Reddened Wasteland

by Kyle Perkins

  Thorin turned to Velar before he hopped off the platform, “Be careful, and make sure to attach the device to the tower itself, then stay there until we get our support. We’ll come find you when it’s over.”

  Velar had a worried look over her face as she said her goodbyes to Thorin, “I’ll make sure it is done. Please don’t get hurt.” Thorin just smiled at her, then leapt from the platform, plunging his sword into the back of a Union soldier.

  She darted off to the side, trying her absolute best not to be noticed. Her stealth armor was nice, but she wished it had an invisibility feature. The pressure was incredible, everyone was counting on her, now. Her heart was pounding so hard that she couldn’t tell if she was actually being quiet, or the pulse in her ears was just drowning out everything else.

  The service elevator was completely unguarded, so she climbed in and pressed the button to take it to the top. The door slammed shut and she rested her back against the wall as it started moving up, thankful for the brief respite from the chaos. Alone with her thoughts, she worried about Thorin, hoping he would make it through the battle. She worried about Alerik, if he was still alive he undoubtedly heard that explosion and would have jumped at the chance to strike back at The Union. The thought of losing either—or both—of them was devastating. The only thing more frightening than that, was failure.

  When the elevator finally reached the top, the door slid open. She peered out onto the roof, her heart sunk. A group of men were guarding the tower with their guns ready. There was very little on the roof to hide behind, just a couple of steel beams sticking out of the roof and parts of the ventilation system that pumped air into the building.

  When she found an opening, she crawled quietly out of the elevator and moved into the shadow cast by one of the beams.

  “Well, fuck. Now what?” she whispered to herself.

  Chapter Ten

  The entire Children of Old army, along with Alerik and his crew had been marching for a good hour when a bright flash appeared off in the distance, followed by a loud boom. Alerik shielded his face as the shockwave passed through the group.

  “Everyone alright?” he asked, looking around to make sure everyone was still standing.

  “Yeah, but we need to pick up the pace. Seems they started the party without us,” Saskia said with her hand on her hip.

  Cinine was at the front of the pack with Valek at her side and was urging everyone to ignore the blast and just keep moving. As the group advanced through the settlement, they noticed people had closed their doors and we keeping inside. It seemed people were aware of what was going on and were anticipating trouble.

  “Alerik, come up here with me,” Cinine motioned for Alerik to hurry.

  He moved forward with Saskia and Lucius at his side, “Ready to tip the scales?” he asked.

  “As ready as we can be, given the circumstances. You know what you need to do once we get there. Don’t make any mistakes. If you do, this world will be plunged into darkness for generations.”

  “Don’t worry, when you say things like, ‘plunged into darkness for generations’, that really takes the pressure off. Gives me nerves of steel,” Alerik said sarcastically. Behind him, Lucius snorted.

  “I am not trying to put extra weight on this mission, just stressing the gravity of it,” she fired back, “You need to make sure you get to that tower. As soon as we hit any resistance, you need to break off from the group. We can’t risk another injury,” she gestured between Alerik, Saskia and Lucius. She had a point, they were all pretty beat up. But hey, it wasn’t his idea to start this thing before they had time to heal.

  “Eh, we have made it this far. Another little fight won’t be the thing to kill us,” he said with a smile.

  “Try not to get overconfident. Don’t let your pride ruin this mission,” her voice was stern.

  “Okay, okay. I got it. Relax, we will get the job done,” Alerik nodded in annoyance.

  “Don’t get smart with me! You’ll get the smack you’ve been needing your whole life,” she smiled. Even though she was old, the grandma act was incredibly bizarre coming from her severe, armor-clad frame.

  She continued, “Once you reach the tower, use this to alert us so that we can get back to The Den,” she said, handing him a flare gun.

  “Got it,” he said, taking the gun from her hand.

  As they approached the building that was now engulfed in flames, the group spotted the mangled bodies of several Union soldiers. The air surrounding the place was smoky, the smell of burning flesh saturated the air.

  “What could have happened here?” Alerik asked Cinine.

  “I’m not sure,” she moved closer to the building and peered inside.

  Through the smoke, they could see a few disabled vehicles that had been set ablaze, along with several bodies on the ground in heavy armor.

  “These men were part of Liberty’s Hammer…” Cinine remarked, “They are the only people in the settlement that can craft armor that well.”

  Alerik smiled, “That’s what I like to hear. Let all the assholes cancel each other out, then the good guys can swoop in and fix everything.”

  “Based on the path of destruction, I would have to say that they were headed towards the tower. This must have been a satellite base,” Saskia chimed in.

  “You’re probably right. Seems The Union found one of their locations and attacked before they could get their pants up,” Cinine said back.

  “Then we follow their trail. It should lead us right to the fight,” Valek said as he started to follow the trail of bodies.

  Alerik nodded to him and followed, the rest of the group close behind. After a few hours of walking, they weren’t far from the tower. The sound of chaos became louder with each step. Alerik hated Liberty’s Hammer, but had to admit that taking on The Union alone was petty ballsy.

  Every step closer to the tower revealed its enormous stature. It was a massive, imposing reminder that everyone in the settlement was under total control. Up ahead, a dense swarm of men battled for power and glory. The sounds of war were becoming more crisp. Audible screams and the clashing of metal were heard off in the distance.

  “We don’t have far to go now,” Cinine said, placing her hand on Alerik’s shoulder, “You should break off now, I don’t want you in this fight.”

  “Seriously? You don’t want any help, whatsoever? We could take out a few of them on the way, make it a bit easier for you,” Alerik tried to protest.

  “We cannot risk it. Fate has decided another fight for you. Another path. We will meet again Alerik, whether in this life or the next,” she said with a smile.

  “Way to be a complete fucking downer. I’m sort of still optimistic we all make it out of this alive,” he said.

  “You be optimistic, I’ll be realistic. Now go! We don’t have time to discuss this,” she said in a low tone.

  “Realistic… Coming from a religious fanatic…” Alerik muttered under his breath before feeling a sharp slap to the back of his head.

  “My ears still work,” Cinine said as she shook her hand at her side.

  “Well now mine don’t, thanks,” Alerik laughed as he began walking away with Saskia and Lucius.

  Cinine smiled and watched on with Valek as the group disappeared down one of the side streets.

  ***

  Several vehicles were parked outside of the service entrance when the group walked up. Alerik slowly approached the vehicle closest to where the door used to be and found a chain connected to a heavy metallic door that was laying on the ground.

  “Looks like someone beat us here,” Saskia said as she peered in the doorway.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. The battle is at the front of the building. Why would someone try to come in this way?” Alerik said, thinking out loud.

  “They could have gone in knowing that the bulk of the forces would be where you say. Perhaps they are looting, or going into the control room to kill Aldain,” Lucius said as he stepped inside.


  “You’re probably right, though Aldain will be heavily guarded. Hopefully when we get to the top, we find it cleared out, with everyone on both sides dead,” Alerik said as he walked inside, looking around. The massive building was creepy before, but the emptiness of it then added an unsettling element to the atmosphere.

  Saskia moved to the center of the building and found a large man in battered armor draped over the guardrail. She pressed her fingers to his wrist to check for a pulse, and quickly realized that he had been dead for a while. He was cold to the touch.

  “Alerik, come check this out,” she called over to him.

  Alerik and Lucius walked over to where she was standing and without a word, he hoisted the man over the railing, letting him fall into the void.

  “Need to make sure the fucker is dead,” Alerik grumbled.

  Saskia shook her head, “We need to use one of these platforms to reach the top. There will be a service elevator near the control room. It will take us to the roof.”

  Alerik nodded in affirmation before walking over to one of the platforms, “This is it. Let’s hope they’re not expecting us and this isn’t some sort of trap.”

  “By the looks of the Liberty’s Hammer soldier you tossed back there, I think the fighting is probably over,” Saskia said as she climbed on.

  The platform began to rise as the group stayed on high alert. As they moved along, Alerik took note of the marks in the wall where Union bolts had struck the surface. He looked down towards his feet and found more of the same on the surface of the platform, along with a smears and streaks of blood.

  “I have a feeling we are standing where the majority of the fighting took place,” Alerik said still looking around. All this, for one guy?

  “I’d have to disagree,” Lucius quipped as they reached the top and found bodies scattered across the floor.

  There were dead Union soldiers, some of them androids with bits of wire poking through their wounds, as well as Liberty’s Hammer men, with the usual, organic mess pouring out of their wounds. Blood flowed in rivers under the corpses, smearing down the walls. The room smelled of copper and death. As the group navigated through, stepping over armored bodies, Alerik spotted the control room off in the distance.

  “Let’s get a closer look,” he whispered as he motioned for his friends to follow.

  They crouched, inching closer and closer until they heard the sound of shouting. Alerik peeked over into the control room to see a tall man with blonde hair and shiny armor holding Aldain by the throat. It was satisfying how pathetic Aldain looked at that moment, helplessly dangling at the end of some Liberty’s Hammer brute’s arm. Alerik figured this was his chance to get rid of Aldain and kill a few Liberty’s Hammer soldiers, all in one go. He started moving towards the doorway when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

  “I know what you’re thinking Alerik, and no. We have a job to do. Let them kill each other,” Saskia said between clenched teeth as she restrained Alerik.

  “Saskia, let go! This may be my only chance to end these assholes once and for all,” he hissed back.

  “Alerik, she is right,” Lucius said, “Aldain is just a man, and men make mistakes, like you are about to do now. You might have another chance at him, you won’t have another chance to get to the radio tower. When it’s all over, you’ll have your chance to avenge Velar.”

  “So I am supposed to just fucking walk away? After all they have done to us? All of these assholes, with their fighting and their egos and their sneaky, backstabbing bullshit. They took Velar from me and I can’t let that go,” he was furious at them.

  “Fine, I will stay. I will see to it that they both die. You and Lucius head to the roof and finish the mission,” Saskia hissed.

  Before anyone could respond, she stood up and walked into the open doorway to the control room.

  “I can’t fucking believe she did that,” Alerik said, gritting his teeth in frustration.

  “I can. She did always have a better head on her shoulders,” Lucius grinned.

  “Whatever, let’s go. I’ll deal with her later,” Alerik grumbled. The pair worked their way over to the service elevator and stepped inside, pressing the button that would take them to the roof.

  “Only one thing left to do now. We get up there, send out the broadcast, and hurry back to assist Saskia. Got it?” Alerik said.

  “Yeah, I figured that out the moment Saskia walked through the doorway. You keep forgetting how slowly your minds work.” Lucius snickered.

  “Can it, robot,” Alerik rolled his eyes.

  ***

  The war raged on at the front of the building, with bolts sailing through the air, and the mounted guns on the armored vehicles pumping out metal without cease. As Cinine and Valek approached the scene, they took note of the damage, the surrounding buildings were lit up in an intense inferno. Men and women were screaming as they bled out on the ground, using their last bit of breath to bellow their agony to the world.

  Valek sprinted into battle, swinging his heavy mace, and bringing it down onto a Liberty’s Hammer soldier’s skull. The crunch it made brought a smile to Cinine’s face. To watch an agent of evil meet his end so abruptly, it made her so happy she could almost cry. It brought her back to her old glory days of battle, though, even in her time, she never saw anything on this scale.

  A Union soldier moved in close to Cinine and aimed his gun towards her head, but she ducked out of sight, moving with the crowd of warriors until she was right up on him. She lashed out from the melee like a phantom, striking the soldier in the chest, causing him to drop his gun. As the man doubled over, Cinine dropped her mace onto his back with both hands, severing his spine.

  Cinine looked up and saw an abnormally tall man wearing interesting, well-crafted armor. The man wielded a pair of pistols and looked to be wearing a knee brace.

  “Hello, Cinine,” the man said in a raspy voice.

  “And who might you be?” Cinine brought her mace back up to chest level.

  “Oh, how rude of me,” he offered bow, the gesture more ominous than respectful, “My name is Elias. Nice to meet you.”

  “Listen, cut the shit. You know me for a reason, and I have a feeling I know why you’re here. So, what are you waiting for?” she barked out the words as she gripped her mace.

  “Oh fun! One that does not mince words. I always did love when people actually put some thought into their last,” he smiled.

  Cinine lunged forward, swinging her mace vertically towards the ground in an attempt to catch Elias off guard, but Elias was too quick. He simply side stepped the attack and smacked Cinine in the face with the butt of his gun.

  “Oh please tell me the great Cinine can do better than this,” he laughed, taunting her.

  Cinine wiped away the blood that was trickling from her nose, “Did your father not teach you any better? That hit was pathetic,” she snorted.

  “Really? You want to spend your last few breaths mocking me? I heard you were a great speaker. Shame,” he said as he dodged an attack towards his midsection from Cinine.

  “You getting tired yet?” she smiled.

  “A sense of humor. I like that. Too bad it will no longer serve you,” he said as he raised his gun, “Don’t worry, I won’t mess up your face.”

  “Time messed up my face worse than you ever could,” she chuckled. She refused to give the little shit an ounce of her fear.

  “Perhaps you’re right, Cinine,” he said as he fired a bolt through the center of her chest, causing blood to spray out of her back as she fell to the ground.

  Valek looked over as he saw his leader fall and immediately darted blindly through the crowd, miraculously avoiding any indirect attacks. Elias was still standing with his arm extended, and Cinine was crumpled on the ground before the Union elite. Valek brought his mace down with blindingly quick speed onto Elias’s arm. Despite all the noise of the battle around them, the loud snapping of bone could be heard as the weapon connected.

&nbs
p; Elias spun around and attempted to fire a shot into Valek’s head, wielding the gun from his uninjured arm. Valek moved just enough to avoid the bolt, though it did graze his ear. He ignored it and returned a left hook to Elias’s jaw.

  Elias’s head snapped to the side and he stumbled backwards, holding his broken and bleeding arm. When he looked back up, Valek was nearly on top of him, already deep in his personal space. Valek slammed his mace into Elias’ stomach, the Union elite hunched over and collapsed from the blow, gasping for the breath that it had knocked out of him. As he crawled towards Valek, he received a heavy kick to the side of his head, knocking him out cold.

  Valek hurried over to Cinine and kneeled beside her. She was still with them, but barely.

  “Please don’t do this Cinine… You can’t die!” he yelled as he pulled her face up into the light, “Don’t leave us. We need you!”

  “Oh Valek, you know better than anyone that our time to go is predetermined. Don’t feel bad for me, I will be reborn. It was always going to come to this…” she coughed up thick blood onto the front of her armor.

  “No Cinine, you can’t! Just hang on, we’ll fix you. We’ll find somebody—” Valek straightened and looked from side to side, but there was nothing but war and death, as far as the eye could see. There was nobody around to fix her. This was it. She really was leaving them. He looked back down at her.

  “Oh, stop your whining, you big baby! I’m the one dying, here,” she attempted to laugh but it came out more of a gurgle.

  “This is not a time for jokes, Cinine,” he said, pain soaking his voice.

  “I can’t think of a single better time for jokes,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Fine, laugh it up… Just tell me what I need to do next. We are going to be lost without you.”

  “Nobody will be lost, Valek. You will be there to guide them. I have taught you so much throughout the years. There is nobody better suited to take my place. It is your time to shine, now,” she said.

  “What about Alerik?” Valek said in disbelief. She’d become so attached to the man, he just kind of assumed she would name him as her successor.