[Issue 56] [Story] Memory Pt. 3

[tweezers 1,034]

 

Memory Pt.1

Memory Pt.2

 

Hayley was flying through the air, soaring above the muddy earth and grass, a light wind cooling her face and sending her hair spiraling into corkscrews behind her.

 

Then she was sinking slowly down, lower, lower...

 

Hayley landed hard, her head hitting the road first, pain blossoming through her skull. She slid, before coming to a stop a few meters away from the place she landed. No time to stop. Jump up, run, get to the trees. Almost there. Through. Pushing through the bushes, still weak, but moving. Holes appeared in the tree next to her. Holes? How? Bullets. The guns. The guards were shooting at her. Even more reason not to stop. Faster now, her body adjusting to the new conditions. More holes. Still too slow! Faster. Faster. Remember. Don’t stop running. Don’t stop. Don’t.

 

She burst through the trees into a clearing and straight through it, not knowing where to go but still with a vague sense of familiarity guiding her. How? Doesn’t matter. Keep going. 

 

Hayley reached a pile of boulders, sticking out from the earth like a sore thumb. There was a small opening between one of them, the space just enough to hide in. She crawled in and collapsed, the adrenalin rush that had come when she was thrown out of the truck fading away, leaving her shivering. Her entire body ached, her legs burning from the exertion. She touched her head, on the spot she had fallen on. 

 

And then memory came like a sandstorm in a desert.  

 

* * *

 

I run through a deserted corridor toward a single door, my boots pounding against the floor, the weapon on my right hand weighing my arm down. I glance at it as I run, it’s black surface reflecting back some of the weak light that illuminates my path. This thing is evil. Pure, undiluted evil, something no one in their right mind would use on another person. 

 

Maybe that’s why I volunteered to be the one to use it. 

 

The door bursts open in front of me as I near the end of the corridor, a man stumbling in through it, his black helmet on askew, gun pointing towards the ground. 

 

*

 

His name is Max. He’s the second in command of our unit, along with me. He’s famed throughout the army as a patient guy, ready to help out the newbies, and for once killing a group of thirty traitors in cold blood, one by one.

 

He is also my best friend. 

 

*

 

‘Hayley! They need you out there! Hauss is trying to hold them back, but those damn rebels keep coming back, and we won’t last long at this rate.’

 

‘Kay. Cover me a second till I get my pistol out.’

 

Max cautiously looks out of the open door, and motions for me to go forward. I walk forwards, pulling my helmet’s visor down over my face, it’s black visor providing some shade to my eyes from the scorching sunlight outside. The weapon on my hand makes a noise, a zing that lets me know that its ready. Ready to kill.

 

We burst out into the middle of a firefight, bullets flying everywhere, thudding into our suits or lodging themselves in the rebel’s chests. I have my pistol in my left hand, and I take aim and shoot, aware of Max doing the same with his weapon, its noise washing over me. Calming, in a way. 

 

A rebel steps in front of me, his torn jeans and flimsy Kevlar vest providing no protection from our weapons. He lifts his rifle, yelling something at the top of his voice as he prepares to open fire on me at point blank range. I don’t hesitate. I lift my right hand, and press the button on my palm by curling in my index finger. 

 

Instantly, the black surface dissipates, turning into a small black swarm which makes straight for the rebels face. His gaping mouth provides a perfect entry point for them, and they swoop in, down his throat, burrowing down into his body. 

 

Suddenly, the man freezes and crumples, falling face down at my feet, the black swarm rising up and returning to my hand. No surprise really. People who’ve had their internals consumed by nanomites tend to fall down. 

 

His partners have seen what happened to him. What I’ve done to him. A woman shouts, her head whipping around to address her partners. A call to retreat. They start moving backwards into the cover of the trees behind them, still spraying us with bullets. I look at our commanding officer, awaiting a command.

 

*

 

Colonel Hauss. Leader of our unit, and tipped to become very high up, very soon. He’s tall, well built; the typical army officer. Unlike most typical army officers though, he’s motivated by one thing and one thing only. Being able to kill. And

not get punished for it. 

 

*

 

He nods. We raise our weapons as one, and pursue the fleeing rebels, a black cloud surrounding my targets one by one, as we take out each and every one of them. I am in my element, and I look around for Max. His eyes are alight, dancing in the reflection of the flame of his gun’s barrel. The woman who gave the call to retreat is in front of me now, her eyes widening in fear. I look her straight in the eye.

 

And I press the button.

 

---

 

‘Well, that went well, don’t you think?’ Karl looks around at us, and we all smile grimly. We had obliterated a 100 strong rebel force with our small, but well-equipped, group of 20. We burned down their base, leaving the government's flag in the middle of the smoking ruins. A touch melodramatic perhaps, but Hauss wanted to make sure that our message got through perfectly clearly. 

 

‘Well, we are the government's crack troops, I should jolly well think that it should have gone well’ says Max, clapping Karl on the shoulder and getting up. ‘Hayley, Central wants to see you about something. And before you ask, no, I don’t know what it’s about.’

 

I close my half opened mouth, faintly uncomfortable. Central doesn’t usually call up someone directly from the unit, they relay the message through its commanding officer. Must be something quite important then.

 

I walk through the dark green doors of our unit’s quarters, and then through another pair, these made of the same metal but painted a dull gold to signify the importance of the area they provide access to, in this case the organizing area of all our operations, or ‘Central’ as it’s referred to by everyone.

 

Another door, this one red. The room that contains power. A lot of power. I hesitate a moment, and then push it open.

 

 

‘Do you understand us? This is vital for the development of the abilities of the weapon! It must be used in this way to make sure that its capabilities are fully unlocked!’

 

‘But why us? Why! We’re the best unit that you have!’

 

‘And also the oldest, and the most likely to be compromised! This way, we eliminate any and all potential for vulnerabilities, and we finalize the development of our best weapon at the same time!’ 

 

‘And what if we refuse?’

 

‘Vangenberg, all of you agreed when you joined the force that you would do whatever necessary for the betterment of our government. Traitors will be disposed of, and refusing to carry out our orders amounts to treachery. If you do this, you and your co-commander get to live, not to mention you'll both be considered heroes.'

 

I stand in the middle of the room, mutely shaking my head. They stare at me. I stare back. And then nod slowly.

 

'Good. Details will be issued to you tomorrow. Dismissed.’

 

I turn and walk out of the door, closing it softly behind me, my fingers leaving no mark on its red surface. I turn, and then run back the way I came. Max. I have to find Max. 

 

He’s lying on a bunk, staring up at the ceiling above him, biting his lip thoughtfully. I lurch to a halt outside the entrance,

steadying myself on the door frame. He turns his head, takes one look at me, and sits up.

 

‘What? What happened?’ His voice is urgent, aware that something has happened.

 

‘Max... we’ve been given a death sentence. Our entire unit, all except for you and me. I’m supposed to kill them with the weapon. And if I don’t, all of us will be executed anyway. And if that happens, it'll include you and me. Max? Max, do you understand? MAX!’

 

He’s gripping the edge of his bunk, staring at me intently. I lock eyes with him, and I see something that I’ve never seen in them before.

 

Fear.

 

Memory Pt.4

Memory Pt.5

 

[anti-tanker-GT 7]

NICELY COMPILED TWEE...THE INTENSE STORY TELLING AT IT'S CORE, ADDED UP WITH THE PERFECT ENGLISH AND GRAMMAR MAKES THIS STORY TRULY AWE INSPIRING. NICE WORK, CONGRATZ!!! 

 

p.s. LOOKING FORWARD FOR ANOTHER SEQUEL... ;) 

Edited September 3, 2016 by anti-tanker-GT

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

This amazing plot deserves much much more than the dismal view count you have. Full of thrill throughout, I loved reading it. Thumbs up!!!

[Bugs.meeny 1,013]

Cliff hanger

[bc200214_777 582]

Cliff hanger

Always ^^

[TTK_229 1,080]

You deserve coke