John had no reasonable answers left.
”I don’t know. Maybe I was turned into killing machine. But I think I can live normal life if they ever let us out. I wonder where they took us from.” He inhaled slowly, dry desert atmosphere mixed with storm water filled his lungs. “If we want to know who we are, we need to know who we were.”
They stayed silent for next eight hours. They even ate their lunch away from each other. I was weird, two young people, alone in the wild and not talking to each other. Storm wasn’t about to end any soon. Before nightfall it was raining more than few hours ago, John declined idea to patrol outside. Water could damage his rifle or cause a mudslide. No one would be out in this rain not even those trying to kill them. John brought his sleeping bag closer to cave entrance to guard during night and to maintain some empty space between him and Gillian. Best way to calm her down was to leave her alone for some time.
It could take few minutes or several weeks, time depends on food served in mess hall.
Till midnight nothing outside moved, thermo vision was clear, no sounds except torrents of water rushing down the slope. Flashes of light from lightning created strange silhouettes and shadows of rocks. John himself looked like a rock motionless, silent, his gun prepared to unleash deadly wall of armor-piercing bullets. Hypothalamus implant could prevent falling asleep for few days and putting John into state of sleep with normal awareness.
Something moved inside the cave. Gillian was obviously shifting her position closer to John. Every moment she was closer and she was up to something because her movement was confident. Sneaky and careful but confident. She sat next to him and slowly leaned against him.
“You should know I’m not mad at you,” Gillian began: “But sometimes you look like you are collapsing into yourself, fading in front of me.
John had to admit his mind often drifted away from reality, from blood and violence.
“I’ll stay with you, whatever happens I’ll be there.”
“I know you will, don’t worry about me I won’t disappear in my mind, you always remind me to stay.”
Her hand slowly moved to his right palm.
“You want to link our Systems, don’t you? Asked John calmly already knowing the answer.
“Yes, I want. I will worry about you less.
“You are aware of what Caroline said about it.”
“Yes, we shouldn’t try it because it wasn’t planned feature of System and it may be dangerous and no one is absolutely sure about what it might do to us.”
“You forgot to say that guy who created this system feature went mad afterwards.” Added John swiftly.
“Are you afraid John?”
“No, just making sure you’re aware of everything.”
“I don’t care what happens, I just want to do it.”
“Then let’s do it.”
Their hands moved closer and closer. A moment before they touched a blue spark of light jumped between them. Then they were flushed into moving world of colors, numbers and shapes, project scientists called this The Hybrid Sub-reality. It served as System base. Hybrids could access it easily, scientists needed tons of hardware to get in. Process window appeared:
>Uplink status: Established
>Connection: Subject.Omega-Gillian #7530#
>Synchronizing…
>Synched… proceeding…
>Core programming: Adjusted
>Memory: Balanced
>Link: Connected
>Testing… 100%
>Systems linked… 0 Errors detected
>Required actions: 1
>Proceeding…
>Data transfer: Commencing
>/
Series of pictures, movies, feelings and sounds played in John’s head. It took him few moments before he realized he’s watching Gillian’s memories. And she probably watched his. He saw their first conversation, their first mission together. John could see what she saw, feel what she felt. They fell asleep, that sometimes happened after entering into
Sub-reality. And so they slept not knowing what will happen next day…
John woke up hearing gun fire. Tom’s voice sounded over radio, “We’re under attack!!”
Gillian slowly opened her eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“They are here,” said John “Ready to show them no mercy?”
She hasn’t said anything, just took her gun, armed it and crawled out of the cave.
John pressed the comm button: “Every armed squad put suppressing fire on those hostiles attacking Dragon 1-1. Everyone else withdraw to extraction point and call for evac.”
“John there are…”
Loud “thud” interrupted Tom’s words. John knew what that means.
He jumped out of cave and looked through sniper rifle scope.
“Tom is hit!”
Meanwhile Gillian fired bullet after bullet.
“Get him out of there we will cover you.”
John found his target. He held breath, aimed and slowly pulled the trigger. Soldier’s head exploded, his comrade next to him had only few seconds before Death claimed him too.
Suddenly a column of white smoke shot to the sky. John turned his rifle to trucks on the road 1,5 miles away. There were enemies preparing to fire another Javelin missile.
First missile arched through air aiming for Dragon 1-1.
When it hit the ground it sent large chunks of rock flying. John checked Tactical Status Display on his HUD, Dragon 1-1 was marked as Lost.
“They are dead.” He told Gillian, but somehow he said it through their connection.
“What are we going to do?” Her question hung in the air.
“Tell everyone to run.”
John tried to contact others but there was nothing but static. Soldiers near trucks prepared another Javelin missile. Wild idea crossed John’s mind. He put his hand on Gillian’s arm.
“Go, find others and go to extraction point.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Buy you some time.”
“How you want to do that?!” She insisted.
“Just go!”
Gillian started to move away from John. John pulled assault rifle closer to him. He breathed fast and hard, rivers of sweat poured down his face, his heart raced. It was closer and closer, the final second, moment of death, sacrifice, call it however you want. Then he stood up and pulled trigger. Goal wasn’t to hit soldiers or trucks, they were out of range. He just wanted to attract their attention. Several soldiers pointed his direction. Then he noticed something horrible. Gillian was still standing there and watching him. There was no time to talk, missile was already in the air aiming for them. John grabbed her waist turned around and threw her as far as he could. Before he released her, John whispered in her ear.
“I’m sorry.”
John could feel pain through their connection, but he knew she is okay. Missile arched. He took a deep breath, pulled out his pistol. Another breath. John waited for missile to get closer, aimed and then tried his luck and fired. It exploded less than 20 feet away from him. Flames engulfed him, his body hit the ground then everything went dark.
Doctor Caroline Blackburn sat behind her table enjoying glass of wine. There was no particular reason to celebrate, she just wanted to drink that wine she bought herself for birthday five years ago, last time she was out. Since then project proceeded so fast she couldn’t. When she was about to pour fifth glass someone knocked at the door.
“It’s open.” She yelled.
Young lab assistant Harper stepped inside.
“My apologies doctor Blackburn, I don’t want to interrupt, General Briggs wishes to talk to you.” He said. Caroline put wine bottle back to bottom drawer.