pg 4

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Thawck. Ting.

A red dart shivered on the flat surface.

Dead center.

The crowd groaned in disappointment.

My two brothers flung their hands ups high fiving each other enthusiastically, their faces flushed.

" Alright, read'em and weep. We won fair and square!" Junior said turning to the disgruntled group with a happy smile.

They didn't even know what to make of my two brothers but I knew.

The moment Joseph weighed the dart carefully in his palms. The way he walked back and forth measuring the distance, they were toast.

They emptied a hat filled with small shiny valuables into the eager hands of my brother.

He didn't waste any time gathering their loot. 12 rounds played, each a perfect game.

Joseph laughed and started sprinting toward us proudly, Junior following closely behind. The once lively group evaporated into the corners of the pub, grumbling over their loss.

A small light lit up in Logan's hand as they sat, probably the signal.

A good thing..

We have an interested seller, and just in time.

*********
(Æxom)

Things are about to become interesting and he will watch for years to come the outcome of such a hybridization.

Maybe he will witness the birth of a new line of humans and the death of the old order, just to pass the boredom of living.

He can no longer die and decay like the others. So easily his life will be preserved for years beyond the normal human capability.

His friends and family are now gone, killed during the beginning of the invasion.

Both of his parents were naive government officials wanting to explore the new technology the alien species offered to save their dying young son, him.

He is now just a child stuck in a man's artificial bodily form. Mature enough but immature.

This body has saved him from death but it also keeps him from certain death.

Seeing Ruth....

Jealousy burns inside him as he watches the seeming normality that her reality takes on. Not realizing the shortsighted Ness or selfish ego, that he has yet to grow out of.

Spending time alone with nothing but a simulated AI teacher, has made his brain dull and overfilled with facts...no, its the absence of affection flowing from anywhere that has made him despondent.

His mind wandered from this reality briefly, only to be snapped back forcefully....

His flesh prickles as a scientist gently twists a knob behind a glass panel. "Fascinating, his artificial tissue is perfectly in sync with his brain stem" The team behind him furiously working, documenting the data.

" That's enough Dr. Hawk." An elegant lady with sharp eyes stepping forward.

The team dispersed, scrambling into the room, unplugging the machines hastily.

The chair underneath was slick with perspiration. Teeth grind as the residual pain subsides.

With patience snapping and the growing weariness of the games, his face became an unreadable mask.(@minipurse)

The woman's arrogant face danced in front of his own face. His forehead creasing as he forced himself up slowly, the artificial body and the chair separating.

Behind glowing eyes, his head buzzes with new strings of code.

Betrayal is read swiftly between internal communications.

They lied and forgot their promises.

Tomorrow a guild will come for them for interrogation.

But the bunker will no longer be able to function that's a promise, anger trembling through him. With a subtle motion his hand catches on the control panel in the room.

A virus uploads with just a small touch.

The room stays deceptively unchanged, responding the same throughout without fail. Until the virus fully uploads into the software, changing the programs one by one, they fall precipitously fast becoming a Trojan horse army.

A red light switches on overhead casting long shadows over the scientists faces and an alarm slowly starts to blare.

Bewildered they look around. He doesn't miss the opportunity in the slightest, relaxing his shoulders as he turns.

" Tell Avalon I know" As he slams his fist into the first face closest to him. Blood splattering onto his large fist, screams exploding inside the room.

********

I breath heavily as I scrape a large crate against the concrete floor.

That is the last of the boxes.

Logan is retrieving the rest of the supplies we need. She should be coming soon.

Ruth, Joseph, Junior, and Skylar went back to the room quickly, getting ready for the escape and packing everything they can.

A small beep came from behind me.

Goddammit, it nearly sent me into a heart attack. My heart races twice as fast in my chest. I press a hand over my chest trying to swallow my creeping emotions.

A wireless ground drone silently flashes its objective on a screen; Item retrieval....scan barcode....system update when items retrieved.....pick up and drop off commission ordered...

I wave the dumb drone over to the first item, guiding it in front of the crate. A light scanning over the crate, beeping as it read a bar code I had just slapped on a few minutes ago.

The light above its screen flashes right before grabbing the item gingerly, depositing it onto the newly formed flat bed that stretched into the exact perimeter of the crate. (@minipurse)

A line of them came streaming soon after that, each swarming to the front of each crate, and carrying them away like a colony of ants.

The breath that I was holding for so long unconsciously came out in a puff. It's already high past noon as I looked at the time stamp on the fleeing drones.

We don't have much time left to get our supplies.

I look back, realizing the mess I had created. It cant be left in that state so reorganizing the cargo inside before leaving would probably be for the best.....

We will try leaving during the last shift change at 10.

Hopefully they will let us through without any problems.

Mimir had told us 24 hours, before the items I sold are uploaded into the system and the guild masters notified of the suspected items.

Slowly I rearrange Logan's cargo hold.

Deliberately and thoughtfully I put her things away. Bolting and strapping down chairs, work benches and other stuff down.

Hours must have gone by working alone. A voice echoed outside calling my attention.

" Mother fuckers....I'll make sure to charge them double price! Argh fff?!?!?" the voice of Logan mumbled loudly outside breathlessly.

Quickly I drop what I am doing and make my way across the hold, peeking my head out.

Logan was red faced and sweaty outside, huffing with a large cart behind her, pulling hard.

I jump out running to her side ready to help.

She makes room for me and we pull together to the trailer gate, lowering it.

We unload the boxes into the back quickly.

There will be time later to sort through the boxes. I kick and shove the heavy ones into the corner as Logan pushes them to me one at a time.

Both of us look at each other, the work over. We look like a mess, Sweaty and disheveled.

Logan cracks a smirk.

" Let's go get some rest" patting her hand heavily over my shoulder.

I follow her as she jumps out and closes the cargo hold, locking it.

The way back to our room was eerily empty and our footsteeps echoed loudly, I flinched thinking about everyone being out in the bunker.

We have 7 hours left, according to our ID cards.

The door hisses open and closed. The inside of the suite also very quiet.

A sound from the kitchen wisped over to us and we recognized the angelic voice.

Skylar hummed a tune softly.

She stopped, probably hearing our footsteps as we turned toward the kitchen.

" Logan?" Her voice apprehensive, probing.

Logan rounded the small corner, " it's me babe" her voice soothing.

Skylar's face smoothed the wrinkles of worry over her pretty face.

" Come sit I made some food, the kids and I already ate so don't worry " She gestured to the protein filled dishes in her hands.

My eyes rounded in surprise.

She walked over with our plates to the table setting them down.

She sighed " There is a 3d protein synthesizer machine in the kitchen" answering my shocked gaze as I sat down, putting the food slowly to my lips.

She yawned loudly, it's probably been a long tiring day for everyone at this point.

Skylar leaned on Logan briefly, kissing her partner on the lips as she left.

We ate in silence afterward.

Logan cleared her throat as she ate the last morsel of the meal.

" Soo... don't think I haven't notice. Something's changed" her voice gruff.

I gulp down my saliva, almost choking on the knot in my throat that had formed.

" w..what do you mean?" I choke out nervously

" Don't play dumb....the big dent on the rv, this problem with the stuff you sold, you..."

I could feel Logan's eyes attempting to pierce into my soul, trying to find the truth, but had to be satisfied with lingering on my face.

" I backed into another survivor. He's dead...He tried to ambush us.....the stuff I found was just bad luck, I didn't know." I looked up defiantly into Logan's deep brown eyes.

She searched my eyes then leaned into her chair. I couldn't answer her question about me. There would be no way.

Her face softened unexpectedly " I am just worried, sage....about you and the kiddos. Look at ya your doing great after all this, ok?? "

She got up noisily with the plate in her hand.

I didn't follow her and I sat in silence by myself until I heard a door click.

The bowl in front of me lay empty, a film clinging to the round edge.

So I stared immobile...thinking

Its' bad manners to not pick after yourself afterall and even though I was tempted to just leave the plate behind because we were about to leave already.

My sense of responsibility took over automatically without much consciousness from myself. I stood up, took the plate washed it and left it to dry.

Robotically also walking to my room unwilling to think anymore.

I don't think I will be able to rest anyways but I can lay on my bed until it's time.

My mind whirled with all the events that have happened or did happen.

It's been a while! Especially since the last update, the next pages will be a little slower though so please stay tuned. Please comment, like or subscribe. Thanks!


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