Ballad of Demise

by Joshua Landeros

  “It hasn’t been that long, Khalid. And, yes, she still watches over Melat.”

  “Then you cannot forget, just like me.”

  Adar put aside his disgust and stomped over to Khalid’s bedside. The weary veteran stared down the wild-eyed young man without a flinch.

  “That’s your mistake! You think only a select few remember when the reality is that no one can forget! There isn’t one of us who doesn’t remember! The difference is that you still like to pretend it’s your fight. It’s over!”

  Khalid pointed to the telescreen. “It’s never truly over. Right now, people are still fighting for what’s right.”

  Adar had been avoiding it, but now he too watched the report. On the screen was a helicopter view of a city in flames. Guatemala City will be in ruins by the time it’s done. The report cut to a rally in the UNR itself. The protestors began to scatter as UNR soldiers charged their ranks while firing smoke grenades. Citizens yielding picket signs against trained armed forces. They’ll lose as they always have.

  “It doesn’t matter even if Halsey himself is taken down, the Crimson Angels prove the will to act is alive and well,” Khalid told him. “Someday the fight will continue, and we need to be ready for it.”

  “If you haven’t noticed, you’re not worth shit anymore,” Adar scoffed.

  “That’s why I asked you here. I wanted to ask if you would train Nusaybah. It’s time she learned.”

  Adar clenched his fist. It took all his restraint to not smother Khalid right then and there.

  “First you roped me and my brothers into this. Now that Dalir and Hamid are gone, you intend to use your own daughter? If there’s a hell, you’re going to burn there.”

  “Maybe,” Khalid retorted, “but everything I’ve done is for my people. Our country. Without our freedom, we are nothing but an empty husk. I cannot allow that. With or without you, this war will be fought.”

  ***

  October 23, 2065

  Adar, Jacob, and Nusaybah were led to a small room. It was composed of concrete and had nothing in it other than five metal poles. Each one of them had their chains locked in place to a pole tightly. It was a process with only a few simple commands and when it was done they were left to themselves. The door shut loudly, and for several seconds afterward there was no noise at all. The room was lit only by a single dull lamp on the wall to their backs.

  It was still enough light for Jacob to see that Nusaybah had been sobbing all night. He doubted that any of them had slept. Adar had taken on a blank stare for the past few hours. Jacob imagined the same look had been on his face as well.

  None of them knew where they were, but it was plain to see they’d been brought here to die. Neeson gathered up the last of his courage.

  “I’m sorry,” he said weakly. “It’s my fault.”

  Adar said nothing back. He didn’t even look Neeson’s way. Nusaybah, too, didn’t open her mouth. Jacob expected as much, but it still hurt all the same. He put his head down in shame.

  “We all made mistakes. It’s how we got here,” Nusaybah said. “So much for my first mission.”

  “Your first?”

  “My father and Adar had been training me all my life, but he was always afraid to let me fight. This was his first time letting me. Sad, huh?”

  Jacob shook his head.

  “Taking a stand isn’t easy. Never undersell it.”

  Adar listened to them talk even though he pretended not to. They’re fools. Fools too blind and pathetic to admit we didn’t accomplish shit.

  “Your sentiment is useless now,” he said coldly. “Malik got it easy, really. Us? We’re going to be killed in front of the whole damn world. Your father was a fool! A goddamned fool!”

  Silence returned to the room, but Jacob was still tormented by his thoughts. Nusaybah’s life sounded eerily familiar to his own, and now it would end the same way as well. He didn’t feel Adar’s rage, only a growing emptiness.

  ***

  Patrick arrived in Bradford a little later than expected, Megumi apologizing, but he didn’t mind. Though the city was on the smaller side, it was nonetheless thriving. Pat would never tell them, but initially he’d assumed the place would be a dusty hick town. Robbie and Jonah were having a blast pointing out all the buildings and landmarks.

  “Oh, look! Look, there it is” exclaimed Robbie, nudging Patrick repeatedly to get his attention.

  “Shit, they really are based here,” the Crimson Angel said in awe.

  They passed one of the taller buildings in the city, and near the top of it was a giant Zippo lighter.

  “Told ya,” Jonah teased.

  “I’d pay up but all my cash is at the bottom of a river. Maybe next time.”

  In the midst of their sightseeing, Patrick saw the signs his time with the family was coming to an end. All throughout the city, he’d observed the tall rail lines snaking their way over neighborhoods and parks. Sometimes, if he was attentive enough, he managed to see the trains dart by. They were quick as lightning and if one they were likely to miss them entirely.

  Maglev trains, that’s what Jonah had called them. Pat was accustomed to the idea of trains roaring by, making their presence known for miles. Every train he’d ridden as a boy had those old wheels that grated against the equally as old tracks. These new trains hovered above the tracks without ever touching them. Patrick had remarked it was like seeing something out of Star Wars, only for Jonah to inform him Japan had access to the technology for the past sixty years. Sixty goddamn years. Alex would have laughed for just as long at my expense.

  “All right, we’re here,” Duncan announced.

  He parked the truck at a parking lot fit for a mall. Over each space was a bright fluorescent light, each of them in turn were powered by solar panels. Once the truck’s motor fell silent, Patrick stayed right where he was.

  He spotted a few UNR soldiers walking around the parking lot. They were far outnumbered by the hundreds of people getting on and off the arriving trains. Plenty of else to see, he told himself. For one thing, this was the only place he saw the railings at ground level. There was no actual ‘train station,’ aside from a small box of a building with a young man inside. Going by his annoyed expression and the couple speaking to him, Patrick figured he was there just to add some level of ‘human interaction’ to using the public service. Regardless of all to see, he found his eyes returning to those lurking soldiers.

  “I hate to ask again, but you sure this’ll work?” Patrick posed the question while incessantly checking his surroundings.

  “Yes, it’ll be fine. Do you remember the confirmation number I bought for you?” Jonah said.

  Patrick was too busy scanning the area to respond. Robbie noticed he kept reaching for something on his hip, only there was nothing to grab.

  “Pat!” Jonah said, this time with force.

  The man snapped to. Jonah only continued once he was sure he had his undivided attention. “The confirmation number, Patrick.”

  “XJ983211.”

  “That’s it! Now all you have to do is put in that code to any of the consoles on the platform. It prints out a one-way ticket and you’ll scan it at the door. The end. No one’s gonna stop you since you don’t have any bags. Just do yourself a favor and act cool.”

  Pat gave a weak nod, not in the slightest way convincing. Robbie put a hand on his arm.

  “From the stories you told us, you’ve seen worse,” the kid said to him.

  “Yeah…you’re right” Patrick said, mostly to himself. If I had a piece I’d feel a lot better, but enough. Instead of thinking of all that could go wrong at that point, he reminded himself that if not for the very people around him he’d still be many miles away. Or dead.

  “Thank you all so much. I owe you an incredible debt. I don’t think I can ever repay you.”

  “Sure you can,” Duncan replied. “Just keep fighting and consider us even.”

  “That and the twenty bucks you owe me,” Jonah chime
d in.

  “Roger that.” Patrick faced the little boy seated next to him. “Anything I can do for you?”

  Robbie looked away, pondering hard. Patrick could tell the idea was there, he was just debating whether he wanted to voice it.

  “Ever since you and your friends busted out of UNR HQ, we haven’t heard anything about you guys on the news,” Robbie started, “but Dad always said you guys were still out there. What happened to the cyborg?”

  Jonah and Duncan listened intently for Patrick’s answer.

  “He fights with us to this day. He and Halsey are the best of friends,” Patrick elaborated.

  “A cyborg fighting against the Chancellor,” Duncan said in disbelief. “Iris wasn’t kidding when she said the people would only take so much shit.”

  “What’s it like working with a cyborg?” Jonah asked.

  “At first it was scary. I did my best to avoid him, but Will is a guy with a lot of heart and a soft side. I’ve seen him fight without fear on multiple occasions to keep people he barely knew safe.”

  “Will? Is that his real name?” Robbie asked.

  “The news only ever referred to him as Unit 21,” Jonah explained.

  “His name is William Marconi.”

  “Marconi?” Duncan said. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am. He was husband to Julissa Marconi and father of Zaneta Marconi.”

  Duncan didn’t know what to say, and his sons had no clue as to the significance of what Pat had just said. All the kids had registered was that a cyborg, one of the Chancellor’s elite super soldiers, was now working with the Crimson Angels.

  “It really sucks you have to go, but you got a train to catch,” Jonah reminded him.

  “Thanks again, you guys. You’re the bravest kids I ever met.”

  Patrick hugged them both, but Duncan was still looking down at his lap. Patrick wasn’t sure what was on his mind, but he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. “Be seeing you, Duncan.”

  Patrick opened the door and stepped out into the frigid night air. The jacket did what it could, but the wind seemed to go right through and chill him down to the core. After an exhale, Patrick began to head for the platform.

  “One last thing!”

  Patrick turned to see the father’s window rolled down. Duncan had one arm hanging out of the window, and in his hand was his UNR hat.

  “You’ll need something to cover up your…” the man pointed to the back of his head, “bad haircut.”

  He tossed the hat and Patrick caught it.

  “Yet another gift. You’re too much.”

  “I’m just doing what my wife would’ve done. Someday, I’d love for you to meet her. In the meantime, just remember what I said.”

  Patrick offered a thumbs up. “Until my last breath, I promise.”

  Duncan and his boys watched the Crimson Angel delve into the crowd. Almost instantly they lost sight of him in the mass of people. The father enjoyed their success, but chiseling away at the back of his mind was regret. Back during the Expansion, he’d believed very word of the UNR’s tales depicting the Crimson Angels as rabid animals. But you never did, Iris. Not until they took you. Now, in a sick twist of fate, it’s me who gets to meet one. Someday I’ll make it right.

  ***

  Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation, Maine

  Located in Washington County, the Indian Reservation lay close to the waters the refugees needed to get to. At a parking lot close to the port, Gael brought the 18-wheeler to a halt. It was dark out, but not even the night could stop the smell of salty ocean water. The wind carried it like a gift.

  He opened the back of the truck and then lowered the ramp. In the black of the trailer, filled with strapped-down furniture, he saw movement. Hamza was the first to appear, checking the surroundings slowly. Looks like a damn rabbit sticking its head out of a burrow.

  “It’s all right. Hurry up while you still got time,” Gael assured him. Though still very suspicious, Hamza whistled into the trailer. That one sound brought out all the others. Last was Saskia and Halsey, both helping to prop up the other. They made it out of the trailer, but Halsey had to stop. He sat down on the ramp, Saskia sitting beside him. Gael stuck close to him as well.

  “Take it slow, man. We’re already here, so don’t rush it before you tear your stitches,” he said.

  “Thanks, Ma,” Halsey replied. He rested his hand on his latest wound on his shoulder.

  “Poor baby. You want a kiss for that boo-boo?”

  Every soldier freaked, Hamza even pulling his pistol. The only people who didn’t panic were Gael and Joseph. In fact, they were relieved to hear the sardonic voice.

  Out of the darkness stepped a lone female in a black turtleneck and violet cotton jacket. Her pixie cut stood out more so with her royal blue hair. Under the light of the streetlamp they were parked next to, it was evident to see she carried a holster on her thigh. She made no move for it. She walked past Hamza and the others, and directly approached Gael and Halsey.

  Gael immediately hugged her, which she returned in full force. Saskia was cautious herself, but Halsey leaped off the ramp to the asphalt below. The landing clearly hurt badly, the man wincing; but he stood tall.

  “Joe, Jesus, how are you?” the woman said before she embraced him as well.

  “Not so tight, Ruby. I’m already in bad shape,” Halsey said. The two stepped back from each other.

  “I can see that. You never paid me a visit after you busted out, so consider yourself lucky, really,” she replied.

  “Well, all I can say is that it’s a long story.”

  Ruby now observed all the stowaways Gael had brought to her. All of them were standing around the three Crimson Angels like lost children.

  “For getting this many people to Saint Andrews you better believe I want to hear every last goddamn detail, Joe,” she said.

  “Deal. The hair is new, so you have a lot to fill me in on too,” Halsey replied.

  “I hate to interrupt,” said Hamza, “but how exactly are we getting there?”

  Ruby eyed the man with scrutiny before slapping him on the shoulder. “Mosie ain’t no row boat. No need to shit your pants.”

  The group walked for a brief few minutes to the port. Anchored there in the water was a fishing trawler, probably two hundred feet in length. Ruby’s crew was busy reloading supplies, a small army of men and women. It was by far the smallest ship in the area, also probably the oldest, but a vessel it was. One of the women, middle-aged and with a scraggy body frame, stared at them fleetingly. Her dark hair was dyed pink at the tips of her long bangs. Her eyes were pretty, but her stare was an apprehensive one. She kept to herself and went back to checking her clipboard.

  “So your uncle finally gave you Mosie, huh?” Halsey said.

  “He’s retired now, so, yeah. he left her to me.”

  “How’s she holdin’ up?” asked Gael as they began to walk on the wooden planks of the docking area.

  “Just fine. Crew’s smaller since I updated her tech, but she runs as smooth as ever. Everyone go on ahead. Selina, could you show them around, please?”

  The skinny woman strode on over to the group. Selina, as they now knew her, gave the fugitives a once-over. She locked eyes with Halsey longer than anyone else.

  “I definitely remember seeing you on the news before. Venloran’s been after you a long time.” Selina crossed her arms and looked back at Ruby. “Seems like a shit ton of risk just for an old boyfriend of yours.”

  Halsey kept his mouth shut, but he still grinded his teeth. Well aren’t you just the sweetest turd I’ve ever laid eyes on?

  “That old boyfriend saved me when I didn’t feel like I had much to live for,” Ruby said undeterred. “I think I owe him at least this little favor.”

  “A favor that could land us right back at a work camp or a lot worse on account of this guy.”

  “If the Chancellor scares you that much, you’re more than welcome to stay here at port until
we return.”

  “No, I’m comin’ with you. Somebody has to watch out for you.” Selina turned her attention to the newcomers again. “Everybody stick with me and you won’t get lost.”

  The majority of the group left with Selina guiding them, all but Halsey and Ruby. He got ready to speak, but Saskia was making her way back over to them. He assumed she’d come back to question himself, but she turned her sights to Ruby.

  “Does your ship have a good connection?” she asked.

  “Hell, yes,” Ruby answered. “I got a forty-inch telescreen in the mess hall, girl. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

  “Thank you, ma-am.”

  Saskia left to rejoin the others, leaving Ruby to finally ask a few questions.

  “Almost fifteen years since I last saw you. When you finally decide to show up you’re beat to shit and in a rush to leave.”

  “Like I said,” Halsey said as he gawked at Mosie, “there’s a lot to fill you in on.”

  Ruby’s humorous tone turned to one of concern.

  “I heard about how you got out. Gael and Vivi told me you were taking up the fight again, too. You really got me thinking about the old days.”

  “It’s not quite the same.”

  Ruby looked at the bandages on Halsey’s head, running her fingers over them. The last time she’d seen him, they had both been in their twenties. His eyes still had that flare to them.

  “I know. I heard you run with William Marconi now. I’m not sure how the hell you pulled that off, but it does make me wonder: with a cyborg on your side why are you now trying to get out of the UNR? All those years ago when the odds were stacked against us pretty bad you never even joked about getting out of here.

  Halsey took her hand in his own.

  “Because things have gotten a whole lot worse. Tonight will go one of two ways, and, honestly, Ruby, I’m more scared than I’ve ever been.”

  She saw it in him and heard the anxiety in his voice. His older face seemed chiseled out of his past trials more than his actual age. She felt stupid for just barely noticing, but she brought it up all the same.