The Bloodless Read online

“How do you know? What if Grendel got away?” I asked, and instantly cringed at how childish the question sounded.

  “Because if Fox is gone, whoever he was after definitely went down with him.”

  The journey back to base was a long and quiet one. We headed back to the rendezvous point where Saturn, Pillar, Burns, and Buggs were waiting for us. Nobody spoke. Saturn’s eyes were red and swollen, tear tracks stained her cheeks. Burns was especially down because he was so adamant about everyone surviving this mission. He failed and we failed him. Misery wrapped its unwanted arms around all of us and held on tight the entire way back to base.

  We didn’t even try to be cautious, we didn’t care at that point. We were all thinking the same thing; if any more Bloodless came to investigate the explosion they’d be in for a rude surprise and a swift and brutal death. I don’t know about the others, but I was hoping they’d come, I was aching for them to come so I could transfer as much of my pain to them as I could. None did, however, and we made it back to base just fine.

  Everyone took their spots around the table, leaving Fox’s and Crist’s seats open, as was our tribute to our fallen comrades. Friends and allies that could never be replaced. Still nobody spoke for quite some time and the mood remained quite somber. That is until it happened:

  “Why is everyone so sad,” everyone whipped around, “did someone die?”

  It was Fox. He stood before us virtually unscathed. A great uproar issued from the group, even one from me I never knew I could make. We all stood up and gathered around him, hugging him and some even hit him a little. Saturn wept openly as she hugged him tightly.

  “What the hell man,” I yelled after the clamor died down. “What happened to you? Why didn’t you respond on the radio?”

  “Daniel,” he started, as if slightly annoyed, yet the corners of his mouth curled slightly, “I set off a Crowd Pleaser, you cannot expect my communication equipment to survive a blast such as that one.” He held up his communicator and sure enough, it was fried.

  “Still,” Crowder said, “you could’ve made some sort of attempt to contact us to let us know you survived.”

  Burns grabbed Fox by his front and pulled him close, “Don’t you ever, EVER, do that shit again Fox.” Fox laughed calmly and patted Burns on the shoulder. He then released Fox and patted his shoulder in return, a satisfied grin on his face.

  Once everyone got settled and in their seats, now this time only Crist’s was left empty, Saturn turned to me and asked, “So, what’s this unbelievable news you have for us?”

  “Oh right,” I said tearing my eyes away from Crist’s seat. I looked around at everyone, “You all are aware of the research that took place at GoD, right?” Everyone nodded their heads. “Well, as one would expect, not all of it was exactly right, some might even say immoral. But it happened, there’s nothing we can about it now, except learn from it. The disturbing part, to me anyway, is that there were experiments that I didn’t even know about. From what I could understand under the circumstances, it looks as though there were some weapons being developed by us.

  “Now, you might be asking yourselves, ‘What is a genetics lab doing making weapons?’ Of course this question is incredibly valid and I wish I had an answer for you but all I have is a guess. That being this: Someone from the military decided it would be a good idea to branch out their already expansive weapons catalogue. I’m pretty sure someone got a promotion for thinking outside of the box on this one because weaponizing genetics experiments was unheard of, as far I know.

  “Really, it came down to being a biological weapon in the end, at least what was produced openly. However, there were other experiments that went along with all this. Experiments that were on the genetic level and I can only assume it was part of the military’s latest attempt at a ‘super soldier’ type infantry unit. These units are like Bloodless but bigger, stronger, and meaner. They were supposed to be anyway. I’m not sure if the experiments weren’t going as designed, but the creatures we encountered weren’t quite up to the results the military was demanding from our scientists.”

  “So what you’re saying is,” Saturn interjected, “there are more things out there that want to kill us that are working for the Bloodless?”

  “That much I am not sure of,” I replied, “at least whether or not these things are in league with the Bloodless.”

  “Don’t think they are,” Buggs chimed in.

  “Yes, I am not so sure they are either,” Fox added. “I witnessed, just before detonating the Crowd Pleaser, those creatures fighting with Grendel’s Hunters. It seemed as though they were targeting both us and them, most likely meaning that they do not have a specific target but rather attack indiscriminately.”

  “Well that don’t sound no good. Last thing we need is more monsters killin’ us,” Burns said.

  “Settle down now,” I said, trying to calm their fears, “we don’t even know if those things are still in existence. For all we know they could’ve been destroyed in the blast. Fox,” I said turning to him, “did you see whether everyone was taken out?”

  “There were no bodies intact, that I saw, when I left the blast zone. Everything was dust, as it should have been. I cannot confirm that all targets were eliminated, however, as I was intent to escape the lingering radiation as hastily as possible. On the same note, I did see Grendel not too far from my location just before I detonated the bomb. It is most likely he perished in the explosion, but again, I cannot be sure.”

  We all sat there for a moment, each one of us thinking about the prospect of a surviving Grendel. I could hear shudders roll across the room. Crowder broke the silence, “So what does it all mean?”

  “It really doesn’t mean that much,” I answered.

  “Sounds like it means somethin’,” Burns said.

  “Well it’s all just conjecture right now. I’m just relaying information I found in notes from an experiment. Granted, what we saw was real, but we don’t have any reason to believe it will continue to be an issue.” It felt strange. Even though we accomplished all our goals that day and ostensibly a bit extra, we weren’t as excited as we ought to have been.

  “So it’s one step forward, two steps back,” Saturn said.

  “No, come on you guys,” I pleaded. “We’re down two power stations and we didn’t lose anybody today. We should be very proud of ourselves and what we accomplished.” They didn’t look convinced, “Okay, let’s just call it a night. I have some things to do, so let’s go our separate ways for now. Do what you have to do and we’ll meet back here in three days.” Nobody really spoke as we all rose from the table. We said our goodbyes and soon the place was empty.

  “Fuck,” I said aloud. It was the worst I felt after such a successful mission. The odds were stacked against us and it really did seem like we took two steps back that day, despite what I told the rest of them. I was more upset over the research that was being done without my knowledge. I didn’t want to alarm the others but if I knew my company, and I did know them, then that wasn’t an isolated experiment.

  To me that place seemed like a training ground of sorts, a way for the personnel involved to try out their rudimentary first attempts. It was mainly used for analysis and most likely the final stages of the experiment were carried out in a different building. Whether it was a power station or not I didn’t know. But I did know that whatever they were developing in there, we were absolutely going to see it again. Whether it would be detrimental to our plight that much I did not know.

  CHAPTER 11

  Three’s a Crowd, Four’s a Party

  Suddenly I was awake, looking up at a tin ceiling. My heart sank as I realized I was back in my shitty reality, a bleak present that featured Crist’s noticeable absence. “Hadn’t had that dream in while,” I said aloud. I had revisited Crist’s death again, a bit of a recurring theme with my dreams, though as time passed the dreams became more infrequent.

  “Who you talkin’ to in there,” Burns’ voice barked throug
h the walls.

  I sat up slowly, quite confused and not sure I had heard what I just heard. “Burns?”

  “Who tha hell else could it be?”

  I got out of bed, threw on some clothes and walked outside to an amazing sight. Everyone was gathered in front of my dwelling and I do mean everyone. Fox, Saturn, Crowder, Burns, Pillar, and even Buggs was loitering not too far off. “What the hell is going on?” I asked stunned. “I thought we were taking a few days to ourselves?”

  “Nah,” Burns said clapping a massive hand on my back, “we didn’t wanna wait that long. We figured you were right, man. We done good yesterday, we oughta keep that up, keep the momentum goin’.”

  “Yeah,” Saturn chimed in, “we took down two power stations, they’re bound to start looking for us now. Might was well get out in front of them, right?”

  I nodded. I didn’t have much to say to them because I was still in quite a bit of shock. I wasn’t expecting them to be back at all let alone the very next day. I was slightly perturbed as well because I really did have things that I needed to get done, some small errands, but their arrival obviously complicated things. They seemed eager to go, however, and I figured we might as well do this together.

  “Okay,” I finally said, “but we can’t just lay siege to the next power station right away. The proper scouting and planning has to be done. This is usually done by Fox and me which makes things easier, so not everybody is going to be able to participate in that aspect.” I looked at Fox expectantly, needing him to back me up.

  “Correct,” Fox said without hesitation, “we can still use more people. There are supplies and materials that we need to acquire and objectives that must be met before we commence our assault. Have a look,” Fox said as he loaded a map cartridge into his communicator and projected it for all to see. It was a large overview of the twenty-five mile radius immediately around us. “Over in this section of Wilsonville there is a large munitions bunker that I located just recently. I was not able to get into it therefore I do not have a good idea of what is left, if anything. Someone, or maybe a couple of you will have to go there and attempt to recover anything that has not already been scavenged.”

  “That sounds like me,” Saturn said at once.

  “I’m goin’ wit you,” Burns said.

  “That’s okay, I’ll do this by myself,” Saturn objected.

  “Nah you ain’t,” Burns replied. “You gonna need someone strong to help carry if you find anything big,” he winked at Saturn.

  “That’s a good idea,” I said. “Saturn, Burns is going with you.” She didn’t seem happy about it but she appeared to accept it.

  “Next,” Fox continued, “someone is going to have to scout patrol routes closer to the third station. This would be a job best suited for a single person as stealth will be your utmost priority. It is absolutely imperative that you are not found out, especially since the scout parties closer in are likely to be comprised of Hunters.” Fox pointed to a location on the map, “This road here will be an area of focus as it is a freeway and likely to contain the most patrol units.”

  “Any takers?” I asked when nobody volunteered right away.”

  “Um,” said Pillar, “this sounds like it’s right up Fox’s alley. Why isn’t he doing this one?”

  “Fox is needed elsewhere on this one,” I said before Fox could respond.

  “Me,” Buggs said nodding his head in my direction.

  “Good,” Fox said eyeing Pillar, I think, but I could never tell with that headgear always covering his face. “This next one is another tandem so I think Pillar and Crowder should handle this one.”

  “I ain’t agreeing to nothin’ before I know what I’m getting’ myself into,” Pillar said in her usual nasty tone.

  “This one isn’t anything uber dangerous, but it is strategically significant,” I said looking mostly at Crowder.

  “Precisely,” Fox said. “This task is also going to take a certain amount of precision. See these devices over here,” Fox indicated a crate full of objects that looked like rifle scopes except they had a lot more bells and whistles. “These will be the keys to our future successes,” he explained.

  “What are they?” asked Crowder crouching down next to the crate to get a better look.

  “These are our Quantum Matter Phazers,” Fox said picking one up. He pushed a couple buttons and it burst to life with lights and tones and everything else you’d expect a fancy looking device to emit. “These are going to do a lot of the work of cancelling out roving automated defense and security units. It is like an EMP and radar jammer condensed into one unit and it is much more concentrated. It does not have a large area of effect so it will not mess with our equipment.”

  “That’s awesome,” Crowder said picking one of the units up. “You’re gonna have to show me how to turn it on though.”

  “These are remote operated,” Fox informed him. “All you will have to do is place them in the predetermined locations and I will take care of the rest.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” Pillar said walking up to the crate to get a better look for herself. “So we just have to set these things up and that’s it? No unnecessary excursions into enemy units?”

  “You are going to want to keep an eye out for enemies and defense drones, but as far as deliberate direct contact with any Bloodless, no, that won’t be part of your objectives.”

  “I’m in,” Pillar said with what seemed to be just the tiniest hint of enthusiasm. I wrote it off as mental exhaustion however.

  “All right guys,” I addressed the group, “you know what our main objectives are going to be over the next few days. You don’t have to accomplish them right away, but make sure you’re all back here within a reasonable amount of time. Stay in touch as well. If you’re quiet for more than twenty-four hours, we will have to come looking for you. Now, let’s go over specifics” With that Fox and I went over each mission with the respective parties involved. After everyone received their instructions and dates they all set off in their different directions.

  Chapter 11: Amendment A - Saturn & Burns

  Saturn and Burns is definitely one of the odder pairings the group had seen, but it was inevitable as Daniel emphasized synergy and for everyone to work with everyone. They had nothing in common, as one would expect of two personalities like theirs. But they still found a way to work together and work together well. They had a hell of a task ahead, unbeknownst to them, so teamwork was going to be key.

  “So basically what we have are instructions and what is essentially a due date?” Saturn asked Burns as they walked side by side down a road leading away from Daniel’s shack.

  “Appears so,” Burns responded.

  “Looks like we got us a long fuckin’ walk here,” Saturn said as she reviewed the map.

  “Yup,” Burns agreed, “Wilsonville ain’t close, that’s for sure.” Burns adjusted his gear bag and the large machine gun he had slung over his bag.

  “That’s a large gun, you gonna be able to carry it all the way,” Saturn teased him.

  ‘Yeah I got it,” Burns said, oblivious to the slight. “This gun’s lighter than it looks.”

  Saturn gave Burns a sideways glance and continued to walk next to him silently. For quite some time the two walked without speaking a word to each other, except for Burns who tried sporadically to strike up a conversation. Saturn shut him down each time with single syllable, monotone answers. She’s a tough nut to crack.

  “Come on girl,” Burns finally said in slight desperation. “You gotta gimme somethin’ here. We can’t just walk in silence this whole time.”

  “Maybe you can’t,” Saturn said quietly.

  “Fine,” Burns relented, “then Ima talk and you jus’ listen. You seem to be good at that.” When Saturn didn’t acknowledge his proposal, Burns went on talking, “I figure since Daniel thinks it a good idea for all us to work wit’ each other, we might as well get to know each other.”

  Saturn laughed, finally e
xpressing a modicum of emotion. “You want to get to know me?” she asked scathingly. “Why?”

  “Well, it’s like I said, we gonna be workin’ together, so we gonna have to trust each other.”

  “Okay,” Saturn sighed, realizing this was a losing battle. “Tell me all about you,” she said sarcastically.

  “Happy to,” Burns said with a smile on his face.

  “Why are you in such a good mood?” Saturn asked before Burns could continue.

  “Huh? Oh, just happy to be alive is all,” Burns responded, his smile perpetuating.

  “How?” Saturn asked in disbelief. “How the hell can anyone be happy in this world right now?”

  “Because you’re alive,” Burns said enthusiastically.

  “Yeah, sometimes I think it would be better if I were dead. We’d all be better off dead at this point. I mean, what do we have to look forward to each day? Constant peril? The icy cold, decaying hand of Death constantly looming over our heads? The prospect of an extremely brutal and painful death? Yeah, those things fill me with unimpeded joy,” Saturn finished, once again sarcastically.

  “Yeah, but that shit ain’t happenin’, is it” Burns said. “You still here and if you as talented as your claims lead you to be then you ain’t goin’ nowhere. Especially if I have anything to do with it.”

  Saturn snorted, “Oh yeah? You’re gonna save me?”

  “No, I’m gonna protect you but if we get in a situation where I do hafta save you, I will dammit,” Burns wasn’t angry, but he did speak with a heated passion. “We all together in this, we need to watch each other’s backs. We savin’ the world here Saturn. Don’t you care about that?”

  “Of course I do,” Saturn retorted, growing a little angrier herself. “That’s about the only reason I’m out here, ya know? But it’s not like we’re fighting for much, at least I’m not. I don’t have anything left to fight for.”

  “Bullshit,” Burns said skeptically.

  “What, you think you know me?”