The Red Girl

by Thomas Davis

Catherine saw her.

  The red invader, her ticket to a better life. Her ticket to a seat in with the upper echelon and decide the future of the station. Adrenaline level excitement coursed her veins and her lips parted in a sneer. She strummed her fingers on the data pad like a professional pianist rendering a concerto of the great masters. The image enlarged to the size of her south wall as the other screens blinked out of existence. Finally, Catherine was face to face with her prey. She felt like a Tiger, her sinews and thought processes fired double pistons and she felt strength tingle the tips of her fingers. She breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed herself a few blinks as a reward for her diligence.

  Scrunching up her nose, she asked herself, “What's this kid doing with the intruder?” She scanned his face then cross-referenced it against the colony population database. “Jacob Takeda. Why is he talking to the Frame?" She accessed the Frame's registration information to determine its occupant. “Annabelle Takeda?” It dawned on Catherine that this was a worried mother who had found her son.

  Her eyes went out of focus for a moment and she thought of her own parents. It had been so long since she set eyes on them. And it wasn’t for lack of trying on their part. They message her on her Navi every week, but she hardly ever responds. She was too busy doing all of the work around here assigned to her by an incompetent boss.

  No, that wasn’t that real reason she hadn’t met up with her parents. It was a lie she had told herself for so long that she believed it. She looked around her tiny office and accepted the real reason she ignores her parents. They were so proud of her when she had graduated top of her class. There were so supportive of all of her potential and were very encouraging towards her choices.

  The truth was she was too ashamed to face them. To tell them how much she hated her job and all of the people she worked with. She couldn’t face them until she became everything they saw in her. There was no way she was going to meet up with them when this feeling of failure lingered in her lungs. Some nights, right before she drifted to sleep, she imagines their faces as she relates how much of a letdown she was. She shook her head and got out of her reverie. Quickly, she tapped on the virtual keys on her data pad and began to preload the sequence for the Sentinel protocol.

  ***

  “Jake, you know that you are the most important thing in the world for me, why do you have to make it hard to love you. Why– ” Anne’s voice suddenly cut off and her eyes went dark like a starless sky. She stood motionless then the lights behind he lids started to blink erratically. There was a whirring sound coming from her stomach region, arms and head.

  “Mom?” Jake asked fearfully. Her eyes went yellow instead of the normal pink once the blinking stopped.

  “Mom? If this is a joke, please stop it.”

  “Jake, I think something strange is going on with your mother.”

  “Nothing is wrong with her.” Although, he said those words, there was zero conviction in his heart. Something within told him this wasn’t normal.

  Anne Takeda started to mutter computer command codes in a robotic voice.

  Args {}override

  Class if gen sys @ max then

  Switch to carelli system.

  Libera Shield esq

  Unload hidden mantra gen 219

  Undo string 6 val 2.005

  Anne violently shoved Jake out of her way. He crashed into a wall with enough force to dislocate his left shoulder. She made a charge straight for Adeola when she stopped muttering the codes.

  Adeola was caught off guard. She rolled out of the way to avoid Anne’s attack.

  “Mom!” yelled Jake.

  Adeola was on her feet when Anne circled back for another blow. She didn’t want to hurt Jake’s mother. Her only option was to keep dodging all the strikes that were now coming with more frequency and speed. Anne made a thrust at her then spun around and kicked Adeola squarely in the stomach. The shock ran through her core and she felt blood in her mouth. Before she could recover, Anne kicked her again in the side, sending her straight into a wall. Adeola let out a painful cry that drowned out Jake’s call to his mother. Swiftly, Anne was on Adeola with punches until she went limp.

  ***

  “That wasn't supposed to happen,” Catherine said while feverishly plucking away at the data-pad. She was preloading the Sentinel mode sub-routine into Liberty Shield but it had activated on its own. Liberty Shield was dismantled before the extended testing phase. She had hoped everything would go glitch free but this turn of events was making her queasy. There was no way she could have anticipated this glitch.

  “This isn't on me. This isn't on me.” She kept repeating like a mantra. The more she said it, the more guilt she felt.

  There was no turning back now. The red girl had to be captured at all costs.

  Her future depended on it.

  11

  Intervention is a one letter word

  “You have to fight back, Ad!” Jake screamed through the pain poking at his shoulder like needles. He knew something was terribly wrong with his mother and unless Adeola fought back death was inevitable.

  “Ad, please fight back before she kills you!” Adeola grunted with every punch and kick from Anne that connected. Her face was already swollen from the beat down and the blood was coming through her nose like a broken faucet.

  Jake tried to sit up. The pain bit at the edges of his nerves but the pain coming from Adeola’s lips cut him deeper than his.

  “Adeola…fight back. This isn’t the mother I know… please save yourself.” His voice was soaked in grief and trailed off into a loud moan.

  Adeola looked up at the Frame kicking her and punching the life out of her. She didn’t look anything like the caring person that was worried about Jake awhile back. The next kick met with Adeola’s arms crossed in defense. She pushed back the frame and landed a punch straight to its abdomen, followed by consecutive punches to the head. She figured the control unit would be sitting in the head. The Frame threw another punch, which Adeola caught at the wrist. She spun her hip into the Frame’s mid-section, knocking it off balance, and then used that momentum to flip the humanoid machine over her shoulder and smashing onto the ground. Adeola stood over the machine with her arms outstretched and let out an Arez battle cry.

  ***

  Catherine’s eyes went wide in worry. She was looking forward to a swift wrap up of the battle, but that petulant Jake Takeda had to keep urging the alien to fight back. The Frame would have easily won because the alien was taking a backseat in deference to the boy’s mother, but now that advantage was lost and she didn’t see any way to regain the upper hand. Her brain went through several scenarios and choices that may turn this battle in her favor. None of them seemed feasible but for one. Releasing the Frame’s limiters would get her the win she was after albeit at the cost of the frame.

  But that was a small price to pay compared to what she was trying to achieve, she thought. She quickly rolls some knobs on the translucent screen that appeared before her. A warning dialogue flashed a few times but she silenced it with a flick of her wrist then turned the knobs to their maximum. The screen flashed deep red and the system asked for confirmation.

  “Yes,” she said. “I have considered every possible permutation and I take on full responsibility.”

  ***

  The Frame lay dormant on the ground for a few moments. Adeola relaxed her muscles and let out a breath of relief. She ached all over. She looked to Jake and he gave her thumbs up. She didn’t understand the gesture but assumed it was positive due to the half smile on his face. As she attempted to return the gesture she felt a tight grip on her ankle, painfully tight. She then felt weightless. An unknown force had yanked her into the air then suddenly she came crashing back down to the ground.

  Adeola was in a state of vertigo as the Frame swung her around by the ankle. The Frame was using Adeola like a club and smashing the pavement and walls of the alley with her body. She felt her bones cracking as she repeatedly impac
ted against various surfaces. She caught a glimpse of Jake as she was hurtling back downwards. He had a terrified look on his face as he struggled to get to his feet. Adeola collided with the alley floor once more sending shattered pieces of the ground upward. She bounced off her side then was kicked in her mid section and sent flying into the far wall.

  Adeola coughed up dark red, almost black, blood from her mouth. She was dazed, struggling to remain conscious. Every inch of her body was screaming in pain as she slowly slid down the broken wall. The Frame appeared before her. Steam was billowing from its joints and it’s eyes were brightly glowing red. It grabbed Adeola around the neck and pinned her to the wall. Its hands were as hot as a skillet on a stove. If Adeola had weak skin like a Terran, it would be scaring. The machine tightened its grip. She was too weak to pry its hands from her neck.

  ***

  The security communicator beside Catherine came alive with chatter. Armed security forces were on their way and it became imperative for her to do away with Adeola before they arrived. The commotion had somehow got their attention and they would soon be on the scene.

  “What pests!” she swore under her breath. “They never come quick enough when you need them. There’s no way I am going to let you ruin this.”

  ***

  Travis Takeda was running with all he had. He braked sharply and took a right turn only to stop near his son. Jake struggled to see who was behind him. He knew the answer before Travis spoke.

  “Pop, please save Adeola before mom kills her.”

  “Your mother? What happened? Who’s Adeola?”

  “Dad! There’s no time. You have to save Adeola and mom. Something’s gone terribly wrong and I think she’s dying.”

  “Where are– ” The sound of flesh meeting metal from down the alley provided an answer before he could ask the question.

  Confused, Travis looked around, touched the bridge of his nose with his index finger then dashed for the source of the sound. What he saw caused his breathing to come in shallow scoops. Anne with missing parts and smoke had Adeola pinned to the wall. Both women were shrieking like beasts.

  “Anne! What are you doing?” he called out. There was no response to his call. He tried again but still no response. He ran to the fighting duo and tried to reason with his defunct wife. The color of her eyes made him hesitate for a second. It was then that he understood what Jake was saying. Something was different with the frame in front of him. The usual demeanor of the woman he married was missing and in its place was a cold, mechanical, ferocious nature that he had never seen. Lines of indiscernible gibberish were running the width of her pupils.

  “ANNE!” he screamed when he was close enough. “You are not yourself. What are you doing?”

  She stopped and looked at him without recognizing him. Her eyes were back to pitch black and the smoke had intensified. It was now coming from every conceivable orifice in her body.

  “Leave the girl alone. Your son is out there covered in wounds and you are here fighting. This isn’t you, Anne. I know you can hear me. Please, come back.”

  The frame of Anne Takeda blinked a few times then bent its head slightly to the left.

  “Anne!” Travis pleaded. “Please remember, Anne.”

  He inched closer to her as he spoke with outstretched arms. The codes began to run on her pupils once again and the Frame went back to choking Adeola.

  “Must kill. Kill.”

  Travis wrapped his arms around Anne’s waist. With all of his strength, he tried to pull her off of Adeola. His chest burned from the heat that the Frame produced. Sparks were flying from its joints. Suddenly the frame fell back full force on top of him. He let out a groan as the sound of breaking bones continued. A few feet away Anne’s severed robotic arms dropped from Adeola’s neck as the red girl fell to the ground unconscious. Travis was pinned beneath Anne’s body. His chest pressed to her back. He then felt a piercing sensation in his chest. The sensation graduated into an intense pain he felt all the way from his chest to his spine.

  Jake saw all that was happening. His shoulder was hurting and throbbing. A female Arez warrior crouched over his parents with her sword piercing through both of their chests. She had removed Anne’s arms with a single sword stroke. She stretched to her full length and pulled out the blade from the bodies of both his parents. He wanted to scream but the strength wasn’t available. He felt the world beneath go out of kilter as he saw the light fading from his father's eyes. He looked to the warrior standing there over his parents’ bodies and she looked back at him.

  Anne stood back up. A second warrior, the leader, sliced her robotic body to pieces. The first warrior broke her gaze with Jake and collected Adeola while the second stood guard.

  In a language Jake believed to be Arez, one of the warriors said, “Princess... what have they done to you?”

  Jake could hear their conversation because he was still connected to Adeola.

  Station Security arrived with their weapons at the ready. The second warrior threw a small egg shaped device onto the ground at her feet. A purple energy shield expanded in front of her. She pulled a laser pistol from her hip and opened fire at the officers. Her shots went through the shield but the officers’ bullets were deflected by it. Arez weaponry was on par with the technology produced by the Terrans because they had a near infinite power source in the crystals. A crystal the size of a potato could power a space station for years. Terrans had the potential to build energy shields and laser guns, but lacked the resources to create something small enough to fit into a belt holster like the Arez warriors had. A normal Terran shield generator would be the size of a bus, while a laser gun would be as large as a car. It was because of this large difference in technology and implementation that made the Arez the most feared race in the galaxy. And that was without counting their intelligence and physical strength. They were the perfect predators and producers of weaponry that made other creators bow in awe.

  The first warrior escaped with Adeola in her arms. The third warrior was perched on the roof above the scene. She fired her laser rifle down into the crowd of officers. An explosion erupted and the number of officers was greatly reduced. The energy shield finally dissipated but the officers who weren’t returning fire above needed to reload. As they frantically tried to get their weapons fed and ready for action, the second warrior dashed toward the officers. She pulled out her sword from her scabbard and made a mad slash. She killed several officers before Jake reached her. He leapt from the alley floor and grabbed her around the waist. She was caught off guard. She was so preoccupied with the officers that she did not sense his approach. She changed her grip on her sword and prepared to run him through, but hesitated. She looked at him for a moment, contemplating her next action. A stray bullet went through the side of her neck and she dropped the sword.

  Clutching onto her neck wound she fell face first onto the ground. The third warrior finished off the remaining officers while repelling down the side of building. She threw small cube shaped device onto the ground. An intense flash of light blinded Jake momentarily. When his sight returned both warriors were gone. The deadly weapon the warrior utilized to cut down the officers was left behind on the ground. His adrenalin stopped pumping and he felt the pain in his shoulder. He looked down the alley at his father’s remains and the pieces of his mother’s Frame strewn about the alley.

  12

  Humanity

  David stood near the entrance of the Alley. He had heard it all. The gunfire, the screams then everything went silent, painfully silent. None of the officers who entered the alley returned. They were all dead or clinging to life. His knees were shaking. He couldn't move from the spot he stood upon. He took deep breaths to calm himself before peeking into the alley. He carefully poked his head beyond the corner of the building.

  David saw the bodies of the officers littered on the ground.

  “They're all dead?” he said in a scared whisper. Whoever was responsible for this scene of carnage app
eared to be gone. David entered the alleyway fully. He scanned the area carefully with his eyes. Further down the alley he could see a body clad in a school uniform that matched the one he was wearing.

  “Buttons?”

  He deliberately walked between the officers’ bodies. It felt disrespectful to step over them. These men just sacrificed their lives defending the Colony. He slowly made his way toward Jacob. As he drew closer he noticed Jacob was clutching something in his right hand. It looked to be a weapon of some sort.

  A sword, he thought? He was close enough to see Jake's face.

  Jake wasn't unconscious. He was looking at something. David followed his line of sight further down the alley. Jake was looking at his father's body. David noticed the dried tears on his cheeks. The boy was in shock. David summoned his courage and marched down the alley while removing his school blazer. He stood over Travis Takeda's body for a moment before respectfully placing his jacket over him. He walked back over to Jake.

  As David approached, Jake sat up and pointed the sword in his direction. Jake’s eyes were wide and crazed. David took a step forward. Jake swung the sword wildly in the space between them. David jumped back like a cat on his last life.

  “Whoa!” he yelled half afraid of getting cut in half by the sword the grief stricken Jake was wielding. “Hey, Buttons it's me. We’re classmates. Remember? I’m on your side, so c’mon drop the shank.” David cautiously approached. Jake stood up and lunged the sword in his direction.

  David backed up fast. “Jake! Snap out of it.”

  Jake stopped for a moment and his eyes lost their daze. Gradually, they came back to the present and recognition flooded his face.

  “Assad?” Jacob asked through the slow cloud of confusion covering him. He looked at the sword he was holding on to. “Why am I?... what's going on?”