Cybernova, page 25
Damn, he really got me with that one.
“Well played,” I say after blinking the tears away.
“Let’s go, Olly,” Ash says, grabbing my hand and leading me forward.
She only turns to face me for a moment, but I can see she’s trying to hide her own emotions by pressing on.
Touché.
We move along the back of this building with ease, now incredibly accustomed to it. Ash peeks out around the corner.
“Clear. No, hold on!” Dex says urgently.
Ash quickly ducks back behind the building.
I instinctively grab the handle of my katana. Not that I could use it in this closed space, but it makes me feel prepared. In the distance, I can hear some sort of siren, which can’t be a good thing.
“What is it?” I whisper.
“Two guard trucks, heading down the street to your right, and fast. Looks like someone found the warehouse, and they’re mobilizing. Just…stay put for a minute.” Dex replies with a hint of concern in his voice.
I flatten my back against the wall of the building next to Ash. I reach down and grab her hand tight. Well, it's relatively tight. It’s my right arm, so I have to be careful not to crush any bones or anything.
We stare in silence at the outer wall in front of us, listening to the trucks’ sirens getting closer and louder. Eventually, they get almost unbearably loud, then start to slowly fade out.
“I think you’re clear, but make it quick,” Dex says.
No one said anything for a tense couple of minutes, so his voice startled me a bit. I don’t know if I’ll ever truly get used to hearing people speaking through the comms as if they’re directly inside my head. It’s not like wearing earbuds or anything. It’s almost like your own thoughts are rebelling against you.
Pull it together. You gotta move.
I mentally slap myself in the face, setting myself back to the present once again. Ash and I run for the next building, erring on the side of speed over stealth this time. We make it, which allows me precisely three seconds of relief before we’re on the next corner.
“Well, here goes nothing. You ready?” Ash asks, turning to face me while gesturing to the right around the corner of the building.
Oh, right. Time to cross the street. The street that’s filled with guards, trucks, and cameras. Awesome.
I nod like a liar. No amount of planning can truly prepare me for what’s about to happen.
I take a deep breath, then step out around the corner. Ash follows close behind. We break out into a full sprint.
At this point, there’s no hope of going unnoticed. All we can do now is be as fast as possible and hope the element of surprise is enough.
We sprint east, across the north side of the building, then begin to cross the street. No hesitation, no stopping.
A spotlight shines on us almost immediately.
“Fuck!” I exclaim, continuing to sprint.
“No kidding!” Ash agrees, mere inches behind me.
Just. Keep. Fucking. Running.
We make it across the street, narrowly ducking between the adjacent buildings as a missile screams through the air, striking the building to our right, mere feet away from Ash.
I turn my VYSR to combat mode by tapping the right hinge of my sunglasses twice. IR and thermal imaging augment my vision, and a radar appears in the top right of the right lens.
Really should’ve done that earlier.
“Left!” I shout, ducking from the alleyway to the extremely narrow space between the building we just passed and the ones to the east.
We have to cross the street one more time, but we might as well gain some ground before we do.
“This wasn’t the plan!” Ash says, following close behind.
“I know, but the plan also didn’t involve missiles! We gotta keep them guessing!”
“Fair enough, pick up the pace!”
I put everything I have, all of my energy and concentration, into running as fast as I possibly can. We break through to another alley in seconds, then it’s between two more buildings.
We repeat this process three more times, and then I gesture to the right.
“Got it!” Ash confirms.
We round the corner to the east, sprinting in the alleyway between the next two buildings. We come to the second and final street that we need to cross, and we waste no time crossing it.
My VYSR beeps, and several red dots appear on the radar all at once. From the looks of it, we should be surrounded, but I don’t see anyone.
Oh shit!
It dawns on me a moment too late as several spotlights suddenly shine down on us. If not for the VYSR, I would have been blinded temporarily.
Ash, she can’t see!
I stop and turn around, only to find Ash barreling straight toward me. Blinded or not, she’s not stopping for anything. I don’t have time to build up speed again before she collides with me, so I side-step her and let her pass.
“I’m right behind you, Ash!” I shout, letting her know we’ve swapped positions.
As I start running behind Ash, the sound of several CYBR Corp UAVs arming themselves fills the air with a gut-dropping whining sound that I know all too well.
I grab one of the EMP grenades attached to the side of my backpack, arm it, and toss it behind me, high into the air. I don’t stick around to find out if it works. I keep sprinting behind Ash, ducking into the next alleyway.
“Left! Now!” I shout as Ash approaches the space between the groups of buildings.
“Thanks! I can sort of see again.” Ash shouts back as she rounds the corner.
I follow her into the small space behind the two buildings as a series of explosions devastates the building to our left, followed by a cacophony of crashing as all of the UAVs hit the pavement. From the sound of it, some explode, while others simply crumple into the street. Looks like my EMP grenade worked.
Hell yeah. Eat EMP!
“Dex, can you hear me?” I ask.
“Yeah, I copy. Nice work with those drones.” He replies.
“Thanks. Now, how close are we?”
“Just three more buildings, and then you’ll be at the courtyard. And…just be ready.”
“Don’t worry, Dex,” Ash interjects. “We’re ready for whatever they’ve got for us.”
“Damn right, baby!” I yell, feeling my stomach flip.
That’s crazy. Somehow, despite it all, I’m excited.
We keep running as fast as we can, barreling along the narrow corridor between the rows of buildings. We finally reach the final building before the courtyard. I hold up my hand to signal Ash as we both come to a stop just before leaving the relative safety of the shadows between the last two buildings.
Okay, truth be told, I’d really like to still have that exosuit right about now.
As I take a moment to scan the courtyard, my eyes and VYSR together detect countless guards, troops, UAVs, trucks, mounted turrets, you name it.
“Looks like we really pissed them off,” Ash whispers into my ear.
“Yeah, no kidding,” I whisper back.
“Dex, got anything for us?” Ash asks quietly into the comms.
“Uhm, one sec.” He says, clearly frantically searching the computers for something, anything.
Ash and I exchange a look for a moment. I search her face to try and figure out how she’s feeling. She’s been very enthusiastic and supportive this entire time, but I have to imagine she’s a mess of emotions inside, just like I am.
“We got this,” I say, holding her arm gently. “No matter what happens, we’ve got each other.”
“Promise me.” She says.
“Promise what, Ash?”
“That I’ll never lose you.” Her face is dead serious, her eyes full of intensity.
Oh.
I take off my glasses, tucking them into my shirt so I can look directly into her eyes. I take both of her hands in mine and squeeze them tight.
“I promise, Ash, that I will never leave you. In fact, I want you to know I made up my mind on all of this a long time ago. I meant it back at the Museum, and I mean it now. With every fiber of my being, I mean it. You’re the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I know that you’re the greatest thing that will ever happen to me. I love you, Astra, more than anything.” I say, smiling. Melancholy tears fill my eyes, tears of sadness for the past and happiness for the future.
She smiles back at me, but there’s still a sadness behind it. “I love you, too, Oliver. And I know you’ll never leave me again. I believed you back then, and I believe you now. But…that’s not what I meant, exactly.”
I furrow my brow, not sure what she means.
“What I mean to say is,” she continues, holding my hands tighter and moving closer to me, “I need to know before we go any further if you truly will never let yourself go over the edge. I know how much this means to you. I know you’d do anything to take down CYBR Corp. and to protect me and the others, but I will not watch you fall into the darkness to bring us into the light. Do you understand?”
“I…” I’m taken aback by her question, by the intensity with which she asked it. “I don’t know if I understand.”
“I’m sorry, Olly. It’s not like I don’t trust you or I doubt your intentions. I want you to know that I do trust you, and I love you, and that’s why I need to make absolutely sure of this. I’m talking about no life-altering cybernetics, but I’m also just saying…I don’t know what I’m saying. I just…you’re such a good, pure-hearted person. Despite all the pain, the suffering, and the loss that you’ve endured, you’re still the most amazingly compassionate person I know. I need you to always be that person. And not just for my sake, but for yours.” Tears are streaming freely down her cheeks now.
Now I understand. And there go the waterworks.
“I promise. I—” My voice leaves me for a moment, tears pouring down my face. “I swear that you will never lose me. I know exactly what you mean now, and I want to thank you for putting into words a feeling I’ve had for quite some time. It’s the same way I feel about you, Zeke, and Dex. The last thing I want for any of you, for anyone in this city, is for you to lose sight of who you are. Whether it’s because of this damned city, or CYBR Corp, or just the loss and pain that can eat away at you like a parasite in your brain. It happened to me for a time, and I know how bad it feels. I lost myself until you found me again, and I never want to feel that way again. So, yes, I promise you won’t lose me.”
“Thank you.”
Ash pulls me into a tight hug, and I hug her back. We stand there sobbing and holding each other for a while.
I pull away slightly so I can see her face. I wipe her tears away, running my fingers down her cheek.
“Ash, I need you to make me the same promise,” I say, gently caressing her face with my left hand.
“Of course, Olly. I promise you’ll never lose me, either.” She wipes the tears from my face, too.
I smile an uncomplicated, ear-to-ear smile and pull her into a kiss. She kisses me back, and we hold each other tight once more. After the longest time, we pull apart. That now-familiar feeling of pure, unadulterated bliss fills every fiber of my being. The type of happiness that sends my stomach into an interpretive dance.
I’ll never get tired of that feeling. Not for as long as I live.
She gives me the same smile I gave her as we pull away, which only makes her more beautiful and my stomach more tumultuous.
“You’re so beautiful, Ash.”
“So are you.”
Oh, goodbye, composure.
My cheeks are undoubtedly blushing now, but I’m much too happy to care.
We stare at each other for a moment longer, not quite letting go, not quite holding on. We both know we have to stop to get back to the daunting task at hand, but we don’t want to. And can you blame us?
After some time, we both nod and pull away.
I throw on my VYSR shades again.
“Now, let’s take down the largest megacorporation the world has ever seen, shall we?” I say, holding out my fist for a fist bump.
“Damn right.” She says, bumping it enthusiastically.
Naturally, we blow it up.
“So, Dex,” I say into the comms, still smiling, “what’s the sitch?”
“Well,” he replies hesitantly, “the sitch is that you’ve got an army to fight through as two people.”
That makes my smile decidedly smaller.
“However,” he continues, “the sitch is also that I’ve figured out the best path through. Unless you plan to take them all out before continuing forward, in which case you could just stroll right up to the front door!” He remarks sarcastically.
“Ha, ha. Very funny. No, give us the path, please.” I reply with as much sarcasm as I can muster.
“I’m sending it to your Holos. Oliver, you can send it to your VYSR, as well.”
“Thank you, Dex. Joking aside, we really couldn’t do this without you.” I say.
“Seriously, you’re incredible.” Ash chimes in.
“Thank you both, and you can pay me back by giving them hell.” He replies, his voice incredibly resolute.
“You can count on it,” I reply, “and this would be the perfect time for your broadcast, don’t you think?”
“Right, that’s a good point.” He responds somewhat hesitantly. “I wasn’t sure when to play it, to tell you the truth. I’ve lived my whole life quietly, in the background.”
“I agree with Olly,” Ash interjects, “I think now is perfect since it might actually help distract these guards at least somewhat, allowing us to slip through a little bit easier. And, whether you like it or not, you're not in the background anymore, Dex. There’s no time like the present to stand up and stand out. To make yourself known and make a difference. Without the broadcast, this will just be swept under the rug as some terrorist activity, if it’s on the news at all. However, with the broadcast, people will know what we’re doing this for, and they’ll see just how much damage even a small group of dedicated rebels can do. We need you, Dex. We need your leadership and your voice.”
“You make an excellent point. Thank you, Astra. I’ll play it as soon as you’re ready!” Dex replies. His voice is resolute and confident.
“Right!” I reply.
Ash and I both look at our wrists as the path Dex devised shows up on our Holocomms. I tap the share button, and it appears on my VYSR glasses. An orange line streams out from in front of me, twisting and winding all the way across the massive CYBR Corp courtyard. The courtyard standing between us and the thing we’ve been working toward this entire time.
Let’s fucking do this.
I look at Ash, and she gives me a determined nod. I nod back.
“Dex,” I say, “in case this is the last time we talk to you before this is all over, I mean, you keep yourself and Zeke safe. Above all, you got that?”
“You got it, boss. Now kick their asses!”
I take a deep breath and map the path out in my mind, taking one last note of the position of everything in our way. I grab the arc rifle I nabbed from the warehouse, check that the safety is off, and prepare to run ‘n’ gun.
Ash grabs her rifle, too, and gives me another nod.
“Now!” I shout to both Dex and Ash.
Without another word, Ash and I take off at a full sprint, following the path laid out before us. As we run, Dex’s recorded speech blares over every speaker in the complex, a speech that everyone in the world is hearing right now. I catch a glimpse of a large monitor on the side of a building, and I see Dex’s face as he begins to speak.
“My name is Dexter Jones. You don’t know me, but I have something to say, something you need to hear…”
We make it only a few paces before the spotlights of several more UAVs come in, followed quickly by shouts.
“Over there!” One guy screams.
“Open fire!” Another orders.
And they do.
Without hesitation, I continue sprinting along the orange path. I toss an EMP grenade into the cluster of UAVs overhead, taking about half of them down. The ones that explode take out some of the troops and cause some more to stop firing for a brief moment. The cacophony of gunfire, explosions, and shouting dies out just as quickly as it appeared. In the silence, the troops seem to notice Dex’s speech, further throwing them off.
“…I worked for CYBR Corp for fifteen long, terrible years. I committed countless atrocities for them, killed so many innocent people, and tortured so many more. And I was merely an office worker, a lab rat. I did what I was told, and I tried not to think about it. But my sins don’t come anywhere close to those of their so-called ‘retribution’ soldiers…”
I notice the image on another nearby monitor. It’s changed now to CYBR Corp footage we stole from the outlet. Footage of Retribution troops beating defenseless citizens to an inch of their lives, footage of scientists committing horrible atrocities on their test subjects. For a moment, I lose myself to the rage that fills me as I watch the screen.
“On the left!” Ash yells.
Ash’s voice brings me back to the present. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a massive group of Retribution troops with turrets. Ash arms an arc grenade and lobs it behind the cover they’re shooting from. I look forward again, hooking a hard right as the path indicates. Behind us, I can hear the screams of people being shocked by arc lightning. The turrets stop firing, groaning to a stop as their circuitry is overloaded.
“…I never wanted to work for them or to do any of the unspeakable things I had to do, but they threatened my family, and I did the only thing I could to save them. The same thing countless unfortunate souls have been forced to do. But I’ve had enough, and it’s time someone came clean about the truth, the horrible, painful truth that we’ve all turned a blind eye to for far too long because it’s easier to ignore it than to accept that it’s true…”
As we round the corner of a massive truck that was blocking the way, the path makes a hard left back toward the front of the HQ building. We come out from behind the truck. Countless troops start firing, bullets and arc plasma streaming toward us from all angles. The UAVs that didn’t get taken out by my EMP have recovered and are firing missiles at us. The rockets hit the side of the truck, mere feet from my head. The explosion knocks me to the side, deafening me and making my head throb.
