by Jack Vantage
“Ballsy,” Vander replied. “What do we say to them? Does anyone have a voice recorder?”
“Of course I have a recorder. I don’t leave home without it. Mark, you’re my date. No, you’re my boyfriend,” she said, smiling at his eyes.
“I don’t know about this. What if they get heavy?” he replied.
“Then we’ll get it on the voice recorder. It can pick up sound clearly for around fifty metres.” She looked at the others. “Vander, you’re a local resident. Enquire about the arrests. Portray your disgust at the criminals. Mark and I will act concerned for what’s happening, try to get what’s actually going on from them. If they threaten force just walk away, and we’ll meet back at the broadcast vehicle.”
Helena’s pulse raced. Her job had stepped up a notch, closer to the hint of danger that tempted violence. She had to discover the motives, even if it cost a bruise or two. Why would they threaten the innocent public? What was so important about these passengers, who clearly had no idea as to their own cause? This was reporting, this was getting the story, and this was what it was all about. She could tell the world how she’d put herself in danger for the public of Quazar. Producers would know Helena Reeves was the woman for the job and the work would pour in. Not just mundane robberies or lost items, but the good stuff, the stories that mattered, the stories people wanted, like murders, narcotics, and chases.
She glanced toward her cameraman. “Eddie, how’s it coming?”
He lifted his eye from the viewfinder and carefully looked down at her, edgy and ready. “I don’t like the way they’re treating these people. It’s like they’re being taken prisoner. It’s genocide, or something like it. This is a little scary. What is the government up to?” He placed his eye back to the viewfinder and continued his sneaky observation.
“When we go over, keep the camera on us. I want everyone to see this. Don’t lose us, so we have picture and sound. Whatever this is, we need it recorded. Okay, Mark, arm in arm, just a nice slow walk over. We’ll get as close to the carrier as possible. Vander, we’ll go right, you go left. See if you can catch them coming out of the buildings. Quiz the people, ask them what they have done, but back down if force is threatened.”
Eddie said, “Good luck, guys.”
Helena stepped from behind the sky-mobile with Mark and casually headed towards the entrance of the craft, which stood a hundred metres or so in front of them. She whispered, “Don’t say anything. Follow my lead.”
The walkway was paved and clean. It was made of large cream stone slabs that were polished smooth, almost like marble. Each square slab edge touched the next with millimetre precision. This residential area was a high-living area, consisting of apartments and flats that were only affordable by the wealthy. Small colourful plants and trees filled missing square voids in the walkway, which randomly grew around the boulevard. The landscape was a clean variation of green, concrete, and glass.
Vander moved towards the building on the left, a slick glass-shelled structure with vertical rectangular windows reflecting the torso of the people carrier along its length.
Helena looked at the military ground force as they neared. Their uniforms were all un-creased and disciplined, while their white and grey camouflage markings coloured the uniforms like someone had taken thick pens and scribbled all over them.
Mark held Helena’s arm tightly. The big baby, she thought as she smiled at him. “Mark don’t lose it on me. I need you to be strong. Nothing is going to happen to us. We’re just going to ask a few questions.”
“I was never cut out for this kind of thing. That’s why I always stayed behind the cameras to edit. I’ll follow your lead.”
Helena glanced to her left and watched Vander stroll convincingly towards the entrance of a building, where the military marched people out. Something was hidden behind their dark veil, something unhappy. Helena could see through it, but she couldn’t make out what it was. The military were covering up the truth. Helena always said that the truth was what she sought. It was her motto. Whenever a story began, the quest for it opened. It was the public’s right to know, or democracy was at stake.
“Now remember, follow my lead. Let’s find out what these hard jobs are up to.”
They approached the rear end of the carrier. Four cylindrical gravity thrusters protruded from its body, like giant impact craters that were crafted from ceramic alloy. Numerous citizens were scattered around the area in flustered groups, attempting to observe with concerned interest. Helena could see people at their windows, all over the enclosed buildings, sneaking a glimpse of the rare event that was happening on their doorstep.
Helena studied the troops closely. They were nervous and worried, like they knew they were about to be caught. They edgily paired up, one never straying far from another. The entire area was locked down. It was theirs. Only they were let near the carrier’s entrance.
“Check them out, Mark. They don’t seem to be enjoying this.”
There was something in their faces that said this was wrong, that they were following orders they didn’t like.
“I know. They look scared, on edge.”
A scuffle drew everyone’s attention from the left, right in front of Vander. A man tried to flee from a line of ten people that exited a building. The family behind him screamed. Two young girls cried aloud at the ordeal.
“You’ll never get me.” the man shouted. The man’s long brown hair bounced in the breeze as he ran.
A troop, at the head of the line, raised his blaster and yelled, “Get back here or pay the penalty. I mean it, sir. You have no need to worry. Get back in line. Whatever you’ve done we’re not here for it.”
But the man continued to run. He made it all of twenty yards before a red laser blast burnt through his chest. He made another two yards before his brain realized things weren’t functioning and his body dropped to the ground. Screams awoke everywhere.
The troops panicked and rushed to control the incident. Two young blonde girls, apparently from the man’s family, cried in uncontrollable fits as their red-haired mum pulled them in with both arms.
The area had turned violent, and the scattered public ran in all directions. Troops shouted at one another. “Hold your fire! Hold your fire! Man down!”
Helena said, “Jesus, this one big mess! The shit is really going to hit the fan. Wait until the channels get word of this. An unarmed man shot dead by his own military who’re arresting innocent people.”
Mark said, “This is awful. I really think that we should get out of here. They just killed him for nothing.”
“We will. I just want to ask what their story is. That way we have them on record. They can’t deny anything.”
Few times had Helena been scared like she was now, fearful for her life, but nothing was going to stop her getting what she needed. The two officers at the carrier’s steps closed in when they noticed her and Mark nearing. Their assault blasters lifted and aimed at their heads.
“Could both of you step back, please?” the left troop said. He raised his voice. “Get back! Now!”
Helena and Mark did as he asked. Both troops moved towards them with blasters poised. “Hands in the air. You need to move away from this area. There is a big crime in progress. We need you to leave. Turn around, keep your hands in the air and walk away.”
There was wrongness in his voice, Helena could hear it clearly, and his eyes told a mischievous tale. His square chin was covered with hard stubble, and his brown blood shot eyes were shadowed by the craft above, like he hadn’t slept in days. These were not happy men.
“What’s going on? What’s happened? Why are there people being shot?” Helena asked.
“We are not at liberty to say, ma’am. Just that everything is under control,” the troop replied.
He was right up on them. His silent partner next to him was smaller in size, more fatigued than he, and more serious with his gun. A scar ran down his left cheek, and similar blood shot brown eyes look at her f
rom under his helmet.
“We’re on our way. We will move along. Easy, guys. Easy. What crime have these people committed? Are they murderers? Narcotics dealers?”
“Like I said, we can’t disclose any information about the activity. All you need to know is this is military business. Anyone obstructing us will be apprehended and the punishment will be severe. We have our reasons, ma’am. It is important to get these people on the carrier as fast as possible,”
Helena looked to Mark, who stood frozen by the impending threat of weapons.
“All right, we’re moving, but I think it’s wrong what you just did to that man. You didn’t have to shoot him.”
“Lady, if you knew what we knew you would have shot him dead in an instant. Please get a move on. Time is of the essence, seriously. You have to move, or you are going to get hurt.”
Mark said, “Come on Helena, let’s go.”
Helena prayed the recording had captured all the action of the scene. The screams, military shouts, innocents running, and hoped her little conversation was crystal clear with Mr. Control here. If Eddie captured it on camera then she’d hit the jackpot.
“Can you see that, sir?” the scarred troop said. He pointed and squinted his eyes to get a clear view at something.
Helena twisted her body in the direction both troops were looking. Oh no. She caught a glint from the edge of the red sky-mobile. Eddie’s camera lens gave off a glint from the sun. Tiny as it was, it gave away his position. Helena turned back to them. “I don’t see anything guys.”
“Shut it, and get moving right now,” the big guy said. He growled. “That’s a fucking reporter. Sneaky little prick. Do you want him or am I going to do him?” He looked to Helena with a menacing macho grimace. “Get the message? Now get out of here.”
“Please, don’t hurt him. Please, he’s with me,” she said.
Mark said, “Helena what are you doing? He’s not with us. Let’s get out of here.”
“Please don’t hurt him. He’s taking orders from me, doing as I say. Please. Just take the camera and the hard drive. Please. I’ll ask him myself,”
“Let me have the pleasure, sir,” the scarred troop said.
His blaster moved away from Helena. Its five-inch barrel pointed in the direction of Eddie. Tiny moving parts rotated and clicked over its body as it whined with power charge. He pushed a button on the side of the weapon, and up glided a telescopic sniper sight. He steadied himself and looked down the magnified view.
“Sir, his attention is on the incident to our right. Shall I take the shot?”
“Wait. Please. Please let me get everything for you,” Helena begged. Mark cried beside her. She turned and shouted, “Eddie, run.”
The thuggish officer ordered with an officious tone that was nasty. He enjoyed it, “Fire at will! Fucking reporters.”
The scarred troop squeezed the trigger and fired a single blast.
Helena watched as the laser bolt burnt through the camera’s viewfinder and continued through Eddie’s eye and head. His body dropped dead from behind the sky-mobile.
“You bastards!” Helena shouted.
Mark ran hysterically from her side.
She yelled, “No, Mark! Stay here!”
Two laser bolts hit him in the back, knocking him five feet forward in the air, before he landed in a dead heap.
“You evil pricks,” Helena said, shaking and crying. “Why are you killing innocent people? You’re fucking animals! I hope your higher rank kills you fucking dead!”
The senior guard said, “Go check that he’s gone. Smash all the equipment.” He looked at Helena. “And as for you, maybe I should kill you right here with your friends.” He lowered his gun and grabbed her firmly by the arm. “But as I’m such a nice person, I’m going to give you a chance.”
Helena didn’t know what to expect, the situation had violently stunned her.
“You’ve got yourself in deeper than you could imagine. Your little dig here has opened a can of worms.”
He turned away from Helena and shouted to another troop.
“Hey Henry, get the chip reader. I think we’ve found one.”
“Right away, sir,” came a distant response, as the panic and screams quieted again.
Nothing made sense, nothing was right, and there was nothing she could do. Her instinct told her to run, now while the gun was lowered. It was her only way out, but she knew better. She might get as far as Mark did before a laser put out her lights. She was no closer to revealing the reason for this violent scenario. Still people were being moved inside the carrier. All were frightened for their lives after witnessing the extremity of their own protectors’ murderous actions. What would the Authoritarians do about it? Surely word had gotten back to them? Why was nothing being done?
Helena looked around at her dead team. Vander—what about Vander? She looked in the direction of the building entrance. He was nowhere to be seen.
“I have the right to know why you just killed my team,” she said, distraught and hurt. She fought the tears that wanted to fall for her colleagues.
“You’ll find out soon enough, lady. Look you’ll be thanking me when the time comes,” replied the troop.
“And how does that work?”
“Look lady, there are things going on you wouldn’t understand. My orders are to do exactly what I’m doing. Don’t even think I’m murderer, or you’ll be saying sorry later. Sooner than you know.”
A troop jogged over to her position with a bulky silver tubed chip reader.
“Thanks. Get back to work. Are all buildings in the area cleared?”
“Yes sir. There are fifty people who aren’t at home, so those fifty people are lost unfortunately, sir. We have no time to find them. We need to move on. In the next sector we’ll make up the numbers with lucky random citizens.”
“Good work. Get everyone together and wrap things up.” His attention turned back to Helena.
“I didn’t catch your name,” Helena said. She was terrified of breathing, let alone moving. His grip was hurting her arm.
“That’s classified, but you may call me Captain Frank. Some people call me the governor. Now, let’s see if you are one of the lucky ones. Hands down to your side.”
Helena did as he asked. She stood motionless as he patted her down and waved the chip reader over her hand with a beep. He read the small screen that was positioned on the side of the device.
“Well, well ,well—this is your lucky day. Helena Reeves, currently staying at the Pleasure Hotel, thirty years of age. No husband, no family, and are all alone.”
“That’s my life.”
“Follow me. You’re coming on board.”
“What’s going on? Where are you taking me? Why are you rounding people up like cattle?”
Nerves vibrated Helena’s body. She was taken prisoner for no reason. Whatever lurked behind the situation certainly wasn’t pleasant? Still the answer eluded her, and still the military were successfully concealing the truth. The gritty yellow steps faced her.
“Where are you taking me?”
“All in good time. You’ll not be sitting with the rest. You’ll cause too much trouble, and everyone is scared enough as it is. You’ll be locked in a room of your own, in the conference room at the front of the ship.” He gestured. “Up we go.”
Helena began the climb. Her feeling of uncertainty was nauseating, the dread of the discovery dire. The steps seemed to climb forever.
The more she thought about it, the more the situation felt like a rescue operation, but why the malicious murders? Because that’s what it was—innocent people gunned down like a civil war was in progress, and the military were listening to a very evil leader.
The way in which the troop had dismissed the killings as nothing led her to believe that whatever the truth, there was no possibility of liking it. It was as if the world depended on it. Something big was about to happen.
Up she climbed with her clip-clopping heels. The entr
ance stood in front of her, a rectangular opening that rounded at its edges, with thick rubbery seals lining the frame. Daylight dimmed as she stepped inside the small confined walkways. Its internal layout was designed with multiple left and right turns ahead. The low ceiling and walls were a clean synthetic blue.
“Straight ahead, please. Take the second left,” he said from behind her.
Helena didn’t want to reply. For all she knew he was walking her to her death. Her fear intensified.
Passing a right turn, she glanced and viewed hundreds of passengers sitting in seats which ran the craft in rows of four. Three walkways broke the seating up and all prisoners sat silently concerned on black comfortable padded chairs. Two troops moved along the walkways with blasters in hand. It was like terrorists had hijacked the carrier.
The poor citizens were experiencing an ordeal of terror, a horrible shock. Children wept in their parents’ loving arms, a few recent new-born’s screamed with screeching annoyance.
Helena took the left turn and glanced behind where the troop followed. “So how long will I be held in here?”
“It shouldn’t be too long, until the time is right, and everything has come out. You have yourself one hell of a mouth, don’t you? Just like all the media crews out there. You just can’t keep your nose out of things. You always have to pry.”
“Do you feel any sympathy for the people you just killed?”
“Honey, there was no saving them, and actually their deaths saved a lot of people. Please stop asking so many questions or I might change my mind and not save you.”
“Save me from what? You people make me sick. As soon as this gets out, you’re all in big trouble. Save me? You just killed my friends. You are not getting away with this. Too many people know I was here. There is nothing you can do. The truth will come out.”
“Look, please. I know there is no trusting me, but please be a little courteous. Believe me, you will be saying thank you very soon.”