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Dump Miner
- Chapter Twenty Four
The last confession of mariA.
As the incessant alarm plays its droning melody, lines form at the confessionals throughout the incorporated Americo countries for the DNA refresh. The shuffling of weary feet is all that is heard at Resource and Welfare Facility 4499, as an altar boy makes sure that the miners stay orderly. Carefully avoiding any physical contact with the miners, he gives each of them a mild diuretic to take to induce urination. Too weary from work and too exhausted to complain, they all get in line, among them mariA and leO.
Bishop Magnus shows up in a smudged white robe and sits on the confessional monitoring throne. The miners start to walk single-file into the confessional, while mumbling a phrase, “Forgive me father, for I have sinned” over and over and drink their diuretic. leO enters the confessional first.
leO:
My only sin is thinking that it is I who would father the savior.
The confessional light turns green on the Bishop’s control panel. The green light reflects on the Bishop’s robe giving him an alien hue.
Bishop Magnus:
leO, there is no savior. Go in peace.
mariA enters the confessional and urinates into the bowl. An alarm sounds and the red light flash on and off in Bishop Magnus’s cabinet. Bishop Magnus looks at the light and bows his head. Waiting in line, the miners can see the reflection of the flashing light against the Bishops plain white robe and they start to talk.
jacK:
It is true?
rogeR:
mariA is carrying the messiah?
Bishop Magnus exits the confessional booth and is swarmed by the dump miners.
saraH:
Is it true?
Bishop Magnus:
Ah, well, ah, excuse me.
rogeR:
It is true? Is he coming?
Bishop Magnus fights his way through the crowd and returns to his office and contacts the Cardinals immediately.
Bishop Magnus:
Get me Cardinal Invidia. I have important news.
Cardinal Invidia:
Did you do as requested?
Bishop Magnus:
I couldn’t.
Cardinal Invidia:
Why not?
Bishop Magnus:
According to the report, a dump miner is carrying the heir to the Reaganship.
Cardinal Invidia:
We told you to ignore that.
Bishop Magnus:
I can’t ignore that, what is going on here?
Cardinal Invidia:
Stop asking such stupid questions, we don’t answer to you! That information must be squelched! Do you understand!
Bishop Magnus:
I will not lie for in the name of the party! I will not commit a cardinal sin so The Church can become more corrupt. I will not do it!
Cardinal Invidia:
Do not take that tone, The Church needs you; we must not let this information out.
Bishop Magnus:
It is already out. When the alarm went off, it just confirmed what the flock had already known.
Cardinal Invidia:
Father Templar is on his way to take care of this matter. He will be able to sweep up this mess. Now go and isolate that miner, and when Father Templar arrives, turn her over to him immediately.
Bishop Magnus:
What will happen to her?
Cardinal Invidia:
That is not of your concern. Now follow orders and do your job or you will be bunking with leO, do you understand?
Bishop Magnus:
Yes, I understand.
Bishop Magnus looks out the window of his office and sees that the miners are starting to fight with the guards. Magnus quickly exits and tries to calm the situation down.
Bishop Magnus:
Please! Stop! Stop this!
Bishop Magnus catches the attention of the miners and they all turn to him.
saraH:
The alarm went off. The alarm indicated that mariA is the heir to the Reagan’s throne.
Bishop Magnus:
No, not mariA.
Bishop Magnus lowers head and regains his composer
jacK:
Then why did the alarm sound!
Bishop Magnus hangs his hand in shame for what he is about to do. He swallows slowly, he knows what he has to do, he knows what is right.
Bishop Magnus:
mariA’s child is the heir. She is carrying the future Reagan of Americo.
leO looks at mariA. His eyes get very wide and teary.
leO:
You where touched by God!
mariA just stands there shocked. Suddenly, a thunderous roar is heard from the vicinity of the facility gate. Barreling through the dust cloud and engine smoke, Father Templar enters the gates of the camp riding an issued motorcycle. Several other Priests on similar motorcycles follow him. They tear through the crowd, nearly knocking over anyone in their path. The miners part quickly as not to get run over. Alerted by the commotion, facility guards rush to the scene.
Father Templar pulls his motorcycle into the middle of the crowd and stops next to Bishop Magnus.
Father Templar:
Do they know?
Bishop Magnus:
Yes.
Father Templar:
Which one is it?
Bishop Magnus:
I cannot tell you.
Father Templar:
You do not have a choice.
Bishop Magnus:
I will not let you take that girl. I am sure that there is a logical explanation for this.
Father Templar:
That is not my decision to make. Nor is it yours. I am here to carry out the will of The Church and Americo; now comply or it will be considered treason.
Bishop Magnus:
I will not comply.
With the calm of a lion spotting its prey, Father Templar coolly and coldly pulls out a gun, points it at Bishop Magnus, and shoots; the Bishop staggers, falls to the ground and dies. The miners and guards are stunned at what they had just witnessed. Threatening them with his gun, Father Templar addresses the crowd.
Father Templar:
Which of you believe they are carrying the heir to the Reaganship?
No one answers.
Father Templar:
If I do not get an answer there will be a purification of this entire camp. I am giving you to the count of 5. (Instructs the other Priests.) Men, un-holster your side arms. As ordered. One.
The crowd stands stunned; the Priests un-holster their pistols and point them to the crowd of miners and facility guards.
Father Templar:
Two.
leO looks at mariA, bends over, and picks up a sharp rock from the ground, without anyone noticing. Then with all his might, leO hurls the rock at Father Templar.
Father Templar:
Thr..
Thwomp! The rock hits the Father Templar in the head, causing him to drop his weapon and stumble to one knee. In a frenzy, the miners take this opportunity and a riot breaks out. An alarm is sounded from one of the towers. The miners know that this means more guards will be arriving shortly, with more firepower. This stirs their already-heightened emotions and provokes a bigger melee.
During the confusion, several dump miners take the opportunity to disarm some of the guards. The miners then turn their newfound weapons against the other guards and Priests and start to fire. Knowing that they are outnumbered, the guards flee for their life, some of them shot in the back while trying to seek cover. The Priests create a barricade with their motorcycles around Father Templar to protect him. Father Templar, his head covered in blood and still trying to recover from the initial shock caused by the rock thrown at him, looks up to see the blurred image of a man staring at him. It is leO. Total chaos breaks out in the camp courtyard. Pulling himself up, Father Templar regains his control and stands. Templar screams amidst the havoc.
Father Templar:
I want the woman that caused this! I want her now! I do not want to hear another sound unless it is from someone pointing her out!
leO:
You will never have her! You are powerless against the will of God.
The crowd cheers in agreement with leO’s remarks. Father Templar raises his gun and points it at leO, who stands defiantly and tries to stare down Father Templar. Father Templar takes aim and fires. leO drops to his knees, eyes still glaring in protest, hits the ground and dies. mariA screams in horror and falls next to him crying. For a few moments that seem like an eternity, the stunned and shocked miners are paralyzed to move. Father Templar raises his gun again.
Father Templar:
I ask again, where is the woman I seek!
Aimlessly pointing his gun at the crowd, Father Templar shots dump miner rogeR, with that he drops to the ground screaming in pain, it is not a fatal shot. Realizing all-too-well that Father Templar and the other Priests will carry out their orders, the miners, except mariA, try to flee for their lives running in every direction, bumping into each other, screaming. mariA is still on the ground; whipped left and right by the stampede of miners trying to get away. mariA, trying desperately to hold on to the lifeless body of leO, is beaten and falls victim to the insanity that is going on around her. Grief stricken and mournful at the death of leO, she is totally oblivious to the upheaval that is happening around her. In the end, mariA is knocked one too many times and fades out, and lies lifeless on the ground beside leO.
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