A Most Unlikely Hero, Vol. 1

by Brandon Varnell

  In that moment, at that time, and with those words, Alex’s world came to an abrupt end.

  1

  Alex stared dejectedly at the inside of his locker, which contained his weapons, munitions, civilian clothing, several of his inventions, and a picture of his family. This was the last time he would ever see this locker. He felt empty inside.

  It didn’t take long to change back into his civvies. After getting dressed, he gathered up his uniform, weapons, and munitions. He needed to return them to the administration bureau, though he was keeping the inventions. Those were his to begin with.

  It’s not like anyone else is going to use them.

  The last thing that he grabbed was the picture. Looking at it, he felt as if the pieces of his broken heart were slowly being ground into dust. There were five people in the picture; himself, his mom, his younger sister Alice, his grandmother, and his father. His grandfather was conspicuously absent and good riddance. They looked so happy, especially him and his sister.

  Perhaps it’s a good thing Mom and Dad aren’t around to see how I’ve turned out.

  With a hiss of hydraulics, the locker room door slid open, and he walked out. There were only a few people in the hallway. A pair of girls dressed in the standard uniform of a police cadet whispered as they walked past him.

  “Isn’t that Alexander? I heard he just got expelled from the academy.”

  “Good riddance, I say. That boy was a nuisance.”

  “They shouldn’t have let someone so young join the academy anyway.”

  News sure does travel fast, Alex thought as he began his march of shame.

  While one side of the hallway was nothing but a thick durasteel wall with several doors, the other side was composed entirely of glass, revealing the splendor of Mars City.

  Mars City was a massive community of towering skyscrapers that sprawled out for miles. With 1.2 million people living there, it was the largest city on Mars. Like every city that was situated on this inhospitable planet, it was protected by a giant, transparent dome, a bubble which protected them from Mars’ harmful atmosphere.

  Alex stared at his reflection. Blue eyes. Black hair that looked like he’d been flying a speeder shuttle with the top down. Tan skin. Were it not for the single lock of silver hair that ran down his forehead, he would have been utterly unremarkable.

  As he continued to walk down the hallway, his feet pounding abnormally loudly in his ears, a voice shouted out from behind him. “Alex-senpai!”

  Turning around, Alex faced the source of the voice, a young man who was three years older than himself. Shoulder-length black hair, dark eyes, and even darker skin. He wore the black and white unitard of a police cadet, along with the shoulder pads, chest plate, and shin guards that all cadets wore when out in the field.

  “Darrick,” he greeted as the other man stopped in front of him.

  “Is it true?” Darrick asked, getting straight to the point. “I heard that you’ve been expelled from the police academy. Is it true?”

  “It’s true,” Alex admitted quietly.

  Alex had known Darrick for two years now, having met the older man a little after his first year at the academy. They’d met during a bank robbery, of all things. Alex had been depositing a royalty payment for one of his inventions, when several people in masks had tried to rob the bank. Darrick had been there as well. Thus, he’d witnessed Alex’s fighting prowess, wherein Alex had single-handedly beaten down every robber using one of his inventions.

  Consequently, that invention had turned out to be a failure—it had taken out two-thirds of the bank, along with knocking out the robbers, patrons, and bank employees.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Darrick said, sounding genuinely disheartened.

  Alex sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah… me too.” A moment of silence ensued. Alex shook his head. “Anyway, I need to return these. I’ll see you later.”

  “Right. See you, Alex-senpai.”

  “Please don’t call me that ever again.”

  They parted ways, with Darrick heading to the elevator while Alex entered the administration bureau. It wasn’t much to look at. The interior was large and contained a series of seats that lined up along the east and west walls and a long counter that sat in front of the back room, which he knew was where all the police equipment was stored.

  The administration bureau was where police officers and cadets went to either turn in assignments and after action reports, receive their patrol routes/jobs, or requisition munitions. It was usually manned by several workers, though only one person was there now.

  A girl with long, flaxen hair that shimmered in the light sat behind the counter. She wore the same unitard as a cadet, which conformed to her feminine figure like a second layer of skin, though hers was slightly different from the standard attire. The colors weren’t black and white, but blue with purple edgings.

  “Alexander S. Ryker,” Kazekiri said in her usual stern tone. “I see they’ve finally decided to kick you out of the academy. I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m personally shocked they didn’t do it sooner.”

  Kazekiri was the only person at this academy who was the same age as him. They were both sixteen. Unlike Alex, who’d graduated from primary two years early, Kazekiri still attended school. She worked in the administration bureau part-time. Doing so apparently meant that she would be let into the cadet academy with high honors after graduating.

  “Hello, Kirikiri,” Alex greeted with a sullen expression. “It seems like everyone knows about what happened to me, huh?”

  “It’s Kazekiri,” she corrected, glaring at him as if he’d personally insulted her. “Don’t speak to me so casually.”

  “Yeah… sorry, Kirikiri.”

  “Tch! Look, just hand over your identification badge, gun, and uniform so I can get this over with.”

  “Right. Here you go.”

  Kazekiri took his effects, checking them into her database by typing on the holographic keyboard that hovered above the desk. “There. Everything has been checked back in. You’re free to leave. I’d wish you luck, but someone who doesn’t know how to follow the rules doesn’t deserve to be lucky.”

  “All right. Thanks, Kirikiri.”

  “It’s Kazekiri, dang it! Ka-ze-ki-ri! Get it right!”

  2

  After leaving the police station, Alex took a shuttle to the west district, a mostly residential district within the middle level of Mars City.

  Because Mars City was one of those “one section built on top of another” type of cities, it consisted of four levels: Upper, middle, lower, and under. Of course, this wasn’t including the outer district, which technically was not part of Mars City, but a suburban area that was considered outside of the city limits. Alex lived in the outer district along with his sister.

  The middle level was where the normal citizens worked and lived. There were apartment blocks, shopping and entertainment districts, and various offices where blue collar workers spent hours sitting behind a desk. The various civil service departments also had offices within the middle district.

  Vacating the shuttle, Alex stepped onto a walkway--one of several hundred--and merged into the flow of traffic.

  Mars City was composed mostly of durasteel and plasteel. The buildings gleamed dully in the light, which was filtered through the dome overhead. Walkways were built at various levels, connected via elevators and escalators, further enhancing the artificiality of the durasteel city.

  To soften the image of a metallic city, flora of all manner had been introduced. Vines hung from buildings. Flower gardens sat on rooftops. Trees lined the walkways. This wasn’t just for aesthetic purposes, however. As was the case with all things in Mars City, the flora served a much greater purpose.

  Being a city contained within a bubble on an inhospitable planet, Mars City could not produce its own atmosphere. To that end, several thousand plants had been genetically engineered, modified, and strategically placed thr
oughout the city. These plants helped keep the air breathable, taking in carbon monoxide and various pollutants, and then releasing it back out as oxygen. Without them, Mars City would have become unlivable decades ago.

  Alex’s destination soon came into sight. The Metronome Sweet Shop was a small venue made of plasteel. With a glowing sign over the door and windows that allowed a glimpse inside, it looked a lot like the retro diners on Earth.

  The door jingled as he opened it, alerting whoever was manning the shop today that they had a customer. His shoes squeaked against the checkered floor—another design from ages past.

  A young woman was cleaning a glass display. She turned when the jingle sounded, her expression morphing into one of pleasant surprise when she saw him.

  “Alex!” she exclaimed in greeting.

  “Selene.”

  Selene Metronome was a childhood friend that he’d known since they were four years old. Her dark skin, alluring eyes, and pleasant smile made her quite popular with the young men at Atreyu Academy, the primary school that she went to. It was too bad for those boys that his friend didn’t seem interested in dating. He couldn’t remember her ever having a boyfriend.

  Then again, I’m not much better, am I?

  “What’s wrong?” Selene asked, her joyful countenance leaving.

  Alex feigned a smile. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  Selene placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t give me that. You only come to visit me for two reasons: You’re buying something to reward your sister, or your buying yourself something because you’re depressed. I don’t see a proud smile on your face, which means that you’re not here for your sister.”

  Wincing, Alex confessed. “I was kicked out of the cadet academy for… reasons that I’d rather not discuss right now.”

  Selene’s eyes softened. “Oh, Alex. I’m sorry. I know how much becoming a police officer meant to you.”

  “It’s fine.” Alex tried to laugh it off, even though just thinking about it felt like a precision laser was slicing his chest open. “I guess I just wasn’t cut out for police work. Don’t worry, though. I haven’t given up on following in my father’s footsteps. It just means I need to find another way to become a hero.”

  “You’re still going on about that? Don’t you think it’s about time you stop trying to be a hero?”

  “Of course not. I can’t stop now. I’d never forgive myself if I did.”

  Selene appeared consternated, like a woman who’d asked her child to stop putting their hand on the heating pad only to be ignored. She gave a resigned sigh and changed the subject. “I’m guessing you want the usual?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Moving behind the booth, Selene reached into the display and pulled out one of the Metronome’s special sweets. It wasn’t a strawberry cheesecake parfait, which was their most popular item and Alice’s favorite, but it was what he liked to eat when he was depressed: A brown sugar croissant with frosting.

  “I swear, you’re a glutton for these things,” Selene said as she rang Alex up.

  “It’s not like I eat these all the time, you know.”

  “Only when you’re depressed,” Selene teased.

  Alex snorted, but he didn’t deny her words. “Parents not in today?”

  “No. They’re out visiting a relative in Northdome. I would’ve gone with them, but, well, someone has to man the shop, right?”

  “I guess.”

  “You really should come around more often. My parents miss having you here, and I, um… I kind of, like, miss seeing you more often too, so…” Selene trailed off into incomprehensible mumbling.

  “Did you say something?”

  “Not a thing.”

  Alex frowned at Selene, but she looked down and rang up his order. The total cost came to 23 credits. He pulled out his wallet to pay her.

  “You want it to go, right?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “… I wish you’d stick around for a while…”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing! Here’s your order! Thanks for your business!”

  Croissant in hand, Alex bid his friend farewell, left the sweet shop, and hopped onto the nearest shuttle that would take him home.

  He ate the croissant on the shuttle.

  He didn’t want his sister finding out that he’d been to The Metronome Sweet Shop and didn’t buy her a strawberry cheesecake parfait.

  3

  The outer district, called such because it was situated far from Mars City.

  Mars City had been built within a large crater. Formerly known as the Dollfus Crater, it spanned 363.1 kilometers. Because it was so small, the city had been built upwards, and as a result, the dome that protected the city had expanded both upwards and outwards to maintain its structural integrity.

  The outer district looked nothing like Mars City, which possessed an artificial appearance save for the massive amounts of plant life. Sidewalks meandered along roads, grass covered the ground, and trees dotted a landscape of gently rolling hills. Several large canals ran through the outer district. These canals traveled through several processing plants, which used an advanced recycling and sanitation process to clean the water of impurities, and then distributed it to the residents of Mars City.

  Water was Mars’ most precious resource. Unlike Earth, which was made up of roughly 71% water, the only water produced on Mars came from the polar ice caps. Water mining was an important operation there, which was why Northdome and Southdome—mining cities at the north and south poles—had been created some 50 years ago.

  Houses and convenience stores made up most of the buildings in the outer district. There were a few power plants as well, but they were further out, away from the main areas. This place was a residential district. While the power plants were necessary to give the outer district power, nobody wanted them destroying the scenery.

  As he walked along the sidewalk, Alex tried to think about what he should tell Alice. He couldn’t keep his sister in the dark about how he’d been kicked out of the cadet academy, nor did he want to. At the same time, telling his sister that he was no longer a police cadet because he’d caused several million credits’ worth of property damage wasn’t appealing either.

  It was during this time, as Alex attempted to come up with a suitable explanation, that something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was a lump lying inside of a back alley between two sectioned off houses. Frowning, he moved closer, wondering what it was. However, Alex soon realized that the lump was not an object, but a person—a girl lying face-down.

  “Oh, crap! Are you okay?!”

  Rushing over to the girl and kneeling, Alex placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her body gently.

  “Hey, are you okay? Hello? Damn it!”

  Alex almost panicked when she didn’t respond, but he quickly remembered his training, which included basic first aid. First things first, he needed to check her pulse.

  Rolling the girl onto her back, which was harder than it looked because of the strange wing-like objects protruding from her clothing, Alex moved to place two fingers against her throat.

  He froze.

  She was beautiful.

  Long silver hair splayed out like a halo, reflecting light to create a multitude of colors. Her bodysuit, a pink and white one-piece, did nothing to hide her curvaceous figure, as if reveling in the enchanting slope of her bosom, the thinness of her waist, and the amazing flare of her hips. She had fair skin, which made her glossy pink lips stand out. Her ears were long and pointed.

  Snap out of it, Alex!

  Shaking himself from his stupor, Alex felt for a pulse. She had one, and it was going strong. She was also breathing, which he noticed now that he wasn’t gawking at her. It appeared that she’d simply fallen unconscious. That was odd. He couldn’t find any signs of what had knocked her out—no abrasions, contusions, or any form of injury. So, then, why was she…

  GRGGLE!

  Alex blinke
d as a loud rumbling echoed all around him. What was this? A seismic quake?

  GRRGGLLEE!

  He eventually pinpointed the source. It wasn’t a seismic quake. It was the girl.

  GGRRRLLE!

  You can’t be serious. Alex felt a drop of sweat roll down his face.

  “So… hungry…” the girl muttered in her sleep.

  4

  Alex was sure that his jaw had hit the floor. He sat in a booth, within a family restaurant, gawking at the girl that had been previously passed out in an alley as she ate like the act of eating was going out of style.

  After realizing that the reason she had collapsed was due to hunger, he’d taken her to the nearest restaurant. Once she’d smelled the food, she had regained full cognizance, and when Alex had told her that she could have whatever she wanted, the girl had ordered enough to feed an armada.

  It’s a good thing I’m still making royalties off my old inventions…

  Several plates had already been stacked high. The girl continued to eat, scarfing down food as if her stomach was a black hole. Alex’s eyes were practically bulging from their sockets.

  Science be damned! Where is she putting all that food!?

  The girl slowed down after consuming several more dishes, and then released a loud belch that caused the other patrons to stare at her.

  “Do you feel better?” Alex asked, trying, and failing, to hide his shock.

  “Mm!” The girl nodded. “I feel much better! Thank you for feeding me!”

  Her smile, so bright and vibrant, brought a smile to his face. “You’re welcome. Now that you’re feeling better, do you mind if I ask what you were doing collapsed in that alley?”

  “It’s because of this!”

  The girl jingled her wrist. Alex leaned in to study the object attached to it, which appeared to be a simple bracelet at first glance. He knew better. There were circuits running through it, visible due to their soft blue glow.

  “This is Mr. Teleport! With it, I can jump to any location I want regardless of obstacles, though I can’t determine where I show up.”