Space Invaders
Page 39
The President looked nervous. I was sure that was a calculation on his part.
Because he knew he wasn’t my target.
A driving beat filled the air and I was ushered onto a smaller stage set below the dais where a woman sang in a language I didn’t recognise. Her voice melded so perfectly with the music that I couldn’t tell what of the melody was her and what was violin.
Ninety metres above me the unlit Olympic torch towered over the stadium, its curved metallic sides reflecting the bursts of flashes and the light that danced across the field in symphony with the music.
I stepped into place and took a deep breath. The rifle was positioned on a simple mahogany table and across it laid three blades of switchgrass. Switchgrass that had been dipped in blood.
We’ve left a gift for you on the rifle, Ahriman had said.
Three blades of switchgrass was the insignia of the Opposition. And the blood, I could be sure, was from my parents. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and picked up the stalks. I bundled them together, touched them to my forehead in a sign of respect that I nearly choked on, and then set them on the table, off to the side.
I lifted the rifle, my right hand on the smooth wooden stock and my left against the frigid steel of the barrel. Guns, whether real or sonic, were inanimate and innocuous objects until placed into the hands of someone who knew how to manipulate their potential. This gun was no exception. And my hands were more skilled than most.
The rifle was heavy. These ancient guns had much more heft than the modern sonicrifles, but I was used to the weight.
On the table sat one bullet. It was cool between my fingers as I slid it into the chamber and then cocked it into place.
The music soared and I shouldered the weapon, the right side of my body mercifully numb from the surge. I aimed the rifle at the small, metallic target above the leaders’ heads. The pressure on the metal disc was designed to light the Olympic flame when I hit the bullseye. But while I aimed at the target, I was already preparing to shift my focus down and to the left, where the Premiere of Singapore sat next to the President.
Besides the music, the stadium, filled with hundreds of thousands of citizens, was eerily silent. Waiting.
I inhaled, readjusted my aim, and took my shot.
The Premiere’s head exploded, more blood than I’d ever seen in my life. The gasp from the crowd was so immense it felt like the stadium itself was breathing. And I understood why this type of war was the only way for human beings to fathom the steep price of freedom once again.
For the first time in all of the kill shots I’d ever made, profound sadness overtook me. So many more would die because of what I’d just done. But before I could fully process the sonicrifles aimed in my direction, or the chaos spreading through the stadium, I felt Armise’s arms around me and we were gone.
The Revolution had begun.
Index
Timeline of the Borders War
2058 - Winchester rifle built that will be fired in the Opening Ceremony
2256 - Last Olympic games held
2256 - Singapore takes over China after nuclear meltdown and the economy collapses
2258 - Borders War officially starts with Singapore’s attempt to take over Australia and Russia
2268 - Merq Grayson (Merq’s great-grandfather, six generations removed) is born
2308 - Sonicbullet is invented by Merq Grayson and his name is officially classified
2348 - Last real bullet fired during war
2352 - Paper records are purged and transferred to electronic format
2417 - Targeted electromagnetic pulses destroy all records, and the existence of one remaining infochip begins as a rumour
2493 - Merq’s dad, Lucien Grayson, born
2503 - Merq’s mom, Tallitia Grayson, born
2519 - Armise Darcan born
2520 - Opposition rises, Revolution followers form in response
2523 - Merq born
2528 - Merq’s parents “die” in the attack on the capital that places President Kersch in power
2539 - Merq and Neveed Niaz (“Coach”) start sleeping together
2541 - Neveed becomes Merq’s handler and coach, Merq meets Armise in Bogotá through the eye of the rifle scope
2542 - Merq learns from analysts who Armise is
2545 - Jegs is captured in Singapore, and during her rescue Armise kisses Merq for the first time
2546 - Armise begins working for the States, and the DCR standoff occurs where Merq acquires the infochip and takes Armise’s finger in the process
2548 - The treaty officially ending the Borders War is signed, Merq is recruited by Ahriman to be a part of the Opposition, Merq and Armise meet up in Bogotá
2553 - Planning and construction begins for holding the first Olympics in over three hundred years in the capital city of the States
2558 - Merq reignites the Borders War when he assassinates the Premiere of Singapore, who is also the leader of the Opposition
Characters
Merq Grayson - Peacemaker and sniper for the Continental States
Armise Darcan - Dark Ops officer for the People’s Republic of Singapore
Wensen Kersch - President of the States and commander of the Revolution
Coach Neveed Niaz - Merq’s handler and Coach for the Olympic rifle event, the President’s trusted advisor
Ahriman Blanc - Chair of the Olympic Committee, General for the States, and second in command for the Opposition
Jegs - Peacemaker for the States, member of Merq’s team, trainer for the Olympic rifle team
Simion - Peacemaker for the States, member of Merq’s team, trainer for the Olympic rifle team
Chen Ying - nicknamed “the key,” mathematical genius tasked with breaking the encryption on the infochip
Tallitia Grayson - Merq’s mother
Lucien Grayson - Merq’s father
Glossary
Sonicbullet - sound waves harnessed as ammunition that is able to explode internal organs on impact
Sonicrifle, sonicpistol - weapons created to deliver sonicbullets
Infochip - a microchip rumoured to be the only remaining depository of humanity’s documented history
Transport chip - a device that allows a person to use one of the sanctioned molecular transfer hubs scattered across the globe, transport is a painful process as the technology is still in its infancy, transport of any person can be potentially fatal, so its use is limited (see also “comm” and “tracker”)
Comm - a communication and information transfer device that is either handheld or implanted in the body, often combined with a transport and tracker chip and implanted in a soldier’s wrist for maximum effectiveness (see also “transport chip” and “tracker”)
Analyst - soldiers tasked with the study and interpretation of intelligence
PsychHAgs - nickname for Psychological Health Agents, a sector of the military with the responsibility of preparing soldiers for surviving the brutality of war with all of their secrets intact
Opposition - a movement opposed to the consolidation of power over only five countries, they seek to break up the superpowers into smaller regional districts
Revolution - a movement started with the ideal of bringing power back to the citizens regardless of how many official countries exist
Nationalists - people who want the five remaining countries to maintain their superpower status and often pit Opposition against Revolution in hopes of wiping out all dissension for the current territorial makeup of the world
Synth - synthetic limbs
Surge - medication that places targeted nanoparticles into the bloodstream to speed healing (also highly addictive)
D3 - shorthand meaning to “detail, ditch and decimate”
Peacemakers - soldiers for the States
Dark Ops - Special Forces team for Singapore
Chemsense - chemical weapon designed by Singapore, widely used in the Borders War despite being condemned<
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Tracker - a chip that tracks the location of the person carrying it, either on or in their person (see also “comm” and “tracker”)
Dronebots - unmanned airplanes used for surveillance
Borders War - a world-wide war that began in 2246 and continued until 2548 when the treaty was signed, over four hundred million people died in the three hundred years it was waged
Countries of the world in 2558
Continental States (the States)
Leader: President
Colour associated with the country: vermillion and yellow
People’s Continent of Singapore (Singapore)
Leader: Premiere
Colour associated with the country: cobalt blue and silver
United Union (UU)
Leader: Prime Minister
Colour associated with the country: royal purple and black
American Federation (AF)
Leader: President
Colour associated with the country: emerald green and peacock blue
Dark Continental Republic (DCR)
Leader: President
Colour associated with the country: gold amber, white, and earth brown
About the Author
Sam sleeps little, reads a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. Send her a picture and a song and she’s bound to write a story about it. And yes, that’s an invitation.
Email: authorsamcauley@gmail.com
S.A. loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.totallybound.com
Also by S.A. McAuley
Someday It Will Be
The Borders War: One Breath, One Bullet
The Borders War: Dominant Predator
TO SEE THE SKY
L.M. Brown
Chapter One
AJ4982—known as AJ—squinted at the ‘employee wanted’ cards pinned on the wall of the agency. He could only read the figures on the cards and had no idea what jobs they offered. He didn’t care, he’d do anything to raise the credits for his sister’s medicine. Finally he spotted one with the figure 500 printed at the bottom in bold black lettering. He grabbed the card from the wall and marched over to the clerk’s desk.
“Hi, I’m Landon. How can I help you today?” the bespectacled clerk said as he took the card from AJ’s outstretched hand. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned the job details before turning back to AJ.
“Put this back where you found it,” Landon ordered as he passed the advert back.
“I want to apply for the job,” AJ stated.
Landon looked him over, taking in his messy hair, ragged clothes and swiftly assessing him to be one of the uneducated masses. “You can’t do this job.”
“I’ll do any job.”
Landon looked at the card again and cleared his throat before reading the text. “‘Wanted—Laboratory Technician with at least three years experience in bio-science for temporary assignment in sector R9’. Still think you can do the job?”
AJ ducked his head, embarrassment sweeping over him.
Landon gave him a sympathetic glance. “Can you even read?”
“I can read enough,” AJ snapped.
“You can read figures, the same as the rest of the lab rats,” Landon corrected. “You can tell the time, see what things cost and make sure you’ve been paid correctly. The scientists need their staff to be properly educated. Now, what was your last job?”
“I was a runner down in the tunnels,” AJ replied reluctantly. With the surface of the planet uninhabitable after the Last War, the human race had taken refuge beneath the ground. The underground community was outgrowing the caverns they inhabited at an alarming rate. The original emergency caves had filled as soon as the survivors took refuge. Within just two generations the cave system could no longer hold everyone and the tunnelling downward had begun. More than five hundred years later the digging still continued, with twisting tunnels stretching out in every direction as they struggled to accommodate the ever-increasing population.
“I’ve got nothing for a runner these days,” Landon said. “Since the collapse in sector C14 workers in the tunnels are being laid off. No one’s hiring at the moment.”
AJ knew all about the collapse in C14. He had lost a friend in the accident and several lab rats from his own sector had been injured badly enough that they would never work again. AJ had been in sector C13 at the time of the collapse and he could still hear the screams from the neighbouring sector as the roof caved in on the diggers and runners who were trapped within it.
“I’ll do anything.”
Landon sighed and tapped the screen of his hand-held computer. “Can you wait tables?”
“How much does the job pay?”
“Ten credits a night.”
“That’s not enough.”
Landon gave him a stern look over the top of his glasses. “Lab rats can’t afford to be picky.”
“I need five hundred credits in three days.”
The clerk’s jaw dropped. “What sort of trouble have you got yourself into?”
AJ bristled at the implication he had done something wrong. “It’s for medicine for my sister. The physician has given her three days if she doesn’t get the lung decongestant. What have you got that’ll get me the credits?”
Landon shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’ve got nothing. Have you thought of moving her to a less dusty sector?”
“Of course I have. We don’t have the credits to move either. There must be something I can do to get five hundred credits.” AJ had no intention of giving up. He had too much at stake.
Landon contemplated him for several minutes before glancing around the office. When he appeared satisfied no one lingered in earshot he leant forward and lowered his voice. AJ inched closer as well.
“I’ll do anything,” he repeated.
Landon gave a small nod. “Okay, here’s the deal. Officially, we don’t offer this sort of work…”
AJ breathed a sigh of relief. “And unofficially?”
“If you’re collared you can earn upwards of one hundred credits a night, depending on what you’re prepared to do.”
“What do you mean?” AJ had never heard of the expression ‘collared’.
“Some of the waiters wear collars to advertise they’ll accept credits for sexual favours.”
AJ jumped backwards as though he’d been bitten. “Prostitutes?”
Landon waved his hand frantically. “Keep your voice down.”
AJ cringed. “I can’t have sex for credits.”
“You can get your credits in a single night if you find someone who’ll accept your prices. You set your own. Get lucky and you could make your five hundred with a single blow job.”
AJ looked at the three collars Landon pulled out from his desk drawer. The first was red, the second blue and the third silver. They were all about an inch wide and each sparkled in the dimly lit cave with blinking coloured lights.
“Tell you what,” Landon said. “Accept the job as a waiter and take the collar with you while you think things over. Providing you show up—and for goodness’ sake use the public facilities to wash yourself first—you’ll get ten credits for the night. If you decide to try earning extra credits with the collar, you can always put it on later.”
AJ didn’t see the harm in deciding later and he reached out to accept the paper Landon offered him with the details of the waiter’s job. All he could understand were the figures. “Can you read it for me?” he asked, his face flushing with embarrassment again.
Landon took the paper and read out the location he had to go to.
“It’s in one of the towers?” AJ queried. He had never been inside a tower before.
“Did you think lab rats could afford to throw a party and hire wait staff?”
“I guess not.”
“Do you know how to get there?”
“I think so.”
“Fine, just don’t b
e late. Now, which collar do you need?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you prefer men, women or both?” Landon asked.
“Oh. Men.”
Landon slid the red and silver collars back into the drawer and passed AJ the blue one. “If anyone asks, you didn’t get this collar from me, understand?”
AJ nodded his agreement as he slipped the surprisingly soft collar into his pocket.
“One last thing,” Landon said as AJ stood up to leave. “If you enter into a contract with anyone the collar will stop blinking automatically as soon as you agree to the terms. It can’t be removed until the contract ends in some way. If you try to forcibly remove the collar and it gets broken, you’ll have to pay for the replacement, which will cost a hell of a lot more than the medicine you’re after. Likewise, if you lose it, you’ll be the one replacing it.”
AJ still wasn’t sure he’d ever put the collar on at all, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Two weeks had passed since the physician had diagnosed his sister and time was rapidly running out. Her condition worsened a little more each day. AJ was determined not to return to their cave without the medicine. Even as he left the agency he started to consider the option he’d been given, the only one he had that could potentially save his sister’s life.
* * * *
As a lab rat—the nickname given to those who lived in and scurried about the labyrinthine cavern system—AJ had never had cause to rise above the surface of the planet. The tower dwellers were the scientists of their society, studying the toxic gases above ground until the day they pronounced the world safe for humans to inhabit once again. Although AJ had never been into one of the towers, he had always been curious to see what might be visible of the outside world through the thick, impervious glass.
As AJ rode in the tightly sealed elevator he looked out over the barren wasteland and tears formed in his eyes. He had seen a picture of a lush green landscape once. The image had been the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on, and a stark contrast to the dark and dreary caves, where the light generators were out of order more often than they were working. AJ had hoped something of the beautiful greenery had survived the devastation, but there was nothing of such beauty outside now as far as he could see. Desert stretched out towards the distant horizon and AJ couldn’t pick out a single plant or tree on the ground. There was simply nothing living out there. Nothing had survived the war.