Ballad of Demise Read online

  “You know I met Oswald long before he was a household name,” Mari stated. “Poor bastard’s balding a lot faster than I anticipated.”

  She got no reply, and she looked behind her in annoyance. Oh, that’s right. Her traveling partner was by the headboard of the bed, hogtied and with duct tape over his mouth. She was stunned to see more fear in his trembling eyes than anger. I know I’d be furious.

  Mari went back to the telescreen. Secretary General Vanzetti was going on about how anxious he was to finally meet Chancellor Venloran in person. Just hearing that name was enough to rattle the cyborg. In turn, it made her think of Maurizo and her mother, her blood boiling. I know you’re all watching. It’s time you all see my work for yourselves.

  Mari rose and turned to face her captive.

  “All right, I’m heading out. I’d thank you, but that would be insulting, wouldn’t it? Considering what I have planned tonight, I couldn’t risk you jeopardizing anything. It’s a one night reservation, so by noon tomorrow the janitors will be your savior. In the meantime, why don’t I leave you with some mood music?”

  In her hand was Ewan’s cellphone, and out of it a song began to play. Mari bobbed her head with rhythm. The music led into a drumroll, the cyborg imitating as best she could, before going into a funky beat. He didn’t know it, but this was Mari’s best attempt to calm herself before walking out that door. She halted her jamming when she realized her captive was gawking at her.

  “That’s James Joseph Brown, in case you didn’t know” she explained. Mari quickly grew tired of his staring. She tossed the phone next to him on the bed, Ewan flinching.

  “Don’t stay up too late...” she hesitated, “You look like a Jerry. Yeah, don’t stay up too late, Jerry.”

  Ewan watched her go, nothing with her but the clothes on her back and the sheathed sword. His initial thoughts were that the ordeal was over, but what she’d said kept gnawing at him. Considering what I have planned tonight…and then he remembered her fascination with the International Summit. What atrocities does she have in mind? Am I complicit to whatever happens tonight? Unbeknownst to him, the song’s title was ‘The Payback’.

  Chapter 7- Fragility

  November 2046 – South Bend, Indiana

  Kane checked his labor. The pie had taken on a golden-brown color and the sweet aroma of the freshly sliced apples danced at his nose. Feeling all that warmth from the oven was outright heavenly, and he was confident it would be a hell of a dessert. He straightened as he shut the oven door and set aside his apron. And for the coup de grace.

  He opened the cupboard over the kitchen sink, seeing the chardonnay Glenda loved. Right next to it were two dusty glasses. Their initials were engraved, a cursive GK for both. He was gentle and methodical as he wiped them clean. After five minutes of scrubbing on them, the glasses had a shine he was proud to accept.

  Kane walked into the living room, a filled wine glass in each hand. His wife wasn’t at the couch in front of the fireplace as he would’ve thought. Instead, she was at the glass door to the backyard porch. He couldn’t blame her. The night of snowfall had left the entire city covered in a blanket of white. With the sun now high up in the sky, it all sparkled.

  “Honey, pie’s almost done,” he told her as he waited by the couch.

  “Oh, okay, Gavin,” she said with her back to him. It was almost as if she was searching for something. Kane thought of the gray clouds lingering on the end of the city.

  “If the weather reports hold true, that snowbank won’t hit us till Sunday. I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said to comfort her.

  She turned to face him now, but Kane didn’t see any reassurance.

  “I know. The winter last year was a lot worse,” she said. He could hear the faint sadness in her voice.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for it, Glenda, but I’m here now. Please, come sit with me,” Kane invited.

  She did so, her husband only seating himself once she was comfortable and had her wine glass in hand. Sitting cross-legged on the couch like years before, he admired. Kane observed her long, wavy blonde hair. How eloquently it rested on her shoulders. He was feeling nostalgic, reminiscing about times he often didn’t give the time of day.

  “I remember when I first ordered these glasses,” he said as they sat facing each other on the caramel-colored couch.

  “Yeah, it was a lovely honeymoon,” replied his wife. The flames of the fireplace provided not only sumptuous warmth, but also plenty of light. Kane saw that light reflected in the tears welling up in her eyes. He instinctively tried to place a hand on her arm, but she put up a hand of her own.

  “No, I’m okay,” she said, pulling herself together, “It’s just that…I haven’t seen you out of uniform in so damn long.”

  Kane felt dumbstruck, actually looking down at what he was wearing. It was his green and white-striped sweater, ugly old thing. When it got cold around here, it had been a tradition to wear it. Glenda wore a matching one.

  “Yeah, well the moth trap is just as itchy as ever,” he laughed. “I just hope I don’t gain too much weight while I’m on leave.”

  “That would’ve worked on me before, Gavin, but not now,” she said. “You’ll be back out there by January, if not sooner.”

  “You know this from the start, and we both know I do what I can. What’s the real problem?”

  The woman hesitated, but Kane coaxed her onward. “Go on, please. Tell me whatever it is, babe.”

  “Fine, I want you to walk away from this: the UNR Party, this new government, all of it, while you still can.”

  Kane’s confidence took a shot downward, as did his composure.

  “I can’t do that. I have an obligation to the people I serve.”

  “And you’ve done enough! You won Venloran’s war for us, and I’m grateful. Why can’t you call it quits before you’re in too deep?”

  Kane sat back in disbelief. “You don’t like how we do things? You think before was any better? When people were starving in the streets and our boys we’re out there dying every day?!”

  “With all that power Venloran has now, he didn’t have to kill as many as he did, but he wanted to send a message. Do you think I’m too stupid to see that? Especially when many of those who died were people who call this country home, just like you and me.”

  “No one’s gonna miss all the corrupt bureaucrats and bankers, no one! We did this country a service, Glenda!”

  The woman could no longer look Kane in the face. She now gazed at the fireplace, arms on her lap. “If I knew what the UNR Party would turn you into, I would’ve done everything in my power to stop you from being a part of it.”

  The husband now did as his wife had done and set his glass on the table in front of them. He scooted in close, glad to see she didn’t pull away.

  “We do a lot of good, too. Many soldiers’ lives were saved by Venloran, and it’s just the beginning.”

  Glenda tore her gaze away from the flames.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of, Gavin. I only want the best for you, honey, and believe that I do because I love you. There doesn’t need to be any more blood on your hands.”

  Instead of wearing down Kane, her words had only agitated him. He now stood away from her.

  “If that’s how you feel, like everything we’ve achieved is some unholy aberration, then I don’t really have anything more to say to you, Glenda. I live for my country, and I would never run away from my service. All this time I thought you knew that. In case you didn’t know, if I had to choose, I’d choose my country every time. We’re done here.”

  He didn’t pick up his wineglass nor did he stay to see her reaction. He no longer cared. Kane could hear it, the sobbing. The first note of it pulled at his heart strings, but he fought it off. Her crying fell on deaf ears that day, and for many decades after, Kane never looked back.

  ***

  October 23, 2065 - UNR Headquarters

  Kane studied his objective: a cube of osmium, t
welve by twelve in dimension. It was the densest metal known to man and this cube alone weighed several tons. A good test. The general latched onto it with both hands. His HUD told him the target may have been too much, and he believed it himself. For the first time since his rebirth, his joints were straining and he had made only a few inches of progress. He gave the command: increase energy output. A warning popped up, but he dismissed it without even reading it. The two inches became six, then eight, till finally he held the hunk of metal completely over his head.

  Despite the triumph, his arms and legs quivered with the exertion. Still, he did not allow himself a reprieve. Not yet. He wanted a reminder of what it meant to have limits. What it meant to be human. After last night, he had been craving this feeling. With all that was on his mind, he was glad he heard someone coming.

  Kane hurled the cube at the wall. It hit low, and the collision was as loud as it was destructive.

  The cyborg turned to see Captain Howarth had entered his training area. At first, he believed the young man was only there to observe, but that wasn’t so. He walked from the doorway onto the matted area.

  “If I’m interrupting, we can talk later,” he said.

  “Right now is fine. I just finished up,” Kane replied.

  The captain looked at the enormous chunk knocked out of the wall.

  “I can’t help but ask what you were finishing up.”

  Kane inspected the damage himself and realized the kid must’ve seen the anger in the action. He decided to play it off.

  “Guess I don’t know my own strength,” he joked. “What brings you to my home, kid?”

  “I’m a little nervous about tonight. Venloran’s been saying little about it, but last night just doesn’t sit well with me.”

  “You were in favor of this plan months ago. You feel differently now?”

  “How can I not? Last night made me wonder just how many enemies we really have. I used to feel like we were untouchable, but Dylan showed me different.”

  Kane saw the irritation in the young man. He was on the verge of shaking.

  “Then what’s our next step?” the cyborg asked.

  “Maybe we should start taking the fight to them. After this summit is over we need more aggressive tactics. They take out one of us, we execute a hundred of them!”

  “Dylan was one man. The AEF is made up of some of the most powerful nations on Earth. Retaliation on a massive scale would mean no less than war. I know a lot of the others in The Cabinet have had that stance for years, especially nowadays. Now you do, too?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  This isn’t Damien, Kane thought.

  “I can see why you would feel that way. We’ve lost a lot of people. Ever since April, everything we built has been in question.”

  The mention of that month clearly rocked the young captain.

  “Judgments born from anger are never the most reliable. Anger led me to do this to myself,” said Kane as he put a hand on his chest. “Venloran reminded me why he’s not doing it that way not too long ago: for our future. I see now there’s no need to lose more than we have to.”

  “A shaky peace does ensure no one else has to die,” Damien realized, thinking back to Avery. “All these years later, and you can manage to school me from time to time, old man.”

  “Who else would keep your ass out of trouble?”

  The two continued to talk as they left the training area. They both enjoyed the exchange as long as they could. It was a night dedicated not to operations and schemes, at least not at the forefront. It was a night dedicated to the country as a whole.

  ***

  New York City Harbor

  “Did you get the picture?”

  “Yeah, babe, I did.”

  “Okay, good. I wish I could’ve gotten a shot during daytime, but briefings took all damn day after that horrendous flight.”

  Aliss was alone at the water’s edge, leaning against the fence as he spoke on the phone. Across from him was Liberty Island and Libertas herself. The pedestal that the ancient statue stood on had UNR banners draped on every side. More than the incredible sight, Aliss enjoyed the salty smell and the slosh of the ever-moving surface.

  “Andy got picked for team captain? I told you all those weekends at the batting cages would be worth it.”

  “I encouraged him, too, you know.”

  “No, no, you were worried about him blistering his hands, Nate, don’t give me that,” Aliss chuckled. Looking at the dark water, humor now left his mind.

  “I wish I could’ve been there to celebrate. This new case is just another nuisance on my plate and I was actually considering handing it over to Pam.”

  “You give up a case? Are you okay, babe? You don’t sound like it.”

  “No, I’m okay, I promise. I just didn’t expect to return to duty so soon after bringing Andy into our lives.”

  “Neither did I, Aliss, but we’ll manage like we always have. Andy knows you protect us. He brags about to all his friends about how you’re a hero.”

  “He does?” Aliss pictured his son on the playground with his friends, the fellow children in awe of the tales of his father’s adventures. Nate couldn’t see it, but tears welled up in Aliss’ eyes. “Thank you, I really needed that right now. I won’t hold you up any longer. I know Andy’s probably starving.”

  “Okay, stay safe. I love you.”

  “Love you too, sweetie. Goodbye.”

  Aliss heard the phone call end with a beep and stared out at the statue again. There was nothing like the cold brought in by the ocean winds, the cyborg loving it. Perhaps we should consider moving to the coast. The super soldier heard footsteps and turned to see who was approaching.

  “Sergeant Flemming,” he greeted, “I hear you had better luck than I did on your hunt. Congratulations.”

  The UNR soldier walked on over, carrying his helmet at his side. Receiving a compliment from Aliss clearly had astonished him, but he attempted to play it cool.

  “All the planning in the world usually doesn’t count for shit once you’re out in the field. I was lucky,” he said. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Certainly not. You a fan of the city?”

  “Only the landmarks, not the smell of it,” Flemming said as he also leaned on the gate.

  They both admired the view and the serene silence. As soldiers, they’d come to appreciate the value of having no one around and enjoying the absence of crowds.

  “I heard your men were quite vocal about their concerns during the meetings,” Aliss said. “I’m amazed you were able to calm them down.”

  “I’ve been doing it for years. Just comes with the job.”

  Aliss looked away from the river. “Still, I’m curious. Do you feel the same?”

  Flemming peered at his worn-down helmet.

  “When I first got approved for the surgery, I thought I would toss this old thing. I won’t muddle things, Howard. I signed up because I thought I was achieving immortality. I thought we’d be untouchable and to find out we weren’t was…hard.”

  Hard was the only word Flemming could think of to describe it. “But I came to terms with what WP-III was meant to be. They all had to.”

  “And how did you do that?”

  “I reminded them that becoming a member of the SSF is reserved for our brothers and sisters who got it the worst, and even among them only a few are accepted. I told them we’d be the world’s biggest assholes if we complained while I can name over a dozen of my friends who can’t even walk.”

  Aliss could hardly remember those days. The days of being human. Things like eating his father’s barbeque or worrying about sleep had become murky memories, but many things remained. He thought of them constantly.

  “I can’t blame them. Before my procedure, I couldn’t even piss standing up, but once the surgery was done I did, for a time, feel truly immortal. I used to tell all new cyborgs that they were indeed unkillable. They loved me for it. I got my own wakeup call during the Expan
sion when the Crimson Angels managed to take down super soldiers. Human soldiers taking down cyborgs had been presumed impossible up till that point.”

  “Halsey and Julissa Marconi were monsters in their own right.” A light shined in Flemming’s eyes as he realized something. “So that’s when you changed the creed to ‘If one knight falls, may another carry their sword.’”

  “Yes. I strongly believe the day will soon come when we stop telling the SSF not to fear death. It will be humbling for them, but it’s what they need to hear now more than ever.”

  “You know, before I never understood why you hold so much influence among cyborgs and human soldiers alike. Finally talking to you face-to-face, I think I finally get it.”

  Aliss put up a hand. Even so, he still had that inviting smile.

  “Influence won’t mean anything on the battlefield. Let’s just enjoy this moment. Besides, out here all you can smell is the ocean.”

  Both the soldiers silently agreed. They thought on their losses, but also of the progress and promise of their beloved country. Neither of them were human anymore, but they were still, at their core, men. Men who fought very real enemies as well as the enemies within themselves. As mere men, Libertas towered over them and would stand long after they were gone.

  Chapter 8- Amity

  Willow Bay Campground, Pennsylvania

  When Patrick and the others got down to the parking lot, there were several cars and RVs, something he’d been dreading. Still, luck was on his side. Everyone there was drawn to one RV, he’d wager the largest one by far and the biggest one he’d ever seen. He also now realized what that glow had been as they drew nearer. On the side of the RV was a gigantic telescreen.

  Duncan was thankfully parked across the lot, but it didn’t matter. As they walked past, no one paid them any mind. The telescreen was broadcasting a news report of the International Summit. Several families had either parked close or brought up lawn chairs to watch the show.