

### ASURA: UNDEAD WAR

Copyright 2016 © Vito Chophy

Published by Vito Chophy

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Table of Contents

Title Page

License

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

It was an _Age_ , when the unnatural and supernatural, became natural. When, a man's wickedness was the measure of his success. The city was a beacon in that dark and evil Age. In a time, when some believed it was the end of the _Age of Man_ , Helid not only survived but also thrived. One of the last great cities left in the world. A safe haven and refuge for those, who managed to find their way there, although it had not always been so. A city where many forged their dreams into reality and others dreamed of doing so.

In a corner of this great city, Geran woke with a start, wondering if he would ever wake up without being afraid and drenched in sweat. Recurring dreams of monsters filled him with terror and yet when he woke, they were nothing more than a vague memory that he could not describe. No matter how hard he tried, he could never remember what filled him with so much dread. Sometimes, he wished he did not have to sleep at all. Every time he woke up, he felt disoriented. It took him a minute or two to remember where he was. Keeping track of time and dates was difficult for him.

If he was right about the date, today was his sixteenth birthday. The age, he became an adult, according to Helidian law. He felt old and tired. Physically, he had never been in better shape, in spite of the lack of proper sleep. Perhaps, it was the _nanites_ his father injected him with when he was a child, which was why he did not suffer from the effects of sleep deprivation. The fact, he did not spend every waking moment fighting to survive, could also be the reason. Geran was not sure which, but he felt stronger than ever, and that was what mattered to him. Then he remembered, his scheduled session with the hospital's psychiatrist, and groaned.

He had been a guest at one of their military hospitals ever since the day they rescued him. That was about three months ago, when a squad patrolling the eastern gates of Helid found him, more dead than alive. They saved his life and gave him sanctuary, for which he would always be grateful. Limited freedom of movement and restricted online access to the civilian network was part of his guest privileges. Upon recovery, he volunteered to join the Helidian army, since fighting was the one thing he knew he was good at and besides he was tired of being a guest. Geran assumed the military controlled that sector, because he had not seen a single civilian during his time there. Everyone wore a uniform, of one kind or the other and the entire sector was an over-sized base.

Trained in the art of war since he was old enough to hold a weapon, he was one of the _sabotnik_ children. They were part of a desperate attempt to win a war that was already lost. When their technology and army failed to defeat their enemies, the city of Voyna, turned to dark magic for answers. Using an ancient forbidden ritual, they transformed every child in the city into a weapon. Lethal, brave, and unrelenting, the _sabotnik_ were Voyna's last line of defense. Yet in the end, they were not enough. The city fell like others before it.

Geran and a small band of survivors marched for months seeking safe haven. Day after day, they fought to survive against the monsters that hunted them. Injured and almost dead, six of them reached Helid. He could not remember what happened after that but he knew Helidian soldiers rescued them. The Helidians did their best to save them all, but only Geran survived the treatment.

The average lifespan of a sabotnik was short and filled with violence. It was a fact they accepted over time. The ritual that gave them the powers of a sabotnik also filled them with an overwhelming blood lust when used. It drove them into a state of killing frenzy that they could seldom control. Geran learned to suppress his urges better than most but it was still there. An ever-present craving that grew stronger every day he did not kill. Volunteering to join the army was the only thing that made sense to him. If he needed kill to remain sane, then killing the undead was what Geran wanted to do.

The Helidian army was not particular about who they recruited. Anyone who was sane, physically able, and willing to fight the undead, was accepted. New recruits were processed and sent to boot camp, before they could change their minds. The army was more than willing to enlist Geran and put him through a series of tests to assess his physical fitness. They assured him that sessions with a psychiatrist were just part of the procedure. He was not convinced that was the whole truth. Nevertheless, he could not think of a good reason to refuse, so twice a week he showed up for the sessions.

*

For those born under a _red-sky_ , it was an Age, when children could no longer be as children. There were only those who learned to survive early in life and those who did not. This was the way of the world. The memories, of days under a blue-sky were beginning to fade, with each passing of the blue-sky generation.

Very few of that generation still lived, and even they could not remember the world exactly the way it used to be. Even fewer remembered the days under a _blue-sky_ , when most men had been in awe of their own knowledge and captivated by things that they created and built. That was the time before _the brightest light in the known universe_ caused the world to darken. The days shortened and nights lengthened even as the sky changed its hue. Storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions ripped civilization apart. The world grew darker and the people darker still.

Under a darkened sky, the world trembled as a massive asteroid struck the moon, showering the world with fragments that wiped out entire cities. Many died either cursing their gods or praying for deliverance. As smoke and ash rose to mingle with the red-sky, the world grew colder, as did the hearts of men. Chaos, fear, and conflict, split nations and families apart.

Crops failed and famine spread across the lands. When food became scarce, some chose to feed on the dead to live. While others chose to join the dead than live and soon a life was worth less than bread. The youngest, the oldest, and the infirm were among the first to die, although others fared no better. Pandemics spread virtually unchecked and countless dead lay rotting in the aftermath.

Cities that were unaffected built great walls and fortifications, to separate themselves, from those who were. Survivors seeking food and refuge soon overran cities that did not. In the end, their fate was the same as those they sheltered. Before long, cities hoarded every resource and fought over the little that remained unclaimed. Each, coveting what others possessed. Fighting, scheming, and deceiving each other to survive, just a little bit longer.

As the living fought among themselves, the dead awakened and fed on the living.

Some were convinced that the red-sky caused viruses to mutate and reanimate the dead. Others believed it was an _unholy resurrection_ caused by dark magic and the end of the Age of Man. Most did not care which, as they fought to survive, in a world filled with the undead.

Forty years under a red-sky, the world healed gradually, as humans rebuilt and adapted to the new world. Alliances formed between cities and they established a semblance of order to ensure the survival of the human race. At least, that is what the red-sky generation believed.

Chapter Two

Born under a red-sky, Geran seldom thought about the world as it was. Every so often, he thought about the world as it could be. It always filled him with hope to believe that someday there could be a better world. He knew, no one could guarantee the future but reasoned that things would never improve, if everyone did nothing but dwell in the memories of the past. As vague as his idea of an ideal world was, visualizing it always made him happy. Yet deep down, he knew that he would never fit in, if the world were different.

"Geran."

"Geran!"

"Sorry, I was thinking about what you asked," said Geran, snapping out of his reverie.

"This will never work," said Dr. Anderson frowning, "if you continue to lie about what you think and suppress every emotion you feel."

"I am trying."

"Not hard enough," she said. "We have been meeting twice a week for over a month and all I know about you are irrelevant facts."

"It is not easy for me to share what I have been through."

"As I have tried to make you understand before," she said, "I cannot help you until you start being honest with me."

"I think that I just need to get back to active duty," he said, "and things will sort itself out."

The doctor paused and rubbed her forehead. A few minutes ticked by before she let out an exasperated sigh and spoke.

"It seems that my superiors agree with you. I have received orders to clear you for active duty."

"That's good news," he said.

"In my professional opinion it is too soon because you are not ready," she said stiffly.

"I am sure the army knows what they are doing," said Geran.

"This is the end of our session but if you ever feel the need to speak to someone, you know where to find me."

Geran stood up unsure what he was supposed to do next.

"You are to report at the Academy of this city quadrant, right now," she said.

"Thank you, Dr. Anders," said Geran, confused by the abruptness. He wondered when she received the order since they started the session as scheduled.

"Dr. Anderson," the psychiatrist corrected and waved him away.

Geran started running after he exited the medical building. A few soldiers scowled at him, when he brushed past them, but he did not slacken the pace. The Academy was three blocks away from the medical building, not far enough, for even a warm up run.

He memorized, where all the military installations were located, at least the ones that the Helidian government publicly acknowledged as such. He spent all his time reading everything he could find about Helid and its people on the civilian network. Although, he learned a lot while recuperating, there was still so much that was new to him that it was almost overwhelming at times. Even with a limited access, there was enough material available, to keep him occupied for a decade. He wished they would give him something a little more modern than a digital touch-screen paper to connect to the network. His mother used them all the time so at least he did not have to learn how to use it.

When he thought about it, he realized that, while the hospital did have a few machines it was insufficient for a hospital of its size. He wondered where they kept all the computers and other electronic equipment. None of the hospital staff was maintaining any records yet there was no sign of inefficiency or chaos. Everyone appeared to know what to do and at times appeared to communicate telepathically. He dismissed that idea as improbable and decided to ask someone when he could do so without appearing like a complete ignoramus.

For the moment, he was just glad there would be no more psychiatric assessments and he could focus on the things he wanted to do. He thought the sessions with the psychiatrist were invasive and pointless. Dr. Anderson did her best to make him comfortable but he never felt the need to discuss his problems with her. The whole idea, of talking about your problems and popping a few pills to make yourself feel good, did not make sense to him. He did not think he was crazy but maybe he was and did not know it. Still, if being deranged kept you alive, then how was that a bad thing?

True, the recurring nightmares bothered him a little and his hands trembled every now and then, without any apparent reason. Nevertheless, under a red-sky, reality was a nightmare worse than anything a dream could conjure up. His hands just needed to hold a weapon again and they would stop trembling. It was possible that he was wrong. But, he knew that he could not just sit around talking about his problems when the undead plagued the world.

He swore an oath that one day he would become stronger and hunt down the monsters responsible for the destruction of Voyna. His family, friends, and all the people he knew were either dead or missing. Though few would ever blame them, the sabotnik failed when Voyna needed them most. He knew he needed to be part of an army and continue fighting if he wanted to become strong and skilled enough to kill monsters.

He reached the Academy in record time even though he tried to run at a pace that he thought was normal. With innumerable _symbionanites_ coursing through his entire body, he never grew tired if he paced himself and controlled his breathing. He could not run indefinitely but as long as he had the energy, he could run without experiencing any fatigue. Since he did not want to attract any undue attention, he sat on the steps leading to the Academy and rested. He wiped some non-existent sweat off his brow, and pretended to breathe hard for the benefit of anyone who might be observing him. The last thing he wanted was to end up living the life of a lab rat in a secret military installation, at some undisclosed location, while they tried to reverse-engineer the _symbionanites_.

*

Father warned him, to be careful not to appear more than human and to make every effort to blend in. Geran learned the hard way that most people have a tendency to fear things that are different from what they believe to be true or natural.

He had not been born any different from the countless others born before him but everything changed on his fourth birthday. Diagnosed as terminally ill, he would have lasted a year at most but fate would not have it so. Mother was inconsolable and father out of desperation, injected him with experimental _symbionanites_ , hoping to cure him or at least add a few more years to his life. The miniscule DNA-based nano-machines did more than they ever dared to hope. Day after day, he grew stronger, healthier, and as father would later say, _more human_.

As he grew older, he started seeing and hearing things that were beyond the spectrum and frequency range of the human eyes and ears. His wounds healed at an incredible rate and there was very little that could hurt him.

Growing up had been emotionally and mentally traumatic. With every sense heightened and every feeling amplified, he would have gone insane if not for the love and care he received. Mother comforted him as best she could and father did what he thought was right. Every day, father wrestled with his shame and pride, even as he observed Geran with a clinical coldness that was unnerving. With no precedent for such a transformation, he monitored the process with care. He tried his best to alleviate the intense physical pain, Geran experienced, as the _symbionanites_ merged with him at a molecular level.

Father could have been famous and with the right business deals filthy rich. A forerunner in the field of _bionanotechnology_ , he chose to remain unknown. For fear that, man would do what they always did, take something good and use it for evil. He feared that people would judge him harshly for what he did to his son, even though it was an act of love. In time, he might have overcome his fears and guilt, and changed his views. But, the city of Voyna fell and the world lost a giant.

Father posited that every descendant would have his enhanced abilities. To what extent, only time would tell. Father assumed there would be descendants. Starting a family was the last thing on Geran's mind. In a different world, it might have been a choice but a soldier who may not live to see tomorrow did not start a family.

Geran remembered his father's excitement as he considered the possibilities. Since he dared not share his knowledge with the world, he would often ramble on when he thought Geran was listening. Father tried to teach him about _bionanotechnology_ , and anything else that he thought was relevant, during the course of his monologues. For a long time, Geran barely understood the words much less anything else.

Father spent half his life developing _symbionanites_. They were DNA-based _nanites_ that could form a symbiotic relationship with its host without compromising the immune system. The nanites engulfed and digested cellular debris as it replicated, evolved, and merged with its host. Father's earliest attempts to insert nanites made of ferrous nanoparticles into test subjects proved to be fatal. He learned, adapted, and found another way.

In an attempt to assuage the guilt he felt, father tried to make Geran understand his work and the possible consequences of creating someone who was more human. Geran understood half of what father talked about and never understood why guilt plagued him.

Over the years, the _symbionanites_ merged with Geran so fully that by the time he was thirteen, they were almost undetectable. Then the war began and every citizen had to fight and protect the city against the monsters that besieged it. Towards the end, Voyna formed the sabotnik children using a dark and evil magic, to defend itself. Filled with powers that no mortal should possess, they kept the monsters at bay, for a time. Geran became one of the sabotnik and grew stronger when he learned to tap into that power. As the sabotnik fought with great courage to save the city, their allies deserted them and Voyna lost the war. When the last line of defense crumbled, Geran tried to save those he could and led many to safety. He never wanted to be a sabotnik but he could not let his people die without doing all that he could.

In another life, he imagined being a scientist like his father and carrying on his work, but the war changed the destinies of many in Voyna. For him, that path led him to the city of Helid, where he now sat contemplating the past.

He knew he had rested long enough for even the most obese citizen to recover. So, he got up and climbed the steps of the Academy.
Chapter Three

The Academy was a colossal building that served multiple functions. The most important of which was, as a Command Center, for one of the four quadrants in Helid. An imposing, impregnable fortress, which served as a symbolic reminder of Helid's military might.

Quadrants of approximately the same area divided the city into four parts that functioned independent of each other. More often than not, citizens lived, worked, and died in the quadrant where they were born. Every quadrant, designed to be self-sustainable, had its own standing army under the command of a General. A Mayor governed each quadrant for a term of five years. Every Mayor and General reported to the Central Command Council, who controlled the entire city, through the Command Center at each quadrant.

The Academy, located inside cordoned sectors of each quadrant, was accessible to authorized personnel only. The army monitored every visitor and used lethal force to deal with any intrusion.

*

Geran was excited that he would get to see the Academy from the inside. He was not able to access any concrete data regarding the quadrant academies but what little he learned had piqued his curiosity. He walked up to an imposing looking door, which slid open when he approached it. He hesitated and then entered to find himself in an empty hall with several identical doors. One of the doors opened and a soldier stepped out then beckoned Geran towards him.

He had been right. The army was tracking his movements. Rumors were that every citizen of the city was under constant surveillance by an artificial intelligence that assessed all the data. Most people ignored and disregarded it as the ranting of paranoid conspiracy theorists. Truth was, for a city under military control, it seemed probable to Geran. Without a doubt, the city needed constant monitoring to ensure safety and security.

The soldier, who beckoned him, could not have been more than twenty. He had a pale complexion and close-cropped black hair. He wore a greyish uniform and appeared to have been born with a permanent scowl on his face, which made him look older. The soldier carried no weapons, at least none that Geran could see as he walked towards him.

"You are late," said the soldier.

Geran did not bother to reply. The soldier's scowl deepened but he did not press the matter. He led Geran through the door and navigated a labyrinth of passages until they reached a door marked Processing.

Geran followed him inside a state-of-the-art laboratory, occupied by two doctors in white lab coats. There was an examination table at the center of the lab and surgical instruments on a medical cart beside it. The examination table had restraints attached to it. Never a good sign, Geran thought to himself. His heart pounded hard against his chest, as fears of being dissected and probed, threatened to overwhelm him. His mind reasoned that his fears were unfounded but that did not help allay his fears. He decided to beat the life out of the first doctor who lifted a scalpel without a good reason. The thought made him feel in control.

"This is the last one, recruit 808X808," said the soldier. He walked out without another word.

"Cheerful little bugger, isn't he?" said the older doctor smiling.

"I am Dr. Aamir and he's Dr. Paul," said the other.

Geran shifted uncomfortably, looking around for any indication of what they planned to do with him.

"You can relax. We have all your medical reports," said Dr. Aamir. "You have already been inoculated and cleared for duty. So we just need to check a few things while we get you suited up and you can be on your way."

Dr. Paul unlocked a footlocker, stenciled with the same number the soldier recited earlier, and took out some fatigues. He handed it to Geran along with a pair of combat boots. The uniform was made of some thick material that looked like it could withstand a lot of wear and tear.

"Wear the _soft-exosuit_ first then the battledress uniform over it," said Dr. Paul, pointing at a hideous looking outfit that he placed on the examination table.

"You mean right here?"

"Yes, here and now. Nothing we haven't seen before," said Dr. Paul. "I think a handsome lad like you shouldn't have anything to be ashamed about."

"I'd rather not."

"Looks like we got ourselves a shy one," said Dr. Paul chuckling.

Dr. Aamir pressed a tiny button on the wall beside him. A curved cubicle about five feet in height rose from the floor. The cubicle was made of a thin opaque material that Geran could not identify. He stepped behind it and changed.

The exosuit was the ugliest thing Geran ever saw. It was skintight and its color appeared to keep changing. He knew the army was not fashionable but they had gone out of their way to make the inner wear as ugly as possible. He was thankful that he would be wearing it under a regular military uniform.

It was surprisingly comfortable and thicker than it looked. The lower half covered every inch from hip to ankles while the upper half covered every portion of his neck right down to his wrists. Gloves and socks made of the same material covered the rest of his limbs. Every part of the suit fused with the other as soon as he put it on.

He put on the mask, which was part of the exosuit uniform, and found that it covered his entire head. It attached itself to the rest of the exosuit at the neck. There were no openings for his eyes or nose on the mask but he could see and breathe without any difficulty. The mask felt strange to him so he tried taking it off and realized he did not know how. There did not seem to be any place where he could get a grip to take it off.

"Hey doc, how do I get the mask off?"

"There are pressure spots on the exosuit that you need to press to detach and take off each part of the suit. The pressure spot for the mask is located under your chin," said Dr. Aamir.

"I can't find it."

"It is hard and has a slight bump," he said. "Put pressure on it for a few seconds and you will be able to take it off."

"What about the rest of the suit?" said Geran.

"Pressure spots are located on either side of the hip. On the left for upper half, right for lower half of the suit," said Dr. Aamir. "The gloves have it on the wrist and socks near the calves."

Geran took off his mask and felt around the suit trying to locate the other pressure spots. They were easy to find if you knew what you were looking for. He put the uniform over the exosuit. It was a size too large and the boots were tight. Geran groaned.

"Don't worry if the uniform doesn't fit right now," said Dr. Paul, hearing him groan. "It is made of _clotheskin_ , which is a durable type of adaptive material that can resize itself according to physical proportions."

"Come and lie on the examination table while it alters itself to your size," said Dr. Aamir.

Geran did as told. He could feel the uniform reshaping, as he lay there, and the boots did not pinch as much.

"The uniform has been designed to be worn, for extended durations, under combat conditions," said Dr. Paul. "The _clotheskin_ material regulates body temperature. It keeps you and your uniform clean, reducing the need for washing and bathing."

"Smart clothes made using nanotechnology?" said Geran interested.

"Yes," said Dr. Aamir. "The exosuit when worn with the mask acts as a rudimentary hazmat suit."

"Emphasis on the word _rudimentary_ ," said Dr. Paul smiling. "So don't go around swimming in lakes filled with toxic wastes."

"If I come across any, I will try to resist the urge," said Geran.

Dr. Paul packed Geran's discarded clothes in the footlocker while Dr. Aamir took out two small vials from a medical refrigeration unit. They approached the examination table and stood on either side of him. Both of them held a vial each, which contained a colorless liquid that moved as though it was alive. _Alien parasite_ was the first thing that popped into Geran's mind and he clenched his fists to avoid attacking them in panic.

"We will be inserting a _military-grade compulensys_ into your eyes now," said Dr. Aamir. "Do you know what that is?"

Geran shook his head. He remembered reading about it but wanted to know more. Feeling a little foolish, he relaxed when he heard what the vials contained.

"The _compulensys_ or _lensys_ is a high-tech liquefied device designed to be worn as lenses," said Dr. Aamir. "The military-grade lensys is about twelve times more powerful than the best civilian ones. It has all the functionality of a computer, but can be utilized for a number of other purposes."

"What other purposes?"

"For one it will allow you access to both civilian and military networks," said Dr. Paul. "The lensys has a combat mode and as part of your training, you will be taught everything you need to know about it."

"But first, we need to insert them," said Dr. Aamir. "Then we will test it to make sure it is functioning."

"What if it damages my eyes?" Geran asked. "Are you sure it is safe?" The thought of going blind always frightened him more than dying. He would sooner lose a limb than go blind.

"Of course, it is safe," said Dr. Aamir. "It's a simple procedure that takes about ten minutes at most.

"If you are ready, we can begin," said Dr. Paul.

Geran did not like the idea, of them pouring strange looking liquids into his eyes, and hesitated. He tried to come up with good reason to refuse.

"We do this procedure almost every day so try to relax," said Dr. Aamir. "It will be over before you know it."

"Everyone in Helid has undergone this procedure," said Dr. Paul.

Nodding that he was ready for it, Geran held his breath and tried to stay calm. The doctors held his eyes wide open and poured one vial of the colorless liquid in each eye. Both vials contained four drops of the strange liquid. It felt cold and yet pleasant at the same time.

"Remain still for a moment," said Dr. Paul.

"Close your eyes and wait for it to solidify," said Dr. Aamir. "Do not rub your eyes otherwise the liquid may seep out and the lensys will be damaged. You can open your eyes when the liquid hardens."

Geran could feel the liquid moving and solidifying. In about thirty seconds, the liquid hardened and he opened his eyes warily. Nothing appeared to be different and he could not even feel the liquid lenses now. The doctors appeared pleased with themselves as they inspected his eyes. Once they were satisfied that the lensys was stable, they looked him over from head to toe, examining him but without any physical contact. Satisfied by whatever they saw, they stepped back and let him sit up.

"Try to profile either one of us," said Dr. Paul.

"What?"

"Look towards us and think about whatever you want to know about us," said Dr. Aamir.

"That doesn't help clarify anything," said Geran.

"Just look at me and think about me," said Dr. Paul.

Geran was not sure what he meant but he looked at them. He tried to focus his thoughts on them and a flood of information filled his mind in an instant. He somehow knew more about the doctors than he would have ever cared to know. He felt a sharp pain in his head, as his mind tried to process the incessant barrage of data.

"The pain is normal," said Dr. Aamir, who saw him wince. "It will soon pass but massaging the forehead and temples has been known to help reduce the extent of the pain."

Geran rubbed his forehead, hoping it would help. The pain lessened a little.

"The lensys can be operated at the speed of thought or simply put, as fast as you can think," said Dr. Paul. "You need to focus your thoughts on a particular subject and the information will be filtered according to your mind's ability to process it."

"Does this mean I will be able to learn subconsciously?"

"The lensys augments learning," said Dr. Paul, "but if you want to remember the information without its help, you must make a conscious effort to memorize it."

"It is advisable to use the lensys to access data when you need it," said Dr. Aamir. "With a little practice, using it to access information will seem natural."

Geran knew they were trying to be thorough but their explanations were starting to give him a headache. He tried focusing on Dr. Aamir instead of both of them. The flow of information slowed at once, becoming more cohesive and controlled. He tried it a few more times until he could control the flow of data at will. Processing the information became easier with each attempt but he doubted if it would ever feel natural. He understood then, why no one in Helid appeared to use computers or any other electronic devices. The lensys technology was amazing but also a little disturbing.

"The information, which you accessed about us, is the data that is available as a _profile_ ," said Dr. Paul. "Your profile is created by the lensys when it is first activated and updated every day after that."

"I don't want to be profiled and tracked," said Geran.

"It is mandatory for every citizen and soldier to be profiled."

"What about my privacy?"

"The amount of personal data you share is optional, except for those with criminal records," said Dr. Aamir. "Not that it makes any difference."

"Of course, it makes a difference," said Geran. "At least it does to me."

"You'd be surprised by how much personal information people are willing to share, about themselves," said Dr. Aamir. "Additional data is accumulated from profiles of associates, friends, and family. The information is correlated to complete a citizen's profile."

"Where does the lensys get its data from?"

"A small amount of data is already stored in every lensys to ensure that it can function independently," said Dr. Paul. "New data can be downloaded through the networks. This is the military-grade lensys so it has additional features that you must learn to utilize, as part of your training."

"How do I take them off?"

"You do not have to take them off and attempting self-removal would be ill advised," said Dr. Aamir. "In essence, the lensys are now part of your eyes."

"What?" said Geran.

"Don't worry. The lensys is very resilient and has limited regenerative capability," said Dr. Paul. "In the event that it is destroyed, it can be replaced."

Geran was not sure if he should be relieved or upset by what they told him. He decided, saying nothing was the most prudent thing to do. He could not refuse to wear the lensys if it was part of the standard-issue for military personnel. He was happy that the lensys would give him greater access to the networks. However, he was annoyed that they neglected to mention beforehand that the lensys were almost permanent attachments. He could not remove it without medical assistance and they were profiling him without consent, which made him uneasy. He knew there was nothing he could do until he found a way to get rid of the lensys undetected.

"Lensys data can be fed into your mind or projected as visible content," said Dr. Aamir. "The information projected by the lensys will be visible to you and anyone tuned into the same visual spectrum as you are. If you wish to view projected data without being distracted, staring at a flat surface can help you focus on the content."

"How do I add new data to it?"

"The lensys stores your thoughts and experiences as virtual _memoirs_ which can also be shared on the networks," said Dr. Paul. "You are free to share all your personal memoirs for others to see, learn, and experience what you have."

"Why would anyone share their personal memoirs on the networks?" said Geran.

"The answer to that is a complicated one and at the moment not important."

"I suppose it isn't."

"You must never attempt to share memoirs of missions and classified information," said Dr. Aamir, "it is considered high treason."

"Central blocks all attempts to do so, anyway," said Dr. Paul. "I don't know how but they always seem to know and nothing good ever comes out of it."

"I understand," said Geran nodding. He did not intend to share any information on the networks, personal or not.

"Anything else you would like to know about the lensys?" said Dr. Aamir.

"At the moment, I can't think of any."

"If you do have questions, and you will sooner or later, use the lensys to find the answers and learn what you need to know," said Dr. Paul. "Always remember the lensys is the best teacher and guide you will ever have. You will never need another."

"I will keep that in mind," said Geran, amused by the doctor's enthusiastic sales pitch. He supposed the doctor was trying to make him feel better about the nearly permanent implants they put into his eyes.

"Does your head still hurt?" said Dr. Aamir.

"My head throbs a little but it's tolerable," said Geran.

"If the pain persists or there is a technical malfunction," said Dr. Aamir, "report here at the earliest opportunity. The lensys will be checked and replaced."

"Ok."

"You must now proceed to Hall thirty-five, where all the new recruits are gathered," said Dr. Paul.

"Which floor?"

"You can use the lensys to pinpoint your destination."

They were probably testing him to see if he could use the lensys with an acceptable degree of competence. Geran used his lensys to access the building schematics and found the hall's location. He learned that finding a location using the lensys was faster and easier than every other method he knew of.

"This is your footlocker. It has a few basic items and a dress-uniform," said Dr. Aamir, handing it to him. "Additional gear, weapons, and replacement uniforms will be issued when it is required."

Geran thanked the doctors and made his way to the training hall.

*

Boys wearing uniforms, identical to the one that he now wore, occupied the enormous hall. Before he even realized it, the lensys tallied their total as hundred and forty-three _friendlies_. The ease, with which the lensys did that, impressed him. He left his footlocker, in a corner of the hall, along with others that were already been piled there and waited.

A few minutes passed before six drill instructors came trooping in and started barking orders. The recruits assembled into groups of twenty-four, under the command of a drill instructor, before the rituals of training began. Day after day, they bellowed instructions repeatedly. Limits of physical endurance were crossed and wills bent, as the instructors started shaping the recruits into soldiers. Their drill sergeants monitored and corrected them, with even minor infractions resulting in punishments for the entire group. Extra drills, accompanied by a blistering barrage of vocal abuse was the standard punishment but the sergeants got creative when punishing individuals.

Geran always made sure he neither led nor lagged. He tried his best not to stand out. The only time he never held back was during weapons training at the firing range. He performed so well that one of the drill instructors said ' _acceptable_ ,' after observing him for some time. He later learned, that word was high-praise, in the limited vocabulary of their instructors.

As the weeks progressed, every recruit underwent several simulations of typical combat situations, with strenuous testing. Deprived of adequate food and sleep, for the entire duration of each simulation, they struggled to pass each test. The army reassigned those who failed to meet the minimum standards. The ones, that did more than simply endure, qualified for special training. The drill sergeants pushed them even harder to achieve more.

The training intensified, but as difficult as the Special Forces training was, Geran had been through worse and looked forward to each day. He only feared the nights, when he lay in his bunk with loneliness consuming him and the memories of the dead haunting him. All it did was reinforce what he realized, a long time ago in Voyna. He would never be able to live the life of a citizen, doing a job with regular hours, while pretending to be unaware of what the real world was like. He did not even know where to begin living a normal life even if that was something he could have considered. With each passing day, it was becoming increasingly difficult to control his urge to kill. All those who possessed the power of a sabotnik struggled against the same blood lust. Fighting the undead as part of an army was where, he thought, he belonged.
Chapter Four

Their first mission as a squad was a disaster. What was supposed to be a routine patrol of Roark sector, east of Helid city, turned into a pitched battle when they came across a horde of undead. Two soldiers died without firing a single shot. The rest of the squad managed to form a perimeter defense and held their own until ammo started to run out

As the undead fed on the dead and dying, the squad was forced to retreat inside one of the coal mines. They set off explosives to block the entrance and keep out the undead. Huddled inside the poorly lit mine, the sound of voices speaking at once, was disorienting Geran. He tried to filter the sounds and stayed alert for any indication that the undead were approaching their location. Manzo moved around checking the soldiers for wounds. It was standard operating procedure. Whenever feasible, a medic examined soldiers after every encounter with the undead. An officer or soldier, in turn, examined the medic for wounds and infections.

David was praying for the dead. He wanted nothing more than to be a priest. Passionate and out-spoken, David was rejected because of his borderline heretical beliefs. Disheartened by the finality of the rejection he joined the army on an impulse. He was in boot camp before he could contemplate and regret his decision. As he prayed in silence, the rest of the squad argued about what went wrong and whose fault it was.

"Quiet!" said Danso. Tall, strong, and proud, it chaffed him that the first mission under his command was a complete mess.

The mission was a quick patrol of the area, surrounding the Roark mines, and a physical inspection of the sentry guns that protected the mining camps. It was supposed to be a simple mission to boost the squad's confidence and help them gain a little experience in a non-training environment. No undead activity had been reported for months in that sector, which meant no real danger, and so they were not as vigilant as they should have been.

The last radio contact with Roark was a normal report, related to coal shipment and a request for new equipment. Expecting no trouble, Danso ordered the squad to pack light. Carrying minimal ammo and gear they set out on their mission. A decision he now regretted but refused to admit to anyone. It would not have mattered as much if Geran had not been there to witness him fail.

Most of the soldiers were happy, with the idea of carrying bare minimum, when they thought it would be an easy mission. Now that things had gone wrong, some would recall Geran advising that they carry at least the standard gear and ammo. If someone else suggested it, he would have at least considered it, if not acted upon it. He rejected Geran's suggestion and now he appeared incompetent. True, the attack was unforeseen but things might have been different if they were prepared. Trapped inside an abandoned mine, with the undead horde outside, it was not the best way to start a career as a soldier.

Danso saw Geran watching him and resolved not to fail again. From the very first day of training, he knew, Geran and he would never be friends. Danso always led during training and stood above the rest in every aspect. Yet he always felt, Geran held back on purpose, although he could not fathom why anyone would ever do that. He did not want to be second best in anything but he did not like the idea of someone letting him win either. The thought plagued him until it turned into a resentment that sometimes clouded his judgment.

Geran and the rest of the squad watched, as Danso struggled to come to a decision, while they tried hard not to think about their dead comrades. Even though they were trained, to accept the loss of their comrades in battle, they still struggled to suppress their emotions. Witnessing the death of their friends unnerved most of them.

With no way to contact base, they could wait it out until another squad came to investigate or they could try to find another way out of the mine. The red-sky often interfered with their communication systems and radio silence was normal. If attempts to re-establish contact with them failed, then there would be a standard twenty-four hour wait, before another squad came to locate or rescue them.

Danso used the lensys, to scan through a map of the mine, as he tried to decide the best course of action. The map was a little outdated and incomplete but there were some sections that looked promising and could lead to a way out. He did not want rescuing, he baulked at the thought, nor did he want another squad stumbling into the undead horde as they did. There was something odd about the undead horde, which attacked his squad, and that troubled him.

He knew, they would run out of food and water before the day was out. Given the circumstances, trying to find a way out was the best thing to do. Danso stood up and the squad looked at him with hope. A few of them were still in shock and he needed to sound confident and in control of the situation. He had to get them on their feet and busy enough to prevent them, from reliving the horror, of seeing their friends torn apart by the undead. Their deaths affected him too and it took all his willpower to stop himself from thinking about the dead soldiers. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself before speaking.

"There are some uncharted sections that may lead to the surface," said Danso. "We will be heading inwards and attempting to find a way out to the other side."

"Why not wait here?" David asked.

"Central needs to know, there is undead horde out here that needs to be dealt with," said Danso. "Before their numbers swell and they infest every inch of this region."

"How did they get so close to the city undetected? Manzo asked. "And how did they get past the sentry guns and barb wire fences?"

"It is possible, they have learned to evade the guns," said Geran, "by staying out of sight and range."

"I could have sworn, a few of them were playing possum until the attack begin," said Bishnu.

"Maybe, they were taking a nap before the fight," said Ankit grinning. Oliver laughed.

Danso gave them a sour look. In spite of his reaction, he was glad the squad was preoccupied and did not interrupt them. He needed time to think.

"That face could curdle the milk inside a cow," said Oliver, seeing Danso's reaction.

"We'd get ready-made curd to eat then," said Ankit.

"This is not the time to be funny," said David. "Our comrades died out there."

"We haven't forgotten," said Oliver feeling guilty.

"I think Geran's right," said Manzo. "The undead we fought were smarter and that was an ambush."

"You are mistaken for sure, the undead aren't known for their tactics or strategies," Balyn scoffed. "If we weren't outnumbered, thousands to one, we would have eradicated them by now."

"I agree with Balyn," said Khalon. "Sheer numbers and their refusal to stay dead are what gives them the advantage."

"Those may be the facts, but a few decades ago, the dead stayed dead and that was a fact too," said Manzo. "Another fact, you ignore is that the undead should have decomposed to nothing years ago but they have not."

"The world is not as it used to be," said Geran. "Nothing is certain, so it is possible they are either evolving or someone has found a way to control them."

"Whatever or whoever caused the dead to resurrect," said Manzo, "might be allowing the undead to regain a measure of the intellect they once possessed as humans."

"That's just stupid," said Balyn. "Who has ever heard of a virus that is capable of doing such a thing?"

"You are assuming that the _virus hypothesis_ is correct," said Geran. "There are numerous theories about the undead but very little physical evidence to support any of them."

"That does not mean it is not true," said Balyn.

"Even if the virus hypothesis is correct," said Manzo, "we do not know anything about it to ignore the possibility that the undead might have the potential to evolve."

"The undead will never be intelligent enough to set up an ambush and the idea of them being controlled is absurd," said Balyn. "With enough soldiers and resources, we could retake the world back from the undead and put every one of them in the ground where they belong."

"It doesn't matter right now," said Danso. "We need to get moving. Use your blades."

"Why...?" said Oliver. "We still have some ammo left."

Oliver did not like fighting the undead at close range. Hacking a human skull always made him nauseous. The smell of rotting flesh and the sight of brains stuck to his knife was not something he could forget. He came very close to failing melee training.

"We will need the ammo when we get to the surface," said Danso. "Plus, I do not want to be shot, if one of you ladies panics and gets trigger happy in such an enclosed space."

"Permission to take the lead, sir," said Bishnu. He pulled the auto-retractable gun strap, from his rifle's butt-stock and attached it to the front swivel, creating a sling. Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, he drew out his _khukuri_ knife.

"Bishnu will take point," said Danso, nodding at him. "Geran you are with me."

Geran followed Bishnu's example and unsheathed the two khukuris that he carried. He always used a _wakizashi_ sword when he fought for Voyna. After seeing Bishnu in action with a khukuri knife, he made the switch and carried two of his own. Geran often trained with Bishnu, when there was time, until he became proficient in its use. He found that compared to the wakizashi sword, the shortness of a khukuri blade, allowed him to adjust the angle of attack in mid-swing, which made follow-up strikes easier.

The blade was the one weapon the army permitted them to choose based on preference and proficiency. Although most soldiers stuck to the combat knife issued by the army since that was the only blade, they could use with ease, some preferred to carry other blades. Geran chose the khukuri, which was a chop and slash weapon with a penetrative force disproportional to its size. He found that its inwardly curved blade could inflict deep wounds and penetrate bone with little resistance. It was excellent for close quarters combat.

Following Bishnu at an arm's length, Geran and Danso flanked him, ready for trouble. After stumbling through passageways for some time, the squad reached a fork with two unlit passages that were part of the uncharted section.

"Which way do we go, sir?" Bishnu asked, turning to Danso.

"We should split up," said Balyn. "I will lead a team to check the passage on the right and another team can head left."

"We stick together and head left," said Danso, ignoring Balyn.

"It would be much faster if we split up into two teams," said Balyn.

"We should pray for divine guidance instead of arguing," said David.

"Spare me the religious theatrics, _priest_ ," said Balyn sneering. "Not the time, nor the place."

"Don't, it's not worth it," said Khalon, putting a hand on David's shoulder. A soft-spoken man, Khalon was a loyal and selfless friend, so he backed down.

"We do not know if there are any undead in these passages," said Bishnu. "For all we know there could be hundreds of them lurking inside. We have a higher chance of surviving if we are together."

"Switch lensys to _night mode_ , we are heading left," said Danso, before anyone could argue. "It is an established fact that the undead cannot see in the dark so we will have tactical advantage if we stick together."

"Lensys is such a stupid name. They should have given it a cooler name," said Ankit, making the switch.

"I guess all the good ones were taken," said Danso following Bishnu, who was entering the left passage.

"You are welcome to suggest a cooler name when we get back to base," said Manzo grinning.

"Couldn't do any worse," said Ankit.

Geran could see in the dark, so he followed Danso, without bothering to switch his lensys to night mode.

Ten minutes of trudging through the dark passage, they reached a dead end. Frustrated they turned back. Balyn grumbled under his breath the entire way. Danso ignored him and led the way at a brisk pace.

The second passage looked promising at first. However, after plodding through it for an hour, they were tired and lost hope. The passage sloped downwards but the air was fresher so they continued on the path.

Oliver stumbled and crashed hard into Ankit who braced himself against Manzo to stop from falling. The trio tumbled down together, landing in a heap at the bottom, where the ground levelled. Despite the somber mood, the others managed to laugh a little.

"Manzo get your butt away from my face," said Ankit, in a muffled voice. He struggled to get Oliver off him.

"You are the one on top so how about you get off me?" said Manzo.

Oliver groaned, as he got off Ankit, and helped the others up.

"That was nasty," said Ankit.

"Try not to trip, over your own feet the next time, you clumsy clod," said Manzo, brushing the dirt off his uniform.

"Oliver's fault not mine."

"I am sorry but it's dark in here," said Oliver.

"That's a lame excuse and you know it," said Manzo. "Night mode gives you about eighty percent visibility. So watch where you step instead of making excuses."

"That's what the army would have you believe," said Oliver. "That does not mean it is true. Night mode or not, it's hard to see anything in here."

"Could you guys be any louder?" said Balyn.

"The undead already know we are in here," Oliver snapped.

"No need to make it easier for them to find us," said Balyn. "Stampeding elephants make less noise than you."

"They are extinct genius. How would you even know?"

"Cut it out," said Danso. "We are all tired and need a break. Everyone take five. Eat and drink. We might not get a chance later."

"We should head back to the entrance when we are done eating," said Khalon, sitting down.

"Our communication system is on the fritz, so we cannot contact base, to give them our location," said Balyn. "What's the point?"

"I just think we should wait to be rescued rather than wander around in the dark," said Khalon.

"You are assuming that the squad, base sends, will somehow guess we are holed up in this mine," said Balyn.

"They might. We left quite a trail."

"Even if they do, a single squad will never be able to fight their way past the undead horde."

No one was in the mood to argue with Balyn so the conversation languished. They rested and dug into their backpacks for a _meal-bar_. A thick, rectangular shaped bar that looked and tasted like it was made of wood. Military nutritionists claimed that eating half a bar, would provide enough calories, for a soldier to get through a day of intense activity. To prevent soldiers, from overeating, the meal-bars contained an appetite suppressant. The meal-bar was unpopular, among the troops, and eaten as a last resort. It was a commonly held belief that the suppressant was to prevent them from puking and pooping them out.

"Want to trade your meat flavored bar for this delicious fruit flavored one?" Oliver asked, eyeing the bar in Ankit's hand. Ankit tossed him the bar and caught the one Oliver threw at him.

"Hey, this is tomato flavored," said Ankit. Oliver tricked him, into accepting the worst type of meal-bar ever made.

Oliver wolfed down the meal-bar, in case Ankit asked for it back. The flavor was scarcely better but it was the lesser of two evils.

"It is botanically classified as a fruit, so he wasn't lying," said Geran grinning. "I thought you preferred vegetable and fruit flavors over meat."

"No one could ever like tomato meal-bars," said Ankit. "It's like eating dry wood with tomato sauce. I fed it to a dog once. He took one bite and started licking his own butt trying to get the taste out of his mouth."

Nobody laughed. Artificially flavored the meal-bars were barely edible and the story seemed more true than funny.

"That is disgusting," said David. "I am trying to eat over here."

"Well, these bars are disgusting too but we still eat them," said Ankit. "It doesn't matter what I say, they will still taste awful."

David ate in silence, a little embarrassed. He liked the meal-bars although it did not taste good. Only those who had never been truly hungry complained about the taste of food. A few days without food and they would all appreciate every meal they got, he thought to himself.

Geran broke his meal-bar in half and handed it to Ankit, who took it with a look of gratitude, when he saw it was not tomato flavored.

"Whoever added the appetite suppressants, to prevent overeating, must be brain damaged," said Khalon, trying hard to swallow a mouthful.

"Must be from all the toxic fumes he inhaled when making the meal-bars," said Ankit.

"If I ever find out, who came up with these flavorless meal-bars," said Oliver, "I am going to dump him outside the wall."

"I'd help," said Bishnu.

"You and the rest of the army."

*

After eating, as much as they could stomach, they continued their search, for a way out of the mine. The passage began to slope upwards and they felt more hopeful about getting out.

Geran was not sure that they were out of the woods yet. He looked at Danso and sensed that he was uneasy too. The squad had not come across a single survivor or any of the undead inside the mine. It was unusual, considering that even if no one survived the attack, there would have been some physical evidence either outside or inside the mine. Yet, it was as if the miners disappeared without a trace when the undead appeared.

The only other sound besides their footsteps, were the whispers of Oliver and Manzo, as they argued about something that was significant to them at that moment. Sensing the mood of those at the lead, they soon became quiet as well.

The darkness was eerie and the chance of them running into a herd of undead increased with each passing moment. Although, the undead lacked intelligence, they often herded together when they found themselves in dark enclosed spaces, out of some primal instinct. Nonetheless, they also wandered around alone, looking to feed and satisfy their insatiable hunger. The fact that the squad did not come across a single undead, inside the mine, made them lucky. The trouble was, luck ran out, when you needed it the most.

The passage continued to rise and branched into several smaller passageways, most of which turned out to be dead ends or impassable for humans. Every time that proved to be the case, they retraced their steps and explored another passageway.

The lensys, charted and updated new data, adding to the map already stored in it. It comforted them to know, that at the very least, they were not going around in circles and could always retrace their steps if needed. It had been hours since they started looking for a way out, but Danso was determined to see things through. He made up his mind and refused to head back to the entrance until it proved impossible for them to proceed further in any direction.

Danso knew he needed a victory of sorts. No one blamed him except Balyn who made his discontent known whenever an opportunity presented itself. Nevertheless, Danso knew, he needed to get the squad out of the mine and restore their confidence in him, if he wanted to continue to lead. Although he was not religious, Danso began praying for a miracle, when a bright light blinded him.
Chapter Five

"Switch lensys to normal mode," said Danso, when he saw Oliver squinting. The rest of the squad were already making the switch.

With their night mode active, the light had been very bright. In normal mode, they saw that it was just one of many, which lit up the winding passageway ahead of them. They saw strange symbols drawn on the walls. David muttered something when he saw the symbols. Geran caught Danso's eye who nodded. He shook his head when he saw Geran was about to speak, and led the squad into the passageway. The rest of the squad, somewhat cheered by the prospect that there were survivors somewhere inside the mine, continued with renewed vigor. They stopped when they heard subdued noises in the distance.

Danso signaled for silence and moved in the direction of the sound. The squad followed, alert for trouble. Geran was worried. There were no records of this passage in the lensys map, but someone was spending a lot of time down there. Whoever was camping in there was sure to be an enemy. The coal miners would not have drawn the symbols on the wall.

Practitioners of magic claimed to ward off the undead using the symbols they saw on the walls. Although, he never saw anyone succeed in doing that. He knew powerful sorcerers and witches did exist in the world. The sabotnik were proof of such dark power. Sorcerers and witches lived in guilds, and inhabited regions, where they believed portals to other dimensions existed. He did not know much about them since he never faced them in battle as a sabotnik. The military training in Helid covered the rudiments of magic. Their knowledge was limited to identifying symbols and objects of magic. Most soldiers did not even consider it important enough to be worth remembering.

David knew more about sorcerers and witches than he did but it was not the time to ask. He knew that they did not migrate without reason. _Nomads_ , who imitated them, also drew the same symbols wherever they camped. If nomads were nesting down there, then it would end in violence. Cannibalistic and unbalanced, they were vicious and attacked anyone who was not a part of their tribe. Talking to them would not be an option. Sorcerers and witches, were for the most part sane and listened to reason but nomads were a different story altogether.

Danso reached the same conclusion and intended to be careful. He signaled the squad to sheath their blades and set rifles on semi-automatic fire.

The passageway led to a wide ledge, which tapered downwards to the floor of a large well-lit cavern. A group of men wearing strange hooded robes piled corpses of children next to a circle drawn with blood or some reddish paint. There were many bizarre looking symbols drawn inside it. A triangular design drawn with the same substance lay east of the circle. Despite the gruesome nature of their work, the men joked and laughed, as though it was some mundane chore.

At Danso's signal, the squad dropped to the ground without a sound. They crawled closer to the edge to get a better view. Forty burly men stood huddled together in a corner of the cavern. They appeared to be in a trance and made no move to leave even though they were unrestrained. Next to them, were four children tied up and gagged. They appeared ill nourished and scared but otherwise unharmed.

"The missing miners," said Manzo softly, when he saw David glance at him.

David nodded and crawled closer to where Danso was lying. Seeing the look on his face, Geran and Bishnu crept closer as well.

" _Kalkus_ ," said David with distaste, when they were close enough to hear each other whisper.

"A what now?" said Danso.

" _Kalkus_. They are sorcerers of black magic," David said. "I have seen their kind before."

"What are they doing to those corpses?" said Geran, angered by what he saw. He hated men who hurt children.

"They appear to be preparing the corpses for an _Anchimallen_ ritual," said David, "although I can't be sure since I have never actually witnessed one."

"What is it for?" Geran asked. He never forgot how the sabotnik came into being. He did not have a choice then but he swore never to let any child go through anything like that.

"It is a ritual to create the _Anchimayen_ , the accursed undead," said David. "Those corpses will be possessed by _wekufe_ , evil spirits, who serve the kalkus."

"That's horrible," said Geran. "We need to stop this right now."

"Desecrating corpses, malignant spirits and black magic, it is all vile and evil," said Bishnu. I say we wipe them out and be done with it."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Danso. "We do not know what they are doing. They could just be some nut jobs dabbling in the occult."

"It could be so but we do need to know what they have done to those miners," said Bishnu, "and they need to answer for the dead children."

"We should free the prisoners and capture at least one of the kalkus for interrogation," said David.

"That's easier said than done," said Danso.

"The passageway those kalkus are using might lead to the surface," said David, "but I don't see how we can get past them without being noticed."

"We do not know how many of them are in the passage and whether or not they are armed," said Bishnu, "so we will have to engage the enemy."

"If the miners are being controlled by the kalkus," said Geran, "whether it is through some drug or evil spirit, things could get unpleasant."

"Our top priority is to return to base and make sure that the undead horde is dealt with ASAP," said Danso, thinking it over fast. "We do not want them amassing in such great numbers that they can lay siege to the city."

"What about the miners and the children?" said Geran.

"Everything else is secondary," said Danso.

"So, what's the plan?" said Bishnu.

Using the lensys to communicate with theirs, Danso outlined his plan to every squad member. Communicating that way was a little disorienting for most people. It was invaluable, when they needed to communicate, quick and quiet. People were still getting used to the idea of communicating, _lensys to lensys_ , or as most people saw it telepathically. The lensys had limited range outside the city but it could piggyback on others and widen its reach. Lensys to lensys communication eliminated the possibility of miscommunication and the need for repetition.

Within minutes, every soldier in the squad knew what to do. The plan was not elegant and some did not like it but they did not have time to come up with anything else. The squad positioned themselves on the ledge so that every one of them would have a clear line of fire. Danso did not want to take any more chances, they would eliminate the kalkus or whoever these men were, and return to base with or without the prisoners. He already lost enough men on this mission and did not want to lose any more if he could help it. The kalkus were desecrating corpses and trespassing on military property so use of lethal force was acceptable. The army controlled the coal mine, like any other resource, and it was off limits to all unauthorized personnel. People were shot for a lot less.

They all carried an M19AT assault rifle, a lethal and silent weapon, with hybrid suppressors attached to it. The M19AT was an accurate and reliable weapon with an optimal range of nine hundred meters, imperceptible recoil, and a minimum service life of about eighty-five thousand rounds.

The squad switched their lensys to combat mode, which helped them to adjust rifle alignment and aim with great accuracy, among other things. Geran never used it when he could avoid it, preferring to rely more on his instincts and skill than use technology as a crutch. At such close range, he knew it would not be required at all and aimed the old-fashioned way. The entire squad lined their rifles on pre-designated targets and waited for Danso's signal to shoot. The plan was simple. Eliminate all intruders before attempting to free prisoners and returning to base.

*

The kalkus never knew what hit them. Every one of them was dead before they could fight back. The miners never even flinched but stood motionless, with the stony indifference of statues. The children wriggled in terror when they saw the squad making their way down the ledge. Geran smiled, at the children, to show he meant no harm.

"Khalon, David check the miners," said Danso. "Ankit and Geran cut the children loose. Manzo, check the children first and then the miners for infections. Oliver eyes on the exit."

"Are you guys all right?" said Khalon, waving his hand in front of the miners.

"They are in some kind of hypnotic state," said David, shaking one of the miners. "I can't get them to snap out of it."

Ankit cut the ropes and freed the children. Geran helped them to their feet, steadying them long enough for Manzo to give them a cursory examination for wounds and infections. He made them sit as soon as he finished examining them. They were all thin and weak.

"As far as I can tell, they are all uninfected," said Manzo. "They can be quarantined and examined more thoroughly at base."

"Who killed the others?" Geran asked the children.

"They did," said the youngest of the four. "They said we were to be sacrificed so that the others may live again."

Small and frail, she trembled as she stood up and spoke. Her clothes were dirty and torn. A tiny shabby doll hung from her belt. Someone who did not know how to sew had tried to repair the doll. She clutched it tightly when she saw Geran looking at it.

"What do you mean live again?" said Ankit confused. "You mean as the undead?"

"I don't know."

"What's your name kid?" said Manzo.

"Chloe."

"Ok Chloe listen, we need to know if there are any more out there."

"Two men went out a while ago but I don't know if there are any more."

"Do you know the way out?"

Chloe nodded.

"Do you know what they have done to the miners?"

"I am sorry, I don't know."

"That's enough," said Geran. "We need to get everyone out of here first."

"Manzo, examine the miners," said Danso, when he saw Khalon and David were unable to get a response out of them.

"Wait. I hear voices," Bishnu whispered, just loud enough for them to hear. "Possibly two hostiles in the passageway headed this way."

Geran heard them too. He was surprised Bishnu heard them before he did. The squad removed themselves from the direct line of sight of the passage, dragging the dead kalkus with them. Bishnu and Oliver positioned themselves on either side of the passage leading to the cavern and waited. Ankit gestured the children to be silent and readied himself beside Geran and Manzo.

Soon, they all heard the voices of two men arguing, as they trudged along the path towards them. Oliver and Bishnu pinned down the men, who entered the cavern, still arguing.

"Let them up," said Danso.

They loosened their hold enough to let the prisoners rise. The two men were dressed in robes similar to the other kalkus, with the exception of a few additional patterns on them.

"We got lucky," said David. "They appear to be the ones in-charge of this group of kalkus."

"How can you tell?" said Bishnu, struggling to maintain his hold on his prisoner.

"I am guessing from the markings on their robes," said David. "It is not conclusive but it does seem to indicate a different rank."

"That and the fact, these two were taking a stroll while the others did the work, is a clue too," said Geran.

David pointed his rifle at the prisoners, grinning with malice. Seeing the look on his face, they ceased to struggle.

"Thank you. About time one of you guys helped," said Oliver, who had been struggling with his prisoner too.

"If you can't handle one unarmed prisoner, you need to be sent back to boot camp," Balyn sneered.

"My boot your butt, if you don't shut up," said Oliver.

"You can try and fail."

"Secure them," said Danso, giving Balyn a dirty look.

Bishnu and Oliver secured the prisoners' hands behind their backs, while the others covered them with their rifles.

"How many more in your group?" Danso asked the two kalkus.

They stared, in sullen silence, at their captors. They appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Both had the self-assured air of people who thought they were so special that nothing bad could ever happen to them. With facial features that were similar enough to indicate a blood relation, only their hair was markedly different. One had fiery red hair and the other light blond hair.

"What have you done to the miners?"

"It is beyond anything your minds can ever comprehend even if we were inclined to offer an explanation," said the redheaded one.

"Maybe they will become more inclined to explain," said Balyn, toying with his knife, "with a few broken bones and a bit of skinning."

The prisoners paled a little at the words. If anyone else said it, the kalkus might not have believed the threat. Balyn had an evil look about him that made them nervous.

"We will not torture prisoners," said Danso. "We'll let base handle the interrogation."

Balyn shrugged and backed away. He thought he was the better leader but knew he could never match Danso in physical combat. His strength was almost superhuman. Balyn was careful never to push him too far.

"Let's shoot them and leave this place," said David. "After all, this is a restricted area and the use of deadly force is authorized. Two corpse desecrating vermin won't be missed."

"There is no need for any more violence. I swear we are the only ones left," said the blond-haired kalku.

"Who's your leader?" Danso asked.

"We serve no man, we serve the _asura_ gods. Soon, every human will serve them, living or as the undead."

"Where can we find these _gods_ of yours?"

"You will see them when the time comes," said the red-haired kalku. "They are gathering the undead at the four corners of this world. Join us and worship them before it is too late."

"Not interested," said David.

"Even the demon spawn serve them," said the blond. "You are but men. Weak and mortal."

"Just as I thought, a couple of occult-dabbling psychos," said Danso, with contempt.

"I am not so sure about that," said Geran. "What kind of demon spawn?"

"Every kind we know of."

"We should take them back to base," said Geran. If the kalkus were speaking the truth, then they needed to be prepared.

"That's the plan," said Danso. "We move out as soon as we can figure out what's wrong with the miners."

"Let's shoot them and leave this unholy ground," David whined.

"You sure are blood-thirsty for a priest," said Balyn.

"I was never a priest."

"Oh that's right, they learned you were a fanatic and kicked you out."

"Better a fanatic than a heretic," said David.

"Calm down," said Balyn. "I agree with you, we should kill these two."

"I will free the miners if you promise no harm will come to us," said the blond frightened.

"Do it now and you will not be harmed," said Danso.

"Take me closer to them."

Khalon shoved the prisoner in the direction of the miners. The squad watched the kalku, as he stood close to the miners and chanted in a voice that was inaudible.

A few minutes later, he turned and nodded imperceptibly to the redhead, before taking a step backward and pretending to fall. Khalon instinctively reached out to help him when the miners attacked him. He was dead within moments even though David tried to help before they flung him back. Oliver clobbered the redhead unconscious when he tried to tackle a distracted Bishnu.

"Weapons free. Shoot to kill, shoot to kill," yelled Danso. He started shooting into the mob of miners that were still tearing Khalon apart with their bare hands and teeth.

The long hours of training kicked in and the squad reacted to the order reflexively, firing until their ammo ran out, before drawing their blades to meet the charging miners. As the squad's gunfire slowed the miners advance, Geran rushed forward dragging David back with one hand while firing his rifle with the other. To his credit, David started firing his sidearm even as Geran dragged him away from the miners.

The children screamed, immobilized and horrified by the sight, as the gunfire ripped some of the miners apart. Frothing at the mouth like rabid dogs, the miners refused to go down even with multiple hits to their vital organs and continued to move forward. Though it was unlikely, the miners fought as though evil spirits possessed them.

Dropping his empty rifle, Geran drew both his khukuris and ran to meet the miners head on. He could not hold back anymore, not when the lives of the children and the squad depended on it. He hacked and slashed with as much speed and strength that he could muster, trying to prevent the miners from advancing. Even without including the kalkus, they were outnumbered almost six to one. He knew he had to even the odds. Bishnu and Danso flanked him fighting with equal ferocity, if not with the same degree of success. The others did their best to survive as they fought against the rampaging miners.

It was over. The miners and the blond kalku were dead. The squad escaped the encounter with minor injuries. They were lucky, although that was not the word, they would have chosen to describe it. For Geran, the air reeked with the smell of blood and gunpowder. He felt numb as he always did after every battle. He never enjoyed killing the undead but killing humans, no matter how necessary, seemed to leave an indelible mark on his soul. It was something that he believed was true and it weighed on his mind.

The children sobbed as David wept unashamed. Khalon had been his friend and seeing him die was more than he could bear. Geran watched him. He knew what it felt like to lose people you cared about. He knew there was nothing he could say to make David feel better. The painful memory would always be a part of him. Only time could dull the pain.

"We are getting out of this cursed mine right now," said Danso.

Danso felt drained. Everything had gone wrong on this ill-fated mission, with so many dead and nothing to show for it. Someone else could be squad leader from now on, he thought miserably. No one else could have done any worse than he did. He failed his squad. He panicked and ordered the massacre of miners, who were pawns, controlled by forces he did not understand. He just wanted to return to base and crawl into some corner. To rest until this dreadful mission, was nothing more than a distant memory.

David stood up, wiped away his tears, and limped to where the redheaded kalku lay unconscious. He kicked him into a state of semi-consciousness and slit his throat without a word. The squad did not react, numbed as they were by the events. For once, even Balyn said nothing, as they carried the terrified children and walked out of the mine.
Chapter Six

A squadron of helicopter gunships thinned the horde, before the Third Army marched in and cleared the Roark sector of the undead. With known reserves of fossil fuels dwindling throughout the world, what was left of the air force and armored divisions, were deployed only when absolutely necessary.

Even with air support, hunting and exterminating the entire horde of undead took days. Disposing the remains far enough to prevent any possibility of contamination took a lot longer. If the mines had not been so important, General Garif would have let the corpses rot, where they lay.

General Garif took charge of the entire operation. He was a worried man. Many in the Central Command were already unhappy with him and the failure of the first-born project to deliver any significant results. The attack on Roark and the massacre of the miners would be just the fuel his enemies needed to discredit him further.

Citizens believed the undead killed all the miners, before the army could rescue them, and the city mourned their deaths. Yet, there were whispers of the Roark massacre among the more discerning and connected. The involvement of the first-born only made matters worse for General Garif with Central. The appearance of the undead horde had caught them by surprise. He ordered an investigation into the matter, but with everyone in that sector dead, he did not expect any real answers. The four children, Danso's squad rescued, knew very little.

General Garif wanted nothing more than to have enough resources to combat the undead. He was confident that the combined might of the allied army could eradicate every monster in their part of the world. If only they got what they needed when they needed it. He knew it was a fantasy with very little chance of becoming a reality. What was a reality was the dismal success of the _first-born_ project.

The project had taken years longer than expected and cost six times more than estimated. He did all he could to keep the project funded but this was his last chance. His enemies gloated at the lack of results and many were already maneuvering to take his place as Commander of the Third Army. There was progress, just not enough to satisfy his superiors who grew more impatient as the months turned into years. So far, the first-born showed no significant advantages when compared to regular soldiers.

Central was not pleased, since the projects proposed by the other three Generals were already operational. The _Habitat_ of the first, the _Ogres_ of the second, and the _Worms_ of the fourth quadrant, were successfully implemented one after the other. Each had its own limitations of power, range, maneuverability, or adaptability. Each had its strengths but they were not enough. Even if they were the solution, Helid did not have adequate resources for mass production. Even the collective resources of all the allied cities was not sufficient to produce enough war machines to make a real difference.

General Garif knew he promised Central results before the year ended and now that worried him. He did not doubt that there would be progress, but he was uncertain if it would satisfy them. He believed that the _first-born_ was the answer, to winning the war against the undead and ensuring survival of the human race.

Under the red-sky, the world was in a fragile state and the human race was closer to extinction than ever before. The few weapons of mass destruction, some of the cities still possessed, was neither effective nor without the risk of self-extinction. In the first decade of the undead war, armies launched WMDs at various strategic locations around the world. All it did was affect the ecosystem, by causing a winter of snow and ash. Afterwards, many crops failed across the world. Famine and disease soon replenished the numbers of the undead. In exchange for destroying a few million undead, the armies made vast areas uninhabitable for generations to come. They improved the technology since then. However, with the undead scattered everywhere, such weapons were not very effective.

Reports of undead activity were increasing. General Garif knew that they could not afford to wait for the first-born to turn the tide of war. Time was what he needed but time was what they did not have. Helid's education system was crumbling and average intelligence was diminishing with each generation. In the first three decades of the undead war, education had not been a priority.

The invention of the lensys had been a blessing and a curse. It augmented learning but also enabled _social loafing_. Citizens relied on the lensys more and more with each passing year. As a result, its true potential remained underutilized for the most part. Even young children were dependent on it and spent very little time learning anything.

If the trend continued, General Garif imagined, there would be a time when there would be no one smart enough to produce the lensys or anything else. The inventor passed away years ago and there had been no substantial improvements in the lensys since then. Perhaps, it meant nothing or maybe it was proof that his theory was correct. Mayor Aisha thought he was being overly pessimistic but he believed in preparing for worst-case scenarios.

Unless they found a way to eradicate the undead, General Garif doubted if man could avoid extinction much longer. It would take a few generations but there was a distinct possibility that it would happen. There were billions of undead spread throughout the world and every one of them was a threat. Not every human could fight. Not every human wanted to fight.

General Garif knew the citizens felt safe within their city walls. Massive and impregnable, it was the pride of Helid. However, he also knew that no matter how strong the walls, it could not prevent the destruction of a city.

The exponential growth rate of the undead continued unabated, as they spread out and destroyed a great number of towns every year. Famine, disease, and war only hastened their destruction while adding to the ever-growing multitude of the undead. Constant conflicts on multiple fronts with the undead or with tribes of nomadic cannibals were taking its toll. The allied cities and towns were weakening with each passing year.

General Garif made it a point to read summaries of all incidence reports, involving undead activity, including those of neighboring cities. There was a pattern emerging, where the undead attacked military outposts and resource installations, before attacking the city. At first, he dismissed the pattern as coincidence, given the fact that those locations were all beyond the safety of the city's defenses. It was when the undead started attacking, multiple locations of strategic importance at once, that he considered the possibility of someone controlling or guiding them.

Disturbing as the idea of the undead being controlled was, Danso's report about the kalkus caught his attention. He reviewed the lensys memoirs of each squad member before sending orders to deny Danso's request for a replacement squad leader. If it was not for the first-born, he might have treated the squad a bit differently. Still, he could never bring himself to be too harsh with soldiers, the majority of whom were under seventeen.

In spite of what Central believed, he always thought sixteen year olds should not be in the army. Much less, be fighting their war against the undead. He knew it was unavoidable now that they needed soldiers more than ever. Even if it was children playing soldiers and dying before they had a chance to live their lives. As it had always been in every war, the young died so that the old could live, a little longer. He knew children as young as thirteen, lied about their age to enlist, so that they could get regular meals. Most of them did not realize what they were getting themselves into or did not care. It was a sick world they lived in and he wanted to fix it, no matter what the cost.

Danso's squad could have handled the Roark incident better. Nevertheless, it was the squad's first mission and General Garif was willing to make allowances. There were casualties but it had not been the first-born and that counted for something.

Killing the kalku prisoner was to some extent unnecessary but General Garif did not spend too much time reflecting on it. The army always executed intruders after _enhanced interrogation_. He only regretted that there was no interrogation before execution.

Civilians had the luxury of worrying about human rights and treatment of prisoners of war. He believed in doing whatever was necessary and effective. Putting human lives at risk, for the sake of humanity, was a stupidity he could not indulge in. According to him, the loss of humanity was more acceptable than the loss of human lives.

Reviewing the _memoirs_ of the squad, he admired the ferocity of the first-born. At least it was something that he could show Central and maybe gain a little more time for the project. He studied the symbols drawn by the kalkus and concluded they were the real deal even before consulting experts who confirmed he was correct. That was the last thing they needed, witches and warlocks, messing with powers that no one understood. Their kind never troubled Helid, and its soldiers had neither the training nor the equipment to deal with them. There were many in the city who claimed to be masters of magic but General Garif knew they were either charlatans or not powerful enough to make any difference. He took small comfort in the fact that the allies were coming.

*

Special Forces of the allied cities were arriving in two weeks for joint operations. While the physical aspect of military training was similar for all the cities, over time they formed elite squads, which were uniquely suited to face the monsters in their regions. The undead were a constant and prevalent threat but there were worse things out there.

Humans were capable of killing their own kind, even without justifiable reason. Yet, creatures that remained hidden for centuries surpassed them in viciousness. Monsters that survived extinction by using their powers and abilities to live among men as men, until the world changed, and they no longer needed to remain hidden.

Man always greatly outnumbered them and frightened them with their ability to create weapons of destruction. Under the red-sky of a dying world, they feared neither man nor the undead. The undead did not want them and men were too weak to threaten their existence any longer.

General Garif knew the allies needed to learn from each other if they wanted to continue surviving. It had been far too long since the allied forces fought together against their enemies. He knew they needed to fight as one.

*

Two weeks after the Roark incident, Danso's squad were still trying to come to terms with what happened in the mines. Orders were to say nothing about the massacre, which surprised them and made them feel worse. Very few in the army actually knew the facts, but the squad knew and remembered everything, as each one tried to deal with it in his own way. Some visited the army psychiatrist, while others suppressed the memory or preoccupied themselves.

Geran and several others from the squad frequently visited the military hospital, where the rescued children were. Malnourished and still a little traumatized by the events, they suffered no major injuries but were being kept there until arrangements could be made.

Kidnapped and sold, to the kalkus along with the other children, they were all orphans. Housed in city orphanages, with so many children, that no one cared enough to look for them when they went missing. He hoped that with time they would gradually forget everything and live as normal a life as was possible under a red-sky.

Geran found Chloe, the youngest of the four children, adorable. With medium length, chestnut-brown hair, and pinkish skin, she was innocent in spite of the evil she lived through. She made him wish that he grew up with a little sister like her. He visited her every chance he got and listened to her imaginative stories that made him forget his own pain and loneliness.

He knew that the children would be sent to an orphanage soon. He wanted to save them but knew he could not do it alone. There was so many abandoned and orphaned children that the people of the city no longer cared. Geran learned from Chloe that the orphans got two meagre meals on a good day and pretty much nothing else. A bitter sadness gripped his heart. For the first time in his life, he regretted being poor. In Voyna, his family had money. Here he had nothing.

He asked around and tried to figure out a way to help them. Balyn mocked him when he heard and told him it would not make a difference. Geran did not know if he was right. In his heart he knew, it was better to save one than none.
Chapter Seven

Danso's squad was just one of the many, ordered to report to the worm station, located deep under the city of Helid. Over the years, many worm burrows built underground, stretched out into a vast network of tunnels in every direction. Where the burrows ended, the worms dug their way through the ground, creating a temporary path to their destination.

Designed to travel deep underground, a _worm train_ could eat its way through solid ground, ejecting excess dirt and fragmented rocks, from one end to the other. That allowed it to travel forward or backward at remarkable speeds without the need to turn. The outer hull of the worm train covered with numerous artificial _setae_ or bristles, around and under it, enabled its locomotion. On-board sensors prevented it, from crashing into impassable natural formations and falling into large underground caves.

Some of the worms had travelled for weeks, safely carrying allied soldiers to Helid. Central organized the travel schedule for the worms to make certain that they returned within hours of each other. Squads from the Third Army assembled at the worm station, fully armed, and with orders to loiter around the station. Danso thought it was pointless but at least the task was not difficult.

The squads were there, more as a show of force than reception, for the Special Forces of their allies. There were many people from the support divisions as well, the _pogues_ , who would guide their guests and make certain to give them what they needed. Dressed in distinct grey uniforms they stood near General Garif, closest to where the worms would arrive.

With alliances being shaky at best, minor border skirmishes between neighboring cities were commonplace. Although mostly ignored, every city knew that any sign of weakness could pave the way for a full-scale invasion. All the allied cities made the effort to send some of their best squads as a show of strength.

Every worm train brought several squads from other cities. Announcements accompanied the arrival of each worm at the station. Among the first to arrive were covens from the city of Frey. They were the _seidr_ witches or _volur_ , as they preferred to call themselves. They were accompanied by their assistants the _seidmenn_. With voices that captivated, bodies that tempted and clothes designed to allure and seduce, the volur were almost irresistible even to the purest of men and women. With their charms and potions, they manipulated and persuaded the rich and powerful into doing their bidding. It was said that only the dead could resist a volur. True or not, the _seidmenn_ were effeminate and submissive men who were completely loyal to the volur.

They all carried wands, distaffs, or staffs with which they worked their magic. They walked behind an old woman with grey hair, who wore a purple cloak and wielded a staff that she leaned on as she walked. The old woman greeted General Garif with a smile and spoke to him, before the pogues led them away.

If Geran had to choose one word to describe the seidr witches, it would have been exotic. He had heard the legends about them but never imagined he would ever see them.

The _paladins_ of _Lantiz_ were the next to arrive. They got off the train, armed with long-swords, war hammers, and maces that were marked with strange symbols. They believed that the _lorica_ inscriptions, etched on their shields and armor, protected them from dark magic. The paladins preferred melee and were fearsome fighters who relied on their strength and courage to win battles. They fought the undead like everyone else but took great pleasure in hunting down witches and warlocks who used their powers for evil.

Their armor and weapons shone brightly as the paladins marched in unison towards where General Garif stood. They stopped as one, a few feet away from the General. Their commander stepped forward to salute, the General, with his sword. They hailed together and marched out, led by a few pogues.

The last to arrive were the _blackthorn kunoichi_ from the city of _Egakoka_. Every female _kunoichi_ wore short war-skirts and over-bust corset armor, with figure-hugging exosuits underneath it. Hooded masks, forearm-length fingerless gloves, and close-fitting thigh-length _tabi_ boots completed their uniform. Their entire outfit was black in color with the exception of the exosuit, which was the color of ash.

The kunoichi carried custom-made wakizashi swords, _tanto_ knives, and other strange weapons. They stood in an almost indiscernible formation while their leader spoke with General Garif. At their leader's signal, they took off their masks and there were a few involuntary gasps when the soldiers saw how beautiful the kunoichi were.

"That must be the legendary _ghost armor_ worn by the shinobi and kunoichi," said Manzo. He studied their armor with interest.

"Some of the hottest girls in the world show up at your doorstep, and you notice their armor?" said Ankit, in disbelief.

"I've seen pretty girls before," said Manzo shrugging. "But, I have never seen that kind of armor. It is rumored to render its wearer undetectable."

"Do you mean invisible?" Oliver asked fascinated.

"I have heard the armor's ghosting capability can do more than just that," said Manzo. "It supposedly renders the wearer completely undetectable, by camouflaging body heat and smell while blending with its surroundings."

"How come you know so much about them?"

"I actually read and learn stuff unlike you."

"Reading is overrated."

"Perhaps, but you need to read to learn."

"If I need to learn something, I will watch a lensys memoir," said Oliver. "There are millions, maybe even billions of memoirs accessible through the networks."

"Not every _memoir_ is unbiased or accurate. Besides, it doesn't matter how much knowledge is available on the networks if you never bother to learn anything."

"How come those girls don't carry guns?" he asked. Oliver never saw the point of wasting time researching when he could simply ask someone.

"I don't know much about the others but the blackthorn specialize in fighting the _strigoi_ and _moroi_ so they rely on subterfuge and stealth attacks," said Manzo. "They are noted for their teamwork and well-coordinated attacks. Other Egakoka units are armed with modern weapons."

"What makes the strigoi and moroi so special?"

"They are both types of vampires. The strigoi are the most difficult to identify and kill unless you know how."

"You mean to tell me, there are different kinds of vampires?" said Ankit intrigued.

"Yes but most are extinct now," said Manzo. "The strigoi and moroi managed to survive extinction because they appear human unlike others of their kind."

"Didn't the sabotnik hunt the vampires too?"

"Yes, we did," said Geran, who was listening in silence until then. "But the strigoi were our allies so we never hunted them."

Realizing that Geran was one of the sabotnik, Ankit became silent. Talking about them could only bring up painful memories and he did not want to hurt Geran.

"I guess we lucked out, we got several all-girl squads," said Oliver, changing the topic. "I must have done something right in my previous life and this is my reward."

"Dear god, please let there be coed barracks for the entire duration of this exercise and forever thereafter," said Ankit fervently.

"Don't pray for such wicked and selfish things," said David. Normally a reasonable man, he was very intolerant of anything that he considered against his beliefs, with a tendency to get violent.

"All prayer is selfish, we pray for things we want for ourselves or for others," said Ankit. "I just happen to be praying for the good of the squad."

"You are so wrong," said David. "I don't even know where to begin correcting you."

"It doesn't matter anyhow," said Manzo, "with any luck we will be kept miles apart."

"Manzo, you take that back right now," said Ankit. "Stop jinxing my prayer."

"I hear they take a vow of celibacy or something," said Manzo grinning. "Whatever it is, they will stay away from you."

"Well, therein lies the challenge which only makes them more appealing to me."

"You wouldn't even know what to do."

"That could be true, but at least I will have fun figuring it out," said Ankit.

"Don't be lewd," said David shocked.

"Some of those girls are beautiful," said Ankit. "It's not like we get to meet a lot of girls. So excuse me, for being excited, when I see some."

"If you fight the undead long enough," said David, "everyone looks pretty good after some time."

"Trust you to say something horrible like that."

"Not that I am complaining, but why do you think they sent all-girl squads?" said Oliver.

"Those girls are _kunoichi_ ," said Manzo. "They are considered to be more dangerous than the shinobi. The city of Egakoka probably sent some of their best kunoichi."

"More dangerous?" Ankit said. "That's a laugh, they look harmless to me."

"That's part of the reason why they are more dangerous," said Manzo. "The kunoichi are constantly underestimated because they are women. That makes it easier for them to infiltrate, spy and assassinate."

"Spies and assassins? Now, I know you are kidding," said Oliver. "You are just trying to scare me off so that you can get first dibs on those lovely girls."

"Yeah, you would think that," said Manzo. "To be honest, I don't understand what Central hopes to gain from these _joint ops_. Allowing the kunoichi to mingle with the army is not a good idea."

"Who cares what Central thinks," said Ankit. "Those girls can stay and mingle forever if they want."

"Let's head over there and see if the poor girls are homesick and need comforting," said Oliver.

"I agree," said Ankit, "it is our duty to make them feel as welcome as possible."

"Looks like most of the men in the army have the same idea," said Geran, "and are trying their best to do just that."

Ankit groaned when he saw the kunoichi surrounded by soldiers from other squads and flooded with offers of assistance. A few scuffles broke out, between soldiers and pogues, as both groups tried to welcome the girls.

"What the—when did Balyn get there?"

"When you and Oliver were still day dreaming," said Geran, "Balyn was making his way through the crowd."

"Those soldiers from Lantiz might need help too," said David. "You could go look for them."

Geran laughed at their reaction until he saw her. To say, she was the most beautiful woman he ever saw, would have been a lie. She was something to look at, with an oval face, strawberry-blonde hair, blue eyes, flawless skin, and a curvaceous figure. Physically different from the other Egakoka girls, she stood out but he could not understand why he was so conscious of her presence. Everyone else faded away and she was all he saw in a crowd of faceless, nameless shapes that were nothing more than distractions.

"I think someone is in love," said Oliver, making kissing noises.

Oliver never saw Geran display any real emotion before today. He had even doubted if he liked women at all. It made him happy to see him react like a normal human being for once. He was ogling the blonde girl, completely oblivious of everything else. She was a beauty no doubt but there were others just as beautiful if not more. He tried to see what Geran found so fascinating about her.

"Oliver, stop drooling," said Ankit, snapping Geran back to reality. "Never fear ladies, I'll save you from this pervert."

Ankit and Oliver wrestled playfully, hoping to attract the attention of the kunoichi girls, as they passed by them. Danso looked at them and shook his head. He doubted that their juvenile attempts to attract attention would impress any female in her right mind. As long as those two were busy, with their cave men antics, they could not get into any trouble so he let them be. He was glad the charade was over and the squad would get some personal time now. He asked David to keep an eye on things, before mingling with the crowd, heading out of the station. As he was leaving the station, he saw David lecturing the wrestling duo, which made him smile.

At nineteen, David was the oldest in the squad and without question the most sensible one. He became more sullen after Khalon's death but Danso knew he could trust him, to keep the boys out of trouble. He wanted to find out, why there were no replacement soldiers, for the ones the squad lost during the Roark mission. Every time he remembered the soldiers who died in that mission, he felt miserable but he could not afford to dwell on that.

*

"Hey look, they are handing out gifts over there," said Ankit, interrupting David's lecture.

"Any idea what it is?" Geran asked curious.

"Nope, but I am going to find out what it is," said Ankit. "Who knows they might even give me one."

"You do that," said Oliver, "I am staying right here."

"Don't get into any trouble," David warned Ankit.

Ankit walked up to the man who was in charge of distributing the packages to the allied soldiers. He tried to view the man's profile but it was blocked. It made him even more curious.

"Excuse me, sir," said Ankit. "What's inside those packages that you are handing out?"

"Meal-bars and a few other necessary items for our guests," he said.

"Are you trying to start a war?" said Ankit.

"What do you mean?"

"Poisoning our allies with meal-bars would be a surefire way to start one."

"I assure you this is a new batch and can be shelved for years," he said, "so there is hardly any chance of food poisoning."

"Who are you anyway?"

"One of the most valued employees of the Bankin Corporation, that's who," the man said, puffing his chest.

"Then, you must have done something of great importance," said Ankit interested.

"I am the guy who came up with the idea of flavored meal-bars," he said. "It was hard getting the right flavors while maintaining the required nutritional content in a single bar, but I did it."

"You sure are impressed with yourself, aren't you?"

"I have a right to be," the man said. "Not many people could have done what I did."

"I wouldn't brag so loudly if I were you. There are soldiers looking for you, and believe me, they are not happy," said Ankit. "They hear you taking credit for the meal-bars and you will end up on the wrong side of the wall."

"Huh? Whatever for?" the man said, looking startled.

"Ever taste one?"

"I have underlings who handle such menial tasks," he said, "so I have never needed to.'

"Maybe you should pay more attention to what they are doing," said Ankit, irked by his attitude.

"I read all their reports to ensure quality and there has never been any negative feedback about the taste," the man said. "I am sure you are mistaken."

"Well in that case, your minions aren't doing their jobs at all."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Try eating a meal-bar and you will understand why they aren't as popular as you think. I suggest you eat the tomato flavored one," said Ankit, before walking away.
Chapter Eight

Much to Ankit and Oliver's disappointment, the squads from Egakoka, slept in separate barracks. They were somewhat cheered by the fact that they would be spending a lot of time together in the field and would see them during meal times. Danso's squad tried to relax and enjoy their break.

"The kunoichi girls are so into me," said Ankit, for the second time. "The poor little darlings are just too shy to approach me."

"Get real, I was there too," said Oliver. "I doubt if they noticed you. I do know for a fact, they didn't talk to you, never mind anything else,"

"Those girls have the _most eloquent eyes_ ever," said Ankit gushing. "They are flirtatious, seductive, and alluring, all at once. Their eyes say everything their lips do not. That's how I know they want me."

"I will probably regret asking, but how does that even work?" said Geran amused. "I didn't know eyes could be _most eloquent_."

"If you ever stopped browsing all that mind-numbing data on the network and looked into their eyes instead," said Ankit, "you'd understand what I mean in an instant."

"At least I am learning something useful, which is more than I can say for you," said Geran. "Most eloquent eyes, indeed."

He did not want to admit it but Geran could not focus at all. His thoughts continually strayed to the girl he saw at the station. When he thought of her, he could think of nothing else. At the station, he wanted to smack every one out of the way just to get closer to her. The thought was so ludicrous, he laughed as he remembered, that brief moment of insanity.

"I knew it, all that reading and learning, is making you crazy," said Ankit, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I read something funny, that's all," said Geran.

"You're a poor liar."

"Ankit," Danso yelled, stomping into the barracks.

"It wasn't me," Ankit said, standing up swiftly and saluting out of panic. A few of them smiled at his reaction.

"There has been a complaint that you threatened an employee of the Bankin Corporation," said Danso. "That is unacceptable."

"When did I get time to do that?" said Ankit, trying to remember.

"At the worm station... didn't you threatened one of the support staff?"

"The only _pogue_ I spoke to was handing out meal-bars."

"Stop calling him pogue," said Danso. "It's disrespectful. They are just as important as you are."

"Yes sir," said Ankit. "However, I don't remember threatening him, sir."

"Well he remembers and that's what matters."

"That's unfair. What about my rights?"

"Bottom feeders don't have any."

"I protest."

"Duly noted," said Danso, smiling nastily. "You are lucky the General heard about the complaint and intervened on your behalf."

"He did?" said Ankit puzzled.

"You will get away with a slap on the wrist."

"I will?"

"Beats me, how or why he is even aware of your insignificant existence but consider this your last warning."

"I just thought..."

"Make sure you keep your thoughts and threats to yourself."

"Yes sir."

"You might also want to wait, to be accused, before denying something," said Danso. "It's a tad more convincing that way."

"I wasn't threatening him, sir. I guess some people just can't handle a little feedback," said Ankit, mentally dismembering the meal-bar twerp.

"Here's a feedback, you are looking real scrawny," said Danso. "Twenty laps around this base should help build up your appetite for dinner, then you can eat up. Who knows, you might even grow a muscle or two."

"Anyone would look scrawny next to an oversized mutant gorilla," Ankit muttered to himself.

"You say something pipsqueak?"

"Yes sir," said Ankit placating. "I was just saying how truly sorry I am about everything that happened. So, can't we just pretend you punished me and get it over with?"

"Why sure little buddy," said Danso, "afterwards I will tuck you in bed with your teddy bear and sing you a lullaby."

"You could have just said no, you know."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Sometimes I think you live solely to torment me."

"It's only because I care so very much."

"Wish you'd care less for me and more for the others, sir," said Ankit. "Manzo cries himself to sleep every night thinking about you."

"Hey, leave me out of it," said Manzo irritated.

"Ok that's enough, no more stalling," said Danso. "You will run thirty laps starting now. Any more sass and it will be forty. Stop being a smart aleck and get going. I will be watching you."

"Yes sir."

Ankit ran out before Danso decided to add any more laps. It was fortunate the punishment had not been anything worse, like the duck waddle. That would have been embarrassing, especially if any of the kunoichi girls saw him doing that. _Waddling like a duck, slow dancing with a mop, and sweeping sunshine off the pavement,_ he had done it all. _Sweeping sunshine_ was the worst. It meant he had to sweep the pavement until sunset and there was no sunshine left on them.

For all he knew, the army was paying someone to think up of humiliating ways to punish soldiers. Who knew, maybe the girls would watch him admiringly as he ran past them. He straightened a little at the thought and ran faster. Running laps was not so bad by comparison, he concluded.

*

Her name was Angela and she was all Geran could think about. It was maddening. He had been around beautiful women before but never felt the way he did after seeing her. He could not understand why he felt such strong emotions when he thought of her. He knew next to nothing about her and they had never spoken, so to conclude love as the reason was illogical.

Geran felt better, when he saw that he was not the only one affected, by the arrival of the kunoichi girls. Ankit, highly energized since the day they arrived, spent all his spare time on what he called recon missions to the kunoichi camp. Oliver often accompanied him on those _fact-finding_ missions. They both had so much energy that Geran grew tired just watching them move around the base.

David accused them of stalking and lectured them at length about it. Danso threatened them but did not care as long as no one caught them. Geran cared very much. He could not bring himself to do what they did but he wanted to know everything about Angela. He listened to Ankit's animated descriptions of the kunoichi girls, hoping to learn more about Angela, all the while pretending to read.

When Danso announced that seven kunoichi would join their squad, for the duration of the joint operations, Ankit and Oliver were overjoyed and did a little dance together. When Geran heard, Angela's name read out, his heart beat quicker.

*

The mess hall was more crowded than usual but the squad managed to find a table and sat down to eat. They were serving meat, stew, and cornbread. Most days it was just stew and bread but occasionally they served meat or eggs.

"Oliver stop looking at my tray and eat your own food," said Bishnu, covering his tray.

"I was trying to see if there were any leftovers," said Oliver.

"I need to finish eating before there can be any left over."

"This food isn't nearly enough and I want some more."

"You are just greedy," said Ankit smiling.

"I won't apologize for my healthy appetite."

"Healthy?" said Balyn. "The way you eat, you need a shovel not a spoon."

"If my eating habits bother you then that is your problem," said Oliver peeved. "I heard a rumor they will reduce our food and water quota soon. I intend to eat as much as I can before that."

"Don't believe every rumor you hear," said Geran.

"Yeah ok but I still want more."

"Not from my tray," said Bishnu.

"Fine, don't share," said Oliver. "Ankit, do you want a little stew for that meat?"

"Sure Ollie."

"Best trade, ever."

"You should eat some of the vegetable stew too."

"Ok mom."

"Your loss."

"I'll live," said Oliver, munching the meat. "You know, I have been thinking. How come we don't get served meat more frequently?"

"That's new, you thinking. Don't you need a brain to do that?"

"Ha-ha, so funny. But really, does anyone know?"

" _Water footprint_ to produce meat is higher that's why," said David, between mouthfuls.

"What does a footprint have to do with food?"

"Every time I think, you can't get any more stupid. You take your stupidity to a whole new level."

"Hey, that's a bit uncalled for, isn't it?"

"Don't be rude, David," said Geran. "Most people wouldn't know what _water footprint_ means. I don't."

"It is the volume of fresh water required to produce a certain quantity of food," said David.

"How do you even know that?" Geran asked curious.

"My father is a farmer."

"I would have never guessed."

"Anyway, to produce a kilogram of potato requires about three hundred liters whereas the same quantity of beef requires fifteen thousand liters or more," said David. "That's why we are served vegetarian food more often."

"Umm ok," said Oliver.

"Ollie, If you like I can tell you more after eating."

"I lost interest after the word ' _volume_.' I consider, ' _I don't know'_ , a perfectly valid answer," said Oliver. "Please say that the next time I make the mistake of asking you something."

"Trying to teach you anything is hopeless."

"No use learning boring stuff like that. Not my job."

"Why ask if you don't want to learn?"

"I thought the answer would be something exciting, you know, like a diabolical conspiracy of some sort."

"Kunoichi girls, incoming," said Ankit, interrupting before David blew a fuse.

"They do seem to be headed this way," said Manzo. "They must be the ones temporarily joining our squad."

"Quick, everyone laugh like I said something funny," said Oliver.

Nobody laughed. Manzo grinned at Oliver.

"You guys are useless."

"Why laugh without reason?" said Bishnu puzzled.

"So that they will think we are having fun."

"A foolish idea from a stupid person," said Balyn.

"Nobody asked your opinion," said Oliver, standing up. Bishnu started eating faster. Oliver was immature, and likely to overturn the table, if he became angry enough.

"Excuse me. May we sit with your squad?" said Angela, tapping Oliver on the shoulder. She was smiling.

"Yes," Oliver managed to blurt out before sitting down.

The squad made room for the kunoichi and helped them with their food trays. It was a tight fit but no one complained. Even Balyn and David were pleased with the sitting arrangement.

"We thought it would be a good idea to get to know our allies," said Angela, sitting down beside Geran.

"I agree that was an excellent idea," said Ankit, beaming at Geran. He knew Geran liked the blonde girl.

"I am Angela," she said. "As you may have already guessed, we will be joining your squad for the duration of the _joint ops_."

Suzume, Megumi, Ayame, Mio, and Popo were part of the kunoichi group joining their squad. Angela introduced each girl before starting to eat. Danso's squad introduced themselves and ate as slowly as they could do so. They wanted to stay at the table as long as possible.

"Wasn't there supposed to be seven girls joining our squad?" said Bishnu, to no one in particular.

"You are correct," said Ayame, "seven kunoichi will be joining your squad."

"Kimiko is attending a mission briefing with the other squad leaders," said Angela. "I hear we have a mission and will be moving out soon."

"This is the first time, I'm hearing about it," said Manzo.

They were valuable allies but Manzo did not trust the kunoichi. They were mingling a little too freely for his liking. He watched the girls flirting with the squad and concluded they were up to no good. He gave Megumi a dirty look when she fluttered her eyes at him. She recoiled at the sight and smiled half-heartedly.

Popo, the smallest kunoichi in the group, flirted with Oliver who sat across her and grew redder by the minute. Cute as a button, she could not have been more than five feet. She had Oliver spellbound without saying a word. Observing them, Geran finally understood what Ankit meant when he said most eloquent eyes. He looked around the mess hall to avoid looking at Angela who sat uncomfortably close. He noticed that most of the kunoichi were chatting enthusiastically with soldiers and wondered if they were spies as Manzo claimed. He forgot everything when Angela leaned towards him and touched his forearm.

He could not understand anything she was saying for what seemed like an eternity but could not have been more than a few seconds. All he saw was her lips moving and thinking how nice she smelled. He forced himself to focus on her words and understand what she was saying.

The kunoichi appeared to have paired themselves with each member of the squad, whether by design or unintentionally, Geran could not say for sure. It hardly mattered, he did not have any secrets worth stealing, and neither did the other soldiers. He saw, Popo wink at Oliver, who almost swallowed his fork in surprise. Geran would have laughed if he had not been so preoccupied with thoughts of Angela.

*

After the meal, Angela accompanied Geran and they visited the military hospital. There she met the children, Danso's squad rescued, from the kalkus. In a remote corner of the hospital, all four slept in a drab room, sharing two beds between them. She watched him, as he listened to their stories and tried to piece together the clues to figure out who the kidnappers were. He was a bad detective but he was persistent and the only one who cared enough to try. Her heart warmed towards him as she watched Geran comfort the children as best he could.

Geran was Angela's pair. Kimiko thought it would make her job easier since he was interested in her. They noticed him gawking at her at the worm station. The others teased her about it but she did not mind. The pairing could have been worse. Like Megumi who seemed to have her hands full with Manzo, her pair. Geran did not welcome her with open arms but at least he was approachable. So her task would not be as difficult. Besides, Geran intrigued her. She had heard stories about the sabotnik and fall of Voyna. She wanted to ask him about it but was not sure how to bring it up.

Geran stared, whenever he thought she was not looking, which amused her. He never looked at her with lust, as some men did, and that was something she liked about him. When he smiled, which was rare, he looked young and vulnerable. She expected him to be much older, but he was the same age as her. It was hard to believe that he once led the sabotnik, who fought the _oni_ demons, almost annihilating their kind. Many believed they would have saved Voyna if the strigoi had not betrayed them by deserting.

Angela found that Geran did not say much but was content to listen to her. Before she knew it, she was telling him everything about herself. How she ran away from home, and joined the kunoichi, before her father traded her away.

It was common for people to trade everything they had, even their children. Trading what they had for food, medicine, or weapons, so that they could survive. Most parents would have rather died than trade their children, but there were some with stonier hearts, like her father. Geran was shocked when he heard her story. She began telling him about herself, with the intention of gaining his trust, but realized she wanted him to know about her.

Angela missed her mother and always dreamed of rescuing her. The truth was she did not know if her mother was still alive. Thinking about her mother always made her cry so she forced herself to focus on the mission.

Teenage boys were easy to influence but some were proving to be a little harder to manipulate. Sweet words, a smile, or a touch, was enough to infatuate the majority of them. Most of the soldiers were ready to slay a score of the undead single-handed just to impress their kunoichi pair. Egakoka sent the prettiest girls to Helid, to increase their chances of success. Their specially made uniforms were figure hugging but still functional. It was not something they usually wore but one of the Egakoka elders thought it would be a good idea. The kunoichi were of the general opinion that it was a dumb idea but did not dare protest. Angela could not wait to return to Egakoka and wear something more practical and comfortable.

Perhaps, they were clutching at straws but these were desperate times. The elders were willing to consider every option. They needed to succeed if they wanted their city to continue surviving. The allies would help but Egakoka could not rely on them forever.

She caught Geran's eye and smiled at him. He wanted to ask more questions but she saw that the children were tired. Angela took both his hands in hers and shook her head. He understood and questioned them no more. The children giggled and they let go of each other.

Like every other kunoichi, she would follow her orders. She hoped he was not the one they were after. She would hate herself for betraying his trust in any way. She liked him very much. 
Chapter Nine

The Roark incident was not without consequences. Corpses of the slain undead had been too numerous to be buried or burned en masse. The Third Army carted the carcasses away from the mining areas but it had not been far enough.

The smell of so many rotting bodies brought forth, an even greater threat, the undead wolves. No more bound by territories as they once were, roving packs of wolves hunted and killed every living creature in its path. A great number of wolves gathered to feast on the remains of the undead. People believed that the undead did not feed on its own kind. However, the undead wolves were not above eating carcasses of other undead, if they found no prey. A twisted remnant of the cannibalistic nature, they once possessed as the living, when they survived by eating the sick and injured of their pack. Whenever the undead wolves did find prey, the entire pack would attack together, ripping away until their victims succumbed from injuries or exhaustion. Those fortunate enough died during the initial attack or soon thereafter. The unlucky ones were eaten alive, part-by-part.

Geran never hunted wolves before but he had spent some time with Voyna's _Luparim_. They were specialists that hunted wolves and other undead beasts. It was said that among all the undead, wolves were particularly difficult to deal with. Their sharp senses, which they retained even as the undead, helped them avoid ambush. Hunting the wolves was not going to be as easy as the rest of the squad thought. He tried to discuss possible strategies with Danso who informed him that everything was under control.

Central dispatched three squads to hunt and kill the undead wolves. Geran knew there was not even one soldier among them who hunted wolves before. He could not help them all but he intended to do his best to protect the people in his squad. The inner exosuit, designed to withstand the _bite force_ of human undead, would not protect them. Given time, even they could bite through it. By comparison, almost every animal has a much greater _bite force_ than humans. He knew undead wolves would have no trouble ripping through both uniform and exosuit.

The hunt started at first light and they found many tracks but no wolves. By twilight, the squads separated and widened the search. As darkness engulfed the valley, the squad leaders radioed base and requested permission to return to the city. General Garif denied the requests. He ordered them to camp there and continue hunting the wolves at dawn.

The air in the valley was foul and the night cold. Danso's squad collected some wood and lit a fire. It was a small comfort in a starless night. The other squads were camped, just far enough to prevent enemies from surrounding them all, but near enough to assist one another.

In the distance, Danso could see the ruins of a town, with a name that no one remembered. He assigned sentries for the night, as Kimiko suggested, pairing a kunoichi and soldier for shifts of two hours each. Bishnu and Ayame would take the first shift. They were so happy when he told them that he was concerned they might be distracted. But, every soldier in his squad was distracted, since the kunoichi arrived in Helid. He would just have to trust them to remember their duty as soldiers.

Danso was on the edge. The little he knew about the undead wolves warned him that hunting them would not be easy. He did not want to lose any soldiers on this mission but he did not want Geran telling him what to do either. He discussed strategies with his kunoichi counterpart Kimiko and she agreed that they should proceed with the utmost caution. He walked back to the campfire where he overheard Balyn arguing with Geran.

"I'll just shoot all the undead wolves when I come across them," said Balyn. "You can't scare me with your stories."

"It isn't that easy, they aren't going to line up and wait for you to shoot them," said Geran. "They are dangerous, lethal predators that attack as a pack."

"If they do attack as a pack, it saves us the trouble of hunting them."

"That's assuming you see them in time to attack first."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"If you spot a wolf, its pack is probably coming up behind and around you at that exact moment."

"Hogwash," said Balyn. "That's utter nonsense."

"Even if they don't attack as a pack, we cannot take them lightly," said Geran. "Unlike the other undead, the darkness does nothing to hinder the wolves. If anything it gives them an advantage."

"I thought you never hunted wolves before. How can you be so sure?"

"I don't have to hunt something to know it is dangerous," said Geran sighing. Balyn was stubborn like a spoiled child. "I have talked to men who have. All I am saying is that being overconfident could get us killed."

"There has been reports that undead wolves have retained their pack hunting instinct," said Danso. "That means their attacks will have some level of coordination and will be difficult to defend against." For once, he agreed with Geran, they could not afford to underestimate the wolves.

"Those reports are unverified and therefore unreliable," said Balyn.

"That might be so, but when the wolves attack the only place you would be safe is, in an enclosed area or off the ground. Don't be a hero if you see them coming."

*

Geran heard gunfire and screams all around him. He saw savage men, with tattoos and war paint on their faces, fighting undead wolves. In their midst, a monster tore a man apart, splitting him into two. As he watched in horror, the monster raised one-half of the man and drank his blood as it flowed. It sat down and fed on the man's flesh with relish. As he watched with morbid fascination, the monster stopped eating and turned to face him. Its red eyes stared at him with malevolence. With a start, he recognized what the monster was. It was worse than any undead creature they would ever face. The monster rose and charged at him.

"Geran, wake up."

He opened his eyes sluggishly. It was still dark. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Angela was shaking him. It had been a nightmare. She smiled when she saw he was awake. Geran looked at her and smiled. He could get used to her waking him up every day.

From the direction of the abandoned town, he heard gunfire, explosions, and the screams of people dying. Geran could not believe he slept through so much noise and did not notice it until then. Sleeping so soundly, beyond the safety of the city walls could get a person killed.

He sometimes dreamed of events that were taking place elsewhere. He was not sure if it was because of his sabotnik powers, or his heightened senses noticing things subconsciously, but such dreams troubled him. More often than not, they turned out to be true. The rest of the squad were awake and preparing to move out. Geran got up, rolled his sleeping mat, and checked his weapons.

"We are moving out," said Angela.

"What's going on?"

"We don't know for sure," she said. "All squads are accounted for, so we think it is nomads fighting the undead."

"Everyone gear up," said Danso. "We will rendezvous with the other squads and investigate."

The squad moved fast and reached the edge of the town. Danso radioed and coordinated with the other squad leaders. They began to converge towards the town center from three directions. The sound of gunfire stopped.

"Squad line," said Danso. "Keep it tight."

The squad led the way, followed by the kunoichi. Charred, crumbling buildings were all that remained of the town, and there was a million places for the undead to lurk in. They followed the trail of human and undead corpses. It was almost morning, when they reached the center of the town. The remains of wolves, men, and women lay scattered in every direction they looked. The undead wolves had won but barely. They shot a few wolves that were feeding on the corpses and waited for the other squads to show up. Geran looked around ready to fight. He saw no sign of the monster from his dream.

"Told you it would be easy," said Balyn, looking at Geran.

"Gloat later," said Danso. "Everyone stay on your toes."

"Nomads?" said Ankit unsure.

"Judging from their face paint and clothes," said Geran, "I'd say yes."

"Who cares?" said Balyn, "they took care of the undead wolves for us."

"Show some respect for the dead," said David.

"I would if they were one of us. They are cannibals and no different than the undead."

"They sure put up quite a fight," said Bishnu.

"Yeah, they sure did," said Oliver. "I've been thinking ..."

"Stop thinking Ollie and help Manzo check for survivors," said Danso. "Ankit, Bishnu go with them. Rest of you can keep watch."

"We always get the grunt work," Oliver grumbled.

"Aw, don't sulk pumpkin," said Manzo chuckling.

"You can go kiss the undead, Manzo," said Oliver, making a face.

"Real mature Ollie. What are you, five?"

"Friendlies approaching," said Ankit.

The second squad, led by Sergeant Wen, approached the town square with caution. They relaxed when they saw Danso's squad. Four strigoi were part of their group and Geran felt anger well inside him when he saw them. He knew the strigoi had sought asylum in Helid and that he was bound to run into them. However, seeing them reminded him of their betrayal and his parents. He clenched his fists and looked away. Angela stood beside him. She said nothing but it comforted him, to have her near him.

"Any contact with the enemy?" said Sergeant Wen, walking up to them.

"We dispatched a few undead wolves," said Danso. "The nomads and wolves pretty much killed each other, and did our jobs for us."

"We should always be this fortunate," said Sergeant Wen. "If we had run into either group first, we'd have taken heavy casualties."

"I agree," said Danso. "There were a lot more wolves than we expected."

"Mission accomplished," said Sergeant Wen. "It's time to head back to the city and get a drink."

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," said Danso. "I haven't been able to contact third squad."

"Could be the red-sky messing up our communication systems as usual."

"I hope that is the only reason."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. Sergeant Hussein is a veteran who can take care of his squad."

"Halt," said Balyn, "Who goes there?"

In a heartbeat, both squads turned towards where Balyn was aiming his rifle and were ready to attack.

"I don't see anything," said Oliver.

"I have exceptional eyesight," said Balyn bragging. "Just keep your eyes peeled. You will see them soon enough."

"Identify yourselves now or we open fire," said Danso. He could not see anything either, but it always paid to be careful.

Geran's eyes widened when he saw what Balyn had seen. Three soldiers staggered out from the shadows of a ruined building. Their uniforms were torn and bloody. They held each other up as they emerged.

"Hold your fire," said Sergeant Wen, "they are from the third squad."

"Those men look like they've been through a meat grinder," said Danso. "Manzo attend to them."

"Our medic will help," said Sergeant Wen, motioning one of the soldiers in his squad.

"Manzo don't move," said Geran urgently. "Everyone stay right where you are."

"How dare you countermand my order," said Danso. "Who do you think you are?"

Sergeant Wen frowned but said nothing out of respect for Danso. The others looked at Geran in surprise. Those in his squad knew Geran never panicked and yet he seem almost scared of the three injured soldiers.

"For once, listen to me Danso," said Geran. "Those three aren't men."

Everyone looked at the three men again. One of them groaned and limped a few steps forward. He fell and did not rise.

"Enough of this nonsense," said Sergeant Wen. "Calm yourself and stand down."

"Medics take care of those injured men," said Danso, giving Geran a warning look.

Geran exhaled. Explaining was going to be difficult. The sabotnik were the only ones who could see their true form. No matter what they transformed into or what disguise they wore, a sabotnik had the power to see them. Geran knew the entire third squad was dead. He also knew shooting the three shape-shifters would do no good. He had to act quickly before the medics moved in too close. Geran drew one of his khukuris and threw it, at one of the two soldiers, who were still standing. It was a hasty throw and the target was far, but his blade managed to pierce the soldier's chest.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" said Sergeant Wen shocked.

"Hands in the air, now," said Danso, covering Geran with his rifle. Balyn smiled and did the same with his weapon.

"Danso look," said Ankit.

All three, were on their feet and growling as they tore off their clothes. They were transforming into their true forms. Enormous, fierce-looking creatures, with teeth like fangs and long sharp claws. Even the smallest of the trio was close to seven feet tall. They were something Geran hoped never to see again, the _rakshasas_. Demon spawn who fed on human flesh and drank blood. They were cruel, vicious monsters who toyed with their prey when they could do so.

"What in the world are those?" said Danso, eyes widening.

" _Oni_ ," said Angela.

" _Rakshasas_ ," said Geran.

"Oni," she said.

"You can name the baby later. Open fire," said Sergeant Wen, firing his weapon.

Every soldier began firing, almost simultaneously, more out of fear than anything else. The _rakshasas_ ran amok and the soldiers struggled to defend themselves. The kunoichi engaged one of the rakshasas in combat. They attacked the monster from all sides and fought well as a team. They were brave but Geran knew they did not have the strength to cut deep enough to kill. The strigoi were pale imitations by comparison.

"Keep moving, don't let them corner you," Danso yelled.

"Bullets aren't penetrating deep enough to hit any vitals," said Bishnu, dodging a blow that struck Ankit and knocked him to the ground.

Dazed Ankit tried to roll away as Manzo rushed to defend him. The rakshasa grabbed Manzo by the head, and bit off half his arm, as he tried to free himself. As Manzo screamed, the rakshasa threw his body at Danso knocking him unconscious.

Geran dropped his rucksack and rifle. He moved fast, side-stepping and dodging the monster's claws. He had seen rakshasas rip men in half with their fangs and claws. He drew his other blade and swung downwards, slicing the monster's fingers. Twisting the blade sideways, he leapt in the air to extend his reach, and cut the monster's throat open to the bone.

"If you can still fight, help Wen's squad," Geran shouted, to the others in his squad.

Sergeant Wen's squad was in trouble but he rushed to help the kunoichi first. The strigoi were there to help Wen's squad, he reasoned as he ran. Geran knew it was selfish but he could not bear to see Angela hurt. The rakshasa had already killed one of the kunoichi. It held her by the leg, and used her body as a club, to attack the others.

He felt a wave of relief when he saw it was not Angela, and immediately felt guilty for feeling that way. Seeing the battered and unrecognizable body, his anger surged. He hated the rakshasas even more than the strigoi. He fought to suppress the darkness in him but knew it was too late. All his emotions had made him lose control. The monster sensed the dark power and turned towards him. Geran saw that his other blade was still in its chest, halfway in. He threw the blade he still held. Spinning like a boomerang, it glanced off the monster's arm. Enraged the rakshasa charged at him.

Geran did not resist the power inside him any longer. He stood calmly as the monster drew closer. With the power coursing through him, no man or monster could match him in battle. He dodged a blow and struck the blade's hilt with an open palm pushing it deeper in the monster's chest. The rakshasa roared in pain and went down. Geran twisted the blade as he pulled it out. When the monster tried to slice him open, with its claws, Geran cut off both its hands and stabbed it in the head. Holding the dripping blade in his hand, he looked around trembling with rage. There was nothing else left to kill. The rakshasas were dead. The others had managed to kill the last one. They won but they lost far too many. The strigoi were crouched near Sergeant Wen. As he walked closer, he saw they were feeding on him.

"What are you doing?" said Geran, pulling a florid-faced strigoi off Sergeant Wen. The other strigoi looked up in surprise.

"He would have died anyway," he said, "so we decided to have a little snack."

"Fighting is thirsty work," said another. "And we are permitted to feed on those who are dying."

"If you don't like what you see, just turn around and keep walking boy," said yet another.

Geran knew they were allies but Voyna had been their ally too. Right up to the point where they left her to fend for herself. He did not care about the consequences anymore. The strigoi would die. He cut down all four strigoi before they could even defend themselves. The strigoi were inhumanly fast but even they could never hope to match his speed. All the hate he felt for them came pouring out as he chopped them into little pieces. He did not want to stop. He could not stop.

"Geran stop it, please," someone pleaded. "I beg you."

He did not recognize the voice. Geran turned and saw Angela, looking at him, with an odd expression on her face. That stopped him. He stood up and she took a step back. She was afraid. The others were afraid. They were all afraid, of him.
Chapter Ten

"Danso, I love you."

"We love you too, brother," said Danso. "Try to stay still. We will get you to a hospital real soon and you will be all right."

"You don't understand. I love you," said Manzo, before passing out. Danso shocked by the confession, said nothing.

No one else spoke. They carried the injured on makeshift stretchers and moved as fast as they could. It was a long, quiet march back to the city.

Geran knew the others would never look at him the same way again.

*

Mayor Aisha stared at the wall in her office. She was an attractive woman in her early thirties. Men still wanted her but she knew her beauty would not last. The thought of turning into an old woman made her shudder. In her opinion, dying was preferable to becoming old and wrinkled.

The leader of the strigoi, Lord Rimaru, claimed there was an ancient ritual that could make her one of them. Helid had given sanctuary, to the strigoi and moroi, in spite of strong protests from its allies. She did not trust the strigoi but she had heard of the ritual. She knew it was not something Lord Rimaru was making up. He knew what she wanted, and she knew what he needed. She did not like the idea of drinking blood for sustenance but that was a small price to pay to remain young.

The strigoi were mortal but they were also very hard to kill. Immortal or not, she would be beautiful for as long as she lived. She could also be Mayor for generations and do so much good. Maybe, even worm her way into the Central Council. She smiled at the thought.

Lord Rimaru offered her a deal. Now, all she needed to do was convince General Garif. She hoped he would not be his usual stubborn self. The sooner she could convince him the better. She was not going to get any younger sitting around in her office. She decided to get her assistant to make an appointment right away.

*

"Good morning, General Garif," said Mayor Aisha gaily, stepping into his office.

They had been friends for years, and she addressed him by rank, only if she wanted something. The General smiled at her. He wondered what she wanted.

Frugally decorated, the General's office was the opposite of what the Mayor's office was like. With furniture, that even the kindest woman could only describe as functional. General Garif sat behind a desk that was far too small for a man of his size. Mayor Aisha looked at the battered chairs in General Garif's office with disgust and decided to stand. She bought that dress yesterday and did not want to soil it by sitting on any of those chairs.

"Mayor Aisha," said General Garif.

"There is something I must speak to you about."

"Shoot."

"General Garif, I do hope I am not intruding," said Lord Rimaru, entering unannounced, before Mayor Aisha could speak.

Lord Rimaru was one of the few dignitaries in Helid, who could go wherever he pleased. Not even the _hafazar_ guards posted outside his office door dared to stop Lord Rimaru from entering. General Garif hated unexpected visitors especially when they were people he disliked.

"Lord Rimaru, what a wonderful surprise," said General Garif, with all the sincerity he could muster.

Mayor Aisha smiled winningly as Lord Rimaru entered. General Garif knew she disliked the man as much as he did but she always managed to smile so sweetly at him. He made a mental note to ask her about it. Lord Rimaru sat down with a flourish in one of the chairs. Pompous fool, General Garif thought, looking at him.

"I am most displeased General," said Lord Rimaru. "A squad of soldiers killed my men unprovoked and they haven't been punished. I demand justice."

"You have been misled my Lord," said General Garif. "It wasn't a squad of soldiers that attacked your men."

"Yes I have heard the absurd fairy tale of one soldier killing four strigoi single-handed," said Lord Rimaru.

"Whether or not you choose to believe it, that is the truth."

"True or not, those who died were very dear to me," said Lord Rimaru, sighing.

General Garif almost laughed. He doubted if Lord Rimaru would remember their names, much less care about them. He was up to something. General Garif did not like games. He would have wrung Rimaru's neck but Central considered the strigoi indispensable for some reason. At present, he could not afford to let anything rock the boat, not with the first-born project at stake.

"There are lensys records which can prove that."

"We both know those records can be manipulated at any one of the Command Centers."

"What can I do to make amends for this unfortunate incident?" said General Garif. The sooner he got rid of Rimaru, the better.

"I desire nothing more than a small gesture of goodwill."

"What kind of gesture?"

"Allow us to recruit _blood acolytes_ from your quadrant. The other quadrants agreed months ago and many that live there have joined our flock."

"That is a request I have already refused. I will need time to reconsider."

"Circumstances are different now and I do not wish to undermine your authority by appealing to Central."

"Is that a threat?" said General Garif, glaring at him.

"I would never dare do such a thing," said Lord Rimaru. "All I am asking is that you let people decide for themselves. Will you deny the people in your quadrant, their right to choose?"

General Garif frowned. _Blood acolytes_ was just a term the strigoi used, to describe people who served them, as their blood slaves. People offered their bodies, for the strigoi to feed upon and satisfy their perverse lusts, hoping to gain a shred of immortality. The strigoi preyed on the fears of the innocent, luring them with false promises and dreams of immortality. Selling hope to the desperate was what the strigoi always did. Only a few acolytes would survive the transformation and those who did became part of moroi. The moroi were not as powerful as the strigoi, and served them as slaves.

He had a daughter once until a strigoi, decades older, seduced her. She was naïve and thought it to be true love. Ignoring every plea, she ran off to be with him. He hunted them for months. In the end, what he found was a soul-less creature that lusted only for blood. A slave bound to the strigoi that turned her into moroi. She was fourteen then.

General Garif hated the strigoi. He would have gladly killed them all if Central did not protect them. Lord Rimaru drummed his fingers on the desk as General Garif weighed his options.

"What do you think Mayor?" said General Garif. Aisha was one of the few people whose counsel he valued.

"I say let the people choose. It's not like anyone is going to force them to become acolytes," she said. She hoped Lord Rimaru was not planning to renege on their deal by showing up before she convinced Garif.

"We wouldn't dream of forcing anyone," said Lord Rimaru. "Every acolyte in our flock is there because it is what they want."

"So you say," said General Garif, in disbelief.

"Let us not argue on such trivial matters. Let your people decide."

"I am sure the strigoi will keep their word," said Mayor Aisha. She looked at Lord Rimaru who nodded.

"Lord Rimaru, it shall be as you ask but with one condition," said General Garif.

"What condition?"

"The strigoi will not recruit children as blood acolytes."

"We are not monsters, General. We do not feed on children," said Lord Rimaru, trying to look outraged.

"In that case, we won't have a problem," said General Garif. "Just keep the strigoi pedophiles in check. I don't want them lurking around high schools pretending to be students."

"That's two conditions."

"Not if what you said was true."

"What do you mean?" said Lord Rimaru, eyes narrowing.

He did not like the General's tone but he wanted to avoid provoking him. Human or not, General Garif frightened him. The story of his wayward daughter was well known. The strigoi that turned her into moroi had died after months of torture. He did not want such a ruthless and vindictive enemy.

"When you said the strigoi don't feed on children, I assumed you spoke the truth," said General Garif. "So, all I am asking is that you keep the pedophiles away from the children. That's only one condition."

"Yes but..."

"You were speaking the truth, were you not?"

"Of course I was."

"Good," said General Garif. "Then, I will consider this matter resolved."

"I shall take your leave then. I am pleased that we settled this little matter," said Lord Rimaru. He bowed before leaving. Things did not go the way Lord Rimaru hoped but at least the strigoi could recruit blood acolytes in the third quadrant. The other quadrants were more accommodating, so it did not matter what General Garif said.

"You were very rude to him," said Mayor Aisha.

"I don't have the time or patience to coddle Rimaru," said General Garif.

"He could make things difficult for you with Central," she said.

"So what do you expect me to do?" said General Garif. "Kiss his ass every time I see him?"

"There's nothing wrong with that," she said, "if it gets you what you want."

"That is something I will never do."

"Then at least be a little more civil."

"I spoke my mind," he said. "Did I do wrong?"

"Where do I start?" she said smiling. "It was a bit tactless, even for you, to repeatedly call them pedophiles."

"And I was wrong?" he said, "What would you call a hundred year old vampire who lurks about in schools and seduces young children?"

"They don't look their age and besides not every strigoi is as evil as you imagine."

"That still doesn't make it right," he said. "Just because something doesn't appear to be wrong, doesn't mean it isn't wrong."

"You trust him to do as you asked?" said Mayor Aisha. She wanted to change the subject without being obvious. General Garif could rant endlessly about strigoi pedophiles. She understood why Garif felt the way he did but it was nothing she had not heard before.

"He will or I'll break him," said General Garif.

"And you think that is wise?"

"Wise or unwise, I will kill him if the strigoi hurt children."

"Central won't allow it."

"There are many things Central doesn't allow us to do. We do them anyway."

"Still, Lord Rimaru isn't some ordinary strigoi that you can simply get rid of."

"I am aware of that."

"Don't do anything impulsive, like beheading him, without talking to me first."

"I'll try to restrain myself," he said, a bit amused.

"I think you already scare him so you don't have to kill him," she said. "He scurried off fast enough."

"Probably ran off to sink his teeth in some fool. He was salivating when he left."

"We both know we can't save them all," she said shrugging.

"We can try," he said. "But for the moment, tell me your secret."

"What secret might that be?"

"How can you smile with so much sincerity at the people you detest?"

"I thought you didn't care for pretenses."

"I have never been forced to smile at a snake before," he said. "I have a feeling I will have to do it often since Rimaru has decided to stay on a permanent basis."

"Nothing to it, I just imagine gutting them as we are talking and it makes me smile," said Mayor Aisha distractedly. She was having second thoughts about the deal she made with Lord Rimaru. If Garif ever found out, his reaction would not be pretty. Rimaru's head would end up on a gate spike, probably next to hers.

"That's all?" said General Garif, studying her. Aisha looked worried.

With the strigoi and moroi living amongst them, he was worried too. He would have to take care of Lord Rimaru for both their sakes. With him gone, General Garif was sure he could persuade Central, to exile or exterminate the rest of their kind.

"If that doesn't work, you could imagine something funny or sadistic," she said. "Whatever can put a smile on your face."

"It's twisted but I can see how picturing, doing that to Rimaru, could make me smile too."

"I must say, I didn't expect you to agree," she said. "In fact, I remember you saying that the strigoi would never be allowed to recruit blood acolytes in our quadrant."

"You agreed, fast enough."

"That's different," said Mayor Aisha. "I made a deal with Rimaru before coming to see you."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I was going to tell you everything but he showed up before I could."

"Everything?"

"Well, everything you needed to know that is."

"What kind of deal?"

"You know better than to ask."

"Indeed."

"You can trust me. It is for the good of the quadrant."

"I hope you know what you are doing."

"It's sweet of you to worry but unnecessary," she said. "I have more important matters to discuss with you."

"It will have to wait," he said. "I need to speak with Geran."

"Is he the one who killed the strigoi?"

"Yes and before you ask, he's the one from Voyna."

"It's strange," she said, "he has been in Helid for so long but I have never met him."

"Not surprising," said General Garif. "He was kept in a state of suspended animation since we captured him."

"Have you been able to figure out what makes him so special?"

"Yes and no."

"You are starting to sound like me," she said. "Which is it?"

"We have identified what makes him tick," said General Garif. "We call them _DNAnites_ but we haven't been able to replicate them."

"Everything can be reverse-engineered," she said. "At least that's what I've heard."

"It's not just the _DNAnites_ that makes him who he is," said General Garif.

"What else then?"

"If we knew, we'd have replicated it by now."

"Does Central know the project has failed?"

"It has not failed," said General Garif miffed. "Besides, I have already figured out a solution."

"What is it then?"

"It's classified."

"Don't give me that crap Garif."

"I will tell you when the time is right," he said. "For now, I need to speak with Geran."

"Can't that wait a bit longer?"

"The squad he is with, encountered ogre-like creatures," he said. "Geran has fought these monsters before, so I want him to tell me everything he knows about them."

"Can't someone else handle the debriefing or whatever you call it?

"The problem you came to me with, isn't going anywhere."

"So, you think those ugly monsters are more important than me?" she said pouting.

"Actually yes," he said chuckling. "An army of those creatures destroyed Voyna, so I am going to handle this myself and make sure it is done right."

"Very well, I'll wait," she said resignedly. "I'll admit I am a little curious about the survivor of Voyna."

"Thank you," he said, "this won't take long."

Mayor Aisha rolled her eyes at him. She had heard that before. She sat down on one of the chairs. She would have worn something more comfortable than heels if she had known Garif would make her wait. New dress or not, her feet were killing her and this would take long. She stared at her nails and hoped Geran had something interesting to say.
Chapter Eleven

Geran sat facing a door, guarded by six well-armed soldiers, wearing body armor. He studied their uniform and guessed they were from the Hafazar Division, which was responsible for protecting anyone Central considered important. As far as he knew, they were the only ones in Helid who wore bulletproof body armor.

At least the undead did not shoot back, Geran thought thankfully. Not that it was easy to fight them. There always seemed to be more of the undead than bullets. Soldiers often had to retreat and regroup before continuing to fight. Standing orders were to avoid melee as far as possible, since too many things could go wrong, during close-quarters combat. As unheroic as it sounded, when outnumbered, retreating was always a good idea. Under a red-sky, wannabe heroes who stood their ground were eaten by the undead and soon forgotten.

Maybe, that would be his fate too, if they exiled him. By rights, he should have been in a prison cell, awaiting trial for what he did. Perhaps, they finally decided how to punish him. Since they did not execute or imprison him, it was likely that Central was going to exile him for killing the strigoi.

People treated him differently than before. Soldiers, he did not recognize, saluted or greeted him cheerfully. In spite of strict orders, the story of his battle with the monsters spread like wildfire. Most did not believe it, but those that did treated him with respect or fear. Only few knew of the sabotnik. Even fewer knew he was one.

The soldiers in his own squad acted weird around him. They knew he was a sabotnik but they had never seen that side of him before. David sprinkled water on his face and prayed loudly for his soul, which Oliver and Ankit thought, was hilarious. Balyn became too friendly and followed him around, which Geran found annoying. After the initial shock wore off, Bishnu was the one who treated him no differently than before.

Danso filed his lensys memoir report and took away his weapons. Geran did not object because he knew it would make the others feel safer. Although, not one of them would admit it, they were still afraid of him.

Geran only cared about what Angela thought of him. Whenever he saw her, she appeared conflicted and confused. He could never guess, what women were thinking or feeling, so he did not know for sure. In his own clumsy way, he tried to explain everything to her. About the sabotnik, the power, and the bloodlust he felt. How much she believed he could not say. She told him, she did not hate him and he had to be content with that.

Almost seventy-two hours passed, before they summoned him to the Academy, unarmed and alone. The _hafazar_ scanned and rescanned him, even though he carried no weapons. They monitored him, every step of the way, escorted by a dozen soldiers from the Hafazar Division.

He did not regret his actions. He was willing to accept any punishment they thought was fair. He was not cruel by nature and never enjoyed killing, but he could never forgive the strigoi for betraying Voyna. To see them feeding on Sergeant Wen had been the last straw. He felt no guilt for killing them but knew what he did was wrong. So, he let them lead him where they wanted and waited.

He had been waiting an hour, to meet the General. Geran never liked waiting but there was no other choice. Six soldiers blocked the way in front and twelve more blocked the corridors that led to the elevators. He supposed, the precautions they took, was flattering in a way. He knew two soldiers in his squad who would have thought so. But, it just made him feel like a freak.

"General Garif will see you now," said one of the hafazar soldiers, interrupting his thoughts.

Geran stood up and let them scan him again for concealed weapons. It was starting to annoy him but he knew he deserved it.

"Enter the door. Make no abrupt movements. Speak when spoken to," the soldier ordered. He gestured towards the door behind him with his weapon. Geran nodded. The message was clear they would be watching him.

Geran entered and faced one of the largest men in Helid. A woman, who he immediately recognized as the Mayor, sat on one of the chairs. She was of average height but next to the General, she appeared diminutive. She smiled with the sincerity of a politician. Smiling was perhaps second nature for her but he had to admit, it made her look charming.

"Private Geran, reporting as ordered, sir," he said saluting. He waited for one of them to speak.

"At ease," said General Garif.

Geran thought, it was likely that even without his size, the General would have still dwarfed people with his presence. A tough, fine-looking man, with an aura that made him stand out and seem bigger. His uniform and demeanor amplified the effect, making it impossible to ignore him.

The Mayor was an attractive, buxom, redhead, with a creamy complexion. She massaged her neck and trailed her hands downwards to her chest. She beamed when she saw him looking at her ample bosom. Geran was embarrassed to be caught gawking and focused his entire attention on General Garif.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" said General Garif, standing up.

"Yes sir," said Geran. "I am ready to accept any punishment."

"Punishment?" said General Garif. "If it was up to me, I'd give you a medal for killing those monsters."

Geran was stunned. The Mayor coughed delicately.

"I meant the ogres, of course," said General Garif, looking at Mayor Aisha.

"Without you, we would have lost all three squads," the General continued.

"That doesn't change the fact that Central has given asylum to the strigoi," said Mayor Aisha. "You can't go around killing them."

"I want you to stay away from the strigoi," said General Garif. "That's an order."

"Yes sir," said Geran.

"I have as much reason to hate them as you do but we cannot allow our emotions to rule over us."

"Yes sir."

"I have taken care of this little incident," said General Garif. "Do anything like this again and I will execute you myself."

"Understood sir," said Geran.

He did not like the order but Geran did understand. Besides, the strigoi were not the only ones he wanted to kill. He knew where to find them so he could afford to wait.

"I believe there will come a time when we will have to fight the strigoi," the General said, softening his tone. "Until that day, we wait with patience and protect the city as best we can."

"Yes General."

"Now tell me everything about that monster your squad encountered."

Geran spent the next quarter of an hour telling General Garif everything he knew about the rakshasas. The General looked preoccupied but Geran continued to speak. He knew it was important, for Central to understand the enemy they faced, so he held back nothing.

General Garif listened and observed Geran as he spoke. The seidr witches did their job well. He did not have much faith in magic, but whatever they had done, worked. Enhanced interrogation, persuasion, nothing would work, or so they claimed. General Garif did not share their confidence. He made sure that Dr. Anderson tried every trick in the book to persuade Geran to talk about his past. The witches' mental blocks held.

Dr. Aamir and Dr. Paul still monitored Geran's lensys data every day. However, there were no signs that Geran remembered anything they did not want him to from that day.

The day, they found him, almost three years ago. Standing in the midst of the undead, he slaughtered. At that moment, General Garif knew there was something special about the boy.

He killed an entire squad, as they tried to capture him, before Corporal Jeremiah managed to stab him in the chest. The Corporal died, like the rest of his squad, but he managed to weaken Geran. They expected him to die from his wounds. He not only lived but also healed faster than any human could. That was the day the first-born project began.

"Permission to speak freely, sir," said Geran. He wondered how much General Garif had heard. He told the General everything he knew about the rakshasas. Now, it was up to the General to convince Central that the rakshasas were a bigger threat than the undead.

"Go ahead," said General Garif.

"The children at the orphanages are malnourished and ..."

"There isn't enough food to feed the soldiers and workers, much less orphans," said General Garif shrugging.

"I understand sir," said Geran, "but if you initiate a program, permitting soldiers to skip a meal and feed a child, it might help."

Mayor Aisha raised an eyebrow and General Garif smiled. Geran shuffled his feet and tried to maintain his composure. They probably thought he was a fool but he could not think of any other way. Seeing the Mayor and General together, he blurted out what he thought. He hoped they would care enough about the children to come up with a better plan.

"It isn't very practical but I will think about it," said General Garif. "You're dismissed."

Geran saluted and left the room, nonplussed by the entire meeting. He did not understand why the General was being so lenient towards him. This was not the first time either. General Garif had covered up the Roark incident too. Geran could think of no reason why Danso's squad should receive such special treatment. In any case, he shared what he knew about the rakshasas. General Garif was now aware of the threat they posed.

"What do you think Aisha?" said General Garif.

"He's yummy," said Mayor Aisha.

"I was referring to the rakshasa problem."

"I find it hard to believe he killed those monsters almost single-handed."

"He's stronger than he looks."

"I want him," she said.

"Want all you want to, you can't have him."

"You never let me do anything I want," she said, pretending to pout.

"You should help me figure out a way to get Central off my back instead of playing with children," said General Garif.

"He's not a child anymore."

"Perhaps, but he's too young for you anyway."

"You of all people should know he's old enough."

"That's your opinion."

"I mean no harm."

"That's what the wolf said before eating the pigs."

"Wolf?"

"I believe _cougar_ is the more apt term."

"First, stop calling me old. Second, he would still enjoy the experience."

"Regardless, Geran is off limits."

"More's the pity," she said. "I would very much like to examine him and see firsthand why you are so obsessed with him."

"I doubt if examining him is all you would do," he said snorting.

"Be your age."

"You mean, ' _Act your age_.'"

"Be your age," she said, frowning a little.

"You should learn to control your appetite," he said.

"No point doing that when it isn't necessary," said Mayor Aisha. "Only the hungry think of food."

"That's debatable."

"When's the last time you ate?"

"Not that it is any of your business," he said embarrassed. "I eat often, thank you very much."

"You could have fooled me," she said.

"Ever thought of what the voters would say?"

"Who cares what they think?" she said. "I have enough money stashed away to buy all the votes I need, so you let me worry about re-elections."

"It never ceases to amaze me that people would sell their votes for a pittance."

"It will make sense to you when you are broke, hungry, and desperate."

"We were both all of that once."

"Things are a lot worse than it used to be. The city has grown but our food production hasn't been able to keep up."

"That is why we cannot afford to let the city be surrounded by the undead."

"I will let you worry about the undead."

"I have no doubt, you will."

"You should be more worried, about what would happen," said Mayor Aisha, "if Central finds out the truth."

"And who is going to tell them?"

"People tend to gossip."

"Central only cares about the official reports," he said. "They don't have the luxury of acting out every time they hear a rumor."

"That brings me to the real reason of my visit," she said.

"Ah, you have an ulterior motive," he said. "I am shocked."

"Oh, do shut up Garif," she said.

"I'm sorry Aisha," he said smiling.

"I have been informed that I need your official permission," she said, "to reduce the food and water rations for the army."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"The lower strata of citizens are starving to death," she said. "I need more food to feed them all."

"We cannot weaken the army to feed citizens," he said. "Without the army, there won't be a city or citizens."

"Who do you think grows the food?" she said, in a huff. "Citizens aren't exactly expendable."

"Never said they were," said General Garif. "You could appeal to Central to increase the supply, why come to me?"

"Because they gave me the run around for months and then refused to increase the supply."

"I could put in a request too."

"You know that wouldn't make a difference," she said. "They aren't going to change their minds just because you put in a request."

"Then there is nothing I can do."

"There must be some way we could fix this."

"Salvage, recycle, and renew," he said, quoting the CEO of Bankin Corporation.

"I hate those words," she said. "Richard Bankin is an idiot."

"I don't disagree."

"How do you suggest I recycle food?"

"Ask Richard if you ever see him," said General Garif smiling.

"This isn't funny."

"I am sorry," he said. "You know I would help you if it was anything else."

"Yes, I know," she said, "I just don't know how much longer the quadrant can manage without sufficient supplies."

"Geran's idea wasn't so bad," he said, "you could try that."

"I will but I'd be surprised if it works."

"It might. I will let you work out the details."

"That would be for the best."

"Make sure that no volunteer misses consecutive meals," said General Garif. "Also, voluntary meal-skip will be restricted to twice a week for everyone."

"Twice a week would not be enough," she said, "and besides not many soldiers would be willing to skip a meal to feed another."

"They may surprise you," he said. "I know you will find a way to make it work, as you always do."

"You have too much faith in me."

"I know you."

Aisha smiled at Garif and left without another word. She expected him to refuse the quota reductions but she had to try. She would have to find another way to get what the quadrant needed. For the time being, all she could do was try out Geran's meal-skip idea. If it worked, then at least the children would not suffer as much. Unlike Garif, she never married and had no children but she cared for them. She knew the future of the city depended on the younger generation but they were not the only ones suffering.

Food and water supply were just two of the problems she dealt with every day. The Bankin Corporation supplied each quadrant with a fixed amount every week and it was never enough. The army ate the bulk of it and whatever remained they sold to citizens in every sector of the quadrant.

For most citizens, a day's wage was barely enough, to cover the cost of living for a day. Exorbitant prices of food and water made sure of that, but life was much worse beyond the city walls. Garif's refusal meant that she could do nothing about the shortages now, but she was doing her best to solve other problems.

_Bunk-shift shelters_ were set up for the homeless working class throughout the quadrant. Ideally, three people shared a single bed and each one of them owned it, for eight hours a day. It was not popular but it put a roof over their heads and gave them a place to rest in-between work shifts. She knew that some shelters were on a _four-six_ , meaning a bunk shared by four people, for six hours each. However, there was very little she could do about it.

Mayor Aisha did want to do something about the pests in the city. She wanted nothing more than to get rid of all the rats and roaches, infesting every corner, of the city. Nasty, dirty, little creatures that made her skin crawl every time she saw them. She knew some of the citizens ate them when they could catch them. As much as that knowledge disgusted her, she wished more citizens would eat them. They had eaten every stray cat and dog, years ago. The only animals that remained in Helid were the ones reared, in the first quadrant, as part of the habitat project.

There were many problems but she was thankful that undead activity was not top of the list. Within the city, undead episodes was limited to a few sporadic incidents. After the invention of the lensys and BRAIN, undead activity in the city, was at an all-time low. The BRAIN kept constant watch, as more and more citizens used the lensys to immerse themselves, in a virtual plane of existence, living as they imagined they deserved.

The _Bankin-Richard Intelligence Augmentation Noosphere_ or was it _Bankin-Richard Artificial Intelligence Network_ , she was not sure. Perhaps, they were both the same thing, she would have to get her assistant to find out one of these days. Not that it mattered, she preferred calling it _BRIAN_ anyway, that made it seem more human to her.

How technology worked did not interest her in the slightest, she was only interested in what it could do for her. She never got used to the lensys and avoided using it as much as possible but she knew it was invaluable. Citizens rioting and protesting were now a thing of the past. The people were either too busy trying to make a living or living a virtual life on the networks.

An imaginary life filled with illusions of hardship and delusions of pleasure. Allowing citizens to share memoirs and parade themselves, as they imagined themselves to be. Their virtual lives let them forget the problems of the real world just long enough to lull them into complacency.

The networks enabled socializing without socializing. Which in turn allowed BRIAN to identify dissenters, who were isolated and dealt with before they became an actual threat. It made her job a little easier if not better.

Mayor Aisha always thought freedom was overrated. Time and again it had been proved that too much individual freedom eventually compromised collective security. In a twisted world, you can be safe or free. For her, group safety trumped individual freedom any day.
Chapter Twelve

"This is your dumbest idea yet," said Balyn.

"Watch your mouth," said Danso, gritting his teeth.

"I rather have Geran watching my back than any of you wimps."

"Too bad for you then," said Danso. "He isn't coming on this mission."

"Why the heck not?"

"I haven't received any clear orders regarding Geran."

"So what?"

"So Geran stays put until someone tells me what to do with him."

"If they haven't arrested him yet, they aren't going to," said Balyn, with confidence.

"General Garif did say he would take care of it," said Geran.

"I knew it. The strigoi aren't part of the army," said Balyn, "so they must have thought it best to cover up the entire mess. Just like Roark."

"I have to agree," said David, "that does seem possible."

"Well, until I am notified, Geran stays in base," said Danso. "The kunoichi are sitting this one out too."

"That's just great," said Balyn. "Do we leave our weapons behind too?"

"I've had just enough of you," said Danso, grabbing Balyn by the collar.

"Easy there," said David.

"We will be escorting the volur," said Danso, letting go of Balyn. "The paladins and strigoi will join us on this mission."

"We haven't been briefed, sir," said Bishnu. "What are we supposed to be doing?"

"The volur have located something of great importance," said Danso. "We are to recover and bring it back to Helid. That's all I know."

"So we risk our lives, to protect some witches," said Balyn, "while they dig around for old junk."

"We must follow orders," said David, "even if we don't like or understand them."

"You stay put," said Danso looking at Geran. "Rest of you, gear up now."

*

The walls of Helid were massive, and never been breached, by neither the living nor the undead. Sentry guns and female snipers guarded the walls, with great efficiency. The Ninety-Fifth Division were the only ones who had access to sniper rifles and specialized in its use.

Geran knew most snipers of the Ninety-Fifth tolerated his presence on the wall because he was friends with Captain Nina. They met a few weeks ago during a training exercise. She liked him and invited him to the wall. He made sure she knew he did not like her, the way she wanted. However, that did not seem to discourage her one bit. He did not mind spending time with her, as long as she knew the score.

He liked the view and solitude so much that he visited the wall whenever he wanted to be alone. Captain Nina would join him sometimes but most times, she was busy, and left him by himself. She was the reason he could come and go as he pleased.

With the squad on a mission, Geran had nothing better to do so he headed to the wall. Angela accompanied him but she was distant and quiet. He did not blame her. He lost control and behaved no better than a savage beast. Even if she was withdrawn, he was glad that she did not avoid him. There was so much, he wanted to say to her, to make her understand. He did not know where to begin. He was aware of his lack of eloquence.

"Angela, I just wanted to know..."

"I don't hate you," she said.

"So you have said before," said Geran. "I would understand if you did."

"I mean it," said Angela emphatically.

"What I did was wrong," he said. "But, as hard as I try, I cannot forgive the strigoi."

"I have done things I am not proud of either," she said. "If you knew some of the things I have done, you'd hate me."

"That's not possible."

"As one of the kunoichi, I have killed my share of the strigoi," she said. "You killing them does not change the way I feel about you."

"If that isn't what's bothering you," said Geran, "then what is?"

"I have been trying to figure out the best way to tell you?" she said. "I don't want to lie to you."

"Then just tell me the truth," he said.

"I need a sample of your blood," she said.

"Ok," said Geran, rolling up his uniform sleeve and exosuit. He was surprised the kunoichi knew about the nanites. He knew giving his blood was a mistake but he would have done anything to make Angela happy.

"Ok?" said Angela. "You aren't going to ask me why?"

"I don't care."

"For real?"

"I'd give my arm if you wanted," said Geran grinning. "If possible the left arm, the right one is my favorite."

"So romantic," said Angela smiling, "and over the top."

"Why do you need my blood?"

"I thought you didn't care," she said, pulling out a small cylindrical device.

"You came prepared?"

"I have been carrying this for a few days now."

"That doesn't look like a syringe to me."

"New design," she said, jabbing him on the forearm with it.

"Ow, that hurt," said Geran. "A lot."

"Don't be such a baby," said Angela, keeping the device pressed against his forearm.

"You could have at least warned me, before stabbing me with that thing."

"Stop squirming, it's almost done," she said looking at the blinking lights on the device.

"You never did answer the question?"

"I don't know why," said Angela. "Orders."

"I'm supposed to believe that?"

"The kunoichi are told what to do," she said. "Not why we must do it."

"I know the feeling."

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Angela said, putting the device away.

"My arm disagrees," he said. "It's gone numb."

"Aw you poor thing," she said. "I could kiss and make it better."

"My lips are numb too," said Geran.

Angela looked at his eyes and then his lips. He leaned forward and she closed her eyes, parting her lips slightly.

"Geran."

"Captain Nina," said Geran startled. He had not heard her approach. She could not have come at a worse time. He saluted.

"Like I keep telling you, just call me Nina," she said.

"Sorry, habit," he said.

Captain Nina was a touch overweight. A nineteen-year-old brunette, with a round, pleasant face. As always, with her hair tied back. She eyed Geran from head to toe and smiled.

"I was hoping you would come by," said Captain Nina. "It's been far too long since I last saw you."

"The squad's been busy with missions."

"I heard you took down three giant cannibals all by yourself."

"It took two squads and the kunoichi to do that," said Geran embarrassed. "I helped a bit."

"Not the way I heard it," she said. "I would love to hear the whole story from you."

"Maybe some other time."

"Soon, I hope," she said, squeezing his arm.

"Who's she?" said Captain Nina, pretending to notice Angela for the first time.

"Captain Nina this is Angela," said Geran. "She's one of the kunoichi from Egakoka."

The girls sized each other up and neither was happy to see the other.

"Nice to meet you," said Captain Nina.

"Delighted," said Angela.

"I can teach you how to use the sniper rifle today," said Captain Nina. Taking him by the arm, she led the way, before Geran could refuse. She was violating a dozen army regulations but did not seem to care. Angela hesitated for a split second and then followed them.

Geran had asked around and learned that Captain Nina was one of the best snipers in Helid. There was no one better to teach him. He walked with her, excited by the prospect of firing the M-4T4 sniper rifle. Geran knew that she was the only one who would ever let him shoot that rifle, without proper authorization, so it was now or never. Torn between his desire to kiss Angela and shoot the rifle, he allowed Captain Nina to lead him.

Multiple sniper towers lined the walls of Helid. A thousand meters apart, every tower had rotating teams of snipers in it. They climbed one of the towers where two girls were lying prone, with their sniper rifles, shooting at regular intervals.

"How many kills?" said Captain Nina.

"Fourteen so far, Captain," said one the girls, without looking up.

"Excellent work girls," she said. "Any more approaching?"

"We've spotted two more."

"Good," said Captain Nina. "Are they in range?"

"At the pace they are moving, they will be in range soon."

"You girls take five," said Captain Nina. "Leave one rifle behind."

"Captain?"

"You heard me, move it."

The girls looked at each other and then glared at Geran. Without a word, they climbed down carrying one rifle. He knew the story would spread and just end up making him even more unpopular on the wall. The snipers already regarded his visits to the wall as an intrusion into their territory. This episode was not going to win him any friends.

"Ignore them," said Captain Nina. "They are just jealous I have you all to myself."

Angela snorted and sat down in a corner.

"Almost to myself," said Captain Nina, scowling at Angela.

"Let's start shooting," said Geran, lying prone next to the rifle.

Captain Nina lay next to him and put her arms around him. She pressed her cheek against his and put one hand over his to steady the rifle. He almost brushed away her hands but stopped when he saw Angela was jealous. It made him strangely happy.

"Is that really necessary?" said Angela straightening.

"Hush woman, he needs to concentrate," said Captain Nina.

"How is he supposed to do that with you rubbing against him?"

"Please be quiet. I am just trying to help him aim."

Angela glowered at Captain Nina. Geran had difficulty suppressing a smile.

"It must be your lucky day," said Captain Nina. "Perfect conditions for sniping, with no wind, mild weather, and clear visibility."

"So what's the first thing I need to do?"

"You need to determine range."

"How do I do that?"

"We have sensor flags, planted every hundred meters, outside the city walls."

"I have seen the flags but had no idea what they are for until today."

"Depending on which direction your target is approaching from," she said, "use your lensys to locate the sensor flag nearest to it."

"How does that help?"

"Sensors allow your lensys to ascertain range and aim with accuracy," she said. "Using sensor data it calculates _wind resistance, bullet drop,_ and _spin drift_."

"Let's pretend I understood all that," said Geran. "I still haven't the slightest idea how all that would help me shoot."

"Switch to lensys sniper mode. Locate sensor nearest to your target," said Captain Nina. "Then aim and shoot."

"What if there are no sensors?"

"That is a lesson for another day," she said. "Today we do it the easy way."

"Ok."

"Switch mode and zoom in."

Geran did as she instructed. What had once been a man, now lumbered towards the city of Helid. A few feet behind, was another. The one in front was missing an ear and an eye. Part of its nose had fallen off which made it look hideous. The eye it had left was bluish green, but Geran could not be sure at that distance.

"I have him in my sights," said Geran.

"Squeeze the trigger gently."

Shooting at the undead from a distance was a lot different than killing them in the heat of battle. It gave him time to think and made him hesitate. He pulled the trigger and missed.

"Do you know why you missed?"

"Because, I am a bad shot?"

"It's because you are anticipating recoil and jerked the rifle as you shot."

"I see."

"I prefer to shoot between heartbeats to minimize barrel motion," she said, "but since it is your first time, we'll keep it simple. Aim, breathe, exhale, and squeeze trigger."

Geran tried to remember everything Captain Nina said. He squeezed the trigger when the lensys targeting crosshairs turned green. The rifle boomed and part of his target's head disappeared.

The sniper rifle had a stronger recoil than the M19AT rifle but it was still manageable. He aimed at the next one and squeezed the trigger again. It was a perfect shot.

"That was beautiful. You are a natural," said Captain Nina, kissing him on the cheek. Angela glared at him as if it was his fault.

"I have to leave," said Geran.

"That's too bad," said Captain Nina. "Come back when you can."

"Sure."

Angela was already climbing down. They climbed down in silence. Geran wanted to kick himself for being so stupid. He knew how Captain Nina felt about him but the kiss had been unexpected. He wondered if Angela was angry with him.

"Were you trying to make me jealous?" said Angela amused.

"Did it work?"

"Of course not," she said, "but if you do it again, I'll start cuddling with Danso."

"Why him?"

"He's handsome, that's why," she said teasing.

"And me?"

"You aren't ugly."

"You sure know how to hurt a guy's feelings."

"Fire."

"Fire?"

"Isn't that where the hospital is?" Angela asked pointing.

"The children," said Geran, startled. "I must go."

"I'm coming with you
Chapter Thirteen

"What have you done Garif?" said Mayor Aisha, storming into the war room. A few of the General's staff looked up to see who it was, then busied themselves again. They were used to the Mayor's outbursts.

"Follow me," said General Garif. He led her to an unoccupied room and closed the door behind them.

"How could you cordon off an entire sector without consulting me?"

"As you are probably aware by now," he said, "citizens of that sector are rioting."

"It's nothing we haven't dealt with before," she said. "With the lensys we can cause temporary blindness and regain control. Or have you forgotten?"

"Orders from Central," said General Garif.

"What orders?" she said. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"The moroi will handle the situation," he said. "The army will assist them."

"The moroi," said Mayor Aisha in horror. "There are women and children in there."

"This is what Central wants," said General Garif, not meeting her eyes. "Examples have to be made."

"That does not justify letting the moroi feed on the innocent."

"That's not the worst of it," he said. " _Dark culling_ has been authorized. The army will pull out as soon as it begins."

"What?" she said alarmed. "Even the ones who survive the culling will be blind for the rest of their lives."

"The moroi will do the culling," he said, with distaste. "Rimaru has convinced Central, that it is the best course of action. Feeding the moroi and quelling a riot."

"That scheming rat, we should have never trusted him," said Mayor Aisha incensed. She never expected Lord Rimaru to have so much influence over Central. She was sure now that he always meant to renege on their deal.

"I never did," said General Garif.

"The moroi will butcher every human in that sector."

"The BRAIN has blinded every citizen involved in the riot," he said. "They have orders to kill only the ones that are marked."

"And you trust them to follow orders?" she said. "You know as well as I do, they will kill and feed on anyone they find."

"There's nothing I can do."

"How could you let this happen?"

"Do you think I didn't try my best to stop it?" said General Garif furious. "If you and the other quadrant leaders hadn't been so supportive of the vampires..."

"I am sorry," she said softly. "Brian monitors everyone, how did this happen?"

"The BRAIN's predictions are based on logic that humans will behave in a rational manner," he said. "It cannot predict irrational behavior."

"I suspect Rimaru orchestrated the whole thing," she said.

"Of that," he said, "I have little doubt."

"We should have never let the vampires into our city."

Someone knocked on the door. Waited and then knocked again.

"Enter," said General Garif.

"What's so important that can't wait," said Mayor Aisha scowling, when she saw it was a soldier.

"I am sorry to interrupt General," said the soldier, saluting, "but there is someone here to see you."

"You interrupted us because of that," said Mayor Aisha.

"He's only doing his job, Aisha," said General Garif, looking at the soldier. "But, why did you think it was necessary to interrupt?"

"He's from the squad we have under special surveillance, sir."

"I see," said General Garif. "Why didn't you bring him to me then?"

"He's not alone, sir," said the soldier.

"Is his squad with him?"

"No sir," said the soldier, "children."

*

Geran ran, trying his best to be patient. He wanted to run faster but he knew Angela would not be able to keep up. He did not want to leave her behind. There was something strange going on in that sector. Citizens stumbled in the streets, bleeding from their eyes, screaming for help. He looked at Angela and she shook her head. They did not have the ability nor skill to help the citizens. Stopping would have been futile. There were so many of them, it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid running into them. The ones who could still see were trying to find places to hide.

The sight of buildings on fire, made Geran run faster. Angela tried to match his pace and soon she was breathing hard, but she did not complain. They had run almost ten blocks without stopping. He wanted to carry her but was afraid it would offend her. He began breathing hard as well, trying to match the rhythm of her breaths.

"I'm tired," said Geran stopping. "Let's rest a minute or two."

"Liar," said Angela. She put one hand on his shoulder and leaned against him. "A minute's—good, though."

"I will check the lensys and find the shortest route to the hospital," said Geran.

"Please do," she said, gasping.

Flushed by the exertion, her skin glistened with sweat. Sweaty or not, Geran thought, she looked beautiful. He watched her moist lips as she tried to catch her breath. He looked away and checked the quadrant map to figure out the shortest route. With a nod to Angela, he led the way. He slowed his pace and forced Angela to do the same, since she did not know the way. He knew that was the least he could do for her.

He had not been surprised when Angela volunteered to accompany him. It took him some time but he realized that her true beauty was in her heart. When they first met, he expected her to be proud and shallow, as most beautiful people tend to be. She proved him wrong, many times, since that day. He believed she deserved someone better than him to be happy. Selfish or not, the thought of seeing her with someone else made him furious and want to hurt that imaginary rival.

By the time they reached the hospital, it was deserted. Geran was scared. He ran towards the children's room. He did not want to lose anyone he cared about ever again.

They found the children, hiding under their beds, crying without a sound. It was such obvious a hiding place that he would have found it amusing if the children had not been so terrified. Chloe was clutching her shabby doll but other than that showed little reaction. Not for the first time, Geran wondered about the doll. It meant something to her, that much was apparent, but she refused to talk about it. The children crawled out when they saw who it was.

He did not know what was going on in that sector but he wanted to get them out of there. Geran knew he could not forgive himself if something happened to the children. He wiped their tears and hugged them in turn. Angela fussed over them until they calmed down.

Geran checked the building schematics for the nearest exit. He led them out the back. It was a mistake.

Six moroi were feeding, in the narrow alleyway, leading to the hospital. With collars on their necks and tattoos on their foreheads, they were easy to identify, even if they had not been feeding. One of the children squealed.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" said a nasty looking moroi. He obviously considered himself the leader of their pack and swaggered as he spoke.

"Looks like a food delivery to me?" said one. The others laughed. It was an unpleasant sound.

"We'll take it from here soldier boy," said the leader, taking a step forward.

Angela drew her knife, which stopped his advance. Geran was worried. He knew he could not protect the children and fight six moroi at the same time. With his blades, he might have killed them, before they could hurt anyone. Barehanded, he could not be sure that he could stop them all fast enough. Angela armed with only a _tanto_ knife would hardly be able to defend herself against one of them. She would stand her ground and fight as long as she could. However, she would not be able to protect the children either. Motioning to Angela and the children, he moved forward alone towards the leader.

"What do you think you are doing?" Geran asked, unable to contain his anger. "Those are citizens you are feeding on."

"Central wants the rebels in this sector pacified," said the leader. "We are just following orders."

"These children aren't rebels," said Geran. "Let them pass."

"Let us be the judge of that," said the leader, with contempt. "We'll take good care of your girlfriend too."

"How about you all run away?" said Geran infuriated. "If you do, I don't have to kill any of you."

They laughed. Geran smiled and that made them stop. He had never shown off in his life but Geran knew the moroi respected only power and strength. He wanted to make them understand there would be consequences if they attacked the children. He could not save the other citizens but he would save the children.

"Get out of the way or we'll kill you first," the leader growled.

"I want to say something," said Geran.

"You want to beg?" said the leader, snickering. "That won't help, but go ahead."

"Before you think of doing anything stupid," said Geran. "You should know that I am the one who killed four strigoi."

"A lie...," the leader cried.

Geran hit the leader when he was still talking, with a well-timed _reverse roundhouse_ kick, breaking his jaw. He hit him again, with a _side thrust_ kick to the ribs, pushing the moroi backwards. The others looked at the crumpled form of their leader in shock. They had not believed Geran's claim of killing the strigoi but now they were unsure. He hit faster and harder than any human could.

"I will kill the next one who takes a step forward," said Geran, "before killing the rest of you."

The moroi turned and ran, leaving their leader behind. Years of servitude under the strigoi had not made them brave. They never fought unless they were sure to win.

Angela heaved a sigh of relief. The children were still scared. Angela comforted them and smiled at Geran.

"Where do we take the children?" said Angela.

The children looked at Geran concerned. The question stopped Geran in his tracks. He had not thought of that. He did not know.

"The Academy," said Geran. He could think of no other place. "It's three blocks from here."

"What if we run into the moroi again?"

"Is it true, your armor has a stealth capability?"

"The best in the world," she said, with pride.

"Your armor and my lensys will save us then."

"How?"

"I will tell you the route we must take," he said. "You can scout ahead and we can avoid running into them."

"You aren't as dumb as you look," said Angela pleased.

"Gee thanks."

*

Mayor Aisha walked up to them at the lobby accompanied by a pogue and two hafazar soldiers.

"Geran, so good to see you again," said Mayor Aisha. "General Garif is busy, dealing with the riot, so I offered to help."

"Thank you Mayor," said Geran. "These children have nowhere to go."

He was glad to see the Mayor. Geran had not been looking forward to talking to the General about the children's future. But, only he and the Mayor had the power to help them. The Mayor was approachable and likely to help. He felt more hopeful than he did moments ago.

"But of course," said Mayor Aisha smiling. "I will have one of the orphanages take care of them right away."

Chloe hid behind Angela. The other children were upset too. Geran knew that sending them to the orphanage was condemning them to a life of misery. The lucky ones would die of starvation. The rest would live a life that was not worth living.

"Not the orphanages," said Geran.

"Where else then?"

"I want to sponsor them for Academy training," he said, "until they are old enough to take care of themselves."

"You can't afford it," said Mayor Aisha. "You are in debt just like everyone else."

"How could that be?" said Geran. "I have never bought anything from my pay."

"A soldier's pay is nothing," she said. "Trust me, you are in debt."

"How?"

"Taxes, food, and a million other things," she said. "Use the lensys to check your financial records if you want to know such trivial details."

"I thought the food was free."

"Don't be naïve," she said. "Nothing in Helid is free."

"You could sponsor them," said Geran.

"If I did that for every orphan," she said. "I'd be in debt too."

"Please, do it this once," he said. "I will do anything you ask of me in return."

"Anything?"

"You have my word."

"Your word means nothing to me."

"I led the sabotnik of Helid," said Geran. "We always keep our word."

"What I ask, you may not want to give."

"I will do as you ask when the time comes," he said, "without question."

Mayor Aisha looked at him more carefully. Unlike Lord Rimaru, he seemed trustworthy and she knew there was great power in him. He would be a useful weapon, if she ever needed one, so he was worth cultivating. Sponsoring the children would cost her nothing. She knew a dozen ways to ensure it did not.

The prospect of having Geran under her control thrilled her. It would take time, but she had manipulated cleverer men than him. A small act of charity, which would cost nothing to her but would mean the world to him, was the best place to start.

"I've been betrayed before," she said. "Be loyal to me and I will make certain the children lack for nothing."

"I swear," said Geran. "I will be."

"That remains to be seen," said Mayor Aisha, pleased with herself. "My assistant will take care of the children."

She snapped her fingers and the pogue step forward.

"Come with me kids," he said, in a kind voice.

"Don't be afraid," said Geran. "I will come visit every chance I get."

Angela kissed them on the cheeks before letting them go with the pogue. Chloe turned and looked at them, then followed the others.

"If there is nothing else," said Mayor Aisha. "I have other things that I must attend to."

"Thank you Mayor," said Geran. "I am very grateful for what you did."

*

"I don't like that woman," said Angela, when they exited the building.

"We don't have to like her," said Geran. "The children are the ones who matter."

"Yes, but it was foolish of you to swear allegiance to her," said Angela. "You may live to regret it."

"I'm a soldier in the army," he said shrugging. "What could she want from me?"

"Your strength, loyalty, determination," she said. "They are all worth more than you think."

"No use worrying about the future," he said. "The troubles of today are enough."

"What now?"

"Now we head back to our barracks and get some rest."

"I will see you tomorrow," she said, lowering her head and looking at him sideways.

She looked adorable. Geran thought of her all the way to the barrack, humming to himself. For the first time, in a long time, he slept without nightmares.
Chapter Fourteen

"Gone?" said Geran, "What do you mean gone?"

"Precisely what the word means," said Ankit wincing, "gone." Geran had grabbed both his arms and did not seem to know his own strength.

"When did they leave?" said Geran, shaking him.

"From what I hear, they left early this morning."

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Are they coming back?"

"Look I don't know anything else," said Ankit, trying hard to wriggle free. "You can let go of me any time now."

"Oh sorry," said Geran, releasing him. He was happy they were starting to overcome their fear and accept him as he was. He did not want to do anything to make them afraid of him again.

"I just got back from a mission last night," said Ankit. "You've been here all along and know less than I do."

"That's beside the point."

"I told you everything I know," said Ankit, massaging his arms. "That's going to leave a mark."

"I am sorry."

"Not his fault if you are delicate and bruise easy," said Oliver grinning.

"I'll show you delicate," said Ankit, trapping Oliver in a headlock.

"Eww your pits stink," said Oliver gagging, "I can't breathe."

"Suffer my wrath foolish mortal."

"Bishnu help," said Oliver.

"I am not getting involved," said Bishnu, hurrying away from them.

"What's going on here?" asked Danso, walking into the barracks.

"Combat training, sir," said Ankit, without letting Oliver go.

"Carry on then," he said laughing.

"Does anyone know why the kunoichi left?" Geran asked.

"Some of them were caught spying," said Danso, "so the kunoichi were sent back to Egakoka."

"Why would our ally spy on us?"

"Allies today, could be foes tomorrow," he said. "We spy on them too."

"That's crazy."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't concern us," said Danso. "The good news is, you get your weapons back."

Geran nodded but he did not hear what Danso said. Their voices began to fade away and soon Geran could hear nothing more. His mind was numb and he found it difficult to breathe. She was gone. His heart was racing and he was afraid. He might never see Angela again.

They were thousands of miles apart. Separated by vast wastelands filled with the undead and monsters of every kind. Knowing that only made him despair. He did not even know if she wanted to see him again. She disappeared from his life as suddenly as she had come.

Memories were not enough but they were all he had now. His heart was heavy. He never imagined he would miss her so much. He did not know how she felt but knew now how he felt. Even if she did not want him, he wanted to be close to her and see her every day, for the rest of his life.

*

"That's one mean-looking arm," said Balyn.

"Thanks," said Manzo. He still had not gotten used to his bionic arm. It felt unnatural and sometimes there was a sharp pain where his arm used to be. His physiotherapist called it phantom pain and said it was normal. That did not make him feel any better.

"It looks pretty real," said Balyn, poking Manzo's bionic arm.

"Yeah, it does."

"How could you even afford this?" said Balyn. "Isn't it expensive?"

"My family has money," said Manzo.

"Is this the one with amplified strength?"

"Yes, it is much stronger than a normal human arm," said Manzo. "It takes getting used to."

"Better not use that hand to do anything naughty," said Balyn, sniggering. "I hear some parts are more difficult to reattach than others."

"Shut up Balyn, before I rip away that part of you forever."

"Geez man," said Balyn, backing away. "I was just kidding."

"Ignore him Manzo," said Geran, "I always do."

"I'll try," he said.

"Manzo, great to have you back," said Oliver, hugging him.

"I am glad to be back."

"Thank you for saving my life," said Ankit, shaking Manzo's hand.

"If there is anything you want to talk about," said David, "I am here for you."

"I wanted to thank you," said Manzo. "If it hadn't been for you, I would have bled to death."

"Anyone would have done the same thing," said David.

"Not everyone has the stomach for it."

"You would have done it for me."

*

Chloe hated it when they turned off the lights, of the Academy dormitory, at night. Darkness frightened her. Many things frightened her but she learned not to cry. Crying made a difference, only if someone cared enough to listen and comfort you. She had no one. Tears did not lessen the unhappiness or fears she felt, so she cried no more.

She did not remember her father. Her mother said he was a soldier who died three years ago when capturing a dangerous enemy. It did not matter, he was a stranger and his death meant little to her. She did remember her mother who had meant everything to her. There was never enough food but it did not matter when they were together. They had been happier than their circumstances allowed them to be.

She clutched her doll tightly. Geran offered to buy her a new one if she wanted. He did not know it was the only reminder she had left of her sister. Always sick, she died as many others before her, for lack of food and medicine.

Geran came to see her before leaving for Egakoka city. He told her he was going to bring Angela back. Chloe liked her very much. She had kind eyes like Geran. He scared her at first. Seeing him kill the men in that cave was something she would never forget.

She knew some men liked to hurt children. There were men like that at the orphanage. She was suspicious of Geran at first but he treated her with nothing but kindness and she trusted him. She looked forward to his visits and loved it when Angela tagged along.

She was eleven but looked younger. She was young not stupid. People liked to hear what they wanted to hear. When she could, she always told people what they wanted to hear. So she told Geran not to worry and that she would be all right until he returned.

She now lived better than she ever had, but if Geran did not return, she understood that would change. She did not understand everything but she did know Geran promised something to the woman with red hair.

She was sad. Geran was leaving to fight a war. If he did not come back, she would be alone again. She would have gone back to the orphanage if it meant he could stay in Helid. She was used to hardship. She did not want to lose him. He promised to come back but mother had promised that too. She was scared he would die, as her father had, as a hero that no one remembered. For the first time in years, she knelt down and prayed.

*

The worm station, packed with allied forces, who boarded their designated train as fast as they could. Egakoka was under siege. After deliberating for over a week, the allies finally decided to send help. As the allied cities discussed the pros and cons, Geran stewed. He would have run all the way to Egakoka if it had been possible. Angela was in danger. The longer he waited the angrier he became with Central's indecision. Finally, the wait was over. Soldiers, witches, and paladins boarded the trains as the pogues did their best to load supplies and equipment.

Visiting the children had taken longer than Geran thought it would. He was happy that the Mayor had kept her end of the bargain. He wanted to make sure before leaving for Egakoka. Now, he needed to rejoin his squad. He tried to locate his squad but could not see any of them.

"Geran."

"Captain Nina," said Geran, saluting.

"You never remember do you?" said Captain Nina smiling. "You can call me Nina."

"So what are you doing here Nina?" said Ankit, putting an arm around Geran. "More importantly, are those lovely girls, your friends?"

"And just who are you?" said Captain Nina glowering.

"Geran's best buddy and mentor," said Ankit. "Are you girls here to see us off?"

"Only my friends call me Nina," she said. "Speak to me again without saluting and you will regret it."

"Sorry Captain," said Ankit. Letting go of Geran, he saluted Captain Nina.

"Where's the rest of the squad?" said Geran. He had not seen Ankit approach.

"Worm six," said Ankit. "Danso sent me to find you."

"I will be there in a minute."

"Ok, I must report back," said Ankit. "Please excuse me, Captain Nina."

"You hurt his feelings, Captain," said Geran, as Ankit walked away.

"Like I care," she said. "Some boys need to learn to treat us girls with more respect."

"He meant no offense," said Geran. "That's just the way he behaves with everyone."

"He's in the army," she said. "He should know better."

"I apologize if he offended you," said Geran. "Trust me he did not mean to."

"No need to apologize, it's not your fault," said Captain Nina.

"Please do not report him."

"Let's forget the whole thing," she said. "We're going to be travelling companions after all."

"You are coming along too?"

"You didn't think I was here to see you off, did you?"

"I didn't know what to think," he said. "I assumed the Ninety-Fifth never left the wall."

"We usually don't," she said, "but we were told you boys needed our help."

"Oh really?" said Geran smiling.

"Yeah, us girls are going to win the war for you," said Captain Nina.

"Boys can't but girls can?"

"Naturally," she said. "After all, we are the better half of the human race."

"The snobbier half you mean."

"You are unusually chirpy today," she said, knitting her brow together.

"I am just happy that we are finally setting out to help the people in Egakoka."

"You love her, don't you?" she said sharply.

"What who?"

"You know who I mean."

"How did...?"

"I saw the way you look at her," she said unhappily. "It's probably how I always look at you."

"It's that obvious?"

"To me it is," she said. "Let's board the train and go save her, together."

"That's very—thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," she said. "A part of me is hoping that she's already dead, or married, or hates you, or ..."

"I get the general idea," said Geran. He had not considered all that. It worried him, a lot. He followed Captain Nina, towards the train.

"Geran, I need to speak to you."

It was Mayor Aisha, disguised as one of the seidr witches, her face almost hidden by a hooded cloak. He was surprised to see her there. She was unaccompanied, which was unusual. He had not realized it before but she was almost as tall as he was.

"Is it about the children?"

"They are fine," said Mayor Aisha.

"How can I help you May—?"

"Keep your voice down," she said urgently. "This isn't how I wanted to do this but..."

"I am listening," said Geran.

"Don't move," she said, placing her fingers on his temples. She was pressing something against them. It grew hotter by the second.

"Ow," Geran cried. "My eyes hurt."

"Good," she said. "Your lensys has been disabled temporarily."

"Huh?"

"What I'm about to say must stay between us," she said. "We don't have much time."

"Sure, if that's what you want."

"Swear."

"I swear."

"There is something you must do for me."

"I'm not sure..."

"Your word," she said. "Without question, remember?"

"I remember," said Geran. He had not expected to pay the price so soon. It did not matter. He would do whatever was necessary for the children.

*

"I have been trying to figure out something," said Oliver.

"What now Ollie?" said Manzo.

"Why did you tell Danso you love him?"

"Because I do."

"But why?"

"I thought I was dying," said Manzo. "I did not want to die without telling him."

"So, is there like a cure?"

"It's a preference not a disease, you ignorant twit," said Manzo.

"Hey, how come you and David are so rude to me?"

"I can't answer for David but you tend to ask stupid questions," said Manzo. "That irritates me."

"Same reason," said David.

"No need to get so uptight," said Oliver hurt. "I was only asking."

"I know what you want to ask," said Manzo. "Don't worry you are safe."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want you," he said chuckling. "You aren't man enough to be my woman."

Oliver tried to figure out if that was an insult. He decided it was safer to say nothing. Manzo could say spiteful things when he was angry. He could not deal with that right now. The worm trains would take three days to reach Egakoka. He did not want to spend three days inside a worm with a pissed off Manzo.

"I am surprised that you don't have a problem with me, David," said Manzo. "Danso makes it a point to avoid me. I thought you'd feel the same way."

"You are going to hell," said David. "I might as well let you live in peace until then."

"That's a terrible thing to say."

"It is written."

"Who cares what is written in some outdated book?"

"Do not talk about _it_ with such disrespect."

"You will care when you get to where you are headed."

"You are assuming god is real."

"Of course, He is real," said David, with passion.

"No one has ever seen god."

"The atom existed long before we learned how to see it," said David. "Just because you can't see something does not affect its existence."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"It proves we aren't as smart as we think," said David. "There is much we still don't know about."

"So everyone who doesn't believe in god is dumb?"

"Knowledge and wisdom are different."

"The wise may see god, is that what you think?"

"One day we will become smart enough, to find a way, to see God," said David, "then we will realize how stupid we are."

"Wait what?" said Oliver, scratching his head.

"You aren't the only one who's confused," said Manzo winking.

"I could explain it to you Ollie," said David.

"Forget I asked," said Oliver. He did not want a long-winded, boring explanation from David.

"Maybe everyone who believes in god is a fool," said Manzo. "Ever consider that possibility?"

"Yes," said David, "but remember all your cleverness will be useless after you die."

"I'm starting to see why they didn't let you become a priest," said Manzo laughing. "You are depressing."

"I hope you enjoy your life, of eternal torment in hell, atheist."

"I will just repent before dying and get to heaven," said Manzo. "Isn't that how it works."

"Momentary regret is not repentance," said David. "You may regret, the way you lived, at the end of your days. It does not mean you will repent."

"Isn't your god supposed to be the forgiving type?"

"Without repentance and faith there can be no forgiveness."

"Perhaps, if your god showed himself, more people would believe."

"Even if God showed up," said David. "People would still believe what they want to believe."

"Shouldn't you be convincing me?" said Manzo. "Isn't that written too?"

"We all have free will. Choose what you want to believe."

"I believe that I owe you my life," said Manzo, "and I believe in paying my debts."

*

Geran knew it was a dream. He saw an ancient, submerged temple. Drawn towards it, he swam. Followed by all the people, he knew. An evil they could not see pursued them and attacked those who fell behind.

There was no water inside the temple. It was dark and he was afraid. In the darkness, he saw a light, so far away it was but a speck. He ran towards it and the others followed without question. He could hear them behind him, screaming in agony, as they died one after the other. He wanted to turn and help them but he could not stop. Something evil was stalking them. Laughing, taunting, and killing them. Its presence filled his heart with terror and he fled towards the light. Towards the only hope, he could see in the darkness.

He could not hear the others any longer. He knew they were dead and he was alone in the darkness. He ran with the speed of a coward. Alone, afraid, and ashamed, he ran. As he neared towards the light, he gathered his ebbing strength, leaped towards the light, and fell.

Faster and faster, he fell. He landed in a lush green meadow, under a blue sky. He looked at the blue sky fascinated by it, until he saw her. She was dressed as a bride, in a gown so white, that it glimmered. Beautiful, perfect, and pure in every way, she waited. A bride he loved. A bride, meant for another.

He needed her. From the depths of his soul, he desired her. She smiled at him with tears in her eyes. The blue sky turned red and it rained blood. The world darkened and the meadow withered away. The undead surrounded them and drew closer with each passing moment. The bride's dress turned crimson. As he watched her, she became weaker. Her smile faded and she no longer had the strength to cry. He could not help her or protect her. He raged helplessly, lurching towards the bride. The undead were in his way. He slaughtered them all. Before he reached her, a gentle wind blew away the dust that once formed her body.

Geran gathered the dust, from where she had stood. He wept. All that was left of her was a fading memory and dust in his hands. The world shook and burned. He was happy to burn. He wanted to die with her. He fell down on his knees and prayed as he died.

He woke up, heart pounding and with tears in his eyes. He was drenched in sweat. Where was he?

Captain Nina stood over him. It took him a moment, to recognize her, and remember where he was. Was Angela going to die? He would die before he let that happen.

"Bad dream?" said Captain Nina tenderly. "You were crying in your sleep."

She coaxed and bullied Oliver, into exchanging bunks with her, to sleep on the bunk above Geran. The concern in her voice made him feel guilty. He could never bring himself to feel the way she did. There was only one person he wanted and needed, above all.

"Nah," said Geran embarrassed, "got something in my eyes, that's all."

"They are called tears," she said smiling.

"I don't cry."

"Sure you don't," she said.

"The lensys made my eyes water," he said. "I'm sure it happens to everyone."

"Uh huh," she said. "Does this have anything to do with Mayor Hussy?"

"How did you know I met her?" said Geran disoriented. The dream disturbed him. He wondered what it meant.

"She's not as subtle as she thinks," she said smiling. "Besides I like to keep my eyes on you."

"Please don't tell anyone."

"I don't see how it's anyone's business," she said. "But why was she sneaking around to meet you?"

"She came to tell me something important."

"Is she pregnant?"

"What?" he said, taken aback. "Why would you even think that?"

"It's not entire improbable," she said. "She has a thing for attractive men."

"Well she's not."

"Then, what were you talking about?" said Captain Nina.

"Nothing of interest," said Geran.

"I'm interested in everything concerning you," she said. "So tell me."

"I cannot tell you, or I would."

"Our Mayor's trouble, in the flesh," she said sighing. "You should stay away from her."

"So I have been told," said Geran, thinking about Angela.

"What did you dream about?" said Captain Nina.

"It was just a dream," said Geran, trying to convince himself. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Dreams are glimpses of the future, seen by the soul, distorted by the mind," said Captain Nina.

"What?"

"Read it somewhere," said Captain Nina.

"I hope that is not true."

He watched Balyn _field stripping_ his rifle restlessly. Geran decided to do the same and clean his rifle. It would take his mind off Angela. Everyone was preoccupied, anxious about the impending battle in Egakoka. Manzo was flirting with one of the pogue officers. Ankit and Oliver were cheerful, as ever. Bishnu was so calm about everything it was annoying at times.

He thought about what the Mayor asked him to do. He had killed countless enemies in combat. Nevertheless, what she asked him to do was different. He did not know if he was capable of doing what she asked. Was he capable of murder?
Chapter Fifteen

General Garif was content. His enemies had gloated at the failures of his project long enough. Soon he would be beyond reproach. This conflict with the undead would prove all the naysayers in Central wrong. Geran's battle with the rakshasas had shown them his strength. It was time for the first-born to do the same. They did remarkably well on their last mission. They encountered the undead but managed to complete their mission with no casualties. During that mission, the seidr witches recovered enough raw material to make a new weapon. General Garif knew some members of Central wanted it used regardless of how the battle of Egakoka turned out. He did not intend to use the weapon unless everything else failed.

General Garif was convinced that the first-born project was the final solution. However, he knew Central needed to be convinced too. Egakoka would be their proving ground. Five out of the hundred and forty-three test subjects still lived. Accelerated growth proved to be unpredictable and the implanted memories were unstable. Five test subjects was more than he expected but not quite enough. Possessing only half his genes, they were not as strong as Geran. With time, he hoped they would someday be as powerful as he was.

Each one was physically different from the other. But, ultimately they were biologically, Geran's children. The first-born children of neo-humans that would one day reclaim the world. Their descendants would inherit the same strength. New generations would replace the old and humankind would survive. Before that could happen, he had to convince Central to allow the first-born project to continue.

They would reach Egakoka in less than twenty-four hours. General Garif could not wait to get there. The sooner the first-born proved their worth, the sooner he could persuade the skeptics in Central. If the reports from his spies were true, time was running out for all of them. A great multitude of the undead was marching towards Egakoka. Their ally was _carpet-bombing_ the undead with airships. It was not as effective as they expected.

General Garif knew the kunoichi collected a sample of Geran's blood. He let them leave Helid with it. He hoped they would succeed where Helid scientists failed. It had been a futile gesture. They could not achieve anything in such a short time. Still it was worth the risk to let them try. If Central had known, it would have never permitted such a thing. More times than he could remember, he suggested letting the allies help with the first-born project. The suggestions were not well received.

General Garif prayed nothing would go wrong in the quadrant while he was away. Lieutenant General Tuttle was in charge of the Third Army until he returned. Nicknamed _turtle_ for his inability to make quick decisions, Lieutenant General Tuttle, was dependable but not capable. General Garif knew his subordinate gained his rank only because of his family's money and political connections. Lieutenant General Tuttle lacked personal ambition and that was why Garif trusted him. He had little faith in Tuttle's abilities to handle a crisis of any kind. He did have faith in Aisha though.

*

Egakoka was not how Geran expected it be. Angela described it to him but it had not prepared him. The place where the worm trains emerged was a long, barren canyon. Egakoka was south from where they were. As the allied force disembarked, Geran looked around, as he stepped out of the worm.

The entire city built inside a canyon that protected its eastern and western borders from attacks. With Helid protecting its north, Egakoka was vulnerable from only one direction. The elders of Egakoka did not trust walls to protect them. Elevated structures were their primary defense against the undead. Geran tried to see what other defenses they set up. From that distance, he could not see anything else, even with the lensys to help him.

Their ally was expecting them. Sixty shinobi and forty soldiers, led by a General, stood a short distance from where the worms emerged. General Garif walked towards them, followed by the allied force. The Generals saluted each other, as did those with them.

"You and your men are to remain here," said General Tsukiko, a little louder than necessary. She was a petite woman with short greying hair, a heart-shaped face, and a harsh voice.

She looked at Geran with such malice it was unsettling. He was certain they never met before. A few of the others noticed it too and looked at him, curious to know what the story was. Geran did not expect a warm welcome but the apparent animosity was unexpected too.

"We are here to help you defend the city," said General Garif, matching her tone.

"Let me worry about the city," said General Tsukiko. "The evacuation of the Egakoka elders and their families comes first."

"I will oversee it myself," said General Garif.

"Colonel Yoshiro and his men will remain here to assist you with the evacuation," said General Tsukiko. She turned and left, followed by the shinobi.

"You must forgive the General," said Colonel Yoshiro, stepping forward. "She still grieves for her daughter Mio."

_Mio_. Geran had heard that name before. Then he remembered. She was the kunoichi who died battling the rakshasas. Did General Tsukiko blame him? That did not seem logical but that was the only explanation he could think of.

"Think nothing of it," said General Garif.

"I apologize for our lack of hospitality," said Colonel Yoshiro. "The city is already in chaos. The citizens would panic and riot if they learn the elders are being evacuated."

"We did not come here to be pampered," said General Garif. "As soon as the evacuation is complete, we will help you defend the city."

"Thank you General, we need all the help we can get," said Colonel Yoshiro. "Your men can set up base camp here."

"What's this?" someone whined. "We are expected to camp outside the city?"

Geran turned to see who spoke. It was Lord Rimaru, with eight strigoi behind him. They were carrying a huge container. If it took eight strigoi to carry it, it was heavy.

"Look _ogre-bots_ ," said Oliver.

"They are called _ogres_ not ogre-bots," said David.

"Like I care," said Oliver. "I'm sticking with ogre-bots."

Geran looked at the two formidable looking _Ogres_ from the second quadrant. Eight-foot tall robots, armed with two giant meat cleavers and .50 caliber machine guns. A few pogues were attaching cables to them to recharge their batteries. As big as they were, Geran supposed, they required a lot of power to move around, especially during combat. They moved so slowly that he doubted they would be very effective as an offensive weapon. They would be useful for defending key positions he surmised.

"We regret the inconvenience, sir," said Colonel Yoshiro, "but this is the safest location for the evacuation."

"And why is that?" said Lord Rimaru. "You can't defend the city against a few thousand undead?"

"There are more than just a few thousand, sir," said Colonel Yoshiro, swallowing his anger. "There are far more than we expected."

"How many more than estimated?" said General Garif.

"We can't say for sure," said Colonel Yoshiro, "but we estimate ten million or more."

"Ten million," said Lord Rimaru spluttering. "Why hasn't Egakoka done anything to stop them?"

"Our airships have been bombing them for weeks," said Colonel Yoshiro. "We have set up barbwire fences, anti-personnel mines, and even dug pits to slow them down."

"Keep it together Rimaru," said General Garif irritated. "No one's asking you to fight in the frontlines."

"We should all retreat while we still can," said Lord Rimaru.

"If we need to, we will retreat," said General Garif, "but until then take care of what has been entrusted to you."

"We will all die if we do not retreat soon."

"If we are fated to die here, we will."

"I don't believe in fate," said Lord Rimaru, "and I'm not prepared to die."

"We are all dying at the pace of our own fates," said General Garif. "Not even you can escape death, Rimaru."

"General Garif," said Colonel Yoshiro, clearing his throat. "If you could please order your men to unload the trains and set up base, we can begin the evacuation."

General Garif nodded to one of the officers who relayed the order to the others. As they unloaded the trains, Geran kept an eye on Lord Rimaru. The strigoi were setting up his tent, while Lord Rimaru relaxed and complained.

Lord Rimaru did not trust the hafazar soldiers to protect him. With the strigoi around him, it would be impossible to kill him undetected. Mayor Aisha wanted him dead. If he wanted Chloe and the others to have a future, he would have to find a way to get rid of Rimaru.

*

General Garif coordinated the evacuation with efficiency and speed. Elders, their families, and important citizens left the city with great haste. Less than thirty-three hours, after they arrived in Egakoka, the evacuation was complete. Despite every effort to evacuate in secret, the word spread and citizens gathered and protested. The allied forces kept them at bay, preventing them from boarding and commandeering the trains.

Only one of the six worm trains, which arrived in Egakoka, remained. It waited underground and away from citizens who were desperate to flee. With the trains gone, the citizens either returned to the city or fled from it.

After the last train left for Helid, General Garif coordinated with Colonel Yoshiro. They began deploying squads from the allied forces, to various sections of the city, to strengthen its defenses. Much to Geran's dismay, Danso's squad had orders to remain close to General Garif.

All the while Lord Rimaru lazed, whined, and dined on his blood acolytes. The strigoi guards never left his side. They guarded both Lord Rimaru and the container with uncharacteristic vigilance. Geran could not see how he could do what Mayor Aisha asked him to do.

Central considered Lord Rimaru important. Geran knew killing him would have grave consequences. He wanted to kill Lord Rimaru in combat, not murder him, but he knew that would never happen. He failed to find the men responsible for kidnapping the children. He would not fail them again.

He promised Chloe he would bring Angela back to Helid. It had been impulsive and stupid. He was not sure if Angela would want to leave Egakoka. She saw what Helid did to its citizens. Central ordered the extermination of citizens to regain control of a sector. He no longer trusted Central. He doubted if Angela would want to live in Helid. He did not know what it was like to live in Egakoka, but he knew he could not leave her there. Egakoka would fall as Voyna had fallen.

He had overheard General Garif talking to the Colonel. It was just a matter of time. Even if everyone in the city fought, the undead would still outnumber the humans. The allied forces would fight. They would die. The city would fall. He hoped General Garif had a plan. Geran was not afraid to die but he did not want to die in vain. He did not want Angela to die.

He had no idea where Angela was in the city. He asked one of Colonel Yoshiro's men, but got a vague answer about her whereabouts. He wanted to see her again. To make sure she was safe. To tell her how he felt. He did not want to be alone anymore. He could not guess what the future would be like. But, he wanted a future with her in it.

*

As the undead crossed the minefields and broke through the barbed wire fences, the Egakoka army deployed every available airship to slow them down. They were running out of bombs. The allied forces gathered south of the city and prepared for battle. The undead would reach the city by dawn.

Flares lit up the night sky at regular intervals. Random flashes of lightning brightened the horizon long enough to see the undead multitude. Mortar teams, machine gun nests, and sniper towers positioned strategically on the canyon walls attacked the undead every step of the way. The mortar teams kept up a steady barrage of incendiary shells. The undead burned as they staggered towards the city. The machine gunners eliminated those that came within their range. Snipers eliminated the ones that were beyond the mortar's reach.

The soldiers, on the canyon walls, were tiring and running out of ammunition but the undead continued marching. The undead did not tire, they did not stop, and they feared nothing. By dawn, the soldiers were out of ammo. They killed tens of thousands but could not stop the undead sea from flowing towards the city.

The allied forces attacked, firing round after round, magazine after magazine. They tried to make every shot count. Safe above the ground, they jeered as they fired. Almost a mile from the city, the undead stopped as one. The allied forces did not stop attacking until no undead was left within their range. From the midst of the undead rose a creature. Flying higher and higher until everyone in Egakoka could see it. It spoke to them.

" _We are the asuras. We shall be your new gods. Worship us and we shall be merciful."_ The asuras voices was inside their heads. Everyone heard four distinct voices speaking in unison. _"You will serve us as the living or as the dead. Choose what you will."_

"They are in my head," said Oliver afraid. "How are they doing that?"

"Why don't you go ask them?" said Manzo scathingly.

"We need to shut him up," said Danso. "Many in Egakoka are already scared. This will demoralize them even more."

"How is he floating in the air?" said Bishnu. "Is he using a jet pack or something?"

"Not that I can see," said Geran, using the lensys to take a closer look. He unwrapped a meal-bar and ate it. He would need his strength later.

"He must be a mutant," said Ankit with certainty.

"Yeah," said Oliver excited, "with super-powers and everything."

"Pipe down you two," said David.

"Who died and put you in charge," said Manzo.

They grew quiet when General Garif glared at them. They were immature. Some not too bright either. It was more than he had a right to expect from them. Accelerated growth and implanted memories could only take them so far. A hundred and thirty-eight _first born_ children did not make it past the training phase. Some did not stop growing and died of old age. Others became either insane or sick. It was a miracle five even survived.

"Alien, mutant or god," said General Garif, "get a sniper to shoot him down."

"He's beyond our range, sir," said Danso, "Even the snipers won't be able to make the shot at that distance."

"What we need is a SAM," said David.

"Sam?" said Ankit.

"Surface to Air Missile," said Manzo. "SAM."

"Is that all you need?" said Geran, "I left mine at home."

"Geran _made a funny_ ," said Oliver, in mock terror. "It is the end of the world, for sure."

"I don't think SAMs were designed to target a single humanoid creature floating in the air," said Balyn.

"That's irrelevant," said General Garif. "Our allies do not have any."

"I know one sniper who might be able to make the shot, sir," said Geran.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" said General Garif, "Get on the radio and contact her."

"Radios aren't working, sir," said David.

"Damn the red-sky," said General Garif. "Geran, find her and get it done."

"Yes sir."

Geran ran, thinking hard. Did Nina say tower sixteen or sixth. He cussed under his breath. He should have paid more attention to her. He ran to tower sixteen since it was closer.

"Captain Nina, are you up there?" said Geran, as loud as he could.

"What are you doing here?" said Captain Nina, looking down.

"I need you," said Geran.

"I have been waiting forever to hear you say that," she said.

"General Garif's orders, you must come with me," said Geran. "There's someone we want you to shoot."

"You know how to make a girl feel special, don't you?" she said. "Wait, I am coming down."

"Jump I will catch you."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I do," she said. "Catch my rifle first."

Geran caught the rifle in one fluid movement and rested it against the tower.

"Let your body go limp as you jump."

Nina jumped without hesitation. Geran caught her carefully, bending his knees, to absorb the energy from the fall.

"I could get used to you carrying me," she said, batting her eyes. She rested her head on his chest.

"We need to hurry," he said, putting her down, "follow me."

Geran led the way back to his squad. He did not see General Garif there but Danso and the squad were waiting for them.

"About time you got here," said Danso, when he saw them. He saluted Captain Nina. "Geran help her up on that tower."

"That rickety old thing?" said Captain Nina, looking at the tower Danso meant. Geran had his doubts too. The old watchtower looked ready to collapse and the reason why it was left unmanned.

"Geran, up the tower now," said Danso. "General Garif wants that asura taken care of ASAP."

"I'll go first, Captain Nina," said Geran. "If it's safe, you can follow."

He scrambled up the tower before she could protest. After he reached the top, he waved at her. Captain Nina climbed the tower at a slower pace.

"Captain Nina, can you make the shot?" Geran asked, after she positioned herself.

"Just say the word."

"Let him have it, Captain."

"Sure thing, darling," said Captain Nina distractedly.

A minute later, Geran saw the asura jerk as the bullet struck his body. It only made him angry.

" _Come forth my children and feed."_

"Captain Nina, shut him up, please," said Geran. "I want the voices out of our heads."

"Doing just that," she said. Captain Nina fired again. The bullet did not have the same effect as before.

"Keep firing."

"You don't have to tell me," said Captain Nina. "I am going to."

The lack of effect, the second shot had on the asura, riled her. She fired, shot after shot, at the flying asura. Geran watched her impressed. Her skill with a sniper rifle was extraordinary. Every shot struck the target in spite of the speed with which she was shooting. She managed to get a head shot for all the good it did. The asura ignored every hit and raised his arms. The red-sky thundered and lightning struck Egakoka at multiple locations.

"We need a bigger gun," said Geran, looking at the sky.

"Geran move," she screamed, shoving him hard.

It took a split-second for him to comprehend that he was falling to the ground below. He saw a ball of fiery lightning headed towards the tower as he fell. Captain Nina jumped as the fireball hit the tower. Geran landed hard. He felt a few ribs crack and gritted his teeth in pain. It would heal soon, but it would hurt until then. Manzo and Bishnu rushed to help him.

Captain Nina landed a few feet away and her back was on fire. She screamed and rolled in agony. Ankit and Oliver tried to put out the fire with their hands. It was a dumb thing to do but there was nothing else to put out the flames. The pain was intense but they managed to put the fire out. Geran moved closer to hold her burnt and broken body. He knew she was dying and he could do nothing to save her. She saved his life even though he never did anything for her.

"I am so sorry Nina," he said, kissing her on the lips.

She almost smiled and never spoke again. Geran closed her eyes. It was his fault she was dead. If he had not been so careless, he could have saved her. He looked up and saw a hideous face contorted by evil.
Chapter Sixteen

_Anchimayen._ Geran barely managed to avoid its attack even with his heightened speed. He drew his sidearm, fired and missed. It was faster than any monster he ever fought. He kept firing. Unable to get a clear shot, his handgun was soon empty and useless. Before he could reload, the anchimayen leapt in the air and grabbed Geran by the neck. It tried to choke and bite him. Geran dropped his handgun and held it at bay. He punched it with all his strength before throwing it hard to the ground.

Stomping on its chest, he drew his blades and stabbed the anchimayen before it could attack again. It screeched in agony but refused to die. Geran withdrew his blade and raised it to kill the creature. Before he could strike, it transformed into a little girl that resembled Chloe and cried. Geran closed his eyes and swung his blade before it could speak and bewitch him. He could hear the squad firing at the anchimayen as they darted around trying to attack them. He looked around to see if they needed help.

Danso had killed another one. Injured and bleeding, he was barely conscious. The remaining anchimayen fled in search of weaker prey. Geran looked around for his rifle but was unable to find it. He picked up his handgun and wiped it clean.

The squad could hear screams and roars as humans fought monsters. The kalkus had been busy. The anchimayen had infiltrated Egakoka impersonating children and now they were destroying it from within. If the anchimayen were inside the city, then it was safe to assume the rakshasas were too. Egakoka was doomed.

"We need to get Danso, back to the worm site," said Geran. No one argued. "I will lead the way as soon as Manzo can stop the bleeding."

*

Lord Rimaru's head was on the ground, next to his lifeless body. General Garif lay injured and unconscious near him. All the strigoi and hafazar were dead. Many of the Egakoka soldiers were dead too.

One of Colonel Yoshiro's men was taking care of the General. Geran looked around for signs of an enemy. There were no other bodies, neither anchimayen nor undead.

"Colonel Yoshiro, what happened here?" said Geran. The Colonel was leaning against the container that the strigoi had been guarding. He was tired but unharmed.

"The strigoi leader went crazy and armed the WMD before anyone could stop him," said Colonel Yoshiro. "General Garif and he argued about it, and then the fight began. We tried to stop them."

"Wait, what WMD?" said Geran shocked. He felt like a fool when he saw it. Colonel Yoshiro was standing right next to it.

"The one General Garif brought along," said Colonel Yoshiro. "You have less than four hours to get outside the blast radius. Those who want to leave should hurry."

"Let's defuse it and retreat," said Oliver, looking at the timer.

"Why sure, it's the easiest thing in the world," said Balyn. "Let's pop it open and cut one wire randomly to defuse it."

"I thought WMD required two halves of a code to be armed," said Geran.

"The strigoi knew both halves of the secret code."

"Wasn't much of a code to begin with," said General Garif, as he stood up unsteadily, "unless you consider 00000000 a secure code." Ankit and Oliver stepped forward to support the General.

"That's just fucked up," said Balyn. "That's what the geniuses at Helid came up with?"

"Watch your tone Balyn," said David. "I apologize for his rude outburst, sir."

"I don't disagree," said General Garif. "It's a stupid code that's been used in the past as well."

"Doesn't the weapon have a deactivation code, sir," said Geran.

"Yes it does," said General Garif, "I know one half of the code. Rimaru knew the other."

"We could guess," said Ankit. "It can't be too hard considering the arming code wasn't."

"We could end up blowing ourselves up," said General Garif. "We retreat and let the bomb kill the undead."

"But sir," said Geran.

"We may never get a chance to kill so many undead in one go," said General Garif. "The city is lost, the citizens have fled, and the shinobi will fight to the death. There is nothing else we can do."

"Ayame," said Bishnu, eyes widening. He ran towards the city.

"Bishnu wait," said David, running after him.

"You are headed the wrong way you fools," said Balyn. "Can we please signal the worm train, to surface, and leave?"

"We take as many—can," said Danso rasping. The drug Manzo pumped into him was kicking in.

"The others are as good as dead," said Balyn. "Let's leave now."

"I'm going after them," said Geran, looking at General Garif.

"You have two hours," said General Garif, with a slight nod. After what he had done to Geran, it was the least he could do. Perhaps, future generations would remember him as a monster who used children as weapons, to win the war. He did not care. They needed to win. He would do whatever it took to protect the city of Helid. Whatever it took to win the war against the monsters that ruled the world.

"Thank you, General," said Geran relieved. He would find them. He would find Angela too or he would die in Egakoka with her. If he found them in time, they would need the worm train to evacuate.

"We can't save them all so don't die trying," said General Garif. "If you do find them you will need this." General Garif, pressed a button on a device the size of an apple, and tossed it at Geran.

"What is it, sir?" said Geran, examining the device. It was egg-shaped and had multiple buttons with symbols on them.

"If you find them," said General Garif, "press the button with the compass symbol. We will bring the worm to you."

"Great, then we can all die together," said Balyn, kicking a pebble hard.

"Stop grumbling and help me take care of the injured soldiers," said Manzo. "Ankit and Ollie's hands need to be treated too."

"I need a rifle," said Geran.

"Take mine," said Balyn, "I don't need it anymore. We'll all be dead soon enough."

"The pogue in-charge of the trains won't leave without me," Manzo whispered to Geran. "I'll try to delay them as long as I can."

"Thank you," said Geran touched.

"Just bring them all back," said Manzo grinning, "even David."

*

Geran followed Bishnu's trail. _Ayame_ , that name was familiar. He was not sure, but if she was Bishnu's kunoichi pair, chances were Angela would be with her. He did not know where to look for her. If Bishnu knew where they were, then following him was his only chance, of finding Angela.

He followed the trail of undead corpses, recognizing Bishnu's work. The air was thick with smoke and dust. His side hurt every time he breathed hard. He could not run as fast as he wanted. He could feel the ribs healing, but time was running out. He could not rest. He doubted if he would make it back to the worm site. He prayed for Chloe and the others. With Lord Rimaru dead, the Mayor had no reason to break her promise. The children would be safe.

He needed to find Angela. The undead were in his way. He was willing to die to save Angela. He wore the exosuit mask and gloves. The mask helped him breathe easier. He was going to cut through the undead horde.

*

Geran's arms were numb and he was tired. Memories of Voyna flooded his mind. He felt hate and rage. The dark power inside began to overwhelm him as he cut down a great number of the undead. He resisted no more. He needed that power. He would kill every monster in his path if he had to.

How many did he kill?

A hundred?

A thousand?

He would never be able to say for sure. He killed everything, the undead, and the anchimayen. He lost track of time. Would Manzo and the others wait? He could not say. He wanted nothing more than to see Angela once more. If he could find them in time, they could escape. They could live.

He saw Bishnu first, standing beside a kunoichi, holding her hand and comforting her. They were ready and waiting. Was he ready to die? If this was the day he would die, he wanted to die next to her. David was leaning against an immobilized Ogre, muttering to himself. Praying or cursing, Geran could not be certain.

Countless undead and many rakshasas, lay lifeless a few feet from them. Many shinobi and kunoichi lay dead amongst them. He managed to breathe when he saw Angela was not among the dead. He took out the egg-shaped device and pressed its button. He did not expect the others to come. He placed the device on the ground near David. He would not leave without her.

When he found her, she was taking care of Popo and General Tsukiko. Exhausted, unkempt, and with her arm in a sling, but she was alive. Perhaps, they would both die before the day ended. Better a day with her than a thousand with another. He was ready to die with her.

He loved her. She saw him and smiled, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She ran to him. He kissed her.

***
