Hopeless

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Hopeless

In any event, the tragedy at Moscow was one of many to come. Defenseless against the enemy we did not understand, humanity fell on Earth, then Mars and Jupiter. We never even paused to think if we could win, only when we would die. However, us colonists never imagined that we had a chance.

The tide shifted at New Charleston, located on the thickest ring of Saturn. The sprawling city was already under siege when the revolution began...

 

Chapter 1

"Prepare to repel the assault! All marines will fire on my mark, and civilians will continue to aid any patches the enemy breaks through!" I could never get used to issuing commands to civilians. Too mean meant too many complaints. Too nice meant dead civilians. I cannot ever as charismatic as James, however I am a captain of the Police Force in New Charleston.

"We have citing of multiple skirmishers, sir. Ten coming in from the left flank, and... sir, they've a tank off to the right!" The marine continued to scan and list off enemies as James rushed to the left. His streamlined black helmet bounced up and down, James has to wear what remaining equipment was left in the local academy.

"Focus on the bulk force off to the left, I'll work on the Tank!" He ordered the other, pulling out the elongated, custom pistol that James kept on himself at all times, I was truly jealous of him, myself only having a standard Police Assault Rifle. I hurried off to the left, ducking behind a small barricade before any serious attack was made.

The ground vibrated as the skirmishers neared, their massive bodies twice the size of a human. I peered over the ledge, aiming down my sights and waiting to give the signal. The skirmishers, huge, orange ogres spawned from the nightmare infection of New Charleston, advanced toward our makeshift camp. The heart of a skirmisher, an external organ that was so strong it pulsed the ground, lined directly in my scope.

"Fire!" Bullets zoomed past our barricade, plummeting into the enemies. The hearts began to murmur, causing a tremor. We continued, unwavering in the quake, and dumped clips into the massive skirmishers. They quickly dropped, the quake reducing with each dead. I rushed over to the right, confident that the marines could handle the remaining three.

"Travy, Hurry!" I heard James plea for help. I saw the tank closing in on him, about to trap him between two buildings crumbling from the quake. I pulled out an explosive charge, the only one remaining from the armory, and quickly tossed it at the tank. The odd orange brick stuck brightly against the smooth, blue tank that glistened under the streetlight. It rotated quickly, preparing to fire on me when I released the detonator.

The explosion rocked the ground, the tank flying into chunks. The building that James sought to escape began tumbling, the foundation destroyed from the explosive. He hurried out into the street, the building completely demolished by the time he reached me. James just grinned at me while I rolled my eyes, annoyed he would try to be cool and risk his life again.

We walked back to our base to find everything mostly in order. One civilian died from falling rubble, two marines sustained injuries. Our best report this week. James sat down on the stairs that led to the barricade, and I stood next to him as the marine commander approached. "Sirs," he nodded his head at James, then me, "the buildings around are all collapsing from the skirmishers. We must pull back in order to be able to use civilians safely."

"But we just moved two months ago! That base lasted well over a year." James countered, pulling off the helmet and letting his brown hair droop down.

"And it was in the center plaza, surrounded by utterly nothing for at least 300 feet. We're lucky if we get 30 in residential." The marine broke his stance, relaxing a bit, "What I am saying is that we have to move."

I joined in, "But we have orders from the Defense Committee. Defend at all costs."

The marine pulled out a letter, and began up the steps after handing it to me. I glanced at the top corner of the electronic screen. "From NCFDC." I flicked the trigger open, and read the letter.

To a Mr. Travy McCloud,

We have substantial
evidence that Dr. Hiesmick,
a local researcher, developed
a method of erasing the
Hive-Mind that controls the
hordes of aliens that invade
to this day. Including are
coordinates to the lab,
along with a power source
to turn on the device.
Should this info be
false, then proceed to the
pickup point and another
method will be discussed.
The source will be given
when you leave.

NCFDC


I paused, tapping the screen for a moment. "James." I said.

"Yeah?"

"We're about to do something really stupid."

 

Chapter 2

I paced back and forth, listening to my boots click against the stone ground. We had to hold the line here, otherwise the rest of the defense line would fall. No attacks in almost two days, we were able to mostly prepare for the journey. The Committee assigned me over two dozen troops, along with James and the three remaining SWAT members. I combed my hand through my brown hair, the anxiety eating away at me.

"James, we simply shouldn't listen to them. Sending almost thirty men into that mess, for a chance? Our hold in this district would absolutely crumble. They're insane for suggesting this." Captain Hathmore had been arguing with James for almost an hour now.

"Insane? Last time I checked, you weren't dead in the initial attack on the port. They saved every last person in there, and repelled two fleets. I think we can trust them." James leaned against a wall, the silver wall reflected his police uniform. SWAT spelled out on the back of the jacket.

Captain Hathmore countered, "And how about the government district? I suppose locking all those people out was a good idea, having to face the wave alone?"

"They were more than capable of surviving with the auto turrets installed. The only reason why anyone died was because our Mayor shut off the power and return the core for some odd reason." I said nothing, knowing this core was most likely the same one I was using to power the device.

James turned toward the window, glancing out at the city. "Look at this." He stated, motioning toward the tall structures crumbling away from skirmisher attacks. If it wasn't already gone, the building was usually covered in a black, gooey substance. The strange puddy glistened against the sunlight, some parts peeling away. I wondered what its purpose was, since the substance never harmed anything that touched it.

"Captain McCloud, what do you think?" Hathmore asked me, fixing the collar of his brown uniform. It was similar to James, only having more medals and Captain under the SWAT.

"We can't pull away from our defense, however marching into the Enemy's territory is suicide without at least a ten man squad. I mean, we can't-"

"Sir, I have a message for McCloud." A voice called from around the corner, squeaking. I glanced around the corner, watching a small boy run into the room. He was too short and skinny for any service, making me question how moral the Committee's strategy was. The boy handed me a small letter, then hurried over to Hathmore. He hugged Hathmore's leg, his blue outfit sticking out against the brown uniform.

I glanced down, skimming over the letter.

To a Mr. Travy McCloud,
We have revised our strategy.
Instead of sending out more
police and marines, we are
instead sending only you and
James Baxter. We hope you
also find the old Hive-Jamming
device lost in the Street
Complex. This should prove
effective when dealing the Enemy,
as you shall not worry about
reinforcments.
NCFDC

I chuckled, realizing that we wouldn't have to worry about our orders. "What's so funny?" Hathmore asked, and I turned to him.

"We've got new orders. James and I are going in. Alone." James looked at in disbelief, he stood straight up.

"What are you talking about? Did we not just agree that was suicide?" James started to walk out the door, but I grasped his arm and pulled him back.

"James, we'll be equipped with special transmitters to block transmissions between the Hive. We shouldn't have to worry about large groups of enemies." I felt his arm relax, and I let go. James still walked out, but started off towards the armory. I turned toward Hathmore, his son's blue eyes watching me intensely.

"Daddy, are they gunna die?" The boy asked his father. Hathmore squatted down and hugged his son.

"Hurry back to Mom. I'll be back there in a moment." His son nodded, and ran back out the door. Hathmore stood up, and looked out the window.

"This really must be their last idea, isn't it?" Hathmore's face sagged, his frown indicating his despair. I sighed, and also glanced back out toward the black skyscrapers that dotted the landscape.

"I don't think they have any better ideas." I shifted back to Hathmore, "But we have to try."

"I just can't understand why they didn't try this earlier." Hathmore looked back at me, the same blue eyes stood out against his black skin.

"That scientist was experimenting behind the Line, I think. He must have been building it when some attack happened and he was killed. They still have lots of pockets out there." I turned to the door, and started out toward James. I looked up as I walked, watching the Red Spot of Saturn swirl. Saturn's cities were nothing compared to New Charleston. Only a few outposts and settlements dotted the gas giant.

New Charleston grew so quick only because of the material found inside the rings. The metal found inside was steel, and is the main source of the wealth in the city. Earth needed metal while we needed water to explore Saturn. These expeditions were used to find the rare rocks inside Saturn's atmosphere. The rocks were perfect for growing food for the colonists.

Saturn was a nightmare of a planet, storms brewing across the interior. The biggest challenge of exploration was supplying the water to explorers, their suits usually going through ten gallons a day from evaporation to new storms. I had only been on exploration once, to guard the Committee's president as he toured a new irrigation rock.

"Hey!" A voice called out, pulling me from my thought. I looked for the source, and found James walking to me. I grinned, seeing the two massive bags he carried on his back. One was a navy blue, the other black.

"I'm guessing I get the black bag." I continued, "We better hurry. The city is about to be covered in Saturn's shadow. We'll have to proceeded for the next few days in the dark, unless you want to wait until the next cycle begins."

"That's in a week, and I'm pretty sure they'll have a harder time defending this line next week. We can't risk waiting to complete a useless mission." James told me, and I nodded. I took the black bag from him, and began to follow his lead. We walked past the meeting room again, and I glanced in to see Hathmore shaking his head.

"Why do we have these stupid cycles again?" I asked James.

"One, we rotate the planet so the city can have an artificial gravity from centrifugal force. Second, so we don't have to spend years in complete sunlight while others in darkness. Didn't you ever pay attention in school." I gave him a glance, and he had a dumbfounded look to himself. "Right, Earth kid. Sorry."

"Anyways, let's get this started. The sooner we get this started, the sooner it's over." I told James, reaching for the door in front of us. We would soon pass the barricade, and then it was the Enemy's turf.

 

Chapter 3

The first step, I heard, is always the hardest. Unless, of course, you trip on the second. James laughed in the background as I fell, sliding my face against the cold stone. My bag flew on by as I tumbled down. After what felt like a decade, my body stopped and I stood up slowly.

"Are you alright?" James managed to ask the question through his gasps of laughter. I looked up, seeing walk down. His black uniform blended in with a structure covered in the black goo behind him. James appeared as though was simply a head with hands.

"I'm fine, thanks." I glared as he continued down the stairs. I turned to the bag, and started to gather all the clothing and food that spilt out. I grabbed the small generator, a small cube covered in blue lights. It felt so light, and I doubted it could even power a device as powerful to destroy the hive-mind.

"That generator really is something." James said.

"How? The technology back home was probably better than this crap. I mean, how can we save the human race with this cube? It's a piece of junk." I was tempted to toss it when James grabbed my hand.

"You're pretty ignorant, you know that?" James told me, and I took the cube with my other hand to put it away.

"I'm not ignorant." I countered, standing up after zipping the bag shut and tossing it over my shoulder, "Education was... hard to come by on Earth."

"Then how'd you end up here?" James asked. We both looked forward at the Street Complex, the only goo-free structure in the Enemy zone. It was probably a few minutes walk.

"I'd rather not say." I told him, shying away from the inevitable truth. "It'd be too long to tell."

"We have a five day journey, at least. We have time." James glared at me, annoyed with my response. I looked away, and noticed movement over to the right. I pulled out my Assault Rifle, and motioned over to what I saw. James nodded, pulled out his pistol, and headed over. I began to circle the building it disappeared behind.

James vanished behind my sight, and I continued on. Just before I turned the corner of the street, I heard three shots. I cut the corner, and ran across the street, not watching the black goo splash on my boots. I changed the second corner, aiming with my Assault Rifle. James stood in the middle of the street, holding a dead squirmer in his hand.

"We need to move, now." He told me, and I started toward the park to the right. It was completely untouched by the battles fought around. The green grass blanketed the park, no blemish at any point. I paused to take in the aroma, a fresh reminder to make me forget our mission. However, James pulled my arm and forced me onward, bringing me back into reality.

The Street Complex laid just beyond the park, and we started to run. I heard the first screech behind us, but James shouted, "Keep going!" I glanced back, seeing the squirmer racing toward us. I could feel the ground beginning to shake, definitely a skirmisher. They began to close in, their greenish skin blending in with the parks grass.

"James, we're going to have to get them now!" I yelled, beginning to reach for my Assault Rifle. The complex was no more than a hundred meters away, but the skirmisher could destroy the building. James shook his head no, but by the time he noticed I had already turned around. I shot the skirmisher first, it's hulking body sag to the ground. I swung the rifle at the squirmer, but it was too late.

The creature flashed at me as I put my hands up, holding a dagger after dropping my rifle. It scratched my face repeatedly, and I struggled to combat this creature. I began to jab it with my dagger, the creature deafening with a screech. The squirmer rolled off me, and scuttled away. I quickly pulled up my Assault Rifle, stiffening my grip. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I relaxed.

"That was stupid." James chastised me, but I punched him in the gut.

"Seriously? That skirmisher could have destroyed the street complex!" I strained my fingers through my hair, and I moved away from James.

"We have to get going. Saturn is about to cover us in a shadow." James started to the building, but I looked up at the sky. Saturn almost covered the whole view, except for a small chunk of the sun still appearing. Although street lights would come on, the city would still be unable to see sunlight for days. "Are you going to stay there and pout?"

"I'm coming." I told James, returning to him. My head pounded from the scratch, the blood dripping down my face. It must have been more serious than I thought.

"This is the famous Street Complex. We used this for a scientific center in the early days of the colony. Now, it's mostly just a hub for people with ideas." James seemed to take in a breath of nostalgia.

"What's your history with this place?" I asked as we walked up the steps to the front door. He stopped where he was walking, and I did also.

James responded, "I'd rather not say. It'd be too long." I rolled my eyes as he quoted me, trying to ignore his attempt to reveal my past. I glanced up, avoiding him. The Complex was the last remaining stone building untouched by the goo. The silver surface reflected a faint mirror of all other buildings around it, almost giving it a sense of superiority to the others.

James opened the front door, and allowed me in first.

It was as amazing on the inside as it was uncovered by goo. The wall extended for what appeared to be miles up, the inside shining a bright white. Lights flashed everyone, advertising various stores and products. It was as if the invasion never happened. I tapped James on the shoulder, "How is this even possible? Why didn't people just stay here?"

James laughed, "They left it alone in hopes that the Enemy would leave it untouched, much like Earth's strategy on Paris and Chicago. It seems as though the Enemy seeks life, and doesn't care the rest. Funny that we didn't just flee the city."

I glanced around, noticing a small, darkened room on a higher floor. "You think that's where the jamming devices are?" I asked, and James shrugged. I started toward a working escalator, leading right up to that room. I turned around told James as I went up the lift, "Watch the main door. If the Enemy gets in, we have to go."

James nodded, and aimed his pistol on the door. The elevator continued slowly, and I looked down to see my boots shinning from the light above. The escalator appeared as a black carpet against my white boots, shimmering as it pulled me up another floor. Hopefully, we could get these devices and finally be on our way.

However, the ground began to shake, and the building was screeching. I shot my head back, seeing James already outside the door and catching a glimpse of him fighting a nearby skirmisher. I wonder why he wasn't shooting. It didn't matter though, because I already began to run up the stairs. I slipped, slamming my chin against the escalator, blood appearing in front of me.

"Gotta hurry." I told myself, standing up and racing up once again. I reached the top when another quake shook me, throwing me against the wall. I turned back again, seeing James distracting it. What was he doing, this place was about to collapse. Unless...

No more skirmishers had arrived, so the device WAS working. I made it to the darkened room, the quake subdued. I hit a switch, and all the lights began to gleam in the room. Two small packs stood in the middle, each blinking softly.

I grabbed both off of the pedestal, and began back outside. James had hurried back inside, shouting something unintelligible. The building was collapsing, chunks already falling down. I hurried over to the railing of the escalator and slid down. The slide felt like forever, watching everything around fall apart.

"James, go!" I shouted over the noise, and I watched him leave. I reached the bottom of the escalator when I realize why he left - three squirmers were just beyond the door, and James was outside attacking them. I ran toward the door and burst through, reaching for my Assault Rifle.

They started to squeal, and to my amazement, attacked each other. James paused to watch, but then motioned me to leave. We both started to run away from the Street Complex, watching the dust kick up in the air as it fell apart. I turned my head to sneak a peak of the building's final destruction, when I saw the squirmers halt their attack and began to explore the building.

After what felt as though forever, we stopped. James started to laugh, and I watched as he patted my back. "So we got lucky. Let's get going."

I looked at him, "Not yet, are you kidding? We need to make sure no Enemy is near." James ignored me though, and kept going. I reached for his shoulder, "James, it's practically time for the lights to kick on and we'll be in pretty much darkness for days. Can we at least stop for a second?"

James nodded grudgingly, and sat down on a nearby bench. I followed him, placing my bag with our new transmitters to the side. "You do realize this is the easy party?" James asked, and I sighed.

"That's what I was afraid of." I replied.

 

Chapter 4

The Third Day


"Travy, be quiet." James whispered, hugging the corner of a small house. I pressed against the wall next to him, watching the shimmering goo drip from the house onto the ground. The only light came from street lights, and only small glimmers of stars could be seen. It was almost completely dark.

"What's on the other side?" I whispered, my throat soar. We talked most of the day, and I spent a lot of time laughing.

"Enemies. I've never seen these before." James said.

"This is deep territory. No one has ever snuck this far before, as far as we know. The Enemy may be much larger than we can expect." I inched closer to James, and tapped his shoulder. He turned to me, staring me down with his amber eyes stick out from the darkness.

"Let me go ahead. You need to save your ammo for Skirmishers." He nodded, and I pulled out my Assault Rifle. Rolling from the building, I aimed straight at these new Enemies.

I put my gun down laughing. James bolted out from the side of the building, rushing to me. He gave me weird stares, and aimed at one of the large, leathery birds. "Stop." I told him, and James continued to stare in disbelief.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" James exclaimed.

"Listen, we need to have a chat. I..." I look away, staring at the nostalgic birds.

"I..." James continued, "Are you some kind of Enemy expert? How come you have said this before?" He took a step back. "You know, I should leave now."

I grabbed his shoulder, and said, "James. Earth was nothing like this. We never dealt with the Enemy before. We had no Jammers, no special device to save us. Just us and our guns."

"You've NEVER explained what happened. How much do you actually know?"

"Fine. I lived in New York City. It was much like New Charleston, only taller and thicker with people. Before all of this, I was a police officer. Got lucky, made it out in one piece." I bit my lip.

"There were no ports in New York. The closest port was in Chicago or Atlanta. I was the coordinator for all incoming flights, stupid." James, annoyed, kept walking.

"Can't the dead just stay dead..." I murmured, and then walked straight up to James, blocking him. "James, we'll start a week after the Enemy came to Earth. The only time I will only say this ever. It was May 18, six days after the invasion. Half of Earth was already gone. It was awful. You think this mission is rough? Try escorting someone for hundreds of miles."

James stared at me, surprised by my revelation. "Hold on, what are you talking about?"

I took a breath. "The Hegemony was completely ruined, and traveling across North America? You learn a lot from the people who still live, and about the Enemy. We have names for all of them: Blunders, Skirmishers, Squirmers, Crawlers, Gaspers, and so many more. Skirmishers and Squirmers aren't the only Enemy.

"After we made to Atlanta, the remaining troops in the are were cutting a path into the port for us. We had absolutely no idea if there was a ship left..."





"Travy!" Heather yelled, and I pivoted on my foot, facing her with my Assault Rifle. Atlanta was falling apart, the sound of gunfire was everywhere. Buildings collapsing from bombs, the Enemy slowly took over minute by minute. The freezing air only made sounds amplify. Heather's red hair flashed she brushed it out of her face.

"Heather!" I called, aiming my Assault Rifle at the encroaching Skirmisher. The ground trembled as it ran for Heather. I blasted it with bullets, all ripping through it. The skirmisher fell, and we heard a scream. "Come on!" I told Heather, and we both raced over to the high-pitched voice.

A woman was trapped under some rock that had fallen on her. I began to lift the main platform crushing her as Heather took off the brown jacket on herself. Heather reached for the woman, and began pulling. The woman trashed, wanting to escape. I lifted the rock enough to see if she would survive. I looked away, disappointed. The woman shrieked, and I dropped the rock.

"Heather..." I looked at her, then at the woman. Heather began to walk away, picking up her jacket and placing it over her black dress. The familiar click of her high-heels pulled me back into reality. I followed after Heather, not batting an eye toward the woman.

"We could have saved her." Heather told me, continuing on, "You let her die." She stared at me while we walked, the brown eyes burning at me. I shook me head and looked forward at the skyscrapers covered in goo.

"You know as well as I do she was dead. I can't help her, neither could we help Kathy. I know, it sucks. But they died so we could go on." Heather pulled on my navy blue police uniform. I looked at her and we both stopped.

"Listen, Travy, I... I'm sorry. It's just, even though this isn't New York... I mean look at this place. That weird goo, crumbling buildings, no order, and we keep losing. Why would Kathy have died for us? She had all the gun knowledge, and you have the information for the Hegemony."

"Heather, that is in the pass. My mission is now to get you off this rock and into Pluto's base." Heather cried, hearing those words. "No more New York, no more Earth. We need to get this to back up."

"How can we know if there is a ship left?" I bit my lip, hiding my secret.

"I don't know if there is... but we have to go. For Kathy." Heather smiled, and her eyes gleamed. I smiled back, knowing how awful I am. We both started toward the Pier, the largest port in the world. The Pier wasn't seen though, many of these tall skyscrapers covered the way. Most were covered in glue, however on some floors the goo just missed.

"I wonder what that is about." Heather mumbled to herself, and I shrugged. This was all weird, and many of the houses we saw on our journey appeared to be missing chunks of goo. Heather continued, "You think after all this time..." We heard a shriek, interrupting her thought. I pulled Heather to the side, shadowing our selfs from the incoming Raptors.

The Enemy had taken several creatures native to Earth and created them. One notable creature was a Raptor. It was completely red, veins popping out all over. Jagged teeth appeared near its narrow mouth, however more teeth grew across the body. We learned VERY quick to avoid them at all costs. Even for a sacrifice.

"I thought they couldn't survive in cold weather!" Heather panicked, and I held my hand over her mouth. Quietly putting a finger on my lips, I peeked around the corner of the building to see what was happening.

The Raptor charged toward us, but then made a quick turn. Four marines pumped ammo into it, but the Enemy continued to charge. I motioned toward the alley, and Heather started off that way. I didn't want to see who was going to win either, so I followed after Heather.

The next few minutes we stayed silent, both reflecting on what just happened as we trekked through the city. "We could have at least..." Heather said, but she sighed, "Who am I kidding? They're dead. Never mess with a raptor."

"Some things we can't prevent." I told her, and we continued in silent. The Pier was slowly peeking through the alley, and buildings appeared to part as we reached the Pier. "Are you ready? We need to find a ship as soon as possible. This is Heather. We're so close."

"It's just... is this worth it?" She asked.

"I don't know."

We both stopped at the end of the alley and saw the Pier. The massive dome appeared to be at least one thousand feet high. It was completely untouched, the outside was a shimmery metal. However, explosions and gunfire sounded from itself. Heather started forward, and I stayed behind for a second. I had to do it.

"What's wrong?" Heather asked, and I looked over.

"It's so cool." I smiled, and followed her. We both saw the entrance, the two giant, glass doors. I put my hand on the handle, and looked at her. "Follow me. We leave on the first ship we see." I told her, and Heather nodded. We were so close, and the doors swung open.

Ships lined the dome, some tipped over or destroyed by explosives. I glanced around, watching marines and the Enemy ensue in combat. The marines were still cutting a line to an open ship for us. "Travy!" A voice called, and I smiled knowing who was talking.

"Nick!" I called back, watching the massive bear of a man approach me. He hugged me, rubbing his large beard against me. Nick was... too touchy sometimes. I pushed him off, watching as he adjusted his brown uniform, hiding his blushing face.

"Sorry... uhm... anyways, we've got a ship. It can fly straight to the Hub in orbit, then to New Charleston for a refill before Pluto." Nick looked at Heather. "Is this your passenger?" He looked her up, and Heather stepped up to him and slapped him.

"I prefer to be called Dr. Parst, to you." I chuckled as Heather chewed him out, and she started ahead. I pulled Nick off to the side.

"You got the message right?" I asked him, and he nodded. I frowned, and looked over at Heather. "This is going to be awful. Good luck, friend." I hugged Nick one last time, and caught up with Heather.

"He's a perv." She told me.

"He's gay." I replied, and Heather leaned over to whisper something.

"He's both." I grinned, appreciating her humor. We both looked forward, seeing the ship that would carry the information to Pluto. It was a massive construct, spanning from the ground to at least fifty people up. Rockets were slapped on the sides to help the ship into orbit. This model was designed to stay in space, not for planetary entries.

That meant we were the lucky ones to launch it into space. "You know what's funny?" Heather asked me.

"What?" I questioned.

"For as advanced as we are, we can only launch one ship at a time into space."

"Heather, this is a section of the Pier. The other two are for ships designed to go in and out, like planes." She blushed, embarrassed. I laughed, and we both continued toward the ship. The blue construct stood out against the silver background of the dome, it's cone shape clearly defined. The door to enter for launch was in front of us. I fingered the pistol in my pocket.

"Travy." Heather looked at me, worried because I was blocking the entrance. I paused for a minute, regretting this choice.

"Heather, I'm sorry." I pulled out my pistol. Heather began to cover her face when I fired the first shot. Then the second. Then the third. I turned away from the body, not wanting to look at her face after my betrayal. The orders were simple. It stated 'Kill all who learn the secrets, including the Doctor and your Weapons Expert should they prove useless'.

Heather couldn't help anymore, there were no more symptoms. I was cured. I looked back toward her body, seeing the horror on her face. I walked into the ship, sitting down in the launch seat. All ships were designed similar by flight standards, so pilot training would be simple. "Alright Travy, we're buying you as much time as you need." I looked back at the closing door and Heather's body.

I was truly pathetic, wasn't I.





"After the launch, Atlanta fell. I managed to refill and leave toward Pluto. I was ordered to New Charleston after debriefing my mission. I'm the only person to ever trek more than ten miles behind the Enemy Line and live." I paused, taking a breath. "James, I just... let's just keep going. I did what I was supposed to. That's what happened."

James stayed silent and we began to continue on our way. I watched the Enemy sit there and watch us. They were so amazing, and yet so terrible to me.

 

Chapter 5

The Fourth Day




The day started with a few battles with the occasional skirmisher. James hadn't talked to me since I explained what happened on Earth. He usually thought for a long time before responding to a serious conversation like that. Just before noon, James looked at me. "Who was Heather?"

I glanced at him, watching his amber eyes gleam against the background of a cityscape. James' black uniform blended in with the goo-covered skyscrapers. Saturn's rim was barely visible in the almost pitch-black area of space. "She was in charge of keeping Kathy and my health in line. Heather learned some secrets that she shouldn't have at the time. I'd tell you, but they're secrets."

"Was it really worth killing her over?" James asked, looking back at me. "Are there government or personal secrets?"

"Both." I smiled, "She really over stepped her lines, reading sealed letters while I was 'sleeping.' You think she should have known I had sleeping issues. But still, Heather was... a friend. It's... unfortunate I killed her." We continued, but I turned my head to look behind. The street lights dimly lit up the area.

"What are you looking at?" James asked. I saw Heather's crumpled body on the ground. I blinked, watching the illusion disappear.

"Nothing." I replied absently, and James rolled his eyes at me.

"What happened to Kathy?" James asked. A voice shrieked in the distance, and I looked in surprise at James. He just stared where the source originated.

"Later." I told him, and he nodded. I pulled out my Assault Rifle. We stood armed, slowly closing in toward the small building where the noise came from. "How could anyone survive out here? It must have been almost four moths since we last were in the area." James just shrugged, and I rolled my eyes.

The building was shorter compared to the towering skyscrapers, but its goo-covered walls only went up about two stories. The ground began to shake as we got closer, and I realized this person must have been attacked by skirmishers. Without a gun. I race toward the other side, hoping it wasn't too late. "James you get that person out!" I shouted, turning the corner.

Two massive skirmishers, at least twice the normal size, stood before me. The woman, a short, blonde lady stood cowering almost ten feet away, just outside of the reach. The two skirmishers began to reach over, but I aimed my rifle at the head of the closer one to me. I watched the bullets zoom through it's head, the skirmisher quickly dropping as it oozed green.

I aimed at the next skirmisher, but the crack of James's gun went off and the skirmisher slumped to the ground. We both turned toward the cowering woman. She looked up, her blue eyes danced around, as if she was planning something.

"Are you alright?" I asked, approaching the woman. She nodded, "What's your name?"

"Catylin. I came on the last ship from Earth, before Tokyo was destroyed. Dr. Hiesmick was in contact with the remaining Earth forces, and I brought this with me." Catylin pulled out a small cube for the brown bag behind her, flickering with blue lights.

"Wait, that look like a generator." James said, obviously trying to process with it all.

"You're right. We pulled our resources and built one to power his 'Enemy killer'. But I wasn't prepared for an infection here, and was forced to flee. I'm lucky I made it this far." Catylin rubbed her clean, white dress. It seemed to strike out against the black goo. I watched her carefully, seeing her twirl the golden curls. Something wasn't right, at all.

"Hey James," I turned away from Catylin, "Can we talk?" I saw out of the corner of my eye that Catylin had an odd tint in her blue eyes, almost red.

"Yeah." James said, and we both conformed into a nearby circle. We both watched Catylin while we talked.

"How does this even happen?" I questioned, and James shrugged, "No one can do that. That's impossible, sneaking this far in enemy territory. I mean, look at her dress. It's so clean!" James looked at me before staring at Catylin again.

"I think she's fine. She could just, you know, change her clothes. And you went halfway across a country, Travy. You aren't the only 'superhero' in this." James told me, and I took a breath. Something just didn't add up.

"Alright James, I trust you." I said, still not convinced. We went back to Catylin, satisfied with our conversation. Catylin smiled, almost knowing we resolved our conflict.

"Before we start," James said, "We need a bit more backstory."

Catylin dropped her smile. She turned away, and began, "They just came in swarms, we helpless watched the walls being tore down by the hordes, gasping as all of the men left behind were slaughtered. Moscow was destroyed, and I watched it burn. If we hadn't made it out, then I would have never made it to Tokyo before the Enemy. That's my backstory, I'm a survivor. I was quick."

I paused, swearing this was a case of deja vú. It sounded so much like my own story, but just condensed and yet longer. I looked over at James. He nodded, agreeing with her story. Did James know her? Is he holding secrets from me? I was terribly confused, Catylin definitely changed this whole mission.

"What happened to your ship when you landed?" James asked.

"My guard ran. He... just ran. I watched the Enemy tear him apart. I luckily wasn't noticed and snuck away. I used this," Catylin pulled out a small blue bottle, the colors reflected like a prism inside it, "to cover my smell. One of Earth's developments during the fall. I thought I was a goner, but you both saved me."

James smiled, and took a step forward. "We are glad you came. We're going to move on soon, but give me a minute to talk to my friend." She nodded and turned around the corner.

"No. You've got to be kidding me." I told James, folding my arms and making sure my voice doesn't raise above a whisper, "She doesn't even look harmed. Please tell me you aren't serious."

"Travy," James was basically shouting, "Don't be so rude! You're pathetic for making her seem like an issue. You're the only issue here."

"Excuse me?" I asked, getting ready to slap him. "She just shows up and we're going to let her in without any regard? Can we even trust her."

"Travy," James got close, whispering in my ear. I could feel his breath as he talked, "Trust me." He pulled away, and winked at me. I sighed.

"We head out in five minutes," I called out to Catylin. "We'll have to find you a gun also." She walked back around the corner, and I swear I notice a small drop fall from her dress onto the ground. Almost like the black goo.

"I'm excited to finally see what this famous machine is." Catylin smiled, and I feigned one back.

Whoever she was, we would find out.

 

Chapter 6

"He did not!" Catylin laughed at my story, sitting across the fire. James sat next to me with his arm around my shoulder.

"Yup. Nick grabbed my arm and yanked right out of the socket trying to give me a hug. I was in the hospital for a week." I smiled, brushing off some dirt on my pants. At least it wasn't any black goo. I looked over at James, "Your turn."

"I'm good." James smiled, holding up his hand. I sighed, but Catylin stood up.

"I'm going on a quick break. I'll be back in five." She smiled and left, disappearing in the darkness.

"I never understood why we lit a fire." I said, looking around. It was an abandoned mall, the power cut out. The outline of colorful clothing stores surrounded us, however it was too dark to tell anything apart.

"Because we have no sunlight for another day. The temperature drops to frigid because no power can support the heating systems. We're basically a house without a heater, so the fire keeps us alive." He brushed something off my face, feeling the scabs from our previous fight against the enemies.

"It really doesn't hurt that bad." I told him, but James just frowned.

"I'm done talking about that." He dropped his hand, and pulled away from. I shook my head and looked away.

"When will the temperature get back up?" I asked, turning my head toward James. He stood up and faced me.

"After about five hours. Although the actually 'sunrise' that will really heat us back to normal won't start until tomorrow." James started toward where Catylin disappeared, "However..."

"It will keep heating up though. So unless the helicopter comes, which is probably a no go since we've probably lost it by now." I got up, and followed James into the foyer of the mall.

It was pitch black, and you could not see a thing that was not near the fire. I turned back and glanced at it, the flames danced around. I glanced back to James's shadow, barely visible. "Catylin?" I asked into the darkness.

"One more second..." I heard her call faintly, and then snapped her fingers. The lights came on and I jumped for joy.

The ground began to shake, and I looked at James. He shrugged, signaling his confusion. I saw the fist of a skirmisher appear out of nothing, heading toward James. I pushed him, watching the fist as it barely inched past his face without a scratch.

"Catylin!" I shouted, but she did not reply. I rolled back into the fire-lit
room, surveying to find the guns. They were no where to be found, and I cursed. She must have set us up, to try and get both killed. I found the jamming devices, the two blinking devices working.

"James, there are no guns here!" I shouted, hearing him curse in the other room. The whole building shook with the skirmisher. I grabbed the jammers, and hurried back into the other room.

James was cornered by the skirmisher, his hair was a tangled mess covered in dust and blood. I searched for something to use, seeing a long coat stand to my left. Picking it up, I charged toward the skirmisher.

However, James pulled out his pistol and shot the skirmisher dead before I could reach it. The body tumbled over, and I looked back up at him. "Where's your gun?" He grinned, and I punched him in the shoulder.

"Why did you mess around like that?" I chided James, looking at his wound. The cut on his head wasn't deep, however we needed to find the medical kit quick.

"I placed the weapons over here, remember? So that we wouldn't be robbed again."

"There is no one this deep, James. You know it." I looked away, annoyed with him. He moved his hand back on my face, and pushed me to look at him again.

"Hey, trust me." He smiled, but I frowned back.

I grabbed his hand, moving it away, and murmured, "I've had enough of this trust." I grabbed the medical kit, and bent over to pick up the bandage.

"What happened?" Catylin asked, suddenly appearing.

"Where did you go?" James asked, sternly looking at her.

"I went to turn the power on, but I passed out and bumped myself." She told us, pointing to the new slice on her forehead. I began to apply some alcohol to James's wound.

"Well we're glad to see you're alright." James told her, but I rolled my eyes. For all I cared, she could be shipped in a pod to the outer rim of the solar system and only have enough oxygen to make it there.

"How was that skirmisher able to sneak past the jammers? I thought that they would work all the time." I chipped in, hoping James would realize that she really didn't pass out.

Catylin smiled, responding, "We developed a technique similar to that during the fall. However, these jammers only worked about ninety percent of the time. The Enemy, as you call it, seems to have random mutations so sometimes they cannot be harmed, while other times they can be."

"What do you mean, as you call it? What do you call the Enemy?" I asked her while I reached down for gauss.

Catylin frowned, the first time I ever saw her upset. Her eyes almost seemed a shade darker, but then I was interrupted as I opened my mouth.

"Why isn't this lovely!" A familiar voice called out, and I looked back.
Captain Hathmore stood there, smiling in a navy blue uniform. He brushed his lip, his short black hair seemed to glimmer a bit.

"Hathmore!" James called out, pulling my hands down and going for a hug. The two embraced for a second before Hathmore pulled out a message.

"Hold on, how did you get here?" I asked as I started to attend to Catylin's cut.

"We managed to fight our way through, lost five so far. But time for the good news." Hathmore paused to clear his throat, "Attention, to a Captain McCloud: New Charleston has been able to move the line back ten meters because of your current mission. However, we have discovered a new core that will be more suitable to use in the machine."

Hathmore pulled a green cube out of his pocket, similar to the blue cube I received earlier. "This is great." James stated, looking hopeful. He took the cube and went to go put it in the bag.

"And who might you be?" Hathmore asked, motioning toward Catylin.

"I'm Catylin Hiesmick." Captain Hathmore raised his eyebrows once she said her last name. She smiled, continuing, "I can help you resist the enemy. I was in the last ship, actually carrying the core my father wished me to bring him so we could destroy the enemy."

Catylin pulled out the small blue cube. "Excuse me one moment," she said, slipping away to the restroom next to us. James and Hathmore had a few glances, with James nodding back after Hathmore mouthed something.

Catylin walked back in, ignorant of the elephant that had just been placed in the room. "Well we're actually going to need you Catylin." James said, tapping his foot.

I smiled, realizing how dangerous she truly was if James wanted to police her. Catylin smiled, and replied, "I guess you don't know how to run the machine then. It's very simple, but I can go ahead with you two."

Hathmore turned toward the door. "Now, don't forget: we've no more helicopters. There is an ammo crate out here for you to use the remainder, but no guns. We cannot spare anything else at this point. From now on, you two- three, excuse me, will be officially out of our reach."

I waved, calling to him, "Don't forget to leave us a spare pod!" Captain Hathmore went through the door, and it sealed shut.

"I returned the power to this building only, it was all I could do." Catylin turned back to James and I, the two of us packing up.

"It's all we needed." James replied, and I looked at him. I didn't understand the game they were playing, however I went along. I didn't understand how she turned on the power, or where that skirmisher came from, but something says that she won't tell us.

I sighed, picking up the last of the things lying around. We only had another day before Hiesmick's lab. Let's hope it's worth it.











I know it's been months since my last update, but I hope you all want to see the end!