Program Erin

by Alex Fall

  Two quick objects zipped through the glass window and into the room. A dart hit Tish in her chest, and one hit me on the edge of my shoulder. It aggravated my burns terribly where it struck, but more worrisome was what was inside the dart. There was no telling just yet, just that it had a burning, tingling sensation.

  No time to lose! I couldn't stay to help Tish. I stood and ran back to my room, listening as footmen outside scrambled towards the building. I avoided all rooms with windows and ran down the halls shouting, "Usurpers! Usurpers!"

  Dwellers everywhere came awake in a panic and the whole building quickly came alive. I burst into my room and gathered everything of mine into the pack as quickly as I could. Plucking the dart from my shoulder, I noted that the drug injected into me seemed to curb my addiction to sedatives. Great...tranquilizers. They intend to take everyone in this building.

  The sound of a door getting kicked open and shouting told me that it was time to go. I grabbed my pack, and the blanket, then ran in and out of the hall ways.

  "Sapphire eyes! Help!"

  Dweller's frantic pleas started pouring in everywhere I went. While most dwellers rushed to wherever they felt was safe, many looked desperately to me for deliverance. Down the hall, I saw a man in ballistic armor come around the corner and dart someone. Without even realizing I had clenched fists, I pulled my shotgun and hid behind a set of lockers.

  "She's definitely in the building. The Lessers are calling for her," the Greater said into his comm.

  He came into view, looking down the sight of his rifle. I kneeled and came in low, swinging the shotgun like a club up into his arms. The rifle flew out of his hands and he shouted in surprise. I attacked with strong blows and martial art techniques that left him unconscious on the ground with a cracked face shield. I never found out his power.

  "What? Gabe, what just happened?" The comm blared.

  I picked up the comm, along with a few more things from the footman, and moved through the building as I spoke. "My my, you Greaters have found me. I hope you're all listening, as I would hate for anyone to die without being warned first...."

  "Oh, no! That's her!" Another voice chimed.

  "Oh...and thanks for the grenade," I added. "Quite intelligent of you to send in fully armed soldiers for me to loot. I bet you're all wondering who I'll use it on."

  "All units, end comm seven! I repeat, shut off comm seven!"

  Dang, I was hoping they would shut them all off. At least they'll be wary when they're looking for me, which gives me more room to fight them. I stayed close to the walls to give the enemy less chance of spotting me, walking silently. I even went barefoot to ensure that the extra sensory ones wouldn't single me out. As I advanced down a hall, I saw that there were fighters entering through the back entrance, dragging several sedated dwellers off. I readied my shotgun and chucked the grenade, even though I didn't pull the pin.

  "Grenade!" One greater shouted, and with that, all four jumped for cover. Fools, just as I expected...

  One glanced over in time to see me grab the collar of his armor and pull him out from behind his cover. I blasted him in the chest. The bullets didn't pierce, but I know it hurt. He stumbled back just far enough to jump kick him in the forehead, sending him into the wall. Before I landed, I saw another greater raise his hand. Either he was a bolt, a freeze, or a burn. No chances. I shot his shoulder, landed on my feet, then shot another shell for cover fire. I might run out of shells on this clip soon.

  Behind me, the third greater stepped out from behind a wall. I swung the tip of my gun around to clip the bridge of his nose. His reaction bought me 1.6 seconds, but the fourth footman that was going to stand soon meant that I likely only had 1.2 seconds. Since he was near a wall, I ran at the first one and kicked off to catch him in a crotch hold. It shoved him against the wall, and while holding his head with my legs, I began to burn him with my right calf. As he collapsed to get me off of him, I shot another shell at the fourth Greater while I was turned facing backward. The shot didn't hit as well as I intended, and my landing afterwards was awkward, but it worked.

  Because I used the wall to help brace my landing, the Greater I just burnt reached out and touched the wall. A jolt sent my arm into spasms, so I backed off the wall, unfortunately putting me in the open. I moved to dodge a blow from the very first greater that I shot in the chest armor, but he still tagged me across my back. His boosted strength sent me spinning into the lockers. Ugh, a Brute. I struggled to normalize my breathing from the blow, but saw that the one trying to stand earlier, the fourth, traded out his dart gun for a real one. The Brute ripped a section of lockers off the wall and chucked them at me. I noted that the bottom was last part to detach so I crouched to avoid upper body damage then dove to dodge. The extra time before the bottom half of the lockers slammed where I was allowed me to clear out. I stood, aimed up and blasted the brute twice, neutralizing him as a threat.

  Suddenly, the lockers that were detached jerked forward and slid past me with considerable speed. I stumbled back from dodging it to see, not a brute, but the Bolt with a strange tech built onto his hand. His arm crackled with electrical sparks and the bulky round component on his palm lit up a few green LEDs. He reached for and touched the remaining lockers, sending those toward me as well. Was that some kind of magnetism tech?

  I squeezed myself through a doorway, barely moving out of the way enough to dodge. The threat level in the hallway just quickly escalated, so maybe I need to go out the window in this room. However...someone was outside sniping with the dart gun, based on how accurately Tish and I got darted earlier. No doubt the sniper would have a real gun as well. I can't take that chance. Oh man, my body was sore, probably bruised from the brute. If they all had pulled their real weapons out in time, I would have taken some mortal blows. Time to put this on my terms. There were two other dwellers in here, a young boy and a mid age woman, cowering in fear. I shut the door, snatched a blanket to wrap myself in, dropped my shotgun, and crouched next to them, whispering, "Pretend I'm a Dweller also, to trick the Greaters. Don't look at them no matter what."

  The door flew open, and the Bolt (stumbling and trying to deal with his burn) along with the other unconfirmed Greater ran in. "What the?...You three! Stand up!"

  We all complied, but the boy couldn't help but turn around to watch in terror. The bolt started poking around places to hide in the room, but the other cocked his gun at us. "Turn around."

  The woman glanced at me, and from behind the blanket I mouthed "No. Do not."

  "I said turn around!" He barked, violently grabbing my shoulder. In a martial art reaction, I shoved his hand off me and away from his body while grabbing his throat with my heated other hand. It was a quick grab on him, but still enough to leave him scorched and gasping for air. The bolt raised his hands to fight, but I had snatched the other ones pistol and unloaded the bullets into the both of them before he could build enough charge for anything. Oh god, fresh burns...fresh pain.

  The boy and woman backed away from everything in the room, especially me. They watched me in terror, but I did little to acknowledge them. Some thanks for the saving act. I reached down and picked up a second comm, listening to their commands for a moment.

  “Did you think you could get rid of me so easily?” I asked.

  “What? Is that?...All units, silence on comm three!” The commanding voice spoke again.

  I picked up the other comm in time to hear that voice send a squad of two to try and find me around the west wing. “How long until you realize your comm system is compromised?”

  “What the...Sapphire Eyes! You! Everyone, end all comms! Again, everyone is-”

  This time I ended the call. Finally, they played into my hand. Re-entering the hallway, I silently approached the one I shot in the shoulder earlier. There was another doing quick medic work on him, but when they both spotted me, I was close enough to fire my last three shotgun shells. The medic collapsed on the ground, but the injured one raised his other hand.
A bullet sounded off and incapacitated him, but not before an ice spike built up enough to pierce me in my back. I shouted in pain, then dropped my knee into his face just for my own personal satisfaction. Buster stepped up to the scene holding a pistol.

  "Good thing I got the Snowflake before he got you."

  I drew a deep breath through my nose to alleviate the pain. "I assume snowflake and a freeze are the same?"

  "Yep," he replied while watching the doorway.

  "I had it handled, he wouldn't have got me."

  "I'll take that as a thank you. You ok?"

  I stood, then broke the ice with a swift kick. "Yeah, the stab isn't too deep."

  "You sure? You're back is pretty bloody....either way, we got to get out of here, they're snatching up everyone they can."

  “They're just looking for me,” I observed.

  Gunth and another young man ran onto the scene also. "Sapphire eyes! You're alive....sort of."

  "We need to get out, but through another way," I said.

  "This way is fine!" said Buster as he ran out the door.

  "No! Idiot!" I shouted at the same time I grabbed his shirt and yanked him back in. Too late, the sniper shot him, and with a real gun too.

  "Buster! Oh my god, oh my god!" Gunth said, quickly freaking out.

  "Shut up, he's not dead, thanks to me," I replied. "It went through his shoulder, but he'll bleed out even still. Here..." I grabbed the leather case on one of the Greater's knives. "Bite this."

  "Don't we need-" the new boy began to say. A real brief searing noise coupled with Buster's stifled screams cut his question off. Fresh burn, and on my palm of all places...

  "Cauterizing will hold but won't last. He needs a medic," I stated, flicking my hand as if the pain would be lessened that way. I stood and gathered all the grenades I could find on these footmen, then began to change the clip on my shotgun.

  "How are we supposed to get out now?" Gunth asked.

  I gathered all the darts I could find and a dart gun. I figured they would come in handy, even if it was later and I needed to calm my craving. "Sedate him," I said. "It'll make him easier to carry and less painful for-"

  More bullets ripped past from down the hall. *cuss* I need to go now! I told everyone to scatter, then I kicked the outside door off its hinges and followed it. A sniper's bullet struck the door, and noting which direction it came from, I ran the other way. Hopefully I can clear out before I'm in the crosshairs again. There were roughly seven or eight more greaters outside the school that I saw, rounding up those that tried to escape. I turned a corner to watch a Greater standing over a sedated Dweller, taking aim at a little girl that was running.

  "Sapphire eyes!" The girl screamed. Sharon?

  On hearing of my presence, the Greater saw where Sharon was looking, turned, and darted me twice in my chest as I charged him. "Its sapphire eyes!" the guy shouted into his comm.

  In fury, I pounced on him, and swiftly beat him down using advanced fighting techniques. If he lived, he would have a couple shattered bones to look after.

  "Sharon!" I shouted. She was paralyzed in fear, so I moved to grab her hand and took off running into the city. If I stay and fight with Sharon in the way, I might get killed, or kill myself. Pain was already building up in me, and the sedatives were dulling my senses. Still, I had to push myself.

  I have to escape!

  Moments later, we turned a building and dropped down for cover as SMG bullets tore through a window. How many Greaters are chasing us?

  "Sapphire! I don't want to die!" Sharon shouted in terror. She was trembling uncontrollably.

  I peeked over the windowsill to see through the building. Four Greaters were headed our way on foot, one further off that took up the chase, and there was still the sniper to contend with. These guys wouldn't give up chasing, not when there's a prize like me to be had. I couldn't keep ahead with Sharon by my side.

  "Sharon, I'm going to give you a boost so you can climb in that window up there. When it's safe to come out, you can-"

  "No! Please! Don't leave me!"

  "I have to! You'll die if you stay with me!"

  She eyed the window with tears running down her cheeks, murmuring, "Please. Please no..."

  I glanced through the window again. Then I felt Sharon's hands tighten down on my shirt. "Please," she sobbed.

  She pleaded to me with her wet eyes. Ugh...I'm her hope after all...

  "*cuss* it Sharon, fine! But you can't stay here, and I can't have you follow. Meet me at the warehouse we stayed at together, remember?"

  She nodded, and I forced her to run for it. In the meantime, I picked another route, one that led away from Sharon. Wielding my shotgun, I ran as fast as my quickly tiring body would let me. Let's see, where are those two buildings I saw several days ago?

  One man spotted me and fired off a shot, but there was no way his pistol could have that much accuracy from that range. The sniper took a shot of his own, but my movements kept him from hitting as well. As I weaved in and out of cover, I returned a shot of my own, forcing a girl to duck for safety. I lost sight of them, but they no doubt knew where I could be found. Running in and out of alleys and crossing streets, I eventually recognized where I was. The building I was looking for was down to my left. I headed down the sidewalk of the wide street and turned down the first alley I came to. Peeking behind me, I found the opportunity to land a shotgun blast in a Greater's side. Crap, he had armor on! It did little more than send him stumbling back. At least it would slow him down though. I ran down the alley, fluidly jumped a chain link fence, ran across an empty grassy lot, ran up and onto a brick wall, then ended by running and jumping off the wall, latching my hands onto a ledge next to a window. The burn on my palm reprimanded me for touching it and I almost fell off the building on account of the sharp pain.

  "There! Up there!" One shouted.

  I worked fast to bust out the window and pull myself into the building before the bullets and lasers got me. Somewhat confused by the layout of the structure and the litter, I hastened to find a staircase. I don't know what it is about the roof, but I can shake more Greaters there than anywhere else so far. Even though I was moving stealthily, I still kept my pace up. My wounds stung terribly and I was worried about the bleeding in my back. Also, my hair kept getting in my face, so I pulled out a band that I found several days ago and put my hair back. After a moment of searching, I found an old elevator shaft. This will have to do...

  "Here!" yelled a voice out of the silence. What?! How did they find me so fast?

  No go for the elevator. I turned and dashed through the hallways, keeping an eye out for whoever shouted alarm. In the dark interior of the building, I found a door leading to a staircase. I bumped it open and up I went, though it wasn't long before flashlights and voices followed behind me. While running up the steps, I dug in my pack until I felt a grenade, so after pulling the pin, I turned and chucked it behind me, down the stairs.

  "Oh-" The words of panic were lost in the deafening boom the reverberated in the stairwell. It bought me time to keep running, but to my dismay, I heard the footsteps following after me while requesting for a medic on their comm.

  Bursting through the doors and onto the roof alive was step one. Step two involved me swallowing my pain as I sprinted full speed toward the edge of the building. As I reached the edge of the roof, the Greaters were just exiting the stairwell.

  "She about to jump?" One asked.

  "It's a bluff. We're eight stories up!" declared another.

  My strong foot gripped into the lip of the roof, and I sent myself into a flying leap through the air.

  "What?! She jumped!"

  The rushing of the wind kept me from catching further statements. It felt like my hang time was ridiculously long. I saw the ground beneath me, many feet below, but the nearest building's roof was approaching quickly. My feet made contact and I fluidly dropped into a breakfall roll. The force of landing jarred my body, sending pain to my bruises,
and the roll sent stinging pain across my burns and into my stab wound. But considering everything, I slid to a halt, came back to standing, and turned around to see my stalkers' faces. They looked so far away now, standing at the edge of the first roof. I noted these two buildings in my mental map after I saw their height and distance from each other. Both were tall enough to stall the faint of heart, and were close enough to jump between only if you had the confidence and experience to do so, otherwise you risked injury and death. The fools just stood and watched, one discussing the idea of making an ice bridge, but that would take too long. I turned to finish my get away.

  My inner feeling of victory abandoned me when a Flyer landed with a solid thud in front of me. She wore a serious face, coupled with her loosely pulled back, dark blond hair, and considering the clothes and gear she wore, everything about her suggested that she was at least competent. As she stood from landing, she lunged forward at me. I moved around her grasp then turned to kick her in the chest. My foot passed empty space and the girl came spinning from above, landing her own kick on my back. I hit the ground but used the momentum to roll out of the way. Another hard kick landed where my body was just a moment ago.

  "Not bad." Though she was serious, it seemed as if she was mocking me.

  I drew myself into a crouched position. "Wait until I start making burns."

  Her eyebrows knitted and we locked gazes. I raised my shotgun and blasted at her leg, but the tension between our eyes warned her that I was about to do something. She leapt impossibly high, aided by her flight, and chucked a grenade charge down at me. There was next to no cover near me, the girl could fly away if I returned it, and I wouldn't be able to swat the explosive far away enough to remain unharmed. Looks like I'll have to rely on Directorate training that's gone stale.