by Keary Taylor
I followed the others up to the rooms, feeling like everyone could see through my pants to my cybernetic leg as I limped along. No one bothered me though, didn’t ask questions or pull my pant up to see. I made it to my room without being exposed for what I was.
The ceiling greeted me as I lay down, knowing I wasn’t going to be getting any sleep for the next eight hours of silence. Images started to slide across my mind, the blinding light from the explosion that had tried to take my legs, the blue eyes that had tried to call out to me when my brain couldn’t handle it all. Flickers of row after row of Fallen. The flash of light from my firearms.
So much violence.
I turned my head when a crack of light started growing on my wall. The silhouette of a man appeared in the door before he closed it behind him.
“Hi,” I breathed as he hesitated next to the door.
“Hi,” West said through the dark. I could feel the mixture of feelings that were rolling off of him. I knew what it was like to feel like an emotional wreck.
“I won’t bite you,” I said as I scooted to one side of my bed.
“You sure?” he said light-heartedly as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the mattress.
We sat there in silence for a while, each unsure of what the other had on their mind.
“Are you going to tell me why the sight of me made you sick the last few days?” he asked quietly.
I felt myself tense up, the sick feeling creeping up in me again. I wished he had just left it alone. I would have rather forgot all those feelings I had been fighting with. “No. You don’t want to know why. Just know that it’s over.” This was one secret I would carry with me to the grave. I vowed that West would never have to go through what I had gone through.
“You sure?”
I gave a nod.
West trailed his fingers softly across my forehead, brushing stray hairs off my face. He didn’t look in my face as he did so, his eyes lingering on my ears, my shoulder, my neck, as he struggled with how to form the words he had in his head. Hesitantly, he picked up the wings Avian had carved and held them lightly in his hand. I wondered if he knew Avian had made it for me, and the sacrifice he had given for me to have it.
“I thought you were going to die,” he said quietly. “When they brought you in after the explosion you looked so broken, I wasn’t sure they could put you back together. You heart barely kept going. For a while I think I’d fooled myself into believing that you couldn’t die. I knew I was wrong then. I didn’t know what I would have done if you’d died.”
“Good thing I’m not dead then,” I said as I placed my hand over his as he stilled it on my cheek. The coals started to burn as we touched. A sense of anticipation started to ignite in my belly.
“I wanted to give you something,” he said quietly as he finally met my eyes. “One last thing before I stop this. It won’t happen again until you make your decision.”
He leaned forward then, his eyes holding mine all the way until his lips met mine. My own eyes slid closed as I kissed West back, feeling the fire leap to life inside of me. West’s lips moved with mine, parting as gasps were inhaled. I blazed to life from the inside out, the flames licking along my veins.
Could I ever give up this heat? If I were to choose Avian would I ever feel the blaze again that I craved so much? Would I ever feel so alive again?
I had worried that I might not ever feel the same about West again, after thinking he might be my brother. It should have been clearer that he wasn’t. We looked nothing alike. It wasn’t bothering me now…
West’s hand came to the back of my neck as my hand tangled in his hair. I suddenly craved more, more, more.
And then I remembered that Dr. Beeson had lessened my emotional blockers. How far could I push before I blacked out? Would I ever again?
But in the middle of the burn West pulled away, his earth colored eyes looking into mine as I wished for more.
“I won’t do this again until you’ve made your choice, Eve,” he said quietly. I could feel all the hurt and pain I had caused him in the last few months in his voice then. Hate crept into my stomach again. “This isn’t right. I like Avian, respect him, despite everything. It isn’t fair to anyone. You have to make a choice. Until then, I’m tired of trying to convince you that it should be me. I’m not even sure it should be me anymore.”
I tried to find the words to reassure West, to convince him that he was wrong. I wanted to come up with promises and answers then but I couldn’t. He’d been right. About everything.
“I’m sorry,” was all I managed.
“Just don’t take forever,” he said as he stood. “If I’ve got miles of pain before me I’d rather start walking them sooner than later.”
And before I could come up with anything to that he walked out of the room.
THIRTY-SIX
Something strange was going on the next day, or rather the next night. I’d seen no sign of Royce, most of his scouts, West or Avian. Their presence was strangely absent from the lobby area. I couldn’t find them in their rooms, nor in the dining area.
As I came down from the private rooms I stopped in the main hall, hiding myself slightly as I saw a few of the missing men trickling out of the stairwell. They were all heavily armed, each dressed in bulletproof vests. They were going out for something and I had every intention of going with them. I needed out.
I dashed back toward the stairs that led to the second floor. I barely limped as I ran down the hall, layers of tissue already forming over my metallic bones. I burst into my room, grabbing my familiar firearms, strapping them to my person.
As I turned to walk back out my door, an unexplainable thing happened.
My vision flickered for half a second. And then everything turned off.
THIRTY-SEVEN
West stepped away from the computer with a hard swallow. He knew the possible consequences of what he had done, but he wouldn’t risk losing her. He ran over it all again in his head, recalling everything Dr. Beeson had told him about the wireless transmissions system and its programing. He was certain he had done everything correctly.
As he turned to leave, he nearly ran into Avian.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
“I couldn’t let her go,” West said as he glanced back at the screen.
As Avian looked at West, realization filled in. “What have you done?” Avian demanded, his features darkening, his eyes filling with a mix of fear and uncertainty. West made no response and Avian’s eyes widened as he put the pieces together. “She’s never going to forgive you for this. You know that, right?”
“I know,” West said as he stepped around Avian.
Despite Avian’s anger, West detected the sense of relief Avian felt at his actions. Now neither of them had to worry about her being blown up again.
A crowd gathered just outside of the front doors of the hospital. Weapons were being distributed and a few bulletproof vests were passed out. There wasn’t enough for everyone to have one though. Neither Avian nor West were handed one.
Every man and woman who was brave enough was gathered with them. Avian couldn’t help but feel how wrong it was to go out on a mission like this without Eve. He wondered where she had been when West had shut her down like she was some common Fallen.
“You’ve all heard what happened an hour ago,” Royce started as he stepped in front of the crowd. He was one of the few with a vest. “The line Eve installed has been disconnected. Apparently a Fallen or two got curious.
“I won’t lie to any of you. This is going to be extremely dangerous. The plant is going to be saturated with Fallen. You all heard about what happened to Eve. We will be far beyond lucky if we all make it out of there alive,” Royce’s eyes were grave as he looked over everyone. “Your task is simple. Take out as many of the Fallen as you can so some of us can attempt to get to the transformer. And keep yourselves alive. There’s already been six billion lives lost, we c
an’t afford to lose anymore.
“Let’s roll out.”
All three tanks had been assembled and they started west in a grumbling, grating line. The small army followed suite, each one of its members grave faced and somber.
“How did you know how to shut her down?” Avian asked as he fell in next to West.
West glanced at him, adjusting his hold on his assault rifle. “I spent an entire night with Dr. Beeson, asking every question I could think of about the wireless transmission system,” he said as he looked forward. “He thought I was just interested in how it worked. He didn’t realize just how close I was watching as he typed in his password. I studied every move and click he made on that computer of his.”
“Your grandfather would be proud,” Avian said, as he too kept his eyes straight ahead.
“Don’t pretend you wanted her coming along tonight,” West said through clenched teeth. “You know she would have come without a second thought. You know how dangerous this mission is. She would have put herself right in the middle of all of this.”
“I meant that he would have been proud for how smart you are,” Avian said coolly as he looked over at West with hard eyes. “You’ve obviously got his brains.”
They held each other’s eyes for several long moments, neither willing to waver.
It didn’t take long to walk three blocks. The scraping of the track wheels of the tank slowed and finally came to a stop. And there it was for all of them to see, layers and layers of Fallen, flocked around the power plant.
“Not all of us are going to make it out of this,” West breathed as he took it all in.
Avian didn’t answer.
“Who’s going into the plant with me?” Royce asked as he pulled his specialized pack on. In it was a portable welding unit.
Half a dozen hands went up, including West and Avian’s.
Royce bucked the strap across his chest, giving a nod to those who had volunteered. Turning his attention to the men stationed at the three turrets atop the tanks, he said “Fire at will. All of you.”
The sound was deafening as endless shots were fired at the bodies that stood around the transplant. As some of them exploded into gleaming metal rain, others leapt to life, turning toward the shots. The group didn’t wait any longer. All six of them sprinted toward the plant.
The world seemed to move in jerky snapshots. With every flash of light, bodies came closer and closer together, organic and cybernetic racing to end one another’s existence.
Avian was glad then, as he fired his automatic weapon, that he hadn’t been there to see Eve run into the middle of this. She’d done it alone, and as it was right now, he knew West was right. Not all of them were going to walk out of this alive.
Closing in on fifteen yards from the plant, they could all see the twisted and broken remains of the fence Eve had blown to bits on the first mission. This time, bodies created the fence. Fewer shots were being fired at the Fallen closest to their small group, danger now at shooting their own men. Bodies leapt at them from every side and empty shell casings sang as they littered the concrete.
“Climb! Climb!” Royce shouted as the six of them broke through the ring of cybernetics.
One man clung to the ladder, climbing it two rungs at a time. Royce ascended next, followed by another of his men. Just as West was about to start climbing, the man above him let out a small gurgle as a bullet embedded itself into his chest. He fell backward, nearly knocking West to the ground, smearing blood over his neck and chest as he came down.
Instinctively, Avian bent, pressing his fingers to his throat, checking for a pulse.
“He’s already gone!” West shouted as he grabbed the back of Avian’s shirt and pulled him back toward the ladder. “You can’t help him!”
It took everything he had in him, knowing that if he did leave that man he would be dead, but West had been right. Avian followed the others up the ladder.
The platform was clear as the five of them raced across. Royce unbuckled his pack as he ran, slinging it in front of him as he kneed at the line that lay limp and useless on the ground.
“I’m going to need someone to hold the line while I weld it in place,” Royce said as he pulled out the torch and a mask to protect his eyes.
Not waiting for anyone else to respond, West knelt next to him and picked up the line. Avian and the others turned their back to them, firearms ready.
Metal fingers gleamed as they grabbed the ledge of the platform, a metallic face emerging with blank eyes. The head disappeared half a second later and they all heard the crash as the body dropped lifeless to the ground. The metal rungs of the ladder sang as more and more of the Fallen started to ascend.
“How long’s this going to take?” Avian shouted as he fired at the Fallen, one by one as they tried to climb the ladder.
“Just give me a minute!” Royce shouted over the noise of the welding torch. “I just want to make sure nothing’s going to pull the line again!”
None of them noticed the second ladder. Silent bodies moved up to the platform, empty eyes of former people, people who weren’t anything more than mindless machines now.
One of Royce’s other men dropped to the ground without even a scream. He was dead before he collapsed to the ground. Avian turned and fired, at the same time he noticed where the Fallen’s weapons were pointed. Without another thought, he leapt in front of West.
Pain exploded in his thigh and left arm, bullets embedding themselves in his flesh. The flame of the welding unit went out as Avian hit the ground, the line now sure and permanent. Royce and West raised their weapons as more bodies climbed onto the platform. Royce stumbled as a bullet grazed his lower leg.
None of them noticed the cybernetic eyes that had been watching them silently from the walls and intricacies of the plant. None of them saw the way its metal fingers flexed in the darkness.
Lights flashed as more shots were fired on that blood filled night.
The hidden Fallen sprang to life.
A set of cybernetic hands closed around a fleshy throat.
THIRTY-EIGHT
I couldn’t…
Couldn’t…
Move.
A flash of light flickered across my vision and my eyes twitched just once as my brain flipped on and off. Another flash of light and I managed to turn my head to the left just slightly. Another and I was able to twitch the fingers on my left hand.
I took a gasping breath as the lights stayed for longer flashes of time. As my muscles unlocked for half a second, I attempted a step forward, only to crash to the floor as my brain flashed out again for a brief moment.
The lights stayed on finally, only occasionally flickering in the corner of my vision. Slowly, movement by movement, I worked my way to my hands and knees.
Struggling for each breath, my muscles finally released and the flashes stopped.
As I caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall, I realized it was almost four hours later than it should have been.
My movements still stiff and jerky, I closed my hand around the doorknob and pulled. Feeling slightly numb still, I started to work my way down the hall.
I’d never checked out like that before. I’d been alone when it had happened. I hadn’t emotionally overworked myself.
Someone had shut me down.
“Eve,” a voice called to me from behind. I turned to see Dr. Beeson jogging down the hall toward me. “I thought you would have gone out with the others?”
“I tried,” I said, my voice sounding like it wasn’t working. He slowed to match my still off gait. I narrowed my eyes as I looked over at him. “You didn’t shut me down did you?”
“What?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “Of course not.”
“I’ve spent the last four hours, frozen and gone in my room.”
Dr. Beeson’s step faltered as he looked at me, his face blanching white.
“Someone shut me down,” I said through clenched teeth.
Remembrance see
med to flash through his mind as his eyes widened suddenly. “West spent nearly an entire night with me, asking questions about the wireless transmission system.”
“He…” I nearly choked on my words. “West shut me down.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. “Come with me. They’re having problems with the communication system for those who went out. I’m going to take a look at it and see if I can get it fixed.”
Numbly, I followed him down the stairwell and into the frantic lobby.
It seemed that everyone who lived in the hospital that hadn’t gone out on whatever mission they had left on was gathered in the lobby. A feeling of tension rippled through everyone, setting my nerves on edge. Seeing Tuck by the front door, I joined him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he looked at me. “I thought you had gone with them.”
“It wasn’t for a lack of trying,” I said as I looked out into the dark and silent night. “What’s going on?”
“Something pulled the power line about five hours ago,” Tuck started to explain as he looked outside as well. “Royce’s men and a few others went with him to go fix it.”
“West and Avian went with them, didn’t they?” I suddenly felt hollow.
Tuck simply nodded. “We lost communication with everyone about two hours ago though. They called for Dr. Beeson to try and fix it. We have no idea what’s going on out there.”
I turned to see Dr. Beeson working with a handful of other people, their movements rushed and frantic. As I scanned the faces that anxiously watched them, I took strength from those I knew. Eli stood with Morgan, their hands clasped together, one of her hands held over her still flat stomach. Van held Tess tight in his arms, her eyes reddened as if she had been crying not long ago.
A hard rock formed in my throat.
A crackle suddenly sounded from the device Dr. Beeson and the others worked on.