Outside the door was Unit 23, who merely nodded as she joined him. In her black tank top and shorts, Val was here to do all she could think to do. The conversation with Halsey had left the dry taste of wasted time in her mouth. The only way to cement her strength and superiority would be through the testing of her strength. In times of failure, this would be a victory.
At the benches, Hans was currently spotting Mitch. Cisco was curling what he could, setting the weight down to salute as the cyborgs passed. They smiled and returned the gesture.
“Well, if it isn’t the freaks,” Valerie heard a voice say out of the blue. She recognized the voice, but paid it no mind. Today the large training room was packed beyond its usual capacity. Of course, news of what transpired at Sanctuary’s Pass just ten hours ago passed through the ranks rather quickly.
“Look at this bitch,” remarked a female voice off in the corner by the squat stations. Val tensed, but Luis simply continued his stroll. He had to have heard that. The air was full of tension that couldn’t be described. Disrespectful shits, she thought. Nothing has been officially confirmed, so why the morale?
Unit 18 sat down at a vacant spot and got ready to select a suitable challenge. As Val stood ready and waiting for her turn, she saw it hanging on the wall behind him: Will’s sword, displayed horizontally by two nails. It was noble and imposing looking, till she saw a white flag tied tightly around its hilt. On the cloth were words in red paint, proudly proclaiming:
Fucking scum!!!
Her reaction was reflexive.
“Who did this shit?!”
As she uttered those words, the large room fell silent. Every workout had stopped. As she expected, despite the disgusting nature of it, not a single soul stepped forth. Only Luis pressed onwards.
“How dare you dishonor a fellow soldier in such a way? It’s worthy of trial!” she said in a yell. Out of the group of over sixty men and women, one was stepping up. Val watched as Mitch approached, a towel slung over his shoulders. Hans was at his side, but Cisco must’ve been off to the back somewhere. His grin was taunting, something she hadn’t seen in a while. He turned around for a second and waved with both arms for the crowd to move up.
“Come on, come on,” he urged almost playfully. Soon the thinned-out herd was a tightly packed flock, with Mitch and Hans at the forefront.
“Now, uh, Unit 23 right?” said the man loud and clear, “let me be frank for a minute. It was me and several other pussies in here, they’re just too scared to admit it. Despite that, I don’t see anyone takin’ it down. I get the feeling you’re the only one who finds this offensive. Well, you and your buddy there.”
Luis still said absolutely nothing. He merely began his work out.
“Yeah, Will’s in deep shit. Everyone knows that. You fuckin’ cyborgs, reliable as hell, right? Now I speak for everyone here when I say that I would rather let those bastards slit my throat than run them some damn errands.”
The crowd was alive with murmuring and innuendos, and Val could hear it all. Her anger was building, but she concealed it.
“You can’t seriously believe this–” but Hans cut her off.
“We all have eyes, I assure you. It may surprise you, but so does the Chancellor and the Commander. Treachery is intolerable.”
“You know, Hans,” Mitch added, “I’ve seen enough of our blood spilled recently. Everyone knows what I wanna see– that cyborg’s body strung up on that wall.”
The murmuring grew louder and there were even nods. Val’s anger turned to disbelief. Her ears weren’t malfunctioning. This was no dream. This was real.
“To think you, a member of the most-high ranking branch, would ever spout such shit. You clearly have no honor or reverence.”
Mitch laughed.
“Honor? Reverence? Someone like me, like everyone else in this room, is worthy of that. We are the heart and soul of order. A traitor doesn’t get any of that, even if it is just hardware. You could never measure up to us. In fact, I’ll feel much safer when all of you are shut down and put to sleep permanently.”
He stepped closer than even Hans dared to go. He was within only half a yard of Unit 23. She could see him looking her over. Mitch looked at her breasts for a few seconds, before gawking at her hips and licking his lips. He even went as far as to reach down and grab her thigh. Val took several steps back, breaking his grip immediately. A nervous, cold, sweat ran down her body. What the hell was this? This couldn’t be the UNR’s finest. It was frightening.
Mitch laughed again. The whole group was laughing now.
“The way they made you is almost too convincing. Truth is, though, you’re still just a doll,” he said, folding his arms. Cisco had made his way to the front of the crowd by now, looking confused.
“But don’t worry, I’ll make sure the guys take care of you once Venloran puts you back to sleep. If I’m feelin’ desperate enough someday I might even give you a try.”
He cleared his throat, gathered up the mucus and saliva in his mouth, and then launched a wad of spit on Valerie’s chest. Luis turned his head ever so slightly. His eyes though, were solely on Unit 23.
As Mitch and plenty of others laughed, Val’s anger spiked tenfold. Her head felt like it was being crushed by an intense, unbelievable pain, and her body was trembling with fury. She clenched one of her small hands into a fist. Her nails pierced the flesh, but she was far from feeling any physical agony. As blood began to seep between her fingers, droplets of it pooled on the mats and the laughter stopped. Hans moved back with the rest of the group, as Mitch held his ground, even as Val took a step forward. Her green eyes held so much rage he felt his own heart leap. But this was a message to his fellow men and women. A message he wanted all to see. In his madness, he even rather enjoyed the rush. He planted one foot forward.
“What are you gonna do? Hurt me? If you know better you won’t lay a finger on me.”
Val stepped one foot back. She was losing herself, so full of these wild emotions. They shouldn’t even be getting to me, she tried to reason with herself. The ability of these insects to hurt her so badly was unbelievable. And now, she thought, it’s come down to brutality in the ranks. She felt the sting of referring to her fellow soldiers as insects, but it somehow fit now. Her emotions, these damned emotions, had been drawn out to the fullest extent. But no matter what she felt, she could not, and would not, harm a UNR soldier, or any personnel of the UNR bureau. Still, her fist was clutched so strongly. She couldn’t just let it go, and this bastard was daring her to…
“MITCH!!”
Everyone’s attention was drawn to Luis. He stepped beside Val. His brow wasn’t furrowed. His hands were relaxed and his eyes were unshaken.
“If I were you I wouldn’t push it. Since you’ve stooped to this pathetic level, I wouldn’t mind taking a bit farther.”
Unit 18, the right hand man of The Wolf, had stepped up to the plate. He was more at ease than they’d ever seen him, but somehow that was more unsettling than his usual poise. That smile unsettled them more than anything did. The crowd began to disperse and everyone was now leaving the training center. The excitement and tension had finally begun to decelerate.
“Someday I’d like to see that,” Mitch challenged before leaving, Cisco giving them both a somber look before following suit.
Within moments, the only people in the room were the two cyborgs. Valerie only stared at the empty chamber now, as if the men and women were still there. Why can’t I stop trembling?
Luis turned back to resume his workout.
“Luis?” she said slowly.
“Yes, what is it?”
Unit 23 couldn’t comprehend how he could be so placid. There was so much she wanted to ask him.
“What do you think?”
Luis approached S.S.C. Unit 21’s desecrated sword. He ripped it from the wall, clenching it as tightly as Unit 23 had clenched her own fist.
“To even think such a disgrace could befall the UNR,” he said. “I have kn
own Unit 21 my entire time here. I only believe what he, Commander Kane, and the Chancellor all taught me– that we are unbreakable. And we are.”
Val realized the truth in what he was saying and felt her UNR pride. She wouldn’t be broken by the weak. Not now. Not ever. Her chest finally loosened up and she stopped trembling.
“It is my sincerest hope that he has not betrayed us, but I will stand for the UNR and bring down anyone who threatens it. I understand that now more than ever. You and I will do all that is necessary. I have just one request of you: if it comes down to it, let me be the one to save Will.”
Valerie nodded. She knew her mission, engraved into her head since her rebirth long ago. She had been reborn as the perfect being, and it was her unwavering duty to preserve the United Nation Republic. She would allow no one to tamper with it. Anyone who dared would be swiftly executed.
Chapter 20 - God’s Gift
April 16, 2065
“Our next target, as Alex has officially confirmed, is the Fonzworth Military Outpost in Norfolk. It’s a fairly isolated installation due to its age,” Jacob announced to the soldiers before him. “Thanks to our newest informant, we now know the majority of the planes captured, along with their cargo, are being held there.”
“The base is not heavily guarded due to the content and is used simply as a storage facility. However, the computers in the facility are capable of accessing the Confidential Data Archive. Remember, two things people: First, that the strike will only last an hour. Load up what weapons you can, while Alex uses his bug to extract the computer files. Once that’s done, we’re out. Second, this is not like the mission at Sanctuary’s Pass. I need a small team to secure the UNR troops who will be there.”
Several people raised their hands, and Jacob was happy with the results.
“Our strike begins at 0700. We have ten hours till then. I suggest we all get some sleep.”
Jacob, Gabby, Alex, and the informant left the storage room to the others. They would need time to prepare and rest. Jacob stopped them halfway down the dingy hall. At first, Will thought the room they’d held him in was their worst, but from his days here, he now confirmed the whole base was a dingy mess. At best, the place was a condemned warehouse. Sixty, seventy people tops were here, with a significant number of those being injured. The place was pitiful.
Jacob looked at Gabby, placing a hand on his sister’s shoulder.
“Good job, you two. You both got a lot of people back on their feet.”
Gabby could only nod with a smile. Her brother turned to look at Will.
“You,” he continued, “You are something. You handled yourself well in there, but this time, I’ll need you to do a full sweep of the perimeter. Should be just as easy for you, but every guard must be down for this one.”
Will nodded, but was surprised to see Jacob walking off along with Alex.
“Hold on,” he called out to them. It was a somewhat angered pitch, much to Jacob’s dismay.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I got you a decent amount of necessary supplies. It’s more than likely I’ve already been branded a traitor, and yet I’ve received absolutely no information. Your deal is feeling more and more like an elaborate ruse.”
“Calm down, cyborg. As I said, Alex will download the system onto his little toy and, once it’s brought here, you will be able to access everything you want. Just as my father promised.”
The cyborg eyed the technician, then back to Jacob.
“As convincing as you are, I wish to speak with Dr. Neeson.”
Gabby watched her brother’s face.
“No, he’s not feeling well. I’d prefer he was not disturbed for a day or two,” he stated clearly. “Understand?”
The cyborg persisted further, “It’s very important. I will try to make it as quick as possible, but–”
To Gabby’s surprise, Jacob interrupted Will, the cyborg’s expression depicted that as well.
“I don’t give a damn. My father is sick, as I said, and I would like it if he was not disturbed.”
The super soldier’s eyes said it all, but he remained composed.
“If you have any questions,” Alex said, glancing nervously between the two, “I’d be happy to help. Which reminds me, here is your upload link cable.”
From his pocket, Alex pulled out a silver USB-looking contraption, connected to a long cable. He handed it to the cyborg, who inspected it at once.
“What purpose does this serve?”
“It will allow you full, untraceable, access to the UNR database thanks to the encryption I’ve designed. It connects to an outlet within your body. The other end is used to go into our computer once we return from our next mission.”
“Is it a permanent installation to my systems?”
“Yes. I’ll show you how once I upload the system onto my computer.”
Will nodded, and Jacob found his silence wonderful. This silence was in reality a landmark. The immortal monster had been made tame to a degree, and the lieutenant loved it.
“Now, go back to your quarters and wait like everyone else.”
The cyborg turned around briskly to leave and did not look back again. Gabby had seen her brother display that silent rage before. It was something she was accustomed to. She watched as the cyborg left down the hall.
“Gabby, escort it back to its room,” Jacob ordered, and then turned the opposite way. He gestured for Alex to follow.
“Later, then,” Alex managed to say as he hurried after the lieutenant.
Gabby said a quick goodbye before turning to work with the cyborg. This time Jacob let her chaperone the cyborg without any help. She’d proven she could handle it.
***
Jacob paused at the chipped and beaten wooden door. He hovered outside the doorway awkwardly, despite his outspoken brazenness to the death machine not so long ago, and for this, he felt stupid.
Stepping into what used to be, and to some extent still was an office, Jacob felt colder in here than the rest of the facility. Like every room, the light in here was sparse. As the soldier walked past a large desk, he saw several worn out books on its surface. Looking at them all was like staring at the entire collection of his high school English class. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Sinclair Lewis’ Elmer Gantry, and Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms were all among the mess.
The floor creaked as Jacob stopped a few feet short of his father. To his inward disapproval, his father wasn’t laid up in his bed but sat in a chair close to the window. Through it, both men could see what used to be the main work floor of the facility. All of the machines had been removed for their makeshift hospital. The old man eyed the area with particular scrutiny. Usually the medical floor was quiet and still, but ever since their recent spoils, the room was crawling with activity.
“I know what you’re going to say,” his father said as he pushed the wheeled chair back a bit.
“No, no, not at all, Dad,” Jacob said, “I was only wondering what you’re reading there.”
The doctor looked down at his blanket-covered lap, spying the small forgotten text that lay there. It was as if he’d completely forgotten it was with him.
“Meditations on First Philosophy. I was just catching up.”
“I didn’t know that sort of thing interested you.”
“I find it for the most part trivial. Your sister lent it to me a few days ago, but I must shamefully admit it hasn’t been on my priority list.”
“She has a knack for getting attached to crap. Probably spends more time reading that thing than focusing on what I tell her.”
“Don’t be too spiteful, Jacob. After all, Gabriella has achieved a victory for us. She’s brought hope back to everyone.”
“Yeah, I suppose she did. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even relevant in the end.”
The elderly man’s eyes shifted from the pages. He stood up, leaving the book and the blanket in his seat.
“What’s bothering you, son?
You should be proud of what we’ve done. Soon we will remove the doubt from the rest of the world.”
“If only Neal could drink to that.”
Both men remembered the old family friend fondly. A brief smile rose to the doctor’s face as he recalled a Saturday one summer long ago. Right in the middle of cooking up lunch, only to hear a thundering door slam. The two small boys ran through the back door to the front of the house, unknowingly dropping one of their baseball mitts.
“I apologize for the other day. He’s in my thoughts, Jacob. Neal was a fine young man.”
“I feel so damned helpless. We don’t even know what they’re doing to him.”
Filled with compassion, the father placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. For Jacob the moment was far from truly solidified. He recounted how on that one glorious day of baseball, his dad had done the same thing after lunch. With the man’s firm hand on his own scrawny shoulder, it had made the lecture about tracking dirt through the house that much more resilient. Now though, his father’s hand was weak, as if clutching to his son’s shoulder for leverage more than presence. Jacob knew even now aid was a slap to his father’s face.
“He was one of the modern Lost Generation, same as you and me. He didn’t let his disillusionment stop him from reclaiming his country.”
The young Neeson faked a smile.
“Sometimes I swear my father is really John Dewy.”
The doctor mimicked the expression on his son’s face.
“As he said at Michigan, ‘democracy and the one ultimate ethical ideal of humanity are to my mind, synonymous.’”
***
Still some distance away, Gabby saw the cyborg to his room, almost shutting the door. Her simple task was complete. As she headed to her own quarters, a brief flash of golden light caught her eye. She returned to his door, which was left slightly ajar. Inside the drab room was a beaten mattress in the corner along the wall and a single chair accompanied with a small table. The near-omnipotent cyborg seemed so preoccupied it didn’t even notice her presence. It had something in its hand.
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