Fan Fiction ❯ Human Alloy ❯ In Two Minute's Time ( Chapter 10 )

<b>Part Two:

 

 

<u>The Voice And The Snake</b></u>

 

 

<I>“The First Bowl on the Earth.”

“The second bowl on the sea.”

“The third bowl on the rivers.”

“The fourth bowl on the sun”

“The fifth bowl on the beast”

“The sixth bowl on the stars”

“The seventh bowl on the air”

“And the earth turned grey”

“The sea turned black”

“The rivers turned red”

“The sun turned cold”

“The beast turned pale”

“The stars turned fast”

“The air turned to poison.”</I>

 

 

<b>~Enigma</b>

 

 

 

Something was wrong. I could feel it. I tried contacting Kane with my mind, but there was nothing. I had been separated from Cale already, and finding him wouldn't be easy. That's when the alarm sounded. I wasn't far from the biology department where Iknew Kane would first be, but after that was past the restricted labs.

 

“Dammit,” I swore under my breath, black hair promptly falling in my face. Ignoring the blare of sirens I quickly jumped on a nearby computer, people all around me starting to panic. There was fuss and bustle and, at random, computers were going black, restarting, picking up viruses and spam despite the excessive amounts of protective software we had installed on them. Our reign was beginning. I overrode the system's code, hacking into the security database.

 

Any angle of R.A.D.A.R. was accessible from any inside computer, as long as you knew what you were doing. I cut the alarm system off, checking the floor on which they sounded. I only assumed that if anyone had been caught within our group, which was rather unlikely— unless the twins were seen together— that the siren's coordinates were the quickest way to finding them. Floor five. That's where Kane was. I was only on floor seven, but still I wondered if I could make it. Everyone on my floor was too busy trying to get out of the way or collecting information to care much of who was doing what. I took the stairs, boots thudding as people rushed past me.

 

Opening the door and rounding a corner, the grey carpet below me dulling the sounds of my footsteps, I saw several people helping a man to his feet. He appeared to have been in a fight with a robot. Had some of those cats gotten in? Or perhaps in was a malfunctioning pet.

 

“What happened?” I demanded, the longer back of my sash swishing. I had changed from my robe to having my hair back, beads keeping my bangs out of the way, a silver skirt, high buckled boots, a blouse with a rose on one shoulder and a sash that tied, obscuring part of one leg and down the back. My ringed fingers drummed impatiently on my crossed arms.

 

“Renegades!” one man said.

 

“And twins!” a woman added. I turned a whiter shade of pale.

 

“Where'd they go?” I asked with a concealed gulp, sending a signal for Mercy on my bracelet.

 

“Down the restricted hall,” a man with spiked black hair, earrings and a nose stud said. He seemed out of tune with everyone else; he was calm, complacent and collected while everyone else ran around like headless chickens. I only hoped no one else was caught or had been stupid enough to make a dumb mistake. I doubted they would, but if by any chance they escaped capture, I had a good feeling that Jalene would end up getting himself recaptured elsewhere. Dashing along corridors, shoving people out of my way and quickly apologizing if I sent them sprawling, I stumbled down a stair well and opened a heavy door to the restricted hall. I knew already that Mr. Quendenski used these rooms for illegal labs and equipment, testing Berserkers and the new Generation of H.M.S. robots. I ran down the hall until I could see a mass of people at least a few hundred yards away, all writhing, twisting, shouting.

 

At a mad sprint I rushed toward them, a savage scream piercing the air. Shocked but not slowed down in the least bit, I reached the coalition, panting. Jalene was thrown over a couple people's shoulders, bound and unconscious. I'm glad my heels were several inches thick for a couple of reasons: I could see over most people, and I could kick butt if I needed. I heard Cale cry out in pain before he too was lifted onto someone's shoulders, bound but nearly as so as his brother. Kane's green stripped hair hung limply over a third person's shoulder. Helplessly, though not without empathy, I followed the group. I could easily imagine them as olden day farmers with pitchforks and torches, out to catch a werewolf or vampire.

 

“Hey, who're you?” some guy much shorter than I asked, turning around quite suddenly. “You part of security?” He had a mean look in his eyes set deep in his bald head.

 

“Yes,” I answered with more conviction than I felt, flashing the interrogator a security ID with my image on it. Fake of course. Thank the Earth for Gin!

 

“No formal wear?”

 

“Off break. Took the morning off and decided to have some fun,” I purred, hoping he'd fall for my charm. He shrugged as we followed the crowd.

 

“Glad we finally caught those bastards trying to screw our corporation over,” the man said.

 

“I know what you mean.” My stomach did a flip. The pace was slow, like trying to follow a funeral procession through New York City on New Years. We reached the other end of the hallway after tediously following the group.

 

“Fall out!” one man near the door ordered. Nearly everyone stepped to the side. I was inclined to follow but didn't. For now, I was a part of R.A.D.A.R.'s guard force.

 

The man looked over the five of us, four of them carrying unconscious friends, his eyes landing on me, lingering uncomfortably, but I stared him back with perfect posture. He pointed at me, then beckoned with two fingers. I stepped around the four people with the victims riding on their shoulders.

 

“Yes sir!”

 

“ID!” he said. It wasn't a question, it was a command. I withdrew my card from my blouse pocket. He snatched it from me, inspecting the plastic, probably checking to see if it was a fake. I was depending on Gin's ability to produce accurate, faux identification cards. Glancing from me to my card, he finally decided it passed.

 

“Okay then Mr. Forrest Sherwood, you keep back.” Nodding, I fell behind the queue as we filed through the door.

 

Those that were behind us stayed behind the closing door. Orders were given to disperse from the bald man I had met earlier. He must either have been higher up the ladder, or a natural born leader. We were taken to a much lower sublevel, farther on to where the dorm rooms would be located, only at the exact opposite end of the corporation. It took us a good twenty minutes of silent marching to get there, but we made it, using several underground halls that lead all the way over there. At a steel bolted door was a laser scan. Having the leader of our group, a tall, muscular man with a bad hair cut and beady eyes use his card to gain access, we filed in to the cells. Each room had a panel on the outside, shimmering force fields holding anyone inside with red horizontal laser-like bars. Two cells near the end were deactivated, one belonging to Kane as they roughly threw him in the grey marble, concrete and steel based room. The other was Cale's.

 

There were special back rooms, just five in total that looked like a small, dark, locked closet with padding. It was like a small version of an asylum. I noticed as they chucked Jean's body in, they left him bound, unlike what they had done to Kane and Cale. Taking note that they locked all the doors with a code, the one for Jean with a longer series, I felt pangs of sympathy for all of my friends, Jean especially because of his predicament. As long as I didn't blow my cover, I would be able to find my way back here and see if I could open the locks for them. I'd probably get Gin to come with me as well since she was so good at that. I only hoped they wouldn't have really tight security or multiple guards that might alert anyone of our presence if we had to take a few of them down. Falling back into line, we marched out, back the way we had come. At several places, people fell out, back to their posts. My fake ID would put me at a post on the fifteenth floor.

 

Instead of taking the stairs all the way up, I caught an air elevator on floor one where those who were left dispersed. I could feel the one man's eyes boring into my back as I went up. Glad to be away from them all, I took the elevator to floor five before crossing the building and finding the route I had first taken Jean and Kane to, to get to sublevel seven. There were several people there who looked nervously at me as I entered the room. I nodded, ready to whip out my ID if I had some more convincing to do.

 

“I'm Sherwood, with security. I need to check the restricted labs beneath this room as well all computers connected to the sigma and lambda servers in this room. I'd appreciate your cooperation. Please exit this room. I should be done in a day at most.”

 

“Sherwood?” a guy asked skeptically. I knew my appearance was enough to throw someone off. “Never heard of the guy.”

 

“Sherwood, Forrest, branch 78A, authorized for restricted access and sublevel investigation,” I replied patiently as those that were in the room stayed glued to their seats.

 

The guy shrugged, obviously wanting a good reason to leave. Finding one, he and his buddies left with a nod.

 

“Thank you for your cooperation, I'll alert you when we're finished here.” I stood still, as if at attention until they left. Sighing, a burden weighing down my shoulders, I found the back door for the elevator, taking it down to sublevel seven, glancing at the time to make sure Root and Gin would be back. They were waiting at the corral of white sofas.

 

“Oi! Yuie! Where's the otha's at?” Gin asked. “We `eard them `larms going off and was wond'rin' wot was goin' on. Where's them otha's at eh? They shoulda' re-port'd back `ere by now!” Root nodded gravely, his fingers steepled.

 

“They must have been caught. The three of them I assume?” he asked, his voice flat. I hung my head, nodding.

 

“Yes, but I had a security ID, so I followed them. They took the three to the cells on sublevel three floor C. Jean's under tight protection, bound and in a padded room,” I said in response, my voice controlled despite the flood of emotion that wanted to pour forth.

 

“Wot?!” Gin gasped. “No! So then is Kane an' Cale in a reg-ya-la cell?” I nodded. “Oi! Them ain't hard to get but them padded cells is. I think I can try an' crack it though. You know `ow many ticks they put in?” She was referring to how many characters were used in the code.

 

“Seven.”

 

“Aw man! Ima be up all night now! Oh well, I'll get started now, eh Root?” Gin asked, looking to the leader, sitting on the edge of the seat. He nodded his approval and she left.

 

“I suppose we wouldn't mind leaving Jean though,” he said, venom dripping in his voice as if the air he spoke was toxic.

 

“He's not exactly the most insightful person, but he is the one who could help us,” I said hastily in defense of my friend.

 

“You've tamed his human form, but we'll need more than that. Even then we can't say if it'll work out completely. Besides we have Kane too,” Root said gruffly, his fingers paused on his lips.

 

I sighed dejectedly.

 

“I don't know if Kane would work out though. I think his mind would be too strong for even himself to control. Especially with the capabilities he has now. I wouldn't try using him. Jalene's more docile,” I said, rubbing my shoe in the carpet, hands behind my back and brow knit. I felt like a small embarrassed child.

 

“Possibly,” Root acknowledged, sitting back, crossing his legs, arms spread out on the back of the couch, “but if Kane can cause more destruction, we can use him until we don't need him. We talked about this before.”

 

“I know.” Root was silent a moment. “Has Mercy returned here?”

 

“Yes, she's taken some damage, so she's undergoing a self-restore in Gin's room right now.”

 

“What happened?” I asked, interested, a little less worried about Jalene now as I stepped over the back of the couch, sitting down beside Root. He lit a cigar.

 

“Well, apparently she was fighting back a man as Jean and they made their escape. She took a few hits from several people's magnetizers, so she only came here out of pure luck.” I winced. Magnetizers were bad weapons, mostly to control violent robots. Of course some were used in illegal activity and vandal as well. Basically it was a hand held device that used magnets to screw up the sensitive coating and filaments inside the robots and sedate them.

 

“How long will her system restore take?”

 

“About three more hours,” Root said, a puff of smoke billowing from his mouth. Noticing my concern he added, “Don't worry, we'll get them back.” I nodded thinking, `I hope you're right.'

 

 

************************

 

 

I was laying on the couch, half tempted to dress in uniform and check on Kane and Cale when Gin skipped out of her room. Root was in the kitchen making a sandwich, and he came out with lettuce sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

 

“I gots Cale's and Kane's codes, theys was easy. Took me a bit longa' but I think I managed ta get Jeanie boy's code too,” she said with self satisfaction, holding up an electronic tablet for us to see. It gave the cell number and code, then beside it, the name of who was in the cell.

 

“Cell numba' 264B, code 008 is Kane's. Cell numba' 265B, code 090 is Cale's, and cell numba' 15A, code 4001334 is Jeanie's.” Gin looked up from the tablet as Root mused, his eyes narrowed with thought.

 

“4001334? That would D00M3D or `doomed' right?” he asked after some serious consideration. Gin nodded.

 

“I `ad a code name list of words they used in the cells, an' it took a while but I thinks I got it!”

 

“Those padded cells send off a silent signal if you get it wrong, don't they?” I asked.

 

“Yes, they do,” Gin said with a nervous laugh.

 

“But Gin is good, so I think the one she has is probably right. We can try at dawn. Less people are out then,” Root commented, taking a slow bite out of his sandwich.

 

“Aww thankee Root!” I pondered.

 

“I need time to think,” I said, getting distracted. I walked off before either of them could protest.

 

“Be ready by four! That's when we're leaving,” Root called. I pointed up, my thumb out so it looked like a check mark. Just a way of saying, “I understand.” I headed to the shower stall, stepping into my peaceful little garden. Despite the dusk that fell outside, it was late evening in here, and regardless of eating nothing all day, I wasn't hungry. I was still being nagged by something. I was betting almost anything that we'd end up being caught and if everyone wasn't dead in a week then we'd be stranded on Earth in a pile of rubble. That's what I feared it was coming too.

 

All three of us knew Cale and Jalene were twins. We'd have to be blind not to notice! But that meant we'd have to act fast if we didn't want one of them dying. There was a fifty-fifty percent chance it'd be Jalene's life too. Knowing that would mean we'd have to act fast. Restless, I pulled up a small three by five inch television screen from the bracelet I wore. It produced a projection of the 907 news. They had a channel for anything you could want, but the higher channels were all news stations, specializing on a certain topic. 907's updates were on what was happening on Mars. Kenny Brohan was speaking, a picture of a graph behind him.

 

“—concludes that the entire project is nearly done. With much enthusiasm Linda Crawford brings you president Bush LXVIII, live from Washington.” It panned in to where a reporter in a pink outfit was standing next the president.

 

“Thanks Ken. I'm here with president Bush LXVIII. Mr. Bush, we'd like to know how long you expect the space station team the H.A.L.O. to be working on project Mars,” Linda asked, offering the grey haired, big eared man a mike.

 

“Well now, we are expecting all construction on the red planet to be finished in about a week. We're still sending all those that are without home or on welfare to these new facilities with all the latest updated systems of course,” Bush said.

 

“Really? So what is equipped in these houses and are the people glad to be taking a trip through space to find a new home?”

 

“Well the houses have all the modern conveniences, running water of course, temperature controlled settings, a standard wide screen television, cell phone service and a new Mecha-Pet if they applied for one. As for the living transfer I believe for the most part these people are glad to be moving. They've lived without these luxuries and now I'm provided it to them for free along with a ride through space. I've never met a person who wouldn't want to see space from one of the NASA galactic jets.” I wanted to spit on the president for assuming that. The water he mentioned wasn't pure water either. Just the substitute they had for it.

 

“My that does sound exciting!” Linda said with faked enthusiasm. “So just what are your plans for the future of your people?”

 

“My plans are to get everyone living on Mars. It's a completely new planet, with plenty of resources to boost the economy. Everyone will be employed with higher paying jobs, better living standards and no one will have to live in fear of war, communism or homosexuality.” That one threw me for a spin.

 

“Homosexuality? How is that?” Linda switched the mike back to the president.

 

“Well, with the age we live in today, everyone's standard beliefs are the same. I've taken in the perspectives of different religions and believe that all the people have the same moral base. As you may know, this was given at a liberation speech only the other day. I believe enforcing the Christian teachings can bring forth the human in homosexuals. You see, they've been corrupt into accepting the same gender because of their lack of faith in God. In this new era, everyone will live under one God, but call Him by different names,” Bush concluded with a smile.

 

I turned off the hologram as Linda started to agree with him. So more people were being moved on Mars daily, huh? And by tomorrow everything will be complete. After that, they'll move everyone from Earth to Mars, leaving the planet to die in the grave they prematurely buried it in. President Bush was controlling the people with religion and they were so scared of their own shadows that they believed him. Religion—false promises—they were security blankets so that greedy bastards like the president would use them for his own damn needs. And the people denied it because they didn't want to believe it. Humans were so easy to manipulate.

 

 

*******************

 

 

It was four in the morning. Everything was darkly obscured, veiled in shadows as I stood, dressed in black pants and a black turtle neck. My hair was the same as it had been beads and all. Both Gin and Root wore the same, all black, save Root who had pulled back his hair, wearing a cloak to conceal himself even more. You could only see his face, his piercing yellow eyes in the dark. Gin's tank top revealed her arms, but she had a cap on to keep her red hair from showing as well. In silent agreement we left, piling into the elevator outside of our hideout, our padded soles barely making a sound as we tiptoed over bare tiles. The elevator hummed as we made our way up to sublevel three. There was a long hall which looked identical to the restricted labs hall, save all was quiet, everything made of steel. Root led the way down the hall, crossing over and turning left, down a short hall before reaching floor C. I recognized it right away. Sneaking along and fanning out, we checked for guards. No one was there.

 

I found the door that would take us to the cells that held our friends. Using my fake ID once more, noticing Gin grin as the door unlocked with a soft click, Root pushed open the door. There were two guards with their backs to us, staring in disbelief, probably scared at what they were hearing. From Jalene's padded cell there was a racket, despite the thick foam they used to soften the noises. It sounded as if an enraged gorilla was in there, throwing a tantrum. Root and I crept up behind the guards without a sound, Gin covering us. Root grabbed one, a swab of ether covering his nose and mouth. It was so strong he went limp.

 

“Hey—” the other guy started but I put him out like a light with some pressure to the carotid sinus area which was located along the guy's neck. He dropped the floor next to the other guard. I only half hoped he'd die of a heart attack.

 

Two people in cells near us stirred. Gin had already opened one cell successfully and was working on the other one. Cale emerged, grim faced and pale though still alive. He smiled faintly as Kane was released as well.

 

“Thank God!” Kane whispered, hugging Cale close. “I thought we might never escape! But this is so soon too!”

 

“Shhh,” Root warned. “Keep it low. We don't know if there's recorders or security devices hidden somewhere. And by the way, there is no God—just us.” Security huh? Gin wouldn't lead us into something if it had too many security issues.

 

“Covered mate,” she whispered. “Those was disabled when we screwed up them computers and servers. The disk Mercy put in was a direct channel to the security link.”

 

“Never would have thought that,” Kane admitted. “Are you okay Cale?” He turned his attention to his lover, quietly reassuring him, caressing his face, running his fingers through his hair and keeping him close.

 

“Yeah,” I heard Cale reply under his breath, raking his fingers through his long white hair. “Just shaken up.”

 

“Verdammen Sie es!” Gin swore in German.

 

“What?” Root and I immediately said, heads swiveling to meet Gin. Her fingers flew to type in a code.

 

“It wasn't the right one!” she said, her voice a littler higher than it should be. My heart was already racing; now it was pounding. I hadn't noticed but the noises emitting from Jean's cell had ceased. It was eerily quiet as the door's lock clicked. She had gotten it open after all.

 

“They have silent signals don't they?” Kane whispered in question.

 

“Covered that,” Root said, annoyed. He pulled the door open. Jalene lay propped against the door, still bound. He had a white handkerchief around his mouth which, despite the grey morning light that shone with an artificial lighting, showed a dark patch of blood. He was blindfolded, his hair a tangled mess, his wrists behind him nearly blue from losing circulation. I fell to his side, pushing past Root as he stepped forward to pick the unconscious body up.

 

The room's padding was slightly shredded. A small patch of concrete showed beneath.

 

“There's blood,” Root observed. I pushed Jean's hair out of the way, holding onto his shoulder with one hand. I wanted to cry. He may have been a monster we would use and probably end up killing, but still, I felt close to him. Our general hastily gathered Jean over one shoulder and nodded. With quickened pace, we headed for the door, only to be stopped by a dozen people with guns, electro-magno rods and ID cards.

 

“Scheiße! Nehmen Sie dieses!” Gin cried, high kicking the closest guy in the chin, sending him sprawling into two men behind him. Only one person could fit through the door at a time. We'd either knock them all out and run or die from the fatigue. Or be trapped as the bodies piled up, leaving us with no escape. I had an idea.

 

“Cover your eyes!” I shouted over the hustle as the eleven other men tried to rush in, shouting, aiming weapons, several shots being fired and missing, even at such a close range.

 

I hoped Root, Gin, Cale and Kane got the message. I was glad I was in a rush. It helped my strength, though not my concentration. I searched for the sun inside myself. I drew forth a copious amount of light in the shape of a dragon, sending it into those opposing us. They shrieked at the light as it blinded them. Finding it had died, we fought them back.

 

“All right!” Gin laughed, taking two guys out at once with a kick to the groin and an uppercut. Root bashed one man's head against another's. Seven more to go. We ignored most of them, throwing them out of the way as we rushed out, Root making sure Jean was secure over his shoulder.

 

“Come on!” he ordered. Footsteps were heard behind us as a fresh faction of troops was on our heels. I could have thrown more blinding light, but I would have had to stop and concentrate a lot harder. The first had already worn me out.

 

We made it as far as the long hallway before we were caught, trapped on both sides.

 

“Yuie! Can ya do sum'in?” Gin shouted, panicked, though keeping her surroundings in check.

“Not without dying,” I replied, desperate for escape as the five of us backed into each other. Cale was clinging to Kane.

 

“Well I ain't goin' without a fight!” the redhead cried with determination, sending one last person flying, a shoeprint newly embedded in his face. The people around us were shouting, giving orders, pointing weapons.

 

“Freeze! Don't try anything!” one man ordered, apparently taking the position of leader. “Hands where we can see em! No one move!”

 

“Well `ow can we put our `ands in the air if we can't move, eh?” Gin snapped in sarcastic annoyance. “OI watch it!” She punched the man who hand bellied her with his gun, knocking his lights out. At least two dozen guns clicked as she did so, telling her that if she tried something else, she'd be filled with two dozen bullets or more. She took the hint.

 

“Surrender peacefully and no one will be hurt,” the same man ordered as five people stood up with hand cuffs. I looked to Root, noticing how terrified Cale seemed. Kane stood before him, protectively. Root nodded and held out his hands. I hoped he had a plan. In procession, we gave ourselves up, allowing us to be cuffed. Unexpectedly Root was knocked out with a blow to the back of his head. Taken aback, the element of surprise getting the better of me, I too was cuffed. I felt the sharp instantaneous pain of someone knocking me out as I saw Gin spit in someone's face before she too had blacked out. Subconsciously I was aware that Kane and Cale would follow.

 

 

*******************

 

 

I awoke, bleary eyed. The first thing I noticed, other than the early afternoon sky was the fact that I had been stripped. Anything and everything I could use had been taken from me. I felt completely exposed to any threat, vulnerable, as if I was unprotected. I wondered if the others had been through the same. Evidently I had woken at a good time. I heard a door open, saw vaguely as a guard dressed in black and gold came to get me. Once the force field had died, he beckoned me out.

“Be good and you won't die here without trial. All your friends are waiting,” he told me, making a point of cocking his pistol, pointing it skyward as if it made a difference. I followed without a word as he guided me, standing by my side and slightly behind me, his gaze forever on me. I felt fatigued.

 

He led me through the left of where the cell rooms were located, up a stair well, through the dark to a door with code access. We went through the sublevels before we got to ground level. We were near the central entrance of R.A.D.A.R.'s corporation with its shiny blue marble floors, its black marble walls, its fake plant infested fountain with crystal blue synthetic water, it's wide window plastered front, its huge tidy reception and informational desk farther back. We were at the end of one of the halls to the right of the desk, coming in from the building. I was led outside in the dusty grey light. The sky was forever tinted a dark blue, although it seemed as if you couldn't tell because of the sun light. Today, however, the sky was grey with storm clouds. The smog was beaten down with saturation. People hurried off in a general eastward direction.

 

I was shoved into a car which held two more guards, both dressed in navy blue. We were quiet as the security guard in black drove the self efficient, hydrogen run car towards the masses, internally drawn toward the east like a compass needle pointing north. It reminded me of the Islamic culture hundreds of years ago. We arrived at what could have passed off for a public beheading. There was a huge concrete block, barred off on the sides where security guards stood so that no person could enter. Stairs climbed up the back, engraved in the side of the block of marble gilded concrete. On the platform was a large circular board with various cuffs for wrists and ankles, suspended on legs that could rise up at the push of a button. It lay flat. As I was taken out of the car, people shouted at me, throwing various objects, comments and punches at me. The security guards protected me, I thought, long enough to get me on the platform before they killed me.

 

A spokesperson of law stood near the board, delivering some sort of speech, listing our crimes.

“These are all punishable by death,” the man spoke. He couldn't have been more than in his mid twenties at most, with spiky black hair, earrings and a nose stud. I recognized him immediately. He had been working under cover. My heart flamed with a rage for the man who I knew would be my reaper. On the board, I noticed as I was allowed past the barred gates and up the stairs, getting a view of the top of everyone's head as well as their opened and yelling mouths, were my friends. Humans disgusted me. Chained to the board were Gin, Root, and Kane. There was only one more place, and that was for me. Gin was chained with her wrists near her face, her feet together; Root looked like he was crucified and Kane hung upside down, spread eagled as if he had fallen and splat like a fly.

 

We were all at least ten feet apart, enough room for people to miss. I was shoved down and chained to the board.

 

“'ey Yuie!” Gin cried, attempting to keep up a happy outlook, despite the predicament. She looked nervous, as if she was really sorry, like a beaten puppy. She laughed anxiously, something of a bark. I looked like a terrified animal, I knew as I waited, laying on the board like a rag doll. Kane had looked as if he wasn't even there and Root just seemed determined to win.

 

“Where's Jean and Cale?” I shouted to Gin, about twenty feet away from me, trying to be heard over the wild crowd. A cheer was given as I felt the board beginning to rise. My mouth was dry, my head dizzy. This was barbaric.

 

“Dunno mate. I `eard they was `aving a separate bout for them though. I thinks they gonna pick—” she replied, gulping for her breath as we were lifted a good extra twenty feet in the air on the suspended board.

 

Something in the back locked to keep us from spinning.

 

“Eenie meenie,” Gin shouted back, looking to me. “They's gonna shoot one of em, then prolly convict the otha' for sum'in and do em in the same as us!” The shouting fell to a restless murmur as the speaker I had seen earlier asked for silence.

 

“Now,” he said loudly, still in that same calmed voice, “for the conviction. This is your judgment: Kane Jiles, Yue Don Starr, Gin Winngate the third, and Maximillion Bricardo. You are to be suspended on the Board of Faith. If you are indeed innocent, you will not meet your fate: death. If you are guilty, you will rightfully die by the Holy Knife.” There was more cheering. They were playing with out lives like a game of darts. I heard Gin shouting in German. I held my breath.

 

`It's not my time to die,' I was thinking. `I can't die now!'

 

“Release the bolt!” the prosecutor shouted as people screamed as if at a live concert. I heard a faint click and immediately I spun downward. It was like a violent, sadistic carnival ride.

 

Something behind us kept us winding like the biggest airplane propeller you had ever seen. We moved slowly at first, then faster. People screamed; everything became a blur. I felt sick. I heard several thuds around me. I heard a loud grunting from Root somewhere around me. Glints of silver flashed past. We were spinning so swiftly that I couldn't tell what was happening but I think I knew what is was. Knives were being thrown at us, bullets being shot. I held my breath.

 

“Time!” I heard the reaper shout faintly over the roaring crowd. We slowed down. While hanging upside down, I noticed a clock tower. We had only been on the ride for two minutes but they seemed eternal. By the time we were lowered back down the crowd had gone ballistic, booing, cheering, jumping over each other like animals. I was unlocked but I stayed on the ground, staring at the sky to get back my focus. Once I had, I sat up wearily looking around in a daze, shocked at what I was seeing. Root had taken a direct hit in his right ribcage. Several daggers came close, another one had just shaved his leg.

 

Blood trickled from his mouth as red pooled out around him. Blinking rapidly, I saw Gin was much worse off for wear. Suddenly remembering the plan Root and I had, I looked to see Kane had sustained only a few close nicks from daggers that pinned his shirt down. He was breathing heavily, looking wild, afraid to get up. I crawled over to Gin as the crowd was told to keep back and just watch. Her chest was heaving, her vision blurry. Silently tears fell, though I hadn't noticed.

 

“Yuie,” she said faintly, managing a grin. “Good ta see ya…. alive.” I nodded, one hand caressing her cheek. “Save Earth…. for…. me…” The bullet that had grazed her heart was fatal. She was limp. Blinking back the salty tears I dragged myself over to Root. He hissed when I pulled the dagger out.

 

“Shoulda left it,” he growled through the pain.

 

His eyes said he hurt but he was strong, with a determined will. I was flopped over in a puddle of his blood. The overcast sky rumbled with thunder as drops of rain fell. Root grunted as I held his face. He sat up, tugging his pants leg up, despite my protest to remain still lest he bleed to death.

 

“I'm not going to die,” he nearly shouted, growling. Tied halfway up his thigh was a vial on a string. He pulled it off, untying the leather string and handing it to me.

 

“It's the Key to Anywhere,” he said quietly, closing my hand over it. “It can be used for whatever purpose your heart sets it.” He fell back, closing his eyes and sighing, the blood beneath him splattering with his weight as he displaced the liquid. I cried over him, cursing myself for being the one who hadn't been hurt at all, not even scratched.

 

Root put a hand on my head in reassurance.

 

“I'm not going to die,” he said firmly, determination glinting fiercely in his eyes. I nodded, sniffing, the tears still falling as I watched the closest friend I had ever had die before me. His eyes glazed over faintly, his head tilting to one side, his arm falling limply beside me. I burst out crying, holding his hand with mine, despite that it was drenched with his blood. A hand was on my shoulder. It was Kane.

“Watch,” he said quietly. I looked to where Kane was pointing as he hooked his hands around my waist. Cale and Jalene were put forward as guards pulled us and the bodies off of the board, unlocking the wheels and guiding the whole contraption down a ramp with ropes. We waited until the platform was cleared. They laid our two lost friends in an awkward pile. Savagely I defended them, even in death, laying them out neatly, Root's head in my lap, closing their eyes, still sobbing as Kane tried to comfort me, shedding a few tears as well.

 

The guards backed off as I swatted their hands away. They shrugged and fell back into formation somewhere.

 

“And now as you see before you! Twins! The abnormality of society! One cannot live! We cannot allow them to work behind our backs!” the spiky headed asshole shouted over the mike. The crowd, if it had been wild before, was even worse now. At first there had been a hesitation, as if the crowd was one being, gasping and cringing at the twins that stood there. After the half second shock they lurched forward as if they were one body, throwing spare change and cups and whatever they could at the two. A drink from McDonald's hit Jean in the shoulder, spilling coke all over him. He did nothing. Both Jalene and Cale's hands were bound behind them. I watched, wavering, unsure if I could live through one of their deaths.

 

“Save him,” I said in a small voice, barely able to breathe. “Please!” Kane left my side, apparently hoping he could do something. I noticed something in his right hand. Where he got it I have no clue.

 

“Now who should be punished? Or should we have both?” The reaper was enjoying this way too much. He pointed to Cale, the poor boy's eyes wide and scared as people cheered. He then pointed to Jalene and the crowed went ballistic. He pointed to both and everyone was hopping, screaming as if they were out of their minds.

 

`And most of these people should be on Mars by now,' I somberly thought. The guy with the mike and the nose stud nodded to two gun men behind the twins. They took aim and—

 

A building just across from R.A.D.A.R. exploded, obviously planted with dynamite, the detonator in Kane's hand. The whole building came crashing down on the crowd, instantly killing the majority of them, wounding everyone else that wasn't killed. I shielded my dead friends' bodies, just noticing that Kane had pulled Cale and Jalene out of the way. I heard a shot ring out, wondering if someone was stupid enough to stay behind and shoot at a twin instead of saving their own ass.