Firing lasers overwhelmed Sora’s ears as Fi, Natalia and Talek jumped to their feet and pressed forward. Sora scrambled to his feet and saw Fi dive again as three red beams passed her. Another set of red beams hit Talek, who grunted as two burned beneath his armor. The firepower of the soldiers overwhelmed the area but Trika joined in, keeping the pressure on.
“We’re outnumbered and outgunned, Captain,” Viktor said, suddenly rushing in front of him. He fired several shots with his pistol. They made several dents in a soldier’s armor, but the soldier kept firing. Sora and Viktor both ducked before Sora fired a few shots of his own. Another shot from Viktor finished the soldier off. “It is taking approximately five shots of average laser fire to penetrate their armor. We cannot last like this for lung.”
“We need to find Scout, Nait and Naos. Keep covering me,” Sora said. He slammed his finger on his trigger three times, firing three more shots at another soldier. Soldiers poured into the area.
Viktor charged first, followed by Sora. They crouched and darted to another downed car. Talek and Fi stood a few feet away, not wasting a second as their guns let loose. A mixture of blue and red filled the air.
Two bolts hit Fi’s shoulders. She gritted her teeth, dropping behind the car and coughing. Traces of smoke rose from her mangled shoulder. “They’re gaining ground.”
“You okay?” Talek said, swooping to the concrete as six shots grazed his helmet. He didn’t raise his head but lifted his gun, firing two more rounds.
“Fine. Just keep putting pressure on them,” Fi said, throwing her shoulder back and standing again.
Sora fumbled his comm out of his pocket, punching in Scout’s frequency. He wheezed, feeling his chest tighten. While he waited to hear the activation click, Natalia charged beside him, firing four shots with her standard rifle. She swung to the left as three lasers whizzed past.
“You are better at combat than I thought,” Sora said, letting out a chuckle. Anything to lighten the mood.
She gave him a stern look. “Any wise Senator would be.”
The other comm activated. “Scout, we’re waiting for Kossk and Chok near the Consortium. Where are you guys?”
“We’re on our way back, but trying to avoid the soldiers,” Scout said. Her heavy breaths echoed. She sniffed. “A lot of frantic people. Felicia’s here, too.”
Sora sighed. “I figured.”
“It’s serious, Sora. She’s—”
Sora didn’t hear the next sentence as another explosion sent his face onto the concrete. He heard the crack of his nose as it made contact. He rolled onto his back, which felt burnt. He coughed and someone grabbed his right arm, pulling him up. Viktor’s voice came clearly through his ears.
“Go, Captain, go!”
“Scout—,” Sora said, coughing and wheezing. “Just get here. Hurry.”
Sora and Viktor darted for the nearest pile of rubble that sat feet away. The car that Sora had used for cover looked charred, bearing the brunt of that missile. Sora ignored his aching back and head to stand and quickly aim, firing at a soldier who darted around the rubble. Sora hopped backward, throwing his head down as the soldier released more bolts. Sora kept firing.
The soldier fell. Sora gasped, leaning on the rubble.
Viktor touched his shoulder. “Captain, you are injured. You should retreat.”
“I’m not leaving you and the crew,” Sora said, coughing again. He peered out to see Talek, Fi, Trika and Natalia in new positions nearby, also using fallen rocks as cover. Dozens of soldiers marched through the main street, stepping over the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Sora heard a wailing from the crossfire. He heard an adult, female scream, followed by the scraping of concrete. Stumbling forward, Sora joined Trika on the right. He saw a woman on the ground, crawling away from a soldier. Her toddler lied on the road, covered in scrapes and bruises. He screamed.
Sora recognized them. The woman and her toddler skipping on the street earlier.
He felt the flames in his throat. He saw his father burning. He heard his seven-year-old sobs.
Sora stepped forward, but his knee buckled. He grabbed the rocks beside him. “Trika. That woman and her child. Get them to safety.”
“We’re barely alive,” Trika said, eyes widening as she fired a shot at the soldier who towered over the woman. It distracted him. “I don’t know if I can get to them.”
“I can cover you,” Sora said, coughing again. He held up his rifle. “They’re why we are doing this. Go.”
Trika sighed and somersaulted forward, heading straight toward the injured family. Sora leaned on the rubble as he slammed his trigger down five times, finishing off the original soldier. Two more focused on Trika, but Sora cut off their laser fire with his own. Their focus turned to him.
Another two bolts hit his shoulder. The rubble kept him standing. He winced and fired again. His finger didn’t stop pressing the trigger. One soldier fell.
He glanced to Trika, who threw her arms over the woman as she pulled her off the ground. Lasers landed around them as the next soldier took notice. Trika guided the woman to her child, using her right arm to fire warning shots at the soldiers.
The woman picked up her injured toddler. Both sobbed. Trika shoved them forward. “Get out of here!”
Sora closed his eyes, sliding down against the rubble. Trika slid beside him, still firing. He opened his eyes and noticed that few burns marked her face. “This hero thing is really wearing on me, Sora. They’re not going to stop.”
“What’s our play?” Talek said, running to Sora’s left. He fired several more modified projectiles. Afterward, he immediately rubbed his temples. “I can keep fighting, but they will overwhelm us.”
Sora exhaled. Red lasers still consumed the air directly above them. “I—”
A loud buzz cut off Sora. Suddenly, dozens of green lasers passed Sora and the crew, honing on the soldiers. Many made contact, sending the soldiers stumbling backward and killing a couple. The buzzing grew as more green lasers revealed themselves, taking the same trajectory as their predecessors.
Fi, Natalia and Viktor used the surprise to join Talek, Sora and Trika. Sora stood, gazing at the gate and wrecked wall. Dozens of men, wearing navy armor and carrying assault rifles, marched in a single-file line, unphased by the wreckage around them. They pointed their rifles forward and fired in unison. Sora heard the yells of the surprised soldiers in the background.
These men did not wear helmets. He recognized their faces.
“Bosnan’s army,” Natalia said, catching her breath.
After the men exited the gate, they broke into a sprint as red lasers came back for revenge. They didn’t make any sounds or give any indication of pain. They just charged, ignoring the crew as they fired their rifles at a faster pace. Six soldiers rushed past Sora and it seemed like they didn’t even notice the crew.
“It’s some kind of militia!” a mechanical voice said from behind. “They’re well-arm—”
His cry turned to muffling. Sora whirled around and saw a bolt cut through the man’s helmet. Bosnan’s army swarmed the soldiers. Red and green lasers collided, creating beautiful bursts of energy. Some of Bosnan’s men fell from the defensive fire but the ones who remained took cover behind the rubble and continued their attack.
“Sora!” a voice called and Sora spotted Scout, Nait and Naos running toward them from the right. Immediately, Talek, Trika, Fi, Natalia and Viktor returned fire on the Queen’s soldiers.
“The children! Don’t let them and the Senator escape!” one soldier said, screaming above the chaos. Sora fired in her direction.
“Who are all these guys?” Nait said, stopping behind the crew.
“Chief Bosnan’s army. They’re real,” Fi said, ducking again.
Sora examined the three teenagers as they halted behind him. They didn’t look the best either. Scout’s eyes appeared red, but Sora figured that he could tackle that later.
The Killer needed to get here
soon.
“Sora,” Scout said, gasping for air. Sora noticed Naos biting most of his lower lip. “I have to tell you something important. Fel—”
“Everyone, look!” Natalia said. Her voice sounded higher than before.
Sora’s head snapped around again to see one of Bosnan’s soldiers hit the ground. He hadn’t been hit by a laser. His face remained unaffected, but his arms twisted and contorted into an unnatural shape. Sora heard the bones crack and winced. The soldier went motionless.
“Like Chief Bosnan said,” Viktor said, lowering his voice. “They are not complete. We can clearly see the hazards of such an undertaking.”
The soldier next to the first suddenly did the same. Then another. This “army” wouldn’t last.
Sora looked at Scout, Nait and Naos. Scout shook her head. “Listen, Sora, we don’t have time for this. What I have to tell you can’t wait. It’s not good.”
11
Felicia held up her hands as the elevator doors swung open, revealing the grand laboratory. Her men didn’t move a muscle once they saw her hands. She gazed at the conglomerate of computers and tanks, listening to the beeping of alarms and bubbling of water. Some computers beeped fast, while others beeped slow, giving out vital signs.
Felicia smiled, putting down her hands. She stepped out of the elevator. Two men stood at the end of the room.
“Most of their stats are stable, Chief and I do not detect any abnormal brainwaves. They are following orders,” the shorter man on the right said. His fingers hovered over a keyboard. Suddenly, beeping increased. “However, one by one, there are some rapid drops in bone density. Muscles are deteriorating at a faster pace than we had hoped.”
Felicia stepped to the side, drawing closer to a tank. She ran her left index finger across it, wiping away the fog that covered it. Her eyes widened and she grinned as she discovered the sight underneath. A fully formed, well-built man.
A well-built soldier. An army, indeed.
“It is as I expected,” the other man, presumably Chief Bosnan, said. “It will happen to every one of them before this test run is complete. This is why we need Wantim.”
Felicia heard the fearful gulp of the other man. “I know that you wanted a field test, Chief, but they will not be able to hold off the Queen’s soldiers. They will storm the Consortium and discover us.”
“I’m aware,” Chief Bosnan said. He kept a monotone and turned around. “This crew led them here. How naïve. Governor, how could you turn me over to—”
He stopped talking when he saw Felicia. His facial expression didn’t change.
Felicia stepped into the center of the room, putting her hands on her hips. She approached the scientist and her head indicated the rest of the room. “Your facility is impressive… Chief Bosnan, is it? However, your assistant has a point: this capital currently has no defenses. Very easy for anyone to enter in the midst of such madness.”
“Chief!” the assistant said, jumping in front of Bosnan and scurrying toward Felicia. She removed her pistol and shot him in the stomach. He collapsed with a groan.
Bosnan did not move. His neutral expression did not vanish. “Who are you? What business do you have barging into my laboratory and shooting my subordinates?”
Felicia stepped over the whimpering alien. She smiled and adjusted her coat. “My apologies, I don’t take well to welcoming committees. My name is Felicia Malone. I am a prominent crime lord.”
“That is irrelevant to me. Leave now.”
Felicia reached Bosnan and passed him, gazing at the tank behind him. Another man, exactly the same as the other, floated in the tank. Felicia grinned again. “Oh my… Sora has found something of worth, hasn’t he?”
“You do not have authority to be here. Leave before I unleash the last of my soldiers. I will not warn you again,” Bosnan said, turning to face her. His face remained hardened.
“Oh, on the contrary, doctor, I am here to stay,” Felicia said, walking away from the tank. She stopped a few feet away from Bosnan.
Bosnan’s face didn’t change, but his body language did. His body tightened. “My quest against Queen Bettina, my creations, will not be halted by these interlopers. That freighter crew has brought trouble to me and I will not allow you to do the same.”
Quest against Queen Bettina. The magic words.
Felicia held her hands up again, motioning to the men and her elevator. “Leave us! The Chief and I have much to discuss.”
The men walked away and Bosnan let out a low growl. “Why would I listen to you, crime lord?”
Felicia took one step closer. Her smile disappeared. “You…,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, “…shall see. I have the same goal as you, Chief Bosnan. As well as the means to attain it.”
Bosnan folded his hands behind his back. “Kasco, are you alright?”
Kasco used a console to get on his feet, holding his stomach. “I-I suppose, Chief.”
Bosnan’s thin eyelids narrowed. “Now, tell me, crime lord: what do you want?”
Felicia pointed to the tank behind her. “I want an army. An army capable of destroying the Queen and her soldiers. Miraculously, you have one.”
“As admirable as that desire is, I have no reason to let you take over my operation.”
“It seems that your work is incomplete,” Felicia said, smirking as she edged closer to the scientist. “I doubt this planet and its pacifist government has given you all that you need for a project of this caliber. That crew won’t either. You’ve turned to the wrong sources, Chief, and you are running out of time to find more. The royal army is right outside.”
“Don’t speak of what you don’t know,” Bosnan said. He didn’t flinch. Good.
“I have connections all over the nebula. I have power,” Felicia said. She stopped moving, now inches away from Bosnan. “I can give you whatever you need.”
Felicia spotted a flicker in Bosnan’s eyes. Kasco coughed, before purple blood spilled onto the floor. His fingers again hovered over the console before him. “Fi-Five more soldiers j-just fell, Chief.”
Bosnan looked away, masking his eyes. “These soldiers are… personal to me. All of it is. Not something for a crime lord to comprehend.”
Now, Felicia didn’t flinch. “Try me.”
Bosnan looked back at her. The flicker in his eyes turned to anger. He snarled. She had reached his emotions. Good. “Enough of this. I have entertained you for too long. I have more pressing matters.”
Felicia leaned in closer. Her face hardened, holding the neutral expression that Chief Bosnan enjoyed. She held up a hand, hovering centimeters away from the tentacle that protruded from his left cheek. “You know, my trade was spice. The largest in the nebula. I had ultimate authority, I had money, I had people. Everything I could want.”
Bosnan snarled again. “Enough of you—”
Felicia snarled back. She held her right index finger in front of his eyes, pointing to the world above. “The Queen, as well as that man who is working alongside Natalia Valie, destroyed that. Everything I had built, everything I had cherished was gone. They left me for dead and ruined my life. I fought the worst scum the nebula holds in order to get to where I am now.”
Bosnan didn’t blink. He didn’t give any response. Good.
“Now, you are going to make me an army…,” Felicia said, her voice cracking. She hissed and gritted her teeth. “…And I will have this galaxy kneeling at my feet.”
Finally, Bosnan stumbled back. His eyes widened. “You understand.”
“Yes, but I am not content letting it end there. I will destroy everything she has.”
Bosnan pursed his lips, folding his hands again and walking to the tank behind Felicia. “They are not complete. Most of them have died today due to these imperfections. I need a particular clay from Wantim to mold with their muscles and maximize their strength.”
Felicia watched as Bosnan hit a button on the side of the tank, jettisoning the man down. “Then I will go to Wa
ntim and collect every particle of clay that exists. If we are in this together.”
“Chi-Chief,” Kasco said, coughing again. “Be cauti—”
Bosnan narrowed his eyes, focusing on Felicia again. “I believe you are powerful, Felicia Malone. I believe you know my pain. Based on that mutual trust…”
He extended his hand. “I will partner with you.”
Good.
“Chief!” Kasco said, raising his voice. “This woman is obviously unstable and you are going to trust her with your work?! Our people have put so much support behind you, I do not want to see it ruined.”
“Silence,” Bosnan said, hissing. “That Senator and her crew nearly ruined us, Kasco. They almost dashed the hopes of our people by being so foolish as to let the Queen find them. This is how we will rebuild.”
“I cannot support this, Chief Bosnan! Our people wouldn’t either!” Kasco said, shouting. He coughed again and more blood sprinkled from his lips. “I-I refuse, sir.”
Felicia clasped Bosnan’s hand, smirking again. “Indeed, Chief Bosnan, we will rebuild. Our new army will be stronger and better than anything you’ve ever created. It will not fail as these models did.”
She gazed at the tank. It represented a new horizon of opportunities. A field of unexplored potential. It reminded her of the spice mine on Bolton. No matter how much she drilled, she could always drill deeper. An unending flow of power. She could always find new combinations of spices and new uses for them. She didn’t own the spice; she brought it into being.
She would do the same with this army. “Our army will break new ground, Chief Bosnan. You create soldiers in the image of man, but why settle for that? This will not match anything previously seen by man.”
Felicia turned her gaze to the scientist. “It will be your own creation. Your own design.”
Talek fired his third shot, taking out two more soldiers. He charged and catapulted himself over the next piece of rubble blocking his path. He tightened his legs together, keeping a steady balance in the air. Red lasers flew past him and one grazed his helmet. Seconds later, Talek’s legs buckled as his feet hit the ground. He heard the resounding thud.
Survival, Dark Times Page 16
