Edge of the Game (Part-2)

Author's Note:

If you have not read part one of this story, please do so before reading this. To find part one, written by Komal, follow the link below:

"Hand over the drive... or else..."

Ava smiled and winked mischievously.

"Or else what... helmet guy?"

Suddenly, the cloaked figure with the sleek helmet, uncovered spinning knives on both of his forearms. He stepped toward her.

"Oh, what cool toys you have there... they're like built in fans. Your gonna need something to cool you down in a second!"

Ava laughed with pure amusement. Pulling out a hand grenade, she flicked it casually toward the whirring knives that were underwhelmingly unthreatening to her.

"Enjoy your fiery fidget spinners, bud!"

The grenade blasted the helmeted guy into the side of the ally wall. Fire explosion incinerated the brick building.

"Ah, there's just something pretty about a building on fire like that... never gets old!"

Starting a nice gentle trot away from the explosion, Ava pulled out the USB drive. She squeezed it as if it was a good luck charm.

"Now... off to see what's on this little sucker."

Running through the pouring rain, she disappeared through a metal door in the back of a factory building.

There was a maze of rooms that she whisked through with ease. The eerie shapes of dozens of machines loomed in the dark. Entering a dark computer lab room, she sat down at a computer. Dripping with rain water, she jammed the USB drive into the side of the computer and waited impatiently...

~*~*~*~*~*~* Ten years earlier ~*~*~*~*~*~*

The orphanage room was silent. Roughly forty children sat, still mostly, aside from the occasional clink of silverware on their plates. Ms. Lockhart, the orphanage headmaster had sad serious eyes. She looked at the children as they soberly ate their lunch.

"Attention children, I have some difficult news to share with you all. Unfortunately, the government has ordered that the orphanage must close at this time."

She observed the shocked faces of the children, looking down for a moment, she held back the tears. But then a few tears slipped from her face, she quickly wiped them with her scarf.

"It has been my greatest joy knowing each of you and I will always care for you deeply in my heart. In a few days, you will all fly in an airplane to start a new program that the government has implemented called the Rechanneling Initiative. I wish you all the very best in the future, as you all mean so much to me!"

She didn't say any more but walked to the side of the lunch room. The children were in utter shock. Some of them whispered to one another.

"I don't wanna go!"

One little girl named Chi whimpered as she set her fork down.

"I'm happy here!"

Ava responded to her with little emotion in her face.

"We don't have a choice! Clearly, this is the only option!"

A few days later the children were in a line, boarding the plane that would take them to their new program. As they took their seats, the seatbelts latched on, but something just felt extra scary. Most of them had never flown on a plane before but the more intuitive children felt extra unnerved even though none of them could articulate why.

Ava grinned randomly, while looking out the small window.

"Hey, it doesn't seem so bad... At least we get to fly in a plane!"

After they were all seated, there was a syrupy sweet woman's voice that interrupted their anxious thoughts. The woman's voice came from the speaker.

"Welcome aboard children! Please sit back and relax as we will soon brace for takeoff! In order to help give you the best experience possible, you will be wearing safety helmets that will help you breathe easier and help you rest better during the flight. Enjoy the flight!"

Without any more instructions, black helmets projected from the backs of their seats. Within a few moments, they fell into a sleep-like state.

At the back of every helmet, there was a USB flash drive. All of their memories and emotions were being completely wiped clean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

To be continued...

Part three will be written by Komal and to find her profile, follow the link below: