The war at the river Zitar Nuo

by Morgan La Femina

medium build with long braided red hair, and steel teeth: “What is that suit you wear?”

  “It protects me from weapons fire, smaller arms.”

  Loss, “What is your purpose crossing this bridge into our town?”

  Abreon answering, “We only seek refuge, from our militarized companies, that is all.”

  Loss speaking with others, then to them, “We are an independent state, we exist as an independent state, it is very rare these days and we shall continue to exist as one. We are a non-militarized people, and shall remain that way. You may enter and remain in our town, but the machine must remain up there.”

  Abreon nodded, “Yes, we agree.”

  The town consisted of approximately thirty-five buildings; none more than four levels high, none having the capacity for holding more than a hundred people. The town was split in quarters, by two main roads, one traveling east, and one traveling northeast and beyond the town, another off shooting perpendicularly from the northeast, northwest. A circle could be drawn about the town so that its diameter would encompass twenty of the thirty-five buildings. The remainder were scattered along the roads. The buildings were powered by solar panels on their roofs and more outside the town limits. Each building was in turn made up of corrugated metal, sprayed with a foam outer insulation to protect their inhabitants from the heat of the summer and the cold of winter. Water pumps were scattered here and there about the town, and along its outer limits.

  As they entered the town they learned more about how the town operated, one building was a relay station and network hub, another was food distribution site, a third a metalwork’s factory, another a computer fabrication shop, one a warehouse, a pub, and other shorts. The people’s livelihood was met by farming of which they did in rectangular plots of land outside the city. Later Abreon found out they had a successful hydroponics labs and a greenhouse, which grew under acrylic what could not be grown efficiently outside. The foodstuffs were transported to the town warehouse and town distribution sites, some located in other towns also scattered across the countryside like theirs. They seemed to primarily be concerned with the growing, selling and trading of crops. What they could not eat they sold or traded for other food outside the town, in other towns like theirs, then bringing back the profit and sharing that with the community. Abreon thought it strange to have a whole territory without corporate influence. It seemed very communal to him.

  Money was in the form of Rue. One Rue being equivalent of .7 credit units. Abreon needed to find a place for himself and this task was completed at the local pub, as he sat for a drink. He had found a place to live after the townspeople’s generosity ran out. Unfortunately, money was an issue for him and his two companions. He could not access his bio-site because the Dru could trace him back to where he was and endanger not only himself but also Nece, Jake and the town itself. Money was garnered instead by selling his total protection suit. The purchaser gave him five hundred Rue for the suit. It had bothered him, because he thought five hundred Rue was not enough, especially since he helped design the product. Abreon took that money and paid for two weeks at the pub, which had rooms for rent on the third floor.

  Abreon sat there drinking his synthetic alcohol, thinking about his life and his fate. He had been many places, but none so poignant as the one he was experiencing. Abreon was angry, he felt alone with his wife gone, his children gone, his world gone. He was alone with nothing but his fists to shake at God himself and the poor fortune that was his existence. How was he supposed to give when he had so much to take back? Perhaps, he was destined to have an end, where his own ragged ruined life would cease to exist, and a new life would begin. He did not want to rise to glory; he wanted to sink into mediocrity. Somehow, Abreon knew his steps were ordered. It frightened him.

  Nece and Jake walked into the pub, Nece to Abreon, “How are you stranger? I haven’t seen you in a couple of days, what have you been doing?”

  Abreon patted a seat next to his. I was out at one of the townspeople’s homes last night and sold the suit today. I got two weeks here at least.”

  Nece sat down ordered something and Jake sat on the other side. Jake elbowed him, “A lot can happen in two weeks.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  Jake, “No not easy, we just came from the computer fab shop. We were given employment. Maybe you should go there too.”

  Abreon drinking contradicting his own thoughts, “I didn't come this far to wind up stocking parts on shelves.”

  Nece, “It’s not that, we can just lie low here until the war over there is over. Some other corporation will become involved and that corporation will just bum itself up. Remember we must be wanted for 1,000,000 credits apiece by now.”

  It hit Abreon hard, “I don't know what I want.”

  Nece shrugging, “Well it’s a start; nature is all about us out here, in this sector. We can at least enjoy it.”

  “If I have a start. It keeps going in circles. I keep losing people close to me. I do not want you all close to me. I seem to always survive, though my friends don't.”

  Jake, patting him on his shoulder, “Abreon, I know, we both know. The suns getting lower now, we’ll have a few drinks and we’ll go scouting in the morning through the fields up to the tree line.”

  Nece: “Maybe will find something, a hill we can look out upon?”

  Abreon nodding reluctantly, “Yeah.”

 

  Abreon crawled into his bed, in his one room. He found nothing but a bed, a dresser, a closet, a terminal hook up and a bathroom, nothing more. He thought of his wife, how he had loved her. He thought of his children and how he loved them. He thought of Marcy and how he loved her. He had wished he had spent more time with her, but then that was the way it was.

  Abreon, Jake and Mary were driving out from the town in a rented cart; having found a hill that looked promising, they were driving through the tall grass. The three kept their binoculars handy around their necks. Abreon finally was having a good time, holding hands with Nece, “Where you taking us?”

  Nece driving and pointing, “To the top!”

  Jake sitting behind them, “Hey, maybe we’ll find something in in the fields?”

  At length they reached the top of that hill which was the highest in the series, along the grassy meadows stretching from the town out five kilometers to a line of trees passed the fields. They were one kilometer from the tree line. They stepped out of the cart and they began to walk. Abreon pulled on Nece’s binoculars, “Let me see!”

  Nece pushed him away, “You have yours!”

  Abreon and Jake began to look out along the fields. Nece was looking as well, sweeping in one direction then another with her binoculars. Jake then began to examine the town again. Abreon turned his attention to the tress: “I found nothing in the fields. I’m switching to infrared; maybe I’ll find a bird or something in the trees.”

  Nece turned and began to look into the line of trees, “There old, seems to be a patch of old growth forest.”

  Abreon scanned the tree canopy then the base of the trees. He thought he saw something and then, peering deep into his binoculars adjusted spectrum he found something, the white of warmth creating a partial glow behind cool dark trees. It moved leaving it’s heat signature behind to quickly fade. The person had apparently seen Abreon too through his own binoculars. Abreon lowered his binoculars and grabbed at Nece’s jumpsuit, “Nece! Nece?”

  She lowered her binoculars, “What, found something?”

  Abreon adamantly: “Yes! Over in the woods, it was a person!”

  Jake: “Where!”

  Nece, “What?”

  Abreon pointing, “Over there, look!”

  Nece looking through her binoculars, “I don’t see anything?”

  Jake now looking as well, “Me neither.”

  Abreon looking through his binoculars again, “Turn to infrared!”

  Nece doing so looking: “I don't see anyone.”

  “That’s because he fel
l back into the trees, but you can still see his heat signatures.”

  Nece looking about through the infrared spectrum, “Ah, no…wait…I see them, but that could have been an animal.”

  Abreon, “You ever see an animal tight up a whole tree like that?”

  Jake lowering his glasses, looking over to Abreon, “Could have been a bear.”

  Nece more convinced, “If it was a person, why?”

  Abreon, “It was a scout.”

  Nece holding her hair, “A scout from where? Why?”

  Abreon rubbing his eyes, “Because, we didn't she him in the trees until we switched our binoculars over. He was wearing camouflage. Why would anyone hide in a forest, in camouflage, with no back up and watch us?”

  Nece: “We could have just not seen him.”

  Jake: “I turned to look over there too.”

  Abreon: “Listen, he ran back deeper into the woods. Whatever he wanted, we must find out.”

  Jake nodding, “Better we find out. We almost lost our lives once already.”

  Nece sighing, “Oh, alright.”

  Abreon smiling: “Good, let’s get are gear and hike over.”

  Nece, “Lets.”

  Abreon marked the faded heat signature with a way point on a small portable display pad and made his way to the location where the scout had been. Nece and Jake followed him as he read the display pad into the forest. Once they found the tree, they began to inspect it. Abreon feeling it, “Looks unmarked.”

  Jake shaking his head, “What do we do now.”

  Abreon looked around the trunk of the tree then pointing to the ground where boot prints were in the grass and soft earth, “We follow the marks he left until we reach him, provided we keep a safe distance of course.”

  Jake looking deeper into the woods, “He could very well be armed.”

  Abreon, “Let’s hope not, but we need to know. His report could jeopardize not only us but this whole sector.”

  They followed the tracks until they caught up with her. They peered at the scout from behind several bushes. She took off her helmet to wipe the sweat from her forehead letting her hair fall back down to her shoulders. Over one of those shoulders was slung a long three barrel rifle. The scout sat upon a rock, pulled out a nutritional bar and began to eating it. Abreon told the team to lower themselves further, “Come on get down so she can’t see us.”

  Nece kneeling peering through the bushes, “Shall we continue to follow her?”

  Abreon whispering back, “There must be some other soldiers someplace.”

  Jake tried to get a better look at her, “This is not a militarized zone; there are no corporations for several hundred kilometers.”

  Abreon raising his eyebrow to Jake, “Exactly, which is why we still need to follow her.”

  They continued to follow the scout until she met with what appeared to be her commanding company. Abreon, Nece and Jake encroached upon them slowly and quietly carefully onto the site where the company was now together, they were thirty meters away from the company hiding in the bush. Abreon and the other two could hear the scout speak with her company commander: “There’s a town some kilometers from here, north-west of here. Here are the coordinates.” She said handing over a tablet, “I estimate approximately five hundred people. I have determined from my observations that they are advanced technologically. The community has solar panels, pumps, foodstuffs and what we are interested in, a computer assembly plant and a warehouse.”

  The company commander looked at the tablet and smiled among his soldiers, “What's the capacity of the warehouse?”

  “It is extensive, probably able to hold parts for ten thousand computers.

  Nece not having a good view of the company, “How many are there? I can’t see too well.”

  Abreon grabbing his binoculars and zooming out. After a few seconds of scanning the location, putting them back down, “A few hundred.”

  The company Commander asking, “How many levels is this building?”

  The scout, “Three above ground, unsure below ground possibly two or three.”

  The commander nodding pleased, “Are the five-hundred well-armed?”

  “No. They possess no substantial arms, few small arms and some rifles perhaps, but nothing more. They are as the reports cited, largely agrarian in nature.”

  Abreon to the other two as they struggled to get a better view, “They’re going to raid the town and capture it.”

  Nece, “Why?”

  Abreon, “For their manufacturing capabilities.” then looking down to them, “Stop, they’re going to hear us!”

  The Commander, “Then-” breaking his thought process and looking about into the woods, “Did you hear something?”

  The scout shaking her head, “No, Commander.”

  Abreon, “Stop!”

  “Then we can assault the town within five days.”

  Abreon falling from the bushes, “Shit.”

  A soldier catching the rustling of the bushes, “Look, over there!”

  The Commander pointing to his soldiers, “You, you, you-and you, go capture them and kill them.”

  Abreon standing. Nece and Jake standing. Abreon’s adrenaline surging, “Go, run! Split up! I’ll fight them! I’ll find you!”

  Abreon then splitting up from them as the four soldiers ran after them, following them in pursuit. One ran after Jake, one after Nece, the remaining two following Abreon. Abreon ran through the trees and underbrush as they raced after him, one stopping to take aim and fire a rifle blast at Abreon’s back. The blast missed splintering a tree next to Abreon. Abreon cut back into dense brush, cutting again into another series of trees, running, and running, the sweat pouring from his face. Abreon threw his binoculars in one direction, then running in the other, one of the pursuing soldier’s rearward and behind the second by ten seconds. He stopped to pick up the binoculars, the first bypassing the other.

  Abreon stopped and quickly looked around. He took a deep breath, tore a sleeve from his suit and placed it on a tree branch next to him. Abreon jumped up and climbing the tree. He waited, hesitating until the first follower stopped to examine the torn strip of sleeve. Abreon jumped down upon the soldier knocking his weapon from him. Abreon reached for the weapon, the soldier stepping on Abreon's wrist. Abreon cried out in pain, knocking the soldier off his feet just as the second pursuer found him. The second pursuer held his rifle, firing as he ran, burning a blast into another tree. Abreon stood, charging the second soldier knocking him off his feet, his rifle tossed away from the hit. As they struggled Abreon found the soldiers blade, pulling I from the soldier’s sheaf as the first pursuer took his weapon, standing, Abreon plunging the blade in the second soldier’s chest. The first stepping back scared yet taking aim, Abreon quickly rolling finding the second soldiers rifle shooting at the first, the blast, tearing a strip of flesh, from the right side of his face.

  Abreon then went over to the second soldier to see if he was truly dead, but he had removed the blade from his chest stabbing Abreon in a calf. Abreon pulled the knife from his leg. He threw it and fired a final shot into the soldier. Abreon picked up the second rifle, running, hobbling with both weapons slung on his shoulders, until Jake caught him, pulling him down to the ground. Jake from behind a tree, “Sorry -they heard your blast.”

  Abreon scurrying behind the tree, brushing more dirt from himself, holding his calf as it bled through his hands, “Thanks for tripping me.”

  “Sorry -there coming for you and me -your leg?”

  Abreon picking both weapons back up, “Here” giving him one of the rifles “Take this and we will triangulate our fire at that point there.” Abreon and Jake then positioning themselves behind two trees, waiting until the third soldier drew near. Abreon held his breath until the third pursuer was at the point they aimed at yelling, “Now!” Both of them spinning about the trees and fired, shredding the soldier’s chest as he flew back up in the air then to the ground.

  Abreon hobbled
over to the dead soldier taking his rifle as well, “My leg is fine, Jake.” as he tossed it to him, “We have to…” interrupted by a scream, “Nece!”

  Jake, “Nece!”

  Abreon, “She's close by!” both of them running toward the cries. In a moment both Abreon and Jake found her, the last remaining pursuer holding her captive. Abreon and Jake pulled their rifles on him, “Let her go! Raise your hands!” Abreon yelled, both of them aiming at the soldiers head. The soldier pulled Nece closer using her as a shield, the soldier pressing his knife on her neck, “Abreon!” she yelled out to him.

  Abreon, “Don’t move Neice,” then to the soldier, “Drop the knife or you’ll die!”

  The soldier, “No you listen! Drop your rifles, both of you!”

  Abreon tossing his rifle, “There.”

  The soldier to Nece, “Pick up the rifle, woman!”

  Abreon: “Don’t do it!”

  “Pick up the rifle or I'll kill you right now!”

  Abreon quickly thinking, “You shut up! Don’t do it Nece, if he kills you he’s dead too!”

  Nece picked up the rifle.

  The soldier, “Hand it to me...now!”

  Nece handed it to him, so that in his left hand he clutched the blade under Nece's neck, and in the other the rifle held out in aim toward Abreon.”

  The soldier pointing to Jake: “Now you, you drop your rifle too!”

  Abreon, “I don’t think so.” then pointing: “Jake, rotate about him until you reach the other side.”

  Nece, “Abreon, he’s going to kill me!”

  Jake in an arch, walking slowly about the trees keep aim at the pursuer, “Alright.”

  Abreon moving a bit closer, “No he won’t his hands a full already.”

  The soldier began to break down, shaking, trying to see both Abreon and Jake as he was leaving his field of view, “Stop, I will kill her!”

  Abreon taking another step closer to the pursuer, “Now, let her go!”

  Glancing to his side, “No! You let me go!”

  Nece sweating, “Abreon?”

  Jake almost around towards the soldier back, “Okay.”

  Abreon ready, waiting for something, the solider slightly lowering his blade in order to hold his rifle barrel up, Abreon grabbing the barrel, pulling it aside as the abductor fired a blast, the blast missing Abreon, as Jake fired at the soldier destroying his right soldier. Nece free from the pursuer, Abreon now in possession of the rifle turning it about and firing at the soldier again. This time the blast tearing through the torso of the abductor, killing him. Abreon ran over to Nece, “Nece!”

  Nece hugging him, “Abreon, oh God! Thank you!”

  Abreon to her in her ear, “You got me! You'll always have me “

  Nece nodding, then turning to hug Jake, “Thank you!”

  Jake looking about to find the dead soldiers lost rifle. He found it behind a tree and tossed the gun to Abreon, “Here you go.”

  Abreon to them both, “We better hurry back to town; we want to give them a good fight.”

  Abreon, Nece and Jake running along the town’s main road, yelling out to the towns people, “Their coming!