us to collectivise and rebel against the Cabal?” General Davidoff exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the two officers standing across from him.
“Sir, we’re discreetly representing Generals Whiteside and Liu. They’ve reported the same issues with payment from the Cabal — shortfalls of up to fifty per cent each time, and they just tell us to take it or leave it.” the officer responded.
“This will be treason. The Cabal still has enough nuclear weapons in their stockpile to wipe us out in one stroke.” General Davidoff responded.
“Sir, we have been quietly working on a defensive shield array that can withstand the vast majority of their payloads, and we’re able to construct deep-tunnel underground bunkers to hide while the attack is going on. If we do this right, however, our saboteurs will look to disable the majority of their missile launchers so that we can negotiate on an even standing.”
General Davidoff paused to contemplate. His position as leader of his clan was only as secure as the funding he received to send soldiers out on missions and keep them fed, and the money was running dangerously low with the Cabal withholding more and more payments.
He grimaced. Cabal bosses had become so secure in the Sky Citadel that they basically felt like they did not have to pay fair market value for services rendered planetside — the rumours were that they were diverting the money toward a space station project that would let them undertake extra-terrestrial exploration. If that ever took off… they wouldn’t even need to pay for anything here on Dusktopia, or whatever the hell was left of it.
“Looks like we might just have no choice,” General Davidoff said, absent-mindedly fingering his pistol while staring out of the shrouded glass windows at the blizzard warring outside.
“But I wouldn’t do it with those two.”
He turned around — two shots rang out — and the envoys’ bodies hit the floor.
“We’ll be doing it our own way.”
___________________________________________________________________
《反叛的号角》
这是夜幕城邦无比荒凉，环境恶劣至极的一角，零下的温度，咆哮的狂风，形如锯齿的冰峰平地而起，让潜在的冒险家望而却步。
然而，在这些天然壁垒之后，隐藏着世界上技术最先进的军事基地。大灾变肆虐摧毁了地球大部分地区，但极北之地的冰川却几乎没有受到任何影响 — 没过多久，最坚韧的一批幸存者就来到这里扎营了。
在过去的几年里，在强者为尊的前提下形成了一个军事社会。各个军团接受轲保的雇佣，成为他们行走在民间的执法者 — 每当荒芜之地发生小规模起义或反贫困暴动时，不同派系的军团将被派去以无情的效率镇压它。
“你们疯了吗？你们想团结起来反抗柯保？”大卫杜夫将军难以置信地惊呼，死死盯着站在他对面的两名军官。
“将军，我们的背后是怀塞德将军和刘将军。他们和柯保交易时面临同样的问题 — 每次交易的报酬都有将近50%的缺口，向他们追讨时仅得到‘不要拉倒’这四个字。”军官解释着。
“这是叛变！柯保仍有足够的核武器储备，可以一举消灭我们。”
“将军，我们暗地里一直在研究一个能够承受柯保的武装破坏力的防御盾牌阵列，我们在发动攻击时也会搭建地下掩体躲避对方的反攻。如果一切顺利，我们的卧底会把握时机让他们大部分的导弹发射器停止运作，让我们能以平等姿态和他们进行谈判。”
大卫杜夫将军思索了一番。他的军团领袖位置的牢靠程度是和底下士兵执行任务得到的报酬挂钩的，而且随着柯保拖欠的款项越来越多，军团的资金储备已经告急。
他不禁皱了下眉头。柯保的上位者在凌空城堡已经变得无比安逸，自大地觉得他们可以为所欲为，不必为地球上的服务支付公平的价格。有传言说他们将钱投资在一个空间站项目上，探索星际遨游的可行性。成功的话，他们将不再需要为夜幕城邦上的任何东西支付任何费用，虽然现在也没剩下什么了。
“看来我们可能真的别无选择，”大卫杜夫将军说，心不在焉地拨弄着他的手枪，同时凝视着外面凌冽的暴风雪。
“但我不会和那两个人一起干。”
两声枪响，两个特使的尸体砰然倒地。
“我们会按照自己的方式去做。”
