...
Jack collapsed against a rusty wall of corrugated steel, his legs giving out from under him like a dying deer. He just lay against the shack and stared up at the sky while listening to the distant clang of Inquisitors. So this is it. Death. Hurts, but… doesn’t seem so bad. He closed his eyes as the squad of Inquisitors rounded the corner.
A few moments later, the bounty hunter stood over Jack's feeble form, “I finally got you ya bastard… Now I can finally get my pay from Aerotec, maybe have a night out on the town, get some girls… Oh, you have made my day bud.” He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it before kicking Jack in the shin. He grabbed him by the chin and forced Jack’s weak eyes to look into his.
Jack's voice was a raspy whisper, "Who are you?"
The man smiled evilly as he looked at Jack's crumpled body, "I'm Mikhail Keyes, and I'm what you might call a fixer for Aerotec," Keyes noticed that Jack's eyes had closed, and he kicked him in the shin again, “Oh you don’t get to die yet. Mr. Land wants to have a little chat with you, mister.” Keyes spat in Jack’s face and laughed before ordering the Inquisitors to field dress the wound from the tracker. He didn’t bother putting another one in. The poor son of a bitch would never see the light of day again anyway, and it’s not like he could run away.
...
Val rounded the corner just as the Inquisitors began marching off with Jack. Right in her direction.
Keyes noticed her immediately, “Well, well, well, who do we have here? I’m not getting paid for bringing another street rat in for Land, but I guess it won’t hurt. Snatch her boys.” Keyes gave the order to the Inquisitors with him, and they began moving towards Val.
“You’ll never take me alive, you bastard,” Val quickly fired all nine rounds from Jack's revolver into the heads of the Inquisitors, and finished the tenth off with a round of buckshot, “And you sure as hell aren’t taking him with you.”
“Oh how cute, the little girl thinks she can save her precious leader and/or boyfriend. Childish. I’ve been hunting people since you were in diapers, so I’d like to see you try to stop me,” Keyes picked Jack up off of the ground and fired a shot directly into Val’s leg and broke it, “Jack’ll be in CEO Land’s penthouse if you want to come and get his carcass in a few weeks.”
Val fired her other pistol at Keyes, but whatever armor he had on just seemed to absorb the shot. She seethed with impotent rage while Keyes walked off with Jack across his shoulder.
Jack was able to mutter one more phrase before he passed out, “I love you, Val.”
“Oh, how sweet. Shut up.” Keyes slammed the butt of his pistol into Jack’s head and walked off. Val screamed bloody murder from her spot on the ground and kept trying to fire at him until her gun was out of ammo. Jack was gone. They were going to kill him.
No, I won’t let them.
Chapter 29
August 29, 2039. New Columbia
Jack held the heating element in his hands, shaking it vigorously just to stay alive. The Martian nights were terrible… If only that guy hadn’t killed mom and dad, I might still be living in comfort in a nice and warm house, with plenty of oxygen and heat and food and heat and heat. It’s freezing cold… Something rattled in the alley ahead of him, and he grabbed the pocket knife out of his pocket.
“Hey, this is my alley, I claimed it fair and square!” he squeaked out in his cracking pubescent voice.
“I’m not here to hurt you! I just need some food, or a blanket or something. It’s cold, and I don’t have anywhere to stay. My parents died and the government kicked me out,” It was girl, maybe a little younger than him but not by much, “Please? I just need a place to stay for the night, and I’d much rather I don’t stay with some grizzled old dude with a knack for little girls like me.”
Jack was in sudden awe, “Uh… Sure, I guess. I mean two bodies are warmer than one right? But don’t mess with my stuff, I have a knife.”
“Thank you. My name's Valerie, but you can call me Val, I guess.” She stepped out of the shadows, and Jack could see that she was still wearing the signature standard-issue clothes that all the poorest families wore. Jack had sold his for food, and now he just wore rags and whatever he else he could scrounge up. He got a closer look at her.
She hadn’t been on the streets all that long, so her story added up, he guessed. He’d been alone since March. She was pretty though, with cute blonde pigtails and a healthy smattering of Martian soil. She got under the blankets, thankful for some warmth.
Jack's heart raced inside his chest when he spoke, “I’ve got another kinetic heater if you want to shake it. I only have so many hands. Oh uh, my name’s Jack by the way.”
“Nice to meetcha Jack! And yes, I think I’ll have that heater,” She smiled warmly, and a dumbfounded Jack handed her the other heater while she continued, “Pretty nice place you’ve got here, a little house made of cardboard and blankets. It’s a wonder no one has tried to kill you for it.”
“Yeah… People don’t really like to mess with me. I like to think that it’s because I have a knife and I’m not afraid to use it, but it’s probably just pity and the fact that most adults can’t fit in here anyway.”
Val laughed at that, a cherubic sound like sonic ambrosia, “Oh really? I guess I have a lot to learn if I’m gonna survive out here. Maybe we can work together or something.”
Jack, like most young boys, was completely dumbfounded by the fact that a cute girl was talking to him, so his brain had pretty much shut down at this point. He managed to mumble something about partnership and working together.
"Of course, two heads are better than one, even on Mars right?" Val said, and they continued on with their conversation.
They managed to fall asleep an hour or so later, snuggled together under piles of blankets. Jack had managed to survive on his own for several months, but he had a feeling that things were going to be a lot easier from here on out.
…
Jack woke up and wiggled his way out of the blankets, hoping he’d be able to let Val sleep a little longer while he scrounged up some breakfast for the two of them. He scrounged through the box of his few earthly belongings and found another knife, some trinket from some old guy his family had met when they first arrived here on Mars. He turned around and found Val standing behind him.
“Oh hey, you’re awake. I uh, I got you a knife. They come in pretty useful sometimes so,” he handed her the pocket knife, "Here you go, I guess."
She stuffed the knife into her pocket, “Thanks, Jack! What are you doing up so early?”
“Just scrounging around for breakfast, as usual. I think I’ve got some canned sausages from the other day, but we’ll have to split ‘em.” Jack groaned internally. Vienna sausages were just about the only thing he'd eaten in the past three weeks, but he didn't mind if it meant this girl didn't go hungry.
“That’s fine, as long as it’s food right?” Val chirped out, though she was also slightly disappointed in the sausages, not that she particularly cared since it was food.
“Right.” Jack found the can, and they managed to eat what was in it using the tips of their knives to spear the little sausages.
Life really is going to be easier now, isn’t it?
Chapter 30
Val traced her finger along the hilt of Jack's old knife and clutched it while Stan set her leg. It had been a day since Jack had been captured, and she was angry.
Stan smiled weakly and spoke while he finished wrapping up her leg, “Luckily for you, you managed to keep all of your arteries intact, and somehow the bullet ricocheted off of your shin. Now as for Jack-”
Val stopped him there and gave him a calm reminder, “Stan, I’ve told you everything I know. That bounty hunter said Jack was going to be in CEO Land’s penthouse getting a personal interrogation. The torture wasn't specifically implied, but you know that that’s exactly what’s going to happen. We have to press our advantage while we have it, Stan. We need to save Jack.”
> “Val, I know that he’s our best friend, and I know he’s important to the rebellion, but we can’t just do a blitzkrieg into the heart of Aerotec territory and expect to be able to walk out with a wounded man in tow. It’s a suicide mission.”
Val sighed, “We have a veritable army at our disposal. We can take one of the borough crews and push forward while the rest of the boroughs start a big push into the Inner City.”
“Val, we don’t have the support of the people in the Inner City. They can’t relate to us because they aren’t like us. They live their lives in comfort and- Why do you have a devious grin on your face?” Stan was almost immediately worried when he looked at her.
“Stan, we have someone we can use as a spokesperson," the grin on her face was nearly obnoxious.
Stan groaned, "I'm not sure I like that expression on your face. Who do you have in mind?"
"Alex," Val stated this plainly as if it was the obvious answer.
Stan sighed loudly and put his head in his hands, “You know how I feel about Mr. Culloch. I don’t trust him. In fact, I don't trust him for some very obvious reasons.”
“Stan, if he was going to backstab us, he would spend his time trying to get into our good graces instead of staying cooped up in his room crying over his dead family. That’s how he’s been since he stumbled in here bleeding and broken the other night. He is a broken man Stanislav, not a traitor,” Val spoke with compassionate authority.
Stan's defenses crumbled., “Fine, but if he stabs us in the back and reveals our secrets to Aerotec, I blame you. But if we have someone we can use as our spokesperson in the Inner City, we still have the little issue of not having enough people to maintain an attack against a numerically and technologically superior force."
Someone knocked on the door and entered. It was Seamus, “Actually, Mr. Vulkov, I got in touch with some people in the borough, as well as in the British District, and from that alone we have something like a thousand more men and women who can take up arms with us. Not to mention, I’ve been leading the recruitment effort and let’s just say that blowing a hole in the Glitterin’ Wall was very popular. I’ve been swamped with young men from across the thirteen boroughs champing at the bit to join up.” Stan ignored the fact that this meant Seamus had been eavesdropping just out of sight.
“And besides Stan, it’s not like Aerotec can just flood the streets of New Columbia with tanks and Inquisitors since people still have lives to live after all. After we punch through the main defenses they’ve set up around the main highway, we can pretty much march all the way to Land’s office," Val reasoned, even if she wasn't completely confident in the veracity of her idea.
“Fine. Seamus, rally the troops, Val, you go get Mr. Culloch. I’ll come up with a strategy." With that response from Stan, Seamus and Val departed, and the clock of Jack’s death ticked ever closer to the end.
…
Jack woke up to a massive throbbing headache that was exacerbated further by the bright light shining in his face.
Well, I’m alive at least. He tried to move his arms and legs, only to be met by crude leather restraints. Why do I get the feeling that I’m not in Stan’s apartment? Oh right, probably because I’ve been captured and I’m getting interrogated. Come on, where’s the asshole with the prongs?
A tinny voice came from somewhere far behind and far above Jack’s right ear. Even though the voice coming from the speaker was transmitted as if through aluminum foil, Jack could tell that it was filled with power and grace, “Mr. Cabe, we finally meet at last," Land chuckled quietly to himself, "Well not quite, considering that I’m going to a dinner party at the moment. You, however, are about to meet a very special Inquisitor. A new model, the SI-75c. He has a list of questions, and if you don’t answer them, well… I hear that electroshock therapy is coming back into style.” There was an audible click as a door opened behind him, and Mr. Land was off of the microphone.
A deep voice, uncharacteristically human of the Inquisitors yet mechanical all the same, boomed behind him. “Cabe, John. I am going to ask you a series of-”
“Just get on with it, I can’t stand the pomp and circumstance. You’re here to interrogate me, not tell me the grocery list,” Jack groaned his misgivings aloud, in the silent hope that it would either hasten his demise or buy him time.
“Your disdain for simple procedure has been noted," the Inquisitor beeped audibly before continuing as it had before, "Cabe, John, I am going to ask you a series of simple questions. Please answer truthfully.”
The hell is this? A polygraph? “Fine.”
“What is your name?”
“Jack Cabe” There was a click, and Jack was shocked across his body by the chair he was sitting in. He gasped for breath and nearly cried at the pain in his head. but it gave him an idea.
“Incorrect. Your name is John Cabe. Please do not act with dishonesty, as it will only worsen your situation. Now, what is your name?”
“Jack Cabe.” If there was one thing Jack had learned about Aerotec, it was that they were terrible at designing smart AIs. He got shocked again, but the shock didn’t increase in pain, and after years of flogging in the mines it wasn’t that bad after the first shock. Jack began taking the Inquisitor unit on a circular round of questioning and shocking, even if it was more likely to drive himself insane than the robot.
…
Val entered Alex’s room to find him crying softly to himself in his bed. He was rather emaciated -apparently, Aerotec hadn’t fed him very well, mix that with not eating anything the resistance offered and it made enough sense- but he was alive.
She spoke softly, “Alex, we’ve found a way for you to seek vengeance for your family, but it means that you’re going to have to step up and lead.”
Alex’s whimpering stopped immediately, “I can do that Valerie. What do you have in mind?” Though his voice was weak, his eyes seemed to be alive and thrumming with anxious power that was just waiting to be unleashed.
Val responded, “We need you to be our spokesperson for the Inner City. They can’t relate to us because they've never lived as we do, but they can relate to you. You’ll be working closely with Mr. Connally and the propaganda team, and when the time comes and you’re in shape to fight, you can fight alongside us.”
“That… I guess I can do that," Alex's eyes brightened with the mere thought, "I imagine the people of New Columbia proper wouldn’t mind some street rat’s family being tortured and killed in front of them, but knowing that it happened to a very influential family? Hmph… They’ll be despondent within moments," Alex sat up, suddenly inspired, "I have several ideas. Come get me when you’re ready, I’ll make myself look respectable enough for a camera or whatever.”
“Alright, I’ll have Dale come get you, but I’ve gotta prepare for the blitz into the city itself. You’ll come up with us under heavy guard, and I’ll see if we can hook up a live broadcast system. Maybe TC can hack into their televisions or something," Val was happy that Alex had found purpose again, even if she was a bit disturbed at how quickly he had found it.
“Sounds like a plan Val.” Alex smiled for the first time in weeks, and not the weak smile of a broken man.
…
“Cabe, John, please answer truthfully. Your repeated attempts to deceive me have failed. But I know your name, so we will skip the first question. I will now ask you another question," the Inquisitor tucked its hands behind its back as it spoke, and with its back turned to Jack, it looked like a general or captain of ages past.
Jack smiled and laughed, “Go ahead SI-75c, I can do this all day.”
“Why did you kill 3,673 innocent civilians residing in Apartment Complexes 23-a5 through 25-z6?” The Inquisitor's tone completely changed in the blink of an eye.
Jack paused for several long moments while his brain processed that information. His mouth slowly dropped open in shock, but he responded nonchalantly, “I didn’t. And even if I did, it was Aerotec’s fault for placing an artillery field ne
ar an occupied apartment building and for making a warzone out of people’s homes. Any collateral damage as a result of that is Aerotec’s fault, not mine.”
“That does not compute. You ignited a chain reaction of explosions that resulted in the death of every paid worker in and around Apartment Complexes 23-a5 through 25-z6. You detonated a series of improvised explosive devices that demolished the entire complex,” The Inquisitor spoke coldly as if these were facts everyone knew. Jack was pretty sure that was the truth too since Aerotec practically controlled every major form of media for their workers.
Anger began building inside of him, “You and I know damned well that that is the exact opposite of what happened. Aerotec had an artillery field set up outside of those apartments and they killed a little girl who died in my arms!” Jack struggled against his restraints, fuming.
SI-75c took off the outer metallic skin of his skull to reveal the humanoid and robotic face underneath. It smiled creepily as he walked over to Jack, “I’m afraid the people won’t see it that way, Mr. Cabe. You are nothing more than a radical, extreme terrorist who killed innocent people and wrote it off as collateral damage. Just like that little girl you spoke of. Collateral damage. It will take some time for us to doctor the tapes, but… Well, they won’t believe a word you say in your defense.” It smiled creepily again, then walked out of the room.
That’s when the real electrocution began. Pulses of electricity were channeled directly into him with a rest period of only a few minutes between each round. Jack’s headache exploded into worse pain with each pass, until he passed out around the fifth one. But it didn't matter, because they would just wait for him to wake up...
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