There was a murmur of assent.
"Good. My name is Ms. Green and I'm from MESA Labs." She continued in a more mocking tone. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
An Indecent Proposal
Time: Current day, right after lunch
Scene: Academy main assembly hall
"MESA Labs? As in the weapons manufacturer?" Sam looked at Richard, who was still deep in thought. "What could they be looking for here?"
Richard shook his head and kept tapping away. Sam caught a fleeting glimpse of what looked like blueprints flash across his screen.
"Rich, come on, can't you get off of that thing? I'm a bit on the freaked-out side."
"I apologize. I was attempting to ascertain what a company like MESA would be doing here. I can't seem to find anything about it on the school's server. They appear to be just as surprised as the students are."
Sam squeezed at her bag in a way that was both reactive and instinctive as her thoughts once again jumped to the box. She shook her head, trying to clear it. She was just being paranoid; there was no way that they were looking for the box…right?
Sam shook her head again. Of course they weren't looking for the box. That didn't make any sense. Why did her mind keep going back to that stupid thing?
"Now, my little experiments, if you will all sit down for the moment until you receive further instructions, this will go a great deal smoother." Ms. Green pointed to the young students in front. "Please no talking. I don't want to have to cut out your tongues."
The woman smiled sweetly. Sam's jaw dropped.
I don't want to have to cut out your tongues? Sam thought. Can she say stuff like that?
The room was quiet for the most part, the stress of the situation keeping the crowd under control. Yet as time passed, the younger students gave in to their nature. A nine year-old boy started messing around in the front.
"Excuse me little boy," Ms. Green pointed and again smiled sweetly at the kid, who simply went on playing.
"Excuse ME, LITTLE BOY!" she said with heavy emphasis.
Again he ignored her.
"LITTLE BOY!"
Ms. Green's hand flashed to her side. The next thing Sam saw was Ms. Green posed foot forward and right hand out.
A scream mixed with additional yelps and cries sounded from the front of the crowd. Sam didn't know what had happened until the younger children scrambled away, literally stepping over each other in panic. Apparently Ms. Green found their fear rather humorous as she began to laugh openly. Sam's face screwed up in anger as she realized what she was laughing at.
Now that his classmates were gone, the nine-year-old boy sat wide-eyed in a perfect combination of terror and embarrassment. The source of the terror was a 30-centimeter throwing knife glowing with a faint blue light, lodged deep into the floor right between the boy's legs, nestled next to his crotch. The sight of it made Sam's anger towards the black body-suited woman turn to rage. The boy was terrified. He looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Tears and snot were running freely from his face and he was sniffling incessantly. It was then that Sam noticed the puddle of liquid the boy was sitting in and the wet splotch on his pants.
"He soiled himself," said Richard in a flat voice.
Sam wasn't listening. She started up on her feet and was already thinking about moving towards Ms. Green, intending to give the leather wearing devil woman a piece of her mind. Who throws glowing knives at little kids? This woman was going to pay for that. Sam was going to make sure of it.
***
A ragtag bunch of men and women with seriously antiquated equipment checked their weapons as they drove cautiously in a series of street vehicles. No nationality or even gender could be determined, as each person wore masks of presidents of the former United States.
In the front seat of the first vehicle a particularly burly individual spoke into a shortwave radio. "We just got word from our guy inside. MESA has come in strong. We might encounter S&D. We've got to get in, gather what intel we can, and get out. No dicking around or a lot of people are going to get hurt."
"Washington, sir," came a voice from the back of the black transport, "how are we supposed to find whatever it is we are looking for? We have no idea what MESA is after."
"We've been over this, Nixon. We don't know exactly what MESA is after, but the underground chatter is way up. MESA's in some kind of corner. They are desperate. Something is going down today at Academy City 676. Something big. This could be our chance, so don't screw it up. Palin, be careful with that tech flow cell. They might be old, but those high-energy fusion rounds can be nasty."
"Yes sir."
Washington put his radio back up to his mouth. "ETA five minutes. Beck, Johnson, Wilson – ready the blast core and muffle drum. Palin, you're on point. Let's go find Teddy."
***
"Put the motherly instinct in check, Samantha." Richard threw a beefy arm around her, picking her up off the ground. She tried to get away from him but he was strong. Surprisingly strong--it appeared that all the supplements were starting to work for him. But Sam wasn't the only one who was pissed. Many others, including teachers, were muttering under their breath, though Sam was the only one who was attempting to do anything about it.
"No way, Richard. That psycho doesn't get to throw knives at little kids and get away with it. There is no way."
"Samantha, listen to what you just said. She threw a knife at a little kid. Think of what she'll do to you. The boy is embarrassed, but he is fine. No use in bringing attention to yourself."
Sam's fighting spirit lessened. Richard was right, of course. He always was. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't even thought of what she was going to do when she made it over to the woman. Richard felt her reluctance.
"Let it go, Samantha."
Sam's body completely relaxed, going limp in Richard's arms. Richard didn't set her down though, but slung her over his shoulder and carried her over to where they had been sitting. She felt like a sack of potatoes.
"Richard, you can put me down now. I won't do anything."
Richard shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'm not fast enough to stop you if you go all mother-hen again."
From Richard's back, Sam saw Cammie standing ten meters away next to the most unlikely of students. Coda was grinning outlandishly, watching with an evident amount of interest. He came across as way too excited in light of what was going on. Cammie was attempting to engage him with little success. Another three meters to his left, Adam lingered against a wall, totally relaxed, watching the knife throwing psycho lady with little to no interest. He seemed preoccupied.
Sam couldn't help but stare. Oh, was he a sight for sore eyes. Richard moved back towards their original spot, causing Sam to strain in an effort to maintain her view of Adam. Her mental function skipped a beat.
Adam was talking intimately with a girl that Sam didn't recognize. The girl was really pretty, and standing way too close to Adam.
"Richard, put me down. I need to…I need to…to go."
"Now my darlings, I would like to start with the young ladies sixteen and older. If all of you would be so kind as to make a line over here." Ms. Green pointed to her left, indicating the group of lab techs. "Once in line you will disrobe, allow our techs to run their test, and then redress. Once you are done you will be escorted back to your central pod." Ms. Green's voice had regained its sweet quality, though to Sam it was like nails on a chalkboard.
A confused mumbling swelled through the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Their faces reflected their confusion. All were asking the same question, wondering if they had heard right? Did she really say that all the girls in the room were to go and disrobe? Right here? Right now?
"Chop, chop ladies. Get to the side of the gym and take off your clothes. I don't have all day."
Well, that answered that question.
An instant outcry sounded, replacing confusion with a horde of other emotions: anger, outrage, incredulity, re
jection, and eventually an embarrassed sort of acceptance. Over the pandemonium Sam could hear the Principal of 676 yelling.
"Now, now, Ms. Green. We can't have the young women undressing in front of the young men. That is just improper. The school board and city counsel will not stand for it."
Ms. Green ignored the Principal. "Children!"
The noise increased and chaos snowballed as the students fed upon each other's emotions. Sam wondered what Ms. Green was going to do to subdue the mounting anarchy when the woman pulled something from her belt. Slowly she raised the black device and –
Boom!
An explosion shredded the din as a ball of super-heated light hit the wall and literally melted a chunk away.
The room went silent as a graveyard. The only residual sounds were of those who were unfortunate enough to be splashed with some of the gooey debris from the now porous wall. Every eye stared wide at Ms. Green, who waved her weapon around nonchalantly.
"Now that's better. Ladies, if you please."
Sam took deep steadying breaths. She didn't see how this could get any worse.
***
One hundred and fifty meters in the air, a stealth hover transport descended rapidly into Air Space Zamar, the air traffic designation located right above Academy City 676. The aircraft was completely invisible to the naked eye and was untraceable to most forms of electronic detection. Really, the only thing that this craft had to worry about was the Gamma Star Detection Platform, but the UWC almost never patrolled this far inland. They had the advantage for now. The Assault Captain of the elite Móguǐ unit spoke to his men in Mandarin.
"Intel says that the package has been identified. We infiltrate, pick it up, and exfil. You are to keep casualties low, but kill anyone – man, woman, or child – who sees you. There is no room for error. If you see weaponry beyond C class, do not engage if you can avoid it. The suit's energy field won't last against A or B class weaponry. Have Light Shivs ready for close quarters. Do not discharge without prior approval. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!" came back the reply.
The Assault Captain gave his men a reassuring smile. "We take it back today, brothers. Our long period of dishonor is almost at an end. The advance squad is already on the ground and the landing area is secure. Any questions?"
"No sir."
"Good. Code phrase only until we know what we are dealing with. Our man on the ground says that the area is crawling with MESA. If they call in their S&D force, it could become complicated."
Explosions, one right after another, caused the transport to shake slightly.
"Did you hear that sir?" said one of the soldiers from the back.
The Assault Captain put his hand out to steady himself. "Isolate the location."
The soldier turned back to a free-floating monitor. "Sir, both explosions came from the school. Energy weaponry detected."
"I see." The Captain pulled out a medium size bottle and passed it around to each of his men. Each poured a small amount of the contents into different containers.
Once the bottle made it back to him, the Assault Captain held it up. "To victory, gentlemen."
They all drank.
***
The hole in the wall from Ms. Green's gun struck fear in students too young to remember the news reports of past conflicts. They gawked at the power of the weapon and the lack of hesitation in using it. The second explosion didn't seem as scary as the first. It was distant and muffled. Yet in a way it was scarier. The student body had seen Ms. Green discharge the energy pistol into the wall and completely vaporize a section of it. They had no idea where the second explosion had come from.
Ms. Green seemed just as surprised as the students. She barked out orders, and some of the armed MESA patrols responded by filing out of the assembly hall. For the first time since they saw her, Ms. Green looked a little unsure.
The Principal of 676 was not impressed. He got right up in Ms. Green's face. "You cannot do this! This is a school! I will have you act appropriately!" He pointed to the wall. "This is why I hate the private sector. Always acting anyway you want. Well, I've had enough. I am contacting the Governor. Security, detain Ms. Green and kindly escort her people off school property."
The school's security forces appeared and started to move into position.
"This is why I hated school." Ms. Green glanced from side to side, totally unconcerned. "I guess I will have to make myself clear to you, Mr. Principal man whose name I have forgotten."
Ms. Green turned and pointed her high-energy hand cannon at the principal, who froze and stared in wide-eyed disbelief.
"What do you think you're doing? I am the Mayor of this City. You can't just point weapons at--"
Ms. Green fired her gun and the principal melted into a puddle of goo. Screams and panic erupted. Students started trampling over one another, all heading towards the door. They ran headlong in to a wall of armed MESA guards. Without a word, the men opened fire.
***
Washington's voice came angrily over the squad's radios. "Status report! Who the hell started firing?"
Palin checked the hallway, looking for any hostiles that might have been around when they had blasted into the building. "No one fired, sir. There isn't anyone here. The place is completely deserted."
"Damn. If that wasn't you firing then … squad one! Move! We have hostiles here in the building. Engage at will. Be careful of the students; do not engage any of them. Squad two is breaching now. Move!"
Palin started moving up the hallway, Beck, Nixon, and Wilson in tow. They silently stepped down the hall, checked their corners, and started moving again. They needed to find who was shooting.
Palin threw up her fist and gave the other three directions to move out. A flicker caught her eye. The slightest of disturbances in the hall directly ahead of them floated in the air. Not so much a movement, but a shimmer of light across her vision.
"Palin, we have to move."
"Shut your can, Wilson. Something is wrong--"
An unnatural glow materialized. A blade made of pure light came out of nowhere. Nixon was sliced clean in half.
"Waste it!" yelled Palin. She and her men opened fire.
***
The sounds of gunfire bellowed like a million angry bulls. Bodies, one after another, dropped where they stood, the students no more important than clay targets. Ms. Green discharged her weapon again, this time firing at the ceiling. A chunk of ceiling melted away, the ooze again splashing down on unsuspecting students. Ms. Green's flashy display, coupled with the additional use of stun batons after the first wave of students was cut down, enabled MESA to regain order. Beaten down, many of the students were sobbing uncontrollably, Sam included. The tears ran down in an irrepressible river.
The scene was horrific. Bodies strewn everywhere, the echoing wails of lamentation, and the harsh bark of heartless ordering. Sam was at loss as to how things had gone so quickly downhill. Why were so many of her schoolmates lying dead on the ground? Why would MESA do such a thing? How could they think they would get away with it?
Maybe they plan on killing all of us, Sam thought. That would be the easiest way to cover up something like this. Simple.
Sam felt a renewed round of tears well up. She needed to keep it together. She needed to think and try to figure a way out of this.
Sam glanced at Richard, her go-to reaction when something didn't make sense or she had a problem in need of answering. Richard didn't seem to be fairing any better than her. His head was bowed, cradled in his arms. He was muttering senselessly to himself, and she could only hear bits of words like 'lethal' and 'target'.
Sam put her arms around him, touching his skin on his neck. It felt clammy. Richard was not doing well.
"You don't have to worry, Rich. I'm here. They aren't after you, remember? They're after the girls. I'll protect you."
Richard looked up and their eyes met. His expression was strange. It was familiar, but somehow not. It was an express
ion that Sam had seen before, but not on his face. Richard forced a smile, picked up his tablet, moved to the back wall, leaning heavily against it and started tapping away. She took this as a sign that he wasn't going to give up, so she knew that she couldn't either. She grabbed her bag.
Sam made her decision as her mind went right back to the silver box. MESA was looking for something here and she didn't know what. But there was something different, something special about this box. She didn't know what that damn thing had to do with this, but she was certain it was somehow connected. This might get her killed if she was wrong, which she probably was, but she was going to Ms. Green, was going to give the accursed silver box to her, and hope that the action would stem something.
Harmonics: Rise of the Magician (Harmonics Series Season One) Page 16
