by Huth, Jacob
The next morning I awoke to Jet sitting on the ground next to me reading through a scientific report. I rubbed my eyes and sat up forgetting that I was under the workbench and cracked my head on the table. It scared Jet and made her jump. She said, “I thought we talked about this last night.”
“It was really late and I didn’t want to wake you up,” I said groggily.
“I couldn’t sleep at all. I was awake all night,” she said.
“I didn’t know that. Besides, I said you could have the room,” I said.
“I don’t understand you,” she said in an exasperated tone. She got up and walked to the other room.
“What was that about?” Flare asked as she brought me a cup of coffee.
I took the cup of coffee in my hands and said, “Last night I offered to let her have my room but she insisted that we share. When I actually went to go to sleep, I made a small bed out here.”
“Do you remember what we talked about last night when we were outside?” she asked.
“I do,” I answered.
“I thought you were going to make an effort,” she said.
“I kept thinking about upset I would be if I lost her and it stopped me repeatedly,” I replied.
“You need to get that out of your head. You think she doesn’t worry about something happening to you out there? She does and she doesn’t let it stop her from making an effort to get closer to you,” she said.
“I already lost my parents. I don’t want to lose another person I care for. I need to do some thinking. Can you talk to her for me?” I asked.
“I can try. She may want to hear it from you,” she said.
“Let me know how it goes then. I have some work to do,” I said standing up, “Have you seen Frost?”
“He is in the armory looking at the different pieces,” she replied. I thanked her and went to the armory. I found Frost trying on a silver helmet.
“I wouldn’t go with that one,” I said taking a drink.
“It doesn’t fit anyway,” he said.
“I was thinking, we may need more room,” I said.
“More room?” he asked.
“Yes more room. If we are going to be gathering war supplies, we will need more storage space,” I said.
“Hmm, good point. There is still a lot of cave in the back that is unused but it needs to be flattened out if we are going to store anything there,” he replied.
“Do we have any explosives?” I asked.
“No,” he answered, “Even if we did, we couldn’t use them. We don’t want to run the risk of the explosion being heard in the city. You could use your spike to flatten some of the stone out in there. It would be quieter and safer than using explosives.”
“We can give it a try. I don’t know if I could muster enough power to clear that away without completely losing control and knocking the cavern down,” I replied.
“Maybe we should wait until Jet figures out the amplifiers,” he said.
“Maybe,” I said walking out of the room.
Frost followed behind me, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” I replied, “I… need some air.” I walked out through the tunnel to the entrance to Sanctum. When I reached the outside, I found myself staring off towards the city. I felt strange. I finally had revived the Insurgency and would work towards avenging my parents and all of the fallen, but I was still being haunted by the sight of Pipes being killed. I wanted to help people. I couldn’t stop Pipes from being executed. How was I supposed to save all the citizens of Marsh City? I turned around and looked into the forest. I had never been in there before. I came to the edge of the trees and stopped. It was dark and seemingly dangerous inside. I felt the need to continue on into the woods. I walked for what seemed like an eternity towards the center. I came upon a large orange flower that had yellow spots on the petals. There were red barbs sticking out of the center. I leaned in closer to examine the interesting plant. I reached my finger out and poked one of the petals causing a barb shot me in the neck. I got dizzy and started to stumble around until finally I fell into unconsciousness. I opened my eyes and looked around. Everything was blurry and spinning. I saw a pair of black shoes at the end of a pair of legs wearing a gray suit. I instantly recognized Hades’ suit and I felt anger well up inside me.
“Zero. I knew you were weak,” said Hades.
“No…” I whispered. I was barely able to talk. I looked up and saw his evil face. Something was different though. His beard was shorter than normal. It was trimmed down to his face. He approached me and crouched down next to me. His face was so close and his eyes were intimidating.
“You will fail. You cannot unseat my rule. I have taken measures to ensure that I can never be defeated,” he said in his deep voice.
I tried to stand up but my limbs were so weak. “I will stop you. I will give the city back to the people,” I said.
“You couldn’t even save Pipes, your parents, or anyone who was in the resistance,” he said laughing.
I felt a rage inside me unlike any I had ever had. I felt the gene spike acting up and I couldn’t control it. A great force exploded out of me, but Hades was unfazed. The power continued to grow with my anger. I pushed so hard on the ground that my fingers moved into it like it was butter. Hades screamed over the sound of the destruction, “Even now you cannot stop me. At your full power, I still stand strong.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed until a singularity opened behind Hades and resembled a black hole. All of the land started to crumble and disappear into the black hole. Hades began disappearing as though he was made of powder. He started laughing as he vanished completely. Everything crumbled and disappeared until there was nothing but blackness. Everything I knew was gone.
Chapter 3: Bosque City
I awoke lying in a crater in the clearing in which I had encountered the flower. Everything hadn’t been eaten up in the black hole. It must have been a hallucination caused by the poison from the barbs. I hadn’t been that close to Hades. I was almost sorry that it wasn’t real. I would give my own life to end Hades and give the Insurgency a chance to take back the city. I looked up at the trees. There was light filtering through. How long had I been out? I could have been missing for a long while. I sat up and looked around. I was still groggy from the poison. I couldn’t remember how I had gotten to where I was now. I stood up and stumbled around until I found a tree for me to lean against. I had to decide on a direction to go and hope that it was correct. I made my way through the brush stumbling and falling into the foliage. I couldn’t stop thinking about how badly I wanted Hades to die. I had never hated somebody as much as I did him. I heard animals rustling around me as I walked blindly. I began to panic after a few hours. I still hadn’t made it back to the entrance to Sanctum and it was getting dark. My head was pounding and my limbs felt like noodles. I couldn’t figure out how I would get back. I felt myself stumble into a clearing and hit the ground. I lifted my head just enough to see that I was back in the clearing where I had originally passed out. I felt a wave of hopelessness wash over me as I was pulled into unconsciousness again. Just before I was completely out, I saw a few pairs of legs approaching the spot where I was laying. There was nothing I could do. I was sure that Kraken agents had found me and I would be publicly executed. I knew it was likely the end.
I awoke in a room that was surprisingly not a Kraken jail cell. It looked like a medical ward, but not a tent like we were accustomed to in the city. There were no hospitals in Marsh City. There were only illegal medical facilities that people who had any semblance of first aid training operated. Kraken issued an order to shut down all functional hospitals because they thought that if you got sick, you deserved to die. They said it was natural selection at work. The death toll was high in the city. The people lived in such squalor and eventually would get sick from something. If it wasn’t malnutrition, it was from bacteria or some sort of pollutant in the air. I tried to obtain medical supplies as often as I c
ould and I would give them to the shop that Flare worked at to distribute them to people in need.
I had no idea where I was at this moment though. I sat up and felt a stabbing pain in my ribs. I put my hand on them and felt a bandage wrapped around my torso. My shirt was gone and my pants were shredded at the bottom. The last thing I remembered was passing out in the clearing and being picked up by someone. I forced myself to stand up. The pain was intense in my chest. I must have really done a number on myself while I was stumbling around. I noticed a window on the other side of the room. I shuffled over and looked outside. I was taken aback. I was in a city in the trees. Someone entered the room behind me and said, “Ah you are awake.”
I turned and saw a man wearing earth toned clothes. They were brown and dark green and made of some sort of leather. His hair was short and black and stood up straight. He had a black goatee that was nicely trimmed. He wasn’t very tall and had a bow strung across his back. His skin was tan and rugged. His shirt had no sleeves and revealed his tattoos. He had many strange markings all along his arms.
“You should take it easy. Your ribs are possibly fractured and you are severely bruised,” he said.
“Thanks for the heads up. Where am I?” I asked.
“You are in Bosque City. We have built our city in the trees. You are the first outsider to come here,” he said.
“Why are you in the trees?” I asked.
“Our ancestors took to the trees after the gravity machine was activated and the land was unlivable. This forest remained untouched by the magma so they built houses high above the ground. We have survived by hunting and picking fruit from the trees,” he said.
“How have you remained hidden this long?” I asked.
“We have implanted some agents inside the city to spread rumors about how dangerous the forest is. They also inform us of what goes on within that hell hole. I know that you are the leader of the rebellion. What were you doing this far outside of the city?”
“We had to flee the city. I attacked Hades after he executed a family friend. We have a hideout that we are staying in near the edge of the forest,” I said.
“I see. You were poisoned by a plant called the Death Vein. Luckily we found you. We heard an explosion and came to see what it was. You must have used your power while you were hallucinating. What did you see?” he asked.
I stared out the window for a moment and said, “I saw Hades.”
“Hades. The tyrant who named himself after the lord of the underworld. It must pain you to think that you were so close and find out that it was all a farce,” he said.
“He is the reason my parents and many people I know are dead. It is my sole purpose in life to end Kraken’s reign,” I said.
“His grip on the city is too tight. It will be a dangerous undertaking,” he said.
“I know. By the way, who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Pan. I originally was a hunter before the people of this settlement named me leader,” he replied.
“Well, thank you for patching me up,” I said.
“We did more than patch you up. If you had been out there much longer, you would have died,” said Pan.
“I am grateful but I need to get back. My friends are probably wondering where I am,” I said.
“I will escort you back. You have sustained a great deal of damage. I can give you some healing herbs that will help curb the pain. I can also show you where to find some of them in the forest in case you are in a sticky situation again,” he said.
“Thank you. I will probably need all the help I can get,” I said.
“Let’s get moving then. I do not want to be away from the city for too long,” he said.
“Alright. Do you have my clothes?” I asked.
“Your boots are by the door but your clothes were tattered. I have brought some clothes for you to replace the others,” said Pan. I put on the new clothes and felt how comfortable they were. I put on my boots and we set off. We exited the hut and I got my first good look at the city. It was magnificent. They huts were made of logs and they were all connected by bridges and walkways. It must have taken so long to construct, especially in the wake of the destruction of the gravity machine. We walked down a stairway that led to the forest floor. Pan led me through the forest towards Sanctum.
We had been walking for about an hour when I finally asked, “Why are you helping me?”
“Although we are separated from Marsh City, I despise Hades and what Kraken is doing to the people there. I try to lead fairly and justly. He squashes people under his boot at will and sucks the city dry so he can live in luxury,” Pan replied.
“It seems that nobody really supports him. It’s just unfortunate that he seized so much power before people realized what he really was,” I said.
“I was truly saddened when I heard that the original Insurgency had been destroyed,” he said.
“My parents were in the group that fell. I think about that day constantly,” I said.
“I can only imagine. We have lived in peace all of my life,” he said.
“You should join us. Help us reclaim the city,” I said.
“I’m sorry but I can’t,” he replied.
“Why not?” I asked.
“My people are not warriors. They are craftsmen and artisans,” he said.
“Well we could use any help. Just think about it. You know where to find me if you change your mind,” I said.
“I will think about it,” he said.
We approached a small bush and he stopped me. “This plant is very useful. It is light leaf. It has a painkiller in it and can be used in many medicines,” he said.
“This is good to know. I will probably need an endless supply of this stuff,” I said. As soon as I finished talking, there was a rustling a few yards away. We crouched down and moved silently through the brush. I peered through the foliage to reveal two Kraken agents walking along a path.
“This is their monthly patrol of the forest,” Pan whispered.
“What are they looking for out here?” I asked.
“I don’t think they are looking for anything in particular. They just patrol to make sure that there is no strange activity,” he replied.
I noticed a pack on the back of one of the agents. It was very high tech and had a latch on the back. There was a small label above the latch that read, “Fusion Cells”. I grabbed Pan’s arm. “I need that pack. It has fusion cells inside. We need them for some of our weapons,” I said.
Without a word, Pan pulled out a bow and fired two arrows at the guards. Each guard fell to the ground, dead with an arrow in his neck. I was surprised by his speed and precision. “Well that’s one way to get things done,” I said.
“You needed the pack and I doubt they were going to give it willingly,” he replied.
“Makes sense,” I said. We approached the bodies and I picked up the pack. I searched the bodies to see if there was anything else that was useful. I came across an access card on one of their belts. I stashed it in my pocket so Jet could analyze it at the lab. I kept searching and found an earpiece. I stuck it in my ear and heard radio transmissions coming through. They were communications between Kraken agents and the high command.
“What is that?” Pan asked.
“It is a radio transmitter. It has Kraken transmissions on it,” I replied.
“That will be useful. You can eavesdrop on their operations,” he said, “We should also hide the bodies. I’m sure they will send more troops to find them after they’ve been missing for a while.”
“Right,” I said. We dragged the bodies into a cluster of bushes. We continued on down the path until we reached the plant that Pan said could be used in medicine.
“This is Stack Vine. It is the plant that I used to numb your pain,” he said picking a handful of the green leafy plant.
“How do you use it?” I asked.
“You put some in your mouth and chew it up. Then you have to mix it in with some water an
d drink it. It usually takes effect immediately. It can also be blended and injected if the patient is unconscious like you were,” he replied.
“Thank you,” I said as I loaded a small bag full of the plant. We kept moving along the pathway and Pan held out his arm to stop me.
“This is as far as I will take you. Just follow this path and when you reach the edge of the forest. You can find your way from there,” he said.
“Thank you for all your help,” I said. Pan nodded and began walking back towards Bosque City. I walked down the path for another hour and emerged out of the forest. I let the sunlight consume me. I looked to my right and saw the city in the distance. I finally made it back to the entrance to Sanctum and made it inside. Jet, Flare and Frost were sitting around the table silently.
“It’s like a morgue in here,” I said. They all looked up and ran over to me.
“Where have you been?” Jet asked frantically.
“I went for a walk in the forest and got poisoned by the Death Vein. A man named Pan saved me and treated my wounds,” I replied.
“Death Vein?” Flare asked.
“It’s a big flower that shoots poisonous barbs out of the center,” I said setting down the pack on the table.
“What’s in there?” asked Frost.
“Fusion cells,” I replied.
“Where did you find these?” Jet asked.
“Pan killed two Kraken agents and I found these, a keycard, and a radio transceiver. I thought we could use the card if we were going somewhere with restricted access. It would be quieter than blowing a door open. I also thought we could maybe use this transceiver to find their frequencies and eavesdrop on their plans,” I replied.