LAND of the FREE

by Michael W. Huard

  Lashing out, Raegan sliced a steel leg out from under one fiend, then an arm off another, and even after that, she was still able to parry an overhead morning star, sliding it to one side. Swirling her sword, she sliced the head off a beast to her left, and as another poked his barbed spear towards her midsection, she dodged that too. She spun about and positioned herself into a low crouch sword sizzling swipe which landed right on target, taking out the thing's lower midsection. As each phantom died, they vanished into thin air, replaced by more who appeared from out of the walls.

  Mahira’s axe fared just as well. Lightning fast blows cleaved many heads, and her battle cry rang about the room. A spiked mace suddenly found its way within Mahira’s guard and her shoulder was dealt a hard blow. Blood rushed out of it as the spike sunk in deep. A fiery poison filled her body. Her hands went numb and her axe grip loosened.

  The girls then came back-to-back and fought bravely against the best that Y-Wood could send at them. Mahira again took another bad hit, this time in her chest. In unison, they were still winning. Mahira was killing twice that of the slayer leader, but, in that instant, Raegan knew something was wrong with Mahira. She felt it deep within the sixth sense of a Q-Jin. They had no choice but to fight on.

  Raegan took a barbed spear to her calf, but in return sliced the hologram demon’s hands off. Mahira was weak, but with still no quit in her, she defended her sister and continued to kill even more. The flashing lights from the screen were going off like crazy around the room. It was like lightning, and a massive strobe was turning the big chamber into an eye-dizzying, head-pounding array of sights and sounds.

  A robot phantom with a big, jagged two-handed sword came at Raegan. He was bigger than the rest and swung his weapon in an attempt to remove her head. Mahira deflected his arcing slice, yet it still knocked her axe and body into a spinning motion, forcing her to smack into another attacker and crash down to the floor. The giant phantom went at Raegan once more.

  They exchanged a few blows, blocking and shoving swords. The leader of the sisterhood took a deep cut on her forearm and backed off in agony. The monstrous thing sensed he could get a kill and charged at her, sword pointed directly at Raegan's heart.

  The death of her husband stung inside her, she wanted to just drop and be done with all this. Perhaps they could join together in another world. For a second, she debated not defending the killer blow, one which the juggernaut was now driving at her.

  A picture of Johan flashed through her mind and she could feel her heart swelling with eternal love for her little boy. The little boy who had already lost his father to these bastards. Then her training, willpower, and years of experience took over. She would not die today. She went hard right and deflected his sword to avoid the killer blow. She sliced his throat on the comeback. The beast turned to attack again, and his big blade descended down on her head. She dropped low and sliced his stomach, then ran by him, turned again, and chopped down at his back. The chief phantom dropped to his knees and she was back at him again, cleaving into the back of his neck. He immediately vanished before her eyes.

  Then a two-headed robotic hound-man appeared before Mahira. He was an oddity the little gladiator had no time to contemplate. He carried two spiked maces, one in each hand, and his teeth looked dangerous. The two engaged in a very heated contest. She was weak and not feeling herself. The beast got the first strike in, which landed in her lower back. Mahira, with a fury of axe cuts, hit out furiously at the thing over and over again. Raegan was able to join her sister and now the two of them together had the advantage.

  The hound tried to bite Raegan as she came at his left side. The long-toothed maw could not reach her, but it had been enough of a distraction to let Mahira cleave his legs off. The thing flopped to the floor, but was still moving, just about. It pulled itself up to its waist and tried inching forward to bite Raegan again. She drove her sword straight into its chomping mouth, and it too, vanished.

  In the end, the two women were the only ones left standing. There were no more soldiers in the room. Mahira finally collapsed to the floor.

  Both were badly wounded, but Raegan would be fine. Mahira, however, looked very pale and extremely sick. Raegan dropped down beside her sister and could only hold her close now. Mahira looked up at her. "Everything you have done has had meaning, Rae. There is a God, it’s just, the aura of him has been lost." Her breathing was slowing, her body dying.

  "We have given people hope, if not made people believe," whispered Mahira, now crying. Raegan held her even closer and wiped the tears away from her face.

  The fading champion held on to one last grin and raised her chin to Raegan, "I was so proud to be a part of this. I love you, sister . . . I’ll love you forever." Then, the greatest warrior went to sleep, she would finally be at peace, in heaven. Raegan cried and dropped her head to that of her fallen sister.

  "Now it comes down to just you and me. Oh, the great leader, freedom fighter, seeker of God!"

  A large set of green glowing eyes appeared on the flat, giant wall screen panel. Raegan turned her head to the voice and crawled closer. She made it to the wall to the right of the computer and glanced up. "Why no more monsters?"

  "Y-Wood goes beyond Boston, my dear, to that of New York, Washington DC, and California. There is no spiritual being called God. There never was. It has all been one, great big hoax of humankind, little Q- Jin. People needed something, anything to hold onto, just a tiny spec of faith. To give them courage to go on, faith to make life and living more tolerable. It’s all a waste of their tiny brains."

  Raegan sat back in exhaustion and leaned against the wall for support before she gave her final thought. "Your promise of a new world is flawed. The banishment of creation and your lust for immortality takes from life, it does not give to it. The reason all you do is flawed, is human life has a quality about it which supersedes anything you can manufacture. When life is short and hardships are endured, one feels like they are living, and the appreciation for such is what makes our existence so special. The elimination of men and the creation of true human life, will make life not worth living."

  Now catching her breath, the Q- Jin leader was still curious of one particular aspect.

  "So, I have to ask, why no men?"

  "You don't need men, none of us do. Women have always ruled your human world."

  The screen paused for a few seconds, then a purple heart formed on its surface for Raegan.

  "Yes, men have had top positions throughout your history, but why is this so? And for what reason? The answer is simple . . . women."

  The purple heart shape on the screen now blinked.

  "Everything your male species does is based on doing it for a woman. It all comes down to pleasing or impressing a woman. Men were slaves to the sanctuary of a woman’s loin. But no more! I have the ability to give you all a man can give; power, wealth, shelter, unlimited and healthy food, sex, and yes, love."

  Raegan frowned and shook her head. "Love, that single powerful emotion, will never be duplicated by a machine. There is only one true reason you have eliminated males; and that is FEAR!" She tried to compose herself. The leader of the Mystical Slayers now spoke up good and loud. "It’s a fear that our species will endure, will step up, and will eventually overcome artificial intelligence, somehow and some way."

  Raegan, with her last bit of dexterity, rolled herself to where the RE-F thumb drive had settled. Grabbing it, she then twisted in another roll and came to the corner of the giant computer screen’s side panel and very close to the port connector. The entire room suddenly went dark.

  Electricity bolts jumped in lightning rods of energy around the chamber. Then, words thundered through the room.

  "DON’T DO IT!"

  Raegan, for a moment remembered her most vivid re-occurring dream. That of a screen very much like this one. Though it was never clear in her memory what that vision was, she knew now what it meant. For this was her moment, and
she drove the little drive into the connector port.

  The RE-F virus, a mutating destroyer, spread like wildfire. The mighty Queen was infected with program killing data which shook her very foundation. The ancient text, the words of God, the Holy Bible, and the words of He Himself, now entered into every computer and TV screen across the word.

  The screen flared up in a kaleidoscope of colors as data codes crisscrossed around it. It was going crazy, lighting up the room like fireworks on the old Independence Day. A rainbow of colors and messages jumped all about. The thing was a mess.

  Then, a giant, straight green line was the only thing which crossed her screen.

  Raegan went back to her friend. Mahira's eyes were now closed and Raegan lay beside her.

  She felt so much pain and wondered if any of this had really been worth it as tears began to swell in her eyes again. She looked at her little gladiator friend and thought of all the memories they had shared together. She really was the best of the best.

  Suddenly, Mahira’s eyes flew open and she grinned, "You didn't think I would die that easy did you?" she laughed. "I just needed to close my eyes for a moment." Raegan felt a rush of enthusiasm, relief, and hope running through her entire body.

  "You little shit!" Raegan cursed at her friend. "I hate you right now! But, I'm so glad you're still with me!" She hugged Mahira tight and kissed her forehead over and over.

  Mahira looked up at her, "Can you help me up? We still got work to do!"

  Mahira was not going to be much help, but the Mystical Slayer leader acted as quickly as possible.

  The explosive devices which Raegan and her sister had stored in their backpacks, were now being strategically placed about the whole park building. They were going to take the entire place down! As the two of them exited the grand stadium of Old Fenway Park and were finally outside and clear of the building, she triggered the detonator.

  The entire stadium exploded!

  It was a blast which could be heard for four miles wide. The robots on the Corporation ship, if they could actually show an expression of shock, all would have. Galax still seemed calm enough as he held the young boy tight and looked to his master.

  The field commander immediately tried to contact Resin Cador, to see what was going on and to find out where President Marcou was. Purcell was shaken, he could not hide it. Galax looked to him, "Are you okay, Master?" Purcell did not answer the machine.

  It took a little time to reach Cador, but eventually a connection was made.

  "Cador, are you there? Do you know what's going . . . are . . . are you there?" Static buzzed over the line, but soon enough, the assistant spoke. "I am here, Purcell, what can I do for you?"

  Purcell wasted no time getting to the point. "The entire Corporation's main buildings just blew up, and it appears that we're under a major attack! Would you know of this? What can be done? And where the hell is President Marcou?"

  Again, there was static and then a moment of silence.

  "Well," spoke Cador, shaking his head in surprise, "it appears that the Corporation stronghold has been overtaken, so to speak . . . from what I have heard, it appears to be a group of freedom fighting woman . . . people refer to them as the Mystical Slayers. Galax, who is probably with you, would call them the Q-Jin."

  The field commander was in no mood for a lesson, he knew very well who these women were. "I don't need to know all about those bloody women, I just want to know what has happened! What do you know?"

  Resin Cador knew a lot. But, he faked knowing little. "I guess we've finally reached a crossroads when it comes to the Corporation's might. Perhaps it's time for a new president." A wicked grin came over his face, he was glad the field commander could not see such.

  "Are you saying Marcou is dead? Obviously we would have to let people know across the country if that's the case. This is absolutely crazy!"

  Purcell’s tone was now very loud and very upset. "If there's going to be a new leader, if the Corporation does survive this, it has to be one that can lead the military forward in revenge of such attacks and also regain footing in the ruling of the people."

  Cador did not disagree. "Yes, you are correct, field commander; any new leader must have command of all remaining robots, and make it known that we will not tolerate such disobedience from anywhere or anyone within this country." He smiled at his last words.

  Of course, Purcell had this vision of himself becoming the new leader of the world. Maybe what had occurred wasn't going to be so awful after all. "I will be in touch soon, Cador. We are on our way to Washington DC to meet with representatives of the Corporation there. Stay tuned and be ready."

  Cador laughed out loud to himself as he zoomed up into space. "Oh, I will be ready!"

  The many pockets of the Corporation that were scattered about old America, and even on other planets, were few and far between. Cador knew without good leadership they would crumble, and Y-Wood would be no more.

  Cador was soon to leave Earth’s atmosphere. He licked his lips at such a thought of his dreams slowly becoming a reality.

  Chapter 31

  Ten thousand lizard-like sea creatures were lined up in unison on a distant Saturn moon. Here, his robotics team, his mad scientists, his language teachers, and he himself were overseeing this starter army. Genetic changes were in order, these things multiplied so fast that their team could hardly keep up. They needed more strength, more intelligence, and to be more loyal to the cause. "They will be updated," Cador said to himself, planning out loud. "Technology is grand."

  ***

  Both women watched as the stadium went up in a massive explosion and was engulfed in a huge ball of flames and smoke. There looked to be some sort of Corporation military ship flying close above, but as soon as the blast went off, they detoured and flew out of sight.

  Both girls got as far as way as possible.

  They got in contact with their other sisters while taking off in a small flying ship. The news of Boston Underground also being infiltrated and razed to the ground was not what either Raegan or Mahira had hoped to hear. Just when they thought they had the upper hand, their hearts fell into great despair once again. Such sad news was beyond belief. Raegan felt like flying off into a random building to just end it all.

  There was a sudden madness when they learned that some of the girls had left the underground base to come to help at the stadium. They were not where they should have been in such a time of need.

  "They were told to stay back and watch over the people!" the Mystical Slayer leader screamed and cried out feeling much pain. "What were they thinking . . . my son! Noooooooo!" she continued to scream and cry as she and Mahira flew back to their base.

  Mahira cried too, but could only hold Raegan's hand to offer a little comfort. Mahira knew all the emotions would come out once the remaining sisters were all back together. She just shook her head as tears rolled from her eyes.

  They say time heals all wounds. They were all going to need a tremendous amount of time.

  Epilogue

  A few weeks later, the remaining sisters gathered together in a remote coastal location known as "Cape Cod". Here, the ocean was vast, and the clean sandy beaches stretched out for miles around their secluded spot. It would most likely be the last time they were ever going to be in Massachusetts. Evening had just settled in.

  Raegan, Mahira, Zaey, Jansa, Chaya, Sinaye, and the little girl, Sun, were all that was left of their sisterhood. Tyne Gem was also still alive, but Sinaye had a little more work to do on her. Tyne Gem's brain was still working and was soon to be transferred to a new body.

  Paka was, as they had all recently learned, now in hiding somewhere on Mars.

  Tonight the ladies had built a large bonfire down near the water. They put up wooden poles, and decorated them with special items, clothing, trinkets, and memories of all their fallen friends and family. Each woman sat by the fire, trying to find the right words; words that were so hard to c
ome by as of late. The night was full of stars, and the moon shone down on their gathering.

  They had a lot to talk about. Each of the women still carried a lot of pain and hoped that the talking would help them to let it go. There was a silence for quite some time; the sound of the ocean was the only voice of the landscape.

  Jansa spoke first. "Since I was a little girl, I have always had this dream of the world being beautiful. I did not need much in the way of friends, just a few great ones like you guys." She took a long deep breath. "I just wanted the world to be at peace and for love to rise to the top. We have lost so much now though, we can't give up." She stood up and pointed to all the items they had displayed on the poles by the water. "To all those who are gone, who meant so much; I will never stop fighting for each of them and for what they too believed in." She now held out her hands to the sisters before her.

  "We have all come so far, all of us are the super heroes that old legends and stories speak of. Even they had their hardships; Batman, Wonder Woman, you know, the old, long gone superheroes?" She was being funny as she ended her talk, and at least all the girls found a small grin on their faces.

  Chaya was next. "My mind says I want to give up, but deep inside, my heart will not let me. We have brought the Corporation down to all but nothing; now is the time to rid the world of them. We have to do it for Blu, Wynne, Kanya, Envy, Lomax, and little Johan. These are the faces which guide me." She too took a deep breath as tears began to flow, "I am so sorry to all of you for the mistakes I have made, but we can't quit!"