by Nathan Ward
“Well I’m living proof of that, the UNA are unfortunate that I’m fighting for the good of the world and Jordan, he’d be a fool to show his face again…” Murdock's voice filled with the same anger that darkened his eyes as he looked away from Joy, briefly reminded of the scars that remained on his face.
“Let me have a look …” Joy said softly as she took a step closer to Murdock, raising her hand to his chin and pulling his face towards her.
“They…They’re not going away, are they?” Murdock asked in a saddened tone.
Joy saw a sorrow in his eyes that reflected deeply, and she thought on how he had handled all he had been through so well. It didn't surprise her that he was saddened by the scars - he had every right to feel grief for his loss. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps if the timing had been better, if they had not been caught up in all this conflict, if the world had been at peace, perhaps reaching for this man and kissing him might have made him realise a thousand scars could not have taken anything away from the man that he was – but here and now, he didn't need tenderness, he needed quite the opposite. Joy placed her hand on his cheek, ran her fingertips over a livid, deep scar and then drew her hand away as she looked into his eyes and spelled out the facts.
“The treatment was good, but it’s not without its hindrance. I’m afraid only you have the ability to come to terms with how you now look, Murdock and then, only then will you be able to exist as the man you were…If we’re going to take the fight to the UNA you will need to use every ounce of your training, there won’t be any room for paranoia,” Joy said firmly, being brutally honest in an attempt to open Murdock's mind to the bigger picture. He continued to avoid eye contact and instead remained in an expressionless state, glaring over at an empty corner of the room.
Joy reached out and placed her hand on his back, softly rubbing as a sign of reassurance while his mind searched for peace and calmness in the hidden fragments of his memories, trying to distract his thoughts from the scarring to a much more important operation needing completing - like the one he had set off to accomplish - the one that had brought him all the way back to the fortress that suddenly sparked the reaction. And suddenly his darkened mood was gone.
“Thank you, Joy!” Murdock said, while turning swiftly and then stamping a kiss on to her forehead, “When I was working for the UNA I deactivated my inhibitor, the device that allowed them to take control of us all. I had a tinker about and only recently came up with this extraordinary plan…the other isn’t so brilliant, just another boy and his toys kind of thing,” Murdock explained, dropping components on to the work table.
“What are you thinking?” Joy asked, still a little dazzled by his kiss.
“I’m not thinking anything, I’m pretty certain this is going to work and it might just sway things in our favor…” he explained, pulling the soldering iron from its stand and fixing a pair of wires upon a tiny circuit board, “Told you it wouldn’t take much, a tweak here and there and a minor addition. They’re really going to hate me if hate even registers with them; they fucked with the wrong guy!”
As Murdock spoke, he continued to work, as Joy looked on. Finally he closed the plastic casing around the small bullet sized device, and then they gathered together the final products of Murdock's hard work and took their leave, exiting the workshop and returning to the hangar, where Enrique was just finishing up, loading the missiles into the War birds ammunition chambers.
Enrique made one final check before thrusting the last missile in to a locking position.
“That’s her set, Captain,” he said, turning to face Murdock as his helmet returned around his face, hiding the scarring once again.
Joy looked up at him as they approached the War bird, feeling curious: Would he remove it for everyone to see once the mission was complete? She silently hoped that he would, because she wanted to know he was healed, and until he could live without that disguise, she knew those wounds went deeper than flesh... Then she activated her very own disguise that ascended from the spinal compartment of the uniform and concealed itself around her face, once again feeding oxygen for her to breathe as it locked air tight around the neck seal, holding the head gear firmly in place.
“Are there any weapons on board?” Murdock asked.
“Quite a range, Captain,” Enrique replied as he approached the two of them.
Murdock proceeded to raise his arm and cast his finger over his wrist computer, pressing a combination of sequences against the touch sensitive screen followed by the final application of a small micro chip, he pushed it into a side socket until it clicked and an additional blue light illuminated along an LED panel.
“Boys and their toys, Joy. Boys and their toys…” Murdock stated, as he pressed his gloved finger against a large activate button that filled the devices screen, but this time not only did the War birds Jet engines roar in to life, a set of directional controls appeared on the screen of Murdock's wrist computer, they hadn’t the last time they fired up the craft – it had to be the modification that was just made, Joy realised as she looked on in confusion as the newly formed controls illuminated brightly on Murdock's wrist.
“I’m actually very excited about this, Captain!” said Enrique with a huge grin on his face.
“You’ve seen nothing yet, boy,” replied Murdock, pressing his finger down on a forward directing button.
The sound of the crafts engines suddenly began to roar in a much higher pitch, then slowly the bird began to accelerate forward, out of the dark corner and into the silver moon glow thrown down from the night sky to the open hangar beneath the war torn courtyard. Joy and Enrique looked on in amazement realising what Murdock had done, even he couldn’t believe it as he looked on as pure delight and excitement bombarded his soul.
“Ever fancied a RC plane, guys?” he asked, as pride at this achievement resonated in his voice.
The war bird slowly came to a halt, then after a few more buttons were pressed the under ramp ejected from its locking position and descended to the ground, revealing a bright, shiny set of steps for the three of them to climb up in to the craft. It was then he turned to his companions and reminded them of a solid truth that he needed to voice.
“Once we step on board, there’s no going back…I needn’t ask I know - but this is it, this is the beginning of the end and if there is any essence of doubt running through your heads, now is the time to cut loose. What happens next is out of my control, there’s no way of telling whether we win or lose.”
Enrique didn’t say a word, he simply responded with the activation of his headgear, followed by a subtle nod from Joy, as neither showed a hint of backing down... If this was going to turn into a war they were ready to give their lives fighting for the future of mankind, hoping they could bring an end to the UNA invasion plans that were already snowballing out of control.
Chapter 28: Land of the Dead
The sleek black war bird cut through the gloomy night sky, soaring in the only possible direction that Josh could have been taken – if he had been taken, Murdock considered silently as he piloted the craft with ease.
Joy no longer had to lean from her seat to observe Murdock's impressive piloting capabilities as the cockpit could sit a maximum of six, so she and Enrique had sat comfortably for the journey, watching on as clouds hurtled past the glass windscreen.
A faint sound had been bleeping for quite some time now and finally Joy gathered up courage to ask what it was, not wanting to sound dumb in front of the man she was trying to impress.
“What is that sound?” she asked cautiously.
Murdock outstretched his arm and pointed towards a small monitor on the dashboard full of lights and dials, but specifically a green speck that illuminated momentarily.
“It’s tracking, I managed to identify what would seem like the tire tracks of a UNA vehicle heading west of the rail road,” the tracker had begun to illuminate a faint path on the screen, showing the direction that ought to be taken to keep be
hind the enemies’ path, “It’s all we’ve got to go on, just got to hope for the best, really,” Murdock added with his hands now firmly gripping the directional levers, maintaining a thrust of power.
The craft continued its journey over the desolate land and as time passed, slowly but surely in the distance the sun started to rise, spreading a warm orange glow into the skies. It was a sight that no one had ever seen from such a height, not since the birth of the new world and they all felt blessed by the passing moment as the light gradually pierced the clouds and shone into eyes protected by the tinted visors of their headgear. Peace and harmony had never merged in such a powerful physical form before until now. Murdock eased off the throttle and allowed for the craft to slow and descend down below the clouds, sliding into the beam of light being cast by the sun, reflecting against the war bird's hull.
“Isn’t it just beautiful!” Joy exclaimed, drawing in a breath as she looked in wonder at the sight before her, the desolate land being awoken by the subtle orange glow of the sun as the rays travelled the land bringing light to the dark space beneath them, revealing the ground and all of its junk in the light of day and into a fresh state of dazzling brightness, as the chrome debris and broken fixtures sparkled as if in metallic glee at the new light that shone down.
Murdock cast his gaze down towards the sharp, twinkling bursts of light as the craft advanced softly, still covering the ground that the UNA carrier vehicle had taken.
“The further in land we travel, the messier it gets…” said Enrique with his eyes glued to the ground, observing the oncoming surroundings below, “We’re not the only ones who had it rough, every country, every city and town fallen to the feet of the UNA. That’s what I think has happened, if you were in their shoes, you’re going to attack the entire planet, aren’t you?”
“That would be the highest chance of success for sure and we’ve had no support, nothing. Not even the US air force, which is saying something…” Joy replied, realising that until now, she had never considered the sheer size of the invasion before - in fact she’d never thought beyond England – she had felt there was never a reason to, not while the chaos around her had left no time or room to breathe and other people had been the last of her worries. They had all been fighting for themselves for so long it never crossed their minds, well at least Joys…who admitted she was always a homely person; she never wanted to travel far because she had no reason to.
“I was happy,” she stated, still looking towards the sun in deep thought, grasping at cherished memories one last time, “I was happy in my previous life, just me and my daughter tackling life and everything it had to throw at us…We were as happy as we could ever be,” she added with only the slightest trace of sadness.
“Is she?” Murdock cautiously murmured, unsure how to ask…
The pain hit her all over again as she thought back to the day that changed everything.
“Yes she is...probably...most likely...I'll never know for sure and maybe I need it to be that way,” Joy said quietly, “They came and burned everything...even the schools...” then as the pain in her heart threatened to drive deeper as that same old agony came back sharp as the day she first knew she was gone, Joy drew in a slow breath steadying herself, pulling back on the kind of pain that she knew could easily kill her if she didn't rein it in, “But I'll never know for sure...I'll never know if she was among the dead. And that's why I'm still breathing, because although I know the most precious person in my life is gone, she might not be, there could be a chance and that tiny little chance is what keeps me going every single day. My only reason to keep on breathing, because I cling to hope that may or may not be real – but its enough for me. It keeps me alive.”
“I’m so sorry, Joy…I really am.”
“It’s not your fault,” she promised, “None of us are to blame. As long as we hold on to what ever it is we each need to keep going, we can get through. And maybe at the end of it, who knows? Perhaps life will turn out to be worth living after all. Wouldn't that be something?” she added, as a hint of optimism brightened her tone, “If we actually found out after all the loss and the pain and the emptiness, there really will be something left worth living for?”
Murdock placed his hand softly on her thigh, in hope that she’d understand by the symbolic gesture that he would keep her safe, not knowing any other way to respond to the pain of her loss. Murdock never had the opportunity to raise a family of his own so couldn’t comprehend the pain of losing a child - so instead of ruining the moment with words that seemed inadequate, he allowed for a comforting silence to fall within the space of the cockpit as the three travelers sat in thought, admiring the pinks and oranges adrift in the clouds. Enrique also remained fairly quiet, not recalling the past at all - he was just thankful to have some good friends around him, ones he could rely on and trust completely.
Suddenly a new alert tone began to sound, emitting from the cockpit dashboard as another red light started to flash on the monitor, tracking an additional point up ahead.
“That’s a red life sign, we’re going to have to put her down,” Murdock stated, already adjusting the controls.
“But what if it’s a trap, how do we know that’s not part of the plan?” Joy questioned, feeling alarmed at the sudden turn of events.
“It’s a faint life sign and there looks to be debris up ahead, trust me…if it was a trap, we’d know about it, we’re the eye in the sky…” Murdock replied, trying to reassure Joy of the situation.
But although she had heard him, Joy couldn’t help but be drawn towards the eerie desolate town south of the debris, dark and over shadowed by the mountain behind it, blocking out the mighty sun rays - this was a sight that only a child's nightmare could do justice, full of doom and gloom as a nuclear mist swept through the alleys and streets formed by the once tall standing structures that now only existed as ruins.
The air craft swooped in a descending motion from the skies above and begun to circle the perimeter of the life sign bleeping on the monitor, while Joy cast her sights over the dusty plains in search of a safe position to set her down. Murdock continued to circle the outer perimeter; drifting over the dark, collapsed town before eventually the craft entered its final descent path and came to a steady halt, resting its body down upon its landing gear that embedded in to the dusty road beneath it. The mighty engines immediately began to shut down and the crew allowed for the dust clouds to settle before making any eager move to search the site ahead of them, remaining patient and watchful in anticipation of what they were about to find, while the monitor continued to track the faint life sign pulsating in time with a human heart beat.
The ruins of the town dominated the landscape, towering over the land and leaving the travelers imaginations to run wild in curiosity, they expected it to be a hive of life and deliberately avoided touching down any closer than where they had done, but if it had been up to Joy they would still be in the sky, there was something so cold and deep and dark about the place that it sent a shiver through her bones.
“It’s perfectly safe, trust me,” said Murdock, trying to convince Joy and knowing by instinct that he was not succeeding.
“You don’t know that!” she replied hastily.
“Why’d you think I took my time landing, I scanned the area…everyone’s been and gone,” he added while he unstrapped himself from the pilots chair.
“If that were true, why the fuck would that thing be making noise?” Joy responded with her finger pressed against the monitor, “Someone is alive out there!”
“I didn’t see anything! That’s why we need to investigate!” Murdock insisted.
“It’s a trap, I’m telling you now..” she warned him aggressively.
Joy seemed almost certain something wasn’t right but Murdock knew he wasn’t the kind of man to sit back, he had a chance to save a life and he wasn’t going to let it pass.
“So are you staying put or coming out? Someone needs to look after the ship…” he
said, in the hope that Joy would take the opportunity to remain inside, as she clearly didn’t like the sound of the situation they were in - but her response came as quite a shock.
“Of course I’m coming, I pledged myself to you, Captain…I’d much rather sit here, yes - but where’s the bravery in that?” Then she sank back in to her chair and raised her feet up on to the pilot console.
Enrique and Murdock turned to one another, both knowing the exact expression the other wore underneath their face masks as they raised their shoulders in sync with one another.
As the sun rose high and bright in the morning sky and the winds ventured up north, dust, sand and smog began to settle into the ground and upon the hull of the air craft that rested peacefully, waiting for its crew to disembark.
The under belly ramp slowly began to pull away from the ship, descending down into the sand, forming a flight of steps for the passengers to exit. As the ramp locked into position the voice of the War bird confirmed that disembarking could now be successfully achieved by approaching the top of the steps.
Murdock, Enrique and Joy made their way to the back of the ship, grabbing what ammunition and weaponry they could as they passed the armory along the way until finally, they all descended out on to the burning sands.
Now they could once again feel the heat of the sun burning against their grey uniforms which were attracting more heat than ever before.
“The sooner we return, the better for all of us,” Murdock told them both, turning to Joy and Enrique at the foot of the ramp.
“Me and Joy will head over that ridge, assess the situation and make a prompt decision resulting in a smooth return to the ship, are you happy to stand guard, Enrique?” Murdock asked carefully, knowing he usually liked to get his teeth in on the action.
