Changed World

Karl folded his arms while looking at the screener. She looked at the dossier that he handed and tapped her fingers on it. In her ears was the receiver of a telephone. She was eyeing the dossier while checking Karl up and down.

“Is this going to take long?”

“Thank you, that will be all,” she placed the telephone down. She took her stamp and pressed it on the certificate from the arm’s service. “You will be able to keep your rank as a reserved officer,” she stood up and offered a handshake. “Thank you for your service, Second Lieutenant,” she had a coquettish smile on her face. “What are your plans now, Mr. Alden?”

She placed a pouch of his wages.

“See the world? No, perhaps I’d just go back to my studies.”

Her lips were lifted further. She was still clasping his right hand. Karl gently took his hand back. He took the pouch  with him and unfolded the strings. In the pouch there were banknotes and coins that amounted to sixty-thousand krons. The rest of the krons was transferred to his bank account. This was his salary for the years. It was nothing much. He mostly made use of the army rations and in the war he had no desire to do anything other than take a rest after a skirmish. Standing for hours or dodging bullets. The first few years he had helped Danil tend to the wounds. When the war became more violent with the entry of the monoplanes and sophisticated mortars. He had joined assaults and defended the entrenchments.

“I thank you for your time, Miss,” Karl pressed a palm on his chest. He made his best smile and left the screener twisting on her chair. Karl got out of the office of screener. The slightly crowded lobby had soldiers waiting for their certificates and letters to be stamped. Other than the krons that he was paid to. Some of the soldiers who had made quite a name in the war were given a plot of land. Karl was naturally given one in the United Provinces as well. As Karl was taking a stride he didn’t notice that someone was walking with a limp on his side.

“Oops, excuse me.”

Karl reacted faster than the man could fall. He held him by the shoulders. His left leg making a metallic sound against the stone-flooring. Karl recognized that sound. He also knew how to attach such things.

“Sorry about that, man.”

“No mind, no mind.”

“Need any help?”

Karl asked while looking at his leg.

“I know how to adjust Angelo’s prosthetics. Better get that fixed before you trip again, mate.”

The man scrutinized Karl.

“I ain’t got much money though.”

Karl looked at him dubiously, then thumped him on his shoulder.

“Fuck with that money, come, let me help a brother out.”

The man lifted his lips.

“Sorry, got me thinking what to do with my leg now that war is over. Still getting used to missing a part of my leg. War just got over and I just had to lose mine. Managed to keep my legs.”

Karl lent his shoulder. He led the man and asked.

“What’s your name, brother?”

“Emil Danzer, you?”

“Karl Von Alden.”

“Aye, ah, I heard of you. Magic shooter, right?”

Karl narrowed his eyes.

“So you were in the taking of Gustav Sallen?”

“Everyone who saw you firing that gun would know the name. Could be that you’re the same name, but got to tell you this though. You do know that they are offering ten thousand bits on your head?”

“In the empire?”

The two sat down. Karl searched his bag and got his tools out.

“I’ve heard that I got a bounty after putting down Maximillian or something. He was that butcher who got rid of a battalion.”

“Heard of that. Is it true you sliced him up?”

“I didn’t. He got himself flung across barbed wire. Just had the pleasure to punch him in the face. Honestly, he was quite unfortunate to be shredded like that. Intestines and all of that just ripped out of him.”

“Sounds nasty.”

Karl gestured for Emil to raise his leg. He unscrewed the panel around the  thigh area. There were adjustments that needed to be like how sensitive they are. He had familiarize himself with the workings of Angelo's prosthetics. It was common for some soldiers in the war to fit themselves with a prosthetic limb to fight on. Those who couldn’t return home had to join factories and help in the manufacture of ammunition or the assembly of rifles.

He first took off the panel then adjusted the limbic system. It was purely gears that worked together wonderfully. Karl wouldn’t disassemble Angelo’s masterpiece. It was impossible for him to deduce how the gears work together.

But he could at least maintain it after being shown how to do it. He plucked the smaller gear that sat in the middle. Then he oiled it with the rubber pump that he had. After oiling the rusting part, he closed off the panel.

“I suggest that you have the gear that I took out and oiled replaced. You haven’t changed it for months or had it soaked. It’s not like these things are waterproof and free from rusting since they were made to be sturdy.”

“Aye, I do that.”

Karl took his tools back and placed them back in his satchel. He was carrying a satchel and a haver backpack with him. Karl placed his backpack aside while barely hiding the six-shooter holstered on his waist. Karl felt Emil’s stare on his engraved six-shooter.

“Nice gun.”

“Ain’t it? Got it because I was good at killing. But a beauty like this is hopefully more of a decoration.”

“You think the war can start again?”

“Who knows? I know we just dealt a lethal blow. But there ain’t no rule that others wouldn’t start another great war to conquer us. Honestly, the old continent is really vulnerable right now. Makes you afraid of the things to come.”

“Aye, didn’t think of that. Was just happy that it was over, you know? Anyway, so you are leaving the island as well, right?”

“I am.”

Karl shoved a hand into his overcoat. Emil started picking out a cigarette from his pocket. He offered one to Karl, but Karl refused it. He leaned slightly back while staring at the stone roads.

“Nice place, this island is.”

“It’s cool. No noise and those Jarnlandians are amiable enough. I guess they picked this place since it’s quiet. Many of us are even thinking of moving here since it’s quiet here. Free from the mainland at least. Can’t imagine how many repairs there needs to be done.”

Thousands of soldiers looking for jobs. The factories that were once emptied will be populated again. Docks and piers would start hiring again. That was how things are now that the war was over. It was natural for them to disband the standing army. Although there is clearly going to be a surge of unemployed young men hardened by war. Emil leaned closer with a hushed voice.

“Have you heard of Mooney?”

“Heard of him. Kimball, his goon, had tried to ask me what I was going to do next.”

“What are your thoughts?”

Karl looked around then narrowed his eyes.

“I ain’t going to lie to you. He knows how to read the war properly. Brilliant man with great ambitions. It ain’t a secret to some that he had many people under him.”

“You had dealings with them?”

Karl didn’t speak up. But he knew that Thomas Mooney and his sluggers were famous in the frontlines for their groupings. It’s because they were so isolated from the frontlines that they were able to gather enough power without the army knowing.

“How did you come in contact with them?”

“Heard of the 1st Battalion the United Provinces?”

“Ah,” Emil nodded as if understanding. “You were part of that?”

“I was. With me and my brother Danil as medics. Got into an ambush with our bright blue uniforms.”

“Must be horrible.”

“Thomas Mooney was part of the charge. My brother had him tended to when he was almost gutted by a shrapnel. He was lucky that he got his ammo bag hit instead or else he’d end his entire scheme.”

Karl leaned in.

“Thomas Mooney was grateful to my brother, Danil, so he had offered many things to him. But I was included because I was Danil’s brother. He trusted us enough and so far he’s been doing well, I see.”

Contrabands were going to be sold to the highest bidder. And Thomas had convinced many men last year that ‘economically’ speaking it would be hard for them to find employment once the war ends. All that promise about wars and the allowance promise by their nation wasn’t going to be enough. It was reasonable. But Thomas Mooney wants to fatten pockets first. He was going to use this war to establish his own company through illegal and legal means.

“So you think that I should find employment for him?”

“If you are desperate. Go for it. But I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“I’ll take your word for it then.”

Karl looked at him.

“Just make sure to think about it clearly. There ain’t no thing in this world as easy money. Mooney’s plans are acceptable, and it will earn you a wage. But the dangers of such an enterprise he is trying to make is… dubious.”

“Aye, that is true. His sluggers aren’t exactly the type I want to deal with. Are you going back to your education as a surgeon?”

“Physician. It is my own way of condemning myself. Think of it as a petty way to atone for my sins.”

“We aren’t to blame for it.”

“Are we? I know we got drafted. Everyone did. But some of us joined the fight for the good of our nation. Oh, don’t mistake me. I have no regrets for what I have done in the war. My only regret is that I killed instead of healing.”

“Wow, the magic shooter had some thoughts. I don’t know what to say, brother. I never really thought about anything lately other than my missing leg. Guess I ain’t that thoughtful.”

He took a drag of his cigarette. Karl watched the bystanders walk by. He took out his watch and saw that it was already nearing the time for the boat to depart. He stood up first.

“Let’s see if your leg’s doing fine.”

Emil stomped on his cigarette and stretched his artificial leg. He moved it forward and backward before placing the artificial foot firmly on the road. “Works better. I know why I have to replace some of the gears. That reminds me, which ferry are you boarding?”

“SS. Anghel.”

“Nice. It looks like we’d be on the same ferry then.”

Karl held out a hand and Emil returned the gesture. 

“Well, I’d be good to have a fellow in the ship. But I suspect that the ferry will be filled with fellow soldiers as well. It could become quite a show.”

“It will be. Kimball is on the island, like you said.”

Emil looked to the direction of the port. The two hailed a carriage and took the back seat of the carriage. The carriage had an interior seat and a second deck which was pulled by four horses.

“I hope they aren’t loud. I have to read up on theories.”

“So other than these tools. Your bag looks full. Were there even books here in medicine?”

“You’d be surprised how far their selection is here. I wonder if I can even pass my exams. Truthfully, I don’t have the confidence.”

“World’s twisted, one of the greatest soldiers of the allied forces… afraid of a fucking exam.”

Emil behaved as if he was seeing an awful world before him. Indeed, just weeks ago, all I had in my mind was to dodge bullets, help Danil, and then survive this damn war. And here I am losing my heart over some exam.

Karl held on to the carriage. Two days...I should have two days to reach Villen. Karl thought to himself.