Hybrid: Project Vigil

by Samuel Bohovic

  “John, after so many years I think our relationship should move a level up. It's even more important now that we're free.”

  Chapter 7 – Goodbyes

  They woke up at dawn, ate all food left, packed the camp and headed back. There was no need to talk, they could read each others minds.

  Back in camp Gillian went to return basket and tent. John decided to clean his armor. When he entered his tent Hudson was waiting there. He was looking closely at disassembled armor.

  “Waiting for me? Or just hanging around? John asked taking Hudson by surprise.

  “I wanted to ask you something.” Hudson said calmly, still looking at armor.

  “Go ahead then.”

  Hudson took a deep breath.

  “We spent enormous resources on this project. You're the best we've got. Now the situation is calm but I don't know if we can keep it that way. Wars will be and our enemies are getting smarter and stronger. We need something that could give us an edge over them. I hate to say that but our prospects don't look good.”

  He turned his eyes to John.

  John, we need you. We need you in that armor, with a gun, shooting people. Maybe not right now but soon.”

  Hudson indeed caught John's attention.

  “That a job offer?”

  “Yeah. You tell set the terms.” Hudson looked almost desperate.

  John liked that offer sounded fair enough.

  “I can keep my gear. I can go to college. I will get paid for what I do and I will always get the full story, no secrets. Deal?”

  A smile appeared on Hudson's face.

  “Deal. I knew we can count on you.”

  Hudson left John's tent. When he was far enough he lit a cigar and took out his phone. He called his boss.

  “What is it Hudson? Hope you have good news, I'm sick of bad news right now.”

  Boss was upset with current situation.

  “Crisis agreed. He set reasonable terms I'll inform you.”

  “Good. Remember, we have to take every advantage we can. Don't see it as a human or machine or mercenary. Crisis is an asset nothing more.”

  Call ended.

  John cleaned armor quickly, but it already started to stink of rotten flesh and blood. His blade was equally dirty. For what he was about to do he put armor on. When he was done he went to look for Jennifer. He found her in her tent after asking several people for directions. She was writing something on her laptop.

  “Oh shit! Why are you wearing that thing again? Something went wrong? Are you going to kill us all this time?”

  She almost fell off her chair when she saw him.

  “Hey! Calm down I just need something. Gillian told me that you are good at obtaining stuff.”

  “Yeah, sure. What do you need?”

  She looked like Sanders when he actually cares about something.

  “Four metal shipping containers, flatbed cart, backpack and your access card. Wait with it in front of main entrance in a hour.”

  John hoped that she can get those things.

  “Okay I can handle that. You should know that Gillian really enjoyed your little camping outside.”

  She smiled.

  “You talked about that?” John was surprised.

  “That's what girls do.”

  She giggled.

  John was about to leave but one more question came to his mind.

  “What's your last name?”

  Her face said it before she did, those curious eyes, black hair and smart look.

  “Sanders. I'm Sander's daughter.”

  John left her tent with a smile. He headed to tent where they left their weapons yesterday.

  Couple of soldiers were packing when he came there. They looked at him waiting for what might happen.

  “Hey guys I have orders from Hudson. I can take whatever equipment I want.”

  “Hudson was here first. We're packing for you.” The closest one said.

  “How much?” John was curious.

  “Your weapons M4A1, M107A1, M39 EMR, all with enough ammo. Grenades, flashbangs, C4 charges and weapon accessories also we packed you SCAR-H as a goodbye gift. That makes four crates of equipment.”

  Soldier was reading from a list. Then he pointed at four crates in the corner.

  “We will take them right to Blackburn's car.”

  Two of them picked up the biggest crate with sign “Ammo” on it.

  “Thanks guys that's very kind of you.”

  “Just doing our job.” One of them said with a laugh.

  The one with the list spoke again.

  “You're John right? I'm Matt nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too.”

  John really liked Matt and his squad. They were new here so they weren't like other guards.

  “Hey John, heard you are best shooter here. Want a little competition?”

  Mathew handled him Dessert Eagle while his squad mates built two rows of empty beer cans on other side of tent.

  “You're gonna regret this. You first.” John couldn't resist a shooting competition.

  Mathew took down all cans one by one, it took him about a minute.

  “Now you John.”

  John's combat systems prepared firing solution in few milliseconds. He took them all down in fifteen seconds. Soldiers watched him open-mouthed.

  “Can you show us more awesome stuff?” They asked all at once.

  John smiled.

  “Which one of you is the heaviest?

  One of them stepped forward.

  “Me.”

  John waved him to come closer. Then John lifted him of the ground and held him above his head.

  This way they spent entire hour. John had some fun and he made eight friends. It was sort of sad moment when he left them so he could meet with Jennifer. On his way of he took two breaching charges.

  He walked through centre of camp. Everyone was looking at him. His steps were accompanied by 'thud' of his armored shoes. Jennifer was already waiting for him with everything he requested.

  “So, what it this we're going to do?” She asked when he arrived.

  “Looting. Follow me.”

  They walked into underground facility. Jennifer pushed the cart, John walked in front of her.

  Now he could see results of fight. Blood, pieces of flesh, grenade explosion marks, bullet impact holes. When they turned right Jennifer looked around her trying to see everything.

  “I've never been in this part of facility. I was always in the labs or apartments. What is here anyway?”

  “Storage, manufacturing plant, power plant and morgue.”

  Their first stop was morgue.

  “Stay here! I have something I need to do.” He took backpack and pushed the door.

  He found himself in white room with table, chair, computer, and locker for autopsy reports. He headed to computer, plugged in his contact tablet and started to browse files. All subjects deceased more that six months ago have been cremated and disposed of. But ashes of Tom and Kate are still stored in Cells 02 and 06. He headed to storage cells then. Door was sealed. No way he's going to breach it.

  He returned to computer, he looked for a way to open the door. He couldn't find anything.

  He started to think about using all explosives he had and try to breach the door but then a wild idea formed in his head. He focused on renewed connection between him and Gillian.

  “Hey Gillian...you there?” He talked to her using the connection hoping that his words will reach her.

  “What?! John is that you?” Her confused voice came back.

  “Yeah me, I need help.”

  “Can't it wait? I'm in shower right now.”

  “Can you find Caroline or Claire or anyone who can open this damn door?”

  “Give me a minute.”

  Ten minutes of silence followed. Then Claire spoke over radio transmitter.

  “I was very lonely, sitting on your table, but Gillian came to talk. She informed me that you
require assistance.” Was that a hint of sarcasm?

  John was trying to open the door using brute force of his armor.

  “Do you still have control of facility systems?”

  Door in front of him unsealed and opened.

  “I still possess full control of facility.”

  John was glad to hear that.

  “If you can open every door in my way that would be fine. And...you can always call me when you are lonely.”

  He proceeded to cell 02. There was an urn inside small cabinet with glass door. He broke the glass with fist. Urn was ceramic marked by metal plate:

  Subject Sigma

  #6572394

  Female

  Age: 17

  Born: 25. April 2003

  K.I.A. 24. April 2020

  John's thoughts darkened. “A day before her birthday. And I couldn't do anything to save her...It was my fault I should have aborted mission.”

  "There was no way for you to know." Jennifer was standing behind him.

  "

  Same process with cell 06.

  Subject Alpha

  #65017209

  Male

  Age: 18

  Born: 6. June 2002

  K.I.A. 24. April 2020

  John put both urns into his backpack and went away from that place.

  They walked towards manufacturing facility. The place was huge. Crates, weapons, machine parts, machines, wires, computers and a lot more. John was looking for one machine in particular.

  Jennifer broke silence with question. “What are we looking for?”

  “3MD.”

  “What's that.”

  “Mobile Multifunctional Manufacturing Device.”

  John found that name when he was downloading database.

  Jennifer turned right after a while. “Got it! Right over here.”

  It was prepared for shipping out packed into wooden crate with sing “3MD.” John used blade to open it then he grabbed handle on it's side and pulled it out. It looked like steel cube with several handles, buttons and lever. John pulled the lever and opened the workbench. Interface was adapted to hybrids. Instead of touch screen there was contact foil.

  “Find cable and plug it I want to test it first.” John looked at Jennifer.

  She ran away between crates and tables to find power source. Suddenly alarms went off.

  Jennifer returned with fear in her eyes. “I just plugged it...and...and.”

  Lights turned off and two of them were left in darkness. Computer voice echoed through silence.

  “Reactor malfunction, emergency power supply depleted, system shutdown imminent.”

  John peered into darkness.

  “Well...shit.”

  He lit two lights on front side of his armor.

  “See those small boxes? Take as much as you can put in this crate.”

  He said and gave Jennifer one of crates from cart. Then he picked up the 3MDand put it on the cart next to empty crates. He pushed cart to separate room where computer components were stored. John kicked down it's door. I looked like someone was looting before them shelves were half empty but there was everything John wanted. He took everything what was left it wasn't much, just enough to fill one crate. He also took few screens and holo projector and placed them on 3MD.

  “What do you want to do with all this stuff?” Jennifer asked looking at empty shelf.

  “I don't know yet, but I have some ideas. Our last stop will be armory.”

  “What do you want there?” Jennifer tried to move the cart but she couldn't.

  John left that question unanswered. He pushed the cart through dark corridors until they came to armory door. There was no way to open it normally so he put all breaching charges on it. They stepped back and John blew it up. There were few things he wanted, rocket launchers, mortar and some more guns.

  “Is this all you want from here? Guns?” Jennifer was upset.

  “No I want ammo too. Look for big green boxes with “80mm” on them.” John said jokingly as he placed mortar to last crate. After they loaded ammo on already overloaded cart they headed out.

  Sunlight blinded John when they came outside. Caroline was waiting for them.

  “Where the hell have you been? We're leaving in 60 minutes and you do what? You go inside and gather whatever you can. I don't even want to know what is in those crates and why you are taking that machine. I don't care take what you want, nobody will miss it. Jennifer get someone to bring it to the truck so they can take it to my house. John, go back to your tent and pack your things.”

  They went to do what she said without saying a word, John took backpack with him. For some time they went together, before they parted their ways they shook their hands.

  “Thanks for help down there and with Gillian. I hope we'll meet again.” John said and then he went away.

  Gillian waited for him in his tent.

  “Why are you here? You should be packing.” He gently placed the backpack on his bed.

  “I want to spend some more time with you. They want us to live separately as far from each other as possible. Do you need help with armor?” She put her hands on his chestplate.

  “Some help wouldn't hurt.”

  They couldn't find a way to cooperate to take off armor so John did it by himself.

  “We should go. It's been almost an hour I can't believe they don't have machine for this.”

  John locked his armor in a crate.

  “You should build one...wait you don't need to. You are not taking it with you, are you?”

  Gillian was worried.

  “It's not that simple.” John said while picking up backpack.

  “What is it John?” She stood in his way.

  “I'm going back.”

  “When? Why? You don't have to. You can live normal life. Is it because..?” She looked at his artificial arm.

  “I have to. Have you seen those marines? They were about to start they guard duty here and I would most likely kill them after some time. Now? They are going to war. I don't know where. I don't know why. We were supposed to be there instead of them. After so many years here...I don't think I can do anything else."

  He looked at his artificial arm.

  “All they gave me here was knowledge and tools. And soon it will have to return the favor.”

  “What if you die? I don't want to worry about you.” Tears appeared in her eyes.

  “I can't die till I have something worth fighting for...you are that something and lives of those men. I can save a lot of them.” He gently stroked her cheek with artificial hand.

  “You are right. But promise me if something goes wrong you'll stop.”

  “I promise.”

  She cleared the way for him. John paced through half-empty camp with backpack on his back and crate in his hands. Gillian was right behind him with her possessions.

  Everyone already waited near several cars. Caroline stood next to dark green Land Rover.

  “Leave this here I'll load it. Your squad waits for you and you should say goodbye to Gillian.” She said when he came closer.

  She was right they waited for him, stepped in line all of them dressed in civilian clothes.

  He walked in front of each of them.

  “Orders, Commander?” Someone asked.

  John stopped.

  “I am no longer your commander. You fought by my side for your freedom. Now you should live long and happy life free, free of all evil you came through in this facility. My friends. A moment of silence to honor our fallen brothers and sisters. Their sacrifice shall not be forgotten. We've already avenged their deaths but that doesn't mean we should forget.”

  Only wind interrupted their silence.

  Subjects went to their cars. Only John and Gillian stood there.

  After ten minutes of saying “Goodbye” and several hugs and kisses they both sat in their cars, with tears in their eyes. Gillian watched John disappear in the distance...

  ACT III - JOHN BLAC
KBURN

  Chapter 8 – John Blackburn

  As they drove away from facility gate John focused all his attention on small connection signal indicator on his HUD. When "Connection lost" icon appeared he bashed his head against airbag cover.

  “You'll see her again, I promise.” Caroline said to prevent him from ruining her new car.

  John noticed something in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was Gillian's dog tags and half of her necklace. She cut it at half and hung it on ball chain of her dog tags. She must have put it into his pocket when they hugged for last time. Her necklace was opal stone she found once on a mission. John hung it around his neck next to his dog tags.

  “Where's Claire?” He asked after a while.

  “She is plugged in my computer doing some stuff. Meanwhile, load this in your core.”

  Caroline gave him blue disc that was used to install applications. John loaded it immediately. For a second everything went dark then he saw hundreds of new things. He saw world map entire and real one, he connected to some sort of worldwide network, he could see his actual location and movement speed.

  “What the hell is this?”

  “The Unlocker. Now you know how Earth really looks like, you can connect to the Internet and much more. There are still combat applications in you I think you can delete them.”

  Caroline was...excited, all her work over years. They put it in one subject and it worked.

  “No, Caroline. I can't delete them. I made a deal with Hudson. When I come through university I'm going back in active duty.” John said holding the dog tags in his hand.