by Gavin Magson
“Did you only want me for the augment? Or is my being alive now just a coincidence?” he asked.
“You don't want to ask that question, it will be the death of you thinking about it. Just remember, you are alive right here and right now; make sure that does not change again. Raúl, prep him. I want Ajax ready as soon as practicable, Henry Steel does not deserve to live another day. Yes, Ajax, you are not the only man who wishes to see him dead.”
Major did not wait around for the man to acknowledge his orders, he turned on his heel and left the room without a backwards glance. Ajax watched Major walk out of sight, the faintest hint of a limp almost expertly concealed as the right foot hesitated in raising from the floor. He didn't indulge the thought of what caused the injury, instead Ajax turned his head away and focused on staring at the ceiling above him as Raúl resumed his injections.
Raúl had not undersold the discomfort, as the needle pierced his skin Ajax had to resist grimacing, feeling the long strand of metal moving around inside him until it punctured a vein. The needle scraped around his vein and set Ajax’s teeth on edge, fighting the urge to tense his arm at the foreign body. At least Raúl worked quickly, once the first tube had been emptied he swapped it for a second and finally the third in quick succession. When Raúl viciously yanked the needle out a thin stream of blood spurted from the puncture wound, causing Ajax to grunt in pain; he was kind enough to pull the punch.
Raúl clambered back to his feet, his one good hand gripping the table to pull himself upright. Raúl was left groggy and disorientated by the blow, a bruise already growing around his right eye.
“What was that for?” he asked, warily moving out of arms reach in case a follow up attack came from the man.
“That was a prompt for you to practice your basic medical care, even I know not to rip a needle out of someone. And stop looking like a cowering animal, I barely touched you.” answered Ajax.
Ajax looked down at the oozing wound and searched for something to stem the flow. He stopped when the augment kicked in, the blood seeping from the puncture slowly came to a halt and the wound closed up, not even a scab to show for Raúl's incompetence.
“That is truly amazing, I did not expect the augment to still work so quickly with the reduction of your nano count. Major has told me about what your augment could do, but there was so much blood last time I saw you I could not tell whether it was working or not. Henry was truly envious of you, if I had told him about the device to extract it from your blood no doubt he would have wanted it for himself.”
“Then, in a way, I am glad it is encoded to me and me alone. If that monster had got his hands on this augment it would have made my job even harder, although then I could dissect him for hours if he had something like this repairing the damage.”
Raúl chuckled, the laugh somewhat strange and distracted. “I’d feel some pity for the man if you’d been able to exact that kind of revenge on him. I would not trust the augment to repair you as it once did. It’s hard to gauge what percentage of the machines you’ve lost since this gift was given to you; I would expect there to be more scar tissue from smaller wounds, and larger wounds to still require further treatment. Do not take it for granted or rely on it to save you from serious wounds.” warned Raúl.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ve sussed out how to get along with the nano’s and can adjust to their downgrade. How long will these injections take to return my energy?”
“There is not a simple answer to that question. They will, hopefully, work alongside your augment to promote muscle growth and rapidly return your cells to the condition they were once in. The decomposition and decay you suffered before I could start to reverse the damage has been difficult to counteract whilst you’ve been in a low metabolic state. Hopefully a combination of energy dense food, what I have injected you with, and the augment will mean it’s only a matter of days until you’re fighting fit. That machine in the corner of your room,” Ajax followed the man’s finger, only now truly noticing what could be found in the room, “will display a variety of food at the press of a few buttons. Select what you would like to eat and someone will bring it to your room. I actively encourage you to gorge yourself, though allow your appetite to build first before rushing into monstrous helpings. Rest up for now, you will know better than I when your body is ready once more.” said Raúl.
Raúl managed a faint smile from the safety of the rooms corner before turning to leave through the open doorway. Ajax wondered whether he was meant to follow, his answer came as the door slid closed and was followed by the loud clunk as a heavy lock secured him within the room.
With both men gone he was left alone to his thoughts, which were occupied by the face of Henry Steel. Despite the two men who had only just left his side being shocked by Ajax's recollection of his death, he could remember everything that had happened to him that day and a whole lot more.
Ajax saw the knife, once more feeling acceptance wash over him in the split second before it tore across his neck. Henry hadn't plunged it into his heart straight away, savouring the spray of blood and horrid noise as Ajax tried to suck in air through his ruined throat.
His agony had built up to an excruciating pain Ajax had never experienced before. His spirt was about to break when the knife lanced through his chest, piercing his heart and ending the suffering. That was the last thing Ajax could remember, his own death so vivid and fresh. He reached up to touch the base of his neck, feeling for a wound he expected to feel but never found.
Ajax relaxed on the bed, letting out the breath he had held in as he experienced the pain of death once more. He became aware that the bed was far comfier than the one he had tried to sleep on back in the slums; he missed the reassuring noise of the old springs whilst shifting his body to find a semblance of comfort. Ajax tried to remember everything else that had happened to him on this strange planet in a bid to take his mind off the shock of his rebirth.
His only memory of Sector Zero and Ilya's wedding was all consuming pain, pure hatred that Henry was the man to marry her and not him. He had done his best to accept she was moving on with her life, that he would honour his agreement and never again see her after that day. When Ilya had left him on the landing platform the woman had passed him a note, it's words so shocking he became withdrawn, unable to accept them.
Ajax remembered the slums, how he brought down a skyscraper after Malik's death to prevent any survivors seeking revenge. Miles and Rex were with him then, Jerry injured back at their safe house and tended to by Angelica and Katherine. Rose had saved him from several attackers whilst he drew their attention away from the injured Jerry.
His time in the prison Justice One had turned him into a different man, or so he’d been told, harder round the edges as he fought to the death to provide food for himself and the other inmates. He had bested Joel, despite the man's psychic powers and physical prowess. The memory that had been awoken during their fight came back to him, all fuzzy as if it had been distorted by time.
Ajax had to watch men and women feast on the flesh of still warm corpses, fighting like animals to stake their claims. He had not allowed it in his cavern, even excluded those that did not heed his warning. Ajax had left Peter in charge; he had rarely thought of the prisoners he left behind since those days and hoped that the man was able to stave off the murderous, crazed animals that were imprisoned within Justice One. Mel would find a way to survive, Ajax was sure of that.
Before the prison there were so many fights, he had done well to win them all. Despite the handicap he had bested two men in the ring for his last bout, one young and inexperienced while the other had honed his skill over several years – he had proven a true test of Ajax’s own abilities but had ultimately fell to Ajax’s ferocity.
Ajax remembered the missions Steiner had sent him on. Some were simple burglaries, but most were to claim money owed for services or goods; Ajax made a point of not prying into what it was Steiner supplied his clients. It had all started when he had been approac
hed by the man, asked to provide protection for a deal taking place between Steiner and Major. From there Ajax had proven himself time and again on Steiner’s errands.
Not long before meeting Steiner he had first met Aiko, the raven-haired beauty with a warm touch and full lips, once he had got past the frosty exterior. He had enjoyed her company, growing close to the woman upon his return from prison. It was only because of Rine that he had even met her, the Sector Four kingpin who offered himself and Duke a way of repaying the captains debt without shedding blood. What would happen now he was alive once more; would he be allowed to see her, to once more hold Aiko to him?
Rascas. He remembered killing that weasel, the pleasure he had taken in doing so amused him still. His first day on Konar and already men were trying to kill him, or rather those he owed a debt of gratitude to. Ajax had dispatched the bodyguards quickly, letting Rascas suffer at his hands before crushing the man's throat; it was the man’s own fault, if the man hadn’t paid extra for a bio-locked handgun his death would have been swift. Rascas had suffocated, eyes wide in fear and helpless to stop his death.
Prior to his arrival on Konar Ajax was on board the mining ship Illicit Jane, a crew of four discussing whether to jettison him into space or try to sneak him onto the planet. Only Duke had argued for his life to be spared, everything that went on around him only confused Ajax as he tried to wake from cryosleep. His body had been so weak, what he experienced now paled in comparison to months, no it was over a year now, wasn’t it? His bones had jutted against ivory white, papery skin, his breathing laboured even when seated. Every moment was a struggle to keep on living.
And then there was his first breath, the stasis chamber had opened to free him and he dragged in a painful lungful of air. His eyes had struggled to open, the frost of stasis acting as glue. When finally Ajax prised them open he still could not make any sense of the situation. He had stumbled forward, collapsing to his knees as his muscles failed to keep him upright. Before his awakening was only darkness, nothing at all.
Chapter 25
Before the darkness there had been noise, painful, all-encompassing noise. Panicked screams mixed with the harsh alarm, hundreds of voices trying to make themselves heard.
Ajax looked behind him, following the chains around his ankles that connected him to four other passengers. He was at the head of the line and trying to remain calm as chaos ensued all around him. A guard, short, female, well dressed, came to collect them, ushering his line forward into the lifeboat.
Their ship rocked violently as an explosion from below tore open the holds rear, sending shrapnel and bodies arcing through the air. Ajax did not look back, driving his feet forward and crouching as the rocking ship threatened to upend him. He knew he was dragging those behind him, but preservation found him the strength to do so.
The lifeboat was one of three, each identical in construction and layout. When Ajax made it inside there were yet more guards, each dragging lines of five forward and into a much smaller room. Ajax followed his guard, her voice barely heard over the others.
When he was told to halt the woman before him made a gesture with her hands and the shackles linking Ajax’s feet demagnetised. A plethora of guns trained on him made sure his thoughts of escape died quickly. Ajax did as instructed, stripping away his clothes and stepping into the strange device, watching as it closed around him. The others followed suit, banks of these chambers were quickly filled with the prisoners. The hatch lowered and, when sealed, Ajax could no longer hear the commotion outside of the chamber.
A voice, quiet and calm, instructed him to relax as tendrils appeared from all around him. They felt at his body, guiding tubes that pierced his flesh and started pumping a clear, cooling liquid inside him. Ajax felt overcome, unsure what was happening to his body. Panic welled within him as he lost feeling in his extremities. His eyes started to droop as a mask dropped down, wrapping itself around his face. Ajax slept.
Raúl was careful to balance the tray, his left hand providing support under its centre. It was still painful to move his wrist, yet the surgery had knitted the bone back together expertly and a day of exercising his hand had returned mobility. Once the swelling subsided he’d be fully recovered, or so Raúl was told.
He couldn’t believe that Ajax had slept this long, or that it was Major’s impatience and not Ajax’s hunger that resulted in Raúl returning to the man’s quarters.
The food stopped skidding at last, which allowed Raúl to breathe a sigh of relief. He feared that the tray would tip as he shifted it from both hands to one in order to unlock the door, thankfully he had balanced the tray well. His right arm pressed down on the angled screen outside the laboratory door, a scanner reading his implant before disengaging the locks. The door swung open without a sound.
He stepped inside, heading through a set of double doors that opened before him and led into the room Ajax slept within. Except where Raúl expected to see the man there was nothing, both the bed and the room were devoid of Ajax’s presence. Raúl set the food tray down on the bed and headed for the bathroom.
The door had been left ajar and through it he could hear muffled grunts as he neared. He pushed open the door and stepped back, shocked by the amount of blood that splattered every surface he could see. Ajax stood naked in the walk-in shower, a jagged piece of metal in one hand that feverishly hacked at his flesh in precise, calculated strokes, whilst a thick strip of cloth in his mouth dampened the noises he made.
“What the hell are you doing man?” shouted Raúl, when he had finally got over the shocking sight.
Ajax turned around to face the scientist, a score of wounds on his torso struggling to heal whilst the nano machines were pushed to their limits. He removed the strips of cloth bunched into his mouth.
“You returned me from death and gave me a clean slate, a fresh body, but the memories are gone. Each scar was a physical memory of some part of my life, and a lesson that I have learned from since; I need to replace as many as I can. Come here, look at this.” said Ajax, the improvised knife slack in his hand as he beckoned Raúl forward.
Raúl knew that how he reacted might mean the difference between life and death. He had never seen someone act this way before and feared for what Ajax would do next. If Ajax did not kill him then Major would if anything happened to his latest project.
“I don't know why you are look at me like that; I am not insane. You don't have to stand there looking like a scared animal.” said Ajax.
Raúl had little choice, he stepped into the bathroom to stand closer to Ajax, seeing the wound he had been pointing at all this time.
“This was my first ever injury on the battlefield, shrapnel tore right through my gut. A good friend died right beside me, and I thought I was done for; I’d only been on the planet two days. If I had not gone down so close to a field medic I would have died in the mud, even then it was touch and go.”
“Major said he looked into your records, you never served in the army.”
Ajax only hesitated for a second, his brain trying to send a thought to his mouth that didn't quite sit right. “I was a mercenary, probably why it never showed up on any records.”
Raúl decided to accept the lie, his common sense told him not to contradict a man wielding a weapon. He was no idiot and knew Ajax undoubtedly had a good reason to avoid telling him the truth, whatever that may be. His job was neither to pry into Ajax's past life nor worry about any secrets, he just had to make sure the man was ready for Major to utilise as soon as possible.
“If it’s alright with you I’d like to check over those wounds, and perhaps treat you for a host of infections you’re opening yourself up to.”
“Aye, you do whatever you need to keep your boss man happy.” said Ajax, his gaze focused on assessing each wound and matching them to his memory.
“You at least look like you have recovered your strength, none of the other subjects were back on their feet this quickly. I've brought some food for you, I thought you
might be hungry by now. I’ll come see you again once you’ve ate.” said Raúl.
“Absolutely famished. I'm done now,” said Ajax, stabbing the serrated metal’s point through his right forearm and twisting it until the hole resembled a gunshot wound. He could remember every single scar, after all he had stared at them countless times and memorised the look and feel of each one. “I'll be right through when I clean up.”
Raúl just nodded, happy to be out of the bathroom alive. He left Ajax to clean, the bathroom looked like a slaughterhouse and Raúl could already feel his stomach protesting.
Even though he had seen Ajax doing it first-hand he could not understand how one man could have caused such a scene and still be standing, the amount of blood was surely more than one body could hold. Raúl walked straight past the bed and headed out of the door, eager to get back to his own quarters and document what he had witnessed.
Ajax turned the shower on, not a small feat when there were no evident buttons or at least something to indicate how the shower operated. Instant hot water, nothing like the unpredictable supply of the Haven, poured across his scalp and back. Looking at his feet Ajax watched the blood washing away, swirling as it reached the drain. Ajax had meant what he said to Raúl, he was not insane.
When his body was clean he used the shower head to wash down the walls, near ripping the metal chord out of the wall to bend it around to reach the ceiling. Satisfied that the shower was less like a murder scene Ajax stepped out, towelling himself off and slipping on the same clothes he had slept in. There were fresh clothes waiting in the room, these he had already measured against his frame and knew all were a few sizes too small.
Ajax could remember what his body had been like before the stasis chamber, his muscles had been even larger than the day of his execution at the hands of Henry. Whatever Raúl had injected him with was returning his body to its former physique, which might explain his ill-fitting wardrobe. Ajax felt all the better for it, revelling in his body’s strength.