Sons of Abraham: J-17's Trial

by JOSEPH RAY

  The crowd erupted once more. Pushing and shoving broke out amongst them as people fell from their chairs. The guards stepped forward, attempting to prevent a riot from occurring.

  “Then we’d have no control!” a man yelled from the back of the room.

  “They’d kill us all!” a woman screamed.

  From his perch across the city, Jones listened and watched the madness on his data pad. He always suspected that the day would come when the humans would play their hand. It was time for the Cybers to raise the stakes. He submitted the final order from the data pad, turning it off and sliding it into his jacket. It was time for the next phase.

  “Order! Order I say!” Judge Mathis screamed at the top of his lungs.

  New orders received…..

  “Guards, remove them from the courtroom, immediately,” he continued to yell.

  Calloway felt, rather than saw, the rifle lift to his left side. Like many others in his line of work, he’d developed an instinct when it came to a shootout. He pulled at the woman next to him, dragging her down to the floor as the first shot rang out. More shots fired as Calloway climbed over the screaming woman.

  “Just stay down!” he yelled, swearing for not being allowed his firearm in the courtroom.

  Agent Nathan Calloway rolled to one side, just enough for him to catch a glance at what was happening. The line of guards, all on the left side of the courtroom, had drawn their weapons. Nathan shifted, looking to the right side, but could see none of the guards. He stuck his head under the seat in front of him, straining to see past the feet and bodies that shifted between his position and where he knew the other guards to be. A clearing formed, though only for a moment. The gap showed him what he’d suspected, seeing two guards lying motionless upon the ground. The gap closed once more as a man fell dead on the far side of the room.

  Nathan shifted over once more, looking to the back of the room. The doors had yet to open as a cluster of terrified people clawed and slammed their fist into it. It made no sense to him. The alarms should have sounded after the first gunshot. The doors should have opened automatically. The evidence, however, proved otherwise as the crowd surged towards the exit. A long burst of shots rang out, silencing their screams.

  Calloway could think of nothing more to do except for drag a fallen man over his shoulder, feigning his own death. He felt the heavy boots stomping through each row, muffled whispers being silenced with the sound of gunfire. The shots were coming fewer and further between, meanings that the guards were nearing the end of their slaughter spree.

  A heavy footfall stopped inches short from where Calloway lay. He felt the body being pushed from behind him, guessing that the guards were checking the bodies. He felt the man being pulled off him, exposing him to the guard. A feeling of dread swept over him as his mind asked him if the guard was a human or a Cyber. If he was a Cyber, he could easily scan Calloway for vital signs.

  “Stand up Agent Calloway,” a voice ordered him.

  Cyber. Nathan swore beneath his breath as he pressed himself from the floor. He looked at the massacre around him, noting that only a few people had been saved from the carnage. He let out a sigh of relief, noting that Major Ballistar was one of them, as he sat at his table with his hands in the air. A trickle of blood streamed down his face from his forehead, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed. MA Joseph was nowhere to be seen. Many of the remaining guards could be seen at the back corner of the courtroom, exiting through the door to the judge’s chambers. The judge himself lies next to the podium, motionless.

  “What the fuck just happened?!” Nathan yelled, looking at the bodies spread over the floor and the heap piled in front of the exit. “You god damn monsters butchered everyone!”

  “Not everyone,” the Cyber calmly stated his gun still aimed at the Agent. “Go have a seat or you can join them.”

  Only two of the guards remained behind, but none of the survivors seemed to be any hurry to rush them. Cybers were known for their quickness, as they had just proven on the live stream. He could hear fist pounding on the doors, growing louder and louder with each blow. Somewhere, far behind the judge’s podium, more gunshots could be heard. The missing guards must have left to sweep the halls.

  The Cyber paused for a moment, then lowered his rifle and stormed to the back of the courtroom. Nathan watched him and the remaining guard leave the room before he leapt from his seat, hurdled the glass barrier, and lifted one of the fallen guard’s rifle. David Ballistar had followed his lead, as had the young technician from earlier. David wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was pleased to see the young man uninjured.

  “Why do you suppose they spared us?” Jason Jay asked, picking up one of the rifles. “What makes us so special from everyone else?”

  Nathan looked around at the sea of bodies, noting two red silk robes lying over top of one another. It seemed that either Terrance Mathis had fallen upon the young dignitary, or his last act was in bravery as he tried to protect her. Given that he was clearly dead, Nathan chose to think the latter of him. No sense in continuing to hate a dead man.

  “Because we all tried to help Joseph,” David Ballistar replied, checking the weapon for bullets. He bent down and checked the fallen guard, looking for another clip in his pouches. He came back with two, sticking them in his right hip pocket. Nathan followed his lead, grabbing more ammo for himself.

  “You stay here,” Nathan ordered to Jason. “You weren’t trained for this.”

  “In all fairness, Agent Calloway, neither are you,” Jason claimed, pulling the clip from the rifle and checking it for rounds. “They ever train you to fight Cybers?”

  Nathan looked to David, admitting that the young man had a point. At no time in all his training had he been required to take down a Cyber. He knew they moved at blinding speeds, as far as their reaction times and decision-making. Their bodies were no different from his own, but a split second was the difference between living or dead when it came to a gunfight. This would not end well for them.

  Calloway shook his head before jogging to the back of the courtroom. David Ballistar followed closely behind with Jason Jay taking the rear. Nathan checked the door, noting that no guards were present. A few bodies were scattered along the hallway. Two women in short skirts, and another person in a red silk robe. The Agent knew beyond a doubt that King Isom had escaped, his guards likely having sacrificed themselves for their King. The three men stalked down the long corridor, their guns sweeping each doorway as they passed.

  The gunshots up ahead were getting louder as the group rounded the corner. Nathan covered the left as David looked down the right corridor. Jason remained back, sweeping the hall they’d just cleared.

  “The roof?” David asked, looking at the sign on the wall that stated ‘roof access.’

  Nathan was about to disagree when the distinct sound of a harrier transport deafened their hearing. Without bothering to say anymore, Nathan followed the sign to the stairs that led up to the building’s roof. The door at the end of the stairs was open, the sunlight pouring in through the darkness. Nathan scaled the steps as quickly as his legs would allow, taking the last few in slow motion.

  The scene was nothing as he’d expected though he wasn’t sure what that meant. There were only two guards left, trying to pull a resisting MA Joseph into the open hatch of the harrier transport. Luckily, for them, the weapons of the harrier faced forward, keeping the guns pointed away from the stairwell. Nathan quickly stepped to the right of the stairs, crouching behind the top trim of a skylight. David and Jason took the left, crouching behind a row of ductwork that broke through the ceiling. There was no way for anyone to hear them over the harrier’s turbines, rendering a shouted warning useless. Nathan looked over at the two men to his left, waiting for the Major to make his decision. The Major looked back to him nodding to open fire.

  Nathan aimed his sites at the right guard, the one with his arm wrapped around MA Joseph’s side. The man was still trying to pull the Cyber into th
e opening of the harrier when a bullet from Nathan’s rifle pierced his helmet, dropping him to the ground. David Ballistar’s shot went left, missing the other guard whom promptly turned around and opened fire upon them.

  The group ducked behind their protective barriers, not wanting to guess which one of them was taking fire. The shots clanged off the ductwork, leaving holes between the Major and Jason Jay. A moment later, a shot burst through the thin metal, a burst of crimson spraying across the gravel on the roof. Jason Jay felt nothing as the bullet went through his skull. The young technician fell face first into the gravel, dead before his head hit the rocks. Nathan and David exchanged glances, taking a brief second before turning to fire upon the Cyber.

  The scene was not what they expected as they could clearly make out a struggle between the guard and Joseph, both pulling the gun. The experienced MA waited for the guard to lunge back, shoving the stock of the rifle into the Cyber’s face. The blow struck the helmet, knocking the man sideways. Another guard poked a rifle from the opening of the harrier, then was promptly struck by a bullet from Ballistar’s rifle. The shot grazed the Cyber’s neck but was enough to force him back into the airship.

  Without warning, a burst of automatic fire came from inside the harrier. Before Nathan or David could look up from their barriers, the ship had already begun to pull away from the building. They knew it was pointless, but they opened fire at the transport anyways. The bullets bounced off the thick armor on the ship, unable to penetrate the layers of protective armor. The ship turned to them. Nathan swore as he raced towards the open stairwell. David Ballistar caught on half a second later, chasing behind the Agent stride for stride. They dove into the stairwell, aimed for the metal railing as the revolving guns from the airship unleashed its fury upon them. Nathan grabbed the rail, barely able to avoid skipping over its top and falling to the next platform below. David was not as lucky as a high caliber bullet went through his calf muscle. The Major screamed but managed to grab the railing, sliding face first down the stairs. His grip slid through the metal tube, but he was able to keep himself from tumbling. His neck strained to keep his face upward, his chin striking the corner of a step twice before his body came to a stop.

  The gunfire stopped, the high wale of the harrier’s turbines grew quiet in the distance. Nathan slid down the railing, landing on the top landing of the stairs. He bent over the Major, who only stopped three steps for the landing himself. The man’s chin looked broken and twisted, but it was the man’s leg that drew his concern. Calloway ripped his jacket off his body, the metal button clanged off the stairs and rails as he tied the sleeve of the jacket around the Major’s leg to slow down the blood loss.

  “I’m fine,” David Muttered, his face and leg throbbing. “Go find Joseph.”

  Agent Nathan Calloway slowly ascended the stairs, the rifle hanging limply in his hands. He was exhausted from the fight, the adrenaline rush leaving him with nothing in his tank. He crossed the rooftop, not wanting to check on the poor technician whom still lie face down in the gravel. The massive flood of crimson around the boy’s head told the Agent all he needed to know. His shoes crunched against the gravel, his feet sliding sideways with every step. Sirens could be heard from the street below as the first responders had just arrived. Nathan wondered if there was anyone left in need of medical care, other than the Major whom still rested in the stairwell.

  The sight was not promising as Nathan drew closer to the body lying on the rooftop. He knelt down and grabbed the man’s shoulders, turning him over as best he could manage. The MA was still breathing though it was shallow and quick. Calloway had seen the same breathing far more times than he cared to, knowing that the Cyber was not long for this world. The death rasp was what they called it. A phrase dating back as far as the English language itself. Despite the pain the MA was enduring, he managed to smile when he saw his friend.

  “Hello Agent Calloway,” he whispered between breaths.

  “Don’t talk Joseph,” Nathan muttered, the tears burning in the sides of his eyes. “We’ll get you some help. Just be still til they get here.”

  The Cyber continued to smile as he looked up into the sun. The rays felt warm on his skin, like a nice hot bath after a hard day.

  “We both know better than that,” Joseph muttered. “But I appreciate your effort to comfort me.”

  “Who were they?” Nathan asked, realizing that Joseph may be the only one alive to answer his questions. “Why the hell did they slaughter everyone?”

  The smile faded from his face, his eyes closed as his mouth opened to speak.

  “I do not know, Agent Calloway, why they fired,” he started. “They said they were the Sons of Abraham and tried to take me with them. I refused. My place is here.”

  Joseph’s bloodied hand gripped tightly on Nathan’s shoulder as the blood stained the Agent’s white shirt. Calloway leaned in, knowing that the time was about to pass.

  “Okay then,” Nathan replied, a smile on his face.

  “The girls are safe, Agent Calloway,” Joseph continued, his eyes opening once more. “I left them with their father on a safe planet, then I erased my data and the flight recorder on my Hermes. No one with find them. They are safe now.”

  Nathan squeezed the Cyber’s forearm, feeling the strength fading in the man’s grip. His breathing was slowing now, a faint trickle of blood escaping his mouth.

  “You did real good Joseph,” Nathan muttered, realizing that he alone had saved the girls from a life of torment. “You did real good, my friend.”

  The Cyber coughed, a spray of blood escaping his mouth. Nathan held him down, noting that the grip on his shoulder had almost faded entirely.

  “Yes, my friend,” Joseph replied, his voice becoming faint. “You did REAL good.”

  The smile remained for a second before the grip pulled Calloway down to the Cyber’s lips.

  “Thank you, Nathan,” he whispered.

  “For what?” Calloway replied, no longer to hold back the tear in his eyes.

  “In all our years……..all our missions,” Joseph said between struggled breaths. “You never, EVER, called me an ‘it.’ I am forever…..thankful.”

  The grip fell limp as Nathan felt the arm fall from his shoulder. The eyes blinked out, returning to their alien mirror appearance. Calloway reached out with trembling hands and forced the lids closed over the Cyber’s eyes. The tears flowed free as his throat threatened to leap through his mouth.

  “And I never will,” he whispered.

  7 aftermath

  Agent Nathan Calloway looked at the screen and laughed. The woman seated at the desk in front of him looked up, a judgmental glare burning across her face. He didn’t care if she judged him. The last three days saw everyone judging him.

  He looked down at the screen of his data pad and sent a reply. Major Ballistar begged for him to steal him away from the hospital and take him fishing. The Agent had no idea why it struck him as humorous though he suspected he was just pleased to know that his friend was recovering so quickly. Friends were hard to come by these days.

  “The President will see you now, Agent Calloway,” the woman said.

  Nathan nodded to her as he stood, two armed guards opened the double doors and let him pass. The President’s office was exactly as the pictures had showed him though he felt no awestruck from the surroundings.

  “Have a seat, Agent Calloway,” President Garber insisted.

  “No thank you, Mr. President,” he replied, placing his hands behind his back.

  “Please, I insist.”

  Nathan looked down at the plush chair next to him. It looked too much like the one Lord Elsmere had sat upon, just moments before his death. No, he suspected he would not take a seat.

  “Sir, I’ve been sitting through board meetings and debriefings for the last few days,” he replied. “Quite frankly, I’m just ready to get to work.”

  The President looked up at him from his seated position, slowly dropping the tablet in
his hand to the desk. He frowned, realizing that the man had suffered more after the incident than during. Debriefings can be a bit invasive, especially when the security of the entire universe was at stake.

  “These reports are most troubling,” the President continued. “A Cyber getting hacked and killing a dignitary from an allied planet. Then a squadron of Cybers laying waste to an entire courtroom. You mind telling me just what the hell is going on Agent Calloway?”

  Nathan looked out the window. The world seemed so peaceful from up here. The soldiers who were covering the streets below could not be seen, and any flying transports were forbidden near the African capital. So peaceful.

  “Agent Calloway?” James Garber repeated. “You wanna come back to the real world son?”

  He snapped to attention, realizing that this was a poor time to lose his train of thought. He told the President what MA Joseph had said just before he died.

  “You got any idea who these men are?” James asked, leaning back in his seat.