Reverence

by Joshua Landeros

  The cell door jerked open, the dim lights growing brighter as it did. The man sat up now, stretching his weakened muscles. Perhaps it was time for a UNR soldier to deliver his daily beating. He was somewhat glad though. Sometimes when his mind wandered off to frightening levels he wasn’t sure he could still cling to sanity, and pain became the only real way to keep his feet on the ground. He was surprised, however, to see this particular visitor.

  He watched S.S.C. Unit 21, trudging in slowly, shutting the door behind him. “Joseph Halsey,” he said, “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  “I’ll manage,” replied Halsey, wiping away any stray food from his thick mustache. “What could you possibly want from me, my old acquaintance? Or did you just want to be the one who tries to beat me half to death today?”

  Will felt humored by the remark, observing now in the greater light, the number of bruises on the pale man’s face. He assumed there were many more under his uniform. A fresh cut was on his lower lip, which Halsey seemed to wince from as he sipped the last of the water from his cup, before throwing it at the wall. The clang of the tin cup against the concrete echoed in the tiny cell.

  “Damn, this one kinda stings.”

  “No, I’m not here for that Halsey.”

  “No? What then?”

  “Another terrorist group was taken down today. I believe it’s your right to know that within a few days, justice will be executed.”

  “And you came to me, why? Now you think you have it all figured out?”

  “You amuse me, that’s all. Seeing the transformation of what you used to be to what you are now, it fascinates me. Back in your heyday as head of the Crimson Angels, you would have looked me in the eye and claimed that the whole world would rally behind you. Yet all it took was a little persuasion, and they now beg at our feet.”

  Halsey nodded in full agreement, the nod of a concession long ago admitted.

  “It used to baffle me why the Chancellor keeps you of all people alive, but today was a reminder – you’re a trophy.”

  “I’m alive because of my service record. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

  “Seeing the collapse of it all, do you ever miss it?”

  “When I committed myself to this cause, I knew there would always be weak ones. Ones who have doubts, who start questioning the very foundation they stand on solely because of fear. Ones who believe in something, but would never have the will to carry it out.”

  “You’ve got a little left in you, Halsey. Commendable.”

  “First I thought it was just a few of us with blinders on. Next thing I knew everybody was chanting. The rest of the world turned a blind eye. People became desperate, and let the devil himself into their hearts. The few like me were just trying to rebuild what once was.”

  “Is that what you tell yourself right before every execution you’re forced to watch?” Will asked harshly.

  Halsey seemed to be a little disturbed by that one. He actually looked up at the cyborg, misty eyed but not beaten. Will knew better than to assume he had nothing more to say. As usual, Halsey didn’t let him down.

  “Someone like you will never know the true meaning of what we fought for. Every man and woman who died for the cause did so doing something they believed in.”

  “And what about all the civilians who were killed in the process? Surely, you did not forget about them. At the end of the day, you’re nothing more than a shackled animal. I protect the citizens of this country from the ones like you.”

  “I guess you’ll have the greatest pleasure of them all then, being my executioner when that day comes. Am I right?”

  “When it’s all said and done, I’ll be the one to show you your final act of mercy.” Will replied, locking the cell behind him before heading back to Luis.

  ***

  April 4, 2065- Training Center, UNR Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

  Will and Luis headed for the gym. The fiasco at the military base earlier hadn’t been much of a challenge, and both felt the overpowering need to stretch their muscles.

  “What did he have to say?” Luis asked as they left the locker area, “Your little friend.”

  “Nothing much,” Will replied.

  “He’s a relic from an age dead and gone. You ought to find other forms of amusement.”

  Will only smirked, ignoring him for now. His mind often lingered on trivialities, something he could never quite figure out. Luis, in sharp contrast, lived for the moment and it showed.

  “You could petition for his execution, if that suits you,” Luis encouraged, “but I highly doubt it’ll go through.”

  “His incarceration is enough. I have no qualms about the Chancellor’s choice of punishment. I’m just interested in what caused him to become what he is.”

  “What he was,” Luis corrected. “You sure do struggle with the past, man. All the same, let him be. His actions no longer have any effect on you, or anybody else for that matter. He once was a citizen and a soldier. Now he’s scum.”

  “Maybe I’m waiting for him to say something.” Will said.

  “Hoping for some form of repentance I see. Just because he was born here like you and me doesn’t mean he appreciates it, as he should. Gratitude and respect, that’s all the difference you need to know concerning filth like him.”

  Will was surprised at Luis’ take on the situation. Halsey had been a UNR citizen at one point in his life, not just some foreign bug. Alas, now there was nobody to see the tragedy in that. Actually, Will thought, people out there apparently still do. Otherwise, as Halsey said, he’d already be dead like the rest of them. It was time to move on with the conversation, though. He didn’t want to discuss the failures of their society any longer than his friend did.

  “You’re right,” he said, “now let’s see if you can lift as much as you talk.”

  They entered into the main area of the gymnasium, and immediately settled on their favorite workout. Luis ignored Will, and set down a forty-five-pound bar, putting four plates on each side. He stretched his arm, imagining the sound of joints cracking.

  “Leading off with 405? I see you’ve improved. But I’m still fifteen pounds ahead of you,” Luis taunted.

  “We’ll see about that,” Will smiled.

  He picked up the bar in a squat position and then lifted. His veins popped out as his biceps bulged. Whatever initial difficulty his body felt was overcome in roughly a few seconds. He immediately adjusted to the weight and started performing reps.

  “One, two, three, four…,” said Will, hardly breaking a sweat, “…seven, eight, nine...”

  As they continued their workout, a small group of UNR soldiers arrived. Both Luis and Will recognized them. The three men and one young woman were four of the Chancellor’s finest. The tall one was Mitch Carline, who was more sculpted than the two cyborgs in terms of bulkiness. Still, being just as a man, there was no way his strength outmatched or could even compare to either one of the cyborgs. His clean-shaven head made him stand out among the others. Then there was Hans Kimp, a more or less thinly built man. He’d arrived from Germany some time ago, although no one had ever heard him speak in his native tongue. The beautiful female was none other than Bia Lui, one of the government’s top assassins. Her smile seemed innocent, but several had begged for mercy at her hands. In front of them was Major Avery Johnson, second in command of the entire UNR Special Tasks Force. Kane was his only superior officer in the specific branch.

  Luis noted how all appeared to be nearly as old as Will, except for one. He noticed a fifth soldier was off in the back. He was the shortest of them too, but his hair was longer and straight. Luis didn’t recognize the brat, and immediately knew he had to be a new transferee.

  “The super soldiers, what a pleasant surprise,” said Johnson, “where else would you find these two?”

  “Nice to see you, too, Major Johnson,” said Luis. The two shook hands firmly, old friends. Although Johnson was no doubt in shape, he still felt the pain from
Luis’ grip as they did so.

  “Luis, you never do pass up an opportunity to show off,” he commented as they let go, “I guess that procedure has its downsides.”

  “You kidding me, sir? What’s to lose?” Luis said.

  “You mean you two are real cyborgs?” said the newbie.

  “Yeah, though the official terminology is a Super Soldier Cyborg Unit. If I was a hard ass, anyway,” Luis joked.

  “I’ve heard a whole lot, but never actually met one. I hate to be that guy, but can I ask you a question?”

  “Congratulations, you are officially that guy.”

  Luis fed off the young man’s curiosity, hidden by his nonchalant attitude toward him. The soldier paid no mind himself.

  “By how much would you say your strength is actually increased?”

  “Take a look for yourself,” he said, pointing at Will.

  “Nineteen, twenty,” he finished, letting the colossal weight drop to the matted floor. Will let out a breath, his body completely at ease.

  “That’s just his warm-up. To be honest, kid, I’ve never actually been at my limit,” Luis commented. This wasn’t his usual boasting. Between superior agility and an array of weapons, his strength played a minor role in the number of soldiers he’d killed over the years.

  “The one thing they never addressed in the academy was the screening process or even how to apply for the Super Soldier Forces.”

  “Good one, but they’re very selective about prospects. Vets who’ve been through the grinder get first consideration at all times,” Johnson said.

  “So, what’s your name?” Will asked as he approached.

  “Cisco Aguilar, sir.”

  “You look a little young,” Will commented.

  “I was at Prentiss Academy only a year ago, but I earned my credits quickly and graduated early, sir.”

  “Oh, a prodigy huh? What do you specialize in?”

  “Far range shooting, and tactical team operations, among other things,” he said.

  Luis was inquisitive, “Hmm, so I guess he’s obviously joining up with your little special ops gang.”

  Johnson nodded, “He was the leading student in all his classes.”

  “Yeah? Looks like he might be replacing you, Hans,” joked Will.

  “Please, he still hasn’t even been on a real assignment,” Hans replied in his rather snobby attitude, “you might slow me down in the field.”

  “I doubt that, sir,” the young soldier said respectfully, yet confidently.

  Hans and Cisco went off to go train as Johnson approached to speak with Will personally. Meanwhile, Luis headed toward Bia, who at the moment was busy fixing her bangs and pulling her hair up into a ponytail. Mitch was curling dumbbells nearby when he noticed the cyborg’s approach. He already knew who it was Luis wanted to talk to, and as much as it disgusted Mitch, he decided he would have a little fun with it all.

  “Here comes your admirer,” he teased as he performed his final reps, “to sweep you off your feet.”

  Bia paid him no mind, only looking up to say, “Please, Mitch, do me a favor and shut the fuck up.”

  What little of a smile he had left shrank away as he put down the dumbbells and went to go find a free squatting station. Instead, Luis took the place of Mitch as the day’s pest. She shrugged it aside and began on her pull-ups. A rep of twenty and a total of three sets, which was her goal. Her muscles strained at first, she assumed due to the long flight back to the UNR, but they adjusted. She could hear Luis’ approaching footsteps, but did not pause.

  “Hello, Luis,” she said rather flatly.

  “Hey, Bia, it’s been a while since I last saw you,” he greeted warmly, “that mission in France go well?”

  “Almost too easy,” she said, barely paying attention to him as she paused briefly. She did not allow her feet to touch the ground, now definitely feeling the burn she was seeking. After a few seconds, she continued onto the second set.

  “You know,” he said, mesmerized, watching as her slim body went up and down with each rep, “now that you’re back, and seeing as it has been a long time, we should–”

  “Don’t start, Luis. Not right now,” she said, trying to focus on her workout. Luis was put off at that. If anyone knew how impossible it was to deter his ego, it was Bia.

  “Awfully rude of you, considering how I’ve missed you. Is it really fair to just–”

  Bia finally dropped to the ground, landing on her feet. Her peach skin had a hue of red at this point and Luis wondered if it was solely the workout, or his presence to boot.

  “Skipping the formalities, fuck off Luis,” she said sternly before leaving the cyborg alone at the pull-up bar.

  ***

  “How should I celebrate your return to HQ, Major?” Will said as he embraced his superior officer, “A sparring match?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Johnson laughed, “but if I ever need a good excuse not to attend another one of my wife’s dinner parties, I might let you give me a slug.”

  “How’s she doing anyway?”

  “Oh, Jessica is just fine, but how about you? I hear you bagged yourself a rat and a big loud one too.”

  “I’m the best, Johnson. I bag ‘em, Luis tags ‘em.”

  “Well, it’s a good lead. You know, being the top notch brass that I am,” Johnson bragged, “when files are handed over to my office, it means it’s something juicy.”

  “So this time we really have something on them? About damn time.”

  “I believe so,” answered Johnson, “and your branch specifically is going to get a decent-sized slice of it, for once. From time to time me and my team are sent out to squash little bonfires and so-called ‘insurrections’ around the globe, but this time the PSID thinks it’s not just a foreign bug problem. Something internal may be going on.”

  “Internal?” Will got the gist of what his friend meant and didn’t like it.

  “We’re going to continue the inventory checks, but you and Luis will be dealing with this specific mission.”

  “And, we have confirmation on this level of corruption?”

  “Bring it down a level, Will. It’s all speculation till we actually have a solid case. As much as you guys spooked that asshole, we still can’t just take his word.”

  “Right, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

  “There you go. Look at this as a reunion. We’ll finally be working together again.”

  Chapter 5 – The Evasive Flaw

  January 11, 2044 - “City of Peace” Jerusalem, Israel

  The city of Jerusalem had been reduced to a smoldering mass. From his view on the hillside, Will gazed at the ruins. Despite the plumes of smoke, from here he could see the Dome of the Rock. Its golden sheen was a beacon of hope in an otherwise dead landscape. He tied his crimson bandanna around his forehead, letting most of it dangle in the rear. He’d used it back in training to keep the sweat out of his eyes, and he had held onto it ever since.

  “The Air Cav really did a number on the Old City, huh?” Bryan said as he stood beside his friend.

  “Just out of the hospital and straight into the shit,” Will said with distaste.

  “You’re the legendary badass who survived a sniper shot to the face, Will. Everyone in the squad is itchin’ to fight alongside you.”

  “So I’ve been hearing. It’s all so strange to me now.”

  “Strange how?”

  “Strange that everyone would idolize a fool like me who had a chance to go home and didn’t take it.”

  “You sound like you regret it.”

  Will was silent for a few seconds. They both got the feeling he wanted to weep.

  “I miss my family. I miss them so damn much. Maybe I made the biggest mistake of my life, Bryan.”

  Bryan put a hand on Will’s shoulder.

  “Don’t kick the crap out of yourself. None of us were forced to be here. We went in with our eyes open, even knowing the crappy pay, yet here we are.”

  Thoug
h Will felt his eyes glisten, he now smiled. The grass around them swayed magnificently in the wind.

  “Valerie’s squad is down there already, right?”

  “Sure is. I’m hoping to sneak some time in for a kiss.”

  “Val’s got bigger balls than most guys we know. You must be proud, or emasculated.”

  “You and your damn jokes, Will.”

  “I’ve been thinking. Our tour is ending in a few months, regardless of what I want. By the time we get back we should be into summer.”

  “You thinking Galveston?”

  “You bet your ass I am. Last year the weather was perfect.”

  The rumble of an explosion caused both of them to flinch. Luckily, the sight of the destruction was far below. Smoke and flames were now in the midst of consuming a building. A lower rumbling followed, with clouds of brown rising along with the black, as the structure began to implode.

  “Let’s report back to Sergeant Stone,” Bryan said.

  Before the dust could even settle, the sounds of gunfire echoed as a distant choir. They were too far away to hear the yells and screams. For now at least.

  “Lead the way,” Will replied. Before he joined his friend, Will retrieved a tiny capsule container from his pocket. Before Bryan was any the wiser, the soldier had swallowed a pair of large pills effortlessly. Normally water was required, but Will ignored that and got a move on.

  ***

  April 5, 2065 - UNR Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

  Will’s eyes cracked open slowly. He was in the Cyborg Malfunction Area, a medical examination room gleaming with an array of shining machines, and instruments of all sizes. Several monitor screens lined the ceiling and walls, totally mobile, and giving the doctor as many different angles of a patient as he or she liked. One was lowered so Will himself could see, giving him a view of his own innards. He could see the wires and circuitry entwined with his veins and arteries, in most areas replacing them. His skeleton was completely metallic, and to reinforce it, the structure was coated with neoartium, an incredibly durable metal alloy. Will had come to appreciate the amount of work and genuine creativity it had taken to construct an organism such as himself.