ã€ŠVector Unit Regen: Orphan&#x27;s Warã€‹


 Two Tales

    The trudge over the wind blasted dunes had seemed long, but it had only been a few hours since Drake and his sister had set out from their makeshift camp. They had been travelling for a few days now, stopping and replenishing their supplies along the way where ever possible. Ahead of them, was their target, the most westerly of the Domes that was the domain of the Atlantis Empire. Inside there was a new life waiting for those who were allowed in. Drake had told his sister the stories that had been passed to him from his parents, who got them from their parents. Inside any of the Domes was a paradise that hadn¡¯t been seen on the Earth in countless ages. Controlled weather systems, heating and conditioned running water, stable and clean energy and most important of all, the best medicine.

    Ava, Drakes sister, was asleep on her brothers back, the disease that was ravaging her body on the inside taking more of her waking time from her with each passing day. Her health pushed Drake to his limit, one of those good Samaritan doctors who visited the folk who were forced to eke out an existence outside the Domes had offered to tell him what her life expectancy was, to help him get used to the eventuality of her fate, or as he put it ¡®Give you the time you need to make her last days the best they can be¡¯. Saying it to Drakes face was not the best move, and the doctor needed to see a doctor. That had been a few weeks ago now, with Drake and Ava leaving the next morning after that incident. Determined to save his sisters life instead of giving up, Drake knew he had to get her to where the medicine was. He couldn¡¯t just watch her fade away like so many had before. Aside from the travel, the biggest obstacle was their status as a ¡®Silver¡¯, owning to the eye colour all those born outside the Domes had. While the Domes did accept some ¡®Silvers¡¯ it was a highly restrictive process, only those certain to be useful likely to be admitted. It didn¡¯t stop people trying though from wanting the best life possible for their families.

    The sound of a spluttering engine rose from behind. A rust bucket on wheels was coming up as fast as it could when dealing with the shifting sand. It was a jumble of parts, trying to mimic what people had seen in old historic images as a motorbike, the best approximation you can get for these parts. The rider looked older then Drake, his face hidden by a dented helmet and a scarf that was failing to keep the mouth clear. The bike slowed down as it pulled alongside the brother and sister.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to sell her are you?¡± The rider said, his voice a mix of surprise and judgment, clearly this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen something like this.

    ¡°Why the hell would I sell my sister!¡± Drake snapped back. ¡°What sick people do you deal with?¡±

    ¡°Hey calm down!¡± The rider reached inside his dirt caked jacket and pulled out a metal badge, still shining in places. ¡°It¡¯s my job to ask questions like that.¡± The rider belonged to a group known as the Sheriffs, they tried to keep some level of order in the outside, but they were a rag tag organization who took their name from history. Drake felt uneasy, no two Sheriffs were the same, each having their own moral compass and their own views on how to keep the peace.

    ¡°So I¡¯m guessing if you¡¯re not selling her then, you¡¯re trying to take her to Entry Point?¡±

    ¡°Entry Point? I¡¯m taking her into the Dome.¡± Drake replied, walking forward again.

    ¡°Wait! You have to go through Entry Point to get to the Dome! You can¡¯t just waltz in there!¡± The rider got level again, while fighting to stop his bike sinking. ¡°Look there¡¯s the town of Entry Point in ¡®front¡¯ of the Dome.¡± He pointed to the ramshackle buildings, over a dozen of them, like a blemish on a scenic view.

    ¡°Okay, so I go through that place to get to the Dome, got it¡± This time, instead of letting Drake go again, the rider reached out and grabbed his arm.

    ¡°You idiot! You have to go through the proper channels, there¡¯s an office in town that has the power to grant you access to the Dome, they are the ones you have to speak to. I warn you though, there¡¯s a wait, lots of young people like you have the exact same idea.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my chances thanks¡± Drake pulled his arm free. ¡°I¡¯m getting in there, no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Parents dead I take it...¡± The rider bluntly observed. ¡°Just because you got tragic circumstances isn¡¯t going to make it any easier for you, there¡¯s a lot of orphans out here.¡±

    ¡°A nineteen year old carrying a thirteen year old on his back and you wonder if my parents are still around. Yeah they¡¯re dead, and I¡¯m not letting the same time happen to her, no matter who I have to go through.¡±

    ¡°Carry on like that and you¡¯ll wind up in trouble...¡± The rider said quietly. In the distance, three specks were getting increasingly larger, exceptionally fast. Drake spotted them and felt the tension rise in his body, then the rider saw them.

    ¡°Here come the big boys...¡± He said as three massive humanoid machines blasted through the sand, whipping it up and blowing it out of the way. They were coated black aside from specks of colour on the shoulders, and each carrying oversized versions of normal weapons. These were Vector Units, the weapon of choice for the powers that be. The original ones were found and dissected, giving rise to newer models, and caused a push to reap what few resources the planet had left to give up. Drake had only seen them from afar before, staying out of their way as much as possible. Everyone knew what they meant when they showed up, death was close.

    The Vector Units flew overheard, not even pausing to consider the people underneath. The noise however caused Ava to stir.

    ¡°What was that?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Just some flying tin cans...You feeling better?¡± Drake asked as he helped Ava down. The Rider took a good long look at her, and he tutted under his breath. ¡°No one asked your opinion¡± Drake glared.

    ¡°Good luck...You¡¯re going to need it. See you around.¡± The rider then sped off towards the town, leaving Ava confused.

    ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°No one, just a Sheriff. If you can walk, then we should get going again.¡± Truth be told, Drake¡¯s body was close to rebelling against him, but it didn¡¯t matter. He had to get his sister the help she needed, and he couldn¡¯t do that face down on the floor.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Right!¡± Ava started moving, though not quickly at first, her legs weren¡¯t moving as she wanted. Drake shown more patience with her though and purposely walked slower so they were still side by side. The two of them walked slower then if it had just been Drake, with Ava having a limp and the occasional moment of weakness. She pushed away any attempt at aid, wanting to keep going. Through out all of this, the town ahead got larger and larger. The buildings were all constructed of scavenged materials and no look matched individually, but if you pulled back and looked at the town as a whole, everything came together. They were close enough now to see streamers hanging between the buildings and a happy atmosphere was carried on the breeze. Some celebration must have been going on.

    Now within a whisker of the town, the ambient noise gave way to music, at first just the tune could be made, a pleasurable, and reliable, set of beats pounding away. Ava heard the female voice at the heart of the song and her face lit up.

    ¡°They¡¯re playing Melody Moon!¡± She gasped, and picked up her pace, entering within range of the shadows of the buildings in the setting sun as lights began to illuminate the skeletal and bare designs of the town. Drake had used the music of Melody Moon as a way to take his sisters mind of things, figuring it was better to give her something to focus on other then the passing of their parents and her own mortality. He found the musicians output to be too cheesy, too on the nose to be anything other then an attempt to seem human by the Atlantis Empire. As long as it made her happy though. Drake followed Ava into the heart of the town, an ornate fountain that stuck out like a sore thumb against the forced ascetic of its surroundings. The motif that decorated the structure though told of its origins, a gift from the seemingly benevolent Empire. The Dome loomed large over the tops of the buildings, but it¡¯s opaque glass hid the contents and the citizens away from the prying eyes of those who had to live outside. People came to trade with those outside but the relationship was always one sided. Something else caught Drake¡¯s eye, and with it another shudder, two Vector Units stood at the end of the long street, no doubt guarding the entrance to the Dome, but also acting like beacons, showing the might of the Empire and enticing those who would gladly lay their life down of it.

    ¡°Come on Drake!¡± Ava tugged at her brothers arm, dragging him towards another street that crossed at the fountain, the jovial festivities of the town had infected her, aiding her in down playing her illness for now, she didn¡¯t know what the celebrations were or what they stood for but it didn¡¯t matter. It meant she could dance and listen to music, so she was happy, this moment blocking out all the more recent ones. This was all Drake could ask for, even more so if he could just watch from the side lines. This wasn¡¯t his scene but it was perfect for her. While she was having the time of her life, he went and made enquiries about his goal, getting him and Ava inside the Dome.

    ¡°Sorry son, the office is closed today, on account of the holiday.¡± The bar keeper said as he served more customers. Drake had found him next to a public space in a temporary bar, selling drinks from a tent.

    ¡°What holiday? Too early for harvest ones, or any that have been rediscovered.¡± Drake said, wondering what the purpose of all this was.

    ¡°It¡¯s the mark the date many years ago that the Empire came into being, as a response to the threat from the other nations.¡±

    ¡°You would celebrate that even though you¡¯re out here?¡± It seemed like it would be one that would be inside only, given it meant little to those outside.

    ¡°The Empire is good to us here, they¡¯re going to start helping us revamp this town, get rid of all these remnants and build proper towns, like what they have in the Domes. At least that¡¯s what they say. You¡¯d do well to note down the date, especially if you want to get in there. The office is open for a little while in the morning, but you¡¯d be better off camping outside the doors, a lot of people want to get in.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the first to tell me that today...Where is the office though.¡±

    ¡°Go back to the fountain and head down the street to the right. Go all the way down to the end of the street and it¡¯s the last turn left. Good luck kid.¡± Drake left the tent and caught up with Ava, who was trying now to hide signs of fatigue, collapsing in her brothers arms.

    ¡°I guess I should have watched my step better!¡± She joked, weakly.

    ¡°You¡¯re over doing it.¡±

    ¡°No, plus I haven¡¯t heard this song! I got to dance to it, it¡¯s some kind of law...I think.¡± Her smile was often enough to melt hearts in all the towns they had passed through previous, though it still didn¡¯t bring much help.

    ¡°Come on, I think you need to rest again, I want to set up camp near the office we need.¡±

    ¡°Will they let us in? They won¡¯t be interested in me.¡± Ava said, her usually optimistic voice disappearing under the wave of pessimism.

    ¡°They¡¯re going to let us in, it won¡¯t be worth it for them otherwise. Plus we¡¯ve got a secret weapon, your smile, no one can resist that!¡± Drake said, just as it was uncharacteristic for Ava to mope or despair, so was it him to smile or joke. Ava bought out this side in him. The pair having reassured each other for now, set off and pitched a tent right near the office building, which was much better maintained then the others in the town, having a uniform design. To their surprise, there was already dozens of tents pitched out along the edges and nearby. It took them ten minutes to find place of their own.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people here...¡± Ava said, looking in surprise.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re the ones getting in.¡± Drake said, he was beginning to feel a little doubt, his bluster failing with his tiredness. Sleep was what they both needed now.

    While they settled down for the night, just the other side of the reinforced Dome wall, another party was in full swing, this one a lot grander, with guests wearing the finest clothes, enjoying the best drinks. All except one was having a good time, and she was sat overlooking the edge of the balcony, onto the lush gardens below. The night sky was visible through the glass ceilings, and with it, the monolithic structure, the Orbital Ring. The vast relic of a by gone space age encompassing the Earth, it¡¯s purpose lost, any means to visit it long vanished. To the woman sat there, the ring was as cold and distant as she herself felt. She was dressed in brilliant pinks, an outfit made to order, expensive but designed to last only a single wear. She had been living this life since she was plucked from the outside as a child, her parents more then willing to sign her over to a handler. She often thought about fleeing the gilded cage they had placed her in but knew from what happened to one of the other children taken how bad it worked out. Nonetheless, she was the only survivor from that intake, being shown their broken bodies as a warning to avoid their mistakes. The last of her friends, her sisters had only died last year, having been demoted to a general¡¯s plaything after an escape attempt. Melody felt herself wanting to cry but her conditioning made it hard, then someone spoke up.

    ¡°Melody, please come back and join the party, its about time for us to hear your lovely voice...¡± The man who wanted her to return was her newest handler, who took over from her predecessor when she came of age, a night she tried so hard to forget. His voice though aroused those memories, dragging them up. His name was Darren Deacon, and presented himself to others as the very model of efficiency and skill. Scratch that surface and he was no better then all the others who wanted her. Melody wanted to run away but couldn¡¯t, having no choice but to follow Darren. As they entered the room, all the male eyes fell on her with that gaze of lust, while the women looked on in a mix of envy and condescension, they knew that what she had wouldn¡¯t last long, and was replaceable, while they would keep their power.

    ¡°Now ladies and gentlemen, Miss Melody Moon will now perform privately for your entertainment, and afterwards, there may be time for personal performances...¡±Darren announced with the skill of a ringmaster. Melody¡¯s skin crawled with each word, as her hopelessness rose and numbed her. With tears in her eyes she started singing as the small crowd moved in...

 Where the Worst is the Best Option

    Drake was awoken by the sound of engines and creaking gears. He bolted out of the tent to see part of the Dome open. Out of this yawning maw came an airship, then another one, and another after that. They were dark grey in colour and advancing slowly as they left the gate. They were so low that Drake could see the machinery that was working hard to give these machines flight, four massive engines in all, two on each side, they pulsed a brilliant blue as they began to drift overhead. Others had awoken as well and they were pointing up and chattering away. Behind the ships came three sets of three shadows, for they were moving much faster then Drakes morning eyes could pin down. These shadows performed manoeuvres around the ships, zigzagging over the hulls. Focusing his eyes, Drake saw that they were Vector Units, similar in colour to those that flew over head yesterday.

    ¡°Must be training new cannon fodder¡± Drake overheard someone say.

    ¡°Yeah, probably going to send them to fight in those border wars they keep having.¡± Another replied.

    ¡°Not if the terrorists get them first¡± The first said back. Drake had learned of the Border Wars, but never paid them much attention. It didn¡¯t seem like a big secret that the borders on the maps were very hard to define, and that the skirmishes were just tat for tat. The global powers craved compete control, but none of them did a great deal to get the control. The terrorists on the other hand, these were little groups that kept damaging the Empire in different ways, each with their own objectives. They were seldom united, at the same time most did want a fairer world. They were met with extreme retaliation.

    Drake had kept him and his sister away from incidents, staying away from the towns where the groups took on supplies and away from towns that openly supported the groups. He had always been told that perspective played a part in many fights, his dad giving him that nugget of information. He sympathised with some of the issues but the war was not for him.

    The airships were now fully clear of the Dome, which had begun closing up again. As the final gear went click, the ships engines roared even louder as their speed increased, quickly taking them away. The vector units must have disappeared along side them as all that was left now was clear skies.

    ¡°Why is it always noisy on the mornings?¡± Ava asked as she poked her head through the tent opening. ¡°Did I miss anything fun?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you always?¡± Drake laughed as he walked away. ¡°Will you be alright if I go join the queue? Earlier I stand in line, faster it will be to get us access to the Domes. The empire might be utter bastards but if they have your medicine, once you¡¯re all better we can care more about our morals.¡± He had been a little long winded again, which drew Ava¡¯s ire.

    ¡°All you had to say was we¡¯ll stay till I got better! To answer your question though, I¡¯ll be fine, I can get the tent down while you¡¯re dying of boredom¡± She smiled. Drake reluctantly left her and went to the front of the office were a hefty line had already formed. To join it, he had to leave the grounds and walk down the road. It was slow moving and when he looked back after ten minutes of waiting, he saw that the line now stretched further back. A little discouraged, he put it out of his mind and looked forward again. He overheard a great deal stood there, of people¡¯s reasons for making the trip and what excuses they would plead to be allowed access. It stood testament that despite what everyone had heard or were saying about the Empire that they still wanted to be on the inside. People could survive on the outside but it wasn¡¯t an easy existence by any stretch of the imagination. Then there was the reports of control of the towns themselves being usurped, by either gangs or agents of the powers that be spreading influence. Drake had been asked by several towns he had passed through to stay with them and help build a future out of the wastes.

    ¡°Where you from them?¡± Someone said from behind, a man only a few years Drakes senior.

    ¡°Out east...¡± Drake wasn¡¯t a big talker.

    ¡°Oh yeah? What town, I¡¯m from Grey Dawn myself.¡±

    ¡°Never heard of that place. I¡¯m from a small place near Rise View.¡± Drake wanted to be as blunt as possible in order to get the guy to move on. This didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Rise View... Rise View... Rise View? Rise View! I know that place, my sister and her family live out that way. Spent a summer or two there. Do they still get that lovely greenery at this time of year?¡± The stranger was even more curious it seemed, and had confidence enough to openly ask this stuff.

    ¡°If you really want to know, the whole place was razed when a gang showed up and challenged the gang who controlled the town. They had scavenged Vector Units and took out the whole town before calling it a draw.¡± Drake said, really trying to get the point across in his mannerisms and words that he didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. This time it did the trick. The guy behind mumbled an apology and went to bother the person behind him, some people just seemed to want to talk to someone as long as it meant not being on their own. Drake didn¡¯t care, at least not at the moment.

    ? few hours passed and the sun was high in the sky, though the Orbital Ring was also visible, bringing with it the forecast of an eclipse. These were never long events and while it seemed history regarded proper solar eclipses with a sense of wonder and awe that they clearly deserved, these new versions, where the ring passed on front of the sun, casting a shadow on those under its band, were very occasional. Drake assumed he¡¯d still be stood here when it happened. He¡¯d moved forward but not with speed, and from where he was, he couldn¡¯t see the end of the line now and wondered how long the people before him had actually been there for.

    ¡°There you are!¡± Ava¡¯s voice had that tone in it the gave away the fact that she¡¯d been sleeping. ¡°You haven¡¯t moved much...¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve moved loads just, I¡¯m a nice person and let people go ahead of me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re really not going to get in are we...¡± Ava was still worrying about what they would say, seeing how long the line was only made her worry more.

    ¡°Look, I already told you-¡° Drake was cut off by a burst of static from partially hidden speakers in the buildings.

    ¡°Testing... Testing¡± A robotic voice droned on. The static was maintained but a more human voice replaced the other one.

    ¡°Good afternoon, thank you for showing interest in applying for visa to enter and be officially recognised by the Atlantis Empire. It is encouraging to see so many want to join and help us move forward. As you know, or may not, but only a set number can be granted a visa a day. We have just filled that quota. Congratulations Joshua Meadows, Dean Rani, Felica Goodman, Rea Demin and Zak Brooke.¡± Drake saw Ava¡¯s heart sink, confirming her fears. There was always tomorrow yes but would Ava wake up tomorrow... The people in the line dispersed.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I...¡± Ava started to speak, her voice unusually timid.

    ¡°Ava, go set the tent back up. I¡¯m going to get food.¡± Drake turned so he his sister could only see his back, and not his tear stricken face. Knowing that arguing against his choice would not be helping matters, Ava nodded, and ran as a wind started to blow sand and dust up, providing Drake with the perfect background to his anger.

    He found himself heading towards the Dome itself, unsure of what he was looking for. What he did find was weathered metal sheets, and impenetrable walls. No signs of doors, hardly any signs that the Domes had been manufactured, whatever technology had created them was above the scientists of all the powers that be. Losing time, Drake did stumble upon something, a door half hidden by sand, the door itself slightly eaten away by erosion. Was this is his way in? He went to touch it when a voice shout out, accompanied by the sound of a bullet pinging off metal. Someone had just fired a warning shot that had narrowly missed him. Drake turned with his hands rising, finding the doorway had been too easy. There was four of them, three aiming rifles at him while the fourth and the closest one to him held a pistol that looked like it had just been fired. The man who held the gun was dressed in military garb but it looked more ornamental then the others. He looked to be in his late forties, a smile etched within the lines of experience in his face.

    ¡°Well so you listened on the first go! Normally you silvers play dumb or deaf...Mind telling me what you¡¯re doing near a disused service hatch?¡± There must have been something about today that made people just want to start randomly talking to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious isn¡¯t it?¡± Drake retorted, being called a silver had already got a rise out of him.

    ¡°Your right, it is obvious, and do you know what the punishment is for a silver to illegally enter any Atlantis Empire Dome or military base? I think you may just be clever enough to figure that out¡± The guy in charge laughed, waving his pistol near his conniving smile. Drake looked around for any chance of escape but only found the guards guns staring back at him.

    ¡°If your gonna do it then do it!¡± Drake said angrily.

    ¡°Now now, I¡¯m actually on my way to the town, walk with us...¡± The guy motioned for Drake to follow him, and reluctantly, he did.

    ¡°You want a public murder?¡± Drake asked as he turned to see the Dome falling away as they headed back into the town.

    ¡°I was thinking something else, tell me why do you want to be in there? You know what they¡¯ll do to you in there, how you¡¯ll be treat. A lad like you would be better out here... ¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in for me, I¡¯m gonna get my sister the treatment she needs. ¡°

    ¡°Oh your doing it for your sister?¡± The guys face lit up and Drake knew better then to trust whatever followed. ¡°Well I may be able to help you, if you are willing to listen.¡±

    ¡°You can help her?¡±

    ¡°I guarantee it, providing you play your part. You see I¡¯m on the look out for new recruits... You¡¯ll be enlisted in to the Atlantis Empire military, part of our, ahem, silver bullet program...¡±

    ¡°You want me to fight for you?¡±

    ¡°Not for me.... For your sister! The pair of you will be treat a lot better then you would be in the traditional method... Do I need to mention you¡¯ll be trained to be a pilot?¡± The guy leaned in close, as if becoming cannon fodder was a big secret.

    ¡°So I pilot your Vector Units and fight for you... You¡¯ll treat her and promise she¡¯ll be safe?¡± Drake was kidding himself that he had to make his mind up, this was the best chance he was going to get, even if died fighting someone else¡¯s wars.

    ¡°I promise that as long as she¡¯s in the hospital she¡¯ll be fine. She will be better before you know it. You owe it to her, if you desperate enough to risk death just getting in...¡± The guy patted Drake on the back. ¡°So what do you say? Are you going to let your dear sister die out here? Or are you going to suit up and fight under our flag... Come on, what are you waiting for?¡± He was right there was no choice, there was a catch hidden in there somewhere but he¡¯d come all this way, travelled here for the purpose of helping Ava.

    ¡°I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll fight your stupid wars. Just make her better... If you don¡¯t...¡± Drake wanted to sound threatening but it was just laughed away.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, once you through the door and under the artificial sky, she¡¯ll be seen by the best doctors, while you start a new life as one of the Vanguard.¡± Forcibly, the guy shook Drakes hand.

    ¡°I am Special Lieutenant Howard Tarn, welcome to the Atlantis Empire Special Forces...¡±

    Melody laid back in the reclined bed, a hospital night gown covering her bruised body. She was passive in appearance, but only because this routine had been beaten into her.

    ¡°She¡¯s clear¡± The doctor said as he stood up, after her examination. ¡°There was some internal damage but I¡¯ve patched her up. You¡¯ll have to be more careful with what you let her do.¡± Inside Melody¡¯s mind, she laughed at that remark, they had never let her do anything, everything was forced, hence why after every performance she wound up back here being checked over, some appointments worse then others.

    ¡°Fantastic, how long till she¡¯s fully healed.¡± Darren said from where he was stood in the corner, smoking a smokeless cigarette.

    ¡°Three days, your assistant made it quite clear that she had more private shows...¡± The doctor was the same one she had seen for the past two years now, and about fifty appointments in that time. Still, he saw her just as others did, an object.

    ¡°They¡¯ve paid good money for the privilege, speaking of which tomorrow morning will be a nice promo shot at Dome Zeus, we¡¯ll be travelling tonight. I¡¯ll drop you back to your accommodation... You¡¯ll be given two hours free time.¡± Darren dictated the days events to Melody, and the feeling he gave off that he was being gracious in giving her two hours to herself. She nodded in response, she would have loved to have said more, done more. Being in a hospital room meant there was plenty of tools she could have used on Darren and this Doctor who knew full well what was happening and was complicit. These fantasies would just remain that way, she was powerless here. Even in her free time she would be watched, made sure that she wasn¡¯t doing anything to damage herself, she had already tried that. There was something that she could do though, an act of rebellion that they so far hadn¡¯t caught. The Rebel Broadcasts, made by those fighting against all the powers that be. They listed their exploits knowing that there was a media blackout in effect. To her observers she would be idling to music, one guard who had actually cared for her plight shown her how to access the broadcasts. Sadly the guard was posted else where and Melody never saw her again. Her name was etched in her memory, as one of few who seemed like a nice person, yet sometimes the name seemed distant. Tina... That was it, Melody assured herself, using the name retrieval exercise as a way to provide distance from the conversation around her, about her but not including her.

    ¡°When will you be putting her in the program then? I¡¯m aware my colleagues in that division have found some potential breeding stock.¡± The doctor asked as he cleaned his glasses.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send her over once I¡¯m happy with the match ups, she¡¯s one of the best we¡¯ve had and I¡¯m not wasting her on some hunches. She needs to be with the best... ¡° Darren replied. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse us Doctor Redfield, she has to rest now.¡± Hearing that command Melody allowed herself to rise and followed Darren out of the door, then still under his watchful gaze, she got changed back into her casual clothes, almost a prison like tracksuit complete with serial number. A car ride later she threw herself onto her bed, listening to the guards footsteps in the hall outside. She put her headphones in and stared at the ceiling as she switched over to the Rebel Broadcasts, longing for strength in herself, like they had.

 How the Other Half Live

    Ava couldn¡¯t believe anything Drake was saying, it was all too fantastic for her to believe. She had become accustomed to disappointment and had figured out something must have happened given how long he had been. To see him in the company of soldiers, well she dreaded the worst. Tears streaked down her face and as she grabbed hold of Drake.

    ¡°Do you know what this means!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of what it means...¡± Drake said plying himself from her grip. He had asked his new benefactor to not mention anything about what he would be doing in exchange. Instead they would say that he was being employed to do menial labour, something that Ava wouldn¡¯t worry about.

    ¡°What happens now?¡± Ava asked, turning to Howard, who stood with his guards, a smile still on his face.

    ¡°Well little miss, I¡¯m going to need you and your brother to head to the entrance, a private welcoming committee will greet you and take you on a tour. Then you¡¯ll be checked into one of the finest hospitals we, the Atlantis Empire, have, Sacred Vessel. Drake will then go to his new job for orientation.¡± Taken at face value, what Howard said could be seen as friendly but Drake knew what the last one meant, guilt starting to eat him over his lie, one that was sure to snowball.

    ¡°Thank you Drake...I¡± Drake stopped Ava from continuing.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anymore, you¡¯re going to get better...That¡¯s all I wanted.¡±

    ¡°How touching... Now these are yours...¡± Howard put two key cards in Drakes hands with some force. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some more dreams to make come true...¡± He smiled and turned away with his guards, a wave of tension went with them.

    Ava enthusiastically led the way, practically dragging her brother. Drake could tell that she needed a rest though as he grasp was weakening quickly. They never spoke about their expectations of hoe they would live now. Probably afraid of creating a world too good to be true. Once they stood in front of the gate, expectations had already been hit low as the entry point was not a glorious golden archway of dreams but a manned crossing point. The access to the Dome came from two grey heavy looking doors watched over by both manned and automated turrets. There was a line here for entry but it was people begging to be allowed in. Ava met all their eyes and grew jealous of her own position, her heart went to those who were in need of her place in the Dome. Drake tore her away for her own sake, earning hate calls from those who remained. A guard peered over a metal barricade and looked at the key cards in Drakes hand. The siblings couldn¡¯t look this man in the face though, this gatekeeper for their new was wearing a pitch black visor attached to a riot helmet. The barricade opened and they were pulled inside before anyone else got in. Ava looked back at the crowd and into their silver eyes, all wanting what she now had. She wanted to apologise to them all but never found the words.

    The doors to the tunnel opened, guiding the siblings inside.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be a welcoming committee?¡± Ava asked as they walked down the tunnel when lights flooded the area, revealing it to be a clinical white stretch, with wall lights providing the illumination. Hanging on the walls were portraits showing scenes completely alien to the Silvers from outside. Beautiful sunsets, green, lush forests. The floor beneath them went from sheet metal to a rich red carpet with gold lining.

    ¡°Look at all this...¡± Ava said in shock, not knowing where to put her eyes, everything was more luxurious then she had dealt with in the past. Drake focused on the paintings though, wondering if they were representative of what inside the Dome was like or representing something else, more primordial. They heard footsteps and from ahead, a group of four guards, with a guy in a expensive suit leading them.

    ¡°Ah so you are the new recruit Howard told me to greet.¡± His eyes were fixed on Drake first and foremost. ¡°And that means you are his sister, the one we should extend our greatest care to, if that information is correct?¡± The newcomer looked at Drake, waiting for an approval. Ava stepped behind her brother, who took an aggressive stance.

    ¡°Relax, my name is Duke Rosealyn, I¡¯m one of the highest members of government here at the Atlantis Empire, a few tiers behind the Emperor Triumvirate.¡±

    ¡°The who?¡± Ava asked innocently, Drake was at a loss to explain who this group was, everyone on the outside just referred to those in charge as the leaders, or, mood depending, those jackasses.

    ¡°A council of three, together they decide every law the Atlantis Empire follows. They also reside over the conflicts we engage with. Now come with me, time is of the essence with this sight seeing tour! No doubt you¡¯ll want to get your sister admitted sooner or later.¡± Duke had already turned on his heels and looked over his shoulder. The siblings though were still suspicious of the intent of the guards who stood at the ready, despite Duke¡¯s friendly demeanour. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about these, I asked for some volunteers from the Vanguard squadron, a division within the Vector Unit arm of the military.¡± As Duke snapped his fingers, the four guards removed their helmets. There was two women and two men within the group.

    ¡°Let me introduce you! From the left, we have Gwen, Sara, Ash, and Cen.¡± Each of them stood forward and bowed when their name was called, and each hid their feelings under a mask of loyalty. One thing that Drake quickly noticed was that the colour of their eyes. Gwen had silver eyes like his, hinting that she too had been allowed in. The rest had colours he had never seen before, with Ash having a striking purple that seemed expressive. Cen¡¯s eyes were the colour of emeralds that faded towards the edge. Sara though, she had the most striking, a crystal blue that reflected deeper then eyes should. He felt them all examining him, he knew that Duke invited them here just to give him a glimpse of his future comrades, maybe showing him what he was destined to become.

    ¡°You okay Drake?¡± Ava asked, she found the stares unnerving and turned away, they didn¡¯t sit right with her, even the eyes that were the familiar silver still haunted her.

    ¡°See? Nothing to worry about! I¡¯m sure if you give them a chance you¡¯ll fit right in.¡± Duke laughed, Drake knew that last line was very on the nose about his own fate. However, now was not the time to press anything.

    ¡°Come on Ava, let¡¯s get this over with. As soon as your treatment begins the better.¡± The pair then followed Duke out of the tunnel and into the Dome itself. Before they exited though, Drake caught sight of a pair of paintings, positioned opposite each other that seemed to depict the same thing, a pair of Vector Units carrying a standard of the Atlantis Empire, their armour was ornate in comparison to the ones he had seen the past few days. There was a set of initials and a quote embedded into the right hand of the lead machine. G.C. Triumphant. Drake assumed that G.C. was the artist, one that was good at painting what he saw clearly. He was reminded that he was now expected to pilot one of those machines, and fight, and kill.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Regardless, he stepped out into a surprising breeze, and felt the warm sun bearing down. Drake looked up and was in awe at the illusion of the sky, you could hardly tell that it was under a glass ceiling, conditions on the outside being perfectly replicated inside.

    ¡°I should tell you now that this Dome itself is more of an agricultural space, there¡¯s a town here for supplies for the farmers and a few homesteads but that¡¯s it.¡± Duke walked up to a waiting vehicle that ran on wheels and treads, a cross between a truck and a tank. ¡°Please board so we can continue this tour with a bit more speed.¡± Having no excuse, the siblings followed.

    Now aboard the transport which bore military markings they started whizzing through fields of crops, being harvested by Silvers and what looked like robots. Drake had heard of robots, even seen some that had been dug up by farmers on the outside, but they were always broken, never to awake. Sara caught him looking at them.

    ¡°A Silver like you has never seen anything like that I bet...They¡¯re just dumbs though.¡±

    ¡°Dumbs?¡± Ava asked, adding herself into the conversation, seeing how on edge Drake was feeling already.

    ¡°It¡¯s a class of robot, the only one that¡¯s really available now. It means they can only do one thing, it was a way of controlling them in times gone by. Sometimes they were made that way, other times it was forced on them.¡± Sara had a way of telling the story, but it wasn¡¯t good. The crops gave way to open green fields, the likes the siblings hadn¡¯t seen before, and with farm animals all over the place, though looking very different to the breeds that were on the outside.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a cow...¡± Ava said puzzled.

    ¡°Geneticists were able to recreate older versions of these animals to give superior meat yields, unlike those that continued to evolve in the worsening conditions outside.¡± Duke explained while he passively observed. ¡°Those beasts you know are in a different league then these fine pedigrees. Though it suits those on the outside I guess.¡± In between these short snippets, a heavy silence filled the vehicle, with Ava and Drake unsure of what to say, and the others wanting to say nothing. Then Ava saw buildings on the horizon, and strange effect the curving sky had as they neared the edge of this dome.

    ¡°Ah we¡¯re coming up to the town for this district. Then it¡¯s straight through to the next Dome where the hospital is that you¡¯ll be staying in.¡± Duke said narrowing his eyes at Ava.

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to get rid of her? Or to get her on her own...¡± Drake replied, allowing what he said to hang in the air.

    ¡°I meant nothing by it. Besides you should worry more about yourself and the work you¡¯ll be doing.¡± Duke¡¯s reply sent a shiver down Ava¡¯s spine, and naturally she had to ask.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? What work is he doing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not for me to tell you, I¡¯m sure you can have a nice long talk about it when he learns about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it when I come and see you. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ve been told that it¡¯s not a major job.¡± Drake reassured her, but he glared over at Duke who was stirring still, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. Now that they were in the town, the clear difference in living quality was apparent, the buildings were pristine, being protected from the elements. Each was in the consistent style as each other and the people looked the same, though it was strange. In the fields it seemed like it was Silvers doing the work, but the ones in the town, walking around leisurely, was people who looked like they had never stepped out of the Dome in their lives. As Drake absorbed that disturbing fact, and made him ponder the fate of those who had been allowed in before him, Ava was distracted by a series of posters she had seen in several shop windows, that of her idol, Melody Moon. A realisation ran through her and she let out the giggle of a thirteen year old girl.

    ¡°Will I get to meet her?¡± She asked Drake excitedly, he on the other hand was already trying to figure out how to let her down gently. Duke overheard this, and in a voice somewhere between compassionate and manipulative, promised her.

    ¡°You want to meet her? I know her agent personally, I can arrange visit to your hospital bed.¡±

    ¡°You can do that?¡± She asked, and Duke nodded with a smile that made Drake sick to his stomach, but it made Ava happy, so he kept his concerns to himself, after all, all this was for Ava¡¯s sake anyway.

    For Melody Moon meanwhile, she was traveling in Darren¡¯s personal car, what he dubbed a sports car, though any other details were lost to time. It ran fine and all, having gone through countless modifications to make it run on the fuel cells that powered everything in the Domes.

    ¡°Have you looked through the itinerary yet?¡± Darren asked as they sped through open highways that served as the back bones of the Domes transport network. There was many ways to travel from Dome to Dome and she had done them all. There was one performance she had done where she had been flown in while sitting in the hand of flashy and bright coloured Vector Unit , that was a special gig for the army, before they marched into battle with the powers that by in the east. She sometimes spared a thought for them, having heard that very few ever came back from that battle line.

    ¡°Are you listening? We have a tight schedule for the next few days.¡± Darren said, raising his voice, when it looked like Melody wasn¡¯t going to answer again, he went to hit out but she spoke first.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening, at eight in the morning I¡¯m to appear for a fan meet and greet at the Red Wing caf¨¦. Then at ten, I¡¯m to appear on Channel Five¡¯s Morning Rise program for an interview and song performance.¡± She found the next part hard to say and wanted to block it from her memory that she would be forced to do it, but again the imminent spectre of assault by Darren made her comply. ¡°Then at twelve thirty, I will do...do a private performance at the estate of General Luxley and his associates. Then after that at four, I have a hospital appointment. At five I¡¯m to appear on a the Atlantis Sound Central radio station...¡±

    ¡°Enough, You got the important parts down at least.¡± Darren shown no concern for her, she was just a tool to him, and she looked out the window at the endless blue sky, wanting to be free, like those who lived on the outside.

 The Siblings Part

    The transport containing Drake, Ava and their escort trundled along through another tunnel, Duke telling them that it was another connecting path.

    The little sight seeing trip was more or less over, and the Dome they were entering now contained the hospital where Ava would receive the treatment promised. So far the guards, Gwen, Sara, Ash and Cen hadn¡¯t said much. The only one talking was Duke who seemed more than happy to fill the void of silence with his thoughts. A couple of times Drake had found him eyeing up Ava, but the older man was choosing his moments well, hinting that this certainly wasn¡¯t the first time. How many others had been in Drakes position, how many were yet to find themselves in the back of this truck, armed guards around them. He remembered that Howard was looking for other recruits still when they parted.

    Shaking all this from his mind, Drake looked out the window as the tunnel gave way to the inside of another Dome, this one markedly different from the last as buildings rose up against lush greenery, trees growing around skyscrapers. Again though, Drake looked at the people who were going from place to place, no ones eyes matched his, a dazzling away of colours, but then, none matching those who shared that ride with him. He even noticed a hint on Gwen¡¯s eyes, and she matched his. Just as subtle as Duke looking at Ava, Gwen wasn¡¯t amused with Drakes interest.

    ¡°Can I help you? Our eyes are the same.¡± She said coldly.

    ¡°Last I checked mine didn¡¯t glow towards their centre. I think I¡¯m allowed to be curious...¡± Drake then checked to see if his sister was paying attention but she was too busy dreaming ¡°After all I¡¯m in the same position as you were.. Come on isn¡¯t that the only reason this pervert brought you on this trip?¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll learn quickly... You¡¯ve signed up for some serious shit-¡±

    ¡°Airman Haskins! Be careful what you say, you don¡¯t want to be scaring him now...¡± Duke said sharply, shutting Gwen up.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready for what you can throw at me, looking around here shows that I¡¯m not going to be treated like equals with the rest of you.. ¡° Drake said, shaking off both what Gwen and Duke came out with.

    ¡°Your brave now boy, but let¡¯s see what your like when your sister is out of the way.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was quiet and cold, leading Drake to question if it was meant to be taken as a threat, before he could react, Duke started again. ¡°You got a lot of anger in you boy, but we¡¯re going to need that to be directed at the proper place from now on. You belong to us just the same ad everyone else in this truck¡± If Ava hadn¡¯t been besides him, lost in daydreams, Drake would have launched himself at perverted, bigot sat opposite. He figured that he could do a bit of damage before the others pulled him off, and death did seem worth it. With his sister near though, he was bound to just scowl, keeping his retribution imaginary for now.

    Not long after the dense buildings cleared for more artificial trees, their bark lined with thin strips of what appeared to be circuitry.

    ¡°We are on the drive way to Sacred Vessel hospital, Ava this will be your new home for a little while...and this is where your dream will come true.¡± Duke said, capturing the young teenagers attention, reminding her of his promise of a meeting with her idol. Her excitement peaked as she pressed herself up against the window, wanting the best look possible at the hospital.

    The hospital looked state of the art just like the rest of the buildings they had seen so far. The closer they got, the more cracks they saw in the building, showing its age. The hospital itself was a large imposing building of sterile white. There was no other colours to break it up, meaning the building stood out. The windows were tinted, allowing no sneak peaks at the inside, which gave Drake cause for concern.

    ¡°We¡¯re not just leaving her at the front doors are we?¡± He asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a hospital, would it be dangerous?¡± Ava responded, pulling her face away. ¡°It should be a place of safety.¡± This belief was instilled in her from the makeshift hospitals that were rare outside the Domes. These were set up by people who truly wanted to help others, using what ever materials they could, and sometimes, though even rarer then the hospitals themselves, doctors from inside the Domes came out to help. It was such a doctor that tended to Drake and Ava¡¯s parents when they died, giving them the best care they could have asked for, in a room with a hold in the tarpaulin. The doctor had been sympathetic, and didn¡¯t show them any less compassion because of the silver in their eyes. If this hospital had doctors like her then it would be a plus.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you both check it out for your self. Ash, Gwen, I would like you both to accompany them please then return Drake back here. He doesn¡¯t want to be late for his induction. Oh and Gwen, I feel like I don¡¯t need to repeat myself but, again, don¡¯t be saying anything to the lad that would make him want to go back on the deal. I don¡¯t think we want a repeat of last time.¡± Duke said as the truck came to a stop, the doors opening seamlessly. ¡°Ava, I wish you a speedy recovery, and I¡¯ll arrange that special visit for you as soon as I¡¯m back in my office. Good bye my dear.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the chance! Melody¡¯s songs have helped to keep me going, I love her voice¡± Ava replied, still grateful to for the meeting. Never once she did think that she would cross paths with her idol, seeing her live on stage was the most she would dream.

    Gwen and Ash exited the truck, saying nothing as they did. Drake had somewhat of a taste for what Gwen Haskins was like, but Ash was quiet and either looked like completely focused, or completely bored. He anticipated that he wouldn¡¯t change that now, or that Gwen would be as chatty as she had been. Drake let Ava out first, with Gwen stepping forward to help her out safely. Though an attempt of gratitude was made, no response was given. The two guards marched forward with the siblings in tow into the hospital, the main doors sliding open to grant them access to medicinal nirvana.

    The lobby was large, white with odd bits of colour here and there from the chairs the staff sat in as they did their jobs. The receptionist looked like her friendly face had been painted on, and the warmth in her voice could melt it if she wasn¡¯t careful.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯ve been told we are expecting an Ava Vern?¡± She said, looking at the only person it could have possibly been. Ava, though now the reality had hit her and lost a lot of nerve, nodded, stepping forward. In all her life she had never been away from her family, especially in the wake of her parents death and the onset of her battle with the disease. She knew that sooner then she would like, her brother would be gone, and she didn¡¯t give him any hint but she knew that he had signed up to something grave in order to get her here. She wanted to protest, but didn¡¯t have the strength. Duke¡¯s offer had given her some extra strength, something to look forward to since her reunion with her brother was an unknown factor. She didn¡¯t want to think about it, but she knew that there was a chance that this could be their last time together.

    ¡°Drake...I don¡¯t....I don¡¯t want you to do this if it¡¯s going to cause you problems...¡± She said, her voice coming out as a whisper because of how tense she was.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you just worry about getting better then panicking over what song you¡¯re going to tell Melody Moon is your favourite. That¡¯s what I want you to think of while you¡¯re in here. No doubt they¡¯ll have radio¡¯s or something you can listen to, not that you need to hear more of her songs.¡± Drake didn¡¯t want him to be the reason she got worse and died. Hell if he could, he would make her forget him so she could heal in peace. He looked over to the guards to see if they were showing any reactions but Gwen was purposely looking the other way while Ash just stared ahead, his eyes half open.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Come this way Miss Vern, allow me to show you to your room and give your brother the peace of mind that he will need to leave you in our care.¡± The receptionist¡¯s movements were robotic, well practised. She had done this thousands of times before it seemed. She was as cold as the atmosphere the rooms radiated.

    They all followed her, down corridors, taking lefts, then a right, going up stairs and ignoring the option of taking a lift. The internal layout of the hospital was maddening, who ever came up with it wanting to make a statement it seemed, but the message got lost in the maze of paths. All the while the receptionist told the group mindless stats about the hospital, all the staff that worked there, the amount of patients they often had at any one time. Every one of them was forgettable, then there was a change in the things she said and the way she said them.

    ¡°Now as for your treatment, we¡¯ll start tonight with an injection into your sternum, this is the foundation of the cure. Tomorrow we¡¯ll do it again at a site opposite and then the day after, a final one in the base of your spine. During this, it¡¯s normal for you to feel your body going numb a little bit.¡± Her voice turned kinder, a bit more understanding that what she was saying wasn¡¯t going to be all good news or welcoming.

    ¡°Will the needles hurt?¡± Ava asked, an innocent question.

    ¡°Oh of course they will hurt, the needles themselves are quite long¡± The receptionist stretched her thumb from her finger to show the length, proving that an innocent question demands a truthful answer. ¡°From the second injection on though, you¡¯ll feel less so that¡¯s a plus.¡± Ava wouldn¡¯t see it that way mind, not many would.

    ¡°And after that? How long are you going to be treating her here for?¡± Drake asked, wanting to see how much of a plan they had in store.

    ¡°Your sister has a complex disease, as I¡¯m sure you well aware. These three injections lead into a full thirty step plan that will completely cure her. I¡¯m also sure you are well away of the slogan ¡®No pain, no gain¡¯? That applies here.¡±

    ¡°Can you look me in the eyes and tell me to my face that she is going to be safe here and be cured at the end of all this?¡± Drake said stepping in front of the receptionist, drawing no attention from the guards.

    ¡°Your sister will be in the most capable hands we have. While under our watch, she will not come under harm and she will be fully healed. No doubt you¡¯ll be coming in to see her won¡¯t you? You can see the transformation in her yourself.¡± Though the words she said, sounded comforting, that¡¯s all they were, words. However, Drake also knew that this was the best and only shot. The receptionist sensed this and decided to seal it, just as they reached door 415, with Ava¡¯s name flickering on the electronic display, a little star next to it. ¡°Ava will be getting the best treatment someone like yourself would never have been able to offer her before...You have done all you can.¡±

    The door opened as the receptionist slide a key card through the lock. The room was spacious with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the gardens. There was a few chairs and a bed against the wall. There was storage space as well and an on-suite bathroom. Ava rushed in to get a look at her new home.

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay out here...¡± Gwen said, with Ash nodding, and the pair took up position outside the doors. Drake followed Ava in and was in awe of the room, neither of them had stayed in anything like this in all their lives. They had a home once, but the luxury contained here outshone all what gleamed in their memories. The smell in the room was different then the other floors, which stank of bleach and other cleaning products, this one was of flowers, a scent that they had only fleeting meetings with. Drake walked around slowly, his footsteps echoing around which brought with it a new thought, the lack of noise.

    ¡°Why is it so quiet?¡± He asked, louder then what he originally wanted.

    ¡°Your sister will be the only person on this floor, in fact this room is the only one with a bed in it on this floor. There¡¯s a private treatment room, several supply cupboards, and a media room where she can see how the people in the Domes keep entertained...In fact we have several Melody Moon concerts for her to watch endlessly if she wishes.¡± The receptionist knew what buttons to press, just as Duke had done before. Ava turned at the mention of the name, but did it too quickly, losing her balance. It was becoming clear that she needed some rest, as her illness started to rear it¡¯s head. Helping his sister into the bed, Drake knew that the time was coming where he would have to say goodbye, even though it wasn¡¯t the final time, he felt the pain in his chest. Ava noticed and held his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Drake...¡± She smiled best she could, her body getting ready for the rest she craved. ¡°You can come and see me when you get a break...¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Drake stuttered. He had words he wanted to say but couldn¡¯t get them out. He calmed himself and tried again but managed only a strange sound. Ava laughed at her brother¡¯s attempt to be sentimental.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything Drake...You wouldn¡¯t have done all of this if you didn¡¯t care about me. You¡¯ve been fighting for me ever since I can remember...You made this deal just to get me here. I know how you feel and it¡¯s the same as I do....¡± Her grip lessened, and Drake knew that she would soon be asleep. Knowing that his sister had said his words better then he could ever do, he sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, like you always are. Rest up okay? First chance I get, I¡¯ll come back and see you. If you meet Melody Moon before then, you¡¯ll have to tell me all about her.¡± Drake was a little playful there, even if he did hate buying into the promise that Duke made her.

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m going to talk your ears off! Get going, and be okay...I¡¯ll be here waiting for you¡± Ava let go of Drakes hand and shuffled herself, getting ready for sleep. Drake leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

    ¡°Good bye Ava, I¡¯ll be back...¡± Drake said, as the receptionist led him to door and out.

    ¡°The doctor will be round once she wakes up to talk her through what happens next. Till then I suggest we let her rest.¡± The receptionist then took her leave, knowing that Drake would end following the guards who had orders to fulfil.

    ¡°Your sister will be fine...¡± Gwen said, though it wasn¡¯t clear if she was saying it to be comforting or sarcastic. Ash continued his silence, though this time, the look on his face spoke that this was beneath him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go, I know you don¡¯t want to be here.¡± Drake said, setting off down the corridor, though his feet didn¡¯t want to follow his orders, each footstep behind very heavy.

    ¡°Very true...¡± Ash said, breaking his quiet role.

    ¡°Oh you can speak then.¡± Drake replied, though Ash ignored him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to get him to say anything else, he uses his words how and when he chooses.¡± Gwen explained, not that Drake actually cared, he was already making his mind up about these people, and how far he could trust them.

    Duke was waiting for them as they left the hospital, seemingly glad that Ava was no more among their number.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re sister is where she belongs, it¡¯s time to take you to where you belong silver boy....¡± He said with a deeply unpleasing grin. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t want you to be late for your own induction now...¡± With no other choice, Drake got back into the truck, ready to find out what exactly they had in store for him.

    Melody Moon had found some time to herself, though it wasn¡¯t going to be very brief. Her handler was indisposed for a moment, as he was trying out some new talent, an act she wished she had the power to stop. The guards that stood at her door though, would never let her get that far. To provide a useless act of resistance though, she listened to some more Rebel Broadcasts, imagining the ways she would help bring this order down.

    ¡°To all those who listen and think they are powerless...Stop it, stop it right now. You¡¯re only powerless because that¡¯s what they¡¯ve beaten into you. They don¡¯t want you to realise you¡¯re strong and that if you united yourselves, you can make a difference. You don¡¯t have to fight in order to help bring about change. Leave the fighting to those who are ready for the sacrifices. Standing together, we can end this cruel regime, we can start making this a world for us all to live in.¡± The broadcast cut out again there, no doubt the wavelength being blocked again, as was the usual game of cat and mouse between the broadcasters, and the government. Melody looked out the window, while waiting for it to resume. What they had said was beautiful and poignant, but it was just words. She couldn¡¯t find the strength they spoke about, and she knew no one who she could stand with, she was alone.

 Induction

    Drake sat gazing out of the passenger side window in the now very quiet transport. They were heading back the way they had just been, retracing their steps to the first Dome. It seems that farming wasn¡¯t all that was there.

    ¡°I take it your not going to tell me much about my new life then?¡± Drake said without looking, he guessed that he¡¯d be saying goodbye to Duke soon enough, after all, he had already revealed himself to be just a politician.

    ¡°You¡¯ll experience it soon enough, induction is... Well, an experience all in itself! I¡¯m sure your peers would agree with me, without saying any details of course¡± Duke looked at the guards who nodded respectfully.

    ¡°Is there anything you can tell me then? You¡¯re very good at hinting crap but not following it up with actual details¡± Drake still wanted to punch him, badly.

    ¡°I can tell you that your commanding officer is called Trent, and you do not want to try any of this attitude with him. The Vanguard unit has a special way of handling discipline, even more so with people of...your background.¡± Drake saw that Gwen winched a little as Duke spoke, as if she was remembering past abuse.

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to be a punching bag just because of my eyes...and I was told my life would be better¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only if you speak out of line, behave yourself and follow orders and you¡¯ll be fine. Just ask your comrades here.¡± Duke waved his hand towards Cen, Sara and Ash, ignoring Gwen, an obvious omission. None of them looked like they wanted to talk. With the uncomfortable silence falling once more, Drake tried to settle himself for the uncompromising world he had signed up for. For Ava¡¯s sake, he had to survive, given the clues he¡¯d picked up, anything happened to him, and she would be liable to be taken as a slave. If he was going to get beaten, then so be it, if he was going to be the test subject for some experiment, so be it. As long as he lived and was there to see Ava at the end of it, then he would do whatever it took.

    The first sign that he was getting close to the base was when Drake heard a low rumbling noise, the same he remembered hearing a day or so ago. His instincts were proved right when he saw the humanoid forms of Vector Units flying in parallel to the transport. There was three of them, two slightly behind the leader. They were so close to the ground that they were leading a dust trail as they flew over the dirt. Drake stared at them before they sped off, then over heard the others talking, having seen the mechs as well.

    ¡°Looks like Cody is doing the drills already, I should be out there in one of them.¡± Cen moaned.

    ¡°You say that but you¡¯re in the same group as me, and we haven¡¯t been outfitted for flight yet.¡± Sara corrected him.

    ¡°You two have heard the rumours about him haven¡¯t you? He¡¯s the instructor with the highest death rate with recruits...¡± Gwen added. Ash kept silent, though still looking at the others as they spoke.

    ¡°Yeah, those were the ones who weren¡¯t up to much. Command always gives him the weaker pilots to wean out the useless ones, leaving only the strong.¡± Cen then noticed Drake¡¯s attentive stare.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll see where you fit in once we get you up there.¡± He smiled, before turning to Sara ¡°My bet is he won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You always have a crap view of Silvers... I thought I had shown you what we were capable of.¡± Gwen said, interrupting the reply that Sara had opened her mouth to say.

    ¡°Please Gwen, you proved yourself and no one else. For what it¡¯s worth, I think he¡¯ll survive to that point anyway...Only because he¡¯s got something to fight for.¡± Sara said smirking. While without context her words could be seen as supportive, that last part, Drake knew that was being used against him. He felt his blood boiling as they all laughed, apart from Ash who just rolled his eyes.

    ¡°You all had something to fight for originally¡± He said sighing, like an adult with arguing children. This shut everyone up, giving a lingering atmosphere. Drake looked out of the window and silently pleaded with the universe to hurry up sending him to the next destination. He got his wish as in the distance, buildings appeared nestled in an artificial mountain range, casting pointed shadows over the various sized structures. Getting closer he spotted rows and rows of Vector Units standing like gatekeepers, more then he had ever seen up to that point. While the hospital had seemed off with it¡¯s white and sterile nature, this, in contrast, was nothing short of oppressive. Again, part of him screamed for attention, wanting to highlight the force he had allied with, but it was put down, Drake wasn¡¯t going to start going back on deals, especially not important ones like this.

    The base was a sprawling complex, with roads even going under the ground, pointing to more under the surface.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too impressed, a lot of this is empty¡± Gwen whispered ¡°The Atlantis Empire been in control of this place for so long but haven¡¯t figured out the full purpose of this place from the sods who built it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point then?¡± Drake asked as the transport went down a winding path which seemed to be heading towards what could be described as the central point of the base.

    ¡°To make it look like they¡¯ve got strength, a big base like this, one of many, full to the brim of tech and troops...It¡¯s a show of strength, like whenever they do their stupid parades. It¡¯s all fake though. Hence why they allow people like us in, to fill up the numbers and...¡± Gwen cast a careful eye to see if Duke was watching, but his focus was else where. ¡°a fresh stock for experimentation. There¡¯s a reason this unit is called the Vanguard, as in first in line¡± The transport then came to a slow halt, outside a strange shaped building that had a series of slopped roofs. Outside were four flag poles, each bearing the crest of the Atlantis Empire on one side, and on the other, an emblem which he took to be fore the Vanguard.

    The first thing that Drake noticed as soon as he stepped out was the smell, the air stank of oil and the chemicals used in fuel cells.

    ¡°Great, the wind generator is blowing all the shit from the engineering block this way...¡± Cen said with little fanfare as he got out next.

    ¡°I think they do it on purpose, the Dome controllers always need to have a laugh somehow.¡± Sara replied. Gwen didn¡¯t say anything as she stood next to Drake, knowing she had already said more then she should have, and would have been castigated if Duke had been paying attention. Speaking of, Duke was the last one to leave the vehicle and he looked around in frustration.

    ¡°He¡¯s late, Commander Tryon was supposed to be waiting for us.¡± It wasn¡¯t noisy here, not like Drake expected a military base to be, all he could hear was the distant sounds of Vector Unit engines. He figured that they must be the ones they saw on their way in. After ten minutes of waiting a man walked confidently from the main doors, dressed in black formal military ware. There was no sign of regret on his face, which bore scars from his past. Ash lead his fellows in saluting the commander as he walked past.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.¡°At ease, Airmen Haskins, Airmen Harris, return to your scheduled posts for now. You¡¯ll receive a new training rota soon.¡± Gwen and Cen saluted again and made to leave, with Gwen leaning in close to Drake.

    ¡°Good luck, you¡¯re going to need all of it here.¡± She then left, heading a different direction then Cen.

    ¡°Excuse me Commander! We have been left waiting and instead of apologising, the first thing you do is bark orders at your dogs!¡± Duke said, incensed that he wasn¡¯t being treat the way he thought he should. Tryon just laughed in his face.

    ¡°You should consider yourself blessed that I didn¡¯t make you wait longer! I do not take kindly to being called out just to meet every recruit you throw my way. As part of the military oversight committee, you should know just how much work I have to do and the conditions I¡¯m expected to do it in. I told you before about expecting things to go how they do at the capital. You¡¯re on my turf.¡± Tryon showed no respect for the governor, yet Drake had a feeling that didn¡¯t mean he was going to be his ally. Far from it, when Tryon looked him over, he sighed. ¡°To make matters worse, you still don¡¯t even consider our needs, you quite happily bring me these mongrels but what I want is the best from the other units...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to make do with what we can afford to give you. Until you have viable results then you¡¯ll have to settle for what scraps we can afford to give you.¡± Duke replied. ¡°Now I¡¯ll be taking my leave, I¡¯ve done my part of this, now you do your part.¡± With that, he turned on his heels and re-boarded the transport which then drove off again after a change in drivers. Tryon didn¡¯t offer him a salute as he left.

    ¡°Now then...Airmen Drake, congratulations...You just signed your death warrant...¡± There wasn¡¯t any trace of irony in his voice, no sign that he was joking. His eyes fixed on Drakes. ¡°Time to get you suited up. You¡¯re training begins now.¡± Tryon beckoned Drake to follow him as Ash and Sara moved either side of him and pulled him into the building.

    Inside he was decked out in a uniform like the others, given some equipment for his general use, and a tablet containing all the manuals that he was expected to obey. So far, so good he thought, he knew the actual training would be different but he didn¡¯t know when that was going to take place. He flicked through the manuals as he was told to wait outside a room, with no one else around.

    It was at this point that Tryon had left him to attend to other things, taking Ash with him. Sara seemed to know something was coming , as he kept asking what he felt so far, or how he was enjoying it.

    However here, outside this room, she had left him. He had heard the door lock when she did. More waiting ensured but soon a man in a white coat, with a white surgical mask on invited him into a room that wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place in his sisters hospital. Drake felt very uneasy here, and it didn¡¯t help when from behind the door where he entered, another two men came forward and grabbed him, forcing him onto a table, pinning him down. If they had laughed about it, that would have made sense, but they didn¡¯t show any emotion, quite the contrary, they were just going through the motions as if this wasn¡¯t anything extraordinary. They held him down with plenty of force, keeping his face pointing up. What followed was painful, as the doctor took blood, and then proceeded to inject other substances into him, some into Drake¡¯s brain, going through his eyes. Drake screamed, but that was cut short as he was muffled, allowing the doctor to carry on with the rest of the procedure.

    When Drake woke up, it was night time, and he was in a small room, that contained a bed, a desk and a small cupboard. He became aware of footsteps moving periodically around outside. He groggily stood up and looked at his clothes that had been tattered, torn to allow access to his body. He fumbled for a light switch and turned it on, gasping at what he saw, for among the dried blood, he found a new symbol on his arm, a tattoo that branded him as property of the Vanguards. With no choice, he put on the uniform and laid back down, knowing that he was not going to sleep that night, not with his new life ahead of him.

    -----------

    ¡°Oh Melody, what did you say...¡± Darren sighed as he paced the doctors room, Melody couldn¡¯t reply, her jaw had been broken, and the man she had been booked to have a private appointment with had tried to stop her from ever talking again. She wore the bruises of his rage. At the moment, she was being forced awake to stop any risk of her lapsing into a coma. ¡°How long will the injuries take to heal?¡±

    ¡°A week for the most severe, superficial ones will be healed by tomorrow night.¡± The Doctor then found himself against the wall as Darren furiously grabbed hold of him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me. You will do whatever it takes, no matter how much it hurts her, to get her looking like the perfect specimen she used to. You¡¯ll will do this as fast as possible. I can not afford her to be not working for a week. The doctor nodded fearfully, then scurried off when Darren let go. He turned back to Melody, and placed his hand around her mouth and tightened his grip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want another repeat of this, otherwise I¡¯ll just have sell you and move onto another girl, is that what you want?¡± He let go and wiped his brow, just as the doctor came back with more equipment. ¡°I''ll let you get back to work now...¡± He deliberately walked past the doctor who flinched, leaving Darren¡¯s ego to swell.

    The words from the Rebel Broadcast echoed in Melody''s head, reverberating from each and every broken memory. Long had she wanted to be free from this but thought she could do nothing. The thought of someone else, a lost girl like she was, becoming just another plaything by sick individuals, it broke her. Before though, she¡¯d sink deeper into despair, now, she knew she couldn¡¯t let it happen, and she would fight to stop it happening to her. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy, Darren had stamped out all of her self worth and confidence, but she had to try something. How many former friends had she lost to this system? How many murdered or committed suicide rather then be touched again. She was told to ignore them, forget them as weaklings, ultimate nobodies.

    No longer would she do that, she would remember what they went through, their pain and suffering. Melody clenched her fist best she could, from now on, she would fight to be free, she had to stand. It was going to take time, she knew as much, her life was going to get worse, it always did. What would be different though is she would look for ways out, ways to help until she could really bring the house down on the people who brought this misery. Enough was enough.

 First Flight

    It had been a month since Drakes induction, and what followed was a blitz of lessons and drills, of long days that started at five in the morning and ended abruptly at ten on the night. He was placed in a small group of others, which he assumed was more like himself. Five other people, a mix of late teenagers and early adults, two boys and three girls a perfect mix of gender. Unlike before, all of them shared his eye colour. It took a week for chatter amongst the group to become normalised. He¡¯d learned that there names were Gene, Tanis, Lora, Sheena and Fern. As before, no last names were given, and this time he didn¡¯t give his own out. He and his fellow trainees had even been given a team name by one of the instructors, though Drake didn¡¯t think it was meant to be a compliment. The Silver Six, it brought up imagery of a covert unit or some kind of specialist squad but the truth was that they were expendable, and the events that followed proved it.

    Tanis was the first to die, during a basic training exercise that was anything but. Drake remembered the look on his exhausted face, and the desperate look he made when he was ordered to climb the fifty meter high wall, with no harness.

    To disobey meant death anyway, and like Drake, Tanis had people depending on him doing as he was told. Though who was never brought up, and their fate Drake would never be told. In this case, climbing was the only course of action.

    He made it half way up before his hand slipped, he recovered it quickly but it was the last time as another ten meters saw him lose his grip on both hands. His fall was in slow motion his head smacking off the pointed rocks below even more so. The instructor in charge didn¡¯t bother sending for a medic, instead getting a couple of morticians to take the body away, to dispose of with no ceremony. The rest of the trainee squad got little time to mourn, getting only the hour it took to get rid of the body. This was only a fortnight in.

    A week later, Fern died. She was unceremoniously killed as she tried to escape, the training, the drugs and callous treatment, breaking her down. It was the middle of the night that she ran, the alarms blaring loud enough to wake the dead. Drake and all the others in the block went outside just in time to see Fern halfway across the testing range. It was a fool hardy attempt and maybe she knew it but just didn¡¯t care anymore.

    No one was chasing her, which led Drake to believe that they knew what was about to happen, as the distant sound of an engine roared. Drake called out wanting to call her back but it was too late. The night was filled with one sound, that of a blast from a Vector Unit¡¯s rifle weapon.

    Fern¡¯s body was blown into the air like a rag doll, coming apart like one as well. If they had been inhumane in the wake of Tanis¡¯s death, they were downright sub-human in the wake of Fern¡¯s, the language painting her as a traitor and a coward. Why he didn¡¯t run away from this haunted Drake, just as much as he knew the others were thinking about it. He then wondered if Gwen, Cen, Sara and Ash had been through any of this, well more so Gwen, he assumed that having different eyes would have spared them. He couldn¡¯t leave, Ava was in their care, and he¡¯d hate to think what the Empire would do to her if something happened to him, but at the same time, all this was taking a toll on him, even though it had only been a few weeks in.

    The last week in comparison had gone a lot smoother but no one dared act out of turn, and took what was thrown at them. This was perhaps the idea all along.

    Throughout all this, he had barely spoken a word to his sister, having being amazed at the video to video communication system, having seen nothing like it before. They were monitored and the early stages of the treatment had reduced Ava to a shell of herself, which was worrying in the extreme, and again, it felt like someone was pulling the strings to prove a point, one which Drake got loud and clear. Do as we say as your sister¡¯s life is in our hands. What was better for him was that he had been promised time to visit it her, but only once the first month had been passed. This is what kept him going.

    The end of the month came, but with it, an important milestone for the trainees. With some trepidation, the four Silvers were led to a hangar, one they had been to before multiple times, learning about the equipment. Today though, would mark the first time they would piloting the Vector Units, having only previous spent some time in the simulators.

    Standing in awe before the giant metal incarnations of men, Drake saw fear. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that it was one of these machines that had cruelly blown Fern a week or so earlier. Then there was the terror that they induced naturally, that they were instruments of death and destruction, mimicking humanities appetite for it. Each trainee had been put in front of the machine they were to be expected to use. What made things worse was the instructor they had been given, Cody. Each of them had heard stories of this man, who by all rights should have been killed a hundred times over if they were true. He was supposedly more machine then man one tale went, while another tells of him destroying three air ships in a barely functioning Vector Unit, by plowing through them. The only story that seemed the absolute truth was the one that he liked to make his students wait.

    ¡°I heard the probation guards talking outside my room today¡± Lora said softly, welcomingly breaking the silence. ¡°They were putting bets on who was going to die next.¡±

    ¡°Bastards, the lot of them. Bet they won¡¯t say half of this to our faces once we¡¯ve moved up to their ranks¡± Sheena said clenching her fists. She had become the little groups defacto leader, having emerged from her quiet shell in the wake of the deaths. On most occasions she would emit an aura of calm but somethings, you just had to get riled up about..

    ¡°All that talk of special treatment we were supposed to get...Remind me why we all wanted to be in this place again?¡± Gene asked, he was the oldest at twenty five, having come here to try and ensure a better life for his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child. Apparently, she was holed up in the same hospital as Ava. Each of them had someone they were willing to throw their lives away for, after all the Empire was using them as leverage holding their wellbeing to ransom.

    ¡°What choice did we have?¡± Sheena said shaking her head. Drake was going to chip in but the voice of their instructor called out, bringing their attention back to their imminent task.

    ¡°What choice did you have?¡± Cody said quizzically ¡°That¡¯s the thinking that¡¯s holding you back and setting you firmly in the place of second hand citizen. Instead of that, you need to see this as an advantage. You¡¯ve all been given a chance to prove that you¡¯re more then just your eye colour.¡±

    The instructor came into the light from behind, a normal, yet imposing looking man. One of his eyes had been replaced with an eye patch with a camera lens built into it, and it looked like his arm was artificial from the elbow down. He spotted the trainee¡¯s gazes and then welcomed them. ¡°Take a good look at what my time fighting brought me.¡± He pulled his sleeve up, showing the metal hand that was like the gauntleted fist of a knight.

    ¡°The stories were true?¡± Gene said with some shock.

    ¡°Not all of them, I¡¯m still more human then machine, more flesh then steel...But what I got means I can still fight all those pricks against us.¡± Cody strode forward, marching in front of the little group so he could better address them all.

    ¡°Today you¡¯ll undertake your first steps in these Vector Units, these personal machines of yours are now under your protection, and as such, all care of them falls on your shoulders. Fail to keep up their repairs and you¡¯ll pay for it in battle. Now unlike some other instructors who would spend a few days just getting you inside, we¡¯re going to fast track things.¡± What this had meant was they were only given a short time in the cock pit, they weren¡¯t even told at first how to get into the cockpit. Sheena was the first to figure it out, a hidden button in the foot that called down a rope with a foot rest in it. She grabbed hold tightly and was quickly taken up, up to the chest of the Vector Unit which waited till she put a keycard in to open the hatch. Once she had done it, the rest followed suite, and Drake climbed into the dark chamber.

    The hatch shut behind him with a heavy clang and lights started to flicker on. First it was the console lights and then a main light came on. The controls looked a lot more basic then he was expecting for such a machine. The chair was laid back and floating monitors attached to a metal arm floated just over ahead. The console was just at the side of the chair with different switches on it. To control the Vector Unit, all Drake could see were two foot pedals, and two levers where the hands would be. One of the monitors flickered on as Cody¡¯s face filled the small screen.

    ¡°Get used to this place, as you¡¯ll be spending a lot of time in these. I think everything should be self explanatory, the monitors will be your eyes, the levers your hands, and the pedals your feet. You should find a head set resting on the monitors, put them on and sign in. You¡¯ll get proper callsigns later so just call in using your names for now. Once that¡¯s done, we can get these moving.¡± That was a daunting prospect for the trainees, but they followed the orders, with Drake finding his to be a snug fit.

    ¡°This is Drake.¡± He said tapping the microphone, the headset wasn¡¯t connected to anything, but he had seen portable radios before, that being the only form of long distance communication they used on the outside. One by one, his team mates called out, till Gene was the last one. As soon as he spoke, Cody piped up with the next command.

    ¡°Alright, I want you to lay back in those chairs and strap yourselves in. Then position the monitors so they are in front of your face, don¡¯t worry about them looking so complicated for now.¡± This seemed a suspiciously easy step, and it was. Now Drake had five or six screens hovering in front of him, he couldn¡¯t be sure of how many they were, as they all blurred into one. Aside from Cody¡¯s face, the rest showed the view from the main Vector Unit camera, which was the head of the machine.

    ¡°So how do we move these things then?¡± Sheena asked, giving a voice to the other¡¯s scepticism about the endeavour.

    ¡°Place both your feet on the pedals, and your hands around the two levers....¡± Cody instructed. When Drake did, he felt a shock and the feeling that something was moving in his body, his grip tightened without his control and he felt strange and detached, though most of all, he felt cold suddenly. Like he had left a warm room and jumped into a river in the middle of winter, his arms and legs lost all feeling.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°I can now tell you what some of those injections you¡¯ve been getting, are. You¡¯ve been injected with special nanobots that those clever gits in the Research and Development lab, Black Flare, have come up with. The moment you completed a circuit by grabbing those levers and putting your feet down, you activated those bots which turned you into a man-machine interface. Congrats you now know what it¡¯s like to be me.¡± Cody said with some glee. ¡°With them activated, you can move around, sort of like you can in your own body. The connection might be sluggish though and it will take getting used to the finer movements but, I don¡¯t give a shit about them today.¡± Drake flexed his arm and saw through the camera that the Vector Unit moved, mimicking his movement. The others were doing this as well, experimenting on their own, taking the odd step here and there.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll follow me, there¡¯s still more to learn today, and the dangerous stuff starts in a moment.¡± Cody had already boarded his private use machine, one that looked similar in structure to the others, but diverged in actual design. With grace and efficiency, he walked out of the hangar doors, leading the team onto the next phase of their training.

    Moving in the Vector Unit was a strange experience, the dissonance between what he felt and what he knew was going on, was causing Drake to have a headache. He fought through it though and made the behemoth walk with thunderous footsteps out of the hangar.

    ¡°This feels...wrong¡± Lora admitted, her balance was off slightly so her attempt to walk was more of a swagger.

    ¡°Lora, you need to adjust your balance. Use a mental command to free one of your hands and then access the controls next to the seat. One of them is a weight diagnostic. It will relay where the problem is and how to sort it.¡± Cody said. So far, his reputation didn¡¯t seem earned, he was actually being helpful, but that didn¡¯t mean much, there was still time to be a bastard. Gene and Sheena didn¡¯t have any of the trouble and stood in the wind, that whipped helplessly at the machines. Cody was ahead of them and waited for Lora to sort out her issues before moving on to what he thought was the important thing to learn.

    ¡°One of the many things humanity has longed to do, when first waking in this hellhole, is to take what so many other creatures take for granted. We see those endless skies and long to fly through them. While nature provided for the birds and all the rest, we¡¯ll make do with our own wings, namely these Vector Units.

    These models are equipped with Asx Aerial Engines, and while they aren¡¯t the best we have, they¡¯ll do for our purpose.¡± There was a level of tension rising within the group. Walking was one thing, it was easy to do and if they fell, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Flying was going to be trickier, and the speeds involved could be fatal if they lost control.

    ¡°Sir, shouldn¡¯t we wait till we¡¯re more accustomed to these controls? I mean, I don¡¯t even know how we would operate a jetpack in this configuration.¡± Sheena complained.

    ¡°Well, the people who created these were going to expect you to start flapping your arms. There¡¯s a series of buttons on the lever your left hand should be holding. The top most button is the one that preps the jet engines. On the right lever, there¡¯s a slider which controls how much thrust will be generated. To control your direction, you lean that way. The boosters on this model of Vector Unit are stuck at a forty five degree angle, so bare that in mind. Being trainees, we were going to give you the best toys yet.¡± As Cody was talking, Drake was absently following the commands, and felt the rumble as his engines kicked in. With little thought he put the slider to max and felt the g-forces push him further into the seat, threatening to knock him out.

    Back on the ground Cody smiled, he knew there was always one who played with the controls, it didn¡¯t matter if they were just clumsy or a daredevil. He set his engines to max as well and headed into the sky, adjusting his trajectory so he was flying parallel to Drake, then he continued his lesson for all to hear.

    ¡°Thank you, Drake? Thank you for volunteering. No doubt you¡¯ve felt the g-forces, and maybe that¡¯s why you¡¯re flying like a cock eyed bird who can¡¯t quite tell which way is the ground or the sky. Good news for you is that they aren¡¯t as bad as they should be. There¡¯s a special substance built into the cockpit that absorbs the g-forces through some process I don¡¯t care to understand.¡± Drake managed to pull himself together and tried to steady himself, pulling the slider back a bit so he wasn¡¯t going full out. ¡°Also, some of those injections you¡¯ve been having. At least one of them is a concoction that the guys in the white suits will hope to lessen g-forces further. Don¡¯t know who¡¯s been given what with that one mind.¡± Cody flew around Drake¡¯s machine, showing off his expert control and started to lead him back down to the ground, closer to the other trainees who daren¡¯t move.

    ¡°Good grief Drake! You¡¯re making that look easy!¡± Gene cried out as he pushed the engines to max, flying straight into the sky. Sheena took off as well, leaving Lora behind, who was still apprehensive. Fighting her fear, she pulled the slider down and joined the others in the sky, she found that she could handle it a lot better in the air then on the ground. None of them could handle it as well as Cody but slight rocking aside, they could go forward and that was all they needed to do. Just as their instructor had wanted, they all felt something, vindicative about this process, flying through the air, being as close to it as possible. Drake looked around and through the powerful cameras in the heads of the Vector Unit, he spotted a few soldiers on patrol around the base, and recognised them ones who had been giving him a hard time for being a Silver. With mischievous intent, he angled himself so that he aimed at them and powered to full speed, making them dive for cover before pulling up at the last instant. Seeing them cower made him smile, a kind that he hadn¡¯t done in a very long time.

    ¡°Excellent manoeuvre Drake, you¡¯re a natural in there.¡± Cody wasn¡¯t bothered about him scaring the soldiers, it might have been different if he had crashed but as long as he showed some intuition when piloting, the pride of a few upstart airmen was a good price.

    ¡°A natural? I¡¯m not doing anything that the others are.¡± Drake replied, levelling back with Cody¡¯s Vector Unit.

    ¡°Most pilots wouldn¡¯t dare play chicken with the ground like that.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not most pilots, and those guys deserved it.¡±

    ¡°Hah, just keep crap like that to a minimum you¡¯re expected to still work with them and they are your superiors.¡± Drake wanted to reply to that with a comment along the lines of ¡®for now¡¯ but decided against it. As for now he was at the bottom most rung of the ladder, and would be as long as they kept their end of the deal and treated Ava.

    Around him the other trainees were getting used to flying.

    ¡°Sir, where is the information on how much fuel we have remaining?¡± Sheena asked, having noticed that the monitors contained no stats whatsoever, meaning they had to go on visual information alone.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need that stuff when you¡¯re in my sessions. You¡¯ll learn to pilot with your gut. That¡¯s the difference between me and the other instructors. If you can fly these basic machines with ease then once you get into to pride of the Atlantis Empire, flying them will like sleep walking.¡±

    Sheena was about to reply when Lora cried out.

    ¡°Something is wrong!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Drake spun the machine round and saw the problem as her Vector Unit¡¯s jet pack started firing out in uneven bursts, till one of the thrusters simply exploded, shaking the robot and causing Lora to scream as the cockpit was ruptured.

    ¡°Sir, do something!¡± Sheena shouted at Cody who just stopped in mid air and watched. Drake was now right next to the stricken Vector Unit, he had no idea of what to do but he couldn¡¯t stand there and do nothing. He manoeuvred so he was guiding Lora¡¯s machine but found controlling it hard as the remaining thruster was going into over-drive. All the time, he was talking to her.

    ¡°Hang in there! We¡¯re going to get you down.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t let go! I can¡¯t see anything...Smoke is...¡±

    ¡°Gene! Get over here and help me!¡± Drake shouted to Gene who was too dumbfounded to offer much help. Sheena flew by him and gave him a tap, focusing his attention on his friend. The three of them then tried to help stabilise Lora and bring her down safely. Another explosion tested them, as the whole of the jet pack blew out and Lora¡¯s link went dead. Gene let go as his head camera was damaged but even with just the two of them, Drake and Sheena crashed into the ground, but with Lora¡¯s Vector Unit on top.

    Drake wasted no time and tore himself from his seat and opened the cockpit and clambered up to Lora¡¯s machine and began fighting with her sealed cockpit doors. Sheena soon joined him, after helping guide Gene down to a slight tumble. Getting in, Drake helped free his badly injured friend, sparing a look at the now opened back of the robot, twisted metal torn like paper. He found her a bloody mess, but alive, barely. There was metal fragments stuck in her skin, and she was unconscious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you die on me!¡± Drake shouted as he tried to wake her. Sheena stood behind him and used the head set to bark orders to Cody, shouting at him.

    ¡°We need help here now! This is your lesson so take some responsibility!¡±

    ¡°Help is coming, there¡¯s nothing you can do now.¡± Cody sighed as he landed near by. True to his word, help did arrive. Drake helped load Lora onto the back of a all terrain buggy and watched as she was whisked away. He didn¡¯t like how he felt, helpless. He was feeling numb, drained even. None of the medics paid much attention to him or the others, despite Gene suffering a few bruises given his landing.

    They were dismissed after this, and didn¡¯t even see Cody again, he was whisked away to give a report on the accident. Drake should have been happy as he was informed that he could speak to Ava, and he duly activated the connection. Even with her face on screen, he didn¡¯t reply to her, just nodding. He let her speak for a full half an hour before he said anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ava, I really am. I¡¯m going to have to go now, I¡¯m just...tired. Bye...¡± It hurt him to just cut her off like that but he needed to rest, what happened with Lora...His lingering feelings about the deaths of Fern and Tanis. He threw himself on his bed and buried his head under his pillows, struggling to make sense of things. There was also something else, the way he felt in the Vector Unit, that sense of power he got, and that sweet revenge against those thugs. He was confused by it all. Sleep eventually came to him.

    -------------------

    Melody Moon laid in her now empty bed and looked around her room, it was silent again, like it should be. She put her night clothes back on and went to the window. Down below, many storeys, she knew that Darren was getting back into his car and he was going to go back home and do whatever a monster does in his den. It hurt her resolve but she knew that she couldn¡¯t do anything yet, but already she was making plans, learning things that would ultimately help her.

    She remembered that the last thing that prick had said to her, was reminding her of a special request she had to do, a meeting at a hospital with someone, a fan. She was told that the fan was a thirteen year old girl, and that the eyes of a governor was already on her. She shivered at the thought that new prey were already been picked out. Wanting to prevent any more girls like her being created and abused, Melody knew she would have to pick up the pace in her preparations.

 A Meeting With Melody

    Ava woke up in a daze, just like she had the past few mornings since they started phase two of her treatment. She didn¡¯t know why they insisted on the injections dead on midnight, or why she had to stay awake for an hour or two afterwards.

    Rubbing her arm, Ava looked at the display next to her bed. The time was nine eighteen, and next to the time was a symbol of ribbon, on seeing this she got excited. Today, she got to meet her idol, Melody Moon. This had been in the fore front of her mind as she endured the procedures and pain. She had wanted to tell Drake more about it but he¡¯d been acting strangely, even passing out the last time she talked. She¡¯d guessed his job was a lot more then what he¡¯d said it was. Not that she was in much of a position to do anything. The current phase of her treatment rendered her weak and bed bound for parts of the day, yet the doctors said she was getting better. She tried to swing her legs round off the bed but gave up after five minutes of achieving nothing. The curtains in her room were closed, blocking all light from outside. If no one else came in the room, Ava would be trapped in the darkness for hours.

    ¡°Ava? Are you awake? Time for your happy wake up call? A voice from behind the door called. It belonged to Ava¡¯s personal nurse, a very energetic woman called Tina, who didn¡¯t look much older than Drake. They had been introduced just under a week ago but given the nurse¡¯s big personality, they had hit it off. Turned out they both shared a taste in music, liking the songs of Melody Moon, indeed Tina was just as excited as she was that the idol was coming to the hospital. What really endeared Tina to Ava though was the admission from the nurse, of her real eye colour, taking her contacts out on their first meeting to reveal her Silver eyes. It was a big secret to share as Tina made it clear that Silvers only had a few job options open to them, and her current job, wasn¡¯t one of them.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake, did you bring it?¡± Ava asked inquisitively.¡°

    Would I tell you that I would bring it and then not bring it? What kind of person do you take me for?¡± Tina replied from beyond the door. The door slowly creaked open as Tina backed her way into the room while carrying a breakfast tray filled with treats that were meant for more, ¡®deserving¡¯ patients. One of these was a unassuming coffee cup, containing Ava¡¯s holy grail of drinks, a hot chocolate. Tina set the tray down and handed the cup over. ¡°Lucky for you, one of the chefs has a crush on me so I can get all the best stuff for me and my bestie!¡±

    ¡°Thank you Tina!¡± Ava smiled.

    ¡°So in an hour you¡¯ll be meeting her! And like I promised earlier, I¡¯ll distract her manager so you can get a bit longer!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been lucky enough to meet Melody Moon before...Why won¡¯t you tell me what she¡¯s like?¡±

    ¡°Because its better for her to tell you herself. Believe me, you¡¯re going to need to hear the full story from her. It¡¯ll change your life.¡± Tina got to  work changing sheets and helping Ava get off the bed, moving her to a more comfortable chair.

    ¡°You spoken to your brother recently?¡± She asked as she started working on Ava¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Not as much as I wanted... Last time he fell asleep on me. He seemed upset about something...¡± Ava had been concerned with what Drake was really doing, she¡¯d figured that there must have been a hefty price in getting them into the Domes, but the marks she saw on his face, the look in his eyes, she realised she couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what he had put himself through.

    ¡°What did you say he did again?¡± Tina asked, seemingly tuning in to her concerns.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He told me something but I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like he was trying to shield you from something. You¡¯ll have to drag the answer out of him when you see him.¡± Tina then turned her attention to cleaning up the bed, while Ava flittered between excitement for Melody and worrying about her brother. In the end, everything was set for Melody¡¯s arrival. Ava went through the different songs of hers, trying to fit one for her mood. She had dreamed of this, practised different conversations, not wanting to freak her idol out but wanting answers to questions she long held. Now though, she wasn¡¯t sure how much company she would be.

    Tina¡¯s communicator that she wore around her neck started beeping, not stopping till she answered it in a huff at being interrupted.

    ¡°Alright! Alright! Nurse Benatar speaking, what¡¯s up....Oh...Oh! She¡¯s here? Right! I¡¯ll be right down then...What about that jackass?...I mean...What about her manager....To be expected...Okay then.¡± Tina closed it up and then beamed a massive smile at Ava. ¡°It¡¯s show time!¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°She¡¯s here?¡± She started panic breathing, taking huge breaths.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± Tina said as she rushed over to her. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and get her, you need to pull yourself together!¡± She put her arms around Ava to help calm her down. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, and remember, Melody is just like you, but...¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not like me...She has a life I could only have dreamed of...¡± Tears formed in Ava¡¯s eyes as glimpses of her past filled her mind, the hardships, the death of her parents, the threats coming from those just as desperate, her brother dealing with bringing her up, and finally, learning that she too, would die. Tina wiped her face, and sighed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the truth of her life...That¡¯s why I want you to ask her. Share her story. There¡¯s things you can only understand when you hear it from her... You gonna be strong for me? The three of us are going to have some fun when that wan-I mean, her manager, is distracted.¡± Ava laughed a little at Tina¡¯s self censoring, and a smile returned.

    ¡°Okay... I can do this¡± She said.

    ¡°Good! Now wait there while I go and get her!¡± With blink-and-you¡¯ll-miss-it speed, Tina was already at the door. ¡°Back soon!¡± With that, she made her way down to reception. Ava listened as Tina¡¯s steps echoed away to silence. She appeared calmer but was also unnerved by what Tina was hinting, if Melody¡¯s life wasn¡¯t better, then what horrors had she lived through, or still going through. Ava idolised her, but what aspect mattered most to her? She longed for the glamour, the outfits, the happiness that was draped over her music. She presented a way of life that was alien to all those outside the Domes, yet m, gave them hope that life could be better. The possibility that this was all a lie was almost too much to think about...

    Tina took the stairs instead of the lift, not caring for the metal cages ever since a previous encounter saw her trapped in one for too long. She was fleet of foot, moving quickly down the corridors, avoiding other nurses as she encountered them. She had took an interest in Ava and her situation early on, spotting herself in the young girl, not and just by the fact they were both Silvers and Melody fans. There was a lot she hadn¡¯t told the young girl, which was just a safety precaution to do with her real job, the one that occupied the time when she wasn¡¯t at the hospital. The people in charge wouldn¡¯t be pleased that she was getting involved, but Tina didn¡¯t care, she was doing what she thought was right, damn the consequences! The way she looked at it, she was just spreading the truth. As she turned onto the last corridor before the reception area, she spared a thought about the serendipity of meeting Ava, and learning that someone had arranged for her to meet Melody, someone she had previously met. What she didn¡¯t like that Melody was being used like this, and what it meant for Ava¡¯s future, she saw the meeting, with manager attached as a potential grooming session, setting the young girl up for a future career, and a sentence. Honestly, she thought this plan was bold, perhaps too bold for her. She couldn¡¯t stand idle while the girl was sold up the river. Not on her watch.

    She turned the corner and saw Melody, but also the lurking form of Darren, busy on the phone. That wasn¡¯t all, seems she had additional escort. Two helmeted guards, lightly armed, not impossible to work around she guessed.

    Unfortunately it was Darren who spotted her first.

    ¡°Finally, a wayward nurse shows up!¡± He stormed over to her, acting all high and mighty, which was remarkably different then the previous time she¡¯d seen him, when she had the gun. He got right into her face and, because she had to play up the role she was acting, she had to act intimidated. She slumped back and put all her acting skill into a frightened look.

    ¡°S-Sorry! I was d-dealing with an urgent patient!¡± She said, wishing that someone would take notice and reward her for her talent.

    ¡°Time this place hired some staff who knew how to do their job!¡± Tina took all of Darren¡¯s anger, waiting until he had calmed down before speaking again.

    ¡°Well Ava Vern is free now, she¡¯s ready for Melody to visit...¡± She wanted to hit the prick so hard, break his nose, and that was just for starters.

    ¡°Great...Come on then, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Darren gestured for Melody to move, along with her guards, he turned back to Tina. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be leading the way?¡± Begrudgingly Tina led, she had hoped to talk to Melody before she got too the room, to see if she recognised her after these years. All the way to Ava, Tina led the silent procession, she guessed how it would go down, that Melody would jump into a song and dance routine and put on a show for Ava, all under Darren¡¯s watchful eye.

    Ava heard the footsteps coming back, multiples of footsteps. She knew one of them was Tina, then Melody, and she guessed another set belonged to the manager. The other two though, she had no idea of who they were, and she braced herself when the door opened. It was Tina who walked in first, then she held the door open for Melody herself. Ava caught a glimpse of her before she fully walked in, then saw her face, the solemn unhappy expression. When she crossed the threshold she burst into life, like the Melody that Ava had seen from afar on posters, her voice sounded like the songs she had rehearsed herself. Behind her though, came a man who was every bit the creep that Tina explained he was. After him, she saw two people, dressed the same as the military guards that greeted her and Drake as they came into the Dome. Why were they here? Tina saw the look, and acted.

    ¡°Excuse me, I think it might be a bit much if they come in?¡± She stepped in between Darren and the guards, causing him to roll his eyes.

    ¡°Fine, wait outside. There¡¯s going to be no trouble here...¡± The guards nodded and went outside the door, closing it. Locking all four of them in there, just as Tina wanted, though she still had the hardest part of her plan left....