The Esoteric Design: Disbanding Hope

by A. R. Crebs

  Ivory spun and darted out of the room, thunder roaring at what seemed like her command. The stained-glass window above Dovian shattered into a thousand pieces, coating his body. He sat in misery, his whole life flashing through his mind in a hurricane of murky, despairing emotions. There would be no mercy for him.

  “RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS…COMPLETE. 25 ERRORS.”

  “REPAIR…COMPLETE.”

  “RUN VITALS SCAN…COMPLETE. 4 FRACTURES, 3 BROKEN BONES, HEAD TRAUMA, CARDIAC INSTABILITY, MASSIVE BLOOD LOSS.”

  “INITIATING LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM…ADMINISTERING SHOCK THERAPY.”

  ZIP!

  “CARDIAC RHYTHM STABLE…ADMINISTERING ADRENALINE…”

  A prickly puncture in Aren’s chest tore him out of his comatose state. He awoke with a sharp intake of breath, his lungs feeling as if they were being torn to shreds. The young man’s heart pounded furiously, his hands shaking uncontrollably. The world was spinning, making the nerves in his stomach heave. Taking slow, steady breaths, Aren tried to calm himself.

  “Damnit…” he groaned.

  The act of speaking sent a splintering pain throughout his entire body. Aren’s form stiffened as he sharply sucked in air.

  ‘Don’t move,’ he thought. ‘Don’t move at all.’

  “READING VITALS…STABLE.”

  Aren tried to look up, but the pain shot through his body once again. Moving his sight down, Aren noticed a jagged piece of metal had blown through the cabin and impaled him through the left side of his chest.

  “Oh shit,” he mumbled, beginning to pass out.

  The pilot closed his eyes a moment, focusing on his breathing.

  “BLOOD PRESSURE LOW…”

  Aren moved his eyes upward, tilting his head only a bit so not to hurt himself. “Franklin,” he moaned. “Are you alright?”

  “In operable condition,” the robot replied.

  “And…” Aren paused, “what is my condition?”

  “You were pronounced dead for 35.3 seconds, but are now stable,” the robot chimed.

  “Oh…well, that’s good, right?” Aren muttered.

  “For next 45 minutes. Blood loss at rapid rate. Must slow bleeding.”

  Aren swallowed hard. “Med kit?” he asked hopefully.

  “Cannot retrieve,” Franklin replied, his pincers snapping in response.

  Aren gained enough strength to look around him. How he had survived the impact was nothing short of a miracle. When in training, it was always advised to duck and cover when collision with earth was imminent. Aren could have ejected with his pilot’s chair, but then he would have abandoned his comrades, and he would never do that. Besides, the attack from Sapphire’s squad had occurred too fast. There wasn’t much time to eject before the Hawk crashed into the ground. Instead, the only thing Aren could do was dive beneath the reinforced instrument panel.

  All Hawks were equipped with what was called a safety cage. The safety cage was like a little black box of refuge. Due to being made of reinforced graphene, the safety cage was capable of providing some protection during cataclysmic impacts. Initially, the graphene boxes were used at the front of the Hawk, not as a form of shelter for crashes, but to house and conduct the magnetic force fields that protected the Hawks when in battle. Because of the metal’s strength and electro-thermal conductivity, the field allowed the aircraft to receive multiple hits from lasers and missiles before breaking down and also provided protection from impact. When exposed to molecules containing carbon, the hexagonal fields were capable of repairing themselves. Thus, the best tactic to bringing down a craft was simultaneous hits within the same radius to prevent proper repair, allowing for artillery to pass through and directly collide with the ship. Due to the field’s shrinking when heated, the hexagons tightened, concentrating its energies further. This protected the Hawk from heat and radiation upon entering or exiting the atmosphere, provided similar resistance against nuclear-based war, and offered protection from flash fires often caused by collisions or explosions. Needless to say, the cage saved countless lives.

  The Hawk may have been destroyed, but Aren’s life was saved for the time being. He struggled to contain his laugh at the thought of Walten’s industry losing trillions of units at the expense of the vehicle in exchange for his life.

  ‘Eat that,’ he thought.

  “Must prioritize method of transport to medical facility,” Franklin chimed.

  Aren nodded slowly. “Right. Uh, any way you can disengage? Get out of here?”

  Franklin was quiet but made droning sounds as he twisted and twirled, gathering information.

  “Ejection seat,” the robot replied.

  “This is going to hurt.” Aren cringed as Franklin promptly ejected himself from the Hawk’s rubble. It wasn’t a very sneaky escape and most likely would attract the attention of Sapphire’s monsters.

  Aren waited a few moments, his consciousness fading in and out as thumping and bumping occurred behind him in what was left of the cabin of the copter. It was dark, nightfall had arrived, which meant Aren had been out for quite a while. The pilot gasped, trying to maintain composure.

  “Hey!” he shouted, grimacing in pain as he did so. “Franklin! Any survivors? Where are Aria and Troy?”

  “Negative,” Franklin called out.

  His blood ran cold. “What?”

  “Negative.”

  “Ugh! What…what do you mean?!” Aren tried to gain sight of the cabin, but the metal in his torso disallowed his movement. “AH! Franklin! Where are Aria and Troy?!”

  “MEDICAL KIT RETRIEVED…SCANNING…ALL ITEMS CLEAR.” Franklin ran his proper functions.

  “I don’t care about that right now!” Aren cursed. “Get…get over here!”

  With a loud clatter, the drone zipped into the front of the cabin from its newly created hole. A high-pitched whine sounded, and Aren gave a shocked cry as Franklin poked him with a needle.

  “MORPHINE ADMINISTERED.”

  Tingles and chills covered Aren’s body, and his mind flurried into a daze.

  “Franklin…” he slurred, reaching toward the bot with his right hand. “Get me the hell out of here.”

  “Protocol requires stabilization of patient. Blood levels dangerously low. Must stop bleeding.”

  The young pilot watched in fear as Franklin’s chomping clamp arm disappeared into his round body and returned with a plasma cutter replacement.

  “Oh, shit,” Aren whimpered. “Get that thing away from me!”

  Franklin ignored Aren’s request and zipped forward, cutting into the metal bar embedded in the man’s shoulder. The whir and grind of the cutter mixed with the sound of Aren’s panicked screams. After only a few seconds, Franklin had the scrap dislodged from the front. The drone investigated a bit more and found that it had gone completely through the pilot and into the chair behind him. Aren’s screams had faded into moans, and he shakily wiped sweat from his brow.

  “You are like baby,” Franklin said.

  Aren groaned, glowering at the bot. “The hell did you say?” He flung his arm in the robot’s direction.

  “That was easy part.” Franklin replaced his cutter with his clamp and positioned to the front of the man.

  “Easy?! Hey, you listen here you little SHIIIT!” Aren screamed as Franklin clamped down on both shoulders and thrust backward. The spherical drone pulled and pulled, encouraging Aren to move forward, but the pilot hadn’t the strength, and the pain was only making things more difficult. If Aren wasn’t going to help, then Franklin would simply pull harder. So the little bot revved his tiny motors and tugged with an astonishing force. Franklin’s master gave another shriek of pain just as he was completely unpinned. Satisfied with the result, Franklin let go. Aren dropped to the side, giving an exhausted groan.

  “READING VITALS…DANGER.”

  Franklin floated above the man, tugging and pulling an assortment of items out of the medical kit. After a second of searching, the droid gave an aggravated tone and dumped everythi
ng atop the boy.

  “I’m going to punt you…” Aren whispered harshly.

  “Touchdown!” Franklin gave a cheer as he lifted a hefty amount of gauze and gel ointment.

  The robot's antics did not amuse Aren. Whereas he would argue with the machine on a regular day, the pilot didn’t protest. He knew that this was Franklin’s job. Hell, it was worth the ridiculous amount of money. But when Franklin pulled out his plasma again, Aren couldn’t help but question the machine’s motives.

  “Now what?” Aren stuttered.

  “CAUTERIZATION COMMENCING…”

  The young man’s eyes doubled in size. “Wha-AHHHHHHH!”

  Franklin pressed the heated tip against Aren’s chest. After a few moments, he roughly turned the young man and cauterized the hole in his back. Once finished, Franklin rotated his master onto his back again and did another read of his vitals.

  “READING VITALS…STABLE.”

  Franklin beeped in satisfaction. The droid then smeared gel across Aren’s wounds and tightly gauzed him up. “Chance of survival has risen 45%.” Franklin mimicked the motions of clapping his hands. “Dr. Franklin has successfully completed first medical emergency.”

  Aren, gathering the last bit of his strength, called out to his bot. “Franklin…run search for nearest ally. Preferably someone with Bio-Tech connections.”

  Franklin buzzed. “SCANNING…”

  Aren lay on the floor, his hazel eyes dropping to the blood-soaked locket before him. Carefully, he opened it. The hologram blipped, revealing a beautiful image of Fiona. A wavering smile crossed Aren’s face.

  “You were right...only gonna get myself killed.” He ran his thumb over the surface of the jewelry. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you, Fee. If…if I don’t make it out of this war alive, wait for me. I’ll be searching for you.”

  Aren faded fast while Franklin worked. Sleep pulled him into a dream world, sending him to his old home on the top side of Fountains where he grew up.

  A soft breeze filtered in from a vent beside the window seat he was lounging on. From above, he watched the green trees swaying in the city park. A stone pathway led through the plush lawn, branching off to different seating areas adorned with fountains and bronze statues. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of leaves and freshly cut grass. It was an artificial smell, but it was all the same to Aren. He didn’t know any better, and he affiliated the scent with the outdoors, which was just as relaxing as being there in person. Giving a yawn, he thumbed a digital page of his most recent book, reading the title of the latest chapter, “Civilization Lost.” He grinned and set the book down so he could stretch out his aching muscles. Lounging at the window all day was sometimes worse than sitting in the cockpit for hours on end. Turning his attention to his bed, Aren felt his heart swell.

  Amused blue eyes watched him from under the covers. A mischievous giggle sounded, and the blankets wiggled. Aren quickly dropped to the floor, crawling on his hands and knees toward the bed. The excitable laughter rose in volume, getting more anxious as he neared.

  “What’s beneath the covers?” Aren asked playfully. More squealing giggles answered him.

  The bed quaked as the body beneath the blankets slithered to the opposite side. Aren readied to pounce but was sent reeling back when the girl on the bed lifted. She opened the blanket wide between her hands and jumped.

  “It’s the Fee monster!” she shouted and collided with Aren, sending them both toppling to the floor.

  Aren feigned a frightened scream, trying to hold back his laughter as he proceeded to attack the girl atop him by digging his fingers into her sides. She shrieked and wriggled; the blanket covered her form. He continued relentlessly, tickling her sides as he pretended to bite her neck.

  “No fair! No fair! I’m a monster! I’m supposed to eat you!” she cackled.

  Aren snarled as he rolled over and pinned the young woman to the floor, gnawing on her some more.

  “Self-defense,” he replied casually, turning his bites into soft kisses.

  He brushed a hand through her blonde curls. Her giggles halted, and she tilted her head to allow him better access. A quiet purr sounded from the young woman as she wrapped her arms around him, her fingers raking through his orange-streaked hair.

  “Seems I’ve tamed the Fee monster,” he growled into her ear, biting her earlobe.

  “Hmm. Keep that up, mister, and you’ll feel the full wrath of the Fee monster.” Wrapping a leg around his, she ground her hips beneath him.

  “Oh, come on, Fiona…you can’t tease me unless you’re actually going to follow through,” he moaned against her shoulder.

  She gave another laugh and held onto him, her eyes watching the ceiling fan.

  “I wish we could stay like this forever,” she whispered.

  Aren pulled away to look at her face. He shrugged. “Why can’t we?” he asked, giving her a wide smile.

  “Because,” she pouted, “you have to go to work.”

  “Oh…well, we can always just continue where we left off,” he murmured.

  Fiona’s smile faltered. “Unless something happens….”

  Aren sat up, running his hand through his hair. “It’s just an exercise, Fee. I’m only going to be doing simulations. No one has ever died during a simulation.”

  Fiona rose, wrapped her blanket around her, and created a small hood that pressed her blonde curls against her face. “I’m not talking about tomorrow. I’m talking about in the future.”

  “Why do you worry about the future so much?” he asked, confused.

  “I’m just afraid something bad will happen to you!” Fiona was too sensitive. The mere thought of Aren getting hurt or dying would bring tears to her eyes.

  “Come on, now. I’m a pilot. I’m not a ground soldier, alright? I changed that for you. There’s no better place for me. I like the Air Force; it pays well.” Aren looked about his bedroom. “Someday I’ll be able to buy us a house like this. You and I can sit at the window all day long; we can take our kids to the park and have a picnic. Things like that.”

  Fiona’s eyes lit up. “Kids?” she cheeped.

  Aren pulled her into his lap, giving her a charming smile. “Yeah, our kids! What do you think?”

  Fiona laughed. “You’ve not even proposed to me, silly, and you’re talking about kids.”

  Aren mockingly gasped. “Oh, gosh! You’re absolutely right, Fee! I knew I forgot something!” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a silver orb. Holding the item before Fiona’s face, he opened it. “Can’t start a family without popping the question, right?” he chuckled.

  Fiona’s eyes sparkled in the light, her chest heaving as she gave the loudest gasp ever. “Whaaaaaat?!” She eyed the beautiful ring inside the orb container. It twisted with black platinum, cobalt gems sparkling in the light of the window. Fiona liked out of the ordinary things, and when Aren spotted the ring, he knew it would be something she’d adore.

  As he removed the item from the container, he grabbed her hand. “Well?” he asked. “What do ya say? Want to be my gal forever and ever?”

  Fiona bobbed her head up and down. “YES! Of course!”

  Aren smirked and slipped the ring on her finger. Fiona nearly broke him when she hugged him.

  “You’re serious?” she asked, still surprised.

  Aren laughed. “Of course I am. What kind of cruel joke would that be?”

  Fiona shook her head. “I just…wow.” She stared at the jewels. “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Aren!”

  “Figured you’d like it,” he said, watching her adoringly.

  Fiona cupped his face, placing her forehead against his. “I love it,” she whispered.

  “I love you,” he replied, kissing her.

  It was in these types of moments that Aren wished he could pause time. He didn’t want to get old; he didn’t want to wake up the next morning and move on with his day-to-day life; he wanted to stay here forever and never change a thi
ng. He would never admit it, but he worried just as much as Fiona did.

  Fiona living in the Underbelly was nerve-wracking to him. Every day there was the chance she could be attacked or worse–killed. The Underbelly wasn’t meant for sweet, beautiful young women. It was a place for the worst of humanity. It was for murderers, thieves, rapists, and other criminals. Fiona was a diamond amongst the trash, and Aren had every intention of snatching her up.

  “As soon as we get married, I’m taking you away from the Underbelly. We’ll get ourselves a nice apartment together. Sound good?” he asked.

  Fiona sucked on her lower lip, acting hesitant toward the idea.

  “What? What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Feeding him a gentle smile, the woman shrugged. “Just a huge jump, ya know?”

  Aren nodded slowly. He understood. Leaving the Underbelly would mean leaving her past behind. As much as Aren knew it was a bad idea for her to continue to live alone in the Underbelly, he found it hard to tell her to pack up and leave. Her entire life had been spent in the dank lower city. And even though there technically wasn’t anything left for her down there, he still couldn’t tell her to grab her urns and say it would be good as new up top where the sun shined.

  “I know it’s silly,” Fiona breathed a laugh. “It’s just hard. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  “I know. We can take as long as you want,” Aren whispered.

  Fiona became teary-eyed once again. “I’m getting married.”

  Aren gave a small smile. “Yeah, that’s right.”

  Fiona sniffled. “I just wish Dad and Ivory could be here.”

  Aren hugged her. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”