I know this is a lot to ask to read this but anyone who wants to can, only constructive criticism accepted! I've been working on it for about a month. If you don't want to read it, Don't, I'm not trying to force anything. And don't correct me on spelling, if it's spelled wrong its for a reason.
Chapter 1
The year was 2258, someone had just done something funny in class, and I found seeing someone stupid doing something stupid was funny. The class bell just rang and school was out for the weekend. I'm driving home with my two friends Kelly, and Daren who needed a lift and Kelly started talking about her morning. "So I woke up in the morning right? My little brother decided it would be fun to put some green paste in my make-up machine, so I started my morning like and other senior would, get dressed, and start with my hair, the hair machine kept jamming on something, and it cut some of the end part of my hair, so I spent half my morning cutting the rest even so I didn't look like a moron at school. Then my brother's idiotic prank made me get to school hour and a half late washing that nasty paste off my face." She said. "That’s a pretty funny morning Kelly." I remarked. "I'd say so, then again me or Gareth don't have to deal with a "Hair Machine, or a Make-up Machine.". Daren Remarked.
We got to a stop light where the road literally moves your car for you to prevent crashes, all you have to do is turn on your blinker and the machine and moves it to the right place. "Well were here, I said looking at Daren." I said. "Thanks for the ride Gareth, you know since the crash and all." He responded. "What crash?"Kelly asked. "You haven’t heard? Well in the summer Daren bought a new car and he was driving one day and the machine that moves your car malfunctioned and sent his car and a few others past “The Boundry” and those "Things" destroyed his car." I told her. "How did he survive past the boundry?" She asked. "Turns out his car had an emergency teleport function when the "Car and Passenger Safety Teleport" or CPST, when the car passes the boundry. The "Passenger" function worked but the "Car" function didn't." I said. "Didn't he have insurance to pay for a new car?" She asked me. "No, because he thought that all those safety features would work fine, plus after how much that car cost, the insurance would be ridiculously high." I said. "How much did that car cost in the first place?" She asked. "Around 6 million curits" I said. "Here is you're stop." I said. "Thanks for the ride. I'll get my own car soon enough!" She said walking to her door.
I wanted to visit the boundry line and reminisce from "The Contamination of 2150". I got out of my car and walked to the boundry, climbed to the top and looked at those "Things" again. After a couple years people started calling them Axexs, I don't know what it means but it seems to fit nicely. I thought to myself that we should try to find out about these Axexs and try to cure them. Then again their so dangerous that capturing one would be a difficult task, we could do it fine if we found a way to stop the "Howl" they scream when they find food, are in danger, or when they find something useful like food, shelter, weapons. We need to capture an Axex before they learn how to use weapons effectively. The only known thing about them is that they were once people, only certain people though, and it’s genetic. The first genetics that caused this was a family in Texas, they were from the line of Abraham Lincoln, we think that why Lincoln aged so quickly is because of his genetics, another, stronger line of people mixed with Lincolns line and made it worse. Their sons and daughters were different, not like crazy different, just the way they would do things. They did everything different from other people from eating to throwing a ball. These children were smart, very very smart, even when they were toddlers they already knew how to add, multiply, even do a small amount of algebra. One day one of the children wanted to move out to another state, when they were in the airport and they had to go through a scanning that makes sure you're safe to be on a plane. When they were scanned they went mad, ripping people apart, just went maniac, once they had bitten someone with their genetics in them would become what they were. Over time they evolved into vicious Axexs that were designed to kill and destroy everything that made them mad.
Chapter 2
So how’s this barrier keep them from killing us all you ask? They hate lights, they will do ANYTHING to avoid them, it sounds strange but it works very well, as long as the barrier's lights stay up we are just fine, we invented a super-efficient solar panel that doesn't require any maintenance to stay running, and they never wear out. The main lights are surrounded by three layers of hardened glass that even army tanks can't break. The sun starts to set, I looked at my watch and it’s already 7:30PM, so I decided to head home. I got into my car and drove away, I had to stop for gas, once again the prices were raised another .30 curits. It was a total of 13.68 curits for a gallon of gas, considering the gas was 20% pure gas, 50% synthesized gas, 30% combustion chemicals that are suppose to make your car run better. I think it’s fixed. They don't use the synthesized gas a lot because it uses valuable chemicals to make. Put in a few gallons and headed for my apartment.
For some reason I kept fumbling my keys and couldn't stop shaking, it drove me nuts. Luckily I didn't have any homework for this weekend. So I just chilled at home for awhile watching my old school TV. I turned on the news and it showed the rebellion in action, they were trying to remove some lights to make the Axexs attack, they were half successful, they removed the lights and as soon as the lights shut off the Axexs leaped on a couple rebellion soldiers. It’s like they were expecting them to shut off the lights. I swear those Axexs are getting smarter, they were smart in the first place so why wouldn't they be, right? I Turned off the TV and went to bed for the night, even though the town of Royston was very much still alive and active. I slept a dreamless sleep that night. I woke up and I went to go get some breakfast and I looked out the window and the city was ruins, everything destroyed but my apartment complex, the Axexs were everywhere. I tried to go and bolt the door when one of the Axexs broke through the door and jumped on me.
Paralyzed with fear, I woke from my dream that was one of the worst dreams I've had in a long long time. The first thing I did was look through my window trembling in fear of what was behind it, luckily its regular Royston, boy was I relieved. I turned on the TV again after getting some breakfast; once again the news said that the rebellion soldiers made a successful attack, and not losing any of their own this time. "Chaos is everywhere in southwest Royston, the rebellion soldiers have destroyed 30 feet of the boundry making a big entryway for the Axexs. Anyone from southwestern Royston is required to go to their nearest contamination facility immediately." The news reporter said. "As you can see there has been military action to reduce, or even stop rebellion acts like this." The field reporter said standing in front of a contamination area where the attack was. I thought to myself, why is the rebellion even attacking, and what did we do? I realized that it was already 10:30AM and I had to leave to pick up Kelly and Daren.
Chapter 3
Once again Kelly was late while I and Daren were waiting in the car."Did you see any of those Axexs when you got outside of the boundry?" I asked Daren. "One, but not very clear the CPST was activating when I did. It made everything blurry so I couldn't see very well." He said. "Just a minute!" yelled Kelly. "Take your time sleeping beauty." Daren remarked. "What did it look like?" I asked again. "What is with all the questions Gareth?" He said. "Just wondering." I responded. Kelly got in the car and we left off for Area 57. We were getting close to the main gate of the facility and a security guard asked us what we were doing. We didn't tell him anything and moved on. He seemed suspicious. The facility doesn't normally allow looky-loos. The main outside was layered with three fences with electrified Swedish made razor wire. Ever since the Contamination the Swedish began building defensive structures, that wire is designed to cut, not tear flesh, that’s probably why it’s so efficient.
After the fences there is a connected octagon of buildings with about a 20 foot clearing in between the surrounding and main researching building. In all of the eight corners there was a watch tower over viewing the entire complex. It is designed really well to not reveal any secrets the government doesn't want the public to know. We parked the car in a concealed spot where no one could see it, and we hiked about 150 feet away from the car to avoid being spotted. We stayed low and tried to find and opening in the fence but nothing, we were thinking of climbing of but that is a very difficult climb, even for a master climber. Gareth thought of a great idea, use a portable radon welder and cut through the fences. Luckily he had one on him, and he took it out and started it up, it took a while to get it going, they take forever to warm up. The radiation in them will allow us to cut the fence and re-attach it later. We got through the first 2 fences when a guard tower spotted us, a siren went off and everything turned white with a loud ringing sound.
Chapter 4
I awoke to a white room, Gareth and Kelly were gone, my pockets were empty, and I couldn't remember anything except the white view and ringing sound. There was a camera watching me it pointed a blue laser at me, after a few seconds of it scanning me it turned green and disappeared. The door opened and there was a hallway that seemed like it moved as I advanced in it, I eventually got to the end and there was a door, when I got to it slid open and there was the red laser to scan me again, this one was stronger though, when it scanned me again and everything turned white and the ringing sound back and I was expecting to do this all over again.
This time I awoke to being in my car with Gareth and Kelly were next to me. I woke them up and asked them what happened. "I can't remember anything, it’s weird." Said Kelly. "Me too." Gareth said. I tried to remember it again and I can’t remember anything, the last thing I remember was Gareth welding the first fence. "The fence!" I yelled. "Let’s go look and see if the hole is still there." We got there tripping over our own feet and the fence wasn't even disturbed, it's like they turned back the clock. We drove home scratching our heads. We drove by the place where the rebellion attacked and they had about half of the boundry repaired, they shined a bunch of lights at us so we couldn't see the military. "What are they trying to hide?" Kelly asked. "I don't know, but its driving me nuts." I told her. We got to a stoplight, and some guys were fiddling with the mainframe of the stoplight mover.
Daren was really paranoid. "If they make this thing send us out of the boundry I'm going to kill somebody, that’s not happening again!" He said. "Calm down Gareth, I'm sure there just operators just fixing something." I and Kelly reassured him. The light changed and the car started to move, it moved faster than normal this time, and it just got faster, I tried to brake and released that the car wasn't even on the ground. Suddenly the car turned in the direction of the boundry and accelerated more. The stop light launched the car into the boundry, breaking it. After that the car died, Gareth freaked out. Luckily there was only one Axex and was preoccupied, I told Gareth and Kelly to be quiet so we don't attract the Axex. I tried to start the car and nothing, it wouldn't start at all. The Axex heard the car and turned toward us and began walking to us, as if he was expecting us to arrive. I kept trying to start the car and it fired a couple times but wouldn't fully start.
The Axex got about 30 feet away and kept getting closer. Kelly and Gareth remained quiet while I tried to start the car. It finally fired and ran, I tried to back up but the boundry rubble prevented me from going back in, the Axex got really close and gave out a howl, within thirty seconds three more appeared. Gareth couldn't handle it anymore and he got out of the car and sprinted for the boundry line, he tripped and got knocked out on the rubble, Kelly began to start freaking out. "We can't just leave him, he will be bitten!" She pleaded with me. "I know but I think we have bigger problems at the moment, as I pointed at the Axex right outside the car."
Chapter 5
I started worrying, and then I spotted some rebellion soldiers in some bushes to the right of the car. They were well equipped. They used hand signals, they were trying to tell me something, but I couldn't understand any of them. They sprinted to a flanking point for the Axexs. They opened fire being careful not to send any bullets our way. The Axexs eventually died, and I and Kelly made a beeline for the boundry line. We picked Gareth up and carried him inside the boundry. The police were already there and they took Gareth and told us they would get the car, but we had to leave. They set up a perimeter and shined the lights to prevent us from seeing what they were doing, which made me mad. We both got in a taxi to go home. I got home and about an hour later I had to go to work so I had to spend my time wisely. I ate first, took a shower and watched TV about the crash until I had to leave.
"Ugh, what happened?" "It's okay Daren you’re in the hospital, you got a slight concussion." The nurse calmly said to Daren. "How did I get a concussion?" He asked stuttering in his words. "We think you fell and hit your head on some rubble, now calm down and take it easy for awhile, we don't want your brain to swell." The nurse responded. "Here drink some water. You have been out for a few hours." The nurse persistently told him. "Is Gareth and Kelly okay?" I asked "There fine, now rest." She said. The room was kind of older than normal, it had an old school TV in it though, he thought to himself. I tried to get out of bed, but as soon as I showed some effort the nurse came in and told me to lie down.
Somehow they knew when I tried to get out of bed, and there wasn't even a camera in the room. Eventually a couple of nurses came into the room and said. "Relax; we are just moving you to another room." They told me calmly. They injected cold, blue syrup into my bloodstream that knocked me out in seconds. I awoke much disorientated, I could barely see, the medicine affected my vision, balance, and the ability to focus. I couldn't see much just a TV projector that was showing my brain's chemical reactions between neurons. It looked weird like electrified spaghetti, I eventually got all my senses back and noticed the whiteness of the room and tried to get up from my chair and I found straps attached to my arms and legs, I couldn't even feel them before it was weird. I was in a white sheet-like robe, and a weird skin-like fake rubber scalp that was attached to the scalp of my head and I couldn't take it off. A biology Doctor came in and said there was something strange in my brain.
"Your brain's chemical reactions occur much faster than normal humans." He said. "Is that good?" I asked him. "Depends, it makes your physical reactions faster than normal, but it wears out your brain after awhile. That’s why you got your concussion so easily." He said. "So what does that mean?" I asked. "It means you might have an Axex's genetics." He told me. "I have an Axex's genetics, so now you are just going to keep me here like a lab rat?" I asked. "No, we will let you go, but you want to be careful around Axexs, if you encounter one. You are free to leave your clothes are in the bin to your right, a nurse will be in here to take your brain monitor off in a minute." He said leaving. A minute later a nurse walked in and removed my brain monitor and I got dressed and left.
Chapter 6
I got back from work exhausted, three people didn't show up for work and I had to take their shifts including mine. Daren was at my house when I got home and he said he wanted to talk to me about something. I still had crisp sweat on the top of my forehead, I try unlocking my door with my keys, but I keep fumbling them because of the sweat. I finally got my door unlocked, I seen Daren sitting down at the wood furnished table fiddling with the table cloth as if he was upset, or plainly frustrated with something. I approached the table cautiously. "Why so tense?" I asked. "I have something to tell you." He said. "What?" I asked. "I awoke in the hospital, and there was a brain monitor with my brain's reactions on a screen." he said contently. "Yeah, when you go to a hospital they always do that." I said. "A doctor told me that my brain's reactions were faster than normal." He told me. "What’s that mean?" I asked. "It means that I might have the genetics of an Axex." He said almost tearing the table cloth in half with his grip. "I'm not sure what to say." I told him. "You don't have to say anything; I just needed someone to tell that wouldn't overreact." He said. "Do you want something to drink?" I asked him. "Sure, water is fine." He said. I got up and poured a glass of water for Daren, I threw him a stress ball so he wouldn't tear my table cloth in half. "Thanks I needed that." He said. I walked back over to the table and handed him the glass. "I better get going. I have some thinking to do." He said handing me the glass and walking out the door.
I sat down and thought about what was just told to me. Before I know it I'm almost tearing the table cloth too, and I didn't even notice it until I heard a faint tearing sound. I turned the TV on again and of course they were still showing the crash I was in earlier. I can't believe I recovered from that crash so easily with no injury. They showed those people who were fiddling with the controls for the stop light. Turns out they didn't get away, they tried to run away, but some policemen caught them, turns out under their robes they had full body armor on and fully equipped, they really put up a fight, they killed 15 policemen before they were shot down, that rebellion armor must been prototype armor, it was bulletproof, but it moves with your body, it’s really ingenious.
It was the typical painted with black undercoat with spotted brown and brighter green to blend in with the terrain outside the boundry. Their main equipment includes a basic survival kit in case they get lost and have to survive, an assault rifle with a few extra clips, a semi-automatic pistol, and a machete. I still can't believe those soldiers hid all that equipment under those robes, it looked like they were just regular people with robes on.
Chapter 7
After about half an hour later I had to pick up some groceries at the store so I grabbed my keys and left. I was at a stoplight, just a regular one, and I seen two robed figures again, they noticed me looking at them and they looked at me, expecting a face I seen an armor mask with camouflage on it, it was more soldiers, but how do they keep getting in? One of them walked up to my car and slipped a note in windshield wipers, and took off in the streets. I grabbed the note and read it. "Gareth Denver: You have been observed for some while Gareth. The Alliance has noticed your paranoia of the government. We need your help with something Gareth. I will be at the Royston Contamination Center at 6:45PM today 5/24/58 in the alley to the right facing the door, when someone says "Wait" say exactly this "The owl hunts at night" or you will be shot on sight, if you do not wish to join the Alliance, you will not receive any help in the destruction of Royston. General Forrest Miller."
I was so shocked the light had turned green and back to red before I noticed it, even with the cars behind me biting my head off. I got my groceries and went home to think this over. I got home at approximately 5:46PM, I unpacked all of the groceries and put them away and thought about whether I should go to the meeting, stay home, or what I was going to do. What about Daren and Kelly? Should I tell them? I decided I should tell Daren and Kelly, so I called them and they came over. 5:57PM. "Welcome" I greeted Daren and Kelly. "What's the rush for?" Asked Daren. "I'll tell you, now sit down please." I told them. "You made me miss favorite show! This better be important." Kelly said slightly angry. "I got this note from a rebellion soldier today and here is what it said." I said handing them the note. "What should I do?" I asked. "Screw the "Alliance" there nothing but trouble." Daren said sarcastically. "I think you should check this out, maybe it's not even the rebellion." Kelly said encouraging me. 6:23PM
"If you're going to go you better get there soon." Kelly remarked. "I think you two should head home, I need to make a decision." I said rushing them to the door. "See you later Gareth." They said encouragingly. I swear I went back and forth ten times about going or not, my curiosity eventually drove me to go. 6:30PM.I threw my jacket over my shoulder and bolted out the door. I got into my car and drove off not seeing anything strange for once. I got to the street of the contamination facility and waited for 6:45PM to come. 6:38PM. The time seemed like an hour, I kept thinking to myself. Should I go now and see if anyone’s there, should I wait for the time, what if I'm like a minute past will they shoot me? 6:42PM. By now I'm half way crazy, I haven't heard, seen, or smelled anything strange, I'm starting to think it's a fluke. 6:44PM. I opened my car door and started walking towards the alleyway. I seen an old, raggedy, starving, and homeless dog just begging for anything, I threw him a piece of the candy bar in my jacket pocket I had left over from my lunch. I walked down the breaking apart alleyway and heard a loud, demanding word. "Wait” and a sniper rifle hidden about 30 yards down the alleyway in the bushes narrowed-in on my forehead.
Chapter 8
This is the worst time to choke, I thought in my head. "The owl hunts at night!" I shouted. The sniper rifle lowered and the man signaled my coming. I walked down the alley cautiously, not trying to say "Shoot me!" with my body movements. The man opened a manhole hidden by some storage crates. We both climbed down and you would not believe how stupid the government is. There were pictures, newspapers, and everything you can imagine that the government hasn't realized, conspiracies that were true, myths that were true, and trophies that lined the clean, white walls of the supposed "Sewer System". I got a real interesting "welcoming committee" at the end of the hall. General Forrest and two other people who looked high-ranking. Forrest introduced himself and his friends.
"I'm glad you came Gareth, to the right is Darrell Behmer, my first lieutenant, and to my left is Jean Powell, my second lieutenant." He said. "Why did you want my here?" I asked. "Because I need you, you have a very unique way of discerning what to do in a bad situation, that’s why I sent you through the boundry, I was testing you." He said. "You were testing me? That sounds like a fishy test to me." I shouted at him. "You're alive aren't you? Any other person in the God-forsaken city would have panicked and have gotten killed." He told me. "So why exactly do you need my "skill"?" I asked. "I need you to help me complete "certain" missions for me, but first you need to be trained, unless you know how to build a shelter have a fire and three animals for dinner in less than 1 hour in the forest, or know how to shoot a bird in a tree at 100 yards with an open-sighted M-47 assault rifle." He said. "What about Kelly and Daren?" I asked. "They will think you are on a 2 week college-finding trip." He said. "How do I know this isn't all a fluke?" I asked cautiously. "With all you've seen so far you still think this is a fluke? Was I wrong about your skills?" He said. "No, I guess I have no choice now." I said. "Jean will be your personal teacher in the combat skills. Darrell will accompany you in your missions and teach you survival skills, in all it will take exactly 2 weeks to complete, if there are no problems. Jean will teach you first follow him to the combat section." He said.
"What about my apartment, will I stay here or stay at my apartment?" I asked. "You will stay here. Tonight I will send 3 soldiers to grab essential things." He said. I followed Dean steadily through a system of corridors, hallways, and underground bunkers. We finally arrived and he turned around and said something shocking. "If you don't take this seriously you WILL DIE, you will respect me and my equipment, if you steal anything you will be executed, do not try anything stupid, this is training, not grade school, understood?" He said with authority. "Yes sir." I said. We continued to the end of the big room we were in, it was full if rows for shooting with dummies at the end, it had 3 separate rooms for who knows what. He stopped at the first room and opened the door and told me to go in there, it was full of M-47 to M-90 gun parts. "To use you're weapon to its full extent you must learn how it works, take a box labeled "M-47" and take everything out on one of the tables.
Once you choose a table don't move, because you will regret it if you do." He said. I did everything he told me and everything that was in the box was stuff I had never seen before, since guns were strictly banned in Royston. There were mostly gun parts, I think, a packet of papers and a small note hand-written by Jean. He had left by now telling me to follow the note's instructions. I assume he had other things to do. The note said. "Read the instructions and follow them closely when you finish putting the gun together use the Video-phone, or VP on the wall to show me that you have finished and we will go test you're weapon." After about 2 hours of clipping, tightening, and assembling the rifle I signaled Jean through the video-phone and he said he would be down in a minute. About a minute later he opened the door and signaled me to come with him, he had a box of ammunition with him. We got to a row numbered "3". He loaded the magazine and grabbed the weapon, inspected it, and eventually shot it. It was about as loud as a crack of thunder. He handed it to me and I assumed I was to shoot it now. I narrowed in the sights and aimed carefully, I never shot a gun before so this felt weird. I shot and it knocked the air out of me.
Chapter 9
I've never felt something like that before. "Still a gun virgin?" He asked sarcastically."I've never shot a gun before." I told him still shaking from the recoil. "Better get used to it. You'll do that a lot." He said laughing. "Now what do I do?" I asked. "We are going to go grab something to eat. I assume you're hungry by now." He said. I followed him through some more hallways and we got to the cafeteria and we got some broasted chicken breast with a side of macaroni & cheese and sat down and just chatted. It was delicious, I just wonder how they got the chicken, and maybe a farm, stolen, and I have no idea and don't really care at this point. "What are we doing after this?" I asked. "Before we start that conversation I wanted to tell you something." He said. "What?" I asked. "You assembled that rifle faster than I've never seen before, and you have never even seen one, the average for assembling that rifle from scratch is 4 hours, and you completed it in 2, on your first try." He said. "So does that mean I get a medal or something?" I asked sarcastically. "No, but it just makes you more important with what we have planned for you." He told me. "So, back to what we are doing after this." I asked. "I'll show you around the base and you'll go to your room for the night." He said.
We walked out the cafeteria and he showed me some interesting things. "Here's the barracks, where we all sleep." Is that where you sleep?" I asked. "No, I have a private room, like you." He said. "Here's the control room." He said. "Here's your room, including all of your essential living stuff with a little treat from me." He said walking away. I had just about everything I needed, the "Little Treat" was a A470 a very expensive handgun with a fit-grip that you mold to fit you're specific hand, the sticker price was 500,000.00 curits, but I had to assemble it. The room was really nice, fully stocked pantry and fridge, shower with all soaps and gels, a TV built in on one of the walls, fully decorated with live-moving pictures, a fully stocked wardrobe, a pre-made massage bed, and of course a nice collapsible table to assemble my new handgun.
Thanks Jean, just what I needed, something to get my mind off everything, I thought to myself. I got in bed after assembling my handgun and slowly forced myself to sleep. I was in a white-walled room and a tall, muscular man walked in and looked at me and suddenly turned into a big spider with only 3 legs, it crawled to the top left corner and made a spider web, and then Forrest walked in the room, he didn't say anything, but he kept looking at the spider, he would occasionally cut one of the support strings of the spider web like a little child would do to see the spider repair it, after a few minutes of Forrest doing this he pulled out a handgun and shot the spider, completely obliterating it, and then he turned and shot me in the chest where my heart is. I suddenly awoke chilled to the bone gasping for air, with my chest stinging from the dream, I bolted out of bed and checked the time and looked around in the room, I had no idea what I was searching for, but I was trying to find something, something that I couldn't find.
Chapter 10
I cautiously walked back into bed, I think there was something watching me but I wasn't completely sure. "Get up!" Jean said standing next to my bed. "Err, already?" I say as I glance over at the clock. "11:20AM" Jean says. "We have more training to do, so I want you back at the training room by 11:00AM, so shower, eat, whatever you want to do." And he left. I dreaded getting out of bed, I was really tired, and my fingers are sore from assembling weapons. I slowly entered the shower, after that I got some breakfast, when I was eating I remembered my dream again. I got the feeling that something was watching me, I searched the room for bugs, no cameras, no microphones, no scanners, no nothing, and I’m wasting time. I think by myself. I open the door and leave for the training room, now the base is full of people, soldiers, medics, operators, trainers, the whole works.
Mostly male, but the occasional female, I found it kind of difficult to make it back to the combat room, since there is so many halls and corridors. I made it back with the combat training room is empty, probably for me. Jean is waiting in the middle of the room. "Come on Gary." He said sarcastically. "Gary?" I asked. "It's a nickname; now follow me to the next room." He said starting to walk to "Room 2". The room is full of weapon parts again. Oh great, more sore fingers. “Take a box labeled M-47 again.” Jean Said. This time the box was much lighter. “Just follow the instructions and you will be fine, here is your M-47 again, you’ll need it, when you’re done you can go eat, look around, or go back to your room for the rest of the time to rest.” He said as he walked out the door. I opened the box to find 3 smaller boxes labeled “Laser”, “Silencer”, and “Scope”, and some other tools, a sling, and some instructions.
I read the instructions and they said assemble everything and attach it all to your gun. First I opened the silencer box. I found around four to 5 tubes, and some rings. The instructions showed me how to assemble it and attached it to my M-47. I opened the next box labeled “Scope”; it had some pieces of glass, some rings, 2 scope mounts, and the scope shell. I assembled it and it was more difficult this time but I got it done. I opened the last “Laser” box and it had some wires, a lithium battery, metal casing, a radon welder, solder, switch, and some schematics. This one is going to be difficult. First I attached the red and black wires to the lithium battery and placed it in the shell. I welded one of the wires to the switch and the other to the laser. I attached the last wire to the switch and laser; I placed it all in the shell and welded it shut. I attached it to my gun and finished. I noticed the back side of the note, “When you get done, you can go shoot your M-47 at the shooting range, there is some ammunition in the shooting row number 3. I tightened all the bolts and screws and left for the shooting range. I got to row “3” and loaded up my gun and got ready. Pull back the action, safety off, aim, fire, that simple. I thought. Okay, I can do this, turned laser on, narrowed it in with the scope, and pulled the action, safety off, aim, and shoot. BANG, much louder, more flash and searing pain.
Chapter 11
What happened? I awoke from who-knows how long, I look at my burned flesh that are supposed to be arms, my chest the same, I look over and I’m still in the shooting range, gun on the ground. I seen the action metal was all torn up, I seen that the action didn’t close fully, that may have been a fatal mistake, I tried to get up just to fall back down from pain. I yelled for help but no answer, I slowly crawled towards room one, because it had a VP. It hurts, just stop. I thought to myself. After about an hour I got into the room, but I have to stand to access the VP. I slowly arose, I got to the VP and signaled Jean, he answered and seen me right before I collapsed. A few minutes later Jean and a few medics with a stretcher busted through the door. “We will get you out of here, don’t worry, we will patch you up.” He said encouragingly. “I thought those M-47’s were accident proof.” I mumbled. “I don’t know yet, just try to stay awake.” He said right before I fell asleep. I awoke to non-rhythmic beeping sounds. I seen Jean and a few doctors argue behind some glass to the right of my glass, and they seen me and busted in here. “We will get you out of here, don’t worry, we will patch you up.” He said encouragingly. “I thought those M-47’s were accident proof.” I mumbled. “I don’t know yet, just try to stay awake.” He said right before I fell asleep. I awoke to a white room, lying in bed with non-rhythmic beeping sounds coming from an ECG machine. I seen Jean and a few doctors were argue behind some glass to the right of my glass, and they seen me and busted in here. “You’re up.” Jean said. “Just barely.” The doctor said. “That gun malfunction’s extra kick sent a shockwave through your body and your heart.” He said. “What’s that mean?” I mumbled. “The shockwave went through your heart because it to basically “Loose Rhythm”, its speratic and the doctors don’t know how to cure it.” He said worryingly. “Gareth, I need you to listen closely.” The doctor said. “Okay.” I said. “Okay, take a deep breath through your mouth, hold your breath for about three seconds, and slowly breath out of your nose, keep doing this till I tell you to stop.” Okay, this isn’t very hard. I began doing this and my heartbeat began to get rhythm again. Beep…Beep…Beep….Beep...Beep…Beep. And I slipped into unconsciousness again. This time I woke up to my bed. Was it a dream? I found an ECG Machine hooked up to me again. I looked around for anybody, nothing. I felt surprising good, a lot better than the last time I woke up. Then I looked at my arms and chest, all the burns were gone.
Chapter 12
How did my burns disappear? What did they do to me? I had so many questions racing through my mind in such short time. Then Forrest and Jean walked in the room. “Glad you’re up Gareth.” Forrest said. “What happened to my arms?” I asked. “We cured them.” He said. “How?” I asked. “Since the Alliance left the government, we found a very precious ore, Dreathnitite, a powder found in rocks near the Earth’s core.” He said. “What do you do with it?” I asked. “We mixed some rubbing alcohol, mint leaves, and some classified ingredients to make a skin restorer.” He said. “So it like restores your skin?” I asked. “Yes.” He said. “When do you think he will be ready for more training?” Jean asked Forrest. “In a few hours, he needs time to recollect himself.” He said. “When Forrest says you can train more, meet me in the final room in the combat room.” Jean said as he left.
The doctor was messing with some bottles and pills. “I’m going to inject a shot in you, you will fall asleep for around an hour, when you wake up I’ll make sure all of your senses are responding correctly, Okay?” He said flicking a needle. “Before you do, what does the medicine do?” I asked. “It basically makes your smelling, hearing, tasting, sight, and touch ‘Raw’, like when you wake up from a deep sleep and your fingers feel weak and sensitive.” He said. “Okay, go ahead.” I said. He injected the needle in my right arm and I was asleep in minutes. The liquid was ice cold, and you could feel it go throughout your arm. I awoke to the doctor snapping his fingers next to my ear. “Okay, hearing passes.” He said charting down something. “Okay, I’m going to put a small syringe with a very strong scent in it. I want you to tell me the scent.” He said. “Okay.” I said. He pulled out the first syringe and held it up to my nose. “Lemon.” I said. “Correct.” He said charting down again.
“Cherry.” I said. “Correct.” He said charting down once more. “Orange.” I remarked. “Correct, smell is good.” He said. “Okay, I’m going to have you look at a projector screen and tell me what number is shown on the screen and what form it is in.” He said activated the projection screen. “4, Roman Numerals.” I said. “Correct.” He said. “7, English numbers.” I said. “Correct, that should be good, sight is good.” He said. “Okay, I’m going to put a flavor on your tongue, and tell me where it is on your tongue, Okay?” He said. “Sweet, the tip.” I said. “Correct.” He said charting down. “Sour, bottom left.” I said. “Correct, that should be good.” He said. “Okay, I’m going to put up a series of small pieces of sandpaper and tell me how rough it is.” He said. “Smooth.” I said. “Correct.” He said. “Medium rough.” I said “Correct, that’s all, Forrest said when you’re ready you can leave to your room or go back to training.” He said.
The year was 2258, someone had just done something funny in class, and I found seeing someone stupid doing something stupid was funny. The class bell just rang and school was out for the weekend. I'm driving home with my two friends Kelly, and Daren who needed a lift and Kelly started talking about her morning. "So I woke up in the morning right? My little brother decided it would be fun to put some green paste in my make-up machine, so I started my morning like and other senior would, get dressed, and start with my hair, the hair machine kept jamming on something, and it cut some of the end part of my hair, so I spent half my morning cutting the rest even so I didn't look like a moron at school. Then my brother's idiotic prank made me get to school hour and a half late washing that nasty paste off my face." She said. "That’s a pretty funny morning Kelly." I remarked. "I'd say so, then again me or Gareth don't have to deal with a "Hair Machine, or a Make-up Machine.". Daren Remarked.
We got to a stop light where the road literally moves your car for you to prevent crashes, all you have to do is turn on your blinker and the machine and moves it to the right place. "Well were here, I said looking at Daren." I said. "Thanks for the ride Gareth, you know since the crash and all." He responded. "What crash?"Kelly asked. "You haven’t heard? Well in the summer Daren bought a new car and he was driving one day and the machine that moves your car malfunctioned and sent his car and a few others past “The Boundry” and those "Things" destroyed his car." I told her. "How did he survive past the boundry?" She asked. "Turns out his car had an emergency teleport function when the "Car and Passenger Safety Teleport" or CPST, when the car passes the boundry. The "Passenger" function worked but the "Car" function didn't." I said. "Didn't he have insurance to pay for a new car?" She asked me. "No, because he thought that all those safety features would work fine, plus after how much that car cost, the insurance would be ridiculously high." I said. "How much did that car cost in the first place?" She asked. "Around 6 million curits" I said. "Here is you're stop." I said. "Thanks for the ride. I'll get my own car soon enough!" She said walking to her door.
I wanted to visit the boundry line and reminisce from "The Contamination of 2150". I got out of my car and walked to the boundry, climbed to the top and looked at those "Things" again. After a couple years people started calling them Axexs, I don't know what it means but it seems to fit nicely. I thought to myself that we should try to find out about these Axexs and try to cure them. Then again their so dangerous that capturing one would be a difficult task, we could do it fine if we found a way to stop the "Howl" they scream when they find food, are in danger, or when they find something useful like food, shelter, weapons. We need to capture an Axex before they learn how to use weapons effectively. The only known thing about them is that they were once people, only certain people though, and it’s genetic. The first genetics that caused this was a family in Texas, they were from the line of Abraham Lincoln, we think that why Lincoln aged so quickly is because of his genetics, another, stronger line of people mixed with Lincolns line and made it worse. Their sons and daughters were different, not like crazy different, just the way they would do things. They did everything different from other people from eating to throwing a ball. These children were smart, very very smart, even when they were toddlers they already knew how to add, multiply, even do a small amount of algebra. One day one of the children wanted to move out to another state, when they were in the airport and they had to go through a scanning that makes sure you're safe to be on a plane. When they were scanned they went mad, ripping people apart, just went maniac, once they had bitten someone with their genetics in them would become what they were. Over time they evolved into vicious Axexs that were designed to kill and destroy everything that made them mad.
Chapter 2
So how’s this barrier keep them from killing us all you ask? They hate lights, they will do ANYTHING to avoid them, it sounds strange but it works very well, as long as the barrier's lights stay up we are just fine, we invented a super-efficient solar panel that doesn't require any maintenance to stay running, and they never wear out. The main lights are surrounded by three layers of hardened glass that even army tanks can't break. The sun starts to set, I looked at my watch and it’s already 7:30PM, so I decided to head home. I got into my car and drove away, I had to stop for gas, once again the prices were raised another .30 curits. It was a total of 13.68 curits for a gallon of gas, considering the gas was 20% pure gas, 50% synthesized gas, 30% combustion chemicals that are suppose to make your car run better. I think it’s fixed. They don't use the synthesized gas a lot because it uses valuable chemicals to make. Put in a few gallons and headed for my apartment.
For some reason I kept fumbling my keys and couldn't stop shaking, it drove me nuts. Luckily I didn't have any homework for this weekend. So I just chilled at home for awhile watching my old school TV. I turned on the news and it showed the rebellion in action, they were trying to remove some lights to make the Axexs attack, they were half successful, they removed the lights and as soon as the lights shut off the Axexs leaped on a couple rebellion soldiers. It’s like they were expecting them to shut off the lights. I swear those Axexs are getting smarter, they were smart in the first place so why wouldn't they be, right? I Turned off the TV and went to bed for the night, even though the town of Royston was very much still alive and active. I slept a dreamless sleep that night. I woke up and I went to go get some breakfast and I looked out the window and the city was ruins, everything destroyed but my apartment complex, the Axexs were everywhere. I tried to go and bolt the door when one of the Axexs broke through the door and jumped on me.
Paralyzed with fear, I woke from my dream that was one of the worst dreams I've had in a long long time. The first thing I did was look through my window trembling in fear of what was behind it, luckily its regular Royston, boy was I relieved. I turned on the TV again after getting some breakfast; once again the news said that the rebellion soldiers made a successful attack, and not losing any of their own this time. "Chaos is everywhere in southwest Royston, the rebellion soldiers have destroyed 30 feet of the boundry making a big entryway for the Axexs. Anyone from southwestern Royston is required to go to their nearest contamination facility immediately." The news reporter said. "As you can see there has been military action to reduce, or even stop rebellion acts like this." The field reporter said standing in front of a contamination area where the attack was. I thought to myself, why is the rebellion even attacking, and what did we do? I realized that it was already 10:30AM and I had to leave to pick up Kelly and Daren.
Chapter 3
Once again Kelly was late while I and Daren were waiting in the car."Did you see any of those Axexs when you got outside of the boundry?" I asked Daren. "One, but not very clear the CPST was activating when I did. It made everything blurry so I couldn't see very well." He said. "Just a minute!" yelled Kelly. "Take your time sleeping beauty." Daren remarked. "What did it look like?" I asked again. "What is with all the questions Gareth?" He said. "Just wondering." I responded. Kelly got in the car and we left off for Area 57. We were getting close to the main gate of the facility and a security guard asked us what we were doing. We didn't tell him anything and moved on. He seemed suspicious. The facility doesn't normally allow looky-loos. The main outside was layered with three fences with electrified Swedish made razor wire. Ever since the Contamination the Swedish began building defensive structures, that wire is designed to cut, not tear flesh, that’s probably why it’s so efficient.
After the fences there is a connected octagon of buildings with about a 20 foot clearing in between the surrounding and main researching building. In all of the eight corners there was a watch tower over viewing the entire complex. It is designed really well to not reveal any secrets the government doesn't want the public to know. We parked the car in a concealed spot where no one could see it, and we hiked about 150 feet away from the car to avoid being spotted. We stayed low and tried to find and opening in the fence but nothing, we were thinking of climbing of but that is a very difficult climb, even for a master climber. Gareth thought of a great idea, use a portable radon welder and cut through the fences. Luckily he had one on him, and he took it out and started it up, it took a while to get it going, they take forever to warm up. The radiation in them will allow us to cut the fence and re-attach it later. We got through the first 2 fences when a guard tower spotted us, a siren went off and everything turned white with a loud ringing sound.
Chapter 4
I awoke to a white room, Gareth and Kelly were gone, my pockets were empty, and I couldn't remember anything except the white view and ringing sound. There was a camera watching me it pointed a blue laser at me, after a few seconds of it scanning me it turned green and disappeared. The door opened and there was a hallway that seemed like it moved as I advanced in it, I eventually got to the end and there was a door, when I got to it slid open and there was the red laser to scan me again, this one was stronger though, when it scanned me again and everything turned white and the ringing sound back and I was expecting to do this all over again.
This time I awoke to being in my car with Gareth and Kelly were next to me. I woke them up and asked them what happened. "I can't remember anything, it’s weird." Said Kelly. "Me too." Gareth said. I tried to remember it again and I can’t remember anything, the last thing I remember was Gareth welding the first fence. "The fence!" I yelled. "Let’s go look and see if the hole is still there." We got there tripping over our own feet and the fence wasn't even disturbed, it's like they turned back the clock. We drove home scratching our heads. We drove by the place where the rebellion attacked and they had about half of the boundry repaired, they shined a bunch of lights at us so we couldn't see the military. "What are they trying to hide?" Kelly asked. "I don't know, but its driving me nuts." I told her. We got to a stoplight, and some guys were fiddling with the mainframe of the stoplight mover.
Daren was really paranoid. "If they make this thing send us out of the boundry I'm going to kill somebody, that’s not happening again!" He said. "Calm down Gareth, I'm sure there just operators just fixing something." I and Kelly reassured him. The light changed and the car started to move, it moved faster than normal this time, and it just got faster, I tried to brake and released that the car wasn't even on the ground. Suddenly the car turned in the direction of the boundry and accelerated more. The stop light launched the car into the boundry, breaking it. After that the car died, Gareth freaked out. Luckily there was only one Axex and was preoccupied, I told Gareth and Kelly to be quiet so we don't attract the Axex. I tried to start the car and nothing, it wouldn't start at all. The Axex heard the car and turned toward us and began walking to us, as if he was expecting us to arrive. I kept trying to start the car and it fired a couple times but wouldn't fully start.
The Axex got about 30 feet away and kept getting closer. Kelly and Gareth remained quiet while I tried to start the car. It finally fired and ran, I tried to back up but the boundry rubble prevented me from going back in, the Axex got really close and gave out a howl, within thirty seconds three more appeared. Gareth couldn't handle it anymore and he got out of the car and sprinted for the boundry line, he tripped and got knocked out on the rubble, Kelly began to start freaking out. "We can't just leave him, he will be bitten!" She pleaded with me. "I know but I think we have bigger problems at the moment, as I pointed at the Axex right outside the car."
Chapter 5
I started worrying, and then I spotted some rebellion soldiers in some bushes to the right of the car. They were well equipped. They used hand signals, they were trying to tell me something, but I couldn't understand any of them. They sprinted to a flanking point for the Axexs. They opened fire being careful not to send any bullets our way. The Axexs eventually died, and I and Kelly made a beeline for the boundry line. We picked Gareth up and carried him inside the boundry. The police were already there and they took Gareth and told us they would get the car, but we had to leave. They set up a perimeter and shined the lights to prevent us from seeing what they were doing, which made me mad. We both got in a taxi to go home. I got home and about an hour later I had to go to work so I had to spend my time wisely. I ate first, took a shower and watched TV about the crash until I had to leave.
"Ugh, what happened?" "It's okay Daren you’re in the hospital, you got a slight concussion." The nurse calmly said to Daren. "How did I get a concussion?" He asked stuttering in his words. "We think you fell and hit your head on some rubble, now calm down and take it easy for awhile, we don't want your brain to swell." The nurse responded. "Here drink some water. You have been out for a few hours." The nurse persistently told him. "Is Gareth and Kelly okay?" I asked "There fine, now rest." She said. The room was kind of older than normal, it had an old school TV in it though, he thought to himself. I tried to get out of bed, but as soon as I showed some effort the nurse came in and told me to lie down.
Somehow they knew when I tried to get out of bed, and there wasn't even a camera in the room. Eventually a couple of nurses came into the room and said. "Relax; we are just moving you to another room." They told me calmly. They injected cold, blue syrup into my bloodstream that knocked me out in seconds. I awoke much disorientated, I could barely see, the medicine affected my vision, balance, and the ability to focus. I couldn't see much just a TV projector that was showing my brain's chemical reactions between neurons. It looked weird like electrified spaghetti, I eventually got all my senses back and noticed the whiteness of the room and tried to get up from my chair and I found straps attached to my arms and legs, I couldn't even feel them before it was weird. I was in a white sheet-like robe, and a weird skin-like fake rubber scalp that was attached to the scalp of my head and I couldn't take it off. A biology Doctor came in and said there was something strange in my brain.
"Your brain's chemical reactions occur much faster than normal humans." He said. "Is that good?" I asked him. "Depends, it makes your physical reactions faster than normal, but it wears out your brain after awhile. That’s why you got your concussion so easily." He said. "So what does that mean?" I asked. "It means you might have an Axex's genetics." He told me. "I have an Axex's genetics, so now you are just going to keep me here like a lab rat?" I asked. "No, we will let you go, but you want to be careful around Axexs, if you encounter one. You are free to leave your clothes are in the bin to your right, a nurse will be in here to take your brain monitor off in a minute." He said leaving. A minute later a nurse walked in and removed my brain monitor and I got dressed and left.
Chapter 6
I got back from work exhausted, three people didn't show up for work and I had to take their shifts including mine. Daren was at my house when I got home and he said he wanted to talk to me about something. I still had crisp sweat on the top of my forehead, I try unlocking my door with my keys, but I keep fumbling them because of the sweat. I finally got my door unlocked, I seen Daren sitting down at the wood furnished table fiddling with the table cloth as if he was upset, or plainly frustrated with something. I approached the table cautiously. "Why so tense?" I asked. "I have something to tell you." He said. "What?" I asked. "I awoke in the hospital, and there was a brain monitor with my brain's reactions on a screen." he said contently. "Yeah, when you go to a hospital they always do that." I said. "A doctor told me that my brain's reactions were faster than normal." He told me. "What’s that mean?" I asked. "It means that I might have the genetics of an Axex." He said almost tearing the table cloth in half with his grip. "I'm not sure what to say." I told him. "You don't have to say anything; I just needed someone to tell that wouldn't overreact." He said. "Do you want something to drink?" I asked him. "Sure, water is fine." He said. I got up and poured a glass of water for Daren, I threw him a stress ball so he wouldn't tear my table cloth in half. "Thanks I needed that." He said. I walked back over to the table and handed him the glass. "I better get going. I have some thinking to do." He said handing me the glass and walking out the door.
I sat down and thought about what was just told to me. Before I know it I'm almost tearing the table cloth too, and I didn't even notice it until I heard a faint tearing sound. I turned the TV on again and of course they were still showing the crash I was in earlier. I can't believe I recovered from that crash so easily with no injury. They showed those people who were fiddling with the controls for the stop light. Turns out they didn't get away, they tried to run away, but some policemen caught them, turns out under their robes they had full body armor on and fully equipped, they really put up a fight, they killed 15 policemen before they were shot down, that rebellion armor must been prototype armor, it was bulletproof, but it moves with your body, it’s really ingenious.
It was the typical painted with black undercoat with spotted brown and brighter green to blend in with the terrain outside the boundry. Their main equipment includes a basic survival kit in case they get lost and have to survive, an assault rifle with a few extra clips, a semi-automatic pistol, and a machete. I still can't believe those soldiers hid all that equipment under those robes, it looked like they were just regular people with robes on.
Chapter 7
After about half an hour later I had to pick up some groceries at the store so I grabbed my keys and left. I was at a stoplight, just a regular one, and I seen two robed figures again, they noticed me looking at them and they looked at me, expecting a face I seen an armor mask with camouflage on it, it was more soldiers, but how do they keep getting in? One of them walked up to my car and slipped a note in windshield wipers, and took off in the streets. I grabbed the note and read it. "Gareth Denver: You have been observed for some while Gareth. The Alliance has noticed your paranoia of the government. We need your help with something Gareth. I will be at the Royston Contamination Center at 6:45PM today 5/24/58 in the alley to the right facing the door, when someone says "Wait" say exactly this "The owl hunts at night" or you will be shot on sight, if you do not wish to join the Alliance, you will not receive any help in the destruction of Royston. General Forrest Miller."
I was so shocked the light had turned green and back to red before I noticed it, even with the cars behind me biting my head off. I got my groceries and went home to think this over. I got home at approximately 5:46PM, I unpacked all of the groceries and put them away and thought about whether I should go to the meeting, stay home, or what I was going to do. What about Daren and Kelly? Should I tell them? I decided I should tell Daren and Kelly, so I called them and they came over. 5:57PM. "Welcome" I greeted Daren and Kelly. "What's the rush for?" Asked Daren. "I'll tell you, now sit down please." I told them. "You made me miss favorite show! This better be important." Kelly said slightly angry. "I got this note from a rebellion soldier today and here is what it said." I said handing them the note. "What should I do?" I asked. "Screw the "Alliance" there nothing but trouble." Daren said sarcastically. "I think you should check this out, maybe it's not even the rebellion." Kelly said encouraging me. 6:23PM
"If you're going to go you better get there soon." Kelly remarked. "I think you two should head home, I need to make a decision." I said rushing them to the door. "See you later Gareth." They said encouragingly. I swear I went back and forth ten times about going or not, my curiosity eventually drove me to go. 6:30PM.I threw my jacket over my shoulder and bolted out the door. I got into my car and drove off not seeing anything strange for once. I got to the street of the contamination facility and waited for 6:45PM to come. 6:38PM. The time seemed like an hour, I kept thinking to myself. Should I go now and see if anyone’s there, should I wait for the time, what if I'm like a minute past will they shoot me? 6:42PM. By now I'm half way crazy, I haven't heard, seen, or smelled anything strange, I'm starting to think it's a fluke. 6:44PM. I opened my car door and started walking towards the alleyway. I seen an old, raggedy, starving, and homeless dog just begging for anything, I threw him a piece of the candy bar in my jacket pocket I had left over from my lunch. I walked down the breaking apart alleyway and heard a loud, demanding word. "Wait” and a sniper rifle hidden about 30 yards down the alleyway in the bushes narrowed-in on my forehead.
Chapter 8
This is the worst time to choke, I thought in my head. "The owl hunts at night!" I shouted. The sniper rifle lowered and the man signaled my coming. I walked down the alley cautiously, not trying to say "Shoot me!" with my body movements. The man opened a manhole hidden by some storage crates. We both climbed down and you would not believe how stupid the government is. There were pictures, newspapers, and everything you can imagine that the government hasn't realized, conspiracies that were true, myths that were true, and trophies that lined the clean, white walls of the supposed "Sewer System". I got a real interesting "welcoming committee" at the end of the hall. General Forrest and two other people who looked high-ranking. Forrest introduced himself and his friends.
"I'm glad you came Gareth, to the right is Darrell Behmer, my first lieutenant, and to my left is Jean Powell, my second lieutenant." He said. "Why did you want my here?" I asked. "Because I need you, you have a very unique way of discerning what to do in a bad situation, that’s why I sent you through the boundry, I was testing you." He said. "You were testing me? That sounds like a fishy test to me." I shouted at him. "You're alive aren't you? Any other person in the God-forsaken city would have panicked and have gotten killed." He told me. "So why exactly do you need my "skill"?" I asked. "I need you to help me complete "certain" missions for me, but first you need to be trained, unless you know how to build a shelter have a fire and three animals for dinner in less than 1 hour in the forest, or know how to shoot a bird in a tree at 100 yards with an open-sighted M-47 assault rifle." He said. "What about Kelly and Daren?" I asked. "They will think you are on a 2 week college-finding trip." He said. "How do I know this isn't all a fluke?" I asked cautiously. "With all you've seen so far you still think this is a fluke? Was I wrong about your skills?" He said. "No, I guess I have no choice now." I said. "Jean will be your personal teacher in the combat skills. Darrell will accompany you in your missions and teach you survival skills, in all it will take exactly 2 weeks to complete, if there are no problems. Jean will teach you first follow him to the combat section." He said.
"What about my apartment, will I stay here or stay at my apartment?" I asked. "You will stay here. Tonight I will send 3 soldiers to grab essential things." He said. I followed Dean steadily through a system of corridors, hallways, and underground bunkers. We finally arrived and he turned around and said something shocking. "If you don't take this seriously you WILL DIE, you will respect me and my equipment, if you steal anything you will be executed, do not try anything stupid, this is training, not grade school, understood?" He said with authority. "Yes sir." I said. We continued to the end of the big room we were in, it was full if rows for shooting with dummies at the end, it had 3 separate rooms for who knows what. He stopped at the first room and opened the door and told me to go in there, it was full of M-47 to M-90 gun parts. "To use you're weapon to its full extent you must learn how it works, take a box labeled "M-47" and take everything out on one of the tables.
Once you choose a table don't move, because you will regret it if you do." He said. I did everything he told me and everything that was in the box was stuff I had never seen before, since guns were strictly banned in Royston. There were mostly gun parts, I think, a packet of papers and a small note hand-written by Jean. He had left by now telling me to follow the note's instructions. I assume he had other things to do. The note said. "Read the instructions and follow them closely when you finish putting the gun together use the Video-phone, or VP on the wall to show me that you have finished and we will go test you're weapon." After about 2 hours of clipping, tightening, and assembling the rifle I signaled Jean through the video-phone and he said he would be down in a minute. About a minute later he opened the door and signaled me to come with him, he had a box of ammunition with him. We got to a row numbered "3". He loaded the magazine and grabbed the weapon, inspected it, and eventually shot it. It was about as loud as a crack of thunder. He handed it to me and I assumed I was to shoot it now. I narrowed in the sights and aimed carefully, I never shot a gun before so this felt weird. I shot and it knocked the air out of me.
Chapter 9
I've never felt something like that before. "Still a gun virgin?" He asked sarcastically."I've never shot a gun before." I told him still shaking from the recoil. "Better get used to it. You'll do that a lot." He said laughing. "Now what do I do?" I asked. "We are going to go grab something to eat. I assume you're hungry by now." He said. I followed him through some more hallways and we got to the cafeteria and we got some broasted chicken breast with a side of macaroni & cheese and sat down and just chatted. It was delicious, I just wonder how they got the chicken, and maybe a farm, stolen, and I have no idea and don't really care at this point. "What are we doing after this?" I asked. "Before we start that conversation I wanted to tell you something." He said. "What?" I asked. "You assembled that rifle faster than I've never seen before, and you have never even seen one, the average for assembling that rifle from scratch is 4 hours, and you completed it in 2, on your first try." He said. "So does that mean I get a medal or something?" I asked sarcastically. "No, but it just makes you more important with what we have planned for you." He told me. "So, back to what we are doing after this." I asked. "I'll show you around the base and you'll go to your room for the night." He said.
We walked out the cafeteria and he showed me some interesting things. "Here's the barracks, where we all sleep." Is that where you sleep?" I asked. "No, I have a private room, like you." He said. "Here's the control room." He said. "Here's your room, including all of your essential living stuff with a little treat from me." He said walking away. I had just about everything I needed, the "Little Treat" was a A470 a very expensive handgun with a fit-grip that you mold to fit you're specific hand, the sticker price was 500,000.00 curits, but I had to assemble it. The room was really nice, fully stocked pantry and fridge, shower with all soaps and gels, a TV built in on one of the walls, fully decorated with live-moving pictures, a fully stocked wardrobe, a pre-made massage bed, and of course a nice collapsible table to assemble my new handgun.
Thanks Jean, just what I needed, something to get my mind off everything, I thought to myself. I got in bed after assembling my handgun and slowly forced myself to sleep. I was in a white-walled room and a tall, muscular man walked in and looked at me and suddenly turned into a big spider with only 3 legs, it crawled to the top left corner and made a spider web, and then Forrest walked in the room, he didn't say anything, but he kept looking at the spider, he would occasionally cut one of the support strings of the spider web like a little child would do to see the spider repair it, after a few minutes of Forrest doing this he pulled out a handgun and shot the spider, completely obliterating it, and then he turned and shot me in the chest where my heart is. I suddenly awoke chilled to the bone gasping for air, with my chest stinging from the dream, I bolted out of bed and checked the time and looked around in the room, I had no idea what I was searching for, but I was trying to find something, something that I couldn't find.
Chapter 10
I cautiously walked back into bed, I think there was something watching me but I wasn't completely sure. "Get up!" Jean said standing next to my bed. "Err, already?" I say as I glance over at the clock. "11:20AM" Jean says. "We have more training to do, so I want you back at the training room by 11:00AM, so shower, eat, whatever you want to do." And he left. I dreaded getting out of bed, I was really tired, and my fingers are sore from assembling weapons. I slowly entered the shower, after that I got some breakfast, when I was eating I remembered my dream again. I got the feeling that something was watching me, I searched the room for bugs, no cameras, no microphones, no scanners, no nothing, and I’m wasting time. I think by myself. I open the door and leave for the training room, now the base is full of people, soldiers, medics, operators, trainers, the whole works.
Mostly male, but the occasional female, I found it kind of difficult to make it back to the combat room, since there is so many halls and corridors. I made it back with the combat training room is empty, probably for me. Jean is waiting in the middle of the room. "Come on Gary." He said sarcastically. "Gary?" I asked. "It's a nickname; now follow me to the next room." He said starting to walk to "Room 2". The room is full of weapon parts again. Oh great, more sore fingers. “Take a box labeled M-47 again.” Jean Said. This time the box was much lighter. “Just follow the instructions and you will be fine, here is your M-47 again, you’ll need it, when you’re done you can go eat, look around, or go back to your room for the rest of the time to rest.” He said as he walked out the door. I opened the box to find 3 smaller boxes labeled “Laser”, “Silencer”, and “Scope”, and some other tools, a sling, and some instructions.
I read the instructions and they said assemble everything and attach it all to your gun. First I opened the silencer box. I found around four to 5 tubes, and some rings. The instructions showed me how to assemble it and attached it to my M-47. I opened the next box labeled “Scope”; it had some pieces of glass, some rings, 2 scope mounts, and the scope shell. I assembled it and it was more difficult this time but I got it done. I opened the last “Laser” box and it had some wires, a lithium battery, metal casing, a radon welder, solder, switch, and some schematics. This one is going to be difficult. First I attached the red and black wires to the lithium battery and placed it in the shell. I welded one of the wires to the switch and the other to the laser. I attached the last wire to the switch and laser; I placed it all in the shell and welded it shut. I attached it to my gun and finished. I noticed the back side of the note, “When you get done, you can go shoot your M-47 at the shooting range, there is some ammunition in the shooting row number 3. I tightened all the bolts and screws and left for the shooting range. I got to row “3” and loaded up my gun and got ready. Pull back the action, safety off, aim, fire, that simple. I thought. Okay, I can do this, turned laser on, narrowed it in with the scope, and pulled the action, safety off, aim, and shoot. BANG, much louder, more flash and searing pain.
Chapter 11
What happened? I awoke from who-knows how long, I look at my burned flesh that are supposed to be arms, my chest the same, I look over and I’m still in the shooting range, gun on the ground. I seen the action metal was all torn up, I seen that the action didn’t close fully, that may have been a fatal mistake, I tried to get up just to fall back down from pain. I yelled for help but no answer, I slowly crawled towards room one, because it had a VP. It hurts, just stop. I thought to myself. After about an hour I got into the room, but I have to stand to access the VP. I slowly arose, I got to the VP and signaled Jean, he answered and seen me right before I collapsed. A few minutes later Jean and a few medics with a stretcher busted through the door. “We will get you out of here, don’t worry, we will patch you up.” He said encouragingly. “I thought those M-47’s were accident proof.” I mumbled. “I don’t know yet, just try to stay awake.” He said right before I fell asleep. I awoke to non-rhythmic beeping sounds. I seen Jean and a few doctors argue behind some glass to the right of my glass, and they seen me and busted in here. “We will get you out of here, don’t worry, we will patch you up.” He said encouragingly. “I thought those M-47’s were accident proof.” I mumbled. “I don’t know yet, just try to stay awake.” He said right before I fell asleep. I awoke to a white room, lying in bed with non-rhythmic beeping sounds coming from an ECG machine. I seen Jean and a few doctors were argue behind some glass to the right of my glass, and they seen me and busted in here. “You’re up.” Jean said. “Just barely.” The doctor said. “That gun malfunction’s extra kick sent a shockwave through your body and your heart.” He said. “What’s that mean?” I mumbled. “The shockwave went through your heart because it to basically “Loose Rhythm”, its speratic and the doctors don’t know how to cure it.” He said worryingly. “Gareth, I need you to listen closely.” The doctor said. “Okay.” I said. “Okay, take a deep breath through your mouth, hold your breath for about three seconds, and slowly breath out of your nose, keep doing this till I tell you to stop.” Okay, this isn’t very hard. I began doing this and my heartbeat began to get rhythm again. Beep…Beep…Beep….Beep...Beep…Beep. And I slipped into unconsciousness again. This time I woke up to my bed. Was it a dream? I found an ECG Machine hooked up to me again. I looked around for anybody, nothing. I felt surprising good, a lot better than the last time I woke up. Then I looked at my arms and chest, all the burns were gone.
Chapter 12
How did my burns disappear? What did they do to me? I had so many questions racing through my mind in such short time. Then Forrest and Jean walked in the room. “Glad you’re up Gareth.” Forrest said. “What happened to my arms?” I asked. “We cured them.” He said. “How?” I asked. “Since the Alliance left the government, we found a very precious ore, Dreathnitite, a powder found in rocks near the Earth’s core.” He said. “What do you do with it?” I asked. “We mixed some rubbing alcohol, mint leaves, and some classified ingredients to make a skin restorer.” He said. “So it like restores your skin?” I asked. “Yes.” He said. “When do you think he will be ready for more training?” Jean asked Forrest. “In a few hours, he needs time to recollect himself.” He said. “When Forrest says you can train more, meet me in the final room in the combat room.” Jean said as he left.
The doctor was messing with some bottles and pills. “I’m going to inject a shot in you, you will fall asleep for around an hour, when you wake up I’ll make sure all of your senses are responding correctly, Okay?” He said flicking a needle. “Before you do, what does the medicine do?” I asked. “It basically makes your smelling, hearing, tasting, sight, and touch ‘Raw’, like when you wake up from a deep sleep and your fingers feel weak and sensitive.” He said. “Okay, go ahead.” I said. He injected the needle in my right arm and I was asleep in minutes. The liquid was ice cold, and you could feel it go throughout your arm. I awoke to the doctor snapping his fingers next to my ear. “Okay, hearing passes.” He said charting down something. “Okay, I’m going to put a small syringe with a very strong scent in it. I want you to tell me the scent.” He said. “Okay.” I said. He pulled out the first syringe and held it up to my nose. “Lemon.” I said. “Correct.” He said charting down again.
“Cherry.” I said. “Correct.” He said charting down once more. “Orange.” I remarked. “Correct, smell is good.” He said. “Okay, I’m going to have you look at a projector screen and tell me what number is shown on the screen and what form it is in.” He said activated the projection screen. “4, Roman Numerals.” I said. “Correct.” He said. “7, English numbers.” I said. “Correct, that should be good, sight is good.” He said. “Okay, I’m going to put a flavor on your tongue, and tell me where it is on your tongue, Okay?” He said. “Sweet, the tip.” I said. “Correct.” He said charting down. “Sour, bottom left.” I said. “Correct, that should be good.” He said. “Okay, I’m going to put up a series of small pieces of sandpaper and tell me how rough it is.” He said. “Smooth.” I said. “Correct.” He said. “Medium rough.” I said “Correct, that’s all, Forrest said when you’re ready you can leave to your room or go back to training.” He said.