Tag: Wheelchair Wars

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (17)

When the train stopped, they were led out into a large cavern. Timothy struggled to believe his eyes. The walls were covered in live video streams of strategic positions throughout the planet. Then in the distance after an array of desks and computers was what was the main console.

Timothy powered his wheelchair forward not quite sure if he could believe his eyes and then whispered.

“You have a planetary defense system?”

The tall, muscular man walked up alongside as the clattering of shoes against the floor, and the sound of computer keys getting pressed fell silent.

“Yes, we do. After my election..”

“Election!”

Timothy immediately activated the armaments on his wheelchair and prepared to fire. Never before had he heard such heresy. Only the Emperor or his ambassadors can appoint leaders.

“Before you fire, there are certain things you should know. Firstly, we are of the same blood. I am one of your many descendants. Secondly, we only began elections after the Emperor gave up on this world. The ambassador on this planet left once he saw the Tyranid fleet head in this direction.

This world was on the precipice of disaster but then we thought of Wheelchair Wars and that our heroes would never just give up.”

Timothy’s finger was almost on the button to fire but it never went further. The wheelchair returned to its normal state.

“My name is Timothy The Younger by the way.”

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (16)

They led him into the heart of the city. It was clear that everything had changed utterly from when he was last there. There was a natural smile on the people’s faces, they looked radiant and full of happiness in their immaculate white robes. The floor and walls looked like marble and the entire place was well lit. It smelled of the roses that were interspersed along each corridor. And this wasn’t the upper echelons of the city. Not even close, not that that seemed to matter. There were elevators dotted around the place with people coming and going as they pleased. It was strange. The people felt free. Timothy felt an intense pride in what had been achieved.

It wasn’t long before the fingers started to point at Timothy and his entourage. First, it was just the younger ones, and the older ones looked somewhat stunned. Then the furious clapping started. The crowds grew thick. It reminded Timothy of his great victories, and yet it seemed a different world, if not a different universe.

After a few minutes, they reached an international train transportation system. An open carriage was waiting for them. It was wide and spacious. Once, they were inside the doors automatically closed. It quickly transported them into the heart of the huge city. It was swift, even faster than what it had been centuries ago.

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (15)

Timothy brought his battle chair to a halt a few feet from the welcoming party. A tall muscular man kitted out in body armor and carrying a large laser on his back began to speak.

“Timothy, welcome home! Everyone here already feels like they know you to some extent. Everybody has seen the replays of your most famous battles fighting for the Omega. You are also family to a significant portion of us, including myself.”

Timothy had intended to let him finish speaking but just found himself blurting out –

“Family?”

“Yes, family. All those women you had during your prime fighting days sired many births. Then after you left, any trace of you was highly valued and your offspring sired many, many more. Not just on this planet but throughout the sector. For instance, you are my great three times grandfather. So, you are not just here to defend your homeworld but also your progeny.”

For a brief few moments, Timothy was stunned but he regained his composure.

“Well, I better get to it. There is a war to be won.”

“Follow me. The planet has much changed since you were last here I’ve told. The air wasn’t even breathable.”

“Indeed and I had been hoping to use that to our advantage. Those plans will have to change.”

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (12)

All of Timothy’s former confidence and exuberance returned in the coming days. Finally, he would be back on his homeworld and there was a glorious battle to look forward to. That part though increasingly worried him. Even as he drilled his loyal troops in the shuttle area, negative thoughts and those bordering on chaos kept entering his mind.

Would he be able to watch the obliteration of his world if commanded?

If the Emperor was truly all powerful surely he could snap his fingers and put the enemy out of existence?

He knew such thoughts were heresy. But still they came.

Instead he tried to think of the positives. Of seeing his father and Audrey again.

He patiently waited till the day came that he could set his wheels on Uisneach once more. And he knew that it had arrived when the summons to the bridge came.

He drove out onto the bridge in full military regalia with all his medals proudly strapped to his chest.

But then he stopped his wheelchair stunned, his mouth ajar at what he saw in front of him.

It was Uisneach and yet it wasn’t. He recognized the two megacities protruding from the planet but other things were so different. He had expected to see a barren, poisoned world but there were lush forests, grasslands and agricultural fields covering the planet with ostensibly human settlements dotted throughout. The sea was a deep blue hinting at abundant marine life.

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (7)

It only takes the Robocarer a few minutes to get Timothy up, much faster than his father ever could. Of course, it is devoid of any love or banter. It is method, mechanical in doing what is required before it places him in his battle chair.

It gives him time to think about his drunken conversation. Something about it fills him with foreboding. The General will do the will of the Emperor no matter the cost.

Now sitting in his chair, he dreads what the future may hold.

He drives out of his room and it into the turbo life. It is a fluorescent white, as if valiantly trying to will hope itself into existence.

The door opens and Timothy enters the command centre. The first thing he notices is the stench from the commander. It is all pervasive. There a myriad of computers with flashing screens manned by people in white suits. In the centre is a translucent screen showing a blue and green planet. The odd large city on its surface was visible in places under its clouds.

“Good, you are here Timothy. I wanted you to see this. This planet Anubis 1034z is the next target of the Tyranid. A huge chunk of their armada will shortly arrive. As you can see it is lush and green, a hyper habitable planet with a large populations. For weeks, I have pondered how it could be successfully defended. Now, from our conversation I know that it cannot.”

No Timothy thought. This was not how he envisaged it being interpreted.

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (5)

It entranced him. The sheer scale of the human empire and all the different career opportunities in the army. So, he joined the Imperial Fleet and longed for war. At first, he thought that it would never happen, that all the battles were happening on the far edges of the Empire.

“But Trachtus five changed everything for me Timothy. Did you hear what happened there?”

“No, I didn’t,” Timothy replied, listening intently.

“A hole opened in the warp just outside the planet. The voices of chaos swayed the people and the 41st quadrant army against the Emperor. They were quickly reinforced by chaos marines. Such an abomination could not be allowed to stand.

We were sent to take back the planet. It was a very bloody experience, the resistance was fierce and durable. I lost so many good friends. I didn’t really understand war till then. Ninety percent of the population were against us.

As you will appreciate they all had to die. It was not something I had ever envisioned, killing women and children. other soldiers didn’t bother me. But it was the Emperor’s will.

I never hoped for war again because now I truly understood what it meant.”

Timothy noted the ominous tone in his voice.

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (4)

“Tell me of your battles with the Tyranids Timothy. I want to hear it from you.”

Timothy who was already feeling the effects after he downed a second shot replied, “Even from the first defeat.”

“Oh yes, it was the Emperor’s will that you would survive that battle. Tell me everything.”

Timothy then regaled the Emperor with the tales of battle, how he cheated death and discovered their weakness. The General was an avid listener, silently taking in every word he ushered. His mouth was ajar as Timothy came close to death.

“Thanks, Timothy, you’ve confirmed what I had already thought.”

“Where are they from?” Timothy asked unsure if he was over-stepping?”

“Only the Emperor knows. It is speculated that it’s outside this galaxy but why now..”

The General shook his head from side to side.

The conversation then shifted to other lighter topics. The General had been born into a military family on Sirius XXIII. A wild world with dense rainforest and mountain ranges, its human population is very small; an ideal training ground for a young boy. There were countless trees for him to climb and brothers to fight. Then as an adolescent, he was taught all about the Emperor and his mission for humanity.

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (3)

His personal quarters were large, with his own sleeping and dining area. Timothy could see a luxurious double bed out of his peripheral vision to the right and a small round table at the center on a marble floor.

“Please park yourself up here,” General Ham said pointing to the table.

Timothy did so and General Ham took a seat beside him before he continued.

“I always wanted to meet a participant of Wheelchair Wars. It made your planet Uisneach legendary in vast tracts of the quadrant. I’m from the planet Herodtus and the latest recordings of the battles of Uisneach were always eagerly anticipated.

And now to have probably the most famous of all the warriors in front of me. It is a special day. But not that you have now twice faced the Tyranid menace and lived to tell the tale.”

“Thanks, General you are too kind,” Timothy replied taken aback by the praise.

“You’re own record precedes you General and it is an honor to be on your ship.

“Would you have a Dworfian whiskey with me, soldier?”

“Indeed, I would.”

The General went and poured himself a glass and left one on the table for Timothy.

The robotic arm reached out from the right side of his wheelchair and brought it to his lips.

It was ghoulish and tasted of strong vinegar but he smiled and said, “Splendid.”

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (2)

Timothy’s eyes opened widely on seeing the Al Berta warship for the first time. It was a magnificent white color armed with three large ray guns and smaller cannons on each side. It was a thing of true beauty but also capable of immense destruction. This was the Emperor’s flagship in the quadrant.

He decided that it was worth the wait of weeks waiting for a passing freighter ship to bring him to his destination. Now finally, he would get a chance to set foot on it. His shuttle docked in a landing bay to the rear. On finally setting foot on the ship, he could see that the ship contained hundreds of smaller fighter vessels.

He was greeted by a pale woman in an elegant red dress whose long black hair almost touched the ground despite her tall deposition called Tauric. She was General Ham’s assistant.

“General Ham has requested your immediate presence,” she said sternly.

“Of course, I will go this minute. My men can be shown to their quarters.”

She directed an individual close by to accompany the men.

They then made their way across the vast landing area to the lift where she gave him a brief explanation of how it functioned three-dimensionally to bring you anywhere on the ship. It would of course be switched off in the event of the ship being boarded or infiltrated by an enemy.

It only took seconds before he was entering the General’s Chambers where she left his side.

General Ham was there waiting for him in an immaculate green uniform. He was old with white hair and two long scars on each side of his face.

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (1)

It had indeed been a great victory. At least for those on Iridion 5. But at a galactic level, it was somewhat meaningless. It was a remote barely hospitable planet close to the edge of galactic space. Yes, there were its mineral resources but there were millions of other systems to mine before that would ever become problematic.

If every soul on that planet had died, the Emperor would not have felt a thing and cared even less. It took time for the crushing truth to reach Timothy. He was awarded medals of course but there was a bitter taste once he understood the bigger picture..

Strategic fortress worlds had fallen in the quadrant to the Tyranids, all life having been subsumed. Billions of human lives were lost. Worse, the orcs had started a new campaign and a further handful of worlds had fallen to chaos.

Nobody else knew it. But the Emperor had had enough. Nobody could match his ruthlessness. It was not by accident that he had maintained his throne for thousands of years.

Months passed before Timothy received his orders. They came as a huge relief. The planet’s atmosphere was beginning to sicken him, his skin growing blotchy like the natives. He was to board the imperial ship Al Berta. Hopefully, this would bring him closer to Uisneach and his beloved Audrey.