Part 29
"We have to speak to your leader!" You call out, raising your hands and repeating John's words. Running now would just panic the soldier into fighting. You have to get him to put the gun down before you can do anything.
"Take us to your commander." John says in a soothing tone. If you can just convince this soldier to pass the buck then you might get somewhere.
Suddenly, the soldier jerks to the left with his gun and you flinch before realising that he's signaling that you should move. He walks behind you with the gun trained on your backs as you pass through the base obeying his spoken commands to go left or right. As you walk you keep your hands in the air, aware of the attention you're gathering from the other soldiers on the base.
"The volcano is going to erupt again and this time the base will be destroyed." John says loudly as you walk. "We have to tell your commander. Although he is talking to the soldier behind you it is clear that his words are meant for the others. There is a stir of dismay and you begin to understand. Discipline will not hold the men here for long when the common soldiers fear for their lives. The commander will be under pressure from his own troops as well as from us to evacuate the base before long.
News has passed ahead of you as you've walked at gunpoint through the base. You are waved into the commander's office without the soldier having to say a word. The commander is a man of middle years with silver just beginning to touch his hair. He looks tired and worried but as he looks at you his expression is suspicious.
"At ease, Corporal." He orders calmly. The young soldier lowers his gun and you let your arms fall slowly, glad to release the tension in them. The commander looks you and John up and down. You're both dressed in Soviet military uniforms although you've chosen low ranking insignia. The commander shakes his head before speaking calmly to you. "Now the garrison here is small enough that I recognise all my men by sight so when I get word that Corporal Ivanov here is marching two strangers through our top secret base as gunpoint I must admit to some curiosity." John opens his mouth to speak but the commander waves him to silence. "Corporal? Your report?"
"These men appeared from nowhere in the middle of the camp, Commander! They are strangers and must be spies but they say the volcano will explode."
The commander frowns.
"These men appeared, you mean they crept in past the sentries, who were no doubt asleep in their hut, and you discovered them?"
"No, sir! They appeared from thin air! Sir, the volcano...?"
"Soviet geologists have assured us that the volcano is extinct, Corporal." The commander reminds him with a raised eyebrow.
"But it clearly is not." John points out equally calmly. "It has erupted once already and will do so again and in less than an hour. This eruption will have sufficient explosive force to destroy the base."
"Thank you, Corporal." The commander appears to ignore John and dismisses the young corporal before answering. He takes a pistol from a drawer of his desk in an obvious threat. "You may return to your duties."
When the corporal has gone the commander raises an eyebrow.
"Ivanov says you appeared from thin air. A man must be very sure before he reports such things to his commander."
"The air is full of ash," John shrugs, "And the light is poor. His eyes might have deceived him. Commander, the volcano will explode in under an hour. You must evacuate."
"I was assured when I accepted command of this base that the volcano would never again erupt explosively."
"Then the scientists were wrong!" You've been silent up until now, yielding to John's superior experience but you can't remain silent for ever. "Commander, we're risking our lives to warn you, you have to listen." The commander looks at you in considerable surprise, amazed by both your youth and your apparent certainty. You press on with that advantage. "Commander, you must be worried by the first eruption or you would never have agreed to speak to us."
"You don't think I would normally interrogate spies?"
"Actually no," John interrupts. "In base this size you'd have people to do that for you."
For several moments there is total silence as you wait for the commander's reply.
"Who are you?" He snaps suddenly. "How did you get here?"
"My name is John. This is Jay." John answers at once. "And I don't think you'd believe anything we told you about how we got here."
"How do I know you are not western spies? For all I know it could be you who are causing these ash clouds."
"You don't believe that, commander." Your reply holds no hesitation. "If the west had a weapon that could trigger a volcanic eruption why would they waste it on a wilderness like this?"
"Commander." John leans forward. "Listen to me. You know your men are in danger. You know the scientists were wrong: the volcano could erupt anytime now. You have to believe what we're telling you. You have to get your men clear."
The commander is visibly wavering. He looks up at you and, for the first time, lets the anxiety in his eyes show on his face.
"Tell me who you work for." He asks simply. "Give me one piece of evidence that you know what you're talking about."
You hesitate and see John wavering. How far can you go? How far dare you go?
Do you:
a) tell the commander a lie?
b) tell the commander the truth?
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