Floor 21- Dark Angel

by Jason Luthor

  “Yousef.”

  It’s a long second before he looks up at me, and I can see actual tears running down his face. “Have you ever . . . have you ever made a mistake you regretted so deeply, you wished, with all of your life, that you could erase it? To make things as if that mistake had never happened?”

  Those words absolutely kill me when they leave his mouth. My hands go to my head and push into my thick hair as I turn around for a second, pacing to the wall. Finally, I just let my arms flop as I look back to him. “Yes. Yes, Yousef. You know that . . . I told you I’d made mistakes.”

  “You were never entirely specific.”

  “Because I can’t be. Not with just anyone. And it’s not that you’re just anyone, it’s just that . . .”

  “Jackie, it’s fine. But if you know what it feels like, then you have to know what it means when everything inside of you wants to have a second chance.”

  “Don’t do this to me, Yousef.” I stare at him with my hands on my hips for a long second before I tell him, “Okay. Yeah. Second chances. But this is a big price for that second chance. You’re really going to tell me you’ll give up command of your army and step down as general?”

  “You can verify it with President Branagh. I told him the same thing during our meeting a few days ago.”

  “Builders damn it, Yousef.” I shake my head. “I just . . . I guess we’ll see how it goes, then. You know how much trust means to me, and you’ve already . . . You’ve been so close to crossing that line so many times.”

  “We never got that lunch together.”

  “If you really want that lunch, if you really aren’t lying about enjoying that night at Fort Silence, then be the person you should be first. Then we can talk about being friendly.”

  “I completely understand. Here,” he says as he reaches out his left hand, the human looking one and not that golden arm of his. “This may all end tomorrow. There’s nothing more I’d like than to shake on our agreement. To one last fight against the Raiders. To a better future.”

  It takes me a few seconds to really digest everything he’s saying, but I finally look back at him and nod. It almost . . . almost . . . makes me smile, and I extend my hand out to him. “Sure.”

  “Can we put a human touch on it? Maybe I’m sentimental, but the warmth and touch of a human hand has always been preferable to cold metal.” He raises his gloved, robotic arm before letting it fall to his side. “Human touch is precious. It reminds us of our connections to each other, of what we are.”

  “Yousef, sometimes, when you talk like that or about your sister, I almost think you’re the sentimental type.” My glove wipes away in blue light, vanishing to the elbow, as I extend my bare hand to him. “Look, maybe if everything works out and you really, really, try to do things right, this friendship thing might work out.”

  “We shall see if that is the future we are fated,” he says with a smile as our hands lock together. “I’ll let you rest. Tomorrow, we set out for war.”

  He’s about to pull away when I stop him. “Hey, Yousef, before you go.”

  “Yes?”

  “When I was in Zone Delaware, in fact when I was in the Tank’s home, she had these pictures. They were photos from around Fort Silence. I mean, from the bar, the courtyard. I think she’d been there. Do you have any idea what that’s about?”

  He looks shocked for a second before a dark shadow passes over his face. “It would make sense if the Tank, or at least if someone she knew, was a deserter from Fort Silence. That would explain why she has so much intimate knowledge of the military depots in the region. She may have deserted and then helped the raiders acquire all the military hardware they have. At least, that would explain how they’ve been able to upgrade so much.”

  I frown and shake my head. “That’s true. It’s just . . . It feels weird, you know? Even getting in there . . . It all felt too easy.”

  “You’re a force of nature with strength and abilities most people could never imagine. They weren’t ready for you.” He taps me on the shoulder, trying to give me one last bit of comfort. “We’ll understand it all more clearly after the battle. Goodnight, Jackie.”

  “Goodnight, Yousef.”

  I give him one last nod as he walks out into the hall before I erase the rest of my suit from this reality and into Pocket Space, leaving me standing in my room in just my jumpsuit. Then I just stand there for a long second with my hands on my hips, wondering how we ever got to a point where we have to send the last human city into war against a giant walking robot that could take out a dozen skyscrapers in one missile launch.

  That’s when I hear the beeping from my comms screen. I look over to see an incoming signal on the screen and confirm the call. I really can’t be certain who it might be, but when the screen comes to life and I see the face there, I can’t help but smile. “Mike!”

  “Hey there, Jacko,” he says with that grin of his. That smile was so hard to find back in the Tower when we were making our way down, but the guy’s time with Cynthia has obviously been pretty therapeutic. “Hope you got a sec.”

  “For the sole psychic left in all the world?”

  “How about just for your friend?”

  I laugh. “You know I’m joking, right?”

  “Sure. Problem is, don’t got much time to talk out here. Yousef’s soldiers are about to leave me at the drop off point.”

  “Oh, yeah. What’s it looking like out there?”

  “You spent a year out here on your own. Longer than me or the team. You know what it’s like.”

  “Maybe I just like it when I get to hear my friend’s voice?”

  He smiles again. “Well, what’s to say? Destroyed towers. Creep running in most buildings. Couple dead skeletons every few buildings or so. Whole train platform filled with skeletons. People, you know? Just sitting. Think some kind of weapon got ‘em all. Energy weapon or something, ‘cause everyone was still in full clothes. Wasn’t the Creep. Not much of it was around there, and the clothes were too well preserved.”

  “Yeah. You see that in the Deadlands. It eventually clicked in my head that about as many people died in the city because of the fighting as they did because of the Creep.”

  “Really makes you wonder if we’ve learned anything,” he tells me as he’s shaking his head. “Anyway, not what this call’s about.”

  “You mean you don’t like calling people to talk to them about depressing things you see in the post-apocalypse?”

  “Nah, funny how that’s not top of my list.”

  “Alright, alright, funny guy. What’s going on?”

  His eyebrow arcs. “Really going to play it that cool when you’re heading off to one of the biggest fights of the year soon?”

  “Oh, right. You heard about that. You know, I’m trying not to think too much about the fact that I’ll be flying through some of the heaviest fire I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to think about it either. Course, I’m out here in the Deadlands, soloing out to some remote point in the heaviest part of the Creep. Remind me, how’d we both take on suicide missions?”

  “First of all, they’re not suicide missions. Just, dangerous, you know? Second, we’re here because . . .” I smile as my head drops for a second. “Wait, how the heck did all this happen?”

  “Well, we did use to be the only ones in the Tower who wanted to go exploring.”

  “So that means you were supposed to become a Creep manipulating psychic while I became some armored war machine?”

  “Sort of thing your parents wish for you, right?” We both laugh for a second before things go quiet, and it’s another second before Mike finally keeps going. “Look, just wanted to say, I’ve already called the others. You know, wish them well and everything. Cynthia, too, and the brat. But, really couldn’t call it a day before I rang you up. Been a tough couple of months for us, but I guess we pulled it out.”

  “I was being an idiot and trying not to take responsib
ility. It feels like I was trying to run away from being the Angel.”

  “I get it. Plus, I know everyone needs you to put on the armor and go out there and fight, but remember that’s not why everyone sticks with you. When you’re at your best, you motivate people like nobody’s business. Your friends, me, we’ll always back you even when you’re at your worst. I mean, as long as you don’t go crazy uncle on the city and start tearing through civilians.”

  That gets another smile out of me. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I kind of like doing the whole ‘protect people’ thing.”

  “Yeah, me too, which is why I stuck it out with the militia. And why I agreed to this mission.”

  “And why I agreed to my mission, too.”

  “Dang, Jackie. We’re real suckers, aren’t we?”

  It gets one last laugh out of me. “I thought that was the way it’s always been?”

  “You’re right,” he says with a thumb over his shoulder. “Hey, got to make sure I’ve got all my equipment before I unload. Just wanted to say, after you’re done and I’m done, let’s grab a drink. We’ll do it right. Just the family. Me, you, Tommy, and Dodger. Old times, and no overdoing it.”

  “I think I could go for that.”

  “Great.” Mike gives me a half salute. “Until Tower’s end.”

  “Until Tower’s end,” I salute him back. Then the signal closes, and I’m left sitting in my room and wondering what the next day’s going to bring.

  THE DOGS OF WAR

  Jackie’s Recording 21

  “Dark Angel to Highpoint Waystation. John, come in.”

  “Today’s the day, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” I hesitate a second as I’m on the line with him. “John, today’s going to be a big day. It’s going to get intense out there.”

  “Yeah, I kinda get that impression. Something tells me you got something on your mind.”

  “It’s just . . .” I’m standing there in the darkness of my room, thinking about him sitting back there at Highpoint. He’s been nothing but supportive for . . . forever. So, I know he’s not going to like what I say next. “John. Today, there’s not going to be any time for hesitation. No time for doubt. Lives are going to be saved or lost in a split second. So, I need you to promise me, until this is all over, that you won’t question my orders.”

  “Kid. Come on now.”

  “I’m serious. You’ve done nothing but look after me since we met, and I’ve never asked you to do this before . . . It’s just, I know how you are. You let your personality get in the way sometimes. You care, and I really appreciate it, but sometimes that means you put up some big delays between when I make a call and when you agree. I need you to put that to the side, okay?”

  “Okay. Okay, we’ll play it by the book.”

  I take a deep breath. “If you need to put on your Major Mechanical face . . .”

  “Don’t. Don’t do that to me, kid, not after all this time. You know what that face does to me.”

  “I know. I know. I just . . . I needed you to know how serious this is.”

  “Hey. We’re in this together. I’m your operator. You make the calls, and I’ll deliver. Now, I’m still going to have to go by the book and give you a heads up whenever there’s something serious I need to warn you about.”

  “That’s fine.” I smile. “I know you’ll keep me alive.”

  “Going to do my best, at any rate.”

  “So, with all of that out of the way, I need you to unseal the reserve arsenal. Authorization Coleman Chapman Pisa Seven. Have half the reserves ready to go. Heavy rifles, miniguns, that kind of thing.”

  “You know we don’t have many of those left. Been a long time since you came back to restock the arsenal.”

  “I know. Just give me what you have.” I take a deep breath. “I also want you to prime all of our missile reserves and have all of our Pocket Space generators primed. If I have to, I’ll need to be able to drop some major firepower all at once.”

  “I’m not going to say anything about it if you make the call during the fight, but me and you both know that you trying to call in more than one or two weapons at the same time’s not good for you. It’s borderline lethal. Your brain may have Creep cells swimming in it, but it’s still human. The suit may act as the Pocket Space link but it’s your brain that’s the antenna all this stuff broadcasts to. You call down too much . . .”

  “Yeah, yeah. We both know. I’ll fry my brain.”

  “Hey, kid.”

  “Yeah, John?”

  “You’re going to get through this. I’ll be watching out for you.”

  It makes me smile. “Thanks.”

  Personal Recording of Devleena Kumar 05

  I hate giving speeches. Military people love giving speeches. So, when I’m standing there in front of almost fifty men and women all armored up just like me, I just throw my hands in the air. “Who the hell wants to hear me give a speech?”

  “None of us, sarge!” someone calls out from the back, and everyone laughs, including me.

  “Good. So, I won’t. You don’t need me to tell you what you already know, anyway. You’ve all received your orders. In under an hour, we’re going to be getting picked up by the Dynamis and navigating west, into the Deadlands. Deep into the Deadlands. We’re going to put as much space as we can between us and the Northwest Creep Colony, but we already know what’s going to happen once we start heading into the boonies, right?”

  “A whole lot of Creepers,” someone else calls out.

  “That’s right. It’ll just be a matter of time until those Rocs start coming at us. The plan’s for the Dynamis to put itself between those Rocs and our target, a walking pile of metal with enough firepower to send us to kingdom come. But hey, who wants to live forever?”

  “No one!” they all shout, everyone laughing again.

  “That’s right. As long as we’re alive though, we’re going to do our jobs. You’ve got your orders. You’ve all drilled. We’ve dropped into raider territory before, but we’ve never faced anything like this. The only reason we stand a chance at taking this Panzer out is because the Dynamis is going to be putting itself on the line to divert its fire. While the ship’s eating up all the return fire, we’ll be attacking from the ground and trying to get to the panzer’s legs. That thing’s carrying a lot of heavy armor on it, but our reports say its legs are exposed and vulnerable. We take those out, and we stop that thing in its tracks. We’re going to have to navigate raiders on the ground, but we know they don’t have what it takes to stand up to us. Who cares about a few tanks and rocket vehicles?

  “Here’s the thing though. It’s the Panzer we need to be watching. The machine’s mobile. It can move, and it could crush us all alive if we’re not careful. Every single person on the ground’s going to be attacking from an angle. Nobody’s going to stand dead in front of it and take shots from there. If we stay mobile and navigate around the thing, using the city to shield us, we’ll stay out of the way of its cannons and, just as importantly, those massive feet it has. Other than that, we’re deploying same as always. We’ve got permission to operate pretty independently but, if we get commands from further up the chain, please put away your independent streaks and fall in with your orders. I don’t need to deck anyone when we get back to Central. We’re there to support the rest of the army and the militia.”

  I take a minute as I slide my death’s head helmet over my face, my voice distorting as it belts out from my vocalizer. “Now, even if no one wants to live forever, Metal Heads say what?”

  “Never say die,” they all chant back.

  “That’s right, boys and girls,” I shout back as I raise my rifle to the ceiling. “Now let’s get ready to drop and kick some ass.”

  Mike’s Recording 21

  Coming back to the Creep, on my own, it’s like . . . otherworldly. It takes me back to those days wandering the Tower. Wondering about what was outside. I was always older than Jackie and the rest,
so I was a bit more ready to head out on my own. Least, that’s what I thought. I remember saying my goodbyes to the parents first time I went on the Scavenging.

  I don’t talk about them much. Wasn’t a bad relationship, but it always felt . . . professional, maybe. Like a formality. Think that’s why I was always so ready to head out on my own. Course, being out in the Creep, by myself, I can’t help but think about them. Maybe I shouldn’t. Don’t know. Honestly, there’re times when I do think about them a lot. Just feels like the relationship I have with Cynthia’s more real than the one I had with my parents. Then again, I’m actually still young when you think about it. Might come a time I regret not having bonded with the parentals.

  What gets me thinking about them, as I’m wandering the streets, is all the Creepers. Seeing them standing around, snapping their jaws, faces flicking left and right as I walk through along the sidewalk . . . It’s hard to look at. Some are still wearing the clothes they died in. Or more likely I hallucinate the clothes they died in. Even for me, being that deep in it, the Creep makes you see things. What I think I see’s what they were wearing five hundred years ago. One I see’s got shreds of a business suit. Another one’s got pieces of a dress. The ones that really make me want to just look away and pretend like it’s all a dream are the small ones. Three and four feet tall. Kids who died in the Creep. It makes me think about Mandy and realize why I’ve got to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to her. At all costs, I’ve got to keep her from ever having to face the Creep at its worst.

  Only a few people really know what that’s like. Me, Jackie, Tommy, and Dodger are a few. We all came down the Tower. We saw what the Creep could do to people, thanks to David Marshall. Nutball killed my Scavenger team and hunted me through the Tower. Left me traumatized for so long I didn’t know if I’d ever recover. Then there was Judge, the epitome of how the Creep corrupts people. I’ve always wondered, since I’ve got my amazing psionic powers, if I could turn into something like him if I ever got infected.