Alone and Hunted

Automatic electronic log of citizen Mar’Kayla-310322

I slump behind a boulder briefly to catch my breath. I don’t have long because the assassins will catch up.

I’ve been running for days after they killed my father and brother for this strange, heart shaped locket. Father found it on an unsanctioned exposition for metals. We hit a dry spell for weeks. The three of us mining together couldn’t find enough to survive. We were starving and Father mined without paperwork. Many citizens survived this way.

He was unable to melt it down into the square Shekels used as currency. It was indestructible. One day, tracing the etchings on the pendant, it displayed a holographic map, showing what Father surmised was an undiscovered world. He was soon betrayed to the Royal Council. They immediately ordered his execution and confiscation of the illegal artifact. Father was tipped off and spent his last days preparing an escape to the new world for Kane and me. He miscalculated the time left, the assassins caught him unaware and killed both my brother and father. I escaped, but now I’m alone and hunted.

My com-link beeps. A life force is detected nearby. It’s too large to be an animal and I know I’ve rested too long. An assassin has found me. My only option is to run like hell to the mountains, where the digital map is leading me, and hope I can conceal myself among the caves. The assassins can remain virtually invisible because they utilize the most advanced cloaking skins made. Without the organic life form detector in my own skin suit, I wouldn’t know where they are until just before I’m murdered.

My suit has basic survival abilities like protection from radiation damage, released from the ravaged planet, and air filtration. Premium abilities were included, such as enhanced muscle movement for faster running, fighting, and extra strength. It also has 360 degree vision and basic healing capabilities, oh yeah, and water breathing. Why Father thought I needed that, I’ll never know. All but the great lakes have dried up, and the closest ocean is thousands of kilometers away. I’d much rather have camouflage, or tunneling. Now there’s a perk that would be useful right now. I could tunnel a few dozen meters into the earth and escape the assassins. Their signal would all but disappear underground because of the increased radiation interference or they’d get lost in the tangle of twists and turns I would create.

For a split second, I consider standing my ground against the assassin. The anguish of losing my family over a piece of metal sets vengeance boiling through my veins. If I got lucky I could take the scout down, but by then the other three would be upon me and I’d certainly meet my doom.

Father’s composed, calming voice echoes in my head, “Be smart my daughter. Thoughtfulness not recklessness.” I take a deep breath and grasp the cool metal of the pendant dangling from my neck. I don’t think the scout has found my exact location yet, but when I start moving he surely will. With time dwindling, I jump from my spot and sprint like a terrified animal.

A blast immediately explodes centimeters next to me. Chancing a glance back, I see nothing, but I can hear the telltale sound of a tracker drone. My situation accelerates from bad to worse, because once the drone locks onto its target, they won’t stop until the target is stunned or vaporized. I could destroy the drone, but the self-destruct mechanism would immediately explode with the power of a small nuke, effectively destroying all life within hundreds of meters. There’s no escaping these nightmares.

By locking onto the sound I can estimate how far away the drone is, but that’s all. With few other options, I activate my energy shield and attach it behind me, covering my back and head, hoping the drone doesn’t think to attack my limbs. Just as I set the shield, the drone shoots another stun blast. I’m hit square in the back, the shield absorbs the stun particles but the force of the blast sends me stumbling. I lose my footing and crash to the ground. Wasting no time assessing injuries, I jump to my feet only to feel an explosion of pain in my head. My ocular sensors go fuzzy. I know now, the scout assassin ran ahead to cut me off before I reached the mountains, and while invisible, kicked me in the head.

My healing unit works to clear the pain and remove the ringing in my ears. Clicking open my ion-laser sword, I’m ready to defend myself but with the drone buzzing behind me, all it has to do is blast me with a stun while fighting the assassin. I have no way out, but I’m not going down without a fight.

“Give me the pendant and I’ll let you live,” he says deactivating the cloaking ability. A familiar face grins maliciously.

My blood goes cold as I look into my brother’s eyes. “Kane!” I can’t breathe. “I thought you were dead.”

He shakes his head while sporting a spiteful grin. “I’ve found a way to survive, a better way to live.”

Dawning comprehension turns my shock into seething rage. “You were the one who betrayed Father?” I don’t want to believe it.

He shrugs. “The Royal Council wants what’s best for the citizens and that pendant will help immensely to revive the world. It belongs to them. Besides, Father obtained it illegally, therefore he paid the price.”

“He kept us ALIVE!” I shout. “Look around Kane. They killed a good man for trying to survive. Is that how they’ll save us?”

“They have rules that MUST BE OBEYED!” he shouts. “People need to understand that… You need to understand. It takes leaders willing to make tough decisions for the good of all.” His hand touches his ear, listening. “The others will be here soon. They’ll kill you without question. Give me the pendant and I’ll let you go.”

“No, brother. I’m fulfilling Father’s wishes.” I stretch out my hand. “Join me, please. Together we can truly make a difference for the citizens.

For a nanosecond I see a spark in his eyes, the person my brother once was, but it immediately turns cold and he attacks. I’m barely able to block the blow. Without the muscular enhancements I would have been dead. I strictly defend at first while begging him to see reason, I can’t kill the only remaining member of my family. If we work together, we might be able to defeat the other assassins and find the paradise promised within this heart shaped pendant. It’s an astronomical chance I know, but anything is better than letting the Royal Council get their greedy hands on salvation, only to hoard it for themselves.

I notice movement in the distance. The three assassins are closing in. I immediately change tactics and go on the offensive. Kane’s overconfidence leaves small openings that I exploit fully, and soon he’s forced to defend. I was always a better fighter. Using a well timed leg sweep, I knock Kane to the ground. His ion-sword slips from his hands. He readies his fist cannon, but hesitates. Taking advantage of the delay, I knock him in the temple with the butt end of my sword and he slumps to the ground like an empty skin suit.

“I’m sorry, brother,” I say as I bolt across the wasteland toward the jagged mountains.

The drone, sensing its quarry is about to get away, joins the pursuit with the three remaining assassins. I don’t get far before I’m surrounded. Their cold, dead eyes hold no malice, but they don’t perceive a living, breathing human. I’m just an assignment to be terminated, nothing more, nothing less. I’m a decent fighter, but without divine intervention, I won’t survive the night. I swing my sword in reckless, wide flashing arcs of blazing, deadly glory. The three step back. I created a slight diversion, but nothing more. I was a feral animal backed into a corner, but I was also completely spent. Dehydration and exhaustion had taken hold of my bones, my frantic swinging only prolongs my inevitable demise by a few seconds, and the assassins know it. They relax slightly, knowing they can take their time with me. I am no longer a threat.

That’s exactly what I want them to think. “If I’m to die here,” I say. “I’m taking all of you with me.”

They throw furtive glances to each other and start laughing.

I hurl my sword toward the closest assassin. He easily sidesteps out of the way and smirks. But my target isn’t the assassin. The sword slowly flashes through the air as time slows to a crawl. One assassin catches onto my plan. Turning is head, his eyes widen in understanding and watches helplessly as the sword splits the drone in half.

Instinct takes over as I shift my shield in front of me and grab the assassin who sealed our doom when he sidestepped the sword. I curl into a ball and use him as a human shield against the explosion as the entire world flashes blinding white and the concussive blast sends me sailing through the air.

I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but when I open my eyes, I think I’ve been been struck blind because everywhere I look, I’m greeted by inky blackness. Panic wells up, but then I notice tiny twinkling pinholes in the black sky. I see stars. Usually the night sky of the city is covered by ash clouds, or the hazy fuzz of toxic gases, but here in the wastelands, I can see actual stars. It’s beautiful, but I don’t want to squander anymore time staring at the sky. I’m alive, but there could me more assassins. I run diagnostics on myself and the skin suit. It took a lot of damage from the blast and is barely functioning. I’m taking slight radiation damage, and feel particles of ash irritating my throat. I’m burned all over. Blisters cover my skin, and any movement causes ruptures. The oozing trickles down my limbs causing even more pain, a testament to being alive I relish.

Pulling the pendant off my neck, I run blistered, tender fingers across the tiny lines etched into the mysterious metal the way Father showed me after he discovered it’s true identity. Emerald green light shines from the pendant, then it opens like a flower blooming in fast forward and projects the holographic map. I follow the trail straight to a solid mountain wall. Defeated, tired, and hurt, I turn around and slump to the ground. This can’t be the end of my journey. I squeeze the pendant, ready to throw it far away in frustration, when I notice a blinking light in the center of the hologram. That wasn’t there earlier. Curiosity draws my finger toward it. I touch it and to my abject surprise I feel the mountain wall dissolve behind me. Ignoring the pain, I stand and stare into a narrow tunnel that opens up to a massive metal door. I have no idea how to open this gargantuan gate, but my eyes are drawn to a small heart shaped indention. The pendant fits perfectly inside, but panic rises in my breast when it dissolves into the door and disappears. I scratch frantically with my useless nails to get it back. It’s gone. Then the ground shakes and a horrific, metallic shriek sounds as the huge doors open. At first it’s only blinding light. Walking forward, I see breathtakingly gorgeous sights but before I step through, a loud bang sounds behind me. Immediately, something punches through my back throwing me forward. I know Kane has followed me, and I fall into the welcoming bliss. As I fall through eternity I say, “I forgive you brother.”

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